Master of Good Times

www.spiritz.in/emagzine/sample65May, 2013
Special Feature
65 May, 2013www.spiritz.in/emagazine/sample
of Good Times
n the highly competitive and fast-growing hospitality industry, F&B professionals are the most important
component of every success story. The evolving demands and global exposure of the customers keeps F&B
professionals always on the alert and responsive. Their job is not limited to putting the food on the table or
filling the glass – they have to create an unforgettable experience to ensure that their guests keep coming
back. They have to have the skills to be able to blend creativity in the kitchen with the nuts and bolts of
running a business.
As most F&B managers say - it is not a job, it is a passion. A passion for food and beverages and an inherent desire
of meeting new people has to be a prerequisite for all F&B professionals. On the flip side, they also must be willing to
work tirelessly, hours on end, with a smile on their face.
Spiritz brings you portraits of these unsung heroes of good times. We bring you a glimpse into their lives and their
passions. There are many more who should also be talked about here, and we will surely do that in coming issues.
I
Kritika Pushkarna

Special Feature
A popular F&B Head – a myth or reality?
A popular F&B head is a reality nowadays. Gone are the
days when you could only rule by the stick. Now you have
to be considerate to the team and pamper them just the
way you would a guest. The team has to feel important
enough for the success of the entire operation and they
should get to contribute. So the human angle of the F&B
head needs to be more pronounced as compared to
earlier days.
What makes one a success in the F&B sector?
Passion is the only quality that can make one succeed.
Be it towards guests, the team or the food and beverage
elements. Besides that the adrenalin-rush of the crazy
operations that make things fun.
Your mantra for engaging and expanding guest
base?
Personal attention, pampering and going that extra mile.
Things you can’t do without in your job?
A good team is an absolute essential; add some good
infrastructure to it and the job doesn’t feel like a job.
Eating all three meals in your hotel- a boon or bane?
It’s a bane. Nothing can ever beat simple home cooked
food.
How important is the knowledge about wine and
spirits?
Wine and beverage knowledge is extremely important.
The restaurants become famous mainly for the food and
beverages. A balanced wine portfolio, a classy mix of
malts and vodkas and an eclectic set of cocktails sets you
apart from the crowd.
How do you keep track of the latest spirits and wine
brands available?
It involves a lot of reading, talking to friends (vendors),
attending beverage centric events and using specialised
websites that deal with this subject matter.
How difficult is to keep a balance between professional
and personal life?
Well, it can be difficult at times.
A line which best describes you and your way of
working.
An approachable, level headed professional with detailed
and clear understanding of all business processes.
With a career span of more than 15 year,
Neelabh Chugh has earned his name in
the F&B industry. He has worked with
almost every leading hotel like the Lalit,
Taj Palace, and Hyatt Regency etc, all
in New Delhi. As a pre-opening expert,
Neelabh has been instrumental in the
opening of the Radisson Blu brand.
Neelabh Chugh, Director Food & Beverage,
Radisson Blu Dwarka, New Delhi

www.spiritz.in/emagazine/sample67May, 2013
Special Feature
Has to be a reality or else he is in a wrong trade!
Not remaining satisfied with what you are doing and the
urge to learn and experiment, bring about a change. Try
and make things better every day, this is the only thing
which can make one succeed in F&B.
Your mantra for engaging and expanding guest base?
Meeting new guests and knowing about them, getting
their feedback, having regular activities in the outlets and
interesting Food & Beverage options are the only ways to
keep guest engaged. After all word of mouth is the best
publicity.
Smart phone, a very capable team, a GM who likes to eat
and an Executive chef who likes to cook!
Boon... errs... sorry bane... Did I say boon?
spirits?
As important as air and water.
brands available?
The credit goes to enthusiastic vendors and F&B blogs and
websites.
and personal life?
As difficult as making sure the last drop of wine doesn’t fall
off on the table cloth, most times you succeed, but chances
of having a spill are very high!
working.
I look at the world as a happy place, mostly what I get in
return are smiles.
With an in-depth knowledge of the
industry, Puneet Saigal is a self confident
and highly motivated professional with
over 13 years of experience, managing
the Food & Beverage operations in
Delhi. His constant endeavour is to help
build an excellent F&B reputation for
the hotel. Puneet has earlier worked
with the likes of Shangri-La, Eros Hotel,
New Delhi, The Imperial, The Grand
Hyatt, and Intercontinental- the Lalit,
etc to name a few.
Puneet Saigal, Director Food & Beverage,
Crowne Plaza Today - Okhla, New Delhi

Special Feature
In my opinion we are currently business managers in
our respective hotels and organisational success is more
important than winning a popularity contest for being
a popular F&B head. If the hotel’s F&B is successful, the
F&B head becomes popular undisputedly. However, this
will be always secondary and not the prime focuses for
any organisation.
The biggest reason which makes me carry on is the
passion for new trends, innovative concepts, wines, and
above all to be able to socially interact and meet new
people who are international travellers. For myself I can
say that F&B and hotels are like an integral organ now,
without which life will be not possible.
base?
Recognising and thanking all loyal guests for any
organisation is the most important part of being able
to retain your current clientele. We also need to wear
different lens while studying the market and there are
always means and ways to draw more audience towards
our organisation. Make the guest feel like a king and
business will follow.
Wine and dine, new products and ingredients are the first
to reach F&B heads. Most importantly you miss out on
engaging with guest which is for me personally one of
the most important parts of life.
For guests staying in hotel will of course be a great
experience with the cuisine choices we have in our hotel.
However, people want to move around and see different
places and there are endless options. People prefer to go
to different places for speciality foods. I feel eating three
meals at one location can be boring for any one.
spirits?
It’s oxygen to the profession without which, one is not
equipped to do his job.
brands available?
Online is a great way of learning, and other than that,
today we have great magazines and newsletters coming
our way. Most of the time with our regular beverage
partners, we get to see and taste all products which keeps
us ticking in our profession.
and personal life?
We need to have a great balance as if either one gets
affected you can see the impact on the other one as well.
Work hard and enjoy life with your near and dear ones
as well.
working.
I am a people’s person with a very rational outlook for
situations.
Tarun Seth is a dynamic leader with a
positive attitude and passion to achieve
great heights in a team environment. He
has more than 13 years of experience
and aims to achieve the GM’s position
by the end of 2014. He enjoys meeting
with both organisational and personal
challenges and believes in work-life
balance, while remaining confident and
good-humoured under pressure.
Tarun Seth, Director Food & Beverage,
The Claridges, New Delhi

Special Feature
It is a reality. In my job, I love the sense of responsibility
and accomplishment. Food and Beverage gives you a
creative environment to implement new ideas. This sector
specialises in conceptualisation and delivery of food and
I am proud to be a part of this sector.
The key focus should be on training, maintaining high
performance standards and the articulation of facts with
conviction and analytical thinking.
base?
We are using Table Management System (TMS) in all our
restaurants for a streamlined and efficient operation.
Guest preferences and details give us the information we
need to monitor and helps us in improving performance
and expanding database.
As a Manager of this creative profit centre, your skills
go beyond managing day-to-day food and beverage
operations. You have to be a good leader, an excellent
communicator, passionate about food, wine and customer
service. A trend watcher, detail oriented and someone
with excellent organisational skills.
It is a boon and I consider this as an excellent opportunity
of experiencing hospitality from the customer’s point of
view and visualising service from a different perspective.
I believe in the customer’s shoe exercise, so that my team
knows exactly how it feels to be at the receiving end.
spirits?
For every food and beverage professional, extensive
knowledge of wines plays a vital role. The understanding
of wines is tantamount for any restaurant professional’s
success. In today’s world, customers choose a restaurant
for its food and wine. No matter how great the food is, it
is boring without wine to tweak it. Food and wine pairing
is very essential to enhance the dining experience.
brands available?
I keep track of the latest trends by updating myself with
periodicals, books, media channels and new launches of
various liquor brands and through various websites on
hospitality.
and personal life?
Whenever I plan my week, I make it a point to schedule
time with my family, friends and for activities that help
me recharge. If a baseball game with your friends or a
dinner date with your spouse is on your calendar, then
you will have something to look forward to and manage
your time well.
working.
A fun loving, passionate and an enterprising person.
Vineet Wadhera has created a niche in
the F&B industry with around 19 years
of experience, working across the globe
in various leading hotels like The Park,
New Delhi and Maurya Sheraton, etc.
In his spare time, he likes to go biking,
travellinganddiningacrosstheworldand
would like to experience every kitchen of
the world.
Vineet Wadhera, Director Food & Beverage,
Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel, New Delhi

