The organisers behind the annual The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards have announced that this year’s awards will be hosted at the Sands Theatre within the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.
It will be the first time that the awards have been celebrated in Asia. Hosted annually in London, UK until 2015, the event went global in 2016 when the event was hosted in New York City. Since then, chefs from across the world have gathered in Melbourne, Australia, and Bilbao, Spain, to network, celebrate and share.
“We couldn’t be more excited to host our upcoming edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants programme in Singapore, culminating in the gala awards in the iconic Marina Bay Sands integrated resort on Tuesday 25 June,” says William Drew, group editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
“The venue, and the host location as a whole, offers everything from street food and heritage dining to upscale celebrity chef establishments. The rich diversity of cuisine on offer in the city is incredible.”
Beyond the awards
In recent years the event has developed into a comprehensive programme spread over several days where chefs gather to share experiences, cook together and party. In Singapore these will include the 50BestTalks where chefs and restaurateurs will discuss trends and developments in the profession.
For the first time locals and visitors will be able to attend a series of masterclasses, featuring some of the world’s best chefs, and collaborative four-hands dinners that will offer unique dining experiences across Singapore. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel will host all masterclasses, 50BestTalks as well as the collaborative dinners.
A host of other awards will be presented on the night, including the elit™ Vodka World’s Best Female Chef, the American Express Icon and the Miele One To Watch, as well as the recipient of the 50 Best BBVA Scholarship.
A boon for Singapore
This year’s event is the first in a three-year partnership between The World’s 50 Best and Singapore Tourism Board. “We are delighted to host a week-long series of events with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in Singapore this June,” says Melissa Ow, deputy chief executive of Singapore Tourism Board.
“Holding the 50 Best branded events here will not only benefit local enterprises through the creation of newbusiness opportunities, but also help to profile Singapore’s culinary talents and brands on an international stage.”
For the 2019 edition of the awards, organisers behind the 50 Best have rung the changes after sustained criticism of the voting system, a perceived lack of diversity and transparency. Changes have been made to its academy of voters and voting eligibility rules to promote greater diversity and inclusivity. This includes the application of a gender parity policy in selecting voters.
There will also be a change in the way restaurants are ranked in a way to include a broader spread of restaurants in the top 10 restaurants. Any previous recipient of the award for best restaurant in the world will now be ranked in a separate group named the Best of the Best.
Tina Nielsen
