Bakery Review

Dec-Jan ’12

1

EDITORIAL Publisher cum Editor

Rajneesh Sharma

rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

Associate Editor

Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor

Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Sub-Editor

Tapapriya Lahiri Layout & Design

Hari Kumar V. Narender Kumar Photographer

Mahendra Singh Mehta Production Controller

Vinay Goel

Production Assistant

Mamta Sharma

Advertising Sales

Delhi: Neeraj Diwan Mumbai: Rajesh Tupsakhare Subscription Sales

Dattaram Gangurde Director Sales

Sanjay Anand

Director Operations & Finance

Rajat Taneja

Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi:

Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 25854103 Telefax: 25854105 Mumbai:

Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise Hotel, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400 093 Phone: 28395833 Telefax: 28388947

E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net © 2012 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., 1202, Pragati Tower, 26 Rajindra Place, New Delhi. Printed at Swan Press, B-71, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi-110 028.

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

We often congratulate ourselves by saying that we are living in more health conscious times than our forefathers. And we also often forget that a flood of misinformation is feeding on our insecurities pertaining to our assorted genetic and lifestyle ailments.

Amidst all these hype of healthy foods and so called diet gurus, many untruths and half-truths establish themselves as popular notions. One of them is the widespread belief that sugar is the cause of diabetes, obesity and also hyperactivity among kids.

However, like many popular notions this too is not true. Scientific evidences have pointed out that sugar intake is not the cause of diabetes, nor obesity, and nor hyperactivity among kids. Diabetes is primarily caused by genetic factors. Obesity is primarily caused by consumption of excess calories than what is required by your body and not through sugar alone.

Though at the same time, it must be mentioned that diabetics and obese people should curtail their sugar intake, but there is no need for them to completely abhor sugar. However, for people without any history or presence of genetic and lifestyle ailments like diabetes and obesity, there is no healthy reason for abstaining from eating cakes, cookies and ice creams infused with sugar.

Yes, one can gain calories through sugar, but one can gain calories from other food items too, especially if one prefers to have a sedentary lifestyle.

Sugar is not the villain behind obesity. But though there is no need for healthy people to abstain from consumption of sugar in bakery products, there is a need to restrain the sugar intake. Which means both sugarless and sugar filled desserts should have a fair chance to compete in the market place.

However, it must be kept in mind that consumption of excess sugar, especially when the intake of sugar is in the form of overly processed foods like candy, ice cream, cake, cookies, etc. blocks the space for nutrient rich foods which do keep us healthy. It is because sugar comes with empty calories and is not endowed with any nutritional value, despite the fact that it is an important source of energy to the body. We discuss the issues pertaining to the modern day myths associated with sugar and also the sugar’s widespread impact on the bakery operations and bakery industry in some detail, in our Cover Story.

One of the offshoots of the health conscious wave spearheading through the Indian bakery industry is the fast gaining of popularity of healthy snacks in the Indian market. However, despite their growing popularity, the healthy snacks market is at a nascent stage; catered primarily by the upper echelons of the society. Of the total snack food industry in India, only a miniscule 4-5 per cent constitutes of diet snacks. Moreover, the number of domestic players in the realm of the healthy snacks segment is far from satisfactory, which has compelled a majority of organised retailers in this segment to source imported diet snacks, which only few can afford. In the Business Story, we endeavour to explore the healthy snacks market of India in an exhaustive manner.

Besides these, informative and insightful articles, features and one-onone interviews in our regular sections could facilitate our readers to have an engrossing time between the covers. I hereby sign off while wishing all our readers a happy, successful, and more informative and insightful new year.

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.

2

Dec-Jan ’12

I N S I D E 18 COVER STORY Bakery Needs Sugar

22 BUSINESS Healthy Snacks on Healthy Growth

28 DAIRY Sweet and Flavoured Growth

DEPARTMENTS 04 Events 08 News Scan 14 Report 38 Product Preview 40 Interview

32 INDUSTRY Bake Your Passion into a Career

34 PROFILE Spreading the Taste of Cookie Man Cover Pix: Dobla BV

Dec-Jan ’12

3

E V E N T

BAKERY REVIEW

ProSweets-Cologne 2012 ProSweets Cologne, the international supplier fair for the confectionery industry, ended on 1st February 2012 after impressing all the participants as a very strong event during four days of intensive trade fair business. Nearly 17,000 visitors from 96 countries, 334 exhibiting companies from 33 countries and a ten percent larger exhibition space ensured outstanding quality and set new records. ProSweets Cologne took place for the fifth time, presenting the entire range of products offered by suppliers for production, processing and packaging of confectionery.

“Given all the decision-makers from the confectionery industry among our visitors, there is no question that ProSweets Cologne is one of the leading international supplier trade fairs for the confectionery sector. We welcomed visitors from 96 countries, who made the event more international than ever before.

“The sector thus clearly showed that it sees ProSweets Cologne as an important platform for business and innovation. The trade fair duo Pro Sweets Cologne and ISM once again turned Cologne into the meeting place for the sweet sector,” concluded Katharina C. Hamma, the Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse.

The most important trends at ProSweets Cologne 2012 were, the theme “Clean Label” continued to be a high priority for suppliers of food colourings and aromas. This is summed up by one supplier’s slogan — “Garten der Farben” (Garden of Colours).

Stevia, the new sweetening agent, is also completely in harmony with this trend.

Basically, four equally important trends can be seen among the machinery and plant suppliers. These are the utilization of all technical options for improving

4

quality, food safety and environmental compatibility, and the automation of both simple and complex processes.

Robots are also taking on an ever-greater role in the confectionery production area, not least because of their flexibility, which makes them suitable for use in smaller companies. It is noticeable that confectionery is often packed in more complicated packaging, and not just for reasons concerned with quality. As a result, the balance between an optically appealing exterior, perfect quality and environmental compatibility requires special efforts — starting with the printing inks used and encompassing a wide range of technologies such as the use of ultrasound and of packaging foils made from biopolymers.

In addition to the process technology, packaging technology and packaging segments, ProSweets Cologne also achieved a long term further development of the raw materials and ingredients

EVENTS’ CALENDER TRAFS 2011 26-29 January 2012 (was postponed to these new dates) Thailand Retail, Food & Hospitality Services Hall 103, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC) www.thailandhoreca.com Gulfood 2012 19-22 February 2012 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Dubai www.gulfood.com PIFBEX 2012 & Horeca 2012 Philippines 1-4 March 2012 PICC Forum 1-3, CCP Complex Roxas Blvd.

Pasay City, Manila www.pifbex.com Europain & Intersuc 2012 3-7 March 2012 Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris www.europain.com Aahar 2012 12-16 March 2012 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.aaharinternationalfair.com Alimentaria 2012 26-29 March 2012 Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via Venue Barcelona, Spain www.alimentaria-bcn.com Ethnic Foods Europe 2012 27-29 March 2012 Brussels Exhibitions and Conference Centre, Brussels www.ethnicfoodseurope.com

segment. Compared to the previous event, there was a significant increase in the number of participating companies in this segment and the space occupied by it.

ISM — the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair in Cologne, which took place in parallel with ProSweets, was also a great success. It attracted 35,000 trade visitors from 135 countries and 1,412 suppliers from 65 countries, underlining the event’s importance as the world’s leading trading hub for confectionery and snack items. The conceptual sponsors of ProSweets Cologne are the Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI), Sweets Global Network (SG), the German Agricultural Society (DLG) and the Central College of the German Confectionery Industry (ZDS).

HOTELEX 2012 9-12 April 2012 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China www.hotelex.cn FHA 2012 17-20 April 2012 Singapore Expo, Singapore www.foodnhotelasia.com NRA Show 2012 5-8 May 2012 Mccormick Place, Chicago, US www.restaurant.org SIAL China 2012 9-11 May 2012 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center Shanghai, China www.sialchina.com Thaifex World of Food Asia 2012 23-27 May 2012 Impact Exhibition Center, Bangkok, Thailand www.worldoffoodasia.com

Dec-Jan ’12

Dec-Jan ’12

5

E V E N T

BAKERY REVIEW

1 – 4, March 2012 at the Philippine International Convention Centre (PICC FORUM), CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd. Pasay City, Manila Philippines.

W

ith the overwhelming success of PIFBEX 2011 the Philippine International Food and Beverage Expo will continuously be the most anticipated food and beverage expo in the country providing the supply solution in this industry. PIFBEX 2012 and HORECA 2012 will be held from March 1 – 4, 2012 at the Philippine International Convention Centre (PICC FORUM), CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd. Pasay City, Manila Philippines.

PIFBEX 2012 - HORECA PHILS 2012

6

opens the gateway by offering innovative business opportunity to reach decision makers and new potential customers on the latest in food & manufacturing, machinery, equipment and technology related to food processing, handling and packaging as well as Hotel & Restaurant Technologies & Service Equipments/ Facilities. PIFBEX 2012 – HORECA 2012 is ready to accommodate over 300 exhibitors both locally and internationally to encompass in this astounding event by delivering the trusted products and ideal quality service to all visitors.

As a continuing commitment PIFBEX2012 gears up to widen its market by introducing Hotel Restaurant Café-Caterers Expo Philippines (HORECA Philippines).

Hotel and Restaurant, Café and Caterers industry together with the Food and Beverage industry players from the Philippines and around the globe will showcase new offerings and services to explore possible business opportunities.

The new venue was chosen in time for the show to have a better identity. The PIFBEX 2012 and HORECA Philippines 2012 is a much awaited event as it will be the first ever food show that will be held at the PICC Forum.

This is a huge step for all of TRADECON INC. independent

PIFBEX 2012 will support exhibitors to: • MARKET to an audience ready to spend • LAUNCH new products and test the market • BUILD brand awareness, • SAMPLE your product to targeted niche • PROMOTE trade locations Unique Experience for the Consumers PIFBEX 2012 is organised with extra programs and activities that offer a timely opportunity to create consumer awareness and promote directly to the Trade Market.

Highlights during PIFBEX 2012 • Product Launching • Seminars • Pastry Competition • Spirits & Cocktail Competition shows because we wanted to standout to other food exhibitions in the Philippines.

These events will be showcasing its uniqueness through the wide array of activities such as our well-known Dessert Making and Cocktail Mixing Competition which will be participated by different schools nationwide.

