Food & Hospitality World October, 16-31, 2014 by Indian Express

EDITOR’S NOTE

The M Factor

ecent times have been full of the M factor. From Modi at Madison Square, to Manhattan where Hilton’s famous flagship hotel Waldorf Astoria is being sold to a Chinese firm to Mumbai, where hospitality education is set to get a boost, it has been good news related to the hospitality business. And the news that DJB Infrastructures and Developers India, have recently announced their plans to develop India's largest hospitality project in Amritsar with 1,113 rooms is more proof that Asia’s strength in the hospitality sector is a force to be reckoned with. Back home, the dialogue between Modi and China's president Xi Jinping also sparked off new hopes for the tourism industry of the country. The ministry of tourism (MoT), Government of India is upbeat about the Indo China relationship with the announcement of the 'Visit India Year' 2015 in China made by the Chinese president during his visit to India recently. According to MoT, India is looking at China to be the leading source market over the next five years. For the same, the tourism ministry will be focusing on training guides and will also be opening a website in Chinese. Modi’s presence at Madison Square Garden addressing an audience who were primarily and presumably ‘Desh Premees’, in Uncle Sam’s land was yet another sign of India making its presence felt as a strong trade partner from the Asia region. Apart from the US, the PM's recent visits to countries such as Japan and Nepal with a clear

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“ Indians abroad who are hoping to connect with their roots on the spiritual level are demanding quality accommodation in pilgrim places, which has triggered such investments”

objective to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties and bilateral trade relations did mean a lot for the tourism sector. In his inspirational speech in the US, Modi highlighted a few tourism friendly initiatives, namely the easing of travel and visa norms, offering lifetime visas for Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and also the visa-on-arrival scheme for American tourists. Further, an interesting trend to be tracked is that India’s pilgrim circuit is also attracting hospitality brands in the upper upscale bracket. Indians abroad who are hoping to connect with their roots on the spiritual level are demanding quality accommodation in pilgrim places, which has triggered such investments. Our cover story gives a new twist to food chemistry. According to experts, the application of molecular gastronomy exclusively to create Indian cuisines has the potential to be a viable business model in India. Finally, in the field of hospitality education there seems to be good news coming. Mumbai University has approved a three-year Bachelor of Vocation (BVOC) in Tourism & Hospitality Management degree course (12+3), which shall be conducted by HR College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai. Truly, this will be the start of a new chapter in hospitality education. REEMA LOKESH Editor

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CONTENTS Vol 3 No.3 OCTOBER 16-31, 2014

Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy Senior Associate Editor Sudipta Dev

HIGH SPIRITS

CONTENT TEAM Mumbai Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee New Delhi Archana Sharma Kolkata Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director Surajit Patro Chief Designer Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Scheduling & Coordination Rohan Thakkar Photo Editor Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Pranshu Puri Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES Soumodip Ghosh Dhananjay Makharia

INVESTING IN FINE WINES AMPHORA PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT, A LEADING FINE WINE INVESTMENT ADVISOR IN THE UK, HAS FORAYED INTO INDIA

CHEFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLATTER

Using science to challenge our taste buds,some Indian chefs are giving a newtwist to the molecular gastronomystory.But are we readyfor this food chemistry? (25-30)

THE CURRY MAN CHEF PATRICK LAWRENCE CHAPMAN, TALKS ABOUT HIS ROLE IN SHOWCASING INDIAN CUISINE GLOBALLY AND THE INTRICACIES OF THE CUISINE

P13: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK The Castle Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Dalian

P14: PRODUCT TRACKER Signature Sweets

P38: LIFE Value education

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INDIA'S LARGEST HOSPITALITY PROJECT TO COME UP IN AMRITSAR

EU LOOKS AT ROBUST TRADE LINKS WITH INDIA IN PROCESSED FOODS

P40: MOVEMENTS PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis

HRAWI

Manager Bhadresh Valia

P57: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista

AXISROOMS SHOWCASES HEX MOBILE APP TO ADTOI MEMBERS

EDGE

ARE YOU SECURED... DIGITALLY? WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW HOTELS CAN OFFER THEIR GUESTS A DIGITALLY SECURED ENVIRONMENT

Food & Hospitality World Published for the proprietors, Global Fairs & Media Private Limited, by Vaidehi Thakar at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, and printed by her at Indian Express Press, Plot EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Editor : Reema Lokesh* (*responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). @ 2012 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.

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India's largest hospitality project to come up in Amritsar The 1113 rooms property to focus on Sikh pilgrim circuit Sudipta Dev Mumbai AT A DISTANCE of nine km from the Golden Temple, the largest hospitality project in the country will come up in Amritsar. The property is being developed by DJB Infrastructures and Developers India, an FDI company with many construction activities in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. This will be a mixed used property with 1113 rooms, with 75 per cent of the rooms marketed as timeshare. “About 830 rooms will be for timeshare while there will be

280 rooms for the hotel. The timeshare members and normal hotel guests should not be able to differentiate between the services,” said Vikas Anand, executive director, DJB Infrastructures and Developers India. The first phase will be operational by 2017 end and will include 370 odd rooms. DJB Infrastructures and Developers India is on the verge of finalising its agreement with RCI. Due to the large inventory of rooms a part of the focused initiatives would be developing the Sikh pilgrim circuit in and around Amritsar. Attract-

Vikas Anand

ing more visitors than even the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple is the most popular

destination for the NRI populace. “A lot of people come down to Amritsar once, twice or sometimes thrice a year. There are many gurdwaras in Punjab that people want to visit, as they stay abroad and want to connect to their faith. Then, there is the Virasat-eKhalsa ( Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex) in Anandpur Sahib,” said Anand. Punjab gets only a small per cent of the total inbound tourist arrivals, if the religious circuit get developed, the state should be able to garner a larger pie. The project will include a

two lakh sq feet club called Club Ambarsar, which will have the best amenities that a world class club can offer, for instance, a bowling alley, infinity edge swimming pool, 27,000 sq ft indoor banquet space, squash court, badminton court, tennis court, and high-end restaurants. All mandatory approvals for the project are in place except for the environment approvals which will take another couple of months. Anand is looking at starting the construction and marketing, by December and Januar next.

Wyndham Hotel Group to bring new brands in India Planet Hollywood Beach Resort in South Goa Sudipta Dev Mumbai WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP, the world's largest hotel company, has a strong lineup of projects for the India market and will be focusing on the mid- market segment for growth. Currently while the group properties in India include Ramada, Days Inn and Howard Johnson, the company has plans to bring new brands. “We are excited how the brands are growing in India. We are adding a lot of new brands to the Indian portfolio.

There are 500 Howard Johnsons in the US, many owned by Indian Americans, and we feel this brand will work well here. We are also very excited about new brands like Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, which will be coming to this market," said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Wyndham Hotel Group. Wyndham that has a license agreement to franchise the Planet Hollywood Hotels brand, has signed up with JMJ group for Planet Hollywood Beach Resort in Uttorda Beach, South Goa. “This will be a beach front luxury property

We are adding a lot of new brands to the Indian portfolio. There are 500 Howard Johnsons in the US, many owned by Indian Americans, and we feel this brand will work well here with 115 rooms and 15 beachside luxury tents,” said Ballotti. To expand its footprint across India, Wyndham is however looking at the mid market

segment. “We are focusing on mid-market full service and mid-market select service hotels. We feel that this segment will grow well in India,” men-

tioned Deepika Arora, regional vice president, Indian Ocean, Wyndham Hotel Group. The group has 24 properties in the country with 33 properties under development. The company recently signed up for 10 new properties that are expected to be operational by mid 2017. These properties will be located in Gurgaon, Darjeeling, Greater Noida, Jaisalmer, Pali, Lonere, Dharmapuri, Bengaluru, Chennai and Trivandrum. (With inputs from Reema Lokesh)

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EU looks at robust trade links with India in processed foods Hoping to have labelling issues resolved

Reema Lokesh & Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai WITH A VIEW to have a robust trade relation with India in the processed food segment, a delegation from 28 European Union (EU) countries headed by Monique Pariat, deputy director general, international relations and quality policy, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development recently visited the country to meet various Indian ministries to work towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This visit was mainly aimed at discussing and resolving the stringent labelling norms of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Speaking on their visit, Pariat

stated, “The most important issue we want to address is the labelling issue. We want clear, stable and long standing rules since we want to improve our trade relations with India and also bring our products into the country.” Adding to the same, Hans Erwin Barth, head of promotion of agricultural products, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development stated, “Talks have been a bit slowing down on the FTA for a number of years and now we feel that there is a win-win situation for both. The FTA would give more access to both sides. Today in agriculture trade, there is a certain imbalance between Indian exports to Europe and vice versa. India exports to Europe

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Today in agriculture trade, there is a certain imbalance between Indian exports to Europe and vice versa. India exports to Europe seven times more than what Europe exports to India seven times more than what Europe exports to India. We think that there is a margin for more trade. Presently, exports from India to Europe is 2.7 billion euros and exports from Europe to India is 400 million euros.” The high-powered EU delegation was also a participant at the recently concluded An-

napoorna Food Festival held in Mumbai wherein they expressed a keen interest in tapping the organic market in India. “We are getting into the gluten free and vegan food product space by bringing in 10 products,” mentioned Elisabeth Leitner, export manager, PROBIOS. “We are infusing ingredients in olive oil. Our focus

is on offering quality products,” added Jerome Blanvillain, president directeur general and chairman, A L'OLIVIER. The EU is also looking at exporting more wines into the India market with new entrants showing their interest. “We want to bring our wines into India, especially sparkling wines without alcohol like Versecco,” said Hans Jakob Fuchs, owner and CEO, Fuchs. Prior to participating in the Annapoorna Food Festival, the EU launched its three week-long 'Tastes of Europe' campaign with a 'Restaurant Week' festival for which 10 participating fine dining restaurants designed special European menus to showcase Europe’s culinary heritage.

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AxisRooms showcase HEXmobile app to ADTOI members Archana Sharma New Delhi

either Guwahati, Chandigarh, Jaipur or Bhubhneshwar by February or March next year.

AXISROOMS, an online distribution and channel management solutions company in coordination with the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), recently organised the 'Travel Partners Meet' for ADTOI members. The event held in New Delhi, brought together over 100 members of ADTOI providing AxisRooms the platform to showcase their new product, HEX, Hotel Exchange, a mobile app. Speaking about the new product, Ravi Taneja, COO and cofounder AxisRooms, stated, “This platform will enable buyers and sellers to interact and transact at a single platform. It is a pure GDS model where agents can arrange booking with hotels and diversify their reach.” Currently they have a database of over 800 odd three and four star hotels. Commenting on the growing importance of technology, Hemant Medirata, VP sales travel trade, Oberoi Group, said, “The internet and online services are expanding the size of the market and therefore we should leverage on the power of the database.” According to Jyoti Kapur, president, ADTOI, domestic tourism has got the potential and is the backbone of the industry. “With ADTOI back at the helm, we will come up with more such events in the future,” she said. Talking about opening further chapters in India, Kapur said, “We already have chapters in Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat and Mumbai and now we are planning to open in the north east Jaipur and maybe Madhya Pradesh, Bhubhneshwar, with the support of the government.” As for the ADTOI convention that is to be held early next year, Kapur informed there are plans to take the convention to

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“This decision is in line with the aim of the Indian government to promote eastern India do-

mestically,” he added. Kapur also talked about sporting events being

organised in October this yearand emphasised on the need to promote inter-state tourism.

