Catering News ME March 2015

SPECIAL REPORT GULFOOD 2015 NEWS & VIEWS

CASE STUDY

FARMING WITH CAMELICIOUS

MASS CATERING FEEDING THE FESTIVAL GOERS

INTERVIEW

DINNER WITH UK’S PETER LLOYD

CONNECTING F&B PROFESSIONALS WITH INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE MARCH 2015

Š iStock / Thinkstock - Š Studio Rougereau

True and genuine French excellence in bakery

Contact: rmorais@le-duff.com

www.bridordefrance.com

CONTENTS

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a special report from the world's biggest food exhibition

32 |

22

industry news in brief

GULFOOD 2015

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38 |

NEWS

THE FORUM

a group of expert chefs discuss ingredient sourcing

MASS CATERING

how the experts cope with catering to the masses at concert events

DECOR

a behind the curtains looks at coya, both front & back of house

32 38

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CONTENTS

42 Managing Director Walid Zok Walid@bncpublishing.net Director Rabih Najm Rabih@bncpublishing.net

48

Director Wissam Younane Wissam@bncpublishing.net

50

Group Publishing Director Diarmuid O'Malley Dom@bncpublishing.net Sales Manager Charlotte Ringrose Charlotte@bncpublishing.net Editor Michael Gordon michael@bncpublishing.net Deputy Editor Sophia Soltani Sophia@bncpublishing.net

54 42 |

Art Director Rana Husam Shiblaq Rana@bncpublishing.net Marketing Executive Mark Anthony Monzon

CONTRIBUTORS CASE STUDY

The Factory Photography www.thefactory.me

a day at the farm with camelicious

SUBSCRIBE subscriptions@bncpublishing.net

48 |

50 |

54 |

PO Box 502511 Dubai, United Arab Emirates P +971 4 4200 506 | F +971 4 4200 196

FOOD FOCUS

an in-depth analysis of today's meat market

INTERVIEW

For all commercial enquiries related to Catering News ME contact dom@bncpublishing.net T +971 50 55 97339

a dinner date with the uk chef and restaurateur peter lloyd

MARKETPLACE

the latest innovations in oven design and functionality

64

All rights reserved Š 2014.

Opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors.

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CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

© Jérôme Bryon / Les Gens de l’Atelier

Valrhona, Aux Sources du Grand Chocolat

Valrhona is a French chocolatier that has been providing exceptional chocolate since 1922. Created by and for pastry makers, Valrhona has dedicated all its expertise, high standards and passion to culinary professionals, making each taste an exceptional experience. Chosen by the world’s most prestigious chefs and craftsmen for its vast range of aromas continually enhanced by innovation, Valrhona’s ambition is to broaden people’s culinary horizons by offering a variety of unique and recognizable chocolate flavors, in an effort to continuously create more pleasure and excitement.

26600 Tain l’Hermitage - FRANCE valrhonapro.com MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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THE GULFOOD REVIEW ALL THE NEWS, VIEWS AND PARTY SHOES FROM GULFOOD 2015

There is nothing quite like jumping in the deep end to get you up to speed on something, and that was my introduction to Catering News ME. Day one on the job and I'm trawling the halls of Dubai World Trade Centre for the world's largest food & hospitality exhibition.

People tell me, as I drag myself up to their stand, that the show feels quieter this year. But frankly I find that hard to believe as I jostle for walking space amongst the throng of delegates. Nevertheless, all exhibitors were in unison in praising the quality of the visitors, with each and every one delighted at the lack of tyre kickers and the seriousness of negotiations.

So Gulfood was a week long meetings marathon, topped off with industry gatherings and parties every night. So while it took its toll, it was undoubtedly the best introduction I could hope for to this vibrant and rapidly growing industry.

There were too many highlights for me to list, but you can find all the news inside this issue in our commemorative Gulfood Special. Aside, from the exhibition, the month of February was made all the shorter

TOO CONSUMER

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CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

TOO ARTIFICIAL

with the staggering number of food related events, from the Abu Dhabi Street Feast, to the Dubai Food Festival, the Global Restaurant Investment Forum, and all of the restaurant openings and celebrations.

Other highlights of the month included our visit to the Camelicious milking farm, where we learnt that the key to a girl's heart was no more than a carrot.

We also had the pleasure of dining with the UK Chef and Restaurateur Peter Lloyd, who brought his Southeast Asian cooking styles to Abu Dhabi for one month only, and we played host to ten of the region's leading chef's at our roundtable discussion, on ingredient sourcing, at ClĂŠ, the restaurant of Michelinstarred Chef Greg Malouf.

Our cover this month illustrates the roundtable event and you can read all of the insightful comments and thoughts that came out of this fascinating group discussion inside.

So with one finger on the pulse of the region's catering industry and another in a pie, you can be assured that Catering News ME is your essential guide through the ever changing culinary world.

NOT ENOUGH IMPACT

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

MICHAEL GORDON Editor

FEELING FRUITY! WE GOT IT RIGHT

Authorised Agent: Technical Supplies & Services Company LLC Leaders in Turnkey Solutions for Commercial Kitchen and Laundry Equipment PO Box 69, Dubai, UAE Tel. +971 4 3431100 Fax +971 4 3438226 Email: tssc@eim.ae

NEWS

BerryWhite drives charity for education for all The organic drinks firm BerryWhite has launched a charity foundation designed to bring internet access to underprivileged children in Africa.