For more information: E-mail: tradecon.inc@gmail.com www.pifbex.com

Dec-Jan ’12

Dec-Jan ’12

7

N E W S

S C A N

Britannia Roasts Out New NutriChoice Snacks Britannia launched its latest health offering under the NutriChoice brand called NutriChoice Multigrain Thins & NutriChoice Multigrain Roasty. NutriChoice provides a range of high-on-health products for people who are concerned about health and want to pursue healthier lifestyles. NutriChoice Multigrain Roasty is a delightful combination of roasted grains and pulses, which have been flavoured for the Indian palate. NutriChoice Multigrain Thins is a healthy snack that can easily substitute your craving for a bag of unhealthy and fried bag snacks. NutriChoice Multigrain Thins will initially be available in three flavours viz. Classic Indian Spice, Mediterranean Herb & Tomato, and Lime & Mint.

Vinita Bali, the Managing Director of Britannia Industries Limited said, “NutriChoice targets adults in urban India who are beginning to get conscious of the need to stay healthy. Along with this awareness and consciousness for health, comes a need for information and solutions for achieving health.”

BAKERY REVIEW

The World’s Oldest Tea Auctioneer Completes 150 Years Kolkata-based J Thomas & Company Pvt. Ltd. the largest and oldest tea auctioneer in the world, completes 150 years. The tea-loving city first witnessed its tea auction

on 27th December, 1861 on 8, Mission Row (now Nilhat House at 11, R N Mukherjee Road). The most applauding factor is that it was the first tea auction that took place in India. The company boasts of an impressive team of trained tea tasters.

Once, the Nilhat House was the residence of General Clavering, member of the council of Warren Hastings.

The property was subsequently sold to Robert Thomas, the founder of JT & Company, for a princely sum of 34,400 silver coins. Nilhat House was rebuilt later in the 1960s with the foundation stone laid in 1961 by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The tea auction room has an antique ‘samovar’— a metal urn with a spigot at the base — used in Russia to boil water for tea. According to A. Dasgupta, the Senior GM of the JT & Company Pvt. Ltd. “The Russian custom of tea drinking was to nibble a sugar cube as one sipped on the tea, in order to make it sweeter.”

Some excerpts of glossary of tea tasting: Autumnal- A seasonal term applied to teas grown during this period. Autumnal teas frequently produce a reddish leaf and liquors with varying degrees of flavour and aroma.

Bakey - An unpleasant liquor taste, usually caused by too high temperatures, and driving out of too much moisture during firing. Certain bacteria have been known to cause bakiness.

Musty: Suspicion of mould.

Full: Liquor possessing strength and body.

8

Dec-Jan ’12

Dec-Jan ’12

9

N E W S

S C A N

BAKERY REVIEW

Brooke Bond Broaches New Variants of Green Tea To cater to the discerning taste buds of urbane Indians, Brooke Bond Taj Mahal has launched its green tea in three stimulating flavours — Honey Lemon Green Tea, Earl Grey Green Tea, and Darjeeling Green Tea, which are all rich in anti-oxidants. Green tea connoisseurs can find this range at high-end retail outlets and supermarkets. The teas are wrapped in tea bags of 10 and 25 packs, priced at Rs. 40 and Rs. 90 respectively.

The honey lemon version is a delicate and light refreshing green tea with a dash of honey and a juicy lemon flavour.

The Taj Mahal Earl Grey Green Tea is an invigorating green tea blend with the extract of the bergamot orange fruit, and Darjeeling Green Tea is a classic variant with long Darjeeling leaves and a delicate aroma that can overwhelm one’s senses.

Arun Srinivas, the Category Head-Beverages of HUL said, “We seek to constantly engage our consumers with new and innovative products to cater to their changing lifestyles and needs. We at Brooke Bond Taj Mahal are expanding our product range to target the health and wellness market with the latest range of our offering — Taj Mahal Green Tea.”

Nestle to Set up Rs. 500-cr Plant The Swiss food & beverage major, Nestle India Ltd., a subsidiary of Nestle SA has plans to set up Rs. 500 crore Maggi Noodles and confectionery-manufacturing plant in Gujarat next year. This will be the eighth plant by Nestle India. The food and beverage giant currently has operations in milk and nutrition, foods, coffee and beverages, and confectionary. For its hard line business expansion policy Nestle India will have its ninth plant in Bihar.

According to Antonio Helio Waszyk, the Chairman and Managing Director of FICCI Food Processing Committee, “The company is reccing for 50-100 acres preferably around Ahmedabad. He also added that, “We are in an advanced stage of grounding and would firm up the plans by mid-2012. If things move accordingly, we would start manufacturing in 2014-15.”

Nestlé India Unveils Inventive a+ milk Nestlé India has launched its Nestlé a+Milk as the benchmark of high quality milk. The company has also introduced a+Dahi. The company’s emphasis is to transform the ‘Cow to Consumer’ chain into distinct value for the consumer and a distinct competitive advantage for itself. According to Nestlé India, the quality of the new product is the result of a high standard and good practices that are implemented by the company at every stage, encompassing milk production, collection, transportation and processing.

The food and beverage major has leveraged its expertise of over 140 years in milk to bring a+ to the consumers and encourages consumers to make informed choices when selecting milk.

Kumaran Nowuram, the General Manager (dairy), Nestlé India, said, “ We tend to believe that boiling takes care of deficiencies in milk quality if any, but this is not completely true. In fact boiling takes away some nutrients from the milk. That is where Nestle a+ Milk becomes the benchmark as it ensures consistent and high quality. He also added, “We track milk right from the farms till it reaches the homes.”

10

Dec-Jan ’12

BAKERY REVIEW

N E W S

S C A N

Testa Rossa Marks its Presence in Hyderabad The luxury caffe chain—Testa Rossa has marked its presence in India by getting its first sip in Hyderabad at Road No 3 Banjara Hills. Testa Rossa has 90 outlets across eight countries in Europe, besides its recently launched outlets in Canada and the US. With its motto ‘If its Coffee its TestaRossa’ it brings an unique Italian lifestyle caffe exuberating ultimate luxury, exceptional quality products, impeccable service and elegant design. The café promises to offer an ultimate coffee experience combined with a picture perfect ambience to relax and chill out. R.A.M Gourmet Pvt. Ltd. has been appointed as the master franchisee for pan India operations.

At Testa Rossa, the Italian espresso varieties are produced using the traditional triplex drum method, which involves roasting Arabica highland coffee over an open flame. Testa Rossa has an extensive

Dec-Jan ’12

range of coffee to choose from which includes the Espresso Macchiato — a layer of frothed milk on an incredible espresso shot, White Mochaccino — where tantalising white chocolate meets cappuccino, Caffe Caramello — caramel in traditional cappuccino. TRC will also launch Cremosito — a thick creamy beverage in the flavours of hazelnut and cappuccino for the first time in India. Testa Rossa also serves authentic Italian food with a wide range of pasta and grills. The caffe also has a specialty dish named Panini—an Italian sandwich made in the original European style.

B Jagannath Rao, the Managing Director of R.A.M. Gourmet Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are bringing Testa Rossa to India with a clear objective of creating awareness about high-end specialty Italian coffee.

We want to reach out to the urban and cosmopolitan coffee lover who is looking for a qualitative soul filling experience.”

11

N E W S

S C A N

Chennai Witnesses its Second Café Chokolade Cafe Chokolade has been creating a sensation ever since it was launched in the city of Chennai. It has introduced a new level of self-indulgence with desserts and delicious treats, which are rich in flavours and textures. Cafe Chokolade outlets house an array of chocolate goodies. Now the chocoholics in Chennai can experience a double dose of delicious treats with another of its recently opened outlet, that has been opened in Chennai Egmore.

Chokolade B from Cafe Chokolade is neither an ice cream nor a milk shake; you can neither bite it nor drink it. This unique decadent dessert has attracted the dessert connoisseurs. They also serve delicious treats including the ever-popular chocolate sandwich. This unique combination of the smooth chocolate paired with crunchy toast is sure to whet your appetite and induce you to ask for second helpings; or you can indulge with a glassful of chocolate with chocolate shots, and if even that is not enough, then a freshly baked sizzling brownie should do the trick. They also serve ice cream known as ‘Scoop of Nature’ which is made out of fresh, natural ingredients and has absolutely no preservatives.

BAKERY REVIEW

Natural Ice Creams to Launch Stores in North and Eastern India Mumbai-based ice-cream chain Natural Ice Creams, has planned to launch stores in Northern India — in NCR and Punjab — and as well as in Eastern India; mainly Kolkata, in FY 2012.

The company has shifted to 25,000 sq.ft. state-of-the-art facility

in Mumbai last year. The current facility has four times more capacity than the previous one. It can process 20,000-25,000 litres of milk and has a maximum output of 20 tonnes of ice cream. The unique feature of this factory is its freezing technology called spiral freezer, which has capacity to freeze one tonne of ice cream in just one hour (normal blast freezers takes six to eight hours), thus retaining maximum freshness and quality.

According to Srinivas Kamath, the Director of Natural Ice Creams, the group would be investing close to Rs. 1 crore next year, concentrating mainly on operations, logistics and training.

The amount would be raised mainly through internal accruals.

Inbisco to Set Up Confectionery Plant in Gujarat Indonesian player Mayora Group’s Indian arm, Inbisco has strengthened its forays in the biscuits & confectionery markets with signing of a memorandum of agreement for setting up a new factory in Gujarat and signalling completion of most of the works on its earlier plant near Hyderabad. The plant in Gujarat is likely to manufacture chocolates, biscuits and noodles. Gujarat government’s role in the project will be limited to providing the infrastructure.

K T Vyas, Assistant General Manager, iNDEXTb (Industrial Extension Bureau) explained, “The plant will be set up at GIDC estate near Ahmedabad at an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, which will be done in a phased manner. The first phase of the plant will be ready in 15-18 months.”

12

Dec-Jan ’12

Dec-Jan ’12

13

R E P O R T

BAKERY REVIEW

Red Mango to Usher in Health and Happiness

I

f you want to have your just desserts and still have a whale of a time, then surely the newly opened Red Mango outlet at the Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi can be one of the preferred places to drop in. The health conscious discerning connoisseurs of the capital can now fulfil their gastronomic zest by savouring in the delectable offerings at the Red Mango outlet. It deserves a mention that Red Mango is a renowned frozen yogurt and smoothie brand based in the USA, with 235 outlets across 19 countries. With this outlet the brand has forayed into India.

