Food & Beverage Business Review (Aug-Sep 2018)

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’18

Aug-Sept ’18

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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EDIT ORIA L

Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

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ndia is eating out much more than it was doing a decade earlier, and the young people between 18-35 years comprises a significant proportion of the eating out crowd in India’s hotels and restaurants. And many among this generation are widely travelled, have high disposable incomes, are often experimental in terms of their F&B choices, and are also health conscious.

This sub-group teems with frequent restaurant goers, most of whom not only want tasty food but are also keen to know how healthy their food is and how novel their dish is. They are also quite tech-savvy and often narrate their dining experiences in restaurants candidly on social media platforms. The restaurants and hotels in the country are increasingly seen catering to this sub group’s evolved tastes, as they are an important and moneyed segment among the eating out crowd in India.

In our Cover Story, we have attempted to cover the various facets of the eating out choices of this millennial generation in India’s food service business.

The Business Story holistically covers an interesting area of India’s food service business, which is the presentation of food. Presentation of food has assumed increasing importance in our food service business during the recent years, and is often treated by consumers as well as the industry experts as equally important to the food’s taste and flavour.

Our changing lifestyles due to the widespread impact of globalisation, significant increases in disposable incomes in select but sizeable pockets of urban Indian society during the last decade-and-a-half, India’s predominantly young demographics, our slow but sure weakening of archaic social taboos, growing health consciousness in the urban Indian society are perhaps some of the reasons behind the appreciable growth of the consumption of wines in India during the recent years.

However, at the same time, there are several factors impeding the impressive potential of growth of India’s wine industry. We discuss both these issues in the Feature section of the magazine.

The emergence of travel retail as an important niche segment in India’s food retail business in the country, which is elaborated by an industry leader in our Retail section, also makes for interesting reading. The Pub section explores an innovative restrobar, where one can savour delectable multicuisine options with impressive array of heady beverages in an ambience and décor simulating the industrial era.

These and many more industry relevant topics are covered in this issue, which can keep you engrossed. I hope our efforts in this issue would translate in further enriching your information and perspective.

With this hope and with a sincere wish for a wonderful and fruitful festive season ahead for you all, I end this short note. See you again at the end of autumn, when winter’s arrival would bring the fragrance of a brand new year.

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Associate Editor Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Abhishek Singh Rathore Production Assistant Mamta Sharma Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma Director Sales Sanjay Anand Mobile: +91 9811136837 Director Operations Rajat Taneja Mobile: +91 9810315463 Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 91-11-45084903, 45093486, 25704103 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

Website: www.fbrmag.com E-mail: info@hammer.co.in © 2018 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, edited, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma from 302, Himgiri Apartments, J-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Printed at Print Creations, C-112/3, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi.

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.

Disclaimer: The editor and publisher believes that all information contained in this publication are correct at the time of publishing.

Content published not necessarily are the opinion or view of the editor and publisher. Editor and publisher declines any responsibility for any action taken based on the information contained in this publication, including liability for error or omission.

Annual subscription rate within India is Rs. 500 and for overseas it is US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 for overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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Contents august - september 2 01 8

Cover Story

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Departments

Millennial Wave in Food Service Event 04

Business

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The Art and Science of Food Plating

News 10 Report 18

FEATURE

38 Appointment 20

India's Growing Love for Wines

Retail

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Exciting Times for India's Food Retail

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Launches 22 Restaurant 50

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Ingredient 52

Enriched with Health Operations 54

Pub

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Dine in Time Machine

theme cuisine The Best of Roman Cuisine

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Chef Voice

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Product Preview

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48 Interview 64

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event

SIAL Paris 2018 The World's Largest Food Innovation Exhibition 21-25 October 2018, Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris

SIAL Paris 2018 will be a huge source of inspiration for the global food industry.

The exhibition will take place at Paris Nord Villepinte during 21st-25th October 2018. The show will comprise of 7,020 companies from more than 109 countries, with 85 percent international participants, covering 250,000 sqm of space; presenting their products to retail and foodservice professionals. SIAL Paris can be construed as the largest international marketplace for foodservice professionals.

The exhibition will showcase all kinds of food products, from ingredients to equipment to end products, across 21 exhibition sectors. Top six sectors which will be showcased during the exhibition are: meat, dairy products, savoury grocery, frozen food, sweet grocery & beverages.

The show is expecting 155,700 visitors from across the globe.

The Alter’Native Food Sector: A Show Within a Show... and Multiple Events Alternative Food – to give it its name is all about concocting healthier food, more respectful of nature and of animal well-being. Such a phenomenon certainly merits special attention. SIAL Paris is therefore giving Alternative Food the space it deserves. With the creation of a dedicated sector and events, SIAL 2018 will be proposing a unique showcase for Alternative Food stakeholders! This will be a show within the show, which will have its own signposting and its own decor, in a quite simply unique environment!

A Unique Potpourri of Experiences As the event highlight, the sector will

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meat substitutes now exceeds the number of meat-based innovations. And consumers keep coming back for more.

Another typical example is the case of fermented food products such as Kombucha, Kefir and Kimchi: food which were known since ancient times and which have once a g a i n b e co m e n ew l y - p o p u l a r a m o n g consumers for their natural properties and health virtues. b e we l co m i n g m a n y ex h i b i to rs f ro m the Alternative Food planet, renowned experts on healthy eating, and the stars of innovation in this field, whatever their country of origin. "It is a unique potpourri of experiences that we will be proposing for the first time in 2018," explained an enthusiastic Nicolas Trentesaux, Director of the SIAL network: "SIAL has always been at the vanguard in food matters, and this year we wish to go even further with this Alternative Food sector, organised against the backdrop of SIAL, the world's leading food innovation exhibition."

What is it Exactly?

Today, artisans and manufacturers, the creators and inventors of the food of tomorrow, are brimming with ideas and notions around the concept of Alternative Food. Basically, it's simple: you can find it more or less everywhere and to suit every taste. Example of this are the shelves of food stores which are now full of products containing plant proteins (wheat, soya, pulse proteins, etc.), with the desire for healthy eating inextricable from eating pleasure, and manufacturers focusing in particular on how food looks and how it tastes. As a result, the number of innovations based on

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Alternative Food: Planetary Phenomenon Health concerns, therefore, may be what predominantly underline the success of Alternative Food. After the major food crisis of the '90s and early 2000s, consumers are turning toward food that is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as healthier and more ethical. Hence the success of products with original flavours and textures, incorporating a well-being dimension.

Plant-based milks or yoghurts, 'free-from' products, enriched with super fruits or super vegetables, natural energy drinks; Alternative Food can be found on the menu, any time and any place! Worldwide, one-third of consumers believe that the presence of organic-origin products plays a large part in their purchasing decisions (source: Food 360° Kantar TNS).

Alter’Native Food Forum Over the five days of the exhibition, retail and foodservice professionals, along with manufacturers, will be able to exchange with each other and find out about everything that Alternative Food has to offer them, in terms of both innovation and opportunity, by way of conferences and roundtables. The Alter’Native Food Forum is also planned to include bilingual guided visits to the sector.

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Junior Pastry Indian Cup 2018 I

n year 2019 at its 40th edition, ‘SIGEP’ 2019, acknowledged as the world’s most important shows in the artisan gelato sector, a primary European showcase for artisan Italian confectionery and is also strengthening its position in the artisan bakery field, will be hosting “Junior Pastry World Cup” during 19-23 Jan 2019 at Rimini, Italy.

Bakery Review magazine published

by Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. will be organising “Junior Pastry Indian Cup 2018”, 2nd Edition - to shortlist the National Team from India to compete at the event in SIGEP 2019. All Indian Pastry Student/chefs aged below 23 years are eligible to take part in the qualifying competition. The participants must be born on or after 20 Jan 1996 – on or before 20 Jan 2001.

Its’a Team Event and each Team comprises of - two Competitors & One Mentor. The Mentor will also be a part of JURY- Member for Junior Pastry Indian Cup 2018.

Theme of the Competition - FLYING The Indian selection of the competition will be held on 29-30 September 2018 at School of European Pastry (SEP), 603, Wall Street, Chakala, Andheri-Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400093.

Teams must explore new shapes, trace original lines and innovative decorative effects to give full rein to their imaginations, thinking outside of normal boundaries to create products of the required type, i.e. a sugar sculpture (Participating chef should have a good exposure in Sugar Art - which includes Boiling of Sugar, Casting, Pull Sugar, Blown Sugar, Ribbons, Figurines, Flowers, Pastillage) and a Chocolate Sculpture, Chocolate Pralines, the contemporary Chocolate Baked Cake, Mini Pastries, the Dessert on a Plate & the

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Dessert in a Glass.

Contestant Team will have to Create Sugar Show Piece, Chocolate Show Piece, Individual Chocolate Bonbons, The Felchlin Chocolate Cake, Dessert on a Plate, Dessert in a Glass, Mini Pastries with CSM flour Competitors will be judged on Artistic expression and technical skill, Professional ethics and hygiene and taste. There are strict guidelines and parameters on which the chefs will be judged at every stage.

The Pastry Event will be Mentored & Supervised by Jury Committee which includes Chef Avijit Ghosh, Corporate Pastry Chef-Hotel Leela Ventures Ltd & Chef Vikas Bagul – Director & Teaching Faculty – School for European Pastry.

The Indian winning team (2 Contestant & Mentor) will be sent to Italy, with all expenses paid for Airfare & Stay. They will represent India in Junior Pastry World Cup 2019.

According to Mr. Sanjay Tandon, Managing Director, Epicure Frozen Food & Beverages Pvt. Ltd. offering Elle & Vire in India “Being a Pastry chef is a wonderful career choice for anyone who is artistic and logical, practical and creative. It’s a career with rich opportunities. Junior Pastry Indian Cup is our effort to motivate young generation to opt pastry chef a serious career. The competition will provide the young Pastry Chefs to practically demonstrate their skills, and also allow them an opportunity to pick up new nuances of Pastry making which is so important to grow in the profession”.

Says Mr Sanjay Anand, Director, Hammer Publishers Pvt Ltd, the event organiser “The objective the Junior Pastry Indian cup is to set up a training ground for large international events, while making it entertaining and showcasing the talents and future of younger generation pastry-chefs.

By spotlighting them, we hope to engender

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a sense of belonging and valuable feelings of goodwill, quality, passion, creativity, collaboration and respect for colleagues.

All are part of the ethics underpinning the sector, giving it solid roots and a constructive vision for the future. It will be an opportunity to share experiences and a platform for growth for young people who represent the future of the international pastry-making sector. It is the Pastry event with a vital role to play in achieving a career at the highest of technical standards.”

According to Mr. Vikas Bagul, Director, School for European Pastry, “The time has come for our pastry chefs to showcase their skill at the international level. With globalization of Indian economy now more focus is on India, thus it offers an opportunity to all verticals of industry to be part of this growth trend, and why not culinary & pastry art. We have world class chefs now in India recognized at international levels. JPIC is a wonderful effort towards the same and I congratulate them for stupendous work they are doing for the pastry fraternity, since last 5 years.”

About SIGEP: SIGEP is the International Trade Show of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and the Coffee World, now at its 40th edition. It is an exclusive showcase anticipating all of the latest trends and innovations for the operators of the five supply chains on show. SIGEP has 1250 exhibitors acquiring 129,000 sqm of exhibiting area, showcasing the very best of the global scene of raw materials, ingredients, technology and equipment, furnishings and services. SIGEP is a show that enhances and rewards global excellence, presents new formats, supports global networking and promotes the growth of companies and professional operators.

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ICF Announces 6th Chef Summit & 15th Annual Chef Awards 2018 Awards in 15 categories will be presented to talented Chefs selected by a jury comprising industry professionals, food critics and connoisseurs

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hefs are one of the most important and prime reasons for the success of any restaurant or hotel. They work behind the scenes, preparing delectable food for guests with discerning tastes. To celebrate and recognise their talent in the kitchen on a pan-India level, Indian Culinary Forum (ICF), an association of professional Chefs of northern India, will host its 15th Annual Chef Awards at Hotel The Leela Ambience, Gurugram on 4th October.

“We have been organising the 'Annual Chef Awards' for the last 14 years as a part of the celebrations of International Chef’s Day, as our contribution to accredit a Chef as an artist,” said Chef Davinder Kumar, President Indian Culinary Forum.

The ICF 'Annual Chef Awards' is also an attempt to highlight Indian cuisine on the international culinary map.

“The objective of the 'Chef Awards' is to offer fellow Chefs a professional platform to showcase, exhibit, hone their culinary skills and raise the overall Indian culinary art at par with international standards. We assure that it will be a valuable experience for all the Chefs and will maximise the potential and growth in the sector,” Kumar said.

Th e C h ef Awa rd s eve nt t h i s ye a r will begin with 'Trade Test' (culinary competitions), a knowledge summit and award ceremony, and culminate with a charity lunch on 20th October, which is celebrated as the International Chef Day. The culinary competition will be held during 26th-29th September 2018, where the nominated professional Chefs from all over India will showcase their culinary

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prowess in 11 categories.

The 6th Chef (knowledge) Summit on 4th October, to be held in the morning at Hotel Leela Ambience, Gurugram, will bring renowned industry professionals who will discuss the future of Indian food and its technicalities.

This year at the 6th Chef Summit, an online community for food professionals, Tagtaste, which is the Knowledge Partner of the event, has formulated interesting topics on which various F&B experts will be giving key insights.

Few of t h e key to p i cs a re — F & B Entrepreneurs: Path to Success; F&B – The Next Convergence; India: Multiple Cuisines — Is Convergence Possible?; etc.

At the Chef Awards function in the same evening, awards in 15 categories will be presented to talented Chefs, who will be selected by a jury comprising industry professionals, food critics and connoisseurs.

“There are five special award categories which include Lifetime Achievement Award, Best Food Writer Award, Lady Chef of the Year Award, Golden Hat Award and Silver Hat Award,” said Anil Bhandari, Chairman of the Organising Committee.

The other 10 categories in which awards will be presented on the basis of the culinary competitions are Chef of the Year Award, Master Chef International Cuisine Award, Master Chef North India Cuisine Award, Master Chef Rest of India Cuisine Award, Master Chef Kebabs Award, Master Chef Indian Sweets Award, Master Chef International Confectionary Award, Master Chef Oriental Cuisine Award, Kitchen Artist

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Award and Student Chef of the Year.

“The aim of the 'Chef Awards' is to recognise, honour and promote culinary excellence among the fraternity of Chefs and encourage youngsters to join the industry,” said Chef Vivek Saggar, General Secretary, Indian Culinary Forum.

“This year ICF has tied up with Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (a non-forprofit organisation) as the skill partner to promote and contribute in the government’s 'Skill India Mission' by providing the right platform,” Saggar added.

EVENTS’ CALENDER The Hotel Show 2018 16-18 September 2018 Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai www.thehotelshow.com Annapoorna World of Foods India- 2018 27-29 September 2018 Bombay Exhibition Center Mumbai, India www.worldoffoodindia.com SIAL Paris 21-25 October 2018 Paris Nord Villepinte Paris, France www.sial.fr HPMF Annual Convention & Awards 2018 25-27 October 2018, Hotel Taj Ganges Varanasi, India http://www.hpmfindia.com HOSTECH by Tusid 2018 31 October-03 November 2018 Istanbul, Turkey www.hostechbytusid.com Equip Hotel 2018 11-15 November 2018 Paris Expo Porte de Versailles Paris, France www.equiphotel.com

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Chefs' Table from Rational On 30th July 2018, Rational organised a Chefs' Table at Novele, a cocktail bar in Shangri-La's — Eros Hotel, New Delhi. It was an informal gathering of many of the prominent Chefs of the city where they all gathered up under one roof and had a great time over some wine and food. Some media persons were also invited at the event. Earlier this year, Rational hosted such Chefs' Table in Hyderabad and Mumbai.

The Beer Café Opens Flagship 'Biggie' Outlet in Gurugram Alco-beverage chain The Beer Café has expanded the footprint of its flagship 'Biggie' outlets from New Delhi and Bengaluru to Gurugram.

Located in Gurugram's One Horizon Center, the new outlet stocks more than 50 varieties of beers from more than 20 countries, apart from a large collection of wines, cocktails and other spirits, The Beer Café said in a statement.

It also offers a fine collection of freshly-brewed Italian coffees and refreshing Twinings teas, the aclobeverage chain said.

The multi-cuisine food menu of the outlet is designed to cater to diverse palates and satisfy most gastronomical cravings.

The brand has also introduced a new selection of 'beery-tizers' which are cooked to perfection with beer for piquancy.

The Beer Café is now looking to add to its current array of 39 outlets across 11 cities, targeting 150 operational outlets by 2022. It also envisages to launch its services on a global level and is looking to soon introduce its own brand of beer.

‘Nazaara’ Opens at Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal recently announced the launch of its much awaited rooftop restaurant, Nazaara.

Nazaara, which translates to a beautiful scenic view, offers a stunning view of the Bengaluru skyline and the Nagavara lake.

“Offering dishes prepared by a team of skilled Chefs, we aim to redefine the 'NorthWest' Indian cuisine for the city dwellers.

Nazaara offers alfresco dining areas with rustic lounge seating to let the patrons enjoy the view of the city,” said Shiv Bose, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal.

Some important features of the Nazaara restaurant include an exclusive private dining area and a beer tasting room.

The lounge also offers an extensive selection of international wine-by-glass menu, innovative cocktails and an array of North-West Indian cuisine.

Signature dishes on the menu include Amritsari fish tikka, lamb galotti kebab, classic Awadhi style mutton curry, and dum biryani.

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Delhi Airport Gets 4th 'Dilli Streat' Restaurant

Cornelius Launches New Bar Solutions

Travel Food Services, one of India’s leading F&B and retail companies, recently launched a new restaurant under its brand 'Dilli Streat,' making it the fourth such outlet at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

The menu for Dilli Street reflects the delicacies t h at m a d e o l d Delhi a soughtafter dining destination.

The new outlet is located at Terminal (T3) of the airport.

“We are extremely delighted with the response that Dilli Streat received from travellers, making it one of the most popular brand at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi,” said Gaurav Dewan, Chief Operating Officer and Business Head, Travel Food Services.

“This response and the demand compelled us to take Dilli Streat to other areas of the airport. With this outlet at International Food Court T3, we are now present at both the domestic and international terminals,” Dewan pointed out.

Cornelius, one of the leading suppliers of beverage dispensing and cooling equipment, has launched a new range of products in India.

The company has introduced the new Cascata 180, an innovative and reliable dispenser, perfect for cold brew and n i t ro i nf u s e d co l d b rew. Th e company ensures that the product has proprietary technology which delivers perfect performance. It has been designed to maximise customer demand with consistent drink quality. The product is easy to install with user-friendly operations and maintenance.

The company also has introduced Tropical Concord Pro 20, a new generation cooler, designed for tropical ambient temperature. It is a perfect blend of simple functional design and high quality performance, with costeffective cooling performance.

According to Avinash Kumar, Director-Commercial, “Cornelius's products are the most reliable and high tech products, which are suitable for the Indian market. We are sure this will revolutionise bar operations in India.”

The products will be made available pan-India by Mittal International Pvt. Ltd., a Delhi-based supplier of leading brands in India's foodservice market.

ITC Set To Launch Milkshakes In an attempt to take on the likes of Amul and Britannia, retail giant ITC is planning to launch milk-based beverages that will contain no artificial preservatives.

Scheduled to be launched in October, the new range of milkshakes — Sunfeast Wonderz — will have real fruit pulps or nuts.

The products will be manufactured in ITC’s new facility in Kapurthala, Punjab, The Economic Times reported.

With growth in the carbonated drinks segment slowing down, several beverage giants, including Pepsi-Co and CocaCola, are now rolling out healthier choices such as juices, fortified water, energy drinks, etc. for the Indian market.

In the first half of 2017, flavoured milk products accounted for nearly 40 percent of dairy drink introductions in India, compared to just 20 percent in 2012, according to a report from market research firm Mintel.

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Coca-Cola is Acquiring Costa Coffee for $5.1 Billion The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Costa Limited, which was founded in London in 1971 and has grown to become a major coffee brand across the world.

The acquisition of Costa from its parent company Whitbread PLC is valued at 5.1 billion USD and it will put Coca-Cola in direct competition with coffee giants such as Starbucks and Nestle.

It will give Coca-Cola a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle-East and Africa, with the opportunity for additional expansion.

“Costa gives Coca-Cola new capabilities and expertise in coffee, and our system can create opportunities to grow the Costa brand worldwide,” said Coca-Cola President and CEO, James Quincey.

“Hot beverages is one of the few segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand. Costa gives us access to this market with a strong coffee platform,” he added.

Costa operations include nearly 4,000 retail outlets with highly trained baristas, a coffee vending operation, for-home coffee formats and Costa’s state-of-the-art roastery.

The acquisition will expand the existing Coca-Cola coffee lineup by adding another leading brand and platform. The portfolio already includes the market-leading Georgia brand in Japan, plus coffee products in many other countries.

Costa will also provide Coca-Cola with strong expertise across the

coffee supply chain, including sourcing, vending and distribution.

This will be a complement to existing capabilities within the Coca-Cola system.

Coffee is a significant and growing segment of the global beverage business. Worldwide, coffee remains a largely fragmented market, and no single company operates across all formats on a global basis.

“The Costa team and I are extremely excited to be joining The Coca-Cola Company,” said Costa's Managing Director, Dominic Paul.

Walmart India Opens its 22nd Cash & Carry Store in India Walmart India, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart Inc, on 22nd September announced the opening of its 22nd B2B (business-to-business) Cash & Carry store in the country.

Located in Ludhiana, this store marks Walmart India’s sixth Cash & Carry store in the state of Punjab and second store in the city of Ludhiana.

The new store simultaneously got integrated with the B2B e-commerce platform, Walmart India said in a statement.

With the objective of enabling small businesses to prosper, the store in Ludhiana will cater to the business needs of underserved small businesses, which include kiranas/resellers, offices and institutions (O&I) and hotels, restaurants and caterers (HORECA).

The store will significantly contribute to the local and state economy by creating an estimated 2,000 direct and indirect jobs, the company said.

It will significantly boost the small/regional supplier ecosystem as it will source merchandise from local suppliers to fulfill the needs of its members.

Announcing the store launch, Krish Iyer, President & CEO, Walmart India, said, “As we open our second store in Ludhiana, we are excited at the opportunity of continuing to create shared value for partners, associates, members, suppliers, small farmers and the community at large and open up our mission to more members and help them save money to live better.”

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Mother Dairy Launches Cow The World Café Launched Milk Curd at WTC, Bengaluru With growing consumer acceptance of its cow milk, dairy major Mother Dairy in September launched cow milk-based curd — 'Cow Milk dahi' — across the Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) and major cities of northern India.

The newly launched offering is available in pack sizes of 100 gm and 400 gm, priced at Rs. 12 and Rs. 45 respectively.

With the introduction of Cow Milk dahi, Mother Dairy now has one of the strongest curd portfolio in India, which already has Ultimate Dahi, Classic Dahi, Slim Dahi and Advanced (Probiotic) Dahi to cater to varied consumer usage.

Mother Dairy introduced cow milk in packaged format in mid-2016 and saw this segment generating healthy sales revenue for the company.

The cow milk segment alone reportedly generated revenue of Rs. 600 crore for the company in the last fiscal and Mother Dairy expects over 60 percent rise in revenue from this segment during the current fiscal.

In association with Brigade Hospitality, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway recently launched The World Café.

Lo cat e d i n Bengaluru, at the World Trade Center, the cafe is spread across 2,300 square feet. The combination of glass and chrome interiors contributes to the cafe’s relaxing and welcoming ambience.

The bistro-style café is designed with simple colours with a modest décor that make the background artful. Great music contributes towards creating an ideal atmosphere.

The World Café features signature items like single origin coffees, smoothies and quick bites. Some of the world’s most famous single origin coffees such as Ethiopian Sidamo, Brazilian Santos, Costa Rica Tarazu, and Jamaican Blue Mountain feature in the menu. Apart from exclusive coffees, the café also offers wide varieties of sandwiches such as Belgian mitraillette, Aussie vegemite, Canadian smoked meat rye for breakfast, as well as evening snacks like grilled vegetable pesto, lamb pepper fry, chicken jalapeno. They are amply complemented by decadents such as baked cheese cake, sacher torte and opera pastry, among others.

The menu includes coffees with unique flavours. Cappuccino, Americano, Latte and Mocha are among the delightful cold coffees which are on offer. A selection of crafted teas such as Chamomile, Earl Grey, Moroccan Mint Tea, Oolong Prestige and Vanilla Bourbon among others are the tea options at the cafe.

Foodpanda Launches Food Delivery Services in Jaipur O n l i n e fo o d d e l i ve ry co m p a n y Foodpanda on 25th September announced the launch of its services in the city of Jaipur, in Rajasthan.

Covering key areas of the city like C-Scheme, Malviya Nagar, Vaishali Nagar, Mansarovar and Raja Park; Foodpanda has in its network over 700 popular restaurants in the city including prominent ones like Kebabs & Curries Co, New York Slice, Kings Kitchen, Marky Momos amongst others, the company said.

“Foodpanda will ensure that customers have a superior ordering experience that is consistent and seamless,” said Nitesh Prakash, Head of Operations at Foodpanda India.

Foodpanda, which is part of ride-sharing major Ola, is planning to bring its delivery services into more cities and towns across the state of Rajasthan, in the next two months.

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R e p ort

Glasshouse Presents Unbreakable Hospitality

By Swarnendu Biswas

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ilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Baani Square is a five-star business hotel, strategically located near Infocity, Unitech Cyber Park and Sohna Road. The hospitality property is a 20 kilometer drive from Indira Gandhi International Airport. It is positioned as a classy business hotel, though leisure travellers can easily find the stay at the hotel interesting and memorable.

Glasshouse is a classy multi-cuisine restaurant of Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Baani Square. Probably the profusion of glasses within the outlet has attributed to its name. Restaurant was launched

in May 2013 with the inception of the hotel. In this all-day dining world-cuisine restaurant, one can chose from the à la carte menu or indulge in an extensive buffet of Indian, Italian, continental and pan-Asian cuisines.

“Restaurant has an extended open space at both ends, offering alfresco dining experience,” stated Amit Mishra, Assistant Manager — F&B of the hotel. “We emphasise on local grown, handmade masalas and fresh food,” Manoj Rawat, Executive Chef of the restaurant asserted.

The live pizza corner, which is well connected with the lobby and the adjoining Pose Fashion Bar, is a highlight of the 90-cover outlet, which is open from 6.30 am in the morning to 12 am in the midnight, all seven days of the week. The restaurant, as expected, has been garnering impressive number of guests. “On an average weekday, we get 350 guests on an average, and on an average weekend day, we attract 250 guests, on an average,” disclosed Amit. He informed that the outlet had covered its initial investment.

“Our major clientele are corporate crowd who look forward to have a classy dining experience with us. We also do focus on

nearby residential areas to promote social gatherings,” averred Amit.

T h e re s t a u ra n t d o e s s e r v e a delectable culinary fare. According to Manoj, though Glasshouse has a lot many popular dishes, but among them dahi kebab and pizza margherita, murg achari tikka, lal maans, chicken kung pao, and melting chocolate cake deserve special mentions. This writer particularly enjoyed murg achari tikka, Amit Mishra pizza margherita, galouti kebabs, and chicken biryani with Kingfisher.

I asked the Executive Chef about some delectable food & beverage combinations which the guests can savour at Glasshouse. “Indian tandoori kebabs with single malts like Glenfiddich 18 Years and Laphroaig; red meats like tenderloin, prime lamb chops with Chilean red wine, La Fantasia; Stival Vento Sauvignon Blanc with tiramisu are some out-of-the=world F&B combinations that can be savoured at Glasshouse,” elaborated Manoj enthusiastically. I felt pity on myself for not visiting the outlet at the onset of twilight, as drinking single malts and quality wines is enjoyable to me only after the sunset.

“It is really a proud moment for us when guests appreciate our tandoori parathas, homemade granola bars, filter coffee and ginger tea counters and many other items in our breakfast,” Manoj affirmed. “It is my continual endeavour to pleasantly surprise our guests with our gastronomic journey, every time,” he added further.

Talking about the promotions being run by the outlet, Amit stated that “Currently we are running Weekend Promotion @ INR 2000 AI, Pick Your Own Manoj Rawat Buffet, Thali @ INR 500.”

Overall, the Glasshouse seemed to present enduring good old fashioned hospitality, which is not likely to be shattered by the continual storms of competition or by the occasional blasts of recession.

Elanpro’s New Endeavour Could Facilitate Food Retail Elanpro, a Gurgaon-based commercial refrigeration company, recently introduced its serve over counter for the retail industry. ELANPRO Serve Over Counter is a multiplex refrigerated display fridge for the presentation and sale of various food products. A versatile solution, the new serve and preserve refrigeration option comes with a customised colour option to match the décor.

ELANPRO Serve Over Counter

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combines modern technology and ergonomic design. Available in four sizes (1200mm, 1500mm, 1800mm, 2400mm), the product is designed to suit spaces of various sizes, ensuring optimal product display potential.

The product is ideal for storage and sale of fresh produce such as meat, dairy products, poultry, frozen food, fresh bread and fish among others.

ELANPRO Serve over Co u nte r u s e s ref r i g e ra nt

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

delivering high levels of energy efficiency and reliability. According to a press release, “The homogeneous refrigeration range also boasts of high compositional flexibility with front glass open option and a curved element for ease of use and hygiene.” A fully automatic product, the plug-in or remote product features automatic defrosting, adjustable feet, interior light with a switch, a digital controller and temperature display.

The product is now available at Elanpro dealer stores.

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A PP O I N T M E N T

Jayanandan Bhaskar L u x u r y g o l f re s o rt Ka r m a La k e l a n d s h a s a p p o i n t e d Jayanandan Bhaskar as its Executive Chef.

I n h i s n ew ro l e, C h ef Jayanandan will be responsible for overseeing the resort’s culinary activities, introducing organic dishes, and setting standards to ensure exceptional quality, range, and taste in c u i s i n es offe re d at Ka r m a Lakelands' AK’s bar restaurant, and at events.

"Land at Karma Lakelands has matured perfectly for organic produce. Fresh and organic ingredients at an expanse like this got my thoughts rolling, and flexibility offered by the management kind of sealed the deal for me,” Chef Jayanandan said on his appointment.

“For me as a Chef, being able to pluck my ingredients and creating a dish right here without any lapse in time has its appeal and that is what I intend to move forward with at Karma,” he added.

From becoming a runner-up at 'MasterChef India Season 1,' a television show aired on Star Plus in 2010, he has come a long way. He hosted many shows since then, including 'Chesdale Tadka Marke' which was telecasted on Star Plus, in Dubai and London.

Jaydeep Mukherjee I m p re s a r i o E n t e r t a i n m e n t and Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. has a p p o i nte d C h ef Jayd e e p

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Mukherjee as the Brand Head of Smoke House Deli rstaurant.

With over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Chef Jaydeep seeks to transform the restaurant as the first choice in people’s mind when it comes to western dining across the country.

“While it isn't a new project, the opportunity to re-engineer an existing and much-loved brand and take it up many more notches is something that really excites me,” Chef Jaydeep said on his appointment.

Smoke House Deli currently has nine outlets spread across three cities, namely Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

Tarun Bhasin Dairy brand Keventers recently appointed Tarun Bhasin as its Chief Executive Officer. Bhasin brings to the new role over 22 years of experience in the quick service restaurant industry.

“The food and beverage industry in India is growing exponentially every day and I am ecstatic to be a part of a brand that has contributed significantly to this growth.

In a short span of just three years, Keventers has become a household name in India, and is slowly expanding its footprint across the globe. I am excited to join the vibrant team at Keventers and look forward to a fruitful association,” Bhasin said on his appointment.

Prior to joining Keventers,

Bhasin was associated with Jubiliant FoodWorks for over 22 years. During this long stint, he occupied several key leadership roles including President & CBO (Chief Business Officer) of Dunkin' Donuts and President & COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Domino's Pizza, India.

Rahul Upadhyay Indian Olive Association, an organisation established to promote, protect and safeguard the interests of olive and the olive oil industry, has elected new members in its Executive Council. During its 11th Annual General Meeting held recently, Rahul Upadhyay, CEO, Rian Imports & Marketing was elected as the new President. He replaced V N Dalmia, Chairman, Dalmia Continental Pvt. Ltd. as the President of the association.

“I am glad to be elected as the President of this prestigious organisation. In my new role, my endeavour will be to work towards taking the efforts of the association to the next level to popularise the health and wellness benefits of olive oil and olives in the country,” Rahul Upadhyay said.

o p e rat i o n s of t h e k i tc h e n , design menus, and train the culinary team at the hotel as part of his responsibilities with the property.

The love for cooking has taken him on his journey through major cities to work alongside many high profile chefs across the world.

Prior to joining Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel and Convention Center, Singh was the Complex Executive Chef at The Westin Chennai & Le Meridien Kochi Convention Center. During his decade-long career, Singh has had the opprtunity to work with the Marriott Group, Taj Residency Ernakulum and The Leela Goa.

Nitesh Sharma

Jatinder Pal Singh Jatinder Pal Singh has joined S h e rato n G ra n d B e n g a l u r u Whitefield Hotel and Convention Ce nt re as Exe c u t i ve C h ef.

B r i n g i n g ove r 1 0 ye a rs of experience to the new role, Singh will supervise the daily

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Doubletree by Hilton Pune C h i n c h wa d h as a p p o i nte d Nitesh Sharma as Sous Chef. In his new role, Chef Nitesh would be responsible for in-room dining, restaurants, banquet event operations and the hotel’s overall culinary operations.

He would also have an added responsibility of stewarding important daily operations and supervising junior associates in the maintenance and cleanliness, thereby ensuring ensuring minimum wastage of food costs.

In his past stints, Chef Nitesh had worked in several positions, including as Consultant/Junior Sous Chef, Specialty Chef, Demi Chef De Partie, and as Commis De Cuisine.

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L A U NC H E S

Industry Gets Some Exciting Destinations

By Sharmila Chand

T

his year has seen some interesting launches across India’s food service industry, in the realm of fine dining and as well as in casual cafe concepts, which have the potential to inspire the industry. We bring you some of these new launches across the country.