Foundation trustee and BerryWhite founder and managing director, Andrew Jennings, said: “The BerryWhite Foundation supports innovative and worthy projects that help to educate underprovided people across the world. We like projects that excite and motivate us.

“Every time you enjoy a delicious BerryWhite organic drink you help others as a donation is given to the BerryWhite Foundation for every bottle sold, pledging 10% of profits.

“We work to donate to projects that are ultimately self-sustaining. Why? So the goodness keeps on going. BerryWhite organic drinks taste good, are good for you, and are good for others… goodness shared!”

The team behind BerryWhite, Andrew and

his wife Suzanne Godfrey, first learned about the Keepod project on a BBC documentary and loved the concept. “To see children in remote African villages being given access to personal computing in such a simple low cost way appealed to us enormously,” said Andrew.

With Keepod, each child owns their personal operating system on a simple USB stick worn on a lanyard around their neck. Old laptops with hard drives removed are recycled and used as the vehicle for the USB stick, enabling just one computer to give computing access to many.

Breaking down the barriers that prevent underprivileged and remote communities from having access to personal computing and putting them in touch with the world sounds like an almost impossible hurdle, and yet Keepod is showing how simple and low cost the solution can be.

The BerryWhite company is now trying to

Fairy dust brings the Ritz effect home The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, has launched a new luxury catering offering to bring its dining and service experience to exclusive private events, hosted throughout the UAE. The ‘Artful Dining’ programme will offer everything from intimate cocktail receptions to large-scale banquets. A dedicated event organiser will work with the host to ensure every detail of their vision is brought to life, including bespoke menus for cocktails, canapés and ban8

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

quets, and even live demonstrations.

Lothar Quarz, general manager, The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC comments: “Attending exclusive parties and private events in the UAE is commonplace, but with ‘Artful Dining’ we want to elevate the experience by providing exceptional cuisine, paired with the legendary RitzCarlton service. The idea is to add some Ritz-Carlton ‘fairy dust’ to private events, creating a truly unique and memorable experience for the host and guests alike.”

organise a fund-raising music festival, where the cost of the Keepod will be incorporated in the ticket sale. With Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack fame another trustee, attracting talent should be no problem.

Aside from the charity work, BerryWhite has been busy taking its still range of fruit drinks and carbonating them for a wider market, which it showcased for the first time at the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai last month. With no added sugar, fruit extracts or artificial preservatives BerryWhite is made of spring water and organic juice. The original range of still juices in four flavours - Pomegranate & Blueberry, Peach & Goji Berry, Cranberry & Guava and Lemon & Ginger – is now available in a carbonated can.

Furthermore, the company is in talks with one of the world's largest facility services providers, ISS, to have its drinks provided in UK schools as a healthy alternative.

NEWS

Adopt a School Justin Galea, their executive chef and director of Food and Beverage at Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi, will lead an ‘Adopt a School’ programme, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in the UK, of which Galea has been a member for four years.

The programme aims to tackle childhood obesity by giving children a hands-on approach to food education.

With almost 18 percent of children aged between two and 15 having grown clinically obese in the last decade, Galea realised that an initiative such as this one was extremely important to the healthy future of children in Abu Dhabi, and so introduced it to Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi (where he has been working since 2013), who then involved parent company Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

Galea is the only authorised chef to lead the Adopt a School programme in accordance with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and will be the front man for the programme. He will be training other Starwood hotel chefs across Abu Dhabi on how to deliver the programme to children, with the initiative starting in schools this month. The Adopt a School programme has been designed as a tool to give children knowledge on healthy eating and practical skills at an early stage, and can be rolled out to all ages, starting at primary school when future eating habits are first formed.

“Sourcing, preparing and eating healthy, good quality food is very important to me,” said Galea.

“As we increasingly see more health prob-

lems such as obesity and diabetes, it’s important that we as ‘food experts’ share our knowledge on nutrition and good food preparation with the new generation, and involving parents and teachers in that commitment is key to ensuring our children’s healthy futures.”

Each session is executed by a trained chef who will conduct a 45-60 minute class in a normal classroom set up, where teachers and parents are invited to attend. The trained chef, using a flip chart and a selection of foods representing sweet, salty, sour and bitter foods will introduce the children to the four tastes and five senses. The session will also focus on the benefits of healthy eating as well as food provenance. The sessions are designed to cause as little disturbance to the classroom as possible in order to allow the class to return

to normal activities when the session is over.

Other hotels taking part include Aloft Abu Dhabi, Le Méridien Abu Dhabi, Sheraton Abu Dhabi, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and Westin Abu Dhabi.

Starwood aims to bring the ‘Adopt a School’ programme to as many schools as possible in the emirate.

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A380 AIROPLANES FULL OF PASSENGERS

Jumeirah Group launches home-grown restaurant division The newly launched Jumeirah Restaurant Group Dubai (JRG Dubai) is a global restaurant management company that creates, operates and franchises a portfolio of 60 restaurant brands.

