On 5th August, Oberoi Hotels’ acclaimed Chef Dr Parvinder Bali will lead a unique group of cyclists around the capital region covering 100 km and including at least 100 riders.
The ride, to raise awareness of International Chefs Day among the wider hospitality community, will start at dawn in Vaishali (UP), visit some of Delhi’s landmark hotels and conclude at the India International Hospitality Expo, Knowledge Park 2, Greater Noida (UP) by noon of the same day.
The unique cycle ride is part of the Chefs Ride 2023 programme and the larger International Chefs Day (India) campaign which is working to make the day (20th October) a default day of celebration among all sections of Indian hospitality.
The 100+ cyclists will comprise chefs, hoteliers-restaurateurs, hospitality faculty and students as well as acclaimed pro-cyclists and avid riders of chef Bali’s Indirapuram Cycling Club. Participation is free and open to everyone in hospitality. A sign-up form will soon be made available on the website. The on-ground support and logistics for this big activity will be provided by the IIHM New Delhi campus ably led by Prof. Abdullah Ahmed.
Widely acclaimed for his culinary achievements and commitment to the community, Parvinder Bali Ph.D. is the Corporate Chef Learning and Development at the Oberoi Hotels & Resorts. He, however, describes himself on Instagram as ‘cook….cyclist….flutist….author….painter…in that order’.
“I invite all of Delhi-NCR’s amazing hospitality sector to ride with us on 5th August. This effort is to raise awareness of the larger Int’l Chefs Day programme in a healthy and fun way. A culinary career is physically and mentally demanding. For me, cycling sparks my culinary creativity. Done regularly, even for short distances, cycling increases energy levels and overall fitness which are essential for everyone“, says chef Bali.
Chefs Ride 2023 is the larger awareness-oriented initiative where a group of Indian chefs will ride their motorcycles from Kanyakumari to Leh starting on 1st September and finishing by 15th October. The main route will follow NH 44 and will travel through India’s centre. The group will stop at 18 major cities where media interactions and large-scale community events with the local chefs and hospitality sector are planned.
20th October is International Chefs Day. A special website (chefsride.in) provides all the details of the ride, its goals and its partners.
The aim is to encourage professional cooks and their establishments everywhere to celebrate their day with their teams + local communities.
This has been celebrated from 2004 onwards in 100+ countries. Since 2016, the initiative in India has grown from ~400 chefs to 18,000+. This year, the aim is to cross the 50,000+ mark. The goal is to make Chefs Day a default celebration in India by 2030.
FAQs
Delhi NCR
The Delhi group will include Delhi’s top cyclists + 100 hoteliers, local chefs & hospitality students who will join in along the route. The route of the morning ride includes stops at Delhi’s top luxury hotels for awareness, media & photo opportunities.
It is an open invitation for all riders (Young, slightly less young, slightly old & never old) to join the ride, in part or full.
- S1: Vaishali to India Gate via Connaught Place (20 km)
- S2: Connaught Place to Aerocity via Dhaula Kuan (19 km)
- S3: Aerocity to Advant Navis Biz Park (Noida) via Dhaula Kuan (42 km)
- S4: Advant Park to expo venue, Knowledge Park 2 (13 km)
Kanyakumari-Leh
A group of Indian chefs will ride their motorcycles from India’s Southern tip to its Northernmost city in their effort to spread awareness of International Chefs Day (20th October) and its message of culinary goodwill.
The group ride will start on 15th August in Thiruvananthapuram before heading towards Kanyakumari 90 km away, then follow NH 44 all the way North to Srinagar and onwards to Leh. This route travels through India’s centre and will take in at least 17 major cities en route where large-scale events with the local hospitality communities are planned.
“We are riding to raise awareness of Chefs Day among the larger hospitality industry because this important day belongs to everyone in a professional kitchen, irrespective of its size. The industry is responding well to this initiative with support coming in from hotel groups, hospitality institutes, chef associations and food companies ready to contribute resources,” said Alan DMello, founder, X Events Hospitality, which is organising the #chefsride.
Over the month-long ride, the motorcycle group will stop in Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Raipur, Nagpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Agra, Jaipur, Gurugram, Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu, Srinagar and Leh. “Over 70 chefs and culinary students are expected to join the ride.
“Different groups will join us at various points on the 4000 km ride. Two bikes are also available for free where chefs and students can ride along from one city to the next in a relay of riders,” said DMello.
International Chefs Day (20 Oct) is about the equality of the culinary professional not the size and type of the kitchens. It should be celebrated by everyone in a professional kitchen and even hospitality students similar to ‘Teachers Day’ and ‘Mothers Day’. It has been celebrated in 100 countries since 2004 but is not yet well known here in India.
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