Food & Beverage Business Review by Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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) Feature Editor Kanishka Gupta Sub-Editor Tapapriya Lahiri Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Narender Kumar Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrath Nath, Sudhir Pandey, Ashish Jha 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: 45084903, 25854103 Telefax: 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 © 2012 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.

In these days, the demand for healthy eating has been experiencing a healthy growth curve, especially among the affluent and upwardly mobile sections of urban Indian society. There are various reasons behind this trend, which are not difficult to explore. Firstly, the rising health consciousness in the society due to the influences of globalisation, which are mainly fostered by the Internet, television and travel, have been facilitating the increase in the demand for healthy eating culture among some select sections of the urban Indian society, whose numbers are in no way insignificant. Besides the consciousness factor, there is the need factor which is propelled by the invasion of lifestyle diseases in the Indian society. Increasing incidences of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and the day-today struggles with high blood pressure and obesity have induced a great many Indians to go for a healthy diet. Then of course, the increased disposable incomes among sizeable numbers of Indian population has also raised the affordability quotient of the Indian society at large towards healthy eating, which in many cases (especially in the case of organic foods) don’t come all that cheap. Though the concept of the intake of healthy food and drinks dates back to the nascent days of Indian civilasation, but since the last decade-and-ahalf, health food and drinks have emerged as a trend and an industry on itself; embodying great variation, diversification and classification. This has resulted in the floating of a plethora of health food brands and drinks in the market, all of which may not be totally healthy, which are complemented by the emergence of innumerable number of people projecting themselves as dieticians and nutritionists, all of whom may not be safe for seeking professional advice. Thankfully, the healthy eating trend is not only limited to the food and drinks but has also been extended to the cooking ingredients. In fact, without healthy ingredients, the healthy eating trend cannot gather a holistic flavour in any society. The fact that Indians are switching to healthier cooking options like olive oil, rice bran oil and canola oil makes us hope for a healthy society in the near future. All these issues and more are being explored in detail in our Cover Story, from which we expect our readers would find food for thought. The great potential and increasing popularity of beer —the world’s oldest beverage— in urban India has encouraged multiple foreign beer brands to make forays into the Indian beer market in the recent times. However, their products are likely to cater to the high-end spectrum of the Indian beer market, which is fast growing into a size which the beer manufacturers in India and abroad are unlikely to ignore, whereas the local and national beer manufacturers would continue to cater to the middle and lower segments of the beer market in India, where strong beers are likely to have the preference in the near future, as it does at present. The growing popularity and potential of beers in India is explored in our Business Story. Besides these, our regular and additional sections are geared to give you enough useful information, opinions and analysis, which together would contribute to your reading pleasure.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

CONTENTS

Cover Story

India Switching to Healthy Diet

Business

The Beer Getting Bullish

Feature

The Challenges of Crockery Selection

Agri

Exploring Artichoke

Trend

Health Stems from Flowers

Theme Cuisine Cover Pix: Italia, DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj

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The Diverse Flavours of Italy

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Departments Event

Focus

News

Pub

Liqueur

Restaurant Review

Chef Voice

Operations

Product Preview

Business Opportunity

Interview

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gourmet foods, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, ingredients and spices, bakery and biscuits, confectionaries and snacks, dairy, and hospitality services. Fine Food India is aptly termed as an event ‘By the Industry, For the Industry.’ The expo is backed by the support of some of the highly influential Indian and international associations. Renowned industry names such as National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), Agricultural & Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF), PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) will extend their full support to the show. Fine Food India will host a number of educative, entertaining and networking activities for the trade visitors. The Business Forum across three days will feature well-known industry specialists talking about latest products and technologies, trends, and the future of the food & beverage industry.

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fter a successful launch in 2011, Diversified Communications, the leading convenor of food exhibitions across four continents, will present the second edition of Fine Food India from 17th – 19th September 2012 at Pragati Maidan Exhibition Complex, in New Delhi. Diversified runs the international award winning Fine Food Australia Exhibition, along with Fine Food Western Australia, Fine Food Queensland, Fine Food New Zealand, and Lunch Australia. Diversified Food Group offers over 25 face-to-face food & beverage events and conference programs in North America, the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and now India. Fine Food India 2012— the international food, drink, equipment, hospitality & retail technology exhibition—will bring together over 200 exhibitors from developed food markets across the globe. Top companies from France, Spain, USA, Australia, China, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Poland, Mexico, Pakistan, Iran, Chile, Italy, and India will showcase their varied range of specialty and fine foods,

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Fine Food India 2012 Industry associations will actively participate and support these sessions by conducting specific sessions on import and export, retail, hotel and restaurant, etc. The sessions are free to attend. The Food Theatre is one of the most talked-about features of Fine Food India 2012. Electrolux, the globally renowned producer of household and professional appliances, will set up the Food Theatre with its state-of the-art equipment. World famous Michelin Star Chefs present their best creations made up of quality ingredients and diverse recipes, influenced by world-class cuisines. The Chefs Masterclass will make its debut at Fine Food India this year. Talented Chefs from all over the country will demonstrate their culinary skills by presenting delicious authentic cuisines. Along with demonstrations, expert Chefs will conduct learning sessions on the know-hows of grilling, baking and frying. Another noteworthy feature of Fine Food India 2012 is the Drinks Academy, a zone dedicated for the makers, buyers and consumers of beverages. Sampling and tasting of some of the finest wines from India and the world, cocktail mixing workshops and sommelier competitions would keep the attendees of the Drinks Theatre refreshed. Under the able guidance of Magandeep Singh, India’s first French certified Sommelier, the 5th Indian Sommelier Championships will recognise the best in the wine industry. A panel of expert judges with their discerning tastes for fine wines will judge the finalists on their food and wine matching skills, wine handling skills, wine service prowess, and wine tasting quotient. For those interested in closing business deals or networking in a relaxed ambience, the VIP Lounge is the perfect retreat. The facilities in the VIP Lounge will not only ease out the serious businessmen but would also give the expo an international look and feel.

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is an ideal platform for the Chinese organic sector to exchange ideas, make contacts and discuss solutions, celebrated its premiere this year. The ‘EU-China Seminar on Certification of Organic Products’ organised jointly by CNCA and the EU-China Delegation, showed that the ChineseEuropean negotiations on reciprocal recognition of their organic products are developing positively. “The seminars are really impressive. We must be well informed about what we can expect in the Chinese organic sector in future,” said one conference participant. Many associations and NGOs consider BioFach China as the best promotional platform for environmental protection issues and LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability). One of the much discussed topics on the supporting programme included ‘Community Supported Agriculture,’ i.e. in which farms cooperate with several private households.

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A total of seven seminars took place during BioFach China 2012. They were organised by the government and certification bodies, international exhibitors and eBusiness companies, and were attentively followed by some 400 participants. The new certification standards for organic products were the most discussed topic on the supporting programme. The current standards were presented by the press spokesman of CNCA (Certification and Accreditation Administration of China) at the ‘BioFach China 2012 Conference on International Organic Food Market and Development.’ The ‘China Organic Congress,’ which

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Seminar Programme With Current Topics

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The visitors at BioFach China, including government members, certification officers, manufacturers, retailers, and members of institutions and associations, were able to obtain information about a comprehensive range of products and the whole value chain in the organic sector.

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Organic Sector Presented Entire Value Chain

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in 2012, which gave the exhibition a professional character.

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Mainly the companies which significantly shape the market, increased their presence at this year’s exhibition. Exhibitors absent until now took part for the first time and presented their products on large stands. The country pavilions from Australia, Italy and the USA were interesting for exhibitors and visitors alike. More exhibitors decided on an individual stand

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More Key Players Present at BioFach China

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The new certification standards for organic products introduced in China on 1st March 2012 have strong impact on the whole Chinese organic food market. The new regulations are extremely strict. Sector experts like IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) even described them as “the strictest in the world.” Many Chinese organic manufacturers are making an effort to implement the new regulations, but the high costs and problems in obtaining the certificate are obstacles for many firms.

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Strict Organic Standards Influence the Chinese Market

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he sixth BioFach China held in the INTEX Shanghai Exhibition Centre from 24th–26th May was a great success. The three-day exhibition under the patronage of NürnbergMesse and the China Green Food Development Center attracted sizeable visitors once again. Altogether, 15,963 trade visitors (2011: 14,613) poured into the exhibition centre to source information from 189 exhibitors from eleven countries. The three country pavilions from the USA, Australia and Italy were also well visited. Against the background of the new market situation, BioFach China achieved an optimum position in Shanghai and confirmed its role as the leading platform for the organic sector in China.

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BioFach China 2012 Confirms its Key Role in the Chinese Market

Exhibitors Praised Quality of Visitors

High

Many exhibitors spoke of the high quality of the visitors at BioFach China. “In our opinion, the quality of the visitors was especially high this year. We had the purchasing decision-makers on our stand. It was the most successful BioFach China we have ever attended,” said Li Xiaoxue, the Deputy Managing Director at Organic Farm. “BioFach China was very successful! We are all extremely satisfied with the quantity and quality of the visitors. We were rushed off our feet every day. On the first day we made contacts with supermarkets and large importers, on the second day it was increasingly organic traders and small and medium-sized sales departments. We will certainly be there again next year,” said a delighted Xue Shanshan, organiser of the Montana Pavilion from the US.

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Gaurav Marya, President, Franchise India, believes that now is the time for a paradigm shift in the focus of the restaurant industry and with the 2nd edition the event envisages to capture that trend. “What a difference a year can make! In my professional capacity and interaction with many food service operators, I have seen the restaurant industry shifting its focus from ‘Should I grow’ to ‘How should I grow’? The sizzle in the industry fosters expansion and with most economic indicators looking favourable, now is the time for astute restaurant operators to plan the next phase in their company’s growth,” explained Marya. The Indian Restaurant Congress has created a benchmark for the restaurant fraternity for covering every tier of the food service sector during the course of the two-day conference, bringing together what really matters in strategic and operative terms. The congress will be showcasing the best of radical evolutions that can eventually build up a robust future by combining the macro with micro; encapsulating consumption trends and market potentials with success factors. Parallel to the Indian Restaurant Congress will also be Food

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close to 500+ food service professionals, 200+ restaurant brands, 70+ industry experts, 1000+ award nominations, which together brought out great networking and learning opportunity for the restaurant operators across the nation. This year’s theme is all about attaining scale. Niren Choudhary, MD, Yum brands, is spearheading this forum as the Conference Chair, and puts forward this year’s theme as ‘Think Big and Act Fast.’ He further elaborates saying that, “The Indian market has high growth potential and is attracting many brands and many entrepreneurs, and those that have the strongest consumer value proposition will eventually win; those who will execute against their dream, their customer value proposition with speed will eventually dominate. Thus, Think Big because we need to dream audacious dreams. And Act Fast because it is eventually the execution of these dreams with speed that will create superior economic models.”

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ndia’s market for the food service segment is heating up, with more than 3 million licensed and unlicensed restaurants in India, as per the Food Franchising Report 2011. Moreover, the Rs. 75,000 crore restaurant industry accounts for 56 percent of the food services sales, making it the largest category in the food service sector in India. The restaurant industry today stands as the second largest spending category in the retail and leisure segment in India. In the franchising industry too, it occupies the second position, only after the predominant education sector. Moreover, the Indian restaurant industry can easily withstand economic fluctuations. After the astounding success of Indian Restaurant Congress & Awards 2011, which was build on the theme of ‘starting a restaurant business’, Franchise India Holdings Limited is coming up with the second edition of the Indian Restaurant Congress and Awards. The Indian Restaurant Congress & Awards came up as a first-of-its-kind event for the restaurant and food service industry last year, in August 2011. Expounding the success of the restaurant and food service industry, the Indian Restaurant Congress & Awards brought

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‘Bon appétit’ for the Restaurant Industry

Service and Franchise Expo, which is being regarded as the most credible B2B food service expo in Asia. With the industry’s overwhelming support, the forum is said to grow even bigger and better as it creates world-class prospects for all the stakeholders in the food service environment, ranging from suppliers to business seekers. The awards stand as an integral part of the forum and will honour, recognise, felicitate and applaud the proficient Chefs, restaurants and restaurateurs who have excelled in their respective domains and have contributed immensely to the F&B industry. The forum, which will be held at The Claridges, Surajkund, New Delhi, on 27th & 28th August 2012, will witness the release of an Indian Restaurant Industry Report in association with The Franchising World Magazine. The two-day forum will witness top Chefs, leading restaurateurs and some very important F&B professionals and journalists networking with each other.

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of The Ambassador’s Sky Chef, India. “It is definitely a very fruitful trip. FHA is very enriching and is the best way to widen our network with suppliers,” opined Arlene Nacpil, Purchasing Manager of MacroAsia Catering Services, the Philippines.

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Visitors Pleased with Wide Spread of Quality Exhibitors at Show “Taken together, FHA2012 and WSA2012 is a real eye-opener. Together with two big importers, Werdenberg International Corp and Alternatives Food Corporation from the Philippines, I am able to identify my specialised food product needs under one roof. That makes it a very effective trip for both parties. It is also a great place for networking!” explained Mark Biddle, the Executive Chef from The Bellevue Hotels & Resorts, Philippines. “It is my first visit to FHA and WSA. It is a big show with wellbalanced product segments. I am truly impressed and have made many good business contacts”, averred Peter Andrist, CEO

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were delighted with the quality of buyers they have met and with the results achieved. Many from the show did meet potential distributors from various countries in Asia for their products. “This is our fourth time exhibiting. We are always happy with FHA, which is the reason why we are here. FHA helps us to meet our importers, distributors, and customers. The event is an effective platform to meet everybody in one place. FHA is getting bigger. We will certainly return to the show in 2014, and will continue to leverage on future editions of FHA to reach out to more markets, such as Japan,” elaborated Roshan Tisswaratchy, Director Sales, MJF Group, Dilmah, Sri Lanka. “This exhibition has really grown a lot. We have witnessed very good quality attendees so far. A participant of FHA for about 20 years, we will always be present at this show as it is a very important show for us,” pointed out Harbans Singh, Managing Director of UbiQ Global Solutions, Malaysia. “We have Italian companies participating in every sector of the show. FHA is the most important trade show for us in South-east Asia,” concurred Andrea Caselli, President of Organizzazione Vittorio Caselli Srl, the organisation that is responsible for putting together the two Italian pavilions and coordinating the show for all Italian exhibitors.

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fter a flurry of business-making and relationship-building activities conducted over four days, Food&HotelAsia2012(FHA2012) and Wine&SpiritsAsia2012 (WSA2012) have once again surpassed all previous records by emerging with a new high score. The event saw more than 60,000 industry visitors, exhibiting staff, conference speakers and delegates, and media in attendance. This represents more than 10 percent increase compared with its previous edition. 44 percent of the total attendees hailed from overseas. FHA2012 and WSA2012 showcased an even stronger line-up of stateof-the-art products, services and cuttingedge technologies, alongside exciting worldclass competitions and thought-leadership conferences, which gathered over 60 world’s leading industry experts and powerful speakers. “Positive feedback from show participants further testifies the tremendous success of FHA and WSA, and exhibitors are already scurrying to secure their space for the next edition in 2014. The outstanding attendee result strongly affirms that the show is Asia’s most relevant biennial trade event for the F&B and hospitality industries,” said Chief Executive of the show organiser Singapore Exhibition Services (SES), Stephen Tan. “You can feel the buzz of business negotiations as you walk through the aisles. The attendees are happy because they are pleasantly surprised at the spread of products, services and solutions. We do see a probable increase in size for FHA2014, and in anticipation of this, we will increase our exhibition area to occupy Halls 1 to 9, including the newly built MAX Atria and Max Pavilion,” added Tan. As a one-stop sourcing and relevant networking platform for industry professionals, the exhibition is expected to hit US$3 billion worth of business deals, based on preregistered visitors who have indicated their sourcing budgets for purchases. Overall, exhibitors and international group pavilions

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Food&HotelAsia2012 (FHA2012) and Wine&SpiritsAsia2012 (WSA2012)

Asian Launch Pad for the Global Food and Hospitality Industry FHA and WSA have always been seen as trendsetters in the eyes of industry professionals, and the events are highlyregarded by exhibitors as the choice platform in Asia to launch their latest products and cutting-edge technologies and services. The latest product offerings and deals sealed at FHA2012 included: • The worldwide launch of a state-of-theart professional dishwashing technology, the M-iQ series, by German-based Meiko. • Drawing on a 100-year-old rich heritage, deZaan Gourmet made its first brand appearance in Asia with its new gourmet chocolate collection, which aims to inspire Chefs, craft bakers and chocolatiers to produce sensational chocolate collections. • Belgian company Night Orient launched its 100 percent alcohol-free ‘champagne,’ a sparkling grape drink very similar to champagne, in Asia. • Regular exhibitor Kong Shiang Engineering (KSE) sealed sales of kitchen equipment worth more than S$1 million at FHA2012. The company sold a gigantic 400kg capacity multi-function vacuum pressure cooker for S$4,25,000 and a vacuum seal form fill packaging machine worth S$1,00,000 to an Italian buyer; a 200kg capacity multifunction steam cooker to a Philippines buyer for S$3,25,000; and a pilot multi-function steam cooker worth S$2,50,000 to an Indonesian buyer. Many exhibitors had also chosen FHA2012 and WSA2012 as the key events to expand their presence in Asia, an example of which is La Marzocco, who was at the exhibition to promote its best-selling Strada coffee machines.

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E V E N T S’ C A L E N D E R Hong Kong International Tea Fair 16-18 August 2012 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Hong Kong www.hkteafair.com

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Ahara International Food Fair 2012 23-25 August 2012 Chennai Trade Centre www.aaharchennai2010.com India F&B Pro + Hospitality Expo 6-9 September 2012 Expo Centre, Panaji, GOA www.trinityworld.biz Asiafruit Logistica 5-7 September 2012 AsiaWorld-Expo www.asiafruitlogistica.com Food Tech / Bakery Tech & Hotel Tech 2012 7-9 September 2012 Milan Mela Exhibition Complex, Kolkota www.kolkatafoodtech.com

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Annapoorna World of Foods India 2012 26-28 September 2012 Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai www.worldoffoodindia.com Hotel Expo 2012 10-12 October 2012 The Venetian Macau, www.hotel-exhibition.com SIAL Paris 21-25 October 2012 Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris, France www.sial.fr The India Bar Show 26-27 October 2012 The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon www.indiabarshow.com TRAFS 2012 25-28 October 2012 Hall 103, BITEC Bangkok www.thailandhoreca.com

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Fine Food India 2012 17-19 September 2012 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.finefoodindiaexpo.com

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which would be participated by over 120 franchisors from 10 countries. This would give double exposure to TRAFS’ exhibitors who can sell their products to TFBO exhibitors. Kavin Kittiboonya said, “To date, we have over 65 percent of the last year’s exhibitors confirming their participation in TRAFS 2012 due to their confidence in the quality of the show and target buyers.” Besides product display, Kavin said many exhibitors had planned to launch their newest products/technologies in the show to welcome approximately 30,000 visitors from 50 countries worldwide to the show this year, compared with around 26,000 visitors from 48 countries last year. Indian visitors were among the top ten in the last year. The Managing Director said further that over US$2,50,000 worth advertising and PR budget was set aside to promote the show worldwide to draw in target visitors to the show. “Given the fact that Thailand is the hub for Indochina market, this is thus a golden opportunity for the Indian manufacturers/suppliers wishing to expand their businesses to not only Thailand, but also to the Indochina nations,” he noted.

