FOOD freshly to launch sliced fruits packaged with IG International

Foodpanda, a food delivering platform, has taken 2,000 seats in co-working operator GoWork’s centre at Gurugram. 

Founded by Sanjeev Mahajan, Sudeep Singh and Nimit Mahajan in June 2017, GoWork has two co-working centres in Gurugram. These centres are spread over 8 lakh square feet with a capacity of 12,000 seats. 

Foodpanda has taken up 2,000 seats in GoWork's centre at Udyog Vihar in Gurugram under the 'built to suit' enterprise format. The company is aiming to have up to 4,000 seats.

GoWork said, "This is the highest number of seats that have been occupied by any organisation in a co-working space all over India." 

Sudeep Singh, Chief Evangelist and Co-founder, GoWork, said, "Foodpanda is one of the most recognized and trusted brands in the food-tech startup ecosystem, and having it on board as a client gives a robust boost to our brand's value proposition." 

"We have leased about 6,000 seats so far in last one year out of 12,000 seats. GoWork's spaces are equipped with diverse amenities such as gym, spa, food court, innovative and unique 'frustration/meditation' zones, in-house brewery, crèche, sleeping pods and a range of other facilities which cater perfectly to the preferences of the modern professional," he added. 

Tata Global Beverages is planning to launch its premium natural mineral water brand 'Himalayan' in the US market.

The brand which is currently available in India and Singapore will now enter the US market in a phased manner, through an agreement signed by its subsidiary with Talking Rain Beverage Company, the maker of Sparkling Ice flavoured sparkling waters to distribute and market the brand," Tata Global Beverages (TGB) said in a statement.

"We're happy to be partnering with Talking Rain Beverage Company for a phased launch of Himalayan in the US market. The strength of their distribution network and category expertise will help the brand make a strong foray into the US market,” said Ajoy Misra, Managing Director and CEO, TGB.

This agreement will give Himalayan the benefit of Talking Rain's extensive go to market and execution capabilities in the US, which synergise well with TGB's product expertise and marketing capability, the company said.

Himalayan water is a premium source water, from a pure and pristine underground moving stream aquifer, which is about 400 feet below the surface, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

"We are proud to announce a strategic alliance between Talking Rain and Tata Global Beverages," said Marcus Smith, President of Talking Rain Beverage Company.

"Since 2012, we have worked diligently to create a strong and strategic direct-store-delivery distribution network, comprising more than 300 distributors...in the US. We look forward to playing an instrumental role in the successful US market entry for Himalayan natural mineral water," Smith added.

Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport has recently appointed Neha Rana Dutta as its Assistant HR Director.

Prior to joining here Neha worked with Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, Delhi as a Human Resources Manager. With an enriching experience of nine years backing her, Neha is confident that her expertise and contribution will help in amplifying the overall functioning of the hotel.

Neha has led and directed the search function in various hotels thus gathering connections within India and International landscape.

Neha is well regarded by candidates for her strategic fitments, career / succession analysis and continued support.

Her industry experience in the Hospitality domain includes brands like Starwood (Pre-Opening), Imperial, Leela Hotels & Resorts (Pre-Opening), Hilton & Shangri-La. Neha is an English Honors Graduate from Delhi University & an MBA from IIBM (in collaboration with IPMS (UK)), with dual specialization in Human Resources & Marketing.

Food regulator FSSAI has set up a scientific panel to frame final regulations on fortification of foods and prepare strategies to address malnutrition problem.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already issued the draft guidelines on fortification for five food items- salt, milk, wheat flour, rice and edible oil, to boost production and consumption of fortified foods.

The draft rules were operationalised in October even as FSSAI sought comments from stakeholders before finalising the final regulations.

Fortification means deliberately adding or increasing the content of essential micro nutrients in food items to improve quality.

Standards have been set for fortification of salt with iodine and iron; of vegetable oil and milk with vitamin A and D; wheat flour and rice with iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin A and some other micro nutrients

"FSSAI has set up a new Scientific Panel on 'Food Fortification and Nutrition' to address issues related to fortification of food," the regulator said in a statement.

The panel has 11 experts and scientists -- Ambrish Mithal from Medanta; CS Pandav and R K Marwaha (Retd) from AIIMS; Anura Kurpad from St John s Medical College; Yogeshwar Shukla from CSIR - Indian Institute of Toxicilogy Research, HPS Sachdev from Sita Ram Bharatia Institute of Science and Research; KM Nair from NIN; P Ramachandran from Nutrition Foundation of India; Sumit Arora from NDRI; Sirimavo Nair from the MS University, Baroda, and Harsulkar from Bharati Vidyapeeth.

Members from Scientific Panels dealing with food fortifying vehicles such as wheat flour, refined flour, rice, milk, edible oil and salt will also be a part of this committee.

The Panel will identify critical nutritional gaps in the Indian diet in general as well as in specific target groups based on diet surveys and credible scientific evidence.

It will define strategies to address nutritional needs of the general population and vulnerable groups, besides reviewing the standards for all suitable food fortifying vehicles.

The panel will also address regulatory and related technological issues, review proposals from industry using modern risk assessment methods, and prescribe standard sampling and test methods for effective monitoring, surveillance and enforcement of the relevant regulations.

FSSAI had earlier brought out Draft Regulations for fortified food -- Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Food) Regulations, 2016 which were operationalised in October, 2016.

"Based on the comments received on the draft Regulations, the Panel will finalise the Regulations," FSSAI said.

Apart from framing standards, FSSAI has launched the Food Fortification Resource Centre (FFRC) to promote large-scale fortification of food across India.

An online portal of FFRC to facilitate food businesses and bring fortified foods into government programmes was launched in November.

With an effective regulatory mechanism along with the continuous support of all the stakeholders, FSSAI expects that the problem of malnutrition in general and micronutrient malnutrition in particular would be overcome soon.

FSSAI has also unveiled a Logo for fortified foods which may be used by food companies.

Ajay Kaul, Chief Executive Officer and whole time Director of Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd (JFL) has resigned from the his position, the company said in a BSE filing on Monday.

"Kaul has stepped down to evaluate and pursue opportunities outside the Jubilant Bhartia group," said the statement announcing Kaul’s resignation.

Kaul will continue in his current role till March 2017, the statement added. For the April-June quarter, Jubilant FoodWorks, the exclusive franchisee for Domino's and doughnut chain Dunkin' Donuts, announced a 3.2 per cent year-on-year drop in same-store sales growth (SSG) - the lowest SSG over the past seven quarters.

The company's operating profit was down 14 per cent, while net profit declined 31 per cent to Rs 19 crore in the June quarter.

"A constrained consumption environment had an effect on overall performance in the first quarter of 2016-17. Since then, new products have played an important role in driving sales. We hope the second quarter will see positive same store growth," JFL chairman Shyam Bhartia said in a statement announcing the first quarter earnings on September 3.

In a very interesting move, food hulk Nestle has appointed executive Ulf Mark Schneider as its new CEO and Healthcare Executive. With this move, the company is aiming to put its feet on the accelerator to outrun its counterparts.

