By BW Hotelier MUMBAI WILL get a taste of Michelin cuisine this April as JW Marriott Juhu in partnership with 4XFOUR Singapore for a two part pop up restaurant experience featuring two Michelin Star chefs. The pop ups will take place at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Mezzo Mezzo from April 8 to 19, 2015 and will present special curated lunch and dinner menus costing Rs 7000 plus taxes per head. The pop up meal experience will have two definite sections. Between April 8 and 12, Chef Laurent Peugeot, (photo right) of Le Charlemagne restaurant in Pernand Vergelesses , C-te-d'Or. Peugeot’s 1 Michelin Star restaurant and its unique French-Japanese cuisine makes him a name to watch out for among France’s rising culinary stars. Chef Laurent Peugeot was named the 'Best Young Chef of the Year' in 2007 by Gault Millau and obtained his first star Michelin in the same year. The restaurant obtained its first Michelin star in 2006. Having spent 4 years in Japan, there is no better chef who will understand the subtle touches of Japanese ingredients to traditional French cuisine. Chef Laurent will craft a menu. which will bring the best of both France and Japan to Indian diners. April 15 ’ 19 will see Giovanni D’amato (photo left) who heads the two Michelin Star Ristorante Il Rigoletto in Reggiolo, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Chef D'amato started his career at the age of 26, with his restaurant, Ristorante Il Rigoletto in Italy where he still remains today. He is also the Relais and Chateaux Grand Chef with two Michelin stars to his credit and is renowned for focusing on food’s basic elements. eate new associations, even if ’ at first sight ’ they may seem rash. The cuisine of Grand Chef D’Amato creatively revisits the numerous specialties of Reggio Emilia ’ just a few kilometres away ’ giving free rein to tasty fantasies.
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By Bikramjit Ray 2015 FOR The Park Hotels, is a time to expand their Zone by the Park brand across India. The first of this new breed of ’design-conscious, price-conscious’ hotels opened at the end of 2014 in Coimbatore. Their next hotel, in Jaipur, is slated to open very soon, an inside source told BW Hotelier. The vision is for the Zone by the Park to become a hub of social interaction for the modern business and leisure traveller. More properties will open in Mahabalipuram, Old Mahaballipuram Road (OMR), Chennai and Raipur (Chhattisgarh) this year. Speaking about the launch of the first property, Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park hotels Ltd. said, ’Over the years we have noticed a growing demand for a new kind of a hotel, for a new kind of traveller, someone who is moving up the ladder and is at ease with themselves.’ Leveraging this opportunity, we have created a mid-segment ’design- conscious, price conscious brand’. We are delighted to launch the first property of ’Zone by The Park’ in Coimbatore, which will cater to its design conscious customers. Our vision is to have a slice of The Park in every city people travel to.’ Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. said, ’Zone by The Park has been created as a place that is always on the move. A managed property, ’Zone by The Park’ at Coimbatore has 56 rooms at an average tariff of Rs 3,500 ’ Rs 5,000 per night We are confident that Zone by The Park will appeal to the consumers here and add value to their experience.’ The new brand borrows from The Park’s design spirit but with a much younger and buzzy feel. There are nooks for modern gizmos, well-planned storage spaces, a lively casual lounge - Z Bar, and many extras that will have guests coming back for more. A free flowing world cuisine experience just off the lobby with multiple service points and formats and innovative multi-pricing options will give guests the Bazaar experience. Unusually for India the meeting zones will be like creative studios for inspiring and quirky ideas instead of formal office space. Bikramjit Ray is Executive Editor, BW Hotelier.
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By BW Hotelier ACCOR INDIA, has taken over the management of the Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre (JECC), which claims to be South Asia’s largest exhibition and convention facility. Developed jointly by the Dangayach Group and Derewala Group, JECC is located in the industrial hub of Sitapura and has a 241-room Novotel attached to it. Facilities at the JECC include two exhibition halls with a combined column-free space of 20,000 sq metres and an open exhibition area of 10,000 sq metres with an on-site car park for over 4,000 cars. There is also a convention centre with seating for 1,200 delegates supported by 20 meeting rooms with pre-function areas, registration counters, interpretation booths and a lawn for outdoor events. Speaking on the occasion of the announcement,-Hari Mohan Dangayach, Chairman, Dangayach Group said, ’JECC will become an iconic infrastructure asset for Jaipur and a major catalyst for the development of MICE in the country. We are committed to its success and believe that the joint Exhibition Centre and Novotel situated on the property will help establish Jaipur as the geographical and event-related hub for North India.’ ’We are confident that this world’class convention facility will drive visitor growth to Jaipur, create jobs, support local businesses and deliver broader economic benefits to the northern region of India,’ Pramod Agrawal, Chairman, Derewala Group added.
