Everest BKCC Season 8 begins its national journey from Shimla

The Himachal Pradesh semi-final of the Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge (EverestBKCC) Season 8 was successfully held at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHM), Kufri, Shimla on Thursday. The event brought together aspiring chefs and hospitality students to showcase their culinary skills, creativity and professional abilities. Season 8 is being conducted across 21 cities under the theme “Flavours of India.” The initiative celebrates India's rich culinary heritage, regional cuisines and traditional recipes while providing hotel management students with a national platform to demonstrate their talent, technical skills and innovation.
Alongside the culinary challenge, the event featured three national-level competitions: Better Kitchen Bakery Champion, Better Kitchen F&B Young Masters Challenge and Enzo Housekeeping Olympiad. These competitions provided students with opportunities to demonstrate their skills across key hospitality disciplines, including bakery, food and beverage service, and housekeeping. The competitions witnessed enthusiastic participation, with students demonstrating technical proficiency, creativity, attention to detail and a commitment to professional standards. The participants were evaluated by an experienced jury comprising Chef Nand Lal Sharma, Chef Surinder Kumar, Chef Amit Dogra, Kamal Sharma and Gyaru Ram Thakur.
Ekta Bhargava, Director of Bandwagon Media, said, “At Better Kitchen, our vision goes beyond organising competitions; we aim to create meaningful platforms that recognise talent, build confidence and open doors to future career opportunities. Through EverestBKCC, we celebrate India's rich culinary heritage while encouraging young chefs to combine traditional flavours with creativity and innovation. Our endeavour is to connect emerging talent with industry opportunities and inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals to achieve excellence, including on the global stage.”
Mukul Dimri, Principal of IHM Kufri, Shimla, said, “Competitions like the Everest Better Kitchen Culinary Challenge provide students with valuable opportunities to demonstrate their skills, creativity and professional abilities beyond the classroom. Such initiatives bridge the gap between education and industry, build confidence and prepare aspiring hospitality professionals for the challenges and opportunities of the real world. We are pleased to host this initiative at IHM Kufri and support the growth of future hospitality talent.”