Express Food and Hospitality (Vol.1 No.4) July, 2019

EDITOR’S NOTE

A 'Zero' Budget

W

hile presenting the 2019 Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an emphatic reference to Zero Budget farming.

According to UN's FAO, Zero Budget farming is a set of farming methods that involve zero credit for agriculture and uses no chemical fertilisers. In India, the concept took birth in Karnataka as a pioneering effort of agriculturist Subhash Palekar and then spread to other states.

Interestingly, organic farming was the topic of discussion at the Chef’s Knowledge Exchange during our just concluded 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru. Leading chefs of the Garden City including renowned Chef

EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY NATIONALFOOD,HOSPITALITY& BEVERAGE SALES WEST Datta K +91 9821580849 | datta.kandalkar@indianexpress.com

NORTH Prabhas Jha +91 9899707440 | prabhas.jha@expressindia.com

SOUTH Sreejith Radhakrishnan +91 88675 74257 | sreejith.radhakrishnan@expressindia.com

Sanjay Kumar +91 9711099079 | sanjay.kumar@expressindia.com

OPERATION AND SALES Satish Dange +91 9821876620 | satish.dange@indianexpress.com

Satish Dange +91 9821876620 | satish.dange@indianexpress.com

EAST Debnarayan Dutta +919051150480 | debnarayan.dutta@expressindia.com

Ziyad Tungekar +91 9820512718 | ziyad.tungekar@expressindia.com

Ajanta Sen Gupta +919831182580 | Email: ajanta.sengupta@expressindia.com

Venkatesh Subramaniam +91 9892512644 | venkatesh.subramaniam@expressindia.com

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“Interestingly, organic farming was the topic of discussion at the Chef’s Knowledge Exchange during our just concluded 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru”

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July 2019

Abhijit Saha affirmed that chefs have a moral responsibility in spreading awareness about organic foods and going back to the basics. As always, Express Food & Hospitality has chosen to discuss issues that are the need of the hour and require government intervention.

The initiative to develop 17 iconic tourism sites into world class tourist destinations will also provide a major fillip to hospitality players as travellers need accommodation. However, the industry's angst regarding GST still remains unresolved and so does its long demanded industry status. Budgets have come and gone, but this industry which is one of the largest employment generators, is sadly yet to find its place in the sun.

FOR PARTNERSHIPS,TIE-UPS,SPECIAL EVENTS Anishi Khetan +91 9930915221 | anishi.khetan@indianexpress.com

STEENA JOY Editor Express Food & Hospitality editor.efh@gmail.com

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CONTENTS BOOKSHELF Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Sr. Vice President Neil Viegas Asst. Vice President Harit Mohanty Editor Steena Joy* Correspondent Akshay Nayak DESIGN Assistant Art Director Pravin Temble

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Chief Designer Prasad Tate Senior Designer

SETTING THE TABLE: THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF HOSPITALITY IN BUSINESS

Rekha Bisht Graphics Designer Gauri Deorukhkar Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani Photo Editor Sandeep Patil DIGITAL TEAM Head of Internet Viraj Mehta SCHEDULING & COORDINATION Arvind Mane MARKETING / SALES Ziyad Tungekar Dattaram Kandalkar Satish Dange

(18-48)

MARKETS

Business in Bengaluru:

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THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CREATE REGULATORY BODIES TO OVERSEE BUSINESS ETHICS IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR: TELANGANA STATE HOTELS ASSOCIATION

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IFB INDUSTRIES ENJOYS 35 PER CENT MARKET SHARE IN COMMERCIAL DISHWASHER SEGMENT: B KRISHNAMOORTHY

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LEMON TREE HOTELS TO UNVEIL NEW UPSCALE BRAND 'AURIKA' IN H2 FY 2019-20

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CYGNETT HOTELS & RESORTS WILL TAP THE BUDDHIST CIRCUIT BY END OF THIS FISCAL: SARBENDRA SARKAR

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AWESOME ADDRESSES ISSUES FACED BY ENGINEERS IN HOSPITALITY SECTOR

Areviewof EFH Bengaluru 2019 The 37th edition of Express Food & HospitalityExpo in Bengaluru witnessed the who’s who of the food and hospitality industryvisiting the tradeshowand industryexperts voicing their views about Bengaluru as a hospitalitymarket

Venkatesh Subramaniam Sanjay Kumar Sreejith Radhakrishnan

P49: MOVEMENTS Fairmont Jaipur

PARTNERSHIPS, TIE-UPS Anishi Khetan CIRCULATION Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis

P58: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ABHAY KEWADKAR, INDIA’S FIRST WINEMAKER

Express Food & Hospitality® Printed and Published by Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of Global Fairs & Media Pvt Ltd and Printed at The Indian Express Press, Plot No.EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai-400710 and Published at Express Towers, 1st floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021. Editor: Steena Joy* (Editorial & Administrative Offices: Express Towers, 1st floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021)

Production Co-ordinator Dhananjay Nidre

* Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act. Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited.

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July 2019

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'THE GOVERNMENTSHOULD CREATE REGULATORYBODIES TO OVERSEE BUSINESS ETHICS IN THE HOSPITALITYSECTOR' In an exclusive interview, S Venkat Reddy, president, Telangana State Hotels Association (TSHA) and B Jagdish Rao, secretary, TSHA discuss the issues challenging the hospitality industry and what needs to be done to make it competitive. By Steena Joy What is the role of the Telangana State Hotels Association (TSHA) in promoting the hotel industry in the newly bifurcated State?

Reddy: TSHA is a proactive and an apex body representing the small and medium enterprises in Telangana State. It was established to address the grievances of the hotel industry with the governments, local bodies, government departments under one single platform. We have around 2000 members.

Is there any issue or challenge the industry is facing?

Reddy: Survival of hospitality industry is at stake. Governments have a big role to play.

Hospitality industry is a generator of employment, parallel to the tourism sector. However, more governmental encourage-

ment and incentives are needed for further development and growth of these sectors. India stands far behind in these sectors compared to other countries. a) The unorganised sector is an unhealthy competitor. It is neither responsible nor accountable, pays no taxes, no fees, no licenses, no regulations, and provides unhygienic food and environment. FSSAI should have control over the unorganised sector. These players are causing erosion of sales turnovers of the well established, well organised, responsible and accountable industry. b) OTAs, aggregators like OYO, food delivery apps are new unethical business concepts monopolising and robbing the owners with one sided agreements and the customers.

S. Venkat Reddy

B. Jagdish Rao

c) Multiple licenses - A single window licensing system should be considered for EODB (Ease of Doing Business).

Reddy: Central and the state governments should create regulatory bodies to oversee business ethics in the hospitality sector.

What role can the state government play to resolve these issues?

How has GST impacted the hotels and restaurants in

Telangana?

Rao: We represented to the GST Council to raise tax exemption limit for rooms where the room tariff is Rs. 2000 and below for growth and development of tourism. But, exemption was given up to Rs. 1000 only. It is now essential to raise the exemption limit to Rs.2000 because of the OTAs and aggregators offering deep discounts and other charges being levied by them.

We also represented to reduce the five per cent GST to two per cent in standalone restaurants, air conditioned or otherwise, food parcel establishments and takeaways.

What is your association’s role in skill development in hospitality?

Rao: Our proposal has not taken off for want of funds.

Union Budget 2019 : Industry reactions EF&H Staff Mumbai FINANCE Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2019-20 which was lauded by many industries, terming it a pro-development budget. Development of 17 iconic tourism sites to help boost inbound and domestic tourism in the country has been the highlight that was majorly celebrated by the travel and tourism fraternity in

6

India. Decision of going back to basics in farming techniques has also received a significant number of positive views from across the agrarian country.

Reacting to the Union Budget 2019, Vijay Dewan, MD, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels & Chairman, CII, West Bengal State Council said, “This Union Budget is not only pro-working class, but also pro-development and growth. Tax exemption of upto INR 5 lakhs is a huge

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July 2019

benefit. Increased FDI in key sectors like aviation will help boost the sector. Development of 17 iconic sites to be transformed in world class destinations will help boost foreign tourist arrivals. However, industry demand of free visas for five years and competitive GST rate has not been met.

The Indian travel and tourism sector which has emerged as a key growth driver and is one of the biggest employment generators didn’t see any con-

crete provisions in this Union budget.”

Sanjeev K Nayar, GM, ITC WelcomHeritage, reiterated that the budget has talked about developing 17 iconic tourism sites, which they are certain will benefit the hospitality sector and all other stake holders of the travel industry as this will create fresh demand of hotels and other tourist related infrastructure.

“We being a Heritage hotel chain are upbeat about this an-

nouncement and await complete details,” added Nayar.

Voicing his views on the budget, Vikram Agarwal, MD, Greendot Health Foods (Cornitos), called it a very encouraging budget for SME/MSE sector. “With government’s initiative, farm output has increased which leads to promotion of agri processing industry.

We have planned to invest in developing value added healthy agro based products,” concluded Agarwal.

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'HIGH LABELREGISTRATION FEES,TAXES, DUTIES AND INDIFFERENTPOLICIES OFSTATE GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN ABIG DAMPENER IN THE INDIAN WINE GROWTH STORY' In an exclusive interview, Abhay Kewadkar, MD, Tetrad Global Beverages and India’s first winemaker talks to Steena Joy about how Indian wines have matured and what needs to be done to incentivise the domestic industry As India's leading wine veteran, how has the wine industry in the country evolved over the years? How many organised players make up the industry?

When I started my wine career in 1984, there was not a single quality winemaker making wines using wine varieties of grapes. Today, wine varieties of grapes have been planted over 5,000 acres and there are at least 10 organised well-known wineries and 30 or 40 more wineries basically functioning as feeder units or making lower-priced wines. From a very small production in those years today, the wine industry is 3.5 m cases, growing at 15-20 per cent YOY. In terms of consumer involvement, there has been a substantial increase in awareness, knowledge, and acceptance of wine as a beverage. I still remember the consumer asking me whether to consume wine with water or soda, today consumer is asking about wine by varietal. Unfortunately, the base still remains very small as compared to other alcoholic beverages. High label registration fees, taxes, duties and indifferent policies of state governments have been a big dampener in the growth story.

Wine is still considered as an aspirational beverage for the rich considering the high-end consumer prices. Wine needs to be considered as part of the meal and everyday beverage of

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choice as it happens in other countries.

Have Indian wines matured enough to be comparable in quality and taste to international wines?

Good wines are made almost all over the world now.

Definitely, some of the wines made in India are better than some wines made in France. In fact, some Indian wine producers export their wine to France.

But when it comes to the best quality wines, France is far ahead. We will be doing ourselves great injustice if we compare ourselves to European countries which have been making commercial wines for over four centuries now. Although the wine culture in India penetrated much later, with favourable terroir and really talented winemakers, India is producing some world-class wines today.

I am very proud to say that I was the part of winemaking team which really put Indian wines on the international map, to start with La Reserve Red wine when I was heading Grover Vineyards.

How can the government incentivise this sector? What role can the government play to place Indian wines on the global map?

Maharashtra and Karnataka have already incentivised the wine industry in their respective states. This in-

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July 2019

simpler laws and low entry barriers. Simultaneously putting in place quality control and a certification system so that Indian wines have more credibility.

Abhay Kewadkar

cludes subsidies for setting up wineries, excise duties being very low in Karnataka and zero in Maharashtra.

But on the other side, both the states have implemented restrictive and discriminatory policies for wines coming from other states. The impact of this is that only big wineries will survive as they can afford wineries in multiple states.

Boutique style wineries with more focus on quality and style will not survive as they are forced to sell only in their own state. These boutique style wineries, in fact, create the excitement and help the consumers keep experimenting and thus buying more wines.

To put Indian wines on the international map and make them famous, we need to find ways to increase consumption domestically first by making

Your Early Dark label. How has it performed in India?

We launched the label in February 2019. We are today available in select stores in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Goa, and in Kolkata we will be available by July. Delhi and other North Indian markets by September.

The range of wines in the Early Dark portfolio has been curated specially for the Indian palate keeping in mind the consumption preferences and style of food we consume.

Your partnership with Vignobles Arbeau?

Early Dark is India's first batch of hand-made wines made in collaboration with Vignobles Arbeau, award-winning winemakers from France producing award-winning wines. Vignobles Arbeau has been making quality wines for five generations and has been farming sustainably since 1998.

Besides this, we import wine from France’s biggest familyowned winery and wine merchant groups. They have over a dozen of Grands Cru class wines and classical Chateaux in Bordeaux.

Your thoughts on wine tourism as a millennial con-

cept that can drive wine consumption in the country?

