From the chef's mouth

THE FOOD CLUB

Chef Ranveer Brar, the absurdly young and handsome executive chef of Claridges Hotel, New Delhi, has just returned from Phoenix where this year's World Pastry Forum was held.

His host was Felchlin, the Swiss chocolate company whose products Claridges Hotel uses. Instead of being upbeat about the trends he saw, Chef Brar moons around like the perfect picture of dejection. The reason? Let's hear it from the man himself.

"Twelve countries participated in the competition. Not only was India not one of the countries, but nobody among the judges thought that India was even capable of mustering up the talent and resources to compete next year.

Do I think we have the talent? Yes and no. For chocolates and chocolate sculptures, we don't fare too badly. But for sugar paste work, we are light years behind them.

Also, I have seen what individual chefs are capable of making. But in the stranglehold of our various forums where old ideas hold sway, nothing but dated concepts is seen. There's little place for thinking out of the box.

"The second reason why I'm depressed is the mindset of the industry back home. It would be a challenge to convince most hotel bosses to invest in equipment, training and sending staff overseas every year.

The most common reaction would be, 'What's in it for us?' It's probably the reason why chocolate sculptures and sugar paste sculptures aren't the art form here as they are in many other countries. The other compulsory displays of a pastry forum competition are gateaux, petit fours and chocolate bonbons "" all of which have a commercial viability.

Sculptures, on the other hand, are seen as a waste of time and money. Having said that, I am heartened that my boys in my pastry kitchen create chocolate sculptures every few days simply as a labour of love. As soon as they're put into the pastry shop, they get snapped up by customers who come to buy patties or bonbons.

"In the West, a chocolate sculptor can and will do bonbons, but a sugar paste guy does only that, and commands a huge amount of respect into the bargain. It's not unlike a dress designer who makes prêt a porter and bridge lines for a living, but who pours his soul into couture. It may not make economic sense for him, but it's couture that fetches him his reputation for creativity.

"Of course, the other thing is that equipment here is a different ball game. In the United States, equipment manufacturers either have a chef on their staff or as a consultant. It's the chef who dictates what products need to be developed. Here, there's neither a range of products for pastry-making, nor the ability for a chef to go to a fabricator and order what he thinks can benefit the trade as a whole. The tools of the trade: thermometers, moulds, scissors, lamps, polycarbonate casts, silicone dies "" nothing is available locally. Is it any wonder that I'm so disheartened?"