JRG Dubai operates home-grown highend, premium casual and casual dining venues and lounges, including Pierchic, Tortuga, Pai Thai, 360° and The Noodle House, which comprises a portfolio of 23 branches worldwide. The launch of the division marks a pioneering move from

Jumeirah Group to dedicate resources to the further development of its restaurant portfolio, as it seeks to compete with the very best in the standalone restaurant market and help establish Dubai as a hub for culinary excellence.

Having conducted a thorough business review, JRG Dubai will develop existing restaurants located within the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts portfolio via a series of refurbishments, menu overhauls, talent acquisition and marketing excellence.

The group will collaborate with international experts, from chefs to consultants, in order to develop new concepts founded in Dubai. JRG Dubai will also engage in joint ventures, franchising and white label operations.

POULTRY & EGG EXPORTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST IN

2015

WILL SURPASS THE

US$400 MILLION VALUE ACHIEVED LAST YEAR

MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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NEWS

Burj Al Arab Jumeirah rings in Year of the Goat To launch the seven-day Chinese New Year celebrations, the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah projected a calligraphic goat artwork on its sailshaped exterior.

This year the traditional dotting-the-eyes ceremony was performed by the Chinese dignitaries including Chang Hua, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, and

Anantara Gourmet 2015

Anantara Hotels & Resorts has announced plans for an annual food festival, with the inaugural event Anantara Gourmet 2015 held 9th to 16th April.

The week-long culinary showcase will welcome nine international celebrity chefs to the United Arab Emirates with a programme of special culinary events at both Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa 10

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

Tang Weibin, China Consul General, Gerald Lawless, president and group ceo Jumeirah Group, as well as Roger Federer, world’s number two tennis player, who made a surprise appearance at the event.

An eight-minute firework display followed, swathing the Dubai skyline in red.

“China remains among the top three source

markets for Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, with demand from the Chinese market increasing year-on-year”, said Anthony McHale, Burj Al Arab’s general manager. “Over the last few years the hotel has enjoyed healthy growth in the occupancy rates of Chinese visitors during the Chinese New Year period, with last year’s figures coming close to 80%”.

Abu Dhabi and Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. Speaking about the introduction of the new food festival general manager Culinary Excellence for Minor Hotel Group, Helmut Arthold said: “The concept of Anantara Gourmet is to provide a platform for our Dubai and Abu Dhabi city properties to showcase exceptional flavours and preparation techniques, through inspired special dinners, master classes and galas.”

Anantara Gourmet 2015 will commence with a Gala ‘Invitation Only’ Opening Night at the Lotus Lounge, Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa on Thursday 9th April.

The luxury hotel and resort group, has attracted some big names for Anantara Gourmet 2015, including Australian born Dylan Jones (known for his Thai cuisine), the UK’s Claire Clark (decadent sweets and pastries), Henrik Yde Andersen (renowned for having the only Michelin starred Thai restaurant in the world) from Denmark, Italian based Igor Macchia (who will showcase modern Italian cuisine) and Australian Mike Tafe (preparing inspired Australian seafood and meat dishes).

Local UAE television personality chef Houria from the famous “Fata Feat” cooking show will offer a masterclass in Arabic language showcasing her international repertoire of desserts.

The week will come to a close with a Charity Gala Dinner in the Mangroves Ballroom at Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, in Abu Dhabi on Thursday 16th April with a menu especially created by the visiting chefs and accompanied by cellared beverages selected by Anantara’s Sommeliers.

NEWS

The Market to Kitchen Masterclass Market Kitchen, the culinary hotspot located in Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi, invites guests to experience its new, exclusive and highly interactive culinary masterclasses.

From start to finish, the ‘Market to Kitchen’ concept will take food enthusiasts on a gastronomical journey around the capital with cuisine that is inspired by globally renowned Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

The experience will commence at Market Kitchen where attendees can fuel up with complimentary hot beverages and pastries before heading out to explore the capital’s food markets.

First stop will be Abu Dhabi’s Fish Market, where chef Jordan Annabi will share tips on how

to select the freshest catch of the day, followed by a trip to the fruit and vegetable market for a lesson on the seasonality of the produce.

Once all of the key ingredients have been purchased, guests will return to the hotel to discuss their findings with chef Jordan Annabi who will then prepare a bespoke meal for the group. Before indulging in the creations of their ‘Market to Kitchen’ adventure, the final element of the master class will be a mocktail mixology session with the talented bar staff.

Best of all there is no fixed price, rather guests are required to split the cost of the produce they select at the market and it is within their discretion to pay extra to the chef at the end of the session.

Tonique to open Cocktail School and Bar

Tonique consultancy plans to open Cocktail Kitchen in Armada Tower, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, in late May or early June, to offer training to Dubai’s bartenders by day and to serve as a trendy bar by night.

Providing a unique portfolio of brand-focused

services for the drinks industry, Tonique consultancy currently supplies food and beverage services to some of the largest outdoor events in the region, including the F1 and many notable music concerts.

The founder and managing director, John Gillespie, a former MMI drinks specialist, decided to open the school to improve the level of education and understanding within the regions F&B sector.

He said: “We will offer composite category training, non-branded, to bartenders from across the region. This way we will improve the level of expertise in the industry and also have trained bar tenders available to us for supplying our catering business.

“By day we will offer the training and schooling and then by night the students will run the bar for the public. Also, as a showcase for the best service in the region we will attract guest appearances from the leading bars and restaurants around the world.”

