Caterer Middle East - Dec 2009

Serving the region’s catering professionals

An ITP Business Publication

December 2009 • Vol 05 • Issue 12

Presenting the winners of the Caterer Middle East Awards 2009: the cream of the catering crop

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

ContentsVolume 5 Issue 12

December 2009 Caterer Middle East 01

05 NewsBeverage professionals call for industry improvements; Jordan in need of qualified staff; food and fashion marketing merge08 Finding your F&B nicheThe process of developing a new outlet theme is not a simple one, explain experts12 Mystery shopperEthos Consultancy reveals the true stan-dard of customer service at UAE outlets and offers advice on how to better your business16 Culinary confessionsMarcus Gregs shares his kitchen tales; this month, a lesson in festive organisation20 Kitchen correspondentsIntroducing our trainee diary — an hon-est account of life as a student of F&B

22 RoundtableSeasoned sommeliers discuss their grape expectations for the region28 Industry insightF&B professionals explain why kids are the key to repeat family business 32 The industry’s elitePresenting the winners of the inaugural Caterer Middle East Awards52 Lost in the dessertSweet creators from around the region explain their passion for pastries66 Product showcaseThe latest and greatest F&B products71 Last biteMichelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett on Verre, vegetables and Gordon Ramsay

32ContentsDecember 2009

2220Cover

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Web contents

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Online

For the latest news and stories go to www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Take a tour of The Address Dubai Mall’s F&B outlets

In pictures

Check out the new hotel’s lobby lounge Kar-at, all-day dining outlet Na3Na3, pool-side restaurant and lounge Cabana and modern lounge Amatista [pictured]. The signature restaurant, Ember, opens later this month.

Moving with the marketEven established eateries must look to their laurels in this fast-paced region — which is why some of the region’s most reputable F&B outlets are considering how best to reposition their offering, in order to remain relevant amidst the current flurry of openings and promotions. [Pictured: Franck Detrait, the new chef at Traiteur, Park Hyatt Dubai, with his team.]

Savvy or slack?Customer service profes-sionals assess the standard of the region’s F&B staff

Editor’s pick

Most popularCaterer Awards: WINNERS REVEALED!

Why dry doesn’t mean destitute

BiCE outlet set for Dubai launch

1.2.3.

Features

The festive fight The halal harvestAs global interest in halal grows, Middle East suppli-ers are reaping the rewards

Post F1 challenge for Yas Island restaurants

Multi-million dollar restaurant for Fujairah hotel

4.5.


Caterer Middle East December 2009

The online home of

Huge competition means outlets must fight for a piece of the pie this festive season


News December 2009


leagues to make exactly the same quality drink as before — the same top quality that our customers have come to expect,” he reasoned.

“For me, the changes I’d like to see are a better quality for the customers, a better community for bartenders and also higher commission for bar staff, who should really start getting the same recognition as the chefs here do.

“Only then can we really see that enthusiasm start to come through and consequently reduce turnover and increase interest in this industry.”

This view was supported by MMI bar develop-ment and training manager Rebecca Sturt, who noted that she would like to see “staff being trained and paid properly for their hard work”.

Sturt also called for more bartender organisations and competitions to be established for the region, to challenge and enhance the industry.

Beverage experts call forbar industry shake-down Professionals highlight need for improved service and staff appreciation

The Middle East bar industry is in need of a shake-down to improve service standards and offer more consistent quality and value to customers, according to industry professionals.

Nick Hancock, bar development manager — li-censed division for Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR), said he’d like to see “better service all over Dubai”.

“We have some great bars, but there are still too many places you go in and the service is atro-cious,” Hancock asserted. “And effecting an im-provement would be great for the whole industry — the impression we give to the rest of the world would improve dramatically.”

Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates beverage manager Sasha Milovanovic added: “I agree en-tirely — we need an improvement in service and more honesty and transparency in what we do.

“It has been mentioned that in the past, bars here were perhaps charging too much. Of course I’m not against selling things for the price they’re worth — after all, most of the bars here are in five-star hotels and accordingly they are expected to deliver a top-end experience — but the value-for-money factor definitely needs to be there.”

Fairmont Dubai’s Exchange Floor manager, Simone Hopman, agreed that “Dubai has over-charged for a lot of things in the past; everyone is guilty of that”.

“But now there is more supply and less demand, we’ve had a kind of reality check,” she noted.

“The prices were hitting the same level as New York or any of the other major destinations that already have that name and energy. Now we need to re-assess that and offer more value for money.”

Felix Hartmann, formerly manager of the Skyview Bar at Burj Al Arab and now manag-ing the property’s Al Iwan Restaurant and Sahn Eddar Lounge, revealed that in recent months the outlet had lowered its minimum spend. “But the prices are still the same, because I expect my col-

p6 Can you taste the difference?Is fi ve-star food any better than unrated offerings?

p6 Jordan calls for skilled F&B staffRoundtable reveals a lack of qualifi ed staff

p6 Online opinionsOur poll verdict on F&B-inclusive package deals

p7 Fashionable foodThe Horizon DraftFCB forum reveals a designer trend in the F&B market

p7 Mövenpick makes the fi rst moveIntroducing Dubai’s fi rst pre-paid all-inclusive package deal

p8 Emirates barista goes for gloryWinner of UAE Barista Championship heading to international competition

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Emirates Leisure Retail’s Nick Hancock.

Story of the month

NewsDecember 2009

Caterer Middle East December 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b06

Five-star does not mean better foodRaw ingredients are all the same, say limited-service chefs — high prices just cover ambient extras

Outlets at limited-service hotels should not be dismissed by snobbish diners, as their food can be of the same quality as that at five-star properties, Dubai chefs have said.

According to Premier Inn executive chef Dean Berry, the quality of food served at five-star properties is “not necessar-ily higher, although perhaps their range is more extensive”.

Novotel and Ibis World Trade Centre executive chef Timothy Kairu explained: “The majority of products are bought from the same suppliers, so the same raw products are sold for the same price to all the hotels.

“What makes the difference is the experience of visiting a five-star hotel. The food should be excellent — let’s face it, you are paying enough for it — but the ambience, the service and all the other little luxury touches should be there too.”

Premier Inn’s Berry added that “in a

five-star hotel operation, plate portions are relatively small due to various high-end ingredients”, noting that the customer was “swayed towards consuming two expensive courses rather than one value-for-money dish”.

Berry also admitted that food cost was the toughest challenge for outlets at lim-ited service properties to overcome. “You have to be very conscious of wastage while not compromising on quality,” he said.

Holiday Inn — Al Barsha chef Sameh Youssef said finding quality products at optimum prices was an ongoing challenge.

“We have built good relations with our suppliers, who have slowly engaged in our mandate and are ready to weather the economic storm with us — and willing to share their discounts,” he said.

Novotel and Ibis’ Kairu said he believed a restaurant could impress any guest, as long as it delivered on what was promised.

Jordan in need of quali ed F&B staffJordan’s F&B industry is suffering due to a lack of qualified staff, according to professionals in Aqaba.

Discussing the main chal-lenges facing the Kingdom at a recent roundtable hosted by Mövenpick Resort Tala Bay Aqaba, InterContinental Aqaba Resort F&B manager Hatem Badareen said key problems included “a lack of qualified staff, a lack of professional training and trainers, and the fact that competent F&B employees are moving to the Gulf ”.

Marina Plaza Hotel res-

taurants manager Jean-Philippe Ferrini agreed that employing staff who had relevant training and qualifications was a major challenge.

According to Radisson Blu Tala Bay Resort ex-ecutive assistant manager Kosta Kourotsidis, part of the challenge for existing properties in recruiting the right employees was due to the fact that “many new in-ternational and well-known five-star hotels are coming up across the country, particularly in Aqaba”.

However the round-

table’s host, Mövenpick Resort Tala Bay director of F&B Hakim Karoui, said he was “looking forward to seeing more international companies opening hotels” in the area.

“It will increase competi-tion in the country and re-ally raise the bar,” he said.

Novotel and Ibis World Trade Centre’s Timothy Kairu.

Yes; it would help keep guests within the hotels

No; ingredients are too expensive to make this viable

No; F&B brings in too much revenue to go “all-inclusive”

Maybe; hotels could offer such packages to tour operators

No; it would lower the perception of tourism here

Yes; it would broaden the appeal of the region to more travellers

4%

11%

15%

18%

22%

30%

Would all-inclusive hotels be successful in the Middle East?

Source: HotelierMiddleEast.com online poll

“We have people eating at Cubo for lunch who stay at five-star hotels. We see these guests on a regular basis and they enjoy our food,” he pointed out.

“I imagine at night they eat in some of Dubai’s best restaurants, but my point is they eat in both and enjoy both.”

Mövenpick’s Hakim Karoui.


News

Genius,Quality,Passion...Genius,Quality,Passion...

Markets mixing up food and fashionThe rules of fashion are increas-ingly playing a part in F&B, according to trend analysis conducted by DraftFCB.

The firm’s global chief plan-ning officer Simon Calvert said manufacturers were reaching out to consumers in “a more glamor-ous, personalised way”.

Calvert discussed the topic in a live panel discussion with F&B brand development consultant Major Steadman and Caterer Middle East editor Lucy Taylor, at the Horizon DraftFCB Matter(s) Forum held in Dubai last month.

The group agreed that customi-sation and personalised products would be buzz-words for the F&B industry in 2010.

In addition to assessing key trends, the forum looked at how to turn consumer preferences into marketing opportunities.

“The Matter(s) web platform allows us to identify emerging trends in local markets and see if there’s a way of taking those trends and sharing commonali-ties across regions and across the world,” explained Calvert.

For more information, visit: www.welcometomatters.com

In brief

at not only all on-site outlets, but also the other 30-plus venues in Mövenpick’s Dubai portfolio.

UAE in international coffee compThe UAE will compete in the World Barista Championship for the first time next year, after a representative was selected at

the inaugural National UAE Barista Championship in Dubai last month. Caribou Coffee Com-

pany’s Vikram Kashyap outperformed five others to win the competition, which was held in con-junction with the Specialty Coffee and Tea Conven-tion 2009.

[L-R] Steadman and Calvert.a representative

the inauguraBarista ChaDubai last Caribou C

pany’s VioutothcowajuSantio

Mövenpick’s all-inclu-sive package rstMövenpick Hotels and Resorts has unveiled what it claims is a first for Dubai — a pre-paid all-inclusive offering at an upcom-ing hotel on The Palm Jumeirah.

The group’s 293-room Royal Amwaj property will debut the all-inclusive concept, the hotel chain’s new business development director Guy Epsom revealed.

“All F&B and dining is covered — it’s a market first,” he said.

The ‘Club Am-waj’ concept of-fers a three-tier package giving guests at the property free food and drink

Mövenpick’s Guy Epsom.

News analysisOutlet themes


Food and beverage outlets have mushroomed in the Middle East over the past decade — and today, with operator and consumer confidence returning in the wake of the economic slump, a host of new outlets are coming online.

But with the days of making easy money from any old offering long gone, operators must be right on target with their concept.

At The Address Dubai Mall, director of

Developing dining themesA tough 2009 has seen various badly thought-out F&B concepts fall by the wayside — so how can operators looking to introduce a new outlet to the market ensure their concept will cut the mustard?

F&B Domenico Iannone joined the team just over a year ago to assist with outlet de-velopment in the pre-opening stages.

After months of careful preparation, four venues are now operational: Na3Na3, mean-ing ‘mint’ in Arabic, a Middle Eastern res-taurant offering Arabic cuisine with a strong Levantine focus; lobby lounge Karat, boasting a wide range of teas and coffees; Amatista, a trendy lounge with a dedicated cigar booth; and Cabana, a pool bar and restau-rant during the day, turning into a lounge at night.

“There’s also Ember, which will hopefully open in December,” added Iannone. “This is our signature restaurant and will have an en-trance from the mall as well as the hotel.

“It will offer a wide variety of healthy, pro-duce-driven cuisine, with a focus on grilled

items; not only meats, but fish, seafood and so on,” he explained.

Meanwhile Christian Jean, executive chef for the pre-opening of the Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Doha City Center and Marriott Executive

Apartments Doha City Center in Qatar, has his work cut out for him.

Qatar’s three new Marriott International properties, locat-ed in two towers at the Doha City Center Mall, will share nine F&B outlets including a New York steakhouse, Italian

restaurant, sports bar and French brasserie.Another recently-opened property is the

Media One Hotel located in Dubai Media City, where operations manager Sebastien Noat is overseeing five outlets as they come online: ground-floor Café M, a casual grab-

“We have really targeted these concepts so they t the market”

of the region’s F&B professionals said increased competition was the biggest challenge facing outlet operators today.

Source: HotelierMiddleEast.com

24%


Lobby lounge Karat at the new Address Dubai Mall.


and-go concept that becomes a wine bar in the evening; Z:ONE, an Asian-Arabic café concept during the day and martini bar in the evening; outdoor shisha outlet M2; all-day dining outlet The MED; and pool-side café M Dek, which turns into alter-ego Gos-sip in the evening — a hip lounge featuring a DJ.

“We have no residential neighbours, so when it comes to sound volume we have a cer-tain flexibility that most venues cannot enjoy,” explained Noat.

“We have really targeted each of these concepts so they fit the market,” he continued. “We’re in a business area, so during the week, our rooms are filled with business people — and by becoming a party destination on the week-end, we hope to off-set the seasonality of the area by having party-goers in the rooms for those days.”

As Media One’s carefully targeted F&B

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portfolio demonstrates, operators need to as-sess their strengths, their clientele and the via-bility of an idea before actually settling on it.

Noat explained the team was given “an ab-solute carte blanche” with the themes. “The idea was simply to go for volume of custom-ers and success,” he said.

But to arrive at the choices they did, they still conducted a thorough market analysis.

“You have to look at the F&B offerings that are around you — if you’re going to compete with a concept, you have to do it at least equally well,” point-ed out Noat. “We’re not trying

to revolutionise the whole landscape with the concepts we’ve brought out, but rather to of-fer something just as good with a different edge, at half the price.”

Not everyone has a carte blanche, though; the portfolio for Qatar’s new Marriott prop-erties contains four outlets — New York The Address Dubai Mall’s Domenico Iannone.

