Inaugural award for the first edition of Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants seeks to elevate female chefs in the region
LONDON, Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tala Bashmi, often referred to as the voice of modern Bahraini cuisine, has been named as the winner of the first Middle East & North Africa's Best Female Chef Award 2022. Chef-patron of Fusions by Tala in Bahrain, Bashmi will be presented with the inaugural award at the debut edition of MENA's 50 Best Restaurants, set to take place at Abu Dhabi in February 2022. The esteemed award forms part of the 50 Best organisation's mission to honour female role models within the culinary industry and represents the first pre-announced award of the Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants 2022 programme.
A passion for creating nostalgic culinary experiences for her guests drives Bahraini-born, Swiss-trained Bashmi. Beginning her career through a home venture called Baked by T, the chef's desserts became especially famous in Bahrain, garnering her numerous fans. Following this initial success, Bashmi held roles in Europe at the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois and Michelin-starred restaurant Prisma, learning how to run restaurant operations as well as working in fast-paced kitchen environments.
Upon her return to the Middle East, Chef Bashmi competed in the acclaimed MBC show Top Chef (Middle East & North Africa) show, finishing in the finals and showcasing the modernised Bahraini cuisine that she would become famous for. She opened her inaugural restaurant, Fusions by Tala, at the renowned Gulf Hotel, Bahrain in September 2017, priding herself on the concept's willingness to experiment with ingredients and techniques used around the world and incorporating these into native Bahraini dishes.
William Drew, Director of Content for 50 Best says, "Chef Tala epitomises the spirit of this award with her ardent commitment to highlighting Bahraini cuisine around the world whilst simultaneously modernising many of its traditional dishes. She is a hugely worthy winner of the MENA's Best Female Chef title."
The inaugural Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be hosted in the UAE Capital on Monday, 7thFebruary 2022, supported by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT).
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