I N D I A’ S F O R E M O S T H O S P I TA L I T Y P U B L I C AT I O N ER ST W H I L E E X PR E S S H O S P I TA L I T Y •
F O R T N I G H T LY I N S I G H T F O R T H E F O O D A N D H O S P I T A L I T Y T R A D E
July 1-15, 2015 Vol 3 | No. 20 | Pages 104| `50
EDITOR’S NOTE
25 years of playing catalyst The recently concluded Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 exhibition in Bengaluru meant different things to different people. For the robust participants, both vendors as well as buyers, it proved to be a perfect platform for effective networking, wherein serious industry players did the rounds of the White Orchid Convention Centre, the venue of the event. For the panel members of the GM’s Conclave (under the banner Hospitality Think Tank) this event proved to be the right place for some frank conversations. They candidly discussed about what went wrong with Bengaluru as a potential MICE destination when it had the advantage vis-à-vis its other counterparts and how the situation can be improved upon. For the housekeepers fraternity, the Hospitality Knowledge Exchange session on Green Housekeeping highlighted the issues and challenges in today’s times and how hotels can promote responsible luxury. For the members associated with the purchase departments of hotels, the Power of Purchase special seminar at the FHW event was always a perfect zone to deliberate upon their future course of action. For the winners of the second edition of the Hospitality Trailblazers awards event, (15 spe-
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“We are glad to work as catalysts to bring the hospitality industry’s thinktankon a common platform to discuss the wayforward for this robust industry”
ciality restaurants that were honoured on this special platform) it was a moment of pride - their contribution in the field of cuisine excellence and food craft specialisation was honoured and recognised. For those who were participating in the bakery competition, it was all about competing on a stage that gave them an opportunity to prove their culinary talent and hone these skills further. FHW also for the first time gave CeBIT INDIA – Insight series a podium to discuss challenges related to IT in hospitality. However for us at FHW, it was about achieving yet another milestone - the 25th edition of the trade show which started out years ago as HospitalityWorld. It’s truly humbling to know that we have come this far. We are glad to work as catalysts to bring the hospitality industry’s think tank on a common platform to discuss the way forward for this robust industry that surely is one of the most promising employment generators in the service sector.
REEMA LOKESH Editor
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CONTENTS Vol 3 No 20 JULY 1-15, 2015
SPA & WELLNESS
Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy Senior Associate Editor Sudipta Dev
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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 Mitesh Manjrekar Photo Editor Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Prateek Sahay Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES Soumodip Ghosh Dhananjay Makharia PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis Manager Bhadresh Valia
FHW’S SILVER EDITION
FOUR STATES, ONE SPA SPA BY JW IN THE RECENTLY OPENED JW MARRIOTT MUMBAI SAHAR IS THE FIRST IN ASIA PACIFIC & IS BASED ON THE CORE CONCEPTS OF CALM, INDULGE, INVIGORATE & RENEW
INTERIORS & DESIGN
ROLLS OUTIN BENGALURU The 25th edition of Food HospitalityWorld (FHW) in Bengaluru witnessed manyfirsts.The Professional Housekeepers’Association participated for the first time while a Baking Contest with live demos byInstitute of Baking & Cake Art (IBCA) and the ‘HospitalityIT’sphere through the CeBITInsight Series made their debuts (24-43)
MARKETS P14: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK InterContinental Hotels Group, Middle East
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MEININGER HOTELS TO ENTER INDIA WITH DESIGNER BUDGET PROPERTIES
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OLIVE TREE TRADING TO EXPAND ITS HOSPITALITY CLIENT BASE
P16: PRODUCT TRACKER The Great Eastern Home
P82: LIFE The community and beyond
P84: MOVEMENTS Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
P99: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista
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INDULGE BEVERAGES TO EXPAND BONHOMIA RANGE BY END OF 2015
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SOCIALISING AT THE ZONE ZONE BY THE PARK, JAIPUR USES DESIGN TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION BETWEEN ITS GUESTS AND THE DESTINATION
EDGE
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INTERVIEW: ESTABLISHED IN 1995, NRC AGRO'S EFFICIENT SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND STRONG LOGISTIC SUPPORT HAVE ENABLED IT TO DELIVER ON TIME
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). Copyright © 2015 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.
MARKETS
Meininger Hotels to enter India with designer budget properties Archana Sharma New Delhi LOOKING to penetrate the Indian market, Meininger Hotels, owned by Cox and Kings and with 16 hotels across Europe, is exploring partnership opportunities in the Indian market. Talking about their plans, Navneet Bali, CEO, Meininger Hotels, stated, “The company should
be able to sign its first property in India soon and will be able to make it operational within a year’s time after necessary refurbishments as per brand standards.” Highlighting the accommodation offerings of Meininger group, Bali points out it will cater to a market segment that has been left out so far. “We are a designer budget brand providing a
hostel experience, giving the guest the opportunity to 'book by the bed', ranging from classic double, twin or multiple bed private rooms to dormitory rooms with multiple beds,” he stated. Bali believes that the flexibility in the room concept enables the Meininger brand to combine the traditional markets of hostels like school groups, backpackers, flashpackers,
as well as family and business travellers. So far the company have identified about 15 locations in the country for brand expansion which include both religious destinations like Amritsar, Shirdi, Varanasi, Tirupati, as well as leisure and business locations like Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Goa, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad,
Chennai and Kolkata. Bali also informed that they are looking at other markets outside Europe, in South Asia and the US and Canada regional markets. Talking about the business model for expansion, Bali said that the lease model has worked well for Meininger and they are following the same model in India as well.
Hospitality for a complete pilgrim experience 'In the Footsteps of Lord Rama' attracts inbound travellers Sudipta Dev Mumbai DAIWIK HOTELS that has properties in Rameshwaram and Shirdi with upcoming projects in Tirupati and Dwarka, offers not just hospitality but a complete pilgrim experience. The Rameshwaram property and its well researched 'In the Footsteps of Lord Rama' tour have become popular with inbound travellers. “We have created Rameshwaram as a new destination in terms of organised travel. We have got terrific response from inbound operators, we see a lot of foreign guests,” said Debashis Ghosal, MD and CEO, Daiwik Hotels. Daiwik Hotels has engaged the well known historian and writer Subhadra Sen Gupta for developing these experiences. 'In the Footsteps of Lord Rama' is
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Debashis Ghosal
based on Valmiki's Ramayana, according to which Lord Rama visited 15-16 places. “All these spots are in the vicinity of around 150-200 km around the Ramanathapuram district. The area played an important part in the Ramayana prior to the conquest of Lanka. The tour typically takes two days. It is inter-
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esting to see foreigners taking so much interest in these places. We have been selling the tour hard to schools and education institutions,” mentioned Ghosal. NRIs form a significant percentage of travellers. “We now have a relationship with some international groups who come and take our hotel - from 50 to 90 rooms for six-seven days. The
banquets are used for Ramkatha and other religious discourses,” stated Ghosal, adding that the other groups are through inbound tour operators - from France and other European countries. He pointed out that from Madurai's Meenakshi temple they have started spending time in Rameshwaram as well. They are primarily interested in
architecture and the beauty of the place. The hotel in Shirdi was opened in January this year. “We have rebranded an existing hotel, and have made additions in terms of facilities, security system, safety standards, etc,” said Ghosal. Tirupati and Dwarka are both greenfield projects. The company is in advanced talks with some brownfield and finished properties for branding and operations as well in more pilgrim destinations. “In Shirdi property also we will introduce a unique tour. Similarly, Dwarka which is rich in Hindu mythology will have interesting tours after the property comes up there. Pilgrimage travel is totally unexploited till date, we need standardisation. With more players coming in it is better for the pilgrim tourism sector,” avers Ghosal.
MARKETS
Olive Tree Trading to expand its hospitality client base Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai IMPORTING fine Mediterranean food ingredients and premium products for over 14 years in the India market, Olive Tree Trading is looking at expanding its business clients in the hospitality industry. The company is already associated with hotels such as The Taj, Marriott, Oberoi, Hyatt and Leela. The online store was launched in mid 2012 offering discounts
for top quality products. Suku Shah, chairman and managing director, Olive Tree Trading informed, “We source our products from USA, Peru, Italy, Switzerland,
Finland, Greece, Spain, France. We offer healthy vegan alternatives for dairy like silk almond and soy milk, silken tofu, Olea Europaea authentic Italian-style pesto,
highest fruit content jams, raw Italian honey, lowered sodium products like the Olea Europaea range of hand stuffed olives, baked rye snacks through our online store and select retail stores across India.” The company will be introducing high-end truffle oil, organic quinoa, high end compact expresso machines along with (nespresso compatible) single origin coffee capsules and many new gourmet products, in the coming months.
The company is already associated with hotels such as The Taj, Marriott, Oberoi, Hyatt and Leela Suku Shah
HRAWI advises members to be FSSAI compliant FHW Staff Mumbai The Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) has backed the health ministry’s proposal to the Union Cabinet for revamping the food regulatory structure in the country. In a recent communication, the association has asked its members to be fully co-operative with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and expedite completing the process of seeking conversions and renewals for existing license or registration. The health ministry has sent a `1,700-crore proposal to the Union Cabinet for a major overhaul of the food regulatory structure. The ob-
jectives of the proposal are to strengthen the states’ inspection apparatus, bolster the FSSAI’s manpower, give the FSSAI more powers and ensure that the authority has access to state-of-the-art technology. Bharat Malkani, President, HRAWI said, “The HRAWI has always been a proactive institution when it comes to adopting safety and hygiene standards in the industry. We have always worked as a partner with the government in the interest of hospitality and tourism in the country. There is a big need to reform the regulatory structure because inconsistencies in food safety and standards are serious issues and if not addressed, will negatively affect the image of tourism in the long run. We
fully back the health ministries’ proposal and wish to assert its importance to the union cabinet.” The FSSAI has assigned August 4, 2015 as the deadline for obtaining Food Business Operator (FBO)'s license for all food businesses, from roadside eateries to restaurants. The deadline is applicable for FBOs seeking conversions and renewals for existing license or registra-
tion under a repealed order. Malkani added, “We are grateful to the FSSAI to have given FBOs time to comply with the required standards in order to obtain the licenses. It is a Herculean task to incorporate the changes in procedures and protocols but we understand the need for it and are doing everything it takes to meet the deadline. In fact to carry out due diligence at the primary
There is a big need to reform the regulatory structure because inconsistencies in food safety and standards are serious issues
level, we have set up a noncommercial food testing laboratory in Vadodara that follows global standards of food safety and hygiene. This benefits thousands of FBOs including bakery federations, catering associations, food retail traders and mithaiwala associations, among others in testing their products. This arrangement provides the kind of service that also helps hoteliers maintain standardised practices and helps keep up with the standards required to be maintained by the food authorities. The end objective is to ensure that there is no negligence with regards to food safety and hygiene. We hope to achieve this standard across the country and will support the food authority in this endeavour.”
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MARKETS
Indulge Beverages to expand Bonhomia range by end of 2015 Rituparna Chatterjee Bengaluru INDULGE BEVERAGES, a New-Delhi based three-year-old startup manufacturing coffee and tea capsules under the brand name Bonhomia, has plans to aggressively expand this range in the India market by end of 2015. The Bonhomia range offers high altitude coffee and premium gourmet teas in the capsule format compatible with the Nespresso machine. The Bonhomia range had a soft launch in Delhi last year, followed by Bengaluru, Mumbai, among others by mid 2014. "Till
last year we had two coffee and two tea blends under our range and recently we launched four coffee blends – Bonhomia Organic Bliss, Bonhomia Black Veil, Bonhomia Artisan Chocolate and Bonhomia Artisan Vanilla. We have plans to expand to about 12-13 coffee and tea blends by the end of 2015,” stated Tuhin Jain, CMO, Indulge Beverages adding, “After the seed funding, we received our first round of funding through high-net-worth individuals and since we are expanding rapidly, we will certainly look for another round of funding to help us grow larger.”
Tuhin Jain
Established in 2012, Indulge Beverages undertook extensive R&D from 2012-13 before finally launching the capsules in 2014. "Since the launch we have upgraded the product three times, launching three new generations of capsules. The second generation came out in July, the third in December and the fourth is expected to come out soon," added Jain. The product is priced at `35 per capsule, `350 for a pack of 10 for retail sales and `3500 for a pack of 100 for institutional sales. Its client base includes Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Taj Group, Ritz Carlton, Starwood,
Accor, Scarlett (French cafe), Indian Accent Restaurant & Bar, Monkey Bar, and gourmet food chains like Modern Bazaar Department Store, The Good Food Co, Foodhall and Godrej Nature’s Basket among others. When asked about the acceptability of the coffee capsules concept in the India market, Jain remarked, "As a market, India tends to ape the West at an accelerated pace. The concept has already picked up in the country with restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, among others rapidly stocking their shelves with more of this product."
Perfecting the art of coffee roasting Sudipta Dev Dubai RAW COFFEE COMPANY is a boutique roastery that was started about eight years ago in Dubai when the concept of coffee roasting was nascent in the emirate. The founders slowly built a customer base in the city. The main business is wholesale and Raw Coffee Company supplies to 90 different cafes within the region. “We are now trying to expand and go into retail. We are planning to open more cafes also,” said Drew Dennehy, operations manager, Raw Coffee Company. The company imports coffee from 15 different countries, with 20-25 variants. “We want to provide Dubai with raw products that do not have any additives or chemicals, is 100 per cent organic and Fair
Trade,” stated Dennehy. The company understood the need to engage experts and professionals who have indepth knowledge of coffee roasting. “Coffee is not a stable product, it is changing all the time, the flavour profile subtly changes even in the roastery. Then there is the crops difference from year to year,” mentioned Dennehy. He gives the example of Ethipian Sidamo coffee, which has flavour characteristics like dark chocolate and citrus notes, but those citrus notes can change from tangerine to lemon or lime. “It is necessary to have the knowledge of manipulating the roast profile to cook that bean,” he asserted. Not surprisingly, constant training is the backbone of the business - both chemical and physical aspects of coffee. Expats who are used to
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coffee culture are the main client segment, but Dennehy pointed out that lately their outlet has been attracting the locals as well. “We will be serving Turkish coffee but it
will be our way of doing it, not the traditional way. In terms of popularising, Dubai is open to welcoming any thing Western - from design to food to brands, so to boost coffee cul-
ture we need to educate expatriates as well as locals here why they would choose to drink Raw Coffee over a major brand like Starbucks,” he said.
MARKETS
Polo Towers Group ties up with Indian Railways, sets up hotel in Allahabad
Dubai introduces luxury dining on wheels Sudipta Dev Dubai THE NEWLY introduced double decker Gourmet Bus does city tour of Dubai while serving guests a delectable five course dinner. The two hour tour includes the best attractions in the emirate in the aesthetically built state-of-the art coach incorporating the latest technology. After Barcelona, Dubai is the second city to introduce a Gourmet Bus. All the guests can see the route on the iPad that is incorporated in the dining table so they get to know details about the landmarks as the bus goes around the city. Audio commentary is available in many languages. The tour starts from Dubai Mall and passes through Burj Khalifa, Palm
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Wissam Shaiban
Jumeirah, Zabeel Palace, Sheikh Zayed Road and Burj Al Arab. The final stop is Madinat Jumeirah. The bus has a glass roof which provides a panoramic view of the city. It has a small kitchen. Interestingly, dinner is not served while the bus is moving. “It is parked next to Burj
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Al Arab and guests are offered a five star gourmet dinner,” said Wissam Shaiban, general manager, GourmetBus, adding that international cuisine is served during the tour including cold starters, hot starters, main dish and desserts. Guests have to book in advance and inform about their choice – whether they want to be served vegetarian, chicken or fish. This new luxury dining experience on wheels can also be hired for MICE events. At a time 30 people can dine in the double decker coach. In summer time the tours will be in the evening from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm, later according to Shaiban, more tours will be introduced. “There are also plans to introduce afternoon tea tours soon,” he mentioned.
Joy Roy Choudhury Kolkata SHILLONG BASED Hotel Polo Towers Group has launched Hotel Polo Max and Food Court in Allahabad railway station compound. The group has entered into a PPP with Ircon Infrastructure & Services (IrconISL) under ministry of railways, GoI to set up the hotel in Allahabad. IrconISL is developing Multi-Functional Complexes (MFCs) in identified stations for providing rail users facilities like shopping, book-shops, medicine, variety stores, food plazas, budget hotels, underground parking facilities, etc. Out of the 50 identified stations for the development of MFCs, the Railway Board has proposed to take up work at 24 railway station premises in phases serving places of pilgrimage, industry and tourist interest through IrconISL and Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). Land on long term lease basis is arranged by RLDA. The Allahabad hotel was recently inaugurated by Suresh Prabhu, Union railway minister. “Our
commitment is to create world-class hospitality and dining facilities for the people,” said Deval Tibrewalla, CEO & Director, Hotel Polo Towers Group. Apart from the hotel facilities, the complex features a food court. The highlights of the food court include large screens for sporting events, a variety of cuisines from all over the world, and music. Polo Food Court Allahabad will soon feature real-time train information for the convenience of travellers. The group currently owns hotels and resorts in Shillong, Cherrapunjee and Tura in Meghalaya. Commenting on the group's immediate future plans, Tibrewalla said, "We aim to launch 50 such properties. The next is similar kind of a project within the Jabalpur railway station compound in Madhya Pradesh, which will be launched shortly.” The chain will soon introduce app based check-in using near field communications thereby making the room key redundant for its guests. Additions such as room service ordering through the app and settling of bills on the mobile phone are in the pipeline.
MARKETS
IIHM Young Chef India Schools 2015' to be bigger and better this year Joy Roy Choudhury Kolkata ‘IIHM Young Chef India Schools – 2015', the annual culinary competition organised by International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), Kolkata and supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India, and is aimed at spotting budding talent at high school level (XI / XII) with a flair for cooking, is back in its new avatar. Many leading schools of the country are taking part in the event. The preliminary rounds for the competition have already been successfully conducted at the different campuses of IIHM, located in Kolkata, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Bengaluru and the regional semi-finals and finals are lined up soon. The regional finalists will be flown to London where in the presence of leading chefs and culinary experts they will participate in an international culinary format and battle for the coveted title of ‘Young Chef India’. The finals will be held at the University of West London in September. “The objective of organising this event is not only to get another young chef champion but also to promote cooking and culinary arts as a life skill,” said Dr. Suborno Bose, chairman and chief mentor, IndiSmart Group Worldwide, which owns and runs IIHM Hotel School. Over the last decade there has been a substantial growth in travel and tourism and hospitality businesses across the country. F&B is driving the growth of the Indian hospitality industry. Studies reveal Indian that consumers are increasingly spending large sum of money on eating out with their family and friends on weekends and holidays, churning up a huge appetite for the global QSR and CDR business.
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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
InterContinental Hotels Group, Middle East INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS Group (IHG) has announced four new signings across four brands in the Middle East: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Hotel Indigo. The signings will see the hotel company grow its presence by about 600 rooms across the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia over the next three to five years. Together with Diamond Developers, IHG will open the second Hotel Indigo in the UAE due to open in 2017. IHG has further strengthened its relationship with the Bukhamseen Group in Kuwait with a multi-deal signing. IHG will manage a new 120-room InterContinental hotel and 232-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Farwaniya, Kuwait; whilst the existing Crowne Plaza Kuwait will be converted into a 336-room Holiday Inn. In addition, a 20-year renewal has been signed for the 189-room Holiday Inn Kuwait Salmiyah. Saudi Arabia continues to be a key market for IHG and this is demonstrated by the signing of a franchise agreement for the first Holiday Inn in Tabuk with DUR Hospitality Company.
Hotel openings in New York City NEW YORK CITY reached 102,000 hotel rooms in its active inventory and is on track to reach more than 115,000 rooms by 2017. Here is a list of the new openings. Baccarat Hotel combines 114 art deco-inflected rooms; chandelier-hung salons; a bar inspired by Versailles’s stables; and a modern-French restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Shea Gallante and former La Grenouille host Charles Masson. The 128-room Marmara Park Avenue offers Turkish tinges like wines from a celebrated vineyard in the country’s Anatolia region and hammam treatments at its spa. Centrally located on 24th street and Madison Avenue, The New York EDITION sits directly across from New York’s Madison Square Park. Hotel Central Park is a 229-room eco-conscious escape designed by AvroKo. The Renwick will open in August with 173 artfully appointed loft-like rooms and a restaurant from a to-be-announced star chef. Reopenings include - SIXTY SoHo, Martha Washington, The Knickerbocker, The Gregory and Warwick.
JW Marriott Hotel Zhejiang Anji, China JW MARRIOTT HOTELS & Resorts continues to expand its luxury portfolio in China with the opening of the 228-room JW Marriott Hotel Zhejiang Anji. Accommodations range from the 45sq m Deluxe Garden Rooms to a range of luxurious suites. Guests are invited to explore the hotel’s two restaurants - fine dining restaurant Man Ho and all-day dining restaurant JW Kitchen. The 573sq m Grand Ballroom seats 380 guests banquet style. In addition, five meeting rooms, each accommodating up to 80 guests, offer flexible seating plans and comprehensive business facilities. A fully-equipped Health Club offers a range of state-of-the-art fitness equipment.
Chili’s American Grill & Bar, Mumbai
Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 4
CHILI’S AMERICAN GRILL & Bar has opened at Inorbit Mall, Vashi in Mumbai. After six years in the country, the Inorbit Mall, Vashi restaurant is the 12th in India. The menu sees the inclusion of favourites like Terlingua Chili, Bombay Burger, Original BBQ Ribs, Veggie and Cheese Quesadillas, Big Mouth Burgers, Presidente Margarita and more. The brand also recently introduced lunch and dinner combo offers for corporate and regular walk-ins.
PLAZA PREMIUM LOUNGE Management has opened the first independent lounge at the Departures of London Heathrow Terminal 4. It has four shower rooms for travellers who want to refresh themselves before their onward journey. The lounge has a VIP area with a separate entrance to the lounge and three private resting suites. Guests can use the area for meetings, spending time with family and friends, enjoying a relaxing massage or sleep in the private resting suites. Connectivity is key in the lounge with complimentary Wi-Fi throughout and plenty of plug sockets for tablets, laptops and mobile phones.
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MARKETS
Ariane Fine Porcelain offers safe alternative to bone china crockery FHW Staff Mumbai THERE IS A LONG list of things to worry about when it comes to food choices - trans fats, additives, pesticide residues and GMOs - but the list doesn't end here, it also extends up to the crockery that we eat from. So every time that one eats from bone china crockery, they are consuming a cocktail of slaughterhouse byproducts and toxins. As an alternative to bone china crockery, Ariane Fine Porcelain's products are 100 per cent vegetarian, devoid of bone ash and are made of 100 per cent natural raw materials like kaolin, quartz and feldspar imported from the mines of Europe. At the manufacturing facility of Ariane Fine Porcelain, one can witness a combination of Italian and German machinery, advanced technical know-how and a creative team of professional experts to produce a high-alumina, cutting edge porcelain tableware brand.
