Samridhi Kitchens Adapt To LPG Shortage With Firewood Stoves
Samridhi Kitchens in Kochi adapt to LPG crisis using firewood.
In response to the deepening LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) crisis gripping Kerala and much of India’s hospitality sector, Samridhi @ Kochi, a well‑known community kitchen and budget eatery in Ernakulam, has turned to firewood stoves to keep its kitchens running amid severe disruptions in commercial LPG supplies. The shift reflects broader coping strategies by food service providers confronting a shortage of cooking gas linked to global supply chain snarls and geopolitical tensions.
The nationwide gas crunch, exacerbated by disruptions in energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, has forced many restaurants, hotels and community kitchens to improvise as commercial LPG deliveries dry up. Food businesses across India are reducing menu offerings, cutting back operations or even facing temporary closures because LPG cylinders — typically used daily for cooking — are in short supply or unavailable for commercial use.
Samridhi @ Kochi is among the few establishments in the region experimenting with traditional fuels such as firewood to sustain limited food preparation. Staff at the kitchen said that while catering to the full range of usual dishes isn’t feasible, they are working to serve at least some core menu items by adapting their cooking methods, even if this means using firewood fire pits or stoves that require more labour and change kitchen dynamics.
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The move at Samridhi is symptomatic of a wider shift in the hospitality sector across Kerala and other states. Hotels and eateries have increasingly modified operations: cutting down energy‑intensive foods like dosas and fried items, exploring electric induction cooktops, and entirely rethinking kitchen workflows to rely on alternative fuels where possible. Many small establishments that lack flexible infrastructure are particularly hard‑pressed.
Government measures have sought to prioritise domestic LPG supplies over commercial ones to ensure households are not left without cooking gas, even as restaurants and canteens struggle to access cylinders. Authorities in several states, including Kerala, have also held high‑level meetings to address the situation and explore steps to stabilise supply and distribution.
For community kitchens like Samridhi, the pivot to firewood underscores the severity of the LPG shortage and highlights the innovative, if imperfect, interim solutions emerging as businesses race to stay operational. The use of traditional cooking methods is seen as a temporary measure until commercial LPG supply normalises and more sustainable alternatives can be implemented.
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