MUMBAI: TIMES NOW, India?s No.1 English news channel in association with Kent RO celebrated the best cuisines from across the country with the much anticipated ?The Foodie Awards?. Held on 24th March at Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai, the awards honoured & felicitated the best and most deserving food & beverage establishments in the country amidst prominent personalities from the entertainment and F&B fraternity.

The second edition of ?The Foodie Awards? encompassed the journey of the eminent jury that travelled the length and breadth of the country to choose the winners from various categories. Joining the official ?Foodie? Kunal Vijayakar were three eminent figures Rashmi Uday Singh food critic and author, Chef Manjit Gill corporate executive chef, ITC Group and Karen Anand food and wine expert. The awards enjoyed an unrivalled credibility with nominees spread across eleven categories ranging from 5 star spreads to even road-side dhabas.

Commenting on the success of the event Mr. Sunil Lulla, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Times Television Network, said ?At TIMES NOW we celebrate the culture created by popular food in the ever popular show, The Foodie. The Foodie Awards are a preview to the year of engaging content on TV. We are happy to announce shortly The Foodie will be available on DVD, for viewing at home.?

Kunal Vijayakar, the ultimate foodie and host of the evening, was at his wittiest as he brought out the true foodies amidst the stars present. Joining him on stage was the critically acclaimed actress Tisca Chopra as the co-host for the evening.

The award ceremony started in a unique fashion by honouring a highly acclaimed personality, Mr. Jaspal Inder Singh Kalra, popularly known as Jiggs Kalra, for his Outstanding Contribution to the F&B industry. The lifetime achievement award was presented to ?Gaylord?, Mumbai, whereas the earnest ?Raju Omlette?, Baroda was named the Best Roadside Dhaba.

Added Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief, TIMES NOW, ?The Foodie show has achieved an iconic status over the years and continues to captivate food enthusiasts across the nation. We take great pride in honouring those who with their unmatched excellence and dedication have been contributing to the ever evolving food & beverage industry.?

Zeba Kohli, Kabir Bedi, Raageshwari, Shaina NC, Kalpana Lajmi and Lalita Lajmi were among those who gave away the awards to the deserving winners. Also gracing the event were popular names from the entertainment industry like Mandira Bedi, Cyrus Broacha, Dolly Thakore, Poonam Dhillon amongst others.

The presence of the entire star cast of the upcoming movie ?Housefull 2? further enhanced the celebrations of the evening as they unveiled The Foodie DVD, having twenty four of the most memorable episodes of The Foodie show. John Abraham, Akshay Kumar and Boman Irani were amongst the few who spoke about their favourite childhood eateries with much nostalgia.

Combining music with food in a highly fascinating manner, taking the splendour of the evening to the next level was the inimitable musical stylings of the popular band ?Merlyn & Band? who mesmerised the audiences by their performance on the famous song ?Food Glorious Food?. ?Dfrenstrokes? the percussion band from Bangalore also delivered a highly captivating performance leaving the audiences enthralled.

Kunal Vijayakar said ?I am extremely overjoyed with the success of the event since it was a very fulfilling culmination of a year full of tasting, travelling and discovering food all over. These awards were an attempt to celebrate artistry of chefs, restaurants, dhabas and eateries and to honour those who love food and live for it.?
Having completed over 275 episodes, TIMES NOW?s show The Foodie is the only show that showcases a new eatery every week highlighting the diverse food cultures from all over the country along with exploring International destinations.

The list of categories and the winners are as follows: