During his speech at the ceremony, the esteemed Chief Guest of the event, Minister of Higher Education Dr Ibrahim Hassan, expressed his gratitude towards the organizers for hosting such an exceptional event. Dr Hassan emphasized the significance of acknowledging and supporting individuals who work or aspire to work in the culinary and hospitality fields. He highlighted the importance of providing platforms such as the FHAM Global Culinary Challenge, especially for the younger generation, to encourage their participation and to foster the future of these dynamic and rapidly growing industries.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, President of Maldives Chef Guild Mariyam Noordeen congratulated the participants and wished them well in their future endeavors. She also noted that events like these provide culinary professionals with an opportunity to expand and broaden their horizons and talents. She noted that Maldives is in dire need of facilities to hold events of such scope and magnitude. 

Despite challenges posed by a lack of proper facilities to hold such events in Maldives, FHAM Culinary Director Chef Ishaag Solih hailed the event as a huge success. He said the judges panel as well as the participants have given positive feedback regarding the importance of having such events.

The event received endorsements from both the Chef Guild of Lanka, Chef Guild of Maldives as well as the World Chef Body, adding a global significance to the competition. The certificates awarded through this will be internationally accepted.

The winners of the main categories of the Culinary Challenge are:

1. Most Outstanding Artist - R. A Sisira Kumara (Reethi Beach Resort

2. Best Pastry Chef FHAM 2023 - Rijukumar Rajendran (Royal Island)

3. Best Maldivian Chef FHAM 2023 - Ajwad Abdul Wahaab (JOALI Maldives)

4. Best Chef FHAM 2023 - Ushantha Chamara Gunasekara (Maldives Inflight Catering)

5. Most Outstanding Culinary Organization FHAM 2023 - Cinnamon Velifushi

6. Most Outstanding National Team FHAM 2023 - The Emirates Culinary Guild

This year, an exciting new addition was introduced under the main culinary event: the Kids Culinary Challenge. For the first time ever, 20 kids were given the opportunity to showcase their skills in two distinct categories: the highly competitive cooking competition, and the more relaxed sandwich/burger making category. Three winners were chosen from the competitive cooking category, while all other participants received well-deserved participation certificates.

The Global Culinary Challenge and Exhibition not only celebrates the culinary excellence from across the world but also serves as a platform for industry professionals to come together and showcase the latest innovations in the food and hospitality sector. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity for chefs to demonstrate their creativity and showcase the diversity of Maldivian cuisine to a global audience.