Bakery Review ( Oct-Nov 2015) Business Magazine for Bakery & Confectionery Professionals. by Bakery Review

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E d i t o r i a l

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Rajneesh Sharma

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E-mail: info@hammer.co.in © 2015 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No article can be reproduced in part or as whole without prior permission of the Publisher. Bakery Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed and published by Rajneesh Sharma on behalf of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi. Printed at Swan Press, B-71, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi-110 028.

The forthcoming festive season including the Christmas and the New Year can also be construed as the season of cakes and other desserts. For the coming Christmas and the New Year, creative Pastry Chefs, like in every year during the recent years, will come up with wonderful custom-made and lavishly decorated cakes. Of course, along with the novel customised cake creations, traditional cakes like plum cake, fruit cake and Yule Log will also be part of the festive repertoire. In our Cover Story, we have explored the cake making trends in the Indian bakery industry during the festive season of the Christmas and the New Year. With the mushrooming of coffee café culture, the coffee café and bakery café business have emerged as potentially lucrative options for start-up entrepreneurs. However, there are several challenges towards setting up of a coffee café or bakery café, which the entrepreneurs must take into account. The Business Story suggests some pragmatic steps which the new and future entrepreneurs in the India’s coffee café and bakery café business should heed. Adhering to these steps could facilitate in making their enterprise a success story. The feature also focuses on some Concept Cafés, which are making their niche in the Indian café business through their creative presentations, and also explores the franchising options for coffee cafés and bakery cafés. An interesting feature on a tea and coffee capsule brand, a profile feature of a creator of wonderfully innovative designer cakes, and a Q&A on a nationally renowned Pastry Chef are other noteworthy coverage in this issue, which are complemented by our comprehensive News, Event and Report section. With the hope that our esteemed readers would find the issue an engrossing read, I end this note while wishing them a happy new year.

Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Editorial Policy : Editorial emphasis in Bakery Review magazine is on

educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing Bakery & Confectionery business. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

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22 COVER STORY

Cakes Exuding the Festive Spirit

Events

News Scan

Report

Focus

32 PROFILE

Product Preview

Interview

26 BUSINESS

Coffee Café Culture for Entrepreneurs

30 PRODUCT

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departments

Coffee in Capsules

Creative Cravings

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Star Performances For The Pastry World at SIGEP

he Star of Chocolate and the Italian Senior Pastry Championship are the international level competitions among confectionery professionals that will animate the Pastry Arena during January 24th to 26th 2016 at SIGEP. The professionals will not only show creativity, technical experimentation and demonstrations but would also highlight and present products and raw materials from all over the world. This will be a perfect platform for networking and exchanging experiences and knowledge between various generations of trade members and between different cultures and traditions for a real melting-pot of creative professionalism. The Pastry Chefs will be showcasing their skills at the 37th SIGEP International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Confectionery and Bakery production, from 23rd to 27th January 2016 at Rimini Fiera, Italy. In the Pastry Arena (Hall B5), the best of the international confectionery will be showcased at The Star of Chocolate contest and the Italian Senior Pastry Championship. The Star of Chocolate is the International Chocolate Competition, which will be held at SIGEP, on Monday, 25th January 2016. On Tuesday, 26 th January 2016, the Pastry Arena will host the Italian Senior Pastry Championship. The ten contestants competing for the title of “Pasticciere d’Italia” represent the best of Italy’s pastry art, a competition that will be a true spectacle of skill. This edition will be dedicated to the art of Ikebana. Pastry Events’ Partners are: Debic, Besozzi Oro and Valrhona; Event sponsors are: Hausbrandt; The Star of Chocolate Title Sponsor are: Decosil; Technical Sponsors are: Bragard, Bravo, DitoSama, Cascina Italia, Irinox, Sacar, Sagi, Selmi Chocolate Machinery, Silikomart professional, and Sirman. The forum, entitled “Pastry & Culture” (Hall B3), will be inaugurated on Saturday 23rd January 2016, with a welcome party featuring non-stop demos. On Sunday, 24 th January 2016, the appointments will really get going, with

the 5th edition of the Coppa Italia della Pasticceria Artistica (Italian Artistic Pastry Cup), promoted by GlamourItalianCakes, along with Pasticceria Internazionale and Tervi. No less than 10 Pastry Chefs from all over Italy, selected by means of a specific online contest, will have to show a topgrade panel of judges their pastry skills from the point of view of both aesthetics and taste. The competition’s theme is ‘Songs, music, artists.’ Space will be dedicated to the new generations of Pastry Chefs, on Monday, 25th January 2016, with SIGEPGiovani – Luciano Pennati Memorial, promoted by Pasticceria Internazionale. For 25 th year, at SIGEP, Training Schools students and teachers have had their own space in which they are the key players, by means of courses, demos, visits, working together and participating in the contest reserved for them: “Chocolate….what passion!” Also on Monday, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, all the Master Pastry Chefs who took part in Milan’s Expo 2015 will present at SIGEP the delicacies prepared during the Universal Exposition, which will also be tasted during the Pastry Gala evening. During these events, the presentation will also be held at “Conpait in Expo.” On the other hand, coffee as the key element in the creation of pastry and gelato will be at the heart of the national contest “Wake up Coffee & Espresso Ice Cream”, organised by Conpait and Torrefazione Dubbini, on Tuesday, 26th January 2016. This first edition is being launched with the intent of highlighting the harmonious

aromas and flavours that can result from the combination of these creative worlds. Awards will go to the best leavened breakfast product and the best gelato made with coffee as a raw material, matched with an espresso. On Tuesday, 26th January 2016, SIGEP will be hosting the finals of “The Ultimate Chococake Award”. The contest based on Belcolade chocolate, organised by Puratos Italia, and officially sponsored by SIGEP and Rimini Fiera, will focus on Italian professionals. The competition will consist of making a Vietnam Cake; a chocolate cake based on Belcolade Origins Vietnam 73; chocolate made with top-grade cacao beans from the Mekong delta. A panel of technical judges, made up of the most famous Italian Master Pastry Chefs, will choose the 10 best entries, which will compete at the finals on 26th January. Training journeys are to be won: The 1 st prize-winner, accompanied by the Master Pastry Chefs of the technical jury, will have the opportunity of taking part in the Vietnam Cocoa Tour, exploring the cacao plantations from which Belcolade Origins Vietnam 73 comes. The winner of the 2nd prize will be awarded the Belgian Chocolate Trip, whereas the 3 rd prizewinner will take part in the Choco workshop with Master Chocolatier Boris Willo. “Pastry & Culture” is organised by Rimini Fiera with the coordination of Conpait, the collaboration of Pasticceria Internazionale and the Italian Federation of Chefs. The initiative will continue until 27th January 2016 with demos and exhibitions.

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India at

THE PASTRY QUEEN 2016 3rd LADIES WORLD PASTRY CHAMPIONSHIP

he Queen of international pastry-making will be crowned at the 37th SIGEP. Her qualities will be extremely high professionalism, work standards, creativity and excellent taste, great ability to grasp and apply innovations without forgetting tradition. In short, the spotlight will be on The Pastry Queen World Pastry Championship held every two years and reserved for ladies, which will be staged at the International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Confectionery and Bakery production from Saturday 23rd January, with the awards ceremony on Sunday 24th January 2016, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. The ring hosting this “all-pink” challenge will be the Pastry Arena (Hall B5). Last year, heats were held all over the world to select contestants for The Pastry Queen, at which this year’s participants were selected and in Rimini will show their skills and expertise when facing various tests. The contestants are from Japan, Australia, Taiwan, India, Russia, France, Italy, Brazil, Croatia and the Balkans They will be required to prepare a modern tart, a coffee-flavoured cream dessert, an individual portion of chocolate dessert, a mini bijou pastry and a sculpture in sugar and pastilliage. The theme on which they will have to base their creations will be “The Art of Dance”, taken as a perfect example of rigour and at the same time grace and attention to details. The panel of judges that will assess the works is made up of the ten managers of the contestants and will have as its honorary president Iginio Massari, panel president Cher Harris (USA) and international panel president Miguel Moreno (Spain). The Pastry Queen is one of the Pastry Events organized at SIGEP in collaboration with CAST Alimenti and with the patronage of AMPI (Academy of Italian Master Pastry Chefs), Relais Desserts and Conpait. Pastry Events’ Partners: Debic, Besozzi Oro and Valrhona; Event sponsors: Hausbrandt; Title Sponsor The Star of Chocolate: Decosil; Technical Sponsors: Bragard, Bravo, DitoSama, Cascina Italia, Irinox, Sacar, Sagi, Selmi Chocolate Machinery, Silikomart professional, Sirman.

Chef Avijit Ghosh Corporate Pastry Chef The Leela Palace Bangalore

The 37th edition of SIGEP will host the 3rd Ladies World Pastry Championship, Contest. For the first time, India will compete for The Pastry Queen title as at SIGEP in its previous editions. SIGEP is also known as the Olympics of the Sanjana Patel, the Executive Pastry Chef at La Folie Patisserie in Mumbai, Chef at The Leela Palace Bangalore, and Chef Arvind Kumar, Executive Pastry of Chocolate title. Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. played a pivotal role in the international competitions.

