Categories
Partnership

Health and Safety: the intersection with sustainability in professional smart kitchens 

A look at how SkyLine Combi Ovens and Blast Chillers and Freezers can improve health and safety for staff, boost sustainability in restaurants and improve the customer experience. 

Modern commercial kitchens are focused on two key tenets to ensure optimum output.   

The first is health and safety, with a drive to protect the safety and ease of work for kitchen staff, as well as the health and well-being of patrons. The goal? To inspire action to help prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks.  

The second is ensuring sustainability in restaurants, with the goal of operating kitchens in a streamlined way, reducing food waste, energy use and costs.  

For today’s restaurants, both go hand in hand. With the right appliances, you can address these two important elements of a modern commercial kitchen. You can create a streamlined work environment for staff through ergonomic design while also working to ensure high food quality, all while ensuring you do your best to protect the environment.   

Electrolux Professional Group always designs commercial kitchen equipment with both health and safety and restaurant sustainability in mind. One key example is the SkyLine Cook and Chill, which enables the pre-preparation of large batches without compromising quality.  

How it Works

The SkyLine Cook and Chill concept safely preserves items for later consumption, firstly cooking food in the SkyLine Combi Oven, then chilling it in record-breaking time in the SkyLine Blast Chiller. It’s a process that helps your restaurant align with strict food safety regulations, while also cutting food costs and extending shelf-life of food items, all through the use of eco-friendly refrigerants that offer minimal climate impact, such as R290 propane.  

Increased Food Safety and Quality 

Unlike traditional food preservation, the SkyLine Cook and Chill concept maintains the essential characteristics of food, including texture, appearance and nutritional value, all of which are rated at the same level as freshly cooked food.   

Blast chilling works to quickly bring food temperature down to protect against the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. It takes food quickly out of the “danger zone” – that’s the region between +8 °C and +68 °C (46.4 °F and 154.4 °F) where bacterial growth is at its most rapid. And with their speedy chilling function, Electrolux Professional commercial SkyLine Blast Chillers and Freezers all work in compliance with HACCP and food safety regulations.  

Cutting Waste 

Electrolux Professional Cook and Chill process has a significant impact on the shelf-life of food and has been shown to help restaurants reduce waste. With attention to detail and by following Electrolux Professional’s best practices and maintenance guidelines, you can significantly improve your cooking workflows and ensure maximum efficiency and safety in the kitchen. It means you can align your restaurant sustainability efforts with a focus on reducing losses across the board – including food, energy and money.  

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the features of this powerful commercial kitchen equipment. That way, you’ll develop a better understanding of the full potential of the brand’s innovative SkyLine Cook and Chill solution, for optimal waste management and cost-cutting.  

Enhancing Sustainability

SkyLine Cook and Chill helps to improve sustainability in restaurants with refrigerants that comply with the most stringent global standards. The refrigerant gas R290, otherwise known as propane, is an eco-friendly refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) of 3, offering minimal climate impact. The other refrigerant used is CO2, a completely natural substance that’s fully climate-friendly, with a GWP of 1 – the lowest of all refrigerant gases.  

In addition, Electrolux Professional’s commercial kitchen equipment meets the highest standards for reducing energy consumption, with a range of ovens meeting the ENERGY STAR certification – a trusted symbol for energy efficiency.  

Supporting Kitchen Staff

The best modern kitchen appliances help streamline operations and support workers, ensuring the highest health and safety standards while also supporting sustainability. Electrolux Professional’s SkyLine Cook and Chill are the only commercial kitchen equipment in the world to achieve a four-star rating for ergonomics and ease of use. Improved ergonomics can have a range of benefits for your business, such as:  

Ease of use 

Commercial kitchen equipment with user-friendly interfaces and smart designs help support smooth workflows, reducing the time it takes to onboard staff and increasing efficiency.  

Fewer accidents 

Ergonomics effectively reduces the risk of restaurant staff developing repetitive strain injuries. As ergonomic design focuses on simplifying the kitchen experience, it also acts to reduce fatigue, leaving staff more focused and less prone to accidents.  

Decreased sick leave 

With a reduction in repetitive movements in poorly designed workspaces, ergonomic kitchen equipment helps to maintain a healthy workforce and reduce the number of staff absences. An ergonomic blast chiller reduces sick leave by 75 percent*.  

Improved productivity 

Ergonomic design streamlines kitchen workflows, improving performances across the boast while boosting staff morale and mental health. An ergonomic blast chiller means a 25 percent increase in productivity for your kitchen*.  

Streamline Operations

The SkyLine Cook and Chill improves workflow and efficiency in any kitchen. Each chill cycle has been shown to save 47 minutes on average**, enabling you to better manage your time and increase overall performance. You can even monitor the status of your blast chiller from anywhere with SkyLine Cook and Chill’s intuitive touch interface, while the SkyLine Combi Ovens and Blast Chillers are able to communicate seamlessly thanks to their innovative technology.  

Electrolux Professional SkyLine Cook and Chill solution enables you to benefit from the efficiency of large batch preparation, making your restaurant more sustainable and streamlined while enhancing health and safety standards.   

A Culinary Revolution

By investing in next-generation technology like Electrolux Professional SkyLine Cook and Chill solution, you can make your restaurant a benchmark for health and safety, while catering to a new era of sustainability.  


* Ergonomic interventions can reduce musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) by 59%, with an average decrease of 75% in sick days and a 25% increase in productivity.” – Dr Francesco Marcolin, CEO of ErgoCert (European Certifed Ergonomist – EUR.ERG.). 
** Calculation based on a 10-hour working day with SkyLine ChillS 50/50 kg, data in accordance with Commission Regulation EU 2015/1095. 

Categories
Cultural & Heritage Recipes

Baked Alaska

See below for recipe

The History of Baked Alaska

On March 30, 1867, for a mere $7.2 million — about two cents per acre — the U.S. bought land from Russia that would eventually make Alaska its 49th state, gaining a delicious fringe benefit in the process: Baked Alaska.

No, this igloo-shaped dessert — cake and ice cream shrouded in toasted meringue — didn’t come from the icy north, but its name was inspired by the land deal. In fact, the treat’s true roots date back to the turn of the 18th century, when American-born scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson (aka Count Rumford, a title he gained for his loyalty to the crown during the American Revolution) — whose inventions included a kitchen range and a double boiler — made a discovery about egg whites.

Rumford realized that the air bubbles inside whipped egg whites made meringue a great insulator. “That’s really why the Baked Alaska works,” says Libby “O’Connell, the History Channel’s chief historian and author of The American Plate.”The meringue insulates the ice cream from heat.”

By the 1830s, this culinary revelation had inspired French chefs to create a dessert called the “Omelette Norwegge.” This predecessor of Baked Alaska consisted of layers of cake and ice cream covered in meringue, then broiled. The French named this elaborate treat in reference to its own frigid territory to the north — Norway.

So how did the “Omelette Norwegge” become embroiled with the Alaska purchase?

Charles Ranhofer, an expat Parisian pastry chef at the legendary Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City, was renowned for dishes doubling as cultural commentary — Peach Pudding à la [President Grover] Cleveland or Sarah Potatoes after actress Sarah Bernhardt, for example. In 1867, Ranhofer made a quip through his pastry that the world would never forget.

Secretary of State William’s Seward’s acquisition of a faraway tundra drew no shortage of criticism and ridicule. Ranhofer, who likely encountered the “Omelette Norwegge” in his French training, jumped on the bandwagon with a dessert he dubbed “Alaska, Florida” — a reference to the temperature contrast between ice cream and toasted meringue.

The original version consisted of banana ice cream, walnut spice cake and meringue torched to a golden brown. While making Baked Alaska today is much easier because of modern conveniences such as electric mixers and blowtorches, it was once an incredibly opulent dish, requiring a full kitchen staff and a significant amount of time. And it was also alluring, because it contained expensive bananas from Central America.

