# #268 The Rise of Gymkhana Fine Foods with Gulrez Arora

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-09-29
- Length: 40m
- Episode: 377
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-09-29-268-the-rise-of-gymkhana-fine-foods-with-gulrez-arora
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/a2084156

## Summary

Gulrez Arora, founder of Gymkhana Fine Foods, explains how he leveraged his decade at Mars and a serendipitous connection with JKS Restaurant Group to launch a premium Indian food brand. Arora details the decision to build a hybrid manufacturing model, producing 40-50% of products in-house to maintain restaurant-quality standards that co-packers could not replicate. He discusses the brand's strategy of driving 900% category growth in the UK and achieving rapid success in the US through Whole Foods and Sprouts, relying on heavy in-store activation near meat sections to drive incremental sales.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Gulrez Arora and Gymkhana Fine Foods
2. Gulrez's Background: Mars, Consulting, and the Venture Studio
3. The Origin Story: JKS Restaurant Group and the Retail Thesis
4. Product Development: Translating Michelin-Star Recipes to Retail
5. Manufacturing Strategy: The Hybrid In-House and Co-Packed Model
6. Product Lineup: Simmer Sauces, Marinades, and Ready-to-Cook
7. Market Performance: Incremental Growth and Category Expansion
8. US Launch Strategy: Whole Foods, Sprouts, and In-Store Activation
9. Funding: Series A with CAVU Ventures and Board Dynamics

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Gymkhana Fine Foods (company)
- JKS Restaurant Group (company)
- Mars (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Sprouts (company)
- CAVU Ventures (company)
- Poppy (product)
- Butter Masala (product)
- Goan Curry (product)
- Vindaloo (product)
- Tikka Masala (product)
- FreshDirect (company)
- Amazon (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Food: Sukhi Singh and Dalbir Singh](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-03-14-sukhis-gourmet-indian-food-sukhi-singh-and-dalbir-singh) (How I Built This)
- [What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 1](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-10-18-what-it-really-takes-to-build-a-food-business-part-1) (How I Built This)
- [Sir Kensington's: Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-23-sir-kensingtons-scott-norton-and-mark-ramadan) (How I Built This)
- [360 - Beyond the Die Line - The pitch was awful. They liked the bar! Tom Seymour and Ree Dolnick](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-10-08-360-beyond-the-die-line-the-pitch-was-awful-they-liked-the-bar-tom-seymour-and-r) (People of Packaging)
- [Advice Line with Katlin Smith of Simple Mills](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-01-23-advice-line-with-katlin-smith-of-simple-mills) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-09-29-268-the-rise-of-gymkhana-fine-foods-with-gulrez-arora. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Startup CPG Podcast.