Munch with Contiki & CulinaryOn

Contiki, the world’s leading travel brand for 18-35 year olds, has been cooking up a storm with international culinary edutainment centre CulinaryOn. Home to the largest cooking studio in Asia and located in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, CulinaryOn is joining Contiki to share Contiki’s unique gastronomy trip—Munch—with Singapore’s millennial travellers.

“By combining our passion for travel and CulinaryOn’s passion for food, we want young Singaporeans to place food at the forefront of any travel experience.” 

--- Sam Morrah, Director of Sales and Marketing Asia ---

Food is an intergral part of global culture. Dedicated to the foodies who need nothing but a fork, a knife and a passport when travelling, Munch provides the ultimate culinary itinerary for millenial food travellers to eat their way across Europe. Each trip is led by a unique duo—a Contiki Trip Manager and a foodie social media influencer—who take travellers on their amazing gastronomic journeys.

Using nitrogen to quick-freeze the berries...

Munch provides travellers the fun of a Contiki trip and the chance to explore like a food expert, focussed on sampling delectable local delicacies and wine across nine days with stops in Barcelona, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Genoa, Florence, San Gimignano, Bologna, Lake Como and Milan. Days will be filled with exciting cooking classes, hands-on pasta-making sessions, delectable Tuscan dinners, experential food market outings and elegant wine-making introductions with  nights will be spent relaxing in comfortable hotels.

Moving on to the next dish...

Chef explains what to do for each step of the process...

Through Munch, travellers get the opportunity to gain skills in the realm of food and wine appreciation. Not only do they partake in an enriching learning experience, but they also enjoy a comfortable travel experience: hotel accommodation, luxury coaches and a carefully-curated itinerary of included and optional experiences.

Alongside plenty of opportunities for solo exploration, Munch travellers can expect to enjoy:

• 2 days in Barcelona: Kick off the journey in style with a traditional Tapas feast, then spend some time exploring beautiful Barcelona and take a Spanish cooking class
• 1 day in Aix-en-Provence: Arrive into Aix later afternoon and spend some time exploring this stylish town before being treated to a traditional Provençal bouillabaisse dinner
• 2 days in Florence: Enjoy plenty of time to explore Florence, head out for a traditional Tuscan dinner or get straight on the Gelato. Learn to make pasta in the romantic countryside of a Tuscan villa
• 1 day in Bologna: Get a taste for Bologna while wandering the city’s food markets, then enjoy a traditional dinner of Tortellini Al Ragu 
• 1 day in Milan: Spend an afternoon sipping aperol and watching the action on the bustling plazas before a tasty regional risotto dinner
• Dedicated Foodie Munch Stops: Arles, Nice, Genoa, San Gimignano and Lake Como!

“We’ve replaced postcards with Instagram, and cameras with iPhones, but despite this digitialisation - food is one thing that remains stubbornly analogue Munch capitalises on the incredible food experiences Europe has to offer & provides something truly unique for today’s foodie traveller.”

--- Kelly Jackson, General Manager for Contiki ---

As a part of Contiki’s Limited Edition Summer Series, Munch will run with smaller groups of 25-30 passengers. Two departures of Munch will run in summer 2017, with further departures expected in 2018. For more information on Contiki’s trips throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America check out www.contiki.com

Life’s an adventure – make it count with absolutely #NOREGRETS.

About Contiki Holidays

Contiki is the world leader in travel experiences for 18-35’s. We’re about discovery, once-in-a-lifetime moments, human connections, and making every second of being young count. We run over 300 trips in 50 plus countries, each and every one designed to get to the beating heart of a destination, understanding the local way of life and unearthing #NOREGRETS experiences. A member of the family-owned The Travel Corporation (TTC), we are renowned and trusted for our outstanding quality, service, value, reliability and financial stability. Want to know more? Visit www.contiki.com

About CulinaryOn

An international culinary edutainment concept, CulinaryOn is an exciting and modern space designed for corporate events, parties, private events & dining and world-class cooking experiences. Launched in Oct 2015 in the heart of Singapore’s CBD, CulinaryOn is the largest culinary edutainment studio in Singapore and Asia, and is able to cater to a variety of fun cooking events from anywhere between 2-200 participants. Visit culinaryon.sg for more information

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Cosentino Launches Ultra-Chic Dekton Surface Range

Cosentino is all set to take Singapore by storm with its latest uber-stylish Dekton by Cosentino range. Made of TSP (Technology of Sinterized Particles) technology, the Dekton ultra-compact surface developed exclusively by the Cosentino Group is a new and innovative category of surfaces created by Cosentino with the objective of becoming a global leader in the world of architecture and design.

Distinguished guests at the launch Cosentino by Dekton
include the Spanish Ambassador, Miguel Angel Navarro Portera...

     

It is the result of an investment of 128 million euros and 22,000 hours of research and development, with physical features which make it resistant, durable, and versatile, yet elegantly aesthetic aesthetic. Being the perfect choice for both indoor and outdoor, vertical and horizontal use, whether for floors, stairs, facades or wall surfaces - these characteristics, together with the large size of the Dekton slabs, offer innumerable creative possibilities for architects and designers but more excitingly, recently in the retail and dining environments.

