tiffins!

After being good and bringing my lunch to work every day, I decided one day to splurge a little and buy myself lunch. But with only a half-hour break, I knew that I was not about to rush out to stand in line at a take out counter, only to rush back to the office and my meal. Then I remembered Tiffinday.

Last winter, I caught an interview segment on Metro Morning with Seema Pabari, owner of this enterprise based in the Gerrard India Bazaar, during which she talked about the importance of environmental sustainability in her business practices, hence the the tiffins and thermal bags in which delicious vegan Indian meals are packaged and delivered. Containers were then picked up the following day. I had been meaning to try them out, so here was the opportunity! I loved the idea of re-usable containers and leaving as little waste as possible. (I sure missed the days at Rehab when I could bring my little Rubbermaid tub to Helena's Magic Kitchen at Village by the Grange, and they'd fill it with sweet potato pie and an assortment of salads!) All I needed to enjoy Tiffinday was to place my order on-line the day before and bring my own fork. I convinced two of my colleagues to join me--that way, we could try more items on the menu. ^_^

The menu changes daily, with one appetizer, two entree options and a dessert. We ordered them all. For three hungry gals, this was plenty of food! I had suggested to them to bring their forks from home, but they simply pulled out the plastic cutlery from the staff kitchen. Ah well, better two plastic forks in the trash than a pile of styrofoam containers!

I immediately recommended this place to friends who worked downtown as an excellent feel-good lunch option. One comment I got back was, "This is expensive, considering I would pay a fraction for this kind of food in India." Well, there are certainly a lot of things we can get cheaper in other countries, but that's not the point. One could easily spend the same amount of money for a less-than-satisfying calorie-laden meal from the food court. But,to each their own :)

I was so impressed by the food and the concept that I contacted Ms. Pabari, who was gracious enough to spare some time to chat and share some information about her company, along with her social hiring decisions. As a client of MaRS, Tiffinday has partnered with a non-profit to provide work opportunities for people living with developmental disabilities. It is Ms. Pabari's hope to work with more agencies that serve disadvantaged clients when her business takes off. I do wish her all the best--and wish there were more businesses like that around. The most significant piece of advice for social entrepreneurs: If you strongly believe in something, take the risk when seeking investors. This tidbit, Ms. Pabari noted, is directed more to women than men, as men often jump right in, while women are more cautious in their approach.

While I would definitely order from Tiffinday again, I know that I will have to do it soon, before the internship ends. They only deliver to the downtown core, and who knows where I will end up this fall!