NDTV FOOD Awards 2024 turned out to be a stellar event. It was an evening to remember with many illustrious names from the food and beverage industry attending the event. The highlight was the best talent being recognised and awarded for their contribution to the culinary world of India and beyond. After detailed panel discussions on pivotal issues in the world of food, the awards ceremony was held, which felicitated the best in the industry under various categories. The high point was when the winners shared their joy by talking about their feelings and journey. Let’s look at some of the heartwarming conversations we had with some of the winners.
Also Read: Inside NDTV Food Awards 2024: Winners, Panels And Celebration Of Culinary Excellence

Aseem Grover And Wife Fawzia Ahmed

The Big Chill Cakery won the award for the “Best Bakery And Patisserie”. When asked about how they felt about it, Aseem Grover exclaimed that this was a special award as it came from NDTV, and that meant a lot to them. The owners Aseem Grover and wife Fawzia Ahmed share their journey to making the Cakery reach where it is now. They spoke about how they ventured into the food business with no formal training but achieved success through their love and passion for good food. They recalled how it was just the two of them and a boy when they started out. Fawzia Ahmed revealed that the cafe employed her own recipes and shared an interesting tale from the early years. When they had just begun, a customer asked for a cold coffee and the staff did not even know how to make it. As there was coffee shake on the menu, the staff was perplexed. So, they quickly experimented and chutney out a cold coffee which was unique but so good that the customer called it ” the best cold coffee he’s ever had!”

Also Read: NDTV Food Awards 2024: All You Need To Know About The Categories, Jury And Directors

Chef Manish Mehrotra

Indian Accent is a name to reckon with. The restaurant is popular not just in Delhi but all over the country. Chef Manish Mehrotra rose to fame with the success of this establishment, which won the “Best Fine Dining Restaurant Of the Year” award. After winning the award, chef Manish Mehrotra revealed how it wasn’t easy to make the diners accept their modern twist on Indian cuisine. In fact, “people used to walk out initially; they wanted butter chicken!” But gradually the innovative Indian food at Indian Accent was accepted, and the rest is history! Talking about the vision for the future, the chef shared that he would want more talent to join them and help them take Indian cuisine all over the world, and Indian cuisine to greater heights.

Also Read: Ndtv Food Awards 2024 – Red Carpet Moments

Nakul Anand

Nakul Anand was accorded the title of “Living Legend” at the NDTV Food Awards 2024. He revealed that the win was a surprise for him and he was happy to receive the award on behalf of everyone who has worked with him. With a vast experience spanning over four decades with ITC, he made a name for himself in the hospitality and tourism industry. He talks about the challenges he faced as a hotelier and the future of tourism in India. One has to learn and do a lot of things in the hotel business – from marketing and sales to finance, purchasing and accounts. When we asked Nakul Anand it the culinary industry is moving in the right direction, he revealed that this is the golden decade for tourism in India as it’s growing at a tremendous rate. That would surely support the food industry as well. 

Chef Hussain Shahzad

As the “Chef Of The Year”, Hussain Shahzad told NDTV Food that this award will motivate him to do even better. He also thanked his team for supporting him. When asked about the challenges he had to face in his journey about what it takes to move ahead in the culinary world. He also shared how chefs and other food professionals should push boundaries to achieve success in this field. There are many distractions, and one needs to keep their head down and focus on taking food where it should be. He also exclaimed that on the global level, Indian food is shining bright and with the collective efforts we can take it further ahead. 

Shubham Thakur

After winning the title of “Rising Star Chef Of The Year”, Shubham Thakur showed his witty side. “I am really out of words but I am a cook and I will cook a few words!” he shared that he felt great sharing the stage with many phenomenal personalities from the industry. He shared his journey of facing some challenges but eventually, they became a part of the journey and became milestones. He also sent a message to all the budding chefs wanting to make it big. He said “If you dare to dream, be the best in it. Don’t stress yourself to be out there. You can do whatever you want to do, and… live your life with the best intentions!”