Café with a Lake View Re n a i ss a n ce M u m b a i Co nve nt i o n Ce nt re H ote l re ce nt l y launched Lake View Café, alongside a captivating fashion soirée by designers Tasneem Merchant and Asif Merchant. The outlet offers great food and exotic drinks.

The café offers foot thumping music and interactive live cooking stations, having authentic Indian, inspired Asian, western grills, antipasti, and fantastic desserts.

A perfect getaway from the busy streets of suburban Mumbai, the al fresco seating eatery is chic and contemporary yet unintimidating; set-up right at the edge of the clear Powai lake.

It serves an array of tantalising delicacies like Kolhapuri Mutton Mantao, Brie Tempura, BBQ Salad – Barley, Beats and Quinoa, Naga Chili Roasted Spring Chicken, Burmese Khao Suey. They are complemented by exciting b e v e ra g e s l i ke S u n s et by t h e C i n d e re l l a Staircase, By the La ke, F l a m i n g Night, Matilda’s Royale, and Terra Merita, which can

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take you on an exciting gastronomical journey.

With comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, the view is one of the highlights of this café, apart from its core of F&B and service.

Raise the Bar Raise the Bar, located at the rooftop of the Clarens Hotel, in Sector 29 Gurugram, can come across as a perfect rendezvous spot fo r c h e r i s h i n g the evenings with friends and family over delicious food and drinks.

The ambience at t h e ro ofto p lounge reflects elegance and s o p h i s t i cat i o n ; letting the guests enjoy a breathtaking 360 degree view of the city.

The warm, inviting and flamboyant lounge with its quaint charm intend to ‘raise the bar’ for the connoisseurs of food and drinks.

The rustic ambience, enriched with some unique wooden furniture and low lighting, with fire dancing to the tunes of some great lounge music, creates an environ full of romance and serenity.

The exquisite collection of dishes in Raise the Bar menu covers a variety of salads, starters, different kinds of pasta, sandwiches, seafood, sushi, grilled chicken, lamb, pork, and unique desserts among others.

The food served at ‘Raise the Bar’ is prepared by exceptionally skilled Chefs, following the exclusive recipes refined by worldrenowned Master Chefs and cultural cuisine experts.

Raise the Bar has brought some of the rare collection of wines

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L A U NC H E S and whiskeys, which can delight the senses, especially as the night grows younger by the minute.

The lounge also has impressive varieties of vodkas, gins, brandies, rums, and champagnes to keep its guests happily intoxicated.

Live Grill from Punjab Grill

The Pan Asian Gastronomic Trail Tanoshii Trail is the pan Asian Café, which has recently been launched in the popular M Block Market of Greater Kailash I. The restaurant not only boasts of a rotating conveyer belt system with sushi and cold cuts, but also serves steaming hot oriental cuisine through an automated a la carte delivery system.

Punjab Grill, one of the most dynamic fine dining chain of restaurants in India, launched its first live grill experience at Mantri Mall, Bengaluru.

Barbecue by Punjab Grill is the restaurant chain’s foray into creating a delicious live grill experience for foodies in the city. As part of the chain of restaurants, this is the first outlet of Punjab Grill in the country that has been set up in the grills and buffet format, hosting guests to a live grill right at their tables.

Barbecue by Punjab Grill offers fine pre-fixed buffet menu paired with fine wines and great meats, grilled right at the table.

From fine Indian grills to an elaborate spread of true Punjabi

main course to mouthwatering traditional desserts… this outlet can offer the guests a truly sumptuous experience.

Tastefully designed barbecue live stations, interactive kitchens and heartwarming live music together brings an enjoyable dining experience at Barbecue by Punjab Grill, which imbibes the essence of street dining in its ambience.

Lite Bite Foods launched Barbecue by Punjab Grill to promote DIY (Do-It-Yourself) cuisine and promote the concept of live onthe-table grills, which is still a growing concept in the country.

Announcing the launch of Barbecue

by Punjab Grill in Bengaluru, Rohit Aggarwal, Director, L i t e B i t e Fo o d s Pvt. Ltd. said, “We constantly strive to deliver the best dining experiences to our customers and our goal is to bring new indulgences to the table. The live food stations at Barbecue by Punjab Grill enhance the consumers’ food experience by creating olfactory indulgences. The visual charm of the live grill, the aroma emanating from great barbecues, the live music space, and the interactive ambience seamlessly blend into an intricate and joyful culinary expedition.”

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The pan Asian Cafe aims to give a unique experience to its diners. It is a casual dining restaurant which offers a wonderful experience under the bracket of affordable luxury.

Here the customers can witness the preparation of lip-smacking sushis and dim sums in the live kitchen of the restaurant. The conveyor belt allows entrees upon seating, with the specific price being attached to each coloured bowl rotating on it.

The cuisines offered at Tanoshii Trail include Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Burmese and the focus is to ensure a balance between the local tastes, foreign ingredients, and flavours.

The restaurant has also curated a highly distinct beverage menu, keeping in consideration the Asian culture and flavours, with inhouse creations.

Furthermore, incorporating the Indian love for tea, they have also procured some of the finest tea offerings from an exotic list of flavours.

The idea is not only to provide an authentic and offbeat cuisine to the food connoisseurs but also to attract the diners who are not exactly the risk takers when it comes to the new food culture.

The concept of a completely automated restaurant was designed to give privacy to the guests, which is rare to find among restaurants in Delhi.

The décor of Tanoshii Trail is interesting as here elements from across the various regions of South-East Asia have been incorporated.

Emphasis on decor has largely been placed through wall murals, upholstery, lamps, folding fans and handcrafted paintings; showcasing oriental imagery to give its diners a feel of what is to be served. The walls a re b e a u t i f u l l y embellished with murals of Japanese G e i s h as , a n d a f i e ry d ra g o n enhances the premises of the restaurant.

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L A U NC H E S

Dishing Poetry with Food A café named Gufatagu Café has been launched in the Cyber City of Gurugram. Here the diners can expect to enjoy the evenings with authors and poets amidst lush green ambiance.

Guftagu Cafe plans to host baithak, in the name of Guftagu Talkies, with an intent to promote aspiring poets from all across

the city. The outlet has the potential to offer some delightful treats, both for the palate and the mind.

Th e i r g re at love for poetry and shayari has brought to g et h e r t h re e p a rt n e rs — Vi kas Sharma, Kritika Wasson and Rahul Makin — who are the Cofounders of Guftagu Café.

“We have all grown up listening to Abida Parveen’s sufi songs and Farida Khanum’s ghazals and hence to us listening to poetry is a deeply satisfying experience. With the young professionals working in Delhi-NCR having very little scope for creative experience, the idea is to create a fulfilling environment for the poetry lovers”, said RJ Rahul Makin, Co-founder, Guftagu Cafe.

Prepared with the choicest of malts, hops and yeast, procured from Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic, the US and the UK, the authentic handcrafted brews served at 35 Brewhouse come in five exciting variants; Indian Pale Ale (IPA), German Lager, HafeWeizen, Strong Wheat and a Master’s Brew. These beverages are accompanied by the rich sizzling entrées and aromatic flavours from an exquisite menu that offers a delightful mix of Indian, oriental, western and Italian comfort food.

Uncompromising professional standards of service and the art of brewing craft beer go hand in hand at 35 Brewhouse. The microbrewery conforms to ‘Reinheitsgebot’, the ‘German Beer Purity Law’, to ensure that the craft beers served to you at 35 Brewhouse are great and authentic down to the last sip.

“Our beers taste so great because they are matured and not filtered as compared to a bottled beer, which is filtered after fermentation.

A craft beer is allowed to mature naturally for 18 to 21 days without filtering. This allows craft beers to retain their natural malty texture.

Every beer at 35 Brewhouse offers a unique and differentiated taste, based on the high quality malt used for that beer,” said Kumar Gaurav, Brewing Consultant, JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh.

The food menu at 35 Brewhouse includes mouth-watering fusion delights which can excite your taste buds and also compliment the delicate palate of crafted brews. Chinese Bhel, for instance, is a mouthwatering Chinese twist to the bhel puri, while the Cashew

Brewing Beer and Experiences JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh has come up with 35 Brewhouse, a microbrewery within the premises of a five-star property, in the heart of Chandigarh. It is the country’s second microbrewery in a five-star property.

Designed as a destination that brews fun and luxury with creativity, 35 Brewhouse comes across as an amalgamation of heavenly culinary flavours from the Food Truck, and the luxurious ambience of The Lounge.

However, 35 Brewhouse is much more than a brewery. The latest offering by JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh is a place where you can sit back, converse, relax and party, while sipping on the fine freshly brewed elixirs.

“35 Brewhouse has been conceptualised as a destination that is much more than a brewery, where you could not only have beer, but also brew rich experiences,” said Dilpreet Singh Bindra, General Manager, JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh.

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Nut Pakora is a fresh take on the favourite Indian snack.

35 Brewhouse also serves inventive mocktails catering to a variety of moods and tastes. They include Spicy Me, a combination of guava juice, tabasco, lime juice and black salt, and a therapeutic Lomi Lomi, a refreshing mix of fresh lime, honey, ginger, orange juice and ginger ale, among others.

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Aug-Sept ’18

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C OV E R S TO R Y

Millennial Wave in

Food Service

With the increase in the numbers of working couples and an enhancement in the per capita income of Indians during the last decade, the tendency to dine out is on the increase in India’s food service industry. Added to this is the work-life balance, which has triggered the change in the eating habits of the people.

The propensity of eating out is more visible among the millennial in urban India, who not only want to eat out but also eat good. And many of these young people (between 18-35 years) prefer places with strong food ethics. They want to know how fresh and organic their food is, besides they also want to know about the ingredients used to make it more delectable. Even plating of the food is paid attention to by them.

The high-end F&B outlets in post-modern urban India now have to pay even more extra attention to what the customers want and keep re-inventing in order for the consumers to continue with their patronage. Realising this, hotel chains like Marriott Group have launched restaurants like Redzon, Shakahari, Momo CafĂŠ to tap into the new-age F&B market. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the effect the millennials have on our food service industry.

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Aug-Sept ’18

T

he foodie culture among the millennials is rising, making it imperative for F&B outlets to understand the dining habits and preferences of this age group, which is becoming a more frequent visitor to eating out places than other age groups.

According to Halo Group, a full-service branding and marketing communications agency, 75 percent of millennials are regularly seeking new food trends.

Growing Dining Out Culture One can say that the dining out culture in India has changed drastically over the last decade, and the changing food habits of the millennial generation have been a major contributor towards this trend. Many of the millennials or the Gen Y (those between the age of 18 and 35), who constitute 65 percent of the country’s population, are tech-savvy, have travelled extensively and have a high spending power. Being exposed to global trends and lifestyles, they are the ones driving India’s restaurant industry’s growth index.

Nilesh Jain, F&B Manager, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway concurs with the view that a large chunk

Aug-Sept ’18

C OV E R S TO R Y of the millennials in urban India dine out demographics, increases in spending power, on a regular basis. “They are keen to try etc. are responsible for the increase in the out new cuisines and dishes that introduce number of millennials dining out in India’s them to authentic and contemporary food food service industry. “Most fundamentally from around the world. Moreover, they though, there has been a shift in spending are frequently exploring social media patterns in post-modern India, particularly platforms like Instagram, Facebook, etc. to among millennials, who today prefer to know about the latest trends in the food allocate higher budgets to experiences service industry. They welcome redeem such as dining and travelling. We do find a coupons, offers and discounts that float in large number of millennials dining with us the hospitality industry. As far as Sheraton across all our restaurants,” she pointed out.

“As compared to the last five years, Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway is concerned, 25 percent of the guests at these days the millennials are certainly our F&B outlets comprise of millennials,” more prone to dining out. Many among t h e m a re we l l re a d , te c h - s avvy, a re he elaborated.

Jeet Palan, Partner at 10th Street Cafe – constantly exposed to the global lifestyle Mumbai, said, “About 20-30 percent of our trends and have travelled extensively. guests are millennials who visit us regularly With their experimental and dynamic on a weekly basis. As there is an increase in nature, they are driving innovation in the millennials’ income, marginal propensity of food and beverage sector and growth in their consumption has increased, and they the hospitality industry, globally. At JW prefer to try out new cuisines, new places. Marriott Chandigarh, millennials constitute Today people are not only coming for lunch a considerable part of our consumers’ pie,” and dinner but also for high tea. They also conveyed Amit Sharma, F&B Manager, JW visit us late at night only for desserts.”

Marriott Hotel Chandigarh.

Soumitra Kundu, F&B Manager, The Rachel Goenka, Founder & CEO at The Chocolate Spoon Company, believes Orchid Hotel Pune, concurs that there that several factors like evolving tastes, has been an increase in the number of social media platforms, changing family millennials dining out in India’s food service

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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C OV E R S TO R Y declared Gaurav Anand, Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal.

Marissa D’rozario, F&B Director, Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park, states that millennials are more prone to eat out due to convenience. “Ours is a new property and here the millennials comprise 20-25 percent of the clientele at our F&B outlets,” she disclosed.

Preferences of Millennials

Nilesh Jain industry. He added, “The dining out culture in India has changed drastically and the changing food habits of the millennial generation has a major role towards this trend. As far as our hotel, The Orchid Hotel Pune is concerned, since it is located close to the IT area, about 60 percent of our diners are millennials.”

“Millennials have become the major focus for restaurants and hotels in India, as compared to five years back. India has been witnessing an increase in the number of fine dining restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, clubs, lounges, and international fast food joints, as the per capita income of the millennials in India has increased during the recent years,” averred Vivek Kalia, Executive Chef, Indore Marriott Hotel.

“This is mainly due to more working people in every household thus leading to higher spending power and change in food habits. I may state that Indore has witnessed launches of more than 350+ food service outlets in the last one year, many of which are theme-based specialty restaurants, pubs and cafes,” he reasoned.

“Another reason for the rise in the number of restaurants in India is the millennials’ work-life imbalance, which has led them to explore options of eating out more frequently,” Vivek explained further.

“Millennials in India are placing a high significance on convenience and are more prone to eating out than our previous generations. Additionally, the growth of a wide variety of themed cafes and specialty restaurants has encouraged the curiosity and spirit of adventure among our millennials. They comprise close to 45 percent of the clientele that visit our property for dining at our restaurants,”

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As stated before, a great many of our upwardly mobile young generation have exposure to global cuisines, and their cuisine preferences go much beyond the realms of Indian cuisine. So what are the cuisines that they prefer?

Jeet recalls that when he was a kid there were only North Indian, South Indian and Chinese cuisines available. “Today, with international brands coming in, there are varied cuisines to choose from. However, at our place, 10th Street Café, the preference is for Italian cuisine,” he offered.

“The millennials are often eager to try unexplored cuisine and innovative dishes. Moreover, the social media savvy millennials are interested in everything that is instagrammable; they are prone to taking food shots that are attractive.

Presentation of food and beverage has thus now gained more importance in India’s food service industry than it was ever before,” conveyed Nilesh.

“A majority of millennial guests at restaurants in India prefer a good mix of pan-Asian, Indian and continental food.

However, they are not satisfied with just the basics that these cuisines offer. They prefer an elevated dining experience. There is often a demand for eclectic cuisines like

Amit Sharma

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Jeet Palan Peruvian,” revealed Rachel.

However, Gaurav differs slightly from Rachel. “Fusion cuisine that incorporates delicious elements from various cuisines seems to be the most popular amongst our young people. They prefer something that is affordable and at the same time easily available,” said Gaurav.

“For the millennials it is not food alone but how well you present it is also important. They prefer freshly made dishes with fresh ingredients rather than canned or preserved,” averred Nilesh.

“While Indian cuisine is popular as it is the staple cuisine, millennials, who are exposed to various international cuisines through their travels and social media, are ready to experiment and are constantly on the lookout for newer dining out options. Additionally, people are addicted to food channels on TV and food boards on Pinterest or food websites, and usually want to taste what they see. These influencing factors also shape the food & beverage preferences of those millennials who are having impact in India’s food service industry,” declared Amit.

“At JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh, we have observed that millennials prefer Indian, oriental, Italian, Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines. These cuisines cover a variety of palates and provide a range of culinary options to choose from where consumers have the liberty to opt for a delicacy based on her/his craving, mood, company, etc.,” Amit pointed out further.

“Acco rd i n g to a re ce nt s u rvey by property consultant CBRE, Indian cuisine continues to dominate country's taste palates with a 24 percent share, followed by multi-cuisine at 22 percent. However,

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C OV E R S TO R Y

nowadays millennials don’t shy away from experimenting with different Indian and international cuisines such as Mexican, Mediterranean, Lebanese, Arabian to name a few,” elaborated Vivek.

“Millennials in urban India are now keen to experiment with different exotic & fusion cuisines; majorly Indian & continental,” asserted Soumitra.

Health Factor Many trendy millennials in India are seeing food as an extension of their personal identity and preferring to choose healthy or socially responsible dining options as a signpost for their commitment towards sustainability. They are not only keen to know what is inside the food they consume but also which food products provide value to their health.

Marissa maintains that many of the millennials prefer to dine out more, and in the recent times there has been a change in their trend of cuisine preference and often they opt for healthy options over fast food available in the restaurant menu.

