Food & Hospitality World (Vol.3, No.24) September 1-15, 2015

EDITOR’S NOTE

The key connect

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s society evolves so does its people. A socio-cultural progression changes the very fabric and temperament of a certain place. This kind of change brings with it a new thought process that is far more refined and not as dogmatic.

An open mind brings with it the ability to accept a new formula or a format that was earlier unheard or unacceptable. There was a time when the hospitality industry in India saw a hand ful of women working across departments as the profession was not considered appropriate for the fairer sex. Though there is a long way to go, the Indian hospitality industry has surely taken a few steps forward. Today women are making a mark across the board as general managers as well as concierges, which was a rather unheard of profession in India till recent times.

They are men and women who are the ‘go to’ people during crisis and celebrations.

From parties to panic situations, they give you the much needed assurance that ‘all will be well’ and looked after. They are your 3 am friend in the hotel who work wonders for the

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Mobile: 09899003030 Our Associate: Dinesh Sharma Mobile: 09810264368 E-mail: 4pdesigno@gmail.com

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CHENNAI: A K Shukla, The Indian Express Ltd, New No.37/C (Old No.16/C), 2nd Floor,Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014 Tel: Board: 28543031/28543032/ 28543033/28543034 Fax: 28543035 Mobile : 09849297724 E-mail: ashwanikumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in BENGALURU: Sreejith Radhakrishnan, The Indian Express Ltd, 502 Devatha Plaza, 5th Floor, 131 Residency Road Bengaluru - 560025 Ph 080-22231923/24 Fax: 22231925.

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

September 1-15, 2015

“The Golden Keyis trulyof high value and one has to earn it to proudlyflaunt it.

Onlya select fewget the honour to wear it as currently there are 109 Golden Keymembers in India”

brand and its goodwill. The concierge plays a crucial role in bringing back the guests.

They are also the ambassadors of the city in which they work. My recent trip to the JW Marriott Hotel in Chandigarh, gave me a first hand experience of what a concierge can do to augment the brand and the city along with it. The concierge was like a mini encyclopaedia on the place, its people and culture.

Our cover story this issue gives the Golden Keys their rightful due by detailing the evolution of the profession and specialisation in the industry. The Golden Key is truly of high value and one has to earn it to proudly flaunt it. Only a select few get the honour to wear it; currently there are 109 Golden Key members in India. In 2011 India became an independent chapter of- Les Clefs d’Or – Society for Golden Key Concierges, which is a free and individual society affiliated with Union Internationale des Concierges d’Hotels (UICH).

REEMA LOKESH Editor

Tel: 040-23418673/23418674/ 23418675 (Tele-fax)/66631457 Fax: 040-23418678 E-mail: ashwanikumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in

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Mobile : 09930050499 Email :sachin.shenoy@fhwexpo.in

Important: Whilst care is taken prior to acceptance of advertising copy,it is not possible to verify its contents.The Indian Express Ltd cannot be held responsible for such contents, nor for any loss or damages incurred as a result of transactions with companies, associations or individuals advertising in its newspapers or publications.We therefore recommend that readers make necessary inquiries before sending any monies or entering into any agreements with advertisers or otherwise acting on an advertisement in any manner whatsoever.

CONTENTS Vol 3 No 24 SEPTEMBER 1-15, 2015

SPA & WELLNESS

Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Sr Vice President - BPD Neil Viegas Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy Senior Associate Editor Sudipta Dev

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CONTENT TEAM Mumbai Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee Kolkata Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director Surajit Patro Chief Designer Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Scheduling & Coordination Mitesh Manjrekar Photo Editor Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Prateek Sahay Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES Soumodip Ghosh Dhananjay Makharia

SPANNING THE SKILL GAP A LARGE NUMBER OF SPA INSTITUTES ARE MUSHROOMING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OFFERING HIGHLY SPECIALISED TRAINING COURSES

EDGE

THE GOLDEN KEY

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Hotel concierges across the world hold the golden key to guest satisfaction. A fairly unknown profession in India, they play an important role in customer retention, encouraging tourism and often, revenue generation

(20-24)

MARKETS

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OVER 140 GRADE I HERITAGE STRUCTURES IN SRINAGAR HAVE POTENTIAL FOR HOSPITALITY

INTERIORS & DESIGN LIFE

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TOURISM MINISTER LAUNCHES ‘ZAIKA DIL SE’ AT IATO CONVENTION IN INDORE

P12: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Jehan Numa Retreat, Bhopal

P14: PRODUCT TRACKER VitrA

P36: MOVEMENTS

PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis

Pescafresh

Manager Bhadresh Valia

Scene and heard

P53: WEEKEND

NEWEST INNOVATION CROWNE PLAZA HOTELS & RESORTS TESTS DELIVERY ROBOT AT ITS HOTEL IN THE HEART OF SILICON VALLEY

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CELEBRATING CONTEMPORARY ART WITH INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND CONTEMPORARY INTERIORS, HOTEL ARTS BARCELONA IS AN ICONIC PROPERTY THAT HAS A PRIVATE ART COLLECTION AS A PART OF THE INTERIOR DESIGN

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HOW A WONDER PLANT IS SWEETENING THE LIFE OF RURAL FARMERS IN INDIA STEVIA, A SUGAR SUBSTITUTE, IS THE PERFECT ANSWER TO BRING ABOUT ECONOMIC CHANGE IN RURAL FARMING COMMUNITIES

Food & Hospitality World Published for the proprietors, Global Fairs & Media Private Limited, by Vaidehi Thakar at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, and printed by her at Indian Express Press, Plot EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Editor : Reema Lokesh* (*responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). Copyright © 2015 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited.

All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.

MARKETS

Over 140 Grade I heritage structures in Srinagar have potential for hospitality Sudipta Dev Mumbai INDIAN NATIONAL TRUST for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in J&K has been making concerted efforts to enable 143 Grade I heritage structures in Srinagar to be converted into heritage hotels or restaurants, which would go a long way in enhancing the tourism offerings in the state. In an exclusive interaction with Food & Hospitality World, M Saleem Beg, convener, INTACH (J&K Chapter) said, “Out of these, 40 properties are along the river front. These properties are a part of vernacular architecture and have scenic views along the river front. Some of the properties are ideal for boutique hotels, and can be between 20 to 30 room establishments.

Remaining properties could be used as restaurants, crafts shops, small museums and demonstration centres.” All

these properties are more than 80 years old. The qualifying criteria for these properties are that these have been traditionally built with significant architectural elements. “In the last 50 years we have not been building any traditional structures, consequently all these properties are those that have been built before 1950,” he added.

INTACH has requested the government to improve the surroundings of the area so that the property owners can take pride in the location of the houses.

“The government has invested about `30 crore in improving the river front,” mentioned Beg. While the first phase is over, INTACH had requested the government to at least pick up two to three properties, convert them into heritage hotels or restaurants, so that other owners would find sufficient interest in conserving or preserving their property or they can find somebody else who can invest in it.

Pointing out that the tourism sector in the state is vulnerable, Beg averred that there has to be sustained business for investment. “Unfortunately the industry here has become an uncertain investment. The ownerships of these properties are very different from ownerships of nor-

mal properties. Many owners have deserted their properties and have shifted somewhere else,” he stated.

The state has three major palaces, one each in Jammu, Srinagar and Umdampur, of these the first two have already been converted into heritage

hotels. Beg believes that it is important to look at not just built heritage but also natural heritage where appropriate sustainable structures can be built, for example building of a heritage village or eco tourism initiative related to vernacular architecture.

FHW Goa 2015 to be held from September 29-October 1 FHW Staff Mumbai THE 26TH EDITION of Food Hospitality World (FHW) exhibition, will be held from September 29-October 1, 2015 at Football Ground Campal, Panaji, Goa. The three day exhibition is tailor-made from 10 years of industry feedback and suggestions, to propagate

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discussions on various facets related to innovations in products and services.

This year's trade show will witness exhibitors coming from different segments of the food and hospitality industry like F&B, interiors, kitchen equipment, housekeeping, bakery and others, and will aim at providing solutions to various industry-re-

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lated problems. This year, there will an interesting lineup of several events.

The Culinary challenge of Goa will be co-hosted by the Culinary Forum of Goa. Top chefs across Goa will come together under one roof and compete in groups and as individual and will bring out the essence of Goan food culture.

To celebrate the launch of

FHW, an evening event-The Goan Indulgence will provide a platform to all who wish to socialise with the who’s who of Goa’s food and hospitality industry.

The three-day show will see many panel discussions.

Hospitality Think Tank will have general managers of leading hotels in Goa as panelists discussing the 'Evolu-

tion of Goa as a MICE Destination'. The Hospitality Knowledge Exchange will have general managers of leading resorts and villa owners of Goa discussing 'Goa as a Resort Destination'.

The FHW trade show is organised by Global Fairs & Media – a joint venture between Hannover Milano Fairs India and The Indian Express.

MARKETS

Tourism minister launches ‘Zaika Dil Se’at IATO convention in Indore A project by Express TravelWorld for Madhya Pradesh Tourism Akshay Kumar Indore MADHYA PRADESH Tourism in association with Express TravelWorld, has launched ‘Zaika Dil Se’, a coffee table book on the cuisines of different regions of Madhya Pradesh. The book was unveiled on the occasion of the 31st Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) at Indore, MP.

‘Zaika Dil Se’, was launched by Dr Mahesh Sharma, minister of state for tourism and culture and minister of state for civil aviation, Government of India; Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister, Madhya Pradesh; Surendra Patwa, minister of state for tourism and culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh; Ashok Chandra Panda, minister of tourism and culture, Government of Odisha; Ashwani Lohani, commissioner and MD, Madhya Pradesh Tourism and the entire IATO executive committee.

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September 1-15, 2015

BAKERY FOCUS

A MARKETING INITIATIVE

Puratos’sure fire winners Those tempestuous creatures that refuse to behave on bad days and simply flow into form on good ones leaving one in awe of the beauty that comes when you bring together flour, butter, sugar and maybe eggs. That simple basic core ingredient that forms the buildingblocks on which all exotic creations are built, the humble sponge, can drive one to despair

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aking the despair out of the game is the Puratos mixes for sponge, available in egg free variants, catering to professionals and bakers, and sold under the Tegral Sponge Egg Free (premix) or the Easy Sponge Egg Free (concentrate).

The Puratos’ Easy Sponge range and the Tegral Sponge range provide consistent results every time, at a cost effective price, making it the go to option for bulk users as well.

The beauty of the egg-free version is that it produces a sponge that is comparable in volume, softness, rise and texture to the regular sponge with egg. Both mixes come with the creamy mouth-feel that is coupled with the rich moistness and superior texture that identifies a Puratos cake.

The pre mixes or sponge concentrates produce cakes that can be easily punched, and rolled into any number of delicacies, all the while boasting of a great crumb structure that ensures great strength to your cake sculptures and ensures great syrup absorption as well.