Special Feature
Reality.
Guest relations, good food and good beverages served
correctly; get the basics right I would say.
Your mantra for engaging and expanding the guest
base?
Connect with as many people as possible and be
genuine and humble, be yourself and make friends for
life, then educate and introduce new concepts and create
excitement, something new to look forward to.
Networking, wining and dining.
Bane for me, but there is nothing to stress about, let it be
whatever it is!!!
spirits?
Food & Beverage includes wine and spirits. An integral
part of our job is to connect to people and educate and
introduce them to new concepts about wine and spirits.
And to be able to do that, it is essential to increase our
own knowledge.
brands available?
Electronic and print media keep me updated apart from
wine and spirit suppliers and distributors.
and personal life?
If planned well in advance – it works very well, but there
is always a level of uncertainty both in professional and
personal life which one needs to live with!!!
working.
Go-getter and hands on – is a way of life!!
Indrashis Sinha, F&B Manager,
Pullman Gurgaon Central Park
A native of the Coal city of India -
Dhanbad, Indrashis Sinha has been
in this industry for the past 13 years.
Indrashis has worked for many leading
hotels like Oberoi Hotels, Marriott
Hotels and Hyatt Hotels at various
positions including the current one
at Pullman Gurgaon Central Park, a
part of the Accor Group as an F&B
Manager. Apart from his passion for
work, Indrashis is fascinated by driving
and disc jockeying.

Special Feature
A popular F&B head is essentially a ground reality. This
comes from the fact that every F&B associate is the first
point of guest interaction at the venues and the hotel
builds its reputation based on the guests’ interactions
with the F&B team. Performance of the team is driven
by the F&B head thereby defining that popularity of the
venue is directly proportional to experience created by
the team.
F& B is one of most dynamic verticals in the hospitality
industry. One thing that can make one tick, grow and
succeed in this sector is innovation. Being the market
leader and not a follower should be the key.
base?
The guests are the lifeline of our business, so my Mantra
is to keep networking with new people.
Tastings are an integral part of the entire experience.
Definitely a boon because being part of the hospitality
industry just doesn’t ensure three meals in your hotel but
also takes care of nutrition which is extremely important.
It can be a bane if not taken positively.
spirits?
For us knowledge of wines and spirits is imperative as
pairing of food and spirits often leads to unforgettable
dining experiences. One can enhance this experience for
the guests with right knowledge.
brands available?
I keep myself abreast about the latest trends in spirits and
wine brands by reading; a large part of my job involves
travelling which often provides a great insight into the
latest international trends.
and personal life?
Maintaining a balance between professional and personal
life requires a lot of discipline. Of course work often takes
priority in a service industry such as ours; however it’s
extremely critical to nurture family life and spend enough
time with them.
working.
Whatever you do, do it with pride, and be happy about
the fact that you are the chosen one for this job and not
anybody else.
Amit Kumar has been with The Westin
Gurgaon, New Delhi, since its pre-
opening. He is the man behind the
unique promotions at the hotel like
Pinky Ladies Nights, Bollinger Sunday
Brunch etc. Amit joined The Westin
after having worked with some of the
most acclaimed hospitality players for
over six years and brings with him an
exceptional understanding of the F&B
department and the finger of the pulse
ability to introduce innovative concepts.
Amit Kumar, F&B Manager,
The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi

Special Feature
A reality. You need to be a good team leader and have to
keep up with the pace of the industry and guests.
Dedication and the ability to adapt to the challenges.
base?
Guest satisfaction and motivating team members is the
core mantra.
Motivated Team members, they form the core.
I will take it as a boon; you know what your guest is being
offered and this helps in creating more benchmarks.
spirits?
It forms an integral part, and then only you can offer
guests some of your best creations and wine selections.
brands available?
It is through magazines like Spiritz and constant
interactions with beverage promoters.
Howdifficultistokeepabalancebetweenprofessional
and personal life?
It’s an art for us, our hotels become our home actually.
working.
Once a senior described me as a “Silent killer” and the
line ‘a task given is a task accomplished’ is what describes
me.
Starting his career in 2002, Gaurav
Kapur has spent almost 11 years in the
hotel industry working in many five-star
deluxe properties like The Imperial,
GrandHyatt,JaypeeVasantContinental,
New Delhi, to name a few. In his tenure,
Gaurav has been a part of the preopening
of hotels like Shangri-la and Wyndham,
New Delhi. He has also been a part of
the core hospitality team for the Indian
Formula -1 held in 2011 and 2012 at
the Buddh International Circuit, Greater
Noida.
Gaurav Kapur, F&B Manager,
Fortune Select Excalibur at ITC Hotels Ltd, Gurgaon

