Hyatt Hotels in India had introduced the “Hyatt Culinary Challenge - people cooking for people” to emphasise on the rich cultural heritage, and are celebrating the third season this month across 13 Hyatt India destinations. The nationwide culinary challenge was kick started at Hyatt Regency Delhi recently.
Seven CEOs and directors from companies including Rio Tinto, Catai India, Way to Go Events WTG and diplomats from Republic of Malawi and Taipei ditched their usual corporate routines to woo the judges with their culinary skills and claim the title of Hyatt Culinary Challenge 2016. Bollywood actor John Abraham added to the evening’s glamour with his surprise guest appearance and a round of photographs with the excited kids and participants. Chung Kwang Tien, Ambassador of Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, prepared the winning dish- Stuffed green pepper while Alfred Villi, High Commission of the Republic of Malawi cooked Roasted Chicken to claim the first runner-up title that evening. The Hyatt Culinary Challenge was conceptualized as a unique event that aims to bring together individuals from the corporate realm on a common platform where they could showcase their culinary expertise and passion for food in an interactive culinary event. Each participant was paired with a child from the SMILE foundation, Hyatt’s partner NGO in India and each team executed a recipe of their choice for the judges. The corporate winner from each city will compete at the grand finale in Chandigarh.
Hyatt India Culinary Challenge preliminary rounds will be further held across Hyatt Hotels in Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune and Raipur in October 2016 and the finale will be held at Hyatt Regency Chandigarh on November 19.
Speaking on the occasion, Harleen Mehta, VP Sales Operations, Hyatt South Asia said, “The Hyatt Culinary Challenge is an endeavor to bring together people to celebrate their passion for food and make a difference to the community while doing so. We are delighted with the overwhelming response from the participants, and look forward to doing more such events over the years.”
According to Vikram Singh Verma, COO, SMILE Foundation, “In order to bring some real and permanent changes in the lives of the most deserving children across India, members of the civil society need to be involved proactively in the process of development. We are overwhelmed by the support from Hyatt India and hope for continued collaboration in the future to see lasting impact in the upliftment of our local communities.”