According to the company, Schneider (50) will be replacing its current CEO Paul Bulcke and will take over the charge from 1 January, 2017. However, Bulcke has already been nominated to become the new chairman of the company.

In tapping Schneider for the post, Nestle bucked its near century-long track-record of picking in-house candidates as chief executives. The last time the company selected an outsider as chief executive was in 1922, when banker Louis Dappels was brought in to reverse financial losses. Nestle said Schneider's selection points towards a shift in the company's strategy.

The company is aiming for a paradigm shift from being associated with fattening food products to producers of high quality nutritious food. Nestle is riding high on Schneider and hopping that his expertise and experience will help the company to achieve its goal. Choosing Schneider, a German-US national who thrived as the head of the healthcare company Fresenius, was consistent with that strategy, the board said.

Sharing his views on the appointment, Philippe Bertschy , Analyst, Bank Vontobel said that Schneider will trigger a new era at Nestle.The new chief's plans may include a "radical" streamlining of the company's product portfolio, especially in traditional areas such as chocolate, while pursuing new opportunities in the health sector.

This year, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has set March 31 as the deadline for restaurants in Chennai to take effective steps to dispose of food waste.

During a recent meeting of stakeholders including hoteliers, resource persons and TNPCB and civic body officials, senior officials in the board instructed restaurant and hotel owners to set up a biogas plant for the purpose by the stated deadline.

An SPV would be formed for the same and technology would be provided by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.

“Initially, Teynampet zone will be taken up. There are 130 restaurants here and they generate 60 tonnes of food waste a day. We have set March 31 as the deadline and if steps are not taken, we will initiate action. The Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules have provisions regarding regulation of food waste for action,” said an official.

Based on the principle of ‘polluter pays,’ food waste should be collected and disposed of safely by hotels that were responsible for the waste, said the official, adding that hotel and restaurant owners would also have to bear the cost of transporting the waste. Hoteliers had been asked to install a biogas plant.

“If need be, the Chennai Corporation will provide space for the plant. We are awaiting a proposal from the TNPCB,” said a source in the civic body.

Food waste forms around 16 per cent of municipal solid waste and also leads to formation of landfill gas that can cause fires in landfills.

“Such waste too leads to formation of leachate,” said an expert.

BARC is already working on biogas plants that are capable of producing about 100 kilograms of organic manure and generate up to 100 units of electricity or methane gas equivalent to more than two domestic LPG cylinders from every tonne of bio-degradable waste.

Rocket Internet-backed Foodpanda is desperately searching for a buyer for its troubled India operations at a lowly price tag of $10-15 million, multiple sources familiar with the development, reported TNN.

The Samwer brothers-led Rocket Internet's interest in its Indian portfolio has been waning with most of its flagship firms, including FabFurnish and PrintVenue, being put on the block.

"Foodpanda has held talks with its competitors in India, who have been pitched with a sale value of $10-15 million," a source said.

Despite the low valuation, the food ordering platform has not found a buyer yet, signalling that it may decide to shut India operations soon.

"Both Zomato and Swiggy have been approached for a buyout, besides one larger horizontal company. But Rocket is yet to garner keen interest from possible suitors for Foodpanda," another source said.

When contacted, a spokesperson of Rocket Internet told, "We don't comment from Rocket's side to rumours about Foodpanda."

Last year, Foodpanda raised more than $300 million from the Berlin-based Samwer brothers and Goldman Sachs for its global business. That's when it invested heavily in the Indian market, becoming one of the largest players in the online food ordering segment. In order to ward off rivals Zomato and the likes of Swiggy and TinyOwl, Foodpanda acquired TastyKhana and Just Eat in India. But it has since been on a downhill slide.

Reports of an alleged fraud and systematic discrepancies in Foodpanda's operations emerged last year. The company then lay off 300 people as the overall food delivery market hit a rough patch.

Foodpanda India, which is run by Pisces eServices, reported a loss of Rs 36 crore in March 2015 over revenue of close to Rs 5 crore, according to data from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) at the ministry of corporate affairs. .

McDonald's Corp smashed analyst expectations for quarterly same-restaurant sales as the launch of all-day breakfasts proved a hit with diners in the United States and demand continued to recover in China, reported Reuters.

The performance adds fuel to McDonald's revival, after the chain had seen its US sales fall for two years up to the third quarter of 2015 following a series of missteps under former chief executive Don Thompson, who left the world's biggest restaurant chain last year.

"Once upon a time, under previous leadership, it seemed like McDonald's became a less nimble company where it took a really long time to roll out new products and innovations," said Morningstar analyst RJ Hottovy.

New Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook implemented a turnaround plan last year that involved making the menu simpler, improving service times and raising worker wages.

McDonald's also launched all-day breakfasts in October in the United States, a move aimed at countering increasing competition from chains such as Wendy's Co, Starbucks Corp and Burger King.

"All-day breakfast positions us to regain market share we had given up in recent years," Easterbrook said on a post-earnings conference call, adding it would take at least six more months of positive sales to cement a more sustained turnaround.

Sales at US outlets open at least 13 months rose 5.7 per cent in the quarter ended December 31 - the best quarterly growth in nearly four years and far ahead of forecasts of 2.7 per cent. Shares rose 3 per cent to a record of $121.90 on Monday.

In China, where McDonald's and rival Yum Brands Inc are still recovering from a July 2014 food safety scandal, same-store sales rose 4 per cent, the second straight quarter of growth after four quarters of falling sales.

Though, the growth was slower than the 26.8 per cent jump in the July-September quarter, when sales ticked up sharply against a steep drop in the same period in 2014 immediately following the food scare at key supplier OSI Group.

"It's back to par rather than getting ahead too much, but it's good for them to see stable sales," said Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based principal at China Market Research Group.

He added it would be tough for the firm to re-ignite the kind of rapid growth it enjoyed before 2012, as Chinese diners now had far greater choice and often looked for more healthy options.

Globally, McDonald's same-restaurant sales rose 5 per cent, above the 3.2 per cent expected by analysts polled by research firm Consensus Metrix. Fourth-quarter net income rose 9.9 per cent to $1.21 billion, or $1.31 per share, on revenue of $6.34 billion, handily beating analysts' estimates.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) India, in partnership with UK India Business Council (UKIBC), has brought together 15 companies involved in speciality and innovative products from the north of England, reported PTI.

UKTI Food and Drink Specialist and International Trade Adviser Chris Jewitt said "India is a growing market for UK businesses. Increasing globalisation, a large growing middle class and the growth of organised retail, have made the Indian market more accessible and attractive".

He further said, "While Indian consumers have shown a huge hunger for UK produce. This delegation is designed to showcase and increase awareness of specialities from a particular region of the UK and to give participating businesses the best possible opportunity to secure contracts and develop partnerships in India".

The majority of the companies are visiting as part of the UK government's Northern Powerhouse initiative.

The project was launched by the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, in 2014 with an aim to harness the economic power and energy of the region.

The region encompasses major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle with a strong food and drink heritage and manufacturing base, as well as some of the most famous and dynamic brands in the world, from sports clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool FC to MediaCity at Salford.

