ITV

Category: Food

  • NBCU inks deal with Bomanbridge to distribute ‘Chef in Your Ear’

    NBCU inks deal with Bomanbridge to distribute ‘Chef in Your Ear’

    MUMBAI: Singapore based production and distribution agency Bomanbridge Media has inked a deal with NBCUniversal International Networks (NBCU) for pan Asian broadcast of the Canadian cooking competition show Chef in Your Ear. The new show will air on Diva channel.

    Chef in Your Ear will feature two award winning chefs being challenged every week to deliver a dish. The dishes have to be prepared, cooked and plated by a complete kitchen novice, wearing an earpiece, and taking instructions from their mentor chef.

    The chefs can see, hear and talk to their rookies, but they can’t smell, taste or touch the food.

    Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck said, “Bomanbridge is pleased to bring NBCU the entertaining hit series, Chef in Your Ear. This hot cooking competition show, which is also a format, is enjoying tremendous success on important channel brands such as Food Network in Canada, and CJ Media in South Korea. This unique take on the cooking genre will be sure to please viewers in the region.”

    The show is also available as a format. CJ E&M from South Korea recently renewed the format for a second season, and is currently on air with its first season.

    Mongol TV Mongolia also licensed the format.   

    “The Format People are delighted that Chef in Your Ear is reaching an even wider audience in the Asia region. At the heart of every episode is an amazing journey where regular people with no cooking skills or confidence discover the secrets and the joy of producing tasty food, and want to share it with their families – all thanks to the chef in their ear,” voiced Format People CCO and partner Justin Scroggie. 

    “We are confident that NBCU will enjoy as much success with the show as the Food Network has,” he further added.

  • NBCU inks deal with Bomanbridge to distribute ‘Chef in Your Ear’

    NBCU inks deal with Bomanbridge to distribute ‘Chef in Your Ear’

    MUMBAI: Singapore based production and distribution agency Bomanbridge Media has inked a deal with NBCUniversal International Networks (NBCU) for pan Asian broadcast of the Canadian cooking competition show Chef in Your Ear. The new show will air on Diva channel.

    Chef in Your Ear will feature two award winning chefs being challenged every week to deliver a dish. The dishes have to be prepared, cooked and plated by a complete kitchen novice, wearing an earpiece, and taking instructions from their mentor chef.

    The chefs can see, hear and talk to their rookies, but they can’t smell, taste or touch the food.

    Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck said, “Bomanbridge is pleased to bring NBCU the entertaining hit series, Chef in Your Ear. This hot cooking competition show, which is also a format, is enjoying tremendous success on important channel brands such as Food Network in Canada, and CJ Media in South Korea. This unique take on the cooking genre will be sure to please viewers in the region.”

    The show is also available as a format. CJ E&M from South Korea recently renewed the format for a second season, and is currently on air with its first season.

    Mongol TV Mongolia also licensed the format.   

    “The Format People are delighted that Chef in Your Ear is reaching an even wider audience in the Asia region. At the heart of every episode is an amazing journey where regular people with no cooking skills or confidence discover the secrets and the joy of producing tasty food, and want to share it with their families – all thanks to the chef in their ear,” voiced Format People CCO and partner Justin Scroggie. 

    “We are confident that NBCU will enjoy as much success with the show as the Food Network has,” he further added.

  • FoodFood serves two new shows to tingle your taste buds

    FoodFood serves two new shows to tingle your taste buds

    MUMBAI: There is good news for foodies; FoodFood is all set to bring exquisite cuisines to your platter. The lifestyle channel is all set to add new flavours with two new specialties.

    Get ready to see Chef Sanjeev Kapoor travel around the globe exploring different cuisines and eating habits of the locals. The Out of the World Series…Africa, which will shoot across 105 countries, starts its journey from East Africa. In the first season, which begins from today, the chef along with his six member crew travels to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. “The show is a marriage of food and travel,” says producer Runjiv Kapur.

    In the show Sanjeev will recount his tale of scary encounters, unusual spices and rendezvous with tribal chieftain and much more! “When we started shooting for the show, nothing was planned. We shot for 15 days for 12-13 hours a day. And shooting at every stop,” he adds.

