SPOTLIGHT | Of Space and Connection: The Story of a Boutique Farmstay

Written by Hina Siddiqui, transmedia storyteller, cat+plant parent, cuddle connoisseur who writes comics, games and newsletters; in collaboration with Gaurav Shah, research consultant, home chef, musician and founder of YETO

One of the themes we have accidentally, but perhaps inevitably discovered while running spotlight articles is the Indian Creative Class’s search for meaning. As a result our spotlights have become archives of alterous adulthood. Adulthoods no longer defined by the pursuit of fairytale endings, but focused on defining a bespoke pace of life and goal-setting for personal expansiveness as opposed to professional excellence. This particular thread has quickly become my private joy in compiling spotlight articles. Because heaven knows I could use all the role models for adulting.

Probably Relevant Side-Note: I am going to petition Ragini to change this section of articles from Spotlight to Adulting 101. It will be fun to see how that goes.

This month’s child-masquerading-as-an-adult is Gaurav Shah and his approach to adulting centres around YETO - a boutique farmstay situated in Uran, about an hour and a half - which may or may not involve a ferry crossing - away from Mumbai.

Probably Relevant Side-Note: I met Gaurav when I was having my own mini-adventure in Mumbai in February. We were both part of the pack of people who would gather on the balcony for smokes and conversation. Our interactions centered around discussions on futurism, queerness, parenting and one particularly memorable quasi-argument about music and love songs.

And of course, he played his guitar and sang his original compositions on that dimly lit balcony. Also, Gaurav introduced me to Hokkaido milk bread. 🥹

YETO gets its name from the Marathi expression used to signify, “I'll be back”. Though with a distinct lack of Schwarznegger-level threat-mongering. Indian languages, I’ve noticed, don’t usually have words that literally translate to goodbye. Instead, farewells involve the announcement of intent - “take care of yourself, I’ll come back.” YETO as a space exemplifies this sentiment. It is home for Gaurav, his spouse and five-year-old, as well as 2 dogs, 3 cats and over 40 fruiting trees. And it is a site for rest, intimate dining experiences and human connection. Connection that takes the form of honest conversation, exchanging passions and learning from one another.

For those of us who might mistake YETO for a fancy airbnb type sitch; which was honestly my first reaction to it, here’s Gaurav explaining what this space means to him and the invitation it symbolizes.

YETO was built on land Gaurav acquired in 2014. But the actual concept itself was years in the making and required energy from various aspects of his life. The first was time. Currently Gaurav clocks in about 100 days a year to make a living. It’s not an income hack, but a privilege carefully accrued over years of working 22 hour days. Gaurav is a research consultant and has been associated with Qualitative Research for over 20 years now. He got his MBA, worked with Quantum Market Research and even co-founded a research consultancy all the while spearheading projects across the globe. Gaurav became an independent consultant in 2014, specializing in blending his knowledge of linguistics, symbolism, sociology, psychology and culture with business and strategy.

Which is to say he is a remote-work OG.

This shift in the way he used his professional spoons gave him the time to focus on living a slower, richer life. And hand-in-hand with that came a growing disenchantment with city-life. The way he puts it, “The city (Gaurav had been living in Bandra for over a decade at this point) didn’t cut it for me - the noise, the chaos, the traffic, the pace, the ideologies, they all sapped the marrow out of me.”

His definition of work was also evolving at the same time. I find great resonance when Gaurav says, “Work was working on myself, on upskilling, on introspecting and reassessing what I value; setting decade-long goals and working towards them, on having time for family and loved ones.” And then during the lockdown, Gaurav took on the role of meal-provider - arguably one of the heaviest domestic responsibilities. He had a great time exploring cuisines from across the world but once the excitement of shakshuka for breakfast and truffle and herbed mushroom pasta for dinner had waned, he turned to his Konkani roots.

“I’m a Gujarati but my Konkani roots have had a more dominant presence in my life. Especially, cuisine from South Goa i.e. between Cancona and Karwar, which is where this food and I come from. During the lockdown, I’d send over curries to many elderly Catholic aunties in our building as well as friends, my son’s friends and their parents. Food barter was at its peak.

Once lockdown ended and friends started hosting, I’d get calls saying, “Hey bro, I have 6 people coming over for dinner, can you send me that mango curry you sent us?” The calls and orders kept increasing and this is how YETO was born; me as a home chef, personally delivering authentic Konkani food in brass tiffins for weekend parties across Bandra and Khar.”

Probably Relevant Side-Note: Food has always been a means of connection, but it did take a whole new significance during the pandemic years. It wasn’t just about sharing food, but making the most of what we could get with markets and even food delivery services being overwhelmed. And of course it was sneaking across the road after dark to bring dabbas to people you barely knew. Braving police patrols to come together in a small living room. And deciding that those who made it are family now.

YETO is a space that takes its time, a home studio that Gaurav never has to leave, one that’s tranquil enough to let him and his family flourish. There are two rooms available for guests to stay the night in. But daytrips are also possible. Gaurav curates menus for small groups of visitors and even hosts intimate pop-ups highlighting different cuisines. A lot of the ingredients grow on the YETO farm.

And like the ingredients, the space and its accoutrements have been carefully selected with a lot of heart. The decor here is a way of life: A 90-year-old upright acoustic piano, guitars, 2500 plus vinyl records, a library of eclectic books and art from renowned Indian contemporary artists, carefully collected and curated with a lot of heart.

And then of course, there is the food. There are special 5-course fine dining experiences with global flavours to be had. But Gaurav specially loves to serve Konkani cuisine. “These are my aaji's (grandmother's) recipes, passed down from her aaji,” he tells us, “And revisiting them became a means to reconnect with my childhood memories of her, to reconnect with flavours 'just like aaji made it'.”

So whether it is inherited flavours you are looking for, an unconventional picnic spot or even space to finally be the adult you’ve always wanted to be - consider saying “me yeto” to a farmstay at YETO. 

For enquiries and bookings, get in touch via YETO’s Instagram.