The current year is on its last legs and it's time to look back and reflect on all the milestones that we crossed over the past 12 months. In the food world as well, there were several major moments which made headlines all over the world. These moments were added to our collective memories this year, and as we move together into the New Year some of them will perhaps now be immortalised in pop culture references and shape the dialogue around food and food culture around the world. Narrowing down everything that went on in the food world to just a handful of big moments is a Herculean feat, but we have somehow managed to do just that in this piece that reminisces the best food moments of 2018 - food news that created a chatter and a buzz around the world.
Here are some of the best, most impactful and memorable moments of 2018:
1. Starbucks' Ban On Plastic Straws
Coffee retailer Starbucks made news this year for a major announcement where it said that it is going to phase out plastic straws from all its outlets around the world, by 2020. The brand introduced straw-less cups and also spoke about introducing other environment-friendly measures like compostable straws and reusable cold cups.
2. Indian-Origin Man Winning Master Chef Australia
Indian origin prison guard from Adelaide- Sashi Cheliah- won the title of Masterchef Australia, in the 10th edition of the show. The 39-year-old Adelaide resident took home a prize money of 2,50,000 Australian dollars after scoring 93 points out of 100 in the grand finale of the season.
3. First Indian Woman Winning Michelin Star
2018 was a year of another first for the Indian food industry as Mumbai girl Chef Garima Arora from Bangkok restaurant GAA won a place in the esteemed Michelin Star Guide to Bangkok, Phuket and Phang-nga for 2019. Chef Arora made India proud as she became the first Indian woman to ever win a Michelin star.
4. Indian Accent's Entry Into TIME Magazine's List Of 100 Greatest Places For 2018
Indian Accent in New Delhi has been a fixture in TIME magazine's 50 Best Asian Restaurants list since the past six years, but in 2018, the restaurant made it to the magazine's esteemed list of 100 Greatest Places For 2018. Chef Manish Mehrotra's Indian Accent was the only Indian restaurant to have made it in the list, marking a huge milestone and a definite boost for the Indian F&B industry.
Indian Accent was named in the coveted TIME list of 100 Greatest Places of 2018
5. Organic Indian Coffee Brand Won A Major Award In France
In a major boost to organic farming in India, a brand of coffee produced by tribal farmers from the Araku valley won an award at the Prix Epicures OR 2018 Award in Paris, France. The brand that debuted in Paris only last year, won the Gold Medal for the Best Coffee Pod at this year's awards. Araku Valley Coffee started as a brand to support and uplift farmers from the tribes of Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh.
6. Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Wedding Cake Broke Royal Tradition
American actor Meghan Markle got married to British Royal Prince Harry in one of the most talked-about weddings of the year and the couple broke tradition to choose a lemon and elderflower cake, instead of the traditional fruit cake. The couple planned their own wedding to the last detail, but the most publicised deviation from royal tradition was made in the form of the stunning cake, which was assembled at the wedding venue by a team of bakers from London-based Violet Bakery.
These were just some of the many iconic food moments of 2018. If you think we have missed out on something, you can let us know in the comments below!