    So why start with East Africa? Answers Sanjeev, “Two reasons: One, because it is a creator of mankind and two because the producer is based in Tanzania.” The host of the series also believes that it is a concept which is different and would be a trend setter for channels.

    Talking about how the concept came about, producer Kapur who is writing a series of books onGreat Bazaars of the World says, “When I met Sanjeev a few years back I pitched the idea of going to the bazaars of the world and shooting not in the kitchen but on location. We did shoot a pilot for the same then but could not take it ahead because Sanjeev had to devote 15 days for the shoot, which did not work out.” It was last year that the duo got together again and took it forward by starting the shoot in East Africa.

    The unique thing about the programme is that it has been shot in natural habitats which will see even animals roaming around freely. “We are cooking the local cuisines with local chefs. So Sanjeev is watching the chef create the dish and he then explains it to the audience,” informs Kapur.

    According to the two, the show is not scripted. “Because it is not scripted, we shot hours of footage for a 22 minute episode. We were literally shooting on the fly. And when you do that, the show takes shape on the editing table. Though there was a structure initially, it later became more spontaneous,” adds Kapur.

    Not confirming the next destination, Kapur says that they are looking at places which are unexplored. “It is no mall shopping show. We are looking at places with rich culture, history and not much explored. We are here on a discovery.” The duo has already started working on the next season and believes that the feedback they get from the first season will add value to the next.

    So, does shooting a show of this magnitude require big budget? “For channel like us, we learn to do things in an efficient way. Even for world class quality you may not need to spend too much, yes you have to put more efforts, like we shot gorilla style, but at the end we have come out with a great product,” informs Sanjeev.

    Another show which went on air on 13 August hopes to connect with the audience by bringing out the essence of tea time. The focus of the show Hi Tea, hosted by Chef Ajay Chopra, is on the Indian family for whom tea time gives another reason to get together. “The idea is to promote the concept of Chal Chai Peete Hai,” says Chopra who was earlier seen in the first season of MasterChef India on Star Plus.

    The show will concentrate on the tea drinking habits of people around the globe. “Tea has become a reason for people to meet. Also what makes it special is the snacks along with the Tea. And through this show, I am telling people not only of different ways of drinking tea, but the add on snacks along with their special tea,” adds Chopra.So how did it all start? Chopra (smiles) and says, “I met Sanjeev Kapoor during MasterChef. It was then that we started thinking of doing something in FoodFood. Though nothing materialised then, it was four months back that we again started talking about the show.” Ask how it is different from the rest of the shows, he informs, “See there are two ways to connect to people: Either reach out to them through their favourite cuisine or through presenting new cuisines. In this show we are reaching their heart with new cuisines. Through this show, we want to make teatime, the best experience of the day.”

    While Hi Tea occupies the 4 pm slot, Out of the World Series…Africa will be on at 9 pm. Explaining the time slot, Sanjeev says, “Well, the show in the 4 pm slot is for pure learning. In this slot we are targeting people who want to learn and replicate the dish. So the core audience for Hi Tea is someone who wants to learn to cook while the secondary audience is the family. For, Out of the World Series…Africa, our core TG is the family which comes together to watch a series like this.”

    Both the shows have completed the shoot for the first season. The first season of Hi Tea will have 26 episodes and is looking at a larger chunk of 100 episodes. While Out of the World Series…Africa has shot 15 episodes for its first season. Chopra for the first season has set up his kitchen in Filmistan located in Goregaon in Mumbai. “Well, we have started with shooting in my kitchen, which has been especially created for this show, but I am also looking at shooting in hotels first in India and then abroad,” informs Chopra.

    The channel is using all mediums: television, print, outdoor to market the two shows. “We do spend on marketing, but we do smart spending,” comments Sanjeev. The channel is only buying the hoardings in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and couple of sites in Pune for promotions. They have also shot around 10 promos for Out of the World Series…Africa for television promotions and a one-minute long promo for Hi Tea, which will now be broken to various versions.

    Ask the planners and they say that though this is not a unique concept as in the past various other chefs have tried their hands on travel and food genre. “What we have to see is how well it is accepted by the Indian pallet,” says a Delhi based media planner.

    Is the channel trying an Anthony Bourdain and Bobby Chinn twist with the addition of these two shows? It is up to the food and travel lovers to give their verdict, which we will surely keep a track of once the television ratings are declared!

