Taste of Abu Dhabi Celebrates its 5th Anniversary with Local Harvest

To celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Taste of Abu Dhabi, there will be lots of new food experiences for everyone to take part in from the 8-10 November at Du Arena, Yas Island. For the first time, there will be a Local Harvest Farmers’ Market, a Big Baking Tent where you can compete with celebrity chefs in a bake-off, an interactive BBQ Steak-Out to perfect your grill skills, and cooking and baking classes designed especially for kids. With an amazing line up of culinary action, International music acts and a host of celebrity chefs, the 5th Anniversary celebrations promise to have the right balance of sugar and spice for the Capital's favourite food, drink and entertainment festival.

Local Harvest, the brand of Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre (ADFSC) this years’ partners of Taste of Abu Dhabi, will host a Farmers Market with fresh vegetables and produce from Farms in Abu Dhabi. You’ll be able to meet farmers, sample and shop for produce, and find out first-hand about the vast range of fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and eggs available right on your doorstep.

For those with a sweet tooth, the all-new ‘Big Baking Tent’ gives you the perfect opportunity to perfect your baking skills. The icing on the cake is Master Pâtissier Eric Lanlard, who will host an exciting series of specially-tailored masterclasses during the 3-day festival open to everyone from baking experts to baking beginners. Other chefs showcasing their baking best will be Omar Orfali, Gary Rhodes, and Robertos’ Andrea Falcone.

Taste of Abu Dhabi will have its first ever ‘BBQ Steak-Out’ hosted by Master Chef Tarek Ibrahim and special guest chefs Anthony Pichon, Hattem Mattar and Mohammad Orfali who will share their best BBQ tips, as you participate in ‘live’ challenges using premium halal Aussie lamb and beef on the latest Weber PULSE smart grills.

Everyone under 12 years gets FREE entry to Taste of Abu Dhabi so to keep them entertained there will be special cooking and baking classes just for kids by Fathima Ahmed the talented founder of Table for Five. There will also be a dedicated Kids’ Zone to keep the little ones entertained including everything from arts & crafts, inflatables to face painting, and lots more.

Dhafer Rashed Al Qasemi, Commercial & Operations Director, of Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Service Centre said: “We want to inspire creative cooking and knowledge of the fresh, safe and local produce available from our farms in Abu Dhabi. We are proud to be partners of the 2018 fifth celebratory edition of Taste of Abu Dhabi and look forward to our farmers sharing their passion for fresh produce with the local community. We will also host a special activity for kids with our Local Harvest experts who will help them plant their very own vegetable seeds to take home and watch them grow.”

“Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre is educating farmers on the importance of supplying the market with high quality, fresh and tasty produce. We are opening up new marketing channels for local farmers including our own retail brand, Local Harvest, so the people of Abu Dhabi have the opportunity to taste local vegetables within 24 hours of being harvested, assuring freshness and locking in vital nutrients.” he added.

The festival kick-starts on Thursday with a big night of international music acts live on stage including former Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle; 2017 Britain's Got Talent singer Sarah Ikumu; and The Bootleg Beatles who will be bringing a little bit of Abbey Road to Abu Dhabi performing classics including Hey Jude, All You Need Is Love, Yellow Submarine and Black Bird. There will be live music all day, every day throughout the three-day festival from musical talent including DJ Sheps, 4TheMusic, Mark Zittie Fratelli Coltelli, and Sound City.

You’ll get the chance to taste over 48 signature dishes from this years’ restaurants to sample throughout the weekend, and a host of bespoke beverage outlets will mark the 5th celebrations. Restaurants will include the award-winning Italian restaurant Robertos from Rosewood on Al Maryah Island; legendary Hickory’s Restaurant and Bar from Yas Links Golf Club; exciting Californian cuisine from Nolu; and a special pop-up of Gary Rhodes restaurant Theatre by Rhodes where you will be able to meet the man himself.

You will also get the chance to meet and cook alongside this year’s host of celebrity chefs which includes Taste of Abu Dhabi favourites Sanjeev Kapoor, Reza Mahammad, and Jenny Morris.

Tickets are now on sale with a selection of options including VIP tickets for those looking for the ultimate Taste of Abu Dhabi Experience. For information on new restaurants, celebrity chefs, entertainment schedules and to purchase tickets for Taste of Abu Dhabi visit:  www.tasteabudhabi.com

About Local Harvest

Local Harvest is an Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Service Centre (ADFSC) brand that showcases fresh and safe local produce, meat and eggs from our farms in Abu Dhabi. The brand is an introduction to the wide range of products raised locally that are fresh, safe and consistently superior. All produce is graded in accordance with strict international standards at ADFSC pack houses. Once graded for size, color, uniformity and defects, only Class One produce is chosen for Local Harvest. Class One products are the highest grade, ensuring that you get top quality local produce - the freshest, healthiest and tastiest option. Local Harvest products are available at major retail chains throughout the UAE as well as ADFSCs Souq stores and available to order online at www.localharvest.ae

About Taste of Abu Dhabi

The capital’s favourite food, drink and music festival returns for its fifth edition and is set to be even more memorable and entertaining than ever before. The festival is a food lover’s fantasy – jam-packed with the latest, greatest and most exciting restaurants, world-class chefs, an incredible lineup of music, tantalizing fresh features and over 100 exhibitors. Taste was first launched in London in 2004 and has rapidly grown into a global phenomenon that thrills food lovers the world over. Taste Festivals are now a well-travelled melting pot of innovations delivered to an international audience from Sydney to Toronto, Milan to Amsterdam, Dubai to Hong Kong. Every year our teams across the world work passionately to make Taste Festivals inspire and engage more foodies around the world, with one core philosophy at the heart of what we do: to live up to our reputation as the world’s greatest restaurant festivals.