“People here are not willing to go avant garde with concepts”


Caterer Middle East December 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b10 Caterer MMMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMMiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiidddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddlellelelelelelelelelleeeelellleeleelell EE E E EEEEEEEEEEEEasasasasasasasassassa tttttttttttttttt t DeDeDeDeDeeDDeDeDDDeDDDDDDDDDececececececececececececeembmbmbmbmbbmbmbmbmbmbbmmbmmbberererererererererreereererrr 2 22 2 2 2 22 220000000000000000000000000000000000009999999999999

Steakhouse, Cucina, Champions and Cross-roads Kitchen — that are existing brands within the hotel group’s F&B portfolio.

“For these, we have followed brand guide-lines, but added a local flavour to them,” explained Jean. “Then for the others, thorough market research helped us find the right concepts to bridge the gap in the market.

“Marriott’s corpo-rate and regional teams

capitals — the reason being that there is no risk-taking here,” he continued.

“People here are not willing to go avant garde; they seem to prefer to invest in concepts

with a proven track record. “If you look at the restau-

rant owners in San Francisco, or Sydney, people do that for a living and they do it with passion. They are dedicated to their concept, they live by it and believe in it.

“Maybe they’ll make a for-tune, maybe they won’t — but the idea is they change, they experiment, they rework the concept; and that’s what’s lacking in Dubai.”

The Address’s Iannone said a main concern for him was the region’s fine-dining scene.

“The current outlets in this arena seem to focus much more on pricing than the qual-ity of service and the quality of food — so these ones are perhaps the one style of outlet I could live without,” he said.

Another theme that needs some close atten-tion is the all-day dining restaurant, added Marriott’s Jean.

“The market is still lacking all-day dining concepts that have a really great pull,” he said. “I’d also like to see more quality stand-alone restaurants in Qatar in the future.”

work closely with local resources and invest in market and consumer preference research, which is a great help in creating F&B con-cepts suited to the local tastes,” he added.

In a region where there are so many F&B options, it’s almost impossible to be totally origi-nal; but operators would do well to steer away from copying tried-and-tested ideas, accord-ing to Media One’s Noat — particularly if the region is to advance as a gastronomic hub.

“When you look at the biggest commercial successes at the moment, like Japanese res-

taurants, those restaurants are six or seven years old in the UK and have

only just now made it into Dubai. They’re old news in

Europe, but here they’re the talk of the town.

“So although from a sophistication stand-

point, the region is right up there;

in terms of the food offerings we’re not on the same level

as a lot of other

Media One’s Sebastien Noat.

Marriott’s Christian Jean.

Do you think any one restaurant theme has been overused in this region?

14.29%

2.38%

16.67%

2.38%

7.14% 14.29%

16.67%

Sour

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26.19%

Steakhouse Arabic

Japanese

FusionAsian

Molecular

Italian

Modern European

“We have a certain exibility that most venues cannot enjoy”


H O T E L & R E S T A U R A N T

Get in touch:www.urban-nature.com

Villeroy & Boch · Hotel & Restaurant Division ME

Lloyd Lamprecht

Al Thuraya Tower #2, Office 1906

Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone

Address: P.O. Box 125846 · Dubai, U.A.E

Mobile: +971-50-798 7233 · Fax: +971-4-885 0069

Email: [email protected]

Associated Member

NEW DIMENSIONS IN HOSPITALITY

URBAN NATURE

VLH_1446_UrbNat_205x275.indd 1 20.10.2009 18:01:22 Uhr

Mystery shopperDubai hotel bars


Service spyThis month, Ethos Consultancy’s team of mystery shoppers went undercover at a handful of the trendiest bars in Dubai, to check whether servers were shaken, stirred, on the rocks or simply neat

Each mystery shopper is instructed to look out for the following:

Appearance• Did the outlet appear clean and tidy?• Were menus clear and easy to follow?

Sales and service• The greeting and farewell received from staff• The appearance of staff • Time taken to be served• Did the waiter ask questions to establish his customer’s preferences and needs?• Was the waiter knowledgeable about the items on offer? • Did the waiter offer undivided attention while serving?• If an item was not available, did the waiter provide other helpful suggestions?• Did the waiter attempt to up- or cross-sell by suggesting complementary items?

Overall Experience• Would your experience encourage you to visit this outlet again?• Did you leave the outlet with a positive impression of the venue?• Would you recommend this outlet to friends, family or colleagues?

THE WHAT:Caterer Middle East has partnered up with customer service experts Ethos Consul-tancy to highlight F&B service standards at outlets across the UAE. Each month, we’ll reveal mystery shoppers’ assessments of four different F&B outlets, to explore what these venues are doing right and what could be improved.

THE WHY:This isn’t about catching F&B outlets with their trousers down: by measuring performance and providing expert advice on areas for improvement, we want to help better these operations — and the industry in general.

THE HOW:Ethos Consultancy’s trained mystery shoppers are given a specifi c selection of outlets. Each shopper visits their assigned restaurant and dines as usual. Within 24 hours of every experience, each shopper fi lls out an online report, providing Ethos consultants with the information they require to offer constructive advice.

This month:• How satisfied were you with the overall quality of service delivered?• What could have been done to better your entire experience?

The expert analysis:Last month’s Service Spy hotel lobby café service scores were a tough act to follow — but happily, this month’s results are also pretty pleasing and it was great to see consistent customer service from the hotels visited.

Each of the four hotel bars featured here deserves to be congratulated, with all of them scoring above 65%.

A big pat on the back must go to this month’s winner, Ginseng at Wafi, with the top score of 95%. Our mystery shoppers were blown away by the service there, reporting attentiveness, superb product knowledge, professionalism and lots of smiles.

The staff at Cooz in the Grand Hyatt earned second place, also a notable achieve-ment. Our shoppers were impressed by the Cooz staff ’s ability to ask questions to iden-tify their needs and make suggestions based on these requirements.

All of our shoppers were instructed to ask the waiting staff for their food and beverage recommendations and one particular staff

Dubai hotel bars

• Ginseng — Wa Dubai • Cooz — Grand Hyatt Dubai • Crossroads — Raf es Dubai • Calabar — The Address Downtown Burj Dubai

Appearance Sales & Service

Did the outlet appear clean and tidy?

How long did you have to wait to be served?

Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2

Ginseng Yes Yes 1 minute or less 1 minute or less

Cooz Yes Yes 1-3 minutes 1 minute or less

Crossroads Yes Yes 1 minute or less 1 minute or less

Calabar Yes Yes 5 minutes or more 3-5 minutes


Mystery shopperDubai hotel bars


ABOUT ETHOS CONSULTANCYOriginating in the UK in 1995, Ethos Consultancy

relocated to Dubai in 2003, where a team of fi ve

has grown to 50 — with an Abu Dhabi offi ce

opening in 2008. Our consultants have come

from some of the most mature customer service

markets in the world, ensuring experience and

best practice in everything we do.

Ethos prides itself on being at the forefront of on-

line customer service solutions and was awarded

Most Innovative Small Business in the UAE at the

2008 Lloyds TSB Small Business Awards.

Through years of experience, Ethos has devel-

oped a variety of services to help clients un-

derstand how their business is performing. Our

solutions include mystery shopping, satisfaction

surveys and a range of benchmarking services.

Once clients have a clear understanding of how

they are performing, we help them improve via

training, consulting and implementation of The

International Customer Service Standard.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ginseng

93%

93%

100%

100%

74%

93% 100%

74%

100%

100%

51%

100%

Cooz Crossroads Calabar

Restaurant Appearance Sales & Service Overall experience

member at Cooz prepared a special cocktail not listed on the menu to fit the customer’s request of ‘light and sweet’ — a great exam-ple of going above and beyond expectations! Having said this, Cooz did loose points for serving nut mix which was less than fresh.

Crossroads at Raffles and Calabar at The Address, coming in third and fourth respectively, performed extremely well with outlet appearance and product knowledge, but lost points for poor customer interaction and failing to ask their customers questions to identify their needs.

Our mystery shoppers were also only ‘satisfied’ with the time taken to serve at these bars, as opposed to the ‘very satisfied’ achieved by first and second place.

Each of our mystery shoppers said they would happily return and even recommend their visited hotel bar, which is fantastic.

What could have been done better?• One of our shoppers reported that the

complimentary mixed nuts served weren’t very fresh and smelt a little strange. This shopper asked for a new bowl of mixed nuts and was horrified when the waiter removed the bowl only to place it directly onto the table next to them! The shopper was then provided with another bowl of mixed nuts which were just as bad as the first. This negative experience will remain with the customer for a long time to come, as the recovery plan was poor and a satisfactory resolution was definitely not achieved.

• One of our shoppers became quite frus-trated as every time they finished their drink they had to seek a waiter to organise another. Although it’s difficult to catch every finished drink, your customer should not have to seek out a waiter to order every new beverage.

• All bars except this month’s winner lost points for not attempting to cross- or up-sell to their customers.

This can be achieved by something as sim-ple as suggesting an appetiser to complement a beverage choice, or mentioning a promo-tion that may be on offer. Training your staff to make such suggestions with confidence can make a huge difference.

Overall Assessment

Was the staff knowledgeable about the product/service/food item?

Did the staff try to “up sell” or “cross sell” products or services?

Would your experience encourage you to visit this store/location again?

Would you recommend this location to friends, family or colleagues?

Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes


Editor’s commentVolume 5 Issue 12

December 2009 Caterer Middle East 15009 Caterer Middle East 15To subscribe please visit www.itp.com/subscriptions

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As 2009 draws to a close, many of you in the food and beverage industry will no doubt be far too busy with festive meals and deals to dwell too much on the year we’ve just had, or the new one approaching.

But 2009 has taught the region’s F&B professionals some valuable les-sons — ones we would all do well to remember.

Firstly, that whoever your clientele is, they will appreciate value for money (and that this is by no means the same as being ‘cheap’).

Secondly, that a little innovation goes a long way. Sales and marketing departments may have been worked like never before this year, but those who attracted new customers and drove repeat business with clever pro-motions and offers have proven their worth ten times over.

And thirdly, that training staff to deliver top customer service is some-thing that has to be worked at — continuously. If you want diners to keep coming back, particularly now consumer spending has dropped, your staff need more than a one-hour introductory training video: they need skills, knowledge, motivation, passion and drive.

This year has not been an easy one, for any industry. Admittedly F&B is always going to be better off than some others — as people like to point out, everyone has to eat — but the economic downturn was a harsh wake-up call; particularly for those fat cats who had strolled in looking to make a quick buck in the hungry Middle East market while the pickings were rich.

Now, the fat has been trimmed in a real-time demonstration of the ‘survival of the fittest’ theory, with various concepts closing around the region. Whether these closures were down to ill thought-out concepts, weak offerings or sheer bad luck, the thinning out of F&B offerings in this formerly overcrowded arena will allow the best outlets to really shine through.

So put your best foot forward and step into the new year with some bounce in your step: if your operation’s made it through the past 12 months, the lessons mentioned above have undoubtedly come into play — which puts you on much solider ground for 2010.

On that note, have a great festive season and see you next year!

Lucy Taylor, Editor

Trimming the fat

Comment Culinary confessions


Eid Al Adha, Christmas, New Year — the celebration season is unequivocally upon us.

By this stage, the promotions for your festive F&B offerings should be in the hands of your sales team, so they can get on with filling not only your stockings but also the banquet rooms and outlets.

The decorations should also be going up, for those who go in for that sort of thing.

Here in the Middle East, there is a large community who do celebrate Christmas — but it’s nowhere near as hectic as other countries I have worked in.

For example, the Sydney Hilton banquet-ing department dubbed December ‘The Silly Season’, because in Australia this is the month when all the offices hold their annual parties and when schools finish for the year with their graduation balls.

So the banqueting team would pump out a carvery lunch for 500, along with 1000 covers plated every day, for the entire month leading up to Christmas.

The planning for this month started in August for the sales team — and by Sep-tember, every function room would be full.

By tNovember 1, the kitchen had placed a pre-order for 40,000kg of whole tur-key, the butcher had planned how much stuffing he’d need and the sauce chef had started making gravy and freezing it, so as to keep up with the demand in December (when close to 3000 litres of gravy would be consumed!)

But the section all the sous chefs had to

Got the festive fear? ‘Yule’ be sorry if youand your team haven’t done sufficient planning and prep for the F&B festivities

Food is an integral part of festive celebrations.

GregsMarcus

Chef Marcus Gregs has worked in kitchens for 18 years, with

roles in destinations including London, Sydney and Dubai.

Marcus Gregs

help in November was the pastry section. The amount of time, ingredients and space that 34,000 individual and 3000 large Christ-mas puddings take up is amazing.

It took nine senior chefs four days, working 12 hours a day, to make all these puddings. (Don’t worry — the pastry chef bought quite a few beverages to thank us!)

All this comes down to planning and knowing the limitations of your staff and equipment. The more organised you are, the more confident you can be that, no matter what last-minute problems are thrown at you, they can be dealt with.

The best example of this I can give (although not the nicest) is also from the Sydney Hilton, when I was a sous chef there.

I was in bed on the morning of December 24 when my phone rang: it was the junior sous chef calling to say that he had just found the head chef in the office, having a (fourth) heart attack.

By the time I got to the hotel, the am-bulance was pulling away; the chef had survived, but it was a close thing.

I now had to deal with 100 very upset kitchen team members, over half of whom had worked with the chef for more than 20 years. The problem was that within 36 hours, 2500 people would be sitting down to Christmas lunch.

I was in charge of all the outlets, compris-ing 1500 covers; usually the chef took the ballroom with 1000 covers in one hit — but now I had to do the ballroom as well…

If we had not been so organised, the whole service would have fallen to bits; as it was, the day went totally smoothly, as the nine of us sous chefs rearranged ourselves to com-pensate. (And don’t worry — 10 years on, the head chef is alive and well and fully enjoying his retirement.)

So at the next Christmas party or festive lunch you attend, bear in mind how much pre-planning, organising and work has gone into your meal by those behind the scenes.

On second thoughts, don’t worry — just eat, drink, be merry and enjoy your food: it’s our pleasure to make it for you.

Ho ho ho and Merry Christmas!

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com December 2009 Caterer Middle East

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CommentDesigner column


There has been a worrying trend developing over the last year or so.

It comes from an urge that rages inside many people — an urge I have always known about, but one that seemed to be un-der control; perhaps slipping out occasion-ally after a few too many vinos, but always safely put away again by morning.

But today, control seems to be slipping; folks are giving way to this dark urge, even if it could mean exposing themselves in one of the worst ways possible.