While many bakers are seriously worried about the

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amount of wastage that comes with large scale baking, readyto-use sponges made from the Tegral Sponge range boast of an extended shelf life, reducing the cost of wastage substantially, as well as making it a more economic option, one that needs to be closely looked at.

Consumer demands As the Indian consumer looks to experience newer flavours and craves world class experiences in food, producing has to become that much less stressful. By choosing to focus on the actual creation of something sublime, bakers can now leave that essential but mundane task to a foolproof professional mix that will give consistent results every time.

The growing expectation of consumers of being able to experience world class products while sitting at home is not something that’s going to die out any time soon. As the Trends of Taste Tomorrow survey recently conducted by Puratos, shows, the consumer is looking for better tasting cakes, which last for a longer time while retaining their freshness. While many consumers may prefer eggless cakes either due to their religious reasons or for plain health benefits, consumers continue to look for that soft-

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By choosing to focus on the actual creation of something sublime, bakers can now leave that essential but mundane task to a foolproof professional mix that will give consistent results every time

BAKERY FOCUS

A MARKETING INITIATIVE

ness, and rich creamy mouth feel that comes from traditional egg sponges, and they are unwilling to compromise on that.

Consumers are now unwilling to wait for their next vacation to sample international trends, if they see it on Facebook, television or Pinterest; they wish to see it at their favourite bakery, and they want to sample it at their next visit.

This itself calls for extensive research, ideation, experimentation with flavours and textures to keep abreast of competition.

While the world might experiment with flavours and textures, the one all time favourite flavour remains chocolate. And Puratos pays special attention to this lip smacking winner.

The Puratos’ Easy Sponge Cocoa and Easy Sponge Cocoa Egg Free is the answer to all your cocoa sponge needs. Its rich chocolate flavour, soft mouth feel that comes with a

strong structure so versatile that it can be punched and rolled as required, making these a sure fire winner in the kitchen.

Backed by Puratos’ years of experience, the cocoa mixes come from a special place in the Puratos stable. One that is further enriched by cutting edge technology, a commitment to choosing the best cocoa beans, gently processing the beans, and extracting only that which is the best. This then goes into producing the best premix that brings that special Puratos chocolate flavour into every bite. Time after time, introducing that ‘wow’ factor makes all the difference between just another premix and a Puratos cocoa product, whether it be the Easy Sponge Cocoa or Easy Sponge Cocoa Egg Free.

Using a premix is by far the easiest way to produce consistent tasting cakes, making this

whole process idiot proof. Effectively storing cakes for a longer duration without losing the freshness of the cake is by far one of the biggest contributors in reducing wastage. This is where Puratos’ pre mixes

come in and make a significant change in the way the kitchen is run, in bolstering the bottom line, in making the bakery profitable.

Puratos range Tegral Sponge Egg Free, or Easy

Sponge Egg Free, or the Easy Sponge Cocoa or Easy Sponge Cocoa Egg Free, brings a significant change in the bakery kitchen, thereby proving again that its business lies in improving its customer’s business.

MARKETS

Pescafresh to enter HORECA space Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai PESCAFRESH, PROVIDER of fresh seafood varieties, plans to enter the HORECA segment soon. Presently, the brand services over one lakh households across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad. Apart from the 'dial a fish' concept, the brand is also available at front-end retail through Aditya Birla retail's More, Tesco Star Bazaar, Future Group Big Bazaar, Future Group's Foodhall, Tata Trent's Gourmet West and the Le Marche chain in Delhi.

Speaking to Food & Hospitality World on the company's expansion plans, Sangram Sawant, founder and CEO, Pescafresh, informed, “The brand works in multiple for-

Sangram Sawant

For the HORECA space, we plan to launch our vertical soon and provide niche and imported products. We have received a good feedback and gained control of the supply chain management of the Norwegian salmon. We feel that this product has a lot of scope and is available throughout the year

mats, and going ahead we will be penetrating further into the four markets - Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad where we are present in to increase our current formats.

Today, we have close to 42 out-

lets in these cities. However,

by March next year we plan to scale up by 94 outlets in these cities. For the HORECA space, we plan to launch our vertical soon and provide niche and imported products. We have

received a good feedback and gained control of the supply chain management of the Norwegian salmon. We feel that this product has a lot of scope and is available throughout the year.”

The brand has also developed its own e-commerce ready offering through localbanya and the hyper-local mobile app, Grofers. The company plans to launch the new e-commerce ready website version of the brand followed by its own mobile app that will ease the ordering process of seafood.

Elaborating on the market, Sawant opined, “In terms of the industry that we are working in, it is a 9.3 kg per capita consumption industry wherein 600 million people in this country are non-vegetarians, as per the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

It is still an unorganised market, which has huge potential, and I think our company is well placed to organise this space.”

Janta Steel to enter e-commerce segment by end of 2016 Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai JANTA STEEL, exporting a wide range of hospitality products since the past 20 years, has plans to enter the e-commerce segment by end of 2016. The company will be making all its products available for purchase online through its website. Janta Steel will also be introducing new products under the bar accessories, bakery, hotelware/restaurant ware and catering equipment range for the HORECA segment in India in the next two months.

Divulging further details of this expansion, Ashok Parmar, partner, Janta Steel, stated, “We have plans to sell our products online from end of 2016. We are importing the latest version of deck ovens, stone pizza ovens, vegetable slicers, etc from China and will be introducing them in India the next two months.” The company sources 25 per cent of its total products from China and 75 per cent from India. Its export markets include the Gulf countries, Dubai, Muscat, Oman, South Africa, East Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the US,

10 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

among others, the Gulf countries being the largest export market.

Moreover, the company will be expanding its geo-

Ashok Parmar

graphical presence.

Presently, it has two branches in Mumbai and is planning to open offices in Pune and Goa in the next one-two years. “After that we are looking forward to having our branch in the Gulf,” he added. When asked about the investment for the entire expansion, Parmar declined to comment.

Sharing his views on the hospitality equipment industry in India, Parmar opined, “This industry is growing at a rate of 25-40 per cent year-onyear. The demand for melamine products is picking

up in the catering and hotel industry.”

Janta Steel has been recording a revenue growth of 25 per cent year-on-year and is expecting a 25-40 per cent growth this year. The company caters to 3500 corporate clients including Barbeque Nation, Vithal Kamats, Rainforest, Yellow Banana, among others. The company is also the official distributor of Clay Craft Fine Bone China, SKYRA Professional Tableware, Ariane Fine Porcelain, Servewell, Hoshizaki, King Metal Works, Ocean and Zanuff.

MARKETS

Trident Hotels rolls out Trident Mini FHW Staff Mumbai TRIDENT HOTELS from The Oberoi Group has announced the launch of a new transfer service – Trident Mini at Trident hotels in Gurgaon, Nariman Point, Mumbai, BKC, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. The hotel chain added a total of six newly launched, 2015 Mini Cooper D Countryman to introduce this exclusive experience for its guests.

The new transfer service for hotel guests even provides airport drop off in Chennai A special service offered with the hotels’ compliments for resident guests, Trident Mini provides drop offs to all prominent offices and areas adjoining the hotel, within a five km radius. While in Gurgaon, guests can zip around DLF Cybercity, DLF Cyber Hub, Udyog Vihar, Leisure Valley and the malls on MG Road; Trident, Hyderabad offers guests the luxury to travel across HITEC city. Trident Hotels in Mumbai provide an opportunity to explore areas like Bandra-Kurla Complex, Nariman Point and Colaba. The unique service even provides airport drop off in Chennai. The service is offered on a first-come-firstserved basis. All the guest needs to do is walk-up to the concierge and check for availability at that moment.

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September 1-15, 2015

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Jehan Numa Retreat, Bhopal RARE HAS INTRODUCED JEHAN NUMA RETREAT in Bhopal. The 28 cottages are set in six clusters. The Jehan Numa's nawabi tradition is imbued in fine details and service.

Guests can relax at the spa or in the pool or enjoy meals under the Jamun tree or inside the air-conditioned ambience of Coriander Leaf which also houses a bar.

Carl’s Jr,New Delhi CARL’S JR HAS OPENED Its first restaurant in India. Operated

by CybizBrightStar Restaurants, owned by Gurgaon-based CybizCorp, through a master franchise agreement with Carl’s Jr Restaurants, a subsidiary of CKE Restaurants Holdings, the Carl’s Jr restaurant is located at Select City Walk mall complex in Saket, New Delhi. The restaurant features an 'Indian palate' menu that includes vegetarian options, beer on tap and an all-you-can-drink soft beverages bar.

The Grand Mansion,a Luxury Collection Hotel,Nanjing

Swissôtel Bali SWISSÔTEL HOTELS & RESORTS has entered into an agreement with resort developer PT Bali Ragawisata to manage Swissôtel Bali, a 170-room resort scheduled to open in late 2017. Situated on a cliff top in Bukit Pandawa, Swissôtel Bali will offer views of the Indian Ocean from guestrooms featuring outdoor balconies. Completing the guest experience will be a private beach club, four dining outlets including a bar, the brand’s signature Pürovel Spa & Sport, and 400 square metres of indoor meeting space with outdoor function areas.

Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP has signed a management agreement with U&N Hospitality Company for a 222-room Holiday Inn Express on Ao Nang Beach in Krabi, Thailand. Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach will be surrounded by a range of local restaurants and bars, including some of the areas most renowned seafood establishments offering guests a wide variety of dining options. The hotel will feature the brand's signature Great Room where guests can dine and interact with each other during their stay. The hotel will also offer free Wi-Fi, free Express Start Breakfast or a Grab & Go option, self-service business centre and laundry room, and 24-hour access to the fitness centre.

THE LUXURY COLLECTION HOTELS & RESORTS has opened The Grand Mansion, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nanjing, in the capital of China’s Jiangsu province. The Grand Mansion features 158 appointed guestrooms, including 15 suites and a Presidential Suite.

The Xi Lounge offers a collection of teas. For dinner, the traditional Xuan Ling Ge Chinese restaurant serves Min Guo cuisine; while The Atrium offers all-day dining option, specialising in Nanjing and international cuisines. The Grand Mansion also has a range of leisure facilities, such as a fitness centre, indoor heated pool and a luxurious spa. It boasts of flexible meeting spaces, including a grand ballroom spanning nearly 6000 square feet and seven meeting rooms.

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PRODUCT TRACKER

VitrA VITRA HAS INTRODUCED a series of luxurious bathtubs, water saving faucets and bathroom furniture named T4. Designed by the famous design studio NOA, this collection is designed to achieve a unique balance between elegance and simplicity to develop clear and functional solutions exclusive to the series. The collection offers bathtubs with built in furniture which makes them innovative and convenient. Faucets with cascade flow add more panache to the bathtub. One can also personalise the bathroom with different coloured panels. Made with auto- clean silicon aerator, the faucets from VitrA provide a smooth flow while saving water.

