The Second 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' Unveiled in Suzhou: Delving into the 'New Arena' and Moving Forward with Industry Practitioners

(January 23, Suzhou) The second 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' adopted the theme of 'The New Arena', bringing together those who keep pace with the times and propose concrete solutions. After public nominations, preliminary and secondary selections by the judging panel, on January 23, 2024, 50 chefs, restaurant owners, brand representatives, new farmers, gourmets, and other industry practitioners gathered in the 'New Arena' at the newly opened Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou to witness the unveiling of the second 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards'. With 16 awards spanning people, dining, and products, and 31 winners, they collectively presented a picture of contemporary Chinese dining that is more socially responsible, professionally valuable, vibrant, and in tune with the times. All winners and nominees are indispensable forces in China's local culinary progress. The 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' never aim for competition, but rather encourage those resilient practitioners who provide clearer and more precise directions for public dining.

11 chefs gathered at the 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' venue

As the authoritative and distinctive food and drink culture media under the Xuxu Huasheng Content Group, 'FOOD & WINE Eat Well Drink Well' has, since its founding four years ago, treated food as a carrier of 'the unfolding of human civilization landscape' and produced a large number of highly cultural and literary pieces. 'Eat Well Drink Well' pays attention to sincere hospitality practitioners and agricultural activists, and also cares about the contemporaneity of Chinese dining. Under this editorial philosophy, we have created a series of original media events rich in humanistic color, and continuously launched highly participatory creative activities in collaboration with brands, restaurants, and practitioners, aiming to depict a China that 'progresses with food'. From the first 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' theme 'Witnessing a China That Progresses with Food' to this second edition titled 'The New Arena', 'FOOD & WINE Eat Well Drink Well' has always hoped to harness the power of public media to redefine the continually reshaped relationships among food, people, and nation over the long course of time.

The second 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' invited 50 practitioners to delve into the 'New Arena'

As Feng Chuxuan, Editor-in-Chief of Xuxu Huasheng Content Group, mentioned in his opening speech at the award ceremony, 'In this era of constant decline, we need to resist this descent and keep moving forward, and it will form a new arena.' Delving into the 'New Arena' is about discovering, together with practitioners, how to remain clear-headed and achieve refinement of craft. What kind of restaurants, chefs, brands, and agricultural practices this era requires mirrors what kind of public media it needs. 'Long-termism', in a complex and volatile environment, has been continuously verified step by step in the race against time. One industry benchmark after another has abandoned the blind pursuit of scale, efficiency, and profit maximization, and persisted in doing things that are 'hard but right'.

Continuing from the first 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards', artists Huang Yijie and Chen Xiang from the ceramic studio 'ERRANCE' specially designed the trophies for this year's awards. Employing a deconstructive approach, the trophy design attempts to break away from horizontal stacking, using beveled misalignment and combining the main visual concept of plates rising in layers to create tension between volume and surface. This tension of 'breaking' and 'building' perfectly fits the theme of 'The New Arena'. At the same time, to fulfill social responsibility, the dinner table setting for the second 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' chose ceramic installations instead of fresh-cut flower arrangements, also created by the ceramic studio 'ERRANCE'.

The trophy specially designed by ceramic studio 'ERRANCE' for this year's awards and the ceramic installations on the dinner tables

Li Sen, Executive Deputy Editor of 'FOOD & WINE Eat Well Drink Well', first announced the two awards for 'Bar of the Year' and 'Specialty Coffee Shop of the Year'. The baijiu-themed cocktail bar Miao Qian San You won 'Bar of the Year'; CENCHI COFFEE, which uses coffee as a medium to open cultural perspectives, took 'Specialty Coffee Shop of the Year'. Gourmet Dizhu Lu joined us in witnessing the emergence of two important awards: 'New Restaurant of the Year' and 'Restaurant of the Year'. Lanting Yong in Guangzhou, La Bourriche 133 in Shanghai, Jin Jing Ge at Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou, and Fu Lu in Shanghai were honored as 'New Restaurant of the Year'; the 'Restaurant of the Year' award went to Da Vittorio Shanghai on the Bund.

Fan Xia, Vice President and Copyright Director of Xuxu Huasheng Content Group, and food writer Shenpo Aichi jointly announced four awards: 'Packaging Design of the Year', 'Chinese Seasoning of the Year', 'Ingredient of the Year', and the specially added 'Special Social Responsibility of the Year'. The Starbucks Nong Series Little Green Cup won 'Packaging Design of the Year'; 'Chinese Seasoning of the Year' was awarded to Pearl River Bridge Brand Imperial Premium First Draw Soy Sauce; and 'Ingredient of the Year' went to Mindong Yi Yu. As a leading content platform in the industry, Xuxu Huasheng has always actively responded to the call of responsibility, thus establishing the 'Huasheng Social Responsibility Research Center' to promote the economy of goodwill. The 'Special Social Responsibility of the Year' award was presented accordingly, won by Nespresso, Oravida, and Macallan respectively.

Lin Weihui, member of this year's judging panel and food writer, together with fellow panel member and gourmet He Weisheng, presented the heavyweight awards for 'Liquor of the Year' and 'Influence of the Year'. The 'Liquor of the Year' awards were given to: Muxin Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Dry Red 2021, Ao Yun Adong Chardonnay Village Wine 2019, Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème Édition, Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1 Limited Edition Cognac, Mortlach 16-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Don Julio 1942 Tequila, Shui Jing Fang 'First Workshop' Baijiu, and Dong Qu 2009 Vintage Lightly Filtered Huangjiu. Among them, Ao Yun Winery gently pressed whole clusters of Chardonnay vines to obtain a more concentrated lees, fermented in stainless steel tanks, aged fully in clay pots for 18 months, and underwent malolactic fermentation for the first time, resulting in the richly aromatic, crisp and refreshing, layered Ao Yun Adong Chardonnay Village Wine 2019. The Mortlach 16-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, inspired by the limited release of the same vintage first bottled in 1992, recreates the 'Beast of Dufftown' flavor. Sherry casks add rich fruitiness, with a hallmark of earthy notes and pronounced spiciness, leaving a full and round finish that lingers. Don Julio 1942 Tequila was launched in 2002 in very limited quantities to commemorate the beginning of Don Julio's career. The exceptionally long 30-month aging imbues the spirit with rich caramel and chocolate notes and a long, sweet aftertaste. Each bottle of Don Julio 1942 Tequila is indeed a fusion and blossoming of time and tradition. Shui Jing Fang's new premium brand 'First Workshop' is made at the original site of the Shuijing Street Distillery, the 'First Baijiu Workshop in China'. Only the scarce 5% from the 'golden zone' bottom layer of the ancient fermentation pits is selected, enhanced by nine brewing techniques of 'Three Ageings, Three Layers, Three Stages', and aged for 15 years to achieve the ultimate three-ageing flavor, representing the pinnacle of strong-aroma baijiu quality and flavor from Shui Jing Fang.

(From top to bottom) Ao Yun Adong Chardonnay Village Wine 2019, Hennessy X.O, Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème Édition, Shui Jing Fang 'First Workshop', Mortlach 16-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, Don Julio 1942 Tequila

Hennessy, the leader of the Cognac region in France, was honored with the 'Influence of the Year' award. With its superb craftsmanship, Hennessy has been renowned globally for over 250 years. While continuously leveraging its innovative capacity, Hennessy also focuses on supporting all its partners and fully protecting the beautiful terroir of the region. Over the past decade, Hennessy has been dedicated to building brand culture and social responsibility in China. Through its 'Rediscover Chinese Flavor' project, it advances with the times, telling new stories of the evolving Chinese dining table.

Hennessy, leader of the Cognac region in France, receives the 'Influence of the Year' award

Wang Kai, member of this year's judging panel and writer, opened the 'People' section for us. Christopher St. Cavish, author of 'The Foreigner' (Yang Pan), took home the 'Food Writer of the Year' trophy; 'New Farmer of the Year' was awarded to Cai Jianhua from SHAO Zhuji Torreya. Zhang Lihua, Chief Operating Officer of Xuxu Huasheng Content Group, and Tan Qiwen, one of the winners of the 'New Chef of the Year' at the first 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards', jointly announced the three awards for 'Winemaker of the Year', 'Sommelier of the Year', and 'New Chef of the Year'. Ao Yun winemaker Mao Ye Lingxiao was honored as 'Winemaker of the Year'; 'Sommelier of the Year' went to Chen Xiaoran from Ding Shi Studio; and four outstanding young chefs received the 'New Chef of the Year' title: Chen Zhiping from Yu Wai Tan, Li Zhanxu from Qu Lang Yuan, Zhong Xingjian from Pei De, and Yue Wei from Voisin Organique.

Finally, the most anticipated 'Chef of the Year' was announced by Feng Chuxuan, Editor-in-Chief of Xuxu Huasheng Content Group, together with Lan Guijun, winner of the first 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' Chef of the Year and owner of Yu Zhi Lan. They revealed the recipient of 'Chef of the Year' — Luo Lang, owner of Lang Pan Xuan. With his in-between perspective, he weaves his observations, feelings, memories, emotions, and a broad worldview that cares for all things as the undercurrent behind the dining table. Beyond technique, his dishes consistently convey an anthropological concept: one can truly develop oneself only in the process of understanding others. Culture has its own artistic tension.

(Above) Second 'Chef of the Year' recipient, Luo Lang, owner of Lang Pan Xuan (Below) First 'Chef of the Year' winner, Lan Guijun, owner of Yu Zhi Lan

The second 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards' featured a specially crafted dinner menu themed 'Hundreds of Boats Competing for the Flow' by Executive Chef Zhang Xiaocheng and his team at Jin Jing Ge, Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou, with complementary wine pairings provided by the chief sponsor Moët Hennessy Diageo China. The menu symbolizes how, under the universal theme of 'rooting down and rising to challenges,' the 'competitors' converge into a mighty current, leading the entire industry toward a more prosperous and diverse future with tenacious vitality and immense innovation.

Second 'FOOD & WINE Annual Awards'

Chief Partner: Hennessy

Co-presenters: Don Julio, Mortlach, Shui Jing Fang

Special Thanks: Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou