Arabian Nights A Food Festival organized by Suryadatta College of Hospitality Management Travel and Tourism

Suryadatta Hospitality Management Students Organized

 “ARABIAN NIGHTS– A UNIQUE FOOD FESTIVAL”

Shri. Magdum, General Manager, Bank of Maharashtra appreciate student’s efforts & express such efforts should be taken all of giving practical exposure & developing entrepreneurial skills along with confidence among the students.

SCHMTT is a part of the Suryadatta Group of Institutes which was established in 1999. It is affiliated to the University of Pune approved by D.T.E and recognized by Government of Maharashtra. It is also a study center of the YCMOU (Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University)

The Competition Success Review’s April 2011 edition ranked SCHMTT 3rd amongst Hospitality Colleges in Western India. The Competition Success Review-GHRDC 2008 ranked SCMIRT’s Hospitality Management & Travel Tourism 18 in the category of top 50 Hotel Management Institutes in India and 7th in the State of Maharashtra.

Suryadatta Group of Institutes has been recognized as ‘Best Integrated campus for Higher Education’ in Pune by Brands Academy Delhi. The award was given by Dr Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for HRD.

Ever since its inception in 2004, SCHMTT has strived for an all round development for the students. In addition to their regular academic curriculum our students also actively participate and organize Food Festivals and theme lunches, thus sharpening their skills in Marketing, Event Management and Function Catering. Internships in Hotels in India as well as abroad add to their practical experience of the Industry. This year our students have gone to Singapore and last year they had gone to Germany for their internships.  The workshops and seminars organized by the College give the student opportunities to interact with eminent personalities from the Industry and update their knowledge of the Hospitality business. SCHMTT has a 100% placement record and our alumni are working in good positions in star rated hotels in India and abroad.

In its endeavor to train students in all the practical aspects of hospitality operations SCHMTT regularly organizes Food festivals The planning and execution of the Food Festival provides the students a hands on experience in event management, guest handling and food and beverage operational skills. In the past SCHMTT has organized food festivals with different themes – Street Flavors of Asia, Kebab-e- que .Flavors of Maharashtra and Italian

This year the theme was – ‘Arabian Nights’. It was held on Saturday 9th March 2013 at the campus in Bavdhan.

The mystical Middle East is associated with mystery, suspense, excitement and The Arabian Night tales. The most famous example of Arabic fiction is the One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights), easily the best known of all Arabic literature .The Arabian Nights stories are some of the world’s great treasures. They have existed for thousands of years, consisting of tales told in Persia, Arabia, India and Asia.  Some of the famous stories of The Nights, which we all are aware of are

“Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp“, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor

Essential to any cooking in the Arabian Peninsula is the concept of hospitality and generosity. Arab food includes a lot of rice and meats , with heavy emphasis on yoghurt products .Lamb, yogurt, mint, thyme (often in a mix called za’atar),  sesame, curry powder, saffron, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, rice (the staple), and, in coastal areas, fish are all main foods of the Arab world. This cuisine also favors vegetables such as cucumbers, eggplants, and onions, and fruits. There is thus a similarity in the usage of ingredients between Indian and Arab cuisine but whereas Indian food relies heavily on curries and is hot, Arab food on the other hand is usually not spicy. Nevertheless the cuisine of the Middle East appeals to the Indian palate and is one of the more popular cuisines

The décor and ambience transported the guests to the deserts of Arabia. On one side there was ‘Majlis’ seating – with mattresses and cushions and sheer curtains which shone in the light. Contributing to the ambience were lanterns and mock hookahs.

As the guests arrived they were served Sharbats in different flavours.. A live Grill counter offered Chicken Shawarma, Sheesh Touk (succulent grilled pieces of chicken ), Hallowni Cheese and Vegetable shaslik. The buffet had a selection of salads and dips( tabouleh , falafel, humus and babaganoush etc;)and the main course had dishes made with bulgur wheat, coucous and chickpeas in addition to the chicken and meat dishes. There was a wide variety of sweets – the baklava and cheese cake and omali were well appreciated.

There was entertainment for the guests too – the students performed various dances and there were games and a lucky draw – the prizes were vouchers from hotels in Pune – Marriott, Ista, Raddisson etc;

The festival had many sponsors – Venky’s , Food Craft Caterers, Modern dairy, Ace Apparel, Libaas, Rajpal photographers to name a few.

400 guests attended the Festival. Professionals from the Industry – Mr. Sanjay Kumar – Training manager Westin Hotel, Mr Sandeep Pusdekar- Hospitality Consultant, Ms Ayesha Barse – HR Manager of Marriott City Centre, Ms Meenakshi from President Hotel graced the occasion. Representatives of newspapers and faculty from other Hotel Management Colleges also attended the Festival.

The aim of the food festival was to train the students in the art of Sales and Marketing in addition to the practical operational skills. By presenting Arabian cuisine in an Arabian Nights setting the festival also aimed at introducing the guests to the culture and cuisine of  this region .

The guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and greatly appreciated the efforts of the students and Faculty.