In Mumbai the delegation will attend Images Food and Grocery Forum India's (FGFI) conference and exhibition. At the conference the UK companies will meet Indian counterparts from the food and drink sector and explore avenues for collaborations and export.

They will also visit major Indian stores such as Godrej Nature's Basket and local convenience stores and liquor outlets. The delegation will then visit Bengaluru where the focus will be on ecommerce opportunities. They will visit the Bigbasket warehouse, India's leading online food and grocery company, and Amrut Distilleries. The delegation will also interact with representatives from Amazon and Flipkart.

The visit will enable both UK and Indian companies to understand and discuss future partnerships and tap into India's booming e-commerce industry, UKTI said.

RI Bureau

MeSoHappi, the fun diner, launched its 3rd outlet in Bandra Kurla Complex. The new outlet has an exciting bar, which will serve signature cocktails apart from domestic and imported liquor.

'Happi Hours' and various other exciting promotions are also slated to begin in the upcoming months. The diner will serve MeSoHappi signatures like Bunny Chow, Lamb Sliders, Caribbean Roti, Happi Rice Bowl and many more.

Aarathi Arambhan, Curator, MeSoHappi & The Captain’s Table, says, “The concept of MeSoHappi has been very successful and we have received immense appreciation for our food and ambiance”.

“Last year we launched a QSR outlet at Carter Road and we’ve decided to begin this year by launching a third branch In BKC, which will be the ideal destination for working professionals and residents. We also have a fabulous bar, which will serve alcohol every day. We look forward to MeSoHappi’s 3rd outlet being a big hit and hope to spread the HAPPI’ness”, added Arambhan.

The new 60 seater diner also houses an exciting bar serving interesting cocktails, domestic and imported spirits, wine and beer. The food menu features all the signature dishes like Bunny Chow, Pulled Lamb Sliders, Carribean Roti, Happi Rice Bowl etc. The new diner is also slated to begin ‘Happi Hours’ from Monday, 18th January from 6-9pm with some interesting promotion activities.

Bagrry's, breakfast cereal maker is eyeing Rs 400 crore turnover in five years as it plans to expand into a multi-product and multi brand company, reported PTI.

"We are looking at Rs 400 crore turnover in five years. We are focusing to become a multi-brand, multi product company in the food space, with health and wellness at the core of the products we offer," said Bagrry's India, Director, Aditya Bagri.

"Going forward, we will launch more brands and enter new product categories. At present we have two brands -- Bagrry's and Lawrence Mills," he said.

The company expects to clock Rs 100 crore turnover in the current fiscal year.

Elaborating on the plans, he said, "The company is looking at adding more products under Lawrence Mills brand. We are also aiming at doubling at distribution network to 1 lakh outlets in two years as against 50,000 at present across the country."

On whether the privately held company is looking at raising funds through an initial public offer (IPO), Bagri said, "We are looking at sustainable growth... We are exploring different capital structures. But there is no primary need for capital in the near future. We will only need it to grow faster. These things like listing (on stock exchanges) will be on cards as we scale up."

Currently,  Bagrry's India, exports its products to countries such as US, Canada, Nepal and Bhutan, is also talks to enter more overseas market.

"We are in talks to explore opportunities in other countries. However, our focus will also always be on domestic market," Bagri added.  

Food trucks are a Bengaluru phenomenon. For a city crazy about food, it is another stop for a treat. When the Food Truck and Music Festival were held in the city in December, it drew such an enormous crowd that the trucks ran out of food twice, reported ET.

"Once there was a customer from Pune who said he came here just to eat beef. We were baffled," says Leoma D'Souza, co-founder of the SWAT (Serving With A Twist) truck.

While the number of food trucks in the city grew from two in 2014 to 16 presently, at least eight more shut shop in the past six months alone.

Food truck owners believe in the-more-the-merrier principle. "Some places become recognisable food hotspots, so more people come," says D'Souza.

Food trucks do not have a legal provision to function (not just in Bengaluru but anywhere else in India). Many of them operate with a food industry licence that does not permit them to cook or sell on the road.

"There is a lacuna in the law," says Subham Kar Chaudhury, who started The Food Truck Association (TFTA) last year. They are working on a legal framework that will empower food trucks and eliminate the numerous uncertainties they face presently. "Invariably, it now runs on temporary agreements and bribing," says Rakesh Pathi, who runs Food Springs, a truck which serves Chinese cuisine in South Bengaluru.

The day the traffic police officer or the beat officer is transferred, their safety net is gone and they may be asked to move or even worse, their equipment and truck may be seized.

Recently, food trucks were banned from 27th Main in HSR Layout, once a haven for these kitchens-on wheels. In this business, it is crucial trucks are spotted in the same place every day. "If I move without notice, I might have lost my customer for good," says Rahul Nair, The Bite Club.

"We get bullied by local groups, sometimes auto rickshaw drivers, asking for a chanda," he says. Typically, operating on small margins and regularly harassed for their non-legality, most food trucks may move to catering for private parties and concerts.

Nevertheless, the TFTA is up for the task and is now in talks with the city's Urban Planning Committee to suggest solutions- Food trucks should be given a single-window licence and allowed to function in fixed areas. "People here love us. They have been chasing down the trucks. We only need to tackle the legal-side now," Das of Fuel Up, says.

FSSAI may do away with product approvals if the ingredients used have already been cleared or are deemed safe. The new rules are being prepared for product approvals after an earlier advisory, which put it at loggerheads with the industry, was quashed by the Supreme Court for not having legal standing, reported ET.

“We are in the process of formulating regulations for product approval process. We thought we could take this opportunity to review the procedure rather than just convert the advisory into regulation, “said a senior FSSAI officer.

The FSSAI’s proposed regulation may require product approval only if a new ingredient or additive is introduced, a practice followed in several developed nations. The regulator has uploaded a list of permitted food additives and food items in which they can be used and the recommended maximum level.

“The move to harmonise our system with the global one is a good idea & this proposal will go a long way in sorting some issues out. Any half-baked moves will only result in us being in the same mess as we currently are & it is imperative the authorities make complete changes & not piece meal as it will only result in us trying to fit a square into a triangle,” said Dev Lall, MD of Bakers Circle.

The product approval process was sought in through a May 2013 advisory brought in through a May 2013 advisory which had been challenged by the Maharashtra-based Vital Nutraceuticals and the Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association and deemed illegal by the Bombay High Court. The authority appealed in the Supreme Court, which questioned the legal standing of the process as it was an advisory rather than a regulation.

The food processing industry had alleged that the product approval system had paved the way for an ‘inspector raj’ and it also drew flak from food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who criticised the effects of regulatory overreach after the FSSAI imposed a nationwide ban on Nestle’s popular instant noodle brand, Maggi, in June.

While the FSSAI discontinued the process after the court’s ruling, it uploaded a circular on its website on August 26, which said the product approval process will be brought back as regulation. “Every endeavour will be made to expedite the regulations governing section 22 products,” the circular said.

Recently, the government appointed senior IAS officer Pawan Kumar Agarwal as the chief executive officer of the FSSAI in place of Yudhvir Singh Malik, who was behind the ban on Maggi.