At the Red Mango outlet at Vasant Kunj, spread across 1300 sq ft, one can taste the delicious and healthy froyos (informal term for frozen yogurts), fresh fruit smoothies, fruit and yogurt parfaits, artisan hot chocolates, and pro-biotic beverages. The new-fangled flagship outlet showcases 100 percent natural, non-fat & low fat, kosher and gluten-free frozen yogurts fortified with probiotics, for the palates of India.

Red Mango has adopted the model of customised QSR, a novel concept in India. You can choose and customise your own frozen yogurt as soon as you step inside the dazzled red outlet of Red Mango, at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj.

At the outlet grab a medium or large sized cup from the desk and then move towards the auto generated frozen yogurt machines to lever down your favourite flavours, which include strawberry, chocolate, black currant, original and many more. And now it is time to

14

top your yogurt with yummy toppings over it. Approximately, the maiden Red Mango outlet in India offers 34 toppings to satiate the taste buds.

Fruit toppings are all freshly sliced, with strawberry, kiwis, marsh mellows, blueberry, pomegranate and many more options to choose from. The gamut of biscuit toppings includes those of Oreo biscuits, chocolate biscuit sticks and many more. Now take the nutritious and scrumptious yogurt cup in the cash counter to weigh and pay according to the weight. It is a pay per gm concept here.

The newly opened Red Mango outlet will also offer low fat and low calorie sandwiches, wraps, and green salads, which are expected to induce the health conscious consumers to come to this outlet. Here one can treat herself/himself or her/his friends and family or whomsoever she/he wants with a nutritious breakfast, refreshing lunch or a light yet tasty dinner with a natural and non-fat carte de jour.

Red Mango yogurts are available at 89 paisa/gm which are made of premium flavours such as Madagascar Vanilla, where the ingredients are imported from Madagascar — the finest producer of vanilla in the world — along with strawberries imported from Sonoma in California, blueberries from Europe

along with the most premium chocolate servings using Ghirardelli. Bringing to India yogurts in delicious flavours like ‘Original’, Cinnamon’, ‘Madagascar Vanilla’, ‘Blueberry’, ‘Sonoma Strawberry’ and ‘Ghirardelli Chocolate’, Red Mango also offers other healthy options like ‘Power Smoothies’, ‘Probiotic Parfaits’, ‘Gourmet Waffle’ and more.

The young entrepreneur Rahul Kumar, the CEO and Principal Owner, Red Mango India, holds the rights of franchise of Red Mango in India as a division of Maez One Retail & Food Pvt. Ltd. “We wish to bring to India a healthy eating option and with Red Mango’s pro-biotic Froyo we seek to introduce to the health conscious consumers of the country the brilliant taste of froyos and smoothies in their preferred flavours,” he explained. “After the New Delhi launch, we plan to open an array of similar Red Mango outlets in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Chandigarh in the near future, with a target of opening 12 to 15 outlets by 2012, and a 100 outlets across the country, in the next five years time”, he added.

At the newly opened Red Mango outlet, the consumers have the choice of buying as much or as little as they want along with an option of choosing from as many as 34 toppings in a mix-n-match of six flavours, without worrying about burning a hole in their pockets or adding huge calories to their diet.

Here it deserves a mention that the frozen yogurts of Red Mango have been certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) as gluten-free. Furthermore, the frozen yogurts of Red Mango are packed with beneficial live and active probiotic cultures like GanedenBC(30)™ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), which helps support a healthy immune and digestive system when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Red Mango is also the first frozen yogurt retailer to earn the US-based National Yogurt Association’s Live and Active Culture seal for meeting the required criteria for healthy frozen yogurt.

Dec-Jan ’12

Dec-Jan ’12

15

R E P O R T

BAKERY REVIEW

Get United for Rendezvous at UCH

By Tapapriya Lahiri

T

he seed of inception for the United Group of Restaurants started with United Coffee House, which is a 70-year-old flagship restaurant of the group in the capital. The illustrious journey of the United Coffee House began in the year 1942 when Delhi was again reinventing its soul and developing its modern character, facilitated by the craftsmanship of the renowned town planner Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Since then the 70-year-old legacy of a restaurant has become a permanent feature of the topography of Connaught Place.

Hansraj Kalra, the founder of the United Group of Restaurants, set up the United Coffee House.

Soon the United Coffee House emerged as an interactive coffee house, which created its niche clientele from the cosmopolitan gentry, ranging from politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen and artists. They came from different walks of life, but perhaps one of their common interests was to spend quality time in an environment which afforded the liberty and leisure to be their true elegant selves, spruced with cups of aromatic coffee and a distinctive culinary experience. The tradition still continues…

United Coffee House can be construed as a witness to the changing food culture of Delhi for more than seven decades now. No wonder, the food connoisseurs of the capital designate it as an institution and a prominent address for indulging in

16

gastronomic pleasures.

United Coffee House started as a coffee house, but later redefined itself into a multi-cuisine restaurant. UCH has a handsome list of signature dishes which are on its menu card from three to four decades. Today, this 175-seater restaurant specialises in regional Indian, continental and oriental specialties, which are mastered over years of dedication and experience by its promoters and team members.

Interspersed with oriental, colonial and old world décor, the Victorian setting of this landmark eatery is still the chosen destination for many in the twenty-first century Delhi. The menu of this classy restaurant has its signature recipes since decades and its time-tested unique in-house creations are still savoured by many of its discerning guests. In fact, many look out for them. As the name suggests, the United Coffee House has a special coffee menu with its in-house coffee blenders, thereby making coffee drinking time for its guests a unique and memorable experience.

Akassh Kalra, the proprietor of the United Coffee House, walked down the memory lane to describe the old-world charm of the United Coffee House. “In the initial days, the interiors simulated our Parliament structure with tall fans, small coffee tables with wooden chair. It was way different from the interiors the guests see now, where woods play a predominant role.”

Starting with tea, coffee and snacks, UCH began its journey into the world of cuisines with Indian foods. They were followed by Chinese and continental delicacies. “It is perhaps the only restaurant in the capital which is functional from 9 in the morning till midnight. From morning 9 to 12 noon, we have a wide range of breakfast items. Another USP of our restaurant is that we provide 315 items, from 12 noon to midnight, on all seven days of the week. And guests will not be dejected by the unavailability of their favourite items, for all the 315 items are available everyday,” elaborated an elated Kalra.

The management of the United Coffee House however doesn’t believe in resting on its laurels. The amendments in business policies pertaining to the United Coffee House from time to time have contributed to the increase in clientele of the United Coffee House. In the year 2009, there were 450 walk-ins on an average day, but 2011 has witnessed 650 walk-ins a day, on an average.

Dec-Jan ’12

www.worldoffoodasia.com/www.thaitradefair.com

Savor Your Success 23. - 27.05.2012 IMPACT Exhibition Center Bangkok, Thailand A Unique Concept That Has Proven to Work • Meet your desired buyers through our well structured product zones • Network with key regional buyer groups that Thailand’s strong food industry attracts • Benefit from the extensive combined advertising and public relations efforts between organizers

THAIFEX - World of Food ASIA covers • • • •

Food & Beverage featuring HALAL & ORGANIC Food Food Catering & Hospitality Services Food Technology Retail & Franchise

!

W O N R

E T S GI

RE Jointly organized by

Koelnmesse Pte Ltd Ms Lynn How Tel: +65 6500 6712 ’12 Fax: +65Dec-Jan 6294 8403 l.how@koelnmesse.com.sg

17 Thai Chamber of Commerce

C O V E R

S T O R Y

BAKERY REVIEW

Bakery Needs Sugar For quite some years, sugar has been blamed for the many health related problems that affect our lives and lifestyles. The popular belief is that eating too much sugar or intake of good amount of sugar in diet can cause diabetes and obesity. But many recent scientific evidences don’t confirm to these long-held popular notions. Meanwhile, there is no denying the fact that the role of sugar in the bakery industry, despite the emergence of sugarless cakes and desserts, is still all pervasive.

Despite the powerful ‘health conscious wave’ propelled by frequent overseas travel, lifestyle changes, growing impact of media, and the rise in disposable incomes among the middle and upper middle income segments of our urban population in the recent times, sugar still remains one of the chief ingredients of the Indian bakery industry.

India happens to be the biggest consumer and the second biggest producer of sugar in the world. No wonder, even a slight increase or decrease in the prices of sugar can cause rippling effects on the cost of production in the Indian bakery industry and other assorted industries, which are directly dependent on sugar. In fact, fluctuations in the price of sugar can effect the entire economy of India, just like the change in the petrol prices. Here Swarnendu Biswas probes into some of the popular health related apprehensions associated with sugar, the extensive role of sugar in the baking process, and also the present state of sugar industry in India, and its possible impacts on the Indian bakery industry.

18

Dec-Jan ’12

BAKERY REVIEW

F

irst let us clear some popular misconceptions. Sugar is neither the main cause of obesity nor of diabetes. In fact, sugar is not the cause of any of these two chronic ailments, which are plaguing a significant number of our population. Nor do a number of scientific studies have unearthed any relation between excessive sugar intake and hyperactivity among kids.

Not Bitter to Health Here it deserves a mention diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is not caused by consumption of sugar, but is caused when the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin or is unable to properly use the insulin that is generated.

According to Amercian Diabetes Association, eating of too much sugar doesn’t cause diabetes.

Genetics and unknown factors are responsible for Type 1 diabetes, whereas the factors influencing of Type 2 diabetes are genetics and lifestyle factors. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the decimation of more than 90 percent of the insulinproducing cells present in pancreas, and this decimation is not in any way associated with sugar consumption. Here it deserves a mention that insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, enables the sugar to transfer from the bloodstream into the cells where it provides energy.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas continues to produce insulin, even at times higher than the normal levels, but the body develops resistance to the effects of insulin, and as such there isn’t enough insulin to cater to the body’s needs. Yes, being overweight and obese does increase your chances of having type 2 diabetes, but obesity can be caused by consumption of excess calories than what is required by your body and not through sugar alone. The excess calories can come from sugar but it can also come from any other sources of food. In fact, while blaming sugar it should be kept in mind that without sugar neither our brain nor our body can function. It is the essential fuel in the human body.