O’Connell says, “It’s one of the best exemplars of the Gilded Age in American history.” The price tag reflected its grandeur — the cost of the dessert then would equal about $40 today. And Delmonico’s, established in 1837 and still in business today, was a who’s who of the dining scene, drawing personalities like the Rockefellers and Charles Dickens.

According to Billy Oliva, Delmonico’s current executive chef, the dessert’s name was coined in the 1880s when English journalist George Sala visited the restaurant and remarked: “The ‘Alaska’ is a baked ice … the nucleus or core of the entremets is an ice cream … surrounded by an envelope of carefully whipped cream, which, just before the dainty dish is served, is popped into the oven or brought under the scorching influence of a red hot salamander.”

Michael Krondl, an associate editor of the Oxford Companion to Sugarand Sweets, tells a slightly different tale. He says the French “Omelette Norwegge” didn’t appear until the 1890s, and evidence for Ranhofer’s debut of the “Alaska, Florida” is too slim to credit him with its creation.

According to Krondl, the journalist who visited Delmonico’s was Charles Augustus Sala — though records account for just one English journalist in this era with the surname Sala: George Augustus Henry Sala which is in line with Delmonico’s story. “Charles Augustus Sala described eating an ‘Alaska’ at Delmonico’s with more enthusiasm than accuracy,” states the Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, “He mistook the meringue for whipped cream.”

Conflicting accounts aside, Ranhofer definitely featured the dessert under the name “Alaska, Florida” in his 1894 cookbook, The Epicurean. And today, Delmonico’s continues to serve it at a much more reasonable price — $13 — and in more or less the same fashion as the original: walnut sponge cake layered with apricot compote and banana gelato, covered with torched meringue.

Baked Alaska – Recipe

Adapted by John Coletta

Yields 12 servings

Ingredients
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 80g sugar, granulated
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 5 ml vanilla, pure extract
  • 84 g chocolate, bittersweet, melted, tempered
  • 3 large egg whites, room temp
  • 3 g salt, sea, fine grind pinch
  • 2750 ml ice cream, chocolate
  • 1750 ml ice cream, vanilla
  • 600 ml ice cream, strawberry
  • swiss meringue
  • kitchen blowtorch
Instructions
  1. Line a 22 centimeter round cake pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.
  2. Combine 40g sugar and the egg yolks in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whisk on medium speed until pale yellow and thick, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla, and fold in melted chocolate just to combine.
  3. Combine egg white and a pinch of salt in bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whip on medium speed until frothy. Add remaining 40g sugar; beat until stiff. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
  4. Carefully pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake until cake is set and top is dull, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
  5. Spray a 3-liter bowl with a 22 centimeter diameter with cooking spray; line with plastic wrap. Pack base of bowl and up the sides with chocolate ice cream; cover with plastic and press with your hands to make an even, smooth layer. Transfer to freezer and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
  6. Remove plastic wrap and form a layer of vanilla ice cream on top of the chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and press with your hands to make an even, smooth layer. Transfer to freezer and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
  7. Remove plastic wrap and form a layer of strawberry ice cream on top of vanilla, leaving a small well in the center of the coffee layer. Transfer to freezer and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
  8. Place cake on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Remove ice cream from freezer and remove plastic wrap; invert bowl over cake. Keep ice cream covered with plastic wrap, and return ice cream cake to freezer.
  9. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a large star tip, with meringue; pipe onto ice cream in a decorative fashion, or spoon meringue over ice cream and swirl with a rubber spatula. If ice cream starts to soften, return cake to freezer for 15 minutes.
  10. Using a kitchen torch, heat meringue until it just starts to brown, transfer to an appropriate serving platter, and serve immediately

For more recipes, visit www.worldchefs.org/news.