Sweet and SnackTec India 2012 11-13 September 2012 Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai www.koelnmesse-india.com

Oishii Japan 2012 and Delicioso Spain 2012 1-3 November 2012 Suntech, Singapore www.oishii-world.com

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ollowing last year’s record visitors and successful showing, Thailand’s No. 1 food & hotel show is set to return with more exhibitors and new product launches. Kavin Kittiboonya, Managing Director of Kavin Intertrade Co., revealed to Food & Beverage Business Review that Thailand Retail, Food & Hospitality Services 2012 (6th edition) will be held during 25th-28th October this year at BITEC, Bangkok. Kavin said that he expected over 120 exhibitors from 30 countries worldwide to showcase their latest products or equipment for hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, fine dining restaurants, coffee, bakery and ice cream shops in TRAFS 2012, which would be held across 10,000 sqm. space. TRAFS 2012 will be co-located with Thailand Franchise & Business Opportunities 2012 (TFBO), now in its 8th edition,

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TRAFS 2012— A New Market for Indian Exhibitors

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receive an overwhelming participation from both national and international companies with confirmed pavilions from Germany, Italy, France, Europe, China and Taiwan. With over 40 percent international participation, the exhibition is expected to be the meeting place for important players from the packaging industry and food & beverage processing industry. With participation from industry leaders, the two exhibitions are geared to together come across as a onestop solution for all processing and packaging needs with live demonstrations of machines from over 100 companies from world over. The other concurrent trade fairs, which would be held during the same period on the same venue, are Dairy Universe India 2012 — a specialised event focusing on the needs of the dairy industry, covering all the aspects of processing, packaging and distribution technology, equipment and supplies — and Sweet and SnackTec India 2012 — perhaps the only specialised international exhibition in India for the sweets, snacks and confectionery processing industry. These above-mentioned four exhibitions, which together come across as a quadrangular event, are scheduled to be held during 11th-13th September 2012 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. “International FoodTec India, along with its concurrent shows PackEx India, Dairy Universe India and Sweet and SnackTec India is India’s leading trade fair for food processing and packaging technology,” asserted Katharina C.Hamma, the Chief Operating Officer, Koelnmesse GmbH. She further informed that, “The 2012 edition will represent over 350 exhibitors from 25 countries and will be spread over a gross exhibition space of 20,000sq.m.” The previous edition of this event, termed as International FoodTec India and Packaging Show, was held in 2010. It became a landmark event for the Indian packaging and food technology sector with 366 companies exhibiting their products and services, including 108 international companies. The exhibition was spread over an area of

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eeping in view the immense business potential being offered by the food processing and packaging sectors and with an objective to create the best of the platforms to discuss and deliberate on the latest technological developments for these two sectors, Koelnmesse YA Tradefair Pvt. Ltd., an Indian subsidiary of one of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, Koelnmesse GmbH, Germany, will be organising the 8th edition of International FoodTec India – an international exhibition on food processing and packaging, along with its concurrent exhibition PackEx India – an international exhibition on packaging materials, technology, equipment and supplies. International FoodTec India 2012 and PackEx India 2012 are expected to

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Processing and Packaging Growth 20,000 sq.m. The event attracted 12,142 trade visitors from India and abroad. I asked the corporate honcho about what is new in this edition of the event. “For the first time the new packaging show PackEx India will be launched alongside International FoodTec India, Dairy Universe India, and Sweet & SnackTec India, in September 2012. So far this new show has received an overwhelming response, with global players like Bosch, KHS and IMA already confirmed their participation,” replied the lady. Moreover, Katharina informed that, “Keeping in view the market trends in the ice cream industry, Koelnmesse and the Indian Ice Cream Manufacturers Association are organising a seminar focusing on ‘Emerging Trends in Ice Cream Industry’ parallel to International FoodTec India.” The event is expected to be attended by about 200 delegates. Emerging Trends in Ice Cream Industry will be organised on 11th September 2012. “A seminar on the subject ‘Cheese – Future Milk Product in India’ will also be organised at the event, jointly with the Indian Dairy Association —West Zone. The seminar can expect around 200 representatives of the industry,” added Katharina. Katharina expressed that the India’s food processing industry is brimming with potential. “Though India is world’s largest producer of cereals and milk and the second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugar, fruits and vegetables and inland fish, only 2 percent of its fruits and vegetables and 15 percent of its milk are actually processed. This indicates huge business potential in the food processing and packaging technology in India,” she wisely observed. “In the Indian context, food processing is bound to grow with an impressive pace given the huge domestic demand and changing lifestyles. In this context, as an organiser of International FoodTec India, Koelnmesse’s focus is to offer the best possible platform for technologies, networking and knowledge transfer for the fast developing food and beverage ■ industry in India,” she concluded.

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HOTREMAI Meet Deliberates on Issues

he 30th Annual General Meeing of the Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Munufacturers’ Association of India (HOTREMAI) was held on 6th July 2012 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The President of HOTREMAI, Vijay Wangnoo welcomed the General Body, thanked it for sparing its valuable time to attend the meeting and appreciated the presence of members from far-flung areas despite the adverse weather conditions. He highlighted the achievements of the association and the contribution of the members. He emphasised that there is large scope for increasing the

membership strength of the organisation. Special attention needs to be taken in this area and efforts be initiated on a war footing, he noted. More R. Kumar, Founder & President of Honour, and Nirmal Khandelwal, the Immediate Past President, also shared their views, experiences and feelings. Kumar appreciated the present Executive Committee for doing a wonderful job in expanding HOTREMAI to various parts of the country. Khandelwal said that he was pleased to see the association growing. “Conceptualised 30 years ago, HOTREMAI is yielding results today. With this kind of strength, the association will have better say in the industry,” he added. Y.K. Mehta, Secretary, briefed members of the General Body about the report of the Executive Committee on the affairs and activities during the period 2011-12. The audited accounts for the preceding year were presented and adopted by the General Body unanimously. Retention of the auditors and legal advisors were also ratified. Other agenda items were taken up and discussed by the members. Highlighting the plans for the future, the Secretary emphasised that the association strives to explore niche areas and venues to organise short duration events at subsidised rates as part of its promotional activity under the awareness program. Possibility of doing hospitality events at tourism- oriented pilgrimage sites was being discussed by the Executive Committee. P.A. Prabhu, VP (South), expressed his pride on being a part of this organisation. He proposed that there should be one Executive Committee meeting in the South during AAHAR-Chennai, in the month of August this year. He stressed the need for organising a Skill Development Programme for the benefit of the members and secretarial staff of HOTREMAI. For the betterment & recognition of the members and to honour their exemplary performance to the cause of development of the association, he suggested to have an award ceremony organised by HOTREMAI every year. Ajay Khanna, VP (North), expressed concern over the exceeding number of regional exhibitions being organised these days and the cost factor that has alarmingly upsurged. He was of the view that there should be one large hospitality fair in the country instead of many commercial events, as is the convention in the western countries. Khandelwal supported his views and added that HOTREMAI should consider this.

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June-July ’12

Energy Drinks to Lose Their Energy Tag After a prolonged controversy over energy drinks in India, all the energy drinks brand in the country would soon have to scratch off their ‘energy’ tags from their packaging. Instead they would have to re-brand their products as ‘caffeinated beverage.’ According to the new standards being introduced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the body has asserted that such beverages must carry a safety warning for potential consumers stating that such drinks are not recommended for “children, pregnant or lactating women, persons sensitive to caffeine and sportspersons” as well as “no more than two cans are to be consumed per day.” In a recent meeting, FSSAI has finalised some new standards for such drinks and also decided to make tighter rules in the energy drinks sector following health related concerns to the high caffeine content of non-alcoholic beverages. The new draft standards also say that “no nutrition information, including vitamin and nutritive claims, should be given on the label.” Moreover, India’s food safety watchdog has said that the warnings should be displayed in principle display panel in bold with a “bigger” font. Under the new standards, FSSAI has also set the upper limit for caffeine in the caffeinated beverages at 320 ppm (parts per million). According to K. Chandramouli, the Chairperson, FSSAI, the draft standards have now been sent to the health ministry for their notification.

The World’s Oldest Brewery Enters India Weihenstephan, the State Brewery of Bavaria that is considered the world’s oldest brewery, has recently launched its beers in India in partnership with Cerana; India’s leading craft beer company, with a multi-year, exclusive agreement. The iconic and legendary brewery holds a glorious status in the world of beer-making, which dates back more than a thousand years ago to the monastery brewery of Benedictine monks and then the Royal Bavarian State Brewery. Combining revered and sacrosanct German beer-making traditions with the science of a modern brewery, the enterprise produces some of the world’s most well respected beers that form the global benchmarks for the wheat beer category. Weihenstephan (pronounced ‘YHEN-STEPHAN’) brews more than ten beers, more than half of which are wheat beers. Ankur Jain, the Managing Director of Cerana said, “Weihenstephan is a revered name in the world of beer. We are extremely pleased with this comprehensive partnership between Cerana and the State Brewery of Bavaria. Starting this summer, consumers across India will get a ‘Taste of Tradition’ with the Weihenstephan beers.” Speaking on the launch in India, Marcus Englet, Global Export Director, State Brewery of Bavaria said, “We are extremely pleased to be here in the Indian market with Cerana. We have always believed that India has a great respect and openness for traditions. Our historic roots, respect for the beer making culture, and most importantly our world-benchmark products will find root in the great culinary traditions of this country.” As part of its launch in India, the legendary brewery will bring its entire range starting with its flagship hefe-weiss — a light, refreshing wheat beer with yeast. The beer with aromas of banana and clove and almost no bitterness in the finish, is a typical Bavarian wheat beer which has been consistently rated in the top of its category. Also part of the selection for India are the seasonal and special brews including the Hefeweiss Dunkel (Dark wheat beers), the Weihenstephan Dunkel (Dark beer) and the Weihenstephaner Vitus, a weizenbock beer which was recently awarded the ‘World’s Best Beer’ by the World Beer Association in 2012.

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FHRAI Convention — a Boost to the Hospitality Industry The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) announced that it will be hosting its 47th Annual Convention from 6-8th September 2012 at The Leela, Goa. The Union Minister of Tourism, Subodh Kant Sahai, will inaugurate this prestigious event. As the apex body of the Indian hospitality industry, FHRAI today encompasses over 3,700 members, including hotels, restaurants and associates, spanning the length and breadth of our vast country. Over the years, FHRAI’s acclaimed and highly successful advocacy and thought leadership initiatives have not only reinforced its predominant role as the leading voice of this industry, but also strengthened its mandate to serve as an agent of positive change and innovation for the hospitality sector as a whole. The FHRAI Convention is one of the most keenly anticipated and widely attended events in our industry’s calendar, and this year’s event is poised to build on this rich legacy and set new benchmarks of excellence. As always, the convention will witness the participation of a veritable who’s who from the hospitality and tourism sector, besides a number of dignitaries from the high echelons of the central and state government. Senior representatives from premier international organisations such as World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP), etc. will also take part in the Goa convention, adding a global dimension to the event. Through diligently structured business sessions, the delegates will have a compelling opportunity to engage with key policymakers, industry icons, renowned experts and inspirational entrepreneurs, on a multitude of strategic, competitive and policy issues of contemporary interest to the hospitality sector. In view of the considerable interest which the convention will generate among the business media and investors, FHRAI has planned to leverage this platform as a vibrant showcase for the lucrative investment avenues, which are latent in India’s rapidly growing hospitality and tourism industry. The theme chosen for the convention is ‘Employment Generation — Engine of Inclusive Growth.’ Keeping in mind the ambitious roadmap envisaged by the approach paper for the 12th Plan as well as the government’s renewed thrust on tapping tourism’s intrinsic potential as a catalyst for equitable and sustainable economic development, the choice of the theme is both apt and opportune. FHRAI is confident that the multistakeholder dialogue facilitated at this forum will make a substantive and enriching contribution in shaping the national discourse on this vital issue.

An Effort to Prevent Sales of Chinese Milk Products Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is keeping a close watch over in and around the city of Pune to curb down the sell of Chinese milk products in the city. These products may contain melamine — a harmful chemical found in some Chinese dairy products. The FDA has restated that they would initiate strict action against those who would be found selling milk products imported from China in and around the city of Pune, which are banned in India. According to Chandrashekhar Salunke, Joint Commissioner (Food), FDA, Pune, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had issued a notification on 3rd June by which it extended the ban on the import of milk and milk products from China, till 23rd June 2013. The extended ban covers the import of Chinese chocolates and chocolate products, candies, confectioneries and any other food preparation with milk as an ingredient. Salunke has also added that “in the year 2008, DGFT had first banned the import of Chinese milk products after reports suggested that they contained an industrial chemical called melamine, which damages kidneys in the long run.”

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June-July ’12

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Tata Coffee Wins Green Business Leader Award Pour Your Own Beer at The Beer Café Bangalore-based Tata Coffee Limited has been presented with the FEEVI Green Business Leader award in the FMCG category. The ‘FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Award 2011-12’ is initiated and conducted by The Financial Express and Emergent Ventures India to map the greening of corporate India and to felicitate green leaders. The Green Business Awards aims to recognise businesses and organisations in India which successfully operate with environmentally sustainable practices. The award was presented by Corporate Affairs Minister, Veerappa Moily at a glittering award ceremony held in New Delhi, marking the World Environment Day. Tata Coffee was felicitated under the FMCG category for its continued commitment and actions towards biodiversity conservation and natural resources management. Tata Coffee is committed towards the environment and works in tandem with nature to produce quality crops. The company has been acknowledged and admired as an excellent case where biodiversity conservation is being done in a way that it becomes profitable for the environment, society as well as for the company. Introduction of new crops, better utilisation of waste for enhancing soil fertility, efforts to conserve the fauna habitat and engagement of the local community have been the key facets of the biodiversity conservation. “Tata Coffee is committed to building sustainability and is constantly identifying opportunities for greening its business,” said Hameed Huq, MD, Tata Coffee Ltd. He further added, “It is important to realise that the task of environment protection is a universal responsibility of all.”

The trend of the presence of alcoholic beverages at niche cafes is gathering momentum in urban India. The Beer Café, which is projected as India’s first self-service beer café, has opened its outlet at Moments Mall, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi with the introduction of a 12-hour beer marathon along with an awesome variety of the refreshing and popular alcoholic beverages from across the globe. The Beer Café is India’s first PYOB (Pour Your Own Beer) chain offering consumers a fairly wide variety of beers and affords a great beer drinking ambience where consumers can pour chilled beer directly from taps, using their RFID activated Beer card. The Beer Café will bring in a plethora of novelties for beer connoisseurs ranging from brands to flavours and beer masters to even owning your no expiry Own Beer Card valid across the country as the brand expands its footprints across the country. This newly opened New Delhi outlet of The Beer Café is the second outlet of The Beer Café and it reflects a bright and casual ambience. The signature ‘beer wall’ showcasing an overwhelming selection of beers and the ice producing ‘beer well’ together induces every beer lover to reach out for a pint of this golden brew. The extensive beer menu at The Beer Café boasts of Belgian beers like Stella Artois, Hoegaarden the original Belgian wheat beer, or abbey beers like Leffe Blonde, and Chimay the world’s best known trappist beer. In addition, a variety of European beers, Asian lagers, German beers, and Australia’s Victoria Bitter or Mexico’s range of Corona Beers are also available.

Lavazza Uncorks its Wine & Beer Menu at the Capital Lavazza has introduced an elegant wine & beer menu at its Delhi café of Lavazza Espression. This is the company’s first Lavazza Espression store in India to introduce the wine menu. The Delhi outlet of Lavazza Espression is also the first Lavazza Espression café outlet in India, which was opened in 2011, at Connaught Place. Lavazza also recently opened its second Espression café in India in Bengaluru, at The Leela Palace Bangalore and plans to expand its presence to other leading cities in the country over the next few years. Keeping in mind the urbane and varied audience it caters to and to enhance the fine dining experience at Espression, Lavazza has introduced a range of wines and beer to its existing F&B menu at its Espression café in Delhi, which includes wines from both India and Italy. While the Indian range includes wines such as the Sulla Brut, the Sula Chenin Blanc and the Satori Merlot; the Italian range includes Ruffino Orvieto Classico and Ruffino Chianti. The menu includes three varieties of lager beers from the Fosters, Miller and the Peroni range. “With changing consumption patterns and the increased expectations from food & beverage options, people today look forward to much more from their dining experience. In an effort to elevate their experience, we have introduced delicate wines and lager beers in our Espression menu. We are happy to bring together the three aspects of food, drink and ambience at the same place and at the same time to our customers so as to enable them to experience the rich flavours of Italy. We look forward to bringing in more innovations to continually engage and delight our customers,” elaborated Nilanjan Bhattacharya, COO, India and SAARC at Barista Lavazza.

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APEDA’s India Pavilion Honoured Pro Foods Pro Pack 2012, which was held at BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka, during 6th- 8th July 2012, attracted the participation of 20 Indian firms in the Indian food and beverage sector under the umbrella of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The representation of these firms was collectively congregated within the APEDA India Pavilion. What is heartening is that the APEDA India Pavilion was adjudged the best pavilion in the international category at the given exhibition. Overall, 45 Indian companies presented a wide gamut of agro and food products before the Sri Lankan business community and people visiting the event, and the response of Indian products such as Indian wines, fresh fruits from Indian states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, table honey and ready-to-eat snack foods from India, health foods and fresh ginger from India was quite encouraging. The visitors to the event displayed great interest towards the range of Indian sweet wines and dessert wines. On the evening of 8th July2012, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka hosted a function, which was named ‘Appreciating Indian Wines,’ in association with APEDA, the All India Wine Producers' Association and Taj Samudra Colombo, at the Hotel Taj Samudra. The event attracted the presence of representatives of the Sri Lankan tourism and hospitality sector, leading chambers of commerce and industry, government officials and private sector.

Delhi-NCR Gets a Taste of Bordeaux Wines The Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB), a renowned group of 133 top chateaux from the Bordeaux region of France, recently presented the outstanding and highly acclaimed 2009 Vintage of some of the finest winemakers, at The Oberoi, Gurgaon. There were 33 experienced chateaux owners who showcased their wines as part of the largest private collective visit to India by any single region of the old wine world. This display of wines, in an exhibition style format, was part of their maiden Indian tour which included displays in Gurgaon and Mumbai. Here it deserves a mention that the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) is a non-profit association (as defined by the French law dated 1901), established in 1973. The Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux is a very prestigious group of 133 top wineries from the Bordeaux region of France. Established in 1973, the group is headed by Sylvie Cazes, the group’s first ever female President. Taken together, the members of the Union des Grands Crus have some 5,000 hectares of vines, 2,500 employees, a total annual production of nearly 32 million bottles, and a turnover of approximately 300 million euros a year. “Our members are very excited about our first India trip. Some of our members are already offering their wines in India. This tour allows us to share our wines with the Indian professionals,” proffered Sylvie Cazes, the President of the UGCB group, while admitting, “It is not an easy tour, because the very complex and regulated Indian market makes for very trying conditions and offers at best restricted access.” However, she said that “India presents a great opportunity for fine wines.” It was one of a kind event which attracted a gathering of the most eminent chateaux owners under one roof. This large scale display of reputed wines along with the opportunity to engage with prominent chateaux owners personally attracted the crème-de-le-crème of the Indian wine industry. “It is the first time that such a galaxy of wine superstars is visiting India. The scale and the sheer reputation of the wines that are being presented makes this a very important and special occasion for Indian wine professionals, hospitality industry and wine lovers”, said Rajiv Singhal of Group Ritu, who has organised this tour by the UGCB to India. Overall, the event was a significant occasion for wine aficionados. The grand tasting of the 2009 Vintage was attended by press, importers, retailers, wine professionals and the who’s who of Delhi NCR.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

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Cookie Man’s Tasty and Healthy Treat We all love cookies, but not all cookies are necessarily healthy. For healthy munching, Cookie Man has introduced a delicious range of no-added-sugar cookies in four delightful flavours – chocolate, cinnamon, coffee and short bread. These cookies have no added sugar, are devoid of cholesterol and are comprised of ingredients which are nutritious and are loaded with dietary fibre. Cookie Man has mastered the art of taking the calories out of cookies without affecting the distinctive premium taste that the brand is known for. The recipes for these cookies have been developed with scientific precision by Cookie Man’s in-house nutrition team. The no–added sugar cookies are priced at Rs.230 for 240 grams and Rs.360 for 360 gms and are available at all Cookie Man outlets across the country. They have a shelf life of one month when stored at room temperature in an airtight container. On the launch of the low sugar cookies, Pattabhi Rama Rao, the President of Australian Foods India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Customers today make very informed and conscious decisions on what they buy and consume. At Cookie Man, we have always been in touch with our customers’ preferences. We would like to offer our customers healthier choices without compromising on the quality and premium taste of our products. The launch of the no-added-sugar cookies is the first

step in this direction.” Here it deserves a mention that Australian Foods (I) Pvt. Ltd. is an Indo-Australian joint venture, which commenced its business operations in India with the launch of the first Cookie Man outlet in Chennai, in January 2000. Today, Cookie Man works on a franchisee model and is the leader in the field of fresh baked cookies, in the country. ○

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Mad Over Donuts Launches High-Street Store in Pune Mad Over Donuts has inaugurated its first ever high-street store in Pune, after launching of its four stores across the prominent malls of the same city. Located at JM Road, this store embodies the predominant youth culture of the city. The JM Road is said to be at the helm of Pune's economic activities, and houses a large number of international consumer brands and a number of fast food joints and coffee shops.