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F&B FOCUS

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A MARKETING INITIATIVE

Bite-size food presentation in buffets Single servings presented in innovative ways is the best way to break the monotony of a buffet, says Arjun Abbi

t has happened in the international culinary markets and now it is happening in India. Picking up cues from the restaurant industry, newage hotel banquets and outdoor caterers have started creating brilliant food presentations. There are several names for this trending style of display. It is sometimes called amuse-bouche, tapas, single servings, tasting dishes or bite size menus. They all mean the same thing, a series of small vessels, each with bite-sized hors d’oeuvres, laid out in mesmerising ways on the buffet table. But there is that slight problem of commercialising the exclusive. Sure, the mini bites look great when it is four to eight pieces served on the table in a restaurant. But how do we make it interesting and break the monotony when serving hundreds on a buffet? The answer lies in the recent burst of innovations in buffet servers, risers and elevations. Guests are tired of seeing large clumps of food displayed and served at even larger buffets. The entire experience is unappetising and complete failure of our most important sense – sight. Dozens of pieces of disjointed food filled in a large bowl or a gastro norm sized pan, spread out and halfeaten mid-way through the event. Chunky dish after dish is lined in a linear fashion that

appears like a commercial army of buffet service. It is untidy and unpleasant.

Little servings In most cases, the experience is unavoidable. As every chef will at some point say 'chafing dishes are the necessary evil'. Yes, a true fact, but the buffet does not need to completely succumb to it. The buffet needs to work with it, and where possible, get away from it. The best way to compensate for those large chunky servings is to mix them up with the new trendy style of servings. These little mini bites, when layered in interesting ways on the buffet, are an absolute feast for the eyes. The single serving menu style is an art of cuisine in itself. The small bites can be an intensely flavoured complex preparation or simple offerings such as pieces of olive or corn. According to JeanGeorges, a popular New York celebrity chef with restaurants around the world, “The amuse-bouche is the best way for a great chef to express his or her big ideas in small bites.” They can be served across cocktails, appetisers, sides for main course and desserts. The flexibility when making mini bites is great. Because of its size, a chef can cook many different recipes and have an impressive menu of amuse-bouche dishes on its own. The buffet will not feel lengthy and tiresome, but instead fresh and innovative. The best part about these lit-

10 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2014

Using the right vessels, single servings can be served as liquids, semi-solids or solids. Possibly the most popular use of bite servings is in appetisers and desserts tle servings is the ability to creatively plate the variety of tapas and display it in innovative ways, creating an entire tasting experience in itself. The innovations in tasting dishes can be pushed beyond limits and used as a means to showcase the chef ’s artistry and showmanship. Using the right vessels, single servings can be served as liquids, semi-

solids or solids. Possibly the most popular use of bite servings is in appetisers and desserts. Semi-solids such as mini cakes, pies and custards can be created in a myriad of small bowls and dishes. Recent innovations have included serving liquids in test tubes, shot glasses and demitasse cups for cold soups, aperitifs and sauces. Solid foods are possibly the easiest

to display in creative ways. Quirky vessels such as soup spoons, mini cones, frenchfries baskets, ramekins, picks and skewers are extremely popular. And when you want to be incredibly innovative, there is an Indian design company which has also released eye-catching mini dishes such as bite-sized handis, tawas, katoris, kadais, ponis and paraats.

ANNIVERSARY S p e c i a l

maximise culinary innovation in buffets, then he or she needs to think of not only laying the bite-sized vessels on a tabletop surface but suspending them in mid-air. Imagine a layout - the mini dishes are all around you, some on the

Arjun Abbi

Right presentation So once the bite-size menu is set and suitable vessels have been acquired for the dishes, it needs to be presented in the right way. A flat display on the table is not only boring but can also backfire. The whole idea is not to have a setup that is looking commercial. The layout needs to be creative and presented in challenging combinations. Risers are available in the market for that purpose. With the help of suitable levels and elevations, the items can be presented in an exciting tiered manner. When dealing with risers, the chef needs to be careful with the items being used. There are several instances where home-made elevations are created using inverted bowls or pots, steel tubes or wooden boxes. The overall effect should be professional. Laser-cut and fabricated pillars are available in several finishes which can not only break the monotony but can also become the highlight of the presentation. They enhance the decor and add to the event. From a distance, a guest is drawn to the layout. As he or she steps closer, the sight moves from the entire layout, to the elevations and finally to the plated food in quirky bite-sized vessels. He/she picks up the vessel out of curiosity and admire the charm of the entire experience. If a chef wants to

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surface, some elevated to a height and others hanging off holders in the air. The buffet experience is glorified to another level. Unique bites of food in various combinations of taste, plated in beautiful colours and textures, served

in little dishes and presented in a four dimensional space. This is the next phase of buffet innovations. It is a trend that is on its way and Indian professional tableware companies have created the right kind of products

to be used as tools. (The author owns and operates hotels like Holiday Inn Jaipur and Vikram Hotels, 24hr Cafe and Lounge 1440, QSR outlet Wokstar and catering outlet Asian Haus)

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Jindal Kitchen to offer complete range of stainless steel commercial kitchens in India FHW Sraff Mumbai JINDAL KITCHEN Star, a brand of JSL Architecture, has partnered with OZTI, a Turkey based appliance company, to offer a complete range of state-ofthe-art stainless steel commercial kitchens for hotels, airport cafeterias in India. JSL Architecture, an initiative of JSL Stainless, provides turnkey solutions for the Architecture, Building and Construction (ABC) sector. The commercial kitchen category is a highly unorganised sector, dominated largely by small players or is dependent on international players. Jindal Kitchen Star has become one of the first Indian brands to offer end-to-end services, designing and fabricating commercial/professional kitchens of all dimensions. Coming from the house of JSL Stainless, the commercial kitchens designed and fabricated are top of the line in quality, safety and hygiene. All the product offerings are well researched keeping in mind the complex functions a chef needs to perform in a kitchen. The tie up with OZTI will allow

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the company to offer diverse products in the storing, preparing, cooking, handling and service categories. JSL Stainless, a part of the US$ 18 billion OP Jindal Group, is the largest integrated manufacturer of stainless steel in India and is ranked amongst the top 10 stainless steel manufacturers in the world, with a capacity of 1.8 million tons. JSL Architecture has taken the initiative to promote stainless steel products and technology solutions to cater to the emerging market of stainless steel for the ABC sector in India. The company specialises in complete design, fabrication and installation of high quality stainless steel architectural metal-works with an in-house design team comprising of architects, product designers and engineers to provide the clients with a flexible and creative approach in achieving design solutions. The manufacturing facility is located near Delhi (Bilaspur, Manesar, Haryana), equipped with state-of-the-art Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machineries commissioned in March 2004 for fabrication and machining of specialty components in stainless steel.

Marriott launches Asia Pacific 'Women in Leadership' conference FHW Staff Mumbai MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL has announced the company’s 'Women in Leadership' Asia Pacific conference. To be hosted at the Renaissance Shanghai Zhongshan Park Hotel, the three-day conference will bring together more than 75 Marriott female executives from across Asia Pacific to network, share their career success insights and learn about growth and development opportunities throughout the region. The conference also marks the 15th anniversary of the Marriott Women’s Leadership Initiative, which was created to provide career development opportunities for women throughout the company worldwide. Simon Cooper, president and managing director – Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “The objective of this conference is to recognise the growing importance of women executives in our company as well as the entire industry. Marriott International is committed to support our women associates and help them grow personally and professionally.” “I’m proud of the fact that Marriott International has made supporting women in leadership a priority. Across Asia Pacific, we are seeing the business community recognising and rewarding the talent and expertise women bring to the workplace. There is still progress to be made and our goal

is to increase our ranks of female executives by 15 per cent over the next two years,” Cooper added. Wide-ranging issues addressed include; ‘Defining the Role of Women in Organisations’ presented by Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer, Asia Pacific; ‘Developing and Inspiring Our Young Women’, presented by Yibing Mao, general counsel and senior vice president asset management, Asia Pacific; ‘Finding Balance in Work and Life’ presented by Lynda Aurora, partner - executive performance coach; and various colorful career stories of select participants. The Conference will also focus on topics such as: Working with Diversity – Race, Culture and Gender; Building Your Presence and Leadership Brand; The Art of Networking and Influencing; Financial Acumen and Owner Relations; and Coping with Challenging and Changing Business Pressures. Globally, women represent 52 percent of Marriott International’s workforce – which totaled some 200,000 in 2013. The percentage of women taking up senior positions is gradually increasing in Asia as 13 per cent of its hotel general managers are women. The growing influence of women executives is even more prominent in Greater China, one of the fastest growing market of Marriott International worldwide, with 12 women hotel general managers from a total of 74 – the highest percentage in the region.

Le Méridien Ahmedabad STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS Worldwide has announced the signing of Le Méridien Ahmedabad, a 200-room new build hotel slated to open in 2018. Owned by real estate developer, Seven Leisure, the hotel will be part of a mixed-use development, featuring unbranded serviced apartments and Club07, a fully equipped recreational facility. The hotel will boast of the city’s largest convention center facility with 74,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and event space. In addition the hotel will also offer four restaurant and bar venues, including a signature all-day dining outlet and two specialty restaurants. Recreation facilities will include a swimming pool and a fully equipped fitness centre.

The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, Mauritius STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS Worldwide and Blue Ocean Park have announced the opening of The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, Mauritius. Set on over 10 hectares of land, the resort has 190 wellappointed guest rooms, including 38 suites. The resort offers a variety of F&B outlets including an all-day dining restaurant, Seasonal Tastes and a beach club, Mystique. The hotel also boasts of three a la carte restaurants - Kangan, serving cuisine with an authentic Indian flare; Fusion, an ‘east meets west’ style restaurant and Beach Grill serving a variety of seafood and meats. Other facilities include - two swimming pools, fitness studio, The Westin Kids Club to name a few.

The Castle Hotel,A Luxury Collection Hotel, Dalian THE LUXURY COLLECTION, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has announced the opening of The Castle Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Dalian. Owned by Dalian Yifang Group and managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the hotel offers 292 luxurious guestrooms and suites as well as 67 residences. The F&B outlets include three restaurants - Zhen Bao offering authentic gourmet Cantonese fare; Collections, an all-day dining restaurant with an international menu; and Royal Cellar featuring home-brewed German beer and northern European specialties. The hotel also has a spacious grand ballroom, seven function rooms and a 4,000 square meter open air rooftop garden.

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PRODUCT TRACKER

Signature Sweets LITE BITE FOODS inss collaboration with Puranmal Foods has announced the launch of a range of sweets called Signature Sweets. The new brand will boast of a range that will include kaju pista roll, kaju katli, milk cake, malai doda, nutberry, dateberry, kaju anjeer roll, roasted barfi, soan papdi, etc.

Blenders Pride Reserve Collection BLENDERS PRIDE RESERVE Collection (BPRC), launched recently is inspired by one of the most iconic patterns of the modern times - the classic pinstripe. These packs will be available across all markets from Oct 2014 onwards.

Jim Beam Car Tin Packs JIM BEAM has introduced premium limited edition packs - Jim Beam Car Tin Packs - in the Indian market this festive season. These attractive packs have been designed on the lines of racing supercars. These packs will be available at a price of `1250 in Gurgaon and `1555 in Kolkata.

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Miller ACE SABMILLER INDIA IS LAUNCHING MILLER ACE above its milder variant Miller High Life. Miller ACE comes with a bolder taste and a higher ABV (alcohol by volume). Miller ACE is an American style premium beer and is brewed by using a blend of pale and caramel malt, with imported barley and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;light-stableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hops for a bold flavour and a smooth finish. This beer will be available in a range of pack sizes including the 330 ml bottle, 500 ml can and 650 ml bottle. Miller ACE will be priced at `175 for a 650 ml bottle in Mumbai and `140 for a 650 ml bottle in Delhi and Bengaluru.

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Uniforms Unlimited focuses on designer uniforms FHW Staff Mumbai WITH AN increasing demand for designer uniforms in the hospitality sector, Uniforms Unlimited (UU), one of India's leading providers of apparel for the hospitality industry, under its brand 'Dezenzia', has designed designer and durable uniforms. Speaking on this, Zubin Mehta, MD and CEO, UU stated, “A stylish yet practical uniform adds value and unifies the complete experience of hospitality. Most hotels, corporates and institutions do have fine uniforms but there is still so much more richness in our culture a designer

Zubin Mehta

with a holistic approach can offer.” Mehta has a holistic approach towards uniform design and has created innovative concepts for

uniforms for niche hotels and resorts. The designs imbibe the value of a region/culture by repackaging the couture into styled garments that enhance the image of the client. He added, “Modern travellers are extremely selective of hotels and especially seek advice on the experience shared by others on the internet and by word of mouth. Today a guest looks closely for classy interiors, bathrooms, amenities provided and even at the uniforms, whether they are clean, finely tailored and intricately designed. The uniform speaks volumes about the organisation. Hence we emphasise on the textures of fabrics

used, the princess lines on the uniform, the subtle detail of embroidery and pleats that turn a uniform into a couture garment.” UU has a modern factory (15,000 sq ft area approximately), situated in Mumbai. The factory is fully equipped with the latest state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, highspeed fully lubricated sewing machines, automated cutting machines, computerised embroidery machines, finishing machines and CAD. The UU factory has all the requisite certifications and registrations required by the Indian Factories Act.

BAKERY FOCUS

A MARKETING INITIATIVE

Every bread has its unique story Breads of World concept promoted by Puratos for consumers eager to discover new products

round six billion curious consumers might not have the opportunity to travel, but will be fortunate to discover the tastes of the world at their own table. Above all, consumers increasingly try different and new flavours, as it is a great way to keep their diet from becoming monotonous. In short, they are looking for a taste adventure! Here’s the answer to this story, The Breads of The World. Puratos India is a fully owned subsidiary of the Belgium-based Puratos Group, the world’s second largest bakery ingredients major. The company which is a leading manufacturer of ingredients for the bakery, confectionery and catering industries has launched The Breads of the World concept which is an answer to this growing consumer demand. They have a R&D centre in India which tailors the products according to Indian taste, value and

functionality. Established in 1919, Puratos Group has a turnover of 1.4 billion euro with sales in 100 countries and manufacturing plants in 55 locations around the world. Dhiren Kanwar, country head, Puratos India explains, “This concept will enable supermarkets and bakery chains to create a wide and unique range of original (taste, texture and shape as in the country of origin) and enjoyable breads from all over the world. Here, every bread has its unique story. All thanks to ready to use mixes by Puratos.” Few insights about the bread and bakery industry in India: The Indian bakery segment rose above the slump in the economy in 2013-14 to produce impressive double digit growth. This growth, expectedly, was driven by the rapid expansion of modern retail outlets, increasing disposable incomes and the overriding

Bread & numbers ●

214 million immigrants In many countries there is a large population of immigrants who would love to find the tastes and flavours of their home country locally. They also tend to incorporate their own flavours in the existing cuisine. ● One billion travellers Many more people enjoy travelling to foreign destinations. Often, when they come back, they like to revisit these places, by buying both the food and the breads they have tasted.

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need for convenience by the end consumer. With the Indian baked goods category consisting of largely un-fragmented segment, the unpackaged / artisanal bread continued to dominate the market with a share of 56 per cent, while packaged industrial bread held steady with a share of 44 per cent. Customers are now beginning to choose healthier bread options, a trend which is visible from the rapidly rising share of whole wheat and multigrain bread segment (six per cent in 2013-14), while brown bread carved out a healthy 11 per cent market share and white bread held steady at 81 per cent.

Breads Of the World The Breads of the World concept is the answer to this growing consumer demand. Thanks to its worldwide presence and expertise, Puratos helps you create breads from every corner of the globe. You can create original breads from across the world easily, using their bread mixes. For a perfect result every time, all you have to do is follow the recipe and clear instructions developed with our local specialist bakers. Every baker will be able to replicate the original taste, shape and texture of breads, as if they were made in the country of origin. The Breads of the World range is evolving and will be

updated with more varieties to help you continuously surprise your customers and to enable supermarkets and bakery chains to create a wide and unique range of original (taste, texture and shape as in the country of origin) and enjoyable breads

from all over the world.

Ethnic breads - An upcoming trend Ethnic breads are more and more a key element of the bakery product lineup. They are often made with locallysourced ingredients and have become increasingly popular

as they attract new customers to the bread counter. They also offer a greater choice of fresh and authentic breads. Although it’s exciting to discover local products, but consumer often desire to have trusted products from their home country.

Puratos India has adapted two varieties of trends to give customers a global experience. Easy Ciabatta is an Italian bread that originates from the province of Lombardy. The brainchild of Arnoldi Cavaliari, it was Italy’s perfect response to the deep market penetration of the French baguette, that threatened to monopolise the Italian sandwich industry. Ciabatta saved Italy; and Italy gave it to the world. Easy Ciabatta is made from refined wheat flour and yeast; the soft bread can be used to make both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches. Easy Focaccia is the creation of the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, it is a flat bread that is cooked on a fire stove. Focaccia is made of wheat flour and yeast and seasoned with olive oil. The dough can be flavoured with herbs like oregano and topped with Parmesan cheese. Both Ciabatta and Focaccia have a shelf life of six months. Puratos, the

Consumer Insight I As I am no longer living in my country of origin, I often yearn for products of my birth country BUT it’s not always easy to find them/the trusted quality.

Consumer Insight II As I am not able to travel, I am eager to get the ‘exotic experience’ by consuming new (foreign) products locally.

creators of the world’s first bread improver, has a wide variety of offerings from the multipurpose S 500 to the Tigris bread improver that allows artisan and industrial bread makers to maintain product standards irrespective of varying qualities of flour. The innovative S 500 Puff improver is a big boon for improving the quality of khari, puff and laminated pastry, the market of which has a retail value share of 24 per cent in 2013.

CLEAN & HYGIENE SOLUTIONS

A MARKETING INITIATIVE

Cockroach management in food handling areas Cockroach baiting has become a preferred tool for pest management in processing plants

hough food handling areas do encounter various pest problems, by far the most challenging pest to control has been cockroaches. German cockroach (blatella germanica) is one of the common cockroach species which is known to have a very close affinity to the food areas for its survival and breeding. Traditionally, cockroach control has been done with so called ‘powerful chemicals’ which give out high odour and cause irritation post or during spray treatment which was perceived to be very effective for cockroach control. Also was the conception that the chemical mixed with oil base would be more effective in killing cockroaches. Days have now moved on from the compounds of more smelly, more itching to odourless or non objectionable odour compounds which have not only killing effect but also residual effect after the spraying if it is not washed off. These chemicals also have a ‘Flushing Action’ where cockroaches will come out of hiding areas due to the effect of these chemicals and get killed. Care should be taken in choosing the chemicals wherein the case should not be that the cockroaches are driven from the kitchen areas to all other areas due to the activity of the chemical so that the problem confined to one area is now spread across

to many areas. Hence choice of the right chemical for spraying in the food handling areas which is recommended by Central Insecticide Board for Household insecticide purposes is a better choice. One most important and common feature in any food handling area is the cleaning of the areas treated. No doubt that the areas treated for pest control have to be cleaned before use but the efficacy is also dependent on the duration obtained for the chemicals to act before being washed off. Not all the cockroaches come in the contact of chemicals during the spraying as they escape by hiding in the areas where the spray does not reach. Later on once the smell/threat is not observed by them they tend to come out and if the spray residue is still available in the area they get killed. So one needs to have an appropriate balance of time left after spraying of the chemical and the area to be cleaned. One of the best ways to beat any opponent is to understand his tactics and set up your defense accordingly. To this end, cockroach baiting has become a preferred tool for pest management in processing plants - because it plays on the cockroaches’ natural behaviour ‘tactics’ to provide an effective method of elimination when used as part of a complete integrated pest management programme. In comparison with spray treatments, baits are designed to be very attractive

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to the cockroach and take advantage of their innate feeding behaviour. In addition, the baits are not immediate kill, so the cockroach’s natural tendency to scurry back to harborage and share or exchange the bait with others in the population extends the toxic impact of the bait. Not only do the cockroaches carry

residue passes from the skin of the feeder, and secondary feeding, as it is not uncommon for cockroaches to feed on one another’s faeces or vomit. In addition, baits are wellsuited for food processing plants because of their long residual life. Applications can be less frequent than sprays, meaning less pesticide is used

the bait to an area which may be difficult to reach, they also can expose other members of their population to the toxicant through their behaviours. These can include direct contact, in which

in the plant. And although label directions must always be consulted and followed, crack and crevice bait treatments and bait stations can be used just about anywhere that cockroaches are a prob-

lem, because, when properly placed, the toxicant is inaccessible.

Integrated cockroach management approach Hence it is always recommended to have an integrated cockroach management approach by having a clear inspection of all the areas of food handling to eliminate the potential and present harborage areas. A expert inspection can identify all such harborage areas and the same needs to be taken on top priority as a saying goes ‘Masonry is Primary and Pest Control is Secondary’. No matter how effective chemical spray or bait methods are practiced, the elimination of the harborage areas is very important for cockroach management. Make no mistake by having only one system of whichever is working better for you either spraying method or the

gel baiting method. Cockroaches tend to develop resistance to the same methods used over a long period of time. Cockroach fossil has been traced to date back to 300 million years ago without much change in their morphology or biology and we are still fighting to gain control over them. So it is always recommended to alter/rotate the practices to keep the effectiveness high. Sanitation, is a very critical part of the cockroach control programme efficacy. Cockroaches are opportunistic. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take advantage of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s close, meaning that not only must baits be placed in the vicinity of cockroaches, but high sanitation levels must be maintained to reduce or eliminate competitive food sources. Sanitation is important to any integrated pest management programme, particularly in a food processing plant because of the potential amount of alternative food which a bait would have to outperform to be effective. While an important aspect of bait treatment is its inaccessibility, and thus its invisibility, the bait which is placed into cracks, crevices and equipment voids, if exposed to heavy cleaning solutions, can become less attractive to cockroaches. Periodic clean-up and replacement of baits is also recommended. Although baits have a long residual life, they will eventually lose their efficacy. Baits subject to a great deal of moisture can also become moldy, while others can dry out and become useless. Although baits can be very effective tools in pest management programmes, they should be considered only one tool in a complete arsenal. Many control solutions are available for roaches and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always good to use a variety of tools. Using multiple tools is more effective and helps prevent resistance problems from developing in the first place. Regular communication

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of pest problems or conducive conditions both among the plant personnel and with the pest control provider is also critical to effective cockroach management. It is recommended that a communication plan and record-keeping be made a part of any pest control contract. This

would include regular discussion with the quality assurance manager, to set and review the programme, and with floor personnel who work with the equipment and conduct sanitation. They can give the PMP the most insight as to where cockroaches are.

The key for any food handling area is to look at cockroach plans and make sure they fall along the same lines as their HACCP plan. Pest management should, in effect, be a subset of HACCP, with an analysis conducted to determine critical control points for baiting. One really needs to

look at not just equipment and areas you can see, but be able to look into the equipment. Thus, support and guidance is to ask yourself, "If I were a cockroach, where would I hide?" It would provide you leading answers to support the programme designed for cockroach management.

HIGH SPIRITS

INVESTING IN FINE WINES Amphora Portfolio Management, a leading fine wine investment advisor in the UK, has forayed into the Indian market with All Things Nice and is looking at attracting the HNI segment to invest in the finest wines that the world offers By Sudipta Dev

ll Things Nice has formed an association with UK headquartered Amphora Portfolio Management (APM) to launch a fine wine investment arm in India. Established in 2009, APM entered the China market in 2012, and had expanded its footprint across South East Asia the next year. The basis of APM's business is to get people to invest in the fine wine market. “People collect and consume fine wine but there is a very good reason why the investment side of the fine wine market exists too,” says Philip Staveley, investment manager, APM, informing that what distinguishes fine wine from any other

wine is that fine wine ages in the bottle and it appreciates in quality over time as it gets older. “But the corollary to that is that while the normal drinking wine might be produced one year and you can drink it as soon as it goes into the bottle, fine wine is not at its best immediately. So often you have to wait until the drinking window opens in order to appreciate it at its best,” mentions Staveley.

Changing ownership For example, a typical fine wine produced from grapes in year 2000, the drinking window may not open till 2015, and then it will remain open often for over a 100 years. It will evolve and change

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and get better with time. “But the point is that if it is produced in 2000 and will not be consumed before 2015, then what happens is that a part of it is drunk though it is not at its best and the greater part is stored. Originally what used to happen is that the landed gentry in UK would receive their produces every year by their merchants, over time as the wine improved in quality and price appreciated. In the early 1990s the market changed and more people got involved - from Japan and then China,” states Staveley. The wine does not just sit in a single cellar, until the drinking window opens. Instead of sitting in one person's ownership, it

transfers ownership. Before it gets to be drunk by the consumer it changes hand several times. “That is why the investor in the market place has quite an important part to play. If there is nobody to invest who would sit on all this wine until the window opened,” asserts Staveley, adding that if the window opens 15 years after production, the wine could have changed hands five or six times. Investing in fine wine is a very important part of the supply chain.

Many producers and vintages The investment market of fine wine is quite young, but it has advanced rapidly in the last 15

years. “You should think of the fine wine market as a mini stock market. It is not like a commodities market. For instance, the essence of gold does not change whether it is mined in 1970 or in 2000. However, in case of fine wine there are many producers and many vintages. These vintages change in quality according to the climatic conditions of each given year. So the market of fine wine is very broad in terms of regions and producers although it is dominated by Bordeaux, France. And very deep so far as vintages that can go back to 40, 50, or 60 years and even longer in some cases,” explains David Jackson, CEO, APM. Nearly four years ago around

HIGH SPIRITS

David Jackson

Philip Staveley

Nikhil Agarwal

90 per cent of the wine that went into APM's portfolio were from Bordeaux. About three years ago there was a price crash and Bordeaux prices rallied and went up by almost 150 per cent. Prices of some of the top wines also went up by 300-400 per cent. “Then there was a correction in prices and Bordeaux prices fell by 25 to 30 per cent. What's happened since then is that price has been fairly static. In the heady years when the prices were rising a lot of wine got sold into China, this was young wine and was not drunk. When the prices dropped this wine got flooded back into the market and there was over supply in China. We found the stock available in China and Hong Kong cheaper than the stock available in Europe. There is not much demand from Asia for Bordeaux just at the moment, but it is only for a short time,” explains Jackson. Over the last two years the company has been selling some wines from Tuscany in Italy, Napa Valley in the US, Champagne, couple of wines from Spain and only one wine

from Australia. The wine is stored in bottles in a UK Government bonded warehouse. It is very important as one of the dangers that investors face is poorly looked after stock, fake stock, damaged stock. “Our stock comes from the chateau of the producer, goes straight to the bonded warehouse, where it is stamped and given an identification by the UK Government. As long as the wine has not been taken out of the vault we can guarantee authenticity. One part of our responsibility is ensuring that we give best possible advice to our clients and the other part is selling wines on behalf of our clients and getting them the best possible prices,” adds Jackson. What APM did was that it identified about five years ago that the market was likely to start moving ahead again and that's exactly what happened. It encouraged investors to invest in fine wine and make money. “Two years ago we entered China as the Chinese have become dominant consumers in the market place and became big investors

in the market place too. As the company evolves we are always on the lookout for potential new markets and there are certain consistencies between China as we perceived it and India as we perceive now,” says Jackson. He mentions that in China, the growth in economy has thrown up huge numbers of HNIs – the new millionaires and billionaires. India has also seen the emergence of the HNIs. This segment likes to spend on luxury items and fine wine is a luxury item. However, it differs from other luxury items due to a crucial element - there is only a finite amount available of a given vintage.

There is quite an interesting dynamics in the fine wine market which differentiates it from other luxury goods.As the quality of the wine appreciates over time, supply and availability diminishes

Market dynamics There is quite an interesting dynamics in the fine wine market which differentiates it from other luxury goods. As the quality of the wine appreciates over time, the supply and availability diminishes. “No other luxury item has production constraints of that sort. What we found in China and believe in India there is a significant demand for 'western' luxury items. We know that there is a huge non-resident Indian population in the UK. We also know that many Indians buy properties in the UK. The fine wine market is also denominated in Sterling,” states Jackson. APM focuses on two aspects if an investor collects wine they can show a better way to do it, and if he does not already invest in wine then it is worthy of consideration. Any investor must be

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Unismart Apparels Pvt. Ltd.

HIGH SPIRITS

conscious of his risk profile which diminishes in accordance with diversification. “So you reduce the risk of investment as you increase the number of investment. From that perspective fine wine is a good addition to anybody's investment portfolio. We know that Indians are conservative investors and that they like to make money. We are also able to roll out and present a better way of maintaining your financial exposure to the fine wine market than just sit on a static holding of fine wine that you like,” says Jackson. The company has Indian families domiciled in UK as its clients. “In fact one of the families is our biggest client. So we have some experience of dealing with Indian investors and this is really encouraging because what we found while dealing with Indians in the UK is that they start quite cautiously, but once they are comfortable they become very good clients. They invest

very regularly and introduce us to other people within their demographic and sometimes even within their family,” avers Jackson.

India focus India is a very new market for the company so it has entered into a JV with Nikhil Agarwal, sommelier and director, All Things Nice, who will help APM in promoting the business and finding the clients and investors. “We will facilitate the investment for the client. We will build the portfolio and give advice and recommendations. We will be the machinery in this part of the JV and Nikhil will be the front man of the business,” reveals Jackson. Talking about the profile of the investors in India, Agarwal states that while anyone can invest in the fine wine market, in the beginning they are looking at people who already have a liking for fine wines. He adds with op-

timism, “Right now nobody knows about it but later when investment in fine wine becomes known people looking for a good ROI can perhaps put a part of their investment portfolio into fine wine. We have noticed that there is a certain community in

each city that we engage with who like the finest wines and spirits. There has been positive feedback from potential investors in India. The number of super HNIs is growing in the country and there will be enough people out there. Investment in

art is not new in India, that does phenomenally well, its going to happen with wine as well. What we are trying to do for those in India is firstly, create a portfolio purely for investment sake and secondly, create a portfolio for drinking.”

CHEFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLATTER

THE CURRY MAN With the growing popularity of Indian cuisine worldwide, Chef Patrick Lawrence Chapman, talks about his role in showcasing it globally and the intricacies of the cuisine By Archana Sharma

ELIEVING in creating awareness of the intricacies of the Indian cuisine globally, Chef Patrick Lawrence Chapman, an English food writer and broadcaster known for founding the 'Curry Club' has been promoting it all over the globe for over 30 years now. Chef Chapman was born at a time when Britain was facing the wrath of the World War II,

and his grandmother kept up the Indian tradition through cooking, as six generations of their family had lived in India. And as a result of this influence, he started dabbling in the Indian culinary art form from a young age. Beginning his professional career at a time when few Indian restaurants were to be seen in London, Chef Chapman feels that now one can find almost every Indian regional

varietal cuisine in the streets of London with over nine thousand restaurants presently.

Playing the part Though his passion for Indian cuisine was evident, the next step for Chef Chapman was to create awareness among his fellow British friends that there was more to Indian cuisine than 'Chicken Tikka Masala', which according to him is the

Chef Patrick Lawrence Chapman

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CHEF’S PLATTER

Britishers' favourite dish. “People used to come up to me and ask about the various spices, what kind to use and where to find them, etc. They wanted me to tutor them about the secrets of cooking with Indian spices,” he opines. In an effort to create more awareness about Indian cuisine, Chef Chapman founded the 'Curry Club', for people of all origins, who were interested in understanding its subtleties. Having followed the four P's - Principles, Product, Publication and Promotions – Chef Chapman says, “The main part of this has been the gourmet trips to restaurants in Britain and the biggest part being the trips to India. So far I have carried out over 16 trips to India which included going to restaurants, meeting chefs, tasting different cuisines.” Chef Chapman has also acted as a consultant to major supermarkets in the world wherein he advised them about their new product lines and the best ways to develop them. At the same time he has been a guest chef at various leading Indian hotels and hospitality institutes across the world Hilton, Taj Hotels - India, Club Med, Le Cordon Bleu London. Moreover, he was also a regular guest chef on Queen Elizabeth 2, one of the leading luxury cruise liners, for over 12 years. Due to his intricate understanding of the nuances of spices, he has also been called upon by the Government of Kerala, to address the people about the importance and significance of various spices.

Penning thoughts Chef Chapman has written 36 culinary books wherein most

of his books concentrate on curries, while others feature recipes from China, Thailand, the Middle East and Americas. Due to his extensive travels throughout Australia, Europe, USA, South Africa, his cooking depicts a unique balance and sensitivity, thereby helping his profession as a consultant to a number of companies, including G Costa's Blue Dragon range of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean and Tabasco products. He has been frequently showcasing and demonstrating the intricacies that goes into making curries and holds regular curry cooking courses to teach Indian cuisine. Emphasising on the perfection of Indian cuisine, Chef Chapman feels, “Though food innovation is a good thing but the novel cuisine and fusion dishes that are created through the desire to experiment aren't able to project the various flavours, especially since they lack the original ingredients. I believe that the Indian cuisine has already achieved perfection.” Explaining the addictive nature of Indian cuisine, Chef Chapman says, “I am unable to go without Indian food for more than seven to 10 days. People living in India might not be able to understand this since they eat it regularly but the flavours and spices ensure more craving for the same kind of spices, something which I have observed amongst the foreign tourists that I have brought here over the years, as they get really passionate about Indian food.” Recently, he was a part of Barbeque Nation, an India casual dining restaurant chain, wherein he has offered 14

marinade recipes to be added to their all time menu. He also hosted a special cook out show on days that he was behind the counter ‘Pat Chapman Grills The World’, bringing to Indian barbeque lovers a lifetime of his work.

Ambassador of Indian food Chef Chapman has been named, 'The Ambassador of Indian Food' by Derek Cooper, the 'Curry Leader' by Fay Maschler and 'A Missionary seeking Converts to Curry' by Loyd Grossman, renowned food reviewers in Britain. It is this dedication to the cuisine which has earned him the title of Britain's 'Curry King.' Believing in always moving forward, Chef Chapman states, “Being a chef is a wonderful occupation, but maintaining a passion and love for food is essential. A few big chains have started trends wherein the quality of the product has deteriorated over the years and the same would happen to individual chefs if they lose the passion.”

