By Sheldon Dominic Fernandez for BIS Mumbai

The Hospitality Studies Department of Don Bosco College - Kurla (DBC-HS) celebrated its annual Bread Day on September 23 and 24, 2026. The two-day event brought together three activities under one theme: “B.L.O.O.M”, a botanical display of 45 breads; food stalls selling freshly baked products; and two cooking competitions for junior college and hospitality studies students. The department’s bakery and kitchen teams organized the Bread Day together with students of the School of Empowerment, first-year degree students and certificate programme students. Br Bryce Fernandes – Prefect of Studies at Dominic Savio Boys’ Home, Andheri – inaugurated the event. Bread Day set out to celebrate bread in all its versatility and to give students a platform to learn and showcase their skills.

Each year, Bread Day focuses on a single theme. This year’s theme, botanicals, gave the event its title, “B.L.O.O.M”, a play on the word ‘bloom’, which refers both to flowers blossoming and to bread dough rising. The acronym stood for five botanical ingredients – Butterfly Pea Flower, Lavender, Olives, Orange and Madder Root – represented by the colours blue, lilac, green, orange and maroon.

At the heart of Bread Day, the bakers used each ingredient in nine breads from around the world, producing 45 distinct breads arranged in a garden-like display. First-year hospitality degree students explained the history and features of each variety to visitors, while certificate programme students performed a short skit that introduced the theme and the breads on display. Chef Aditya Joshi, a former faculty member of the department, who came to visit the display, expressed his admiration saying, “I am at a loss for words when it comes to this event. Ten years ago, bread day comprised of just a few tables and now it’s an entire room! It is so amazing to see how far this event has come.”

As part of Bread Day tradition, food stalls ran alongside the display. The DBC-HS kitchen team and certificate programme students sold wood-fired pizza with a choice of toppings, and doughnuts coated in chocolate or cinnamon. Two products made their debut at this year’s stalls: babka, a stuffed and twisted soft bread sold in chutney and chocolate varieties, and herb-and-olive focaccia cubes, which sold out quickly. Chilled beverages accompanied the food on a hot, humid day, and visitors could either pre-order or buy on the spot.

Bread Day also featured two cooking competitions for junior college students, with a new category this year for the hospitality students. On the first day of the event, September 23, 2026, “The Burger Bash” challenged participants to make a burger entirely from scratch, from the bun to the filling and toppings. DBCHS alumni Chef Franco Leitao of Whiskit and Chef Wayne Reynolds of Gourmet Experiences judged the entries, assisted by Chef Demetrius Cordeiro of Biokraft Foods. The third year students of the hospitality department – Mr Samuel Dmello, Mr Dean Baretto, and Mr Elzber Dias were the winners of this competition. Commending the effort of the students, Chef Leitao said, “It is so amazing to see such great participation, and this feels like a full circle moment, having been called back to judge this competition”

On the second day, September 24, 2026, “The Cake Conclave” invited participants to create their own signature tea cakes. Chef Aditya Joshi, former faculty member of the department, and Chef Qadir Khan, former Executive Chef at The Leela, Mumbai, judged the entries and gave each contestant detailed feedback. Mr Daniel Fernandes, a student of ML Dhanukar College secured the first place in the junior college category, with Mr Elzber Dias and Ms Adriana Vaz teaming up to bag the top spot in the hospitality student’s section. Chef Khan encouraged the participants saying, “Your participation and experience from this event is what will be your biggest takeaway. It will be a booster for your career”

Together, the display, the stalls and the competitions gave the DBC-HS students hands-on experience of an entire event cycle, from planning and production to setup, service and sales. Bread Day allowed them to demonstrate both their baking skills and their presentation skills to the public. Visitors praised the attention to detail, the ambience of the display and the professionalism of the students, while the competitions helped young participants discover talents, they had not yet recognised in themselves.