April-May 2013

Apr-May ’13

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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E d i t o r i a l

Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

Associate Editor Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Sub-Editor Angshupriya Danda Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Narender Kumar Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrath Nath, Sumesh Sharma Mumbai: Rajesh Tupsakhre 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: 91-11-45084903, 25854103 Telefax: 91-11-25854105 Mumbai: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400093 Ph.: 022-28395833 Telefax: 022-28388947

Website: www.fbrmag.com 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.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma from 302, Himgiri Apartments, J-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Printed at Age of Enlightenment Publications, Green Fields Colony, Faridabad, Haryana.

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 Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing institutional food & beverage business. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

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With drinking of alcoholic beverages fast loosing its societal taboo in urban India, the cocktails are also gaining currency. Cocktails may have a misty history, but in India they seem to have a wonderful future ahead too. I believe that despite the presence of a plethora of alcoholic drinks in the market, cocktails are fast finding their niche among their target consumers. It is not only that the classic and time-tested cocktails like Cosmopolitan, Blood Mary and Manhattan which are popular at high-end bars across metropolitan India. Many bartenders are seen experimenting with flavours and ingredients to come up with creative cocktail concoctions of their own, which are often spruced with a distinctively Indian touch. High-end bars having their own signature cocktails are a happening phenomenon in the beverage industry of India.

However, the bartenders preparing innovative cocktails should remember that simply being innovative and creative would not attract crowd at their bar counters; their combination of ingredients, flavours and garnishes in cocktails can be innovative or can be conventional in nature, but more importantly their cocktails should be liked by their guests. Moreover, creativity in cocktails should often be complemented by adherence to minutest details, for a careful attention to small details often makes for a great cocktail.

The bartenders should also remember that like there is appropriate garnishing or alcohol base for a given type of cocktail, there is also a particular type of guest or guests for a given type of cocktail. Not all cocktails are for everybody, and therefore bartenders should make an effort to create customised cocktails for their regular guests, while keeping a careful account of their likes and dislikes. The origin of the word cocktail, its growing popularity in India in the recent years, and the evolving trends in India’s cocktail culture are being explored in this issue’s Cover Story, which our readers may find interesting.

Like cocktails, chocolates in India too are gaining popularity, which is reflected in the appreciable growth of the chocolate market in the country, in the recent years. Chocolates as gift items to enliven personal relations during festivities and also as corporate gifts are gaining popularity in urban India, and no wonder, according to an exhaustive study, the per capita chocolate consumption in India has enhanced impressively during 2005-2012.

However, still the per capita consumption and awareness levels pertaining to chocolates in India are nowhere near that of the levels of the developed chocolate markets in Europe. We need to drastically improve our cold chain infrastructure, generate more awareness about subtle nuances of various chocolates across the target profile of chocolate consumers, generate more training facilities for our aspiring chocolatiers, and on top of these, the industry must make a proactive effort to tap the rural market for chocolates through creative pricing and packaging, which despite being huge is still largely unexplored. Only the success of these initiatives can increase our chances of having a mature and evolved chocolate market. We have tried to explore the fast growing Indian chocolate market and its challenges in our Feature Story.

Besides these crucial topics for our food & beverage industry, we have covered a wealth of information and analysis on various other important issues/trends pertaining to the Indian F&B industry through our regular and additional sections, which we hope would give our esteemed readers much food for thought between the pages.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’13

CONTENTS

Cover Story

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Departments

Cool it with Cocktails

Feature

38

Event

04

News

10

Focus

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Dairy

46

Wine

48

Restaurant Review

60

Chef Voice

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Product Preview

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Business Opportunity

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Interview

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India’s Affair with Chocolates Deepening

Pub

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By The Way to Headiness

Theme Cuisine

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Explore the Aroma of Kashmir

Operations

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Exhaust for Clean Kitchens Cover Pix: Garage Inc. American Diner, New Delhi

Apr-May ’13

Hygiene Food for Storage

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EVENT

THAIFEX —

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We are very pleased with this partnership and hope to double the participation by 2015,” said Daniele Rossi, General Director, Federalimentare.

One of the highlights of the trade fair was the World of Seafood, which made its debut at this edition of THAIFEX— World of Food Asia. This was a professional trade fair catering to the seafood and frozen food industry.

“THAIFEX is one of the biggest food fairs in Asia. We hope that THAIFEX will be the door to the world that will push Thailand to be the kitchen of the world.

We are one of the biggest in the world for processed food products. We are ready for all kinds of food export, as we are equipped for sanitation, food safety and consistent supply,” proffered Poj Aramwattananont, President of the Thai Frozen Food Association.

THAIFEX —World of Food Asia 2013 hosted two competitions, Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge, and the Roasters’ Choice Award. Here it deserves a mention that the second edition of

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THAIFEX— World of Food Asia 2013, which was held at IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center during 22nd-26th May 2013, attracted 27,361 visitors from 125 countries. Out of these 21,326 were local visitors. The event, which is regarded as Asia’s one of the most influential food & beverage exhibitions, attracted 1340 exhibitors. The tenth edition of THAIFEX garnered praise from the industry for its high quality of local and overseas buyers. The success of this edition of THAIFEX was evident from its estimated spot sales of 15 million USD. THAIFEX—World of Food Asia also saw the inaugural alliance with Italy, which brought 67 Italian companies, which occupied a total of 612 sq km.

“Asia marks huge potential for growth and is a very important market for Italy.

THAIFEX—World of Food Asia is an international fair and a gateway to Asia.

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World of Food Asia 2013: Recording a Stupendous Success Story

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge, organised by Thailand Chefs Association and Koelnmesse, saw close to 500 participants, including competitors from 13 provinces from Thailand. The rest of the competitors were from Cambodia, Israel, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Turkey.

“THAIFEX is no longer a competition venue but a platform for Thai Chefs to compete, learn and educate themselves on the many ways of using Thai ingredients,” opined Willment Leong, Organising Chairman of the Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge.

The Roasters’ Choice Award competition saw fourteen coffee producers from Asia participating, and top quality judges graded the coffee beans on their quality.”Coffee is very new to Asia as we traditionally drink tea in this part of the world. However, the coffee drinking culture is growing very fast in some parts of Asia. We have created the Roasters’ Choice Award so that coffee bean producers and baristas have a platform to understand the product and to understand the demands of the market,” aired Meechai Amornpathanakul, President of Barista Association of Thailand. The three conferences at the event — Cold Chain World, Pack InnoTech, and World of Safety were also graced by a stellar panel of high-level speakers.

The continuing growth story of THAIFEX — World of Food Asia is reflected by the fact that the mega event, in the backdrop of its overwhelming response to this edition, would increase its spread by 20,000 sq.m in its next edition.

Apr-May ’13

Jan-Feb ’13

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EVENT

BITEC, Bangkok Will Host TRAFS 2013 TRAFS 2013 (7th edition of the show), the leading food & retail show in Thailand, is going to be held during 25th- 28th July 2013 at BITEC, Bangkok It is expected to be an ideal platform for manufacturers/distributors of food/drinks equipment supplies and suppliers from the world. The event is expected to attract 28,000 target buyers from 50 countries. TRAFS 2013 is also co-located with the 9th edition of Thailand Franchise & Business Opportunities, which can give double exposure to the visitors and exhibitors at the event.

TRAFS 2012 (6th edition) witnessed a new record of over 27,000 visitors from 48 countries.

According to Kavin Kittiboonya, Managing Director of Kavin Intertrade Co., Ltd, the show organizer, a total of 27, 415 visitors from 48 countries were registered during the four-day event last year. Of this, 27,123 were visitors (hoteliers, hospitality professionals, etc.) from Thailand, and the rest were from the 47 ○

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HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2013 to Celebrate its 11th Anniversary

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The 3rd Hospitality Business Fair 2013 and Food & Beverage Process Tech Fair 2013 will be organised by Synergy Exposures & Events India Pvt. Ltd. from June 14th-16th 2013, in Chennai. The concurrent events catering to the hotel and food processing sector will also organise a conference i.e. Hospitality Knowledge Sharing Forum 2013, in partnership with leading industrial associations at the same venue.

Synergy Exposures & Events India Pvt. Ltd. has in the past organised several successful expos across South India, covering a variety of subjects. This expo is aimed at contributing to the growth of the hospitality industry and food processing industry by enabling the manufacturers and service providers with an opportunity to be at the right place.

Hospitality Business Fair 2013 aims at providing a platform for face-to-face interaction between the manufacturers or suppliers and the buyers. The expo is expected to showcase over 150 exhibitors from across the globe. The unique feature of the event is that it is a highly focused event revolving around the hotels and food chains in South India.

South Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (SIHRA), Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF), The Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, Indo French Chamber Of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI), TN Bakers Federation India, etc. have extended their support for the event and will promote the expo to their members.

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Synergy Exposures Will Organise 3rd Hospitality Business Fair and Food & Beverage Process Tech Fair 2013

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TRAFS 2013. They were also satisfied with the comprehensive activities arranged throughout the show, which included hotelier competitions, food and bakery workshops and hotelier seminars/meetings.

TRAFS 2013 has increased exhibition space to 7,000 sq.m from 6,000 sq.m. in its 2012 edition, in order to cope with the needs of existing exhibitors plus new exhibitors, both from Thailand and overseas.

countries. Top ten overseas visitors were from Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, the United States, Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, Hong Kong, and China.

Kittiboonya said that based on the post show questionnaire with exhibitors, it was revealed that the majority of them were satisfied with the results of the show, the quality of the visitors, and almost 70 percent of them had confirmed to participate in the

The 11th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment and Supplies Fair or HOSFAIR 2013 will be held during 27th-29th June 2013, at the China Import and Export Fair Complex. The annual show has gradually emerged as a prominent and high-quality hospitality show over the years. With the objective of maximising the potential of related sectors and creating a comprehensive exhibition, the show will host ten sectors from the industry namely kitchen and catering, hotel furniture, hotel textile, clean and laundry, interior supplies tableware, intelligence, coffee, wine & spirit, food and beverage. The show is expected to arrange more than 4000 stands and cover 80,000 square meters of exhibition space.

Guided by the spirit of innovation, cooperation and internationalisation, HOSFAIR Guangzhou is geared to become a grand fair in the hospitality industry. With an objective to hone the fair as the most effective platform for hotel supplies, manufacturers and traders, HOSFAIR has introduced the brands of the exhibitors into the international market as well.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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E V E N T S’ C A L E N D E R

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HOSFAIR 2013 27-29 June 2013 China Imports & Exports Fair Complex, Guangzhou www.hosfair.com TRAFS 2013 25-28 July 2013 Hall 103, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok www.thailandhoreca.com

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HBF 2013 14-16 June 2013 Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai www.hbf.co.in

Hong Kong International Tea Fair 15-17 August 2013 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Hongkong www.hkteafair.com

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The 2nd Shenzhen International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair 14-16 October 2013 Shenzhen Exhibition Center, China www.szhosfair.com

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Food Ingredients India 2013 3-5 October 2013 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai www.fiindia.ingredientsnetwork.com

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Report Magazine, Don Fisher from Fisher-Nickel, Francois Tesniere — the award-winning architect and visionary designer — engaged and inspired the audience and participants at the forum.

HOTELEX 2013 had also collaborated with U.S. Agricultural Trade Office Shanghai Center this year to help put on an excellent show, utilising food ingredients from USA. With the purpose of introducing these food ingredients from USA into the Chinese restaurants, the Taste of the United States 2013 — Asian Master Chef Challenge featured many awardwinning Chinese Chefs.

HOTELEX Shanghai 2014 will be held from March 31st to April 3rd at Shanghai New International Expo Center with more space and fascinating events, as stated by the event officials.

Annapoorna World of Food 23-25 September 2013 Hall-5, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai www.hbf.co.in

Fine Food India 11-13 December 2013 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.finefoodindiaexpo.com

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130,000 square meters.

The number of exhibitors this year had reached over 1,500 with a promising 30 percent growth, covering 11 halls with an exhibiting space of 130,000 square meters. The number of professional visitors had also seen impressive growth with 36 percent increase from the previous year’s edition.

Also the overseas visitors this year saw a 63.3 percent increase over that of the 2012 edition, due to the pre-show intensive promotion. The event this year attracted over 300 media partners from home and abroad to report and visit.

For instance, Channel Young, Drink International Magazine, Foodservice Consultant Magazine, Hospitality Magazine, China Hotel Purchase News, Meadin.com among others covered stories of different aspects in

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Co-organised by Shanghai Tourism Bureau, China Tourism Hotel Association and Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo, HOTELEX Shanghai 2013 concluded successfully on 3rd April 2013, at Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC); welcoming an overwhelming visitor head count of 70,557 with an exhibiting area of

HOTELEX, an event that attracted exhibitors, visitors, baristas, bartenders and judges.

In the 2013 edition HOTELEX invited the industry opinion leaders and trend setters to share knowledge and information with the participants of the event. ‘Foodservice in the 21st Century’ forum elaborated on how catering owners and operators can stand out from fierce market competition with distinguished service and futuristic concepts. Speakers such as Jane Ganaway from Yum! China, Robin Ashton from Foodservice Equipment

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MIFB 6-8 June 2013 Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.hbf.co.in

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Concludes with Applause

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HOTELEX Shanghai 2013

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EVENT

Apr-May ’13

Apr-May ’13

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NEWS SCAN

Tandoor Concept by Electrolux: Accredited by the Governing Body of ICF

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n a recent development, the members of the governing body of the Indian Culinary Forum have accredited the Tandoor Concept by Electrolux for its innovation and perfection. The Tandoor Concept by Electrolux was developed at the Electrolux’s Innovation Center in Gurgaon by the Electrolux Chef Academy, and Electrolux has been tirelessly sharing this concept across seminars, events, and exhibitions with professional Chefs all over India and abroad.

“With adequate and relevant research in Indian cuisine, Electrolux has very successfully adapted, developed and showcased the Tandoor Concept, incorporating it in its programme designed for ovens, which the company is now successfully marketing in India. The Tandoor Concept has successfully demonstrated application of technology to cook traditional Indian cuisine to perfection in less time and in an energy-efficient manner,” elaborated Chef Davinder Kumar, President ICF & Vice President, F&B Production, Le

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Meridien New Delhi, while speaking about the Tandoor Concept.

In the recent past, Electrolux Chef Academy has successfully demonstrated the making of biryani (in clay pot), chicken and paneer tikka, idli, samosa, and dhokla at Gulfood and AAHAR through Tandoor Concept. Prior to these demonstrations at these trade exhibitions, the Tandoor Concept by Electrolux was launched in front of an audience of over 300 Chefs from the Indian hotel industry at Indian Culinary Congress by IFCA, in Bangalore, in March 2012, and subsequently in September 2012, at

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

the Electrolux Food Theatre at Fine Food India, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Keeping up the momentum, Electrolux Professional India has been very busy in spreading the Tandoor Concept by Electrolux to Chefs across India, and encouraging them to apply this concept in their daily operations.

Speaking on the occasion, Kim Underhill, Regional Head, South East Asia and India, Electrolux Professional, said, “This Tandoor Concept can be applied worldwide and has the potential to take Indian cuisine to greater heights. More so it opens up the possibility for other international cuisines to be cooked to perfection with Electrolux Professional equipments.”

“Since late 2010, tireless work has been put in for perfecting this concept,” asserted Marco Guerretti, Head of Region 8 and 10, Electrolux Professional. “Electrolux’s Chefs, kitchen consultants and as well as customers have been engaged in detailed discussions and intense workshops to put it to test and now we have a winning concept,” he added.

Apr-May ’13

Apr-May ’13

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NEWS SCAN

GAIA Launched Mini Green Tea New Exotic Summer Punches at Garage Inc. Packs in Various Flavours Health and wellness brand Gaia’s popular line of green teas is now available in convenient mini packs. Antioxidant rich green tea is the perfect way to combat the scorching summer heat. It has rejuvenating and healing properties and helps repair and reenergise the entire body. Furthermore, it has cholesterol-lowering effects and contributes towards strengthening the immune system. Rich in flavonoids, it also helps regulate blood sugar levels besides boosting metabolism.

Mini packs with 10 tea bags of Gaia Green Tea, Gaia Green Tea, Lemon, and Gaia Green Tea, Tulsi are priced at Rs.60 each.

All the above mentioned products will be available at leading pharmacies and general stores across India.

“The products are gleaned from nature at its deepest, most potent level, in the form of ingredients with almost miraculous healing properties, which help arrest our bodies’ inevitable decline with the onset of age. Best of all, these products are time-tested for being entirely natural and have only positive effects without any undesirable side-effects. Each of these products has its own special healing and nurturing magic”, explained a company official.

As the summer Sun shines bright, get ready to dive into the all new eclectic range of Summer Punches @ Garage Inc. and experience a burst of freshness to beat the scorching heat at DelhiNCR. Rejuvenate your soul with the chilled coolers, interestingly mixed by Chef/ Mixologist, Anisha Maker and choose from a list featuring fascinating drinks like Fat Mango Coolers, Orange Lemonade, Lemongrass Martini, Watermelon Capriojka & so on.

The concept of Garage Inc. was to create an exquisite destination for food, offering a rustic and casual American dining experience in the city. A futuristic industrial design inspired from old world garages, comfortable seating, great music and a cosy Al fresco section give this 40- seater restaurant the ideal ambience for a memorable meal. Classic American touches are evident throughout the interiors of this outlet and light wooden furniture, brick walls and an open kitchen add to the appeal. Observing Chef and Owner Anisha Maker as she weaves magic in this kitchen is a sight that adds to the interactive philosophy of Garage Inc. The long and attractive bar area is dotted with curios like a cute bicycle lamp and the outdoor deck, which sets the mood to party and gorge. In the short span of eight months since its launch, Garage Inc. has witnessed an excellent response from the foodies across Delhi-NCR. This outlet offers authentic American food, especially signature dishes of meat, steak & burgers, which can be collectively a treat for your taste buds. The restaurant has come up with an extensive summer menu that assures to be as delightful as the existing selection.

A Culinary Cruise to the Backwaters of Kerala The cuisine of Kerala is linked in all its richness to the history, geography, demography and the culture of the land. Kerala cuisine is renowned for its delectable taste and has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes using vegetables, fish, poultry and meat. Its flavours are light and refreshing, leaving a distinctly delicious taste.

12th Main - Grand Mercure, located in the city of Bangalore, recently hosted a wonderful Kerala Food Festival, in the last week of April, where an array of exquisite delicacies from the kitchens of Kerala, popularly referred to as ‘Mallu Cuisine’ was presented. Lots of authentic dishes like Kal Appam, Kachiya Mooru, Poricha Meen Chammandi, Kozhi Varuval, Irachi Varuthathu and a lot more were on the plates.

The menu for the festival had been carefully crafted to ensure that both vegetarians and non-vegetarians had lots to choose from. The drifting aroma of the spices of the region ensured that one is instantly transported to the Malabar, thereby enabling the guests savour some of the best Kerala cuisine in all its delightful authenticity.

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Apr-May ’13

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NEWS SCAN

Summit to Discuss Sustainibility Tetra Pak Inaugurates a Issues in the Food Industry Massive Factory in Pune The growing use of sustainable ingredients in the food industry will be featured in the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit. Taking place in Amsterdam on 6-7th June, the summit will discuss the potential of natural sweeteners, ancient grains, sustainable oils, and novel ingredients in food & beverage products and would explore how can such materials reduce the environmental footprints of finished products.

The Sustainable Foods Summit will bring together senior executives from across the food industry to discuss sustainability issues. Confirmed participants include large food & ingredient firms like Raisio Group, Alpro, Unilever, Agropalma, Scan Foods, Nexira, etc. Sustainable food firms like Fairfood International, High Quality Organics, Bio4Ever, Organics Brasil, Kamut International, Bio Plus, etc. and retailers and distributors like Coop Switzerland, Royal Ahold Group, Colruyt Belgium, Delhaize, etc. will also participate at the summit. Certification agencies like FLO Cert, TÜV Nord Integra, Control Union, ICEA, Ecocert, Soil Association, etc, and industry organisations and NGOs like Slow Food, British Retail Consortium, ProChile, UNESCO, Fairtrade Labelling Organisation, BioNext, UTZ Certified among others will also be there.

Launched in 2009, this will be the 5th European edition of this international series of summits. The aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the global food industry by discussing key industry issues.

Tetra Pak has announced the inauguration of its latest world-class factory, which came up at Chakan, near Pune, Maharashtra. The plant is designed to meet the growing demand for Tetra Pak’s processing and packaging solutions across India, South and South-east Asia, and the Middle-East. The Rs.700 crore facility marks a significant milestone in Tetra Pak’s increasing presence in the Indian subcontinent.

“Tetra Pak began its market operations in India, 26 years ago, with a strong belief in the country’s growth potential. In 1997, we inaugurated our first factory here. We appreciate the trust and belief that the Indian dairy and beverage industry has in Tetra Pak. Today, India ranks among our fastest growing markets.

Investing in this factory demonstrates our strong commitment to supporting our customers to meet growing consumer demand in the region,” explained the Tetra Pak’s President and CEO, Dennis Jönsson.

Spread over 45 acres, the new Tetra Pak plant in Pune employs advanced packaging material production technologies and equipment. Amongst various other facilities, the new plant will have a straw production unit, a processing systems workshop, a filling machine renovation, and a technical training academy.

The facility will also house a Product Development and Innovation Centre, which will have a laboratory, a pilot processing plant and a pilot packaging plant to meet the product formulations and development needs of customers. The plant is also expected to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Overall, this plant is expected to enhance Tetra Pak’s competitiveness among its clientele across India.

Summer Thirst Quenchers with a South Indian Twist @ Vaango This summer is going to be a ‘chilling’ experience at Vaango, India’s first South Indian Quick Service Restaurant, which serves authentic food with a dash of style. Check out Vaango’s ‘Thirst Quenchers with a Twist’ that promise you an ‘Iceland in Delhi’ experience, with an exciting range of refreshing beverages designed to cool you down. On offer is a range of South India inspired drinks apart from other all time favourites.

The exciting new range includes Iced Latte — the authentic filter coffee in a chilled avatar, Iced Choco Latte — the chilled version of an amazing combination of authentic filter coffee and chocolate flavour, Vaango Chaach — the ideal summer health drink to beat the heat, Chocolate Cooler — the all time favourite and the popular chocolate flavour on the rocks, the classic Lime Mojito, and the refreshing Lemon Ice Tea. Vaango has also launched exciting Facebook promotions where Internet visitors can share accounts of their own favourite summer drink and take away trial cards of the new range of ‘Thirst Quenchers’ to be redeemed at the various Vaango outlets. In-store, Vaango will give guests an opportunity to participate in special contests where they can win exciting food and drink vouchers.

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NEWS SCAN

Hassad Food Acquires Majority Equity Interest in Bush Foods Overseas Hassad Food, Qatar’s premier investor in the agriculture and livestock sectors, has acquired a majority equity interest in India-based Bush Foods Overseas Pvt. Ltd. Bush Foods Overseas was founded in 1992, and has a current turnover in excess of 235 million USD. The company specialises in premium basmati rice and has diversified into value added processed foods such as RTE (Ready to Eat), spices and other ethnic range of international brands, which are available in 60 countries worldwide.

Bush Foods’ flagship brands, Neesa, Himalayan Crown and Indian Star, are considered amongst the most trusted and reputed basmati rice brands globally for their consistent quality. This milestone acquisition is expected to position Hassad Food on the global business map as a major player in the basmati rice domain and will be considered another achievement for the Qatari company.

On the occasion, Nasser Al Hajri, Chairman of Hassad

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Food, said, “We are very excited about this acquisition which is a strong testament that Hassad Food is on the right track towards achieving its vision in becoming a leading global provider of high quality food products.” Virkaran Awasty, Managing Director of Bush Foods Overseas, commented, “We are very happy with the deal. Bush Foods Overseas has worked hard to be a respected name in the basmati rice domain, worldwide. I am confident that Hassad Food is the ideal longterm majority partner that can take the company to an even higher level.” ○

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Eagle Boys Pizza Celebrates its 1st Anniversary in India To celebrate its first anniversary in the country, Eagle Boys Pizza is offering a special ‘Anniversary Offer’ which enables one to get a pizza free of the same or of lesser value (except Veg-Margherita, Veg–Cheese & Tomato, and Non-Veg Chicken Makhani) on purchase of a given pizza.The promotion is valid from 5th May-10th June, this year.

Australian pizza chain Eagle Boys began its voyage in India from Delhi and it presently has four stores in Delhi and one in Bathinda, Punjab. Fusion Taste Pvt. Ltd., a venture of HBN Group, is the master franchisee of the Australian pizza chain in North India. It offers a wide variety of delicious pizzas with good taste and quality at affordable prices.

During the occasion, Vishnu Reddy L, COO of Fusion Taste Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are extremely privileged to have the patronisation of our loyal customers on this occasion of completing a successful year of Pizza Boys in India. I thank all of them from the bottom of my heart. We would definitely try to keep up to their expectations, and also add few more products in the coming time. Also, during this achievement, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all my staff members, suppliers and vendors for their trust and continued support in this ongoing journey.”

“We are targeting towards having around 10 outlets by the end of this year. With our improvisation and urge for delivering the best in terms of menu, ambience and service, we are certain that the coming year will be even more successful for Eagle Boys in India,” he further added.

The four locations in Delhi where Eagle Boys are located are at GK II, M Block Market, at Rajouri Garden opposite Rajouri Garden Metro Station, at Regal Building, Parliament Street, Connaught Place (opposite Janpath Market), and at Hudson Lane, Kingsway Camp.

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NEWS SCAN

CCD Introduces ‘Crunchy Frappe’ Café Coffee Day (CCD), the pioneers of the coffee café culture in India, has introduced a delicious new beverage to its menu called the ‘Crunchy Frappe’.

The beverage was launched in Delhi amidst much fanfare and a dash of glitterati, with the presence of the new addition to Bollywood, Shraddha Kapoor.

CCD has always been known for its innovation, be it in terms of servicing its customers or in introducing newer beverages and dishes to its menu. Its latest innovation comes in the wake of introducing a delicious new beverage, a new addition to the ‘frappe’ line of beverages, that will satiate the thirst and hunger needs at the same time.

A thirst quencher and a perfect tease to one’s taste buds, the all new ‘Crunchy Frappe’ is a delicious beverage to savour and devour. It has also been observed that there is a rising trend towards liquid snacks and this beverage is expected to cater to that need gap. It consists of the divine mixture of crunchy oreos; dunked in a rich creamy chocolaty meltdown. It is delicious and is sure to be an instant hit among CCD’s guests.

Speaking on the occasion, K. Ramakrishnan, President Marketing, CCD said, “CCD has been a pioneer in the coffee & café business. We can proudly say that we have mastered the art of keeping our customers engaged through various activities and offerings. We firmly believe that customer delight is an outcome of serving tasty and quality products to our guests. In order to achieve this, we have time and again added new F&B offerings to our menu.

Crunchy Frappe too is introduced keeping in mind our customers’ taste, palate and needs. CCD frappes have always been a huge favourite and the ‘Crunchy Frappe’ is the first in many new variants to be introduced. It is the perfect beverage pleasured by oreo and rich creamy chocolate that will cater to all age groups.”

Speaking on the occasion, Shraddha Kapoor said, “I am very happy to be here at the launch of CCD’s ‘Crunchy Frappe’. I have been a big fan of CCD as long as I can remember and would like to congratulate them on this new beverage, which I am totally in love with! It defines the perfect beverage as it has cookies, which give a lovely crunchy bite to the beverage and the creamy chocolate tickles one’s taste buds to want more of it. I wish the best to CCD and hope that there are more such innovative products coming from its basket.”

Crunchy Frappe is available at all CCD outlets across India and is priced at Rs. 79. A special Crunchy Combo has also been introduced, offering the beverage along with CCD’s popular Chilli Cheese, at Rs.99 only.

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Invigorate Your Senses at the Cherry Bar at Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi European luxury brand Kempinski’s flagship hotel in India, Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, has recently launched its innovative lounge bar — the Cherry Bar. The contemporary bar is part of the hotel’s culinary offerings, apart from its three restaurants (one all-day dining and two specialty cuisine) — Cafe Knosh, Mei Kun, and Dilli 32 respectively. This charming and vibrant bar at the hotel serves a variety of exotic cocktails and other premium beverages, within an ambience of relaxing lounge style music. Its opening saw guests revelling in the chic ambience, sipping on refreshingly unique beverages. Adding a lively aura to the setting was internationally acclaimed DJ Lia, who kept the guests enthralled with her groovy music.

Vella Ramasawmy, General Manager, Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, seemed visibly enthusiastic at the opening. “The elegant and relaxed ambience at the bar is the perfect setting for a pre or post dinner cocktail or a late night drink. This will especially be a great place to unwind for guests at the hotel and at our different restaurants,” he asserted.

The bar is 30 metres long and made with white Italian Statuario marble. Here the guests can enjoy eclectic drinks menu featuring prominent cherry flavoured infusions, along with a delectable range of snacks. Live instrumental music along with vocal performances is also set to be a part of the entertainment quotient at the bar.

Indian Tea Industry Gets a New Player Founded by Gamini Abeywickrama in the year 2007, Basilur Tea provides quality teas, encased in unique and innovative packaging, which elevates tea drinking to a premium, exclusive experience. This Ceylon tea brand has over 150 products, 70 different tea blends, and is supplying to 30 countries with more products, packaging and blends developed every year. The teas come from a selection of world famous regions such as Uva, Dimbulla and Nuwara Eliya, which are renowned worldwide for producing the finest Ceylon Black Tea. Basilur’s products are produced and packaged at its Sri Lanka tea packing plant, utilising state-of-the-art machinery to maintain their freshness and quality. Basilur’s facilities are ISO and HACCP certified to make sure the whole process is under strict quality control. Over the years, Basilur has won some of the best accolades locally and internationally such as SLIM gold ‘Export brand of the year 2012’, ‘Innovative brand of the year 2012’ to name a few.

Basilur Tea in India was started in 2011 but has formally strengthened its market recently. It is an initiative of Raghav Gupta and Abhinav Gupta, the Co- Directors of the Indian division of Basilur Tea. They launched the Indian division of the company with an objective of creating a niche in the Indian market for a premium tea brand. The company also retail the teas in the specialty stores at the airports.

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NEWS SCAN

Himanshu Saini Wins Rohini Dey’s Chef Search in Delhi for Amazing Culinary Talent in India The 26-year-old Himanshu Saini from Delhi, who presented a dish named Sarson Ka Saag Qusedilla with Butter Milk foam, beat his fellow contestants during the live cook-off, on which they were given 2.5 hours to cook and plate their dishes. He was crowned the winner of an exciting salary of up to $70,000 for working at a renowned restaurant named Vermilion in New York & Chicago, plus with a US permanent residency sponsorship.

The renowned judges Rohini Dey, Sharmila Tagore, Marryam Reshii, Karen Anand, Rocky Mohan, and Anoothi Vishal reviewed each participant on three criteria: taste, presentation, and Indian-Latin creativity; attributing ten points each to these qualities. His presentation, flavour, originality and creativity were what gave him an added edge over his fellow participants and enabled him to garner a score of 128 points from the judges. The judges were extremely impressed with his beautiful presentation, his mix of Indian & Latin flavours, and his cooking skills.

After he was adjudged as the winner, Rohini Dey said, “We are thrilled to congratulate Himanshu on a superb performance and he is definitely a worthy winner.”

The winner said, “I am unbelievably excited. Not every aspiring Chef has the opportunity to work at such a wonderful restaurant in the US and receive support and guidance from a renowned restaurateur like Rohini Dey. I look forward to showcasing my style of food and creativity. I can’t wait to start working at Vermilion.” ○

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An Exhaustive Report on the Global Beverage Industry A report titled Global Beverage Survey 2013–2014: Market Trends, Marketing Spend and Sales Strategies in the Global Beverage Industry has analysed how brewing supplier companies’ media spend, marketing and sales strategies and practices, and business planning are set to change during 2013–2014.

The report provides the current size of the marketing and advertising budgets of global beverage industry supplier companies, and their projected spending pattern. In addition, the report identifies future growth prospects of global beverage industry’s buyers and suppliers, including expected change in M&A activity. This report not only grants access to the opinions and strategies of business decision makers and competitors, but also examines their actions surrounding business priorities. The report also provides access to information categorised by region, company type, and size.

A comparative analysis of survey results indicates that the beverage industry is more upbeat and optimistic about revenue growth in 2013 as compared to 2012; optimism levels have increased by four percentage points in 2013 as compared to 2012, and this increase in optimism is attributed to investments and advancements in technology, and growing consumption. The top priorities for the global beverage manufacturers’ industry in 2013 are the addition of ‘new products and services’, ‘improving operational efficiency’, and ‘expand in emerging markets’.

Global beverage manufacturer respondents consider China, Brazil, and India offer the largest growth potential among emerging markets in 2013–2014. The global demand for both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages has continued to grow in spite of economic woes, and in 2013–2014, the Asia-Pacific region will lead this growth by far. In addition, respondents from the global beverage manufacturer industry considers Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the US, and Australia to offer the largest growth potential among developed markets during 2013–2014.

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NEWS SCAN

Jagatjit Industries Limited Launches King Henry VIII Blended Scotch Whisky Now the evenings will find a new level of elation with King Henry VIII Scotch Whisky. The brand has been acquired by Jagatjit Industries Limited from George Sinclair & Sons Ltd. Scotland (UK).

Drawing inspiration from the many jewels King Henry VIII adorned in his crown, this is a Scotch Whisky of equally rare character.

Golden amber in colour, reflecting undisputed flavour and smoothness that makes for an unforgettable taste on the palate, King Henry VIII Whisky comes across as the perfect blend of purity, aroma and flavour. To ensure purity and quality,

the spirit is slowly distilled in a legendary distillation plant nestled deep in the Scottish Highlands.

Authentically packaged, the whisky embodies exceptional quality and character. The rich smokey and sweet flavour of the premium alcoholic beverage are well balanced.

“Keeping in mind our efforts in continually delivering the finest value and taste, King Henry VIII is our rendition of perfectly blended Scotch whisky. Drawing from the rare attributes of the legendary

King Henry VIII, we bring to you a whisky, which is exclusively blended in Scotland.

It carries an aura of Scottish authenticity and reflects royal legacy,” said Deepankar Barat, President, Jagatjit Industries Limited.

A 750 ml bottle of King Henry VIII is retailed for Rs.1000 in Delhi, and is also available in Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Goa while the pan-India placement is currently underway.

moved on to ‘Tiffin’ and later to Vetro, the contemporary Italian fine dining restaurant of The Oberoi, Mumbai, as pre-opening Restaurant Manager.

Koragaokar was also the preopening Manager of Trident, BandraKurla in 2008; before he went on to join Movenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore in 2010, as the Assistant Food and Beverage Manager. His most recent assignment prior to the present one was that of Food and Beverage Manager at Movenpick Hotel & Spa, Bangalore.

was a key member of the pre-opening team of the newly opened ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. There he was responsible for setting up the F& B operations as well as the country’s largest convention space at the hotel.

Chadha is an alumni of the ITC Hotel Management Institute.

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Prashant Chadha has taken over as the new Food & Beverage Manager at ITC Maratha. A veteran of the hospitality industry, Chadha brings over a decade of F&B experience to ITC Maratha, Mumbai. Most recently, he

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Rahul Korgaokar has been handling the responsibilities of his new role as the Director of Food & Beverage at Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, since April 2013. Korgaokar began his career in July 2004, as a Restaurant Manager of India Jones, the Pan Asian restaurant of Trident, Nariman Point. He then

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Rahul Korgaokar

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Le Meridien Kochi has announced the appointment of Jatinder Pal Singh as the Executive Chef Prior to joining Le Meridien Kochi, he worked at The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi as the Executive Sous Chef.

He has worked with reputed hospitality chains like Leela and Taj before joining Starwood group.

Pal’s wonderful journey with Starwood began when he joined Le Meridien Ahmedabad as Sous Chef and later moved on to The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa as the Senior Sous Chef. With more than 10 years of experience in the culinary arts, his expertise is expected to create authentic yet innovative delicacies with Le Meridien Kochi.

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Jatinder Pal

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APPOINTMENTS

Kapil Dubey The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi has announced the appointment of Kapil Dubey as the Executive Sous Chef.

Chef Dubey possesses a rich culinary legacy and is known for intricately preparing and designing the cuisines to capture delicious and exciting range of flavours. He is passionate about Mediterranean cuisine.

Chef Dubey’s rich culinary experience boasts of working with celebrated brands such as Marriott International Baku and Dubai, Hyatt International Goa, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Maldives among others.

He has been with Starwood Hotels and Resorts for close to three years and was part of the pre-opening team of The Westin Pune Koregaon Park.

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REPORT

NRAI’s Report Shows Impressive Growth for Food Services Market

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this report, we intend to draw the attention of the public and government towards the opportunities the industry is offering as well as the issues which are dampening its growth. As we have been a significant contributor to the nation’s economy through efficient collection of tax and employment generation, we hope that we can work together with the government’s support to help grow the industry. We are proud to announce that the industry currently employs 4.6 million people directly which is projected to grow to 8 million by 2018,” said Samir Kuckreja, President, NRAI, while commenting on the launch of this report.

Here it deserves a mention that the Indian food services market has great potential in these times of increasing number of nuclear families with working couples, accompanied by increased disposable incomes. The total size of the

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

n the recent past, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) released the ‘India Food Services Report 2013’, a comprehensive report on the Indian restaurant industry.

Launched by Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry, the report gives detailed information on the industry size and highlights the industry’s trends, growth and contributions to the economy.

Through this exhaustive report, the NRAI also draws attention to the opportunities and challenges which are facing this fast growing industry and suggests solutions to overcome these issues. The launch event saw the presence of the who’s who of the restaurant fraternity who came together to witness this significant milestone of the NRAI. “Analysing and documenting industry trends and contributions has been one of the key endeavours of NRAI. Through

Indian food services market, which includes both organised and unorganised sectors, is currently estimated to be Rs.2,47,680 crore and it is projected to grow to Rs.4,08,040 crore by 2018, showing a CAGR of 11 percent.

According to the report, over the past few years, the Indian food services market has gained increased prominence and grown to include a large number of brands across various food services formats, alongside the presence of stand-alone outlets and a large unorganised market.

Even today the Indian food services market is largely unorganised. The size of the unorganised food services market is Rs.172, 685 crore in 2013, comprising 70 percent of the total food services market in the country.

The report reveals that the organised food services market in the country, which comprises chain and licensed stand-alone

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REPORT

outlets, is estimated at Rs.67,995 crore in 2013, and it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16 percent over the next five years, to reach Rs.145, 770 crore in 2018.

According to the report’s findings, in terms of market segments, quick service restaurants (QSR) and casual dine-in formats account for 74 percent of the total chain market in India, while cafés make up for 12 percent. Fine dining, and pub, bars, clubs & lounges (PBCL) comprise the rest of the chain market. As expected, the report points out that in terms of number of outlets, metros and minimetros of the country have the highest density of food services outlets.

The share of the chain market in the organised food services market in India is presently 19 percent, which is projected to increase to 23 percent by 2018. The market size of licensed stand-alone restaurants in the country is estimated to be Rs.55,210 crore in 2013, which is projected to grow to Rs.112,520 crore by 2018, at a CAGR of 15 percent.

The socio-economic value of India’s huge and impressively growing food services market cannot be undermined

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either. During 2013, India’s food services market is expected to generate direct employment to 4.6 million people. Out of this 2 million will be absorbed in the organised sector of the food services market.

The NRAI report pointed out some key growth drivers and emerging trends that the Indian restaurant industry is witnessing. The report states that the takeaway/delivery segment has seen a surge in demand over the years. According to the same study, the growing popularity of takeaway/delivery segment is one of the key drivers behind the growth of the food services market in India.

One can find several reasons behind emergence of this trend. Change in consumers’ food habits and lifestyles, increased disposable incomes and hectic work schedules of modern life are the possible causes behind this trend, as perhaps are the time taken in commuting to and fro from restaurants amidst cluttered traffic, long waiting times at restaurants, and easy access to Internet and mobile connectivity.

Buoyed by increased coffee

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

consumption and lifestyle changes, the café chain market is also witnessing mushrooming growth in urban India.

According to the report, the size of the chain café market in India is estimated at Rs.1520 crore in 2013. The report predicts that this market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20 percent to reach a figure of Rs.3775 crore in 2018. The report states that currently there are 100 café chains and bakery brands in the country, with an estimated 3100-3200 outlets spread across various cities of India.

As competition is increasing in the sector, players are trying to differentiate themselves by tailoring their offerings in terms of outlet’s ambience, services, and in terms of developing newer products such as regional flavours, international coffee blends, etc.

The report views experimentation with new formats, themes and menus is another emerging trend, as is the emergence of tech savvy consumers. Increasing interest from private equity and venture capital investors in the industry is also being observed by the exhaustive report.

From the report we can get the indication that despite the growing popularity of exotic cuisines in the recent years, north Indian cuisine is still ruling the consumer preferences. The report articulates that the Indian food services market’s offerings are predominantly north Indian in origin, with every third restaurant offering a menu loaded with items from that cuisine. The study notes that the sophisticated and subtle use of spices and herbs in this cuisine has made it popular among consumers. As expected, the report has pointed out that another cuisine that is equally preferred by the Indian consumers is Chinese.

Chinese cuisine has emerged as the most preferred street food option. However, the street food version of Chinese food in India is mostly not authentic Chinese cuisine but is a heavily Indianised version.

Presently, the Indian restaurant industry is grappling with several challenges, which include high food cost inflation, fragmented market and increasing competition. Operational challenges include real estate, manpower, fragmented supply chain and liquor sourcing. On top of these are the regulatory concerns such as existing high taxes, apprehension of the burden of new taxes, and over licensing.

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HOTEL Business Review

Appointments

Mar-Apr ’13

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COVER STORY

Cool it with

Cocktails

Cocktails are cool and heady thirst quenchers, especially in this hot season. For any special event or celebrations cocktails do find a place of pride. In fact, cocktails have started a whole new trend – cocktail shakers, cocktail cherries, cocktail dresses, cocktail sticks, cocktail rings, cocktail napkins, cocktail cabinets, et al.

Over the years, many wise quotes on cocktails have surfaced and gain popularity. Cocktails have been savoured by dignitaries across the globe. Over the centuries, there have been a plethora of cocktails. In fact, cocktail has arrived since the day mankind chanced upon the idea of mixing drinks. However, few cocktails have stood the test of time. Here Ashok Malkani traces the origins of cocktails, its growing popularity in India and discusses about its garnishes and presentation.

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COVER STORY spigot, also known as cock. The patrons would refer to this cheap or rather more affordable alcohol as ‘cock tailings.’

According to Mencken, this is the most likely source of the origin of the word cocktail. But this theory is also disputed.

Another popular anecdote about the etymology of cocktail is about the rooster’s tail being used as a colonial drink garnish. In 1936, a British publication named Bartender published a story of English sailors dating decades before 1936, who were served mixed drinks in Mexico. Those drinks were stirred with a Cola de Gallo, which was a long root that simulated the shape of the cock’s tail.

One of the earliest definitions of the word cocktail appeared in the May 13, 1806 edition of The Balance and Columbian Repository, a publication in Hudson, New York, where the editor printed an answer to the question “What is a cocktail?” His answer was: “Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind—sugar, water, and bitters—it

is vulgarly called bittered sling and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head.” The first recorded instance of a cocktail party was in May 1917. It was thrown by Mrs. Julius S Walsh, where 50 guests were invited.

Creativity and Cocktails The world of cocktails has thousands of recipes, but only a few have universal acceptance. The secret of a great cocktail rests not only on creative spirits but also in adherence to minute details. Often the precise placement of a single leaf of mint can make a difference in the quality of cocktail concoction.

Knowing the nuances of complementing one flavour with another, arriving at the right balance of acidity and sweetness, knowing the right garnishing for a given drink, revamping an old favourite into a trendy drink are

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or many centuries people have had the habit or the fascination for mixing drinks, but only during the 17th-18th century, cocktails have entered the history books. The origin of the word cocktail is disputed.

One of the best guesses concerning its derivation goes thus: In the world of early-American horse-racing, whose habitués were known to enjoy a tipple by the paddock, a cocktail referred to a mixed-breed horse whose tail was cut short to distinguish it from a thoroughbred.

The Source of the Word The etymology of the word cocktail has been subjected to much speculation, and none of the theories can be said to be full proof. Even an extensive research by H.L. Mencken, an American journalist, essayist, magazine editor, was not able to yield any concrete results about the accurate historicity of cocktails.

During the colonial era, spirits were stored in casks by the tavern keepers.

When these casks got near empty, the dregs or tailings from the near empty casks were mixed into one barrel and this concoction was sold at a reduced rate.

This mixed drink was poured from a

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COVER STORY

only some of the skills an expert bartender must possess these days for catering to a discerning crowd who often know their drinks.

The expertise and creativity of the bartender are not limited to mixing, but can also extend to seemingly mundane tasks like shaking. It takes about two minutes to shake a cocktail, but the experience can be enjoyable for the bartender as well as the guests. “Put about 5-6 ice cubes in the shaker and pour the other ingredients over the ice.

Give the ingredients plenty of room to move. If the drink has many ingredients or ingredients that don’t mix well (like cream) shake the drinks longer and harder,” explained Krishna Rao, F&B Manager, The Mirador, Mumbai.

being used in creamy cocktails too. For complementing various cocktails maraschino cherries are fantastic option, but they are a strict no for certain types of cocktails as well, such as a standard martini. Besides its appropriateness to a given drink, personal preferences can also influence the use of different garnishes.

Combinations of multiple garnishes are also being used by bartenders.

There are various garnishes which complement one of the primary ingredients of the cocktail concoction.

For example, pear slice is a garnishing option for an Asian Pear Martini, and raspberries can be used for garnishing Razzmopolitan. If it is a vodka-based cocktail, lemon and lime flavoured garnishing are appropriate, for rum-based cocktail, mint as garnish can be a great option.

Growth of Cocktail Culture in India Tim Etherington, a mixologist who had been to India recently defines the modern cocktail culture as “glamourous and sophisticated.” Etherington voiced that the character of cocktails would continue with diversification, “with bars beginning to specialising in particular styles of cocktails.” Soon people may choose a cocktail bar to get a specialised heady experience, like they choose a restaurant for getting a particular kind of eating out experience. From fruit foams made with CO2 canisters to barrel-aging of spirits and tobacco-infusions, a lot many exciting things are happening in the world of cocktails in the recent times.

And there is no reason to assume that

these trends will not percolate to India’s rapidly globalised food & beverage industry, in the near future.

With drinking of alcoholic beverages fast loosing its taboo in the Indian social milieu, the future of cocktails in the country seems bright, especially if evaluated in the context of increase in disposable incomes in certain pockets of Indian economy, and the maturation of globalisation. Etherington is enthusiastic about the growing cocktail culture in India.

Indian bartenders too are not lacking in terms of creativity in their cocktail concoctions as compared to their western counterparts. “Most recently, we have introduced the ‘Luxury Collection’ cocktail book in which cocktails designed by bartenders all across ITC’s Luxury Collection Hotels are featured,” informed Prashant Chadha, F&B Manager, ITC Maratha, Mumbai.

“Each cocktail recipe is from one of our Luxury Collection hotels. The Luxury Collection cocktail list comprises 10 unique and innovative cocktails made from fresh and invigorating healthy ingredients. Each pictorially represented cocktail has a story to tell as it has been inspired by the indigenous culture of ITC Hotels,” he pointed out.

However, Krishna Rao is skeptic about cocktail’s rise in popularity in the country. “At present cocktails are not really popular in India. The total sales of cocktails at our bar hardly comes up to 2 percent. On the other hand, regular alcoholic drinks like vodka, rum and whisky are fast moving,” stated Rao. He

The Garnishing Factor The beauty of the cocktail is in its presentation – in garnishing.

“Garnishing is given to cocktails to enhance their visual appeal and flavour.

Many cocktails would be incomplete without a garnish,” explained Gaurav Kulkarni, Restaurant Manager, Arola, at JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai.

There are several kinds of garnishes for cocktails. They can be placed on the rim of a glass, floated on the drink, or can be simply placed in the alcoholic drink.

However, placing the garnish requires a degree of aesthetic sense.

Using the right garnishing is often a tricky option. For example, for cocktails without the presence of milk or cream, citrus garnishes can be a great experience, but citrus garnishes like orange spirals are

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COVER STORY believes that the popularity of cocktails is actually dependent on the bartender who succeeds in coaxing the guests to try his concoctions.

He says that cocktails are normally preferred only at Sunday brunches by the poolside or at wedding banquets, or when you are travelling by cruise liner.

“These are the places where you will find people from all walks of life and all age groups having cocktails,” informed Rao. However Kulkarni does not ascribe to this view. He states that cocktails are preferred over regular alcoholic drinks like whisky, rum, vodka, etc. “Cocktails are popular at Arola, as here they are prepared with fresh ingredients and have a good presentation. Arola, as a bar, offers exclusive gin-based cocktails which are quite unique,” expressed Kulkarni.

Vishrut Gupta, Food & Beverage Manager at The Leela Mumbai is also of the opinion that in India cocktails are preferred over alcoholic drinks like whisky, rum, etc. “By and large, cocktails are finding favour with guests.

An appreciation of cocktails is more a function of individual taste than age. If

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the high-end bars prefer their malts, rare whiskies, etc.”

Base Point

a person prefers a mélange of flavours on her/his palate, cocktails are the perfect recipe for her/him,” explained Gupta. However, he concedes that cocktails have greater following among the younger crowd. But Chadha averred that, “Cocktail drinking is mood based and is more popular among young women and men. Distinguished officials and corporates who frequent

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

As far as the preferred alcohol for cocktails is concerned, while Kulkarni and Gupta stick to vodka, Rao states that Bacardi white rum is also the preferred choice. Chadha adds tequila to this list. “Vodka, Bacardi and tequila have neutral base and hence they allow the mixer in the cocktail to give it maximum flavours,” he stated.

As far as future ingredients of headiness in cocktails is concerned Etherington avers that vodka will continue to remain as the base for cocktails in India but as professionalism of India’s bartenders increases and more high quality brands such as Ron Zacapa rum and Don Julio tequila are being introduced, consumers will become more open minded in their cocktail preferences.

Evolving Trends While cocktails like Bloody Mary, Martini (several versions), Manhattan,

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Rob Roy, Grasshopper, Sakiteni, Sidecar, etc are common, several bars in India are now having their own signature cocktails. Rao states that, at times, they concoct the cocktails especially for some guests. “If the guests are willing to experiment we can offer many concoctions. There are fresh fruits, herbs, local and international syrups like Monin, which can be used to create new concoctions. For example, we can offer Kalakhatta Mojito, Kokum Fizz with Vodka or Aam Panna with Gin — all of which can be refreshing during summer,” elaborated Rao. “A majority of guests at Bombay High — the high-end, well-stocked bar at ITC Maratha, Mumbai — are global travellers and enjoy a good cocktail,” informed Chadha. “We keep receiving some interesting ideas about innovative cocktails. We note down these suggestions and once every quarter we promote them in a special menu,” he added.

Gupta states that at the Leela Mumbai’s bar they conduct internal activations to give the team members an opportunity to add to the beverage repertoire. “In a recently conducted competition, one of our colleagues came up with White Witch – vodka shaken with lychee juice, guava juice, pineapple juice and coconut cream. This was

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hugely popular with most present, and thus was added onto the list,” disclosed Gupta.

And as expected, the guests liked the concoction. “And this experiment has paid off, as the mix has been well-liked by our guests too. Sometimes well travelled guests have very unique cocktail preferences and, at times, quirky suggestions to traditional cocktails. We concoct these for them, and if the team internally is confident of the result, a sampler of the new mix is offered to other guests as well for their opinion, and also the drink is made for them in case they appreciate the same,” explained Gupta.

Kulkarni believes that cocktails at Arola are often concocted while keeping the Mumbai weather in mind. “During the summer we have come up with cucumber and lemonade chiller and watermelon martini among others. We have shortlisted cocktails which are refreshing with additions of summer fruits that can help in keeping the body hydrated,” he proffered.

Though wine has found favour over other alcoholic beverages, there is a

The Indian Connection Here are a few of the Indianised versions of cocktails, served to you courtesy a couple of bartenders in Mumbai.

Sugar Hurricane: The name itself indicates of the concoction involved in this cocktail. This heady drink is arrived by amalgamating sugarcane juice with vodka! The drink is served with strips of sugarcane soaked in vodka which is garnished for a mint flavour.

Piru Pyala: This drink is basically a concoction of vodka and guava juice. As you have guessed correctly, the drink is endowed with a fruity taste. A dash of lemon juice is added to the mix, which completes the sweet and sour experience while sipping the drink. Roasted cumin plays the role of garnishing the drink.

Desi Tadka: A cocktail of vodka, fresh tomato, beetroot and carrot juice, flavoured with ginger and Indian spices makes for your Desi Tadka. The drink seems to be geared to give you a kick.

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mixed view about the popularity of wine cocktails. Rao thinks that they have not really proved successful.

“There is a need to create awareness about wine based cocktails,” he aired.

Gupta on the other hand is of the opinion that wine can give completely new flavours to the cocktails “based on the characters of the wine that is being used to make the cocktails.” “Wine culture is gaining popularity in India; many bars including Bombay High are offering different wine-based cocktails.

Champagne-based cocktails are in demand already,” concurred Chadha.

However, all said and done, whatever may be your preference for the base of the cocktail there is little doubt that cocktails are slowly finding their way to the hearts of the bar guests, across urban India. The incoming expected trend for the Indian alcoholic beverages market is the readymade cocktails, which you have to just chill and sip. However, many F&B Managers rightly think that ready to drink cocktails can never replace a freshly made cocktail; customised to the guests’ preferences.

Chadha thinks that “The goodness of freshly made cocktail is unparalleled.

Readymade cocktails only add up to the wide variety of options that consumers can choose from.”

“Cocktails are the best in terms of quality and taste when they are prepared using fresh ingredients,” opined Kulkarni. Gupta too is of the same view. “Readymade cocktails are just like ready-to-eat food; they will have all the necessary ingredients but will have a huge amount of preservatives. While they may be the best option for guests who do not have the time to relax and nurse a drink at a bar, the true taste of fresh ingredients and the perks of having a personalised cocktail can only be enjoyed at a bar, where your poison is prepared in front of you,” explained Gupta. “Readymade cocktails are good for last minute parties when you don’t have another option.

Fresh and natural products are always better,” concluded Rao. Yes, cocktails — freshly prepared with quality ingredients or ready to drink — have come to stay in India. And our bartenders are having fun giving these drinks the Indian zing. They have come up with desi cocktails to tailor their heady options to the very Indian tastes.

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F E AT U R E

India’s Affair with

Chocolates Deepening

By Swarnendu Biswas

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here are few things in life which have universal appeal across age, sex, religion, nationalities and other natural and as well as man made divisions.

Chocolates can be collectively described as one such rare man made creation, which has made its appeal felt beyond man made boundaries. Chocolates, if made with the right concoction of creativity and dexterity, could easily be among the few things on earth that is worth living for.

They can be sinfully sensuous and also bring out the latent child in you, often at the same time. Their ancient history as a wonderfully bitter beverage in ancient Mexico has been translated into their sweet fame as a globally popular confectionery in our times and the chocolates’ bitter source and sweet taste probably represents the essential dichotomy of life itself…

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A Fast Growing Market Today 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. Moreover, in urban India, chocolates are replacing mithais as gift items in festivities, though mithais’ popularity as gift items is still there.

The market is witnessing that 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 mithai, but also managed to connect to the average Indian 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 same study by ASSOCHAM, which came to light in Oct 2012, the Indian chocolate market was over Rs.4500 crore. “The consumption of chocolates in India is steadily increasing in urban and semi-urban

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areas, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 percent. It is expected to go beyond Rs.7500 crore by 2015,” noted ASSOCHAM’s Secretary General, DS Rawat.

According to the ASSOCHAM study, the per capita consumption of chocolates in the country also experienced an enhancement 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. Though 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 huge.

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,

Apr-May ’13

F E AT U R E when the report emerged in the media.

According to a market research report named ‘India Chocolate Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018’ published by TechSci Research, which is a global market research and consulting company, providing research based consulting solutions to its customers worldwide, spanning a range of verticals, “Indian chocolate industry has registered a growth of 15 percent per annum during 2008 to 2012 and is projected to grow at an even higher rate in future.” The report expects that the Indian chocolate industry would be growing at the CAGR of 23 percent by volume, between the years 2013-2018. According to the same report, in the coming years, the dark chocolates are expected to account for the larger market share in India when compared to milk and white chocolates.

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 pronounced than ever

Apr-May ’13

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 70 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

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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 of luxury chocolates. The creative advertisement of Bournville aptly describes that it as a chocolate meant for consumers with a mature palate. That is not all. Cadbury-Kraft has introduced Toblerone to the Indian market in 2012 in

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F E AT U R E 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-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 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.

The Parallel Trend Parallel to the emergence of premium chocolate brands, and the market dominance of mass appeal chocolate brands, catering to the average as well as 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 report titled India Chocolates 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.”

Going by the prevailing market trends, it seems that exclusivity and innovation, together with customised designs and creative packaging are facilitating in the

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are we can make it a reality for you,” asserted Zeba confidently.

The Challenges Galore

Nidhi Bhageria

creation of successful niches for the small scale and medium scale enterprises in the 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.

However, India’s fascination with highend customised chocolates cannot be described as a twenty-first century phenomenon. Fantasie Fine Chocolates has been creating hand-crafted, artisan chocolates in India, since the last 66 years.

“Today, Fantasie Fine Chocolates is a 66year-old brand name for exclusive handmade chocolates,” asserted Zeba Kohli, the Managing Director of Good House Keeping Company Pvt. Ltd.— the company which creates Fantasie Fine Chocolates.

Fantasie Fine Chocolates’ chocolate creations are well-known for their creamy milk, rich roasted almond rock & soft centred pralines, and European style truffles. “Creamy chocolate bars, chocolate jigsaws, lollypops and toys, the collection of edible chocolate paints and a marvelous range of sugar-free chocolates, chocolate jewelry for women are some of the other wonderful creations of Fantasie Fine Chocolates,” explained Zeba, under whose visionary leadership Fantasie Fine Chocolates is destined to translate every fantasy in chocolates into sweet realties. The immense creativity of Zeba has also fashioned chocolate couture, skirts and stoles, embellished with chocolate.

Customised chocolates are the hallmark of Fantasie Fine Chocolates. “If you can conceive something in chocolate, chances

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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 growth in creativity among a slew of talented dessert designers and chocolatiers, and rising trend of chocolates as gift items is 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. “The Indians are still not very much aware about high-end chocolates, and are not that good at differentiating between different qualities of chocolate products, though at the same time I must say that the awareness about chocolates is growing in the Indian society,” proffered Kishi Arora, one of the creative chocolate designers of Delhi, who owns and runs an enterprise named Foodaholics, which made its presence felt in food consultancy, but very soon also extended its repertoire to the creation of desserts with fresh and exotic ingredients, many of which, of course include the usage of high-end chocolates.

According to Kishi, “Educating the customers about the subtle nuances of chocolates with chocolate tasting,” is an innovative way to enhance the demand for chocolates and create evolution of tastes for chocolates in India, in the near future.

Nidhi Bhageria, the Managing of Celeste Chocolates also believes that “The business of chocolates would thrive and the creative juices of chocolatiers would flow more profusely only if we make the effort to teach people about the subtle nuances of quality chocolates, and educate their palate.” Nidhi called for more quality training schools and institutions to address the gap in chocolate education and to bring more talented chocolatiers in the industry.

Here it deserves a mention that Celeste Chocolates is an important player in the country, in the realm of customised chocolate creations.

Apr-May ’13

F E AT U R E 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 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

Apr-May ’13

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 gets friendlier. At the same time, more training facilities for aspiring chocolatiers who want a career in chocolates or with chocolates, and 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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The Bitter Beverage The extremely bitter seeds of Theobroma cacao tree; a tree native to the deep tropical region of the Americas, are used to make cocoa powder and chocolates. Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans, the dried and partially fermented seeds of the cacao tree. The first documented evidence of the cultivation of this tree dates back to 1100 BC. The tree was and still is prevalently cultivated in Mexico, Central, and South America.

No wonder, chocolate was first made among the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America, but chocolates of those days were totally different from the chocolates which are being savoured today.

Initially chocolate was used as a drink, and not as a confectionery. It is worth noting that the usage of chocolate as a drink has been a feature of nearly all of its recorded history.

Aztecs, an ethnic group which flourished in the central Mexico during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and other Mesoamerican people, used to make chocolate beverages. The drink was named as xocolâtl.

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FOCUS

Spa Cuisine: Healthy and Not Boring

By Sharmila Chand

C

arrot juice, porridge and boiled egg? You hear these options and lose your appetite. No, thank you, forget the health diet, is what you tell yourself. No worries, wellness or spa cuisine has come a long way. It is no more insipid, flat and boring... In fact, these days Chefs and Spa Managers take extra efforts towards offering delicious options in their wonderfully

orchestrated ‘Spa Menu.’

“High-end spas today employ top culinary experts and Chefs who have made spa cuisine into an art form, creating elaborate dishes that make up some of the best menus in the world,” observed Jacqualine Tara Herron, Director, The Imperial Spa, New Delhi.

The Imperial New Delhi and the Chef Vijayan Parakkal, Executive Chef, The Leela Kovalam, have created spa cuisine based on the philosophy of Ayurveda. “Spa food has nothing to do with depriving yourself. Instead it has everything to do with age-old principles of healthy cooking and eating that seem to have been forgotten in today’s world of fast and processed food products,” explained Parakkal.

Cuisine Based on Three Doshas Here it deserves a mention that Ayurveda places great emphasis on prevention of diseases and encourages the maintenance of health through proper diet and correct cooking methods. Ayurveda works on three governing principles or humors called doshas. The three doshas according to

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Ayurveda are Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

All of us have these three doshas to varying degrees, although one and sometimes two tend to be predominant and the other(s) are subdued in a given body constitution. Experts say, when they are in right balance, the doshas do promote the normal functions of the body and maintain holistic health and well-being. If they get out of balance, they create mental, emotional and

Apr-May ’13

FOCUS physical ailments.