Mad Over Donuts is widely known for its 100 percent egg less, fresh, delicious gourmet donuts and refreshing coffees. The brand has created a distinct positioning for itself in the F&B segment. The company already has 37 stores all over India within a short span of less than three years, with expansion plans of doubling the count of its existing stores by end of this fiscal. The strategy at Mad Over Donuts has always been to focus on the 'Love at First Bite!' experience, which encompasses not just excellent product quality, but also the fun experience that one tend to get whenever one walks into a Mad Over Donuts' store. "Pune is synonymous with vibrant youth culture and that is one of the reasons why we are happy to come back to Pune. It is indeed a delight to launch our fifth store in this beautiful city. This is our first high-street store in Pune. Mad Over Donuts has been loved by one and all and we are sure this store too will receive a warm welcome," elaborated Tarak Bhattacharya, COO, Mad Over Donuts.

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June-July ’12

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London Olympics to Showcase A Swiss Café Chain Arrives in Delhi GAMA Hospitality Ltd, a franchisee of the Switzerland-based the Flavours of India group Global Franchise Architects (GFA), brings Swiss café A ‘live’ kitchen, which will be showcasing food from different regionsof India, will be the highlight of a series of special events plannedby the Indian government to mark the London Olympics. The two-day ‘Flavours of India’ festival will be held at the Southbank Centre in London, during 1st2nd August. The event envisages to give the people of Britain a whiff of the taste and aroma of Indian culture and cuisine during the 2012 Olympics. The Indian High Commission will be organising the festival in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and the Tea Board of India. At this festival, the tea lovers can taste the best of Indian teas at a host of different venues across London which includes Heathrow Airport, Nehru Centre and leading stores. Moreover, an exhibition will explore the vibrant history of Indian tea trade with Europe with focus on the history of India’s tea trade with Britain. Wide varieties of Indian tea, coffee and spices will be on offer for tasting along with special classes for those Londoners who would show an interest to learn the nuances of cooking Indian food.

chain Coffee World in New Delhi for the first time. These international outlets of the Gama Hospitality Group were launched in Lajpat Nagar, Rajouri Garden and Noida recently. On the eve of these launches, Gaurav Agarwala, the Director of GAMA Hospitality said, "We are very happy to launch Coffee World to New Delhi. GAMA Hospitality plans for expanding the brand in other cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Siliguri soon. We have made an investment of Rs. 30 crore in this venture to open various outlets across north and east India." Going by the positive response of the people, GAMA Hospitality also has plans to open more outlets across New Delhi/NCR. “The menu on offer will provide a wide array of options for our customers with the aim of delighting every palate. There is something for everyone here, which will make you come back for more," asserted Agarwala. Coffee World – a premium specialty chain of coffee houses - offers a comprehensive range of hot and iced coffees and freshly made complementary foods such as waffles, sandwiches, signature cakes, muffins and cookies. The flagship products of Coffee World include freshly baked waffles, sandwiches and frappes. Coffee World's other popular recipes include freshly baked signature cakes. Today Coffee World has over 100 stores in eight countries — Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Sudan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam—and is expanding across national boundaries to reach and touch more consumers with its pleasurable settings, superb products and its Swiss hospitality.

An Institute to Preserve India’s Culinary Heritage For preservation of several local dishes and indigenous cooking methods, which in any case are experiencing dwindling popularity amidst the influence of global and fusion cuisines especially among the elite segments of India, the Government has decided to set up a first-of-its-kind Indian Culinary Institute, which will offer dedicated training in cooking foods, which are commonly consumed in different regions of India. The institute, according to the Ministry of Tourism, would also conduct research and documentation to address the concerns relating to the preservation of Indian cuisine. The institute is being proposed to be set up as an autonomous body of the Union Ministry of Tourism. It would involve an investment of Rs.225 crore, with its six branches across the country. The headquarters of the institute would be located in the National Capital Region. A Culinary Museum will also be created as a part of this project to conserve, interpret and present the rich culinary and hospitality heritage of India. The proposed museum would not only act as a podium to showcase the culinary history or legacy of India for the public but may also serve as an educational resource for the food historians and scholars and also to the fast evolving food service industry.

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APPOINTMENTS

Rudrojit Deb Rudrojit Deb has been appointed as the Director of Food & Beverage at Pullman Gurgaon Central Park. His previous assignments include stints with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts at Mumbai and Kolkata, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre, and Leela Hotels in Goa and Mumbai. A graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata, Rudrojit started his career with Choice Hotels in Chennai and brings with him over 16 years of experience in the Indian food & beverage industry. He firmly believes that the Indian diner is far more adventurous than is given credit for. ○

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Michael W. Schauss Michael W. Schauss has joined Pullman Gurgaon Central Park as the Executive Chef. In his current position, Michael is responsible for food innovation at the Pullman Gurgaon Central Park, and with a career spanning over 32 years, he brings with him a vast and valuable knowledge of food and beverage experiences from many countries across the world. His previous assignments were with Kempinski Hotels in Dalian and Amman, Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and the Semiramis Intercontinental, Cairo. With a Master of Culinary Art in Germany and the Master in Hotel Management from Cornell University, USA, Michael has held a number of food & beverage positions in the past. His last assignment was with Kempinski Hotels as Director of Food and Beverage. His gift of innovation strives to continually raise the benchmark for guests seeking a unique dining experience. Michael’s culinary repertoire includes the cuisine of Southern France, which can be experienced at the hotel’s signature restaurant, La Rivera. ○

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Dheeraj Mathur Chef Dheeraj began his career in the year 2000 with Le Meridian New Delhi. In 2002, he joined the Trident Hotel Cochin (Oberoi Group of Hotels) where he was deputed in the Indian section and gained varied experience in bulk production and banqueting. He also played an important role in assisting Senior Chef in menu planning and presentation. In his current role, with his mastery over Indian cuisine, he is all set to take Indyaki – the Indian specialty restaurant at Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar to great heights. After attaining an experience in the Indian section at Trident hotel, Chef Dheeraj moved to Radisson Hotel Delhi in 2003, where he mastered the art of Indian cuisine. After a tenure of three years, Chef Dheeraj was promoted as Sous Chef and was given a very important assignment of opening The Great Kabab Factory – Indian specialty restaurant at Radisson Hotel Varanasi. Later he joined Taj Hari Mahal Hotel in Jodhpur as a Sous Chef, where he was responsible for the food and beverage production department. In 2008, Chef Dheeraj joined The Great Kabab Factory as a Master Chef in UAE. There he was handling three restaurants. In 2012, Chef Dheeraj was deputed to look after The Great Kabab Factory, Powai.

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June-July ’12

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IIHM Pusa Celebrates its Fiftieth Birthday

he Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Pusa, (IHM Pusa) New Delhi, is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year. The renowned institute began its journey in 20th September 1962. Over the last 50 years, the institute has emerged as a leading & award-winning institute in India, for hospitality, food service & nutrition education. Its alumni have also been successful in other industries, as the airlines, BPO & ITES, hospitals, armed forces, etc. The institute has received a grant

and the PIHMAA Gala Nite. The former will take place on 14th September 2012, followed by the PIHMAA Gala Nite on 15th September 2012. The Global Alumuni Meet will be marked by a keynote address and a high level panel discussion with luminaires from the hospitality and food service industry. They would be followed by cultural presentations. The PIHMAA Gala Nite will be a grand evening of nostalgia and celebrations with live music, international-class entertainment, great cuisine, along with

from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, for renovation and upgradation of the institute, which it will use to change old equipment with new ones. The institute will also construct a new building, which will have class rooms, kitchen, bakery and restaurant. The plan is to complete the construction in 18 months to make it available before the 2013 academic session begins. Meanwhile, the institute is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year with an array of programmes, which was kick-started by a national seminar on ‘Emerging Trends of Diet Aspects in Hospitality Sector’. This was followed by a series of lectures, demos, seminars, etc. by various domain experts, most of them being alumni of the institute. The institute will also organise inter-college cultural and athletic competitions as part of the Golden Jubilee year celebrations. The celebrations will culminate with two mega events — the Global Alumni Meet

memorabilia & souvenirs to carry back home. Hotel owners and operators, top corporate executives from renowned hospitality and food service brands in this country, illustrious Chefs, top-notch housekeeping and facility management professionals, restaurateurs and catering professionals, and also professionals from other verticals within the hospitality and foods service industry as well as senior professionals from other service sectors like travel & tourism, aviation, BPOs & KPOs, healthcare, etc. would comprise the over 800 strong industry attendance at the PIHMAA Gala Nite. PIHMAA has also commissioned a book on Indian cuisine, being compiled by the legendary Chef Manjit Gill (IHMP’74). Chef Gill brings aboard his vast knowledge and experience of cuisines from across the country. The book will be launched during the PIHMAA Gala Nite, on 15 th September 2012.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

COVER STORY

Swasth Khao, Tan Man Jagao (Eat Healthy, Think Better) is a recent advertising slogan of a company, which has launched a series of healthy snacking options in the recent times. However, Britannia is only one of the many companies making their impact in the domain of healthy foods. The upwardly mobile young Indians are now conscious of the pitfalls of unhealthy eating and are seeking an easy route to health through eating healthy food. Ashok Malkani finds that the healthy dietary habits among Indian people are not only evident in the growing popularity of healthy bakery and snacking options or for that matter by the increasing presence of organic food in the supermarketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shelves, but also through healthier cooking options and even through the trend of restaurants offering diet food on their menus.

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COVER STORY

ndia is not only the second most populous country in the world, but also has one of the youngest populations in the world, with the proportion of people under 29 projected to comprise 56 percent of the total population by 2015. Among this huge segment of young and single population, which are often characterised with high disposable incomes, the processed food, eating out, leisure, and health and fitness have been attracting high consumer spending. Health food constitutes an important part of this group’s discretionary spending.

The Reasons Behind There are various reasons behind this growing demand for healthy foods. First is the ability factor or the rising disposable incomes. Second is the awareness factor that is the growing health consciousness pervading through the Indian society, especially the urban India society, as a result of television, Internet and globalisation. The third is the need factor, or the need for safeguarding oneself against the growing threat of lifestyle and chronic ailments, which have contributed to the demand for healthy foods in the urban Indian society, in the recent times. In today’s India, lifestyle diseases have become rampant. India has earned the dubious distinction of being the diabetes capital of the world and according to the predictions of WHO, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases will make the Indian economy lose a huge amount of Rs.100,000 crore every year, by 2015. In fact, one in eight Indian adults is either afflicted with diabetes or is at the high risk of having diabetes. Besides increase in health consciousness and disposable incomes, the growing

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spread of various diseases and chronic ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, etc. in our urban society in these times, characterised largely by sedentary lifestyle, has also induced large sections of Indian society, especially the metropolitan Indian society to opt for a healthy dietary route. As a consequence of the consciousness, need and affordability factors, we are now witnessing a plethora of healthy foods and beverages adorning the sleek supermarket shelves of Indian cities. This emerging phenomenon is more evident across metropolitan India. The growing trend of healthconsciousness in the society is reflected by the significant enhancement of 203.5 percent on expenditures of health goods and medical services during 1995-2007. The growth is expected to continue unabated at an impressive rate of close to 63 percent during 2007-2015. Cholesterol, low fat, sugar content …these and other health related words are now being bandied about not just by the medical profession but by today’s health conscious youth as well as the older generation. Now people are paying more attention to their food intake than ever before. With people in the cities becoming increasingly fitness conscious, the trend to switch to baked

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or roasted food products is fast gaining popularity and oily and fatty foods are getting fast replaced from the urban Indian’s lunch and breakfast tables. We are witnessing that sugar-free products are replacing sweets with high carbohydrate content and fried snacks in the upwardly mobile Indian’s dietary regime.

A Popular Misconception However, amidst all the noise about health food products, sometimes it is difficult to hear the voice of sanity. Many a time misinformation infects the trend and robs it of its potency. For example, according to popular perception carbohydrates are bad for health, though many nutritionists think otherwise. According to Marie-Hélène Saniez, Nutrition Director of the Roquette Group, “Amidst the noise of rising health awareness, unfortunately the carbohydrates have garnered a lot of negative attention for being the primary cause of various ailments like obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. This has sprouted a flood of theories demonising one of the most integral nutrients of our diet.” Carbohydrates, which constitute the major component of our diet, play a much more role than producing fuel and fibre for our bodies. Stating that some carbohydrates are extremely necessary for our bodies, she also informed that if used prudently, the attributes of carbohydrates can be beneficial for weight management, GI tract and dental health. Thankfully, the negativity about

COVER STORY carbohydrates among the health conscious is fast diminishing. “Carbohydrates are important component of food products and have been used for making a variety of food products of different textures and tastes. There are carbohydrates that provide gelling, adhesion, cohesion, elasticity, homogeneity and many other textural and rheological characteristics. Sweet taste as well as modification of other flavour characteristics may be provided by carbohydrates. Sugars and starches provide energy while many polysachharides provide fibre, prebiotics, and other nutritional properties to foods,” viewed Dr. J S Pai, Executive Secretary of Protein Foods and Nutrition Development Association of India. Proper use of carbohydrates can be made to prepare foods suiting modern lifestyle. In this context, new carbohydrates as well as newer applications of older ones should be developed.

The Spread of the Trend However, we must remember that the concept of healthy food and drinks is not a novel one. For example, the fruits and milk have time-tested legacy as healthy food and drinking options, and was and still is regarded as essential for growing children. But now the concept of health foods and drinks has undergone great variation, diversification and classification, and today healthy foods and beverages are not only regarded as necessary instruments for preventive healthcare and ensuring holistic well-being, but are also treated as fun, and are in vogue.

The idea that health needs to comprise on taste has become dated, with the introduction of a plethora of tasty and healthy food products and drinks in the Indian market, during the recent years. Neither were health foods and beverages as fashionable and as integral to the lifestyle as they are nowadays, and nor they had such an all pervasive impact on the dietary patterns of growing numbers of urban Indian households. These days, the healthy foods and beverages have presence in the breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, dinner and eating out options of many health conscious and relatively well-off households in India, especially those who are aware of the prevailing global food & beverage trends. Nowadays many Indians are going for whole wheat or multi-grain breads, grilled instead of fried foods, and are reducing the intake of cheese and other fatty stuff in their breakfast tables. In fact, urban India’s growing interest towards healthy eating can also be reflected in their evolved choices of bakery products. The rising popularity of multi-grain breads, whole grain breads and sugar free desserts in India endorses this trend. In fact, this shift in preference towards healthy bakery products has induced many bakeries to change their offerings to more healthy ones. Healthy snacks have also started gaining in popularity. Britannia’s NutriChoice Diabetic Friendly Ragi Cookies and NutriChoice Diabetic Friendly Oat Cookies are some pertinent examples of new-age healthy snacks, which are very helpful for the diabetics. They are tasty, crunchy and convenient

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options for those mid-day meal pangs, and they are scientifically created to suit the special lifestyle and nutrition needs of diabetics to manage extreme swings in blood sugar levels. Britannia has perfectly married taste and health through its NutriChoice 5 Grain biscuits too. Britannia NutriChoice 5 Grain biscuits are made from five carefully chosen healthy cereals. They are comprised of oats that help reduce bad cholesterol; corn, which promotes cardiac health; ragi, which is a good source of both calcium as well as fibre; rice, which is low in fat; and wheat that is a source of wholesome energy.

The Organic Craze Moreover, organic food which generally refers to farm produce devoid of the influence of pesticides, chemical fertilisers and genetic modification, is emerging as a lifestyle choice among a small section but a sizeable number of Indian population, who can not only afford them but are also conscious of their inherent benefits. You can shop organic food in gourmet food stores dotted across metros. However, their price is a hindrance which is limiting their reach within the luxury segment of the market. But at the same time, the organic food market is gradually moving from an elitist to a healthy product as far as the consumers’ perception is concerned. Today organic marmalade, organic strawberry jam, organic tea, or for that matter organic honey are no longer foreign words in the health conscious Indian consumer’s evolving dictionary. The demand for organic food in

June-July ’12

COVER STORY India is evident from the fact that you would find organic food stores quite commonly in the plethora of supermarkets across India. And organic food stores and restaurants are also not uncommon in urban India. According to a survey conducted by AC Nielsen, India was among the top ten countries where health food, including organic food, was demanded by the consumers, as a major section of such consumers chose organic food keeping the health of their children in mind. And organic food is not just popular in the metros. Even in places like Indore it is in demand. “Since January 2011, the number of consumers for organic food has enhanced many times over. Initially, the consumer base in Indore was in double digit, but now it has crossed more than 350 in Indore,” said Manish Kataria, a wholesaler in Indore.

A Shift in Cooking Patterns But the growing revolution of healthy eating does not end with organic foods. Edible oils, one of the key food ingredients, also form an important section of this agenda. Most Indian food

June-July ’12

products have edible oil as an essential ingredient, not only with regard to preparation and consistency but also with regard to taste and appeal. The appropriate amount of fat that is required as an ingredient of daily food consumption has been a debatable topic among Chefs and dieticians. There is no doubt that some amount of fat is required in the diet, and fat in the form of oil is also essential in many types of cooking. For example, some nutritionists recommend that no more than 10 percent of a person’s daily intake of calories should come from fat. However, in fridging environments, a diet comprising up to two-thirds fat is not only acceptable but can be necessary for survival. So there is no thumb rule for the necessary daily fat intake. However, there is no denying the fact that in general oily food is not regarded as very healthy, and not without reason. And intake of high quantity of fat is also not without its dangers to health, when the climate is not that cold. A high correlation between high consumption of saturated fats and coronary heart disease has been observed in many

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findings. Saturated fat has been linked to increased risk of heart disease as a result of its ability to increase the bad LDL cholesterol levels. Thankfully, this age has seen the introduction of heartfriendly oils to give taste without compromising your health. Yes, Indian cooking seems to be taking a turn for the better. People are now looking for oil which has low fat content and are opting for olive oil, rice bran oil and now – the latest in the market – canola oil. “Nowadays, a strong desire exists among different agegroups to lead a healthier life and overall, people are more conscious of their lifestyle choices. People are realising that it is crucial to spend time on planning the right diet which is healthy and also rich in essential nutrients. A balanced diet should contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, healthy carbohydrates and nutrients. Additionally, an oil low in saturated fats and high in healthy monounsaturated fats like canola oil is advised. It is also a great source of heart healthy omega 3 along with flax seed,” elaborated Dr. Ashish Contractor, the Head of

COVER STORY

Department, Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai. It is no wonder that sautéing and pan-frying have increased in popularity in India as cooking methods, while boiling and deep-frying have declined. The survey, conducted in April 2012 by The Nielsen Company among more than 1900 consumers in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata, showed that sautéing and pan-frying have increased in popularity, while boiling and deep-frying have decreased. At the same time, the survey revealed that health trumps over taste when it comes to selecting the cooking oil. Since 2009, 15 percent of the respondents in the survey had changed their primary cooking oil because it was not healthy, versatile or pleasant tasting or because it was smelling when heated. About one-fifth of the survey respondents said that they would be willing to pay about 10 to 30 percent more for a healthier oil. “This shift in cooking methods gives consumers more reason to add hearthealthy canola oil to their pantry as it is ideal for sautéing and pan-frying foods. Moreover, Indian consumers are becoming more health conscious and canola oil fits into their perception of healthy cooking oil,” explained Cory McArthur, Vice President of market development at the Canola Council of Canada. McArthur added that, “As the world capitol of diabetes where heart disease is the leading cause of death, India can benefit from the availability of heart-healthy canola oil. When used in place of sources of saturated fat, canola oil can reduce the risk of heart disease.” Here it deserves a mention that

canola oil has the least saturated fat of all common edible oils and is a good source of omega-3 fat and vitamin E. Canola oil is also extremely versatile with its neutral flavour, light texture and high heat tolerance. As the world’s second largest consumer and importer of edible oils, India, with its present health conscious wave, has a high degree of possibility of being an important emerging market for canola oils.