Categories
Member News

Cooking for a Greener Future: Worldchefs Sustainability Education Takes Root in Pakistan

Over 15,000 graduates. Nearly 160 trainers. One global mission.

Worldchefs’ Sustainability Education for Culinary Professionals curriculum is gaining momentum around the world, propelling the culinary industry towards a greener future. In Pakistan, this initiative is gaining traction through hands-on trainings led by chef-educators like Tahir Ali Khan, who champions cooking with the planet in mind.

He drives this mission with Worldchefs’ Sustainability Education for Culinary Professionals course, a free program to help culinary professionals think and act sustainably. The curriculum covers essential topics like agriculture, animal husbandry, seafood, water and energy use, waste management, and nutrition. Available online in English and Arabic, as well as in-person in eight languages, the course empowers chefs with the knowledge and tools to lead change in their kitchens and communities.

Since becoming a Worldchefs Approved Sustainability Education Trainer in May 2024, Chef Tahir has delivered many sessions of the course to various communities. Most recently, he led three trainings between May and June 2025 at the Pakistan Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (PITHM), a Worldchefs Education Partner, and Marriott Hotel Karachi, reaching nearly 60 participants. Two of these trainings were held on June 18, in celebration of Sustainable Gastronomy Day.

Chef Tahir Ali Khan

From the enthusiastic junior chefs learning the power of healthy and sustainable food choices, to the senior culinary students exploring waste reduction, energy-efficient kitchen practices, and responsible sourcing — it was a meaningful journey toward a better food future for all.

“I ensure engagement during these interactive sessions, with hands-on activities and real-life examples. Students react positively, showing enthusiasm and interest in applying sustainable practices in their work. They appreciate the practical approach and relevance to the culinary industry and their careers.”

Graduates of the course earn a Worldchefs certificate and digital badge, joining a global movement of chefs working toward a more sustainable future.

“Empowering others through culinary and sustainability education is my greatest recipe for success,” says Chef Tahir. “Watching students grow and flourish in the kitchen is the icing on the cake!”

Chef Tahir’s story is just one of many. With over 15,000 graduates and nearly 160 trainers worldwide, the reach of Worldchefs’ sustainability programs continues to expand, one chef at a time.

Read more stories from our trainers around the world:

Become a Sustainability Education Trainer Today

Want to join the movement? As a certified Sustainability Education for Culinary Professionals trainer, you’ll be part of a global network of sustainability leaders, driving change in your community and beyond.

Learn more and apply at https://feedtheplanet.worldchefs.org/sustainability-education/.

Categories
Competition Seminar

Worldchefs Announces Two Upcoming Competition Seminars in Paris

Worldchefs ANNOUNCES TWO UPCOMING Competition Seminars IN PARIS – JOIN US!

Worldchefs Competition Seminars are designed for ambitious culinarians looking to gain insight into the height of international culinary competition standards. Whether a competitor, trainer, or aspiring judge, these intensive seminars provide key information about current trends, competition rules, and judging criteria, to help chefs keep up to date and at their best.

Two competition seminars will be hosted in-person at our Paris office for aspiring judges and driven competitors: Culinary Arts & Hot Kitchen on October 9th and Pastry Arts on October 13th, 2025.

Register today and get ready to elevate your skills, prepare for your next competition, and network with Worldchefs members in the heart of Paris.

Click below to learn more details about each competition seminar event:
Competitors: Why attend?
  • Learn indispensable tips to excel in culinary competitions, and understand the service process and presentation details to make sure you know everything from the very beginning to the end.
  • Be the first to discover current culinary trends, innovations in modern kitchen equipment, and the latest technologies used in competition.
  • Engage with renowned chef instructors and get inspired alongside a diverse and driven class of competition chefs, aspiring judges, and influencers in the culinary space.
Judges: Why attend?
  • Keep up to date with culinary trends, and discover all the latest rules necessary to provide fair judgment during competition events.
  • Engage with renowned chef instructors and network with a diverse and driven class of competition chefs, aspiring judges, and influencers in the culinary space.
  • Current judges: All Worldchefs Certified Judges are required to attend a Competition Seminar every five years. 
  • Future judges: Take the first step towards becoming a Worldchefs Certified Judge. Participants receive a certificate of participation after attending a Competition Seminar. This certificate of completion is one of the mandatory requirements when submitting a Worldchefs Certified Judge application.

