Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge Season 7 lights up FCI Jammu, celebrating young chefs and the flavours of India

JAMMU: The Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge (EverestBKCC) Season 7 lit up the campus of Food Craft Institute (FCI), Jammu, as aspiring chefs, hospitality leaders, and dignitaries gathered for a dynamic showcase of culinary innovation and talent.

Organized by Better Kitchen Magazine, this is India’s largest culinary competition for hotel management students, designed to bridge the gap between education and industry while nurturing the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Addressing the gathering, Ekta Bhargava, Publisher of Better Kitchen, emphasized that the initiative aims to prepare students for global opportunities while promoting Indian regional cuisines worldwide.

With the enduring theme “Flavours of India”, the challenge celebrates and preserves India’s diverse food heritage, encouraging young chefs to explore authentic, healthy, and sustainable cooking practices.

Season 7 of the competition spans 19 cities across India, alongside three concurrent contests— Better Kitchen Bakery Champion, Better Kitchen F&B Young Masters Challenge, and Enzo Housekeeping Olympiad.

The winners from each regional round will compete in the national finale in Mumbai, with cash prizes and scholarships under the Bridge USA J-1 Exchange Visitor Program and opportunities for higher studies in Europe.

The jury for the Jammu round comprised Chef Rajib Mitra (Radisson Blu), Chef Sudhin N. Gaikwad (Taj Vivanta), Chef Nayan (Amantran), and Mohinder Singh (Radisson Blu).

The event also witnessed the presence of Manoj Kumar, Territory Manager, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and faculty members from participating institutes. Jyoti Bhatti, Principal of FCI Jammu, expressed pride in hosting the semi-final round, calling it a significant platform to promote hospitality education and global exposure. He applauded the enthusiasm of participants and acknowledged the scholarship support provided by Wisdom Career Education (WCE).

The initiative was supported by Everest (Title Partner), Incredible India – Ministry of Tourism (Support Partner), Bharatgas (Energy Partner), Wisdom Career Education (WCE) (International Placement Partner), and MYMENU365, an initiative of Aruna Sharma, IAS (Trophy Partner).

Winners (Jammu Round): In the Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge, Team Everest Kasuri Methi (Asifa Zohra & Shabnam Qusar, Parade College) won first place, followed by Everest Coriander Powder (Vidushi Dogra & Farishta Khan, SHTM University). The third place was shared between Everest Dry Mango Powder (Tanisha Pandey & Siya Sharma, PSPS Gandhi Nagar) and Everest Jaljira Powder (Nikita Sharma & Aashia Khatoon, GDC Nagrota).

In the Better Kitchen Bakery Champion category, Ajay Gupta & Aman Sharma (FCI Jammu) secured the top position, while Archi Sharma & Rishita Sharma (Govt. Women College) and Taniya Sharma & Tanisha Chadha (Govt. Women College) claimed the second and third spots respectively.

In the Better Kitchen F&B Young Masters Challenge, all three winners—Ritik Sharma, Vishal Sharma, and Arun Chpudhary — represented FCI Jammu, sweeping the category with their exceptional performance.

The event concluded with applause and celebration, marking another milestone in India’s culinary education landscape, where young talent is being nurtured to carry forward the legacy of Indian cuisine on the global stage.