The Grand Chapitre programme commenced with a Welcome Dinner at the Excelsior Hotel on Friday, March 21st. On the Saturday the Induction Ceremony and Gala Dinner were held at the Phoenicia Hotel. Sunday lunch at Ta Frenc on Gozo completed the events.

A number of organised tours for overseas members were also included over the three-day schedule. These included visits to the City of Mdina (the old capital of Malta), Valletta, the Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea) and finally a full day guided tour of Malta’s sister island Gozo. All were greatly enjoyed by the members. As usual they were accompanied by our expert local guide Mariella Bose.

At the Welcome Dinner and again at the Induction Ceremony, Dr Joseph Xuereb, our Bailli Délégué who is a Member of the Conseil Magistral, extended a special welcome to Ilse Duponcheel, Bailli Délégué of Belgium and also a Member of the Conseil Magistral, who had been appointed by the President to preside over the Induction Ceremony and be our guest of honour as his representative.

It was a delight to have had a good response from overseas members, no less than 15 nationalities in fact - for example from France, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Sultanate of Oman, Bulgaria and Germany. All were most welcome.

The Bailliage of Malta itself is truly international as it comprises a mixture of nationalities. We have members from Malta including Gozo, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden and Italy.

We were established 44 years ago, and next year it will be a great 45th anniversary. The National Board is already planning something rather special for the occasion.

Our membership is 70 strong, a small bailliage, compared to much larger countries. But for a country with less than half a million permanent inhabitants, we are doing very well. We established our OMGD (Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs) group five years ago and now have 22 members. On average, we hold between six and eight official dinners a year.

We have recently added to our membership several young members, which thankfully significantly reduced the average age of our members.

In an e-mail to Charles Gatt (who after 20 years will soon be stepping down from his role as Chancelier), Ilse Duponcheel wrote: “The event was nothing short of exceptional and knowing that the feedback has been so positive is truly heartening. The honour of leading the Induction Ceremony was made all the more special by the warmth and enthusiasm of everyone present. But above all, it was your dedication and remarkable service over the past 20 years that made the occasion so meaningful. What an extraordinary legacy you leave behind!”

Adapted from a detailed report prepared by Mark Bailey, Chargé de Presse