UAE Enjoys Huge Success at Culinary Olympics as Mega Chef Competition and Expo Returns to Sharjah

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates: 23rd February 2020 – The world’s largest annual single entry chef competition, the 23rd Emirates International Salon Culinaire, will return from 3rd -5th March at Expo Centre Sharjah. His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) will inaugurate the event at 11 am on 3rd March.

The Emirates International Salon Culinaire is an annual event endorsed by Worldchefs and has strong support from many sponsors including Nestle and IFFCO for the 30 different categories (increased from 29 last year) which are judged and awarded according to the global standards of experienced master chefs. Competitors are awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze accreditation after detailed judging and feedback.

Fresh off the plane from Stuttgart Germany, Chef Uwe Micheel, President of Emirates Culinary Guild, Assistant Vice President of Worldchefs and Director of Kitchens at Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek has just returned from the Culinary Olympics where the UAE Team impressively won 21 Gold, 16 Silver, 8 Bronze medals and 1 Diploma. “The UAE has shown that our talents can challenge the best in the culinary world. The Olympics runs every 4 years and this was the 100th anniversary of this incredible gathering. To lead such a young team and be rewarded with so much recognition from the international culinary community, is very rewarding personally and professionally, I have dreamed of this moment for many years as President of the Guild for the past 20 years. It was with pride to fly the UAE flag high” said Chef Uwe. “Now we turn to ensure that global benchmarks continue to be passed on to our own Emirates International Salon Culinaire competitors in ExpoCulinaire 2020. This helps to underpin the strength and variety of talent in the UAE HoReCa and Hospitality sectors” he continued.

“The team has made us proud as a country and Culinary association for showing the quality the Emirates can do” said Guild Chairman Andy Cuthbert General Manager Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and Madinat Conference Centre, when asked about how he felt the competition contributed to the emirates Hospitality landscape. “The young chefs can be very proud of their achievement in Germany” he added.

The tourism and hospitality industry has established itself as a major amplifier of economic diversity in the UAE. It has been projected that the travel and tourism industry and according to government projections will contribute approximately AED312.4 billion to the UAE’s GDP by 2027.

A reflection of the above is the incredible 70% growth in size and company participation on only its 2nd year. “Sharjah continues to support the HoReCa sector and this year we welcome a pavilion powered by the SSCI. The Chamber and Expo Centre Sharjah clearly want to see businesses grow and these active steps mean that Sharjah based companies will be sure to benefit directly” commented Joanne Cook, CEO of Purple Kitchen Events and Organizer of ExpoCulinare. “All things kitchen - competition, art, education, demonstrations, products and services under one roof is the combination our attendees want to experience. ExpoCulinaire is already proving itself as the first choice for companies who want to meet their end-users” she added.

Education and Training will also expand, reflecting the country’s commitment to creating and developing the field of gastronomy. Free certificated Training and Education sessions will run again with even more classes on offer than 2019 and the expansion to 5 official education partners (Chef International Centre, Dubai College of Tourism, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, International Centre for Culinary Arts and Richemont Masterbaker) will be accompanied by 3 other culinary schools so that a widest-ever range of available courses can be explored by visitors.

Another new development is the Philippines pavilion organizer Filfood bringing their specialized event alongside ExpoCulinaire. The third Annual Filipino Food Industry Conference will focus on the theme "Grow Exponentially" in the run-up to the Dubai Expo 2020, and attracts F&B operators and restaurant owners as they explore the exciting opportunities presented by the Greatest Show on Earth this October.

Breaking News! Hygiene Partner and advisor to several government health departments around the world – Ecolab- have arranged to fly in an international expert to join a panel conference to discuss Hospitality Hygiene Protocols during a Health Crisis: safety with continuity for guests and businesses in the hospitality sector during virus outbreaks (using Covid-19 as a case study) on Wednesday 4th March. This will be a senior-level gathering with Expert Presentation, Panel Session plus Q&A. Updates on the full programme to follow shortly via Conference Media Partner Hozpitality Group.

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hayley.mcgovern@purple-kitchen.com

About ExpoCulinaire

In its 2nd year, the annual exhibition is the host to the 23rd Emirates International Salon Culinaire. Education/training, food, equipment and services for the foodservice industry are on display over 3 days for trade professionals and culinary students to see, touch, taste and try. It is the largest gathering of HoReCa end users in the entire Middle East. See the accompanying Fact Sheet.
Website: www.expoculinaire.com
Facebook: @ExpoCulinaire
Instagram: @ExpoCulinaire

About Emirates International Salon Culinaire

The Emirates International Salon Culinaire is the largest annual single-entry chefs’ competition in the world. Structured as a series of practical and display-based culinary challenges or ‘classes’, this globally renowned annual contest gauges the diversity of entrants cooking skills and pushes the boundaries of modern-day food preparation and presentation.

Evaluated by a panel of 30 international experts and mandated by Worldchefs, the Salon Culinaire provides credible industry recognition to more than a thousand master chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers. The salon serves to inspire and encourage young chefs to continue striving for ever upward improvement in their daily work practice. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and certificates are awarded to those competitors whose exhibits, in the opinion of the judges, have reached the commensurate international standard. The Salon Culinaire is open to professional chefs and culinary students.

Competitions will run in the following classes:
Cake Decoration
Wedding Cake Three Tier
Four Plates of Dessert
Pastry Showpiece
Bread Loaves and Showpiece
Petites Fours, Pralines
Chocolate Carving Showpiece
Fruit & Vegetable Carving Showpiece
Open Show Piece
Five-Course Gourmet Dinner Menu
Four-Course Vegetarian Menu
Tapas, Finger Food and Canapés
An Arabian Feast Edible Buffet
Individual Ice Carving
Ice Carving Team Event
Practical Fruit & Vegetable Carving
Dressed Lamb - Practical Butchery
Arabic Mezzeh - Practical Cookery
Fish & Seafood - Practical Cookery
Beef - Practical Cookery
Emirati Cuisine – Practical Cookery
Savoury Creations
Sweet Creations
Dressed Chicken & Dressed Fish Practical
Butchery
Egg cookery Practical cookery
Chicken - Practical Cookery
Far Eastern Creations Practical Cookery
Practical Cookery Sandwiches
Practical Cookery Pasta
Practical Mocktails

Website: www.emiratesculinaryguild.net
Facebook: @emiratesculinaryguild
Instagram: @emiratesculinaryguild

Photos from 2019 Expo Culinaire: