Food & Beverage Business Review ( Apr-May 2014) by Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

E d i t o r i a l

Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

Associate Editor Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Narender Kumar Production Assistant Mamta Sharma Business Co-ordinator Pooja Anand Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma Mumbai: Rajesh Tupsakhre Subscription Sales Dattaram Gangurde Director Sales Sanjay Anand Director Operations & Finance Rajat Taneja Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 91-11-45084903, 25854103 Telefax: 91-11-25854105 Mumbai: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400093 Ph.: 022-28395833 Telefax: 022-28388947

Website: www.fbrmag.com E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net © 2014 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No article can be reproduced in part or as whole without prior permission of the Publisher. Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma from 302, Himgiri Apartments, J-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Printed at Age of Enlightenment Publications, Green Fields Colony, Faridabad, Haryana. Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

The cuisine of Lucknow has a timeless appeal, and perhaps that has also contributed to its growth in popularity across the nation, over the last two centuries. From kebabs to kormas, and from pulaos to biryanis, the tastes of Lucknow continue to impress the connoisseurs and the common people alike despite the rising popularity of exotic cuisines on urban India’s gastronomic space. Though the cuisine of Lucknow had been enriched by various influences, which of course include the influences from Mughlai cuisine, but at the same time, it had managed to develop its own identity with ease. Lucknow cuisine or Awadhi cuisine gave birth to Dum style of cooking, which deserves global recognition. It is about time, the Dum style of cooking gets popular across the globe, and restaurants specialising in Lucknow cuisine germinate in far corners of the globe in much greater numbers than it is doing presently. We believe our Cover Story on Lucknow cuisine will encourage many would be restaurateurs to come up with food service outlets specialising on Lucknow cuisine or Awadhi cuisine, across India and around the globe, in the times to come. One of the symptoms of globalisation in India and increased numbers of overseas travel from the country during the recent years is the growing popularity of imported spirits across select but sizeable pockets of urban India. With more and more Indians travelling abroad, their chances of getting exposed to quality imported spirits are also rising, and in many cases this exposure is translating into preferences for imported spirits. What is more, they are now desiring the same high quality of imported spirits in India, as they were/are having during their overseas trips. Along with this factor, the rising disposable incomes in select but sizeable pockets of urban India, growing urbanisation, changing lifestyles and social ethos, growing economic affluence and empowerment among Indian women have perhaps all contributed to the growth in popularity and consumption of imported spirits or rather of alcoholic spirits in general, in the country. In the Business Story, we have examined the growing demand and consumption of imported alcoholic spirits in the country. India has awesome culinary diversity, which complements its geographical and cultural diversity. And this culinary diversity is manifested through our rich variety of regional cuisines. However, many of our regional dishes, despite having awesome taste, have their popularities limited within some specific geographical regions of India only. What is more lamentable is that many of our regional dishes are dwindling into obscurity. Promoting our regional cuisines intelligently can be a great opportunity for our food service industry, an endeavour where the industry needs active government support. We have explored the possible promotional initiatives for our regional cuisines, through our Feature section. Besides these relevant issues, we have also covered other important topics which can interest the Indian food & beverage industry, through a wealth of information, analysis and perspectives. We hope our efforts would be complemented by enthusiastic readership of our esteemed readers.

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

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

CONTENTS

Cover Story

Departments

The Flavours from Lucknow

Business

In High Spirits

Feature

Nothing Nutty About it

Bakery

News

Report

Focus

Restaurant Review

Chef Voice

Profile

Operations

Product Preview

Business Opportunity

Interview

Promoting Regional Cuisines

Agri

Event

Safety in Bakery

Beverage

Packaged with Juice

Theme Cuisine Cover Pix: Hotel Sofitel Mumbai BKC

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

The Rich Flavours from Punjab

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

EVENT

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○

similar robust performance in World of Seafood, World of Coffee & Tea and World of FoodService. Here it deserves a mention that THAIFEX – World of Food Asia 2014 was strengthened by introduction of its sub-shows – World of Seafood, World of Coffee & Tea and the World of FoodService. With Japan as the partner country, THAIFEX–World of Food Asia featured an impressive presentation of Japanese products, both on the show floor and at THAIFEX-World of Food Asia‘s 10-Year Anniversary Welcome Reception. The Japan Pavilion, led by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation), presented a total of 55 companies. This included companies led by the Kyushu Trade Promotion Board, as well as companies from Kagoshima Prefecture and other independent companies from various prefectures in Japan. Parallel to THAIFEX-World of Food Asia, the ASEAN Food Industry Thought Leaders Panel brought together global opinion leaders and food industry experts, who shared their views on building capabilities to overcome food safety and security challenges, both

○

THAIFEX – World of Food Asia, was held during 21st-25th May 2014 at Impact Exhibition and Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand. Since it was officially launched in 2004, THAIFEX– World of Food Asia has reached many milestones during the past decade. One of the major achievements is the increased scale of the show. This year’s edition of the event was characterised by a record-breaking international participation. With more than 20 percent increase in overseas exhibitor numbers as compared to the previous edition of the show, THAIFEXWorld of Food Asia once again reinforced its position as one of the most important food and hospitality trade fairs in Asia. The edition of the show welcomed 1,463 exhibitors and 30,479 trade visitors. The number of trade visitors included 24,138 local visitors and 6,341 coming from overseas. More than 30,000 international and domestic trade buyers and visitors attended this year’s THAIFEX-World of Food Asia. They were able to meet up with top quality exhibitors, ranging from food and beverage producers, coffee & tea manufacturers as well as equipment and food service providers. THAIFEX-World of Food Asia offered trade visitors a multitude of opportunities to identify their potential business partners across 16 different food and hospitality segments, with

○

The Mega Food and Hospitality Trade Fair

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

domestically and internationally. The speakers comprised top industry leaders, including Poj Aramwattananont, President of Sea Value Company Ltd. and Hester Chew, Group CEO of McDonalds. In addition, the 2nd World of Food Safety Conference presented a strong panel of speakers over two days, presenting their research and case studies, as well as exchanging valuable insights with overseas delegates. In addition to the local specialists, the conference featured 15 senior international experts who covered an extensive range of food safety related topics. THAIFEX–World of Food Asia hosted several competitions. The 3 rd Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge proved to be another outstanding success at this year’s THAIFEX-World of Food Asia! The competition, which has grown from strength to strength, boasted the highest number of competitors till date. With more than 500 Chefs, the ratio of international to local participants was a close 30:70 ratio this year. This included 153 overseas competitors from Australia, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Taiwan, Slovakia, Vietnam and 356 Thai participants from 20 provinces. At the 2nd Roasters’ Choice Award, 56 entries of beans were submitted by coffee producers from Asia. The esteemed panel of coffee specialists was in search for the best coffee beans in Asia.

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

EVENT

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

companies from India included but were not limited to Bhalaria Metal Craft Pvt. Ltd., Hamilton Housewares, Pace Automation Limited, Sharda Corporation, Shreeji International, Wipro EcoEnergy and UNP. NRA Show also made it easy for buyers and sellers of products and services to find one another through focused areas of the show floor. These pavilions were destinations showcasing suppliers and manufacturers addressing today’s key trends and interests. Prominent areas included: • Alternative Bitestyle: It was dedicated to products operators’ need to address special dietary needs on their menus such as gluten-free, allergy-focused, low-sodium, vegetarian, low-sugar and beyond. • Conserve Solutions Center: It showcased sustainability-related products and services, which increase customer attraction and retention by reducing carbon footprints and demonstrating environmental responsibility. • The Organic & Natural Pavilion: It provided a central, dedicated exhibit area that helped buyers easily find

○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

t has been another year of strong growth for both attendee and exhibitor numbers at the NRA show, which was held during 17th-20th May 2014 at McCormick Place, Chicago. From dissemination of knowledge to hands-on implementation, from quantity to quality, from variety to value, from innovation to traditional well-proven solutions, the NRA Show presented comprehensive offerings to achieve success in the food service industry. The show was also a huge success in terms of attendance, with impressive numbers of visitors coming from abroad to connect with high-powered buyers and influencers interested in anything from ingredients and beverage to technology solutions and products. Spanning across three halls, the NRA Show floor featured more than 2,900 established and emerging supplier brands, showcasing more than 900 product categories. Cuisines from Brazilian to Italian, Chinese to Middle Eastern, were showcased at the event. About 45 percent of international brands were from Asia, representing the most important group of international exhibitors. Exhibiting

○

NRA Show 2014: A Comprehensive Platter for the Food Service Industry

certified organic and natural products. Besides an impressive selection of exhibitors and specialty areas, NRA Show 2014 also showcased other key events that highlighted trends happening in our industry. Foodamental Studio was a brand new area on the show floor which translated into a hands-on, crash-course workshop where you could try out the processes and techniques behind the most talkedabout culinary trends of the year. At the World Culinary Showcase world-class Chefs demonstrated recipes, tips and techniques live onstage. At the McCormick Place Rooftop Garden Tour participants experienced a sustainability wonder first-hand. This event highlighted a prime example of urban agriculture at work with a visit to Midwest’s largest rooftop garden. The NRA Show also hosted more than 80 free education sessions, which brought together trending topics and industry leaders for the ultimate experience on education. The forthcoming edition of the event, that is the NRA Show 2015 will be held during 16th-19th May at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

E V E N T S’ C A L E N D E R

○ ○ ○

Thailand Retail, Food & Hospitality Services 2014 24-27 July 2014 Hall 103, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) www.thailandhoreca.com

○

HOSFAIR 2014 26-28 June 2014 China Imports & Exports Fair complex, Guangzhou, China www.hosfair.com

Restaurant & Bar 2-4 September2014 Hongkong Convention & Exhibition Centre Hongkong www.restaurantandbarhk.com Asiafruit Logistica 3-5 September 2014 AsiaWorld-Expo, Hongkong www.asiafruitlogistica.com

○ ○

○

Food & Hotel Thailand 2014 10-13 September 2014 Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) Bangkok, Thailand www.foodhotelthailand.com FHRAI 49th Convention 12-14 September 2014 Jaipur Marriott Hotel, Jaipur www.fhrai.com

○

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Fi and Hi India 2014 29 September - 1 October 2014 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregoan East, Mumbai www.foodingredientsglobal.com/india/home Hotel Hospitality & Food 2014 3 - 5 October 2014 Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka www.hhf-srilanka.com SIAL Paris 19-23 October 2014 Paris Nord Ville Pinte, Paris www.sial.fr International Foodtech India 2014 14-16 November 2014 Hall 1, Bombay Exhibitioon centre, NSE, mumbai www.foodtecindia.com/

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○

Annapoorna World of Foods India - 2014 24-26 September 2014 Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai www.worldoffoodindia.com

Sigep 2015 14-21 January 2015 Remini Fiera, Italy www.en.sigep.it

○

countries participated at the show. France was the guest country of Honour for this year’s edition of the show. Here it deserves a mention that France is the first European supplier of agrifood products to the Chinese market, exporting 2.2 billion Euros worth in 2013. France did have a strong representation during the SIAL CHINA 2014 with more than 60 companies representing diverse sectors. La Cuisine cooking area and the competition organised by the World Chef Association were among the chief attractions of the show. La Cuisine by SIAL was characterised by high level and innovative culinary demonstrations and competitions sponsored by exhibitors’ products. Top Chefs from Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Taiwan Region and China mainland participated in the competition. The wine lovers did have the chance to attend the Wine Innovation Forum & Wine Tasting Rooms where they got the opportunity to taste more than 500 different wines from 15 countries.

India F&B Pro + Hospitality Expo 2014 12-14 September 2014 Expo Centre, Panaji, Goa www.trinityworld.biz

○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○

eld during 13th-15th May 2014 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, SIAL CHINA 2014 was a grand success story. The show, which was organised by Comexposium, was spread across eight halls, taking over 100,000 sq m of space, which was 20 percent more space as compared to the 2013 edition of the show. The show attracted 2400 exhibitors from 90 countries and garnered a total of 45,000 professional visitors. The number of visitors at the 2014 edition of the show was again a 9 percent increase over its 2013 edition. SIAL China 2014 was co-located with Bakery China and SIAL WINE WORLD. Overall, SIAL China 2014 provided great opportunity for networking and as well as trade. SIAL CHINA 2014 dedicated its hall N2, which occupied over 12,000 sq m meat exhibiting area, to cater to the rising meat demand. The seafood exhibitors from Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian

○

SIAL CHINA 2014 Attracted Impressive Participation

○

EVENT

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

EVENT

HOTELEX Shanghai 2014 Concludes HOTELEX Shanghai 2014 was held during 31 st March-3rd April 2014 at Shanghai New International Expo Center. The event attracted exhibitors and visitors from over 132 countries all over the world. The number of exhibitors at the event reached over 1600, who covered an exhibiting space of 140,000 square meters. The overseas exhibition area at the event reached 10,000 sq. m with an increase of 42 percent over the 2013 edition of the event. Famous international brands from Italy, Spain, USA, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries gathered together at HOTELEX Shanghai 2014. On the other hand, the number of professional visitors at HOTELEX Shanghai 2014 had also seen impressive growth with 16 percent increase over that of the 2013 edition of the show. Overall, 81,596 professional visitors has participated at the event. HOTELEX Shanghai 2014 hosted several professional competitions such as China Barista Championship, World Latte Art Championship, China CupTasters Championship, China Master Bartender Competition, China Gelato Championship among others.

The 2014 China Barista Championship (CBC) once again garnered popularity among coffee professionals and enthusiasts, with 43 regional winners representing 24 cities in China. The champion’s award went to Zhang Yinzhe from the Da Lian division, and he will now represent China at the World Barista Championship (WBC), to be held in Seattle, in the next year. The World Latte Art Championship was held for a second time at HOTELEX with 76 competitive contenders competing for the exclusive spot at the finals, which is to be held in Melbourne in May. After a four-day competition, Huangyan emerged as the champion. The China Cup Tasters Championship was launched for the first time during HOTELEX Shanghai 2014 at Hall N7. A total of 64 competitors competed for the exclusive spot at finals, which is to be held in Melbourne in May. Wu Linbo from Wu Han was the champion and will represent China at the World Cup Taster Championship. The China Master Bartender Competition was upgraded to its third version with a more diverse contender profile and a more authoritative judging panel. During the four-day competition, 70 bartenders participated and expressed their passion. The Classical Cocktail Challenge saw Liu Bing from Muse on the Bund emerge as the champion, and he will be invited to the UK. to attend the World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony, while he will also receive a pass to enter the Hong Kong Bartender Competition. Meanwhile, the Flairtending Cocktail Challenge champion’s award went to Zhan Chao from Guang Zhou, who will now take part in the Hong Kong Bartender Competition and the 2015 Master Class Road Show. Organised by Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co., Ltd., and co-organised by Carpigiani and Fabbri, two leading gelato ingredient and equipment brands in Italy, the 2014 China Gelato Championship held its second edition with 48 contenders, over four days of competition. Zhang Haiyang fought her way through 48 peer competitors to grab the top spot. HOTELEX Shanghai 2015 will be held during 30 th March – 2 nd April at Shanghai New International Expo Center with expected more space and fascinating events.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Healthy Indulgence from Hatsun Hatsun Agro Product Ltd. is one of the prominent players in the Indian dairy industry. The company exports its dairy products to 38 countries. Hatsun’s new yogurt tops, named Hatsun Yogurt Tops, which was recently brought into the market by National Hatsun Milk Products brand, claim to satiate the sweet tooth without sacrificing healthy diet. A two-for-one product, here the yogurt and toppings are packaged in two variants — mango and strawberry. Available in attractive, sealed cups, the yogurt and toppings of Hatsun Yogurt Tops are stored separately. The product comes in 150 gm packs and is priced at Rs.35. The milk that goes into this yogurt is being collected from dairy farms. The company claims that the ingredients that go into the making of these yogurt tops are of impeccable quality. This tasty and nutritious snack is ideal for all family members, whether young and old, all year round. One can say that products like these can infuse more health across breakfasts in the country. Presently, Hatsun has launched the product in the markets of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Arun Ice Creams the famous brand from Hatsun Agro Product Ltd. has recently launched the iBar. The iBar brand comprises ice cream bars of finer texture, thicker coating and richer quality than average ice creams. The new iBars from Arun Ice Creams comes in three delicious chocolate flavoured bars, which are Dark Chocolate, Caramel Swirl and Almond Crunch. The layer of dark chocolate on the outside gives these bars a deep, strong taste, making each bite of iBar flavourful. These little delights are priced at Rs.60 and are available at all Arun Ice Creams’ outlets and stores across Tamil Nadu. Hatsun Agro Product Ltd. is confident that the Arun Ice Creams’ iBar will be enjoyed by consumers of all ages.

