In 2004, late Dr Bill Gallagher implemented International Chefs
Day on October 20, to celebrate the profession, to share and pass on their
knowledge and culinary skills to children. The aim of the day was to help
children get excited about healthy food and the industry. International Chef’s
Day will be celebrated at Agnel Institute of Food Crafts and Culinary Sciences,
Verna by the Culinary Forum of Goa, which comprises of executive chefs of
various hotels in the state. This year marks the eight year wherein orphanages
along with their children and caretakers staff will be celebrating the day
along with noted chefs on October 20.
“This Thursday, we will be having a grand Diwali lunch for the
children from five orphanages in and around Margao. Our students who are
pursuing their three-year diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology
will get an opportunity to volunteer and work with noted chefs from Goa. They
will also set up the buffet table and make the necessary arrangements to put
the children at ease and make their experience memorable,” says Alphonso
Pereira, principal of Agnel Institute of Food Crafts And Culinary Sciences
(AIFCCS), Verna.
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Through the celebrations, the students of Agnel Institute of
Food Crafts And Culinary Sciences also get first hand knowledge of the pros and
cons of the profession. The day is being celebrated after a two-year gap due to
the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have five short term courses through the year at the
Institute. The students who are pursuing their diploma have to undergo a
one-month festive training in the month of December in their first year, a
five-month Industrial Release Training in their second year of the course and
in the third year, they start preparing for campus interviews,” says Alphonso,
about the batch of 79 students at AIFCCS.
Vice President of Culinary Forum of Goa Chef Sunit Sharma says,
“International Chefs Day celebrates professional chefs and their passion for
food. We encourage young children to lead an active life, enjoy good healthy
food and make a sustainable choice of food. We also encourage more young people
to take up this profession and join hospitality industry.”
The Culinary Forum of Goa consists of nearly 150 chefs as its
members and is exclusively meant for professional chefs from the region of Goa
or those who are working in Goa. This regional forum was set up in 2007 and has
been growing with new members. “This is one gathering that all the chefs look
forward to as we can interact with the children and they can even see us at
work through the open kitchen system at the venue. Most of the cooking is done
in the hotel but some dishes are prepared here. We love to answer questions by
the children. They also get to experience good food and want to know more about
the dishes that they are eating. As chefs, our duty is hospitality and making
everyone eat healthy,” says Chef Sunit, who is working as a consultant for
restaurants in Goa.
A
total of 300 children from Konseisanv Balgram Agnel Ashram, Verna, St Anthony’s
Home, Verna, Lar de Santa Terezinha, Margao, Fr Agnel Niketan Orphanage and
Home for Boys (SFX), Pilar and Aasra Muslim Child Orphanage in Benaulim will be
served mac and cheese by Chef Mahesh Ishwar (Radisson Blu), chicken lollipops
by Chef Clarence D’Souza (Casino Gold by Golden Porch Entertainment), vegetable
ball manchurian by Chef Vinayak Rokade (Lemon Tree Hotel), gulab jamun by
Kamaxi Institute, vegetable fried rice by Chef Yogender Uniyal (Planet
Hollywood), pizza by Navneet (Radiant Foods) and French fries by Ratish (Mc
Cains). The children will also be treated with cake by Chef Kunal Arolkar,
tetra pack juice and brownie by Chef Jerry Dias, chocolates by Chef Pratik Roy,
dry groceries by Chef Gurdeep Singh and wafer chocolates by Arihant Trading.
Chefs from the forum who will attend the programme will include Chef Ranjeet
Pandey, president, Chef Sunit Sharma, vice president, Chef Farooq Baig,
committee member, Chef Rodwin Rodrigues, Chef Sarita Chavan and Chef Arun Vats.