Pergo Knorr

PERGO HAS LAUNCHED its latest collection, Original Excellence (AC-5 Grade) Class 33. The collection is available in 25 decors. The new range consists of single strip, multi-strip plank pattern with different shades of walnut, merbau, oak, sawcut, wood; rustic surface structure which creates an intensive experience of space in the room. Formats available in this range include 2050 x 205 x 8 mm, 1200 x 190 x 8 mm, 1200 x 123 x 8 mm.

KNORR HAS LAUNCHED two new international soup variants, Thai Vegetable Soup and Mexican Tomato Corn Soup.

These premium variants have been created by Knorr’s expert chefs using selected ingredients and cooking techniques from around the world. Understanding the heart of Mexican and Thai cuisine and customising it to the Indian taste palate, they have made these soups with 100 per cent real vegetables blended with herbs and spices.

Nutraj PERTAINING TO THE growing demand of nuts and dried fruits in India, Nutraj has expanded its range of offerings with the recently introduced- 'Dried Apple Rings' under its signature collection. This product has been sourced from China. The product has fibre, minerals, vitamin C, lowers cholesterol in blood, reduces the risk of hypertension, supports synthesising haemoglobin and formation of red blood cells, promotes colon health and helps relieve constipation, haemorrhoids and more.

The product has been priced at `255 per pack for 200 gms.

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The Great Eastern Home THE GREAT EASTERN Home has introduced its range of coffee tables which are made of classic, solid wood, burma teak, mahogany and rosewood. Every piece is handcrafted to suit the consumer’s needs.

Providing an opulent lifestyle has been the core value of the company and their extensive collection of coffee tables exemplifies this. The artistic craftsmanship makes these tables an exemplary standard for style and elegance.

MARKETS

Pusa Institute Hotel Management Alumni Association announces PACE 2015 FHW Staff Mumbai THE SHOWCASE annual Pusa Institute Hotel Management Alumni Association (PIHMAA) event will be held on September 19, 2015 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Mahipalpur, New Delhi. PACE 2015, (PIHMAA Annual Conclave & Exchange) as it is titled, aims to get together students of the country’s most prestigious hotel school from over six decades. The keynote speaker for the event will be Vir Sanghvi.

Starting with the knowledge session, industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs from the alumni will share their views in two focused panel discussions. Kapil Chopra, president, Oberoi Hotels; Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Steigenburger Hotel Group; Raj Rana, CEOSouth Asia, Carlson Residor Hotels; Farhat Jamal, SVP West, Taj Hotels, and Rahul Pandit, CEO Ginger Hotels will be the panelists for the first discussion on ‘Are hotels really keeping pace with the rapidly changing needs of today’s global traveller?’ which will be moderated by Mandeep S Lamba, managing director- India, hotels and hospitality group, Jones Lang LaSalle.

The second discussion will bring together Sanjeev Kapoor, celebrity chef; Himmat Anand, founder, Tree Of Life Resorts & Hotels; Rajesh Bahrdwaj, founder, Junoon New York; Sudhir Gupta, founder and CEO, TLC Group, and Sunil Bhu, founder, Flanders Dairy Products to address the topic ‘With Gen Y increasingly being lured into entrepreneurship, how can real life stories inspire them in building a successful enterprise?’ and will be moderated

by Neena Chatrath, founder, Enhance Consulting.

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INTERIORS & DESIGN

CELEBRATING CONTEMPORARY ART With innovative design and contemporary interiors, Hotel Arts Barcelona is an iconic property that has a private art collection as a part of the interior design, and also promotes art through various initiatives

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ESIGNED by the distinguished architect Bruce Graham of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the Hotel Arts is part of Barcelona’s cultural renaissance, and as modern as the city itself. Built to coincide

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with the Olympic Games in 1992, this luxury hotel is a landmark - 44 stories of blue glass and exposed steel soaring high above the seafront. Inside, hard edges and materials give way to an environment of elegance and refinement, filled with lux-

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urious spaces to explore and discover at leisure. It is the tallest building in Spain and a prominent feature of Barcelona’s skyline. With innovative design and contemporary interiors, the hotel showcases a 20th century collection

of exclusively commissioned works by contemporary Catalan and Spanish artists.

Each of the 455 guests rooms offer panoramic views of Barcelona’s city skyline as well as the Mediterranean Sea. For families travelling together, the

hotel features 75 connecting rooms. Four Deluxe guestrooms are specifically designed to meet the special needs of disabled guests. With one, two or three bedroom options, the duplex luxury apartments are located on the top

INTERIORS & DESIGN

ten floors of the hotel, affording stunning views of the sea and city. Each apartment is comprised of a lounge and dining area as well as a kitchen. The powerful architecture by Bruce Graham is accented by the warm and elegant décor designed by Antoni Puig and Jose Juanpere, and created by Jaime Tresserra.

Located just a short stroll from the Museu Picasso is Hotel Arts Barcelona that has a longstanding reputation for its relationship with art. It was one of the first luxury hotels to introduce a private art collection as a part of the interior design, it is also framed by a worldrenowned sculpture by Frank Gehry.

Art promotion Recently over 80 rarely loaned works by two of the world’s most acclaimed artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí,

were presented side by side at the Museu Picasso, Barcelona.

The art works on show came together from over 20 international art museums and private collections with a focus on paintings, featuring drawings, prints and sculpture. The Picasso/Dalí, Dalí/Picasso exhibition demonstrated how these two artists were shaped by the currents of their time.

The story of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí is one of influence, rivalry, and artistic appreciation. In celebration of the exhibition Hotel Arts Barcelona offered its guests a ‘Picasso/Dalí’ experience. Taking inspiration from both artists, Frank’s Bar created an innovative ‘Picasso/Dalí’ cocktail menu to reflect the two artists.

The team of mixologists took inspiration from some of Dalí’s favourite foods including watermelons and pomegran-

ates to create the Watermeloska cocktail made from vodka, lemon, watermelon, mint, sugar and soda, and the Salty Dog cocktail created using gin and pomegranate presented in a salted rimmed glass. The ‘Inspiration’ cocktail was born out of Picasso’s love of the Mediterranean, from the French Provence to the coast of Barcelona.

The hotel boasts a unique location on the waterfront within 300 feet of the beach, in the heart of the city’s Olympic Village area. Located seven miles from Barcelona International Airport, the hotel is within a short distance of the main railway stations and motorways serving the city. The historic city centre of Barcelona, featuring fashionable bars, restaurants and shopping avenues is conveniently located, walking distance from the property.

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September 1-15, 2015

SPA & WELLNESS

SPANNING THE SKILLGAP The gaining popularity of spas, the benefits of attractive pay packages and an opportunity to explore different horizons and grow professionally have been driving today's youth in India to join the spa industry. Responding to this trend, a large number of spa institutes are mushrooming across the country and offering highly specialised training courses

By Rituparna Chatterjee

A

CCORDING to the Global Wellness Summit, at the recent GSWS in Marrakech, Morocco, a research sizing and analysing the 10 sectors that comprise the wellness industry, unveiled that the wellness industry stands at a staggering US$ 3.4 trillion market and is one of the biggest, fastest-growing industries on earth. It is 3.4 times bigger than the US$ one trillion, global pharmaceutical industry. The report further stated that the spa industry jumped from US$ 60 to US$ 94 billion from 20072013, despite brutal recession. At a micro level, India is not far behind from becoming the fifth largest consumer market globally as claimed by Horwath HTL Health and Wellness, a division of Horwath HTL, specialising in the development of destination retreats, lifestyle and wellness centres, bathhouses, resorts, hotels, medical and day spas, and health and fitness clubs globally. Cashing on this growing consumer demand and their increasing purchasing power, many health and rejuvenation resorts and spas, offering Indian traditional Ayurvedic and western treatments, are mushrooming all over the country. This trend in turn is driving the requirement for professionally qualified staff.

Interestingly, there isn't a shortage of trained manpower in this field with an increasing number of youth

18

venturing into this industry.

“As spa is one of the fastest growing industries, it provides a bigger and better platform for the youth at both national and international levels. We see a good percentage of young entrepreneurs venturing into this industry.

With wide acceptance and awareness of the spa, many opportunities are available,” avers Dr Sagar Mahajan, head of administration and faculty, Ananda Spa Institute.

Voicing a similar thought, Suvidha Nanodkar, spa manager, Zaara Spa, Resort Rio Goa, states, “Today’s youth are more inclined towards exploring career options in this sector. I would attribute this to a couple of factors.

Firstly, with the gaining popularity of spas there is more awareness about the various offerings and benefits of pursuing a career in this field.

Secondly, there are many institutes offering specialised courses and this emerging industry offers benefits of attractive pay packages, stress – free work environment and an opportunity to explore different horizons and grow professionally.”

Over the years, India has seen the mushrooming of numerous spa therapist training institutes including the Ananda Spa Institute, Shahnaz Husain Chain of Institutes, Science and Arts Academy of Hair & Beauty Culture, VLCC Institute to name a few. At Ananda Spa Institute, training is provided

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

September 1-15, 2015

Dr Sagar Mahajan

Suvidha Nanodkar

Dr Mahesh Mathew

Firstly, with the gaining popularity of spas there is more awareness about the various offerings and benefits of pursuing a career in this field. Secondly, there are many institutes offering specialised courses

SPA & WELLNESS

in spa therapies, aesthetics and body therapies, Ayurveda therapies and spa management. Graduates with the institute's CIBTAC certification in international spa therapy courses or certified Ayurvedic diploma can work across spas globally with an in-depth knowledge of all the technical and management aspects of spa therapy. “The institute was ranked the 'Best Spa Academy' in the Asia Pacific Region at The Crystal Awards Asia Pacific in 2010, and 'Spa Academy of the Year' at The Crystal Awards Asia Pacific in 2011,” mentions Dr Mahajan proudly adding that his institute has had a 100 per cent placement record till date.

Lucrative career The spa sector is no longer just a segment of the beauty and wellness industry. It has evolved to become a mini hospitality industry with a focus on complete wellness and offers a plethora of career options. Therapists, spa managers, consultants, beauty experts, dieticians, wellness coaches are some of the demanding career options. The remuneration package varies on several factors like role, experience and qualification.

The package averages be-

tween `five lakh to 10 lakh in India and can go up to `20 lakh at international spas. “At Resort Rio, Goa our focus is to offer guests a complete healing experience – mind, body and soul. We have trained therapists, masseuse, Ayurveda (BAMS) doctors, acupuncturist, reiki healer, astrologer, wing chun master to name a few. We have hired experts across varied fields,” opines Nanodkar, adding that, the resort post recruitment conducts regular inhouse training programmes for the staff to hone their skills. Its training includes organising mock sessions, updating on the latest techniques and therapies, sharing feedback from guests, holding practice sessions and so on. The picture is similar at The Zuri Kumarakom, Kerala Resort & Spa which emphasis a lot on in-house training and evaluation since it offers unique spa treatments and customised product lines.

“By creating processes and training every spa employee, we create the best business practices. These practices will not only make our staff better at doing their jobs but will also help us to streamline our business growth and maintain market leadership,” explains Dr Mahesh Mathew, spa manager, The Zuri Ku-

marakom, Kerala Resort & Spa.

Future perfect The Indian spa industry is growing fast but is taken more as a luxury rather than as wellness awareness whereas the western spa industry is well evolved and considered as a luxury with its wellness benefits. However, this picture will soon change in future believes Dr Mahajan. “Medical aesthetics and medi spa, lifestyle correction in chronic conditions, organic product usage, corporate wellness are some of the future trends to drive this industry,” states Dr Mahajan.

Sharing her views, Nanodkar points out, “I think we can expect an all new customer segment going forward. People above 40 years are likely to seek solace in spa and wellness centres and demand solutions tailored to meet their specific requirements. I also see Internet becoming increasingly relevant as a channel of interaction with consumers.”

Adding to this, Dr Mathew predicts, “The future of this industry looks like more of fusion spas offering unique massages and therapies infused with the ancient healing techniques of Ayurveda.”

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19

September 1-15, 2015

cover )

20 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

(

THE MAIN FOCUS

Hotel concierges across the world hold the golden key to guest satisfaction. A fairly unknown profession in India, they play an important role in customer retention, encouraging tourism and often, revenue generation

BY SUDIPTA DEV

A

little known profession in India a decade back, a hotel concierge has risen in importance and esteem in the hospitality industry over the years. Today all new luxury hotels in the country seek a concierge who has the coveted Golden Keys, which is easily recognised by an international traveller. The hotel management, the gen-

eral managers are now aware of the important role that the concierge plays in ensuring guest satisfaction and retention. He is also the medium between the guest and the general manager. In many instances, it is the personal rapport that a concierge establishes with a regular guest over the years that plays an important role ensuring guest loyalty.

The fact cannot be denied that in Indian hospitality industry, it is the persistent efforts of the first generation of concierges in the country that

has made a significant contribution – from elevating the profile of a concierge in the eyes of the hotel management to grooming the next generation of concierges in the country to establishing India as an important chapter in the world of concierges. Not surprisingly, many of these first generation of concierges have come from either the Taj Group or the Oberoi Hotels.

The concept of a concierge started in Mumbai with the opening of The Oberoi Hotel.

Concierge Association of India came up in 1998 with re-

gional chapters.

It was as recent as 2011 that India became an independent chapter - Les Clefs d’Or India – Society for Golden Key Concierges is a free and individual society affiliated with Union Internationale des Concierges d’Hotels (UICH). Currently there are 109 Golden Key members in India. “In 2006 we applied for independent chapter, and got that in 2011 in Toronto. At that time Golden Keys was not well known in India, we had to go to many cities and conduct workshops about

concierges, Golden Keys, UICH,” says Edwin Saldanha, head concierge, The Oberoi, Mumbai and zone director Asia - Les Clefs d'Or International. Till recently, he was the president of Les Clefs d’Or India for four years.

Worldwide UICH has six zones. There are 11 Les Clefs d’Or countries in Asia, like Japan, China, Korea, etc.

“Countries like Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and recently Sri Lanka are interested to become Les Clefs d’Or countries. I do training workshops for them. I

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September 1-15, 2015

cover )

"Upcoming concierges can become members and learn from senior concierges" Edwin Saldanha Head Concierge , The Oberoi, Mumbai

"We have our own concierge map which most of the hotels today use" Albert Amanna Head Concierge, InterContinental Marine Drive

"In India, concierge services have yet to gain the kind of recognition they enjoy internationally" Albert John Manager Concierge, The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi

22 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

also do work in Nairobi,” says Saldanha.

Expanding reach in other Indian cities is one of the primary aims of the association in India. “We have strong teams in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai. Now we are going into other cities. In Rajasthan every big hotel has a concierge. We were not successful in Goa because people move fast there,” states Saldanha. Agra, Mysore, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, are the emerging destinations.

With the Golden Key coming in, international travellers are more assured of the service that they get in the hotel. “That's why we are strict to give the keys. In India there are four regions so that upcoming concierges can become members and learn from senior concierges.

We have 15 minute training programmes in the meetings for all concierges. To get the keys they have to be part of hotel industry for five years and three years as a concierge, then they can apply for membership for Golden Keys. There are exams and a personal interview. The keys do not come easy so we have to make sure that those who apply for it are genuine and know their city, country, specially about tourism, etc,” mentions Saldanha. These keys travel with the concierges till they work in the hotel industry. It is only for the hotel industry.

The motto of the association is 'In Service Through Friendship'. This motto binds all the hotel concierges to help each other and assist to achieve the impossible keeping hotel guest as the centre of service. The regional chapters of Les Clefs d’Or India have meetings every month where they share about what is happening in their hotels, new restaurants opening up, the shopping places. “We have our own concierge map which most of the hotels today use. The first map was published in 2007. That map gaining importance, most ho-

tels started using it and also brought in funding which was used for training, meetings and also attending congresses,” says Albert Amanna, head concierge of the InterContinental Marine Drive and honorary president, Concierge Association of India Western Region.

Pointing out that the international concierge association was started in 1852 and conceptualised in 1929, and is the oldest association in the world (leaving the masonary), Amanna informs, “We were passionately driven. We realised that those who joined the industry did not know what a

concierge did, so we decided to touch base with all hotel management institutions.

IHM Mumbai was the first to invite us.”

Changing profile While the job of a concierge was initiated in 19th century in Europe, in Indian hospitality it is a recent phenomenon. Albert John, manager concierge, The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi and honorary president, Les Clefs dOr India says, “In India, concierge services have yet to gain the kind of recognition they enjoy internationally. Though it is gaining momentum, Indian travellers are still new to the

To get the keys they have to be part of hotel industry for five years and three years as a concierge

concept and unaware of the role of a hotel concierge. A certain section of frequent travellers understands and regards the concierge with recognition and seeks their help on various requirements.”

He points out that now it is a must for any luxury, business or even boutique hotels to have a concierge on their payroll. “Concierge is a spirit of luxury who know how to pamper guests like king and queen. This great service has made a new profession in Indian hospitality,” mentions John.

With the growth of the hotel industry in India it was observed that there is no 'magic man' in the hotel lobby who caters to all guest needs and requests. “In Europe and United States, hotel concierge played an important role in providing excellent services thereby retaining a guest to come back whenever he visits the city. The Indian hotels felt the same and hence, the role of hotel concierge was started,” says Maxim Mascarenhas, WelcomConcierge, ITC Maratha. The job itself has many challenges. Mascarenhas explains, “Every guest interaction requires urgent attention to respond to the query. A concierge receives numerous calls from inhouse guests for various request and also external calls for various information and reservations during their shift.” Consequently, patience is the key prerequisite of this profession as every requests must be attended with warmth and accomplish the same with pride and dignity.

There has been marked change in the role and profile of a concierge in the last 15 years. In the beginning the concierge was looked at as another bell boy as most of the time he operated through the bell desk - baggage, packages, cargo clearance. “But The Oberoi began with a separate desk where a guest could talk comfortably. We started sending minutes of the meeting to the general

( Women concierges are quite common around the world. In India there are about 10-12 lady concierges who have made a significant mark in their professional sphere managers. They started motivating their team to attend the meetings,” says Amanna, who had started his career with The Oberoi in Mumbai.

Hotels also realised that Tripadvisor rating made a lot of difference with a guest meeting a concierge. The management realised that one of the revenue earners for the hotel was through the concierge. It was the personal connect with the concierge that brought back many repeat guests. “I personally budget transportation for the hotel.

Whatever reservations we make for our restaurants should be monitored, tracked and sent as an email to the boss, ultimately those figures matter,” asserts Amanna. He points out that his company, IHG gives a lot of importance to the concierge. “On our website there is a video of the concierge of every hotel.

They also have a one year online training programme.

Now many other brands like Starwood, Marriott, and others are doing it.”

Interestingly, technology

has made a difference to the role. “We use iPad for our guests, the menus, etc.

Sometimes people think that technology will replace a concierge, but that will never be,” asserts Amanna.

The various tasks by concierges include car rental, air line ticketing, tours (experiences) like in The Oberoi there are heritage walks, chefs conducting tours for guests called Spice Trail.

While these helps to generate revenues, Saldanha does not believe that hotels look at a concierge for generating revenue. “The focus is to make a guest's stay a memorable one,” he says.

Working for an iconic property, Glen Menezes, concierge, Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai feels that he is not just the concierge for the hotel but for the city of Mumbai. “There is a sense of belonging, honour and a huge responsibility. Not only do we represent the first ever luxury hotel in the country, with many firsts, but we represent a Tata brand. Our guests

come with great expectations and it is imperative that we meet/exceed every need.

Every day the bar is raised,” he says with conviction.

Luxury hotels across the country have primarily been in the forefront to provide concierge services to their guests. According to Nitin Srivastava, chief concierge, The Claridges, New Delhi the key attributes of a concierge are - excellence in guest service, commitment to work, always ready to take action, believe in team work, ability to remain calm, integrity, patience, accountability, etc.

“The concierge contributes in the hotel’s revenue in each and every department like room reservations of known guests, restaurant bookings, spa bookings, health clubs and majorly transportation.”

Though it might be unknown to most people, concierges across the world make a significant contribution towards the growth of the tourism industry in general and their respective hotels in particular. “It is indeed

THE MAIN FOCUS

worthwhile to note that all hotels in India are looking up at the profession and providing due support to the association. In the years to come, we would have a formidable force with representations from all the best hotels in the country,” says Shaunak Vengurlekar, head concierge and guest service manager, Waterstones Hotel & Club, Mumbai and honorary general secretary - Les Clefs d'Or India.

Les Clefs d’Or India now plans to host the 10th Asian Congress in 2017 in Mumbai city which will bring all the Asian countries together for growth of tourism and hospitality in Asia. “It is the best time to showcase India and its tourism to the participating countries of the world.

This cannot be possible without the support of the government, the hotel industry and tourism industry as well,” says Vengurlekar.

Making a mark Women concierges are quite common around the world.

In India there are about 10-12 lady concierges who have made a significant mark in their professional sphere. Valencia Albuquerque, chief concierge, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai believes that women being naturally multitaskers are excellent for the job. “Moreover we are great at giving shopping tips as we

Yo u r

R e l i a b l e

"Every guest interaction requires urgent attention to respond to the query" Maxim Mascarenhas WelcomConcierge, ITC Maratha

"Our guests come with great expectations and it is imperative that we meet/exceed every need" Glen Menezes Concierge, Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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September 1-15, 2015

cover )

"The concierge contributes in the hotel’s revenue in each and every department" Nitin Srivastava Chief Concierge, The Claridges, New Delhi

"In the years to come, we would have a formidable force with representations from all the best hotels" Shaunak Vengurlekar Head Concierge and Guest Service Manager, Waterstones Hotel & Club, Mumbai

love to shop. Hence whether its high end fashion brands or the small little stall in Bhuleshwar market for inexpensive bangles, we are able to give the best tips. No matter what the request is, being a woman is always an upper hand as we somehow know someone who can assist us in getting a guest request done," she says. There is also the fact that women concierges bring an added advantage of making the growing segment of female travellers more comfortable.

“In India, having a female concierge in the team is almost necessary these days,” points out Albuquerque.

And how can young girls be encouraged to join the profession? While this profession is not very well explained in hotel schools in India, Les Clefs d'Or India has begun training sessions and guest lectures in hotel schools across the country.

“In this way we reach out to students while they are still at school to pursue this profession. We reach out to girl students and prove to them that this is not a man's profession by ensuring women concierges are present during the training. We speak about Les Clefs d'Or internationally and show them the number of women concierges around the globe who have made their mark in the industry. We have seen the rise in numbers of candidates during interviews wanting to pursue their career as a concierge,” says Albuquerque with optimism.

Focus on training

"In India, having a female concierge in the team is almost necessary these days" Valencia Albuquerque Chief Concierge, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai

24 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

While overseas there are concierge schools, in India there are no formal training for concierges. The association has taken it upon itself to train the next generation of concierges. “We started behavioural trainings, we initiated this in our monthly meetings. Hotels also started realising the efforts we are putting in and the general managers started supporting us. Hotels today want a full member concierge as the

guest today recognises these keys,” mentions Amanna.

Reminding that Les Clefs dOr India is a fraternity based on friendship, John informs that social media is an effective tool for educating members on a daily basis.

“Any new restaurant, shop, boutique, important information related to travel, tourism and hospitality, we immediately share to educate our concierge’s within fractions of minutes and in turns it is spread all over India. We meet monthly in each city where our members exist and conduct seminars in various institutes of hotel management, conduct excursion trips to vineyard, monuments, museums, art galleries. We plan our annual general meeting in new cities every year to bring learning and enhancing our network.”

International celebrity concierges are also invited from time to time to conduct workshops for enhancing the

quality of services in Indian hospitality.

Customer service, local knowledge, communication and computer skills training are necessary for a concierge to excel in his job. While international hotel chains in India have their own training programmes for concierges, in ITC Hotels, every department has a learning coordinator who regularly conducts training during their daily briefing. “Similarly, a concierge too has a learning coordinator who updates his colleagues of the various promotions happening in the hotel and in the city, educate on hotel policies and procedures and conducts training on soft skills,” he says.

The only Golden Key holder in Chandigarh, Manoj Sharma is chief concierge, JW Marriott Chandigarh. “I get requests from other concierges in the city to help them. I had also conducted training at a hotel manage-

"I get requests from other concierges in the city to help them" Manoj Sharma, Chief Concierge, JW Marriott Chandigarh

ment institution in Panchkula and will continue to take such initiatives,” says Sharma. Recently he was also invited by a guest who had a hotel in Johannesburg to train the staff there.

As an initiative to drive young management students towards choosing concierge as a profession in their career Les Clefs d’Or Concierge members impart knowledge by conducting various concierge workshops once every quarter. “Institutions like Sophia Polytechnic Hotel Administration & Food Technology, IHMCTAN, DY Patil Institute of Hotel Management - Nerul, IIHM Jaipur, SRM Institute of Hotel Management – Chennai, Don Bosco College – Hospitality Studies, Anjuman Islam Catering College and Rizvi College of Management Studies are a few to name.

Series of slides, presentations, concierge success stories are shared with students,” informs Vengurlekar.

Training is a continuous process and is related to product, process and people.

“This includes new applications, software that supports day-to-day work, networking and how to network through social sites, cross exposures to various cities to adopt learn or improve, shadowing celebrated concierges, being local and exploring what our city has to offer, writing, verbal skills, social skills, etiquettes and grace. Armed with these we exude confidence which helps us deliver to guest needs,” says Menezes. He also feels that the profession encourages young people who want to join them. “The feats that we do, the stories that are circulated, the way we carry ourselves in our penguin coats, polished keys and the manner that we conduct ourselves is alluring,” he states with pride.

Not surprisingly, there is never a dull moment on the job for a concierge. It is a profession where every day brings in new challenges and new learnings.

REPORT

MOBILE OVERTAKES DESKTOP FOR HOTELBOOKINGS Customer behaviour reveals an upsurge in hotel bookings on mobile vis-à-vis desktop, reveals customer satisfaction data with MakeMyTrip

F

or the first time, mobile has overtaken desktop bookings contributing to 53 per cent of overall domestic-hotel bookings (last year mobile hotel bookings were 29 per cent of overall bookings) according to customer transaction data available with MakeMyTrip, a travel portal. According to the company, hotel-booking on the move via mobile devices reached an inflection point in June. This was fueled largely by last-minute bookings, with nearly 80 per cent of bookings made upto a week before travel. This trend is especially stronger for nearby and driveable destinations compared to those accessed via flights or rail.

Check-ins over long weekends drive a 2x spike, reflecting how last-minute bookings are also fueling weekend getaways.

Rajesh Magow, co-founder and CEO - India, MakeMyTrip said, “Mobile has clearly hit an inflection-point by overtaking desktop in hotel-bookings for June. While Advance Purchase (AP) trends on desktop bookings have not changed compared to

TOP-SELLERS FOR ONLINE HOTEL-BOOKINGS 2015

2014

Delhi NCR

Delhi NCR

Bengaluru

Bengaluru

Mumbai

Mumbai

Goa

TIER 3 CENTRES GROWTH IN ONLINE HOTEL BOOKINGS YoY Growth (2015)

YoY Growth (2014)

Alibaug (253%)

Alibaug (205 %)

Landsdowne (108%)

Thekkady (125%)

Khajjiar (100%)

Puducherry (103%)

Ganpatiphule (100%)

Allepey (100%)

Yelagiri (70%)

Mahabaleshwar (85%)

Puducherry (48%)

Lonavala/Khandala (65%)

Mahabaleshwar (25%)

Darjeeling (62%)

last year, the majority of hotel bookings on mobile continue to be for shorter AP. Almost 80 per cent of mobile bookings are for check-ins upto a week in advance, 61 per cent for last-minute bookings (upto two days in advance) and 32 per cent for sameday hotel bookings. However, a closer look will show that there is a slow but steady shift in consumer habit of booking on mobiles. Travellers are now using their mobiles to book hotels with a longer advance booking period. The seven-day AP contributed to 82 per cent bookings on mobile last year (compared to 78 per cent in FY2015), 48-hour AP contributed to 70 per cent bookings in 2014 (compared to 61 per cent in 2015) and same-day bookings fell from 40 per cent to 32 per cent this year. This is a positive development, since it shows customer confidence and AP (Advance Purchase)

comfort in transacting on the platform, and is an outcome of the value that we provide to the customer on the device of their choice.”

The biggest beneficiaries of changing customer behaviour have been small and budgetproperty owners in Tier III towns which have shown the highest YoY growth in mobile bookings. The platform has brought the long-tail of hotels onto the ecosystem thereby driving value for all stakeholders.

Highest gainers in online hotel bookings: Landsdowne, Khajjiar, Yelagiri, Alibaug and Ganpatipule· Highest gainers in online hotel bookings (metros and non-metro cities): Chandigarh, Nagpur, Vishakhapatnam, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Hyderabad, Varanasi and Lucknow.

Platform

Goa

Chennai

Chennai

Hyderabad

Ooty

Pune

Pune

Manali

Hyderabad

Jaipur

Mysore

Chandigarh

Jaipur

Bookings share 2015

up to 7 days up to 2 days Same day

2014

Mobile

78.00%

82.00%

Desktop

63.00%

63.00%

Mobile

61.00%

70.00%

Desktop

44.00%

44.00%

Mobile

32.00%

40.00%

Desktop

14.00%

13.00%

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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September 1-15, 2015

STRATEGY

Marriott matters in Chandigarh The city of Chandigarh stands at an interesting juxtaposition aiding both the business and leisure roadmap for development. Facilitating this union is a hospitality set up that is strategically placed at Sector 35-B. The JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh is all set to augment the city’s growth potential

By REEMA LOKESH

T

he team at JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh under the leadership of its general manager, Rubal Chaudhry, is one enthusiastic bunch of hospitality professionals. I encountered this enthusiasm at the airport itself, when the only concierge of the city of Chandigarh, Manoj Sharma, the hotel’s chief concierge was there to receive me at the airport. Unlike any other typical drive from the airport to the hotel, (wherein the driver doubles up as the local guide), Sharma amazed me with his knowledge about the city that goes beyond its famous architecture and garden grandeur. I guess he sensed that I also belong to that enthusiastic breed and hence he ensured I do a bit of a de-route before we reached our destination. We stopped at a bungalow property, which houses historic records of the place and its people - The Le Corbusier’s Museum, which sadly is not frequented by many.

From the city’s unique drainage maps to its medicinal flora promenades, my first entry into India’s well designed city was loaded with information.

Destination hotel For the general manager, the property is surely a destination hotel. India’s Tier II and Tier III cities are on a growth map including Chandigarh, due to the promise that the surrounding regions hold. Chaudhry is extremely upbeat about growing along with the market and he is convinced that the city is untapped. His past experiences as a

26 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

Rubal Chaudhry

hotelier has shaped his vision for the future but is grounded in his working style and approach. The company is looking at the millennials as they are the future workforce. He also predicts a change in the style in which hotels will function in the future. He relates to the Marriott culture of 'hire and hold' and believes that an open door policy works wonders for the team. He believes in his team and gives them their space to perform and progress.

Team work works JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh is all set to position itself not only as a five-star hotel in Chandigarh but also as a hotel that means business. The hotel aims to work as a catalyst that brings in the business to the city, and is at the focal point of all the action, be it business or leisure, weddings or sports. For Sunny Ghaiee, director of sales and marketing, JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh, his mission seems

STRATEGY some South Indian specialities, then Chef Somu is surely your Man Friday. He brings in authentic flavours of South India right on to your plate in Chandigarh.

For those tired souls and soles, do take a walk into Quan Spa. Ankit Rawat, the spa manager at the property is committed to wellness and he confesses that he prefers the outdoors and swears by yoga. He gives you an interesting insight into Reiki and alternate healing that can work even for chronic ailments.

Book a chance to meet reputed hoteliers, consultants, reputed manufacturers and industry experts at INDIA KITCHEN & FOOD SERVICE DESIGN SUMMIT, 2015 September 11 & 12, 2015 at

High on MICE and weddings

to be quite clear that the hotel should be the centre point for all events, be it business or pleasure.

