After receiving over 63,300 votes, the winners for Popular Choice categories were awarded at Hozpitality Group’s Middle East Chef Excellence Awards, held on May 2 at Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai.

Celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes also attended the event and was awarded with ‘Chef Entrepreneur of the Year’ title.

The event was supported by the Emirates Culinary Guild. The judges for the awards were prominent hospitality professionals, and these champions were invaluable in judging the Young Chefs fairly.

The other sponsors and partners for the Chef Awards include, ICCA, Barakat Foods, Delta Food Industries, Quick Lease Car Rental, Fusia Events, TTG Mena, ZEE TV group, Big FM and Absolute frame.

The highlight for the evening was the cook off between eight young chefs who battled it out for the ‘Young Chef of the Year’ title. Nestle Professional had sponsored and supported the Young Chef of the Year Awards.

The winners at the major awards were:

•   Young Chef of the Year

Gold:  Dashrath Pakhrin, Commis Chef, Radisson Blu Deira

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Executive Chef of the Year – Institutional Catering  (Airlines, Catering etc)

Gold:Ahmad Al Fakhier, Executive Chef, Global Catering services

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Executive Chef of the Year – Hotel

Gold: Sudqi Naddaf, Executive Chef, Kempinski Mall of the Emirates

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Executive Chef of the Year- Free Standing Restaurant

Gold: Bobby Retnakumar Geetha, Asha’s Restaurants International Limited

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Pastry Chef of the Year

Gold: Budi Setiono, Ex. Pastry Chef, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Chef de Cuisine of the Year

Gold: Abdul Azeez Thokur, Chef De Cuisine, Teatro, Towers Rotana Dubai

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Entrepreneur Chef of the Year

Gold: Nick Alvis & Scott Price, Chef Patron, folly by Nick & Scott Dubai

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Rising Star Chef of the Year

Gold: Rabeh Amir, Chef De Cuisine, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek

• Hozpitality Excellence:- Lifetime Achievement Award

Michael Kitts, Director of Culinary Arts, Emirates Academy of Hozpitality Gold Management