Estate Life | The Story Behind Chom Chom Pantry

on May 6, 2026May 26, 2026

I Grew, Fermented, Roasted and Ground My Own Coffee

Because buying it at a store was far too efficient. Coffee bushes are common on Nilgiris estates. They’re scattered among the tea, offering shade, …

on April 30, 2026May 26, 2026

Estate Life

The Cake That Was Only Air

I was fifteen, we were living in Hong Kong, and I had a theory about sponge cake. The theory was this: sponge cake is …

on April 25, 2026May 14, 2026

Estate Life

I Cooked Outside My Front Door for Four Months

When I moved to Kotagiri, renovating my home began with two men, one wall, and two small hammers. I looked at those hammers for …

on April 25, 2026May 12, 2026

Estate Life

Friday Evening Is Mine

Everyone asks if I get lonely. The honest answer is: genuinely, no. My interests keep me company. My creative work keeps me company. The …

on April 20, 2026May 18, 2026

Estate Life

Lucky and Brave Are the Wrong Words

Since I made this move, most people I’ve met have used one or both of these words. Lucky. Brave. I understand why. And I …

on April 15, 2026May 14, 2026

Estate Life

What Tuesday Looks Like Now

Two days a week I do sales enablement consulting. The other five belong to Chom Chom Pantry. The consulting days have a particular quality …

on April 10, 2026May 27, 2026

Estate Life

Why I Make Biscuits Instead

In early 2025 I was consulting for a business building practical management education that was AI enabled. We spent four or five months building …

on April 7, 2026May 27, 2026

Estate Life

The Garden I Designed Myself (and Mostly Didn’t Kill)

In the beginning, I only wanted vegetables. This is the confession of someone who now has lavender, roses, marigolds, lemongrass, three kinds of basil, …

on March 20, 2026May 6, 2026

Estate Life

7am, Two Dogs, a Cup of Tea, and the View

There’s a particular kind of morning that happens here in the Nilgiris that I don’t think I could have imagined before I lived it. …

on March 10, 2026June 18, 2026

Estate Life

I’ve Been Planning This Farm Since 2005

In 2005, I had a rather detailed fantasy. It involved goats. A wood-fired pizza oven. Tomatoes grown right outside the kitchen door. And a …

on February 28, 2026May 6, 2026

Estate Life

Goa, Snakes, and Why I Left Paradise

People always look quite surprised when I mention I used to live in Goa. Oh, Goa, they say. How could you leave? I smile. I think …

on February 20, 2026May 6, 2026

Estate Life

Sushi vs Cool Climate: How I Chose the Nilgiris

When I told my father I was torn between settling in Goa or the Nilgiris, he thought about it for a moment and said: …

on February 10, 2026May 6, 2026

Estate Life

Sophie Came First (And She’ll Never Let You Forget It)

Sophie arrived in September 2018, nine months old, with the energy of someone who has decided the world is basically fine and she will move through …

on February 5, 2026May 6, 2026

Estate Life

And Then Came Pepper

Pepper joined us in 2023, four months old, travelling all the way from Mumbai to the Nilgiris in a van with a photographer, a vastu practitioner …