Transformed culinary creativity into an exciting competition where talented chefs and F&B leaders showcased their skills with secret ingredients

Archipelago International, the largest hotel management company in Southeast Asia, created an unforgettable event by hosting the "Archipelago Black Box Battle" at the Aston Banyuwangi Hotel & Conference Center on August 8, 2024. This thrilling competition brought together 15 F&B Leaders and 16 Executive Chefs from Archipelago International's East Java hotels, all vying for the prestigious Charles Brookfield Trophy and the John Flood Trophy.

Designed to test participants' creativity and skills, the competition challenged chefs to prepare food and beverages using secret ingredients provided in a black box. The Executive Chefs had 90 minutes to work with Lemadang Fish, Shrimp, Moringa Leaves, and Tamarind, while the F&B Leaders had just 30 minutes to create a beverage using two of three available ingredients: Lychee, Sapodilla, and Coconut Milk.

Winston Hanes, Vice President of Operations, expressed his enthusiasm for the 9th Black Box Battle, stating, "This event is a fantastic platform to hone the creativity and skills of our Executive Chefs and F&B Leaders in East Java while celebrating their achievements in managing food and beverages. Additionally, this event promotes Indonesian cuisine and its surrounding regions."

The judging panel for this competition included experienced professionals from Archipelago International: Winston Hanes, Denny Frederick (Corporate Executive Chef), Denny Wasana (Corporate F&B Manager), and Sari Kusumaningrum (Senior Director of Corporate Communications and PR). They provided objective assessments of the creativity and presentation of the dishes created by the participants.

Winners of the Archipelago Black Box Battle received prestigious trophies, certificates, cash prizes, and attractive gifts from event sponsors. In the Food Battle category, Chef Topan from Aston Inn Batu won first place and the Charles Brookfield Trophy. Chef Subadri from Aston Madiun Hotel & Conference Center secured second place with the John Flood Trophy, while Chef Susanto from The Alana Surabaya received the Favorite Trophy.

In the Beverage Battle category, first place went to Diah Novita from favehotel Malang, who also took home the Charles Brookfield Trophy. Agus Nurjana from Quest Hotel Darmo Surabaya achieved second place with the John Flood Trophy, and Ari Purwantoko from favehotel Kediri won the Favorite Trophy.

Chef Topan noted that the event was intense, requiring participants to come up with ideas quickly. He hopes that chefs will continue to engage in future competitions to enhance their creativity in developing authentic dishes at their hotels.

Diah Novita added, “I drew inspiration from my experience working in hotels as an F&B Leader. Using secret ingredients like lychee, sapodilla, and coconut milk, I crafted a beverage with a unique flavor that stands out. In the future, I hope that F&B Leaders under Archipelago International will continue to participate in this prestigious competition.”

The 2024 Archipelago Black Box Battle not only served as a competition but also strengthened networking and collaboration among culinary industry professionals. With a spirit of innovation, this event showcased the immense potential of chefs and F&B Leaders in Indonesia, paving the way for Indonesian cuisine to gain wider recognition on the global stage.

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