Exclusive Interview | Ravikant Pathak | President : Varanasi Chef's Association
/“Do not jump to advance cooking before learning basics”
Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchen you worked in?
Ans: I remember my first exposure in the kitchen while working Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, I was a student that time and I went through college to work for the hotel for a very big Party . I was very much inspired by the chefs with whom I worked in that little span of time and I decided that I have to do only this after my graduation exposure was super fantastic. I believe many of us who do hotel management have a desire to become a Chef but let me suggest it doesn't work all the time. The Atmosphere of the kitchen is very operational and very rapid and the short kitchen has to accept you too!
Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
Ans: As a Chef I think you have to be updated and innovative. The business demands the same if you are not updated with the current trends it means you will always struggle to meet the ease of operation compared to others. You need to think like a scientist , you will be expected to be creative and you need fantastic leadership qualities as well if you wish to head any good property .
Editor: What advice would you give to a young culinary student?
Ans: The Culinary students should follow all the primary guidelines given by their Professors in college they need to follow the discipline and have to be self studious too. Do not jump to advance cooking before learning basics . Refer to books like “Theory of cookery” or books by Chef Parvinder Singh Bali . Keep your kitchen kit nicely and respect the uniform you wear. Learn from internet sources if they are useful try to implement. Most important is to learn Indian cuisine deeply and try to get more exposure by traveling. Choose your chef wisely under whom you want to go for training during your industrial training or during your Job in hotels .
Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
Ans: I examine that the candidate who has expressed their interest to work with us are following:
A) Basics
B) Attitude
C) skills
D) Ideas
E) Hygiene during trials
F) Communication Skills
Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
Ans: There are so many changes happening few are good few are negative especially after the pandemic .
Technology is playing a very vital role these days it feels like digitalisation is going to make the operations more easy than before .
The sustainable development practices are been widely used nowadays that's is also a new culture that we are witnessing.
People are getting more health conscious though all over the world hotels are trying to please their guests as per their satisfaction.
Young entrepreneurs and travellers are our maximum guest nowadays so their expectations are very high and the hotels are perfectly meeting their criteria .
Ease of passing information for a property is easy because of the clients valuable feedback we can acknowledge the services given by the property and it also helps us to improve the services.
Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry.
Ans: Our Indian hotel industry is very beautiful and structured. What I wish to see two changes is to upgrade the old type operations some of the hotels are still working the way back hotels were working in 2000.
The second change that I would wish to see is to create more properties i.e. hotels should plan aggressive expansion so that the reach could be good to assist the guest and we will be also able to generate more employment which is again a very major issue .
Editor: What books should every chef read?
Ans: “How to cook Indian” by MasterChef Sanjeev Kapoor is one of my favourite recipe books apart from it I loved reading Floyed on fish , The Art of simple food by Alice water , Mastering the art of French cooking by Julia child and there are many more .