“There has been a constant demand for

Gaurav Anand

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healthy food such as quinoa, chia, acai berries, Amarnath and avocado. “It has been observed that customisation along with healthy and natural food is preferred by the millennial restaurant goers in India’s food service industry,” observed Marissa.

“They are also curious about food and its ingredients be it the flavours used in the dish, texture, origin, low fat-high fiber composition and more,” pointed out Marissa.

Jeet says that at the 10th Street Café demands vary in different venues. For example, at Bandra, the preference is more for health food as compared to the Juhu outlet,” he cited.

“It may be mentioned that the Gen Y is also curious to know about the ingredients being used, which specific products are being used. I may add that the key factor behind any food craving these days in India’s food service industry is taste and appearance,” he added.

Veganism and organic food are also gaining in popularity among the millennials, in India’s food service industry.

“Today people, particularly millennials, are much more conscious of what they consume. At the Chocolate Spoon Company, we have a good selection of healthy options in our menus and we also take into account of any allergies or dietary preferences with gluten-free or vegan options. When we do get requests, we are flexible enough to make sure our guests are happy,” revealed Rachel.

“The dining out culture in India’s food service industry has seen a major revolution towards changing eating habits due to this generation. Restaurants now have t ra n s p a re nt m e n u ca rd s w h e re t h ey mention the ingredients used. Presentation is another factor that interests millennial as they like their food being displayed in a creative manner. Restaurants that are transparent about their ingredients and

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

product claims, and serve low fat, low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free, low salt, no trans fats, GMO-free, no corn syrup, in their menu will usually find themselves in the good books of today’s consumers and enjoy a regular patronage,” Vivek suggested.

“The globally popular trend of conscious indulgence where taste buds are satiated but through healthy and high quality food has actually been fostered by the millennials,” affirmed Amit.

“Millennials are very curious about the food they are eating and its ingredients, especially with majority of information on food readily available on platforms such as Google. They can easily check out the recipes of the dishes they are consuming, its ingredients, method of cooking, etc. online,” Amit pointed out.

“Millennials are eager to be educated about their food and are highly conscious about what they consume. Gen Y largely comprises of aware customers. They like to be involved with the whole gamut of their dining experience. From the sourcing of the ingredients, the flavours and aromas to the presentation, all these factors play a big role in their choice of dish,” declared Gaurav.

“Avocado is one such popular ingredient amongst the patrons. Known for its health benefits and versatility, it forms the key ingredient to some delectable eats such as salad dips, smoothies and even desserts like ice-cream. Special dietary preferences like gluten-free, vegan, ketogenic are also increasingly gaining popularity,” Gaurav maintained.

“Millennials are often seen preferring organic food, which have the right amount of nutritional value, and are preferring to

Soumitra Kundu

Aug-Sept ’18

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C OV E R S TO R Y

Rachel Goenka customise their meal as per their taste.

For example, stir-fried seasonal greens, organically grown mixed lettuce salad tossed with olive oil and nuts, etc. are being liked by them,” asserted Vivek.

“They are a curious lot; they show great interest to understand the dishes and what has gone into the making of it. The food they prefer are mostly low fat and preference is given by them to whole grain and/or high cereal fibre varieties, such as vegetables and legumes/beans, fruits, lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, milk, yoghurt, and cheese,” Vivek maintained.

Eating Out or Food Delivery?

Being tech-savvy, millennials are also comfortable to use computers and smart phones to order food. So, do they prefer to visit the restaurants or do they prefer to order the food from home? And, to what extent does the cost factor also matter to them?

“I believe home delivery of food is more preferred by millennials in India’s food service industry. Online food portals provide the ease for them to choose and compare prices from various restaurants. When they order online they also can redeem a lot of offers and coupons available online,” affirmed Nilesh.

“On the cost factor front, at times millennials compare the prices of fivestar restaurants with stand-alone outlets.

For obvious reasons the prices offered by stand-alone outlets cannot be matched by five-stars,” he explained.

“Online food ordering has become a way of life for many millennials in the country. Work-life imbalance has been also instrumental in inducing people opt more for exploring home food delivery in

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urban India. We at The Orchid Hotel Pune have tied up with few online home delivery portals to address this market need,” conveyed Soumitra.

“I don’t think the cost factor matters much because the per capita income of the millennials in India has increased over the recent years and there are now more working people/ couples per households in India with more disposable income in hand than there was a decade earlier. Thus now we are seeing a higher spending power on food in India,” Soumitra explained.

Vivek opines that being conscious of the type of food they eat, millennials are often selective of the place they choose for dining out.

“Millennials in India pay close attention to the way they receive their take away orders. For example, they like to see these orders to be in a well packed manner. To address this, Indore Marriott Hotel has introduced special boxes, while keeping their preferences in mind,” added Vivek.

“By and large, the millennial generation in India prefers dining out at places that provide quality food, good taste and varieties with great ambience. Price here acts as a variable,” Vivek pointed out.

“The concept of restaurant becomes an important factor while making the decision of dining in or take away/ home delivery.

Guests prefer to dine in at our restaurant, 10th Street Café. As far as challenges facing the take-away business are concerned, we ensure that the food remains fresh by using right delivery boxes and materials. Timely delivery is being addressed by tie-ups with good delivery platforms,” stated Jeet.

Marissa maintains that there has been no noticeable change in the eating habits of the millennials in India during the recent years, as far as shift from eating out to home delivery is concerned. “For those who prefer take-away dinner, Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park hotel offers packed

Vivek Kalia

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Marissa D’rozario boxes with go healthy options such as green apple & walnut salad, fresh fruits, crunchy granola and berry parfait, vermicelli pilaf to name a few,” she proffered.

“As far as cost factor is concerned, I may state that millennials impacting India’s food service industry with their increasing spending power are happy to pay extra for quality food,” she articulated.

Effect on F&B Outlets Many among the trendy millennials in India consider themselves as the ‘foodie’ generation and their food & beverage preferences are changing the culinary landscape in the country. They are driving the evolvement of restaurant business in the country; demanding customised menu items and craving for healthy food and ingredients as well as innovative garnishing and plating of the dishes.

This has made the restaurateurs in the country innovate new ways to satisfy these culinary connoisseurs’ taste buds.

The pertinent question that arises is: What has been the overall influence on India’s food service business, due to these trendy millennials?

“The very fact that the Gen Y comprises 25 percent of our guest flow, it becomes imperative to design the menu around them. To have dishes that make an impact on their mindset and palates is very integral to our business,” Nilesh explained.

“Many of the millennial consumers usually look for promotional offers in the restaurants. Moreover, with a predilection to explore a variety of cuisines, they tend to not be loyal to any one type of restaurant.

This has induced the restaurants to come up with heavy discount offers to attract them, thus reducing their profitability,” Nilesh added further.

Aug-Sept ’18

C OV E R S TO R Y “The impact that we see in our hotel, Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park, has been positive with additions to our existing menu with new ‘Go Healthy’ sub-section. We have been taking special preparation requests from the millennial clientele,” Marissa claimed.

“Lots of research goes while deciding the menu. Changing habits of millennials are inspiring us to introduce all day dining concepts,” Jeet observed.

Rachel disclosed that an increase in the number of millennials dining out has created new opportunities for restaurants in India’s food service industry. “They are able to play around with a lot more concepts and niche cuisines since millennials are more willing to try new things. There has also been an emergence of regional Indian cuisine that is taking the market by storm,” she pointed out.

Amit states that JW Marriott Chandigarh planned the menu according to the preferences of millennials. “We incorporate the preferred cuisines and dishes through paying close attention to constant feedback and suggestions. Our team of Chefs continually tries to bring innovations to the table through uncommon cuisines and fusion dishes,” Amit expressed.

“The increase in the eating out trends by the millennials has had a direct impact on the revenue generation by restaurant businesses in India. It is also making sure that the industry is constantly reinventing itself to keep offering something new to this segment of patrons. Restaurants are now very active on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc to be abreast with global trends,” he elaborated.

Gaurav disclosed that at Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal they customised the cuisines according to the guests’ preferences “to provide them an exquisite experience. We also have occasional food festivals, which cater to different taste buds, and also, introduce you to cuisines and ingredients from different cultures around India and the world.”

Vivek revealed that Indore Marriott Hotel had made edits in the menu “keeping in mind the likes and dislikes of the millennials.”

“The direct benefit of the increase in millennials of India’s increasing propensity to dining out is the growth in revenue generation of food service outlets. The millennial generation has been driving the food service industry with full force and swing and is urging the hotels/restaurants across the globe to adopt newer ways and outlook to engage with the guests and leave aside the traditional norms of functioning,” Soumitra averred.

In fact, it is a global trend. “As a result, the hotels and their F&B outlets have evolved into unique high-tech destinations, promising to deliver a wow experience to this new generation of guests. Research shows that the millennial travellers already make up for over one-third of the world’s hotel guests, with predictions that they will reach over 50 percent by 2020. Thus many of the hotels are revisiting their marketing strategies and are trying to respond to millennials’ needs, by adding new features and services that appeal to their tastes,” Soumitra elaborated.

Overall, we can infer from this trend that the evolving tastes and F&B preferences of the millennials will continue to influence the restaurants’ menu in India, in the near future. And the restaurants who would keep track of the millennials evolving tastes and F&B preferences are likely to have an edge in the market over their competitors, with all other things remaining the same. n

Aug-Sept ’18

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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BUSINESS

The Art and Science of

Food Plating

For any business to succeed, the end product has to meet the expectations of the consumers on all fronts.

One of the most important elements of attracting the customers is the presentation and the looks of the end product. Restaurant industry is no different. The dishes that the diners order must not only be delectable to satiate their taste buds but they must also be attractive to look so as to induce to savour them.

Food and beverage presentation forms an important part of the success of an F&B outlet. This is especially true in our postmodern age. However, attractive presentation entails food for thought for the Chefs and F&B Managers. Ashok Malkani gets some expert opinions from the industry about the importance and modes of presentation of the food served.

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I

f one wants to make a success of a delicious dish that he/she has concocted, then he/she has to pay attention to the presentation too. The saying ‘People eat with their eyes first’ happens to be a true perception of the eating habits of people in general.

Everyone knows that enjoyment of the food is about more than how it tastes. No matter how tasty a dish may be, if it is served on a dirty plate, you will definitely not be induced to taste it. Well presented and plated food, it is believed, sells well.

However, the taste of the food must back its attractive look.

That is one of the reasons why Chefs make painstaking effort to make a dish sparkle aesthetically, coffee shops waft the aroma of pastries and roasted beans into the street to garner crowd. Yes, enjoying food is a multi-sensory experience.

Especially, nowadays, food presentation is as essential for the success of a dish as its taste.

But which of the senses is the boss?

Research suggests that eyes lead the way; our tongues merely follow. Charles Spence, Oxford Professor of experimental psychology declared, “People's perception is typically dominated by what their eyes see."

Presenting Food is Crucial Sarika Kamble, Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre said, “The trend

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

nowadays is what looks attractive tend to sell the most. The first impression of the dish creates an interest in the guest and therefore it is always suggested to have a dish with a great presentation. Guests these days are always open to trying something new & different.”

“We eat with our eyes first; our eyes have already judged it before we have tasted it. This makes visual appearance as i m p o rta nt as t h e tas te, w h i c h i s why food styling and food presentations are important,” she affirmed.

“Food presentation is as crucial to the success of a dish as its taste and flavour.

The way in which the food looks on the plate actually encourages or discourages us to taste that food. The food’s identity is contributed by its shape, colour, and texture, which contributes to the delight of the guests. A recent example is of a simple salad presentation, which was quite appreciated by one of our guests,” expressed Sathish Reddy, Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan.

“Presentation of dishes is very important as it gives personality to meal and the final touch to your finished product. Today, we can also see that food garnishing has gone one step further and Chefs are freely using inedible ingredients for decoration.

So, these days, we can often see flowers on our plate which cannot be eaten, but are placed to make the dish look more

Aug-Sept ’18

BUSINESS

Ashish Tiwari appealing,” declared Suresh Babu, Executive Chef at Clarks Exotica Convention Resort & Spa, Bangalore.

“Food presentation can make or break a restaurant or any food outlet. It can turn any party into a great success, if done right way. Before a dish is consumed, factors like its aroma and visual presentation create an impact on the consumers. Most often than not, we judge the texture and taste of food visually first,” he pointed out.

“Great food presentation boosts the demand for food as food is a five-sense experience. Also, as we live in an age of digital technology and with the rise of social media, pictures of food taken and posted on different platforms translates to a potential increase in their sales,” observed Deepu Alamchandani, Chef at Rustom Battliwala, Balewadi High Street, Pune.

“Even the most flavourful food, if presented in a sloppy manner or unfinished in its look, will be questioned,” he opined.

“It is rightly been said that we eat with our eyes first and then with our hands.

Let me narrate my personal experience.

From decades we are hearing about butter chicken and roomali roti, which is a renowned dish. Once a regular guest came up to me and said, ‘Chef I would like to have my butter chicken with roomali, but I am bored of eating it the way it is.’ So I went to the kitchen contemplating on what I should do. Then I thought ‘Do we need to have butter chicken as it is?’ So what landed up at the diner’s table was Butter chicken balls with crisp roomali roti, accompanied by a spicy yellow chilly Awadhi chutney. It was indeed a pleasant experience for the guest!” elaborated Kamlesh Salve, Executive Chef, The Mirador Hotel Mumbai.

“Food presentation is as essential to the success of a dish as its taste and flavour,” he maintained.

Abhijit, Executive Sous Chef at The Corinthians Resort & Club Pune, gives an

Aug-Sept ’18

Ashvini Kumar overall picture. “An attractive looking plate of food has many benefits for the Chef, the establishment and the consumers. For the Chef, it allows many creative possibilities; a chance to stamp his/her identity on the menu and create a signature dish. It is also a way to reintroduce flavours that work well together, and present them in a unique style. From the management side, it can be a simple way to upscale ingredients and justify a higher price per head. Diners will also enjoy a better experience with a stunning looking plate of food, which is appealing to their visual taste as well as their palate,” he elaborated.

“Believe it or not, we ‘eat’ in more ways than one. Before we eat with our mouth, we eat with our eyes. Visual appeal is just as important as the tasting experience of the food. Before you even take that first bite, you have often already judged the meal in front of you. The presentation of the plating makes an impression, even a promise, with the viewer. If the foodie is intrigued by the food, the artistic plating has done its job. If it looks good, you are induced to have it,” stated Abhijit candidly.

Ashvini Kumar, Executive Chef, Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai, Vashi, also gave importance to food presentation.“Food presentation is just as essential to the success of a dish as its taste and flavour,”

Ilandhirai Vadivel

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Suresh Babu he endorsed.

“The dish gets completed only when it is plated elegantly. And when it is well plated, it attracts the guests more,” declared Ilandhirai Vadivel, Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi.

“The first impression always has an impact in the customer’s mind and creates further excitement to try the dish. However, food presentation depends on the nature of the product,” observed Ronak Mehta, Consulting Chef, Becky's Binging Bay, Pune.

“Food presentation is very essential for the success of the dish. Guest always eats with his /her eyes first. Food presentation can give dramatic elements to food lovers, when presented with proper garnish,” stated Keerthirajan, Sous Chef with Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, Goa. “In the food service business, food plating and presentation plays a vital role in keeping guests happy. Creative & thoughtful plating enhances both, the look and taste of the food,” averred Ashish Tiwari, Executive Sous Chef, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach.

Essentials of Good Presentation Fo o d p l a t i n g i s a n e x p r e s s i o n o f craftsmanship and art. One may say that plating is the mode of introduction not only to the meal but also to the Chef behind it and the cultures around the world that influenced the dish.

So how does one go around creating this work of art? What are the essentials of good food presentation?

“The endeavour of a Chef should be to bring out the sensory potential of every dish to create a presentation that is practical, functional and satiates all the senses.

To plan the design that will enhance the food presentation is the key and there are various ways to enhance the presentation: plating skills, cutlery, crockery; even the ambience adds to this list,” elaborated Sathish.

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BUSINESS

Kamlesh Salve “Garnishing plays a pivotal role in any food presentation; it is as important as salt is to food,” he pointed out further.

“Good plating should have natural ingredients. These days there are so many ingredients for food plating, like purees, ice smoke and much more,” Sathish observed.

Ilandhirai offers some suggestions on the preparations necessary for good food plating. “All the preparation should be done before plating, all the garnishing equipment should be ready, one should choose the right plate with the right colour, the height of the plate should be created according to the texture of the ingredients, don’t over crowd the plate, use spoons, squeeze bottles, and plating tongs,” he advised.

“Make sure all plates are clean and garnished with appropriate ingredients and sauces. It is not necessary to go overboard, but the basics done right can create a lot of positive impact on your dish,” emphasised Suresh.

“Matching portion size with plate size is an important aspect of food presentation. A plate that is too small for the food portion it offers will look messy and overcrowded.

On the other hand, a small portion on too large a plate will look sparse. Never serve hot food on cold plates and vice-versa. A good food presentation also allows the restaurant to demonstrate its Chefs' skills to customers. Crockery also plays a crucial role in food presentation. For example, choosing the right types of chinaware for your food service operations can make a lot of impact on service,” expressed Suresh.

