Attend Bread & Butter, a professional networking event for F&B professionals

By Husein Haveliwala

In a salad bowl of F&B events, Dysco’s ‘Bread & Butter’ stands out like a colourful, exotic vegetable. A professional networking platform created by sibling duo Khrisha and Mishal Shah, Dysco is no first-timer at hosting events designed to let members of its community converse, collaborate and network professionally. Having covered the sectors of fashion and entrepreneurship earlier this year, their latest event takes on the food & beverage industry.

Scheduled On June 30, from 10 am to 9 pm, at WeWork BKC; ‘Bread & Butter: What’s on the table?’ will bring together industry insiders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and food lovers, for interactive sessions, talks, and workshops on various aspects of the culinary world. However, what sets this event apart is its focus on pressing issues such as sustainability – sourcing and plant-based meat alternatives, food journalism in the new media space, and branding. In attendance will be some of the city’s hottest pop-ups such as Little Food Daily, Fromagerie, and Popups by Devika, to name a few.

“We’re excited to bring the F&B community together to share what they know and treasure. It’s a field that’s transforming rapidly with the advent of new media, social networks and the concept of collaborations,” says Khrisha Shah, Co-Founder of Dysco.

The line-up of personalities consists of chef and restauranteur Rahul Akerkar of Qualia, who will talk about the issue of gender disparity and balance in restaurants and kitchens; food blogger and author Natasha Diddee, hosting a talk on the relationship between food and mental health issues like stress; food and wellness specialist Ritesh Shaiwal of Easyhuman, speaking on the millennial trend of eating clean; restauranteur Sameer Seth of The Bombay Canteen and Sakshi Saigal of Stranger & Sons talking about captivating branding in the industry, and venture capitalist Prashant Mehta of Lightbox, sharing insights on financing ventures in an industry as competitive as F&B.

Workshops include a session on Craft Beer 101 by Bombay Duck Brewing on the in-depth brewing process and choosing the best brews. Wellness chef, food writer, photographer, and entrepreneur Moina Oberoi will share just how important functional foods and superfoods are for a healthy lifestyle, and how to easily incorporate them into your daily diet. Food photographer and food stylist Daniel Shechter, with a background in patisserie from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, will host a workshop on the basics of food styling and its importance in food photography, along with framing and playing with colour.

The theme of sustainable sourcing, cooking and eating continues with a topical presentation by organic food network Taru Naturals, farm to fork gourmet snack product creator Happy Roots, and venture management company Aavishkar; about empowering rural farmers, using local ingredients, and new agricultural technologies – and their impact.

Bread & Butter has also partnered with volunteer organisation The Robin Hood Army, that collects leftovers from restaurants and community events for those families that struggle to put meals on the table. In doing so, the event proudly promotes a zero-waste environment.

In a first for Dysco events, the event will also be hosting a new form of a career fair – the ‘Clients & Collaborators Fair’ – a two-hour session allowing companies to look for collaborations, opportunities, and brand visibility amongst clients, and also industry leaders such as the experimental kitchen Magazine St Kitchen, food stylist Alok Verma, branding agency Please See and content platform Edible Issues.

“The pressing issue of climate change is spurring the F&B industry in multiple ways, right from agriculture to ingredients; packaging, transportation, and on to technological advancements and overall innovation”
– Khrisha Shah, co-founder, dysco.

You can be a part of the event through a variety of ways; the Client & Collaborator Fair as an agency, freelancer, company, or brand, an F&B Stall to sell fresh or pre-packaged food at the event, a Partner/Sponsor to associate with the event as a whole, or as a Volunteer to help out with the organisation or management.

If you want to attend Bread & Butter, early bird passes are out on Insider. Workshop tickets are also available, which must be purchased in addition to your general admission ticket.