The shame will stick and people will talk behind their backs, but regardless, driven by this inner show-off, they go for it, they take the leap and in true movie-makeover announcement fashion (the speech before the cheesy montage reel) they cry: “I’ve got taste, I can do it — I’m going to decorate this place myself and it’s going to look great!”

Ah, the old “my apartment looks great” line. How many restaurant, hotel or bar managers have uttered similar sentences?

If you are one of those guilty of self-driven design, then stand up now, wherever you are, turn to the next person and say sorry. They will think you have gone insane but that is all you deserve.

Just because you can put a post-modern ornament on your Ikea shelf and a co-ordinated towel set in your guest bathroom, that does not make you a designer; it’s one step up from coordinating your shoes and handbag, for heaven’s sake!

Control your urges. The worrying trend to self-design outlets must be reigned in — after all, itcan kill…(businesses and reputations, that is)

Design works really hard — or rather, good design does.

Personal taste, on the other hand, may be nice to see and nice to spend some time with, but often it’s nice to leave, too.

There are lots of people with lots of taste but this does not make them design-literate — in much the same way that I could stand up in court and offer a convincing defence for my actions, but pit me against an experi-enced barrister and I’m going to melt like a snowball in the desert.

But I digress: back to this worrying trend. Many of you will agree whole heartedly with my words so far, but others will think I’m being overly defensive, reacting agressively to legitimate competition and market forces.

Well, I’m not. I love competition. I love the thrill of hot-house creativity coming from every angle and I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I’m just very worried at the amount of times I now hear people telling me not to worry, that they’re going to “tart it up themselves”, that it’s a small job and doesn’t require a “serious designer”.

This is how it spreads. This is how the poi-son debilitates. Start small, off radar, then when the culture is accepted go for the big schemes, the vital organs — then suddenly it’s too late: the damage has been done.

It’s a trend fuelled by ego and delusion, a trend that grows in times of restricted capi-tal expenditure and prospers with the weak.

Great designers are up there with inven-tors and artists and musicians for me: the middle band of talent.

(The top are leading medics, scientists and economists — people who are really changing our world for the better. Then come those in the middle band, who improve life quality for many; then chefs, masseurs and dentists — people who make the moment better.)

Great design works really hard, for long after it was conceived.

It should inspire your customers, not only giving them ideas for their home and lifestyle, but encouraging them to return.

In conclusion, this worrying urge to self-design has to be kept under control. It can kill — businesses and reputations, that is. No one and nothing is safe from its evil. Fight it, don’t let it out, and don’t be tempted to think you can do it yourself.

Remember: be safe, use a designer!

Aidan Keane is the founder of specialist leisure and retail design fi rm Keane; for more information, visit: www.keanebrands.com

Keane: self-design can be detrimental to your business.

KeaneAidan

November 2009PeopleTraining


Nasseem Mirtahmasebi has lived in Dubai for six years and previously studied at Jumeirah College. She enjoys living in Dubai and hopes to work in the emirate in future.

“I’ve always been interested in hospitality and this is the perfect place to study, considering the boom in tourism in recent years.”

I have to say that so far, I’m finding the F&B side of things really interesting; it’s all very hands-on and practical. It is long hours — eight hours in the restaurant followed by eight hours in the kitchen straight after — but I’m enjoying it.

We’ve learnt a lot already, and it’s definitely affecting how I think about things from the customer’s point of view. Now, when I walk into a restaurant and sit down for dinner, I’m smelling the glasses, checking the set-up, little things I didn’t even notice before! Because now I really know how much effort has to go in to every details of a restaurant, even if it looks effortless.

This month hasn’t been the easiest start for me: after the initial orientation class, I was ill and missed the second two kitchen sessions. And it is difficult — in the kitchen if you miss even one session there’s a lot to catch up on because there are so many new skills to learn. We’re being taught cutting methods, cooking methods and all about produce — so there’s a lot for me to catch up on.

I came back in time to start on service, serving people in the restaurant. They could see us in the kitchen while they were eating, and it was crazy – just go, go, go! You really had to be on time and I struggled with that a bit. It’s quite a challenge; you have to wash as you go, cook as you go, roll as you go, bake as you go.

We were put in different groups, in charge of different items,

and so it generally flowed quite nicely. But sometimes there was a bit of a panic and I felt I was falling behind.

But then I had a stint at the end as ‘head chef’, and had to assign orders as they came through, and ask the rest of the group to do specific things, and that was fun. Being in charge is definitely more my thing!

The response from the invited guests was great; they knew we had just started and were really positive with their feed-back, so that was good.

Looking back on the first few weeks, I think the important thing is to stay on top, do what the chef tells you to and stay on time, then you’ll be fine. It’s just a long day, so you have to make sure you’ve had your breakfast in the morning!

For the coming month, I’m aiming to be on time and on top of things, and really get quicker overall.

Over the course of a semester at the Emirates Academy of

Hospitality Management, two students take us through the

highs and lows of their induction to the tough world of F&B

Trainee diary

Cooking up a storm in

the Emirates

Academy kitchen.

NNpr

November 2009


PeopleTraining


Nipul Laxman came to Emirates Academy from the UK, where he studied hospitality and gained first-hand experience working in

banqueting for a major hotel brand.

“I’ve already had some F&B experience, so I am familiar with the long hours and stresses — but they haven’t put me off!”

The first few weeks have been fairly straight-forward, looking at cuts and the correct methods for chopping and so on. There were several bits and pieces that I had learnt before, which helps a lot — although I did actually learn a different way to hold a knife when chopping!

A bit of a stumbling block has been the team work; obviously many of the students do not have English as their first lan-guage. But this is something you have to deal with in a cosmopoli-tan working environment, so we try to get along with the group work and get things done as quickly and coherently as possible.

There was a lot of new stuff for me as well; in the UK, we’d just been thrown in at the deep end a bit and I didn’t know much of the theory that goes with kitchen work: I didn’t know what stewing was, I didn’t know what braising was. But here, we start with the theory then put it into practise.

We saw a sushi demonstration as well, which was great — although I would have liked to try it out myself, after watching how it was done.

We have also taken on the challenge of running an à la carte menu this month.

I must say there was some disappointment on this front; we struggled with team work and coordination, and I hope next month will be much better. But to finish on a positive note, we did at least finish a full service.

I think, as it was the first time for some people doing a full service, it was always going to be hard to a degree, but from hereon in I hope all of us will be properly geared up for service.

I am really looking forward to kitchen this month, as I believe we will not make the mistakes we made last week.

Overall, I’d say I’m definitely enjoying my time in the kitchen, as I look forward to a better service each coming week and then also gain the theory knowledge from the presentation in the kitchen as well as the theory class we have once a week.

I think my highlight so far has been getting really involved in the kitchen and out on the floor. We’re working on the team communication, so that should improve over the next few weeks!

Perfecting the

art of plating up.

Lecturer’s notesThe Academy’s executive chef and senior lecturer

Michael Kitts shares this month’s key lessons:

• The main drive through November has been intro-

ducing the à la carte menu, rather than the set

menu, which has proved very popular so far!

• Obviously cooking methods are playing a part in

each and every session.

• Product knowledge training has included focuses on

red meat — cuts from beef carcasses, ageing and

marbling — and dairy products.

• The students have also had to give presentations on

luxury items: caviar, truffles, lobster and foie gras.

• We had two demonstrations towards the end of

the month, one on fresh Chinese noodles and

another on ice-carving.

• In the final week, we had careers masters

visiting The Academy, and the students

hosted a three-course dinner for them.

RoundtableSommeliers


What exactly does the role of a sommelier involve?Julien Coron: The basis of the work of a sommelier is to make recommendations to guests who are dining in the restaurant, as well as developing the menus, sourcing new products and keep-ing costs balanced. Eric Artiere: In a restaurant, your role is to get people the best

bottle at the best price. But working on the floor is probably on about 40% of what comprises a sommelier’s job. The other elements are stock ordering, taking care of turnover and cost prices, and generating profit, which is the most important part of the business.

At the end of the day, the beverage element is different in this market as opposed to other areas of the world, such as

A select group of the region’s top sommeliers met with Caterer Middle East at French brasserie Margaux in Souk Al Bahar to discuss their roles in today’s restaurant scene and how they hope to see the industry progress in future

Cultivating vine appreciation


Sebastien Duvocelle,

assistant F&B director.

The Palace — The Old Town

Ritwik Shastri, wine

steward, The Exchange

Floor, Fairmont Dubai

Eric Artiere, restaurant

and events director,

Margaux, Souk Al Bahar

Julien Coron, head som-

melier, Reflets par Pierre

Gagnaire, InterContinental

Hotel Dubai Festival City


Roundtable Sommeliers


London or wherever. There is a very high percentage of tax on alcoholic beverages. And this makes it a very challenging loca-tion for sommeliers.

Ritwik Shastri: Yes, I would agree with that. A sommelier’s role is very important because he’s the one who introduces new lines, thinks about what will work, what the client base will like and how much he can actually sell.

We have to stock an increasingly wide selection, because people are becoming more knowledgeable and they want to order specific vintages.

A sommelier’s job can also include updating beverage menus, taking team training so they can efficiently sell and understand the products, dealing with suppliers to get the best price, and trying to keep your beverage costs at the budgeted level.

Are there any particular trends you’re seeing in this market at the moment?Sebastien Duvocelle: Well, I’ve only really be exposed to the UK market and the French market, and I find that the market here is similar to how the UK trends were looking a few years ago. So about six years ago in Britain, people were really look-ing for New World varieties; that particular market was boom-ing — and that’s what’s happening right now in Dubai.

It’s the same thing with other beverage trends and I think it has a lot to do with the people living in Dubai and also the transit factor, the people passing through this region from other parts of the world.

Also, the major trend right now is very much on quality rather than quantity.

Artiere: In my view, this area of business was pretty badly hit by the financial crisis over this past year. Fortunately things now seem to be picking up and we’re hoping the coming year will see a bit more turnover.

Sebastien interestingly noted the trends reflect-ing London; London has always been number one market in this industry.

The Middle East seems to take a lot from London, as well as the Asian market. There are a lot of influences here — ex-pats from all over the world, and that’s what makes it such an interesting region to be in.

But we are still in a situation where business is not at the stage it was before, when people were spending an incredible amount on beverages.

And it is more difficult for us nowadays, because you still need to generate profit knowing that the average customer spend has been reduced.

Shastri: I would say the trends have changed now because the clients are becoming smarter and more knowledgeable about what they’re drinking; they want to make sure they’re getting real value for what they’re paying. So there are clients who will still spend, as long as they can understand the value

behind the price.But the enthusiasm for education is something

we’re really seeing, which is why we have started our monthly master-classes at Fairmont. And once people learn about a grape variety that they like, they will return and they will look for it.

Coron: As a sommelier, I would say it’s your job to educate and broaden people’s tastes. For example, if someone loves a particular grape variety, always

drinks it and therefore asks for it with their meal as a matter of course, regardless of what they’re eating, I would see my job as to say ‘Yes, that’s a wonderful bottle — but this one shares some characteristics that you might enjoy and also goes very

Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire’s Julien Coron.

“The major trend right now is quality rather than quantity”




well with the dish you have selected; perhaps you would care to try it instead?’

Duvocelle: This has a lot to do with the environment where you’re working. For example, in Margaux, you would expect and hope to see a lot of French varieties on the list.

In somewhere with a different theme, such as Asado, our authentic Argentinean steakhouse, you have to specifically push products from that part of the world. And this does help in guiding the consum-er, because you have an identity and a structure behind your menu, so your beverages match both the food and the experience.

Coron: At Reflets, we try to offer our guests a full experience, and that’s what they come expecting; so very often we

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Margaux’s Artiere discusses current market trends.

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Margaux’sEric Artiere.


Caterer Middle East December 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b26 t.com/f&f&b

have guests who ask our advice and want to take our recommendations about pairing wine and food; so in

fact they very rarely select a bottle entirely by themselves.

What are the main challenges facing sommeliers in the Middle

East today?Artiere: The price of the prod-

uct, the price of stocking and trying to find the best way to get quality and volume at the right price.

We operate with two good companies here in Dubai, both of whom offer a differ-ent range of products — but there are only these two, so we purchase what they offer and that’s that.

Duvocelle: If you want some-thing then you simply have to buy it, regardless of price. That’s a key challenge.

Shastri: I think another factor we’re dealing with here is that you get an extremely diverse range of clients. You have to make sure you stock a wide range to appeal to all customer bases.

Duvocelle: Our sommelier has a skill to sell, so it is somewhat about consumers and trends, but I think at some point when you have very qualified people arriving in the market, then the trend will follow the sommelier themselves as they set it, rather than customers dictating them as is the case now.

Are you nding that consumers are increasingly interested in learning about what they’re purchasing?Shastri: It’s definitely a trend we’re seeing and that we’re ca-tering for with our guest master-classes. And this helps a great deal in educating the customer regarding what we offer on our menu, so they do come back and order it.

Artiere: We produce a page on the menu called ‘The Sommeli-er’s Selection’, where we showcase the best lines on the market at the moment.

We also have other promotions planned for the future, such as inviting famous vineyard owners to come to Margaux for a few nights, along with a famous chef, then having clients from our database come along for an evening and enjoy an amazing gastronomic experience, trying really specifically-paired foods and vintages.


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The Palace — The Old Town’s Sebastien Duvocelle.

The group assesses the challenges facing sommeliers in the Middle East.


Roundtable Sommeliers

Since the economic downturn has impacted con-sumer spend, how are you balancing customer expec-tations with costs?Duvocelle: We’re very lucky and haven’t been affected by the downturn, thank goodness; we are one of the very fortunate companies that is still growing.

We have not had to increase prices and we have not changed our strategy this year, nor are we planning to do so. We have simply continued doing what we do: offering guests quality and value for money.

Artiere: From an operational stand-point, we are quite a differ-ent offering: firstly we are independent, so we are not tied to a hotel, and we actually rely on The Palace for our license — of course, we have to pay for delivery with that. And this does impact how profitable an operation can be.

It’s a different challenge from working in a hotel; in an inde-pendent company you are dealing with your own strengths and weaknesses head-on, because you have nothing else to balance the F&B side out, like other outlets, or rooms, or banqueting.

We are just our own operation, we are what we are. Location-wise, we have an outstanding spot; we just need to see that pay off more now the economy is picking up.

How would you like to see the in-dustry change in future?Artiere: I think if you look at September

and October 2008, we have been badly hit since then with a difficult year. But that period seems

to be coming to an end — it’s not totally fin-ished, but things are getting better.