Peruma Reddy
Speaking on this, Peruma Reddy, CEO, Umberto Ceramics International stated, “We have the most modern presentday iso-static press at the hand of which we can produce superior quality porcelain tableware. We also have an automatic cup production plant by which cups are produced with utmost precision. Our unit is also equipped with a high-pressure casting machine. We aim
to expand our production and import even more modern German and Italian machineries to help us sustain the growing demands of our products nationally and internationally. “ Reddy added, “We also offer OEM service to globally renowned brands. Our easy reach distribution strategy comprises of strategic tie-ups with leading hotel suppliers and Industry players worldwide. We have an all India reach and are present in all the hospitality procurement hubs located in India. We have already set foot in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, aiming to expand worldwide.” Ariane Fine Porcelain offers many additional benefits in comparison to bone china. The high firing temperatures combined with in-glaze and reactive-glaze processes that is used to create porcelain, contributes to safety when used in microwaves and ovens. Porcelain crockery is exceedingly durable, strong and heavy making it apt for commercial use. Also, Ariane fine Porcelain guarantees reduced risk of chipping, high scratch and thermal resistance and significantly lesser warpage. Functionality is important but satisfaction to the eye is inevitable. To this effect, Ariane Fine Porcelain collections are designed by experienced and renowned European designers who combine a contemporary feel with individualism. The Ariane Décor Studio offers distinct and diverse colour options to customers seeking a tailored look.
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July 1-15, 2015
PRODUCT TRACKER
The Great Eastern Home The Great Eastern Home has introduced its classic Italian style furniture. This collection is a blend of Italian aesthetics and functionality. Made from different types of solid wood, one can choose from an array of spacious beds, complimenting wardrobes, dressing units with artistically designed mirror frames, side tables with storage space and much more. ● Italian style bedroom – is made of solid walnut wood ● lassic Italian cabinet – is from Netherland made of Mahogany wood. It’s a 60 years old antique piece ● Classic Italian table – is made with Oak wood ● Italian style mirror- handcrafted in brass
Greenlight Planet GREENLIGHT PLANET has introduced Sun King Pro All Night- a solar-powered lamp that can be charged in sunlight and serves the dual purpose of a phone charger and torch during the night. It is portable, light, easy to carry around and flexible. It comes with a USB port which you can be used to charge all kinds of smart phones. The product is priced at `1800. Features of Sun King Pro All Night: ● The Sun King Pro All Night delivers 45 hours of light in a sunny day’s charge ● It comes with a USB port that can charge all kinds of smart phones, is compact and easy to carry while travelling ● It has a five-year battery life ● Powerful lighting, three brightness modes, compact, strong, and portable build, intuitive battery life and solar charging displays
Prego PREGO HAS INTRODUCED its product- Blast Chiller, which can rapidly cooling down freshly prepared food to a low temperature (+70 to +3 / -18), so that it is relatively safe from bacterial growth. Food can be stored in it for three months without any loss of the food's freshness, taste and odour. While vaccum packing removes air around a food product and then seals the product. Maintenance of Prego Blast Chiller ● It is very simple to maintain the equipment ● After utilising the machine, it can be cleaned by spraying water into the body ● Trays and core probe must be placed at the right place, where it belongs to ● Prego provides AMC for regular maintenance Main features of Prego vaccum packing are: ● Protects food from the air, preventing oxidation ● Preserves taste, moisture and texture ● Stores pre-prepared foods and ingredients under vacuum for days, weeks or even months
Costa Coffee COSTA COFFEE HAS INTRODUCED Costa Ice as an extension of its handcrafted coffee. Being promoted with the tagline ‘Shake up your day with shaken Iced Coffee’, the new range, called Costa Ice Shaken Coffee, offers a wide range of coffees and flavours that includes Iced Latte, Iced Espresso Americano, Iced Cappuccino, Iced Mocha, Iced Macchiato, Iced Ristretto, Iced Chai Latte, and Iced Chocolate.
Mahou India MAHOU INDIA, the first subsidiary of Spanish brewing major, Mahou San Miguel to be established outside Spain, has strengthened its position in the India market with the launch of Mahou 5 Star. This will also be the first ever Spanish beer to be made in India. The beer, brewed at the Mahou India brewery located in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, is already available to consumers in different states across India.
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MARKETS
Kube Systems enters India with two new products Rituparna Chatterjee Bengaluru KUBE SYSTEMS, a division of hospitality brand Ramler International, has entered the India market with two new products – KS Portable and KS Clock - for the hospitality sector. KS Portable and KS Clock were previously launched in Europe, Australia, the US and in Asian markets like Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and are presently being introduced across South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives) through Wyntronix, the master distributor of Kube Systems for this region. Adrian Goldwyn, managing director, Wyntronix stated, “We are sending mailers to all our dealers across South Asian countries simultaneously to get their feedback on these products. This is our selling process for all products. We already have a base of 850 customers in India, a ready market for Kube Systems.”
Asian Hotels to invest over `300 crore in five years Archana Sharma New Delhi
KS Portable is a multi device charger with 18000 mAh ultra high capacity battery featuring Qi wireless charging, Apple Lightning Connector for iPhone 5/5s/6 and 6plus and iPad/iPad Mini; micro USB connector for Samsung Galaxy 3, 4 and 5, Google Nexus, Blackberry, HTC and others; Apple 30 pin connector for iPhone 4/4s and iPad/iPad Mini; 2 x Auto Sensing USB ports for all other devices; and a security cable attachment point. The other product, KS Clock is
a digital alarm clock and a multi device charger featuring Bluetooth audio streaming, hotel room controller for customising all system settings, among others. Both products can charge up to six devices simultaneously. He added, “These are premium products and we are targeting hotels having three star rating and upwards. The hotels in India have shown interest in these products and are waiting for the pricing structure which we are working upon. ”
ASIAN HOTELS is looking to expand its portfolio from the present base of three properties. Sandeep Gupta, executive director, Asian Hotels (West), informed that the company is looking at acquisitions in metros as well as a business hotel in Goa. Setting aside a budget of `300-400 crore for the same, to be invested in the next fourfive years, Gupta is also open towards micro-market projects. At present, Gupta owns the Hyatt Regency Mumbai, JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity, and Clarion Collection Hotel & Serviced Apartments, Delhi. Explaining his choice for the markets being targeted, Gupta stated, “Goa is not just a leisure destination but also a major MICE hub and with the new airport wing recently opened and another airport be-
Yo u r
R e l i a b l e
ing planned, Goa is bound to become a major conference destination and therefore we'll be looking at a resort plus convention property.” He is also considering equity partnerships as well as a micro market project near Delhi Aerocity. Gupta feels that luxury hotels in mid segment markets suffer in terms of RevPar and the metro cities are able to penetrate the surrounding markets or the micro markets and therefore he is more inclined towards investment in the metro regions. Commenting on the current performance of his properties in Mumbai and Delhi, Gupta stated that Hyatt Regency, Mumbai has stable occupancy and ADR while the JW Marriott, New Delhi Aerocity has shown a 10 per cent growth in terms of occupancy than last year and therefore keeping the same in mind, he is expecting at least 20 per cent increase in ADRs.
K i t c h e n
P a r t n e r
We provide complete solution for all kitchen equipment requirements Hotels ● Restaurants ● Corporate Canteen ● Bakery ● Bars Office address :- Thomson &Thomsons Unit No. 6, D’silva Baug,A. G. Link Road,Asalpha, Ghatkopar (W), Mumbai - 400 084Tel. : +91-22-25112130, 7208082013, FACTORY :Gilbert Compound, Durga Mandir Road, Near Sakinaka Police Station,Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400 072 E-mail : sales@thomsonnthomsons.com, Web: www.thomsonnthomsons.com ServiceCentres:-Ahmedabad,Bangalore,Cochin,Chennai,Delhi,Goa, Hyderabad,Kolkata,Lucknow,Mumbai,Pune,Vizag
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BAKERY FOCUS
A
A MARKETING INITIATIVE
s consumers across the globe are keeping a sharper eye on the food in their plates, food producers too are being forced to look at what they are dishing out. As food producers relook at their offerings to make it healthier, Puratos with its keen eye on furthering your business, is one step ahead in making healthy and tasty foods a focus as we celebrate health and pleasure month. All through this month, Puratos will focus on the healthy offerings within our stable that sparkle when put to the taste test, but positively shine when seen through the health prism. Consumers across the world are becoming more conscious of the food in their plates, moving towards more ‘natural’ choices. Bakeries that excel in using natural ingredients from fruits to organic grain and flour, now command a premium both within the mind space of the discerning consumer as well as the premium that they can charge for this mind space. Having just healthy food is sadly not enough; discerning consumers however continue to be discerning when it comes to taste as well. They prefer to balance their health kick with a healthy dose of taste. Preferring to go wholegrain as a nod to the health factor while keeping a sharp eye on mouthfeel and texture, keeping it within the tasty range is probably the greatest challenge that the healthy bakery faces. Puratos’ commitment to bring cutting edge innovation to the Indian market is well known. Bringing world class baking knowledge to the Indian plate while offering Indian bakeries access to all that is truly world class is a Puratos’ hallmark. The belief that health cannot be sacrificed at the altar of taste has been the maxim by which Puratos operates worldwide, this is perhaps what Puratos truly stands for. Puratos’ Easy Puravita Brown Hi-Fibre marries the
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Healthy treats, sumptuous feasts
As consumers across the world are becoming more conscious of the food in their plates, moving towards 'natural' choices, Puratos is focusing on healthy offerings
FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD
July 1-15, 2015
whole wheat experience with a great mouth feel. A global product that is low in saturated fats, the biggest cause of obesity. Easy Puravita Brown Hi-Fibre helps lower LDL cholesterol and is a rich source of minerals and dietary fibre. The whole wheat bakery mix is a rich source of complex carbohydrate, that slows down digestion and keeps one feeling full longer, making Easy Puravita Brown Hi-Fibre an easy winner. For those looking for something more than the plain Whole Wheat, the Easy Puravita Multigrain will be worth exploring. Combining the goodness of whole wheat with oats, rye, corn grits and healthy flours, the Easy Puravita Multigrain taps into an traditional Indian kitchen, where to mix together a variety of flours and produce a mouth watering temptation is nothing new. This bakery mix effortlessly blends nutrition and taste while keeping a close eye on the diet balance. A perfect any time treat, the Easy Puravita Multigrain makes excellent sandwiches and cookies complete with essential nutrients that make it more than just a snack. It becomes an undercover health food, one that kids will adore. Exploring a wider range of bakery allows Puratos customers the unique benefit of addressing consumers’ number one concern of health and taste while expanding the offerings in their bakeries, in a cost efficient, fail proof way. Talking of pleasurable treats, there is one that screams yum more than the basic puff pastry or the khari. Meet the S 500 puff. This simple addition will help transcend the old classic into one of the hot favourites, all the while improving on both taste, and size of the khari. Increasing both volume and health aspect of the puff, the Easy Savory Snack helps to make the puff crunchier and crispier, bound to be an instant hit across the board. In the purely pleasure section, Puratos’ Easy Focaccia
Across Asia Pacific region more than 81% consumers are keenly aware that whole grain makes a meal healthy, and about 67% said that they found whole grain meal tastier
bakery mix wins the stakes hands down. Any Focaccia bread is just pure bliss, with its crunchy exterior and distinctive Italian good looks, it is always an instant hero, even when it just sits pretty behind the counter, but when it beckons with its smouldering olive vibe, it’s pure indulgence.
