Bakery Review (June-July 2013) The magazine for Bakery & Confectionery Professionals.

June-July ’13

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EDITORIAL

Publisher cum Editor

Rajneesh Sharma

rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

Associate Editor

Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor

Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design

Hari Kumar V. Narender Kumar

Advertising Sales

Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma 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: 91-11-25854103 Telefax: 91-11-25854105 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: 022-28395833 Telefax: 022-28388947

E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net © 2013 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

educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing Bakery & Confectionery business.

Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

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A variety of premium offerings are making their impact felt in the fast growing Indian bakery industry in general and breads and biscuits segments in particular. Now we are witnessing that a wide variety of healthy breads and biscuits are adorning the supermarkets, bakeries in malls and five-star properties, and even our local grocery store shelves.

This can be accounted by the increase in disposable incomes among varied segments of working middle classes over the years, maturation of the impacts of globalisation in urban India, and the rising wave of health consciousness in the wake of growing incidences of lifestyle diseases in our fast-paced but predominantly sedentary urban lives.

Besides these obvious reasons, the fact that now even smaller cities are having modern retail centres is propelling the need for these up market goodies and breads among the population of tier-II and tier-III cities of the country. Yes, these small cities now also have pockets of population with decent disposable incomes, along with awareness towards global trends and growing health consciousness.

We have attempted to explore in detail the premiumisation of the Indian breads and biscuits, which is a happening trend of recent years, and have also dwelled into the comparative nutrition quotient of multigrain and wholegrain breads, and also of white and brown breads, in our Cover Story.

In the backdrop of its impressive growth rate, the bakery business in India presents a lucrative platform to exercise the option of entrepreneurship.

However, any entrepreneur venturing into this promising business should know that despite the increased popularity of various bakery products in urban India during the recent years, success in this highly competitive business is far from being a cakewalk.

There are several factors which need to be considered for making a success out of one’s bakery operations. In our Business Story we have tried to briefly highlight some of these factors, whose careful consideration can facilitate success in the operation of a bakery unit.

The increasing consumption of chocolates in the country is being discussed in our Feature story. Chocolates as gift items during festivities and as corporate gifts are gaining currency. These dark delights are also no longer being treated as products meant exclusively for children’s consumption. The story also shows that there has been an impressive presence of premium players in the Indian chocolate market, during the recent years, which not only indicates growing disposable incomes but also a growing awareness towards chocolates in India.

However, despite the fact that chocolates are having much more popularity in India than say two decades earlier, the Indian market for chocolates is still immature and at a nascent stage of development, as compared to that of many developed countries in the west. The story probes into the bottlenecks limiting the growth of chocolates’ market in the country.

Together with these relevant stories for the industry, our other stories, one-to-one interviews, news and report are geared to give our readers a wealth of information, analysis and opinions pertaining to our evolving bakery industry, between the covers of this issue.

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I N S I D E

16 COVER STORY Bakery Assumes Premium Flavours

20 BUSINESS Challenges of Bakery Operations

24 FEATURE India’s Growing Taste for Chocolates

28 DAIRY Cover Pix: Dobla BV

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Spreading the Taste of Gelatos

DEPARTMENTS 04

Events

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News Scan

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Report

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Focus

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Profile

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Product Preview

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Interview 3

E V E N T

BAKERY REVIEW

An Innovative Attempt to Popularise European Gastronomy

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uropean Quality Food: Eating With Your Five Senses has arrived once more to the kitchen of the futures Chefs of India. It is spreading knowledge among future Chefs of India about the nuances of European gastronomy through workshops at some of the premium hotel management and culinary institutes in Mumbai.

The informative and contentbased activity intends to spread and promote knowledge of the European cooking methods, its ingredients and gastronomy among the future hospitality professionals of India. These activities are taking place and would continue to take place during July-August 2013.

Here it deserves a mention that the European Quality Food: Eating With Your Five Senses programme promotes

exotic food and wine through five senses — touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing, in India. The programme is co-financed by the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment of Spain, and the Spanish Food and Beverage Industry Federation (FIAB).

This activity is designed specifically for 10 top-notch hotel management and culinary institutes in Mumbai, targeting the students and the institutes’ teachers to have deeper knowledge about the core features of European gastronomy. They are being introduced to the art of European cooking methods and its quality, the properties of various exotic Mediterranean ingredients and how to combine them to prepare healthy-balanced diet platters. At

the programme, the students are/will get involved in preparing master level recipes using exciting ingredients.

Succinctly, this programme endeavours to catalyse the learning process for food lovers and develop the practice of eating each meal using the five senses. European Quality Food: Eating With Your Five Senses identifies huge potential in the Indian market, considering the change in lifestyle and interest among the Indian consumers for international food & beverage brands and products.

This is the second instance when the programme is taking place in India. Last February, in the first year of the programme, the same activity was organised across premium Chef schools in Delhi NCR, where three European Chefs presented the European Tapas Cooking Book. The programme intends to cover main Indian metros.

Alimentaria 2014: To be Booked for Success

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ith nine months to go before the event, 72 percent of the planned exhibition space at the forthcoming Alimentaria 2014 has already been booked.

The leading agri-food industry companies have confirmed their participation to the show, which will be held during 31st March-3rd April of the next year, at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Vía venue.

The Alimentaria shows with the most individual weight so far are Intervin, Intercarn, Multiproducto, Restaurama, Interlact and Expoconser. Together with the Autonomous Communities Pavilion, they account for more than half of the space booked till date. In terms of international exhibitors, the show already has companies from 21 countries.

The organisers also expect the other shows that make up Alimentaria (Mundidulce, Olivaria, Alimentación Ecológica, Congelexpo, Expobebidas and Interpesca) to have an extensive selection of exhibitors, despite the current economic situation. Alimentaria 2014 as a whole is expected to feature some 3,800 firms, which together with the show’s activity and business areas, will occupy a net 85,000 sq. m .in six of the trade show venue’s exhibition halls.

Aware of the effort that many companies make to take part in the show, Alimentaria

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Exhibitions’ Managing Director, J. Antonio Valls defends the “practical approach” which this edition, more than ever, has adopted to assist companies in their internationalisation strategy. “We are dedicated to attracting buyers from both Spain and emerging markets, to creating spaces for trade, promotion and networking, and to designing ‘inspiring’ activities linked to innovation that contribute towards opening up new paths to growth for the industry,” stated Valls.

This edition of Alimentaria is already putting together a number of programmes to attract select buyers to the show, primarily from emerging markets in Latin America, the Middle-East and Asia. Alimentaria 2014 aims to arrange more than 8,000 business meetings between exhibitors and members of the invited delegations, and is working to supersede the number of foreign visitors at its previous edition, which was 40,000.

In addition to the 12 shows that make up the supply side at Alimentaria, the organisers are working on designing special business areas for certain agri-food industry specialties. The format of these spaces is multi-use, combining exhibition space, business conferences, meetings with buyers

and promotional activities. This exhibition option is more flexible and suited to the current situation, allowing both SMEs and product divisions of major companies to make contact with specific demand-side representatives in their sector from all over the world.

The Gluten-Free Area will be returning to the Multiproducto show at this edition, featuring brands that manufacture products suitable for people with celiac disease, as well as companies that offer solutions for other food intolerances. The exhibition will also feature the exclusive premium space for firms offering haute cuisine and delicatessen products, as well as the Olive Oil Business Area, where Olivaria exhibitors will hold arranged meetings with olive oil distributors from around the world New at this edition will be the Sweet Business Area in the Mundidulce show.

This area will promote business with operators associated with cake and pastry, confectionery, chocolate and biscuit sectors.

At Intervin, the Cocktail & Spirits area will allow spirits companies to promote their products and premium brands, as well as offer cocktail demonstrations. Alimentaria is also working on plans to create two new areas that will include value-added activities for companies connected to the pizza & pasta, and snack sectors.

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E V E N T

HOSFAIR 2013 Showcases

the Best of Hospitality Industry

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he 11th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment and Supplies Fair was held at China Import and Export Fair Complex, during 27th-29th June 2013. The grand show was spread across an area of 63,000 square meters of exhibiting space. The show attracted impressive suppliers and purchasers of hospitality industry from all over the globe.

During the three day show, 61,088 trade professionals gathered from more than 70 countries and regions, mainly from China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Spain, the UK, Russia, Venezuela, UAE, South Africa, Pakistan, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Burma, India, Uganda, Kenya, Bolivia, Morocco, Japan, and South Korea, etc.

The event attracted 1308 exhibitors. The show exhibited a wide gamut of hotel equipment and supplies, such as kitchenware and catering equipment, hotel furniture, cleaning and laundry equipment, tableware, hotel uniform, hotel intelligent system, interior and lobby supplies, etc.

Thousands of renowned hotel supplies enterprises across the globe did exhibit at the show.

The sponsors of the show were Asia Pacific Hotel Supplies Association, GHM Hotel General Manager Association, Guangdong Cuisine Association, China Western Food Culture Association, Specialty Coffee Association of China, and Guangzhou Huazhan Exhibition Co., Ltd. HOSFAIR 2013 was organised by Guangzhou Huazhan Exhibition Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Zhongzhan Exhibition Co., Ltd. The 12th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair, which is destined to be a leading international exhibition for hospitality, food service, drink and food industries, will be held during 26th-28th June 2014.

