CATEGORIES

NRAI's First Cloud Kitchen Convention

The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI)'s Mumbai Chapter held India's biggest Cloud Kitchen Convention powered by PetPooja. Established in the year 1982, NRAI is the voice of the Indian Restaurant Industry that has successfully provided opportunities to educate various hospitality chains on the avenues of technology, marketing, operations and more by keeping up with the trends.

Embellishing Breakfast Menu

Muffins come in an almost endless variety of flavours. Usually they are available in the sweet form but they are also available in the savoury form. They should have a soft texture, less moisture and be like a nicely raised cake.

Has the snacking segment transformed? How about its future?

The answer to the first question is a resounding—YES! Snacking, as a practice and sector, has transformed completely since the first mention of the virus. Health was a priority pre-pandemic, but being locked at home which continuing to maximise work output has put immense strain on us all. The result’s that we’ve fallen back on old habits that provide comfort. Hence, our snacking behaviours have been invariably affected.

Cookie is Cocky ...in the Indian market

Demand for healthy bakery products, particularly cookies, is increasing in India due to active lifestyle of consumers' looking for convenient eating options. Millennials, who form a major percentage of the working population in India, are a driving force behind the consumer trends today. As far as bakery products are concerned, they desire for healthy products with high nutritional values. Cookies which are not only healthy and nutritious but can also be consumed as snacks are becoming popular globally. Ashok Malkani takes a kaleidoscopic look at all aspects of cookies and the rising market for these scrumptious tidbits.

Contamination of Eggs in India

Generally speaking, most poultry farms in India follow poor rearing practices. There is every likelihood that many of them could be using contaminated feeds or using feed ingredients without any knowledge of their nutritive content which can eventually negatively influence the quality of egg production.

Comprehending Butter

Butter has always fascinated all for its malleability and richness as also the way it transforms a dish, making it exotic from the simple. Most of us at home use plain salted or sometimes unsalted butter for baking purposes, but Chefs have access to all kinds of magical options when it comes to butter.

Chocolate: In the Hands of Pastry Chef

There are many ways to use chocolate as decoration but a normal dark or white chocolate with a liquid texture for an easier manipulation is used in this type of work, as it does not require any special taste. For a chocolate show piece I personally use a normal 55% cocoa for the moulding and the body of my piece.

Heeding To Safety Measures In Bakery

The bakery business has great potential for creativity but it requires sustained hard work and knowledge of the industry to reach success.

Creative and Passionate about Bakery!

Chef Shaikh Shafique with an enriching experience of over a decade has worked across various brands and has carved a niche for himself in this industry as a game changer.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese occupies a relatively small but important place among the many varieties of cheeses, in India, specially in bakery segment.

Crossing over Croissants

Croissant fits the bill on any given day as a snack or as a breakfast item.

Getting Over Crisis

The sudden lockdowns during the pandemic, resulting in closure of operations and lack of revenue have affected many bakery business owners into dire situations. Some of them have been forced to take hasty decisions which have had long term impact on their business. It has to be realized that recovery from the current pandemic situation is going to be slow and painful. Tough times, prevalent at the moment, demand the bakers to look beyond regular situations and deal with difficult questions that need to be answered, to thrive. For survival and navigating through the crisis successfully bakers will need to understand the present situation and the impact the pandemic will have on their future business. They have to plan to tackle the situation as time progresses. Ashok Malkani tries to gauge the effects of the and how the bakers have to plan to deal with the problems as and when they arise.

Empowerment of Women in Bakery Industry - A Piece of Cake

The intrepid women have proved their mettle in almost all arenas. They have resolutely proved themselves as enterprising entrepreneurs in all industries, including the bakery segment of the food & beverage industry. From home bakers to capable industrialists, they have climbed the ladder of success and are speedily securing opportunities in what was once a male dominated segment – bakery business. The rise in female bakers in India is a testimony of the fact that they have the potential to successfully handle career as well as home by successfully harnessing technology and social media to improve their business. With more females entering the bakery industry, the sector is rapidly moving towards gender equality. Ashok Malkani, to commemorate the International Women’s Day, on March 8, views the progress and the success of the lady bakers in their endeavour to move from home baking to becoming owners of commercial conglomerates.

Flavours and Colours

While colours work by increasing the visual appeal of the bakery products, flavours help bakers to develop a unique taste of the products

Pure Flour from Europe

Good flour is the basis of good dough (both sweet and savoury). Good flour is indispensable for your baking and cooking.

Spread with Margarine

It's low cost and health value makes margarine a bakers delight. It is widely used in bakeries in making cookies, pastry dough, piecrust and main course dishes. Margarine can be used in breakfast, appetizers, side dishes, main entrees and desserts.

