John Keells Hotels on top at the annual national bartenders competition 2008
The staff of John Keells Hotels were, without a doubt, proved to be the crème de la creme of the 17th National Bartenders Competition 2008 held recently at the Waters Edge, having tipped the scales very heavily in their favour. This prestigious annual event attracts gifted bartenders and hoteliers from all of Sri Lanka's city and resort hotels. Competition is always fierce with participants practicing and preparing for the event for months ahead. Organized by the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association and SLITHM which is the Sri Lanka Institute for Tourism and Hotel Management, this is one of the most exciting annual events in the hotels calendar.
The qualifying rounds are held regionally, according to where the hotels are situated in the country. Only those who qualify for the finalists are invited to vie for the winning places of the much celebrated All Island Competition which is held in Colombo.
As customary, they compete in three main categories which are Classical, Flaring and Mocktails. Classical is considered to be the most significant among them, while Flaring tests their dexterity, agility and balance behind the bar. The third category, Mocktails allows them freedom to explore and experiment within the boundaries of non-alcoholic ingredients. Judging is based on creativity, selling skills, PR and technical skills. Contestants are observed right through the creation process. Their deftness at mixing cocktails, their knowledge of ingredients and flare is duly noted as much as the final product.
 This year, participants from John Keells Resort Hotels competed in three regions- the Cultural Triangle, Kandy and Down South. From among them, eight talented young individuals who dominated the top places in their regions, swept through to the finals. That's eight Keells Resorts employees out of twenty seven finalists from all around Sri Lanka. Each contestant was responsible for every aspect of his or her own entry. Therefore the cocktails presented at the competition were created, flared and showcased by the participants themselves.
Ms. Nilmini Dissanayake of Chaaya Village was adjudged the winner in the much coveted Classical category for her cocktail Midnight Glory which makes her the star of the evening. Ms. Vindya Fernando of Chaaya Citadel came up second for her cocktail Sweet Love. Winning 1st and 2nd place is a remarkable achievement for any hotel chain. It's doubly noteworthy because these contestants are both women who happened to be competing in a field that's generally dominated by men.
In Flaring, which is the most entertaining and action oriented category, Mr. Chandana Kumara of Cinnamon Lodge bagged first place for his cocktail Frog Grog while Keerthi Pushpakumara of Bentota Beach was awarded 2nd place for his cocktail Bloom in Blue. They were both highly skilled and dynamic, impressing the judges with their competence. Furthermore, Ms. Vindya Fernando of Chaaya Citadel was 2nd runner up in the Mocktail category for her creation Berry Combo. This was the second win for the evening for this capable young lady.
Having proved that they are Sri Lanka's best, these four winners who won 1st and 2nd place, will go on to represent our country in the Asia Pacific competition to be held in Singapore. It's an outstanding achievement indeed.
This is the first time that John Keells Resorts won 1st places and 1st runners up in two main categories. The other promising bartenders from Keells Resorts who displayed their skills and made it to the finals are Mr. Sidath Niroshan Silva from Bentota Beach, Mr. Darshana Uyanage from Chaaya Village, Mr. Amila U. Dissanayake from Cinnamon Lodge and K. G Roshan from Chaaya Citadel.
The teams were trained by senior Keells Resorts staff Chidrupa de Silva, Manager Training & Development, Mayurie De Silva, Manager Training & Development, Janaka Illeperuma, Asst Manager Training & Development/ F&B and Chritadasa Earnest, Asst Manager Training & Development/ F&B.
Speaking about this amazing win, Mr. Jayantissa Kehelpannala, Executive Vise President, John Keells Holdings, said "It was a great team effort. This has given the entire Resort Hotels Sector a morale boost. I take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners and the finalists. I would also like to place on record my sincere appreciation to the training teams and all others who contributed to this great achievement."
The four winning contestants were ecstatic. While expressing their thanks to their managers for supporting them and guiding them on their journey to success, they are aware that there's more work to be done if they are to bring glory to Sri Lanka in the forthcoming Asia Pacific competition.
|