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EVENTS’ CALENDER Aahar - The International Food and Hospitality Fair 2013 6-8 September 2013 KTPO Complex EPIP Park White Field, Bengaluru www.aaharregionalfair.com India F&B Pro + Hospitality Expo 19-21 September 2013 Expo Centre, Panaji, GOA www.trinityworld.biz Annapoorna World of Food India 2013 23-25 September 2013 Hall-5, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai www.worldoffoodindia.com Fi and Hi India 2013 3-5 October 2013 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai www.foodingredientsglobal.com ANUGA 2013 5-9 October 2013 Cologne, Germany www.anuga.com International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) 6-9 October 2013 Las Vegas Convention Centre, Nevada, US www.ibie2013.org The 2nd Shenzhen International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair 14-16 October 2013 Shenzhen Exhibition Center, China www.szhosfair.com HBF 2013 15-17 November 2013 HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad www.hbf.co.in Sweet and SnackTec India 2013 10-12 December 2013 Gujarat University Convention & Exhibition Centre, Narangpura, Ahmedabad www.sweetandsnacktecindia.com Fine Food India 11-13 December 2013 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.finefoodindiaexpo.com

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Rich Graviss Introduces Walking Sundae Rich Graviss has introduced a unique application concept named Walking Sundae — a new take on regular ice cream sundaes. Walking Sundae is a single serve mousse, created with Rich’s Whip Topping and garnished with myriad toppings; offering consumers the flexibility to try out exotic desserts and experiment with different flavours.

Here it deserves a mention that Rich Graviss Products Pvt. Ltd. is a joint venture company between Rich Products Corporation (USA) and Graviss Foods Pvt. Ltd. (India).

In 1996, the company launched Rich’s Whip Topping, which is claimed by the company as India’s first and largest selling non-dairy whip topping, which went on to revolutionise the bakery industry in India. Since then, Rich’s has launched a range of products in the country from its international portfolio as well as through local R&D. Given the fact that the consumers these days are constantly on the look out for newer and more innovative options in the frozen dessert segment, bakers and confectioners can now cater to the evolving urban Indian or say metropolitan Indian palate, by introducing the concept of walking sundae and drizzling it with sauces, puree, honey, and toppings like fresh fruits (both exotic and regular) and several dry fruits. A dessert counter full of different flavours looks inviting and gives a chance to offer a holistic option to the consumers.

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“Rich’s Walking Sundae gives an opportunity to the bakers and confectioners to broaden their menu without completely changing the production and at the same time deliver high margins if presented creatively’, said Pankaj Chaturvedi, Executive Director & CEO, Rich Graviss Products Pvt. Ltd. What is more, this mousse can be easily made in-house and stored at plus temperature, thereby making it on-the-go dessert and adding convenience to the consumers’ experience.

Furthermore, Rich Graviss’ Walking Sundae is cost-friendly too. It can be created with leftover sponge, toppings and decorative elements, thereby letting players in the frozen dessert segment offer more to the consumers with less cost and wastage, which eventually could lead to an opportunity to increase their revenues.

Amul Envisages Enhancing its Exports According to RS Sodhi, the Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which owns the Amul brand, Amul exported products worth Rs 140 crore during the 2012-13 fiscal, and endeavours to enhance this figure to Rs.300 crore in the ongoing fiscal.

The company also has plans to produce fresh milk products like paneer and ghee in New York, with the objective of selling them in the US, Canada and European markets. In all these markets Amul presently exports its products.

Recently, the dairy giant notched an impressive sales of 6000 tonnes of milk products, through global online auctions.

It achieved these stupendous sales within barely two months.

Amul sold skimmed and whole milk powder through an international auction platform named GlobalDairyTrade and by doing so it has achieved the distinction of becoming India’s first dairy company to sell its products through an international online auction. GlobalDairyTrade came into being in 2008, and has notched an impressive cumulative sales of 10 billion USD since its inception. Amul began to take part in the auction process at GlobalDairyTrade only in June of this year, though it joined the platform on April of this year.

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The Healing Powers of Tea Tea is one of the oldest and most popular drinks in the world. From Buddhist monasteries to English parlours, tea has also long been recognised for its healing properties, which range from the antioxidants in green and white tea to the restorative properties of various herbal blends.

According to the renowned nutritionist Naini Setalvad, “We have been having black tea with milk for generations, but recently there has been an increase in awareness and popularity of the other tea varieties. Green tea and white tea are increasing in demand.

White tea is least processed, and is made out of the buds of the leaves. This means that most of its health properties are preserved. Likewise, processes during the preparation of green tea maintain the health benefits, such as antioxidants.

Of course, the best kind of tea is organic — no matter what type it is.”

Recently, Naini gave an in-depth talk on the healing powers of tea at the Cha Bar in Bangalore, which was organised

by Typhoo. Here it deserves a mention that Typhoo Tea Limited is an over 100-year-old iconic British brand with a rich heritage stretching back to 1903 when Birmingham grocer John Sumner

developed and sold a blend of tea in his shop. On 31st October 2005, Apeejay Surrendra Group, one of India’s largest tea producers with 17 plantations across 50,000 acres in Assam, acquired Typhoo and its associated brands.

The talk organised by Typhoo facilitated to explore more healthy dimensions of tea to the gathering.

“We are all aware of the fact that antioxidants present in tea offer numerous health benefits including cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, and protection against stroke and heart attack.

But tea has more to offer and is one of the healthiest beverages available,” elaborated Naini, while adding, “Teas are also rich in manganese and potassium, B-vitamins and flouride. More importantly teas are caloriefree and facilitates in increasing your metabolism and in weight reduction.”

“There are further twists to teas now; there are also different flavours, such as mint tea, lemon tea, and tulsi tea.

There are even teas with various fruit flavours,” observed Naini. Nowadays you can have your teas spruced with peach, orange, strawberry, blackcurrant or apple flavours. Fruit flavoured teas, besides being delightful, is also a healthy beverage option, especially

Top Management Moves at Cadbury India Cadbury India has recently announced that Manu Anand will join Cadbury India as the Managing Director, on16th August. Additionally, he would also have the designation of President, India and South Asia, Mondelez International Inc. Here it deserves a mention that Mondelez International is a global snacking major, which posted a revenue of $35 billion during 2012. Cadbury India Ltd. is part of Mondelez International. Some of the renowned brands of Cadbury India are Cadbury Dairy Milk, Bournvita, and Perk among others.

Prior to this assignment, Anand was the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo India, from which he has resigned on 20th June of this year, after working 19 years with the food & beverage conglomerate. He will be replacing Anand Kripalu, who is the present MD & CEO of Cadbury India. However, Kripalu is expected to be with Cadbury India for the ensuing two months as part of the mandatory hand-holding process. Here it deserves a mention that under Kripalu’s eight-year-long illustrious tenure, the revenues of Cadbury India escalated from Rs.746 crore in 2005 to more than Rs.4065 crore in 2012.

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Naini Setalvad

for today’s times. Like green teas, they are also rich sources of antioxidants.

“Fruit flavoured teas are a rich source of antioxidants. They are low in caffeine and usually contain no sugar.

Fruit flavoured teas are best when they are fused with spices such as clove, cinnamon or ginger,” explained the nutritionist.

Present at the occasion was Typhoo’s spokesperson Renu Kakkar. “Typhoo has 16 varieties to offer from its premium teas to its flavoured and green tea range.

Typhoo also has a fruit infusion range free from sugar, caffeine, preservatives and artificial flavouring,” proffered Renu.

According to her, this fruit infusion range can be ideal to quench thirst in the summer heat.

Coming of The Counter The Counter, the Los Angles-based burger chain, will enter India. In the first phase of its entry into the country, the c hain is envisaging to open a dozen outlets in Mumbai and Delhi. The burger chain has been selling its ‘custom-built’ burgers through 33 stores in the US, and across four outlets in Dublin in Ireland, in Kuwait, and in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

However, a burger at The Counter outlets in India is likely to cost Rs.400 and above to the consumers, which can create doubts about its chances of success in the price-sensitive Indian market, especially in the backdrop of the ongoing economic slowdown. It is likely to face stiff competition from McDonald’s, whose burgers are much more affordable, and which is already a market leader in the burger segment, in India.

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CCD Comes With CDS at CP Café Coffee Day has launched its most premium café format — Coffee Day Square (CDS) — in Delhi’s Connaught Place. This specialty format cafe has the potential to indulge the absolute coffee connoisseur. The noted Bollywood and Tollywood actress Konkona Sen Sharma was present ar the launch of the Coffee Day Square at Connuaght Place. The launch of this new outlet of CCD was celebrated by organising a food pairing session with single origin coffees.

CDS is a uniquely designed café format that serves a variety of single origin coffees from around the world in an environment which is comfortable and avant garde. Single origin coffees are procured from beans grown in a single location, giving the coffee uniformity, where each cup of coffee brings you the distinct flavour and richness; capturing the essence and characteristics of its environment of origins. The Coffee Day Square at Connaught Place offers seven exquisite varieties of single origin coffees from Latin America, Africa and India. Three of these seven single origin coffees are sourced from India.

Here you can revel in the sublime, silky taste of Costa Rican Tarrazu or indulge in a cup of Colombian Supremo. For a memorable experience opt for mild, soft textured Ethiopian Sidamo with hints of caramel and chocolate, or the delicate yet elegant cup of Guatemala Antigua, a tangy coffee with

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Konkona Sen Sharma

flavours of fruit, almonds, caramel and herbs. Amongst the Indian single-origins there is spicy Rajgiri Pearl and the Indian Kathlekhan Superior. You can also indulge in the bewitching taste of Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold; smooth and bright with flavours of chocolate and a hint of caramel.

