The annual hospitality Salon Culinaire returned triumphantly with its 11^th edition

After being officially declared open by the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Fadi Abboud the fun, albeit on a serious note, commenced. The long-awaited Salon Culinaire was the star of the first day among numerous seminars and completions. 

The salon, an intrinsic part of the  HORECA event, captivated attention with its live competitions between best local and international chefs in a variety of categories that included the  Best Mezzeh, Best Young Chef, Best Pastry, Best Sandwich, Best Sushi and last but certainly by no means least, Female Chef of the Year. The Live performances were attended by a crowd of supporters including hospitality students eager to learn the art of innovative cooking styles under tight deadlines; the competition was assessed by an international panel of judges and monitors.  The audience weaved throughout the numerous competitions and was captivated by the competitors’ expertise as they performed live in front in an international panel of judges, as well as the audience itself. Gold Medals were awarded to Donaldo Sipat, for the Live Sushi Competition, Nathalie Doumit, for the Live Junior Chefs Competition, and Carmen Azar, for the Female Chef of the Year.

The Pasta Competition included numerous teams whose outstanding performance stunned all those who watched.  Admiring the outstanding level of the competitors, one panel member was glad to have witnessed such an event where he could enjoy the show and observe the excellent achievements within this sector. 

Meanwhile, sandwich fans looked on as cooks competed for the annual Best Sandwich Competition. Taking just a few minutes to mix the ingredients for the presentation of lavish sandwiches,  the efforts of the competitors ensured appetites were filled with some of the most delightful and tasty sandwiches around.

Are we in Japan or Biel? After watching the Live Sushi Competition, that was one question which was difficult to answer. This crowd-pulling attraction offered an insight into the art of sushi creation and saw Donaldo Sipat  deservedly walk away with the gold medal.  

With 350 exhibitors and over 300 participants, not to mention the activities, competitions, live shows and workshops, it is not hard to see why HORECA 2010 has been deemed a complete success by those in the hospitality industry. With such an accolade we now look forward to HORECA 2011 and aim to build on our present success in order to create an even more successful exhibition for the benefit of those within the hospitality industry.