Mirah Hospitality, with its flagship brand Khandani, has decided to foray deeper in Kolkata by partnering with Big Appetite Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

With this partnership, Mirah Group is planning to bring more joy, food and gastronomical experiences to Kolkata with the launch of Khandani Rajdhani.

“Khandani Rajdhani is our flagship brand, which has served millions of thalis over 5 decades. Our growth has been spurred by great love for our food, loyal patronage and increasing demand. After strengthening our presence here, we are foraying into many world cities soon, such Dubai and Singapore. We have a healthy presence all over India with over 30 units,” shared Gaurav Goenka, Managing Director – Mirah Hospitality.

Bringing to the city over 5 decades of heritage, Khandani Rajdhani will liven up Kolkata’s food scene with its astounding array of vegetarian food.

Spread over a sprawling 3,000 square feet space, Khandani Rajdhani can seat about 100 people in one go. Exciting inaugural offers are sure to entice one to savour their food.

Manajri Agarwal, Director, Big Appetite Hospitality Pvt. Ltd said, “Kolkata has always had a very vibrant food culture. With Khandani Rajdhani, we bring to the city authentic Rajasthani and Gujarati vegetarian fare. It’s popularly perceived that the people here love non-vegetarian dishes but that’s not entirely true. Vegetarian food is equally loved and I am sure that the people here will lap up Khandani Rajdhani’s amazing, traditional Indian food. We couldn’t have had better partners to foray into the hospitality sector, than Mirah Hospitality who are leaders in their own right.”

Hotels in Kerala have come out against a state government proposal to check eateries from charging high price for food items and have threatened to go on an agitation if it was not withdrawn, reported PTI.

Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association demanded the government to rollback the proposed Kerala Hotels (Food Price Regulation) Bill on checking exorbitant food prices at hotels.

The Association claimed provisions in the legislation were an infringement on freedom to do business and also violation of fundamental rights of a person.

It also claimed the state government was not providing any relief to hotel sector. The eateries produce food items by buying raw materials available in the open market.

It was condemnable to regulate price of food items in hotels instead of checking the spurt in prices of essential commodities in the market, said Moideen Haji, Association General Secretary.

The legislation was also an attempt to curb the rights of an individual to consume a food item of his or her choice, he said, adding, the association would launch an agitation if the bill was not withdrawn.

Recently, the state cabinet had approved the bill which provides for setting up an Authority to regulate food prices in all districts. All hotels and restaurants would have to register with the Authority.

Hotels would have to follow the price board approved by the authority, said the bill. There was also a provision to impose a fine of Rs 5,000 on offenders.

Hello Curry, food start-up announced its association with IRCTC online ticketing system for railways, to supply rail passengers with "wholesome healthy meal options" during their journey by placing orders on IRCTC website (www.ecatering.irctc.co.in).

"With Hello Curry selling Biryanis and parathas with our array of curry pots in our award-winning packaging, passengers now have access to complete Indian meals on the train", said Raju Bhupati Hello Curry Founder & CEO.

Hello Curry menu would be available for all the passengers boarding different trains at Secunderabad station.

Plans are going on to offer the Hello Curry menu for passengers from Delhi, Bengaluru, Vizag and Pune "very soon", said the home delivery brand.

There is good news for the chef fraternity as the Ministry of Culture recently received a proposal to include the art of cooking in the list of Padma awards.

“The Ministry of Culture recently received a proposal to include the art of cooking in the list of Padma awards. Cooking is an art. If there can be Padma awards in other fields of art like music, tabla, why not cooking? We studied the proposal and sent a recommendation to the MHA,” said Mahesh Sharma, Union MoS for Culture and Tourism, reported Indian Express.

The idea was floated by Sharma during a book launch he attended in Delhi a few months ago. Talking to the prominent chefs who attended the event, including Sanjeev Kapoor, Sharma apparently said Indian food and spices are popular across the world and that the art of cooking should be included in the Padma awards since that would open up business opportunities in the field.

Subsequently, a group of chefs and hoteliers, including Kapoor and Anil Bhandari, the chairperson of the organising committee of Chef Awards, sent Sharma a detailed proposal.

“Cooking has come a long way — from being looked down upon to being cherished as an art. This is perhaps the only art form that is consumed by all senses. Can a painting be consumed by all senses? Imagine eating a papad or wafers without enjoying the (crackling) sound,” Kapoor said.

Tarla Dalal is the only person from the field to have received a Padma award. “She got it the ‘others’ category. Cooking cannot be any other category. It is a separate category,” said Kapoor.

Given by the Home Ministry, the Padma awards — India’s highest civilian awards — “seek to recognise work of any distinction and are given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines, such as Art, Literature and Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil Service, Trade and Industry, etc”. It mandates that “there ought to be an element of public service in the achievements of the person to be selected”.

Boibanit, the Vadodara based food ordering marketplace, has raised $ 150K in an angel round of funding.

It was founded in April 2014 by Abhiudaya Parihar, Arunabh Parihar, Ram Manohar Rai, Rohit Gupta and Sudhir Prakash.

The start-up not only allows users to order food online from multiple restaurants but also acts as the delivery agent on behalf of those restaurants. The investment came from Varun Ahuja (R Kumar Textile Group) and Anubhav Verma (investment banker).

The start-up aims to utilise the new funding for technology up-gradation as well as to add more restaurants and locations. Earlier, it had raised seed funding from the promoters of the company.

“I used to visit Vadodara a lot, when I was working in Gujarat Refinery IOCL. There were times, especially when Dominoes refused to deliver over 3 kms a couple of times. Then we used to think why can’t there be someone who can deliver food of choice from restaurants in the city, located more than 5 Km from the Refinery Township. That’s how the idea of building Boibanit came to us” said Abhiudaya, Co-Founder & COO.

The order is received at Boibanit’s call centre and restaurants commitment on order & time is conveyed to the customer. Then the order is delivered through its nearest available delivery boy in the committed time. The software which is being used to manage the orders has been developed in-house and is in an evolving stage.

The firm is targeting 2 lakh deliveries by the end of this financial year. Currently, it operates in Vadodra, Indore, Surat, Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad & Ahmadabad and also planning to launch Bhopal this month. The start-up has tied up with 350 restaurants and claims to be adding three to four new restaurants to its network every week. It processes 250-300 deliveries during weekends.

This start-up also wants to be the best delivery service provider in the subcontinent and looking forward to explore collaboration with Chinese & European food delivery services.

iOrderFresh based at Delhi mobile-only food and grocery retailer has partnered with Natural Ice Cream to deliver ice cream products to the doorstep of customers in Delhi NCR.

Natural Ice Cream, which has over 12 outlets in India, is known for making artisan ice creams with fresh fruits, dry fruits, chocolates, milk and sugar which do not contain any preservatives, stabilizers or artificial colours.

This tie-up with iOrderFresh will help Natural Ice Cream tap new customers and also serve its existing customers better. "We strive to deliver premium quality fresh products to our customers and are pleased to partner with Natural Ice Cream, which is a great fit to our growing list of quality deliverables," said Nitin Sawhney, founder and CEO of iOrderFresh.