To complement this variety of premium coffees, CDS has skillfully presented a delectable range of global cuisine. The menu includes a variety of appetising nibbles and filling meals, covering oriental, Indian & Continental offerings, to pair with these premium selection of aromas. Connoisseurs can enjoy the exotic and/or distinctly Indian brews with nachos, fries, crispy fried chicken or a selection of sandwiches among other snacking options.

Meals include the Mushroom Risotto, Khaow Suey, Milanese Pasta Bowl and more. There are pizzas as well with yummy topping alternatives for vegetarians and nonvegetarians. And of course, there is something indulgent to satiate the sweet tooth too!

Speaking on the occasion, Rhicha Sinha, Sr ManagerBeverage Innovation, CCD said, “The Coffee Day Square is a natural evolution for the brand having pioneered the coffee café concept in the country. It is only apt that we should have exclusive cafés in India serving single origin coffees accompanied with delicious bites that pair well with these premium coffees.

This cafe is ideal for those who appreciate the distinct taste of brews and we are glad to be able to provide this experience.”

“The Coffee Day Square is a complement to us coffee lovers, who are ready for newer tastes and experiences. It is great to see how the brand has evolved to include its audiences’ evolving preferences. The idea of single estate origin coffees is awesome – to pair it with world cuisine just makes it that much more warm an experience,” pointed out Konkona.

The Coffee Day Square at Connaught Place is refined and minimalist in design and the furniture is eclectic and contemporary. The ambience is set in warm tones of coffee that is inviting to a coffee enthusiast. Here it deserves a mention that this CDS outlet at Connaught Place is only the third CDS outlet of CCD, the two others being located at Delhi’s IGI Airport’s Terminal 3, and in Bangalore.

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F O C U S

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BAKERY REVIEW

It’s 9 for Baked Goodies

By Swarnendu Biswas

Designer Cakes from It’s9 Bakery Cafe

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t’s 9 Bakery Café is an innovative name.

However, the culture of innovation at this bakery café, which also doubles up as an all day or rather all evening and all twilight dining restaurant with affordable prices (where a meal for two costs Rs. 5001000 plus taxes, on an average), doesn’t get limited at the name; it also extends to its delectable and creative repertoire of designer cakes, which can perhaps take any shape or theme as your imagination desires. In one sentence the place can be described as a sophisticated yet casual outlet where fusion of fine dining and fast food is presented in a very creative way. However, keeping in view of the scope of the magazine, we would concentrate primarily on the baked snacking options on offer at this bakery café cum restaurant.

L o c a t e d a t Ya s w a n t P l a c e i n Chanakypuri, New Delhi, the recently opened outlet(it was translated from concept to a reality or rather realty on 9th March 2013) serves an impressive selection of snacking and dessert options, which include crisp patties, croissants, quiche, danish, donuts, cheesecakes, tarts, pies, pastries, muffins, sandwiches, salads, baguettes, burgers, pizzas…indeed the list of sumptuous delights that the exhaustive list of confectioneries presents at this bakery café cum fine dining restaurant can get it many loyal patrons among embassy crowd from the vicinity, in the days to come. I particularly enjoyed its Roasted Chicken Pizza with a hot cappuccino.

In fact, the appetising aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baking that hangs in

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the air can set the mood for the guests at the outlet for a wonderful journey through tastes. The café opens at 9 am as the name suggests, and one can stroll in to the casual ambience to share a wonderful breakfast, with one’s own palate and/or with friends. Here the breakfast options are many, ranging from the classical English breakfast to the fitness treats for the calorie conscious. The outlet closes at 11 pm, and during these 14 hours, you can get breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner under one roof.

Of course, a visit to this outlet is incomplete without savouring its yummy desserts, which are housed in its confectionery corner. Don’t miss the Blueberry Cheese Cake, Oreo Cheese Cake, and Truffle Tart. It’s9 Bakery Café has recently introduced soft-centered oozy chocolates, which are simply ethereal. You can also order your tailor-made designer cakes here, but for them you need to book 24 hours in advance. Whether you want to have an edible Spiderman, an edible jungle with edible wildlife, or an edible car, you would get it. In fact, the creative staff at the bakery of this bakery café cum dining restaurant is eager to simulate your wild imagination into delectably edible realties.

The restaurant has a wide selection of brews too, which include Café Latte, Irish Coffee, French Vanilla Coffee, Hazelnut Coffee, and green, Darjeeling, Assam, lemon and masala tea among others. Of course, as you have expected, they are complemented by an array of

cold beverages, which include canned juices, cold coffee and iced tea among beverage choices. However, it deserves a mention that the bakery and snacking options at It’s9 is not only Continental in content. In the sandwich section, Grilled Chicken with Peppers option is amply complemented with Panner Tikka and Chicken Tikka sandwich delights. Then the Panner Fajita in the ‘It’s9 Wraps’ section of the menu can also entice the typical Indian palate.

According to Prem Kumar Taneja, the Director of the outlet, the USPs of It’s9 are the freshness of the products and variety.

He enlightened me with the fact that all the products of the bakery café are made in-house. “The fact that there was no good bakery café in the nearby areas induced me to start this venture,” asserted Taneja, who is a seasoned player in the food service business. Taneja’s journey from catering in Railways to restaurant food business was an enriching one. In 2002, his company became a franchisee of Bikanerwala.

Presently, his company, which is named PK Delicacies Pvt. Ltd., owns two franchise outlets of Bikanervala. One of them is located in Punjabi Bagh and the other in Chanakya Puri itself.

It seems that the expatriate crowd from the nearby embassies and the upwardly mobile young people are likely to comprise a major chunk of the guests at It’s9, and Taneja corroborated my view. Already the 45 cover outlet is attracting brisk crowd of 250-300 on an average day, informed Taneja.

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Bakery Assumes

Can you remember the number of biscuits that were available when you were a kid? The answer most obviously would be: “Not many.” Today, however, store shelves are crammed full of cream wafers, crackers, cookies, in flavours ranging from cashew and cardamom to lemon, hazelnut, et al.

And it is not just biscuits that are available in a wide variety. Even breads have a wide range in the Indian bakery industry of today. Initially, all you could get was the local bread or pao. Then came the packaged white bread.

Today, the bread varieties range from the white bread to brown (whole wheat) to multigrain options.

These days, premium brands are rubbing shoulders with the standard products. Premiumisation of bakery items is on the rise in India. This trend is visible not only in the metros but also in tier-II and tier-III cities of the country. Even medium sized towns have shops displaying premium breads, biscuits, etc. which are being grabbed up by the locals. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the growing presence of premium biscuits and breads in the Indian bakery business and the increasing demand for them.

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Premium Flavours T he Indian bakery industry has achieved the distinction of being the third highest revenue earner among the food processing sector and is expected to touch $7.6 billion by 2015. The high expectation of growth in the Indian bakery industry is not only due to the impressive demand for bakery products in India but also because, at present, the per capita consumption of bakery products in the country is just 1-2 kg per annum.

Compare this with the consumption in advanced countries which stands at 1050 kg per annum and it will be realised that the expectations of speedy progress are not unfounded.

Many bakeries are now seen focusing on premium products rather than the regular ones. The reason for the processed food manufacturers in the realm of bakery business focusing on premium products are because of the rising aspirations of young urban consumers and the widening reach of modern trade, which are facilitating in boosting demand for high value margin products.

Truly, India’s Rs 150-billion ($3 billion) biscuit industry is witnessing

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a marked movement towards premiumisation as consumer preferences are changing, fuelled by soaring disposable incomes even in smaller towns, and growing health awareness.

People with lower incomes are also seen upgrading their biscuits consumption from glucose biscuits to mass cream biscuits and mass cookies.

Though the overall biscuits market is growing at 14 percent per annum in the country, according to the industry experts, the premium and the superpremium segments of the Indian biscuits industry are believed to be growing at more than 30 percent on a yearon-year basis. According to Anuradha Narasimhan, Category Director —Health and Wellness, Britannia Industries Ltd., in the Indian biscuits market, the premium segments are experiencing a much faster growth than the growth of the overall Indian biscuits market.

“Today, economy and middle segments comprise about 70 percent of the total biscuit market in India. I think during the ensuing five years, the share of the mass segment would come down to 60 percent and the remaining market would comprise the premium and super-premium segments,” affirmed B. Krishna Rao, Group Product Manager at

Parle Products.

“During the last few years, the biggest shift that has been witnessed in the country’s biscuit industry is the shift towards premiumisation,” asserted Anuradha. One can understand the growth of premiumisation of the biscuits market from the fact that the contribution of Glucose and Marie biscuits to the Rs.14,500 crore Indian biscuits market had also lowered to around 55 percent from 65 percent, during 2011. What is more significant is that the glucose segment, which generally falls in the purview of economy and middle segments, did lose its market share, plummeting from 39 percent in 2010 to 33 percent in 2011.

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Causes Behind the Premium Trend The reason for the consumers’ growing preferences towards the premium biscuits rather than the mass products could be attributed to the fact that smaller towns are now having modern retail centres and a section of consumers are possessing more disposable incomes than before. Together, both these factors, along with the maturity of globalisation, have resulted in giving an impetus to the demand for premium biscuits in the country.

“Nowadays, even smaller towns like Durgapur, Asansol, Surat and Rajkot have modern trade centres similar to malls. Today, even tier-II and tierIII cities are not unfamiliar with the presence of retail chains like Big Bazaar, which are coming up in these cities too, ” proffered Rao. According to Anuradha, the current trend would not only continue but would also grow in magnitude and people would prefer not just ‘affordable delight’ but seek specific benefits in food products, including health needs.

