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Beryl's Gourmet chef tips Indians on chocolate making
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Wednesday, 15 December, 2010, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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 Chef Jose, popular with his colleagues as “Joy,” flew all the way from Malaysia to promote the chocolates made by his company Beryl's Gourmet and sold by Rayyan Impex of Mumbai. He was chased particularly by women at the Bakery Business 2010 event, organised by the Hospitality First Group, for the demos that he presented to showcase different techniques in crafting chocolates. Food & Beverage News catches up with him on a chat. Excerpts:
What are you here for?
I am here to present to the people who are attending the exhibition (Bakery Business 2010) demos for professional chocolate making. A lot of chcolateers, housewives and chefs blame the chocolate for the mistakes made by them while crafting one. But the fault never lies in the chocolate, it is with the way it is made. I am here to show the people the correct technique of making chocolates.
How has your company progressed in India?
Beryl’s Gourmet chocolate production is 200-250 metric tonnes. We export chocolates to India, Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia. Many companies from several other countries are demanding our chocolates and we are trying our best to accommodate everyone.
We started exporting chocolates through our export partner Rayyan Impex in India just a year ago
(November 2009). Rayyan Impex of Arife Lamoulde Group got us business here and helped us to market our creation in this country and customise the chocolates as per the customers’ demands. Rayyan Impex which started with a Rs 50,000 turnover now has become a Rs 8-crore company in a period as short as one year. The progress is obvious.
What are your plans for the Indian market?
First we intend to capture more than 50% market for imported chocolates. Eventually, in the next 5 years, we have planned to set up a Beryl's plant in this country. The land has already been acquired at Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and the projected investment for the project would be around $2 million.
There are a number of chocolate making companies in India and also the country imports some good brand of chocolates. How will your chocolates stand apart?
Beryl's chocolates are of premium quality, made in Asia but almost European in taste. Our cocoa beans are from a single European origin which helps in maintaining the consistency of taste. Thus an Asian country making European chocolates at an Asian price is a plus that our chocolates could boast of. I am insisting on the European taste because all of us here know the benchmark Europe has created for itself in chocolate making.
What do you know about India's chocolate industry?
All I know is that the market is growing for chocolates. The growing middle class, upper class and urban consumers have given this industry a boost.
In Asia, India is the biggest market for chocolates given their liking for sweets. Chinese don't really have a sweet tooth. There is a clear shift from mithais to chocolates in India. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Bangalore and Chennai are the chocolate regions of India.
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