Amid LPG shortage, NRAI asks restaurants to curtail menus, save fuel

Restaurant body NRAI advises members to rationalise menus, conserve LPG, and explore electric cooking alternatives after commercial cylinder supply was disrupted in parts of the country

The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on Tuesday issued an advisory to member restaurants to rationalise menus and evaluate alternative cooking measures.

 

This comes amid a continuing LPG crisis and the suspension of commercial cylinder supply in several parts of the country.

 

"In order to safeguard business continuity, employment, and the stability of our sector, NRAI urges all members to immediately adopt the following fuel conservation and operational continuity measures," the advisory stated.

 

To immediately conserve LPG, the body has asked restaurants to rationalise menus by temporarily prioritising dishes that require lower gas usage or shorter cooking cycles.

 

It has also asked them to suspend or reduce items that require long simmering, deep frying, slow cooking, or multiple burners, disable pilot flames on gas ranges and equipment when not in use, and reduce gas usage during non-peak hours by consolidating prep and cooking schedules.

 

The NRAI has also asked members to evaluate temporary alternatives like induction cooking equipment, electric griddles and electric fryers, combi ovens and convection ovens, electric rice cookers and steamers, infrared or electric salamanders.

 

"Even partial migration of certain cooking processes to electricity can significantly reduce LPG dependency," the advisory stated. 

The body, which represents over 500,000 restaurants across the country, also wrote to the Central Government on Monday evening, or their continued support through sustained supply of commercial LPG cylinders.