B. Krishna Rao According to Rao, the economy of the country is expected to grow at 15-20 percent annually but the premium biscuit segment would clock about 30 percent growth. This would entail the entry of several companies in the premium segment.

Anuradha also attributes people’s change in baked preferences towards premium offerings due to rising health consciousness. Jayant Kapre, President (Country Head), United Biscuits India & South Asia averred that the share of health segment is increasing with manufacturers introducing products like digestive biscuits and oat cookies, which are gaining consumer interest.

United Biscuits’ McVitie’s has already staked claim to a 20 percent share of the digestives biscuits market in the country, selling an estimated 350 tonnes every month.

At present, however, the health segment is a tiny fraction of the total biscuits market in the country,

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BAKERY REVIEW accounting for just 2 percent in volume terms and even less in value. But it’s a key area for biscuit manufacturers, with virtually every brand readying to offer a ‘healthier’ variant, such as Britannia’s NutriChoice, Sunfeast’s Marie Light Oats, and Parle’s Actifit Digestive Marie, among others.

brands in the Indian biscuits market, though its share in the Indian premium biscuits market hovers around 2 percent.

While talking about cookie trends in India, Rama Rao also pointed out about the growing health consciousness that is pervading the cookies Jayant Kapre market. “Consumers are A Crowded Market increasingly focusing on Though the biscuit business in the the relationship between their calorific country has so far been dominated intake, weight and health, which is by three players — Parle Products, paving the introduction of cookies that Britannia and ITC — the range is are low GI, low in trans fat, etc.” expanding. A number of multinationals have entered and are entering this Premiumisation of Bread growing market to have a share of the When one speaks about premiumisation pie, which include names like Kraft of bakery products one has to include Foods and Pepsico India. bread too. For years there was only the United Biscuits did come up with standard white sliced bread. Then, in an assortment of products under 2004, brown bread began to make its its McVitie’s brand, while GSKCH presence felt on the breakfast tables introduced Horlicks biscuits for toddlers throughout the country. Over the years, and extended the Horlicks range to new it has extended its reach beyond premium options like crunchy cornflakes and bakeries to shops in your locality. Besides bubblegum flavour. But the premium the brown, white and grain breads there biscuit segment does not end here. are also olive, walnut and fruit bread in Britannia has extended the ambit of its the market. Corn bread, mushroom bread NutriChoice range from plain vanilla and foccacia bread are also there in the digestive biscuits to spice-flavoured Indian market. and diabetic options. ITC too has also In fact, today you are floored with introduced new variants like Marie a wide variety of bread choices ranging Light Orange. Australia’s Unibic did also from multi-grain, whole wheat, garlic, enter into a tie up with Food Bazaar to dalia, fenugreek and more. The growing introduce Tasty Treat for the retail chain. health consciousness and the new-age Along with high-end biscuits, eating habits fostered by globalisation premium cookies are also entering the have contributed to the increase in Indian market. Cookie Man, launched demand for healthy and flavoured breads in the Indian metros. Presently more in India in January 2000 by Australian than 40 varieties of breads can be found Foods (I) Pvt. Ltd, is a premium range in the market. of cookies made from unique recipes However, demand for healthy refined over 50 years at an exclusive breads is not only an Indian trend for R&D centre in Australia. Baked to perfection using proprietary oven technology, Cookie Man’s cookies have the same superior standard and premium quality across the world.

Pattabhi Rama Rao, the Executive Director of Australian Foods (I) Pvt. Ltd. opines that the size of the premium cookie segment in India is presently very small. However, he maintains that “there has been a demand for premium cookie products along with growing awareness and changing consumer preferences.”

Anuradha Narasimhan Cookie Man is one of the important

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BAKERY REVIEW the bakery industry but a global one.

Today, bakers and bread manufacturers are emphasising on new product development to revive the market. The bread market worldwide is witnessing a gradual shift towards healthy bread varieties such as whole wheat bread, and multi grain bread, among others. The success of multigrain and wholegrain loaves, organic breads, and breads fortified with healthy additives such as omega-3, demonstrates the power of innovation in a mature market.

A local grocery store owner states that consumers have become health conscious and manufacturers have come up with a variety of breads to satiate their desires.

“Today people have become more health conscious and they don’t mind paying a little more to get whole grain bread, which comprises not only of whole grains but also seeds such as barley, gram, soya flour, oats, sesame, and other seasonal fruits and vegetable seeds,” he said.

Multigrain or Wholegrain ?

Nutritionists and dieticians are divided in their opinion on different types of bread. But nevertheless many of them are of the opinion that you should always look for the ingredients listed on the packet and the percentage of multigrain before choosing any product.

However, multigrain bread alone is not a solution towards healthy breakfast.

Multigrain breads have become all the rage these days. But are they greatly beneficial for your health? Research suggests that whole wheat bread may be healthier. Nutritionists state that the term ‘whole grain’ refers to flour that comprises all parts of the wheat grain kernel--the bran, germ and endosperm.

The most nutritious parts of wheat

S T O R Y

Different Kinds of Breads Available Around the Globe

Pattabhi Rama Rao

grain are bran and germ. They are endowed with vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, calcium, phosphorus, folic acid, iron, zinc, cooper, and dietary fiber. During the refinement process, a chunk of these nutrients are eliminated.

On the other hand, multigrain bread comprises of different types of grains which include wheat, oat and barley.

However, if the multigrain bread is made from whole grain, it may be made of refined flour and thus not be having the crucial nutrients found in the bran and germ.

Some experts also say that the number of grains in a loaf does not matter if the grains in the bread are refined and have had the bran and germ removed. Ensure that the grains in your multigrain loaf are 100 percent wholegrain, not refined.

White and Brown And the knowledge of comparative nutrition value of white and brown breads is also important before making a purchase. A comparative study of nutritional value of both – white and brown bread has been conducted recently,

Wholemeal Bread White Bread Multigrain Bread Rye Bread Sourdough Bread Flat Bread (considered to be the oldest bread ever used by humans) Fruit Bread Bagel Naan Chapatti Tortilla Hearth Bread Kibbled Bread Matzo or Unleavened Bread Brown Bread Lavash Bread Chinese Steamed Bread Gluten-free Bread Baguette Ciabatta Cornbread Damper Garlic Bread Olive Bread Walnut Bread Potato Dill Bread Ricotta Polenta Focaccia Bread Pumpernickel Bread based on the IS: 1483-1988, FSSA and other relevant standards. Since there is no Indian standard for brown bread; the study of brown bread was based on other relevant standards as well as manufacturer claims. The results of the study show the nutritional values of the two breads (white and brown) as follows: Nutrition Comparison of White and Brown Bread

Parameters Crude-Fibre Percentage Protein Percentage Carbohydrate Percentage

White 0.25-0.30 5.90–7.96 47.38 –56.94

Brown 0.87–0.93 8.31–9.20 48.90 –54.51

Yes, the variety of breads is increasing in India and globally. And most of them are definitely priced higher than the ordinary white bread loaf. But price does not seem to matter with a section of the populace, who play a crucial role in determining the market of the Indian bakery industry. Premium breads, like other premium bakery products, are in  great demand.

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Challenges of

Bakery Operations The Indian bakery business is going through an impressive growth phase. According to a report with Research and Markets, the market size for the Indian bakery industry was pegged at 4.7 billion USD in 2010, and it is expected to reach 7.6 billion USD by 2015. The report notes that with rapid growth and changing eating habits of people, bakery products have gained popularity among masses. The bakery industry of India has also achieved the third position in generating revenue among the processed food sector.

Considering the fast changing socio-economic profile of the society, bakery products are likely to be in great demand in the near future. In urban India, families are having less time to cook, and often busy schedules are inducing snacking options to replace main meals. This trend is expected to increase the demand for breads, biscuits, burgers and pizzas in urban India even more in the near future. This eventually can make the bakery business a lucrative option for many enterprising bakers or would be bakers.

However, the entrepreneurs toying with the idea of entering bakery business or expanding its area of operations into the realm of bakery business should be aware of the ongoing trends in the Indian bakery industry in order to tap their business potential in this area in a better manner. And they should also be endowed with some essential skills and attributes, and be aware of some essential market realties. Here Swarnendu Biswas discusses the points to consider for starting or operating a bakery enterprise in the following story.

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oday with the Indian bakery industry showing impressive growth, bakery business has great possibilities of success in the country. And in the unorganised sector, which accounts for 65 percent of production of bakery products in India, the investment required for this business is also not that high.

Neither is professional training mandatory for success for an entrepreneur entering the bakery business. One can start the bakery business even from one’s home. .

Take the case of Rashmi Ajani, a housewife from Mumbai, who started her cake business with no professional training. “I don’t even have an oven or microwave at home,” confesses the 40year-old who referred to cooking shows on television and recipes on magazines instead of opting for a professional course. Today, she makes a profit of over 50 percent on cakes alone and aims to open a small shop when the time is right.

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Another success story in home based bakeries is the Crumbs. Its founder Vaishali Maniar, a 30-year-old dynamic entrepreneur, began with a modest investment of Rs.40,000. She was having a five-year-long career in the corporate sector prior to beginning this enterprise. Vaishali used to bake on and off, with brownies being her “particular favourite.” Soon she was experimenting and discovered her “passion for baking in the process.” Her baked goodies were also gaining popularity with her friends and she seriously began thinking of turning her passion into a “full time entrepreneurial venture.”

“All that one requires to be a success in this business is to have a knowledge of the key ingredients and the judgement of right proportion and temperature,” affirmed Mohini Sawla, Founder, Creative Niche, that provides 3D cakes and pastries in suburban Mumbai.

