By Denis Sheehan, Publisher, H&C News: Message from Lord Bilimoria, to Zest Quest Asia, and all in hospitality.
The Right Honourable, The Lord Bilimoria CBE DL FCA
Providing people with experience of creative hospitality inspires the development of careers within our industry. This message underlining the importance of creativity was delivered by Lord Karan Bilimoria at Zest Quest Asia 2022 last Friday.
Lord Bilimoria is a gifted speaker, with the ability to hold his audience on tenterhooks, awaiting his every word, which is flawlessly timed and delivered with impact. Those present at Zest Quest Asia were treated to a speech that examined how creativity permeates every aspect of hospitality. Identifying it as an asset to be recognised, nurtured, and delveloped.
The oration focused attention on what the Zest Quest Asia competition does so well, invite creativity to be applied, enjoyed, and celebrated.
Launched in 2013, Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala’s Zest Quest Asia challenges student chefs to design and create a dish inspired by authentic Asian tastes, textures and flavours. Supported by their tutors, teams of students from colleges across the UK compete by stretching their culinary imagination.
The prize for the winning team has seen them in previous years taken to Asia, destinations included Bangkok, Manila, and Hanoi where they expanded their knowledge of Asian cuisine through a range of first hand experiences. Exploring where culinary influences originate and how they are today fused into dishes we see on UK restaurant tables.
Lord Bilimoria emphasised how vital the work done by the founders, judges, supporters and sponsors is. He stressed the importance of building further on that work, not just to the competition, but to the whole of hospitality.
I have the good fortune of knowing Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala well, and just like anyone else with that privilege, know their heart’s are dedicated to developing young talent in hospitality.
H&C News has covered the progress of Zest Quest Asia since its inception and will continue to. Lord Bilimoria’s speech on Friday has inspired me to do so in future with more application and vigour. I am sure I was not the only one on Friday that equally inspired. Thank you.
Karan Faridoon Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria,CBE, DL, FCA
Lord Bilimoria is a British Indian entrepreneur, life peer in the UK House of Lords, and a university chancellor.
Bilimoria founded the global beer brand, Cobra Beer and currently operates as the company’s chairman.
In addition to his business activity, Bilimoria is a politically active crossbench member of the House of Lords, currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Birmingham and is President of the Confederation of British Industry.