Exclusive Interview | Chef Aditya Jaimini, President - Hospitality and Product Development, Egremontz Business Solutions

“It is a journey where I am choosing the options to learn and grow professionally and personally, faith keeps me going. After years of learning, I would like to Showcase traditional Indian food on a global platform by leveraging my culinary expertise.”

— Chef Aditya Jaimini

Introduction

Chef Aditya Jamini has worked in various leadership roles and most recently being Head of Hospitality, Delhi International Airport Limited.
He is a versatile Chef and well-rounded hospitality professional. An IHM Bhopal alumni, he started his career with Taj Hotels as a Management Trainee and had consistently passionate about Indian, Mediterranean, and Italian cuisine; he progressed very fast at Taj Hotels from Chef de Partie to Sous Chef. He managed state banquets for dignitaries from George Bush to Prime Minister's house. After a decade, he moved to The Park Hotel, Parliament Street, Delhi, and soon joined Crowne Plaza, New Delhi, an upscale hotel brand of the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) as Pre-opening Executive Chef and progressed to Director Food & Beverage operation. One of his significant accomplishments has been Spice Art, an Indian specialty restaurant, which bagged the Times Food Award in the 'Noteworthy Newcomer' category within a few months of opening.

The restaurant has won the 'Best North Indian' restaurant in Delhi for 4 years in a row at the Times Food Award. With over 23 years of experience, he has been instrumental in establishing big F&B operations and culinary innovations. He has innovated award-winning dishes like Rabri Souffle, Kali Gajar Ka Halwa, Tawa Till Asparagus. Chef Aditya is a certified lead auditor, FSMS. Chef Aditya has been conferred with ' Chef of the Year', 2014 by the Association of Hospitality Professionals and got featured by Maryam Reshii, in her book - 'Celebrated Chefs of India'. Chef Aditya enjoys a stellar reputation in the industry and is one of the most sought-after mentors amongst universities.

Chef Aditya has hosted Food shows on Travel XP, NDTV GoodTimes and has recently launched a Food Show 'Wah Wah Kya Swad Hai' on his YouTube Channel.

Do check out his youtube on the link below
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3vQAjaPTAQrmsZ5ctNUjsA

Editor: Tell us about your journey?  How did it all start?

The journey started with a change in the plan after school where I was preparing to join a conventional professional course to become a doctor but  If I look back it was like destiny had plans for you and the door which opened was to pursue Hotel Management and then the decision to be in Chef whites as it gave me an opportunity to be creative. Maybe, it was interesting to understand the profession as more than just cooking food.  I joined the Taj Group of Hotels as a management Trainee in the year 1997 and learnt the various aspects of different cuisines and Kitchen management, spent almost 10 years at The Taj Palace New Delhi.

Then came opportunities to open a Standalone restaurant for FTv ( F Bar - 2007) and heading Kitchen operations for The Park New Delhi ( 2008-2010). There was great learning in these years which helped me to establish hotel kitchens for Food and Beverage focussed operations for IHG at the pre-opening of Crowne Plaza New Delhi Rohini as the Executive Chef (2010). The professional growth happened with a change in role to Director F&B in the coming years. Then in 2019 was chosen to lead operations for Radisson Dwarka as the Executive Assistant Manager and subsequently leading the operations as the functional leader of the Hotel.

 As I mentioned earlier, destiny has plans for every individual, so due to a personal family requirement, I had to take a break after these 22 years of active Hoteliering. There were many milestones in this journey, few to mention, serving dignitaries like U.S Presidents - George Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, many other Heads of States and India's Whos who. Awarded as Chef of the Year in 2014. Recognition for my creation 'Spice Art' as the Best North Indian Restaurant in Delhi for 4 years in a row and featured amongst the  'Celebrated Chefs of India'. Active involvement in Food safety Management as a certified Lead Auditor for Food Safety as per ISO 22000 FSMS.

Editor: From hotels to aviation/service to consulting.  What's the same and what you had to learn to do differently?

Then the Next phase started with joining Delhi International Airport as the Head of Hospitality for one of the busiest airports, IGIA - New Delhi. This was a different aspect of hospitality with big volume operations and revenues of around INR 2 crores in a single day. This gave another dimension to my learning in skills and leadership. 

The operations were closely similar with aspects of constraints due to Airport security and service levels. The concessionaire management at the airport at different terminals ensure error-free performance and ensure commercial success.

