International online ceremony celebrates blind and visually impaired chefs across continents, honoring talent, confidence and culinary independence
21 November 2025 | Golden Eye Chef – International Online Awards Ceremony
Golden Eye Chef 2025 Announces Global Winners and Honors Culinary Talent of Blind and Visually Impaired Chefs Across Continents
Agra, India: The winners of Golden Eye Chef 2025, the 7th international cooking contest for blind and visually impaired chefs, were revealed during an inspiring online global awards ceremony on 21 November 2025 at 8 PM IST. Participants, jury members, viewers and supporters from around the world joined the live celebration on Zoom, marking a milestone moment for inclusion, confidence and culinary creativity.
The event was hosted by Akhil Srivastava, Founder of Antardrishti and Golden Eye Chef, alongside senior culinary mentor Chef Kuldeep Singh, creating a warm space of encouragement and applause for every contestant.
Golden Eye Chef 2025 was planned as a two phase competition, beginning with a video based cooking round and culminating with a live cooking finale in Agra. However, due to insufficient funding despite extensive efforts, the organisers could not conduct the second phase. Therefore, in full transparency and after a unanimous recommendation from the jury, the winners were declared based on Phase One scoring.
This year’s theme, One Pan Wonders: Maximum Flavor, Minimum Resources, challenged chefs to create nutritious, affordable and practical dishes that could be prepared entirely in a single cooking pan. Entries were received from across the world and showcased ingenuity, cultural expression and culinary precision.
A new jury panel presided over the 2025 edition.
The evaluation was led by Dr. Chef Charuta Gajbhiye, a distinguished hospitality educator, skills mentor and advocate for culinary inclusion with more than thirty years of experience in hotel management and social impact training. She was joined by Dr. Chef Lata Tandon, world-renowned professional chef, TEDx speaker and Guinness World Record holder for the longest cooking marathon, celebrated internationally for her fusion of global culinary techniques and Ayurvedic wellness. Completing the panel was Chef Swetha, Head Chef at Compass Group Australia and recognized for being the youngest female Executive Chef in India, known for her deep multicultural mastery and contemporary culinary leadership. Together, the three jury members provided a balanced and rigorous scoring process with a focus on creativity, technical skill, nutrition, accessibility and alignment with the theme.
In the Totally Blind category, the highest honour was awarded to Wilson Torres Bohórquez of Colombia for Fiesta Chicken, a spirited celebration of flavor and confidence that impressed the judges for its clarity, aroma and balanced technique. The joy of international representation continued when Reiner Delgado of Germany earned the runner up position for Bauernfrühstück (Farmer’s Breakfast), a dish that brought rustic comfort together with refined execution. India’s Pinky Mangal captured the second runner up position with Indori Bhutte ka Kis, a nutrition packed regional recipe that carried warmth and character. The jury also granted special recognition to Mustang Aaloo by Navina Gyawali of Nepal, a soulful Himalayan preparation rooted in simplicity and heritage. Audience voting echoed the jury’s appreciation when Fiesta Chicken by Wilson Torres Bohórquez became the most loved recipe of the year, closely followed by Indori Bhutte ka Kis by Pinky Mangal, reinforcing a powerful connection with public viewers.
In the Partially Blind category, the title of Golden Eye Chef Winner 2025 was awarded to Shalini O’Kane from the United Kingdom for Rougaille Crevette, a visually captivating and flavour rich Creole creation that stood out for balance and culinary confidence. Rajni from India achieved the runner up position with Colocasia Leaves Pakoda, winning praise for crisp texture and well measured spice. The second runner up honor went to Ugnė Žilytė of Lithuania for Beef Neck Curry, a slow cooked comfort dish marked by depth and technical maturity. The jury also presented a special appreciation to Bojan Veljanovaski of North Macedonia for Speedy Shrimp and Zucchini in One Pan, an impressive example of intelligent recipe planning and fast execution. The public added its own celebration when Jocon de Pollo by María Isabel Misteco Ojot from Guatemala became the most voted recipe internationally, followed by Spaghetti Aglio Olio and Vegetables by Eva Baranikova of the Slovak Republic, highlighting the emotional connection that culinary storytelling can create across cultures.
The ceremony also showcased Tilapia with Spinach, Lemon and Tomatoes by Braden Burby from the United States, an invitational performance that reflected confidence, finesse and a strong understanding of health focused cooking.
Dr. Chef Charuta Gajbhiye, Jury Chair, said:
“Golden Eye Chef is much more than a competition. It is a reminder that skill, discipline and passion do not need sight — they need confidence, practice and dignity. Every participant this year demonstrated that excellence in a kitchen lies in touch, instinct and courage. I feel proud and humbled to witness such extraordinary culinary spirit.”
Speaking at the ceremony, founder Akhil Srivastava said:
Golden Eye Chef is not about highlighting disability. It is about highlighting ability. What we witnessed this year proves that talent grows wherever confidence and opportunity meet.
Started in 2019, Golden Eye Chef remains the world’s first and only international cooking contest designed exclusively for blind and visually impaired chefs. The platform has become a global symbol of empowerment, dignity and culinary independence. Organisers confirmed that efforts for sponsorship and partnerships will expand in the coming year to ensure that the live cooking finale returns for the 2026 edition, giving participants the full stage they deserve.
