Our Trip to India: high-quality pastry training

The so good… magazine team, through its chief editor Carlos Barrachina, has had the opportunity to visit outstanding professional pastry schools in India, thanks to the invaluable collaboration of chef Tejasvi Chandela, who has just been recognized as a New Talent by Cacao Barry & La Liste. The so good collaborator, whose collaboration with the Gremio de Barcelona Pastry School directed by Olivier Fernández stands out, travels to training centers throughout the country and around the world to show to what extent traditional Indian techniques and flavors are compatible with modern European-style pastry.

Indian School of Hospitality

The first stop on our trip was the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) in Gurugram (Haryana) which offers programs in association with two of the world’s leading higher education institutes: Ecole Ducasse and Les Roches.

Led by Aabhas Jain (Associate Director-Culinary Studies) and Zubin D’Souza (Ph.D, CHA, CFBE, and Dean culinary and Practical Arts), we verify that the purpose of this school is to offer an international quality of education through world class infrastructure, faculty, and resources in an environment that fosters creativity and innovation. As Jain recently explained to us in an interview, “at ISH, we believe that we are helping to nurture the future leaders of the industry.”

During the two days we spent in this center we also met Sagar Deepak and his wife Manisha, owners of The Butler Hotel Supermarket, a long-established distribution company in pastry products and accessories throughout the country.

Tejasvi Chandela: pastry and bean to bar

Subsequently, we went to Jaipur to visit the two Tejasvi Chandela establishments: Dzurt, the first pastry shop that opened in the town and that seduces with preparations that are somewhere between Europe and India, and All Things, a space dedicated to the preparation of bean to bar chocolates where it uses only Indian cocoa from Idukki in Kerala, in the Malabar region, in the south of the country.

Despite her youth, this chef without a doubt is one of the great promoters of Western-inspired pastry in India due to her talent and ambition, something that did not surprise us once we met her family, all of whom are closely linked to the hospitality industry. The cherry on top of the visit came when we participated in a press conference dedicated to her career, recently recognized by La Liste.

Lavonne Academy

From Jaipur we go to Bangalore to discover the Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts, whose purpose is to create world class ambassadors in the field of ‘Patisserie’ & ‘Boulangerie’, ambassadors who constantly strive for excellence, update and research, learn, unlearn and relearn, while meticulously caring about resources, the environment, and society.

We were welcomed by two of its co-founders, Avin Thaliath and Vinesh Johny, whom we have known for many years and who has been a regular contributor to the magazine. In addition, they invited us to give a talk to the students about the way the gastronomic media works and the importance of training as a great bet for the future of the profession.

School for European Pastry (SEP)

The last stop is in Mumbai to visit SEP School for European Pastry, which defends that being a pastry chef is like creating a beautiful painting or making music. Therefore, one of its tasks is to provide the necessary tools to learn to combine ingredients, textures, and flavors, without losing sight of the presentation.

At the airport we were greeted by two of its promoters, chef Anil Rohira, another historical collaborator of the magazine and with whom we have a decades-long friendship, and Vikas Bagul, with extensive experience in the sector. After an unforgettable welcome, we were informed for the first time of the opening of a new school in New Delhi in the first quarter of 2024.

After this exciting trip, we can only highlight the high level of all the schools, with very professional teaching teams, first-class facilities and equipment, and students with an exquisite education. All of them are doing an exceptional job to guarantee the continuity and talent of this wonderful profession and to increase the culture of haute patisserie in the country. This experience encourages us to continue defending, promoting,  and supporting quality training, the same with which we constantly welcome new talents around the world.