In a pioneering collaboration, RKG Agmark Ghee and the South India Chef’s Association (SICA) joined hands to launch ‘Steppingstone‘ – a transformative initiative designed to bridge culinary education and industry requirements, by empowering the next generation of culinary professionals with essential skills, industry insights, and professional development opportunities.

RKG Ghee in association with SICA launches ‘Steppingstone’, for the final year students of culinary colleges in TN

1500 final year students from 50 plus colleges from Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy participated in the one-day event and gained in-depth knowledge on varied topics including, building a successful culinary business, exploring the future, growth opportunities in the culinary industry, mastering personal and professional finances and mastering the art of communication to name a few. The Chennai chapter hosted the career program at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, where 210+ students from 17 colleges attended from across surrounding districts. Coimbatore chapter conducted the event at Hindustan College of Arts and Science, with 265+ students from 17 colleges across surrounding districts. In Trichy the event was held at SRM Institute of Hotel Management, engaging 715+ students from 30 colleges across surrounding districts. Hosted at Subbalakshmi Lakshmipathy College of Science, the Madurai chapter had 290+ participants from 24 colleges from the surrounding districts.

Speaking about the first-of-its-kind partnership event between an FMCG brand and a culinary association, G. Aravind – Managing Partner RKG said, “Steppingstone’ will be an enriching learning experience for many next-gen culinary professionals, also a gateway to effective networking with the culinary experts and veterans in the industry. This platform will provide students the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience through a combination of interactive workshops and engaging speaker sessions that will help them make informed decisions related to their careers.”

“I take this opportunity to sincerely thank and appreciate SICA for coming on board to launch this redefining career guidance initiative and also for bringing in eminent speakers, hospitality thought leaders and culinary industry experts to inspire the young future talents,” he added.

In his inaugural address, the President of South India Chef’s Association (SICA) Padmashri Dr. Damodharan Kothandaraman, (Dr. Chef Damu) appreciated and applauded all the student participants for taking the first step towards registering for ‘Steppingstone’ to enhance their career prospects in the culinary industry. He also expressed his extreme delight regarding SICAs remarkable contribution towards turning RKGs dream of launching a career guidance program for aspiring master chefs and other culinary professionals, into a reality.

Awards & Recognitions
The event recognised the best institutes, hotels and restaurants in the industry for their excellence in service under three categories. The Best Hotel Management Institute, The Best Hotel and The Best Restaurant.

Madurai
Best Hotel Management Institute: Subbalakshmi Lakshmipathy College of Science

Best Hotel: Grand Madurai by GRT Hotels
Best Restaurant: Cine Suvai

Coimbatore
Best Hotel Management Institute: Hindustan College of Arts & Science

Best Hotel: The Residency Hotels
Best Restaurant: Haribhavanam Hotels

Trichy
Best Hotel Management Institute: SRM Institute of Hotel Management

Best Hotel: Sangam Hotels Courtyard by Marriott Tiruchirapalli

Chennai
Best Hotel Management Institute: Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Tharamani