Best of UK's Chinese food industry honored at culinary awards

On March 1, the Golden Panda Award Gala in London honored the best overseas Chinese restaurants and takeaways.

According to event organizer HungryPanda Ltd, the awards were aimed at recognizing excellence in the sector, especially restaurants involved in the food-delivery service.

HungryPanda, which was founded in the UK in 2017, is the developer of a major Asian food delivery application, which has now expanded to more than 80 cities in 10 countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.

This year, 247 HungryPanda merchant partners worldwide have received a Best Chinese Restaurant Award, of which 43 were located in the UK.

Additionally, other awards were presented on the night, including Best Sichuan Cuisine Award, Best Hot Pot Award, and Best Beverage Award.

"I see this year's gala as a milestone where we gather to summarize, and we also believe that from here, we can further develop the overseas Chinese cuisine industry," said Zhao Xuejian, general manager of HungaryPanda UK. "Today, our authentic Chinese restaurants are appearing all around the world. So, HungryPanda hopes to offer stronger support to merchants in this wave."

Dong Weixiang, president of the Chinese Catering Culture Association in the UK, emphasized the significance of food in creating a sense of home for those living abroad, and in serving as a cultural representation of Chinese heritage.

Dong also said the association will continue its efforts to establish a favorable business environment for the development of the sector.

"As we believe that cuisine serves as a mirror reflecting culture, revealing people's thoughts and emotions, we will strive to lead foreign communities to understand and appreciate authentic Chinese culture while we convey the beauty of Chinese cuisine," he said. "All these efforts embody sincere participation and deep sentiment."

Jack Perry Jnr, chairman of the 48 Group Club, a London-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Sino-British trade cooperation, expressed hope that Chinese cuisine can continue to act as a medium to strengthen ties between China and the UK.

"We know how important the catering industry is in trade," he said. "We hope that we can continue collaboration in the area. Events like the Golden Panda Award Gala are beautiful to witness, with so many people here sharing the same ideas and mindset."