  • Get high on food with ‘Food Highway’

    Get high on food with ‘Food Highway’

    MUMBAI: If your idea of travel is to hit the highway and sample epicurean delights en-route, this might be just the show for you.

    Kicking off its maiden journey on travelxp HD, on Sunday, 17 November, is the all new seriesFood Highway, which promises viewers unbridled adventure and excitement.

    Each half-an-hour episode will unravel lesser-known vistas through the eyes of a gastronome cum wanderer, as the show ferries from one town to the other, one country to the other, in search of newer, even more interesting destinations. 

    Hosting the series will be well known foodie – Rohan, of Foodicted and Strictly Street fame, who will venture onto global highways in his quest to savour the planet’s culinary delights.

    Explaining the thought process behind the show, travelxp HD CEO Nisha Chothani says: “We wanted to engage our audience with clutter-breaking content that attracts viewers across the globe. We realised that the food world on highway is altogether a different culinary world, which is less known. We wanted to capture this non-franchised, sleeves-up food made by cooks along the highways and bring it to our viewers.”

    As a tribute to India’s rich cultural tradition, Food Highway opens along the 1235 km National Highway from Mumbai to Chennai, serving everything from Mumbai’s ‘Vada Paav’ to Western Express Highway’s Special ‘Mutton Rann’ to Pune’s ‘Misal Pav’ to Satara’s ‘Kandi Pedas’ to Kolhapur’s ‘Tamda Pandhra Rassa’ to Belgaum’s ‘Kunda’ to Chitradurga’s ‘Ragi Balls’ to Chennai’s grills.

    Not just India, the series will bring home to viewers the culture and very essence of diverse regions across the globe.

    “Most of us have a craving to step out of our mundane chores and drive down to places for an unconventional food experience which forces you to lick your fingers. But one goes blank when it comes to closing in on any such place. This is where our show – Food Highway, comes into the picture,” exults the quirky Rohan.

    How will the show stand out from the rest in an already cluttered space? “Food Highway is not a food show but a show which is a fine amalgamation of experiencing food, travel, thrill, raw – ruggedness of a journey. It is long rumoured that every 20 km of land, not only people, tradition and culture changes but also their food habits. Every state, village and town has a lot of character which reflects in the taste of their food and their style of cooking. We are out to capture these local flavours and bring them to our viewers,” says Chothani, adding, “Also, viewers can identify with our host – he is a travel and food enthusiast like many of us. This element brings in an instant connect with the audience.”

    With travelxp HD catering to SEC A and A+, 25-50 years, Chothani says, “We target niche audiences who love to travel, love adventure, who aspire to explore the world.” 
    Will Food Highway grab eyeballs with the chosen Sunday prime time slot which is a reality show domain? “The content of a show like Food Highway suits perfectly for the Sunday evening mood. Most people prefer staying back at home and relaxing as Monday blues start creeping in. Viewing such content comes out as a natural desire,” reasons Chothani.

    The promos of Food Highway are already on air and travelxp HD plans to promote it on digital platforms. As things stand, the channel’s official Facebook page boasts over 16,000 likes and over 700 followers on Twitter. The promos of the series are already buzzing with tweets and re-tweets on the same on the social media site.

    However, planners have a different say. “It is very difficult for me to say how the series will work unless and until I watch it. But, I will say the channel has not made the right move by airing it on Sundays. Weekends are ruled by reality shows, and no one would like to switch to some other channel. Audience will go wherever they find entertainment and good content,” says a media planner who does not wish to be named.

  • Zee Khana Khazana gears up for Food Fungama

    Zee Khana Khazana gears up for Food Fungama

    MUMBAI: Ever wished for a one-stop shop to get all your food queries solved? Wished to cook scrumptious food with simple and unique techniques?  Zee Khana Khazana, India’s first 24-hour food channel presents a unique rood show ‘Zee Khana Khazana Food Fungama’ where in the channel will have canters bearing LED screens move across 6 indian cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore And Lucknow) to engage and interact with audiences at residential areas and high footfall areas like malls and markets.

