The Dilmah Natural Luxury Sommelier Challenge, in collaboration with the SIMDI Group, kicked off yesterday at the Food & Hospitality Asia Maldives 2025 (FHAM), held at Central Park in Hulhumalé.
Marking its debut in the Maldives, the two-day event is the only team-based competition at FHAM. According to SMIDI Group, it brings together chefs and mixologists from the Maldivian hospitality industry to showcase creativity and innovation in pairing tea with food.
Each team consists of a chef and a mixologist tasked with preparing three tea-inspired creations that are to be paired with either a sweet or a savoury dish. The drinks to be made are to reflect a pure, elegant tea experience, a milk-infused tea beverage, and a NoLo tea-based mocktail.
The guiding principle of the challenge is respect: for natural ingredients, artisans, terroir, wellness, sophistication, and above all, the guest experience.
The competition runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on both days, offering visitors the opportunity to witness live demonstrations of tea gastronomy.
The judging panel includes Chef Thomas Gugler, former President of the WORLDCHEF Association and Vice President of Culinary at the Saudi Arabian Catering Company; Trevine Gomez, Managing Director of Cargills Retail Pvt Ltd and a veteran in hospitality and retail; and Angelo Jansen, Senior Tea Taster at Dilmah with over three decades of expertise.
Winners will receive prizes valued at USD 7,500, including a cash award and a learning experience at the Dilmah School of Tea in Sri Lanka. Runners-up will receive USD 300 and USD 200, respectively, with additional medals awarded for categories such as Best Teamwork, Best Tea Sommelier, Best Tea-Inspired Drink, and Best Food Pairing.
The event, which concludes today, is open to all FHAM visitors, with SIMDI Group inviting hospitality professionals, students, and tea enthusiasts to attend and explore the intersection of tea and gastronomy.