To register, complete the form found in the links below:

Culinary Arts & Hot Kitchen – October 9th, 2025

Pastry Arts – October 13th, 2025

Categories
Member News

Gulf Gourmet Magazine – June 2025

In this issue of Gulf Gourmet’s magazine, meet Chef Udaya, winner of the Best Cuisinier title at the 2025 Salon Culinaire, learn about Foodverse, and more.

To learn more about Worldchefs, click here.


About the Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG)

An Overview of the Emirates Culinary Guild
The Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG) is the association of professional chefs of the UAE. It is a non-profit-making organisation, organised by volunteers dedicated solely to the advancement of culinary art in the UAE.

The World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs) (www.worldchefs.org) is the 105-nation fellowship of the world’s various professional chefs’ organisations.

The ECG received its charter into Worldchefs at a ceremony in Stavanger, Norway on June 28, 1994, during the Worldchefs 26th World Congress. Worldchefs endorses the ECG as the authorized professional culinary association for the UAE. The ECG, thereby, has an international culinary focus and multi-national support for the staging of its various competitions, seminars and events.

The aims of the ECG, broadly, are:

  • To encourage and inspire young chefs through training and competition.
  • To enhance internationally the culinary prestige of the UAE.
  • To encourage UAE nationals to consider a career within the hospitality industry.

Social media plays a large part in the Guilds self-promotion and the Gulf Gourmet magazine drive awareness around the globe. www.emiratesculinaryguild.net/, www.facebook.com/Emirates-Culinary-Guild-763644223697376/timeline/, www.facebook.com/gulfgourmet?fref=ts, follow these links for more information on the Emirates Culinary Guild.

Membership of the ECG is open to all of those professionally and solely involved in the preparation of food.

Anyone interested in the ECG please find their contact below.

The Emirates Culinary Guild
PO Box 454922 – Dubai – UAE
Tel: + 971 56 8014089.
E-mail: emiratesculinaryguild@gmail.com

Categories
Cultural & Heritage Recipes

Volove Oke

Ox Eye Cookies

See below for recipe

This delicious cookie recipe has been passed down in our family for over 100 years. It reflects our heritage of Molve village located in the heart of the Podravina region in Croatia, where the original cookies were made using a round glass, and the center hole was made with a thimble – hence the name “Volovo oko” (“Ox Eye”). We warmly recommend it to you – enjoy making them. They are easy to prepare and their flavor will win you over with the very first bite!

At the 10th “Virovska Prkačijada”, The First European Festival of Small Traditional Cakes, these cookies proudly won the prestigious 1st place award for best traditional cookie in 2025.

Volove Oke – Recipe

Adapted by Eric Glavica
Ingredients

Dough

  • 5 ½ dl flour
  • 1 ½ dl sugar
  • 250 g butter
  • 2 hard-boiled egg yolks (from free-range eggs), mashed
  • 1 packet of vanilla sugar
  • 1 packet of baking powder
  • 1 untreated organic lemon (juice and grated zest)

Filling

  • Homemade plum or apricot jam
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
  1. Mix the flour with sugar, baking powder, vanilla sugar, mashed hard-boiled egg yolk and room-temperature butter. Add the grated lemon zest and juice and knead into a smooth dough.
  2. Roll the dough out to a medium thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out stars or any desired shape.
  3. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, so they remain light in color.
  4. Let them cool, spread with jam and sandwich two cookies together. Optionally, dust with powdered sugar.

For more recipes, visit www.worldchefs.org/news.