Vata type persons tend to have light body frames, variable digestion and often are vulnerable towards gas and constipation. Therefore, their health can be best maintained or remain in good shape if they partake warm, nourishing and primarily cooked food products, and avoid having dried, cold, frozen and excessive amount of raw food products.

Also, they should avoid those food items which are hard to digest and are prone to increase intestinal gas. Vata is balanced by sweet, sour and salty tasting food products.

Pitta types are blessed with healthy appetites and strong digestive capabilities, but they are susceptible towards hyperacidity and inflammatory disorders. So they should avoid eating greasy, hot, spicy, salty and fermented food products, as well as sour and acidic fruits. Pitta is balanced by bitter, sweet and astringent tastes.

Kapha type persons are endowed with large body frame and they are prone towards weight gain and obesity.

They are also susceptible to lethargy,

Apr-May ’13

Chef Vijayan Parakkal

and congestive disorders. Their health can be maintained best on a light, reducing diet, which is low in carbohydrates. They should avoid dairy products, cold food and drinks, poor quality oils and sweet treats. Kapha is balanced with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes.

Spa Cuisine at The Imperial New Delhi Using organic food products as much as possible, and keeping the cooking

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method simple should be the two important features of spa menu.

Furthermore, the spa menu should make a conscious effort to avoid frozen, canned, processed, and genetically modified food products as much as possible. Avoiding leftovers, and using fresh, ripe fruits and veggies are other wise options in spa menu.

While spa food is simple food, it does not mean it has to be lacking in flavour.

No wonder, the spa cuisine at The Imperial New Delhi presents itself as an array of tantalising treats. The Executive Chef of The Imperial New Delhi has formulated recipes on the basis of Ayurveda. These preparations are part of the spa menu at 1911 — the all day dining multi-cuisine restaurant at The Imperial New Delhi, for resident guests.

For me the Executive Chef of The Imperial New Delhi selected various dishes from the spa menu at Imperial Spa to illustrate his point.

For example, Ginger and Lemon Tea is a tridoshic drink and can be consumed by all the three body types with little variations. However, for the pitta type

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persons, according to the Executive Chef of The Imperial New Delhi, “It needs to be consumed cold or at room temperature with less ginger and lemon, whereas it should be served hot for vata and kapha type persons.”

Similarly, Avocado, Orange and Mint Splash is a very good summer lunch for the pitta prakruti persons, as it contains generous amount of mint, which is a cooling herb, and avocado.

Then there is Ginger Tossed Tofu and Vegetable Soup with Brown Rice, which is an excellent soup for kapha prakruti persons. Tofu provides rich protein source and brown rice provides roughage to assimilate the same. Ginger in the soup provides pungency and warmth, which in return facilitates to quicken the metabolic rate.

Edible Wellness @ The Leela Kovalam The Leela Kovalam also designs spa menu according to the Ayurveda philosophy of various body types. With

the assistance of Ayurvedic Spa Consultant, the guests’ diet requirements are determined. From there, a team of doctors and Chefs work together to develop a dosha-specific menu, best suited for nutritious healing.

According to Parakkal, “Spa cuisine is all about being a balanced meal that is fresh, local, organic, holistic, nutritious, natural and colourfully enticing to the palate and other senses. The key to the philosophy behind spa food is to keep food in as natural a state as possible.

This basically is what is known as low human intervention food (Low HI), which is whereby the food undergoes minimal or no change from its place in nature to your plate.”

Parakkal sounded enthused while talking about spa cuisine at The Leela Kovalam. “We emphasise on having the freshest possible ingredients, which are grown in our own organic herb and vegetable garden. A lot of local fruits and vegetables like breadfruit, banana, bird’s eye chilli, jack fruit, red coconut, green coconut, papaya, tamarind, lady finger, bottle gourd, etc. are grown in our herb garden. The resort also promotes local farmers by buying the ingredients straight from them through the local administration sponsored bodies. These vegetables from the farmers and are not treated with any chemicals or fertilisers,” he articulated.

The medium of cooking is very crucial for spa cuisine and Chef Parakkal is very strict about using extra virgin coconut oil and olive oil for cooking.

“Many of us believe that the coconut oil is saturated and is not good for health, so at The Leela Kovalam, extra virgin coconut oil is used. Those who are not in favour of coconut oil have the option of choosing from corn oil and olive oil,” he articulated.

“We use a lot of legumes in our spa cuisine, which are farm grown within the villages, like moong beans, red beans, horse gram, etc. These are organically

Special Spa Cuisine at The Leela Kovalam • Steamed organic Nendran banana • Whole moong beans pancake with red onion and ginger chutney • Pressed brown rice with curry leaves, black mustard & organic vegetables • Steamed red rice cake with black chickpeas stew • Quail egg appam with coconut milk and vegetable stew • White chick peas flour pancake with coriander, chillies & tomatoes • Rice vermicelli upma with peanuts and red chutney, etc.

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Signature Dishes of the Ayurvedic Menu at 1911, at The Imperial New Delhi • Marinated beans with slow roasted tomato, with caper and sweet paprika vinaigrette • Vegetables’ clear soup with tofu • Palak Paneer, Arhar dal Tadka, and Plain Parantha with coriander raita.

• Wok tossed soy nuggets and Pok Choy in almond sauce with steamed brown rice, kimchi (a traditional fermented Korean side dish comprising vegetables with a variety of seasonings).

• Pumpkin Cannelloni with sautéed green vegetables with tomato sauce. grown and are used in their most natural form. The bran is retained in most cases, which provides fibers to the body along with few rare proteins,” Parakkal proffered.

“Horse gram and drum stick leaves soup with black peppercorn and other spices is an excellent example of how we retain the old style food ingredients, which is made here in the most interesting ways. Flax seeds, one of the healthiest natural foods, are also used in desserts, shakes and salads,” he asserted.

Seafood lovers are not deprived on account of health food at The Leela Kovlam. Chef Parakkal’s team serves fresh seafood in its most natural form, and avoids cooking them in lots of spices and oil.

He explains, “Another aspect of our menu is using free range chicken rather than caged chicken. The meat of free range chicken would be tender and flavoursome, and the dish would be far superior than what would be if one has to make it from a caged chicken. Plenty of quail meat and quail eggs are also used in our menu to ensure that the natural and rare food stuffs are available for guests to enjoy during their stay.”

The Leela Kovalam’s wellness cuisine has many sugar-free desserts to choose from. The desserts are prepared with fresh fruit puree, molasses or honey, and replace white sugar. Lastly, the resort prepares and recommends spice and herb infused drinking water I as well as pure whole barley water.

Apr-May ’13

Apr-May ’13

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DAIRY

Whipping up the Cream stout texture, found in ‘whipping cream’ or ‘heavy cream.’

Although calorie conscious segment of the population often opts for lighter version of whipped cream, containing merely 20 percent of butterfat in cream, the texture of such cream cannot trap as much air or hold it very well, making it a substandard choice. However, one can select the cream, which is not ultra-pasteurised. That makes for rich and fluffy whipped cream which holds its shape for longer period of time.

Shaping Up

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hipped cream is used as an integral ingredient in a number of bakery items. Its main function is to whip up the products and endow them with an enticing look. Whipped cream fabricates and stabilises the cake to frost and acts as an accompaniment for icing. Being the most expeditiously perishable constituent among dairy products, whipped cream instantly calls for refrigeration, even if used as a frosting on a cake. Hence, no matter how it is used, one needs to unfailingly make sure that it does not stay out of the fridge for too long.

Light, fluffy, and flavourful, whipped cream is natural and it is often whipped to different stages with a stand or electric hand-held mixer or whisk. It is also often used as stabiliser in flavoured and sweetened forms in numerous dessert and salad recipes. To be more general, whipped cream is foam of milk fat created by beating fresh cream by a mixer, whisk, fork, or whip until it gets light and fluffy.

Fizz it up Basically milk cream contains butterfat, which is whisked to form whipped cream. Texture and consistency of whipped cream varies according to the percentage of butterfat in cream, i.e., the higher the percent, the better the cream will whip and become more billow. Majority of users prefer to use cream with a fat content of 30 to 40 percent that works best for building

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In fact, the structure of whipped cream is very similar to the fat and air structure that exists in ice-creams. When dairy cream, which is an emulsion with a fat content of 35 to 40 percent, is whipped in a bowl, it forms whipped cream.

During the process, agitation and air bubbles are added causing the fat globules to begin to partially coalesce in chains and clusters, which absorb and spread around the air bubbles.

As the fat partially coalesces, it causes one fat-stabilised air bubble to be linked to the next and builds a chain. The whipped cream soon starts to become stiff and dry in appearance and takes on a smooth texture. A fluff ensues from the formation of this partially coalesced fat structure, stabilising the air bubbles. This by-product traps water, lactose and proteins in the spaces around the fat-stabilised air bubbles. The entire process requires appropriate temperature as well as attention of the Chef to get the correct texture.

Overly whipped cream can form butter particles, and thus ruining the required texture. This is an indication that the process has gone wrong.

Bounty of Flavours A fluffy whipped cream is often used as topping or dressing in desserts. Therefore it requires to be sweetened during the beating process. A normal castor sugar or table sugar is used for sweetening whipped cream, since it dissolves faster and eliminate the problem of gritty whipped cream.

The range of sweetened whipped creams shows off delightful white blossom to a multitude of flavours and hues.

Its whiter look is usually subdued by bounty of seasoning agents, ranging from fruit extracts, chocolate, coffee, liqueurs, orange or lemon zest to spices. For instance, adding few drops of vanilla extract or a teaspoon of rum, brandy, red wine or liqueur in a cup of cream makes an irresistible dressing in any recipe, geared to pamper the palate with a distinct flavour.

Another form of whipped cream is a non-dairy stuff made from tropical oils, sugar and stabilisers. So it follows its own set of rules. It can be substituted for an equal amount of whipped cream. Imported ready-made whipped creams are generally frothier and richer than the normal dairy creams.

Available in multiple flavours like chocolate, strawberry,

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DAIRY vanilla, butterscotch, black or blue berry, etc., they can be readily used in various recipes. Although they are not dairy products, they can also be used as ideal whipped creams.

Stabilised Cream Many a time a stabilised whipped cream is used when one seeks to achieve a firm or mousse like texture in his/her preparations. This version is created by blending gelatin in cream. This is done because gelatin stabilises the whipped cream. Also, the addition of gelatin gives stable foam to lowfat stabilised whipped cream. Stabilised whipped cream is piped to create a border on a cake or to prevent the whipped cream from deflating, when folding in heavy and juicy items like berries or salads.

Forming stabilised whipped cream requires soaked, unflavoured or plain gelatin in water. Use one teaspoon of gelatin absorbed in little water for one cup of cream and leave it to soften. Then, stir the gelatin over low heat, until completely dissolved and let it be cool, but not get cold. After that, add cooled gelatin all at once to cream during whipping.

Whip it until it forms soft peaks. When the mixture is deflating on standing, simply beat it again until it resembles stiff whipped cream.

Storing Whipped Cream Normally, whipped cream won’t stay whipped for long, and it is better to prepare it immediately before using. But in case you are working ahead, you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.

Before serving the refrigerated whipped cream or pre-

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packed product, it is necessary to re-whisk the cream briefly to thicken it up. However, at times it does not appear as billowy as on the first day, but it is fine to use. On the contrary, imported whipped cream products do not require re-whisking, but they need to be stored at below minus 20°C. Moreover, tetra packed whipped creams can be stored for longer duration, generally up to one year in deep freezer. The imported readymade whipped creams are gaining their popularity in institutional sector, due to their ready-to-use factor.

I

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WINE

Such a Heady Journey!

By Sharmila Chand ratelli Wines, one of India’s leading wines, has launched its latest offering of headiness — Shiraz Rosé — in Delhi. A bright gold-pink coloured wine, Shiraz Rosé is an adorable addition to the Fratelli collection. This wine has fruity tones of cherries, plums and strawberries, both on the palate and the nose.

“We at Fratelli are extremely passionate about our wines, and are trying to create a culture of excellence around Indian wines. As such, we are extremely proud to present the Shiraz Rosé, which is one of the finest wines to come out of our vineyards. I am certain Indians will appreciate this

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high-quality wine,” said Kapil Sekhri, Co-Promoter and Director, Fratelli Wines Pvt. Ltd. One can enjoy this wine on its own or with light pasta dishes or with a cheese platter. This wine has a clean finish with balanced acidity and pairs well with diverse food items, which include chicken and cheese. This wine goes well with fruits and roasted nuts too.

Affordably priced at Rs.550 for a 750 ml bottle, this wine, whose bouquet emanates aromas of fresh strawberry, should be ideally served chilled.

The introduction of Shiraz Rosé can be construed as another milestone in the continuation of the heady journey of Fratelli Wines. The Fratelli Wines has been steadily gaining international recognition and thereby facilitating the cause of bringing Indian wines to the global platform.

Fratelli Attracts Global Recognition

Piero Masi - Creator & Chief Viticulturist, Fratelli Wines

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Here it deserves a mention that Fratelli Wines has become the country’s first winery to be awarded the distinguished ‘Bronze medal’ for its Chenin Blanc 2012 at the recently held International Wine Challenge 2013, in the United Kingdom.

“Our hard work has been validated with the bronze medal awarded to us for our Chenin Blanc 2012 this year,” aired Sekhri while speaking on this

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achievement of Fratelli Wines.

“From the inception of selecting a terroir as rich and diverse as Akluj, Maharashtra, we knew we were on our way to creating one of the finest wines in India. Our Chenin Blanc is a true labour of love for us; we have followed stringent quality parameters to ensure that the ideal Chenin Blanc is created. We are delighted to be awarded at the IWC this year and have been fortunate to be commended every year since 2010. Our aim continues to create the best wines for the distinguished Indian palate and we hope our patrons continue to enjoy our offerings,” elaborated the viticulturist and the creator of Fratelli Wines, Peiro Masi, on this award winning occasion for Fratelli Wines.

In fact, Fratelli’s Chenin Blanc continued its success story at the IWC awards for three years in a row, after winning commendation medals at the IWC 2010 and IWC 2011, thereby making it the most awarded Indian Chenin Blanc.

Following a similar path, Fratelli’s Chardonnay 2012 received a commended medal again this year at IWC, making it twice in a row. Fratelli’s Merlot 2012 and the premium SETTE 2009 also received a commended medal each, at this edition of IWC. Here it deserves a mention that SETTE is the

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WINE

Alessio Secci, Co-Promoter & Director, Fratelli Wines

most premium offering of Fratelli Wines till date, which is retailed at Rs. 1650, in Mumbai and Delhi. Fratelli Merlot has achieved the distinction of becoming the first ever Indian merlot to be awarded at the IWC. Overall, Fratelli Wines has won 10 international awards in the last two years.

“We are extremely proud to be acknowledged and commended at international platforms such as the International Wine Challenge. We continue to work tirelessly to create quality wines that match international standards. Our wines stand for

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excellence in India and we are going from strength to strength to make world class wines,” elaborated Sekhri.

‘Fratelli’ which translates to ‘brothers’ in Italian is an Indo-Italian venture intended to create the best of wines in India. A collaboration between three families; the Secci brothers from Italy — Alessio and Andrea, the Sekhri brothers from Delhi — Gaurav and Kapil, and the Mohite-Patil brothers from Akluj — Ranjitsinh and Arjunsinh, the partnership is an amalgamation of Italian wine brewing tradition with the favourable Indian cultivation terrains. The partnership bloomed under the viticulture and wine-making expertise of Piero Masi, the master wine maker from Tuscany, Italy.

