Global recognition for Tourism Industry Skills Council

Chef Dimuthu’s simple pulled sugar creations

Mixed fruit Flambé Dessert and Crepes Suzette preparation by Dilip De Silva

Tourist Police OIC Prabath Vidanagama with police officers Gunesekara and Abeyratne with Tourism Industry Skills Council Manager Dilip De Silva

Tourism Industry Skills Council (TISC) the apex body for skills development in the industry under Tertiary and Vocational Education Council (TVEC) has joined hands with International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva to conduct a series of live culinary demonstrations to employees of ILO globally as part of ILO’s internal human resource motivation and development program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourism Industry Skills Councils Chefs Guild of Lanka representative and world culinary champion and Master Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe and Tourism Councils Administration Manager Dilip De Silva, the former chairman of SLITHM have partnered together so far to conduct two live cookery sessions promoting Sri Lankan cuisine as well as French flambé cookery and pulled sugar creations which have been well-received by the ILO global participants who have followed the demonstrations actively practising themselves.

Master Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe has dominated the world culinary championships winning over 20 Gold medals in the past two decades. Chef Dimuthu is the current President of the Chefs Guild of Lanka. The only chef in the world to ever win nine gold medals of individual events held at two separate competitions – five golds at Culinary Olympics 2004 and four golds at Culinary World Cup 2006 and national pastry team winner in Culinary Olympics 2012. Chef Dimuthu is also a Presidential Award winner for Travel and Tourism Service Excellence. 

Former UN ILO Skills Expert and City & Guilds of London Institute Food and Beverage Service Gold Medallist, Dilip De Silva together with Master Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe entertained the ILO Global staff from over 30 countries with their advanced skills. While Chef Dimuthu demonstrated pulled sugar creations, Dilip De Silva demonstrated flambé desserts including world renowned ‘Crepe Suzettes’ flamed with a spiral orange peel. The ILO Geneva Head of Skills Development Srinivas Reddy opined that the presentations were really excellent and very skilfully done and expressed ILO participants’ satisfaction. He went on to thank the Tourism Industry Skills Council and the Tourist Police for their support to make the live demonstrations possible during the challenging times.

Chef Dimuthu is preparing for the next presentation in two weeks’ time where he will demonstrate chocolate work while Dilip De Silva will demonstrate exotic Cocktails and Mocktails to mesmerise the ILO Global audience. Popularly known as DK, the Chef Dimuthu has been a stalwart in the Aitken Spence Hotel Chain since his return to his island home from Bahrain in 2000 and has brought immense glory to the company and the country. Overseeing a culinary team of over 700 chefs, Dimuthu currently acts as the AVP Food and Beverage, Ambassador Heritance Cuisine/Chef and Culinary Arts Development of Aitken Spence Hotels.

Tourist Police Team led by Senior Inspector and OIC Prabath Vidanagama was a great source of support for the demonstration team providing IT and recording support, as well as providing escort during curfew times, said the Council Manager Dilip De Silva.