“Cocktail Kitchen creates an opportunity to impart knowledge and mentor guests in an inclusive environment.”

GREG MALOUF

Clé launches Cooking Club

Over the next few months, Clé Dubai will be offering, culinary classes from Michelin-starred head chef, Greg Malouf at the exclusive Clé Cooking Club.

These interactive classes will allow foodies to learn the expert techniques used to create delicious contemporary Arabic food from the menu of the restaurant.

The devoted chef has many accolades to his name and his intrinsic knowledge of Middle Eastern cuisine combined with his flair for detail has taken him to all the culinary capitals of the world.

Now trainee chefs, students, and food enthusiasts can learn how to make some of Greg’s signature dishes, and network with the chef himself, over a 2-hour class on 24th March or 28th April, 2015.

Each attendee will receive their own Clé Dubai chef’s apron and a signed copy of one of Greg’s seven books.

To inspire all ‘social’ foodies, each month, Clé will hold a competition based on the interactive cooking classes. All you need to do is take a picture of the food prepared, upload it on to Instagram and tag Clé Dubai for a chance to win two tickets to one of the cooking classes.

MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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SPECIAL REPORT

GULFOOD 2015 The crowds turned out on mass to join the organisers and exhibitors, all 4,800 companies, in celebrating two decades of Gulfood.

As an official media partner, our Catering News ME title was launched on day one of the show, and the whole team was there in force, treading the full 120,000 square metre exhibition space, meeting the industry it strives to represent.

The world’s largest annual food and hospitality trade show returned to Dubai last month, from February 8-12 at Dubai World Trade Centre, to celebrate its 20th Anniversary.

OUR GULFOOD SPECIAL BRINGS YOU ALL THE NEWS, VIEWS AND PARTY SHOES FROM THIS SPECTACULAR INDUSTRY EVENT

MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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GULFOOD NEWS

Bakemart tackles UAE school dinners Under the directive of TK Khaleed, managing director of Bakemart, and a master baker himself, the local bread producer is now providing speciality food for UAE school kids.

As a local company Bakemart, Khaleed believes the company must serve its community and so entered into close cooperation agreement with local school authorities to development a healthy range of baked goods for the nation’s state school pupils.

Moansy Thomas, general manager, added: “It was a detailed exercise to create something attractive, tasty and healthy, and it was quite a challenge, but working with school authorities we developed a set of recipes to meet their criteria and we are now supplying to over 100 state schools in the UAE and private schools are now showing interest, so that is the next step.”

The baking giant was exhibiting at Gulfood to showcase a new range of baguettes, facaccia, flat breads, artisan rolls, bagels and muf-

fins, and also to meet key clients from across the globe, including the retail giant Carrefour.

Thomas said: “We have been developing a new range of pastries for Carrefour, which they sampled during Gulfood, and we are hoping the order will follow soon.”

Bakemart already supplies bread products to Carrefour and is a strategic retail partner with the Choitrams chain, on top of its extensive list of hospitality clients.

Bakemart prides itself on quality and is one of a small group graded A by the Dubai Municipality for food safety and hygiene.

“This is a mandatory requirement for our corporate clients, and right from the planning stages of our new facility in IMPZ we could plan the layout and equipment in order to meet those exacting standards.”

Today Bakemart is rated 12th out of 300+ companies in the same sector - in line with the Burj Al Arab, thanks to its state-of-the-art factory and its unique machinery, including a

The furniture brand UK used Gulfood to showcase its new Smart Chair with built-in wifi, speakers and mobile charging.

This fully adjustable office chair will also alert the user when they are seated incorrectly with an audible alarm. Furthermore the seat understands your size and weight and adjusts itself to accommodate you most ergonomically.

Produced in Hong Kong, OK has been involved in the conceptualisation and investment of this innovative product, supplying the design, specifications and material, and it will be distributed exclusively

through OK stores.

Globally OK has 1,512 suppliers and 6,000 worldwide brands, and it sells furniture across Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, the Far East and the GCC. The owner Hamid Nadali began working in the factory at 6 years old, before he bought it from the management, and come his next birthday he will have worked in the business for 50 years.

Nadali is now exploring the idea of franchising his business, providing he can ensure the continued quality and design of the OK branded products.

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Retard Approver, which Bakemart is only the second bakery in the world to use.

In addition to the new frozen bread automated factory in IMPZ, Bakemart has its traditional artisan and handmade lines in a second factory in Al Qusais which is the company’s home base and a legacy for the brand. It supplies fresh products to the hospitality sector for hotels and coffee shops.

Bakemart is also a regional player with a factory in Doha, Qatar, which is more diversified, catering to restaurants as well as retail and hospitality, and in Bahrain to supply the US Navy.

The company also exports its frozen range to support its facilities in Qatar and Bahrain.

As of now the company is not aggressively pursuing exports as it believes there is “still lot to be done in the domestic market”. Bakemart may look to expand its exports in Q2/Q3 2016, in line with the level of interest received at Gulfood 2015 from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, even India and China.

OK gets smart with new office chair

GULFOOD NEWS

Wensleydale saturates its domestic market

Having saturated its domestic market in the UK, the cheese manufacturer Wensleydale was at Gulfood for the third time, looking to boost its exports to the GCC, and actively looking for distribution and retail partners.

