Jumeirah, the dynamic and rapidly growing luxury hospitality group and member of Dubai Holding, has announced today that it will host Dubai’s first ‘Festival of Taste’ from May 21st -26th 2006 in association with presenting sponsors American Express and Emirates Airline. The ‘Festival of Taste’ promises to be a world class culinary spectacle that will see some of the world’s most renowned celebrity chefs come to Dubai to participate in the various events lined up for this extraordinary week-long festival. This is the inaugural festival of what will become a biannual food and lifestyle event for Jumeirah.
Participating celebrity chefs include Hans Haas, Two-Star Michelin Chef from Germany, Gary Rhodes, Michelin Star Restaurateur and TV Personality, Sam Leong, one of Singapore’s most renowned Chefs, James Martin, TV Personality and Chef, Michel Roux, Three-Star Michelin Chef from the UK, Jean Christophe Novelli, TV Personality and Chef, Yannick Alleno, Two-Star Michelin Chef from France and Gina Koutropoulos and Ben Sisley from the famous Ping Eatery & Bar in Melbourne, Australia. This is the first time Dubai will witness such an impressive line up of celebrity chefs in a single culinary event.
Willi Elsener, Group Director of Restaurants & Bars for Jumeirah said: “The ‘Festival of Taste’ promises to be one of the world’s most creative, colourful and international food and lifestyle festivals that will bring together some of the world’s most famous Chefs and the most luxurious and world renowned hotels.” He added: “Dubai has earned its reputation for being a world centre of culinary arts and lifestyle and we hope to further enhance this positioning by launching a biannual festival that will tantalize the taste buds of both residents and visitors alike.”
“The Festival of Taste will set the precedent for a world-class culinary event in the Middle East and bring together the brand synergy of American Express, Emirates Airline, and Jumeirah. The three companies, which are leading brands in its respective industries in the Middle East, share a long-standing business relationship and are committed to delivering premium lifestyle experiences to its customers. American Express Middle East is delighted to be the Preferred Payment Card for the Festival of Taste – this lifestyle event reinforces our aim to position American Express as the preferred cashless payment method in the region” said Trevor Stokes, President and CEO of American Express Middle East.
Terry Daly, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Service Delivery, said: “Emirates is delighted to partner with Jumeirah in bringing this festival to Dubai. We have always aimed to provide our passengers in all classes with an in-flight festival of taste. In our latest venture, we have introduced dishes specially created by Jumeirah’s own top chefs for passengers in First and Business Class. Like the great chefs we shall fly to Dubai for this event, we believe that the search for great taste is an ongoing adventure.”
Jumeirah’s ‘Festival of Taste’ 2006 sees most of the Group’s hotels in Dubai participating in this tantalizing event and the programme features a series of spectacular events, gourmet nights, brunches, dinners and cooking classes.
Highlights of the various events taking place throughout the week are: the ‘1001 Nights Meet the Stars Opening Event’ at Jumeirah Beach Hotel which will be a spectacular start of the week-long festival presented by the Executive Chefs of Jumeirah, a series of Gourmet Nights taking place in various Jumeirah restaurants including Villa Beach Restaurant at Jumeirah Beach Hotel with celebrity Chef Jean Christophe Novelli, VU’s restaurant at Jumeirah Emirates Towers with celebrity Chef Hans Haas and Napa restaurant at Madinat Jumeirah with celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes. In addition, guests can participate in ‘Cooking Classes with a Star’ at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management with Michel Roux, Jean Christophe Novelli and Gary Rhodes, enjoy a Cigar Dinner, Fashion Tea or Jazz Brunch at Madinat Jumeirah and a Caviar & Diamond Evening at Burj Al Arab.
For the ultimate culinary experience, the ‘Festival of Taste’ will offer guests the opportunity to experience the ‘Ultimate Dinner Party’ which promises to provide the finest and highest in dining and lifestyle and a true night to remember. The Ultimate Dinner Party is limited to 4 guests per evening and includes limousine pick up from home for a cocktail reception at Jumeirah Emirates Towers where they will be greeted by all participating celebrity chefs of the festival, helicopter transfer to Burj Al Arab for the first and second course, Rolls Royce transfer to Villa Beach restaurant at Jumeirah Beach Hotel for a hot entrée followed by main course in Pisces restaurant and dessert, coffee & tea at Napa restaurant at Madinat Jumeirah and an overnight stay at Burj Al Arab with bubbly breakfast the next morning.
