Mega chef competition comes to Sharjah giving a boost to training, education and tourism

With less than six months to stage ExpoCulinaire, the Emirates Culinary Guild teamed up with organiser Purple Kitchen Events and Expo Centre Sharjah to ensure that the most established chef competition in the Middle East would continue to run in Q1 of 2019.  The Salon used to be held as the main feature of Gulfood in Dubai and was a firm base for chefs to be part of the mega food event which took place last week.  It will now sit within a dedicated platform for foodservice professionals and will finally bring back food, equipment and services under one roof – something the industry has been missing for several years.

“We planned for ExpoCulinaire to be 3 days but we have had to extend it by an additional day (not open for visitors) in order to accommodate the massive demand from competitors” said Uwe Micheel, President of Emirates Culinary Guild, Assistant Vice President of Worldchefs and Director of Kitchens at Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek.  “Next year we will ensure our judges are in place even earlier to be sure we continue to grow the Salon Culinaire” concluded Micheel.



The 22nd Emirates International Salon Culinaire is an annual event endorsed by Worldchefs and has strong support from various sponsors including Nestle and IFFCO for the 29 different classes which are judged and awarded according to the global standards of experienced master chefs.  Competitors are awarded with Gold, Silver or Bronze accreditation after detailed judging and feedback.

2,000 chefs will not be the only new profile in Sharjah, education and training will form another pillar of ExpoCulinaire.  Four Education Partners (Chef International Centre, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, International Centre for Culinary Arts and Richmonte Masterbaker) have committed to a full three day, free-of-charge programme, totaling 27 sessions for students and aspiring hospitality managers in a mock kitchen and classroom set up.  Joining them in the exhibition will be at least four other top educators and between them courses ranging from one day skills workshops to multiyear Bachelor and Masters degrees can be explored or signed up for.

Sharjah based IFFCO have chosen ExpoCulinaire to launch their latest product geared towards the foodservice market. “The strategy of using our specialized platform to reach catering professionals and buyers will grow year on year.  If you want to meet the chef, pastry chef, baker and cook communities plus their senior management, ExpoCulinaire is a must” commented Joanne Cook, CEO of Purple Kitchen Events. “Focusing on culinary art, competitions, skills, learning, training, products and equipment driven by the inspirational passion and creativity of chefs is certain to have a positive impact on the tourism industry.  The tourism sector is crucial to Sharjah and to the UAE as a whole, we must continue to lead and to capture the imagination of the hospitality industry” added Cook.

Read more:

First international marketing campaign underway for Dulcis™

4 November 2024

With over 600 tonnes of top-quality fruit produced across 300 hectares of land – expected to expand to 500 hectares by 2025 – Dulcis™ is poised to repeat last year’s success in Italy and also find itself in the shopping trolleys of consumers in several new international markets. This unique kiwi variety was developed by specialist bio-science enterprise New Plant of Forlì in collaboration with the University of Udine and the University of Bologna. »

Future Trends in Fresh Produce Supply

3 November 2024

The latest FRUIT LOGISTICA Trend Report is now available for download. Annual report’s in-depth information and expert analysis help industry representatives understand how fruit and vegetable supply is changing across the globe. FRUIT LOGISTICA’s latest annual trend report provides the fruit and vegetable sector with free and valuable information about the future of the global fresh produce trade. Entitled ‘Future trends in fresh produce supply’, this year’s report highlights the emerging supply chains, new sources of supply, and market trends »

25th FOOD & KITCHEN Africa 2024 | 20 - 22 November | International Trade Exhibition | Nairobi, Kenya

31 October 2024

The 25th FOOD & KITCHEN opens up a new world of opportunities for export oriented companies. With a GDP of $95 billion, Kenya recently reached lower-middle income status, and has successfully established a diverse and dynamic economy. It also serves as the point of entry to the larger East African market. Kenya’s Economy is distinguished from most African countries by the fact that it is one of the most diversified and advanced. »