"While Natural Ice Cream has excelled at maintaining high standards with their fresh & delicious flavours for decades, iOrderFresh has developed expertise in managing complex supply chains for perishable food products to ensure quality and freshness for the end consumer."

In October 2014, Naturals entered the Delhi market, after tasting success in cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Indore and Jaipur. Currently, it operates three stores across Greater Kailash, Connaught Place and Rajouri Garden.

"We are very happy to partner with iOrderFresh for delivering our products across Delhi NCR. Their team has demonstrated a proven track-record of delivering high quality perishable food products and we hope to mutually benefit from this partnership," said Srinivas Kamath, director of Kamaths Ourtimes Icecreams, which owns the Natural brand.

iOrderFresh which is founded in 2014, offers an array of perishable food products including farm fresh fruits and vegetables, poultry, meats and fish, bakery, organic milk and handmade chocolates.

The start-up will soon be adding fresh flowers, dairy products, cold cuts, imported cheese and many other quality products on its platform. With no overnight inventories, these products are procured daily from vendors to ensure that only the freshest produce reaches the consumers.

Recently, Best Foodworks, an investment company led by Yes Bank MD Rana Kapoor's son-in-law Alkesh Tandon acquired a significant minority stake in iOrderFresh for Rs 6.4 crore.

TinyOwl, online food-ordering start-up has decided to lay off another 112 employee sits second round of staff cuts in two months as part of a restructuring aimed at reducing expenses, said cofounder and chief executive Harshvardhan Mandad.

TinyOwl lay off about 200 employees in September, many of them from its sales and delivery teams. The latest staff cuts will primarily be in sales teams in Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune, reported ET.

Several food start-ups, facing a slowing fundraising market are looking to cut expenses and focus on building sustainable businesses.

"It was a tough decision," said Mandad. "Going forward, our operations will have to be more tech-oriented because margins are thin in the food business as compared to other online marketplaces."

After the latest layoffs, TinyOwl expects its total employee count to drop from around 1,000 earlier this year to around 650.

The company said it is also piloting a new operational structure in Mumbai and Bengaluru, where it is making processing of orders and delivery more automatic.

Matrix Partners India and Sequoia Capital, existing investors recently pumped in Rs 50 crore in TinyOwl as it works on streamlining operations.

The company in February raised Rs 100 crore in a funding round led by Matrix Partners, with Sequoia Capital and Nexus Venture Partners participating.

The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) would be hosting the 11th International Food Data Conference (IFDC) on 3rd November 2015. This is the first time that IFDC is to be held in India, NIN said.

The conference would be inaugurated by Dr Sowmya Swaminathan, Secretary, Department of Health Research, Union Government and Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Ruth Charrondierre. Coordinator INFOODS, would be among those present, reported PTI.

The subject of this conference is 'Food Composition and Public Health Nutrition'. Over 350 delegates from more than 50 countries are taking part in the technical sessions, poster presentations, plenary sessions and discussions during the meet.

"The need for high quality food composition data which gives not only the nutrient and non-nutrient factors but also the contaminants in foods is being increasingly recognised worldwide”.

"Food composition also forms part of the evidence in support of initiatives on nutrition and biodiversity. The 11th IFDC will explore the scientific importance of food composition in various realms of public health nutrition drawing on the connection between what we consume and how we live", said T Longvah, Director Incharge, NIN and the Convener of the Conference.

Mumbai cake bakers and cake lovers had a time of their lives on 16th, 17th and 18th October for India Cake Fest, a one of its kind event celebrating the love of cake.

The three-day event included competitions, workshops, conferences, cake carnival and other exciting activities for kids and adults.

Adding more to the objective, Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar said, "The whole baking and confectionary sphere in India has come of age with the intervention of technology and the home bakers. It's about time that we had a property that brings cakes and us closer together. And India cake fest did exactly that."

The event was conceptualised and organised by Enquo Experiential Communications, in association with Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management .

The baking competition held on 16th and 17th October at Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management, Bandra, divided into two categories - home bakers and students.

The winners of the competition have won it big with holiday packages from Club Mahindra, gym memberships by Living Foodz channel who were also the event title sponsor, microwaves from e-zone, exclusive professional baking classes by CakeSmiths, gift hampers from Chocolate Partner Morde and Ingredients Partner Tropolite.

The competition was adjudicated by the best national and international chefs from the industry, who judged the sweet delights on the parameters of texture, innovation and taste.

Excited about the event, B. P. Sahni, Principal, Sheila Raheja of Hotel Management, said, "Making a cake is definitely not a piece of cake. It is a skilful combination of the science of baking and the art of icing."

The Cake Carnival was held on 18th October at Phoenix Market City, Kurla who were the Venue Partner for the festival.

Chef Anil Rohira  quotes, "It was great to see students, home bakers, professionals, chefs, enthusiasts and kids getting together for this extravaganza. It is an opportunity for budding bakers to showcase their skills and indulge at India Cake Fest."

Kerala government has dismissed claims that beef curry was served at Kerala Bhawan in Delhi and said that a complaint has been lodged over entry of activists without permission following the episode yesterday involving a call to police complaining about cow meat on the canteen menu.

Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson categorically denied that cow meat was served at Kerala Bhawan and said they will wait for "police action" in the wake of their complaint over the incident, reported PTI.

"I totally deny that cow meat was served here (canteen of Kerala House). Only buffalo meat is served," shared Thomson.

However, Kerala Bhawan has temporarily taken buffalo meat off its menu.

Noting that the Resident Commissioner of Kerala House has lodged a police complaint, Thomson further said, "we will wait for police action".

"I was told that some persons gate-crashed into Kerala House yesterday, the police had also entered. The resident commissioner has made a complaint to the DCP over their (gate- crashers') entry. We will wait for the police's action now," he added.

A PCR call complaining about beef curry being served at Kerala House near Jantar Mantar here had thrown police into a tizzy yesterday.

Police said that a team had to be sent there to avert any "untoward incident" after the call complaining about beef on the menu was received by police control room at around 4.15 PM yesterday. The caller had claimed to be from a fringe right- wing group.

"The policemen took no chance and the input was immediately passed on to Parliament Street police station, from where a team was sent to Kerala House to deal with any potential violence," a police official had said.

The team remained deployed there for several hours and spoke with the officials posted there. They also informed them about the PCR call and assured them that "things were under control" before leaving Kerala Bhawan.

Pot Pourri, the Mumbai based restaurant is celebrating its 6th anniversary with much gusto on October 26th.

On its anniversary the restaurant chain will offer its customer a flat 50 per cent ease on their entire food bill with super affordablehappy hour prices on all alcohol to match.

The heart-felt affair with great food continues, albeit in a brighter, more polished, catchy, peppy and bright Pot Pourri avatar with a brand new menu and a great nouveau look and feel.

With influences and signature dishes from India, Spain, Americas, Italy and Japan Pots (as it is fondly called by many) is the destination restaurant of repute for fresh, trendy and delicious world-meal meal options and great bakes with delicious showcases of global street food, World Pizzas, Sharing Platter and a wide array of drink options for the entire family.

