Catering News ME - July 2016

VINEET BHATIA The celebrity chef unveils a change in direction for his Dubai restaurants

WORLD CLASS COCKTAILS In conversation with Diageo World Class previous winner Tim Philips

SMOKIN’ HOT The food trend capturing the hearts and minds of chefs in the Middle East

Connecting F&B professionals with industry knowledge JULY 2016

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Contents

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8 | WHAT’S COOKING? Chef behind world’s best restaurant eyes Dubai for new venue; Roundup food trucks to expand to Saudi Arabia; Gulfood and The Hotel Show form hospitality and foodservice mega-event 16 | NEW PLACES Emirati restaurant Aseelah brings history, heritage and hospitality to Dubai 22 | COVER STORY Chefs are waking up to the power of online video for driving brand engagement 28 | THE BUSINESS Procurement consultant Roopali Khurana explains the unique challenges of F&B purchasing in the Middle East 30 | OUT TO LUNCH Diageo World Class judge and previous winner, Tim Philips reveals how the prestigious cocktail competition has elevated the bartending profession

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22 July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

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34 Managing Director Walid Zok Walid@bncpublishing.net Director Rabih Najm Rabih@bncpublishing.net Director Wissam Younane Wissam@bncpublishing.net Group Publishing Director Diarmuid O'Malley Dom@bncpublishing.net Group Editor

Melanie Mingas

38

Melanie@bncpublishing.net

Editor Crystal Chesters Crystal@bncpublishing.net Art Director Aaron Sutton Aaron@bncpublishing.net Marketing Executive Mark Anthony Monzon Mark@bncpublishing

42 34 | THE BIG CHEESE Celebrity chef, Vineet Bhatia unveils a change of direction for his Dubai restaurants 38 | FOOD TRENDS Catering News explores the preparations and techniques associated with the food smoking trend 42 | PRODUCTS A showcase of the latest uniform items on the market for the F&B industry

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

44 | MARKETPLACE The Middle East’s top tableware suppliers present the best-selling products of 2016

Photographers

Audrey Hastings Neville Hopwood Abhi Shek Photography

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Opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors.

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Editor's Letter

Thank you for sharing In our July cover story, Catering News speaks to the experts, including the Jamie Oliver team, about how chefs, both in the Middle East and further afield are using video to educate their fans and followers, engage a wider demographic, and ultimately drive footfall and revenue. And chefs no longer need a YouTube channel to engage with the trend, as Facebook and Instagram alter their strategies to take full advantage of the global videosharing phenomenon.

Facebook has already announced plans to become a predominantly video-focused platform, and earlier this year expanded the capabilities of its Facebook Live function, while a few months ago Instagram extended its 15-second snippets to allow users to upload 60-second long videos, which opens the doors for more exciting possibilities.

While some chefs are showcasing food preparation, others are taking behind-the-scenes shots of the kitchen or capturing the ambience of the restaurant floor, but ultimately there is no right or wrong way to use video. The key is simply to try it out and see if it works for your brand. And for those who are already experts, pushing the boundaries further and continually adapting to the latest trends and platforms will ensure you stay ahead of the game.

Also in this issue, we were privileged enough to speak to celebrity

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

chef Vineet Bhatia who revealed that sadly, he will be pulling out of classic Indian fine dining restaurant Ashiana by Vineet at Sheraton Dubai Creek in September.

That said, he is also working full steam ahead on a new and exciting project in the emirate that will see a shift away from his usual approach to a more casual, street food style, family oriented concept. Watch this space!

And on the sidelines of the UAE leg of one of the world’s most prestigious cocktail competitions, the Diageo World Class, we caught up with judge and previous winner, Tim Philips, who explains how the event has helped to elevate bartending from the status of a part-time trade to that of an aspirational career choice.

We also get to grips with the food smoking trend, something that has really taken off in the region this year, perhaps owning to the importance of meat to the Middle Eastern diet. Chefs leading the way, including those from Fümé, Intersect by Lexus, and the new 1762 Smoked, tell us all about the techniques and preparations associated with the trend.

And finally we spotlight the best new uniform products on the market and hear from the region’s tableware suppliers on why their latest launches stand out from the crowd.

I hope you enjoy this issue, and Eid Mubarak!

Follow us on our social media pages @cateringnewsme /cateringnewsme cateringnewsme

Crystal Chesters Editor

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What's cooking?

For all the latest News, Visit www.hotelnewsme.com Follow us on Facebook for up-to-the-minute breaking news Read the latest edition on www.hotelnewsme.com

Brands

Chef behind World’s Best Restaurant in talks for Dubai venue

M

assimo Bottura, chef patron of Osteria Francescana, the Italian restaurant which last month was named number one in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, is in discussions for a Dubai restaurant.

The three-Michelin starred chef told Catering News Middle East that he is considering opening a contemporary, casual Italian trattoria called Osteria Francescetta in several locations, including Dubai.

Bottura commented: “Francescetta, a contemporary Italian trattoria may be making waves in 2017. We are looking into opening in several locations, maybe even in the Middle East.

“It would be a contemporary Italian trattoria and extremely good in terms of quality of the ingredients and very nice preparations.”

Having visited Dubai recently, Bottura said the emirate would be the most likely Middle Eastern location for an Osteria Francescetta.

Commenting on the dining scene in Dubai, he said: “I was there very briefly and I was amazed at the enthusiasm and energy around, but unfortunately there was no time to eat out. It could be a very interesting place to open a contemporary restaurant, but casual.

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

Massimo Bottura, chef patron of Osteria Francescana

“Hopefully on my next trip I’ll have more time. I’ve heard that the Dubai culinary scene has grown a lot in the past 10 years, so it’s very exciting.”

Bottura is currently looking for the right partner for the concept, and has already been approached with an opportunity.

He commented: “I was interested in opening something in the Middle East but I need to feel that the people that are going to open are going to invest the trust in us; I have to feel their trust.”

The restaurant would not be Bottura’s first international venture. Ristorante Italia Di Massimo Bottura is already

operating in Istanbul.

Bottura confirmed that no more restaurants will open under the Osteria Francescana brand, with the Modena outlet to act as the central ‘laboratory’.

“Osteria Francescana will never move from Via Stella 22. Francescana will stay here, it’s art of the mind, the laboratory of thinking, of opening the door for the unexpected,” he said.

Osteria Francescana was named number one at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street, New York on 13 June.

The restaurant, located in the small town of Modena, Italy, was listed at No.3 in 2013 and 2014 and stepped up to No.2 in last year’s ranking, before being crowned No.1 in 2016.

Featuring restaurants from 23 countries spread across six continents, the list provides an annual snapshot of the greatest gastronomic experiences across the globe.

Zuma Dubai and La Petite Maison also made the list at numbers 89 and 99 respectively, however no restaurant in the Middle East has ever broken into the top 50 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

What's cooking?

Events

Big F&B Forum returns in September

g i B The

Food & Beverage forum

B

NC Publishing’s Big F&B Forum will return this September with an exciting programme of panel discussions and presentations tackling the most pressing topics in the Middle East’s food and beverage industry.

Confirmed to take place on 20 September at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, the second edition of the annual forum is expected to welcome more than 150 F&B professionals from across the Middle East.

Ahead of the event, an advisory panel comprising influential industry figures has been selected to help drive the agenda and ensure the key topics impacting the industry are brought to the fore.

The advisory panel consists of: Naim Maadad, CEO, Gates Hospitality; Tomas Reger, personal chef and food consultant,

Food for Thought restaurant consultancy; Solutions Leisure managing director Paul Evans and operations director, Sacha Daniel; Helen Morris, executive chef/ senior lecturer, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management; Markus Thesleff, co-founder of Whissle Group; and Mark Patten, vice president of culinary, Atlantis The Palm Dubai.

A range of sponsorship opportunities is available, with A. Ronai and TSSC having already confirmed their support.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Diarmuid O'Malley, dom@bncpublishing. net; or Nick Clowes, nick@bncpublishing.net.

For speaking opportunities please contact Crystal Chesters, Crystal@bncpublishing.net.

To register your interest in attending the event, contact Melanie Mingas, Melanie@bncpublishing.net.

Expansion

Dubai-based food truck firm Roundup to launch Saudi operations

Roundup, a 54° East company will expand its food truck operations into Saudi Arabia after Ramadan, Emirati founder Rafia Al Mulla told Catering News Middle East.

The 15-month old business has signed a deal with a Saudi partner and has opened an office in Riyadh, which will have full authority over legislation for the Saudi operation of Roundup trucks.

More offices will open throughout the Kingdom over the next year, including one in Jeddah.

Al Mulla estimates that there will be between 45 – 75 trucks in Saudi Arabia by the end of the first year of operations in the country.

Some of the food truck concepts in Saudi Arabia will be duplicates of the Dubai trucks, however brands are still to be confirmed.

There are currently two Roundup trucks operating in Saudi Arabia: a grocery truck and a pet grooming truck, with between six and seven F&B trucks to be confirmed this month.

According to Al Mulla,

Roundup is looking for expansion opportunities around the world, with the first step to be GCC expansion.

She commented: “We have some early stage discussions with GCC partners but nothing is confirmed. We’re still in the early stages and we’re more than confident that by next year we’ll be all over the GCC with our shawarma and hot dog trucks.

“We’re looking at Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. We have already exported some food trucks to those regions but we’re looking for partners and as soon as we find them, all of the food truck orders will come through them.”

Al Mulla says that the company is also hoping to secure a partner in the USA, and is exploring opportunities in Europe and Asia.

Roundup currently has 27 trucks and operates from six international factories.

Each truck has the capacity to cater for more than 5,000 people per day.

The company can deliver trucks within two to six weeks after an order is placed.

July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

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What's cooking?

Picture perfect

During Ramadan last month, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi created a mosque for the Sofra bld Grand Iftar dessert area made entirely out of sugar. The sculpture, which emulates the emirate’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, weighs 91.7 kilograms and took six days to build by the hotel’s engineering team and pastry experts. On each end of the dessert station there are three chocolate-flavoured fountains, and each year the display is set to grow in size and scale. The ingredients for the display include 70 kilograms of sugar, 14 kilograms of corn flour and 770 grams of gelatine. To light up the edifice, 10 metres of LED lights were installed with five VLED drivers.

