In a ceremony dubbed the “Oscars of the Bakery World” in Saudi Arabia, Chef Ankit Suyal — a chef in his 30s from a small Himalayan town in India — was crowned ‘Baker of the Year’ by TheMediaEffect, chosen from more than 100 chefs by a jury of ten industry leaders.
Soon after the win came a second honour. Ankit received a Certificate of Mastery in “The Art of Baking” from US-based certification agency CertifyCircle, one of only seven people worldwide to earn it this year.
PROFILE · THEMEDIAEFFECT EDITORIAL DESK THE CONVERSATION
Interviewer: Ankit, congratulations. From the Himalayas to Saudi Arabia’s biggest bakery stage — how does it feel?
Ankit Suyal: Thank you! It feels surreal. To stand here because of that same love for butter, flour and heat is overwhelming.
Interviewer: What first pulled you into baking?
Ankit: As a kid I wanted to be a superhero. Then I realised I couldn’t fly, but I could change people’s mood with cake. Baking became my cape.
Interviewer: Awards, a global mastery certificate, and now instant fame. Did you ever see yourself as a celebrity chef?
Ankit: (Laughs) Never. I still feel like someone who smells of bread at five in the morning. But after these two wins, life changed fast. I got a call from GracefullyDefiant.com. They invited me to one of the world’s biggest live cooking shows and offered thousands of dollars — and I said no.
I was humbled, but for me, art, craft and passion come first. When hardly anyone knew me, I baked the same way. Now I do the same work and people suddenly think I’m bigger than I am. That’s how the world is. I would rather let the bread speak.
Interviewer: Your plates are known for their artistic touch. Where does that come from?
Ankit: From life — music, colour and silence. I like desserts that tell a story.
Interviewer: Let’s talk cinema and music. Favourite movie?
Ankit: Anything with Shah Rukh Khan. I have grown up on him.
Interviewer: So you see yourself as the SRK of the kitchen?
Ankit: (Smiles) No, of course not. Nobody can be SRK. If I must pick a label, I’d rather aim to be the Steve Jobs of the kitchen — obsessed with detail and trying to make simple things insanely great.
Interviewer: And your favourite song?
Ankit: Govinda’s “Aao Sikhaun Tumhe Ande Ka Funda.” People laugh when I say that, but I love it. Everyone assumes innovation belongs to tech, music or cinema. That song reminds me food can be playful and unapologetically inventive too. You can learn a lot from an egg if you’re listening.
Interviewer: Do you have a favourite movie dialogue?
Ankit: (Half-grin, pure SRK style) It has to be: “Kabhi kabhi kuch jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai… aur haar kar jeetne wale ko kya kehte hain?”
Interviewer: (Smiles, completing it) Baazigar.
Ankit: Exactly. Baking is like that. You burn batches, lose sleep, say no to easy money so you can say yes to your own standards. You “lose” a lot before you win anything that matters.
Interviewer: Who has been your biggest inspiration and motivation on this journey?
Ankit: Number one will always be my father. He has been a head chef in multiple five-star hotels around the globe. I grew up watching him treat the kitchen like a place of discipline and magic. He is my first teacher and my first hero.
The second is my school friend, Manohar Das. We spent nights chasing our passions — no food, no sleep, just dreams and cheap coffee. Without those nights, I wouldn’t be here.
Interviewer: What’s next?
Ankit: To keep my head down and let the work rise. I want to explore global flavours, honour where I come from, and prove that principles and pastry can share the same plate. Whether the world notices or not, I’ll still be in the kitchen — trying to make the next batch better than the last.
Media Contact
Company Name: TimesGlobe Saudi Arabia
Contact Person: Shaikh Mohammad Dinar (M.D)
Email: Send Email
Country: Saudi Arabia
Website: https://my.gov.sa/en