Wine tourism is gaining reasonable momentum. Several world-class vineyards in the vicinity of Nashik and Bengaluru are attracting avid travellers and wine enthusiasts through their carefully curated packages, including stay.

The vineyards are luxurious and offer a full 360-degree experience from grape plucking, traditional wine stomping experience, a peek into bottling wines, structured wine tasting and so on. This not only gives millennials a glimpse of life in a vineyard and how wine is made but helps demystify wines and educates one about ways of consuming and pairing wines with food.

Future plans for Tetrad Beverages?

At Tetrad Global Beverages besides launching our own label range of wines under Early Dark, we have started with importing fine French wines. Going forward, we will add wines from famous regions of Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal. We will also be looking to increase the footprint of Early Dark. Discussions are underway to add boutique style Malts, Gin and select alcoholic beverages.

We will shortly be launching our first Microbrewery in Prestige Shanti Niketan Whitefield Mall. Idea is to scale up this business as well.

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IFB Industries enjoys 35 per cent market share in commercial dishwasher segment: B Krishnamoorthy Akshay Nayak Bengaluru IFB INDUSTRIES which is popularly known for its home appliances in India, a part of the company also caters to commercial equipment segment including commercial dishwashers majorly used by restaurants, commercial kitchens, etc. B Krishnamoorthy, business head industrial products, IFB Industries, said, "We have a wide range of dishwashers for the customers to decide as per their need, with each having a capacity on average of cleaning 4000 dishes per hour. Our products are CE certified and manufactured in Europe under the IFB branding."

The company also provides laundry solutions in under two series i.e. Smart Tech series and Tuff Tech series. “Leading

commercial laundry equipment maker Ramsons was acquired by IFB in the last fiscal year. The manufacturing facility is in Bengaluru and we make laundry equipment with capacities ranging from 10 kg to 300 kg which is a first in India,” informed Krishnamoorthy.

Speaking about the USP of IFB Industries, Krishnamoorthy said, “We are solutions providers not only in terms of making appliances but we provide complete turnkey solution to our clients. Suppose someone wants to start a laundry business, then we provide them with details starting from the layout configuration, technical advice, to site preparation, to suggesting the appliance suited for their business, the ROI factor and most importantly the after sales services and staff training

B Krishnamoorthy

which is taken care of, for the customer for 10-15 years. In the laundry segment, along with Ramsons brand, we are the largest player in India.”

In industrial dishwashing segment IFB enjoys 30-35 per cent marketshare. “We are the

largest in dishwasher segment too, so our machines are available everywhere in the hospitality industry, be it small restaurants to 4-5 star properties. Apart from hospitality industry, we service to educational institutions, pharma industries and also the armed forces and government offices.

Our plan is to be a market leader in this segment. We have a wide range of products catering to each client as per their needs,” he added.

Replying to a query about after sales services, Krishnamoorthy said that the comapany has 67 engineers placed at 26 offices pan India, which makes their after sales services also too strong.

IFB Industries exports to more than 20 countries with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal being their key markets

in South Asia.

To a query on the future developments at IFB Industries, Kirshnamoorthy replied, “We are also developing a new technologically driven equipment which reduces water intake by about 80 per cent to 50 per cent. It would be available in the next six months period of time. We would like to represent in each segment with our range of products. Hostels have thousands of students, and they have to spare a lot of time to manually load and unload their clothes which is time consuming and tiring. We are looking to introduce an app fed equipment, through which the student will get an update about the status of their laundry on their smartphone and hence, they just need to load the clothes and focus on their other activities.”

'SIMBA'S CRAFTBREWERYHAS AMANUFACTURING CAPACITYOF30,000 CASES AMONTH' Founded in 2016, Simba – is a homegrown, family-run craft beer brand in India by the company Simba Brewery. In the span of three years, the brand has expanded to the popular destinations like Goa and Delhi -NCR and plans to have presence in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Akshay Nayak spoke to the Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, co-founder, Simba Craft Beers to learn more about the beer brand and its expansion plans How was Simba founded?

When I was studying in the UK, I saw a huge beer market with different styles and variants of beer which were hugely missing in India. Back in India the only difference between the beers were the labels. Since every beer was providing the same style and similar quality, I felt that overall per capita consumption was also fairly low.

The Eureka moment for us was realising the huge potential in newer variants like the Wit and Stout and we realised that the Indian consumer was ready to experiment with something different and fresh.

What is Simba's USP? The one thing that sets us apart is that we have our own brewery, which was the only

10 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

craft brewery in the country at the time, this gives us an edge over our competitors as most of them outsource the product.

Our brewery was setup at a cost of Rs 60 crores which has a manufacturing capacity of 30,000 cases a month or 72,000,000 bottles.

Prabhtej Singh Bhatia

What are the expansion plans for Simba in India and

abroad?

We are working to expand the market and to expand our product base. We are working on some really interesting variants and are looking to launch them really soon. We plan to introduce Lager in the metros now. The beer company had a turnover of 125 crore in 2018-19 and has projected 250 crore in 2019-20.

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Lemon Tree Hotels to unveil new upscale brand 'Aurika' in H2 FY 2019-20 Akshay Nayak Mumbai ON THE sidelines of the launch event of the recently opened Lemon Tree Premier – Mumbai International Airport, India's leading midscale hotel chain brand Lemon Tree Hotels' CMD Patanjali Keswani said that the company will soon unveil its new upscale brand 'Aurika'. It will debut in Udaipur. The 140-key property is owned by Lemon Tree Hotels and will open in the next 3-4 months, he said.

“The second Aurika branded hotel will be a 670-key property which is under construction and will open near the Mumbai International Airport. The Aurika hotel in Mumbai will be convention centre hotel, with hall of size –

10000 sq ft,” added Keswani.

Lemon Tree currently has a supply of 5300 keys pan India and is having an additional 3000 keys in the pipeline to be opened in various locations in the country. The company will be overriding 14 per cent of the total branded rooms inventory in midscale hotel segment market in the country in the coming few years, Keswani informed. “We operate one of every five rooms in Hyderabad, which is a very important market for us,” he added.

Following the launch of a Lemon Tree Premier branded hotel in Pune, Lemon Tree Premier – Mumbai International Airport property marks the homegrown hotel company’s second hotel in the upper midscale segment branded in Maharashtra, and

Patanjali Keswani

third pan-India. The first Lemon Tree Premier opened in Gurgaon. Speaking about the newly opened Lemon Tree Premier – Mumbai International Airport, Keswani said,

“Mumbai is a key market for us and a prominent destination both for business and leisure travellers. The hotel is strategically located near Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and in the midst of one of Mumbai’s commercial hubs.”

Strategically located in Mumbai’s Business hub of Andheri East, Lemon Tree Premier Mumbai International Airport aims to target both, business and leisure travellers as well as the local corporate segment. Located on Andheri Kurla Road, the 303-key property is in close proximity to key hubs like SEEPZ, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

The hotel offers rooms in

five categories from standard rooms to studio styled rooms for long-stay guests. Additionally, the hotel also provides over 3100 sq ft of banqueting and meeting space. The other amenities at the hotel include a swimming pool, gym, and a spa – Fresco.

The F&B fare at Lemon Tree Premier Mumbai International Airport also takes both resident guests and walkin guests on a culinary tour with its three diverse food outlets on offer. Republic of Noodles – serves select street foods from pan-Asia, while Citrus Cafe is the 24×7 multicuisine restaurant. Slounge is ideal to relax at in the evenings with a drink handy and delectable bar snacks to either enjoy a match or the live band.

Cygnett Hotels & Resorts will tap the Buddhist Circuit by end of this fiscal: Sarbendra Sarkar Akshay Nayak Mumbai CYGNETT Hotels & Resorts which started operating in India from April 2014 opened 21 hotels with 1000+ keys in operation in the first year itself. It has signed 900+ keys in a total of 20 properties to be spread pan India.

The hotel company which caters to upscale, midscale and budget traveller market through its five brands namely Cygnett Plaza, Cygnett Park, Cygnett Inn & Cygnett Residences, and Cygnett Lite – a manchise brand, is considering asset-light business model for expansion pan India, informed Sarbendra Sarkar, founder & MD, Cygnett Hotels & Resorts.

Apart from hotels, the com-

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pany is also focussing on alternate accommodation segment with Cygnett Residences branded property under construction in Rajkot.

Technology has been crucial to the company in many aspects right from hotel operations to AI-booking and blockchain elements. “We are the only hotel company in India with in-house AI booking channel and to offer a loyalty programme which harnesses blockchain elements to remember and suggest guests likings and preferences during their further stays with Cygnett,” said Sarkar. The company has also adopted cloud-based Central Reservation System (CRS) and Online Reputation Management (ORM) which allows the hotel chain to increase

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July 2019

Sarbendra Sarkar

brand visibility and high room revenue through its distribution and e-commerce.

About the experiences be-

ing provided to the guests, Sarkar replied that as the travellers these days expect local experiences both within and outside the hotel, Cygnett is considering detailed local aesthetic touches to their hotels while also paying heed to the experiences outside of the hotel. “Dwarka in Gujarat, although being a spiritual destination, is a potential location for scuba diving, for which we have tied up with a professional agency at our property in Dwarka. Rishikesh and Gangtok have expansive views to keep gazing at when on a trek.

We at Cygnett organise these treks for our guests,” noted Sarkar.

Since India is having more holiday locations now, Cygnett is considering to develop bou-

tique resort properties with 5060 keys each in those destinations. “Rishikesh is one of them followed by our recently opened property in Nainital,” he says.

The company recorded eight per cent growth in revenue last year, informed Sarkar about the company’s performance. The company eyes to have 28 properties operation by the end of this year and is looking to tap the traveller market in the Buddhist Circuit with 5-6 hotels signed in destinations including Bodhgaya, Varanasi, etc. “We are also opening properties in Itanagar and Gangtok and are aggressively looking to tap the south and west India including Telangana, Visakhapatnam, and Karnataka,” concluded Sarkar.

PRODUCT TRACKER MARKET

New dairy blend whip topping

by Rich’s India

Range of burners by De Novo

RICH’S NIAGARA Farms Gold is the first of its kind dairy-blended whip-topping that gives a premium dairy taste. It has the perfect combination of quality and performance with a favourable stability that adds an appealing finish to your cakes and pastries.

The new topping features premium dairy taste with rich mouthfeel, superior performance and stability, and gives smooth finish to the cakes.

Rich’s pioneered the non-dairy topping category in India with the launch of Rich’s Whip Topping in 1996.

SkyLine ChillS Blast Chillers range by Electrolux ELECTROLUX has launched the SkyLine ChillS Blast Chillers range, born from the company’s 30 years of experience in engineering and developing top performing, super intuitive and efficient blast chillers.

Efficiency, good chilling performance, intuitiveness and unmatched usability are the key benefits, resulting in uncompromising food quality and full safety, energy savings, reduced running costs and a faster, smoother kitchen workflow and service. Moreover, SkyLine ChillS also receives 4-star certification for ergonomics, thus contributing to potential 75 per cent reduction in sick leave and 25 per cent increase in productivity for your business.

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July 2019

DE NOVO was established in the year 1995 by the joint effort of late. G.K. Goyal and Renu Goyal, having expertise and knowledge in the field of heating system. The company assists the consumers right from planning, building to the execution of quantum projects. De Novo provides products that are serviceable for several purposes like unigas burner, double fuel burners, overwhelming oil and light oil gas burners, double fuel petroleum gas burner, etc. The building practices are supported by De Novo’s worldwide associates like CIB Unigas (Italy), Siemens (Germany), Honeywell (US), Watts Industries (UK), Simel (Italy), Monarch (US), Fida ( Italy), Suntec Insight (France), Dungs (Germany), Brahma ( Italy), Danfoss (Denmark), Cofi Ignitions (Italy).

Volcanic mineral water by Kelzai KELZAI is a journey of pure, volcanic water enriched with minerals naturally through the years. Naturally induced with minerals & electrolytes this volcanic goodness is a rich source of silica, magnesium, calcium and potassium - essential minerals that are building blocks for healthy skin, hair, nerves and bones. Kelzai in return promises – ‘One for the earth’ through options of 100 per cent bio-degradable PET bottles and sustainable glass bottles.

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AWESOME ADDRESSES ISSUES FACED BYENGINEERS IN HOSPITALITYSECTOR Academicians with Excellence, Spectrum of Maintenance Engineers (AWESOME) - an association of chief engineers in hospitality, healthcare, and other services sector in India holds seminars round the year to address the many challenges and trends of engineering and its application in the services industries.

Akshay Nayak spoke to Rahul Pabalkar, trustee, AWESOME to learn more about the association's role for its member engineers What is AWESOME's vision?

AWESOME’s vision is as the name suggests Academicians with Excellence, Spectrum of Maintenance Engineers.

