As a brand registered under the FSSAI, adhering to its food safety guidelines and maintaining strict standards of hygiene had been La Folie’s foremost priority even before the novel coronavirus struck India. “In general, I’m very finicky about cleanliness. So, we would deep clean the kitchen every four hours, wear hair masks at all times, scan the raw materials through metal detectors and store each category of items separately in the chiller to avoid contamination, among other things,” informs chef Sanjana.

 However, when she and her husband Parthesh Patel – La Folie’s co-founder and director – heard about the severity of virus outbreak at a craft chocolate exhibition in Amsterdam in February, they decided to implement even stricter protocols with immediate effect at La Folie Chocolate Factory Café in Mahalaxmi and La Folie Du Chocolat in Kala Ghoda. 

 The staff, operating in shifts, lives on site to minimise the risk of infection. Temperature checks are conducted frequently. While preparing food requires certain safe handling practices, they become extremely crucial when dealing with desserts, baked products and raw ingredients such as flour and cocoa powder. Therefore, the team not only wears face masks but also face shields to offer an added layer of protection to the products. “We’ve ordered PPE suits too,” informs chef Sanjana. 

 The disinfection procedure begins at the entrance itself. Every crate and tray of raw materials is sanitised under the building before being brought to the kitchen. A deep cleaning happens every two hours where each part of the kitchen – from surfaces and platforms to wall corners – is thoroughly disinfected with alcohol-based sanitisers and food-grade tissue papers. Tools and appliances, bowls, plates, jars and delivery containers are also disinfected before use. A staff member is in-charge of constantly sanitising frequently touched surfaces such as door knobs, oven and refrigerator handles.

 The current menu includes bean-to-bar chocolates, freshly baked breads, cookies, coated nuts and spreads available via online orders on La Folie website, Scootsy and Swiggy. Certain items are made only on order basis to retain freshness.

Every packaging is scanned under a UV light to ensure there are no fingerprints on it. Contactless delivery is implemented at the outlet itself. The sealed order is placed on a table and once the rider picks it up, this surface is cleaned immediately. To ensure that the patrons get to relish our delicious desserts while adhering to safety norms, we’re carefully packaging and delivering our products throughout Mumbai. For doorstep delivery, check our collection here.

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