SINGAPORE FOOD FESTIVAL SET TO SIZZLE AGAIN IN APRIL 2001

Singapore's annual gastronomic extravaganza, the Singapore Food Festival (SFF), returns in April next year, with a new format to bring some of the events closer to Singapore residents.

For the first time, SFF activities will spread to suburban districts such as Pasir Ris and Hougang, with the newly renovated NTUC Lifestyle World Downtown East hosting FUN with FOOD ) BBQ, Grills, Thrills & More(, one of the key highlights of the SFF.

Another fresh change is that next year's SFF Opening Ceremony on 30 March 2001 will see the event staged at Suntec City Mall for the first time.

SFF 2001,s theme, Feast Your Senses, sets the tone for a month of total dining experiences to demonstrate how food is interwoven into the Singaporean lifestyle. From the cooking to the presentation, from the aesthetics to the appreciation, Feast your Senses makes food the core focus of life's enjoyment, as many a Singaporean gourmet has discovered.

"With Feast Your Senses we would like to show that there are many ways to enjoy food apart from just going to the restaurants. There will be more events that allow one to enjoy food as a form of lifestyle", said the Director of Events Marketing of the Singapore Tourism Board, Mr Kevin Leong.

To kick off this theme, the March 30 opening programme will feature new and exciting activities such as "whacky" food demonstrations, food challenges with guest celebrities, movie marathons and entertainment from live, bands and strolling musicians. SFF 2001 is an industry-wide effort, supported by hotels, restaurants, F&B outlets, shopping malls, attractions and many other partners.

"As was the case with the past festivals, our industry partners have once again been very supportive and innovative. The range of events we have lined-up for April promises to make next year's SFF truly different and exciting", said Mr Leong.

The new events to look out for include MakanDrama by the Park by Action Theatre, The Great Wedding Feast by the Far East Square, Gourmet Express Safari and the Potjie Safari by Night Safari, A Black & White Affair ) Dinner with Penguins by Jurong Birdpark.

Besides new events, new partners have been roped in for next year's festival. For the first time, Citibank N.A will be the Presenter for the event. Mr Bill Glickert, Country Marketing Director, Citibank Global Consumer Banking said, "Citibank is proud to present the Singapore Food Festival 2001. We see this as an excellent opportunity to bring to Singaporeans and Citibank cardmembers, an exciting line-up of creative dining experiences. Citibank cardmembers can look forward to culinary experiences and benefits such as preferential offers, discounts and complimentary admission to events."

He added, "The SFF complements our continuing efforts to bring Citibank cardmembers greater value in line with their preferred lifestyle. Citibank's current F&B program already offers cardmembers exclusive benefits to an extensive choice of outlets - from family restaurants to romantic fine dining."

Other new event partners include Wong San's Pte Ltd, Hotel New Otani, The Blue Lobster Seafood Restaurant and TalentX.

TalentX, an internet-based outfit, will illustrate photography and food styling techniques used by industry professionals to capture mouth-watering pictures and moments. It will also run a photo competition, I Love Singapore Food, where photographers are invited to take pictures that depict people enjoying food in Singapore. All works will be displayed at an online exhibition and the winning entries will be exhibited during the SFF at Far East Square.

Month of Great Food Live it up!

A fitting complement to the SFF, the World Gourmet Summit (WGS) commences on 22 April and lasts until 27 April 2001. The WGS will see more than 10 outstanding masterchefs displaying their culinary skills and whetting the appetite of food connoisseurs with their signature dishes.

To get Singaporeans excited about next year's festival, the STB will be exploring various ways to raise awareness of the SFF. Apart from working with transport companies, radio stations and other local media, the STB will collaborate with SP e-services, a subsidiary of Singapore Power, to ensure that 1.2 million households will receive in March inserts carrying information about the Singapore Food Festival, along with their monthly utility bills.

"We have said before that Singapore is the place to live it up and good food is certainly a great way to live it up. For those intending to indulge and eat to their heart's content, there is no better place to do so than in Singapore and no better time than during the Singapore Food Festival and World Gourmet Summit in April 2001", Mr. Leong said.