Chef Tours
India’s culinary story has never been one story. It is a tapestry of regional traditions, forgotten ingredients, ancient techniques, evolving kitchens and generations of cooks who have carried food memories across homes and communities. Now, as the global culinary world turns its gaze towards India, a new initiative by Chef Tours is asking an ambitious question: Who will carry India’s extraordinary food story to Paris?
TheGlitz says… the hunt has begun.
Chef Tours – Six Culinary Ambassadors, One Historic Journey
Chef Tours, a Mapusa, Goa-based culinary travel initiative and division of Ghoorbo Travels LLP, has launched the Paris 2028 Challenge, an initiative designed to identify and prepare six Indian culinary professionals for the centenary edition of the World Chefs Congress in Paris in 2028.
The initiative will sponsor the €400 delegate registration fee for each of the six selected professionals, giving them access to one of the world’s most significant gatherings of culinary talent.
The six-member cohort will represent different facets of India’s culinary ecosystem: two culinary faculty members, two students from any stream, one chef from a restaurant and one chef from a hotel, with all participants required to be operating in India.
It is a remarkably democratic idea — not simply about finding the country’s most decorated chefs, but about giving the next generation of culinary voices a chance to step onto a global platform.
A Centenary Worth Showing Up For
The timing could not be more significant. The World Chefs Congress 2028 in Paris will mark 100 years of the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs/WACS), bringing together chefs, educators, culinary experts and innovators from around the world.
For India, it represents more than a prestigious trip.
It is an opportunity to participate in the global culinary conversation — and perhaps change the conversation itself.
“Attending the centenary edition of the World Chefs Congress will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I believe it is an opportunity that should be shared with fellow culinary professionals from across India. While the world has a deep appreciation for India’s culture, there is still a limited understanding of the incredible diversity and sophistication of the cuisines from our sub-continent,” says Chef Alan D’Mello, Managing Partner, Ghoorbo Travels LLP, of which Chef Tours is a division
Adding, “This is India’s century and we are taking a proactive role in showcasing our culinary heritage everywhere. For decades, European nations have invested in taking their food traditions to the world and building strong culinary identities. We must now do the same – participate, engage and lead by example,”
Beyond “Indian Food”
At the heart of the initiative is Chef D’Mello’s longstanding belief that the phrase “Indian cuisine” fails to capture the extraordinary complexity of the subcontinent’s food traditions.
For him, India’s culinary identity is not singular. It is shaped by geography, communities, history, migration, religion, agriculture and countless local traditions.
That philosophy is also reflected in Chef Tours, which was co-founded by D’Mello in 2021 to take culinary professionals on research-focused journeys across India and the world.
Taking India’s Kitchens to the World
The ambition extends beyond Paris. Chef Tours’ international division was launched at the World Chefs Congress Wales 2026, with plans from next year to bring culinary campuses and chefs from around the world to India to train and engage with its regional cuisines.
It is a two-way exchange: India learning from the world, while inviting the world to discover India beyond the familiar.
And perhaps that is the most exciting part of the Paris 2028 Challenge. It isn’t merely sending six Indians to a congress. It is about creating six ambassadors for a culinary civilisation that has far more stories to tell.
The Indian century may have arrived. Now, it is time for India’s chefs to take their seats at the global table.
