Christopher Seow, founder of the annual Reflections of the Lord Mayor Dinner, has announced that the winners of next week’s Zest Quest Asia culinary competition will be preparing the canapes at the forthcoming dinner in honour of Alderman the Lord Mountevans, the 688th Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Jeffrey Richard de Corban Evans, 4th Baron MountevansReflections of The Lord Mayor, now on its fifth year, is the opportunity for past holders of one of the oldest continuously elected civic offices in the world to share their experiences during their term in office as well as their views of current developments in the City. Every year, the highly prestigious ‘Reflections’ take place in landmark venues, including the historic livery halls, in and around the Square Mile. Zest Quest Asia, coincidentally also celebrating its fifth year, is a competition designed to stimulate interest in classical Asian cookery among full-time catering students with permanent residency in the UK.
This year’s Reflections of the Lord Mayor Dinner will be held at Trinity House on Tuesday, 1st May 2018. It will showcase the reminiscences of Jeffrey Richard de Corban Evans, 4th Baron Mountevans, a hereditary peer and shipbroker by profession, who was Lord Mayor of London in 2015-2016.
Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL — founder of Zest Quest Asia, Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Cooks and, with Pervin Todiwala, a founding member of the Guild of Entrepreneurs — has been chosen as the event’s Diversity Champion. Cyrus and Pervin own Café Spice Namaste, the award-winning Indian restaurant in the City. In 2013, they launched Zest Quest Asia in collaboration with the Master Chefs of Great Britain.
Christopher Seow and Cyrus Todiwala OBE DLChristopher Seow, who is originally from Malaysia and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of World Traders, said, ‘Whoever wins the title of Zest Quest Asia Champion this year will have the enviable opportunity to be involved in one of the City’s foremost new traditions. Not only will the students and their tutor be able to prepare canapes for the Reflections of the Lord Mayor Dinner, but they will also be invited to join the dinner as guests to hear Lord Mountevans’ reflections.
‘Last year, I had the good fortune to attend the Zest Quest Asia Gala Dinner and know the calibre of skill and effort that the students put into the competition.
I deeply admire and share what Cyrus and Pervin, the participating colleges and everyone behind Zest Quest Asia are doing for the future of Asian cuisine and for education and training as a whole. It will be a pleasure to spotlight the winners’ amazing talent in an audience made up of City movers and shakers. They deserve it.’
The winners of Zest Quest Asia 2018 will be announced at a Gala Dinner on Monday, 12th February 2018 at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport T5.
To find out more about Zest Quest Asia click here