1. TV-CONCEPT „SPICE AND RICE AND ALL THE THINGS NICE“
TV-CONCEPT „SPICE AND RICE AND ALL THE THINGS NICE“ (working title)
Idea:
Passionate German speaking amateur chefs, single or as couples manage a restaurant in India for two weeks.
The restaurant is open in the main tourist season from October until the end of March and seats approx. 50
customers. The programme aims to build on and extend the success of cooking- and emigrating shows. But
instead of exposing somebody to ridicule (“Trash-TV”) this concept is both „cultural exchange amongst pots
and pans“ and originally.
Challenges:
- Planning a restaurant menu, taking into account seasonal produce and religious restrictions (no
beef/no pork)
- European or fusion cuisine adapted to ingredients available in India (a list will be provided)
- Working with the local Indian staff and interacting with customers in the restaurant (Western and
Indian tourists, locals)
- Private moments, improvisation (“extra spice”), unexpected guests & friends = everybody is involved
Location:
India/Rajasthan/Udaipur/several restaurants with different capacities are available
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udaipur
http://wikitravel.org/en/Udaipur
About the location:
Udaipur, the former capital of Mewar in the northwest of India, was founded in 1567. It is comfortably situated
between the lakes Pichola and Fateh Sagar, which gave Udaipur its name as “Venice of the East”. Surrounded
by the gentle Arawalli hills, Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities in India. It is world-famous, mostly due
to the local five star hotel Lake Palace, which was built on an island on Lake Pichola and used by the Maharajas
as a summer residence. Over the years it attracted well-known guests including Queen Elizabeth and Jacky
Kennedy. The James Bond movie “Octopussy” was shot here in 1982, which immortalised both the towering
Monsoon Palace and the swimming hotel in film history.
The main tourist season in Udaipur lasts from October until March. During this time the region enjoys a
Mediterranean climate due to the surrounding mountains. The city is easily accessible and well developed for
tourists. One can find both: backpackers and luxury travel groups in Udaipur, as well as a wide selection of
accommodation to suit any budget - from approx. €5 at paying guesthouses to around €500 per night at the
World’s Number One Hotel Oberoi Udaivilas.
The location is perfect because ist possible to cut in pics from one of the most romantic cities in India. Udaipur
is open, charming and offers both the crew and the audience a complex and compacted view of the ancient
and modern India.
Agency for urban challenges ▪ Contact: Elke Allenstein ▪ Tel + 49 178 / 87 69 869 ▪ E-Mail allenstein@urban-challenges.com

2. TV-CONCEPT „SPICE AND RICE AND ALL THE THINGS NICE“
Characters of the city:
Piers Helsen (England)
An „institution“ in Udaipur, lives there since 1999, publishes books („Udaipur for
all“, „Rural Udaipur for Hikers & Bikers Parts 1 & 2“), magazines („Out & About
Udaipur“), maps & postcards, tight network, brilliant knowledge of the town and
environment, extra in several film productions in Udaipur. He is helpful and useful
fort he whole project in different ways. Permanent staff!
Menakshi Jain (Udaipur)
Mother f two kids, manages successfully the legendary „Queens Cafè“ in Udaipur,
speakes fluently Englisch, provides cooking classes and sightseeing trips, creates her
own „masala“ (spice mix), does henna painting and gives Hindi lessons, lovely
adorable guide such as at the market, where one gets the benefit out of her
charming negotiation talent. Menakshi is the beautyful & exotic component. Wearing
the traditional clothes she gives the project the typical impulses. Permanent staff!
Amrit & Padam (Nepal)
Working since a few years in the kitchen, doing all the service from cooking to
cleaning, are always in a good mood, are hard-working and responsible. Both can be
constant staff in kitchen & restaurant. Permanent staff!
Added to them we know experts like: hotel owner and designer Dominique Jean Lavabre (France)
(www.hotelverandah.com), the chef of the famous Lake Palace hotel and specialists of the Indian spices and
plants. There is a good relation to the former ruler: Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar and lots of freaks to flavour
the stories. It’s warranted that there will always be enough German speaking tourists to keep the language
balance.
