Food & Beverage Business Review (Feb-Mar 2014) by Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

E d i t o r i a l

Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

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

Website: www.fbrmag.com E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net © 2014 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No article can be reproduced in part or as whole without prior permission of the Publisher. Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma from 302, Himgiri Apartments, J-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Printed at Age of Enlightenment Publications, Green Fields Colony, Faridabad, Haryana.

Change is a continuous and essential process in life. Especially for the fast evolving food service industry, change is extremely essential for survival and growth. The Chefs, the F&B Managers and the restaurateurs need to always keep themselves alert and abreast of the changing preferences of their target consumers. They need to gauge the happening F&B trends quickly, pragmatically evaluate those trends’ relevance in their respective F&B outlet/s, and act accordingly and promptly. This can help them to stay ahead of the competition. The Indian food service industry is presently passing through various happening trends, which may coalesce into changing the character of the industry in the near future. The players in the organised food service industry of India need to have some knowledge about these trends, not only for benefiting their business and/or professions but also to understand their business and/or professions better. In this regard, our this issue’s Cover Story, where various F&B trends in the realm of Indian food service industry are being discussed through knowledgeable opinions from seasoned industry personnel, could be helpful for our readers. Packaging is extremely crucial for the modern day food & beverage industry. In fact, without attractive packaging to support them, perhaps many of our food & beverage products would face setback in their revenues. The multiple role of food packaging, the types of food packaging solutions, and the huge potential of food packaging industry in India are being discussed through our Business Story. The story points out various factors which could have fostered the growth of food packaging industry in India during the recent years, and also explores the factors which could enhance its potential further. Our Feature section deals with the concept of uniquely themed restaurants and suggests that through the introduction of innovative restaurant themes in increasing numbers, our restaurant business could get a big impetus even in these sluggish times. Various imaginative themes for restaurants were put forward in the story, which were supplemented with the examples of some truly out-of-the-world but real restaurant themes in abroad. Besides these relevant topics there are also many other impressive information, analysis and opinions in this issue (as always), which we believe could interest our esteemed readers and strengthen them with the hope for a better financial year for the industry.

Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Editorial Policy: Editorial emphasis in Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing institutional food & beverage business. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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CONTENTS

Cover Story

Departments

The Happening F&B Trends

Business

Uniquely Themed Restaurants

Agri

The Nice Grain

Processed Food

Presenting Taste, Health and Convenience

Theme Cuisine

News

Report

Focus

Restaurant Review

Chef Voice

Profile

Product Preview

Business Opportunity

Interview

Packaging a Growth Story

Feature

Event

A Carnival of Tastes and Flavours

Operations Restaurant Renovation Challenges

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The Right Platform for the F&B and Hospitality Industry

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ood&HotelAsia 2014 with Wine&SpiritsAsia 2014 to be held alongside, will be held during 8th -11thApril 2014, at Singapore Expo. The event is organised by Singapore Exhibition Services (SES). For the first time FHA 2014 and Wine&SpiritsAsia 2014 will completely use the capacity of Singapore Expo, by occupying all 10 exhibition halls and Max Atria. Spanning a total of 100,000 sq.m. which will be an eight per cent increase in size from its 2012 edition, this will be the largest edition in the event’s illustrious 36-year-old history. FHA had humble beginnings in 1978, at the Hyatt Singapore’s basement car park, where 213 exhibitors from 13 countries/regions took up only 4,000sq.m. Since then, the event which includes WSA, that was launched in 2010, has rapidly grown more than 25 times in size and witnessed a 13 fold increase in exhibitors. FHA 2014, the 19th edition of the event, will have 2800 exhibitors from 70 countries/regions and 54 group pavilions. Offerings span across all aspects of the food and beverage (F&B) and hotel industry such as food products, bar and kitchen equipment and supplies, food processing equipment, hotel amenities, table ware and hospitality technology, among many others. With the internationality of the show, FHA sees visitors from more than 100 countries/regions each edition. The 2012 edition welcomed a record total of more than 42,000 trade visitors, an increase of 10.4 percent over that of the 2010 edition. Stephen Tan, the Chief Executive of the show organiser SES said, “This year is a milestone for FHA and WSA as they together have completely utilised the available exhibition space of Singapore’s largest exhibition venue. Moving forward, the event will only continue to grow as new markets in the region become more developed, and the demand increases.” “Overall, FHA and WSA together delivers a comprehensive, holistic and meaningful event for the whole industry,” averred Tan, while pointing out that “Providing businesses with the latest

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innovations, new food products and unique amenities to choose from, as well as sharing ideas, knowledge and best practices will in turn translate to an enhanced experience for the consumers.” “FHA and WSA provide industry practitioners with an exciting one-stop shop on the latest products, services and technology solutions from all over the world. The synergy of the two shows offers an excellent platform for networking and the sharing of best practices,” explained Margaret Heng, Executive Director of Singapore Hotel Association. Prominent international exhibitors at the show include renowned local and international industry brands such as BunnO-Matic, Bravilor, Cimbali, Diedrich, Dilmah, Ebenezer, Empire Tea, Expolanka Teas, Giesen, illycaffé, La Marzocco, Nestlé, Rancilio, Santino Coffee, Santos and many more. In addition, the event will also host the FHA Barista Challenge and first-ever FHA Latte Art Challenge, alongside a number of courses, workshops and fringe activities. The 19th edition of FHA will see the launch of SpecialityCoffee&Tea, bringing the total number of specialty shows to six. Set against the backdrop of a booming café culture, SpecialityCoffee&Tea will integrate all aspects of the industry in a single platform; featuring a comprehensive range of equipments, coffee beans, tea leaves and accessories from across the globe. SpecialityCoffee&Tea will play host to the FHA Barista Challenge and the first FHA Latte Art Challenge, while the Asian Pastry Cup will be held in conjunction with Bakery&Pastry. Ting Siew Mui, the Project Director of Lifestyle Events at SES said, “Rising affluence and changing lifestyles in the region has created greater demand for gourmet coffee. Perfectly complementing FHA’s five existing specialty shows, the launch of SpecialityCoffee&Tea throws a spotlight on the industry and highlights its development, and caters to the region’s booming café culture. In addition to the showcase at

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wine scene, on 8th April 2014. The winning labels will also be displayed at an exclusive tasting lounge at WSA. For this edition of the event, the FHA International Conference will have more than 90 speakers and will focus on key issues currently affecting the industry, the most important among them being the manpower crunch and the ways to ease it. In view of this, the conference will feature a plenary session and an in-depth master-class to provide the industry with practical solutions on how to deal with the manpower shortage. Other topics which will be covered in the conference will include managing hotel operations and revenue optimisation strategies; managing F&B operations and food concepts; latest technologies for the hotel and F&B; food safety; covering the latest food regulations and contamination detection methods, and food product innovation and development.

distinction to grow into a premium trade exhibition of spirits and wines for regional buyers. To be spread across 5,000sq m, the WSA2014 will attract 200 exhibitors from 20 countries/regions, and seven group pavilions. The WSA2014 will have the most number of group pavilions as compared to its previous editions, representing the world’s top producing wine regions. Spain will be having the biggest pavilion. There will also be a series of talks and master-classes, highlighting wines from countries such as Austria, France, Italy and Spain. Competitions at WSA 2014 will include the RIPE-WSA Cocktail Challenge as well as the WSA Wine Challenge. Entries from across the globe will be judged by a panel of Asia’s top wine buyers and writers for the WSA Wine Challenge. Awards for the winning wines will be presented at the first MAGNUM NIGHT, an exclusive networking event for the international

SpecialityCoffee&Tea, the visitors can also source from the unique offerings at HospitalityStyleAsia and Bakery&Pastry for all their café needs.” She added that “Overall, we have received much enthusiasm from international exhibitors wanting to get a leg into the regional market and great support from the associations who have come on board as partners.” The FHA Culinary Challenge (FCC) will see the participation of 856 Chefs from all over the world. They will battle it out in the Individual Challenge, Dream Team Challenge and Gourmet Team Challenge sections. Returning this year to the FCC is the National Team Challenge. Held once every four years, 11 national teams will compete here, but only the top three will qualify for the Battle of the Lion, with one emerging victorious Since 2010, WSA has been held alongside FHA to give it the space and ○

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World of Coffee & Tea at

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key coffee industry players will be present at the event. Along with participation from international players visitors can also expect strong local participation from Thailand. The inaugural edition of World of Coffee & Tea has already garnered strong support, both locally and internationally. The World of Coffee & Tea will also focus on the trends in the coffee industry, bringing to visitors the most up-todate perspective, locally and globally. According to Pavinee Khetphanasant, General Manager, Boncafe (Thailand) Ltd, the growth in the specialty drinks sector has escalated, in particular cold beverages. The Roasters’ Choice Award, which took place at THAIFEX - World of Food Asia in 2013, will return this year as one of the main highlights at the World of Coffee & Tea 2014. This is the second year the competition is organised in partnership with the Barista Association of Thailand. Following its success last year, the judging panel in 2014 will once again be made up of a strong cast of international coffee experts. They will judge up to 20 participants from South-East Asia. A Tasting Bar will feature the

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elebrating its 10th anniversary, THAIFEX – World of Food Asia, which will be held during 21st – 25th May 2014, at Impact Exhibition and Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand, is organised by Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, Department of International Trade Promotion Thailand and the Thai Chamber of Commerce. The dynamic international trade fair reaches far and wide to cover the spectrum of food and beverage, food technology, food catering, hospitality service and retail and franchise industries. As one of the three specialised events of THAIFEX - World of Food Asia, World of Coffee & Tea 2014 will feature a comprehensive spectrum of coffee and tea expertise, with an exhibition to showcase a wide-range of products, equipment and services from more than 100 suppliers around the world, and also educational programs for knowledge sharing. The inaugural World of Coffee & Tea 2014, to be staged in Bangkok, Thailand, during 21st – 25th May 2014, is set to be Asia’s premier sourcing, trade and knowledge platform for coffee and tea professionals. A line-up of

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THAIFEX – World of Food Asia 2014 unique flavours of 40 different coffee beans at the Roasters’ Choice Award, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the coffee culture in Asia. At the World of Coffee & Tea 2014, trainings, certification programs and education will play a pivotal role. The Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) will introduce its well-established education program, providing a practical focus on all aspects of the specialty coffee sector, from roasting to running a coffee shop. Participants can enroll in the Roasting and Green Bean modules conducted by SCAE and receive certification recognised globally by governments and international organisations. Michael Dreyer, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Koelnmesse, said, “Coffee and tea have always played an essential role in the world of food, drinks and hospitality. With the growth of THAIFEX - World of Food Asia, we felt that this is the best time to provide the industry with a business platform to meet, network and share information with one another, so that it can contribute to the further growth of this sector.”

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Aahar 2014: The Right Platform for the F&B and Hospitality Industries

ahar 2014, the international fair on food and hospitality in India, was held during 10th-14th March 2014, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. This was the 29th edition of Aahar. Aahar 2014 was demarcated into two separate and concurrent exhibitions. They were ‘Hospitality India,’ which covered hotel & restaurant equipment and supplies and ‘Food India,’ which covered food and processed food products, food processing & beverages. The trade event having significant influence for the food & beverage and

the hospitality industry was organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), which is the nodal trade promotion agency of the Government of India, and was supported by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, Association of Resource Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India(ARCHII), Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of India(HOTREMAI), All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), Food

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and Hospitality Support Association of India(FHSAI), Forum of Indian Importers(FIFI), and Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA). The event was inaugurated by Rita Menon, Chairperson and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). The mega event was held across Hall Nos. 6, 7 to 12 A, 14, 15 & 18. Aahar 2014 was held from 10 am to 6 pm during the above-mentioned days, and

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on the first four days the trade fair was meant exclusively for the business visitors. On the final day of the fair that was on 14th March, the fair was open for the general public during 2-6pm. The event was spread across 44,000 sq. mt. of gross exhibition area. For this year’s edition of Aahar, ITPO introduced a new segment for organic foods and cheese along with its regular segments that is ‘Food India’ and ‘Hospitality India’. Aahar 2014 was also supplemented with concurrent events such as ‘Culinary Art India2014 Competition’, ‘Indian Biscuits & Confectionery Congress2014’, seminars on ‘Environment Concerns of Hospitality Industry’ and ‘Food Regulations in India.’ Aahar is widely regarded as the largest food and hospitality specialised event in South Asia. In this year’s edition of Aahar, around 768 leading companies from India and abroad took part. Overseas participation was from Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and UAE. The fair attracted

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21186 business visitors. Apart from this number, VIPs, foreign trade delegations and diplomats also visited the fair. Fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat and poultry products, other processed food products besides dairy products, bakery products, non alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, food ingredients, food preservatives, chocolates and other confectionery products, bakery and confectionary equipment, crockery/ cutlery/chaffing dishes, kitchen equipment, food processing and packaging equipment, farm equipment and supplies, air & water pollution control equipment & accessories, a range of housekeeping solutions were only some of the impressive range of products and equipments which were showcased at the show.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

The recently held event attracted a galore of overseas & Indian buyers, importers & wholesalers, besides overseas trade delegations, policy makers, media persons, suppliers and hoteliers among others. The trade fair not only facilitated many players in the food & beverage and the hospitality sector across the globe to enhance their business potential through participation in the show, but also afforded opportunity to gain insight on new trends and equipments, which could help many industry players to

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E V E N T S’ C A L E N D E R Alimentaria 2014 31 March -3 April 2014 Fira de Barcelona, Spain www.alimentaria-bcn.com HOTELEX 2014 31 March -3 April 2014 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, China www.hotelex.cn

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Food & Hotel Asia 2014 (FHA 2014) 8-11 April 2014 Singapore Expo, Singapore www.foodnhotelasia.com SIAL China 2014 13-15 May 2014 Shanghai New Intl. Exhibition Center, China www.sialchina.com NRA Show 2014 17-20 May 2014 McCormick Place, Chicago, US www.restaurant.org

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Thaifex- World of Food Asia 2014 21-25 May 2014 Impact Exhibition and Convention Center, Thailand www.worldoffoodasia.com HOSFAIR 2014 26-28 June 2014 China Imports & Exports Fair complex, Guangzhou, China www.hosfair.com Thailand Retail, Food & Hospitality Services 2014 24-27 July 2014 Hall 103, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) www.thailandhoreca.com/ Fi and Hi India 2014 29 Sep- 1 October 2014 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregoan East, Mumbai www.foodingredientsglobal.com/india/home IH Expo 2014 + F&B Pro 12-14 September 2014 Expo Grounds, Near Panaji, Goa www.trinityworld.biz The 3rd Shenzhen International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair 14-16 October 2014 Shenzhen Exhibition Centre, Shenzhen, China www.szhosfair.com SIAL Paris 19-23 October 14 Paris Nord Ville Pinte, Paris www.sial.fr

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During Aahar 2014, HOTREMAI hosted a party at Le Meridien New Delhi, on 12th March, which was attended by a number of hospitality industry professionals. The HOTREMAI members who participated at the 29th edition of Aahar were invited at the party. Besides enjoyment, the party also provided a good opportunity for networking among the industry. The event can be construed as a welcome break between the hectic business during Aahar 2014.

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HOTREMAI’s Party

Wine & Gourmet Japan 2-4 April 2014 Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan www.wineandgourmetjapan.com

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excellence in display and design. She also informed that the next edition of Aahar, which will be the 30th

edition of this institutionalised B2B event, would be hosted with new facets from March 12 -16, 2015 at Pragati Maidan. In his welcome address, Malay Shrivastava, Executive Director, ITPO, said that Aahar fair is a signature event of the food processing and hospitality industries. He pointed out that most of the participants did evince their interest to participate in the next edition of the fair.

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stay abreast with the times and thereby benefit their business or career prospect in the long-run. Rita Menon expressed that Aahar had achieved international standards in terms of logistics and services. She presented the awards to the participants on

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more demand for food service equipment and ingredients as well as enhanced supplies of hospitality related products for hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, condominiums, fine dining restaurants and retail food outlets, which include coffee, bakery and ice cream outlets, etc.” Kavin observed while adding, “We consider the hefty space increase as a big challenge for us.” The Managing Director stated further that he expected well over 140 exhibitors from Thailand and 10 other countries in TRAFS 2014, as compared to 110 in the last year. The 2014 edition of the show is expected to attract approximately 30,000 visitors from Thailand and from 50 countries across the globe. For more information, visit the show website at www.thailandhoreca.com.

