food & beverage business review

1Hammer Food & Beverage Business ReviewOct-Nov ’12

2 Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review Oct-Nov ’12

E d i t o r i a l

Publisher cum Editor

Rajneesh Sharma

[email protected]

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Tapapriya Lahiri

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Over the last decade, with the maturation ofglobalisation, the tastes of upwardly mobileurban India in particular and of the urbanIndian restaurant goers in general have becomemore globalised than they were before. Thiscontinually evolving trend has resulted in thepopularity of various international cuisinesamong Indian restaurant goers, which in turnhas influenced the Indian restaurant business.Many discerning consumers are even seenpreferring authentic versions of Chinese,Japanese, Italian and Mediterranean cuisines over

their Indianised tastes.However, surprisingly, authentic Mexican cuisine has not garnered the

popularity and visibility in the Indian restaurant scenario which it doesdeserve, considering that there are many similarities between Indian andMexican cuisines. Both are amalgamation of diverse culinary traditions,reflecting great diversity of tastes, and both have by and large, a crucial role ofspices in them. Many of the ingredients of both the cuisines also sharecommonality. Moreover, it would interest many in the F&B industry in thesehealth conscious times to know that a great many authentic Mexican dishesare low on fat and high in vitamins and minerals.

Yes, Mexican cuisine is gaining popularity in select cities of urban India,but is yet to emerge as a ‘popular cuisine’ in the Indian restaurant goers’ palate.One popular reason behind the comparatively slow momentum of the growthof popularity of Mexican cuisine in India is that Mexico is not an importantdestination in a majority of Indian leisure and business travellers’ itinerary.However, I think the problem is more from the supply side. Not enoughnumbers of enterprising restaurateurs are coming up with authentic Mexicancuisine restaurants to channel the globalised tastes of a significant section ofIndian restaurant goers towards Mexican cuisine.

The demand for Mexican cuisine is rising in urban India, though notappreciably, but the supply is not able to match this demand. There are fewMexican restaurants even in cosmopolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi andBangalore, and most of these few restaurants also do serve highly Indianisedversions of Mexican dishes, which I doubt a food lover from Mexico would beable to recognise. If marketed proactively and intelligently, Mexican cuisinecan have a great future in the Indian restaurant industry. In the Cover Story,we have attempted to dwell on the history, diversity, and health attributes ofMexican cuisine, and also explored its extent of penetration in the Indianrestaurant business, which we hope our readers would find of interest.

The coffee café culture is growing at a great pace in urban India. Theincreased consumption of coffee in the country, the emergence of a sizeablelifestyle conscious segment in young India, and the perceptible lifestylechanges in the upwardly mobile and also middle-class urban India havetogether given a momentum to this coffee café culture. This has encouragedmany foreign café chains to enter the retail space of coffee business in a bigway, which has strengthened the aroma of competition. We have exploredmyriad issues pertaining to this happening business trend in the food &beverage industry, in our exhaustive Business Story.

Besides these relevant topics, we have attempted to cover diverse otherissues of importance to the industry through our regular and additionalfeatures, and also through our news and report sections. We would meet againin the new year, and therefore I wish you all a happy new year along with anabsorbing read of this issue.


CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTS

Cover Story 36

Mexican Cuisine for India

Business 42

The Wafting Aroma

Feature 48

A Spicy Growth Story

Agri 54

Berry Very Healthy

Theme Cuisine 58

Exploring the Taste of Spain

Product 64

Bringing Value to the Table

Departments

Event 04

News 08

Report 26

Wine 56

Restaurant Review 60

Chef Voice 62

Operations 67

Equipment 70

Product Preview 72

Business Opportunity 73

Interview 76


E V E N T

Oishii Japan — Projecting Japan’s F&B Industry

to the ASEAN Market

Oishii Japan enjoyed a successfuldebut as Japanese food exporterstargetted the growing Singapore

and ASEAN market. Held from 1st to 3rdNovember at Sands Expo and ConventionCentre, the show attracted over 5,000participants from more than 20 countries.

Koji Nanbu, the Deputy Director ofExport Promotion Division in Ministryof Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(MAFF), revealed that ASEAN has nowemerged as an important market forJapanese food exports. He added,“Singapore, with its strategic location,would be a gateway for Japanesecompanies to expand into ASEAN.”

Nanbu also noted that Oishii Japan hadthe largest concentration of Japanesecompanies in any food-related exhibitionin this region. Oishii Japan occupied over4,000 square metres and had 220exhibiting companies from 27 prefectures.Some 90 per cent of the companies werefrom Japan. MAFF, as a strong supportingorganisation of Oishii Japan, took up thelargest pavilion of 150 square metres atthe show.

Masanao Nishida, the Director ofOishii Japan, said: “The show was createdas an answer to the growing popularity ofJapanese food and drinks among Asians.It is an excellent platform for ASEANbuyers to explore and source from a richmix of quality Japanese F&B productsand kitchen equipment, many of whichwere launched outside of Japan for thefirst time.

Business Objectives ofParticipants FulfilledThe first edition of Oishii Japan featureda wide variety of Japanese products such

as meat, seafood, sake and shochu, noodles,sauces, condiments and confectionery aswell as a wide range of cutlery, utensils,tableware and innovative kitchenequipment. The showcase was a usefulsourcing platform for F&B professionals,Chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, importersand distributors, retailers as well as newbusiness owners and investors in the foodbusiness. Positive feedback from tradevisitors attests to Oishii Japan being adedicated showcase of an exciting varietyof Japanese F&B products and relatedservices. A delighted PhakkawatphinyoBapphabun, a hosted buyer fromThailand, said, “My visit to Oishii Japanhas been very productive. I placed orderswith several suppliers of meat, seafood andprocessed food from various prefectures. Iam looking forward to source for moreconsumer packaged products in my nextvisit.”

Truong Khanh Hoa, a hosted buyerfrom Vietnam, commented, “This is a goodplace to procure authentic Japanese F&Bproducts. I have met many new supplierswith interesting products, which havegreat potential to be imported intoVietnam.” Exhibitors were pleased withthe show as they had met good qualitybuyers from Singapore and the region.Hiroki Yamanaka, Chief Executive Staff,Market Development Division, Sakai CityIndustrial Promotion Centre, whichdisplayed a range of exquisite kitchenknives used for Japanese cooking, asserted,“This was our first time exhibiting outsideof Japan and New York, and we aresurprised that the people here are sointerested in Japanese food and sake. Wemet about 30 potential distributors andwe will be following up with them. Many

Chefs also came to look at our knives. Wesold a number of knives, with the mostexpensive priced at $12,000. We featuredfive manufacturers for this show. Next year,we will bring more participants.”

Katsuhiko Chinzei, who is in charge ofexports at Rumi Japan, a fish processingcompany, met more than 30 potentialbuyers. “Overall, we are very satisfied withOishii Japan,” he articulated. “We wantedSingapore to know more about sake,especially Niigata sake,” affirmed arepresentative of Niigata Sake Association,which had 19 breweries taking part.Having met with many prospectivedistributors, the breweries were happywith the turnout of the show.

A Culinary HavenMembers of the public who visited theshow on Saturday (November 3) were alsogenerally delighted with the variety ofexhibits and tastings. It was anopportunity to sample premium Japanesefood, sake and shochu as well as to purchaseproducts, which are not available inSingapore yet.

Highlights of the Show Included:• ‘Live’ Japanese food demonstrations

by Fumikazu Ohnuki, the Executive SousChef of celebrity restaurant HideYamamoto and Akihiro Maetomo, theExecutive Chef of Chikuyotei Singapore.

• Appreciation workshops on Japanesesake, shochu and awamori.

• Product presentations on Japaneserice, kelp and other prefecture specialities.

• Udon discoveries for kids; an udon-making workshop for children between 10to 12 years old.

• Ramen and udon-makingdemonstrations and free tastings.

1Sept-Oct ’12


E V E N T S’ C A L E N D E RE V E N T S’ C A L E N D E R

E V E N T

SIAL 2012:

An Exceptional Exhibition Gulfood 2013

25-28 February 2013

Dubai International

Convention & Exhibition Centre, Dubai

www.gulfood.com

Aahar 2013

14-18 March 2013

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

www.aaharinternationalfair.com

HOTELEX 2013

1-3 April 2013

Shanghai New International Exhibition

Center, Shanghai,China

www.hotelex.cn

SIAL China 2013

7-9 May 2013

Shanghai New International Exhibition

Center, Shanghai, China

www.sialchina.com

HOFEX 2013

7-10 May 2013

Hongkong Exhibition centre,

Hong Kong

www.hofex.com

NRA Show 2013

18-21 May 2013

McCormick Place, Chicago, US

www.restaurant.org

Thaifex- World of Food ASIA 2013

22-26 May 2013

Impact challenger, Thailand

www.worldoffoodasia.com

FISPAL FOOD SERVICE

25-28 June 2013

Expo Centre, Sao Paulo, Brazil

www.fispalfoodservice.com.br

TRAFS 2013

25-28 July 2013

Hall 103, Bangkok International Trade &

Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok

www.thailandhoreca.com

Hong Kong International Tea Fair

15-17 August 2013

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition

Center, Hongkong

www.hkteafair.com

Success Story at TRAFS 2012Success Story at TRAFS 2012

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more than 300 brands, across 30 countriesworldwide, took part in TRAFS 2012.

Based on the post show questionnairewith exhibitors, the majority expressedsatisfaction with the results of the show andthe quality of visitors and almost 70 percentconfirmed to participate in the next year’sshow (7th edition), to be held during 25th-28th July 2013, also at BITEC.

Kavin also attributed the show’s success tothe booming hotel, restaurants and hospitalitybusinesses in line with the rising tourist arrivalto Thailand. He also added that the“Exhibitors had full confidence in the showand its attractiveness in drawing visitors, bothfrom throughout Thailand and overseas.”

Here it deserves a mention that theTRAFS 2012 was co-located with ASEAN’sNo. 1 Thailand Franchise & BusinessOpportunities 2012 (8th edition),participated by over 130 franchisors;representing over 140 brands from almost10 countries.

TRAFS 2012 (6th

edition) endedsuccessfully with a newrecord of over 27,000

visitors from 48 countries, and almost 65percent exhibitors have confirmed toreturn in the next year’s show, set for 25th-28th July 2013. Kavin Kittiboonya, theManaging Director of Kavin Intertrade Co.,Ltd., the show organiser, revealed that atotal of 27,415 visitors from 48 countrieswere registered during the four-day event.TRAFS 2012 was held during 25th-28thOctober 2012 at Bangkok InternationalTrade and Exhibition Center. The numberof visitors at TRAFS 2012 was slightlyhigher than that of 26,395, recorded inprevious year’s edition. Top ten overseasvisitors at the event were from Singapore,Vietnam, Malaysia, the United States,Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia,Hong Kong, and China. Almost 100companies representing products from

conferences at the heart of today’s economicand political preoccupations —undoubtedly left its mark. GuillaumeGarrot, French Deputy Minister of Agri-food, noteworthy for his daily involvement,together with numerous ministers andpolitical and scientific personalities, openedthe debate on key issues relating to thefuture of the food industry in France, whichincluded food challenge, anti-wasteprogramme announcement, nutrition, andmore; and all these themes wereprogrammed by SIAL TV. The 2012 show,fully attuned to the mainstream marketchallenges, highlighted the dynamism ofthe agri-food industry on a global scale.

The flow of international visitors at SIALhad global offering at their fingertips. “Ouraim was to strengthen the proximitybetween the sector players present. It is now‘mission accomplished’. SIAL played apivotal role with a view to the challenges oftoday and the issues of tomorrow”,remarked Valérie Lobry, ManagingDirector of Comexposium’s Agriculture andFood Industry Division.

SIAL 2012 was held from 21 to 25 October,at the Parc des Expositions de Paris-NordVillepinte Convention Centre. Attendance atthe exhibition rose by 10.2 percent ascompared to that of the 2010 edition,confirming SIAL’s role as a catalyst for globaltrade with 150,192 professional visitors (versus136,381 in 2010), of whom 62.8 percentwere international visitors from 200 countries.

These preliminary statistics clearly affirmSIAL’s positioning as global leader in thecrosscutting agri-food markets. The quasi-tangible effervescence and enthusiasm inthe aisles showed that language was nobarrier in creating solid business leads.Through the impetus of XTC WorldInnovation, TNS Sofres and the 29 SIALd’Or partners, the Innovations Cornerundeniably consolidated SIAL’s expertiseas a laboratory and observatory of supplyand demand in food innovation. For fivewhole days, SIAL made Paris the capital ofthe global food & beverage industry.

In the current gloomy economic climate,the exhibition’s strategic dimension —demonstrated by the 200 events and


Costa Coffee Brewing New

Winter MenuCosta Coffee has introduced a range of indulgent

beverages for the festive period, leading up to

Christmas and New Year. With a tagline-‘It’s the

season to Costa’, the new range includes

luxuriant beverages that are sure to bring cheer

and add to the festive spirit. The three

international products launched across stores

in the cities are Cinnamon Cream Cappuccino –

rich aromatic coffee topped with swirls of

whipped cream and dusting of cinnamon spice,

Toffee Nut Latte – toffee flavoured coffee mixed

with smooth milk and topped with a layer of

cream, toffee sauce and nut sprinkles, and Black Forest Hot Chocolate –

decadent berry flavoured hot chocolate topped with cream, chocolate chips,

fruit sauce, and chocolate mousse. Adding to these tempting line up of

sinful desserts is this latest offering from Costa Coffee, the Chocolate

Mousse & Banana Cake; a dense banana sponge layered between smooth

chocolate mousses and topped with rich chocolate truffle. These offerings

are available/will be available across all Costa Coffee outlets in India,

throughout November and December.

MTR Launched Healthy BreakfastMixesMTR Foods Pvt. Ltd, with 31.6 percent market share in the breakfast mixessegment, has launched MTR Multigrain Breakfast Mixes, a delicious new rangeof breakfast mixes, which blends the goodness of grains like oats, ragi, jowar,etc. in some of India’s most loved foods, idli and dosa. The new range consists offour new products; Multigrain Dosa, Oats Idli, RagiRavaIdli and RagiDosa.The four products—Multigrain Dosa, Oats Idli, RagiDosa & Ragi RavaIdli willbe available at all leading stores across India, at Rs.40 for 200gm and Rs.80 for500gm in convenient to usepacks. This innovative range ofmultigrain breakfast mixeswere rigourously tested withthe consumers across key citiesto arrive at products that are aperfect balance between healthand taste without anycompromise on convenience.These products can beprepared in just 12-15 minutes.

MTR has always been an innovator in the Indian breakfast space withproducts like RavaIdli. The launch of these products is based on importantconsumer insights; housewives told MTR that they were always looking toimprove the nutrition of their family’s breakfast and while there were manywestern healthy breakfast options available, there was nothing in foods familiarto them. Sanjay Sharma, the Chief Executive Officer of MTR Foods PrivateLimited stated, “There is a trend emerging in India of consumers movingtowards new-age grains like oats, jawar, etc. We are the first movers in theIndian breakfast space by introducing a range of Indian breakfast productswhich blend the goodness of healthy grains like oats in them. MTR has comeup with the perfect blend so consumers don’t have to worry how to use thesegrains.’


N E W S S C A N

Angostura / Monin Cocktail Challenge

The national finals of the Angostura / Monin CocktailChallenge were held in New Delhi. The Angostura / MoninCocktail Challenge was held for the second time in India thisyear. In 2012, for the India leg, two regional rounds were heldin Bangalore and New Delhi, on the 8th and 11th of Octoberrespectively. More than fifty entries were received from a mixof outlets, including from both five-star hotels, and leadingindependent bars and restaurants, from the NCR region,Bangalore, Chennai and even Pune.

In each city, regional semifinals and finals were held, at theend of which, four finalists were chosen to represent eachround in the national finals. These eight finalists took part inthe finals on the 18th of October, which were held at Keya-Kainoosh, DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj. The competitionwas planned and executed by Tulleeho, a leading firm workingin the area of beverage education and training in India. The

second runner up and winner of Rs.10,000 for the MoninCocktail Cup, India was Andrew Qadri from the Blue Bar, TajWestend, Bangalore, the first runner up and winner of Rs.15,000/- was Sahil Chauhan, Hyatt Regency, Delhi. TheMonin 2012, India challenge winner was Varun Sharma ofRicks, Taj Mansingh, New Delhi, who will represent India atthe Monin Cocktail Cup in December 2012, in Paris. Each

contestant was marked on his drinks’ appearance, aroma, tasteand presentation. The finals were keenly contested one, witheach contestant out to outdo the other, through their amazinguse of ingredients.

For the finals, a five person jury was drawn up, comprisingYangdup Lama, Director Cocktails and Dreams, and a 2011finalist from India at the Global Cocktail Challenge inTrinidad and Tobago, Marut Sikka, Chef to the Stars, TV hostand restaurateur, Stephanie Jan from the Pullman Hotel,Andrea Fidora, Beverage Innovation Director, Monin, andSumit Goyal, Editor, Food and Nightlife magazine.

CL Brands Worldwide, based out of Trinidad and Tobago,is the brand owner of the Angostur

a range of aromatic bitters, rums (Angostura Silver,Angostura 5 year old, Angostura 7 year old, Angostura 1919)and scotches (Black Bottle, Scottish Leader and BunnahabhainSingle Malt). In India, CL Brands is represented bySakshamImpex, which handles the bitters range (Aromatic andOrange Bitters) and Unicorn Beverages, which handles therum and scotch range. The Monin range of syrups, purees,liqueurs and sauces is also represented in India bySakshamImpex.

Said Ravi Kathuria, Director, Monin, South Asia, “Thetremendous success of the Monin Angostura Cup hasencouraged us to scale up the cities we will go to next year.The objective being to provide young bartenders the platformto excel, and to reach truly international levels in terms of skilland presentation.”


N E W S S C A N

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Organic India’s Healthy ProductsOrganic India is renowned for spreadingawareness towards organic farming, whichinvolves agriculture without the use of anyharmful fertilisers. The company is nowextending its wellness portfolio by offeringGreen Tulsi Tea, Organic Chyawanprash, andDesi Ghee from tension-free cows to buildstrong immunity with great taste. Tulsi GreenTea is a unique combination tulsi & green tea,which facilitates in weight reduction. Studiessuggest that green tea boosts metabolism andhelps to burn fat. Both tulsi and green tea are rich in antioxidants,which eliminates free radicals from the body. Furthermore,TulsiGreen Tea helps in refreshing and energising the body and mind,reduces stress, guards against cough and cold, enhances stamina,builds immunity and enhances respiratory functions. Tulsi Greentea is available in three variants — Tulsi Green Pommegranate,Tulsi Green Lemon Ginger, and Tulsi Green Classic.

Organic Chyawanprash is nutritive, tasty and naturallywholesome, that can facilitate to boost your immunity. It is infact, according to Krishan Guptaa, MD & Global CEO, OrganicIndia, has the original chyawanprash formula which rishiChyawan had formulated. It is positioned as a complete healthsolution that has 46 powerful natural ingredients. The productclaims to improve memory power. Additionally, the productenhances skin complexion and acts against the ageing process andretains youthfulness. The natural ingredients in the productprovide strong bones and teeth and also to purify blood. Hence,regular intake of Organic Chyawanprash could help your body tofight allergies and diseases.

Organic India is also offering pure Desi Ghee made from cow’spure milk. Cow’s desi ghee is made of cow’s pure & fresh milk,using the traditional standards; the cows are kept in a stress freeenvironment. They are given fodder & concentrate produce ofOrganic India’s farmlands along with clean water to keep them inhealthy state. Desi ghee contains healthy fat soluble vitaminswhich facilitate in the absorption of nutrients in foods and areessential for good health.It is also ideal for cooking and isconsidered as satvic food.

