AFC ORIGINAL PRODUCTION FEATURING MALAYSIAN CELEBRITY CHEF NIK MICHAEL IMRAN

AFC teams up with Unilever Malaysia to film its first tea-based original production showcasing the diverse and versatile tastes of Lipton Tea. On Friday, 18 October 2013 at 9.30pm, the Asian Food Channel (AFC), part of the Scripps Networks Interactive family of lifestyle networks, will premiere a brand new cooking programme filmed in Malaysia called Tea Twist. The programme, which features local Malaysian chef, Nik Michael Imran, will air regionally across Asia to AFC viewers in twelve different territories. Viewers in Malaysia can catch the AFC Original Production nationwide on Astro Channel 703.

The six-part series (6x30mins), which is produced in collaboration with Unilever Malaysia, features Chef Nik creating thirst-quenching recipes using one of his favourite drinks –
LIPTON Tea! Join him as he travels through Kuala Lumpur, transforming the everyday tea into exciting and delicious drinks paired with scrumptious foods for his friends and family.

Derek Chang, Managing Director of Scripps Networks Interactive Asia Pacific, shares his feeling about the premiere of AFC’s latest original series “We are glad to have embarked on this partnership with Unilever Malaysia and look towards working on more complementary projects together in the future. Both AFC and Unilever Malaysia have long-standing relationships with the Malaysian community and we are thrilled to have the chance to provide them with original content, which stars one of their very own culinary talents. Scripps Networks Interactive looks forward to finding and cultivating more Asian talent in Malaysia and sharing such homegrown talent with the world. We welcome Chef Nik into the AFC family of Celebrity Chefs and we’re sure that we will be working closely again with him in the future.”

Victor Leow, Brand Manager Food & Beverages Unilever Malaysia adds, “Everyone at Unilever Malaysia is awaiting the premiere of Tea Twist as this is our first project with the Asian Food Channel. We are very excited to work with AFC and Chef Nik to showcase how tea can be an exciting beverage. LIPTON Tea is enjoyed regularly and we want to show tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers that tea can be turned into more exciting hot or cold concoctions with just a few simple everyday ingredients such as fruits, soda or herbs like mint. Who would not want a Mojito Tea or a Sparkling Ice Tea on a hot day or an Earl Grey Ginger Milk Tea Latte on a cold rainy afternoon? It is time to inspire everyone and in line with LIPTON’s bright image, we hope to inject more fun, lifestyle and inspirational elements into this program. We can’t wait to share the great taste of LIPTON Tea and we hope that consumers will embrace the new and exciting recipes featured on Tea Twist.”

Chef Nik is of Australian-Malaysian heritage and is the eldest of six siblings. Born in Selangor, Malaysia, he grew up under the cooking influence of his father, who used to own an Italian restaurant in Brisbane, Australia. This led to him developing an interest in cooking from an early age. At the age of 15, he started picking up cooking skills from his father and supplemented his talents with reading culinary books and websites. In 2011, Chef Nik was one of 24 finalists picked out of 500 contestants in the first season of MasterChef Malaysia. The show brought national spotlight to his cooking talent. With a burgeoning cooking career, Chef Nik decided to put his business education on hold and focus on the culinary arts. At the end of 2012, Chef Nik embarked on a culinary journey with his father, opening comfort food café PickNik in Kuala Lumpur.

Tea Twist is proudly sponsored by Unilever Malaysia. Catch the premiere exclusively on the Asian Food Channel, Friday 18 October at 9.30pm on Astro Channel 703.

For more information about the Asian Food Channel and its programmes, please visit www.asianfoodchannel.com.

About Asian Food Channel
The Asian Food Channel (AFC) is the region’s first 24-hour food channel dedicated to airing the best food and lifestyle programming from around the region and the world.

Based in Singapore, AFC’s wide Asian distribution footprint covers twelve territories and 130 million viewers, on basic tiers of all the major pay TV platforms across Asia.

The channel leads the ratings in its territories, regularly achieving the #1 lifestyle channel in terms of popularity and loyalty. It has achieved a broad following from young teenage food lovers and empty nesters to trendy urban females and aspiring male chefs.

AFC’s online presence supports the channel with programme information, recipes, original content and an e-commerce store. As such AFC regularly executes 360 degree advertising and marketing campaigns and solutions for leading FMCG, Financial and Travel brands.

