5th Edition of the Food Connoisseurs India Convention 2024 - West India Edition concluded on 12th February

The West India Edition of the Food Connoisseurs India Convention 2024 (#FCICWestEdition2024) supported by The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), Co-Powered by TSK Hospitality, Co-Powered by Food Partner Nestle Professional and In-Association with On2Cook concluded successfully on February 12th, 2024, at the NESCO Centre, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. One of the most anticipated events for the Food & Beverage Fraternity this year hosted the industry’s most prominent figures. The event set the statement for excellence by garnering over 2000 attendees from over 1000 brands and 26 exhibitors across the HORECA domain.

The event received unwavering support from Zee Business as the ‘Telecast Partner,’ and NESCO Centre Bombay Exhibition Centre as the ‘Hospitality Partner.’ Alongside, we were joined by Snapitbread as our 'Bakery Partner,' Jimmy's Cocktail as our 'Mixer Partner,' and Hustle Energy Drink as our 'Energy Drink Partner'. The Indian Culinary Forum, Western India Culinary Association, Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India), and All India Food Processors Association, joined hands as the 'Supporting Associations' of the event while World of Hospitality, Hospitality Lexis, The Chefs Arena, Better Kitchen, and Samyati magazines contributed as esteemed media partners, with TagTalk as the ‘Digital OOH partner.’

The highly anticipated Food Connoisseurs India Convention 2024 – West India Edition commenced with a captivating Inaugural Address delivered by Chef Abhijit Saha, Conference Chairperson of the show. Chef Abhijit, renowned Restaurateur, Food & Beverage Consultant, Oenophile, and Author, who also serves as Chef-Owner of LYFE, a Farm to Fork Restaurant in Bangalore, graced the stage with his profound insights on "The Evolution of the Food Service Industry in India - Past, Present, and Future." Our esteemed guests and fellow gastronomy enthusiasts were treated to an enlightening session, where Chef Abhijit showcased his wealth of knowledge and expertise, navigating through the dynamic landscape of Indian gastronomy.

The conference covered extensive ground on important aspects and leading trends in the food and beverage sector by featuring 10 specially curated sessions such as Navigating the Technicalities of Starting a Food Business, Culinary Teleportation: Exploring Global Flavors in India, Revolutionizing Restaurant Excellence: Exploring Innovations and Best Practices, Reinventing Café and Bakery Culture: The Flavor Revolution, The Shifting Landscape of Indian Nightlife, and Culinary Creativity: Innovation in Food & Beverages. These well-drafted sessions featured over 40 renowned industry stalwarts such as Chef Aanal Kotak, Celebrity Chef & Co-founder of TSK Hospitality LLP; Ms. Shatbhi Basu, Director of Creative Consultants & STIR Academy Of Bartending; Mr. Siddhant Raghunandan Kamath, Director of Natural Ice Creams; Chef Montu Saini, Executive Chef at Parliament House, and Sr. Executive Chef at President’s Secretariat (June 2015 – August 2020), honorary member of Le Club Des Chefs Des Chefs (CCC) (since June 2015), and CCC – Club Of Personal Chefs Of Heads Of States & The World’s Most Exclusive Gastronomic Society; Chef Saransh Goila, Celebrity Chef & Founder of Goila Butter Chicken; Chef Shaun Kenworthy, Chef, Restaurateur, Consultant, Food & Travel Writer; Mr. Parthiv Patel, CEO & Co-founder of Petpooja; Mr. Rahul Seth, Co-founder of Burger Singh; Mr. Gaurav H Parikh, Director of Richboyz Hospitality Pvt Ltd, and many more.

The event concluded with the Food Connoisseurs India Awards – West India Edition, recognizing the outstanding achievements in the culinary realm and celebrating India's dynamic and continuously evolving food culture, celebrating excellence in the Indian Food & Beverage industry. A vastly experienced jury panel comprising of Chef Hemant Oberoi, Founder, OB Hospitality And Hemant Oberoi Hospitality Goa, Founder, Michelin Selection Martabaan By Hemant Oberoi; Mr. Kunal Vijayakar, Broadcaster, Food Writer, Author, Actor And Television Personality; Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, Celebrity Chef & Entrepreneur; Chef Ajay Chopra, Chefpreneur, Restaurateur, Consultant & Judge (MasterChef India); Chef Abhijit Saha, Restauranteur, Food & Beverage Consultant, Oenophile and Author; Chef-Owner – LYFE, Farm to Fork Restaurant, Bangalore; Chef Davinder Kumar, Executive Chef & Vice President, Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi & President, Indian Culinary Forum; Ms. Shatbhi Basu, Director, Creative Consultants & STIR Academy Of Bartending; Chef Shaun Kenworthy, Chef, Restaurateur, Consultant, Food & Travel Writer; Chef Varun Inamdar, Chef, Chocolatier, Food Stylist, Author, Food Film Maker, Brand Advisor & Consultant; Chef Aanal Kotak, Celebrity Chef & Co-Founder, TSK Hospitality LLP; Chef Koushik S., Chef, Consultant, MasterChef Tamil Judge & Founder, Eatitude; Chef Marina Balakrishnan, Chef & Founder, Oottupura judged winners across 190 categories.

A few of the prestigious award winners were:

The Cookie Dough for the 'Best Customer Experience (Café)' & 'Best Café of the Year' in Mumbai, The Blue Bop Café for the 'Best Customer Experience Bakery' & 'Restaurant Serving the Best Italian Cuisine', Meraki Soul Food for the 'Best Packaging by a Cloud Kitchen' & 'Best Newcomer-Cloud Kitchen' in Mumbai, Murdeshwar for the 'Best Newcomer-QSR' in Pune, Chef Jason DeSouza for the 'Celebrity Chef of the Year-Male', On2Cook for the 'Emerging Food Tech of the Year', Kaapi Machines for the 'Best Kitchen Equipment Brand of the Year', Wah!! Wah Pizza and Bhel House for the 'Best Quick Service Stand-Alone Restaurant' in Ahmedabad, Chulo- A Flavour Of Smoke for the 'Best Emerging Restaurant Chain of the Year' in Ahmedabad, SANTOSHAM FOODS for the 'Restaurant Serving the Best South Indian Cuisine', Independence Brewing Company for the 'Microbrewery with the Best Live Music Experience' in West India, 'Best Microbrewery of the Year' in West India, and 'Best Customer Experience-Microbrewery', Florentine for the 'Restaurant Serving the Best Goan Cuisine', Maaslli Seafood Restaurant for the 'Best Seafood Experience' in Mumbai, Bong Adda for the 'Restaurant Serving the Best Bengali Cuisine', Ms. Neeti Goel, Director, Avan Ventures Pvt Ltd for the 'Restaurateur of the Year - Female', Mr. Gaurav H Parikh, Director, Richboyz Hospitality Pvt Ltd for the 'Restaurateur of the Year - Male', Fasta Pizza for the 'Best Product Supplier of the Year HORECA', Rowdy Momos for the 'Restaurant Serving the Best Dim Sums/Momos', Lassibaa for the 'Best Traditional Indian Beverage Brand of the Year' and many more.