CAHM Students Shine at National Bartenders Competition and Dainties 2026

Students of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM) at SLIIT once again demonstrated their talent, creativity, and professional excellence by securing outstanding achievements at two prestigious national hospitality competitions held recently in Sri Lanka.

The Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM) is Sri Lanka's leading private hospitality education institute, established in 2013 and located at the SLIIT Main Campus in Malabe. Renowned for delivering internationally recognised qualifications in partnership with the William Angliss Institute (RTO 3045), Australia—the Australian Government's specialist hospitality education institute and the country's leading provider of hospitality, tourism, foods and events education—CAHM offers Australian-standard vocational qualifications that combine international best practices with hands-on practical training and strong industry relevance, enabling graduates to pursue rewarding careers around the world.

At the 31st National Bartenders Competition (NBC), organized by the Sri Lanka Hospitality Graduates Association (SLHGA) in partnership with International Distillers Limited (IDL), CAHM student Anurasi Chandrasoma (Commercial Cookery Batch 22) emerged as the Winner in the highly competitive Hotel School Category. The competition, held on 26 May 2026 at the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (SLITHM), Colombo, attracted more than 75 participants from hospitality education institutions across the country.

Representing CAHM alongside the winner were Dishala Gunawardhana (Hospitality Management Batch 37), Sunera Sathindu (Commercial Cookery Batch 21), and Devindu Amarasekara (Patisserie Batch 11), all of whom showcased exceptional bartending skills and professionalism. The achievement marks another significant milestone for CAHM, reinforcing its reputation as one of Sri Lanka's leading hospitality education institutions.

Building on this success, CAHM students continued their winning streak at Dainties 2026 – Season III, an annual hospitality competition organized by the Department of Tourism Studies of Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka. Held on 16 and 17 June 2026 at Uva Wellassa University, the competition attracted participants from universities, vocational training institutes, and hospitality organizations from across the country.

CAHM students achieved remarkable results across both beverage and culinary categories. In the Cocktail VTA Category, Anurasi Chandrasoma (Commercial Cookery Batch 22) emerged as the Winner, while Dishala Gunawardhana (Hospitality Management Batch 37) secured the Runner-Up position and Sunera Sathindu (Commercial Cookery Batch 21) was named 2nd Runner-Up, giving CAHM a clean sweep of the top three positions.

Demonstrating the academy's strength in beverage education and training, Dishala Gunawardhana also emerged as the Winner of the Mocktail VTA Category. Meanwhile, in the Culinary VTA Category, Sithumini Methara (Commercial Cookery Batch 24) secured the Runner-Up position, while Ranmina Peiris (Commercial Cookery Batch 26 – Group 02) was awarded 4th Runner-Up.

These achievements are a testament to the dedication, hard work, and passion of the students, as well as the guidance and mentorship provided by lecturers Prageeth Manjula and Hashanee Badurdeen.

The culinary competition was judged by a distinguished panel comprising Chef Thushan Fernando, Executive Chef of Cinnamon Wild Yala; Chef Nalinda Abeyrathne, Executive Chef of Sri Lankan Catering; and Chef Sanjaya Marasinghe, Executive Chef of Shangri-La Hambantota, all of whom serve as Culinary Judges for the Chefs Guild of Lanka.

The beverage categories were evaluated by an esteemed panel including Nishadha Periyapperuma, Consultant and Director of York Hotel Management Services Ltd. and Official Beverage Judge of the Chefs Guild of Lanka; Percy Sangapala, Consultant and Hospitality Trainer at The Kingsbury Hotel; and Anston Bernard Alvis, Hospitality Consultant and Beverage Judge for the Chefs Guild of Lanka.

CAHM continues to provide students with opportunities to develop industry-relevant skills through practical training, competitions, and industry engagement. These achievements reflect the academy's commitment to nurturing the next generation of hospitality professionals and preparing them to excel on both national and international platforms.

The management, academic staff, and student community of CAHM congratulate all the students on their remarkable achievements and wish them continued success in their future endeavours.

Captions:

CAHM 1 – Anurasi Chandrasoma (Commercial Cookery Batch 22) of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM), Winner of the Hotel School Category at the 31st National Bartenders Competition 2026.

CAHM 2 – Dishala Gunawardhana (Hospitality Management Batch 37) of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM), Winner of the Sunquick Mocktail Competition – Vocational Trainee Category at Dainties 2026 – Season III.

CAHM 3 – Binupa Peiris (Commercial Cookery Batch 26) and N.A.S. Methara (Commercial Cookery Batch 24) of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM), 4th Runner-Up and Runner-Up, respectively, in the Edinburgh Sri Lankan Cuisine – Vocational Trainee Category at Dainties 2026 – Season III.

CAHM 4 – Sunera Sathindu (Commercial Cookery Batch 21), Anurasi Chandrasoma (Commercial Cookery Batch 22), and Dishala Gunawardhana (Hospitality Management Batch 37) of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM), 2nd Runner-Up, Winner, and Runner-Up, respectively, in the Uva Glen Cocktail Competition – Vocational Trainee Category at Dainties 2026 – Season III.