Dig into appetizers such as chilli potato bravas, aubergine pamisiana pocket fritters, 3 types of chicken wings (with sauces inspired from different continents), an American-cum-german version of Bangers and Mash and a selection of satays, sliders and other cheesy goodies! For those who love to share, try the chicken, fish or beef sharing platters fit for a king and his three henchmen or the wide variety of pizzas and sizzlers.

From a modest 6 cover road-side restaurant in Bandra to a 120 cover landmark ‘World Cuisine’ Drink and Eatery, Pot Pourri’s culinary history is rich with accolades and memories from across the maximum city.

Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd's filled the orderbook for its up to 11.5 billion rupees ($177.05 million) initial public offering as of early afternoon, hours before the close of book building later on Friday, reported Reuters.

The IPO from the operator of Cafe Coffee Day, India's biggest domestic coffee chain, would be the country's biggest listing since Bharti Infratel Ltd's $751 million IPO in December 2012.

Coffee Day Enterprises' IPO had received bids for 27.4 million shares, more than the 25.8 million shares on offer as of 1340 (0810 GMT), according to data from the exchanges.

A source had earlier confirmed to Reuters the IPO's book was filled.  

Indian Culinary Forum as a part of the celebration of International Chef Day will organize the 12th edition of Annual Chef Awards 2015 on October 23rd , in association with the apex body- Indian Federation of Culinary Associations & World Association of Chef Societies. The award ceremony will be held at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi.

The event  will be  categorized in three formats- ‘Trade Test’, ‘Chef Summit’ & the grand finale ‘Chef Awards 2015’.

As a prelude to the Awards, ICF will organize trade tests for professional chefs in various categories in Banarasidass Chandiwala Institute of  Hotel Management from 16th to 20th October, where the chefs from different hotels will compete with each other under 11 categories.

WACS'  (World Association of Chefs Societies) certified chefs will judge & decide the winners of Chef Awards. Chef Summit is an educational workshop for young chefs where the renowned speakers from the industry will share their knowledge with youngsters on different issues.

Malaysian Chef, Lee Chan Wai will be the Chairperson of the Hon'ble Jury along with renowned national & international chefs. Annual Chef Awards 2015 will be supported and attended by renowned names from the hospitality fraternity. The grand Award ceremony of Chef Awards would include various categories such as Lifetime Achievement Awards, Golden Hat Award, Silver Hat Award, Lady Chef of the year Award and much more.

Chef Davinder Kumar, President Indian Culinary Forum, says "The evolution & concept of this Chef Awards is to recognize honour and promote among the fraternity of Chefs and encourage youngsters to join the industry. On this joyous occasion of the International Chefs Day I would like to assure our members, corporate members and associates that ICF will constantly thrive to bring our fraternity closer and continue our commitment to encourage the betterment of the culinary profession, through improved education, related industry events and collaboratively setting new benchmarks in the hospitality industry.”  Chef Vivek Saggar, General Secretary, of Indian Culinary Forum, says, Chef Awards have been marked as a special occasion to accredit a chef as an artist. The idea is to create awareness for the profession of chefs who have renowned name in hospitality sector and have set remarkable standards in the art of cooking.”

On Friday, the government said it has found residues of unapproved pesticides in vegetables, fruits, milk and other food items collected from various retail and wholesale outlets across the country.

According to a report released by the Agriculture Ministry, over 20 thousand samples had been collected and residues of pesticides were detected in 18.7 percent of the samples, while residues above Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) were found in 2.6 percent of samples and 12.5 per cent of samples revealed residues of non-approved pesticides. The MRL is being prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

“Out of the 20,618 samples analysed, residues of non-approved pesticides were detected in 12.5% of the samples,” the ministry said.

“The items collected from organic outlets were also found to be having residues of pesticides,” the report added. The report also said that most regularly detected pesticides, which exceeded FSSAI MRL, were chlorpyrifos, ethion, acetamiprid, dichlorvos and cypermethrin.

The residues of non-approved pesticides detected in 1,180 vegetable samples, were mainly acephate, bifenthrin, acetamiprid, triazofos, metalaxyl and malathion.

The samples were collected from across the country as a part of the central scheme ‘Monitoring of Pesticide Residues’ launched in 2005.

To ensure quality and purity of seed spices such as cumin and coriander, exported in large quantities from Gujarat, Spices Board has decided to set up a testing laboratory at Kandla port in Kutch. The announcement was made by Spices Board chairman Dr A Jayathilak, reported by PTI.

"To meet the global standards of seed spices being exported from Gujarat, the board has decided to set up a testing lab at Kandla port at a cost of Rs 15 crore. Six such laboratories are already functioning across the country, including at Mumbai, Cochin, Delhi and Chennai," Jayathilak said.

Gujarat is a leading state in producing and exporting seed spices such as cumin, coriander, fennel and fenugreek, according to him. However, quality of these spices remains a major cause of concern.

"Quality of Indian spices is a key issue for us. In 2014, sixteen consignments of our spices were returned by Europe for sub-standard quality. That number was 180 in 2011. In my opinion, if our exporters maintain quality, then we can easily capture 100 per cent of world's market" claimed Jayathilak.

As per the facts provided by the Board, out of the total production of spices in India last year, 15 per cent is exported, which accounts for 48 per cent in volume and 43 per cent in value of the world spice market.

In cumin production and exports, Unjha spices market in north Gujarat holds monopoly in India.

Bhaskar Shah, Vice Chairman of Spices Board said that cumin from Unjha caters to 90 per cent of world's total consumption, whereas the second spot goes to Syria, which produces cumin only for exports.

"In 2013-14, cumin export from India (Unjha) was around 50,000 tonnes, which suddenly shot up to 1.5 lakh tonnes last year. It was mainly because Syria failed to export due to the ISIS crisis. Now, to maintain that lead, Indian exporters have to work hard on quality," said Shah.

He further added, "I have to admit that Indian exporters are not very keen to maintain quality. Thus, it is possible that Syria may bounce back and snatch that market from us as Syrian spices are way ahead of us in terms of quality. Thus, it is high time for Indian exporters to focus on quality."

Officials of the Spices Board, announced the 13th World Spice Congress to be held in Ahmedabad from February 27-29 next year. "Gujarat has been selected for the first time to hold such event, where more than 400 national and international delegates are expected to take part," Jayathilak said.

TV Mohandas Pai, former Infosys Director has invested in Licious, the food tech start-up that delivers fresh meat to the homes of consumers.

Pai made the investment along with Kanwaljit Singh, founder of Fireside Ventures and former Senior Managing Director of venture capital firm Helion.

The company said that it has brought together all stages of fresh meat procurement, processing and delivery under one roof with high standards of quality.

“The team understands the delight of their customers with consistent high quality experiences are the ones that make a real impact,” said Pai.

“We sincerely hope to forever change the consumer landscape in the fresh meat space as we go about redefining the standards of quality across the value chain”, said 28-year-old Abhay Hanjura owner of Licious.

Licious owns and operates a fully automated meat processing unit at Hennur in Bengaluru with delivery hubs in localities such as Marathahalli and Kammanahalli.

