11th edition of HotelTech Kerala Expo-2022 and culinary challenge begins

KOCHI: The 11th edition of the annual HotelTech Kerala Expo that lines up products and services suitable for hotels and resorts in the hospitality sector in the state began at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

Export Promotion Council south zone chairman K R Pillai, Association of Approved and Classified Hotels of Kerala (AACHK) president K J Joseph, K-BIP CEO Sooraj S Nair, Abad Group of Hotels managing director Riyaz Mohammed and celebrity chef Alan Palmer jointly inaugurated the expo.

Over 65 exhibitors are showcasing their food products and ingredients needed for the hospitality sector, hotel appliances, linen and furnishing, hotelware, commercial kitchen appliances, cleaning products and devices at expo.

Parallel to the expo, contests are being held on the first two days. The events include Kerala Culinary Challenge and the Housekeepers Challenge.  On Wednesday, contests were held in hot cooking fish, bread and pastry display, hot cooking meat, hot cooking chicken, Kerala specialties, rice dish (vegetarian) sections.

Hotel and resort chefs from different parts of the state are vying with each other in these competitions. Celebrity chef Alan Palmer and chefs Rasheed and George K George comprise the jury. On Thursday) contests will be held in dress the cake, creative dessert (freestyle), creative salads and mocktail sections. The awards will be distributed at 5 pm.

Joseph Kuriakose, director of Cruz Expos, which organises the event, said that after the two online editions of the event for the past two years due to Covid, this year’s offline event was getting tremendous response.