But does in reality bakery business,

especially if it grows beyond a homebased enterprise and necessitates the renting or purchasing of a commercial space and hiring of a team, is that simple as it sounds? No it is not, in most cases.

Simply knowledge of ingredients and judgement of the right proportion and temperature would not be enough; though absolutely necessary, to run a successful bakery enterprise in most cases. Various factors need to factored in for making a success in this highly competitive business.

Of course, creativity and sustained hard work are the essential perquisites of bakery operations, but they are necessary conditions for success in this business, and not sufficient ones.

Location and Costs First of all, an entrepreneur thinking of starting a bakery enterprise(whether as a stand-alone bakery or a franchisee outlet) should be sure that her/his location of

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BAKERY REVIEW bakery is correct. That is she/he should be sure that the location where she/he is thinking of starting her/his bakery enterprise has a need for a new bakery outlet or not, or whether the consumer profile there is suited for the kind of baked products which she/he has in mind or has expertise in producing or not. If the answer to any of these questions is no, the entrepreneur should proceed to another suitable location that is within her/his budget, without thinking twice.

The total costs involved in running the bakery business should be calculated in detail, which should include both fixed and variable costs, and then the entrepreneur should make a very conservative estimation of expected revenues of the bakery unit during the first six months or one year of its operations.

If the latter exceeds the former, then only the entrepreneur should initiate her/his bakery business. Two examples of fixed cost are the rent of the outlet (assuming the entrepreneur doesn’t own the property where she/he decides to create a bakery) and the depreciation on the bakery equipment or the lease costs on them; two examples of variable cost are the cost of ingredients and human resources or labour.

Though salary is often regarded as part of fixed costs, but since most of the bakeries in India operate in the unorganised sector, it is more realistic to assume that human resource or staff or labour costs as variable costs, which can fluctuate according to production needs.

It is also very important to realise which costs to cut and which costs should be left untouched. For example, unheeded reduction in costs of ingredients and human resource with the objective to break even or earn profits in very quick time may be counterproductive for a start-up bakery operation in these times, when people are expecting innovation and quality in their bakery products. This step may lead to lowering the quality of the products, which may in turn get your start-up bakery business being swept away by the harsh and biting winds of competition, to the oblivion. Besides that one must remember that in bakery operations, creativity and ingredients can be distinguishing factors from its competition, and thus their costs shouldn’t be unduly curtailed if the entrepreneur wants to succeed in the business, in the

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long-run.

In this context, it is necessary to add that an entrepreneur venturing or operating a bakery business should have a sound knowledge of ingredients and bakery equipments. Otherwise she/he has less chance of delivering quality products that can withstand or surpass the competition. Even if she/he has staff to manage the day-to-day operations, she/he must have a sound knowledge of ingredients and equipments, or else the entrepreneur can be taken for a ride by the staff, resulting in compromise in quality.

Fresh Products and Waste Control The bakery business should always emphasise on fresh products, and on minimising wastage. The aroma of freshly baked products can play a great role in inducing the customers to the bakery, and can easily convert a potential customer into a real one. Creative display of freshly baked goods would help shape the first impression among the bakery’s consumers and potential consumers, and in bakery business, like in other facets of life, first impression though not certainly the last impression(a succession of bad performance may eventually erase the goodwill earned through good performance), can easily be a lasting impression.

For minimising waste in bakery operations it is necessary to keep a tab on the items which the bakery is selling the most, and the items which are attracting unimpressive sales. The inventory must be adjusted accordingly, so that precious expenditure is not misallocated towards

waste. This is especially crucial for a startup bakery with very limited investment, for there waste can be a great waste of scarce money, whose continuation can soon lead to a cash crunch and thereby compromising on necessary investments.

Careful Pricing and Promotion The right pricing of your products is also very crucial. It is always better to price your bakery products judiciously, while taking into account of not only your cost of production, but also the prevailing price range of your competition nearby. It is because you need to cover your costs and make a healthy profit, but before that you need your products to be sold at the first place.

At the same time it is wise and prudent to give greater weightage on promotion/ showcasing of those bakery products whose profit margins are higher in the bakery over those bakery products where the profit margin is comparatively lower in the given unit. It is a business savvy step to display the products whose profit margins are higher in a much more attractive way in the bakery as compared to other products in the given bakery’s portfolio.

This may help the entrepreneur/baker to earn quick revenues and eventually decent profits by passing through break-even very soon.

The Customers’ Profile The product range of the bakery should take into account of national trends, but more importantly, should be based on the local tastes where the bakery is located. For example, designer dessert is an emerging trend in the Indian bakery business, but its consumers are still largely confined among the upper echelons of the society, in big cities of India. So if your bakery is not located in an upmarket locality in a big city, too much of your creativity and money invested in designer desserts are not likely to yield the desired revenues.

However, that is not to say that if you are a bakery owner in a middle class area of a tier-II city, you shouldn’t experiment with designer desserts. You can, but you cannot afford to give too much focus on it.

Ideally, the focus should be on mainstream bakery products like conventional cakes, biscuits, breads, etc. At the same time, you can create some themed and customised cakes with exotic ingredients as experiment and be sure not to charge them very high.

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Healthy Bakery However, some other trends in the bakery business are more widespread. One of them is the growing incidences of healthy bakery products. Sugarless cakes and chocolates, and egg less and vegan cakes teeming with fruits and dry fruits can have good market, as would multigrain and wholegrain breads, and pastries with fruit toppings and less cream. The pricing of the healthy bakery products would again depend to a certain extent on the bakery’s location and its real and potential target customers’ socio-economic profile.

At the same time it must be maintained that innovativeness in products (without hurting the religious sentiments) and healthy bakery options would be appreciated in conservative middle-class areas too, provided if you can keep their price from going berserk.

Comprehensive Range The product range of bakeries should be comprehensive, and going by the present trend, the entrepreneurs in the bakery business should try to merge health and taste judiciously in their product offerings, for nowadays consumers want both health and taste without spending too much time from their busy schedules.

By meaning comprehensive, it does not only mean the inclusion of white bread, cakes, biscuits, patties, pastries, burgers, sandwiches, etc. Eventually bakeries should also have products like muffins, baguettes, croissants, various types of healthy breads and other bakery products, to which Indian people are getting familiar with the maturity of globalisation.

A bakery in a mall or a five-star outlet or in a high-end locality must have these new-age products, but a bakery in a middle class colony in a small city should also endeavour to keep itself abreast with the times, for the effects of globalisation are deepening in India through the passage of years. Ideally, a bakery should also have a range of Indian snacks on its shelves to complement its exotic options. The range of Indian snacks in the bakery should depend upon the geography or locality of the bakery concerned. It is because though we are trying to be global, we cannot dispense our indigenous local tastes.

For attaining a comprehensive product offering professionally trained baking personnel is needed, which may escalate the cost of operations. At the same time,

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BAKERY REVIEW pricing of these products should be judiciously handled, based on the locality of the bakery unit. Of course, updating the menu to do way with boredom can also be a smart option to garner more guests to a bakery outlet. Also let the seasonal elements reflect in your offerings, which will help build expectations for your seasonal products in the next season.

Themed Offerings, Ambience and Decor To stand out from the competition, during celebrations like Diwali, Holi, or Christmas, producing of specially themed bakery products which reflect the spirit of these celebrations can be a savvy option to garner business. For example, rose shaped cakes on Valentine’s Day or crackers’ and candles’ shaped chocolates during Diwali can generate interest among the crowd.

The other important factor that influences the success of bakery operations is the ambience and décor. These aspects should also depend upon the locality of the bakery or the clientele that it primarily caters to. For example, if your bakery is located in an upwardly mobile or posh area of a metropolitan city, the ambience and décor should be sleek and somewhat unique, and you need to pay some good amount of money (if it is a loan, its interest would add up to your fixed cost expenses) or invest some quality imagination to achieve this. You may need both.

But if your bakery is located in a traditional middle-class area and if you intend to target the consumers with moderate means and old-fashioned tastes, it is advisable not be too funky with your ambience and décor; it may prove to be counterproductive and your would be consumers would be reluctant to come to you by perceiving you to be too costly or high-end. In that case it is better if you keep your bakery’s ambience and décor simple and straightforward.

Human Resource and Hygiene Of course, quality of human resource should also be given adequate consideration in the bakery operations.

An inefficient staff can lead to losing of valuable production time, delaying the delivery time, low quality of products, dissatisfied customers, and eventually lowering of revenues and profits.

It is better to hire and keep those employees who besides having the

requisite professional expertise also have the eagerness to innovate and earnestness to please the customers with a smile, by going the extra mile. For innovation and customer satisfaction are the edifices of bakery business, especially in these times.

And of course, attention to housekeeping should also be given to maintain a spic and span bakery, embodying good hygiene.

This is also expected to attract repeat consumers.

Franchising Route These days many retail bakery chains are opting for franchise route, which can be an opportunity for the entrepreneur to enter the bakery business with the advantage of instant brand recognition.

If the entrepreneur venturing into bakery business opts to become a franchisee of a renowned brand like Cookie Man or Monginis or Birdy’s, she/he already begins with the advantage of brand recognition and the initial and often uphill challenge of getting her/his products find consumer acceptance gets eliminated to a great extent.

For a franchisee bakery operation some of the above-mentioned factors for running a successful bakery operation need alteration. For example in a franchisee bakery outlet, pricing of the products will not be dependent upon the competition in the locality concerned from stand-alone bakeries or bakery chains, and neither does the outlet should have any individualistic appeal in terms of ambience and decor.

