MUMBAI: If your idea of travel is to hit the highway and sample epicurean delights en-route, this might be just the show for you.
Kicking off its maiden journey on travelxp HD, on Sunday, 17 November, is the all new seriesFood Highway, which promises viewers unbridled adventure and excitement.
Each half-an-hour episode will unravel lesser-known vistas through the eyes of a gastronome cum wanderer, as the show ferries from one town to the other, one country to the other, in search of newer, even more interesting destinations.
Hosting the series will be well known foodie - Rohan, of Foodicted and Strictly Street fame, who will venture onto global highways in his quest to savour the planet’s culinary delights.
Explaining the thought process behind the show, travelxp HD CEO Nisha Chothani says: “We wanted to engage our audience with clutter-breaking content that attracts viewers across the globe. We realised that the food world on highway is altogether a different culinary world, which is less known. We wanted to capture this non-franchised, sleeves-up food made by cooks along the highways and bring it to our viewers.”
As a tribute to India’s rich cultural tradition, Food Highway opens along the 1235 km National Highway from Mumbai to Chennai, serving everything from Mumbai’s ‘Vada Paav’ to Western Express Highway’s Special ‘Mutton Rann’ to Pune’s ‘Misal Pav’ to Satara’s ‘Kandi Pedas’ to Kolhapur’s ‘Tamda Pandhra Rassa’ to Belgaum’s ‘Kunda’ to Chitradurga’s ‘Ragi Balls’ to Chennai’s grills.
Not just India, the series will bring home to viewers the culture and very essence of diverse regions across the globe.
“Most of us have a craving to step out of our mundane chores and drive down to places for an unconventional food experience which forces you to lick your fingers. But one goes blank when it comes to closing in on any such place. This is where our show - Food Highway, comes into the picture,” exults the quirky Rohan.
How will the show stand out from the rest in an already cluttered space? “Food Highway is not a food show but a show which is a fine amalgamation of experiencing food, travel, thrill, raw - ruggedness of a journey. It is long rumoured that every 20 km of land, not only people, tradition and culture changes but also their food habits. Every state, village and town has a lot of character which reflects in the taste of their food and their style of cooking. We are out to capture these local flavours and bring them to our viewers,” says Chothani, adding, “Also, viewers can identify with our host - he is a travel and food enthusiast like many of us. This element brings in an instant connect with the audience.”
With travelxp HD catering to SEC A and A+, 25-50 years, Chothani says, “We target niche audiences who love to travel, love adventure, who aspire to explore the world.”
Will Food Highway grab eyeballs with the chosen Sunday prime time slot which is a reality show domain? “The content of a show like Food Highway suits perfectly for the Sunday evening mood. Most people prefer staying back at home and relaxing as Monday blues start creeping in. Viewing such content comes out as a natural desire,” reasons Chothani.
The promos of Food Highway are already on air and travelxp HD plans to promote it on digital platforms. As things stand, the channel’s official Facebook page boasts over 16,000 likes and over 700 followers on Twitter. The promos of the series are already buzzing with tweets and re-tweets on the same on the social media site.
However, planners have a different say. “It is very difficult for me to say how the series will work unless and until I watch it. But, I will say the channel has not made the right move by airing it on Sundays. Weekends are ruled by reality shows, and no one would like to switch to some other channel. Audience will go wherever they find entertainment and good content,” says a media planner who does not wish to be named.