Health Drinks And the present trend of health consciousness does not end with just food. It extends to drinks too. There was a time not so long ago when the Indian beverages market was flooded with fizzy and carbonated drinks. There was not much option as far as health drink options. However, at present, natural drinks derived from fruits are gaining popularity and the demand for such products is on the rise. There is now a significant section of people in India across varied age groups who are looking for healthy drinks with no artificial flavours or colours. Today, a variety of health drinks adorn the shelves of grocery stores in retail outlets. In today’s world, when the stress level in people has risen considerably, health drinks give instant energy and boost stamina. However, though the trend of healthy drinks is an emerging trend in the Indian food & beverages industry it is a nascent trend at the same time. Indian health drinks market is still in its infancy due to less awareness among the vast swathes of its population about the benefits of healthy drinks. Their affordability is also a deterrent for the majority of Indians. In value terms, the health food drink market is around Rs.

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1400 crore and in volume terms around 65,000 tonnes per annum. Overall, the Indian noncarbonated drink market is showing a highly impressive compound annual growth rate of 35 percent annually. According to a study conducted by ASSOCHAM, Indian non-carbonated drink market, including fruit drinks, nectars and juices, etc. is likely to reach Rs.540 billion by 2015 from its current level of Rs.220 billion. Rising awareness levels with regard to obesity and other weight related health issues, especially amongst teenagers and young adults, and increased disposable incomes, particularly in the urban areas, have facilitated to give an impetus to the sales of non-carbonates, according to the study. “As a refreshing drink, juices certainly win hands down,” said D S Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM. He opined that, “the juice market in India is witnessing an explosion of sorts with the entry of new brands, variants and innovations.” ASSOCHAM study indicates a strong shift in the demand of consumer beverages towards noncarbonated drinks alternatives. Rawat also said that the markets for non-carbonated drinks in India are experiencing a double-digit growth rate. On the other hand, the market for Indian carbonated drinks has shown a disappointing decline by 15-20 percent during the last three years, which amply shows the growing health consciousness among consumers about their drinking choices. Naturally, the growing trend of health consciousness among the consumers about their food & beverage preferences has influenced even the Indian hospitality industry and as a result many restaurants are seen offering health menus. These days it is not hard to find many restaurants offering delicious low-fat, low-cholesterol meals. Some of these restaurants claim that organic food is an integral part of their menu. Some restaurants will prepare special healthy meals for you if you express the desire to have diet meals, with less and low fat oils. Now you can eat out and eat healthy at the same time. So the time has come to eat healthy and wise…without compromising on the taste factor. ■

June-July ’12

BUSINESS

The

Beer Getting Bullish

Be it summer, winter or rains, beer has always been in the season. As you take a swig of the wheat beer, served chilled to 45 degrees Fahrenheit from the beer mug, you may feel closer to heaven. It would come as no surprise to the passionate beer lover that beer is the Danish national drink. In fact, this drink is imbibed in the drinking culture of several parts of the world. Produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches – mainly derived from cereals, the most common of which being barley – beer forms part of the culture of many nations. In urban India too the scenario is emerging to be not much different. The increasing spending power and the rising youth population have increased the demand for beer in the country, thereby inducing several international beer brands to enter this fast growing market. Several others are eyeing the country for an early entry. The Indian brewers are also leaving no stone unturned to increase their market share of beer in the market. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the emerging market of this golden frothy liquid in India…

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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BUSINESS

eer is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest beverage, its history possibly dates back to the 6th millennium BC, that is in the nascent days of human civilisation. According to Wikipedia, which is hardly ever wrong, beer is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most widely consumed alcoholic drink and the third-most popular drink after water and tea. Many beer guzzlers would, however give second place to beer. Beer is part of the culture and social traditions of many countries and is consumed in countries all over the world. Brewing is the process of making beer. Today, the beer brewing industry is a global business, which includes several multinational companies and thousands of small producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries in its purview. In 2006, more than 133 billion liters (35 billion gallons) of beer were sold every year, across the globe. Sales of beer are four times that of wine, which happens to be the second most popular alcoholic beverage in the world.

The Character of the Industry The popularity of beer in India is also increasing in the recent years. The Indian beer industry has been experiencing impressive growth of 7-9 percent per year, over the last decade. Strong beers, which have more than 5 percent

June-July â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

BUSINESS alcohol by volume, dominate the Indian beer market. They comprise 70 percent of the Indian beer industry. The premium beer market is very negligible in India, accounting for a miniscule 5 percent of the Indian beer industry. However, this segment is showing rapid growth. In fact, the premium beer market is outpacing the mainstream beer market by experiencing an awesome growth rate between 40-50 percent. The lifestyle changes, influence of western culture, and greater disposable incomes among young generation in India are some of the factors facilitating the growth of premium beers in India. Succinctly, the favourable demographics and socioeconomic factors give lots of opportunities to expand the premium space in the Indian beer market. In fact, the future of beer in India is really cool and tasty. With the global market experiencing low/stagnating growth in the recent years, the focus is now specially on the Asia-Pacific region. For instance, the Chinese beer market has grown at an astounding pace in the recent years, spurred on by the massive levels of foreign investment in the market, along with the rise in the average levels of consumer spending and thanks to the economic reform policies of the government. This can happen in India too. Presently, the per capita

consumption of beer in India is just less than 2 litres per person per annum, which is disappointing as compared to the global average of 22 liters. India has one of the lowest beer consumptions in the world, making it a potentially huge market to be tapped. The potential of increasing beer consumption in India, especially in the favourable demographic backdrop of a sizeable section of young population with disposable incomes, is huge. No wonder, foreign brewers are venturing into or targeting at the Indian beer market which is pregnant with significant growth potential.

The Growth Factors and Taxation The Indian beer market is expected to show healthy growth in the years to come, due to the positive impact of demographic trends and socioeconomic changes. The first reason is economic. India, which is houses

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nearly one-sixth of the global population with significant pockets of people with disposable incomes, portends to be one of the attractive markets for beer and other alcoholic beverages. The National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected that India’s ‘very rich’, ‘consuming’ and ‘climbers’ classes to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent, 10 percent and 2 per cent respectively. With this growth in income levels, Indian beer consumption is expected to grow at an impressive pace, or at least at the steady growth rates witnessed during the last decade. The second reason is social. A deepseated traditional social aversion to alcohol consumption which was the feature of pre-liberalised Indian society, is becoming relaxed. As more and more Indians are getting acquainted to western lifestyles through travel, Internet and television, their attitudes towards alcohol consumption is undergoing transformation. As a result of changing social mores, not only more men but also the women in increasing numbers are enjoying beer these days. This beer drinking trend can only expect to grow as the Indian society gets more and more liberal towards its drinks with further influences of globalisation. The third reason is demographic, which is influenced by the economic and social factors. As India has a young population, with 65 percent of its population below 35 years of age, the changing economic and social climate is expected to give an impetus to the beer drinking habit among the young generation of frequently partying crowd in the future years, many of whom are even expected to imbibe beer drinking as part of their lifestyles. In 2011, the beer output in India was close to 15 million hectoliters. The

June-July ’12

BUSINESS

beer market in India, according to Euromonitor International, is expected to double from its 2011 figures, by reaching a turnover of 9 billon USD in 2016. However, Indian brewers must make innovative and readily available products to remain competitive in this era of increased competition. They must also creatively utilise their brewing capacity to keep manufacturing costs low. However, the Indian beer industry is not without its share of problems. One of the major irritants for the Indian beer industry is the high rates of taxation. The Indian beer industry is plagued with myriad taxes & levies that vary from state to state. In fact no two states or UTs have a same or even a similar policy regarding taxation on beer. In our country taxes on beer tend

Suzanne Hecht

to be relatively higher than of other spirits, which is contrary to the global trend. In India, beer taxes are levied not only by individual states but are also being paid between states.

The Major Trends Despite the erratic taxation regime, several international beer brands have entered India and others are eyeing the country. Now an Indian beer drinker needn’t be content only with Indian beer brands. Many renowned international beer brands like Carlsberg, Barons or Budweiser now have presence in retail outlets across the country and more international players are showing a keen interest to enter the market. One recent entrant in the Indian beer market, in the craft beer segment, is Schneider Weisse beer. The German wheat beer is brewed with a large proportion of wheat in addition to malted barley. Wheat beers are usually top fermented. According to Suzanne Hecht, Biersommelier – Sales Director Export of Schneider Weisse, India is an important market for craft beers. “India, in my opinion, has the potential to emerge as one of the top ten export markets for us in the next few years. We are hopeful of achieving 30 percent year-on-year growth in this market. The target is 2,000 hectolitre a year for India,” affirmed Suzanne, while adding cautiously, “But, you never know how the market evolves.”

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However, the competition from the international players is not likely to give sleepless nights to the local beer manufacturers. In India there is a strong preference for the strong beer, which many local beer brands cater to, but most foreign players entering the beer segment are primarily known for their mild beers. Therefore it is expected that the foreign players would cater to the higher-end niche segment of Indian beer drinkers, whose numbers are also significantly increasing, whereas the national and local beer brands would continue playing their dominant role in the mainstream beer market of India. As Indian consumers are showing inclination to experiment with their food & beverage options, new subcategories of beer are emerging in the market. For example, many multinational firms are introducing alcoholfree and flavoured beers in the market. Craft beers endowed with unique flavours are likely to penetrate the Indian beer industry, which till now is lager dominated. In fact, craft beers are likely to be very popular among women consumers. These new sub-categories of beer are estimated to account for 25-30 percent market share of regular lager beers in the near future. ■

June-July ’12

F E AT U R E

The Challenges of

Crockery Selection

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buying process of the crockery has become very important in the hospitality sector, which takes into account of the hospitality establishment’s theme, interior decor, etc. Overall, institutional crockery purchase has become a more professional exercise for both the buyer and the seller. The shape and design of the crockery is rated quite highly in the process of crockery selection. Although, durability and shipping together plays a vital role in maintaining the crockery for long, more emphasis on the selection process of crockery is placed on how the crockery will bring life to the food and the venue, and how different will it be from others in the competition.

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hotels’ and restaurants’ kitchens and hotels’ room service depends on the type of menu/cuisine that is being served. For example, the requirement of crockery for soup varies from the crockery required for serving pastas (depending on its natureconsistency and texture of food). If the right crockery selection is made for the right food then this facilitates the eating experience, as ideally eating should not only involve satiating of hunger and palate, but also a celebration of all the senses. Good food with appropriate crockery selection could result in wonders. The right selection of crockery helps to put the right impression on the guest, making her/him delightful and inducing her/him to think about a repeat visit to the establishment, which may eventually increase the number of footfalls at the restaurant. Nowadays, crockery is used extensively in India in the hospitality sector and due to the evolving hotel industry, the use of crockery has been not only restricted to serve food but also extended in terms of eye appealing presentations and in terms of serving food in a style which lasts long in the minds of the guests and gives value addition to the overall meal experience. “Crockery brands now have unique features to showcase. Preferably, they give opportunity to the Chef to present his signature dish in something which combines and completes the array of dishes coming straight from the kitchen to the table,” explained Alok Dubey, Associate Consultant, Cilantro Hospitality Inc. As compared to the earlier half of the last century, the recommendation and

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The various types of crockery used in

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Adding Delight to Eating

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t is said that food is first eaten or for that matter savoured with eyes, that is, if the food is nice to look at then the appetite grows. For the food to look nice a lot of importance is given to the plate in which it is dished out so that it is good to look at and at the same time convenient for the customer to have food from. No wonder, in a hotel’s or a restaurant’s kitchen and as well as in hotel’s room service, crockery plays a very important role. Presenting your food to your guest can be a tricky proposition, especially if you are not used to making it look pretty on the plate. Before you begin styling your food, you need to decide on what you will present it on. You wouldn’t want all your efforts in the kitchen to be ruined by your choice of plates. Plates should complement your food presentation and heighten your culinary skills.

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By Kanishka Gupta

Applications of the Crockery Range The requirement of crockery in hotels varies according to the operational status. For example, star hotels’ banquets and room service spaces require economical crockery in porcelain, etc. “We make available Patra Crockery from Thailand for this space and the price of this crockery varies from Rs. 130-Rs.160 per dinner plate, and it varies as per the SKU. For premium dining spaces/premium lounges/bars, etc. more expensive crockery is preferred in Bone China and Perception China. We make available crockery from Nikko, Japan for these spaces. Average cost of a dinner plate in premium dining spaces/ premium lounges/bars ranges from Rs.450-Rs.1000, depending on its style and decoration. The price varies as per the SKU,” said Nirmal Khandelwal, Managing Director, FCML Projects.

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Tanapong Vamananda

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ceramic tableware. “We are one of the largest ceramic tableware manufacturers in South-east Asia. Our products consist of four ceramic bodies, including Porcelain, Fine China, Bone China and Maxadura (high alumina product). Positioning the right crockery products into each potential market segment, we do offer five different brands for the Indian market that consist of Royal Porcelain, Royal Porcelain Maxadura, Royal Fine China, Royal Bone China, and a new brand named DIVA, which offers premium Bone China quality and trendy design,” asserted Tanapong Vamananda, Marketing Manager of the Thailand-based Royal Porcelian Public Company Limited, which has a tie-up with Eagle Forgings, who are their partners in India for over ten years. “Our products are sold in both the domestic and international markets, and in over 50 countries around the world,” he added. Vamananda says that their crockery is totally manufactured in Thailand, and they deliver value products through best

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Nirmal Khandelwal

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Khandelwal says that the crockery they market is manufactured in Japan and Bangkok. None of it is manufactured in India. The various types of crockery being used in a hotel’s restaurants or other restaurants are salad plate, appetiser plate, soup dishes, pasta plate, round dinner plate, rectangular or oval dish, simple wooden boards, serving platters, enamelware, stoneware, pewter, dessert plate, etc. Besides in tandem with the operations, the type of crockery chosen should be in harmony with the theme, cuisine, menu and decor of the restaurant, whether be it a stand-alone restaurant or a restaurant in a hotel. But most importantly, the choice of crockery perhaps depends on the types of food which are expected to be served on it. For instance, for an Italian restaurant deep dishes would be used for the food as on a flatter plate it would not be easy for the guest to have food. Another example would be if the restaurant is serving oriental food and if the theme of the restaurant relates to red colour, then the dishes can be hand made and be red in colour. Similarly, for hot beverages, cups or thermal glasses are used and for solid food items, pasta plates or flat plates are used. Similarly, salad plates are generally used in high-end restaurants for serving various salads, while appetiser plate is the right choice for serving various appetisers like fish, chips or tandoori chicken tikka, etc. B &B plates are the right option for placing breads and butter that accompany the main course, cheese plates are generally used for the serving of cheese, fish plate can be used for serving of an array of dishes, soup dishes are the preferred choice for serving of soups, dessert plate is used for serving various desserts, etc. The location of serving also influences the crockery selection. For example, if the food is to be served in room for the guest, then the dishes have to be smaller in size so that they can fit into the hot box so that all the food can be presented in a single shot without disturbing the guest. These are some of the various factors to be kept in mind while choosing from the wide range of crockery options available in the market. One of the important players in the crockery segment is Royal Porcelian Public Company Limited, which is one of Asia’s leading manufacturers of high-quality

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F E AT U R E

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

technology from Germany and Japan. “Though tableware technology does not change or move fast, unlike the technology in telecommunications or electronics industry, I can say that both our factories have the latest and state-ofthe-art technology. Production and technology know-how have been obtained from the leading ceramic tableware manufacturers in Germany,” added Vamananda.

Consulting on Crockery Proper training manuals are provided by consultants in terms of serving of food items from the crockery, and the concern for storage of crockery is also discussed and briefed during various training sessions conducted with the operations team. Systematic schedule for proper record of the breakages is also prepared in order to maintain the stock and financials. Purchasing is eventually done once the best quoted price is placed with regard to the quality of the product. Hotel’s kitchen/restaurants in hotels approach consultants for assisting them with identifying/placing orders for crockery. Consultants use different parameters for recommending to a hotel’s kitchen/ restaurant the supplier or the different types of crockery. First step in this direction is to identify the concept of the outlet, its cuisine and style of service, which would lead to the selection of the required crockery through well reputed suppliers. Consultants like Dubey connect the crockery supplier with the hotel kitchen and strives to ensure that the hotel gets the optimum deal in terms of products, costs and discounts and after sales service. This is done through the reputation that the consultants have build up over time with the vendors and keeping in loop their involvement with hospitality companies to whom the products are being sold. Besides the operations where the crockery is applied to, and the F& B options at the outlet or outlets for which the crockery is to be supplied, the cost/ budget of crockery in question, durability of that crockery, theme/decor of the restaurant in question all have to taken into consideration before opting for the ordering of the crockery. “The planning of crockery in hotels’ kitchen/restaurants depends on various things like number of restaurants/types of

June-July ’12

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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Alok Dubey

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Traditionally, crockery was and still is made of ceramic materials such as earthenware, stoneware or porcelain. However they could also be made of other materials such as wood, pewter, silver, gold, glass, acrylic and plastic. Now these different materials of crockery could be best used as per the theme and design of the place. For example, the unbreakable crockery made of acrylic or melamine definitely gives an edge where there is possibility of rough use. “Leading brands keep flexibility when it comes to accommodating change of design, colour, and theme, with the use of technology,” asserted Sharma. “Due to advancements in technology, these days the process of making crockery has become very intricate and scientific. The plates are made with machines and moulds and baked to certain temperature for strength and durability so as to last long. There are certain themed restaurants which still use hand made plates but they are very costly and less durable as compared to the chinaware made in factories,” informed Arora. Various factors drive technological developments in the manufacture and design of crockery and suppliers usually use

the inputs/feedback from hotel’s kitchens/ restaurants to improve their products. “The crockery we market to hotels, restaurants, etc. each has its product strengths. For example, some of these products are very India specific and are not used worldwide. We are very careful about any feedback from F&B Managers and Chefs regarding the style and size of the crockery,” confirmed Khandelwal. He views that new developments and improvements in the realm of crockery are an ever evolving process and companies nowadays are very sensitive to the new requirements and concepts generated by the industry. “We share the feedback on a continual basis with our associate companies overseas who then implement the changes and develop crockery, based on those specific requirements. It is our and our associate company’s sustained endeavour to design and develop products as per the changing concepts and requirements,” he added. “The most important thing which drives our strategy is based on customer’s satisfaction. Thus we put much effort in research to gather the data and get back with the product and service that fulfills the requirement. This helps us in ensuring our competitive position,” pointed out Vamananda, while adding, “Our designs and products must also keep up with the market trend. Thus, it is important for us to always come up with new designs of ceramic tableware as well as be innovative enough to be among the leaders in the industry. There are continual demands from our agents and clientele to come up with new designs and innovations and we always come up with new designs every year both in terms of shapes and ■ patterns,” he articulated.

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R&D and Technology

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There is also a dedicated dish landing area where the soiled plates are brought from the guest’s table for washing with a specific detergent and sanitiser, which is not harmful for the plates. Later they are stacked in different racks and covered for later use,” elaborated Arora. In this context Arora advised that, “The most important thing to keep in mind while placing the order for chinaware is the easy replacement of them as chinaware is prone to chipping off and breaking.”

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Rajesh Sharma

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Sahil Arora

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restaurants (in terms of cuisines), cost of crockery, their durability, and how they gel with the theme and décor of the outlet concerned,” explained Rajesh Sharma, Executive Sous Chef, The Grand, New Delhi. Temperature at which they are likely to subject to, the weight of the crockery, and terms for payment, all contribute towards arriving at the final decision of their purchase, opined Sharma. “While designing the concept of a restaurant all the things are kept in mind like theme, cuisine, furniture, furnishing, etc. and one of the crucial parts of the concept is the tableware. For a formal restaurant, the plates chosen are generally white in colour, although their shape and size can vary. For a casual restaurant the plates can be of various colours as long as they go along with the theme of the restaurant,” affirmed Sahil Arora, Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon. “Further, while ordering for crockery the hotel’s kitchen’s/restaurants’ design/layout should be kept in mind, so as to enable efficient stacking, storage, serving, retrieval and washing of the crockery. As the crockery is the main tool for serving the best quality food in a better manner so for that, the proper layout is to be done, which would ensure that efficient stacking, storage, retrieval and washing could take place,” averred Sharma. Arora also emphasised on the layout of the kitchen/ restaurant while placing order of crockery. According to Arora, the cost of chinaware contributes greatly towards the costing of the restaurant so a lot of importance should be given to its storage and stacking. “In five-star hotels there are different dedicated storages given to glassware, chinaware and equipment.

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F E AT U R E

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

PROFILE

Reaching the Heights of

Hospitality By Sharmila Chand

Following his graduation in 1996 from the prestigious Hindu College of Delhi University, Vikrant Batra, the Director of Café Delhi Heights, Gurgaon, went to the US for a six-month-long course in Restaurant Management, from the University of California (UCLA). After returning from the US, he enrolled himself at the Fore School of Management for a two year MBA course. Alongside, he was working in his inherited business at Batra Banquets. After having a successful five-year-long stint with catering at Batra Banquets, Vikrant opened the first Delhi Heights restaurant at Rajouri Garden, in 2009. In 2012, he started Cafe Delhi Heights, which currently has two outlets at Cross Point Mall, Gurgoan and Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. Vikrant is also working on a new hotel project named Palm Springs, which is a stateof-the-art boutique hotel, which he is going to launch soon at Naraina, Delhi. Vikrant’s scientific knowledge of food and an evolved palate, coupled with the Batra legacy backing him, makes him one of the upcoming stalwarts in the Indian F&B industry. The excerpts of the interview follow:

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

PROFILE First and foremost, please spell out some key factors to be considered while opening a new restaurant

What according to you are among the most tricky issues to tackle these days in the restaurant business?

Location is the most important factor. Before you conceive a business plan, jot down a menu, or rush to the bank to apply for a loan, you must first decide where exactly your restaurant is going to be located. A restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location is as crucial to its success as great food and service are. Depending upon the location, the second factor to be considered is the budget/ rentals, which would eventually decide the pricing of the food we serve. Defining the target market is another important factor to be considered before setting up a restaurant business. You need to define who are most likely to buy/consume your food products, and focus your concept to appeal to that defined market.

To always serve fresh food, to deal with the tag of a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;high-end restaurant, to provide a unique dining experience and leave the guest with fond memories so that they come back are some of the daunting challenges in the restaurant business.

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What disturbs you about the current restaurant business scenario in India? There are many restaurants which open with great pomp and show, spending exorbitant amount on publicity but are not willing to serve authentic cuisine. Good food is the key to success and I see that many restaurants in Delhi, as well as across the country are not willing to improve on the quality of food that they are offering. This is a disturbing scenario.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

As a veteran in the hospitality industry, please comment on how the food trend has changed over a period of time Only 30 percent of restaurant going crowd aims to experiment with food. An average Indian restaurant visitor has still not accepted pasta and salad in the form of lunch and dinner; in lunch and dinner he still seeks for the regular Indian dishes like dal makhni . Thus at times we have to tweak a dish in order to cater to the Indian palate. Having said that, there is a small percentage of restaurant goers, mainly consisting of young people, who want to experiment with cuisines and have welcomed and accepted the cuisines of various countries.

What has helped you the most in the image building of your brand? For a restaurant food is very important and we aim at serving

PROFILE fresh, authentic food. We try to go the extra mile to satisfy each guest, whether that involves customising the taste / providing something off-menu or a special something on a guest’s special occasion. We also have feedback forms where guests talk about their experiences; these forms have helped us in improving our standards day by day. All these have contributed towards the image building of our brand.

is another challenge. We need to be quick in clearing the table for the next guest to sit on. Serving in clean crockery is very important. You always have the pressure to serve better than the competitor.

What do you enjoy the most about being in this business?

Décor should relate to the cuisine you are serving. Similarly, ambience, which also includes menu cards, crockery, table cloth, music, lighting among other things, should relate to the food you are serving. However, I must say that ambience and decor are something with which you do not have to deal with on a dayto-day basis, but I believe food is the key secret of a successful restaurant. A restaurant cannot run only on ambience and decor, whereas an eating joint with minimal illustrations but with clean surroundings and serving great food also does well.

The thing that I enjoy most in my business is to make people happy with my food. The praise that I get from my patrons provides me with a royal high. My business is more about passion than money.

What do you dislike the most about this business? When people get in the restaurant business keeping only money in mind, it irks me. Then they lose focus and it reflects on the food they serve.

If you could change one thing about your position or business, what would it be? As far as my position is concerned, I am in a happy state but as far as my business is concerned, the lack of government support is a big hurdle for F&B players like me.

What kind of pressures you have encountered at your day-to-day work schedule? The biggest pressure is to retain a customer. Word of mouth is very important as by it we can attract more guests. Time management is another element of pressure, as we constantly need to fight with time in our business. At times the guests are in a hurry so we have to ensure that we serve them at the right time. Maintaining impeccable hygiene

How important is it to have good interiors in the restaurant? How much significance you give to the décor and ambience of the place as compared to the food?

What are the top three traits or skills you look for in your Head - Food & Beverage Manager? She/he must be good at time management and should be able to manage the customers and the staff skillfully. Ability to work under pressure is also very important for the Food & Beverage Head to manage everything peacefully.

Is it getting difficult to hire good trained manpower these days? With the introduction of several hotel management institutes, the search for quality manpower has become less challenging than before as these institutes give their students enough training, which also includes training to work under extreme pressure and at odd

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

hours, which are the characteristics of the restaurant business.

Can you suggest any tips or insights to strengthen your team? All work and no play will make any Jack or Jill a dull boy or girl! Take them out for regular trips to other eating joints and discuss with them the good qualities and negative traits of other food joints, thereby encouraging them to explore and present ideas on what you can add or subtract in your restaurant service.

What are your future plans to expand your brand? My vision is to open 10 more outlets of Cafe Delhi Heights by the end of 2016.

Anything else you would like to say about your brand? Food that you enjoyed on the streets of Delhi have now got a new home at Café Delhi Heights’ outlets. The cosy space offers a palate that hails from the lanes of Delhi and stretches till the glitzy streets of Europe. Presenting a heady mix of Banta and Martini, the menu offers Indian and international specialty dishes like lal maas, pizzas, burgers and lots more. Whatever beverage you try here is bound to be great. Peanut and jelly shake sounds just the thing for those not watching their weight. There also exists the old school Thandai that is served in the tall glasses you get in Chandni Chowk. The smoothies taste imaginative and ingenious. On board are a variety of refreshing street drinks like Nimboo Pani, Banta, Jal Jeera and fresh juices. The all-day breakfasts and fresh vegetable salads are an added attraction at our outlets. To summarise, my effort is to offer my patrons a casual and great dining place, where ■ people feel at home.

June-July ’12

INDUSTRY

Challenges of Running the F&B Show By Sharmila Chand

eading the F&B department of a hotel or a restaurant chain, or for that matter running a standalone restaurant business successfully is both exciting as well as challenging. Our discussion with various F&B Managers confirms what we already knew. It becomes evident that running an F&B show is not a smooth sailing business at all. It takes great organisation skills, and consistent hard work; often involving 24x7 engagement to successfully run a restaurant business. One has to have the skills of putting every resource in the right place to one’s advantage so that the F&B business can bring in more customers and, hence, result in greater profits.

attitude of keeping aside pending jobs, no room for detached approach and no saying ‘No’ to the guests’ needs. However, for stress relief one should allocate at least half an hour for workouts daily.” Similar views are aired by other industry experts. “It is not always a cakewalk to establish a profit making F & B unit. One of the many challenges we face at our level is the dichotomy when a

Managing Matters As expected, the job entails many pressures at work. According to Amit Jakhar, F&B Manager at Galaxy Hotel Shopping and Spa, “In the realm of F&B, work pressure is indeed high. One needs to balance it well. For time and task it is the guest first. There is no room for the

Amit Jakhar

certain unit is witnessing a constant traffic of patrons but is unable to reap the expected profits. The burgeoning numbers are not always the sign of a successful F&B outlet, there are different attributes and subtleties that need to be orchestrated to create an F&B unit that is both popular as well as beneficial,” pointed out Vineet Wadhera, Director — Food & Beverage, The Grand, New Delhi. “In our line of work (especially in operations), dealing with a seemingly difficult & unforeseen situation at work is a daily affair and it is no different at Kingdom of Dreams as it is a very hot and happening place. We have to be always on our toes as something interesting or the other keeps on happening here,” elaborated Bobby Singh, F&B Manager at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon. However, challenges are part of the enjoyment for a die-hard F&B player. “All these actually give us the thrill and make our work even more interesting. We in fact take challenges as a part of our job and each time we come across a seemingly difficult task and accomplish it, we get this sense of satisfaction that is comparable to none,” added Singh. “Having said that, it is very important to manage our time and stress as it gives us a sense of control and confidence,” Singh continued. And how does one do that in the frantic environment of F&B operations, on a day-to-day basis? “Maintaining a ‘To Do’ list and planning each day by prioritising our task, managing commitments, avoiding procrastination, delegating work, anticipating and being prepared, avoiding distractions and learning to say ‘No’ when necessary, concentrating on results rather than the activity, together helps in managing our time and stress effectively,” asserted Singh.

Qualities to Counter Challenges “There are various challenges in different

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

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Kingdom of Dreams is a very hot & happening place and we have to be always on our toes as something interesting or the other keeps on happening here. All these actually give us the thrill & make our work even more interesting. We in fact take challenges as a part of our job and each time we come across a seemingly difficult task and accomplish it, we have this huge sense of satisfaction that is comparable to none.

”

— Bobby Singh, F&B Manager, Kingdom of Dreams.

F&B units that we face, depending on the mercurial conditions of the markets,” pointed out Wadhera. According to him, the successful F&B Manager in a hotel needs the ability to gauge the pulse of industry trends and make the overall F&B business unit profitable. She/he must also have the ability to improve customers’ satisfaction and increase their loyalty, along with the ability to improve staff performance and their motivation. “The ability to seamlessly manage the day-to-day operations of the several departments that form the F&B business unit, and the ability to maintain F&B outlets compliant with both internal standards and external regulations, and to manage the influence of workers´union in a non-confrontational way are other attributes that a successful F&B Manager in a hotel should have,” elaborated Wadhera. According to Tarun Bhatia, F&B Manager, Eros — Managed by Hilton New Delhi Nehru Place, to “Continually upgrading the products and services to match the competition and growing guest’s demands,” is a foremost challenge of the F&B unit. “Then there is the

June-July ’12

challenge of exceeding guests’ expectations. Every guest comes with different expectations based upon her/his previous experience/s or the stories she/he has heard. The challenge lies in understanding what guest wants and then exceeding her/his expectations,” explained Bhatia. He believes that staff retention, maintaining supply chain, and having limited time for your personal life are other challenges for a successful F&B Manager, which she/he needs to overcome. Countering such multiple challenges has its flip side too. “When you are in the service industry it is very difficult to manage your schedule your way and your personal life becomes unplanned,” conceded Bhatia. “An F&B Manager needs to be consistent in meeting guests’ expectations, should have good operational skills, and have an innovative thought process. Besides these, a successful F&B Manager needs to successfully overcome the challenge of being cost-effective and profitable at the same time, to constantly enhance guest satisfaction without affecting bottom lines,” opined Jakhar. Sattish. P, Food & Beverage Manager, GRT Grand Chennai opines that in order to run an F&B outlet successfully one needs to work well under pressure and be organised, flexible, creative and selfmotivated. At the same time, according to

“

At GRT Grand Chennai, F&B is the most exciting department. Every day brings in new learning lessons and this makes work a lot more fun because you go back with learning something new every single day.

”

— Sattish.P, Food & Beverage Manager, GRT Grand Chennai.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

INDUSTRY Sattish, the person running the show at a F&B outlet, “Must possess high energy, entrepreneurial spirit, and should be a motivational leader, effective communicator and be effective in providing exceptional customer service.” Furthermore, he thinks that she/he must have a “True desire to understand and anticipate the needs of others in a fastpaced environment.” He also asserts that, “One needs to have loyal, smart and knowledgeable associates to successfully manage the F&B show.”

Loving the Challenges Nevertheless, the F&B honchos, if given a second chance, will choose the same department to work. “I thoroughly enjoy every moment of my job, which helps me motivate through the challenging tasks or stressful situations. Being a foodie at heart it becomes easier for me not simply to understand the needs of the customers but also the protocol that needs to be followed when we offer our products to them,” explained Wadhera. Singh too like many other F&B

Tips to Strengthen the Team I. Tarun Bhatia, F&B Manager, Eros — Managed by Hilton New Delhi Nehru Place Communicate regularly with the team. Ensure that the team’s goals are well defined and are well communicated. Ensure that the team members are trained well to handle their responsibilities. I would recommend combination of both classroom style and on the job training. Empowering the team members make them more responsible and adds value to the individual’s role, in turn resulting in more satisfied employees and a more productive team. So empower your team members. II. Vineet Wadhera, Director — Food & Beverage, The Grand, New Delhi. Good service is given by outstanding staff and outstanding staff should have the inherent customer service abilities. Therefore it is advisable to hire staff who have inherent customer service abilities. However, inherent customer service abilities should be coupled with specific skill building training programs and a guide on how to operate and what it is expected from them in order to get the desired results. Hence, build relevant skills and increase staff motivation among your staff. We conduct frequent training sessions with specific skill building agenda that reflects in benefit in the F&B outlets’ operations. Also make efforts to maintain a strong performing team. Tarun Bhatia

III. Bobby Singh, F&B Manager, Kingdom Of Dreams Rewards & recognition programs should be in place. We shouldn’t wait for the employees to do something extraordinary in order to appreciate their effort. Good work that gets recognised tends to get repeated. A small pat on the back, showing respect, appreciating their effort verbally or in writing in a timely manner, goes a long way. Empowering the team members by involving them in brainstorming, problem solving and even decision making makes the team feel more important & belonging. Regular team/recreational activities should be in place to continually engage the team. High levels of involvement lead to commitment and increased levels of trust and motivation, thereby strengthening the team. Training also plays a very important role in strengthening the tea m and therefore we need to identify training needs & provide regular training to the team in order to make team members more competent and confident at the same time.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

“

I believe I am most fortunate to be working with the F&B industry about which I am passionate, and thus there are no career alterations that I have in mind. I hope to work with more cuisines and introduce more exotic menus that have not come to the country yet. I hope to have the opportunity to experiment more on the job so that the global Indian who is no more apprehensive about foreign tastes is able to enjoy exotic dishes in her/his own home turf.

”

— Vineet Wadhera, Director — Food & Beverage, The Grand, New Delhi.

honchos, loves his job. He keeps a balance between work and personal life. “Balance is very important for me and remembering to take a break and managing to find time for indulging & treating myself to small things that I like doing always works for me,” stated Singh. Bhatia describes the job of running an F&B unit or F&B units as a “very non monotonous and challenging job with scenarios and situations changing every time. You have to deal with these situations on a case to case basis. I enjoy being in different situations and handling them,” averred Bhatia. “Besides the opportunity to taste the best of food & beverage options around, being a people’s man I enjoy meeting with some of the top shots and inspirational people around, which this job provides me with the opportunity,” ■ explained Bhatia.

June-July ’12

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

AGRI

Exploring

Artichoke

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To store fresh artichokes at home, sprinkle them with a little water and then refrigerate in an airtight plastic bag. Do not wash before storing. They could last a week when stored properly.

This Baby is no Different Baby artichokes are often misunderstood as a separate variety, but they are not. They are just the smaller versions of larger artichokes, and their location on the lower parts of the artichoke plant is responsible for their comparatively smaller size. In the lower parts of the plant, the plant fronds deprive them of the sunlight, hence impeding their growth process.

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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Though more than 140 artichoke varieties are found across the globe but less than 40 of them experience commercial cultivation. Most of the artichokes are cultivated in France, Italy, and Spain, and almost the entire production of artichokes in the US is accounted by California. Their harvesting is generally done when the buds are still immature and are picked just before the petals are starting to open. Fresh globes are very much abundant in the Europe’s market in every season, but especially during the springs. Here it deserves a mention that artichoke fields are maintained in continual culture for a period of five to ten years. Each cropping cycle is initiated by ‘cutting back’ the tops of the plants several inches below the soil surface in order to give an impetus to the development of new shoots. Artichokes are popular winter season vegetables in the whole of Europe. Small or baby artichokes can be eaten completely without removing the inside spiny choke.

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Harvesting and Storage

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throughout the year though their peak season is in the spring and autumn.

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rtichoke is an edible flower bud, which is found mostly in the Mediterranean region. It has an ancient history, and its fame is primarily for its medicinal and health benefiting attributes. The origin of artichoke dates back at least to the fourth century BC, to the days of the Greek philosopher and naturalist, Theophrastus (371-287 BC). He wrote about their habitation in Italy and Sicily. The artichoke belongs to the thistle group of the sunflower family and is believed to be a native of the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. The plant spreads across an approximate area of six feet in diameter, and attains a height of three to four feet, when in full growth. The size of artichoke globe can vary from 6-10 cm in diameter and weigh about 150 gm. The plant’s flower buds form the edible part. In fact, the edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the involucres bracts (triangular scales) and the base, known as the ‘heart.’ If they are allowed to flower, they blossom into seven inches in diameter and present a beautiful violet-blue colour. The artichokes are available

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By Sharmila Chand

Health and Artichoke Artichoke doesn’t have high content of calories and fat, but it is a rich source of dietary fibre. Dietary fibre facilitates to ease constipation conditions, decrease LDL cholesterol levels by binding to it in the intestines, and also helps prevent the dangerous entry of colon cancer by preventing toxic compounds in the food from absorption. Scientific studies have revealed that artichoke can lead to cholesterol reduction action in the body. Fresh

June-July ’12

Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Salad Serving Persons: 10 Ingredients Unit Imported Baby Artichokes gm Sundried Tomatoes gm Olive Oil X-tra Virgin gm Balsamic Vinegar gm Salt and Pepper

Amount 800 200 80 50 To taste

Method: Cut the artichokes in quarters and place them in a bowl. Cut the sundried tomatoes in four and also place them in the bowl. Drizzle the oil from the sundried tomatoes and artichokes over the broth and add balsamic vinegar. Mix carefully so as to not break the artichokes and place them in a bowl for service.

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compounds with strong anti-oxidant properties like carotene-beta, lutein and zea-xanthin.

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Recipe of Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Salad by Chef Willi Haueter — Executive Chef, The Imperial New Delhi.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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Artichokes can be eaten in their original form. They can also be had by mixing them with vegetables, beans, or meat or by stuffed with seafood.

