Cebu Food & Wine Festival to promote ‘good food signature dishes’ of Cebuanos

CEBU CITY – The 3^rd annual Cebu Food and Wine Festival (CFWF) kicks off on June 3 at 4:00 PM with an awesome culinary experience at the beachfront of Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan for the CFWF 2023 Grand Tasting.

“This year’s CFWF has an incredible lineup of 15 hotels, 40 restaurants, 20 national chefs, and 10 mixologists gathering in Cebu for the next 15 days, June 3-17, spanning multiple venues across Cebu and Mactan. 

Unlike conventional festivals that are held at a single venue over a few days, CFWF is a collection of pocket events that encourage attendees to visit as many participating venues as possible exploring Cebu and the culture the island has to offer,” CFWF 2023 chair Cathleen Anzani said during the media briefing first week of May at the lobby of Radisson Blu hotel.

Anzani said that the CFWF’s mission is in the “call to action “aligned with the National Tourism Development Plan for 2023 of the Department of Tourism (DOT). This project is the successful result of a private-public relationship that has been fortified with one goal-- for product development and to food stamp the Tatak Pinoy cuisine culture with an output result of 200 new food developments after the festival in Cebu.

According to Riza Macaibay, DOT-7 senior operations officer that two years ago Kate Anzani and friends approached DOT-7 USEC Shalimar Tamano and proposed this idea of connecting and bridging the gap between farmers, food suppliers and restaurateurs in one event to promote good food signature dishes, and heirloom recipes.

“It is our hope that through this event, sustainable farming, culinary cultural exchanges, and small-time producers are given attention through promotion and connection with different suppliers and of course, the general public,” Maibay said.

CFWF is a celebration of Tatak Pinoy food

This year’s CFWF theme “Savor our Culture” aims to raise the culinary bar for the country as CFWF was created to highlight cultural produce, regional cuisine, people and places. Unlike other festivals, people will come not only to taste food and experience wine pairings but also to savor the culture behind the food that creates progressive socio-economic impact for the region, Anzani bared.

According to the organizers, the two-week food festival seeks to bridge that gap between the dinner plate and authentic sustainable source of ingredients by making people pay for the true value of what they eat without underpricing labor, local produce and suppliers that are constantly challenged by cheaper imported goods. The goals are sustainable.

The CFWF is a gathering and celebration of the Tatak Pinoy food culture as the organizers bring in renowned national chefs all over the country to showcase signature new dishes from the local Cebuano ingredients. There are currently 25 chefs, 18 hotels, 42 restaurants participating in this Festival.

Anzani bared that CFWF activities are composed of lunches and dinners, Wine Seminars and Tastings, Boat Safari Tours, Pop-up Dinners, future food trends alerts, Beach Brunch. These activities are spread across the cities of Cebu, Bohol, Dumaguete, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

“We are excited to make the CFWF23 a historic milestone for Cebu and for the Philippines.  We hope that all of the Cebuanos can be part of this worthwhile movement by telling the narrative, featuring the schedules and having everyone know, to come to Cebu and to the Philippines,” Anzani told the media and content creators during the briefing.

In addition to Cebu, the Food and Wine Festival will carry its framework to four regions in the country starting in July in Manila, September in Ilocos and November in Davao.  Click  www.cebufoodandwinefestival.com for more details and information.

The Cebu Food and Wine Festival 2023 is supported by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Central Visayas Office, Visit Central Visayas, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Cebu Business Months (CBM) and co-presented by Cebu Pacific Air as the official Airline partner, Globe Telecom, Chroma Hospitality, and Aussie Beef & Lamb.

Experience culinary brilliance as the country’s finest chefs gather for the Cebu Food and Wine Festival 2023 Grand Tasting! Indulge in a feast for the senses on June 3 at 4 PM at the beachfront of Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan. (Photos: MBCNewman/CFWF Facebook)