The Puratos Easy Focaccia premix combines that smouldering Italian vibe with the ease that is pure Puratos, to provide a sure fire winner in the bakery. A mix of traditional sour doughs and Puratos’ Sourdough Sapore, Easy Focaccia allows customers to add to their bread repertoire with minimum fuss, to effort-
lessly internationalise their offerings and give consumers what has become a favourite across generations with minimum fuss, an edible pleasure with all the ease of use, a Puratos hallmark. As bakery products become the focus of the discerning consumer, so too do the ingredients with which the product is made. It’s more likely that a consumer will take more than a second glance at whole grain products, as recent studies show, across the Asia Pacific region more than 81 per cent consumers are keenly aware that whole grain makes a meal healthy, and about 67 per cent of those polled, stated that they found whole grain meals tastier. With numbers like that, it only stands to reason that all bakers should be giving the whole meal option a serious dekho. After all that’s what the consumers are looking at.
SPA & WELLNESS
Four states, one spa Spa by JW in the recently opened JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar is the first in Asia Pacific and the second in the world. Based on the core concepts of Calm, Indulge, Invigorate and Renew, the spa has many unique features which will be replicated in all upcoming JW Marriott properties By Sudipta Dev
S
PA BY JW at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar offers the JW brand promise while at the same time reinventing the spa experience with its core concepts of Calm, Indulge, Invigorate and Renew. This is the second Spa by JW to be opened worldwide, after JW Marriott Houston Downtown in the end of last year. “The concept only came up in mid 2014 though it had been in the process for sometime. It was conceptualised by a team of Marriott International global spa directors who did a lot of survey on what guests want and what today's clients are looking for. What they found was that people were busy, were gadget focused, restless, and they wanted something quick and non-confusing,” says Mahima Sharma, director of spa, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. The name itself Spa by JW conveys that the spa belongs to the hotel brand - it is not outsourced. According to Sharma it is a simple spa concept, with certain USPs without which it cannot be called Spa by JW. Any new JW which will open now will have Spa by JW. “While it is not certain that the existing JWs will incorporate Spa by JW as it depends on the owners, all new properties will have this spa,” informs Sharma.
Mahima Sharma
Four benefit states The concept of Spa by JW revolves around the four benefit states - Calm, Indulge, Invigorate and Renew. For instance, someone who has come from a holiday wants to 'Invigorate' before going back to work, treatments will include usage of ginger oil, etc. 'Calm' is all calming treatments, while 'Indulge' includes pampering treatments which are luxurious or long duration. 'Renew' includes detoxifying treatments which will result in sweating leading to detoxification. “The entire spa menu is divided into four parts based on these concepts. All the treatments come under these four categories. When a guest
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comes to the spa we ask him/her what he/she wants to feel at the end of the treatment,” says Sharma.
The treatments include both Western and Ayurvedic styles. The Ayurvedic treatments mostly fall under Invigo-
rate category. There are two techniques followed under Western treatments - Swedish and deep tissue technique. “While deep tissue is a hard pressure technique, Swedish is medium. The difference in the oil used for these treatments specifies whether they are under Calm, Invigorate, Indulge or Renew,” informs Sharma. She adds, “If a guest is going for work after the treatment then Invigorate works best. I will give an oil or treatment that will relax him /her but keep the mood uplifted. If a guest has been stressed or got less sleep then he/she needs to detoxify, and accordingly I will suggest treatments.” The spa menu offers a wide range of facials, body treatments, body wraps including natural marine body wrap. Facials range from firming to brightening to anti-ageing, etc.
SPA & WELLNESS
The concept of Spa by JW revolves around the four benefit states - Calm, Indulge, Invigorate and Renew. This is the second Spa by JW to be opened worldwide Mild impurity extractor machines are also used, which have a healing impact. There is also a signature treatment in the menu, it is called Signature Spa by JW and has been designed with spa trainers inhouse. It is a combination of Thai and deep tissue massage. “Initially for 20-25 minutes we only do stretching and dry pressing. This is followed by 60 minutes of dry massage. It is a 90 minutes treatment and shorter duration is not available,” informs Sharma.
Unique features The unique treatments include
Express Treatment Pods, which have fusion chairs specially designed for Marriott International by Living Earthcraft based in the US. “This chair was designed in such a way to look at the comfort taking into account all the five senses. There is music, relaxing visuals, thermal energy heats up the chair, it is adjustable to body height, weight. Someone who is wearing a blazer or high heels can just get into the chair, get a nice massage and move out. People do not have the time to take a shower but they want to relax and get a treatment. The chair is ideal for that,”
states Sharma, adding that, they have two such state-of-theart chairs. Express Treatments are from 12 minutes to 40 minutes. These chairs are not there in any other spa in the country, and maybe even APAC, reminds Sharma. The Spa Lounge is another unique feature of Spa by JW. All guests staying in the hotel have access to the Spa Lounge, where they can relax, sit, read, or work on their laptop. “If someone is getting a treatment done, an accompanying relative or friend can wait at the Spa Lounge,” mentions Sharma, pointing out that there is Wi-Fi, noise cancelling headphones available. Spa by JW also has an experiential retail section. On sale are Aromatherapy Associates' body and face products which are organic and based on pure essential oils. Yoga mats, eye pillows, exclusive teas, are all retailed which go along the four benefit states. The ambience of the spa is inviting and informal. The design is subtle, the colours neutral, a lot of marble and wood has been used. Even the seating is circular or semi circular. There is also a pre and post treatment area. The wet areas in the spa include steam, sauna and jacuzzi. There are seven treatment rooms out of which two are suites - a couple and a single room, with showers. Five are dry treatment rooms. “The couple suite has a private jacuzzi as well. We make jacuzzi baths like rose bath, aromatherapy bath and other different kinds of bath,” states Sharma. Spa by JW will also introduce spa membership. Members pay a particular fee for eight / 12 or 14 months, which gives them access to Spa Lounge, unlimited access to steam, sauna and jacuzzi and certain number of treatments in a month. They also get discounts on F&B in the hotel and other benefit vouchers. Most of the therapists are from Bhutan though there are some locals as well. They have been given extensive training by Aromatherapy Associates, external specialists and internal Marriott trainers.
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INTERIORS & DESIGN
SOCIALISING ATTHE ZONE A new kid on the block, Zone by The Park Bani Park, Jaipur seeks to establish a connection between its guests and the destination by creating a contemporary collage of the city and its traditions in its design By Rituparna Chatterjee
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HIS IS US. Social by design', this bold statement of the brand Zone by The Park Hotels - is aptly reflected in the design of its recently opened property - Zone by The Park Bani Park, Jaipur. Drawing from The Park Hotels' design philosophy, the design concept of Zone by The Park Hotels envisions creating interactive series of buzzing spaces using contemporary design with creative interiors, multifunctional spaces, restaurants, and bars to cater to the requirements of today's tech savvy mil-
lennial. “Our hotel is built on three brand values - social, nimble and at ease. We are a social hotel for we offer complimentary Wi-Fi to all our guests – both inhouse and walk-in. We are nimble for our efficient and quick services. And we keep our guests at ease by merging different spaces together to ensure a free-flow of traffic,” opines Harish Kumar, director of operations, Zone by The Park Bani Park, Jaipur. Project Orange, a Londonbased design studio, was roped in to give shape to this design
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concept across all hotels under the Zone by The Park Hotels brand, including the Jaipur property. The hotels had to have a contemporary, chic and global look with several common design elements connecting them together. “The official colours chosen by the design studio for all hotels across this brand were orange and grey. So one will find these two colour palettes running throughout the hotel's interior design and the staff uniform, and also across other existing and upcoming hotels under the brand,” mentions Kumar.
Boasting of 47 rooms across four different categories - Zone Room, Zone Trio, Zone Quad and Zone Suite - the hotel's guestrooms have been divided into different areas of activity. A large piece of black oak joinery with coloured recesses create the Dream Zone; a designed desk encompassing the mini bar, tea tray and TV connectivity points form the Work/Play Zone; and the 'shower only' bathroom becomes the Wash Zone. The property is also equipped with a 2500 sq ft banquet hall for weddings, conferences and events, and a
Harish Kumar
INTERIORS & DESIGN
500 sq ft business centre. Vitalia, the gym and spa enables guests to explore the hotel's wellness and fitness offerings as well.
Local flavour
Creative elements such as the Zone auto, a street cart, a smoothie bar and an outdoor terrace, are among the attractions of the Bazaar, which lends a contemporary yet local feel
The design of Zone by The Park Bani Park, Jaipur seeks to establish a connect between its guests and the destination by creating a contemporary collage of the city and its traditions in its design. These contemporary collages can be witnessed, for instance, across the hotel's three food and beverage outlets – Bazaar, a multi-cuisine theme restaurant; Alfresco, a multi-cuisine open-air restaurant; and Playa by Zone, a roof-top bar. Creative elements such as the Zone auto, a street cart, a smoothie bar and an outdoor terrace, are among the few attractions of the Bazaar, which lends this hotel a contemporary yet local feel. “Since Jaipur is called the Pink City, the Zone auto is painted pink in colour
with Rajasthani artwork on it,” points out Kumar. The destination's lesser-known sights also find prominence in the hotel's interiors. “Jaipur receives a sizeable number of leisure traffic. Places like Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, City Palace are well-known and popular among travellers, but we wanted our guests to explore the lesser known sights of the destination. Upon entering the elevator, on one side of the wall one can find a list of '10 Things To Do in Jaipur' which includes a curated list of not-sopopular sights ranging from historical monuments and sweet shops to temples and natural parks. While on the opposite wall is the map for the Pink City Walk,” explains Kumar, adding that their unqiue concierge service - Zoogle - is a one-point contact for all their guests seeking suggestions about the city and information on the hotel. “Concierge is a typical word and
since we are a modern hotel, we decided to call our concierge service - Zoogle. Like Google, Zoogle addresses all our guests' queries,” adds Kumar. Though the design of the hotel is chic, it is occasionally intercepted with traditional elements like a large, ornate chandelier adorning the ceiling of one of the hotel's meeting rooms. “At the time we signed the contract with the hotel owners, the structure of the hotel was already 95 per cent complete. When you consider the interiors for a hotel, you have to see what physical additions have already been done and you have to work around it,” he explains. The connecting dots on the glass walls of the hotel's lobby is yet another unique design element. "The connecting dots signify that the hotel is constantly connected to its guests and also to other hotels under Zone by The Park Hotels,” explains Kumar.
