Cinnamon Colombo Hotels celebrate culinary and service triumph at CAFE 2025

Cinnamon Grand Colombo General Manager and Cinnamon Colombo Hotels Area Vice President Kamal Munasinghe

 Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo GM Nazoomi Azhar

By Amira Cader

In a landmark celebration for Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector, Cinnamon Colombo Hotels has showcased its culinary excellence at the prestigious Culinary Art Food Expo (CAFE) 2025 , held recently at the BMICH and organised by the Chef’s Guild of Sri Lanka. 

Highlighting their exceptional success, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo hosted a vibrant press conference yesterday to honour the outstanding achievements of the entire Cinnamon Colombo Hotels group, reinforcing their position as leaders in food and beverage innovation and service.

The highlight of Cinnamon’s participation at CAFE 2025 was Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo clinching the prestigious Most Outstanding Overall Hotel Championship Trophy 2025 — the highest honour awarded at the expo — after earning an impressive 69 medals.

Cinnamon Colombo Hotels Area Vice President and Cinnamon Grand Colombo General Manager Kamal Munasinghe said: “We are immensely proud of our teams whose passion and commitment brought home this incredible victory. This achievement is a reflection of our collective spirit and we are inspired to reach even greater heights as Cinnamon Colombo Hotels continues to set the benchmark for excellence.”

This landmark achievement underscored the unmatched talent, dedication and innovation of the food and beverage professionals across Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo and Cinnamon Red Colombo. Together, the three properties emerged as a dominant force, securing a remarkable 149 medals in total, further cementing Cinnamon Colombo Hotels’ reputation as a powerhouse of culinary and service excellence.

Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo General Manager Nazoomi Azhar said: “Winning the Most Outstanding Overall Hotel Trophy is a true honour. I’m proud of the dedication and artistry our team displayed. This is just the beginning — our goal is to keep raising the bar for innovation and quality in hospitality.”

Also attending the event were the key leaders of Cinnamon Colombo Hotels’ culinary and food and beverage teams, whose skill, innovation and dedication were pivotal to the group’s success. This included Cinnamon Grand Colombo and Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo Cluster Executive Chef Kapila Jayasinghe, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo Executive Chef Ashan Liyanage, Cinnamon Red Colombo Executive Chef Asela Nissanka, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo Director of Food and Beverage Thushara Bandara, Cinnamon Grand Colombo Assistant Director of Food and Beverage Namal Jayalath and Cinnamon Red Colombo Operations Manager Ishan Rodrigo. Their leadership played a crucial role in delivering the exceptional culinary experiences and service excellence recognised at CAFE 2025.

Cinnamon Red Colombo General Manager Terrence Fernando said: “Our success at CAFE 2025 is a proud moment for everyone at Cinnamon Red and across our hotel group. It’s a testament to our people, their talent and the culture of excellence we’ve nurtured. I look forward to seeing how we build on this momentum in the years to come.”

Attendees were treated to exciting live demonstrations, including the assembly of a dramatic chocolate showpiece and a captivating flair bartending performance — both showcasing the flair and creativity that define Cinnamon’s service philosophy. The event also featured a curated tasting experience highlighting selections from the award-winning menus. 

Together, these elements served as both a tribute to the hardworking teams and a testament to Cinnamon Colombo Hotels’ unwavering commitment to delivering world-class hospitality through culinary brilliance and exceptional service.