Why throw a spoon when you can eat it? This Gujarat engineer's start-up Trishula makes zero-waste, tasty, edible cutlery 

Kruvil Patil tells us how his start-up Trishula makes edible cutlery in five different flavours and how it is a step forward in the right direction
Picture: Trishula India
Picture: Trishula India

Imagine when you finish your food and you're getting ready to toss the cutlery and foil - and someone came up to you and says that you can eat your cutlery too! 

Surprised? We were too. The thing is, as bizarre as it sounds, you wouldn't even complain because the edible cutlery comes in five lip-smacking flavours, plus you won't generate any plastic waste. And it's all thanks to this 26-year-old engineer from Gujarat's Vadodara whose venture Trishula makes it possible. Kruvil Patel's start-up produces edible spoons that can be relished in an effort to curb the usage of single-use plastics.

All of Trishula's spoons are made of multigrain flour, binding agents like salt and water, natural Indian spices and natural flavours that are 100 per cent natural, vegetarian, and do not have any added preservatives or sugar. The mixture is baked at a significantly high temperature in order to absorb moisture. 

The spoons currently come in the flavours Simply Classic, Black Treasure, Choco lust, Spice Hunter and Crunchy Vanilla. The start-up is also planning to launch edible straws, stirrer, forks by the end of this year. "When I was in college, I used to eat at restaurants a lot. One day when I was eating my lunch with a plastic spoon it broke inside my mouth and then I thought what if I mistakenly swallowed that broken piece? I got scared and I decided to find a safer solution. I heard a lot about how edible cutlery is replacing single-use plastic products, which are a threat to the environment. I wanted to try them out and ordered some from Hyderabad. Soon after I tried it, I realised that they are nothing like regular spoons, the quality and the taste was also not quite appealing. That's when it hit me that I could come up with edible spoons that also taste good. I spent a lot of time on research despite my parents' displeasure," recalls Kruvil.

The 26-year-old engineer-turned-entrepreneur wanted to do something unique while reducing plastic use. Trishula's first product came out in May 2017 and by November that year, Kruvil got the start-up to function completely in Vadodara. Speaking about the unique name of the start-up, Kruvil says that stems from his personal belief in Mahadev (Lord Shiva). "Just like Mahadev's Trishul (Trident) destroys harmful things, our biodegradable, eco-friendly edible cutlery is also similar as it has the capability to halt single-plastic cutlery usage and forge ahead towards building a sustainable environment," he adds.

Owing to Kruvil's engineering skills, he also studied about machines and he applied that knowledge in making the spoons. The spoons have a shelf life of six months starting from the time of their manufacturing. "You can eat it as a snack if you wish to or it is even biodegradable. They are extremely healthy and tasty so why not eat it after finishing your meal?" asks Kruvil.

Trishula's edible spoons are priced from Rs 3 to Rs 6, depending on the quantity and the flavour. While the classic plain spoons with order quantity over 5,000 pieces cost Rs 3 per piece, the chocolate-flavoured spoon costs Rs 4.50 per piece. Currently, the products are being sold through a Mumbai-based distributor called Living Essentials and one can also order on Trishula's official website.

In an attempt to encourage brands to switch to an eco-friendly lifestyle, the start-up provides customisation in terms of size, shape, and the taste of the spoon, which might have added charges. The spoons can also be customised with logos or embossed as per the requirement of brands.

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