Gulfood 2024 hosted a line-up of Michelin-starred chefs who showcased a variety of culinary tricks from the traditional to the avant-garde.
Byline Esraa Esmail & Ahlam Almazrooi
Visitors were treated to traditional cooking methods, elevated authentic ingredients, and candid stories behind the world’s most beloved dishes in over ninety Masterclasses.
Meanwhile, at Chef Talks, chefs and emerging talents gave insights into dishes and tips of the trade along with expected foodie trends to watch out for in 2024.
Top names participating in the program included Chef Alain Passard of L’Arpege, Chef Enrico Cerea of da Vittorio, Chef Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca, and Chef Mark Donald of The Glenturret.
Home-grown talent includes Chef Vladimir Mukhin of White Rabbit Krasota in Dubai.
Dubai World Cuisine, a series of city-wide dinner collaborations between homegrown chefs and culinary icons from around Europe hosted successful dinners at six Dubai culinary landmarks – Krasota, Lowe, Takahisa, Armani Ristorante, Folly, and F.R.N.D.S. Grand Cafe.
Guests were treated to concoctions by Michelin-star chef Akira Back and Pepe Solla, chef and owner at Michelin-star Casa Solla restaurant, and Chef Kelvin Cheung of Jun’s, Dubai, and Begona Rodrigo of La Salita in the Valencian capital, a Michelin star recipient and acclaimed vegetable chef.
Commenting on the success of Gulfood 2024, Canada Consul-General Tracy Reynolds says that the event is must-visit on the calendar for Canadian producers and consumers.
“The UAE is a major market for us and a major hub for the region and beyond. Last year, the UAE exported about USD 50 million worth of food products to Canada, while Canada exports almost USD 700 million a year to the UAE. Canadian companies accounted for 45% of all foreign direct investment into Dubai. We know that if we come to Gulfood and do business, it goes beyond just the UAE and the Gulf market. They have the ability to develop other markets throughout the region,” says Reynolds.
DNATA VP Martin Camus also commented on the value of the event for his company.
“I managed to meet with suppliers from all over the globe. The key trends I’ve noticed this year is a lot more focus from supplies on consistency and quality, and also a lot more details about their supply chains and sustainability,” says Camus.
On the education front, leading global food futurologist Dr. Morgaine Gaye took participants through a fascinating look at the F&B trends coming down the track, including a greater focus on sustainability and eco-friendly products, reducing and reusing waste and packaging, growth of locally sourced products, a return to forgotten, heritage local and regional flavours, more hand-crafted products, attention to aesthetics, and many more.
As for big deals, one happy camper, Kinza Founder and CEO Bandar Akrin says a number of promising deals were penned during the fair.
“We have signed partnerships to enter ten new markets, and we are in negotiations with a number of commercial partners to open factories and license manufacturing in further new markets,” says Akrin.
