A passionate chef, Avinash also teaches Hotel Management. He reveals the differences between a cook and a chef, and advises aspiring chefs to participate in competitions, and urges them to preserve traditional recipes.

Avinash Soni is an Assistant Professor of Hotel Management and a Chef by profession.

Avinash says he always had a passion for cooking since he was a young child. Though his parents asked him to take up a Chartered Accountancy course, he was clear about his choice to study Hotel Management. After completing his course, he initially joined as a trainee at Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, where he put in a lot of hard work. Later, he joined Hyatt, Pune as a chef, totaling his experience to four years. For the past two years, he has been in the teaching field, where he teaches various cuisines to his students.

Born and raised in Udaipur, Avinash says that he saw a lot of hardships in his childhood. When he was in the 8th grade, his father passed away. It was very difficult for him to continue his studies amidst all this. Yet he worked at stores to make ends meet. Later, after joining the hotel industry, he had a hard time becoming a good chef.

Avinash clarifies the myths about the difference between a cook and a chef. He explains how a chef's job involves several other aspects other than just cooking. He also urges that the youth should preserve our traditional recipes, which are getting lost with the changing times.

Advising the budding aspirants coming into this field, Avinash says that after completing 12th grade, one can join a hotel management course irrespective of whatever stream they are from. He adds that students must participate in various competitions being held to learn new things.

Talking about his role models, Avinash says he has always looked up to his family and to the celebrated Chef Sangeeta Dhar. Chef Sangeeta has helped him a lot to learn the basics and grow in his career.

Avinash believes that we should always accept our mistakes and never be egoistic in life. He believes that if we don't accept and apologize for our mistakes, we can never excel in life.

When asked about his struggles, Avinash says that initially, when he joined the field, he had to work long hours, cut kilos of vegetables, clean utensils, and whatnot. But over the years, everything paid off with his accomplishments.

Sharing his achievements, Avinash says that he has participated in and won several competitions in his field. He was the winner of the National Cookery Contest, 'Kahin Gum Na Ho Jayein,' in Dwarka, ITC. He also participated in Culinary Art India (CAI)—rice preparation and various other competitions. As he won the competitions and gained experience, he gained a lot of respect from the industry. To date, Avinash feels very happy to be called a ‘Chef.’

Avinash believes that for someone working their way from the bottom and rising to the top, hard work matters a lot. He suggests that no matter what your field is, we have to put effort into all of them.

Advising budding aspirants coming up in this field, Avinash says that in this industry, punctuality, discipline, and proper grooming are vital. He suggests enrolling in any Hotel Management degree or diploma course. In a degree course, we can get detailed exposure to all the departments of the industry and then get an internship too.

Avinash warns about the long hours you require to put in this job, as this profile is not about desk work. He adds that there are endless possibilities to learn in this field. We can enroll ourselves in any renowned institute of our choice. There are also government jobs available in this industry, like in the Railways, the army mess, etc. We can explore international opportunities too.

Everyone can cook, according to Avinash, but only a chef understands the proper methods, processes, and techniques of food preparation. A skilled chef always focuses on hygiene. He knows how to present the food well so that he can serve the eyes first, followed by the stomach.

Giving a message to the youth of the country, Avinash urges them to focus only on their studies and refrain from unproductive activities. He adds that the youth must obey their parents to never regret later in life.