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Thailand’s continued booming tourism and hospitality industry, to Thailand being voted as the top tourist destination by international arrivals, to the upcoming opening of AEC market (ASEAN Economic Cooperation). Furthermore, Thailand geographically is well positioned as a hub for CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam). And last but not the least, Thais are more inclined to dine food outside home. “All these factors have resulted in

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hailand Retail, Food & Hospitality Services (TRAFS) has expanded its exhibition space by 50 percent for this year’s edition. The eighth edition of the event is to be held during 24 th-27th July 2014, at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC), Hall 102–103, Thailand. Kavin Kittiboonya, Managing Director of Kavin Intertrade Co.Ltd, the company which is the organiser of TRAFS 2014, revealed to Food & Beverage Business Review that after its successful show in the previous edition and exhibitors’ positive results, the company has increased exhibition space for the upcoming 8th edition of TRAFS. The exhibition space has been enhanced from 6,000 sq m to 9,000 sq m. He attributed many factors behind the big space jump, which ranged from

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TRAFS 2014 Expands Space by 50 Percent

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IAL CHINA, Asia’s leading food & beverage exhibition, will be taking place during 13th-15th May 2014 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China. The show will be co-located with Bakery China and SIAL WINE WORLD 2014. It is geared to be a major platform for the Asian food & beverage industry. The show is expected to garner 2400 exhibitors, 45,000 visitors, and will be spread across 10,000 sq.m, across 8 halls. Comexposium is the organiser of this forthcoming mega show. Prominent product zones at the mega show will include: Dairy Zone in N1 — organised by China Dairy Industry Association, Sea Food Zone in N2 — organised by China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association, Fruit and Vegetable Zone in N3— organised by Foreign Economic Cooperation Center, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Shandong Agricultural Zone in N3 — organised by the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province (Shandong is the top province of China’s agricultural exports market). SIAL CHINA is the premium platform to connect international and domestic buyers. It is supported by many international exhibitors as well, including Gefa E .V, Wines of Germany, Bateel International, Corex Foods, Food Bridge Ltd. The confirmed national pavilions include that of Turkey, Italy, Switzerland, Tunisia, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Greece, USA, Portugal, Canada, Ireland, France, Chile, Argentina, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Mexico, India, Indonesia, New Zealand and many more. France will be present at the event as the Guest Country of Honor. There would be various important events at SIAL CHINA 2014. La Cuisine by SIAL, which will be endorsed by World Association of Chefs Societies and supported by China

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SIAL CHINA 2014 and SIAL WINE WORLD 2014 Cuisine Association, will have high level and innovative culinary demonstrations and competitions sponsored by exhibitors’ products. Retail & Hospitality Forum - SIAL TV will be a meeting point to express opinions, share ideas and gather information. SIAL TV will join with Retail & Hospitality Forum to bring you the updated onsite interviews with exhibitors, visitors and also show reports. SIAL Innovation and SIAL Business Meetings will be the other important events of SIAL CHINA 2014. After SIAL Party will be a good opportunity for networking and tasting exhibitors’ wines. SIAL WINE WOLRD 2014, which will be co-located with SIAL CHINA 2014, will come across as a professional premium & qualified B2B wine trading platform with strict visitor control; catering to the professional wine producers, distributors and retailers. Not only its strict quality control over professional visitors makes SIAL WINE WORLD a recognised brand, but also its renowned events’ partners make the show shine. SIAL WINE WOLRD 2014 will have SIAL - Best Buy China Competition, which will again go into partnership with WINE 100, one of the most professional and authoritative wine rating agencies in China. In this event, a group of Chinese market specialists (comprising consultants, sommeliers, journalists and importers) will conduct a blind tasting of more than 300 wines entered by the exhibitors. The awards will represent the best value of wines for professional buyers and consumers. SIAL WINE WOLRD 2014 will also have Wine Innovation Forum, where not only there would be showcasing of wines, but would also give one the opportunity to attend high level dedicated conferences delivered by wine experts.

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HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2014: Leading International Exhibition for the Hospitality Industry

OSFAIR Guangzhou 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the 12th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair 2014, is slated to be a leading global show for hospitality, food service, and food & beverage industries. The 12th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair will be held during 26th-28th June 2014 at Area A, China Import and Export Fair Complex, in Guangzhou, China. It is believed that this annual show will have an impressive display of the latest products and innovations pertaining to the hospitality industry. The show will represent several sectors, which will be segmented under Hotel Equipment & Supplies and Food & Beverage. The sectors will include food service, kitchen equipment, hotel furniture, freezing equipment, tableware & accessories, clean and laundry, interior supplies, intelligence & POS systems, hotel lighting, hotel textile, wine & spirits, ice-cream, canned & processed food, coffee & tea, bakery products and dairy food. The 12th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair is expected to keep the visitors up to date with the key trends across hospitality sector in Asia. HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2014 will have concurrent events like Guangzhou International Coffee Carnival and (Barista) Latte Art Championship, 2014 Cocktail Open Bar Operation and Champion Bartenders Show. Here it deserves a mention that the 11th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair (HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2013) was held during 27th -29th June 2013 at China Import and Export Fair Complex, across Hall 1.1-5.1. The show garnered excellent suppliers and purchasers from the hospitality industry, all across the globe. The event was spread across 63,000 sq m exhibiting space, and attracted 1308 exhibitors. During the-three-day show, 61,088 trade professionals gathered from more than 70 countries and regions.

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NEWS SCAN

Facilitating the Rational Consumers Rational has introduced the ServicePlus package. With every purchase of Rational cooking appliance, its customers will also receive a service package, which they can use for free as long as they have a Rational appliance in their kitchen. This package is named Rational ServicePlus. “ServicePlus is a type of all-inclusive package that all our customers will automatically receive once they buy a product from us,” explained Pinaki Banerjee, Chief Representative, Rational India. This would facilitate the Rational’s consumers to keep improving their day-to-day routines in the kitchen, long after the purchase of the equipment from Rational. This may translate into saving resources or getting even more from the appliances. Rational is extremely proactive on disseminating useful information to its customers. “In the one-day seminars at our Academy RATIONAL, our customers can get more and more new ideas for their menus or learn how they can further improve the processes in their kitchen.” The cooking appliance specialist likes its customers to get the maximum possible benefit from their partnership with Rational right from the start and throughout their product’s service life. Pinaki Banerjee When software improvements comes out, the customers can simply download a free update in ClubRATIONAL. “They can therefore access the latest findings of our cooking research and can always maintain their appliance up to date with the latest technology,” explained Banerjee. ClubRATIONAL is also an ideal platform for exchanging recipes or getting expert tips on daily kitchen routines. Members can also collect their favourite recipes in cook books or download existing cook books. Anyone who has questions on applications or recipes can call the Rational ChefLine® for India, which is available to customers 365 days a year. “This is all part of our ‘ServicePlus’ package and our customers do not need to pay a rupee extra for this,” explained Banerjee. Even those who do not yet work with Rational can use the ServicePlus by getting free planning proposals for kitchen renovations or new builds, or to try out the appliances in their own kitchens for a while before purchasing. Here it deserves a mention that the new ClubRATIONAL has been online since February. The interactive userfriendly platform is targeted at professional Chefs and is full of new suggestions and useful functions. “We have included scores of new recipes, which Club members can review, add to or share with colleagues on Facebook and Twitter,” explained Gaurav Bajaj, the Application Chef at Rational India. Another novelty is that the members can collect their favourite recipes in cookbooks. “This helps our Club users find their personal favourites quicker,” proffered Bajaj. Users can now choose from more than 3,000 recipes. Club members can also upload their own recipes. There are now even reward points, called badges, for doing so. Registering is also extremely simple. Anyone who wants to join ClubRATIONAL now only needs to provide a name and e-mail address and set a password. “It is even easier for Facebook users,” said Bajaj while pointing out, “They can register via their Facebook account with a single click.”

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Del Monte Comes With a Range of Flavours In its sixth year of participation at Aahar, Del Monte reinforced the brand’s commitment towards the fast growing B2B segment by adding a wide array of high quality food products and ingredients focused at catering to the needs of multi cuisine restaurants. The array of products unveiled by Del Monte at Aahar 2014 included appetisers, sauces and desserts. Del Monte, a leading brand in processed food and beverages, introduced a new range of tantalising sauces for the B2B market, at Aahar 2014. These newly launched sauces by Del Monte can help the restaurateurs to come up with authentic and delicious Chinese dishes for their patrons. The newly launched sauces are Red Chili Sauce, Schezwan Sauce, Green Chili Sauce, Green Chili Vinegar, Red Chili Garlic Vinegar, Sweet Chilli Sauce, and Oriental Sauce among others. Commenting on Del Monte’s foray into the Chinese cuisine segment, Yogesh Bellani, CEO, FieldFresh Foods Pvt. Ltd. said, “With the addition of Chinese sauces to our portfolio we aim to serve as a one stop shop for food solutions to the diverse needs of multi cuisine restaurants.” Here it deserves a mention that FieldFresh Foods Private Limited is a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises & Del Monte Pacific Limited. The sleek Del Monte stall was modeled on the lines of a self service restaurant showcasing its diverse food solutions across appetisers, main course and desserts. Del Monte has also reinvented its existing pasta sauce range with new Italian pasta shapes. The appetiser section of Del Monte at Aahar 2014 included wraps and rolls made with the range of Del Monte dips and spreads, nachos with salsa, and French fries accompanied with sauces. Del Monte also presented its range of new dessert sauces with ice cream and scrumptious canned fruits, which can add a twist to everyday desserts.

Kolkata Callin’ in Mumbai Kolkata Callin’, a fine dining restaurant, offering sumptuous Bengali cuisine, has been launched in Andheri East, Mumbai. The themed restaurant, serving a delicious spread, is the first Bengali restaurant in Andheri East and promises its patrons the best of authentic Bengali gastronomy. The spacious interiors create an ambience which can transport you into the alleys, by-lanes and streets of Kolkata as every aspect of the interiors of the restaurant exudes the ethos of the culturally vibrant city. Poetry by Rabindranath Tagore scribbled on the walls, black and white pictures, library shelves adorned with Bengali books and the table menus add interesting touches to the décor. The restaurant also offers a range of Bengali fishes that come straight from Kolkata. The menu includes sweet, tangy and spicy offerings. Sanjay Mukherjee, the Owner of Kolkata Callin’, declared, “We Bengalis living away from our hometown often miss the food and culture of Kolkata. In Kolkata, there is a local custom where groups of people get-together to eat, meet and greet at a rendezvous point called adda. Thus, the idea behind launching Kolkata Callin’ is to bring such attributes of Kolkata culture to Mumbai by creating a warm and cosy place where people would love to come and sit, chat and enjoy food,” he explained while pointing out, “By bringing a slice of life from Kolkata to Mumbai, the restaurant will ensure that there is always something new in store for its guests every season – be it New Year or any other special event!”

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’14

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

NEWS SCAN

Mango Tree Bistrobar in Bangalore Mango Tree, the renowned Thai restaurant brand, embraced the young and hip of India with the launch of the first Mango Tree Bistrobar in India at Indiranagar, Bangalore. Regarding this launch, Mango Tree Worldwide’s Bangkok-based CEO and Founder Pitaya Phanphensophon, said, “We are very excited about this expansion of Bistrobar and the Mango Tree family and I am glad we are starting the year with a bang.” Here it deserves a mention that the Mango Tree group is a dynamic, innovative and fast-growing company that has a vision to bring authentic Thai cuisine with a creative twist to the world, and to plant a Mango Tree in every major world city. The Mango Tree group comprises the Mango Tree, Mango Tree Bistro and Mango Tree Cafe brands, as well as Coca, the contemporary steamboat suki concept. Mango Tree Bistrobar Bangalore is the company’s first foray into India and features an industrial chic interior design concept with exposed brick walls, graffiti and ceiling menus, contrasted with edgy and sophisticated furniture. All these

exciting décor are complemented with a focus on alfresco dining, cocktails created by world class bartenders, DJs spinning chilled tunes, occasional live performances, and of course Mango Tree’s authentic yet innovative Thai food. Here it deserves a mention that Mango Tree Worldwide will expand its footprints in India whose reflections in the near future will be seen by the opening of Mango Tree Mumbai, later in 2014. The development of the Mango Tree’s Bistrobar brand compliments the high-end Mango Tree restaurants located in many of the world’s major capital cities including London, Tokyo, Dubai and Hong Kong, as well as the smaller Mango Tree Café concept, which is found in malls. On January of this year, Mango Tree Worldwide unveiled an ambitious expansion programme that will increase its restaurants and cafes to 100 outlets by 2015, with plans to double its annual turnover to 100 million USD within two years.

Puratos India Launches Two New Products at Aahar 2014 Puratos India introduced two new products at Aahar 2014, the TegralPuravita Whole Wheat Bread and the Carat Coverdark Compound. Here it deserves a mention that Puratos India is a subsidiary of Puratos, which is a globally renowned company engaged in developing and supplying fine ingredients to the bakery, confectionery and chocolatier markets for the last 80 years. Dhiren Kanwar, Country Head, Puratos India explained, “We are here to make a difference to the industry and to our customers, by helping add value to their businesses. This year we have launched two new products at Aahar 2014.TegralPuravita Whole Wheat Mix is a 100 percent whole wheat mix, and the Carat Coverdark Compound chocolate is a high quality range of compound chocolate for the professionals, especially for the preparation of Ganache.” “On the corporate front, Puratos India will be launching two new innovation centres in the coming year, one in Delhi and another in Bangalore. We will thus be focussing on training and development of our customers in order to help them grow their business and become more profitable,” Kanwar pointed out.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’14

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

NEWS SCAN

India’s Natural Vitamin E Market Music and to Get a Significant Fillip Gastronomy Unite at Arola Musica According to Research and Markets’ recent paper, titled ‘Natural Source Vitamin E (Tocopherols and Tocotrienols) - An Indian Market Overview’ India’s natural vitamin E market is set to more than double by 2020. The report believes that the Indian natural Vitamin E market is in infant stage but at the same time it is growing at a healthy rate. According to the report, the Indian natural Vitamin E volume market, estimated at 24.5 metric tonnes with a value of 1.9 million USD in 2013 and forecast to be 27.1 metric tonnes valued at 2.2 million USD in 2014, is further projected to reach 55.1 metric tonnes worth 5.4 million USD by 2020, thereby maintaining a volume CAGR of 11.7 percent and a value CAGR of 15.8 percent between 2012 and 2020. As far as the food & beverage industry goes, in India natural Vitamin E has application in dietary supplements and fortification of food & beverages. One can say that the proposed growth of the natural Vitamin E market in India reflects on a huge demand for healthy eating choices in the country. According to the report, preference towards the application of natural Vitamin E in animal feed is expected to pick up in the country, in the next couple of years, which is almost negligible or very low at present. The Indian natural vitamin E market is composed of dietary supplements, fortified food & beverages and cosmetics. Dietary supplements segment leads the market followed by food & beverages. With the expansion of Indian nutraceutical market, the demand for vitamins has been increased in the country over the years. Global leading nutraceutical companies such as Amway and Herbalife are investing in manufacturing nutraceuticals in India, either directly or through contract manufacturers.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai has launched ‘Arola Musica’ at the Two-Michelin Star Chef Sergi Arola restaurant. Combining electronic beats with acoustic instruments, authentic Spanish tapas and signature drinks, Arola Musica can infuse the taste of music into your senses. Arola Musica, in association with Electric Zoo Goa, is bringing in local and international DJs for the fusion nights every Friday and Saturday. The impressive lineup of artists includes DJ Shy-O (France), DJ Raimund Imo (Germany), DJ Christ Burstein (Argentina), DJ Johnny Deep (UK) along with acoustic musicians like saxophonist Shirish Malhotra (India), drummer Victoria Bourke (UK) and percussionist Lalit Rawat (India). Comenting on this association, Pavithran Nambiar, General Manager of JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai, said, “Over the years, JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai has earned an iconic status in the city and has always been at the forefront of hospitality excellence. With the launch of Arola Musica, we will offer a fresh and modern nightlife experience to our guests, who can now complement delicious Spanish cuisine with great music at Arola.”

Feb-Mar ’14

REPORT

The Benefits of Rice Bran Oil

Indrajit Saha Sofitel Luxury Hotels, the luxury brand of the Accor Group has announced that Indrajit Saha has been appointed as the Executive Chef of their flagship property in India, Sofitel Mumbai BKC. Lending his expertise in the culinary industry, Chef Saha assures connoisseurs that he will raise the bar of excellence. On completing his graduation from I.H.M Kolkata, he perused his post-graduation from the Oberoi School of Learning and Development in Kitchen Management. Creating unique and innovative dishes, Chef Saha has gathered invaluable experiences with international hospitality brands in Maldives, Thailand, Djibouti, and Seychelles. Responsible for overseeing the gastronomic vertical of the hotel, Chef Saha joins Sofitel Mumbai BKC with over 16 years of experience in the hospitality sector. “I am proud to be associated with Sofitel Mumbai BKC that is known for its modern and contemporary French outlook coupled with Indian tradition,” said Chef Saha.

