Chef Steven Concludes Successful ‘Masterclass Series’ by BBM Session, Booked to Return in August 2022

How important to you is the quality of bread that you consume? At IREKS, every minute detail that goes into selecting the ingredients for the flour mixes, the technique of baking, and to the ultimate aroma and taste of the bread is finetuned in the hands of passionate chefs. IREKS understands that given the extreme demand in the hospitality industry to deliver not just fresh bread and rolls, but a wide range of confectionary baked goods, there must be a proven solution for bakers and pastry chefs alike.

For the past 27 years, IREKS has been supplying their ever-improving products to the Maldives in partnership with Bestbuy Maldives.

BBM has facilitated the availability of these Michelin-star Chefs trusted wide range of mixes, improvers, malt and sourdough products throughout the island nation. Going beyond supply, BBM also took the initiative of rolling out a ‘Masterclass Series’, enabling world-renown chefs and masters of their culinary art to impart valuable knowledge to the Maldivian Chefs’ community through pro-bono day-long demonstrations.

Most recently in this series, Malaysian master baker, Chef Steven Selavamuthu returned to the Maldives and successfully carried out workshops in more than 8 resort establishments. Chef Steven is one of the many International Specialists in baking technologies affiliated with IREKS. He notably has more than three decades of hands-on experience in the field under his belt, sprinkled with a lifetime of passion.

Chatting with the Coral Glass team on his experience, Chef Steven explained the significance of technical knowledge in bread making. He of course could distribute multiple leaflets packed with information and wind up the training sessions, but that would only lead to different resort establishments displaying a standard collection of breads. However, IREKS professionals are food makers who passionately involve themselves in the culinary process of the resort. Hence, Chef Steven personally spent time with Chefs understanding their requirements, challenges, needs and demands of the guests on the island, and ultimately curate a solution-based program then and there.

Multiple styles of dietary preferences and requirements are more common in the present time than they were 5 years ago. More and more travellers are seeking diversity in the culinary offerings at the resorts, and Chef Steven could from experience tell those new trends are making significant changes to the menus. This is where IREKS technologies come into advantage as one can find organic, ‘free from’, gluten-free, added-value, Kosher, Halal, superfoods, and more ranges in its product line.

A workshop with Chef Steven is a prestigious opportunity because he works hands-on throughout the session, and lets everyone take part by doing rather than watching and listening. His vast knowledge of technical aspects behind baking are unmatched and crucial for chefs working in the remote, busy, humid environments in resorts. In order to help embed the knowledge into the chefs’ daily operations, Chef Steven demonstrates and details the process from scratch up to the final product.

BBM reports growing demand for Chef Steven’s classes at the resorts. His practical approach aligns with the limited and time-constricted schedule of chefs in the kitchen, offering a free yet invaluable day of learning from the Master himself.

Chef Steven adds, ‘You forget what you hear and see, but you remember what you do. Being able to practice it daily then makes a habit.’ He admires the adaptiveness of chefs in the Maldivian resorts who were welcoming of new information, and willing to incorporate it into their day-to-day.

Our conversation with Chef Steven was eye-opening. He taught us that something as simple as bread making can be elevated with high-quality ingredients that gives a baker room to modify the process according to requirement, and simultaneously make it cost-efficient and effective. The advancements in IREKS bread technology in the current day and age are ideally fitting to the fast-evolving market demands, especially with dietary preferences of holidaymakers becoming more challenging.

Chef Steven concluded his trip with a special appearance at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies at The Maldives National University. He spoke highly of the ability and passion of chefs in the making who resonates with his vision to constantly keep improving and be in search for the next new thing.

In response to the growing popularity of Chef Steven’s workshops among resorts, he is due to return in August 2022 for a longer stay. This is your chance to accommodate a session with him to pump up your kitchen team with IREKS products infused with professional knowledge shared by Chef in person.

BBM aims to continue being at the forefront of bringing top-notch goods to the Maldivian community.