World's first international 'Young Chef Olympiad' to be held in Kolkata

KOLKATA, India - For the first time, culinary competition becomes global. The first ever Young Chef Olympiad, hosted by International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) will run from 26th January to 31st January 2015 in Kolkata. This mega event is being supported by and partnered with Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

Undergraduate students from hospitality colleges of 15+ nations including USA, UK, Spain, France, Switzerland, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Germany will participate in this unique culinary event. The international contestants will arrive in India on the Republic Day and showcase their culinary specials on the first three days. The winner, apart from all the learning and team bonding, will get a cheque of US $10,000 and sponsorship gifts. There are also medals for the top three categories: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

World-renowned chef, Culinary Arts expert and author, Professor David Foskett, will be chairing the Panel of Judges. Along with him on the panel, will be renowned Chef Brain Cleere, Director of Culinary Development at Hyatt International, South West Asia; Chef Eric Neo, Vice President, Singapore Chef Association; Chef Kunal Kapur, Indian celebrity chef and restaurateur, best known as the host and judge of the TV series Master Chef India Season 1, 2 and 3; Chef Robert Boggio, Celebrity Italian Chef; Ms. Karen Anand, renowned international food writer and critic; and Chef Shaun Kenworthy, Celebrity chef, restaurateur and consultant.

The opening ceremony will be held on 29th January at City Centre 1, Salt Lake City amid much fanfare. The finals would be among the "Super 8" or eight of the best chefs selected by the judges. The heats and Finals would be held at Indismart Hotel where the Young Chef contestants would be cooking some of the most exotic and delicious dishes from all over the world.

The Awards Night and Closing Ceremony is scheduled at Nalban Boating complex, Salt Lake City on January 31st, 2015. With the world's first Olympiad being organized in India detailing is being worked out to utmost precision. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Hon'ble President of India, is expected to grace the occasion as Chief Guest.

Elaborating on the format of the event, Chef Sanjay Kak, Director of culinary arts, IIHM group, explained that the format of the competition will revolve around grand opening ceremony followed by competitions for theme-based cooking. The countries will be divided in teams, which will cook different dishes for the judges. Pressure test will be an integral part of the competition as well as strict hygiene will be key. At the finals, an aggregate of marks will be taken out of all the competitions. At every step, there will be a series of surprises and twists to keep the fun element intact and check the participant's adaptability.

Dr Lalit K. Panwar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism said, "I am happy to note that International Institute of Hotel Management, Delhi with the support of Ministry of Tourism is organizing the first ever Young Chef Olympiad on 29 - 30th January 2015 at Kolkata. I am also happy to note that this event will bring talent from over 40 countries across the globe."

"With the rapid expansion of tourism and hospitality industry the requirement of skilled manpower are constantly increasing. I hope the Institute will continue working in a clear vision - Mission framework for providing high quality trained manpower for meeting the needs of the hospitality sector. I convey my best wishes to the institute for organizing such an International event and putting India in the culinary map of the world."

Professor David Foskett, Head of the London School of Hospitality and Tourism, University of West London said "The Chef Olympiad is a great opportunity for future stars of the industry to showcase their talents".

Dr Suborno Bose, Hospitality Visionary and Founder of the YCO Initiative "The idea behind organizing the Young Chef Olympiad is to provide an opportunity to showcase world cuisine while breaking down barriers and at the same time highlight among the Indian student fraternity the growing acceptance of hospitality and food production as a sought after career option."

sourced:traveldailynews.asia