Firewood to the rescue as LPG goes scarce

Back to where it all began! With rumours becoming reality and many hotels in cities shutting down due to the unavailability of LPG cylinders, some are forced to set up new cooking spaces to accommodate firewood stoves. In contrast to restaurants in Thiruvananthapuram city, many of the eateries outside the city have been operating firewood stoves for years. The news of the LPG cylinder shortage had minimal impact on these restaurants’ daily operations. 

“We have been depending on the firewood shop next to our hotel from the time my father was running the business. We have always got firewood at the best possible price and never felt the need to switch to an LPG stove,” said Anil Kumar, proprietor of Thara Hotel in Neyyattinkara town that has been running for over 50 years now. 

Sole firewood shop

Neyyattinkara town earlier had two major firewood shops, one of which was gradually shut down due to decreased demand. Gopan, who owns the only major firewood shop in Neyyattinkara, says he has no plans to raise prices, as demand is currently rising. “Small stores that purchase firewood from us and sell locally might be trying to make a higher profit with the increased demand. We have a history of over 60 years, and we have always had a steady demand from our loyal customers, mostly hotels in Neyyattinkara,” said Mr. Gopan, making clear that he has no intention to capitalise on the demand surge for a short-term gain. 

The taste factor

Vijayaraghavan, who has been running the roadside restaurant ‘Naalumanikattu’ for 45 years in Amaravila, says although it’s easier to find cooks who operate gas stoves, he chose to keep the traditional wood stove burning to maintain the authentic taste of traditional cuisine that still brings local customers to his hotel.

“Earlier, we used to procure firewood locally for ₹2,000 a tonne, but with the shortage of cooking gas, the asking price has gone up to ₹7,000, which has made daily operations difficult,” says Mr. Vijayaraghavan, adding that he hopes this situation is temporary and the prices will settle soon.