Spread the love

Last Thursday, Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announced the winners of its highly anticipated F&B Masters Regional Grand Final for Australasia.

Held at Hilton Brisbane, the F&B Masters Regional Grand Final saw 30 Hilton Team Members from across Australasia come together over two days to compete in three cup categories: Culinary, Barista and Bar.

The annual F&B Masters event is open to all Hilton Australasia Team Members and aims to drive a meaningful team culture that recognises, discovers and celebrates Hilton food and beverage talent. It puts a spotlight on the hard work, passion and commitment that these Team Members demonstrate everyday across the region.

“The F&B Masters is a celebration of the incredible hospitality talent that exists at our 27 hotels across Australasia”, said Heidi Kunkel, vice president operations Australasia.

“The event fosters loyalty and engagement between Team Members and is testament to our award-winning workplace culture. We know that it’s our Team Members who bring our F&B excellence to life everyday by providing guests with exceptional dining experiences, so we want to ensure they are continually inspired and challenged to do so.”

Hailing from three countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, the 30 finalists delivered food and beverage masterpieces that were judged by a panel of experts from within Hilton and beyond, including Pernod Ricard, Vittoria Coffee and Lion.

Earlier rounds of the competition involving all 27 hotels across Australasia began in 2019, with the top contenders from each market progressing to the regional finals held in Brisbane this week. They competed in three categories: Culinary, Barista and Bar. At stake were exclusive training and development experiences customised for each craft and to be delivered in cities renowned for quality and innovation.

Results of the 2019/2020 Hilton Australasia F&B Masters Regional Grand Finals:

Culinary Cup

Winner:                                Tua Fatongiatau, Hilton Sydney

Winning Creation:            Swordfish with Bloody Mary sauce, corn and chorizo hash, braised cos lettuce and saffron

Prize:                                     5-days cross exposure at a Hilton property in Australia or New Zealand of winner’s choice with flights, accommodation and meals included

Barista Cup

Winner:                                Sophie Dewhurst, Hilton Brisbane

Winning Creation:            A Turkish Delight inspired hot chocolate made with the addition of rose syrup

Prize:                                     5-days cross exposure at a Hilton property in Australia or New Zealand of winner’s choice with flights, accommodation and meals included

Bar Cup

Winner:                                Aaron Foo, Parmelia Hilton Perth

Winning Creation:            A luxurious whisky and truffle infused cocktail inspired by the world’s most expensive car, the Rolls Royce.

Prize:                                     Prize: 5-days cross exposure at a Hilton property in Australia or New Zealand of winner’s choice with flights, accommodation and meals included