We are at a stage now where quite a lot of people are coming

to Margaux, experiencing what we have to offer. But

it’s not like in the past, when things were so

busy — it was go, go, go all the time at outlets in Dubai.

So in future if we could maybe go

back to a situation approaching that, not the same but approaching it, that would make a big difference in the coming year.

Shastri: I think we’re going to

Fairmont Dubai’s Ritwik Shastri.

Margaux’s Eric Artiere and Reflets’ Julien Coron weigh up their responses.

see people moving more towards drinking a wider range of vintages and grape varieties, so our suppliers here will bring a broader variety in.

Duvocelle: I think the future is in the hands of independent outlets, such as Margaux. At the moment, hotels are supplying these independent outlets with their licenses — but in future, who knows; maybe we’ll see real free-standing structures being permitted licenses.

Of course, we have to bear in mind the cultural side of where we are living — so whether that is asking too much, I don’t know. But the only way to progress and really nurture this business will be to have free-standing outlets with licenses.

Coron: I’d like to see more sommeliers operating here and consequently having more buying power.

And with greater communication within the sommelier commu-nity, we could group together to request that our suppliers bring in a certain product; that way we could actually set the trends regard-ing what people are drinking.


Industry insight Catering for kids


TOUGH

They may be small, but kids mean big business:F&B operators from family-friendly outlets around the Middle East explain why targeting the ‘little bosses’ when it comes to food means their parents will follow

Boasting beautiful beaches, picturesque mountains and culture-filled capitals, as well as a multitude of invit-ing hotels, the Middle East has naturally become an

extremely popular destination for families.But activities and attractions only go so far: to be a real hit with

this client base, operators have to keep the kids happy: and this is where the F&B department must step up.

At Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, executive chef Beat Enderli typically sees 70% to 80% of the clientele made up of families with children during peak holiday season, while the remainder of the year sees that figure average out at 30-40%.

Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort director of F&B Gian Raffa-ele Sabbatucci sees similar figures, noting: “This has always been a family-friendly resort and all the outlets here were introduced based on our customers’ feedback, so this element was taken into consideration in the development of every offering.”

At Doha Marriott, executive chef Reinhard Fuchs says about 60% of his clientele is made up of families.

“Usually the kids make the choice about where to eat; the parents will follow them,” he observes.

Caprice Holdings Dubai executive chef Chris Lester, who heads up the kitchen at Souk Al Bahar’s Rivington Grill, agrees.

“We developed our kids menu right at the start —



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we knew who our clientele would be,” he says. “Accommodating the children was essential, because their parents are our customers.

“In the development stages of the menu, we looked at it from a wellbeing angle, but also at things that children like. It’s all very well putting on things that are good for them, but they’ve got to want to eat it.

“At the end of the day, the children can often influence the par-ents about where they go to eat; if they’re happy and comfortable with the food, the whole family will come back — and that’s what it’s all about, repeat business,” he points out.

It seems targeting children can pay off — but with so much com-petition in this field, operators are continuously vying for custom by introducing new and unusual promotions and attractions.

Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort director of F&B Julide Nuss-Ozbilge notes that in addition to offering family packages for rooms which include a free meal for children below 12 years when eating with an adult, the property has established a dedi-cated children’s corner at its Friday brunch, with games, DVDs and face painting.

“Kids love that and parents are quite happy about the ‘alone-time’ they can spend with each other,” she notes.

Kids staying at Kempinski Hotel Ajman are all offered a glass of bed-time milk free of charge, while Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort wins its kiddie clientele over with timely treats.

“Upon check-in we provide little ice-cream treats for the children, and we have plans to introduce a hot chocolate station during breakfast as well as a strolling cotton candy and popcorn cart,” explains Shangri-La’s Enderli.

“Of course, dedicated children menus are available at various dining outlets and as a standard practice, dishes are prepared free of trans-fat with reduced salt, pepper and chilli,” he adds.

At Le Méridien’s Penguin Club for youngsters, it has initiated a ‘Make Your Own Pizza’ programme, which Sabbatucci says has proved “very popular with the junior chefs”.

Meanwhile Doha Marriot has its Just for Kids Catering scheme, which was created “to provide busy mums and dads with nutri-tious alternatives to junk food”, says Fuchs.

“This menu can be tailor-made to any party theme,” he explains. “We will accommodate special dietary requirements, including requests from parents for fun yet healthy party goodies.”

At Rivington Grill, Lester believes the key to keeping younger

Sheraton Abu Dhabi offers kids the chance to decorate their own gingerbread house.

of children and adolescents worldwide suffer from obesity, a figure which has spurred the UAE to launch a campaign alongside UNICEF to fight this problem in the Emirates.

Source: www.thefattruth.org

10%



clients — and consequently their par-ents — happy is being flexible.

“If someone wants to switch broccoli for peas or something, then we’ll do that; if their mum wants something steamed or cooked without butter for them, we’ll do that too,” he says.

“We’re here to accommodate; no menu is going to suit every-one so we simply try to be as adaptable as possible.

“These guys are our guests of tomorrow,” he points out. “We’ve got to look after them so they come back. There is an element of education in there.”

According to Sheraton’s Nuss-Ozbilge, the main thing to keep in mind when catering for children is always the safety and security of the youngsters.

“As a company providing for chil-dren, you must ensure that whatever you are offering is fun-filled and at the same time that parents are confident that all is up to standard,” she asserts.

As part of this, it is essential to check up on any lurking dietary requirements or any intolerance towards specific foods, notes Le Méri-dien’s Sabbatucci.

Rivington Grill’s Lester agrees: “For some reason, there do seem to be more allergies around nowadays.

“But parents will tell us what their children can have and then it’s up to us to make that happen if we possibly can. It’s about understanding their needs and being prepared to work around them.”

Le Méridien’s Sabatucci adds that promoting the benefits of healthy eating can be tricky. “Most of the

time, parents order for their kids and the ‘little bosses’ refuse to accept those choices when the order comes,” he says.

“But the presentation of food plays a key role here; children’s dishes need to be eye-catching and colourful to ensure easy ac-ceptance — and minimum hassle for the parents.”

Kempinski Hotel Ajman executive sous chef Sailesh Balan agrees that persuading children to eat fresh vegetables and healthy food can be difficult — “as is fielding a menu without chicken nuggets or fries, as kids are always asking for them,” he adds.

But by keeping to youngsters’ preferences as well as subtly adhering to what parents want, there is a balance to be struck.

According to Le Méridien’s Sabbatucci, parents todays are “more conscious about food choices and want their kids to mi-grate from junk food to healthy nutritional foods”.

“Starting to eat healthily at an early age is gaining in popular-ity — and when it comes to buffets, children love it when fruits and vegetables are well presented,” he says.

But Shangri-La’s Enderli says kids are still fighting for their right to junk food, while Kempinski’s Balan notes that many “follow the unhealthy eating habits of their parents”.

Sheraton’s Nuss-Julide says she is “very disappointed to see that children continue to eat unhealthily here”.

“But as a new F&B director in town, I want to increase the efforts of Sheraton Abu Dhabi in providing healthy options for children,” she continues.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve been askedto cook for a child?

“One of our little guests asked the chef to serve up a

duo of hotdog and ice cream on one plate! He seemed

to enjoy the combination.”

Julide Nuss-Ozbilge, director of F&B,

Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort

“One of the strangest requests we ever had from a kid

was to serve him just mashed vegetables and mashed

fi sh with no seasoning.”

Sailesh Balan, executive sous chef,

Kempinski Hotel Ajman

“We have actually had a guest request broccoli in

chocolate sauce with vanilla ice cream for a child!”

Gian Raffaele Sabbatucci, director of F&B,

Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort

The Surf Cafe at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa.

Kempinski’s Sailesh Balan.


“We are planning to implement more items that kids will enjoy and that are eye-catching, but which are also healthy.”

Rivington Grill’s Lester admits: “I’ve seen parents here who only feed their kids rubbish, or won’t let them try new things — but there are other options out there.

“I know kids aren’t easy, but I think it is possible to strike a balance between feeding them well and keeping them happy.”

Lester also points out that the Middle East has a notable eating-out culture, which children are involved in from an early age.

“It’s part of the weekly routine for a combination of reasons — people seem to be very busy, produce in supermarkets isn’t what it is in certain other parts of the world, families like to eat together, and restaurants have a great range.

“Kids here do eat out regularly and we’re very conscious of that,” he says. “So we do try to offer our younger customers something they’ll enjoy and want to come back for — because very often kids will make the call on where to eat, so if they like somewhere, the family will come as well!”

For those who count families as a major portion of the clien-tele, it is vital to remember that your offering must appeal to the children as well as the adults — and by satisfying and impress-ing both parties will you see these customers quickly added to your regular client base. Rivington Grill’s Chris Lester.

Caterer Middle East Awards 2009

Caterer Middle East December 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Sponsored by The Hotel Show

32

Meet the industrychampions of 2009!


Caterer Middle East Awards 2009Sponsored by The Hotel Show





Caterer Middle East applauds the winners of its first annual F&B industry awards — accolades aimed at recognising those outstanding food and beverage professionals who are championing the industry on a daily basis across the region

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b December 2009 Caterer Middle East 33


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As a stalwart on the region’s culinary scene — having been a long-term member of the Radisson team as well as president of the Emirates Culinary Guild — Uwe Micheel has shown great initiative and creativity over the difficult past year.

His consistent efforts to get the property’s F&B team involved in local events, charity fund raising, numerous in-house promotions and in-house training is a measure of his dedication to the industry.

Micheel also stood out through his tireless involvement with both local and international events geared towards boosting the country’s and the region’s culinary profile.

“It feels fantastic to have won a Caterer Award; it’s really very special for me, because these are specifically for the F&B industry.

“It’s always wonderful when people recognise what you’re doing, it gives you that little bit of extra motivation.

“I do consider Dubai as a place very close to my heart, after so many years here, and I think it’s a duty to give something back and promote not only my hotel, or my outlets, but the profession and destination as a whole.

“And this isn’t just about me; I see this award as being for my colleagues and my team as well. After all, you can’t do great things alone!”

Judges’ notes:

A word from the winner:

Chef of the Year

Uwe Micheel Director of kitchens, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek

Sponsored by Churchill China

Uwe Micheel receives his award from Churchill China’s Glenn Ewart.


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36

Chadi Nahra’s nomination kicked off by praising his “flawless, friendly and discreet service in combination with attention to detail” — a phrase which perfectly described the exacting stan-dards and dedication to colleagues which was evident through-out the rest of the submission.

Working with new staff unused to Saudi Arabia and being so far from home, Chadi’s personable attitude and friendly reas-surances have led to him becoming a respected and well-regard-ed role model for the team, as well as a leader.

His efforts to motivate his staff and create a true family atmo-sphere, combined with his success in increasing beverage sales by 15% while cutting beverage costs by 2%, marked Nahra out as a truly outstanding candidate.

“It’s great to have won this award — as we say in France: J`ai sauté de joie [I jumped for joy]!

“It gives me an extra motivation to continue my job and encourages me to generate new concepts and offerings that will attract more guests.

“I like the human factor of my job, managing people as well as being in contact with the guests.

“Now I plan to continue to develop my new non-alcoholic wine menu and aperitifs list, to surpass guest expectations.

“The Middle East really is a great place with wonderful properties throughout the peninsula and it’s a beautiful chal-lenge for me to continue to grow and progress my career in this region.”

Judges’ notes: A word from the winner:

BiCE restaurant at Qasr Al Sharq, Jeddah.BiCE’s Chadi Nahra, winner of the Restaurant Manager of the Year title.

Restaurant Manager of the Year

Chadi Nahra Restaurant manager, BiCE, Qasr Al Sharq, Jeddah

Highly commendedManuel Agustin, Benihana, Al Bustan Rotana Dubai


Sreekanth Cherukot’s efforts to build and retain a solid and regular customer base for his outlet were extremely impressive, as was his determination to maintain outlet revenue during a difficult economic period.

Colleague testimonials cited his enthusiasm for the role and his dedication to the customer as key factors in the outlet’s ongoing success, and clearly demonstrated the respect Cherukot has earned from his team.

The extra lengths he has gone to in order to deliver the best possible service — including working on days off, implementing staff training and developing great relationships with his customers — really made Cherukot’s nomination shine.

“I’m so happy to win this award!“I am very proud to be in my role in charge of Astro’s. Our motto there is to ensure every

guest is happy and I think that’s the attitude that got me here.“I first joined the property as a waiter around five years ago, and to have climbed the

ladder and hold the role I do today is very important to me. Being part of the Le Méridien team, I always try to deliver that extra special service to ensure our clients will return, and it’s wonderful to have that recognised.

“Regarding the Caterer Awards, I believe they are very good for the industry as they rec-ognise the efforts of people who are working hard every day to further the industry here.”

Judges’ notes:


Highly commended

Bar Manager of the Year

Sreekanth Cherukot Assistant manager, Astro’s Bar, Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort

s outlet were extremelymic period.

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Sasha Aleksandar Milovanovic, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates

Sponsored by Baqer Mohebi

Baqer Mohebi’s Elizabeth Oquendo presents Sreekanth Cherukot with his award.




Responsible for the hotel’s entire pastry operation as well as Choco-La, the chocolaterie in the adjacent souk, Ajmal Salim is obviously a busy man.

However he does not let this compromise the standard of his work nor his efforts to boost the industry, and boasts many other strings to his bow including competition judging, taking part in the World Pastry Forum and contributing to a number of publications around the world.

The glowing testimonials from his team were further proof of Salim’s standing as a chef, and underlined his role as a teacher and mentor.

“It’s fantastic to have won this award. Knowing how many hotels and outlets are around in the Middle East, the standard is incredibly high.

“This award is a great recognition for the items you produce and the number of hours you put in. It’s a very high-pressure job; when you’re working long hours, for so many days and months and years and then you get this appreciation, it feels fantastic.

“And this is just the start of the Caterer Awards — I’m sure every year we’ll see more and more nominations and people coming out with more examples of excellence.Going into 2010, my ambition will be to win the award again!”

Judges’ notes:


Highly commended

Pastry Chef of the Year

Ajmal SalimPastry chef, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri

Patrice Cabannes, The Address, Downtown Burj DubaiHaitham Ahmad, Mövenpick Resort Tala Bay Aqaba

Sponsored by EMF Emirates

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EMF Emirates’ Pierre Feghali presents the Pastry Chef award to Ajmal Salim.




