IICA Hosts Kids Gourmet Dessert Masterclass at Shoppers Stop, Gurugram

The International Institute of Culinary Arts (IICA) recently hosted a Kids Gourmet Dessert Masterclass at the Shoppers Stop outlet in Sector 66, Gurugram.

Chefs Leading the Session:
- Chef Dharmendra Kumar (Sous Chef, Bakery & Pastry, IICA)
- Chef Prashant Kumar (Jr. Sous Chef, IICA)

Recipes Demonstrated:
- Foxnut & Chocolate Rocks
- Fruit Trifle with Eggless Sponge

Focus:
Simplifying gourmet techniques to make them fun, accessible, and confidence-building for children.

Participation:
Over 65 young learners joined the interactive, hands-on workshop.

Student Involvement:
IICA students Gyan Vrat Arya (Bakery) and Aryan Jha (Culinary) assisted, gaining valuable practical exposure.

Strategic Importance
- This was the third workshop IICA conducted at Shoppers Stop, reinforcing a partnership that blends retail with experiential learning.
- Gandharv, Customer Care Associate & Marketing Manager at Shoppers Stop, attended, highlighting the brand’s commitment to customer engagement through unique experiences.
- Chef Virender S. Datta (Founder, IICA) emphasized the role of such workshops in sparking early culinary interest and creating memorable experiences.
- Arjun S. Datta (MD & COO, IICA) noted that collaborations like these enhance customer engagement while adding an experiential dimension to retail.

Broader Context
- IICA, founded in 2005, is among India’s earliest institutions to offer internationally benchmarked culinary education, with qualifications from City & Guilds (UK) and BSI Learning (Australia).
- It has expanded globally through collaborations, including a MoU with Kyoto Culinary Art College and Kyoto Pastry & Bakery Art College, Japan, enabling student and faculty exchanges and cross-cultural culinary pathways.
- Registrations are open for the July 2026 batch at IICA’s Hauz Khas campus, offering structured training and global career opportunities.

This initiative beautifully illustrates how culinary education can be introduced to children in a playful yet professional way, while also strengthening retail spaces as hubs for community engagement.