More than 65 exhibitors from hotels to restaurants, kitchenware suppliers to embassies are taking part in the seventh annual Food and Hospitality Bahrain Expo 2015, which opened yesterday (April 28) at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The event, which provides a platform to showcase food and hospitality services and products, is being held under the patronage of Industry and Commerce Minister and Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority (BECA) chairman Zayed Al Zayani, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

It will continue until tomorrow from 10am to 7pm and is running alongside the Health and Wellness Expo.

“We are delighted to inaugurate this exhibition, which is witnessing a good presence in terms of food and health products,” Al Zayani said.

The minister also launched the Bahrain Food Excellence Award in co-operation with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“This annual award for Bahraini products aims to encourage manufacturers to enter food sector and direct them to export to neighbouring and global markets,” Al Zayani said.

The minister pledged support for exhibition and conferences industry in Bahrain.

Live cooking sessions by Egyptian chef Nagla Elshershaby, who flew in for the event, also gave visitors an insight into traditional Egyptian dishes.

“The expo has grown over the years and this year we have 65 local, regional and international retailers and exhibitors to demonstrate the growth,” said BECA chief executive Hassan Jaffar Mohamed.

“They come from different sectors from retail to processing and kitchenware suppliers, as well as exhibitors displaying healthy food.

“This year we have a chef competition involving specialised chefs from five-star hotels who will be cooking special dishes live.

“We also have chef Nagla Elshershaby, from Egyptian TV channel CBC Sofra, who will have live cooking sessions which I am sure will attract many people.

“There are also seven embassies showcasing the best of their cuisine in the expo.”

The expo features a barista coffee competition, which is being held for the first time in Bahrain.

Organised by Noor Al Bahrain Star, the competition takes place today from 11am to 5pm and will feature 20 professional baristas from various coffee shops in Bahrain.

“The competition aims to emphasise the importance of coffee-making skills in Bahrain,” said Noor Al Bahrain Star managing director John Houssein.

“A barista in a coffee shop is as important as a chef in a restaurant and the barista profession is being taught in other countries and needs to be noticed in Bahrain as well.” - TradeArabia News Service