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V O L U M E F I V E • I S S U E O N E

Featured inside: Manish Sodhi, Debraj Banerjee, Navaj Sharief, Akarsh Mathur, Sanjay Patti

HoReCa professionals hold forth on the innovations, tools and strategies for business optimisation.

Page 40

TrendsFrom ingredients to

influences, here‘s what to optimise for innovative

foodservice offers

Page 46

DesignFunctional flooring tips

Page 54

TechnologyScience as the driver of

customer experience

Trade Journal for the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Industry India EditionJANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 • `100

Tools of the Trade

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January-February 2015 • PAGES 84



Some of you may take exception to this thought, but I believe Indian restaurants in 2015 may become less about cuisine and more about entertainment and experience. And this will mainly be because over 65 per cent of Indians are under the age of 35. Young Indians’ propensity to communicate/ share ceaselessly on social media and astonishingly low attention spans are directly co-related to how they choose to spend their leisure hours and money.

Coming from this trend, there is a compelling reason for the cafe format (along with casual-QSR) to become the fastest growing sub-category with the foodservice business; these are now the social spaces where one chooses to unwind with friends, catch up with family, and even hob-nob with a business associate. These formats’ innate ‘coolness’ is driven by their unpretentiousness, enhanced typically by music, differentiated decor, food and alco-beverage innovation, and unconventional presentation. Also, from a restaurant owner’s point of view, this format – with its all-day relevance – may make more fi nancial sense than a limited-hours fi ne-dine operation.

Traditional fl avours are being manipulated by chefs, even as diners get more and more demanding about differentiation. ‘Authentic’ may no longer be attractive; many new-age consumers would rather have ‘Fusion’ or ‘Contemporary’.

Behind the staff and kitchen doors, however, the biggest business infl uencer is technology, as many foodservice business heads will highlight at our annual industry event India Food Forum this month. From chefs innovating with molecular gastronomy and sous-vide techniques to targetted social media marketing, they will display how profoundly changing the way restaurants across specialities and price points now operate.

As for me, I’m really looking forward to see and hear at India Food Forum how HoReCa professionals in India are going to leverage these simultaneous trends.

Business HeadRakesh Gambhir, Vice PresidentE: [email protected], M: +91 9910001375

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CONTENTS

J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5



6 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 FOODSERVICE INDIA EDITION

14 A Taste for Fine Things Nitin Chordia on the rewards and challenges of being a professional

chocolate taster

18 Passenger Persuasion Mark Angela, Chief Commercial Offi cer, SSP Group, offers ideas

on matching outlets to opportunities and the growing scope for innovation in new areas

28 Out of the Box Their product may be

served in boxes, but Ammi’s Biryani has some unconventional ideas on delivering sustainable growth

32 Ocean’s Three Akarsh Mathur,

General Manager, The Deltin Daman says the Deltin Group’s portfolio of speciality F&B outlets sets its apart from others

36 A Passion for Flavour How to fi nd ideas for the ultimate winter

drink, exclusive coffee innovation or dessert? The France-based market leader in premium fl avourings Monin provides answers

38 Uptown Brew Debraj Banerjee,

Head of Marketing, Newby India Pvt Ltd holds forth on the prospects of luxury teas in India

40 2015: What’s on the Plate? From ingredients to infl uences, here‘s what to

optimise for innovative foodservice offers

TÊTE-À-TÊTE

INTERVIEW

ACROSS THE TABLE

SUPPLIER

TRENDS

54

With hi-tech and one-touch solutions promising to generate superior experiences, hotels are all out to embed technology – from their kitchens to table service

SCIENTIFICSERVICE

24 A Gastronomic Assortment Manish Sodhi, General

Manager, Sahara Star shares his thoughts on evolving F&B trends, and recent innovations to Sahara Star‘s culinary repertoire

03-Contents Jan-Feb2015.indd 6 1/11/2015 8:07:40 PM


46 Ground Realities Resin fl ooring is the smartest alternative to

minimise contamination in catering environments

72 Market Report: Foodservice Equipment A vibrant growing economy and changing

lifestyles of affl uent Indians continue to sustain the growth of hospitality and allied businesses

76 BJP announces much awaited support at NRAI hosted industry meet

78 Dining: Delhi-NCR‘s unmissable restaurants

79 A win for the Hookah

62 Think Like Your Customers! The 15th European Foodservice Summit, reiterated the importance

of foregoing the factory line approach when trying to run a successful foodservice operation

70 Think Omni-Channel Dr. David Bosshart, head and mastermind at the Gottlieb Duttweiler

Institute in Zurich, unfolds a sparkling scenario for our increasingly digitalised and polarised world

58 Made to Order Kolkata-based technology solutions company

RanceLab is promising to seamlessly manage the multiple operational challenges in foodservice

