Steve Mallia and Reuben Grixti, sous chefs at Le Méridien St Julian's, in Balluta Bay, represented Malta in the sixth edition of the Istanbul International Gastronomy Festival, taking home a total of seven awards.
They won three gold medals, from a total of eight awarded throughout the whole week of the festival, two bronze medals and another two bronze medals as a team. Reuben Grixti also won Best Practical Competitor.
More than 700 chefs were invited to challenge each other during this international competition, held at the Tuyap Beylikduzu Congress and Exhibition Centre. They were judged by an international jury.