SINGAPORE: In what could be a major coup for Singapore, a group of chefs here is bidding to bring a premier chefs association to Singapore for the first time in 80 years.

The World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) made Europe its home for 50 years before moving to the US and Canada.

However, some chefs said it is time for the association to come to Asia, and Singapore would be the best choice because the country is popular with tourists and is slated to host a series of major international events such as the Formula One race later this year and the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

Singapore, they added, will also have two new integrated resorts which would lead to a booming hotel and F&B industry.

The team from Singapore is confident it can secure the WACS leadership when the association meets in Dubai next month, as about 51 percent of the 82 chefs societies around the world have given their support to Singapore.

The Singapore team also has the backing of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), which plans to tap on the S$3 billion Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund to upgrade the skills of Singapore's workforce in the hotel and F&B industry.

According to Chef John Sloane, who is running for the post of WACS president, the Singapore team will be able to transform WACS into a world authority on food, making it a world-class association.

He said: "We will give a strong mandate that we want to make a change. We will corporatise WACS and have a new charter that will give us empowerment to mobilise programmes.

"We want to connect with the junior chefs – those who are under 25 years of age. We want to work to formulate better education policies to help developing countries and this will be a cross pollination between our established associations in Europe, USA and Asia..."


- CNA/so