Starting a Bakery During the Pandemic

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

The Role of Edible Oils

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

SLAY Coffee Introduces Special Cinnamon Brews

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

Identifying Real Pastries

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

Food for the Gods

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

Global Fast Food Launches its First QSR in Bengaluru

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

Britannia Good Day Launches New Identity

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

Andrea's Bistro Opens in Delhi

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

A Passionate Leader & Baker!

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

Emulsifiers in Baked Goods

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

Desserts Sweets that won't Desert you

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

Lavazza Globally Launches La Reserva De ¡Tierra! India

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

Maintaining Bakery Business in Pandemic

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

MAKING MERRY WITH MILK

Human being is the only mammal who drinks the milk of another mammal and this drink is most pleasurable at a cold temperature when the mercury rises.

A Perfectionist with Eye on Technique and Precision!

Surendra Negi, Master Patissier, Taj Palace New Delhi

Living it up at the Café!

Cafes are no longer places where one goes to have a cup of coffee. It has become a meeting place for friends and colleagues. With the introduction of Wi-Fi, in most of these places, cafes have also developed into substitute places of work. The changing concept of café has been as revolutionary as the changing perception of coffee. Initially, about two decades ago, coffee was available only as South Indian filtered coffee. This pick-me-up was, later, available as instant coffee and then as Espresso. Now this drink has acquired various formats like Cappuccino, Latte, Frappe, et al. Ashok Malkani, on the occasion of International Coffee Day, on 1st October, look at the changing café scenario, the effect of the pandemic on these outlets and their future. He also examines how the tipple called coffee is now available in various cocktail forms – hot or cold.

New Technology Designed to Detect Destructive Cocoa Virus

Swiss agrifood testing company SwissDeCode, in collaboration with Mars Wrigley, has created an on-site test that is designed to detect Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSD) in asymptomatic trees in less than 60 minutes.

Passionate & Versatile!

Aavika Chhawchharia, Co-Founder of ‘Honey&Dough’ Coffeehouse & Bakery

Soya Means Health

With the excitement about healthy foods reaching its crescendo, it has become almost difficult to enjoy a sinful dessert or a creamy pastry without gulping a few slices of guilt along with them.

The Most Popular Autumn Drink

Autumn has arrived and with the season come seasonal favourites, autumnal drinks! With the classic, hot chocolate, and the modern favourite, pumpkin spice latte, vying for the top spot, which autumnal beverage is the most popular worldwide?

When Breads Speak German

The importance of bread in every society is unique in itself. Every country has many variations on the offer.

Baskin Robbins & Hershey's Team Up

Baskin Robbins India has teamed up with Hershey’s India to co-create a range of delicious ice creams and desserts.

Just Sandwiched

Sandwich is considered a humble food but it need not be. Sometime back, a sandwich in England was touted as the most expensive sandwich at £85. And it was not even at a fancy restaurant in a five-star hotel but at the Selfridges Department Store in London.

UNIBIC Foods Appoints CEO

UNIBIC Foods, one of India’s fastest growing FMCG companies announced the appointment of Naveen Pandey as its Chief Executive Officer. Naveen will be responsible for leading the strategic direction and growth journey of the Company.

FMCG Companies are Strengthening Rural Distribution Network to Combat the Low Consumer Sentiments

Like most sectors and indeed the larger economy, the FMCG companies to have not remained insulated from the effects of the pandemic, an outbreak which only seems to have resurfaced with greater ferocity and vehemence in recent days in the form of the so-called second wave.

Blue, Purple, and Healthy

Blueberries are flowering plants, whose height range from 10 centimeters to 4 metres. They can be aptly described as prostate shrubs. These plants or shrubs produce berries, which teem with health benefits.

Minimising Trans Fat Usage

The tussle between appearance and substance is an old one. And in the modern quick-fix mode of operations, this age-old debate has only become more intense.

Packed to Perfection

The pandemic has made the people more aware of consuming healthy food products, which are untouched by hand. Health is high up on the priority list and there is thus a leaning towards baked food, which is considered to be more nutrient. The bakery industry is thus seeing an increasing demand for its products. However, since the consumers are also insisting on products untouched by hand, packaging is assuming an increasing role in bakery products. Bread, biscuits and other products which are mechanically packaged are being preferred. There is thus an increasing demand for packaging material in the industry and the demand for this is expected to continue. Ashok Malkani examines the market for packaging bakery products and also other types of material that are needed by the industry.

You are never late with Choco-Late

The sweet and soothing chocolate is everyone’s favourite not only on Valentine’s Day but throughout the year. Chocolate, which is used in all types of desserts like cakes, candies, puddings et al., is also believed to be good for health. The cocoa beans in the chocolate contain dopamine, phenylethylamine, caffeine, and anandamide, which is considered to be a happy neurotransmitter in the brain. Anandamide, called the bliss molecule, makes you feel happy and blessed. No matter this much loved sweet has become popular globally and the World Chocolate Day is celebrated on 7th July every year. Ashok Malkani examines various aspects of the beloved sweet, chocolate: Its usage in desserts, the different types of chocolates, its health benefits, etc.

Work Smart, Work Hard!

Hamza Patel, Managing Director, AP Group