In a nutshell: GULF BAGEL FACTORY Gulf Bagel Factory general manager Chris Gauci explains why bagels don’t have to be an unhealthy indulgence How does Gulf Bagel help F&B outlets to manage their costs and waste?

Our Dubai-based factory produces and delivers frozen, ready-to-use products to F&B outlets, which can be stored for up to one year. The bagels simply need to be toasted and garnished, which facilitates smooth operations and minimises waste. The fact that we are locally based offers significant cost advantages to our clients and helps with food safety and sustainability.

When will your new Zaatar bagel be launched, and what markets will it appeal to?

We believe this bagel will be quite appealing to Middle Eastern consumers as it is obviously a prominent spice blend in the region’s cuisine.

However, it has grown to become a popular and appreciated flavour for Western tastes too, so I believe it will also appeal to this market.

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

What other new flavours are you working on?

We are currently working on developing sun-dried tomato bagels and have introduced a nice selection of French- and Italian-style breads such as brioche buns, loafs, muffins, butter croissants, focaccia and ciabatta. These products will strongly contribute to Gulf Bagel Factory’s growing portfolio and emphasise our commitment to delivering a variety of quality baked goods.

What are your expansion plans for the region?

The business has grown rapidly over the last couple of years, which is testament to the value of our proposition. We want to strengthen our position in the UAE, and looking to the future our objective is to expand to other GCC countries and, eventually, other regions.

What are the major challenges of operating in the Middle East?

One of the biggest challenges has been educating the market on the importance of quality baking recipes and production methods.

When made the authentic way, bagels and breads don’t need to be viewed as an unhealthy indulgence. We always emphasise our use of the finest raw materials, which are free of artificial additives and preservatives, and our authentic recipe’s kettle-boiled method, which offers a healthier option.

What's cooking?

Franchising

UK’s Casual Dining Group to open 18 Bella Italia outlets in Saudi Arabia UK restaurant company, Casual Dining Group (CDG) has signed a franchise deal to open multiple restaurants in Saudi Arabia, including 18 Bella Italia outlets over the next four years.

The agreement with Riyadhbased retail and leisure conglomerate Fawaz Alhokair Group comes as CDG, the franchisee of Dubai’s Café Rouge, looks to accelerate its expansion in the Middle East and Asia.

Commenting on the partnership, Sultan Alhokair, group vice president, food and entertainment, Fawaz Alhokair, said: “We were impressed with Casual Dining Group’s portfolio of

high-growth brands, operational support and their various offerings, and are excited to begin a long-term relationship.”

Fawaz Alhokair, which is listed in the Saudi Arabian stock exchange, already licenses and operates international retail and

leisure brands in the Middle East, such as M&S, Monsoon, GAP and Zara.

The agreement’s execution and initial operations will be led by Karim Hajjali, chief business development officer under the leadership of Kamal Abu-

sara, chief executive officer of Alhokair’s food and entertainment division. The new deal, allied to other CDG activity in both the Middle East and Asia, is a statement of intent, with the company recently establishing a Dubai office.

CDG CEO, Steve Richards, said: “We are pleased to announce this strategically important agreement with such a significant and respected partner.

As a business we are building real momentum overseas. In addition, we are in meaningful discussions over similar partnerships across the Middle East and Asia regions.”

Events

Middle East semi-finalists announced for S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 Ten semi-finalists from the Middle East and Africa have been selected to compete for the chance to go forward to the global final of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 awards.

Among the MEA semifinalists are three chefs from the UAE and one from Kuwait: Eka Mochamad, Bateaux Dubai; Gregorie Berger, Restaurant Ossiano Fine Dining - Atlantis The Palm; Michael O’Shea, The Ivy, Dubai; and Harda Azman, Nino, Kuwait.

The other six semi-finalists are chefs based in South Africa and Mauritius.

The chefs will join their competitors from the MEA region for a local challenge on 26 July in Cape Town, South Africa.

The winning chef at the local

challenge will then join 19 finalists at the final event to be held in October in Milan.

Young chefs from more than 90 countries submitted their applications together with their signature dishes.

The applicants were divided into 20 geographical regions, and finalist were selected by ALMA, an international educational and training centre for Italian cuisine, according

to five key elements: ingredients, skills, genius, beauty, and message.

ALMA general manager Andrea Sinigaglia said: “The process was anything but easy. Our chefs and experts worked hard in order to select just ten semifinalists for each region from so many interesting applications, so they had to make some tough decisions.

“The average skill level was

quite high; it’s exciting to realise how many talented, young chefs there are around the world that have the potential and the passion to emerge — they’re just looking for their big break.”

The event is an opportunity for participants to learn from other talent, gain global visibility and come into close contact with well-known chefs.

These include the ‘Seven Sages’ grand finale jury, which features: David Higgs, Carlo Cracco, Gaggan Anand, Elena Arzak, Mauro Colagreco, Wylie Dufresne and Roberta Sudbrack.

At the end of August, the twenty best local young chefs from each region of the world will be announced as international official finalists.

July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

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What's cooking?

Diageo World Class reveals UAE’s best bartender

Laura Duca, assistant head bartender at Boca Dubai won the UAE leg of World Class, an annual competition hosted by Diageo Reserve to find the world’s best bartender.

The competition took place on 21 – 22 May 2016 at Grosvenor House Hotel Dubai. Commenting

on the win, Duca said: “Winning World Class is a proof that if you truly love something and put the effort in, sooner or later you will succeed.” Duca will take part in the global final in Miami this September, for the chance to be crowned the world’s best bartender.

RSA Logistics breaks ground on cold chain facility in Dubai South Third-party logistics provider RSA Logistics has broken ground on its new facility, RSA Cold Chain (RCC), which will provide cold chain solutions for the food industry from March 2017. Located just outside of the bonded zone in Dubai South, RCC will offer 3PL services for packaged food, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, and frozen food.

The facility will have a capacity

of 10,800 pallets with eight independent chambers, each with a temperature of -26 degrees to +10 degrees. RCC will also provide temperature controlled transportation to maintain the integrity of the entire supply chain.

Host Milan to award innovative hospitality technology Biennial international hospitality exhibition, Host Milan, will once again award an innovative product for the hospitality industry with its Smart Label. Awarded in collaboration with POLI.design, Consorzio del Politecnico di Milano, the 2017 Smart Label award will be focused on products that successfully implement the internet of things into their design by 12

Catering NEWS ME July 2016

connecting digitally to improve user interaction. The prize aims to promote the most advanced solutions from companies exhibiting at the 40th fair, set to take place at Fiera Milano from 20 – 24 October 2017.

Dubai-based investment group buys $2.4 billion stake in Kuwait’s Americana Dubai-based investment group, Adeptio, led by Emaar Properties’ chairman Mohamed Alabbar has paid $2.4 billion for a majority stake in Kuwaiti F&B operator Americana, Reuters reported.

Americana Group manufactures food products and operates a network of 1,690 food and beverage outlets in the MENA region, including franchise operations of fast food chains, KFC and Pizza Hut. The purchase has been made under a legally binding agreement with Al Khair National for Stock and Real Estate, controlled by wealthy Kuwaiti merchant family, the Kharafis.

Adeptio said that all of Al Khair's Americana shares will be bought at 2.650 dinars each, which represents a 26% premium over their last market price.

The deal has been long-running, with the stake having been up for sale since early 2014. Al

Khair previously offered a 69% stake in Americana.

Adeptio originally agreed in February to buy the stake, but that agreement collapsed at the end of May. Talks were re-initiated in mid-June.

Adeptio will launch a mandatory takeover offer to remaining Americana shareholders after it completes the purchase of the stake from the Kharafis.

Alabbar commented: "We look forward to building on Americana’s success and taking advantage of the growth potential of the business going forward.”

To help finance its initial deal, Adeptio aimed to secure a $1.5 billion bridge loan from a group of banks including Standard Chartered, Credit Suisse, Emirates NBD and First Gulf Bank.

Sources familiar with the agreement said the same banks would be involved in financing any new deal.

What's cooking?

Dubai’s Gulfood and The Hotel Show form food & hospitality mega-event Dubai World Trade Centre's Gulfood and DMG's Hotel Show have entered into an alliance to jointly create the Middle East and Africa's largest hospitality and food service event, Catering News has learned.

Taking place from 18 - 20 September 2017 in Dubai, with the working title ‘Dubai International Hospitality Week’, the event is expected to attract 60,000 buyers over 90,000m2 and will provide a focused platform for horeca businesses to connect with the hospitality and foodservice sectors. The move comes following feedback that Gulfood covers too many segments, meaning visitors have difficulty sourcing the products they require.

A statement from the organisers said: “The demand from hospitality industry stakeholders to access an optimised hospitality streamlined business platform has become increasingly pressing.” Elias Rachid, regional director, MKN, which supplies kitchen equipment to the foodservice industry commented: “The event is still new for all manufacturers so we have to wait and see what the effect will be on the market with this new experience. Gulfood was our hub in the Middle East and we did want an alternative, so we feel that this is it.”

Gavin Dodd, managing director, A. Ronai LLC, known for its uniforms and tableware products, added: "Having a dedicated show for the foodservice industry, as well as other simultaneous events, should encourage a targeted audience of visitors that will only continue to enhance the significant hospitality focus within the UAE." The event will be co-located with The Hotel Show and Dubai

World Trade Centre's selection of three specialised niche food shows: Yummex, the international sweets and snacks show with Messe Koln; The Speciality Food Show; and The Middle East Seafood Show.

New event, Future Food Live, will also take place alongside Dubai International Hospitality Week and will feature food startups, innovation in nutrition and the latest developments in Halal food and technology.

Gulfood's existing food service and catering equipment profiles will no longer feature in Gulfood starting from the February 2017 edition. Instead they will be moved to Dubai International Hospitality Week in September 2017, which from now on will be the only trade platform to connect with the foodservice buying community.

Mohamed Karam, senior business development manager, Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions, which manufactures Insinkerator food waste disposers, and exhibits at Gulfood every year, told Catering News: “We think it will be a good opportunity to have a specialised event for foodservice equipment and hospitality sectors in this region.

For us, it is the right platform to launch and highlight our recent innovations and products.”

The organisers said: “The DWTC-DMG partnership will provide unrivaled expertise and experience to the food service industry to access one of the most profitable marketplaces. It will leverage Gulfood and The Hotel Show's extensive proven network of influential relationships, buyer networks and alliances to deliver the most sought-after hospitality sourcing event in the world.”