We wish to bring together engineers from all walks who face maintenance issues day in and day out. We learn from each other’s experience. We openly discuss issues in this forum and try to gain knowledge which helps us improve our performance everyday. This is also an educational platform for engineers.

What have been the trends in the engineering operations segment of the hospitality industry in both India and abroad?

Operations have been becoming more and more automated for good. There is an underlying fact for all automation i.e. sound engineering knowledge and basic common sense. As a maintenance engineer in hospitality industry, the role is not limited to one machine. It is the whole gamut that we are supposed to know or even excel in! Hence, it becomes extremely important for all engineers to keep themselves updated on day to day equipment required in the industry as well as new information pouring in to reduce costs. Also, we cannot risk a trial and error with any equipment because everything translates to guest experience for us.

What are the inititatives that AWESOME takes for member chief engineers?

AWESOME has been regularly holding

Rahul Pabalkar

seminars with vendors like Danfoss, L&T, Bluestar, Kirloskar, Carrier, NALCO and others. These collaborations form a part of vendor support. We are not involved directly for liaising with the government as it is not our focus point. Most of the chief engineers always bring along their junior engineers and peers for AWESOME events. Knowledge sharing being the basis happens during such sessions.

What is the future roadmap for AWESOME? AWESOME has already tied up with ISHRAE, ASHRAE, FSSAI, HPMF and we have 4500 engineers as a part of AWESOME. AWESOME is present in 10 countries and 40 cities. Our regional chapters carry out some activities for the members every alternate month.

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July 2019

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Taj Hotel & Convention Centre,Agra

T

he Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) recenly opened the iconic Taj branded hotel in Agra – Taj Hotel & Convention Centre, Agra. The hotel spread over 4.5 acres is strategically located within walking distance from the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The 239 keys property offers multiple dining options

The Fern Residency, Satara

such as Palato – the all-day diner, Daawat-eNawaab – the Indian specialty restaurant and two lounges – Liquid Lounge and Tea Lounge.

The pièce de résistance is Infini – The Sky Lounge, a rooftop bar with expansive views of the Taj Mahal. Guests can enjoy a swim in the infinity pool which also overlooks the Taj Mahal.

T

he Fern Hotels & Resorts has opened - The Fern Residency, Satara in Maharashtra. The Fern Residency, Satara is a 60-room hotel offering contemporary accommodations, a finely-designed roof top restaurant with two banquet halls and a gym. The hotel is situated on the Pune-Bangalore National Highway, just 2 kms away from the city center with an easy access to public transport. All the major sightseeing attractions like Kaas Pathar - Valley of Flowers which is world heritage sight declared by UNESCO, Koyna Dam, Bamnoli Thoseghar Waterfall, Sajjangad Fort and Chalkewadi Windmills are in the vicinity.

ITC Royal Bengal Cygnett Resort Mountain Breeze, Nainital

C

ygnett Hotels and Resorts’ recently launched Cygnett Resort Mountain Breeze situated in Jeolikot which is well suited to spend holidays for its strategic location against the natural backdrop of Nainital. The 59-key hotel offers well-ap-

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July 2019

pointed stylish rooms and suites offering a panoramic view of the greenery and scenic beauty. Each room boasts of a expansive view of the hills. Cygnett Mountain Breeze offers a rarefied leisure experience to its guests at pocket-friendly prices.

I

TC recently announced the inauguration of its new super-premium luxury hotel in Kolkata – the ITC Royal Bengal. The 456-key ITC Royal Bengal is ITC Hotel’s 14th Luxury Collection hotel in India and is a befitting tribute to the timeless traditions and royal heritage of Bengal. Built with an investment of nearly Rs 1400 cr, the ITC Royal Bengal will redefine Kolkata’s hospitality landscape making it a preferred destination for global MICE tourism and other large events, a statement by the company read. From a sprawling 16400 sq ft pillar less magnificent ballroom, pre-function areas and outer courtyards attached to the Grand Ballroom together adding approximately another 33000 sq ft, to exquisite arrival lobbies and huge lawns ideal for Kolkata socials, ITC Royal Bengal offers versatile banquet options for both the business meetings and events with total banquet and convention facilities covering an area of 61000 sq ft.

COVER STORY

Business in Bengaluru: Areviewof EFH Bengaluru 2019 The 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru witnessed the who’s who of the food and hospitality industry visiting the tradeshow and industry experts voicing their views about Bengaluru as a hospitality market

By Akshay Nayak

T

he three-day exhibition, organised by Global Fairs & Media – part of the Indian Express Group, was inaugurated by the chief guests, Chef Jugesh Arora, president, South India Chef ’s

18

Association (SICA); Chef Kasiviswanathan, executive chef, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru and VP, SICA; Pankaj Kothari, founder & president, Federation of Karnataka Caterers (FKC); Gopal Shetty, president, FKC, and

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July 2019

Sanjay Kumar, CEO, Elior India.

Speaking on the occasion, Chef Arora said, “It’s a great pleasure for SICA to be associated with Express Food & Hospitality since the past five years. Last year at the GICC,

we saw participation of 101 contestants, while this year it is 105 which was possible due to all the efforts put in by Chef Vijay Bhaskar, VP, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) and Chef Kasiviswanathan.

EF&H is growing day by day and participation in its shows are increasing. While Indian cuisine doesn’t receive as much popularity as the European cuisine does, with platforms like these provided by Express Food & Hospitality,

the main focus

Chef Jugesh Arora

we are able to communicate our creations to the masses.”

Sharing his views about the Expo, Chef Kasiviswanathan said, “I wish Express Food & Hospitality all the success and together with you all, we will also grow.”

Kothari of FKC said, “I wish all the best to Express Food & Hospitality. We are happy to associate with them as their hospitality partner. In the years to come, the Expo will grow too because, through such platforms, we get to connect with the right suppliers.”

Shetty of FKC said, “Our national association Federation of All India Caterers is always participating in such platforms to connect with the right audience that the event provides. The association spreads the awareness within the caterers’ fraternity about the usage of good kitchen equipment and also food safety. I think these kinds of events provide us with the right platform to help connect the stakeholders of catering segment directly with the leading suppliers in the market.”

Kumar of Elior India underscored the importance that a chef holds for any food services organisation. He said, “We are one of the world's largest food services company. We are a French company and employ about 4000 people in India and about 400 chefs from different parts of the country. We may be the largest company serving to the best multinational companies; we may be a global listed company; we may have the best recipes, but our business cannot be what it is without the chefs. So the bottomline is, it is the chef who makes the difference, no matter what product you have or what service you do. It is the chefs who build a food service brand, and through their continued efforts, a brand reaches a stature that it celebrates.”

Followed by the inauguration there was a GMs Conclave where leading general managers like Amaan Kidwai, GM, ITC Gardenia; George Kuruvilla, GM, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru; Vinesh Gupta, GM, The Den Bangalore; Srijan Vadhera, GM, Conrad Bengaluru; Shubhankar Bose, GM, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel; Amit Ku-

Chef Kasiviswanathan

Gopal Shetty

Pankaj Kothari

Sanjay Kumar

mar, GM, La Marvella - A Sarovar Premier Hotel, Bengaluru; Saravanan Dhanabalu, GM, Fortune Select JP Cosmos Bengaluru; Reuben Kataria, GM, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru; Varun Sharma, Director Operations, Clarks Exotica – Convention Resort & Spa, and Dev Mohanty, GM, The Zuri Whitefield, Bengaluru, shared their views on how technology is important in the hospitality operations but with a human touch and sense of awareness to it.

This was followed by Chef ’s Knowledge Exchange, in which, renowned chefs of leading hotels in Bengaluru including Chef Abhijit Saha, cofounder, director & chef, Avant Garde Hospitality, AGH Consulting; Chef Praveen Shetty, executive chef, Conrad Bengaluru; Chef Sandeep Kumar, executive chef, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel; Chef Akshraj Jodha, executive chef, ITC Windsor Bengaluru; Chef Antony Ananda Kumar, chef de cuisine, Elior India; Chef Kasiviswanathan, executive chef, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru; and Chef Uchit Vohra, executive chef, ITC Gardenia,

opined their valuable inputs on the scene of organic market in terms of its supply and demand in India at large and Bengaluru in particular.

The day ended with the Restaurant Excellence Honours where Bengaluru’s leading restaurants were honoured for their outstanding contribution to the industry. The restaurants who garnered the honours were Byg Brewski Brewing Company, Caperberry, Charcoal Eats, China Bistro – Bengaluru, High Ultra Lounge, Kaze, Konark Vegetarian Restaurant, MTR, Sante Spa Cuisine, Swathi Group of Restaurants, Taaza Thindi, The Green Path Forgotten Food, The Pump House, Toscano, Vidyarthi Bhavan and Yauatcha Bengaluru.

The leading exhibitors at the 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo at Palace Grounds, Tripura Vasini, Bengaluru were Blue Star, IFB Industries, Hobart, Kaapi Solutions, Euronova, Welbilt, Graffithe Foods, Intergrow Brands, King Metal Works, CerraGlobe, Mittal International Kitchen Solution, Charnock Equipment and Hoffmann Bewirtung, among others.

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July 2019

COVER STORY

Howtechnologyis enhancing the guest experience in hospitality The first GMs Conclave panel discussion at the 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru threw light on the opportunities and shortcomings of harnessing technology in hospitality to improve guest experiences. By Akshay Nayak

A

t the 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru, general managers of leading hotels in Bengaluru threw light on the role of technology in hotel operations in India at large and Bengaluru market in particular at the first GM's Conclave panel discussion held on the sidelines of the expo.

The panel discussion was titled, 'How technology is enhancing the guest experience in hospitality'. The esteemed panelists were Amaan Kidwai, GM, ITC Gardenia; George Kuruvilla, GM, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru; Vinesh Gupta, GM, The Den Bangalore; Srijan Vadhera, GM, Conrad Bengaluru; Subhankar Bose, GM, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel; Amit

Kumar, GM, La Marvella - A Sarovar Premier Hotel, Bengaluru; Saravanan Dhanabalu, GM, Fortune Select JP Cosmos Bengaluru; Reuben Kataria, GM, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru; Varun Sharma, Director Operations, Clarks Exotica Convention Resort & Spa (a Preferred HotelGroup member) and Dev Mohanty, GM, The Zuri Whitefield, Bengaluru (a Preferred Hotel Group member).

Commenting on the evolution of hospitality technology from self check ins to smartphone driven keyless entry, Gupta kickstarting the panel discussion said, “Experience for guests has become very technology centric now. Technology in Bengaluru is leaning more on the side of disruption. Self check in has become more of a passe.

20 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

The guest now needs technology in hotels increasingly.”

Vadhera opined that technology will be an assisting driver, but the experience will always be driven by the human interface.

“At Hilton, we have keyless check in and you can also select the room you want to stay in. Artificial Intelligence is also going to enhance the experience. We at Hilton believe that technology will assist but human to human interaction will always ensure that hospitality is still alive.

Technology is there but it is to assist the experience driven by the human touch,” added Vadhera.

Pointing out that the needs of technology are subject to change as per the brand and location of a hotel, Kataria said, “Marriott now has 30 brands and we are

operating in all the segments right from midscale to uber luxury and in every segment there is a different technological input.

In a hotel like Fairfield where the manpower ratio is very low, technology is helping us to counter human involvement.

And then hotels like Ritz Carlton, JW, Autograph Collection, etc are high scale where the need for human interaction is much higher. So technology is actually adding to the experience rather than taking away the human experience.”

Reiterating Kataria's views, Mohanty noted, “I have been seeing a lot of progress when it comes to technology. Especially for a brand like ours, we specifically look at the demographics before we include any technology in our system. The technol-

ogy basically has to be an enabler, how you want to integrate the technology in your system.

A lot of things are being discussed over IoT, but what needs to be looked at only instead of the smart rooms is basically a parallel thing that is happening regarding the blockchain technology. But, AI, I think is still at the nascent stage on how it is creating a 'wow' factor at this point of time.”

According to Sharma, technology has come a long way in the hospitality industry. “There is a lot of developments that have come into China or USA. But, from Clarks' point of view, we think it is very important to keep the operations human. It's good to have keyless entries and new tech and we are yet to explore that part. We are a little

COVER STORY

Amaan Kidwai

away from that, other countries have done that. When it comes to robots, in 2015 the Henn na Hotel came up with a workforce of 253 robots. However, according to recent reports, half of the robots have been laid off, because when it comes to the food, it has to be cooked by humans.

When taking care of the guests' concerns, humans can do it, robots cannot.”

