Culinary Culture, India’s premier culinary platform, celebrated the culinary trailblazers during the second annual Chef Rankings event in Goa on September 21, 2023, in partnership with Campo Viejo as the Celebration Partner.
In a spectacular celebration of culinary excellence, Culinary Culture, the pioneering platform that acknowledges the prowess of India’s foremost chefs, unveiled the highly-anticipated second edition of FoodSuperstars – India’s TOP 30 Chefs. In association with Campo Viejo as the Celebration Partner, this momentous event honoured the nation’s Top 30 chefs in a glittering award ceremony attended by the who’s who of the F&B industry. This ground-breaking initiative stands as the first and only awards ranking for chefs of India, uniting the country’s culinary luminaries on a singular and prestigious platform.
In the scenic setting of W, Goa, on September 25, 2023, FoodSuperstars 2023 not only recognized but also generously rewarded India’s most outstanding chefs. This edition elevated 30 distinguished chefs who flew in from across the country to the esteemed status of true heroes within the Indian Food & Beverage industry. Each chef was presented with a commemorative trophy, a symbol of honour and proudly adorned special scarves meticulously crafted by the dynamic Indian designer, Anita Dongre, made only for the occasion.
In addition to the list of Top 30 Chefs, FoodSuperstars also bestowed Campo Viejo special awards upon chefs for their outstanding contributions throughout the year. These accolades encompassed categories such as Young Chef award and the Food Legend award.
Campo Viejo, the no.1 Spanish Rioja wine in the world, added to the two-day celebration with curated activities and guest experiences. Blending traditional and progressive winemaking methods, Campo Viejo wines express the vibrancy and colour of modern-day Spain. They are a reflection of heritage, history and curiosity that beautifully celebrate the culinary brilliance that defines India’s diverse gastronomic landscape.
Culinary Culture, founded by the definitive voice in the food industry – Vir Sanghvi and Sameer Sain, the CEO of the Everstone Group, has emerged as the foremost culinary authority in India, dedicated to reshaping the perception of the country’s culinary culture on the global stage.
The Top 30 chefs, honoured with the prestigious title of FoodSuperstars are:
1. Regi Mathew
2. Himanshu Saini
3. Hussain Shahzad
4. Johnson Ebenezer
5. Niyati Rao
6. Jai Prakash Singh
7. Varun Totlani
8. Alex Sanchez
9. Nooresha Kably
10. Zhang Hongsheng
11. Pooja Dhingra
12. Rahul Gomes Pereira
13. Rohit Sangwan
14. Avinash Martins
15. Julia Carmen Desa
16. Suresh DC
17. Vanshika Bhatia
18. Manuel Olveira
19. Amninder Sandhu
20. Sandeep Pande
21. Vinesh Johny
22. Anahita Dhondy
23. Kavan Kuttappa
24. Manik Magotra
25. Shri Bala
26. Aketoli Zhimomi
27. Auroni Mookerjee
28. Shubham Thakur
29. Sachiko Seth
30. Lakhan Jethani
Legend Chef: Urbano Do Rego
Sustainable Chef: Deepanker Khosla
Pastry Chef: Sahil Mehta
Young Chef: Mythrayie Iyer
Activist Chef: Ritu Dalmia
During the occasion, Raaj Sanghvi, CEO, Culinary Culture, shared his thoughts, “We created this platform to honor and celebrate India’s Chefs fraternity that continues to bring so much joy to our lives. FoodSuperstars will always be about the Chefs. While we release a list each year, the community we are building is equally important. Thank you to everyone who flew in specially to be here and thank you to our partners at Campo Viejo for supporting our vision and making this edition very successful! FoodSuperstars will return next year in a new Indian city.”
Chandni Dhundia, Category Head, Wines, Pernod Ricard India, said, “It was an absolute delight to honour and celebrate India’s Top 30 Chefs at the second edition of FoodSuperstars with Campo Viejo as Celebration Partner.”
Anita Dongre, the iconic Indian designer, expressed her pride in supporting FoodSuperstars. She stated, “Food and fashion are intertwined culture and designing scarves to honour and distinguish the award recipients is a moment of great pride for us. My team and I have invested considerable thought into creating scarves as distinctive as the chefs who wear them.”
FoodSuperstars followed a meticulous selection process, with nominations solicited from Culinary Culture’s seasoned community of FoodHunters, comprising over 40 food connoisseurs from around the country. The final list of nominated chefs was then presented to Culinary Culture’s Secret Jury, composed of India’s preeminent culinary experts and passionate food enthusiasts. This esteemed panel distilled the list to arrive at the Top 30, with Vir Sanghvi overseeing the entire process.
Notably, FoodSuperstars is the sole food ranking initiative in India unaffected by external influence or commercial considerations. No advertisements from restaurants or hotels were accepted. Following two challenging years due to the pandemic, India’s F&B industry rallied together to celebrate its resilience through this unique platform.
The second edition of FoodSuperstars was proudly presented by Campo Viejo, a testament to their commitment to celebrating culinary excellence. This event marks the beginning of a treasured annual tradition, and we look forward to hosting it once again next year, where we’ll continue to shine a spotlight on India’s exceptional culinary talent and the artistry that enriches our palates and our lives.
About Culinary Culture
Culinary Culture stands tall as India’s definitive voice in food. Co-founded by Vir Sanghvi and Sameer Sain, it represents a comprehensive movement that encompasses every facet of the culinary landscape in India. Distinguished as the country’s only authoritative and independent rating organization, Culinary Culture bestows stars upon restaurants, honors India’s most exceptional chefs and pays tribute to the country’s vibrant street food vendors. Culinary Culture is renowned for its global Culinary Exchanges, where it invites the world’s most celebrated chefs to showcase their talents in India while sending talented Indian chefs to cook at the world’s finest restaurants. In 2020, it organized events in India with Chef Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur in France, the three Michelin starred restaurant, rated as World No.1 that year and in 2021 and 2022 it brought the world’s most famous Massimo Bottura, from Osteria Francescana in Italy, also a former two-time World No.1 for events in Mumbai and New Delhi respectively. An integral part of Culinary Culture is its esteemed academy of FoodHunters, comprising over 40 of India’s most prominent food experts, strategically located throughout the country. Culinary Culture also offers a plethora of popular intellectual properties including FoodSuperstars, Culinary Conversations, StreetFoodSuperstars, Culinary X Change and its upcoming Restaurant Ratings platform.
