“Mapusa and Siolim Schools Shine at Rockstar Chef Competition 2025”

The flagship event saw 25 students from across Goa participate at the Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts campus in Verna
Valencia Fernandes from St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Mapusa; Presh Talawdekar, from Purushottam Walawalkar Higher Secondary School of Arts, Science & Commerce, Mapusa; Pakeeza Dalayat from Damodar English Higher Secondary School, Quepem and Sejal Palyekar from St. Francis Xavier’s Higher Secondary School of Arts, Science and Commerce, Siolim won across the Hot Kitchen and Bakery & Pastry categories

Mapusa December 2025: St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Mapusa and St. Francis Xavier’s Higher Secondary School of Arts, Science and Commerce, Siolim won the rolling trophies in the CRM category and general category respectively, at the grand finale of the Rockstar Chef Competition 2025 – the flagship event of the Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts.

Hosted recently at its Verna campus, the event drew enthusiastic participation of 25 students from across Goa, who were eager to showcase their creativity, passion and talent in culinary arts.

Divided into two categories – the Hot Kitchen and Bakery & Pastry, which were further divided into the CRM (institutions offering vocational courses) and general categories – the competition began with semi-final rounds held across various campuses between September and October 2025 and culminated in the grand finale. The finalists went head-to-head to also win the prestigious rolling trophy for their institutes.

Valencia Fernandes from St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Mapusa clinched the title for the Hot Kitchen CRM category, while Presh Talawdekar from Purushottam Walawalkar Higher Secondary School of Arts, Science & Commerce, Mapusa emerged as the winner in the Hot Kitchen – general category at this year’s competition, battling it out against other semi-finalists.

In the Bakery & Pastry – CRM Category, Pakeeza Dalayat from the Damodar English Higher Secondary School, Quepem won the competition, while Sejal Palyekar from St. Francis Xavier’s Higher Secondary School of Arts, Science and Commerce, Siolim took home the first prize in the general category.

The Grand Finale was evaluated by two accomplished culinary professionals — Chef Montague Dias, Executive Sous Chef, Planet Hollywood Goa, and Chef Kunal Arolkar, Renowned Culinary Expert — who commended the contestants for their creativity, discipline and technical finesse.

Speaking about the event, Chef Montague Dias said, “It was a beautiful opportunity to judge the young students. The competition gave them a chance to understand what being culinary professionals means, in one of the best commercially designed culinary facilities around. We saw a lot of talent who were not yet in the culinary industry but who had the knowledge and skill set to be culinary professionals someday.”

“For young students, the Rockstar Chef Competition is far more than an event — it’s a turning point. It allows them to bring their ideas to life, build confidence and realise that culinary arts is a legitimate and inspiring career path. Students shouldn’t feel restricted to conventional fields like medicine or engineering; they deserve to explore creative, dynamic futures. At Kamaxi Group, we are committed to creating opportunities that empower the next generation of culinary talent,” said Parixit Pai Fondekar, Founder of Kamaxi Group.

Students expressed excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to learn and compete at such a professional level. Many shared that the experience boosted their confidence, broadened their culinary outlook and inspired them to pursue careers in the food and hospitality industry.

Photo captions: Parixit Pai Fondekar, Founder of the Kamaxi Group and Chef Montague Dias, Executive Sous Chef at Planet Hollywood Goa, with participants from the Hot Kitchen category of the Rockstar Chef Competition, held at Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts campus in Verna.

photo captions ( From L-R, bottom row): Parixit Pai Fondekar, Founder of the Kamaxi Group, Chef Playton Dias, chef Faculty and Chef Kunal Arolkar, Renowned Culinary Expert, with participants from the Hot Kitchen category of the Rockstar Chef Competition, held at Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts campus in Verna.