Revamped Menu at Gloria Jean’s Coffees’ Bangalore Outlets Gloria Jean’s Coffees has announced an all new range of delicious items to their menu. This revamped menu is applicable across the chain’s Bangalore outlets only. The new menu offers multiple options in sandwiches, rolls, hot dogs, pasta, puffs and croissant. The menu includes the provision of light snacking options to a complete meal. At the Bangalore outlets of Gloria Jean’s Coffees one can enjoy decadent desserts like rich chocolate cake, a refreshing zesty lemon orange peel cake or may opt for good old comfort foods like muffins and brownies. And you can have all these at attractive prices.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

NEWS SCAN

Not Just a Butcher

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Mother Dairy has come up with an innovative product named Aam Doi, which has been launched in Kolkata. This product comes across as a mango flavoured sweet curd, which is known as doi in Bengali. Mishti Doi or sweet curd is a popular product in the impressive and diversified portfolio of Mother Dairy. The product, which is expected to be a big hit among the Bengalis in Kolkata, is priced at Rs.15 and would be available in 85 gm packs, across Mother Dairy’s retail network in the city. Mother Dairy has also launched sweet lassi and masala lassi in cups, for the Kolkata market. The lassis would be available in 200 ml cups, and are priced at Rs.12. “Aam Doi has been developed while keeping in mind the Bengalis’ taste preferences and their love for food. The product has been specially launched in Kolkata; ahead of any other city,” informed Subhashis Basu, Business Head, Dairy Products, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd. Basu said that mangoes are not only enjoyed by all age groups in India but they also gel well with traditional Mishti Doi. He expressed confidence that this innovative product will attract popularity among Mother Dairy’s products’ consumers.

○

Aam Doi and Lassis from Mother Dairy

○

business. In the late 1960s, Lotman and his partners introduced cryogenics for McDonald’s and developed a massproduction system for the manufacture of frozen hamburgers. To Keystone Foods goes the credit of developing and providing the first total distribution concept in the McDonald’s system, enabling the franchisee restaurant owners of the global chain to save time and focus on customer service. They were also instrumental in helping develop the Chicken McNugget during the1980s. Six years ago, Lotman retired from Keystone Foods, but he was not less busy. He chose to spend his time working tirelessly for the causes he believed in most. But at the same time, he was never too busy to advise or help young entrepreneurs, and there were many that came to him for guidance over the years. He shared his management expertise with several charitable organisations including the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (where he served as Chairman for 15 years), The Children’s Cancer Research Foundation, The International Board of the Ronald McDonald’s House Charities, and

○

Herb Lotman, the Founder of Keystone Foods, has recently bid adieu to this world after enriching the planet in his own way, for 80 short years. He died on 8th May, at a suburban Philadelphia hospital from complications of heart failure. The super successful entrepreneur and philanthropist’s journey from being a butcher to being the Founder of one of the largest food companies in the world is fascinating indeed. Keystone Foods is the supplier of McDonald’s burger patties, poultry and fish. Kesystone Foods became the main meat supplier of McDonald’s in the 60s. Today, Keystone Foods is a multi-protein processor for the world’s leading brands and is focused on innovation and dedicated to food safety and quality. Lotman built the company over 40 years from scratch to one that was generating more than 5 billion USD in sales, annually. Keystone Foods opened operations in over 15 countries around the world and was rated 45 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies in 2010. A Philadelphia native, Herb Lotman began his career in the food industry with his family’s wholesale beef

most recently with revival of the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia. Herb Lotman and his wife Karen established the Macula Vision Research Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure and restoring the vision for people who are affected by retinal and macula diseases. The foundation has provided nearly 20 million USD to fund groundbreaking research projects, conducted by the world’s top scientists with the promise of helping millions of people affected by visual impairment. The entrepreneur-philanthropist, who often said modestly about himself as, “I’m just a butcher,” is survived by his wife Karen, children and grandchildren, and by his sister Marlene Weinberg.

Chomping Delight from Cadbury India Cadbury India has recently introduced Cadbury 5Star Chomp in the market. The product includes chocolate, caramel, nougat and peanuts. The chocolate, caramel and nougats are already present in Cadbury 5Star but the crunchiness of peanuts seems to be the added attraction of the new product. Cadbury 5Star Chomp is available in 30 gm bar at Rs.15. The newly launched product will be positioned as a sub-brand of Cadbury 5Star. According to Siddhartha Mukherjee, Director – Chocolate Category & Media, Cadbury India, Cadbury 5Star Chomp has been developed while taking into account of the evolving palates of consumers. He is of the view that the new product will expose “consumers to a completely new eat experience.” The creative and humourous television advertisement of the product, where an actor plays a ghost, also manages to position the product in an effective manner.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

NEWS SCAN

Chef Vicky Ratnani Showcases Le Creuset Le Creuset, a renowned French cookware brand, known worldwide for its high quality cookware, stoneware, toughened non-stick and silicone tools and wine accessories, has inaugurated its first company-owned flagship store in India on 3rd May 2014, at Select Citywalk, Saket, New Delhi. This store represents a major milestone for Le Creuset, which can be construed as the first platform for the brand to interact and engage directly with the Indian consumers. On this occasion, the celebrity Chef and TV show host Vicky Ratnani did a cooking demonstration in the impeccable collection of Le Creuset’s signature cast iron and stoneware dishes. He prepared a few dishes in Le Creuset’s cookware. The affable Chef also shared some of his recipes with guests. “I have been cooking in Le Creuset pots and pans for over two decades; even when I was working overseas. To me, cast iron is like the womb of good food. A great recipe is born when we have great cookware to take it through. Le Creuset’s cookware heats evenly, is the epitome of slow cooking and looks absolutely stunning!” expressed Ratnani. The Commercial Manager, India of Le Creuset, Ankur Damani stated, “Le Creuset being a premium brand, is bound to attract the discerning Delhi audience and cater to their high-end needs and wants. The variety we have is extensive and so are the colours, which can match varied food and moods.” ○

○

Tata Beverages Bags Bronski Eleven Tata Global Beverages, which is the multinational beverages arm of Tata Group, has informed that its UK subsidiary had acquired 100 percent stake in the equity capital of the Australian coffee company named Bronski Eleven Pty Ltd. The amount shelled out for this acquisition is undisclosed. Bronski Eleven’s coffee business is carried under the MAP brand. MAP has impressive presence in the roast & ground coffee and in coffee pods (single service portions) segments in Australia. This acquisition will facilitate Tata Global Beverages to further expand its offering in Australia. According to Ajoy Misra, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Tata Global Beverages, “This acquisition also helps us in strengthening our portfolio in the realm of contemporary ‘single serve business.” In the coffee pods segment, Tata Global Beverages already has presence in the US market, through an agreement with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Keurig single serve machines for Eight O Clock Coffee. For Tetley Tea, Tata Global Beverages also has presence in Canada in the single serve segment with Tassimo. ○

○

Café Coffee Day on Expansion Spree During this fiscal, Café Coffee Day is expected to add 150 cafes and 120 Xpress outlets across the country. The size of the cafes will vary from 800 to 1000 sq.ft. and the Xpress outlets will be spread across an area of 125 sq.ft. each. According to Venu Madhav, CEO of CCD, the demand indicates that there is a potential for 5000 cafes in India. He thinks there is a huge potential in India for opening of more coffee cafes. Here it deserves a mention that Café Coffee Day, the leader of café coffee culture in India, already has over 1500 cafes in 200 cities and towns of India and also has overseas presence in Austria and Czech Republic.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Baani Square Announces Summer Coolers Promotion Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Baani Square has announced the launch of an exciting Summer Coolers Promotion at Café O’ Lait, the patisserie of the hotel. Available from 2nd April to 31st July 2014, the promotion offers the guests an opportunity to enjoy varying and deliciously refreshing flavours of iced teas and frappes. These innovative flavours have been specially developed by the in-house beverage team of the hotel. The inventive collection of iced teas includes 10 divergent flavours, including Apple & Basil, Ginger & Honey, Irish Tea and Jalapeno & Mint among others. Guests can also delight in six distinct varieties of frappes such as Papaya, Apricot, Banana, Amaretto, Litchi & Raspberry. The Summer Coolers Promotion is available from 11:00 am onwards, on a daily basis. ○

○

Brain Freeze from Café Coffee Day Café Coffee Day is known for introducing new products and experiences for its customers; be it through unique in-café promotions or through introducing new and exciting menu offerings. Its latest launch comes in the wake of introducing a delicious new range of chilled beverages. Café Coffee Day (CCD) has launched a range of tasty slushes this summer, which can give a refreshing and cool feel to the scorching heat in the days ahead. This range of slushes has been aptly named as the ‘Brain Freeze.’ CCD’s range of Brain Freeze is a combination of crushed ice and refreshingly cooling flavours that are delicious, colourful and fun. Brain Freeze comes with varied options. For example, the much loved summer favourite cucumber is combined with juicy green apples to bring together an absolutely yummy and rehydrating slush known as the ‘Green Apple Meltdown’. ‘Cool Blue’ is a syrupy blue blend on crushed ice; an instant cooler for a scorching summer afternoon. ‘Iced Eskimo’ is a slush blended coffee drink that is seriously chilled and promises a refreshing kick. ‘Berry Burg’ is also a sweet, cool treat. Overall, the Brain Freeze flavours are geared to perk the spirits and awaken palates. K Ramakrishnan, President Marketing, CCD said, “With the rising mercury there is the need for a serious and refreshing thirst-quencher. Brain Freeze is our latest offering this season which is a blend of cooling flavours in a tall glass of crushed ice. With the youth trend showing a strong preference towards cold beverages, Brain Freeze is the perfect summer drink as it is frozen, tasty and fun. We are sure it will be a hit amongst the youth.” The Brain Freeze slushes are available at all 1500 plus CCD café outlets across India, and their price starts from Rs.95.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

NEWS SCAN

A Gigantic Culinary Feat Chef G. Sultan Mohideen, the Corporate Chef of the Kwality Group with more than 28 enriching years of experience behind him in the food & beverage industry, recently created a gigantic paneer tikka, which according to him is a world record as far as the size of the paneer tikka goes. The 72 kg paneer tikka was created in a single process of tandoor roasting with special devices of tandoor. His creation was eventually cut into 1702 pieces for the guests. It tasted delicious. The record was created on 12th April, at ABBI Farms, located at MG Road, New Delhi. For this feat, Chef Sultan took 70 kg of gigantic paneer(cottage cheese) block and marinated it with yoghurt and other spices, which made its weight to 82 Kg 300 gm. The paneer block was marinated in two stages. After the paneer block was eventually cooked through an elaborate process and was ready to be served as paneer tikka its exact weight was 72 kg 084 gm. Besides awesome talent, experience

and ingredients, equipments too played a significant role in this stupendous culinary achievement. “For this process, I had fabricated a special large tandoor, with its mouth double the size of regular one, which was lit with 50 kg of charcoal and allowed to burn for some time to get its temperature of 450 degree Celsius,” explained Chef Sultan. Moreover, he added, “I fabricated a special skewer to hold such a gigantic paneer block, which was designed by me.” He informed that it had a thick 1’X1’ stainless sheet with 10" inches spikes to hold the paneer. “The main body of the skewer was 1”(2.5cm) thick and 4’7’’ ( 140cm) length stainless steel heavy duty pipe. This main skewer pipe had 6 holes allowing for the heat to travel. This skewer also did have a special holding ‘screw N nut’ to hold the gigantic

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

paneer’s weight,” Chef Sultan elaborated further. When the paneer tikka was made, “To cut the paneer block into even sized slices of 1 ½’ inch each thick, I fabricated a special holding device, and a large knife,” he pointed out. He hopes his feat will motivate junior Chefs in the country to do something innovative and pioneering, which may lead to more world records and further enhance the culinary image of India in the gastronomic map of the world.

Apr-May ’14

NEWS SCAN

Chef Mayank Joins Mistral Mistral, an all-day dining restaurant by PVR Leisure, located in the Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, has appointed Mayank Tiwari as the Executive Chef. In this role, Chef Mayank will oversee and drive Mistral’s kitchen operations and PVR Leisure’s future F&B initiatives. With an experience of over a decade behind him, Chef Mayank’s last assignment was with Olive Bar and Kitchen at ARC Mahalakshmi & with Olive Bistro in Pune and Hyderabad as Chef De Cuisine. With a proclivity towards modern European cooking and a flair for molecular gastronomy, Chef Mayank has worked with some of the country’s renowned and most successful restaurants. On his appointment, Renaud Palliere, CEO – International Development, PVR Ltd, said, “Well known in the world of contemporary European cuisine in India, Chef Mayank is no stranger to combining modern culinary techniques with classic cooking. His vast experience and innovative ideas make him a valuable member of the Mistral team. My colleagues and me are delighted to welcome him on board and I am confident that under his guidance and support the team will contribute towards providing one of the best dining experiences in Delhi.” ○

○

The Beer Café Gets its First COO The Beer Café, an alco-bev service chain in India promoted by BTB Marketing Pvt. Ltd., has recently appointed Tarun Jain as its Chief Operating Officer. Jain has an extensive experience of 18 years in the restaurant industry. He was earlier associated with Lite Bite Foods, Pan India Food Solutions and Nirula’s Corner House. His last assignment was with Technopak Advisors Pvt. Ltd. as Head & VP — Foodservices Division. In his new role as The Beer Café’s first COO, Jain will oversee the day-to day operations and ensure alignment with competitive strategies at the company wide level. He will be managing operations, customer service, marketing and sales. “We are pleased to have Tarun Jain on board with us at The Beer Cafe. He is a highly motivated leader who looks at continuous improvement and brings in years of experience in developing operational plans and managing change. We are looking forward to leveraging his valuable expertise as we continue to grow and strengthen our brand. Tarun will be a great asset for our company,” Rahul Singh, Founder and CEO, The Beer Café, said. Tarun Jain and Rahul Singh will work together to expand the chain’s presence pan India. In the near future, The Beer Café chain will be opening its doors to beer connoisseurs in Maharashtra and Punjab. The Beer Café is India’s first PYOB (Pour your own beer) chain. The Beer Café has an impressive range of 50 different varieties of beer from across 17 countries in the world. With 10 existing outlets and 14 more locations planned for this year, The Beer Café is on a huge growth curve.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

NEWS SCAN

A Sumptuous Mix of Delicacies from Rajasthan Despite the close proximity of Rajasthan to Delhi, we find few restaurants in the capital hosting Rajasthani food festival. But Mix by the BrewMaster, located in Moments Mall, Kirti Nagar, Delhi did so during 12th25th May 2014, where delectable dishes from different regions of this state infused with a royal heritage were served. The timings of the food festival were between 12 pm to 11.30 pm. What is more, the sumptuous experience at the restaurant came along with affordability. The meal for two pertaining to this Rajsthani food festival was costing only Rs.1000 on an average. The festival had a special thali which comprised of authentic Rajasthani delicacies such as Kher Sangri, Lal Mass, Murg Chittori, Besan Ghatta, Ghee Batti, Ghee Pulao, Dal Jaselmari and several others. As far as drinks served as part of this culinary festival, there was Guruji Ki Thandai which did refresh me and my colleague Anuj’s jaded spirits which were the legacy of a tiring day at the office. The Rajasthani food is little high on chillies, so to balance the gastronomic experience, tempting Seviyan Angoori Kheer was also being served, which we both relished. According to the Executive Chef of the restaurant, Sanjeev

Sharma, “Our regional cuisines offer very wide variety. But we are not promoting them as well as international cuisines have been done. The Rajasthani food festival in this context is our humble attempt to popularise our rich regional cuisines.” More such endeavours to promote our rich heritage of regional cuisines are the need of the hour. ○

○

Monster Energy Comes to India Monster Energy, the popular energy drink in the USA, has now come to the Indian market. This beverage is expected to attract popularity among the Generation Y crowd. Monster Energy drink is priced at Rs.95 per can and comes in 475ml cans. This makes the energy drink much more costly than a regular soft drink. So chances of regular soft drink users shifting their preferences to Monster Energy is not much. However, the drink is expected to attract popularity among the emerging segment of energy drink users in India. One can say that Monster Energy can have competition from Red Bull, which till now has been relatively unchallenged in the India’s nascent energy drinks market.

SpiceJet Comes With a New Menu SpiceJet has entered into partnership with TajSATS and Café Coffee Day to offer a new and enhanced food & beverage menu targeted at its in-flight passengers. The new menu, which went live on all the flights of SpiceJet from 23rd May, is titled ‘Hot Meals, Warm Smiles’. Under the partnership, TajSATS and CCD will handle all of SpiceJet’s catering system wide. The in-flight meals have vegetarian and as well as nonvegetarian options and they come under the categories of Breakfast, All-Day Hot Meals, Gourmet Glee, Sandwiches and Quick Picks. The passengers have the option to prebook their meals while booking their ticket/s online, which gives them even more meal choices, at savings of up to 25 percent as compared to on-board prices. Pre-booking of meals can be done up to 24 hours before the departure of the flight. “SpiceJet is pleased to partner with TajSATS and Café Coffee Day to design and deliver our all new onboard menu that offers an array of North Indian, South Indian, and Pan Asian choices,” said Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer, SpiceJet Ltd. He further added that the “Choices on the menu will change periodically to offer passengers even more choices and surprises when they fly with SpiceJet.”