Gary Johnson, Wensleydale’s business development manager, said: “We have found that people like to deal directly with the producer as we have full control over our recipes and formats and for us, we can cut out the middle man. We have found that our quality, provenance, history and story stands out and so our clients have more respect for us."

The company has been privately owned since 1992, as the result of a management buyout from Dairy Crest. Johnson said: “The

ProBake, a fresh from frozen producer, used Gulfood to showcase its new line of ice-cream under the name ‘The Baker’s Ice Dream’.This gourmet gelato, conceptualised by Vasco Valenca de Sousa, business unit director for Ice Cream with ProBake, is available to the food service industry in unique flavour combinations. Vasco Valenca de Sousa said: “In 3-4 years we hope to have an ice cream business as big as our bakery business.”

As a behind-the-scenes b2b supplier to the food service industry, currently supplying fresh to frozen bakery products to 600 outlets in 16 countries from its 8,000 sqft factory, ProBake

Founded in Beirut, Lebanon, in the 70s, the Deli France chain, which currently supplies to hotels, coffee shops, catering companies, supermarkets and airlines across the GCC and Egypt, is now looking to franchise its business. The initial focus is on Dubai, followed

by Hong Kong and Singapore, with the first branded stores opening in 6-9 months.

A potential franchise partner must be able to offer a balance between prime location and brand development, and the company is planning 15-20 outlets across the Emirates under the umbrella of one massive franchisee, according to Gerard Ghammachi, commercial and marketing director.

The company will continue to produce its products in the factory on the France/Belgian border, shipping them to the franchise stores as shock frozen, part baked, ready to thaw and ready to prove.

management wanted to move production away from Yorkshire, to Lancashire, at the expense of 230 jobs and we couldn’t let that happen.” Today the dairy buys its milk from 45 local farms within a 25m radius and it attracts 250,000 global visitors annually.

To meet the increased demand the company has increased its production by 40-50% with investment in a new dairy.

Also after a seven year process the company has received Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) accreditation.

“The PGI accreditation captures our social economic values, in terms of the work we do for the environment, the economy and the local community.”

finds the Gulfood exhibition is an extremely important tool for putting a face to a name and for getting to know its clients more closely.

In addition to the ice cream, ProBake was also showcasing a new line of seven different stuffed pies, including steak & kidney, Thai chicken, chicken and mushroom, green peas & potato and minced beef, in two sizes of small and large.

Going forward the company plans to increase its exports to 30 countries, including East Africa, the Indian Ocean and South East Asia. According to ProBake: “A long shelf life means we can be sold almost anywhere.”

The franchisees will be responsible for sourcing the sandwich and salad contents locally. Dubai was chosen for the first franchisee role out because “they make business easy for you,” according to Ghammachi. He added: “In Dubai the red tape doesn’t exist”.

Deli France was at Gulfood last month to meet potential partners and to showcase its new range of old-style stone baked bread and premium croissants.

Ghammachi explained that in confectionary, trends have shifted from macaroons to éclairs, and the company presented a line of 15 new éclair recipes.

ProBake launches ‘The Baker’s Ice Dream’

Deli France seeks franchise partners MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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GULFOOD NEWS

Chaucer launches retail range of dry food snacks Chaucer believes that its products could save the airlines a fortune in fuel, as their dried fruit and bread products weigh a tenth of the fresh equivalent, yet they retain 99.7% of the nutrients.

Founded in the 1980s in Kent, UK, the company has been trading in the UAE for 18 months, and exhibited at Gulfood for the first time this year.

Working with its distributor Aquarius in the GCC the company is able to reach markets in North Africa and India.

Valrhona to launch retail chocolate products

With production in France, China and the US, across two divisions, bread and freeze dried fruit and vegetables, the company has an annual turnover of $85 million.

Having traditionally sold most produce to food ingredient services, Chaucer is beginning to branch out with its own range of retail products, such as dehydrated bread savoury snacks and dried yogurt and fruit sweet snacks.

‘Nothing But’ is a freeze dried vegetable snack , ‘Pane Italia’ is an Italian inspired bread snack made with Olive Oil, ‘Fru’ are great tast-

Valrhona is planning to launch a retail version of its new hospitality chocolate blends Azelia and Biskelia within the next 6-12 months. Azelia is a combination of chocolate, milk and hazlenuts, while Biskelia is a milk chocolate containing toasted biscuit, caramel and a touch of salt.

Speaking at Gulfood, Alioune Diop, business developer of Valrhona, welcomed the opening of the region’s first Chocolate Academy.

“We have been actively training and educating our customers in the region for the past 15 years.

Six times a year we send out a chef for workshops and chef relations.

We don’t just sell chocolate – we share the knowledge. But, otherwise, in Dubai there has been very little local training and education so the

Monin, the French syrup manufacturer, is planning to open a training bar in Dubai in the third or fourth quarter of this year, to train all of its hospitality partners in the use and application of its non-alcoholic syrups.

Piere Fraboulet, trade marketing manager, said: “We don’t sell syrups, we sell applications.”

Founded by Olivia Monin this family owned company is now in its third generation, and today exports to 140 countries from its four factories in France, Malaysia and the US. The company has experienced double digit 16

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

ing fruit and yoghurt snacks you can enjoy wherever, whenever, and ‘Hoots’ are a baked not fried bread snack and a delicious alternative to crisps.