Kamani Oil Industries Pvt Ltd, the leading manufacturer of specialty oils and fats in the country, recently participated in an extensive survey and released a white paper addressing the health benefits of rice bran oil. Various studies on rice bran oil revealed that RBO is the closest to having the best balance of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as recommended by reputed health organisations such as the American Heart Association (AHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It is the oil of choice for improving serum cholesterol levels and keeping heart diseases at bay. A comparison with various edible oils such as olive oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil and peanut oil also revealed that rice bran oil is a very balanced and versatile oil in the market and closest to the AHA recommendations. It is a superior salad, cooking, and frying oil which leaves no lingering after taste. It mixes better in salad dressings and improves the taste of baked goods. Moreover, rice bran oil helps in cholesterol management and hence has good nutritional value. Kamani Oil Industries launched Riso - 100% Rice Bran Oil in July 2011, which has also won Product of the Year Award 2013 in edible oil category, in a consumer survey conducted by Nielsen across 23 markets in India. Riso is unique because it has a high smoke point that prevents breakdown at hotter temperatures, and it is endowed with a low absorb technology. Riso retains the essential vitamins, nutrients and natural anti-oxidants like oryzanol, making it ideal for daily consumption. Vinay Chawla, Director, Kamani Oil industries Pvt. Ltd. said, “Contrary to popular belief, edible oil forms an essential and an integral part of a daily diet. Riso Rice Bran Oil was launched with the idea of combining health and taste for a superior palatable experience.”

The Brew Could Become Dearer Though the coffee café market is getting crowded, but still the price of coffee is expected to go costlier in the coming months, as the drought in Brazil is increasing the bean prices. In such a scenario, the cafes and restaurants which source exotic beans for their coffees and coffee-based concoctions are likely to increase the prices of their brew offerings. And it has not helped that sugar and milk prices have also gone up in the recent past. K. Ramakrishnan, the President-Marketing, Café Coffee Day said that price hikes of products at Café Coffee Day is on the cards. However these proposed price hikes at CCD are perhaps not much due to the increase in coffee bean prices in abroad as Café Coffee Day sources lots of beans from domestic market only, but more due to the increase in other raw material prices like that of milk. However, other coffee café chains like Costa Coffee and Coffee World are not in price hike mood in the near future despite hikes in raw material prices.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’14

REPORT

Innovative Dishwasher from Electrolux Professional running costs when compared to similar competitor models. As with the rest of the Electrolux Professional green&clean dishwashers, the compact rack type comes equipped with the Electrolux Professional Energy Saving Device (ESD); a highly efficient water pre-heating system that recovers steam to create a comfortable working environment. The new dishwasher also facilitates to provide high levels of hygiene, easy operations and cleanliness with its automatic dump and fill process. This innovative technology utilises an independent pre-wash tank that uses low temperature water to avoid proteins sticking to wares. The dishwasher also has the Electrolux Professional’s WASH•SAFE CONTROL system which can ensure high performance rinsing with a constant temperature over 84°C, leading to total detergent removal. It also comes with market leading safety features. The dishwasher is optimised for visibility and easy operations with an LCD

Electrolux Professional offers food service and laundry solutions to a wide variety of customers around the world. Its products cater to a wide number of sectors, ranging from restaurants and hotels to healthcare and other service facilities. The company has recently launched a new compact rack type dishwasher for the Asian market, thus enhancing the existing line of Electrolux green&clean sustainable dishwashing solutions presently available. Developed to ensure that operators looking to clean up to 250 racks of dishes per hour are being satisfied, the new Electrolux Professional compact rack type dishwasher is suitable for high productivity kitchens in hotels and restaurants where space is often a constraint. The new dishwasher not only offers productivity and space saving benefits. According to a company press release, it also presents cost reduction opportunities for operators of up to 19 percent on ○

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display incorporating icons and texts in multiple languages. The simple plug-in design also leads to easy installation with fully external predisposal for water and chemicals. Importantly, operators will not need to open the machine to introduce water and detergents. Riccardo Marzapani, Head of Dishwashing Category at Electrolux Professional, said, “We have engineered the compact rack type dishwasher with common kitchen frustrations in mind, and foresee it to save both time and money for the operators. The appliance is designed with reliability in mind, and works well even in the most extreme environmental conditions such as high humidity”. “The control panel on the dish washer is also incredibly easy to use because of the multiple languages available and clear animated icons. This can be a real advantage for high productivity kitchens with multinational staff, and guarantees peace of mind for those in charge,” he pointed out. ○

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The Gastronomic Ssence

The Suryaa New Delhi has introduced a new restaurant named Ssence. It has an impressive repertoire of international and local delicacies on offer. Ssence offers global classics like handtossed Italian pizzas, Spanish paella and stone grilled meats. At the same time on offer are Arif Qureishi’s (from the famed Tunde Mian family) galauti kababs, nalli, and sheermal. At the Ssence one can explore a diverse gastronomic journey ranging from Britain’s favourite Bacon Butty sandwiches to the evergreen Indian

classic kesar parantha rolls Asparagus Risotto, Green Cornfield Chicken, Mint & Chocolate Opera, Crème Brulee are some of the must try dishes at the restaurant. While keeping with the health trend of today, Ssence also has pro health cuisine choices as part of the buffet. One can pick up fresh croissant or focaccia from the Live Oven at the restaurant. The salad counter at the restaurant is abundant with a variety of must-try greens and much more. One can satiate one’s sweet tooth at the teppanyaki ice cream station. The bar at the restaurant supplements the sumptuous delights with its heady offerings, which includes a selection of delightful and refreshing fresh fruit juice cocktails and mocktails. “The concept of Ssence is full of fresh and groundbreaking ideas to dish up international select classics. Our General Manager, Pankaj Mathur and Chef Sanjay

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Bahl have played a great role in the creation of this international restaurant which will be a benchmark for other restaurants to follow in terms of the food, design, technology and service. It will have a significant impact on the city’s hospitality scene. We are looking to give Delhi a great new destination for the best of global cuisine,” elaborated JMD of The Suryaa New Delhi, Luv Malhotra. “It has been a great journey in the crafting of the menu for Ssence. We have

a great team and each dish will surprise you with the innovation and chemistry that goes behind it,” expressed Chef Sanjay Bahl, the Director, Food & Beverage of the hotel.

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

FOCUS

Ready for the Ready-to-Eat Fazlani Foods is growing in popularity in the ready-to-eat segment of the Indian food & beverage industry. Fazlani Foods is a division of Fazlani Exports, one of the largest exporters of spices from India. Fazlani Foods’ range consists of ready-to-eat vegetable curries, seafood curries, rice, pickles, chutneys, cooking pastes, jams, Indian sweets and a large variety of other ready-to-eat meals.

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We are exporting our products to the GCC market, to the Pacific market, to Europe, Africa, and also to central and South America. With the types of cuisines available in India, we have a lot of variety to offer to different markets. Could you give a brief on Fazlani Exports?

Fazlani Exports is the group company of SEPL(Sopariwala Exports Private Limited), which has earned a name for itself in producing sesame seeds and spices for the B2B market.

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Which are the countries you are exporting? What do you believe are the prospects in those countries, both for your products and for ready-to-eat Indian food in general?

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Looking at the convenience factor, the future of ready-to-eat market will see a variety of cuisines and will have customised products.

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What do you feel are the future prospects for ready-toeat food in India?

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We understand the need for healthy food. We plan to have some gluten-free products. We are working on reducing the sugar content from lot of our desserts (like from our gajjar ka halwa, etc). We are also looking at organic products which we could come up with. However, at present, these plans are under R&D stage.

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People, at present, are becoming health conscious. Are your products meant for the health conscious? If so, please elaborate.

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products is growing in India. Especially in the cosmopolitan cities of the country where people have less time to spend on their cooking, this market will only grow further. With these factors in mind and the growth expected on the FDI in retail, we feel this is in fact the best time to enter the ready-to-eat segment in India.

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The market for ready-to-eat

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Ready-to-eat food have become common. Don’t you feel you have been late in entering the market?

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Our product range is made from special ingredients from Northern India. On the packaging front we have gone a step ahead in convenience by having self printed microwaveable pouches. I may add that our products are reflections of truly traditional classic Indian recipes made in Northern India by highly skilled professional Chefs, which cater to the discerning tastes of food lovers worldwide. Fazlani Foods can be described as a touch of home cooking made simple! Our products provide a range of wholesome, tasty, value-added meals. We offer superior products at affordable prices. Our recipes are made from the finest ingredients and spices, and we have been adhering to the highest international standards of quality and hygiene, including Halal, HACCP and ISO 22000:2005 certification.

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How are your products different from those of other manufacturers already in the field?

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According to Iqbal Fazlani, Managing Director, Fazlani Exports Pvt. Ltd., the company has already carved a niche for itself in the spices field, and is now set to create a name for itself in the ready-to-eat segment. In an exclusive interview with Ashok Malkani he said that Fazlani Foods was ideally positioned to become an international household name. The excerpts from the interview with Fazlani follow:

What made you venture into the ready-to-eat segment, from the spices field?

Spices business is there to stay but the time is changing. With less time to spend on cooking, the ready-to-eat food market is the future. Our vision is for the future. By 2025 India will have more than 60 percent of the population under 30 years and many of them would not like to go and buy spices and pulses and cook their own food. They would like their meal ready to be served.

Feb-Mar ’14

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

COVER STORY

The Happening F&B Trends Preparation of menus is a creative exercise that is generally undertaken by the F&B Managers and Chefs. The menus need to be updated from time to time with the objective of offering something new to the regular diners. These professionals have to offer an assortment of culinary concoctions to ensure that their guests’ fast evolving expectations are not only met but are exceeded. The menus for the restaurants should be prepared while keeping in mind the diet trends prevalent amongst the target diners of the restaurants. While preparing their menus, the F&B Managers and the Chefs should not only be aware of the present trends, but also anticipate the F&B trends of the near future. Today in the post-modern India there is a huge segment of diners, who are more interested than ever before, in what they eat and where that food has come from. The menu therefore, needs to feature dishes that could satisfy these discerning patrons. Ashok Malkani finds that the food & beverage trends – as compared to the fads – show the evolution of our modern society, over time. They reflect the knowledge that restaurant guests’ has acquired about health foods, and about the ingredients being used. Here some new food & beverage trends are being explored upon which can facilitate the F&B Managers and the Chefs to create new menus for today and tomorrows.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’14

COVER STORY

he culinary sector in the hospitality industry has always to be on its toes. The F&B Managers and Chefs have to concoct gastronomic delights which are pleasing to the eye and the taste buds. And they also have to keep track of the guests’ changing tastes. As the food trends change fast, the need for innovation in their profession is essential. The F&B managers and Chefs often need to prepare new menus at regular intervals to cater to the changing tastes of their target consumers. For example, partaking of local cuisines with international appeal is one of the evolving trends in the Indian food service industry. Chef Kunal Kapoor believes that restaurants during the current year and the next year will continue to prepare local

Feb-Mar ’14

cuisines with international cooking techniques.

Stress on Health Factor Indrajit Saha, Executive Chef at Sofitel Mumbai BKC averred, “As the society evolves and people get more health conscious, the demand for wholesome, tasty yet healthy food is on the rise. The latest menu trend is a melange of molecular food, organic products, low oil food and vegetarian food. And this trend is here to stay.” Vishal Gaikwad , Restaurant Manager at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune - Chinchwad agrees with this. “Over the last few years I have noticed that diners have become quite health conscious and demand to be served food made with fresh organic ingredients. This is why most Chefs now prefer to use locally available fruits and vegetables rather than imported

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

items in the kitchen,” he observed. Justin Paul, Head Chef, Golden Peacock Restaurant, at The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, believes that healthy concepts are ‘in’ “At Golden Peacock we have started using organic products. In the future, we are planning to start an Ayurvedic menu and special diet for yoga. We will reduce the number of ingredients which have high fat content,” he expressed. “Our menus are already engineered with a concept of superfoods. The most important thing for everyone to know is that superfoods are easy to find in every local supermarket. And they are worth looking for!” articulated Gurpreet Sethi, Food and Beverage Manager, The Westin Mumbai Garden City. “These nutritional powerhouse food products are loaded with nutrients which are crucial to a healthy, long life. If you can include a variety of them in your diet, everyday, we promise they will change your life! These food products were chosen because they contain high concentrations of crucial nutrients, as well as the fact that many of them are low in calories. Food containing these crucial nutrients has proven to help prevent and, in some cases, reverse the well-known effects of aging, including cardiovascular. Our associates who serve and cook for guests are trained to promote superfoods in every interaction with guests at our dining venues,” added Sethi. Gaikwad feels that the future menus would lay stress on gluten-free items. “There has been the trend of

COVER STORY introduction of gluten-free items in menus. People with Celiac disease (a disorder causing intolerance to gluten) are not the only ones steering clear of gluten but even those looking to shed some extra flab prefer to give it a miss. Chefs increasingly face the challenge of providing gluten-free options to their guests. Sometimes, the best option is to offer guests something that is naturally gluten-free as opposed to trying to remove gluten (a protein) from a dish that is already prepared. Moreover, restaurants like ours go out of their way to woo vegetarians. We have a lot of vegetarian options on the menu as well as on the buffet,” elaborated Gaikwad. Krishna Rao, F&B Manager at The Mirador Mumbai, while conceding that health issues are going to influence the future menus, added, “Latest favourites are European and Asian cuisines. Asian fare has a wider variety as compared to European. However what trend will continue to prevail is dependent on the guests visiting the food outlets.” According to him, Asian cuisine has more vegetarian dishes as compared to the European. Rao informs that health concept has already taken a pride of place in their restaurant, House of Asia. “The norm is to steam, teppanyaki, stir fry and grill. We also offer freshly made salads and sugar free desserts. However, it may be mentioned that very few guests (say about 2 percent) opt for this type of fare. There is a rare request for gluten free, nuts free fare. We have a health menu where we offer nutritious well prepared meals – using only quality ingredients – at a rational

Gurpreet Sethi

popular menu items are Choosa Khass Makhani, Lamb Rogan Josh and Dal Son Mor,” said Paul while adding, “Our next menu will have more sustainable seafood and Indian vegetable dishes.”

Future Tastes

Vishal Gaikwad

price,” said Rao candidly. “The trends of induction of live stations and ‘individualised’ dishes on buffet tables are now becoming standard across the industry. Besides these, there has been a shift in the industry’s perception of Chefs. The Chefs are no longer seen as mere ‘cooks’ by guests and/or employers. The dishes most in demand are the local favourites and they will continue to be so in the coming years, particularly with the number of expats we have had,” concurred Gaikwad while discussing on the food service trends. Sethi described the challenges involved in preparation of the menus for his diners. He disclosed, “Our a la carte menus at our signature restaurant ‘Seasonal Tastes’ are focused on a holistic picture, offering a variety of choices in cooking styles, where appetisers and pre meal bites are represented fairly, along with large portions of main courses. The menu representation is simple with popular and time-tested preparations. This is synonymous with the quick and prompt service expectations which most of our guests expect form an all day dining destination.” “At the same time our specialty venues ‘Kangan’, with its North Indian cuisine , and ‘Prego’, with its Italian cuisine, focus on listing a variety of authentic preparations, however limiting the list to one which is easy to chose from and not too lengthy,” Sethi pointed out. “Our menu at the Golden Peacock uses healthy concepts, and we do use organic products. Some of our most

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Speaking about the likely dishes to be introduced in the menu of the restaurants at The Westin Mumbai Garden City through the year, Sethi disclosed, “Prego will launch the best of Milanese favourites. Our new Italian Chef Fabio hails from the country’s fashion capital Milan and reflects the artistic talent in his presentations. We will unfold some beautiful ‘colour on the plate’ with Fabio’s imported Italian herbs, meats and vegetables.” While talking about culinary updations at Kangan he said, “Kangan has always been popular for North Indian cuisine. We plan to feature the lip smacking original recipes from the undivided Punjab, during the Baisakhi month in April. We will do an Indian regional festival every quarter. At

Seasonal Tastes we will be introducing fresh seasonal ingredients in the menus and especially in its buffets, which are the talk of the town,” Sethi continued. The youth factor today plays a prominent role in the success of an eating outlet. Today’s youth has international exposure through travels, television and Internet. She/he is thus likely to be aware of different international cuisines. However, the restaurateurs feel that the stress would be on wellness food, irrespective of the cusine – whether they be Indian, Thai,

Feb-Mar ’14

COVER STORY Italian, Mexican, etc. “The cooking styles for the future menus would be based on organic items. The most preferred, according to me, would be steam cooking, sautee and grilled food. Deep frying would not be preferred. The most in demand, besides Indian cooking, would be Japanese, Chinese and Italian,” pointed out Rao. Saha too felt that wellness cuisine would steal a march over everything else. He said, “In my opinion the secret will lie in ‘wellness cuisine’ irrespective of the region it comes from. “Exploring the origins of Indian cuisine and reproducing authentic Italian cuisine form regions of Italy will always be popular choices,” opined Sethi. “The Asian style of cooking like steaming, grilling and stir frying are ever gaining popularity,” expressed Gaikwad. Paul is of the view that Indian food would take precedence over other cuisines. “Indian food is a very healthy cuisine, because we use all natural ingredients and cooking styles like tandoori ovens, pan-frying, and clay pots. However I would hasten to add that we cannot say one country’s cooking style is healthier than the other. All countries have their own special cooking style for promoting health and wellness,” he aired.