Shibu John’s versatility and creativity have earned him this title, as well as the admiration and respect of his team.He has made impressive efforts to diversify the menu at Nineteen, which has won him a loyal customer base.Behind the scenes, John has also excelled, with the implementation of new marketing initiatives to maximise

profits, while still offering attractive deals to diners. One notable example of this was the fact that, despite the downturn in business in Dubai, John proposed and successfully implemented a 35% reduction in pricing.

“It feels great to have won — that’s all I can say, it’s a brilliant feeling!“I think the win came down to hard work and getting great opportunities from your

superiors, as well as putting all your passion into your work. “I knew I was nominated, but was so pleased and surprised when I found out I had made

it onto the shortlist; actually winning it didn’t even cross my mind!“I think for the industry this award is a great motivation and a way to encourage new

chefs. For example, now my team know about this they are all so happy and proud, and I know they will look forward to next year’s Caterer Awards even more.

“It’s a wonderful way to recognise all levels of the F&B industry.”

Judges’ notes:


Highly commended

Quality, taste and convenience are the attributes of food products today. Our food items deliver you just that…

The proud sponsor of Sous Chef of the Yearfor the Caterer Middle East Awards 2009for the Caterer Middle East Awards 2009

Sous Chef of the Year

Shibu JohnSous chef, Nineteen, The Address Montgomerie Dubai

Daniele Chiari, Piacere Del Gusto, Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort and Spa

Sponsored by La Marquise International

nd respect of his team.yal customer base.atives to maximise t that, despite theion in pricing.

La Marquise’s Ali Shafqat [L] and Fadi Achour [R] present Shibu John with his award.




40

Prabakaran Manickam is clearly a hard-working young chef, having climbed the ladder within this operation by displaying “maturity and discipline well beyond his years”.

Although this means he has had to face a va-riety of new challenges in a comparatively short space of time, he has undertaken every new duty with the same enthusiasm and diligence.

Manickam really stood out through his com-mitment to both the team and training younger members, insisting on coming in to help out on training days even on his days off.

Daniel Coitzer’s dedication to ensuring guests a top experience has been demonstrated by his dedication to collecting customer comment cards as well as his ability to problem-solve, should an issue arise during service.

The management also spoke extremely highly of Coitzer, and these testimonials were high-lighted by the fact that he has been nominated twice this year as best employee of the quarter.

“I feel very happy and proud of myself — it’s great to be acknowledged for what you’re doing, and to get this award in Dubai where, as one of the biggest tourism destinations, the F&B market is extremely competitive. So it’s definitely a great accolade to win.

“For me its not just about myself; it’s about the kind of team you have. It’s all about your leader and your col-leagues, because if your team is supporting you, only then can you be the best you can be.

“I knew I was nominated, but to even get short-listed for an award is a real honour!

“I definitely won’t let the win go to my head. It’s important to stay who you are, because if you stay on a real level and remain focused, that’s how you will excel and achieve.”

Judges’ notes:

Judges’ notes:



Highly commended

Highly commended

Commis Chef of the Year

Waiter of the Year

Prabakaran Manickam

Daniel Coitzer

Commis chef, The Meat Co, Souk Al Bahar

Captain, Asado, The Palace — The Old Town

Akila Fernando, Sumibiya, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek

Gagan Deep Singh, Neos, The Address, Downtown Burj DubaiEvans Misiani, Spice Island, Renaissance Dubai Hotel

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the kind d your col-u, only then

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“I’m feeling so happy — it was completely unex-pected thing for me!

“I just thank God for this, as well as our executive chef Roy Soundranayagam, our general manager Joseph Chalfoun, our admin controller Peta Soun-dranayagam and the whole team at The Meat Co. They have helped me and motivated me all along the way.

“I think this is a real boost for me and my career — and I think really the win comes down to the efforts and training that my employers have given me.”

tely unex-

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Channaka Janak Bandara stood out as someone who has perfected the balance of bringing both creative flair and business acumen to the role of mixologist, as demonstrated by the instrumental role he played in developing the bar’s successful new cocktail menu this year and up-selling the list to his customers.

His friendly, approachable manner and dedication to Vu’s has clearly won over guests and colleagues alike.

“I was not expecting to win this at all! I work very hard in my role and am happy to say I get some great guest feedback, but I still never dreamed of winning it.

“I’ve been working at Vu’s for around four years and I have always loved my role, mixing new flavours and creating new menus. Today we have more than 200 cocktails on the list.

“Now my ambitions are to motivate myself more and more to make great new drinks and keep doing a good job!”

Judges’ notes:


Highly commended

Mixologist of the Year

Channaka Janak BandaraMixologist, Vu’s Bar, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Christopher Ashley Bowles, Fai, The Palace — The Old Town

ngingy theis year

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say I

ixinglist.ks and

Sponsored by Monin

Monin representative Ghaith Zeidan congratulates Channaka Janak Bandara. Caterer 185 x 30 mm - Mixologist of the year ROUGE.eps 19/11/09 16:49:39




Ritwik Shastri stood out in this category as someone who not only loves their job, but is 100% dedicated to meeting his own exacting standards in every area.

The glowing testimonials from his colleagues and supervisors alike also showed his strength as a team player and reliable colleague.

Shastri’s success in Fairmont’s Penfolds competition this year marked him out from the crowd, as did his efforts to implement wine masterclasses for his colleagues.

“It feels great to have won; like a dream come true! I always wanted to work in this field and really excel, so it’s fantastic to gain recognition in this way.

“Working on The Exchange Floor has been a great opportunity for me, as I get to work with a fantastic team and devise a lot of interesting new beverage promotions for our clientele to enjoy as well.

“My ambitions for the future are to be a head sommelier or a beverage manager — and really to just keep doing a good job.

“Next year, I’m looking forward to growing in my role and moving forward.”

Judges’ notes:


Sommelier of the Year

Wine steward, The Exchange Floor, Fairmont Dubai

he

k

d

Ritwik Shastri

Sponsored by Baqer Mohebi

Baqer Mohebi’s Elizabeth Oquendo presents the award to Ritwik Shastri.




Winning in-house competitions and dealing with customer difficulties with aplomb, Jes-sica Brantley demonstrates an admirable ability to get on with her team and guests alike.

This nomination included testimonials from her seniors on her strong work ethic and cheerful attitude, attributes which were added to by Brantley’s up-selling skills.

Her unshakable enthusiasm for bartending and her innovative approach to menu devel-opment made her stand out, as did her willingness to personalise beverages for customers.

“I’m very excited to have won — I can’t stop grinning!“I love my job and it’s wonderful to see that the passion I have for this industry and the

passion I have for bartending and delivering the best possible experience to the customer has been recognised.

Although I haven’t been wokring in this region for long, I love being here and look for-ward to progressing further at Okku.

“I think this kind of award is great for the industry — it’s one of the best things that could happen for a bartender, so it works as a great motivator and means of recognition.

“But I work with great people in a wonderful place, so I’m very thankful for their support in allowing me to strive to where I want to be.”

Judges’ notes:


Bartender of the Year

Jessica BrantleyBartender, Okku Restaurant and Lounge

plomb, Jes-guests alike.

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are the proud sponsors of theBartender of the Year 2009 Award

Sponsored by MMI

MMI’s Andrew Day presents Jessica Brantley with her Bartender award.




Norberto Binalingbing’s dedication to his role, the standard of his work and the satisfaction of his clientele marked him out as someone who truly enjoys their job and wishes to surpass expectations.

His dedication to up-selling and generating revenue was also extremely impressive.

“It is an amazing and breath-taking feeling to have won. I was really surprised to win this award as I knew that there were so many candidates out there with exceptional skills and talents — I never thought that it could happen to me!

“To be very honest, when I started I was a bit unsure whether I would do the job well, but as I am holding this prize in my hands today, I guess I am doing something right!

“I want to say thank you to my managers who believed in me, to all our guests who love my coffee and tea specialties, and to my colleagues who support me.

“So I would like to dedicate this award to the Corniche Restaurant team and to the Marriott family and its loyal guests. The Doha Marriott team is my family and I know that a bright future awaits me, working for this company.”

Judges’ notes:


Doha Marriott’s Noberto Binalingbing, winner of the Barista of the Year title sponsored by Merchant Star International.

Barista of the Year Sponsored by Merchant Star International

Norberto Binalingbing Barista, Corniche, Doha Marriott Hotel




Okku’s rigorous recruitment and training of its staff indicated its commitment to excel-lence, while the brand’s efforts to look after its employees — through excellent accom-modation, ongoing training and career progression prospects, internal promotions and recognition programmes — also highlighted its great efforts this year.

This attention to detail resulted in a high retention record and commendable standards of customer service demonstrated by the operation throughout this difficult year.

“It feels absolutely amazing, considering the short time we’ve been open and the fact it’s a brand new concept for Dubai.

“The reaction we’ve had from customers had been really positive. I think a lot of people have been surprised by the concept; everybody expects us to have five or six around the world, but when they discover the first one is in Dubai, they’ve been pretty shocked!

“I think the big difference with us is that we put a lot of love into everything we do — it all comes down to the team and the chefs who have given everything over this past year to make it happen.”Markus Thesleff, founder, Okku

Judges’ notes:


Highly commended

Restaurant of the Year

Okku Restaurant & Loungelocated at The Monarch Dubai

The Rib Room, Jumeirah Emirates TowersCorniche, Doha Marriott Hotel

www.hoh telieriermidmiddleeaseast.ccom/om f&bf&

Sponsored by Royal Culimer

Markus Thesleff receives the award from Royal Culimer’s Jeroen Tollenaar. Okku Restaurant and Lounge.




The team from the Al Bustan Rotana gave their all to ensure this event was a success, providing food for a 30,000-strong audience over the course of the festival — a task they achieved with huge effort, mini-mum fuss and to great customer satisfaction.

A central factor in the nomination that really shone out was the whole team’s organisation and planning leading up to the event, and the dedication shown by the members of staff across the whole property in supporting the banqueting team’s efforts.

Their commitment to reducing hassle for the customer, as well as to offering a varied menu for excel-lent value, showed them to be an outstanding catering team as well as a strong business operation.

“We are very proud to have won this award; it’s the result of a lot of hours of hard work that we have put in, a reward not only for the catering department, but also the team work shown by all the departments and the support everyone showed during the 10-day Jazz Festival.

“It was a challenging event to handle, a huge operation requiring masses of coordination and logistical planning. But everyone rose to the occasion and performed outstandingly.

“Now we’re looking forward to delivery the same great quality and high standards at next year’s festival.”Franck Royer, executive assistant manager and F&B director, Al Bustan Rotana

Judges’ notes:


Event Catering Achievement of the Year

2009 Dubai Jazz Festival, Al Bustan Rotana Dubai

Sponsored by Airstar

.”

The catering team from Al Bustan Rotana.Airstar’s Hicham Lalmi presents the award to Franck Royer.




Left Bank’s ongoing promotions and marked attention to menu develop-ment has seen it remain busy and successful during a difficult period.

The staff have demonstrated admirable team spirit and commitment to the brand and its clientele this year, completing multiple in-house training and incentive schemes as well as organising their own weekend trips to promote team bonding.

“We’re very pleased to have this award, it’s great to be recognised for what we’ve achieved this year!

“It’s really in recognition of the whole team there, in honour of their outstanding service. And I think that’s what set us apart from other venues — our level of service, our relationships with regular customers, and ultimately the quality of what we provide.

“It’s always great to know that all your hard work has been noted, especially in such a competitive market and during quite a diffi-cult time economically, so we are really very grateful for this award and this recognition.”Mellissa Rynn, outlet manager, Left Bank

Judges’ notes:


Bar of the Year

Left BankSouk Al Bahar

The team from Left Bank, Souk Al Bahar.

Sponsored by Procurio

Procurio’s Loraine Fernandes with Mellissa Rynn and assistant manager Ryan Goodrich.




Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire’s practice of hiring staff based on their personality, manners and attitude is a method which, thanks to solid in-house training and the passion and dedication shown by senior team members, has clearly paid off.

All team members have demonstrated evident enthusiasm to learn during the restaurant’s first year of operations, driving business with a sterling reputation founded on their constant determination to exceed customer expectations, as well as the personalised approach to service.

“To win this is fantastic, but the best thing is how successful the year has been for us as a restaurant. “It’s great to be celebrated as a restaurant, but behind a restaurant there are always people; so a

team award really is fitting. It’s the human factor that keeps people coming back.“This is why the Caterer Awards are so important — because as great as the restaurant design is,

as great as every element is, it’s the people who are making it all happen. So this is really fantastic.“We are very lucky to have the team we have; they have a lot of integrity, a lot of passion and the

chemistry has really worked out. So they truly deserve this award.”Etienne Haro, restaurant director, Re ets par Pierre Gagnaire

Judges’ notes:


Highly commended

Restaurant Team of the Year

Re ets par Pierre GagnaireInterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City

Rodeo Grill Restaurant and Bar, Al Bustan Rotana DubaiRuth’s Chris Steak House, at The Monarch Dubai

Sponsored by Tulsidas Lalchand

The Refl ets par Pierre Gagnaire restaurant team. Tulsidas Lalchand’s Punit Bhatia presents the award to Etienne Haro.




50

The team at Emirates Flight Catering has demonstrated the clear ability to work to deadlines under great pressure and produce huge volumes of food to exacting standards.

The kitchen members also demonstrate their versatility by operat-ing a daily fine-dining service at the Emirates Training Centre, and providing catering for various high-profile Dubai events.

This group’s dedication, commitment and camaraderie marked them out as a truly deserving winner.

The cheery attitude and proactive approach to service demonstrated by the Tamanya Terrace bar team marked

them out as truly driven and dedicated bar profession-als, set on delivering a top customer experience.

Testimonials from the whole team indicated a positive spirit and high level of commitment to both the guests and the business itself, which has seen the outlet perform consistently well despite the economic slowdown affecting business.

“This is really exciting for us — catering is really often associated with hotels and restaurants, so to gain recognition in this way is just fantastic for our team.

