Madinat Jumeirah, a five-star property in Dubai, UAE, has appointed Dirk Haltenhof as the resort executive chef.

Chef Dirk brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience from working across leading hotels and restaurants in Europe, Asia and the UAE.

He will be responsible for the resort’s diverse food experiences and will supervise a team of over 200 chefs and 120 stewards.

Chef Dirk developed a passion for cooking at a young age and honed his skills at several Michelin-starred restaurants in Austria, Switzerland and his native Germany. His culinary journey took him from Europe to the Far East, where he had the opportunity to be acquainted with the rich flavours and diversity of Oriental cuisine thanks to stints at leading regional hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur and Mandarin Oriental, Macau. He most recently served as executive chef at The Oberoi Hotel, Dubai.

In his new role, Chef Dirk has been trusted with overseeing the culinary offerings at Madinat Jumeirah’s grand boutique hotels – Jumeirah Al Qasr and Jumeirah Mina A’Salam – as well as Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf, the Malakiya Villas, and the collection of new food and beverage outlets set to open in the eagerly anticipated Jumeirah Al Naseem.

“Madinat Jumeirah has always been for me the greatest place to show family and friends who visit Dubai. I was a fan of the resort, even before I thought I would have the opportunity to work here. This made the day even more exciting when I was handed the Madinat Jumeirah Chef’s jacket for the first time,” said chef Dirk.

“Together with my team, we want Madinat Jumeirah’s culinary scene to be among the best in Dubai. The main focus will be in sourcing authentic, seasonal and health conscious ingredients giving them a personal touch creating memorable stories for our culinary team to share with our guests.”

Chef Dirk has been recognised numerous times at international cooking competitions and chef contests, and is the recipient of several culinary awards including ‘Innovation Chef of the Year’ at Pro Chef Awards 2013. He was also nominated as a finalist for ‘Head Chef of the Year’ at the prestigious Caterer Middle East Awards 2014. – TradeArabia News Service