Celebrating Culinary Excellence in Social Institutions
The Algarve Food Bank Against Hunger is launching an exciting new initiative called Missão D' Chef, a program designed to recognize and celebrate the talented cooks working in social institutions across the Algarve region.
Final Competition on World Food Day
The culminating event of this first edition will take place on October 16th, coinciding with World Food Day, at the School of Hotel Management and Tourism in Faro. This marks the final round of the inaugural Missão D' Chef competition.
Program Overview and Participants
Fifteen cooks from thirteen different institutions throughout the Algarve are participating in this groundbreaking program, which began in March and concludes with Thursday's final event. The initiative focuses on nutrition, complete food utilization, and reducing food waste, while enhancing the quality of meals served by IPSS (Private Social Solidarity Institutions) in alignment with Mediterranean Diet principles.
Comprehensive Training Approach
Throughout the program, participants have received training in food hygiene and safety along with advanced cooking techniques. The curriculum emphasizes sustainable practices and nutritional excellence in institutional cooking.
Strong Partnership Network
The program has benefited from collaboration with numerous partner organizations, including:
- School of Hotel Management and Tourism of Faro
- SOGENAVE
- University of Algarve
- Fiscalcontrol
- Águas do Algarve
- General Directorate of Food and Veterinary
Culinary Expertise and Judging
In the kitchen component, participants worked alongside chefs from the school and received guidance from chefs of the Highgate Portugal group and Epic Sana Hotel. The competition jury is chaired by renowned Chef Noélia Jerónimo.
Recognition and Funding
This innovative program has already received significant recognition, winning the CAIXA SOCIAL'24 award from Caixa Geral de Depósitos, which provided 25,000 euros in funding as a community health project.
Future Plans and Awards
The program will continue with plans to recognize the three best cooks of 2025 and their respective institutions, with prizes awarded to all finalists.
Leadership Perspective
Nuno Cabrita Alves, President of the Algarve Food Bank, expressed enthusiasm about the program's success: "This first edition is proving to be a tremendous success, with strong partner participation and, most importantly, great satisfaction among the participating cooks." He added, "Recognizing these professionals was essential given the significant responsibility they bear daily in preparing thousands of meals, particularly for children and elderly individuals."
Event Details
The final event will take place from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM at the application restaurant of the School of Hotel Management in Faro, with presentation by Algarve actor João Mota.
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