Prego Prepares An Italian Feast Curated By Vir Sanghvi At The Westin Mumbai Garden City

Hauz Khas in Delhi has got a new address for customers to try Italian cuisine, ‘Trattoria Hugo’.

Hugo is the story of two cousins, Prateek and Rachit, a story that travels through the cobblestone streets in the interiors of the Italian countryside, a place the brothers would visit for business other than ‘food’ but they always found themselves unwinding over a spectacular culinary adventure at every trip they made. 

Hugo as a concept took shape in October 2023 and has come to fruition in April 2024. A chef centric space that aspires to be dynamic in a way that allows the kitchen to be in a constant state of creation and development of new dishes. 

The menu has been designed exclusively by the partners, Prateek and Rachit along with the in-house chefs at Hugo. The brand showcases classics done like an Italian Nonna, Chicken Parmigiana, Meatballs in Bisque and the eternally decadent Brioche Bun Lobster Rolls & Fried Chicken Rolls. The most unique selling point here lies in the synergy of good coffee, good food, good prices, all in one gorgeous bistro.

South Asia's largest hospitality company, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL)  signed an agreement with Ristorante Paper Moon S.R.L, to launch the globally acclaimed Italian cuisine restaurant, Paper Moon, at its marquee hotels across key locations.

"In our endeavor to bring the latest international trends and experiences for our guests, we are privileged to join hands with Ristorante Paper Moon S.R.L for an exclusive partnership. IHCL will be opening five Paper Moon restaurants over the next few years. I am delighted that after Milan, Istanbul, Manila, Doha and Hong Kong, the first Paper Moon in India will open at Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Goa," said Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL.

The first Paper Moon was opened in Milan's fashion district in 1977. It offers a wide selection of Italian cuisine in a vibrant contemporary atmosphere allowing guests to enjoy mouthwatering meals. Its seasonal menu is curated with the finest quality ingredients that takes care of everybody’s palates.

Paper Moon in Goa is warm, clean and simple. It is bestowed with comfortable furniture and good lighting that adds to the overall ambience. The restaurant will be offering authentic Paper Moon flavours. Not just this, widest selection of the finest wines will also be available.

Commenting on this partnership, Claudio Bertoni and Stefania Galligani, Owners, Ristorante Paper Moon S.R.L said, "We are incredibly proud to partner with IHCL, an iconic hospitality company, on a project that will take our family brand to amazing destinations. Paper Moon created an authentic culinary experience, which guests from all over the world understand and love. We look forward to offering new experiences to guests."

Paper Moon will be first launched at Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, India's first luxury beach resort that is spread over 42 acres. Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa is built as per 16th century Portuguese fortress. The quintessential Goa with rice paddies, spice plantations, and the striking blend of Goan and Portuguese culture, offers a unique taste of India. All those who are Italian food lovers, come visit this restaurant.

Choosing Chef Ranveer Brar to be Barilla’s partner in India was not by chance for the No.1 pasta brand in the world and a world leader of ready-to-use sauces. Being recognised worldwide as a symbol of quality and tradition with credibility, among the Italians and all pasta lovers, it was clear to Barilla indisputably that Chef Ranveer mirrors the same principles in India.

With his sheer talent and charisma, Chef Ranveer is sure to bridge the food gap between India and Italy, two countries with an amazing food culture.

Chef Ranveer’s association with Barilla comes with a view to strengthen the pasta culture in India and share precious tips for cooking up perfect pasta meals. He aims to co-promote the notion: Italian gastronomy, the power of emotional moments, happiness and celebration around the table, which is the core belief of Barilla, a family now in its fourth generation and one that stands for supreme quality and innovation standards since 1877.

Chef Ranveer Brar said, “Italian food has always been extremely close to my heart, right from the time when I trained under Antonio Carluccio, to open the Italian restaurant ‘Il Camino’ in Goa. Barilla has always been the gold standard when it comes to Italian ingredients. I’m extremely happy to work with Barilla in making the goodness of pasta reach every Indian household.”

Mysuru-based Frosting, specializing in baked goodies and Italian food, is bringing “Indian Fusion Food”, its brand-new array of Indian cuisine and delicacies, with an international twist.

“Indian Fusion Food” will be featuring a plethora of unique food pairings, wherein, some of the best Indian flavours and delicacies will be provided with an unexpected international twist. It will consist of Chicken Frankie Roll, Fenugreek Paneer, Golgappa Shots, Canapes Chaat and Ricotta Rasmalai.

Aparna Ranga, Founder of Frosting, said, “The kitchen Frosting is a powerhouse of ideas, for new and interesting cuisines, dishes and delicacies. Over the course of time, we have looked to convert these ideas into reality, in order to give our visitors an experience to remember.”

In a bid to offer one with the ideal dining experience, Frosting in Mysuru looks to combine, a great ambience, along with finger-licking good food, and great music.

Italian confectionery major and premium chocolate maker, Ferrero Will invest additional Rs 500 crore to take its total investment to Rs 2,000 crore in India to further its production facility and distribution network, a senior company official said.

"India is an important market because the potential is very big. Today, it is relatively small but the idea is that India would grow many folds. The ambitions are big. The idea is to multiply our turnover of today and it would take some time," Ferrero India Managing Director Stefano Pelle.

The company is now planning to enter into tier II and III cities by doubling its distribution network over the next 2-3 years.

brands like Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, Tic Tac and Nutella operated by Ferrero is considering to get into the affordable segment in the sugar confectionery with value-based offerings and small SKUs (stock keeping units) in chocolate side.

Once, Ferrero has right kind of portfolio and have right through the market, then definitely India would be among its "three biggest priority market for us," Pelle added.

About the investment, Pelle said, "There are plans to increase it. Now we have invested already more than Rs 1,500 crore but we have plans to cross easily Rs 2,000 crore in some time to come. It could also be more depending opportunity in the market. Certainly, the group is very clear that India is a priority."

Moreover, the premium chocolate maker is also aiming the mass market by having some affordable products in its offerings.

On being asked about the strategy, Pelle said affordable "packaging would be a part of it".

Ferrero is also expanding its distribution network and plans to be available in top 100 cities soon. "One of the ambition which we have, is to double our distribution in next 2-3 years," Pelle added.

The company has a plant in Baramati catering partly to the domestic market and rest is for markets of South Asia, South East Asia and Middle East.

With a motto to deliver high quality and mouth savoring healthy pizzas, Green House & Hestoft Foods Pvt. Ltd., is looking at an aggressive plan to penetrate its Slice of Italy brand in 2016-17.

One of the leading brand in Italian food as well as Italian signature cakes, has announced its plans to open 10 outlets in and around Delhi-NCR (Saket, Greater Kailash, Gurugram & Noida) and tier II cities, which includes Chandigarh, Shimla, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Dehradun, Amritsar and Jaipur.

“We will be reinforcing our distinctive niche in the segment with our expansion plans. We are looking at adding 10 more outlets in this fiscal year, taking the total count to 25 outlets. We are also planning to launch an interactive and user friendly App for customers in the near future for order bookings, safe & secure transactions and quickest deliveries. We are happy with the continuous growth and getting excellent response from our customers so far,” shared Tarun Chaudhary, Managing Director, Slice of Italy.

“Our next destinations include regions such as Chandigarh, Shimla, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Dehradun, Amritsar, Jaipur, along with Delhi and NCR (Saket, Greater Kailash, Gurugram & Noida). We believe our commitment to provide quality, excellence in services, an obsession for Pizza, dedicated customer service will make our brand successful in the competitive multinational food service industry,” he added.

The brand has in-house Business Development Team, which guides the franchisees through the design, permitting, bidding and construction process and offers a thorough training and support to its franchisees.

The brand known for its Italian menu carrying 66 varieties of Pizzas (Veg & Non Veg) presently, runs 15 outlets in various formats (large and small) in Asian Games Village, Vasant Vihar, Okhla, Lodhi Road, Prashant Vihar, Janakpuri, Dwarka, Mayur Vihar, Hudson Lane, Dilshad Garden, Gurugram Sec-15, Noida, Indirapuram, Jewar and HCL. Out of these 15 outlets, one is a franchise outlet.