-Press Release
South India’s hospitality and culinary industry has long relied on the skill of women in professional kitchens, yet dedicated platforms celebrating their expertise have remained rare. That gap saw a fresh push on August 8, 2026, when the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Taramani, Chennai, hosted QuizDiva – The Culinary Queen, a competition conceived exclusively for women chefs, culinary professionals and students.
A contest built for kitchen professionals, not just cooks
Around 75 women, aged between 18 and 30, came together from Chennai and across South India for the competition. Entry was restricted to two categories: student chefs training at hotel management and catering institutions, and working professional chefs from hotels and restaurants.
Unlike conventional cook-offs, QuizDiva combined practical culinary assessments with theory and quizzing rounds, testing participants on knife skills, culinary creativity, mystery challenges, product knowledge and the ability to think clearly under pressure. The format was designed to evaluate the complete skill set expected of a culinary professional: technical cooking ability alongside confidence, speed and problem-solving.
Anjali backs the title, SICA lends professional weight
The competition was presented by Anjali as Title Sponsor and coordinated by Arun Jayakaran Ventures (AJV). It was held in collaboration with the South India Chefs Association (SICA), with Arvind Rajeev of X Quiz IT serving as Technical Partner and Quiz Master, bringing his quizzing expertise to the competition’s technical execution.
Founded in Chennai in August 1998, SICA is an independent, apolitical, non-profit professional body with over 2,000 members and is affiliated with IFCA, lending the contest institutional credibility within the region’s chef community.
Cash prizes and recognition for finalists
The winner, crowned Culinary Queen, received ₹1 lakh, with the runner-up awarded ₹75,000 and the third-place finisher ₹50,000. Three additional finalists were recognised with medals, and all participants received certificates for taking part, taking the total prize pool to ₹2.25 lakh.
Industry figures take the dais for the press conference
The press conference brought together a lineup of leading names from Chennai’s culinary and hospitality circles. On the dais were Dr. Senthil Nathan, Managing Director of Anjali, representatives of SICA including Chef Sheetharam Prasad, Secretary, the event’s Quiz Master Arvind Rajeev, and Thalaivaasal Vijay.
Organisers positioned QuizDiva as a recurring platform to celebrate the talent, knowledge and creativity of women in the culinary profession, an area they say has historically had fewer dedicated recognition opportunities compared to the broader hospitality industry.
A couple of things worth flagging before this goes to print:
The press schedule says “around 75” participants while the original press release said “more than 70.” I’ve gone with 75 here since it’s the more specific figure, but worth confirming which is accurate.
Point 4E in your schedule (“one or two more can be added”) suggests the dais list may not be final. If you get confirmed names, I can slot them in.
