Chef Tom Vellaringattu
From the Kitchen to a Bigger Mission: Food, Flavor & a World with Less Waste
A trained chef, food entrepreneur and food-community advocate whose journey has taken him from professional culinary training in India to building food businesses in the United States — and now toward a broader mission: helping people value food, connect around food, and waste less of it.
1980s
Cooking Since
10+
Spice Blends Created
1987
In the USA Since
3
Ventures Founded
From a Chennai Kitchen to Silicon Valley
Chef Thomas “Tom” Vellaringattu's story began in Chennai, India, where he studied Trade Cookery at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition. His training included intensive work in French and Indian cooking, with an emphasis on preparing food at scale. He subsequently worked in the hospitality and catering industry, including experience in India and Saudi Arabia.
After moving to the United States in 1987, Tom pursued computer programming while continuing to develop his passion for food. That combination of food and technology would become a recurring theme throughout his career — and the foundation of everything he builds today.
For Chef Tom, food represents much more than what is placed on a plate. It is culture, family, agriculture, labor, nutrition, community, memory and opportunity. Every ingredient has a story — from the farmer who grows it, to the people who transport it, prepare it and ultimately eat it. And when perfectly usable food is discarded, that story ends unnecessarily.
For Chef Tom, food represents much more than a meal:
A Lifelong Journey with Food
Spice n Flavor — New York (2000)
An Indian spice-blend enterprise that introduced more than ten spice blends based on Chef Tom's recipes and culinary experience, under the brand India's Spice n Flavor.
Spice n Flavor Restaurant — San Jose (2016)
An Indian restaurant specializing in Kerala and South Indian cuisine that operated for about four years and also worked with the online food-delivery platform Shef.
Food Pulse ™
A mission to connect people across the food ecosystem — discovering food, supporting farmers, sharing surplus, enabling donations and reducing unnecessary food waste.
India to Food Pulse
Chennai, India
Studied Trade Cookery at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition — mastering French and Indian cooking at scale.
India & Saudi Arabia
Worked across the hospitality and catering industry, honing large-format kitchen expertise.
1987 — United States
Moved to the USA and pursued computer programming, blending food with technology.
2000 — Spice n Flavor, New York
Founded Spice n Flavor, introducing 10+ Indian spice blends based on his own recipes under the brand India's Spice n Flavor.
2016 — San Jose Restaurant
Opened Spice n Flavor in San Jose specializing in Kerala & South Indian cuisine, later partnering with the online platform Shef.
Today — Food Pulse
Leads Food Pulse, connecting the food ecosystem to value food, share surplus and reduce food waste.
Food Pulse® — Food should feed people, not landfills
Chefs see food differently. An ingredient represents time, water, soil, energy, transportation, money and human labor. Food Pulse is Chef Tom's vision to make it easier not to waste food — through better discovery, coordination, sharing and connection across the entire food ecosystem.
- Discovering food & finding local food opportunities
- Supporting farmers and food producers
- Sharing surplus food with communities
- Helping communities access food & encouraging donations
- Connecting volunteers with food-rescue opportunities
- Learning about food, nutrition & creative ways to use ingredients
- Reducing unnecessary food waste through composting & recovery
Turn Surplus
into opportunity
Feed People
not waste
Respect
the farmer & ingredient
A Chef's
perspective on waste
Cook alongside Chef Tom
Explore his signature Kerala & Indian recipes, or reach out for classes, catering and collaborations.