Amman, Jordan: 6 November 2019 - Marriott International properties in Jordan collaborated with chef driven organization, The Culinary Diplomacy Project, for ‘Feast of Five’ – a street food festival which showcased the power of cuisine in bringing cultures together.  During the charitable event at the Amman Marriott Hotel, American celebrity chefs – Amanda Freitag, Duff Goldman, Art Smith, Marc Murphy and Mary Sue Milliken – paired up with Marriott’s chefs in Jordan to exchange and share recipes and prepare a special culinary experience for 500 guests. ‘Feast of Five’ raised approximately $14,000 for the King Hussain Cancer Foundation.

During ‘Feast of Five’ on November 1, guests enjoyed dishes that celebrated five different types of cuisines and culture from around the world. The dishes were assembled by the hotels’ culinary teams, under the direction of The Culinary Diplomacy Project’s celebrity chefs.  Guests were able to engage with the partnering celebrity and hotel chef teams while also enjoying live entertainment and activities.  The special menu featured:

• Chef Art Smith, together with the Amman Marriott Hotel, cooked up classic American food.
• Sheraton al Nabil Hotel teamed up with Chef Amanda Freitag for Mediterranean delights.
• Chef Mary Sue Milliken and W Amman prepared authentic Mexican dishes.
• Chef Marc Murphy and the Dead Sea Marriott together offered Italian favourites.
• For a sweet ending, Chef Duff Goldman and The St. Regis Amman baked a variety of pastries, cookies and cakes.

On the occasion Philip Papadopoulos, Country General Manager for Marriott Hotels in Jordan and Chair of the Marriott Business Council in Jordan commented, “We continue to seek to support initiatives that elevate travel’s role in spurring cultural understanding, which is why we’re proud to work with The Culinary Diplomacy Project to demonstrate the potential of food to bring communities together. This initiative was not only a platform for the participating chefs and hotel teams to learn from each other but also a great opportunity for us to raise funds and support the amazing work being done at the King Hussain Cancer Foundation.”

The Culinary Diplomacy Project is a sponsored program of the Social Impact Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, whose mission is to promote mutual understanding among people of different cultures through the power of global culinary exchange.The event took place during its visit to Jordan where the organisation, together with the celebrity chefs, travelled across Jordan to learn about the country’s culture through its cuisine.   The group visited Amman, Aqaba, Petra, Wadi Rum and Irbid experiencing the regional diversity of Jordan and also spent their time cooking with the local people, learning their personal stories and traditions through their food.  They also visited Zaatari Refugee Camp to engage with the refugees on their culture and food.

Lauren Bernstein, the Founder and CEO of The Culinary Diplomacy Project commented, “At The Culinary Diplomacy Project, we believe that food is a common ground that connects all. This couldn’t have been more true here in Jordan where we were welcomed into the homes of Jordanians and Syrians to cook together, laugh together and form relationships that will last well beyond our visit.”

The ‘Feast of Five’ initiative supports the 12^th edition of Road to Awareness - Marriott International’s annual associate fundraising campaign that has been making a valuable difference to the lives of children for over a decade across the Middle East & Africa.  Every year, through Road to Awareness, associates organize fundraising events to support the vital work regional charities and organizations do to improve the lives of children.  In Jordan, the campaign supports the King Hussain Cancer Foundation.

The collaboration with the Culinary Diplomacy Project also falls under Marriott International’s Sustainability and Social Impact Platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which guides how the company makes a positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business. From empowerment opportunities to sustainable hotel development, the platform is designed to foster business growth while balancing the needs of associates, customers, owners, the environment and communities. Two of the priority areas, or “coordinates”, of Serve 360 are Nurture Our World  and Welcome All & Advance Human Rights. ‘Feast of Five’ is an initiative that directly supports and brings this vision to life.

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 7,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 132 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world.  The company now offers one travel program, Marriott Bonvoy™, replacing Marriott Rewards®, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®(SPG).  For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.