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Serving Artichoke

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artichoke is also a great source of vitamin folic acid. Artichoke is also an excellent source of vitamin B-6, thiamin, and pantothenic acid, which are crucial for optimum cellular metabolic functions. Artichoke happens to be a rich source of vitamin C. Regular intake of foods with high content of vitamin C helps the body to develop resistance against infectious agents and cleanse the body of harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals. Artichoke serves as one of the vegetable sources for vitamin K. Besides promoting bone formation activity, sufficient vitamin K levels in the diet helps prevent neuronal damage to the brain, and thus can play a role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Artichoke is also a rich reservoir of anti-oxidants such as silymarin, caffeic acid and ferulic acid, which facilitate the protection of the body from harmful free-radical agents. In addition to these, it is a rich source of copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus, which are good for health if taken in limited quantities, and also contains significant levels of flavonoid

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AGRI

The globes, in general, are cooked by deepfrying, sautéed in oil or done in a barbeque method. The heart of the artichoke is the main part that is being eaten. Its stems, which are often dispensed with, are also edible. The stem of artichoke tastes similar to that of its hearts. In Vietnam, artichoke tea is savoured as a beverage. ■

TREND

By Kavitha Srinivasa

hefs are adding zing to their creative concoctions right from garnishes to salads, thanks to a variety of edible stems and flowers. These stems and flowers have the potential to pave a gastronomic revolution of sorts. They signal a return to the nature, with a delectable twist. This winter, guests at the Ananda Spa in the Himalayas will probably be treated to goodies like mascarpone and rhubarb tart, terrine of foie gras with hibiscus puree, passion fruit balm and maldon sea salt, as they soak in the scenic beauty of the serene surroundings. A spa resort focusing on holistic wellness, Ananda also uses organic vegetables in its culinary repertoire, which include edible stems

and flowers. “We use rhubarb, lotus stem, celery stalks, fennel stalks, bamboo shoots, palm hearts, banana stems, nasturtium, dried orange flowers, dried jasmine flowers, marigold flowers, mustard flowers, hibiscus, roses and zucchini flowers,” said Ashis Rout, the Executive Chef, Ananda Spa. We can say that Ananda has hit upon the idea of creating a signature line of dishes with edible stems and flowers. Welcome to this new floral culinary experience adopted by some spas and hotels in India.

The Fragrance of New-age Dining Examples of edible stems, flowers and leaf stalks include asparagus, celery,

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sugarcane, bamboo shoot, artichoke and cauliflower, etc. which are a storehouse of anti-oxidants. Some of them are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, fibre and folic acid. Sugarcane juice is an energiser. Lotus stem is rich in calcium, iron and fibre. Likewise, the stems of broccoli and cauliflower have nutritive value. Moreover, the fragrance of these stems and flowers breeze through the hotels as they pack in quite a healthy punch. This healthy F&B decision has predictably met with approval from many evolved diners as well as from the F&B industry. “I find dining out meaningful when the hotels’ menus include healthy options; concocted in a nice sort of way,” said Smriti S, a diner. Smriti represents an emerging

June-July ’12

TREND segment of diners who want a gastronomic experience, without scaling up the calorie quotient drastically. An innovative menu spruced with healthy stems and flowers can be the effective answer to her evolved dining out needs. The fact that these stems and flowers are textured, crunchy, colourful and flavourful, besides being endowed with impressive health quotient, has urged the culinary experts to use them to the optimum. Amit Wadhawan, the Executive Chef at The Oberoi, Bangalore, never misses an opportunity to innovate his salads. Light, leafy, wholesome salads, otherwise loaded with green vegetables, fruits, wholesome elements like grilled chicken, cuttlefish and mushrooms, gets an innovative twist with nasturtium. “We thought of using the nasturtium flowers in our fresh salads as they have an aesthetic appeal combined with a zesty flavour and nutritional aspects. There are different varieties and colours to choose from,” informed Wadhawan. Throwing light on its intricacies, the culinary expert pointed out that nasturtium is a kind of water cress. The

June-July ’12

Amit Wadhawan

flowers and leaves of this edible plant taste a bit peppery, but the yellow, orange and red flowers have somewhat of a sweeter flavour than its leaves. The summer menu at the property has been planned with fresh ingredients, which gives scope for experiments with edible stems and flowers.

Hotels Presenting Healthy Taste The Oberoi, Bangalore also uses lotus stem and bamboo shoots in its Chinese and Thai restaurants. “Stir-fried lotus

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stem with red onions and chili —our signature Chinese dish —is known to have high iron content, high dietary fibre and is good for bowel movement. Then, Sup Normai, the Thai salad spruced with spicy and sour bamboo shoots is rich in nutrients,” Wadhawan explained. Here it deserves a mention that the fat content is extremely low in bamboo shoots (2.46 gm/100 gm). Besides being crisp and crunchy, the high cellulosic content of bamboo shoots is an appetite stimulant. A healthy fine dining experience can be rounded off with a Saffron Rabri or Saffron Kulfi. Not many of us know that saffron is one of the highly prized spices known since the nascent says of history for its colour, flavour and medicinal properties. It is the dried ‘stigma’ or threads of the flower of the S. crocus plant. Saffron contains many plant derived chemical compounds that are bolstered with anti-oxidant character. The flower stigma comprises of many essential volatile oils but the most important of them is safranal, which gives saffron its distinct hay-like flavour. This spice has many non-volatile active

TREND components; the most important of them is á-crocin, a carotenoid compound, which gives the stigmas their characteristic golden yellow colour. It also contains other carotenoids including zeaxanthin, lycopene, á and âcarotenes. These are important antioxidants which help prevent the constitution from invasion of oxidantinduced stress, cancers, infections and also acts as immune modulators. If saffron-based desserts are the ideal option to end a sumptuous meal, zucchini and pumpkin flowers are sought after for a Mediterranean spread. “These are stuffed with cheese and fried as fritters. On the other hand, banana flower lends itself to crisp and delicious vadas. Each flower is handpicked and soaked in buttermilk to remove the bitterness. Once this is done, all that it needs is a deft hand to turn it around,” added Krishna Shantakumar, General Manager, Aswati Group, which owns fine dining restaurants like Ebony, and On the Edge, in Bangalore. A deft culinary hand is likely to use edible flowers and stems for their flavour and nutrients. “For instance, the juice of banana stem is blended with buttermilk. This combination works well for the kidneys. Bamboo shoots give a crunchy texture to salads and curries, while it can also be made into a pachadi or raita,” said Shantakumar. Award-winning restaurants like Karavalli have also made edible flower an intrinsic part of its offerings.

Karavalli of the The Gateway Hotel in Bangalore uses drumstick flowers, drumstick leaves, banana flowers, banana stems or even lotus roots in its various preparations. “We serve Vazhapoo Thoran (Banana Flower Stir Fry preparation) in the present al carte menu. Traditionally, banana flowers are recommended for those who have kidney stones. It is a good digestive as well,” explained Naren Thimmaiah, Executive Chef, The Gateway Hotel, Bangalore. Banana flower, also known as banana blossom or heart, has a sweet scent and a taste. When it is cooked, it tastes similar to artichoke. Like bananas, these too are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin A, C and E. Moreover, the banana flowers are storehouse of flavonoids. These dishes have been very popular with the diners. “Our seasonal menu includes Murungele Soup or Drumstick Leaf Soup, Vazhathandu Poriyal or Banana Stem Dry preparation and Murungapoov Poriyal or Drumstick Flower Dry preparation,” added Thimmaiah. To think of it, the banana stem is the waste of the banana plant, yet it packs in the goodness of health. The stem gives a flavourful touch to the salads, raitas and soups, while boosting energy levels. It is a great way to detox the body. “Almost every part of the drumstick has therapeutic value. It is known to be nutritive. It is an old saying that a bowl of drumstick soup is ideal for chest congestions, sore throats and

Recipe Vazhapoo Thoran (Banana Flower Stir Fry Preparation) Ingredients: 1. Banana Flower 2. Whole Green Moong 3. Chopped Onion 4. Chopped Green Chilies 5. Curry Leaves 6. Turmeric Powder 7. Salt 8. Grated Coconut 9. Mustard Seeds 10. Cumin 11. Red Chillies 12. Coconut Oil

2 nos. 100gm 100 gm 6 nos. 1 Sprig 2 gm To taste ½ no 2 gm 2 gm 2 nos. 50 ml

Method: • Peel the outer layer of the banana flower. Finely chop the banana flower and put it in water mixed with little turmeric and curd. Soak the chopped banana flower for 5 – 10 minutes and strain the same. • Boil the lentil with little salt and keep it aside. • Similarly, boil the banana flower with coconut oil and little salt and keep it aside. • In a frying pan, add little coconut oil and prepare a tempering with mustard, cumin, red chilly and curry leaves. Put in the green moong and banana flower and drizzle little bit of turmeric and salt. • Finish with grated coconut and check for seasoning. • Garnish with grated coconut and fried curry leaves. Courtesy: Naren Thimmaiah, Executive Chef, The Gateway Hotel, Bangalore. coughs, while drumstick leaves address digestive disorders,” highlighted Thimmaiah. Those who have a certain desire to get mesmerised can opt for entrees garnished with flower blossoms for a touch of elegance. Usually when edible flowers like rose petals, sunflower, lavender and pumpkin flowers are used, the dish is kept simple so that other flavours do not overpower the delicate taste and fragrance of the flower concerned. Some of these stems and flowers are

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June-July ’12

TREND rich in aromatic compounds, esters and alkaloids, whose therapeutic properties influence the body. “Moreover, they bring in a variety not only in taste but in visual appeal as well, and in terms of textures, which are very essential for a wholesome gastronomic experience,” Rout added. Obviously, Rout knows how to use the essence of these edible beauties and has already tasted success during autumn when he dished up crispy baked lotus stem chaats, jackfruit kofta curry, and buffalo mozzarella stuffed baked zucchini flowers.

Caution and History At the same, one should not be carried away by this new hospitality trend. One needs a careful eye to sift through the best options. Of course, it is better not to consume any flower unless you are sure about its edibility. “Make sure that the stems or flowers that you buy are of the edible variety. Choose fresh produce rather than the ones stored for a long time. Organic produce would be safer for the environment and the body. Do not buy unopened blossoms or wilted ones even though they might be

June-July ’12

cheaper,” cautioned Sheela Krishnaswamy, Independent Diet, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. It is also advisable to avoid buying edible flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centres, as these flowers may have been treated with pesticides. It is best to pick the edible flowers in the morning when their water content is at the highest. Sharing some of her tips, Sheela added that foods like celery could be used raw

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in salads. “It also gives a nice flavour to the soups,” she explained. However, the instances of people consuming flowers for health reasons has not been a new phenomenon, though it has emerged as a trend in the present century only. Generally it is known that foodies consume seeds like maize, fruits like apple, or roots like carrots. However, as early as 140 BC people were consuming some flowers, which were high in vitamin C and A. Broccoli, cauliflower and artichokes are all flowers. “Violets are used to garnish desserts and iced drinks. While darker roses have a nice flavour, petals are used in jellies and syrups. Rose petals give a characteristic flavour to pulao. Besides that, they make an excellent sugar dip in Indian mithais,” said Shantakumar, throwing light on the floral trail, which seems not that uncommon in our past. So the next time you stop by at boulevards paved with fragrant flowers, you know what to expect. These flowers have graced the best gardens and now many of them grace the dining table. You can savour the delectable experience from both the environments. ■

PUB

Poised for

Fluidity

By Swarnendu Biswas

ince late June 2012, Noida is having a newly renovated fluid entertainment venue, which turns into a happening pub as the twilight descends on the satellite city’s skyline. In the morning, the place doubles up as a breakfast lounge, with sumptuous buffet and a la carte options. Whether you would like to have a Continental breakfast, a typical American breakfast or an Indian breakfast, or for that matter a very traditional Indian breakfast with aloo prantha, puri aloo, idli, and dosa, or whether you would love to have a totally egg-based breakfast, you are not likely to get disappointed here. Of course, all these sumptuous beginnings for a morning are accompanied with a host of beverages like sweet and salted lassi, shakes, cold and as well as regular/decaffeinated/cappuccino/ espresso coffees, a selection of teas, and hot chocolate among others. From 12.30-3.30, you can have your lunch at this well spread out place with a lap pool in the vicinity, where one can relax with a drink after a satisfying corporate luncheon. Then the atmosphere of the place reflects that of a restaurant-cum-bar. In the morning or day, the outlet can be an ideal social hangout club for friends, or a

haven for family gatherings. Then from 7pm onwards, the ambience of the place, accentuated by the right lighting on the walls and the candles on the tables, again transforms from a restaurantcum-bar to that of a bar-cum-restaurant. No wonder, the place is known as Flluid, which is open seven days a week from 7 am in the morning till 1 am on the following day. The fluid options of Flluid can be enjoyed when you visit the Mosaic Hotels, Noida, which comes across as an upscale business hotel, located in the business epicenter of Noida, and not far from Delhi.

Then and Now However, this is not Noida’s first affair with Flluid. The bar-cum-restaurant was operational since 2006 but is now represented to the business, family and leisure crowd in a brand new avatar, after a brief period of closure for renovation. In fact, in terms of décor, it comes across as a completely new F&B destination as compared to its earlier edition; spruced up with eye catching and unique conceptbased interiors and plush ambience. Since its inception, Flluid did reflect its quality in terms of design, music, F&B offerings, and through its sophisticated

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quality of service. Despite a slew of potential competitors, the bar had time and again sustained its appeal among the discerning crowd of Delhi and NCR, which is duly reflected in its awards for three consecutive years. After five years of heady success, it now proposes to raise the bar even higher for the present and future bars, mushrooming across the happening F&B space of Delhi NCR. The earlier Flluid was operational across two floors that is ground and basement, and was not connected to the lobby area, whereas in its new version, the Flluid is well-connected to the lobby area and has restricted its ambit to the ground floor only. Moreover, the earlier version of Flluid, which was positioned as a night club, was having no private dining room feature, which is there in its renovated presence. The chandeliers were also absent in the earlier version of Flluid; characterised by its rounded white walls and mood lighting, which are an integral part of the décor of the renovated Flluid with its multicoloured appearance.

An Inviting Aura The new Flluid, with its 65 covers, has much more ascent on the family crowd

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PUB than it had in its earlier version. In fact, the renovated Flluid presents itself in a way so as to cater to a wide variety of moods and diverse consumer preferences by offering patrons a superb mix of a public entertainment venue, a social hangout club and an elegant bar-cum-restaurant with a plush and secluded private dining and meeting area for 12-14 people. When I entered the freshly renovated place, the inviting glass top tables with wooden base, coated in silver leaf paint, and the wooden bar counter with gold leaf paint, displaying a granite top, heightened my spirits to drench my senses with their comprehensive collection of spirits. The sleek wooden floors completed the inviting aura. The decor at Flluid is accented with metallic tear drops cascading from the ceiling; which to me appeared to be a representation of elegant modern art. The exclusive private area section conjures up an image of the Arabian Nights with intricate patterns of soft shadows cast from exotic candles. The décor of the renovated Flluid in one sentence can be summed up as formal yet casual; business like yet aesthetic. The bar translates the dichotomy or fluidity

June-July ’12

of life in its ambience and décor. The exclusive private area is equipped with a fully movable set up and can be finetuned as per the patrons’ desire. At the new Flluid, the feature of lap pool with its cabanas and lounge sofas adds to the beauty and cosiness of the ambience, and induces one to have a refreshing break with a cocktail or beer or any other drink to calm the jaded nerves from our tension-filled life and lifestyles. The smokers can also have their smoke near the pool. The dining area of Flluid is spread across 1324 sq. ft.

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whereas the private dinning area is a commodious 357 sq. ft. Then there is a wide pool area of 1657 sq. ft where the guests can unwind.

Holistically Heady “We have a wide range of cocktails, mocktails, and a wide selection of international spirits, wines, beers and liquors,” informed Kulvinder Singh, the F&B Manager of Mosaic Hotels. He told me that there was an exhaustive revision and enhancement in both the bar and food

PUB menu. “Good music will continue to remain a significant part of the guests’ bar experience as well,” added Singh. Though there was an awe inspiring range of options to get intoxicated at Flluid, I preferred to go for my favourite — the JW Black Label premium Scotch Whisky. From Royal Salute and JW Blue Label to JW Red Label via JW Black Label and Chivas Regal, the bar stocks a wide selection for the Scotch lovers. Besides these, there is an impressive collection of single malt whiskies on offer, which include internationally renowned names like Balvenie 12, Laphroaig 10, Glenmorangie 10 among others. They rub shoulders or rather glasses with American/Irish whiskies like Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s and John Jameson, and also with domestic whiskies like Blender’s Pride and Antiquity Blue, and also with Teachers 50, Teacher’s Highland Cream, Black Dog, 100 Pipers among others. “Besides our impressive whisky offerings, we have a wonderful collection of gin, vodka, beer, tequila, cognac, aperitifs and bitters, liqueurs and cocktails on offer,” asserted Singh, as I sipped my drink with Garlic Prawns. My friend and colleague Ashish was liking the Paneer Shashilk and Chicken Tikka With Balsamic Reduction very much, along with his favourite; a glass of Old Monk rum. Besides housing gins like Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater and Blue Riband, and vodkas like Grey Goose, Smirnoff and Magic Moments, the bar has wonderful options for rum lovers too in the form of Bacardi Carta Blanca, Bacardi Black, and Old Monk options. “For the beer lovers there are chilled offerings from Corona, Kingfisher Ultra, Tuborg, Carlsberg, and Budweiser to compensate for the sultry heat and the business competition of outside,” averred Singh, with a smile lingering on his lips. Of course, these above-mentioned choices are supplemented by the heady selections of tequila, cognac, liqueur, along with an array of cocktail offerings at the Flluid. As is expected, the impressive cocktail list includes the all time favourites like Margarita, Long Island Ice Tea, Bloody Mary and many others. There are also a wide range of Martinis on offer. The tempting wine selection include imported as well as Indian red and white wines, sparkling wine like Sula Brut Sparkling, Mateus Rose and Moet & Chandon Champagne among others. Yes,

A wide range of appetising salads and soups, such as Rustic Greek Salad, Spiced Oriental Chicken Salad, Smoked Chicken Broth, etc. can give a head-start to this wonderful experience. Overall, in its F&B offerings too, Flluid reflects its essential philosophy of fluidity like it embodies in its ambience and décor; a fluidity that encompasses diverse tastes, choices and preferences of its discerning clientele.

Business Matters

there are shooters too to give you a kick and a high. B-52, Dirty Girl, Superman, Silver Spider, Kamikaze are the name of some of the shooters at Flluid and as they say, the names say it all about the holistic heady experience that you are headed for. Of course, for the non-alcoholic drinkers there are lots of mocktail choices in order to give them a good time at Flluid.

A Delectable Fusion Flluid has a delectable range of offerings on its platter, which are warm and ready to be washed down with the above-mentioned intoxications. Diwas Wadhera, the Executive Chef at the Mosaic Hotels has opted for a fusion cuisine at the Flluid, which has amalgamation of myriad traditional cuisines like Chinese, Thai, Continental, Italian, Indian and Mexican elements. “We have opted for fusion cuisine in order to cater to a wide selection of gastronomic choices, which affords our menu with more acceptability. Especially in these days, when culinary choices in upwardly mobile urban India are getting more and more diverse by the day, it is always sensible to introduce fusion cuisine into your outlet,” averred Wadhera. From Teriyaki Chicken & Leek Satay which is an oriental delicacy, to your very Indian Tandoori Seekh Boti Kebab, which virtually embodies the original street food, the diner at Flluid can have a wonderful gastronomic trip across various culinary cultures and geographies if she/ he chooses to. Ashish attempted to be one such ideal diner as he casually proceeded from Five Spiced Chicken (an oriental recipe) to Chicken Pudina Tikka via Chicken Olivetti (a Continental creation) without any signs of jet lag whatsoever. However, he switched fuel in between his gastronomic trip, by changing from Old Monk to Budweiser!

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“The business potential of the place is promising, considering its location, its F& B offerings, and its unique positioning where it can cater to a very wide group of clientele, whether they be a motley group of college students looking for a good time, a family crowd looking for a comprehensive eating out option, a corporate group looking for a corporate lunch or brunch amidst business parleys, or simply a partying crowd,” explained Rohit Naithani, Vice President —Marketing & Development, Mosaic Hotels. Of course, according to Naithani, if you want to have a quiet drink with solitude for company, the pub affords that option too. Yes, here you can have your share of quietude even while there is a party or an animated business discussion going on in the exclusive private area of the pub. “We are having an in-house DJ, who performs 7 days a week, and our promotional activities in the near future include jazz concerts and stand-up comedy shows,” added Naithani. He said that they are quite fluid about various interesting options and may spring up something pleasantly surprising for the guests in the coming months. Perhaps fluidity is the USP of Flluid, in an environment clouded by rigidity and intolerance pervading us. “Though now we are at a formative stage, but we are expecting a business of Rs.20-25 lakh per month within six months from now,” asserted Naithani. Singh informed that on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Mondays, there is more inflow of corporate crowd, whereas on Friday and Saturday, the predominant character of the guests in the bar-cumrestaurant is that of family gatherings. As we got up to leave after our desserts of brownies and lassi, I realised that Flluid with its food and décor, location and positioning truly presents a winning business combination , that can be a trendsetter in the times to come in Delhi I NCR’s burgeoning F&B industry.

June-July ’12

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LIQUEUR

Feel the Mellowed High of

Polynesian Cocktails By Tapapriya Lahiri

everages share a very charming bond with the seasons. Most of the beverages, whether they be beer or whisky, cold drinks or coffee, have their favourite seasons where they are best enjoyed. Even a hardened beer lover would probably not extend his passion for a glass of chilled beer in chilly winters to that extent, as he would do in a scorching summer. Similarly a rich hot cup of coffee is more enjoyed in winters, than in other seasons. It is a well-known fact that with more foreign liqueur brands foraying into the Indian market coupled with increasing awareness among the diners and drinkers, a sizeable section of whom are now exposed to global food & beverage trends, the high-end bars, lounges and restaurants across metros and other big cities of India are seen experimenting with the global cocktails, which are garnering acclaim from the discerning diners and drinkers. With the growing and encouraging response from the discerning drinkers around the country, bars, lounges and restaurants are literally on their toes

to serve not only the best possible cocktails that they can offer, but are becoming more innovative in their offerings. Now in the backdrop of the emerging awareness amongst the alcoholic beverage consumers in India, many creative bartenders or rather spritsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chefs are infusing research and innovations in their cocktails. The cocktails which are sure to gain popularity among the high-end urbane drinkers of India are the Polynesian cocktails, whose ideal season to savour is now. The monsoon is the best time to enjoy some innovative Polynesian cocktails. Overall, Polynesian food and drinks are gaining a steady recognition amongst the avid Indian cocktail drinkers and experimental diners. Two of the best known places to savour the Polyenesian cocktails in the metros are at The Imperial New Delhi and Grand Hyatt Mumbai. Mai Tai, Planters Punch, Blue Hawaiian, Hawaiian Punch are the best known cocktails from the Polynesian islands. Coconut liqueurs (Malibu rum) from the Polynesian islands have also smoothly made into the cocktail category, which is characterised by its extraordinary flavour.

Amalgamations and Concoctions Rum, gin and vodka constitute the backbone of heady cocktails. White and dark rums, and Malibu rums are the most preferred rums in making Polynesian cocktails. Malibu rum is a flavoured rum made with natural coconut extract, possessing an alcohol content by volume of 21 percent..

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About Polynesia Polynesia is a sub-region of Oceana, comprising over 1000 islands scattered over the Central & Southern Pacific Ocean. Poly means many in Greek and nesia means islands. Polynesia is commonly referred to the islands within the Polynesian Triangle although there are some islands that are inhabited by Polynesian people, which are located outside the geographical ambit of the Polynesian Triangle. Geographically, the Polynesian Triangle is drawn by connecting the points of Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island. The other main island groups located within the Polynesian Triangle are Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue, Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia.. Polynesia is not only known for its breathtaking natural beauty but also for its tantalising cocktails. Polynesian islands are well-known for their thrilling rum-based cocktails. The main spirit in Polynesian cocktails is rum, however gin, vodka, whiskey and cordials can be important ingredients too in these heady concoctions. To experience the out-of-the-world feel, go for the Blue Hawaiian, which is a tropical cocktail made of rum, pineapple juice, curacao, sweet and sour mix, and sometimes vodka as well. It should not be confused with the similarly named Blue Hawaiian cocktail that contains creme of coconut

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instead of sweet and sour mix. Mai Tai is the Tahitian word for ‘good’. Mai Tai is an alcoholic cocktail based on rum, curaçao liqueur, and lime juice, and its genesis is also from the Polynesian islands. Mai Tai is prepared by blending pineaaple juice, white rum, coconut liqueur, and blue curacao. Planters Punch, another Polynesian cocktail, is blended with orange juice, dark rum and sweet and sour mix. Then there is Hawaiian Punch with an orange juice, southern comfort and white rum. Grenadine is conventional a red syrup used as an ingredient in cocktails, both for its flavour and to give a reddish or pink tinge to the cocktails. Grenadine syrup is most zestful in Polynesian cocktails. Grenadine is mostly made from the pomegranate juice but cherry juice and sugar can also slot into the grenadine syrup. Grenadine was also one of the original non-alcoholic ingredients of the Sea Breeze Cocktail; another Polynesian cocktail. Patiala Peg at The Imperial New Delhi played host to some of these heady offerings of Polynesian cocktails recently, where the guests could enjoy an unusually intoxicating experience with Mai Tai, Chi chi, Blue Hawaiian, Lava Flow and assorted mocktails like Banana Mango Smoothie, Pineapple Iced Tea and many more, to celebrate the onset of another wet and wild season. An overwhelmed Jitender Kumar — the Assistant Manager at Patiala Peg, was pleasantly amazed on seeing that the large crowd was fascinated at the heady mix of ■ Polynesian cocktails.

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THEME CUISINE

The Diverse

Flavours of Italy By Sharmila Chand

he mere mention of Italian food conjures up tempting images of cheese dripping pizzas, spaghetti and pastas. However, the authentic Italian cuisine is a lot more than these sumptuous and popular dishes. They represent only a miniscule part of the diverse and multiregional styles that make up Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holistic gastronomic scenario.

The Aromatic History The culinary legacy of Italy is deeply indebted to cross-cultural influences of people and societies from over three thousand years that slowly defined the Italian peninsula as a geographical, political, and cultural entity. It is said that the Italians had initially absorbed ancient Greek cooking styles into their culinary culture. The imperialism of the ancient Roman civilisation gave a fillip to the diversity in Italian cooking. As Roman ships brought fine wines, quality wheat, exotic spices and other ingredients from across the then known world, the kitchens of the Italians became more and more cosmopolitan. The Italians got their ingredients from all across the then known world, which also included

the far away oriental land of China. It is not surprising to note that Italian cuisine actually encompasses an amalgamation of culinary influences of various cultures and civilisations. It has the influence of Greek, the Gallic, Slavic, Arab and Turkish culinary traditions. Even now many food historians claim that pasta was imported from China, though the contesting claim that it was Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local produce which was consumed during Etruscan and Roman times is equally strong. The cuisine of Sicily also has traces of culinary influence of the Arabs. Overall, due to myriad culinary influences, the tastes of ancient Italians became truly globalised for their times; a tradition which still continues till date. Hence the geographically defined area recognised today as modern day Italy has a cuisine as diverse and multifaceted as its long, complex history.

Each region of Italy, like that of India,

developed its own distinctive style of cooking and a formalised menu based on the local ingredients and the lifestyle of the people living there. One finds great discrepancy in the way similar dishes are prepared in different regions of Italy. Its diversity complements its deliciousness. Each region of Italy has its own specialties. For instance, Tuscan beef is an item belonging to the North whereas the south is credited for producing mozzarella cheese and provolone along with a rich harvest of citrus fruits. So much so that there was great variance even amongst the most commonly consumed items in Italy such as the different types of breads and pastas. Hence, we find the southern part of Italy was into hard boiled spaghetti whereas the northern regions were more akin to consuming soft egg noodles. We associate Pizza with Naples, tortellini with Bologna and Milan is world famous for its risotto. The Italian cuisine took its formal

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Diversity of Rich Tastes

THEME CUISINE invited can be easily stretched to three hours during which the diners savour their food in as many as ten courses. Another prevalent tradition in Italian homes is that each guest brings with herself/himself an interesting homemade dish as well, which adds another shade of taste and flavour to the already exhaustive menu.

Types of Italian Food

structure at the unification of Italy in 1861. Not only the Italian cuisine, with its diverse facets, is regarded among the most popular global cuisines of the planet it is also regarded as one of the most rich and diverse one.

Traditional Food Culture No cuisine can develop with just the special art in its preparation, it should be complemented with the art of eating as well. Over the course of centuries, the Italians have developed their own culture related to eating their food. We all know that Italians are very serious about their food and no doubt, eating is among the favourite pastime activity for Italian families. When the Italians sit down for a lunch or dinner they seem to be in no great hurry whatsoever. Unlike other faster paced societies in the world dinning time in Italy is a time to unwind and catch up with friends and families. The culture of Italian food is relaxed and slow-paced with families getting the chance to bond with each other across the delectable courses spread on the dinner tables. The actual eating process on a conventional Italian dinner can easily spread over a couple of hours. The formal Italian dinner where many guests are

With the varied facets in their rich cuisine it is difficult to classify all the typical Italian food items. However, here are some interesting examples. Pizza is of course the most popular food item to originate from Italy. The city of Naples introduced pizza to the world. Each region of Italy however has its own distinctive style of making this delicacy. As discussed before, the region of Bologna is credited for the discovery of tortellini and the most famous rice dish of Italy, risotto belongs to Milan. The northern areas of Italy are famous for using polenta, creams, butter and different kinds of cheeses like paraminiano and grana padano. The typical food that originates from the north Italy includes lasagna, which has become a rage across the globe. Another commonly found food item from these areas is fresh egg pasta. And of course, the most famous rice dish of Italy known as risotto also originates from northern Italy. The cuisine of the south Italy has a considerable amount of difference in the ingredients they use and the way that they cook than from their northern counterparts. Hence the kinds of dishes originating from this region are also distinct from those prevalent in the north of Italy. Most of the cooking in the south of Italy focuses around the application of tomatoes and olive oil. The use of mozzarella cheeses and Caciocavallo with dry pasta is also characteristic of the southern style of cooking. The coastal

“The new summer menu at Italia, located at DLF Promenade Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, is a selection of hand-picked recipes from the south of Italy. The menu features the finest olive oil, the Italian tomatoes, sea food, aubergine, artichokes & lots more. The menu is all about fresh ingredients and real authentic flavours.”

Antipasti Carpaccio cipriani Parma ham rolled grissini, organic sprout & parmesan shavings Crisp fried sea food with saffron aioli Baked asparagus with fontina & parmesan crust Soup Chilled melon & cucumber soup Prawn cappuccino Pasta Spinach, ricotta & pine nuts stuffed ravioli with thyme butter Whole wheat penne with trapanese pesto Gnocchetti sardi with fresh tomatoes, caramelised onions & chicken sausages Risotto Forest mushroom risotto Smoked chicken, rocket, grain mustard & lemon risotto Pizza Tuna anchovy & olives Pesto, olives, sundried tomatoes & artichoke Pizza with mix lettuce, olives, asparagus and cherry tomato salad Main Course Fillet of john dory with creamy spinach & balsamic olive oil emulsion N’duja stuffed Canadian pork chops with grilled sausages & fig sauce Scallopine of chicken with pantossed vegetables & lemon Truffle scented parmigiana of vegetables Desserts Tiramisu Fried mango ravioli with vanilla ice cream regions of Italy are famous for proscuitto, tortellini and ravioli. Other renowned Italian dishes include the Gremolata, which is a much loved fish soup in this modern country with an ancient civilisation. Many chicken lovers in Italy and beyond simply admire the Chicken Scarpariello, which is a tangy dish prepared in lemon sauce. The chicken marsala is also another typical Italian dish, which is consumed on a fairly ■ regular basis in the country.

- Chef Somopriyo Basu of Italia

Menu Planning at Italia, at DLF Promenade Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd. (BAA), a Pahwa group company, is a global solution provider for complete environmental control with a specialization in Humidity Control, Dehumidification, Drying, Storage, Preservation, Air and Gas Purification and Plastics Auxiliaries supported by state-of-the-art facilities, worldwide operations and customers in almost every industry. The Group has about 1200 employees and 12 plants worldwide with revenue of approx Rs. 300 crore. The group specialise in Air Engineering and Environmental Control Technologies. Bry-Air is partnering with Foodpro International Inc., USA, a Food Processing and Distribution Specialist and a leader in the area of “Design & Build” of all types of Food Processing lines. Bry-Air is opening a new division focused on providing solutions, “Design & Build”, to the Food Processing Industry with a focus on Fruits and Vegetables. For this new division, Bry-Air is seeking talent to develop the market for its new profit centre:

GENERAL MANAGER Food Processing, “Design & Build” A Degree holder in Engineering / Food Technology with specialization in the Food Processing Technology, age between 40 to 50 years with 15 to 20 years of extensive experience in a senior management position, preferably Sales and Business Development, and at least 10 years of Project Management experience in Food Industry. The position will report to the President / Chairman and will be responsible for P&L and Develop, Lead, Manage and Grow the Food Processing Consulting division business. He must have the ability to formulate a good strategy, manage and execute the same. He will have to Hire, Train, Manage, Stabilize and Grow his team. Will be responsible for developing, building and managing relationship with the key customer accounts / referral groups, continuously scanning and analysing the market scenario.

MANAGER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Food Processing, “Design & Build” A Degree holder in Engineering / Food Technology with specialization in the Food Processing Technology, age between 30 to 35 years with 8 to 12 years of experience in Food Industry, preferably in Food and Beverage segment. Experience in project management, modernisation of existing food processing facilities / setting-up new project and managing services will be preferred. The position will report to the General Manager, Food Processing. The incumbent will be responsible for Developing and Growing the Food Processing Consulting division business and managing pre-sales / sales activities. Will be responsible for building and managing relationship with the key customer accounts / referral groups, collaboration with contractors, machinery manufacturers, US partner as well as perform internal marketing functions.

Key Skills: Networking capability, Gregarious in nature, ability “to close a sale”, good coordination and collaborative skills as well as domain expertise. Please send your CV to HR

www.bryair.com

21C Sector 18, Gurgaon 122015 • E-mail: hrd@pahwa.com

RB/BA/1246FCA5

Must have the ability to “sniff” out business, develop customer conﬁdence and deliver projects on time.

RESTAURANT

Savouring the

Infinity By Sharmila Chand

ocated at the lobby level of Hilton New Delhi-Noida- Mayur Vihar, Infinity, the all day dining restaurant, is characterised by its contemporary flair and features a warm and comfortable ambience. Designed by PIA Interior, Thailand’s leading interior design firm, Infinity is a distinctive, lively and an imaginative venue. Vibrant customised flooring, cheerful colours, glass walls, and art pieces complete with cleverly located live cooking stations together provides the visual elegance to the truly interactive dining experience. Positioned as an exotic all day dining

restaurant in the city, Infinity features a vibrant mix of local and international cuisines, complemented by interactive live cooking stations, including a large salad and dessert bar. The open kitchens showcase an extensive buffet with delectable dishes and Chefs at work. In addition, the restaurant features a la carte menu that is dominated by Italian influences. Infinity comes across as the apt destination for family get-togethers, business or entertainment lunches, and also for bashes and celebrations.

A Passion to Cook The Executive Chef at the restaurant,

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Signature Dishes at Infinity: Infinity Summer Salad Spiced Italian Seafood Soup Pizza Bomba Pizza Gardiniera Penne all Opera Tuscan Lamb Shank Pan Fried Chilean Sea Bass Theodor Rudiferia, has mastery in serving adventurous innovations of the traditional Italian dishes, such as pizza, pasta and risottos. Chef Theodor’s passion to become a Chef was first ignited while watching his mom cooking at home. For Theo, cooking is more than just a job, it is a passion involving passing on of family traditions. He grew up in the northern part of Italy in a town called Merano where food is a deep part of the culture. Theodor obtained his culinary degree from a hotel school in Merano. His first cooking experience was at a fine dining restaurant in Italy where he realised that cooking was his true passion in life. It still is. Driven by his predilection to become a Chef, Theodor travelled to various parts of the globe, learning new techniques of cooking,

June-July ’12

R E S TA U R A N T

new styles of preparation and experiencing new cuisines and flavours. “In today’s world of food-based television shows, cooking competitions and celebrity Chefs, simplicity and elegance in menu preparation has become a challenge for all Chefs. They are expected to be more creative, more detail-oriented, while maintaining

June-July ’12

complete control over flavour, presentation and the whole dining experience,” pointed out Theodor. Chef Theodor’s creative Italian recipes have been developed over many years. His culinary talent has seen him getting rapidly promoted during his tenures. He believes that the most satisfying part of his job is putting a top quality product

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

“At Infinity, we boast about the authenticity of Italian cuisine. At the same time, we ensure that they blend perfectly with the Indian palate. From the scrumptious Tuscan Lamb Shank to the salads, we make sure that we give the freshest and the most delightful dishes to savour.” - Chef Theodor Rudiferia

RESTAURANT Degustation Menu at a Glance

on the table. Chef Theodor is passionate about enhancing the purity and natural flavour of the ingredients, rather than using excess sauces and seasonings. After 17 years of experience with Hilton, he took up the position of Executive Chef at Hilton New Delhi/ Janakpuri, which was his first experience with India. After falling in love with the country, he chose to stay here and has taken on the challenge of handling the twin properties at Mayur Vihar — DoubleTree by Hilton New Delhi–Noida-Mayur Vihar and Hilton New Delhi–Noida-Mayur Vihar as the Executive Chef.

Emanating Flavours The Chef ’s gastronomic philosophy is to offer guests dishes in which the flavours of the ingredients are given paramount importance. The outcome of his continual creativity are the dishes, which are remarkably natural, yet delicious and created with passion. Chef Theodor specialises in homemade pastas and specialty fish dishes, along with a variety of other Italian culinary delights. All of his pastas and sauces are prepared daily with the freshest and finest of the ingredients. According to Chef Theodor, some of the most mouth- watering dishes in the world come from the north of Italy. His favourite Italian dish is pasta with salad using extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and aged red wine vinegar. Besides Italian cuisine, he also has a great love for Mediterranean cuisine and has recently added some interesting Indian vegetarian offerings among his culinary creations. The Executive Chef recently offered ‘Degustation Menu’ at Infinity which reflected on his gastronomic versatility. He served an appetiser from Italy, a soup from France, main course from Australia, and a dessert from India. Each course was with a wine pairing. However, at Infinity, besides the delectable continental fares, there are lots of options for the fans of Indian cuisine. They can enjoy special chicken, lamb and prawn curries with coriander. The Mirchi Roti is a specialty at the restaurant. The open bar at Infinity stocks some

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Appetizer: Italy Stracci al’ Aragosta Lasagne pasta sheets with poached lobster in wine and lobster broth, topped with blanched spinach leaves and saffron reduction Served with wine: Carpene Malvolti Prosecco Brut Soup: France Creamed French onion soup with poached scallops Served with wine: Domaine Laroche Petit Chablis Main course: Australia Roasted Australian lamb loin with crash-hot potatoes, apple confit and fried goat cheese Served with wine: d’ Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz Dessert: India Rasmalai with a layer of chocolate mousse, raspberry coulis and rabri Served with wine: Indian Sula Late Harvest Chenin Blanc. of the finest and authentic Italian wines and martinis, which can be enjoyed at the lounge or terrace. A wide range of wines could be selected from the impressively stocked open bar. This 104-seater restaurant at Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar is open 24 hours a day. It is the perfect setting to grab a quick bite or have a relaxed outing and creative discourse over your coffee. ■ The Geography of Biryani During 1st-31st July 2012, at the Infinity of Hilton New Delhi-NoidaMayur Vihar you can cover the aromatic culinary route from Kashmir to Kanyakumari by enjoying six distinct varieties of biryanis. Guests will be able to taste biryanis from across the country, prepared to perfection with authentic spices and ingredients. The delectable offerings include Hyderabadi Kachche Gosht Ki Biryani from Hyderabad, Kozhikode Biryani from Kerala, Kashmiri Zarda Biryani from Kashmir, Kathal Masala Biryani from Lucknow, Motia Dum Biryani from Rajasthan, and Chingri Malai Biryani from Bengal.