Bakery Trends For 2022

As we step into the New Year and communities and supply chains reopen, though still fragile, there are several changes that one is likely to see in the near future in the bakery industry. But, one may add, that though many consumers are open to something new, after nearly two years of limited options and mobility, they don’t want to be rushed into rash decisions as far as eating habits are concerned. The pandemic has increased the awareness of healthy food. Bakeries have adopted changes to cater to the demands of the consumers – and are likely to continue transforming in the New Year. Ashok Malkani tries to present a broad perspective of likely trends for 2022 and beyond.

Starting a Bakery During the Pandemic

Last two years have been challenging in many ways. COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced several lockdowns and restrictions on people, have affected almost all businesses. It has also encouraged consumers to put their health higher on the priority list making them realize the necessity for healthy food and eating habits. According to a research by Mintel almost three out of four Indians have put healthy eating at a higher priority than before the outbreak. The ongoing pandemic has led to a rising demand for bakery products not only due their health quotient but also due to their variety and functionality. This has driven more enterprising entrepreneurs to enter bakery industry. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the various branches of the industry, the requirements for starting a bakery and steps that the entrepreneurs need to examine before entering the industry.

The Role of Edible Oils

The art of cooking cannot be conceived without the essential input of edible oil. It is difficult to trace the history of edible oils, but it is safe to say that since the dawn of civilisation, edible oils have been contributing to the evolution of the taste of mankind. Today, edible oils have slowly spread their mysterious web to all forms of cooking and have become quintessential to the operations of kitchens. The role of edible oils in the bakery industry also cannot be overstated.

SLAY Coffee Introduces Special Cinnamon Brews

SLAY Coffee has introduced cinnamon as the hero ingredient in their cuppas and baked goodies.

Identifying Real Pastries

The term ‘Pastry’ often means quite different things to a consumer as compared to a Pastry Chef. Officially, in the world of baking ‘Pastry’ is the name given to various kinds of dough made from ingredients such as flour, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs.

Food for the Gods

Cocoa has a high food value, containing as much as 20 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate, and 40 percent fat. It is also mildly stimulating because of the presence of theobromine, an alkaloid that is closely related to caffeine.

Global Fast Food Launches its First QSR in Bengaluru

Charlie Chaplin has launched its F&B vertical in India through its exclusive licensing partner UnitedVegan Pvt. Ltd. The first flagship Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), ‘Charlie Chaplin LaVegano’, was unveiled in Bengaluru at New Bel Road.

Britannia Good Day Launches New Identity

Britannia Good Day, urban India’s largest biscuit brand revealed its new identity today.

Andrea's Bistro Opens in Delhi

Andrea Pauro, the restauranteur behind Amici, Andrea’s Eatery, Andrea’s Bar & Brasserie opens a global themed Andrea’s Bistro in Delhi’s Vasant Kunt at DLF Promenade Mall.

A Passionate Leader & Baker!

Chef Mohammad Hai, Pastry Chef, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove & Spa

Emulsifiers in Baked Goods

The use of food additives is necessary to maintain the quality and freshness of the food pro product. Food additives perform important functions in baked goods such as starch complexing, protein strengthening and aeration and may also offer some degree of emulsification.

Desserts Sweets that won't Desert you

Dessert is the favourite part of a meal not only of children but of everyone present at the dinner table. No wonder 14th October is celebrated every year as National Dessert Day. Sweets are an inevitable part of almost all festivals and festivities in India. Any social event must end with a dessert – if not an array of them! In India sweets are a gesture of goodwill. Desserts thus form an essential part of the meal. Ashok Malkani looks at the various aspects of this final course of a meal including its benefits and the popularity of different desserts in countries around the world.

Lavazza Globally Launches La Reserva De ¡Tierra! India

Lavazza, the Italian brand that is among the world’s leading coffee roasters, has announced the launch of La Reserva de ¡Tierra! India, a unique premium blend of refined coffees fully sourced from Karnataka and crafted in India, for professional use in cafes, fine-dine restaurants and star hotels.

Maintaining Bakery Business in Pandemic

Bakery industry is the largest segment of the food processing sector in India. There are over 2,000 bakeries in the organized and semi organized subdivision of the industry producing about 1.3 million tones of the bakery products and another 1,000,000 small scale bakeries producing 1.7 million tones. COVID 19 affected the working of this industry, also, adversely. Though bakery products were not as badly affected as food items in the F&B sector, the industry has to adopt measures to ensure that its production and distribution attain high standards of hygiene in order to retain its status in the food processing industry. Ashok Malkani takes a look at how the industry can maintain hygiene in the production line-up (including personal hygiene), distribution and retail segments.