Nestlé Professional fosters SL’s talented chefs via Golden Chefs’ Hat Competition

Winner – From left:  Rolf Blaser  (Chief Executive Officer – A. Baur Co. (Pvt) LTD.),  Maduranga Perera (Country Business Manager – Nestlé Professional),  Chef Gerard Mendis  (Chairman – Chef Guild of Lanka),  Roshan Perera  (Vice President – Nestlé Professional), Winner – Andige Charith Madawa  (Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo),  Dominik Furgler  (Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives),  Jason Avanceña (Managing Director – Nestlé Lanka)

First Runners Up – From left:  Rolf Blaser  (Chief Executive Officer – A. Baur Co. (Pvt) LTD.),  Maduranga Perera  (Country Business Manager – Nestlé Professional),  Chef Gerard Mendis  (Chairman – Chef Guild of Lanka),  Roshan Perera (Vice President – Nestlé Professional), First Runners Up –  W. G. M. N. Abeyrathne  (Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, Colombo),  Dominik Furgler  (Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives),  Jason Avanceña  (Managing Director – Nestlé Lanka)

Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Competition is an island wide culinary competition conducted by Nestlé Professional Sri Lanka, in collaboration with Chef’s Guild of Lanka, to nurture new talent in the hospitality industry,which is imperative to prepare itself for the expected tourism boom. 

As the B2B arm of Nestlé Lanka, Nestlé Professional endeavours to work together with food service professionals by offering solutions that address unique business challenges and opportunities to grow and succeed. 

Towards this end, the company partnered with the Swiss Hotel Management Academy which is among the top 3 hospitality schools in the world, with A. Baur & Co. (Pvt) Ltd. being its local affiliation partner.

Accordingly, two scholarships were awarded to the winners of the Nestlé Golden Chefs’ Hat Competition, with a further two scholarships awarded to two outstanding students at The Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM). 

These scholarships were handed over by Nestlé Professional to the Sri Lanka Hospitality Graduates Association (SLHGA) at an event held on 9 January 2023, with the participation of distinguished guests – Chief Guest, Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dominik Furgler; Chairman of Chef Guild of Sri Lanka, Gerard Mendis; President of Sri Lanka Hospitality Graduates Association (SLHGA), Asela Wevita; MD/CEO of A. Baur & Co., Rolf Blaser; Chairman Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM), Shirantha Peiris; Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Bureau, Chalaka Gajabahu and Jason Avanceña, Managing Director, Nestlé Lanka.

Addressing the gathering, Jason Avanceña, Managing Director of Nestlé Lanka said, “Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry, which is an important driver of the economy, experienced many setbacks over the past few years. As such, we are happy to be able to extend our support by fostering the country’s food service industrywith not only the best quality solutions offered via Nestlé Professional, but also with platforms such as this. 

As a company that is committed to unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of lives, we have stood by our stakeholders for over 115 years regardless the circumstances and we areproud to collaborate with like-minded organizations in this journey of doing good for Sri Lanka. Congratulations to the winners of the Nestlé Golden Chefs’ Hat Competition and the recipients of the scholarships!”