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

REPORT

Knowledgeable Discourse on Restaurant Business

running a restaurant business in India is a challenging task as India is a unique market with complex licensing issues. However, the view of the panel was that the sector has tremendous opportunities for everyone to grow as India is still largely untapped in various parameters of restaurant business including frequency of eating out, out-of-home consumption and other aspects compared to other South-East Asian countries. Ajay Kaul said that for every business to be successful, the entrepreneur should “think big” and have the “conviction in the concept”. Furthermore, she/he should be able to infuse her/his belief among her/his employees to drive success in the business. Kaul believed that business decisions are a function of both heart and mind going hand in hand. Niren Chaudhary shared a disciplined and methodical view that a restaurateur should observe before planning to expand. While looking at scaling up, he spoke of a four-tier system that comprises consumer response to the concept, profitable business model that has the ability to generate returns within specific time lines, proper asset strategy including the study of what format will be successful in different locations, and finally building shareholder value. He also mentioned the keys to sustainability including creation of synergies between top line sales, investment made and operational efficiencies. To remain sustainable in times of economic downturn, Singh was of the view that capex on restaurants should be

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

ecently, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) conducted a power-packed CEO session on ‘Expansion and Sustainability in Restaurant Business.’ Among the panelists were industry leaders who represented the key segments of the Indian restaurant sector. These speakers are notable for not just being a part of the dynamic Indian restaurant sector but for also having contributed to its evolving landscape. The distinguished panel consisted of AD Singh from Olive Bar & Kitchen; Ajay Kaul from Jubilant FoodWorks; Jay Singh from JSM Corporation (Hard Rock Cafe, Shiro’s and California Pizza Kitchen); Niren Chaudhary from Yum! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell); Rahul Singh from The Beer Cafe and Riyaaz Amlani from Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality (Smoke House Deli and Mocha). The session was moderated by Samir Kuckreja, President, NRAI. Designed exclusively for the owners and entrepreneurs in the restaurant business who are looking for information and guidance on expanding and scaling up their restaurant businesses, the special event saw a remarkable attendance with participants coming from Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. The interactive and crisp power session focussed on essentials of expanding the restaurant business while keeping it sustainable. The knowledge session helped participants get insights on various parameters of the restaurant business. Everyone in the panel agreed that

controlled and there should be continual innovations in food, menu, and formats. Everyone in the panel was of the opinion that employees are the brand custodians and that they should be given top priority in running a business. Kaul mentioned that employees shared the most workable micro innovative methods that can help the organisations save significant costs. Rahul Singh stated that to grow from one unit to several units, it is vital to remain connected with your employees and have an open door policy. For franchising the panel agreed that there would always be differences between the franchisor and the franchisee. Therefore to make the franchising model flourish, it is necessary to find likeminded partners who can share the same value and vision as yours. Riyaaz Amlani educated the audience of the challenges of finding a franchisee partner for stand-alone businesses versus chains. He emphasised that food purchase decisions are mood driven and on many occasions people eat out only to savour an experience. Re-creating the same experience in a franchise operation is a tough challenge. The last segment of the panel discussion concentrated on funds for expansion. Jay Singh was of the opinion that to get funds for expansion is good but to assume that the investors will bring strategic changes and will add value to the business is a wrong premise to begin with. Apart from sharing valuable information on the various facets of restaurant business, speakers were also very candid in sharing their experiences, challenges that they faced while growing their brands and the solutions they sought to create successful models from their brands. Samir Kuckreja, President of NRAI said, “Being the leading association of the Indian restaurant industry, it is the responsibility of the association to create platforms where best practices could be shared. At these knowledge conferences stakeholders get opportunities to learn continually from several industry experts.” “NRAI seminars are well liked in the industry as the contents of these sessions are designed around the most relevant subjects that are found to be useful by the industry players and which help them keep their businesses relevant and up-todate. Apart from being a valuable resource, these sessions are great occasions for business networking,” he pointed out.

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

REPORT

The Rational Cooking Solutions

ecently, in the month of May, Rational presented its latest innovation in India. It is the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses, which comes across as an intelligent cooking system that senses, recognises, thinks ahead, learns from the Chef, and even communicates with him! What is more, the new Rational unit can effectively cater to the requirements of a wide variety of typical Indian food items like pulao, tandoori, dal and samosa. With the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses, Rational has succeeded in making even more significant improvements in the interplay between the Chef and his kitchen technology. “It was important for us to develop technology that supports Chefs, works for them, understands them, knows what they need and consistently delivers the desired results according to their specifications,” explained Pinaki Banerjee, Director of Rational in India. Using sophisticated sensors, the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses senses the current cooking chamber conditions and the consistency of the food. It recognises the size, load quantity and condition of products and calculates the appropriate browning by itself. What is more, the equipment has the ability to think ahead by determining the ideal cooking path to the desired

Pinaki Banerjee result that is the manner in which a product must be cooked, during the cooking process itself. It learns which cooking habits the Chefs prefer and implements them. The intelligent equipment can also communicate with the Chef and can continually show him what it is doing to implement his specifications. “This makes the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses the first cooking system fitted with real intelligence. This is because it makes decisions by itself and even communicates these,” affirmed Banerjee. But despite its awesome artificial intelligence the equipment doesn’t in any way influence the Chef to decide on the final result for the food. “It was important for us that the Chef to be always the one who decides on the result of the food. The SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses merely implements his wishes, though perfectly, as a reliable assistant,” the corporate honcho added. With iLevelControl, the new-age equipment affords the Chef to prepare different dishes at the same time in a single cooking cabinet and thus save time, space, energy and eventually, money. “The Chef simply specifies what and how he wants to cook and iLevelControl monitors every rack

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

individually. This entails all the food will always turn out the way the Chef desires them to be,” asserted Banerjee. According to him, what is completely innovative about iLevelControl is that it affords the Chef to keep an eye on what is happening in his cooking system. “Another new aspect is that iLevelControl actively shows the Chef which foods go together. If a food is not compatible, iLevelControl will tell him about that whereby the lettering of that food item will go grey, which can be seen in the image,” he concurred. Rational has just graduated from SelfCookingControl to iCookingControl. According to Banerjee, “iCookingControl is the function that actually brings the 5 senses to life,” while pointing out that “iCookingControl senses and recognises the load quantity, the size and the condition of the products and calculates the corresponding browning. It works so well because the sophisticated sensors are distributed and work throughout the cooking cabinet.” Through iCookingControl, the equipment learns from the Chef, adapts to his habits, and thinks ahead. iCookingControl plays a crucial role in facilitating baking operations. “We are now able to bake all the common baked goods around the world with iCookingControl,” stated Banerjee.

Apr-May ’14

REPORT

Ten Years of Tonino By Swarnendu Biswas

onino, possibly one of the finest Italian restaurants in the capital, is celebrating its 10 years of success in Delhi. Since 2004, Tonino has been attracting connoisseurs of authentic Italian cuisine. The sleek restaurant at first impression gives a sense of a Tuscan villa, where the warm exterior complements the enchanting wooden interiors. And the subsequent impressions are likely to strengthen or at least confirm the first impression Spread across 10,000 sq ft, Tonino offers an ideal place for its guests to unwind in a relaxed ambience, while savouring regional specialties from various parts of Italy under the moonlit skies. The terrace of the restaurant, which is spread across two floors, is presently only meant for hosting parties. The cuisine served at Tonino includes authentic regional varieties of Italian tastes and flavours. Though the thin crust pizzas and the wide variety of sumptuous sea food are the highlights of Tonino, but the restaurant’s offerings go much beyond the pizzas and sea food. The award winning Chef Suman Sharma (he won the National Tourism Award 2012-13), with 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry behind him, has been associated with Tonino since its inception and has played an intrinsic role in Tonino’s success. Over the years, he has travelled extensively to various regions of Italy, savouring the regional delicacies of Italy and adding the same to the Tonino menu. The restaurant is being run by Parmeet Sawhney, Managing Partner, Tonino, and his wife Simran Sawhney. Parmeet has had been travelling overseas frequently, and

during his travels, Italian cuisine and an Italian restaurant did cast a deep influence on him, which paved way to the creation of Tonino. Simran’s role has primarily been in the design and in providing other creative inputs for the restaurant “Through these years of gastronomic journey of Tonino, many heads of state, and as well as people from all walks of life have dined at Tonino and enjoyed our delicacies in Tuscan ambience. Our pledge is to further improve and continue to give an unmatched wholesome experience to everyone who visits Tonino. Our endeavour remains to give all the tastes of Italy in general and of the beautiful

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Tuscany in particular,” asserted Parmeet. Simran informed me that they had been organising food festivals focusing on cuisines of different regions of Italy from time to time, and in such festivals, according to her, not only the menu but also the ambience and décor are being tailored to give a visual representation of the given region of Italy; that region on whose cuisine the food festival is being focused on. “Moreover, updation of our menu is a continual process,” asserted Simran, leaving no room for creating an impression that the entrepreneur duo believes in resting on their laurels. “We import a lot of ingredients so as to maintain the impeccable quality of our food & beverage products,” affirmed Chef Suman. For example, according to him, flour for pizza is being imported, olive oil is being imported and Tusan grains are being used in the production process. The ten-year-old restaurant also has glutenfree options in its menu so as to cater to the increasing numbers of health conscious crowd, that is a sign of the present times.

Apr-May ’14

Dec-Jan â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

COVER STORY

The Flavours from

Lucknow

During the eighteenth, nineteenth and the early twentieth century, Lucknow was not only famous for refinement in culture and great urdu poetry, and not only did it have an air of romance infused in its environment, but the city also achieved great heights of culinary excellence. Besides architecture and etiquette, entertaining — which included a feast of delicacies — was an essential part of the erstwhile Lucknowi culture. Even today the remnants of such traditions do linger on in the ambience, and hearts and minds across Lucknow. Even today, Lucknow not only resonates with history, but its by lanes also waft with ethereal aroma. Over the decades, Lucknowi cuisine has attracted nationwide popularity. Lucknow is famous for its pulaos, kormas and kebabs, among others. Ashok Malkani discusses about some of the popular dishes of Lucknow, which have become a rage nationwide. The creative restaurateurs can use the popularity of Lucknow cuisine to reap rich dividends by opening restaurants focusing on the delicate cuisines of Lucknow.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

COVER STORY

eorge Bernard Shaw once said, “There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” And if you have experienced the taste of authentic Lucknow cuisine then there is high likelihood of you endorsing the great writer’s views. Chances are you would have already turned into an ardent food lover. Lucknowi cuisine or Awadhi cuisine, like all great cuisines, is endowed with its distinct individuality and identity. The cuisine of Lucknow developed its nuances under the patronage of the Mughals, which gives the cuisine a royal feel. Considerable degree of flair, finesse and rigorous practice are required to have mastery in cooking authentic Lucknow cuisine. The bawarchis and rakabdars of Awadh (Lucknow was the capital of the erstwhile Awadh state during the colonial rule) gave birth to the Dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire over a long time, which has become synonymous with Lucknow’s culinary culture. In ‘Dum’

Apr-May ’14

style of cooking, food is cooked over a low flame for considerable duration of time, generally in sealed containers. In this style of cooking herbs and spices play a crucial role. Getting cooked slowly in its juices, the food through Dum style of cooking retains all its natural aromas and juices and becomes endowed with the richness of flavours.

The Culinary Heritage of Dum The history of Dum Pukht style of cooking can be traced to the late eighteenth century Lucknow. Literally speaking, Dum Pukht means maturing of a prepared dish where the handis (huge pots) of kormas, lentil and biryani, etc. are brought to the table and then unsealed. There is an interesting story about how Dum Pukht form of cooking originated. In the 1780s, a famine struck the kingdom of Avadh. Its then ruler, Asafud-daula, began the construction of Bara Imambara in Lucknow (today the monument is a tourist spot in its own right), to provide employment and hence livelihood to his subjects. Faced

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

with the onerous challenge of feeding hundreds of workers engaged in the construction on a daily basis, the cooks came up with an innovative way to prepare the food. Rice, meat, vegetables and spices were put in huge vessels, the top was sealed and the dish was allowed to simmer in the slow heat of bukhari ovens. As the handis were being opened, the Nawab, who was passing by, thought about sampling the food. The taste and flavours of the food delighted his culinary senses and consequently, he introduced this style of cooking into his royal kitchens where, it was subsequently refined by the Chefs to give birth to the unique Lucknow style of Dum Pukht cuisine. Also, preparation of Lucknow cuisines entails precise blending of spices in correct proportions so that intense flavour of the dishes wafts through.

Variety, Character and Influences In Awadhi cooking or Lucknowi cooking, the magic lies not so much in the recipe; rather, it lies more in the

COVER STORY dishes comprising sugar but which looked otherwise. No wonder, Chefs used to earn great respect in royal courts of Lucknow. This royal culture has percolated across the by lanes of this historic city and even today, the modern Lucknow keeps its date with its rich culinary tradition.

Seasonal Menu

hand that translates the recipes to the dishes. A great Chef dealing with creating authentic delicacies of Lucknowi cuisine must be able to rise above his recipe like a great director or an actor can rise above his script. A great Chef of Lucknowi cuisine is expected to have the expertise and the confidence to improvise and to bring out the optimum blending of taste and flavours from the ingredients at his disposal. It may be mentioned that the Lucknowi cuisine has a range of sumptuous delicacies which is fit for the queen. It is said that traditional Lucknow cuisine has about 37 types of breads, 47 types of pulao, 35 types of zarda, 19 types of kebabs, 5 types of meat curry and 37 types of halwa within its ambit. Mutton, chicken, beef, paneer (cottage cheese), cardamom and saffron are some of the ingredients which create the heavenly aroma and taste of authentic Lucknowi cuisine. Awadhi cuisine has strong influence from Mughal cooking style. The cuisine of Lucknow also does have similarities with the cuisines of Persia, Kashmir, Punjab and even Hyderabad. Pulao, kormas, salan (a gravy dish of meat or vegetable), kebabs, pasinda (fried slivers of very tender meat, in gravy), sheermal, roomali rotis are integral dishes of a typical Lucknowi spread. Though the cuisine of Lucknow has been influenced by the Mughlai cuisines but there are differences

between Mughlai cuisines and the cuisine of Lucknow. For example, the Dum style of cooking is the unique invention of Awadhi cuisine, where food is cooked over slow fire for a long time, generally in sealed containers. The slowfire cooking enables the juices to get absorbed into the solid parts of the food. Nutrients of the food are retained through the Dum cooking. Mughlai cooking cannot lay claim to any such culinary invention. In Awadhi cuisine kebabs are cooked in tawa, whereas in Mughlai style of cooking they are grilled in tandoor, which accounts for flavour differences from Mughlai style kebabs and Awadhi styled kebab preparation. Mughlai food usually has rich spice content, dried fruit and nuts, whereas Awadhi cuisine uses only a few uncommon spices. Restaurateurs thinking of opening a restaurant focusing on Lucknow cuisine should know the subtle nuances of Lucknow cuisine and its essential differences from the Mughlai cuisine. There are several anecdotes about the intricacies involved in Lucknowi or Awadhi cuisine. It is said that Wajid Ali Shah, ever the truant, once tricked prince Asman Qadar of Delhi by serving a mutton curry which simulated marmalade. Asman Qadar then reversed the trick and served a lot of

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

The menu of Lucknow cuisine changes with the change in season. In the winters, paye (trotters) which are cooked overnight over a slow fire and the thick shorba which is partaken with naans contribute to the delight of Lucknow cuisine. In Lucknow, turnips cooked overnight with meat koftas and kidneys are regarded as a popular item for lunch during winters. This dish is known as shab degh. The meat of partridge and quail are also had in Lucknow during winters. In fact, they are enjoyed since the beginning of the long winters as these meats give heat. Fish kebabs are also popular during Lucknow winters. In fact, from winters to spring fish form an important part of Lucknow cuisine. Crispy snacks and birahis or parathas stuffed with mashed lentil are the culinary highlights of Lucknow during the spring season. Curumba â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a dessert made of raw mangoes cooked in semolina and jaggery or sugar, is relished in Lucknow during summers.