Indulge With Restraint However, that doesn’t mean that we should all start consuming sugar in bakery products with no restraint. Sugar is the not the cause of diabetes and obesity, but the intake of excess sugar can harm the health of a person afflicted with such chronic lifestyle diseases.

That doesn’t mean diabetics cannot eat sugar, though they need to control its intake. But it is always preferable that the

growing number of diabetics and obese people in India should opt for sugarless ice creams, cakes, cookies, etc. to satiate their sweet tooth, which can prevent the possibility of deterioration of their health conditions to a great extent.

Moreover, the consumption of excess sugar can cause dental cavities and may increase the risk for osteoporosis, and it must be kept in mind that consumption of excess sugar, especially when the intake of sugar is in the form of overly processed foods like candy, ice cream, cake, cookies, etc. blocks the space for nutrient rich foods which do keep us healthy. It is because sugar comes with empty calories and is not endowed with any nutritional value, despite the fact that it is an important source of energy to the body. So to prevent all these unhealthy symptoms, the consumption of sugar, like its prices, also needs to be controlled, but there is no reason to fear sugar or blame it for all our ill health related issues.

Sweetness and Much More…

People generally associate sugar only with sweetness and in fact sweetness is the most recognised functional property of sugar. It is common knowledge that the liking for sweetness attracts people to sugar. However, sugar has many other attributes. Sugar plays a crucial role in the flavour of the food product by interacting with other ingredients.

Depending on the food application, sugar has the singular characteristics to enhance or depress the perception of other flavours. It plays myriad roles in baking operations, which go much beyond its contribution to sweetness,

Dec-Jan ’12

19

C O V E R

S T O R Y

and which include chemically leavened products, yeast-based products, icings, fillings and others.

The importance of sugar in the flavour of bakery products is not insignificant. In breads, flavour depends upon fermentation and crust browning, and both these processes involve sugar.

In fact, without sugar, the process of fermentation, an extremely essential process in the bakery industry, cannot take off.

Moreover, the crispness of bakery products, which plays a role in their taste, should also be given to sugar.

While creating bakery products, sugar gets recrystallised because of the removal of water during the baking process, which gives a crisp texture to the bakery products that is further enhanced by the effects of browning. That is not all. Sugar is also the reason behind the yellow-brown hue of most of the bakery products, which results from caramelisation. When heated above its melting point, sugar caramalises, thereby infusing a wonderful flavour and creating browning of the surface. Caramelisation also improves the moisture retention among bakery products.

Sugar also plays a crucial role in the colour of chutneys, jellies and other preserves through its capacity to attract and hold water. Sugar can absorb water more readily than many other bakery ingredients, which prevents dilution of colour of the preservatives. For example, sugar absorbs water more readily than fruits, which helps the fruits to prevent absorbing water and thereby preventing fading of their colour through dilution.

It is no wonder that even in this ‘health conscious age’ sugars are extensively added to canned fruits and vegetables to improve their flavours, enhance their texture, and preserve their natural colours. However, sugar not only facilitates in giving the right flavour, texture and colour to the bakery products, it also acts a tenderising agent in bakery operations. During the mixing process of batters and dough, sugar plays the role of a tenderising agent through absorption of water and slowing down the gluten formation. If too much gluten develops, the dough or batter becomes rigid and tough. When sugar is added into the recipes in the right proportion, an appropriate amount of gluten

20

BAKERY REVIEW

formation takes place, paving the way for the optimum elasticity of the bakery products.

Sugar also has the uncommon ability to lower the freezing point and raise the boiling point of water. The depression of freezing point is an important factor in the preparation of ice creams and frozen desserts which ensures the development of fine crystal structure and product smoothness. Sugars can slow down the freezing process, thereby preventing the formation of large ice crystals in frozen sweet mixtures.

Solutions of varying sugar concentrations are important for the production of jellies and jams. Sugar also plays its productive role in enhancing the shelf life of bakery products, thereby increasing their market viability. Sugar’s uncanny ability to bind with water molecules slows down the moisture loss and prevents the staleness of bakery products. Sugar is used in making cakes and other baked products, not only to add sweetness, flavour and colour, but also for its moisture holding property that prevents staleness from setting in.

Sugar also improves the effectiveness of yeast formation by providing nourishment for its growth. Sugar’s ability to provide a source of nourishment for yeast facilitates the leavening process or the breads to rise. The wonderful but

much maligned sweetener by the health industry at large, also endows the egg foam with more elasticity which enables the air cells to expand and take up gases from the leavening agent.

To Regulate or Deregulate?

Notwithstanding the widespread applications of sugar in the bakery industry and other industries, the state of sugar industry in India is not that good. Presently, the annual turnover of the Indian sugar industry is Rs.100,000 crore, and the industry is currently facing the problem of surplus. The estimated production of sugar in this sugar season (October 2011-September 2012) is 2.6 crore tonnes, which is in addition to the 59 lack tonnes of residual stock of sugar from the last year. The estimated domestic consumption of sugar per year is presently only 2.4 crore tonnes, which accounts for a surplus of eight million tonnes of sugar for 2012. This, many industry experts feel, may lead to the lowering of sugar prices in the domestic market.

This surplus sugar may not be good news for the sugar industry at large, for there is little chance of increase in the sugar prices in the near future and greater returns for the sugarcane farmers, but for the bakery industry, the cost of one of the essential ingredients is not likely

Dec-Jan ’12

C O V E R

BAKERY REVIEW to rise soon, which is good news. And if the decline in sugar prices do materialise in the near future, can we expect our cookies, ice creams and chocolates to be cheaper at the stand-alone bakeries or retail bakery chain outlets? We are not sure of that for this decline in prices can only be for a short-term. Next year, the demand-supply equation of the Indian sugar industry may be different altogether.

However, we can surely expect the bakeries, except the very high-end bakeries catering to the premium clientele (say bakeries housed inside the five-star properties) to abstain a bit from going the fashionably health conscious way and include more sugar infusions in their baked creations, at least in the near future.

But many are not aware that the Indian sugar industry is one of the most regulated industries in the country. Ten per cent of the output of the Indian sugar industry has to be supplied to the Government of India, which is directed to the poor through the public

Dec-Jan ’12

distribution system at highly subsidised prices, the cost of which is borne by the industry. Furthermore, the price of sugar is controlled through procurement prices set by both the centre and the states, along with a monthly release mechanism.

If the first step helps the poor, the second step prevents the small players of many associated industries, which depend on the sugar industry for their survival, to get their existence thwarted.

However, the sugar industry lobby has been urging for deregulation of the sugar industry for quite some time. Recently, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) indicated its intention

S T O R Y

to deregulate the sugar industry, which though may benefit the sugar industry in the long run, would not be that beneficial for the bakery industry, which depends on sugar for its survival and growth. It is because deregulation of the sugar industry is expected to eventually lead to the increased prices of sugar. The Prime Minister has constituted an expert committee headed by C. Rangarajan, the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC), to explore all the issues pertaining to the deregulation of sugar.

One can conclude that irrespective of whether the industry continues to be regulated by the government or manages to enter a deregulated phase in the near future, irrespective of whether the so called health enthusiasts label sugar as the source of all lifestyle induced ailments, the role of sugar in the bakery industry would continue for many, many years to come. For sugar is not only about sweetness; it is an integral part of the bakery business, both in India and abroad. 

21

B U S I N E S S

BAKERY REVIEW

Healthy Snacks on Healthy Growth The Indian snack market is riding through a double digit annual growth. For new entrepreneurs who are keen to enter this lucrative market it may be mentioned that according to a study by McKinsey & Co, there is a big market for snacks in India. And, at present, the trend is geared towards healthy snacks. This has encouraged Lays, Haldiram’s and many others to come up with diet snacks.

And the snacks market is obviously bigger in the urban areas as urban Indian consumers eat ready-made snacks many times more than their rural counterparts.

Maximum amount of snacks are being partaken by the people in the western region, which is followed by the people from the northern region. Here Ashok Malkani explores the healthy snacks market in India, which despite its limited reach is pregnant with high potential for growth.

22

Dec-Jan ’12

B U S I N E S S

BAKERY REVIEW

H

owever, snacks are increasingly being treated as something more than a means to alleviate sudden bouts of hunger between meals.

In India snacks are fast emerging as the fourth meal of the day. Globally, snacks account for over 20 percent of all meals consumed, and they are no longer treated only as a means to deal with sudden pangs of hunger between formal meals.

Globally, and also across the urban Indian milieu, snacks are fast becoming meals in their own right. Therefore it is but natural that in these health conscious times, the consumers not only want great taste and flavour from their snacks, but also expect quality ingredients and high nutrition content from them.

Snacking as Lifestyle As Indian consumers are showing a perceptible shift towards healthy dietary

Dec-Jan ’12

options, a number of assorted food products are now accepted as snacks because of their offering a healthier way to address those in-between hunger pangs.

Urban Indians are fast acquiring a new lifestyle and a product of this lifestyle supported by comparatively higher disposable incomes is reflected in an appetite for ready-to-eat food and carbonated drinks. An ever growing young, aspiring population of professionals with a perpetual time crunch is the main driving force behind the growth in demand for ready-to-eat and convenience foods, among which snacks and carbonated drinks account for a major part.

The lack of time for physical exercise and the pressures of balancing home and career, which are distinctive features of urban

Indian lifestyles, are reflecting in our eating habits. Hence, this accounts for the rising propensity for snacking and ready-to-eat foods, instead of conventional meals.

However, irregular consumption of food, particularly low nutrient-value items is one of the primary causes of a host of lifestyle diseases. In this context, as a part of one’s healthy diet, it is important to think seriously about the kind of snacks one consumes, so that one can effectively prevent picking up

23

B U S I N E S S

unwarranted calories, fats and sugar.

Conventional snacks like samosas or chaat or even biscuits (unless they are fortified with dosages of healthy nutrients) can slowly and significantly add to your calories, so low fat or low calorie snacks are the right options in this snack age.

But with snacks becoming healthy to healthier, the things are not as bad they seem.

Snacking here there and everywhere (except perhaps in bathrooms) is becoming an integral part of urban Indian lifestyle, and this combined with rising health consciousness pervading through the society, has propelled the emergence of a whole new food industry in India, which is the packaged healthy snacks industry.