With all this experience in my kitty, I started to share my knowledge and skills with Food business operators. This was shaped into a formal collaboration, with another Stalwart of Industry, Mr Deepta Gupta, and a team  of highly experienced and competent professionals with deep knowledge of Food Business operations - EGREMONTZ BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ( www.egremontz.com)

Specialized in Conceptualizing and designing, Plant set up for Indian snacks and sweets, Process automation, Indian sweets & Street food Retail outlets, Base kitchen operations, Restaurant or café operations, Hotel operations……. just anything which makes you think about food.

Editor: Love the kitchen more or the management side of things?  What did you like to cook when you did cook for guests?

  A Chef always remains a Chef at heart and preparing food always gives me satisfaction and an opportunity to showcase my thoughts and skills on a plate as an artist. As you grow in your career as a chef management is an inherent capability you need to develop and Planning, organising and controlling skills are also important in a kitchen operation.

I have specialised in European and Mediterranean cuisine in my initial years but developed an affinity for traditional Indian food, street foods of India for which I did a good amount of travel and research, and explored a wide range of Traditional Indian sweets.

I always wanted to create a wow factor when I prepared food, so it was about creating sweet memories and experiences with offerings like a Rabri fountain for lavish banquets or innovative desserts Kali Gajar Ka Halwa or Lehsun ki kheer. Improvised versions of Street food with the creation of 'Ghewar ki Chaat' or a smoked pizza with active coal always gave me pleasure.

Editor: What do you see are irrevocable changes due to the pandemic?  What does the new landscape look like?

Pandemic has completely changed the paradigm for Hospitality and Aviation sectors. The Hygiene and practices to ensure the safety of all stakeholders will be important and strict adherence is nonnegotiable. The change in the way operations have evolved in the past year is going to be strengthened with management commitment.  

The new phase which the Hospitality industry foresees is a slow process of normalization. The standalone Food and Beverage outlets should be able to make a faster comeback with hotels improving commercial operations in due course due to the restrictions. 

The landscape has seen new intervention with the growth of the food delivery market, DIY kits as some options which have developed.

Editor:  What does your personal growth look like in the coming decade?  What should we expect from Aditya?

It is a journey where I am choosing the options to learn and grow professionally and personally, faith keeps me going. After years of learning, I would like to Showcase traditional Indian food on a global platform by leveraging my culinary expertise. 

The pathway is to provide professional guidance for all the functions of Food business operations whether you have a vision of starting a new venture or want to restructure and upscale your Food offering, Processes, or competence.

 Further, assist new entrepreneurs in this field to establish a successful food business operation.

Exclusive Interview | MANISH VASWANI | Chief Creative Officer | Fullscoop Digital Pvt. Ltd, Indore

Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

I love meeting people and networking to discuss marketing, branding, & digital media. My passion to pursue entrepreneurship led me to attach the intent of doing business with my above-mentioned interests. Journey formed as Fullscoop Digital in 2012, with market dynamics molding us to keep hospitality as our niche segment.

Editor: Fullscoop is a Hospitality based digital advertising agency. Tell us some campaigns you have done.

We have been working with 125+ hotels globally, and our major campaigns include :

Swirl Wheel Campaign for Radisson Guwahati: wherein guests revolved wheel at the restaurant to get the lucky offer.

Golu ki Shaadi at Radisson Greater Noida: Digital virtual marriage ceremony was conducted to let the audience know about property, banquets, decor, and packages.

and several more..

Editor: So who is your ideal client and what can they expect from you?

Our ideal client is a reputed branded group's hotel property, with marketing team colleagues acquainted and interested to explore innovative methods of Digital Branding - for promoting, rooms, banquets, restaurants, etc.

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

The entire focus is going to shift over 3 essential topics :

1. Domestic Promotions: People will take year+ of time to confidently plan luxury travel, till then only necessity travel and domestic travel will consume more requirements.

2. Weddings: Up to 50 people banquet events are allowed, hotels will try their best to get good events and functions to attract bulk revenues.

3. Home Delivery: Despite all the buzz, still only 12% of restaurants do home delivery. This percentage is certainly going to rise in the times to come.

Editor: What can we expect in the coming year?

Industries will realign their marketing budgets, to enhance the ratio of spending on Digital Branding. Cost-efficient and creative agencies will get opportunities to handle large brands, it will also increase job opportunities in the advertising and marketing segment. Hotels: It'll attract resources that can wear multiple hats at a time.

Exclusive Interview | Anuj Chaurasia, Corporate General Manager, Essentia Hotels

“Being innovative and adapting to change is the key to success.”

