Food and Hopsitality World (Vol.5, No.3) October 16-31, 2016

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CONTENTS HIGH SPIRITS

Vol 5 No 3, OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy

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Senior Associate Editor Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM New Delhi Saloni Bhatia

A SENSE OF PLACE HALFWAY BETWEEN THE TWO MAIN CALIFORNIA METROPOLISES OF LOS ANGELES AND SAN FRANCISCO IS PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY, HOME TO MORE THAN 200 WINERIES

CEO (Global Fairs & Media Pvt Ltd) Sonia Chawla DESIGN National Art Director Bivash Barua Assistant Art Director Pravin Temble Senior Designer Rekha Bisht Senior Artists Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Scheduling & Coordination Ashish Anchan Photo Editor

DAIRYDYNAMICS

Today,India is considered 'The Oyster' of the global dairy industry.It offers opportunities galore to entrepreneurs worldwide,who wish to capitalise on the world's largest and fastest growing market for milkand milkproducts.However, the potential can be milked onlyif productivityand cold chain challenges are tackled

MARKETS

Sandeep Patil MARKETING TEAM Ashwani Kumar Shukla

(22-25) EDGE

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Dattaram Kandalkar Dhananjay Makharia

KERALA TOURISM TO INTRODUCE RT CLASSIFICATION FOR ALL ACCOMMODATION UNITS

CHEF’S PLATTER

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INTERVIEW: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDIA

LIFE

US CRANBERRIES STRENGTHENS EFFORTS IN HORECA, RETAIL MARKETS

Prateek Sahay Rajan Nair Sreejith Radhakrishnan DATA COMPILING & MARKETING Darshana Chauhan

P 11: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Olympus

P 13: PRODUCT TRACKER Faber

PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis Manager Bhadresh Valia

P 28: MOVEMENT Feed the Planet

P 37: WEEKEND

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INNOVATIVE VEGAN OPTIONS ON THE INDIAN PLATTER FOOD COMPANIES IN INDIA ARE MARKETING INNOVATIVE ALTERNATIVES THAT TASTE LIKE THE REAL THING TO ALIGN TO THE VEGAN PHILOSOPHY

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Scene and heard 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 © 2016 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.

PERFECTING PASTRY CRAFT WISK BY CAKESMITHS IN MUMBAI IS ONEOF-A-KIND PASTRY SCHOOL THAT HAS A STRONG FOCUS ON THE B2B SEGMENT

EDITOR’S NOTE

Milking the opportunity

A

trip to the capital of India seldom lets you down especially when if comes to understanding the meaning of being connected and to be in the power circle.

For a media person, New Delhi is definitely the place to be as news, views and opinions are shared, discussed and debated upon by the minute. It’s a perfect place for some quotable quotes. I was a silent observer to all this and more at the recently held tourism investor's meet, which surely promised a plethora of opportunities for investment and business networking. Mega projects along with mega promises were the highlight of the summit. Now let’s wait and see how many of these mega projects finally see the light of day.

State tourism boards, were present there in full force to lure investors into their regions. However, being an eternal optimist, I would like to add here, as per investors, states like MP and Telangana are drafting realistic policies to offer the investor a genuinely attractive deal especially when it comes to offering land parcels. There seemed to be a line up of hospitality investors especially SMEs who were seeking the right advice and guidance to gain ground in their business space. MP is opening up new tourism circuits, primarily in the leisure space, like its neighbours Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Telangana clearly hinted that they are keen to further strengthen the MICE opportunities along with the leisure business.

Interestingly, the GM of Novotel Airport Hotel Hyderabad states in his interview that the city consis-

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Mobile: 09899003030 Email : prateek.sahay@fhwexpo.in / prateek@fieramilano.in

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

Our Associate: Dinesh Sharma Mobile: 09810264368 E-mail: 4pdesigno@gmail.com CHENNAI: A K Shukla, The Indian Express (P) 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 (P) Ltd, 502 Devatha Plaza, 5th Floor, 131 Residency Road Bengaluru - 560025 Ph 080-22231923/24 Fax: 22231925.

Mobile: 08867574257 E-mail: sreejith.radhakrishnan@fhwexpo.in

“MPis opening up new tourism circuits, primarilyin the leisure space,like its neighbours Chhattisgarh,Gujarat and Telangana,to further strengthen the MICE opportunities”

HYDERABAD: A K Shukla, The Indian Express (P) Ltd, 6-3-885/7/B, Ground floor V.V. Mansion, Somaji Guda, Hyderabad - 500 082 Tel: 040-23418673/23418674/ 23418675 (Tele-fax)/66631457 Fax: 040-23418678 E-mail: ashwanikumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in KOLKATA: Ajanta Sengupta, The Indian Express (P) Ltd, National Highway 6 (NH 6), MouzaPrasastha & Ankurhati, P.H. Domjur, Dist Howrah Kolkata - 711409 Mobile: 09831182580 Email: ajanta.sengupta@expressindia.com KOCHI: Sreejith Radhakrishnan, The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Sankoorikal Building, 36/2248, Kaloor, Kadavanthara Road, Opp. Kaloor Private Bus Stand,

tently features in the top Indian MICE destinations as per ICCA’s Annual Report as over the years, the city has experienced double digit growth, which can be attributed to better aviation connections.

As these are months for industry conferences and summits, the 51st FHRAI annual convention, which was held in Indore this year, further deliberated on the importance of building brand India (the convention theme). The event witnessed hoteliers holding the Brand India flag high and discuss the many defining trends that are impacting the industry and their business. Building brand India was the theme of convention. The Make in India story touches every sector of investment from manufacturing to services.

Our cover story this issue connects with the dairy industry. The story reveals that consumer preferences are shifting towards higher value added products. The next level of growth will come from value added products. There is all round increase in consumption of dairy products in both the urban and rural segments in the country. however, the potential can be milked only if productivity and cold chain challenges are tackled. Investing in technology could go a long way in milking this cash cow.

REEMA LOKESH Editor

Kaloor - 682 017 Mobile: 08867574257 E-mail: sreejith.radhakrishnan@fhwexpo.in JAIPUR: Prateek Sahay The Indian Express (P) Ltd. C-7, Dwarika Puri,Jamna Lal Bajaj Marg, C-Scheme,Jaipur - 302001 Mobile: 09899003030 BHOPAL: Prateek Sahay The Indian Express (P) Ltd, 6,Vidya Vihar, Professors Colony, Bhopal - 462002, Madhya Pradesh Mobile: 09899003030 AHMEDABAD: The Indian Express (P) Ltd. 3rd Floor, Sambhav House, Nr.Judges Bunglow Bodakdev,Ahmedabad - 380 015.

Important: Whilst care is taken prior to acceptance of advertising copy,it is not possible to verify its contents.The Indian Express (P) 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.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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MP reaffirms faith in hospitality investors at India Tourism investor's Summit Saloni Bhatia Delhi MADHYA PRADESH Tourism has already launched the new tourism policy which details out the numerous investment opportunities in the state, but to give a better insight to investors, the state tourism board organised a panel discussion at the recent Incredible India Tourism Investor's Summit held in New Delhi. The panel consisted of Abraham Ramapuram, vice president, Orange County Resorts; Ravindera Khanna, head - projects, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India; Sonia Rashid, director, Jehan Numa Palace and Rajesh Mehta, director, TGB Palace. The panel threw light on how they see Madhya Pradesh as a tourism state, highlighting the reasons for their investments in the past. Rashid informed, “As a heritage property, we have had good support from the govern-

Hari Ranjan Rao

ment. Madhya Pradesh has a lot to offer as a state in terms of locations, activities and innovative opportunities. Being part of the state legacy for years, I can assure the investors that there is a lot the state has to offer and one should be able to benefit from it.”

Hari Ranjan Rao, managing director, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Board, informed at a press conference that recreational land around the Indira Sagar Dam has already been leased out to Mahindra Holidays. Elaborating on the deal, Khanna informed, “Madhya Pradesh is a flourishing state with some great investment opportunities. There are pristine locations around the lakes and dams that can serve as tourist hotspots. This is one state tourism board that is genuinely ready to part all benefits to its investors.”

Talking about the tourism potential of the state, Ramapuram, said, “The new state policy surely enables more private players to participate in the development of tourism spots.

Now that the process is trans-

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

parent and convenient, it will be very easy to track the development in these areas. We found this state as truly a virgin territory with a wealth of opportunities. This is absolutely the right time to explore the tourism potential of the state.” The state on the other hand has been proactive in providing timely information and support to the investors across the board, be it SMEs or top of the line hospitality brands. Mehta, who has already invested in the state, was pleased with the ease of service provided by the state.

“Doing business with a state depends on the ease of transactions. If the government works as true facilitator and provides support in running the business whether it is through land lease or taxation, then it encourages investors to the place,” he said.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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Kerala Tourism to introduce RT classification for all accommodation units Steena Joy Mumbai KERALA TOURISM is setting up a Responsible Tourism (RT) classification system for all accommodation units in the state. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World, Dr Venu, principal secretary, Kerala Tourism, said, “We intend to take Responsible Tourism to more destinations given the success of this participatory approach model, where the local communities are included as stakeholders and empowered economically through tourism activity that focuses on both cultural and ecological conservation. As a part of the sustainability ini-

tiative, we have put in place an RT classification system for accommodation units and are bringing all hotels and resorts under this. The classification system for home stays has also been re-modified in tune with RT principles.”

Destination and environment sustainability is at the core of Kerala’s tourism policy. Venu added, “We have consistently been emphasising our commitment to practising RT. RT was piloted in four destinations – Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady and Wayanad – and extended to Kumbalangi in Ernakulam and Bekal in Kasaragod district.”

Commenting on reports about how the liquor ban in

the state has played havoc with tourist numbers especially MICE movements, Venu informed that recently

Kerala Tourism conducted The Kerala Tourism Trade Survey 2016, which looked into trends in tourist arrivals

ICPB urges states to become lifetime members; will launch state chapters Saloni Bhatia New Delhi INDIA CONVENTION Promotion Bureau (ICPB) is undergoing major changes in order to promote India as a convention country. The bureau is set to host the ninth Convention India Conclave from October 13 to 15, 2016, at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi. The flagship event, themed 'Harnessing the Potential', will be a platform to network with MICE specialists from across the world.

There will be around 150 in-

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Chander Mansharamani

ternational and domestic buyers who are decision makers and planners. The three-day

convention will see sessions and buyer meets along with the exhibition.

Chander Mansharamani, vice chairman, ICPB, informed, “We have approached the states to become lifetime members of ICPB. Five of the states namely Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana and New Delhi have agreed. Even the ministry now sees the potential in this segment and it is high time; things are taken forward in the right manner.

In line, we will soon be starting the state chapters to work cohesively with the govern-

ment. We plan to start bidding within the states and then pitch for international conferences. There is also some money that the government is willing to contribute to the process.”

“After a successful meeting with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, we have decided to host a convention in Mumbai in March 2017. It will be a B2B trade show where only convention centres, hotels with a capacity of more than 500 and service providers will participate. We will also invite international buyers,” added Mansharamani.

and the state’s growth as a destination for MICE business, based on feedback from owners and managers of hotels and resorts, and tour operators. “It was the first trade survey conducted by this department, undertaken after we noticed reports in the media about negative trends in the tourism sector.

Many of those reports indicated that the industry is going through a rough phase due to the excise policy and stiff competition. We wanted proof. The survey indicated a correlation between the excise policy and tourism growth. The Kerala Government is mooting solutions,” stated Venu.

In Rememberance

The hospitality industry, especially the student's fraternity, recently lost one of its leading lights – academician, teacher and guide, Jyoti Acharya.