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cover ) FHW INAUGURATION
FHW’s silver edition rolls out in Bengaluru This edition of Food Hospitality World (FHW) witnessed many firsts. The Professional Housekeepers Association participated for the first time while a Baking Contest with live demos by Institute of Baking & Cake Art (IBCA) and the ‘Hospitality IT’ sphere through the CeBIT Insight Series made their debuts
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THE MAIN FOCUS
he 25th edition of Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 exhibition concluded recently at the White Orchid Convention Centre in Bengaluru. This threeday exhibition held from June 1113, 2015, was inaugurated by Chef Surjan Singh Jolly, director- F&B, J W Marriott Bengaluru; Bakkappa Kote, chairman, Karnataka Wine Board, Government of Karnataka; K N Vasudeva Adiga, honorary president, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association; K Syama Raju, president, South India Hotels & Restaurants Association; P K Mohankumar, hospitality consultant and industry expert, and former managing director and CEO, Roots Corporation; Madhukar M Shetty, honorary secretary, Karnataka Pradesh Hotel & Restaurants Association; Tushar Alekar, commercial director, Hannover Milano Fairs India; and Reema Lokesh, editor, Food & Hospitality World. Speaking at the inauguration, Chef Jolly stated, “It is an honour to be at the FHW 2015 exhibition. This exhibition befits the requirements of the hospitality industry for it provides exposure, a platform to exchange thoughts and ideas, and bring
creativity to life. It also provides networking opportunities and enables the sharing and use of best practices.” Sharing his perspective, Shetty opined, “The food industry in India is facing several challenges and exhibitions like FHW helps to run our industry smoothly. Presently, we need to have more modern technologies to run this industry.” Adding to the same, Adiga stated, “FHW is running successfully for its 25th edition. This exhibition is beneficial to the hospitality industry for it showcases the latest technologies needed by the hospitality industry. It is also encouraging to see that the state and central governments are providing support to the Indian hospi-
tality and travel industry. International fast food brands like KFC, Domino’s, etc have taken over our market and we need to promote Indian cuisine and hoteliers should focus on doing so by promoting it across the world.” Giving a word of advice Mohankumar said, “The hospitality industry is thinking about globalisation. The Indian hospitality industry has reached a certain level of maturity. During the initial stages of my career, we used to import all food ingredients, but times have changed now. At present, the ancillary and the hospitality industry needs to network as they are hardly networking. There needs to be more awareness about international
equipments in the Indian market. South India is a powerhouse of the Indian economy and it is time that the hospitality industry recognises this. There is also a huge tourism potential down south and there is a need to improve connectivity among Kochi, Puducherry, Chennai and Bengaluru. The south has a robust hotel presence with the highest number of investments taking place across budget, mid and luxury segments. Big strength is also coming from independent restaurants and people in Bengaluru are dining out five days a week. There is also a huge opportunity in the breakfast segment. Presently, no brand in south India can deliver like the QSRs; for example deliver
breakfast at home. We need to develop technology in this area.” The exhibition, spread over a floor space of 6,000 sq mtrs, witnessed a total number of 150 exhibitors. Some of the key clients included: Amrit Group, Bunge India, Amira Basmati Rice, ID Fresh Foods, Forstar Foods, VKL Spices, Williams, and many more. This year’s exhibition will witness exhibitors coming from different segments of the food and hospitality industry like F&B, interiors, kitchen equipment, housekeeping, bakery and others, and will aim at providing solutions to various industry-related problems. Associations that signed up for the exhibition included South India Hotels & Restaurant Association (SIHRA); Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA); HOTREMAI; Hospitality, Healthcare, Aviation, Travel and Tourism (HATT); Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum (HPMF); Kerala Hotels & Restaurants Association (KHRA); Karnataka Pradesh Hotels & Restaurants Association (KPHRA); Telangana Hotels Association (TGHA); Kerala Bakery Association (BAKE); Hotel Association of Pondicherry (HAP); and Munnar Hotels & Resorts Association (MHRA). The FHW exhibition is organised by Global Fairs & Media– a joint venture between Hannover Milano Fairs India and The Indian Express Group.
Chef Surjan Singh Jolly
Madhukar M Shetty
K Syama Raju
K N Vasudeva Adiga
P K Mohankumar
T
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cover ) HOSPITALITY TRAILBLAZERS 2015
The gamechangers Fifteen iconic restaurants were honoured at FHW 2015 Bengaluru for their innovative concept and cuisine which changed the restaurant space in south India
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he 25th edition of Food Hospitality World (FHW) exhibition, held from June 11-13, 2015 at The White Orchid Convention Centre, Bengaluru, witnessed 15 iconic restaurants being honoured for their contribution in creating unique distinction and experiences in the Southern India dining space. The Hospitality Trailblazers 2015 were: Jamavar, The Leela Palace Bangalore; Italia, The Park Bangalore; Karavalli, The Gateway Hotel Bangalore, Dakshin, ITC Hotels; OKO, The LaLit Bangalore; Alba, JW Marriott Bangalore; Riwaz, Ritz Carlton; Mezzaluna, Movenpick; Pasha Bar & Grill, Alila Bangalore; Le Jardin, The Oberoi; Little Italy, Bangalore; Caperberry; Barbeque Nation; Maiyas Restaurant and Ohri’s.
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Dakshin, ITC Hotels
Caperberry
Le Jardin, The Oberoi
Karavalli, The Gateway Hotel Bangalore
OKO, The LaLiT
Mezzaluna, Movenpick Bangalore
Ohri’s
Barbeque Nation
Italia, The Park Bangalore
Maiyas Restaurant
Little Italy
Jamavar, The Leela Palace Bangalore
Pasha Bar & Grill, Alila Bangalore
Alba, JW Marriott
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cover ) GM’S CONCLAVE
Where's the MICE in the garden? At the recent FHW 2015 Bengaluru, six general managers from leading hotel brands in Bengaluru were part of the GMs Conclave panel discussion on MICE business in this Garden City. They all agreed that the state government's intervention to build world class facilities and infrastructure support is the need of the hour By Steena Joy
L
eading Bengaluru hotels want the state government to build an international convention centre to bring MICE business into the Garden City. This was the common demand of the general managers from six leading Bengaluru hotels who participated in the GM's Conclave, a panel discussion on the 'MICE Business in Bengaluru' at the Food Hospitality World trade show held at the White Orchid Convention Centre which concluded in Bengaluru recently. J P Menon, VP and general manager, St. Marks Bangalore said, “There is no better city than Bengaluru for MICE. But unfortunately we drove away the MICE market. We need more infrastructure. There is no great convention centre in the city. There are talks of the government building an international style convention centre at Devanhalli. If that happens, it will be a real blessing for Bengaluru.” Puneet Dhawan, area general manager, Bengaluru and Chennai, Accor India, general manager – ibis and Bengaluru Techpark agreed, “Bengaluru needs an international standard convention centre like the
Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) which was a game changer for the Hyderabad convention business. As a MICE hub, Hyderabad is huge success. Though Chennai has large meeting facilities, it has no convention centre. The upcoming Jaipur International Convention Centre is double the size of HICC. We will be opening a Novotel there. But I must say that infrastructure wise, Bengaluru is slowly improving. The city already has a world class international air-
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port ranked third after Mumbai and Delhi in India. We would also like to see a world class convention centre here. This will bring back the business.” Bhaskaran T, general manager, The Lalit Ashok Bangalore added, “A custom built convention centre will definitely bring in international MICE business. The intervention of the state government is needed here. Domestic conventions are different from international ones. The million dol-
lar question as to why an international company would choose Bengaluru over Macau or Bangkok or any other international destination needs to be answered. At the end of the day it is the business and the money. And remember when huge conventions are held, this money goes into the local economy as well.” Sameer Sud, resident manager, The Leela Palace Bangalore was of the opinion that though Bengaluru lost the opportunity to be seen as a MICE
destination, the city can still catch up. “In the earlier years, the business dynamics were very different.The point is, do we really understand what is MICE? The business will definitely get a boost when the planned Food Park and Manyata Park is completed. We do get our piece of the convention business but lots of supply is being built by hotels and this will definitely exert pressure on us. So we will just have to find out how to excite the business by thinking differently.”
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The million dollar question as to why an international company would choose Bengaluru over Macau or Bangkok or any other international destination needs to be answered Vinesh Gupta, general manager, Movenpick Bangalore, felt that it may be another five to seven years before the city will see any international standard convention centre. Mahesh Pillai , resident manager, The Zuri Whitefield Bangalore, was concerned that though the inventory of convention facilities in hotels was rising, they needed infrastructure to match this supply. He said, “Whitefield which is the hub for the IT business in the city is seeing many companies moving out because of connectivity issues.” Menon informed, “As hoteliers we are eternal optimists. There are talks of GVK building a parallel terminal – an airport in a garden with huge entertainment facilities and carrying capacity of 20 million passengers.” Discussing the possibility of setting up a consortium of hotels for promoting MICE, Bhaskaran said, “Many attempts have been made with no success. We need something like the Hyderabad Convention Visitors' Bureau for the MICE business to come in. The market is very resilient. The supply has more than doubled, rates have moved up and occupancies are in the mid-60s. Besides now there are many micro markets and new industries like aerotech and biotech. For hotels weekends are a washout with a dip in occupancies; so conventions can help us tide over the weekends.” Talking about organic or green meetings, Sud said that this concept is already catching up.”This is already a part of the MICE business. Being environment friendly is the way forward.” Commenting on the next 10 years, Menon said, “Infrastructure efforts are being made. Seven roads in the city have been identified to be remodelled in international style with at least 80 per cent being motorable, well lit, with better signage,etc. We are certainly in for good times.” Dhawan opined that hoteliers should use Make in India products as much as possible. “In the F&B space we are competing with independent restaurants so we don't want to use stock products; we want individual and unique products.” Gupta opined, “Almost everything is now available locally. Vendor suppliers do accommodate our requirements but after sales is a challenge. So we believe in vendor partnerships. This is beneficial in the long run. Though Movenpick is an international brand, most of our vendors are local. We do believe in giving the Indian touch unless it is non replaceable like a particular kind of cheese.”
J P Menon
Puneet Dhawan
Vinesh Gupta
Mahesh Pillai
Sameer Sud
Bhaskaran T
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cover ) CEBIT INSIGHT SERIES
The digital edge Today, technology is redefining guest experiences in hotels. The recently concluded CeBIT INDIA Insight Series at FHW 2015 Bengaluru gave an interesting account of the present and future of leveraging digitisation to enhance guest experiences in the hospitality industry By Rituparna Chatterjee
A
new addition to this year’s Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 Bengaluru exhibition was the CeBIT INDIA Insight Series. Held on the second day of the exhibition at the White Orchid Convention Centre in Bengaluru, this panel discussion witnessed chief product officers and IT heads sharing their viewpoints on leveraging digitalisation to enhance cus-
tomer experiences in the hospitality industry. The discussion was moderated by Karthick Prabu, chief product officer, RoomsTonite eBookings, and the panelists included: Vijay Choudhary, general manager, HRH Information Technology; Sathish Gangappa, IT manager, The Chancery Pavilion; and Pawan Kumar Dhiman, IT manager – IT and telecom, The LaLiT Ashok Bangalore.
