The much-anticipated Guwahati Food Awards 2024 kicked off on November 14 with a deliciously sweet beginning. Hosted at NYX Lounge & Deck, the event’s first highlight, ‘The Great Guwahati Bake Off’ presented by Purabi Dairy, in association with Hotel Palacio, brought together over 30 talented home bakers from across Guwahati to compete for the prestigious title of Home Baker of the Year 2024.
In this year’s The Great Guwahati Bake Off, participants were tasked with crafting sweet and savoury masterpieces featuring at least one Purabi Dairy product, adding a local flavour to their unique dishes.
The competition was judged by a distinguished panel, including Assam’s renowned food critic Kashmiri Nath, Chef Saikat (Head Patisserie Chef at Vivanta, Guwahati), Chef Malin Timungpi (Patisserie Chef), and Nilakshi Sharma, the winner of The Great Guwahati Bake Off 2022. Together, they evaluated each creation with keen attention to detail, praising the innovative ingredients and techniques showcased by this year’s contestants.
Kashmiri Nath, sharing her thoughts, noted, "This year, we saw a lot of unique ingredients, making the tasting experience all the more exciting. It’s going to be a tough choice picking a winner."
Chef Saikat added, "It’s inspiring to see such enthusiasm for patisserie in Guwahati. Meeting these passionate participants has been a highlight. I wish the Guwahati Food Awards all the best."
The event was also graced by SB Bose, Managing Director, North East Dairy and Foods Limited (NEDFL) and SK Parida, Managing Director, West Assam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union Ltd. (WAMUL) and SM Hussain, Marketing Head, WAMUL.
“We’re thrilled to partner with The Great Guwahati Bake Off. It’s heartening to see young bakers using Purabi Dairy products in their creations. Events like this help support and encourage budding talent in the region,” expressed SB Bose.
“I am grateful to GPlus for organising such an event. Through this event, Purabi has been highlighted not just in Assam but across the region,” added SK Parida, the Managing Director, WAMUL.
In its landmark 10th edition, the Guwahati Food Awards will culminate in a gala event on December 22 at Vivanta, Guwahati. This year, over 200 nominees representing 65+ enterprises from across the city will compete in a wide array of 35 categories, celebrating the city’s best in categories such as Best Bakery, Best Café, Best Multi-Cuisine Restaurant, and Best Ethnic Cuisine, among others.
New to this year’s awards are exciting categories like Unique Food Service Concept/Format and Best Brand of the Decade. Additionally, special awards for Home Baker of the Year, Home Chef of the Year, Chef of the Year, Restaurateur of the Year, and Wine/Cocktail Master Class will honour Guwahati’s top culinary talents.
The Guwahati Food Awards will involve public voting to shortlist restaurants in each category, followed by a detailed evaluation by a panel of culinary experts. The winning establishments will be recognised at the prestigious awards ceremony in December.