July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

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What's cooking?

Vineet Bhatia to pull out of Ashiana by Vineet Celebrity Chef Vineet Bhatia has confirmed that he will pull out of classic Indian fine dining restaurant, Ashiana by Vineet this September.

A statement from his company to Catering News Middle East said: “At the moment we can only confirm that Chef Vineet is indeed pulling out of Ashiana

by Vineet come September 2016.

There is a difference in operation style and we feel it is best suited to part ways.”

Bhatia took over the restaurant, located at Sheraton Dubai Creek, in 2014, but admitted the location is a challenge.

“It’s a bit slow, it could be faster,” he told Catering News in an interview. “Dubai is a very transient place. Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai are the hubs for entertainment but Deira has been left behind… it has been neglected a bit.”

Bhatia is currently working on a new concept for Dubai which will be located in one of the emirate’s dining hubs such as Downtown Dubai, JBR or City Walk 2.

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

It will mark a step away from his usual fine dining approach with a more casual, family-oriented venue incorporating street food style cuisine.

“It will be a new brand and concept altogether. We’d rather do a new concept because we don’t want to be stereotyped as doing only the classics or modern. I wouldn’t want to do a restaurant that competes with my other restaurants because that’s pointless. It will have its own USP and will be more casual,” he commented.

With discussions having been underway for 10 months already, the restaurant’s opening is being earmarked for the middle of 2017.

The chef also has a restaurant in Bahrain, one in Qatar, one in Al Khobar and another in Riyadh, with a second location set to open in the Saudi capital in the fourth quarter of this year.

In addition, he is eyeing locations in Jeddah, Muscat and Kuwait for new concepts, and is in discussions for further projects in Doha.

(Full interview on p34)

US fast food chain Wendy’s to open in Saudi Arabia Alghanim Industries will expand the US fast food restaurant brand, Wendy’s into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the first restaurant opening scheduled for Q1, 2017.

The announcement follows the opening in Dubai’s Burjuman mall last week of Alghanim Industries’ 17th Wendy’s restaurant.

Commenting on the expansion in KSA, executive vice president, chief operations officer and international, The Wendy’s Company, Bob Wright said: “We look forward to our continued partnership as we work closely together to enhance our customers’ total restaurant experience, grow Wendy’s brand presence and bring new jobs and opportunities to the region.”

Alghanim Industries VP of food and beverage, Phil Broad added: “We look forward to serving Wendy’s great-tasting, high quality food to our customers in KSA. In keeping with Wendy’s

tradition, menu items will be made to order, using the freshest of ingredients; service teams will be trained to the highest international standards, as befits our customers.”

Alghanim Industries acquired the rights to develop Wendy’s restaurants across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2015.

Since that time, Wendy’s in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undergone strategic changes to its operations, customer service and product offering.

Founded in Kuwait, Alghanim industries is a multi-billiondollar conglomerate, employing more than 14,000 people in 30 businesses, and is present in 40 countries across the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia.

It covers a range of sectors including engineering, retail, automotive sales and service, logistics and warehousing, and food & beverage.

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New places

Aseelah

Chef Uwe Micheel, director of kitchens, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek and president, Emirates Culinary Guild introduces Emirati restaurant, Aseelah Please describe the concept of the venue in your words?

Aseelah aims to proudly share with visitors and locals alike the traditional, rich Emirati culture that continues to live on today. In essence, Aseelah’s identity can be summarised in three words: history, heritage and hospitality.

What is interesting about the beverage offer?

The beverage offer will consist of an extensive mocktail menu featuring some specialty Emirati drinks such as Aseelah falooda, Ayran and Burj Al Emarat all prepared with local products. There is also a specialty Aseelah tea blend exclusively made for the restaurant as well as a traditional Emirati coffee blend consisting of cardamom and saffron.

LWdesign group designed the interiors.

On entering, a group of pendants spanning across the walls are reminiscent of an alley in Dubai’s famous historic district, Bastakiya. Spice trays have been reinterpreted to create a refined shelving display suspended above the seating. The use of raw wooden features combined with nautical ropes reflects desert trees and the proximity to Dubai

Scape Restaurant & Bar

Brothaus Bakery

Mercato

Scape Restaurant & Bar has opened on Burj Al Arab’s new terrace. The restaurant features a California fusion style menu, with signature dishes including scallop tiradito with tiger milk, apple and red radishand Hamachi crudo with ponzu, pistachio and citrus zest. Head chef Timur Fazilov, formerly of Zuma Dubai oversees the restaurant’s culinary operation. With beaches and private cabanas at either side, Scape’s outdoor area gives the effect of a tropical forest canopy.

LOCATION: Burj Al Arab, Dubai OPENING DATE: 26 May

Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay Dubai has opened German outlet, Brothaus Bakery, which has a terrace overlooking Dubai Canal. Breakfast options include Brothaus eggs benedict served on toasted onion bread with braised beef cheeks and hollandaise sauce, while lunch and dinner options include the chicory and goat’s milk feta bowl with black sesame seeds and crushed hazelnuts and turmeric yogurt dressing. Brothaus also serves German hops including Lowenbrau.

LOCATION: Steigenberger Hotel, Business Bay, Dubai OPENING DATE: 4 June

Skelmore Hospitality Group, the brand owners of Roberto’s Restaurant & Lounge, has launched Italian dining concept, Mercato in DIFC. The homegrown brand is based on the idea of an Italian food market, with a retail space featuring cured meats, cheeses, freshly made pasta, bread and pastries, condiments and locally roasted coffee. Chefs and a full-time artisan baker are available on-site to offer advice to customers on recipes, cooking techniques and ingredients.

LOCATION: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) OPENING DATE: 1 June

What are the signature items on the menu?

Dishes include traditional Emirati staples such as balalit and bajella, chicken machboos and pumpkin pudding dessert, asidat bobar.

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

Who designed the interiors and how do they reflect the concept?

New places

The facts

Lamb thareed

Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek Date opened: 1 June 2016 Chef De Cuisine: Rabeh Adel Amer GM: Maria Tullber Concept: Traditional Emirati family style sharing.

Creek, where it all began. The combination of old-fashioned local material elements depicted in a modern way perfectly mirrors the concept of Dubai’s past and present.

Aseelah’s chicken roulade

The concept of Emirati cuisine is rela-

tively niche on the Dubai food and drink scene and so we can be really targeted with our strategy. Being situated in the heart of historic Dubai, in Dubai’s first five-star hotel, history, heritage and traditional hospitality runs through the core of Aseelah’s origins and surroundings.

These elements should give Aseelah a competitive advantage.

MISS LILY’S

BAZXAR

OPERATION FALAFEL

Miss Lily’s, a New-York born Caribbean concept opens its first international outlet in Dubai this Eid. Located at Sheraton Grand on Sheikh Zayed Road, the beach shack inspired Jamaican diner, co-owned and designed by Serge Becker, features classic island cooking, vibrant design and old-school reggae. The space offers cocktails and light bites, such as king crab with aromatic scotch bonnet sauce, jerk BBQ short rib steamed buns, and Jamaican pepper ribeye steak.

LOCATION: Sheraton Grand, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai OPENING DATE: Eid-al-Fitr

Bazxar, a food-market-restaurant-wine-bar concept has opened in DIFC. A concept by Create Hospitality, behind Spanish tapas restaurant, El Sur and coffee shop and deli, Prêt to Go, the venue features a theatrical twist with chef incubators and masterclasses. The menu consists of cuisines from around the world, including steamed bao buns, soups and noodles from the Vietnamese station, and burgers and hotdogs from the Meat District.

LOCATION: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

OPENING DATE: 8 June

Operation Falafel, an Arabic street food concept has opened its fourth outlet in Dubai on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard.

The venue, which has a capacity for 80 diners, is open 24 hours for dine-in and takeaway.

The menu includes Arabic street food items such as musabbaha, Manaeesh, muhalabia, shawermas and falafels. Outdoor seating on the boulevard has views over Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Three more Operation Falafel venues are confirmed in the pipeline for Dubai.

LOCATION: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai OPENING DATE: 5 June

How will the venue compete on the Dubai marketplace?

July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

17

Talent

The best tip is ‘thank you’ Gino Zamudio Sanz brings warm Peruvian hospitality to his waiting role at Treehouse, Taj Dubai What was your first ever role in the F&B industry?

I remember it as if it were yesterday. In October 2008 I received a call to work in banquets at the best hotel in Peru, the JW Marriott Hotel, Lima, and I accepted immediately. I worked for more than 14 hours per day for two days and then I said, “no more, this is not the position for me”, and I didn't return to work. After two months, they called me again from the same hotel for a job interview, but this time for the restaurant area, and I accepted. My first role was as a runner at the restaurant and after a month and a half, having learned many important lessons, I was offered a permanent contract and stayed for five years.

Who has inspired you most in your career?

My family have been the biggest inspiration to me throughout every important moment of my life. I’ve always wanted them to be proud of me. I remember this every day, so I give my best in everything I do.

How do you view the F&B scene in the region?

It is very competitive since we are in the world Mecca for hotels and tourism. There are many restaurants serving different types of international food, and that's good because there is diversity.

What is the biggest challenge of your role?

Every day there’s a new challenge, but nothing that’s too hard to handle. It could be the accent of the customer or a delay in the kitchen – it’s something new each time 18

Catering NEWS ME July 2016

Work Experie nce

May 2014 - Ja nuary 2015: IR D server, The Lima Hotel Westin Convention Centre, Peru December 2012 - April 2014: Quality superv Naturandina isor, del Peru, Peru January 2008 - July 2012: Bus-boy/ se Marriott Lima, rver, JW Peru

I go to work. However, these challenges are interesting and provide us with new learning opportunities every day.

What is the best aspect of your role?

My favourite aspect of my position is interacting with people. I enjoy talking about experiences, and serving customers the best I can from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave. I serve all customers equally, with respect at all times for everyone. It is interesting to learn about different cultures and customs.

If you could work in any restaurant in the world, which would it be?

It is a difficult question. I would like to work in the best restaurants of the world and learn from each one. I believe in myself and my abilities and whatever I don't know, I'll learn it fast. I don't have a specific place right now, but I know that I could work both in a luxury restaurant or a family restaurant, always happy to be doing what I love and with a smile on my face.

