Chef of the Year

Executive chef Alain Smet, from the Corinthia Antwerp Hotel, in Belgium, won the title of Corinthia Chef of the Year 2003/4 in a competition held at the Corinthia Towers Hotel, in Prague, as part of Corinthia's first international conference for executive chefs from its hotels worldwide.

A total of 22 Corinthia executive chefs from Belgium, the home country Czech Republic, Hungary, Libya, Malta, Portugal, Russia, The Gambia, Togo, Turkey and Tunisia took part in the three-day conference and competition.

Chefs from every Corinthia hotel were invited to compete and 10 chefs from hotels in Belgium, the Czech Republic (3), Hungary (2), Malta, Russia and Turkey (2) were shortlisted as finalists.

Second placed was Vladislav Stupari, from the Corinthia Panorama Hotel, in the Czech Republic, and third placed was Gyula Harangi, from Corinthia Aquincum Hotel, Hungary. Corinthia Mistra Village Clubhotel chef Brian Ellul obtained a creditable fourth placing.

The competition is to be an annual event.