"India has to work a lot when it comes to supply chain"

Chef Ramanpreet Singh is an enthusiastic person who was born and brought up in a small town of Assam. He was the first one in his town to pursue Hotel Management and later become a Chef. He never idolized to become a doctor or engineer as he always had a unique thought process, which led him to follow his love for cooking and reach where he is today.

What tingled your taste for food?

I started cooking from quite an early age which was unique in itsown way. To be honest, I never wanted to stick to theoretical knowledge as I was more inclined towards practical learning and cooking blended in very well. But, it is difficult to figure out what you want to be at an early age. By the time I was eighteen I was clear that cooking is my passion and I wanted to be a Chef.

What is your USP?

In my illustrious career, I have worked at various places and today I am aa part of a five star hotel. I do not specialise in one cuisine as such and that is not even required. Gone are those days when Chefs used to be the masters of one cuisine. Commercial Chefs these days do not restrict themselves to only one cuisine. Although I did start with Indian cuisine then after being in Europe for five years, I got specialisation in European food. Today I’m more of an administrative Chef handling a big team of Chefs and collectively binding the team together.

What is the latest trend hitting the food sector according to you?

Comfort food is the new trend and the definition of comfort food has changed drastically. Till some time back, as a part of premium hotels and restaurants, comfort foods were like pasta, pizza, burgers, sandwiches and essentially what the west used to dictate. Today, Indian and Chinese foods are also coming in the array of comfort food.

What do you think builds a brand in India?

I think with all the turbulent years post independence, now is the time when any trend would be here to stay. Once India agrees and let people come to their market who generally understand Indian value and cuisine actually builds a brand in India.

How do changing market segments affect F&B industry?

Change is the only thing constant. F&B was struggling for its identity twenty years back, but now the time has changed. Revolutionary changes are coming in every five years and they are good for the industry.

What are the things you look into when it comes to quality?

These days the amount of information available is wide. When it comes to the quality, I personally would prefer things which are connected to the roots following the principles of Veda and Ayurveda. They depict a very simple principle of eating fresh and seasonal.

How do you see maintaining supply chain to standardise a brand?

India has to work a lot in terms of supply chain. There is hardly any supply chain available and market is unorganized.

Can we see you opening a restaurant of your own?

I’m open to that. Right now I’m exploring food industry and thinking about working on the concept of coming back to the roots.