Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (BTEA)is set to organise the second edition of Bahrain Food Festival from February 25 to March 6 in capital Manama.

The 10-day festival will serve as a platform to provide participating restaurants and outlets with the opportunity to showcase their local concepts and position the Kingdom as a regional culinary destination.  

Unveiling the festival programme at a press conference in the Capital Club on Tuesday, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, the chief executive of BTEA, said: "More than 50 prominent outlets are taking part this year including businesses and concepts related to the food industry such as restaurants, cafes, hotels, nutrition, kitchen appliances and much more."

The Bahrain Food Festival will offer visitors varied cuisines including Middle Eastern, Western, Asian, Indian, Organic, and Healthy options.

"Following the tremendous success of the first edition of the ‘Bahrain Food Festival’ last year which was held under the umbrella of the ‘Manama Capital of Gulf Tourism 2016’, we have decided to host this initiative once again but have enhanced its appeal by expanding the offerings and adding more activities and vendors," stated Shaikh Khaled.

"Initiatives such as the food festival are essential in stimulating intra-regional tourism, and further boosting the Kingdom’s appeal as a hub for family entertainment,” he remarked.

Yousef Al Khan, the director of Marketing and Tourism Promotion at BTEA, expressed delight at the launch of the second edition of ‘Bahrain Food Festival’ that attracted more than 25,000 visitors last year.

"We would also like to extend our gratitude to the sponsors who have contributed in enhancing the festival’s events and activities and have helped us strengthen its position as a prominent event in the food and hospitality industry," he noted.

The festival will run from 5:00pm to 10:00pm during the weekdays at Bahrain Bay, and from 5:00pm until midnight during the weekends in Adliya.

Bahrain Food Festival will also offer its visitors of all ages the opportunity to enjoy the family entertainment including live cooking shows, musical shows and other entertainment, said Al Khan.

YK Almoayyed & Sons will playing a key role at the festival by providing the kitchen equipment for the live cooking shows at the events area, while Capital Club will be hosting a celebrity chef from Mexico that will offer Bahraini hospitality students a chance to learn and improve their cooking skills.

Sumeet Jhingan, the general manager of the Capital Club, said: "We at Capital Club are honored and thrilled to be part of ‘Bahrain Food Festival’. Our vision is to host Top 50 chefs from World, Asia and Latin America in Bahrain and showcase their culinary talent and impart their knowledge and skills to Bahraini students."

"By hosting Latin America’s no 37 Chef, Gerrado Lugo, at the Capital Club, we will showcase authentic Mexican cuisine from north and south of Mexico to people in Bahrain," he stated.  

Gagan Suri, the chief executive officer at Bahrain Bay Project, said: "It gives us tremendous pleasure to be working alongside the BTEA on such significant local initiatives such as the ‘Bahrain Food Festival’ that will be held at the newly completed Bahrain Bay promenade and we look forward to collaborating with the authority on other projects in the future."

Another key sponsor, Bayan Al Barak Kanoo, the founder of Al Riwaq Art Space, said: "We are always keen to support activities that showcase Bahrain’s local identity."

"The food industry is considered to be one of the most varied and vibrant industries in Bahrain and we are happy to work closely with the BTEA to participate in the ‘Bahrain Food Festival’ and showcase this industry to a wider audience on the weekends," she added.-TradeArabia News Service