Jakarta, September 14, 2026 – The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) supports the Golden Swirl Awards 2026 as a final recognition event for players in Indonesia’s national dessert, pastry, and bakery industries. The awards are part of Jakarta Dessert Week (JDW) 2026, held from September 1–20 at 35 curated dessert outlets across Jakarta, which play an important role in shaping the new face of Indonesian desserts.
Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, with the recipients of the Golden Swirl Awards 2026 as part of the Jakarta Dessert Week (JDW) 2026 series at Le Chateau Marqen Hotel, West Jakarta, Monday (14/9/2026).
The culinary subsector continues to serve as a key driver of the national creative economy. Based on 2025 data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the culinary subsector accounted for the largest share of Creative Economy GDP, reaching 39.68 percent or Rp585.92 trillion. The subsector also recorded 8.02 percent growth in 2025 and consistently remained the highest contributor to Creative Economy GDP growth throughout the 2023–2025 period.
Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, expressed his appreciation for the creativity, innovation, and consistency demonstrated by the event in driving the growth of the culinary industry ecosystem.
“Behind every cake, pastry, or dessert, there is always a creative process that begins with an idea, experimentation, refinement, and dedication. That is what gives a product added value. In the creative economy, what we build is not merely a product, but something that must create an experience, storytelling, and an identity that gives a work economic value while also building a connection with its consumers,” said the Minister of Creative Economy during his remarks at the event held at Le Chateau Marqen Hotel, West Jakarta, Monday (14/9).
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
The Golden Swirl Awards 2026 is the third annual recognition program for dessert industry players in Jakarta, with entries assessed based on taste, texture, aesthetic presentation, consistency, product variety, customer experience, and market appeal. The Minister of Creative Economy added that the event serves as a catalyst for the continuous standardization of industry quality.
“The Ministry of Creative Economy is here to strengthen the ecosystem so that creativity can grow and more culinary players can improve their product quality, strengthen their brands, utilize intellectual property, and expand their markets. Congratulations to all recipients of the Golden Swirl Awards 2026,” added Teuku Riefky.
The Golden Swirl Awards 2026 opened with a Banjidor Kahot dance performance. The announcement of nominees and winning categories was also enlivened by culinary influencers, talented chefs, and dessert business entrepreneurs. The judging process was conducted independently by nine credible jury members.
“We are very grateful and thankful for receiving support from the Minister of Creative Economy from the beginning, as well as from Jakarta Dessert Week, which is the first global IP to bring this kind of experience. It is an honor for a brand that is just over one year old to win Doughnut Shop of the Year. From the beginning, we did not only want to serve delicious products, but also to give customers the joy when they eat our products and also a unique experience,” said Karen Tjahja, Head of Marketing & Business Development at Butter Baby.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Meanwhile, Chef Tommaso Gonfiantini welcomed the Golden Swirl Awards 2026, expressing hope that Indonesia’s culinary ecosystem will continue to have opportunities to improve its quality, particularly in terms of ingredients, knowledge, and creativity.
“I hope there will always be room for improvement, whether in terms of ingredients, knowledge, or creativity, because the culinary subsector has an extraordinary market. Indonesian people are also extraordinary, and everyone here deserves to receive the best recognition,” said Chef Tommaso of Osteria Gia.
One of the jury members said that the Viennoiserie category was the most challenging when determining the winner, given Jakarta residents’ strong enthusiasm for croissants and their derivatives, with varieties that are even more diverse than those found in their country of origin. As jurors, they were required to remain objective and unbiased amid numerous preferences in order to determine the best winner fairly. The winners are expected to make a significant impact on Indonesia’s F&B industry.
“The food and beverage industry ecosystem in Indonesia is very large and has a broad impact, ranging from restaurants and suppliers to farmers. Therefore, it is important for us to preserve the richness of local culinary traditions and desserts while continuing to innovate so that the industry can keep developing and evolving,” added Ray Janson, a jury representative and board member of the Indonesian Culinary Council.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
This year, the Golden Swirl Awards 2026 presented awards in 15 categories in recognition of the dedication and innovation of creative economy players in the culinary subsector:
Winner of the Dessert Experience of the Year: Natsuka Backhaus
Winner of the Traditional Indonesian Dessert Shop of the Year: Iki Koue
Winner of the Modern Indonesian Dessert Shop of the Year: Lapislapis
Winner of the Chocolate Shop of the Year: Criollo
Winner of the Doughnut Shop of the Year: Butter Baby
Winner of the Ice Cream & Gelato Shop of the Year: Rivareno Gelato
Winner of the Viennoiserie Shop of the Year: Knots
Winner of the Cookie Shop of the Year: Dough Lab
Winner of the Emerging Dessert Shop of the Year: Thank You Tang Yuan
Winner of the Tiramisu of the Year: Osteria Gia
Winner of the Cake Shop of the Year: FLOR
Winner of the Bakery of the Year: Daribu
Winner of the Branding of the Year: Baked
Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award: Chef Louis Tanuhadi
Winner of the Pastry Chef of the Year: Chef Ardika Dwitama
Also accompanying the Minister of Creative Economy at the event were Deputy for Cultural and Design Creativity, Yuke Sri Rahayu; Director of Culinary, Romi Astuti; and Special Staff to the Minister for Strategic and Interinstitutional Affairs, Rian Syaf. Also attending were Co-founder of Indonesia Dessert Week, Chef Talita Setyadi, and Founder of Marqen Hotel, Bill Susanto.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
