Homegrown@Souk: Madinat Jumeirah to host food festival for eco-conscious eaters

The food festival runs from February 28 to March 7, and features farmers' markets, cooking classes and set menus

Homegrown@Souk at Souk Madinat Jumeirah includes set menus, cooking classes and vegetable markets

A market featuring local producers, curated menus with home-grown ingredients and classes that promote healthy cooking techniques and produce are all on offer at Homegrown@Souk. The week-long food festival is being hosted from Friday, February 28 to Saturday, March 7 at the sprawling Souk Madinat Jumeirah property in Dubai. It aims to showcase “a world of eco-friendly culinary possibilities”.

Here’s what you can expect:

Vegetable markets

Two free-to-attend VeggiTech Markets will be held on Friday, February 28 and March 6, from 9.30am until the produce runs out. These will allow visitors to pick up healthy ingredients grown within an 80-kilometre radius of Souk Madinat Jumeirah, as well as to engage with home-grown producers.

The markets are held in collaboration with the UAE Agri-Tech start-up, and want to promote an “act local, think global” rationale, by providing locally sourced produce that comes without packaging or in easily compostable, plant-based packaging.

Shoppers will also be provided with a complimentary tote bag to further drive home the plastic-free message.

Masterclass timetable

The masterclasses are a mix of fun and learning, and will be held at the property's various restaurants for the duration of the Homegrown@Souk food festival. You can sign up for the classes through the @SoukMadinatJumeirah Instagram page.

Classes included are:

On Friday, February 28, attend a Grow Well tomato and bruschetta class at 11am at Trattoria Toscana.

On Saturday, February 29, head to Indian restaurant Ushna for a curry-pairing masterclass at 7pm.

On Sunday, March 1, McGettigan’s Irish Pub will host an “origins stories” beverage session from 7pm.

On Monday, March 2, Trader Vic’s will host a cocktail masterclass 7pm.

On Wednesday, March 4, The Meat Co will host a masterclass in fizz from 7pm.

On Friday, March 6, Maria Bonita will run a family guacamole-making class at 11am.

On Saturday, March 7, Belgian Beer Café will conduct a craft beverage workshop from 7pm.

Food and beverage tours of Souk Madinat Jumeirah

If tasting is more your thing, sign up for the Dine Around food tour and tasting class by FooDiva on Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30pm. The tour will take in three eateries: Taverna, Trattoria Toscana, The Meat Co. and Folly.

On Thursday, March 5, embark on a beverage tour from 7pm, which includes stops at Folly, Publique, Times Of Arabia, The Meat Co, Americano and Segreto.

Or simply spend your Saturdays at the Sip, Sway, Sunset evening at Folly from 4pm, to enjoy happy-hour range beverages concocted using herbs and produce from the VeggiTech markets, with home-grown music artists playing alongside.

Restaurant Week

Several restaurants on the property are putting together set menus at subsidised rates – between Dh99 and Dh199. In keeping with the festival's eco-conscious slant, all dishes and drinks will incorporate locally sourced ingredients.

Restaurants offering set menus in the Dh99 price bracket include The Noodle House, Perry & Blackwelder's smokehouse and Al Makan Arabic restaurant.

Dishing up Dh149 menus are French eatery Publique, Italian restaurants Segreto and Trattoria Toscana; Mexican cantina Maria Bonita, and Belgian Beer Cafe and McGettigan's Irish Pub.

For Dh199, enjoy the delicacies whipped up by the award-winning Folly by Nick and Scott, Ushna for fine Indian fare and Anar Dubai, which serves 2,500-year-old Persian recipes.