What The Food returns to Alserkal Avenue for the fourth year this weekend.
The local food festival is an annual event that brings together industry professionals and food enthusiasts alike for immersive experiences that explore the evolving dynamic between food and society.
This year’s theme is Disrupting The Table, which calls for rethinking the structures that shape our culinary systems and food cultures towards a more sustainable future.
Visitors can expect a variety of talks, workshops, exhibitions and food pop-ups from 10am to 10pm on October 25 and 26.
Here’s an overview of key events at What The Food 2025.
Interactive workshops for hands-on experience
Tomorrow Today at Piehaus
When: October 25 and 26, Noon to 1pm
An 11-year-old Serbian baker, Lena, is taking over Piehaus, the pie shop from the team behind Balkan restaurant 21grams, for the weekend. Through a series of demonstrations, visitors will be able to see Lena throw dough and make burak. Stick around to try signature Piehaus creations, including filo pies with pepperoni and pastrami, as well as sweet fillings including strawberry and caramel tahini.
Free at Piehaus
Farm to Table: Dubai in a Dish
When: October 25 and 26, noon to 1pm
Led by chef Stephanie Haywood, this hands-on workshop explores Dubai’s historic and evolving culinary scene through a focus on premium ingredients. Drawing on her experience at six Michelin-starred kitchens, Haywood will soon become head chef at upcoming restaurant Orizonta at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Participants will be guided through the preparation of Wagyu kufta and a garden salad.
Free; at Jossa by Alserkal
Waste is a Failure of the Imagination: Building Kitchens for the Future
When: October 25, 2pm to 3pm
This masterclass will offer an up-close experience with British chef and culinary sustainability innovator Douglas McMaster. Founder of Silo London, the world’s first zero-waste restaurant, McMaster will share the techniques behind his closed-loop model.
Tickets for Dh1,000 at Jossa by Alserkal
Nightjar Presents The Journey of the Bean
When: October 26, 4pm to 5.30pm
Nightjar Coffee Roasters' Matthew Wade and Gabriel Ade Kisworo are hosting an unconventional brewing experience with an interactive workshop that explores the journey of the bean, from micro-lot farming to the artistry of brewing. Attendees can taste a diverse flight of unique coffees.
Free at Jossa by Alserkal
Food pop-ups
A number of eateries and speciality brands are popping up at Alserkal Avenue for the festival. Restaurants represented include Iraqi-fusion Feka; woodfire specialist Yamara; Syrian comfort food joint Hanoon; and Nama Yoso, a modern Japanese concept created in 2023 by four Emirati friends.
Also on offer are Kazakh brand Dastarkhan, a vegan selection from Alserkal favourite Kave, pizzas from Crust by Lopo, and shawarma at CarniStore's ShawarMoo pop-up.
British steakhouse The Little Fox by Rowley's is offering steak frites to go; and popular London burger joint Manna is also in town for the weekend.
Art and film
Discover artistic expressions of food, sustainability and resilience through a captivating art exhibition and poignant screening.
Tindahan Sa Tahanan Co
When: October 25 and 26, 10am to 10pm
The exhibition at Warehouse 46 pays homage to Filipino tindahan, everyday convenience stores that have become cultural cornerstones for the community both at home and abroad. Eight international artists have come together to embody a spirit of migration and memory through sculpture, photography, film and design.
Heaven Without People screening
When: October 26, 8pm
The award-winning feature film by Lebanese filmmaker Lucien Bourjeily, Heaven Without People (2017), will be screened at The Yard and presented by Cinema Akil. The film follows a large family who, after two years apart, reunite over Easter lunch. The time away brings underlying tensions to the surface, sparking clashes between older and younger generations. A live question-and-answer session with Bourjeily will follow the screening. Free to attend, but requires registration.
Talks
Gain insights from community experts, including chefs, farmers and culinary trail-blazers, at Alserkal Avenue's Concrete venue. The line-up is curated by journalist Claudia de Brito, who will lead the event’s opening and closing remarks. The talks below are all free to attend upon registration.
Asma Khan's Food for Tomorrow
When: October 25, 10.15am to 11am
British-Indian restaurateur and cookbook author Asma Khan will take the stage as a keynote speaker. Khan is the mind behind London’s Darjeeling Express restaurant and was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024. In her seminar, she will invite audiences to rethink kitchens as key hubs for sustainability and recognise the diverse, community-driven efforts involved in sustainable food processes.
Reviving Ancient Flavours
When: October 25, 12.15pm to 1pm
Bridging the gap between old and new, this panel explores how regional culinary heritage is being revived to offer sustainable solutions for today’s food systems. Moderated by media personality Nadir Nahdi, the conversation features pioneering voices from the region’s food scene: Emirati pastry chef Sahar Parham Al Awadhi, Bahraini chef Tala Bashmi and entrepreneur Ahmed Abdul Hakim.
New Tech in Food Production
Details: October 26, 11:15am to noon
This panel will unpack technological advances in food processing and delivery. The discussion, moderated by journalist Nica Richards, features diverse voices across industries. Panelists include Dionysia Angeliki Lyra, senior research agronomist; Sky Kurtz, founder and chief executive of Pure Harvest Smart Farms; and Necip Camcigil, managing partner of One Life Kitchen & Cafe.