Chef Sanjana Patel

Chef Anil Rohira Export Corporate Pastry Chef Max Felchlin AG

he first PASTRY QUEEN INDIA 2015 was held during 25th-26th July 2015 at Academy of Pastry Arts India, Gurgaon. The two day event was organised by Bakery Review magazine, and Elle Vire, Dabon International Pvt. Ltd. The theme of the competition was ‘The Art of Dance’. Over two days, the challengers were required to create a Sugar Showpiece (including ‘Pastillage’, a sculpture made out of sugar), Chocolate-based Cake, Coffee Dessert in a glass, a ‘Petit Gateau’ (a ‘small cake’, usually with a filling) and a Tart. The event was judged by an eminent panel of juries which comprised leading Pastry Chefs and professionals, which included Chef Dinesh Rawat — Director, Academy of Pastry Arts India, Chef Avijit Ghosh — Corporate Pastry Chef, Leelaventure Hotels, and Chef Thomas Lionel — Elle & Vire India, Dabon International. Chef Sanjana Patel, the Executive Pastry Chef at La Folie Patisserie in Mumbai, made history by being crowned India’s first ‘Pastry Queen’. She will represent India at Sigep 2016, World Lady Pastry Championship in January 2016, Rimini, Italy for ‘The Pastry Queen’ title. Chef Sanjana Patel won over the tough competition from Chef Sanah Vora (ChocTales, Gurgaon), Chef Neelam Sircar Saini (a freelancer from Kolkata), Chef Pallavi Debsinha (The Oberoi, New Delhi), Chef Trisha Singh (The Leela Palace, New Delhi), Chef Bani Nanda (MIAM, New Delhi) and Chef Arpitha Harish (Taj Lands End, Mumbai).

Chef Dinesh Rawat Director Academy of Pastry Arts India

Thomas Blanchard Corporate Chef Dabon International (P) Ltd. Oct-Nov ’15

Sigep

Star of Chocolate 2016 International Chocolate Competition

for the title ‘The Pastry Queen’, and The Star of Chocolate International well as for The Star of Chocolate title, both of which have been contested pastry world. The selected contestent for The Pastry Queen 2016 is Chef who will represent India at SIGEP 2016. Chef Subhendu Sahoo, Jr. Sous Chef at ITC GARDENIA, Bangalore, are the Indian contestents for The Star selection of these three contestents for the two above-mentioned prestigious

en Pastry Chefs from all over India were shortlisted by means of a specific online contest and their past achievements, scanned by top-grade panel of judges their pastry skills. Chef Subhendu Sahoo is currently placed as Jr. Sous Chef at The Leela Palace Bangalore. He has 12 years of experience and education in broad range of baking techniques. Chef Subhendu was awarded the 2nd place at the World Chocolate Masters Competition 2013 held in India. He was also awarded the 1st place in the Chocolate Showpiece Category and The Plated Dessert Category, a part of the World Chocolate Masters Competition. Awarded 2ND at the World Chocolate Master Competition 2015 held in India. Awarded 1ST at “Chocolate Ready To Go” in 2015. He also worked at Comarcom Lake resort Kerala and Hotel Garmondh Palace, Jaisalmer. Chef Arvind Kumar is currently placed as Executive Pastry Chef at ITC GARDENIA, Bangalore. He has 14 years of experience with education in broad range of specialty baking techniques. Chef Arvind is the winner of chocolate showpiece in World Chocolate Masters pre-selection India and 2ND runner up in 2014. He also participated in Malaysian Chocolate Master 2014, organized by Academy of Pastry Art Malaysia. He participated in a 3 days’ workshop with Chef Stephan Treand for chocolate showpiece technique. Chef Arvind has 3 yr. Degree from Institute of hotel management, Gwalior India. He also worked at Grand Hyatt Dubai, Park Hyatt Dubai, Hyatt Regency Mumbai and Crowne Plaza New Delhi.

Raminder Bakshi Director The Art Culinnaire Oct-Nov ’15

Chef Vikas Bagul Exec.Pastry Chef The Oberoi Mumbai

Subhendu Sahoo

Arvind Kumar

Chef Anand Panwar Pastry Chef Dusit Devarana Delhi

he Star of Chocolate is the International Chocolate Competition, being held at SIGEP, on Monday 25th January 2016. Master chocolatiers are invited to create confectionery specialities, which, for this edition, will have Jazz as their theme. Professional contestants are taking part from Japan, Brazil, India, Italy, Austria and France. The contestants will be required to make an innovative chocolate éclair, a single portion of dessert, an artistic sculpture and their reinterpretation of drinking chocolate, served with two different petit fours. No less than 10 pastry chefs from all over Italy, selected by means of a specific online contest, will have to show a top-grade panel of judges their pastry skills from the point of view of both aesthetics and taste. Masterminded by Roberto Rinaldini and organised by Rimini Fiera SpA, this international competition with decosil as Title Sponsor - held every two years - is the only one of its kind for pastry chefs the world over, offering them the challenge and opportunity to showcase their artistic talents. The star of chocolate is a highcalibre professional event, run to the highest, strictest and fairest of professional standards. It is held in Italy, the cradle of confectionery and pastry-making. It takes place during Sigep, a specialist trade fair for pastry chefs, ice-cream, chocolate and bread makers from around the world. The theme of the competition is: JAZZ MUSIC The theme must be illustrated through the creation of a work of art made only of chocolate, a single-serving chocolate dessert, chocolate in a glass and mini pastries. The task of the competitors is to find contemporary new forms, lines and decorative effects to capture the imagination. Pastry Events’ Partners: Debic, Besozzi Oro and Valrhona; Event sponsors: Hausbrandt; The Star of Chocolate Title Sponsor: Decosil; Technical Sponsors: Bragard, Bravo, DitoSama, Cascina Italia, Irinox, Sacar, Sagi, Selmi Chocolate Machinery, Silikomart professional, Sirman.

Chef Neha Lakhani Head Chef & Founder Patisserie Royale

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Fipgc World Championships Of Pastry, Ice Cream, Chocolate And Cake Design

apanese are the best Pastry Chefs in the world and Italian the best cake designers. This was the verdict of the recent edition of World Championship of Pastry, Ice cream, Chocolate and Cake Design (organised every two years by FIPGC — International Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate), which was held from 24th to 27th October at Host FieraMilano, in Italy. After 38 editions, with its 1700 exhibitors coming from more than 48 countries, Host is the leading event in the Ho.Re.Ca. segment; establishing itself as a quality international business marketplace and as an exclusive meeting place for leading manufacturers in the market and top spending buyers from all over the world. The Japanese team created three sculptures representing symbols of the country of the Rising Sun, as the evolution of flight from birds to the space, entirely made of chocolate. They have been awarded the prize for the Best Artistic Sculpture. The Italian Pastry Team, with the World Champion RossanoVinciarelli, who coached AntoninoBondi, Diego Mascia and Paul Occhipinti, won the second place and the prize for Best Modern Cake. In the third place was Austria, while the award for the Best Praline went to Mexico and for the Best Ice Cream to Poland. In assessing achievements, a jury of 13 international experts was formed comprising the captains of the 13 competing teams, led by Christian Beduschi, one of the best in Italian pastry. Looking at the different preparations, it was possible to outline some trends of the art of pastry for 2016, such as wide use of tropical fruit, saffron and organic food. Italy won the first prize for Cake Design with Serena Sardone, whose cake represented the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Second place went to Venenzuela (Ernesto Milani coaching Maria Teresa Perez) and the third place went to Switzerland (Giuseppe Piffaretti with Daniela Frezza). The International Federation of Pastry Ice Cream and Chocolate (more than 5000 associates all over the world) is an association whose fundamental aims are to carry out activities inherent to the development, knowledge and experiences typical of confectionary, internationally understood as confectionary art. It also plays a role in the development of the activity of bakers, ice cream makers, chocolatiers, cooks, sculptor/artists on a national and international level with the aim of ensuring the defense of social and professional values, morals and also to improve the prestige and image of the whole category.The association has roles in professional training, organisation of events and fairs, the promotion and development of the handicraft sector typical of every nation. Among its associates, more than 600 are Italian, International or World Champions and form the FIPGC Pastry and Cake Design Excellence Teams. Barbara Castiglione, Pastry Chef with her sculptures in artistic sugar, member of FIPGC World Championships Organizing Committee and Manager for FIPGC International Relationships, says about herself: “Apart from training Pastry Chefs, my role in the Federation consists of organising national selections in order to bring to Italy the teams that will participate in the 2017 World Championships edition. Thanks to the partnerships with fairs, professional associations and schools, we have already organised national selections in many countries, such as Hong Kong, China, Bulgaria, Austria, Perù and USA. Host 2015 gave me the opportunity to meet new potential partners and I hope that India, thanks to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., will soon join our project. In this edition of our Championships. I brought to Italy 32 teams coming from all over the world, but I expect to bring more than 50 in 2017. For this first edition. I also was honoured to bring to Italy a special guest, Deven Wang from Taiwan, whose amazing sculptures, made of flour dough and gelatine, show a unique mastery in this art.” Wang, winner of many Absolute and Gold Medals all over the world and Professor at the Universities of Taiwan, was awarded with a special prize from FIPGC. He and his team will probably participate in the 2017 edition. All fairs and professional associations willing to organise national selections and to participate can contact at info@internationalfederationpastry.com.

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EVENTS’ CALENDER Europain & Intersuc 2016 5-9 February 2016 Paris Nord Villepinte http://www.europain.com Gulfood 2016 21-25 February 2016 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Dubai www.gulfood.com Aahar 2016 15-19 March 2016 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi http://www.aaharinternationalfair.com EDT Expo 2016 23-26 March 2016 Istanbul, Turkey http://www.cnredtexpo.com FHA 2016 12-15 April 2016 Singapore Expo, Singapore www.foodnhotelasia.com HOTELEX 2016 29 March -1 April 2016 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, China http://www.hotelex.cn/ SIAL China 2016 5-7 May 2016 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, Shanghai,China www.sialchina.com Travel Catering Expo 2016 9-11 May 2016 DICEC, Dubai http://www.travelcateringexpo.com/ Ambiente India 2016 22-24 June 2016 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.ambiente-india.in Heimtextil India 2016 22-24 June 2016 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.heimtextil.in

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The Pastry Shop Opens Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi has opened The Pastry Shop, a specialty patisserie with aromatic selection of pastries and breads, which according to a press release, are freshly prepared every day along with unique delicatessen products. An endeavour of the hotel’s Executive Chef Rohit Tokhi, its menu features a selection of cakes, pastries, donuts, macaroons, Danish cookies, croissants, muffins along with oven-fresh breads. Opened on the ground floor of the Club Tower of the hotel, the patisserie will provide dine in as well as take away options. With a bit of prior notification, The Pastry Shop, according to a press release, can create customised dessert, especially for an occasion or event. Regarding the launch of The Pastry Shop, Puneet Singh, General Manager, Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi said, “The idea is to showcase some of the finest and tailormade delicacies for people in the vicinity. Our aim is to become a one-stop destination for all the patisserie needs and cater to on-the-go and as well as resident guests.”