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The discussion touched upon a wide range of topics including how digitisation is enhancing various hotel services, guest Internet (the next generation in-room connectivity solutions), digital marketing, overcoming security challenges, budgeting for IT, among others. Talking about leveraging digitalisation to enhance customer experiences, Gangappa informed the audience
about the integration of web check-in and restaurant management system in his hotel. “We are also developing social media content to engage with the guests,” added Gangappa. Sharing his thoughts, Choudhary spoke about how his hotel is focusing more on strengthening its IT department. “In the past we were more focused on workflow management, but at present we are concentrating on de-
veloping a strong IT department to control cost, enhance customer experience, improve customer interaction, among others. In the future, we have to see how we can turn IT into a profit centre and not a cost centre,” suggested Choudhary. Though digitisation has helped in creating personalised guest experiences, there is also the underlying concern among customers about their per-
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CEBIT INSIGHT SERIES
CEBIT GLOBAL CONFERENCES INDIA – 2015 CeBIT Global Conferences INDIA - 2015 will be held from October 29-31, 2015 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru. The theme of the conference will be – D!conomy (The Digital Economy).The three day event will witness visionary keynotes from digital business leaders, discussions on how technology will transform the workplace of the future and the focus on innovation. Digital driving business innovation will be the overarching theme for CeBIT Global Conferences INDIA - 2015.The event will cover all core themes of the IT industry.The topics being the Internet of things, start-ups, e-commerce, mobility, mobile payments, tech innovation, cloud and digital transformation. The CeBIT Global Conferences, a crucial element of CeBIT, debuted in India in Bengaluru on November, 12-14, 2014. It had three conference tracks, a line-up of 83 speakers and 33 sessions for delegates including nine visionary keynotes, 17 panel discussions and four seminars.Apart from this, numerous speeches were made by government and industry officials at the Digital India Vision Summit that occurred on the first day of CeBIT INDIA 2014. The concurrent CeBIT Expo saw the participation of 418 exhibitors from 14 countries. In all, there were 9311 visitors to CeBIT INDIA 2014.
sonal data getting shared, which was voiced by Prabu. A complete solution A customer’s experience begins from the moment he is reserving a hotel room and in recent times customers are increasingly shifting towards direct bookings. “Guests will go through every detail while booking online. We are encouraging our guests to book rooms directly through our website rather than through our channel partners since each of them project different room rates,” informed Gangappa. However, online booking can be a challenge. “The hotel website is not compatible with the latest technology and we need to keep it updated,” averred Dhiman. Moving on to the discussion on simplifying the checkin and check-out procedure for hotel guests, Gangappa informed, “We are speaking with Wipro, which has introduced a technology wherein a guest’s Aadhaar card number can be taken and with the help of a retina or biometric scan
his identity can be verified. This will ensure security of the other guests and the hotel.” Sharing his suggestion with the audience, Dhiman said that hotels can skip identification checks of their regular guests. However, the identification checks of international guests need to be thorough. Being innovative Today, social media is a significant contributor in enhancing guest experiences at hotels. “There are several touch points to engage with guests and social media is one of them. In Australia, we have an Instagram hotel which encourages guests to click and share pictures of the hotel on Instagram. This gives the hotel free publicity. Globally, social media is being adopted at a completely different level as compared to India,” stated Prabu. Reiterating the same, Choudhary suggested, “Innovative thinking is required. There needs to be an understanding at the top management, allocate a budget from marketing for social media,
hire people having domain expertise, etc.” Having a dedicated team giving daily updates on social media and a strong focus on online selling were other suggestions given by the panelists. Wi-Fi is a key component for guests to choose a hotel. Whether or not to give complementary Wi-Fi to guests was also touched upon by the panel. Choudhary stated, “We have been serving the leisure market majorly. We did a survey five to six years back through which we found that guests tend to have lesser complaints if there was complementary Wi-Fi at the hotel. So we decided to offer complementary Wi-Fi across all our properties and increased the room rates to compensate for that.” While other panelists suggested that complementary Wi-Fi should be limited up to a certain number of devices and bandwidth. Drawing to a close, the panelists touched upon other topics like the need to constantly invest in technology upgradation and maintain a robust data security.
Pawan Kumar Dhiman
Karthick Prabu
Sathish Gangappa
Vijay Choudhary
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cover ) POWER OF PURCHASE
The vendor relationship The inextricable link between hotels and vendors are purchase managers. The recently concluded Power of Purchase session at FHW 2015 Bengaluru touched upon the challenges of this role and the critical success factors in hospitality procurement By Rituparna Chatterjee
T
he Power of Purchase session organised by Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF) at the Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 Bengaluru exhibition saw purchase managers from some of the leading hotels in the country elaborate on the critical success factors and challenges in hospitality procurement. The panel discussion was moderated by Reema Lokesh, editor, Food & Hospitality World and the panelists included Rajesh Nair, materials
manager, Hotel ibis Bengaluru Techpark and Novotel Bengaluru Techpark; Anthony Monteiro, materials manager, The Oberoi Bengaluru; Bhargav Raju, purchase manager, Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golflinks; Shiv Shankar Menon, former regional manager materials Karnataka, Indian Hotels Company Limited; and Arokiam B, manager materials, GRT Grand, Kakinada. The discussion started with the panelists suggesting various formulas for successful pro-
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curement including being upto-date about latest products in the market, taking one purchase request at a time, taking the staff along during deals, being cooperative with the vendors, respecting the vendors’ understanding and making them understand your mindset, among others. Elaborating on this, Nair highlighted, “Purchase managers help hotels achieve their primary goals. Hence they need to inform the vendors about their product requirement and train them
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POWER OF PURCHASE accordingly, inform them about the budget at which they want the product and so on.”
Making right choices A pertinent question raised during the discussion was the importance of after sales services and its challenges. Menon suggested, “We should encourage companies to not only sell the material but also provide after-sale services as per our requirement.” While Nair stated that there is an urgent need to empower and train the vendors about their product requirement. Moreover, vendors also need to maintain an adequate stock of spare parts as back-up during an emergency. “The vendor needs to import spares and have adequate back-up so that in case there is a breakdown, there is adequate material at hand to provide the necessary support,” averred Monteiro. Adding to this thought, Raju stated, “While purchasing a product we need to find out its expected utility life and purchase it accordingly.” Ensuring transparency between vendors and purchase managers was another concerning factor highlighted by the panel. “Transparency needs to work both ways. The purchase manager needs to be careful while selecting his vendor for this relationship needs to be for the long term,” advised Menon. The panel also suggested a need to introduce a vendor rewarding programme and ensure that the vendors are transparent about product specifications. While touching upon the need to procure products locally, Arokiam B opined, “We buy some of our products from areas close to our property. Nowadays, vendors are going to farmers directly for procurement thereby contributing towards their livelihoods.” E-commerce and e-procurement are the latest trends in purchasing. However, the challenge that needs to be overcome by any purchase manager today is to keep himself updated on the latest trends in the market and create strong partners in the industry.
Bhargav Raju
Rajesh Nair
Shiv Shankar Menon
Arokiam B
Nitin Shankar Nagrale
Anthony Monteiro
Transparency needs to work both ways. The purchase manager needs to be careful while selecting his vendor for this relationship needs to be for the long term
Mohan Deshpande
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cover ) BAKING CONTEST
Rising to the challenge The Baking Contest was a first time inclusion at the Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 Bengaluru exhibition. There were live demos by the Institute of Baking & Cake Art (IBCA) that was organised and overseen by one of India’s top baker, trainer, cake decorator, consultant and food stylist, Chef Manish Gaur who is also the director of IBCA.This baking contest provided an opportunity to professionals from the hospitality and F&B industry to showcase their baking skills and talents
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cover ) GREEN HOUSEKEEPING
Think luxury,think responsibly Being responsible towards the environment without compromising on guest experiences was the crux of the discussion at the recently concluded Hospitality Knowledge Exchange on Green Housekeeping at FHW 2015 Bengaluru. During the session, hotel housekeeping heads and professionals suggested the best practices for going green By Rituparna Chatterjee
A
befitting finale to the Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 Bengaluru exhibition was the Hospitality Knowledge Exchange session on Green Housekeeping wherein the panelists, involving both housekeeping heads and professionals, spoke on the emerging trends and challenges
in the housekeeping industry and the way forward. For the first time Professional Housekeepers Association participated at the session. Moderated by Smritee Raghubalan, author and assistant professor, department of hotel management, Garden City College, the session included panelists like Sandhya
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Narayan, member, Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT); Dr Meenakshi Bharath, member, SWMRT; Rajsree Gopal, executive housekeeper, Oakwood Premier Prestige Bangalore; Swarnalata Mankikar, executive housekeeper, ITC Gardenia Bengaluru; and Bharti Singh
Kalappa, executive housekeeper, The Chancery Pavilion. The discussion began with each panelist speaking about the green initiatives being implemented at their hotels. For instance, Mankikar spoke about how ITC Gardenia Bengaluru is focused on practicing green initiatives without compromising
on guest experiences thereby adhering to their tagline of ‘Responsible Luxury’. “At our hotel, garbage is segregated at source, i.e. from the guest room and is then sent to different sections. We also have an Organic Waste Convertor which helps us to convert food and other green waste into manure. We recycle water
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Bharti Singh Kalappa
Sandhya Narayan
Rajsree Gopal
Smritee Raghubalan
Dr Meenakshi Bharath
Swarnalata Mankikar
for horticulture purposes and have windmills to generate energy. The hotel lobby has been designed in a way that it remains well-ventilated throughout the day and does not require air conditioning. All these measures enable us to minimise our carbon footprint and in the longer run it pays to go green,” she stated. Giving her perspective, Gopal insisted that hotels need to involve their guests in their green initiatives. “In terms of services, we are being responsible and are making guests responsible as well. At present, we are trying to target our short
stay guests into participating in our green initiatives. For instance, if guests want their towels to be changed, they can drop them near the sink or in the soil basket. However, we need to be careful as to how we put it across to the guest without affecting the luxury quotient,” suggested Gopal. The panelists also touched upon the importance of the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Kalappa urged hotels to impart proper staff training on the importance of the three Rs. Also giving her suggestion, Dr Bharath stated that to re-
duce food wastage, the leftover food should be charged back to the guest. Moreover, bottled water should be replaced with fresh water. “Through these small measures, we can help reduce and manage garbage more effectively and efficiently,” opined Dr Bharath. Adding to it, Narayan advised hotels to generate less waste to help manage it more effectively.
Vendor responsibility Bringing the role of the vendors into focus, Raghubalan asked the panel on how a vendor can help in contributing
towards a hotel’s green practices. “Vendors need to bring into the hotel only that product that the hotel requires so as to minimise waste generation that might occur because of the box packaging,” pointed out Mankikar. Also a hotel’s responsibility shouldn’t end after handing the waste to the vendor. “We have dry and wet garbage segregation in the guest rooms and we have vendors collecting our garbage. But that isn’t the end of our responsibility for we need to see the end process - where does the
waste finally go,” mentioned Gopal. Hotel weddings generate huge quantities of garbage so steps should be taken by hoteliers to reduce waste generation. “Hotels should avoid using non-recyclable products. It is a demand-supply issue for if we demand less of nonrecyclable products, there will be less supply. Think before you host an occasion,” suggested Bharath. Adding to this suggestion, Narayan urged hoteliers to recycle tissue papers diligently or use cloth napkins as alternatives.
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cover ) EXHIBITOR TESTIMONIALS
The experience of participating at FHW 2015 Bengaluru exhibition was good. Many new hotels approached us and I am satisfied with the quality of visitors, which is important for any deal to mature"
The quality of visitors was good. We met many important consultants"
Ashish Gupta, Royal Linen
Hans Tervoort, project manager, VIANEN Worldwide
The exhibition was of good quality and well organised.We met many new clients during several events hosted across all the days of the exhibition"
The sessions at the exhibition were good and we also got the delegates to visit our stall. We were able to build around 15 new contacts as well"
Pankaj Nayyar,
Sonica Pathak,
managing director, Kanha Hotel Supplies
product manager - food service,VKL Seasoning
The Bengaluru show has always been positive and we have been participating at this show for the past five to six years. The layout of the exhibition is also better than the previous ones" Adrian Goldwyn, managing director,Wyntronix
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The exhibition was good in terms of quality of visitors. It was also one of the busiest exhibitions in India and abroad" Robert Gerritsen, export manager, Sola Hospitality
The exhibition was good.We have been associated with this trade show for a long time" Ritu Anand, vice president - corporate, iHome
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EXHIBITOR TESTIMONIALS
We got many new leads at this exhibition. Many visitors had come in from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, among others" Stephen Lobo,
The exhibition was well organised and we received a sizable portion of hoteliers as visitors" P Prabhu, senior manager - sales, Amrit Hatcheries
Our brand is well established but its always interesting to be a part of show that is closely connected with the hospitality industry. Namita Jain,
general manager, Bunge India
MD, Kishco
This is our first FHW and I think, we are the only participants who are dealers in the seafood trading business. The response was encouraging and it was a good experience.