“Garnishing also plays a major role in food service industry. It gives the customers a positive appeal for the food and enhances the presentation. It makes your plate look more interesting,” he added further.

Ronak is of the opinion that essentials of good food presentation are: “Food garnishing, serving plate, portion, type of

36

Sarika Kamble

Deepu Alamchandani

dish, relevant cutlery (soup spoon / fondue pot, etc.), and colour combination.”

“According to me, the few essentials of good food presentation are choosing the perfect plate in terms of size, shape & colour, using proper food garnishing, using the right ingredients to complement the dish,” declared Sarika.

“Garnishing adds value to the dish by creating a contrast or complementing the flavours of the dish,” she affirmed.

“The colour combination between the food and the plating is extremely important.

The food should always be in contrast to the plating. For example, if the food is of light colour, the plate should be dark in colour so as to highlight the dish,” Deepu observed.

“Garnish is also an important factor. For example, adding different colored pepper adds not only flavour but also to the overall presentation of the dish. Garnishing of coriander, parsley and mint leaves gives a feeling of freshness to a dish,” he added.

“Some common styles of plating include a 'classic' arrangement of the main item in the front of the plate with vegetables or starches in the back, a 'stacked' arrangement of the various items, or the main item leaning or 'shingled' upon a vegetable bed or side item,” disclosed Ashvini.

“One of the important factors in food

Abhijit

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Keerthirajan

presentation is clean plate. No matter how delicious a dish may be, a dirty plate kills the appetite. Shapes and sizes of plates are also of importance. The plate should not be overcrowded or look sparse,” Kamlesh conveyed.

“Food presentation is all about timing, and this facet should be taken into account.

Balancing of the variety and contrast of food, and a contrast of textures which tend to draw the eye, and satisfy the palate are also essential factors in food presentation. The use of colour can be employed to highlight the strong points of a dish. A mix of bright accent colours and neutral tones provides a pleasing contrast. Bring your plate to life with extra splashes of colour, by using ingredients which are known to complement each other,” Kamlesh suggested.

“Building your dish with taller sections can point the diner's eye towards the protein of the dish. Raising or stacking vegetables is a great example,” Kamlesh proffered.

“Choose the right plate. Selecting the right plate for your meal is key to attractive food presentation. Besides, as you begin plating your ingredients, picture the face of a clock. From the diner's point of view, the protein should be between 3 and 9, the starch or carbohydrate from 9 and 12, and the vegetables from 12 and 3. Another rule of thumb is to plate moist or runny ingredients first, as they tend to move during delivery if they aren't held down by other food. One way to anchor runny ingredients is by placing other food on top of them. For example, you can angle sliced meat or vegetables against purees and mashed vegetables. Moreover, if you are serving small food products like shrimp, scallops, or bite-sized appetisers, always give guests odd quantities. Serving seven brussel sprouts instead of six creates more visual appeal, and diners will also perceive

Aug-Sept ’18

BUSINESS that they are getting more food. Essentially, flavour bites are forkful of food that combines all of the ingredients in your dish into one bite. Creating flavour bites is the perfect accompaniment to creative plating as it pleases both the eye and the taste buds,” iterated Abhijit. Abhijit also talked against overcrowding of the plates.

“It is advisable to keep the plate simple.

Select one food item to focus on, and use the space to simplify the presentation.

Clutter tends to distract your customers from the main elements of the dish and might create confusion for the diners.

Play with colours, shapes and textures to ensure diners are not overwhelmed.

The presentation should never overpower flavour and function. Ensure there is the right amount of ingredients and the plate complements the dish; neither too big nor too small. Strike the right proportion of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables to create a nutritionally balanced meal. Also highlight the key ingredient. Ensure that the main ingredient stands out and pays equal attention to the ‘support’. This refers to the other elements on the plate such as garnishes, sauces and even the plate itself,” Suresh elaborated.

“According to me, the first essential of good food presentation is that it should be cooked at the right temperature. Besides this, the portion size should be good and the food must appear bright with fresh garnishing. One has to be careful to complement or contrast the food colour with that of the plate,” aired Keerthirajan.

“Before presenting the meal, it is really important to determine the dish. The presentation process begins by choosing the right plate, right size and the right colour that compliments the dish,” asserted Ashish.

Chefs’ Preferences “I always plate food with four or five different colours, three different components, some empty space, and with a disorganised and casual design. I believe food is chemistry art in kitchen. Plates are canvas & food is art. Recipes are mere guidelines. Every Chef has his/her own style and it should reflect on his/her food presentation,” Ashwini disclosed.

“My rule of food presentation is balancing variety and contrast. It is good to have a variety of textures on the plate, but how these textures are combined is just as important,” voiced Ilandhirai.

“Some of the techniques in food plating that I use to embellish dishes are charcoal

Aug-Sept ’18

Ronak Mehta smoked, firewood smoke, sandalwood scented ingredients, purees, specific spices and Jasmine Tea Marinade, etc.,” offered Sathish.

“I encourage free form plating that could allow my Chefs to use presence of mind and come up with unique ideas,” revealed Suresh. “One of the techniques that I employ can be titled as Create a Framework. Here I begin with drawings and sketches to visualise the plate. I find inspiration from a picture or object. I assemble a practice plate to work on executing the vision,” Suresh expressed.

“Lately, I have begun experimenting with vegan food. Vegan food, as a rule, does not contain any animal product or dairy product.

So I have replaced cream with fresh coconut milk, cheese with cashew paste and so on.

To garnish, I use local vegetables like baby pumpkin, sweet potatoes, okra, snake gourd, tapioca and a few other vegetables that are healthy and interesting. The feedback from the guests has been extremely positive — in terms of both look and taste,” disclosed Suresh.

“Al dante cooking is the best technique for good plating,” opined Ronak. “We are serving our dishes in different types of

Sathish Reddy

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

cutlery depending on the type of dish like bread on wooden platters, stir fry wok in cast iron wok, some continental dishes in earthen ware bowl with lid to retain its temperature, etc. Food is garnished with different items like micro greens on salad, grated parmesan cheese on pasta, etc.,” expressed Ronak.

“Your plating style should be trendy and elegant. Everything on the plate, even decorative items, should be edible as far as possible and should complement the dish. Ideally the ingredients on the plate should have attractive colours. I usually follow the market trends and experiment with abstract, alternative plating, stacking of food and with tantalising fresh colours,” declared Sarika.

“The techniques that I personally love to use when plating my dishes are criss-cross sauce presentations, sauce drops, stacking of food, vibrant colour drizzles and abstract placing of ingredients,” proffered Deepu.

Kamlesh also divulged some of the techniques he employs for food plating. “I constructively visualise how the food should look once it is in the plate. According to the colour of the main dish I decide on the colour of the sauce, its accompaniments (vegetable or starch),” he stated while adding, “I prefer rustic /natural plating or landscape styling.”

“Plating style showcases the Chef’s theory and idea about a particular dish.

Food plating involves many techniques, but there are few that I make sure that we use on a daily basis at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach,” affirmed Ashish.

“I make it a point to understand the core elements of the dish and on which it is going to be plated. We employ fair play with colours, which adds the touch of panache to the dishes. We always make sure to highlight the star ingredient of the dish while plating. This technique also helps the guests to know their dishes well. We make sure the garnish that we use is relevant and speaks about the dish,” explained Ashish.

We can sum up from these industry voices that good food presentation has several factors to consider. It requires outof-the-box imagination and precision. And we can also know that food plating is a crucial element towards making the food service establishments popular. Without proper presentation, a great dish may not be able to generate the initial attraction, and thus may be overlooked or not given its due importance. This can adversely impact the given food service outlet’s revenues. n

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FEATURE

India’s Growing Love for Wines

By Swarnendu Biswas

T

he flow of wines in India’s food service and food retail industry is expected to gain momentum, in the near future.

According to India Wine Market Outlook, 2023, the consumption of wine in India is found to be increasing with rise of awareness of wine as a good drink for health. The wine market of India observed growth with a CAGR of more than 25 percent during 201112 to 2016-18.

Growth and Reasons “The period observed increasing awareness of wine and wine brands in India. The vineries have started becoming picnic spots and provide educational tours as well as consist of tasting rooms in it. The increasing craze of Bollywood also helped Indian wine market as many of the heroines are seen consuming wine in the movies,” pointed out the report.

Our changing lifestyles due to the widespread impact of globlisation, increase in disposable incomes during the last one-and-a-half decade in select but sizeable pockets of urban Indian society, the predominantly young demographics, weakening of archaic social taboos and also the growing health consciousness in the urban Indian society have together contributed towards the popularity of wines in India.

According to Rajesh Radhakrishnan, F&B Director, Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach, India’s wine consumption has grown substantially over a five year period. “Few factors that has helped this growth are good climate for grape growing in certain parts of India, increasing urban population, craving among youth

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for an alternative to hard liquors, growing acceptance of wines among Indian women and youth,” affirmed Rajesh.

The attitudinal shift among upwardly mobile Indian women, and the gradual but perceptible societal acceptance towards women drinking alcoholic beverages are also the reasons for the increasing wine consumption in India. The wine drinking among upper middle class women has shown an increase in India, during the recent years. The fact that swanky retail outlets in big cities of the country are now having wines is also increasing this ancient, modern and delightful beverage’s consumption in the country.

“Growing popularity of vineyards as tourism places, increase in disposable incomes and growth in foreign tourists, promotion of wine as beneficial to health, etc. are some of the reasons for growth of wine culture in India,” Rajesh conveyed.

"Clocking a CAGR of about 20 per cent, wine consumption in India is likely to reach about 37 million litres by 2018 from the

Rajesh Radhakrishnan

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

level of 18 million litres as of 2014," the study by ASSOCHAM titled ‘Wine industry in India: Case of growth versus challenges’ said.

"Rising youth population together with growing affluence amid middle-class, penchant for exotic tourism and other related factors are likely to push the growth of emerging wine industry in India," D.S. Rawat, Secretary General of ASSOCHAM said, while releasing the findings.

“Although wine is a young category in the Indian market, its strong potential can be gauged through the robust viticulture practices being implemented in various parts of the country, where the suitable climate prevails. This is resulting into the entry of several new players in the industry, parallel to the existing companies expanding their product portfolios and presence in various regions in the Indian market,” observed Veeraj Shenoy, Vice President, F&B and Retail Merchandise, Adlabs Imagica.

“Indian wine industry has been steadily growing since the last 10 years; more and more companies are coming up with new plants and winning the hearts of the consumers with beautiful blends. Moreover, few thought that Indian wines would be as amazing as they are now,” affirmed Shyam Kumar, F&B Executive, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan.

However, all said and done, India’s per capita consumption of wines is still miserable as compared to global standards.

In the backdrop of India’s evolving socioeconomic climate, this indicates a huge potential for the growth of wine market in India.

Aug-Sept ’18

FEATURE Beyond Red Wines The wines in Indian market are generally segmented as red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, rose wine and other wines.

Red wines are the most popular and most consumed wines in the country having a large market share. While white, rose and sparkling wine are emerging segments in India’s wine market.

“Although the current Indian wine market is dominated by red wines, there is a strong potential in market share of white, sparkling and rose wines in India, in the near future,” asserted Veeraj.

“The Indian consumers have stared exploring other variants of wines than just red wines,” noted Rajesh.

Indigenous Wines One heartening trend in the Indian wines market is the growing prominence of India produced wines. According to a press release, Sula Vineyards is considered to be the market leader in the Indian wine market followed by Grover Zampa Vineyards, Fratelli Wines Pvt. Ltd., John Distilleries Private Limited and others.

“Sula and Grover are the most popular wine options amongst our guests; and red wine is their most preferred category among our guests. We also sell a lot of rose and sparkling wines as well,” Veeraj observed.

“Yes, we do serve India made wines in our restaurant, MoMo Café, at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan. Wines from Grover are most popular among our guests. Usually, foreign guests in India like to taste domestic wines, which have the regional grapes variety,” Shyam disclosed.

“Indians have a palate for either semi dry or slightly sweet wines, which are light and have a fruity character. The younger generation of Indians goes for wine which is smooth, balanced in terms of aroma and tannin; are extremely pleasant to drink and can be universally paired with Indian food,” observed Rajesh.

Euromonitor noted that wine was becoming more popular in India due to its perceived health benefits.

“Wine is a very young category in India but its strong performances are leading to the entry of several new players, while at the same time existing companies are expanding their product portfolios and presence. Samant Soma and Grover Zampa remained the leading players in 2017 but will likely face increasing competition from companies such as KRSMA and Fratelli, which are aggressively introducing new wines with

Aug-Sept ’18

Veeraj Shenoy different positionings, while the multinational Pernod Richard has introduced multiple variants of its popular Jacob’s Creek brand,” noted Euromonitor in its report titled Wine in India, which was published in 2018.

Impediments for the Industry However, despite impressive potential, India’s wine industry is also faced with several impediments towards its growth.

Veeraj has rightly pointed out that “The weather conditions in most parts of the Indian subcontinent do not support viticulture,” which is an impediment towards the growth of wine market in the country.

Besides, India being a price-sensitive market, the high price of wines in general as compared to other alcoholic beverages is a deterrent towards the growth of wines’ market in India.

“India’s consumers need proper education and awareness about the culture of wine consumption. We mostly see our consumers ordering wine by the glass. The major reason is price-sensitivity. Economical pricing and the right promotion with the help of wine tourism would facilitate the popularity of wines penetrate deeper in to the Indian consumer base,” Veeraj observed. “I feel

Shyam Kumar

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

wine festivals, tasting sessions of wines and better product positioning attributing luxury in its proposition would surely enhance wine consumption in India,” he added.

However, state’s proactiveness is also needed to give an impetus to India’s wine industry. Shyam cited two such examples. “In 2001, implementation of the ‘Maharashtra Grape Processing Policy’ stimulated a boom in the state’s wine production. In 2008, the ‘Karnataka Wine Policy’ simplified the process for, and reduced the cost of obtaining a winery license,” he asserted.

Presently, high excise duties on wines, poor storage and refrigeration facilities, and lack of adequate transportation facilities are impeding the potential of the wine business in the country.

Still low level of awareness pertaining to the fine nuances of different wines is also disturbing the growth in their consumption in the country. Therefore more wine promotional and awareness building activities, not only by the wine producers, but also by our high-end hotels and restaurants, are also the need of the hour for promoting wine drinking culture in India. More numbers of creative promotions towards wine tourism in India can also give a fillip to India’s collective wine awareness, which in turn can enhance the country’s wine consumption and production, in the long-run.

Moreover, the often erroneous perception that wine is an elitist drink is still lingering in several pockets of Indian society, which is possibly impeding the growth of wine culture in India. This misconception needs to be dispelled fast by the wine producers, if they want to have a deeper and enduring presence in the Indian market, a market which is not so easy to penetrate in the first place.

"It is a misconception that wine is an 'elite drink' and is not for common public but only for city dwellers...as such there is a need to spread awareness against this notion to promote wine culture across other cities and towns in India," DS Rawat, Secretary General of ASSOCHAM expressed.

Succinctly, presently the Indian wine i n d u s t ry h as t h e p ote nt i a l to g row impressively due to some favourable socioeconomic and demographic factors. Now it is up to the entrepreneurs in the industry and the various state governments of the country to make a concerted effort to tap this growing market potential to its optimum extent, and not waste it away due to lack of proper initiatives, and also due to the continuation of myopic policies. n

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RETAIL

Exciting Times for

India’s Food Retail

By Gaurav Dewan

S

upported by a burgeoning economy, rising urban population, a fast growing middle class, increasing disposable income and increased consumption rates, India has overtaken China to become the most favourable market for retail expansion.

Within the retail industry, groceries and food account for the largest share of revenues in India, and India is the world’s second largest producer of food. By 2020, food and grocery segment is estimated to account for 66 percent of the total revenue generated from India’s retail sector.

The rise in gourmet, department and discount stores, along with hypermarts, e-tailers, travel retail, and quick service restaurants in the country shows a clear indication of the evolution of India’s food retail sector.

According to a report jointly published

by Retailers Association of India and property consultant Knight Frank India, the emergence of restaurant aggregators, mobile wallets and the increased use of digital media have been the key drivers behind the evolution of food retailing.

Digital and Lifestyle Factors It is no doubt then, that advancements in technology have brought about the growth of online retail (e-tail) in India. Online

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food and grocery portals have gained acceptance across the country, especially in metros, with Mumbai topping the charts in online shopping, followed by Delhi and Kolkata.

In fact, the increased competition from e-tailers is forcing brick and mortar stores and restaurants to go online and follow an omni-channel model of business. The growth of e-tailers has also been spurred on the back of lucrative prices, home delivery and quick service.

Besides this, the gourmet food sector has received an impetus, with the evolution and globalisation of Indian palates, and a section of Indians are willing to pay a premium for quality, variety and taste. This segment in India is largely concentrated among young, urbane Indians, aged 16-40 who spend a significant portion of their income on food.

In the gourmet food market of India, cookies, spreads, chocolates, sauces and exotic fruits are the major categories.

Ingredients such as Norwegian salmon, truffles and imported meats have also found their way into our high-end retail shelves as well. In order to keep up with the changing lifestyle of the Indian consumers, organic food too has made its presence felt in the Indian market.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

India’s growing interest towards gourmet food is also expected to give a fillip to the revenues of food retail in the country.

