Hilton announced the winners of its South East Asia Food & Beverage (SEA F&B) Masters that saw more than 400 Team Members from over 40 hotels in the region participate in a series of rigorous competitions over the last seven months.
Now in its 6th year, the SEA F&B Masters is open to all Hilton Team Members who are passionate about showcasing their skills and talent in various food & beverage disciplines. The competition’s main aim is to discover, distinguish, and develop the best F&B talent across Hilton’s portfolio of properties in the region.
Participants had to compete across three rounds: first within their hotel, followed by a sub-regional level match before earning their coveted spot in the regional finals held at Hilton Bali Resort last month. This year, 17 finalists hailing from 7 countries – Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, and the Maldives – put their culinary skills and gastronomic flair to the test across four categories, Barista, Culinary, Mixology, and Pastry.
Throughout each stage of the competition, all participants had to creatively feature the use of locally-sourced and sustainable elements in their entries, from the use of ingredients to the visual presentations of their final creations. After an intense day-long of competitions and judging, Team Members from Hilton Bali, Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Hilton Amingiri Maldives Resort & Spa, and Conrad Bali emerged as winners in the Barista, Culinary, Mixology and Pastry Cup respectively:
- Hailing from Hilton Bali, Ketut Edy Suriama was crowned the winner in the Barista category, leaving the judges feeling energized with his coffee concoctions that embodied the flavors of Indonesia.
- Bussakorn Narumonrithikai (June) of Millennium Hilton Bangkok took home the Culinary Cup with a tantalizing three-course menu, which celebrates the five distinctive Thai flavors of sour, sweet, spicy, savory, and creamy.
- Dipak Thapa of Hilton Amingiri Maldives Resort & Spa was awarded the Mixology Cupfor his trio of balmy, refreshing fruit-infused cocktails thatchanneled energy of the sunny tropical paradise, which captivated the judges and left them feeling rejuvenated.
- Gusti Ayu Made Oktianingsih (Yudek) of Conrad Bali took home the Pastry Cup for her decadent trio of show-stopping bakes.
“Our Team Members’ talent and passion allow us to deliver unparalleled hospitality to our guests every single day. The SEA F&B Masters not only puts the spotlight on our incredibly gifted Team Members, it also gives them a platform to showcase their skills and creativity at an international level,” said Alexandra Murray, vice president & head of South East Asia, Hilton. “As a business of people serving people, Hilton is committed to creating the best workplace where our Team Members are enabled and empowered to thrive and bring their best selves to work every day, and the F&B Masters is a wonderful example of how we do so.”
The SEA F&B Masters is a key talent development initiative and platform for Hilton, which has over 10,000 Team Members across South East Asia. By fostering an inclusive and progressive workplace culture, the hospitality leader has been recognized as an employer of choice in six countries across South East Asia in 2022 by global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work®.
