Throughout the action-packed 4-day programme we will be joined by some truly iconic people who will add to the flavour and flair during the event! Whether hosting our events, giving keynotes, taking part in panels judging Hilton Tastemakers, these awesome people will bring their signature stardust to proceedings.
Asma Khan is an Indian-born British restaurateur and cookbook author. She owns the legendary Darjeeling Express restaurant in London’s Soho and was profiled on the sixth season of the documentary series Chef’s Table. In 2019 Business Insider named Khan number 1 on their list of “100 Coolest People in Food and Drink”. In 2022 the World Food Programme named her a chef advocate and in 2024 Time named her one of the year’s 100 most influential people. Asma will form part of the power panel for Emma’s Oui Shef session and then she will take her seat as a Signature Judge of Flavour & Flair.
Lebanese Chef, UNEP Food waste advocate, Arab chef-fluencer and content creator extraordinaire Leyla Fathallah is a great friend to Hilton having worked with us to drive impact across our Green Ramadan initiatives for the past two years. When Leyla cooks the Arab world listens and we are honored that she too joins Emma’s Oui Shef power panel – she will also be a Focused Judge at Flavour & Flair!
Poppy O’Toole is a Michelin trained chef from a small town called Bromsgrove (near Birmingham) with nearly 10 years experience working in professional kitchens and now the self-titled Potato Queen who shot to fame during Covid on Tik Tok, where she has 4.5 million followers. Poppy will form part of the power panel for Emma’s Oui Shef session and then she will take her seat as a Signature Judge of Flavour & Flair.
Helen McGinn aka ‘@knackeredmother is a best-selling author, TV Wine Expert and extended member of the Hilton F&D family having been instrumental in the game changing Uncorking Potential wine playbook and wine by the glass programme. She has also been a signature judge at Flavour & Flair for the past two years. Helen is famous for speaking the ‘language of the listener’, making the complex subject of wine super accessible.
Helen is the resident wine expert on UK TV programme Saturday Kitchen, she also writes for Waitrose and the Daily Mail. Helen will be joining us as an emcee alongside Joachin Hartl at The Taste Experience Gal dinner, she will join Tom on stage to discuss wine and she will take her rightful place as a judge at the F&F Final.
Kat is a professional stylist, fashion blogger, podcast host and presenter on ITV’s This Morning in the UK. She also authored a book called Get Changed which detailed the transformative power of a wardrobe when it comes to building confidence. Kat will co-host the F&D Rockstars awards with Emma and host a panel on how a uniform can shape culture.
Gérard Bertrand is a former rugby union player who represented France, RC Narbonne, and the Stade Français and then retired from rugby to take over the family estate to become a renowned winemaker of Languedoc-Roussillon. Gerard is the world’s most prolific maker of organic and biodynamic wines – he is also one of our most important partners across the EMEA region. Taking rockstardom to new heights GB famously launched Hampton Water Rosé with Jon and Jesse Bon Jovi – partnering with Hilton to put the epic wine on the map! You can look forward to a keynote speech from GB at The Taste Experience gala dinner – he will also be hosting a must-visit wine workshop.
José Pizarro is a Spanish chef, restaurateur and writer. He runs José Pizarro Group, which currently includes six restaurants in the UK and one in Abu Dhabi (at our very own Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers). He has published six cookbooks and is a regular guest on TV shows and at festivals around the UK. Pizarro is often credited with making Spanish food popular in the country. Jose will be joining us as an esteemed Signature Judge at Flavour & Flair!
That would be telling!!!
You have got to have a few surprises! These two legends will be joining Emma on stage during her keynote speech.
They say that finding great partnership is the key to success in anything….We have our amazing partners to thank for their support in bringing both…
The Countdown is on until the EMEA F&D Conference Istanbul 2025 and the grand final of Flavour & Flair Hilton Tastemakers!
As the largest hotel in the city Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center is no stranger to hosting high profile conferences and events.
