Anjan Chatterjee
Conference Chairperson, 2013; Founder & MD, Speciality Group of Restaurants

Greatest Reward for Passion is Work

I am writing this note with great delight as the Indian Restaurant Congress brings several speakers of the industry to provide great inspiration to others.

Born in a family of scholars in Kolkata, I went on to complete my graduation from Calcutta University and studied at the Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology.

My first job at the Taj Group of Hotels exposed me to the F&B industry. I soon went on to fresh pastures in marketing with a short stint in a reputed publication house � Anand Bazar Patrika. That armed me with marketing skills which proved beneficial throughout my entrepreneurial career. In 1989, I started my advertising and marketing agency and partnered with home grown Indian entrepreneurs to create reputed brands which are currently the leading brands in their respective categories, like Cello, Ujala, Everest, Rupa, to name a few.

My passion for gourmet cuisine found its expression in the restaurant Only Fish, which I launched in 1991. Thus began a journey of serving authentic cuisines to the food connoisseurs of the country.

I can say that a hands-on approach to work and a great love for my job marked my career � be it advertising or restaurant business. Encouraged with the success of Only Fish, I gave birth to a restaurant division under the name Speciality Restaurants Pvt. Ltd, with its flagship brand Mainland China, Oh! Calcutta (earlier Only Fish), Sigree, Machaan, Kibbeh, Haka, Flame & Grill and Sweet Bengal.

Today, with 72 outlets and a combined sales F&B turnover close to Rs 250 crore in FY 12-13, Speciality Restaurants is the largest chain of specialised fine dining restaurants in the country. The hard work speaks for itself since it has won several awards, both in India and abroad � Golden Spoon Award consecutively in 2008 and 2009, to name a few.

We also contribute towards the wellbeing of people below poverty line. With manpower close to 3200 employees, we are also in the process of forming the Speciality Education Fund for the wellbeing of the Girl Child. We also distribute lunch packets to Deeds � a charity organization � every year for the well-being of Deaf & Dumb Children.

I believe that the greatest reward for passion is work itself. But once in a while, others in the trade or industry recognise the passion and drive in the form of awards and accolades and those become my milestones in personal and professional journey.

Anjan Chatterjee
Founder & MD, Speciality Group of Restaurants