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GAIA Brings Multi-floral Honey Honey can be used as a natural remedy for many ailments and also helps in the regulation of fats. This blend of sugar, trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids is quite unlike any other sweetener on the planet. Honey can be a great substitute for sugar which helps in managing calorie better while also adding many healthy nutrients in place of empty calories. Honey is also a great way to increase your immunity in the body. It can defend against cold and cough, can fight germs and is also great for the skin. And what is more, it can have several applications in bakery and confectionery industry. GAIA has recently introduced multi-floral honey. GAIA’s latest offering can carve a distinctive niche for itself with the health conscious customers. GAIA’s Multi-floral Honey can be enjoyed as a delicious topping on toasts, or as a natural sweetener in energy drinks and desserts. According to a press release, it is enriched with energy sources from sucrose and fructose. The press release further notes that the goodness of this honey is derived from a rich variety of Himalayan flora known for their regenerative properties. Packed with antioxidants, nutrients, and minerals, GAIA’s Multifloral Honey can help boost immunity and stimulate metabolism, thereby adding to one’s health and making one more energetic. GAIA’s Multi-floral Honey is priced at Rs.145 for 250 gm. It is available in all leading stores and pharmacies across India. One can also buy it online at www.gaiagoodhealth.com. Here it deserves a mention that combining the miracles of nature with the wonders of science, GAIA produces a range of nutritional supplements and natural substitutes which facilitate in the body’s natural regeneration. The Delhi-based company’s current portfolio includes nutritional supplements, green teas, green ice teas, muesli, cookies, Stevia tablets and sachets as well as health bars.

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Cremica French Fries Pack Comes with Ketchup Collectively speaking, French fries have been a favourite snack for many of us. Recently, Cremica Food Industries Limited has introduced its version of French fries, known as Cremica French Fries, to the market. Besides the wonderful taste and flavour of these French fries, comprising uniformly cut potato fingers, their userfriendliness also deserves a special mention. Each packet of Cremica French Fries has its very own ketchup dip cup enclosed. This ready-to-eat packaged crunchy golden coloured goodness can be construed as a perfect snack onthe-go and fulfils a need in the Indian retail market for snacking options on the go. Now the average Indian consumer can easily have the convenience of carrying French fries while travelling or on excursion, without worrying about their becoming soggy. Cremica Food Industries Limited has since long created a name for itself in terms of innovation in taste and quality, and Cremica French Fries is another step in that direction. Commenting on the launch of Cremica French Fries, Akshay Bector, Chairman & Managing Director of Cremica Food Industries Limited said, “In the Indian market, there has been a vacuum in snacking option while on the go. Packaged French fries with ketchup caters to this very need of customers, and Cremica French Fries is positioned as a fun snack. Combined with the ketchup dip cup inside, each packet of Cremica

French Fries makes for a complete sharing pack.” Each packet of Cremica French Fries is priced at Rs.40, and contains a serving of 50 gm of fries, accompanied with 25 gm of ketchup from Cremica. Cremica French Fries are now available at all leading department stores in the country. Here it deserves a mention that Cremica Food Industries Limited is a part of the Cremica Group, a huge food products’ conglomerate created by Rajni Bector. The humble origins of Cremica Group can be traced back to 1978, when Rajni Bector turned her passion for ice-cream making into a small backyard enterprise. The rest, as they say, is history or rather her story.

Promoting European Cheeses Recently the Embassy of France, CNIEL (French umbrella organisation for the France’s dairy industry), and the European Union co-hosted a European cheese pairing soirée as part of ‘The Cheeses of Europe’ campaign. The event was organised and presented by the European Union and CNIEL in the presence of Chef Xavier Thuret, the award-winning best cheese monger of France, and Chef Sanjay Chowdhury, Director, Dining Experience at QLA, New Delhi, and Laurent Damiens, CNIEL’s Communications Director. At the event, 15 different cheeses were on offer in total during an evening dedicated to reveal the harmonious association of European cheese with Indian flavours. In this regard, Chef Sanjay Chowdhury prepared fusion dishes combining Indian dishes and French cheese for a successful taste marriage. In addition to this, unprepared cheeses were also on display, presented by Chef Xavier Thuret. The import of cheese in India during 2014 was worth Rs. 46.32 crore, showing a growth of 8.5 percent as compared to that of the 2013 figures.

Britannia’s Endeavours Britannia Industries has plans of setting up a new research and development centre in the outskirts of Bangalore. According to an official of Britannia Industries, this future R&D centre of the food conglomerate will be situated within the company’s greenfield biscuits and bakery manufacturing unit, which is located on the outskirts of Bangalore. The R&D centre is expected to be operational by February of the next year, and it is expected to entail an investment of Rs.65 crore. This forthcoming R&D centre would give an impetus on innovation, which the company is laying great emphasis on. Presently, Britannia Industries is facing aggressive competition from its rivals in rural markets. Here it deserves a mention that Britannia Industries, which had attained a consolidated net sales figure of Rs. 7,775.09 crore during the last fiscal, is envisaging at Rs. 20,000 crore turnover within the next five-six years.

Oct-Nov ’15

R E P O R T

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A Festival of Cakes

ndia Cake Fest took place during 16th-18th October, in Mumbai. The unique event, which celebrated the love of cakes, attracted cake bakers and cake lovers. The event had bakers from all over Mumbai under one-roof. India Cake Fest was created with the objective to promote & explore the opportunities in the bakery industry and for helping students and local bakers to reach out to a wider and more appreciative audience. Furthermore, the event, which is expected to be held in other cities of India in the future, also has the objective to give recognition to small yet impactful community of bakers with awards. The three-day-long event included competitions, workshops, conferences, cake carnival and other exciting activities for kids and adults. Excited about the event, BP Sahni, Principal, Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management said, “Making a cake is definitely not a piece of cake. It is a skilful combination of the science of baking and the art of icing.” The event was conceptualised and organised by Enquo Experiential Communications, in association with Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management. Talking about the idea behind the event, Vinay Narang, the Festival Director said, “At Enquo we take celebration as a serious business. We have been working hard to ensure that the India Cake Fest is an enjoyable experience for all and does create a unique platform for young students, home bakers and even patisserie owners to connect with industry professionals; to learn, share and engage on a common passion.” The baking competition was being held on 16th& 17th October at Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management, Bandra. It was

divided into two categories – home bakers & students. The winners of the competition won holiday packages from Club Mahindra, gym memberships by Living Foodz channel (who were also the event title sponsor), microwaves from e-zone, exclusive professional baking classes by CakeSmiths, gift hampers from Chocolate Partner, Morde & Ingredients Partner, Tropolite. The Cake Carnival was held on 18th October at Phoenix Market City, Kurla, which was the Venue Partner for the festival. Regarding the Cake Carnival, International Patisserie Chef & winner of Pastry World Cup, Chef Anil Rohira commented, “It was great to see students, home bakers, professionals, Chefs, enthusiasts and kids getting together for this extravaganza. It is an opportunity for budding bakers to showcase their skills and indulge at India Cake Fest.” Enquo Experiential Communications plans to carry on this celebration in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and other major Indian cities, in the coming months.

The Market for Nut Ingredients Looks Promising

he findings of the recently published report by MarketsandMarkets titled Nut Ingredients Market by Type (Almonds, Walnuts, Hazelnut, Cashews), by Application (Confectioneries, Dairy Products, Bakery Products, Snacks & bars, Desserts, Cereals, Beverages), & by Region — Global Forecast to 2019, can have great relevance for the Indian bakery and its associated industries. According to this report, the global nut ingredients market is projected to reach 22,642.1 million USD by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 5.8 percent from 2014 to 2019. This report analyses the market by type, application, and region. Geographically, the report is segmented into North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Rest of the World (RoW). The types of nut ingredients studied are almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, and others (artificial nuts, beechnuts, chestnuts, and chinquapin nuts). These nut ingredients

are applicable for confectioneries, dairy products, bakery products, snacks & bars, desserts, cereals, beverages, and in other applications like in salads & sauces. According to the report, the nut ingredients market has witnessed strong growth trends in the global food industry. The growing focus on preventive health

care and launch of healthier products has driven this market, globally. The cold chain logistics and technological advancements have also enabled the global trade of nut ingredients to a greater extent. Further, various associations and organisations promote export, research, education, and consumer awareness

campaigns for the growth of this market, which again has perhaps facilitated the growth of the nut ingredients market. The European and North American regions are the most large and mature regions for the nut ingredients market, but this market has witnessed the fastest growth in countries such as China and India. According to the report, the European region is the largest market for nut ingredients in terms of value, while North America is the second largest, followed by Asia-Pacific. Factors fuelling the growth of this market in Asia-Pacific are due to the demand for premium foods positioned as healthy, which are becoming popular with all the generations. Further, according to the report, the explosive growth of middle-class population, rapid urbanisation, increased spending power, increase in the number of working women have spurred the demand for nut-based food & beverage products in these region.