In an effort to create more awareness about Indian cuisine, Chef Chapman founded the 'Curry Club', for people of all origins, who were interested in understanding its subtleties

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ANNIVERSARY S p e c i a l

Using science to challenge our taste buds, some Indian chefs are giving a new twist to the molecular gastronomy story. But are we ready for this food chemistry? BY KAHINI CHAKRABORTY

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YNONYMOUS with mainstream haute cuisine, molecular gastronomy has today become a part of the cooking style in most fine dining restaurants across the world. “It is about cooking with unusual ingredients and still handling foodstuffs with the usual care. A basic knowledge of food preparation and the use of high quality produce, combined with the physical and biochemical aspect, paired with a philosophical touch, is what makes molecular gastronomy special. It is not purely artistic or only out for special effects. As a consequence there are no creations that have not been carefully planned,” highlights chef Abhijit Saha, founder, director and chef, Caperberry & Fava, Bengaluru. Another of India’s celebrity chefs, Chef Gaggan Anand of Gaggan, Bangkok prefers to call this kind of cooking style as ‘modernistic cuisine’. Focusing on doing progressive Indian cuisine with a traditional touch, Anand feels that it is important to focus on preparing the food correctly rather than just doing it. “It is the taste and not the presentation that matters, as at the end of the day it is the chef ’s job to offer good food,” he strongly feels. Presently Chef Anand is researching on preparation of Indian sweets as well to incorporate in their menu. Chefs have now been collaborating with chemists, food scientists and industrial designers to transform food that look and taste different. Some of the key techniques include deconstruction, hot ice, jelly noodles, encapsulations, aroma leaf, foams, sous vide, liquid nitrogen and deep-frying in water. And because of this

continuous innovation in molecular gastronomy in the last couple of decades many restaurants have crafted spectacular creations, thrilled their customers and found a place on the list of ‘Best restaurants in the World’. The field has opened up a wide new area for chefs to experiment, innovate and create. Top chefs, irrespective of their cuisine including Joan Roca & Jordi Roca of El Cellar De Can Roca (Modern Spanish), Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz (Modern Spanish), Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana (Modern Italian), Joachim Wissler of Vendome (Modern German), Alex Atala of DOM (Modern Brazilian) and Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park (Modern French) use techniques of molecular gastronomy in their cuisine. Even Chef René Redzepi of Noma, which features seasonal Nordic cuisine, has worked in El Bulli and has undergone extensive training

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“A basic knowledge of food preparation and the use of high quality produce, combined with the physical and biochemical aspect paired with a philosophical touch is what makes molecular gastronomy special” Chef Abhijit Saha, Founder, Director and Chef, Caperberry & Fava, Bengaluru

in molecular gastronomy. Giving his perspective Zorawar Kalra, founder and managing director, Massive Restaurants says, “The main motive behind molecular gastronomy is to change the physical characteristics of a dish or ingredient without altering its taste using intense scientific techniques and plant based chemicals. Cooking has always been science and in this case, it got deeper to the atomic level,” adding that, the credit for the evolution and introduction of molecular gastronomy to the world goes to two of the finest chefs, Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal from a small town near Barcelona at El Bulli. El Bulli was the trend setter, serving melon in the form of caviar, olives in the forms of mouth bursting bubbles and so on. And after that many other restaurants came into play like Fat Duck by Heston, Aalinia by Grant Achatz, Noma by Rene Redzepi.

Elaborating on the concept Kalra says, molecular gastronomy is a technique of food science, where you use certain processes like spherification, gelification, powderising, deep freezing and much more, through various certified natural chemicals like maltodextrin during the process of cooking. For example, at Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra, the renowned Gujarati snack khandvi is served as an amuse bouche to guests, which is made into a sphere through the process of reverse spherification in which khandvi puree is turned into a balloon. Served with green chilli and jaggery chutney on a ceramic spoon, it explodes in the mouth, releasing the flavours of the traditional khandvi. While Chef Neeraj Tyagi, executive chef, The Claridges New Delhi opines, “There’s always a surprise element in the dish so sight too plays an important role,” adding that, just

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ANNIVERSARY S p e c i a l

“Food and fashion go hand in hand. It has only been five to six years that molecular cooking has been accepted in the India market. In the future too, there is scope of growth of this concept in tier one cities of India” Chef Ajay Chopra, Executive Chef, The Westin Mumbai Garden

“Presently I feel there is a certain shift towards minimalism on the plate. Chefs could use certain elements of molecular cooking techniques on Indian cuisines” Chef Mayank Tiwari, Executive Chef, Mistral

as basis and working of molecular gastronomy involves breaking down of the molecules into different elements like solid to liquid, liquid to gas and so on, all human senses come into play when it comes to food, and even more with this type of cooking. For instance, caviar presented may not look like caviar. In nitro cooking, food is being fried in actuality, however while the texture remains the same, the technique gives the dish a unique look that is different from traditional fried food. Another example is when you gelify foods that you normally wouldn’t, or use techniques of spherification, foams, emulsification, etc – it becomes a playful sensory experience – what looks and feels like an olive is actually made from olive paste, purees and pastes can be turned into spheres and caviar, etc (imagine a mango sphere that is made to look like a fried egg). Scented vapours add some drama. Food presentation can be really stretched to new and exciting dimensions.

Techniques and ingredients The basic techniques of molecular gastronomy are

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spherification (both basic and reverse), gellification, dehydration, lyofilising, foaming, powdering, emulsification and so on. Basic ingredients involved are sodium alginate, liquid nitrogen, calcium citrate, citric acid, lecithin and agar. Even though chefs play around with the flavours these flavours are not actually lost. It is enhanced by using ingredients and methods for example, natural salt is used to breakdown the molecules, transglutaminase which is a meat like glue, turns soups and purees into lighter, airy foams, etc. The techniques all require a lot of expertise and extreme precision; there’s a lot of science involved in it. “You can also enhance the nutritional value of the meal by infusing various ingredients together. Molecular gastronomy em-

ploys equipments like caviar sets, hot silicone moulds, caviar maker, sous vide machine, smoking gun, dehydrator, edible film sealer, etc. Some of the quintessential elements used in such cooking, apart from the equipment are – liquid nitrogen, hydrocolloids such as starch, gelatin, natural gums, etc, carbon dioxide source for making bubbles and such. Apart from the ingredients and methods mentioned above, we also use natural salts, calcium salts, mineral salts, calcium lactate, calcium chloride, liquid nitrogen, lecithin gum, etc. Internationally, various chefs are credited as being the masters of molecular gastronomy like Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal, Wiley Dufresne,” points out Chef Tyagi. While Kalra says that

The techniques require a lot of expertise and extreme precision; there’s a lot of science involved.You can also enhance the nutritional value

apart from the cooking methods, there are many other aspects like the duration, temperature, extent and medium in which an ingredient is cooked. “Over or under cooking just kills everything. Different meats have their different cooking times like scallops require a nice searing to give the crust and at the same time it has to be soft in the centre, lamb shanks should be tender enough to fall off the bone with the slightest of effort and at the same time it should be moist and non rigor. The art of cooking can only be perfected with practice and more practice.” Chef Shipra Khanna, winner of MasterChef India Season 2 further explains this concept with eggs, stating, “An egg cooked in a pan on open fire will be different than an egg which is cooked in a microwave or oven in terms of texture, taste, flavour and even in the way it looks. The final flavour and texture will be different when cooked at different temperatures, could be hot or cold, could be fast or slow as different temperatures affect food differently. This is the science behind

( cooking and that’s what molecular gastronomy aims at explaining to us.”

New age-kitchenware There are a variety of equipments, techniques and ingredients available these days, namely nitro cooking equipment, smoking guns, caviar sets, micro weighing scales, vac pac machine, dehydrator, temperature controlled blitzers, tubes, syringes, basic hand blenders, blast chillers. Besides these, there are food hydrators, Maltodextrin to change high fat liquid to powder, anti griddle for cooling and freezing, thermal immersion circular for slow cooking and liquid nitrogen for instant freezing. Ingredients like edible paper, Cyelon cinnamon rods for the smoky flavoured effect, Gelatine for gel effect, natural gums, carbon dioxide for bubbles and foam and dry ice are also used.

India’s receptibility “I would say that this type of cooking methodology cannot be applied to traditional Indian cuisine per se, but rather to what we today call ‘progressive Indian cuisine and Indo-Western fusion cuisine’ which allows the usage of such ingredients and cooking methods. People want to experiment because they are exposed to new flavours and cuisines; they are increasingly well travelled and well aware of the trends. Another advantage of such cooking is the smaller portions which we find are being appreciated by Indians as they become more calorie conscious,” says Chef Tyagi. While Chef Anand points out that people are getting more nano and the focus is more on regional cuisines. It is definitely the next big concept in India. Reminiscing about the past, Chef Saha says, “When I started Caperberry in 2009, my aim was to provide customers with a unique dining experience and this has been made possible by applying techniques of molecular gastronomy to my style of mod-

ern European cuisine. Caperberry has evolved over the years and I have also introduced some dishes with Indian flavours enhanced by techniques of molecular gastronomy like Gol Guppa spherification, Sous vide cooked lamb roulade with Kakori Kebab spices and live maple wood smoke and Spiced Cryo Espuma, which have won over our guests. It is possible to achieve spectacular results with molecular gastronomy. For, it is, as American author Harold McGee described it, ‘the scientific study of deliciousness’.” And the fact that Indians love to experiment with food has made it popular with Indian cuisines. Chef Khanna adds, “There are numerous

ways you can apply it to Indian cuisines and come up with astonishing byproducts. Like in my book ‘The Spice Route’ I have changed the famous Palak Paneer to spinach and cheese quenelle, which is made by using different cooking equipments and science to prepare an absolutely different form, shape and texture whilst keeping in mind the flavours.” As per Chef Mayank Tiwari, executive chef, Mistral, there is a small audience in the Indian market that is open to trying new flavours and cooking methods. The demand is growing rapidly and is expected to pick up soon. “Presently I feel there is a certain shift towards minimalism on the plate. Chefs could use

The main motive behind molecular gastronomy is to change the physical characteristics of a dish without altering its taste

certain elements of molecular cooking techniques on Indian cuisines, which could be a viable business option for hotels and restaurants as there is a growing demand,” he mentions. Chef Ajay Chopra, executive chef, The Westin Mumbai Garden City opines, “Uptil now molecular gastronomy has not been practiced in India and Chef Gaggan Anand was the first one to introduce this concept. Presently, the other restaurants are doing this concept in bits and pieces, while Gaggan is doing it in totality. According to me, what others are doing is progressive Indian food.” “We are witness to the use of many international ingredients in Indian dishes and many Indian spices / ingredients in international favourites, not just within the culinary boundary of India, but overseas as well. This trend is a result of diners becoming more adventurous; while there is a segment which still prefers traditional Indian cuisine, the well travelled executive and younger generation is ready to experiment in order to find newer and finer flavours and this trend is lead by their willingness to experience techniques like molecular gastronomy,” states Kalra. But he cautions by stating, “Even though molecular gastronomy is a good application with Indian dishes, one shouldn't try to make the entire Indian dish molecular as this cuisine involves a number of flavours, textures, spices and ingredients (more than any other cuisine). Molecular gastronomy is used to improvise few elements of the dish like serving chutney in form of foam, making flavoured butter powders, making sphere of elements like buttermilk, Ambi panna, etc.”