Rising Popularity of Vegetarian Options The popularity of vegetarianism and adhering to vegan diet is also a happening trend in the food service industry. “There has been an

Indrajit Saha

increasing trend towards vegan diet during the last few years. Quite a few international travellers are also observing veganism. As far as nonvegetarian food is concerned the favourites for future menus would be seafood, particularly fish. Chicken too would continue to find a place of pride,” said Sethi. Saha concurs with Sethi’s views about the rising popularity of vegetarian food. “The benefits of vegetarianism or incorporating more vegetables in one’s diet are far and wide. In keeping with this fact, more and more people are opting for the vegetarian main dishes or the vegetarian accompaniments in restaurants,’ he proffered. However, he opined that the “The popularity of

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

North Indian dishes would continue, followed by South Indian and a scatter of different regional delights.” Rao however disclosed that his menus would experiment more with non-vegetarian dishes as the guests in his restaurant preferred non-vegetarian dishes with poultry and seafood leading the show. “People go for vegetarian dishes during puja/festival time. Mughlai and Awadhi cuisine would lead the way followed by South Indian cuisine,” Rao expressed while discussing on the comparative popularities of various facets of Indian cuisine in the days to come. Veggies would find prominence on Gaikwad’s menus. This is because according to him, “guests have become more health conscious and we have found them preferring veggies and white meat more than red meat options. White meat is preferred over red meat as the former is healthy, light, and easy on the heart.” He agreed that North Indian cuisine is in demand and will continue to dominate menus. Paul believes that most of the Indian guests visiting his restaurant in Macau favour the vegetarian selection, while some other guests tend to choose non-vegetarian dishes. “As far as nonvegetarian options go, Indians tend to prefer poultry and lamb, while others lean towards seafood,” he informed.

Experimental Cooking Since the last couple of years there has been excitement revolving around experimental cooking and this trend is expected to continue. Rao says that the popularity for experimentation will grow due to the popularity of the electronic media. “Experimental cuisine is synonymous with modern cuisine and is Chef ’s expression of creativity. A good Chef is known by his/her ability to play with ingredients and infuse flavours that gives a whole new meaning to his/her creation. Dishes like Egg in Nature Soil where inspirations are drawn from nature and the whole chicken egg is prepared lying in a soil is a good example in the use of modern cuisine,” observed Saha. In fact, experimental cuisine is gaining currency in the Indian food service sector day by day. “Recently

Feb-Mar ’14

COVER STORY

our Pastry Chef, Manoj has come up with Nitrogen Ice Cream which is proving quite popular,” informed Gaikwad. “We have been experimenting with slow cooking, smoking, preserves and pickles,” disclosed Paul.

Live Stations Live stations proved quite popular last year and they are going to continue during this year too is the opinion among almost all the food service experts whom this writer talked with. Sethi states that this is mainly because eyeappeal “is the key to indulgence and appreciation of food begins with the viewing of the cooking process. All our F&B destinations have ‘at site’ cooking.” “Prego has the entire Italian kitchen within the venue, a wood fired pizza oven, and a rotisserie for roast meats. We have a homemade pasta roller, which often has guests walking up for a preview of their meal. At Seasonal Tastes we always have live stations at our buffets for breakfast, lunch or dinner,” elaborated Sethi. “Live stations have become popular. Their popularity will, in fact, increase more in the near future. Live stations are also very cost-effective. We have live stations in our new outlet, House of Asia, in both sections – Indian and Oriental. The purpose is to serve hot and fresh food to guests. Dishes served at our live stations are dimsums, sumai, teppanyaki , wok rice and noodles, tawa parathas, tikkis, kebabs from lava grill, dals and home style cooked vegetarian dishes,” informed Rao. “Live stations are fun, give out a trendy vibe and have an informal feel to eating food. The best part of live stations is you can take in the aroma of the food whilst it is being put together. The most popular live station counters are that of pasta and chaats. This is one trend that is here to stay for sure,” asserted Saha.

Reducing Portions?

Krishna Rao

Feb-Mar ’14

Most of the restaurants have reduced the portions so that the diners could experiment more.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

COVER STORY This was the trend last year and it is likely to continue this year too. Rao said that this was common particularly for hitea and business meets. He stated, “To keep this trend alive we have started small individual portions in starters, salads and desserts, on the buffet. This reduces the wastage.” Paul also informed that “Some of our special Chef ’s choice set dinner menus serve 7 to 11 courses, but in smaller portions.” “”While we have quite a few people who prefer small dainty portions, we also have a lot of people who love to share. So we have a fair balance of ‘petit yet beautiful’ with the generous and wholesome portions on our menus,” stated Gaikwad. However, this petit portion concept does not find favour with all. Sethi is completely against this idea of small portion sizes. “Our specialty venues are often frequented by families and groups. We believe in community dining, in the concept of sharing dishes. Hence we have always featured large portions, which are also perceived as value for money. After all, ‘Eat Well’ is a belief we promote actively,” he declared.

Drinking to Your Health

“As far as alcohol trends goes, in India we have long way to go. Except for some reputed five-star hotels and the best stand-alone restaurants, there is no awareness about the beverage trends,” lamented Rao, while adding, “As of now, cocktails that are fruit, vegetable, herb, tea or coffee based are proving popular. The spirits used are beer and wine.” Gaikwad states that the alcohol trend in food service is focused on usage of fresh fruits and fresh juices. “The signatures are still popular like Cosmopolitan, Long Island Iced Tea, Mojitos, etc. Single Malts are gaining popularity and with proper education our focus would be towards Cognacs and cigars.” “Bogmalo Beach, Bharat Mary, Slumdog M, Bombay Martini and Frozen Alphonso Margarita are the trendsetters,” informed Paul. Sethi has listed four trends which are prevalent in the Indian food service industry as far as beverages are concerned. “Trend one is the use of fresh fruits and vegetables in juices, in natural forms. We are introducing a concept of ‘Drink Well,’ which lays emphasis on indulging in certain Ingredient Issues concoctions of alcoholic beverages and While the dishes need to be cocktails, which are crafted with meticulously planned for the menu, the ingredients which assist in cleansing ingredients also form an essential part of the food service industry. With health and does have detoxifying properties. being a top priority what would be the Furthermore, we use ingredients from future of the ingredients used in future? our Superfoods program to encourage Rao believes that “Olive oil, sesame oil, and inculcate healthy drinking options Sumac spice, saffron, 5 spice, freshly for our guests. The toxic effects of grounded black pepper and paprika, alcoholic beverages get neutralised by cajun spice, rock salt, light soya, rice the cleansing agents used in the vinegar, vegetables, babycorn, broccoli, cocktail mix. The bartenders brief our asparagus, pakchoy” guests on this unique would be among the list program paired with a of priorities in the degree of showmanship ingredients section. Sethi and flair,” he rattled. states that processed food “Trend two is products, artificial drinking wines which colouring or flavouring are low in alcohol should be avoided. content and moderating Among the preferred consumption to fewer ingredients which does rounds of drinks. A have a bright future in the glass of champagne or a Indian restaurant business wine or even a few in the near future there rounds of beer are are fresh herbs, extra increasingly becoming virgin olive oil, truffles, the choices for exotic spices, homemade discerning business spice powders, and travellers, as compared Justin Paul organic ingredients. to hearty spirits,”

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

expressed Sethi as he went on exploring the third trend. “The third trend is towards jellies and mousse-based appetisers and ‘fun food products’ like popcorn, candy floss balls, macaroons. They are laced with liqueurs or champagne to allow a short and quick pick at some small form of alcoholic indulgence, without getting obvious about the ‘alcoholic’ label. A quick break from dancing at a disco or toasting to celebrate an occasion is no longer trendy with a glass in hand, rather it is with a pop-in of any of these finger food cocktails. “And finally the mixology contests are the ‘in’ things among socialites. They often ask bar tenders to spread out a list of their favourite ingredients at the counter and love to get involved with the selection; pairing and mixing of spirits or liqueurs with mixers to come up with their favorite cocktail recipes. A contest for the best cocktail encourages more participation and the prize and praise for the winners symbolise a hall of fame like recognition which is an elating experience. We undertake this exercise at our all day dining destination, Seasonal Tastes. Also, every Sunday we have ‘Muddle Club,’ a platform for our guests to engage in muddling fresh fruit and herbs/ spices with spirits and come up with their version of a Mojito or Caipiroska. Sethi believes that all these beverage trends are likely to continue through the year. So the inclination for the listings on the fine dining menu card this year is going to be based on the choice of the health conscious diners who want to splurge and yet not want to have an upset stomach or a hangover. This is going to be a difficult task but not an impossible one. And the Indian F&B sector is ready to enthral the diners with a healthy and sumptuous fare. ■

Feb-Mar ’14

BUSINESS

Packaging a Growth Story

During the nascent years of the 20th century, most food were sold loose and were placed directly into the shoppers’ bags. Packaging and advertising were in their infancy. Today packaging is a huge industry. Often packaging determines the purchase of the product. Today, attractiveness of packaging of the foodstuff on the shelves often plays a major role in influencing purchasing decisions in the product’s favour. Packaging is an important facilitator towards marketing of the products. It attracts, protects, and also ensures longer shelf life of the products, and also provides relevant information about the products, which could be crucial. For food products these relevant and crucial information include the food products’ nutritional value, prices, expiry dates, etc. With increase in demand for processed food in the post-modern India, particularly during the recent years, the Indian food packaging industry has received an impetus, thereby providing a good opportunity for entrepreneurs to enter the field. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the potential of the food packaging industry in India in the backdrop of our prevalent socio-economic factors. Various types of packaging solutions are also pointed out.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’14

BUSINESS

ccording to the Union Minister for State for Commerce and Industry E M Sudarsana Natchiappan, the annual turnover of Indian packaging industry will reach 32 billion USD by 2025. The Minister also informed that presently, the annual turnover of the Indian packaging industry was 24.6 billon USD, whereas the global turnover of the packaging industry was 550 billion USD. Natchiappan said that the annual growth rate of the Indian packaging sector was about 15 percent per annum. However, despite the impressive growth, the Indian packaging industry is still much smaller as compared to the global standards. India’s per capita consumption of packaging products is only 0.3 kg, which is extremely dismal as compared to Japan’s 15 kg or 13 kg in USA, 11 kg in EU or 5kg in China. These figures, in the backdrop of the present socio-economic climate of India portends to a huge untapped potential for the Indian packaging industry, where food packaging plays a crucial role.

Feb-Mar ’14

Protection, Information and Promotion Food packaging is needed for protection of food, for enhancing its shelf life, for providing relevant and vital information about the food product, and also to enhance the attractiveness of the product. In other words, it facilitates protection of the food products, dissemination of information about the food products and also marketing of the food products. Packaging of food facilitates

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

in protection of, information about and promotion of the food products. The protection element of food packaging can entail protection from shock, vibration, tampering, extreme weather conditions, dust, water vapour, etc. For preventing oxygen contamination desiccants are often being used. These protective measures can keep the concerned food in the package clean and fresh for long time, thereby extending the shelf life of the product. For packaged food products,

BUSINESS special or modified atmosphere inside the package is also common. The protective element of packaging can greatly help in preventing spoilage and contamination of the products, and in this way packaging makes the product economically viable. Security in shipping of packaged food products can be increased through tamperresistant and tamper-evident seals. Nitrogen flushing is an important preservation technique that helps in packaging of products like coffee beans, wafers, and crisps. One can say that packaging of food products plays a major role in making the food products available and fit for consumption for the end consumers much after its date of production. The information element of food packaging can include information about nutritional value of the food product, its ingredients, pricing, expiry date, etc. This helps the consumers to know what she/he is getting from the product, and thereby facilitates transparency between the producer and the consumers. And imaginativeness does play a huge role in enhancing the attractiveness of packaging solutions for food products.

Types of Packaging Great packaging may increase the cost of food products, but it also generally greatly enhances the value of those products in the market, which facilitates the entrepreneur to get the desired price or a profitable price for her/his products. Today retort packaging, and biodegradable packaging are some of the effective

solutions to enhance the shelf life of the food products. In the organised food processing segment, the ‘handsfree packaging’ which is also known as ‘aseptic packaging’ is getting popular and prevalent. Tetra Pak aseptic processes are very much relevant for packaging of liquids. Tetra Pak is the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Tetra Pak aseptic processes allow liquid food to retain colour, texture, natural taste and nutritional value for up to 12 months, without the need for preservatives or refrigeration. The combination of aseptic processing and packaging reduces waste, makes distribution extremely cost-efficient and converts the product into a consumer-ready format. It also helps producers to reach their consumers in remote locations. Here it deserves a mention that all of Tetra Pak’s aseptic carton packages are made of renewable materials and recyclable paperboard and no refrigeration is needed while storing or distributing them. The Indian packaging industry can be demarcated into rigid packaging and flexible packaging solutions. Approximately 78 percent of the total packaging market in India comprises rigid packaging, whereas the remaining 22 percent is catered to by flexible packaging. However, the bulk packaging segment under flexible packaging is growing fast in the country. In terms of product composition of packaging in India, it can be said that food & beverage accounts for almost 85 percent of the packaging in India.

Classification of Packaging By Material Rigid Packaging • Bottle, Metal Can • Wooden Box • Metal Box, etc Semi Rigid Packaging • Carton Box • Plastic Bottle Flexible Packaging • Paper, Plastic • Film, Alu-Foil • Cellophane By Method (Way of Packaging) • Vacuum Packaging • Aseptic Packaging • Retortable Packaging • Shrink Packaging • Strip Packaging • Gas Flush Packaging • Moisture – Proof Packaging • Blister Packaging • Skin Packaging • Tamper – Evidence Packaging • Others Metals, plastic, glass, liquid cartons, laminated pouches are some of the prevalent materials used for packaging of food & beverages in India. Metal packaging is seen in India for beverages like beer, soft drinks and health drinks. In India alcoholic beverages and soft drinks also come in glass packaging. Rigid packaging material finds usage in all packaging related applications and is fast replacing traditional packaging materials like metal cans and glass bottles. The major materials in rigid plastics are PET, PP and HDPE. Thin walled plastic containers have seen a huge demand boost in retail trade sectors. A new trend is the increasing usage of flexible films in beverage and water packaging. With innovative materials being used this category is likely to see a very high growth. For flavoured milk, lassi, juices, soya based drinks liquid cartons have gained currency.

Packing the Potential Aggressive branding, enhanced competition and introduction of sophisticated technology have facilitated the impressive growth of the food packaging industry of the country

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’14

BUSINESS areas have greater potential for packaging solutions. Moreover, there is no denying the fact that despite the increase in disposable incomes in select pockets of urban India, majority of India still has limited purchasing power as compared to that of the developed world. In this regard the diversity in packaging solutions can be very much helpful for India, as many of the Indians would prefer their food products in small packages. In fact, great variety in packaging solutions is very much relevant for catering to a market like India which is characterised by extremely diversified socio-economic profile, limited purchasing power but

during the recent years. The other factor fostering the growth of the food packaging industry can be the modernisation of the retail trade in the country. India’s predominantly young population, growing middle class and growing health consciousness, and changing lifestyles are other important factors which have been conducive to the fast growth of food packaging in India. The impressive growth of the food industry in general and the processed food industry in particular in the country, during the recent years, has contributed towards the growth of food packaging in India. According to ASSOCHAM, the current size of the Indian food industry stands at Rs 2,50,000 crore per annum and it is expected to grow at 12 percent to touch a staggering Rs. 4,25,000 crore by 2018. And according to a joint study by FICCI and KPMG, India’s food processing industry is expected to reach Rs 4,00,000 crore by the next fiscal, making up for roughly 6.5 percent of India’s gross domestic product. With the impressive growth of the food industry and the food processing industry on the cards, the food packaging industry in India is expected to receive an impetus in the years to come. According to ASSOCHAM, India’s packaged food industry is expected to touch 30 billion USD by 2015. In 2012, the market size of the Indian packaged food industry stood at 15 billion USD. ASSOCHAM stated that

the Indian packaged food industry is growing at a CAGR of about 15 to 20 percent annually. The growing health awareness in the Indian society can also give an impetus to the food packaging solutions, as packaging can greatly facilitate the health quotient of the food products. In fact, it would not be far fetched to say that the growing health consciousness in urban India is getting manifested in greater demand for well packaged food products over loose food products than were before. Then the convenience factor can also give an impetus to the food packaging solutions in the country. As urban India is having less time to cook, a large chunk of its population is likely to go for packaged ready-to-eat food products than opting for cooking at home. Here it deserves a mention that in the Indian packaged food industry during 2013 about 90 percent was accounted by the ready-to-eat segment. Besides, the new trade policy announced by the Indian government reflects an increased concentration on agro-based industries which is expected to give an impetus to the packaged food industry. There is a target of setting up 30 mega food parks by 2015, which again can give a boost to the food packaging industry. To give a fillip to the food processing sector, the Government of India has allowed 100 percent FDI under the automatic route in the food processing sector, in agriproducts, milk and milk products, and marine and meat products. All of these