     

    Staring 17 October, spread over almost a month, Zee Khana Khazana Food Fungama will help Indian homemakers and food enthusiasts with all their food related queries. An extension of Zee Khana Khazana’s popular property on the website – Kya Hai Aapka Food Sawaal, the channel plans to increase its engagement level with its target audience through this unique and interesting below the line activity.

     

    The canter will have local chefs who will answer all cooking queries posed by homemakers and others in the crowd. The channel content will be running on a giant screen led throughout the activity on the specially modified van, thus enabling the audience to sample the content. Apart from the queries; the channel will also hold exciting and interactive contests and lucky winners will be gratified with attractive prizes.

     

    Zee Khana Khazana business head Amit Nair exults: “Interaction with our viewers is very important for us at Zee Khana Khazana. We believe an on-ground activity like this is the best way for us to talk to our audience and get their valuable feedback. With this initiative, we want to reach out to audiences in cities across and help them solve their everyday food related questions. We are hopeful that this fun activity will solve all food related sawaal that a homemaker comes across in her daily life.”

     

    What on the digital front? The channel’s Facebook page and twitter handles will share regular updates and will help audiences on the route location and where to spot the van.

  • Scripps acquires Singapore-based Asian Food Channel

    Scripps acquires Singapore-based Asian Food Channel

    MUMBAI: Scripps Networks Interactive, which has made international expansion a top strategic priority, is strengthening its competitive position in Asia with the acquisition of the Asian Food Channel (AFC), the region’s leading food-focused pay television network.

     

    The Asian Food Channel, which is based in Singapore, reaches about 8 million subscribers in 11 markets. With the addition of the Asian Food Channel, Scripps Networks Interactive now has three lifestyle television brands that it is marketing in the region. Food Network and Travel Channel also are distributed in Asia.

     

    “Asia and the rapid growth in pay television households throughout the region hold great promise for Scripps Networks Interactive and its international ambitions,” said Kenneth W. Lowe, the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.

    The Asian Food Channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week and leverages a substantial library of acquired Asian and international video content as well as a growing number of originally-produced programs. The network generates revenues through regional and local advertising sales as well as fees from pay television operators.

     

    “Acquiring the Asian Food Channel significantly expands our presence in key growth markets and provides us with a solid foundation on which to build a growing lifestyle media business in the region. The channel aligns perfectly with our lifestyle programming focus.”

     

    “We have built AFC from scratch over eight years to become a well-recognized brand in the region with a top management team that will help Scripps expand its presence across the Southeast Asia region,” said Maria Brown, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Asian Food Channel. “As an entrepreneur, I am enormously proud to see our company take this next step in its evolution. I look forward to seeing the Asian Food Channel continue to grow as part of the Scripps Networks Interactive family and as one of their leading lifestyle brands.”

     

    Derek Chang, who was appointed recently as managing director of the Asia Pacific region for Scripps Networks Interactive, will oversee the management and integration of the Asian Food Channel. He also will oversee operations of Scripps Networks Interactive’s existing networks in the region.

     

    Scripps Networks Interactive has been expanding its international operations starting in 2009 with the launch of the Food Network in the United Kingdom and other markets in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

     

    In 2012, the company acquired the London-based international operations of the Travel Channel. Food Network and Travel Channel are distributed in selected markets in Asia.

     

    Scripps Networks Interactive isin partnership with BBC Worldwide through its 50-percent ownership of UKTV, which operates a suite of 10 general entertainment and lifestyle channels in the U.K. The company also is in partnership with Shaw Communications, which operates HGTV, Food Network and DIY Network in Canada.

  • FoodFood appoints SK ‘Raj’ Barua as CEO

    FoodFood appoints SK ‘Raj’ Barua as CEO

    MUMBAI: Food and lifestyle channel FoodFood has appointed former Freemantle Media India managing director SK ‘Raj’ Barua as its CEO.

     

    Though no formal announcement has been made, an industry source has confirmed the report.

     

    Barua has more than two decades of experience in the broadcasting business, starting out with Discovery Communications India where he was VP finance from 1995-2007 and then elevated to CFO- Asia Pacific which he served from 2007 to 2009.

     

    He joined Fremantle Media India in August 2009 where he was part of the start up team, which successfully got it going after a couple of false starts prior to that. It was under his watch that Fremantle Media India got shows like Indian Idol, India’s Got Talent, X Factor, among others off the ground.