Upfront

2nd National Culinary Conference A Resounding Success

Most restaurants across the nation probably wore a forlorn look from October 3-5 given the huge gathering of culinary professionals present at Hotel Le Royal Meridien in Chennai for the 2nd National Culinary Conference organised by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA). The three-day event witnessed a large turnout of people connected with the hospitality industry, making it the biggest ever congregation of culinary professionals in the country.

According to P Soundararajan, general secretary, IFCA, the conference received a great response. "We were expecting around 300 participants but the final count was 420. In fact we had to close the registration counter," informed Soundararajan. "The response and the enthusiasm was such that students requested the organisers to place a screen outside the venue so that they could follow the proceedings of the conference," added Vijay Nagpal, executive chef, ITC Park Sheraton.

The event discussed untouched topics like Wine Tasting, Food Photography and celebrity status enjoyed by chefs. Among the memorable speakers were adman Prahlad Kakar, historian S Muthiah, wine expert Ramesh 'Ned' Nedungadi and celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. The panel discussions on Food Critics, chaired by Vir Sanghvi, Editorial Director, Hindustan Times on, and on Celebrity Chefs, chaired by Geeta Doctor, art critic, were a big hit with the crowd. IFCA also presented awards to recognise fresh talent and acknowledge those who have contributed significantly to the growth of the hospitality industry. Chef Rajesh of The Park bagged the Young Chef of the Year Award and Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar of Cheran Arts and Science College, Vellore won the Chef Instructor of the Year Award.

The conference proved most beneficial for students. "The conference was more of a morale booster for us as we got a glimpse of the varied segment and growth opportunities in this industry," stated a student. The event also had more than a dozen supporting sponsors who put up stalls at the venue to showcase their products to the right target audience.