All Chaucer’s dehydrated products are made by sublimation, from ice (solid) to steam (gas) without turning to water (liquid) – removing the hydration gently and most favourably and thus retaining 99.7% nutrition.

Having previously used a UK based distribution firm the company is now planning to handle its exports to the MENA region independently.

Academy will raise the profile and level of awareness,” added Diop. Valrhona sells its chocolate to 80% of Dubai’s hotels, so it has some 200+ chefs to train. “Small or big, they are all important to us,” added Diop.

Valrhona prides itself on sourcing the world’s very best cocoa beans. The chocolatier has a team of three dedicated to travelling the world, touring 12 countries for the best beans.

Also, the company believes that in buying directly from the farmers, it is vital to maintain good long term relationships for the sustainability of the farm and the farmers.

“Our farmers are supply to supply to us solely because we always guarantee them a higher price than the stockmarket,” added Diop.

growth in each of markets over the last five years, and can be found everywhere in the UAE from KFC to the Burj Al Arab.

Along with the training centre plans, Monin had a new range of syrups and ice tea concentrates to showcase at Gulfood.

The new range included Asian lemongrass, salted caramel and walnut brownie syrups, a lycee puree and all natural ice tea concentrates in peach, lemon and raspberry.

“We offer a one stop solution for smoothies – all natural and easy operation,” added Piere.

Monin to open Dubai training centre

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GULFOOD NEWS

Bridor takes its baked goods to Africa

Bridor has plans to expand into Africa in the third quarter of 2015, having signed up with local distributor Classic Fine Foods in November last year, following the conclusion of an arrangement with Greenhouse “as we no longer shared the same visision”, according to Ricardo Morais, Middle East Sales Manager.

Currently exporting to 85 countries from its two factories in Morais said: “The Gulfood ex-

hibition allows us to meet with all our existing clients from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar, to meet new potential clients from the region, and to demonstrate our new products.”

At Gulfood this year Bridor demonstrated its new line of Zataar croissants, which took considerable time to develop, along with a collection of chestnut, fig, walnut and raisin breads.

Daregal designs culinary herb solutions In a bid to expand its range for the convenience of chefs Daregal has been working with the world-renowned Michelin- starred Christian Le Squer from the Four Seasons Paris Le Cinq restaurant, to create a line of culinary herb solutions.

As a frozen herb producer Daregal has a 100

year business from seed to fork – controlling the whole supply chain from harvest, to washing to fast freezing. Jean-Philippe Gery, Darega commercial director, said: “We can maintain the flavour and offer our customers total traceability.

“Produced under the brand names of Cool’eaze Professional and Premium Squeeze

Professional our new sauces can be kept for two years as frozen or fourteen days in the fridge and each catering bottle will make 50 servings.

"These two products are set to be released onto the UAE market in March and if they prove successful we will develop the brand to offer a smaller retail bottle,” added Gery.

Snowdonian Cheese targets UAE hospitality sector The Snowdonian Cheese Company is hoping to break into the hospitality sector in the UAE, following increasing interest from the retail sector.

The 14-year-old family-owned business from the UK will also begin sales in Saudi Arabia later this month, with its first customer in Jeddah.

The cheese company has an existing relationship with True Bell in Sharjah, UAE, and expects them to break into the hospitality sec18

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tor supply shortly.

The specialty cheese producer began its export business only three years ago and now sells its cheese in 17 countries, including the US, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Switzerland, Germany and the UAE. Together with its distributors the producer is currently in talks to export to Asia, in particularly Hong Kong and Thailand,

and its produce is heading to Australia.

Last year the company was presented with a Best Brands Award from the Guild of Fine Foods for its Black Bomber cheese, and in the same year it launched its popular Red Storm Leicester cheese.

In line with its expanding export business the company has been ramping up its UK production by 30% over the last three years.

GULFOOD NEWS

Viessmann showcases new refrigeration line from Finland Viessmann returned to exhibit at Gulfood for the eighth time this year. Zer Boy Ritol, sales manager of Cold Room Division with Viessmann said: “As we all know, Dubai is the centre, or at least a business hub for all of the Middle East’s neighbouring countries. We got lots of leads and inquiries during the Gulfood event, which we will convert into sales.

“We showcased our new line of refrigeration cabinets from NORPE from Finland. We also announced our new innovative product Smart Protect, which is a finishing coated powder for

Viessmann cold room panels that acts as an antimicrobial barrier to prevent bacterial growth.

“And we are delighted to announce that were awarded as the Highly Recommended Company for this innovative product at Gulfood 2015.”

Zer Boy Ritol was also delighted to note that the quality of visitors was notably improved this year. “This year is most promising with better quality guests, such as Main Kitchen Consultant who visited our booth and stand and discussed the possibility of working on their projects.”

Speaking about the current trends in the

Middle East, Zer Boy Ritol said: “The GCC market needs a quality product like Viessmann cold rooms, especially in F&B and HORECA, that complies to HACCP rules and system. Our competitors are using cheaper price points as the main topic for decision making to secure the project for cold room requirements, but for Viessmann we stand by our quality and our reasonable price.

