There are Huge Opportunities for Chefs in the Emerging Economy – Shijil Unnikutttan, GM Lilygate Hotels
Chefs in Nigeria and Africa have been advised to enhance their skills and business acumen to reap from huge opportunities for Chefs in the emerging economy. Giving this advice is the GM of LilyGate Hotels, Shijil Unnikutttan, at the recently concluded 2018 Hospitality All Africa People Imbizo (HAAPI) Festival. He stated this while speaking on the subject, “The Changing Trend in Eating Habits.”
According to Shijil Unnikutttan, the emerging opportunities for Chefs stems from the growing role and attention to tourism and hospitality, changes in the economy, growth in GDP and in the number of SMEs, increased industrialization, organizational structure and from changes in people and family Lifestyles. He pointed out that “people now cook less at home, there are no more full time housewives while social media is dominating everywhere and have subsequently created a lot of dining economy leading to the establishment of various types of restaurants and hotels. Even the supermarkets are now setting up food segments and bakeries”.
“Also are mobile restaurants and mobile food deliveries and these businesses cannot survive without the Chef”. These, he pointed out, present opportunities for Chefs to serve as Celebrity Chefs, Chef Managers, Chef trainers, Chef and Cuisine Consultants, Master Chefs, Executive Chefs, Restaurant Owners, Hotel managers, etc. The Chefs, he said, “should be prepared to embrace these opportunities as they emerge and as people come up with different dining concepts”.
Many restaurants and hotels employ pastry chefs, pantry chefs and separate chefs for looking after poultry and butchering requirements.
“Food is the biggest art in the World and Chefs are at the helm. The profit of restaurant businesses lies with the Chef. But to fully achieve these Chefs must enhance their skills, be business minded and understand concepts such as return on investment, operational management, marketing, purchasing management, human resources management and the art of negotiation”, Mr. Shijil Unnikutttan added.
The Hospitality All Africa People Imbizo (HAAPI 2018) Festival was organized by African Chefs United (ACU) and hosted in Nigeria by the Association of Professional Chefs. The event attracted Chefs from various African countries and sponsorships from many organizations including Eko Hotels, Nestle Nigeria, Protea Hotel, Timeless Memories, PCT, Hospitality Business School Nigeria, Lilygate Hotel, LoungeThirty8, Lekki Leisure Lake Hotel, NISA Food and Techno Trading Enterprise.
