New Delhi [India], July 30: Three of India’s leading national culinary competition platforms—
Valrhona Pastry Queen India 2026, Kolb Master Bakers Challenge India 2026,
and
AgroPure Culinary League 2026 – Battle of Besan
—will be held during the
8th India International Hospitality Expo (IHE Expo) 2026
from
5 to 8 August 2026
at the
India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, NCR.
Co-organised by
IHE Expo 2026
and
Hammer Management & Marketing Services
in association with
Bakery Review
, the three nationally recognised competitions celebrate culinary excellence while creating meaningful opportunities for
professional women pastry chefs, professional bakers and home cooks
to showcase their skills before an eminent jury and the wider hospitality and foodservice industry.
Valrhona Pastry Queen India 2026
will feature the
top eight professional female pastry chefs
, selected from entries received from across India.
Kolb Master Bakers Challenge India 2026
will bring together the country’s
top eight professional bakers
, while
AgroPure Culinary League 2026 – Battle of Besan
will see
eight shortlisted teams of two home cooks
compete live by presenting innovative dishes using
AgroPure besan
as the hero ingredient. Together, these competitions celebrate
excellence, creativity and craftsmanship
across professional and home kitchens.
IHE Expo 2026
is expected to attract
over 25,000 B2B visitors, more than 1,000 exhibiting brands from 16+ countries, and over 100 industry leaders, speakers and experts.
The exhibition serves as one of India’s largest business platforms for the hospitality and foodservice industry, bringing together
hotel owners, executive chefs, bakers, restaurateurs, procurement professionals, distributors, institutional buyers, culinary educators, students, ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers and technology providers.
Three National Platforms Celebrating Culinary Excellence
The
5th edition of Valrhona Pastry Queen India 2026
, to be held on
5 and 6 August
, is dedicated to
professional women pastry chefs
from across India. This year’s theme,
“The Dance of Birds”
, challenges participants to translate the elegance and movement of birds into artistic pastry creations while demonstrating excellence in
chocolate work, sugar artistry, plated desserts and viennoiserie.
The competition will evaluate
creativity, technical precision, craftsmanship and execution
under live competition conditions.
The finalists will be evaluated by an eminent jury comprising
Chef Avijit Ghosh, Dr. Balendra Singh, Dr. Parvinder Singh Bali, Mister Tikku, Sourish Bhattacharyya, Chef Rakesh Sethi, Chef Gauri Verma, Ankit Sahni, Raminder Bakshi and Chef Ramachandra Ganeshan
, bringing together some of India’s most respected pastry chefs, culinary educators, food experts and hospitality industry leaders.
On
7 August
, the
Kolb Master Bakers Challenge India 2026
will bring together the country’s most accomplished bakery professionals. The competition is designed to assess technical expertise across
artisan breads, bakery production, fermentation, dough handling, baking precision and consistency
, reflecting the skills required in modern commercial bakeries and professional kitchens.
The finalists will be evaluated by an eminent jury comprising
Kazem Samandari, Chef Sehaj Ghuman, Mohammed Nauman Qureshi and Chef Robin Batra
, representing some of the country’s most respected bakery professionals, pastry experts and hospitality leaders.
The competitions will conclude on
8 August
with
AgroPure Culinary League 2026 – Battle of Besan
, a unique national platform exclusively for
home cooks
.
Eight shortlisted teams
, each comprising
two home cooks
, will compete live by preparing innovative dishes using
besan
as the central ingredient, celebrating India’s rich culinary heritage while encouraging
creativity, teamwork and contemporary cooking techniques.
The finalists will be evaluated by an eminent jury comprising
Chef Anuraag Narsingani, Dr. Balendra Singh, Chef Nishant Choubey and Chef Vineet Manocha
, bringing together some of India’s most respected culinary professionals, hospitality leaders and culinary educators.
Beyond recognising culinary excellence, the competitions will provide hospitality professionals with an opportunity to witness
ingredients, equipment, techniques and professional workflows
in action. The live competition format enables
chefs, hospitality businesses, suppliers, educators and buyers
to exchange ideas, discover emerging talent and experience products in real working environments.
PTC Punjabi Channel
is the
Official Telecast Partner
for all three competitions.
“IHE Expo 2026 is designed to bring the hospitality industry together around business, knowledge and practical engagement. These three competitions will add strong professional value to the exhibition by allowing visitors to observe talent, techniques, ingredients and equipment in live working conditions. We look forward to welcoming chefs, bakers, food entrepreneurs, hospitality institutions and industry partners to the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida,” said
Rakesh Kumar, Chairman, India Exposition Mart Limited (IEML).
“Each competition has been created for a distinct talent group while connecting participants with the wider hospitality and foodservice industry. Pastry Queen India gives professional women pastry chefs a demanding national stage, Master Bakers Challenge recognises the skills of working bakers, and Culinary League creates visibility for accomplished home cooks. We want every participant to approach the platform with confidence, discipline and the determination to present their best work before the industry,” said
Sanjay Anand, Co-founder and Director, Hammer Management & Marketing Services.
Event Details
Valrhona Pastry Queen India 2026: 5–6 August 2026
Kolb Master Bakers Challenge India 2026: 7 August 2026
AgroPure Culinary League 2026 – Battle of Besan: 8 August 2026
Venue: India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, NCR
IHE Expo 2026: 5–8 August 2026
Co-organised by
IHE Expo 2026
and
Hammer Management & Marketing Services
in association with
Bakery Review
,
Valrhona Pastry Queen India, Kolb Master Bakers Challenge India and AgroPure Culinary League – Battle of Besan
are nationally recognised culinary competition platforms that celebrate excellence while connecting
professional women pastry chefs, professional bakers and women home chefs
with the hospitality and foodservice industry.
Through structured, skill-based competitions, these platforms promote
craftsmanship, innovation and professional growth
across the culinary ecosystem.
For more information, visit:
- www.pastryqueenindia.com
- www.masterbakersindia.com
- www.culinaryleague.in
- www.ihexpo.com
