India to helm the World Chefs’ Congress

The full-day event kick-started with an inaugural ceremony attended by Chief Guests Chef Vijaya Bhaskaran, General Secretary, IFCA, from Chennai; Mr. Gareth Wynn Owen, Deputy High Commissioner, British Deputy High Commission, Hyderabad; Shri. Ramachander Poodipeddi, IAS, Investment Promotion & FDI, Oxford Visiting Fellow, CUHK Ambassador, B- School Guest Lecturer; Mr. Pascal Loreau, Consulat General de France à Bangalore - Antenne d' Hyderabad; Mr. Mustafa Kaya, Deputy Consul General, General of the Republic of Turkey, Hyderabad; H.E Mr. Mahdi Shahrokhi, Consul General, Consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hyderabad along with TCA (Telangana Chef Association) President, Chef Dharmendra Lamba and TCA Vice- President, Chef Sunit Sharma, Culinary Forum, Goa.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Guest Chef Vijaya Bhaskaran said, I am glad to announce that the next national congress of Chef’s Association will be hosted by Hyderabad. We are sharing the best practices with various organizations to bring standardization, recently we had sent chefs to Akshaya Patra, and trained chefs on sustainable practices, hygiene practices, how they can follow food safety aspects, and overall motivate the chefs there, we will also do such training in Hyderabad, Bangalore and various other cities where Akshaya Patra has operations. World’s Chefs Congress is going to be held in Singapore and the election of the President of the World Chefs Congress will happen at that meet and delighted to say that with the support of most of the countries from around the world, Chef MS Gill will be nominated for the presidency. We will be soliciting a lot of support from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Trade Promotional Council of India is already supporting us. To attract talent to this profession we will be working from the school level to make this profession attractive to youngsters from an early age. We will also have seasoned chefs taking up mentorship for students from hotel management colleges, to quickly learn the skills and excel in their career.

Shri. Ramachander Poodipeddi, IAS, Investment Promotion & FDI, Oxford Visiting Fellow, CUHK Ambassador, B- School Guest Lecturer; said, one of the things that we declared was the categorization of five-star hotels as an essential sector, which might seem quite counterintuitive. This is essential to make Hyderabad a world city, I understand there should be infrastructure, a good airport, good roads, and good subsidies but their stay in the hotel and the service rendered to the guest will determine how he estimates the city for pursuing his investment goals in Hyderabad city. That way you have great responsibility and a lot of power to positively influence the investors.

Chef Dharmendra Lamba, President, of the Telangana Chef Association; said, the word that comes to my mind seeing all the promising youngsters here is, Belief. As Chefs we believe that tomorrow is going to be better than today, we believe that the future is in safe hands, truly believe that we are going to make a difference to what’s happening in the world. We are going to make a difference currently and in the future too.

The inauguration was followed by a series of interesting talk sessions by various guest Chef’s on topics like –

· Cooking beyond the kitchen by Mr. Amit Vasisht

· Industry practices on Save Food and Save Water by Chef Amey Marathe

· Panel Discussion on Futuristic Sustainable Approaches to Address the Food and Water Crisis in the Hospitality Industry Moderated by Chef Amey Marathe

On this occasion, Chef Dharmendra Lamba, President, of Telangana Chef’s Association shared his views and said, “Telangana Chef’s Association is thrilled to be marking 5 successful years of a remarkable culinary journey in Telangana. It is a delight to see a house full of Industry stalwarts, Chefs, and Students under one roof. As an industry body, we not only work towards bringing innovation and work opportunities but also do our bit in contributing to national causes at large.

Today we have some of the most sought-after names from the industry here to discuss a big challenge being faced by our country at the moment – the water crisis. As an industry body, largely dependent on water, we aim to come up with ideas on saving water and food through discussions, talks, and more. Lastly, on behalf of TCA, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the guest Chefs who have graciously accepted our invitation to share their knowledge and experience with us today.”

Chef Vijaya Bhaskaran, General Secretary, IFCA, in his speech, shared that, the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) is planning to organize its next annual International Culinary Congress in Hyderabad in 2025 in association with Telangana Chef’s Association (TCA). He further added that “the objective of this congress will be to address the growing manpower issues and the skill sets related to manpower in the F&B industry in India.”

TCA also recognized some of the chefs with the ‘Unsung Hero’ awards at the event. The candidates were nominated by their respective seniors. Sharing his views on these awards, TCA President, Chef Dharmendra Lamba said, “Chefs often work tirelessly behind the scenes, embodying the spirit of excellence and commitment synonymous with the profession. Through these awards, we aim to recognize the dedication, talent, and invaluable contributions of these unsung heroes in the culinary world.”

To make the event inclusive for budding chefs, TCA introduced a series of initiatives offering opportunities for young talents to showcase their strengths. As a prelude to the anniversary celebrations, TCA organized a Culinary League 2024 in which Hotel management colleges from all over Hyderabad were invited to participate. The contest was held across 3 categories with a Jury that included executive chefs of star hotels and board members of TCA. The winner of the contest - Regency College of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management was announced today at the event. Contest categories were –

Category 1: Millets Competition – to celebrate the versatility of millets.

Category 2: Main Course Mystery Basket Competition – the challenge was to not know what ingredients lie ahead, yet have the skills to turn them into a delectable main course.

Category 3: Dessert Competition – In the Dessert Competition, from delicate pastries to exquisite confections, the grand finale was a celebration of the artistry that transforms desserts into culinary jewels.

Colleges were also asked to nominate 15 students each, who will get a chance to attend this full-day event and interact with industry experts. TCA also extended an offer of MoU between the association and the colleges offering professional development opportunities among the student community. Through this MoU, they aim to facilitate workshops, internships, and other educational initiatives to empower budding culinary talents.

TCA also presented and Honoured Faculty Chefs nominated by the institutes acknowledging their exemplary services and contributions to culinary education. All the winners were felicitated during the felicitation ceremony. Chefs from hotels, cloud kitchens, and restaurants from Hyderabad along with Trainer Chefs from institutes were also recognized for their efforts and contributions to the industry.