What tip would you share with new staff starting out in the F&B industry in the region?

My advice would be to achieve what you want in life, be determined and believe in yourself, and don’t surrender at the first fall. It is a difficult, busy sector with no birthdays, holidays or celebrations, but the best payment is a ‘thank you’, a magic phrase that will fill your heart with satisfaction and make you feel you are doing the best at your job. A thank you from a host or customer is the greatest tip you can receive in the F&B industry.

Gino Zamudio Sanz

Talent: appointments Pierchic overhauls management team

A new team has been appointed at Jumeirah Restaurant Group’s over-water seafood outlet, Pierchic. New general manager Julian Biddulph was previously GM at Jumeirah Restaurant Group’s The Ivy, and before that worked with Melia Hotels International. Head chef, Paul Lupton has moved from his role as executive chef at Asia de Cuba to take the reins of the culinary team. Joining him are head sommelier, Sarah Belanger, chef de cuisine, Salvadore Estanque, and assistant restaurant manager, Sylvester Sequeira, both of whom have moved over from The Ivy.

Crab Tavern Dubai appoints head chef Charlie Rowan Crab Tavern Dubai at Media One Hotel has appointed London-trained Charlie Rowan as head chef. Rowan previously held the position of head chef at Geales, in the Sanctum Hotel, Soho, London and helped transport the brand to Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa, Dubai.

Most recently, he was senior chef at Quo Vadis, working alongside ‘Great British Menu’ judge and head chef, Jeremy Lee. Chef Rowan has revamped the Crab Tavern menu with items such as ‘Best of the West’ bucket and the grilled seafood platter.

Rixos The Palm hires Turkish executive chef

Rixos The Palm, Dubai has appointed executive chef Nurettin Celik who will focus on Turkish cuisine and culture and has expanded the menu to include more than 60 Turkish main courses and 65 desserts. Having first joined Rixos Hotels & Resorts as part of the culinary team in Turkey in 2003, chef Celik has worked with the group intermittently for 13 years. He has also held F&B roles with independent hotels, and with JW Marriott in Thailand where he was executive chef on the opening team.

July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

19

Opinion

How safe is our water?

In the midst of speculation around the safety of bottled water, Jason Moore, co-founder of Local Food explains why UAE tap water isn’t necessarily the better option

W

hen deciding whether tap water, bottled drinking water or natural mineral water is best for you in the UAE, it’s smart to base your decision on the container, the method of storage and the delivery of the underlying asset – that is, the water itself.

A recent article in the press argued that UAE tap water is better for your health than water from a plastic bottle. And while I agree that reducing our plastic consumption is good for the environment and would be better for our health, it’s important to consider how healthy each of the water options is first of all – whether it’s tap water, bottled drinking water (bottled in the UAE), or imported natural mineral water.

BPA, an industrial chemical that has been used to make plastic bottles since the 1960s, and which is a potentially toxic substance that has been linked to human health risks, is no longer used for disposable plastic bottles of drinking water. Instead, the bottles are made using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, which has been proven by health authorities across the world to be safe. Disposable bottles are marked as PET plastic with a number 1 in a triangle to identify them as a safer choice for consumers.

Glass is another alternative container for both local purified water and imported natural mineral water. That being said, most water containers in offices and home water coolers are made of a different type of plastic, which does contain BPA. I know of only two local bottled drinking water brands 20

Catering NEWS ME July 2016

that use non-BPA PET in their four-gallon water containers. Tap water on the other hand, is clearly not at risk of plastic contamination since it travels through pipes. However, some UAE residents fear contamination of their tap water in the holding tanks of older villas.

In terms of storage and delivery, have you ever left your bottle of water in the car during the summer and consumed it later, only to find it has a taste of plastic? Sometimes consumers smell or taste plastic in their purified bottled drinking water and natural mineral water directly from the shelf. This can be due to several factors during water delivery including heat, sunlight, the thickness of the plastic bottle, time in the bottle, and movement.

If you are worried, ask your water company about the temperature of their warehouses and for imported natural mineral water, ask

companies if they ship during the very hot summer months. Additionally, be sure to trust your own instincts: if you taste or smell plastic in your water, it might be a sign that unwanted plastic is entering your body. Some consumers have found that thinner plastic bottles tend to interact with water more.

When it comes to the water itself, all of the water bottled in the UAE is “bottled drinking water”. The GCC Standardisation Organisation GSO 1025/2012 definition of bottled drinking water is “treated drinking water intended for human consumption, which may contain or have added to it, natural minerals”. This water is clean and safe for human consumption. Tap water is also treated and is safe for human consumption, although it might have more chlorine in it than bottled drinking water, since tap water needs protection from contamination during its journey through the pipes.

Rather than drinking bottled drinking water, which is stripped of all its natural minerals during the purification process, and then has minerals added back in, many consumers prefer to drink natural mineral water.

Imported water to the UAE is almost always natural mineral water, and the definition of this by the GCC Standardisation Organisation GSO 987/2012 is “water obtained directly from natural or drilled sources from underground water bearing strata, for which due precautions should be taken to avoid possible pollution affecting its chemical or physical properties”.

The labeling of all bottled waters in the UAE is audited and highly regulated by local authorities, therefore, the easiest way to tell if a water is natural or purified is to look for the three words on the label. It will either say, ‘natural mineral water’ or ‘bottled drinking water’.

In conclusion, all water in the UAE is highly regulated so that it is safe for human consumption, but the question is, what is the best way to hydrate your body and take care of the environment at the same time? I prefer to drink natural mineral water in recyclable PET bottles, however, my advice is to analyse the water’s journey from the source to your mouth to decide what is best for you.

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

Cover Story

As food overtakes cats as the most watched content online, chefs are waking up to the power of video for driving brand engagement.

Crystal Chesters investigates.

T

here is no doubt the creation and consumption of online video is increasing, with growth in watch time on YouTube up at least 50% year over year for the past three years, and with Facebook and Instagram enhancing their video features and streamlining their strategies to get on board with the trend. Food and recipe content is a particularly popular subject for video, and this grew by 59% on YouTube from 2014 – 2015 according to a report by Millward Brown Digital, Firefly and Google. According to Martin Kubler, CEO sps: affinity & Iconsulthotels, chefs are perfectly placed to capitalise on the trend, which may explain why more and more are using YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Periscope to capture the attention of fans and followers through video.

Kubler explains: “Video is fun for chefs, a lot of them are like actors; they are usually the people in the hospitality industry that have the most pronounced personalities, and this lends itself to video. Secondly, they can showcase what they do, which is something that drives footfall into restaurants,” he comments.

For Adam Schop, executive chef of Miss Lily’s, a New York-founded Caribbean concept launching in Dubai’s Sheraton Grand this month, video is a more powerful marketing tool than imagery, with the brand’s Instagram videos gaining on average 10 times the number of likes as images. “I believe that video has a better chance of drawing the attention of the user. There is music and movement and that provides an enhanced sensory awareness of our brand,” Schop comments.

Video can also bring a chef’s creations to life in a way that images cannot, explains Dalia Dogmoch, a Dubaibased culinary personality who featured on Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube channel. “What I like about video is that it’s

more natural,” she comments. “Pictures are a bit more set and videos aren’t, so this is why Snapchat is so popular because you want to see things as they are. I have a lot of pictures and they are great marketing tools as well, but there is something about video that brings things to life and makes it more real,” she says.

Instagram algorithms have also recently been updated so that posts, similar to Facebook, are no longer seen in order but by popularity and engagement. According to Kubler, video posts attract higher engagement meaning these are likely to be seen more than images. “The more likes you get the higher the chance that you will be seen, so if you’re putting up a video post, it is likely to be seen by more people,” he explains.

Tiina Kontra, a Dubai-based social media and communications consultant agrees that for chefs, posting videos increases their chance of exposure. “People are more likely to share an interesting video than an article or image,” she explains. “Videos add the wow factor to your social media as most small businesses still aren’t taking advantage of video marketing. A video is also an easier and quicker way to communicate your message, and for example, recipe instructions.”

Jamie Oliver, one of the world’s best known TV chefs, accelerated his online video activity four years ago when his team noticed a drop off in TV audiences, which was surprising given that his popularity on Twitter and his book sales were increasing. However, fans of Jamie had begun consuming his shows in different ways, and this was through on-demand, catch-up and on YouTube.

When YouTube launched Originals, a 100-million-dollar programme funded by Google to drive more original content, Jamie Oliver was allocated some of the budget.

“Jamie wanted to talk to a new, emerging audience that were still interested in food but weren’t watching the TV

July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

23

Cover Story

40%

rise in instagram video watch time

shows or buying the books,” explains Richard Herd, head of Food Tube, The Jamie Oliver Group.

Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube, a dedicated YouTube channel for food, was launched on 21 January 2013 and YouTube set a target for it to reach 100,000 subscribers in its first year. This goal was achieved on the launch night and today Food Tube has almost 2.5 million subscribers. Reaching a different demographic is a major benefit the Jamie Oliver team has witnessed following the launch of Food Tube. While the books and TV audience is generally 65% females between the ages of 25 and 45, the Food Tube channel attracts roughly 65% male viewers, aged 20 – 40.

“We think that YouTube is more of a place for males to go and get a quick fix of something. They’re not going to buy the whole cookbook, but they might just want to know how to make a steak for their wife, so we have to tailor the content to be short, punchy and something that keeps the attention span. There’s no need for the nice set-up that we have on our TV shows or the big preamble before the action,” says Herd.

Jamie has also managed to tap into the next generation of consumers, aged 13 – 17, by partnering up with popular vlog24

Catering NEWS ME July 2016

“With Facebook Live, the content is pushed into the feeds of followers because Facebook is heavily promoting Live at the moment. We’ve seen huge audiences coming from Facebook Live so it’s very useful for us and very powerful. We are experimenting with it much more now” Richard Herd, head of Food Tube, The Jamie Oliver Group

gers such as Alfie Deyes. “We don’t tap that market much because Jamie is slightly older… it’s about finding what interests them and trying to work with them. We collaborate with vloggers so we can reach and engage with that audience so that they can make better choices in the future when they become consumers,” says Herd.