Categories
Member News

Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge 2025 Showcases Asia’s Rising Culinary Stars 

The Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge (TUCC) 2025 returned with full force from 27–31 May 2025, alongside THAIFEX – Anuga Asia at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok. As the country’s largest and most respected chef competition, TUCC welcomed 452 chefs from 9 countries, all vying for culinary excellence across 25 diverse categories.

Held in collaboration with Worldchefs, the challenge is globally recognised for its high standards in culinary excellence. This year’s edition introduced two new categories: the Asian Cuisine Culinary Challenge and the Asian Modern Freshwater Fish and Prawn Culinary Challenge, showcasing the region’s deep culinary heritage and creativity with local ingredients. 

TUCC 2025 was evaluated by more than 40 Worldchefs-accredited judges, making it a premier platform for chefs to demonstrate their mastery in execution, technique, and innovation. 

Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge 2025 Winners: 

  • Best Ultimate Junior Chef: Phattharaporn Phooltuayad, Dusit Thani College 
  • Best Ultimate Professional Chef: Natthapol Khunyodying, Chiang Mai Chefs Association 
  • Best Ultimate Asian Chef: Thanaporn Korsuntorn, Bangkok University 
  • Best Ultimate Pastry Chef: Saravut Tainta, Chiang Mai Chefs Association 
  • Best Ultimate Establishment Award: Chiang Mai Chefs Association 

With Gratitude to Our 2025 Sponsors 

TUCC 2025 was made possible with the generous support of: Atlantic Chef, BR Group, D.A.P.P Uniform, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Lee Kum Kee, Newton Food Equipment, Makro, Royal Umbrella Rice, and VJ Group. Their continued commitment helps cultivate and elevate Asia’s culinary talent. 

Save the Date 

TUCC will return next year from 26–30 May 2026, promising more talent, more innovation, and a greater celebration of culinary excellence. 

Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/TUCCThaifex/

About Worldchefs Endorsement

The Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge 2025 was endorsed by Worldchefs. To learn more about endorsing your event, visit https://worldchefs.org/endorsement/.

Categories
Member News

Over 930 Chefs Compete at 28th Emirates Salon Culinaire 2025 in Sharjah

To view the press release on LinkedIn, click here.

Sharjah, May 2025 – Over 930 chefs competed in the 28th running of The International Emirates Salon Culinaire 2025, along with over 5800 visitors to the ExpoCulinaire.

The Emirates Culinary Guild would like to announce the successful running of the 28th Emirates Salon Culinaire (ESC) 2025 from 21st -23rd May 2025.

The competition was held at Expo Centre Sharjah, the home of ExpoCulinaire, alongside the ExpoCulinaire exhibition, making it an event with multiple activities happening simultaneously over the 3 days. The competition saw over 930 chef entries from the United Arab Emirates and 11 global countries, competing in 39 classes across all disciplines of the Culinary arts, including practical cookery, static displays, Emirati cuisine, cake decorating, and showpiece categories.
Worldchefs President and Guild founding member and coordinator Dubai-based Andy Cuthbert added, “This year’s competition was another sign of the growth of the culinary arts in the UAE; we introduced a new competition this year- the National Cuisine Challenge powered by TAAZA Ever Fresh and supported by Mr. Jeyaram, another competition aligned to zero food waste as guests consumed all the food during hosted lunched by counsel generals and dignitaries.”

Coupled with the return of the Sounbula Mills Artisan Bakery Arena, “The UAE has led the way with ExpoCulinaire 2025 being run alongside so many culinary competitions. We made the most of the strengths of all the individual parts of both events- exhibition and competitions to bring a truly complete food and beverage event to the Emirate of Sharjah,” said Joanne Cook, MD of Purple Kitchen Events. “To be able to maintain our commitment to chefs and education was essential. Our certified education sessions have become a pillar of the overall event, so delivering them in 2025 thanks to ICCA, DET, IRCA academy, Ecole Ducasse, and CIC was excellent added value for all our audience,” concluded Cook.