Pointing that La Marvella in Bengaluru was one of the first hotels to introduce technology driven services to their guests, Kumar noted, “Although La Marvella was one of the very first hotels, not only in Bengaluru but in entire India to introduce keyless entry technology in 2009, it did not do well initially, since the guests were not familiar with it. But, the experience was fascinating thereon especially for the millennials who want to try something new.”

At the end of the day, it is the guest's comfort which is the priority reiterated Kidwai, agreeing to Kumar's point. He said, “The most precious commodity is time and guest comfort and especially in the luxury segment, we need to customise every experience, as we deal with a diverse demography in our hotels. And looking at that if a loyal guest is comfortable with the keyless technology then it is good. But someone who is not familiar with the technology should be provided with the conventional keycard or key. Technology helps streamline processes, makes operations smoother and more convenient. At the end of the day this should be the objective of any technology. It must be encouraged as a return on investment.”

Dhanabalu put forward an observation that the modern day guest's tolerance level has gone down significantly. He said, “We are using technology wherein during the booking process online, there is a chatbot which answers the guest's basic queries. We are still working on it and other technology applications to enhance the guest experience.”

Putting forward Radisson Hotel Group's perspective Kuruvilla informed that being in the hospitality industry, there is a lot of emphasis on software. “In our case, the emphasis is on the people itself. You cannot replicate that too much with technology. The emphasis is on how much you bring to play when it comes to our business. Last impressions are lasting impressions and you cannot really have technology take over those impressions. We have really embraced solutions like express check in through the help of technology. The guests are well travelled and

22 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

Amit Kumar

Dev Mohanty

George Kuruvilla

Reuben Kataria

hence in-room technology too including the tabs and apps provided to the guests adds value to their overall experience.”Alternatively, Bose voiced his opinion, “Technology in hospitality in recent times is used more for the back-end operations which has gradually helped the staff to provide seamless solutions to their guests.”

“In our own hotel group, we have a human interfacefree hotel i.e. in Tel Aviv. It is successful there and in the coming years, we will introduce that in India too. We have gone way ahead when it comes to technology and when it comes to disruption in terms of keyless entry or experience or something but to the levels that it is human-interface free. That is where technology is taking us today.

AI, robotics and all those stuff will come later. I am sure there is a market for both whether we talk about technology or whether we talk about the human element in hospitality. But specifically technology, it is going places,” added Gupta.

the hotel room. Technology in our hotel is more of a personal choice. Suppose a guest is coming to the hotel and does not want to spend time on a laptop or tablet. We are not guiding or pushing the guests to do a certain thing.”

Agreeing to his point, Gupta said, “Removal of keys is not possible. We shouldn't be trying to impose any system on the guests. We use a lot of technology but still, we understand the balance between tech and human touch.”

Likewise, Vadhera felt that the use of technology is for the guests to decide and not for the hotels. “Technology can be used to take feedback when the guest is in house We cannot push people to use phone check in or ipad check in. By the time the guest gets used to the hotel technology, we must understand what their demand is.

Technology is good, it should be used but it cannot be the saviour or decision maker for the guests. Technology should be used only to the extent that the guests want to use it.”

Kidwai also had a similar view. “Technology should be used to make things easier for the guests. Average length of stays are coming down to 1.5 to 1.75 nights, and by the time the guest gets along with the technology, it is time to check out. An example is our hotel, when we opened we had no side switches in the room, which was controlled by a touchscreen panel by the bedside about 10

Technology for ease All the panelists unanimously agreed that technology is useful to add to the experience driven by humans, but the guests should not be compelled to use the technology provided by the hotel.Kataria affirmed, “We are not concerned about how to include more and more tech in

COVER STORY

Saravanan Dhanabalu

Srijan Vadhera

Subhankar Bose

Varun Sharma

Vinesh Gupta

security breach noting that most systems are already in place. “Cyber crimes are being taken care of and that is what will come with years passing, technology will become more and more agile. So we don't see a big threat on that aspect. Also, we do pilot projects when we are introducing a new technology in the guest's arena. These projects are done and tested fool-proof and then installed to be accessed by the guests,” he opined. Adding to Varun's point, Kataria mentioned that an important point to check cybersecurity is training. “The architecture of the software is tested multiple times but it is the human element which is the differentiator. So we have to spend our valuable time training our teams and watching out that they do not access an email unknowingly without realising where it is coming from,” he adds. Vadhera explained that systems are already in place at Hilton that keep their guest's data out of reach from hackers. “For data security at Hilton, we have our own PMS which is called OnQ. We have all our servers secure; all our PCs are USB blocked, so there is no breach of any data by the staff or guests. To the guest servers, no employee access is allowed, so that is the level where we are going in terms of cybersecurity. Training is important but the task is to teach the staff what not to do,” he stated.

Gupta also spoke about how they prevent a data

breach at The Den, Bangalore, “In some instances probably we have stepped back, like for example a lot of mobiles that we use, are without cameras and internet.

When it comes to cyber crimes the levels of security, check and data integrity, we actually have international affiliations. GDPR is a big issue today wherein a hotel is not even allowed to store the personal data of the guests after their check out and it gets auto-erased from the systems, which means we have become more or less insulated when it comes to security. ” Dhanabalu informed, “We are moving to cloud-based technogy and are also working on a cloud-based PMS now wherein security is better.”

It is extremely important to ensure adequate protection systems and to educate and train the staff.

“The security of crucial information like passport details and training the staff to check breach of the sensitive data of the guests becomes very important,” reiterated Kidwai. Kuruvilla concluded by saying, “As far as the security of guest data is concerned, masking of the data is done before making it available to the team members. In terms of training, there are dos and don'ts and, there are more don'ts than dos, so we do monitor that.

Isolating servers from the firewall is important. which reduces the breach of guest's consolidated data.”

years ago, which was in fashion then. But, we got feedback especially from the older generation that they prefer the conventional switches so we added switches back to guestrooms. But feedback does bring corrective measures. So now we have introduced anti-stumble lights near the bed which are equipped with motion sensors so that when a guest gets out of bed at night, there is immediate light to guide them.”

Kumar pointed out, “It will take some time for the guests to use the kind of technologies that hotels are providing so frequently, but yes the future can arrive anytime sooner than we are expecting.”

Security challenges Use of technology has its own shortcomings too, wherein data breach in the recent past was recorded by some hotel companies globally. Citing the reasons, Sharma said, “Considering security challenges, the guest's data is usually compromised by the staff itself which is not deliberate. It usually starts after receiving a phishing email and by mistake they click on it, which is not anti-virus and firewall protected. And since all the systems are connected to WLAN, through networking a lot of data can be stolen. Many hotels use technology and ipads for controlling the lights and other functions. In this case, if the system of the hotel is hacked, then the lighting can be hacked and other vital information of the hotel too. So you can understand the amount of damage a hacker will do in these cases where the complete electricity supply or water supply of the hotel is shut down. Often we only look at the physical breach of security and not cybersecurity. And most of the hotels in India are not doing much about it.”

Mohanty stated that the security part needs to be looked at with two different viewpoints, of which one from the internal and the other from an external network in terms of cybersecurity. External cybersecurity tends to get compromised more often on account of the network service provider. Most international hotels put three-layered security cover. Most hotels here use Opera or Oracle software which is pretty secure in terms of securing data.

There are five to six ways when you can get attacked by a virus which is basically a ransomware, etc. Generally, the IT team is on the top of it to secure the data from a breach.

Bose doesn't see a big threat when it comes to cyber-

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COVER STORY

Midscale hotel business in Bengaluru With the rise in demand for branded midscale hotel rooms in India vis a vis the Garden City, GMs of well-known hotel brands in Bengaluru met at the recent 37th edition of EF&H Expo in the city to discuss midscale hotel business

By Akshay Nayak

T

he second day of the 37th edition of EF&H Expo in Bengaluru witnessed a panel discussion with GMs of midscale hotel brands in Bengaluru. The esteemed panelists were Shinoj Joseph, GM, Hotel Royal Orchid Suites; Prakash Mahato, GM, Golden Tulips Bangalore and Mitesh Narula, cluster GM, Keys Select Hotel Hosur Road, Bengaluru.

The panelists opened the discussion by sharing their views on how the Bengaluru market has evolved over the years for various industries including hospitality for its diversified micro markets. Narula said, “There are micro markets in Bengaluru as the city on its own is 790 sq miles. You cannot have a city centre concept anymore. As the city grows, micro markets become even more relevant to the current scenario. Hotels can then be located within these micro markets and thrive. Say hypothetically, if you only had a city centre concept just imagine hotels like Golden Tulip and Keys Hotels being about 15-18 kms away from the city, it would have been extremely difficult for the people who stay in the hotels and knowing the infrastructure issue in the city travelling from point A to point B. In Bengaluru, nobody speaks about kms anymore, but the distance is counted in the amount of time taken to travel. We can notice a huge difference between what Whitefield, Hosur Road, Electronic City were about eight years ago as compared to now. In fact, Keys Select Hotel Hosur Road opened in 2009 when we were doing 35 per cent occupancies, but today we are doing 73 per cent occupancy, so definitely the market has grown and you can see more and more travellers coming in.”

Mahato pointed out that if one compares the growth statistics from about 15 years ago, the segment contributed to about 25 per cent of the total branded hotels. Today the figure is about 45 per cent which is phenomenal. “I am very confident that the majority of the growth will come from this segment. Due to increasing income of the middle class, their spending power is increasing too. There is also

24 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

Mitesh Narula

Prakash Mahato

Shinoj Joseph

growth in the leisure segment that has happened, wherein the midscale hotels again fit in. My hotel is in Electronic City and is a purely corporate hotel. So Monday to Friday, my occupancy is driven by all the major IT services provider TCS, Wipro, etc, as they are in close proximity to my hotel. There are many hotels that have also come near Yeshwantpur to support the exhibition centre,” he said.

Joseph added, “Agreeing that we are

now at 45 per cent in the midscale segment, the total number of hotels signed in the period of 2017-18 and looking forward to 2021, we should have about 75 per cent of foreign hotel brands operating in India in the midscale segment. We also are looking at the hidden markets like at the airport we have the Regenta Inn. So with Regenta Inn and Regenta Central, we are looking at about 4000 ARR, which is on the growing curve now. Another market

i.e. Narasapura has a Honda two-wheeler manufacturing unit of Asia, where we do not have any hotel. In 2001-2002, BestWestern, Comfort Inn and all were popular in India and now they are coming back. Likely in early 2021, there will be a Best Western in Narasapura which will be a 155-keys property. If you talk about Royal Orchid Hotels, it started with very limited number of hotels which are now rebranded as Regenta Place and of course

COVER STORY the flagship brand Royal Orchid. We are having around 53 hotels operating across India. In 2017-18, we recorded RevPAR growth of 8.5 per cent only for midscale hotels, when growth of only 5.1 per cent was registered in the five-star hotel category.”

Evolution of Tier-II and III markets Tier II and III cities are the places where the maximum growth is happening right now, the speakers opined. Narula informed that midscale is the segment where growth is driven by domestic demand. “Due to the extended income in their hands, they are willing to spend.

Mostly these travellers visit Tier-II and III cities because these are new destinations for them. Bengaluru as a MICE destination has been prominent for a very long time, but most of the domestic travellers want to try out new cities. If you look at Coimbatore and Ranchi, those are the hotbeds of growth that is happening,” he noted.

Speaking about the mushrooming

tier-II markets in Karnataka, Mahato said, “If you look at Tier II and III cities, Hubli and Shimoga, Royal Orchid Hotels have their properties there. Business is shifting from Tier-I to Tier II and III cities, maybe for the reason that the cost of labour is less there.”

As per a study by Hotelivate, the demand is increasing by eight per cent year on year whereas the supply is actually less which is the reason due to the boom in upcoming hotels, felt Joseph. “The hotel brands are going into Tier-II and Tier III cities considering the lesser operational costs. Air connectivity is also good for short-haul locations like between Bengaluru and Mysuru which was not possible earlier,” he highlighted. Also, the top management of companies earlier wanted to stay only in a luxury set up, but now they too are moving to budget hotels. And if you meet all the amenities like cleanliness, security, breakfast, wifi, bed, and a nice bathroom the requirement of the guest is done, which is why the midscale segment is growing, he added.

Indigenous v/s international chains Giving an overview about the investment by international hotel chains in the midscale segment in India, Narula informed that 100 per cent of international hotel brands in India are working on the asset-light model, wherein they are just managing the properties. “The reason they usually don’t want to go into the midscale segment is due to lower ADRs which in turn will reflect in their GOP, so it is not that lucrative for them. International brands have a huge portfolio of brands and they can afford to get into the midscale market,” he observed.

