Why Everyone Was A Winner At The Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2024

There’s nothing quite like the smile on someone’s face when they hear their name as a winner, and that too when it comes as a surprise. Here’s a list of the winners from the 2024-edition of Zee Zest Unlimit Awards.

Published On Mar 06, 2024 | Updated On Mar 08, 2024

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What does go into pulling off an extensive awards night? Is it just months of coordination, phone calls, back and forth round table conversations, discussions, arguments and so on, or is it much more than that?

The Zee Zest Unlimit Awards aren’t just about dishing out recognition and trophies to those who are always ‘trending’; its core agenda is to acknowledge the fact that the food and lifestyle segment in India is constantly evolving, and in the forefront are people who are leading the change. It’s not always apparent, some of these changemakers barely even want to be talked about, but they are noticed. We notice them. And to make that possible, the behind-the-scenes are far more complex than just finding the cool chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, influencers etc.

The 2024-edition of the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards, which concluded its second edition in Mumbai on March 5 at Taj Santacruz, was quite an incredible example of how team work really unfolds — from start to finish when the awards were handed over to the rightful owners and we could all breathe, tired feet and all, and say, “We did it”.

At that precise moment, all conflicts, last minute cancellations, baseless criticism are disappear into the background.

From The Bagh Gourmet Garden And Bar in Amritsar which won for its stunning design to Chintan Pandya, who flew down to collect his award for ‘Best Chef Working Internationally’ — the list of winners this year is an eclectic one. This also happens to be chef Prateek Sadhu's first award for 2024; he was awarded for NAAR under the best destination dining category. Sadhu also presented the award to Chintan Pandya who went on stage with his mother to collect the trophy, making it a truly Kodak moment.

Bengaluru did us proud, with Nidhi Nahata winning for JustBe (Best Vegan Restaurant) and Chetan Rampal who collected the award for Lupa Bengaluru which won the Best New Restaurant Award, not to mention Copitas that won in the ‘Best Cocktail Bar’ category.

Bawmra Jap, who won the award for the ‘Best Expat Chef’, couldn't be present but Cavatina's chef Avinash Martins accepted the award on his behalf. Regi Mathew of Kappa Chakka Kandhari (Bengaluru and Chennai) who won the ‘Chef of the Year’ Award didn't forget to tell us that the next stop has to be at his restaurant.

We also made sure that those who are no longer with us, and yet have left an incomparable legacy behind, were not forgotten. One can't quite celebrate the present or the future without acknowledging the past. This year, we took a moment to remember two of India's F&B icons, Jiggs Kalra — Zorawar Kalra's speech on his father really did give some of us goosebumps — and Floyd Cardoz, a man without whom Mumbai would not have some of the finest restaurants.

And as we wind down after much celebrations, settling in for another regular day at work, here’s the list of winners from this year.