Special Feature
Myth –A popular F&B head is usually part of a very large
organisation, where the dining outlets and hospitality is
only one of its concerns.
Reality – Creativity and passion, a strong analytic hold
on the realities of the product and processes, keeping in
mind that guest satisfaction is the most important aspect
to ensure success and attaining a high level of profit
margin have to be the focus for the F&B head.
According to me, an F&B person should be honest,
organised, people oriented, bottom line focused, willing
to learn and lead, and most important he/she should be
flexible with long hours.
base?
For me, guest relations, happy meals, loyalty programmes
and social media channels are the mantras to engage and
connect with guests.
My guest feedbacks and reviews, as they help me in
coming up to their expectations and knowing the needs
of the patrons, without which creativity and innovation
play no role for me.
Though it’s a boon,at times you miss the excitement and
zest of life which is possible with family and friends. Mostly
it happens that you cannot stop yourself from having a
bite of the tempting delicacies innovated by the Chef.
spirits?
As they say - One can buy a Ferrari, but simultaneously
should know how to drive and where to park it. Similarly,
it helps to maintain a good liquor portfolio, food pairing
and training the team to achieve targets.
brands available?
Professional networking, print media - especially the ones
dedicated to the beverage industry like Spiritz etc.
and personal life?
It is all about being flexible and responsible rather than
being a superhero at both professional and personal
front.
working.
I would say I’m a positive, determined, enthusiastic
person who is a realist and an optimistic and I can’t resist
a challenge.
Born and brought up in Delhi, Kulvinder
Singh is a pucca Delhiite who loves his food
and drink. His love for cooking made him
spend nearly 14 years of his life working
with different pubs, lounges and bars and
hotels like the Radisson Hotel, New Delhi,
Carlson Group, etc in different positions.
Kulvinder’s expertise lies in pre-opening of
a hotel with complete F&B set up and he
is also experience in creating a wine list.
Kulvinder Singh, F&B Manager,
Mosaic Hotels, Noida

Special Feature
Well in my opinion it’s neither a myth nor a reality as
popularity is not the criteria but it is performance that
matter especially in F&B. We often have to work in parallel
tangents but it all finally converges towards a common
objective and goal.
Establishing a genuine connection with people- both
colleagues and guests is the key to success. Along
with ‘the connection’ one cannot do without passion
towards delivering delightful experiences to the guests
and the knack of accepting both negative feedback and
compliments graciously and humbly.
base?
This can only be done by making them our friends and
subsequently valued ambassadors.
Smiling persona and passion for what I do.
It’s a part and parcel of routine – comes with the job
hence no boon or bane.
spirits?
Highly integral as with the global transformation and
shrinking of boundaries, this knowledge helps connect
with the guests better to a great extent.
brands available?
It is through specialised reading – Spiritz, Wine Spectator
and other wine rating magazines. It is also through
conversations and interactions with stockists, wine
dealers, suppliers and colleagues.
and personal life?
It is not really a big challenge. I believe it’s all about
knowing and understanding priorities. An understanding
family and mutual respect is all you need.
working.
I believe that every problem is a happy problem. There is
nothing on this earth that we cannot solve or overcome.
With a career span of more than 10
years, Nikhil Gandhi has carved a niche
for himself and aims to offer creative
and satisfying dining experiences for each
client who walks into the Hyatt Regency,
Chennai.Knownforhisdynamicwaysand
outstanding leadership, he has excelled
at Hyatt Regency for over a decade now.
Nikhilisanenthusiasticbasketballplayer,
apart from being a food and music lover.
Nikhil Gandhi – Asst Director F&B,
Hyatt Regency Chennai

Master of Good Times

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