Rotana's hunt for the best amateur BBQ master in the UAE is on

Sponsored: Are you unrivalled when it comes to the barbecue?

When it comes to barbecues, do you consider yourself master of the grill, maker of the flames and curator of tender smoked meat, sliced through like butter; perfectly-charred corn and chargrilled fish? If the answer is yes, your time has come.

The hunt for the best amateur BBQ master in the UAE is on and you could be crowned the champion. The competition, named ‘Smoke and Flames’ is proudly launched by Rotana Hotels, smoked meat kitchen The Mattar Farm, owned by Hattem Mattar and yours truly, What’s On.

To enter, you’ll need to get creative. Submit your ultimate barbecue recipe plus a fun 60-second video of you creating your dish on the grill whilst explaining why you deserve to be part of the competition. You’ll also need to submit an image of your masterpiece too.

You don’t have to be an actor to create a really awesome BBQ video, just get outside of the box. Think, Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach, legendary salt-sprinkler and celebrity-favorite Salt Bae or Turkish restaurateur and Instagram sensation CZN Burak.

Think about the journey – seasoning your meat, painting it with lashings of sticky, flavor-packed marinade (have you got a secret recipe?) and letting the flames from the BBQ lick your dish to perfection. Serve it up with your fresh salads or chargrilled vegetables.

The winner is set to scoop a prize of Dhs10,000 and a Weber grill, as well as having your recipe listed on Rotana’s F&B participating outlets’ menus for a period of a one year and so much more. Register via this link. Submissions are open from today, February 15 to March 1, 2021.

After a shortlist of 12 people is chosen from the original submissions, semi-final events will take place in Dubai from March 19 to 20 at Morgan’s, Al Bandar Rotana and JB’s Amwaj Rotana. Semi-finals will also take place in Abu Dhabi, March 26 to 27 at at Garden by Bayview/Rodeo Grill at Beach Rotana and Cooper’s Park Rotana.

The contestants will battle it out to make it to the next round, and one step closer to being crowned the champion. Out of the participants in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, three BBQ chefs will be selected to go on to the live finals, which will take place at Sadiyaat Rotana Resort & Villas.

This huge live ultimate cookout will take place with a huge grill, wood-smoker and plenty more. It will kick off on Saturday, April 3.

The final round will be evaluated by four key panelists: Hattem Mattar, world’s first Arab Pitmaster and owner of Mattar Farm, Samantha Wood, founder of impartial restaurant review website FooDiva, Ian Fairservice, Founder, Managing Partner and Group Editor of Motivate Publishing, President of the UAE’s culinary association La Chaine des Rotisseurs, and member of the World Board in Paris and Guy Hutchinson, President & CEO of Rotana.

Have you got what it takes?

Register here.

Images: Provided