Daniel Chia – Director, Elevage SG
Daniel Chia has been involved in the Food & Beverage world since 1987, and now works to provide solutions to F&B businesses in Singapore.
His initial training was at Singapore’s premier Hotel School, SHATEC, where he obtained an NTC-2 Certificate in Food & Beverage Service, followed by a Higher Diploma in Hotel Management.
In the early years of his career, he focused his attention on learning as much as possible about hotel food & beverage operations, and spent time working in various capacities, including fine dining establishments like the now defunct Nutmegs at the Hyatt Regency Singapore. In 1995, Daniel won the SAWEA Wine Education Awards while working at Ristorante Bologna at Marina Mandarin Singapore and was appointed the Sommelier of the restaurant.
Daniel has a wealth of experience in the wines & spirits world, with many years of industry experience, covering stints in sales and marketing within the wines and spirits trade, as well as at 5-star hotels, including the Grand Hyatt Singapore, Raffles Hotel and The Regent Singapore, where he managed restaurants, bars and the hotels’ Wine & Beverage programmes, and has managed the opening of two independent restaurants, one in Singapore, and the other in Shanghai, China.
While working in the trade and in hospitality, he found time to be the Principal Lecturer for the SHATEC Australian Wine Education Awards (SAWEA) Program for 6 years from 1997 to 2002.
Since 2001, Daniel has been (and still continues) contributing to the local wine scene’s understanding of wine communication. As a panelist in local magazines, he was one of the pioneers to use local flavour descriptors to describe the sensory qualities of wine. He also co-developed the ‘Asian Wine Lexicon’ to help new wine consumers in Asia describe wines in their own context.
Daniel was a full-time Lecturer, then later, Senior Lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic from 2005 to 2019, and supported the Hospitality & Tourism Management and the Culinary & Catering Management teams, teaching various subjects covering the areas of F&B Management, Wine & Beverage, F&B Service, Culinary Science, Product Knowledge, Food Hygiene and Gastronomy.
In addition, he also conducted wines and spirits training for Temasek Polytechnic’s Professional Development Centre, and certification programs for l’Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux in Singapore.
In 2006 and 2007, he taught 3 cohorts of undergraduates as Adjunct Professor – Food & Beverage Operations Fundamentals, for the Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration program at the Singapore Campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
In 2011, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022, he was also Adjunct Professor – Wine Studies, for the the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts Management program and the Bachelor of Business Administration in Food Business Management, at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Singapore. In 2022, he also added the Foodservice Management subject to his teaching portfolio.
Daniel was the Founding President of Slow Food (Singapore), a volunteer-run, non-profit, non-governmental organisation working on food issues in Singapore, with an emphasis on preserving and promoting Singapore’ food cultural heritage, from 2013 to 2018, and held the honorary position of Founding President after completing his 5 year term.
During his term, Daniel proposed and launched Slow Food (Singapore)’s Heritage Hero Awards program in 2014, recognising Heritage Bakeries & Confectioneries. Two years later, in 2016, a category for Heritage Restaurants was also launched. He also created Kueh Appreciation Day, the most important event on Slow Food (Singapore)’s calendar, which has been a key Partner Event at Singapore Tourism Board’s Singapore Food Festival, in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Daniel is an alumnus of SHATEC, and has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Hospitality Studies from RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, and a Master’s Degree in Food Culture and Communications with a specialization in Human Ecology and Sustainability from the Università degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche – Pollenzo, Italy.
He is also one of only seven specialised Food Area Tourist Guides, licensed by the Singapore Tourism Board.
Honours & Awards
1. Finalist, Sommelier Mentor – Awards of Excellence 2016 & 2017 – World Gourmet Summit, Singapore
2. Long Service Award – 10 Years – Temasek Polytechnic 2015
3. Award of Excellence – 2005 Restaurant Awards Program – Wine Spectator Magazine, USA 2005
o Club Shanghai – Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China
o Club Shanghai was the 1st Independent Restaurant in Shanghai and 2nd Independent Restaurant in the Peoples Republic of China to receive this award.
4. Best of Award of Excellence – 2004 Restaurant Awards Program – Wine Spectator Magazine, USA 2004
o Raffles Grill – Raffles Hotel, Singapore
5. Finalist, Best Wine List – Awards of Excellence 2004 – World Gourmet Summit Singapore 2004
o Raffles Grill – Raffles Hotel, Singapore
6. Winner, Restaurant of the Year – Awards of Excellence 2002 – World Gourmet Summit Singapore 2002
o mezza9 – Grand Hyatt Singapore
7. Finalist, Best Wine List – Awards of Excellence 2002 – World Gourmet Summit Singapore 2002
o mezza9 – Grand Hyatt Singapore
8. “One of the Best” – Wines by the Glass in Singapore 2002 – Wine & Dine Magazine Singapore 2002
o mezza9 and Martini Bar – Grand Hyatt Singapore
9. Finalist, Best Wine List – Awards of Excellence 2001 – World Gourmet Summit Singapore 2001
o mezza9 – Grand Hyatt Singapore
10. Winning Team Member – 1999/2000 Lindemans Distributor Challenge Trophy – Lindemans 2000
o Jardine Caldbeck Wines & Spirits (S) Pte Ltd
11. Winner, SHATEC Australian Wine Education Award 1995 – Australian Wine Export Council / SHATEC 1995
o Ristorante Bologna – Marina Mandarin Hotel
Judging Activities
1. Singapore’s Top Restaurants Guide, Panel Judge for Wine List Awards and Restaurant Awards (2016 – 2018)
2. 7th Singapore National Sommelier Competition 2016, Judge – Main Panel. (2016)
3. G Top 100 Wine Awards – The Peak Selections | Gourmet &Travel, Panel Judge (2011 – 2015)
4. Appetite Magazine, Singapore, Wine Panellist (2006 – 2011)
5. World Gourmet Summit, Awards of Excellence Wine Scholarships, Examiner – Theory Paper (2007 – 2010)
6. World Gourmet Summit, Awards of Excellence Wine Scholarships, Panel Judge – Practical Assessment (2009)
7. Alsace meets Asia Challenge, Singapore, Panel Judge (2008)
8. Wines & Spirits Asia Challenge, Singapore, Panel Judge (2008)
9. Wine & Dine Magazine, Singapore, Wine Panellist (2001 – 2004)
10. International Wine Challenge, Singapore, Panel Judge (2000)
Projects & Special Events
1. Kueh Appreciation Day 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 (Jul 2015 – Jul 2019)
2. Celebration 90 (Oct 2016 – Jan 2017)
3. Slow Food (Singapore) Heritage Hero Awards Program 2015 (Dec 2015)
4. Balestier Makan Heritage Race (Jul 2015)
5. Slow Food (Singapore) Heritage Heroes Recognition Program 2014 (Aug 2014)
6. APEC Conference 2009 – “Singapore Evening at The Esplanade” (Nov 2009)
7. The Asian Wine Lexicon Project (2006 – 2014)
8. “Fine Wine for the Fine City, Shanghai” (Jun 2004)
9. The New Raffles Hotel Wine, Food and Arts Experience 2004 (Sep 2003 – Feb 2004)