ICF honours culinary excellence at 22nd annual Chef Awards 2025

The Indian Culinary Forum (ICF) brought India’s top chefs and hospitality leaders together on Monday evening to celebrate the country’s culinary talent at the 22nd Annual Chef Awards, held at The Ashok, New Delhi, ahead of International Chefs Day. The event drew a distinguished gathering of chefs, academicians, and industry experts, recognising those who have made significant contributions to the hospitality sector.

The ceremony was graced by Mugdha Sinha, IAS, Managing Director of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), as the Chief Guest, along with eminent personalities from the hospitality and culinary fraternity.

This year, the awards honoured 17 chefs across multiple categories. Chef Umesh Mattoo received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Chef Julia Carmen was chosen for the Jury Choice Award. Chef Sandeep Kalra of Air India won the Golden Hat Award, and Chef Shailender Singh of Pride Hotel received the Silver Hat. The Anil Bhandari Memorial – Chef of the Year Award was jointly awarded to Chef Ankit Gaurav of Country Inn & Suites and Chef Karan Mehta of Le Meridien.

The MasterChef Awards were decided after a four-day competition that saw more than 150 chefs from across the country showcase their skills at the Institute of Bakery & Culinary Arts and the Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in New Delhi. Winners included Jaskaran Singh for International Cuisine, Timothy Lepcha for Oriental Cuisine, and Naman Sanjay Mahorla for North Indian Cuisine. Abhishek Sengupta was recognised for East, West, and South Indian Cuisine, while Nitin Kumar won for Kebab, Daman Prakash for Indian Sweets, and Pawan for International Confectionery. Devender Yadav received the Baker award, Tara Subba was named Master Chef Butcher, and the Student Chef of the Year titles went to Harpreet Kaur Malik and Shresth Agrawal.

Speaking at the event, ICF President Chef Davinder Kumar said the awards reflected the dedication and creativity of India’s chefs, adding that the forum was helping Indian cuisine gain recognition on the global stage. General Secretary Chef Vivek Saggar noted that the awards also highlighted growing trends such as sustainability and innovation in the kitchen.

Founded in 1987, the ICF is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing the culinary arts in India. Affiliated with the World Association of Chefs Societies, the forum runs competitions, training programmes, and events aimed at nurturing talent and promoting Indian cuisine internationally.