Instead the ambience and décor of the franchisee bakery outlet should ideally simulate the ambience and décor of other franchisee bakery outlets of the franchise so that brand recognition process is facilitated.

But to become a franchisee of a renowned brand, the entrepreneur often needs to have a tidy sum of money and a decent real estate area with her/him. And the baker/entrepreneur should also have the requisite expertise and personnel with her/him to create baked products that can match the expectations and demand of the franchise concerned. If the product quality of the franchisee fails, the hardearned brand reputation of the franchise company is at stake, which may result in cancellation of the arrangement.

The feature has been done with inputs from Ashok Malkani, Mumbai.

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India’s Growing Taste for

Chocolates

By Swarnendu Biswas

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oday chocolates are regarded among the most popular processed food products of the world. In India too their popularity as lifestyle confectionary products is showing appreciable enhancement.

Even two decades earlier, chocolates in India were perceived as products meant largely for children’s consumption, but now we see people across varied age groups enjoying these sweet and dark delights, which can bring the latent child among adults. Moreover, in urban India, chocolates are replacing mithais as gift items in festivities, though mithais’ popularity as gift items is still there.

A Growing Market The Indian market is witnessing that

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chocolates as gifts in festivities and celebrations, and also as corporate gifts is evolving as a trend. With Cadbury Celebrations, Cadbury not only succeeded in positioning chocolates as the modern variant of the traditional mithais, but also managed to connect to the average Indians for whom festivals hold a special significance. In fact, rising disposable incomes in select pockets of the Indian society and the change in consumer preferences through influence of globalisation can be the major reasons for increase in demand for chocolates in urban and semi-urban areas of the country.

According to ASSOCHAM, by 2015 India’s chocolate market is expected to go beyond the Rs.7500-crore mark, due to

the rising consumption of chocolates in urban and semi-urban areas. According to the study by ASSOCHAM, which came to light in Oct 2012, the Indian chocolate market was over Rs.4500 crore.

According to the same ASSOCHAM study, the per capita consumption of chocolates in the country also escalated from 50 gm in 2005 to 300 gm in 2012, with lots of potential for further growth of per capita consumption levels of chocolates in India. Despite the fact that the per capita consumption of chocolates in India is much less as compared to that of many developed countries in the west, there is no denying the fact that the potential for the growth of the chocolate market in the country is indeed more than impressive.

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According to the recently published report by TechSci Research titled India Chocolate Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018, the chocolate market’s revenues in India is expected to witness a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 21 percent during 2013-2018. According to the same report, the per capita consumption of chocolates is increasing in the country which will continue to flourish the market revenues.

Mintel, a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence, has stated that India happens to be the fastest growing chocolate market in the world. “Chocolate consumption in India has seen an incredible growth rate in the past few years, especially in urban and semi-urban areas. Until few years ago, chocolate confectionery was considered premium in comparison to sugar and gum confectionery, but major players in the market have found channels to manufacture and distribute their products at more affordable prices than before. This has given the Indian consumer an array of choices whilst giving manufacturers a level game field to compete, especially in the premium and affordable premium segments,” stated Deepa Dsouza, who was the Trend and Innovation Consultant at Mintel in the first week of Nov 2012, when the report emerged in the media.

The Premium Players In response to this increase in demand for chocolates, there has been emergence of a growing number of talented chociolatiers and chocolate making classes in urban India. Moreover, these days, the application of chocolates in the Indian bakery industry is perhaps more

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pronounced than ever before, which is paving the way for the market for designer desserts.

Cadbury and Nestle are the major players in the Indian chocolate market with Cadbury enjoying approximately 65 percent share of the Indian chocolate market. India’s association with Cadbury dates back to 1948. Cadbury Dairy Milk (CDM) entered the Indian market in 1948, and since then for chocolate consumers across India, the word Cadbury has become synonymous with chocolate.

However, in today’s times, the chocolate consumption in urban India or rather in upwardly mobile metropolitan India is not only limited to the bites of Cadbury Dairy Milk or say Kit Kat. The premium segment of the chocolate market in India has also taken off with lots of market promise.

Many high-end chocolates have entered the Indian market in the recent years, which reflects the upwardly mobile India’s growing craving for premium chocolates. There is a miniscule segment of Indian population (however their market size and market potency are not negligible), who are mostly concentrated in metropolitan India, who know the quality that the premium chocolate products offer, and are willing and able to pay for them. They comprise the market for these premium chocolate brands.

Cadbury itself did introduce a more premium offering over Cadbury Dairy Milk, in the form of Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk, in January 2010. A sub-brand of Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk is all about regaling in the chocolate’s richness and creaminess. It comes across as a creamier and as well as smoother chocolate than regular Cadbury Dairy Milk bars, and many feel it is

tastier too than CDM. Cadburry’s Bournville, which emerged in the Indian market in 2009, can be regarded as Cadbury’s answer to the emerging market for luxury chocolates.

The creative advertisement of Bournville aptly describes that it is a chocolate meant for consumers with a mature palate. That is not all. Cadbury India had introduced Toblerone, the triangular premium chocolate from Kraft Foods, to the Indian market in 2012 in the classic ‘Milk Chocolate’ flavour, and it is now widely available in five pack sizes.

Toblerone, the legendary triangular Swiss chocolate, is over a century-year-old brand and prides itself on being the only triangular chocolate in the world.

The Washington-based Brown & Haley’s premium offerings — Almond Roca, Dark Roca, Cashew Roca and Mocha Roca— were introduced in the Indian market in 2012. Brown & Haley has been making gourmet chocolates since the last ninety years. The exquisite Lindt chocolates are also a reality for chocolate connoisseurs in the country.

Lindt chocolate culture is a product of a rich legacy of developing and refining unique secret recipes with absolute devotion, since 1845.

Ferrero has not only been finding its niche in India, but its innovative marketing, packaging and distribution strategy is also paying the company rich dividends. Ferrero India’s surprise toy inside its Kinder Joy chocolate egg has contributed to its impressive sales growth

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in India, in the last year. Ferrero India has also introduced and sells Ferrero Rocher chocolate in India. Ferrero Rocher is shaped as a ladoo, a traditional sweet of north India, and this chocolate is finding its place on the shelves of even traditional mithai shops too.

Indian chocolate industry. Gourmet and customised chocolate creations by creative small scale entrepreneurs are also gaining currency along with the popularity of globally renowned premium chocolate brands.

The Parallel Trend

But all said and done, despite the growing popularity of chocolates in India, the chocolate consciousness in the country, by and large, still remains at a nascent stage as compared to many developed countries in the west. The reflections in creativity among a slew of talented dessert designers and chocolatiers, and rising trend of chocolates as gift items are offset by the rampant lack of chocolate consciousness in the society at large.

Still a vast majority of Indians are not able to discern between a good chocolate product and an average chocolate product, or between a great chocolate product and a good chocolate product for that matter, and neither they are willing to shell out a great deal more for a premium chocolate infused creation over and above which they would incur for having an ordinary chocolate infused creation.

Despite experiencing impressive growth in the recent years, the chocolate market in India has a long way to go before it can be termed as matured by global terms. Still, the bulk of chocolate consumption in India is accounted by Cadbury and Nestle. Moreover, the chocolate consumption in the country still remains essentially an urban phenomenon. Urban India accounts for more than 65 percent of chocolate consumption in India. In order to tap the huge rural market, the chocolate majors like Cadbury and Nestle must be more

Parallel to the emergence of premium chocolate brands, and the market dominance of mass appeal chocolate brands, which are catering to the average and as well as the fast evolving high-end chocolate consumers in India, the market for hand-crafted, artisan chocolates is also emerging, which is catering to select pockets of urban Indian society having high disposable incomes coupled with discerning tastes for chocolates.

Another evolving trend in the Indian chocolate market is the emergence of chocolates with medicinal and organic ingredients. According to the abovementioned report titled India Chocolate Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2018, published by TechSci Research, “The introduction of medicinal and organic ingredients in the manufacturing of chocolates had lead to a new trend and development in the country, which will be adapted by major manufacturers to remain active in the market.” Here it deserves a mention that TechSci Research is a global market research and consulting company, providing research based consulting solutions to its customers worldwide, spanning a range of verticals.

Going by the prevailing market trends, it seems that exclusivity and innovation, together with customised designs and creative packaging are facilitating in the creation of successful niches for the small scale and medium scale enterprises in the

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Not So Sweet Challenges

proactive in creating more affordable chocolate products, or in introducing more affordable pricing or innovative packaging of their chocolate products.

Otherwise, a huge market opportunity would continue to remain largely unexplored.

Besides majority of price-sensitive and largely ignorant customers, another key challenge for the Indian chocolate market is the high raw material prices, which is impeding the chocolatiers’ innovativeness, and can impair their capability to produce good quality for the mass market. More government’s initiatives towards the Indian chocolate industry are also required. The inadequate cold chain infrastructure in the country is also an infrastructural bottleneck towards the growth of the chocolate industry in India.

We can infer that despite the impressive growth of chocolate consumption in India in the recent years, despite the foray and presence of many high-end chocolate brands in the Indian market, and despite the emergence of a brand new breed of talented chocolatiers engaged in creating new designs through their innovative chocolate-infused creations, the chocolate market in India cannot truly evolve to that of say Belgium’s or Switzerland’s or Germany’s level unless the industry makes a sincere attempt to disseminate greater awareness for chocolates in our society, unless the rural market is adequately tapped, unless the cold chain infrastructure gets improved, and unless the prices of raw materials for chocolates get friendlier.