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A Platform to Facilitate Purchasing in Hospitality By Swarnendu Biswas

or many years, a growing need for a association of purchasing professionals was felt in the Indian hospitality industry, which can facilitate disseminating relevant information and knowledge among the players across this fraternity, which in turn can help better manage the costs of procurement among hospitality properties in the long-run and prevent the vendors to take the hotels for a ride. In this context, the formation of Purchasing Professionals Forum-India on 31st October 2015, a fraternity of purchasing professionals across India’s HORECA sector, was commendable. The newly formed association would serve as a platform to develop the skills of its members and facilitate the purchasing and procurement services associated with the Indian hospitality industry. The launch of the association at Le Meridien New Delhi attracted the presence of stalwarts from the Indian hospitality industry. Purchasing and procurement are crucial elements of the hospitality industry. From toiletries to lifts, and from flooring to food & beverage ingredients, the role of procurement in hotels and resorts is almost omnipresent. The right purchase can keep the quality of hospitality properties high and keep the costs in check. But optimum purchasing and procurement which often entails maximum possible efficiency at minimum possible investment can be a hugely challenging task. Even making decent purchases and procurement which can accrue profitability to the hospitality properties concerned in the long-run, is not a cakewalk. They involve sourcing the right products through

vendors and their products’ comparative evaluation and skilful negotiation of contracts. They require market research, judgement and negotiation skills. “The need for such an association was long felt in the industry but somehow it never got materialised before,” observed Rattan Keswani, the Deputy Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels, who praised this initiative without any reservations. He lamented that the purchase and procurement department of hospitality properties seldom came into limelight but often the purchasing and procurement personnel of hospitality properties were the first to get the flak if something went wrong with the equipment/s and other product/s of those properties. “Formation of this association has the potential to eventually bring in more transparency among the hospitality properties and their vendors, both in the construction and day-today operations of the properties, affirmed Naveen Jain, President, Duet India Hotels. According to Jain, about 30-35 percent of cost in development and operations of hotels can be saved if the purchase department of hotels is well informed and

knowledgeable. Besides bringing in more transparency among hotels and their vendors, PPFI would be an added advantage for the purchasing managers in hospitality properties to locate the right products and getting the right suppliers. Especially for the new purchasing personnel in this industry, this association can be greatly helpful. “For example, let us assume there is a common product which is needed across a hundred hotels, for which there are a number of vendors trying to crack the market. Now sharing the information pertaining to various vendors of the product, comparing the quality offered by them, and sharing their prices quoted for that given product among purchasing professionals of this association will greatly facilitate those hospitality properties where these professionals are engaged with to get the best possible product at the minimum possible price among the various choices being offered,” explained Amarjit S Ahuja, President, Purchasing Professionals Forum — India. This product in discussion can easily pertain to the bakery and confectionery segment of the hotels too. Moreover, according to Amarjit, the association can help the professionals by sharing knowledge about how to effectively negotiate with the vendors. “One can say this is our way of giving back to the industry,” stated Amarjit, who is also the Director of Procurement, Le Meridien New Delhi. Already PPFI has 120 members. However, at present the reach of the association is within north India only. “We would go for a pan-India presence after two years,” informed Amarjit.

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Block Your Space for AAHAR, Delhi 15-19 March, 2016

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Indian Culinary Forum Hosted 12th Annual

Chef Awards 2015

op names from the Indian culinary fraternity came together to celebrate and recognise the Chefs and their contribution to the Indian hospitality industry and society at large. As a part of the celebrations of International Chef Day, Indian Culinary Forum (ICF) successfully hosted the 12th edition of Annual Chef Awards 2015, in an association with the apex body, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, and World Association of Chef Societies, at The Ashok Hotel, Chankyapuri, New Delhi. Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, felicitated the winners for their excellence in the culinary field, in the presence of eminent names of the hospitality industry. Here it deserves a mention that the Indian Culinary Forum is the Indian association of professional Chefs of Northern India. It was formed in New Delhi in 1987 as an exclusive non-profit organisation, dedicated solely to the advancement of the culinary art of India. The forum’s objective is to act as a link, a platform and an instrument for the national community of Chefs. At the core of all its chef-centric activities and programmes is the abiding belief that ‘cooking unites’. The culinary extravaganza kickedoff with the four-day long Trade test where over 100 Chefs participated in 11 categories of culinary competition and showcased a series of live culinary skills. Malaysian Chef, Lee Chan Wai, was the

Chairperson of the Hon’ble Jury along with renowned national and international Chefs for the Trade test. As part of the celebrations, ICF also organised Chef Summit for the third consecutive year, where renowned names from the hospitality industry presented their point of view to the young Chefs on various topics. The grand celebration of Chef Awards 2015 ended with a gala Chefs’ Child Dinner, which was the contribution from leading hotels and restaurants, prepared by the master Chefs. Its proceeds were contributed to the charity organisation, ‘Chef and Child Foundation’. The winners of the different award categories were: SSH Rehman (For Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cuisine); Lifetime Achievement Award — Chef Vincent Joseph; Best Food Writer Award — Rupali Dean; Golden Hat Award — Chef Rakesh Sethi (Radisson Blu, Dwarka); Silver Hat Award — Chef Arvind Rai (The Ashok, New Delhi); Chef of the Year Award —Chef Vinay Sehgal (Dramz); Master Chef International Cuisine Award — Chef Pranab Nayak (Old World Hospitality); Master Chef North India Cuisine Award — Chef Lukesh Bajaj (Radisson Blu, Dwarka); Master Chef Rest of India Cuisine Award — Chef Sebastian (Lite Bite Foods); Master Chef Kebabs Award — Chef Ratan Singh Negi (Radisson Blu, Noida); Master Chef Indian Sweets Award — Chef Dalbir Singh (Ashok Hotel); Master Chef International Confectionary Award

— Chef Nitin Singharia (Le Meridien); Master Chef Oriental Cuisine Award — Chef Martyn Lepcha (Radisson Blu, Noida); Kitchen Artist Award — Chef Prabhas Mandal (Old World Hospitality); Student Chef of the Year — Nikita Singhal (IICA, Hauz Khas). Chef Davinder Kumar, President of Indian Culinary Forum said, “The evolution and concept of this Chef Awards is to recognise, honour and promote the fraternity of Chefs and encourage youngsters to join the industry. On this joyous occasion of the International Chefs Day I would like to assure our members, corporate members and associates that ICF will constantly thrive to bring our fraternity closer and continue its commitment to encourage the betterment of the culinary profession, through improved education, related industry events and collaboratively setting new benchmarks for the hospitality industry.” Chef Vivek Saggar, General Secretary of Indian Culinary Forum said, “Chef Award is not merely a competition, but a platform for Chefs to put their culinary skills on display that will surely enhance their culinary quest, knowledge and forte. The participants are being judged and evaluated by experienced professionals. The whole idea of having the Chef Awards is the selection of the Master Chefs from a national team and bringing them forward to the international forefront.”

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Focused on Quality and Health Based in Mumbai, Anil Rohira is the Corporate Pastry Chef, Max Felchlin AG. Chef Rohira began his training at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), in New York. During his distinguished career, he worked for high-standard resorts such as The Balsams, The Wigwam and others, and also as the Executive Pastry Chef at the Chevy Chase Club in Washington DC. Rohira was awarded Pastry Chef of the Year by the National Pastry Forum and Competition, in Phoenix, USA, in 2009. During his career, he has won many other prestigious awards and recognitions. He had captained Team USA at the Coupe du Monde (Pastry World Cup) in Lyon, France, in 2003, and had also won the Best Sugar Showpiece & Best Entremet award at the Coupe du Monde in Lyon, France, in 2003. Felchlin Switzerland and Anil Rohira began their collaboration in December 2009. The excerpts of an interview with this distinguished Pastry Chef, who believes in the balance of heart, hand and head to create success as a Pastry Chef, follow: Who or what inspired you to join the profession? As a student, I was not academically inclined, but always loved to dream with chocolates. I used to wonder that how it would be to swim in chocolate… Intrigued by hospitality, I decided to do my hotel management. It was during our first industrial exposure in the first year that I was sent to a busy pastry shop. I clearly remember, it was the month of December. I pushed open the door and as if I entered another dimension… As if, I was stepping into a different world and I knew it right then, that this was my world and I belonged here. What are the factors that have contributed to your success as a Pastry Chef? I have been extremely fortunate to have learnt and worked with some of the finest professionals in India, US and Europe. Moreover, competing at the local, national and international level surely pushes your abilities as a professional. What is the specialisation of your work?

Most of my training has been in classical European pastry and that is apparent in my style of work. Keeping that as my foundation, I try to be creative and present things differently with a contemporary flair, but the basics remain. What are the challenges you face in your day-to-day job? As one of the Corporate Chefs for Felchlin, my job profile necessitates travelling extensively around the world. Our markets are spread worldwide and while creating recipes, ideas and concepts, we have to keep a lot in mind. Countries, cultures, preferences, climates and traditions must all be factored in. A good recipe for one, may not work for another. There are several reasons for that….ingredients, measurements, temperature, processes, skills, environment, and so on. For example, flavour profiles and textures which are enjoyed by people of one country may not be relished by people of another country. During the creative process, we have to keep in mind the local flavours, fruits and the availability of products. And then of course, you want to be innovative/ creative with your dessert concepts and

presentation. The creative part is surely challenging but also very fulfilling. The need of always getting the right ingredient and equipment to work with entails operational challenges. Fortunately, I have not had to deal with too many personnel related challenges in my job. Most times, I have got to interact with people who are motivated, eager and sincere to the profession.

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bakery revie w How much importance do you give to the health quotient in your baked products? As a Chef, I take it upon myself to prepare desserts with high quality ingredients, to the best of my ability. I lay utmost importance on quality and customer health in my creations. How much emphasis you place on the quality of ingredients? Quality is critical. One cannot make great pastry with inferior ingredients. Having said that, I must point out that starting with quality ingredients is only a great beginning. One then has to present these ingredients/ flavours to the customers in the best possible textures and combinations. However, the good quality of ingredients can facilitate your efforts. Their contribution is as important as your skills. I try not to make compromise as far as ingredients are concerned. Do you think that in the Indian bakery industry, high-end retail bakery chains and high-end stand-alone

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same. The trend is to serve fresh pastries. In India, chocolate bars & macarons seem to be very popular.

bakeries would pose competition to bakeries housed in five-star hotels, in the near future? I believe there will always be space for a good product whether it is marketed from a five-star hotel, from a retail shop in a commercial district or by a person working out from her/his personal kitchen. Kindly comment a bit on the current trends pervading through the bakery industry The bakery industry trends vary from country to country. Right now in the west, the emphasis is on sustainable, organic & fresh ingredients and pastry made with the

What is the biggest challenge for the Indian bakery industry? I think, India surely has the skills and capability of putting out some amazing food. The one area, where I see some room for improvement is awareness towards quality. From the Chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective, an understanding about and sourcing of quality ingredients and how to put them to best possible use require more awareness and endeavour across the Indian bakery industry. From the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prospective, there needs to be more awareness regarding the difference between a quality finished product and an average or inferior product. How do you perceive the Indian bakery industry, five years from now? Our industry is surely developing at a rapid rate. There is tremendous growth potential and opportunities in the industry. I am excited about being a part of it.