AFC broadcasts on:
- Astro Channel 703 (Malaysia and Brunei)
- StarHub Channel 435 (Singapore)
- First Media Digital 1 Channel 76 (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- TelkomVision Channel 116 or Channel 401 (Groovia TV) (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- Indovision Channel 240 (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- Aora TV Channel 318 (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- Nexmedia 210 (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- Topas TV Channel 302 (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- now TV Channel 527 (Hong Kong)
- Skycable Channel 22 (Philippines)
- Dream Satellite Channel 27 (Philippines)
- Cignal Channel 26 (Philippines)
- Univision Channel 84 (Mongolia)
- PPCTV Channel 22 (Wireless) or Channel 7 (Digital) (Cambodia)
- C-Skynet Channel 59 (China)
- CTH Channel 99 (Thailand)
- MOD Channel 90 (Taiwan)
- TV-ing (South Korea)

Please visit www.asianfoodchannel.com for more information.

AFC is a subsidiary of Scripps Networks Interactive.

About Scripps Network Interactive
Scripps Networks International is the global development arm of Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (NYSE: SNI) and the media lifestyle leader across the food, home and travel categories. Scripps Networks International operates Food Network and Travel Channel in Asia, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well as the Asian Food Channel in Asia and Fine Living Network across EMEA. Scripps’ international business also has a significant presence in Canada, which includes HGTV Canada, DIY Network Canada and Food Network Canada. The division’s global offices are headquartered in New York City and Knoxville, Tennessee, with regional offices in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Scripps Networks Interactive is the leading developer of high-profile, lifestyle-oriented content for many media platforms including television, digital, mobile and publishing. Our media portfolio of popular lifestyle brands - HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel and Great American Country (GAC) - connect with viewers to provide relevant ideas, information and solutions every day, everywhere.

About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180. We have some of the world’s best known and most trusted brands, with leadership positions in many of the home and personal care and food categories in which we compete. With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. More than 167,000 people worldwide work for Unilever. For more information, visit www.unilever.com.

Tea Twist (6x30min)
AFC ORIGINAL PRODUCTION
Exclusive World Premiere: Fridays 18 October at 9.30pm
JKT/TH 8.30pm

Join Malaysian heartthrob Chef Nik Michael Imran as he transforms everyday tea into a refreshing tea suprise! Learn how to make your very own Mojito tea other delicious tea mocktails! Along the way, discover Chef Nik’s culinary talent, and peek into his fun-filled life outside the kitchen! Joined by his friends and family, you can be sure that you are in for an exciting time! Whether you’re looking to warm up your stomachs or cool down after a long day of work, Chef Nik will show you how to give your tea an exciting twist!

CHEF NIK MICHAEL IMRAN

Since becoming a finalist in the first season of MasterChef Malaysia two years ago, Chef Nik Michael Imran’s culinary career is bright and as promising as ever. His career is set to reach a high point as he hosts a brand new AFC Original Production, Tea Twist, in which he creates yummy tea-based drinks anytime, anywhere! Young and exuberant, the 23-year-old Malaysian chef has had an immense passion for food from the tender age of nine. The recent opening of his own restaurant PickNik not only solidifies his presence and popularity in Malaysia’s food scene, but also makes him one of Asia’s fastest rising young chefs.

Chef Nik is of Australian-Malaysian heritage and is the eldest of six siblings. Born in Selangor, Malaysia, he grew up under the cooking influence of his father, who used to own an Italian restaurant in Brisbane, Australia. This led to him developing an interest in cooking from an early age. At the age of 15, he started picking up cooking skills from his father and supplemented his talents with reading culinary books and websites. The first dish that he learnt to cook from his father was a French dessert, Crepe Suzette.

In 2011, Chef Nik was one of 24 finalists picked out of 500 contestants in the first season of MasterChef Malaysia. The show brought national spotlight to his cooking talent. With a burgeoning cooking career, Chef Nik decided to put his business education on hold and focus on the culinary arts.

At the end of 2012, Chef Nik embarked on a culinary journey with his father, opening comfort food café PickNik in Kuala Lumpur. With an open kitchen design, the restaurant serves up tasty contemporary dishes such as Grilled Lamb Cutlet with Kimchi Chilli Paste and Spaghetti Aglio Olio.

Besides his appearance in MasterChef Malaysia, Chef Nik’s TV appearances include a co-hosting stint on the cooking show Helo Bro… Tolong Masak! with Chef Fikree Najib and fellow MasterChef Malaysia contestant, Arshad Zamir. As an adventure seeker, Chef Nik also hosts Remaja Ekstrem, an extreme sports TV programme for youth.

Chef Nik aspires to write a book on the philosophy of Malaysian ‘kampong’ cooking. He believes that such a publication would help to bring recognition to traditional Malay cuisine as the cuisine and its unique cooking methods have never been documented in such detail before.

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