Healthy Munching There are currently over 1000 snack food products available in India, and potato-based snacks, particularly potato chips, occupy more than 80 per cent of the salty snack market. But, the consumption of diet snacks is on the rise and organised retail chains are witnessing a huge demand for diet snacks which include bread sticks, soy nuts, popcorn and baked & roasted snacks among others. These snacks are not only complemented by carbonated drinks, but also by juices, bottled water and energy drinks.

“Namkeens Enriched with Goodness” declares an ad for a leading snacks manufacturer. The ‘goodness’ here signifies health as people are becoming health conscious by the day.

Also on the rise is the consumption of organic food, which is reflected from the fact that many supermarkets in metropolitan India now have organic outlet/s and every large city has several organic stores.

Though 50 per cent of organic food production in the country is targeted towards exports, many Indians do vote their preference for organic food for domestic consumption. This popularity of organic food is paving the way for the growing demand for organic snacks

24

BAKERY REVIEW in an increasingly health conscious India.

The Global Trend of Healthy Snacks In fact, the demand for healthy snacks is a global trend. Global sales of healthy snacks were forecasted to rise by more than a fifth by 2014 as compared to 2009, according to exclusive research from just-food, the leading online resource for the food industry.

According to just-food, driven by the emerging markets like India and China, the global sales of healthy snacks are projected to reach $27billion in 2014, which is 21 percent more than what was witnessed in 2009.

“Consumer awareness of the health benefits of ingredients such as whole grains and fibre is expected to continue to spread, with manufacturers adapting their product ranges accordingly,” the report said. The report viewed that the emerging markets were expected to propel the sector’s growth, where the demand for snack foods continues to increase at a high rate.

According to the report, the nuts, seeds and mixes category is expected to continue to account for the major sales of healthy snacks, on a worldwide scale.

Sales in this category were forecast to

enhance from $13.75billion in 2009 to $16.25billion in 2014. However, the sales of crisps and other salty snacks are also expected to more than double during the same period; from $775million to $1.7billion.

According to the report, the emergence of affluent, urban consumers in the markets like that of BRIC nations, where BRIC means Brazil, Russia, India and China, are crucial to the sector’s growth.

This global trend has percolated in India too, and the latest snacks are combining health and indulgence, with a new focus on ingredient quality. Yes, with innovations in food technology, having great health and exuding great taste are no longer perceived as being mutually exclusive. This development is fostering the diet snacks category to a tasty and healthy direction. Ideally, diet snacks should have less salt, less sugar, less fat, less cholesterol and great taste.

And this apparent dichotomy is now possible to attain.

The Role of Healthy Snacks According to health experts, choosing a healthy snack food that is low in salt, sugar, fat and carbohydrate is just as important as choosing the right food at mealtimes. Healthy snacks do contribute fibre and nutrients to the diet without loading the system with unwanted calories and that is the reason behind the gaining of popularity of

Dec-Jan ’12

BAKERY REVIEW

B U S I N E S S

healthy snacks in the market in these health conscious times.

These healthy snacks can provide you with an impetus of energy during the busy day and guard you from overeating at mealtimes. Nowadays, even health experts, who used to abhor snack foods earlier, are urging for the intake of a variety of low-fat, healthy snack foods to assuage the sudden urge of hunger.

The food habits of urban India are changing but they are thankfully not moving towards unhealthy munching of high cholesterol snacks but healthy in between meals, which are often complemented by healthier options such as fruit juices, bottled water, and energy drinks in between meals.

Market for Healthy Snacks The potential market for diet snacks in India is simply huge.

Especially, the market for value-added diet snacks is quite high in urban India. The market trends reveal that consumers are not that reluctant to pay a higher price for both value-added unbranded and branded products in the diet snacks category, which creates great potential for manufacturers and retailers coming up with value-added diet snacks.

Diet snacks are a healthy option for the parents to guide their kids’ snacking habit into meaningful directions. According to Sonia Pall, CEO, Ipsos in India — the Indian arm of the second largest global survey-based market research company, “Today, we see healthy options for kids in a wide range of categories, including beverages (juice boxes fortified with calcium), dairy (milk with DHA Omega-3), cereal (gluten-free options), and snacks (fruit chews containing Vitamin C). As for tomorrow, we can expect innovations in kids’ foods that go beyond health basics, such as vitality boosting snacks, beverages to replace snack occasions, and hunger-suppression products – and we can expect new marketing strategies that will be just as exciting.”

Overall, we can say that the preference for lower calories coupled with high nutrition along with great taste is fuelling the demand for diet snacks. The demand for diet snacks is spread across all age groups of middle and upper middle income urban India, but it is more pronounced among girls in their late teens and early twenties, and men and women in their 40s.

Britannia’s NutriChoice Diabetic Friendly Ragi Cookies and NutriChoice Diabetic Friendly Oat Cookies are some pertinent examples of new-age healthy snacks which are very helpful for the diabetics. They are tasty, crunchy and convenient options for those mid-day meal pangs, and they are scientifically created to suit the special lifestyle and nutrition needs of diabetics to manage extreme swings in blood sugar levels.

Britannia’s NutriChoice Diabetic Friendly Ragi Cookies and NutriChoice Diabetic Friendly Oat Cookies contain a unique combination of soluble and insoluble fibres that are reported to delay glucose absorption, thereby preventing extreme swings in blood sugar levels. Ragi, besides comprising

Dec-Jan ’12

25

B U S I N E S S

of complex carbohydrates, which help in the slow release of glucose into the blood stream, is also known to be a rich source of calcium. Oat soluble fibre helps control blood cholesterol by binding some of the cholesterol in the digestive tract and helps to give you a feeling of being full for longer periods of time.

No wonder, several companies are now introducing healthy snacks. Some seven years back, Simplex International had introduced across the country a unique range of ready to eat snacks

by Tong Garden, in four flavours.

Presently, the company imports 70 variants of ready to eat snacks. “The range of products from Tong Garden, Rice Bites and Wasabi include bar snacks, mini bar snacks and dry fruits which are devoid of cholesterol and trans fat, and are roasted,” explained Hemen Sanghvi, the Director, Simplex International. “As more Indians are showing preference towards healthy food these days, this year we are envisaging to add more variety to our healthy snacks portfolio,” he added.

Diat Foods had also launched a wide range of foods under its brand ‘Sugarless Bliss’ to meet the needs and demands of India’s diabetic and health conscious consumers. Diät Foods, which began its healthy journey in 2001 with teams of expert food technicians, nutritionists and doctors from both India and abroad, has come a long way through the road of research.

Today the company has over 250 Indian sugar-free, fortified & enriched mithais,

26

BAKERY REVIEW

cookies, cakes and a range of other confectioneries that are low in calories with a low Glycemic Index, thereby helping both diabetics and the weight conscious.

Limited Presence, Great Potential However, despite the growing trend of diet snacks in India, their market is still at a nascent stage in the country.

The estimated worth of the snack food market in India is US$ 3 billion. In that, the growth rate of the organised snack food market is 15-20 per cent per annum while that of the unorganised sector is 7-8 per cent. Of the total snack food industry in India, only 4-5 per cent comprises of diet snacks. The rest of the snack market is actually based on the potato-based snacks; potato chips are the largest product segment, followed by snack nuts, chickpeas and other pulsebased savoury snacks.

Moreover, despite the favourable business climate for healthy snacks, there is a paucity of domestic producers in the diet snacks category in India, which has compelled a majority of organised retailers in this segment to source imported diet snacks. And imported snacks are present mostly in the upmarket retail outlets in urban India, where the consumers can afford them.

Thus the diet snacks still do not have a pan-India reach.

Deepak Awatramani, MD, Diät Foods India, also lamented the much less awareness about diet snacks in India, as compared to the west. He believes that presently “the market for diet snacks will remain confined within the upper middle and the wealthy classes.” He opined that with more awareness about health the market for diet snacks will experience growth in India. At the same time, more innovation across varied products category under the ambit of healthy snacks is needed.

But despite their limited market the potential for healthy snacks, as discussed before, is quite huge in India. Yes, the time is right and the opportunity is ripe for the new manufacturers in the country to enter the diet snacks segment, for the existing players are few and the demand for diet snacks is soaring in India. However, these prospective new entrants in the manufacturing of diet snacks need to market their products intelligently.

So what are the options for the Indian snack manufacturers to help them grab a slice of the lucrative pie called ‘the diet snacks market? To capitalise on the demand for healthy snacks they should use the packaging to highlight not only the flavour and taste, but also the authenticity and nutrient composition that their products embody. Their products should not only be healthy, but should also appear to be healthy. They should also opt for single-serving product offerings and packaging in order to reap the benefits of increasing demand for on-the-go snacking in the country. 

Dec-Jan ’12

Dec-Jan ’12

27

D A I R Y

BAKERY REVIEW

Sweet and Flavoured Growth

By Ashok Malkani

I

ce creams are a perennial delight for children and also the not so young across all geographies of this planet, and they are also sweet routes to impressive revenues. Ice cream gained popularity across the world in the second half of the 20th century when refrigeration became affordable.

Prior to the development of modern refrigeration, ice cream was regarded as a luxury item and was reserved for special occasions.

Then making of ice creams was quite laborious and time consuming, and naturally this reflected in their lack of affordability. The ice needed for ice creams were cut from lakes and ponds during the winters and stored in holes in the ground, or in wood-frame or brick ice houses; insulated by straw. However, since the development of modern refrigeration, there has been a plethora of brands, colours, flavours, types and outlets of ice creams spreading their tastes across the global marketplace.

Innovation and Competition Like other industries, the growth of the ice cream industry is also propelled by innovations. One important development pertaining to the ice cream industry in the 20th century was the introduction of soft ice cream. In the United States, Dairy Queen, Carvel, and Tastee-Freez heralded the establishment of chains of soft-serve ice cream outlets.

Soft serve ice creams are generally lower in milk-fat content than general

28

ice creams and they are produced at a temperature of about −4 degree centigrade, whereas general ice creams are stored at -15 degree centigrade. Soft service creams also contains air, which are introduced at the time of freezing.

