Luring away the talented chefs with creative freedom, food tech companies are the new Pied Pipers

Guess where are the chefs of renowned eateries heading? Well, they are shifting kitchens for technologically enriched ones. Food-tech companies like Yumist, ChefSutra, Cook Gourmet, Petoo, and Bueno Foods have in renowned and upcoming chefs from leading hospitality brands to head kitchen operations and curate menus, informs a news report by The Economic Times.

What did the chefs gain? Of course, creative freedom. Besides, they get to build their own kitchen teams and develop menu items based on individual expertise.

As per the news report by the ET, Rohan Arora cofounded Gurgaon based Bueno Foods, which offers seven types of international cuisine, withVipul Arora(unrelatedto Rohan) and Puneet Jain, who came with 20 years of experience between them, from top brands including Olive Bar and Kitchen, Intercontinental in Delhi, TheOberoi and McDonalds.

"We are not outsourcing or subcontracting core aspects of our business, which is food," Rohan Arora, founder and CEO of BuenoFoods told the financial daily."WhenVipul came on board we had 80% of our menu ready and he changed nearly everything." On a cash basis, Vipul Arora and Puneet Jain get 40-50% lower compensation than the industry average, but the duo has been offered a stake in the company and the two run the entire show at the back-end from kitchen and supply-chain operations including sourcing ingredients.

They were responsible for trialling 2,500 dishes that was narrowed down to 30 items for the company's deliverymenuand400 for its catering and bulk ordering menu, based on demand, customer feed back and operational efficiencies of items that would survive delivery transits.

"I didn't want to work for someone else anymore and I wanted to do things myself. I have freedom here. Money was not a constraint, for me my passion is more important," said Vipul Arora.

Similarly, Amit Tyagi, who joined Yumist in March this year, doubled the food-tech company's menu from 20 and continues to add two-three dishes every week. For Tyagi, who has 10 years of experience across Taj Delhi, Pind Balluchi and Michelin Star restaurants in London, the challenge of curating quality daily food under strict cost controls was an attractive proposition. "I don't want a monotonous role for myself," said Tyagi, who also built up a kitchen team of 12. His zeal is reflected on social media, evident in an upswing of people raving about the quality and variety of food ever since the company got Tyagi on board, Alok Jain, founderand CEO of Yumist told the ET.

(Image: Huffington Post)