At the same time, more training facilities for aspiring chocolatiers who want a career in chocolates or with chocolates, and the presence of comparatively affordable designer chocolates in the market so that customised chocolates can also be within the reach of many, are the  needs of the hour.

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BAKERY REVIEW

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BAKERY REVIEW

Spreading the

Taste of Gelatos

By Swarnendu Biswas

G

elato in Italian means ice cream. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, in English gelato means a soft rich ice cream containing little or no air. One can say the English meaning is more close to the delectable reality of gelato, for gelato is not your regular ice cream. This hand-made gourmet delight is quite different from the average industrial ice creams, which are abundantly available on roadside kiosks, both in terms of its constituents and freshness. It is perhaps apt to say that every gelato is an ice cream, but not every ice cream is a gelato.

Gelato is different in composition than your average industrial ice creams found in India, or for that matter is different from average industrial ice creams found in Italy too. Though it has milk, cream, sugar and stabilser like industrial ice creams, but it is also made from natural ingredients and has no synthetic flavour or essence.

Fresh, Healthy and Vegetarian On an average, gelato has very low fat content. The rich health quotient of this frozen dessert includes protein, calcium, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamin A, and almost all the B group vitamins. “Gelato is 96 percent fat free and a scoop of gelato contains protein, calcium, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamin A and almost all the B group vitamins,” confirmed Vijay Arora, the Managing Director of Gelato Vinto, who has played a crucial role in bringing

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the taste of gelato to India, and is also playing a crucial role in spreading the flavours of gelatos across urban India.

Moreover, gelato has only 35 percent over run which means it has more product and less air content thus yielding a denser, more compact silky consistency as compared to industrial ice cream, which generally has an 80 -100 percent over run. Gelato is sold by weight and not by volume.

Besides these, gelatos should be freshly made daily unlike industrial ice creams,

June-July ’13

which is manufactured and stored indefinitely. And yes, the large vegetarian populace of India would not have any qualms in having gelato, as gelato is strictly vegetarian. “Gelato is 100 percent vegetarian, and on an average, it is more nutritious and lighter than industrial frozen dessert,” corroborated Arora.

Gelato Vinto Makes an Impact After redefining the ice cream eating culture across the globe with its natural, fresh, nutritious and delectable

offerings, gelato is also making its cool and sumptuous presence felt in the predominantly hot climate of our country. Some of the important players in the gelato sub-segment in India are Gelato Vinto and Gelato Italiano.

Presently, Gelato Italiano has 84 outlets across 7 cities of India.

Here it deserves a mention that Gelato Vinto opened its first gelato parlour in India at M-69, Greater Kailash-I in New Delhi, on 5th May 2005. The company claims that it is India’s first authentic

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gelateria or gelato parlour. “Presently, Gelato Vinto has 47 outlets in India, spread across Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. We are focusing on the southern market now,” affirmed Arora, while adding, “We presently have 30 company outlets and 17 franchisee outlets across the country.”

The response towards Gelato Vinto’s products among Delhi’s upwardly mobile segment has been overwhelming and many of its consumers are identifying Gelato Vinto’s products as new, superior level of ice cream offerings, both in terms of quality and range of flavours.

“Succinctly, one can say that Gelato Vinto has succeeded in redefining the way people eat frozen dessert in Delhi and other northern cities in India,” proffered Arora.

I asked him about his inspiration behind foraying into the hot business of frozen desserts in India. “I am a gourmand, and food remains close to my heart, and this passion for food has resulted in setting up this entrepreneurial venture. Moreover, the creativity that goes behind making of a gelato made it a natural choice for me to launch this venture. I have been a frequent traveller to Italy, which gave me the opportunity to know gelato pretty well. Furthermore, having done extensive research on this subject, I participated in specialised gelato fairs in Italy and took gelato making courses at the Gelato University in Bologna, Italy, which equipped me with the expertise to supplement my passion,” he explained further.

Arora is not at all worried about the future market of Gelato Vinto in a price-sensitive market like India. “Our products are priced slightly higher than many other products of several ice cream

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BAKERY REVIEW

Vijay Arora brands but that is because we use all natural ingredients and gelato is a fresh hand-made product unlike the average industrial ice creams, which after being manufactured are stored for a long period of time,” he offered.

The corporate honcho cum food lover is optimistic of the potential of gelato’s market in urban India. “The market for gelatos in urban India happens to be a fast-evolving market. Urban Indians are getting more aware of gelato and as they are getting health conscious, they are getting more inclined to enjoy healthy frozen dessert options like gelato,” explained the enterprising entrepreneur.

Myriad Flavours Today, Gelato Vinto’s array of products for the Indian market, which can be clubbed under the segments of gelato, sorbet (sorbets of Gelato Vinto are made from fresh fruit, sugar and water, with no role of milk and cream, thereby making the sorbets suitable for lactose intolerant people too), yogurt, gelato cakes, 100 percent sugar free coffee among others, are gaining popularity among its potential and actual Indian consumers.

At present, Gelato Vinto has a

reservoir of over 200 flavours to refresh the Indian palate for frozen desserts.

Some of the unique flavours in Gelato Vinto’s quiver full of flavours are manifested in the form of delectable products like Chikoo Gelato, Saffron Gelato, Paan Gelato, Wild Berry Gelato, Kiwi Sorbet, etc. “Also we keep developing various products with innovative flavours like Lime Basil Sorbet, Chilli Flake Gelato, etc. as per the restaurants’ requirements,” observed Arora.

The Marketing Muscle I asked him about Gelato Vinto’s newage marketing strategies to increase the popularity of its products across its target consumers in urban India. Social media has emerged as an important marketing tool for F&B companies in the recent times, and Gelato Vinto is also proactively tapping this avenue to give an impetus to its marketing endeavours.

“We strongly believe in social media marketing and we have a professionally managed Facebook page as it gives us an online platform through which we can interact with our customers and potential customers,” pointed out Arora. Besides this, the ground level promotions like gelato tasting competition, etc. are also being carried out by Gelato Vinto, which can eventually lead to the maturation of gelato market in the country.

Besides doing sales directly to the consumers, Gelato Vinto also goes for institutional sales. In fact, institutional sales form big part of Gelato Vinto’s revenues, and Gelato Vinto’s products, besides being lapped up by retail consumers, are also being supplied to five-star hotels, restaurants and caterers.

Courtesy: The product photos are of Gelato Vinto.

June-July ’13

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Addicted to Quality

By Sharmila Chand

Food has been her biggest passion ever since she could remember. She began baking at the age of 10 and envisioned a dream of opening her own little patisserie one day. Her dream took shape in the form of ‘Addicted- Freshly Baked’ in 2010, a bakery concept aimed at providing fresh, hand-crafted cupcakes, brownies, bars, cakes and gelatos.

Meet the young entrepreneur, Ridhima Khanna, who keeps adding new baked relishes to her product line and is now looking to establish her own cafe.

Every summer she goes to New York where she takes training under Patisserie Chefs at standalone bakeries and as well as at the Institute of Culinary Education and French Culinary Institute.

This exposure helps her understand the technical aspects of food even better and enables her to implement new ideas in the realm of baking effectively. The excerpts of the interview follow: Firstly, tell us about your company ‘Addicted’ is a bakery concept which is directed towards producing and presenting fresh, hand-crafted cupcakes, brownies, bars, cakes and gelatos for the consumers. ’Addicted’ was established in 2010 with the idea that quality products in the patisserie industry in India were hard and rare to find. They still are. For example, cupcakes are a phenomenon across the globe yet they are relatively unknown food products in India.

What is the USP of your products?

All our ingredients are fresh and as authentic as possible.

The use of high quality ingredients & treasured flavours, coupled with a burst of colours make sure that each of our handmade products is simple, beautiful and most importantly, tastes simply perfect. These I think are the USPs of our products.

Please explain the infrastructure details, highlighting the kind of gadgets, equipments, etc. you have been using We use KitchenAid’s and Magimix’s machines in combination with an industrial oven. We also use Belgian

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chocolate, Philadelphia cheese, and fresh fruits. Overall, we keep our ingredients of the highest possible quality.

Please throw some light on the staff you have engaged to do your baking I do all the baking personally and only have staff deployed for the technicalities like cleaning, delivery, box making, etc.

How do you keep yourself updated with the new techniques and products coming in the fascinating world of baking?

I undergo culinary training every summer in New York, taking a mix of classes between the Institute of Culinary Education and the French Culinary Institute. This helps me to be updated with the new techniques and products in the patisserie world.

What are the challenges you face towards producing good quality products?

The biggest challenge towards producing good quality products for the Indian bakery market comes in sourcing the right quality and kind of ingredients, as well as in ensuring non spoilage of the finished products in the Indian climate.

June-July ’13

BAKERY REVIEW Where all your products are available?

Our products are available on order as well as at fairs, which are held in Delhi throughout the year. We have also retailed our cupcakes at various cafes across the city, Amici Pronto at Select Citywalk and Ploof Deli being some examples.

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curiosity to experiment beyond a cliched palate.

How do you market your products?

We market our products through social media and word of mouth. A lot of our bulk orders as well as participation in fairs result in word of mouth marketing, which I think is also the most reliable and effective way to establish brand loyalty and presence.

I must also add that we have established a brand presence by taking part in a variety of fairs and exhibitions organised by NGOs, some of them being the Tamana Winter Carnival at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, Jan Madhyam’s fair at The Australian High Commission, Delhi Network Fair amongst many others.