For more information or reservations for the Jumeirah ‘Festival of Taste’, please visit www.jumeirah.com or call our Toll free number 800 34 63 46 58. The ‘Festival of Taste’ Restaurant Reservations Office is open from the 1st of April 2006.
Jumeirah properties are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world and have won numerous international travel and tourism awards. The Dubai based luxury international hospitality group encompasses the world renowned Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel, the multi-award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Jumeirah Beach Club Resort and Spa, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa.
The group’s activities are however, not restricted to hotel and resort management. The Jumeirah Group portfolio also includes Wild Wadi, regarded as one of the premier water parks outside of North America and The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, the region’s only third level academic institution specializing in the hospitality and tourism sectors.
Jumeirah has also expanded internationally and manages the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London’s Belgravia.
Building on this success, Jumeirah Group has become a member of Dubai Holding, a collection of leading Dubai based businesses and projects, in a step that aims to initiate a new phase of growth and development for the group.
As of January 15th 2006, Jumeirah has assumed management of the Essex House, one of New York’s most prominent hotels.
American Express
American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network Services Company founded in 1850. It is a world leader in Charge and Credit Cards, Travellers Cheques, travel, financial planning, business services, insurance and international banking.
AMEX (Middle East) B.S.C. (c) - AEME established its presence in the Middle East in 1959 and set up its first office in Bahrain in 1979. In 1992, American Express became a joint venture company owned by Mawarid Investment Limited and American Express
Operating in 18 markets in the Middle East and North Africa region, AEME issues dollar currency Charge and Credit Cards: Personal (Green), Gold, Platinum as well as Company and Corporate Cards. Since 2001, with the introduction of its first local currency Credit Card in the United Arab Emirates, AEME has been introducing a range of local currency Credit Cards across the region.
American Express Cards are accepted at millions of locations in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
About Emirates
Since its launch in 1985, Emirates Airline has received more than 280 international awards in recognition of its efforts to provide unsurpassed levels of customer service.
The airline has experienced rapid and consistent growth, above 20 per cent a year on average and has been profitable for the last 18 consecutive years. Financially self-sustained and unprotected, Emirates carried 12.5 million passengers in the 2004-05 financial year – 2.1 million more than the year before - and declared a record US $637 million profit, an increase of 49 per cent over the previous year, on revenue of US $4.9 billion – US$1.3 billion more, or 36 per cent better than the year before.
Emirates is the world’s second most profitable and among the fastest-growing and 20 largest international airlines. It is based in Dubai, one of the few cities in the world that pursues an open-skies policy, with more than 110 airlines in free and fair competition.
Its 88 all wide-bodied fleet includes nine freighters and is among the youngest in the skies, with an average age of 55 months – over eight years less than the industry average. The airline plans to more than double its size by 2012.
Emirates presently has more than 100 aircraft pending delivery, worth approximately US$35 billion in list prices. Emirates announced the largest order in commercial aviation history at the 2003 Paris Air Show, when it added 71 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft worth US$19 billion to its order book.
The airline was the launch carrier for the new ultra long-haul A340-500, which started service on 1st December 2003 on the Sydney route. Emirates' order for 45 A380s, which it will start receiving in the first quarter of 2007, makes it the largest customer of the Airbus super-jumbo.
Emirates operates services to 80 cities in 56 countries in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and Asia-Pacific.
Emirates has code share agreements with Air India, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, South African Airways, SriLankan Airlines, and Thai Airways.
Emirates Airline includes Emirates SkyCargo and Destination & Leisure Management (D&LM), which manages Emirates Holidays, Arabian Adventures and Al Maha Desert Resort. The airline is part of the Emirates Group, which also includes associate companies Dnata, Mercator, Transguard and Galileo.
Visit Emirates online at: www.emirates.com
