|  The brainchild of Farzana Contractor, owner and editor-in-chief of the UpperCrust food and lifestyle magazine, the UpperCrust Food & Wine Show is a food and wine trade fair which features products and services from the F & B industry as well as a range of related products made by market leaders and renowned brands of the world. The Show also serves as a launching pad for young entrepreneurs.
Several Indian wine producers including Sula, Grover Zampa, Reveilo, Kiara Wines, Pause, Myra and Rio are taking part in the show along with a couple of importers like FinewinesNMore, giving visitors an opportunity to taste a variety of wines before purchasing.
The Wine Alley, a charming row of attractively designed booths which allow visitors to taste umpteen number of Indian and imported wines, is a big draw since it helps them decide not only which wine they actually like and want to buy but also which ones to stock up for the festive season. The visitors also get an opportunity to taste the new releases and vintages.
‘It is a great show for us to interact with our end consumers, let them taste our wines and gather important feedback This year, we will showcase our new range of sparkling wines which we recently launched and have received a tremendous response on. So there are many reasons to visit our stall and a few more sparkling ones to celebrate,’ says Deepak Bhatnagar, the Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing of Sula which participates every year.
Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO of Grover Zampa says, ‘we are participating in UpperCrust show which has always remained a good platform for B2C interaction. We will be using this opportunity to showcase our new wines and latest vintages that have won 8 international awards recently.’
Farzana Contractor says with a sense of pride, ’“For 10 years now, we have been at it, bringing a multitude of people together on a common platform, educating them, making them understand nuances of wine drinking. I see a huge difference today with more people not just drinking wine but enjoying it too. Earlier they went about it gingerly, now they are a lot more confident and knowledgeable.’
A wide range of olive oils- infused, extra virgin, cold press, etc., featuring some of India's best known labels: like Monini, Farell, Azafran, Bertolli, Borges, Figaro, Leonardo etc. will be present to show the consumers the benefits of olive oil and the variety of oils now being imported
The show brings together under one roof several food products. One can taste Basilur Teas, sauces and dips from American Garden, Dr Oetkers range of muesli and cake mixes, a variety of international food brands from Tree of Life and Regal Speciality Foods, Maido International with their Japanese sauces and snacks, ready-to-eat Indian delicacies, Cantina Mexicana, Japanese Choice, Al Kabeer, Cambay Prawns, health foods from Mississippi, teas and spices from Organic India, herbs & spices from Snappin-to name some, and a horde of mouth watering foods and exotic ingredients.
Besides food, there is a Food Court and a Live Kitchen with the city’s most sought after chefs who will give live cooking demos. There will also be several popular restaurants serving their speciality foods. There are also talks by celebrity hoteliers, restaurateurs and important people from the F&B business.
 Another highlight of the show is the Celebrity Chef Contest with Chef Ajay Chopra (Westin), Chef Kelvin Cheung (Ellipses), Chef Irfan Pabaney (Sassy Spoon), Chef Mayank Tiwari (Olive Bar & Kitchen) and Chef Lawrence Leo (Chao Ban) kicking up a storm, before being judged by a panel of foodies.
"People are really eager to try new cuisines at home. We make connoisseurs out of food buffs with our food and wine appreciation workshops. Through this Show not only do we try to make available the ingredients which are otherwise difficult to obtain, but also instill confidence in food lovers to go home and experiment in their kitchens, " says Farzana Contractor.
In Mumbai, the Show is a much awaited annual event attracting around one and a half lakh consumers, trade and industry professionals, curious foodies from far and wide and notable experts who take audiences through the subtleties and nuances of eating, drinking and cooking through live and interactive workshops.
There are no entrance charges. For details, visit http://www.theuppercrustshow.com
Tags: Farzana Contractor, UpperCrust |