The Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge (BKCC) Season 7 commenced its journey from the holy city of Varanasi in the presence of eminent dignitaries, hospitality leaders, and aspiring chefs. Organized by Better Kitchen Magazine, BKCC is India’s largest culinary competition for hotel management students, aimed at bridging the gap between education and industry by nurturing future hospitality leaders. The platform equips students with professional skills, inspires creativity and innovation, and provides international opportunities including paid internships and higher studies in hospitality abroad.
Addressing the gathering, Ekkta Bhargava, Publisher of Better Kitchen, emphasized that the initiative’s mission is to prepare students for future challenges and promote Indian regional food at a global level while preserving its originality and flavour. She further highlighted that Season 7 continues with the theme “Flavours of India”, a consistent focus since its inception, designed to showcase and safeguard India’s rich culinary heritage, encourage the younger generation to explore healthy regional cuisines, and promote culinary tourism across the country.
BKCC Season 7 is being held across 19 cities in India along with three concurrent competitions – Better Kitchen Bakery Champion, Better Kitchen F&B Young Masters Challenge, and Enzo Housekeeping Olympiad – culminating in a grand national finale in Mumbai. Participants across all four competitions are eligible for a USD 500 WCE Scholarship under the Bridge USA J-1 Exchange Visitor Program for a 12-month period or for higher studies in Europe in hospitality programs. The national winners will also receive cash prizes of INR 51,000, INR 21,000, and INR 11,000, while their institutes will be honoured with rewards of INR 25,000, INR 10,000, and INR 5,000 respectively as recognition for mentoring and supporting young talent.
The esteemed jury for the Varanasi round included Chef Ravikant Pathak, Chef Vivek Kadam, Chef Chandan Singh, and Chef Shiviam Dixit, while the event was graced by the presence of Tushar Paimode, Territory Manager, Bharatgas; Samarth Gupta, Senior Manager, Bharatgas; Anil Kumar Singh, Tourist Information Officer, Ministry of Tourism; and officials from Everest. The initiative received strong backing from its partners, with Everest as the Title Partner, Incredible India – Ministry of Tourism, Government of India as Support Partner, Bharatgas as Energy Partner, Wisdom Career Education (WCE) as International Placement & Study Abroad Partner, and MYMENU365, an initiative of Aruna Sharma, IAS, as Trophy Partner.
The Varanasi round concluded on a high note with winners announced across the competitions, marking another milestone in celebrating young culinary talent and shaping the future of India’s hospitality industry. The first position was secured by Team Everest Shahi Paneer Masala represented by Vaishali Tripathi and Shipra Verma, the second position went to Everest Sabzi Masala represented by Sakshi Gupta and Ashish Srivastava, while the third position was awarded to Everest Royal Gram Masala represented by Manasi Singh and Manish Kumar.
Better Kitchen & Better Kitchen Awards are Brands of Bandwagon Media