All-new Dubai Food Festival Academy concept at Dubai Food Carnival 27.01.2015: With only two weeks remaining until the opening of the UAE’s leading international

With only two weeks remaining until the opening of the UAE’s leading international culinary and entertainment event, the organisers of Dubai Food Carnival – voted ‘Best Exhibition of the Year’ at last year’s Middle East Event Awards - have announced the exciting line-up of local chefs taking part in the all-new Dubai Food Festival Academy.


Running 12-14 February at Dubai International Marine Club, Dubai Food Carnival presented by Etisalat combines the city’s best food, drink, entertainment and music at one, family-friendly venue. This year’s event returns with a record 80 food brands and 40 restaurants, many of which are new to both Dubai and the Carnival.


Another new concept for this year’s event, the Dubai Food Festival Academy - a unique activation held in association with Dubai Food Festival, the city-wide culinary celebration running throughout the city in February - will feature seven renowned local chefs in an interactive, live cooking area hosting executive chef demonstrations, competitions for the public and a selection of ‘How to…’ sessions. The Dubai Food Festival Academy will include exclusive appearances by:


•    A trio of leading culinary stars from Jumeirah Restaurant Group Dubai: Ireneo Labao, Chef de Cuisine of the noodle house; Oscar Rito, Chef Patron of Tortuga Mexican Kitchen and Bar, Mina A’ Salam; and Lawrence Wells, Executive Chef and Pitmaster, Perry & Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse, Souk Madinat Jumeirah.


•    Tyson Podolski, Head Chef at Prime 68 and Chef Amrish Sood, Chef de Cuisine at the Rang Mahal, both located in the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai

•    Russell Impiazzi, Culinary Director of Galeries Lafayette in Dubai Mall

•    David Cagle, Head Chef for CHI Hospitality brands, St. Tropez Bistro and SoHo Grill

•    Alex Ferris, Executive Sous Chef at Jones the Grocer


Prior to arriving in Dubai to head up the kitchen and smokers at Perry & Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse,  the UAE’s first original smokehouse, Lawrence Wells spent 30 years training in kitchens across the world including the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and the critically-acclaimed Tavern on the Green in New York.


Having played an intrinsic role in developing P&B’s Original Smokehouse concept, which is taking the UAE food scene by storm, the humourous American is eager to wow Dubai Food Carnival crowds with his deep-rooted knowledge of true Southern comfort food in the interactive cook-offs at the Dubai Food Festival Academy.


“I’ll be showing you the art of smoking and authentic Deep South barbeque at the show. We use nine different woods to smoke our meat, it is a taste you won’t find anywhere else in the Middle East”,” said Pitmaster Wells. “I’m looking forward to participating in the Dubai Food Festival Academy and sharing the stage with some of the UAE’s most renowned chefs.”


Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the organiser of Dubai Food Carnival, added: “The Dubai Food Festival Academy is a fresh, new concept that we anticipate will be a huge success with Dubai Food Carnival visitors.


The participating talent represent an exciting sample of the best chefs Dubai has to offer, while the diversity of restaurants they come from will ensure an intriguing array of culinary styles for amateur chefs to absorb.”



In addition to the seven local chefs participating in the Dubai Food Festival Academy, the Carnival will also host six international celebrity masterchefs at its live-action Chefs’ Dome area including:


•    British TV star and celebrity Chef Simon Rimmer, who opened The Scene in Pier 7, Dubai Marina, earlier this year


•    Indian-born and London-based Chef Atul Kochhar, who counts Rang Mahal at Dubai’s five-star JW Marriott Marquis among his extensive network of international restaurants


•    Celebrity TV star Chef Silvena Rowe, who has three restaurants in Dubai: Omnia Gourmet (‘Favourite Healthy Eating Restaurant’ at the 2014 What’s On Awards), Omnia Blue and the brand-new flagship Omnia by Silvena in Downtown Dubai

•    Chef Manal Al-Alem, the ‘Queen of the Arabian Kitchen’

•    Legendary Indian culinary maestro, Sanjeev Kapoor

•    Chef Tarek Ibrahim, the region’s undisputed ‘King of the Grill’


With a host of public transport options available to and from Dubai International Marine Club, Dubai Food Carnival organisers have arranged shuttle buses to the event venue from free parking sites at Sky Dive Dubai and Nakheel Gateway at the bottom of the Palm Jumeirah.


For a full schedule of shuttle bus times visit the event website at www.dubaifoodcarnival.com.The public are also recommended to take the new Dubai Tram service to the Carnival’s location opposite Mina Seyahi station. In addition, the Carnival’s partnership with Uber will see new subscribers to the world’s leading transport service app rewarded with a promotional code worth AED100 of complimentary travel either to or from the event.



Katie Johnston / Sara Mahmoud,Total Communications Dubai - also photos