Voting for the 2014 Gourmet Abu Dhabi  Stars Awards - the  ‘Oscars’ of the local hospitality industry - has begun, with 12 accolades up for grabs in the sixth edition of the honours.

The award series is an integral part of Gourmet Abu Dhabi - the UAE capital’s annual culinary festival which runs across 20 of Abu Dhabi’s leading restaurants from February 4-19.

The first public voting selection round is open until November 18 for a wide-ranging selection of culinary categories - spanning ‘Executive Chef of the Year’ to ‘Regional Cuisine Restaurant of the Year.’ Voting is via the Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2014 website – www.gourmetabudhabi.ae.
 
The awards, which will be decided by a judging panel endorsement after public voting, recognise individuals and restaurants that have contributed most to the UAE capital’s expanding hospitality sector and reward the use of local produce, sustainability while celebrating Emirati or Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine across the emirate’s dining establishments.

“Over the years the awards have become increasingly contested with standards soaring on an annual basis in line with the destination’s increasingly impressive F&B offering,” said Noura Al Dhaheri of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), the festival organiser. “In these days of customer generated reviews, we are particularly keen to acknowledge excellence in our ever-growing hospitality industry and honour those that have struck a cord with the dining public.”

Ten awards are open to public voting, divided into three categories - ‘Chef’, ‘Service’ and ‘Restaurant’ – and include: ‘Aqua Panna & S. Pellegrino Restaurant Chef of the Year’, Executive Chef of the Year’, ‘Pastry Chef of the Year’, ‘Regional Cuisine Chef of the Year’; ‘A. Ronai LLC Food & Beverage Manager of the Year’, ‘Regional Cuisine Restaurant Manager of the Year’, ‘Restaurant Host of the Year’; ‘Regional Cuisine Restaurant of the Year’, ‘Restaurant Manager of the Year’ and ‘Restaurant of the Year’. Voting for the ‘Best Use of Local Produce’ and ‘Best Sustainability Practises’ is reserved for an industry judging panel.

Results of the public voting, which runs until November 18, will be tabulated and the top three highest scoring nominees will proceed to the final round. Voting for selected finalists runs December 9 – 23, through a second online public ballot.  From there, a carefully selected industry judging panel will tour the shortlisted venues over a 10-day period in January 2014 before casting its deciding votes.

All winners will be revealed at the sixth Gourmet Stars Awards ceremony on February 19, 2014. Reservations for Gourmet Stars Awards Gala Dinner tickets – and all other demonstrations, dinners, promotions and events - are available from mid-December and can be registered at www.gourmetabudhabi.ae - TradeArabia News Service