From Chef to Director: Sidney DCunha’s Rise at Sofitel Mumbai BKC

Sofitel Mumbai BKC, a luxury hotel in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex, has just promoted Sidney DCunha to Director of Food and Beverage and Culinary. 

Sidney, who joined Sofitel Mumbai BKC in 2022, has since been pivotal in expanding the hotel's rich culinary offerings. Sidney has played an important role in carving a niche for Sofitel Mumbai BKC on Mumbai's inventive culinary scene with several unusual food festivals, visits by a range of guest chefs, and a strong desire to improve the hotel's many restaurants and bars continuously. Moreover, since his arrival. Sidney and his crew have received numerous distinctions from some of the country's leading journals and organizations for the hotel's restaurants and bars. Sidney has also been instrumental in the hotel's adoption of Winnow, a food waste management solutions startup that creates AI tools to assist cooks in running more lucrative, sustainable kitchens by reducing food waste by half. 

Sidney grew up in Mumbai's bustling metropolis and was interested in food and gastronomy, which led him to the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai. Following that, he worked for a major luxury hotel chain for several years, honing his skills. His desire for greater expertise led him to study food service management at Cornell University, hospitality management, and food safety: Managing with the HACCP System from the American Hotel & Lodging Education Institute. 

Sidney has nearly two decades of culinary expertise, having worked with some of the top Michelin-starred restaurants in New York under renowned chefs such as Michel Roux Snr, Floyd Cardoz, and Hemant Oberoi in India. His most recent position was as Executive Chef at The Conrad Hotel in Pune, where he also served as Culinary Director from January 2022. He recently took third place in Hoteliers Web's Power 25 Culinary, 2022. 

He began his culinary career in 2002, training at properties such as the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton and The Oberoi in Mumbai, before joining the Taj Management Training Program and working at Taj hotels in Delhi and Chennai. In 2006, Sidney joined The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai as a Junior Sous Chef at Masala Kraft Kitchen. Following that, he spent a year as a specialized Indian chef at The Taj Pierre New York and The Taj Boston, where he added Indian cuisine to the hotel menu. In 2008, D'Cunha returned to The Taj Mahal Palace & Towers in Mumbai as Sous Chef (CDC) at Masala Kraft. In March 2012, he moved his culinary specialization and became Sous Chef at Golden Dragon. 

Sidney relocated to Bangalore in 2014 to work as Chef de Cuisine at The Ritz Carlton during the hotel's pre-opening phase. He soon advanced to the position of Executive Sous Chef, working in restaurants, banquets, and events. In 2015, he was appointed Executive Sous Chef at the JW Marriott Hotel in Pune. Before joining, He joined the brand's Mumbai property from 2017 to 2019. 

Sidney has gained extensive culinary knowledge and the ability to cater to both Indian and international palates. He also has extensive experience building culinary teams, implementing new culinary concepts, and working with large-scale banquets, all while keeping a close eye on the bottom line. When he is not in the kitchens at Sofitel Mumbai BKC, Sidney is frequently seen mingling with his guests and amusing them with stories from around the globe. During his free time, he enjoys watching football and spending time with family.