June-July ’12

June-July â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

CHEF VOICE

Excelling Through Creativity and Teamwork By Sharmila Chand

Raj Sekhar Sastry, the Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Hotel Nagpur, has been in the hospitality industry since the last 20 years. He was trained with the Taj Group of Hotels, and subsequently joined the InterContinental Hotels Group and thereafter moved on to Celebrity Cruises in Miami over a period of 10 years. The excerpts of the interview follow: How do you define yourself, professionally?

And what is your philosophy of work?

I am a self-motivated individual who strives to achieve professional excellence through creativity and smart working. As a leader, I believe in bringing in an attitude of empowerment, innovation and learning in my team. I also strongly believe in team processes with constant endeavour to bring continual improvements in the work areas and also in terms of employee growth. The four pillars that define my management framework are passion, purpose, people and persistence.

I believe people can do anything by having a positive attitude and by working hard. Team work and communication are important in my work and in all other aspects of my life. I always strive to set high standards for myself, and am motivated by the curiosity and the passion that I have for public relations and media. I also think that it is desirable to be competitive at work place.

What is the meaning of life to you?

According to me, the meaning of life is not simply to exist or to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, and to exceed expectations. What would you like to say on your work culture?

I learn every day when it comes to my work. For me kitchen is like an ocean, where I continue to explore new wealth of knowledge.

If you hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been a Chef then what would you have been?

I would probably be working in a grocery shop, identifying different types of ingredients and raw materials for food products and try understanding nutritive values of various ingredients or raw materials. What is inspiration?

your

source

Sliver and Bronze from The Emirates Culinary Guild for live cooking and mini plate presentation. What is your definition of success?

Success is not an impossible dream. Developing a potent vision of what you will look like when you are truly successful will help you step into the life of that future person. Eventually, you will start living life like a successful person you aspire to be, and then soon you would become him. What is your idea of happiness and what you are passionate about?

Being at work, or being with my wife and my two beautiful kids are my realities of happiness. Travelling, exploring new places, meeting people and making friends are what I am passionate about.

My dreams, my ideas, and even my failures are the sources of my inspiration, which strive me to do better.

It is kebabs made out of poultry and lamb.

Any prestigious awards received so far?

Where do we see you 10 years from now?

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What is your hot selling item?

June-July â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12

CHEF VOICE Ten years from now, I would like to see myself as having my own kitchen with herb & vegetable garden behind. There I would be serving up a gamut of culinary experiences that I gathered from my stint of the last 30 years (20 years before and 10 years from now). What are your future plans for the near future?

They include coming up with two brand new restaurants for oriental cuisine and Indian cuisine. Food trials for both the contemporary outlets are almost in the last stage of completion. Whom do you rely on for your professional success and what are your strengths?

For success in my profession, I rely on my people and teamwork. My strengths are my self-confidence and my belief in doing the right. My dedication towards my work and family also increases my confidence and enhances my mental strength. What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I am inspired by various kinds of food. I

June-July â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12

try to play with ingredients and get lots of pleasure in experimenting with new dishes.

And which is your favourite gadget?

It is the tasting spoon. How one can grow to be a perfect Chef?

Being a perfect Chef is an ongoing process, which requires continual learning and growing. I feel so many flavours are waiting to be discovered. Exchange of thoughts amongst the Chefs gives you another dimension of ideas and reflections. How do you de-stress yourself?

I unwind by watching comedy movies, and by doing meditation, and yoga. How do you describe yourself in one word?

Which kind of guests you would like to feed the most?

I love the guests at gala buffets, for I simply love to see people eating a lot, in large numbers. What is the position of Chefs these days, in India?

There are great opportunities for the Chefs in India, in these times. However, the young Chefs need to visit places in India and abroad to see and experience the gastronomic diversity as much as possible and create some unique presentations.

I would like to describe myself as a simple and straight-forward human being.

What are the problems and challenges faced by Chefs, these days?

What is your favourite cuisine?

These days, the expectations of the guests are very high. Moreover, thanks to the advances in globalisation, the guest often knows what she/he is eating, which places a huge emphasis on the quality of food and as well as the service. This creates new challenges for the Chef, but eventually this trend leads to new revolutions in the culinary world. â&#x2013;

It is the Mediterranean cuisine. And what is your favourite spice, dish, and equipment?

Cumin is my favourite spice and my favourite dish is medium cooked steak. Grill is my favourite equipment.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

O P E R AT I O N S

F&B Moves on Trolleys

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In housekeeping operations, trolleys play a very important role. They act as portable storage, so in a place with space constraint one can adjust them from time to time wherever there is some space. Normally in hotels, there may be 4050 or more number of guest rooms on one floor. Considering there is one pantry on every floor to accommodate the food & beverage requirements of those rooms, it would definitely be very time consuming and tedious for the housekeeping associates to

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The Role of Trolleys

cater to these rooms. The trolley comes handy here, when one can store the food & beverage essentials for certain number of rooms in them and it can be neatly parked in front of each room while the guest in a given room is being serviced. Trolleys have more F&B applications. For example, trolleys can also double up as a mini bar and can be used to replenish mini bars in all rooms. The evolution in trolleys has matched the evolution in the Indian hotel and F& B industry. As the hotel industry has matured over the years, the evolution in the production of trolleys has also become more sophisticated and advanced. “The growth of the trolley industry has matched the growth of the Indian hotel industry, which has grown 10 folds in the last 10-15 years,” said Vipul Jain, the Proprietor, Metal Avenues.

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rolleys play a very important role in hotel’s kitchens/ restaurants, front office, housekeeping and back of the house operations for a variety of reasons. Hotel operations are highly labour-intensive operations, where a large amount of work even in the beginning of the twenty-first century are being done manually, including the carrying and delivering of supplies and goods. Here trolleys play a crucial role. Trolleys are used extensively in hotel operations because they are labour-saving devices, they offer ease of use, and there is an element of glamour in them. Moreover, they are a safer mode of transport and facilitate the material to be presentable. Trolleys are used to carry heavy materials from the supply ramps to the store or the user department. Trolleys are also used to transfer goods from one department to another such as from the stores to the kitchen or bars. Trolleys are also used intra-departmentally such as from the service bars to the outlets or from the walking cooler to the kitchen. On the other hand, room service trolleys are used for delivering finished food & beverage products to the guest.

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By Kanishka Gupta

The Influence in Food Service Trolley manufacturing requires a lot of expertise and five- star hotels in India often meet their bulk of trolley requirement by imports. A five- star property of say 100-150 rooms spends as much as Rs. 20-25 lakh on different trolleys, which include F&B trolleys, housekeeping trolleys, front desk (luggage trolleys) and back of the house trolleys among others. Suppliers like Metal Avenues play a major role in meeting the needs of trolleys for hotels. Metal Avenues supplies a wide variety of trolleys to hotels which include pastry cart, room service trolley, and mini bar replenishment trolley among others. Earlier there were general purpose trolleys in hotels on which all the departments used to lug around their loads, and invariably those trolleys used to go bust after a certain period of time. “Now with the advent of newer hotel trends, with lots of dynamic F&B activities happening in the hotels, there has been a requirement of specifically-designed trolleys for specifics purposes,” explained Sarath Naidu, CEO, Gingerbay Consulting. Nowadays, hotels use various kinds of trolleys for different departments. Trolleys are also used as fine dinning tools such as

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

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the Flambe Trolley, Horsd’oeurve Trolley, Carving Trolley, Salad Trolley, the Fondue Trolley, Wine Trolley, Liqour Trolley and Dessert Trolley. The use of the trolley is indispensable in banquets where trolleys are used over a long distance for carting chairs, tables and other items. Trolleys are also used for setting up of bars/ buffet and even setting up mobile bars for the efficient Anuj Prakash delivery of service during the party. “Practically any food and beverage item can be carted on a trolley, to be displayed or moved around the restaurant, in order to up sell and induce impulse buying,” said Anuj Prakash, Vice President & General Manager, The Resort Hotel, Mumbai.

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O P E R AT I O N S

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So how do hotels determine what kind of trolleys they want and how do they choose their suppliers? Trolleys are selected on the basis of their usage pattern, need of the concerned user/ department and the volume of work required. The characteristic of trolleys varies on their usage. Consequently, there are various factors which govern the selection of a specific trolley for a specific task or department. For example, in the case of Minibar Trolleys, they should have sturdy and separate compartments for food and liquor; they should have locks and keys to ensure proper accountability and they should also be light and easy to manoeuvre. “The housekeeping trolley is designed in such a manner that once you properly stock your Swati Y. Sinha trolley, and you move out of the housekeeping pantry, then you don’t have to go anywhere throughout the day looking for missing supplies or materials,” explained Prakash. Overall, a trolley should be steady, long lasting, user friendly, noiseless and easy to maintain. “With the opening of the economy and lifting up of import restriction, today the user is spoilt for choice, when it comes to equipment selections that includes trolleys,” elaborated Prakash. Here it deserves a mention that all top foreign brands of trolleys are easily available in India and you can easily select and import them. These trolleys are light weight and practically maintenance free. There is so much variety available that one will always find something that meets your unique expectation. Consultants like Naidu also assist the hotels in choosing the supplier for various kinds of trolleys. The trolleys’ models are suggested based on the requirement for different parts of operations. “If you require a trolley for food transportation, it should be made of food grade steel Sarath Naidu

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Choosing the Right Trolley

with ample protection to avoid food spillage. The container of the food transportation trolley should be able to maintain the right temperature of the food in the food boxes. But whatever the requirement, the common factors for all trolleys is that they should be endowed with non-marking rubberised castors to avoid noise and facilitate easy operations and Vipul Jain be of course be of light and sturdy built,” articulated Naidu. “Overall, the trolleys should be cost- effective; the suppliers should be able to do timely deliveries; there should be guarantee/warrantee periods for the products and the supplier should have a wide variety of products to chose from,” affirmed Swati Y. Sinha, Rooms Division Manager, Svenska Design Hotel, Mumbai. “The suppliers of trolleys are also chosen by the hotels on the basis of their product quality and local service support. The preference is to go for single brand or less number of brands so that it is easy to procure and to get after sales service,” Naidu added. I

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

PRODUCT PREVIEW DONUT FRYER

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Introducing a revolutionary product design, Mosaic’s Water Pitcher is endowed with double wall that prevents the heat from coming in contact with the inner wall, thereby helping to keep the water in its original temperature and safe. Made up of stainless steel, this beautifully designed product helps to keep water warm or cool as the case might be, for up to 10 hours. Moreover, the product is easy to clean and is safe for dishwashers. The product comes in the capacity of 1000ml and 1500ml respectively. Mosaic Houseware Pvt. Ltd. info@mosaichouseware.com

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KEEPING WATER HOT AND COOL

AKASA is known for manufacturing equipment, which become its USP. Adding another feather to AKASA’s cap, is its newly launched ‘DONUT FRYER.’ It is a table top fryer with a shallow stainless steel container for frying donuts. It is a very compact and easy to handle fryer like AKASA’s previous fryers. It operates on electricity having a load of 2.4KW. It has a double-walled insulated stainless steel body with removable container for easy cleaning. The temperature is controlled by an imported German make capillary thermostat with auto cut off feature. Moreover, the equipment has a very heavy duty SS wire mesh for dispensing fried donuts. The SS lid can also be used as a drip tray. After frying donuts, they can be glazed with chocolate sauce or other toppings like strawberry, caramel, raspberry and blueberry. You can also offer a sprinkle of sugar mixed with cinnamon for getting a variety of taste. Our donut fryers can be used in catering. The customers can also use the equipment in shopping centers, cafes, fast food shops, and restaurants. Akasa info@akasainternational.in

NOTHING DOES TASTE GREAT

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Ugolini Cold Drink Dispensers are now available in new range models with four bowls of 5, 8, 12 and 20 litres each. The machine is easy to handle and versatile, designed for cooling & dispensing any beverage (natural fruit juices, coffee, tea, almond milk etc.) Moreover, the machine is quick and easy to dismantle and to clean & maintain, thus saving on time and labour. The body is made of stainless steel with food grade bowls & faucets, which are easy to remove. The compressor is hermetically sealed. It is also available with stainless steel gravity dispensing valve. Also available is Ugolini Cold Drink Dispensers with Stirrer, specially realised for cold juice dispensing, due to slow agitation system. It is easy and quick to dismantle so that each part in contact with juice can be easily cleaned with maximum efficiency. The machine is made of stainless steel with bowls covered with shock-proof, non-toxic polycarbonate material with capacity of 12 & 20 litres. It has independent bowl agitation and has hermetically sealed compressor along with air cooled condenser. It is also available with stainless steel gravity dispensing valve. The products are marketed in India by Mittal International, one of the leading importers of kitchen equipment for hotels and other institutions; catering to the needs of food and beverage industries in India. Renowned for customised service, the company offers a wide range of products from equipment for kitchens to refrigeration equipment for hotels, restaurants, fast food joints, ice cream parlors, coffee shops, super markets, and food centers. The company offers nation wide free installation and after sales service in association with offices in Delhi & Mumbai and business associates in Bangalore, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ludhiana, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, etc. for warranty as well as after warranty periods. Mittal International sales@mitalin.com

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COLD & HOT DISPENSERS

Natures Bounty Wines & Allied Products Pvt. Ltd. has introduced the Kuchh Nai Deluxe Scotch Whisky for the Indian market. This scotch, targeted at the Indian market with a distinctive Indian name, is however being manufactured in Glasgow, the UK. Affordably priced for a scotch at Rs.1000 for a 750 ml bottle, this rich blended whisky with a hint of smoke is being marketed in India by Natures Bounty Wines & Allied Products. The intelligently named whisky embodying underlying humour carries a deep amber appearance, with elements of mahogany lights. Containing 40 percent alcohol by volume, this whisky comes across as smooth and viscous; full and rich. The primary taste is sweet, with a hint of smoke in the finish. Kuchh Nai’s unique flavour, together with its singular name gives it considerable added value in the Indian context. One can easily say that Kuchh Nai is a first rate whisky in the deluxe category. Before coming to India, Kuchh Nai made its foray in only one overseas market, that is Canada. Natures Bounty Wines & Allied Products Pvt. Ltd. aswadhwa@naturesbounty.co.in

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

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

June-July ’12

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A D V E R T I S E R ’ S COMPANY

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ADAMI WILMAR LTD.

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MUNNILAL TANDOORS PVT. LTD.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA

NATHOLI RAM & SONS

BMS ENTERPRISES

NATURES BOUNTY WINES & ALLIED PRODUCTS PVT. LTD.

BUNGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

NEENA ENTERPRISES

DABON INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

OSCA RESOURCES

EUROPEAN QUALITY FOODS

OSHII JAPAN 2012

FCML PROJECTS

PARSHADI LAL & SONS PVT. LTD.

FINE FOOD INDIA 2012

RAJKIRAN KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

FOOD TECH KOLKATA 2012

RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

FOOD WORLD INDIA 2012

RATIONAL INDIA

FREEZEKING INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD.

REMINGTON STEEL ARTS

GENNEXT LOGISTICS PVT. LTD.

SHAMSONS FOODS

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SIAL PARIS 2012

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL TEA FAIR

SIEMENS LTD.

HUGHSON NUT

SIGMA TEST RESEARCH CENTRE

IFB INDUSTRIES LTD.

STEC STAINLESS STEEL PVT. LTD.

INDIA HOSPITALITY EXPO 2012

THE INDIA BAR SHOW 2012

INDIAN RESTAURANT CONGRESS 2012

THE NEW INDIA ELECTRIC & TRADING CO.

ITPO AAHAR, CHENNAI

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KAMANI OIL INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD.

TREE OF LIFE PVT. LTD.

KANHAIYALAL TANDOOR PVT. LTD.

TREND N DESIGN

KAVISHA FOOD & AGRO PROCESSING INDIA P. LTD.

UNITAS FOODS PVT. LTD.

LOOM CRAFTS FURNITURE (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

VANYA INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENTS

MANISHA INTERNATIONAL

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MEHTA FURNISHERS

PRODUCT PREVIEW

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June-July ’12

INTERVIEW

Managing Products, Processes and People By Sharmila Chand

Debjeet Banerjee serves as the Director — F&B at The Park, New Delhi. With over 11 years of experience in the industry, he comes across as a dynamic, resultoriented and focused person. To consistently achieve performance goals through enthusiasm, tenacity and initiatives has been his core competency. Presently responsible for handling the entire food and beverage operations at The Park, New Delhi, Banerjee has worked with many renowned hospitality properties. In his leisure time he loves to play with his daughter, play cricket and travel. With his strengths like honesty, sincerity and team building capabilities, he sets a perfect example for his team and aims to always excel in his field of operations. The excerpts of the interview follow: What is the most important trait or skill that every Food & Beverage Manager must have to excel?

I believe that it is imperative for any F & B Manager to sync the product, processes and people of the organisation. Once this aspect is being addressed, the output is bound to be of the finest quality. What do you enjoy the most about being a Food & Beverage Director?

You are constantly charting out plans to make your brand, which includes products & services, better. This demands innovation and successful execution of the decision being made. When the outcome shows a positive response, it rewards you with sheer joy. This challenging work and the joy which follows are what I enjoy the most about my job. Moreover, you tend to meet and get to know the people from various walks of life in this capacity, which I also like about this job. What do you dislike the most about your job?

When members of the profession lie for no reason and engage themselves in unethical practices, it creates an element of dislike. If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?

Wish we had more time to research and understand the culinary preferences of various individual guests with more detail and depth.

What kind of pressures have you encountered at your work?

Describe the character of your hospitality brand?

Achieving the expected revenue target, while keeping in consideration the surge in operating costs and the level of guests’ satisfaction is a pressure that we have to contend with at our work.

The brand is very youthful, vibrant and energetic and has been associated with food & nightlife scenario of the country for a significant period of time. So, overtime the brand of The Park Hotels has developed an aura, which attracts you to its liveliness.

Can you suggest any tip or insight to strengthen your team?

I firmly believe that if you adjust your focus on quality, quantity would follow. Higher level of quality should always be accompanied with higher degree of guest satisfaction and be followed by confidence in one’s own product. A constant check on quality is of paramount importance. Innovation is an element that breathes a new life in any product. To keep up with the pace of the changing times, it is vital for the entire team to pitch in new ideas that would help the business nurture. Tell us about your experience of working with The Park, New Delhi?

It has been excellent so far and it is perhaps one of the most magnificent places to work for in the Indian hospitality industry. I really love this ‘liberty of thought’, which could be exercised here. Although we have our Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) in place but those can be worked upon as per the guests’ requirement. Flexibility and change are the mantras that we follow here. We have also realised that human emotions need to be respected and understood. So we are connected with our staff members, emotionally as well. This is what makes us different.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

What all in your view, a restaurant project must involve in order to translate it into a successful enterprise?

A great restaurant is the one which can keep its balance between the different parameters like theme, concept, food & location, to name a few. The quality of food is one of the most primary reasons for which one visits a restaurant hence this aspect still remains the most critical and important factor in a restaurant. Therefore food quality must be given great importance in the restaurant. Moreover, today’s well-travelled consumer wants to visit a eating out place, which is not only luxurious and provides great food but also has some sentiments and meaning attached to it. The concept or theme has to connect with the guests of today, who value the importance of time. The restaurants of today also need to be environment-friendly and techno-savvy. Further, a proper, strategic plan on the marketing and PR is required during the nascent stage of the restaurant project. This is to be followed by a clear focus towards marketing the name of the restaurant. A very daunting task for the PR is to showcase the restaurant in such a way that the name becomes a brand. One has to make sure that the name gets echoed in the potential consumers’ mind.

June-July ’12