She was a people’s person dedicated to the cause of education and very passionate about IHM Prabhadevi, where she worked for many years. Even after retirement, she continued her voluntary work for the industry. We at Food & Hospitality World express our heartfelt condolences.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

MARKETS

US Cranberries strengthens efforts in HORECA, retail markets Mohit Rathod Mumbai THE US Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) is promoting cranberries in the Indian HORECA and retail market, through product awareness initiatives among the F&B trade and culinary sector. CMC recently organised a seminar in Mumbai, focusing on the versatility, availability and utilisation of cranberries. Alyson Segawa, manager – international marketing, CMC USA, said, "Our objective is to raise awareness about cranberries in the market. We started marketing the product in April, 2015 and the response so far has been positive from the In-

dian trade sector. We are targeting various trade segments such as HORECA, retail and others."

In 2015-16, US Cranberries' exports to the India market was about 200 barrels. Segawa indicated that the numbers have grown in 2016, whilst hoping for more growth in the future.

The seminar featured a live recipe demonstration by Delhibased celebrity chef Sabyasachi Gorai, alongside an insightful session by Naaznin Husein, president, Indian Dietetic Association (IDA) Mumbai Chapter, which highlighted health benefits and utilisation of the product. Whereas, the recipe demonstration was focused on fusion recipes and versatility of cran-

berries. Chef Gorai expressed, "For thousands of years, we have been eating raisins. Cranberries are just an addition to that product. Consumers need to think of it as dried fruit, which has more health benefits than most other dried fruits. It can also be incorporated in our food and diet. Indi-

ans like the 'khatta-meetha' taste and cranberries provide that. However, consumers need to make sure that they buy them from good sources. US cranberries have a good future in the India market."

Adding to that, Husein commented, "Cranberries are high

in antioxidants, and with India becoming more health concious, cranberries have a good scope in the market, as cranberries possess numerous health benefits.

It can be used as a snack, preworkout meal or recovery food.

It is a versatile product which can be used with various Indian food. Also, in the wellness industry, it has great uses because it has a lot of nutritional properties. Consumption of cranberries in India is increasing; for instance in the corporate sector and schools" CMC will be conducting similar seminars in Delhi and Bengaluru later this year, in order to tap a larger share of the India market.

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MARKETS

AccorHotels debuts ibis Styles in India; plans to tap domestic leisure segment

HeyBnB bets big on shared accommodation market space in India Sudipta Dev Mumbai

Mohit Rathod Calangute ACCORHOTELS has marked the debut of its mid-market brand ibis Styles in the India market with the launch of ibis Styles Goa Calangute. The 197-room property is situated a few minutes away from the Calangute Beach, which is renowned for tourism activities. Owned by InterGlobe Hotels, a joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and AccorHotels, the property aims to tap the leisure segment, particularly families, through a separate rooms wing dedicated to families and arrangements for kids activities.

Speaking on the launch, JB Singh, president and CEO, InterGlobe Hotels, said, “Goa is an important market for us.

The tourism industry of Goa

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has been witnessing growth over the years and has been contributing significantly to Goa’s economy. This hotel was a much needed project that we wanted to set up in Goa.” Singh indicated that the hotel will focus on domestic tourism, due to the seasonal nature of foreign tourist arrivals in Goa. The hotel’s two wings, Casa and Saal, offer 60 and 137 rooms respectively, each measuring 23 sq m. The hotel also features a 2,200-squarefeet meetings facility. However, ibis Styles is specifically aimed at the leisure market; and AccorHotels plans to grow in the corporate segment through its ibis brand.

Nikheel Shirodkar, general manager, ibis Styles Goa Calangute, stated, “ibis Styles Goa Calangute offers a blend of Portuguese architecture

and Goa’s local influences.

Through the concept of a separate wing for families, we want to place ourselves as the preferred hotel among families visiting Goa. We are going to introduce various new activities such as virtual reality cricket game.”

Revealing expansion plans in India, Jean-Michel Casse, senior vice president, operations, AccorHotels India, said that Accor will have five more openings under the ibis brand by the end of this year and 10 openings in 2017. He said, “The domestic market in India is very strong and Goa is a sustained market for us to tap this tourism area. We have been focusing more on the corporate market through ibis, but now we plan to develop our leisure business through the debut of ibis Styles Goa Calangute.”

HEYBNB (HeyBednBreakfast), is an online short stay accommodation marketplace for hosts who want to make available their extra room for travellers. The Singapore-headquartered company operating in 11 countries and 40 cities, entered the India market with presence in cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Goa and Cochin. “In India, we want to launch across all major cities and resort areas for our guests. Over a period of time, we will expand our international listings based on the travel patterns of the market,” said Kenny Blatt, co-founder, HeyBnb, adding that their strategy is to target all major cities in India as well as the top 20 resort destinations in the country.

“We aim to reach all the major Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in India by the end of 2016,” he stated. The company aims to be one of the top 10 players in the world in shared accommodation space.

HeyBnB is focusing on pilgrimage destinations, forest and hill stations in India. “We will also scheme out accommodations / listings in the top requested destinations based on our market research,” said Blatt. He believes this is the

Kenny Blatt

appropriate time to be at the hospitality forefront in India and help shape the lodging experiences of travellers. “While we create unique local experiences by offering multiple choices for accommodations, our goal is to be a one-stop destination for transient travel,” mentioned Blatt.

The brand USP of HeyBnB, according to Blatt, is the commitment to provide its guests a unique hospitality experience and its hosts with total transparency and accountability.

The targeted segment are transient guests looking for accommodations in India and across the world. “We will support our guest with 24/7 customer service and a helpline to assist them with any query regarding the accommodation or destination. Our payment process is 100 per cent secure ensuring clarity to both our guest and host on every level,” he assured.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

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'We have received a phenomenal response’ Neeraj Khandelwal, founder & partner, In The Box Space, talks about the unique concept of using shipping containers for hospitality and restaurant projects

By Sudipta Dev What kind of accommodation option can In the Box Space provide for the hospitality sector ? Targeted at which segment ?

We have been targeting mainly budget and threefour star hotels for various styles of accommodation, which includes resort style rooms to single rooms. By thinking out of the box and creatively, structurally, we can do a lot with these boxes or by using a combination of conventional building methods and boxes depending on the customer’s requirements. We are also working on the portable hotel concept, wherein hoteliers can shift the rooms to different destinations as per business demand.

What kind of response have you got from the hospitality sector ? Any hospitality projects in the pipeline ?

It has only been six months since we started In the Box Space and we have received a phenomenal response already from the hospitality sector. We are in touch with some of the leading names in this sector and already in talks to provide a wide range of solutions – from making a kitchen to a complete room out of these boxes. We have even proposed to make a complete hotel using shipping containers.

How can these accommodation units provide a unique tourism experience ?

We have used all these containers as site offices and temporary structures, but living out of these is relatively new in India. People

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

shifted to more like storytelling – there is a main theme, a character that is portraying story that is how we incorporate the idea “Each Box Has Not One, But Many Stories To Tell”

Neeraj Khandelwal

like change and talk about it all the time, especially the young generation, In the Box Space looks to provide that change. Design has now

These structures would be apt for which Indian (getaway) destinations ?

India is a country with many getaway destinations and smaller cities/towns are becoming extremely popular with the youth – so providing quick and affordable housing/accommodation for this age group is a vast market opportunity. Furthermore, often permission to build is not granted by the local bod-

ies and this is a perfect place to use this shipping container construction.

Which segment of F&B sector do you foresee this concept becoming popular ?

Although the concept can be used across various segments in F&B, we have already received a lot of interest from leading fast food companies for making restaurants. With the restaurant business becoming so competitive over the last couple of years in India, especially due to the heavy taxes that are to be paid, the industry is seeing a great shift by cutting costs, this includes online platforms for

delivery services and also food trucks. In the Box Space is looking to be the next trend offering a competitive alternative method without comprising on the design and feel of a place.

What are the cost advantages of putting up these structures ?

If planned well, these structures can save a lot of cost – upto 40 per cent and a lot of time. It is ideal for spaces, which are timebound and businesses in the hospitality sector since revenue generation starts faster as building time is cut down significantly.

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HPMF launches its Hyderabad Chapter at Purchase Connect III, 2016 FHW Staff Mumbai HOSPITALITY Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF) recently launched its Hyderabad Chapter, at the Purchase Connect III, 2016 event, held at the Novotel Hotel and Convention Centre, Hitec City, Hyderabad. HPMF is a consortium of like- minded purchasing managers from the hospitality industry representing star hotels, catering companies, stand-alone restaurant chains and airlines. It believes in the power of networking and sharing of work experience with each other.

With over 1,000 members in India and abroad, it has spread its wings already in all the major cities in India with the opening of the Hyderabad Chapter.

The day started with the lighting of the lamp by the attending dignitaries and Mohan Deshpande, chairman, HPMF, welcoming and felicitating the chief guest Ashok Reddy Kancharia, president, greater Hyderabad, Telangana State Hotels Association (TSHA).

Other VIPs in attendance were MS Nagaruja, founder president, Telangana Hotels Association; S Venkat Reddy, president, TSHA and manag-

ing director, Vivera Hotel & Resorts; Jayashree Nagaraj, founder president and chairperson, Professional Housekeepers Association (PHA); and Chef Jugesh Arora, president, South India Culinary Association (SICA).

Teck Bahadur Sarke, materials head, Sahara Star, Mumbai, presented the HPMF’s journey through a video presentation. This was followed by an animated panel discussion led by Jaideep Gupta, director, Aanyah Management on “The Importance of Relationship Management for the Success of the Organisation”. The participants, Ganpat Dalvi, direc-

tor, purchase, Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai; Mathew Pramod, materials head, Westin Hyderabad; Chef Arora; Nagaraj; and Guru Raja, Fabrics and Beyond all presented different viewpoints, but all agreed that relationship management was the key to an organisation’s performance.

Various presentations were made by the vendors attending the conference, followed by a presentation of PHA and the declaration of the opening of HPMF Hyderabad Chapter by Nagaraj, and a presentation by Chef Arora on the food trends in India, where he spoke about the

movement towards holistic food. After lunch, Gupta engaged with the audience with an interactive presentation on "Work Life Balance for a Hotel Purchase Manager", focusing on the ways and means of controlling and balancing work and personal lives.

Harvey Rodrigues, director, purchase, Meluha The Fern, Mumbai and Hotel Rodas, Mumbai, gave a video presentation titled, “Know Sustainability, Know Earth”, which brought forward the importance of recognising and following sustainable development practices by the hospitality industry.

F&B packaging market to reach $16 bn: Market study FHW Staff Mumbai CLOCKING a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 16 per cent, the packaged food market in India is expected to have crossed US$ 51.5 million mark in 2015 as against US$ 25 million in 2010, noted a recent ASSOCHAM TechSci Research joint study.

In wake of the increasing disposable incomes and growing number of nuclear families, market share of packaged food in processed food market is expected to margin-

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ally increase to about 29 per cent in 2016 from about 28 per cent in 2015, according to the study titled ‘Dynamics involved in multi-layered food packaging’, conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) jointly with TechSci Research.

F&B packaging market in India was estimated at about US$ 16 billion as of 2015 from about US$ 12 billion in 2010 and registered a CAGR of over six per cent.

With a size of over US$ 4 billion, the plastic food packaging market currently ac-

counts for a share of about 63 per cent in India’s total plastic packaging market which is currently valued at about US$ 7 bllion, highlighted the study.

Market for multilayer plastic food packaging is currently estimated at about US$ 1 billion, which is about 22 per cent of India’s total plastic food packaging industry, however, in the total F&B packaging market, multilayer plastic food packaging accounts for over six per cent share in value terms.