DESIGN

GHEM

NRAI ROUND-UP

SUMMIT

TECHNOLOGY

IN EVERY ISSUE

44 Side Effects Side dishes are increasingly critical within the

F&B mix

MENUS

10 Market news impacting HoReCa businesses

INDUSTRY MONITOR

CONTENTS

03-Contents Jan-Feb2015.indd 8 1/11/2015 8:07:49 PM

ACROSS THE TABLE


It was his passion for food, especially biryani, that led Ammi’s Biryani founder and CMD 40-year-old Navaj Sharief to step out of the family steel business to launch a unique concept in 2008 in Bangalore. Predominately a home delivery brand,

Ammi’s Biryani is the brand that introduced the concept of biryani on the go. Funded by SAIF Partners, TMA Hospitality, the company that owns Ammi’s Biryani, is now 68 outlets strong. Nivedita J Pawar speaks to Sharief, who’s all set to make Ammi’s Biryani the largest Indian QSR by 2015.

Mumbai is already a crowded space as far as biryani is concerned. What brought you to Mumbai and that too with six simultaneous store launches in a week? We are established in the south with Bangalore and Chennai being our key markets. Mumbai is known for its culture of eating out and to be honest, there is no established biryani chain in the city. The existing players in this segment have not

Their product may be served in boxes, but Ammi’s Biryani has some unconventional ideas on delivering sustainable growth

gone beyond 3-5 individual outlets. I see far more potential here. We will be rolling out 50 outlets in Mumbai over the next year. That will make us a strong organised player in this segment and give us the fi rst mover advantage with a sizable number of outlets.

How has the journey been for Ammi’s Biryani right from the launch in 2008 to 68 stores currently?We introduced Indian food in a box. Convenience is our forte. I got funded when investors realised that Indian food served in an international format can be a scalable business model. Currently, we are growing at 100 per cent. Deliveries account for 70 per cent of the revenue, the rest comes from dine in. Funded by SAIF Partners, one of India’s leading equity funds, in 2012, we have suffi cient revenues to grow at the retail level in Mumbai and Pune. I want to be the fi rst Indian born QSR to reach the scale of 500 outlets. No Indian brand has grown above 70-80 outlets. Even a Goli Vada

Out of the Box Navaj Sharief Ammi’s Chicken Hyerabadi Biryani

Across the Table_Ammi s Biryani.indd 28 1/11/2015 3:45:20 PM

FOODSERVICE INDIA EDITION JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 29

With 68 outlets up and running how do you ensure consistency in product and services?As mentioned, our biryanis are process-driven, not people-driven. The processes are clearly defi ned and monitored; this rules out any human error and maintains consistency in taste across outlets. We have tried eliminating skill at various levels. We have a stringent quality policy and the quality team reports directly to me.

How do you tackle food infl ation?It’s something that you have to deal with. At the end of the day it’s all about purchase effi ciencies. We have yearly contracts with vendors so that price fl uctuations don’t impact our day-to-day operations. That being said, we do get affected when onion prices skyrocket from Rs 20 to Rs 150. No vendor will absorb that kind of price rise.

Tell us something about your central kitchen.Our central kitchen in Mumbai is at Marol, Andheri. The biryani is cooked at the central kitchen. The stores are equipped with custom built warmers with humidity control. This keeps the biryani hot at 70 degrees centigrade and keeps it moist. We have two despatches (morning and evening) daily. Each central kitchen spans 7,000 sq ft of area and services 45 outlets.

What’s the retail reach of Ammi’s Biryani currently?We have 45 outlets in Bangalore and 18 in Chennai. We will be 55 outlets strong in Bangalore by March 2015

Founder: Navaj Sharief, 40

Launched on: November 2008

First outlet: Koramangala, Bangalore

Initial investment: Rs 50 lakh from personal funds

Product mix: Biryani, kababs and rolls

Bestseller: Chicken Hyderabadi

Price range: Rs 99-275; average ticket size: Rs 200 per person

Funding: SAIF Partners, Rs 40 crore in 2012

Outlets: 68

Average store size: 500 sq ft

Average investment: Rs 30-35 lakh in Mumbai, Rs 20-25 in Bangalore/ Chennai

Breakeven: The brand is profi table at the store level from the fi rst month

Real estate rental accounts for: 10 per cent of operating costs at Bangalore and Chennai. 12-13 per cent in Mumbai

FY 14 revenue: Rs 25 crore

Projected revenue in 2015: Rs 45 crore

Location strategy: High street locations and 3km delivery range. Will get into malls in near future.

The biryani comes in two portion sizes – Executive Biryani priced at Rs 99 for single eaters and a slightly larger size priced at Rs 200.

