| Issue 6
chef Masaharu Morimoto, Ireland’s Shane Macneill
and French patissier and chef Eric Lanlard, among
others. Celebrity chefs also hosted cooking masterclasses,
showcasing specific culinary skills.
The festivities also extended to more than 90 restaurants
around Qatar throughout the month of March, with
special three-course menus on offer at discounted rates.
Mashal, herself a self-confessed foodie, says that all the
behind-the-scenes hard work is worthwhile when crowds
begin to congregate at the festival. She says: “When
I watch the crowd from afar and see how people are
enjoying the food, that is my proudest moment.”
She explains how the organisers keep the event fresh, a
decade on. “Now, we take the festival to a new location
every few years to give it a new look and feel and to
showcase Qatar’s scenic venues. It will continue to grow
bigger and better.”
There is one simple reason for the festival’s enduring
success, she says, jokingly: “Everyone loves food!”
“Food brings people together,
everyone can have their favourites.
Mixed cultures are reflected in food.
It unites us.”
Mashal Shahbik, Director of Festivals and Tourism
Events at the Qatar National Tourism Council
| Celebrity chef Manal Al Alalem adding the final touches during her live Jordanian cooking demonstration
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| A CGI of Al Rayyan stadium