“Growing usage of packaging material in various food

service outlets, together with increasing demand for packaged beverage and expanding working class population, has given impetus to food packaging industry in India,” said DS Rawat, secretary general, ASSOCHAM, while releasing the findings of the study.

In terms of share, metallic and other packaging material accounts for about half of India’s overall F&B packaging market followed by printed cartons and rigid packaging (28 per cent) and flexible packaging material like food packaging laminates and packaging foils (24 per cent).

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

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'Airport hotels are more agile and flexible' Ravi Khubchandani, general manager, Novotel Hyderabad Airport speaks about the unique features of an airport hotel and the future of hospitality business in this region

By Reema Lokesh What according to you is the primary highlights and USP of the property and what is it that you would like to convey to your clientele regarding the same?

Novotel Hyderabad Airport is a versatile hotel in Hyderabad with the right infrastructure, location and professional expertise to cater to every requirement including MICE, weddings, automobile display and launches, transit stays, airline crew requirements and leisurely family getaways! We have an inventory of over 300 rooms complemented with multiple banquets, open air venues and state of the art leisure and recreational facilities in a very green and welcoming surrounding. Our property is just five minutes away from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad.

Keeping your previous experience in view in other cities of India, what are the distinct patterns of demand in this region?

Hyderabad has a higher proportion of MICE business and it truly lives up to its reputation of being the conventions capital of the country. Evidently, MICE is one of the strongest growing segments for Hyderabad’s hospitality and tourism industry, earning substantial revenues over the last year and directly benefitting the local economy. A significant percentage of a hotel’s revenue is generated from hosting MICE events, and catering to the F&B requirements from it. Over the years, the city

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

has experienced double digit growth increase in inbound air traffic, with the Hyderabad International Airport recognised as the sixth busiest airport in the country and third busiest in Southern India. With the improving commercial sentiment in the city, the industry is witnessing improved traction in business travels and this should continue consistently. The presence of global conglomerates and local businesses is expected to rise in the near future. The improving investor sentiment is expected to improve both the demand and supply in the city, with the demand hopefully being substantial to outpace the inventory growth.

How different are airport hotels visa-a-vis city hotels?

Airport hotels are generally more agile and flexible to be able to better cater to the short lead transit business and sudden influx of guests. Globally, airport hotels have been the travellers’ favourite choice for years; with the rising traffic woes in every city the preference for airport hotels is constantly on the rise.

Airport hotels are also very unique and dependable from a security standpoint.

The airport hotel market has changed immeasurably in recent years. In contrast to the sterile airport hotels of old, these newer properties exude the local culture, beauty and style throughout their design. They acknowledge that they are providing the traveller's first experience of a country. From room furnishings,

to artwork, and even panoramic views or plane spotting advantages, the new airport hotel design immediately reminds the traveller of which country they are visiting. Rooms are of a high quality with an emphasis on comfort, and noise levels associated with the airport are minimised through effective sound proofing.

Airport hotels offer excellent facilities for travellers who need to work, including in-room high speed Wi-Fi, meeting rooms, business and conference facilities and ambient lobbies. Travellers working for multinational companies can meet face-to-face with peers or clients based in the city where they are transiting, away from the bustle of the airport terminal. Leisure facilities also abound in these properties, allowing travellers to dine in relaxed settings, work out at the gym or enjoy a massage.

Is there a certain focus to market and promote airport hotels?

Airport hotels cater to a very wide spectrum of travellers and best support the ever rising aviation travels. Therefore, it won’t be surprising to see the investor sentiment skewing more towards airport hotels. It is also important to note that airport properties, especially major brands, want to grow up and become bona fide meeting destinations like popular convention properties in major cities.

Therefore, the focus is also on promoting them as preferred MICE destinations, often by up-

grading and adding flexible meeting spaces.

What are the average ARRs in the city and where would you place your hotel on that scale?

The city operates with a wide ARR spectrum with reputed hotels ranging from approximately `3000 to `8000. Being an international five-star of great repute, we operate in the premium rate band of the city.

How unique are the F&B demands in the region?

The F&B scenario in Hyderabad is now maturing and is growing beyond the popular traditional options. Guests today are relatively more aware and welcoming of newer tastes and dining experiences. Further, being an international airport hotel, we have a strong mix of both international and domestic travellers checking in and out at all times; we therefore offer an elaborate array of both traditional and innovative culinary creations round the clock.

Any specific training and development programmes for staff engagement?

We engage our teams at all levels of hierarchy with industry’s leading learning and development opportunities. Living up to our reputation of being one of the finest employers globally, we create an environment that is extremely conducive for all team members to perform and continuously evolve as better professionals. AccorHotels is growing at a very fast pace in India and

our philosophy of developing a strong internal talent pool for our upcoming hotels further fuels our passion to develop exceptional hoteliers for the future.

What is your personal vision for the property and the change you would like to bring about during your tenure?

The hotel has been well established and my endeavour will be to take the performance further by exceeding our guests’ current expectations and establish the hotel as the first choice for MICE, weddings, business and leisure stays. Further, with curated events, food festivals and family activities, I would like to see more of our local Hyderabad patrons visiting the hotel more frequently for experiential outings.

Your message for the future hospitality workforce?

The hospitality industry is growing at an exponential pace and it is going to present all professionals with some unprecedented opportunities; there couldn’t have been a better time to become a part of this vibrant industry. Hospitality, perhaps more than some other industries, calls for a fair amount of discipline, flexibility and agility in the formative years; the industry however offers considerably more opportunities to excel professionally. To be successful, I would encourage the young professionals foraying into the industry to work and learn with a great sense of pride and passion for hospitality.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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MARKETS

Nestle debuts its culinary programme in India

Indian Chef Soundararajan to receive WorldChefs Honorary Life Membership FHW Staff Mumbai

FHW Staff Mumbai NESTLE HAS, for the first time, rolled out its Young Culinary Talent Program (YOCUTA) in India. YOCUTA has been enrolled at Sophia College of Hospitality Management Institute, Mumbai and is a part of Nestle Professional’s dedicated “Creating Shared Value Program" that supports Nestlé’s Global Youth initiative in an OOH industry by leveraging existing Nestle's expertise.

Thirty students were identified for the four modules of the YOCUTA – product portfolio deep dive, NHW NutriPro leverage, interviewing and CV support, and cooking session conducted by Chef

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Nestle Professional emphasised the need for the chef as an emerging aspiring profession.

YOCUTA is aimed at improvement of employment prospects of culinary students Parimal, executive chef, Meluha The Fern, Mumbai and Chef Amit, pastry chef, Meluha The Fern, Mumbai.

The students also had the opportunity to interact with and get insights from Chef Vernon Coelho, president of Western Indian Culinary Association (WICA).

Nestle Professional empha-

WORLD ASSOCIATION of Chefs Societies (WorldChefs) has announced the person to receive an Honorary Life Membership into WorldChefs organisation.

WorldChefs is a global network of chefs associations founded in October 1928 at the Sorbonne in Paris. At that first congress, there were 65 delegates from 17 countries, representing 36 national and international associations, and August Escoffier was named the first honorary president of WorldChefs.

Today, this global body has over 100 official chefs associations as members that represent over 10 million professional chefs worldwide. The biennial congress is a hallmark tradition of WorldChefs and has been organised in over 21 cities across the world, throughout

its 88-year history.

Chef P Soundararajan from India will be presented the Honorary Life Membership award in a special ceremony at the forthcoming WorldChefs congress in Thessaloniki, Greece in late September 2016.

The award is presented to those who have shown commitment and have undertaken work for WorldChefs over a period of time.

The Honorary Life Membership awards cannot exceed the total amount of financial countries that make up the global membership of WorldChefs. This makes the award an even greater honour to receive when considered that by June 2016, only 99 persons in the world out of a total membership of 10 million chefs, cooks and pastry chefs members will have the honour and right to be called an Honorary Life Member of WorldChefs.

sised the need for the chef as an emerging aspiring profession. YOCUTA is aimed at improvement of employment prospects of culinary students. Each participant received a diploma certificate and chef’s knife set.

The programme has received good response and has been endorsed by WICA.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

MARKETS

VSPL rebrands itself as Food Service India

FHW Staff Mumbai VKL HAS been creating food and beverage solutions for the leading food-service companies since 1935. With its core building blocks of innovation, quality, service and value, the company provides standardised services to the HoReCa customers in India and exports F&B solutions to over 25 countries. Three years ago, VKL Seasoning (VSPL) set out on a unique journey to create India’s own food service company. It was the company’s endeavour to service an under-catered customer, the HoReCa segment; thus food service as a part of VSPL, the pioneers of seasoning segment in India, was born.

In keeping with VSPL’s objective of providing exclusive focus to HoReCa customers, it

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

is now rebranding this business as Food Service India (FSIPL). The objective behind formation of Food Service India is to remain focused on food service business as a special segment.

The team at FSIPL comprises of experienced chefs and sales professionals specialised in HoReCa segment.

The exclusive sales team understands the challenges faced by chefs in terms of cost, inventory, taste, consistency, etc, and works towards making the process of cooking easier for the customers.

They have specialised food service distribution partners across India and abroad who provide best last mile services to the HoReCa customers.

“With our specialised focus, capability in product development, production and service, FSIPL is in line with

the new vision – to become India’s most admired and respected food service company enabling our partner's success through focus on great taste, outstanding customer service and strong relationships,” says S K Maratha, president, FSIPL. FSIPL currently has the following brand verticals: Chef’s Art: It is a range of menu solutions products.

Chefs can use them to expand their menu with the range of Indian, Continental, Chinese, Italian products. These include sauce mixes, marinades to dips and soup bases.

It is in a dry format and can be easily reconstituted using water, oil, cream or milk.

Springburst: It is a range of kitchen solutions designed to help the chef enhance the dishes. While maintaining the profile control by the chef, it provides the flexibility to cre-

ate an unforgettable customer experience. Products such as lime seasoning, aromatic mix, and chicken broth also resolve the requirement of manpower to create everyday solutions needed in every kitchen.

Sunbay: It is a recently launched brand offering a range of gravies and sauce bases that promise perfect taste and texture and are convenient to use. The two gravy bases are Onion Tomato Gravy Base and Tomato Makhani Gravy Base.

Spicefield: Complete range of blended, ground and whole spices exclusively made for HoReCa chefs in India.

Every product passes through stringent 40 plus quality checks using technology that retains high volatile oil and aroma of spice and gets sealed in packs convenient for chefs.

Every pack of spices can be completely traced from farm

to fork. Spicefield brand’s tagline is ‘The art of cooking.

The craft of masala’ proclaims that the brand is meant to interweave creativity of chefs with the spices that are carefully crafted under this brand using a heritage of more than 75 years. This spice heritage and experience is reflected in the Spicefield range.

Marimbula: It is a range of gourmet syrups created to cater to the need of the consumer to try out exotic international taste, along with authentic Indian taste with desire to try out the NEW”.

The only syrup brand made in India with range of Indian and international flavours using finest quality ingredients.

Marimbula offers syrups in various categories such as fruits/berries/Indian ethnic /tea concentrates/coffee/ specialty, etc.

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Tropicana Leisure Hospitality Services

Roseate House at Aerocity,New Delhi TROPICANA LEISURE HOSPITALITY SERVICES, a subsidiary of the Tropicana Group of Companies, is all set to introduce the first phase of contemporary four-bedroom villas adjoining the operational resort and spa, U Tropicana Resort, Alibaug. The project consists of 29 luxury villas spread over 13 acre green lands and situated 15 minutes away from the Mandwa Jetty. A key highlight of the project is that one can buy the villa and lease it back to the hotel, which then utilises it as room inventory. Hotel profits are shared with owners who opt for this option making their second home a revenue generating asset. Owners and their guests also have access to common amenities which include a spa, a multi-cuisine restaurant, conference room, a fully-equipped gym and a bar. Additionally, the project will soon have a multi-purpose sports court, banquet hall, children’s play area and a golf lawn.