THE MAIN FOCUS

“This type of cooking methodology cannot be applied to traditional Indian cuisine per se, but rather to what we today call ‘progressive Indian cuisine and IndoWestern fusion cuisine” Chef Neeraj Tyagi, Executive Chef, The Claridges New Delhi

“Using molecular gastronomy exclusively to create Indian cuisines has the potential to be a viable business model in India” Chef Shipra Khanna, Winner of MasterChef India Season 2

Market model If we talk about the market scenario, it is only a few Indian restaurants that have taken up to molecular gastronomy now. “Gradually food is evolving in India and the

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

October 16-31, 2014

cover ) Indian palate is adapting to new flavours and tastes. Using molecular gastronomy exclusively to create Indian cuisines has the potential to be a viable business model in India. This is one of the reasons why few restaurants have already started incorporating this science into their kitchens. I am however certain that the demand for this will soon increase and more chefs will start creating newer Indian dishes using this new technology,” opines Chef Khanna. However, even though this concept is fast growing in the market and the revenues completely depend on the hotel/ restaurant business model, according to Chef Tyagi, “Young chefs want to try something different, restaurateurs who want to be part of the exciting growth of different kinds of cuisines and a more diverse Indian palette, everyone is excited about playing around with molecular technology. Progressive Indian cuisine is the new ‘it’ thing and this style of cooking is increasingly a large part of those kitchens. In my opinion, while of course many chefs are experimenting with the technique and have introduced elements of such cooking into their menus and restaurants, it is not a viable business model as yet. Especially when compared to global food capitals.” But Chef Saha is of the opinion that since molecular gastronomy is no longer an independent thought, it can be applied to any cuisine to create a new dining experience. And hence there can be traditional food restaurants and modern cuisine restaurants using molecular gastronomy doing well in the market. While the diners find the concept fascinating, there is still a lot left to explore in the concept and a long way to go for the diners to be aware about the nuances of the process for a pure molecular gastronomy concept to work in the Indian environment. As per Kalra, “There is a generic perception of the concept being unsafe which is largely owing to the fact that diners

ANNIVERSARY S p e c i a l

“Apart from the cooking methods, there are many other aspects like the duration, temperature, extent and medium in which an ingredient is cooked” Zorawar Kalra, Founder and Managing Director, Massive Restaurants

“It is the taste and not the presentation that matters, as at the end of the day it is the chef’s job to offer good food” Chef Gaggan Anand, of Gaggan, Bangkok

haven’t been exposed in depth to the concept of molecular gastronomy; this notion doesn’t hold true in actuality. The elements used in molecular gastronomy are all natural and mostly plant extracts, which are globally accepted and certified and now being very frequently used in India as well.” As per Chef Chopra, “India is a diverse market and we are not open to experimentation. But in the last couple of years people are getting experimental and are open to trying new cuisines mainly from cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru,

30 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2014

Chennai, while the other states still prefer their traditional food. I could be wrong in my prediction, but according to me the market will not take up molecular gastronomy in totality.”

Future trends Indian food has been continuously going through changes. As per Chef Chopra, food and fashion go hand in hand. “It has only been five to six years that molecular cooking has been accepted in the India market. In the future too, there is scope of growth of this

concept in tier one cities of India. Lately Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Peruvian cuisines have been gaining prominence in the market as people are now focusing on the nutritional and heath aspect,” opines Chef Chopra. Molecular cooking has no end. And people are using various ingredients and getting more evolved. Seaweed in the new trend, so are various indigenous grains. Vegetable natural extracts are also being used to a larger scale. The focus everywhere is on the local and seasonal – many chefs are

using these natural ingredients and breaking them down and experimenting. “There are no limitations in molecular gastronomy. It vastly depends on the chef as to which level he can take his creativity to as the possibilities to explore are many,” sums up Chef Khanna. Adding to this, chef Tiwari states, “In the next five years a lot of chefs could shift towards preparing traditional recipes through contemporary approach. Usage of hydrocolloids of different forms could evolve further and prove the growth of molecular cooking.”

EVENT ROUNDUP

Engaging the restauranteurs The fourth Indian Restaurant Congress held this year witnessed interesting new discourses on the challenges of the restaurant industry, the emerging food trends, the need for a comprehensive market presence and more By Archana Sharma

ROMOTING THE concept of 'Think Global and Eat Local', the fourth Indian Restaurant Congress held this year was organised by Franchise India, one of Asia's largest franchising solution companies in association with Cremica, a diversified food products company. Held at Vivanta by Taj, New Delhi, the Indian Restaurant Congress 2014 dealt with topics concerning experiential treatment to the customers, the emerging new trends and cuisines with different formats. According to Gaurav Marya, chairman, Franchise India, “The industry is highly fragmented with 1.5 million eating outlets. Therefore for us its an important task to have an inclusive discussion each year through this thought leadership platform for the growth and sustenance of the restaurant business in India”. Commencing the convention, Amit Burman, vice chairman, Dabur-India and chairman, Lite Bite Foods, talked about the growth and latest trends of the restaurant business, “We have seen a growth of 20-25 per cent with people eating out more than twice a week. India is also observing the demand for micro breweries and the need for innovative food presence in the market. Also gluten free and low fat products consumption have been on the rise,” he stated.

The conference witnessed an esteemed panel of speakers like Akshay Bector, managing director, Cremica Food Industries, Dheeraj Gupta, managing director, Jumbo King, Devender Kumar, president, Indian Cullinary Forum and

vice president, food and beverages, Le Meridian New Delhi, to name a few.

Restaurant economies Suggesting better supply chain for raw materials and ingredients, Ashish Kapur, co-

A franchise owned and company operated system is considered best, as people try to work with multiple units and multiple concepts

founder and managing director, Yo! China, stated, “Ensuring consistency is a major challenge as the supply chain and transport system aren't cost effective, and even though conditions have improved, private establishments can't look after both the front and back-end.” Emphasising effective and profitable growth of a franchise owned and company operated system, Sachin Marya, group CEO, Franchise India, stated, “Food is a tougher business than most, and sometimes people franchise to attain the means of execution, rather than operational bene-

fits, therefore sometimes compromising on quality. A franchise owned and company operated system is considered best, as people try to work with multiple units and multiple concepts. It creates interdependency, to cope with the inorganic and provides a faster pace of growth.” Zorawar Kalra, founder and managing director, Massive Restaurants, said, “Restaurants have a longer shelf life and the ability to tweak the brand a little in accordance to the customers preferences. The return on investments is directly connected to the cost of land

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

October 16-31, 2014

EVENT ROUNDUP should apps be launched.” He also emphasised on creating a back-end database of the guests with birthdays, etc, in order to provide a personal touch. Highlighting the need to engage and retain workforce, Samir Kuckreja, president, NRAI and founder and CEO, Tasanaya Hospitality, stated, “The hospitality industry is facing a shortage of trained workforce, with attrition rates of 50-100 per cent for staff and 40-60 per cent for managers. The Generation Y requires a flexible work schedule, packages with perks and empowerment to advance their careers.” Discussing the success of western brands in India, Tanmay Kumar, CFO, Burger King, stated, “Foreign brands ensure consistency of quality and experience to customers, and while franchising, the core of the brand remains untouched.” Elaborating on the same, Rahul Kumar, CEO and principal owner, Red Mango India, said, “Customers are either well travelled or knowledgeable about various cuisines and therefore when a new concept is launched here, the success rates automatically become higher, as long as there is value for money.”

Food trends

The government provides grants upto `10 crore for cold chain facilities and upto `50 lakh as food subsidy. We are also looking into providing assistance to food testing labs and private institutions and develop food processing centres acquired and with new business models, new destinations like the Cyber Hub in Gurgaon prove rather difficult choices in terms of returns, as one can open two or three outlets in other places at the cost of one

in these areas. Therefore it might be easier to lease rather than buy the land.” Stating the need for a comprehensive market presence through online marketing techniques apart from traditional

32 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2014

methods, Samir Khandepaun, CEO, Mobikon Asia, stated, “The action plan for marketing must be brand oriented and focus should be given to creating websites compatible with mobiles, and only after that

The second day witnessed award winning chefs from all over the country discussing the new and emerging food trends, fine dining versus the QSR model, etc. Siraj Hussain, secretary, ministry of food processing industries and the chief guest for the event talked about the current scenario of the food processing and restaurant business.“The growth rate of food processing is faster than agriculture. The younger generation eats out more than three times a week. The losses in the supply chain are reducing but still about six18 per cent are lost, especially in rainy seasons. Food wastage starts from the beginning of food chain, the farmers with the raw materials and continues till the end of it with the consumers,” Hussain stated.

“The government provides grants up to `10 crore for cold chain facilities and up to `50 lakhs as food subsidy to the industries. We are also looking into providing assistance to food testing labs and private institutions and develop food processing centres,” added Hussain encouraging the diversity of various food products. According to Hemant Oberoi, corporate chef, luxury division, Taj chain of hotels and grand executive chef, Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, “The boundaries of north and south cuisine have been almost eliminated. The east cuisine was hardly known and the west wasn't popular due to its sweetness. There are more than 25,000 cuisines and people hardly know about a thousand.” Commenting on the upcoming directions that the restaurant industry is going towards, Chef Kunal Kapur, restaurateur and executive sous chef, The Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences, said, “Our regional cuisines in new avatars and with a new twist to the seasonal menu, the various operational formats are flourishing.” “The customers are going back to the roots with authentic and traditional comfort food. The younger generation is looking towards sharing their platters. People are turning vegetarian by choice and changing their lifestyles accordingly,” stated Chef Surjan Singh Jolly, director, food and beverages, JW Marriott, Bangalore. According to Priyank Sukhija, owner, Lazeez Affaire, “The Indian market is growing and the concept of 'Ghar ka Khana is healthy' isn't necessarily believed. Gluten free, healthy food is on the rise though it may take some time to catch up.” The event also witnessed the Indian Restaurant Congress Awards ceremony being graced by Anjan Chatterjee, founder and MD, Speciality Restaurants, along with an esteemed panel of speakers including Chef Imitiaz Qureshi. of ITC Hotels.

EVENT TRACKER Date

Event

Venue

October 17- 19, 2014

Salon du Chocolat - London

London

November 6 - 18, 2014

Salon du Chocolat - Beirut

Beirut (Lebanon)

November 20- 23, 2014

Seoul Int'l Cafe Show

Seoul (Korea South)

October 16- 18, 2014

Oishii Japan

Singapore

October 17- 20, 2014

Megavino

Brussels (Belgium)

October 17- 19, 2014

Coffee Fest - Portland

Portland, OR (USA)

October 20- 21, 2014

Autochtona

Bolzano (Italy)

October 23- 26, 2014

Candy

Tabriz (Iran)

October 23 - 25, 2014

Triestespresso Expo

Trieste (Italy)

Oct 25- Nov 2, 2014

Basler Weinmesse

Basle (Switzerland)

October 27- 29, 2014

Expoalimentaria Peru

Lima (Peru)

November 1, 2014

Seoul International Cafe Show

Seoul

November 6- 8, 2014

Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair

Hong Kong

November 6- 9, 2014

Ottawa Wine & Food Show

Ottawa (Canada)

November 11- 13, 2014

Interwine China

Guangzhou

November 14- 17, 2014

Gluten Free Expo

Brescia (Italy)

November 14 -17, 2014

Coffee world

Taipei (Taiwan)

November 20 -24, 2014

Tea Expo Guangzhou

January 8 - 11, 2015

Expo Natura

Istanbul (Turkey)

January 28- 31, 2015

Gast Expo

Ljubljana (Slovenia)

January 22- 24, 2015

Food Hospitality World Mumbai

BKC, Mumbai

March 2015

Coffee Fest - New York

New York, NY (USA)

March 2- 4, 2015

International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF)

Berlin

March 2-14, 2015

Cornell-Nanyang Advanced Management Programme

New York

March 4-5, 2015

ScotHot

Glasgow

March 13-16, 2015

Hospitality 360°

Singapore

March 16-18, 2015

HR in Hospitality Conference and Expo

Las Vegas

March 18-19, 2015

Alternative Ownership Conference Asia-Pacific

Singapore

April 7- 8, 2015

Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA)

New Delhi

May 3 - 6, 2015

TuttoFood

Milan

May 13-15, 2015

Hospitality Design Expo 2015

Las Vegas

May 31–June 2, 2015

NYU Hospitality Conference

New York

October 2015

Organic Trade Forum

Cologne (Germany)

October 23 - 27, 2015

Host Milan

Italy

Guangzhou (China)

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

October 16-31, 2014

SPOTLIGHT

'All ministries should understand their responsibility' The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) has been taking its collective issues to different ministries. Sarab Jit Singh, vice chairman, FAITH and Subhash Verma, hon. secretary, FAITH talk about why it is important for the prime ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office to give direction to these ministries for greater impact By Sudipta Dev

