InterCon chef identified as 'culinary genius'

Georges Khalil, executive chef at InterContinental Doha was given the title of Executive Chef of the Year, sponsored by Nestle Professional, at the Hotelier Middle East Awards 2011.

The award, which recognises round-the-clock commitment and unfaltering passion, was given to Khalil for his dedication to developing the gastronomy sector in Qatar. Not only is he a highly-skilled executive chef, he has introduced molecular gastronomy to some of his menus and is currently setting up the Qatar Chefs' Association.

Commenting on his win, Khalil said: “I am very, very excited. It's the first year this category has recognised the executive chef role and I am pleased to win.

"I've been working for the last few years to set up the Qatar Chefs' Association to help bring junior chefs up to the level of executive chef and chef de cuisine. There's nothing like this in Doha at the moment, but the project will be finished in one month."

The highly-commended nominee in this category was Maurice Fitzgerald from Jumeirah Beach Hotel.