Celebrating 13 Years of Culinary Excellence
The Big F Awards

India’s most process driven food awards.
No nomination fee. No participation fee. No paid winners. Ever.

Every jury winner is decided through jury evaluation and real visits.

The Big F Awards were created in 2014 to recognise genuine excellence in the food and hospitality industry. At a time when awards are often influenced by marketing budgets and popularity, we follow a system where recognition is earned through a rigorous and independent process.

Every winner is decided only after structured evaluation, jury visits and a transparent voting mechanism.

Originally conceptualized as Gurgaon-specific awards, The Big F Awards have expanded across Delhi-NCR, celebrating the region’s passion for food and placing NCR firmly on the global culinary map.

What Makes The Big F Awards Credible

  • No nomination or participation fee
  • No paid awards or commercial influence
  • Jury members visit shortlisted finalists independently
  • Each jury member has equal voting power
  • Public voting is only one part of the process
  • Sponsors have zero role in results
  • Winners are not informed in advance

This is not a popularity contest. This is not a pay to win platform.
Every recognition here is earned.

How Winners Are Selected

Step 1: Open Nominations

Anyone can nominate. There is no fee to enter.

Step 2: Jury Shortlisting
An independent jury reviews all entries and selects the Top 10 in each category.

Step 3: Public Voting
Public voting helps identify the Top 5 finalists in each category.

Step 4: Jury Visits
All Top 5 finalists are physically visited and evaluated by jury members.

Step 5: Final Decision
Winners are decided through a combination of:

  • Jury evaluation (Jury Choice)
  • Public voting (People’s Choice)

Step 6: Winners Announced On Stage
Winners are not informed in advance. Results are revealed only at the awards ceremony.

Why This Process Matters

Many food awards today suffer from credibility issues due to:

  • Paid nominations
  • Winners being pre decided
  • Lack of actual jury evaluation
  • Sponsor driven outcomes

The Big F Awards were built to eliminate these concerns completely.

Every step is designed to ensure fairness, transparency and merit.

Our Stand on Sponsors

Sponsors support the platform, not the results.

They have no involvement in:

  • Nominations
  • Jury process
  • Voting
  • Final outcomes

This clear separation ensures that recognition remains unbiased.

A Note From The Founder

We would rather not host the awards than compromise on fairness.
Because if recognition is not earned, it has no meaning.

Beyond Awards

Over the years, The Big F Awards have become a benchmark for credibility in the industry. For restaurants, chefs and brands, being recognised at The Big F Awards carries weight because it reflects genuine appreciation, not influence.

Scroll below for glimpses of The Big F Awards from previous years…

The Big F Awards (2025)

The Big F Awards (2024)

The Big F Awards (2023)

The Big F Awards (2022)

The Big F Awards (2019)

The Big F Awards (2018)

The Big F Awards (2017)

The Big F Awards (2016)

The Big F Awards (2015)

Meet the Jury: Big F Awards 2026

A distinguished 9-member jury will uphold the highest standards of integrity, ensuring that the Big F Awards remain transparent, credible, and truly merit-based. Each jury member brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective, contributing not only their expertise but also their unwavering commitment to recognizing the most deserving winners.

The prestigious jury for 2026 includes:

  • Chef Ashish Bhasin
  • Anirudh Singhal
  • Diwan Gautam Anand
  • RJ Khurafati Nitin
  • Chef Kunal Kapur
  • Chef Nita Mehta
  • Pawan Soni
  • Rocky Singh
  • Chef Sabyasachi Gorai
  • Sameer Bawa

With such esteemed names on the panel, the Big F Awards promise to continue their legacy of celebrating culinary excellence with honesty and distinction.

The Big F Awards: Methodology

In the first stage, candidates will be invited to fill-up nomination form (https://www.indianfoodfreak.com/nominate2026/) .

The deadline for entries is now over

We are now at the voting stage and you are requested to cast your vote at www.indianfoodfreak.com/vote2026

Selection & Award Process

From the full list of entries received, the contenders will enter the online public voting phase.

On May 30th, 2026, the Top 5 finalists in each category—based on public votes—will be officially announced. Public voting will continue for these Top 5, while jury members will independently visit and evaluate each finalist to cast their votes for the Jury Award.

All Top 5 finalists will be invited to a grand awards evening at The Westin, Gurgaon on 16th Sep’26, where the winners of both the People’s Choice Award and the Jury Award will be revealed and celebrated.

Award Categories

The Big F Awards will honour excellence in two distinct categories:

1. Popular Choice

  • All nominated contenders will be showcased on our website, Indian Food Freak, and across our Facebook communities: Gurgaon Food Freak and Delhi Noida Food Freak.
  • Public voting will be open for each category, with one vote allowed per person per category.
  • In case of a tie, joint winners will be declared.
  • Final winners will be vetted by the jury to ensure authenticity and fairness.

2. Jury’s Choice

  • The jury will independently select winners in each category, with one vote per jury member.
  • In the event of a tie, the decision will be made through discussion and consensus. Where no consensus is reached, joint awards may be conferred.

Award Ceremony

Join us for the Grand Gala Award Ceremony at The Westin Gurgaon on September 16th, 2026.

Stay connected with us through Gurgaon Food Freak, Delhi Noida Food Freak, and The Big F Awards pages for the latest updates, announcements, and vibrant culinary discussions.