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The people behind the scenes of good food met one another, at the Annual General Meeting of the South India Culinary Association (SICA), on Thursday at the Rain Tree hotel, in the city. The theme of the event was "Emerging Culinary Adventure" and about 100 chefs participated in it. The event was designed with the idea of bringing together culinary professionals throughout the country to give them the opportunity to learn, network and felicitate. The conference threw open a plethora of ideas to the culinary professionals, inspiring them to contribute and succeed in the profession. The Rain Tree hotel hosted this mega event.

Recently a number of Indian chefs were certified by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), the apex body of all culinary professionals. Based on this Mr. Soundararajan, General Secretary of Indian Federation of Culinary Association (IFCA) gave a lot of inputs about the improvement of the standards of the profession in the country. He also encouraged the chefs to participate in programs pertaining to their field. Discussion about the Culinary Olympics that is to be held in the year 2012, were also made.

Mr. Akash Gupta , GM of the Rain Ttree and Mr. Regi Mathew, CEO of Oriental Cuisine inaugurated the event presentations on various topics such as "The Need to Develop Younger Generation", "Culinary Journey-The Emerging Menu Trends", "Culinary Achievement Through Exchange", "Managing and Maintaining Standards of Food Next", "The Hidden Aromas of Ancient Tamil Cuisine", "Becoming a World Recognized Chef", "Asia Pacific Culinary Extravaganza", "Nuances of Several Hundred Ways of Using Tea", by different experts in the field, pivoted a sense of pride in the minds of the chefs. Many of the experienced chefs also urged the beginners to feel proud about their careers and assured that, the profession is gaining international recognition.

During the course of the conference, many of the sponsors also presented their products and made the chefs aware about the quality and usability and availability of the products. The entire conference was a wholesome package for the chefs to learn about the present trends in the industry.

Mr. Murali Managing Director, Sri Krishna Sweets, along with the other chefs was honored for their untiring support to the Chef Amuthupadai initiative. Former Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. T.S. Krishnamoorthy, did the honours. The Chef Amuthupadai program which took place in 2006 was a philanthropic move by SICA. Star hotels in the city were approached with the idea of serving gourmet meals every month, throughout the year to underprivileged children from different orphanages. The children were also entertained during the program. Sri Krishna Sweets took up the main sponsorship for the event and this gave a good opportunity for the chefs to show their care and concern to the downtrodden in the society.

Chef Sheetharam Prasad Executive Chef of GRT Grand and Chef Rajesh, Executive Chef of The Park were felicitated for their award-winning performance at the Euro Asia International Culinary Contest held at Russia.

The prestigious SICA Golden Hat Awards, an ultimate recognition for the chefs for their long lasting contribution to both their field as well as the association, were given away. The eligibility criteria for being nominated for this award are that the chef:

The winners are selected by the accreditation committee constituted by the Executive Board of SICA.

This year, Chef Vijyabhaskaran of Le Meridien Bangalore, Chef Soman of Le Meridien, Kochi and Chef Jugesh Arora of The Rain Tree Chennai, emerged winners.

The treasury report of the association was made to inform the members about the funds. Chef Soundararajan, also requested the chefs to drive in more membership to the association, by means of which the association would function more effectively and efficiently.

The election to the Executive Board of SICA was also held during the conference and different chefs were formally elected during the solemn occasion. The chefs who took up the office for the next two years are:

Executive Committee Members:

Chef Balachandar
Chef Bala Gurunathan
Chef Nabhojit Gosh
Mr. Ajith Kumar Lal Mohan
Chef Paneer Selvam

Kerala Chapter
Chef Padmanaban
Chef Sasi Jacob

Karnataka Chapter
Chef Kasi Viswanath
Chef Vijay Bakshi

The conference was held according to the protocol laid down by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). Also a report of the conference would be sent to the principal body. The chefs unanimously decided to hold the next SICA congress in Bangalore.

The day would not been complete without the sumptuous lunch hosted by Chef Arora. The delegates enjoyed the meticulously cooked Indian and continental food.

If you are a chef who is reading this, give a thought and find out means by which you can make a mark in the profession, before the next congress arrives.