Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has unveiled the third edition of Gourmet Abu Dhabi, a 16-day annual culinary festival.

The event runs across 13 of the emirate’s fine dining outlets from February 2 and will be a catalyst to its soon-to-be-launched hotel and tourism food and beverage (F&B) outlets classification system.

Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2011 will boast a range of new features in 11 hosting restaurants – the finest dining venues in the UAE capital -  as a hallmark stellar cast of 13 masterchefs, with 22 Michelin-stars and three Chefs Hats between them, four special guest chefs, six master pâtissiers and a horde of celebrity guests headline a programme of epicurean promotions, culinary masterclasses, a celebrity dinner, château dinners, an Emirati Royal Dinner, Gourmet Golf Experience, charity dinner, Middle Eastern feast and the Abu Dhabi Gourmet Stars Gala Dinner.

“In just three years, Gourmet Abu Dhabi has inspired the transformation of this destination’s culinary credentials,” said Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, ADTA. “This gastronomic lifestyle event has prompted an industry-wide uplift in standards throughout Abu Dhabi’s F&B sector.

“F&B is an increasingly important element in the revenue profile of our growing number of accommodation providers. In the first 10 months of this year, sector revenues grew by 6 per cent on the same period in 2009 and now account for 36 per cent of all hotel income, compared to 30 per cent this time last year.”

In a strategic drive to further develop industry standards and deliver confidence in Abu Dhabi’s F&B profile, ADTA has pioneered a first-of-its-kind mandatory classification system for the 320-plus F&B outlets across the emirate’s hotel establishments and tourism outlets.

The classification system, which combines both mandatory and scoring methodologies to deliver a quality standardisation system, will encompass annual inspections to ensure quality is maintained and will have four distinct categories covering: restaurants, spanning all-day, speciality and fine dining categories; cafés, both sit-in and take-away; night-clubs and bars.

The classification process will begin next month when ADTA launches the minimum standard criteria. With service a key element of the public-private sector initiative, outlets will then have six months to implement ratings criteria before specific classifications are awarded by the end of 2011. –TradeArabia News Service