Favourties From the City Here are some of the all time favourites of Awadhi cuisine, which have become popular all over the country. (i) Kebabs Without the mention of kebabs no account of the cuisine of Lucknow can

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

COVER STORY

be complete. There are several types of melt-in-the-mouth kebabs in Awadhi cuisine. Kakori Kebab, Galouti Kebab, Shami Kebab, Boti Kebab, Patili-keKebab, Ghutwa Kebab and Seekh Kebab are some of the popular varieties which non-vegetarians should try while exploring the cuisine of Lucknow. The Seekh Kebab has been regarded as a culinary masterpiece of Awadhi dastarkhwan. This culinary delight was 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678 12345678

Lucknow’s Chicken Biryani Recipe

Ingredients 500 gm skinned chicken For Marination 1 Tbsp salt 1 Tbsp red chili powder 1/2 Tbsp turmeric 1 Tbsp coriander powder 1 Tbsp cumin powder 2 Finely chopped green chilies 4 Tbsp fried brown onions (sliced and deep fried till golden brown) 2 Tsp freshly pound garlic (can also use paste) 2 Tsp freshly pound ginger (can also use paste) 2 Cups of curd 2 to 3 nos. Mace, crushed by hand For Cooking Chicken 2 Bay leaves 7 Tbsp of oil or ghee 1 Stick cinnamon 2 Cardamoms 4 Cloves

introduced in our country by the Mughals. Kebab was originally prepared with beef mince on skewers and was cooked on charcoal fire. Now lamb mince is in wide usage as it has a softer texture. You must try the varied succulent kebabs, especially when you are in Lucknow. (ii) Biryani It is a non-vegetarian’s dream-cometrue. In Lucknow there are three kinds

of biryanis, the Kacchi (raw) Biryani, the Jappu (raw) Biryani and the Pakki biryani. In Mumbai and other cities you can mostly find the last mentioned one. The source of the word biryani can be traced to the Persian word Birian, which means ‘roasted before cooking.’ A mixture of basmati rice, tender meat, vegetables, yogurt, and the right combination of spices can result in a great biryani. Marinated with spices overnight and flavoured in yogurt, the meat of biryani (whether it be mutton or chicken), is slowly cooked over charcoals, with the fragrant basmati rice. In Lucknow you can also find nalli (bone marrow) biryani, which is the city’s specility. The biryani is made in three steps. First, the meat is seared in ghee and cooked in water with warm aromatic spices till it gets tender. The meat broth is drained. Second, the rice is lightly fried in ghee, and cooked in the meat broth from the previous step. Third, cooked meat and cooked rice are layered in a handi. Sweet flavours are added. Then the handi is sealed and rice and meat are again cooked over low heat.

2-3 Black cardamoms 1 Tbsp coriander leaves 1 Tbsp mint Leaves For Cooking Rice 1kg Biryani rice 6 Tbsp of salt 2 Tsp shahi jeera 2 Star anis For Garnishing 3 Tbsp milk mixed with saffron 2 Tbsp coriander leaves 2 Tbsp mint leaves 5 Tbsp of fried onion Method 1. Marinate the chicken for 2 hours (in the marination masalas mentioned above) 2. Soak Basmati rice for 1 hour 3. Boil sufficient water for rice. Add shahi jeera, salt and star anis. Then add rice. Cook till it is half done. Strain the water out and set aside.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789

4. To cook chicken, heat oil or ghee in kadhai or wok. Put in all the garam masalas (mentioned in ‘for cooking chicken’). Now add the marinated chicken. Mix well and let it cook for 15-30 minutes on medium heat, till the oil separates and starts to float on top. Now turn off the heat. Add coriander and mint leaves and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes. 5. Now it is the time for layering. Take a deep vessel (preferably with a tight lid for Dum cooking) and apply some ghee at the bottom of the vessel. Spread the chicken evenly. Now spread the half cooked rice over it evenly. Garnish it (with the ingredients mentioned in ‘For Garnishing’). Cover it with a clean towel and place a heavy lid on top. Put a heavy object over the lid. 6. Now let the biryani get cooked in its own steam for about 20 minutes. 7. Serve hot, in layers.

Apr-May ’14

COVER STORY

The result is a great biryani. Bliss cannot be far away. From sheermal to baqarkhani to chapatti; from puri to roomali roti to naan and from paratha to tandoori roti Lucknow offers a wide variety of breads to satiate the tastes.

Tempting Desserts Halwa is an important dessert of Lucknow. The inhabitants of Lucknow enjoy several varieties of halwa, which can be prepared with gram flour or semolina, or wheat, or for that matter with eggs. The halwa sohan is the famous halwa from Lucknow, which comes in four varieties. They are Papadi, Jauzi, Habshi and Dudhiya. During the reign of Nawab Shuja ud Daula, 37 types of halwas were created in Lucknow through culinary experimentation, imagination and patience. Many of them entered the mainstream cuisine during the subsequent years. The Jauzi Halwa Sohan is an important variety of halwa of Lucknow, but unfortunately this halwa is now prepared only in a few households. Its preparation not only requires ingredients like germinated wheat, milk, sugar, saffron, nuts among others, but patience and an innate love for cooking. However, the art of this type of halwa creation may ebb away in the fast-paced times of ours unless our food service business makes proactive efforts to promote this halwa. Kulfi and chaat are other favourite dessert and snack items from the city of Lucknow. â&#x2013;

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

BUSINESS

In High

Spirits

There has been a steady growth in the sales of imported spirits in India, during the recent years. With more Indians travelling abroad now than say a decade back, there is a sizeable section of Indians who are not only exposed to the taste of imported spirits, but prefer the same in India too. Besides outbound travel, the high spending power of the young generation has also contributed towards greater demand for imported spirits. Ashok Malkani finds that the market for imported spirits has taken a tremendous leap over the last few years. In this market scenario, the entrepreneurs could reap dividends by importing drinks like the Japanese sake and the Turkish raki. One of the major hassles is the high duties imposed on the imported alcohol. In this regard, the possibility of a new alcohol policy is the need of the hour in India.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

BUSINESS

uring 2008 and 2013, the sales of wine and spirits in India escalated from 1.73 billion cases to over 3 billion cases. Here it deserves a mention that each case has 12 bottles of 750 ml each. This huge growth in spirits sales becomes all the more awe inspiring when it takes place amidst a period of low growth rates for the economy as a whole. It appears that during this bleak period bottles of spirits were the means for many Indians to somehow overcome their disappointment triggered by recessionary pressures. If this conjecture proves to be a reality then it is not a very health trend for the society as a whole, though it may give a fillip to the alcohol business in the country. It would interest the producers of alcoholic spirits that Indians consume more than one fifth of the alcohol produced in this planet ASSOCHAM predicted that the overall liquor consumption in India was expected to reach 20,000 million litres by 2015. The apex industry body stated in its study that the overall liquor consumption in the country was

Apr-May ’14

growing at about 30 percent CAGR.

The Imported Flow What is more, imported spirits are showing a spurt in sales in the country. India happens to be the largest whisky market in the world and the country has been experiencing increasing demand for imported whiskies and wines during the recent years. As more and more Indians are travelling abroad for educational, professional and leisure purposes than say a decade before, chances of their getting exposed to

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

quality imported spirits is also rising, and in many cases their exposure is also materialising into their evolved preferences for spirits. And what is more, many of them have the financial muscle to purchase imported alcoholic beverages. Two years back, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India in its study titled, ‘India’s emerging imported spirits market,’, stated that the imported spirits market in India was estimated at about 280 lakh litres, or about 3.1 million cases, and it was growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 25 percent. The body noted that the sales of imported spirits in India were likely to cross five million cases to reach an impressive figure of about 550 lakh litres by 2015. “Growth of imported spirits in India is largely driven by the spurt in tendency amid young Indian professionals and entrepreneurs to migrate from local brands to international brands,” said DS. Rawat, Secretary General of ASSOCHAM while releasing the findings of the

BUSINESS Mizoram and Manipur liquor is still officially prohibited, and excluding these four states revenues from alcohol contributes significantly to the states’ exchequer. If only taxation on alcohol were slightly more friendly, it would not only be healthy for the industry but in the long-run would have been healthier for the states’ coffers too. Despite the states and the union government’s stance towards alcohol consumption, there is no denying the fact that the alcohol consumption in India is steadily increasing every year and the number of imported alcoholic brands entering the Indian market growing. India dominates alcohol production in the South-East Asia, and accounts for about 7 percent of the alcoholic beverage imports into the South-East Asian region. study. There are other reasons for this trend towards increasing consumption of imported alcoholic spirits in India and some of them are perhaps the increasing disposable incomes in select pockets of urban India, growing urbanisation, changing lifestyles and social ethos, and the fact that India has significant proportion of young upwardly mobile population. The growing economic affluence and empowerment among Indian women has also coupled with the change in social ethos to perhaps create another contributing factor towards increasing consumption of imported spirits during the recent years.

The Impediments However, the latent demand for imported spirits in India is not reflected in its supplies, which leaves lots of room for growth in this market. The ASSOCHAM study noted that the market for imported liquor had huge scope for growth in India and there could be a dramatic increase in the number of foreign brands if the stiff regulatory environment together with state levies and high import tariff on imported spirits sold through retail stores and bars across states in India were relaxed to some extent. Not only the flow of imported spirits has unexplored potential in India but wine and spirits industry in India in general is not experiencing growth as compared to its potential.

VinExpo Asia predicts the spirits sales to touch 2.1 million cases in 2017. According to Rajiv Singhal, the Representative of VinExpo in India, the markets for wines and spirits can experience higher growth if the rules governing the industry undergo revamping. He opines that besides high import duties, licenses and taxes, domestic registration rules and sales conditions are the bottlenecks towards the expansion of the Indian wine and spirits market. . This taxation policy of the state governments regarding alcoholic spirits is really unfortunate considering the fact that roughly 20 percent of the budgets of most state governments are funded by alcohol. In four states of India, that is in Gujarat, Nagaland,

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Favourite Routes to Headiness Among the alcoholic beverages, perhaps due to our British colonial legacy, whisky remains one of the favourite drinks of Indians to get into the heady spirits. India’s yearly consumption of whiskies accounts for about half of its total spirits market. During 2012, Scotland exported whisky worth £61.5million to India, which was a 46 percent growth in Scotland’s whisky exports to India over that of 2007. During 2012, India happened to be the fifth largest market for Scotland’s whisky exports in volume terms, but only the 19th biggest market for Scotland’s whisky exports in terms of value. No wonder, the Scotish whisky

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

BUSINESS

producers are eyeing the Indian whisky market with keen interest, which many of them believe, not without reason, to emerge as their single biggest market only if India’s exhorbitant import tarrif on foreign spirits experiences some reduction. For long, the Scottish whisky producers are lobbying for a tarrif cut. The fact that the pricing of scotch whiskies makes them beyond the reach of many of the middle class population in India, who would be very much interested to have them if the drinks were slightly more affordable, is a tragedy in marketing terms that must be changed quickly. Even many Indian companies which use imported scotch as a raw material in their whiskies are also in favour of tarrif cuts which they believe could facilitate them to better tackle the high input costs, lowering margins and demands for better quality. What seems heartening is that this interest in scotch whisky in India is expected to make many Indian whisky producers invest in Scottish distilleries in the near future. Kyndal India, which is engaged in manufacturing and importing premium spirits, did enter into a joint venture with John Fergus & Co to establish a malt distillery and bonded warehouse in Fife, Scotland, with the objective of producing Scotch for India and other emerging economies. The project entailed an investment of 6.7 million pounds. Vodka is emerging as another favourite alcoholic beverage of the Indians. Its popularity has transmitted

from northern Europe to northern India, and during this heady travel this drink has enamoured huge sections of connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages across the globe. Though vodka today accounts for a miniscule share of the overall Indian spirits industry, but its popularity potential among Indian drinkers seems to be huge. In fact, the growth in the numbers of women alcoholic beverage drinkers has perhaps largely contributed to the growing popularity of vodka, as for many ladies who drink alcohol, vodka happens to be the favourite drink. A study stated that India was likely to overtake both Germany and the UK to emerge as one of the top five markets for vodka across the globe, by as early as 2015. Couple of decades back vodka was in the fringes as far as the popularity of alcoholic beverages in India went. The launch of Smirnoff in India, and Radico Khaitan’s Magic Moments gave huge impetus to the popularity of the vodka segment in the country. Presently, the premium vodka market in India has been experiencing an impressive growth of over 25 percent per annum. Absolut and Grey Goose are among the brands which dominate the India’s premium vodka market.

The Unexplored Market While the entrepreneurs in the alcoholic spirits business talk and think generally in terms of the common alcoholic drinks – wine, whisky, beer, vodka, gin, rum – they often fail to realise that there is a scope for tapping uncharted territory. Two drinks that readily come to mind are the sake from Japan, and raki from Turkey. Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink made of fermented rice called koji (often translated as rice malt or yeast made from rice) and water. In Japanese, ‘sake’ also means alcoholic beverages in general. Sake’s origins are disputed. A book written in the early eighth century mentions about an alcoholic beverage made from rice, which can be regarded as a precursor to modern day sake. Though sake’s origins are wrapped in mystery, about its appeal there is hardly any. The flow of sake has been an integral part of the culinary legacy of Japan. The number of sake producers in Japan exceeds 1600. Raki is a non sweet aperitif, which is usually anise flavoured. It can be regarded as the unofficial national drink of Turkey. The conventional way of having raki is by mixing it with water. The concoction of raki with water gives the alcoholic beverage a milky-white colour. Raki is derived from different fruits in different regions, but grapes, figs and plums are the most popular options. Raki is endowed with subtle taste of aniseed and its alcohol content is 40 percent, on an average.

Say Cheers By importing sake or raki into the Indian market, whose demands are as yet unexplored in the Indian market, the players can derive the marketing edge. Overall, given the fact that the market for imported spirits in the country is expanding and the alcohol consumption in India increasing steadily, it is the right time for the entrepreneurs to enter the alcoholic beverages industry as an importer of spirits or as a producer of alcoholic beverages or as a joint venture partner. Being a dealer or owning a bar can also be profitable options to cash in on the increasing demand for spirits in the country. It is time to say cheers…

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

F E AT U R E

Promoting

Regional Cuisines By Swarnendu Biswas

ndia is a country of not only great cultural and natural diversity but also of great culinary diversity. In fact, one can say that our cultural and natural diversity have together contributed to our culinary diversity. Besides diversity, our culinary legacy is also endowed with great regional richness. But unfortunately, the appeal of many of our regional dishes or rather most of our regional dishes is still confined to specific geographical regions of the country, and many of our timeless regional dishes have not got their well deserved national appeal and consequently, their global popularity. This is a tragedy and a wasted opportunity for our restaurant business in this glocalised age(global + local age), when we are seeing people across big Indian cities thronging to Italian, Mexican, Japanese or other restaurants focusing on exotic cuisines. I would not be not at all surprised if a survey finds that a significant section among these crowd

thronging to such exotic cuisine restaurants in India are doing so just to experiment or to be seen as fashionable and trendy, irrespective of whether they like those exotic cuisines or not.

Lacking Awareness, Losing Opportunity But how many of those people frequenting Italian, Thai or Japanese restaurants in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and other big cities of India have heard about aloo posto or mochar ghonto or for that matter of dhokar dalna? Not many, I am sure. All these above-mentioned traditional Bengali vegetarian dishes were integral part of my gastronomic evolution during my growing up years, and their tastes (which in my case was influenced by my grandmother’s and my mother’s ethereal culinary dexterity) still do invade my memories in many of my moments of solitude, raising rare waves of nostalgia on my disturbed and largely unreflective

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

mind-sea. This happens despite the fact that I am a passionate non-vegetarian. The aromas of traditional Bengali prawn curry with coconut gravy (known as chingri macher malai curry in Bengali), hilsa fish cooked in curd and mustard gravy (known as doi illish in Bengali) and of typical Bengali mutton curry (kosha mangsho) still waft from my childhood and adolescent years to my middle age, effortlessly. And it is not only my tongue which gets wet… But now we are having less and less time to cook such elaborate dishes which are painstaking, considering our busy schedules and our predilection towards nuclear families. Therefore the need for more restaurants focusing on such authentic regional cuisines, which often entail elaborate preparations, assumes more importance, not only to satiate the connoisseur’s tastes and nostalgia but also to keep alive our awesomely rich regional culinary legacy; parts of which are sadly

Apr-May ’14

F E AT U R E ebbing away before the advances of globalisation, simply due to lack of adequate promotion. Attainment of pan-Indian and global popularity of many of our timeless regional dishes is what a section of our food service industry (at least those engaged in operating Indian restaurants), and our Union and state governments should collectively aspire for. I think the kebabs from Lucknow, especially the magical kebabs from Tunday Kababi deserve better global recognition (to me and I am sure to millions of others they taste much better than burgers and pizzas) than they are getting at present, as do doi illish, Goan Fish Curry, the idli and dosa. As do the traditional banquets like Sadya and Wazwan(from Kerala and Kashmir respectively) Why masala dosa and dhokla are nowhere near the global popularity of burger and pizza, considering the fact that South Indians and Gujaratis have reached all corners of the globe? Why don’t the kakori kebab and Hyderabadi biryani attain the same universal respect across the gastronomic map of the world as foie gras and caviar? Why not the ethereal thandai from Benaras or for that matter feni from

Apr-May ’14

Goa could emerge among the favourite beverages in the west? How many of us in Delhi or in the entire north India have heard of poora haah, misa mach poora, and bamboo shoot fry from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, let alone taste them? How many Indians outside north-east India know of apong the rice beer from the not much known state? Not a significant proportion of

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

population, I am sure. Similarly, few in north India and in fact not a majority in other parts of India except perhaps those of north-east know of the fermented fish dish of ngri from Manipur, though many elites of our metros may don’t get tired raving about sushi. The sweet dish of koat pita from Manipur (which are deep fried balls having combination of mashed bananas, jaggery and rice flour) has much lesser familiarity among many connoisseurs of food & beverage across metropolitan India than say apple pie custard. How many Indians outside West Bengal have tasted the wonderful taste of sweet banana chops? This lack of awareness about our composite culinary heritage can be due to multiple reasons, but it is also very much due to the paucity of promotional exercise and innovative entrepreneurship across India’s restaurant business. Our food service industry and our governments (both Union and the state governments) can play proactive roles in facilitating national and global popularity and acceptance of many of our regional dishes. The rich variety of regional cuisines in

F E AT U R E India does have great potential for our food service business and even our tourism industry if they are promoted creatively. For example, I am quite sure if a person from Tamil Nadu or for that matter from the US is exposed to prawn curry with coconut gravy in a restaurant in Delhi, chances are she/he may appreciate it. Similarly, a person from Rajasthan has high probability of appreciating a Goan Fish Curry, if she/he is a non-vegetarian. By not exploiting the full potential of regional cuisines, the food service business in the country is losing huge opportunity in terms of revenues. One of the effective ways to spread the popularity of many little known regional food & beverage preparations across the country and around the globe, and also to enhance the popularity of those regional cuisines which are already popular across India (say the Lucknowi cuisine or the Mughlai cuisine) across globe, the tourism boards of the state governments of India should make proactive efforts to market their state’s food & beverage specialties by hosting more food festivals(with corporate support) across India and beyond.

cuisines by five-star hotels and high-end restaurants, time and again.

