Initiating, Creating and Conceptualising

"MOST CULTURES include a sweet dish in every meal and it is no different for us,” says Selvaraj Marimuthu, pastry chef at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park.

Marimuthu, with 15 years of experience in pastry, was previously associated with the likes of Park Hyatt Chennai, The Leela Kovalam, Alila Diwa Goa, and Courtyard by Marriott Chennai and Ahmedabad. “I enjoy travelling and this led to my stint with a cruiseline for a year after which I joined Jones The Grocer as a head chef in Abu Dhabi,” said Marimuthu.

Hailing from Chennai, Marimuthu graduated in Hotel Management from Cheran College, Erode. “As a child I used to take great pride in assisting my grandmother to make sweets and savouries for festivals. That is how I realised my passion for cooking. I started my culinary journey as a trainee at Radisson in 2001,” he told us.

He started to specialise in pastry soon after, and has been trained and attended workshops with renowned pastry chefs like Swiss master chocolatier Chef Adelbert Bucher and others.

Speaking about how food has changed over the years Marimuthu, said, “India has developed radically over the years in terms of F&B. Compared to other countries, India initially was probably lagging behind by 15 years. But now with the recent developments, we are just about five years behind.”

“Diners have now become adventurous and are willing to enjoy new speciality ingredients and cuisines. It has become imperative for restaurants to keep experimenting and reinventing dishes and menus in line with new concepts and changing tastes,” he added.

Marimuthu believes that the internet has brought the world closer and people now have greater exposure to international dishes and desserts. Asking about the future of the pastry business in India, he said, “The pastry business is definitely on a rise in India where the younger generations are more inclined to English bakes and savouries along with other options available to them.”

This pastry chef feels that he is on the right path pursuing his passion for desserts, and over the next six years, wants to become an executive corporate pastry chef.