In addition, Addicted - Freshly Baked has been featured in the HT City, Delhi Times, and as well as in leading national magazines, notably India Today and Time Out. This has given us good visibility.

How do you cater to the growing demand for healthy products?

We make hand-crafted products; minimising the use of processed food products. We incorporate fresh wholesome ingredients in all our products such as fresh fruits, milk, nuts, oats, whole wheat flour, spices, antioxidant dark chocolate.

Furthermore, we have recently launched an Addicted-Freshly Baked line of nutritive products, incorporating only super foods. These yummy healthy treats are baked entirely with the goodness of almond flour, oats, whole wheat flour, bran, flax seed meal, fresh fruit, nuts, spices, dark chocolate, minimal amounts of olive oil, and brown sugar/jaggery.

We offer vegan products as part of the nutritive range too. Our Addicted artisan gelato is created using fresh milk, seasonal ingredients and fruits, infused coffee beans, 64 percent chocolate, and the other very best possible ingredients available. It is churned freshly as per your order. The entire ideology behind Addicted is the use of fresh, healthy, high quality ingredients to maximise consumer taste and satisfaction.

How has been the business in the last two years?

The business in the last two years has expanded and grown with the customer base becoming more informative about products they would like. The customers are also displaying a

What are your future plans?

We plan to eventually have our own artisan Addicted-Freshly Baked bakery, sticking to our ideal of having every product fresh and of the highest quality ingredients.

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BAKERY REVIEW

The Versatile Cake Mixes

Sensuously Premium Delights

AB Mauri’s range of versatile cake mixes is marketed under Tower, the oldest signature brand used by bakers in India. These mixes have been formulated with the end consumer in mind. Innovation is the hallmark of AB Mauri and this facet is also present in its cake mixes.

The comprehensive range of cake mixes with AB Mauri can cater to sponges (vanilla & chocolate), brownies, muffins, donuts and cookies. The sheet strength and texture imparted by all these mixes to the cakes is of high quality.

According to the R&D team at AB Mauri, what is noteworthy is that even the egg-free mixes are able to match the same quality.

Apart from the convenience factor, Tower cake mixes offer adaptability and versatility.

The vanilla sponge mixes adapt easily to almost all flavours. The chocolate cake mixes contain outstanding chocolate flavours and lend themselves to a variety of recipes like black forest, chocolate truffle, chocolate layer cake, chocolate soufflé cake and more.

Take the case of Tower Egg-Free Chocolate Cake Mix—Utsav, one of the cake mixes in AB Mauri’s ambit. It is a complete, convenient and economical cake mix. Oil and water are all that needs to be added.

It promises great volume, uniform crumb texture and has a truly rich chocolate taste.

AB Mauri India Pvt. Ltd. info@abmauri.co.in

Puratos’ Carat Coverlux is a premium range of dark, milk and white multi-purpose compound chocolates made primarily with fractionated fat and refined to a smooth texture. They afford great chocolate taste, thanks to the intense flavour of the specially selected cocoa powders, and give a mouth feel that is similar to that of Real chocolate.

The impeccable refining process gives these chocolates their fine and smooth texture. Their shiny appearance owe to the high quality of vegetable fat as an ingredient. Their superior shrinking properties facilitate easy de-moulding. These chocolates have multi-purpose roles in bakery operations. They can be used for decorating, enrobing, and in flavouring of patisserie, muffins, fillings and mousses, and are especially suitable for moulding.

Puratos’ proven know-how in chocolate processing guarantees superior products with excellent taste, texture and viscosities. Matched with its expertise in bakery and patisserie, Puratos is able to offer great possibilities to meet the needs of today’s bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers.Compound chocolates for industry usage is a specialty of Puratos.

They bring a wide range of benefits to the chocolatier. and chocolate manufacturer.

Puratos Food Ingredients India Pvt. Ltd. dhiren.kanwar@puratosindia.com

Petits Trésors The origins of the Sablé date back to the 18th century in Normandy, when it was defined as ‘a much sought after type of confectionary which crumbles like a biscuit when eaten. Towards 1870, Littré included the word ‘sablé’ in his dictionary, where he defined it as ‘the name of a kind of cake from Normandy’. This Normandy speciality owes a large part of its success to the Parisians, who visited the beaches of Normandy, and greatly enjoyed its biscuits. As a result, many bakers, throughout Normandy, created their own versions of this biscuit. Georges Lautour, a baker in Lonlay l’Abbaye (61), was forced to move away during the Second World War, and upon his return, he decided that he too would start making his own Sablé to bring back the customers he had lost during his prolonged absence. His wife, Hélène, added it to the recipe books….and the Abbey Sablé was born.

Petits Trésors is baked by kneading the creamy, butter shortbread dough in such a way as to reveal the fruit bits, and by topping the biscuit with a layer of real chocolate of just the right amount to achieve a delicious mix of flavours. The prepartion also involves adding just the right amount of spices to tickle your taste buds, and bring out the chocolate and fruit notes.

Epicure Frozen Foods & Beverages Pvt Ltd. gauravtandon@epicure.in

Mello Margarine Mello margarine contains the right mix of MUFA & PUFA, which are known as cholesterol fighters. It has no cholesterol and about 70 percent less saturated fat than butter. Butter generally contains excessive saturated fats that cause bad cholesterol.

By substituting Mello for butter over a week’s time, one can save a whole day’s worth of saturated fat. Mello also offers nutritional benefits – a tablespoon of Mello provides 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, and is an important source of dietary Vitamin D & E. It also contains linoleic acid; an essential fatty acid which is vital for good health. Mello is spreadable, almost right out of the refrigerator.

Foods Fats & Fertilizers Ltd. sjj@fff.co.in

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor.

In any case, it does not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

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Embodying Patience and Perfection

By Sharmila Chand

With more than a decade’s experience behind him, Chef Arun Kala, the Pastry Chef at The Claridges, New Delhi, has been instrumental in uplifting the pastry shop at the five-star hotel, which is named ‘Ye Old Bakery.’ He has introduced new techniques for baking cakes and pastries at the pastry shop. Kala is also credited for the application of new textures and molecular gastronomy at Sevilla— the Mediterranean fine dining restaurant of The Clardiges, New Delhi.

Kala has the experience of working with renowned names in the hospitality industry, which also includes his stint with The Oberoi Vanyavilas as a pre-opening team member. He also has the distinction of completing one month of training programme in plated desserts, at Le Gavroche, London, from Chef Michel Roux Jr. The excerpts of the interview follow: What are the current trends in the Indian bakery industry?

Popular trends in the Indian bakery industry include the rising popularity of parbaking. In parbaking, bread or dough products are baked until approximately 80 percent cooked and are then rapidly frozen.

Also there is the trend for artisan breads, which are especially advantageous for smaller bakers who generally have greater ability to be flexible in their production facilities and tend to possess insights related to local tastes.

Increased demand for organic food has also made the Indian bakery industry more approachable to locally sourced organic ingredients, which are free from any chemical and genetically modified seed.

Moreover, the demand for packed gift items in the Indian bakery business is fast emerging as an option for traditional Indian sweets, which are less health-friendly.

Extended shelf lives by addition of emulsifiers and enzymes in baked products and also better packaging techniques to enhance better customer experience are other trends prevailing through the Indian bakery industry.

How did you become a Pastry Chef?

The roots of my inspiration behind becoming a Pastry Chef can be traced to my hometown Dehradun where a lot of bakeries, which were operating since the time of British days, inspired me to take to the creativity of baking as my preferred career. Working with quality organisations further gave wings to my career of being a Pastry Chef.

Who are your idols, who have inspired you?

I have always been inspired by all those

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Chefs who strive each single day to make sure that their culinary creations are always of the same standard as the customers expect them to be, without any compromises.

What are your hot selling bakery items?

At our pastry shop Ye Old Bakery, hot selling items are multigrain and Pumpernickel bread.

Apart from these items, oatmeal cookies are always a topper in the popularity charts among the customers.

What about the health quotient? How do you take care of that aspect?

Health quotient has been always a priority with us, while selecting the ingredients for baked products. Ingredients less in calories and more on nutrients are always used in my recipes, to facilitate healthy and nutritious baked products.

What is your favourite tool and why it is so?

My favourite tool is a handy table top kitchen aid with mixer, creamer and a kneader, which helps me to standardise my recipes while I am working on them at initial stages.

What are the challenges a Bakery Chef has to face in her/his job?

Major challenges for a Bakery Chef include getting the right quality ingredients from the suppliers, which influence the final quality of the baked products. Also working with new techniques and machines requires skilled and passionate workforce, which presently is scarce in the market.

Moreover, if a Bakery Chef wants to do something which is not trendy in the market

then it requires a lot of patience from her/his end. That is also a challenge.

What do you like about your job?

My job affords me the freedom to explore beyond imagination, which has always made me like this job very much.

What is your strength as a Pastry Chef?

I think my patience, and positive approach to get the final product right each time are my key strengths as a Pastry Chef.

What is your working philosophy?

My working mantra has always been to strive for the best no matter how hard the situations are. I think if you are able to do so, you will find your dreams coming true.

What are you passionate about besides baking?

Besides baking I am always ready to learn more about different cuisines and exploring them through travelling.

How do you like to de-stress?

My de-stress formula is to listen to some quality music, whenever I get the time to do so.

What are your dreams?

My dream is to become a renowned Pastry or Bakery Chef who would be known for the uniqueness of his products.

Lastly, what is your mantra for success?

My mantra for success is to keep focus on your goals because life without goals leads you nowhere. And also to keep working hard on those goals until you get them.

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