KUCHING: Sarawak’s culinary industry has gained international recognition following its strong performance at the Global Chef Challenge Malaysia (GCCM), further strengthening Kuching’s position as a gastronomy city under the UNESCO framework.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor, Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the achievement marked an important milestone for the city’s culinary development and international presence.
Held from Feb 16 to 18 at the Dewan Suarah Bintulu, the competition featured more than 200 international entries, with Sarawak emerging among the top performers, securing gold medals and multiple trophies.
Wee said the results reflected years of structured development within the local culinary ecosystem rather than isolated success.
“All these achievements are not by chance. They are the result of years of dedication, structured training and strong cooperation across our culinary ecosystem,” he said at a press conference today (Apr 23).
He added that Kuching’s recognition under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network comes with a responsibility to preserve heritage while continuing to innovate.
“This is not just a title that we carry. This is a responsibility that we uphold. It means we must preserve our rich culinary heritage by pushing boundaries of innovation,” he said.
Vera Chin, who served as a judge in GCCM said Sarawak’s performance reflected a strong collective effort across institutions, training centres, and industry players.
“It’s a united win for Sarawakians. Everyone comes together. There is no particular single winning person,” she said.
She explained that the competition format placed strong emphasis on scoring standards, where participants had to achieve high marks before qualifying for trophies.
Vera said that only top-performing gold medallists were eligible for trophy awards, making the recognition more competitive.
She also highlighted Sarawak’s strong overall showing, which included multiple trophy wins and high benchmark scores compared to other participants.
