The Kingsbury sculpts it fine and stirs it up

Friday, 16 August 2013 06:54 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Kingsbury, since its entry into Sri Lanka’s hospitality sphere, earlier this year has been a key a catalyst in transforming gastronomic standards by pitching expectations of foodies higher and pushing the industry to respond with culinary finesse. Indeed, with a reputation for its culinary excellence, The Kingsbury has become a gastronomic hub. Well, the saying goes that the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. This age-old adage rings true for The Kingsbury. On the one hand, consistently good feedback from customers has shaped the service philosophy and on the other recognition from industry-specific

competitions has given credibility to the hotel’s service credo. At Culinary Arts 2013, Sri Lanka’s foremost hospitality trade show that recognises skills, technique and creativity in culinary arts held in early August, The Kingsbury swept the boards with a medal haul of 26. Medals rolled in, in the Kitchen and F&B category, totalling eight Golds, seven Silvers and 11 Bronzes, a truly enviable achievement for a young team. The Kingsbury’s team showed prowess in all areas from culinary technique, skill, creative innovation in conception, presentation and plating in a series of live competitions where over 1,600 chefs from 179 hospitality establishments from around the country vied for recognition. The Kingsbury team comprising of chefs from a multitude of specialisations excelled in winning accolades for their exceptional creations. At the 22nd Marie Brizard All-Island Cocktail Competition held recently in Colombo, The Kingsbury mixologists stirred up the crowds with an awe-inspiring performance of skill and showmanship to win the 1st and 3rd positions in the much-contested event. The Kingsbury played hosts for the final, with mixologists from around the country congregating at The Victorian. Audiences feasted their eyes on the participants’ performance and the stunning rooftop views that The Victorian affords. The Kingsbury’s Cheshan Buddhika, a bar captain at the five-star hotel, showed great prowess in the flaring category in creating a signature drink. His show of skill, maturity and bar theatrics earned him the 1st place. Barman Pradeep David put together an equally inspiring performance to clinch the 3rd place in the flaring category. Cheshan then headed to Singapore to participate in the 22nd Asia Pacific Bartending Competition held

at Furama Riverfront Hotel, the international leg of the event, to compete with 17 regional counterparts on an equal footing. For a first timer at the competition, Cheshan did well to be placed 9th. Impressively, the duo, Cheshan and Pradeep, are relatively new to the field of mixology and have earned their stripes at The Kingsbury over the course of a few months. However, they have had to their advantage the mentorship and guidance of Director Operations Dayal Fernando and coincidentally, the very first winner of the Marie Brizard competition held in Sri Lanka in 1991. With his wealth of knowledge and support backing them, both Cheshan and David are determined to make an impact on the global mixology stage, and currently Cheshan is in preparation to shake it up at the “Finlandia” Vodka Competition to be held in Pattaya, Thailand later this year.