Hyderabad: The government’s recently-launched toddy shop ‘Neera Café’ is proving to be a hit among the city dwellers.
The staff at the shop, while clearing myths about the natural drink, said that people have only had toddy at the tapping sites or in toddy shops and that this café is a novel experience for many.
Shashikala, a resident of Shanti Nagar of Lalapet, was visiting the café along with her husband, children and grandchildren. She said, “The ambience is good, the food is also good. The traditional drink is gaining popularity.”
Another visitor, Rubin Goud, said he came to the café along with friends from Serilingampally for the experience. “The ambience resembles posh pubs. Moreover, its location on bank of Hussainsagar provides a world-class experience.”
Sai Malesh, a resident of Boduppal, said: “The rate of each 300 ml bottle is Rs 90, which is on the higher side for the lower-middle class. Also, they should collaborate with food outlets providing traditional Telangana non-veg curries of ‘boti’, ‘bheja’ and ‘kaleji’.”
Cafe manager Anil Akkula said they sell around 2,000 bottles and glasses of neera per day. “Five hundred litres of toddy is brought in, filtered, bottled and served. Each day, we are running out of stock by evening,” he said.
Manohar Rao, managing director of TS Tourism Development Corporation, said, “Neera which is tapped from the palm tree before sunrise turns into toddy once it is exposed to the heat of the sun, getting its alcoholic property. We make sure that the identified toddy tappers societies who are engaged in getting the neera ensure that once it is tapped it is kept in temperatures close to zero degrees Celsius, so that no fermentation take place.”
He said, “The best of hygiene is maintained from the tapping to bottling. The ground floor or the outlet is now operational and soon, the first floor will also be open. This Neera Café is in a class of its own.”
