Exploring Food and Lifestyle with Shaivi Ganatra of Awwdelish

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaivi Ganatra.

Hi Shaivi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a Product Designer by profession and a current student pursuing MS in Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, I have a strong passion for food blogging. In 2020, I unexpectedly stumbled upon my love for food blogging, which I named Awwdelish. However, to fully understand my journey, we need to take a few steps back in time.

Since my childhood, I have always possessed a unique combination of creativity and analytical skills. Growing up in a family that encouraged me to take on challenges, I developed a tendency to explore new avenues in life. Hailing from India, a country where people have a deep-rooted love for food, my family and I were no different. We loved experimenting with new recipes and dining out at different restaurants. However, as I lived in Mumbai, India, there came a point where I had visited almost all of the city’s restaurants, and that’s when I discovered my passion for content creation. With my keen eye for photography, food became my favorite subject to capture. I found myself naturally assessing restaurants based on their ambiance, food quality, taste, service, and more. My growing interest led me to review restaurants on a third-party platform called Zomato. Before long, I started receiving feedback from restaurant management, indicating that my reviews were helping people make informed decisions about where to dine.

In 2020, when the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and everyone was confined to their homes due to lockdown, I found myself missing the taste of restaurant-style dishes. Determined not to let the pandemic affect my love for food, I started experimenting with recipes and documenting my cooking journey on Snapchat. I received an overwhelming response from my friends, who enjoyed my content, but unfortunately, the stories disappeared after 24 hours. It was then that I realized I needed a more permanent platform to share my love for food and decided to start @awwdelish on Instagram and Facebook. Initially, I created content in Mumbai, but since 2021, I have been exploring restaurants in other cities in the USA, such as Ann Arbor, Chicago, and NYC. I love capturing the essence of local cafes, restaurants, and brands to bring their stories to life through my content. My journey has been a learning experience, from getting 500 views on my reels to now receiving over 500K views.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Creating content in today’s world is a challenging task due to the high level of competition. It took months for my content to go viral, and while recognition has become more consistent, there is still a long way to go. As a student, I have invested both time and money in creating content, including cooking various recipes and visiting different restaurants. Crafting a post or reel that resonates with the audience requires a significant amount of effort and information. At times, my friends and family would get annoyed when I asked them to pause for photos, but they now support me more than ever. Although I have questioned my efforts, I am proud of my perseverance and constant self-improvement.

We’ve been impressed with Awwdelish, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?Awwdelish is your go-to destination for an eclectic mix of delectable home-cooked recipes and authentic restaurant reviews. Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/awwdelish/ to discover a world of culinary delights.

I frequently share two types of content on my page: recipes I cook myself and food images from restaurants I visit. My favorite type of content is creating interactive reels with trending music to engage my audience.
I’m proud of achieving my goals and pursuing my passion while balancing work and school, which hasn’t been easy. This journey has taught me self-reliance and perseverance. What sets me apart in both my professional and personal life is my perspective and approach. I encourage my loved ones to try new things and take risks, as I believe that difficult things are only those that haven’t been given a chance yet.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
To date, Awwdelish has been a solo endeavor, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my parents and close friends who believed in my content and continue to follow my journey. With nearly 3000 followers, I’m grateful for each and every person who’s joined my community. As a self-learner, I never had any mentors, but I’ve always been a keen observer. I’ve researched and watched content on various platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, to understand how to create engaging content. Utilizing the technical tools available on Instagram and Facebook, I’ve been able to analyze my followers’ demographics and use that data to grow my audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shaiviganatra.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awwdelish/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awwdelish/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaiviganatra/

Image Credits
Awwdelish