Culinary competition thrives in Dubai

Chefs in the region need more chances to compete against each other, according to professional chef and frequent competition judge Peter Hallmanns.

Speaking at last month’s inaugural UAE Anchor MasterChef competition in Dubai, Hallmanns, advisory chef for event organiser Fonterra Foodservices Division, said: “If you speak to chefs, they would say we do not have enough competitions.”

However Hallmanns praised the young talent emerging at the region’s existing culinary events, adding: “It was actually a very pleasant surprise for us to see the calibre of young talent and chefs that the various hotels sent here. They were of a very high standard, evident in the quality of food presented.”

The winning team was Jay Williams and Edward Mair from The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina.

Mair told Caterer Middle East: “I think it is always good for chefs to enter competitions, to let other people see what they can do, and also to receive constructive criticism to were they might have gone wrong.

At the end of the day nobody knows everything and they can always keep learning.”