Godskitchen — An Impetus toOrganised Hospitality SolutionsThe hospitality industry in India is continually evolving, whilecatering to the diverse and ever changing consumer and marketneeds. For most of the last decade, the Indian hospitality sector hasseen a number of players attempting to bring together the highlydisparate sector under one roof. Efforts to present a galore ofrenowned hospitality brands in India under one roof seem to havefinally paid off with the recent opening of Godskitchen in Mumbai.

Godskitchen is perhaps Mumbai’s first consolidated showroomfor major hospitality brands. Godskitchen is managed by FortuneHouseware Pvt. Ltd. The company, which is a leading supplier ofinternational brands, will cater to the needs of restaurants, hotels,caterers, schools, hospitals and corporates. Reflecting the company’svision and goal, Godskitchen launched its maiden showroom witha host of well-known international and national brands such asArcoroc, Luminarc, Brabantia, Ocean, Tramontina, Victorinox, East,Probbax, Cambro, Fortune Steel, FnS, etc.

“The inauguration of Godskitchen in Mumbai is themanifestation of our conception to give the hospitality sector inIndia a boost towards becoming more organised,” said Akhil Chopra,the Director, Godskitchen. “With the opening up of FDI in India,we have no doubt this is the right time for our debut. We lookforward to becoming the ultimate one-stop-solution house for everyhospitality need,” he added.

Godskitchen aims to provide a one-stop shopping experience

with major product categories like crockery, cutlery, kitchen tools,kitchen utensils, kitchen equipment, glassware, barware, storagegoods, housekeeping products, with styles ranging from presentday to transitional and conventional. An astonishing set of everydayand formal merchandise at a variety of price points is available atGodskitchen, which is expected to address the needs and expectationsof today’s hospitality buyers.


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Yo! China Café Opens in DelhiYo! China, the renowned chain of Chinese restaurants, hascome up with a new facet with Yo! China Café, at DLF MallSaket, New Delhi. If you are looking for a cool and cosy placeto hang out with your friends and family, then Yo!China Cafemight be the right choice for you. ‘Yo! China Café,’ with itstagline of ‘Chilled out Chinese’ is positioned as a casualdinning restaurant targeted to the young generation. Yo!China Cafe is indeed a fun and chilled out place to be withclose pals and to relish great Chinese food.The menu has yummy varieties of non-vegetarian BBQ orprawn ramen and special vegetarian miso, tom yum, and curry

ramen. The cafe offers 25varieties of dim sums, mixof appetisers andsignature bowl meals likeKorean Style JuicyMinced Lamb with StirFry Noodle, MoonlightChicken Chopsuey withPineapple or Black PepperAsparagus, Zucchini,

Snowpeas Claypot Rice among others. The café also serves 38main courses and a large selection of special desserts like theGiant Cakes, and many kinds of sundaes and puddings. Ifafter that you are still hungry you can order to take away someof the special Yo! On the Go.

Crystal Head Vodka Makes aHeady EntryCrystal Head Vodka has been officiallylaunched in India. It has been launchedby Continental Sales EmporiumPrivate Limited, the exclusivemarketers and distributors forCrystal Head Vodka in India.

Crystal Head Vodka, sold in the750 CL and 1.75CL sizes, is nowavailable in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune,Goa and Gurgaon, and will besubsequently available in Bangaloreand Chandigarh. Crystal Head onlyuses top quality Canadian grains.Peaches and cream corn are the startingpoints, making the vodka naturally sweet and gluten free. Thisgreat vodka doesn’t have any oily or chemical aftertaste.

Newfoundland’s glacial aquifer was chosen as the source ofthis truly unique vodka. This premium vodka is made with thepristine waters of Newfoundland, Canada.

Crystal Head is quadruple distilled and then filtered seventimes. Three of the filtrations involve the vodka passingthrough semi-precious Herkimer diamonds. These crystals arethe most valuable and clearest of all quartz and are found invery few places in the world.

Winning a Double Gold medal at last year’s San FranciscoWorld Spirits Competition, Crystal Head Vodka deliverssmoothness without any masking additives. By not addingindustrial oils commonly used in the production of manyvodkas – glycol, citrus oil and raw sugar – Crystal Head Vodkaachieves the following tasting notes: sweet, vanilla, dry, crispwith a kick of heat on the finish.

Speaking at the launch, Kenton Tasker, Director of Salesand Marketing, Crystal Head Vodka said, “Our entire CrystalHead Vodka team is extremely pleased to have ContinentalSales Emporium Private Limited as our appointed distributor;to represent our outstanding brand in the Indian market. Ourobjective is to provide not only consumers with the best vodkabut also to give prestigious hotel’s Food & Beverage Managersand sole proprietorship account owners a brand that will setthem apart from the competition.”


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Barista Lavazza Blends Café Culture WithFashionBarista Lavazza has launched anew precedence by mergingthe elements of café andfashion industry. The coffeechain, known for its innovativemarketing and thematiccampaigns throughout theyear, has recently tied up withthe renowned fashion designerRina Dhaka to infuse a sense ofnovelty into its menu, its F&B offerings and all other aspects of its cafes. These newelements have been introduced in all the cafes of Barista Lavazza, spread across thecountry. This association, between a café chain and a veteran fashion designer, is perhapsthe first of its kind in the history of café culture in India.

Rina has drawn inspiration from from one of the most promonent fashion capitals ofthe world, Milan, to create Milana Collezioni— a tour de force, thematic collection ofF&B items. By redesigning the uniform of the Barista Lavazza cafes and their storeaccessories, she has whipped up a novel image of the Barista Lavazza cafés, all over thecountry. The designer has also given her signature touch to the menu which is now beingpresented in the form of a catalogue, as well as the nomenclature of the newlyintroduced F&B products and much more. The new menu is divided into four segments— Nuova Collezione, Collezione Coffee, Collezione Bites and Collezione Desserts. Thespecial thematic menu, which has drawn inspiration from fashion, has several new foodand beverage items added to the list of aromatic and delectable offerings.

R. Shivshankar, the Director South Asia of Lavazza, said, “ Our association with RinaDhaka to launch this year’s thematic menu will see the reach and influence of fashionextending to our patrons. Our aim is to ensure that each consumer witnesses theinternational quality and experience that Barista Lavazza offers, which is also intrinsic toits Italian heritage.”

Sula’s Sauvignon Blanc Shines WithSilver MedalSula wines has again shone at the global stage. The 2012 vintage of SulaVineyards’ Sauvignon Blanc has been awarded a Silver medal at the firstDecanter Asia Wine Awards. Sula Vineyards, with two medals (including aBronze medal for the Sula Riesling 2012) was one of the most awardedAsian wine manufacturers at the competition.This Silver medal at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards is a follow up to the lastyear’s success at the Decanter World Wine Awards where the SauvignonBlanc from Sula Vineyards was awarded a Silver medal, making this one ofthe most successful Sauvignon Blanc’s in the world.

According to Cecilia Oldne, the Global Brand Ambassador at SulaVineyards, “We have always been clear that we want to stand out as awinery that takes pride in being Indian. Sula Vineyards was the first to put Nashik valleyas a region on the wine bottle. While others try to claim a European linage or proximity,Sula is proudly Indian.” “We are also excited and honoured to have been given thisrecognition at the first ever Decanter Asia Wine Awards. We also believe that this is a well-deserved medal as the 2012 vintage is the best we have had so far. Our Sauvignon Blanc,which is also India’s first, is the most award winning wine in India,” added Cecilia.

The Decanter Asia Wine Awards competition, co-chaired by Jeannie Cho Lee MWand the world-renowned wine expert Steven Spurrier, has been specifically designed asan Asian competition for the Asian consumers. With more than 2,200 wines entered forthis inaugural event, it has already emerged as the Asia’s largest wine competition.


N E W S S C A N

Anjum’s Amiable Art of Tea MakingThe recently unveiled Fairmont Jaipur —the property showcasing the classic royallegacy of Rajputs in terms of hospitalityand décor, is exuding royal flavour in everycorner of the property. Fairmont Jaipur’slobby lounge Anjum is no exception tothis. The aura of royalty at Anjum is alsoextended through its wonderful selectionof teas. All the Fairmont properties acrossthe globe celebrates the fine art of teadrinking with an unrivalled selection ofauthentic, high quality teas from aroundthe world. With a variety of single originfirst flush leaf teas of both black and whitevarieties, as well as teas infused with herbssuch as basil, lemongrass and mint, Anjumis also offering an authentically local twistto the long-standing Fairmont tradition of afternoon teas. Anjum serves the tea witha ‘Sugar Charlie,’ also known as tea timers.

Anjum offers a selection of delightful brews. ‘Digestif ’ —a blend of lemon balm,peppermint, anise, chamomile, lemongrass, orange peel and papaya cleanses thedigestive system. Similarly, to energise the senses, Anjum serves a robust tea(aptlynamed as ‘Energy’) blended with yerba mate, spearmint, lemongrass, ginkgo andginseng. ‘Tea for Tranquility’ has soothing and restful components like chamomile,rooibos, anise, blackberry leaves, stevia and many more in abundance.

Given the popularity of tea and coffee to Indian gastronomic culture, elements ofIndian fare obviously take centerstage at Anjum. The live Masala Chai’stationoffering the quintessential Adrak Wali Chai’and the famed ‘Meter Coffee’ — ananecdote related to the distance between the pouring and receiving in cup — cangive Indian tea and coffee lovers lots of joyous moments. High ceilings, ornate hand-painted murals and open spaces make Anjum the ideal extension of the hotel’s lobby.

Four Seasons’ Wine Bagged Bronze atDecanter Asia World Wine AwardsFour Seasons’ wine has bagged the bronze at the first ever Decanter Asia World WineAwards. The name of the wine is Barrique Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The flagshipbrand of USL Wines was declared one of the best red wines amongst the excitementand applause. A produce from Sahyadri Valley in Maharashtra, this award winningwine has been matured in oak barrels and created at the state-of-the-art winery ofFour Seasons in Baramati, located near Pune, from French grapes.

Winner of many awards in the past, Four Seasons wines’ constant endeavour is toproduce world class wines in India that go with every season, suit every cuisine andcater to all palates. This recently won title by Four Seasons is expected to change thepositioning of Indian wines on the global map. The Barrique Reserve CabernetSauvignon has a complex aroma – crushed blackcurrant and a touch of spice on thenose, with a touch of mint. The rich wine goes well with dishes like roasted ham,tenderloin, rack of lamb and even roasted vegetables. Old cheeses like comte,beaufort and abundance also pair well with this wine.

“This is a proud moment for us as it reaffirms our belief of being on the righttrack and producing a wine in India that is capable of receiving global recognitionand being appreciated by people, not only in India but by people in traditional winedrinking countries as well. The Decanter Wine Award, which is an initiative ofBritain’s Decanter Wine magazine, is one of the most prestigious awards given out inthe category of wine in the world today,” asserted Abhay Kewadkar, the Chief WineMaker and Director, Four Seasons’ wine.

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N E W S S C A N

China Doll — A New Host to Hunan CuisineIn the array of internationalcuisines, Chinese cuisine is oneof the most popular cuisines,both amongst the classes and themasses. Buoyed by the demandin the Indian F&B industry,many restaurateurs and Chefsare identifying cuisines fromdifferent provinces of China soas to create a niche in Chinesecuisines.

A new restaurant in Delhinamed China Doll has givenChinese cuisine a new dimension by focussing on Hunan cuisine. Blendingcustomary styles, essences, ingredients, preparation and presentation techniques fromChinese culinary culture, with the practiced hand of the highly specialised team ofChefs, China Doll is showcasing its patrons an exclusive reinterpretation ofcontemporary Chinese cuisine.

Executive Chef Zhu Can of China Doll is known internationally as a master ofHunan, Guangdong, Cantonese and Sichuan culinary styles. The iconic Chef ’s pasthistory is replete with credible markings, owing to his penchant for quality andservice excellence. With various successful restaurant launches under his belt, ChefZhu has garnered several accolades to his name.

Though Hunan cuisine with a history of more than 2,100 years from XiangjiangRiver Valley represented by Changsha finds prominence in the menu, China Dolloffers various other facets of traditional Chinese cuisine from various other parts ofthe country, such as Guangdong and Sichuan.

The menu is best described as an ideal mélange of gastronomic fares that takesvisitors on a flavourful journey through the prime epicurean regions of China. Hereyou can relish the exhaustive and excellent culinary fare whose some of the highlightsrange from the succulent Hunan steamed pork to the flavours of sliced lamb Changshastyle to the savoury steamed fish Hunan pickle chili to the dry pot vegetable, all ofwhich can be washed down by aselection of finest wines fromaround the globe.

The ample showcase offlavours is complimented wellby the décor that adorns therestaurant and the terracelounge at China Doll. Therestaurant area flaunts aharmonious blend of nature’sprimary elements. Elegantlycarved wooden furniture, richlyupholstered in hues of imperial gold, dot the floor surrounded by water bodies.Copious amounts of natural light spills into the space through the glass walls; theretractable ceiling withdraws willingly to allow gushes of fresh air, wheneverrequired. The well-stocked bar, situated near the entrance to the space, stretchesseamlessly towards a generously appointed ‘step-out’, edged with an end-to endwater fountain and complete with a sit out that is illuminated by the soft caress ofseveral candles and brought to life by vibrant yellow bolsters and cushions.

According to the restaurateur, Yuvraj Kohil, who is the Managing Director, ChinaDoll, “We have exercised tremendous attention to detail when it comes to our foodand the aesthetics of the space where the food is being served in. Here, I chose tocreate a space where the tastefully appointed interiors exude a contemporary andluxurious welcome feel. Like our cuisine, the elegant design of the fine-dine venueand the contemporary feel of the Terrace Lounge above, represents the rich emulsionof flavours and styles prevalent in the orient, making it both urban and chic.”


N E W S S C A N

Brown Rice at its Best The health and wellness category is growing at a good pace andconsumers are increasingly becoming health conscious and arelooking at F&B options which are nutritious and tasty. In thisregard, it deserves a mention that the unpolished rice, commonlyknown as brown rice, has created a decent space in the F&Bsegment.

Best Foods Ltd., one of the fastest growing and among thelargest rice companies in thecountry, has launched BasmatiBrown rice. The company hasintroduced the fine BasmatiBrown rice sourced straightfrom the foothills of Himalayasand other prime rice growingareas in India to add anaromatic experience with everyspoonful of rice.

Brown rice also known as‘unpolished rice’ is brown incolour. It is actually how all ricewould look before it goesthrough the entire process ofpolishing. Brown rice is anexcellent source of vitamins andminerals, dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. A single cupprovides nearly ninety percent of the daily recommended dosageof manganese, which is needed for energy production. It is also anexcellent source of selenium, an antioxidant trace mineral linkedto immune health and cancer prevention, and magnesium, whichis necessary for bone health, muscle and nerve cell functioning,food metabolism, and the uptake of calcium and potassium.Brown rice minimises colon cancer risk, lowers cholesterol leveland provides significant cardiovascular benefits for post-menopausal women. Furthermore, it is a good source of fiber thatreduces high cholesterol levels and prevents atherosclerosis andbreast cancer. What is more, Brown rice can remain in storage forsix months, under normal conditions.

Speaking at the launch of the premium range of brown riceby Best Foods, Dr. Ritika Samaddar, Chief Nutritionist, MaxHealthcare, said that “The most important thing about brownrice is that it is rich in fiber which is present in the brown branlayer of the grains. The health benefits of a high fiber diet arebeing stressed by medical experts and this alone is a very goodreason why you should eat brown rice instead of the regularwhite rice. Eating brown rice increases energy and mentalstability, as this whole grain is an incredible source of B-complexvitamins. Both brown and white rice have similar calorie,carbohydrates and protein content but they differ greatly innutritional content.”

She further added, “The health benefits of high fiber contentfoods are numerous. It reduces the possibility of heart diseases,helps avoid abrupt spikes in sugar levels, facilitates digestion andreduces constipation, etc. Some medical tests have indicated thatthe health benefits of brown rice could include controlling highblood pressure. Besides high fiber content, brown rice alsocontains other nutrients like, B vitamins, manganese, seleniumand iron. By eating brown rice, you will also get the healthbenefits that such nutrients give to the human body.”

Japan Meets India at IndyakiThe blend of different cooking styles and cuisines has become thetalk of the F&B industry. The trend is reflected at Indyaki — anIndian speciality restaurant at Radisson Blu Pashim Vihar. Indyakihas opted the cooking style of teppanyaki—a style of Japanesestyle of cooking that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The wordteppanyaki is derived from teppan, which means iron plate, and

yaki which entails grilled, broiled orpan-fried. In Japan, teppanyakirefers to dishes cooked using an ironplate, including steak, shrimp,okonomiyaki, yakisoba, andmonjayaki. Here, at Indyaki, Indianspeciality grills are prepared in frontof the guests on teppanyaki grillstyle. All the scrumptiousteppanyaki grills are prepared usingolive oil.

Modern teppanyaki grills aretypically propane-heated flat surface grills, and are widely used tocook food in front of guests at restaurants, which Indyaki has trulyadapted. At Indyaki, five course teppanyaki menu is being served.The five course menu has some delectable offerings like chickencharga, roti pe boti, karavalli prawn, chicken apricot kebabs, etc.which deserve special mention. A live cooking theatre has given theguests at Indyaki the opportunity to witness the teppanyakicooking style, which further enhances their enjoyment.


N E W S S C A N

A Concept Tailoredto Indian Cooking

NCR in a seminar organised at the Electrolux ProfessionalInnovation Centre in Gurgaon, in the very recent past.

The air-o-convect Touchline Oven, air-o-steam TouchlineCombi Oven, and pressure bratt pan are some of the equipmentsof Electrolux Professional which are ideal to cook sumptuousIndian dishes. Moreover, in all these equipments, the cookingtime for these delectable offerings from Indian cuisine aredrastically reduced, which is geared to increase their institutionalsales in Indian cuisine restaurants.

The objective of the Tandoor Concept is to enable theprofessional Chefs to cook Indian food to perfection through arange of Electrolux’s equipments. Its success is the product ofpainstaking research and also of extensive discussions &interactions with Chefs, kitchen consultants, and Electrolux’sclients. Work on perfecting the required technology has beentirelessly going on since late 2010. Efforts were put in tocustomise accessories and innovate so that the Indian flavours andnuances of the dishes are retained, wafted or highlighted by theseequipments.

Electrolux Professional has recentlyunveiled that a number oftraditional Indian dishes like kebabs,biryani, mutton roganjosh, etc. canbe cooked across a range of

equipments of the company. This new concept is touted asTandoor Concept by the company, which basicallycommunicates to the culinary professionals that traditional Indiancuisine can be prepared to perfection across a range of equipmentsof Electrolux Professional.

Chef Silvano Costantini, Electrolux Chef Academy Italy, &Chef Varun Bajaj, Corporate Chef,Electrolux Professional Innovation Centrein Gurgaon, demonstrated at the recentlyheld Fine Food India 2012, at PragatiMaidan, New Delhi, that how kebabs &biryani can be made in air-o-steam & air-o-convect Ovens. The air-o-convectTouchline, the new boilerless convectionoven by Electrolux Professional, was also launched at theElectrolux Food Theatre, being held at Fine Food India.

Apart from culinary demonstrations at the Fine Food India,the Tandoor Concept was also shared with Chefs from Delhi-

Sula Unveils Vinoteca in

MumbaiGrowing grapes and

making wines is not the

only craftsmanship of Sula

Vineyards. Sula has

unviled the first of its kind

Vinoteca by Sula —

perhaps Mumbai’s first authentic Spanish tapas and wine bar.

Vinoteca in Spanish is known as ‘a collection of wines.’ The well-

stocked bar has up to 70 carefully selected wines in its cellar from

both Sula Vineyards and also other internationally renowned brands.

