With diners becoming more and more attuned to ambience and food presentation, restauranteurs and chefs look to tableware companies to help them make their dishes look visually appealing to their guests. Serving Up in Style was the topic of a panel discussion at FHW 2015 Mumbai recently By Steena Joy
As part of the knowledge sessions at the recently concluded Food Hospitality World 2015 in Mumbai, a panel discussion titled Serving Up in Style threw up some interesting revelations. Moderated by Reema Lokesh, editor, Food & Hospitality World, the esteemed panelists included Chef Vicky Ratnani; Chef Aungshuman Chakraborty, executive chef, The LaLit Mumbai; Manoj Patkar, HOD (Food Production), Apeejay Institute of Hospitality; Chef Gregory D’Sa, sous chef, Pizza By The Bay, Mars Enterprises; K S Narayanan, CEO, Pan India Foods; Vipul Dalal, MD, Polymech International and Geeta Wadhwa, proprietor, Aura Essentials.
Wadhwa shared her insights on how she started Aura Essentials, a leading supplier of tableware to the hospitality industry. She said, “We got the support of chefs and this helped me to enter the industry. The support of the chef community was crucial to my business. The guidance of the hotel industry for designing tableware was important.”
For most chefs, the process of creating a culinary masterpiece does not end when the dish is done. How a dish is presented to the guest can be just as important as the cooking techniques or ingredients used in it. These days, chefs are thinking about not only what cookware to use in the kitchen, but also the kind of tableware in which to present their culinary art. Chef Chakraborty said, “According to our guest feedback, when it comes to banquets, they find that the plates are very heavy. This was an eye opener for us.”
Wadhwa suggested, “Products like glass porcelain do not chip easily so this is ideal especially for banquets. We are looking at introducing it in this market.”
Tableware designing is influenced by many factors, from colour and material to portion control and multi-use functionality as well as maintenance. The market has also seen a lot of changes in shapes. However, Chef Ratnani cautioned, “Food presentation has moved miles. So has shapes and sizes in the last five years. Rectangular, hexagonal, half moon shapes, etc. But when we look for shapes, we must not forget the size of our tables. We must not get carried away by shapes. The important parameters we should be concerned about is, are they food safe? Are they certified for food service?”
Dalal lamented, “People in our country do not respect FDA standards. So plates are not food safe. We have very little understanding of functionality. Are quirky shapes functional? Is there water absorption? As for shapes, I feel the best shape is still the conventional round shape. Most comfortable in terms of service, chip resistance and balance.”
Gregory D’Sa agreed, “Rectangular and square plates are not feasible as there is less space on the table. So we use more of round shapes. Which is also more suitable while serving kids.”
Chef Ratnani passionately declared, “I love plates. Plates inspire my dishes. But hygiene is of prime importance to me. If tableware is not food safe, it could leach out chemicals and colours.”
Dalal opined, “People are not educated while making purchase decisions. They should avoid plates with superficial glazing. Purchase managers should have the patience to listen how a plate is made, before jumping to the price. Plate is the canvas on which the guest is eating the dish. So restaurant owners should invest more on tableware than on décor and flooring.”
Chef Chakraborty seconded the opinion. “As chefs, we don’t look at the price. Purchase managers should also be present when we chefs make the selection of tableware needed,” he urged. Narayanan pointed out, “Specifications regarding hygiene and safety standards are important and there should also be transparency in these specifications. The product has to first pass the specifications.”
Wadhwa also believed that back end staff have to be trained to maintain the tableware. Patkar stated, “ Customers are more knowledgable today. But basics remain the same. White is still the most popular colour. White goes with anything and it gives you a blank canvas. We should match the food with the plate in which it is served.” D’sa agreed, “It is important to train hospitality aspirants in the importance of cutlery and how to handle it.”
Discussing costs and how it affects tableware purchase, Narayanan said, “Cost control is very important. There are always bound to be contradictory demands between chefs and purchase managers. In the end it is all about what giving the consumer what he wants and at the same time ensuring safety and hygiene.”
Chef Chakraborty had the last word when he said, “We are in the business of making memories, and not just serving food. So there has to be a perfect balance between good tableware, good aesthetics and food hygiene and safety.”