Mahato said, “Golden Tulip is part of Louvre Hotels which is based out of Europe. So there are advantages that the GDS booking will always be on the higher side, compared to a homegrown chain, plus due to the loyalty programme, my hotel will be preferred over other hotels.”

Joseph remarked that what many global hotel management companies are doing is, in one city they are having all categories: five-star, four-star and three-star.

Indian brands too are going out of India.

“The West Asian market and Sri Lanka are potential markets to be tapped by Indian hotel brands. We are talking to someone in these markets to have our hotel there. Taj, The Oberoi and LaLiT have proved that Indian brands going international is possible,” he noted. One hotel chain which is doing well in the African belt is the Sarovar brand, so the foreign market is already a tested field for the indigenous brands, added Mahato.

Turbulence felt by the segment Middle-class guest profile being a major contributor to the midscale hotel sector, the speakers felt that every time the airline industry goes through a turbulent time, travel gets affected and the traveller who gets the most affected is the one who uses the midscale segment hotel. “Every time airlines go through a turbulent time, it becomes difficult to increase the ADRs while we also record a drop in occupancies.

However, these are not the factors that will sustain for long,” Narula positively opined.

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COVER STORY

Chef's Knowledge Exchange: The organic market in Bengaluru Organic produce has been a topic trending not only among the end consumers, but also the chef's fraternity. In the Chef's Knowledge Exchange at the 37th edition of EF&H Expo in Bengaluru, leading chefs discussed the opportunities and challenges associated with adopting organic produce

By Akshay Nayak

T

he second panel discussion on the first day of 37th edition of EF&H Expo in Bengaluru marked the presence of renonwned chef's from leading hotels in Bengaluru who gathered to speak on the organic market in Bengaluru.

The esteemed panelists were Chef Abhijit Saha, cofounder, director & chef,

Avant Garde Hospitality, AGH Consulting; Chef Praveen Shetty, executive chef, Conrad Bengaluru; Chef Sandeep Kumar, executive chef, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel; Chef Akshraj Jodha, executive chef, ITC Windsor Bengaluru; Chef Antony Ananda Kumar, executive chef, Elior India; Chef Kasiviswanathan, executive chef, Radisson Blu Atria Ben-

26 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

galuru and Chef Uchit Vohra, executive chef, ITC Gardenia.

Chef Saha started the panel discussion opining that organic is a very important part of work and he has been working with it for the past three and a half years. He said, “At our restaurant Fava, which we launched about two and a half years ago, we curated a menu which contains almost 75 per cent organic in-

gredients.� India today has become one of the most chemically poisoned food cycle countries in the world. The pressure of growing more food to feed more people has increased and as a result of that there has been usage of lot of chemical fertilisers and of course chemical pesticides, he explained.

Chef Saha, also highlighted that the lack of information

among farmers regarding the usage of presticides misleads them to believe that the larger the quantity used, the better the yield which is not the truth, and as a result, the whole food cycle gets poisoned. India is one of the oldest civilisations where organic cultivation was something that we started, we need to go back to that, he affirmed.

The panelists agreed that

COVER STORY it is unfortunate that the spurt of organic produce has made it more elitist.

So only probably 0.05 per cent of the people in the country have access to organic produce.

Government's role Organic produce is still difficult to be recognised, due to lack of certification opined Chef Kasiviswanathan.

The government has to bring in some rules and regulations for the same.

“Most of the farmers call their produce organic but how genuine it is, is the question. The detailing right from the soil where it is being grown, who is going to certify its authenticity? So it has a long way to go. The demand of organic produce is increasing, but then we really do not know whether we are having the right product or not,” he said.

Chef Jodha agreed, “In the last 1015 years, things have evolved drastically. Prior to that, everything was re-

ally natural. Organic as a topic was never debated upon. The crop quality has gone down severely and the soil is really polluted, and so is the air and water. So we cannot really define what is organic. It will take 15 years for the soil to get clear of the chemical pesticides, but what about the air and water. Going back to the roots is what everybody of us must consider and we need to have a sense of ethics towards what we are doing to the environment and our crop, so we eat the right food.”

With increasing use of social media, especially among the millenials, Chef Shetty observed that the information about organic produce is easily available. But the matter of concern is will they pay for it?

As Chef Saha observed, “The demand is very less as of now and so whether the consumer will pay the extra cost is the real concern. So if the demand is more, definitely the cost will go down.”

Chef Ananda Kumar informed that there are clients who have the capacity to spend for the organic produce.

“What we at Elior are trying to do is bring in some of the organic farmers on board, and then show them what is the positive aspect about the produce.

We are slowly introducing menus which are organic to meet the consumer's expectations,” he said.

Alternatively, Chef Vohra had a different view on organic food. “Why do people want organic food? For me is organic food healthy or is it good for the nature? I do not feel that in an organic or a non-organic food, there is any nutritional difference. Farmers have moved from tradtional ways of farming to the modern ways because the demand for food is increasing. Now if every farmer of the country starts growing organic food, what will a poor person eat? Can he afford to consume organic tomatoes which are 200 rupees a kilo. In non-organic farming, i.e.

the modern day farming, say in a land of around one acre of land, maybe you are able to produce 500 kgs of tomatoes, whereas in organic farming, I might not even get 50 kilos. So, I believe the way ahead is in sustainable farming methods, wherein if a chemical or pesticide is being used, it shall be approved to be used. Even for our guests, do they really want to pay the extra bucks for produce which we call organic? What is more important is to educate a farmer in ways which are good for the nature as well as which also increases the yield because in our country the demand is always increasing,” he explained.

Chef Kumar spoke about the gap between the farmer and the end user. “Being in the chef's fraternity, it is our moral responsibility to try promoting organic produce. It is not a day-long process for sure but till the time it is, we should contribute towards the cause of supporting the consumption of organic

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COVER STORY produce and close the gap of disconnect between the farmers and the consumers. The organic produce is highly priced but we have to see whether the money is reaching the farmers or being eaten by the middlemen.

The trend of farmer markets is slowly picking up in Bengaluru as well as other cities in the country to promote farmers. Last year as well we had about 5000 farmers selling their produce at the Palace Grounds, Bengaluru,” he added. He also felt that there must be certain certification to identify the difference between organic and non organic produce.

Bengaluru market has the potential, as majority of the people here have the spending power.

Chef Saha added that organic produce all across the world is slightly priced higher than non-organic foods. However the difference in prices between the same in India is stark. “Sustainability has got many aspects to it, but the point is that do we really have the intent considering the larger picture. There is no government body which is really regulating it. The government should encourage and should also give incentives for organic farming to grow from one per cent to probably 10 per cent in a few years,” he noted.

Chef Abhijit Saha

Chef Akshraj Jodha

Observing sustainable practices As an initiative taken towards observing sustainable practices at their hotel, Chef Kumar said they have started best practices of sustainability in their hotels as well. “We are stopping usage of plastic bottles. There could also be a complete SWOT analysis in which every single aspect could be monitored to curb wastage. The awareness has already lit the fire,” he said.

Sustainable dining is something that chefs should be promoting, noted Chef Vohra. “We have a lot of initiatives which are single diner menus, smaller portions, etc, wherein we want to give everyone a complete experience and also reduce the waste. This way we are preventing the guests from over ordering, and also offering them the dynamism of flavours with a range of dishes. Buffet dining is something we need to look at to cut down the food wastage,” he added.

As precautionary measures to curb food wastage, Chef Kumar and his team are looking to execute a plan focussing on how to educate the guest on food wastage to pass the message to the guests to eat responsibly and reduce food wastage. It is not easy, but to educate the guests about it is necessary, he said.

Chef Jodha concluded, “The time has come for smaller portions of food which we are doing at the hotels but, if we go back to the age old times, in our culture sustainable dining was already existing. Each waste item from the plate could be used for various purposes like making manure, etc.

Indians barely used dustbins back then.”

28 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

Chef Kasiviswanathan

Chef Antony Ananda Kumar

Chef Sandeep Kumar Chef Praveen Shetty

Sustainability has got many aspects to it, but the point is that do we really have the intent considering the larger picture. There is no government body which is really regulating it Chef Uchit Vohra

COVER STORY

Restaurant Excellence: Honouring Bengaluru's culinaryjewels

By EF&H Staff

T

he first day of the 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality in Bengaluru ended on a high note with the best of the city's culinary jewels being honoured for the legacy of flavours both global and traditional that they have brought to the patron's taste buds in the Garden City.

The honours were bagged by a mix of age-old landmark brands including

MTR, Vidyarthi Bhavan, Taaza Thindi, etc, to the newly opened chic brewpubs and speaclity restaurants like Byg Brewski Brewing Company, High Ultra Lounge, China Bistro Bengaluru, Caperberry, etc. Charcoal Eats, Kaze, Konark Vegetarian Restaurant, Sante Spa Cuisine, The Green Path Forgotten Food, The Pump House, Toscano and Yauatcha Bengaluru were also honoured for their contributions to the F&B offerings of the city.

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Power of Purchase: Technologyin procurement Procurement professionals of leading hotels and food services brands in Bengaluru met at the 37th edition of EF&H Expo to voice their views on how technology can help turn the otherwise complex operation of procurement into a simpler one

By EFH Staff

T

he second day of the EF&H Expo Bengaluru 2019 saw on the dais procurement experts including Bhaskar NP, purchase manager, The Den Bangalore; Shreya Merchant, manager - strategy & planning, Elior India; A Devraj, purchase manager, Radisson Blu Atria; Mahesh P Naik, purchase manager, La Marvella - A Sarovar Premier Hotel, Bengaluru; Sukumar, asst manager - purchase, Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield and Akshay Singh Tawar, purchase manager - shared services, ITC Hotels, Bengaluru, discussing on how plugging technology into procurement processes at their hotels and commercial kitchens, has reduced a multitude of challenges

faced by them in the traditional manual process of purchase.

Technology has really helped procurement processes, especially in personalising the materials as per the hotel's needs vis a vis the days when hotels settled for what vendors had to offer, echoed the panelists. “Earlier we used to procure through vendors and quality often was an issue. However, now through a single window channel, we have access to a variety of different prices and quality commodities to choose from at our fingertips,” said Naik.

Merchant said that at Elior, tech plays a very important role in the supply chain process as the supply chain in the country still remains unorganised in this sector. “What we are doing is

bringing consolidators or organisers in the supply chain market.

We bring in technology from a logistics optimisation perspective and warehouse management perspective. We are also able to capture data from a supply chain at all points of the supply chain and they provide analytics to us after which we are able to connect with the supply chain right from consumption preferences of the customers; link it in our production and accordingly create our supply chain. The process has helped us a lot in capturing data which is extremely essential for us to provide real-time insights and help our decision analytics,” she explained.

Decoding the details about the application of technology in

ITC, Tawar said that they have installed ERP systems to track data like consumption, prices and vendors all across the ITC Hotels Group. “We have removed a lot of manual tasks because there are a lot of discrepancies associated with it. As it is commonly said, 'To err is human', is applicable everywhere including procurement. Technology has helped us a lot,” he added. Devraj said that with the hospitality industry leading its way in usage of technology, procurement too has seen its own advantages with the addition of technology to it.

Bhaskar said that there was a lot of manual process in procurement earlier which created errors and unpleasant surprises.

Now with technology, the

process has become smooth.

“We have a complete end to end technology in our procurement process, for example - when we can now communicate with our vendors, instead of them visiting the hotel in person which was time-consuming; we have a virtual conference to make them understand about our requirements. This process also eradicates favouritism,” he stated.

Sukumar said that traditionally they used to check the physical product first and then go in to make a decision, but with technology coming into play, virtual decisions have eased the procurement processes including shortlisting essentials and quality products from a range of similar products in a shorter time frame.

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A Devraj

Akshay Singh Tawar

Mahesh P Naik

N P Bhaskar

Shreya Merchant

Sukumar

Human intervention still a requirement

Agreeing with Tawar, Naik said in centralised purchase channel, cost-cutting is achieved.

Devraj said that since they have three hotels under the RHG brand, centralised procurement becomes advantageous to save on the costs.

Bhaskar opined that standardisation is something that guests often look for at a hotel of a particular brand in different locations, hence centralised procurement of certain products is required. “For other local requirements, local tie-ups can be done to further reduce costs in the long run,” he felt.

galuru and that they depend on peripheral markets for procurement of materials.

Bhaskar reiterated that additional costs of manpower and last mile connectivity add to the procurement challenges in Bengaluru.

Suggesting a way out to save costs, Sukumar said that they invest in seasonal procurement to save on the higher prices of products. To this Tawar felt that tendering being a time-consuming process, it should be the first thing which should be made technologically active followed by logistics.

Devraj suggested that transportation should be brought in a single window format which would maintain transparency and hence save on costs.