Grown on a trench line of 330km with 350,000 samplings, the Fratelli Wines’ vineyards are dotted with 12 different grape varieties on a combination of 240 acres of virgin land at Akluj, spread over three sites — Motewadi, Nimgaon and Garwad.

The winery is equipped with 58 multi-capacity tanks, imported from Velo, Italy. The winery also boasts a fully

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equipped high-tech laboratory for testing at each and every stage of the production process; from grapes to finished product. With yields per acre restricted to 1/4th of the industry average, the vineyards ensure that only premium quality grapes are being harvested, which in turn reflects in high quality of the wines.

Fratelli Wines is now present in 12 states with 12 varietals on offer, and also exports to four countries — Italy, United Kingdom, the Netherlands & Japan.

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WINE

Of Brotherhood, Quality and Success I recently got the opportunity to have a one-on-one interaction with Kapil Sekhri. The excerpts of the interview are given below: the creator of Fratelli Wines. This collaboration rose out of deep trust, friendship and faith, which we three families share with each other. The project took shape with Piero coming on board and completing the circle.

Fratelli has started with a bang, with a large portfolio of wines. How confident are you of these doing well in the Indian market?

The Indian consumer today is ready for new experiences and quality produce, which of course also extends to alcoholic beverages. The setting is perfect and I believe the tipping point of wine awareness in urban India is right around the corner. I am extremely confident that the quality of our wines will speak for themselves and will surely do well. Furthermore, our recognition on the international platform has reassured our domestic consumers with respect to the quality of our produce.

You have an Italian winemaker, Piero Masi.

Please tell us about his contribution in this venture?

What brought about the collaboration among the partners that coalesced into the reality of Fratelli Wines?

Fratelli literally means ‘brothers’ in Italian. The name is very apt. It is the only Indo-Italian collaboration for wines in the country. I would say Fratelli Wines is a result of collaboration between seven brothers; Andrea and Alessio Secci from Italy, Gaurav and myself from Delhi, and Arjun and Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil from Akluj, Maharashtra, and the Piero Masi —

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It is Piero’s show completely. He is a partner in the company and not a consultant. From the first soil analysis to handpicking the varietals, from preparing the vineyards to finally making the wines…all fall under his domain. What you see in the bottles today is a result of his expertise, knowledge and craftsmanship.

What has been Alessio and Andrea’s involvement in the creation of Fratelli Wines?

Alessio and Andrea have been involved from the inception of the project. Today, Alessio assists Piero in the upkeep of the vineyards and in making of the wines. On the business side he also acts as the global brand ambassador of Fratelli along with being involved in each and every business

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WINE decision of Fratelli Wines.

Please throw some light on your pricing strategy

Our prices range is from Rs. 450 to Rs.1650. We have carefully priced our wines, keeping in view the market dynamics, perceived value, the quality of our wines and our brand. We always have kept and always will keep our consumers in mind and try our best to extend the value to him in every purchase.

It is known that the biggest problems faced by wines made in India include consistency and quality. How do you plan to address this issue?

Quality and consistency is based on multiple factors.

We have full control over our vineyards, ensuring that not even a single ounce of grape being contract farmed.

Along with the same, we work on the Âź yield averages making the concentration of the juice extremely high.

The fact that our picking to crush time is a maximum of two hours also helps in maintaining the quality of our wines.

Our infrastructure also contributes to our consistent and high quality. The oak barrels from Saury help us age our wines and release them when we are confident.

No wonder, with just three vintages under our brand, we have created a benchmark as far as Indian wines are concerned.

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You have started winning awards for your wines. How important are these to you, in your journey towards progress?

The recognition is extremely important. It reassures you that you are on the right path and adds fuel to our engine of inspiration, motivation and perseverance.

How do you perceive the future of Fratelli Wines, in terms of growth and exports?

The future is exciting as we have many innovative plans. However, we would like to unveil them one at a time rather than talking about them. Our exports have started to the UK, the Netherlands, Italy and Japan. We are working hard to enter USA and once we do we can proudly claim that Sun never sets on Fratelli.

What is the vision of Fratelli Wines?

Our vision is to be the premium wine brand coming out of India and also to change the international perception about Indian wines. We want to show that Indian wines can stand on its own, with quality produce. We are taking small steps in our own way to try and show the world that India can be developed as a region for wines.

At the same time, we have our feet firmly on the ground and for us it is paramount that our products get bettered with every vintage. We never forget the fact that we are only three years old in an industry which is older than 3000 years.

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PUB

By Swarnendu Biswas

B

y The Way can lead you from a bakery café experience to a musically heady experience, and by the way, you are likely to like it. As you saunter to the café lounge on the ground floor, you may feel that as if the place is whispering, “Ok you have come here for a coffee with burger experience after a tired day at the office, but by the way, we have a range of spirits too to rev up your spirits.”

But there is nothing incidental about

By The Way. From its menu to décor to music, the café cum bar presents a meticulously crafted food & beverage experience, in the backdrop of an environment that is calculated to look classy yet casual, easy going and fun.

Spread across ground and mezzanine floors, By The Way is an integral part of Bellagio restaurant complex, which houses five different eating and drinking out options(including two at By The Way itself ), located at Ashok Vihar, New Delhi.

One facet of By The Way comes across as a café lounge with focus on Continental baked delicacies, and if you

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just accidentally climb the stairs, probably after a cup of aromatic coffee, you will find the heady and musical side of By The Way. The bar of By The Way is open from 11 am to 1 am, seven days a week, just like its café.

Setting the Mood The first look of the pub can impress the guests. The exciting décor of wooden flooring dotted with red coloured glass pillars is complemented by comfortable leather chairs. There is a private dinning area at the pub where velvet couches can

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accommodate about 20-22 persons. All total the pub at the By The Way is an 80 cover outlet.

“The profile of the majority of the crowd at the pub of By The Way can be described as professionals within 25-30 age group,” informed Karan Malhotra, the Manager of the sleek outlet, though in the same breath he said that the place is liked by people from older age groups too.

“The business vision behind this pub is to give our guests, who primarily comprise of youngsters in the age group of 25-30, a chilled out or relaxed atmosphere with the

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option of a wide variety of spirits to choose from along with delectable Italian, Mexican and Continental food and great music and ambience,” explained Sameer Bhalla, the owner of Bellagio Restaurants.

Attracting Impressive Footfalls The in-house DJ was belting out some Bob Marley numbers which set the mood for the evening, for it was Friday. On every day of the week the musical offering changes Mahipal Singh at the pub. “We place lots of emphasis on guest feedback; on the basis of their feedback we tailor the music and food & beverage choices,” articulated Malhotra. Over glasses of chilled Tuborg beer, Malhotra told me that, “The business has been quite brisk over the years, with 240-260 persons visiting the pub on an average weekend day.”

His voice revealed his enthusiasm behind running this show.

That is indeed, expected. With drinking culture gathering momentum, and with the number of discerning drinkers increasing in metropolitan India due to global influences and frequent travelling, a well-stocked bar with high-end spirits like

By The Way has the potential to have an impressive journey through growth, especially in an area like Ashok Vihar where there is no dearth of opportunity of attracting upwardly mobile or high-end guests.

“The business volume for the pub at By The Way is 75-80 percent on weekdays and almost 100 percent on weekends. We frequently have crowds waiting outside,” asserted Bhalla. He said that that the “business volume of By The Way has been increased by 20 percent since the last two years as we are attracting new customers through our great hospitality.”

A Holistically Heady Experience Overall, to me the pub at By The Way came across as a place where drinks, food, music, décor and ambience amalgamated to create a memorable evening. The bar presents a wide array of heady beverage choices. Whether you want to chill out after a hard day of meetings and feverish sales pitches with a glass of Hoegaarden or Carlsberg or Tuborg beer (there are other beer options too for the beer lovers at By The Way but my space is limited), or whether you would like to drive away your blues or celebrate the life with Sex on the Beach (it is a cocktail, by the way) or with Bloody Mary for that matter, the place is not going to disappoint you.

For those whose choice of spirits border on strictly classical, there is Royal Salute, and Johnnie Walker (in Blue, Black, Gold, Red and even Green labels) and Chivas Regal.

For single malt lovers there is Glenfiddich 18 year old, Glenfiddich 15 year old, and Glenfiddich 12 year old, Karan Malhotra

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PUB

Laphroiag 10 year old, Jura 10 year old, alcoholic beverages, there is an impressive and Dalmore 10 year old among others. selection of mocktails to choose from. For These high-end spirits are the mocktail lovers, I would recommend complemented by the presence of a Bellagio Special and Bellagio Delight as number of esteemed domestic whisky the right non-intoxicating drinking brands, which include names like options on a scorching day. The former Blender’s Pride, Antiquity Blue, Signature, comprises slush ice, peaches and lychees, Signature Premier, Royal Challenge and the Bellagio Delight is a refreshing among others. concoction made of cinnamon, lemon If you like to explore the world of chunks and lemonade, garnished with cocktails then at By The fresh mint leaf and cherry.

Way you can have a plethora For the guests, the of liquid experiences to make experience with refreshing your mind swim through drinks of both alcoholic and bliss. Cosmopolitan, Italian non-alcoholic varieties can get Bitch, and Blue Flame are an added dosage of hedonism just three of the many such when one enjoys the cocktail routes to ecstasy at sumptuous snacks that gel the pub. An inebriated army very well with the drinks. of shooters, which include “The emphasis on the food B-52 and Kamikaze among menu at the pub is on Italian, others, accompany the Continental and Mexican Sameer Bhalla comprehensive list of other delights,” pointed out spirits comprising vodkas, gin, rum, Mahipal Singh, Operations Manager of tequila, cognac and liqueurs to present a the Bellagio, while adding that the holistically heady experience for the talented Chef at By The Way, who guests. specialises in Italian cuisine, has creatively amalgamated the flavours of a classical Punjabi dish into a classical Italian Sumptuous Offerings creation.

For those guests who do not prefer

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“The name of the dish is Butter Chicken Pizza,” revealed Singh. “The paste which is used for making butter chicken is used in this pizza, which is topped with mozzarella cheese,” explained Anil Tariyal, the Chef at By the Way. I tasted the pizza and it tasted much different and better than the pizzas dished out from multinational QSRs. Another wonderfully unique culinary creation of By The Way is the Mango Tandoori Chicken, which presents a delectable affair comprising tandoori chicken, mango, onions and peppers, topped with mozzarella cheese. To me the slight sweet taste of the dish tasted even better with Johnnie Walker Red Label.

There is a plethora of sumptuous snacks and as well as full meal offerings at the pub version of By The Way. Some of them are Chicken Skewer, Fish Jalapeno, Mutton and Bolognaise Burger, Greek Panini, Loaded Nachos, Chicken Maggi, Bolognaise Maggi, Chicken Cranberry Focaccia, Grilled Fish Burger With Wasabi, Chicken Spinach Ravioli, Pan Seared Stuffed Chicken Breast, Baked Potato Fish, Paneer Fajitas, which can add pleasure to the intoxicating experience.

Promotional Measures It has been observed that sports have been an abiding fascination for visitors to the pub, and cricket of course is a religion in India. By The Way has also cashed in on this trend. “For the IPL, we have offered unlimited snacks and drinks of selected food items and beverages, for Rs.1500 per person,” pointed out Malhotra. However, he informed that this special offer was valid for one innings of the match only, and was not extended to the entire match.

“We will extend a similar promotional offer to our guests for the forthcoming Champions Trophy too,” he proffered.

By The Way has also had promotional offer for its guests on 31st December of the last year, where selected items of snacks and beverages of unlimited quantities were offered at a rate of Rs.3000 per individual guest.

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THEME CUISINE

By Sharmila Chand

D

espite being scarred by terrorism, Kashmir remains beautiful. The timeless and enchanting natural beauty of Kashmir is complemented by its rich gastronomic traditions. And Wazwan is the highlight of Kashmir’s long association with aroma and spices, which has given some exquisite tastes to India’s composite culinary culture.

Like all other cuisines of the world, Kashmiri cuisine too is beautifully amalgamated with the geography, history, culture and day-to-day lives of Kashmir. The food from this heavenly valley in the mundane world of ours is outstanding in terms of aromatic flavours and exclusive methods of cooking.

Rogan josh or lamb cooked in red sauce, yakhni or lamb cooked in curd-based sauce, gushtaba or meatballs cooked in a spicy yoghurt gravy, syoon pulao or meat pulao, muj ghaad or fish with radish, and daniwal korma which is lamb roasted with yoghurt, spices and onion puree; topped with cilantro leaves, are some of the culinary masterpieces from Kashmiri cuisine.

Rogan josh is probably the most popular Kashmiri dish outside Kashmir. The red colour of this Celebrate Your Wazwan meat dish is attributed to the infusion of red Kashmiri chili.

Some of the important Rajma or kidney beans and dishes for a Wazwan include: nadir haq/gogji/manji (lotus cooked with spinach or • Zafraan Kokur radish), Kashmiri dum aloo are • Meth Maaze among the vegetarian delicacies • Rista of this scenic state with rich • Rogan Josh history. Noon chai and the • Dhani Phul kahwah are the important • Aloo Bukhaar beverages of Kashmir.

• Gaade Kufta In Kashmiri cuisine, curd is • Tabakh Maaz used in the preparation of • Daniwal Korma food.

That lends the food with • Aab Gosht a creamy touch. For • Marchwangan Korma enhancing the flavour of meat • Shami Kabab dishes the Kashmiris usually • Sheekh Kabaab add asafoetida to it.

Dry ginger • Gushtaba and aniseed are other

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important spices in Kashmiri cuisine. Saffron is also extensively used as a colourful flavouring agent. For its amazing aroma, it is added to rice, sweets and kahwah. In the preparation of curries in the cuisines of Kashmir, dry fruits are being generously used.

Wazwan is an elaborate banquet or a multi-course meal which is an integral part of Kashmir’s culture and identity. The dishes served at this 36 course meal are primarily meat based, and they are prepared by the Wazas(cooks), under the supervision of Vasta Waza or the Master Chef.

The origin of the name of Wazwan can be traced to the Sanskrit word vyajjana, which pertains to cooking. Wazwan can be regarded as no less than a wonderful ceremony of tastes and flavours. It can be described a formal culinary ritual in which the guests participate and celebrate the joys of an elaborate and sumptuous meal.

Wazwan, like all great art, is not the creation of hurry. Its preparation and serving involves hours of cooking and days of planning.

The culinary celebration of Wazwan generally corresponds to occasions of celebration at Kashmiri homes. The guests are seated on cushions, on the floor in groups of four, and they are served course after course after course, each exclusively prepared with the

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THEME CUISINE fresh produce of the region. The group of four guests does together share the elaborate meal, which is being laid out on a large metal plate, which is known as the trami. For a given course, four guests eat from one trami.

The Wazwan experience may apparently seem to be frightening for the diet conscious people of post-modern era or for figure conscious women, but for people who are true connoisseurs of meat-based delicacies (and diet conscious and figure conscious people can be meat lovers too), the experience of a Wazwan can linger in the mouth for years to come.

About 15 to 30 of this 36 course meal can be preparations of meat, which are cooked overnight before the Wazwan event, by the Vasta Waza, and his team of wazas.

The ceremony begins by passing around the traditional utensil, Tash-t-Nari, and diners wash their hands from warm water in a samovar.

Then the trami is served, heaped with rice, quartered by two seekh kababs and comprising four pieces of methi korma, two tabakh maaz, one safed murg, one zafrani murg, and the first few courses.

The dishes may vary from one Wazwan to another, but according to the traditions, seven dishes are mandatory for a Wazwan. They are rista, rogan josh, tabak maaz, daniwal korma, aab gosht, marchwangan korma and gushtaba. The main meal concludes with the gushtaba. Earthen pots are used for serving curd and chutney.