The company plans to open a total of about 10 hubs in phases to cover the rest of the city.

The company also says that the meat products were sourced after stringent internal quality checks. It uses patented, vacuum sealed and temperature controlled containers to deliver items such as chicken, lamb and sea food. It promises to deliver meat products in about 90 minutes.

Mobile marketplace DishCo, which allows users to book restaurant tables and discover signature dishes, has secured an undisclosed amount in angel funding from Mahindra Group’s Anand Mahindra, Punj Lloyd’s Uday Punj, Bookmyshow’s Ashish Hemrajani and Goldman Sach’s Sanjeev Mehra.

The development was first reported by The Economic Times quoting Jimmy Shaw, founder of Food Marshal Tech Services Pvt Ltd, which owns DishCo.

A spokesperson for DishCo did not revert on a Techcircle.in query for more details till the time of filing this news report.

"At present, companies allow consumers to review restaurants or their menu without understanding the nuances of hospitality industry, which can hurt reputation. We will instead let consumers find and rank dishes without any reviews and offer a host of services such as coupons, deliveries, wallet time and in-line feedback,"

Shaw told The Economic Times. Shaw also runs Shaw-Man Software, which provides technology services to hospitality brands such as Taj, Indigo, Blue Foods and others.

DishCo allows restaurants to list their signature dishes on its platform and enables users to rank those dishes according to their preferences. It also gives out location-specific deals and coupons from restaurants for users. In addition, the startup provides instant table booking facility at restaurants.

DishCo presently operates in Mumbai, Pune, and Goa. It will soon expand into Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Over 8,500 restaurants are listed on DishCo’s app.

Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, has made a few angel investments in the past, predominantly in the media & entertainment space.

Recenty, he put money in Epic Television Network, promoted by Mahesh Samat, who was head of Walt Disney India till last year. Mahindra has also invested in film production company Cinestaan.

The food-tech space has become a preferred bastion for VC investments. Startups in this space either offer an ordering platform from restaurants or run their own kitchens/cafes. Some serve ready-to-cook or ready-to-serve meal boxes.

Restaurant listings and food delivery firm Zomato, which recently ventured into table bookings, raised $60 million in a fresh round of funding from Singapore government’s investment company Temasek and existing investor Vy Capital. With this, Zomato has entered the club of ‘Unicorns’, a tag meant for startups that are valued at over $1 billion.

Earlier this month, Holachef Hospitality Pvt Ltd, which runs an online marketplace where professionals and amateur chefs can sell meals, secured an undisclosed amount in funding from Tata Sons’ chairman emeritus Ratan Tata.

Also, Bangalore-based Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd, which owns and operates online food ordering startup Swiggy.com, has raised Series B funding of $16.5 million (around Rs 102 crore) in a round led by Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) for expanding its geographical footprint and brand building.

Delhi-NCR-based Bite Club raised Rs 3 crore from Powai Lake Ventures and angels such as Aneesh Reddy of Capillary Technologies, Ashish Kashyap of Goibibo Group and Alok Mittal of Canaan Partners. In February, food technology and delivery start-up yumist raised about Rs 6.2 crore from venture capital firm Orios Venture Partners.

TinyOwl raised Rs 100 crore in its Series B round from Matrix Partners, Sequoia Capital and Nexus Venture Partners, while Foodpanda raised $110 million for its global plans.

By Nusra

Sarah Todd, Masterchef Australia 2014 contestant is opening the first modern Australian restaurant in Goa in partnership with Ashish Kapur, Owner, Yo! China and Dimsum Bros.

Named as Antares after the brightest star in the constellation Scorpio, which, incidentally, is Sarah’s sun sign, the restaurant is a 400-seater restaurant located at Vagator Beach.

“Goa has ceased to be a six-month market, thanks to tourists from Delhi and Mumbai who go there throughout the year,” shared Kapur who is looking for a year round response and crowd at the restaurant.

Sarah who got famous on thh show for cooking Indian food is married to UK-born Indian Devinder Garcha.

“The interest in India began earlier still.  When I was in Masterchef, I started getting a huge following from India. I think I got 40,000 followers (on Facebook) within 6 weeks. I thought I have to come here and see what I feel about India, whether I like it or not,” added Sarah who is in love with the shores here and hence choose to open the restaurant in Goa rather than Delhi and Mumbai which has high footfall throughout the year.

Twyst.in, the Gurgaon based restaurant and F&B customer engagement startup has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from group of investors.

The platform which has tied up with 300+ F&B brands across Delhi-NCR, claims to have 150k users and targeting to cross Rs 50 crore GMV by end of 2015.

The investors include Rohit Bhatia, ex-CEO, Dhingana; Sunil Nikhar, CEO, Digilant Solutions; Vaibhav Domkundwar, Founder & CEO, Better; Siddharth Nautiyal (formerly with Bessemer Ventures), and others.

According to the release, the company will use new funding to consolidate its position and expand the offering beyond a customer engagement platform.

Started by Abhimanyu Lal (ex eBay marketing head), Rahul Chakraborti (ex Head Business Operations India & SEA, Yahoo) and Arun Rajappa (Principal Program Manager, Microsoft) in 2013, the company’s platform allows restaurateurs to create marketing programs to improve customer loyalty.

The opportunity also gives personalized and relevant recommendations about outlets and rewards to users at frequently visited F&B outlets.

Royal Caribbean International and DreamWorks Animation has partnered together to start first Kung Fu Panda Noodle Shop, a new family style eatery on board Quantum of the Seas and the first-ever DreamWorks Animation Kung Fu Panda themed restaurant on land or at sea.

The customers will be able to give their taste buds a “Kung Fu” kick with the bold flavors of dim sum delights, savory noodle bowls and traditional Chinese desserts alongside Po and the cast of colorful characters from the DreamWorks Animation film Kung Fu Panda.

"With the first-ever Kung Fu Panda-themed restaurant on the Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International has raised the bar yet again for the cruising industry and also for the global food and dining space. The innovation in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation is a clear demonstration of the cruise brand’s commitment to offering the most enthralling and novel experiences to guests. The popular characters of Kung Fu Panda and the deliciously indulgent Chinese menu of the restaurant are sure to give further impetus to travellers to explore the unrivalled on-board attractions of this stellar vesse,” shared Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive of TIRUN Travel Marketing.

Following a 53-night global odyssey from New York to Shanghai, Quantum of the Seas set sail for the first time from her new homeport of Shanghai, China on June 25, 2015.

She will sail three- to eight- night itineraries year-round from Shanghai to Japan and Korea.

The newest addition on board, the Kung Fu Panda Noodle Shop will entice guests to indulge in four-piece dim sum, noodle bowls, such as Taiwanese spicy beef noodles, and desserts including sesame balls and custard tart.

Guests also can strike a pose with Po and the Furious Five for a keepsake picture sure to reveal their inner Dragon Warrior. Menu items are priced a la carte, ranging from $2 to $5.

The DreamWorks Experience, available only on Royal Caribbean, allows guests to get up close and personal with their favorite feature-film characters such as Shrek, Fiona and Puss In Boots of Shrek; Alex the Lion and the Penguins of Madagascar; Po of Kung Fu Panda; and Hiccup of How to Train Your Dragon.