This show is definitely better than the past three years. We were glad to meet some serious buyers at the venue. The show is well organised.
Aaron Kishore Kumar, director, Inter Continental Fish Trading Company
Though the first day was slow, the next two days was good. We met some quality buyers.
We have received a good response from the show from the right people.
Vamaxi,
Super Food Products Kerala
Cheva International, Nuticion
Huzefa Shabbir, Trade Links Corporation
P P Joy,
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cover ) VISITOR TESTIMONIALS
The exhibition was great and it was interesting so see such a good line-up of products. However, I would request vendors who are producing non recyclable products to manufacture recyclable ones" Dr Meenakshi Bharath, member, Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT)
The exhibition was good.Though it didn't have a huge footfall as the Mumbai one,but it was well-organised" Mohan Deshpande, chairman, Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF)
I really liked the exhibition. It was well organised" Nitin Shankar Nagrale, founder and general secretary, Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF)
The exhibition was well organised. I have been visiting this exhibition since a very long time with my students" Smritee Raghubalan, author and assistant professor, Department of hotel management, Garden City College
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It felt great to be felicitated at the Hospitality Trailblazers event and being recognised for our efforts. Also, exhibitions like these are a good platform to meet new and interesting vendors" Raghupathi Bhatt K R, general manager, Maiyas Beverages and Foods
I really liked the exhibition,it was also well organised.It was great being a part of the GM's Conclave" Puneet Dhawan, area general manager, Bengaluru and Chennai Accor India and general manager for ibis and Bengaluru Techpark
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VISITOR TESTIMONIALS
Thank you for inviting us. It was great being a part of the GM's Conclave at the exhibition. It is a good platform to meet new vendors" J P Menon, vice president and general manager, St Mark's Bangalore
It was great being felicitated at the Hospitality Trailblazers event. Thank you for your hospitality and for honouring us" Abhijeet Rathi, franchisee, Little Italy
It was great being a part of the GM's Conclave; this is the second time I am a panelist. We loved the exhibition as it is a good platform to meet existing and new clients" Mahesh Pillai, resident manager, The Zuri Whitefield Bengaluru
FHW 2015 BENGALURU - A REVIEW F&B SERVICE
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TECH BYTES
'TALLYLENTUS THE ABILITYTO OPERATE FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS' Established in 1995, NRC Agro is one of the leading fruits and vegetables suppliers in India and even exports worldwide. The company's efficient supply chain management and strong logistic support have enabled it to process and deliver on time. Ram Mohan, owner, NRC Agro elucidates on how adopting Tally helped grow his agro business By Steena Joy What is NRC Agro's market share in South India? It would be difficult to quantify our share, because the agri market is very big and NRC Agro is only a one-city operator selling a specific range of vegetables. On an average, we transact 40 MT of vegetables daily, whereas the daily transaction in Chennai is 3500 MT of vegetables, on an average. But in respective product categories like green chillies, capsicum, cucumber, green peas etc, we are in a dominant position to initiate prices on day-to-day basis. How has the implementation of Tally helped grow your business? We were one of the earli-
est adopters of Tally in Chennai, the first implementation being in 1991. Currently we use Tally.Server 9 and Tally.ERP 9 for all MIS requirements like customer, supplier, stocks, cash/bank balance, bills-to-pay and bills-to-receive and profitability analysis. Additionally, we also use a Tally.Server 9 based TDL customisation to cater to niche requirements related to our business, and thus enhance our business performance further. We handle up to 40 MT of fresh vegetables daily, and recording the arrival of each item from different farmers and suppliers and then distributing to customers spread across the city is a
challenging task. If we were to manually manage similar volumes, we would require a team of five qualified accountants, at a minimum, along with an additional audit to cross check for accuracy and authenticity. With the implementation of Tally (Tally.ERP 9 and Tally.Server 9), we are able to account daily stock received and sold, and payable and receivable are also managed efficiently. Cash and bank are all tallied and verified and posted on a day-today basis. All these functions can now be performed at higher speeds, with greater consistency and at an affordable price. This has led to an increase in our quantity, and has lent us the
changes every season based on pricing trends in the market. Even though cultivatable land is shrinking, cultivation is happening at par with the growing population’s requirement. On an average, we see eight to 12 per cent growth in real terms in the market. But farmers react to price fluctuations in the next season, for instance growing more if prices have been very good and growing less if prices were very low. Ram Mohan
ability to operate from multiple locations (data sync helps in online data always), zero cash and stock shortage, better collection of receivables and proper accounts verification of all suppliers. What new products are you looking at? Some of the new products we are using currently include Tally in Mobile version, SMS and improved email facility, to be in sync with customers. What do you think of the agro business segment in India? How much is it expected to grow in percentage terms? Horticultural data for India is not quite accurate, and the dynamic scale of production makes is such that it is difficult to quantify it. Also, the production pattern
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How has the coming of international hospitality brands into India helped India's agro industry? Not much. While the agrobased processing industry has seen some changes, the fresh category segment is yet to see deep traction. Your comments on the organic industry in India? Do you think price is a hurdle to consumer acceptance? It is still at a very nascent stage. Prices are a barrier, and production is very low. To counter the perception that organic vegetables are high-priced, awareness has to be created among the users and public. Do you sell organic produce? If yes, how has the hospitality industry in India responded to such products? No, we don't sell organic vegetables as we have not seen a big demand or supply for the same at the moment.
TECH IN THE NEWS
Tech on the Wall InnSpire launches the world’s first 'Live-Wall' at Urban House in Copenhagen
U
rban House, the new funky 950 bed hotel in Vesterbro, Copenhagen is a mix between a trendy hotel and a happening hostel. Guests can either book just one or two beds in a shared room, or book their own dedicated room. What’s really new and cool is all the work put into a very lively and buzzing lobby and lounge combined on the whole bottom floor. This is where guests hang out, grab some food, buy a drink – and post current or earlier photos and comments on the world’s first Live Wall. This is the crown of the lobby space. It’s called the Live Wall, and is comprised of several huge screens, displaying a live flow of the latest social media, photos, comments and uploads from guests – inside and outside the hotel. It becomes an everchanging mosaic of events, excursions, people, places and faces. Simply put a great way for people to connect and share. Thomas Bagger, the Urban manager, and driving force and 'soul' behind Urban House realisation says, “We wanted this to be very different from any other hotel out there. This is more of a live playground where youngsters, travellers and explorers – young and old – can meet, share experiences and live life. InnSpire’s solution, particularly the Live Wall makes our whole concept come alive. Guests are finding all their information,
guides, tours etc through InnSpire, and the social aspects have exploded thanks to the Live Wall” Martin Chevalley, CEO and co-founder of InnSpire says, “We are excited to see how well we actually managed to adapt our solution from our “5 stars and up” hotels in for example Dubai and the Maldives, to a youthful, trendy hostel-like hotel like this one in Copenhagen. The 'Mobile Apps' aspects of InnSpire have become the core of the hotel’s communication, and the Live Wall really represents the latest and greatest of the connected experience. We are proud and working with Urban House and Pandox has been a true pleasure.” Urban House is a brand new hotel and shared rooms concept that opened on March 1, 2015 with 950 beds in 225 rooms. The hotel is located in the middle of Vesterbro, one of the hippest areas in the Danish capital. Urban House is owned and operated by Pandox Operations which has a hotel portfolio of 16 hotels encompassing 5,000 rooms across six countries. Based on more than ten years in the technology and hospitality industries, InnSpire is the result of working closely with hotels around the world. InnSpire’s lightweight yet powerful software for hotels that runs on the guests’ smartphones or tablets as well as on any flat-screen TV.
This is more of a live playground where youngsters, travellers and explorers – young and old – can meet, share experiences and live life. InnSpire’s solution, particularly the Live Wall makes our whole concept come alive FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD
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CONSERVATION
The community and beyond With standards set to minimise the impact on the land, &Beyond works to balance conservation with benefits to community in partnership with organisations having like minded goals By Kahini Chakraborty
P
ositioned as an attractive destination for families, as well as incentive groups, &Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge has its focus on the higher end of the luxury travel market. For the property, the focus has primarily revolved around the management of biodiversity with each species given equal importance. A great deal of the research is driven by their land management philosophy, which links tourism with solid conservation principles. Joss Kent, CEO, &Beyond highlights, “&Beyond works with our community development partner, Africa Foundation, an independent, tax-exempt non-profit organisation, in the communities surrounding Phinda. The
projects that the Africa Foundation supports are based on two simple principles - they are grounded in community participation and are driven by local leadership.” Elaborating on some of the key projects that the company supports in the communities surrounding &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, he mentions, that the closest village to the northern border, Makhasa village (also known as Mduku), had no access to basic healthcare other than via a mobile clinic that would circulate once every two weeks. The nearest hospital was over 100 kilometres away. Identifying a solution for sustainable healthcare was a critical initiative between the reserve and Africa Foundation,
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Joss Kent
with the Mduku Clinic established in 1994 to serve a community of 12,000 people, while the Khulani Special School was founded in 1998 to cater to
physically and mentally disabled children. Initially established in the shade of a tree, &Beyond and Africa Foundation partnered with Nkomo School to build the school’s first classroom. Every year since, &Beyond Phinda has assisted in developing each new building phase at the school. Nkomo now caters to more than 900 students, attended to by 21 teachers. Africa Foundation’s Community Business Linkage Programme (CBLP) runs in the communities that surround &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. Its aim is to turn subsistence farmers into sustainable commercial farms - increasing their ability to generate an income and creat-
ing jobs in the process. “In 2007, in a pioneering move for land distribution in South Africa, &Beyond and the leaders of the Makhasa and Mnqobokazi communities, which surround the reserve, signed a mutually beneficial deal resulting in the restoration of 9,085 hectares (22,460 acres) of wilderness land within Phinda to those communities, its ancestral owners. In terms of this deal, &Beyond secured a commitment from the community to keep the land under wildlife rather than return it to farming. In this way, both the communities and conservation benefit. This pioneering land claim settlement has also proved that, when communities surrounding
CONSERVATION conservation areas experience the benefits of responsible tourism (in this case as landlords), they support the conservation and biodiversity of reserves for the benefit of future generations,” informs Kent, adding that, working together with the neighbouring communities who help fund the training through their community development fund, &Beyond Phinda provides on-the-job training for 14 local youngsters every six months. Employed in areas that include housekeeping, the laundry room, the lodges’ kitchens and bar, as well as the maintenance teams, the trainees are assessed every two months and receive a formal graduation certificate at the end of the six months. “Approximately 70 per cent of the trainees are employed as fulltime staff by the end of their training period, while others leave having gained invaluable skills that make it far easier for them to obtain other employment in the area,” he says.
THE USP OF &BEYOND PHINDA MOUNTAIN LODGE ■ Ideal for families - specialised children’s programme ■ Seven habitats allow for much greater diversity in species and landscapes ■ Combine sea and safari activities from the reserve ■ Big Five safari destination ■ Wildlife includes cheetah, black rhino and nyala ■ Variety of adventures available ■ Track black rhino on foot ■ 23 000 hectare (56 800 acre) private game reserve with limited number of vehicles ■ Late afternoon / evening drives continue after nightfall, allowing a glimpse into the lives of nocturnal predators ■ Sensitive off-roading practices allow close-up game sightings ■ Walking safaris and bush walks provide a close-up view of the African bush.