This year’s competition was powered by Foodverse, an end-to-end, app-based platform developed by Foodverse in collaboration with the International Centre for Culinary Arts, ICCA Dubai. From registrations to judging, the platform promises to bring greater transparency, efficiency, and credibility to the entire competition process.

Speaking about the innovation, Sunjeh Raja, Managing Director of ICCA and the visionary behind Foodverse, said, “Foodverse is set to become a truly credible platform for chefs across the globe. Not only competitions, but it’s set to empower the entire food industry and create meaningful opportunities for young chefs worldwide.”

The Emirates Salon Culinaire 2025 was endorsed by Worldchefs. To endorse your next event, visit https://worldchefs.org/endorsement/.

Categories
Cultural & Heritage Recipes

Bananas Foster

See below for recipe

History of Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster is one of those namesake foods. Bananas drenched in rum and banana liqueur then flambéed tableside and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a dramatic presentation for a swoon-worthy dessert, but who is Foster? And why did anyone think setting bananas on fire would be a good idea? It all began at a New Orleans, Louisiana restaurant named Vieux Carre (informally known as the first Brennan’s), that had easy access to boatloads of bananas. Literally. 

Bananas were not introduced to North America until sometime after the Civil War (after 1865). In the mid-20th century, the port of New Orleans was a major point of entry for bananas shipped from Central and South America. In 1951, Owen Brennan, a well-heeled New Orleans restaurateur, challenged his chef, Paul Blangé, to create a dessert to honor then-New Orleans Crime Commission chairman Richard Foster. With a bounty of bananas, Blangé came up with — you guessed it — Bananas Foster. At least that’s one story. Other versions suggest Blangé had an accomplice.

By some accounts, including Brennan’s, Owen Brennan also asked his sister, Ella, to create a dessert to honor Richard Foster. In 2016, Ella’s daughter, Ti Adelaide Martin, told NPR her mother was working at her brother’s first New Orleans restaurant, Vieux Carré, when Owen surprised her with the unexpected request. “While fussing and carrying on, she just grabs the bananas,” Martin said. “They were probably just sitting right there, readily available.” 

Inspired by a memory of childhood breakfasts of sautéed bananas, combined with a nod to the flaming Baked Alaska on the menu at another venerable New Orleans dining institution, Antoine’s, Ella partnered with Chef Paul Blangé to create the dessert that has reigned supreme at Brennan’s (both the original Vieux Carré on Bourbon Street and the current incarnation on Royal Street) for more than eight decades.

The now-iconic confection wasn’t an immediate hit. It didn’t really catch on until Vieux Carré introduced a breakfast menu featuring what is now the restaurant’s signature dessert, ultimately spawning the longstanding tradition of Breakfast at Brennan’s. (Fear not: It’s still a mainstay on the dinner menu.) To match demand, Brennan’s flambés about 35,000 pounds of bananas every year. And even decades after its debut, Ella (who died in 2018) and her daughter Ti Adelaide, wondered how it had become so famous, musing to NPR, “Why in the world do people make such a big deal out of that simple dessert?”

Bananas Foster – Recipe

Adapted by John coletta

This dramatic, flambéed result is now the most-ordered menu offering at Brennans’. It is not unusual for guests who have dined elsewhere to arrive just for a dessert of Bananas Foster.

