A three-member team from the Maldives has been recognised as the “Most Promising Talent” at the Asian Pastry Cup 2018.

In a first for the Maldives culinary industry, Chef Aminath Hameed from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Chef Ibrahim Fareed from Soneva Fushi and Chef Indra Kumar Limbu from Hulhulé Island Hotel (HIH) participated in the event, held from April 24 to 25 at the Singapore Expo during Food and Hotel Asia 2018.

Their participation was sponsored by leading resort supplier Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) and Maldives Exhibition and Conference Services (MECS).

“Congratulations to our chefs who recently participated in the Asian Pastry Cup 2018 and were named the Most Promising Talent after competing with over 12 countries. We are delighted regarding this achievement and will keep on supporting the promising Maldivian Culinary Industry,” Mohamed Mazloom, Director at CEO of BBM, was quoted in a statement, as saying.

The Maldives team competed alongside Asian culinary giants like Australia, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, China, India, Taiwan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Syria in an eight-hour-long competition, which saw the preparation and presentation of a chocolate showpiece, a sugar showpiece, 18 plated desserts and two chocolate pastries by each team.

The chefs from Maldives were awarded the Most Promising Talent award by a jury comprising the likes of Gabriel Paillasson, President D’honneur of World Pastry Cup; Philippe Rigollot, World Champion and International President at World Pastry Cup; and Jean-Francois Arnaud, Asia President at World Pastry Cup.

“We are extremely proud to be in partnership with BBM to allow the talented chefs in the Maldives to participate in the Asian Pastry Cup 2018. It truly was a delight to witness our Chefs receive the ‘Most Promising Talent’ at such a renowned competition,” Husnie Rauf, General Manager of MECS, said.

The Asian Pastry Cup is a competition held in the same format as World Pastry Cup, one of the most prestigious culinary competitions for pastry chefs. Each team consists of three individuals – two of which will create the showpieces, chocolate cakes and plated desserts, and a jury member who will be part of the judging, which is led by the founder of the World Pastry Cup Gabriel Paillasson.

Associated with the “Club Coupe du Monde”, the Asian Pastry Cup is the official selective platform in Asia to the World Pastry Cup in Lyon. The Asian Pastry Cup aims to:

• Ignite creativity and interest in culinary art,
• Raise the status of the pastry industry in the region,
• Provide a platform for communication and education for pastry enthusiasts in Asia; and,
• Promote the best Asian Pastry Chef of the year from the region.

BBM together with MECS, the organisers of the the annual Hotel Asia Exhibition and International Culinary Challenge, believe in invigorating the skills of the local chefs and improving the Maldivian culinary industry, and have taken this initiative to sponsor the team at the Asian Pastry Cup for the very first time. Apart from this, they have sponsored local chefs to various other competitions in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

BBM and MECS also take a very keen interest to impart knowledge, skills and latest techniques to the chefs in the island nation, and has conducted a series of Masterclass Workshops of the topmost figures in the global culinary industry such as award-winning Michelin-starred chefs, Bocuse d’Or winners, Culinary Olympic Champions and professors in gastronomy just to name a few.

A special training programme was recently conducted at the Hulhulé Island Hotel from March 9 to 12 by award-winning Pastry Chef Leslie Teong and world-renowned Chef Alan Palmer. The four-day training camp exposed Maldivian chefs to the latest techniques and methods of pastry.