Over 300 chefs compete in 4 day International Emirates Salon Culinaire

Over 300 chefs compete in 4 day International Emirates Salon Culinaire

Dubai April 2021

The Emirates Culinary Guild would like to announce the successful running of the 24th Emirates Salon Culinaire (ESC) 2021 from 4th April till 7th April. The Salon this year was a completely new experience for competitors, organizers, and judges as it was a Hybrid event which included the Virtual Expo Culinaire that was live streamed from the strategic partner ICCA Live and Purple Kitchen events were once again the exhibition organizer.

To help with the proceedings the ECG invited an international team of judges that have been with the guild for many years but regretfully many of our long-time judges were unable to travel, however a team led by The Vice President of Worldchefs Martin Kobald, including Alain Hostert from Worldchefs Europe central Continental Director, Hossam Soliman, President of Egypt Chefs Association and David Sosson President from Qatar Culinary Processionals joined to make a memorable event. Together with the president of the Guild & Director of Kitchens Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek, Uwe Micheel and the committee the 4 days was a memorable experience for all in this new event era,

The competition was held at two venues in Dubai, Days 1 & 2 were held at The Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek hotel in the Zabeel ballroom for the static display and the cake decoration and sandwich classes and days 3 & 4 were held at the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in the secret garden for the practical cookery classes. These venues were then enhanced digitally by a complete live streaming set up by Sunjeh Raja and team at the ICCA School in Dubai that beamed the event globally with hosts, Shanaaz Raja, Guild Vice President Alan Pedge and Joanne Cook, Managing director of Purple kitchen events. The competition saw over 270 chefs with 300 entries from the United Arab Emirates, Palestine Pakistan, to c compete in 23 classes across all disciplines of the Culinary arts, from  Practical cookery, static displays, Emirati cuisine , cake decorating and Show Piece category’s.

The 4 International Judges from all over the World came to judge alongside 16 UAE based judges during the Culinary spectacular this year. The ESC is the first Culinary competition in the Africa and Middle East region that is also endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies to be run since the start of the pandemic.

“The standard was extremely high once again this year even in these challenging times, “said President of the Guild Chef Uwe Micheel & Culinary Advisor Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek, said” we are proud to have once again been able to put on the event and we are grateful to the supporters of the guild and to the courage of the chefs and Industry for their support and presence during the 4 days and awards ceremony of the Expo Culinaire 2021. The competition was bigger than we could have hoped for and we are excited for 2022 already added Micheel.

Guild Chairman Andy Cuthbert, General Manager of Jumeirah Creekside Hotel  , and  Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Incentives and Jumeirah Hospitality, added “ this year’s competition was another great effort by all involved and a special thanks to ICCA Live for bringing us into the digital world and Hybrid events arena and without  all our supporters who helped to put this event on it would never have been possible to have been so successful.

The winners of the trophy’s this year came from many hotels and were:
 

Winner - Best Effort by an Individual Establishment
Expoculinaire Salon Culinaire  2021
Radisson Blu Deira Creek  
Winner - Best Effort by a Corporation
Expoculinaire Salon Culinaire  2021
Radisson Blu Deira Creek &
Radisson Blu Yas Island AD
 
Winner - Best Pastry Chef
Expoculinaire Salon Culinaire  2021
W Hotel The Palm Thilina Fernando
Winner - Best Arabian Cuisinier Expoculinaire
Salon Culinaire 2021
Pullman Deira City Center Emad Al Wazwani
Winner - Best  Artist
Expoculinaire Salon Culinaire  2021
Misterbaker LLC Kasthuriarachchi Rohita
Kumara Leelawansa
2nd  Runner up  - Best Cuisinier
Expoculinaire Salon Culinaire  2021
Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai
Deira Creekside
Santosh Tamang
1st Runner up  - Best Cuisinier
Expoculinaire Salon Culinaire  2021
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel Naveen Bhardwaj
Winner - Best Cuisinier
Expoculinaire Salon Culinaire  2021
Radisson Blu Deira Creek Hillary Quentus
Anthony Joseph


A total of, 4 Gold Medals  with Distinction were given which is a fantastic result with two being awarded to chef Rohita Kumara on one day,  51 Gold Medals, 62 Silver Medals and 87 bronze medals were awarded during the 4 day event.

The Emirates Salon Culinaire is the largest Culinary Competition in the Guilds calendar, in 2022 The Guild will host the bi annual Congress of Worldchefs from May 30th till June 2nd 2022 in Abu Dhabi  and are looking forward to hosting another great event and competitions visit www.worldchefscogress.org for more information

“The UAE has led the way with ExpoCulinaire 2021 Virtual. By teaming up with the right partners it was possible to live stream all Salon Culinaire competitors as well as have priceless insights and contributions from around the world.  We made the most of a smaller physical competition by inviting a global audience to join us” said Joanne Cook, MD of Purple Kitchen Events. “To be able to maintain our commitment to chefs and to education was essential.  Our certified education sessions have become a pillar of the overall event so to deliver them in 2021 thanks to ICCA Dubai, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management and Richemont Masterbaker was excellent added value for our new found global online audience.  Next year we will welcome back our physical exhibitors as ExpoCulinaire 2022 will run as part of the Worldcefs Congress 2022 from 30th May to 2nd June in Abu Dhabi – after a 4 year gap in a worldwide gathering we have big plans in the pipeline” concluded Cook.

 The Expoculinaire Virtual presented Emirates International Salon Culinaire 2021, on ICCA Live...worldclass culinary online webinar, was a great coming together of Technology, Talent, and Teamwork in the true sense. As with the contestants themselves, it was a great show of individual Passion, Perseverance, Performance, and Perfection with all in the team behind the show as well.

About ICCA Live / ICCA Dubai

ICCA Live...is an online initiative of ICCA Dubai, an internationally renowned culinary school delivering truly worldclass Professional & Personal learning in Culinary Arts, accredited by City &  Guilds, London, and recognized by the Worldchefs.

Sunjeh Raja, Director & CEO of ICCA

About the Emirates Culinary Guild

The Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG) (www.emiratesculinaryguild.net) is the association of professional chefs of the UAE. It is a non-profit-making organization, organized by volunteers dedicated solely to the advancement of culinary art in the UAE.

The World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs) (www.worldchefs.org) is the 105-nation fellowship of the world's various professional chefs' organizations.

The ECG received its charter into Worldchefs at a ceremony in Stavanger, Norway on June 28, 1994, during the Worldchefs 26th World Congress. Worldchefs endorses the ECG as the authorized professional culinary association for the UAE. The ECG, thereby, has an international culinary focus and multi-national support for the staging of its various competitions, seminars, and events.

The aims of the ECG, broadly are:

  • To encourage and inspire young chefs through training and competition.
  • To enhance internationally the culinary prestige of the UAE.
  • To encourage UAE nationals to consider a career within the hospitality industry.

With Culinary Regards,
Uwe Micheel
Guild President
Culinary Advisor
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek