Fresh Start Wellness Cafe, along with its sister foundation Y2K Tots, won the Social Venture of the Year award instituted by the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR).

The recognition marks the companies’ expertise in millets and the use of millet-based food products to combat child malnutrition, specifically targeting underprivileged communities across the country, including government schools, orphanages, anganwadis and tribal areas, a press release said.

The award was received by Renjith George, Managing Director, Fresh Start Wellness Cafe and Founder of Y2K Tots Foundation from Mijanur Rahman, Senior R&D Director South Asia Pacific, PepsiCo.

The recognition highlights the impactful initiatives of the two firms, Good Food Thrive, which focus on providing millet-based nutrition to disadvantaged children in marginalized areas and ensuring they receive vital nutrients for growth and development.

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The Nourish Their Future project focuses on school-based interventions promoting healthier eating habits and replacing unhealthy junk food with millet-based alternatives for the next generation.

Backed by Kochi-based innovative startup FoodFlavors, which launched India’s first boxed wellness diet food products in 2020, Fresh Start Wellness Café, with its manufacturing base in Bangalore, has been instrumental in leading this fight against malnutrition.

They supported the initiatives by providing nutrient-dense, millet-based food products designed to meet the nutritional needs of malnourished children.

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Renjith started the wellness cafe from scratch in 2021 with his experience of launching India’s first boxed diet wellness food products through his startup Food Flavors in the year 2020.