World Gourmet Summit
SINGAPORE – The 17th World Gourmet Summit, Asia’s premier and most prestigious gourmet culinary event will be held from Tuesday, 16 to Friday, 26 April as part of the 2013 World Gourmet Series. The initial stellar line-up of chefs announced include Bo Lindegaard & Lasse Askov (Denmark), Gabriele Ferron (Italy), Jean-François Piège(France), Matt Moran (Australia), Paco Torreblanca (Spain) and Yannick Alléno (France).
Adopting the theme Artisans & The Art Of Dining, the culinary journey kicks off with Singapore’s pioneer national culinary awards programme, the World Gourmet Series Awards Of Excellence on 16 March. Since its inception in 2001, the World Gourmet Series Awards Of Excellence has recognised leading food and beverage (F&B) professionals like André Chiang, who walked off with the illustrious KitchenAid Chef Of The Year award in 2012. This year, 29 individuals will walk off with career-changing awards including the eminent Citibank Restaurant Manager Of The Year, San Pellegrino New Restaurant Of The Year and Meat & Livestock Australia Rising Chef Of The Year.
This year’s event celebrating Artisans & The Art Of Dining, features innovative and unique gastronomic events such as Singapore’s first ever Hearts On Fire Edible Fashion Show and the Citibank Gastronomic Jam Sessions. Another highlight of the series is the fêted World Gourmet Summit Charity Dinner in collaboration with T.H.E. Dance Company, which has been confirmed for Thursday, 18 April in support of the Community Chest, the fund-raising arm of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), for which millions has been raised since its inception in 2000.
Peter A. Knipp, CEO of Peter Knipp Holdings, said, “We have the privilege of bringing the excitement, the glamour and most importantly, the passion that surrounds the world of gastronomy back to Singapore for the 17th year running. We have made tremendous strides over the years and with the support of our key partners and endorsement by the world’s leading chefs and industry experts, we are confident of a culinary adventure like no other.”
He added, “With the theme, Artisans & The Art Of Dining, we aim to bring to the forefront the soul and passion that surrounds the culinary craft and we are excited about pushing boundaries yet again, delivering only the best gourmet experiences for diners in Singapore across the country’s premier establishments this April.”
At the heart of the World Gourmet Series is the Awards Of Excellence, which plays an important role in raising the standards of the F&B industry and cultivating the talent that will put Singapore on the global gourmet map. For more than a decade, over a hundred of F&B’s finest have been recognised by an esteemed judging panel for their efforts in bringing the epicurean scene to new heights, including Sam Leong (Asian Ethnic Chef Of The Year, 2001, 2002, 2004), Pang Kok Keong (Pastry Chef Of The Year, 2007, 2009, 2010) and Raffles Grill (Wine List Of The Year, 2005, 2006, 2007).
Knipp emphasised the successful history of the awards, saying, “The awards play a major role in the cultivation of up-and-coming industry stars with the Awards Of Excellence scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to young and budding talents who possess the ability to grow in their fields of culinary and pâtisserie arts, wine, hospitality and butchery, providing them with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain exposure overseas.”
This year, the five scholarships include:
- Acqua Panna Hospitality Scholarship
- At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy and Johnson & Wales University Culinary Scholarship
- Meat & Livestock Australia Culinary Appreciation Programme
- Valrhona Pâtisserie Scholarship
- Paul Jaboulet Aîné & Château La Lagune Wine Scholarship
Awards Of Excellence finalists will be selected by an expert panel of culinary judges and announced on Thursday, 7 March, followed by the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, 16 March at Orchard Hotel.
The World Gourmet Summit is organised by À La Carte Productions (a subsidiary of Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd), the 2013 festivities are proudly presented by Citibank and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) with Resorts World Sentosa and Déliciae Hospitality Management on board as the Premium Hospitality Partner and Premium Gastronomic Partner respectively. Further details of the World Gourmet Summit, including the full line-up of chefs, hosting establishments and partner restaurants will be announced shortly.
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