Considering the hardships faced by the vendors, Bhaskar said, “User-friendly apps for the vendor's feasibility should be brought into play hence making it easy for them to better understand our needs.”

Merchant stated that if technology could help forecast inflation rates, seasonalities, etc, that could really help the procurement process to become more efficient.

Although tech has played a significant role in purchase department of hotels, the panelists opined that technology helps to the extent of shortlisting and clearing the noise, but the eye for detail in selection is only achieved by a human. “Human intervention is required for the selection of goods. At the time of sampling and inspection of goods, it needs to be human. Technology can be used to shortlist a lot of vendors and make the purchase decisions,” said Tawar.

Merchant too agreed that technology is needed to shortlist various aspects. “For us at Elior, we have a farm to fork model, so we reinsure working with people who give us information about it on a real-time basis,” she said. The panelists also spoke about the advantages and disadvantages associated with both centralised and local procurement of materials. Tawar explained that there are different models for procurement, like in the case of common things procured all across the hotel group like linens, etc, centralised procurement is good as it has corporate negotiations, corporate centralised quality testing, but local procurement is essential too.

32 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

Bengaluru’s procurement challenges Considering the Bengaluru market, the panelists nodded to Merchant’s point that last mile connectivity is extremely expensive and unreliable which in turn affects their productivity.

Tawar expressed that pricing is a bit challenging in Bengaluru as compared to Mumbai and Delhi. “In Mumbai, the logistics is not that expensive and is hassle-free.

Apart from that pricing is a very big challenge,” he added.

Devraj too mentioned that price is a challenge in Ben-

COVER STORY

Howtechnologycan improve housekeeping operations Executive housekeepers of famed hotels in Bengaluru discussed how tech-driven housekeeping operational techniques like using RFID tagged linens, etc, has helped them save costs, ensuring higher efficiency. By EFH Staff

O

n the last day of EF&H Expo Bengaluru 2019, housekeeping experts including Jharana Pandya, EHK, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru; Ramakrishna Chintala, EHK, Conrad Bengaluru; Susan Varghese, EHK, The Zuri Whitefield, Bengaluru and Nishant Saxena, EHK, Gokulam Grand Hotel & Spa - a Preferred Hotels & Resort Group member, spoke about how technology has slowly made its way into housekeeping operations too. However, the panelists agreed that housekeeping has always been and in the long run will remain a human-driven job, for personalised guest services can only be delivered by humans.

Starting the panel discussion, Pandya stated, “At Marriott, we have the GXP - Guest Experience Portal to which all associates have access to the various guest requests such as a hard mattress or anything else - everything is taken care of with a personalised note. Hence technology is helping in making housekeeping operations more personalised.”

Chintala spoke about how over the past 17-18 years, a lot has changed in terms of technology in hospitality.

Technology is definitely helping the hotels in easing operations. “Considering the world, we are catching up a lot.

Optikeeper is real-time information providing app which

could reduce the work while increasing efficiency,” he added. Saxena said that technology helps them communicate with their guests with much more ease thus making housekeeping operations more efficient. Varghese pointed out that technology is helping housekeeping, but both tech and human touch are required in housekeeping operations to keep it seamless. “Technology alone will not help. Technology has improved over the past years in order to collect the guest’s data about their likes and dislikes and it is improving in accuracy with time,” added Varghese.

When queried about the trend of using robotics in driving housekeeping operations, Pandya replied that in Sheraton hotels abroad, robots are usually used for the housekeeping operations but in India, the infrastructural issues actually curb their application here. Furthermore, she feels that robotics is still far-fetched in housekeeping because a human housekeeper has a better connect with the guests and not robots. Chintala agreed with Pandya reiterating that personalised touch has to be there in housekeeping operations.

Moving ahead, the panelists voiced their views on the new innovative tech additions that have advanced the monotonous work of housekeeping like manually

Susan Varghese

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Jharna Pandya

Nishant Saxena

Ramakrishna Chintala

counting the linens, etc. Chintala informed that there is an app already for inventory management. Pandya positively said that RFID tagged linens have given good results, to which Chintala added, “Yes, rotations are recorded and quality is maintained with the use of RFID tagged linens.”

“RFID tagged linens help us to do the count quicker and also tracking quality, etc, becomes easier and transparent,” reiterated Saxena. Likewise, Varghese too said that RFID tags help in knowing the life of the linen, misuse or theft.

refreshing the guest rooms, board rooms, meeting places, etc. Hence, until now, not many aspired to get into housekeeping operations, but the trend has turned its course and now more and more people are passionate to take it up as their long-term career, opined the panelists.

Jharana informed that with the use of technology, as it cuts the monotonous work, the associates are now wanting to join the department and are also going an extra mile to do the job. Chintala mentioned that growing up the ranks is time-consuming in other departments of a hotel, however, that is not the case in the housekeeping department.

Varghese said that it depends on the likes and dislikes of people, whether to join housekeeping or not. “Unless you have a passion for housekeeping, it is difficult for you.

It is a long-going learning process which never ends. We still find staff who are passionate about housekeeping,” she added.

Interestingly, to bridge the gap between institute training and onsite job profile of a housekeeper for the aspiring students, Saxena explained, “Being a part of iPHA, we have got PHA Yuva, wherein the aspiring students get to know what actually goes into housekeeping, which is imparting of practical knowledge on the sidelines of studies. We are associated with various colleges and their students having discussions about housekeeping operations. It was a cumbersome process earlier, but now it is easy and we are promoting it more for the students. If we create more awareness, it will be better for us.”

Housekeeping as a career Housekeeping as a career is a demanding job and often includes long hours and manually driven tasks including

Live cooking at EFH Bengaluru 2019

O

n the last day of the 37th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru, Chef Santhanam, pastry chef; Chef Muthamizhan, executive sous chef, and Chef Michael Raj, chef de parties at Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru whipped up mouthwatering creations like Ragi mango caramel crepes, Sprouted lentil cutlets with micro crops, and Ragi potato gnocchi with mushroom sauce, in a live cooking session for the visitors at the Expo.

During the session, the chef's shared the various experiences that they have acquired over the years that has let them excel in their domain, while also imparting knowledge about the dishes and ingredients used in the same that they were preparing live. Visitors were also given hands-on experience to follow the lead of the chefs to prepare the delectable dishes.

34 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

Chef Michael Raj

Chef Muthamizhan

Chef Santhanam

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Triumphant Platters The GICC 2019 at EF&H Expo in Bengaluru saw the participation of a whopping 100+ professional and aspiring chefs from across India showcasing their culinary skills in the five distinct categories of the competition By EF&H Staff

T

he culinary highlight of EFH Bengaluru 2019 - the Great Indian Culinary Challenge (GICC) reaffirmed its significance among the chef community of the Garden City by recording a whopping partic-

ipation of 100+ professional and aspiring chefs competing in five distinctive categories including Three-tier wedding cake decoration; Artistic pastry showpiece; Artistic bakery showpiece, Fruit and vegetable carving, and Plated appetisers. The competi-

tion was organised in association with South Indian Chef’s Association (SICA) over the course of two days.

The competition witnessed participation from numerous hospitality institutes and also leading hotels in Bengaluru,

while the visitors’ cameras feasted on glimpses of the rare and beautiful culinary creations prepared live in front of them by the participants. The event witnessed the participants showcasing the best of their culinary talents across

Category I: Three-tier wedding cake decoration Name

Hotel/Institute

Medal

Chef Santhanam

Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru

Gold

Chef Balavinayagam P

Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru

Gold

Chef Satheesh

Conrad Bengaluru

Silver

Chef Bharath C

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Silver

Chef Jickson P J

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Sinu Thomas

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Balaji D

Claresta Hotels

Silver

Chef Apuri Shiva Rajakumar

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Devika Raju

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Vijay Kamat

Taj Yeshwantpur Bangalore

Bronze

Chef Bavyesh S

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Chef Tejdeep B

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Chef Kamesh G

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Prakash Sukkan

Byg Brewski Brewing Company Hennur

Bronze

36 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

categories and gaining new learnings to excel further in their culinary careers. The esteemed jury comprised Chef Jugesh Arora, president, SICA and Chef Kasiviswanathan, executive chef, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru and VP, SICA.

COVER STORY Category II: Artistic pastry showpiece Name

Hotel/Institute

Medal

Chef Sathish Kumar R

Courtyard by Marriott Madurai

Gold

Chef Balaji D

Claresta Hotels

Gold

Chef Rajesh S A

Claresta Hotels

Gold

Chef Srabanti Chakraborty

Gokulam Grand Hotel & Spa

Bronze

Chef Kathiresan

Taj Yeshwantpur Bengaluru

Bronze

Chef Jickson P J

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Kamesh G

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Category III: Artistic bakery showpiece Name

Hotel/Institute

Medal

Chef Vetapalem Suresh

Culinary Academy of India, Hyderabad

Gold

Chef Balaji D

Claresta Hotels

Gold

Chef Prashanth

Conrad Bengaluru

Silver

Chef Jickson P J

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Rajesh S A

Claresta Hotels

Silver

Chef Silambarasan R

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Suriya N

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Yanda Palle Vijayakumar

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Saikumar M

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Kamesh G

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Bara Rajesh

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

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COVER STORY Category IV: Fruit and vegetable carving Name

Hotel/Institute

Medal

Chef Rajender Korupala

Indian Roller Carving

Gold

Chef Prithiveeraj

Eshdha Carving Institute

Gold

Chef Jyothi Prakash

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Gold

Chef Manikandan K

Vahrehvah Kitchens

Gold

Chef Yeshwanth Kumar

Knife & Impressions

Gold

Chef Satyabrata Panja

Taj Bangalore

Silver

Chef Naveen Raj

TGI Grand Fortuna

Silver

Chef Punraj E

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Pulakanti Jyothi

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Devika Raju

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Gopala Krishnan M

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Kamilul Naseef D T

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Silver

Chef Leojames

Thai Leocarving Institute

Bronze

Chef Kumara

OSM

Bronze

Chef Venkatachalam

Taj Yeshwantpur, Bangalore

Bronze

Chef Yakshith H

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Chef Pavan

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Chef Shashank

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Chef Ranjith H M

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Chef Ajith Kumar K

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Bankura Lokesh

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Gowri Shankar V

The Residency Chennai

Bronze

Chef Silambarasan R

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Bronze

Chef Santosh G

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

Chef Minhaj Mon

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Chennai Campus

Bronze

38 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

COVER STORY Category V: Plated Appetisers Name

Hotel/Institute

Medal

Chef Manoj B K

Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield

Gold

Chef John Milton S

The Residency Towers Coimbatore

Gold

Chef Mudangulla Venkatesh

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management – Chennai

Gold

Chef Rakshith A

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management - Bangalore Campus

Silver

Chef Nirmal D

The Residency Chennai

Silver

Chef Shakainah Fredricks

Byg Brewski Brewing Company

Gold

Chef Animesh Das

Conrad Bengaluru

Bronze

Chef Shantha Lakshmi M

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management – Chennai

Bronze

Chef Ganeshan Jagannath

Taj Yeshwantpur Bangalore

Bronze

Chef Suraj Khati

Good Shepherd International School Ooty

Bronze

Chef Bavyesh S

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management – Bangalore

Bronze

Chef Sharad Pooranna K C

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management – Chennai

Bronze

Chef Yanda Palle Vijayakumar

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management – Chennai

Bronze

Chef K M D Sarfaraz Hussain

Chennais Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management – Chennai

Bronze

Chef Michaelraj

Radisson Blu Atria Bangalore

Bronze

Chef Selvam

Radisson Blu Atria Bangalore

Bronze

Chef Rabi Kant Singh

Byg Brewski Brewing Company, Hennur

Bronze

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TESTIMONIALS “It is a brilliant expo and you get in touch with suppliers with new products catering to the multiple segments in hospitality over here. As for us as hoteliers, we not only get to interact with other experts of the industry but also other vendors. It is a great initiative that has been taken

by Express Food & Hospitality. ”

Dev Mohanty GM, The Zuri Whitefield Bengaluru

“The size of the expo and the entire scale is tremendous. My team is really looking forward to spend some time at the expo to explore the new products that are on offer here. Our team would be attending the expo looking at the various aspects of hoteliering that EF&H has put up. ”

“It has been a great experience at the EF&H Expo.

The discussion on organic food is very important as how chefs will mould the society and the guests to consume organic food and how sustainable practices will help curb food wastage.”

Chef Praveen Shetty executive chef, Conrad Bengaluru

“We had a fruitful discussion and there was a lot of insights that we GMs shared with each other. Coming to the expo, there is lot of participation of companies who have showcased their products & competitions.

