Fifth gourmet awards to serve up 99 prizes in PJ

THE World Gourmet along with Tourism Malaysia announced a fifth edition of the World Top Gourmet Awards (WTGA) to be held at Sunway Resort Hotel’s grand ballroom on Nov 1.

The awards ceremony will focus on the theme “Resilience and Hope”.

This year’s theme highlights the dedication and contributions made by local and international players in the food and beverage industry to drive economic growth.

World Gourmet president Peggy Chong said she looked forward to presenting 99 awards this year.

“With these recognitions, we hope to boost the business performances of these F&B players as we aim for increased contributions to the country’s economy, where the F&B sector is expected to grow by 8%,” she said at a press conference held at the Resort Cafe in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya.

World Gourmet was established in 2017 to serve as a platform of excellence in the F&B industry and has offered numerous opportunities of exposure for both local and international delicacies.

Representing Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Dr Ammar Abdul Ghapar, Tourism Malaysia deputy director and head of shopping and lifestyle Nurushama Abdul Hanan said the awards provided a platform of global exposure for local players.

“Our rich multicultural roots have brought forth a melting pot of delicious cuisines and cast Malaysia as an ideal destination of gastronomic delight.

“Tourism Malaysia aims to achieve a target of 23.5 million international tourists and RM76.8mil in tourism expenditure in the year 2025.

“We are expecting to achieve those targets with the prestigious WTGA.

“WTGA is also in alignment with Tourism Malaysia’s strategic plan in repositioning Malaysia on the map, and we would like to congratulate World Gourmet on their contributions to the country and the F&B industry,” she said.

Nominees of the WTGA are evaluated on potential business growth, overall performance, business strategy and future plans, and are thoroughly vetted prior to the judging stage.

This year’s awards ceremony is expected to welcome more international participants in conjunction with World Gourmet’s aim to encourage multicultural exchange within the industry.

The WTGA is also expanding its reach this year by appointing more Chefs of Honor from various countries and hopes to assist more SMEs in generating larger awareness of their brands.

Renowned Malaysian violinist Jessica Loo performed at the press conference, demonstrating a teaser of the performances to come at the awards ceremony in November.

For details, visit www.world gourmet.biz