No Chini- 100% Health, 0% Compromise

Have you ever wondered if you could ever replace all your juice needs with healthier alternatives with maximum nutritional benefits? If you are like me, you most probably said yes. In this ever-increasing trend of health-conscious consumers, No Chini has come up with a healthy line of beverages produced from cold-pressed fruits and vegetables with no added sugar, preservatives nor any other chemicals.

The Birth of No Chini

Chemist-turned-entrepreneur, Mr Sonam Shrestha and Ms Tsewang Sadutsang co-founded No Chini in July of 2018 when Ms. Sadutsang came up with an idea of bringing healthy and nutrient-dense juice to Nepali consumers. The co-founders had realized a huge gap in the Food & Beverage market: there was a lack of healthy alternatives to existing products and consumers were willing to pay higher for it. No Chini has gone from selling in the pop-up stalls Saturday markets to having 27 dedicated point-of-sales within Kathmandu. Even though they have temporarily halted supply in brick and mortar locations, they are seeing a huge spike in their online orders: most notably their website and social media.

Healthy Line of Products from No Chini

No Chini’s line of cold-pressed juices is healthier than the common juices on the market due to its mode of production. Fruit Juices that are available in the market are reconstituted pulp diluted with water and most have additives, high amount of sugar and all types of chemicals to expand their shelf life. This compromises their nutritional benefits and affects the consumer’s health negatively. But when it comes to cold-pressed juices, you get almost everything from within the fruits: untainted original taste along with the nutrients. One may wonder how it differs from the fruit juices available in local fruit shops all over Kathmandu. The difference is, the fruit shops squeeze the juices right out of the fruit and are consumed then and there, whereas No Chini uses hydraulic machines to cold-press the fruit and vegetables to maximize the nutrients and add a few more days to its shelf life.

One might wonder if it’s better just to eat fruits and vegetables directly. Yes, but would you rather eat 3 fruits and vegetables individually, or drink them as a juice in one fell swoop? Which one is more convenient? Not only that, but most people also do not like the taste of vegetables like beetroot or even spinach. Thus, they have you covered with a variety of natural ingredients that makes consuming raw vegetables delicious. The use of raw vegetables also guarantees the preservation of valuable nutrients that would otherwise be lost due to cooking.

The COVID-19 Crisis

The pandemic has made it difficult for many startups to function. Fortunately, No Chini recognized it as an opportunity to flex its muscle. They shut down all point-of-contact sales even before the lockdown had been imposed and started selling online through its website and social media. Although the total sales may have decreased, online sales have skyrocketed. To ensure the safety of the customers and its employees,  they have started a delivery service of their own, instead of using 3^rd party delivery services. This has proved to be simultaneously convenient as well as a source of customer satisfaction. Every bottle gets sanitized before use and every fruit and vegetable gets ozonated which kills all the bacteria. They have also prioritized the use of digital payment methods to minimize physical contact to reduce the spread of the virus.

The Market in Nepal for Healthier Juices

There has been a change in the market for No Chini in the 2 years of its operation. During its inception, it was the first company to bring cold-pressed juices to the Nepali market. Since then, up to 10 more companies have started selling cold-pressed juices. With the increasing demand and supply for cold-pressed juices, awareness among people has also increased. Nowadays people have started having second thoughts before buying fruit juices: whether to get the sugar-laden ones or the healthier cold-pressed alternatives. 

No Chini has been able to stand out in the market due to its drive to provide premium quality juices. Coupled with amazing customer service, it has thus been able to garner the highest market share in the cold-pressed juice category. One of the things that make it stand out is also the team behind the product, which comprises talented individuals in different fields who have been brought together with a common vision, and the calculated risks that they are willing to take.

Final Words from co-founder Mr. Sonam Shrestha

Mr Sonam Shrestha believes in leaving no stones unturned; he also promotes people taking ownership of their lives and making decisions based on what they want to achieve and not based on circumstance. He urges his peers to do what they love, and always be ready to learn.