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still with a huge aspirational crowd. Already products like ketchup, seasonings, etc. are sold in small laminated pouches and various other products like biscuits, chocolates are sold across variable packaging options to cater to a diversified market, and with the passage of years more and more food products with varied packaging solutions is likely to invade the market. This in turn can give a fillip to the Indian food packaging industry. Especially, if the food & beverage players intend to more effectively tap the huge potential of the rural market, they need to resort not only to more affordable pricing but also to more affordable packaging of products in smaller pack sizes. With the increasing concentration towards rural marketing, manufacturers have already introduced low-priced food as well as beverage in smaller pack sizes. The major products seen in this sector are 200ml packs of aerated and fresh beverages, 50gm pouches for the crispies and chips segment and Rs. 2/3 packs of biscuits, ketchup sachets, etc. * With inputs from Swarnendu Biswas

Feb-Mar ’14

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

F E AT U R E

Uniquely

Themed By Swarnendu Biswas

ccording to ‘India Food Services Report 2013’ of National Restaurant Association of India, the size of the total Indian food service market was Rs. 247,680 crore in 2013, which is projected to grow to Rs.408,040 crore, with a CAGR of 11 percent. However, despite such optimistic predictions it also seems that the continuation of the steep inflation coupled with sluggishness in the economy even for over the next one year can result in significantly impeding the rate of escalation of revenues of the

Indian food service industry as a whole. If the Indian restaurant goers continue to have less money after spending on essentials, they are likely to decrease the frequency of their restaurant visits in increasing numbers, or may chose a more affordable restaurant option over a more classy and expensive one for their eating out visits. If the current state of economy continues, such a possibility will be very much an imminent reality. In such a case, the revenues of the restaurant business, particularly the revenues of the fine dining restaurant business, are likely to not receive

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

encouraging enhancement in the shortrun, which is always necessary to tackle the increased cost of production, and meet the demands of growth. Moreover, the inflation, which is often becoming unmanageable at times, can easily lead to increased cost of production in the restaurant business, which in these sluggish times cannot be always complemented by appropriate price rise in dishes without increasing the possibility of affecting the restaurant revenues. The food service industry in India can however tackle the issue of inflation,

Feb-Mar ’14

F E AT U R E

Restaurants recession and unfair taxation by infusion of more creativity, which can help a given restaurant to stand out from the crowd and thereby bring in the desired number and profile of crowds, yes even in these troubled times. One of the most innovative ways for a restaurant to get its desired numbers of footfalls with the desired socio-economic profile is to position itself with some innovative theme/s. It is because as a result of the influences of globalisation, the expectations from a restaurant among a section of eating out crowd in urban India has shown perceptible changes. Ideal dinning out is increasingly being perceived by them as much more than quality food in good ambience. They are now wanting out of the box eating out options, and if the restaurateurs can provide them with a totally out-of-theworld dining experience, a section of restaurant goers would not be reluctant to pay highly, even with the threat of recessionary pressures compromising their lifestyles. However, fine dining restaurants with common themes are not likely to draw huge crowds for very long if the trend of slow growth and high inflation continues for a year or two.

Wildlife as Theme One such example of unique theme can be a restaurant themed on wildlife, where the doors of the restaurant can simulate the wide mouth of a huge crocodile or a dinosaur. As soon as the guests arrive before the door, the mouth could automatically

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open to give the necessary thrill. Surely, this would make eating out an adventure of sorts. The waiters, cashiers, DJs, etc. of the given restaurant can be dressed as different animals in the zoo (monkey, bear, lion, etc.), which I am sure would create much fascination among the children and also the young at heart. A man in lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garb taking your orders can immensely add to the fun of eating out. An environment of jungle inside the restaurant where frequent (but not continuously) musical sounds similar to the roar of lion or trumpet of elephant can add to the overall feel. The wildlife theme can be extended to the menu too by naming many dishes appropriately, and of course, the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name should also resonate wildlife or the characteristics of some wild animal. Some

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

animated tribal music in the background can be the icing on the cake. The wildlife-oriented theme can be further extended by creating a restaurant with the Jurassic age or for that matter the Triassic age theme, with huge models of life like dinosaurs, resembling their real life versions from those extinct ages roaming inside the dimly lit restaurant, and making thrill-infusing sounds occasionally to make the make believe world real. Of course, to create an ambience resembling a pre-historic age of dinosaurs in post-modern times would require not only high levels of designing skills, but also some sound research and imagination.

Revisiting the Past The other singular theme for restaurants

F E AT U R E

to stand out from the competition is making the restaurants appear as vignettes from ancient civilisations. For example, a restaurant resembling the day-to-day life of ancient Athens or ancient Egypt (of course the waiters, cashiers, Chefs, Managers, etc. should don costumes which are similar looking to the dresses which the people of those ancient civilisations used to wear, in order to accentuate the feel) can generate great interest among the culturally inclined dining crowd. Here again some knowledge of history and culture of the civilisation/s on which the restaurant is to be themed upon is needed by the designer in order to carry the concept successfully to reality. A historically aware dress designer is also needed to make the guests transport themselves to the past.

Cartoons with F&B Another innovative theme is to design the restaurant themed on popular cartoon characters. Not only the restaurant could have some scenes from the adventures of Tintin or Asterix or Superman, etc. depicted on its walls or tables, but the ambience can be further highlighted with the waiters dressed as Obelix(an important character in the Asterix comics series) or Captain

Haddock(an integral part of Tintin series), taking your orders. There can be a stage at the restaurant where stories from Tintin or Asterix or Superman or any other comic series can be enacted live, with the help of competent actors, while the diners enjoy their food and drinks. Not only the children would love the concept but this concept would encourage many adults to revisit their childhood days with a visit in the cartoon themed restaurant.

The Global View Here I would like to add that already the translation of these above-mentioned ideas into realities, in the abroad or even in our country, can’t be altogether ruled out. Pratap’s Wild Dining in Mumbai is a jungle themed restaurant. A Jurassic themed restaurant is there in the other side of the planet, in California, US. Then there is the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, US, where guests are treated like patients, orders are referred to as prescriptions, and scantily clad waitresses dressed as nurses serve the food. However, this hospital theme restaurant has attracted controversy even in a liberal society like the US for serving high-calorie items on the tables, having provocative names. Waitresses in provocative clothing are also a cause of

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

the restaurant’s garnering controversy. A similar kind of model is therefore seems a strict no no for a country like India where sickening moral policing by right wing fundamentalists is rampant, and where inherent perversions are often complemented by apparent show of contrived morality and political correctness. The Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok has also attracted international attention. The Cabbages & Condoms (C&C) Restaurant is uniquely decorated with condoms from all over the world plus messages and photos that support family planning. The message of safe sex is also evident in the theme of the restaurant, which is very much relevant in Thailand, where sex tourism is a disturbing trend. Moreover, the entrance of the uniquely themed restaurant will lead you first to a handicraft shop on the left hand side where Thai products including souvenirs that support family planning concept are sold, and then to the restaurant. Diners can also get a complimentary condom or two while leaving the restaurant. The restaurant was conceptualised in part to promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning and to generate income to support various development activities of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA). Here it deserves a mention that the PDA was founded in 1974 as a non-governmental organisation with the initial aim to complement the efforts of the Royal Thai Government in promoting family planning in Thailand, especially in areas where knowledge and access to services were scarce. So one can say that Cabbages & Condoms

Feb-Mar ’14

F E AT U R E Restaurant is a perfect example of a uniquely themed restaurant, which can help create awareness along with business. The Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant in Tokyo, aptly named as Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fantasy Restaurant, is also no less innovative and interesting option for having dinner. The place can help you get a wonderland feel. But all said and done, truly innovative themes are still extremely uncommon in the purview of Indian restaurant business, which our food service industry can encash to give new boost to the restaurant business and help it tide over its twin challenges of present times, that is of inflation and the looming threat of stagnation.

Basic Factors I am sure even without specilising in any uncommonly exotic cuisine, the uniquely themed restaurants, if they can conceive and execute their unique theme/s creatively and intelligently, could easily garner huge popularity. Of course, as the cost of production of such uniquely themed restaurants are likely to be much higher than restaurants with run-of-the-

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mill themes, it is likely that patrons have to shell out a comparatively higher amount to dine in such restaurants than they would pay for dining at a less creatively themed restaurant having same or similar food quality. But the guests would not mind, for dining out at such uniquely themed restaurants is likely to give them an experience worth cherishing for many years to come. It is essential to bear in mind that such unique themed restaurants must also have

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

good quality of food & beverage on offer, for like in all other facets of life, in restaurant business too without the basics often all lofty ideas fall flat. And it goes without saying that locality of such restaurants must also be carefully chosen. For example, it is better if a wildlife themed restaurant is located somewhere away from the hustle bustle of the city, and amidst quiet and scenic surroundings, which would facilitate to enhance the feel of the theme better. â&#x2013;

AGRI

The Nice Grain

By Swarnendu Biswas

he origins of rice dates beyond the arrival of human civilisation; it was discovered in pre-historic stone age, within the geography of what is now China, somewhere between 820013500 years ago. The popularity of rice spread from east Asia to south-east Asia and south Asia, and then to western Asia. From western Asia, the aroma of rice wafted to Europe, and the European colonisation introduced Americas to the rice. Today rice is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the human population, especially for the people in Asia. Brown rice is an excellent source of carbohydrate, and also contains more fibers, vitamins and minerals than white rice. However, white rice too is a good source of carbohydrate. As the white rice is devoid of the bran and the germ, it is greatly deficient in fibre and essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins which are present in brown rice in greater quantities. Rice does not contain all the essential amino acids in sufficient amounts, which are needed for good health. Therefore rice needs to be combined with other sources of proteins like beans, fish, meat, etc. in order to have a healthy diet. Rice is one of the major crops of Indian agriculture. It happens to be the staple food for the people of eastern and

southern regions of India. Predominantly hot and humid climate of India is conducive for rice production. As rice cultivation is still a labourintensive process, and as it requires great deal of water for its cultivation, rice cultivation is more suited for countries or regions where labour costs are low and which receive high rainfall, like that of India. In most parts of India, labour costs are much lower than international standards, and the weather of India is very much dependent upon the monsoons. However, in the same breath it should be pointed out that rice can be grown across varied geographies. In some of the states of India which include West Bengal, Assam and Orissa, two crops of rice are raised in a year.

Rice and the Nation India happens to be the world’s second largest producer of rice. The country has also the distinction of being a major exporter of rice in the world. By 2012, India emerged as the largest exporter of rice, with a 100 percent enhancement in its exports of rice on year to year basis, by overtaking Thailand and Vietnam. During

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2011, Thailand was the top rice exporter in the world, having exports of 10.65 million tonnes, whereas India was the third largest exporter in the same year. Till 2013 India remained the largest exporter of rice, a distinction which it achieved in 2012. Together Thailand, India and Vietnam constitute almost 70 percent of the world’s rice exports. But at the same time rice is not available to majority of the Indian population at affordable prices to them, which the revolutionary National Food Security Act (possibly the most significant welfare-oriented legislation in independent India) can be expected to address. The law, which is a product of Sonia Gandhi’s inclusive welfare vision, endeavours to provide highly subsidised food grains(which also includes rice) to approximately two thirds of India’s total population. But its success on the ground lies in its effective implementation, and plugging the loopholes in corruption. However, India’s rice production during 2012-13 was 105 million tonnes, and it is expected to decline to

Feb-Mar ’14

AGRI 100 million tonnes during the current financial year, which is drawing to a close. The decline can be attributed to adverse weather conditions during the main crop season in this year. This may make the implementation of the National Food Security Act even more challenging. To make quality rice available to more and more people at less prices in the country, better management of water resources and much more efficient and comprehensive pest control measures are the need of the hour, so that huge numbers of Indian farmers do not have to depend on the vagaries of monsoon, and the wastage of rice through pest invasion is significantly reduced. In this regard, better irrigation facilities and availability of affordable bio-pesticides are the needs of the hour. Specially, the rise production potential of the eastern region of the country should be given more focus by the government, if the country sincerely wants to feed its hungry population. According to ASSOCHAM, West Bengal spearheads eastern India in paddy production to the tune of about 150 lakh MT, followed by parts eastern UP (140 lakh MT), Odisha

Feb-Mar ’14

(70 lakh MT), Bihar (68 lakh MT), Chhattisgarh (63 lakh MT), Assam (47 lakh MT) and Jharkhand (34 lakh MT). If India is able to bridge the gap between potential yield and actual yield in rice, the eastern region can achieve a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 10 percent in rice production, highlighted an ASSOCHAM study titled ‘Towards Second Green Revolution in

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Eastern India: A Road Map.’ According to ASSOCHAM, the rice production in eastern India can reach about 670 lakh MT by 2017-18 from the current level of over 580 lakh MT as the region holds tremendous potential to emerge as the ‘Rice Bowl of India. In this recent study ASSOCHAM has suggested for creating a scientific storage, grading and cleaning centre as over 20

AGRI

percent of agricultural goods are wasted at various points when farm products move from farm till consumers’ door-step. This can help increase our rice’s production, and facilitate to mateialise the vision entailed in the National Food Security Act.

Made in India Basmati rice is the most premium form of rice in India. It is exported all around the globe. It is not only aromatic and tasty when cooked, but is also highly nutritive. According to Canadian Diabetes Association, Basmati rice has a medium glycemic index. This makes Basmati rice suitable for diabetics. This fragrant rice was originated in India and has a legacy which dates back to several millennia. This long grained rice has been cultivated in India for thousands of years. Basmati rice not only plays an important role in Indian fine dining, but is also widely used in Middle-Eastern and Persian cuisines. Its role in Indian exports is also far from negligible. This rice has a robust demand in the global market. Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the states where basmati rice is being produced. In fact, Haryana produces more than 60 percent of the total Basmati rice production in the country. There are several varieties of Basmati rice, which can be broadly classified as Indian varieties, Pakistani varieties, a Kenyan variety(Pishori or Pisori

variety of Basmati is grown in the Mwea region of Kenya), and an American variety (Texmati is a variety of Basmati which is grown in the United States of America). Furthermore, there are various types of Indian and Pakistani varieties of Basmati rice. Three examples of the traditional Indian types of Basmati rice include basmati 370, basmati 385, and basmati Ranbirsinghpura (R.S.Pura).

premium Basmati rice varieties. Radikal’s rice varieties are found across household kitchens, as well as in top-notch restaurants. Sourced from the foothills of the Himalayas and other rice growing states of India, Radikal’s rice varieties facilitate to endow its consumers with great taste and health. Bush Foods Overseas Pvt.Ltd. is also synonymous with high quality Basmati rice, for both domestic and export market. Bush Foods Overseas is a supplier, manufacturer and exporter of top quality traditional premium A-Grade Basmati rice. Since its inception in 1992, the company has grown steadily and solidly and has been consistently supplying the markets with premium grade of Basmati and other varieties of rice. Neesa is one of the renowned Basmati rice brands of the company.

The Basmati Players Indian Agricultural Research Institute developed Pusa Basmati 1509 in 2012, and with its commercialisation, India’s exports of Basmati rice is expected to receive a significant fillip in the near future. The newly developed variety of Basmati rice has a potential yield of 6.5 tonnes per hectare. A decade ago Pusa 1121, another Basmati rice variety, was introduced, which now accounts for close to three-fourths of India’s more than 4 billion USD worth annual Basmati exports. Pusa 1121, which was also developed by the scientists of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, is known for its extraordinary length. Its single grain can reach a length of 9.5 mm. Basmati rice’s role in the food service industry can be enhanced with innovative rice recipes. Presently, India has quite a number of high-end producers of this form of rice. Radikal is a leading manufacturer and supplier of premium Basmati rice in the country. The company has a wide range of

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Kohinoor Foods Limited is another important player in the market for Basmati rice. The company has many exquisite Basmati rice products, which include Kohinoor’s Limited Edition, Kohinoor Supreme, Kohinoor Brown & Kohinoor Organic; all of these come in the company’s range of ‘Exclusive Basmati’ varieties. Enriched with carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, sodium and iron, Kohinoor Brown Basmati’s high fibre content improves digestion and provides great nourishment. World over, organic foods are now synonymous with healthy lifestyle and high nutrition. In this context, Kohinoor Organic Basmati rice holds much importance for an increasingly health conscious world. Here it deserves a mention that Kohinoor Organic is grown without the use of synthetic or petrochemical based pesticides, fertilisers or genetically engineered seeds or plant material. It even elongates to twice its original size when cooked. Neesa Exotic Organic Basmati Rice also elongates to twice its original size when cooked. ■

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

PROCESSED FOOD

Presenting Taste, Health and Convenience By Swarnendu Biswas

he food processing sector in India is brimming with potential, both for the domestic industries working in the area of food & beverage, and as well as in terms of export revenues. According to a joint study by FICCI and KPMG titled ‘Enhancing Competitiveness of Indian Food Chain,’ India’s food processing industry is expected to reach Rs.4,00,000 crore by the next fiscal, making up for roughly 6.5 percent of India’s gross domestic product. The food processing sector of India grew at a compounded growth rate of 9 percent between 2008 and 2012.

