(June 28, 2023) Aashritha Daggubati is not your average food blogger. She combines culinary entrepreneurship, cultural exploration, preservation of traditional recipes, and the creation of immersive experiences through her page, @infinityplatter, which has over 300k followers on Instagram. Her unique content goes beyond blogging, providing insights into diverse culinary traditions, and showcases traditional recipes from her home state. She is also the creator of a luxurious getaway for women. Aashritha’s passion for food, travel, and photography sets her apart as an influential figure in the culinary world.
Foodie at heart
Aashritha Daggubati had always been interested in food and photography. After completing a course in at the Baking Industry Training College in Singapore, she started her own business, which she operated from home. “I would organise pop-ups with various themes and get people together. I’d make cupcakes, brownies, banoffee pies, cakes and more,” she tells Global Indian. She’s a star daughter with a difference. She chose to pursue her interests over a conventional career even after she completed her studies with a Master’s degree and an MBA in Economics and Business. Her father is the well-known Tollywood superstar Venkatesh and her cousin, the South Indian hearthrob, Rana Daggubati.
After Aashritha got married and moved to Spain with her husband Vinayak Reddy in March 2019, she continued with her passion for food, but on a different platform. “I started blogging about food on my insta handle @infinityplatter. Then I launched my YouTube channel with the same name and shared my food experiences,” she recalls. “So, if I visited a strawberry farm, I would come home and make a cheesecake with the strawberries I’d gotten from there and blog about it. InfinityPlatter is homage to my eternal love for food, travel and photography. What started off as a hobby began to take on a strong sense of purpose and I wanted to share my learnings and experiences with the world.”
Recipes from home
She has travelled extensively across countries but remains rooted in her Indian foundation, like a true global Indian. When Covid-19 struck, Aashritha decided to make videos at home. “I asked myself why wasn’t I documenting home food, the kind I grew up with. I planned to learn it for myself but I believe in the concept of sharing, so I would take Andhra recipes from my grandmother and make videos. I discovered old traditional family recipes when I travelled back to India,” she said. “These food adventures, as I call them, were replicated on my YouTube channel. I made a video with my grandmother’s peanut podi among others.” Infinity Platter has 285,000 subscribers on YouTube.
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Exploring Barcelona
Aashritha has made the most of her time in Barcelona, exploring the city’s best tapas bars and coffee shops. She says, “The city is incredible as are its people. There are amazing tapas bars, and the culture, the food business here is so dynamic, it is a pleasure to experience the city.”
While on her own outings in the city with her husband, she discovered hidden gems in and around Barcelona. She says, “Getting to know the city that is so much more than just the food gave me an idea. The fun, the mindfulness, the sense of camaraderie and meaningful interactions is what I wanted others like me to experience.”
The Infinity Retreat
What she terms as the “fastest dream to come true” is the Infinity Retreat. “Infinity Retreat is an experience designed to give you the taste of a luxurious holiday along with a series of specially curated activities that help forge relationships which could last a lifetime, encourage exploring a different culture and experiencing it deeply, and having fun,” Aashritha explains.
A week-long holiday, she held the first edition in May and the second one will be held from the 5th to the 12th of September 2023. The Retreat is for women only. When asked why that is so, she says, “Women shoulder multiple responsibilities, juggling family, motherhood and careers. When something like this comes along, they open up with other women who are on similar journeys.”
It is also an opportunity for them to let their hair down and have fun. For the first edition, Aashritha had posted about it on her insta handle, and the first group of 12 women had a great time. Three were from Hyderabad, one from Coimbatore and eight from the USA. Four of the women were two sets of friends who came on this trip together.
The epicurean dream
The Infinity Retreat pays true homage to the spirit of Barcelona. Accommodation is at a sprawling, 19th century style, six-bedroom apartment and the package, which costs 4420 euros per person, includes the accommodation at this place. A bunch of experiences curated by her that entail sightseeing, meditation workshops, wine tasting, vineyard visits, breathwork, journaling and of course, exploring the tapas bars are on the agenda. She adds, “In September, the weather will be cooler, so I will plan the activities accordingly. I too learnt from the first edition so I know how to manage time differently, and which activities tire the group faster. I want them to have a great time.”
For those who love exploring different cuisines, the week-long holiday is full of variety and vibrant. She says, “Spanish food is incredibly versatile and fun! I include delicious brunches, cosy homestyle food, the best specialty coffee in the city and more than five types of paella. We also drink the best versions of the local cava, vermouth and wine. Food markets, cocktail bars, and restaurants in the city that date back to the 18th century; multiple tapas crawls that include the famous La Bomba where the bomba was invented, fried calamari, patatas bravas and creamy jamon croquettes.”
Aashritha is fiercely independent and likes to take care of all the nitty gritty of the package herself. She says, “I have no problem with hard work; I do everything on my own. My husband is always there to help me should I ask him. I get excited with new ideas and even dream of them. He knows my passion and is very supportive.”
Aashritha’s picks in Barcelona:
Tapas Bars:
I actually love going tapas bar hopping. I love to start at Quimet Quimet for a quick bite and vermouth and end at Bar Del Pla.
Coffee shops:
It keeps changing but I’m currently enjoying Origo. They have good speciality coffee and freshly baked breads and sweet treats.
Indian Restaurants:
To be honest, I haven’t found a place that does Indian food the way we’re used to. But I usually get Palak Paneer from a restaurant called Mirch. They also have a butter chicken burger which I really like.
Spanish Wine:
I’ve currently been experimenting with Spanish natural wines. They’re quite different from normal wine so it’s a whole new world for me to discover and enjoy.