February 2014

Dear Members, Colleagues and Friends,

What a year!  It was full of excitement, success and fun!   November was a super busy and rewarding month for the Hong Kong National Team (see article inside this issue) and the young chefs.

Our twenty-member chef team was split into three in order to attend three different international challenges.

After presenting their culinary creations at the Wine and Dine Festival in Hong Kong, our Young Chef Team embarked on their very first international competition in Seoul, Korea.  They won every single award at that occasion and brought back the Championship.

In mid-November, with just one month’s preparation, our chef team of six joined the Dubai World Hospitality Championship.  They brought back two Silver medals and demonstrated courage and sportsmanship to the world.

Last but not least, our Hong Kong National Team was named World Champion at Salon Culinaire Mondial at Basel, Switzerland.  This is so far the best result Hong Kong has achieved at the international culinary platform.  We are humbled by our achievement and honored at the same time to be able to elevate Hong Kong’s position as the culinary capital of Asia.

Please find the President’s Report 2013 on our website www.hongkong-chefs.com for your kind reference.  Overall, 2013 has been a great year for Hong Kong chefs! Also, see inside this newsletter a rundown of our culinary competition successes throughout the year.

We are in the process of setting up a new Hong Kong National Team under the fine leadership of Sum Chui, Calvin Choi, Ken Tse and pastry chef Ken Lee with the support of our “old” team members, such as National Team Manager Anita Cheng and many others.  They had their first meeting and have already registered for the FHA Singapore 2014 competitions held April 8 – 11 in the Battle of the Lion.  Soon we’ll commence our trial cooking dinners and will have you engaged again.

On January 6, our legendary fondue night took place at the Pacific Club, see story inside.  At the end of January, we held a small social event to thank our supporters in 2013.

Our next AGM and Annual Dinner are scheduled for March 3 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in West Kowloon.  We expect a large turnout, so please book early.  All Professional Members are encouraged to attend our AGM meeting because your vote can make a difference.

The WACS Congress will take place on July 2, 2014 in Stavanger, Norway.  We decided to send 3 to 4 Committee Members and 1 to 2 young chefs to represent the HKCA.  In addition, Calvin Choi and his assistant will represent not just Hong Kong but all of Asia at the finals of the Global Chef Challenge at the WACS Congress.  We’ll keep you updated on the developments.

Like last year, we’ll try to arrange a full range of events but will try to do it with a more modest budget.

Let me end by saying a big THANK YOU to all of you – the Committee members, the suppliers and friends.  It was a great year and we could not have done it without you!

I wish you all “Kung Hei Fat Choy” in the Year of the Horse and look forward to seeing you at the AGM and Annual Dinner!