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By BW Hotelier KALLOL SAHA-has been appointed Training Manager of the The Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel and Residences. Saha has eight years experience in the field of hospitality training and development. He completed his Bachelors in Hotel Management from the PES Institute of Hotel Management, Bangalore and holds specialised certifications in training and development. Saha began his career with Park Hyatt Goa then moved on to IHG. After a stint of 1 year with IHG, he moved to The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon as Assistant Manager for a two year stint before shifting to The Westin Gurgaon and The Westin Sohna as Complex Training Manager. Saha has was Training Manager of the Westin Mumbai, before his new appointment.
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By Shantanu Jain AHAAR 2015 closed its door this weekend. The 30th edition of the hospitality sector trade fare saw more than 800 companies from India and abroad taking part, all for a slice of the ever growing Indian hospitality pie. Spread over the expanse of Pragati Maidan, official estimates have been in the vicinity of 40,000 footfalls from just industry and ancillary sectors. BW Hotelier was there and profiles some of the big players in the sector. Here is part 1 of a series looking at the important hospitality vendors who attended the fair. Elan Professional Appliances Pvt Ltd, one of the largest commercial refrigeration companies in India made their presence felt at Ahaar 2015 with two of their key products at display. A portable battery freezer which can be used for outdoor catering and a glass door freezer which has been designed to suit the demands of the Indian consumer market. Speaking upon the current trends in the market for the refrigeration industry Rajan Jain, Director of Elan Professional Appliances Pvt Ltd, ’The big daddies of the retail and hospitality industry are willing to experiment with new products but the bulk of the market is still cost driven and price sensitive. Our main aim down the line is to be able to cater to all refrigeration. We do not want to restrict ourselves by putting a number on what we aspire to achieve.’ Also present at Ahaar was Stefab India Ltd, manufacturers of commercial washing machines. BW Hotelier managed to speak to Zehen Arora, ’Director, Sales at Stefab India Limited who told us,’We have been participating in this exhibition for the past two decades and the response this year is certainly better than before. We cater to hotels, hospitals, export houses and industries likes these who need industrial washing machine equipments.’ Stefab showcased around 40 products with diverse features costing between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 40 lakh. Nilkamal Ltd was also present at Ahaar 2015, showcasing two major products their UPC101 product, an insulated box for transporting food and managing temperature and an adjustable dish and ice carrier for banqueting. Speaking exclusively to BW Hotelier, Manish Singhi, Country Head (Hospitality Division) at Nilkamal Limited said,’This year at Ahaar, we registered a good response as customers across the country visited us. We now look forward to create awareness about our brand in the hospitality industry, the metro cities know about us, but we also want to target tier two and tier three cities.’ Charan Singh, Owner, Diamond Engineering works, manufacturer and supplier of churners and softy machines told BW Hotelier, ’we currently own about 65 per cent of the total market in our sector and we are receiving around 400 enquiries for our machines every day at Ahaar. Though our main target is the hotel industry and ice cream manufacturers, down to line we want to expand our market further.’ Also present at Ahaar were ITW Food Equipment Group with its premier brand Hobart. On being asked upon the response received by the brand at Ahaar, Avinash Singh, Country Manager, ITW Food Equipment Group told BW Hotelier, ’Except for the first and the last day, we got great response at Ahaar. Currently, we have ware washing and food preparations equipments and considering the competition we have got 60 per cent of the total market share in the industry.’ Singh told us that the company was very active in the 5 star hotel segment but considering that the Indian market was growing in restaurant and canteen segment, the idea was to take their products to this segment of hospitality industry as well, eventually. Shantanu Jain is Junior Correspondent, BW Hotelier.-
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By BW Hotelier HIROSHI AKAI will take-over from Pinaki Banerjee as Managing Director of Rational India from April 1, 2015. Akai brings has been with Rational in various Asian markets for the las 9 years. These include leading positions in Korea, Japan and Indonesia. THE Rational group, headquartered in Germany, are known for hot food prep technology in professional kitchens. -Pinaki Banerjee, according to information received by BW Hotelier, will take up-a new position outside the company. Commenting on the new appointment, Thomas Stuetz, Executive Vice President Asia for Rational said, ’India is one of the most important growth markets for Rational. With Akai and his long-term experience in the industry we are sure to sustain our development in the Indian market and extend our leading position.’
