Kuwait: The 12th edition of Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Awards (HORECA) Kuwait got the cooking work simmering where 62 of our talented chefs showcased their skills in a series of competitions designed to test their abilities in a vast array of culinary fields. From Kuwaiti cuisine to pizza challenge, chefs from Alshaya Group’s restaurants emerged as big winners bagging 43 awards in different categories in a range of live competitions covering the hospitality, catering, and food industry sectors at this year's HORECA- Kuwait's leading food and beverage competition.

Alshaya chefs from The Cheesecake Factory, Asha’s, Amiti Noura, Pizza Express, Pf Changs, Texas Roadhouse, Dean & Deluca and Alshaya’s culinary team competed and won 1 Gold, 17 Silver, 23 Bronze and 2 Best Hygiene Awards in various categories. The chefs cooked up award-winning dishes that have won the hearts of not just customers but also judges at HORECA.

As part of the event this year, Alshaya’s Hospitality team also participated in HORECA Talks where William Zito, Head of Culinary, Alshaya Group shared valuable insights about the latest trends in Kuwait’s F&B sector. He highlighted the importance of staying relevant in today’s market through continuous training, mentoring, and a commitment to excellence.

“HORECA presents an opportunity for our chefs to test themselves as they strive to reach perfection in their art. I believe healthy competition serves to inspire and encourage our chefs to strive for improvement and congratulations to all our chefs who have performed so well this year. In iconic competitions such as Horeca, we seek to ensure we display the best form of talent and hard work in what we do and we are very proud of this outstanding achievement.” said William Zito, Head of Culinary at Alshaya Group.

Speaking about his success, Chef Bijay Kumar Sah of Pizza Express (won Gold for pizza challenge) said, " I always enjoy participating in Horeca, because it gives me the opportunity to explore the art of possibilities in food and inspires and pushes me to the next level creatively and professionally. It feels incredible. For me winning is not everything. Participation is more important than just winning.”

HORECA is a yearly hospitality event, where various companies directly or indirectly related to hospitality participate and attend the three-day event. This year marks Alshaya’s sixth participation at HORECA. 

About Alshaya Group    

Alshaya Group is a dynamic family-owned enterprise, first established in Kuwait in 1890. With a consistent record of growth and innovation, Alshaya Group is one of the world’s leading brand franchise operators, offering an unparalleled choice of well-loved international brands to customers,  

Alshaya Group’s portfolio extends across MENA, Turkey and Europe, with thousands of stores, cafes, restaurants and leisure destinations, as well as a large scale online and digital business.    

Operating in multiple sectors including Fashion, Food, Health & Beauty, Pharmacy, Home Furnishings and Leisure & Entertainment, Alshaya Group colleagues are united by a commitment to authentically deliver great customer service and brand experiences.   

Fresh, modern and relevant, Alshaya’s constantly evolving portfolio reflects the choices and lifestyle of its customers. From flagship stores and restaurants in prestige malls, through to local coffee shops, drive-thrus and online, Alshaya Group brings customers the brands they love in the places they want to be.  Brands such as Starbucks, H&M, Mothercare, Debenhams, American Eagle Outfitters, P.F. Chang’s, The Cheesecake Factory, The Body Shop, M.A.C, Victoria’s Secret, Boots, Pottery Barn and KidZania.  

Learn more about Alshaya Group at www.alshaya.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.