How is FAITH different from various industry associations in terms of your mission and focus of operation ? Singh: Faith is not an association but a federation of associations. We are not doing what the associations are doing. We are taking the issues collectively to the state and central governments. Till the time we came together we never knew what we were losing out. Earlier when we went and met the government our agenda used to be very small, just one vertical and hardly anything got done. After coming together getting appointments with the senior officials in the ministries has become easier. Also, the agenda has become so important and so powerful now, because it is collectively done, the ministries are listening. The numerous ministries which have an important role to play in the development of tourism in the country, how are you engaging them ? Verma: Tourism is conncted to many ministries, we were limiting our interactions to one ministry only (MoT), now there is a change. FAITH has been taking one voice of the industry, which the ministries appreciated and things have

been happening much faster than before. Singh: There are 15 central ministries who have to do things to ensure growth of tourism, and because there has been no interaction between them and the tourism ministry, things have not been taken forward. We have been interacting with the ministry of commerce, ministry of finance, ministry of environment, ministry of civil aviation, ministry of transport, shipping (cruises are passing by India and not stopping), and even ministry of railways - all are important. While they might have little role to play, but that little role is helping in overall growth of tourism. Your views on the implementation of e-visa initiative? Singh: I will clearly say that e-visa that is going to come soon is only possible because we came together under one roof. It was actually FAITH's document on which the whole thing started off. Yes, it was supported by the ministry of tourism and all others concerned. This will be a game changer for India's tourism. However, it alone cannot give us the resuts that we are aiming for, there are small things to be done by all the ministries and if

34 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2014

we have a common meeting of all the minsitries talking about the issues. For good impact the prime minister of India must call all the ministries and have a day long conference. He has to give them direction. The MoT might not be in a position to take a lead role today. Have you approached the PMO with your request? Singh: We have requested the PM, giving the complete details of what we think and how it should be done. We know what the potential is of the industry in India. Now the time is to reap the benefits. The moment the PM gives authority to MoT, things will start falling in place. We can double up our inbound tourism in three years time. We have a single point agenda for this - that all ministries should understand their responsibility towards the growth of tourism, it is not just tourism but economy of the country. We have requested that the PM should have this meeting within the next month because the earliest the better as we are losing by the day. And the country needs foreign exchange. What have been the important issues that you are tak-

Subhash Verma

Sarab Jit Singh

ing up with different ministries ? Singh: We are trying to engage the ministry of external affairs. The Indian embassies and consulates all over the world have to extend the arm of the tourism sector. We have lost so much of ground. This could have been 20 million arrivals last year. We have met every person from the ministry of finance and are hopeful of positive outcome in the next few months. So much investment has been made by the hotel and transport operators - minimum of 50 hotels in India and more than 200 transport operators are unable to service their loans and financial commitment. Then there is the ministry of commerce that has budgets for tourism activities which have never been utilised. The ministry of commerce is coming with new foreign trade policy and we are hopeful of good benefits. One of this could be the service tax.

want to bring in international tourists to India every segment has to pool in. We are inviting foreign tour operator associations to have their conventions in India. We are working on a British travel operators convention in India next year, Germany a year later. We are trying several other countries as well.

What are the important areas that need to be highlighted in aviation? Verma: Every airline that is bringing business to India or taking business from India should be part of our tourism, which is not happening. If we

What about your plans for organising a global travel mart? Singh: We are very hopeful that next year we will have an India international travel mart. It will be under MoT, being taken care of by FAITH. A professional body will be operating it. This will be a B2B event. You have been engaging the various state governments also ? Verma: Most of the tourism elements are state related so FAITH has approached different state governments. We have a meeting with 20-30 stake holders from the state, analyse the key issues and collect the data. In the evening we go to the government of that state, the tourism secretary, and others. We have done this in Maharahtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, this model has been working very successfully.

STRATEGY

Time for growth RCI organised a conference in Goa recently to celebrate the 40th year of its existence and highlight the immense potential of the timeshare market in India By Sudipta Dev

CI, THE WORLD leader in vacation exchange programmes, celebrated the 40th year of its existence with a day long conference in Goa recently. RCI has more than 135 resorts in India and 4500 properties in a 100 countries. The theme of the conference being 'Imagine Possibilities', Sean Lowe, managing director, RCI Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, acknowledged, “We think that there is great possibility going forward. The Wyndham Group is very excited when it comes to India.” Giving a global perspective, comparing European timeshare story with India's potential Lowe mentioned, “It gives us a lot of hope for the future. We have 100,000 members in India and 300,000 in Europe, it would not surprise me if the numbers cross in the next 10 years.” He believes that what makes India so strong is that there are strong domestic buyers, and is both a source and a destination market. Pali S Badwal, managing director, RCI India stated that there is immense possibility in India to do things differently. There are important factors like staying true to the brand, use data for personalisation, ensure the right culture is in place, empower employees to think creatively, etc. In India, most members, almost 34 per cent holiday in south India, followed by Goa (29 per cent), north India (16 per cent), Mumbai (10 per cent), west India (seven per cent), and east India (four per cent). Internationally, 35 per cent of the members go to the US, Malaysia (20 per cent), Thailand (nine per cent), Indonesia (nine per cent),

Timeshare industry must come under the ministry of tourism as timeshare properties do a lot for a destination, create jobs and bring in tourists

Spain (seven per cent), etc. “The value for Indian members to go on international holidays is great. One benefit is that they pay in Indian rupees. People should book early and benefit, it

is important to move members to book their holidays in advance,” said Badwal. Factors affecting sales include impact of regulations, consumer satisfaction, impact of so-

cial media and the web. “Indian consumers understand benefits of vacations. A survey conducted among non-timeshare owners in India revealed that 44 per cent would consider buying the product,” stated Badwal, pointing out that the potential in India is huge, almost 25 times the current penetration. Splitting of holidays was introduced in the India market sometime back and that has worked well for RCI as well as the developers. The Registry Collection is a luxury global exchange network including 240 properties in 40 countries and has as many as 33,000 members. Gregg Anderson, global VP, The Registry Collection, stated, “We are small but a global leader in our space.” The Rangers Reserve in Corbett is the first property in India that is a part of The Registry Collection. The property is in 40 acres of land within the reserve forest. The panel discussion on timeshare regulations highlighted many critical issues. Moderated by BS Rathor, chairman and principal advisor, All India Resort Development Association (AIRDA) the panel members included – Dinesh Shetty, head–legal and company secretary, Mahindra Holidays; Ramesh Shanmugam, DGM-le-

gal, Sterling Holidays Resorts India; Esperanca Patricio, group director of business development, Karma Royal Group; Sandeep Parekh, founder, Finsec Law Advisors. The panel members felt that it was important for the industry to self regulate itself. “We are trying to get everyone together and consolidate the industry,” said Rathor. “However we have to debate what are the goals of self regulation – we have to understand that first,” asserted Patricio. According to Parekh, it is essential for the vacation ownership sector to achieve three things – branding for minimum standards, an independent body for consumer grievances and removal of confusion between timeshare and financial product. The panel members were unanimous in their views that timeshare industry must come under the ministry of tourism as timeshare properties do a lot for a destination, create jobs and bring in tourists. The new initiatives to be launched by RCI were also unveiled at the conference. These include launch of Tourism Oriented Real Estate (TORE), rentals to utilise excess inventory, training for affiliates, affiliate marketing store, resort visits in Europe for RCI affiliates, and more.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

October 16-31, 2014

TECH TALK

Are you secured...digitally? With increasing cyber crimes and digital attacks, we take a look at how hotels can offer their guests a digitally secured environment By Akshay Kumar

ITH THE increase in IT usage in the hospitality segment, data management has become very efficient. Presently, the hospitality industry is going paperless, with all the data stored on the cloud. This new trend has also given

rise to a new challenge, digital security threat. The need for secure guest digital management is urgent in the wake of increasing attacks and data theft from within the organisation too. Attack on websites or planting of malware on computers used by guests is increasing. According to a survey, India reported the highest number of

36 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2014

malwares globally (15 per cent), also last year a total of 9,174 Indian websites were hacked. Ambrish Deshpande, managing director- India and SAARC, Bluecoat Systems, says, “Hospitality industry is highly unorganised when it comes to security while on the other hand cyber criminals are becoming organised. Almost 90 per cent of the companies have had a security

breach within the last 24 months.” IT use itself is increasing in hotels, but the hospitality industry overall, is not focusing on strong security practices and policies, which puts millions of travellers at high risk. Another serious risk which is often neglected is the loss of business and brand value. Santosh Satam,

founder and chief executive officer, SecurBay Services, added, “Around 52 per cent of the data which needs to be protected is never protected.” The Data Security Council of India, a NASSCOM initiative, stated that the last decade witnessed a paradigm shift of how hackers look to exploit vulnerabilities within the organisation. There is a need to change our

TECH TALK

Santosh Satam

Ambarish Deshpande

AK Vishwanathan

Hospitality industry is highly unorganised when it comes to security while on the other hand cyber criminals are becoming organised. Almost 90 per cent of companies have had a security breach within the last 24 months. Another serious risk which is often neglected is the loss of business and brand value outlook towards security.

Implementing global practices Worldwide, the hospitality industry is following certain security practices which helps in preventing data breach and protecting IT systems. Dhananjay Rokde, chief information security officer, Cox & Kings group, explains, “Security is not a one step process or a one time investment. There should be a measurable increase in the security posture after every milestone.”Some of the global practices which Rokde listed out as efficient are ISMSISO27001; for app security OWASP and SAMM; and for risk management- ISO31000 and BCPISO25999. An ISMS is a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information so that it remains secure. It includes people, processes and IT systems by applying a risk management process. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is an online community which is focused on improving the security of softwares. Another important app security model is 'The Software Assurance

Maturity Model' (SAMM), which is a framework to formulate and implement a strategy for software security that is tailored to the specific risks facing the organisation. The resources provided by SAMM are evaluating an organisation’s existing software security practices; building a balanced software security programme in well-defined iterations; demonstrating concrete improvements to a security assurance programme and defining and measuring security-related activities within an organisation. Risks affecting organisations can have consequences in terms of economic performance and professional reputation, as well as environmental, safety and societal outcomes. Managing risk is very important for the organisation to perform well. Hence, ISO 31000 provides, principles and guidelines, framework and a process for managing risk. Using ISO 31000 can help the organisation increase the likelihood of achieving objectives, improve the identification of opportunities and threats and effectively allocate and use resources for risk treatment

Hotel digital security seminar To address security related key issues in the hospitality industry, a hotel digital security seminar was organised backed by HATT, which is a premium community for 1000+ CXOs from the hospitality, healthcare, aviation, travel and tourism industries. The seminar was addressed by top industry personalities including - Satam; Deshpande; Geet Lulla, vice president- India and Middle East, Seclore; Rokde; and AK Vishwanathan, senior director, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India. The topics which were highlighted in the seminar were - the latest threats in digital security (worms, attacks, viruses, flaws); the immediate action needed to tighten up (priority list, cost, internal policies); and how to get the management's attention and risk/attack management. The seminar was also simultaneously webcasted, wherein the online viewers could attend the webinar and ask questions in real-time.

