Hilton South East Asia F&B Masters Grand Finale
At DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel Jakarta – Diponegoro
In a monumental feat of organisation, the inaugural Hilton South East Asia F&B Masters Grand Finale was held at the newly opened Jakarta DoubleTree by Hilton in early February, to coincide with the regional General Managers Meeting. The fantastic event was the culmination of weeks of intense local, regional and national competition encompassing all 26 Hilton Worldwide properties across Indonesia, the Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The goal of this ambitious and exciting project is to identify the brand’s rising talent and with four categories: culinary, barista, sommelier and bar, it offers the young competitors a stage to showcase their considerable flair and talent under the watchful eyes of the judges and the group’s movers and shakers. The competition was down to just 20 finalists to battle it out over two days at the hotel to produce four winners who, apart from the trophy and status, took home some fantastic prizes. The winner of the Culinary Cup, for example, will enjoy a trip to Tokyo to include kitchen time in both the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Conrad Toyko and at the fabulous Tsunohazu, a multifaceted dining floor at the Hilton Tokyo. William Costley, Vice President Operations – South East Asia, Hilton Worldwide sums up the motivation and expectations perfectly. “The Hilton SEA F&B Masters helps us develop and celebrate the amazing talent we have in the region, while also raising the bar of our F&B offerings. It is not merely a competition to find the best chef or barista in our portfolio. It’s more about acknowledging the talent within our team and helping them develop further. The contestants are getting practical and theoretical tutelage, while being put in real life situations with actual guests. It’s accelerated learning that is helping them hone their skills and creativity in their chosen craft.” The four winners were Imran Sabawi from Hilton Singapore in the Barista Cup, from the Conrad Maldives; Kamal Malik took the honours in the Sommelier Cup; Lersak Jamkadsin representing the Millenium Bangkok Hilton won the Bar Cup, whilst Pisuttha Nu-ked from the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok captured the coveted Culinary Cup. The competition was extraordinarily tight with only a single point separating the winner and runner-up in two of the four categories. The winners were announced at a Gala Dinner, where General Manager Markus Kaliss and his team displayed why the DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta – Diponegoro is rapidly becoming a venue of choice for events and corporate entertainment in the city. Well done to all involved and a special Exquisite Publishing cheer to the winners, whose careers we will follow with interest! www.jakarta.diponegoro.doubletree.com