Vinoteca by Sula is designed by Mumbai-based Ritu Nanda and

Elsie Nanji. It reflects sophisticated, warm and trendy ambience

while at the same time remaining true to the essence of a traditional

Spanish tapas and wine bar. The centrepiece is an amazing wine

bottle chandelier featuring over 300 Sula Riesling bottles that

dramatically lights up the inside-outside of the bar. The eclectic

music playlists are personally compiled by Sula Vineyards’ CEO, Rajeev

Samant, for whom music is a passion.

The small plates of delicious, authentic tapas and pintxos are

prepared by Vinoteca’s Spanish Chef Silvia Grimaldo, using fresh

seasonal produce as well as organic ingredients sourced from Sula

Vineyards’ own estate gardens. Diners can also stand and mingle

while eating tapas, which facilitates conversation with drinks and

food. The wine suggestions at the bar with the appropriate tapas

– specially chosen to enhance the flavours — are worth exploring.


Scaling Latitudes of Culinary Excellence

Confectionery Market to Grow in India

R E P O R T

Mosaic Hotels at Noida has recentlyunveiled its restaurant named Latitudein a new avatar. After exploring cuisinesfrom around the world, Latitude hascome a full circle, and is now beingpresented as a restaurant specialising inIndian cuisines.

Earlier it was a multi-cuisinerestaurant, known to offer cuisines fromvarious latitudes across the globe, whichexplains this innovative name for the

restaurant. The much renowned andnow renewed restaurant will now serveonly authentic Indian delicacies to itsloyal and new patrons. After tasting itsfood, it can be said that the restaurant’sdelectable offerings reflect high latitude

of culinary excellence, amidst plushambience spruced with elegant décor.

At the re-launch of Latitude, theexotic assortment of sumptuous starters,main course and desserts made for awonderful gastronomic fare, whichindicated that the connoisseurs ofIndian cuisines are expected to have agreat time here in the days ahead. AtLatitude, you can always wash downthese sumptuous delicacies with high-end alcoholic beverages to make a hardday coalesce into a heady evening. TheChef ’s interaction with the guests forordering the food and hisrecommendations can be described as apersonalised touch at the restaurant toensure perfection to the guests’expectations.

The restaurant will initially remainopen during 7 pm–11:30 pm, on alldays except Tuesday. A formal dinner fortwo at the re-launched Latitude costs anaffordable Rs.1500 on an average. SefoodGalouti, Murgh Tikka Kali Mirch, PudinaPaneer Tikka, Jhinga Curry@AndhraIshtyle, Mutton Roganjosh, Home Style

Chicken Curry, Dal Latitude are onlysome of the plethora of delectableofferings of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties from the Starters,Main Course, and Latitude Classicsections at the re-launched Latitude. KaliMirch Ki Kulfi, Chocolate Paan, KesariThooti are some of the wonderful dessertson offer as a culmination to a satisfyingdinner at Latitude.

Succinctly, today, the impeccablyIndian Latitude is an Indian cuisinespecialty restaurant; exudingcontemporary yet ethnic Indian feel. Itcomes across as a haven for those whoseek a rather special experience withevery moment spent on the table.

According to a knowledge consultingsolutions company, Netscribes Inc., theconfectionery market in India isexpected to witness a steady growth indemand in spite of the‘indulgence product’ tag. Thereport of Netscribes identifiestrends in the confectioneryindustry such as the growinggifting culture and the use ofconfectionery products as areplacement of traditional sweets.An analysis of the socio-economicfactors boosting the growth ofconfectioneries include thegrowing gifting culture, low percapita consumption ofconfectionery, rapidurbanization, growing retail market,growing income and consumption,developing rural sector and marketingcampaigns.

Moreover, the rural market is also amajor contributor to the Confectioneryindustry due to its massive demand and

consumption in terms of volume. This isfurther facilitated by the penetrationand availability of confectioneries atdifferent price points along with the

increased disposable income amongstconsumers. According to the report, allthese factors indicate a bright future forthe confectionery market in India.

The report goes on to highlight thevarious aspects of the Indianconfectionery market by segregating it

on the basis of product types i.e. sugarconfectionery, chocolate confectioneryand chewing gums. It contains a briefoverview about each category along with

their respective market sizes.Information on the chocolatecompanies, the boiled sugarcandy market and other aspectsof the market in terms ofproducts are provided in theexclusive report.

The major trends identified inthe confectionery sector includeevents, functionalconfectioneries, packingvariations, new launches,innovation in products, creativeadvertising and corporate

activities taking place in the industry.The key challenges for the confectioneryindustry, according to the report,include rise in ingredient prices, rise inpackaging costs, regulatory challengesand the fake confectionery products inthe market.


R E P O R T

Celebrating the Sub-continent’s

Culinary Diversity

Kolkata is not only the cultural capital of India, it is alsothe food lovers’ haven. The city’s rich and vibrantgastronomic legacy has space for lovers of varied cuisines.

Veda, the newly opened stylish Indian restaurant, is one of theimportant recent additions to the culinary landscape of Kolkata.Its sumptuous delights are geared to satiate the palates of thediners in Kolkata or those visiting the City of Joy for business orleisure. It is located at Park Street, which can be construed as thehigh point of Kolkata’s culinary geography.

Spread across 4000 sq.ft, the restaurant is characterised bygrand interiors and delectable food. The restaurant has beenbroadly conceptualized by the renowned fashion designer, RohitBal and the Chairman of Gateway Hospitality, Alok Aggarwal.

“We have brought Veda to Kolkata to give the connoisseurs oftaste the delectable moments with passion and sophistication.This is our first venture at the City of Joy and we are very hopefulabout its mass acceptance,” confirmed Aggarwal.

CEO & Culinary Adviser of Gateway Hospitality, RaminderBakshi leads the business vision at Veda. Reflecting an insight ofculinary expertise, he said, “The process of selecting, presenting,modifying and redesigning the best recipes from India at Vedahas been immensely gratifying. I have kept the end consumer’staste preference as a priority at every stage and blended it withmy ethos of producing healthy Indian food with acontemporary twist,” said Bakshi, reflecting an insight ofculinary expertise.

The cuisine at Veda marries the traditional with thecontemporary. The forgotten ancient recipes that might havefaded from memories are given a new lease of life here at Veda,with fresh culinary expertise. The restaurant offers a panorama ofIndian tastes. At the Veda the flavours and textures are as subtle

and rich as the diverse tastes of the subcontinent. The Indiancuisine at Veda is characterised by the variety of spices andtechniques used to prepare an assortment of culinary delights. Inthe Indian sub-continent, the palate of every region differs fromthe other, and it is this ethnic diversity in the sub-continent’sculinary culture that the restaurant celebrates.

Theambience anddécor at Vedacan be togetherdescribed asornate, elegantand exquisite.The interiors atVeda presentthemselves as anamalgamationof the elegantlysimple and theexquisitelyornate. The rich red bricks, soft strategic lighting, flickeringshadows and the low intensity chandeliers together create anearthy and yet an ethereal feel. The dome in the centre of therestaurant is embellished with thekri; a special craft that usesglasswork from the arid regions of Rajasthan.

The same element is found in the pillars and the wall coveringsof the restaurant too, while the black leather high backrestemphasises upon the Winchester style seating arrangement,reminiscent of the days of Raj. The earthy glow of Veda exudes anopulent warmth and charm, that is reflected in the red brick wallsand the flickering light of the chandeliers, falling softly yet brightly.


R E P O R T

PROMOTING EUROPE’S TASTES TO INDIA

exotic food products and wines, beingpromoted in India.

Here it deserves a mention that thefood & beverage industry in Europe isworth 134,000 million euros, withannual growth reaching 14 percent, andis expected to generate a multiplier effectthrough the expansion of modernretailing. On the other hand, food retailin India is valued at 236,000 millioneuros and a total of 12 million points ofsale. However, the penetration of modernretailing in India is very minimal; itconstitutes only 7-8 percent of India’stotal trade, and is limited largely to themetros and state capitals of the country.This offers great potential for the retailbusiness of European food & wines, inthe rapidly growing Indian retail market.

The ‘European Quality Foods: Eatingwith your five senses’ does not seek topromote particular brands, but isintended to promote the consumption ofEuropean food products and wines inIndia through generic promotion, by

is endeavouring tobring into theIndian market thepleasure ofacknowledgingandunderstanding theEuropeangastronomy,directly andindirectly for thefinal consumers aswell as for theprofessionals of the F&B industry.

The programme aims to increase theknowledge of European food products& wines through various promotionalactivities every year. Some of them are tobe addressed to the professionals in theindustry, while others are to be targettedat the final consumers.

Overall, this three-year-longprogramme intends to promote theEuropean food and wine productsthrough various facets, focusing oneducating Chefs and Chefs’ students,importers, distributors and retailers,hospitality management professionals aswell as final consumers.

Like cuisines of other rich cultures,European food products and beveragesare also not only endowed with qualitiesthat make them unique and recognisablefor their tastes, but also for their othersensory attributes like sight, hearing,smell and touch. Therefore eating withone’s five senses make sense, if one wantsto derive a holistic enjoyment from these

The European Union,Ministry of Agriculture,Food and Environment of

Spain, and FIAB (Spanish Food andBeverage Industry Federation) havelaunched a program to promoteEuropean food & wines in India. TheEuropean Programme titled ‘EuropeanQuality Foods: Eating with your fivesenses’ will develop concrete actions toencourage five European cuisines inIndia. The project is designed for threeyears.

Over the last few years, the demandfor European food & beverage productsin India has grown significantly. Toexplore this market, the EuropeanUnion, the Ministry of Agriculture, Foodand Environment of Spain, and theSpanish Food and Beverage IndustryFederation (FIAB) are going to promoteEuropean food & wines in India, duringthe ensuing three years. The programme


stimulating their interest among the end-users and enhancingtheir knowledge in different distribution channels. Theproducts have to meet three essential requirements in order to bepromoted. Their origin must be typically associated with theEuropean Union countries, they must have high consumptionpotential in Indian climate, culture and food habits, and theymust be the staples of the Mediterranean diet.

In the recent past, the programme conducted nineworkshops over three days at Anapoorna — World of FoodIndia 2012, which was held in Mumbai, during 26th-28th

September. Each workshop focused on a unique yet traditionaldiet and style of European gastronomy. One of the workshopswas named ‘Arte de Vino’ where people participated in winetasting while the sommelier imparted knowledge about thesignificance and importance of pairing the wine with differentmeals. Together, these workshops served as a commendableplatform to meet and disseminate useful information for theprofessionals from the food & beverage industry.

Another workshop was termed as European Masala, whichwas hosted by an experienced Chef named Neeraj Gurung. Heprepared an Indo-European dish of saffron, rosemary andthyme kheer. This workshop successfully accomplished toenhance the sense of smell as the mixture of aroma of Indian andEuropean spices wafted through the air, throughout the fair.

Succinctly, the European Pavillion at Anapoornaaccomplished to attract hundreds of people through workshopson quality European food by specialised Chefs.

Now the programme has brought to you the EuropeanWellness Parade across Gurgaon, Delhi and Noida, which can bea learning experience for families about European cuisine. Thepromotion would be showcased in the form of a ‘caravan,’ whichwill be covering the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon(during 24th-25th November), DLF Promenade in Delhi(during 1st-2ndDecember) and The Great India Palace in Noida(during 8th-9th December). Completely open to the public, thisopportunity of content-based entertainment along withvaluable information and experience about Europeangastronomy is an ideal way to promote European food & winesdirectly to the end consumers.

Delhi/NCR would now be having an opportunity toexperience the unique ingredients used for European gastronomythrough European Wellness Parade. The activities conducted inthe European caravan will consist of games like blind smellingtest, quizzes about different ingredients used in different recipes,information about European food ingredients, recipes, etc. Ofcourse, there would be lots of fun too at these events. �


P R O F I L E

With presence in the realm of consumer goods, WMF retail, consumer electric, professional hotel equipments,and coffee machines, WMF Group stood tall among global corporate players with its total consolidated sales of979.4 million euro in 2011. From professional hotel equipment alone the conglomerate fetched a more thanimpressive sales of 83.4 million euro during the last year. This success story of WMF, which sprouted in 1853from Geislingen/Steige, Germany, has been turned into an epic novel of sorts, with presence in three centuries.Recently FBR had the opportunity to interact with Thomas Heinen, Managing Director – Professional HotelEquipment, WMF Group, to get some insight about its business in India, pertaining to the business of food &beverage and hospitality. The excerpts of the interview follow:

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review Oct-Nov ’1232

Earnest on Exploring the Indian Market

What is the focal point ofyour professional hotelequipment business unit?

The focus of our professional hotelequipment business unit is hospitalitywith style. This business unit of oursstands for high quality cutlery and tableand serving ware for the upmarket hoteland catering industries. With premiumproducts from the Boehringer GastroProfi, Hepp, and WMF brands, whichare spruced with Boehringer GastroProfi’s comprehensive range of services,our professional hotel equipmentsegment is geared to provide solutions tothe myriad challenges facing thecatering and hotel business. Here itdeserves a mention that our professionalhotel equipment business unit posted ahealthy growth of 10 percent in 2011,as compared to its last year.

Since how long WMF hasbeen having its presence inIndia? What in your opinion isthe essential differencebetween the Indian and theGerman market?

We have been having presence inIndia since the last eighteen years, out ofwhich the last five years have seen lots ofchanges in terms of evolution of theIndian market. Today, the Indianhospitality market reflects great growthpotential. With lots of five-star hotelscoming up in India, we are encouragedto have great hopes for the Indianmarket. The Indian market is more price-conscious, whereas Germany’s market ismore quality conscious and is morefocused on getting good value for money.

How do you gauge thepotential of the Indian marketas far as demand for hotelequipments goes?

India is a booming market, with five-star hotels being opened with highfrequency. It has great market potentialfor us as compared to the Europeanmarkets, which has become saturated. InIndia’s hospitality industry, the demandis increasing by more than enough toabsorb the increased supply.

Throw some light on yourproducts catering to the F&Bindustry

Our impressive range of cookingutensils is preferred by a plethora ofprofessional cooks and Chefs across theglobe. Our cooking utensils are notsubjected to be thwarted by knocks andscratches. Overall, our products cateringto the F&B industry are product ofinnovations. For example, our cutlerynot only looks appealing but isextremely user-friendly. Similarly, ourcooking utensils afford better cookingand attractive dining. And with eachnew kitchen products we pursue ouraim of making your life taste just thatlittle bit better.

Tell us about one of WMF’sseminal innovations in itscookware series

Our Cool+ handle technology, whichis used in WMF cookware series,deserves a special mention in thiscontext. This is about keeping thehandle temperature as low as possible inall practically possible cooking

situations; not to just meet the relevantstandards and requirements, but toexceed them greatly.

Are you envisaging tailoringyour hotel equipment and retailproducts to suit the food &beverage preferences for theIndian market?

Presently, we are not making anysuch endeavors but if we feel there is aneed to tailor our products to suitIndian preferences, we would surelyundertake such an initiative. We areexploring in what creative ways we cangenerate greater business from thegrowing Indian hospitality market.

What about WMF’s coffeemachines business unit

Our coffee machines business unitdevelops, produces and distributesprofessional, fully-automated highquality systems, which are used formaking coffee and coffee specialties.We have a global presence in ourcoffee machines business, and ourcoffee machines are primarily targetedat the hotel and catering industries.Schaerer and WMF branded coffeemachines experience rampant usage ina wide range of settings, across theglobe.

What are WMF’s businessexpectations from 2012?

In 2012, wmf group is aiming forambitious annual sales figures of over 1billion euro, out of which half a billionis expected to come from the foreignmarkets.

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C O V E R S T O R Y

Mexican cuisine is spicy, diverse and tongue tickling,having culinary attributes that Indians cherish. But thiscuisine is yet to take roots in the majority of thecountry’s restaurant goers’ palates like say Chinesecuisine. This is strange considering that Indian F&Bindustry, over the years of globalisation, has alreadyembraced a variety of international cuisines.One of the reasons why it is taking so long for thecuisine to prove popular in India is because Mexicodoesn’t feature prominently or regularly on the Indianleisure and business tourists’ itinerary.But despite that Ashok Malkani finds that slowly butsurely Mexican cuisine is gaining popularity in thecountry as the younger generation is now craving formore than the nachos and tacos. They are interested inpartaking authentic and uncommon Mexican food, thanever before. However, this interest is not growing bythe way that it should. If marketed well, Mexican cuisinecan make great business sense in urban India.

MexicanCuisine for India


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Many know that tacos are bighit in Sweden, that fish tacoshave been big hit in

Australia for nearly 40 years now, thatMexican restaurants are dotted acrossthe Europe, but what few know is thattacos are also proving to be a big hit inurban India since Taco Bell hasventured into the country a couple ofyears ago by opening their first fastfood restaurant in India, in Bangalore.

On an average day, this Taco Belloutlet, which is located inside ashopping mall teeming with shopsselling a wide variety of western goods,gets some 2,000 Indian guests. Here itdeserves a mention that Taco Bell isone of the renowned brands of theYum! Brands Inc., which is thecompany behind KFC and Pizza Hut.However, at the Taco Bell outlet inBangalore you can get an Americanversion of Mexican food, but notauthentic Mexican cuisine.

Mexican food can be broadlydemarcated into three categories —Tex-Mex, New Mexican andtraditional. “The great majority ofMexican food served in Pune and mostof the other places in India are Tex-Mex, which synthesises tastes of Texaswith those of Mexico. However, at TheBridge, we serve only authenticMexican food. In fact, this is the onlystar place in Pune serving genuineMexican cuisine,” said Sujit Gopinath,F&B Manager, Radisson Blu HotelPune Kharadi, which has recentlystarted The Bridge, an authenticMexican specialty restaurant.

Authentic Mexican dishes are allabout creatively combining meat,

Colonisation and trade wereresponsible for early influences towardsshaping up of the character of Mexicancuisine.

The culinary tradition of the MayanIndians was one of the earliestinfluences on the Mexican cuisine.Mayan Indians were nomadic huntersand gatherers, and their diet includedraccoons, rabbits, armadillos, deer,rattle snakes, iguanas, pigeons andmany other forms of life, which weIndians do not eat so commonly. Theyalso ate tropical fruits, beans and corn.Some traces of the culinary character ofthe Mayan Indians are still retained inMexican cuisine.

During the Aztec empire’s reign,chilli peppers, honey, and chocolatemade entry into Mexican cookingtraditions. In fact, Aztecs can becredited for the invention ofchocolates, which today is a great joyand well as a huge industry.

In 1521, Spain invaded Mexico’sgeography. Soon began Spanishinvasion into Mexican palate.However, the second invasion cameautomatically and voluntarily, and wastasty. Due to Spanish influence, meatof sheep, pigs and cows enteredMexican cuisine. The Spanish alsointroduced dairy products, garlic,wheat, myriad herbs and spices to thealready rich Mexican culinary mosaic.

Eventually, the Spanish influencesled to the creation of delectable disheslike lomo en adobo (pork loin in a spicysauce), chile rellenos (large, mild-flavoured chilies stuffed with cheese,beef or pork), and the quesadillas,which have been an integral part of the

vegetables and spices to create sheerdelight of an inimitable cuisine. Thetraditional Mexican cuisine has recipescharacterised by intense and variedflavours, spices and a wide array ofcolours. One of the traditionalingredients of Mexican cuisine is chilepepper, which is largely responsible forthe vibrant colours of authenticMexican dishes. Mexican foods havecorn, cheese and chilies, which areIndian favourites.

While enjoying Mexican cuisine,dairy products like sour cream, milk, orice-cream can help cool the fire in yourmouth. “Mexican cuisine is fiery,sumptuous food that goes hand inhand with good times and goodfriends, which gels well with our casualway of life,” added Gopinath.

A Sumptuous TraditionMexican cuisine is the amalgamation ofdiverse culinary traditions.


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traditional Mexican cuisine sincecenturies.