ROSEATE HOTELS & RESORTS, the luxury hotel brand of Bird Hospitality, recently announced the opening of Roseate House at Aerocity, New Delhi. The hotel is spread across 1.6 acres and is a 30-minute drive to New Delhi and Gurugram.

The hotel features 216 rooms with 15 suites, including three elite private suites that can be combined to a villa. Spread across 500 sq m, The Villa is perched on the top floor of the hotel combining The Presidential Suite, Terrace Suite, Junior Suite and a Club Room. F&B options at the hotel include DEL, the world cuisine bistro located on the ground level; Kheer, the Indian speciality restaurant nestled on the first floor; Chidya Ghar Bar; Tara, an open roof top Japanese lounge; and patisserie, Roasted. The property houses a hall serving as a meetings and event venue. Additionally, Club Privé is an ideal venue for networking and business meetings and conferences. The Club Lounge, situated on the fourth floor, is another events space at the hotel. The hotel also houses an in-house cinema, Upstage, a 72 pax seating theatre. Other facilities at the hotel include Aheli Spa, a gym, an infinity pool, and a boulevard.

Anaikatti - Bythe Siruvani STERLING HOLIDAY RESORTS has launched its latest riverside resort, Anaikatti - By the Siruvani, located near Anaikatti, on Tamil Nadu - Kerala border and surrounded by coconut and palm orchards. With this addition, Sterling Holidays now has a network of 27 resorts across the country and four adventure and nature resorts under its Nature Trails brand, making it a total of 31 resorts. Located about an hour away from the Silent Valley National Park, the resort is near the UNESCO world heritage Nilgiri Biosphere. Anaikatti - By the Siruvani offers 33 rooms, a swimming pool and Subuthi spa. This resort also features two resort style conference halls with capacities of 40 and 80 people each. The multi cuisine restaurant at the resort has options such as local cuisine of the region, Chinese, continental, Indian and Italian. Additionally there is a Holiday Activities Centre and mini golf area within the resort.

Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel, Gachibowli SHERATON HYDERABAD HOTEL, GACHIBOWLI recently unveiled 56 fully furnished apartments, adding to the hotel’s existing 216 rooms. Starting from studio with variants of one-bedroom and two-bedroom options, they are suited to guests staying in Hyderabad for an extended duration of a week upwards. Located in the financial district of Gachibowli, the Sheraton Apartments are located just 20 minutes from the Hi-Tech City and close to 25 minutes from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The apartments have been specially designed to offer a home-like experience to guests in the city for extended periods, fitted with a well-equipped kitchenette, spacious living and dining rooms and an exclusive landscaped patio. Guests can choose from a studio, deluxe, superior and executive apartments. As an additional benefit, guests can order groceries from the retail menu, which will be delivered to them at the end of the day. While staying at the apartments, guests also have complete access to all the amenities available at Sheraton Hyderabad, that includes Feast, the all-day dining venue; inAzia, which serves Pan-Asian specialties; Link@Sheraton, the lobby lounge bar and patisserie; and Chime, the high energy lounge and bar with an Asian décor.

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OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

PRODUCT TRACKER

T&S Brass

GeeBees Beverages

T&S BRASS’ waste valves provide easyto-use solutions for kitchens. The B-3990 modular waste valve offers easy installation and maintenance. The product features rugged stainless steel design for durable performance. The push-pull activation allows users to quickly drain full sinks. The valves come with vandal-resistant guard and strainer. Whereas, the B-3960 waste valve features a lever handle. Both waste valves include snap-in removable strainer.

GEEBEES BEVERAGES has launched a new range of tea and coffee premixes – Cuppa Mix. The range includes various products such as Chai Latte, Coffee Latte, green tea, black tea and cooler premixes. Flavours under the Chai and Coffee Latte catergory include Masala Chai, Cardamom Chai, Ginger Chai, Lemon Grass Chai, Vanilla Chai, Original Chai, and Madras Chai. The green tea products offer flavours such as ginger, lemon, Tulsi, lemon mint, and jasmine. Whereas, the black tea features lemon, peach, blueberry, passion fruit and lemon spice flavours. Additionally, the range features Masala Nimbu Paani cooler.

Pergo Pergo has launched its latest Wood Parquet Collection.

Pergo Wood Parquet flooring offers 14 different designs with the new manufacturing technologies like Brushed Surface, Sawcut & Dutch Pattern designer look.

Pergo Wood Parquet is easy to install and durable. Formats available in this range are: 2200 x 220 x 14 mm, 1820 x 190 x 14 mm,1820 x 145 x 14 mm, and 2200 x 190 x 14 mm. The wood is available on Pergo's online store, starting at `400.

Gits GITS DESSERT mixes such as Gulab Jamun, Rabdi and Jalebi are serving as desserts for this festive season. Gits products do not have added preservatives.

Additionally, the desserts mixes can be tried in innovative recipes.

Milagrow Humantech Glenmorangie Glenmorangie has introduced Glenmorangie Craftsman’s Cup, a gift pack containing a 75cl bottle of Glenmorangie Original along with two metal cups. Glenmorangie Original is a 10-year-old single malt with notes of citrus, vanilla and almond, replete with finesse and alluring complexity. The Glenmorangie Craftsman’s Cup is available across all leading wine stores in Mumbai, Gurugram and Bengaluru. It is priced at `7000, `3500, and `8300 respectively.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

MILAGROW HUMANTEACH has unveiled festive editions of its products. The first body massage robot will be offered at discount of 50 per cent. This robot massages and caresses tired muscles as it rolls over the body.

Milagrow’s festive edition also includes Winbot 730, the window cleaning robot, a fully automated solution to window cleaning.

Winbot cleans both framed as well as frameless windows and doors. Milagrow offers its base model, RoboCop at more than 25 per cent off, bringing the price from `13990 to `9999.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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CHEF’S PLATTER

INNOVATIVE VEGAN OPTIONS ON THE INDIAN PLATTER Food companies in India are increasingly marketing innovative and tasty meat and dairy-product alternatives that taste like the real thing to align to the vegan philosophy.

By Lebana Penkar

I

NDIA IS CULTURALLY a vegetarian country by choice. Indians enjoy dairy products, and most enjoy non-vegetarian food. Whatever the reason (could be the New Year Resolution to shed the extra pounds, a commitment to be gentler to animals or to be sensitive to the ecology of the universe and make this world a better place to live in), veganism is the next big thing.

The big question is: Is veganism even possible in India?

The right answer is: Yes !

For all those who were worried that they would have to give up burgers and

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icecreams if they went vegan, there’s good news! Companies in India are now producing delicious meat and dairy-product alternatives for vegans.

Gone are the days when vegans had to be content with boiled vegetables or a bowl of salad. Taking a cue from international trends and the skyrocketing demand for vegan food, Indian companies are providing innovative, creative and importantly, tasty food options to vegans. In the absence of such attractive food choices, veganism would simply be dismissed as another fad rather than a lifestyle change that it is in reality.

There is a definitive trend to go back to your roots and eat wholegrain like amaranth, millet, makai, barley, ragi and buckwheat. At the same time, interesting vegan recipes combine fruits with cereals, nuts, and vegetables with whole grains to create delicious processed food.

Popularity of soy milk

Lebana Penkar

While a few years ago, only international brands of organic soya milk were freely available in India, today Indian companies produce soya milk for the domestic market. Thanks to India’s focus on continual product improvement and

customer delight, the (sometimes despicable) flavour of the soya bean is also removed from it, which makes it very palatable to the taste.

Soya milk now comes in many delicious flavours! In fact, the milk tastes so good that one can even have a cold coffee or a hot chocolate with no compromise on taste. Almond milk, rice milk and cashew milk, are the other tasty and healthy alternatives to dairy milk. Visit an eclectic food place and in all probability, you will find dahi wadas, dahi kadhi, lassi and even milkshakes, all made with non-dairy milk or a coffee chain that offers vegan coffees and vegan shakes.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

CHEF’S PLATTER

Creative alternatives Cooking traditional non-vegan dishes using only vegan ingredients is the new “in” thing as it also explores and popularises creativity and innovation! Fortunately, you do not need to visit expensive specialty restaurants for vegan food as supermarkets now abound with such FMCG products.

You may find it all under one roof: food is cooked using non refined cold-pressed oils or no oil, pizza topped with fresh spinach, artichokes, grilled eggplants and almost any other vegetable that you may desire but without cheese or with cashew cheese, "dairy-free" icecreams certified by the FICCI Research and Analysis Centre made with virgin coconut/almond milk, vegan lemon cheesecake made with non-dairy cream cheese, fresh lime and baked in a special pie crust, chocolate cookies without

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

eggs and milk. Also, sorbets made with just fruit sugar and a thickener such as corn starch or gluten-free thickening and beetroot cake made with candied beetroot or packaged vegan khajur gajar halwa (carrot and date fudge pudding) made from winter root vegetables and coconut milk, almonds and cardamom to create a creamy, luscious dessert.

Beverage racks are seen pleasantly stacked with pressed juices like the classic green shot comprising of cucumber, tomato, spinach, coriander and mint, blended with a dash of wheat grass and lemon juice, bottles of refreshing kombucha, macha juices and smoothies or dessert shots like caramel chocolate shake made with almond milk.

The super- popular bestseller - smoothie bowl is frozen açaí or dragon fruit pulp, soy or

other vegan milk, bananas, bits of other fruit and lots of ice.

Toppings could include granola, chia seeds, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and peanut butter.

While vegan coffees and vegan teas are consumer’s delight, for the desi kinds, lassi is now made with healthy coconut milk kefir.

Home Meal Replacement (HMR) counters are going green and are filled with nutrient-rich salads like the bell pepper salad rich in beta carotene, folic acid vitamin C and thiamine and the inviting dips like the red bean hummus. Tofu is man’s blessing to a vegan! It substitutes either a dairy cheese to make the paneer or can be replaced as vegetarian chicken! If you are lucky, your vicinity supermarket becomes irresistible with “fun vegan dishes” like tofu in peanut

sauce and barbecued tofu.

Many of the bakery and patisserie sections boast of vegan cakes, carrot muffins, quinoa-kale scramble sandwich and granola parfait with chia seeds as one of their fastestselling items. If having fruits in the raw does not appeal you, then the food industry presents to you vegan desserts like fruit pies, sweet potato pies and banana bread.

Popular food trends such as root-to-stem products, kimchi, zoodles (vegetable spirals zucchini, asparagus, beet, sweet potato) are on their way to becoming mainstream FMCG products. Vegan almond and flaxseed jam cookies, vegan organic food bars, fries (sweet potato avocado, taro, portobello mushroom, polenta and of course the ubiquitous banana) happen to be the fastest selling impulse buy

items at the cash tills.

Nutritional yeast, affectionately called “nooch”, is a magical substitute that imparts a cheesy, savory flavour in all dishes pasta, pesto and even popcorn!

Fake meat products like vegan sausages, burger patties and mince pies feel like their non-vegetarian counterparts and are are easily available.

Think jackfruit…with its texture of pulled pork or carnitas is the perfect vegan-meat option.

Hence, with vegan health and wellness foods featuring at the top in product needs/ desires of the consumers and retail in India evolving with a positive sense of the consumer’s pulse, being vegan is going to be the way of life.

