IFTM Life

Decanter holds charity dinner at IFT

中文摘要 / Summary in Chinese

Authoritative international wine magazine Decanter chose the IFT Educational Restaurant as the venue for a charity dinner in Macao. IFT students studying for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts Management joined Mr. António Neves Coelho, a chef dedicated to the promotion of authentic Portuguese cuisine in Macao, in preparing the meal.

The dinner was held on 6 October to raise funds for the Red Cross. A tasting of the wines that won the Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2017 was held before the dinner.

“This was an important event for the students taking part because it was attended by senior members of the food and beverage industry, and of the hospitality industry. It was a great chance for the young chefs, and a challenge for them to thrive under pressure,” says Decanter representative in Asia, Ms. Sally Cheng.

Decanter was first published in the United Kingdom in 1975, and today is one of the most respected wine magazines in the world, having readers in 92 countries, according to the owner, Time Inc. The Decanter website is visited by about 300,000 wine lovers each month.

Decanter has long been a partner of IFT. In September, the magazine put on a sell-out master class on Australian wines given on the IFT Mong-Há Campus by wine expert Gerard Basset of France.

Decanter regularly gives IFT wines. “After the Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2017 were held [in Hong Kong] in September, some of the bottles left unopened after the judging were donated to IFT for use at charity events and for educational purposes, such as in wine courses,” Ms. Cheng says.

The annual contest for the Decanter Asia Wine Awards is one of the biggest wine competitions in Asia. The contest began in 2012 in Hong Kong. More than 3,000 wines were entered for the 2017 edition. The purpose of the contest is to introduce consumers and dealers to wines of high quality available in Asia – although not necessarily only those produced in Asia – that have yet to capture public attention.

Decanter also sponsors the Decanter Scholarships for IFT students. Up to 2 IFT students are awarded Decanter Scholarships each academic year. The scholarships are for students pursuing bachelor’s degrees that perform outstandingly in academic courses to do with wine.

Ms. Cheng argues that being knowledgeable about wine can help advance the careers of people working in the food and beverage industry, and in the hospitality industry. She says many businesses sponsor employees to enrol in programmes that lead to internationally recognised wine certification, such as that awarded by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in the United Kingdom. “This type of certificate can really help them in their jobs,” she says.

The IFT Tourism and Hotel School has WSET approval to put on programmes of courses leading to WSET qualifications. The School offers WSET-certified courses at 3 levels, from basic to advanced, taught in English or Chinese. The School also has education partnerships with official bodies in Spain, to promote Sherry – a type of fortified wine originated from the Spanish region of Jerez; in Portugal, to promote Portuguese wines; and in France, to promote Burgundy wines.

President’s Corner

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