GUWAHATI
Karbi Anglong has arguably become the first tribal council in India to sport a culinary school.
Only Chef, founded by two-time MasterChef winner Amitabhh Dutta, opened its second School of Culinary Arts in Diphu on May 19. The first was established four years ago in Guwahati, Assam’s principal city where he is based.
The headquarters of Karbi Anglong district, Diphu is about 250 km east of Assam’s principal city Guwahati by road.
“We chose Diphu because many of my students in Guwahati have been from remote areas of Karbi Anglong. A culinary school closer home will be cheaper for them besides saving time on travel,” Mr Dutta told The Hindu on May 21.
He said the school offers a six-month advanced diploma course in culinary arts and bakery and patisserie. The head of the Diphu centre is Gurmeet Singh, a local and one of his students.
“We started the first private culinary school in the northeast (Guwahati) in 2019. The Diphu centre is also the first of its kind in a tribal council area,” Mr Dutta said.
The Diphu centre, he added, can cater to the needs of culinary enthusiasts from Nagaland and other adjoining areas of the northeast.
Only Chef is affiliated with the London Academy of Professional Training, United Kingdom, and has had a 100% placement record so far, Mr Dutta said.
“More than 200 students we have trained are working with several five-star hotel groups,” he said.
Mr Dutta, the main judge for MasterChef India for auditions from the northeast, said he started Only Chef to enable entrepreneurs, homemakers, professionals, and cooking enthusiasts in the region to train, develop, and hone their skills in the art of Indian cooking and initiate their food-based ventures.
He has plans to go pan-India with a centre each in Gwalior and Indore coming up in the next few months.