(Lebana Penkar is chief people officer, Foodhall-India and head-Employee Engagement, Future Group)

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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HIGH SPIRITS

ASENSE OFPLACE Halfway between the two main California metropolises of Los Angeles and San Francisco is Paso Robles Wine Country, home to more than 200 wineries and 32,000 vineyard acres focusing on premium wine production

L

ocated along California's famed Central Coast, the Paso Robles winegrape growing region's climate is perfect for the production of award-winning premium wines. A long growing season of warm days and cool evenings give rise to vibrantly ripened fruit with dynamic flavour profiles that translate beautifully in your glass of Paso Robles wine.

Traversing the landscape you will find 40,000 vineyard

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acres, producing more than 40 winegrape varieties - from Spanish to Italian, Bordeaux to RhĂ´ne, including the area's heritage variety Zinfandel. The styles of wine are diverse in this very distinct region.

Along your journey through Paso Robles Wine Country, take time to stroll the historic downtown to shop and dine. Boutique stores, wine country cuisine, and tasting rooms fill the blocks surrounding Paso Robles' Downtown

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

HIGH SPIRITS City Park. A scene right out of a Norman Rockwell painting, Paso Robles' downtown completes the picture of Paso Robles Wine Country.

Neighbouring Paso Robles along the coast are the towns of San Simeon, home to Hearst Castle on the north, and the fishing village of Morro Bay to the south. In between you will find Cambria, Harmony, and Cayucos. All are within a short drive and worthy of your exploration. Much like the marine air influence to the winegrapes, the coast is a perfect complement to the Paso Robles Wine Country experience.

The terroir Established in 1983, and expanded in 1997 then again in 2009, the Paso Robles American Viticultural Appellation (AVA) is home to more than 200 wineries and 32,000 vineyard acres focusing on premium wine production. The distinct microclimates and diverse soils, combined with warm days and cool nights, make growing conditions ideal for producing more than 40 wine varietals from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, to Syrah, Viognier and Roussanne, to Zinfandel, the area’s heritage wine variety.

Paso Robles Wine Country is centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California’s Central Coast. With a greater day-to-night temperature swing than any other appellation in California, distinct microclimates, diverse soils and a long growing season, Paso Robles is a unique wine region blessed with optimal growing conditions for producing premium and ultra premium wines.

Paso Robles Wine Country is a land of diversity and contrasts that encompasses river bottoms to rolling hills and flat lands to mountains. The major geographical features of the area are the Santa Lucia Range, the Salinas River Valley and the Templeton Gap.

Soil diversity California’s Central Coast is geologically different from other

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

The distinct microclimates and diverse soils, combined with warm days and cool nights, make growing conditions ideal for producing more than 40 wine varietals California wine growing regions. Unlike others with deep, rich fertile valley soils, over 45 soil series are found in the Paso Robles AVA. These are primarily bedrock derived soils from weathered granite, older marine sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks and younger marine sedimentary rocks of the Miocene age Monterey Formation featuring calcareous shales, sandstone or mudstone. Soil diversity is the norm and a vineyard block may commonly contain several different soil types.

What is really unique about Paso Robles AVA soils is the predominance of desirable calcareous soils found throughout the region and the high soil pH values of 7.4 to 8.6 that are not

typical of California’s other viticultural areas. Due to geologic uplift, calcareous shale is plentiful in Paso Robles’ west-side hills, where dense clay-based soils combine with relatively plentiful rainfall to make it possible for some vines to be dryfarmed without supplemental irrigation. More granular forms of broken down calcareous shale is found on the eastern hills and valley of the AVA. On both sides of the Salinas River, gently rolling hills are covered with sandy, loamy soils. In the watershed areas, particularly the Estrella River plain, loam and clay are overlain with sand.

Images courtesy: Paso Robles Wine Country

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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cover )

DAIRY DYNAMICS Today, India is considered 'The Oyster' of the global dairy industry. It offers opportunities galore to entrepreneurs worldwide, who wish to capitalise on the world's largest and fastest growing market for milk and milk products. However, the potential can be milked only if productivity and cold chain challenges are tackled

BY STEENA JOY

P

resent in the human diet since 9,000 BC, animal milk is a very important source of nutrients. Thanks to Operation Flood, Dr Verghese Kurien’s ‘Billion Litre Idea’ launched in 1970, (a project of the National Dairy Development Board, which was the world's biggest

dairy development programme), India changed from a milk deficient economy to a milk surplus one. Today, the country’s dairy industry is expected to increase at a CAGR of 15 per cent between 2015 to 2020, to reach a value of `9,397 billion, resulting in India overtaking the European Union to become the largest milk and dairy products producer by 2020. Additionally, on account of a steady population growth and rising incomes, milk

22 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2016

consumption is on the rise in India. India consumed 138 million metric tonnes (MMT) of milk in the financial year 2015 and was the world’s largest consumer of milk.

The milk economy The organised dairy sector in India has experienced strong value growth of 15 per cent per annum over the last five years in the face of price increases for dairy products which is good.

India produces an estimated

400 million litres of milk per day. Of the total milk supply, merely 30 per cent is generated by the organised sector as of today, comprising mainly of co-operatives, the biggest being Amul and Mother Diary. Arvind Bhandari, general manager, dairy, Nestlé India says, “The dairy business requires scale and long term commitment.

The companies have to ensure deep involvement and integration with the back-end supply chain. This is the reason for the

co-operative model to dominate the dairy industry globally while private sector participation tends to be limited.”

Nestlé India is amongst the pioneers of the dairy industry for high quality milk. The company believes that quality differentiation and continuous innovation are key to growth in an environment dominated by large co-operative brands.

Nestlé’s experience in Punjab, where it started developing dairy farming since 1961, is a

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good example where the company as well as the community benefitted because of the commitment towards creating a milk economy. This entire process required perseverance, commitment and understanding of the local economy.

Nestlé’s efforts included reaching out to the community and building confidence amongst farmers. Bhandari continues, “The market for milk and dairy products in India is not homogenous. While on the one hand consumers are price conscious,

on the other, there is increasing demand for premium products where consumers recognise the benefit and prefer the value addition.”

There is all round increase in consumption of dairy products in both the urban and rural segments in the country.

Deepak Jain, MD, D'lecta, an innovative dairy products and food services company, points out, “Consumer preferences are shifting towards higher value added products including flavoured dairy beverages, fer-

mented foods, Western products like cheese and ice cream and even packaged traditional products. Most of the large dairy businesses in India have built their business on liquid milk as the principal product. But the next level of growth will come from value added products.”

Shweta Shrivastav, head of marketing, London Dairy Ice Creams confirms that the organised market is growing its share in the pie with the consumer becoming more aware

and conscious of health and hygiene related issues. “This is leading to more demand for packaged and branded milk and packaged curd. Ice cream is a small part of the pie, with the premium ice cream market pegged at ` 150-200 crore. This segment has been witnessing 15 per cent growth YOY, led primarily by disproportionate growth in the premium category,” she says.

Devendra Shah, chairman, Parag Milk Foods, which owns the Gowardhan and Go brands,

says, “We are very much focused on value added products. Our business consists of 80 per cent value added products. In the cheese category, Go Cheese has 33 per cent market share.”

Vivek Nirmal, joint MD, Prabhat Dairy, observes, “Till a few years ago, Indian households preferred to consume milk in plain liquid form and the only variants in vogue were butter and ghee. However, in the recent years there is a significant upside shift in demand as

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October 16-31, 2016

cover )

“The dairy business requires scale and long term commitment” Arvind Bhandari General manager, dairy, Nestlé India

“The next level of growth will come from value added products.”

Deepak Jain MD, D'lecta

the Indian consumer has shown a marked inclination for valueadded products, thanks to lifestyles shaped by Western influences, more number of working couples with higher purchasing power as also demanding work schedules that make ‘ready-to-eat’ a tailor-made easy option.”

He adds, “Dairy is an extremely attractive market, both because of its size and its potential. It is also, however, a marketplace fraught with danger that can sink even big players because of its sheer complexity. Over the next few years, the dairy market will see the mother of all market battles as the newcomers try to take away market share.”

Prabhat is an integrated milk and dairy products company with two manufacturing facilities having a processing capacity of 1.5 million/litres a day.

Jehangir Lawyer, director, Fortune Gourmet, a leading importer and distributor of specialty foods including cheese, believes that the industry offers enormous opportunity for entrepreneurs to capitalise on. “As the existing industry is unorganised, someone who can fill the gaps can grow very fast in this segment.

There is huge need at the moment to change the scenario in its functioning and to modernise so we can have optimum results with the milk and cattle we have. There is great potential for new comers looking at the increasing demand and market size but the complexity of this market has to be managed or it can even drown you,” he says.

The challenges

“Distribution is key in driving the business” Shweta Shrivastav Head of marketing, London Diary Ice Creams

24 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2016

Though India may boast of one of the world’s largest cattle population, the average output of an Indian cow is significantly lower compared to its American counterpart. How then can dairy companies source quality milk? The key will be to support farmer-driven dairy farming with downstream companies playing the anchor role to involve service providers such as those sup-

Despite being the world’s largest producer, the dairy sector in the country is plagued with various challenges plying feed, genetics, healthcare and equipment. Nirmal agrees, “Whether it is an animal or a human being, for a better output one definitely needs to eat nutritious, healthy food. Even the environment needs to be good and friendly.

Good veterinary doctors are required. Everything matters!

If one wants even a glass full of quality milk then the cattle needs to be taken care of like a small baby. Do we have that kind of grassy open land for cattle to graze and enjoy? Are they taken care of well? For all this to happen one has to take

a conscious effort. At Prabhat Dairy's Shrirampur plant you will see the cows grazing happily.

The farmers are trained and wellequipped. We are the only company that has gone ahead with artificial insemination for the cows!”

Shah feels that the issue is not healthy cows but milk yield per animal which is very low.

“The main reasons for the low yield are: Lack of use of scientific practices in mulching, inadequate availability of fodder in all seasons and unavailability of veterinary health services. “We at Bhagyalakshmi Dairy Farm, a wholly owned subsidiary of Parag Milk Foods, are working on the cow comfort technology which includes, music for cows, dry mat for sitting, 24x7 RO water, water sprinklers for cooling, total meal ratio according to age, lactation etc. This has shown results and we believe that ‘Happy cows give better milk’.

All these practices we are showcasing to the nearby farmer community to create awareness about the same.”

Lawyer feels that the very reason is the way we feed our cattle. “We need to educate the farmers and provide them with proper training on how to raise cattle and what to feed them or where the cattle should graze.

In the West, raising of cattle is given huge importance,” he cites.

Despite being the world’s largest producer, the dairy sector in the country is plagued with various challenges like shortage of fodder, dismal transportation facilities and a poor cold chain infrastructure. Nirmal laments, “The way milk is produced, packaged and marketed is, yes, a matter of concern and is indeed ironical that the numero uno status in production offers a sharp contrast to the mediocre methods of production that still prevail across the country. Of course the trend is changing but at a slow pace. The main concern however is the cold chain facilities We as a major player in the in-

dustry expect radical change.

If this scenario does not change then India will have to slide down from the numero uno position.”

Jain has a different viewpoint.

“For many decades, India has consistently delivered around 4.5 per cent annual growth in milk production. This is roughly three times the world average. This growth could not have come if the country had not tackled the challenges. Yes, much more needs to be done and these challenges could restrain further growth. Personally I feel fodder and water availability are the bigger challenges to growth,” he avers.

Any large dairy player in India requires setting up a supply chain for consistent supply of quality milk. Dairy companies have to set up infrastructure at the village level for collection of milk.

Jain adds, “Their role does not end at that – they will also have to work with the farmers for increasing milk production and productivity and provide training/incentive for clean milk production.”

Most of India’s supply-side constraints are disturbing with the poor per cow production, average infrastructure and logistical arrangements.

