Phnom Penh, March 2023 – The bar, food and beverage industry in Cambodia is set to receive a much-deserved recognition and prominence in the local and international markets as the country hosts, for the first time, Cambodia’s Top30 Bar Awards presented by HEINEKEN Cambodia as the main sponsor. The event in March is expected to become a benchmark for the country's service to both domestic and foreign tourists.
Originating in Malaysia, the Cambodia Top30 Bar Awards presented by HEINEKEN Cambodia will make its debut in Cambodia this year, celebrating the country's best bars and bartenders. The event will kick off with the nomination of 150 bars listed throughout the main cities of Cambodia, with a shortlist then whittled down to 100. The shortlisted bars will be evaluated by a group of industry-selected juries to make the 50 finalists, with these continually evaluated until the deserving top 30 bars are presented with their awards at the final gala awards night.
Alvin Sinclair, founder of the Top30 Awards, has conducted market research on Cambodia and has found it to be a beautiful country with friendly people and amazing bars and bartenders that are deserving of greater recognition. Sinclair believes that Cambodia's Top30 Bar Awards will be an incredible programme to promote these hospitality establishments and bartending talents that are bringing to life new and exciting ways to bring people together and celebrate the spirit of the city, much like what many other trendy cities around the region are known for.
"To participate, bars only need to give out two vouchers so that organizers can arrange the Mystery Diners to head over and evaluate the establishments. The campaign will promote Cambodia overseas so that when people think about travelling to Cambodia, they will know where to hang out, bond and create unforgettable memories," said Sinclair.
The Top30 Bar Awards is not a ranking programme but rather one to evaluate the quality of the top bars and present them with categorised awards without ranking, as they are all wonderfully unique and excellent just the way they are, according to Sinclair.
The Cambodia's Top30 Bar Awards presented by HEINEKEN Cambodia final gala night will be held at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra hotel in March, with around 400 participants, including bar owners, bartenders, influencers, industry players and the media, in attendance.
The Cambodia Top30 Bar Awards will also raise funds for the Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF), a Cambodian charity with 16 years of experience using education, sport, and community development programmes to change the lives of those most in need to build a brighter future.
The Cambodia Top30 Bar Awards 2023 would not be possible without the invaluable contributions of main sponsor HEINEKEN Cambodia whose premium portfolio includes Heineken®, Tiger and ABC, as well as exclusive spirit partners Chivas Regal and Ballantine's, as well as other partners such as Seekers Gin, Giffard, Oh Wow Media, Foodbuzz, Elephant Bar (Raffles Le Royal) the official Media Venue Partner and Celliers D’Asie.
After Cambodia, this annual program will continue its mission to further destinations, which include Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. The Cambodia's Top30 Bar Awards are expected to take Cambodia's bar industry to new heights and bring more attention to the country's hospitality, food, and drink culture.
