Sivako, a prominent Mumbai-based Patissier, is delighted to announce that its Chef de Partie Vedangi Gawde has emerged triumphant to be named Callebaut Patissier of the Year 2024. Vedangi Gawde has been trained and mentored by Sivako’s Creative Director and award-winning artisanal patisserie Chef Eureka Araujo, who also registered a podium finish at the World Pastry Queen Championship 2023 in Italy.

Organised by popular Belgian chocolate brand Callebaut, the third edition of the event was organised after a hiatus of five years. It focused on developing a platform in the country to facilitate pastry chefs to bring their artistry under the limelight by showcasing their ingenuity and talent. The flagship event’s regional qualifying rounds were conducted across key Indian cities in February — in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. The theme for this year’s event was ‘Craft Your Signature’ and Sivako’s Vedangi Gawde was the only female contestant in the running.

Vedangi Gawde, Chef de Partie, Sivako and Callebaut Patissier of the Year 2024, feel the guidance and motivation of her mentors at Sivako played a pivotal role in her success at the event. “I can’t describe my feelings in words. Sivako and Chef Eureka’s guidance and mentorship has been the defining trait behind this success and I am looking forward to learning more from her and translating the learning curve into success. The theme of this year was ‘Craft Your Signature’, which is why I decided to merge pastry and art together, something that defines me. Through chocolate, I showed how colour coordinates with each other to form a brand new vision. It was Chef Eureka and Ms. Nikita Araujo (Co- founder & Managing Director, Sivako) who constantly motivated me to participate in the competition and without their support and encouragement, this would not have been possible,”

Chef Eureka Araujo, Creative Director, Sivako, also expressed her delight at the success of her mentee, saying, “It was wonderful. It is especially special for both Vedangi and Sivako because when she participated at the qualifiers, she fell shy of a few marks and was eliminated. But we still held onto our hopes of her making a wild card entrance, and she did just that. Vedangi has proven that at Sivako, we nurture winners and the fact that she was the only female contestant at the final makes the win even sweeter.”

The final of the flagship event was organised on May 24th and 25th at the Taj Lands End Bandra. The contestants were challenged through crafting bonbons, fresh pastries, mystery box items, snacks on the go, and a grand chocolate display that reflected their resourcefulness in bakery, pastry, confectionery, and showpiece categories. Chef Pratik Deshmukh, the Head of Chocolate Academy Mumbai, acted as the Head of Jury for the event, a panel that also consisted of prominent culinary artists such as Chef Minette Smith, Callebaut Global Creative Lead, Chef Romain Renard, Regional Head Chocolate Academies Centers – MENA, and Chef Arvind Prasad, Indian ambassador for Callebaut Chocolates and Founder and Executive Pastry Chef at Whitecaps International School of Pastry.