Quick service has today become a driving factor for the evolution of the food retail industry in India. To this extent, quick service restaurants (QSR) have begun mushrooming at locations with high footfalls. Airports, railway stations and even highways have become hotspots for such outlets.

The Potential of Travel Retail Travel retail is emerging as an important niche segment of the food retail business in the country. The impressive scenario for food retail sector in India can also be attributed to the change in attitude of Indians towards making purchases while travelling. The increase in travellers in India over the years, both domestic as well as international, has also played a major role towards the growing trend of travel retail.

Travel retail, as the segment is known as, is the service of catering to people while they are in transit. The sector was earlier perceived to be a cottage industry of sorts, but today it is a multi-billion dollar market, that is only set to grow at unprecedented levels.

Th e p ote nt i a l of t h e t rave l reta i l

Aug-Sept ’18

RETAIL industry in India can be easily gauged from the fact that in Mumbai and Delhi, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport had accumulative footfalls, crossing 48 million travellers each, during 2017-2018. These figures are experiencing double digit rise, as compared to the previous years, and the numbers are only set to rise.

Realising the potential of travel retail in India’s food & beverage industry, premium brands such as Johnnie Walker, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Haagen Dazs, KFC and Subway to name a few have set up kiosks and shops at airports.

The Indian Railways, which is considered the lifeline of the country, is also working to improve traveller experience through meals. To this extent, through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) private firms are setting up kiosks and implementing e-catering services to deliver quality meals to travellers.

And with the advent of e-catering, passengers can now enjoy food delivery right to their seats. Such evolutions in the railway catering segment are not only creating opportunities for Indian brands,

Aug-Sept ’18

but also for international brands as well, and this in turn can revolutionise food retail in the realm of Indian Railways.

There is no doubt that the development of any nation is directly proportionate to its transport network. And for this to become a possibility, connecting towns and villages via roads is of prime importance.

W i t h t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n of t h e Bharatmala project this is set to become a reality, as a host of new roads will be laid down across the nation. Complementing the development of roads, food retailing on highways is on the rise.

F&B outlets on highways are now catering to travellers looking for quality refreshments on the go. And as the travel food retail sector picks up in the country, the potential for food courts would definitely get an impetus.

in terms of its huge potential.

India definitely has a long way to go before we are able to fully achieve our food retail sector’s great potential, and I believe, that if we are to accelerate this process, planned farming, bolstering of our cold storage infrastructure, improvement in our rural transport facilities and more numbers of technologically sound supply chain management need to be developed.

Untapped Potential As the organised food retail market gains momentum in India, there is a heightened need among players to constantly innovate and give customers value for money.

However, despite high numbers, the India’s retail sector has only scratched the surface

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

The writer is the COO and Business Head, Travel Food Services

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AGRI

Enriched with Health

R

agi or finger millet is native to the Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands.

It arrived in India around 2000 BC. Ragi is a drought tolerant crop, though a moderate rainfall is conducive to its cultivation. The heat tolerance level of finger millet is also impressive. In India, ragi is generally grown in the Himalayan region.

Ragi’s usage in India’s kitchens h a s b e e n q u i t e a l o n g o n e. M a n y Kannadiga households begin their day with a wholesome ragi dosa and ragi malt. However, even a decade ago, the consumption of ragi was mainly confined to the south of India. But today ragi is increasingly attracting the diversified Indian palate, in breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ragi is enriched with several health benefits. It is a good source of fibre and facilitates in lowering cholesterol level. As ragi has good quantity of dietary fibre, a diet with the right amount of ragi (say ragi bread) can keep the stomach full for long intervals and prevent untimely hunger pangs. A special amino acid, Tryptophan, which is present in ragi, facilitates in prevention of frequent rearing up of

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appetite. This in turn contributes towards weight loss or keeping the weight in check.

Thus if you want to slim down, chances are you would have success in such an endeavour if you have a ragi enriched diet.

Ragi is gluten-free and thus is suitable for people who have gluten intolerance.

It is also suitable for people with lactose intolerance. Ragi is also richly endowed with calcium. According to the National

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Institute of Nutrition in India, 100 gm of ragi contains 344 mg calcium. Thus if you want healthy bones, it would be an intelligent option to include ragi in the daily diet. Ragi can also address brittle bones, and osteoporosis.

Furthermore, ragi has low glycemic index, and thus consumption of food infused with the right amount of ragi prevents blood sugar from going out of

Aug-Sept ’18

AGRI

control. The inclusion of ragi in formulations helps in lowering the glycemic index in a product, which is one of the desired characteristics for diabetic food. Ragi is also rich in iron, and thus is good for people with anemia and those with low haemoglobin levels.

Ragi also facilitates in maintaining a youthful skin. Ragi comprises amino acids like Methionine and Lysine which make the skin tissues less susceptible to wrinkles, thus delaying the ageing process. Ragi is a natural source of Vitamin D too. Therefore the bakery cafes in India can market their ragi cookies or ragi walnut breads by promoting this facet as the craze for a beautiful appearance has also gone up appreciably in urban India during the last one decade or so. Not only that, regular intake of ragi can help address anxiety and depression.

W i t h h e a l t h co n s c i o u s n ess i n u r b a n I n d i a g a i n i n g momentum, ragi has the potential to gain popularity in India’s food service and food retail industry. Today, the wholesome flavour of ragi is being used to give cookies, breads, pasta and noodles a healthy quotient. Ragi can be used to prepare a good many healthy and tasty bakery products. For example, bakeries can serve ragi cakes and ragi cookies with evening tea, and ragi and whole wheat breads or ragi breads spruced with walnuts for breakfast. One can also have ragi chappatis in lunch and ragi porridge for breakfast.

Thankfully, the immense benefits of ragi are now being used by India’s food retail industry in an increasing way. Ragi cookies are gaining popularity. For example, Britannia’s multigrain bread, according to the company’s website, contains ragi among many other healthy ingredients. Nutrichoice Essentials is the brand of diabetic-friendly biscuits from Britannia. They are available in oats and ragi variants in on the go convenient packs. Then there are Unibic’s Multigrain Breakfast Cookies, which also have ragi among its constituents.

Our food service industry should also enhance the usage of ragi in their offerings. More stand-alone bakeries as well as bakery café chains in India can come up with ragi infused cakes, breads, biscuits and cookies. They have good chance of getting appreciated and consequently getting popular as the people in India are getting more aware about their health and physical appearance than they were before. n

Aug-Sept ’18

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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PUB

Dine in Time Machine

By Swarnendu Biswas

A

concept, Time Machine has made a sincere attempt to simulate the motifs associated with industrial era, a period which came after the industrial revolution during the mid-eighteenth century Europe.

And what is more, it has somewhat succeeded in its attempt too, unlike most other theme restaurants across India, where ambitious themes have seldom been translated well in terms of execution, as a result of lack of coordination between vision and meticulous detailing.

Through its ambience and décor that include mechanical gears, rustic lighting

t a first glance, you could be induced to say that Time Machine is a restrobar with a difference, even at the risk of sounding clichéd. But when I managed to maintain that perception even after a brief tour of the place, I realised that sometimes cliché statements do turn out to be true after all. The place is housed within Garden Galleria Mall, in Sector 38 Noida, and it in turn houses the longest bar in Noida.

Set in the 18h-19th century industrial era, based on the steampunk (a genre of science fiction that has a historical setting)

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Aug-Sept ’18

PUB and wall murals depicting time travel among many other facets, the restrobar does manage to excite your latent imagination.

The Lady at the Helm The dynamic entrepreneur behind the restrobar, Charu Vashisht Sahni came across a no nonsense businesswoman of few words with fire in her belly. I came to know that after travelling to many countries, exploring different cuisines and getting an understanding of varied cultures across the globe, she conceptualised the idea of this restrobar with an uncommon theme.

She said that hospitality industry always did interest and intrigue her and the fact that Noida had a dearth of quality entertainment destinations induced her to come up with the idea of Time Machine. According to her, Time Machine “Exemplifies grandeur and is a comprehensive entertainment destination for the people in terms of great culinary experience, music, and ambience.”

Delectable Fare However, though a fancy theme can get you the guests, but to multiply your guests and retain some or many of those initial guests, one needs back theme by the

Charu Vashisht Sahni basics, and in the food service business, that entails food & beverage. Thankfully, Time Machine has not forgotten the basics while zooming through the adventurous rocket of imagination.

Though the ambience, décor and the uncommon theme can be construed as the USP of the multi-cuisine outlet, but its food & beverage options are also fairly

delectable. Total strength of the culinary team at the restrobar is 30.

Some of the simply not to missed items in the menu, according to Dinesh Bisht, the Executive Chef of Time Machine, are non-vegetarian Maharaja's Tandoori Platter, Hummus Pita, Cheese Broccoli Tandoori, and Time Machine Sizzler. Drinks like Smoked American Time Zone, Smoked Dutch Time Zone have been selling off the hook. As far as ideal food & beverage combinations at Time Machine go, I would suggest Maharaja’s Tandoori Platter with Sangria, Jalapeno Cheese Fingers with Mojitos,” offered Dinesh Bisht, the Executive Chef of the outlet. The vegetarians can savour Tandoori Mushroom, K adhai Paneer, Dahi ke Kabab and many other delicacies. I of course, went for my own favourite — the old fashioned combination of Butter Chicken and Galouti Kabab with Johnnie Walker Black Label, as the lively music played by a band, which was very interactive with the audience.

A Heady Flight Once you board this Time Machine, you can get ample opportunity to satiate your heady spirits. From 18-year-old The Glenlivet to

Committed to quality and reliability for more than 70 years, here in India and around the world.

T&S Brass and Bronze Works is proud to offer a complete selection of durable, high-quality products designed to help foodservice facilities save water and energy for years to come.

www.tsbrass.com

Rajesh Chowdhury — Regional Sales Manager India and Subcontinent rchowdhury@tsbrass.com PH +91-9-620-777757 Sudeep Dash — Area Sales Manager North & East India PH +91-9-999-870514 sdash@tsbrass.com

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Aug-Sept ’18

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5/4/18 2:49 PM

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PUB Laphroaig 10 to Chivas Regal 18 to JW Blue Label to Teachers 50 to JW Gold Label to 100 Pipers 12… the place offers delightful options for premium whisky lovers.

If you want to prefer to enjoy the evening descending into twilight with a frothy beer and appetising snacks while getting a feel of the ambience of Time Machine, then also there are a range of attractive options, which include Kingfisher, Heineken, Budweiser and Corona among others.

These evergreen heady options are complemented by an impressive array of gins, vodkas, tequilas, rums, white wine and red wine offerings, which together are likely to spoil a lover of alcoholic beverages with choices. The Classic Fruit Sangria also tasted delightful, and can be a great combination with Mutton or Chicken Biryani.

For non drinkers of alcoholic beverages also there are quite a few interesting options. Some of them are Watermelon Lemonade, Virgin Pina Colada, Cucumber Tea; there is also a range of smoothies and shakes on offer.

As was expected, Time Machine serves a number of innovative cocktails. “Golgappa S h ots , Kaff i r L i m e A p p l e Ly n c h b u rg Lemonade, Jager Bomb Shots are some of the innovative cocktails on offer with us,” disclosed Kamal, the bartender. He also talked about Smoking Hot Russian Time Zone cocktail, which was introduced by him at Time Machine, during his ongoing tenure.

Promotions Matter Th i s ex h a u s t i ve c u l i n a ry fa re i s complemented by animated music. “The music scene at Time Machine has been raging and our guests have been exposed to several renowned artists, who did come to

perform at Time Machine,” informed Charu.

Time Machine is quite proactive as per as promotions go. “We are having various promotional activities at Time Machine such as Ladies Night, discount offers for corporate people, kitty parties and more,” asserted Charu.

“And one of our ongoing promotions is Oktoberfest Fiesta. Oktoberfest is going to be celebrated at Time Machine, where people will taste wine and beer while engaging in a Spin the Wheel of Fortune game and trying out their luck to get a chance to crunch on scrumptious food items totally free as well as to check out various other jackpot offers in store for them,” expressed the entrepreneur enthusiastically, with a ravishing smile hanging from her lips.

Charu sounded quite enthusiastic about the Oktoberfest. “The fact that Oktoberfest comes at a time in India where people are wrapped up in festive vibes and celebrations serves as a very good time for restaurants

to roll out promotional activities, special deals and offers to attract the crowd with interactive concepts,” she elaborated.

Garnering Brisk Business The place is segmented into various dining areas, which can help to cater more specifically to divergent consumer profiles.

The seating option at the open-air terrace with views of Noida skyline can be quite enjoyable. Overall, the place comes across as a happening party destination.

The spacious 350-cover restrobar was launched in November 2017, and already, according to her, Time Machine has achieved break-even point. “On an average weekday, we get an average footfall ranging between 250-300, and on a typical weekend day, the footfall reaches 600,” informed Charu nonchalantly.

“We have been overwhelmed with the kind of response received by Time Machine during the last one year. Not only the number of our guests has increased significantly over the months, but we have also garnered repeat clientele. Time Machine, soon after its opening, has become one of the most sought after party destinations in Noida,” elaborated Charu.

Spreading Wings While playing the main actor in the ongoing success story at Time Machine, Charu is confident of expanding the Time Machine brand to another place, in another time; and of course, all in good time.

“We are looking out for the perfect place and the right time to do so. We want to make sure that the next Time Machine outlet will also live up to its name and create an even bigger hype in the market,” Charu expressed. n

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Aug-Sept ’18

Feb-Mar ’18’18 Aug-Sept

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THEME CUISINE

The Best of Roman Cuisine

By Sharmila Chand

I

talian cuisine has different varieties. One of them is Rome's cuisine, which like all great things, has gone through a period of evolution spanning through millennia.

The Roman empire's aggressive expansion during the ancient times exposed the ancient Romans to many then new, provincial culinary habits and cooking techniques.

This was one of the reasons behind Rome’s emergence as a major gastronomical center during the ancient times.

Roman cuisine has also been greatly influenced by the pastoral traditions of the surrounding countryside. Rome’s Jewish community also had its influence in shaping the Roman cuisine.

During the period of Renaissance, some of the best Chefs in Rome worked for the Popes.

For example, Bartolomeo Scappi became famous working for Pius IV in the Vatican kitchen, and wrote a cookbook titled ‘Opera dell'arte del cucinare’, published in 1570.

In Roman cuisine, seasonal produce has important role. Classic Roman dishes are heavy on black pepper, funky pecorino, bitter greens, and are flavoured with olive oil and a generous dose of sage, rosemary, cinnamon, and mint.

It uses ingredients like artichoke, pea, fava bean, and chickpea. Rome’s preferred cheese is the hard, salty Pecorino Romano, and the slightly sweet Ricotta Romana.

Here we highlight some of the crucial or essential dishes in Rome’s cuisine:

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Pasta

Bucatini all’amatriciana

Pasta is one important element of Roman cuisine. Famous pasta sauces include amatriciana, carbonara, and alfredo.

There is even a pasta museum in Rome called the ‘Museo Nazionale della Paste Alimentari’ (the National Museum of Pasta). Rome's most common pasta shape is spaghetti, though there are many other forms.

Bucatini is the thick spaghetti with a hole running through the center, made with sauce amatriciana. L’amatriciana or matriciana, as it is often called locally, comprises of tomatoes, peperoncino and grated Pecorino Romano.

Nonna Betta Rome’s artichokes are world-famous and they are steamed, stewed or just placed onto a pizza. ‘Jewish-style artichokes’ are popular across Rome. They first came into usage in Rome’s Jewish ghetto, where they come fried as thin, light and crispy.

Spaghetti alla carbonara In Rome, spaghetti alla carbonara is dressed in raw egg yolk, black pepper, guanciale and grated Pecorino Romano.

Carciofi the artichoke (il carciofo) Artichoke is considered the star of Roman produce, bursting into glory each summer. The two most common ways to prepare the dish are alla romana (Roman style)and alla giudea (Jewish style).

The former method stuffs the artichokes with bread crumbs, garlic, mint, and parsley before braising them in a bath of olive oil and water.

In Carciofi alla giudea, in contrast, artichokes are beaten against a hard surface until the petals bloom open like a flower, and then are deep-fried to golden perfection.

Abbacchio alla scottadito

Chef Perluigi Gallo

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Lamb is a very popular part of Roman cuisine, and in Rome it is usually partaken by roasting it with spices and herbs. Lamb chops seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs like thyme, tarragon and rosemary, before

Aug-Sept ’18

THEME CUISINE Menu Planning by Chef Perluigi Gallo at Sevilla, The Claridges, New Delhi Soups Cheese and Egg Buttons in Roasted Fish Stock Green Tomato Extract, Lemon Basil and Cod in oil-based cooking being rubbed with either lard or olive oil, grilled, and served with a lemon wedge, is a great dish from Rome.

Filetti di baccalà fritti Roman-style filetti di baccalà fritti (fried cod fillets) are crispy and savoury.

Bruschetta A popular antipasto or appetiser in central Italy.

Suppli Fried rice croquettes, which are stuffed with beef ragout and mozzarella.

Trippa A traditional dish where Tripe is cooked with tomato sauce and wild mint, and topped with pecorino cheese.

Aug-Sept ’18

Starters Salmon Salad with Cacciatore Sauce Fried Pizza, Chicken and Peppers Octopus, Beans and Onion Sorbet in Sweet and Sour Sauce Scallop to the ‘Amatriciana’ Lamb Tartare, Truffle and Grilled Lamb Mayonnaise Low-tempered Egg, Bacon, Potato Foam, and Cocoa

Pasta Ravioli with Scampi Lemon, Pink Pepper and Tarragon Ricotta Gnocchi with Mint and Cherry Tomatoes Confit Spaghetti with Green Pesto, Smoked Anchovies and Dehydrated Olives Provola Eggplant Tortelli and Roasted Tomato

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Fettuccine Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu and Pecorino Mousse

Main Course Braised Lamb Chop with Chickpea Mayonnaise and Potato Millefeuille A m a re n a La ccata G ro u p e r w i t h Spinach, Fried Alioli Sauce, Sour Cherry Yoghurt Pork Ribs, Mushrooms, Sweet Garlic Sauce and Marinated Lettuce Duck Breast Glazed with Apple and Onion Extract, Almond Ice-cream and Sour Broccoli Baccala, Mozzarella Cream, Roast Lettuce and Spicy Salami Mousse Lobster Croquettes with Pea Sauce, Ice-cold Watermelon and Roast Potatoes

Desserts R i cotta , C re a m y C h o co l ate a n d Raspberries Coconut White Chocolate and Passion Fruit.

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R estaurant

Explore the Tastes from

Spain at Sevilla

By Sharmila Chand

T

he restaurant’s name is probably inspired from the city of Seville in Spain. Sevilla, the Spanish themed restaurant at The Claridges, New Delhi, can create a first impression among the guests with its chic pavilions and other options of indoor and outdoor seating.

Its wonderful ambience, characterised by a joyous and serene environment, induces you to shed your worries and tensions and settle down in an intoxicating haven of peace. The soft candlelight and a select list of exclusive wines can create the right mood and occasion for a romantic evening at Sevilla.

The varied Mediterranean cuisine at Sevilla draws its culinary influences from Romania, Morocco, Italy and Moorish past.

The menu at Sevilla has just been given a new flourish with an extensive delicious fare added to the already popular existing one.

Chef Tarun Dacha, Corporate Chef, The

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Claridges Hotels & Resorts, has added a new selection of outstanding dishes such as Patata Bravas smoked Pepper Mojo and

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Parsley Aioli, succulent Manchego Stuffed Dates with Bacon Wrap, and Pan Seared Scallop with Sliced Chorizo. The Pizza Bianco with Black Truffles, Arugula and Fontina Cheese, Risotto a la Milanese with Mascarpone Cheese, Saffron and Gold Leaf, Oven Roasted Baby Chicken with Balsamic Glazed Onion, new Potatoes, Chargrilled Asparagus and Port Jus can give you a wonderful gastronomic experience.

Chilean Sea Bass with Confit Potatoes, Saute Peprade and Grenebloise, Josper Grilled Lamb Chops with Sundried Tomato Dust and Baby Spinach are meant to further enhance your culinary experience.

At Sevilla, you should round off your meal in style. There is exotic dessert selection from the enticing Spanish Vanilla Gateaux, Classic Tiramisu, Apple and Raisin Phyllo Parcel with Vanilla Gelato…here the new infusions complement the already classic fare.

Aug-Sept ’18

R estaurant With soothing sounds of softly rippling water of the water body in the centre of the restaurant, reminiscent of the famed Maria Lusia Park, time spent at Sevilla with your special people can be an ode to love, an ode to romance, and an ode to the high life…

Flavours of Rome at Sevilla The F&B team at the hotel organises i nte res t i n g fo o d fes t i va l s at S ev i l l a .

Recently, the restaurant hosted authentic Roman cuisine, and Chef Pierluigi Galllo was flown in specially for the fest. He brought the best of epicurean Rome to the diners at Sevilla.

Chef Perluigi Gallo, a maestro with generations of culinary expertise garnered from his family run restaurants, had put in all his years of experience to curate the special menu for the patrons of Sevilla.

He presented a menu replete with the flavours of Rome; using its special and native ingredients. Green Tomato Soup with Grilled Aubergine gave a good start to the meal.

The soups were followed by succulent starters like Salmon Salad with Cacciatore Sauce, Octopus, Beans and Onion Sorbet in Sweet and Sour Sauce, Lamb Tartare, Grilled Lamb Mayonnaise, Low-Tempered

Aug-Sept ’18

“We want to bring in new flavours in the cuisine at Sevilla, while keeping in mind the aura of the place and the tastes of the clientele who visit this restaurant. We want to present them with an eclectic selection of dishes with flavours from the region of Spain and the Mediterranean. For this we have used the highest quality of meats available in the country to delight the palates of our guests.”

Chef Tarun Dacha Corporate Chef, The Claridges Hotels & Resorts

Egg, Bacon, Potato Foam, and Cocoa to name a few.

The gourmet savoured the best in pasta, which included Ravioli with Scampi Lemon, Pink Pepper and Tarragon, Ricotta Gnocchi with Mint and Cherry Tomatoes Confit, Provola Eggplant Tortelli and Roasted Tomato, and Fettuccine.

The delightful main course had luscious B ra i s e d La m b C h o p w i t h C h i c k p e a Mayonnaise and Potato Millefeuille, Fried

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Alioli Sauce, Sour Cherry Yoghurt, Amarena Laccata Grouper with Spinach, Duck Breast Glazed with Apple and Onion Extract, Almond Ice-cream and Sour Broccoli, Ice-cold Watermelon and Roast Potatoes, Lobster Croquettes with Pea Sauce among other delights.

The star of the menu was a selection of desserts like Ricotta, Creamy Chocolate and Raspberries, Coconut White Chocolate and Passion Fruit. n

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ingre d ient

Myriad Functions of

Food Additives

By Jyotismita Sharma

The global market for food additives, which has various applications in bakery and confectionary, beverages, dairy and frozen products, sauce and dressings among others, may surpass 115 billion USD by 2024

F

ood additives, which refer to the substances added for maintaining or improving the freshness, safety, taste, texture, or appearance of food, have been in use since millennia.

Acco rd i n g to t h e E u ro p e a n Fo o d Information Council (EUFIC), a non-profit organisation that provides information on food and health, the Egyptians learned the use colours and flavourings long ago. The Romans also knew how to preserve food and improve their appearance with the use of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), spices and colours. Similarly, many homes across the world have been traditionally using baking powder as raising agents and thickeners for sauces and gravies.

Even our great grand parents knew that adding salt could preserve their dried fish or meats for a long duration. Similarly, the use of other additives, such as sugar in marmalade, or sulfur dioxide in wine, are hardly of recent origin.

What has changed over the years is the

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scope of application for food additives. Their usage has become more widespread in the post-modern inter-connected economies.

The use of food additives has grown by leaps and bounds during the recent times due to various factors, including lifestyle changes, increased popularity of processed food, and higher health consciousness among consumers.

Importance of Additives To meet the needs of food production, a large variety of food additives has been developed over time. This is largely due to the fact that making food on a large scale is quite different from making them on a small scale at homes.

These additives play a pivotal role in facilitating that processed food remains safe and in good condition throughout its journey from farm to fork. But the food industry can only use those additives that get regulatory approval. Only those additives get approval which are safe for human use and serve a

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

well-defined technological function, such as to preserve the nutritional quality of the food or enhance the stability of the food.

Some key raw materials used in the production of food additives include soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, palm oil, glycerol and sugarcane.

JECFA is an international scientific expert committee administered jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO. JECFA is the international body responsible for evaluating the safety of food additives. The organisation has been meeting since 1956, to evaluate the safety of food additives, contaminants, naturally occurring toxicants and residues of veterinary drugs in food. National authorities, either based on the JECFA assessment or a national assessment, can then authorise the use of food additives at specified levels for specific food products. In India, it is the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that regulates the use of food additives.

Aug-Sept ’18

ingre d ient Food additives can be derived from natural sources such as plants, animals, or minerals, or they can be synthetic. The WHO, together with FAO, groups food additives into three broad categories based on their functions.

Flavouring Agents These additives are used to improve the aroma or taste of the food. The flavouring agents make up the largest number of additives used in food, and as such there are hundreds of varieties of flavourings used in a wide variety of food products, ranging from confectionery and soft drinks to cereal, cake, and yoghurt, according to the WHO. Natural flavouring agents include nuts, fruits and spice blends, as well as those derived from vegetables and wine. In addition, there are flavourings that imitate natural flavours.

Enzymes These are types of additive that may or may not end up in the final food product. They are primarily used in baking (to improve the dough), cheese manufacturing (to improve curd formation), as well as in wine making and brewing (to improve fermentation).

Used as alternatives to chemical-based technology, enzymes are naturally occurring proteins that can be obtained by extraction from plants or animal products or from micro organisms such as bacteria.

Other Additives Other food additives include preservatives, colours and sweeteners, among others.

While preservatives can help maintain

the quality of the food by preventing fo o d co nta m i n at i o n a n d by s l ow i n g decomposition caused by mould, air, bacteria, or yeast, colours can improve the visual appeal of food products. Used as an alternative to sugar, non-sugar sweeteners contribute fewer or no calories to food.

Food Additives Market According to a research finding released in September this year by Market Study Report, a platform for market intelligence products and services, the global market for food additives, which has various applications in bakery and confectionary, beverages, dairy and frozen products, sauce and dressings, among others, may surpass 115 billion USD by 2024.

The role of food additives in the bakery and confectionery industry cannot be over emphasised. Food additives are today widely used in various bakery and confectionary applications which include cakes, biscuits & cookies, chocolates, sandwiches and breads.

FSSAI Permits 11,000 Food Additives After about three years of assessment, India's food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in June 2016 operationalised the final list of 11,000 food additives, which can be used by food businesses in India, across various food categories.

According to FSSAI, this list of about 11,000 food additives provision replaced the provision of 8,000 food additives, which were operationalised on 23rd December 2015, and also the pre-existing provisions.

In its final list of permissible additives, FSSAI removed at least two additives, namely Potassium Bromate (normally used in bread and bakery products) and Cyclamates (normally used in jams, jellies, marmalades, dairy based drinks, confectionary, etc.)

Hence, after this final list of provisions of additives, Potassium Bromate and Cyclamates are not allowed in any food category in the country, FSSAI said.

FSSAI had also finalised a list of food additives with respect to alcoholic beverages in alignment with International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) standards.

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

They enhance the volume and texture of baked goods. Food additives market from bakery and confectionery application is projected to reach over 35 billion USD by 2024, according to the forecast.

The Asia-Pacific food additives market, led by Japan, South Korea, India and China, is likely to reach 40 billion USD by 2024, the research forecasts. The demand for food additives in this region is driven by rising awareness about high nutritional diet and increasing need to impart ethnic taste.

The expected buoyancy of the Indian food processing industry in the coming years would be another primary growth driver of the food additive market in the region, the research showed.

Rapid expansion of technology in the industry pertaining to consumers' demand for healthy and organic food product options will positively influence the market growth for food additives, the report said.

Consumers believe that low-calorie sweeteners will be effective for various purposes which include weight reduction, weight maintenance, management of d i a b etes a n d re d u ct i o n i n t h e r i s ks associated with obesity, thereby driving the industry growth.

Food additives derived from natural sources are easily available at minimal cost, which is providing a cost advantage to the manufacturers, the report said, adding that the Asia-Pacific natural sweetener market is likely to witness a significant gain at over 4.5 percent during the forecast timeframe.

Natural sweetener increases the stability of the products and is also used in milk formulations to increase the bioactive calcium.

The market for food emulsifiers, which are widely used in processing and also to maintain freshness and quality of the food products, may witness a significant gain at over four percent during the forecast timeline.

The research projects that the food additives market from beverage application is likely to reach over 50 billion USD by 2024. They are widely used in various beverage applications including soft drinks, juices, coffee, and wines. Fumaric acid is used as an additive in alcoholic beverages, thereby propelling the industry growth, the report said.

The research also warned that the fluctuating prices of various raw materials used in the production process of food additives may impact the food additives market price trends.

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O P E R AT I O N S

Having the Right Menu

By Sharmila Chand

C

urating a menu is definitely not an easy task. It requires lots of research, an exhaustive data base on what kind of diners the outlet is targeting and perhaps most importantly, knowledge about the kind of ingredients one can source to excel in the preparation.

Here we talk to some experts in India’s food service industry and find out what they have to say about this creative, challenging and crucial subject for the food service industry.

Be systematic and less experimental to avoid last minute fiascos,” advised Om Nayak, Chef Om’s Hospitality, and Cofounder & Lead Consultant at The Pasta Bowl Company, Gurugram.

“A key point while designing a new menu is the menu research in terms of nutrition, texture, appearance, consistency, flavour, product quality while considering seasonal offerings,” Elangovan Shanmugam, Executive Chef, Vivanta Dwarka, New Delhi suggested.

Seasonal Factors

Presentation, Categorisation, and Description

Menu curating depends greatly on the seasons. “For example, go green is the right word when we talk about dishes for summers. In summers, people will love to have health salads, more and more fruitbased coolers. Hot & spicy food is out of fashion during summers,” expressed Chef Shyam Dhar Rai, Culinary Designer, Hotel Pullman New Delhi Aerocity and Novotel New Delhi Aerocity Hotel.

“One should always think about the products and ingredients one is using for every season when planning to curate the menu. Like you can’t have a hot chocolate in a summer afternoon but you can definitely try it in monsoon and winters, of course.

Menu should appeal at a first glance, and thus its designing is of crucial importance.

“Designing your menu should communicate your brand. The colours and overall tone of the dishes need to gel with the restaurant’s culinary character,” stated Cajetan D’Souza, F&B Manager, Banjara Restaurant, a restaurant chain with presence in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

“Irrespective of the design of the menu you choose, the restaurateur/hotelier should ensure that the menu is short rather than long; customers won’t like spending too much time flipping through long menus.

What can you do if you have items you really need to serve but can’t fit onto your menu?

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Change your menu periodically, introduce those items as occasional specials, or consider having separate menus for different meals,” Cajetan elaborated.

“Menu designing is based on various factors like location of the restaurant, target audience, price point, etc.,” proffered Chef Vaibhav, Corporate Chef, Yuvi Hospitality. He directed to “be creative and innovative with your imagination while designing the menu.”

“The menu should not be too lengthy to begin with. Understand the strengths of your culinary team and accordingly deliver the menu,” he asserted.

Cajetan opines that when deciding on menu categories, consider what you would like to draw the guests’ attention to. “Breaking away from traditional food categories should serve a particular p u r p o s e , s u c h a s fo c u s i n g o n t h e restaurant’s specialty. Decide what you want your menu to say prior to deciding on food groupings. It is also important to remember to highlight your more profitable items, in every category. No matter what categorisation style or design you decide to go with, always keep in mind that the easier it is for the customer to navigate the menu, the better it is. Confusing or illogically organised menus will likely lead to annoyed customers,” pointed out Cajetan.

Right descriptions can highlight the menu. “Good descriptions in the menu

Cajetan D’Souza

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O P E R AT I O N S

Mayank Tiwari

Om Nayak

Vaibhav

are essential; they need to explain what the items are, accurately and succinctly.

And good, appetising, descriptions are worth the trouble. Your description should include more than the ingredients; it should express the feeling that you would like for the dish to convey, while listing any wellknown brand name ingredients that may be included,” expressed Cajetan.

“If you decide to not include common

allergens on your menu (such as nuts), ensure that your staff is well aware and ready to answer any questions pertaining to this. Keep in mind, however, that descriptions in the menu should never get too long. Say what needs to be said, and that is it,” he pointed out.

designing a new menu because the kind of clientele and business prospects depends a lot on that. The location needs to be approachable and should have the potential to attract impressive footfall,” stated Rajesh Raina, Head, F&B (Kitchen) Operations, Clarens Hotel, Gurugram.

“Once the location is decided it is time to focus on the target clientele. A menu is designed on the basis of the restaurant’s

Aug-Sept ’18

Location, Clientele and Competition “Location assumes prime importance while

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O P E R AT I O N S

Elangovan Shanmugam model. The niche of customers also needs to be figured out,” he observed. “ O n e m u s t ke e p i n s i g h t of t h e competition from other restaurants and lounges in the vicinity, before designing a new menu. The prices need to be kept under the limit, in order to present a lucrative offer. Apart from this, the theme and cuisine of the restaurant also need to be matched with the new menu, as synchronicity is an important aspect to be considered,” Rajesh articulated.

Other Factors There are several other factors which need to be considered while curating a menu for a food service outlet. “Understand what your farmer or grower can give in a given season, understand who the food is for, and understand the atmosphere in which guests are consuming food to make the experience more ergonomic and user-friendly,” advised Mayank Tiwari, Group Executive Chef, PVRThe Luxury Collection.

“Bring something new to the menu.

Don’t stick to old menu items. Try and use maximum local ingredients, which are easy on pocket and good in taste, and always do a market survey before curating the menu,” opined Shyam Dhar Rai. “While curating a new menu, improvisation and innovation should be given emphasis as they help the food service outlet to stand out from the crowd. The addition of something new to the menu adds to the curiosity of the customers and propels them to try out the new items,” explained Sujeet Singh, Executive Chef, Radisson Noida.