Geet Lulla

Dhananjay Rokde

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October 16-31, 2014

CAMPUS NOTES

Value education More that a year into operation, the Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management in Mumbai promises to offer the best of infrastructural facilities, placement opportunities and hospitality education in India. B P Sahni, principal of the institute and chairman, Ad-Hoc Board of Studies (hospitality studies), University of Mumbai talks about his institute’s differentiating factors. By Rituparna Chatterjee B P Sahni

ith a vision to impart value education in India, the Raheja Group, which had been running several premier institutes in the country including Sheila Raheja School of Business Management and Research, LS Raheja School of Architecture, LS Raheja School of Art, LS Raheja Technical Institute, opened its hospitality

arm last year in July with the Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management (SR IHM). Located in Mumbai and more than a year into operation, the institute has grown significantly in its student strength from 11 in 2013 to 82 in the current academic session, promising to offer the best of infrastructural facilities, placement opportunities and quality education in the hos-

38 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2014

pitality space. “The Raheja Group believes in imparting value education and they were clear that they wanted to have the best institute and faculty in this domain and hence we started planning for this college five years prior to its opening,” reminisces B P Sahni, principal of the institute and chairman, Ad-Hoc Board of Studies (hospitality studies), University of

Mumbai adding that the college boasts of state-of-the-art infrastructure which includes around eight fully-equipped kitchens, two training restaurants, a placement cell, bakery and confectionery rooms, an IT department, guestrooms for student training, gymnasium to name a few. Affiliated under the University of Mumbai, SR IHM

presently offers four courses BSc in Hospitality Studies, BA in Culinary Arts, Associate Degree in Hospitality Studies and Associate Degree in Culinary Arts. There are also plans to introduce several programmes like MSc in Hotel and Hospitality Administration and Post Graduate Diploma in Food Media by 2015 along with Post Graduate Degree in Facility Management and a

CAMPUS NOTES

The government should cancel the licenses of colleges who are conducting distance education through the open university scheme hospitality management programme in the near future. “We have already put a proposal to the University of Mumbai for the MSc in Hotel and Hospitality Administration course. This master's degree will be both a two and a three year programme which we are planning to start in 2015. Whereas the Post Graduate Diploma in Food Media will start as an autonomous programme and later on we will get an university affiliation,” elaborates Sahni. With the Raheja Group having their stake in various hotels, students post their studies, can either be absorbed in these

hotels or can choose to opt for any other hotel visiting the campus. “There are eight hotels under the management of Sandeep Raheja and there are 35-40 hotels under the Raheja Group which is an added advantage for students,” he adds.

International connection With many hospitality colleges in India opting for international tie-ups to keep its students abreast of the latest hospitality trends globally, SR IHM is also looking forward to tying-up with the University of West London. “We are also looking forward to

having student and teacher exchange programmes so that professors from both the colleges can learn from their counterparts, while students can be kept abreast of the latest technological developments,” he opines, adding that presently they have six full-time faculty members and they are planning to invite a chef from The Culinary Institute of America as a guest lecturer. Speaking about the current scenario in hospitality education in India, he states, “Our education system needs to be controlled in terms of quality. There are a lot open universities cropping up which do not provide proper hospitality education. The government should cancel the licenses of colleges who are conducting distance education through the open university scheme since this is destroying the hospitality education segment in India. Moreover, teachers need to keep themselves updated on the latest technological developments in this segment through research and pass on this information to students,” says Sahni, adding that there is also a need to improve the working conditions and salary structure of hospitality professionals in order to retain the best talent. “India produces one of the best hospitality professionals in the world. 18 to 19 per cent of students go abroad within a period of one to two years since the motivational levels are low, the salary is pathetic. It is important that a decent salary is paid to students to retain this talent pool,” he suggests.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

October 16-31, 2014

MOVEMENTS HRAWI HRAWI held its 64th annual general meeting (AGM) to elect office bearers for the term 2014-15. At the AGM, BHARAT MALKANI, managing director, Hotel Transit was elected as president. The other office bearers are Dilip Datwani as senior vice president, Gurbaxish Singh Kohli as vice president, Pradeep Shetty as honorary secretary, Sherry Bhatia as joint honorary

Regent Mumbai (now Taj Land’s End), senior manager at The Leela Kempinski, Mumbai to name a few.

Sheraton Bangalore DEVESH RAWAT has been appointed as executive assistant manager at Sheraton Bangalore. With over 15 years of experience with leading hospitality brands, Rawat is proficient in profit maximisa-

of Brigade Group’s expansion plan in the coming years. Taraporwala comes with eight years of experience in the hospitality industry majorly focu sing in the field of operations and sales. His prior stint was with Bengaluru based Cushman and Wakefield.

Grand Mercure Bangalore

Bharat Malkani

Devesh Rawat

Gaurav Shiva

secretary and Prem Tiwari as honorary treasurer for the same term.

tion, development of new concepts and guest experience initiatives. Prior to joining Sheraton Bangalore, he worked at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park as director of food and beverage. Rawat has a varied experience across several hospitality brands like The Leela Palace, JW Marriott Mumbai, Renaissance Hotel and Convention Centre Mumbai, Taj Malabar Kochi, Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur.

GAURAV SHIVA has been appointed as general manager of Grand Mercure Bangalore. Shiva has over 17 years of experience in the hotel industry and has been associated with a wide gamut of departments within the hospitality space. He has been associated with the pre-opening of Grand Mercure hotels in Goa and Bengaluru. During his previous appointments he developed and implemented procedures ensuring standards and high commitment to quality.

Four Points by Sheraton Pune VIJAYAN GANGADHARAN has been appointed as general manager of Four Points by Sheraton Pune. With over 26 years of experience with leading hospitality brands and prior to his current role, he was executive assistant manager at Sheraton Bangalore. His previous stints include, director of food and beverage in Grand Hyatt Mumbai as well as in Hyatt Regency Mumbai for more than ten years . He also served as food and beverage manager for three years at The

Vijayan Gangadharan

SANDY RUSSELL has been appointed as vice president of commercial operations, Asia Pacific at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. She will report directly to Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia Pacific and will be a member of the Asia Pacific executive committee. In her role, Russell will be responsible for driving revenue generation strategies in the region, across the disciplines of global and regional sales, revenue optimisation, branding and marketing.

Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences. Kishan has more than 17 years of work experience in the hospitality industry spanning India, Switzerland, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia. Prior to joining the Accor Group, Kishan was at The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata as executive assistant manager. In his current role, Kishan will be spearheading all aspects of the hotel.

ibis Chennai Sipcot

JAMSHED TARAPORWALA has been appointed as business development manager for hospitality projects at Brigade Group. His core responsibility will be to identify and source locations to develop hotels which are a part

Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences JAI KISHAN has been appointed as general manager of

RAJESH GOPALAKRISHNAN has been appointed as general manager of ibis Chennai Sipcot. In his leadership role, he will be responsible for spearheading operations at ibis Chennai Sipcot. Prior to this, Gopalakrishnan was the general manager of The Raintree Hotel, St Mary’s.

Jamshed Taraporwala

Jai Kishan

Rajesh Gopalakrishnan

Brigade Group

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Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Gopalakrishnan joined the Accor Group in December 2005 as executive chef for Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC. His journey includes various diverse roles within the Accor group leading to a transition from food and beverage to a resident manager of Novotel Hyderabad Airport.

Six Senses Samui STEFANO LEONE has been appointed as chef de cuisine at the signature restaurant of Six Senses Samui, Dining on the Rocks. His experience in the industry covers 25 years in various places including The Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda; Savoy Hotel & Spa in the Seychelles; InterContinental Citystars Cairo Hotel in Egypt, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jakarta in Indonesia and Karma Samui in Thailand, to name a few.

Stefano Leone

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weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Flair in the air Palladium Hotel continued its fashion fever as, close on the heels of the popular Lakmé Fashion Week it was the happy venue for the Myntra Fashion Weekend. As usual, the action was at the eighth and ninth levels of the hotels as also higher up on the 38th floor for the after-party. The cheer was also on at the Flipsydee VIP lounge with special guests availing of the beverages and hors d’oeuvres in between shows. The three-day fashion feast culminated in a highenergy show with Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan presenting his HRX brand with acrobatic dancers and models on roller blades, bicycles and skateboards. And, of course, the showstopper was Hrithik Roshan. All in all, it turned out to be a good outing. Dolly Thakore at the Manhattan Short opening party at Wink Riddhi Mapxencar, Urvashi Rautela and Siddhi Mapxencar at Westin Mumbai Garden City

Movie magic

Fabulous fusion It was a fabulous fusion of fashion and food at Westin Mumbai Garden City that teamed up with Jyotiee Balani to present a preview of designer twins Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxencar’s Indo-Western collection. Charosa wines did the rounds among the many guests who also relished the food inspired by fashion conjured by celebrity chef Ajay Chopra. Also on view were designer display cakes inspired by the chic collection. Bringing alive the new collection were Parvathy Omanakuttan, Rashmi Nigam, Urvashi Rautela, Amruta Patki and Divya Chouksey who were all dressed in the designer duo’s creations.

Hirthik Roshan at Myntra Fashion Weekend at Palladium Hotel

Wink at Vivanta by Taj – President was the happy venue for the opening party of global film festival Manhattan Short 2014. Honoured on opening night were the winners: Stalin Massey from Mumbai, Romi Meitei from Imphal and Gowtham Namasivayam from Chennai who were chosen through the ‘Vote for India’ initiative. It was the night after the thunderstorm had taken Mumbai by surprise but this did not dampen the spirits of the many guests who walked in for some movie magic and to sip Jameson and other spirits and have a bite of the hors d’oeuvres. And the talk was on the Manhattan Short, the film festival established in 1998 in New York City by Nicholas Mason, now in its fifth consecutive year in India.

German gala The first-ever Indo-German Job Fair at the Trident turned out to be success with more than 20 Indo-German companies and over 500 visitors. At the media meet on the 35th floor of the hotel were Director General of IGCC Bernhard Steinruecke, German Consul General Michael Siebert, Sabine Olthof of APD, Stefan Helming of GIZ India and Apoorv Mahendru of DAAD. Later, the action continued at the Regal Room for the 58th AGM of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce with Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India as chief guest and guest of honour Michael Steiner, German Ambassador to India. And it all ended with a reception in true German style with German beer and sausages that made you think of Oktoberfest. Bernard Steinruke, Michael Siebert, Sabine Olthof, Stefan Helming and Apoorv Mahendru at the German fair at Trident

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weekend

E V E N T S

WINNING GLORY L-R: Tanuj Virwani, actor and Chef Abhiru Biswas, head of academy, Barry Callebaut India at the World Chocolate Masters India Selection held in Mumbai where Chef Vikas Bagul of The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Mumbai, was declared the winner for the India finals of the World Chocolate Master Championship organised by Cacao Barry in partnership with Callebaut

FIRST FOOTSTEPS Atul Borkar (centre), executive sales director, Hafele India recently inaugurated Hafele's new design studio at Andheri West, Mumbai

EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION Vijay Amritraj, former Indian tennis player, recently unveiled the Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection by Grover Zampa Vineyards at The Leela Mumbai

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE Hilton HHonors, the loyalty programme for Hilton Worldwideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 11 hotel brands, recently announced its partnership with AirAsia BIG during an event held in New Delhi. The partnership will allow members of both AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme and Hilton HHonors to earn BIG Points and HHonors Points during their stay at any of the 4,200 hotels and timeshare properties within the Hilton portfolio around the globe

ART OF GOOD LIVING L-R: Deepak Bhatnagar, president - sales and marketing, Sula; Chef Ajay Chopra, executive chef, The Westin Mumbai Garden City; Cecilia Oldne, global brand ambassador, Sula; and Jake Jacob, VP Asia, Constellation Brands at the exclusive 'Ruffino Degustation Dinner' hosted by Sula and Jake Jacob at The Westin Mumbai Garden City

58 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2014

GRAND CELEBRATION Sean Lowe, managing director, RCI - Europe, Middle East, Africa and India at the RCI Timeshare Conference which was organised at the Holiday Inn, Cavelossim, Goa to mark the completion of RCI's 40 years of operations

REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2012/42381, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-383/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2, 3, 4 & 17,18,19 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.