Chef delight Awards Press Conference

NAIROBI COUNTY ENDORSED AS A CULINARY HUB AT THE CHEFS DELIGHT AWARDS PRESS CONFERENCE & MEDIA LAUNCH 2015

Two unique one-of-a-kind awards programmes that aim to catapult Kenya’s Culinary & Beverage Service Industries to globally recognized & competitive levels In the spirit of re-branding Nairobi, the County Executive of Trade Industrialization, Cooperative Development & Tourism, Ms. Anna Othoro touched on the need to differentiate "Nairobi as a Brand" and explore the Live-Love Nairobi campaign through culinary tourism. "Nairobi has so much to explore and so much to crave in terms of food and beverage experiences through world class cuisines and unforgettable hospitality" After an ultra-successful first chapter of The Chefs Delight Awards programme in 2012 -2013, International Quality Awards Ltd. and Go Places the country’s authoritative hospitality & tourism marketing brand today officially announced the commencement of the long-awaited and highly anticipated 2nd chapter of the awards programme, at the Louis Leakey auditorium at the Kenya National Museum, Nairobi.

The start of this year’s awards programmes, was formally announced at the by Group CEO of International Quality Awards Ltd. Mr. Mansoor Jiwani – a former Kenya Utalii College Chef who trained under the auspices of the Swiss back in the 70’s, and who also brought back a silver medal for Kenya in 1978, from the prestigious International Hotel Schools Competition held at the Hotelympia, London, UK. This year International Quality Awards Ltd have added an exciting new element to the Page 1 of 2

awards programme, where another corresponding industry awards programme will be run side-by-side complimenting the Chefs Delight Awards™, and this will be the Bar & Mixology Awards™ 2015. The next three and half months will see the country’s leading restaurant & bar teams battle it out, for ultimate supremacy for the top-most accolades as the best in their categories as voted by their ‘own paying customers’.

Kenya Tourism Board Endorses Chefs Delight as an avenue to achieving global recognition of Kenya as an outstanding global tourism destination Kenya Tourism Board's representative Orumoi Tajeu Jonah in his speech said, “to drive and support the effective marketing of Kenya’s Tourism products professionally and transparently while enriching the lives of Kenyans, we do recognize culinary as an important player in displaying our diversity, culture and creativity” This year’s consumer voting process, which will be carried out via the IQAL mobile application, will begin after the launch which will be held on the 25th of September 2015.

The launch will be a not-to-be-missed Culinary & Beverage Service Extravaganza where the country’s leading restaurants & bar establishments will showcase their experiences directly to Kenya’s largest foodie and beverage fraternity. After the voting process has begun there will be a monthly prize-giving ceremony for consumers who have participated in the quality enhancing process. Both awards programmes will then culminate into a black-tie red-carpet Gala Awards Ceremony, where Kenya’s best will be feted by local, regional & international stakeholders and invited VIP guests.

In his speech, Mr. Mansoor Jiwani said: ‘When International Quality Awards first began its journey, we had a noble goal in mind and set out to do what no other awards programme has EVER been done before… Having worked as a chef myself in the industry very many years ago, I asked our IQAL awards teams to create an unbiased industry awards programme that would continually help build & enhance our culinary and beverage service sector to internationally acclaimed levels. One where participating establishments and their service teams could fairly compete to be the best in their categories, not judged by panel of judges, nor judged by individuals on the internet who have never visited and experienced what these establishments have to offer, but more importantly based on their own clients true opinions… And let’s face it who better to judge these experiences participating establishments have to offer, than their own paying customers. He further added, ‘So what we can categorically say to all nominated establishments and their teams welcome to Kenya’s winners circle, where ‘winners of these awards will be the BEST as judged by their own paying customers’.

The Press-Conference & Media launch was attended by the who’s-who of the culinary and beverage service sector fraternity including; Owners & Managers of participating establishments, Executive Hotel & Individual Restaurant Chefs, Expert Barmen & Mixologists, Major Hospitality & Tourism Stakeholders – Kenya Tourism Board, Nairobi County to name a few as well as quality food manufacturing companies which goes in line with these prestigious quality awards programme – Alpha Fine Foods, Bidco, Dawaat, amongst others.

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