However, if the taste of the food is not great or at least not good enough,

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improvisation and innovation would all flat on their face. “The prime importance of any food is taste and if the taste is good then you can have people coming from far away places to your outlet and become regular guests,” pointed out Sujeet.

“One must never forget that the Indian market is predominantly price-sensitive.

Keeping the price competitive in your new menu, in comparison to your competitors’ and without affecting the quality of food, can contribute towards your business growth,” Rajesh offered.

“At the same time, it should be taken into account that prices in the menu need to be tailored in a way so that the restaurant doesn’t have to bear the loss in terms of raw supplies and other expenses just to keep the competitive edge in the market,” he added further.

Simplicity in the menu is also very important towards making it a successful one. “Especially with an extensive menu like ours, it is important to bring some simplicity to the menu. The menu has to be written in simple words so that it is easier for guests to understand, thereby making the process of selection of the dishes an exciting affair rather than a stressful one,” Sujeet affirmed.

“Availability of the ingredients is also very important when it comes to curating a new menu. As many people in India are getting health conscious these days, Chefs must design the menu in a way so that it has fresh organic ingredients with added health benefits for the customers. The dishes need to be presented with a health quotient,’ Rajesh proffered.

“There is no issue with the availability of ingredients in a metro like Delhi-NCR so the menu in a restaurant in such places should

Sujeet Singh be designed while keeping in mind that everything is available in the market whereas in smaller cities we have limited availability of ingredients,” elaborated Sujeet.

“While designing a new menu for an existing restaurant, teams should consider retaining the most selling dishes of the past few months,” opined Elangovan.

“In addition to this, past guest feedback is also critical and should be taken into account, as they show preferences, expectations along with other important details,” he expressed.

“While designing a new menu for an upcoming restaurant, study and research of the cuisine to be offered is imperative along with the competitive pricing. Market research in terms of product availability, quality, skilled labour are also key points.

Being authentic or creative on a menu depends on the target clientele as well as trends,” he elaborated further.

“While putting a new menu together, the restaurateur/hotelier should know the target market well in terms of upcoming trends and customer palates. One should also have a clear idea about the ability of the Chef to be creative, etc. The sourcing of raw materials and kind of equipments available along with skill of the team play a major role too in designing a new menu,” Elangovan conveyed.

Bringing Tastes from Sicily

Rajesh Raina

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

“Curating a menu is a challenging task for any restaurant as the menu can make or break your restaurant. Here are few things that we keep in mind before curating a new menu. The most important thing that we look for are the availability of seasonal products and the pricing of the ingredients.

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Modifying the Menu At Vivanta Dwarka, we recently curated a menu of 16 authentic dishes from across the Indus Valley to add onto the menu of Indus Express, our specialty restaurant. These were classics from pre-independence Punjab that were part of the restaurant’s repertoire of 200 dishes but which were not put onto the menu in its initial avatar.

While the menu was being reworked, the team of Chefs also created vegetarian and non-vegetarian samplers which offered a complete meal experience to guests, thus giving them a holistic experience of the cuisine.

The menu for Creo, our all day dining restaurant, also got an upgrade recently. We added some all-time favourites on the 24-hour menu apart from introducing a wellness menu in line with Jiva Spa, select healthy options and Taj Signatures from key hotels across the globe, so that guests can opt for their favourites no matter where they are.

— Elangovan, Executive Chef, Vivanta Dwarka, New Delhi.

We follow the Italian culinary culture thoroughly and to have those exotic ingredients present in the Indian market is difficult at times, so having the products according to their season is very much important when it comes to curate international food,” Om Nayak elaborated.

“Menu mix stands to be the second most important thing for us while curating a menu. We need to be smart and develop a menu mix as no specific ingredient should not be used in every dish. Authenticity of ingredients is also a crucial part of our menu designing,” he asserted “Pasta Bowl is India’s only Sicilian restaurant. What you eat in Sicily is what you get at The Pasta Bowl Company. So while curating the menu we always keep in mind the ingredients used in Sicilian food and accordingly we include them in our menu for the different seasons,” Om Nayak added further.

“A menu should always be curated while keeping in mind the plating and presentation time,” he advised. “For example, at The Pasta Bowl Company we make everything fresh and do not store or refrigerate products which can be heated and served.

For that we need to keep in mind that the plating time should be less so as to maintain the serving temperature of the food,” explained Om Nayak.

He also practices retention of freshness of the products/ ingredients in curating of the menu at The Pasta Bowl Company.

“For example, arugula is one of the ingredients that is not available in north India, in the monsoon season, but is one of the important ingredients for our menu and to keep it in stock we source it from Kerela in batches to keep it fresh and not as an ingredient stored in refrigerator,” Om Nayak iterated.

Work in Progress Though menu designing requires taking several factors in to consideration, but in this competitive environment of India’s food service industry, it should also be ideally treated as a work in progress.

“Menu designing should be a continual work in progress. In order to achieve the optimum results, you need to be continually modifying your menu and trying out new things, while keeping track of what methods are giving you the best possible results,” affirmed Chef Vaibhav. n

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chef voice

Striving Through

Culinary Passion

By Sharmila Chand

With an experience of 14 years, Shiiv Parvesh, Head Chef, Hyatt Regency Amritsar, heads the food & beverage operations at Hyatt Regency Amritsar.

Inspired by the cooking of his mother, Chef Shiiv Parvesh, a culinary aficionado, has won many accolades for his work. He represented India at the International Food Festival, Germany, in the year 2007.

He began his culinary career in 2004 at The Oberoi, New Delhi. Over the years, he trained and worked in over 20 restaurants and eight hotels of The Oberoi Group as well as in its flight kitchen services.

His last stint was as a Senior Catering Manager and Product Development Chef at Jet Airways.

During his present tenure, Chef Shiiv Parvesh played a key role in the revamping of the hotel’s F&B function as it got rebranded from Hyatt Amritsar to Hyatt Regency Amritsar in May 2018.

The brand elevation has seen the introduction of Punjab Province, the biggest restaurant in a five-star hotel in the city along with other F&B facilities, with Chef Parvesh playing a key role in their launch.

Chef Shiiv Parvesh believes that a perfect recipe should soothe the soul of the one who tastes it.

With a beautiful mélange of dishes that are traditional in essence and contemporary in appearance, one can savour a specially curated menu by Chef Shiiv Parvesh at Punjab Province, the North Indian bistro at Hyatt Regency Amritsar. The excerpts of the interview with the seasoned F&B player follow:

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How do you define yourself?

I am a very happy-go-lucky person. I like to see a smile on everyone’s face. At the same time, I am someone who is passionate about my work.

I try to do my work religiously, and through it I try to bring a smile on everyone’s face because I feel that good food is the perfect recipe for happiness.

What is your philosophy of cooking?

For me, keeping the basics right is the thumb rule for great cooking. I think big success lies in the smaller details.

While going for the spectacular, if your basics don’t reach up to the mark, then the final product will fail to impress. On the other hand, if your basics are strong, then as a Chef you can prepare and present even the simplest of dishes in an impressive manner.

Had you not been doing this then what would you have been?

If I were not a Chef, then I would have been a doctor.

What or who is/are your source/es of inspiration?

My mother has been my greatest source of inspiration. I owe my passion for cooking to her. She used to make an effort to make the food interesting through her little innovations. From her I got this passion of cooking, which motivated me to become a Chef.

What has been the most rewarding phase in your career?

Working as the Head Chef of Hyatt Regency Amritsar has been the most rewarding phase in my career till now. I joined the hotel when it was Hyatt Amritsar. From Hyatt Amritsar, the hotel has undergone brand elevation to emerge as the upgraded Hyatt Regency Amritsar. Being an integral part of the rebranding process was the launch of new outlets at the hotel. The entire exercise has been immensely satisfying and rewarding.

My position also involves managing the hotel’s north Indian bistro named Punjab Province, the largest restaurant at a five-star hotel in the city. It has been the single most rewarding experience of my career till date.

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How has the journey been so far? Any major challenges you faced?

When passion stirs your soul, you start looking at challenges as opportunities to grow and prosper. Professional challenges are a part of any industry and I have always tackled them with a positive attitude.

Hence, I have never felt burdened by them.

What skills are necessary to be a good Chef?

Passion, love for cooking and imagination are must to be a good Chef.

What prepared you the most for your career?

Focus and dedication towards my ambition of being as best as I can be helped me the most to prepare me for my career.

What is/are your professional strength/s?

Tenacity and a never-say-die attitude are my strengths.

How do you de-stress yourself?

To de-stress, I either listen to music or go for a long drive. I also visit the Spa at Hyatt Regency Amritsar for a de-stressing spa session.

How do you rate yourself as a Chef?

A good Chef who would love to be a great Chef.

What is your favourite cuisine?

Indian, Thai and French cuisines are my favourites.

What is your favourite spice?

What is/are your hot selling item/s?

Raan Tacos is my most hot selling item.

The best compliment you have received so far?

A guest once told me that I had been blessed by Annapurna. I was overwhelmed by this compliment.

What is your philosophy of work?

I think it is extremely important to respect your work and your workplace. I believe you need to enjoy your work and not take it as a burden. I love my work; I enjoy what I do and give it my best. I work with honesty, sincerity and dedication.

Lessons learnt in the kitchen?

A very important lesson which I learnt pretty early was that nothing comes easy in life, especially when you are in the kitchen.

A lot of discipline and planning are required in making kitchens interesting and creative.

Where can we expect to see you 10 years from now?

Ten years from now, I see myself as someone leading a big food & beverage organisation as President — Culinary.

What are your future plans?

My future plans include leading a team of passionate culinary professionals to open new restaurants with unique concepts.

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

Chefs in India today are looked up to with admiration and respect. Some of them have become celebrities in their own right and are role models for many.

Black cardamom is my favourite spice.

What is your favourite dish?

Kacche Gosht ki Biryani and Green Thai Curry of Chicken are my favourite dishes.

What is your favourite equipment?

Spatula and knife are my favourite equipments.

Whom would you rate as your favourite diner?

I love to serve all my guests. However, a guest who is a foodie and loves to experiment with food is someone I really enjoy serving. I love it when my guests challenge me to outdo what we are doing to come up with something different or innovative.

Aug-Sept ’18

What would you recommend to someone interested in working in your field?

To anyone interested in being a Chef, my advice would be that only become a Chef if you are extremely passionate about cooking. To many, it might seem like an easy and fun job which is well paying, enjoyable and also glamorous in certain cases.

However, being a Chef is not easy. Along with culinary skills, it requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice. You have to put in long shifts and keep yourself abreast with latest developments in the industry. But if you are passionate about cooking, it is a great profession which can give you lots of pride, glory and joy. n

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pro d uct previe w

Kent Launches New Generation Ready-to-eat Snacks Snack Amor is a range of carefully curated and blended, healthy and ready-toEgg Boiler eat snacking varieties. The range offers a healthy, natural and tasty snacking If egg is a regular part of your daily breakfast, you have a pleasant surprise. KENT - The House of Purity – has developed an innovative egg boiler which allows you to boil eggs to your specifications within a few minutes.

The appliance is equipped with three different modes to boil eggs to one’s liking.

The USP of this smart kitchen appliance is to boil eggs as per your preference — hard, medium, or soft. All you need to do is to put the eggs in the container, add an appropriate quantity of water and select the desired mode. The machine will stop automatically when the eggs are done.

The Chairman of Kent RO Systems Ltd., Dr Mahesh Gupta said, “The Egg Boiler is an all new appliance

by KENT that was designed keeping in mind the modern day urban dweller who is hard-pressed for time, particularly during the morning hours. Since this innovative appliance has the auto-cut feature, it allows the user to prepare other items of the breakfast during the time eggs get boiled. The icing on the cake is that the appliance is equally good for homes, hostels as well as hotel rooms.”

Developed while keeping the hygiene factor in mind, this new-age appliance is made of stainless steel body.

Equipped with a heating plate, it can boil seven eggs at a time, thereby saving considerable time for the familyin the crucial morning hours.

The egg boiler is a valuable addition to the long list of smart cooking appliances from KENT. Vegetable and fruit cleaner, omellete & pizza maker, noodle & pasta maker, atta and bread maker, grinder & blender, cold pressed juicer, chilla & dosa maker, rice & steam cooker, and fryer & curry cooker are the other healthy appliances from Kent, which is the market leader in RO water purifiers and air purifiers, besides being producer of innovative vacuum cleaners.

Doctors have no two opinions on the health aspects of boiled eggs as compared to fried eggs. So, now when you have an appliance which can boil eggs in no time, why should you not use it? More so because this technological marvel is pocket-friendly, priced at Rs 1950/ only and it is available at all KENT outlets as well as online.

KENT RO Systems Ltd. sales@kent.co.in

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experience. In India people have been struggling to find a junk-free in-between meal snacking option, which does not compromise our taste buds. Tackling this challenge has been the genesis behind creation of Snack Amor. The Munchies are power packed with nutrition, bursting with exciting flavours, minimally processed and free from artificial preservatives, colours and flavours. Snack Amor strongly believes that healthy eating leads to an i n c re as e d we l l n ess a n d productivity and are looking to promote their offerings to individuals and corporates who believe in staying fit through healthy eating! The products are packed in convenient consumer packs of 28/100 gm and the offering include super healthy and super tasty mixtures and blends of exotic dehydrated fruits, super grains, super foods, nuts, seeds, etc. that are sourced from leading global suppliers.

The range of these 10 unique options from Snack Amor includes: Chatpata Supergrain Mix, Millet Mixture, Healthy Bites, Dried Cranberry, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cherry, Dried Prunes, Mixture of Seeds, Crispy Oats Tomatina, Trail Mix. Snack Amor deepakgrover@genesisingredients.com

Facilitating Sous Vide Cooking Vacook™ can make cooking sous vide food at low temperature easy. This thermo-circulator allows preparing delicious sous vide recipes in just few steps and save both time and money. In this way, the food remains very soft and keeps its organoleptic and nutritional properties unchanged, which are usually scattered with the traditional cooking.

In addition, sous vide cooking facilitates you to propose lighter recipes without renouncing the taste. Moreover, sous vide cooking entails significant time savings in the kitchen management, because this type of cooking does not require the intervention of the Chef during its various stages, thus enabling him to devote himself to other operations.

Vacook™ has a stainless steel structure and heating capacity up to 50 litres of water. The temperature control of the equipment varies between 20-100 degree centigrade. Auto protection switch off and universal clamp support are other technical features of the product. The equipment is endowed with a water heating depth of 165 mm. What is more, it can save energy.

Mish Horeca Services mishhoreca@gmail.com

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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INTERVIEW

Contributing Towards Memorable Dining Experiences

By Sharmila Chand What do you enjoy the most about being an Assistant Food & Beverage Manager?

Amar Nath, Assistant F&B Manager, Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre, is a seasoned hospitality professional, having spent over 14 years in the hotel industry. He has been associated with brands including Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Wafi Hotels and the IHG. He brings with him a rich experience in the food & beverage sector and has worked in India, the UAE, Oman and Qatar. During this time, Amar has managed a variety of specialty cuisine-based restaurants, bars and lounges, catering to a host of local and expatriate guests.

A flexible and adaptable leader, Amar is known to respond to situations with dexterity and always believes in going the extra mile. When not interacting with guests or his colleagues, Amar enjoys spending time with his family, travelling and reading.

The excerpts of the interview are given below:

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It has been years and get very charged what I like doing best; creating a memorable of them.

and I still wake up up to be able to do meeting guests and experience for each

What are the challenges one faces in your position?

I do not believe in the word ‘challenge.’

I firmly believe that the day you decide to keep all distractions aside and think about what you want to achieve, everything falls into place.

What tips you would you like to give to the managers of food service outlets to strengthen their team?

I would say, focus on quality, building relationships and teamwork to achieve the goal, which is to provide high quality hospitality for each of our guests.

What is the USP of your F&B outlets?

We have three food and beverage outlets at Crowne Plaza Pune. They are Mosaic, our multi-cuisine all day-dining restaurant, Mosaic Pastry Lounge, which is known for its decadent desserts, pastries & savouries, and Evviva, the sky lounge – an upbeat rooftop resto-lounge with a breathtaking view of the city and its own range of signature beverages and bites. It hosts a variety of theme parties that run through the week.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Along with our eclectic range of dining options, Crowne Plaza Pune is also known for its service and hospitality. We pride ourselves on create a dining experience that is not only enjoyable but also memorable.

Our talented team of staff members helps us create an unforgettable experience for each of our guests.

What is your philosophy of working?

I follow a simple work philosophy; whatever you chose to do, do it with sincerity.

According to you, what is the one secret recipe behind the success of F&B in a hotel like the one where you are presently engaged in?

At Crowne Plaza Pune, we focus on taking care of our guests and offering them an enjoyable dining experience with high quality food and dedicated service.

Our team is also very responsive to our guests’ feedback, ensuring that any inputs given are taken up for review or improvements with both our service and culinary teams.

What would you consider as your most invaluable professional asset?

For me, my team members are my biggest assets, professionally. If you look after your team, motivate, teach and develop them, they will be in a better position to create an unparalleled service experience for your guests, which in turn can become your USP.

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