JEDDAH, 24 May — Chef Osama El-Sayed, a veteran of countless TV and radio appearances, will head a panel of judges for the inaugural Top Chef 2002 contest to be held as part of the 8th biennial food show at the International Exhibition and Convention Center here.
Agriculture and Water Minister Abdullah Muammar will open the “Food Arabia, Hotel Arabia, Propac Arabia” exhibition at 5 p.m. on Sunday. More than 350 companies from 24 countries engaged in food, food processing and packaging, and hotel businesses are participating.
El-Sayed, who will also be signing copies of his book at the show, has been entertaining audiences demonstrating cooking techniques and sharing his recipes with a loyal TV audience for more than a decade. An estimated 40 million viewers tune into his popular show, Bil hanna wa shiffa (With joy and good health).
The program, which enjoys a following of beginner and seasoned cooks throughout the Arab world, reaches viewers even in North America and Europe.
Contestants are all professional chefs, including Andy Becksmith, head chef at Cloisters restaurant in Southport, the UK, and Eric Landais, chef at the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, France. Others are coming from Germany and Turkey.
Competing against them will be chefs from Le Jeddah Meridien, Hyatt Regency, Jeddah Marriott, Marhaba restaurant, and others. “This is an event chefs in particular and the public in general are looking forward to,” said Al-Salam Holiday Inn chef Zain Sidhu.
Over 70 percent of the exhibitors are new, according to the organizers.
along with the display of an extensive range of products, said an official of Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions, organizers of the show.
Working displays of a complete chocolate factory, a bakery and a coffee mill will be among the highlights of the show.
Plastics packaging and other machinery from a variety of manufacturers will also be among the exhibits.
Turkey is the largest international group with 40 of its companies at the show alongside Thailand, Taiwan, India, the UK, Austria, Greece, Lebanon, Belgium, Sri Lanka, Canada, the US, Malaysia, and Egypt aside from the Kingdom and the rest of the Gulf.
An auditorium has been created at the show venue for the chefs contest and other food industry related events. Some chefs will demonstrate the art of food carving. A trade symposium covering dietary and health food issues, as well as a review of the Kingdom’s food production and importation will also be held.
