Pakistan Chefs Club Hosts 2nd Culinary Championship

 By: Aziz Khatri

Karachi: The Pakistan Chefs Club (PCC) successfully hosted its 2nd Culinary Championship, featuring the Baqra Eid Special Edition and Taste the Tropic Fest 2025, at Sage Banquet in Karachi.

The championship included competitions themed around Baqra Eid and tropical fruits, with various categories such as Ready from Home, Live Cooking, Live Baking, Fireless Cooking, and Live Barbecue. Over 55 participants showcased more than 70 unique dishes, which were evaluated using PCC’s assessment system. Medals were awarded based on the following score brackets: Gold (90-100%), Silver (80-89%), and Bronze (70-79%).

Chefs from all levels participated in the event, including junior chefs (grades 1-10), special chefs, hobbyists, home chefs, certified professionals, student chefs, and industrial chefs. PCC maintained its hallmark of transparent and fair evaluation throughout the competition.

Key brand supporters included GlamGas (Live Cooking Partner), Italiano Cuisine, SK, Kruicible, and Andy's (Master Class Supporters), along with Quice as the Official Beverage Partner. Supporting partners were MomPreneur and Darul Umeed, with strategic collaboration from MasterClass Pakistan, Dexter Institute, and APRA. Lunch was sponsored by Darul Umeed Skills Academy. Gifting partners included Shan Foods, Italiano Cuisine, Quice, Andy's, Eastern Spices, Peritt, Dashi, The Earth's, Unique Foods, and Food One. Additionally, International Mango Day was celebrated with support from Fresh & Roshan, Whisk & Sugar, Dashi, and Italiano Cuisine.

Distinguished guests such as Masood Ahmed Kalia (Director of Kaybees & Chairman of APRA), Iqbal Sheikh (CEO of Unique Foods), JarJan (GM Commercial of Andy's), and Abdul Ghaffar (Manager of Marketing at Quice) praised PCC’s efforts to empower chefs and promote fair competition.

A key highlight of the event was the live creation of a 50-pound cake, led by Chef Wajid (Asr-e-Shereen), Chef Mehdi, and Chef Waqas, with support from the PCC event team. This demonstration showcased cake-handling techniques suitable for Karachi’s summer heat, with special attention given to Dashi’s Whipping Cream for its stability and quality.

The PCC event team, including Chef Nafisa, Chef Fariha, Chef Sania, Chef Waheed, Chef Ali Haider, Chef Nighat, Chef Ramsha, and Abdullah, worked diligently in various capacities to ensure the smooth execution of the event.

The event was spearheaded by Chef Naureen Ashraf, Founder & CEO of the Pakistan Chefs Club, who was widely praised for her dedication and hands-on leadership. Participants described PCC events as welcoming and family-like, providing a fair platform for chefs to showcase their skills without the typical stress associated with competitions.

In her closing remarks, Chef Naureen emphasized, "These competitions are about much more than medals. They aim to uncover hidden talent, create employment, and uplift home-based businesses. PCC is committed to promoting Pakistani chefs and local products both nationally and internationally."

As part of the Taste the Tropic Fest, participants also celebrated International Mango Day by creating innovative dishes with tropical fruits, with mango rightfully crowned the hero of the day.

The event was unanimously recognized as another milestone for the Pakistan Chefs Club, continuing its mission to highlight Pakistani chefs, products, and culinary excellence on both national and global stages.