Gaurav Mathur
Gaurav Mathur | Director of Operations | Moghul Caterers
Growing up in India, Gaurav Mathur embarked on his culinary journey in 1998 when he attended the Goa College of Hospitality and Culinary Education. He ultimately earned a bachelor’s degree in chef management in 2002 and then dedicated his expertise to the Welcomgroup Management Institute and ITC Hotels throughout India, traversing numerous roles from junior sous chef to executive chef across seven hotels within the group between 2005 and 2014.
In 2011, Mr. Mathur was pivotal in the pre-opening phase of ITC Grand Chola, a prestigious hotel in Chennai, India. Originally slated for a grand opening in June 2011, the hotel encountered unforeseen obstacles that impeded its readiness. Despite these challenges, the hotel had already committed to hosting a wedding for a staggering 7,000 guests. Despite the hotel not being fully prepared infrastructure-wise, they decided to proceed with the event due to its significance and importance to the family. The team faced the daunting task of organizing the event under less-than-ideal conditions. Despite the challenges, they rose to the occasion and successfully hosted a memorable week-long wedding, ensuring that all 7,000 attendees were served pre-plated meals. This experience was a week filled with unique challenges, yet it stands as one of the most memorable and commendable achievements in his career.
Mr. Mathur subsequently served as a director culinaire and a corporate chef in New Delhi before venturing to Dubai, lending his expertise to Asha’s Restaurant International as a corporate executive chef. He joined the esteemed Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in 2017, assuming the pivotal role of executive chef for two years, and culminated his illustrious career as a chef at ITC—opening the ITC Royal Bengal in Kokata, West Bengal, India, and lending his culinary prowess to the establishment for a year.
Since 2023, Mr. Mathur has excelled as the director of operations at Moghul Caterers, based in New Jersey, which provides Indian, Pan Asian, Far-Eastern, Middle Eastern, and European cuisines for weddings and corporate and social events. There, he oversees all aspects of food service operation and management, such as building and maintaining strong client relationships, creating menu plans, coordinating events, sourcing food supplies, recruiting and nurturing staff, and delivering comprehensive training programs. A natural leader, wielding decades of experience in the food processing industry, culinary research, and startup ventures, he has proven to be proficient in cost management, overseeing professional kitchens, establishing benchmarks and protocols, and launching innovative food product lines.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Mathur has achieved notable milestones, including being featured as a celebrity chef on season five of Sony TV’s “Flavours of Ramadan,” leading cooking classes for the Hope Project, earning a Six Sigma Green Belt certification, obtaining certification as an executive chef at the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, and leading the ITC chefs team at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. He’s earned recognitions from Radisson Hotel Group and the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation.
Looking ahead, Mr. Mathur’s company currently operates 14 outlets, and he plans to expand it even further through franchising. Under his leadership, the company aims to extend its presence beyond New Jersey and New York to include Boston, Philadelphia, Virginia, and Chicago.
Marquis Who's Who Honors Gaurav Mathur for Expertise in the Food Service Industry
Chef Gaurav Mathur is a talented chef and director of operations at Moghul Caterers
PRINCETON, NJ, November 06, 2024 — Gaurav Mathur has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Mathur is a professional chef who has been the director of operations at Moghul Caterers in Edison, New Jersey, since 2023. In this role, he oversees the company’s operations and strategic planning, which currently operates 14 outlets. Focused on developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) tailored to a franchise model, he aims to expand its presence to Boston, Philadelphia, Virginia and Chicago. Additionally, Chef Mathur has been instrumental in establishing SOPs for the central kitchen, which serves as the commissary kitchen for Moghul Caterers, with plans to build four commissary kitchens in critical locations.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Mathur was the executive chef at WelcomHotel by ITC Hotels in New Delhi from 2021 to 2023. During this time, he oversaw culinary operations and ensured high food quality and service standards. From 2019 to 2021, he was a chef at ITC Royal Bengal in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, playing a pivotal role in the hotel’s opening and contributing significantly to its culinary offerings. Mr. Mathur’s career also included a period as the executive chef at the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in New Delhi from 2017 to 2019 and as a corporate executive chef at Asha’s Contemporary Indian Cuisine in Dubai in 2017.
Chef Mathur’s prior roles included serving as a corporate chef at The Select Group in New Delhi in 2016 and director culinaire at SelectED Events and Dining in New Delhi from 2014 to 2016. Moreover, he was a senior sous chef at ITC Maurya between 2013 and 2014 and for conventions and events at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, India, from 2011 to 2013. During this tenure, one of his most remarkable accomplishments occurred. Despite unforeseen obstacles that delayed the hotel’s grand opening, he and his team successfully hosted a week-long wedding for 7,000 guests under challenging conditions. This event stands as one of the most memorable achievements in Mr. Mathur’s career.
Mr. Mathur began his culinary journey in 1998 in India. He spent over one decade with ITC Hotels, progressing through various roles from junior sous chef to executive chef. His early career included positions such as sous chef at ITC Sonar from 2006 to 2011 and junior sous chef at Sheraton New Delhi Hotel from 2004 to 2005. During his tenure with ITC Hotels, Mr. Mathur led the team of ITC chefs for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland for two consecutive years, executing the highly successful Indian food promotion at The Raffles in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Impressively, he was also highlighted on the acclaimed television show “Celebrity Chef,” where he was telecasted internationally during its fifth season for its “Flavors of Ramadan” episode.
Mr. Mathur earned a diploma in chef’s management from the Academy of Culinary Education (now the Goa College of Hospitality and Culinary Education) in 2002. Subsequently, he completed the Kitchen Executive Training Programme at the ITC Hospitality Management Institute (formerly the Welcomgroup Management Institute) in 2004. Moreover, Chef Mathur undertook the Food Production Principles course at the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, holds credentials as a certified executive chef from the Indian Federation of Culinary Association, and completed a food safety and training certification through FSSAI. Likewise, he completed the internal auditor training program on HACCP from Quality Growth Services Pvt. Ltd. and received Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Moreover, he received a Certificate in French Language from Alliance Française de Goa.
Chef Mathur trained at Le Meridien in Shanghai on futuristic trends in food production management and emerging food and beverage-led conventions. Moreover, he completed leadership training through The Dale Carnegie Immersion Seminar and attended workshops on the production and presentation of European pastry and bread and on practical cooking with self-cooking centers, which use artificial intelligence and Internet-of-Things-aided cooking equipment for faster, smarter cooking. As a testament to his success, Mr. Mathur was honored for excellence in contributions for the fiscal 2017-2018 year from the Radisson Hotel Group.
In his civic-minded endeavors, Mr. Mathur formerly volunteered with The Hope Project by conducting cooking classes. Enthusiastic about future goals, he aims to transition Moghul Caterers into a franchise model and expand its footprint across several major cities. He is actively developing SOPs for franchise operations and central kitchens to support this growth strategy.
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