With the mission of unceasingly striving to discover and master the culinary arts, drawing on Lebanon’s culture and culinary diversity as well as the Phoenicia Hotel’s heritage, the Phoenicia Culinary Institute launched its first activity on October 24 with a trip to Bdadoun.

The Phoenicia Culinary Institute, under the Phoenicia hotel in Beirut, bridges cultures and combines tastes to deliver true culinary excellence through its two main branches, the Academy and the Club. The Culinary Academy is home to unparalleled training and education for professionals seeking a career in the industry, while the Club is where amateurs and enthusiasts can enhance their knowledge through learning and enjoying unique experiences related to food and beverages.

On October 24 the Club extended an invitation to a select group of influencers, media representatives and culinary fans to spend a day in the mountains at House of Adon – Adon & Myrrh. The group departed from Phoenicia Beirut in a Rida Travel pullman which took them to their destination of Bdadoun, at 500 meters altitude in Mount Lebanon. There, at House of Adon – Adon & Myrrh, the group took part in olive picking before observing the olive presses in action. House of Adon – Adon & Myrrh produces its own brand of olive oil using a unique fusion of enduring age-old techniques and cutting-edge innovative technologies. The activity was followed by an alfresco picnic lunch beneath the olive trees, with live cooking by Phoenicia chefs Franck Page, Rabih Fouany, Ali Atat and Kamel Hassan Haidar, using olives and olive oil as central ingredients. The picnic was enjoyed with local Lebanese wine from Ksara winery. Before the day ended, a group photo was taken for posterity and guests departed with special olive gifts.