The Table’s bar program has shifted focus towards spirits and cocktails from just wine in recent years, reveals founder and partner of Food Matters India, Gauri Devidayal.
Farm to ‘The Table’ concept is at the very core of this progressive and award-winning restaurant. Three main elements —variety, value, and discovery —have helped build a successful wine and cocktail menu, believes restaurateur Gauri Devidayal. The Table focuses on the quality of ingredients over complexity since it opened its doors in 2011.
It’s all about spirits
However, just like the situation in every other industry now, skilled manpower remains the biggest challenge for the F&B industry. “Manpower is probably the most significant challenge now. There are also many policy-related hurdles, which have been ongoing for a few years now,” says Devidayal.
Despite myriad challenges, The Table has been running an effective bar program for years. “Our bar program has certainly evolved over the years from being more wine-centric to now having an equal focus on spirits and cocktails. Over and above our listing, we also do a fortnightly special that highlights either a certain spirit brand or wine cluster. We also host a monthly wine training session called Vinopedia to make wine fun and less intimidating for our guests,” she explains.
According to her, when The Table opened its doors in 2011, it was one of the first restaurants to offer almost a third of the 60-70 label long wine list by the glass. “And, not just by the glass, but also a half glass,” she adds. The focus, she says, has always been to encourage diners to try more wines without feeling compelled to order a whole bottle or even a full glass. “I have also been a big proponent of the domestic wine industry especially, because, given our location in the heart of Mumbai’s tourist district, most foreigners are curious to try homegrown brands,” elaborates Devidayal.
What’s on The Table…
Devidayal completed her WSET Level 3 certification over eight years ago and is personally involved in the wine program at The Table. “We have always tried our best to give a range of wines at a great value instead of following fixed beverage costs, and I believe this has held us in good stead with our guests over the years. We have also received recognition from Wine Spectator magazine and the India Wine Awards over the last four years,” she says.
What is the philosophy of The Table, and what drives its founders, the husband-wife duo of Jay Yousuf and Gauri Devidayal, to believe in their business model? Devidayal answers with a simple equation, “If I can try and encapsulate what has worked, it would be this — product + service + consistency = success. Since the first day of opening the restaurant, Jay and I have focused on following our instincts, delivering a great product, and believing that the business will follow (rather than allowing the numbers to drive decisions).”
In perfect harmony
For Devidayal, there are basically two guiding principles: Can I eat in this restaurant day-after-day? Am I still thinking about my meal long after I’ve, had it?
“If I can honestly answer both questions in the affirmative, I’ll know I’m on to something,” she affirms. As it is necessary that the mixologist, sommelier, and the chef maintain perfect harmony while managing the restaurant, they also need to work in sync to create a homogenous experience for the diner, she maintains. “In our case, the focus is on pushing the flavour boundaries and the highest quality — of ingredients, service standards, and course of the finished product — whether food or cocktails. As a brand, we recognize that we are in the premium segment, and so we are always conscious that we deliver value. Our food is best-enjoyed sharing style, so our front-of-house team recognizes that while suggesting cocktails and wine for the meal,” she explains.
Sustainability on The Table
Every hospitality space now talks about sustainable practices. The Table’s bar program and kitchen reflect the same ideology. Devidayal ensures that apart from the no plastic straws/plastic bottled water policy, they follow some simple guidelines. “We use steel stirrers and straws. Plus, if we have surplus orange juice, we send the orange skin to Mag St Bread Co (the sister brand) and they use the zest of those oranges in mise for the Christmas panettone, prep for which takes a whole year! We use left-over egg white when the kitchen uses only the yolk. Leftover lemon juice is used at night for cleaning the kitchen. We also use lemon peels to make sacrum (a kind of flavour sugar) and use a water distiller to make flavoured water from leftovers like trimmings of any fruit,” she reveals.
The bar uses in-house dehydrated fruit which is cut for garnish or used in infusion. The powdered form of the same is used to dust on the cocktails. “We make cherry powder out of cherries which were soaked in brandy to avoid any form of wastage,” adds Devidayal.
Homing in on homegrown spirits
Speaking about the current trends in the beverage industry, she highlights the rising demand for homegrown spirits and domestic wines. “I think the most relevant to us is probably a growing focus on homegrown brands of which many are creating great products, not just in terms of spirits, but also wine, which has led to interest in higher qualifications and skills in becoming trained sommeliers and mixologists. Outside of our business, there is also a notable spotlight on the home bar and home-entertaining concepts,” she states.
“I recognise that the industry is still largely male-dominated which can be intimidating for many, but it’s changing slowly. I wish more women would have the confidence to put themselves out there and shout more about all the great things they’re doing,”
Another trend that Devidayal is closely observing is the growing number of women entering the food and beverage space. This isn’t only in terms of restaurants but also purveyors of restaurants, in the beverage community, in delivery, and home chefs who’ve made significant inroads, and more. “I recognise that the industry is still largely male-dominated which can be intimidating for many, but it’s changing slowly. I wish more women would have the confidence to put themselves out there and shout more about all the great things they’re doing,” concludes Devidayal.
Rojita Tiwari is the Founder of Drinks & Destinations, a wine & spirits consulting firm in India. She is an award-winning drinks writer, educator, trainer & consultant, and a juror at several international wine, spirits & cocktail competitions. She is a Senior Specialist at International Drinks Specialist, the UK, and co-founder of Agents Of Cheer & Story In A Bottle, India’s foremost curated drinks events. Her Instagram handle is @rojitatiwari.
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