Nirmal opines, “Exacting excellence in production is the need of the hour to be able to meet the fast-growing demand; especially for value added milk-based products like curd, butter milk, lassi, processed cheese, butter and flavoured variants.”

Shah affirms that the Indian dairy industry is moving in the right direction. “To some extent through government support, we have already overcome the challenges. Today, a large number of small and marginal farmers are involved in dairying. The entire focus is on enhancing the per capita productivity.

The challenge for any brand is to increase distribution, create value offerings for the consumer and constantly reinvent and innovate to create a differentiator,” he says.

(

The retail bandwagon Industry observers believe that the most important thing to do is educate the individuals involved in the supply chain, from the milkman to the retailer. Lawyer is sure that, “If we can make the chain stronger it will give great outcome; it is very necessary that at all levels, the hygiene and cold chain is maintained.

We are seeing changes in the transport system these days which will continue to get better day by day.”

There are also retail obstacles. Asit Roy, vice-president, Prabhat Dairy notes, “Making a presence in retail is not easy due to the cold chain facilities not being available across India. One can survive only if they are big players who have plants across India or else a tie-up with local players. Also, retail infrastructure cannot support this industry due to space constraint of cold chain products. However, the next big market is long life packaging of all milk byproducts which would add life to the industry.”

Shrivastav adds, “While dairy sub-categories like milk, curd etc are planned purchases, ice cream is largely an impulse product. So pres-

ence in outlets in the vicinity of the consumer is an important task. Distribution thus becomes key in driving the business. Being present across Aclass General Trade and the entire universe of Modern Trade is the first step to getting the brand close to the consumer. Modern retail particularly has been the driving force for premium brands like London Dairy since this is where the consumers come, not just for a product but for an experience.”

Future flow Per capita consumption of milk in India is still one-third of the

Western countries. There is definitely further potential for growth. Jain forecasts, “Prices of dairy products will remain high due to sustained strong domestic demand. Although the international dairy market prices have fallen, their impact on local Indian market is minimal due to import tariffs that provide a measure of protection to the domestic industry.”

Lawyer is of the opinion that the market will continue to grow at least 20 per cent every year, but feels that with the competition in the market and big players getting more organised and even bigger, prices will not increase much. Shah says that volumes have been growing four per cent plus every year and he expects the market to grow at the same pace, with prices in the longer term moving in the line of inflation.

The dairy sector would continue to see investments by both the cooperative sector and the private sector.

Large corporates like ITC, Godrej Group and Mahindras have also recently invested in the dairy sector. “Almost all the existing large players in the cooperative and private sectors are pursuing large investment programmes.

A few companies have also raised money from the stock market to fund their expansion plans,” informs Jain.

Industry analysts feel that private equity investments and mid-sized companies going public could be the trend. Investing in technology could go a long way in milching this cash cow.

“This industry is looking at finer technological advancements in milk procurement, farming techniques, distribution network and value added product manufacturing in this industry.

We as a industry welcome innovation,” asserts Nirmal.

Shah believes that the emerging digital era holds great promise for the dairy industry. “Digital technologies help identify gaps in existing products, develop new and innovative ways of product usage and packaging, and pave the way for venturing into newer markets. Using Big Data and analytics, companies can perform real-time sales analysis to understand consumption patterns, which can help modify production and marketing strategies to achieve better results at optimum costs.” He adds, “Mobility solutions can help dairy players immensely improve the customer experience by providing a real-time connect between the companies and the consumers. This can be leveraged to capture customer preferences and demands, thus helping in developing breakthrough products. Digital space also helps in marketing of the products.”

Like in the past, the government’s role is very crucial for the future roadmap. Jain reiterates, “The government has to re-look at its policies for the dairy sector. Instead of simply promoting growth of milk, we have to promote growth coming from increased animal productivity.

Also, many countries do not allow imports of Indian dairy products. The government has to lobby with these countries for removal of non-tariff barriers. Wherever the concerns are genuine, we should set up a task force to tackle the problem.”

THE MAIN FOCUS

“The entire focus is on enhancing the per capita productivity” Devendra Shah Chairman, Parag Milk Foods

“Over the next few years, the dairy market will see the mother of all market battles” Vivek Nirmal Joint MD, Prabhat Dairy

“The complexity of this market has to be managed or it can even drown you” Jehangir Lawyer Director, Fortune Gourmet

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

25

October 16-31, 2016

EVENT ROUNDUP

BUILDING BRAND INDIA The 51st FHRAI annual convention held at Indore this year saw hoteliers holding the Brand India flag high and discuss the many defining trends that are impacting the industry and their businesses

By Sudipta Dev

T

he 51st FHRAI annual convention organised in Indore highlighted the commitment by India's leading hotel association to help build Brand India. Addressing the large gathering of delegates from across the country, Bharat Malkani, president, FHRAI stated, "India presents the most credible business opportunity in the world, so let us build up our brand." Malkani also focused on the three tenets of FHRAI – skill development, with a fully operational college in Greater Noida; a sustainable tourism model with FHRAI coming out with a white paper, a book on how members can run their property on a sustainable model; and food safety. A handbook for hoteliers on food safety was launched with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Vivek Nair, chairman of the convention organising committee, spoke about how India should focus on eco tourism, the fastest growing tourism segment in the world, to grow its inbound tourist numbers. He mentioned that 10 destinations, for instance, Hampi, Ganpatipule, Jaisalmer, and others, should be aggressively marketed. "Eco tourism generates revenue, creates livelihood and safeguards environment. It can be an integral part of CSR," he said.

The inaugural function was also addressed by Vishwas Sarang, minister for co-operation, Madhya Pradesh and Malini Laxman Singh Gaur, mayor of Indore. Welcoming the delegates to the city, the minister urged hoteliers to invest in MP, because of positive political environment and law and order.

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“We have shortage of hotels. MP government wants to strengthen the hospitality sector,” said Sarang.

The grand FHRAI Awards function was attended by Vinod Zutshi, secretary, ministry of tourism, Government of India and Surendra Patwa, state minister, tourism and culture, MP. Patwa urged the hoteliers to invest in the state assuring that their investment will be safe. “MP is progressing very fast in creating assets and destinations for tourism investors,” said Zutshi.

F&B focus The world of F&B is undergoing dynamic changes in the country and a discussion on emerging trends saw an interesting mix of panelists voice their divergent views on how

reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. They also discussed the problems of licensing, CRM and manpower challenges. The panel discussion was moderated

by Kamlesh Barot, past president of FHRAI, who gave many interesting insights into the evolving trends in the business.

Speaking at a panel discussion on the status of FSSAI implementation, renowned chef Hemant Oberoi revealed how sudden inspections, paper work, etc, create a lot of unnecessary stress for chefs. “Every few years the staff is changing and training for FSSAI is a challenge,” said Chef Oberoi, insisting that there should be standardisation from vendors.

Pradeep Shetty, chairman of legal sub committee, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) remarked that FSSAI now has an app that encourages consumers to post complaints, however while there might be genuine complaints, there would also be motivated ones. “FHRAI safety advisory cell will be live soon,” stated Shetty. FHRAI will be setting up food testing labs across the country, with the help of funds from FSSAI.

Evolving trends

their individual strategy has worked for them. Munaf Kapadia of The Bohri Kitchen shared how his brand was built by word-of-mouth and food influencers. “We have built the entire brand on Facebook,” he stated.

Ashish Sajnani, the owner of Bombay Food Truck, also

pointed out how he effectively makes use of social media for his business. Gurbaxish (Gogi) Singh, director, Pritam Hotels, revealed that while he went through every review carefully, he did not treat reviewers as critics but as individuals. The panel members agreed that all

Shetty also moderated another panel discussion on maximising F&B revenue using technology. While Sahil Jain, co-founder, Dineout claimed that his company can drive constant traffic for an outlet and the restaurant can get exact RoI, Harshvardhan Thelaprolu of Scootsy stated that most customers struggle to find new restaurants, and Scootsy

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

EVENT ROUNDUP enables to reach outlets 10-15 km away. Pointing out that the restaurant industry has been tech prejudiced in India, Shetty asked the panel members how that is changing, and stressed on the need for creating a healthy ecosystem that benefits food operators. “The mindset is changing, there is a perceptible advantage of tying up with a delivery platform,” said Thelaprolu.

Vikram Sood, founder, Hungry Wheels informed that his company has identified 1,200 parking spots for mobile restaurants

FHRAI members across the country have more than 160,000 rooms. They were encouraged to go in for its Indian Hospitality Quality Standards (IHQS), Diamond Rating System in Mumbai.

The panel discussion on new age payment options gave an interesting insight into the innovative usage of technology. Moderated by Shail Barot, international business development director, Vie Hospitality, the discussion highlighted that the payment industry understands that the process is not just a transaction, but a part of customer experience, there are focused efforts on making it seamless. UPI will be a game changer in time to come, and ICICI Bank is betting big on it.

Saurabh Jain, chief manager, mobile payments, ICICI Bank, mentioned, “ICICI Bank tries to come out with innovative payment technology. The process should bring the merchant closer to the customer.” Mohit Kanodia of Jio Money, Reliance Jio Infocomm affirmed, “End-toend payment should be simplified. The payment process should not be any different from billing for a hotelier. The payment experience should also provide a 'wow' moment to the customer.”

The session on contemporary trends in hotel architecture saw John Gerondelis, principal, Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates give a

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

presentation highlighting the driving factors in design trends.

Tony Joseph, founder and principal architect, Stapati, spoke about his award-winning sustainable projects like Kumarakom Lake Resort, Vythiri Resort, Alila Diwa Goa, and others. Joseph remarked that the trend internationally is how local you can be, and global hospitality companies now understand this, for instance Canopy

by Hilton is influenced by the destination, Hyatt Centric is focused on local, and Andaz Hotels by Hyatt showcases personalised style.

New classification standards FHRAI members across the country have more than 160,000 rooms. They were encouraged to go in for its Indian Hospitality Quality Standards (IHQS), Diamond Rating System. Speaking about his own experience of establishing the first three-star hotel in Kumaon in the early 80s, SM Shervani, past president, FHRAI and president of Shervani Hospitalities said, “We need classification as we need certain standards, also for licenses, etc.”

The rating / classification checklist has three mandatory sections (minimum score 80 per

cent) and four sections are optional. “The biggest advantage of IHQS is that there will be standards, there are OTAs which rate you as per their wish,” said Nirav Gandhi, director of Gujarat-based Express group of hotels, adding that the rating system will enable customers to know what to expect.

OTA challenge For hoteliers, one of the main challenges concern the OTAs, with almost 50 per cent of bookings coming through OTAs or web search engines. Sanjay Sethi, MD and CEO, Chalet Hotels said, “A strong OTA community controls our rates. Rate parity is a key challenge.” Most hoteliers think OTAs are a necessary evil. Sethi suggested that FHRAI members can form a committee to bargain with OTAs. Currently managing 41 hotels, Param Kannampilly, CMD, Concept Hospitality, remarked, “They give discount on their website so our website never grows. Booking is not done through the booking engine.” Hotel companies need to relook their website, integrate payment gateway and have web-special rates. It is also important for independent hoteliers to invest in a channel manager.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

27

SPOT LIGHT

LIVE LIKE AHERMIT In a sleepy town called Nileshwar in Kasargod district of Kerala, Altaf Chapri set out to build an oasis of tranquillity and greenery that is today a world renowned boutique destination in itself

By Steena Joy

A

round 20 kms from Kasargod in Kerala and a two-hour drive from Mangalore airport (incidentally a table top airport), lies a town the cultural capital of North Malabar Nileshwar or Nileshwaram. The town's claim to fame being that Kerala's first chief minister E.M.S. Namboodiripad was elected from here. The town’s other famous attraction is Neeleshwar Hermitage, a boutique beach retreat that is frequented by many international tourists. Though the resort is very popular with international guests, recently it has seen much interest from the domestic market as well.