“But I see the GCC F&B market changing in the coming years as most of the companies will get upgraded to the latest technology as well.”

Del Monte continues regional expansion On its 9th participation, Del Monte highlights the continuous business expansion with the launch of new product categories and line extensions; such as the Disney and Marvel branded kids nectars, ultra-fresh smoothies and green juice, among others.

Del Monte Fresh Produce Company is one of the world's leading vertically integrated producers, marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, as well as a leading producer and distributor of prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, beverages, snacks, and desserts in Europe, the Middle East and

Africa. Del Monte Fresh Produce Company markets its fresh products worldwide under the Del Monte brand, a symbol of product quality, freshness and reliability since 1892.

Del Monte Fresh Produce Company has proven success with leading retailers on category management projects, based on comprehensive market, consumer and customer specific data and insight. Central to this is the commitment to the long-term, profitable growth of the categories in which Del Monte operates.

Since Del Monte’s successful establishment of its regional headquarters for the Middle East and

North Africa in the UAE in 2007, it has pro-actively spread throughout the region starting with the Saudi Arabia market on 2010 in Riyadh and Jeddah. Iraq, Turkey and Ukraine were opened on 2013, while Russia and Qatar are recently added on its persistent growth – capitalising on the massive fresh produce and prepared food business opportunities available across the region.

Del Monte is also developing its farming operation in Ras al Khaimah, UAE – growing iceberg and romaine lettuce melons, broccoli, watermelon and strawberry.

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GULFOOD NEWS

Freshly Frozen Foods address quality protein in the region Freshly Frozen Foods exhibited at Gulfood to promote its range of nutritious, low sodium and low fat sausages.

“We want to educate on the right sausage that children should eat and to stop them eating the wrong ones. Most of the chicken sausages available in supermarkets are made from mechanically deboned meat (MDM) or mechanically separated meat (MSM) which is a puree made from the carcass and bones. Freshly Foods process and pack pure chicken meat sausage made from lean chicken breast meat. It is nutritious, safe, low in sodium, fat and has no meat substitutes or filler,” said a spokesman.

Freshly Frozen Foods has followed Gulfood for 17 years and been an active exhibitor for the past 11 years. A spokesman for the company said: “For us, participating in this trade show goes beyond having our logo put on marketing material. It’s about being a part of this vibrant business community, reconnecting with people

we haven’t seen in a while, and making new connections with people, organisations, and businesses that help propel our business into the future.”

There has been an unprecedented increase in population in GCC which in turn has driven the consumption of food and beverage. This consumption is correlated with a heavy reliance on imports. Having the opportunity to personally meet and greet so many potential customers over the course of the day while strengthening brand identity, is why Gulfood continues to be a very good investment for Freshly Frozen Foods.

“Moreover, it is a one stop shop wherein we get the opportunity to meet all our existing customers under one roof,” said the spokesman.

From the exhibition the company got several new leads to cater to unexplored potential markets, and also had the opportunity to expand its food service profile to key customers around the region.

The spokesman added: “Gulfood is becoming more popular than Anuga in Germany and SIAL in Paris. It is one of the world’s largest annual food and hospitality trade shows and also one of the most dynamic in terms of new features, activities and developments. It has over 4,500 exhibitors and 120 national pavilions showcasing their respective country’s products and services, and I can surely say that this is one of the most important and dynamic trade fairs around this region.

“For a regional player like us, there is no other trade fair which is bigger better and more productive than the Gulf Food because the rising affluence levels in the GCC region has led to an increased demand for protein-rich foods, particularly meat and poultry. With fast-growing Muslim populations around the world, and especially the GCC and MENA regions, the demand for Halal food is growing at an exceptional rate.”

first time exhibiting with our national pavilion was in 2007, so we have followed Gulfood for 10 years.”

The National Pavilion of Chile, beginning with only 36 sqm grew to 190 sqm for the last two years and the organisation hopes to continue increasing its participation in the coming years.

The spokesman added: “Gulfood is the window for the food industry in Middle East and Chile, and as a global food supplier we cannot miss it.

Chile is the world’s largest exporter of blueberries, fresh grapes, plums, prunes, dried apples, trout, and Pacific salmon.

It is also the world’s second-largest sup-

plier of avocados, frozen raspberries, walnuts and Atlantic salmon, and the largest fresh cherry producer in the Southern Hemisphere.

“Chile also enjoys worldwide recognition as a producer of extra virgin olive oil, mineral water and nuts.

These are just some of the components of the Chilean export line-up, which also features functional foods such as omega 3 and we have enhanced our participation with our line of halal foods as well, so Gulfood is the best exhibition to show all the possibilities that Chile offers as a food supplier in the Middle East.”

The spokesman noted that the GCC market is growing very fast and with that customer requirements are changing too, adding: “Now the consumer is more sophisticated than before, and that means that the products that we offer have to change in that line as well.”

Chile addresses maturing customer needs ProChile has seen exports to GCC countries rise by 135,28% since 2005, and currently the exports to the GCC countries represent 0,57% of all total exports.

A spokesman for ProChile said: “The importance of GCC for Chile is the diversification of the destination’s markets and we hope for a long lasting commercial relationship.

