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Callebaut Patissier of the Year 2024 announces its finale chefs line-up
Mumbai: Callebaut, renowned for producing the finest Belgian chocolate, concluded the regional qualifying rounds of its flagship event, Callebaut Pâtissier of the Year 2024 for India in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. The third edition of the competition aims to create a platform in India that enables chefs in the country to craft their signature creations and showcase their creativity.
Each round announced two winners who qualified to compete in the finale event, which will be held in Mumbai in May 2024.
Representing the West region are Chef Nilesh P Dewulkar, Pastry Chef of Sofitel BKC, and Chef Yash Chhabria, co-founder of Cacaobleu Haute Chocolaterie, Mumbai. Chef Anshul Grover, Pastry Chef, Indian Habitat Centre, and Chef Millan Shoran, Chef De Partie, JW Marriott Aerocity will represent the North region. Last but not least, Chef Sandeep Sharma, Commis Chef – JW Marriott Kolkata, and Chef Krishanu Dey, Chef De Partie, Ritz Carlton Bangalore will represent the South region.
Talking about the competition, Chocolate Academy Mumbai head Chef Pratik Deshmukh said, “The Callebaut Pâtissier of the Year event is a prestigious event for chefs and chocolatiers to showcase their expertise and make a mark nationally. The 2024 theme ’Craft Your Signature’ is aimed at encouraging creativity and originality. The qualifier rounds were highly impressive, and we witnessed excellent designs and unique styles of creating signature dishes using the Callebaut chocolates. Now, we eagerly look forward to the magic our six finalists will unfold at the finale event in Mumbai.”
“Callebaut’s aim is to enable chefs to craft at their best! With CPY, we are going a step further and providing a platform for talented Indian pastry chefs in India to showcase their craft to the larger community nationally and globally. Through the qualifiers, we’ve seen some really innovative thinking from the chefs in terms of bringing together flavour pairings and textures to represent their individual journeys. Callebaut Patissier of the Year upholds our commitment to supporting the chef community with not only great tasting chocolate but also a platform to showcase their signatures crafted using our Finest Belgian Chocolate”, said Barry Callebaut Cocoa & Chocolate Ingredients India managing direction Dhruva Jyoti Sanyal.
After the intense qualifying rounds, the action is set to shift to Mumbai for the finale rounds. The 2-day finale will challenge the contestants to craft great tasting, signature dishes that reflect their originality across bakery, pastry, confectionery, and showpiece categories.
Chocolate Academy Dubai head Chef Romain Renard and Chef Arvind Prasad, Founder & Executive Pastry Chef at Whitecaps International School of Pastry and Indian ambassador for Callebaut Chocolates, will join Chef Pratik Deshmukh as the jury for the final event to be held in May 2024.
The qualifying events were organised in association with The Chocolate Academy as “Knowledge Partner,” Kitchen Aid as “Appliance Partner,” BW Hotelier as “Media Partner” & Zee Zest as “Lifestyle Partner.”
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
