Gulfood 2024, the world’s largest annual food and beverage event, has concluded at the Dubai World Trade Centre, marking a successful five-day run for the biggest culinary showcase ever.
Across the five days of the show, a star-studded line-up of internationally renowned chefs sharing 25 Michelin stars showcased traditional cooking methods, elevating authentic ingredients, and revealing the stories behind the world’s most beloved dishes in over 90 Masterclasses.
During the Chef Talks, established and up-and-coming chefs have provided insights into the dishes that will take the world by storm this year, along with culinary tips and tricks.
The top names participating in the program include Chef Alain Passard of L’Arpege, Chef Enrico Cerea of da Vittorio, Chef Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca, and Chef Mark Donald of The Glenturret. Home-grown talent includes Chef Vladimir Mukhin of White Rabbit Krasota in Dubai.
Tracy Reynolds, Consul-General of Canada in Dubai, commented, “The UAE is a major market for us and a major hub for the region and beyond. Last year, the UAE exported about $50 million worth of food products to Canada, while Canada exports almost $700 million a year to the UAE. Last year Canadian companies accounted for 45 percent of all foreign direct investment into Dubai. We know that if we come to Gulfood 2024 and do business, it goes beyond just the UAE and the Gulf market. They can develop other markets throughout the region.”
This year’s theme highlights the union of rich heritage and traditional culinary practices with modern, trendsetting innovative techniques.
Furthermore, the Gulfood 2024 sees tie-ups between Michelin-starred chef Akira Back and Pepe Solla, chef and owner at one-Michelin-star Casa Solla restaurant, and Chef Kelvin Cheung of Jun’s, Dubai, and Begona Rodrigo of La Salita in the Valencian capital, a Michelin star recipient and acclaimed vegetable chef.
Martin Camus, VP – Procurement, DNATA USA, commented that, “I found Gulfood 2024 to be a fantastic event, and managed to meet with suppliers from all over the globe. The key trends I’ve noticed this year is a lot more focus from supplies on consistency and quality, and also a lot more details about their supply chains and sustainability.”
Gulfood Inspire Conference
According to the statement, “At the Gulfood Inspire Conference, leading global food futurologist Dr. Morgaine Gaye took participants through a fascinating look at the F&B trends coming down the track, including a greater focus on sustainability and eco-friendly products, reducing and reusing waste and packaging, growth of locally sourced products, a return to forgotten, heritage local and regional flavors, more hand-crafted products, attention to aesthetics, and many more.”