“I think what gave us the edge was the fact that we’re doing 70,000 meals a day, plus a fine dining restaurant. Those volumes and the diversity of what we do is quite overwhelming. And I think the judges picked up on the effort it takes to deliver on all of those promises successfully.”James Grif th, assistant vice president, Emirates Flight Catering EKFC1

Judges’ notes:



Kitchen Team of the Year

Bar Team of the Year

Emirates Flight Catering EKFC1

Tamanya Terrace

Main kitchen, Jumeirah Emirates TowersMain kitchen, Ramses Hilton

“When I found out, I was just so happy — and we’re delighted that the hotel and the Tamanya Terrace team has been recogn-ised. They all do a great job, and we’re so grateful to Caterer for recognising that.

“I think it all comes down to team-work; this team has been work-ing with me for the past four years and I haven’t lost anyone. They’re really happy in what they do, and that translates into their service.”Chaminda Siriwardane, bar manager, Tamanya Terrace, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Media City

Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Media City

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Emirates Flight Catering EKFC1’s kitchen team.

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Offering genuine support and care for their clients, Fresh Express is a firm that goes the extra mile to deliver orders and fulfill last minute requests.

In addition to supporting the industry at various local events and competitions, the team itself was

obviously a key factor in customer loyalty.Vanessa in particular from the sales team stood out as a “supplier star”, having undertaken deliv-eries herself to help out a panicked customer.

The sales staff at MMI were praised for showing enthusiasm and constant support to their clients.

Their support for staff training and for clients in developing promotions was also highly commended.

Judges’ notes:

Judges’ notes:

“We’re very pleased for the whole team. It’s been a tough year, so we’ve just helped clients wherever

possible and we’ll take this strength into 2010.” Tony Dodds, general manager on-trade, MMI


Food Supplier of the Year

Beverage Supplier of the Year

Chefs’ Choice Awards

Fresh Express

MMI

“It’s wonderful to get recognised by Caterer in this way.

“We have been operating in the UAE for the past 40 years and to have someone come along and say ‘yes, you have done a great job’ — that means a lot to us.”Costas Bouyoukas, founder and managing director, Fresh Express


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James Mather was singled out for his efforts in implementing product training amongst his clients, as well as his continued support during events or for

last-minute requests.Mather has also proved himself more than will-ing to take the initiative, suggesting new ideas for events, complementary products for his clients’ menu deals and consistent support for promotional events.

“It’s fantastic to have won — I still can’t quite believe it!“It’s great to have this recognition; to be seen to be doing it right

by your customers is a great honour. “And although it’s a cliché, and one I promised I wouldn’t use, I

have to mention that it really does come down to the team you have around you.

“MMI has a great infrastructure in place, which makes things that little bit easier and gives us the time to really focus on our custom-ers. So our success in client support really owes a lot to that.”


Best Client Support of the Year

James Mather Key account manager, MMI

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The MMI team celebrates the win.

Fresh Express’ John Vouyoukas and Costas Bouyoukas.

Highly commendedHoreca Trade

Ingredient focusDesserts


As a growing number of highly-skilled pastry chefs take up positions in the region’s kitchens, the Middle East is fast becoming a hub of culinary innovation and intriguing design. Ben Watts speaks to pastry chefs to find out what’s fuelling the dessert explosion

Sweet success

As the region’s hospitality industry catches up with the high standards set in the USA, Europe and the Far East, one section of the backroom team is beginning to turn heads around the world.

The region’s pastry chefs are becoming a force to be reckoned with at an interna-tional level, as Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, pastry chef Ajmal Salim is keen to point out.

“Considering how many hotels and out-lets there are in and around the Middle

East, the standard is incredibly high,” says Salim. “I’ve travelled to America, Switzerland, Europe and Far East Asia, and I know where we stand: we are right there, and we can compete with any other country in terms of our pastry skills.”

The region’s diners are increasingly expecting to be ‘wowed’ by their dessert selection, as well as their main course.

Renaissance Dubai Hotel assistant pastry chef Achala Weerasinghe says it can be hard to point to exactly what the Middle

Renaissance Dubai Hotel assistant pastry chef Achala Weerasinghe.


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East diner looks for in a dessert, due to the diversity of cultures found in the region.

“All diners look for a dessert that will complement their meal,” observes Weeras-inghe. “Hopefully they will leave the hotel with memories of rich, sweet, melt-in-the-mouth desserts that make them come back wanting more.

“On an à la carte menu, the desserts have

to be able to complement the main courses and at the same time be exciting,” he says.

“There are only the adventurous few that will step beyond the norm and try out a dessert that is truly out of this world; the rest always look for that homemade taste.”

Daniel Mayor, pastry chef at Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait, says that due to the popular tradition of oriental pastries in this

part of the world, general demand tends to move towards sweeter desserts.

However his best sellers are bucking the regional trend, generally being of European style and origin.

Mayor comments: “In the pastry shop of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait, traditional European cakes such as apple pie, sacher cake, tiramisu and berry mousse cake are

Culinary delights on display at a recent dessert demonstration, organised by ingredient supplier EMF Emirates.



the best sellers. But I believe this prefer-ence is symptomatic of the guests we see coming to the property — in our case, mainly international business travellers.

“I have also noted that desserts with chocolate as main ingredient are very popular, maybe because chocolate is perceived as a luxurious product in the region,” he remarks.

Attention seekersPromoting sweets can be a tough challenge according to pastry chefs; especially with main course menus steal-ing the limelight.

Renaissance’s Weeras-inghe says that a pastry chef ’s artistic touch does this job for him.

“There is only one technique a pastry chef can use to promote their desserts and that is through the eyes,” he explains.

“I make sure that the garnishes I use are from fresh and fine ingredients — from the fruits and berries that I use, to the chocolates that enhances the look of the dessert.”

Radisson’s Mayor notes that

nowadays desserts have a role to play in advertising the hotel’s offering.

“We have regular dessert speciality weeks in our coffee shop reflecting the seasonal tastes and then those special-ties are promoted in the local media and within our hotel outlets,” he notes.

“We do not really have a dessert menu in our fine-dining restaurant, but a classical dessert trolley is served in our Chinese restaurant.”

Food ght With more and more competitions filling

up the culinary calendar across the Middle East, the

aesthetics of desserts now play an important role in promot-

ing the innovation of chefs work-ing in the region’s kitchens. Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri’s

Salim remarks that the region’s pas-try chefs are now recognised on the

global stage for their creative talent. “I think in this region the pastry

chefs are some of the most innova-tive,” he says. “We’re definitely on

a par with the best in the world;

compared to some areas, we are actually further ahead, but if you look at it overall we’re right there with any other country in terms of fineness and quality of the products we’re producing.

“I think this progress is to do with the exposure this region has had to interna-tional influences,” continues Salim. “The flow of ex-pats coming into the region, the type of training they’ve had and also the information they receive.

“Look at the amount of magazines and the amount of information available on the internet, and the competitions and events going on around the globe today; when you witness more inner creativity coming out you want to create more and be more innovative.”

Fresh suppliesRadisson’s Mayor says even in a developing culinary market such as Kuwait’s, a wide range of ingredients can be purchased.

“In Kuwait a good range of pastry ingredients are available, but as soon as you search for something ‘out of the box’, limitations arise due to the lack of demand, unrealistic prices and restricted food market supply,” he says.

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December 2009 Caterer Middle East

“In developed hospitality markets, this quickly changes due to new demands.”

But even when ingredients are hard to come by, it seems many pastry chefs try to avoid purchasing entirely ready-made frozen alternatives.

Renaissance’s Weerasinghe comments: “Purchasing frozen desserts is definitely something I try to avoid.

“Our guests at the hotel look for that homemade touch and I make sure that I am involved from start to the finish of every product that reaches the counter at our pastry shop.

“No one can ever be sure of who touches what and what goes where if it comes in frozen, wrapped up in a com-pany logo,” he says.

It seems that as long as the region’s chefs devote time to culinary creativ-ity, the future of the sweet and dessert segment of the Middle East’s culinary industry is assured.

And with consistent supplier support regarding the availability of ingredients, the region has the potential to become a leading light on the global dessert stage.

Zsuzsanna Kilián

SwissClassic

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Supplier newsDecember 2009


Food manufacturer Lamb Weston has launched a range of unusually healthy fries, made from sweet potatoes.

According to the foodstuff firm, the orange flesh Sweet Potato Fries, which are available in the UAE through supplier Horeca Trade, combine “a tender texture with a bright, vivid colour”.

“Sweet Potato Fries can be combined with meat dishes, but can also be served as side dish or snack,” the company said.

“Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious root vegetables and our Sweet Potato Fries are a natural source of fibre and potassium.”

Bakers to benefit from industry guildRegion’s first bakery and pastry guild offers networking opportunity for bakers, chefs and suppliers

The region’s pastry and bakery chefs are set to benefit from the launch of a new cu-linary guild designed to support the future of the baking and pastry industries across the GCC.

Ton Seuren, chairman of Dubai-based Baking Technologies — the company be-hind the guild’s launch — said it was a place where pastry chefs and bakers would be able to exchange ideas and discuss current and future trends within the baking industry.

“We soft-launched the guild six months ago,” said Seuren. “Bakers and pastry chefs will benefit by being members as they will get access to all the guild’s future activities, including training seminars, competitions and quarterly newsletters, as well as future bakery and pastry lunches and dinners.”

The organisation will target representa-tives from suppliers, manufacturers, hotels, retailers and bakeries, and has so far received positive feedback from at least 350 interested parties and individuals, according to Seuren.

“Support for pastry chefs and bakers in the region is limited to supplier seminars and onsite training sessions,” remarked Seuren. “Employers are giving in-house training, but as of now there is no formal

Supplier news

recognised body carrying out training in the GCC.”

Bakers will be able to register as members of the guild for free from December 20, 2009 at www.baking-technologies.com.

Bakers will have the chance to discuss ideas and trends at guild events.

Host of products on show in ItalyMilan hospitality showcase Host Show

has given suppliers a much-needed boost in the current economic climate, providing a forum for exhibtors to show-case new culinary innovations and meet new customers.

“This year’s Host Show was a great opportunity to win new customers and distributors, and to strengthen exist-ing relations with our valued partners,” commented kitchen equipment manu-facturer Manitowoc Foodservice.

The German firm also used the show as an opportunity to demonstrate its lat-est brands and equipment.

Held bi-annually at the Fiera Milano exhibition centre in Milan, Italy, Oc-

tober’s Host Exhibition International show attracted more than 125,000 visi-tors from the global hospitality industry.

Manitowoc presented its products at Italian exhibition.

Fries for a health-conscious market


Dessert experts turn out for sweet demosDubai firm hails dessert show a culinary success

Rendez-vous Gastronomique proved a treat for region’s chefs.

The fourth edition of Rendez-vous Gastronomique took place last month, providing dessert chefs from across the region with the opportu-nity to learn about the latest trends from Europe.

The demonstration, organised by Dubai-based supplier EMF Emirates, featured three renowned specialists demonstrating recipes and trade tools to visiting chefs.

EMF Emirates general manager Pierre Feghali commented: “This is the fourth time we have held the event and it’s becoming a tradition now.”

This year’s guest of honour was French pastry chef Emmanuel Ryon, an expert on ice cream who was named World Champion of Pastry at the age of at 25.

Demonstrating their sweet techniques alongside Ryon were fellow European dessert specialists Philippe Marand and Philippe Bertrand.

“They bring with them new takes and ideas,” remarked Feghali. “What a chef looks for at this event is the right ingredients, the right tools and the right techniques.

“What we are trying to bring them is new ingredients and inventions to help them create something new — we try to push the limit of their talent as much as possible.”

More than 130 chefs attended the last two editions of the show and this year’s demonstration proved equally popular with chefs coming from across the region, according to organisers.

“I was pleased to see a lot of chefs from Abu Dhabi and four from Oman,” noted Feghali. “The word is spreading around the region’s chefs.”

Caterer 256 x 88 mm - Le fruit.eps 19/11/09 16:19:07

Supplier newsDecember 2009


Show reviews December 2009


A caffeine kick from beverage bonanzaThe Middle East tea and coffee industry’s first dedicated trade event makes its debut in Dubai

The region’s first trade show dedicated to the tea and coffee trade took place last month, with exhibitors from across the region showcasing their beverage products.

The Specialty Coffee and Tea Convention also featured the first UAE Barista Champi-onship, adding extra sparkle to the show.

Bringing together a range of regional and national suppliers, the event at Al Bustan Rotana Dubai also provided a series of seminars and workshops for attendees, on topics ranging from espresso basics to franchise opportunities.

Merchant Star International managing director Ali Kadkhodaei, whose company is the regional distributor partner of Austrian coffee firm Julius Meinl, described the show as a “coffee connoisseur’s haven”.

“Being involved with a show that targets coffee and tea is important for us,” he added.

“I think the quality of people here has been high, as they were all involved in the industry and a show like this is a good place for us to target customers in the UAE.”

Boncafé Middle East marketing and PR

Success is sweet for confectionary showcaseThe sweet and confectionary market showed its recession-beating form at this year’s suc-cessful Sweets Middle East.

The event was held in a slightly smaller venue from last year’s edition, which according to Dubai World Trade Centre exhibitions and events director Mark Napier was actually bet-ter suited to the event.

Despite this move, the busy event saw a similar number of exhibitors and attendees as last year, claimed Napier.

“We saw eight or nine major business deals being made on the first day of the show and we have seen more new com-panies coming to the event,” he commented.

“Shows like Sweets Middle East have established them-selves in the last few years and next year the show will be at least 30% bigger.”

Exhibiting the brand’s unique camel chocolates at the event, Al Nassma Chocolate general manager Martin Van

Almsick said the show had been “very busy” and noted that he had been impressed with the quality of visitors to the exhibition.

Almsick commented: “While a lot of people may have heard of us, they have never had a chance to try our product, so for us this show is all about going back to your roots and working on your home clientele.”

“We will definitely come back as you should never neglect your core market,” he added.

manager Sally Francis said that the show had also been a good opportunity to check out competitors.

“We will probably do it again next year, even if the footfall was smaller than we imagined,” commented Francis.

“It has been good for the industry how-ever, and we have to be here — not to be involved would be bad for business.”

Coffee Planet managing director Richard

Al Nassma’s Martin Van Almsick.

Jones added that the UAE Barista Cham-pionship had been a valuable opportunity for the industry to pay attention to its key service staff.

“The region’s coffee market is still imma-ture and the barista profession needs to be better supported in the region,” he said.

“A show like this is about putting the UAE on the map; it is all about networking and not so much about business.”

Coffee Planet’s Richard Jones. Merchant Star International’s Ali Kadkhodaei.



Quality over quantity at Equip’Hotel A quieter year for Equip’Hotel but exhibitors and visitors remain positive at the Abu Dhabi event

Despite being noticeably quieter than last year’s debut edition, exhibitors at Equip’Hotel Middle East 2009 identified Abu Dhabi as a key market for the New Year , while buyers were impressed with the quality of products on offer.

The show attracted suppliers from accoss the world, such as first-time exhibitors Mis-cellaneous Creative Aesthetic Arts (MCAA) from the Philippines.

“We established the company last year and this is our first step into the UAE. We want to open trade relations in Abu Dhabi. We haven’t closed any transactions yet, but we’re optimistic,” said MCAA president Jerry Bañares.

Another first-time exhibitor, Dubai-based Modern Interior Technology general man-ager Omar Fansa said: “Abu Dhabi’s market has a lot of potential for us; it has not been affected by the financial crisis like Dubai.”

Fansa said the first day of the show had been quieter than expected, but that busi-ness had picked up on the second day, with a good selection of visitors, including proj-ect designers, contractors and operators.

King Stores Hospitality executive — insti-

Exhibitors and visitors where fewer in number at this year’s Equip’Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Specialist trade show gives boost to halal industryThe UAE’s premier halal exhibition returned for its third straight year, proving that the halal movement is going from strength to strength globally.

Exhibitors from the Far East, Europe and the Middle East turned out to showcase their halal-certified products at the Halal Expo 2009 — Dubai.

National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) executive director Wan Shahinur Izmir, representing the Malaysian meat manufac-turer at the Madinat Jumeirah show, said the event had been a success for the firm.

“It’s been good exposure for us, but on a smaller scale than Gulfood,” commented Izmir. “We’re looking for buyers and dis-tributors and have been reasonably happy with the show; it’s been a good introduction to the region’s market for us.”

Le Macchie Tartufi owner Gino Patini said the event had been an opportunity to open doors in the Middle East for his truffle firm.

“We are not currently present in Dubai or the Middle East market, but we will leave here happy as it has been a chance to meet chefs in Dubai,” noted Patini. NFC’s Wan Shahinur Izmir.

tutional sales Jude Varghese echoed Fansa’s comments. He said the show has been “fair”, with the second day proving better than the first.

Dimlaj marketing manager Syed Amjad Ali agreed, adding that despite being on the quiet side, the “quality of customer at the show was good”.

Plenty of companies used the show as a platform to launch new products, including Bentley, which unveiled its new half-litre kettle to the region.

“An international hotel chain asked us to develop a smaller kettle to save water and energy. Every contribution helps,” remarked sales and marketing director Dion Bosch.


Flying high in times of troubleITCA returns despite trials and tribulations facing the airline industry

The International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) returned to the Middle East for its three-day airline catering ex-hibition at Dubai World Trade Centre last month, following what has been a difficult period for the airline industry.

Tough economic factors have affected the market in recent months; however this was not enough to lower the optimism of exhibitors at the event.

Ghraoui Chocolate Industry vice-president Mohamed Mi-dani said: “We started selling to airlines a few years back and we like the field as it offers high exposure and high quanti-ties of business.

“It is good to come and meet all the regional airlines in one place; admittedly it was smaller than we expected, but this gave us more one-on-one time with our clients.”

Gourmet House sales and marketing manager Delphine Lannoy remarked that the industry had been struggling in

Gourmet House displays its caviar products for aviation representatives.

recent months, but insisted that the overriding importance lay in having a presence at the show.

“Business has been down from last year, but it is impor-tant to just be here and even now we are planning to be at the next edition of the show,” she explained.

“The industry has been affect-ed, but it is important to attend events such as ITCA, because if the airlines did not see us here

Ghraoui Chocolate Industry vice-president Mohamed Midani. Alcalá Oliva’s Ángela Pérez Linde.

one year they may think we were no longer interested in them.”

Another company who left the show in high spirits was Spanish olive oil producer and supplier Alcalá Oliva.

Business development manager Ángela Pérez Linde remarked: “Our product is specifically designed for airline catering, and while we have a lot of hard work to do after the show we will leave very happy.”

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SupplierKathy Casey training


Last month saw celebrity US mixologist Kathy Casey pay a visit to Dubai, where she hosted a workshop and roundtable in conjunction with flavourings provider Monin for key players from the UAE’s beverage industry.

Held at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates’ intimate 1897 Bar, the event gave attendees the opportunity to enjoy an in-depth discussion on the future of the industry, as well as allowing Casey to share her knowledge of global trends and her experiences of the regional market.

Trends during tough timesAccording to Casey, who has appeared on various television and radio shows in the US, the global beverage industry has continued to perform well during the economic crisis.

“I think people are drinking a little less when they go to bars, but they are still going out — and happy hour promotions have become huge business for many,” she observed.

Casey said that throughout the downturn everyone had been “all doom and gloom in the States”, citing the willingness of outlets to cut costs in the face of lower customer spending as a major problem.

“In America right now people are not putting very much empha-sis on training and are cutting training programmes, which I think could be a mistake,” she said.

Casey asserted that halting beverage innovation was another unwise cost-cutting tactic being employed.

“When we come out of the recession everyone’s going to want to go out, spend a little money and party,” she said.

“They are going to want to go to those places that are doing new and innovative things, so I think it’s important to always be think-ing forward, regardless of what business you are in.”

Staff comparisonWhile in the UAE, Casey spent time working with the bar team at recently-opened Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi, aiding the development and service standards of the hotel’s beverage staff.

Celebrity mixologist Kathy Casey brings her extensive beverage knowledge to the region and shares her creative touch with industry professionals from across the Middle East

Stateside blends meet Gulf trends

About Kathy CaseyKathy Casey is a celebrity chef, mixologist and media personality based in

the north-west US city of Seattle. She founded Kathy Casey Food Studios

and Liquid Kitchen, a food and beverage consultancy fi rm with an R&D

department, and was recently involved in training the service team at

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi’s F&B outlets.

“They were all very engaged and I think we found some absolute superstars,” she commented. “When we went out in Abu Dhabi, however, the scene was definitely on the green side; it took a while for someone to engage our table and generally no one followed up on whether we would like another drink.”

Commenting on the differences between bar staff in the US and the UAE, Casey suggested American bar staff possessed a degree of arrogance absent in the bar workers she came across in Abu Dhabi.


SupplierKathy Casey training


“In the US there are definitely bartenders who know what they’re doing, but a lot of them have an attitude; whereas everyone here was so gracious, hospitable and charming,” she remarked.

Casey added that she felt the lack of bar experience she came across at the Fairmont was more an opportunity than a hindrance.

“I was very encouraged that the staff were so interested and I re-ally feel that it was OK that some of them were not trained, because now they have learnt properly,” she said.

A tweet futureDuring the course of the roundtable discussion, a major trend Casey flagged up was the growth of social media.

“Twitter is one of the biggest tools you are going to be able to use as an outlets,” she advised. “When you have a special event you can host a tweet-up event; you can make a social page for your bar, for yourself, or you can set up online groups.

“I’m from the west coast of the US, which is always ahead in terms of technology or anything computer-driven,” Casey continued.

“If you start to implement this you will be well ahead of everyone else. I even had a social media intern — that’s how big it is.”

Russelito Sanchez, vice president of the Mastah Flairtending Club — Dubai Chapter, noted that the growth of online social media had been of major benefit to the growing organisation.

“We’re in the process of developing our social media programme, because from one online post every member will get the required information simultaneous,” he commented.

“But some of the guys are very busy at the moment, so finding time is the biggest problem.”

Dominik Schachtsiek, head bar chef and beverage manager at the Grand Hyatt Dubai, also presented Casey with a common problem found at many hotel properties.

“For us, the issue is that social media crosses the line into sales and marketing,” he pointed out. “I think it is a big challenge for both the beverage and the marketing sides to get along in regards to this.”

What the participants said:Monin MEI sales and marketing director Jeremy Coulbeck“For me she is bringing over the trends. American tends to drive trends

forward in terms of recipes and fl avours.

“This region can lag behind America; especially if you look at the market

for smoothies and shakes, which has not been as quick to catch on here

as it has in the US.”

MMI bar development and training manager Rebecca Sturt“I think anyone who can come over will help move us forward.

“Events like this always give the industry a boost and outside infl uences

are always good.

“They come in and are often surprised to see how Dubai works.”

Fresh Express beverage sales manager Ghaith Zeidan “Having professional visitors from different markets helps brings in dif-

ferent trends.

“There were Mexican infl uences in the drinks she made for us and she

brings with her excellent knowledge for the region’s bar industry.

“It is always good to get people from other markets coming over to share

their ideas.”

Kathy Casey “It was really fun and great to hear what other people have to say. I think

it’s great to have something like this where people can share and I’d love

to see more of this type of thing in the US.”

Beverage professionals discuss the industry at Kempinski’s 1897 Bar.

Casey responded by pointing out that marketing departments often wrongly believe social media to be part of their remit.

“When companies do social media they often hire an agency to do it,” she said. “It then becomes fake and they will have about five fol-lowers — it must be done by bar people as that’s what it’s all about.”

Juicy businessThe burgeoning beverage market in the UAE today is markedly different from the US market, according to Casey.

“The juicy freshness thing here is really great — you don’t see really fresh juices like you do in this region in the US,” she observed. “As a result it was even more fun creating cocktails at the Fairmont, be-cause we had so many wonderful and different products to work with.

“In future, I hope to expand to my business in the Midde East,” she added. “We want to work here to develop drinks and train staff with real passion for the industry.”

F&B essentials Lighting

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b64 Caterer Middle East December 2009

Supplier concerned at restaurants’ “archaic” choices and reluctance to experiment

Outlets scared of innovative lighting

F&B outlets across the region are scared to try new things when it comes to lighting, a hospitality industry supplier has claimed.

Hicham Lalmi, managing director of lighting supplier Airstar Middle East, said the major problem facing the F&B light-ing market was its approach to illuminat-ing outdoor functions.

“Today only spotlights and floodlights are being used to illuminate a dining or cocktail area,” asserted Lalmi.

“The lights used are simple poles with lamps mounted on them and come with many disadvantages such as glare, aggres-sive light and shadows. They are limited, archaic and anaesthetic.”

Lalmi cited as a counter-example the firm’s lighting balloons, used in resorts and five-star hotels around the world.

“It has been more difficult to introduce them in the Middle East than any other place in the world,” he remarked.

“I don’t know why, but perhaps it’s because it is a new product.

“We do have some clients in the region who understood straight away the advan-tages of our products, and they are using them on a daily basis,” he continued.

“But strangely, there does seem to be a fear of innovation in this region.”

Lalmi also observed that the interna-tional lighting industry was undergoing something of a revolution, thanks to new scientific discoveries regarding light which were impacting the role of lighting in the design process.

“Research on the effects of light is becoming an increasingly important

Lighting options are not fully explored in the region.

Operating under the umbrella of Al Aqili Furnishings, Belight offers high-quality commercial lighting solutions for several industries including hospitality.

The fi rm supplies classical and modern decorative items, and offers a range of well-recognised Italian brands and designs from Italian lighting masters.

The company supplied the total-concept LED lighting designed by Kareem Rashid at Dubai Mall outlet Switch, and has also been involved in the recently opened The Address Dubai Mall, which features a large onyx wall spanning two fl oors. Belight installed computer-controlled LED backlights for this colossal feature.

ONE TO WATCH: BELIGHT

Belight Dubai Tel: +971 4 337 1612Fax: +971 4 337 5912Email: [email protected] A vibrant lighting installation from Belight.

consideration in the practice of lighting,” he explained.

“Recent studies indicate the non-visual effects of light are mediated by a newly-discovered photoreceptor in the eye, which is distinct from the usual tools used for vision.

“People are not yet aware of the effects of light on human behaviour,” he concluded.


F&B essentials Lighting

Nora Lighting

LivingColors Mini

These energy-efficient LED recessed down-lights are now available with small apertures and a high lumen output making them suitable for a range of hospitality projects. The fixtures integrate the warm white colour of incandescent lamps with long-lasting, high output LED technology.

Nora LightingTel: +1 800 686 6672Web: www.noralighting.com

This miniture addition to Philips’ LivingColors range is designed to save space, while providing ambience and offering affordability. The product uti-lises advanced LED technology and a touch sensitive wheel enables the user to select from 256 different colours.

Philips Middle East and AfricaTel: +971 4 309 5155Web: www.philips.com

Inspired by the soon to be phased out bulb, this lamp from lighting studio Kaia, features a design consisting of a height-adjustable suspension, which places the bulb in the centre of the installation. The Tae suspension lamp is made from polished brass and glossy nickel.

KaiaTel: +49 1319 60 10Web: www.kaia.at

Tae

SupplierProduct showcase


Caterer Middle East showcases the best and brightest F&B products to hit the market

New products

Ergo Bear 140 Vl-4 This mixer from Bear Varimixer is designed for large-scale industrial use. It offers increased capacity compared to the existing 140l model and comes with added benefits, including a tilted front panel with Piezo buttons to ensure a better overview and faster operation.

A/S Wodschow and CoTel: +45 43 44 22 88Email: [email protected]: www.bearvarimixer.dk

ACE Rack Conveyor Dishwasher The ACE line from Comenda is designed to optimise energy consumption and features the Eco2Rinse recycling system, which cuts water consumption by more than 35%. The dishwasher’s drying module incorporates a system for dehumidifying air before being heated.

ComendaTel: +39 02 95228 1 Web: www.comenda.eu

WegaConceptWegaConcept is the latest machine from the manufacturer’s ‘Green Line’ and offers bar staff and coffee roasters energy savings of up to 47.6% compared to traditional machines. It comes with digital tem-perature adjustment and control, an auto recognition system and raised units.

CMA SpaTel: +39 329 419 9118Email: [email protected]

TeaCheer

Huile d’Avocat

This unique sparkling Japanese green tea product is made from high quality green tea, and can be served as a non-alcoholic aperitif before, during or after meals. TeaCheer is available in plain or jasmine flavour.

Al Diyafa FoodstuffTel: +971 4 39 69 553Email: [email protected]: www.diyafafoodstuff.com

La Tourangelle Avocado Oil is hand-crafted from fresh premium avocados. The avocado pulp is expeller-pressed in a similar manner to extra virgin olive oil and the result is an emerald green oil with a light avocado flavour.