Dekton projects include eateries, cafes, hotels, and homes - Classy yet durable...

Singapore's top Chef, Andre Chiang from Restaurant Andre, ranked third in 2016 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Awards list and first in the Best Restaurant in Singapore list for fourth year running, recently signed on as Asia's First ambassador for Dekton.

As an ardent supporter of Dekton by Cosentino, he recently refurbished his restaurant using the innovative ultra-compact surface from the entrance to the heart of the restaurant, instantly injecting elegance and sophistication to the establishment. 

“The opportunity to work with Cosentino came pretty naturally to me. At Restaurant André, we pride ourselves in the food we serve so it's important that our facilities and environment makes for an effective and efficient space. I especially love Dekton’s multi-facted properties like its resistance to stains, heat and scratches which are important aspects to look for in a commercial kitchen. Another plus is Cosentino’s wide variety of designs and colours that ensures the products are in sync with my design philosophy.” 

-- Chef Andre Chiang  --

The Dekton range is available in more than thirty different references, grouped into five collections: Solid Collection, Natural Collection, Tech Collection, Wild Collection and XGloss Solid Collection. These collections fully reflect the natural references of the base materials with solid colours and natural tones of stone, slate, cement, wood and rust. For more information on Dekton, visit www.dekton.com.

   

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Improved Sunwolves Draw With Powerful Stormers

National Stadium
Kallang, Singapore
14 May 2016

On a hot and humid evening in Singapore Sports Hub, the Sunwolves almost pulled off an upset win over the more experienced South African Stormers on 14 May 2016 in the Super Rugby League game.

Introducing the players, with their vital stats flashed on the huge LCD screens
as they run out into the pitch from the Players' Tunnel...

In this match, Sunwolves rested their captain Shota Horie, giving Game Captaincy to Harumichi Tatekawa, who led the side for the first time. Timothy Bond returns after a ban to take over from Ono, and in the back-line, Atsushi Hiwasa comes in for Kaito Shigeno.

Adorable Sunwolves fan spotted using FaceTime with his friends...

While the adults grab a beer and toast to a good match ahead...

The Stormers kicking off to a shaky start...

After conceding penalties by both sides in the early stages of the game, the Sunwolves scored the first try with Akihito Yamada taking it over the line. The conversion is missed but Sunwolves led by 5 points.

During the match, the Sunwolves was denied a second try five minutes into the second half but the score was cancelled out by the television match official after replays showed that the player Akihito Yamada had not properly grounded the ball. Yamada, who had already scored four times in his team's two previous matches at their adopted second home, took over as the tournament's leading tryscorer with his eighth touchdown this season when he dived over for a earlier try in the 13th minute.

In the beginning of the game, the Sunwolves which were the tournament newcomers, had a commanding 17-3 lead before the Stormers took control and used set plays to gain points. The Sunwolves wasted an 18-point lead when they lost to the Cheetahs at the same venue in Singapore two months ago and the Singapore Sports Hub supporters feared another breakdown when the Stormers scored a try off the back of a driving maul and also had the rugby conversion to reduce the margin to seven points with 20 minutes left of the game.

The future players in a game during half-time...

Rough play at times as the pressure intensifies...

Injury time as play was stopped momentarily...

The Sunwolves had the chance to get more points from a penalty that would have given them a 10-point lead with three minutes to go before the game ends, but opted instead for the lineout and paid poorly when the Stormers launched one last raid in the final minute which ended in managing to draw the game.

Much of the play was just mere inches away from the goal posts...

Just one more centimetre...

The game was super exciting at the closing stages. Sunwolves looked certain to pull off a huge upset only to fade in the last 20 minutes on a humid night in Singapore. South Africa’s Stormers' Vincent Koch scored a late try in the last minute as the team came from 14 points down to manage a 17-17 draw against the Super Rugby newcomer Sunwolves at Singapore's National Stadium. The supporters were disappointed that the Sunwolves did not get a win in Singapore - the team’s second home ground, besides Tokyo. The Stormers extended their lead in the group standings with the draw while denying the Sunwolves their second Super Rugby win.

At the final whistle, the Stormers cheered, while the Sunwolves stared in disbelief at the score...

While the Stormers walk off the pitch, to the cheers of their fans...

Fatigued faces on the Sunwolves team despite the draw.

They were all still at the pitch. Their disappointment was palpable...

Yet, moments later, they overcame their dejection to stand up again, and bow to thank their friends.

Incredible sportsmanship, Sunwolves!

Game Captain, Harumichi Tatekawa, being interviewed...

During the press conference, Head Coach Mark Hammett of Sunwolves and the Game Captain to Harumichi Tatekawa explained that with this experience, the team has gained newfound confidence, and will fight even harder to win the coming matches in the Super Rugby league.

Sunwolves' positive Head Coach Mark Hammett...

A disappointed Harumichi Tatekawa...

Stormers' coach, Robbie Fleck, frankly admits -

"We don't deserve the two points. We were not good enough."

And gives credit to the Sunwolves who "played really well".

We agree, Robbie. But your team played well too!

Keep up the good play, Sunwolves and Stormers!

Your fans will always be rooting for you...

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