Cebu’s hospitality players have come together to stage the first-ever Cebu Food and Wine Festival (CFWF) to revive the pandemic-ravaged tourism and culinary industries of the island.

Non-profit group Ministry of Wine and Food, created to organize the CFWF, said on Tuesday the event will take place on April 18-May 2.

Restaurateur Kate Dychangco-Anzani, who leads the CFWF, said in a social media post that the festival is “a recovery project for the hospitality industry” in the province in cooperation with the Department of Tourism, Cebu City Tourism Commission, and in line with the 500th Quincentennial commemorations here.

She urged industry players to participate in the event, register through www.cebufoodandwinefestival.com and support this province-wide movement.

The organizers said 60 events are slated throughout the 15-day festival including two grand tasting events in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu in Mactan.

The CFWF will feature partner restaurants executing four-hand dinners, lunches, “special ingredient” events, menu tasting, featuring of specialty wines from different regions in France, Italy, New Zealand and Australia, club bookings and cooking classes.

However, due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation, restaurants have limited seating capacity.

The CFWF was created to highlight the culinary prowess of the produce, people and places of Cebu.

It said the abundance of produce from the seas to the mountains allows and empowers chefs in Cebu to create culinary masterpieces that delight and even exceed the highest expectations.

“We are fortunate to have local Cebu Culinarians who star in the live movie of creating memorable and magical dishes that leaves us with fondest memories of meals that wowed us beyond words,” the group said.