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More than 50,000 people visited the inaugural Abu Dhabi Food Festival, comprising Emirati Kitchen, Gourmet Abu Dhabi and Street Feast which came to a close recently following a 17-day culinary extravaganza that spread across the emirate.
The numbers of visitors to the three events that were held in Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and Madinat Zayed in the Western Region, widely exceeded expectations of the organiser of the festival, which was presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
“The festival has highlighted the diversity of the emirate’s culinary scene which appeals to a growing local, regional and international audience. This year we aimed to build on the success of Gourmet Abu Dhabi, which has been held since 2009, and expand and improve our annual food festival to take in a wider audience,” said Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director, Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi.
“We have received extremely positive feedback from people we worked with to make the events take place and perhaps most importantly from people who visited and thoroughly enjoyed the food and entertainment offered. Of course, there is always room to improve and we will ensure suggestions are taken on board for next year,” he added.
“We received great support from various government entities, regional municipalities, partners and suppliers across the emirate which allowed for the festival to run so smoothly and we must also thank the numerous hotels and restaurants that hosted events and contributed enormously to the success of our first food festival.”
In total 14,300 visitors attended Emirati Kitchen, a new event added to this year’s festival and held over three days on Abu Dhabi Corniche. The celebration of Emirati cuisine and culture saw a range of Emirati chefs, including TCA cuisine consultant Khulood Atiq, demonstrate the preparation and cooking of the country’s favourite dishes, while offering an insight into Emirati customs and hospitality.
More than 38,000 people visited the three-day Street Feast event which was held over three successive weekends in Madinat Zayed in the Western Region, Al Jahili Park in Al Ain and on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi city.
Visitors enjoyed a selection of food from 22 international and local food trucks, many shipped in from the UK especially for the event, while enjoying free master classes, chef demonstrations and a variety of live music displays.
"We were overwhelmed by the amazing response from the people of Abu Dhabi who embraced the street food concept to their heart. From the wide open spaces of the desert to the green parks of Al Ain through to the bustling sophistication of Abu Dhabi city we were taken aback by the interest and enthusiasm of everyone who visited,” said Philip Lowery, Director, Food Market Events Ltd, the UK-based company responsible for bringing the food trucks to the emirate.
“This was a great adventure for us and all the international traders and being part of the first Abu Dhabi Food Festival has been a wonderful experience that we sincerely hope to enjoy again next year."
Gourmet Abu Dhabi, which took place over 10 days, again thrilled participants and diners with a series of chef master classes, themed dinners and culinary promotions at some of the emirate’s best restaurants and hotels.
From a gastronomic culinary journey on the fairways with Gourmet Golf at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club to exquisite meals with world-renowned chefs such as Niclas Yngvesson and Gustav Knutsson, owners of the Michelin-starred restaurant Bhoga in Sweden, to cooking classes for youngsters under expert guidance, this year’s Gourmet Abu Dhabi offered a rich banquet of experiences.
“Our customers loved the concept, food and ambience of our ‘Burster Tail’ event combining burgers and lobsters and inventive drinks held at our Forge restaurant during Gourmet Abu Dhabi,” said Enza Cesari, Manager at Forge restaurant at the five-star Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal.
“The feedback we received from patrons was very positive and it was a real success. We really look forward to participating again next year.”
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