Five-stars hotels growing own veggies or sourcing from local growers to save money

MUMBAI: Stay seasonal, stay local — that’s one principle Taj Vivanta’s celebrated executive chef Ananda Solomon swears by. A number of five-star hotels have taken the lesson to heart and are investing in their own kitchen gardens — not only do they get to ensure the best farming standards, they also save a lot of money because this means saving on the exorbitant prices they need to pay for imports.

And it’s not just exotic varieties — five-star hotels are tilling the land and growing tomatoes and pumpkins in their own farms, virtually in their own backyards.

Can’t Afford Imports Anymore: Harrisson


The upcoming ITC Grand Bharat Golf & Spa Resort in Manesar near Gurgaon will have an 11-acre farm where it will grow vegetables and herbs, and train the hotel’s chefs on the flavours of India. Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai has acquired use of a farmland near Mumbai, where it grows vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes.

“We can’t afford to import them anymore,” said Andrew Harrisson, general manager at Four Seasons. He’s awaiting the first crop of heirloom tomatoes in a few months. By growing their own farm products, hotels save almost 50% on vegetable costs that include storage, transport, import and the margins of middlemen.

With a rise in the number of people eating out, and despite local restaurants giving hotels a run for their money, almost 50% of revenues for a star hotel come from food and beverage sales. Naturally, margins from F&B could be even higher if hotels can reduce costs. Sample this. While 1 kg of oyster mushrooms cost Rs 800 when imported, the same can be bought at Rs 300-400 from local farms.

Heirloom tomatoes imported from the Netherlands costRs 1,000-1,500 per kg while locally produced ones can be bought for Rs 120-150 a kg. San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy costRs 1,300-1,800 per kg while locally grown ones cost Rs 120 per kg. Thai Bird’s Eye Chilli imported from the country of origin costsRs 600-850 per kg while hotels can buy those grown in India at Rs 110 per kg. The number of hotels opting for local produce is rising.

Bangalore-based First Agro, which started producing exotic greens in 2011, works with hotels such as Ritz Carlton, JW Marriott, Hyatt, Oberoi and Taj. Gauging the demand for fresh produce in hotel chains, last year the company floated a separate business unit, known as Chef Garden, which targets large hotel chains. Local sourcing also means controlling wastage.

“By the time the imported produce reaches hotel kitchens, almost 40% is wasted, which is a loss of money,” said Naveen MV, managing director of First Agro. The company grows exotic vegetables such as a pepper from Trinidad called Bishop’s Crown, Peruvian chilli called Aji Amarillo, Japanese greens such as Mizuna and Mitsuba besides Thai greens, all of which are largely sourced by hotel chains.

While some hotels that do not have space to grow their own veggies are reaching out to people such as Naveen to source their greens, there are others who are either using their own land like ITC or are hiring farmlands nearby such as Four Seasons. Fresh produce right off a garden next to the signature restaurant of a hotel also works well in terms of flavour and taste.

The Pondichery Cafe at the Sofitel Hotel in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla business district has a small kitchen garden next to the all-day dining restaurant growing cherry tomatoes, Italian basil, oregano, eggplant and several varieties of edible flowers such as lavender and chrysanthemum. “You can grab a handful of ripe tomatoes for a dish whenever you need,” said Indrajit Saha, executive chef of the hotel.

Biswajit Chakraborty, general manager, said they have plans to replicate the concept even in the other open areas around the hotel.