All persons are potential constants of the project and offers recognition.
Period of production/sequence frequency:
6 months for 12 sequences = 12 applicants
Target group (audience):
- Commercially relevant target group of 14 – 49-years old
- A mix of and addition to the current audience of cooking- and emigrating shows
- Cosmopolitans, travellers, disseminators, trendsetters
Parameters/framework/general conditions:
The restaurant, kitchen, staff and tools – including those not normally used in India, like oven or grill (?), pasta
machine, chip pan or deep fryer, hand blender etc - will be provided. Ingredients not currently available in
India can also be sourced (i.e. varieties of cheese, special kinds of pasta, sauerkraut). That makes the
exchange working then!
A personal assistant and guide, with good knowledge of the local conditions, the Hindi language and good
connections in the city will also be at hand.
Application process:
Applicants will need to provide:
- A two-week menu for the restaurant, taking into account local circumstances. This will be checked for
practicability
- Personal reasons for visiting India and the project in general
- Requested time period
- optional: special skills
The production company will provide:
- List of seasonal produce
- Leadership and team working skills will be assessed by German experts before the start of the
programme. Local experts are available in Udaipur and can be invited to supervise the project.
- Recruitment of candidates is envisaged via advertisements in relevant magazines aimed at the target
Agency for urban challenges ▪ Contact: Elke Allenstein ▪ Tel + 49 178 / 87 69 869 ▪ E-Mail allenstein@urban-challenges.com

3. TV-CONCEPT „SPICE AND RICE AND ALL THE THINGS NICE“
market in D/A/CH, in travel magazines, via postings on internet panels like www.indien-aktuell.de as
well as through TV-spots in relevant environments.
- Subtitles or synchronisation/off-speaking
Background:
With very few exceptions most restaurants in India offer virtually identical menus. Because restaurants in the
most popular tourist spots often use the same, ready-made gravy, these dishes even taste the bloody same
everywhere. Successful business concepts are being copied and Indian cities nowadays are dominated by the
look of the same shops selling miniature paintings, leather diaries and fake silk shawls, and similarly no variety
on restaurant menus. At the same time, especially long-term travellers are getting bored of the same food they
find in Indian restaurants everywhere. Their appetite for plain Indian fare/home made food and a curiosity for
exciting and exotic culinary adventures or simply for the change of some familiar European dishes can be found
all over India. Restaurant owners also show/express an interest in new and outstanding offers. They know how
to take advantage of opportunities of this kind, as the success of „German bakeries“ in India shows. The
project can give impulses and be an inspiration for local businesses.
Infotainment:
The show would also be an opportunity to provide a cultural background by demonstrating local culinary facts,
for example the origin of saffron (http://www.foodhuntermark.com/who_is_mark.asp), strolling through spice
and vegetable markets, exchange gossip with the merchants, history of the city, visiting Animal Aid project,
interviews with locals etc. A special website provides background facts, recipes and other extras.
Research/budget:
We are at your disposal for research at any stage of the project.
A budget will be developed in cooperation between the production company and the TV station, taking into
account local circumstances and production costs in India.
Requested partners/endorsement:
- State or well-established TV stations with an educational mission and a back-catalogue of successful
TV concepts and a young target group (ARD, ZDF, ARTE etc.)
- sponsoring is possible
Idea & contact:
Agency for urban challenges
Elke Allenstein
Hufelandstraße 10
10407 Berlin
GERMANY
Tel + 49 178 / 87 69 869
E-Mail: allenstein@urban-challenges.com
The presented concept remains the intellectual property of the Agency for urban challenges and must be
treated confidentially.
Agency for urban challenges ▪ Contact: Elke Allenstein ▪ Tel + 49 178 / 87 69 869 ▪ E-Mail allenstein@urban-challenges.com