Building the Next Chapter of a Culinary Legacy
For Chef Georges Dakkak, cooking has never been simply about preparing food.
It is about creating experiences, understanding people, developing teams, respecting ingredients and transforming an idea into something that people can remember.
With more than 25 years in hospitality, Georges has built an international career spanning Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and now Australia.
His journey has taken him from professional kitchens to culinary consulting, entrepreneurship, hospitality development, international judging, culinary education and food-industry representation.
Over the course of his career, he has developed and contributed to more than 35 hospitality and dining concepts, working across restaurants, catering, consulting, premium food production and major international events.
Now, in 2026, Georges is entering another significant chapter of his journey.
Australia is not a restart.
It is an opportunity to bring together everything he has learned over more than two decades and build the next generation of Le Georges Group.
A Passion That Started in Lebanon
Georges’ professional journey began in Lebanon, where his passion for food and hospitality developed at an early age.
His first years in professional kitchens taught him the fundamentals that would later become central to his philosophy: discipline, consistency, respect for ingredients, teamwork and the importance of never stopping learning.
Working through different kitchens and hospitality environments allowed him to understand the industry from the ground up.
Those experiences also taught him an important lesson: being a chef is not only about cooking.
A chef has to understand people.
He has to understand the guest, the team, the business and the product.
That combination of creativity and responsibility would eventually become one of the defining characteristics of Georges’ career.
From Lebanon to the Gulf
In 2017, Georges founded Le Georges in Lebanon, initially focusing on catering and culinary consulting.
This was a major turning point in his career.
He was no longer simply working within hospitality businesses. He was developing his own concepts, advising operators and taking responsibility for the wider experience surrounding food.
In 2018, his consulting career expanded into Kuwait.
In 2019, his professional journey continued into Saudi Arabia, where he worked across a rapidly developing hospitality market and became involved in projects and concepts in destinations including Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, AlUla and Neom.
The Gulf became an important part of Georges’ development as a culinary professional and entrepreneur.
Working across different markets taught him how to adapt without losing his identity.
His culinary style evolved from his Lebanese and Mediterranean roots, incorporating Middle Eastern flavours with French and Italian techniques, while remaining open to influences from different culinary cultures.
Today, that versatility remains one of his defining strengths.
Building More Than a Restaurant Business
As Georges’ experience grew, so did his understanding of hospitality.
He began looking beyond the plate.
For him, a successful hospitality business is the result of many elements working together: a strong concept, exceptional food, talented people, disciplined operations and a clear understanding of the guest experience.
That philosophy became the foundation of Le Georges Group, which developed across Lebanon and Saudi Arabia through catering, culinary consulting, hospitality development and food concepts.
In 2017, Georges established Le Georges in Lebanon, initially focusing on catering and consulting. Over time, the business evolved into a broader group of hospitality ventures.
One of its key developments was Le Georges Art of Catering, created to deliver bespoke catering experiences for private, corporate and high-profile events.
The group also expanded its culinary identity through Le Georges by the Sea, bringing the Mediterranean spirit of the brand into a distinctive hospitality concept.
Alongside these ventures, Georges developed ÔSEL, focusing on artisanal cured meats, butchery and meat craftsmanship, reflecting another important area of his culinary expertise.
Together, these projects represent the evolution of Georges from chef to consultant, and from consultant to entrepreneur and hospitality brand builder.
Over the course of his career, Georges has developed and contributed to more than 35 hospitality and dining concepts across different markets.
His work has ranged from culinary development and menu creation to operational consulting, concept development, catering, team building, hospitality strategy, butchery and premium food production.
For Georges, each concept is an opportunity to tell a different story while remaining connected to the same philosophy: quality, identity, craftsmanship and genuine hospitality.
The chef became a consultant.
The consultant became an entrepreneur.
And the entrepreneur became a brand builder.
HORECA: A Platform for Culinary Exchange
An important part of Georges’ professional journey has been his involvement with the HORECA hospitality platform across the region.
His career has connected him with HORECA events in Beirut, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, placing him within an environment where chefs, producers, hospitality operators and food professionals come together to exchange ideas and showcase culinary talent.
These platforms have provided Georges with opportunities to share his knowledge, participate in culinary activities, connect with international chefs and producers, and contribute to the wider development of the hospitality industry.
For him, HORECA has represented more than a professional platform.
It has been a place for culinary exchange, education and collaboration.
A Passion for Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Among the subjects Georges has shared through his culinary education and masterclasses is extra virgin olive oil.
Coming from a Mediterranean culinary background, olive oil has always been more than an ingredient in his cooking.
It is part of the culture.
Through masterclasses dedicated to extra virgin olive oil, Georges has explored subjects including quality, tasting, characteristics, culinary applications, food pairing and understanding the differences between premium oils.
His approach combines traditional Mediterranean knowledge with a professional understanding of how chefs can evaluate and use olive oil effectively.
For Georges, educating chefs and hospitality professionals about ingredients is an important part of protecting culinary traditions while encouraging a more modern understanding of food.
His philosophy is simple: the better you understand an ingredient, the better you can use it.
ÔSEL: Meat, Butchery and Craftsmanship
Another important chapter in Georges’ career has been his work with meat and artisanal cured products through ÔSEL.
His interest in butchery, curing and meat craftsmanship reflects a deeper philosophy about respecting the entire product.
For Georges, working with meat is about understanding the animal, the cut, the ageing or curing process and the final application.
It is a combination of tradition, precision and creativity.
This expertise has also contributed to his identity as a chef who is particularly passionate about premium meat, fire cooking and the relationship between product and technique.
Recognition Beyond the Kitchen
Georges’ career has also taken him beyond restaurants and into the wider international culinary community.
Since 2018, he has served as an international culinary judge with Worldchefs, contributing his professional experience to culinary competitions and the development of chefs.
His career has also included major culinary platforms and educational events across the Middle East.
He has participated in Sirha Arabia and Sirha Lyon, sharing his knowledge through culinary presentations, professional events and masterclasses.
In 2025, his work received recognition through the La Liste 1000 Silver Selection, marking another important milestone in his professional journey.
These achievements represent different sides of Georges’ career: cooking, judging, teaching, consulting and contributing to the wider hospitality industry.
Representing Australian Produce in the Middle East
Georges’ connection with Australia began developing professionally before his move to the country.
Since 2023, he has served as an ambassador for Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) in the Middle East, helping promote Australian meat and connect premium Australian produce with hospitality professionals and markets across the region.
This role created an important bridge between his Middle Eastern professional network and Australia’s food culture.
It also gave Georges a deeper appreciation of the quality, consistency and diversity of Australian produce.
Today, that relationship takes on a new meaning.
He is no longer simply representing Australia from abroad.
He is now building his future within Australia itself.
The Red Sea International Film Festival and Major Events
Georges’ professional experience has also extended into large-scale hospitality and international events.
His involvement with the Red Sea International Film Festival added another dimension to his career, combining high-level culinary operations with the demands of major international events and high-profile guests.
These environments require precision, flexibility and the ability to perform under pressure.
For Georges, they reinforced an important belief: hospitality at the highest level is ultimately about delivering consistency, regardless of the scale or complexity of the event.
The People Behind the Food
Despite the number of concepts, countries and achievements attached to his career, Georges remains particularly focused on people.
Over more than two decades, he has worked with countless chefs, managers and hospitality professionals.
He considers watching people grow to be one of the most rewarding parts of his career.
Leadership, for Georges, is not about simply giving instructions.
It is about creating an environment where people can learn, take responsibility and become better professionals.
A restaurant may have an exceptional chef, but without a strong team, the experience cannot reach its full potential.
That philosophy has influenced his work as a chef, consultant, mentor and educator.
Australia: A New Chapter, Not a New Beginning
In 2026, Georges moved to Australia.
After years of professional experience across the Middle East, the move represents a significant new chapter.
But Georges does not see it as starting from zero.
He sees it as bringing together everything he has learned.
“I don’t see Australia as starting again. I see it as bringing everything I’ve learned over the last 25 years into one place and building from there.”
Australia offers something particularly meaningful to Georges: a diverse food culture, exceptional produce and an environment where different culinary traditions coexist.
For a chef whose identity is deeply connected to Lebanon and the Mediterranean, Australia also offers the opportunity to introduce those flavours and traditions to a new audience while continuing to evolve.
His goal is not simply to reproduce what he has done in the Middle East.
It is to take the experience, knowledge and identity he has developed over the years and create something that belongs to this new chapter.
Building Le Georges Group in Australia
Georges’ focus is now on developing Le Georges Group in Australia.
The vision extends beyond a single restaurant.
It includes culinary consulting, catering, hospitality development, premium food production, culinary education and future concepts.
The ambition is to build a group that can grow while maintaining a clear culinary identity.At its heart will remain the same philosophy that has guided Georges throughout his career: respect for the product, strong teams, memorable experiences and disciplined hospitality.
His Mediterranean and Lebanese heritage will remain an important part of the brand, while Australian produce and the country’s multicultural food environment will add another dimension.
The result is intended to be a genuine fusion of experience rather than a simple combination of cuisines.
Turning Challenges Into Experience
A career spanning more than 25 years naturally includes challenges.
Hospitality is unpredictable. Markets change, businesses evolve and plans do not always develop exactly as expected.
Georges believes those experiences are part of what makes a professional stronger.
Success is not simply about how high you go.
It is also about how you respond when things do not go according to plan.
Every difficult project teaches something.
Every mistake can become experience.
Every new market forces you to adapt.
That mindset has allowed Georges to continue evolving rather than remaining attached to one definition of success.
A Culinary Identity Still Evolving
Georges Dakkak’s career is ultimately a story of evolution.
From his early years in Lebanon to his work in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, from chef to consultant, entrepreneur, educator, international judge and brand builder, every stage has added another layer to his identity.
His journey has crossed restaurants, catering, consulting, hospitality development, meat and butchery, culinary competitions, masterclasses, international events and premium food representation.
Today, Australia becomes the next stage of that journey.
His ambition is not simply to be recognised as a chef.
He wants to create experiences, build businesses, develop people and establish a culinary identity that can continue to grow for years to come.
And perhaps most importantly, he wants the next generation of chefs to understand that a career in hospitality does not have to follow one fixed path.
You can start in a kitchen and become a consultant.
You can become an entrepreneur.
You can teach.
You can judge.
You can represent a country’s food products.
You can build a brand.
You can change direction.
And you can start again without ever losing the value of what came before.
For Georges, the Australian chapter is therefore not the beginning of his story.
It is the continuation of everything he has built.
With more than two decades of international experience behind him and a new market ahead, he is bringing together his Lebanese roots, Mediterranean culinary identity, Middle Eastern experience and Australian future.
The journey continues.
And the next chapter of Le Georges is only beginning.
Follow Georges Dakkak on Instagram
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