Through Food Festivals

…and Airlines

At these food festivals, guests could be provided exposure to regional cuisines of India at subsidised rates. This would encourage people unexposed to a given regional cuisine to develop acquaintance and awareness about it, which in long-run can coalesce into enduring interest. Preferably these food festivals should be hosted near tourist spots, if possible, so that they can increase the possibility of attracting more numbers of guests. Along with the opportunity of savouring of little known and delectable dishes affordably, the guests can also be provided information about the tourist attractions and tourism infrastructure of that particular state which is hosting the food festival, in a creative manner. By marketing their regional cuisines through food festivals, the state governments would not only promote their culinary heritage, but could also help improve their states’ tourism potential. This exercise can of course be supplemented by hosting of food festivals on different regional Indian

Similarly, the state governments could enter into tie-ups with private airlines to promote regional cuisines of various states on say four days of the month, on specific routes. If an average foreign tourist flying in SpiceJet from Delhi to Goa gets a taste of authentic Goan cuisine, I don’t think she/he would be greatly disappointed. In fact, if the experience is great it may induce her/him to promote Goan cuisine to her/his friends, family and colleagues in the distant foreign land (or is it nearby considering we live in a global village as some smart people say?), when she/he returns there. And even in this age of myriad over the top and as well as sophisticated marketing techniques, there is no better publicity than the age-old word of mouth publicity.

The Role of Railways… Indian Railways can also pitch in this creative exercise of promoting our regional cuisines. The popularity of regional cuisines can also be enhanced among our swathes of domestic and inbound tourists by introducing more number of luxury trains like Palace On Wheels and also by demarcating days for specific types of regional cuisines on them. Let us assume the luxury train is passing through tourist attractions of West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in seven days. Then one day can be demarcated in highlighting the cuisine of West Bengal and two other days can be demarcated for highlighting the cuisines of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh among the travellers. The menu of the luxury train could be tailored accordingly.

encouraged(by way of subsidy) to present authentically prepared regional dishes of that given state before the guests. More such initiatives like Delhi Haat where one can get to savour varied selection of regional specialties of India are also the need of the hour. Dilli Haat type initiatives can be introduced by the Union Ministry of Tourism across different states on a proactive basis. The states could also promote entrepreneurs who have the willingness and skills to introduce a chain of roadside kiosks selling delectable but uncommon regional cuisines at affordable rates. These kiosks would be similar to papri chaat, golgappa and aloo tikki stalls found in cities. This exercise is likely to create mass awareness of many forgotten regional dishes.

The Industry’s Initiative

Amusement Parks, Roadside Kiosks The state governments can also create amusement parks with lots of attractions for various age groups, where food stalls installed could be

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

The hospitality industry can also take innovative initiatives to promote regional cuisines in India. Many of the five-star hotels and resorts can have at least three restaurants each specialising in varied forms of regional cuisines of India. Or they may have one Indian cuisine restaurant, but there seven days of the week can be devoted to seven forms of cuisines of India. For example, why not have a restaurant where Mondays are devoted to Kashmiri cuisine, Tuesdays are demarcated for Bengali cuisine, Wednesdays for Rajasthani cuisine, Thursdays for Kerala cuisine and so on… I know in this way the given restaurant will be focusing on only seven types of the myriad varieties of regional Indian cuisines, but if more restaurants across five-star hotels allocate a restaurant to promote the awesome variety and richness of Indian cuisines, the day is not far when many of our little known dishes or dwindling culinary traditions would garner popularity among discerning Indian and inbound guests and thereby get not only their much needed revival but also extend the reach of their gastronomic appeal. With inputs from Ayonendu Biswas

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

FOCUS

French Patisserie Tradition Arrives in India By Swarnendu Biswas

he newly opened (April 2014) Bread et More’s outlet at Vasant Vihar and the same brand’s outlet at GK-I, which was revamped in August 2013, are perhaps a few rare examples where one can find exquisite reflection of French patisserie tradition in the nation’s capital, where otherwise mediocrity in bakery production is still fairly rampant, or in fact, is the norm, despite the advances in globalisation and the evolution of the Indian palate. Bread et More chain of bakery cafes from the Kwality Group, a newly opened chain which till now has presence only in the capital but has ambitious expansion plans across the country, can be construed as an upgradation of the Kwality Group’s Bread & More chain. The yet unupgraded Bread &More outlets have their presence across Delhi, Mumbai and Goa. There is one Bread & More outlet in Mumbai, and three Bread & More outlets in Goa. Besides, there is one Bread & More outlet at Punjabi Bagh, Delhi. According to Rajeev Bhaskar Sahi,

the CEO of Kwality Group, the company at present has one factory each in Mumbai and Delhi for meeting the production requirements of three of these seven bakery cafes, which represents the two brands of Bread & More, and Bread et More. The factory in Mumbai caters to the production for the Mumbai outlet and the factory in Delhi caters to the production for the Bread et More outlets of GK–I and Vasant Vihar in Delhi. “The production for the Goa’s three outlets, and for the Bread & More outlet at Punjabi Bagh in Delhi are done at the on premise only,” he stated.

confectionary products. “The reason is very simple, indeed. We upgraded because there has been a persistent need for world class bakery and confectionery products in select pockets of urban India, products whose quality can easily simulate the quality of top patisseries in Europe,” he explained. Sahi opined that the latent demand

Bread & More…and More I queried Sahi on the need to upgrade the 13-year-old established Bread & More brand (the first chain of Bread & More was opened in 2000, in Delhi), which is already characterised with high standards of quality in bakery and

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

FOCUS for such European quality bakery and confectionery products had been there in select pockets of urban India, especially in big cities of India, for quite some time, “though there was almost no option except for the few and far between bakeries in five-star hotels to cater to this latent demand, till the recent past.” However, there is no denying the fact that during the recent few years such a demand has gathered momentum. This increase in demand for quality bakery products in urban India can be attributed to the spread of the forces of globalisation in the upwardly mobile twenty-first century urban India through Internet, satellite television and outbound travel. Especially the exposure gained through foreign travels has made more and more Indians discern the difference between the international quality of F&B products and ordinary run-of-the-mill local products. This trend is very much valid for the bakery and confectionery products too. “We found that there was a great demand for high quality authentic bakery and confectionery products among the well travelled and discerning Indians, who want to enjoy the same quality of food & beverage experiences in India, which they had enjoyed in their foreign tours. Our impressive product range at Bread et More caters to these international tastes, and we have used the optimum quality of raw materials and state-of-theart technology as steps towards fruition of this objective,” observed Divij Lamba, Director, Kwality Group. The location of the Vasant Vihar outlet, which happens to be in close proximity to the embassies, has also perhaps contributed to its demand among the discerning crowd. However, it is not only the foreigners from embassies who frequent this outlet characterised by chic and minimalist décor, with an outdoor seating option. “Not only the expatriate crowd but also many Indians are seen frequenting our Vasant Vihar outlet to satiate their discerning tastes for European quality bakery products,” informed Sahi.

A Host of Temptations At the two Bread et More outlets one can indulge in a host of delights which include exotic cakes, elegant pastries, stone-baked artisan breads, indulgent chocolates, melt-inyour-mouth macarons, delightful cupcakes, scrumptious savouries and much more…And all the products showcased at these Bread et More outlets are hand made. “Maintaining standardization of impeccable quality in artisan creations is quite a challenge, but thankfully we have been able to

Apr-May ’14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

FOCUS overcome this challenge through our continual adherence to quality,” averred Sahi. Mille feuille, the heavenly multilayered pastry filled with custard, is one of the highlights of the offerings at Bread et More. “Here we call it Napolean as this pastry with a plethora of delightful layers was the favourite of the emperor Napolean,” asserted Sahil Mehta — Assistant Vice President, Kwality Restaurant & Ice Cream Co. The Swiss Chocolate Truffle, Choco Oreo Cheesecake, and Rococo Chocolate — a dessert made with creamy chocolate and crunchy praline — which makes it a chocolate lover’s delight, are few of the many other out of the ordinary indulgences that the Bread et More bakery cafés have to offer. Savouring the fluffy croissants and traditional quiches with coffee at the evening at the Vasant Vihar outlet can help one forget the tensions of spending a busy day at work. The ethereal macaroons at the Bread et More outlets come in ten flavours. Bread et More outlets house 40 varieties of freshly baked artisan breads, which are being created from the stone ovens from Italy. The brown rice cookies and healthy cereal bars and mueslis of Bread et More reflect perfect amalgamation of health and taste. According to Mehta, who has grown up in France and has been trained in a premier institute in France on the subtle nuances of bakery creations, “the quality of products at our Bread et More outlets can easily beat the bakery and confectionery products offered at most of the five-star properties in the country, and that too with much more affordability.” Mehta was trained at Ecole Lenôtre in Paris, which is regarded as one of the most internationally acclaimed training schools for the culinary arts. All the creations at the two Bread et More outlets reflect Mehta’s creativity and expertise, who leads a team of imaginative Pastry Chefs. Not surprisingly, there are the usual reasons behind such sustained adherence towards quality control.

The Recipe for Quality “The secret behind our top-notch quality at the two Bread et More outlets is our stance of no compromise

regarding using of the best possible quality of ingredients available, usage of high quality equipments with 95 percent of them being imported, employing of authentic techniques, and application of innovative recipes that are at the same time rooted in the French bakery and patisserie traditions,” Mehta elaborated further. According to him, the baked creations at Bread et More outlets are presented as an ideal combination of tradition and innovation; embodying his own creative touches over the best of French bakery and patisserie traditions to suit the evolving Indian palate that has been increasingly embracing the best of global and local culinary facets. The company imports Belgian chocolate, cream and butter from France, and uses coffee beans from Ethiopia for its exquisite creations at the two Bread et More outlets. No use of premixes, no use of artificial ingredients and no use of preservatives are also the reasons for the international quality of products at Bread et More outlets. “Investment in rigorous trials and R&D have contributed towards the premium quality of Bread et More creations,” proffered Sahi.

Expansion Needs Prudence Sahi expressed the Kwality Group’s enthusiasm about the expansion of the Bread et More chain across pan India and said that the group was very much open for franchising options. However, he maintained that adherence to the same stringent quality considerations of Bread et More would be absolutely necessary condition for the selection and

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

operations of the prospective franchisee. “Besides that, we would not expand unless we are sure about which size or model would be perfectly suitable for our next outlet, and this trend will influence our entire expansion process of the Bread et More chain,” he observed. For example, the GK I outlet of Bread et More has no outdoor sitting option and there the guests can savour the delicacies while sitting indoors, whereas the Vasant Vihar outlet is a hybrid model with outdoor bakery café complementing a shop inside. “Which model and what size of the outlet is suitable while taking into account of the market conditions of the specific geographical area where we are thinking of expanding must be prudently ascertained before we undertake the expansion process,” Sahi elaborated further. As I enjoyed some of the delicacies at the Vasant Vihar outlet of Bread et More, I became quite sure that the opening of some more of such quality bakery cafes in metropolitan India can easily dent the market of bakeries in five-star hotels across metrpolitan India, as then the connoisseurs of quality bakery products in those cities can get more choices to satiate their cravings. However, such stand-alone and chain outlets of the future must need to present their delicacies at markedly affordable rates than the bakeries housed in five-star hotels, for despite becoming increasingly quality conscious, even the affluent section of India would not mind being price conscious at the ■ same time.

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

AGRI

Nothing Nutty About It By Swarnendu Biswas

alnut may look like a fruit and is commonly classified as dry fruit, but it is scientifically speaking, an edible seed. It is a seed from any tree of the genus juglans. The walnut tree, which is also known as juglans, is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae. The use of walnuts by humankind dates back to 7000 BC, that is to the early years of human civilisation The two most common species of walnuts are the Persian or English Walnut and the Black Walnut. The English Walnut has its origins traced to Persia and the Black Walnut originated in the eastern regions of North America.

The Applications But these are all matters that mainly concern the students, scholars and the scientists. For us non erudite people, we are more concerned with the fact that being a seed doesn’t in any way compromise on the walnut’s taste. Walnut is enjoyed raw and can be introduced to a wide variety of dishes. Especially, in the bakery industry and in desserts the role of walnuts is fairly extensive. They are used in cakes, custards, ice creams, biscuits, pies and even in salads. Walnut oil too has role in the food & beverage industry. The light coloured walnut oil derived from dried Persian Walnuts has applications in salad dressings, pastas and many desserts. However, walnut oil is not advisable for cooking as high temperatures can destroy its antioxidants and other nutrients. As walnuts have a large quantity of oil, they are susceptible to spoilage, and they

shouldn’t be stored at room temperature. Storing walnuts at temperatures above 30 o C and at humidity above 70 percent could lead to high spoilage losses. However, they can be stored in refrigerator for months. The ideal storage temperature of walnuts, for both industrial and home storage, varies between -3 to 0oC centigrade. Worldwide, China is the largest producer of walnuts, followed by the US.

The Amazing Nut The walnuts are not only great to taste but they are also spruced with nutrients. Here it deserves a mention that about 100 gm of walnuts is endowed with 15.2 gm of protein, 65.2 gm of fat, and 6.7 gm of dietry fibre. The fats in walnuts are primarily polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). There are multiple health benefits of having walnuts in the diet. The walnuts are enriched with proteins, vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids. With a handful of walnuts one can almost get the daily requirement of omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts are spruced with more omega-3 fatty acids, especially alpha-linoleic acids, as compared to

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

other nuts, which make walnuts an important part of the diet for pregnant women. As walnuts are rich in B-vitamins and antioxidants the intake of walnuts regularly prevents wrinkles and signs of ageing on the skin. The presence of biotin in walnuts helps strengthen the hair, helps reduce falling of hair, and also facilitates improving the hair growth to some extent. Walnuts can also be the hope for families without children as according to a study conducted by scientists of the University of California, eating walnuts daily may increase the sperm count among men and may also improve the sperm’s quality. According to Diabetic Living India magazine, an ounce of walnut contains 2.5gm of omega 3 fats, 4gm of protein and 2gm of fibre. Thus walnut can be helpful in weight management as small quantities of walnuts can provide satiety. Besides these, walnuts are rich source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and iron. At the same time, walnuts are low in sodium content and are devoid of cholesterol. The regular intake of walnuts may prevent the occurrence of heart disease and lower the total blood cholesterol, enhances the good cholesterol and decreases the bad cholesterol. These health benefits make the intake of walnuts in today’s urban India, where lifestyle diseases are gaining more and more victims, not only advisable but also somewhat essential. The monounsaturated fatty acid in walnuts plays its role in protecting the heart. What is more, walnuts are endowed with antiinflammatory phytonutrients which help the circulatory system and blood vessels to perform

Apr-May ’14

AGRI optimally, thereby keeping the cardiovascular diseases at bay. According to some scientists, daily intake of walnuts can keep the dementia away from brain. As per the findings of a study, the presence of vitamin E and flavanoids in walnuts facilitated in decimating harmful free radical chemicals which are the causes of dementia. Walnuts can also facilitate preventing and also tackling metabolic disorders and cancer. According to a scholar, several animal studies have shown that having walnuts in their diet slows or prevents the growth of breast and prostrate cancers. A recent research from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has indicated that prostrate cancer can be prevented through eating a modest quantity of walnuts. Daily intake of walnuts in diet can prevent these deadly diseases from threatening many lives, a fact which the Indian walnut manufacturing industry must promote on a proactive basis. As walnuts are abundant in omega-3-fatty acids, natural phytosterols and antioxidants, they are ideal food to prevent breast cancer.

