The Gault&Millau UAE has conducted its first event in the region with a special invitation-only celebration held at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai.
CEO Ali Akawi of ITP Media Group has introduced the world-famous French food critique brand to the market in front of a selected crowd of around 100 prominent leaders and stars from the UAE’s F&B as well as hospitality industries.
Akawi talked about his pride in being able to present Gault&Millau to the market while building on ITP Media Group’s history of introducing world-renowned publications in the Middle East.
ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi said, “Gault&Millau is not coming to the UAE as the country’s cuisine is world-class now,” he said. “It is because it has been world-class for many years.”
Esquerré of Gault&Millau said that the brand is a part of the fabric of the F&B sector located in France and was looking forward to witnessing the same thing in the UAE.
He further stated that its primary purpose was to find talented chefs and restaurants teams and make the general public aware about them.
Veryat, who gave his speech in French, talked passionately about Gault&Millau and how it changed his life after the brand found him in the 1980s and rocketed his career.
He was a big supporter of talent himself and was confident the same could be done in the UAE.
Some of the country’s prominent culinary figures joined the event to find out more about Gault&Millau UAE, including Hilton’s Sebastian Nohse, Vineet Bhatia, Sofitel Dubai, The Obelisk’s Russell Impiazzi, Ossiano’s Grégoire Berger, Rikas Group’s Gilles Bosque, Mohammad Orfali, folly’s Nick Alvis and Reif Othman.
Industry persons were also present, including Gault&Millau global COO Tessa Chaffey, Alabbar Enterprises CEO Tyrone Reid, Zuma’s MD Ilir Caushi, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai hotel manager Nick Patmore, Rikas Group founder Rizwan Kassim and The First Group VP of F&B Mark Patten.