‘Our tables are empty’: Rotten meat scandal devastates Kashmir’s food industry
Srinagar, Aug 31: The seizure of rotten meat from an industrial unit in Zakura earlier this month has snowballed into one of the most alarming crises to hit Kashmir’s food industry in recent memory. What started as a single raid has since widened into a crackdown across multiple locations, unearthing consignments of substandard and unsafe meat. Authorities have so far named nine people allegedly involved in the racket and cancelled the licenses of several units.
But while the culprits are yet to be brought fully to book, the shadow of the scandal has already engulfed Kashmir’s entire food and hospitality sector. Popular restaurants that once bustled with families, students, and tourists now wear a deserted look. Owners are struggling to keep their businesses alive as consumer confidence collapses, with diners now suspicious of every plate of meat served outside their homes.
Industry associations estimate that business has dipped by as much as 70 percent in just a matter of weeks, leading to large-scale job losses, pay cuts, and closures.
70% Business Down
Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Babar Chowdhary, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Hotels and Restaurants Association, said the sector is reeling from an unprecedented blow.
“Our industry is facing a crisis we have never seen before,” Chowdhary said. “Seventy percent of our business has collapsed overnight. Restaurants that were once full even on weekdays are now struggling to get customers. Hoteliers who employed dozens of workers are being forced to cut staff. Some are rotating employees—keeping one batch for 15 days, then sending them home unpaid while another batch works—just to share the burden. It is heartbreaking. We worked for decades to make dining out in Kashmir a culture. People had just started enjoying family outings, weekend meals, and café culture. In one week, that confidence has been shattered.”
Chowdhary added that while the association fully supports strict action against those responsible for the supply of unsafe meat, the fallout has unfairly swept the entire industry into suspicion.
“We are not defending the guilty. Whoever is involved must be punished with the harshest penalties under law. But this scandal has engulfed all of us—restaurants that buy only from licensed vendors, cafés that don’t even serve meat, hotels that depend on outside tourists. Everyone is paying the price for a crime committed by a handful of unscrupulous traders. The perception created is that every bite of food outside is unsafe. That is simply not true, yet the damage to our reputation is devastating.”
Empty Restaurants, Deserted Kitchens
A visit to some of Srinagar’s well-known food hubs—Rajbagh, Lal Chowk, Boulevard, Hyderpora—tells the story. Restaurants that used to buzz with activity now lie mostly empty, even during peak dining hours. At one eatery in Rajbagh, the staff outnumbered the customers on a Sunday evening.
“At one time, we had to turn people away because we didn’t have space,” said Bilal Ahmad, who runs a mid-sized restaurant. “Today, I barely serve 15 customers in an entire day. How do I pay 20 staff members? I have already let go of half, and the others are working at half pay.”
Imran Khan, who runs a restaurant, said business has dropped so sharply that survival is in question. “We buy meat from approved shops only. But customers don’t believe anyone anymore. They assume all meat is rotten. Our daily sales are down to one-third. If this continues, I will have to close my restaurant for good.”
Even small cafés and bakeries, which don’t rely heavily on meat products, have reported falling sales. “People have stopped eating out altogether,” said the owner of a café in Lal Chowk.
Jobs Vanishing, Workers Fearful
The biggest casualties of the downturn are the thousands of workers employed in the hospitality sector—chefs, waiters, cleaners, and delivery staff.
Parvez Ahmad, a chef at a downtown restaurant, said he was told to go on unpaid leave. “My employer said there is no money to pay salaries. They promised to call me back when business improves, but I don’t know when that will be. I have a family to support. Many of my colleagues are in the same situation.”
According to Chowdhary, job losses are spreading fast. “Restaurants are cutting costs wherever they can. Small owners are winding up operations, while bigger hotels are holding on for now. But every day we are getting calls from members who say they cannot keep paying staff. Hundreds of youth are at risk of losing jobs if this continues.”
Association Seeks Government Action
The Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association convened an emergency meeting with the Directorate of Food Safety and Standards to discuss the crisis. In a statement, the association said the scandal had caused “more than 80 percent impact” on the industry and demanded swift action to restore public trust.
“The delegation expressed grave concern on the continuous campaign that has badly dented consumer confidence,” the statement said. “We demanded that the culprits be named publicly and given the heaviest penalties and sentences under law. Innocent businesses cannot be left to bleed indefinitely.”
According to the association, the Food Safety Department assured that names of those involved would soon be made public, with all facts and figures. The department has already cancelled the licenses of nine prominent units and promised to issue a detailed report soon.
The association welcomed the swift action but warned that more was needed. “Our appeal is simple: punish the guilty, but protect the innocent. Make the facts public quickly so that consumer confidence can be restored. The longer this uncertainty drags on, the more restaurants will shut down.”
A Culture at Risk
Beyond the immediate financial losses, many in the industry fear the scandal has dealt a lasting blow to Kashmir’s fledgling dining-out culture.
“It took us decades to change people’s habits,” said Chowdhary. “Eating out was once rare in Kashmir, limited to special occasions. Over the past 15 years, young people and families started going to restaurants regularly. We built new outlets, invested in modern kitchens, created jobs for thousands of youth. Today, that entire ecosystem is collapsing because of a perception that every plate is unsafe. If trust is not rebuilt quickly, it will take us years to recover.”
The fallout has extended to tourism as well. Hoteliers say many tourists, who form a significant share of restaurant customers, are now avoiding non-vegetarian meals or opting to cook in homestays rather than eat out.
Authorities say they are working to finalize a detailed report on the scandal. “We are committed to making the investigation transparent,” a senior official from the Food Safety Department said. “Those involved will face strict legal action. At the same time, we understand the concerns of genuine businesses and will work to restore public confidence.”
For restaurant owners and workers, however, time is running out. Every day of empty tables and unpaid wages is deepening the crisis.
“Right now, our industry is in the ICU,” Chowdhary said. “If immediate measures are not taken to rebuild trust, Kashmir’s food sector could collapse completely. And when it collapses, it won’t just be restaurants—it will be thousands of families who depend on this industry.”