A family pack carries three biryanis while a party pack contains seven biryani

While the biryani is served with salan (gravy), raita and an Indian dessert in Bangalore, the salan is replaced by thick yoghurt with a chat masala pouch for Mumbai customers.

FACT CHECK

IN THE BOX

pav that has reached 100 outlets has taken the franchise route. By December 2015, we aspire to be the largest Indian QSR.

Do you have a signature biryani style or have you localised the recipe to suit local taste buds?Our signature biryani – Chicken Jeera Samba – is a typical muslim household biryani. That was the starting point of the biryani journey for us. It’s made with Jeera Samba rice (a small grain rice variety), which absorbs the masalas far better than Basmati rice. As we evolved we got into the Hyerabadi kacchi dum biryani space. And when it was time to step out of Bangalore, we incorporated the regional fl avour in the biryani. So, for instance, in Mumbai we have the Mumbaiya Biryani with kevda, rose water and more masala. Our biryanis in Bangalore are served with salan (a gravy preparation). But we decided to do away with it in Mumbai. In Chennai we have added ‘Virundhu Biryani’ and ‘Prawn Biryani’ to the menu.

Do you work with trained chefs or local cooks?We have a set of masters who have been trained over a period of time in making biryanis. These cooks train the kitchen staff at new locations. We have broken down the biryani into various processes. As an organisation, we are not people-dependant but process-dependent. While we don’t use machines to cook the biryani, the ingredients – spices, onions, salt, etc – are defi ned clearly.

Ammi’s Mutton Hyderabadi Biryani

Across the Table_Ammi s Biryani.indd 29 1/11/2015 3:45:22 PM

TRENDS


When developing food trends, one needs to watch out for the customer profi le and the population demographics. India has witnessed important demographic changes in recent times: a growing number of working women has led to better disposable incomes for families and also exposed them to international travel, thereby increasing their knowledge on

the variety of cuisines available across the globe. Today, consumers are well acquainted with global cuisine and the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Culinary trends: East meets WestCall it a fusion or heterogeneity, blending cuisines is one of the hottest culinary concepts doing the rounds today. Fusion is all about cautiously selecting foods from different parts of the world that are not geographically close and combining those items that go well together. The combinations are numerous – Thai and Indian, American and French, Mediterranean and Asian et al.

From ingredients to infl uences, here‘s what to optimise for innovative foodservice offers

2015: What’s on the Plate?by Puneet Verma

Trends_2015.indd 40 1/11/2015 3:57:30 PM


truly fi t into every aspect of today’s lifestyles and are constantly being reinvented. The same trend has been witnessed in some international burger chains like Carl’s Jr and Delhi-based Burger Bar – Fork You.

Chef-driven cuisineWith such multiplicity in food trends, every chef has something new to offer to the menu. But the actual trend may be for chefs to develop beyond what experts have defi ned as ‘what’s in and what’s not’ and to explore their own culinary creativity.

Better ingredientsChefs have come to a point where they are suffering from a creative block and are unable to come up with some brilliant cooking methods. Instead, they are concentrating on using better ingredients.

Italian Italian food has been the essence of the moment for the last couple of years now. Until a few years ago, the only types of pasta available in supermarkets were spaghetti and macaroni.

A blend of health and tasteObesity has become a growing concern for the food industry, whether grocery or restaurant related. Consumers are now switching on to healthier food options and heading towards fl avoured ethnic cuisines such as Asian and Mediterranean foods.

Back to basicsAlthough fusion food remains a hot trend, chefs and industry experts proclaim that the future belongs to simple foods and fl avours. The trend is going back to basics. There has been a wave which says that people are exhausted of fusion food because it became confusion food, with a blend of just about anything.

The ubiquitous burgersBurgers are the in thing today! It all started from simple to decadent, hand-held to knife-and-fork, from heavy calorifi c to light and healthy. Burger was fi rst introduced as a snack item, which over time gained the status of a full meal. It is considered a comfort take-away food item or as an adventurous new cuisine experience. Burgers

The actual trend may be for chefs to develop their own culinary creativity

Trends_2015.indd 41 1/11/2015 3:57:34 PM

TECHNOLOGY


To a hospitality operator, a guest is akin to God and thus, investing in tools to deliver exceptional guest experiences makes infi nite sense. And with hi-tech and one-touch solutions promising to generate superior experiences, hotels are all out to embed technology – from their kitchens to table service

“A number of new techniques have come into play in F&B – both for internal usage as well as from the customer interface point of view. For instance, many outlets have now resorted to presenting

their menus on an iPads rather than on traditional printed menus,” says Rahul Korgaokar, Director F&B, Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. “For the guest, this is a more interactive format, which also allows for pictographic representation of dishes, leading to a ‘call to action’ stimulus for the guest. Guests can also select their menu items directly from the I-pad and the order gets delivered directly into the kitchen via the Wi-Fi network.”

