A Michelin Star-studded Affair

The third edition of CSSG,a charity organisation,has invited celebrity chefs to raise money

In India,most charity events are incomplete without film celebrities,who usually determine the success of the event. Creative Services Support Group (CSSG) believes in the celebrity draw too. For the third edition of its annual summit of CSSG Summit 2013,there are nine international Michelin star chefs as participants.

The summit,which will celebrate Food and Art this year,will be held between Mumbai and Delhi from September 28 to October 5. The list of participating chefs includes,the ten-times Michelin Star chef Frances Atkins of The Yorke Arms in North Yorkshire,apart from Ian Currey,Mark Best,Alyn Williams,Michael Wignall,Roger Pizey,Laurie Gear,Marcello Tully and Fernando del Cerro. Indian chefs Ritu Dalmia and Jatin Mallick among others are also part of the initiative.

The five-day event will take off in Mumbai with the chefs hosting breakfasts and dinners for guests (by invitation only) on Saturday and Sunday at Lodha Towers,Lower Parel. On October 1,it will move to Delhi where the chefs will be conducting masterclasses and will deliver talks at select culinary schools. The art aspect will be in tandem with the central theme of food we have invited artists Carl Warner and Le Cellule to set up their installations in Delhi, says Anand Kapoor,President,CSSG. Two opera artistes from the renowned group Glynderborne will also perform on October 3 in Delhi. CSSG will conclude the event by launching a cook book,titled Taste,which has recipes by Vikas Khanna,and Vineet Bhatia among others.

The weight of what it attempts to achieve has given charity a rather sombre and serious perception. But CSSG in India is trying to change that and make it more exciting. Only then will we be able to get our guests to contribute, says Kapoor.

Also,CSSG,which is attached to the NGO Teach India this year,hopes to use the opportunity for networking to train youth attached to their organisation at culinary schools and eventually place them at standalone restaurants. Most organisations help children with vocational training and placements. Thats where we try to help, says Kapoor.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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