The Golden Spoon Gastronomy Awards were presented for the seventh time.
The 7th Golden Spoon Gastronomy Awards, organized by the Culinary Friends Association, were presented to their recipients at a ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet, featuring twelve main categories and two special awards.
The Culinary Friends Association, the oldest and most established non-governmental organization operating in the field of gastronomy in Türkiye, is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet 7th hosted by Golden Spoon Gastronomy Awards The ceremony took place on January 14, 2026, with attendees including leading figures from the gastronomy world, members of the press, and opinion leaders.
Launched in 2018 by the Culinary Friends Association in line with its founding goals, the Golden Spoon Gastronomy Awards, encompassing all components of the food and beverage sector and aiming to raise the bar in the field of gastronomy by supporting successful individuals and organizations, found their recipients in twelve main categories and two special awards.
The winners of the 7th Golden Spoon Gastronomy Awards are listed as follows:
- Turkish Chef of the Year: Burçak Kazdal
- Foreign Chef of the Year: Shunichi Horikoshi
- Young Chef of the Year: Volkan Özkur
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Merve Burcu Akbulut
- Traditional Restaurant of the Year: Kushane, Van
- International Concept Restaurant of the Year: Madhu's, Istanbul
- The Year's Single Product Traditional Restaurant: Kismet Pide, Nazilli
- Bakery or Dessert House of the Year: Ulus Patisserie, Bursa
- Product/Sales Point of the Year (Food & Beverage): Kozmaoğlu-İdeal Salam, Istanbul
- Gastronomy Book of the Year: History of Forty Layers of Baklava– Priscilla Mary Işın, Burak Onaran – Can Yayınları Mundi Kitap
- Digital Publication of the Year: Low Fever Website
- Service Award of the Year: Restaurant By Divan, Istanbul
In the night Jury Special Award; The award was presented to Üç Yıldız Şekerleme, a representative of a long-standing tradition that has continued its presence in Beyoğlu since 1926. Celebrating its centenary this year, Üç Yıldız Şekerleme continues to be the first name that comes to mind in the confectionery sector. The award was received by Altuğ Dörtler, representing the third generation of the family.
The Tuğrul Şavkay Achievement Award is... This year, the award was given to two distinguished individuals. Professor Günay Kut, who has dedicated many years to uncovering the roots of our culinary culture, and culinary culture researcher Nevin Halıcı were deemed worthy of this award. Nevin Halıcı, co-organizer of the International Food Congresses held in Konya for ten years starting in 1985, and author of numerous articles, papers, and books, primarily on Konya, Central Anatolia, and Sufi cuisine, and Günay Kut, who has dedicated himself to translating written works on our culinary history into Turkish and publishing his articles in book form, received their awards from Ahmet Örs, Honorary President of the Culinary Friends Association.
In his speech at the Golden Spoon Gastronomy Awards ceremony President of the Friends of the Kitchen Association Esin Sungur, said: “We are truly pleased that the Golden Spoon Awards are being presented in 2026, the year we celebrate our association's 35th anniversary. In a world of gastronomy that is often the subject of debate, we are proud that our association, which has been working in this field for many years and acts with a true sense of community, continues this award program as an impartial point of reference encompassing all components of the gastronomy sector. At this point, we would like to thank our members, supporters, and all our friends who share a table with us and who have not withheld their contributions to civil society.”
In an environment where agriculture, local production, and producers are slipping away from us, we cannot talk about sustainable progress in gastronomy and food security. The menu prepared by Executive Chef Özgür Üstün for this year's ceremony, based on the overall approach of Avlu restaurant and with 70% of its product suppliers being small producers, social enterprises, and women's cooperatives, was perfectly in line with this perspective. Our greatest wish is for such initiatives to become widespread and for the entire sector to focus on this issue to ensure the sustainability of our culinary richness. From chefs to restaurant owners, from sales points to those producing in the cultural field, we must all work together to pursue our land and our products, and strive to create a snowball effect from this seed. We will carry out our 35th-year activities with the aim of contributing to the future of our cuisine by serving this purpose.”
Source: HORECA TREND and Golden Spoon Gastronomy Awards
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