Thursday 16 / May / 2024
Muscat: Oman Tourism College (OTC), celebrated the awards ceremony of the 4th edition of ‘Oman Chef’, aculinary competition supported by OMRAN Group in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),that aims to encourage and promote the consumption of Omani food products to enhance the local products’ efficiency and competitiveness.
The awards ceremony was organised under the auspices of Eng. Mohammed bin Salim Al Busaidi, Chairman of OMRAN Group, at the OTC campus in Muscat, in the presence of a number of officials from OMRAN Group and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), managers of hotels and resorts of OMRAN Group, in addition to other officials from government institutions, and the participants of the competition from various tourism institutions and the hospitality sector in the Sultanate.
The Oman Chef competition received a remarkable turnout and active participation of 89 chefs from 32 institutions; including the hotels and resorts owned by OMRAN Group, and other hospitality organisations operating in the Sultanate. Aimed at promoting Omani products and ingredients, the competition showcased true Omani hospitality, and inspired contestants to demonstrate their culinary creativity using a variety of national ingredients.
Eng. Mohammed bin Salim Al Busaidi, Chairman of OMRAN Group said, “The Oman Chef competition is part of OMRAN Group initiatives aiming at increasing In-Country Value by supporting the Omani food industries and empowering theworkersof the tourism sector, as well as promoting awareness of the significance of implementing sustainable practices. It highlights Omani products in the industry and contributes to the growth of Omani businesses and SMEs.”
“We commend the role of the Oman Tourism College in launching initiatives that motivates and supports the competencies in the hospitality sector.We are also pleased to collaborate with the FAO to encourage food self-sufficiency in the local market". Al Busaidi added.
Mr. Qais bin Zahir Al Hosni, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Oman Tourism College and Acting Dean, said: “We are pleased with the success of Oman Chef competition, as it demonstrates the important role that OTC plays in developing the talents in the tourism and hospitality sector and underpins the importance of utilising local resources to strengthen the hospitality sector, in cooperation with the relevant institutions and industry professionals. This will result in promoting Omani products, boosting their quality, and thereby providing an authentic Omani hospitality experience”.
He added: “We thank OMRAN Group and the (FAO) for supporting the competition and recognise the role of Celebrate Oman inorganising the various activities. We wish all participants success.”
Her ExcellencyDr. Nora Ourabah Haddad, FAO Representative in Oman further stated, "FAO's support for the Oman Chef Competition stems from its keenness to provide a sustainable environment that contributes to achieving food security for all, while enabling the local chefs working in the industry to serve both the hospitality and tourism sectors and capitalise on the Sultanate’s abundant resources of various agricultural and food products.”
Alila Hinu Bay Resort's chefs Raghava Raju Peetha and Farhan Ansari won the first place, while the second prize went to W Muscat Hotel's Chef Viet Quoc Pham and Chef Ravi Ratan Kumar Singh. The third prize went to Chef Moo Kaum Ansari and Chef Bilal Sharif from Tuk Tuk Taxi Muscat Restaurant. Along with the presentation of the "Promising Chef" award to Chef Sultan Al-Wardi from theKempinski Hotel Muscat, and the chef Salah Al-Balushi from the Bustan-Ritz Carlton Palace Hotel.
The competition gave the chefs a chance to show their passion for cuisine and hone their talents in creating excellent dishes using only locally sourced products. In addition, the jury consisting of top chefs from the OMRAN Group Hotels and other tourism enterprises has shown great interest in contributing to the success of the competition.
Chef Salah Al-Balushi, the winner of the promising chef award said:"I am very happy to participate in and win the “promising chef” award in Oman Chef competition. The competition has provided me with an excellent opportunity to have a unique culinary experience amongst many talented chefs from various hospitality establishments in the Sultanate, who have used local Omani ingredients exclusively to create innovative dishes."
The ceremony also featured a local market show casing products of more than 20 Omani enterprises including SMEs and number of food trucks that are managed by the college students.
