Truffles and rubies: Chocolate show set for Dubai return

Following its UAE debut last year, the Parisian chocolate exhibition Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie will return to Le Gourmet in Galeries Lafayette in May.

Welcoming those who share a passion for chocolate and everything associated with it (even a fashion show with dresses made of confectionery), the exhibition offers visitors a chance to meet pastry chefs and authors, chocolate tasters and chocolate masters, as well as taste and buy sweet treats — think ganache, truffles and ruby chocolate — from dozens of international brands.

A representative told The National that the cacao-inspired fashion show held in Dubai Mall last year will be back and “bigger and better than ever”.

The three-day event is set to commence on May 18.

Dresses were made out of chocolate at the event held in Le Gourmet at Galeries Lafayette last year. Pawan Singh / The National

Elsewhere, home bakers can register for workshops and masterclasses hosted by chefs. In attendance at the pastry show, for instance, will be Carmen Rueda Hernandez, the award-winning pastry chef at 3 Fils and Brix; Wassim Orfali, one of three brothers behind Orfali Bros Bistro, the No 1 restaurant on Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list this year; as well as the pastry chefs from SLS Dubai Hotel, Jumeirah Al Naseem and Le Meridien and Westin Mina Seyahi.

Guests can also head to the chocolate demo arena to mingle with chefs, influencers and food bloggers including Karim Bourgi, who won Mena's Best Pastry Chef Award 2023; female Emirati pastry chef Sahar Al Awadhi of Burj Al Arab fame; Dimitri Esposito, executive pastry chef at Jumeirah Al Qasr; and Abdellah Tougda, part of the Aalst team of chefs and chocolatiers.

Confirmed guests at the fashion show include Russian cake artist Polina Filimonova (of Pauline Cake fame) and Brice Konan-Ferrand, a Valrhona pastry chef trainer from Hong Kong and Charles Azar, president of the Academie Nationale de Cuisine Lebanon-MEA & Gulf.

The exhibition will present several chocolate creations. Photo: Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet

Established in Paris in 1994, Salon du Chocolat has become a favourite with chocolate enthusiasts, with global exhibitions taking place everywhere from New York to Tokyo, and London to Hong Kong.

In the Middle East, after the success of Salon du Chocolat Beirut, Dubai become the second city to host the event last year.

Red flags

Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

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A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.