Shivaraja Ningappa, site chef and Elior culinary champion, and Anthony Anandakumar, leading executive chef, presented their award-winning concept ‘Zest & Zeera’ at a number of Elior UK’s client sites. They delivered over 300 covers as guests savoured India’s rich culinary heritage - from aromatic dishes such as moringa quinoa khichdi, tandoori spiced broccoli, and coastal Malabar prawn curry, to decadent jackfruit desserts. Further to these experiences, the chefs engaged with Elior’s culinary teams as a knowledge transfer exercise, allowing for an authentic, hands-on experience with these cuisines that can be then delivered at Elior’s sites across the country. 

To give the Indian guests of honour a taste for the British culinary landscape, a trip to The Universal Cookery & Food Festival was provided, where they connected with local farmers, growers, and suppliers, as well as some of the industry's top chefs and experts. 

Shivaraja Ningappa, site chef and winner of Elior India’s culinary competition said “It was an incredible experience getting to share our culture and cuisine with such an open and willing audience. We received wonderful feedback and fed many happy customers across our time in the country. Being able to learn, share and experience is such a vital part of being a chef, and the reception we received here was very rewarding.” 

Anthony Anandakumar, executive chef added “Indian culture and cuisine is such a bright and celebratory thing, and being able to share that with a whole new culture and country was incredibly exciting. Witnessing people try dishes that we created for the very first time can be a nervy experience but everyone was so open and willing to try and even cook themselves. I couldn’t ask for more than that.” 

Peter Joyner, director of food at Elior UK said “The Chef Exchange Program is a wonderful way to bring the global arms of our Elior team under one roof. To experience and help capture the vibrancy of this food being created was an absolute pleasure. Watching knowledge being transferred in real time, helping to craft beautiful and interesting food, is something really special. We’re now leveraging Elior’s global relationships to help give clients something they can’t simply find on the high street. It’s a very exciting time.”