According to Jayan K V, general manager, Neeleshwar Hermitage, “Earlier only about five per cent of our guests were domestic visitors. This has now increased to 30 per cent. May to

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September which is the offseason internationally is becoming popular with the domestic market. This year we have seen an increase in room nights even in the off season. Our main source markets in India are Bengaluru, Mangalore, Mumbai, Indore and Delhi.”

Neeleshwar Hermitage has 18 keys that includes six sea view cottages apart from an

infinity pool overlooking a lagoon and sandbar. Each of these villas are named after emotions like Prema (love), Ananda (bliss), Moksha (freedom), etc. “We are marketing Neeleshwar as a beach 'retreat' rather than a beach ‘hotel. We helped build the destination and create an awareness of it,” adds Jayan.

The resort has its own

luxury houseboat called the Lotus which offers guests both day and overnight cruises on the Valiyaparambu backwaters that start about five kms from the Hermitage. During the cruise, you can see different aquatic birds, fishermen out working, local life along the banks, including a coir cottage industry. You will also visit Monkey Island with its monkeys and sacred grove, and en route to the boarding point, an ancient Vishnu Temple.

The resort is a non-smoking hotel, throughout and guests are requested not to use their mobile phones at meal times in the dining areas and at the spa.

The Priya Ayurveda Spa offers all types of treatment after free

individual consultation with a highly qualified and experienced Ayurveda doctor. There is also Kubera the shop within the premises where a range of items like clothes, bags, jewellery, rugs, shawls, sarongs, organic and natural soaps, shampoos, body scrubs and incense sticks are available.

Interestingly, there is an inhouse tailor, Janardhanan, so guests can get their clothes stitched made-to-measure, including yoga clothes. Yoga classes are conducted under an expert the Patanjali Yoga Hall overlooking the beach. The resort also has a meditation programme under the tutelage of Alistair Shearer, Neeleshwar Hermitage's cultural director.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

SPOT LIGHT

Jayan informs, “As part of our ‘no plastic policy', we do not use bottled water, as even a hotel of this size can easily generate a hundred empty bottles a day, thereby adding to Kerala's already considerable pollution problems. We use copper vessels which is known to add subtle energising properties to water.”

The resort has two F&B outlets Annapoorna and Meenakshi. Complimentary fresh fruit is available throughout the day from the fruit basket in Annapoorna. Each afternoon there is a cookery class conducted by one

of the resort's chefs. Another surprise is the library located in the Annapoorna dining room which guests can use to borrow books.

It contains a growing collection of books on many Indian-related topics. As this collection is drawn from the personal library of

Shearer, and contains many outof-print books, guests are asked to fill in the borrowing register.

Guests are also encouraged to

leave any of their old books when they check out of the hotel, so that future guests can benefit from this generosity.

WE COULD FATHOM THE NEED FOR A BOUTIQUE BEACH RETREAT IN INDIA Altaf Chapri, MD, ABChapri Retreats,speaks about his journey from Kashmir to Kerala and what's so unique about Neeleshwar Hermitage From Kashmir to Kerala. What inspired you to set up Neeleshwar Hermitage so far from home?

The location of the quaint village of Nileshwar was what inspired us to set up Neeleshwar Hermitage so far from home. Being in the trade for over 20 years we could fathom the need for a boutique beach retreat in India. In order to fill the gap we travelled across India and fell in love at first sight when we first came to Nileshwar village.

mitage have a deep love for India and its culture. We have people from the investment sector as well as author/writer Alistair Shearer who have all brought their expertise and love together to create Neeleshwar Hermitage.

Do you have any joint partners in this venture? The people behind the boutique property?

Yes, we have investors from the UK in our venture. People behind the Her-

How was the design and style conceptualised?

An oasis of calm set in 12 naturally landscaped acres, Neeleshwar Hermitage is built according to the

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

What do you think is Neeleshwar's USP? Neeleshwar stands out for fabulous location, small and quaint property and personalised service.

traditional architectural principles of Kerala Vastu. The whole site is oriented to the east and the rising sun, while the buildings are all placed in correct relation to each other, the four directions and the site as a whole. The traditional wood-and-thatch architecture is balanced with stylish contemporary touches and familiar modern comforts.

The site overlooks a gloriously unspoiled beach of sand, stretching as far as the eye can see in both directions. The sea is clean and safe for swimming most of the year.

Which are your major source markets internationally? And in India?

Although the UK is our No.1 source market accounting for 57 per cent of the revenue and Germany, Belgium and France competing for the next place, India as a market is definitely growing.

In India, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai are our major source markets although we do get guests from Tier II and Tier III cities as well.

What in your opinion is the future of tourism in the country?

In our opinion, inbound into India doesn’t look very promising as it lacks the infrastructure that tourism needs.

The pollution level in the country is also stunting growth. However domestic tourism as we see has grown and is promising as more and more Indians are looking to experience unique properties across India.

Your comments on the new age traveller?

Neeleshwar Hermitage has been designed and made for the new age traveller; digital de-toxing, peace, natural food and personalised service.

Do you have plans for setting up any new properties? If so, where?

Yes, indeed! We are looking to open Qayaam-Gah in 2018, a boutique hotel, the first of its kind in Srinagar, Kashmir.

We are also looking forward to open a luxury boutique hotel in the pink city of Jaipur.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

29

IN FOCUS

SICACULINARYCOMPETITION AND EXHIBITION 2016 The South India Culinary Association (SICA) recently organised the 4th edition of SICA Culinary Competition and Exhibition 2016 at the Chennai Trade Centre on the sidelines of the regional edition of AAHAR International Food Fair 2016, Chennai. The three-day event was supported by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Tamil Nadu Trade Promotion Organisation (TNTPO) and was attended by top chefs from India and overseas. The event served as an effective platform for young chefs and aspiring culinary professionals to improve their culinary abilities and take their careers to the next level.

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

EVENTS TRACKER Date

Event

Venue

November 1-3, 2016

International Forech

Kiev (Ukraine)

December 5-7, 2016

Sial Middle East

Abu Dhabi (UAE)

December 5-8, 2016

Foodpex

Shanghai (China)

January 19-21, 2017

Food Hospitality World

Mumbai

February 7-10, 2017

SMAK

Lillestrøm (Norway)

February 14-17, 2017

OLEOTEC

Zaragoza (Spain)

March 19 - 22, 2017

Bibac Expo

Antwerp

April 1-3, 2017

Salon Des Vins Et De La Gastronomie

St Malo, France

April 2-3, 2017

Natural & Organic Products Europe

London

April 4-6, 2017

Profood Tech

Chicago

April 5-8, 2017

Food & Hotel Indonesia

Jakarta

June 2017

Fithep Mercosur Argentina

Buenos Aires

July 2017

M'Asia Foodpro

Kuala Lumpur

July 2017

Great Japan Beer Festival

Osaka

July 2017

Good Food & Wine Show

Perth

July 2017

Fiera Di U Vinu

Luri

July 2017

Bellavita Expo

London

August 2017

Abastur

Mexico

August 2017

East Food Indonesia Expo

Surabaya

August 2017

Expo Comida Latina

Los Angeles

August 2017

Hong Kong International Tea Fair

Hong Kong

September 11-15, 2017

DRINKTEC

Munich

September 19-21, 2017

Livestock Asia

Kuala Lumpur

September 19-22, 2017

INTERBEV

Chicago

October 17-20, 2017

VITEFF

Épernay (France)

October 20-24, 2017

HOST

Milan

November 28-30, 2017

Bake & Cake

Tel Aviv

Nov 29-Dec 2, 2017

Austro Agrar Tulln

Tulln (Austria)

January 2018

Anfas Hotel Equipment

Turkey

January 2018

Danubius Gastro

Slovakia

January 2018

Gast Expo

Slovenia

January 2018

HORECAVA

Netherlands

January 2018

India International Coffee Festival

India

January 2018

Millésime Bio

France

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

31

TECH TALK

'HOTELS FACING HIGH THREATPERCEPTIONS ARE PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS' A global specialist in energy management and automation, Schneider Electric India provides customised solutions to the hospitality industry. Thanik B, director - segment marketing and business development, Schneider Electric India shares the advantages of implementing the company's intelligent security solution and user-friendly energy management system

By Sudipta Dev

Which are the products and solutions that Schneider Electric offers to the hospitality sector in India ?

Schneider Electric offers various products and solutions, including EcoStruxure, integrating various security systems that create an intelligent Security Management System, which helps hotels boost guest, staff and visitor safety; protect hotel assets; improve energy efficiency; simplify operations; and reduce operating costs, while increasing the bottom line.

Schneider Electric solu-

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tions include emergency lighting, alarms, access control, intrusion detection, fire detection, and video surveillance to provide complete security coverage. If an incident occurs, comprehensive audit trails allow easy maintenance and relevant information retrieval. Our integrated security solutions lower initial installation costs and decrease total cost of ownership over the long term.

Please explain the concept of Ecostuxure architecture.

Which category of hotels is

your target market?

EcoStruxure is an active Plant-to-Plug energy management architecture. Hotels facing high threat perceptions from extremist elements are prospective customers since they need stringent security.

All five-star and other prominent hotels would require such enhanced security to safeguard the lives of their guests, staff and visitors.

What are the key features of the intelligent security solutions that you provide to hotels ?

Schneider Electric provides intelligent hotel security that is more proactive and easier to use; our solutions lower training time from days to hours. The security is integrated with other building systems to create a single dashboard with real-time monitoring and instant fault notification and escalation.

Advanced analytics give a hotel-wide view that includes people, property, data, assets, power, heating, cooling and the network environment.

These tools permit a more expedient and effective

Thanik B

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Perfecting pastry craft Wisk by Cakesmiths in Mumbai is one-of-a-kind pastry school that has a strong focus on the B2B segment. Vrinda Jatia, founder and director, Wisk by Cakesmiths talks about her aim to transform pastry making as a shared passion amongst baking enthusiasts in the country

By Sudipta Dev

W

hat distinguishes Wisk

by Cakesmiths from other bakery institutions is a customercentric approach that aims to instill confidence in bakers by enhancing their skills and improving their techniques. “Exposure and education based on our clients’ needs is key for us. We bring in advanced techniques and aim to ensure that our students are wellversed by the end of the course,” says Vrinda Jatia, founder and director, Wisk by Cakesmiths. She had first started Cakesmiths, an e-commerce portal for high quality baking supplies. After interacting with customers, Jatia realised the huge opportunity in education and

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established Wisk.

The institute attracts home bakers, entrepreneurs and trained chefs who have passed out from catering colleges. “The facility offers classes for home bakers who want to hone their skills and start baking professionally, for budding entrepreneurs who want to start their own ventures,” mentions Jatia, pointing out that Wisk has specially curated master courses for breads, chocolates and confectionery, pastry and cake artistry which equip individuals to develop their own baking expertise. “These courses are apt for individuals and pastry chefs who want to enhance their skills and offerings, follow new food trends, innovate recipes and cur-

rently run their own business venture,” adds Jatia.

The trainers include professional chefs and veterans from the industry for guest workshops. “Our resident chef is a Michelin star trained chef with over 21 years of experience in both international and national hospitality industry. We also bring best chefs from around the world who share their techniques and valuable experiences through a series of insightful hands-on sessions,” informs Jatia. Asia’s well known pastry chef and Singapore’s dessert queen, Janice Wong had conducted a workshop for the launch of the facility.

In the future Jatia will be inviting veterans from across the globe to provide spe-

cialised training to students.

