Budding chefs, mixologists create magic at Food Hospitality World Show

Bengaluru recently saw an exciting Culinary and Mixology competition for budding chefs and mixologists at the Food Hospitality World Show (FHW).

The competition was organised as a special event in concurrence with the 'South India Culinary Challenge and Baking Contest' and 'Mixology Challenge' in association with the South India Culinary Association (SICA). The prime objective of this campaign was to highlight the uniqueness of the following U.S. Premium Agricultural Products in the Indian HRI Industry: U.S. Cranberries, Washington Apples, USA Pears, California Walnuts and U.S. Pecans.

The much-awaited show got an excellent start with Adam Branson, senior Agricultural Attache for Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Consulate General, Mumbai along with other dignitaries, gracing the occasion for the inauguration ceremony.

Adam Branson also inaugurated the U.S. Premium Agricultural Products display booth, and remarked: "It's good to be here at FHW, Bangalore. India is an important market for us and we strive to bring in the best products to our discerning consumers. This show is a wonderful opportunity for our target audience to taste and experience a wide range of U.S. Premium Agricultural Products."

The Culinary and Mixology Competition was a great success with participation from over 55 chefs and mixologists across South India. Enthusiastic and talented participants created innovative recipes using the finest U.S. Premium Agricultural Products such as U.S. Cranberries, Washington Apples, USA Pears, California Walnuts and U.S. Pecans as the main ingredients.

T Haokip and Sai Venkata Vijaya from Bar Square Bangalore were declared as the winners of the Culinary and Mixology Competition respectively. The winning creations were Berry Blash Martini and Enlighten Moon that were chosen by the esteemed jury comprising representatives from SICA, reputed industry members and USDA officials.

Talking about the initiative, Keith Sunderlal, India representative, U.S Cranberry Marketing Committee, said: "We would like to congratulate the winners of the Culinary and Mixology Competition for creating such innovative recipes using US Premium Agricultural Products. Clearly, the participants have taken the competition to another level by their outstanding performance. We are extremely motivated by the response we got from the participants as well as the visitors. Looking at the show's success, we are confident that we managed to strike the right chord with our audience."

The Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) USA is focused on promoting the use and consumption of cranberries worldwide. The CMC was established as a Federal Marketing Order in 1962 to ensure a stable, orderly supply of good quality product. The Marketing Order has been amended several times since its inception to further the CMC's ability to expand market development projects in domestic and international markets. Currently, CMC conducts generic promotion activities in the United States, China, India, Mexico, Pan-Europe and South Korea.

FHW is one of India's largest professional trade show for trade and consumers in the food and hospitality industry. FHW is organized by two of the world's biggest trade show organizers Deutsche Messe and Fiera Milano (HMFI) along with one of India's largest publication house The Indian Express Limited. Previous year, the show witnessed 6,000 visitors, more than 250 exhibiting brands, more than 550 B2B meetings, more than 250 special event attendees.

The SCS Agribusiness Consultants Pvt. Limited (referred to as THE SCS GROUP) is an agribusiness-consulting firm based in India providing services in the disciplines of marketing, logistics, strategy, policy, communications and training. The firm was established in 1998 with the conviction that the highly competitive global agricultural products' trade scenario demands in-depth research, sophisticated marketing strategies and meticulous implementation.