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McDonald’s West & South Introduces Books with Happy Meals McDonald’s India West and South has announced the launch of the Happy Meal Readers program. As part of the initiative, children will now get books in the iconic Happy Meal® by McDonald’s. These books are aimed at feeding the curiosity of children and encouraging reading as a habit by making reading fun. The new Happy Meal will now contain a choice of burger, a beverage, a cup of hot, steamed corn and a book. “Just like parents want the best for their children, we at McDonald’s constantly work towards creating offerings that add value to the lives of all our young customers. Books play a pivotal role with our young customers, given that their curious minds are always looking for answers,” shared Arvind R P, Director - Marketing & Communications at McDonald’s India (West & South). The collection of books in the Happy Meal Readers program is curated by award-winning British author Cressida Cowell, who is popularly known for her multiple children’s series and is currently the Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2019 – 2022). She has written a collection of 12 books, especially for McDonald’s, of which two will be launched every month.
BurgerMan Returns to Namma Bengaluru After successfully running for over 8 years across Chennai and Bangalore with 133 kiosks, BurgerMan is back in a new avatar. BurgerMan 2.0 opens its first experiential outlet in Indiranagar, Bangalore. The prime focus is on "keeping it light and fun" in all realms of their operations across ambience, service, and food. BurgerMan’s new burgers include brown fiber-induced buns, flavourful meaty patties grilled to perfection, fresh veggies, and inhouse sauces that are thoughtfully crafted so that oil does not trespass in their kitchen at all. BurgerMan not only offers tempting ‘guilt-free’ options, but a complete ‘Meet-Greet-Treat’ experience. Offering consumers a gastronomic voyage, using the freshest ingredients, with pure and intense flavours, BurgerMan will be serving their original dishes in their new menu. Speaking at the launch of their first Bangalore outlet in Indiranagar, Chief Operating Officer, Ramesh Krishnan says, "BurgerMan 2.0 will add an exciting new option for diners in Bengaluru. The burger-bistro showcases a high energy vibe along with innovative slow-cooking techniques in a vibrant, quirky and fun setting. BurgerMan 2.0 will give you the option to eat guilt-free burgers. We have re-done our burger buns, which are infused with fiber. The patties are grilled, and then smeared with delectable sauces taking the taste up a notch.”
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Tata Starbucks on Expansion Spree Tata Starbucks has announced its entry into six cities as part of its expansion into smaller cities in India. With these new additions, the company now operates 252 Starbucks stores in 26 cities. The company will now start operating Starbucks brand in Siliguri, Nashik, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, Goa and Bhubaneswar, as per the company’s communiqué. With a growing base of coffee enthusiasts across the country, the brand makes its first appearance in the states of Assam, Goa and Odisha. Tata Starbucks, a 50:50 joint venture between Tata Consumer and Starbucks Corporation, said this is the largest store expansion in a year. The stores are a fusion of the signature Starbucks warm and welcoming design and the city's local culture and craftsmanship, serving as an extension of the neighbourhoods we serve, it added. ”Tata Starbucks is grounded in growing with its partners and customers together and thus expanding our footprint in India is a matter of great pride for us”, Tata Starbucks CEO Sushant Dash said.
Cargill Opens Innovation Center in Gurugram Cargill has launched the Cargill Innovation Center in Gurugram, Haryana, to develop innovative solutions to address food and beverage market needs. Cargill will partner with its F&B customers in India to identify consumer demands, translate global industry trends into local applications, and accelerate customer product innovation processes by jointly developing healthy and nutritious food options for the consumers. This first state-of-the-art Innovation Center in India, which spans nearly 17,000 square feet, includes a sensory laboratory and demonstration kitchen, with the capacity to serve dairy, beverage, bakery and prepared food industries, as well as other specialized industries, culinary applications. It will be equipped with the most advanced applications and analytical capabilities, such as an Ultra High Temperature Processing (UHT) pilot plant and a chocolate processing line, to develop market-driven solutions. The Innovation Center combines Cargill’s expertise in different industry segments, including edible oils and specialty fats; starches, sweeteners and texturizers; cocoa and chocolate; and custom blended ingredients under one roof, providing a complete product innovation solution to the food and beverage industry. To promote a healthy and nutritious diet in line with progressive food standards in India, the Center will help clients reformulate products that are low in fat, salt and sugar, while maintaining flavor and texture. Simon George, President of Cargill India, said: “Consumer choices are rapidly evolving towards healthy food, without compromising taste, and this requires product innovation. Through this Innovation Center, we are making our clients the centerpiece in co-creating innovative solutions for discerning and health conscious consumers in India. This facility combines our global knowledge of food science with the size and scale of Cargill’s businesses to bring together the unique R&D capabilities and the food value chain all under one roof. We will help develop healthy and nutritious products that reflect market trends. ”
Feb-Mar ’22