An experienced hand in the north India hospitality market, Ghaiee understands the local temperament and culture well and works around the demand to provide the client an offer that they can rarely refuse. From organising seven course pre-wedding tasting sessions, catering to tastes and preferences which are highly personalised, his narratives gave me a peek into the nuances of this market vis-à-vis the others. The formula seems clear that it is all about pampering the guests and giving them a sense of ownership, as it works well to bring in the repeat customer. Supporting his views is his colleague, Pallav Singhal, director - F&B at the hotel. A chef by profession and former executive chef at the property, he decided to step out of the kitchen to drive in the business and make the hotel’s F&B outlets aspirational in the city. His formula is to delight the customer by giving them an F&B experience that is not tampered with. He states clearly that a Chicken Tikka Pizza or a Dal Makhani Penne was a big no for him. Initially it was tough to explain this to the clients but slowly he was successful in getting through to this clientele about specialised fine dinning experiences.

Today his formula has worked at the hotel’s F&B outlets namely Saffron, the fine dining Indian

restaurant that offers North West Frontier cuisine and the Oregano Restaurant and Bar that offers authentic Italian flavours; both being popular fine dining outlets for locals, corporate clients and expatriates. While Ghaiee and Singhal ensure the who’s who of the region enter their abode, it’s the executive chef, Naveen Handa who finally sends them back as satisfied customers when it comes to the palate. Chefs as we know them today are architects of food and most have a celebrity appeal. Chef Handa prefers to remain totally low key and focus on the food and his own fitness, (who follows a strict fitness regime).

The menu at Saffron is carefully planned by him. The people of that region prefer the fixed menu option, which has to come with a full loaded starters menu rather than small portions a la carte style. Saffron restaurant offers food from pre-partition Punjab.

As per the hotel's record, during pre-partition era Punjab was eight times the size of the present Punjab and was a culinary hub with Amritsari Macchi, Saffron Tandoori Murg, Raunak-e-Seekh and numerous vegetarian delights. The tandoor in the hotel functions round the clock and it does not fail to give its guests the famous tandoori roti straight out of the tandoor. Kadhai Jhinga, Raan-e-Sikanderi and Tari Wala Desi Kukkad are the specialties of the place. After all the rich North Indian food, if you are craving for

If it’s a wedding in the region or even for other parts of India, this property is considered to be a wedding destination hotspot. Anshul Kashyap, marketing and communications manager of the property states that they will soon reach the 200th wedding celebration mark as they have successfully conducted 196 weddings till now. The hotel has a robust banqueting space that is spread over an area of 30,000 sq ft both indoors and outdoors.

The Grand Ballroom offshoots into four halls and is adjoined by a green lawn. The various venues can accommodate between 100 to 1000 guests. There is a pre function area with a separate entrance which makes a function a private and an exclusive affair. Another interesting concept in the banqueting space is The Living Room. Based around the concept of a New York style apartment, The Living Room offers a casual and relaxed environment for business meetings and blends the comforts of a living area with the benefits of tech-savvy meeting rooms. Each room is well equipped with a large drop down screen with a lift projector and a surround sound audio-visual system and wired for both cable and wireless Internet.

The open kitchen area is well stocked with beverages, health bars, bite size pastries, sandwiches and whole fresh fruits.

Chefs are also present to whip up a quick bite for you. With 164 luxury rooms, (122 deluxe rooms, 38 executive rooms, four junior suites and one presidential suite), the JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh is ready to invite the world to this future growth city of India.

Inspire, Le Meridien, Windsor Place, New Delhi – 11 00 01

Key Points of the Summit ¾

¾

¾

¾

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10 Panel Discussions addressing design process, CKV, kitchen refrigeration, kitchen hygiene, etc.

Sharing of knowledge on food service design and facilities planning to take India to the next level in this field.

Introduction of food and beverage operators to new technologies and products.

Networking among hospitality professionals having special interest in kitchen design.

Attendees will be kitchen consultants, project managers, chief engineers, MEP consultants, chefs, F&B professionals, hotel operators, hotel owners, restaurant operators, restaurant owners, caterers, interior designers, manufacturers of food service equipment, parts & accessories, HR heads, F&B heads of hospitals and institutions.

For Registration, please log on to www.hotelconsult.in and for Sponsorship opportunities, please mail us at summit@facilityplanner.com or contact +91 9999570030

Our Partners

Food Service Equipments

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

27

September 1-15, 2015

Gratings & Troughs

Refrigeration Equipments

Laundry

Refrigerated Drawers

Cold Systems

SS Fabrication

SAFETY

INJURYPREVENTION IN THE KITCHEN As long stressful hours, time pressure and self-driven passion add to the risk of injuries of cuts, burns and falls, Dr Vijay Patil highlights on the dos and dont's while in the kitchen I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

(Hippocratic Oath)

A

modern kitchen in a good restaurant bustles with passion and creativity on one hand and battles with the dangers of risk of injuries like cuts, burns and falls on the other. Stressful long hours, immense time pressure and self-driven passion only add to the risk. Consequences of injuries can be devastating to the injured and may affect the quality of service and reputation of the business.

tempt to catch a falling knife.

Fruits like avocado can pose as a serious risk when a chef tries to remove its seed with a knife. The opposite hand is at risk of injury when the knife suddenly penetrates the fruit with a jerk. A small external wound may easily hide a sinister tendons, arteries or nerves injury delaying the need to seek medical attention. Many companies routinely train their employees about the use of knives. Fingers should be kept away from the blades of food processors at all times. Broken glass pieces on the floor should be swept into a dustpan rather than use bare hands and wipe the floor with damp cloth.

Prevention Cuts One must take utmost care with sharp instruments. Knives must be stored safely in a block to allow easy and safe grip of the handle. The storage must be separate from the utensil drawer. The health and safely executive in the UK highlight some of these recommendations. Knives should be used only for one purpose- ‘To Cut’.

Use of dull knives or fresh use of an unaccustomed sharp knife is particularly dangerous as the force required is unpredictable.

Movement of the knives should always be away from the body and the cutting platform should be clean and stable. The use of meshed knife gloves is becoming popular in modern kitchen today. While placing knives in a dishwasher, the pointed end must face downwards and one must never at-

Thermal injury Thermal injuries occur due to scalding liquids, spattering grease, hot utensils, electric connections or malfunctioning appliances. Use of appropriate safety equipments is essential when handling hot surfaces and putting hands in oven. Clearly labelled fire blankets should be available in the kitchen for any fire-related eventualities.

Always turn handle of cookware inwards on the range and open the pan lids away from the body to prevent steam burns.

Small appliances must be dis-

Falls Liquid fallen on the floor is an accident waiting to happen. Walking surfaces must be clean, dry, well lit and with minimum obstruction. Never store heavy items in higher shelves and when reaching for them, the elevated platform or ladder must be firm and non slippery.

Ergonomics Efficient and safe interaction between people and things is key towards maintaining safety.

Compliance to the safety regulations is not optional anymore and many governments are becoming strict in reviewing standards before awarding certification of quality. Proper safety training of staff must be ensured to minimise accidental injuries.

Treatment Some accidents are due to ignorance but most are due to carelessness and can be avoidable.

When accidents happen, it is important to avoid panic and remain calm. There must be provision of a first aid kit and a qualified first aider with guidelines set for seeking medical advice. With cuts, exact nature and

Consequences of injuries affect the quality of service and reputation of the business

28 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

connected when not in use and there must be provision of smoke detectors in the kitchen.

depth of the injury may not be established until seen by a specialist hand surgeon. Similarly, with burns and falls, there should be low threshold in seeking medical help.

In case of cuts, clean the area with running water and apply clean gauze and bandage with moderate compression. Commonly the bleeding is venous and compression and elevation above heart level is all that it takes to control the bleeding. Superficial skin lacerations may need simple surgical suturing.

However deeper injuries to nerve, arteries, tendons or joints may require formal exploration and repair. Any delay in seeking advice may compromise longterm function. Return to work after surgery should be guided by the treating surgeon and one must resist the temptation to return early as it may compromise healing process, interfere with therapy and risk contamination of both wound as well as food.

In case of burns, cessation of further exposure of the body to the burning agent is a priority.

Local guidelines must be followed to control the fire. A burnt area should be cooled under running tap water and the area covered with non-adhesive dressing followed by urgent medical referral.

Subsequent to falls, the initial approach should be ensuring patient's safety. It is important to establish consciousness level and respond to commands. Pain initially is masked with the rushing endorphins in the blood and the localisation of exact site of injury may be poor. There should

Dr Vijay Patil

be no rush to pick the person up and priority should be to establish and maintain airway and ensure that there is no obvious bleeding. The neck should be well protected from any further injury and urgent medical attention needs to be obtained.

Errare humanum est To err is human. Mistakes will continue to happen around us but lessons must be learnt from them and preventative measures taken. A good restaurant must have a system to audit near-miss incidences and accidents with periodical review process to ensure safety and accountability. Setting up strict safety guidelines and appropriate training and implementation will undoubtedly help transform the image of a modern professional kitchen from a dangerous place to a healthy and stress free environment.

The writer is a hand, wrist and microsurgeon at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital (NSSH) Vile Parle, Mumbai

TECH BYTES

Newest innovation Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts tests delivery robot at its hotel in the heart of Silicon Valley

I

nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the launch of a new delivery robot at the Crowne Plaza San Jose-Silicon Valley hotel.

The robot, named Dash, was created by Savioke, makers of the Relay robot. Based in Santa Clara, California, Savioke specialises in robot solutions for the hospitality industry.

The Crowne Plaza brand assists in making business travel work for its guests, and Dash will further enhance the guest experience by providing quick and seamless delivery of snacks, toothbrushes and other amenities to hotel guests.

Approximately three feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds, Dash is designed to travel at a human walking pace and can independently navigate between floors, even calling the hotel elevator using a special Wi-Fi connection.

Dash is Savioke's latest version of its autonomous delivery service featuring automatic docking, improved autonomy, and an all new design enabling Savioke to scale in response to demand.

When Dash arrives at the guest room, it phones the guest to announce its arrival, delivers the requested items, and makes its way back to the front desk where it can dock itself into its own charging station.

Gina LaBarre, vice president, Americas Brand Management, Crowne Plaza

With more than 300 guest rooms, this is the largest hotel to use the robot technology, and as Dash becomes a fixture at the hotel, we look forward to hearing some stories from guests and staff alike. Based on testing at the Milpitas hotel, the Crowne Plaza brand will determine whether to roll out the robot at other properties Hotels & Resorts, IHG, commented, “We are delighted to introduce Dash to our guests at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Milpitas. Given the hotel's location in the heart of

30 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

Silicon Valley, it is a natural fit to enhance our service delivery programme with the addition of the latest in robot technology. We expect our guests to be impressed by the

technological sophistication of Dash and its ability to deliver the quality service they’ve come to expect from the brand. Crowne Plaza hotel team members are also

excited to explore new, innovative ways to serve our guests using Dash.”

Steve Cousins, CEO, Savioke said, “We're excited to see the updated version of our Relay robot find a home at this Crowne Plaza hotel. With more than 300 guest rooms, this is the largest hotel to use our robot technology, and as Dash becomes a fixture at the hotel, we look forward to hearing some stories from guests and staff alike.”

Based on testing at the Milpitas hotel, the Crowne Plaza brand will determine whether to roll out the robot at other properties.

TECH TALK

Smart application Promising to revolutionise the exhibition and travel trade by using state-of-the-art technology, ExhiAsAp, has been custom-designed to meet the needs of participants in trade shows and MICE segment

V

iraat Technology Labs, a software solutions company, has launched ExhiAsApsmartphone application for the exhibition and convention industry at an exclusive event held in Mumbai recently. The event was organised by Inspiration Unlimited at south Mumbai's Auriga Lounge and was attended by senior executives from the tourism and MICE industry.

ExhiAsAp promises to revolutionise the exhibition and travel trade by using state-of-the-art technology.

The application is customdesigned to meet the needs of participants in trade shows and MICE. It results in a huge saving of time, money

and manpower during and after the exhibition.

Once the app has been downloaded on to the smartphone, it is simple and fast to operate, as follows: ● When a visitor enters the exhibition stall, the ExhiAsAp user takes an instant scan of the business card with the smartphone camera. Visitor's contact details like name, company name, email ID and phone number, are instantly captured and saved ● From the app, the ExhiAsAp user selects whichever products are of interest to the visitor ● An email message is automatically generated by the app, addressed to the visitor containing product information. The ExhiAsAp user clicks 'send' and the visitor

gets an instant email with whatever information he has requested. ● Each visitor's data is automatically transmitted to a secure central database.

The company has details of all visitors who visited the stall, which products they were interested in, and the client they met. All this data is available as an excel sheet report.

Ravi Ranjan Chaudhary, senior vice president – business banking, Yes Bank, said, “I see good potential to increase our people's productivity by using ExhiAsAp. It is a well-designed app that can significantly enhance the value we derive from our investment in trade show participation.”

“Many tourism boards, air-

lines, chambers of commerce and tour operators participate in exhibitions. Capturing and retaining customer data from such events into a secure database is critical for their business. Today, I saw how ExhiAsAp can help us to do that in a quick and cost-effective way,” added Jagdish Parekh, director general, India-Brasil Chamber of Commerce.

Nikhil Kothary, CEO, Viraat Technology Labs, explained, “Our product philosophy is to use technology innovatively as a tool to help our customers enhance their processes and productivity.

We provide value at every step and that's what ExhiAsAp does for the MICE industry. It gives exhibitors a 21st century, world-class tool that is

designed specifically to eliminate the most tedious and antiquated procedures that exhibitors have been forced to use until now.”

Abraham John, executive chairman, Inspiration Unlimited and a veteran of over 40 years in the travel industry, said, “We are honoured to be appointed as the marketing agents for ExhiAsAp in India. Two of the biggest challenges in the industry during events and functions are the collection and storage of business cards and pilferage of data.

ExhiAsAp is the perfect solution that eliminates both these issues. Everything now has become digital and ExhiAsAp replaces the rudimentary way of collecting and storing business cards.”

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD Business Meets Pleasure The Culinary Challenge of Goa co-hosted by the Culinary Forum of Goa is a one of its kind professional food contest. Top chefs from all across Goa will come together, under one roof to compete in groups and as individual bringing to you the essence of Goan food culture.

Panel discussion led by GMs, Directors and top management on insights in the Food & Hospitality business and the way forward.

Knowledge initiative on future trends in F&B and hospitality led by professionals across F&B, Retail, IT, Housekeeping, Administration, HR etc.

Gathering & knowledge sharing of procurement professionals from leading hotels, restaurants, clubs and cafes across Goa held in association with the Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum

The Goan Indulgence: Introducing an evening to celebrate FHW launch with Goan Gourmet, Drinks, Business Deals and Music to suite your mood.

The Goan Indulgence will provide a platform to all who wish to socialise with the who’s who of Goa’s Food and Hospitality industry.

SUPPORTING ASSOCIATIONS

KNOWLEDGE PARTNER

SHACK OWNER WELFARE SOCIETY-GOA

MEDIA / ONLINE PARTNERS

RADIO PARTNERS

29th Sep - 1st Oct 2015 Bandodkar Football Ground Campal, Panaji, Goa SOME OF OUR PARTICIPATING COMPANIES

SOME OF OUR CONFIRM VISITORS

Manjit Singh Executive Chef Holiday Inn Resort Goa

Sunit Sharma Executive Chef Cidade De Goa

Kalidas Baidya Excutive Chef Club Mahindra Varca Beach, Goa

Satchitanand Shinde Purchase Manager Kenilworth Resort & Spa, Goa

Rajesh Pillai Purchase Manager Grand Hyatt Goa

Dattaraj Naik Purchase Manager Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

CONTACT FOR FOOD & BEVERAGE booking C: Mr. Dhananjay Makharia E: dhananjay@fieramilano.in M: +91-9833988733

HOSPITALITY booking C: Mr. Sachin Shenoy E: sachin.shenoy@expressindia.com M: +91-9930050499

ORGANISED BY

Partnerships, Tie Ups and Media Inquiry C: Ms. Tanaya Priya E: tanaya@fieramilano.in M: +91-7387536693

TRAILBLAZER

Howa wonder plant is sweetening the life of rural farmers in India Two men with IT backgrounds returned to India to work on their dream to bring socio economic benefits to rural farmers here and they found in Stevia, a sugar substitute, the perfect answer to bring about the change

By Steena Joy

W

HEN MANJUNATH Mandikal and Ranganath Krishnan, both with an engineering background and work experience of over 25 years in the IT field overseas, returned to India, they desperately wanted to contribute to India's agrarian economy, using a socio-

economic model. They spent a lot of time studying various crops, their economics, marketability, etc, and looked for new crops with high market potential, that would make a difference to the earning potential of the farmer and address the need of new generation foods with high protein, low calorie, low

34 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

carbs, low glycemic, etc. They also studied the market in terms of the march of lifestyle disorders. Finally after much research, the duo shortlisted a few crops, and Stevia is the first of the lot. In 2013, their greenfield venture, Stevia World Agro Tech was set up.

Named after the 16th cen-

tury botanist Petrus Jacobus Stevus, Stevia is a plant native to South America, mainly to Paraguay, where it has been used as a medicinal plant for over 1500 years by local GuaranĂ­ Indians. Dr Moises S Bertoni discovered the sweetness in Stevia and introduced it to the world in 1901. Stevia culti-

vation started in India around 2004/6, but failed miserably due to many reasons. Firstly, it was not approved in most of the countries as food additive at that time. Then, extraction technology was not matured and not available and lastly, quality planting material with higher TSG (Total Steviol

TRAILBLAZER Glycosides) was not available.

TSG determines the sweetness content in the leaves.

Manjunath Mandikal, director, Stevia World, says, “Since then the scenario has changed considerably. More than 150 countries have now approved the use of Stevia as a food additive. Extraction technology is mature and available, in fact we have, may be five to six PhD holders in this field now. Better planting materials have been developed like Morita1, Morita 2, etc. With more and more people being affected by lifestyle disorders like diabetes, obesity, and with improved awareness of bad effects of artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and Sucralose, low calorie, low glycemic foods and a natural source of sweetness are the need of the hour.”

Sweet success Stevia is not just a natural alternative, but a healthy alternative, as it contains zero calories, zero carbohydrates, zero gluten and has zero glycemic index. Speaking about the potential in India, Mandikal informs, “India is almost considered as the diabetic capital of the world. Some studies show that one in three Indians, above the age of 40, is either diabetic or in pre-diabetic condition. We can imagine the market size with this. Probably, India and USA would be very big markets for Stevia.”

Most parts of India are suited for Stevia cultivation as the ideal temperature range would be between 25°C to 35°C and the plant survives between four°C to 45°C. After a disastrous start in 2005/6/7, farmers have some reservations about Stevia cultivation. Thankfully, the perception is now changing with Stevia cultivation picking up in many states, mainly Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

“Currently the National Medicinal Plant Board and AYUSH are supporting Stevia cultivation by offering 30 per cent subsidy on the cost of cultivation. This should help farmers to start large scale cultivations. Stevia will bring benefits to both the farmers and the

It has been proven that the use of dry Stevia leaves directly as a part of tea or on its own has many medicinal values. It is proven to have anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective properties, and also it is supposed to rejuvenate pancreatic beta cells to produce more insulin in the body. It also has beneficial effects on the skin, increases the haemoglobin content in the blood and is tooth friendly.

Benefiting farmers Manjunath Mandikal

Ranganath Krishnan

consumers equally. For farmers, it will mean increased income levels, a better lifestyle which will also slow down rural to urban migration. For consumers, it will offer them an healthier substitute for sugar, “ he adds.

The simple thought of these benefits was what motivated the promoters to start intense work in this field. To benefit all stakeholders, they needed to achieve the complete cycle of farm to fork. Today, the company has sufficient knowledge on cultivation (thanks to the support of the Agricultural

University, IIHR and other advisors), extraction of sweetener molecules (Stevioside, Rebaudioside A) and formulation into retail product forms such as sachet, liquid and tablets.

Mandikal reveals, “With formal FSSAI approval in February 2015, we are ready with our products to enter the market. We currently have sachets (25 x one gm) and jars (100 gms) under our brand name ‘Cerovia’, a cooking and baking mix ‘SweetXX’ in pouches (250 gms) and chosen, hand-picked dry Stevia leaves in the name of ‘Healthy Leaf’.”

Speaking on the area under Stevia cultivation, Mandikal says, “Currently we are cultivating Stevia on around 10 acres of our own land near Bengaluru for over two years, which we intend to increase to over 100 acres. Around 25 acres is under contract farming which we intend to increase to around 800-1000 acres in a year from now. We are promoting contract farming aggressively across India and some state governments are also supporting us in our mission to take Stevia cultivation to as many farmers as possible. As per our calculation, for every acre of Stevia cultivation, one farmer’s family can better their

current living standards. We want to spread the awareness of Stevia to benefit large numbers of farmers as well as consumers equally.”

In their contract farming model, Stevia World supplies farmers with plant saplings, provides detailed training from planting to harvesting, advice on land preparation, fertigation and plant management based on local parameters, and buyback of all produce at a pre-determined rate based on the quality bracket. Quality of the produce is measured on the TSG content in the leaves. “We also provide all the inputs required in terms of plant nutrition and pest management throughout its life cycle. The company's agriculture officers ensure compliance by regular monitoring during their periodic visits. The ideal soil type would be red loamy soil and ideal irrigation system would drip or micro jet,” he explains.