Apr-May ’14

Besides all these health benefits provided or facilitated by this magic nut, omega 3 fats in walnuts can contribute towards improving the bone health by decreasing the breakdown of bones.

Walnuts in India According to APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority), the Indian walnuts are categorised into four categories, which are paper-shelled, thinshelled, medium-shelled and hard-shelled. Walnuts in India are primarily grown in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttraranchal and Arunachal Pradesh. Among the states, Jammu & Kashmir has the largest share of the country’s walnut production, accounting for more than 90 percent of the country’s production of walnuts. According to APEDA, India had an annual production of 284.4 thousand MT of walnuts during 2011-12. The same body has noted that the country has exported 5,295.47 MT of walnuts to the world for the worth of Rs.199.80 crores during the year 2012-13. The major importing countries of walnut from India

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

are United Kingdom, Egypt, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. Due to their many health benefits walnuts are getting popular especially among health conscious young Indians and becoming a part of their diet. With the trend of healthy eating gaining momentum across urban India, the role of and demand for walnuts are expected to increase in India’s food service industry and also in the ready-to-eat segment of the Indian food industry, in the years to come. At the same time, the need for more vigorous marketing of the several health benefits of walnuts by the walnut manufacturers, distributors or retailers is the need of the hour in the industry, to enhance the rate of this magic dry fruit’s popularity across the country. India needs to bring additional area under walnut cultivation to meet this future demand. Recently, the presence of California Walnut Commission in the Indian retail market with high quality Californian walnuts, across select locations since March 2014, can help cater to this growing demand for walnuts in India, in the days to come. ■

BAKERY

Safety in Bakery By Swarnendu Biswas

he bakery business has considerable opportunity for creativity and it demands hard work to succeed. However, some bakery processes have varying degrees of potential hazards, and therefore people working in day-to-day bakery operations should also be cautious enough to not let those potential hazards convert themselves into reality in the form of accidents or diseases like Baker’s Asthma. For example, spilled dough, batter and oil, and wet floors should be cleaned without delay and as long as they are not cleaned, it is always prudent to place a warning sign for wet and/or slippery floor/s. This can prevent accidents from happening in the bakery units. At the same time, slip resistant floor coverings can be also helpful in preventing accidents through spillage. Furthermore, workers engaged in dayto-day baking operations should be given training for using ladders and step stools. The entrepreneurs engaged in bakery industry should also ensure that their production unit doesn’t have uneven

flooring. Uneven flooring can contribute to the upturning of pallets and trolleys and hence can cause injuries. Manual loading and unloading of heavy bags of ingredients is a part and parcel of the professional lives of many workers in the Indian bakery industry, which make them prone to spine injuries. This can be rectified by using mechanical aids such as carts and lifts for moving heavy loads as much as possible. Forklifts and trolleys should be used wherever necessary while handling heavy loads. High temperatures are integral part of the bakery operations. It goes without saying that great care is needed while handling boiling water, hot oil, and hot ingredients for their exposure on the skin can lead to scalding. For example, the bakery workers should never forget to wear heatresistant gloves while handling hot trays. Bakery workers should be trained to avoid splashing while pouring hot liquids. In fact, it should be the moral duty of the entrepreneurs to ensure that

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

their workers have the necessary knowledge and protection for their safety while handing super hot objects. Labeling containers or vessels having hot liquids with warning sign is also a pragmatic precaution to avoid accidents. Here it deserves a mention that bakery workers should be extra careful at the pre-mixing section where they may need to handle dangerous chemicals like acids. They need to wear protective gloves while handling chemicals. Many equipments in the bakery industry like mixers, rollers and dividers have the potential to cause injuries. The entrepreneur should also maintain the equipments in the bakery factory in good condition so as to avoid workplace accidents. Workers handling a particular bakery equipment/equipments should also be trained in it/their usage. Flour dust is a common irritant in bakery operations and their continual intake can make the bakers susceptible to Baker’s Asthma. Nose, throat and eye irritation are other problems that can come through repeated exposure to

Apr-May ’14

BAKERY flour dust. Enclosed storage bins and proper ventilation are of utmost necessity for controlling the flour dust menace. Using of vacuum cleaner instead of sweeping flour off floors is a better method to check Bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Asthma. Using dust mask is also advisable. Roof sheds of bakery factories made of asbestos sheets can make the bakery workers more susceptible to the disease of asbestosis. Therefore roof sheds made of asbestos sheets should be avoided. Precautions from fire hazards are of great importance in bakery operations for bakery industry deals with a number of inflammable materials whose mishandling can lead to fire hazards or increases the possibility of fire hazards. The risk of fire hazards can stem not only from ovens but also from seemingly innocuous wrappers and card board boxes. Therefore every functional bakery should have fire extinguishers. In this regard, electrical safety should also be impeccable in bakeries. Ensuring safety of the workers by the entrepreneurs is not only a humane decision but also a profitable one, as

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

injuries can lead to loss of man hours, which in crucial periods like festive occasions can prove to be a huge missed opportunity for the bakery business concerned. It is lamentable that many of the bakery manufacturers in India refrain from investing adequately for the safety of their workers, which in long-term could bear serious consequences not only for the workers concerned, but also for

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

those bakery businesses, which are neglecting the safety concerns of their workers. The government should also ensure that the bakery businesses have all the above discussed safety norms in place before starting their operations. This would bring more organised character in the Indian bakery business and encourage more talented people to choose baking as their profession. â&#x2013;

BEVERAGE

Packaged with

Juice By Swarnendu Biswas

ith the growing trend towards healthy food & beverage options in urban India, the popularity of juices in the country is overflowing with potential. In fact, the healthy potential of packaged juice market in India is supplemented by its impressive reality in metros and tier-I cities of the country. It is no wonder that a flood of fruitbased drinks is adorning the supermarket shelves in big cities of today’s India. The non-carbonated beverage market in the country is valued at Rs.22,000 crore. A couple of years back, ASSOCHAM has predicted that the

Indian non-carbonated drinks market was likely to reach Rs. 54,000crore by 2015. The emerging concept of juice bars can also be regarded as a manifestation of the growing popularity of fruit juices in the Indian food & beverage industry. It is interesting that over the years, the intake of fruit juices in India has graduated from a seasonal trend to a year-long habit, perceived to be needed for maintaining good health.

The Sweet Flow of Health Among the juices the popularity of packaged juices has been growing significantly across the big cities of

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

urban India. The consumption of packaged fruit juices has graduated to become habitual purchases in many middle income urban households of India. During festivities, packaged fruit juices are now gaining currency as gift items like chocolates and sweets. According to the market research report titled ‘Juice Market in India 2013’ by Netscribes (India) Pvt. Ltd., which was published in Sept 2013, during the recent years, Indians have displayed a marked preference for juices over carbonated drinks. The report further observed that while nonpackaged fruit juices were already popular in India, it is the packaged fruit

Apr-May ’14

BEVERAGE juice segment that had witnessed tremendous growth of late. According to Netscribes, people consider packaged fruit juices to be more hygienic than non-packaged ones as the former are available in sealed packs. According to the report, though packaged fruit juices are on an average costlier than the non-packaged options, but this is unlikely to pose a major challenge to the juice manufacturers, in the light of the fact that the disposable income among Indian consumers has almost doubled since 1985. By March 2013, the Indian packaged juices market was valued at Rs.1100 crore and it was projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15 percent over the ensuing three years. Dabur India Ltd. and PepsiCo India are the two biggest players in the packaged juice segment in the country. Real and Real Activ from Dabur, Tropicana and Slice from PepsiCo India, Mango Frooti and Appy from Parle Agro are some of the important brands of packaged juices dominating the market. Dabur India is the undisputed

Apr-May ’14

market leader in the packaged juices segment in India. It accounts for 54 percent of the Indian packaged juices market, followed by PepsiCo whose market share of the Indian packaged juices market varies between an impressive 25-30 percent. Not only the packaged juices, but fruit beverages in general are getting popular across urban India. According to Technopak’s report titled The Packaged Juices Market in India, “Within the beverages market, the fruit-based beverages category is one of the fastest growing categories, and it has grown at a CAGR of over 30 percent over the past decade.” The packaged fruit juices market can be further subdivided into fruit drinks, juices, and nectar drinks. Fruit drinks are endowed with maximum 30 percent fruit content, fruit juices have 100 percent fruit content and nectar drinks have 25 to 90 percent fruit content. Among the three, fruit drinks

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

have the largest market share in the country. However, the authors of the abovementioned Technopak’s report noted that “The rising number of healthconscious consumers is giving a boost to fruit juices; it has been observed that consumers are shifting from fruitbased drinks to fruit juices as they consider the latter a healthier breakfast/snack option.” If the report’s observations are accurate, the share of fruit juices in the packaged juices segment is expected to increase in India, in the near future.

The Reasons and the Nature The reason for the growing popularity of packaged juices can not only be attributed to the growing disposable incomes and rising health consciousness in urban India. The time crunch in our busy lifestyles has lead to the need to get instant

BEVERAGE nutrition without investing much time and this provided a fillip to the convenience food & beverages segment which include packaged fruit juices. This has also lead to the popularity of ready-to-drink packaged juices in the country as they can provide health and taste along with anytime, anywhere convenience. Not only the Indian society is getting more health conscious to thwart the presence of lifestyle diseases in our lives, it is also getting more hygiene conscious, which is perhaps reflected in the growing popularity of packaged juices. Introduction of innovative flavours and packaging options can perhaps also be one of the logical reasons towards contributing to the demand for packaged juices in the country. The growth of modern retail and attractive shelf displays have also contributed towards the popularity of packaged juices. However, if we explore a detailed micro view of the overall pan-Indian picture, we would see that as far as households are concerned, the popularity of packaged juices is still by and large a large city trend in the country. In the tier-II and tier–III cities, there are large sections of people who still display distinct preference towards fresh juices over packaged ones primarily because of the former’s better affordability over the latter. The Technopak report stated that “Packaged juices are gradually cementing their place in the urban households in the metros and tier I cities; however, replicating the same success in tier II and tier III cities is still a struggle as residents in these regions still prefer fresh juices over packaged ones as they are comparatively cheaper and also in sync with the traditional belief that juices are best consumed freshly pressed.”

The Growth Drivers The promising juice market in India is expected to encourage the entry of new players in the days to come. According to a news report in a leading daily, ITC is in advanced stage of negotiations with

Bangalore-based Balan Natural Food to acquire its juice brand B Natural. The materialisation of this acquisition will pave the ITC’s foray into the packaged juice market. However, the packaged juice market seems to have great potential for smaller players too, particularly if they can come with affordable juice options. The Netscribes report viewed the entry of smaller brands as a very good sign for the overall juice market in India. Going by the trend towards healthy food & beverage preferences of a significant section of population across urban India, one can safely say that varied range of fruit juices with no sugar content can have attractive market in the present and as well as the near future. More and more uncommon fruit offerings in the juice, say a juice of dates and raisins, or blackberry juice, cranberry juice, etc. can also interest the increasingly experimental consumers of urban India. The packaged fruit milkshake can also be an option for packaged juice players to expand their market share. In this context, here it deserves a mention that in the recent past, Dabur India Ltd. did enter the packaged fruit milkshake segment with its Real Shakes Mango. Flooding the market with superfruit juices can also be an intelligent option for packaged juice players to attract the new-age health conscious consumers. Sometime back, Dabur introduced superfruit juices for the Indian consumers as a new sub-brand in its packaged fruit juice category - Réal SUPAFruits.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Here it needs a mention that superfruits are a special category of fruits which are exceptionally nutrient dense and rich in antioxidants. These are exotic and premium fruits, which are difficult to obtain throughout the year. Furthermore, the organic fruit-based beverages comprise a niche segment that can be more proactively tapped by the players for catering to the upper echelons of the society.

The Packaging Edge The packaged juices in India are mainly offered in Tetrapacks, tins and PET bottles. The authors of the Technopak’s report noted that Tetrapak was the most popular packaging option for packaged juices in India, among both manufacturers as well as consumers. The tin and PET bottle packaging tend to be more expensive than the Tetrapack option, and as such can influence the drinks’ production costs and consequently the market prices adversely. However, in order to tap the huge unexplored rural Indian market, which is also showing its inclination towards packaged juices during the recent years, the companies need to bring in more variety in packaging options in terms of size of packaging. Smaller pack sizes than are already rampant in the market should be introduced, displaying modest prices varying between Rs.2-5 per pouch/ packet/bottle with increasing frequency. It can be a market-friendly option for packaged juice players to aggressively tap the rural Indian market. Though the rural Indian market is extremely pricesensitive but it has huge potential to increase the volume of sales and make the various packaged juice brands assume a ■ pan-Indian character in real sense.

Apr-May ’14

Dec-Jan â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

THEME CUISINE

The Rich Flavours from

Punjab By Sharmila Chand

hink of Punjab’s food and chances are that a whole array of mouth-watering delicacies may invade the mind’s palate. The cuisine of Punjab can be described simply as rich, vivacious and colourful. The culinary tradition of Punjab gels well with the innate vibrancy of the animated people of the state of five rivers, who know the art of celebrating life and heartily enjoy the food that goes to sustain and nourish it. Today food from Punjab is garnering universal appeal across varied geographies, both within India and beyond. “No wonder there was a long queue of people waiting outside a Punjabi restaurant in Shanghai to have their special Banjara Kabab and Chicken Tikka,” said a Chef who had recently visited Shanghai.

The Breads from Punjab’s Kitchens Wheat is the staple food of Punjab, though the people of Punjab do enjoy eating rice on festivities and other special

occasions. Various bread preparations play crucial role in the lunch and dinner of the people from Punjab. Some of the typical breads prepared in Punjabi kitchens are naans, parathas, and rotis. They are usually made of maize or wheat flour. As wheat and maize are staple food grains of this prosperous state, a variety of breads in the state are being made with them. The breads from Punjab are generally flat in shape, though there are few varieties of raised breads also, which are prepared in the state. The breads from Punjab are made with different types of flours and can be made employing various methods. For example, naan, tandoori roti, kulcha, laccha parathas are baked in tandoor. The other hand made breads which are made in the homes of Punjab like chapati, phulka, jowar ki roti, baajre ki roti and makke ki roti are dry baked on the

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

tawa or Indian griddle. Punjabis also enjoy their puris and bhaturas (made of fermented dough) both of which are deep fried. Thin rumali rotis shaped like handkerchiefs are also popular in Punjab, as are the shallow fried paratha. The hand made breads in Punjab are usually served hot with a chunk of butter or desi ghee accompanied with a plate of onions, green chilli and lime.

Punjabi Tadka and Others Many a time the Punjabi meals have pulses cooked on a slow flame, which is supplemented with the traditional and delicious Punjabi tadka. For preparing this mouth-watering gravy, a mixture of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and spices are being used. Usually the traditional Punjabi food is prepared in the earthen tandoors, which gives the food a unique aroma. Black gram and yellow gram are some of

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

THEME CUISINE Popular Punjabi Dishes The Sumptuous Combinations Few of the exclusively Punjabi popular combination platters are: Makke ki roti and sarson da saag ( it is a dish comprising flat bread made of corn and mustard greens) Jeera chawal and rajmah (cumin rice and red kidney beans) Pindi chole and bhatura Aloo paratha and dahi or mooli paratha and dahi Tandoori roti and dal makhani the lentils which comprise integral part of Punjabi cuisine, as is the curd. Milk and milk products are also part and parcel of Punjabi cuisine and their role in the recipes from Punjab cannot be discounted.

chicken is another delicacy from the state that has garnered national appeal. Outside Punjab, Delhi is one of the ideal places to savour typical Punjabi cuisine. The tandoori dishes from Punjab have widespread national popularity. Here it deserves a mention that Punjabis prepare and enjoy several chicken and meat preparations like sheekh kebab, tandoori chicken, reshmi tikka, and malai tikka where tandoor plays a role in preparation. One of the distinguishing features of traditional Punjabi food is the liberal usage of butter, cream, ghee and paneer. The cuisine of Punjab is marked by richness and variety. Onions, ginger and garlic are frequently applied in Punjabi dishes which add to the taste and flavour of the dishes. The spice content in Punjabi dishes can vary greatly.

