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THE COFFEE WEEK

THE COFFEE WEEK

By Prakriti Bhat

Coffee is the gasoline of life. For most of us, life begins after coffee. Le Meridien recently organized a Coffee Week from 22nd-28th June covering seven countries and exploring their coffee culture. 26th june was the date set apart for India. Going by the spread they had for us, they sure took their research seriously. From Latte art to coffee mocktails, they had it all. Coffee inspired artwork and sketched coffee cups set the mood for the event. Add to this, beautiful paintings by acclaimed artists and you have an evening of fun.

20150626_182607The opulent interiors of Le Meridien and the aroma of coffee give you an ethereal experience. The event co-organised by Palette Art Gallery had something for everyone. There was latte art where the barista created beautiful designs right in front of us. These were local designs of a peacock and the number five in numeral and devnagri script, marking the fifth day of their tour. Also, they served small coffee shots with a dash of cardamom. One the opposite side was a counter where you could make your own éclairs, kind of éclair art! Chef Divyank taught us how to fill the éclair shell and then decorate it as we like while Chef Vikas talked about the various flavours used for the éclair filling.

The famous French pastry, Éclair was prepared in various flavours. It was a perfect amalgamation of Indian and French cooking with local flavours like Darjeeling tea, jaggery and rose being incorporated into this popular delicacy. This led to four different flavours being presented at the event- Darjeeling Express, Rose and the classic ones like chocolate and vanilla. The Coffee mocktails came in three flavours- African Queen, Arabian Sunset and Spice trail. African Queen had banana as its dominant flavor while Spice Trail had a strong taste of cinnamon. Arabian Sunset was the only mocktail which had a perfect blend of coffee and the other ingredients like honey and cocoa powder. With so much of coffee and sweet éclairs, your taste buds definitely need a change. There were other snacks like croissant shaped sanwiches, salmon bagels and spicy tartlets. The spicy tartlets were like a westernized version of our Aloo Chaat, only with smaller potato cubes.

The organizers seemed to have done a thorough research in looking for local flavours to be integrated into the dishes and mocktails. They did their homework and they did it well! This effort was visible in the unique products that came out of all the trials and eerrors. Where else could you have got a Darjeeling tea flavoured éclair and a cardamom or cinnamon flavoured coffee mocktail? These ingenious ideas are worth appreciating.

Feel anything? Yes, that’s coffee calling out to you! Brew yourself some happiness!

Anubhav Sapra
Anubhav Sapra is an avid foodie! He is a Founder but proudly calls himself a Foodie-in-chief at Delhi Food Walks. He is also a street-food and Indian regional cuisine connoisseur and loves to write about street-food.
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Barista Meets Artista

Le Méridien New Delhi  presents  “Barista Meets Artista” at the India Art Fair 2015

Delhi witnesses Le Meridien’s international campaign ‘Inspiration Brewed Here’

Le Méridien New Delhi  in conjunction with India Art Fair 2015, South Asia’s largest contemporary Art Fair, played audience to a unique and interactive coffee and art performance by LM 100 member Esther Maasdam – The Global Latte artist along with visual artist -Sohan Jakhar.

This unusual art performance reinforces the brands commitment to coffee culture. The event was India’s introduction to the new year-long Inspiration Brewed Here campaign and that saw the appointment of Esther Maasdam as the first ever global latte artist for the brand. The Campaign was launched on November 11, 2014 at Le Méridien Vienna. Destination-inspired latte art is the first phase of the Inspiration Brewed Here campaign. Le Méridien will continue to announce new coffee programming throughout 2015 at hotels worldwide.

LM Coffee Art 31 Jan (1)Esther Maasdam, the global latte artist, said on the occasion “As a brand that targets the creative minded traveler, Le Meridien has given me this amazing platform through the Indian Art Fair’s seventh edition to showcase the splendour of latte art. Le Méridien encourages its guests to unlock each destination via locally-inspired programming and cuisine with an eye for the arts.  Merging my work in latte art with the inspiration that travel naturally brings is an exciting and unique challenge”

To find out more about Le Méridien, please visit www.lemeridien.com.

About the LM100 Creative Community

Le Méridien has introduced LM100, a group of cultural innovators of mixed generations and interdisciplinary artistic fields, chosen from the fields of art, architecture, cuisine, and design by Le Méridien’s Cultural Curator.  LM100 members will offer their creativity and develop original and interactive programs for Le Méridien hotels worldwide that will transform the guest experience.  LM100 members will curate Le Méridien’s interactive initiatives and propose other established or emerging talents that reflect the brand’s core values.

About Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts

Le Méridien, the Paris-born hotel brand currently represented by 100 properties in 50 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005.  With close to 80 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Méridien provided a strong international complement to Starwood’s then primarily North American holdings at the time of purchase. Since then, Le Méridien has gone through a brand re-launch, which included a large scale hotels product consolidation as well as redefining its brand strategy. By appointing a full-time Cultural Curator – French arts-provocateur Jérôme Sans – Le Méridien transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique and interactive experiences to its guests. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Méridien Hotels and Resorts within the next five years, concentrating in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific markets, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China. Le Méridien recently opened new hotels in Arlington (VA), Istanbul, Coimbatore (India), Koh Samui (Thailand), and Taipei, and will open in the next 12 months in Bali, Zhengzhou (China), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Suvarnabhumi (Thailand).  For more information, please visit www.lemeridien.com.

Anubhav Sapra
Anubhav Sapra is an avid foodie! He is a Founder but proudly calls himself a Foodie-in-chief at Delhi Food Walks. He is also a street-food and Indian regional cuisine connoisseur and loves to write about street-food.