Banyuwangi, August 9, 2024 - Archipelago International, the largest hotel management company in Southeast Asia, successfully organized the “Archipelago Black Box Battle” in East Java at Aston Banyuwangi on August 8, 2024.
Left to right: Food Battle & Beverage Battle Participants Archipelago Black Box Battle 2024
This competition was participated in by 15 F&B Leaders and 16 Executive Chefs from Archipelago International's hotel units in East Java, competing for the prestigious Charles Brookfield Trophy, awarded to the 1st place winner by the Chairman of Archipelago International, and the John Flood Trophy, awarded to the 2nd place winner by the CEO of Archipelago International.
This competition tested the creativity and skills of the participants in preparing food and beverages using secret ingredients provided in a black box. The Executive Chefs were required to use all the provided ingredients, which included Fish, Shrimp, Moringa Leaves, and Tamarind, while the F&B Leaders could choose two out of three ingredients: Lychee, Sapodilla, and Coconut Milk.
The Executive Chefs were given only 90 minutes to prepare their dishes, while the F&B Leaders were given only 30 minutes to create a beverage.The chefs had to use all the provided ingredients: Mahi-Mahi Fish, Moringa Leaves, Prawns and Tamarind. The F&B Leaders, on the other hand, could choose two out of the three ingredients to create their beverages: Lychee, Sapodilla, Coconut Milk. The Executive Chefs were challenged to create a special dish within 90 minutes, while the F&B Leaders had just 30 minutes to craft a special drink.
"We are very excited about the 9th Black Box Battle, which serves as the perfect platform to hone the creativity and skills of our Executive Chefs and F&B Leaders in the East Java region, as well as to recognize their success in managing food and beverages. Additionally, this event is also an opportunity to promote Indonesian cuisine and its surroundings," said Winston Hanes, Vice President of Operations.
The panel of judges for this competition from Archipelago International included: Winston Hanes as Vice President of Operations; Denny Frederick as Corporate Executive Chef; Denny Wasana as Corporate F&B Manager; and Sari Kusumaningrum as Senior Director of Corporate Communications and PR, who evaluated the participating contestants.
Left to Right: The Winner and Judges of Archipelago Black Box Battle 2024At Aston Banyuwangi Hotel & Conference Center
The winners of the Archipelago Black Box Battle received prestigious trophies, certificates, cash prizes, and gifts from event sponsors.
The winners in the Food Battle category are:
First Place: Chef Topan from Aston Inn Batu, awarded the Charles Brookfield Trophy.
Second Place: Chef Subadri from Aston Madiun Hotel & Conference Center, awarded the John Flood Trophy.
Third Place: Chef Susanto from The Alana Surabaya, awarded the Favorite Trophy.
In the Beverage Battle category, the winners are:
First Place: Diah Novita from favehotel Malang, awarded the Charles Brookfield Trophy.
- Second Place: Agus Nurjana from Quest Hotel Darmo - Surabaya, awarded the John Flood Trophy.
- Third Place: Ari Purwantoko from favehotel Kediri, awarded the Favorite Trophy.
"This event was quite nerve-wracking because the participants had to come up with ideas in a short amount of time to prepare dishes using secret ingredients. I hope the Chefs will continue to participate in this competition in the future, so they can become more creative in crafting authentic dishes at their respective hotels," said Chef Topan from Aston Inn Batu, the first winner in the food battle category.
Additionally, Diah Novita from favehotel Malang, the first winner in the beverage battle category, expressed her gratitude and hopes for the Archipelago Black Box Battle.
"I drew inspiration from my experience working in hotels as an F&B Leader, which helped me come up with the idea to create a drink from secret ingredients like lychee, sapodilla, and coconut milk, resulting in a unique flavor that sets it apart from regular drinks. In the future, I also hope that F&B Leaders under Archipelago International will continue to participate in this prestigious competition."
For more information, visit www.archipelagointernational.com and follow @archipelagointernational and @astonbanyuwangi on Instagram.
About Archipelago International
Southeast Asia's largest privately owned hospitality group, with more than 45,000 rooms and residences in over 200 locations across Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Oceania. A trusted hotel company with a long track record and a portfolio of 11 award-winning brands including ASTON, ASTON Collections Hotels Alana, Huxley, Kamuela, Avanika, Harper, Quest, Hotel NEO, fave, Nordic and Powered by ARCHIPELAGO. archipelagointernational.com.
Media Enquiries:
Sari Kusumaningrum
Senior Director of Corporate Communications & PR
Archipelago International
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