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.
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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 year’s 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 Kitchen’s 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