The Cuisine has Meat Among the non-vegetarian dishes, without the mention of butter chicken and chicken tikka perhaps no account of Punjabi cuisine can be complete. Tandoori

The Accompaniments Punjabi food is also often served with pickles. These pickles can be of various kinds such as pickles of carrot, cauliflower,

Recipe

By Ramesh Sharma, Corporate Chef at Punjabi By Nature Galauti Kebab Serves: 4 Persons Preparation Time: 1hr Cooking Time: 10 minutes Ingredients Leg of spring lamb Ginger paste Garlic paste Raw papaya paste Butter Red chilli powder Salt Mace pow Blackpepper pow Nutmeg Cloves pow Green cardamom pow Roasted channa pow

1 kg 50gm 50 gm 75 gm 50 gm 15 gm To taste 3 gm 5 gm 3gm 3gm 3gm 60 gm

Pure ghee

120 gm

Preparation • Clean, debone, and mince the lamb and refrigerate it for 15 minutes. • Mix all the ingredients with ghee (80 gm) with the refrigerated minced lamb. • Divide the mince into equal parts and make balls. Apply a little melted ghee on the palm and flatten the mince balls into round patties (of approximately 2" diameter). Cooking Method Heat ghee on a tawa and shallow fry those patties over heat until both sides are evenly brown.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Non-vegetarian Butter Chicken Chicken Curry with Tomatoes (Murgha Kari) Chicken Biryani Chicken Tikka Fried Garlic Pepper Chicken Murgh Musallam Chicken Curry Tandoori Chicken Zeera Murg (Cumin Chicken) Egg Curry Egg Bhaji Vegetarian • Amritsari Aloo • Aloo Mattar • Aloo Tikki • Baigan Bharta • Cauliflower Bhaaji • Dahi Bhalle • Dal Fry • Dal Makhani • Jeera Rice • Makki Di Roti • Malai Kofta • Navratan Korma Sweets • Gajjar ka Halwa • Gulab Jamoon • Kaju Barfi • Kalakand • Imarti • Jalebis • Motichoor Ladoo • Pinni • Soan Papdi • Sooji Halwa lemon, and mixed vegetables, etc. Thin slices of onions, tomatoes, fresh and hot green chilli with lime wedges, garnished with chopped fresh coriander leaves are the popular ingredients of salads from Punjab.

Drinks and Desserts In the category of beverages, one name that truly represents the culinary culture of Punjab is the lassi (sweetened whipped yoghurt). Kanji (fermented carrots) and chaach are other popular beverages from Punjabi cuisine. Kheer is one of the popular desserts in Punjabi homes. They are made with milk and are rich and delicious. Rao Ki Kheer, a winter delicacy of Punjab where rice is used in the preparation process can be a great dessert. Here rice is cooked for a long time in sugarcane juice. I

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

RESTAURANT

Exploring the Flavours of…

Punjabi By Nature By Sharmila Chand

eginning its culinary journey way back in 1998, the brand Punjabi By Nature has become a name to reckon with. With several restaurants under its ambit, the chain offers authentic North Indian cuisine across elegant ambience. In Delhi, the outlets of Punjabi By Nature are located in Gurgaon, Noida, Rajouri Garden and Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. Moving outside Delhi in

2012, PBN opened its first restaurant in Bangalore. At present, Punjabi By Nature has two restaurants in Bangalore – at Whitefield and Koramangla region. Known for its signature items like the Golgappa Shots served with vodka, succulent kebabs, butter naan and missi roti; Punjabi By Nature maintains its consistency across outlets. At the same time, the non-Punjabi fare like the galouti kebabs, yakhani dum biryani

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

and nihari gosht are also done and presented at Punjabi By Nature outlets with equal elan.

Offshoot of PNB – Express & Quickie Keeping pace with consumer demand, Punjabi By Nature brand has extended to two other formats — Quickie and Express. PBN Express is the quick service restaurant (QSR) brand that

Apr-May ’14

RESTAURANT serves authentic ‘Punjabi By Nature’ delicacies at food court counters with takeaway and dine-in options. It delivers a variety of Tandoori Samplers, Kebab Platters and Thalis with the same generous servings as can be enjoyed at Punjabi By Nature outlets. One can say PBN Express is a faster way of experiencing the authentic and lip smacking flavours of ‘Punjabi By Nature’. Quickie is another fast and casual restaurant brand extension from Punjabi By Nature that is located in Delhi’s bustling Connaught Place.

Special Privileges at PBN

“

At Punjabi By Nature we have maintained consistency across outlets and even though we have evolved over the years, the food quality remains consistent. The Corporate Nights every Thursday; Ladies Night every Wednesday; buzzing light music, together ensure that there is never a dull moment at PBN. Even though now we have delivery and casual dining formats, our fine dining outlets will always be an aspirational product.

”

— Arjun Puri Director, Punjabi by Nature

The Vasant Kunj Outlet The Punjabi By Nature outlet at the Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj has an ambience that is a perfect mix of modern style and traditional decor. The interiors have been designed while keeping in mind the clientele that consists of both young food enthusiasts and old patrons of PBN. While the restaurant has a fine dining feeling to it, the electro-jazz music and the sound of the water bodies ensure that the ambience is modern. Just like the flavours of the food, the ambience is subtle and not overwhelming. “Our Vasant Kunj outlet has fast evolved as a destination restaurant for Indian cuisine,” opined Arjun Puri, Director, Punjabi By Nature.

Apr-May ’14

“PBN loves its patrons just the way they love PBN,” said Aziz Ahmed who is currently the General Manager — Operations for Punjabi By Nature chain of restaurants. He has been with the chain since the last eight years and efficiently supervises the daily operations for Punjabi By Nature. He has over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Ahmed is a dynamic leader and has successfully contributed towards making Punjabi By Nature the preferred destination for North Indian food lovers in the capital. “We have ‘Ladies Night’ on Wednesdays and Corporate Night on Thursdays where we offer happy hours throughout the evening. We also give special discount to students,” expressed Ahmed.

Meet the Chef With an experience of over 10 years and with an innate passion for Indian cuisine, Chef Ramesh Sharma has

Chef Ramesh Sharma

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

“

Luxuriant ambience with contemporary interiors, electro-jazz music, soothing water bodies combined with an excellent service of delectable, stylish and flavourful North Indian dishes, cooked to perfection by highly experienced Chefs, are the USPs of Punjabi By Nature brand.

”

— Aziz Ahmed, General Manager — Operations Punjabi By Nature ○

○

gained an expertise in the North Indian cuisine and is known for his handcrafted kebabs, curries & Indian street food. Having worked in different parts of the globe (the UK & Russia), Chef Ramesh is not only adept on the Indian palate but manages to entice the palate of guests from different corners of the world, with his especially customised dishes based on guest requirements. Chef Ramesh has worked with some of the country’s best hotel chains like the Taj, The Oberoi Group, and The Park , before he joined Punjabi By Nature in 2010. Here, Chef Ramesh has been responsible for innovation & consistency in the quality of food served, and towards helping the brand to maintain its position. Yes, salmon and lamb shanks have found a totally new meaning in his hands as he seems to have perfected the nuances of infusing these meats with Punjabi flavours. ■

CHEF VOICE

Embodying Passion with Discipline By Sharmila Chand Born in Ranchi, Chef Thomas Joseph, Executive Chef, Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore, made his foray into the culinary art in his mother’s kitchen. By the time he became 18 he knew he wanted to be a Chef. So he went on to join the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology at Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Soon after, he left for Mumbai to join The Leela Kempinski Mumbai where he gained rich experience while working under world renowned Chefs. After almost five years with The Leela Kempinski Mumbai, he moved on to JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai. Thereafter, he spent a year on cruise liners, had short stint with the Taj Group in Cochin, and subsequently he moved on to work with the Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in Mumbai. After that he joined The Leela Kovalam and following that tenure, he went on to take up the responsibility as the Executive Chef at The InterContinental, Goa which is now under The LaLiT Hotels. Eventually, he joined the Mövenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore as Executive Chef, in 2012. Yield management, large volume cooking, specialty plating and presentation techniques are only some of the areas where Chef Thomas has expertise in. His affable personality, disciplined shop floor presence and a clear understanding and strategic implementation of business goals have given him due recognition among his colleagues and in the industry. The excerpts of the interview follow: How do you define yourself?

know about food are my favourite diners.

Chef?

I define myself as a disciplinarian with a positive approach, who is open to new ideas and changes. What would you like to say on your work?

I am organised and disciplined in my work, and I stick to deadlines. I also help my team members to achieve their professional objectives. Had you not been an Executive Chef then what would you have been?

I would have been a businessman or a driver.

As a Chef I would rate myself as good as the last order that leaves my kitchen.

I am obsessed with my family and sweets. What is your biggest fear, professionally?

It is the fear of the prospect of canned ready to eat food substituting cooking in commercial kitchens.

your

source

What is your strength?

What are your future plans?

And what is your favourite spice?

It is to translate all my dreams and aspirations into reality.

Black pepper is my favourite spice. What is your favourite dish?

Which is equipment?

your

favourite

What is the position of Chefs these days, in India?

Chefs these days have attained celebrity status, like actors. Many are known within a small radius, some have a national status and a few of them are known globally.

It is the combi oven. Which according to you is your favourite food joint?

I would consider my fearlessness as my strength.

I love to experiment and my wallet decides where I would go to eat out.

How do you de-stress yourself?

I de-stress by working out at the gym and by watching movies.

Who is your favourite diner that is the kind of guest you would prefer the most to feed?

How do you rate yourself as a

All food lovers who like what they eat rather than showing off how much they

My philosophy of work is that we should enjoy working as much as we enjoy our hobbies.

It is the Kerala’s Syrian Catholic cuisine.

As a child I always saw my mother being praised for her cooking and that inspired me to start cooking with her.

What is your philosophy of work?

What is your favourite cuisine?

Biryani happens to be my favourite dish. Who is inspiration?

You are obsessed with?

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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

The real estate is getting expensive and hence as a growing trend, the kitchens are getting smaller. This is a problem that we Chefs have to deal with. These days to be a successful Chef one has to be good not only in cooking but also in communications. This I would consider as a challenge for the Chefs.

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

PROFILE

G, it is Hospitality By Sharmila Chand

Sanjeev Goswami, Founder and CEO of G Hospitality Group, began his career in hospitality in early 1980s when he joined Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. Following his tenure with the Taj Group, he went to Shanghai in 1991 to handle the operations of The Tandoor Shanghai, the first Indian restaurant in Shanghai, that opened in 1993. Goswami has also been instrumental in giving birth to The Chinese in Connaught Place. His success story in Shanghai was repeated in the heart of India’s capital with long queues, good comments and reviews from food critics. However, Goswami didn’t believe and neither does he believe in resting on his laurels. In 2011, with almost thirty years of rich experience in hospitality management across India and China, Goswami started his own business and established G Hospitality Group. Presently, the group is actively involved in the business of hospital catering in India and in the management of fine dining restaurants in India and China, which includes a high-end Indian restaurant, banquet and bar named G Water Front in Shanghai, its sister Indian restaurant named G Connaught Place, and a restaurant focused on Chinese cuisine named China Doll in Delhi. The latest from his kitty is ‘Excuse Me Boss’ - an innovative cafe bar in Connaught Place. EMB not only presents the flavours and textures of various global cuisines but also reinvents itself keeping in mind the time zone and mood of its customers. “The ’Excuse Me Boss’ promises you an experience that will draw you back over and over again. ‘Excuse Me Boss’ outlet is ideal for catching up with friends, unwinding after work, for partying, or for a quick bite in between shopping. Here the gourmet food and rejuvenating drinks will tantalise your taste buds,” he explained. The excerpts of the interview follow:

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○

According to me, ambience is one of the most critical aspects of a restaurant. Ambience gives the first impression to our patrons. I devote a lot of time in finalising the look and feel of the restaurants. In order to successfully run a food service outlet, one has to have a complete package, which includes scrumptious food, great service and warmth in ambience and décor.

○

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

What are the top three traits or skills you look for in your Head - Food & Beverage Manager? Discipline, the capacity and the willingness to do hard labour and persistence are the top three traits that I look for in Head- F&B Manager.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

should be opened for 24/7 and 365 days.

Is it getting difficult to hire good trained manpower these days? Yes, it is becoming very difficult. A lot of training institutes and personality grooming chains have come up but very few of them do address the F&B space as a whole.

Can you suggest any tips or insights to strengthen your team? My advise to my team would be to ‘Put your heart in whatever you do, and you will see things becoming a lot easier.’

○

I strongly believe that food outlets

○ ○ ○

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?

○

One has to continually strive in this industry. Achieving a name in this industry is hard enough but to sustain it requires unlimited number of hours that you have to put in. Many a time, in our industry one has to sacrifice quality personal time due to professional commitments. Managing both aspects of your life is to me the most troublesome pressure that one has to live with in our profession.

○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

What is the most challenging part in your profession?

○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

I have always loved food. There is nothing that drives me more in life than presenting a good salad and seeing someone enjoying it. The satisfaction of seeing someone enjoying what you have plated up keeps me going.

○

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

○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Today, owing to global exposure, especially the youth of India has become truly experimental in its choice of food. Chinese has given way to various forms of fun, comfort and fine Asian dining; the regional Indian cuisines have gained popularity; cafes have mushroomed up like kiosks. The fact is that with growing disposable incomes, fine and concept dining have become the order of the day in urban India.

○

As a veteran in the hospitality industry, please comment on how the food & beverage trend has changed over a period of time, in urban India

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

In Delhi, the restaurant going crowd have moved on from traditional ways of dining to modern dining. They want traditional butter chicken and dal makhni in a new and contemporary avatar. Also, their loyalties have shifted more towards international chains like Starbucks, Costa Coffee, etc. instead of traditional north Indian restaurants. The scenario in Mumbai is opposite from Delhi. Till recently, Mumbai was a haven for Continental and traditional Gujarati and Parsi cuisines; but in the last five years or so the North Indian cuisine has really come up there. As a matter of fact, traditional North Indian restaurants are doing really well in Mumbai. Bangalore is a very cosmopolitan city, therefore cafés and pubs are the highlights of this city. Though the eating out crowd in Bangalore have a

○

What would you like to say on the current restaurant business scenario in Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore?

○

Manpower has been and is the most tricky issue to tackle these days in the Indian hospitality and food service industry.

○

What according to you are the most tricky issues to tackle these days in the hospitality/ food service business, in India?

○

The biggest challenge that one has to face while opening a restaurant in India is acquiring license for almost every vertical of operations. Apart from this, the human resource in this industry is not evolved enough, which is a challenge towards opening a new restaurant. Although, the F&B scene in India has kicked off, the service portfolio that substantiates the former’s growth still needs a lot of tweaking.

○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

very good palate for Kannada and Andhra cuisines, Continental dishes score highly on the radar of Bangalore’s restaurant goers.

○

From your vast experience, first and foremost, please tell us what are the key challenges in opening a new restaurant in India

○

PROFILE

What are your future plans to expand your brand/s? We are now planning to take our new brand – ‘Excuse Me Boss’ to the most prominent B class cities in the country like that of Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Bhopal, etc.

O P E R AT I O N S

Engineering the Menu By Sharmila Chand “How can I create higher profit items in menus?” It is a perennial question that frequently hovers on the minds of the F&B professionals, be they owners or F&B Managers. The question has also been the topic of discussion in many seminars and conferences. From logical comprehension, one understands the answer lies in the key term, i.e. ‘Menu Engineering.’

to traditional paper restaurant menus, the concept is equally relevant for menus having online presence. For a food service outlet selling items with varying levels of price and profitability, menu engineering can help enhance the profits.

What is Menu Engineering? According to an expert, menu engineering is the study of the profitability and popularity of menu items and how these two factors influence the placement of the food & beverage items on a menu. The goal of menu engineering in food service outlets is simple; to increase profitability per guest. Several studies have been done to analyse the subject of menu engineering. While the term menu engineering is mostly used with regard

“A good menu should be re-worked at least three times a year and have something seasonal going on every now and then,” averred Bakshish Dean, Head Chef and CEO of Johnny Rockets India. Now here lies the challenge of understanding what items to be placed in the menu so that they can garner better yields in terms of profits. We raised the question to some well-known F&B professionals and got some interesting point of views, which are discussed below.