Processing the Potential This is not surprising considering the fact that during the last two decades, there has been significant increase in disposable incomes in select pockets of urban India, which is coupled with the growing trend

of nuclearisation of families with working couples that often leaves very little time for cooking of elaborate meals. At the same time, there has been the growing influence of globalisation in the food & beverage preferences of a predominantly young urban India, which is directing market preferences for processed food products. All these factors have together given a significant fillip to the food processing sector in the post-modern India that is manifested in the plethora of ready to cook or ready to eat options adorning the market shelves. Today India has a significant proportion of population having the inclination and the purchasing power to buy ready to cook and ready to eat options, and what is more, many among them do not have the time to cook regularly too. Vegit is an important player in the realm of food processing in India. An agro-

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

division of Merino Group, Vegit is a nationally leading brand, engaged in making potato flakes & instant snack mixes, for the ready to cook market. Presently, Vegit offers 13 varieties of instant snack mixes, of which four are being launched very recently, in March 2014 itself.

Quick and Quality Snacking Vegit came into being in 2005. Initially, it produced only potato flakes which found buyers in important industry players like Haldiram’s, PepsiCo India, Nestle India, and Hindustan Unilever among others. In fact, Aloo Mash or potato flakes is the flagship product of Vegit. Making foray into the potato flakes was a natural choice for Vegit as Merino Group is an important provider of potato storage and processing facilities in the Indian market. The popularity of Vegit’s potato flakes in

Feb-Mar ’14

PROCESSED FOOD domestic markets was followed by exports. The Vegit brand’s potato flakes have export presence in various countries, which include Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and China. Here it deserves a mention that Vegit’s potato flakes have a high health quotient as they are more or less natural products, with only an emulsifier being added during their processing phases. The flakes also absorb much less oil as compared to potatoes for an equivalent application. Other ingredients can also be added into the flakes to suit the various specialised needs of the customers. Vegit supplies to both institutional and retail sectors. However, 80 percent of Vegit’s business is accounted by institutional sales while the remaining 20 percent is taken care of by its retail business. “In the institutional segment, 90 percent of our sales comprise of potato flakes, while 10 percent of our sales are catered to by the instant snack mixes, whereas in the retail segment, 40 percent of our sales are accounted by potato flakes and the remaining 60 percent comprise of instant snack mixes,” explained Prakash

Feb-Mar ’14

Prakash Lohia

Lohia, Managing Director, Vegit. Vegit entered the retail market with its Aloo Mash or potato flakes, in the year 2006. The subsidiary of Merino Group got a foothold in the retail segment with the introduction of its instant snack mixes, which are also potato flakes-based. They are simple and easy to translate into delectable snacking options. “With the

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

application of these mixes, one can get classic and delicious Indian snacks, involving very little time and effort,” explained Lohia. In the recent past Vegit did come up with its Pav Bhaji Mix, which became its ninth product in the instant snack mix category. All the snack mixes of Vegit are suited for the Indian palate. The USP of Vegit’s products is that they provide sufficient creative room for the consumers to experiment and customise the dishes as per their taste preferences. The consumers could add their own flavours or snacks to these snack mixes. One can say that with its potato flakes and instant snack mixes, Vegit is presenting taste, health and utility for today’s fast-paced urban India, where huge segments prefer healthy, tasty and affordable snacking options without spending much time.

The Vegit’s Market Vegit’s potato flakes have attracted popularity as a raw material among a plethora of snack manufacturers like Haldiram’s, Bikanervala and various

PROCESSED FOOD medium-scale and smallscale manufacturers. Besides that they are popular in the HORECA segment. Vegit’s Aloo Mash or potato flakes is one of the important processed potato products in the Indian F&B industry since it can be used as a thickening agent, in bakeries as a filling, as mashed potatoes and as breading for various snacks, which makes it a much sought after product in hotels, restaurants and with caterers too. The potato flakes of Vegit is also popular among the retail customers; both directly and as well as an ingredient for other food products. On the other hand, Vegit’s instant snack mixes facilitate the Indian F&B industry with the much needed flexibility to offer a variety of dishes without needing to stock many new ingredients. They can also afford the Chef with more time for garnishing and presentation. And of course, in the retail segment, Vegit’s instant snack mixes can come as a relief to many overburdened housewives, who can provide tasty snacking options without involving much sweat. “The recipes for Vegit’s instant snack mixes have been developed, tested and approved by India’s best culinary experts. Moreover, we are engaged in continually developing new recipes to meet the diverse needs of today’s food enthusiasts,” expressed Lohia. Presently, according to Lohia, Vegit’s products have presence across 5000 stores in the retail segment, and the Merino Group has 17 branches across the country. Recently, Vegit has introduced four varieties of instant snack mixes which can bolster its presence in the ready to cook segment. They are Vegit Corn Cutlet, Vegit Halwa, Vegit Sabudana Vada, and Vegit Falafel. These four varieties of snack mixes were launched during the Aahar 2014, the nationally renowned food and hospitality fair, which was held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, during 10th-14th March. “Since 2005 we have been bringing convenience, hygiene and great taste every time you prepare our snack mixes. This time also, each and every recipe has been developed through detailed consumer

insights and state-of-the-art research. The taste is authentic and the process is convenient as it requires only a tenth of the normal cooking time and effort,” said Rajneesh Sharma, General Manager — Sales, Vegit.

Infrastructure and Expansion Merino Group has an automated potato processing plant at Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. “Presently, we have the capacity to produce 8000 metric tonnes of potato flakes, which we envisage to enhance to 12,000 metric tonnes by 2015,” informed Lohia. At the plant, particle size and bulk density of potato flakes can be made to order according to the clientele’s requirement. An entire line of automated processing plant machinery has been set up to convert potatoes into dehydrated potato flakes. And of course, stringent hygiene is being adhered to during the production process, which includes aseptic packaging solutions. At Vegit, quality is meticulously being adhered to. The commitment to the highest standards in the manufacturing process has helped the agro division of the Merino Group in getting various certifications including HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, OHSAS 18001:2007, ISO 14001:2004, and ISO 9001:2008. According to Lohia, the envisaged enhancement in the production capacity in the near future is guided by the significant demand pull in the market for Vegit’s products. This indicates not only Vegit’s stringent quality control but also a bright future for the country’s food processing industry.

For the Industry But despite the huge growth potential, there is no denying the fact that the story of food processing in India is also a reality of wasted opportunities. Around 30 percent of the country’s food produce gets

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

wasted annually mainly due to the paucity of adequate post-harvest infrastructural facilities and inefficient supply chain management. “For the food processing sector in the country to grow anywhere near its potential, availability of good quality agricultural products, in adequate quantities and also at competitive prices is the need of the hour,” asserted Lohia while pointing out that “then only food processing would become more profitable and economic, and hence would grow near its potential.” And for this to happen, Lohia suggests that the government, the food processing industry and the agricultural workers should concertedly work in tandem. Lack of adequate infrastructure in terms of cold chain and packaging facilities is impeding the growth potential of this sector and resulting in huge wastage. According to Siraj Hussain, the Secretary, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India, the country’s cold storage capacity was 25 million tonnes in 2010, while the requirement was assessed to be around 61 million tonnes. Presently, according to him, India is facing a gap of 15 million tonnes in terms of cold storage facility. Of course, more publicprivate participation towards building of more cold storage facilities is the need of the hour. According to the abovementioned report by FICCI and KPMG, increasing organised retail penetration and the government’s proposed mega food parks will encourage business expansions in the food processing sector, which will ensure higher realisation for farmers and a reduction in wastages. But these may be necessary but are not sufficient measures. “Besides addressing the urgent issues of infrastructural bottlenecks in terms of enhancing the cold chain infrastructure and aseptic packaging facilities, imparting of guidance and dissemination of relevant information and knowledge to the farmers are also necessary to minimise agricultural wastage and thereby facilitating the growth of the food processing industry,” ■ Lohia observed.

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

THEME CUISINE

A Carnival of

Tastes and Flavours By Sharmila Chand

razil is the largest country in the continent of South America. It is famous for its deep and green Amazon rainforests, for its amazing football and aromatic coffee. However, the only Portuguese speaking country in South America also have an awe inspiring culinary variety on offer that makes Brazilian cuisine truly rich and worth exploring. Brazilian cuisine is a combination of many different culinary legacies which have amalgamated and created a very interesting and unique cuisine.

Variety is the Spice The wide variety in Brazilian cuisine reflects the country’s mix of native and immigrant population and its huge size as

well. Brazil’s history of immigration along with its cultural diversity across its regions has together facilitated to widen the ambit of Brazilian tastes. For instance, the North-eastern region of Brazil has a strong Afro- Brazilian slant where seafood is quite popular and widely used. Fish stew, brown beans and dried shrimp fritters are among the popular items in this region. Being a coastal region, excellent seafood can be found in many of the north east towns of Brazil. The central region of Brazil has a cuisine which is characterised by the use of pork, fish, beef, soybeans and manioc. The northern area uses lots of tropical fruits, fish, peanuts, and manioc. Brazilian cuisine has wide application of root vegetables, which have rich carbohydrate content, such as cassava or manioc (mandioca, aipim, or macaxeira), yams, and peanuts. Brazilian cuisine also has great role of fruits like açaí, cupuaçu, mango, papaya, guava, orange, passion fruit, pineapple, and hog plum. They play a role as ingredients.

On the Table Rice and beans are staples of the Brazilian diet, which are usually had with salads and farofa (a toasted flour of manioc or corn). The afternoon snack (merenda or lanchinho) is a small meal between lunch and dinner, and it could consist of coffee, tea or chimarrão, accompanied by cookies, typical cakes or bread. Dinner consists of a light meal of soups, salads and vegetables, and pasta and rice-and-beans are the most

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

common dishes in an average Brazilian’s dinner. Feira (street market) is a popular Brazilian custom. These markets take place on the main streets of most of the regions within the cities (bairros) in the country at least once a week. Here one gets fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, spices and also items like handmade coconut carvers and other local household goods. They are also famous for selling pastel, a deep fried thin pastry filled with either savoury fillings; the most common of which are minced meat, chicken, shrimps, mozzarella, palm heart and catupiry cream cheese, or sweet fillings. The sweet fillings include guava and cheese, chocolate, doce de leite, banana and cinnamon. It is believed the Japanese introduced pastel into Brazilian cuisine by adapting deep fried Chinese wontons. Pastel is usually served with pure cold freshly pressed sugarcane juice. A particular favourite home-made food in Brazil is Feijoada, which is a rich stew consisting of pork ears, chops, knuckles and strips of dried beef and black beans; usually served with rice. This is perhaps the closest the country comes to a having a national dish. The dish is served up all day at weekends by Brazil restaurants. ‘Vatapa’ is another popular dish of Brazil. It comprises bread, shrimps, coconut milk, palm oil and peanuts or cashew nuts, which are mashed to form a creamy consistency. It is a typical condiment that is used particularly in the state of Bahia and is commonly eaten

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

THEME CUISINE

can be best described as cafe-type bars where affordable snacks and beverages are provided, while lanchonete does have a slightly more variety than typical Brazilian bakeries or padarias. ‘Brigadeiro’ is a simple Brazilian chocolate fudge candy created in the 1920s and named after Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes.

Sips from Brazil Besides the world renowned Brazilian coffee, fresh fruit juices are also extremely popular in Brazil. Juice bars are fairly abundant in Brazil which are seen serving a wide variety of beverages ranging from orange juice and bananabased drinks to acai. Acai is a potent and antioxidant beverage from

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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lamb leg with freshness of mint & home ground spices. Camarao: Delectable Arabian jumbo prawns cooked with garlic, white wine & mustard. Salmaon: Scottish pink salmon with lime, chili, garlic & paprika. Frango Com Bacon: Roasted chicken supreme wrapped with bacon.

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Exclusive Premium Selection File De Biche: Grilled New Zealand venison with rosemary, rock salt & olive oil. Fraldinha: Brazilian tenderloin rubbed with rock salt & olive oil Barbecued Pork Chops: Slow roasted chops with thyme, white wine & garlic. Cochin Rock Lobster: Fennel scented lobsters with caper cream. Coxa De Frango: Chicken leg dusted with Chef Edmilson’s special seasoning mix. Paleta De Cordeiro: New Zealand

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The Famous Five Coxa De Frango: Chicken leg dusted with Chef Edmilson’s special seasoning mix. Paleta De Cordeiro: New Zealand lamb leg with freshness of mint and home ground spices. Fraldinha: This juicy fillet tenderloin is seasoned to perfection by passdores. Camarao: Delectable Arabian jumbo prawn cooked with garlic, white wine and mustard. Linguica: Robust Dutch pork sausage that is grilled to perfection.

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with Acaraje, an Afro Brazilian fast food made from black eyed peas; which is formed into a ball and then deep-fried in palm oil. ‘Comida Baiana’, a particular favourite in Salvador, is made with excellent fresh fish and shellfish, hot peppers, coconut milk, fresh coriander and palm oil. Though this dish may be served elsewhere in the north-east of the country, in Salvador, one can enjoy it at its very best. Cheese buns or cheese breads are popular snacks or breakfast fare from Brazil. Made from cassava or corn flour, they are chewy and moist inside and are relatively inexpensive. Cheese buns are approximately one to six inches in diameter, with about two inches of height. These popular snacks from Brazil are favourites among all age groups in the country and are usually sold by Brazil’s fast food street vendors. Equally popular are Moqueca capixaba, consisting of slow-cooked fish, tomato, onion and garlic topped with cilantro and chouriço; a mildly spicy sausage. Salgadinhos, cheese bread and coxinha (chicken croquettes made to look like drumsticks) are common finger foods in Brazil. Brazil’s snack food items also include lanches, which are a variety of different pastries. These can be abundantly found at Brazil’s fast food outlets. While in Brazil, one should look out for Brazilian bakeries or ‘lanchonete’ to get a taste of the Brazilian baked creations. Bakeries in Brazil

Menu Planning by Chef Edmilson Goncalves de Azevedo at Wild Fire, Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon

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Vegetarian Delicacies Tortilha de feijao: Red kidney bean wraps topped with jalapeño sauce. Semolina com molho de tomate: Grilled semolina cakes with chunky plum tomato sauce. Pimentao com palmito e couve de bruchelas; Bell pepper stuffed with artichokes and palm hearts, served with tomato sauce. Enrroladinhos de zucchini com vegetais grelhados: Zucchini wraps filled with grilled vegetables and cheese. Broccolis’ assado: Barbequed broccoli flavoured with sour cream, chili flakes and fresh herbs. Abacaxi assado: Signature honey glazed pineapple. Queijo com shoyu e pimento: Cheese & chili soya. the Amazon. And of course, there is the delicious coconut water -agua de coco, which is cool, refreshing and thirst quenching on hot days. Sipping on coconut water while unwinding on Brazil beaches, can be a delightful option for tourists. Soft drink, made from a native Amazonian berry guarana is also popular across Brazil. Chilled and caffeine-packed Mate is another popular beverage among the people of this exciting country of coffee and carnivals. Of course, for lovers of heady spirits, no exploration into the liquid tastes of Brazil is complete without sips into Caipirinha, which is comprised of lime, sugar and cachaça. The cachaça is a popular distilled alcoholic beverage of Brazil. However, before trying Caipirinha it should be remembered that the potion does pack a punch. By the way, Caipirinha happens to be the national cocktail of Brazil. ■

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

RESTAURANT

The

Wild Fire

Spreads Aroma By Sharmila Chand

ild Fire — the exclusive Brazilian Restaurant at Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon is truly a fun place to be. Located at the lobby level of the hotel, it is a contemporary well designed space that fuses authentic Brazilian cuisine with a modern fare. Here one can get robust, succulent dinner amidst a great ambience. Dramatic and playful, Wild Fire delights in many ways. Right at the entrance, huge rustic wooden pillars are very inviting. A swirling large fire ball can amuse its guests, giving a warm & cosy feeling. On the far end is the floor to ceiling wine cellar, showcasing wines from across the globe along with an attractive bar. Wild Fire offers two levels of seating with comfortable couches, sofas and chairs. Live open kitchen perfectly matched with brass covered walls, grills and the ovens further

accentuate the classy décor. Wooden flooring, intensely illuminated chandeliers & walls give a quaint elegance to the restaurant. The decor is perfectly perked up with a bright vibrant red colour palette.

The Chef Behind the Show Wild Fire is perhaps the only Brazilian restaurant

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Chef, Edmilson G de Azevedo

Feb-Mar ’14

RESTAURANT

We are proud to offer an array of Brazilian delicacies at our award winning restaurant. We have taken particular care to offer ample choice for vegetarians. Food is specially carved at the tableside in a rustic yet contemporary atmosphere, adding to the gastronomic affair.

