Hilton's Best F&B Teams Across Middle East and Africa Compete For Prestigious Title During Annual F&B Masters Final Dubai, UAE, 14 November, 2013: Hilton Worldwide yesterday crowned the region's best food and beverage teams and mixologists, during an exclusive awards ceremony at the newly opened luxury hotel, Conrad Dubai. Following an intense day-long competition between seven finalists from Hilton Middle East and Africa hotels, winners in two categories were honored for their creativity and originality, as the region's finest food and beverage talents. Judged on taste, composition, service practicality, presentation and consistency, competing chefs and mixologists recreated and served their qualifying dish or beverage to the panel of expert judges during round one of the finals. The competition intensified throughout round two, when each competitor was presented with a ‘black box' of unknown ingredients from which they had to create and serve dishes and drinks using their originality and gastronomic flair. The competition, which is in its third year, was judged by a panel of industry experts, and the winners were announced in front of an audience of 400 industry leaders, media and senior Hilton Worldwide representatives. Head chef, Matias Alaya and his dedicated team at Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Residences were crowned as ‘F&B Team of the Year' after showcasing outstanding talent in the kitchen and creating and serving a mix of delectable, creative and original dishes. After recreating a delicious Indonesian marinated lamb skewer and morels in round one of the competition, the winning food and beverage team used their skill and ingenuity to impress the judges, producing a sumptuous pan seared rump with Chinese beef tong and potato foam from a box of mystery ingredients. Giovanni Bavajee from Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa mixed tantalizing textures and flavors, presenting an array of mouthwatering beverages to be awarded as Hilton Worldwide's ‘Mixologist of the Year'. Simon Lazarus, vice president, food & beverage, Hilton Worldwide MEA, said: “Huge congratulations to the winners of the Hilton Worldwide F&B Masters 2013! Each and every team gave their all today and we are delighted to be able to celebrate their talent and creativity and impress some of our industry's most well-known personalities. “We are proud to acknowledge the very best culinary and mixology teams and delighted that the Hilton Worldwide F&B Masters provides an ideal platform to nurture the growing number of talented individuals in our restaurants and bars.” ‘F&B Team of the Year' head chef, Matias Alaya, said: “The Middle East and Africa is home to some of the world's greatest chefs and culinary teams, so having the opportunity to be recognized not only amongst my peers, but also amongst some of the industry's most respected professionals, is a huge honor. Creating incredible food is my passion and I am lucky to be able to do that on a daily basis at Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Residences.” Giovanni Bavajee, ‘Mixologist of the Year' 2013, said: “Creating sensational beverages is what my job is all about. Drinks are as important as food when it comes to awakening the senses and setting tastes buds alight. My winning creations were inspired by an infusion of unique and refreshing ingredients and I am thrilled to be honored with this title with such strong competition from my peers.” With Hilton Worldwide attracting the very best in culinary and mixology talent, the contest has become increasingly popular amongst industry commentators and ‘foodies' as a regional benchmark for award winning F&B experiences. The 2013 F&B Masters finalists battled it out against 63 properties across 19 countries in the Middle East and Africa region to compete in the grand finale. The winners in their respective categories are: Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Residences, winner, F&B Team of the Year
Hilton Durban, 1st runner up, F&B Team of the Year
Hilton Capital Grand Abu Dhabi, 2nd runner up, F&B Team of the Year Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa, winner, Mixologist of the Year
Hilton Seychelles Northholme Resort & Spa, 1st runner up, Mixologist of the Year
Conrad Cairo, 2nd runner up, Mixologist of the Year
Hilton Addis Ababa, 2nd runner up, Mixologist of the Year About Hilton WorldwideHilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 94 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company's portfolio of ten world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,000 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 665,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonorsTM. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide
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