Spotlight

BBQ-ed innovations

Changing food habits and preferences of guests are giving rise to a new trend in F&B - self barbequing. This in turn is giving rise to a new breed of barbeque equipment. By Sanjeev Bhar

Conventionally, barbequed food served at cocktail parties and restaurant meals is restricted to involving kitchen staff and the guests have no direct role to play. But customers are now being lured to be part of this cooking process, proving to be a good marketing concept for the hospitality establishment.

Barbeque equipment is generally used by professionals for food items such as barbeque ribs, Indian tikka preparations from fish, vegetables, and poultry to beef, and seafood. The concept is popular in the northern parts of the country but its popularity is soon spreading to the other parts. Prosenjit Roy Chowdhury, CEO of Barbeque Nation, says, "There is no dearth of opportunity to sell barbeque food items. People are now getting used to experiencing various types of cuisines and are therefore finding barbeque recipes far more enticing." Since the preparation is primarily based on direct fire cooking on steady heat from wooden charcoal, the cost of preparation is not high.

While there is difficulty serving barbequed food in resorts especially for room service, resorts are working around the problem. There are a number resorts in India that offer cottage setting where guests can enjoy open air barbeque cooking themselves. Ish Madan, country manager (India) of Coleman, says, "In such a scenario, portable equipment in the form of trolley and other necessities for barbeque cooking becomes a key selling point."

A new breed

This has initiated a whole new range of barbeque equipment. Apart from the industrial and commercial wood-based barbeque equipment which is heavy and used for mass production in a commercial setting, it was felt that there was a need to make it concise and apt for guests who are cooking themselves. Although a number of products are available in the market, innovation is giving barbeque equipment a new lease of life.

One of them is the idea to bring barbeque preparation right to the guest where the table is provided with an embedded pit for a live grill. Explains Chowdhury, "The concept at Barbeque Nation offers a unique experience and one of its kind 'Live Grill on the Table' concept to customers thus giving them an option of making their own food by marinating the barbeques with their preferred marinades and grilling them on their personal grills."

On the other hand, Coleman offers Campingaz barbeque sets for convenient outdoor use. "It comes with a long-lasting burner, a quick and easy trolley and two foldable side tables. The set has been designed for enabling direct view window and heat indicator. It is easy to assemble and store and therefore applicable for hotels with private areas for guests where small parties could be entertained," says Madan. The equipment incorporates a large enamelled cast iron grid with griddle cooking surface and three long-lasting cast iron tent burners with a large revolving lid for more controlled cooking and safety.

In case of Barbeque Nation, the concept of barbeque food takes place mostly in the see-through kitchen. It is only the last touch-up process that guests take over. "This fact of guest using skewers with oil and lemon juices appeals to them even if it is for the last finishing touches," says Chowdhury.

People are looking for exclusivity. According to Madan, resorts can actually take guest exclusivity to the next level by offering them barbeqyue facilities in their cottages or condominiums. "Barbeque is no more an out-and-out adventure activity; it has now entered into the lifestyle of young guests who wish to party even in a small group in a secluded atmosphere."