The Right Menu

Shubhendu Kadam

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

According to Chef Thomas Joseph, Executive Chef, Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore, menus which generate profitability without compromising on quality and guest delight are the menus which should be promoted, ideally. “Profitability will always come with guest delight. We cannot be profitable without happy guests,” observed

Apr-May ’14

O P E R AT I O N S Joseph. On a general level, he cites a few factors, which he believes are key to creating profitable menus. “Incorporate dishes which are prepared with locally sourced ingredients; vegetarian choices should be prepared with vegetables that are in season; avoid dishes which require partly prepared outsourced products like taco shells, sausages, etc.,” elaborated Joseph. However, there are challenges in creating such menus which yield higher profits. “Usually hosts, especially of social events, look for opportunities to serve dishes that are unique in order to create a lasting memory with their guests; they want the event to be spoken about positively for many days to come,” explained Joseph while adding, “So it takes considerable effort to convince them to go for regional specialties which can be prepared with seasonal ingredients available.” There are other challenges too. “Creating a wide variety in menu becomes challenge while working with set list of ingredients, especially seasonal ones. However, on the positive side, hosts of social events are likely to be happy with the end result when the menu laid out fits within desired pricing and garners positive feedback from guests,” pointed out Joseph.

concurred Guto Souza, Head Chef, Go with the Flow restaurant in Goa.

Going Seasonal

“Low cost items, which are filling and nutritious, should always come first e.g. soups, salads and sandwiches. Apart from this, local or seasonal products on the menu should always gain prominence over imported or out of season products.” — Sandeep Panwar, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa New Delhi.

There are several advantages of having a menu focussed on seasonal ingredients. “The advantages are that an element of freshness gets incorporated in the menu as the base ingredients get changed frequently. Moreover, the costs of seasonal and local ingredients are lower as compared to imported ingredients. The guests may also be pleasantly surprised to see a different product on the plate depending on the season and market availability,” elaborated Chef Shubhendu Kadam, the Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre. Dean advocates going seasonal. “Have majority of your menu dishes done as per the seasonal availability of ingredients. Procuring seasonal ingredients facilitates towards affordability,” asserted Dean. “Ensure the quality levels of different menu items while using different seasonal ingredients. Setbacks can also be due to fluctuations in the prices of the ingredients as well as the availability,” added Souza. The extensive use of seasonal ingredients can be an intelligent step towards profitable menu engineering. “However, some guests can raise concern

Costing and Personnel

“The challenge is to design the menu according to the profile of your guests. Sometimes the two don’t match.” — Chef Guto Souza, Head Chef, Go with the Flow, Goa

Apr-May ’14

“One limitation towards creation of menus which can yield higher profits is the inability to do basic costing right. One needs to keep in mind every aspect, which includes price, processing (yields), cooking loss (shrinkage), spoilage, wastage, garnishing, accompaniments, etc. while crafting the menu. If they are taken into account in the prudent manner while creating the menu there is no way you can go wrong in pricing your dishes, and if the pricing is correct your profit margins tend to be secure,” articulated Dean. A menu with high profit potential must also be supplemented with skilled and trained personnel. “Make sure that your staff is well trained, motivated and skilled for the job. Too often the implementation of a menu fails, not because of the content of the menu but due to a poor execution of it,”

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

“Buy from the source, so that you could avail the price benefit.” — Bakshish Dean, Head Chef and CEO of Johnny Rockets India.

O P E R AT I O N S

“Menus which generate profitability without compromising on quality and guest delight are the menus that should be promoted, ideally.” — Thomas Joseph, Executive Chef, Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore.

on limited choice or variety when menus are designed with seasonal ingredients,” aired Joseph. Moreover, he points out that “Seasonal ingredients are available for limited periods, so at times sourcing ingredients becomes a challenge when these go off shelf in a period of three months. And there is an additional cost involved when we have to fly down the ingredients from elsewhere.”

Other Factors to Heed Dean views that while crafting a winning menu, one needs to give careful consideration to procurement, raw material quality, ordering in the right quantities, storage and several other factors. If these factors are not judiciously adhered to, the menu engineering process may receive setbacks. “One needs to make an effort to reach the source of the products and buy from there, which will always get you a better procurement price. Then Four Steps Towards Menu Engineering

• Do costing of your menu prudently. • Categorise the menu items according to profit and popularity levels. • Design your menu. • Test your new menu.

the food service business should focus on buying the best possible quality of raw materials, which will not only give the given food service business a higher yield but will also enhance the overall product appeal and quality of the food & beverage offerings of the outlet,” observed Dean. “Ordering the right quantity comes next. If the quantity ordered is not correct you will either loose out on the sales if ordered less or increase your wastage if the ordering is more than what you need,” Dean added. He also calls for adequate storage facilities for the raw materials. “Adequate storage space helps maintain raw materials till they are utilised. If storage is not optimal both spoilage and wastage will be high,” affirmed Dean. There are other factors whose noncompliance can mar a winning menu. “The Chef and the F&B Manager need to have a clear idea of the processing and thawing yields of a raw material. If they are not being adhered to the cost of the basic raw material may go high and this would shave the entrepreneur’s profits. Furthermore, the Chef and her/his team need to be very well-trained in the precooking and cooking processes, the kitchen equipments must be in top condition, and the food service outlet must have good standards of food safety,” offered Dean.

Experts’ Advice “Menu engineering demands sound understanding of guests’ aspirations, operational requirements and pricing techniques,” said Joseph. The experts also gave some useful tips pertaining to the inclusion of the right items in the menu. “Tomato soup, makhani preparations can be included when tomatoes are in season and are priced very low in the market. This helps in creating variety within limited costing. Similarly, aam ka panna is a favourite during the hot summer season. At the same time, since mango is a seasonal fruit, its inclusion in the menu can help realise increased profits,” explained Joseph. Dean advises food service outlets to know their customers and their taste profile for including items in the menu. “For example, if in the vicinity there is a dominant Punjabi community which frequents your restaurant then there is

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

no point introducing flavours from Gujarati cuisine in the menu. You could have a one off dish to showcase but the primary flavour profile should be connected with the target guests’ palate,” opined Dean. Dean also advises on costing the recipes correctly, procuring from the source, pricing the dishes correctly, concerted promotion initiative of high profit dishes by the team, and organising of regular sampling of high profit dishes. Dean prefers keeping the dishes simple. “Complicated dishes call for a number of processes and flavours. This usually pushes the cost of the dish which then becomes difficult to price and eventually sell. Simple recipes on the other hand are consistent and easy to execute. They result in higher table turns hence better profitability,” proffered Dean. He also calls for having limited dishes on the menu. “This not only will

reduce your preparation and execution time but is likely to enhance your profitability considerably,” Dean asserted. Souza believes that to ensure higher profit from the menu, “it is important that you use the ingredients optimally and limit waste as much as possible by generating extra menu items out of the same ingredient.” He cites the example of pork belly, which can be subjected to a number of culinary applications. “Roasted pork belly can be used as a main course. Smaller pieces of pork belly, which cannot be used as a main course can be sliced thin and then served as a starter with a delicious truffle risotto. And the even smaller pieces, which cannot be sliced can be minced and made filling for mouth-watering momos,” Souza explained. He also gave the example of strawberry, “which can be used as strawberry risotto, strawberry sauce for fish, and as strawberry tart as dessert.” I

Apr-May ’14

Mar-Apr â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

PRODUCT PREVIEW

Seafood Delicacies

○

Sleekness and Substance

The foundation of MM Fisheries dates back to 1964. The company deals in high quality fresh, frozen and ready-to-eat sea food. The company imports best quality of Norwegian Salmon Fish and its portions in addition to various other varieties of fish and seafood. MM Fisheries added another feather to its cap by also dealing in import of Basa Fillet (Pangasius Fillet) from one of the renowned companies of Vietnam. To facilitate its customers to enjoy the delicacy of fish and other seafood, the company has come up with wholesale outlet and six retail outlets where it delivers extraordinary quality of products. MM Fisheries Pvt. Ltd. mmfisheries@hotmail.com

○

MG-PRO is engaged in the field of commercial refrigeration for over 30 years. From gastro-norm cabinets and counters to refrigerated cabinets and bottle coolers, MGPRO’s refrigeration products are made in India, and are targeted at the Indian market. At the forthcoming Food Hospitality World exhibition, to be held in Bangalore during 12th-14th June, MG-PRO will be showing updated versions of the Back Bar Coolers with significant changes. They will be endowed with new perforated SS shelves, LED lights and new door profile. The company’s under counter refrigerator model with Mono-Block refrigeration system will also be showcased at the forthcoming trade show. MG-PRO has launched a new range of Multideck Coolers, designed especially for the ‘Grab & Go’ applications. They are constructed from high quality stainless steel which affords them with a sleek, classic look. To fit in with different decors, exteriors with coloured toughened glass cladding are available. Their annealed stainless steel interior gives a bright, mirror-like finish creating the perfect backdrop for premium beverages and packaged foods. Interior lighting means customers can easily see what is on offer and the light reflected around the cooler enhances the overall presentation. Besides looking good, the coolers are energy-efficient and help keep the drinks/packaged foods at a steady +4 to +6 degrees Centigrade. The roll-down night blind curtain will ensure superior energy efficiency when the restaurant/cafe is not in use. These can also be made available with open-able doors on special request. Hospitality Appliances Pvt. Ltd. harshal.ganjawalla@gmail.com

○

Tandoor by Excellence

○

Art and Glory Established in 2008, Gaurav Art is backed by a rich industry experience of six years in the domain of manufacturing & supplying an assortment of wooden easel stands, wooden painting frames & wooden stretchers as well as in trading of premium quality acrylic primed painting canvas in India. The comprehensive range of easel stands of Gaurav Art consists of

○

Roshan Lal Tandoor Wala is an important name in manufacturing of tandoors in the country. Incepted in 1990, the company manufactures wide varieties of tandoors and over the years, the company has sought to redefine excellence in quality and design in tandoor manufacturing. Clay Tandoors, Round Drum Tandoors, Square Tandoors, Stainless Steel Square Tandoors, Stainless Steel Pizza Oven, Barbeque Type Tandoors are some of the products that are manufactured by the company. The tandoors of Roshan Lal Tandoor Wala are being developed as per the international trends, keeping in mind the requirement/s of the company’s discerning buyers. Being endowed with requisite infrastructure and multi-skilled human resource, the company is reaching great heights under the vision of Roshan Lal. Roshan Lal Tandoor Wala roshanlaltandoors@gmail.com ○

○

wooden tri easel stands, table top easel stands, wooden mini easel stands, wooden studio easel stands, wooden sliding board stand (in white as well as in black)with frames, wooden titli easel stands and pizza trays. All the products are available in number of sizes. Above mentioned products are made up of fine quality German pine wood. Gaurav Art is engaged in manufacturing of its products in technologically advanced production

○

unit and the company conducts quality check before the products are delivered to its clients. The company also manufactures the products on the basis of design and size given by the clients. The products of Gaurav Art are widely used by in the hospitality and catering sectors. Gaurav Art ahuja.art@gmail.com

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

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May ’14

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

BUSINESS OPPORTUNIT Y

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Apr-May â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

BUSINESS OPPORTUNIT Y

ASK FOR YOUR 2014 Hotel & Institutions Buyers’ Guide

TODA Y! TODAY! The 2014 Hotels & Institutions Buyers’ Guide provides comprehensive information on more than 8000 products and over 5000 companies. It is the only editorial driven guide, providing latest updates and trends on the products & services. To get your 2014 Hotels & Institutions Buyers’ Guide contact our branch offices or e-mail us.

Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 45084903, 25854103 / 05 Mumbai: 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400 093 Ph.: 91-22-28395833 Telefax: 91-22-28388947

E-mail:

hammerpublishers@vsnl.net

A D V E R T I S E R ’ S COMPANY

PAGE NO.

I N D E X

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

AKASA

MOD KITCHEN EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD.

ALLIED METAL WORKS

MRS. BECTOR’S FOOD SPECIALITIES LTD.

ANNAPOORNA 2014

MUNNILAL TANDOORS PVT. LTD.

ANOUSHKA GOURMET PVT. LTD.

NEENA ENTERPRISES

APPLE BAKERY MACHINERY PVT. LTD.

PACIFIC MERCHANTS

BEETA MACHINES PVT. LTD.

P LAL & SONS

BMS ENTERPRISES

RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

RATIONAL INDIA

DABON INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

07, 43, BC

15 FIC

EUROPEAN QUALITY FOODS

REMINGTON STEEL ARTS

FCML DISTRIBUTORS PVT. LTD.

ROSHAN LAL TANDOOR WALA

FIDELIO INDIA PVT. LTD.

SHAMSONS FOODS

FnS INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

SIAL PARIS

FOOD INGREDIENTS INDIA 2014

SOLUTIONZ CONSULTING PVT. LTD.

GENNEXT LOGISTICS PVT. LTD.

STEC STAINLESS STEEL PVT. LTD.

HOSFAIR 2014

THE NEW INDIA ELECTRIC & TRADING CO.

IFB INDUSTRIES LTD.

THE SCS AGRIBUSINESS CONSULTANTS PVT. LTD.

INTERNATIONAL FOODTEC INDIA 2014

TRAFS 2014

KANHAIYALAL TANDOOR PVT. LTD.

UNITAS FOODS PVT. LTD.

KING METAL WORKS

VENUS INDUSTRIES

WANG HOSPITALITY EQUIPMENT PVT. LTD.

LOOM CRAFTS FURNITURE (INDIA) PVT. LTD. MANISHA INTERNATIONAL

32, 33 BIC

WINTERHALTER INDIA PVT. LTD.

MITORA MACHINEX

PRODUCT PREVIEW

MM FISHERIES PVT. LTD.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

* BC - BACK COVER

Apr-May ’14

* FIC - FRONT INSIDE COVER

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

* BIC - BACK INSIDE COVER

INTERVIEW

The Seasoned Player By Sharmila Chand Subhashish Gupta, F&B Manager, Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida, began his career with The Oberoi, New Delhi, in 1989. In 1994, he moved to the Middle-East where he worked with reputed hotels like Gulf Hotel. He returned to India in late 1999 and joined Crowne Plaza New Delhi. Thereafter, he moved to ITC Hotels in 2002. He joined Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida in 2009 as Banquet Manager and progressed to lead the team in 2011 as Head F&B. According to Gupta, “Over the years, I have gained an understanding of the F&B department of hotels for delivering qualitative and quantitative results in that realm. This comprehensive understanding of food & beverage helps me determine result-oriented strategies, by ascertaining the drivers and barriers.” The excerpts of the interview follow:

What are the top three traits or skills every Food & Beverage Manager of an organised food service operation must have to excel in her/his profession?

Three most important traits that every Food & Beverage Manager of an organised food service operation should have are the ability of building leadership and management capability, the attitude of encouraging innovation and the use of technology, and the inclination of investing in people and skills. What do you enjoy the most about being a Food & Beverage Manager?

I am absolutely in love with the exposure towards fine living, fine food & fine wine. Most exciting part in my work comprises the challenges that I face every now and then. And what disappoints in your job?

I love it when people appreciate our services but when a guest leaves unhappy or dissatisfied it feels like we haven’t lived up to the guest’s expectations. Yes, it is disappointing. Is your job challenging? Can you point out five challenges of your day-to-day work experience?

Well I think since food service is all about guest satisfaction, it is an extremely demanding job. In my job every day is a new challenge, in a different form. These challenges are the ones that have helped me grow during the past years. The most interesting among them are the challenge

of creating productive workplace cultures, organising the work schedule, ensuring the desired turnover and manpower retention, and management of capabilities and technologies. In fact, manpower shortage is one of the major pressures that I have come across. People today are very ambitious and hence switch jobs very frequently because of which it becomes difficult to retain the right talent. The most challenging part of working in my present tenure is to provide services which are at par with any other reputed hotels in the world at very competitive prices, as the guests whom we cater to are very well travelled and well-versed with the kind and the style of food and services available internationally. If you could change one thing about your job, what would that be?

At times, we have to give preference to our work over our family but since I chose to be in this profession, I have no regrets. Can you suggest any tips or insights to the F&B Managers to strengthen their team?

A team should be such that each and every person is motivated to be the best in her/his relevant field and at the same time willing to help each other. Each team member should be inculcated the value so that she/he should aspire to do and learn more every day without setting any limits. Finally, how is your experience at the present job? How is it different from other places? What excites you the

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

most here?

My experience here has been exciting and I have built a strong team with my clearly communicated vision, goals, and strategies for success. The most exciting factor here for me is to work with a very young team in a very young hotel. One gets to share the thought process of the present generation of people and also share the experiences with them, which I have gained over these 25 years. What is the USP of your hotel?

Our USP has always been our strategic location. We are located in the hub of the city, which makes us the preferred choice among most of our guests. Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida’s innovative variety of food and beverage selection is also its strength. What is your take on the hospitality business in India, in general?

Despite sluggish business climate across the economy, new hotels continued to get opened across the country, throughout 2013. The additional supply of rooms into the Indian hospitality industry, at a time when market demand was at a low, had put pressure on room rates, and overall profitability of hotels. One can say that the demand-supply dynamics across the Indian hospitality industry has changed rapidly during the last few years. Therefore it becomes imperative for us who are working in the hospitality sector to be focused on all times and create wow factor for our guests, so that the business keeps growing at a steady rate.

Apr-May ’14