Explaining about the collection system, Mandikal elucidates, “We collect at the farm gate if nearby or we request the farmers to send the produce to the nearest transport hub to be sent to us. In either case we take care of the logistics, effectively our prices are farm gate prices. It is still a very early stage for Stevia cultivation in India, and a small number of farmers have benefited, but with improved awareness thousands of farmers can benefit from Stevia cultivation.”

Currently China is the largest exporter of Stevia extracts in the world, with way over 90 per cent market share.

Though South America is the largest producer of Stevia leaves, most of the processing happens in China. “India has a great potential to change this in her favour, but we need to go a long way for it. Our first target should be to increase awareness of Stevia and provide Indians with a healthy alternative for sweetness. This itself is a huge task. ‘Swasth Bharat’ (Health for All) is one of the campaigns announced by our honourable prime minister. If we have surplus production, we can export it. The whole world is a ready market for this wonder plant.”

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MOVEMENTS Pescafresh PESCAFRESH has appointed Rakhee Vaswani as panel chef. Chef Vaswani will curate a series of exclusive content for the new Pescafresh e-commerce website and YouTube channel. The dishes will range from using the staple fishes to even exotic Pescafresh Gourmet product like the Norwegian Salmon, Crab meat and more. She is a cookery expert and a Cordon Bleu trained chef, founder and chief chef of Palate Culinary Studio.

Aiana Hotels & Resorts LLC

Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Serviced Apartments, Pune Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Serviced Apartments Pune, has announced the appointment of JOE PEREIRA as executive assistant manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for hotel operations. He started his career with Goa Marriott Resort asguest service associate, and later worked under several designations with Taj Krishna Hyderabad, Taj Holiday Village, Goa, Ramada Caravela Beach Resort, Goa and Ramada Caravela Beach Resort, Goa.

Goa. He will be responsible in ensuring smooth functioning of the hotel and building guest relations. He joins Keys Resort Ronil, Goa with an experience of over 18 years in the hospitality industry. He has worked with well known hospitality brands such as Taj, Leela, Le Meridien and Park Hotels. Thapa holds a Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology from the Institute of Advanced Management, Kolkata and a Diploma in Hospitality Management from American Hotel & Motel Association, Michigan.

Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru has appointed RAMASAMY NATARAJAN as director of sales. In his new role, he will head the sales department encompassing corporate sales, MICE and travel trade business.

With more than 11 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he has worked with various five-star hotels. In his last assignment, he was part of the pre-opening team and led the sales team at Fairmont Jaipur.

Marriott International Asia Pacific Marriott International Asia Pacific (APAC) has appointed ANKA TWUMBAAH as vice president, customer loyalty and content. In this capacity, TwumBaah leads a concerted effort to drive member growth for Marriott Rewards. Reporting to Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer of Asia Pacific, she is a key member of the regional sales and marketing leadership and in charge of orchestrating loyalty promotions, content development, strategic partnerships and ecommerce functions to drive business growth. Twum-

Mumbai, Goa and Bengaluru. He was previously the resident manager at The Leela Palace Bangalore.

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas

Murlidhar Rao

Joe Pereira

The Leela Mumbai

Aiana Hotels & Resorts LLC has appointed MURLIDHAR RAO as senior vice president, operations. Based out of the Qatar Financial Centre in Doha, Qatar, he will utilise his 30 years of expertise in hotel operations, project development, renovation, pre-opening processes and owner relations to support the brand’s growth strategy. His last project was with The Sanchaya in Bintan, Indonesia where he was instrumental in positioning the property as one of the best new luxury resorts in the world, garnering a host of industry accolades. Rao holds a first class honours diploma in Hotel Management from Bombay’s Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition and an Honours Certification for Intermediate Level of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).

AROOP CHATTERJEE has been appointed as food & beverage manager. His association with Four Points by Sheraton commenced a year ago and he will be seen supervising the food and beverage space. With an extensive background in hospitality, Chatterjee brings more than 15 years of experience under several designations with some of the world’s finest restaurants, hotels and resorts like Vilas by Oberoi Hotels, The Trident Hilton Gurgaon, The Renaissance Mumbai, Cidade De Goa, Vivanta by Taj Bangalore and Hyatt Pune.

The Leela Palaces, Hotels, and Resorts has appointed SAMEER SUD as general manager of The Leela Mumbai, the flagship hotel of the The Leela Group. In his new role, Sud will oversee the overall operations and management of The Leela Mumbai. He has a long association of over 20 years with The Leela Group holding varied positions and has ably led teams within the Leela properties in

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has appointed general managers in two of its resorts in Thailand and Mozambique. In Thailand, MARC GUSSING has been appointed as general manager at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villa Resort & Spa. He joins the Anantara Thailand team following several positions in the Maldives, most recently from PER AQUUM Huvafen Fushi, another Minor Hotel Group property, where he was general manager since early 2014, and before that from Jumeirah Dhevana-

Sameer Sud

Marc Gussing

Keys Resort Ronil, Goa Berggruen Hotels, which operates in India under the brand name of Keys Hotels, has announced the appointment of RAJEEV THAPA as general manager of Keys Resort Ronil,

36 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD September 1-15, 2015

Baah holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business joint programme with London School of Economics and AB, Economics and Political Science with honours from the University of Chicago.

fushi where he was resort manager. In Mozambique, Franco Rienzo is the new general manager of Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort & Spa. Rienzo joins Anantara from Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS) SEG Education Group, Switzerland, where as programme leader he lectured to first year food and beverage and operations management MIB students. Prior to this he held management positions at the Zuri White Sands Goa Resort & Casino, India and at Silversea Cruises.

Kerzner International Holdings Kerzner International Holdings has made two executive appointments. Ali Tabbal, who has served as chief financial officer for Kerzner International for the past three years, has been named chief operating officer and Saif Al Yaarubi has been appointed as chief financial officer, both effective August 1, 2015. Reporting directly to Alan Leibman, chief executive officer, Kerzner International, Tabbal will oversee the company’s global operations ensuring alignment of resources, systems and talent to support Atlantis, One&Only and Mazagan resorts, as well as all projects in development.

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

September 1-15, 2015 37

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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K-62,BASEMENT, CENTRAL MARKET, LAJPAT NAGAR II, NEW DELHI - 110 024 PH : 91-11-45550777 FAX 91-11-45550755, Emial : delhi@lordindia.com vijaylaxmi@lordsindia.com, Website : www.lordsindia.com, www.lordswear.com

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maxellplastindia@hotmail.com September 1-15, 2015 49

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weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Red carpet drink

Style check

ITALIAN SUPERMODEL Isabella Spagnolo made her presence felt at Enigma at JW Marriott. She was there to launch the Isabella Spagnolo non-alcoholic fashion red carpet drink, brought to India

by Anup Bhatia. The event saw the presence of trendsetters who were felicitated. And when there is a fashionable drink launch, can a fashion show be far behind? It wasn’t as models sashayed through the audience, showing off chic creations by Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxencar and carrying bottles of Isabella Spagnolo. The talk veered towards the range of drinks, specially designed by Isabella Spagnolo, for those who love to pop a bottle of bubbly, yet a nonalcoholic drink.

MOVENPICK HOTEL & SPA Bangalore was the happy venue for the very first India Luxury Style Week (ILSW).

Fashion and film do come together. You knew that when Bollywood star Akshay Kumar turned up as the special act for ILSW creator Ramesh Dembla’s super show. He lay down and lip-synced his famous ‘Mujh Me Tu’ song, walked the ramp and then sprinted down the ramp with the designer and male models, much to the delight of the packed house.

Also on the final day of this five-day fashion feast were designers Sumit Dasgupta’s ethnic fashion, Aasif Merchant’s sharp cuts and a minimalistic approach and showstopper Vijay Singh, Dubai-based Varoin Marwah with his ‘Amala’ collection and showstopper Rajkumar Rao and Ken Ferns who presented his own take on beachwear. Madhur Bhandarkar and Vidyut Jamwal were among other celebrity showstoppers during the style week.

Isabella Spagnolo at the launch of Isabella Spagnolo drink at Enigma

Akshay Kumar, Ramesh Dembla and models at the ILSW finale at Movenpick Hotel & Spa

Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxencar with Amruta Patki at the IBFW party at D'Bell

Blue carpet affair BEACH IS THE NEW ramp! That was the refrain at the launch party of the second edition of India Beach Fashion Week 2015 presented by Gionee, a UVAR Global property in partnership with Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort that would come alive from October 29 to 31 in Goa. It turned out to be a blue carpet affair at D’Bell with guests getting a sneak peek into the fashion feast ahead. Well-known designers James Ferreira, Asmita Marwah, Anupama Dayal, Babita Malkani, Ken Ferns and Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxencar were present with their muses as they held forth their collections.

With an emphasis on beach and resort wear along with destination bride, this second edition would also boast of a unique category ‘Made in Goa’ where all the garments are created and/or constructed in Goa. The weekend of high fashion would showcase the best of Indian couture for the destination bride, chic resort vacationer and trendy partygoer from over 50 designers.

Coasting along THERE WAS MUCH cheer and bonhomie at the Taj at the 55th Independence Day celebration of Republique de Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

Hosted by Cote d’Ivoire honorary consul general Sandeep Shah and wife Shirrin, it saw the presence of chief guest Sumit Mullik who gave an informative and insightful speech on the Ivory Coast. The event, orchestrated

by Carl Dantas, included a live band, premium drinks at the bar and a bountiful dinner spread. And it ended up in a double celebration as it culminated in the send-off of Canadian consul general Richard Bale. South African consul general Pule Malefane and other members of the consular corps were there to share in the celebration that went on late into the night.

Sandeep Shah, Pule Malefane, Carl Dantas and Richard Bale at the Ivory Coast party at the Taj

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E V E N T S

CULINARY JOURNEY Celebrity Chef Saransh Goila at the launch of his book 'India on My Platter: The 20,000 km Food Journey' in Delhi

BESPOKE EVENING The Singleton of Glen Ord in association with Vogue Wedding Show hosted an evening at Taj Palace, New Delhi with Reserve Brand Ambassador Nicholas Ord playing host

GRAND LAUNCH Michael Price, director of operations, South and South East Asia, Oakwood Asia Pacific speaking at the launch of Oakwood Residence Kapil Hyderabad

FUN MOMENT The U Mumba kabaddi team, owned by media mogul Ronnie Screwvala, at Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon during their visit to the capital for the Pro Kabaddi League matches

EXPANDING OPERATIONS Smaaash Entertainment recently celebrated the launch of its sports-centric immersive and interactive entertainment and gaming centre ‘SMAAASH’ at Inorbit mall in Cyberabad, Hyderabad with former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in attendance

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A GOOD CAUSE Sumit Taneja (right), general manager, Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon welcomes Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra (left) during her recent visit to the city to launch the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign with chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar

REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2012/42381, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-383/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2, 3, 4 & 17,18,19 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.