A panel of distinguished international judges has been selected to review hundreds of entries at an upcoming food and hospitality awards event in Dubai.

The second round of Gulfood Awards will be held at a special ceremony and reception on February 27, 2011, alongside the Gulfood exhibition running from February 27 to March 2, 2011 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Gulfood Awards 2011 will feature 19 categories to be reviewed by the judges, with more than 300 entries expected.

“The entries at the Gulfood 2010 Awards were outstanding and proved this region to be leading the innovation and quality agenda,” said Mark Napier, Director, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Gulfood.

“There’s no doubt that the competition will be much harder with more entries and categories, but for the winners, the prize will be that much richer. The expert panellists assembled by the independent body we have entrusted the awards to will ensure fairness, excellence and the very highest standards of competition.”

“One of the reasons the awards have been so well received and so highly acclaimed is because they recognise the full spectrum of food, equipment and hospitality services.

They take into account not only the traditional categories, but also consider services, concepts and initiatives from environmental issues to packaging and retail,” he added.

Richard Hall, chairman of FoodBev Media, co-founder of the Gulfood Awards, said: “Gulfood is firmly established as one of the most important events in the F&B calendar, and the awards are even more of an incentive to bring the highest possible standards to the region."

“Working alongside the Gulfood team, we can see that there is no shortage of talent and enterprise in the region, and it is a testament to the show that the international presence is greater than ever,” he concluded.

Entries must be received by January 14, 2011, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service