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Cakes Exuding the

Festive Spirit

Mention Christmas and the first image that often comes to mind is that of Santa Claus, the favourite among the children. And, of course, the plum and fruit cake! One cannot dream of a Christmas without a cake. This is also true for the New Year. This is the time when the Pastry Chefs don their thinking caps to dream up new custom-made cakes that befit the occasion. While conventional plum and fruit cakes are available in galore, but there are a sizeable number of Pastry Chefs who are thinking out of the box to come up with innovative cake designs. They are making cakes and other bakery products which are not only palatable but are also healthy. Ashok Malkani explores the cake making trends for the festive season of Christmas & New Year, which are influencing the Indian bakery industry. 22

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he festive season is once again upon us. It is reaching us fast… Santa Claus, with Rudolph the rednosed reindeer and the others – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder – can be seen surrounded by children, in almost every mall. Merrily giving a hearty ‘ho, ho, ho’, and listening to the children’s demands about what they want for Christmas. Like in every festive season, Indians are geared up with their festive food for the Christmas and the New Year too. While Santa is busy with the children, the Pastry Chefs are busy trying to dream up exquisite cakes for the coming Christmas and the New Year. A few years back, if one recollects correctly, the Pastry Chef of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune - Chinchwad had conceived a cake in the form of Santa’s Sleigh with Santa and his bag of gifts about to land on the roof a house, with chimney et al. The lobby of another hotel, in Mumbai, displayed the barn, or manger, with baby Christ, Mother Mary and Joseph, designed and baked by the Pastry Chef of that place. Indeed this joyful season arriving upon us is a challenge for the bakers to dream up some fantastic designs of cakes; not only for the children but for all those with a sweet tooth and imaginative mind. This challenge can also be construed as a creative opportunity.

Christmas & New Year Cakes The general concept of the Christmas

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cake is the plum cake. This is mainly because Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding. In the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe, and butter, wheat flour and eggs were added. These ingredients facilitated to hold the mixture together, resulting in a boiled plum cake. Richer families with ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, for Easter. For Christmas, they made cakes of similar nature with application of seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices. This cake became known as the ‘Christmas cake’. A Christmas cake may be light or dark, ranging from crumbly-moist to sticky-wet, from spongy to heavy, can be leavened or unleavened, can be shaped round, square or oblong as whole cakes. If a Christmas cake is covered in icing, it is quite common for it to be decorated with models of houses, or with fir trees or with Santa Claus. The New Year cake, according to Greek literature, was known as Vasilopita. This contained a hidden coin or trinket which gave good luck

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to the receiver, like that in the Western European king cake. This cake was – and is – associated with Saint Basil’s Day which falls on 1st January. On New Year’s Day families cut the Vasilopita to bless the house and bring good luck for the New Year. This is usually done at the midnight of New Year’s Eve.

Range of Festive Delights This year, like in every year, different Pastry Chefs in the Indian bakery and confectionery industry have plans of celebrating Christmas and New Year with an array of well designed, decorated cakes. Like in many other facets of India, this year’s caking trends for the forthcoming Christmas and the New Year also reflect the harmonious co-existence of tradition and innovation. “Plum cakes are synonymous with Christmas which have cute snowmen or a Santa Claus on it. While puddings, muffins, and rum-soaked plum cakes are in big demand, customised desserts are keeping the bakers equally busy,” Deepak Dange — Executive Sous Chef, Sofitel Mumbai BKC averred. “Christmas cake is a festive season classic and people love to relish it in a traditional way. At Sofitel Mumbai BKC, we try and keep this traditional factor in mind and at the same time, innovate with our presentations. It is important to create an excitement during this joyous

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Deepak Dangde

Suryakant Sonawane

Suvendu Roy

season and for cakes, the visual appeal is vital. Cakes with bright colours, sweet flavours and luxurious textures are not only created for family celebrations but they also make for great gifts to loved ones. We will also prepare sponge cakes, the famous Opera, Chocolate truffle and more,” Dange pointed out further. “The bakery and confectionery products which are generally in demand during Christmas are the Christmas fruit cake, Yule Log and stollen. At our place, we will have traditional Christmas goodies such as German stollen, panettone, the all-time favourite Christmas fruit cake, Christmas cookies, vanillekipferl, cinnamon star and coconut macaroon during the Christmas and the New Year celebrations,” informed Daniel Benner, Pastry Chef of B Café at Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru. “There is a very high demand for Christmas cakes, ginger bread house and general Christmas goodies in India and this has been the trend for a while now,” Daniel opined. Executive Sous Chef Suryakant Sonawane at the Ramada Powai Hotel &

Convention Centre’s cake shop, declared that the cake in demand at Christmas time, at his hotel, was Mocha Yule Log. “Besides this,” he added, “at our cake shop we are also planning to satiate the customers’ sweet tooth with Cranberry Coconut Bread Pudding, Cranberry Upside Down Cake, Chocolate Pate with Candied Orange Peel, and Pumpkin Cheese Cake with GingersnapWalnut Crust.” “During this time, plum cakes with nuts and dry fruits are flavoured with wine and different spices to enhance the flavour. Since it is harvest time in Europe, these cakes are commonly in demand there. At Hyatt Pune, I am planning to serve the guests with plum cakes, Christmas pudding, pumpkin pudding, and Yule Log,” affirmed Chef Suvendu Roy, Head Chef, Hyatt Pune.

people are now becoming more health conscious and many of them are now avoiding cakes with sugar and fat. The result is that bakers are now using sugar substitutes in cakes. Today there are sugar substitutes and sugar blends which help the Pastry Chefs meet the demands of people seeking sweets without sugar. Suvendu disclosed that there was a demand for sugar free cakes. “Plum cakes can be made without sugar because the richness of its ingredients gives a taste of sugar naturally. However, since it is festive season people don’t usually bother much about calories,” he stated. Chef Daniel does not concur with the last part of Chef Suvendu’s statement. “We use natural sugar substitutes which are approved by FSSAI to meet the special requests of our guests,” he asserted. The usual sugar replacements, according to several Chefs, are natural plant-based sweeteners like Stevia and agave. The reason they are getting a lot of buzz these days is because neither of these natural sweeteners spike the body’s blood sugar to the degree that white sugar does. Honey is another sugar substitute. It also boasts of numerous health benefits such as antibacterial properties, especially in its raw form. Brown rice syrup and maple syrup are also great low-calorie sweeteners. Brown rice syrup is made by cooking brown rice until it turns into syrup. Maple syrup is a time-tested topping for pancakes and waffles, but using a tablespoon or two to sweeten baked goods has become a popular trend (like basic chocolate cake). Quite often the cake makers replace sugar completely by using ripe fruits or fruit products (like apple sauce or jams). The overall trend for more healthy

Healthy Cakes Yes, cakes and more cakes are the demand of the public during this festive season, and cakes and other bakery confectioneries are relished by the young and the old alike. However, the

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Daniel Benner

baked goods is being vocalised by consumers of diverse age groups in India. Artificial colours and flavours used in the icing also are becoming taboo for some consumers in India. “For Christmas cake decoration, we use different edible frostings at Sofitel Mumbai BKC. Over the years, these frosting flavours have changed into more colourful ones. The classic ones generally incorporated are the royal icings, ranging in various colours. We also glaze our Christmas cakes with different flavoured glaçage like caramel or hazelnut and use edible flowers, sugar, sprinkles and chocolates as decoration as well. To make the cake more tempting we also use plastic chocolate as the Christmas cake decoration and leave it to set before it goes on to the cake,” elaborated Deepak. “At our pastry shop at Ramada Powai, we use natural food colours for the icing,” proffered Suryakant. “At Hyatt Pune, we never use any artificial ingredient. They are not safe for consumption and for us the health and safety of our guests are of top priority,” declared Suvendu. “At B Café, Shangri-La Bengaluru, to

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an extent we do use colour to enhance the overall appearance of the cakes. We use high quality European chocolate colours from France, which is widely approved and suggested by most of the Pastry Chefs around the world,” asserted Daniel. People are doing away with synthetic fondant icing and unnatural colourings and choosing natural ingredients in place of them. Most of the Pastry Chefs in India are of the opinion that there is going to be a return to more natural ingredients. Several of them use traditional ganache instead of using fondant icing.