“This would result in better placements for our students, stronger engagement with HoReCa industry and add value to their learnings,” she states.

The course modules offered by Wisk are modeled along the full time bakery and pastry courses. The institute also conducts recreational baking classes and hands-on baking sessions with experts.

Other courses are: Dietetics classes (health oriented baking classes for dietary restrictions and food allergies), Department of Food Media (for culinary-centric communication and marketing), and customised classes, provided to budding entrepreneurs.

There is a need to innovate

Vrinda Jatia

in the industry, which Jatia believes, will stagnate after a point as majority of the vendors lack the ability to innovate and buyers are always looking to see something new.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

MOVEMENTS Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

Vikas Kumar

Nicholas Dumbell

Chef Narender Singh

JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh

Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield

JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh has announced the appointment of VIKAS KUMAR as the new director of operations. In this role, Kumar will be assisting the general manager in overseeing the operations of the 164-room hotel. Kumar began his career in the year 2000 by holding various F&B positions at various countries and has worked his way up as a director of operations. Ananda in the Himalayas at Rishkesh was his first assignment where he worked as a F&B supervisor.

Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield recently appointed director of sales and marketing, DEEP PREET BINDRA. Bindra will bring over 12 years of experience in the service industry to the hotel and lead the effort to create opportunities for new business and marketing visibility. He has worked for brands like Westin, Gurgaon and Westin

Vivanta by Taj – Yeshwantpur, Bangalore Vivanta by Taj – Yeshwantpur, Bangalore has appointed AGNIMITRA SHARMA as executive chef. Chef Sharma has 19 years of experience in operational projects, pre-openings, current world trends and guest relations. After completing hotel management, Chef Sharma did

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has appointed NICHOLAS JOHN JUETT as the general manager of Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam. Juett has over 20 years of experience within the international hotel and tourism industry. He started his hospitality journey as the front of house manager at the Haven Hotel in the UK where he later on became the general manager. This was followed by various properties and positions including that of general manager for Colony Club Hotel, St James, Barbados; group operations di-

the Leading Hotels portfolio in the India market. Arora joined The Leading Hotels of the World in September 2010 as director of sales for North India. He has previously held various senior

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet NICHOLAS DUMBELL has been appointed as the general manager of Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet. Under this role, Dumbell will be spearheading the management of the hotel from operations to guiding the overall management. He will focus on introducing innovative and contemporary ideas. A seasoned professional, Dumbell holds over 16 years of leadership experience with the Marriott brand and has worked with various brands under the Marriott portfolio such as Bengaluru Whitefield Marriott, Renaissance Kiev, Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel and Country Club.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

Deep Preet Bindra

Agnimitra Sharma

Deepak Arora

Sohna Resort, The Oberoi Group, Kingfisher Airlines, Thomas Cook India and American Express.

his training with Oberoi Group of Hotels and has worked with Park Hyatt Hyderabad, JW Marriott Pune, Radisson Blu, Hyatt Regency Kolkata, Hyatt Regency Mumbai, Crowne Plaza, Meridian, and InterContinental Hotels Group.

executive positions with Hyatt in India and has worked in the industry for more than a decade.

Sarovar Hotels Sarovar Hotels has appointed CHEF NARENDER SINGH as the corporate chef. Chef Singh brings with him an experience of 32 years in the industry. He specialises in international cuisines, banqueting and conventions, events and fine-dining restaurants. Chef Singh has received various culinary excellence awards, including Hyatt International Innovators award for 2004-05.

The Leading Hotels of the World The Leading Hotels of the World has appointed DEEPAK ARORA as the new director for its regional office in India. Based in New Delhi, Arora will lead the regional team to increase the awareness and preference for

rector for FBJ Hotels, UK; technical services manager for Aman Resorts, Singapore; joint general manager for Amanpulo Resort, Philippines and most recently general manager for Amanruya, Turkey.

sorts, following her career in advertising with Ogilvy & Mather and TBWA.

Wyndham Hotel Group Wyndham Hotel Group announced the appointment of PHILIPPE BIJAOUI to the role of chief development officer for Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA). In this role, Bijaoui will oversee the company’s expansion across the region, introducing additional brands to established markets and building on the 73 countries where Wyndham Hotel Group properties are present. He has more than 20 years of hotel real estate and development experience in markets across EMEA and most recently served as vice president of development, Europe, InterContinental Hotels Group.

Marco Polo Hotels Marco Polo Hotels has appointed ALKA DATWANI as group director, branding and communications for new luxury hotel brand, Niccolo Hotels, and Marco Polo Hotels group. A seasoned hotelier, Datwani brings with her over 12 years of luxury hospitality and hotel experience to her new role. Her previous roles include senior positions with Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels and Resorts, St Regis Macao and Le Méridien Hotels and Re-

Philippe Bijaoui

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TECH TALK

response to security threats and better ability to maintain business continuity.

How do your products reduce energy consumption in hotels? Are these applicable to even budget hotels/standalone properties ?

Consider EcoStruxure, which is not a product but rather an approach to creating intelligent energy management systems. These systems are simplified, save money and, importantly, reduce waste by enabling a guaranteed compatibility between the management of power, white space, process and machines, building control and security. Its agile architecture brings optimised systems within reach of a wider audience because of compatible product designs and open-platform software. It provides end-users with the critical tools needed to reduce their design time, CapEx and OpEx. These are applicable to all hotel properties.

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

What are the long-term cost benefits of your products for hotel chains?

They reduce annual outgoings and maintenance costs of security, besides the safety and security of guests, staff and other visitors. For example, Schneider Electric’s scalable energy management systems can reduce energy costs by as much as 30 per cent and ensure a positive RoI within six months.

These solutions reduce the carbon trail of hotels due to lower use of resources.

Hotels and other properties in the hospitality sector and other industries facing high threat perception from fundamentalist elements should use world-class security products to foster peace of mind and ensure safety of people within their premises. One-time investments deliver immense benefits that cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

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42 October 16-31, 2016

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weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Sip and savour

Riyaaz Amlani, Varun Dhawan and Aman Anand at the INCA awards at St Regis Mumbai

Night and bright It was all very cheerful at the India Nightlife Convention and Awards (INCA) 2016, presented by Danke in association with Johnnie Walker, powered by Dineout, an intellectual property of Kickstart Entertainment and an initiative by National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), created to bring India’s nightlife industry together. Besides celebrities at St Regis Mumbai, making their presence felt were members of the advisory board – Riyaaz Amlani, president, NRAI and CEO/MD, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality; AD Singh, owner, Olive Bar & Kitchen; Dilip Joshi, consultant for restaurants, bars, nightclubs and lounges; Kishore DF, director, Bang On Consulting; David DeSouza, owner, Tito’s, Goa; Jay Singh, co-founder and executive director, JSM Corporation; Gaurav Gupta, Danke Exim India; Bradley Drummond, solutions manager, Harman Nightlife; Ewan Gunn, Diageo whisky master; and Alan Miller, chairman and founder, Night Time Industries Association.

Fine wine was sipped and savoured as Aspri Spirits hosted a master class with Nicolas Kowalski, Asia sales director, Viña Ventisquero at Flavour Diaries.

Enjoyed was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, deep ruby in colour, fresh fruit nose with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackcurrants intermingled with notes of vanilla and chocolate, Carménère 2014, deep cherry colour with aromas of black and red fruit such as blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, strawberries and cherries, as well as spicy notes that blend harmoniously with hints of chocolate and vanilla and Sauvignon Blanc 2015, pale green colour with a blend of citrus and tropical fruit aromas like lime, grapefruit, pineapple and pear, complemented by gentle herbal notes.

Nicolas Kowalski at the Ventisquero wine event at Flavour Diaries

Nikhita and Pooja Kapur at the Grande Weddings show at The Club

Show and tell The Club looked resplendent at its Grande Weddings evening that showcased the very best in wedding trends and advice including the décor, cuisine, ambience and floral embellishments. It was an opportunity for The Club to highlight how to stage a suitable wedding for various religions and customs with a blend of multi-cuisine and multi-entertainment. The Club’s panel of decorators and wedding planners were there to showcase their creativity that goes in diligently crafting an ideal venue for weddings, pre-wedding and post-wedding functions. One of the plus points of the evening was the fashion show by Designiks by18-year-old Nikhita Kapur and her mother Pooja. The evening also gave The Club a chance to introduce to guests their wide variety of food offering from its premium outdoor catering unit, Kuisine Kraft, the gourmet experience that was launched.

All colourful

Anuvab Pal, Sharmshtha Ray, Parmesh Shahani, Urmi, Anusha Yadav, Madhuri and Sanaya Ardeshir at the Absolut Colors launch at Project 88

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

Iconic vodka brand Absolut launched its globally-acclaimed limitededition Absolut Colors, dressed in the colours of the famous pride flag created in 1977. While red denotes ‘life and sexuality’, orange is symbolic of ‘healing and friendship’, yellow stands for ‘vitality and energy’ and green depicts ‘serenity and nature’. The expressions of ‘harmony and artistry’ have been symbolised through blue and purple stands for ‘spirit and gratitude’. You witnessed these expressions at Project 88 with a display of artworks by international visual artist Sharmistha Ray. The evening kicked off with the premiere of the ‘Dancing Queens: It’s All About Family’ documentary on India’s transgender community by Jeff Roy, a straight-from-theheart talk on his journey and a book reading by Parmesh Shahani, author of ‘Gay Bombay’ and stand-up act by Anuvab Pal. Of course, much Absolut Colors was enjoyed.

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weekend

E V E N T S

A TASTEFUL AFFAIR Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury, head, marketing –

CO-ORDINATED EFFORTS Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa, CEO, Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, along with Ankit Rastogi, VP, marketplace, Stayzilla, at the signing of partnership for joint-promotion of homestays in Punjab

PROUD HOST Hyatt Regency, Delhi recently hosted a gala dinner for Top 100 CEOs of the country, for the event - The CEO Series 2016, wherein Chef Gary Mehigan crafted an exclusive menu based on “Seven Wonders of the World”

international Brands and Brandy Project, Sula Vineyards; Matias Gerardo Amstutz, corporate business manager, India, Middle East and Oceania; Grupo Peñaflor (Trapiche); Rajeev Samant, CEO and founder, Sula Vineyards; Robert Joseph, international wine connoisseur and winemaker, Le Grand Noir; Emma Hammonds, regional director, Asia, Constellation Brands; and Cecilia Oldne, VP, marketing and global brand ambassador, Sula Vineyards, at the launch of the first Sula Selections ‘Globe in a Glass’ Roadshow 2016 in Mumbai

CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY Tamarind Global recently celebrated its 10th anniversary at The Astor Ballroom, The St Regis Mumbai

HIGHLIGHTING INDUSTRY POTENTIAL Rahul Singh, honorary secretary PASSION FOR COFFEE Tata Starbucks hosted the grand finale of the second edition of Starbucks Coffee Championship India in Mumbai

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

NRAI; Riyaaz Amlani, president, NRAI, Jayakumar Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Govt of Maharashtra, Amit Jatia, chapter head, NRAI; and Samir Kuckreja, past president and trustee, NRAI, launching NRAI India Food Services Report 2016 in Mumbai

OCTOBER 16-31, 2016

REGD.WITH RNI NO. MAHENG/2012/42381,POSTAL REGD. NO. MCS/161/2016 – 18,PUBLISHED ON 2ND / 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2ND,3RD,4TH & 17TH,18TH,19TH OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE,MUMBAI – 400001.

REGD.WITH RNI NO. MAHENG/2012/42381,POSTAL REGD. NO. MCS/161/2016 – 18,PUBLISHED ON 2ND / 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2ND,3RD,4TH & 17TH,18TH,19TH OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE,MUMBAI – 400001.