There is a convention that the dish of gushtaba should never be

Menu Planning at Zune Chef Mohd. Irfan shares with our readers the delectable Kashmiri dishes served at Zune, an Indian specialty restaurant at Hilton New Delhi/Janakpuri.

Curries Non-vegetarian Mass Kofta Delicately pounded mutton barrels aromatised with big cardamoms; cooked in flavoured Kashmiri gravy.

Rogan Josh Tender baby lamb shanks cooked in Kashmiri red chilli and saffron.

Kukkar Rista Chicken dumplings cooked in rich saffron and yoghurt gravy.

Dhaniwal Chicken Korma Chicken simmered in yoghurt gravy, finished with fresh coriander.

Vegetarian Nadir Yakhni Lotus stem simmered in curd, flavoured with mint and fennel seeds.

Methi Chaman Fried cottage cheese spiced with Kashimiri masala and fenugreek leaves.

Dum Aalo Kashmri Crispy fried baby potatoes, simmered in flavourful yoghurt gravy.

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refused. Phirni is the ideal dessert option to give a sweet taste to the sumptuous Wazwan. Then a cup a kahwah, the green tea flavoured with saffron, cardamom and almonds, brings an end to an unforgettably epicurean experience named Wazwan.

Recipe

By Chef Mohd. Irfan, Chef De Cuisine, Hilton New Delhi/ Janakpuri Paneer Methi Chaman Malai Paneer (cut into batons and fry) 350 gm Fresh fenugreek leaves (chop and soak in turmeric powder and salt water) 250 gm Curd 50 gm Cashewnut Paste 40 gm Fresh Tomato Purees 200 gm Kashmiri Chilli 5 gm Turmeric Powder 3 gm Jeera Powder 5 gm Ginger Garlic Paste 10 gm Fennel Powder 5 gm Green Chilies, Chopped 5 gm Coriander Powder 10 gm Ginger, Chopped 10 gm Garam Masala 3 gm Mustard Oil 100 ml Water 1 litre Salt To Taste Method: 1. Take a thick bottom handi. Heat on fire, add mustard oil, add ginger garlic paste, sauté, add Kashimri chili powder, coriander powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder and fennel powder.

2. Sauté well. When masala leaves oil, add chopped fenugreek leaves. Sauté for few minutes, add tomato puree and salt. Mix well. Cook for 10-15 minutes.

3. Now add curd. Cook well for 5-6 minutes, add water if required.

4. When gravy starts leaving oil add 250 ml water, add fried paneer batons. Check seasoning.

5. Sprinkle garam masala, chopped green chili and ginger.

6. Serve hot.

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RESTAURANT

Taste the Best of North India

By Sharmila Chand

Z

une, meaning the moon in Kashmiri, seems to be just the right name for the Indian specialty restaurant at Hilton New Delhi/Janakpuri; part of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio.

The Tastes at Zune The restaurant is also one of the rare places in Delhi to offer a Wazwan style seating.

Wazwan, an elaborate multi-course meal, is an integral part of Kashmir’s rich

Making an Impression Situated on the second floor of the hotel, the 102 cover restaurant reflects the splendour and magnificence of an old world charm. Here the warm intimate atmosphere complements the live soothing ghazals wafting through the air.

The restaurant features a Jamevaar ‘Ambi’ motif, which enhances the overall theme of the restaurant. Original Kashmiri artifacts lend a dramatic yet authentic feel to the décor of the restaurant.

The colours in Zune are a feast to the eyes — an exquisite combination of turquoise and copper. It is a pleasure just to be in the restaurant.

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Rubal Chaudhry

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

gastronomic traditions. Zune has a talented team of Kashmiri Chefs hence it is no surprise that the restaurant offers impeccable Wazwan dishes on the menu.

Here the guests have the privilege of savouring a fine selection of exquisite Kashmiri and Mughlai dishes. Cuisines from old Delhi, Punjab and Kashmir are there to delight the connoisseurs at Zune.

The Punjabi section at Zune is as popular as its ‘Old Delhi’s favourites’ and traditional Kashmiri Wazwan. It has to be said that the three sections together presents a wonderful gastronomic journey through tastes and flavours. Here you can enjoy a meal marked with the star presence of Salim Raan, Butter Chicken and Gushtaba.

The dishes created for Zune are based on traditional methods of cooking using fresh and seasonal ingredients, blended with the exotic tastes, colours and texture of spices.

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Meet the Chef Chef Mohd. Irfan, Chef De Cuisine, Hilton New Delhi/Janakpuri manages the kitchen operations of Zune. He brings with him 10 years of experience. In his earlier stint, which was with Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar, he was responsible for overall kitchen operations including food conceptualisation, preparation and presentation.

Prior to Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar, Chef Irfan also held positions with other reputed hospitality properties like The Claridges, New Delhi, and Uppal’s Orchid an Ecotel Hotel New Delhi among others.

The New Menu Recently Zune has launched its new menu. The culinary emphasis on Old Delhi, Punjabi and Kashmiri dishes remain on the new menu, though the fare has been spruced with sumptuous additions.

The new menu at Zune is comprehensive and alluring. “The new menu at Zune retains the delectable flavours of north Indian cuisine and introduces exciting new dishes in an endeavour to add an incredible twist to traditional Indian preparations,” explained Rubal Chaudhry, General Manager, Hilton New Delhi / Janakpuri.

According to Mohd. Irfan, Chef De Cuisine, Hilton New Delhi/Janakpuri, “We have introduced exciting new dishes to entice the taste buds of the local guests and the international travellers staying at the hotel.”

The new menu includes extensive vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare prepared with exotic ingredients. Guests can feast on a tempting spread of authentic culinary delights from cuisines that are specific to old Delhi, Punjab and Kashmir. To make the food an enjoyable experience the dishes are thoughtfully spiced and crafted with contemporary twists.

The scrumptious spread includes the delicious Pakhtooni Jheenga, delightful Murgh Malai Kebab, all-time favourite Musallam Raan, and succulent Kukkar Achari among others. Vegetarians will be

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“The new menu at Zune offers a fine selection of all-time favourites, ranging from cuisines that are germane to Delhi, Punjab and Kashmir.”

— Mohammad Irfan, Chef De Cuisine, Hilton New Delhi / Janakpuri.

able to embark on a gastronomic journey with Roti pe Soya Boti, Chatpati Dal Wadi ki Tokri and Methi Chaman, which are among several other delightful preparations.

“We have added an incredible twist to the traditional north Indian preparations in the new menu. We believe that Indian specialty restaurant should offer not just good food but an experience that delights all senses,” Irfan added.

The added bonus to the food, ambience and décor is some mellifluous ghazal singing by an excellent group of ghazal singers, who perform here six days a week. While enjoying food and ambience at Zune, one realises that tremendous effort has been gone through in every minute detail, right from the décor, service style, customised copperware, linen, and of course, the food, which together creates a wonderful hedonistic experience.

Signature Dishes • Musallam Raan • Zune Tawa Macchi • Sabz Mawe Ki Seekh — skewered kebab made of mixed vegetables and crushed cashew nuts, flavoured with Indian spices; cooked in clay oven • Mass Kofta • Rogan Josh • Dhaba Meat Curry • Nadir Yakhni – lotus stem simmered in curd, flavoured with mint and fennel seeds • Dum Aloo Kashmiri • Zune Khaas Kofta • Palak Ka Halwa

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

61

CHEF VOICE

A Passion for

Culinary Perfection

By Sharmila Chand

For Sandeep Pande, Executive Chef, Le Meridien Jaipur, fresh seasonal ingredients are of prime importance.

He endeavours to use natural ingredients cooked with passion to create food fit for Gods, which is his culinary philosophy. The dishes which he envisions are the ones which are made of fresh produce with very subtle infusions. Keep it simple and straight, is his motto when it comes to preparing dishes.

During the course of his career in culinary arts across the globe he and his team have aspired to look for and bringing in the best of ingredients in their kitchens to create that “maximum impact.” And his best ingredients are not necessarily exotic and highly expensive; they are often inexpensive, abundant but lend an authentic taste to the dishes.

Pande not only guides his team in the kitchen to facilitate ensuring that all the dishes are perfectly prepared, but he is also seen frequently out in the restaurant, interacting with his guests and making sure they are all getting a wonderful dining experience.

He wants the food to evoke emotions. He believes that the act of feeding people is one of the most genuine and loving things someone can do. Hence, he always cherishes the compliment he once received: “Can we adopt you to cook for us.”

When Pande is not at work, he can be found playing with his little son, Dron. He loves to see and understand the world through his son’s perception. Nothing excites him more than several tough questions his son poses to him everyday.

Lastly, Chef Pande would like to be remembered as a genuine person who was able to touch people’s senses through food, and also be cared for by his team members. The excerpts of the interview follow: How do you define yourself professionally?

I would prefer to define myself professionally as a passionate Chef.

What is the meaning of life for you?

For me meaning of life is in inner happiness and family.

What is your idea of

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happiness?

It is having a family meal.

What would you like to say on your work?

My work is my passion. I adapt according to the place I am working. For example, if I am in Arabian region, cooking with passion is not only stir frying bok choy with crispy turkey ‘bacon’ but is also finding fresh creamy

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

camel milk cheese from a camel farm in Ras Al Khaimah and pairing it with a crispy Sauvignon Blanc. It is also about giving my guests a ‘touch of Arabia’ by making available date syrup to be poured over fluffy pancakes in thick ribbons, instead of the usual pan cake syrup.

In this given case, cooking with passion is also about learning the nuances of cooking regional Arabic

Apr-May ’13

CHEF VOICE food on such occasions as Suhoor or Ramadan.

What are your sources of inspiration?

They are my guests and my family.

As a Chef what you are passionate about?

I am passionate about top quality ingredients.

What are your essential beliefs as a professional?

I not only trust self, but also my team and team’s abilities.

I also believe in being patient and precise. I know and believe there is no short cut to perfection. My extensive global stints facilitated me to inculcate all these work philosophies.

What is your strength as a Chef?

My professional strength is my organisational skills. My biggest asset is my diverse professional background as I have worked with various well-known hospitality names across various countries.

And what is your weakness?

I cannot stand mediocrity in any form.

What is your favourite cuisine?

Mediterranean is my favourite cuisine.

And which spice is your favourite?

It is coriander.

Kindly tell us what is your favourite dish

Cassoulet is my favourite dish.

And what is your favourite equipment and gadget?

It is simple. A good knife is my favourite tool in kitchen.

Temperature probe is my favourite gadget.

Who is your favourite diner?

It is anybody who is willing to experiment.

What is your hot selling item?

Our buffets.

You are obsessed with?

Quality is my obsession.

How do we see you 10 years from now?

Then also I would like to see myself as a good cook only.

What is the position of Chefs today in India?

They are now given their due importance and respect.

How do you de-stress yourself?

I de-stress by playing with my son, Dron.

What are the problems and challenges faced by the Chefs in our country?

Lack of good quality ingredients and trained manpower are two crucial challenges that a Chef faces in India

Apr-May ’13

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

63

O P E R AT I O N S

Exhaust for

Clean Kitchens

By Kanishka Gupta

H

otels generally are large properties which generally have the presence of a large floating population of guests with a substantial number of in-house employees. Restaurants in hotels as well as stand-alone restaurants too have a large floating population of guests, and an array of staff.

Due to space constraints and to minimise capital expenditure, hotels and restaurants in urban as well as non urban areas are mostly constructed on a modest area of land where the management tries to fit in as many facilities as possible. One such facility is the exhaust system.

For Comfort and Safety

crucial importance. Without a good exhaust system, a restaurant kitchen or any other commercial kitchen is expected to have lots of harmful fumes and smoke, and the heat in the kitchens would be unbearable. All these would lead to extremely uncomfortable and hazardous conditions for the kitchen workers and as well as the guests.

“Exhaust systems are of great importance for modern kitchens of today.

They keep away fumes and vapours and stop smoke generation. So, a proper working exhaust system holds the key to a good and clean kitchen, and creates proper working conditions for the kitchen staff,” explained Sandeep Tanwar, Executive Chef, The Metropolian Hotel & Spa, New Delhi.

“Exhaust system plays a very vital role in maintaining the freshness of air for guestrooms, kitchens and restaurants, and AC Factor also regulates the overall Moreover, these days most ventilation system. Exhaust of the decent hotels and systems remove odours and this restaurants are airprocess improves indoor air conditioned; keeping in quality, which also includes mind the discerning tastes indoor air quality of restaurant of the guests. In such a kitchens,” informed Rajat Jaitly, scenario, ensuring pure and Sandeep Tanwar Chief Engineer, The Park, New fresh air quality, proper Delhi. ventilation and keeping the kitchens A restaurant kitchen or any other properly aerated is an important task. commercial kitchen, due to the presence In any dedicated air-conditioning and use of burners, stoves, boilers, etc. system, a good exhaust system is of prime has the potential to generate a great importance. Since in AC systems, the amount of unwanted fumes, vapours treated air generally moves in via ducts and odours which are required to be which are fitted in different floors of the eliminated from the air, in order to hotel, exhaust systems play a vital role in safeguard the health of the staff and as treating and purifying the air. “Exhaust well as the guests. system is an essential part of HVAC. To In this regard, an exhaust system is of keep the air-conditioned areas fresh and

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ventilated we have to provide the system with supply of fresh air and exhaust air as per the design parameters of HVAC,” elaborated Saurav Dutta, Executive Assistant Manager, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi, Delhi NCR.

Features and Installation Exhaust systems must be located in open and spacious areas so that they can have easy access to clean and fresh air which can then be cooled and pumped in the hotel rooms. It is important that the area surrounding the exhaust system is clean and there are no unpleasant odours and it is free of smoke, smog, or dust.

“Exhaust system must be accompanied with appropriate supply of fresh air. The main advantages of exhaust system are that it enhances the freshness of the area,” added Dutta.

The exhaust systems come with a number of key features, advantages and benefits. “For the main kitchen, we have two speed exhaust motors which can be adjusted as per the requirement, depending upon the kitchen load.

Duct cleaning for the main kitchen is done on yearly basis as per ISO-22000 and fire safety norms. Also the exhaust air generated from kitchen & generators is connected to wet scrubber to prevent air pollution. We record stack temperature of our machinery to monitor their efficiency on a regular basis,” elaborated Jaitly Installation of exhaust systems is a complex task and requires a high degree of expertise and engineering skills. “For the main kitchen we have separate exhaust with exhaust hoods in areas,” pointed out Jaitly. Sound level of the

Apr-May ’13

exhaust, its installation process, energy efficiency of the unit, area required by the unit, the length of ducting are only some of the factors which should be kept in mind while designing the exhaust systems. “Exhaust system for our main kitchen is accompanied with treated fresh air as per designed ventilation system,” proffered Dutta “For installation of the exhaust Saurav Dutta system, first we have to check the load of the installation process, and connection of inlet and outlet. After that, we need to check the direction of blower, sound levels and labeling of the exhaust system,” asserted Tanwar. He views that “the usage areas, location, load factor, and environment friendliness including energy efficiency,” are the aspects which need to be taken care of while installing an exhaust system.

Hotels and restaurants are constructed across different geographies, on different sizes of plots and in different architectural styles. The type of exhaust system to be used depends on these factors too. Different types of exhaust systems are available in the market and there are a number of different dealers and suppliers for the exhaust systems.

However, choosing a dealer or a supplier of an exhaust system is an expertise in itself and requires careful planning and approach.

Choosing the Supplier “We refer to various applications for which exhaust systems are required, based on the inlet air quality and various installation factors. We chose our supplier based on his work capacity, availability of options, product technology, the quality of the exhaust system that the supplier is offering, product life, energy efficiency, how the system fits into our application, its warranty and costing, etc. Also past performance and client list is used as a criteria for our choosing a given system,” articulated Jaitly.