Customised Cakes But whatever may be your choice – whether healthy or otherwise – cakes are always in demand in the country, but more so during the Christmas and the New Year festivities. The sales of cakes in prominent hotels and shops in the country have increased manifold as the festive season approaches us. To cash in on the Christmas and the New Year demand, several cake and pastry shops make different varieties of plum cakes. In fact, this year many Pastry Chefs in the country are planning custom baked cakes for Christmas and the New Year. Customised cakes are setting a new trend in the Indian cities with many bakeries coming up with novel ideas for decorating cakes in unique ways, according to the customers’ demand. According to Suvendu, many of these customised cakes are not just cakes but works of art. Specialty designer cakes require a lot more time for designing, structuring and decorating than average regular cakes. They cannot be treated like ordinary cakes which you just put

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Savouring the Yule Log

or all those who may be wondering on what is a Yule Log, we may state that it is commonly known as Buche de Noel. It is one of the many traditional cakes baked at Christmas. This cake traces its origins to France. The name of this dish literally translates to ‘Christmas log,’ referring to the traditional Yule Log burned centuries ago. Its ingredients’ composition indicates that the cake is most likely a creation of the 19th century. That was when thinly rolled sponge cakes filled with jam or cream and covered with butter-cream icing began to show up in European cook books. Marzipan and meringue, typically employed for decorative purposes, date to the medieval ages and the 17th century respectively. There is no person/ place/company credited for having ‘invented’ this particular confection. In France, the Buche de Noel, a roll of light sponge cake, is covered in chocolate or coffee butter-cream; textured to resemble a bark. The concept is carried further by mounding the cream over small pieces of cake stuck to the main roll, to represent trimmed branches. The ends of the roll and the cut faces of the branches are finished with vanilla cream, simulating pale newly cut wood, and the whole is decorated with leaves made from icing, or meringue mushrooms. Whether one wants to have a cake in the form of a Yule Log or in some other format, having a cake during the forthcoming festive season is a must.

into the oven as a matter of routine. They are the result of days of hard work, and often of out of the box creativity, and are generally priced higher than regular cakes. But despite that there is a growing market for customised, designer cakes in India. Another trend in the realm of cake decoration that is gaining currency in the Indian bakery industry is to make cakes resembling various objects related to the festival. A cake design that resembled a Christmas turkey dinner was a big hit in the social networking sites some years ago. Designer cakes or healthy cakes, whatever may be the choice, just cut a slice and gobble it up! n

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Coffee Café Culture for Entrepreneurs

Coffee shops and cafes are growing in popularity not just in India but also globally. Cafes often provide healthy options as compared to local fast food joints. Their guest profiles often also defy the barriers of age. Changing lifestyles and increased disposable incomes, together with greater exposure to global food & beverage trends, have perhaps prompted the growth of coffee consumption in India. Filter coffee has been popular in South India for decades. This popularity has filtered into other parts of the country as well, during the recent years. The result is that several café chains have sprung up not only in the metros but also in tier II and tier III cities, encouraging many entrepreneurs to venture into this field. Some of them are also keen to jump onto the franchise bandwagon. However, there are brands like Café Coffee Day which believe in leasing, not franchising. In the last issue of this magazine, we have detailed the growth of the large coffee café & bakery café chains in India, and also the various challenges involved towards facilitating their sustained profitability. This time we are focusing on new entrepreneurs in the café business or those entrepreneurs who are thinking of entering the coffee café or bakery café business in the country. Ashok Malkani explores the issue in detail. 26

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fter a long and tiring day, relaxing with friends and coffee is a good option. Along with bringing back the lost energy, cups of coffee can also cheer up the mood, bring people closer to each other. This need of the urban Indian society is getting catered by coffee café chains mushrooming across the country. However, coffee cafés are seen as places not only for relaxing with friends, but also to host romantic rendezvous and business parleys. They are not only favourite hangout zones for youngsters but also frequented by the not so young crowd.

Business with Potential Economic and socio-cultural factors, and a demography skewed in favour of young population have together contributed to the growth of coffee café culture in India. The growth of the coffee café chains in the country can be attributed to the growing disposable incomes in select but sizeable pockets of urban India, the change in lifestyles in middle class and upper middle class urban India during the last decadeand-a-half, to the increased exposure to global F&B trends in urban India (thanks

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to travel, Internet and television) during the recent years, and our predominantly young demographics. Café Coffee Day, Tata Starbucks Pvt Ltd., Costa Coffee, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dunkin’ Donuts are some of the important players crowding the coffee café market in India, which is brimming with potential. The retail coffee market size in India is estimated at more than Rs. 1700 crore and it is expected to show appreciable growth in the near future, not only across the metros but also across the tier-II and tier-III cities of the country. According to the report by TechSci Research titled ‘India Coffee Shops & Café Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2017’, which was published in July 2012, the coffee shops and café market in India is expected to witness phenomenal growth during 2012-2017. The report forecasted that the coffee shops/café’s market in India would cross Rs. 5600 crore by 2017. The coffee café scenario may appear interesting for all those entrepreneurs who are keen to develop a coffee café or a bakery café of their own. Well, it may be mentioned that starting a café can be

considered a lucrative business in India right now as it can provide a great option for increasing numbers of consumers who like to eat out frequently and socialise as well. But before an entrepreneur decides to venture into this field there are a few things she/he needs to know.

Factors to Heed It is always better to have a solid 2-3 years of experience of the retail coffee business from other companies before venturing to open your own shop. It is always better if the coffee cafés of start-up entrepreneurs manage to serve quality coffees at par with those of established international coffee café chains and bakery coffee chains operating in India, along with affordable pricing. However, that is easier said than done. As competition between coffee café chains are getting heated up in urban India, the role of quality would gain more importance in this market. These days start-up coffee cafés and bakery cafés, particularly if they operate in an upmarket locality of the city, cannot afford to compromise on quality, and for that

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bakery revie w of the overhead expenses of a coffee café or a bakery café. Besides having good range and quality with minimum possible costs, the startup coffee cafés and bakery cafés also need to bank on regular customers a great deal. Providing guests with sizeable orders an extra item for free, giving the miffed customers high priority, giving money back on orders to dissatisfied customers are some pragmatic ways to retain customers in the long-run.

Concept Cafés

they would need to make some significant investments in equipment, personnel and ingredients, even at the initial stage. Now the increasingly evolved Indian consumers want more variety than they did before. Thus the new entrepreneurs opening a coffee café or a bakery café in urban India should have a wide variety of sumptuous snacks and beverage offerings; and many of these offerings should be tailored to the local tastes where the outlet is operating. For example, the snacks menu of a coffee café operating in Chennai should be different from the snacks menu of a coffee café operating in Delhi. In India, localisation of tastes can greatly facilitate growth, even in these globalised times, for Indian consumers have managed to amalgamate the apparent dichotomy of localisation and globalisation in their palate preferences. Thus tweaking the menu to cater to the myriad consumer preferences of India is the need of the hour for coffee and bakery cafés thinking of running beyond the competition. Localising their burgers, muffins, doughnuts, etc. is expected to lead to greater consumption of their coffees too. Ideally the café owners should be proactive enough to ask the customers if they want low fat or low sodium dishes or if they will prefer grilled food instead of fried. These are the demands of the health conscious times. It is also better to have special dishes that are liked by youngsters. As far as recruitment is concerned, it is better to hire waiters and cooks who have some previous experience in the industry

so that they can be trained within a short time. It is because more time in training may entail more operating costs, which can be detrimental for the start-up coffee café and bakery café entrepreneurs, especially those who are beginning their enterprise with a modest investment. Start-up coffee cafés and bakery cafés also need to keep their rents in check. Exorbitant rents can easily eat away their modest profits at the initial stage, thereby making the prospects of future investment vulnerable. Steep rentals are posing a serious problem for coffee café chains and bakery café chains operating in India. Therefore, it is always advisable for entrepreneurs, particularly for start-up entrepreneurs with modest investment capacity to not open their coffee cafés or bakery cafés in very high-end locations. Excessive emphasis on premium properties can saddle the café owners with excessive rental costs. The other major issues facing the successful operation of a cafés in India are varying prices of food, wastage, and frequent changes in personnel. The coffee café entrepreneurs need to keep changing their menu to meet the changing trends and minimise wastage to the least possible level in order to break-even quickly. Further, the popular products and as well as the products which are having more profit margins should be displayed more prominently in the menu. It is also essential to remember that ideally, food expenses should be less than a fourth of the overhead expenses and labour expenses should be less than 30 percent

It is always better to be innovative in terms of design and product offerings to stand out from the crowd. In this age, this can also mean staying a step ahead of competition. In this regard, it should be noted that there are some unique concept cafés in India, and an enterprising entrepreneur can add to their numbers. Some of the unique concept cafés are described briefly below. Biker’s Cafe NH-22 is indeed a unique one. It is located about 5 km away from Ambala Cantonment, towards the north. This café was specially designed to make the journey for bikers as smooth as possible. The owner, a biker himself, having understood the discomforts faced while riding to long distances, started this venture that would provide bikers a place to relax, fill their stomachs, and buy gears and accessories for the bikes. Then there is Hoppipola, which is located in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai. Hoppipola is a place where you can drink and satisfy the child in you, all at the same time. With tables that are actually chalkboards (where you can doodle away to your heart’s content) and drinks priced at extremely affordable rates, you are bound to keep returning to this place for a good time during your weekends. Leaping Windows is another theme café that will not only refresh you physically but also mentally. What started out as an online comic books library turned into a place that can satisfy both foodies and book lovers when the three partners, Utsa Shome, Bidisha Basu and Prathamesh Mickey Shenoy found a perfect split-level building in Yari Road, Andheri, Mumbai. Inspired by Japanese manga cafés, this is the ideal place for the lovers of graphic novels, which they can ideally savour here with a cup of aromatic coffee. The trio uses most of the money

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bakery revie w they earn from the business to add to their comic collection, making sure they always have something new for their frequenters. Pagdandi in Pune is a small and cosy place that serves as both a mini-library and café. Pagdandi was introduced by an imaginative couple so that they could offer a charming space for people to relax. The café is set with chairs and comfortable mattresses where you can just sit and read or even play board games for as long as you want. The guests can savour hot chocolate with marshmallows or bite into their gooey brownies while entering into the world of their favourite authors.

