Eight GCC teams are through to the Anchor MasterChef Challenge final, including the 2011 champions
Three teams from the UAE, two teams from Saudi Arabia and one team from Bahrain, Qatar and Oman to compete
Over thirty-five teams of the top chefs from across the GCC have been whittled down to eight in the third Anchor MasterChef Challenge. In just a few days time, the final teams, including last year’s winners Daniel Edward and Dedy Supriady from The Address Downtown Dubai, will be back in the kitchen with just a mystery basket of ingredients standing between them and the coveted Anchor MasterChef Challenge title:
- Daniel Edward and Dedy Supriady from The Address Downtown Dubai (Anchor MasterChef Challenge winners 2011)
- Demas Tri Saputra Latief and Nilmini Gunasena from The Ivy Restaurant, Dubai
- Bengt Karlsson and Mohammed Ayoob M. Ibrahim from Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai
- Mohamad Zahed Alaati and Ahmed Abdel Hamid Abdel Fattah from Raffles Palace Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Mavila Sateesh Kumar and Amaratunga Arachchige, Damith C. from Moevenpick Hotel and Resort Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Yousif Ahmed and Seyed Hanif from The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa, Bahrain
- Wael Alawar and Mohamad Hamdan from The Diplomat Club, Qatar
- Assim Al Bulushi and T.B. Chamara, Muscat International Airport, Oman
On Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February these eight teams, each comprising one hot kitchen chef and one pastry chef, will take part in a final cooking challenge at the Culinarium, Fonterra’s state-of-the-art kitchen in Dubai, which will test their culinary skill and creative flair to the limit.
Chef Peter Hallmanns, Advisory Chef for Fonterra says that even during the first round the benchmark was set extremely high. “We started this competition three years ago to showcase the culinary talent that is being developed in the region. This year, the teams have not disappointed and I saw some stunning signature creations in the cook-off rounds. The chefs have come prepared with new cooking techniques, innovative ingredient combinations and influences from regional flavours. It was a challenge choosing these eight teams and we are anticipating an intense two-day final.”
For the first time in the competition’s history, Chef Peter Hallmanns and colleague Chef Maher Naddaf ran a number of cook-off events across the GCC. At each cook-off, the competing teams of two chefs prepared their signature three-course menu, which was judged by Fonterra’s in-house chefs.
Chef Peter continues, “With near to 80 chefs competing this year in the third annual contest of the Anchor MasterChef Challenge, this is the largest independent culinary competition of its kind in the GCC. It truly tests the skills and the stamina of the regional culinary industry. We ensure the chefs have a ‘work-place realistic’ setting, so they have access to the same top-of-the-range equipment that they would use back in their place of work.”
All dishes will be judged by a panel of independent and accredited chefs, adhering to the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), recommended standards.
The Anchor MasterChef Challenge final will take place in Fonterra’s Culinarium in Dubai, its professional state-of-the-art kitchen, which hosts competitions, workshops and training sessions for chefs from across the GCC throughout the year. After the judging at the kitchen, the winning team will be announced at an exclusive event on Thursday evening where a prize pot of AED 30,000 will be divided amongst the top teams.
Through Fonterra’s ongoing initiatives, hundreds of professional chefs from across the GCC have had the opportunity to put themselves forward to compete against their peers and push the boundaries of the region’s culinary industry.
The Anchor MasterChef Challenge is just one of a number of regular culinary events hosted by Fonterra. The New Zealand-based company is committed to providing young chefs with the opportunity to develop their skills through demanding competitions and challenging workshops.
