Indian Culinary Forum prepares for Chef Awards

The Indian Culinary Forum (ICF) is organising the 13th Annual chef awards at The Ashok Hotel on 5 November, 2016. The Indian Culinary Forum, in association with the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations & World Association of Chef Societies, will celebrate India’s culinary excellence and will honour culinary talent.  The Indian Culinary is India’s association of professional chefs of Northern India. It was formed in New Delhi in 1987 as an exclusive non-profit-making organization, dedicated solely to the advancement of the culinary art of India. The Forum’s objective is to act as a link, a platform and an instrument for the enhancement and overall development of the national community of chefs.

The chef awards will be categorized in three segments which include trade tests, the chef summit and the grand finale, the Chef Awards 2016. The trade test will showcase in 11 categories the culinary prowess of over 200 professional chefs. The trade test (culinary competition) has been organized at the Academy of Pastry Arts, Gurugram and the Banarasidass Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management. 

The objectives of the Chef Summit are to create a platform to share knowledge, ideas and experiences and discuss developments in the Indian Food industry. Participants include eminent chefs and leaders of the hospitality industry. The summit is also an educational workshop for young chefs to understand the industry from their seniors and experts. Awards in previous years have been presented by prominent ministers such as ShailjaKumari, Kamal Nath, AmbikaSoni, JagdishTytler, Kanti Singh,  Subodh Kant Sahay, K. Chiranjeevi and Shashi Tharoor.

A gala Chefs’ Child Dinner on the occasion is a contribution from leading hotels and restaurants and showcases dishes prepared by celebrity Chefs, the proceeds of which will be contributed to a charity organization. 

Talking about the programme, Anil Bhandari, chairman organizing committee, said, “The Chef Awards were instituted by me in the year 2004 to recognize and honour Chefs and their contribution to the hospitality industry and society at large. There is a five special award categories which include Lifetime Achievement Award, Best Food Writer Award, Golden Hat Award, Silver Hat Award.  The Trade Test category includes Chef of the Year Award, Master Chef International Cuisine Award, Master Chef North India Cuisine Award, Master Chef Rest of India Cuisine Award, Master Chef Kebabs Award, Master Chef Indian Sweets Award, Master Chef International Confectionary Award, Master Chef Oriental Cuisine Award, Kitchen Artist Award and Student Chef of the Year.” 

Chef Davinder Kumar, president of  the Indian Culinary Forum also said, “The objective of Chef Awards is to offer fellow chefs a professional platform to showcase, exhibit, hone culinary skills and raise the overall Indian Culinary Art at par with international standards. Every year we aim to patronize authentic food culture and motivate chefs to be innovative and creative. We can assure that it will be a valuable experience for all the chefs that will surely maximize their potential and growth in the sector.”