Franchising Support One of the safe ways or rather less risky options to start your café business is to go for franchising operations. This can give the new players the much needed brand value, which can help them to stand apart from the heat of competition. Besides giving brand value, franchisors can also provide the franchisee with lots of support to set up the latter’s business. For example, Cafe Frespresso provides its franchisee complete pre-opening

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support, comprehensive training and strategy planning. The franchisee of Café Frespresso gets hands-on help to get the business up and running, from preopening to regular operations, business management assistance and development and also ongoing support and training. Besides these, numerous marketing tools are provided to franchisee which can help her/him to grow the business. Surat-based Coffee Culture provides support to its franchisee by way of site selection, store build-out, training, store grand-opening and ongoing service and support. Its website says that it provides affordable equipment packages and exceptional marketing strategies to its franchisees with very low franchise fee. Café Coffee Day does not franchise, but can partner with entrepreneurs or would be entrepreneurs if they own a commercial or commercially converted/ convertible retail space on a rental/ revenue share basis with the following specifications: • Retail Space Area: 1000 – 1500 sq.ft (Ground Floor) • Minimum Frontage: 25 running feet

• Ample Parking Space But it should be remembered that franchising is not only a question of investment in lieu of brand and marketing support. It is also a question of maintaining years of business reputation. If the franchisee of a an established coffee chain do not produce quality products that reflect the brand value of the franchisor, it would immensely harm the long-term reputation of the concerned franchisor, besides harming the business of the franchisee too. Whether you want to enter the coffee café or bakery café business in India by investing in a franchise model or by venturing out on your own, you must remember that the initial investment is not very low. There is also a gestation period which you must endure. But if you have the patience and are looking for good returns in the long-run rather than quick profits in the short-run, and are willing to take into account of the above-mentioned factors while running your coffee café or bakery café operations, then venturing into this business can be a lucrative option. n

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Coffee in Capsules By Swarnendu Biswas

ecently, the beverages market in India is expected to witness a new trend. It is the trend of coffee and tea capsules. Bonhomia claims to be India’s first coffee and tea capsule brand, which emerged in the market in earlier this year. The brand has germinated from the company named Indulge Beverages, which came into being in 2012. Bonhomia offers single serve coffee and tea capsule variants, which are compatible with Nespresso machines, to satisfy a varied range of tastes. The six coffee variants under the brand of Bonhomia include exciting names like Free Love (Intensity 5), Dark Deeds (Intensity 8), Organic Bliss (Intensity 4) and Black Veil (Intensity 9), all comprising of 10 capsules per pack. The tea capsules of Bonhomia come in two variants, comprising 10 capsules per pack. According to Tuhin Jain, Director — Sales & Marketing, Indulge Beverages, Bonhomia’s beverage offerings in capsuled format are of very high quality but they can attract the connoisseurs as well as the amateurs. The quality blends of Bonhomia, according to Jain, are sourced from select tea and coffee estates in India. “We prefer to source our coffee beans from high altitude shade grown regions, and then the green beans are roasted by the master blenders to achieve the desired quality and aroma,” he elaborated further.

As far as the institutional sector goes, Jain informed that these capsules had already found presence in rooms of hotels embodying prestigious brands like Taj, The Oberoi and Le Meridien. “Our capsules are used in all the rooms of The Ritz Carlton, Bangalore, The Oberoi, Bengaluru, and across the Vilas properties of Oberoi, which are The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambore, and The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur. Overall, our capsules are used in more than 20 hospitality properties across India,” averred Jain. Besides having presence in these hotels, the tea and coffee capsules of Indulge Beverages are also being used in various restaurants and embassies and in sleek corporate offices. These capsules are compatible with Nespresso brewer machines, but now Bonhomia has come up with its very own user-friendly brewing machine, which is expected to give these capsules greater marketability. In the recent past, Bonhomia has come up with its very own brewing machine, named as BOHO. The

Impressive Presence Bonhomia’s tea and coffee capsules are retailed through Foodhall, Nature’s Basket, Le Marche, Good Food, Needs and Modern Bazaar. They can also be brought online through portals such as Bonhomiaworld, Amazon, FabMart, etc.

Tuhin Jain

machine is an innovative one, and does have the potential to revolutionise tea and coffee consumption in India, at least in the short-run. “One just needs to place the capsule inside BOHO and press the long or espresso button to get the perfectly brewed cup of coffee or tea,” expressed Jain.

Indulge with BOHO While talking of how the innovation of BOHO and coffee capsules have the potency to give a fillip to the fast evolving retail coffee market in India, Jain said, “The BOHO gives you another reason to go the capsule route — our state-of-theart coffee capsules marry the convenience of an ‘instant’ with the indulgence of a freshly ground brew and enable any individual to create a perfect cup of coffee in the comfort of her/his home — with consistent quality each time.” Moreover, according to him, “Our innovative one touch technology with adjustable setting allows you to choose the strength of your tea & coffee with BOHO.” “The BOHO machines are equipped with an extraction system that works at a very high pressure. Each parameter of BOHO has been calculated with precision to ensure that flavour notes of each variant can be expressed,” pointed out Kunal Bhagat, CEO, Indulge Beverages. Jain is delighted but is not surprised by the quick popularity of Bonhomia’s tea and coffee capsules and of its brewing machine in the Indian hospitality and food services industry. “We have brought an international trend in the Indian hotel and food services sector, where we now have more guests with international exposure than before. It is therefore not surprising that they would love to see the

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bakery revie w replication of the international trend of coffee capsules in the Indian hotels and restaurants too,” analysed Jain. Available online on bonhomiaworld. com as well as in select outlets of Westside, Modern Bazaar, Needs and Barista, the BOHO machines are being retailed in two colour variants - Midnight Black and Passion Red. Moreover, BOHO machines are already having presence in restaurants and a couple of hotels. They are being installed in a few restaurants across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. “Our tea and coffee capsules are also already in usage across a few restaurants in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad,” confirmed Bhagat. Jain also informed that buoyed by the popularity of its extensively researchbased products, Indulge Beverages would soon expand the portfolio of its coffee capsules to 20, by as early as the end of 2016. “More tea capsule variants are also in the offing,” he informed confidently.

Gauging the Future The gourmet coffee capsules of premium

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Kunal Bhagat

quality, the likes of which are being produced and marketed by Indulge Beverages, complemented with userfriendly brewing machines, does have the possibility to make the connoisseurs of coffee in India to savour wonderful coffees without feeling the need to go out and visit a sleek coffee café outlet. This can entail quality with convenience, which seems to be need of the times. However, whether they can diminish the appeal of coffee cafes in the country in the near future or not is a debatable point. The coffee café chains would have

to tackle the future challenge of high-end coffee capsules possibly by sprucing up their snacks offerings. In this regard, the array of bakery products on offer by the coffee cafe chains in the country can play a crucial role in giving a competitive edge to them over future coffee capsule players. The bakery products of coffee cafe chains should be tailored to cater to the regional preferences of the consumers, so as to keep these chains retain their market position. The future coffee capsule players thinking of invading the Indian coffee market, which seems to be brimming with possibilities, have to maintain high quality of roasted coffee beans. If they can’t maintain the quality at par with those offered by coffee café chains operating in the country, it is unlikely that their offerings would be savoured by the high-end segment of consumers, in the retail and institutional sectors of the country. So at the end of the day, quality is likely to be the key, and convenience will be a facilitator in influencing the connoisseurs of coffees to incline towards n coffee capsules.

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Creative Cravings By Swarnendu Biswas

owadays, a happening trend that is spearheading through the Indian bakery industry is the trend of customised or designer desserts. Now one can have cakes reflecting one’s wild imagination, and can eat them too. You can now have cakes simulating a car or a jungle or the Spiderman or a battle tank or a food thali(with the food items decorated in the cake being part of the edible cake), or a bird…in fact the themes of customised cakes can be as varied as

one’s imagination. These designer cakes are the product of specific inputs by the consumers and the creative expertise of the bakers, with the thread of vivid imagination tying these both ends. Delhi-based Arshi Dhupia is one such creative designer of cakes, whose intricate cake art has found her a multitude of loyal customers over the years. During her one-and-a-half decade of adventure in the realm of cake baking, she has designed cakes with an amazing array of themes, which

include baking a zoo, a pirate ship and a battle tank among many others. She works from her home-based enterprise in Golf Links, which is aptly named Cravings. Though she doesn’t have any formal training in baking cakes but her innate creativity has more than compensated for that.

Chocolate Flowing in Veins “I do not have any formal training in baking, though I happened to do a course in chocolate making. I got

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bakery revie w interest in baking from my mother, who has wonderful culinary skills. She happens to be my inspiration,” she affirmed. The fact that Arshi has a sweet tooth further accentuated her interest in baking. She cannot tell when her interests in baking coalesced into a passion. “I was soon feeling that I was having chocolate flowing through my veins! Thankfully, that feeling is still very much there in my psyche,” observed Arshi with a hearty laughter. She eventually made a conscious decision to make a profession out of her passion for baking in 2000, and started her business with much less than negligible investment. “Initially, I began my enterprise with my mother’s old oven and two-three baking tins,” she recollected. She invested heavily on imagination and hard work though, which she continues doing till today, happily.

Customised Creations She thinks that the demand for customised cakes has increased greatly since the time she began her enterprise. Now the consumers for cakes in India, especially the upwardly mobile

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Arshi Dhupia consumers of cakes in big cities of India, have become more evolved than before. Arshi attributes this evolution to greater exposure among a sizeable section of Indian consumers to television, Internet, and overseas travel than they had before. According to Arshi, her clientele have become more specific and detailoriented regarding the demand for their customised or designer cakes. “These days, making only themed cakes are

not enough to make an impact in the niche market of designer cakes. How detail-oriented, precise or fascinating your theme is the million dollar question,” opined Arshi. She told me that just recently a client wanted her to create a cake simulating a jungle, with particular reference to the fact that such a jungle looking cake would be having snakes as part of its feature. Arshi took up the creative challenge and created the fascinating dessert. Of course, the entire jungle with snakes thrown in was an edible cake! “Similarly, a mother asked me to create a cake with a fondant simulating a live pigeon on top it, as his one-year-old child is very fascinated by pigeon,” pointed out an excited Arshi.

Innovation is the Key She rightly believes that innovation is greatly necessary in today’s Indian bakery industry, to get ahead of competition. Innovation is even more necessary for small bakery entrepreneurs or home bakers, because their innovation; their imagination can often help them to adequately compensate for the paucity of

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finances and lack of impressive infrastructure support. Even in her conventional cake creations, Arshi has introduced uncommon and innovative combinations to satiate the discerning palates of her clientele. “Lemon butter cake with blueberry, carrot apple and banana cake, blueberry and orange cake, strawberry tiramisu, mango tiramisu, mango and passion fruit cake are some of my works, where I have amalgamated taste and flavours to create some uncommon products,” averred the bakerentrepreneur. Innovation in cakes these days is not only limited in terms of tastes and flavours; shapes and sizes. Neither it is only reflected in creative customised themes. “The trend of cakes in jars is also emerging fast, which affords the consumers more flexibility in choosing her/his portion, and also the flexibility of ordering cakes of different tastes and flavours within a specific quantity. For example, a customer can order 1 kg of cakes in jars, across varied combinations; she/he wouldn’t have to necessarily order 1 kg of mango cake or 1 kg of plum cake,” iterated the graceful lady.

Brass Tacks Arshi charges Rs. 1700-1900 kg for her

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designer cake creations, and Rs.1300 per kg for her conventional cakes. “For customised or designer cakes, the minimum order I take from a given client is of 2 kg of cake, whereas for conventional cakes, the minimum order I take from a given client is of 1kg of cake,” she articulated. Cakes with intricate designs or complicated themes take her at least three days, whereas she does prepare her regular cakes within eight hours. Oct-March is the good season for her business, with her cake sales reaching its peak during Diwali to Christmas, whereas according to her, June is the only lean month in the year where her sales plummet to disappointing levels.

While talking of the challenges for bakers in the Indian bakery industry, she disagreed with the popular opinion that there was a paucity of quality ingredients and quality manpower in the industry. “Both of these are abundantly available, provided you are willing to pay the right market price,” she asserted. She advised the new players entering the business of cake making to give great emphasis on quality of their products on a sustained basis. “Without high standards of quality of products, which entail high standards of baking skills, it is very difficult to survive and thrive in the highly competitive Indian bakery industry, where consumers are getting more evolved by the day,” she maintained. Arshi pragmatically opined that healthy investment and sound infrastructure couldn’t compensate for the lack of quality and expertise.

Need for Sustained Endeavour Arshi’s cakes are quite popular and her business has picked up during the recent years. Today she can even afford to have 50 percent profit margin on an average, on her cakes. But despite the brisk sales and acclaim, she is naturally not resting on her laurels. “With so many new players emerging in the field of cake baking, you can hardly afford to take it easy. In fact, once you have built a reputation in the market, then your enterprise needs to constantly maintain a given standard that deserves that reputation; it is even better if you manage to surpass that given standard in your present or subsequent works. Moreover, in our profession, often you are as good as your last creation. If you mess up a cake order, your client is more likely to remember that than the wonderful cakes that you had previously baked for her/him. Thus I need to be on my toes and keep a close watch on quality, theme and other intricacies on a regular basis,” elaborated the savvy but extremely down-to-earth entrepreneur. All the visuals in the feature, except the visual of Arshi Dhupia, are the visuals of customised cakes created by Arshi Dhupia.

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Fruit Fillings

WAFFLE CONE MAKER & WAFFLE MAKER

Narsaria, one of India’s leading brands in the bakery ingredients segment with ISO 22000 and HACCP certification, has launched its new product named ‘Fruit Fillings’ for the bakery and confectionery industry. Narsaria is committed to provide the bakery industry with finest whip topping, bakery glazes, powder colour, liquid aromas, eggless concentrate. The company of late had a technical tie up with a Belgium company for manufacturing fruit fillings in India. The company has set extremely high standards for its finished products. Whole blueberry, Kiwi slices, mango pulp, and pineapple are some of the luscious fruits the company uses to make first-rate fillings for delicious pies, pastries, chocolates, cold cheesecakes, baked cheesecakes, mousse, fruit-filled muffins, cookies, fruit breads, breakfast rolls, Danish pastries, croissants and other culinary treats, which reflect a homemade, indulgent character. The Fruit Fillings can also be used as toppings on ice-cream. The fillings are hygenicaly packed. The company serves retail bakery operations of widely varying sizes, commercial manufacturers, foodservice operators and distributors across the country. Narsaria Industries Pvt. Ltd. info@frollik.com

Akasa continuously strives to provide with best quality products which are user friendly & maintenance free. This year Akasa has introduced range of new products - Round Classic Waffle Cone Maker & Waffle Maker are two of them. One can’t resist the aroma of freshly baked waffles & cones. As Waffle Cone & Waffles have become kid’s favorite, Akasa has launched round machines which are economic as well as fast in making golden equally baked crispy waffles & cones. This user friendly machine has one timer knob & one temperature setting knob with light indicators. Its unusual non-stick baking plates enables easy removal of waffles & cone. Akasa International info@akasainternational.in

Mello Margarine Mello margarine contains the right mix of MUFA & PUFA, which are known as cholesterol fighters. It has no cholesterol and about 70 percent less saturated fat than butter. Butter generally contains excessive saturated fats that cause bad cholesterol. By substituting Mello for butter over a week’s time, one can save a whole day’s worth of saturated fat. Mello also offers nutritional benefits – a tablespoon of Mello provides 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, and is an important source of dietary Vitamin D & E. It also contains linoleic acid; an essential fatty acid which is vital for good health. Mello is spreadable, almost right out of the refrigerator. Foods Fats & Fertilizers Ltd. sjj@fff.co.in

Chef’s Choice Knife is said to be the ‘life’ of a Chef. In fact, holding on to a good quality knife is extremely crucial for any user in the kitchen. Probably, the most exclusive branded knife of India, which has been closely associated with star hotels and catering units, is Remington Knives. Over the years, the company has won an essential place in the commercial kitchens of India. Its knives are made from tough, carbon stainless steel that ensures greater edge retention. These knives are heat treated and tempered in an inert atmosphere. Remington Knives are appreciated due to their sharp, longlasting edges, user-friendly shapes and sizes and wide range. The wide range includes French Cook’s Knives, Paring Knives, Steak Knives, Vegetable Knives, Carving Knives, Slicing Knives, and many more. Edges of Remington Knives are ten times sharper and longer than the conventional knives. They are known for their full-length tang for perfect balance and for easier and less tiring cutting. The quality of Remington Knives is at par or above as compared to imported knives. They are precisely handcrafted and finished with each blade honed to an exact perfection and lasting experience. Remington Steel Arts remingtonsteelarts@yahoo.com

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Oct-Nov ’15

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Madhav Enterprises : 58A Adhcini, Qutub Institutional Area,

Near Bikaner Sweets, New Delhi-110017.

: 011-26855542, 011-4100789, 09560279797 Email : info@bakersolutions.in, madhaventerprises.sales@yahoo.com Web: www.bakersolutions.in

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Thriving on Guest Satisfaction By Sharmila Chand

Amol Shambharkar, Executive Chef, Golden Tulip Vasundhara — a four-star hotel located in Delhi-NCR — has more than two decades of experience in the food service industry and has worked with various brands such as Hot Buns at Solan, Sugar & Spice, Gurgaon, Choko la, Gurgaon, Radisson Blu Suites Gurgaon, and Radisson Blu Hotel Indore. His areas of specialisation are decorative pastries, handmade chocolates, decorative cakes and fancy breads. Shambharkar’s strength lies in his ability to learn from failure, the ability to adapt to the company’s culture and in working hard and sincerely. The excerpts of the interview follow: What is/are the current trend/s in the Indian bakery industry? In India, bakery products are fast gaining popularity as lifestyles of Indians are rapidly changing. Nowadays guests are also demanding theme based desserts. Nowadays consumers also ask for designer cakes. They demand innovations on their plates. Picture cakes and new flavours are more in demand these days, in the Indian bakery industry. These days, in the Indian bakery industry, consumers also ask for healthy desserts which are low in calorie & fat. As far as breads go, consumers are seen demanding for gluten-free breads, whole wheat breads, multigrain breads, etc. Who is/are your idol/s, that is who all have inspired you? Karen Portaleo is my idol and he inspires me a lot. He is a Cake Decorator and chocolate artist from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. What about the health quotient? How do you take care of that aspect? Personally, as a Chef I always try to put my best efforts for creating a healthy dessert or bread, while incorporating amazing taste. What is/are your favourite tool/s and why? My favourite tool is food probe

thermometer /oven thermometer; an essential tool for candy making as well as for gauging the temperature of your ovens. What are the major responsibilities a Bakery Chef or a Pastry Chef has to face in his/her job? Please name three and explain In all likelihood, during an average day on the job, a Pastry Chef has to perform many tasks, some of which can be administrative and logistical in nature and have nothing to do with food preparation. Some of the day-to-day responsibilities of a Pastry Chef include working with other members of the kitchen staff to devise dessert menus that complement the rest of the menu offerings, preparing menus for pastry shop & buffet, procuring ingredients and maintaining the pastry department’s inventory of supplies, and overseeing the training and work of apprentices and assistants. What do you like about your job? I love my job because it is very handson and every day at the job is different. Moreover, at the end of the day, when you see your guests loving your food, it is all worth it. I want to make my guests happy and feel good. What is/are your professional strength/s?

I think the fact that I love my job is my ultimate professional strength. What is your working philosophy? Push yourself in your work to do what you are afraid of doing because that is how you will learn. You can’t give up, if you love your profession. What are you passionate about besides baking? I like sharing my knowledge with others. How do you like to de-stress? I usually de-stress myself by listening to some good orchestral music. I also love watching comedy movies to de-stress myself. What are your dreams, professionally? I consider this job as my dream job, where as an instructor, I can share my knowledge to infuse inspiration among the next round of professionals in the field. Lastly, what is your mantra for success? You have to be innovative and be eager to strive to learn even after you have become a seasoned Pastry Chef. Nowadays, a lot of people become comfortable with what they are doing without learning new things.

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June-July ’15