NEW DELHI, November 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
To emphasize Hyatt's focus on its rich culinary heritage, Hyatt Hotels in India had introduced the 'Hyatt Culinary Challenge 2014 - people cooking for people' last month across select locations in India where Hyatt hotels are present.
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The preliminary rounds of the inaugural 2014 season started off across Hyatt Hotels in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Raipur, Kolkata and Mumbai. The preliminary rounds were a runaway success with senior representatives from the corporate world coming together with enthusiastic young partners from the SMILE Foundation NGO to create culinary masterpieces. The winner from each of these nine cities participated in the Grand Finale at Hyatt Regency Delhi on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014.
Not only was the 'people cooking for people' challenge an unique event, which was held simultaneously in several cities from 31st October, it was also followed by a first-of-its-kind "virtual culinary challenge" conducted on a digital platform from 6th November onwards, with entries invited from across the country. This has resulted in substantial social media chatter under hashtag #CookWithHyatt. One winner from the digital version of the Hyatt Culinary Challenge 2014 participated in the finale along with the winners from the nine cities. All 10 participants were paired with a young chef from SMILE foundation, and worked together to prepare a recipe of their choice for the judges.
Speaking on the occasion, Harleen Mehta, VP, Sales Operations, Hyatt South Asia, said, "Hyatt hotels around the world are recognized for their innovation, creativity and strong focus on food and beverage. The objective behind running the Hyatt Culinary Challenge was to give a wider audience across India the opportunity to engage with Hyatt as a brand by participating in 'people cooking for people'. The overwhelming response that we have witnessed across the cities, and with the digital version of the challenge, has been truly encouraging and we hope to make the Hyatt Culinary Challenge an annual event."
Commenting on the positive experience by the young SMILE foundation participants during the preliminary rounds, Puja Trisal, General Manager - Programs, Smile Foundation, said, "In order to bring some real and permanent changes in the lives of the most deserving children across India, members of the civil society need to be involved proactively in the process of development. We have been deeply moved by the commitment and care taken by Hyatt India in involving SMILE Foundation and our children in different activities and events across the country. The exposure given to the children have added value to their learning and they have grown confident in their daily interactions. We look forward to continued collaborations in the future to see lasting impact in our local communities."
The list of city specific winners and recipe names are listed below.
AHMEDABAD
Ms Chandni Parmar
Corn Cigar Shots
BANGALORE
Ms Preeti Marwaha
Faroe' Island Chicken, served with Herb Rice and Watermelon Feta Salad
CHENNAI
Mr. Mikhail Gorbatov
Russian version of biryani - 'Plov'
DELHI
Mr. Haim Levy
Mediterranean style fish
HYDERABAD
Mr. Viiveck Verma
Mediterranean Chicken Stew
KOLKATA
Mr. Amit Malik
Chicken Genghiz Khan
MUMBAI
Mr. Piers de Lukacs Lessner
Ponzu Chicken with Black Pepper Tofu and Green Bean Salad
PUNE
Ms. Farha Anwar
Shahi Khichda
RAIPUR
Ms. Regina Nitin
Chicken Stew with vegetables
The finale was held at the distinctive Oval Room at The Mansion at Hyatt Regency Delhi on Saturday, 22nd November 2014. The panel of judges for the finale at Hyatt Regency Delhi were represented by experts from the lifestyle, food and fashion arenas. To learn more about the event, please follow #CookWithHyatt.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality. The Company's subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®,Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Zilara™, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Residences® and Hyatt Residence Club® brand names and have locations on six continents. As of September 30, 2014, the Company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 573 properties in 48 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.hyatt.com.
Primary Media Contact: Abhishek Tewari, [email protected], +91 22 6676 1116, Digital Marketing Manager
Secondary Media Contact: Yasmin Poonegar, [email protected], +91-9004128086, Hyatt South West Asia
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