From Conrad Bengaluru, we won two silver prizes in GICC so I am also happy for my team. Overall good experience by the Indian Express Group. ”

“It was nice to meet people and share views with them about the organic market in Bengaluru.The word should spread around about organic food and produce.We need to get back to our roots and bring the right kind of food to the people is what we have voiced in the panel discussion embracing the essentiality of promoting organic produce at the Express Food & Hospitality Expo. ”

Srijan Vadhera

Chef Uchit Vohra

GM, Conrad Bengaluru

executive chef, ITC Gardenia

George Kuruvilla GM, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru

“I went around the expo and I think there are some great products on display. It is important for us as organisations to get in touch with what is there in the market to offer. The discussion also was very interesting. Got to hear the perspectives of people representing multiple organisations across categories of hotels. The expo is going to be of a great benefit and learning for the city and hospitality industry of Bengaluru.”

Amaan Kidwai GM, ITC Gardenia Bengaluru

42 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY July 2019

TESTIMONIALS “Express Food and Hospitality Expo has been a leading show and a platform for the hotels, restaurants and food services industry and year on year it has been working very closely with the industry and the chefs to bring the best as far as F&B is concerned. It helps us a lot to learn about the new products, trends in the space. ”

Chef Abhijit Saha co-founder, director & chef, Avant Garde Hospitality

“It has been a pleasure participating in the panel discussion here at Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru. It was a great session of exchange of knowledge about how technology can improve housekeeping operations. ”

Ramakrishna Chintala EHK, Conrad Bengaluru

“The EF&H Expo is a really good platform for hoteliers like us to connect with the vendors.A lot of trends and equipment providers are visible in the Expo.We are definitely looking forward to participate in the further shows organised by EF&H as well. ”

Mitesh Narula cluster general manager, Keys Select Hotel Hosur Road

“It was really nice to participate in the panel discussion on the topic Technology in Procurement. It was a very good session wherein we learned a lot of new things about how other organisations are using technology in procurement processes.Also about the Expo, the presentation of stalls and other competitions including GICC in association with SICA, the show looks and feels very elegant for culinary experience and also for prospective buyers seeking good products for their businesses. ”

“We produce customised tableware made of stone which are majorly used by restaurateurs in Bengaluru.

Right from the stall handling and design to receiving good and prospective footfall at our stall in Express Food & Hospitality Expo at Bengaluru, it was truly a great experience for us. ”

Kedar Harchilkar finance head, Kiros Hospitality Solutions

A Devraj purchase manager, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru

“The panel discussion was very enthusiastic and even enlightening. At the Expo, we can find various different brands which are also coming up and which have a good name in the market, so this Expo has been very successful.”

Akshay Singh Tawar purchase manager – shared services, ITC Hotels Bengaluru EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY

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TESTIMONIALS “We are very happy with Express Food & Hospitality Expo. We participated last year in the Mumbai edition of the Expo too during which we launched a new product. This year too, at the Bengaluru edition, we launched our new dishwasher which comes equipped with water softener technology for which we have received good response too.”

“We witnessed a good response overall at the Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru with a lot of prospects for our range of products. ”

Razi Haider

operations manager, AV&T Solutions

Brijesh Kumar

national sales manager, Hobart

“The overall response of the Expo has been very good. We have displayed new products inspired by European style kitchen equipment for which we received good responses from the key decision makers in the HoReCa industry. ”

Amit Verma manager – project sales, RG Incorporation

“Wild Vitamin Drink is a packaged flavoured vitamin water and we were here at the three-day long Expo organised by the Indian Express Group. There was a lot of sampling and tasting that took place at our stall here. We garnered good responses from the visitors over the three days. We look forward to participate in all the upcoming shows scheduled to be organised by Express Food & Hospitality. ”

Krishnapriya Banerjee

“Welbilt is a US based multinational company. We manufacture and design professional food services equipment and systems. We displayed our full range of products at the Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Bengaluru in the second year of our participation at the Expo. The arrangement of the booth and the Expo has been really good. ”

Arnab Mukherji VP – India & South Asia, Welbilt Foodservice India

business development manager, Betlek Canadian Beverages

“King Metal Works is a company founded in 1970 and offers more than 3500 products of kitchenware and tableware used by restaurants and hotels in India. We also export to 17 countries. The experience at EF&H Expo was really good as we received many chefs and purchase managers of hotels and restaurants at our stall.

It was a good platform for us. ”

Kamal Shah partner, King Metal Works

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COVER STORY

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MOVEMENTS Fairmont Jaipur

engineer in the airline industry, working at Continental and United Airlines before switching to finance positions at Amerada Hess Corporation, America West Airlines and Cendant Corporation.

Fairmont Jaipur, which has become a benchmark of luxury hospitality in the country, coupled with its palatial design and exquisite service, has announced the appointment of its new GM, Rajiv Kapoor who will helm the operations

JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu

Rakesh Mathur

The JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu has appointed Chef Abhishek Basu as its new executive chef, effective as of April 2019. With more than 17 years of rich experience in the culinary industry,

guiding them in areas of product and service quality enhancement, operational efficiency, organisational development, growth within and outside India, and CSR. Rajiv Kapoor

RoomIt by CWT

of the flagship property of Fairmont in the Pink City.

Kapoor comes with a varied range of experience and an innate understanding of the hospitality and luxe segment, nationally and in global markets.

He will be tasked with creating a new vision for the hotel and setting a direction to capture a wide range of the market from luxury travellers to the free independent travellers, MICE events to grandiose Indian wedding celebrations. He aspires to continue upholding the brand promise of turning moments in to memories for the guests.

RoomIt by CWT, the global hotel distribution division of CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, has appointed Shannon Hyland as senior VP of global supply. In this role, Hyland will provide overall leadership and execution of the supplier strategy and effectiveness, and market management. Prior to joining RoomIt, Hyland was the CEO and executive VP of Radius Travel for the past 11 years.

Before that, he had stints as CFO at both Groople and The Mark Travel Corporation. Hyland started his career as an

Lords Hotels and Resorts Group Rakesh Mathur has recently been co-opted as director and principal advisor to Lords Hotels and Resorts Group. He is a hospitality industry professional with over 45 years of leadership experience in highly-acclaimed Indian and global hotel groups. Mathur would devote substantial time with the Lords Group, and work closely with the promoters and top management,

erty assistant director – marketing and communications. A result oriented professional, Daga brings over 14 years of well-rounded experience in the realm of marketing, communications and PR within the luxury segment and hospitality industry. Having worked across sectors such as cinema, hospitality, sports, lifestyle, luxury real estate; she has successfully helmed the marketing teams of marquee brands, leading them to achieve both growth & market dominance within the respective competitive markets.

Chef Abhishek Basu

Chef Basu brings to the role his expertise in F&B and culinary operations after a long spanning career in hospitality.

He will lead the culinary team and will be responsible for pricing, cost planning, budget analysis and the curation of innovative menus across all the six specialty restaurants at the JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu.

Chef Anurudh Khanna

Chef Anurudh Khanna as multi property executive chef.

With an illustrious career spanning over 21 years of working with renowned luxury hotels like The Shangri-La Bangalore, Hyatt Regency Delhi, The Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi, The Park New Delhi and The Westin Pune, he brings with him vast knowledge and understanding of the evolving hospitality industry and food trends. As Multi Property Executive Chef Khanna will spearhead both the hotels’ diverse dining venues, as well as oversee the hotels’ in-room dining and banquet operations, ranging from intimate gatherings and weddings to corporate events.

The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi & The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa have appointed Prerna Daga as multi prop-

Shannon Hyland

Sandeep Sahdev has been recently appointed as director of sales and marketing at Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield. Bringing with him over 16 years of proficient expert-

Sandeep Sahdev

ise in the hospitality industry, Sahdev is a driven, meticulous and experienced professional.

In his new role, he will be leading the management staff in planning and strategising sales objectives, marketing communications, direct sales - force activities to increase profits and achieve desired targets. His forté lies in managing and mentoring medium to large sized teams with diverse backgrounds in a positive and profitable manner.

The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi & The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi & The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa have announced the appointment of

Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield

Prerna Daga

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MOVEMENTS Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway

best of Novotel Imagica Khopoli’s hospitality experience to the guests. Prior to joining Accor, Francis was associated with Caravela Beach Resort, Goa as the director of sales – West India. He has also worked for renowned hotels like Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach, Radisson Goa Candolim, Novotel Dona Sylvia Goa and Mercure Devaaya Ayurvedic Retreat.

Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway has appointed Abhishek Mishra as the new F&B director of the property. Mishra will be responsible to carry out overall culinary operations, which includes financial, managerial and operational aspects of the

Piyush Sharma

Abhishek Mishra

hotel’s F&B endeavours. He comes with exemplary knowledge and experience in the hospitality industry especially food and beverage, which will enable him to establish a formidable brand presence in the market. Mishra has an overall experience of over 13 years that includes managing restaurants, banquet operations and events planning.

oping and implementing of effective inventory and pricing strategies and liaising closely with hotel management to drive market share across allmarket segments and distribution channels. He would also be responsible for developing a healthy relationship with stakeholders by exploring business opportunities and ensuring timely results.

Rejoe Francis has been appointed as the new director of sales at Novotel Imagica Khopoli. In his role, Francis will be responsible for leading and further evolving all aspects of the sales, driving revenues, promoting brand strategies and providing the

Sushma Khichar

fective leader in the Marriott family. In her new role, she would head the overall hotel operations and create new business opportunities, develop talent, create business development plans and guidelines for maintaining market leadership. Previously, she has been associated with The Oberoi Mumbai, ITC Grand Maratha and Sheraton Tower Mumbai, The Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Centre, and most recently, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield.

Rejoe Francis

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Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park has appointed Sushma Khichar as the new hotel manager. Bringing more than 14 years of experience to the table, Khichar has proven to be a very essential and ef-

Novotel Imagica Khopoli

DoubleTree by Hilton Pune Chinchwad Piyush Sharma has joined DoubleTree by Hilton Pune Chinchwad as the revenue manager. He is an experienced and seasoned professional with a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry. In his seven-year long career Sharma has worked with brands like Novotel, Ibis and ITC at different levels. At DoubleTree by Hilton Pune Chinchwad he will be responsible for devel-

Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park

Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park has newly ap-

Chef Ajay Khanna

Yaman Rai

pointed Chef Ajay Khanna as its executive chef. An expert in the culinary space, Chef Khanna has consistently set industry benchmarks to high standards of fine dining in India. He has been a part of the industry for over 17 years.

Chef Khanna's passion for creating delightful food and presenting it in a simple yet authentic style, gained him enduring popularity. The exposure and learnings he has over all these years has enabled him to experiment and curate signature dishes that established him as a name to reckon with in the industry.

assistant director of F&B at The Grand New Delhi.

Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks has appointed Rishi Tiwari as the new cluster director of HR. In his role, Tiwari will be responsible for

Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Outer Ring Road Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Outer Ring Road, Marriott India’s first dual branded hotel, has appointed Yaman Rai as F&B manager.

Rai will oversee the F&B operations at the establishment.

Bringing over nine years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry to the role, he has received various accolades along the way, and gained invaluable experience during his time at some of the most prominent hotels in India. His most recent role was

Rishi Tiwari

the smooth and profitable operation, along with providing consultation to management on strategic staffing plans, training and development, budget, and labour relations for both Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks and DoubbleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore. Prior to joining the Hilton Embassy GolfLinks, he was working with Hyatt Regency Delhi as as Associate Director of Human Resources.

EDUCATION

IHCL partners with Essec Business School to launch full scholarships for employees annually

By EF&H Staff

T

he Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), a leading global hospitality company has recently launched a scholarship in partnership with the ESSEC Business School in France as part of its continued commitment to bolstering learning and development for its employees. As part of the initiative, two deserving IHCL employees

each year would be sponsored for a 21-month long fully paid MSc in Hospitality Management at the ESSEC Campus in Paris.

This initiative is launched for a three-year period and may be renewed further.

Speaking on the initiative, Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO, IHCL said, “We have always believed in creating a strong talent pipeline by enabling and empowering our employees with the

best of learning and development initiatives. Our collaboration with ESSEC Business School is a vital step in that direction and in line with our vision to create future leaders for the global hospitality industry in general and build a talent pipeline for IHCL in particular.”

A pioneer of business-related learning since 1907, ESSEC is rated amongst the top business schools in the world.

Professor Peter O’Connor, academic director, Essec Business School said, “We are delighted to collaborate with a prestigious company such as The Indian Hotels (IHCL) for the initiative, which brings in a fitting blend of Indian hospitality and international standards of excellence. We look forward to a brilliant partnership aligned with ESSEC’s mission to respond to the chal-

lenges of the future.”

