Pakistan International Culinary Championship (PICC) 2025, Season 7, officially kicked off today at the Royal Palm Golf & Country Club in Lahore, showcasing an exciting array of culinary talent from around the world. Organized by the Chefs Association of Pakistan (CAP) in collaboration with COTHM Pakistan & Dubai and endorsed by Worldchefs, Paris, the event aims to highlight the skills of hospitality professionals and foster cultural exchange in the culinary world.
The esteemed guests of honour for the inaugural day included NAVTTC Chairperson Gulmina Bilal, NAVTTC Executive Director Aamir Jan, NAVTTC Punjab Director General Asifa Maqbool, CM Punjab Task force for Skills Development Chairperson Adnan Afzal Chathha, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Managing Director Aftab Ur Rehman Rana, Tourism, Archeology, and Museums Department Secretary Farid Ahmad Tarar, and Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry Vice President Shahid Nazir Chaudhary.
They were also joined by Brig. Muhammad Sajid Khokhar, Chairman of TEVTA, Faisal Hashmi, Senior Director of Coca-Cola Pakistan & Afghanistan Region, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Care, Punjab, and Shaista Parvez Malik, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Ahmad Shafiq, President of the Chefs Association of Pakistan, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, emphasizing that PICC 2025 is more than just a competition, but a valuable platform for exchanging culinary expertise and culture. During the ceremony, Shafiq Ahmad took the distinguished guests on a tour of 25 live operation kitchens, where they had the opportunity to interact with international participants, jury members, professional chefs, and culinary arts students. This provided a firsthand look at the skill and creativity on display from participants not only from Pakistan but also from around the world.
Gulmina Bilal highlighted the importance of culinary arts in Pakistan’s rich heritage and reiterated NAVTTC’s commitment to supporting skills development in the country. She praised the event for its role in developing innovation and excellence within the culinary industry. “We are proud to be a part of this initiative and look forward to seeing the talent that emerges from this platform,” she stated.
The event, which is set to engage over 5,000 culinary arts students, professional chefs, and jury members from around 15 countries, also emphasizes the importance of culinary arts, tourism, and youth involvement. It provides a great opportunity for all the participants to exchange ideas and enhance their skills.
PICC 2025 is being held under the patronage of National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC). National Foodservice is participating as title sponsor; Cheezious, Nestle Professional, and KnN’s as gold sponsors, while Shangrila, Young’s Food, Coca-Cola, and Ambassador Commercial Kitchen Equipment are joining as silver sponsors.
