October 5, 2026
An important meeting of the International Uttarakhand Chef Association (IUCA) was organised in Dehradun, bringing together members of the Uttarakhand chef community and the IUCA team.
The meeting focused on promoting Uttarakhand’s culinary talent, traditional cuisine and food culture, while discussing ways to give the state’s chefs and culinary heritage greater recognition at the international level.
The meeting was attended by IUCA President Chef Mukesh Mehra, Chef Sagar Singh Bisht, Chef Shubham Negi, Chef Tara Bhatt, Chef Bijendra Bijalwan and Chef Surjan Bangarwal, along with the entire IUCA team. The programme was conducted by anchor Ayushi Juyal.
The event received a very positive response at the local level. The IUCA team travelled from Dubai to Dehradun with the specific objective of bringing Uttarakhand’s chef community together on a common platform and creating new opportunities for them in the future.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on taking forward Uttarakhand’s culinary talent, traditional food and local food culture, as well as giving them recognition on international platforms.
Representing the local chef community of Dehradun, Chef Pradeep Sharma, Chef Vinod Baloni, Chef Gulab Singh Negi, Chef Rahul Bisht and Chef Naveen, along with several other chefs, participated in the meeting and extended their full support to IUCA’s initiatives.
The team expressed its intention to expand its work on a larger scale in the coming years, considering the support and positive response received from local chefs.
IUCA will focus on promoting Uttarakhand’s food clusters, traditional recipes, local ingredients and traditional mountain cuisine. The association will also work towards showcasing Uttarakhand’s food and chefs on various international platforms, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Building on the continuity of programmes being organised by IUCA in the UAE, the association is also planning to organise large-scale culinary and chef community programmes in the UAE in 2027.
Through these initiatives, IUCA aims to connect Uttarakhand’s chefs, food producers and local food culture, creating a strong global identity for the state’s culinary heritage.
IUCA’s Message
IUCA’s message is clear: Uttarakhand’s chefs, cuisine and culinary identity should no longer remain limited to the local level but should reach a global platform. The association is working towards creating greater opportunities for Uttarakhand’s culinary community and showcasing the rich food heritage of the state to an international audience.