The program is a mix of rigorous academics and hands-on field experience which includes various areas such as e-commerce, real estate & development, entrepreneurship and luxury services management.

Besides the full tuition fees, IHCL would also cover the accommodation and living expenses for the two selected employees.

Royal Commission for AlUla partners with Ferrandi Paris to train and develop new generation of young chefs First phase of programme to train 24 chefs over four months at Ferrandi Paris.

Newly-qualified chefs to learn from and work with Michelin-starred chefs during winter at Tantora Season Two in AlUla. By EF&H Staff

T

he Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Ferrandi Paris, France’s leading school of culinary arts and hospitality management. The unique partnership will see the creation of a bespoke, worldclass training programme in gastronomy, which will take young, aspiring chefs from AlUla to study in the French capital.

In the first phase of the programme, a total of 24 chefs from AlUla will be selected to participate in a specially tailored four-month course at the globally renowned Ferrandi Paris. Senior lecturers and experts from Ferrandi will visit AlUla to interview applicants and select the 24 participants

who will have the opportunity to study culinary arts in France.

On their return to AlUla, the newly-trained chefs will have the chance to work under the supervision of 10 Michelin starred chefs and help in the creation of unique and locally inspired “Taste of AlUla” menus to be served to VIP guests attending the second season of Winter at Tantora, held annually in AlUla. Commenting on the importance of the initiative, Amr AlMadani, CEO, RCU, said, “This is another in a series of programmes we are undertaking with the people of AlUla to deliver innovative employment opportunities anchored in personal and professional development initiatives. This partner-

ship with Ferrandi Paris will equip a new generation of local men and women with the tools necessary to become the leading chefs and culinary entrepreneurs in AlUla, promoting excellence as the custodians of the county’s culinary heritage.”

Throughout the specially curated course at Ferrandi Paris, programme participants will learn the techniques and secrets of authentic French gastronomy and develop the skills to create recipes and cuisine that will typify AlUla, delivering high quality hospitality and unique culinary experiences.

Bruno de Monte, CEO, Ferrandi Paris said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome the youth of AlUla to Paris, to our school, where France’s best chefs learned their trade. We

have built a programme especially for them, the future culinary greats of Saudi Arabian gastronomy.”

Gérard Mestrallet, executive president of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA), said, “As a partner of RCU in the development of AlUla, AFALULA is very proud of this partnership with Ferrandi. It will allow the new generations of AlUla young chefs to capitalise on French excellence in the field of culinary art and hospitality management and to contribute to the outreach of the region.”

RCU’s partnership with Ferrandi Paris, developed under the leadership of His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Farhan Al Saud, is another one of the

many ways RCU is pioneering development amongst AlUla’s youth through global cultural exchanges and a dedication to international best practice.

To be considered for the programme candidates must be between 21 and 35 years old, graduates of AlUla high schools and have an intermediate knowledge of English.

The new culinary initiative is in line with the objective of RCU’s Charter to help create and inspire new and diverse economic sectors in AlUla while involving the local community at all stages of development. This is the latest component of an overarching plan to develop AlUla, its natural wonders and ancient cultural sites into one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.

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BOOKSHELF

Danny Meyer’s

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business T

he book provides indepth engaging insights and is worth a read for hoteliers with a restaurant.

The book gives a detailed overview about how to have fun while running a restaurant while also bringing the hospitality element to it.

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business is the bestselling business book from award-winning restauranteur Danny Meyer, of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack.

As per data, 75 per cent of new ventures in the restaurants space fail while only a handful of those who survive for long become icons.

Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe at the age of 27, with a good idea and hopeful investors. He is now the co-owner of a large restaurant business empire. Questions like - How did he do it? How did he beat the odds in one of the toughest trades around the globe?, Danny shares the lessons he learned developing the energetic philosophy he calls enlightened hospitality in this book. The tenets of that philosophy, which focus on strong in-house relationships as well as customer satisfaction, are applicable to anyone who works in any business.

Whether you are a manager, an executive, or a waiter, Meyer’s story and philosophy will help you become more productive with indepth understanding and appreciation of a job done ideally.

The book is motivational and a must read if one desires to start or excel in the restaurant business while having fun in doing it.

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ERP - Key Features Ÿ

100% WEB Based ERP.

Ÿ

No Client Installations (No Maintenance).

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Can be used on internet for Multiple Properties.

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Email Communications / SMS Intimations to Customers, Contractors and Suppliers.

Point of Sales - Key Features Ÿ

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Workflow and Value based Document Authorizations.

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Fully Functionally Integrated.

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Cross Level & User Friendly Interface.

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Customizable User Desktop.

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Conversion of Reports into PDF or MS- Excel for manual manipulation.

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Attach Document Facility with File Management.

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Detail Profiling & Personalization.

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User Defined Reporting Tool.

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Business Intelligence Tool available for Decision Support System.

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Tally Interface.

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Menu item inventory management including receipt, return, spoilage and

Item Combo ordering and Promotions with happy hours and rules.

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Inclusive and exclusive tax calculation.

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Taxes can be percentage, amount, slab, tax on tax, tax on taxable.

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Settlement using multiple tenders, cash, credit card, company account, staff, room, bank, foreign currency, members.

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Ordering based on tables, rooms,.

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A la carte, non chargeable, staff & board ordering and complimentary settlement.

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Course wise and item Code wise ordering and item search option.

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Intelligent modifier and add-on prompts.

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Modifiers can be charged or free, pre-defined or free flow.

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Intelligent remote printing to multiple printers from single location or to single printer from multiple locations.

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Ad hoc or pre-defined discounting.

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Bill splitting based on income heads, covers and individual items.

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Voiding of complete or partial orders and bills.

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Table management including reservations, movements, suspend

physical count. Ÿ

Automatic re-ordering based on inventory.

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Heart Beat monitoring tools for viewing sales and staff productivity.

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Reports broken into Sales, Cashiering, Audi & Control, Performance Benchmarks, Inventory.

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Audit trail for transactions and setup.

For casual Dinning Operation.

Fine Dinning - All the flourishes that a fine dinning restaurant needs, including guest numbering, course indication and flagging of hosts and ladies.

For laundries, gift shops, business centers, with Inventory control and Bar Code support.

Diner

Quick Services Restaurant Total Management over-the-counter operation including Inventory & Home Delivery.

A contemporary combination style with three options ‘Dine in’, ‘Pick up’ and ‘ Drive Thru’.

In Room Dinning

tables, blocking. Ÿ

Direct Biller - Non F & B Operations

Table Services

Powerful SMS integration for sending SMS on Home Deliveries

For a room services operations.

and Bill Settlements, also Bulk SMS option to send promotional SMS. Ÿ

Electronic Card based Debit Card Module for Cash less

SANGUINE

operations. Ÿ

Kitchen Display System for execution and routing of orders.

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Home delivery ordering with customer order history, delivery person assignment.

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Advance ordering for future date.

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Cashier management including float, transfers and withdrawals.

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Blind withdrawal and spot checks for cash tills.

EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY

Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Office Address: Shop No. 18, Ground Floor, Mona Shopping Center, Near Navrang Cinema, Next to ICICI Bank, Andheri West, Mumbai - 400058.

Mobile: +91 9920593888 / 982000175 Tel: 022-2620 9898 E-mail: mubashir@sanguineso wares.com / shabbir@sanguineso wares.com

Regional Office: Bangalore / Delhi / Goa / Gujarat

www.sanguineso wares.com

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WEEKEND

‘DIGITAL DETOX DAY’ ON GLOBAL WELLNESS DAY

BY THE WESTIN MUMBAI GARDEN CITY The Westin Mumbai Garden City announced a ‘Digital Detox Day’ and participated in a worldwide movement to support Global Wellness Day. Patrons were invited to join in the global wellness movement by surrendering their phones, iPads, laptops or any other electronic devices in the detox boxes, while they enjoyed their meal, drink or spa treatment at the hotel.

TAJ FORT AGUADA RESORT & SPA, GOA CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA Celebrating International Day of Yoga, Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Goa and Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, Goa organised a one-hour yoga session for its guests and employees in the resort premises. The session was conducted by a certified yoga instructor demonstrating various asanas with an explanation on the benefits of practising these asanas.

SOFITEL MUMBAI BKC CELEBRATES THE PEAT PALATE Sofitel Mumbai BKC recently hosted a rare appreciation evening of the finest Peated Single Malt and Blended Scotch Whiskies over great cuisine pairings. The evening was hosted by India's pioneering whisky expert and spirits ambassador Sandeep Arora and showcased Teacher's Golden Thistle - a unique 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky finished in Islay Casks; the award winning Highland Single Malt, The Ardmore Legacy, and the celebrated Islay Single Malt, Bowmore Aged 12 Years.

MINISTRY OF FOOD AT HILTON BANGALORE EMBASSY GOLFLINKS BAGS SILVER TITLE AT WORLD ON A PLATE Ministry of Food, the all-day dining restaurant at Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golflinks was recently awarded silver in the ‘Restaurant of the Year’ category at the World on a Plate event.

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WEEKEND

Scene and Heard With Marcellus Baptista

Swede dreams

Luxury living

I

t was time for bubbly and more at the lounge at Taj Wellington Mews in Colaba at the high tea soiree to celebrate L’Hermitage, a luxury villa in Alibaug, the passion project of Aditya Kilachand in collaboration with well-known interior designer Sussanne Khan, architect Cherag Bardoliwala and India Sotheby’s In-

ternational Realty. Jan Prasens, MD, Sotheby’s Europe & Middle East, Amit Goyal, CEO, India Sotheby’s International Realty and Saba Ali, director – strategy and partnerships, India Sotheby’s International Realty were present. The talk was that the interiors of L’Hermitage is all about a feeling one gets when one is in complete

balance with one’s inner engineer and that the design includes layers of materials that evoke tranquility and shades that bring out a feeling of calm.

The talk was also that this project spells luxury and exclusivity which are the two essential elements that define properties under India Sotheby’s International Realty.

Ulrika Sundberg

N

etworking and niceties were well in place as the Consulate General of Sweden presented a two-day enchanting event titled Swedish Style Mumbai! Wines, beers and spirits were in full flow at the opening reception at Famous Studio with guests imbibing a glance of the different sectors of Sweden’s creative industries including fashion, design, architecture, photography, fine arts, film, technology, gastronomy and music, all aimed to foster collaborations between Indian and Swedish creative industries.

There were seminars on the influence of feminine perspective on physical products, future of fashion, a smarter tomorrow and destination Sweden. The opening reception featured a fashion show with the labels Toteme, Eytys, Hope, Our Legacy, Selam Fessahaye, Max Jenny and By Malina. The exciting evening also gave guests a chance to savour a taste of Sweden with dishes created by Swedish Michelin Star chef Marco Baudone. And looking cheerful was Ulrika Sundberg, Consul General of Sweden in India.

Amit Goyal, Sussanne Khan & Aditya Kilachand

Butt naturally!

Room with a view

L

C

overs of good food were happy as The Boston Butt opened in Bandra.

With aesthetics that capture the essence of a traditional bar from the French quarters of New Orleans and lighting and décor by the Southern American hunting and warm bar culture, The Boston Butt serves up a unique traditional BBQ experience of the US with special influences from South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky. Guests garnered that The Boston Butt offers smokies, sandwiches, sliders, thincrust mini-pizzas, bar bites, large plates and decadent desserts. The pre-Prohibition era was the major inspiration for the house cocktails served with a twist. The traditional smokehouse experience comes

Siddharth Kashyap, Nishant Rao & Karna Shinde

through the smoky flavours of star anise and bourbon whiskey that are the ingredients in some drinks. The minimalistic millennial look of The Boston

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Butt, created by combining all contradictions of vintage with modern, warm with bright, open-air area with the indoor bar, was well appreciated.

lassy and chic was the verdict as guests stepped into Invincible Boudoir & Jardin, the new resto-lounge located at C’est la Vie in Bandra. From the name you gather that the place has been inspired by a lady’s bedroom along with a grand garden. The inside boudoir section resembles a Basab Paul & Sohail Khan lady’s private room and sports a Parisian inspired culture with red velvet backgrounds, gilded mirrors and antiques. The outside section resembles a glorious garden feel. The seating options include soft sofas and comfy chairs. Catching the eye is the iconic wall painted in hues of blue, red and other vibrant shades that signify a woman in her truest form – unbridled, unconquerable and well and truly invincible. Seen at Invincible on opening night were Sohail Khan, Iulia Vantur, Narendra Kumar, Lucky and Mohammed Morani, Parvez Damania, Krishna Hegde, Brinda Parekh, Ajay Kamath, Vikas Bhalla, Asif Bhamla and Ira Khan.