RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Award winning Scottish chef Roy Brett attends Gourmet Abu Dhabi

28th January 2012 Print
Roy Brett

Scotland's most noted chef Roy Brett, is heading to Abu Dhabi, with a mission to show why Scottish produce is some of the world's best.

Award-winning Chef Roy Brett, Chef and Patron of Edinburgh's famed Ondine restaurant has signed up for the annual Gourmet Abu Dhabi culinary festival, running in the UAE capital from 8- 23 February 2012.

Chef Roy will be the star of a special Scottish dinner in the iconic surroundings of the Yas Viceroy - the only hotel in the world to connect to a Formula 1 track. Guests will be piped into the dinner where Chef Roy promises "a true taste of Scotland".

"Scottish produce is famous for being some of the best in the world. I intend to prove why that is the case," says the culinary maestro, who was named Hotel Chef Of The Year at the Scottish Chef Awards in 2009 for his contribution to the country's dining scene.

The full flavours of Scotland will be on the menu for Chef Roy's special dinner on 20 February for which intense preparation is already under way. "We want to do justice to Scottish cuisine and produce," says Chef Roy, who spent 23 years honing his skills and has worked with top chefs such as Rick Stein and Mark Hix. "I've been experimenting to get the marriages and blends right. There will be venison carpaccio, lobsters, langoustines, crabs and cured smoked salmon. The shellfish and fish have been selected with conservation in mind because, to me, it even tastes better when you know where the fish comes from and how it was caught," he adds.

Seasonality and sustainability are Chef Roy's hallmarks and he has been accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent non-profit organisation with an eco-label and fishery certification programme, for his commitment to excellence in responsible sourcing.

"At the moment, I'm bringing everything on the menu over with me, but I'm talking to my hosting partner Chef Rene at the Yas Viceroy and if there are substitutes which can be sourced locally, I will be very happy to do that. In an ideal world, I'll marry the best of Scotland with the best of Abu Dhabi. I'd be delighted to use sustainable, local produce - because that's exactly the way I work," says Chef Roy.

Chef Roy is looking forward to his trip to the UAE capital, which is also noted for its sustainability focus and where the Emirates Wildlife Society and World Wildlife Fund together run a' Choose Wisely' consumer guide solution to overfishing.

Chef Roy is also conducting a free-to-attend masterclass on Scottish cuisine on 19 February at Abu Dhabi's stunning Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel.

"We're having our first cook-offs to make sure everything's right and we're doing a dummy demo too to make sure we're fully prepared for the masterclass," said Chef Roy. "We'll definitely be doing Scotland justice."

Tickets for Chef Roy's Scottish dinner in Abu Dhabi are available at gourmetabudhabi.ae.

More Photos - Click to Enlarge

Roy Brett