“The supplier should have authorised dealership of the exhaust system. He has to take the ownership of the after sales service after the proper installation and commissioning, and last but not the least the rate must be competitive,” pointed out Dutta, when asked about his hotel’s expectations from the supplier of the exhaust systems. He believes that scrubber exhaust system is ideal for restaurant kitchens.

“While buying an exhaust system, we check factors like efficiency, quality and after sales service and energy consumption factor. We buy our systems from a supplier who can give us a good quality exhaust at reasonable prices with proper ISI marks, etc.,” concluded Tanwar.

Rajat Jaitly

Apr-May ’13

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

65

HYGIENE

Food for Storage

By Asha Gupta

A

s the world reels with problems of food dissemination with more than a quarter of the world’s population surviving without proper meals, it is alarming to see callous wastage of available food resources across millions of households around the globe.

At a critical juncture of our continuous creation and recreation of history, where the availability of food is one of the major issues staring the humanity at large and the underdeveloped and the developing world in particular, safeguarding of food resources has become one of the most pertinent responsibilities of the human society in the twenty-first century.

Fostering Health, Preventing Wastage With as much as half of all the food produced in the world – equivalent to 2bn tonnes – ending up as waste every year due to varied reasons like improper storage, ignorance and skewed distribution network, the situation beacons us to take the issue of safeguarding of food seriously and thus facilitate effective tackling of the issues of malnutrition and hunger which have been

plaguing the underdeveloped and the developing world, since ages.

With tonnes of food getting wasted every year due to improper storage techniques across the world, the time is critical now to educate masses on using proper storage containers and imbibe pertinent storage methods to safeguard food and enhance the health of the society. Important to note herein is that a research by Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations has indicated that food items which are stored right have more nutrients and are healthier than food items stored in an unsafe manner. The way food is stored and maintained goes a long way in retaining its nutritional value and energy content, thus helping the family, especially the children to derive maximum nourishment out of it.

It is lamentable that a significant chunk of our population in India is unaware of proper food storage techniques in its kitchen. Proper food storage needs the right utensil and container, and also the right attitude. Food like any other organic elements on earth needs proper handling for its longevity, and food generally tends to deteriorate faster in the harsh summer

season. Food and nutrition experts concur that storing food ingredients rightly prevents the growth of bacteria and mould that can cause food-borne illnesses, especially in summers, when the chances of food getting contaminated is the highest. Therefore food storage during summers is still more crucial.

Containers which help retain freshness and keep out moisture are the ones which can increase longevity of food products.

They are useful in all seasons, but in summers their usage is extremely crucial for keeping the illness at bay. They on the one hand help maintain the health of the families on a micro level, and on the other hand, facilitate to fight the scarcity of food on the macro level.

Care should be taken to store food in food grade containers, which would facilitate maintaining the freshness levels of the food items and in turn will help the consumers derive maximum or optimum nutrition from them. Moreover, these containers should be kept clean all the time. Different food products like vegetables, pulses, rice and curries should be kept separately in airtight containers to retain their freshness.

The Tupperware Touch Containers such as Tupperware’s Dry Storage range are one of the best storage containers available in the market. While Tupperware’s Dry Storage range helps storing food for a longer period of time, it also facilitates in keeping a check on infestation and mouldings thereby saving cereals and pulses from spoiling over a prolonged period of storage.

Other range of containers from Tupperware includes the Classic lunch set for children, which helps packing lunch for them in a safe and nutritious manner; thus aiding in up-keeping the health of children in summers, wherein most of the children tend to fall ill due to

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HYGIENE unhealthy food.

The lunch set range, which features food-grade air-tight containers, is safe to store food and is also relevant to an environment like India where atmosphere conditions tend to spoil food quite quickly. They are made from safe, nontoxic, non-carcinogenic materials and do not release harmful chemicals to food or liquid contents. These lunch containers are certified according to the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) & Japan Polyolefin Hygienic Association standards.

Storage and Food Handling Tips While keeping food stored in the right container is one of the major factors towards maintaining hygiene and nutrition, one should also always keep in mind a few additional safe storage and food handling tips, which are extremely relevant during summers. These tips can be of help to the restaurant business too, and complement good storage options.

Fruits, vegetables and other ingredients like pulses and rice should be thoroughly washed with cold water before being used for cooking. Also, meat

Apr-May ’13

and poultry products should be stored under deep freezing, which helps in retaining the juices and nutrient of the meat products for a longer period of time.

Also, food items should be consumed within their lifecycle as consuming them after their shelf life is over can be unhealthy.

In summers, food items do tend to get spoilt over the day and one should therefore prefer to prepare food in a way so that it can be consumed over the space of a few hours. This should be especially kept in mind if the refrigeration facilities are not adequate at the outlet, such as in roadside eating joints.

In summers, it is advisable to use food products which have a longer shelf life.

Products whose shelf lives are approximately one year or so should be preferred over products which barely can be kept for a week or so.

In summers, for food stored under refrigeration, appropriate cooling levels should be maintained to keep the food products safe. Food products which have a shorter shelf life should preferably be stored under refrigeration only in summers, as without refrigeration, the

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

chances of them getting spoiled over is greater over a period of time, especially during summers.

Succinctly, with the combination of right equipment and effective preventive measures, food storage in India can be much more effective than it is now. This in turn could enhance the health quotient of the society, and bolster our food security. It should be remembered that though food storage is more crucial during summers, it is necessary for all seasons. and its continuous adherence is a necessity for a healthy society and economy.

Author is the Managing Director, Tupperware India Private Limited and Area Vice President, Nutrimetics Austrialia and Tupperware Phillipines.

67

PRODUCT PREVIEW

Chappati Puffer

Grilling Equipment

Ravinder Hospitality Equipment is a company engaged in the field of designing, manufacturing and servicing a comprehensive range of commercial hospitality products in India. The company has introduced itself as one of the leading designers, manufacturers & suppliers of complete range of commercial kitchen, refrigeration, food service and bakery equipments for hotels, restaurants, industrial canteens, fast food joints, and clubs.

The company has introduced chappati puffer for industrial catering. The device — chappati puffer — can make innumerable chappatis by saving time and energy. The company has a team of experienced mechanical engineers and technocrats to make the product perfect for the market.

Ravinder Hospitality Equipment info@ravinderequipment.com

Allied Metal Works performs to meet the highest echelons to provide the unique and manageable\wieldy cooking equipments to the chefs who look for perfection in their equipments as well as taste, keeping in mind the healthy aspects too. Allied Metal Works offers grilling machines, available in coal, gas, lava stone and electrical.

Designed from the table top to transportable, Allied Metal Works features an impressive array of equipments to meet the demands of any commercial foodservice operation, large or small. The equipments are so robust that it rivals floor models for power, performance, durability and reliability.

Though charcoal grills can sometimes require new cooking grids and charcoal grates, gas grills are much more complex, and require additional components such as burners, valves, and heat shields. A gas grill burner is the central source of heat for cooking food.

Cooking grids, also known as cooking grates, are the surface on which the food is cooked in a grill. Valves can wear out or become rusted and too difficult to operate, thus requiring replacement. A valve is unlike a burner in that a replacement usually must match exactly to the original in order to fit properly. Rock grates are placed directly above the burner and are designed to hold lava rock or ceramic briquettes. We at our workshop design criss-cross rock grates which protects the burner from drippings and also deccelerates the deterioration of the burner, while also dispersing the heat from the burner more evenly throughout the grill.

Allied Metal Works chefgurmeetgrover@yahoo.in

Cleaning Kitchens and Dishes, Impeccably

JMR Chemical (World) is an important player in the field of softeners and chemicals, with an impressive track record of 25 years. It has set its international standards with much determination and perseverance. The company provides a wide gamut of chemicals of great purity. The products of JMR Chemical (World) cater to hospitality, housekeeping, food/ beverage processing, dairy farming, poultry farms and various other sectors and sub-sectors. The impressive product range under the ambit of this proprietorship concern includes a wide array of kitchen chemicals and dish washing chemicals.

One such product is Rollogs, which is used for cleaning grills, ovens, hot plates, fryers & coils, etc. Another of the high quality kitchen chemical with JMR Chemical (World) is Duran Kleanex (XL-100), which is a light green colour detergent-cum-santiser with Quat MBA, which makes the chemical appropriate for hard surfaces like kitchen floors, tiles, baking areas, etc.

Similarly JMR Chemical (World)’s Duran Trolley Wash is a light green colour detergent used for cleaning and disinfection of stainless steel trolley carrying food & beverages. Its Duran Rinse is a crystal clear blue liquid used for automatic dish washing machine. This low foam liquid detergent is eco-friendly, ph balanced, neutral and has no sedimentation. There are many, many more such impressive kitchen cleaning and dish washing products introduced by JMR Chemical (World), over the years, which have attracted popularity in the Indian food & beverage industry.

JMR Chemical (World) jmrchemicalworld@yahoo.co.in

HACCP Manager Kit The HACCP Manager Kit provides the software, hardware and PC interface for the collecting, reporting, analyzing and storing of product temperature records and checklist documentation.

The Handheld is a data-collecting instrument designed to simplify the gathering of temperatures and the documentation of corrective actions as well as managing standard checklist processes. The database software allows for customizing up to 300 menu items and the Handheld can store up to 3000 temperature readings. The handheld also holds up to 1500 checklist records (150 questions) with yes/no or numeric answers, and corresponding corrective actions.

The HACCP Manager software is the most important and powerful component of your HACCP Manager system. Data can be quickly transferred between the Handheld and a PC. The database is fully customizable. Critical control points and corrective actions can be defined to ensure a detailed and solid HACCP workflow tailored to your facility.

Mittal International sales@mitalin.com

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

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A D V E R T I S E R ’ S COMPANY

PAGE NO.

I N D E X

COMPANY

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AIM TECH

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MIFB 2013

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AKSAI

09

MITTAL INTERNATIONAL

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ALLIED METAL WORKS

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MITORA MACHINEX

16

ANNAPOORNA 2013

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MRS. BECTOR’S FOOD SPECIALITIES LTD.

FIC

ANOUSHKA GOURMET PVT. LTD.

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MUNNILAL TANDOORS PVT. LTD.

12

ANUGA

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NEENA ENTERPRISES

14

APPLE BAKERY MACHINERY PVT. LTD.

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PARSHADI LAL & SONS PVT. LTD.

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BMS ENTERPRISES

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RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

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COSMIC HEALERS PVT. LTD.

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RAVINDER HOSPITALITY EQUIPMENT

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DABON INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

07

REMINGTON STEEL ARTS

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DHR HOLDING INDIA PVT. LTD.

01

RODAAJI COMPANY

11

DRINKTEC 2013

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ROYAL FRESH TISSUES INDIA PVT. LTD.

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EPICURE FROZEN FOODS & BEVERAGES PVT. LTD.

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SASKATCHEWAN PULSE GROWERS

15

EUROPEAN QUALITY FOODS

19

SCS AGRIBUSINESS CONSULTANTS PVT. LTD.

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FCML DISTRIBUTORS PVT. LTD.

29

SHAMSONS FOODS

35

FnS INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

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SIGMA TEST RESEARCH CENTRE

22

FINE FOOD INDIA 2013

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THE NEW INDIA ELECTRIC & TRADING CO.

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HOSFAIR 2013

45

TRAFS 2013

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KANHAIYALAL TANDOOR PVT. LTD.

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UNITAS FOODS PVT. LTD.

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KI GLASSWARE INDIA PVT. LTD.

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VANYA INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENTS

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LOOM CRAFTS FURNITURE (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

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VENUS INDUSTRIES

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MANISHA INTERNATIONAL

BIC

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METAL AVENUES

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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71

INTERVIEW

Passionate About Learning and Imparting Knowledge

By Sharmila Chand

72

It is wise to hire people with the right attitude, and not because of how someone looks, or how many wines he knows, or if he knows the French Classical Menu well. Hire for the right attitude, be ready to be a coach and trainer yourself, and you will make for yourself a beautiful team.

Finally, how has been your experience at the present job?

What are the challenges of working here? How is it different from other places? What excites you the most here?

What has touched me the most is the warmth and genuineness with which everyone has welcomed me on board.

While I am still finding my feet here, I have a very strong feeling that the challenges and pressures will not be too different from what I have discussed in response to your previous question. At the same time, I must add that Goa Marriott Resort & Spa is different from other places and is exciting as well.

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strengthen their team?

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Can you suggest any tips or insights for the F&B Managers to

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Is the job of F&B Manager challenging? Can you point out five challenges?

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Mostly time-bound and deadline related pressures, but none that are not manageable.

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What kind of pressures have you encountered at work?

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Of course it is, as without challenges the job of an F&B Manager would have been very boring.

The fact that every time the team of the F&B Manager changes (in case she/he gets transferred or moves on to another job), it takes a lot for the new team to accept her/ him and like her/him, which is very important. This can be a crucial challenge in an F&B Manager’s professional life.

The bosses are always asking for the best quality F&B and then at the same time they ask us to keep our costs down to ridiculous levels. I know every F&B Manager and Chef reading this will be smiling to herself/himself.

This is another challenge of our job; of maintaining highest possible quality at the lowest possible cost.

Moreover, the guests also are always asking for the best of F&B, but at the least possible rates. This makes our job more challenging.

While most guests are a pleasure to deal with, there are those odd guests who increase our blood pressures once in a while. Though we all have a laugh later, it is a challenge to deal with them.

Becoming number savvy is also a challenge that many F&B Managers have to deal with.

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At the cost of sounding hackneyed, I am going to say that there is nothing about my job that I dislike. Believe it or not, I love those long hours too.

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The fact that I get to have the best of food and drinks whenever I want them is a definite perk of the job.

Being an extrovert and very gregarious by nature, I love the fact that my job has enabled me to meet so many different people all the time; they include not just guests but also the teams that work with me.

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What do you enjoy the most about being a Food & Beverage (Restaurant) Manager?

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An F&B Manager must be willing to try new things all the time, and must be willing to learn at all times, from varied sources such as the books, Internet, peers, and Chefs. She/ he also must be humble enough to learn from subordinates who are reporting to her/ him. Sometimes they are the greatest source of learning.

And an F&B Manager must display humility with peers, colleagues, subordinates, and of course, with the guests.

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What are the top three traits or skills every Food & Beverage Manager must have to excel?

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Rahul Korgaokar has been the Director of Food & Beverage at Goa Marriott Resort & Spa since April 2013.

Korgaokar began his career in July 2004, as the Restaurant Manager of India Jones, the Pan Asian restaurant of Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. Over the years, Korgaokar’s illustrious career has gained experience of working with renowned brands like Vetro, the contemporary Italian fine dining restaurant of The Oberoi, Mumbai, with Trident, Bandra Kurla, and with Movenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore. Prior to his present assignment he was the Food and Beverage Manager at Movenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore.

Korgaokar’s strength lies in his love for training. “I love to teach, and for that, I also study and learn. So I am constantly on the lookout for something to learn, and as soon as I learn something, I am on the lookout for the very next opportunity to teach it to someone else,” he said enthusiastically.

Beverage is another area where Korgaokar excels. Having undergone numerous wine trainings, vineyard visits, wine dinners and even having being trained by a master sommelier from California, he is well-versed in wines. He also has the talent of coming up with innovative and creative cocktails. The excerpts of the interview follow:

What is the USP of your resort/ brand?

The brand Marriott itself is a USP. Ours is Goa’s only hotel to be so close to the waterfront. The experience, as you enter the lobby is breathtaking. It has to be experienced; it cannot be described. I would only add that a wonderful view of the riverfront as you enter the lobby catches you by surprise.

Apr-May ’13