Providing a platform for other chefs is another big part of Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube strategy, and the team worked with Dubai’s Dalia Dogmoch last September to create videos showcasing her Middle Eastern recipes. While a number of her blog followers had asked for videos, Dogmoch claims she had held off on launching her channel simply because she was overthinking it, however meeting with Jamie’s team inspired her to get started.

She comments: “It was a quick but lovely experience; these guys are leaders in what they do. I had been wanting to do my YouTube channel for a while and usually they feature people that already have channels so it was a good way of diving into it and seeing how they do it. People used to read blogs endlessly but now everything has become so visual.”

Dogmoch had considered working with production companies before but they always wanted something scripted, and she

Cover Story

Five tips for creating engaging online videos 1. Get started: Don’t overthink your videos. Pick up your phone and film yourself then see how it goes from there.

2. Teamwork: cooking is a team effort so get your colleagues involved.

3. Be yourself: let your personality shine and speak to the audience as if they were your friends.

4. Keep it real: Don’t worry if the kitchen isn’t set up perfectly, online videos are supposed to be authentic.

5. Consistency is key: make sure to post regularly so that your fans and followers look forward to your video updates.

preferred to do things Jamie Oliver-style.

“It shouldn’t be too prim and proper. It’s real and it’s about people getting a peak into your kitchen rather than a set that’s designed for a cooking show. The feedback I’m getting is that my videos are natural and a bit different from what else is out there in the region,” she says.

Live videos take this authenticity to the next level and earlier this year, Facebook expanded the ability to share live videos on mobile. Since it is difficult to be discovered on YouTube with live content, Facebook Live has become a particularly powerful tool for Jamie Oliver’s team.

“With Facebook Live the content is pushed into the feeds of followers because Facebook is heavily promoting Live at the moment. We’ve seen huge audiences coming from Facebook Live so it’s very useful for us and very powerful. We are experimenting with it much more now,” comments Herd.

Instagram has also become a more useful tool for video, with the extension of the 15-second clip to a full minute, which Herd explains, is a more suitable time-frame for showcasing recipes. “A 15 second recipe is really difficult to do. Now that Instagram gives you a minute it’s much easier,” says Herd.

Jamie Oliver’s team creates a production

plan so that content for Instagram, Facebook and any other relevant channels is taken into account during the shooting of YouTube content. However, for chefs with a smaller budget, short Instagram videos are often the simplest option. Nicole Mrad, founder of Cupncakes Dubai, who says that the use of video on Instagram has helped to increase the company’s return on investment, comments: “We use videos to offer a quick technique, recipe, or cooking tip and we use very basic equipment — just a phone. This is the easiest way to upload the movie to social media instantly and to edit it on various applications.”

And while for many chefs, the go-to content for video is a cooking demonstration, Kubler of Iconsulthotels believes that this may not be the best thing for driving customers to a restaurant. “The audience doesn’t necessarily want to go to a restaurant after seeing a cooking demo,” he explains. “I think what’s better is behindthe-scenes, quick, relatively raw videos showing a chef preparing for the evening or carving a watermelon, for example. This gives people an idea of what the restaurant is like, what type of place it is, and it also helps them to see the finished product.”

Rather than posting recipe demonstrations, Schop says Miss Lily’s uses video to

“It shouldn’t be too prim and proper. It’s real and it’s about people getting a peak into your kitchen rather than a set that’s designed for a cooking show.

The feedback I’m getting is that my videos are natural and a bit different from what else is out there in the region” Dalia Dogmoch, culinary personality

“360 and virtual reality will be out of reach for the majority of chefs. We’re probably a couple of years off but when it becomes cheaper and more powerful, and we can do it on a mobile phone, then we’ll be talking” Martin Kubler, CEO, sps: affinity & Iconsulthotels July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

25

Cover Story Jamie Oliver performs a cooking demonstration

In the UAE

“Videos add the wow factor to your social media as most small businesses still aren’t taking advantage of video marketing.

A video is also an easier and quicker way to communicate your message, and for example, recipe instructions” Tiina Kontra, social media and communications consultant

“I believe that video has a better chance of drawing the attention of the user. There is music and movement and that provides an enhanced sensory awareness of our brand” Adam Schop, executive chef, Miss Lily’s 26

Catering NEWS ME July 2016

97%

of people online watch video at least once a month

showcase the ambience of the venue. The venue’s Instagram feed contains videos featuring staff members, guests, or even menu items swaying to a Caribbean-inspired rhythm, which engages viewers with something quirky and unusual.

“Miss Lily’s conveys warm and gracious hospitality inspired by the Caribbean.

What better way to showcase this than by having our team and guests showing off their enthusiasm by expressing themselves in a creative and playful manner? Have fun with it and stay true to your concept. People will appreciate that so don’t be afraid to show some personality,” says Schop.

Herd agrees that to make videos stand apart from the crowd, personality is key.

“You don’t just want to be another chef,” he says. “If you’re a good talker and a good communicator that’s going to help. You might be the best Michelin-starred chef but if you can’t talk to someone or engage with someone then nobody will want to watch your video.”

The most important thing to keep in mind, according to the experts, is to be natural. Dogmoch comments: “Just go for it, don’t worry about it too much and don’t overthink it. It took a while for me because I was overthinking it, so don’t. The more natural the better.”

Herd adds that the amount of time and effort that can be invested will often dictate the type of content posted, however a vari-

ety of ideas can work. “It’s about structuring things in different ways; you can do vlog posts, live demos, everything is valuable but it depends how much time you can give to it, and how interested you are in spreading your message or your brand,” he says.

The next step in the evolution of video is 360 video and virtual reality, and Facebook is currently investing in efforts to explore immersive new VR experiences that will help people connect and share.

However, most chefs are yet to establish the value of 360 and virtual reality for a kitchen environment, and at the moment the equipment is still relatively expensive and clunky. Herd comments: “Virtual reality will be a valuable aid to help people learn to cook in time and there is already a lot of development happening. It will be valuable for immersing yourself in a kitchen, but at the moment they are just really nice, interesting things, and we are trying to work out the reason for using them.”

Kubler is similarly confident that within a few years, when the technology has been perfected, 360 and VR will be useful marketing tools for chefs, however he agrees the industry isn’t ready for them yet. “360 and virtual reality will be out of reach for the majority of chefs. We’re probably a couple of years off but when it becomes cheaper and more powerful, and we can do it on a mobile phone, then we’ll be talking,” he says.

The Business

Purchasing Power Roopali Khurana, MCIPS, M. Com, ICSA, lead procurement management consultant, trainer, assessor and coach at ArcBlue explains why F&B procurement is unique in the Middle East How has F&B procurement evolved in the Middle East since you first arrived here?

Many restaurants and small kiosks from all over the world have opened, and so demand for F&B raw material items has increased. However, the scale of supply has not developed at the same rate so many buyers are forced to source their raw food items internationally and this seems to have resulted in a tremendous increase in the selling price of these items. Also with the number of restaurants on the rise, competition among F&B-related companies has become tougher, which puts lot of pressure on the buyer and the end user to provide the best of the best.

What is the key change you have noted?

Over the last couple of years, many buyers have invested in developing local suppliers, which has helped them to enhance the quality of items as they are able to keep 28

Catering NEWS ME July 2016

a closer eye on production. Reduced logistics costs have also allowed buyers to lower the selling price of food items. I have also seen the opening of new food chain stores, which is another great relief for F&B buyers in terms of costs.

How does this region compare to other markets in which you’ve worked?

The rate of restaurant and kiosk openings in the UK is not as high as in the Middle East. Due to the mixture of cultures living in the Middle East, there is a variety of food items and chefs tend to make exactly the same dish as they would make in their home town. However, it can be challenging for chefs to bring in raw food items and cook the same dish here in Dubai at an economical price. This isn’t quite as big a challenge in the UK since chefs generally cook as per availability in the market, unless the restaurant requires something specific from abroad.

Roopali Khurana

What mistakes do young chefs make when it comes to procurement?

They need to be educated about the value the procurement department can add to their work. Early engagement with procurement staff can help them not only to save money, but to develop innovative ideas on how to provide value to the customers.

What is your number one piece of advice for chefs and procurement managers when it comes to sourcing the best F&B produce in this region?

Do good market intelligence and find out what is available in the market now and what can be developed in the future. This will add value to the company, and create a collaborative and transparent approach. It can also help to prioritise purchasing as per criticality and value to give a clearer picture to the team about how best to manage supply of particular items.

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Catering NEWS ME July 2016

out to lunch

Class act During the UAE leg of the Diageo World Class, Catering News caught up with judge and previous winner, Tim Philips, who explained how the cocktail competition has helped elevate bartending from part-time trade to aspirational career choice Bartending has become a profession. It has gone from being a trade you do while you’re going through university to something you can say with pride that you do,” says Tim Philips, Australian bar owner and 2012 winner of World Class, a prestigious annual competition hosted by Diageo Reserve to identify the world’s best bartender. According to Philips, World Class has been key to elevating the status of bartending by offering talent a global platform to demonstrate their skills, meet the industry’s most important influencers, and work with the highest quality products from the Diageo Reserve portfolio. “I’m in eternal gratitude to Diageo for this competition. They are really putting bartending on a pedestal that has never been seen before and it’s giving affirmation to an industry of people. It’s not just for the 15,000 people that enter every year but the staff that they go on to train,” he adds.

Philips was in Dubai judging the UAE leg of World Class, which took place on 21 – 22 May 2016 at Grosvenor House Hotel Dubai. In this year’s challenge, Laura Duca, assistant head bartender at Boca Dubai was crowned UAE winner and will attend the global final in Miami in September where she will compete with top bartenders from around the world for the ultimate prize – that of being named the world’s best bartender.

Explaining how it feels to achieve this, Philips says: “You’re being judged by the most important people in the industry, the biggest legends in the game, the former win-

ners, and you’ve made it so far over such a long journey that it’s surreal; you’re stamping yourself on the industry.

You go from being someone anonymous in bars, to being someone that everyone knows when you walk in.”

However, bartending wasn’t always the career goal of Philips, who started out polishing glasses in a friend’s countryside pub in Melbourne before he even turned 18. He still recalls peeping out from behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of a customer’s reaction to the first ever cocktail he made. And ten years later, while working at trendy cocktail bar and members' club, Milk & Honey in Soho, London, Philips admits he did exactly the same thing again.

“Just seeing that first sip and watching them pass it to their friends – that’s all I wanted. I still do it, I’ll serve someone a drink and from the corner of my eye I’m trying to gauge that initial reaction.

“Hospitality is so addictive; I’m addicted to serving people. When someone’s serving you and they think: ‘I’m going to look after you because I’m on your side and you’re going to have a great experience because I’m going to make it happen for you’, that’s true hospitality.”

For Philips however, a great bar doesn’t just rely on the drinks: there are three crucial ingredients to consider.

“I tell our staff that people go to bars for atmospherics, great service and great products. If you have all three, then you have a great place and people will keep coming back. If you have two then people will be forgiving, but if you mess up two of those three things then you’re gone.

I chase good service and comfort over product,” he says.

July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

31

out to lunch

The five-strong cocktail list is created each day depending on market ingredients

Three years ago, Philips decided to create a bar that would encapsulate all three. The 50m2 Bulletin Place in Sydney, which was listed at number 28 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2015, and according to Philips is “a very humble, underwhelming space”, has just five cocktails on its menu that change every day depending on what can be picked up fresh from the market.

“Our menu is based around classic cocktails with a seasonal injection. It’s a lot of things like Tom Collins gin and homemade lemonade injected with any number of seasonal produce. It sounds like they would be fruity, sweet cocktails but the drinks are really dry and we use really good quality liquor.

“We keep the citrus levels tepid and we try to let the produce sing. You get these drinks that are really super fresh but dry and refreshing – the sort of things you can really put away three or four of in a night,” says Philips.

In addition to seasonality, sustainability is incredibly important to Philips, who says he would “hate to think of it as a trend”, but rather a movement that everyone involved in cocktail creation is getting behind. He offers the example of quince, a fruit that is difficult to use in cocktails, but “if you work hard enough you can get a really good flavour out of it”.

Philips boils the quince for two hours, then removes the skin and pips, and blends the fruit with sugar and citric acid to bring

out the flavour. He uses the leftover water as a quince stock and adds spices to it, reduces it down by a third and cuts it with sugar to create a spiced quince syrup, which can be used in an old fashioned with Clavados, a French apple brandy.

“All of a sudden you’ve got this old fashioned variant with bourbon, French apple brandy and sweetened with spiced quince syrup. It’s incredible and you can get two drinks out of the one piece of fruit.”

Another cocktail, the Pineapple Adonis, sees the skin of the fruit soaked in a Fino sherry vacuum for a couple of days before the residual pulp is spread over baking paper with sugar and citric acid added to bring up the flavour.

“We dehydrate it at 60 degrees for 12 hours and essentially what you’re left with is a pineapple jerky with incredible flavour and texture made from a waste product,” Philips explains.

The pineapple flavoured Fino sherry is then stirred down with a dash of orange bitters and a lick of white tequila with the pineapple jerky used as garnish.

“You’ve got this amazing cocktail made from the bi-products of the ingredients, and if you don’t use the pineapple juice by the end of three days then you can cook it down and make it into syrup. We’re trying to maximise the yield of the pineapple.”

Inspired by the Brazilian bars he visited during the 2012 World Class finals, Philips has also created an environmentally friendly

“I tell our staff that people go to bars for atmospherics, great service and great products. If you have all three, then you have a great place and people will keep coming back. If you have two then people will be forgiving, but if you mess up two of those three things then you’re gone. I chase good service and comfort over product”

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out to lunch

Queens Park Swizzle

Rainwater H&H Madiera and cheese board

Laura Duca, assistant head bartender at Boca Dubai was crowned UAE winner and will attend the 2016 final in Miami this September.

Bulletin Place was listed at number 28 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2015

cleaning product using bicarbonate of soda and a touch of vinegar added to leftover lemon and lime juice.

Philips admits he is constantly innovating, and is currently experimenting with bottled cocktails, saying he loves how the packaging can enhance the image of a drink. “If we get the packaging spot on and work with the best people in the industry it’s a match made in heaven and good value,” he says.

Currently Philips is working with a respected barista in Sydney who is creating a special soft coffee blend without tannin for a new winter cocktail, which will include smoked golden syrup, Don Julio Tequila Anejo and a bitter vermouth. However, since Bulletin Place serves cocktails using only the freshest ingredients, the bottled blend will be mainly for Dead Ringer, Philips' second venue in Sydney, which opened in September last year.

More of a restaurant than a cocktail bar, it has received good reviews so far, however the team is continuing to focus on ensuring it has a successful launch year and doing this, while maintaining the high standards at Bulletin Place, are the main priorities for the team at the moment. “When you open a space so much of your heart, head and time goes into it. If you’re not 100% passionate about the project, you can’t expect customers to fall in love with it,” he says.

And when it comes to growth, he would like to invest in some of his best members of staff who have been there since day one, whether that’s the head chef at Dead Ringer or senior bartender Matt at Bulletin Place. “For them to open their own spaces and build our bars organically so that the family grows, would be great,” he comments.

And while Philips enjoyed working with his previous World Class competitor, Jimmy Barrat at Zuma Dubai when he was in town, he remains dubious about how well a concept like Bulletin Place would be received in the emirate.

“A friend of mine said that if you come up with a cocktail in Dubai it has to be like a Happy Meal: you can’t just make a nice drink; it has to have something shiny with it or a gimmick. However, that was years ago and things could be changing.

I think now people might want things a little more understated.”

Just opening a second location in Sydney, however, was a major step for the team in terms of logistics, and Philips admits that he rejected a location, which at 6km away, was too far to commute from Bulletin Place, so the Middle East might well be a step too far for now.

“The idea of us opening something in Dubai is just frightening. But dream big!

Smoked Grapefruit Sour If someone wanted to give me some money to open something here, I’d re-think it!” he adds.

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The big cheese

VINEET BHATIA Arguably the most established name in the Middle East’s fine dining Indian restaurant scene, Vineet Bhatia continues to reinvent himself. As he prepares to pull out of Ashiana by Vineet after just two years, he is simultaneously cooking up a casual street food concept for Dubai. Crystal Chesters reports.

V

ineet Bhatia is a man who doesn’t stand still. One of the most established names on the Dubai Indian restaurant scene, the twice-Michelin-starred celebrity chef is about to pull out of classic fine dining restaurant, Ashiana by Vineet at Sheraton Dubai Creek, as he prepares to launch a new venue in the emirate.

During our interview, Bhatia’s exit from the restaurant had not been confirmed, however at the time of going to press, Catering News received a statement from the company saying: “At the moment I can only confirm that Chef Vineet is indeed pulling out of Ashiana by Vineet come September 2016. There is a difference in operation style and we feel it is best suited to part ways.”

Bhatia took over the restaurant in 2014 and cleaned up the greasy, spicy fare to create a more flavourful offer, however he admits that the location had been the major challenge since day one, saying “it’s a bit slow, it could be faster”.

“Dubai is a very transient place,” Bhatia comments. “I’ve been here 12 years and I’ve seen it change. Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai are the hubs for entertainment but Deira has been left behind… it has been neglected a bit.”

With this in mind, Bhatia’s latest project will be located in one of Dubai’s dining hubs, such as Downtown, JBR or City Walk 2, and the new restaurant will mark a step away from his usual fine dining, classic approach toward a more casual, family-oriented venue incorporating street food style cuisine.

“It will be a new brand and concept altogether. We’d rather do a new concept because we don’t want to be stereotyped as doing only the classics or modern and we also want to do street food style, and casual, so as a chef you wear different hats.

“I wouldn’t want to do a restaurant that competes with my other restaurants because that’s pointless. It will have its own USP and will be more casual. We want to make a larger restaurant but more familyoriented, a more casual, relaxed style,” he comments.

With discussions having been underway for 10 months already, the restaurant’s opening is being earmarked for the middle of 2017, and Bhatia is very aware that today there is far more competition on the Dubai market than when he first started out 11 years ago with fine dining British style Indian restaurant, Indego by Vineet in Grosvenor House Hotel.

“When I came here there was just Asha’s in Wafi Mall and a couple of restaurants in Deira but other than that there were no restaurants you could take a corporate guest to. With Indego we went for a totally different audience. We wanted to keep the essence of a British style of Indian dining, so we set the benchmark from day one. Since then we have seen a lot of restaurants coming in and opening in five-star hotels and doing a great job, so we helped the industry grow in some shape or form.

“Dubai has improved dramatically… it’s still growing and it’s not even halfway there. What’s happened in the last six – seven years, you’ll see another million changes in the next 10 – 12 years.”

And having a strong presence in the region already will stand Bhatia in good stead with his new concept, he explains: “We’ve been here longer and so we know the market well. It’s a game of consistency. If you maintain a high level of consistency and be very particular with what you give your guest, they will come back. They go to other restaurants to try them, but they should always come back because they long for something they’ve tried before.”

And testament to this is that Indego is still going strong. Bha-

“I wouldn’t want to do a restaurant that competes with my other restaurants because that’s pointless. It will have its own USP and will be more casual because Indego is quite formal in some ways. We want to make a larger restaurant but more family oriented, a more casual, relaxed style”

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July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

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The Big Cheese

Ashiana by Vineet

Asparagus Kofta

Bengali Machli

Lifafa Baingan

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“Muscat and Kuwait are quite big markets in the GCC and I just think the kind of cuisine we do is well appreciated. It’s a natural progression to move into places like Kuwait and Oman because all the people from the GCC travel internally very frequently, and they like what we do” tia says: “It’s a very mature restaurant and it has achieved exactly what we envisaged for it”.

In addition to his plans for Dubai, Bhatia has his eye on the wider Middle East region and already has a solid presence established across the GCC with a restaurant in Bahrain, one in Qatar, one in Al Khobar and another in Riyadh, with a second location set to open in the Saudi capital in the fourth quarter of this year.

He is also eyeing locations in Jeddah, Muscat and Kuwait for new concepts, and is in discussions for further projects in Doha.

“Muscat and Kuwait are quite big markets in the GCC and I just think the kind of cuisine we do is well appreciated. It’s a natural progression to move into places like Kuwait and Oman because all the people from the GCC travel internally very frequently, and they like what we do,” he comments.

The brand chosen for each of these venues will very much depend on the location since Bhatia prefers not to copy-paste, but to create something new with each concept. The exception is the Rasoi brand, which is present in Bahrain, Geneva and London, however, the London venue is currently undergoing a rebrand and will be relaunched this summer.

