The Emirates Culinary Guild Announced the Successful Running of the 27th Emirates Salon Culinaire (ESC) 2024

Dubai May 2024

The Emirates Culinary Guild would like to announce the successful running of the 27^th Emirates Salon Culinaire (ESC) 2024 from 20^th May till 22^nd  May 2024. The Salon this year was back in Expo Centre Sharjah and with more than 39 classes was a huge success. Held during Expoculinaire 2024 with Purple Kitchen Events once again being the exhibition organizer.

To help with the proceeding together, Martind an international team of judges that have been with the guild for many years, a team led by our old friend Otto Wiebel  who has been with us for 25 of the 27 editions, along with past President of ECG Uwe Micheel  and Chairman of World chefs Culinary committee Dr. Rick Stephen together, Martin Kobald Vice President Worldchefs and Alain Hostert Continental Director Europe Central for Worldchefs and the full committee of the ECG were all there to support.

The competition was held at Expo Centre Sharjah, the home of EXPOCULINAIRE alongside the Expoculiniare exhibition making it an event with multiple activities happening at once over the 3 days. The competition saw over 900 chefs’ entries from the United Arab Emirates, and 11 global countries represented, to compete in 39 classes across all disciplines of the culinary arts, from Practical cookery, static displays, Emirati cuisine, cake decorating and Show Piece categories.  

The 23 International Judges from all over the World came to judge alongside our UAE based judges during the culinary spectacular this year. The ESC is one of the largest culinary competitions in the Africa and Middle East region that is also endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies.

“The standard just keeps getting better year on year “said Past President of the Guild Uwe Micheel,” adding 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 3 days and awards ceremony of the Expo Culinaire 2024. The competition was bigger than we could have hoped for, and we are excited for 2025 already added Micheel.

Guild President Andy Cuthbert, General Manager of Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, and  Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Incentives and Jumeirah Hospitality, added “ this year’s competition was another sign of the growth of the culinary arts in the UAE, we were luck to also host the first event Live bakery competition The Sounbula Mills Artisan Bakery Arena where 8 teams produced outstanding breads in the competition environment, coupled with 8 international teams competing in the Alen Thong Golden coffee Pot challenge happening at the same time was just fantastic and  without  all our industry 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 hotels and industry caterers and were:

A total of 1 Gold Medal with Distinction was given which is a fantastic result showing such high standards and awarded to a chef from The Chinese Chefs Association, 149 Gold Medals, 200 Silver Medals and 277 bronze medals were awarded during the 3-day event along with 167 merit certificates showing such high standards across all competitions

The Emirates Salon Culinaire is the largest Culinary Competition in the Guilds calendar, this year saw the return of the Alen Thong Golden coffee pot challenge for young chefs powered by JM Foods and the guild sends it grateful thanks to Mr Rajan and team for such dedication to us. The winner of this great trophy for young chefs was won this year by the team from the Chinese Chefs Association CCA young chefs.

This year saw the introduction of a new practical cookery competition The Sounbula Artisan Bakery arena, where 8 teams of bakers were competing for the title of Sounbula Mills Bakery team of the year 2024 and had to make a selection of bread and pastry items from scratch using only Sounbula flours, with no pre mixes of chemicals or yeast, this competition was a true highlight and one we will continue to enhance as we move forward. Owner of Sounbula Mills Mr. Karim Al Azhari, said” I am proud of what the teams have done in this inaugural event and we at Sounbula believe in the strength of this competition to continue to highlight the culinary prowess of the United Arab Emirates and we are proud to have been able contribute this year and make such a difference”

“The UAE has led the way with ExpoCulinaire 2024 being run alongside so many culinary competitions.  We made the most of the strengths of all the individual parts of both competitions, Exhibition and competitions to bring a truly complete food and beverage event to the Emirate of Sharjah” 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 2024 thanks to ICCA Dubai, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management and CIC was excellent added value for all our audience concluded Cook.

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 organisation, organised 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.