Junior Pastry India Cup 2025 to Crown India’s Sweetest Young Talent at IHE Expo
New Delhi: India’s most awaited pastry competition for budding chefs is back. The 4th edition of the Junior Pastry India Cup (JPIC) 2025 will be held at the IHE Expo in Greater Noida from August 3 to 6. The event will spotlight young pastry prodigies crafting edible art inspired by this year’s theme: Music & Melody.
Organised by Hammer Management & Marketing Services in collaboration with IHE Expo, this team-based pastry face-off will unfold over two days, August 3–4. The winning team won’t just take home a trophy—they’ll represent India at the 2026 Junior Pastry World Cup in Rimini, Italy, with all expenses paid.
The JPIC runs alongside two other headline events: the Master Bakers India Challenge and the Agropure Culinary League, creating a four-day culinary marathon packed with creativity, competition, and skill.
This year, 24 young chefs across 8 elite teams—selected from cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, Gurugram, and Jaipur—will be tasked with transforming rhythm and emotion into world-class desserts. Judging them will be an expert panel including Chef Parvinder Singh, Chef Balendra Singh, and Chef Eureka Araujo.
Sanjay Anand, Director of Hammer Group, summed up the spirit of the event:
“Pastry in India has moved beyond decoration—it’s become a powerful form of storytelling. With this year’s musical theme, expect desserts that sing with both taste and emotion.”
Rajat Taneja, Director & Editor at Hammer Group, added, “These events are designed to sharpen our chefs’ creative edge and prep them for the global stage.”
The action doesn’t stop there. On August 5, the spotlight shifts to professionals with the 2nd Master Bakers Challenge India. Eight of the country’s top bakers will have just 6 hours to create a lineup including Fougasse, Baguette, Bruschetta, Quiche, Sweet Bread, and Savoury Bread. Judges include Chef Gaurav Mishra, Chef Satbir Singh, Chef Nauman Qureshi, and Chef Parvinder Singh. Last year’s winner, Chef Sandeep from Claridges Hotels, returns to defend his crown. The champion this year will earn an all-expenses-paid training trip to Malaysia.
Capping off the IHE Expo’s culinary events is the “Battle of Besan” by the Agropure Culinary League. A creative competition for 16 home cooks, the challenge is to reinvent chickpea flour across sweets and savories in three rounds. The jury includes Chef Shailendra Singh, Chef Virender S. Datta, Chef Anuraag Narsingani, and Chef Balendra Singh.
All participants—whether student chefs, professionals, or home cooks—will undergo high-level mentoring and prep, including plating drills and time-crunch simulations.
These contests are more than just competitions. They’re launchpads for India’s next wave of culinary stars.