During the 16th century onlyMexican cuisine experienced theamalgamation of traits of cuisinesfrom Caribbean, South American,French, West African and Portugueseand eventually assumed a matureddiverse character. No wonder,Mexican cuisine is regarded as one ofthe most varied cuisines in the world.Perhaps only Indian and Chinesecuisines can match the Mexicancuisine in terms of variety.

The French invasion of Mexico ledto French introduction of a widevariety of baked products in Mexico.The Mexican sweet breads and bolilloare some apt examples of Frenchconnection in Mexican gastronomiclegacy.

The French cooking techniques alsodid cast an influence on traditionalMexican cooking ingredients likesquash blossoms and avocados, tocreate wonderful and perennial tastes.A nineteenth century menu, whichdates back to 1865, points towardsFrench influence on Mexican cooking.The menu is in French. The menu hasthe provision of washing the delectableofferings of the five course meal withchampagne, and French, Hungarianand even Rhenish wines.

Without a brief exploration of Tex-Mex, the evolution of Mexican cuisinewouldn’t be complete. Here it deserves

a mention that Tex- Mex, which isquite popular all over the world and isa twentieth century phenomenon, isoften mistaken for authentic Mexicanfood. Tex-Mex can be derived as acombination of the words ‘Texan’ and‘Mexican.’ It first appeared in print in1945, and popularly refers to theadaptation of Mexican dishes by cooksfrom Texas. One can say it is themerging of the elements of twoculinary traditions to create a modifiedMexican culinary fare for the moderngeneration.

Tex-Mex food might be describedas US-inspired Mexican food, orMexican food whose authenticity hasbeen diluted by Texan influences. Tex-Mex restaurants first began to emergeoutside the south-west region of theUS, in cities having sizeable Mexicanpopulations.

Tex-Mex began to gain popularityin the 1970s.Diana Kennedy, therenowned culinary expert fromMexico, can be credited with givingTex-Mex fare its respectability andtrendy appeal. In the US, these foodsappealed to the younger generation,which the upwardly mobile urbanIndia is now lapping up. Tex-Mexcuisine is dominated by meat, beansand spices. Here it deserves a mentionthat nachos, crispy tacos, crispychalupas, chili con queso, chili con carne,chili gravy and fajitas are all Tex-Mexintroductions.

Local InfluencesWith Mexican cuisine having such arich and varied history it is littlewonder that the food from Mexico isso appealing. Yet why do we seem toget stuck with imitation tacos andenchiladas? Yes it is true that tacos,nachos and enchiladas are gainingpresence in fast food joints acrossurban India, but you can’t expect aMexican to recognise their localisedtastes, which are often laden withfeatures like Szechwan sauce andpaneer. Recently I got to taste aquesadilla in a popular Mumbairestaurant, which tasted not muchdifferent from your cheese kathi roll.

Indianisation of the cuisine is, sadly,the story in most of the restaurantsserving Mexican food in Mumbai.There are very few restaurants in thecity serving authentic Mexican cuisine.Like most culinary imports, this tonguetickling cuisine has been found to beextensively localised. In our bid tolocalise, we often compromise on theauthenticity of tastes, and authenticMexican cuisine is not only casualty ofsuch a global-local dichotomy in India.

Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore areknown to have the most global palatein the country with their widelytravelled residents, and there is asizeable section among them whowelcome authentic versions of any newcuisine with open arms but fewintrepid restaurateurs seem to haveseriously considered introducingauthentic Mexican cuisine in theseplaces though its flavours are closer tothe Indian taste buds than of severalother international cuisines. Thedemand for Mexican cuisine is rising inIndia, though not by a significantextent, but the supply is lacking tomatch up to this demand.

Serving AuthenticallyHowever, there are some enterprisingrestaurants who are attempting tobridge the gap. One of them is thenewly opened Taco Fresco, thefranchised outlet of the Chicago-basedMexican restaurants. Taco Frescospecialises in Mexican favourites liketacos, burritos, quesadillas, andtostadas, which are served up quick,fresh, and healthy.

“I missed the Mexican food on mytrips to India and Szechwan tacos were


C O V E R S T O R Y

no substitute,” voiced SayeedaKurlawala, one of the owners of therestaurant. The 28-year-old bankingprofessional from Chicago who nursedthe desire to enter the restaurantbusiness, rightly thought that Mumbaineeded authentic Mexican cuisine.“The response has been extreme.Those used to having Mexican foodwith local influences are seeking thoseitems, whereas those who haveauthentic Mexican food in the west areloving our offerings,” explainedSayeeda.

Yes, people habituated to haveIndian Mexican can get disappointedat Taco Fresco. They won’t find tacosfilled with rajma or enchiladas stuffed,topped and encompassed with cheeseand ketchup here. At Taco Fresco, ifyou order a taco you will get a tortillawith chopped tomatoes, onions,Chihuahua cheese with a red andgreen salsa on the side.

If Taco Fresco is one of the fewrestaurants to offer authentic Mexicanfood in Mumbai, Delhi has itsSancho’s, where you can get authenticMexican cuisine. In fact, Mumbai had

two famous Mexican joints in the past,which are The Oberoi’s Casa Mexicana,and The Taj President’s El Mexicano.

El Mexicano used to servetraditional Mexican dishes like chickenin chocolate sauce, tamales (a wrapmade of a dough called masa andstuffed with meat and vegetables), cornfungus, pipián verde (a sauce madefrom pumpkin seeds), mole poblano (athick sauce made of chillies such asancho, mulato, pasilla and chipotle,

which is commonly had with chicken)among others.

“Speaking about Mexican food, Imay add that since Mexican food isspicy it is a wonder that it has not yetbecome very popular with Indianswith their penchant for spices galore.For example, there was a scarcity ofgreat Mexican flavours in Pune untilthe recent past, and there was a needto have a stylish Mexican eatery set inthis attractive city,” stated SanjaySingh, General Manager Radisson BluHotel Pune Kharadi. The Bridge hastaken shape from this need.

Rich and authentic Mexicanculinary culture has inspired thedelicious burritos, tacos, enchiladasand fajitas at The Bridge that are bothfiery and tasty. “Mexico has anawesome variety of exciting andvibrant flavours to offer to India, andour endeavour is to deliver authenticMexican food to our guests, which isfar removed from the heavy andgreasy so-called Tex-Mex options. Theexciting and refreshing culinaryculture of Mexico has inspired ourcreations. Our Chefs enjoy mixing


C O V E R S T O R Y

these authentic Mexican flavours witha dash of Pune’s special vibrantgastronomic spirit. We combine freshproduce from local farms and also useimported unique flavours of habenerochilies, montery jack cheese, vine-ripened tomatillos and ancho saucefrom Mexico,” elaborated Gopinath.

If you have a passion for Mexicancuisine try The Bridge’s Tortilla Soup(puree of tortilla flavoured withtomato & Mexican oregano),Habenero Marinated Buffalo Wings(chicken wings tossed with habanerobarbeque sauce) or Honey ChipotleGlazed Chicken Skewers (grilledchicken skewers flavoured with honey& chipotle sauce) for starters. You canalso feast on their delectable nachos,burrittos, quesadillas, enchiladas,sizzling fajitas, and tacos.

A Healthy CharacterWith people becoming increasinglyhealth conscious the question thatwould likely to arise among the mindsof Indian restaurateurs toying withthe idea of starting an authenticMexican restaurant is how healthy isMexican food, as it is infused with allthose spices? Well the answer issimple; Mexican food is healthydespite its by and large spicy nature.

It can be had without anyhealth compunctions andapprehensions.

A great many authenticdishes from Mexico are low oncalories and fat; they are alsohigh in vitamins and minerals.In fact, very few authenticMexican dishes have high fatand calorie content.Traditional Mexican dishes,unlike their misinterpretationsby many fast food outlets, arespruced with lots of nutrients.Who would doubt the healthquotient of peppers, onions,tomatoes, and corn, which arethe ingredients of manyMexican recipes? Chilli,oregano, cilantro, epazote,cinnamon, and cocoa areamong the most frequentlyused herbs and spices inMexican cuisine.

Corns and beans are thestaples of typical Mexicanfoods. Corn is used for making

masa, a dough for tamales, tortillas,gorditas and many other corn-basedfoods. Squash and chili peppers alsoplay important roles in Mexicancuisine. Like Indian dishes, manyMexican dishes also comprise of garlicand onions.

However, it seems like what we didto Chinese cuisine, we are eager toreplicate that experiment for Mexicancuisine too. But our eager efforts topresent Indianise versions of Mexicandishes will not help us to get theirhealth benefits.

Different TastesHowever, like many great cuisines ofthe world, Mexican cuisine alsodoesn’t have a homogenous character.It would not be wrong to say thatthere is no one Mexican cuisine, butdifferent forms of Mexican cuisines.Like the diversified nature of Chinesecuisine comes from different regions –Szechuan, Cantonese, Mandarin,Hunnan, etc. – the Mexican food alsolargely varies from region to region,despite some basic common traits.

The large size of Mexico, itsclimatic variations from one region toanother, the ethnic diversity among itsindigenous population, and thevarying degrees of Spanish influence

in different regions of the countryhave together influenced the Mexicancuisine to vary in flavour, style andcontent from one region to another.

Every region of Mexico has itsculinary specialties. For example, thenorth of Mexico is famous for itsgrilled meat, arrachera cut, and flourtortillas. The Oaxacan region ofMexico is famous for its tamales, molesand tlayudas, while the mountainousregions of the western Mexico areknown for their goat birria (goat in aspicy tomato-based sauce).

Then the spicy vegetable andchicken-based dishes from south-eastern Mexico, where culinarytraditions are flavoured withCaribbean influence, are renowned.In the Yucatán, a singular sweetness ispresent in the widely used localproduce along with an unusual lovefor achiote seasoning. One of thehighlights of the gastronomiccharacter of Yucatin Península itsCochinita pibil (also puerco pibil),which is a traditional slow-roastedpork dish from the region. When youenjoy pozole, menudo, barbacoa, orcarnitas, you get to savour the uniqueflavours from Central Mexico region.

It is about time India gets toexplore the rich, authentic and diverseflavours and tastes from differentregions from Mexico in a much morefrequent and extensive manner. AreIndia’s creative restaurateurs listeningto the whisper of this comparativelyunexplored business opportunity? ■


B U S I N E S S

Several socio-economic and socio-cultural factors,and a demography skewed in favour of youngpopulation have concertedly contributed to thegrowth of coffee café culture in India. The stand-alonecoffee houses, which are dwindling in numbers fromthe metropolitan landscape, are fast becomingreminiscent of a long-lost era; characterised byinnocence, romance, and rebellion.They are getting replaced by sleek and business likecoffee café retail chains, which are serving as idealbackdrops for rendezvous and as well as businessparleys for a new age of upwardly mobile India. Thesehangout zones of today are offering innovative rangeof coffee concoctions along with an impressive arrayof appetising snacking options, which the Indiansattuned to globalised tastes are simply lapping up.The future for the coffee café retail chains in Indiaseems warm and inviting. The burgeoning retail coffeemarket has lately experienced the entrance of manyforeign players to capture a market share, which hasstrengthened the aroma of competition, that is sure towaft across in the days ahead. Here SwarnenduBiswas explores and examines the reasons andcharacter of coffee café culture in India, and also triesto fathom the future trends in this direction.

AromaThe Wafting


marked improvement from the pre 2000figures. Between 1951 to 2000, the netdomestic consumption of coffee in Indiaincreased by only 2 percent per annum,on an average.

What is of more significance is that theproportion of occasional coffee drinkers inthe country has shown an increase in thelast few years in the non-south regions, asection which the coffee café retail chainswould not be naïve enough to not exploreupon. Presently, the annual coffeeconsumption in India is 100,000 tonnes.

What is relevant that most of thegrowth in India’s coffee market is takingplace in the non-traditional coffeedrinking areas, where coffee is evolving orhas evolved as a lifestyle drink. “Over the

past few years, coffee has transitioned frombeing a traditional beverage consumedmainly in South India, to a beverage witha national presence, consumed in severalforms and retail formats. Between 2003and 2008, coffee consumption grew inthe non-south regions at 42 percentannually while it did grow at 3.5 percentper annum in the southern states,”explained Akhtar. Overall, coffee has nowemerged as a trendy beverage with anational presence, and the trend of manytea drinkers in the country making asmooth transition into being coffeedrinkers is also taking shape.

Neither does the appeal of coffeeamong the Indian coffee connoisseurslimited to the historically famed Indianfilter coffee or for that matter, the espressocoffee. Though Indian filter coffee, whichis a sweet milky coffee made from darkroasted coffee beans and chicory, in theratio of approximately 80:20 respectively,has been a commercial success since the1940s and is still very much popular inthe southern states of India, the country’staste for coffee has evolved to becomemore exotic, cosmopolitan and diverse incharacter.

Young and OthersThese days, many of the young and eventhe not so young crowd in the sleek coffeecafes are seen sipping Americano, Mocha,Cappuccino and many other exotic stylesof this invigorating brew, which not solong ago were foreign to the thencomparatively insular and conservativetastes of India.

And the visitors to these sleek coffee

In India, the production of coffee isprimarily concentrated in the threesouthern states of Karnataka, Kerala

and Tamil Nadu, with Karnataka leadingthe way by accounting for nearly 53percent of the country’s coffee production.It is followed by Kerala which contributesto 28 percent of the country’s coffeeproduction, and Tamil Nadu accountingfor 11 percent of the total country’s coffeeproduction. There are approximately250,000 coffee growers in India, out ofwhich 98 percent are small growers.

India’s estimated coffee productionduring 2011-12 was around 3,14000tonnes, but according to Jawaid Akhtar,Chairman, Coffee Board of India, morethan 70 per cent of the coffee produced inthe country is channeled towards exports.Italy, Russia and Germany are the largestbuyers of coffees exported from India.India accounts for 4.5 percent of the totalcoffee production in the world. Duringthe 2012-13 crop year, India’s estimatedcoffee production would be 3.25 lakhtonnes

A Pan-Indian BrewHowever, presently the popularity and theconsumption of coffee in India are nolonger concentrated in its southern states.The demand for coffee consumption isshowing appreciable increases across ournation, which has been traditionally anation of tea drinkers. According toAkhtar, the coffee consumption in Indiahas been growing at a healthy rate of 5-6percent annually, on an average. This is

B U S I N E S S


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café outlets, which are also doubling up asrestaurants serving breakfast, lunch anddinner options, are not only youngupwardly mobile crowd. Though thisboom in retail coffee café chains is fosteredby India’s well-heeled segment of youthpopulation who view visit to these cafes asextension of their lifestyle choices, butthese cafes are not only frequented bystudents and young professionals, but alsoby middle-aged and over the hill persons.

In today’s India, not only the upwardlymobile crowd in the metros, but also theaspiring middle aged and middle classpopulation in tier-I and tier-II cities areseen increasingly perceiving a visit to a caféand or a restaurant as not only an eatingout option with exotic coffees, but also asa lifestyle option. This evolving socio-cultural trend has also fostered the growthof coffee café culture in India.

The Causative FactorsThe increase in extent and variety ofcoffee consumption across the country,across various consumer profiles, especiallyin urban India, is the product of risingdisposable incomes in select pockets ofIndian society, and also the product ofrising familiarisation of urban Indiansociety towards global food & beveragetrends. More particularly, the increasedfamiliarity with the global brewingflavours on more number of Indians thanever before as a result of the spread ofglobalisation has contributed greatly tothe maturation of the coffee drinkingculture in the country.

These factors have also perhapscontributed or rather snowballed into theretail coffee chain revolution, but alongthese factors, a predominantly youngIndia; many of whom are very muchlifestyle conscious, and also the perceptiblelifestyle changes in the middle-classsegment and upwardly mobile segments ofurban Indian society have also played theirroles in giving momentum to the ongoingcoffee café culture. Not only the increasingdemand for coffee consumption hasinduced the trend of coffee café cultureacross the country but the mushroomingof coffee bars and cafes in turn have alsoplayed its role in making coffee thelifestyle drink of new-age India. However,whether initially the supply followeddemand or the demand was createdthrough changing the supply pattern is amatter of debate.

Succinctly, the growth of the coffeecafé culture is not only due to theincreasing consumption of coffee in India,in the recent years. It is also because of theglobalisation influenced lifestyle changesin the upwardly mobile youngmetropolitan India, and the swiftpercolation of this trend across varioussocial strata among the urban middle classIndia.

These cafes are garnering popularity fornot only providing exotic coffees in hotand cold options, which arecomplemented with an array ofsumptuous bakery products. These cafesare also introducing several innovativeconcoctions where varied coffee beans

with exotic desserts are playing new musicon the taste buds of a new generation ofIndians. But importantly, these caféchains are also selling a holistically classyexperience to the increasingly lifestyleconscious crowd. This experience comesacross as a unique combination of foodand brews with ambience and decor.

Here Comes the PlayersPresently, the Indian coffee retail marketstands at $200 million and it isexperiencing an annual expansion of 15-20 percent. The retail revolution of thecoffee cafes in India can become easilyevident from the astronomical growth oftwo early bird players in this segment —Café Coffee Day, and Barista Lavazza. Thefirst CCD outlet was set up on July 1996,at Brigade Road, Bangalore and withinone-and-half decade this organised retailcafé chain giant is having 1407 outletsacross the country, with aims to increasethis number to 2000 by 2014. The retailcafé chain has also initiated a Rs.400 croredomestic expansion plan and will openaround 300 new cafes during the ongoingfiscal. The chain has presence in 28 statesof the country. In 2010, Café Coffee Dayaccounted for a 75 percent share of theIndian retail coffee market. Cafe CoffeeDay has also launched its outlets inKarachi, Vienna, Dubai, and Prague.

Barista was established in February2000 to recreate the ambience andexperience of the typical Italianneighborhood espresso bars in India. In2007, Lavazza acquired Barista CoffeeCompany limited and post the completionof the brand integration process, all BaristaEspresso and Barista Crème outlets acrossIndia are known as Barista Lavazza andBarista Crème Lavazza respectively. At thelast count, the Barista Coffee CompanyLimited has over 200 Barista LavazzaEspresso Bars and Barista Lavazza Crèmesin over 30 cities across India. The chainhas plans to open 25 additional outlets inIndia, by the end of 2013. Besides theIndian sub-continent, Barista Lavazza alsohas cafes in locations across Sri Lanka,Oman and the UAE

Seeing the burgeoning business ofretail coffee chains in India, manyinternational players have entered thecountry to have a share of this growingmarket. The UK-based Costa Coffee,which is the second biggest coffee chain inthe world with presence in 25 countries,has been wafting its aroma among the


B U S I N E S S

coffee consumers of India since the lastseven years. In fact, it is the firstinternational coffee chain which enteredIndia, in 2005. The chain recentlyopened its 100th outlet in India, inMumbai, and is on a rapid expansionspree.

Within the last two years of its presencein India, Costa Coffee has come up with65 outlets in the country. “I think we havecreated an international coffee culture inIndia and we plan to exploit this byopening a minimum of 50 stores a year,”asserted Andy Marshall, ManagingDirector, International Markets, CostaCoffee. Apart from having presence inDelhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune, theinternational coffee chain will havepresence in Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabadand Chandigarh within the next twoyears.

Besides Costa Coffee, there are severalother international players who have madetheir presence in the Indian bakery cafemarket. Dunkin’ Donuts, the renownedMassachusetts-based doughnut andcoffeehouse chain, has also made its forayinto India in early this year. The chainpresently operates five stores in the

country, which it envisages to enhance to100 over the next five years, in order toexplore the growing eating-out culture inIndia. The brand occupies a unique spot,that of between cafes and quick servicerestaurants. Jubilant FoodWorks Limited(JFL), which already has rights forDomino’s Pizza, has entered into analliance with Dunkin’ Donuts early lastyear to bring the brand’s restaurants to

India.Muffin Break, a renowned Australian

brand of bakery café chain owned byFoodco Group Pty Ltd. with presence in267 locations across Australia, NewZealand, the UK and now India, has veryrecently forayed into India with its firstflagship café, which opened in NewDelhi, in GK-II M Block Market. MuffinBreak has a carved a niche in the


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Australian retail food industry, and isrecognised for its CSR Golden Beanaward-winning proprietary coffee blend.

At the initial stage, the opening ofMuffin Break outlets will beconcentrated in north India only, andfrom 2013 onwards, the aroma ofMuffin Break’s offerings would spreadacross other parts of India too.

According to Robert Fitzgerald, theExecutive Director, Foodco Group PtyLtd., the USP of Muffin Break in India isthat, “All our products are freshly madein our outlets on a daily basis, andinvolve natural ingredients.” This trait ofMuffin Break is universal across all itsoutlets. For the Indian market, MuffinBreak has an exhaustive range of flavours,which include mulberry and chickooflavours, and its specialty muffin varietiesinclude gluten free muffinsand low fat muffins amongothers.

Muffin Break will not onlybe offering a range of flavoursin muffin but will also cater tothe tastes of the coffee lovers inIndia. According to Fitzgerald,Muffin Break would have 20stores across the country,within three years. It isexpected that there will be fiveMuffin Break outlets in Indiaby the end of this year.

Now the big news is thatthe Seattle-based Starbucks,after six years of studying ofthe local Indian markets, hasfinally entered the country throughopening of its flagship store in thecountry, in south Mumbai’s historicElphinstone Building. The outlet canhouse 120 people at a time. The entry ofthe largest international coffee café chainin this planet is expected to further heatup the competition in India’s premiumretail coffee market.

Last year, Starbucks had formed ajoint venture with Tata GlobalBeverages, which is called TataStarbucks Ltd. The high prices ofStarbucks in India position the giant atthe premium end of the spectrum ofretail coffee chains, but there are aplethora of consumers who are notexpected to mind paying thecomparatively higher prices for theirCappuccino Café Latte or iced coffeeand blended beverages, etc. than theprevailing rates in the market, in order

to get the ‘very exclusive’ Starbucksexperience.

The Retail CharacterOverall, the retail coffee chains arelooking at newer territories for expansion,which include highways, hospitals andcollege campuses. It is no longer onlymalls and high streets which are thepreferred outlets of these café chains.Furthermore, refining and expansion ofmenus, and contemporary store designsare also very much a part of retail growthof coffee café chains in the country.

Recently, Café Coffee Day hasrevamped its menu, which includeswidening the ambit of its price points,introducing short desserts and expandingits range of packaged cold beverages.

Costa Cofeee is opting for newer

routes of retailing. In the next five years,Costa Coffee will come up with cafes inairports, highways, hospitals, multiplexes,and even embassies, and has alreadyplanned Rs.300-350 crore for thisexpansion. However, the steep rentals inparts of Mumbai and Delhi, whichMarshall viewed were even higher thanthat of London and New York, poses abig challenge for the growth of thisinternational coffee chain in these twometropolis.

Change in ambience as a tool to standout from the competition is also verymuch on the cards. In the very recentpast, Barista Lavazza, perhaps in a first-ofits kind initiative by any café chain in thecountry, has roped in the leading fashiondesigner Rina Dhaka, who hasoverhauled the café chain’s entire lookand feel. The café chain has alreadyintroduced a new range of F&B products

under the Milano Collezioni collection,which is designed by Rina. The name ofthe new menu / collection is MilanoCollezioni, which means a collection inItalian and it draws inspiration fromMilan, one of the leading fashion capitalsof the world.

Rina has redesigned the uniform ofthe Barista Lavazza’s (the cap, the apronand the tie), its store accessories, themenu (which will now be in the form ofa fashion catalogue), the store interiors,the nomenclature of the new food itemsand beverages launched and much more.All these changes are reflected across theoutlets of Barista Lavazza. It wouldn’tsurprise this writer if many other caféchains revamp their ambience and décorin the near future to garner crowd fromthe competition.

The growth of coffeecafé culture in India is notonly expected to give a fillipto the coffee production inthe country, but is likely toenhance the market of fastfoods like burgers,sandwiches, cakes, muffins,ice creams, etc. among itsconsumers, thereby furthercontributing to theglobalisation of Indiantastes, and fostering the fastfood revolution, which arealready gaining maturity inthe Indian urban milieu. Itis because all of these fooditems do play their edible

roles in these café chains among theirconsumers.

Unexplored PotentialHowever, despite the growth of coffeeconsumption in India, according to K.Ramakrishnan, the President ofMarketing, Café Coffee Day, the percapita annual consumption of coffee inthe country is only 82 gm. This figure isdisappointing as compared to that of theUS and other western nations. Moreover,coffee café retail chains are still confinedto primarily being a big city trend inIndia. Out of 6000 towns in India, only200 have coffee chains. Both thesefactors, if taken in light of growingurbanisation and globalisationspearheading across India, indicate thatthe market for retail coffee café chains inIndia is far from being saturated.

We have a huge untapped segment of


potential coffee drinkers in India that could be tapped by thesecafé chains; in fact not even 10 percent of the potential Indiancoffee consumers’ market is being explored by these retail chainsat present. “India has potential for around 5000 or so additionalcoffee outlets, which can be strategically located close to offices,colleges and shopping malls,” said Ramakrishnan. We can inferthat the premium offerings of Starbucks and as well as the massmarket offerings of CCD will find acceptance in the market insuch a scenario.

The Future NeedsHowever, in order to have a distinct edge in the market, thesecafé chains need to tailor their products not only to somefictitious homogenous Indian tastes(there is in fact nohomogenous taste or tastes in India, with aroma and flavourschanging within a few miles) but also to the local tastepreferences of the people of the place where the outlet is beingset up. For example, even within Delhi, the taste preferencesmay vary from one region to another.

Thus tweaking the menu to cater to the myriad consumerpreferences of India is the need of the hour. Localising theirburgers, muffins, doughnuts, etc. is expected to lead to greaterconsumption of their coffees too. It is because though webecome apparently global, we remain inherently local. Thisglobal-local dichotomy must be intelligently addressed by theinternational and national coffee café chains invading themarket.

Moreover, the players operating in the non premium chain ofthis aromatic revolution should also make an earnest effort tomake their prices more affordable so that a greater number ofIndians can enjoy their products and ambience without makinga hole in their pockets, because prices can be one of their USPsto counter the premium offerings by Starbucks, Muffin Breakand others.

There is no prize for guessing that the entry and theconsequent spread of the footprints of the foreign players in theIndian retail coffee market would intensify the business ofcoffee cafés, by strengthening the flavour of competition. Thismay lead to the unorganised players in the retail coffee marketfeel the heat as they do not have the money power andmarketing savvy to compete with the huge national level andmultinational players. However, there is enough market spacefor more big organised players to explore and exploit thedemand for uncommon coffee concoctions and sleek lifestyleamong the aspiring crowd.

One expected positive outcome of this forthcoming reality ofintense competition among organised retail coffee chain outletswill be great value additions for the guests of these café chains,which would eventually translate into more value for money forthe consumers. Already such a process has begun in full swing…

Ultimately, the consumers are likely to benefit with greaterchoices of the brew, but what would be the target profile of theconsumers of these café chains in the near future is a questionworth exploring. Would primarily the elite and/or upper middleincome group English speaking crowd from big cities continue todrive this consumer revolution, or would the people comprising agreater but not much talked about part of India in tier-II and tier-III cities and also in rural hinterlands be able to participate in thisgigantic enterprise, in a significant way? This question rests on thebusiness strategies and priorities of the players. ■


F E A T U R E

MTR Foods, one of the topfive processed foodmanufacturers in India, is all

set to embark on a new culinaryjourney. The Bangalore-basedcompany aims for a three-fold jump inits revenues from the existing Rs.350crore to Rs.1000 crore by 2015. In2011, MTR Foods registered a growthrate in excess of 24 percent. Last year,the company also clocked sales ofRs.350 crore, which is expected toescalate to Rs.450 crore this year.While it has a keen eye on TamilNadu’s spice market, the brand has alsostormed into the national food spacethrough its ready-to-cook (RTC)range.

I met Sanjay Sharma, the Chief

Executive Officer, MTR Foods Pvt.Ltd. on the eve of Dussehra. The CEOwas visibly excited as he was preparingto personally greet a workforce of1,000 staffers in the factory, onBangalore’s outskirts. The fruitfulinteraction led me to explore thehistory and vision of the company in abetter way.

MTR Foods, despite its enviablereputation, is not that old a company.It was P. Sadananda Maiya whofounded MTR Foods in 1997.However, the business legacy behindthis venture is a long one indeed…

Flavourful HistoryIt dates back to 1924 when the MTR(Mavalli Tiffin Room) Restaurant was

established by the Maiya family inBangalore. Authentic vegetarian southIndian food has been its forte sincethen.

The turning point came when therestaurant shut down three weeks afterthe declaration of a nation-wideemergency. That was when the Maiyafamily took it as a challenge to makeoptimum use of the raw ingredientsavailable to them. It made businesssense to put the raw ingredientstogether and transform them intoprocessed food products. The survivalinstinct during the emergency urged P.Sadananda Maiya, a descendent of theMaiya family, to explore a relativelyunknown domain for the company.

He transformed himself into a food

By Kavitha Srinivasa

A Spicy Growth Story


F E A T U R E

technologist as he pursued processedfood, based on his culinary expertise atthe MTR Restaurant. While therestaurant reopened after theemergency was lifted, SadanandaMaiya eventually set out on his own,and in 1997 his company MTR Foodswas incorporated. Under hisstewardship, the company createdinstant mixes, pickles, masalas andsweet mixes, which found a market inKarnataka, Andhra Pradesh and TamilNadu. Over the years, the growth ofMTR Foods has mirrored the growthof the branded processed food marketin the country.

In 2000, Sadananda Maiya realisedhe needed more capital and sold partof his shares to a private equitycompany. In 2006, when the privateequity exited, MTR Foods was put upfor sale; and in 2007, MTR Foodsbecame a wholly owned subsidiary ofthe Norwegian food company OrklaBrands. It was in February 2007 whenMTR Foods announced its officialpartnership with the Norwegianconglomerate Orkla. From then on, ithas been a flavourful journey…

Post this joint venture, MTR Foodshas taken major steps to revitalise itsbrand appeal and establish its presencein the homes of modern consumersacross India. For most foodies inBangalore, Orkla was an unfamiliarname. However, the Norwegian

company had set its sights on India.The fact that India has diverse foodpreferences prompted Orkla Brands tolook at the Indian food market withinterest. “Orkla’s business model isbased on the fact that businesses haveto leverage local capacities. They alsoassociate with brands that haveheritage value and customer goodwill.That is how MTR became theirpreferred choice in India,” explained asmiling Sharma, who I came to know isa self-confessed foodie. His stint inBangalore allows him to explore thecity’s vast and diverse gastronomiclandscape, though crisp masala dosasremain his favourite.

The Packaged RangeIn 2009, Sharma was roped in asCEO. He was earlier with a foodcompany in UAE. This professionalCEO with a management backgroundwas joined by a team of professionals.Key challenges for MTR Foods post2009 was to evolve the enterprise froman entrepreneur run company to aprofessionally run one.

“The brand MTR needed to be

Sanjay Sharma


F E A T U R E

revitalised. The product packaging,which had remained the same since2003, was tailored to have a youngappeal,” added Sharma. The packagingwas revamped to look more modernand give more homogeneity to MTR’sportfolio. The packaging was mademore appealing with additions likeattractive food shots and clearlymarking out the key differentiatorswhich are shown as signposts. Therange was also broken up into twosections. The first being DailyFavourites (everyday foods) likebreakfast mixes, snacks range, masalasand pickles. The second category isTasty Delights (celebration foods) likedessert mixes, soups, and ready to eatdal makhni, macaroni and vermicelliamong others.

Here it deserves a mention thatMTR’s Ready to Munch snacks aremade from authentic recipes, usingquality ingredients, and are fried inhigh quality oil to ensure that theyretain the homemade authenticflavour, taste and aroma. Preparedunder strict hygienic conditions usingmodern machinery, MTR’s productsare packed in special stay fresh packsfor lasting freshness and crispiness.

A consumer survey had indicated

that though MTR gave an instantrecall of being an authentic vegetariansouth Indian brand, it was associatedwith the older generation. “Our taskwas to change the positioning of thebrand from being traditional tomodern,” Sharma added.

Changing Consumer ProfileSince India is a young country, thecompany felt that in order to stayrelevant, it was necessary to appeal toyoung consumers. With this purpose,MTR Foods chose to talk to younghousewives or someone who is around35 years of age. This is also the groupwhich is seeking effective cookingsolutions to save time. While they stillwant to be the nurturer for theirfamily, they do not want to berelegated to the kitchen only.

Within a very short time, againMTR Foods modified its targetconsumer profile. Since 2010, MTRFoods has been targeting at womanaged between 22 and 25. “The brandwas repositioned as an indispensiblecompanion in the kitchen, to help herin the process of cooking. This isbecause young consumers need helpfor making Indian food, and MTR fitsin very well as it offers easy solutions

for Indian food,” asserted Sharma. Theconsumer was addressed throughmodern packaging and a modern toneof communication. New agecommunication mediums like socialmedia were also employed to talk tothe target consumers.

Research had also indicated that thebrand was seen predominantly assomething that catered to the SouthIndian tastes, be it in terms of spicesand masalas or in terms of its breakfastmixes range. MTR decided to give animpetus to its efforts towardsstrengthening its three pillars ofgrowth strategy like spices and masalas,ready mixes and South Indian snacks.The portfolio was diversified toinclude 240-odd products in order togive the brand a pan-India appeal.Once the goal was determined, thecompany was quick to create the rightinfrastructure to further improve thequality of its products through R&D.For example, a mechanised steelpounding machine has been set up toimprove the quality of the new line-upof end products.

Researched Success StoryThese appropriate infrastructuresfacilitate quality-oriented R&D. A casein the point is something as basic aschili. A layperson may find it difficultto comprehend, but apparently thecolour and heat index determine thevarieties and sub varieties of the chiliand give it a distinct taste. ThroughR&D MTR has arrived at a formulawhereby certain parts of chilies areisolated. After the isolation of thoseparts, the chillies are fine-tuned andthen targeted to cater to the diverserequirements of sambar powder indifferent parts of south India. Eachplace makes sambar differently and thecompany realised that the answer liesin the quality of the chili and its abilityto meet the region-specific tastes.

Then take the case of chaklis, acrispy, crunchy savoury. It has beenfound that due to oil absorption,chaklis generally leave a certain amountof grease on your hand. The companyunderwent something like 70 trials,sustained experiments and workedclosely with oil manufacturers till itarrived at an optimum non-greasyform of chaklis. Technical know-howabout non-greasy oil came from Orkla.


F E A T U R E

Once the company cracked the code, itbegan exploring favourable markets toreap dividends.

Market SavvyMTR Foods has decided to channelise16 percent of its sales on marketingand its promos promise to pack inquite a punch. The marketing effortsare more skewed towards directcommunication through social media.A Facebook page has been set up tothis effect. MTR also connects withconsumers through the You Tube. Afood search engine will be optimised inthe coming months.

The corporate website wasrevamped into an easy-to-navigateformat. Furthermore, Sharma and histeam have come up with a smartstrategy of reaching out to the massesby creating a consumer website, inaddition to the corporate website.

Through a private collaboration,the company has created over 100videos of recipes on its consumerwebsite. The company intends toengage and interact with foodiesthrough a cookery contest, on theconsumer website.

All these promos are happeningbecause of a growing demand forpackaged food. Sharma admits that the

consumer awareness is so high that thecompany has raised the bar for itsrange of packaged food options.

In 2012, MTR expanded itsportfolio with Rasoi Magic, a ready-to-cook (RTC) range. Good news is thatRasoi Magic is a customised meal mixrange in a powder format. All that theconsumer needs to do is to addingredients like vegetables and paneer,among others. Sharma describes RasoiMagic as a growth driver, which willposition MTR Foods on a nationalplane in 2013.

Rural ReachAfter consolidating its position inurban India, the MTR brand is all setfor a trickle down effect, as it reachesout to the rural consumer. It has begunits rural progression with the ruralsuburbs of Karnataka. This is anattempt to increase the company’sexisting stake of 31 percent in thespice market of Karnataka.

The game plan unfolds in thevillages of Hassan, Karnataka. A marketstudy revealed that condiment andprovision stores stacked unbrandedsacks of masalas, which were readilypicked up by consumers. It indicatedthat people were open to buyingmasalas and in the absence of branded

players they opted for whatever wasavailable in these condiment andprovision stores. “Rural Karnataka is animportant part of our strategy as wehave saturated our urban coverage. Wehave a plan to build strong reach inrural Karnataka and will look at ruralspecific products if and whenrequired,” Sharma revealed.

The Tamil ConnectionTamil Nadu is the biggest consumer ofspices among the states in the country.MTR is also endeavouring to increaseits brand visibility in Tamil Nadu’sspice market from its existing 1percent. A strategy has been chalkedout in this direction.

In October 2012, the companypitched forth its marketing plan forthe state with a special range of sambar,rasam and kulambu podis or powders.Already an advertising campaign hasbeen rolled out, where the potentialcustomers are being addressed throughprint and display ads. Furthermore,consumers in Tamil Nadu are engagedthrough sampling sessions in shoppingmalls.

“We have networked with 3,000households in Tamil Nadu andencouraged them to use our products.This is expected to generate awarenessand give an impetus to our sales. In thenext six months, the sales will beploughed back into advertising,” said aconfident Sharma while asserting thatTamil Nadu is an important market forthe company. According to him, MTRFoods is a leader in Tamil Nadu in therealm of sweet mixes and breakfastmixes. It is intended to continuallybuild on both these categories in thestate. The Tamil Nadu market isexpected to be one of the growthdrivers of MTR Foods in the nearfuture.

Even as MTR Foods under Sharma’sleadership explores into differentdomains, the company remainsconscious and reverent towards itslegacy. Overall, the company is keen toexpand its national footprint, while itretains its strong position in the south.Sharma is very clear cut about theMTR brand. “What Haldiram is to thenorth, we are to the South,” heaffirmed, as he prepared to move onfrom the interview…perhaps towardsbrighter tomorrows. ■


A G R I

By Kavitha Srinivasa

BerryVery Healthy

Acai berry is a small, deep-purplefruit. It may not be on top ofeveryone’s mind, but the fact that

this Brazilian berry is a storehouse ofantioxidants, can make people sit up andnotice it. It is believed to strengthen theimmune system, promote longevity andencourage healthy weight loss and for allthese beneficial facets, it is quite likely tofind a sizeable market in India. Probablythis is what has prompted MonaVie, theglobal leader in health and wellnesscategory, to whet the Indian market with a

product that contains the goodness of acaiberry.

Backed by the success of its healthdrink and supplement business in India,MonaVie, the global leader in health andwellness category, has forayed into ‘Ready-To-Eat market’. This new ‘Heat & Eat’range is marketed under the MonaVieONE brand. Chennai’s MonaVie IndiaEnterprises has launched MonaVie ONEbrand in India and the first offering fromthe MonaVie ONE portfolio is the OATMeal, positioned as a Ready-to-Eatproduct.

For the uninitiated, this OAT Meal is ahealthy concoction of acai berry powder,oats and vegetables, along with garnisheslike urad dal and Bengal gram, amongothers. “Ours is the first and only ‘heatand eat’ OAT Meal that is significantlydifferent in terms of ingredients,preparation and presentation. Otherplayers in this segment that focus on thebreakfast sector, package oats as a ready-to-cook breakfast cereal,” said D. Gunasekar,Managing Director, MonaVie IndiaEnterprises. According to him, it madesense to enter the ready-to-eat market as itis one of the rapidly growing foodsegments in India.

MonaVie ONE’s OAT Meal is fortified

with black gram and Bengal gram,vegetables, coconut and acai fruit powder;it can be consumed for breakfast or as themeal replacement for enhanced wellness.To that extent, this product offersflexibility. The Ready-To-Eat OAT Mealis supplemented with an assortment ofvegetables which provide vitamins andminerals and a range of phytonutrientsknown to be essential for good health.

Moreover, it contains the proprietaryvalue of AçaVie™, which is an extractfrom açai, hailed as the Brazilian super-fruit. Açai is found in the floodplainswamps of the eastern Amazon river basin.Here it deserves a mention that all theproducts under the MonaVie ONE ‘Heat& Eat’ range will carry the unique andproprietary AçaVie™; the purest andmost potent extract from açai in a powderform, delivering a rich dose ofantioxidants to the meal.

What makes acai berry so healthy isthat it is endowed with tremendousbenefits that include anti- agingproperties. It is described as Super Food,thanks to a combination of beneficialcompounds, vitamins and nutrients; a keycomponent being 19 different aminoacids. These amino acids are the buildingblocks of protein making this berry one


A G R I

among the most protein rich foods doingthe rounds in the market. One of the mainfunctions of the protein is to increasemetabolism which can help you if you areon a mission to lose some weight.

However, within acai, there arequality variations. “Enlivenox is acomponent of MonaVie’s AçaVie, anaçai concentrate that boasts 10 times thepolyphenolic power of traditional açai.This ingredient contains a newpolyphenolic compound discovered incollaboration with researchers at theUSDA. We isolated, standardised andcombined this compound with otherpowerful polyphenols to createEnlivenox,” Gunasekar added, throwinglight on the product. The Enlivenoxdifferentiates the MonaVie premier acaiblends more than ever.

Here it deserves a mention that thecompany didn’t wake up to the goodnessof acai berry overnight. The new offeringhas happened after millions of dollars havebeen invested towards research. “AcaVie isthe reconstituted blend of acai berry andjucara fruits, and Enlivenox fromMonaVie. This makes the MonaVie’s acai-based products almost 10 times more

potent in terms of ORAC(Oxygen Radical AbsorbanceCapacity) when compared toconventional acai,” reasonedGunasekar and added thatMonaVie India Enterprises’research wing is working on anarray of MonaVie ONEvariants with wheat, corn andrice that would fit in to thedietary habits of Indians.

So far, South India hasproved to be the right marketfor the company’s growth.The company has already subcontractedthe manufacturing and packing of theMonaVie One range of products to itslocal partners in Tamil Nadu, located nearHosur and Sriperumbudur.

However, a large section of thepotential consumers of this product inother parts of the country remainsuntapped. This explains why the companyintends to invest Rs.100 crore to set up itsown manufacturing facility in the comingyears. The investment will also be used toestablish a customised R&D to localise theproduct offerings and increase thedistribution and logistics network. Plans

are afloat to train and develop humanresources.

As of now, MonaVie ONE’s OAT Mealis available across India through thirdparty distributors, across 200 centers invarious parts of the country. From here,community commerce or the direct sellingsystem of MonaVie does retail the productto the customers. A packaged food variantof this kind is hoped to open out neweropportunities in the direct selling industry.The OAT meal from MonaVie One costsRs.90 when it is bought in wholesale as apack of 20. A single piece sold by thedistributor is priced at Rs.199. ■


By Tapapriya Lahiri

W I N E

Even today wine drinking in Indiais not without its share of socialfrowns and taboos, though with

the advances in globalisation, thesehackneyed social perceptions are changingfast. The Nashik-based Sula Vineyards,with its fine wineries and vineyards, isplaying an important role in giving animpetus to the wine drinking culture inIndia.

Situated 180 km northeast of Mumbai,Nashik has emerged as India’s largestgrape-growing region. However, it was notalways so. In Nashik growing wine grapeswas not a tradition. Here it deserves amention that growing grapes on a rightcombination of soil structure and aptclimatic conditions and maintaining themtill the time of harvest is perhaps the mostcrucial part of wine making before grapesgoes for crushing and wines for ageing.Therefore climate is of crucial importancetowards quality wine making.

But research by Stanford-trainedengineer named Rajeev Samant showedthat the Nashik’s temperate climate is notonly ideal for wine grapes, but is also atpar with that of wine-growing regions inSpain, California, and Australia. Thefindings of the research fostered hispassion and determination towardswinemaking and he went on to start awinery on this 30-acre family estate inNashik with an eminent Californianwinemaker named Kerry Damskey. Theheady journey of Sula Vineyards begun…

A Heady Success StoryIn 1997, the duo took the revolutionarystep of planting French Sauvignon Blancand Californian Chenin Blanc, varietiesthat had never before been planted inIndia. The first Sula wines, released in2000, were widely acclaimed amongIndia’s finest white wines. Since itsinception, Sula has rapidly established

itself as India’s leading premium winebrand. Rajeev Samant, the Founder andCEO of Sula Vineyards, can be regardedas one of the pioneers in growing worldclass wine grapes in a tropical country.

The success of Sula sparked expansionand growth. A second winery with threetimes the capacity of the first emerged as areality in late 2004 to keep pace withdemand, which was soon followed by athird winery with a million litre capacity,that started its operations in 2006.Starting with sales of 50,000 bottles inthe first year, Sula Vineyards has emergedas India’s largest wine producer aftercompleting a decade in 2010 with 3million bottles sold. One can say that Sulais at the forefront of the growth of thewine culture in India. That is not all. Afterthe success story of Sula Vineyards, severalnew wineries have come up in the Nashikarea.

The phrase, ‘the old is gold’ is verymuch pertinent in Sula Vineyards’ winemaking process. The winery has adaptedthe old world techniques from France,Spain and Italy for producing qualitywines. Today, Sula has expanded its ambitof wine grapes plantation from theoriginal 30 acre family estate to about

Wines Shine at Sula


WINE

Basic Steps to Wine Making

Wine, broadly speaking, is an

alcoholic beverage made by

naturally fermenting the juice of

fruits or berries. Wine making is a

long-drawn process indeed. In brief,

after the harvest is being done, the

first stage of wine-making is

crushing the fruits to release

sugars, which then undergo

fermentation upon the addition of

yeast. The stage at which the juice

is separated from the skins – called

pressing – occurs either before or

after the fermentation as the case

may be (for white and red wines,

respectively).

The wine produced thus is then

put through various treatments to

ensure clarification and

stabilisation, along with various

other cellar operations collectively

known as élevage, before the final

step of bottling. However, what is

mentioned here is a very general

approach, and there are subtle

differences in technique depending

on different wines.

Reference: J. Robinson (Ed.), 1994. The

Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford

University Press.

Ajoy R Shaw

1500 acres (owned and contracted) underplantation, which is spread across Nashikas well as Dindori in the vicinity, which isIndia’s upcoming wine region. Besideshaving an impressively wide nationaldistribution network, Sula also exports itswines as well as imports and distributeswines from leading producers worldwide.

In 2005, Sula launched its first reservewine, the Dindori Reserve Shiraz, as wellas India’s first dessert wine, the LateHarvest Chenin Blanc. Grown on thequaint red hills of Dindori estate and agedfor a year in new oak, this full-bodiedwine is fragrant, elegant and smooth,spruced with lush berry flavours and silkytannins. This wine can be ideally pairedwith grilled meats and seafood, spicyMexican dishes, or even pizza. LateHarvest Chenin Blanc comes across asheady golden nectar, which isamalgamated with aromas of lemon, pear,honey, and tropical fruit. It can be ideallypaired with fruit and nut platters,desserts, cheeses, cakes, cookies and pies.

Generally in Nashik the vineyards arespread on flat land, with soil comprising

an impressive amount of water-retainingclay content. But the vineyards atDindori are mostly on steep or gentlysloping land and the nutrient-rich red soilis primarily composed of gravel. The well-draining soil, modest rainfall and almost30 degree fluctuation between day andnight temperatures at Dindori facilitatesthe vines to create refreshing wines ofgreat quality.

The Man BehindThe Chief Wine Maker and the VicePresident of Sula Vineyards, Ajoy RShaw, supervises the overall winemakingoperations for Sula VIneyards, “I aminvolved in winemaking & supervisingthe team of winemakers, taking crucialdecisions about tasting, blending andharvesting along with routine visits tovineyards. I am also involved inequipment and material selection, inensuring quality control checks atproduction, in coordinating with theHead of Viticulture to align viticulturewith winemaking needs, and also inlaunching of new brands,” explainedShaw.

The young winemaker has aninspiring oranges to wines’ story tonarrate. For Shaw, the journey towinemaking all began in themicrobiology lab, while he was pursuingBachelors at Pune University. “I wasasked by my guide to work on a projectthat involved making wines fromoranges,” he informed. Probably thatsparked off his inspiration. “Here at Sula,we have adopted the old and new worldwine making techniques to produceworld class wines. The process ofphotosynthesis is the crux behind growinghealthy grape wines. The proper and

perfect canopy has been created over theleaves of grapes to incorporate the rightsugar balance from the leaves to create aperfect balance of acid and sugar in thegrapes,” he averred.

The winemaker also added, “After theharvest is culminated we visit the vineestates to taste the grapes and thenidentify the quality of grapes in terms ofright acid, sugar and aromatic componentsbefore selecting them for differentcategories of wine.” The Sula Dindori andSula Rasa are among the most acclaimedwines from the house of Sula.

The Culture of SustainabilitySula Vineyards has also emerged as a namein sustainable winemaking. Thesustainable winery at Sula has initiatedenergy saving cool chilling process. Oncethe grapes are crushed, wines need to bestored in cool conditions. Wines of SulaVineyards which mature inside thestainless steel tanks need chilledtemperature. Preserving wines in chilledtemperature in Indian climate consumes

lots of energy, but the process has beensustainably done at Sula Vineyardsthrough a number of insulation measures.

At Sula Vineyards, all freshly crushedgrape juice is naturally cooled to 10°Cusing a heat exchanger, or a ‘tube in tube’,as it enters the wineries of Sula Vineyards.Sula encourages growers to bring theirfruit early thus keeping the grapes fresher.The juice is then stored, afterfermentation, in double-insulated chillingtanks that has been designed especially forthis purpose; minimising the amount ofenergy needed to keep the wine cool dayand night.

In an effort to move away from coaland diesel-based power, Sula Vineyardshas installed enough solar water heaters toheat five thousand liters of water a day to70°C. This is enough for almost all of itswineries’ hot water requirements. Sula willsoon install a wood-fired boiler, fueledentirely by woody vine clippings from thevineyard. ■


T H E M E C U I S I N E

By Sharmila Chand

“Hyatt Regency Chennai hasbeen known for providingauthentic cuisines to its

patrons. This Spanish festivalis very close to my heart as itis all about authentic Chef-

crafted dishes with ingredientsand recipes coming from the

Spanish region.” — Chef Massimiliano Pauletto,Chef de Cuisine, Focaccia, Hyatt

Regency Chennai.

flavours.Spain not only has a rich historical

legacy but also ethnic and culturaldiversity. This also accounts for Spain’sdiversity in its regional platter. Theweather in Spain varies from one provinceof the country to another, which also hascontributed to the variety in regionaldishes of Spain.

The awesome variety of ingredients inSpanish cuisine has contributed to itsglobal popularity. However oil and garlicare the common ingredients of almost allSpanish dishes. In fact, olive oil is almostsynonymous to the culinary culture ofSpain, and one can say that without oliveoil, Spanish gastronomy would not havereached where it has today. Spain is thebiggest producer of olive oil in the world.Spain’s olive oil is renowned because of itsrich taste and quality. In Spain, you canenjoy several types of olive oil. Most ofthem have clear golden colour, but someprefer olive oils that are murky and displaya yellowy-greenish colour.

A wide variety of fish and seafood playsa big role in many delicious dishes fromSpain; a country endowed with a largeand varied coastline. In fact, the range ofSpanish seafood dishes is quite impressive.From shrimp to octopus and baby eels,

Spanish cuisine’s diverse nature stemsfrom the country’s history and alsoits geography. Being in central

Europe, Spain has had Roman and Greekinfluences in its cuisine. For example,Romans bought rice to Spain, whichpaved the way for the creation ofValencian paella and several otherwonderful rice dishes.

Culinary DiversityHowever, Spanish cuisine can besegmented into many sub-sections.Spain’s rich historical legacy with myriadcultural influences has given birth to amultitude of unique dishes, whichencapsulate thousands of recipes and

Spanish seafood has an awesomegastronomic variety.

Cheese, ham, fruits and vegetables,seafood and sausages are found asingredients in most of the commonlyfound man-made food products from

Taste of SpainExploring the


T H E M E C U I S I N E

“Hyatt promisesauthentic foodand for thepeople ofChennai wehave alwayscreatedinnovative foodpromotions

with native Chefs. Theforthcoming Spanish food andwine festival with a visiting winesommelier is another initiative tobring to Chennai the finernuances of Spanish food andwine pairings that shall cater totheir gourmet as well asintellectual appetite. Chef Massiwill recreate the magic of Spainin Chennai.” — Kumar Shobhan, Director,F&B, Hyatt Regency Chennai.

The Man Behind the Show

Chef Massimiliano Pauletto has

been with Hyatt Regency Chennai

since its pre-opening days, that is

since February 2010.

He has been honing his culinary

prowess for over a decade now. He

began his career in Milan and got an

insight into the nuances of authentic

Italian cuisine at the renowned hotel

and restaurant L’Albereta, under the

tutelage of the three Michelin starred

Chef Gualtiero Marchesi.

Chef Massi, as Massimiliano is

fondly called, credits Chef Marchesi in

igniting his curiosity and appreciation

for the nouveau approach to modern

Italian cuisine. Chef Massi also has

exposure of working at the Michelin

starred Carpaccio, in Paris, and at

Harry’s Bar in London. As part of his

culinary journey, Chef Massi has also

worked in the south-east of Asia.

Chef Massi’s gastronomic repertoire

is inspired not just from his global

experiences but also from his

childhood memories of Italy, where he

experienced food that was simple,

holistic, made with the f inest

ingredients, and truly soulful.

So what if you can’t go to Spain this season? Focaccia brings to you the flavours of

Spain to Chennai. Enjoy the handcrafted Spanish food menu by Chef Massimiliano

and paired with these delicacies will be some exclusive Torres wines.

On offer for a week at Focaccia(from 23rd-30th Nov 2012), Hyatt Regency’s

traditional Italian restaurant, the Spanish food and wine festival will have a unique

pairing of Torres wines with a scrumptious spread of food from the heart of Spain. For

the wine enthusiasts, there will be Marta Delfa, the famous wine sommelier from

Spain, to fine tune your nuances about Spanish wine.

The wines on offer will have authentic sangria with fresh strawberries &

cranberries, made from Torres Sangre De Toro to bring out the fruity yet luscious

character of wine, which is to be served as welcome drink. You can then savour the

roasted artichoke stuffed with seafood marisco paella, soft cod mousse on toasted

garlic bread, gaspacio shooter crispy basil leaves paired with the Torres Vina

Esmeralda (white wine).

To satiate your gastronomical fantasies there will be Lettuce veloute, seared

scallop, serano ham, and broccoli and garlic tartar. The Chef has crafted a delectable

spread of main course which includes roasted potatoes, olives, tomatoes, garlic

aioli, grilled lamb cutlet, salt and thyme infusion, smocked leek, thyme jus, slow

cooked seabass, black and green olives, lemon and olive oil sorbet among others.

The special Spanish meal will conclude with rice and almond pudding, flaming

mini crème brullee catalane style, and with another selection from Torres wines.

Spain. Many of these ingredients also actas perfect tapas by themselves.

Ham, Sausages and CheeseHere it deserves a mention that likeseafood, meat also plays a very importantrole in Spanish cuisine. Spanish hams aregenerally of high quality. Two mainvarieties of ham are produced andconsumed in Spain — Serrano ham andIberian ham.

The pig from which the ham comesfrom and how the pig is fed and processedare the determining factors behind thedenomination. Both Serrano and Iberianham are delicious and reflect premiumquality. Iberian ham is produced fromIberian pig, which originated from theIberian Peninsula. Though Iberian ham isconsidered superior to any other forms ofham, there are many people who preferSerrano ham.

Sausages are also integral part of Spain’srich culinary tradition. Spain produces animpressive range of sausages. They areused as ingredients in cooking or can behad on their own. Chorizo, a pork sausagemade with paprika, is a favourite among

Spanish people. In a typical Spanish tapasbar you would find delightful ham and anarray of sausages on offer.

Without the mention of cheese, thisbrief account of Spain’s culinary traditionwould not be completed. Manyrestaurants and bars in Spain have plattersof cheese and Spanish ham.

Spanish cheeses are made from the milkof cow, goat, sheep or mixed. The rich andtangy Manchego cheese from La Mancha,tetilla, the soft creamy cheese from Galicia,and the blue cheese cabrales are some of theimportant cheeses of the country, knownfor its fascinating bullfights. In Spain,cheese is used as an ingredient and is had onits own too.

Desserts and OthersEggs also play an important role inSpanish cuisine, and they are part ofmyriad Spanish recipes. Even in dessertsand salads of Spain, eggs have their role.The Spanish omlet or tortilla espanola is avery important Spanish dish.

The Spanish cuisine also has manydishes based on beans like chickpeas,lentils, and green beans. There are soupswith many regional variations and aplethora of breads, reflecting distinctregional varieties.

The tradition of desserts in Spain isrich, long and sweet. Moors as well as thenun convents have influenced theircreations. Flan, custard, rice pudding(arroz con leche), torrijas, churros, and

madeleines are some of the most populardesserts of this country.

Almond-based and milk-based dessertsare very much prevalent in Spain. Turron,the almond nougat candy, which is eatenduring Christmas, is one of the famoussweets from Spain. When in Spain alsodon’t forget to drench your throat andsoul with sangria; the emblematic drinkof Spain. ■

Flavours of Spain in Chennai


R E S T A U R A N T

Sevilla, the lovely Mediterranean restaurant at TheClaridges, New Delhi, has spruced its menu withnew culinary appeal by introducing new delightsfor the guests. Hence, I got a chance to indulgeonce again over a chat with the vivacious team of

the restaurant’s Chefs.Besides the food, the attraction of the restaurant is the

restaurant itself. Tucked outdoors in the secluded corner ofthe hotel, it is a quiet haven reflecting pleasing ambience.

Combination of wood, bamboo and stones infusesoutstanding textures in the décor of the restaurant, with afew water bodies to further accentuate the feel good factor.

Dimly lit environs with candles adorning the tables createa romantic and dreamy ambience, which is ideal for a cosydinner over private conversation… or after a rendezvous forthat matter. The beauty of the tables is highlighted withdaisies. Altogether, the atmosphere did facilitate to whet upmy appetite for a wonderful evening ahead as the wellpresented food arrived on the table, preceded by its aroma.

Exploring Mediterranean GastronomyThe experience at Sevilla is all about dining in modernelegance and tempting your palate with delectableMediterranean cuisines, as you listen to some old favouritesfrom the live band. Yes, while enjoying those sensorydelights you can also gaze at the Chef team; preparingscrumptious selections in front of you.

Here you can savour authentic temptations from Spain,Italy and Morocco. The dishes created by the ExecutiveChef, Neeraj Tyagi have emphasis on using fresh ingredientsto create unique flavours. According to Neeraj Tyagi, theExecutive Chef at The Claridges, New Delhi, “Therefreshing new menu is a blend of Mediterranean flavoursfrom Spain, Italy and Morocco with emphasis on using freshingredients, most of it coming directly from Spain.”

By Sharmila Chand

Venue: Sevilla, The Claridges, 12 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi

Timing: 7.30 pm – 12.30 am.

