MasterChef Australia's Gary Mehigan on how the Indian food industry can compete with the world

Tuesday June 06, 2017 , 2 min Read

MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan on Indian food and the food industry.

A couple of years ago, who would have thought the global titans of the culinary world would be taking a master class and interacting with audiences who had until then only seen them on TV and salivated over the food they dished out?

Last year, Kiran Soans, CEO, Gold Rush Entertainment, changed the status quo with World on a Plate, a celebration of food and an opportunity for the Indian food industry to show their best and learn from the best.

A successful first edition with the three very popular judges of MasterChef Australia, currently in its ninth season— Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, and Matt Preston—helped put the attention on India.

MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan.

While Bengaluru was the sole focus last year, this year World on a Plate saw the top chefs visit Mumbai too. They taught aspiring chefs, interacted with food enthusiasts, sampled the food from top restaurants, and judged India's culinary talent.

The crowd pullers this year included Elena Duggan, winner of the eighth season, and Adriano Zumbo, an Australian patissier and chef known for his croquembouche tower, V8 cake, and fairytale house on MasterChef Australia. This was Elena and Adriano's maiden visit to India.

Part of World on a Plate this year was popular chef Ranveer Brar and Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong, who made a chocolate art installation with 2,000 lollipops in Bengaluru.

Keeping up with his love for India and its food, Gary said, "India has always floored me with its diverse food palate. Coming back to India is always exciting but coming to Bengaluru is a surreal experience. This melting pot of cuisines always has something new to offer."

Gary is also extending his support to the World on a Plate Academy and said, "Festivals like these are the first step towards putting India on the world food map."

Master dishes by master chefs (clockwise) Elena Duggan, Janice Wong, Adriano Zumbo, and Ranveer Brar

In an interview with YourStory, he spoke about what excites him about Indian food, how the Indian food industry fares on the global front, and what more we need to do to be able to match up to international standards: