Better Kitchen Awards Sets New Standards in Culinary and Hospitality Excellence

The highly anticipated Better Kitchen Awards & Convention 2024 concluded with resounding success, bringing together over 200 of India’s finest professionals in the culinary, kitchen, and hospitality sectors. Held at the Novotel Mumbai International Airport, the event honored individuals, restaurants, commercial kitchens, and organizations from the HoReCa products sector for their exceptional contributions, setting new benchmarks for innovation, leadership, and best practices.

Better Kitchen Awards 2024 winners and the unveiling of the Chefs Coffee Table Book, celebrating culinary excellence and innovation

The Better Kitchen Awards have firmly established themselves as a hallmark of excellence, recognizing remarkable achievements across a diverse range of categories, including culinary innovation, procurement excellence, sustainable practices, and leadership. The awards spotlight the trailblazing efforts that are shaping the future of India’s kitchen and hospitality industries.

Ekkta Bhargava, Publisher of Better Kitchen and organizer of the event, expressed her enthusiasm, “These awards are a testament to the immense talent, innovation, and dedication within the kitchen and hospitality sectors. The Better Kitchen Awards have become a beacon of recognition, honoring those who not only excel in their fields but also set new standards of excellence and creativity in culinary arts, commercial kitchens, HoReCa products, and beyond.”

This years event went beyond an awards ceremony, offering a platform for insightful discussions and learning. The convention featured an impressive lineup of industry leaders, keynote speakers, and expert panels addressing critical topics such as the shortage of talent and the quality of hospitality education in India, transforming kitchens for profitability and performance, sustainability behind the bar, responsible sourcing practices, and The Art of Food & Personal Portrait Photography for Hospitality. Workshops led by renowned culinary figures such as Chef Abhijit Saha, Chef Saby, and Chef Vikas Chawla further explored emerging trends and opportunities within the culinary and hospitality landscape.

In a special moment during the celebration, Better Kitchen proudly unveiled its highly anticipated Chefs Coffee Table Book. This special edition, marking Better Kitchens 9th anniversary, celebrates the evolution of Indian cuisine and chefs, featuring profiles and signature recipes from renowned Indian chefs. The book highlights the growing global recognition of Indian culinary traditions and their increasing influence on the international stage.

The convention also provided invaluable networking opportunities, enabling attendees to connect with industry peers, exchange insights, and explore collaborations for the future.

The evening culminated in a grand awards ceremony, where individuals, restaurants, and organizations were honored for their exceptional achievements. These awardees have set new benchmarks and demonstrated the passion and innovation necessary to propel the industry forward.

The awardees for the Better Kitchen Awards 2024 are as follows:

Kitchen Consultants

Kitchen Consultant of South India – Subroto Goswami

Kitchen Consultant for Concept-Based Restaurant – Ritesh Tulsian

Excellence in Integrating Style and Function (Kitchen Consultant) – Nimish Bhatia

Kitchen Consultant (Bakery) – Ram Prakash Sharma

F&B Consultant – Amit Puri

Food & Beverage

F&B Manager South India – Ashish Dayal, The Park – Hyderabad

F&B Manager West India – Aniket Deshpande, Aurika Mumbai

Innovative Sommelier – Rachit Sharma

Bartender Mentor of the Year – Ajinkya Chaughule

Restaurants

Local Cuisine Restaurant – Bambai

Theme-Based Restaurant – Tat

Innovative Veg Restaurant of India – Avatara Restaurant

Fine Dine Restaurant South India – Aish The Park Hyderabad

Regional Cuisine Restaurant – Mulk

HoReCa Product

Bombay Engineering Co.

Brand Managers

Brand Manager of the Year – Shivdas Nair

Brand Manager (Cafe) – Roshni Sharma

Restaurant Branding Consultant – Dianne Mendonca

Purchase Manager

Purchase Manager of the year – Santosh Doiphode, Mad Over Donuts

Chefs

Sous Chef North India – Vikram Shokeen, Le Meridian – New Delhi

Excellence in Guest Experience & Hospitality – Tushar Malkani, The Yellow House – IHCL SeleQtion Goa

Promoter of Indian Cuisines – Mohammed Shareef, ITC Grand Central – Mumbai

Executive Chef of West India – Narasinh Kamath, Hilton – Goa

Executive Chef of North India – Sahil Arora, Hyatt – Dehradun

Executive Chef of Central India – Jeevan Singh, Jehan Numa Palace – Bhopal

Executive Chef of South India – Kedar Bobde, Grand Hyatt – Kochi

Pastry Chef of West India – Dinesh Khandare, Jio World

Innovative Pastry Chef of India – Vivek Chauhan, Le Meridian – New Delhi

Fusion Chef – Roshan Tadadikar, Novotel Mumbai International Airport

Mexican Cuisine Chef of India – Vikas Seth, Embassy Leisure and Entertainment – Bengaluru

South Asian Cuisine Chef of India – Suresh Kanna G, Chennai

Thai Cuisine Chef – Thomthong Sungkaha, Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa Goa

Maharashtrian Cuisine Chef – Nilesh Limaye, Celebrity Chef

Jharkhandi Cuisine Chef – Nishant Choubey, Celebrity Chef

Executive Chef – Stand-Alone Restaurant – Parikshit Joshi, The Park – Navi Mumbai

Executive Chef – Boutique Hotel – Pandari Satya Narayana, The Park Hyderabad

Distinguished Executive Chef – Abhijeet Anil Thakre, Vivanta New Delhi

Distinguished Cruise Executive Chef – Jai Kumar Bhasin

Distinguish Executive Chef Banquet – Rajani Ranjan Rashmi, Sahara Star – Mumbai

Executive Chef – Catering – Rahul Kaushik, Food Links – Mumbai

Sweet & Chaat Catalyst – Raj Sethia, Bengaluru

Outstanding Food Experience in Retail – Vinod Bhati, Ikea

Social Media Star Chef of India – Jerson Fernandes, Sodexo

Artisan Chef of India – Anup Gupta, Taj Lakefront – Bhopal

Culinary Leadership and F&B Innovation – Anshul Sethi, Fortune Park Lakecity, Thane

Popular Choice

Abhijit Saha – Exceptional Achievement Award

Altamsh Patel – Young Chef of India

Amit Gothwal – Presidential Chef of India

Dayashankar Sharma – Artisan Chef Overseas

Dev Kasalkar – Young Chef Mentor of India

Gautam Mehrishi – Master of Culinary Techniques – India

Jugesh Arora – Entrepreneur Chef of India

Md. Anees Khan – Patisserie Maestro of India

Neeraj Tyagi – Culinary Director of India

Nitin Nagrale – Excellence in Global Procurement

Nitin Tandon – Food Stylist of India

Parvinder Singh Bali – Mentor Maestro of India

Paul Naronha – Executive Chef of India

Prashant Kulkarni – Outstanding Leadership in F&B Operations

Sabyasachi Gorai – Maverick Chef

Salil Fadnis – Exceptional Achievement Award

Sidney Dcunha – Culinary Artist of India

Sudhakar Rao – Exceptional Achievement Award

Sudhir Pai – Kitchen Consultant of India

Vicky Ratnani – Celebrity Chef of India

Vijaya Baskaran – Vernon Coelho Memorial Award

Vikas Chawla – Millet Chef of India

Vivek Kadam – Executive Pastry Chef of India

Life Time Achievement

Naresh Shahani – Kitchen Consultancy

Satish Arora – Chef