Multiple mini-restaurants are popular at weddings.
Managing the slowdown means paring the guest list, but the sky is still the limit as far as the food is concerned.
Luxury weddings are feeling the bite of the slump - but there’s no cutting corners when it comes to food. Leading wedding planners, hotels and caterers to the rich and famous say that while the economic slowdown has hit spending on marriages - even those of the super wealthy - the great Indian wedding spread remains well and truly insulated.
From hiring Swiss truffle makers, noodle pullers from Xian and pizza acrobats from Naples, to keto counters and exotic health food, new highs of innovation and extravagance are being scaled on the food front, even in these times of cutbacks.
Vinit Mody, partner at Chetak Caterers, which serves the wealthiest Marwari and Gujarati families, said that while some clients are paring guest numbers or even reducing the number of functions, spending on food continues to go up.
Top wedding planner Vandana Mohan agreed. “Weddings are not insulated from the slowdown,” said the founder of Wedding Design Co., the go-to planner for celebrities and top business families, including the Jindals and the Mittals. “A wedding will happen but the scale at which it happens will differ. Spends will be on food and drinks as Indians love to feed their guests. The slowdown will be on gifting, the décor etc.”
Guests at a recent wedding in Hyderabad were treated to macarons and ice creams made by chefs from the 157-year-old Parisian luxury bakers and sweets maker Ladurée, said Varun Tuli, managing director of gourmet caterers FoodInc by Yum Yum Tree. International chefs are flown down in business or first class to prepare for the wedding food menu.
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“The drive is to stand out and give an experience that cannot be gotten anywhere,” Tuli said. At another wedding by FoodInc, molecular gastronomy chefs from the Spanish Basque Culinary Institute treated guests to edible balloons, which are served only at the Michelin-starred restaurant Alinea in Chicago. Pizza acrobats from Naples were roped in for an entrepreneur’s wedding in Delhi.
“International chefs are flown down in business or first class--they have as many demands as any star,” said Mody.
At a recent high-end wedding in Rajasthan, the host had a team flown in from Confiserie Sprüngli in Switzerland at a cost of nearly Rs 50-60 lakh just so that the guests could experience live truffle making firsthand.
Well-travelled clients are making informed choices and demanding authentic food, Mohan said. Think burrata makers from a small village in Italy, local chefs from Kolkata for hilsa and ragi dosa makers from the south. “We’ve brought chefs from Surat for Surti locho, from Surendranagar to make fafras and jalebis, from Indore to make garadu chaat and bhutte ka kees,” Mody said. For one wedding, Amritsari food was made with water from the city because chefs said it made a big difference to the taste.
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What about the cost? “Rs 10,000 per head an evening is nothing--it can go up to Rs 20,000-25,000. Basically, the sky’s the limit,” said Anjan Chatterjee, chief executive of Speciality Restaurants, which operates Mainland China and Oh! Calcutta. At the spirit counters, gin bars with a variety of gins and gin-infused cocktails are a hit. The idea is to have intimate functions with smaller guest lists, but spend on maximising the experience, said Tina Tharwani, cofounder, Shaadi Squad, which organised the Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli nuptials.
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The economic slowdown has had an effect, said Arjun Chadha, an ex-Taj chef who now runs Culinary Affaire, a catering service. “Lots of people are preferring destination weddings even as close to Agra amd Jaipur so that the number of people reduce and budget remains same,” he said.
Also popular are multiple mini-restaurants. During the wedding of a Bangkokbased Indian entrepreneur this year, guests could sit down at mini-versions of celebrated Japanese, Korean, Thai and French restaurants, said Bhraman Rattan, founder, Wedabout.com, a wedding planning website.
At the spirit counters, gin bars with a variety of gins and gin-infused cocktails are a hit, said Tharwani. Mehak Shahani, cofounder of WedMeGood, said that one client even asked for gummy bears drenched in alcohol.
Health food is also trending. A bride from a Chennai business family asked for a keto counter during her wedding, said Tharwani. At another, uberhealthy poke bowls, a Hawaiian dish made of raw marinated fish, rice and vegetables, were served. Mohan said “boost counters” are also popular, serving mixes of fruits and vegetables.
Serve The Best Meal At Your Luxe Destination Wedding
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If there's one thing that leaves a lasting impression on the minds of weddings guests, it's the food served. However, not everybody gets it right. Delhi-based chef and Indus Culinary director Marut Sikka says usually that's the case at destination weddings. So, if you're set to tie the knot at a luxury destination, Sikka lists out some pointers for the menu:
If there's one thing that leaves a lasting impression on the minds of weddings guests, it's the food served. However, not everybody gets it right. Delhi-based chef and Indus Culinary director Marut S..
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One of the first thing Sikka cautions is to avoid glassware at beach weddings as people tend to drop them or accidentally fall, thereby making the beach dangerous for guests to walk on. "I would suggest using disposable wares and cutlery like bamboo, degradable paper and some plastics." Going by the chill vibe of the beach, Sikka suggests serving cold foods and street food from across the world like pizzas, frittata, burgers, hotdogs, kebabs and chaat, rather than a formal sit-down dinner.
One of the first thing Sikka cautions is to avoid glassware at beach weddings as people tend to drop them or accidentally fall, thereby making the beach dangerous for guests to walk on. "I would sugg..
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The open space gives you a chance to keep things interactive — think open-air counters like barbeques, tandoors, grills and stir fries. "I would make everything off the fi re and on to the plate. Everything should lend to drama and an interactive feel," says Sikka. A formal, sitdown meal with beautiful table settings would be ideal here.
The open space gives you a chance to keep things interactive — think open-air counters like barbeques, tandoors, grills and stir fries. "I would make everything off the fi re and on to the plate. Eve..
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If it's a day cruise, Sikka suggests going qualitative over quantitative as space is a constraint. "It's important to have a variety of food inserted in time slots, if you can't lay it out in one spread," he says.
If it's a day cruise, Sikka suggests going qualitative over quantitative as space is a constraint. "It's important to have a variety of food inserted in time slots, if you can't lay it out in one spr..
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In foreign or exotic locations, attention should be given to local ingredients. "I would suggest planning a menu that is structured around local produce as much as you can." he says.
In foreign or exotic locations, attention should be given to local ingredients. "I would suggest planning a menu that is structured around local produce as much as you can." he says.
Considering the environment there is very sensitive, Sikka recommends simple, clean food that doesn't create a mess. "Opt for a sit-down dinner which creates minimal fuss and mess. Pastas, fondue and Japanese food would lend very well. If you want a buffet, the food can't be very oily and you can't have live counters as the smoke may damage the delicate interiors."
Considering the environment there is very sensitive, Sikka recommends simple, clean food that doesn't create a mess. "Opt for a sit-down dinner which creates minimal fuss and mess. Pastas, fondue and..
