Bakery brings in over 15 pc of our F&B revenue: Courtyard By Marriott Chef

Pastry Chef, Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon, Deepak Yadav,speaks to FoodService India on how by constantly innovating with healthy desserts, jar cakes,cake pops and many more products his hotel is able to pull in greater revenue and clientele and stay abreast of the industry trends…
How is your hotel promoting healthier fats & oils in bakery products?
Healthier fats and oils such as extra virgin olive oil are incorporated in various products such as focaccia bread, granola healthy bar etc. We speak to our regular clientele and promote the benefits of healthier oils and fats. These products are displayed in our buffet mentioning the health quotient as well as placed in our patisserie shop.
What are the cost-related challenges to promoting healthier fats and oils in your products?
Healthy oil such as extra virgin olive oil is expensive, therefore the usage has to be for selective products. Since the cost is high for the raw material, the pricing of the end product automatically increases, hence hampering sales at times.
Do you prepare your bakery and confectionery products in your own hotel by your own chefs or do you outsource them to outsiders?
All products ranging from breads, savouries, cakes, etc, are prepared in house by our team of chefs.
In terms of F&B consumption of these products at your outlets, roughly what would be their share?
For bakery and patisserie, it is 40 per cent followed by chocolates contributing 20 per cent.
In your opinion, what is the revenue generating potential of these products for hotel-based F&B outlets?
The potential is extremely high as the products that an outlet offers are of great quality and texture. Great deal of emphasis is given on the presentation and creativity, which in turn increases the revenue generation.
Which new experiments and innovations have you tried out for these products?
Recently we have added newer additions to our dessert spread such as Salted Lemon Madeleine and Stone Fruit Clafoutis. Following the current trends in the industry, our team of chefs are constantly innovating with healthy desserts, jar cakes, cake pops and many more.
Do you also promote handcrafted artisanal offerings for these products?
Breads, cakes, savouries and other products are made in-house with a lot of care and expertise for which traditional methods are followed for execution. These products are in constant demand by our regular guests.
Which are the new flavours for these products that are becoming popular?
Berries are always a hot selling product. However we have received positive feedback for white rum flavour and products that use yellow butter as the base ingredient.
Breakfast has been reinvented as a snack (Snackification of breakfast). So are you catering to this emerging trend?
Yes, we are catering to the emerging trend as many a times guests who have an early flight or early meetings tend to miss out on breakfast. In order to enhance their experience and offer them a high protein breakfast, the team prepares a goodie box which has savouries such as brioche, scallion cupcakes, chicken tarts, etc, with nuts and other products. This keeps the guests energized through the day.
What is your strategy for promoting these products in your outlets?
These products are displayed in our coffee shop. Moreover the team talks to our guests notifying them about the USPs of various offerings.
How much do they contribute to your total F&B revenue and what has been the value growth of these products at your outlets?
Bakery products contribute around 15-18 per cent of the total revenue. There is a great demand for pastry and baked products, especially for small celebrations, corporate events etc. Guests are opting for these products for their events, therefore adding to the revenue and value growth of these products.