Abu Dhabi, 5 December 2016: A packed programme of delectable offerings was unveiled as this year’s edition of Abu Dhabi Food Festival (ADFF) opened across the emirate. The 19-day festival, organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), will run from December 5th to 23rd and will incorporate a number of celebrated food and beverage functions such as Gourmet Abu Dhabi, Street Feast, and for the first time, the SIAL Middle East trade fair.
SIAL will start things off, opening today and running until December 7th. Held in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), SIAL will take place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and will also feature a number of new initiatives this year including the SIAL World Summit, the SIAL Innovation World Champions, Regional Barista Championship and The Mercurys Awards.
ADFF encourages residents and visitors in Abu Dhabi to indulge in the opportunity to taste the sumptuous creations of some of the most famous chefs in the business, including MasterChef Australia star Matt Preston, Michelin Star chef and global TV personality Graham Elliot, and Adriano Zumbo, star of Zumbo’s Just Desserts. The chefs will be taking part in cooking demonstrations, offering restaurant appearances, ‘Meet & Greets’ and cookbook signings, while lucky food enthusiasts will get the chance to enjoy dinner with Hollywood royalty John Cusack and Jesse Metcalfe as part of Gourmet Abu Dhabi’s celebrity hosted dining line-ups.
Mubarak Al Shamisi, Director of Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau at TCA Abu Dhabi said: “Abu Dhabi Food Festival is designed to bring together the creative minds of renowned chefs and culinary enthusiasts from around the world to our emirate. We are committed to highlighting Abu Dhabi’s leading position as a year-round destination of choice in the region, with internationally recognised events such as Abu Dhabi Food Festival serving to consolidate the emirate’s reputation for hosting a consistently high standard of gourmet cuisine and entertainment offerings.”
The event will host an international selection of mouth-watering street foods as vendors gather to present Street Feast, a collection of over 60 food trucks across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain with more than 150 different food options to choose from as part of the biggest food truck festival in UAE. Street Feast will take place in Al Ain from 8th to the 10th December at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, and on Abu Dhabi Corniche from the 15th to the 17th December.
A wide range of family offerings will be provided through a vibrant children’s entertainment area, as well as regular appearances from international street performers and screenings from an outdoor cinema. While live stage performances and graffiti artists liven up the rows of stalls and food trucks, unique events such as themed dining experiences, Gourmet Golf and High Tea events, barbeques and live music will ensure that visitors of all ages enjoy the festival.
Spread over 19 days and taking in three weekends, ADFF will attract both residents and visitors alike to enjoy not only cuisine from some of the best chefs on the planet, but also some of the most scrumptious food-related experiences available anywhere in the world today, complete with themed dinners, food trucks, live entertainment, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, meet and greets, cook book signings and mall activations that will delight families, children and a broad array of food enthusiasts.
For more information, please visit: www.abudhabifoodfest.ae