Cost of an Average Meal for Two: Rs.3000 plus taxes


R E S T A U R A N T

“This time we have takenthe menu few notches up.The ingredients used for theitems in the menu are ofthe most premium qualityand difficult to source inDelhi. We make sure all theitems are authentic. Thistime we are giving extraeffort on food presentation.Every dish has an artistic

approach with the right combination of colours,edible flowers, etc. We are sure food connoisseurswill love to indulge in the new Mediterraneanflavours at Sevilla.”— Neeraj Tyagi, Executive Chef at The Claridges, New Delhi

At the restaurant the highlights of your gastronomicodyssey can include all new tapas selection which comprisesPan con Tomate with Spanish anchovies; Croquetas de ibericode bellota — Iberian ham, croquettes served with garlic aioli,and Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de quesco — goat cheesefilled Spanish green pepper fritters.

The signature additions to the menu include Ventresca —succulent preserved belly of tuna salad with winter berries,citrus and arugula. If you are a lover of Mediterraneancuisine, you shouldn’t miss Sevilla cured meat platter whichis a combination of Bellota reserve Iberian ham, Chorizoiberico, fuet iberico, salchichon iberico with Manchego semicrudo’ and membrillo. Then there is ceps mushroom sabayonsoup with chanterelle, porcini and black truffle tea.

Foie gras terrine with fig jam, black truffles; pan searedwith roasted plum salsa and red wine gastrique are otherdelicacies offered at the restaurant.

Tyagi recommends Orecchiette, which literally means‘Little ears.’ It is served with wood oven cooked French duckleg confit. Also the Chef ’s favourite is Paella Valencia —classic paella from Valencia region consisting of stringchorizo, seafood and chicken. Also try Arroz Negro, which isblack rice with porcini mushrooms, cuttlefish and squid ink.

Canadian lobster is another big hit. It is wood-fired ovenroasted whole lobster with artichoke gremolata, watermelonsalad, pepper and chilli relish. Other popular dishes includeWagyu. You can get charcoal-grilled Wagyu with sagegnocchi, sweet paprika and onion marmalade, and

burgundy sauce. The dessert menu is equally enticing. Textures of apple

— Granny Smith apple tart tatin, Apple crème brulee,Apple jelly, Apple foam, Compressed apple, Green applesorbet are absolutely delightful and sinful preparations togive a sense of sweet completeness to your exoticgastronomic experience at Sevilla. �


C H E F V O I C E

How do you define yourself?I would define myself as a very down to

earth person with a rural background. Ialways strive towards achieving somethingnew and innovative and always believe inteam efforts. I believe in encouraging theteam by extending a helping handwhenever needed.

What is the meaning of life foryou?

To me life is a beautiful gift of God andwe must enjoy every moment of it, nomatter whatever the circumstances.

What would you like to sayabout your work?

I feel very fortunate to be working as aSous Chef. I am passionate about my foodand strive to ensure that my guests alwayslove and appreciate my food.

What would you have been ifnot a Chef?

If I were not a Chef then I would havebeen a Tour Manager as I love travellingand exploring new places.

Who is your source ofinspiration?

He is my father.

What is your recipe forsuccess?

One’s will must be strong enough.Will is more important than skills. Alsoone should take failures coming one’sway as opportunities to learn.

You are passionate about?I am very passionate about the food

which I cook and about riding sportsbike.

You believe in?I believe in self-motivation and my

stamina which together helps me toachieve my goals.

What are your strengths?My profession and the people around

me, who trust me and build mutualrelationships of confidence, are mystrengths. My cooking skills are mygreatest asset.

And what is your weakness? It is the habit of trusting everyone.

Kindly throw some light onyour greatest desire

My greatest desire is to travel aroundthe world to know the culinary culture

By Sharmila Chand

I recently met Chef Durgesh Tyagi,the Sous Chef at the Shirorestaurant. Shiro is located inHotel Samrat, in New Delhi. Tyagihappens to be an alumnus of theInstitute of Hotel Management,Bhopal. He began his careeralmost six years back withFortune Select Global, Gurgaon,and has worked with renownedhospitality groups like Old WorldHospitality group.In 2011, Tyagi joined Shiro as theSous Chef. The restaurant haswon critical acclaim in thenational capital and is rankedamongst the best dining optionsin New Delhi. At Shiro, Tyagi isresponsible for staff management,handling shift operations, placingfood orders, taking foodinventories and training newemployees.Tyagi is a keen follower ofinternational cuisines, and loveslistening to music, dancing andplaying football. The excerpts ofthe interview follow:

The Leader

Team Player

The Leader

Team Playerand the

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C H E F V O I C E

soups, starters, main course and even forsome authentic desserts. The equipment isversatile in terms of its culinaryapplication.

Who is your favourite diner?My favourite diner is the guest who is

well aware of global tastes, knows aboutthe ingredients and cuisines very well andis knowledgeable about the authenticity ofdifferent cuisines. She/he should also beready to spend more for a good value meal.

What is your hot selling item?My hot selling item is Chicken Buldak,

which is highly appreciated for itsjuiciness. It is spicy and is characterisedwith the smoky flavour of lava stone.

What is the best complimentyou have received so far?

‘Awesome crispy aromatic duck,’ fromthe cricketer Virat Kohli is a commentwhich I treasure the most.

How do you see yourself tenyears from now?

By then, I expect to have some ventureof my own.

of different countries.

What is your philosophy ofwork?

My philosophy of work is to give mylevel best of my potential.

How do you rate yourself as aChef?

I would be very pleased to be rated andappreciated by my guests rather than bymyself.

What is your favourite cuisine? I am passionate about Korean cuisine.

And what is your favouritespice?

It is Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese sevenspice powder).

Now tell us about your favouritedish

It is crispy spicy avocado maki, one ofShiro’s Signature delicacies.

What is your favouriteequipment?

Chinese wok as it is apt for preparing

What are your future plans?I want to have my own resort in my

farmhouse, where I would be usinggarden fresh handpicked vegetables andherbs grown in my own farm.

Also, I would like to impart myculinary skills to those who are verypassionate to learn.

What is the position of Chefs inIndia these days?

There is a revolutionary change in theChef ’s image in the Indian society thesedays. Nowadays, Indian Chefs are wellrecognised and appreciated for their skillsand talent.

How is the F&B trend evolvingin India?

People in India are getting moreexciting and enthusiastic to try new andcreative gourmet dishes. They want tomake dining a memorable experience forthemselves and their guests.

What are the problems andchallenges faced by Chefs in India?

In India, availability of ingredients ofhigh standards is a big challenge.


P R O D U C T

TableBringing Value to the

By Kanishka Gupta

TableTableware or table-top products mainly constitute

crockery, cutlery/metalware and glassware. Otherproducts like table cloth, napkins, mats, candles, etc.

could also be included in table-top products however, it is thefirst three which primarily constitute tableware. Most goodhotels and stand-alone restaurants have started to pay seriousattention to table-top products, primarily because these are theitems that the guests touch and use on a frequent basis.

Making an ImpressionTherefore, a high standard of quality of tableware products isrequired. Each hotel has its own concept of tableware andmuch of it is dictated by the requirements of the hotel owners/management, as hotel owners/management these days arepaying serious attention to table-top products /tableware andfood presentation. In this increasingly cosmetic age,presentation is now almost as important as the actual taste. Awell presented dish placed on a beautiful plate adds that extravalue to the guests, which is needed in these times of highcompetition.

However, that doesn’t mean that tableware didn’t playcrucial role in hotel and restaurant business, in the yesteryears.Plates and food presentation always played a huge role in howwe experienced food, as it does today, however, nowadays therelevance of tableware has further increased. When a plate offood is put in front of a guest, the first thing she/heappreciates is the look of it. A great look of the dishencourages her/him to partake the dish. Similarly unsuitabletableware can ruin the best of food and service efforts.

If you are a hotel or a restaurant owner then you must bewell aware of statements like ‘First impressions are the lastimpressions.’ This statement holds true in many cases of life,but is especially relevant in the food & beverage business, andtableware play huge role in creating that first impressionamong the guests. Succinctly, tableware is critical in enrichingthe whole dining experience, and can also endow the givenrestaurant with an identity. “These restaurant products mayappear very small in size, but they have a major part tocontribute in making your restaurant a success or failure,” saidHarsv Manu Kaushik, Assistant Director-Food & Beverage,The Grand, New Delhi.

Choosing the TablewareTableware could be categorised into four different segments.They are chinaware, which are also called crockery,constituting dinner plates, salad/dessert plates, bread & butterplates, tea/coffee cups & saucers; glassware, which constitutewater goblets, wine glasses and other beverage specific glasses;silverware, also called as flatware, which constitute knives,forks, spoons, etc. and linen, which constitute table cloth,dinner and cocktail napkins, etc.

“Tableware in our hotel ranges from customised crockery tocontemporary designs available in the market. The benefits/advantages of having specialised tableware are that theybecome part of the identity of the restaurant,” articulatedPuneet Saigal, Director — Food & Beverage, Crowne PlazaToday New Delhi Okhla.


Harsv Manu Kaushik

“The nature and the variety of tableware or glassware varyfrom culture and cuisine. Most people don’t have the space tostock all kinds of glassware or tableware, but depending onyour usage and frequency you could invest accordingly.Whether they are used for ordinary days or for special events,there are classes of tableware to suit every occasion,” profferedManu Kaushik.

The brand you choose for the tableware of your restaurant/s actually has a direct effect on its/their business. Take the caseof paper napkins. Use of good quality paper napkins that aregraceful plays a major role in making a restaurant’s stylestatement, which is again very important. For a betterambience, it is vital that the restaurant napkins that you useare not only of good quality but are colour coordinated,according to the ambience and décor of the restaurantconcerned.

“Each tableware product has a specific purpose. Forexample, chargers enhance the look of the restaurant withoutcontributing anything to the actual eating experience.Irregular dinner plates might look interesting in themselvesbut they need to be conducive to the food being served inthem or else these would spoil the whole dining experience,”explained Saigal.

“The tableware is not only a part of interior design of arestaurant these days, but to us it is an essential part of thefood & beverage concept. At The Grand, New Delhi, weselect our tableware only after we indentify the culinaryconcept of the restaurant. This is all to create a ‘wow’ effect,

because nowadays it is notonly food which creates animpression of the restaurant— it involves the entiretableware and the ambienceof the restaurant too,”asserted Manu Kaushik.

“Tableware is chosenbased on the concept of therestaurant and the style ofservice. Specialisedsuppliers for tableware areavailable and are chosenbased on what they offer orwhat they can customise interms of quality and cost,


P R O D U C T

Ajay Khanna

Puneet Saigal

and long-term availabilitiesof designs and styles,”explained Saigal.

“Tableware settings maydiffer from restaurant torestaurant and from mealperiod to meal period. Thecereal spoon in breakfastmight be the rice spoon fordinner. A charger being usedin one restaurant could be adinner plate for another.Wine glass sizes usuallydepend on the overall settingof the restaurant. Forexample, an artistic wine

glass might be the best thing in a specialty restaurant, however,it might be the most cumbersome thing to handle in an all daycasual dining outlet,” inferred Saigal.

The shapes and sizes of tableware should be comfortable foruse. Take plates for example; the ones with wide brims are morelikely to prevent food from spilling over. As for colour, onecolour for all tableware that is set on dinner table can begenerally accepted and white colour is most common for use.Specialty restaurants use chinaware; usually tailored to depictthe theme of the restaurant. “Suppliers who are renowned forquality work and delivery schedules are mostly preferred; alsothe suppliers who bring in innovative concepts of moderndining which blends in with the theme of the restaurant thatyou have planned are preferred,” elaborated Manu Kaushik.

“We work closely with customers and help them make adecision on what they need, which is based on the type ofrestaurants, cuisine being served, interiors, etc. Catalogues andsamples are provided and a requirement list is frozen. After thepresentation, designs are chosen and quantities calculated.Subsequently, quotations are issued, which eventually lead topurchase orders,” informed Ajay Khanna, Managing Partner &CEO, Eagle Forgings.

The Eagle ExampleOver the years, Eagle Forgings has supplied hotels and stand-alone restaurants with cutlery, crockery and glassware.However, the main product being supplied by them currentlyis crockery manufactured by Royal Porcelain in Thailand. Royal

Porcelain is one of theleading manufacturers ofcrockery in the world.

“There are several typesof products available for ourhotel client. Our range ofproducts on offer consists offour ceramic bodies,including porcelain, fineChina, bone China andMaxadura (high aluminachip resistant products).Positioning the rightproducts into each potentialmarket segment, we do offerfive different brands to the

market that consistof Royal Porcelain,Royal PorcelainMaxadura, RoyalFine China, RoyalBone China, and anew brand namedDeva.,” pointed outKhanna.

The RoyalPorcelain productsare sold in both thedomestic andinternationalmarkets across 50countries around theworld. In India,almost all Royal Porcelain products sold by Eagle Forgings arepredominantly sold to hotels and restaurants. “Our valuedcustomers include almost all the good international andIndian hotel chains, including Taj, Hyatt, Marriott, etc. just tomention a few. In fact, most of the good hotel chains acrossIndia have bought table-top products from us. Hotelsconstitute over 80 percent of our sales mainly because theyuse duty free licenses and place orders in large quantities,which lead to lower import costs,” articulated Khanna.

Tabling TrendsConsidering the huge demand for tableware in restaurantsand hotels, it is no wonder that the rate of growth for thetable-top industry in India is estimated to be approximately15 to 20 percent a year. This is primarily due to additions ofrooms and regular up-gradations of existing hotels.

“Regarding the future trends in the industry, it is observedthat the imports are growing as up-market hotels areimporting more of their table-top requirements. However,mid-market and budget hotels continue to buy locallymanufactured products, due to affordability and lowervolumes,” concluded Khanna. ■


O P E R A T I O N S

the open air oven and the Chefs behindthese counters deftly serving out thedishes. My first experience withbarbeque still lingers in mymemory…though I have experienced

several others during my career as ascribe.

Barbecue is an important part oftoday’s gastronomic world. It is chic andtrendy as the Chef interacts with thediners while the culinary conversion ofthe meat/veggies happen over thecooking process, thereby facilitating tokindle the desired palates of the diners.Barbecue is perhaps the best way toattract the palate of the guests amongthe many cooking processes. Barbecue isone flavour which needs to be there inthe F&B menu of the restaurants andhotels.

But when the cooking is interactiveand visual, the equipment has to lookgood, perform optimally and relate tothe cuisine. During its earlier days,barbecue was done in one monotonouslooking grill but today the equipments

By Kanishka Gupta

During winters, barbecues are animportant part of any socialcelebration. Whether they are

warm afternoons, chilly evenings ordownright cold nights, barbecues can beexperienced and enjoyed during allseasons, and in all parts of the day. Myearliest memory of a delightful barbecuecelebration was in January 1987 duringa sunny afternoon in Chattarpur SainikFarms, when the Air-India threw a partyfor the travel agents and travel writers.

After a busload of eager and noisy20-somethings, including myself,descended at the venue, a group of sixof us headed straight towards thebarbecue counters once the party wasthrown open. It was indeed a delightfulafternoon with the aroma of roastedmeat, chicken and cheese waftingthrough the air, the burning cinders in

Cues for

Nimish Bhatia


O P E R A T I O N S

Gas Grills: Gas grills are a common type of barbecue grill used often in the

terrace or the backyard garden. These grills normally use two kinds of

fuels: propane or natural gas. While most gas grills are designed for propane, they

can easily be converted for natural gas usage. If you have a CNG connection, as

many urban localities in New Delhi have, it is very easy and handy to use gas grill

without getting into the messy ritual of filling and cleaning up charcoal in a normal

barbecue.

In the case of a gas grill, the smoker box is comparatively small and therefore

you will only get a tinge of smoke flavour in your meat. A range of gas grills are

available catering to different pockets. However, the mechanism of manufacturing

will ensure that gas grills are generally expensive than the charcoal-based models.

In the higher-end of gas grills, you can find 3-5 burners, a stainless steel body, and

a side burner for heating pots and pans.

Charcoal Grills: These grills derive their name from the fact that the fuel used

in these grills is charcoal briquettes. Although cooking with charcoal is more

expensive than cooking with a gas grill, the die-hard barbecue fan will always

prefer the charcoal grill because here the meat can be cooked slowly and it gives

a better smoking aura not otherwise provided in a gas grill.

Since charcoal burns at a higher temperature than gas, a skilled barbecue Chef

can do wonders in cooking the perfect blended meat which is cooked on a slow

flame of a charcoal grill. It can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to get a charcoal

grill started before it starts smoking and the embers start burning.

Moreover, a barbecue which is done on a charcoal grill has a greater romantic

feel than say one done on a gas grill. A charcoal grill is more expensive to run and

maintain than a traditional gas grill, mainly because charcoal is more expensive

than gas. After cooking, cleaning up the grill and disposing the charcoal ashes can

also be time consuming. For charcoal grills, a nice cooking surface is always

welcome like a plated steel surface or porcelain coated steel bars. Iron bars are

also good as long as they are cleaned and re-oiled after use. Stainless steel bars

are ideal, but for a charcoal model they are generally not available.

Electric Grills: Available in indoor and outdoor varieties, these grills are powered

by electricity and use heated grill plates to do the cooking. Certain places where

there is danger of a fire hazard, electric grills can be found to be more useful.

Electric grills are silent, emit no or less smoke and can cook the meat in a very

slow manner.

Portable Grills: These grills, as the name suggests, can be easily transported

from one end to another and can run either on CNG or charcoal. These grills are

ideal for a picnic or for enjoying a barbecue in between an outdoor game.

creates a huge variety; barbecues can bedone from cuisines from all over theworld, secondly it can be done in scenicoutdoors like gardens and beaches, andthirdly it is interactive in nature.

“Imagine the whiff of a barbecue ona verdant garden or a scenic beach side,which I am sure, will get the guestsenticed and allured. Besidesencompassing great variety of cuisines,ranging from regional Indian toCaribbean and Japanese, a barbecue isconsidered to be very healthy andtrendy. It was generally perceivedsometime back that a barbecue alwaysgot to be non-vegetarian but the currenttimes gives barbecue choices for thevegetarians too,” explained Chef NimishBhatia, Corporate Executive Chef, TheLaLiT Suri Hospitality Group.

Equipments and Ease“Charcoal grills, electric grills, charcoaland gas ovens, salamanders, etc. are fewequipments which are used forbarbecues. The equipments which areavailable in our hotel are mobile and can

for barbeque comes in various fashionswherein some there are functions likesmoke infusion, and glittering lights,etc. The common equipment used forbarbecue is the charcoal grill, which isused for both Indian and Continentalbarbecued food.

The Benefits of BarbecueBarbecue equipment is available invarious forms in the hotels of LaLiT SuriHospitality Group, ranging from flatgrills to lava stone grills to fresh chargrills and also traditional tandoors.Benefits of barbecues for the restaurants/commercial eateries are firstly that it

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Rajesh Khanna


O P E R A T I O N S

be used in any open space,” articulatedRajesh Khanna, Head — Food &Beverage, The Metropolitan Hotel &Spa, New Delhi. Most of the barbecuesare preferred in open areas as they createlots of smoke due to the oil or the fat ofthe meat. “Heavy exhaust is required inthe kitchen areas when the barbecuegrills are placed in closed areas,” addedKhanna.

The working process of barbecueequipment depends on the type ofequipment you are using. It may varyfrom a giant US style grill to a Lucknawisigdi to a tandoor to a Yakitori grill.“Today, with the technology movingtowards convenience and safety, it is notthat the modern barbecue equipment isdifficult to operate or requires anexpertise, but yes cooking as always, hasbeen an art and requires the requisiteskill. A good barbecue requires thepractice and the passion to cook, alongwith the knowledge and technicalknow-how of the meat and veggies youare cooking,” proffered Bhatia.

Barbecue has changed over the years,and not only in terms of sophistication

of equipments. Today smoking,pertaining to barbecue, is so much morethan before. Smoking adds flavour,tenderises, and has the potential to turnany cut of meat into a wonderful meal.

