Saudi culinary arts chiefs serve up second helping of incubator scheme

Culinary Arts Commission launched the second Incubator Program after the first program saw great success. (Twitter)

The training culminates in the graduation of 120 incubated projects. (Twitter)

• The scheme offers assistance to innovative cooks and entrepreneurs working in the country’s food and beverage industry
• The first part of the incubator program consists of six sequentially repeated courses, each starting with a three-day virtual competition

JEDDAH: Saudi culinary arts chiefs are to serve up a second helping of an initiative aimed at promoting chefs and cooking skills in the Kingdom.
The first phase of the Kawin — meaning create — incubator program was launched by the Culinary Arts Commission in December to foster excellence in the sector.
The scheme offers assistance to innovative cooks and entrepreneurs working in the country’s food and beverage industry.
Commission officials set up the program not only to improve quality standards in the culinary arts sector, but also to support startups, create an environment that encourages innovation, and empower and nurture enterprising female cooks.
In addition, it wants to boost the Kingdom’s growing global reputation as a top food destination.
The first part of the incubator program consists of six sequentially repeated courses, each starting with a three-day virtual competition. The courses cater for 50 participants, and after a selection process, 20 projects go through to an in-person stage lasting six months.
The training culminates in the graduation of 120 incubated projects.
Part two is a cooking challenge to promote competitiveness, involving five-hour sessions held twice a year, with a focus on eight chefs participating in each challenge.
A third program involves a five-day training session covering the fundamentals of creating and advancing commercial projects in the food and drinks industry.
Participants are given access to an experimental kitchen where they can develop and test recipes and identify the most suitable technologies for large-scale production, with guidance and advice provided by culinary experts from Saudi Arabia and around the world.
To take part in the incubator program, applicants must be a Saudi citizen residing in the Kingdom, be at least 21 years old, have a passion for the culinary arts, be able to commit to the entire program, and provide an innovative recipe or product relating to local and international culinary arts.
To register and for more details go to https://engage.moc.gov.sa/kawn/