Tulsidas Lalchand General TradingTel: +971 4 353 3736Email: [email protected] Web: www.tulsidas.com

Distributors & supplies directory

DistributorsDistributors

SuppliersSuppliers

Baqer MohebiTel: 00971 4 396 9777Email: [email protected](Marketing & distribution of food & non food FMCG, food ingredients & Cuban Cigars)

Greenhouse SupermarketTel: 00971 6 5332218Email: [email protected](Importers / Distributors of Food Items)

BEVERAGES

BoncafeTel: 00971 4 2828742Email: [email protected]

Coffee PlanetTel: 00971 4 341 5537Email: [email protected]

FrankeTel: 0041 6 2 787 3607www.franke-cs.com

LavazzaTel: 00971 50 5959385Fax: 00971 4 3211274Email: [email protected]

Merchant Star InternationalTel: 00971 4 266 7447Email: [email protected]

MoninTel: 00971 50 940 0918Email: [email protected]

Nestlé ProfessionalTel: 00971 4 408 8100Email: [email protected]

Raw Coffee CompanyTel: 00971505536808Email: [email protected] www.rawcoffeecompany.com

SchaererTel: 0041 (0) 318 585111Email: [email protected]

Emf Emirates Tel: 00971 4 2861166 Fax: 00971 4 2863080 Email: [email protected]

La MarquiseTel: 00971 4 343 3478Email: [email protected]

Horeca Trade LlcTel: 00971 4 3403330Email: [email protected]

MH EnterprisesTel: 009714 3470 444 Fax: 009714 3470 972Email: [email protected]

MMITel: 00971 4 209 5000www.mmidubai.com(Beverages)

TSSCTel: 00971 4 343 1100Email: [email protected](Catering/kitchen equipment, chocolate/coffee equipment, FMCG, refrigeration)

Fresh Express LLCTel: 00971 4 3395354Email: [email protected]

COOKING

ConvothermTel: 0049 884 7670Email: [email protected]

MKNTel: 0049 5 3 318 9207Email: [email protected]

Mohamed Hareb Al OtaibaTel: 00971 4 3414900Email: [email protected]

FOODSTUFF Bakemark InternationalTel: 0049421 3502 200Email: info@ bakemarkint.comwww.bakemarkinternational.com

Bakemart LlcTel: 00971 4 2675406Email: [email protected]

Ghraoui ChocolateTel: 00971 4 339 8264Email: [email protected]

Giles & PosnerTel: 0044(0)1923 234040Fax: 0044(0)1923 245151 Email: [email protected]

LambwestonTel: 00971 50 6447837Email: [email protected]

Nestlé ProfessionalTel: 00971 4 408 8100Email: [email protected]

Swiss ChocolateTel: 00971 7 244 4984Email: [email protected]

Tulsidas LalchandTel: 00971 4 3533736 Email: [email protected]

The Original Candy Company LtdTel: 0044 (0)1285 711227 Email: [email protected]

SEAFOOD

Gourmet’s ChoiceTel: 0044(0)1261 842 448Fax: 0044(0)1261 842 884Email: [email protected]

www.gourmetschoice.net

Royal Culimer FzeTel: 00971 4 8817847Fax: 00971 4 8817848Email: [email protected]

Six Brothers Foodstuff Co LtdTel: 00971 6 5339644Fax: 00971 6 5335495Email: [email protected]

HYGIENE

Johnson Diversey Gulf FzeTel: 00971 4 881 9470www.johnsondiversey.com

Newell RubbermaidTel: 00971 4 292 3444Email: [email protected]

RESTAURANT/HOTEL SUPPLIES

Airstar Space LightingTel: 00971 4 8854906Email: [email protected]

Baking Technologies Tel: 00971 4 885 7557Email: [email protected]

Churchill China Tel: 004417 8 252 4371Email: [email protected]

www.churchillchina.com

G.E.T EnterprisesTel: 001 713 467 9394Email: [email protected]

JSD ProductsTel: 0044(0)1727 841111Email: [email protected] www.jsdproducts.co.uk

Villeroy and BochTel: 00352 46821208Email: [email protected]

CATERING EQUIPMENT

Hamilton Beach CommercialTel: 001 973 263 3132www.commercial.hamiltonbeach.com

VitamixTel: 001 440 782 2450Email: [email protected]

Polo PointTel: 00971 56 606 6851Email: [email protected]

KNIVES

DickTel: 0049 7 153 8170Email: [email protected]

Victorinox AGTel: 0041 41 818 12 64Email: [email protected] www.victorinox.com

AppointmentsDecember 2009


Patrick StephenDuff has been appointed executive chef at Fairmont Dubai. Duff takes on the re-

sponsibility of the property’s 10 dining and entertainment ven-ues and brings with him more than 15 years experience from four continents. Duff began his career in 1989 as an executive sous chef at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in his na-tive United States. He followed this with the role of executive chef at the Port de Luxury Resort and Casino, St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles and posts at properties in Thailand, South Korea and Jamaica.

Winfried Helmetag has joined Kempin-ski Hotel Mall of the Emir-ates, Dubai, as executive

chef, joining the property after five years overseeing the F&B operation at Kempinski Hotel Ajman. Prior to joining the Ajman property, Helmetag worked as executive chef at The Royal Hashemite Court, Jordan, where he was respon-sible for the F&B output at the private and public palaces of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. Helmetag is also an executive committee member of the Emirates Culi-nary Guild.

Joining Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort as executive sous chef is Christophe

Gavois. Gavois brings with him kitchen experience from Four Seasons hotels in Hampshire, UK; Cairo, Egypt; and Dublin, Ireland. He will assist executive chef Fabien Martinez in the day-to-day running of culinary operations at the property. As well as his passion for cooking, Gavois enjoys playing golf in his spare time as well as spending time with his family.

Recent appointments...

What inspired you to join the team at the property in Egypt?I first worked in Egypt from 1979 to 1982 for Le Méridien in Cairo. I simply had to take the opportunity to return and be on the opening team of a new flagship Radisson Blu hotel.

What do you hope to bring to your new role as executive chef?I hope to transmit the ‘Yes I can’ spirit of Radisson Blu to my new team members and pass this team spirit on to all my col-leagues and chefs.

How highly do you rate Egypt’s culinary offering and what can be done to improve the sector?

Egypt’s culinary level is very high. It is creative, inspired and driven by the talented Egyptian Chefs Association. Constant training, supervision and developing creativity and motiva-tion in young chefs must continue in order to bring up the standards and improve the tourism industry.

Is it possible for Cairo to become the culinary hub of the Arab world? Yes, because of the large variet-ies of cuisines available in the country. The professional ability and creativity of Egyptian chefs in developing culinary art is the key to this success.

How highly do you rate the quality and knowledge of chefs in Egypt? The standard of the chefs here is equal to the quality you expected to find in any place where chefs love their jobs. They are willing to learn, implement, develop, modify or create as per their own feel-ings. They are also very interested in transmitting their own knowledge of culinary art.

What has been the most bizarre request you have ever received

from a customer?The most bizarre request I have had was in Cairo — a wedding cake that

consisted of 17 layers, was 3.5 meters wide and 4.5 meters high.

The most bizarre gift I have received from a cus-

tomer, however, was in the Comoros Island off the east coast of Africa — I was given a live goat to thank me for

the quality of the food at a wedding party!

The new executive chef at the recently-opened Radisson Blu Hotel, Cairo Heliopolis, Jean LouisCalcat, chats to Caterer Middle East about his newrole in the Egyptian capital, his plans for the future, the current status of Cairo’s culinary offerings andthe strangest gift he ever received from a customer

The Westin Dubai and Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina has appointed

Tolga Lacin as complex execu-tive assistant manager of food and beverage. Lacin brings to the role more than 17 years of experience, having started his career in Istanbul with Hilton then joined the opening team at the Hyatt Regency, Istanbul, before moving on to roles in Kazakhstan, Qatar and the Far East. Prior to joining the Dubai properties, Lacin was at The Westin, Shanghai.

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Dates for the diaryCalendar

December 1-3Diyafa 2009Doha, QatarHotel, restaurant and food exhibition for Qatarwww.ifpqatar.com

December 1-4FoodSibNovosibirsk, RussiaExhibition featuring food products, beverages, food processing equipment and technologieswww.food-exhibitions.com

December 2-4International Food and Drink Expo IndiaNew Delhi, IndiaPlatform for international and

local food and drink producers and innovationswww.indiafooddrinkexpo.com

December 2-5Gida Istanbul 2009Istanbul, TurkeyFood products and processing technologies showcasewww.itf-gida.com

December 6-8Dubai Drink Technology ExpoDubai, UAENon-alcoholic beverage products and drink technology services www.drinkexpo.ae

December 7-9Middle East Natural and

Organic Products Expo 2009Dubai, UAERegional showcase for organic and natural productswww.naturalproductme.com

December 10-12Bio EgyptCairo, EgyptExhibition for natural and organic products featuring workshops and seminarswww.organicegypt.com

December 10-13Sifel MoroccoAgadir, MoroccoMoroccan trade show for fruit and vegetableswww.sifelmorocco.com

COMING IN 2010…

January 8-10The Food FairSingaporeThematic food and beverage showwww.amac.sg

January 12-14Food and Hospitality ExpoManama, Bahrain International food, beverages and packaging technology exhibitionwww.foodexpbh.com

January 20-23Anfa Hotel EquipmentAntalya, TurkeyHospitality and events equipmentwww.anfashotelequipment.com

DATES FOR THE DIARY... December 200901 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T

Last biteInterview

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b December 2009 Caterer Middle East 71

Visiting Dubai to mark the eighth anniversary of Verre by Gordon Ramsay at the Hilton Dubai Creek with a stint in the kitchen, Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett chats with Lucy Taylor about the restaurant’s impending refurbishment, the problems of finding fresh produce and whether she’d prefer Gordon or Marcus cooking for her

Tell, us a bit about what you’ve been do-ing during your time in Dubai.

Well we organised some master-classes and gala dinners, to celebrate Verre’s eighth anni-versary. Unfortunately the fire at the hotel put a stop to the master-classes [the fire occurred

elsewhere in the property and was promptly extinguished, but not before it set off the sprinkler system, which warped the wooden floor in Verre, forcing the management to close the outlet].

But we still held the planned ‘Murano meets Verre’ dinners, just in Glasshouse, and it has been really good to remind everyone Verre’s here, do a bit of PR for Matt [Pickop, the property’s execu-tive chef] and also to remind people that Gordon [Ramsay] was one of the first major chefs to come out here.

What have you particularly enjoyed about being back?I always like working with the team; there are a lot of people I know still here and it’s been great to catch up with some of my guys who worked with me in London.

What was the hardest thing about launching the res-taurant in the rst place?I think it was — and probably still is — trying to get the produce, because you’re in the middle of the desert at the end of the day, nothing’s grown locally, so you’re importing everything and that means firstly there’s a cost element involved and secondly, prob-ably more importantly for a chef, that there’s the issue of quality.

You’re always struggling with getting really great ripe fruit and fantastic vegetables, because everything’s either under- or over-ripe. You can’t get a pineapple to taste really fresh and juicy if it’s been picked too early and goes on one of these ripening vans; that’s not a natural process. When you’re used to working with such great produce it’s heart-breaking in a way, because you know it could taste so much better. That’s something I would always miss about

Last biteInterview


Europe [if I was working here]: seasons. I think Dubai’s great, but it’s not somewhere I particularly want to come back and work again; it’s not my kind of scene. I think you get used to working with seasonality. What is amazing though is how the guys working here do adapt to it, and you see them really trying to focus and follow the seasons.

How do you feel about Verre’s status today?I think it’s great — it’s carried on well, it’s still got the standards, it’s doing well. It still misses that edge, I suppose, by being just this side of Jumeirah. It always amazes me when people say it’s too far to come, but that’s just me!

In a way, I think the fire happening and the restaurant temporarily closing could be a good thing, because they’ll have a little refurb and it’ll be nice to do that and change it a bit; and I think they might go with a chef ’s table, which would be fantastic in my opinion. It’s good to re-invent sometimes; Gordon just did that with Royal Hospital Road after 10 years; it’s always good to put a bit of money in and relaunch a place, to get everyone thinking about it again.

You’ve got Murano and the York & Albany up-and-running in the UK — how’s that all going?Really well! We opened just before Lehman’s collapsed, so we got in just at the right time.

I think when you finish at a restaurant you’ve been with for seven years, you sort of expect to open your next one at exactly the same state of play and it is hard to step seven years back and think ‘well, this is how it was last time at this stage’. But what is great about Mu-rano and York & Albany is that they both feel as if they’ve been there a while; they’ve really got into their moulds and got it all balanced.

What advice would you offer someone wanting to make it as a chef?I’d tell them to really make up their mind about what route they want to go. If Michelin’s your ball park, then do your training veer-ing towards that. If you just want to do good local food in a bistro atmosphere then go and work for people who do the best at that. When I look at CVs and see people who started at Heston, then went to work at the Rivington, they’re poles apart as restaurants — you can’t even put them in the same bracket. So what are you flitting towards? Make your mind up! Working a couple of years in a good hotel kitchen is also great, because you get trained in every area.

On to the tough questions: Ramsay or Wareing — who would you prefer to have cooking for you?I’m not answering that one! Well, maybe different occasions — Gordon to do my wedding, Marcus to do my funeral!

No, really they’re both brilliant cooks, and even thought they’ve had their differences I know they’d both say that about the other.

Gordon’s sort of a lighter touch, in some respects; his food’s a bit lighter, Marcus’ is slightly heavier. But I’ve learnt loads from both of them, so that’s a really hard question. You’ll get me into trouble with that one!

So what’s next for you?A book the year after next, which we’re currently working on; we’ve got a couple of TV programmes we might be involved with; there are a few ideas floating around. Restaurant-wise, I’m just happy running the ones I’m running for the moment.

No plans to open anything in this region then?Not right now. I wouldn’t say no, but I’d do it like Verre — consul-tancy. I wouldn’t come out here and open a restaurant, but rather put two or three really good people in and run it like that. But definitely, I’d have no issues doing something like that — a nice week’s holiday in the sun four times a year could be good!

Hartnett: impressed with how Dubai chefs adapt to the lack of seasonality.

G.E.T. ENTERPRISES. INC. 1515 W. SAM HOUSTON PKWY. N. HOUSTON, TX 77043, USA TEL. 713-467-9394 FAX 713-467-9396

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Documents

Caterer Middle East - Dec 2009