The smoking process requires acontainer to hold in the smoke, a sourceof the smoke, and the food to besmoked. The source of the smoke istypically hard wood. “Normally, thebarbecue equipments are user-friendlyand do not need any expert, but a goodChef is required to make sumptuousbarbecue dishes. Regardless of thevarying styles and methods, practice andpatience are the true secrets to perfectingthe smoking process in barbecues,”agreed Khanna.

The Right ChoiceDetermining the right barbecueequipment is a challenge. “This mostlydepends on the restaurant one wants tooperate or the style of cuisine one wantsto prepare. To give an example, if you arerunning/operating a Pan Asianrestaurant/Japanese restaurant, youwould need a Teppanyaki or a Yakitori

grill, if you are running/operating anAwadhi restaurant, you would need asigdi kind of grill, a multipurpose grilllike a Weber would be suitable for anopen air lawn/beach side, terrace, etc.Many people get their grillsindigenously fabricated to their styleand design,” articulated Bhatia.“Brochures can be used as a good sourceto determine the choice of barbecueequipments for your kitchen.Depending on the need of the menu,we order the equipment,” informedKhanna. ■


Mixers play a very important role in bakery/confectionery operations. A mixer is a kitchenappliance intended for mixing, folding, beating, and

whipping of food ingredients. Mixers come in two majordistinctions; hand mixers and stand mixers. A hand mixer is ahand-held mixing equipment. The modern electricallypowered type consists of a handle mounted over a largeenclosure containing the motor, which drives one or twobeater/s. The beaters are immersed in the food to be mixed. Asimpler manually operated type, which preceded theevolution of the electric mixers and is still being rampantlyused, consists of a handle with a hand-operated crank on theside, geared to two beaters. The handle is held with one handand the crank is turned with the other, turning the beaters.

However, if you choose to go deeper beyond these broadcategories, you will find that there are variety of mixersavailable in the market which include planetary mixer,blending and dough break mixer, spiral mixer, fork mixer(typically used for baguettes), artofex mixer, which simulates

human arms; vertical mixer, horizontal mixer, high speedmixer (with or without vacuum), and continuous mixer.

Irrespective of the type of mixer that is used in bakeryoperations, its principal aim remains constant, which is todevelop the gluten to maximum gas retention capability. Themixers play a great role in influencing the final structure ofthe crumb.

“In old days, dough was made by hands. It has evolved topresent day mixers to maintain the consistent quality ofbakery and confectionary products every day, whichinvolves high production of different items. Mixing time isalso reduced through different mixers by mixing actionswith different mixing speeds as well as stirring. Speed alsoallows in preparing the required and desired recipes for longtime reliability, most of the time, and also enhances theproductivity of bakery and confectionary items at differentlevels,” said Rohit Kumar, Director, Mod Kitchen Equipment.

Planetary and SpiralIn India, there are mainly two types of mixers in the market,spiral mixer and planetary mixer. Spiral mixer is designed tomix dough for breads, pizzas and chappaties. “Planetary mixeris also known as all purpose mixer. It comes with threedifferent types of tools; dough hook, dough beater and whip.Each tool has its function. Dough hook is used for makingbread and pizza. Dough beater is used for making potatoes,mixing for cakes and icing. Whip is used for whipping creamand beating egg whites,” informed Kumar.

“In the planetary type mixers, the bowl is a non-rotatingbowl, and the spindle rotates in a planetary motion aroundthe inner circumference of the bowl. Hence this mixer ismeant mainly for mixing of flour, cream and other batters ofdifferent consistency. Generally, these mixers are used forbakery and can be of widely varying capacity, ranging from 5litres to 180 litres,” elaborated Debashish Bhattacharya,Director (Projects & Sales), Rite Equipments.

“In the spiral mixers the bowl is a rotating unit and thespindle rotates inside the bowl. The spiral mixers are of twotypes; one meant for high fluid and less flour, and the otherfor less fluid and more flour. Both the types of spiral mixers

By Kanishka Gupta

E Q U I P M E N T

BakersMixers for


E Q U I P M E N T

Debashish Bhattacharya

Santosh Reddy

are primarily used for dough making of semi hardto hard consistency. Capacities of spiral mixersvary from 20 kg dough to 200+ kg of dough formore heavy duty and load consuming units,”elaborated Bhattacharya.

Hotel bakeries and confectionery outlets alsouse a variety of mixers. “The primary ones arespiral dough mixer, planetary food dough mixer,and multi-functional food dough mixer,”pointed out Santosh Reddy, Pastry Chef,Radisson MBD Hotel Noida. “Traditionalconfectionery shops like ours use planetary driveand high energy mixers with capacities rangingfrom 3. 30 liters to 60 liters for making sponges, breads andconfectionery,” pointed out Atul Tandon, Partner, Wengers.

Facilitating OperationsA mixer generally facilitates profit to the operations. Uniformmixing reduces waste and improves process control. Smoothsurfaces and durable materials make cleanup fast and easy.This all means economical operations. Due to its reliability,mixers from companies like Hobart are likely to give years ofdependable, low cost service. The Hobart mixer’s planetaryaction ensures uniform mixing. Its mix arm can reach everypart of the batch. Moreover, Hobart mixers are flexible in thekitchen. Most Hobert mixer models allow use of bowls ofmore than one size, and several agitator styles are available tohandle specific mixing tasks.

The first stage in dough processing is mixing. In bakeryoperations, during the mixing process both the developmentof the dough and the temperature of the dough areestablished. If both of them are not exactly correct, theprocessing and the product quality will have a setback. If youdo the mixing wrong, there is no possibility to correct it at alater stage. Mixing is the only discontinuous step in theotherwise continuous process of bakery operations. Thereforein mixing an even greater discipline is required than in otherbakery operations. Another facet of mixing is that allingredients involved must be correctly weighed and that allingredients should be added to the dough.

In a conventional spiral mixer, the mixing time of around12 minutes will be required for a dough of about165 kg,depending on such factors as the quality of the flour and themixing method. The time of salt addition will influence themixing time; delayed salt addition will shorten the mixingtime. During these duration of 12 minutes there are a numberof stages, which are pick up when the dough is sticky, coldand lumpy; initial development when the dough is gettingwarmer, smoother and drier; clean up when thedough is at maximum stiffness and comestogether as one mass and when the colour changesfrom yellowish to more white; final developmentwhen the dough is at its correct temperature andhandling quality; letdown, when the dough is toowarm and sticky and lacks elasticity and has toomuch flow; and finally, the breakdown stagewhen the dough is beginning to liquefy.

Besides the time of salt addition, mixing timeswill also depend on the speed of the mixer, thedesign of the mixer, dough size in relation to the

mixer’s capacity, dough temperature or theefficiency of the cooling systems, quality of theflour, water absorption capacity of the flour,which again is influenced by the particle size, theamount of shortening (more shortening willincrease mixing times), the amount and type ofreducing and oxidising agents, and the quantityof milk solids and other ingredients that competefor water. Here it deserves a mention that thehigher the concentration of milk solids and otheringredients are, the longer the mixing time willbe because there will be less water available forgluten development.

Overall, mixers offer a lot of advantages and benefits to thebakery and confectionary operations. “It is always a greatchallenge to make great pastry and other bakery products. So it isalways important for a Pastry Chef to use the right bakery/confectionary mixers to not only make great products at somepoints of his career, but also to stay consistent in his brilliance,”explained Reddy. “Mixers are labour saving and offer consistentquality,” added Tandon. But their proper usage requiresexhaustive training. “It is always very important for anyindividual to get trained on the usage of the mixers or rather ofany equipment used in the bakery and pastry kitchen beforeusing it. Training is always important because their wrong usagemay involve compromise of individual’s safety, and also becausethese machines are expensive,” pointed out Reddy.

Purchasing FactorsSuppliers like Mod Kitchen Equipment determine therequirement of bakeries for mixers by the size of the bakery andthe volume of bakery products to be produced. “The salestools, sales leads and market surveys play their very importantroles in determining the requirement of mixers for bakeries,confectionaries or catering operations,” said Kumar.

Bakeries in hotels like Radisson MBD Hotel Noida toohave their methods for determining the type of mixers theyneed. “It is always important for a Chef to know hissurroundings, like what the work level is, what the quantityof production is, and last but not the least, what is thedesired quality of the products. All these factors determinethe choice of the mixers in our operations,” asserted Reddy,who pragmatically opines that it is always very important tochoose the right mixer for use.

“Mixers are purchased depending on the application and thequantity of products or goods to be manufactured. Normally wetry to source from the best local suppliers for reason of servicebackup,” explained Tandon. “We have supplied primarily

planetary mixers, ranging from 5 litres to 160 litresof different makes like Hobart, Caplain, Kolb, etc.At the same time, we have also supplied spiralmixers mainly from Caplain and Kolb,” statedBhattacharya. “In general, any 120+ room hotelnowadays does have a dedicated bakery consistingof a host of equipments pertaining to bakeryoperations, including deck oven, convection oven,rotary oven, and mixers. Generally the cost ofmixers is 18 percent to 22 percent of the totalkitchen equipments’ cost in a bakery,” articulatedBhattacharya. ■


P R O D U C T P R E V I E W

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. In any case, it does

not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Restaurant Management PlatformPOSist is a leading online

Point of Sale Solutions

Provider. With the motto of

providing ‘Training free’ and

‘Easy to use’ scalable

solutions, it has successfully registered a PAN-India presence

with customers in over 35 cities. POSist is the first company

to provide a completely online POS to restaurants, which is

also Internet outage friendly. POSist derives its edge from

being a company focussed on food industry only. The idea for

POSist came up when its Founder, Ashish Tulsian, started

hunting for a software solution to help automate his own

restaurant. But ended up creating one for himself as he wasn’t

able to find anything suitable. Realising the troubles of

managing a restaurant made him hunt for an IT solution which

could help him automate and remotely manage most part of

it. In his own words- “I was surprised looking at so many

incompetent systems in the market, so I was forced to create

the right one for myself.” He further added, ”We had no intention

to sell it outside initially, until fellow restaurant owners

discovered it and started demanding. It was only then we

realised that we have solved a big trouble for all.” With POSist

he believes they can change the way restaurants deal with

their customers at front and back-end operations.

Key problems which restaurant owners face on day-to-day

basis are:

• Unskilled staff to handle computers for billing;

• Trained staff leaving, resulting in high attrition rate;

• Lack of service from software companies makes life

tough;

• Loss of valuable customer and sales data due to system

crash;

• No way to get information about the restaurant sales

when travelling out.

And there are many more...

One of the key learning on which Posist positions its

product is usability. It is true that unskilled staff cannot operate

computers easily but as Ashish pointed out, ”These are the

same guys, who despite being unskilled and uneducated still

use ATMs as well as mobile phones, which clearly suggests

if usability of a software is intuitive, just anyone can operate

it.” Posist has kept its word when it comes to usability with

an excellent easy to use interface. Being a completely online

application, Posist is hardware independent and can work

with an old PC, with an integrated POS terminal, and with

even tablets, that too instantly. Posist boasts of five minute

activation at any restaurant. Backed by a 24X7 online and on

call support team, it is being used by more than 300 restaurants

across India with varying formats, at cafes, sweet shops,

bakeries, ice cream parlours, fine dining restaurants, as well

as dhabas. Posist calls itself a Restaurant Management

Platform, as it is an open to integration and a seamlessly

scalable application, and other business support applications

like accounting softwares, CRMs, hotel suites and even ERP

backends like SAP can be integrated with front POS from

Posist. Using its APIs, Posist looks forward to provide better

unified solutions for the restaurant industry.

POSist Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

[email protected]

Tradition Meets Technology — The SmokestarBurning aromatic wood produces smoke; this process has been used for

thousands of years with great results although it is seldom used today.

How can the smoking technique be managed in a profitable way inside

a professional kitchen, where cleanliness, quality and efficiency are

essential features is the challenging question that limits the use of

aromatic wood in kitchens. Thanks to

Angelo Po Smokestar this technique is now

achievable and accessible by the industry.

In the field of professional food production

smoked produce is usually made by

specialised machines known as ‘smokers’

or ‘smokehouses.’ The product to be

smoked is placed in bays and the smoke

is generated externally or internally to the

bay itself. Inevitably they take up room

and are expensive to purchase and

maintain.

Using the new Angelo Po Combi Oven Fx plus the Smoker FMS

‘Smokestar’ allows for a flexible and cost-effective solution without the

need for additional machinery or space as it combines the advantages

of smoking with the well-known features of the combi-oven. Quality,

speed, precision and space saving are its hallmarks. Furthermore, this

innovative tool could allow professionals of the restaurant industry to

introduce new gastronomic ideas easily without reducing their useful

space in the kitchen. The Chef can flavour the mixture of wood chips

with brandy or wine to create a unique and individual tasting experience.

The Smokestar accessory is a generator of smoke, placed externally

from the Combistar Oven FX. It pulls fresh air from the outside, uses a

double 1 meter long pipe to feed the smoke in to the chamber. This

means that space is not wasted in the cooking chamber and reduces

any slight harmful effects of the smoke as it is produced.

Constellation Projects

[email protected]

Table up with CrockeriesSSPL has recently introduced

Leela Baralee Fine Porcelain

Crockery from Thailand. Imperial

Pottery Co. Ltd. (Leela Baralee)

was founded in 2001 with its

commitment to produce highest

quality tableware for the

international market. Leela

Baralee produces finest

embossment which reflects a sense of harmony & warmth for the catering

industry. Through research and development, it has created a Glaze

Formula from raw materials without using any synthetic substance.

The clay used is one of the best clay sources in the world. With its long-

term ceramic expertise it has created a distinctive formula of clay that

reveals the natural white colour and strength of its tableware. Leela

Baralee, with its latest technology, manufactures high-quality yet

affordable products with design appeal to create the right ambience for

a perfect dining experience. The products are safe to use with industrial

dishwashing machines. The glaze and decoration prevents stain or loss

of colour or brilliance with dishwashing machine in excess of 1,000

cycles.

Soft Sensations Pvt. Ltd.

[email protected]


B U S I N E S S O P P O R T U N I T Y



A D V E R T I S E R ’ S I N D E X

COMPANY PAGE NO.

A D V E R T I S E R ’ S I N D E X

AIM TECH 61

AKASA 73

ALLIED METAL WORKS 47

ANI GLASS CORPORATION 14

ARCTIC SALES INDIA 51

AWK STEELWARES PVT. LTD. 31

BMS ENTERPRISES 27

BUNGE INDIA PVT. LTD. 13

CONSTELLATION PROJECTS 63

DABON INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD. 07

DHR HOLDING INDIA PVT. LTD. 01

FCML PROJECTS 23

FnS INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD. 17

FORTUNE HOUSEWARE PVT. LTD. 11

GENNEXT LOGISTICS PVT. LTD. 24

HOTREMAI 29

IFB INDUSTRIES LTD. 15

KAMANI OIL INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD. 09

KANHAIYALAL TANDOOR PVT. LTD. 65

LOOM CRAFTS FURNITURE (INDIA) PVT. LTD. 34, 35

MAKREY EXPORTS 75

MANISHA INTERNATIONAL BIC

MEHTA FURNISHERS 41

METAL AVENUES 55

MITORA MACHINEX 22

MRS. BECTOR’S FOOD SPECIALITIES LTD. FIC

MUNNILAL TANDOORS PVT. LTD. 10

NEENA ENTERPRISES 12

PARSHADI LAL & SONS PVT. LTD. 21

RAJKIRAN KITCHEN EQUIPMENT 20

RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD. BC

RATIONAL INDIA 08

REMINGTON STEEL ARTS 74

RODAA JI COMPANY 33

SHAMSONS FOODS 39

SIEMENS 25

SIGMA TEST RESEARCH CENTRE 16

SPRING FRESH WATER TREATMENTS LIMITED 49

STEC STAINLESS STEEL PVT. LTD. 69

SUNSHINE TEA 45

TERMINIX SIS INDIA 19

THE NEW INDIA ELECTRIC & TRADING CO. 75

UNITAS FOODS PVT. LTD. 18

VEDIC AROMA LAB 74

VENUS INDUSTRIES 05

PRODUCT PREVIEW 72

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 73


I N T E R V I E W

By Sharmila Chand

A Creative Manager

Sudeep Sharma, Food & Beverage Manager, Jaipur Marriott Hotel, is a mature, dynamicand result-oriented hospitality professional offering focused leadership to foster

excellence in the realm of food and beverage. He is a highly creative, knowledgeableand skillful Manager with background in maintaining food & beverage operations

in restaurants of reputed hotels.In more than a decade’s tenure in the hospitality industry, he has workedwith major hotel chains like Marriott, Taj, The Claridges & Le Meridien.Specialist in positioning bars and restaurants, Sharma is impeccably trainedin customer service, beverages and events management. Besides these, he

is noted for his outstanding communication skills with guests and colleagues.The excerpts of the interview follow:


What are the top three traits orskills every Food & BeverageManager must have to excel?

She/he must have the ability to relate toguests and staff, and must be endowed withgreat marketing skills in F&B. Theconcerned professional should also knowhow to handle pressure situations well, andmust be quick in decision making. She/hemust also have the ability to optimisefinancial resources.

What do you enjoy most aboutbeing a Food & Beverage Manager?

I greatly enjoy performing challengingtasks, and the joy of exceeding customerexpectations is simply great. Meeting peoplefrom around the world, including celebrities,and to know about the ever changing globaltrends in the F&B industry are the otherbenefits of the job that I immensely enjoy.

Is your job challenging? Can youpoint out major challenges?

Yes, it is very challenging. The majorchallenges of the job, in my opinion, are thepaucity of quality workforce, keeping oneselfabreast with the changing F&B trends,catering to the growing guest expectations,and the ability to retain the right talent.

What kind of pressures have youencountered at your day-to-daywork?

In our profession, there is a continualpressure to do better than the last time. Oneneeds to do a little more to enhance thedelight of the guest than what she/he has

attained in her/his last experience with us.Creating better opportunities to the team

than before and producing more returns forinvestors than last time are other continualwork pressures. In this profession, one needsto excel over excellence.

Can you suggest any tips orinsights to the F&B Managers tostrengthen their F&B team?

They need to be honest and open withtheir team members, and should alwaysappreciate a job well done. They should beinterested in their team members’ growth andplan their individual team member’s careergrowth. They should also listen carefully toeach of their team members and encourageteam members to express themselves.

The F&B Manager should also alwaysmake her/his expectations clear beforeassigning a task, and must treat all her/histeam members with the same respect anduse every team member to her/his strengths.

Finally, how is your experience inJaipur? How is it different from otherplaces where you have worked?

Working in Jaipur comes across as anexcellent change from bigger cities. Here Iam getting to meet wonderful people, whichis exciting. The hospitality business in Jaipuris a close-knit market where people knoweach other.

The culture of the Pink City excites me.The people and the festive vibe of this cityare great. Here all the festivals andcelebrations are treated very special and thepreparation is detailed.

What is the USP of your place/brand?

We give our associates great deal ofempowerment. We feel that if we keep thestaff happy, they will keep the guests happy,and the philosophy behind this workculture gets translated into reality everymoment at our property… We are alsoproud to make our hotel present itself asfriendly and approachable to our guests.

Anything else you would like to say?A career in food & beverage is for people

who love people, food and differentcultures. You can enjoy your work in thisfield only if you are passionate about theF&B world, love to try out new cuisinesand beverages, and have a natural desire tomake every guest feel special andappreciated.

What is your take on thehospitality business in general?

It is encouraging to see so manyinternational hotel companies wanting toestablish their brand portfolio in India, invarious segments. There is a big demand formid-segment hotels and F&B business isgetting competitive by the day.

The customer today knows what she/he wants and she/ he doesn’t mind payingfor the right thing, whether it is a hotelsuite or an exotic dish served in a specialtyrestaurant. In the realm of F&B, you canonly win a customer if you provide greatvalue for money and a memorableexperience, through wonderful food,ambience and service.

food & beverage business review

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