Food Jockeys, the Pune based company is planning to bring five-six new restaurant clubs over the next two years.

The group which started Classic Rock Coffee outlet last year is bullish to expand its presence pan-India with targeting at an investment of Rs 20-25 crore.

Four Cocoberry Frozen Yogurt stores in Pune also runs by Food Jockeys, is the master franchisor for Classic Rock Coffee in India.

“We are the master franchisee for the Classic Rock Coffee brand. While two new outlets will be launched by the end of this financial year, four will come up by the end of FY’17,” shared Avinash Agarwal, MD, Food Jockeys.

The latest outlets to be launched will be in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa, Jammu and Chennai.

The new club has added 14 flavors of coffee, a full-fledged bar and a variegated food menu to suit the Indian palette.

Agarwal, hailing from an automobile components manufacturing business family, is targeting a turnover of INR 15 crore in FY’16 from the Pune outlet.

“We are seeing good footfalls both from get-togethers by families and friends to corporate meetings and parties,” added Agarwal.  

McDonalds are famous for its speedy queues, drive-thrus and fast food in paper cartons but now it going to offer British customers table service for the first time.

Shortly a server will ask who types customers' orders into an iPad at their table "Would you like fries with that?"

The fast food giant is testing the service at 12 branches across the UK beginning with Mottram, Greater Manchester. And if it get successful, table service will be rolled out nationally, though there will still be an option to order at the till.

The company says, it hopes that this service will provide customers with a more relaxed modern dining experience.

This table service is already in place in branches in France, Germany and Australia.

McDonald’s spokesman says that they have listened to customer feedback and to meet their evolving expectations and are significantly investing in restaurants to create this exciting new environment and improve the customer experience.

They are also testing some new concepts such as table service, whereby customers place their order via new digital kiosks and then their food will brought to them.

Nando’s, the South Africa based international chain of casual dining restaurants serving Afro Portuguese cuisine hosted National Grillers’ Challenge 2015 at Nando’s restaurant in Cyber hub, Gurgaon.

Grillers’ Challenge is an annual event which is one of the most engaging internal events of Nando’s to motivate and appreciates the grillers.

After a challenging competition between the top grillers from Nando’s New Delhi, Chennai, Punjab and Bangalore, the National Challenge was won by Mahesh Chand from Bangalore.

He will now be going to Vancouver, Canada to represent India in the International Grillers’ Challenge.

“It’s the Grillers who make the chicken that we are so proud of! Grillers’ Challenge is the time to celebrate the Grillers. We wish to make the India National Grillers’ Challenge the most unforgettable experience for our Grillers. So we’ve taken care to ensure that each touch point in their journey of the National Challenge from start to finish is truly memorable!” said, Sumeet Yadav, CEO, Nando’s India. Nando’s Grillers or ‘Nandocas’ battled it out in the Regional Grillers’ Challenge in the first week of July.

The winners were flown to New Delhi for the National Challenge along with the Patraos of their respective restaurants. The competition saw four finalists take to the grill, cooking a whole, fresh chicken to perfection before serving it to a panel of guest judges, including food connoisseur - Osama Jalali; eminent F&B writer and blogger - Rupali Dean; celebrated Chef - Shailendra; MD of MJ Logistics (Logistics Partner of Nando’s) - Anil Arora and Sr. Director, Deloitte, Rahul Vig and a huge Nando’s lover.

The judges were asked to rate the chicken on the basis of browning of skin, grill marks, cutting of the chicken, basting, tenderness, juiciness and overall brand fitness. Nandocas will also be treated to a fantastic array of events while in Vancouver including a special gala dinner and a fun-filled tour of the cultural city.

US-based Pizza chain Sbarro plans almost three-fold increase in its store count to 50 in the country in two years through multiple business models. 

Expressing views on the expansion,Akhil Puri,CEO of oti International Foods said:"We plan to have 50 outlets in two years. We will expand our presence in the country through multiple business models."

At present, there are 17 Sbarro outlets in the country. 

Sbarro has three franchise partners in India -- Jyoti International Foods (JIFPL), which runs outlets in the North and East India, Upper Crust Foods in Maharashtra and White Planet in South India. 

Puri said that they are looking at setting up smaller kiosk like outlets called 'Pizza By Slice' in high footfall areas such as malls, tech parks and metro stations. 

Under pizza-by-slice concept, customers can order only a piece of pizza and not a full sized one. 

Other formats that the company will use in the country are flagship stores and delivery outlets. Besides,Sbarro has over 800 outlets in 33 countries.

Pot Pourri is all set to wow Mumbai with with an all new marked gourmet twist to Indian street food as part of its new launched 'Glocal' menu, now served hot and fresh at In-Orbit Mall Vashi.

Served in signature Pot Pourri style, pair these 'Glocally twisted' popular Indian street favourites with signature cocktails and happy hours to match.

The customers can taste Pots special pani puri with a texmex twist, Kheema Pav Sliders with onion salad and mint chutney, Baby potato tossed Aloo / Chicken vindaloo, Street style deep fried Chicken 65 and Paneer 65, South Indian styled Chargrilled Kaleji skewer with onion salad, Mint mayo Butter Garlic Prawns with toasted pav, Katsu fried Bombay Duck with chutney mayo, Beer battered cottage cheese amongst many others!

"This is our take on Local food that we are presenting in our signature pot pourri style, loved by our patrons over the last 6 years. We've chosen dishes from the varied food-scape of our country and dishes that really go well with our selection of cocktails and varieties of liquor' said Pradeep Nair, Partner, Pot Pourri.

From a modest 6 cover road-side restaurant in Bandra to a 120 cover landmark ‘World Cuisine’ Drink and Eatery, Pot Pourri’s culinary history is rich with accolades and memories from across the maximum city.

Having opened over 10 years ago, Pots (as it is fondly called by many) was the destination restaurant of repute for European and Italian cuisine in the western suburbs that introduced Mumbai to fresh, trendy and delicious world-meal meal options, besides serving great bakes.  

By Nusra

Mast Kalandar, the Bengaluru based restaurant which serves authentic north Indian food, may raise another round of funding in next six months.

The restaurant chain which has already raised four rounds of funding from various investors including Helion Venture Partners, Footprint Ventures amongst others.

Known for serving fresh vegetarian north Indian delicacies, the chain is now present across cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune.

“Within next six month we may look in to raise another round of funding as we are actively looking at expanding our cities to other cities,” shared Gaurav Jain, Co-Founder, Mast Kalandar.

The restaurant chain is looking to enter cities like Delhi-NCR and Mumbai by next year.

“We are also looking at some interesting cities in South India including Coimbatore, Kochi, Mysore, Vishakhapatnam, Surat, Ahmedabad and Indore in central, Lucknow, Dehradun, Chandigarh and Ludhiana in North India, Nagpur in the West and Kolkata in the East,” added Jain.

Started in 2005 by wife-husband duo, Gaurav and Pallavi Gupta, the chain has recently launched its MK Dabbawala app migrating from its website.