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
  • 50g. Butter; Unsalted; Room Temperature
  • 110g. Sugar; Light Brown
  • 1.50g. Cinnamon; Ground
  • 50 ml. Banana Liqueur
  • 2 each Bananas; Fresh; Peeled and cut lengthwise into half and cut in half vertically.
  • 50 ml. Rum; Dark
  • 2 each Bananas; Fresh; Peeled and cut lengthwise into half and cut in half vertically.
  • 4-80g. Vanilla Ice Cream; Scoops
Instructions
  1. Place a flambé pan onto a medium heat. Add the butter, sugar, cinnamon and combine into a unified mixture is achieved.
  2. Add the Banana liqueur stirring to ensure a unified mixture. Add the bananas to the flambé pan and simmer slowly for 30-seconds to 1-minute.
  3. Expose the flambé pan to the flame and add the dark rum, ensuring that the rum is ignited. Stir the sauce with the bananas, while ensuring that the alcohol is cooked away. Once the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of spoon, remove the flambé pan from the heat.
  4. Arrange the bananas onto an appropriate serving vessel. Place a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream onto the bananas and spoon the pan sauce onto the vanilla ice cream.

For more recipes, visit www.worldchefs.org/news.

Categories
Member News

Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort Named Winner of the 2025 ACF Restaurant Challenge proudly Sponsored by Queen Professional

Worldchefs-Endorsed Competition Showcases Global Food Talent at Foodservice Australia part of Food & Hospitality Week

The Australian Culinary Federation is pleased to announce the official results of the 2025 ACF Restaurant Challenge, held on 19–20 May at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC), as part of Foodservice Australia during Food & Hospitality Week.

Over two days, eight teams from Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, and Uruguay competed in a live restaurant setting, preparing and serving a three-course lunch menu to guests and judges in a high-pressure, open kitchen environment. Each team operated a fully functional kitchen and front-of-house service—delivering a complete restaurant experience.

Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort was awarded a Gold Medal and named the Overall Competition Winner, receiving a $3,000 prize. Their attention to flavour, execution, and team coordination stood out among a skilled group of competitors.

Coliseum 1921, Malaysia was awarded a Gold Medal taking out second place, Team Coliseum 1921 delivered bold Malaysian flavours with finesse. Their performance was polished, professional, and deeply connected to culture, earning them well-deserved recognition from the judging panel.

Team Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort, Winners

Team Levy Australia claimed third place, Silver Medal with a menu that celebrated premium Australian produce and thoughtful technique. Representing excellence in event and stadium dining, the team showcased calm focus and standout flavour combinations under pressure.

All teams

This year’s competition was officially endorsed by Worldchefs, recognising its professional standards and international reach.

2025 Medal Recipients:
  • Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort – Gold Medal and Overall, Winner
  • Coliseum 1921, Malaysia – Gold Medal
  • Levy Australia – Silver Medal
  • QT Kitchen, VIC – Silver Medal
  • Uruguay Culinary Team – Silver Medal
  • St Vincent’s Care Team, VIC – Silver Medal
  • Fiji Culinary Team – Silver Medal
  • Young Chefs Victoria – Bronze Medal

In addition to their menus, many teams enhanced the guest experience by designing printed menus and elegant table arrangements, showcasing creativity and professionalism.

Service throughout the competition was proudly supported by hospitality students from Holmesglen, who managed front-of-house responsibilities with professionalism and enthusiasm.

Thank You to Our Judges and Support Crew
A heartfelt thank you to our judging panel, mentors, kitchen coordinators, and behind-the-scenes crew who made this competition possible. Your time, expertise, and support ensured a seamless experience for every team and helped uphold the high standards this event is known for. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Thank You to Our Sponsors
We extend our sincere thanks to all sponsors who supported the 2025 Queen Professional Restaurant Challenge. Your ongoing commitment helps us create meaningful opportunities for chefs, showcase emerging talent, and bring the industry together in celebration of excellence.

Your support makes this event possible.

Andre Kropp, Head Judge, commended the calibre of competition:

“This challenge tested teams in a real-world foodservice environment, and they

delivered. The precision, creativity, and discipline across both days were outstanding.”

Karen Doyle, President of the Australian Culinary Federation, added:

“The standard of discipline from all teams was exceptional. Their ability to work under pressure while delivering a seamless experience for both guests and judges reflects the professionalism and strength of the foodservice industry.”

Media Contact:

Ms. Deb Foreman

General Manager / Secretary ACF

competition@austculinary.com.au

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