In its initial months since its opening, The Palace Hotel has collected a string of culinary success, the latest of which was the recent Cyprus Culinary Competition held in Nicosia.

Chef Mark Briffa won the Gold Medal for the Senior Chicken Dish and received Bronze for the Senior Lamb Dish. Mark Briffa also won the Silver Medal in the Senior Gran Prix competition together with Gordon Galea and Reuben Grixti who joined them in the Grand Prix Team.

Palace chefs, Mark Briffa and Gordon Galea formed part of the team of six top Maltese chefs, members of the Malta Culinary Association representing Malta at the Cyprus Culinary Competition earlier this month. Accompanying the team were president Martin Camilleri and vice-president Mr Roger Debono.

These awards follow hot on the heels of the 8 prestigious Malta Kulinarja Biannual Cookery and Culinary Arts Championships awards, received by The Palace team in December and the Gold Award received in January by Chef Mark Briffa at the Istanbul Festival de Gastronomie.

The Mediterranean Culinary Challenge – Gastronomia 2008 was organised at the Cyprus State Fair Grounds in Nicosia from 7 – 10 February, in collaboration with the Cyprus Chef Association, the Cyprus Federation of Confectioners and the Pancyprian Association of Bakers.

Apart from the Culinary Challenge, Gastronomia 2008’s main aim is to inform professionals from Cyprus and abroad of new tendencies, innovations and technologies in their respective fields and to promote collaboration between them. At the same time, consumers have the opportunity to be informed of new products and services as well as developments in all sectors covered by this exhibition. More than 15,000 visitors attended.

The exhibition is supported by the Cypriot Ministry of Commerce Industry and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and various other organisations including the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Cyprus Hotel Association among others.