The Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge (EverestBKCC) Season 7 was successfully hosted at the School of Hotel Management, BBD University, Lucknow, 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, designed to bridge the gap between education and industry by nurturing future hospitality leaders. Through this national platform, students are equipped with professional skills, inspired to embrace creativity and innovation, and provided with international opportunities including paid internships and higher studies in hospitality abroad.
Addressing the gathering, Ekta Bhargava, Publisher, Better Kitchen, highlighted the mission of the initiative and said, “Our goal is to prepare students for future challenges and promote Indian regional food at a global level, maintaining its originality and flavour.” She further emphasized that the challenge continues with the theme “Flavours of India,” which has been the core focus since Season 1, aiming to showcase and preserve India’s rich culinary heritage, encourage younger audiences 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. The series will culminate in a grand national finale in Mumbai. All participants across the four competitions are eligible for a USD 500 WCE Scholarship under the Bridge USA J-1 Exchange Visitor Program for twelve months or for higher studies in Europe in hospitality programs. The national winners of BKCC Season 7 will receive cash prizes of INR 51,000, INR 21,000, and INR 11,000 respectively, while their institutes will also be recognized with rewards of INR 25,000, INR 10,000, and INR 5,000 as a token of appreciation for mentoring and supporting young talent.
The esteemed jury for the Lucknow round included Chef Izzat Husain, Vaibhav Bhatia, General Manager, Fortune Park Hotel; Satish Sagayam, Assistant Food & Beverage Manager; and Harshita Pradhan Shah, Executive Housekeeper, Fortune Park Hotel. The event also witnessed the august presence of Pawan Kumar, Territory Manager LPG, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and Nitesh Trivedi, Area Sales Manager, Everest.
The competition at BBD University was held with the support and encouragement of Alka Das, Hon’ble Chancellor, BBD Group; Viraj Sagar, President, BBD Educational Society; Sonakshi Das, Vice President, BBD Educational Group; Prof. (Dr.) S. K. Srivastava, Chancellor; and Prof. (Dr.) S. C. Sharma, Pro Vice Chancellor. The event was successfully coordinated by Prof. (Dr.) Kapil Shanker Tiwari, Dean, School of Hotel Management, BBD University.
The initiative was supported by leading partners including 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.
Winners were announced across the four competitions, marking another milestone in celebrating young talent and shaping the future of India’s hospitality industry.
Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge Season 7
Better Kitchen Bakery Champion
Better Kitchen F&B Young Masters Challenge
Enzo Housekeeping Olympiad
Better Kitchen & Better Kitchen Awards are Brands of Bandwagon Media