— Anuj Chaurasia

Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

 My journey started in 2005 when I joined the Institute of Advanced Management, Kolkata. Upon passing out in 2008, I joined the Leela group as a Management trainee, where I was fortunate to be exposed to many different facets of hotel operations at the Leela Gurgaon and Leela Mumbai. After a stint as an HK executive at the Leela, I joined Lemon Tree hotels, which turned out to be a great decision for my career.

At Lemon Tree, I had the good fortune of working directly under Ms Sareena Kochar, from whom I learned a lot about pre-openings and operations as I worked at pre-opening of multiple Lemon Tree hotels in Bangalore, Hyderabad and renovation in Goa. I then spent some time at the Taj group, where I worked at the Taj Ambassador and the Taj Holiday Village, it was here that I had a chance to work with Mr Vishal Singh, a person I admire greatly.

After my time at the Taj, I worked as Executive Housekeeper in the Maldives and then joined an Upscale hotel in Varanasi as an advisor to MD and did preopening and execution of the complete hotel project after this I joined an entrepreneurial start-up in Spree Hotels as Corporate GM operations, run by Keshav Baljee of the Royal Orchid group.  At Spree, I learned a lot about the commercial side of the management model as I oversaw not only operations for 600 rooms across 12 hotels but was also involved in financial reviews, contract negotiation, development and sales and marketing efforts. At Spree, I was exposed to a holistic view of the hotel business.

After Spree, I moved to Treebo Hotels, as Lead Of Operations for Managed business, where I managed 550 rooms across 18 hotels before finally joining Essentia Hotels a subsidiary of the Averina group which owns and operates Holiday Inn Goa and fisherman wharf apart from Essentia where I currently serve as Corporate GM for Essentia. I have been fortunate to have been mentored by some amazing people along the way, and while I may not have mentioned all of them here I learned a lot from each of them.

Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

 I think passion and hard work are essential for one to succeed in any job. A thorough understanding of the market in which you operate, the business model, the competitive dynamics and overall industry outlook also give you a broader outlook that is extremely beneficial. 

Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?  If someone wants to work with you, what should they do? 

While technical knowledge and domain experience are important, for me personally I care very much for a candidate's attitude, a positive attitude goes a long way in the hospitality industry. Over the years I have seen that those who possess a positive attitude generally do quite well, learn fast and keep a positive and cheerful mindset which spreads across the company.

At Essentia we plan to open a number of new properties, with an anticipated launch of close to 400 new rooms. The first among these will be a 151 room hotel in Ghaziabad, followed by launches in Chennai, Indore, Udaipur and others. Interested candidates are welcome to follow us on social media and check our website for relevant openings, we are always eager to hear from talented candidates who may be interested in joining us.

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

One of the most significant long-term trends I foresee will be a sharp uptake in domestic tourism. As disposable income increases, a new class of young aspirational travellers is emerging - and this group will contribute significantly to domestic tourism. In the next decade or so as infrastructure improves and more travel routes emerge, they will provide a strong fillip to domestic tourism.

Short Term:

COVID has really strained the industry, many hotels are running dangerously short of working capital with no demand on the horizon. Hotels must find alternative ways to monetize their inventory or risk bankruptcy in the coming months. The closure of hotels could lead to mass layoffs in the short term creating significant unemployment. However, I remain optimistic that in the long run, hotels will bounce back as they have done in the past. After COVID hotels will need to fundamentally alter the way they function, with much leaner staffing, higher operational efficiency, tighter control on costs, and a focus on health and hygiene as many guests will have apprehension about cleanliness and safety.  So while COVID will cause short term challenges, in the long run, it presents the industry an opportunity to fundamentally change the way it functions.

Editor: Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating your guest experience?  

The industry has been quite proactive in adopting technology to improve guest experience. At Essentia we have incorporated essential technology like seamless Wi-Fi, RFID doors(like every other), touch panels in rooms, docking stations etc. We have also incorporated technology into the guest booking and lifecycle management process so that we can provide high-quality personalized service. I foresee that after COVID hotels will adopt even more technology to ensure proper health checks and hygiene.

Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry. 

The hospitality industry is very demanding and employees often have to work gruelling hours at a frenetic pace to keep up with requirements. However, a work-life balance is important and it would be great to see the industry offer that to its employees. This will also make the industry as a whole more attractive to new entrants. 

Talent should be allowed to grow in the industry, without too much bureaucracy slowing down growth. This will make it much easier to attract and retain the right kind of talent.

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