Celebrity chef Hari Ghotra is on quite a journey. Her humble, home-taught beginnings helped her develop into both a renowned chef and accessible teacher. And following several years’ training at the Michelin-starred Tamarind restaurant, Hari has become a trusted name in first-rate Indian cuisine. Now, she’s looking to break the internet. “After many years of teaching Indian cookery classes, I have been working hard in the digital space to make authentic Indian food and cooking become more accessible. I want to show people how fantastic, healthy and delicious Indian food can be.”

WORKING WITH DISCIPLE

To develop her digital presence into a thriving community-led business, Hari chose to build her own app with Disciple. On the one hand, Hari wanted her app to be free to download, getting her recipes and kitchen hacks into the hands of foodies everywhere with little friction. On the other hand, Hari also wanted to monetise the service. So we created a system that supports great content with in-app purchases. Over 400 dishes have been cooked, shared and swooned over so far. Members have loved the ability to buy exactly the right spice mixes directly through the app, and keenly share their finished-dish photos. Hari particularly enjoys livestreaming from her kitchen, and getting into the nitty gritty in the comments on member’s posts.

THE POWER OF IN-APP PURCHASES

Hari has been able to reach and unite curry lovers all around the world, which means she now has a highly interested, highly valuable group she can sell to. They are her ideal target market, full of belief and primed for purchase. And because Hari owns the platform, marketing to this group costs nothing and has no competition. Far more effective than social media advertising. Although free to download, Hari’s app is making fantastic returns on investment. Her latest cookbooks, Hari’s Guide to Zero Waste and Hari’s Guide to Indian Herbs, Spices & Oils, have massively outperformed other channels. And it doesn’t stop there; Hari also keeps exclusive recipe and cookery class videos behind a paywall. Do members mind having to pay? Not at all. Hari Ghotra’s app is rated 5 stars in the App Store.