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Dear Fellow Members, Chefs, Ladies, and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of Gulf Gourmet. This is a special one. You are holding in your hands the official rules and regulations for the EISC Class Competitions 2026, to be held at ICCA School Dubai. This year we have done something new. The Emirates Culinary Guild, in partnership with ICCA Dubai and Foodverse, has launched a series of practical and display-based culinary competitions, fully endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies, Worldchefs. Open to professional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks, bakers, butchers, and culinary students, the class competition features both individual and team events to celebrate culinary talent and excellence. The competitions will take place from June through September 2026. Full competition dates, schedules, and registration details are available on Foodverse.
If you are not already signed up, now is the time. Do not miss this one. To compete or sponsor, reach us at emiratesculinaryguild@gmail.com, call us on +971 56 801 4089, or write to us at PO Box 454922, Dubai, UAE.
Since we are on the subject of competition, I want to say something directly to every chef who will be standing on that floor this year. The ones who do best are rarely the ones with the most elaborate dishes. They are the ones who prepared honestly, knew their menu inside out, respected the clock, and stayed calm when something did not go to plan. A judge is looking for intention. Know why every element is on that plate and be ready to defend every decision with the food itself. Whatever happens on the day, walk out having learned something. That is what competitions are for.
Inside this issue you will find our cover story on Chef Yury Evfimenko of Emirates Flight Catering and between representing the UAE and the guild at WorldChefs and changing what first class dining means in the sky, he will very politely tell you he is just getting started. Chef Manoj Negi takes us inside the world of pastry with equal honesty and craft. And our contributors this month have written with remarkable depth on everything from last meals, leadership, inclusivity to salt, food technology, nutrition, trends. It is one of the most diverse and thought-provoking issues we have published.
Past issues, upcoming events, chef spotlights and more are all waiting for you at issuu.com/gulfgourmetmagazine and visit emiratesculinaryguild.net to stay updated on guild competition and news. Check out our social media to see what chefs aroundthe world are creating and perhaps connect with someone who inspires you. Got a story idea? A chef we should know about? Something the industry needs to hear? Write to us at emiratesculinaryguild@gmail.com.
To every chef reading this, whether you are competing this year, this Guild belongs to you. We exist to create opportunities, to open doors, to put you in rooms with people who will push you further than you thought possible. So show up, compete and share what you know. That is how we grow.
And please, read the rules. Read them carefully, read them twice. Every class, criterion has been put together with thought. It is your first competitive advantage. The chefs who read thoroughly are the chefs who prepare better, perform better and ultimately do better on the day. So start there. Good luck!
Culinary regards,
Alan Orreal