A chemical research team in Britain made an important innovation; they developed a method of doubling the amount of air in ice creams. This enabled the ice cream manufacturers to use less of the existing ingredients, which resulted in reduction in the cost of production of the ice creams. The airy sweetness contributed towards making ice creams a business with huge profit potential. Soon a soft ice cream machine in which a cone is filled beneath a spigot on order became a reality.

Another important invention in the

ice cream business is the ice cream cone, which had completed at least 100 years of its growth. Many believe that the ice cream cone was invented at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. However, there are authoritative evidences to prove that ice cream cones were served in the 19th century, in Europe. However, their popularity was greatly enhanced during the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Now cones are an integral part of ice cream consumption. Strangely their shape has not changed much over the past century.

However, there is no need to change the packaging of cone either, since it is an environmentally friendly option, involving no wastage.

Along with technological innovations, competition encouraged the manufacturers to add various food additives into ice creams. As the decades rolled by, ice cream became an important player in the food & beverage industry in general, and bakery industry in particular. Today sundaes, which are believed to have made their first appearance in the late nineteenth century, and ice cream sandwiches are a craze with the younger generation.

Growing Despite Bottlenecks Today, ice cream has become such a favourite with the young and the old alike all over the world that the third Sunday of July is observed as National Ice Cream Day in the USA. The popularity of this dessert can be gauged from the fact that 90 per cent of America’s

Dec-Jan ’12

D A I R Y

BAKERY REVIEW population consumes ice cream.

Ice cream has emerged as the fastest growing dairy product in the Asia-Pacific region, and it is becoming the flavour of all seasons in urban India. The Indian ice cream industry has been traditionally growing at a healthy rate of 12 per cent year-on-year. The value of the ice cream market in India is to the tune of Rs.4300 crore per annum, of which the organised segment is valued at Rs.1700 crore. The unorganised segment of the Indian ice cream industry accounts for approximately 60 percent of the total Indian ice cream market.

In India too the growth of the ice cream industry is quite evident. In metropolitan India, ice creams are fast graduating from luxuries usually indulged by the younger generation to desserts meant for family consumption on a fairly regular basis. Ice creams are now no longer perceived as products of seasonal consumption, though in the summer months obviously the consumption of ice creams in India does climb the charts. Increase in disposable incomes, strengthening of the distribution network, development of cold chain infrastructure and introduction of a variety of flavours have all contributed to the growth of the ice cream industry in India.

The Indian ice cream industry, despite the mushrooming of ice cream parlours in the branded segment and the explosion of flavours in the marketplace, is bogged down with poor per capita ice cream consumption levels. It is a dismal 300 ml per annum, compared to 22 liters in the US, 18 liters in Australia, 14 liters in Sweden. In terms of world’s average per capita ice cream consumption also India fares poorly. Even Pakistan and China are ahead of us in terms of per capita annual ice cream consumption. It is 700 ml per person in Pakistan and 3 liters per person in China, annually.

One of the reasons which inhibit the

ice cream consumption and hence the growth of the ice cream industry in India is the cost of ice creams, which sadly are still out of reach of majority of Indians.

India is perhaps the only country in the world that imposes a luxury tax on ice cream. Though ice cream is a food item, it attracts a VAT that varies from 2-15 per cent across the country. In Gujarat there is a 15 per cent VAT on ice cream.

Moreover, ice creams in India are taxed not only at the point of sale but also at the point of production. There is also an additional 1 percent excise tax on ice cream, over and above the VAT, which is highly unreasonable. The steep taxations result in making ice creams in India unaffordable to many.

However, despite the consumption bottlenecks the potential for the Indian ice cream industry is quite good indeed.

Research reveals that the trend of eating ice cream throughout the year among Indian consumers is expected to increase in the medium term. At the same time, greater consumer awareness and higher disposable incomes are expected to usher in an increasing number of ice cream flavours in the market. According to Euromonitor International, this may

include limited editions of exotic fruit combinations which would target the premium end of the market. With growing health awareness, the cholesterol free and low calorie and pro-biotic ice creams would also gain popularity in the market.

Though the branded segment of the ice cream is comparatively small then the unbranded segment, it is showing 15 percent annual rate of growth, on an average. The major players in the branded segment of the Indian ice cream industry are Amul, Mother Dairy, Kwality Walls, Vadilal, Baskin Robbins, Dinshaw and Arun.

On the other hand, the unorganised segment of the ice cream market in India is shrinking considerably in metropolitan cities and other big cities. However, in small towns and rural areas, kulfis and ice creams made by cottage ice cream industries are still holding popularity.

The market for the organised ice cream industry is still largely confined to the large cities. Eight cities of India are accounting for 60 percent of India’s total ice cream consumption, which as is evident, is lopsided in favour of the cities.

Healthy and Premium Ice creams are also becoming healthy, without ceasing to be tasty; another sign of maturity in the market. Aficionados of health conscious ice creams in India now have various options, which include pro-biotic ice creams or fat and sugar free ice creams among others. Nowadays, one can find an array of frozen desserts

Dec-Jan ’12

29

D A I R Y

BAKERY REVIEW

The Historical Inspirations

T

By Swarnendu Biswas

he ice cream as we know today, may have come of age only in the later half of the twentieth century, but its origins or rather inspirations dates long back into the tunnels of history. As far back as 400 BC, the royal Persians used to have a special chilled puddinglike dish during summers, where ice was mixed with fruits, saffron and assorted flavours. It had influence of rose water and vermicelli, and was served to royalty.

This dish was probably the precursor to faluda; which is still a popular dish in Iran.

In ancient China also, some 3000 years ago, the cooks in royal kitchens were mixing snow and ice from the mountains with fruits, wine and honey, to create wonderful desserts for their rulers to savour.

We also know that Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) used to enjoy snow and ice, flavoured with honey and nectar.

The notorious Roman Emperor Nero (37–68AD) had his runners sent to the mountains for collecting snow, which was

then mixed with honey and nuts to create a delicacy that may not have tasted much different from our modern day ice creams, except perhaps for the absence of milk.

Probably, all of those ancient inspirations snowballed into the culmination of modern day ice cream.

However, as discussed, they were all primarily snow ice creams, without the presence of milk.

Arabs were probably the first to infuse milk and ice to create ice cream like desserts of par excellence. They used to sweeten the concoction with sugar instead of fruits or fruit juices, and also probably were the first to go in for commercial production of that dessert, which for simplicity’s sake, let us label as ice cream. By the 10th century, those ‘ice creams’ were widely produced and consumed in Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo and other important cities spread through the ancient Arab civilisation.

The modern age of ice cream began some three hundred years ago. Though

ice cream recipes were appearing in the eighteenth century England and the US, its popularity gained momentum in the west only during the 19th century.

In the 1830s, an African-American confectioner named Augustus Jackson is credited with creating multiple ice cream recipes, and also of developing a comparatively superior technique of manufacturing ice cream. He was also responsible for creating a superior technique to manufacture ice cream. In 1843, Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia, USA, was issued the first US patent for a small-scale hand-cranked ice cream freezer.

Soon, the commercial production of ice cream began in full gusto in the western world. However, even then, the popularity of ice cream was confined among the elites only. It was only in the middle of the 20th century that ice cream attracted mass popularity, with the advent of affordable means of refrigeration.

tailored to various dietary regimes. We are now having reduced fat, fat-free, lowcarb, no sugar added or lactose-free ice creams in India, with sizeable presence in the market.

In January 2007, Amul introduced sugar free & pro-biotic wellness ice creams, which was a first in India.

These ice creams were and are not only targeted at the health conscious, but also the diabetics. Now several ice cream manufacturers are providing ‘healthy’ ice creams.

Various innovative brands of ice creams, involving highly sophisticated equipment and technologies and catering to varied market segments, are also seen invading the market space. Recently, Vadilal has also come up with three new brands in the premium segment – Badabite, Flingo and Gourmet. Out of these three new products ‘Badabite’ is based on extrusion-based technology and the company has taken the risk of introducing this product at premium prices. -With the latest extrusion-based technology, Vadilal has launched the ‘Badabite’

brand in the high-end candies segment.

Badabite’ candies is a creamy delight, characterised by fewer over-runs (air insertion), and great texture, whereas according to Rajesh Gandhi, Managing Director, Vadilal Industries Ltd., “Flingo is a product with different types of center insertions.” Flingo has different types of insertions in the centre such as chocolate fudge, raspberry ripple and strawberry ripple. Gourmet is a super premium ice cream, coming with a high-end packaging named as ‘in mould labeling’ technology. According to Rajesh Gandhi, “In next two-three years, we expect our premium products such as Badabite, Flingo and Gourmet to contribute 10 percent to our total sales.”

“In the Gourmet category, we are

offering two flavours initially and three more will follow soon. Our aim is to launch international quality products at pocket-friendly prices. Badabite and Flingo have a very youth oriented brand personality whereas Gourmet is targeted more towards the young family segment.

We are also very aggressively targeting the youth with a number of new TV commercials. Our focus will be on increasing sales to the impulse category,” informed Devanshu Gandhi, MD of Vadilal Industries Ltd. Vadilal has also installed India’s fastest cone-making machine. As against the current machines which make 6000 cones per hour, Vadilal has put in place a machine which will make 18,000 cones per hour. According to a press release, Vadilal happens to be the first and till now the only ice cream producer in India to have such a machine.

In fact, Vadilal Industries Ltd. has undertaken an aggressive campaign on all fronts to increase its overall market share as well as capture a larger pie of the premium ice cream market. Its recent exercise

30

Dec-Jan ’12

D A I R Y

BAKERY REVIEW in this direction is characterised by introduction of new mega brands, installation of latest state-of-the-art machines, aggressive advertising and significant expansion in production facilities. Vadilal is already the second largest ice cream maker in the country, with only Amul ahead of it.

Explosion of Flavours In India too, where the ice cream market is still nascent as compared to the global standards, the numbers of ice cream flavours are increasing by the day.

The overall trend is that the ice cream manufacturers in India are looking towards presenting novel flavours in the marketplace, without comprising on the health quotient.

Perhaps intense competition and the arrival of foreign players have induced them to undertake these experimentations, or perhaps it could be attributed to the changing consumer mindsets due to increased global awareness about food & beverage trends, or perhaps all these three factors

Dec-Jan ’12

have contributed to the emergence of a plethora of wonderful ice cream flavours in the marketplace. Whatever may be the case, but the gain is to the consumers.

They are arriving at exotic flavours with the help of fresh fruits and dry fruits, and even experimentation with vegetables is not being ruled out.

Watermelon, guava, and black berry flavours are no longer unheard of in the Indian ice cream industry. For example, leading ice cream manufacturer Havemor had recently come out with ‘paan’ icecream for Shilpa Shetty’s wedding. The company’s pine nut ice cream made from the sancha is also an exercise in novelty.

Ahmedabad-based Havmor Ice Cream has also introduced some novel ice

creams in the recent past, which include the non-alcoholic whisky-flavoured ice cream, targeted at the premium clientele for parties and weddings. The company is also experimenting on diet ice creams.

Succinctly, providing customised flavours to the consumers are already gaining currency. And not only famous brands are doing this experimentation.

For example, cinnamon, green tea, mausambi-badam, coffee-and-orange, and variyali ice-creams of Ahmedabadbased Jaysingh’s Ice-cream are extremely popular with the local populace.

One can say that despite the bottlenecks, the Indian ice cream industry has a promising future along with a huge reservoir of flavours.

However, unless the cost factor of ice creams and its unfavourable taxation are being addressed urgently, the consumption of ice creams in India would not enhance substantially, and neither would it become rampant in non metropolitan India. And that is not good for the Indian ice cream industry. 

31

I N D U S T R Y

Bake Your Passion into a Career

By Hemant Kumar Kochar

W

hether making sugar sculptures, constructing elegant wedding cakes, or simply adding that final drizzle of chocolate to the perfect torte, a baker should know the importance of visual appeal as well as good taste. Bakery and confectionery as a career involves facets of both art and science. Being a baker is more than just knowing how to bake bread. Pastry Chefs need to have an inherent aptitude to create baked goods and desserts. From kneading dough for a morning Danish, to icing a child’s birthday cake, to dipping strawberries in chocolate for a romantic evening, a career in bakery involves a wide range of ingredients and culinary techniques, along with dollops of imagination that could in turn capture the fancy of the most creative and skilled Chefs or potential Chefs.

Career Prospects Now if you are looking for a career that is part science, part art, and all about food, a career in the bakery industry may be just the right career option for you. Anyone having a degree/ diploma in hotel management is eligible to pursue a career in bakery. The time duration of the course varies from institute to institute and could vary between 6 months to 3 years. However, as in most of the professions, for a career in bakery too it is most likely that you may have to start at the bottom and work your way up to the more exciting jobs.

Eventually, after some years of enterprise, innovation and hard work, you may become a Pastry Chef or a Bakery Chef in a five-star hotel or an upscale restaurant. As an ideal Pastry Chef, your job description may include overseeing the kitchen staff, ordering supplies, producing innovatively baked goods, and decorating and planting various pastries and desserts.

What you will earn in baking job depends on several factors.

Your hotel management school education and level of experience

32

will come into play, as well as the type of establishment where you work, your geographic location, the number of hours you work, and your exact job title. However, salary for a qualified Pastry Chef or Bakery Chef can go very high once she/he has the relevant experience and expertise.

Or if you are endowed with an entrepreneurial spirit, you may opt to open your own baking or catering business. Owning and operating your own bakery business is a time consuming but a potentially profitable opportunity. As a baker-cumentrepreneur, you must be able to juggle multiple tasks at the same time, such as planning the menu, dealing with clients, ordering supplies and equipment, etc. besides of course, checking the attrition rate at your outlet; a frightening feature of the Indian hospitality industry of late.

Although Bakery Chefs or Pastry Chefs already focus their training and experience in one area of food preparation, some choose to specialise even further in a specific technique or food item, which help them to become masters in that particular niche of baked edible products. Some of the more popular specialty baking jobs include: (I) Wedding Cake Baker Wedding cake design and creation is one of the most profitable careers in the bakery industry. Wedding cake bakers must not only be knowledgeable of the various baking techniques, but they also have to be skilled with frosting and other edible decorations. Another challenge of wedding cake design is maintaining the cake’s structure over several hours.

Wedding cake bakers work for catering firms or run their own cake baking outlets.

(II) Bread Artisan A loaf of artisan-baked bread is much different from your typical grocery store loaf. Artisan bread bakers complete advanced training in the art of selecting ingredients, mixing dough and applying baking techniques. They typically handcraft each loaf of bread to ensure its optimum taste, texture and quality.

(III) Chocolatier A chocolatier specialises in using chocolates to create cakes, confections and other sugary concoctions. Chocolatiers should have an immense knowledge and understanding about the chemical principles of chocolates and must react quickly to

Dec-Jan ’12

BAKERY REVIEW changes in temperature, weather or chocolate texture in order to maintain the flavour of their desserts.

Chocolatiers are often employed by high-end restaurants, specialty food shops, and also by the commercial chocolate companies.

The Guide to a Quality Baker If you have creativity and a strong work ethic, you can have a successful and satisfying career in the bakery industry. People come into the bakery industry with varying skill sets, but they should remember that most food creation is an art, and creation of bakery products is not an exception to that rule. Below are some of the essential qualities one must posses if one desires to have a fulfilling career in the bakery industry.

(I) Culinary Expertise and Creativity — It pretty much goes without saying that bakers need to be able to bake, which involves attention to detail, knowledge of the ingredients and a fair amount of patience. And all these qualities should be spruced with creativity. Yes, they also need to have the requisite artistic ability to create pastries and desserts that look as good as they taste.

(II) Attention to Detail — Small changes in a recipe can make a big difference. So bakers need to pay meticulous

Dec-Jan ’12

I N D U S T R Y

attention to what they are doing, even while performing routine tasks.

(III) Customer Service — Some bakers and chocolatiers may supply other businesses with their range of products, while others may serve their confections at their own neighborhood shops. No matter who their customers are, the bakers and chocolatiers need peopleoriented skills in order to establish a thriving business or career.

(IV) Stamina — While working with your hands can be very satisfying, it can also be exhausting, if done for long periods of time. More physically demanding than many people realise, a baker’s job often requires long hours on your feet. Many Pastry Chefs need to start their days at early morning hours, say around 3 or 4 am! There may also be some heavy lifting involved in a career in the bakery industry. You will need to be physically able to handle the stress to your body and mentally prepared to persevere through repetitive tasks.

The author is the Director of Madhuban Academy of Hospitality Administration and Research (MAHAR), one of the premier institutes in the country offering comprehensive courses in hospitality administration; backed up by livewire training in-house in four-star luxury hotels. He can be reached at kochar. hemant@gmail.com

33

P R O F I L E

BAKERY REVIEW

Spreading the Taste of

Cookie Man

By Sharmila Chand

Pattabhi Rama Rao, the President of Australian Foods India Pvt. Ltd. has been associated with the company since 2002 as the Chief Operating Officer. He took over as the President of the company in April 2005. Since joining the company, he has implemented a series of measures to align the company’s operations with a strategic focus to leverage market opportunities. He also played a crucial role in building the ‘Cookie Man’ brand in India.

His efforts have helped the company to post a sustained growth in key markets across India and now Pattabhi leads the aggressive growth strategy drawn up by the company, for the Indian market.

Prior to joining Australian Foods, Pattabhi headed the operations for Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai. Between 1996 and 2000, he worked in the hospitality industry with senior management assignments at Tulip Star Hotels and The Indian Hotels Company.

Pattabhi lives in Chennai and travels extensively, both on work and for leisure. The excerpts of an interview follow: 34

Dec-Jan ’12

P R O F I L E

BAKERY REVIEW Kindly succinctly describe the USP of Cookie Man cookies

Our ice creams are doing well; we have received a very positive response from customers. We have introduced a wide selection of flavours ranging from chocolate and butter scotch to exciting flavours like Irish cream & praline, scorched peanut butter, and tender coconut. We also have fruity flavours like custard apple, chikoo and banana fudge. We plan to stock ice creams in most of the Cookie Man stores across the country.

Cookie Man launched its premium range of fresh- baked cookies in India, over twelve years ago. Since then the company has been growing steadily and is India’s number one brand of premium fresh-baked cookies. The brand’s USP is its consistent, premium quality and taste, made from unique recipes refined over 50 years in Australia. The cookies are made from the finest ingredients, and are available in an extensive range of flavours. They are an ideal snack, a wonderful treat, and a perfect gift.

How do you combat competition?

How are your products different from the products of other bakery outlets?

The Cookie Man product line is unique as it exemplifies a youthful international palate. We have over 50 varieties of scrumptious flavours in cookies ranging from crispy crunchy cookies, to cream filled cookies and chocolate dipped indulgences. This variety ensures that our cookies appeal to everyone irrespective of age or region.

Dec-Jan ’12

In addition to this, we have expanded our product range to include muffins, brownies and ice creams.

You also have introduced ice creams. So how is this product range faring?

In the premium biscuit & cookies segment in India, we are the largest fresh-baked premium cookie player. In addition to a fairly aggressive expansion plan we ensure that our team and franchisees maintain the company’s focus on the customers and the quality of our products. That is how we outpace the competition.

How do you ensure the quality of ingredients?

All our raw materials have very

35

P R O F I L E

stringent specifications and they are tested before they go into the cookies.

Most of our baking is centralised to achieve consistency and quality control.

We also use the finest ingredients to ensure that we maintain a premium quality and taste.

We invest a huge amount of time and effort in training our staff and franchisees across the country to help maintain this standard. Furthermore, we have a stringent selection process for our franchisees and only partner with those who understand and share the same level of commitment that we have.

What kind of growth do you foresee in the near future?

Cookie Man is currently present in 18 cities. We will be present in 26 cities by March 2012. We are targeting 55 stores by March 2012, and plan to achieve a target of 100 stores by March 2013. We are expanding our presence across the country and are entering the tier-II cities. Cookie Man will also add new offerings to its existing product range.

Do you regularly research for new products and flavours?

Yes we do. We started off in India with a product range consisting of only fresh baked premium cookies. Today we have ice creams, muffins, puffs and pastries. We do invest a lot of time in the research and development of new products and flavours. We continually add new flavours and products in line

Magical Ice Creams from Cookie Man Cookie Man offers a wide selection of delicious flavours in ice cream, which include age-old favourites like vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, honey & almond or new-age sinful indulgences like Irish cream & pralines, triple chocolate, white choc fudg, and cookies & cream.