“

Celebrating the Carnival Spirit

n the recent past, Wild Fire, the multiple awards

“

— Indrashis Sinha, Associate Director, Food & Beverage, Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon. ○

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that I have come across in the whole of north India. The restaurant serves up churrascaria grilled meats. Here one can relish fine and authentic ‘churrasco’ prepared by the Brazilian Master Chef, Edmilson G de Azevedo. Edmilson Goncalves de Azevedo began cooking Brazilian specialty food 33 years back. He has had tenures in Japan and China before arriving in India, in 2011. He is associated with Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon since the last three years. “Churrasco or Brazilian Barbecue was the traditional staple food of Gauchos’ from Southern Brazil until it travelled to Sao Paulo & Rio de Janeiro. Over the centuries it has become very famous around the globe,” he explained. While talking about the wide variety of preparations of meat at Wild Fire, he added, “Wild Fire has opened seven years back & since then it has been a paradise for meat lovers.” Conversations with the Chef yielded further useful information. “We at Wild Fire serve twelve different types of meat and are constantly exploring for further additions. We are also continually trying to evolve different flavours for our vegetarian patrons.” Edmilson is passionate about cooking, trying different cuisines and travelling to new places. In future, he wishes to open his own Brazilian restaurant in his home town in Brazil. ■

winning restaurant at Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon, brought alive the music and flavours of the carnival spirit of Rio de Janeiro to Delhi’s satellite city, through its ten days long Rio Carnival, which was hosted at the hotel. That became an opportunity for foodies to celebrate the gastronomic spendours of Brazil. The festival presented authentic Rio de Janeiro street food, ravishing samba moves and explosion of Latin music with colour. It showcased some of the sumptuous and singular culinary delights from Brazil. Guests were seen savouring the magical taste of Salgadinhos, Arroz Brasileiro, Vatapa, and Churrasco style meats. Besides these delectable culinary offerings there were sinful desserts like Quindim and Canjica, which added sweet taste to the proceedings. The extensive five course dinner menu was supported with a colourful montage from Brazil. The décor included mannequins in Brazilain attire, pictures of Brazilian monuments, backdrops of famous Brazilians and much more. Guests were seen tapping to the animated samba, lambada, and bossa nova music with a live DJ and a Brazilian crooner. During the festivity, each guest at Wild Fire was welcomed with Caipirinha Cocktail. The restaurant featured signature Caipirinhas and variations made with Cachaça.

Signature Dishes at Wild Fire Brazilian Churrasco, Grilled Meats, Tenderloin, German Sausage, Giant Prawns, and Grilled Pineapple.

Feb-Mar ’14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

CHEF VOICE

The Passionate Learner By Sharmila Chand

Armed with a diploma in hotel management and having around two decades of experience, Chef Jagmeet Singh, the Corporate Chef with KA Hospitality, is at the helm of affairs at Yauatcha, located at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. Prior to this assignment, he worked as the Officiating Executive Chef at The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon. Singh has also worked with Radisson Hotel, New Delhi and also at overseas. He has had tenures in places like Jeddah, Dubai, etc. He is proud to have worked with celebrity Chefs from different countries of the world like Chef Ken Hom, Chef Gary Rhodes, Chef Johnwood and Chef Francis Chauveau. Singh specialises in Chinese and European cuisine, and has knowledge of Japanese, Thai and Indian cuisines too. The excerpts of the interview follow:

How do you define yourself? I am a continual learner and was fortunate enough to get the chance to go abroad to expand my thirst for learning new culinary techniques /styles and cuisines. I want to be considered as a passionate and innovative Chef, trying new things in order to create a memorable meal experience for my guests and also for the Chefs who work with me.

What is your philosophy at work? I believe in making your guests your friends. I also believe in doing everything with full passion and involvement.

Had you not been a Chef then what would you have been? May be I would have been in the finance department of a government job.

What or who is your source of inspiration? My sources of inspiration are happy and repeat guests, and my family.

My culinary journey began with trying to cook something for my family.

What is your strength? It is my listening power.

It is to enjoy every bit of the work that one does.

What is your hot selling item?

What is your greatest desire?

Where do we see you ten years from now?

I have the desire to have my own herb garden for kitchen, which will give me fresh herbs for flavours.

How do you de-stress yourself?

It is Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun.

Probably then I would be a Consultant Chef.

What are your future plans?

Listening to old melodies alone or while driving back home. I think before you reach your family you should be fresh enough for the home front.

After 10 odd years, I want to spend some quality time with the family and make up for the time which I am not able to give them now.

What is your favourite cuisine/s while eating out?

What is the position of Chefs today, in India?

When I am eating out, my favourite cuisines are Spanish and Italian.

I can’t name one as to me there are so many wonderful spices to use.

What is your favourite dish? It is Butter Chicken.

Anyone who knows the food and appreciate the efforts put in to create the dishes.

I am quite emotional, which can become one’s weakness at times.

What you are passionate about? I am passionate about cooking. I have been cooking since the age of 12-13 years.

Whom would you consider as your favourite diner?

And what is your weakness?

What is your favourite spice? What is your definition of success?

I think it is Chef ’s Knife.

And what is your favourite equipment?

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

They do attract great respect.

What are the problems and challenges faced by the Chefs in India? Trained manpower in the Indian food & beverage industry is getting less day by day, as the industry is growing very rapidly in India. This is a challenge for the Chefs. And the paucity of quality/fresh products at affordable pricing is also a challenge that the Chefs have to address on a day-to-day basis.

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

PROFILE

The Savvy Dreamer By Sharmila Chand

Born in a liberal Sikh family, Rajan Sethi, the Founder-Director of Bright Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., has always been a dreamer. Armed with an MBA in International Business, he joined the family business as a Management Trainee and went on to become the Director, Marketing. However, his heart yearned to step into an unchartered territory. In 2007, he set up Bright Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. with an ambitious dream to revolutionise the hospitality industry. Over the next six years, he did set up a range of hospitality offerings at Rajouri Garden, namely, Pind Balluchi Restaurant, The California Boulevard, The AM.PM., and a hotel named The Eternity. Each venue, true to its name, comes across as an experiential delight.

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These days, the cash rich time poor generation has a wide variety of choices to indulge in. Eating out of home is just one more choice in these consumers’ packed schedule. Moreover, the consumers today, on an average, are far more discerning

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What according to you are the essential requirements for running successful operations in the organised Indian food service and hospitality business?

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final ‘good-bye’? How do we recover our investment, without ever compromising on excellence?

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The five big challenges or questions that we face when we have to open a new restaurant are: What do we offer the guest that is different from what is already there in the market? What is the concept of the proposed restaurant and how do we do 100 percent justice to the concept? What kind of people do we hire so that our products and services become magical? How do we constantly delight the guest from the first ‘welcome’ to the

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First and foremost, please spell out some key challenges of opening a new restaurant?

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Besides being a successful restaurateur, Rajan is an avid traveller, a wildlife enthusiast and a seasoned mountaineer. His passion is to explore new countries, cultures and cuisines. He wants every Indian to savour the flavours of the world and is already dreaming of his next venture. The excerpts of the interview follow:

and demanding than they were before. They are willing to experiment, explore and experience new cuisines and flavours of the world. In this context, the requirements for Indian food service and hospitality business include understanding the fussy Indian palate and providing an authentic and outstanding dining experience; getting trained/skilled professionals to deliver an outstanding product and service, maintaining a high level of hygiene; balancing taste and nutrition without compromising on either; getting the price-value equation right; and going beyond vanilla offerings.

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She/he needs to be versatile and creative, she/he must be able to provide inspiring leadership, and she/he must have the ability to be adaptable to change.

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What are the top three traits or skills you look for in your Head - Food & Beverage Manager?

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I think it is the challenge of hiring good trained manpower. A restaurant could attract the right employees provided the organisation offers every individual employee the space to learn and grow. We reward the teams and the individual employees across the organisation every month for outstanding service and ensure the workplace atmosphere is friendly yet professional. Can you suggest some tips or insights for the F&B Manager/F&B Head or the entrepreneur in the food service business to strengthen her/his team?

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These days, what is the biggest challenge for the hospitality industry in India?

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She/he needs to enlighten by creating a learning organisation where every individual can learn something new every day; she /he should empower by giving the individual team members the freedom and authority along with accountability; and she/he should enrich by monitoring everyday performance and rewarding the real heroes of the organisation. What are your future plans to expand your brand?

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

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Where you serve is as important as what you serve. The ambience is a signature of the restaurant’s concept. The sights, sounds, smells, feel are part of the sensorial delight which the guests soak in. A good ambience lingers long after the experience is over. Once the concept of the restaurant is agreed upon, we spend a lot of

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

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We have the challenge or the pressure of getting outstanding reviews and feedback from our guests, the challenge of launching new food items / beverage items that no other restaurant serves, the challenge of keeping the motivational level of the team high, the challenge of endeavouring to have a 100 percent table occupancy 24/ 7 on 365/366 days a year, and the challenge of connecting with the digitally savvy new generation.

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What kind of challenges or pressures have you encountered at work?

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Service standards need improvement.

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One single thing you would like to change in the food service business?

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I hate it when someone in the team lets a guest down. For us the guest is paramount, everything else is secondary.

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time in ideating on the ambience of the place. Today guests like to eat in style and want an ambience that is gorgeous, engaging and interactive.

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What do you dislike about this business?

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opportunity to serve. Further, this business generates a lot of positive energy around. Unlike other businesses where competition means reducing the MRP of the product, in hospitality business, competition means bringing better product/s & service/s on the guests’ table. Thus all our energies are directed towards betterment, rather than pricecutting. That brings a lot of positiveness in our endeavours.

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What I love most about our business is that it gives us an

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What do you enjoy most about food service business?

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We believe that a delicious plate on the table is the best advertisement in our business. When our guests talk of their memorable experiences with us, it becomes the best form of PR for us. Our company is driven by a simple belief, ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’: Guest is God. We believe that ‘If it is right for the guest, it is right for our business.’ We don’t believe in big ad budgets but are big hearted on outstanding service. Rather than speaking about ourselves, we prefer our guests to talk about their experiences with our brands. It is far more credible and honest. We do a bit of cross-selling via our portfolio of brands and keep inviting guests to a range of festivities and events that we host at all our restaurants.

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What has helped you the most in the image building of your brand?

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Cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore are melting pots of cultures and influences. Here a significant section of consumers is exposed to the best of world cuisine thanks to their foreign travels, their exposure to the Internet and digital revolution, the mushrooming of concept restaurants and international cookery shows, and more importantly as a result of their evolved mindset that is willing to savour new flavours. In these cities, from roadside eateries that dish out instant food to high-end gourmet restaurants, the consumers are seen lapping up new F&B experiences like never before. For middle class families in big cities a weekend visit to the mall often includes a movie and a food court lunch or dinner. Pubs and bars in these cities are also seen doing roaring business on weekends and acting as great stress-busters during the weekdays.

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What is the current restaurant business scenario in metros and other big cities of the country?

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PROFILE

At Bright Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. we want to create a chain of experiential delights across the country. We are clear that until and unless we have a powerful concept, we will not open another restaurant. We are currently toying with a dozen ideas and we hope to convert at least half of them into reality in the next 1000 days.

O P E R AT I O N S

Restaurant Renovation Challenges By Sharmila Chand

n the hospitality industry, for running a hotel successfully it is imperative to renovate one part of the hotel or other from time to time. If renovation is not done wherever it is needed, it may soon result in lowering the guest occupancy. After reaching a certain point the wear and tear begins to show in the hotel and it does affect the guest occupancy. If one doesn’t anticipate that moment and deal with it without delay, surely trouble is round the corner. However, the process of renovation itself impairs guests’ convenience.

above that and delivering an experience to the regular patrons is difficult,” averred Pavithran Nambiar, General Manager at JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai. According to Tarun Sethi, Director of Food and Beverage, The Claridges, New Delhi, “If the restaurant of a hotel is going for renovation then it should run with minimalistic offerings but still

— Avneesh K Mathur, General Manager, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Jaipur

ensure that the quality of services offered to the guests remains uncompromised. Safety plays a very important role during this time, besides maintaining high levels of hygiene.”

Minimising the Affects Therefore, the challenge is how to make sure the affects of the renovation on hotel guests can be minimised, so that their comfort level is not greatly compromised due to renovation, during their stay at the hotel. Especially if the restaurant of a hotel is undergoing renovation, offering the same quality of services with same degree of promptness and precision as was being done before renovation process of the restaurant began, is an extremely challenging proposition. “Assuming that the restaurant of a hotel is partly operational while being under renovation, then maintaining the restaurant’s ambience and service quality that has been delivered to patrons over a period of time is most challenging. During renovation, the atmosphere is not the same and the standards also tend to be different from what guests would expect. There is a lot of noise, dust and construction workers around, and rising

“It is suggested that due diligence must be exercised while awarding the contracts since the pool of experienced manpower and resources plays a major role in successful renovations, which include renovations of restaurants.”

Communication, Training and Coordination

“The key is to maintain focus on operations team and guest service, which can suffer during the renovation period. I would personally recommend completely renovating and re-opening the restaurant rather than operating a portion of it while it is undergoing refurbishment. This will accelerate the project dramatically, and prevent regular and prospective guests from getting disillusioned.” — Pavithran Nambiar, General Manager at JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Noise factor can indeed be a big deterrent for the restaurant guests at the hotel, which is undergoing renovation. “Depending on the magnitude of the renovation, one of the major concerns usually is the noise factor, that can cause complaints from in-house guests, which in turn can affect certain service levels at the hotel. Most of the time unpreparedness from the employees’ side is taken care of when staff has clear and distinct communication on the renovation works well in advance, ably supported with suitable training in handling customer complaints. This facilitates to reduce the discomfort which the guests may have while encountering such inconveniences,” explained Sethi. “A successful renovation process

Feb-Mar ’14

O P E R AT I O N S

Renovate

Tarun Sethi

requires the right project management and should include involvement of the key stakeholders like owners, operators and a project management company (if being used). The coordination between these three key stakeholders should be flawless and regular meetings should be held to take stock of the progress,” explained Nambiar. He pointed out that “A clear project chart (GANT chart) should be drawn out to ensure that all

Feb-Mar ’14

Differently

• Do competitive research. Carefully analyse other restaurants, bars and lounges in your vicinity or locality and create a unique identity for your hotel’s restaurant by introducing design, atmosphere and thematic elements that are different from your closest competitors. Be sure to engage the right firm and build up a team that you are comfortable working with. • It is better to do some spadework. Before selecting a contractor for the renovation of your hotel’s restaurant, make an evaluation of the given company’s past track record. Ask for examples of similar projects they have completed, besides references. • Keep communication clear. At the outset of your restaurant renovation process, make sure that the scope of work is clearly defined and that your goals for the project are clearly communicated. Ask for recurring updates. • Schedule the work smartly. Since the hotel depends on the revenue from the restaurant, renovation work should ideally be performed during ‘off-hours’ for the dining area. • Offer a limited menu during renovation of the restaurant, if the restaurant remains operational during the renovation process.

the parties are on track. The marketing and communications team should also be involved during the closure and relaunch of the restaurant so that the regular patrons and prospective guests are aware of the restaurant renovation and are also informed of its re-launch.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Communicating with the customers regarding renovation is vital.” “The essence and true success of restaurant renovation lies in continual and rigorous follow ups by the Project Manager and the user department,” observed Sethi.

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O P E R AT I O N S

While You are Renovating By virtue of having the experience of working with hotels from the project stage itself, Avneesh K Mathur, General Manager, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Jaipur, has gained immense knowledge about project jobs and sequence of tasks that are followed in hotel projects. “Intricacies of renovations were also grasped during my tenure at The Leela Mumbai and Radisson Delhi which gave me the confidence to be able to handle the renovations in the best possible manner. Being a science student and having a scientific bent of mind made me passionate about this aspect of the hotel industry. I have been able to play a dual role in my industry due to my expertise in bringing up a project or in renovation. I will rather say that the knowledge of constructing a hotel or renovating a hotel has made me a General Manager in totality,” he explained. The excerpts of the interview follow:

What are the challenges the hotel staff of a restaurant goes through during the renovation process of the restaurant? While renovating a running restaurant there are two ways of renovation; one close the restaurant completely for renovation and re-launch it later and the second way is to keep the restaurant operational and do the renovation in phases. In fact, the second method is very very difficult and needs lots of coordination between interior designer/architect/contractors. Ensuring guest services are seamless during renovation of the restaurant is a huge challenge, which should be handled by experienced executives. The housekeeping staff of the hotel has to be on toes during the renovation period to maintain cleanliness at all given times. Maintaining cleanliness during restaurant renovation is a major task for housekeeping. Prevention and loss department of the hotel also plays a key role during this time. Besides welding taking place at the site increases the risk of fire hazards, which needs to be addressed. Give your views on guest security during renovation of the restaurant? Guest security cannot be compromised so proper check on credentials of workers becomes the prime responsibility of loss and

prevention department of the hotel. Deciding materials and labourer route is very critical. And what is the role of the engineering department of the hotel during the restaurant renovation? Engineering department has to be vigilant to ensure that at the time of demolition, restaurant services remain intact or alternate arrangements are being made. Barricading the area with partitions and still maintaining the aesthetics of the place speaks about professionalism. What are the optimal ways to plan a successful renovation process in a restaurant? The optimal manner to plan a renovation process of the restaurant is to have a clear understanding of the appropriate time duration the renovation is going to take. The estimated time required for restaurant renovation should be predetermined. At the same time, keeping supplementary time in sleeve is advisable since unpredicted situations can also emerge. Clear understanding of drawings and materials required with efficient timing and pricing will facilitate towards timely completion of restaurant renovation. Moreover, it is always recommended that the lean period of the business should be

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

chosen for restaurant renovation. Business loss due to renovation should be minimised. Penalty clause with each contractor comes handy in maintaining time lines. BOQs must be taken from interior designers to have clarity in estimated cost and source points. Quality check is the essence of any restaurant renovation. What are the tips to run a restaurant successfully during renovation? It is always advisable to place a placard outside the restaurant mentioning the up gradation of the restaurant. Some establishments also place mood boards and 3D pictures of the concepts at the entrance to keep the guests aware of the new look and comfort of the restaurant after it will be renovated and also about the time span of the renovation process. Restaurant staff should be well versed about the renovation concept and must be able to explain to guests during interaction as to how the services and ambience will get a boost after renovation. Besides these, guests’ suggestions pertaining to renovation should be noted down and passed on to the management. This facilitates to keep the restaurant guests feel involved. Any partition placed should be painted, matching the décor and art works. Indoor plants also help in camouflaging what is not to be seen by guests.