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By-BW Hotelier DEEPA MISRA Harris, who held the position of Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing for the Taj Group of Hotels has left her post. According to sources within the hotel who did not wish to be named, Harris will be doing something on her own. Her last day was Monday, March 16, 2015. Harris, who graduated in English from Delhi University’s Lady Shriram College, worked for over 28 years with the Taj Group. Before becoming the Senior Vice President in 2011, she served as Vice President Marketing for nearly seven years. She is the only specialist to have served separately as Vice President Sales and Vice President Marketing before taking the lead job to oversee both functions, according to the Taj website. She has worked across most markets in India and abroad and has played an integral role in the growth of Taj, including the recent Brand Architecture exercise and the roll-out of the new Vivanta by Taj and Gateway brands. She is also on the board of several group companies such as Taj GVK Hotels and Resorts Limited and PIEM Hotels Limited and others as well. She also represents Taj in various industry organizations such as Hotel Association of India, Experience India Society and Marketing advisory board of Leading Hotels of the World amongst many others, the website states. BW Hotelier could not get any more updates on what Harris is planning to do now. When contacted over mail, BW Hotelier could not get a response from Harris to our queries.
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By Sourish Bhattacharyya HE’S A CHEF who could have been a celebrity singer, but his destiny made him one of North America’s premier cookery show hosts well-known among followers of TLC here. Roger Mooking, Canada’s ’singing chef’ ’ he’s a Juno Award winner ’ and darling of the small screen, will be in New Delhi for the release of An Appetite for Fusion, the first Indo-Canadian cookbook to be brought out by the Canadian High Commission to drive home the point that apart from Canola oil and maple syrup, the two products the country is known for the world over, Canadian lentils and chickpeas are a part of our everyday diet without anyone of us realising it. The cookbook features recipes from Mooking, our own celebrity chef, Sanjeev Kapoor, ITC Maruya’s gifted Senior Executive Chef, Manisha Bhasin, Delhi-based Canadian owner-operators of Red Moon Bakery, Anna and David Hambly, and the high commission’s chef, Curtis Pintye. It will be unveiled by the Canadian High Commissioner,Nadir Patel, at an evening co-presented by the Delhi Gourmet Club at Canada House on March 19. Roger Mooking will be very much present at the book release (he’ll also be conducting a limited-entry cookery demo at Shangri-la by Eros Hotel) and his fan club in the city is all set to give him a warm reception. A third-generation chef, born in Trinidad and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, where his mother picked up European recipes from Ukrainian neighbours, Mooking’s cooking style reflects Canada’s multi-cultural ethnic profile. As much as 28 per cent of Canada’s population today is of foreign origin and the number of Indians ’ as High Commissioner Patel reminded the India Today Conclave 2015 ’ is 1.26 million, or 3.55 per cent of the nation’s population. It is this composite tradition that gets reflected in Mooking’s popular internationally broadcast television show, Everyday Exotic, where he uses one ’obedient ingredient’ per episode to sass up an everyday dish. He marinates salmon with tahini before grilling it, for instance, or turns around a buttery angel’s hair pasta with pesto, or livens up chicken fingers with blood orange, and serves them with a fresh plum dipping sauce and watercress salad. The ingredients, from passion fruit to curry powder (which he uses in good measure with macaroni and cheese), are as many as the episodes that have been aired. And Mooking, drawing on his global cuisine fed by local influences, turns each one of them into a life saviour for a Plain Jane dish. Mooking, according to his biography, is also the co-host of Heat Seekers airing on Food Network and host of Man Fire Food on Cooking Channel. Roger is also a reoccurring judge on Chopped Canada, which premiered last year, and he has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Marilyn Denis, Top Chef Canada andIron Chef. As his biography points out, Mooking has also dedicated his time and resources to both local and international charities. ’His work has taken him all over the world to experience first-hand food insecurity issues that many individuals live with every day,’ it says. ’In the last few years [he] has visited Peru, Cambodia and Bangladesh to meet with community groups, medical clinics and local families to explore ways to create sustainable health and nutrition programmes.’ The chef-entertainer began his formal training at the Culinary Management Programme of Toronto’s George Brown College, from where he graduated with Top Honours and is now the Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee. He continued his training at Toronto’s world-renowned Royal York Hotel before co-owning and consulting on many food and beverage operations, including one most recently at the Pearson International Airport. ’Food feeds the body, music feeds the soul. It’s all food in various forms.’ These words of Mooking’s express his spicy philosophy of life and work as best as his perfectly grilled pork chops served with sweet and sour lychees. Sourish Bhattacharyya is Consulting Editor, BW Hotelier.
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