Partners in conservation The Rhinos Without Borders project is a partnership between &Beyond and Great Plains Conservation, and, as such, is not limited to &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. “However, as one of South Africa’s most important white rhino reserves, Phinda has played a significant role as the source of rhino stock to be moved to Botswana. In addition, the reserve has contributed significant resources in the form of highly skilled and professional staff, many of whom have extensive experience in wildlife translocation and have played a vital part in the safe movement of the rhino from South Africa to Botswana,” he adds. Home to one of the largest rhino populations in the world, Phinda implements careful management practices that have allowed it to increase its rhino numbers to the extent where it has been able to donate rhino for translocation. Research is carried out on ways to maintain a favourable habitat and maximise the breeding rate of
With more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the bush grows faster and thicker. This needs to be managed in order to maintain the optimum environment for game, as well as to keep the bush open enough for game viewing rhinos. “The Munyawana Conservation Fund, which is funded through &Beyond and a number of non-governmental organisations, rewards neighbouring communities for information leading to the
prevention of poaching and the arrest of those involved. Working closely with the surrounding community, Phinda has been able to successfully limit incidents of rhino poaching and maintain one of the
lowest poaching rates in the country,” Kent mentions. On the measures undertaken by the reserve to keep a check on the number of wildlife habitat, Kent points out, “&Beyond subscribes to
strict land management techniques to ensure that the wildlife areas that we influence remain sustainable. The reserve has a dedicated wildlife and habitat management team that consists of 24 people. The company also has a close working relationship with a number of government conservation bodies. For example, at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, we work together with the KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Department, South African National Parks and other bodies. Just one example of a project where we receive huge support from the government is our highly successful alien plant control project, which also contributes to job creation in the surrounding communities.” Kent continues stating that one of the greatest effects of climate change is increased bush encroachment, further stating that, “With more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the bush grows faster and thicker. This needs to be managed in order to maintain the optimum environment for game, as well as to keep the bush open enough for game viewing. Fire is one of the tools that is used in the management strategy, with all learning and best practices shared with other conservation bodies and game reserves. The changing climate has also made &Beyond Phinda prone to prolonged periods of drought, interspersed with short but heavy rainfall. This has necessitated the implementation of a water conservation programme, as well as more stringent management of the risk of fire.” Adventure and wildlife tourism is a constantly growing sector in Africa, and Kent concludes, saying, “We strive to provide the best possible guest experience in the face of all challenges, including climate change. For eg: the company is investing in more energy efficient buildings with each lodge refurbishment. We are also placing a growing focus on issues such as rain water harvesting and other sustainability measures.”
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MOVEMENTS Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai TALJINDER SINGH has joined the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai as general manager and area director Mumbai. Singh joins the Taj Group’s flagship hotel after completing a six year stint as general manager at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. In his new role, Singh’s responsibilities would entail overlooking operations across all Mumbai properties including the Taj Mahal Palace, Taj Lands End, Vivanta by Taj- President, Taj Wellington Mews and Taj Santacruz. CHEF AMIT CHOWDHURY has joined as executive chef. Chef Chowdhury joins the Taj’s flagship hotel after a decade of service at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. He began his journey with the Taj as a trainee chef at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai and has moved steadily up the ladder becoming an assistant chef in 1986, junior sous chef in 1990, sous chef in 1994 and executive chef in 1996 at the erstwhile exclusive boutique hotel run by Taj, The Princeton, Dubai. Popular for his signature eclectic modern Indian cuisine, he has had the privilege of being trained by chefs from The Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu.
Girish Shankar, additional secretary, Ministry of Tourism who was also holding additional charge of managing director, ITDC. An IAS officer of 1989 batch, Jammu and Kashmir cadre, Narula was chief electoral officer (CEO) of Jammu & Kashmir prior to this role. As CEO of Jammu & Kashmir, he conducted the Lok Sabha Elections and the Jammu & Kashmir State Assembly elections in 2014. He was also deputy secretary in the Department of Culture under the Union Ministry of Tourism and Culture in 1998-2002. He also worked as director in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Keys Hotels Keys Hotels has announced the appointment of two new general managers. The group has appointed SOMUSUNDARAM THEVAR and AJIT ABRAHAM as general managers to head its hotels in Mumbai and Ludhiana respectively. Thevar, who holds an MBA from the Institute of Technology and Management
ITDC UMANG NARULA has been appointed as chairman and managing director of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). He succeeds
Somusundaram Thevar
in Thane, has spent over 15 years in the industry. He began his career as a trainee cook with the Oberoi and has since worked with some of the most renowned names in the hospitality space such as the Taj and the Royal Caribbean, gaining experience in all aspects of F&B, hotel operations, administration, budgeting and statutory compliance processes. He joins Keys Hotels from Royal Palms. Abraham's experience in the hospitality space spans 13 years in which he has fulfilled several roles like front office operations, business development, operations management, customer relationship management and excellence in guest satisfaction. He began his career at the Pride Hotel, Ahmedabad and has since worked at the Flora Grand Hotel in Dubai, Hotel Inder Residency in Udaipur and the Lords Group of Hotels, Gujarat. He joins Keys from Ginger Hotels where he was general manager at Delhi NCR Hotels.
Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa has announced the appointment of CHEF ARINDAM BHATTACHARYA as executive chef. He will be seen putting together and overseeing gourmet ensembles as a chef in this new resort launched under the Le Meridien banner. His 15 years of work experience comes with roles he essayed for other hotel chains such as the Hyatt International, Taj
Hyatt Regency Gurgaon ROGER WRIGHT has been appointed general manager of Hyatt Regency Gurgaon. He joins the 451 room Hyatt Regency Gurgaon with over 30 years of international hotel experience. Wright has led 12 five-star and five-star deluxe business and leisure Hyatt and internationally branded hotels across the Asia and Pacific Region. A native New Zealander, he first joined Hyatt as pre-opening director of rooms of the Hyatt Regency Fiji.He then moved to various Hyatt Regency properties including the Hyatt Monterey in California followed by general manager
VIKAS SHARMA has been appointed as manager of F&B. His
ment officer, Accor Hotels. In this capacity he will report directly to Sébastien Bazin, chief executive officer of AccorHotels, and will continue to be directly responsible for the development of the Asia Pacific region under Michael Issenberg, chief executive officer
Vikas Sharma
Gaurav Bhushan
role with Starwood Hotels and Resort commenced a year back and he will be seen supervising the F&B space. His prior work experience includes his role essayed with the Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree as well as a Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology (DHMCT).
of HotelServices Asia Pacific. Bhushan has an MBA from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Finance & Investments from the Securities Institute of Australia. He began his career with Accor Hotels in 1995 in Australia. He was appointed chief development officer for Australia, New Zealand and Japan and extended his area of responsibility to become VP development for North Asia and the Pacific in 2004.
Hotels & Resorts, Carlson Rezidor Worldwide, The Park Group of Hotels. In his last assignment he was seen working as the executive chef at Hidden Valley in Saudi Arabia.
Accor Hotels Umang Narula
Ajit Abraham
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Chef Arindam Bhattacharya
positions at the Hyatt Kingsgate Rotorua, Hyatt Regency Mumbai, Hyatt Regency Cheju in South Korea and the Grand Hyatt Beijing in the P.R.China.
GAURAV BHUSHAN has been appointed chief develop-
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weekend
Scene and heard
With Marcellus Baptista
All cheerful
Alina and Alexey Novikov and Jackie Shroff at the Russian National Day party at Trident
BEER LOVERS rejoiced at the opening of The Beer Café, the Delhi-based beer franchise that launched a new outlet in Mumbai. This outlet, opposite Mahim post office, was abuzz with guests sampling bottled beer, draught beer and beer tails on opening night as they conversed and listened to the music of singer-songwriter Roshni Baptist along with Veljon Noronha on guitar and Joel Crasto on keyboard. The heady combo of beer variants along with Roshni’s contemporary pop notes was a truly enjoyable experience. Rahul Singh, founder and CEO, The Beer Café was there along with Deepa and Suhas Awchat of Goa Portuguesa. Besides beer and hors d’oeuvres, there was a dinner spread too.
Russian high IF IT’S RUSSIA THERE must be vodka – and there was at the Russian National Day celebrations at the Trident. Of course, other spirits were also in full flow. In attendance was Alexey Novikov, Consul General of Russia in Mumbai along with wife Alina and Sumit Malik, Additional Chief Secretary and Chief Protocol Officer of Maharashtra, who lauded Indo-Russian friendship. Guests included people from all walks of life and, of course, members of the consular corps like Pule Malefane (Consul General of South Africa), Mohammed Yousuf Awadhi (Consul General of the United Arab Emirates) and Tomas Ferrari (Consul General of Argentina). And it was time for hors d’oeuvres, drinks and dinner as Russian ladies dressed in traditional costumes posed for photographs.
Nikhil and Leena Mogre, Suhas Awchat and Rahul Singh at the launch of The Beer Cafe
Rajeev Matta and Sanjeev Kapoor at the launch of Hong Kong
Oriental touch FOODIES WELCOMED THE launch of Hong Kong, brought to you by masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor and his SK Restaurants Private Limited (SKRPL). Holding forth about this new restaurant at Viviana mall in Thane, Sanjeev Kapoor felt that oriental cuisine has as much a wide variety of taste, dishes and flavour, just like Indian cuisine. The news is that after Hong Kong in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, outlets in other cities are in the pipeline. After a live cooking demo by Sanjeev Kapoor, guests gathered that the menu bears his stamp of culinary excellence with many of his signature dishes. Shining on opening day was Happy Lee, the mascot at Hong Kong, who is said to thrive on good food by leading a content life. Also looking happy were Rajeev Matta, CEO, SKRPL and guests like musician Hariharan, celebrity chefs Ranveer Brar and Harpal Singh Sokhi and supermodel Ujjwala Raut.
Date with dates
Mickey Mehta and the Medjoul team at Taj Lands End
Happiness spread all around as Medjoul, the King of Dates from Israel, came to town with a launch at Taj Lands End. Guests had a taste of these dates known for their delicious taste and innumerable health benefits. These luscious dates are fast becoming a popular snack alternative for discerning consumers across the globe as they are excellent sources of antioxidants, highly loaded with vitamins and minerals that help develop healthier bones and reduce the risk of heart-related illnesses and high blood pressure. You also learnt that they are delightful energy-boosters that provide double the amount of energy as compared to a banana. Medjoul also makes for a great ingredient to use in salads, juices, shakes, cookies, muffins and more. And desserts that use these dates satisfy the sweet craving in a healthy way.
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E V E N T S
MILESTONE OPENINGS Simon Cooper, president and MD Asia-Pacific, Marriott International and Herve Humler, president and COO, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company along with the Galaxy senior management team on stage to raise a toast the opening of the JW Marriott Hotel Macau and The Ritz-Carlton, Macau in the new Galaxy Macau Phase II
CRICKET CONNECT Delhi Daredevils recently played at the ‘Meet & Greet’ evening held at Akira Back at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity
PEDDLING FOR A CAUSE Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre recently organised a fund raiser initiative for its guests and the public to pedal the distance between Pune and Nepal on an exercise bike stationed at the lobby of the hotel
MEANINGFUL MEETINGS The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority joined leaders from across the Las Vegas meeting and convention industry to celebrate the inaugural North American Meetings Industry Day at The LINQ promenade
GLORIOUS WIN The Westin Mumbai Garden City received seven award recognitions at the Starwood Regional & Divisional Awards 2015 held in Sanaya, China
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ELECTION FEVER The Concierge Association of India Western Region, the regional body of Les Clefs d'Or India held its bi-yearly election at Horniman Circle Fort, Mumbai
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.