SINGAPORE – Hilton (NYSE: HLT), Asia’s fastest-growing hospitality company, announced the winners of its South East Asia Food & Beverage (SEA F&B) Masters that saw more than 400 Team Members from over 40 hotels in the region participate in a series of rigorous competitions over the last seven months.

Now in its 6th year, the SEA F&B Masters is open to all Hilton Team Members who are passionate about showcasing their skills and talent in various food & beverage disciplines. The competition’s main aim is to discover, distinguish, and develop the best F&B talent across Hilton’s portfolio of properties in the region.

Participants had to compete across three rounds: first within their hotel, followed by a sub-regional level match before earning their coveted spot in the regional finals held at Hilton Bali Resort last month. This year, 17 finalists hailing from 7 countries – Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, and the Maldives – put their culinary skills and gastronomic flair to the test across four categories, Barista, Culinary, Mixology, and Pastry.

Throughout each stage of the competition, all participants had to creatively feature the use of locally-sourced and sustainable elements in their entries, from the use of ingredients to the visual presentations of their final creations. After an intense day-long of competitions and judging, Team Members from Hilton Bali, Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Hilton Amingiri Maldives Resort & Spa, and Conrad Bali emerged as winners in the Barista, Culinary, Mixology and Pastry Cup respectively:

  • Hailing from Hilton Bali, Ketut Edy Suriama was crowned the winner in the Barista category, leaving the judges feeling energized with his coffee concoctions that embodied the flavors of Indonesia.
  • Bussakorn Narumonrithikai (June) of Millennium Hilton Bangkok took home the Culinary Cup with a tantalizing three-course menu, which celebrates the five distinctive Thai flavors of sour, sweet, spicy, savory, and creamy.
  • Dipak Thapa of Hilton Amingiri Maldives Resort & Spa was awarded the Mixology Cupfor his trio of balmy, refreshing fruit-infused cocktails thatchanneled energy of the sunny tropical paradise, which captivated the judges and left them feeling rejuvenated.
  • Gusti Ayu Made Oktianingsih (Yudek) of Conrad Bali took home the Pastry Cup for her decadent trio of show-stopping bakes.
Our Team Members’ talent and passion allow us to deliver unparalleled hospitality to our guests every single day. The SEA F&B Masters not only puts the spotlight on our incredibly gifted Team Members, it also gives them a platform to showcase their skills and creativity at an international level. As a business of people serving people, Hilton is committed to creating the best workplace where our Team Members are enabled and empowered to thrive and bring their best selves to work every day, and the F&B Masters is a wonderful example of how we do so. Alexandra Murray, vice president & head of South East Asia, Hilton

The SEA F&B Masters is a key talent development initiative and platform for Hilton, which has over 10,000 Team Members across South East Asia. By fostering an inclusive and progressive workplace culture, the hospitality leader has been recognized as an employer of choice in six countries across South East Asia in 2022 by global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work®.

Ketut Edy Suriama, Waiter, Hilton Bali Resort

Edy has been with Hilton Bali Resort as a waiter for six years. During his time at Hilton Bali Resort, he especially appreciates chatting with returning guests who visit the resort from time to time to meet the hotel staff. At Hilton Bali Resort, the team camaraderie stands out strongly to Edy and he cherishes the supportive and warm working environment that his team creates. Edy picked up the art of barista services from his mentor and decided to join the SEA F&B Masters to showcase his barista skills and represent the Bali team.

Bussakorn Narumonrithikai (June), Demi Chef, Millenium Hilton Bangkok

Bussakorn started out as a trainee at Millennium Hilton Bangkok, working as a kitchen helper at the Executive Lounge kitchen. Throughout her eight-year career with Hilton, Bussakorn remains passionate about Food & Beverage, and a career highlight included the opportunity to work at the hotel’s signature restaurant Prime. June credits her fellow Team Members and Management team for helping her to develop her culinary skills and career in the hospitality industry over the years.

Dipak Thapa, Bartender, Hilton Amingiri Maldives Resort & Spa

Dipak's bartending journey began when he enrolled to study mixology in his native country of Nepal. Inspired to constantly improve his skills and further his professional ambitions, Dipak ventured out of Nepal to work at Hilton Amingiri Maldives Resort & Spa. When he is not guiding guests on the basics of cocktail creation, Dipak can be found wowing them with fancy manipulation of bar tools like jiggers, cocktail shakers, strainers and more.

Gusti Ayu Made Oktianingsih (Yudek), Demi Chef Pastry, Conrad Bali

Yudek began her career in Conrad Bali in the culinary department, where she started off as commis chef and eventually rose to demi chef, paving the way for her passion in pastry. Her love for baking and decoration, combined with her creativity, led her to decorate a 3D cake of Bali Island for a Hilton Honors Diamond Member, which was met with deep appreciation. Yudek is appreciative of the opportunities provided at Conrad Bali that allow her to explore her creativity and growth, in addition to being constantly inspired from her colleagues’ creations.

For more information about joining the Hilton team, visit jobs.hilton.com.

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,800 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 122 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2021 World's Best Workplaces list and been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. In 2021, in addition to opening more than one hotel a day, Hilton introduced several industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 128 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.