Kochi couple scales up mushroom business with healthy biscuits and soup

While biscuits are a staple teatime treat, modern parents often worry about the refined sugar, preservatives, and empty calories their children consume. To tackle this, Kochi-based entrepreneur Lins Abraham and his wife, Nidhi, launched 'Nutribite'—a healthy alternative brand specialising in premium oyster mushroom cookies and nutrient-rich soup powder.

Lins, who hails from a traditional agricultural family in Thiruvambady, Kozhikode, first arrived in Chittoor, Ernakulam, for a marketing job. However, his entrepreneurial spark had been active since the age of 18, when he branded and marketed virgin coconut oil and coconut-residue biscuits. After taking up mushroom farming alongside his day job, he found balancing cultivation with marketing highly demanding. This led him to pivot to value-added processing. By sourcing fresh oyster mushrooms from other local growers, he not only solved his own supply challenges but also provided a reliable market for small-scale farmers struggling to sell their produce.

Reinventing kids' snack habits
The idea of Nutribite came from observing children's snacking habits. Unlike mass-market biscuits filled with artificial colours and synthetic preservatives, Nutribite mushroom biscuits are crafted using pure dried oyster mushroom powder, wholewheat flour, premium ghee, and minimal sugar. The couple emphasises that mushrooms are a rare natural dietary source of Vitamin D, making these snacks highly beneficial for growing children. Each 100g pack is priced at ₹140, finding a loyal customer base among health-conscious families.

A natural remedy for lifestyle diseases
Following the commercial success of the biscuits, Lins and Nidhi introduced a nutrient-dense mushroom soup powder. This simple yet highly effective blend contains only dried oyster mushroom powder and premium arrowroot powder, completely free from wheat, sugar, synthetic flavours, and preservatives. This clean-label product has become particularly popular among individuals managing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Innovating at home
The couple runs their production unit from a small setup on the upper floor of their residence. Lins used his technical ingenuity to build a custom dehydrator for the mushrooms, pairing it with a heavy-duty mixer-grinder and a commercial baking oven to complete the setup. Their sons, Noah, Nehal, and Nathan, actively assist them with marketing and brand operations.

The smart in-shopping strategy
To establish their brand across major supermarkets and malls in Ernakulam, Lins utilised a direct consumer engagement method known as 'in-shopping'. This retail approach allows new entrepreneurs to host live sampling and interactive sessions directly inside major outlets for a specified period, a win-win strategy that helps build immediate brand trust while driving footfall for the retailers. The couple firmly believes that the future of farming lies in sustainable value addition of wellness-focused food products.