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

O P E R AT I O N S

Food Service Industry:

Reality and Potential By Gurdeep Singh

ith the increase in disposable incomes among the middle classes during the recent years, and also due to the influences of globalisation, eating out culture in urban India has gathered momentum. Eating out frequency among middle class India has increased greatly during the last two decades. As a result we are witnessing a plethora of F&B outlets sharing the urban landscape. If one visits a restaurant in Delhi or Mumbai or Bangalore or any other big cities of India on the weekends, chances are the long queue outside will add to the feeling that restaurant business is a highly profitable business and those associated with it must be minting money. But sadly that is not always the case. If the diner compares the cost of a given dish at a restaurant with the cost of cooking the same dish at home, he/ she may arrive at a simplistic conclusion that the restaurant owners must be getting tired of counting the currencies through sales of his/her exorbitantly priced products. This erroneous conclusion can be more commonly

drawn in case of fine dining restaurants.

The Challenging Costs What the diner does not often realise is that food and beverage outlets have so many lesser known and hidden overhead costs that in terms of arithmetical calculation, the food cost comes around just twenty percent of the costs of a given food and beverage outlet operating in the organised sector. Most expensive cost is perhaps the real estate. The rentals are so high (most of the restaurants operate from rented premises) in metros and this alone contributes about thirty percent of the total cost of running a restaurant. Building your own restaurant in Indian metros also involves huge real estate costs, thereby making the gestation period of the project quite long. There are also the power cost, the generator backup, and manpower costs. Plus, if you add the cost of the interiors (there is no limit on the expense under this head), which of course tend to be higher if the restaurant is based upon a particular theme or style, you will realise that why through the prices of his/her food & beverage offerings in many a case

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

the restaurateur is hardly able to meet the expenses. Last but not the least, are the taxes. The food service business in India remains one of the most heavily taxed sector by the government. In fact, the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram introduced a service tax on all air-conditioned restaurants in his 2013-2014 budget, which had been effective from 1st April 2013. Service tax of 12.36 percent is charged on 40 percent of the bill value and unlike VAT, it is same across all states. The service tax on restaurants is imposed by the Union Government. Earlier, only those AC restaurants which had the license to serve liquor were charged this service tax, but Chidambaram â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;kindlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; removed the second clause, and now all AC restaurants operating in the country, irrespective of whether they serve liqour or not, are supposed to be levied the service tax. And nowadays it is hard to find a non AC restaurant in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore, where a middle class family would prefer to go to dine. Moreover, on food served as part of outdoor catering, the service tax is levied on 60 percent of

Feb-Mar â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

O P E R AT I O N S the bill value. Then there are challenges in training and retaining of the staff. Finding and retaining quality staff at affordable cost is quite a task in this industry. Moreover, the staff in the food service and hospitality industries moves very fast and leads to frequent operational problems for a given eating out establishment, which in many a case translates into higher cost or lower productivity or both. Needless to say all these may affect the bottom lines. And when all these fixed and variable costs are transferred to the end consumer, dining at a classy restaurant may seem to be an expensive proposition for the diner. And if the high rate of inflation with sluggish economy continues unabated, people’s shrinking real incomes would compel them to curtail their restaurant visits. This may impede the growth of the eating out culture in urban India, which has gained momentum during the last two decades. And reduced footfalls with escalating overhead costs and huge interests on loans may lead to many restaurants shutting down the shop in the near future. This bleak future is very much within the realm of possibility, if the economic condition doesn’t improve or at least show signs of improvement, or deteriorate further. However, sometimes, the restaurant owners also play their roles in making life difficult for themselves.

Wasteful Investment, Incorrect Staffing Often huge expenses are incurred on the interiors and furnishing, some of which are a total waste, and are sometimes being done without taking into consideration of the restaurant’s market positioning. Consequently, by the time a restaurant opens, the restaurant owner is not left with sufficient liquidity to run the show amidst a succession of rainy days. And if there is even a small deviation from the projected footfall (this is very normal) then the concerned F&B outlet is in real trouble. Also when it comes to policy of staffing, the policy of beg, borrow or steal from existing nearby outlets seems to be the trend. Many a time one can find staff which is trained at a fast food outlet starts working in a fine dining restaurant and that too without proper training. And if the diner doesn’t get good service in a newly opened restaurant (which has to establish its reputation), he/she is not

Feb-Mar ’14

likely to come back or to recommend the outlet to his/her friends, colleagues or relatives. However, the spread of bad publicity can affect the restaurant’s, particularly the newly opened restaurant’s future revenues severely.

Factors to Heed To meet the costly challenges of operating a restaurant what is required is a structured response. While finalising on the outlet, the entrepreneur should see that the rental should not be so high that in the long-term the operations would not become viable. Similarly the real estate investment involved in constructing a restaurant should not be high enough to make the interest on loan(could have been taken for procuring the real estate for the restaurant) constituting a major share of monthly costs of the restaurant. At the same time, choosing the right location is also of paramount importance. For example, a classy fine dining restaurant in a lower middle class locality would not fetch the right business although the real estate costs in a lower middle class locality would be much lesser than that of an up market locality. The idea is to judiciously balance the cost of real estate and the viable location before embarking on the restaurant business. Furthermore, the service staff should be properly trained into the basics of the food service industry. They should know the menu well, and in case they are asked about the ingredients of a dish, they should not look blank. They should know how to take the order (repeat the dishes ordered and specify the time required to serve the dish, etc.). Such factors are very much within the control, but sadly not being adhered to in many Indian restaurants, across all varieties. More quality institutes for creating qualified and trained personnel for the food service and hospitality industries is also the need of the hour. The issue of high taxation needs to be taken up by the industry bodies such as

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

NRAI/FHRAI on a proactive and sustained basis. They need to impress upon the Union Government(especially regarding service tax) and state governments(especially regarding VAT) the employment and also the tourism potential (the tourists generally eat out) of this industry and how high taxation eventually works at cross purposes for the food service industry. Moreover, the taxes and licensing norms must be made more streamlined and logical. For example, there is wide disparity in liquor taxes in Gurgaon, Noida and Delhi. This needs to be sorted out. Then micro-breweries are allowed to operate in Gurgaon, but for some strange logic the same is not allowed in Delhi. Such kind of excise policies really defies logic. Now, if the same is allowed in Delhi, the kind of taxes that would flow in will greatly benefit the state exchequer. A friend who has lived and worked in the US tells that drinking in a restaurant in the US is generally inexpensive than carrying a bottle home. But in India the opposite is true. It is no wonder that the restaurant business in India is nowhere near its potential. If the drinking in restaurants is being made more affordable through reasonable taxation, more people would come in restaurants and the food service business would prosper. This would facilitate both the restaurateurs and the governments to gain in the long-run. In a country where more and more people are having less time to cook, the potential for food service business in India is huge but we are not cashing on it. For F&B industry in India to reach its true potential, we need collective effort both from the Union and the state governments and also from those in the F&B industry.

— Gurdeep Singh is a senior PR professional and Founder of Sambandh PR

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Blending Aesthetics with Quality

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Servicing the Food Business Jalandhar-based Foodcoast International offers a wide range of mayonnaise(Classic Mayo, Sandwich Spread, Tandoori Mayo and Chessy Dressing are some of them), dips & spreads, ketchups, salad dressings, toppings and other products like Barbeque, Mustard, Mexican Salsa and Thai Chilli. Besides these the company has an Italian range, an Indian range and a

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‘VENUS’ a leading manufacturer of Stainless Steel Cutlery, Hotel ware, Tableware, Barware, Trolleys etc., has introduced a new range of ‘Counters’ to cater banquets and caterers. The entire range is the combination of ‘Rose Gold and Stainless Steel’. An exquisite journey headed to luxury living where beauty blends with quality. Venus industries celebrated its 50th year of existence last year, with a great pomp and show. Venus industries is today an established name in manufacturing and exporting premium quality of stainless steel items, hotel wares-flatware, tableware, chafing dishes, laufeen dish & others, bar ware, and kitchenware. The company also offers exclusive Zebra table accessories. Venus as a brand is today synonymous with the art of the luxury dining in the hospitality industry. The “SUNEV” range of products from Venus Industries are fusion of stainless steel with ceramic, stainless steel with glass, stainless steel with wood, & stainless steel with acrylic. The products are available at retail stores like Lifestyle, Westside, @ Home, Reliance and other major stores across India. The successful combination of professional experience, creativity, and unparalleled know-how ha s thrust Venus Industries in to a leadership position in the supply of stainless steel wares to the hospitality industry since over 50 years. The consistency and superior quality of the products along with innovation of international standard and its commitment to provide customer’s satisfaction has earned it an unenviable position in the hospitality segment. Venus Industries v_khurana@venusindustries.in

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and exporter of high quality commercial kitchen appliances. Shiva are first in East India to setup CNC Machine for manufacturing unit. Shiva is one of the world-beating Commercial Kitchen Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters, incepted in the year 2003. Ashok Sinha, the MD of Shiva Appliances, having abundant experience, has led the company to the path of great success and immense development. When it comes to the most dependable deal for the commercial kitchen utility equipments, then Shiva is itemized on top rank. The wide array of commercial kitchen utility equipment is world widely appreciated for their high level of strength and durability. Shiva has own fabrication house with all sorts of modern facility along with a group of skilled laborers and engineers to give ultimate satisfaction with premium Commercial Kitchen Equipment. The company possess own R&D wing to develop the equipment as per Chef’s requirements and for high utility service. Equipped with sound infrastructure and latest technology machines, company manufacture Commercial Kitchen Equipment that is extensively used in both domestic and commercial sectors. Their endeavours’ are primarily directed towards achieving the maximum client satisfaction. The company ensure this by optimum quality, economical prices and timely delivery schedules. Shiva Kitchen Equipments Pvt. Ltd. shivaappliances@gmail.com

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An ISO 9001:2008 approved company is a leading engineering house for designing, fabricating and installation of Commercial Kitchen Equipments, Restaurant Appliances, Canteen Kitchen Equipments for Industrial Kitchens, Hotels, Bars, Restaurants, Clubs & Hospitals. The company is a trusted and reliable name in the industry of commercial kitchen equipments. The company is a prominent manufacturer, supplier, importer

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Engineering Kitchens

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PRODUCT PREVIEW

Chinese range of products on offer. The Italian Range includes Pasta Sauce, Pasta Topping and Italian Pizza, whereas the Indian Range has Bhuna Masala and Makhani Gravy in its ambit, whereas the Chinese Range includes Chilli Garlic and Chinese Paste. The company caters to both institutional and retail segments. Foodcoast International seeks to serve food importers, distributors, buying houses, agents, food service chains and enthusiasts by providing the highest possible quality product at the lowest possible price. The outstanding product quality, personalised service and efficient delivery are the three edifices of the business of Foodcoast International. The company has state-of-the-art production facility and has achieved ISO 22000:2005 certification. Foodcoast International sushant@foodcoast.com

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

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AKASA

MM FISHERIES PVT. LTD.

AKSAI

MRS. BECTOR’S FOOD SPECIALITIES LTD.

ALLIED METAL WORKS

MUNNILAL TANDOORS PVT. LTD.

ANOUSHKA GOURMET PVT. LTD.

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PACIFIC MERCHANTS

BEETA MACHINES PVT. LTD.

P LAL & SONS

BMS ENTERPRISES

RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

RATIONAL INDIA

DABON INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

07, BC

17 FIC

FCML DISTRIBUTORS PVT. LTD.

REMINGTON STEEL ARTS

FIDELIO INDIA PVT. LTD.

ROSHAN LAL TANDOOR WALA

FnS INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

SHAMSONS FOODS

FOOD INGREDIENTS INDIA 2014

SIAL CHINA 2014

GENNEXT LOGISTICS PVT. LTD.

SIAL PARIS

HINDUSTAN REFRIGERATION STORES

SOLUTIONZ CONSULTING PVT. LTD.

HOSFAIR 2014

STEC STAINLESS STEEL PVT. LTD.

HOTELEX SHANGHAI 2014

THE NEW INDIA ELECTRIC & TRADING CO.

IFB INDUSTRIES LTD.

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KANHAIYALAL TANDOOR PVT. LTD.

VANYA INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENTS

KING METAL WORKS

VENUS INDUSTRIES

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

BIC

MITORA MACHINEX

* BC - BACK COVER

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WANG HOSPITALITY EQUIPMENT PVT. LTD.

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INTERVIEW

Displaying Innovative Approach with Expertise By Sharmila Chand

Indrashis Sinha, Associate Director, Food & Beverage, Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon, has over 14 years of experience with the hospitality industry. He has the experience of working with many leading hotel chains such as The Oberoi, Hyatt, Marriott, Accor, etc. He has exposure in HR department and has had the experience of being a Training Manager for a year. Apart from his passion for his profession, he is fascinated with driving and disc jockeying. His strengths lie in his passion for perfection, and his continuous striving to achieve happy customers and happy team members. Besides these his innovative approach and self motivation and expertise on beverage and conventions are his other professional strengths. The excerpts of the interview follow: What are the top three traits or skills every Food & Beverage Manager must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights for an F&B Manager to strengthen her/his team?

She/he must be a connoisseur of knowledge in the realm of food and beverages, as well as in new trends and lifestyle. The person should also have the art of guest relations and must be able to build great experience for guests through trust, genuine care and honesty. Of course, these qualities must be complemented with innovation and creativity.

I believe in the famous quote of Michael Jordan, the world renowned basketball player, who said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” The aim of the F&B Manager should include lifting her/his teams’ vision towards high sights and raising each of the team member’s performance to a higher standard by identifying her/his strengths. Continuous motivation and inspiration are what keep my team together. Having small chats over coffee and to get to know each of the team members personally can instill confidence in them. My belief is that a great manager needs to produce more leaders and not followers.

What do you enjoy the most about being an Associate Director in Food & Beverage?

In my job, every day is a new day which brings new learning experience through meeting of new and as well as repeat customers and associates. This is what I enjoy the most. In this profession, one gets to face new situations. The non-monotonous nature of my work is what I love and of course I do enjoy the networking, wining and dining. What do you dislike the most in your job?

As we are in the service industry, sometimes the deliverables cannot be as consistent as in an assembly line manufacturing unit, which disturbs me. Is your job challenging? Can you point out five challenges?

Every profession is challenging in its own way. If life didn’t have challenges we wouldn’t enjoy half of what we do now. Few of the challenges of my job are maintaining the consistency in deliverables, finding and retaining enthusiastic and focused associates, the challenge of engaging customers despite growing competition, the challenge of growing costs and inflation affecting bottom line profits, the challenge of changing one’s offerings with the changing tastes and lifestyle of the new-age customers. Furthermore, endeavouring to meet deadlines mounts pressure. My job doesn’t allow unfinished task to be rolled on to the next day. Pressures are built around meeting deadlines and in ensuring that the work/task is completed with hundred percent commitment, at the same time without compromising on the standards or the quality. If you could change one thing about your job, what would that be?

I would like to reduce administrative work, and go paperless.

Finally, how is your experience at the present job?

My assignment with Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon is slightly less than 90 days. The journey till now has been the most exciting and challenging. Every day is a new learning experience for me and every associate here is constantly engaged in delivering to achieve the vision of IHG, which is to be the number one hotel company for guests, for owners and for colleagues, while continuing to doing business responsibly. Every associate associated with IHG delivers at their level to be a winner, which makes us different from many other organisations. I will say that the structured and quantified approach to let every associate perform and deliver at her/his optimum level to be a part of the winning team is what excites me the most at Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon. What is your take on the hospitality business in India, in general?

Hospitality business in India continues to grow convincingly as compared to many other industries. The lifestyle of our guests and potential guests are evolving continually and the Indian hospitality sector is following this trend consistently by creating new investors, new partners, etc. Moreover, so many international hospitality brands are making a foray in to India, thereby opening new frontiers of job opportunities within the country and internationally. At the same time, the growing competition is inducing the hospitality business in the country to strive for creating happy guests, happy investors, happy employees along with successful and profitable business. I think it is a win-win situation.

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Feb-Mar ’14