Banana fudge, cappuccino, scorched peanut butter, and white coconut caramel are other selective choices on offer. There are fruity flavours too like chikoo, custard apple, tender coconut and even jackfruit.

36

BAKERY REVIEW

The Recipes of Universal Appeal Australian Foods (I) Pvt. Ltd. is an Indo-Australian joint venture. The company commenced business operations in India with the launch of the first Cookie Man outlet at Chennai, in January 2000. Today, Cookie Man works on a franchisee model and is a highly reputed brand of fresh-baked cookies in the country.

Cookie Man was founded by Kevin Hicks, who started out by selling his grandmother’s fresh-baked cookies from door-to-door. The overwhelming response he received encouraged him to open his first store in Melbourne, in the year 1958.

Over the decades, Cookie Man has built a successful retail formula that has seen it become the cookie of choice across Australia and enabled the brand to go for global expansion. At the heart of the Cookie Man retail outlet is the proprietary oven technology and the secret recipes, perfected in Australia over the last 50 years. with customer feedback and preferences.

building of the brand.

What is the secret recipe of the growth of Cookie Man?

What would you like to say about the Indian bakery market?

How is it progressing?

Our commitment towards ensuring Cookie Man’s premium taste and quality across products and our strong focus on people who are our customers , employees and franchisees, have helped us to grow steadily over the last 12 years.

We have also been quick to adapt our operations and strategy in line with the market trends/needs whenever required.

We ensure that we continually create new categories and offer the most delectable range of fresh-baked foods that we can to our customers. We are constantly interacting with our customers in the hope that we learn about their changing preferences.

Indians love fresh-baked products and India would be the largest market for cookies in the next two decades. The market is growing at a rapid pace; it is experiencing a double digit growth for the last five years.

What do you enjoy the most about being in this business? What is your greatest motivating factor?

The joy of creating a huge chain of fresh-baked products from scratch,

What are the types of challenges you faced while promoting the growth of your company in India?

Cookie Man entered the Indian biscuits market at a time when organised retail was at a very nascent stage in India, without the adequate logistic and infrastructure to support it. Today, we have crossed several of these hurdles to create a brand that people are excited about.

What means do you employ in the image building of your brand?

We do not advertise or engage in any other above the line marketing activities.

Our products have always done the talking for us. We have run several store promotions and sampling programs to market our products. Our focus on maintaining Cookie Man’s premium quality and taste has played a key role in

leading to satisfied customers across the country is the greatest motivating factor.

In professional terms, the sense of achievement that comes from satisfied customers and franchisees across the country is what I treasure the most. 

Dec-Jan ’12

BAKERY REVIEW

Dec-Jan ’12

P R O F I L E

37

P R O D U C T

P R E V I E W

Chef Torch

BAKERY REVIEW

Fourell’s Cheftorch is ideal for Crème Brulee, caramelising sugars, finishing custards, flns and meringues, browning meats and crisping joints, melting cheese, hot cocktails, skinning tomatores and peppers and all such creative culinary needs for some exotic dishes. A must have tool for every restaurant, bakery, bars and homes for those needs which make these dishes truly delectable.

Cheftorch, is a gas filled refillable torch introduced

by Fourell Appliances Private Limited, Bangalore in its wide range of handy gas products. Chef torch is metal bodied torch with powder coated finish with anti slip coating for easy and firm grip while using the same.

It has gas flow control and air flow control valve for operating the flame as per need. It has capacity of 60 grams. of gas and is easily refillable using gas refillers supplied by Fourell and also by any lighter gas can available easily in the market.

Fourell also has a range of gas filled candles, for lighting purposes for those candle lit moments. Visit www.fourell .in for more details.

Fourell Appliances Private Limited sales@fourell.in

Silicon Baking Mould

FDA tested Silicon mould is used for baking, freezing & microwave cooking. Silicon’s unique feature is, it’s a natural non-stick and robust in nature makes it easy to remove contents. The product can resist heat upto 230 degrees Centigrade. Arife Lamoulde, is a pioneers in manufacturing and dealership of the international quality of Bakery Equipments, Chocolate making Equipments, Catering College Equipments Supplier, etc. We are wholesalers and dealer of leading brand of cooking chocolate and its allied products. We also deal in Candle Moulds, different types of waxes and various

Safe and Fresh Storage New 30 cm Deep Food Storage Box in Polycarbonate and Polyethylene.

Cambro’s new 30 cm Deep Food Storage Box provides a safe alternative for storing bulk produce.

This size is safer for employees to handle, reducing the risk of an accident. Easily holds a full case of lettuce. Virtually unbreakable, crystal clear Camwear® polycarbonate candle decoration materials. In the field allows for easy product of automated Bakery Industries, M/s Arife identification. Flat and Sliding Lids Lamoulde has been leading manufactures of fit on 30 cm Deep Food Boxes to Bread Moulds, Cake Moulds, Baking Trays, improve food safety and reduce the Burger Trays, Bun Trays, Fancy Cake Moulds, risk of cross contamination. Stain Cake Decorating Accessories, chocolate resistant polyethylene provides an moulds and other plant accessories. economical storage option.

Arife Lamoulde Aksai info@aksai.co arifelamoulde@hotmail.com

ADVERTISER’S INDE X COMPANY

ASK FOR YOUR 2011 Hotel & Institutions Buyers’ Guide TODAY!

Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 011-45084903, 25854103 / 05

E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net

38

PAGE NO.

AB MAURI

BC

ADANI WILMER

05

ADVANCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

25

APPLE BAKERY MACHINERY PVT. LTD.

08

ARIFE LAMOULDE

23

BARRY CALLEBAUT INDIA PVT. LTD.

FIC

COCO & MORE CHOCOLATE PVT. LTD.

31

DABON INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

01

ELLE & VIRE

15

FHA 2012

35

HBF 2012

12

HOTELEX SHANGHAI 2012

27

ITPO AAHARA 2012

33

KAMANI OIL INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD.

09

MRS. BECTORS FOOD SPECIALITIES LTD.

BIC

NAGPAL BROTHERS (REGD.)

07

PIFBEX 2012

37

RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

13

RATIONAL INDIA

10

RELIABLE EQUIPMENT COMPANY

11

REMINGTON STEEL ARTS

21

SATELLITE PLASTIC INDUSTRIES

11

THAIFEX 2012

17

PRODUCT PREVIEW

38

* BC - BACK COVER

* FIC - FRONT INSIDE COVER

* BIC - BACK INSIDE COVER

Dec-Jan ’12

BAKERY REVIEW

Dec-Jan ’12

P R O D U C T

P R E V I E W

39

I N T E R V I E W

BAKERY REVIEW

Infusing Passion and Innovation in Baking

By Sharmila Chand

Sukhdev Singh, Pastry Chef, Fortune Select Metropolitan, Jaipur came across as a passionate Chef. His passion is endowed with a decade’s experience in bakery. Singh has sound knowledge and technical expertise about the creations of innovative confectionary products which are in vogue in the present days.

He has worked with The Bristol Hotel in Gurgaon and Radisson Group earlier, and joined Fortune Select Metropolitan, Jaipur in 2010. “Working alongside an experienced and professional food & beverage team, my constant endeavour is to extend the hotel’s pursuit for excellence and quality in my work,” explained Sukhdev Singh. The excerpts of the interview follow: Kindly talk about a current trend in the Indian bakery industry

One of the present day trends in the Indian bakery industry is to innovate and create confectionary items which look simple but attractive. They should come in natural colours, be palatable, and be constituted with local ingredients with the health factor kept in mind.

How do you look at the Indian bakery market?

Bakery market in India is growing at a fast pace. Customers are demanding very specific products. Quality is now the top priority in the Indian bakery industry and we are expected to offer innovative items and not run-of-the-mill products.

Moreover, people these days are preferring healthy bakery products and natural flavouring.

How did you become a Pastry Chef?

My brother is a Chef specialised in Indian cuisine and I used to visit his work place in my teenage years quite often. I got fascinated by the confectionary products on display in those early days of my life which eventually propelled me to learn and pick up the skills of a good Pastry Chef by doing a craft course in bakery and patisserie.

Who are your inspirations?

I have been very fortunate in my career to have worked with some very talented Chefs from whom I have got an opportunity to learn. My idol in the realm of patisserie and bakery is Nalin Foensenka from Sri Lanka; one of the best Chefs from whom I have been inspired.

40

What are your hot selling bakery items?

They are Marble Cakes, Blueberry Mousse, and Tiramisu.

What about the health quotient?

How do you t ake c are of t hat aspect?

We take utmost precautions in creating healthy bakery products. We use flours and other ingredients which are healthy as well as branded.

What is your favourite tool and why?

Food thermometer is my favourite tool because it enables me to check and maintain consistent quality by monitoring the inside temperature at different stages of baking any product.

Please name three of the challenges that a Bakery Chef has to face in his day-to-day work

First and foremost, the Bakery Chef has the challenge to excel in his/her creativity and exceed the expectations of his/her customers.

Secondly, he/she has the challenge to bring in a uniqueness in his/her products by innovating traditional classical items and giving them a modern look.

Thirdly, the Bakery Chef needs to ensure that the team working under his/her command can easily understand his/her directions so that his/her dream of excellence in every facet of bakery operations gets materialised into reality.

What do you like about your job?

The opportunity to try out new things everyday is the most satisfying part of my job.

What is your strength as a Bakery Chef?

The passionate desire to bake, bake and bake is I think my greatest professional strength.

What are your top five tips for Bakery Chefs ?

The Bakery Chefs must go for the right and the best possible ingredients, and should not ever compromise on the quality of their products. They should also be innovative, for ideally Bakery Chefs should be like artists, who should show their creative predilection through creation of new bakery products.

The Ba ker y Chefs should create varied types of products keeping in mind their health quotient and also in mind the diabetes, obesity and various allergy related problems of their potential customers. Furthermore, maintaining exacting hygiene standards in the bakery is also important.

What is your baking philosophy?

Never stop learning and challenging yourself, stay humble, and remember where you started from. Most importantly, always put your love in your baking dough.

What is your working mantra?

My mantra is to work hard and be sincere and loyal to my duty. For me, work is worship.

Dec-Jan ’12

DE L E NG/ 2 0 1 1 / 3 9 5 0 7