A second project for London is also in the pipeline, which Bhatia refers to as “an Indian version of Zuma or Nobu”. He reveals: “You’re not going to go there for curries, it will be light bites, small portions and tapas style sharing – funkier and more casual.”

Continuing to innovate will be key to Bhatia’s future success both in London and the Middle East he believes, commenting: “If I don’t push the boundaries further for myself and my team then there are going to be problems for everyone and the guest will lose interest.

“You always have to think, ‘what more can I do for my guests, what more do I want to offer?’ It’s a constant question that keeps your mind ticking and it’s key to our industry, because if you stand still you die. It’s best to always be on your feet, move around, see what else can be done and how you can fine-tune,” he says.

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Not only have dedicated smokehouses opened, but chefs across the region are putting more smoked items on menus, while experimenting with unusual preparations. Catering News explores the preparations and techniques associated with the trend ood smoking is big in 2016, with chefs experimenting using everything from fish and beef to vegetables, dairy and even desserts. While Fümé Dubai does a six hour smoked beef chuck rib & slaw, Intersect by Lexus offers smoked celeriac potato soup with chorizo oil, and Nordic concept, Restaurant Frantzén, which was in residence at Enigma in Palazzo Versace Dubai earlier this year, has smoked white moss and smoked vanilla ice cream on its menu.

There is something very comforting about the smell and taste of smoked food, which may explain the mainstream popularity of the preparation. Chef Eliza Botha of 1762 Smoked, a new food smoking concept set within an oldfashioned London bus, says that smoking, “creates a certain

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type of ambience” and is a very social form of cooking.

Muhamad Abdi, sous chef at Intersect by Lexus explains that the global trend has caught on fast in the Middle East because meat is a central aspect of the regional diet. He comments: “Here in Dubai many people enjoy outdoor cooking and barbeques and when you look at Emirati and Arabic cuisine, meat is typically part of the menu. Smoking is taking barbequing to a new level, increasing the flavours of the food.”

Another factor behind the popularity of smoking, according to Abdi, is the ease of preparation. “Smoking food is fun and easy,” he comments. “When we are producing smoked food we just need to focus and do it properly to make sure the food is cured or cooked properly.”

Different smoking techniques are used to create distinct

Food trends 1762 Smoked has spent the past months experimenting with smoking techniques

Restaurant Frantzén’s smoked ice cream, roasted nuts, tar syrup and salted fudge with cloves

Play's Smoked aubergine and kale in a light summer seasoning

“We see a growing trend toward smoked dishes, not just in the Middle East but worldwide. This includes anything from fine dining restaurants, to canapés, barbeques and home smoking” Chef Eliza Botha, 1762 Smoked end products, with the two major variations being hot and cold smoking. Botha of 1762 Smoked explains: “Hot smoking is what we are concentrating on by smoking our dishes with different types of wood chips. Cold smoking is more about preserving meats and fish, such as cold smoked salmon.”

Smoking techniques also vary from restaurant to restaurant depending on individual chef preferences. Chef Jim Löfdahl of Restaurant Frantzén says: “There are so many types and ways to smoke: smoking cabins, smoke thru water, hot smoke, cold smoke, aromas, powder. There are many things you need to consider as a chef before you choose what type of smoky flavour to use.”

Reif Othman, executive chef at Play Restaurant & Lounge Dubai adds that some chefs use tea leaves or hay grass, while others cure proteins before they smoke them to create a different level of taste. Othman prefers to use a handheld smoking gun and smoked woodchips at Play. To make smoked salmon in riceless uramaki rolls, the raw salmon is placed in a container and covered tightly with aluminium foil, with a small gap left so that the smoking gun’s nozzle can be inserted.

The salmon is then smoked for 30 minutes.

At Fümé Dubai, Chef Emiliano Bernasconi marinates and seasons the ingredients then uses apple wood chips and a smoker.

Cold smoking is done below 35 degrees, while for hot smoking, the temperature is set above 90 degrees.

Botha of 1762 Smoked says that the team has been practicing their smoking techniques over the past few months and have had plenty of trial and error. She starts by lighting the smoker without chemicals or firelighters, since “everything plays a role in the flavour July 2016 Catering NEWS ME

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Food trends of the smoke”. In addition to this, she believes the wood chips used are crucial for defining the right flavour.

“You need to select the type of smoking chips as every wood gives a distinctive flavour. Our favourites are maple, which is mild and sweet; apple wood and cherry are also mild but with fruity notes; and hickory and mesquite give a stronger flavour.” Botha and her team use the Meadowcreek smoker imported from the US, and soak the wood chips in water for at least 24 hours so that they produce a consistent, long-lasting smoke.

“When your fire is burning you need to make sure that you have the correct temperature as every ingredient smokes at different temperatures for a different amount of time. We want smoking to enhance the flavour in our dishes and not to be too overpowering,” she says.

And since smoked items don’t have to directly come into contact with oil, butter, charcoal or heat, smoking can be a healthy method of preparation. Botha comments: “The smoking process is a fat-free form of cooking that requires no additional fats in sauces or preparation.” That said, some warn that smoked food should be consumed in moderation, with Bernasconi of Fümé commenting, “any kind of food should be eaten in moderation and this includes smoked items”.

Smoking also preserves the shelf life of food, which in turn is positive for the environment, according to Löfdahl of Restaurant Frantzen. “Smoked food is good for preserving and for flavour. To preserve food means we have less food wasted around the world,” he comments.

However, Othman of Play warns that

Fümé’s hot smoked Norwegian salmon, teriyaki sauce and pickled cucumber

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Restaurant Frantzén uses a smoking gun

“There are so many types and ways to smoke: smoking cabins, smoke thru water, hot smoke, cold smoke, aromas, powder. There are many things you need to consider as a chef before you choose what type of smoky flavour to use” Jim Löfdahl, Restaurant Frantzen

smoking can be overdone, meaning that the flavour of the original ingredient is lost.

“Some chefs just want the impact of the smoky aroma and aren’t really focusing on the product itself,” he says.

The smoking trend is on the rise in the region with an increase in smoking-specific restaurants such as Perry & Blackwelder’s smokehouse at Madinat Jumeirah, and with chefs across the board putting more smoked items on their menus and experimenting with a wide variety of preparations. Abdi of Intersect comments: “Smoking is becoming more and more popular in the Middle East and you can see new concepts and venues not just having a smokehouse concept, but incorporating more smoked food items into the menu as well as additional twists.”

Botha of 1762 Smoked is also very positive about the future of the trend in the region, commenting: “We see a growing trend toward smoked dishes, not just in the Middle East but worldwide. This includes anything from fine dining restaurants, to canapés, barbeques and home smoking. We’re excited about bringing our smoked menu experience to Dubai with Monty the Bus.” However, the market requires further education on the possibilities around food smoking for the trend to fully evolve in the Middle East market, according to Play’s Othman. “There’s still a long way to go.

We need to educate the clientele here in the Middle East as smoking is very new to some of them and some don’t get it. However, there is definitely potential,” he says.

Products

Dressed to impress Catering News showcases some of the best new uniform products for the F&B industry

Ronai's suiting range

A. RONAI Ronai’s catalogue of uniform products continues to grow with ranges covering a wide spectrum of roles in the hospitality industry. The suiting range is particularly versatile, offering separates in three colours, suitable for front of house, finance and management roles. Created in a luxury wool blend fabric with the added advantage of lycra, Ronai’s suits provide increased comfort to the wearer as well as supporting crease-free all day wear. Each suit has an inner pocket, shirt grippers on the trousers and alternate skirt options for females. Ronai has an established presence in the market, particularly for its chef wear range. The company’s ‘builder’ section allows businesses to create collections of uniforms for everything from management teams to waiters, hosts, chefs and stewards. The catalogue ensures a smooth ordering process and stock supported garments. In 2016, Ronai will continue to grow its catalogue with the introduction of new garments and colours. Conscious of market trends, the company strives to introduce new fabrics to keep the collection current and stylish.

Email: enquiries@ronai.ae Tel: +971 4341 4409 Web: Ronai.ae 42

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Products Uniforms in Tencel fabric

DREAM UNIFORMS Uniforms in Tencel fabric is Dream Uniforms’ latest launch. The new fabric allows for enhanced breathability, better fit, colour performance, durability and enhanced comfort. Dream Uniforms can customise designs to create a bespoke look. Adding to its portfolio, this year, the company will introduce a new stretch range in polyester and cotton blends.

Email: enquiry@dreamuniforms.ae Tel: +971 4 3340494 Web: dreamuniforms.ae

BRAGARD Bragard has introduced a number of new products and services to its 2016 catalogue. One of these is Bragard Couture, a range of custommade chef jackets. The company works with the chef and its fashion designers in the Epinal workshop in France to design and produce jackets to the client’s bespoke requirements and the design is totally unique each time. Bragard prides itself in creating the highest quality products, and in being able to adapt to the latest trends in the F&B industry. In the second half of 2016, the company plans to continue its growth in the Middle East and is currently working on an e-commerce platform to make it easier for chefs to procure its products. Bragard is also looking to launch a full range of new products in the autumn.

Email: contact.me@bragard.com Tel: +971 4 395 16 11 Web: bragard.com

Umm Ramoul, Next to Emirates NBD Tel : +971 4 284 3322 / 04 284 3966 Email: info@falconkitchen.com www.gelatotek.com

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Marketplace

HEAD OF THE TABLE

The Middle East’s tableware suppliers showcase their best-selling products and reveal the trends driving the market

1765 GEmini

Clive Piper, director of sales & marketing, 1765 Gemini introduces the company’s best-sellers

What is your best-selling tableware product?

For fine dining, our Experience and Quatrophil ranges are highly successful. They stand out with their wine performance and their elegant design. For everyday dining and banqueting, Exquisit and Weinland are our best selling items. These ranges convince with their optimal functionality as well as an excellent price to quality ratio.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

Form follows function; functionality is still the most important feature in the foodservice industry. If this is combined with a great design and can be offered at great value to the market, you have a good chance that your products will be considered the perfect tableware range.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

Colours are coming back to the table and bar environment. Earthy and metallic tones are very trendy right now. We followed this trend and created our tumbler ranges, Elements and Twister with colours such as olive, amber and smoky grey. Our latest arrival, Olympic, appears with gold, silver and bronze.

