Ennismore announces Chef Sara Aqel as the new Executive Chef of Fi’lia worldwide, while continuing to lead Fi’lia Dubai
Ennismore, a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands, has revealed the appointment of Chef Sara Aqel as the global Executive Chef of Fi’lia, the award-winning Italian restaurant concept that continues to expand worldwide.
The appointment will see Chef Aqel expand her current role from Chef de Cuisine of Fi’lia Dubai to now oversee sister Fi’lia locations in Miami’s SLS Brickell and South Beach locations and SLS Baha Mar in the Bahamas, with a fifth location in Paris to open this year.
In her new role, the 26-year-old Palestenian-Jordanian culinary genius will take charge of the growing culinary brand that champions women and celebrates a genuine approach to Italian cuisine with a hint of Mediterranean influence.
Born and raised in Jordan and coming from a family who expressed their feelings through food, Sara went on to study at Les Roches Crans-Montana in Switzerland, after graduating high school, one of the world’s leading hospitality schools with a focus on Culinary Arts and Hotel Management. She successfully completed her education and holds degrees from Les Roches, as well as the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in Jordan. Prior to joining Fi’lia, Sara worked for a number of renowned establishments in the Middle East and most notably with Michelin-starred Chef Massimo Bottura, where her passion for Italian cooking was ignited and nurtured.
Sara Aqel, Executive Chef, Fi’lia said, “I’m very honoured to continue my journey at Fi’lia as Executive Chef and I look forward to exploring even more opportunities to enhance the experiences of our guests with honest and innovative dishes.”
Chadi Farhat, Brand COO, Ennismore explained that they were very proud to see Sara expanding her role at Fi’lia as their new Executive Chef; as Sara not only brings her leadership and culinary expertise to the team, but also her passion for bringing people together through authentic dining experiences.
In her previous role of Chef de Cuisine at Fi’lia Dubai, Sara led a talented team of women, creating unique stories through her dishes. Her fond memories of cooking with her mother perfectly merged with Fi’lia’s philosophy of Italian-Mediterranean food passed on from one generation of women to the next.
Fi’lia offers a warm setting where diners can savour wholesome Italian food made with fresh ingredients. The restaurant takes diners on a culinary story with a menu representative of three stages of womanhood; nonna, meaning grandmother in Italian, represents traditional Italian flavours, mamma, meaning mother, offers a contemporary twist on Italian classics and finally, filia, meaning daughter, showcases a modern approach to generational masterpieces.