While molecular gastronomy and sous vide cooking – both driven by technology – are trending in F&B, technology has also eased F&B operations in a restaurant. Hand-held order pads and ear console bar systems are no longer rarities in a hotel.

Restaurants go hi-techThe hospitality industry has adapted well to available technology. In restaurants, from menus being offered on tablets to innovative live stations using induction technology for banquet events, the F&B industry has clearly taken a giant leap.

One of the most revolutionising smartphone applications in the hotel environment today, is an extension of the point-of-sale system in the F&B area. Nowadays, it is common to see it being used as an order-taking device, offering a hands-on and cost-effective alternative to tablet PCs and traditional handheld POS devices.

Animesh Barat, Food & Beverage Director, Westin Chennai concurs. “Use of mobile devices, interactive electronic menus, or even a self-operated beverage dispensing unit, have amazed the customers and got them more closer to F&B outlets that are more tech savvy. Even for the heart of house operations – use of new technology for food processing and food

Scientifi c

by Mini Ribeiro

Service

Technology_Scientific Service.indd 54 1/11/2015 3:50:45 PM


preparation has enhanced hotels performance and productivity,” he notes.

Shahrom Oshtori, Director Food & Beverage, Sofi tel Mumbai BKC, adds, “Restaurants have gone high tech with menu presentations on iPads, which is very appealing as menus are presented with stories of the dishes. The customer can see and understand exactly how the dish is going to come to him. Placing orders directly through an iPad is also an emerging trend in western markets which will soon make its way to India. Reservation systems such as Respack help restaurants to maximise seating arrangements and generate more revenue. Applications such as whatsapp can sell your venue just by sending pictures and details to a customer.”

Looking forwardFood & Beverage is serious business for a hotel and thus no efforts are spared to make it profi table. Sanjay Patti, Director Food and Beverage, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon quips, “From our side, the spotlight is even more on F&B in hotels as it is an important source of revenue. There have been many innovations that have helped offer better services in the outlets – from automated reservation systems like Respak, which not only stores all guest details and preferences but also records guests’ preferences such as food type, ingredients, seating preferences amongst others. Other than this, systems like Triton and Hotsauce help in handling guest complaints and communicate with them live. The live communication helps shorten the reaction time and help authorities in depth understanding of the underlying issues.”

And guests too obviously welcome this integration of technology in the F&B space. “Electronic wine dispensers, new trends in tap beers, equipment used for freezing liqueurs and cocktails and fi nally to electronic feedback systems. All these have been accepted positively by our guests in the restaurant and bar,” Barat informs.

Rahul KorgaokarDirector F&B,

Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

Shahrom OshtoriDirector Food & Beverage, Sofi tel

Mumbai BKC

Sanjay PattiDirector Food and Beverage,

Hyatt Regency Gurgaon

T V Narasimhan, Interim Country Manager,

Electrolux

Smart KitchensKitchens too have undergone a makeover in Hotels and the equipment is technology driven as per the need of the hour. And suppliers are conversant with a hotel’s requirements and gladly comply with those demands. T V Narasimhan, Interim Country Manager, Electrolux Professional India admits, “Cooking has evolved into a form of art so also has kitchen equipment from typical cooking ranges, boiling pans and convection ovens to current state-of-art equipment incorporating aesthetic looks, digital controls, energy effi cient, modular and streamlined, multiple application and usage from a single equipment.”

“At Electrolux, we believe in constant innovation in design and technology, keeping in mind the end-users needs. Our range of equipment is designed to improve time and labour usage and meet the operational demands of the modern catering operation,” he adds.

Electrolux Combi Ovens feature user friendly simple and clear control panels. Specially built-in features, provide consistency and maintain quality of end-product in the cooking process. It is not only easy to use, but also easy to clean, as the automatic washing system is already included and is a standard feature of Electrolux Professional combi ovens. The air-o-convect Touchline and Smart Steam crosswise ovens are the ideal machines for the Indian market, because these ovens support Tandoor Concept, a way to cook traditional Indian cuisine to perfection in less time and energy-effi ciently.”

Apart from these, there are the Electrolux blast chillers and freezers range designed to make Chef’s work easier, more profi table and energy effi cient by optimising the workfl ow in the kitchen, as they increase the shelf life of food and reduce waste. The innovative blast chillers and freezers are crafted to complete the integrated Cook & Chill process, a sustainable culinary technique very popular for large quantity cooking, especially banquet kitchens and commissaries.

Technology has even helped to serve safe food, by way of using cold gel baths for serving salads, seafood and cold meats

Technology_Scientific Service.indd 55 1/11/2015 3:50:46 PM

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