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The Olympic tumbler range

marketplace

BAHRAJA GENERAL TRADING LLC Paresh Shah, managing director, Bahraja General Trading introduces the LSA glassware range What is your best-selling tableware product?

One of our best-selling tableware ranges is LSA, designer handmade and machine-made glassware from the UK. What is unique about it?

LSA is practical with a contemporary design, made from mouth blown glass and paired with porcelain, leather, wood and enameled steel.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

The most important feature of the perfect tableware is that it is well-balanced and appealing to the eye and also that it enhances the food or drink that it carries.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

Chefs are looking to break away from the norm with vessels that reflect and enhance their culinary creativity. Organic and minimalist shapes are very much in vogue.

Arthur Krupp porcelain from Germany

AL DIYAFA

Adam Rahmani, director, Al Diyafa says the Arthur Krupp porcelain range from Germany is the company’s most popular line What is your best-selling tableware product?

Our best-seller is Arthur Krupp porcelain, made in Germany.

What is unique about it?

Arthur Krupp is elegant yet durable with reinforced edges, and is perfect for candid mise en place and versatile, contemporary buffets.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

A soft and sinuous shape is important to catch the eye. Equally, it is important to be strong and extremely functional, which allows versatile use in standalone fine dining restaurants or in larger banqueting operations. While pricing is also important, certain brands such as Arthur Krupp are in demand due to the product quality and design.

Some of the products from the LSA range

What are the latest trends in tableware?

We have noticed a growing trend towards platter presentation and introducing items such as cast iron cookware on table top settings.

Al Diyafa is well placed to serve this new trend by stocking Lava cast iron cookware.

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Marketplace

ZIEHER Nikolan Dietz shows off Zieher’s bestselling tableware products: Donna and DressCoat

The Donna range What is your best-selling tableware product?

The best-sellers are the Donna and DressCoat products.

What is unique about them?

These products, made of fine porcelain, are designed by Zieher to offer an ideal presentation area for top-quality creations. Be it the floating effect of DressCoat or the elegant curves of Donna, both have unique features. Donna is so successful, that we created a glass version of the middle sized product. Available this September, it is made of satined glass, giving it a smooth look and feel.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

Unique design makes you stand out against competitors. It is a pity if a fantastic food creation is presented on a regular, boring plate.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

Combinations of different shapes and series bring great variety to the table. The combination of simple, neutral arrangements results in new compositions on the table, although there seems to be an increase in metal finishes. We have adapted to the trends by developing products made out of different materials such as glass, stainless steel, slate, and porcelain. The combination of these materials creates high-quality and modern tableware and buffet systems.

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A. Ronai A. Ronai managing director, Gavin Dodd introduces the Monteverdi range of flatware What is your best-selling tableware product?

We carry a number of lines of Oneida flatware in our stock, including the Monteverdi range. As such we can offer the collection at a very competitive price.

What is unique about it?

In classic 18/10 stainless steel, the sculpted lines and flared handles of the Monteverdi line provide contemporary elegance to any table setting. With a long, slender stem and teardrop base it’s comfortable in the hand and adds stability with its weight, particularly the knives.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

Ultimately, tableware must be fit for purpose.

Choosing a range that complements the atmosphere and décor of the restaurant can also enhance the guest experience and provides a talking point.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

We are seeing a trend toward more relaxed dining experiences created through the use of rustic products, in a contemporary and creative manner.

The Monteverdi line provides contemporary elegance to any table setting

Rikan Mohammed Zain, assistant marketing manager showcases Rikan’s condiment holder What is your best-selling tableware product?

Our best-seller is the Condiment Holder, a table-top stand used for holding jam and spread.

What is unique about it?

This item is unique by its own design, holding four small jars of jam or spread. The wide diameter of the base offers stability.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

The most important thing is that it is easy to hold and that it is made of high quality stainless steel.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

The latest trend is for items to be portable, space-saving and durable.

Rikan’s best-selling Condiment Holder

marketplace

STEELITE INTERNATIONAL The Craft range of rustic tableware fits perfectly with the farm-to-table trend according to Heather Lovatt, head of marketing, Steelite International What is your best-selling tableware product?

Our Craft range has been a top-seller since it was launched in 2012. Its rich, neutral colour palette works as a natural base to bring out the best in quality food presentation.

What is unique about it?

Craft’s gem-like glazes marry with simple forms and shapes to produce a unique and individual appearance, giving the range a rustic “joie de vivre”. Each piece of Craft is individually hand decorated, so no two pieces are ever the same. Further individuality is created in the kiln as the glaze

www.hotel.sambonet.it www.hotel.rosenthal.de

reacts with heat to produce beautiful and unique textured effects.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

At Steelite International, we recommend spending more on quality tableware upfront, as this reduces costs in the long run.

All core Steelite products — including the Craft range — are made in England and carry a Lifetime Edge-Chip Warranty.

Our vitrified collection of Distinction and Performance ranges are made with a high alumina content to ensure ultimate strength, and we guarantee that these ranges will last about 25 years in a com-

The Craft beverage set mercial kitchen, as long as Steelite’s care and cleaning guidelines are observed.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

Recently, we have seen a real growth in chefs creating rustic, artisan food from natural, locally-sourced ingredients, and this is reflected in the popularity of our Craft range. Its earthy glazes are the perfect complement to this style of food presentation, helping chefs serve up an experience that guests will remember.

1765 GEMINI LLC P.O.Box 125434 T +971 4388 4773 www.1765gemini.com

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Marketplace

VILLEROY & BOCH Lloyd Lamprecht, international key account manager, hotel and restaurant, at Villeroy & Boch presents the Artesano Professionale range What is your best-selling tableware product?

Artesano Professionale and Barista made of premium porcelain are becoming more and more successful, and are already very popular in the Middle East market and beyond.

What is unique about it?

We believe that the success of our hotel series, Artesano Professionale, is down to the fact that it doesn’t try to be anything special, but this is precisely why it is special. Artesano has real character, in design and feel. Ingenious, refined yet unpretentious, Artesano Professionale is perfect for a relaxed, high-end kitchen.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

Both design and functionality are key for a perfect piece of tableware. Design is important to complement the food and interior and enhance the guest experience. Functionality is relevant, for example stackability, chipping resistance and resistance to mechanical stress. It should also be aesthetically pleasing and practical.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

Classic premium bone porcelain remains highly desirable. There is also a trend toward floral designs and colours, as seen in our Genesis by Affinity collection.

The Artesano Barista range

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SCHÖENWALD

Allen Hutchings, regional manager, Schöenwald reveals the company’s Shabby Chic range

What is your best-selling tableware product?

Our most successful pattern in recent times has been Pottery, and we are now carrying the trend forward with our new décor concept, Shabby Chic.

What is unique about it?

Shabby Chic has been developed as part of the trend toward authenticity with its unique, contemporary and premium reinterpretation of the vintage look. Its handcrafted, nostalgic charm conveys a feeling of homely cosiness. Shabby Chic products are available in eight different shades of blue and grey or stone, both with and without ornamentation.

Shabby Chic is perfect for cool, casual bistros and premium restaurants and hotels. Despite its handmade look, Shabby Chic features the “Made in Germany” mark of quality of Schönwald hard porcelain, inclusive of a dishwasher-safe underglaze.

What is the most important feature of the perfect tableware?

The perfect tableware should enhance the concept of the outlet yet be functional and durable. It should not get discontinued by the manufacturer in the short term and purchase of smaller repeat orders should be within a reasonable increase if not capped for a couple of years. Value for money is also very important.

What are the latest trends in tableware?

There is a trend toward tableware that makes an outlet stand apart from the rest by providing a talking point and ensuring a memorable experience for the customer. A mixture of materials, such as porcelain, glass, wood, slate or steel can be used to do this. Rustic tableware, with earth and pastel tones is also in fashion and can be paired with signature accessories.

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For advertising enquiries: diarmuid o’malley Group Publishing director Mobile: +971 50 5597339 Direct: +971 4 420 0506 dom@bncpublishing.net

For Editorial enquiries: Nick Clowes Sales Manager Mobile: +971 50 856 7115 Direct: +971 4 420 0506 Nick@bncpublishing.net

Sophia Soltani editor Direct: +971 4 420 0506 Sophia@bncpublishing.net

Spill the beans @blend, Palm Jumeirah

Spill the beans Malak-Al-Habib, owner, @blend

How has @blend been performing since it opened?

We’re really glad about @blend’s performance so far, although it’s too early to jump to conclusions. We’re building ourselves and our customer database very steadily, and we’re establishing our name as a healthy and delicious food provider.

We are seeing an increasing number of return customers every day and have started participating in community events. We have also been increasing our availability to customers through our delivery partners, Deliveroo, Talabat and Food On Click.

What is unique about @blend?

@blend combines three key factors: health, taste and price. Our aim is to provide delicious, affordable, healthy food. If you want to eat something healthy, you shouldn’t be forced to compromise on taste, nor should you be asked to pay a fortune. So far, we believe that our customers appreciate what we are trying to do and they enjoy the variety of choices we have to offer in a welcoming, laid-back, beachstyle setting, or through delivery and takeaway orders.

What are your expansion plans for the region?

We believe that there are plenty of expansion opportunities for a healthy eating 50

Catering NEWS ME July 2016

concept such as @blend. We have been talking to developers who would like to bring the concept to their area, as it presents a healthy image to the local neighbourhood, mall or office building. This is applicable both within Dubai and the UAE and other countries in the region as there is a general feeling that the options in the market are very limited when it comes to healthy food and smoothie places. However, we are not jumping ahead of ourselves yet and instead are evaluating our options.

We want to ensure that the quality of food and service aren’t impacted.

What have been the major challenges in setting up this concept?

The biggest challenge was finding suitable suppliers for kitchen equipment, furniture, construction contractors, and pre-opening development suppliers. What’s even more challenging is finding good suppliers for your main product, the food. We have to continuously evaluate the quality of our suppliers’ products, and assess their services in order to make sure that the quality of our final product remains high. Cost is also a challenging factor as we are committed to bringing delicious, high-quality products to our customers at an affordable price, which puts a lot of pressure on us to find the right suppliers.

Veggie crunch salad with chicken

Chia seeds pudding

@blend smoothies