“We have followed Gulfood since we created our Trade Office in the UAE in 2006 and our 20

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

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GULFOOD NEWS

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GULFOOD NEWS

SADITA Holding sees a switch to health related products Nizam Madi, group sourcing manager at SADITA Holding Co., believes that the GCC F&B market will see global products diffusing faster into the local markets and consumer preference will shift towards health related products due to increasing awareness.

He added: “Currently there is a trend towards functional drinks, high protein products and low fat meal alternatives.”

Nizam Madi has visited Gulfood for the last 6 years as the sourcing manager of new FMCG brands for SADITA holding group, which carries distribution activity across 7 countries in the MENA region, but 2015 was the first time he has exhibited the Good Night Relaxation Drink, which is a carbonated beverage made of 100% herbal extract to aid faster and deeper sleep.

“Gulfood is the largest food and beverage exhibition in the world and represents a great opportunity to find potential distributors in countries where the product is not available.

“Many interested distributors visited our stand and expressed their willingness to distribute the beverage in their countries. The discussions which took place look promising.”

completion by the end of 2015.

The fast-tracked expansion comes on the heels of unprecedented market demand for Al Rawdah products, which have led the company to operate at absolutely full capacity.

Simultaneously, the company has also announced a new assortment of diversified meat products, with around 30 new product launches planned for 2015.

Half the products will be specially tailored for the food services departments that in-

cludes hotels, restaurants, cafes and catering companies, while the other half will be created for retail consumption.

Veal, beef and turkey products created from halal Australian beef and veal, and halal turkey sourced from Turkey, will soon be added to the company’s global product portfolio.

The new plant’s machines are also designed to be environmentally friendly, with upgraded cooking and packaging machines that will reduce energy consumption by up to 80 percent.

Al Rawdah announces new production plant Emirates Modern Poultry Co., also known as Al Rawdah, will double its monthly production of processed products, from 400 to 800 tonnes, with the construction of a new plant that is scheduled to become operational in 8 to 12 months.

Phase 1 of the expansion, which comprises 6 new cold stores, producing an additional 300 tonnes at a cost of AED5.5 million, is already complete.

Phase 2, costing AED15m million, will see the production capacity double and reach

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GULFOOD NEWS

GCC becoming second largest export market for UK’s Joe & Seph The UK’s Joe & Seph exhibited at Gulfood for the first time this year, in response to the huge growth in the gourmet popcorn sector, making the GCC the company’s second largest export market next year.

With 15 Great Taste Gold Awards to its name, Joe & Seph’s bestselling flavours include Salted Caramel, Honey & Hazelnut, Peanut Butter, Caramel & Belgian Chocolate, Maple Syrup & Pecan, Cheddar Cheese, and Toffee Apple & Cinnamon popcorn.

They are available in two retail pack formats – a 27-35g snack pack or 80-90g pouch – as well as gifts and catering packs too.

In the UK they now supply Waitrose, Oca-

do, Cineworld Cinemas, Selfridges, Harrods, Wholefoods Market, Harvey Nichols well as airlines including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Thomson and easyJet and lots of independents.

Internationally they are stocked in Géant (France), Dean & Deluca (Japan), Ole (China), Globus (Switzerland), David Jones (Australia), Qatar Duty Free, Danube (Saudi), and in Dubai in Jones the Grocer, Spinneys, and Waitrose.

Adam Sopher said: “Our gourmet popcorn is different because we have a strict rule of only using natural ingredients, which gives our popcorn its strong, distinctive

taste, we remove all those irritating unpopped kernels and only give whole pieces of popcorn, our packaging is transparent and stands out on the shelf by allowing the customer to see the quality of the product, and most importantly we air-pop (not fry) our ‘mushroom’ popcorn kernels resulting in 10% fewer calories and 35% less fat than a leading crisp brand.”

Exhibiting at Gulfood was important for Joe & Seph as a way to find retailers and food service customers in the Middle East.

“We were able to agree a number of large new listings and will definitely return for Gulfood 2016.”

Raqtan is encouraged by diversity and growth of GCC Exhibiting since 2012, Gulfood has introduced Raqtan to new markets from both the sales and purchasing prospective, and also helped RAQTAN in enhancing their market awareness.

A Raqtan spokesman said: “Our main target this year was to show our current and potential partners, clients and suppliers our capabilities in the Food Service Industry as an End-To-End solution provider.

“This year we are demonstrating our Cold Room Standards and Fire Suppres24

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

sion Systems, as well as innovation and development in our Coffee Solutions and Water Filtration Solutions, as well as developments in our RAQTAN Stainless Steel Factory (MIRAN).”

He added: “This year’s event was a little bit quieter than last year, but surprisingly, we were very busy and have found that most of our visits were concentrated and more interested in our solutions and service.

"For RAQTAN, other global events are more related to the procurement depart-

ment than sales, whereas, Gulfood is an ideal exhibition where both sales and supply can benefit."

RAQTAN believes that casual dining is enjoying a major growth pattern in the region lately, adding: “We are encouraged by the diversity of brands we are seeing coming to the Middle East and excited by the opportunity to be a part of this. The growth we have seen in the past few years is astounding, and we do not see it slowing down any time soon.”

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busy they will be and don’t want to be stuck with large stocks of perishable items.

It’s a matter of communicating with suppliers in a certain way that they might be able to hold stock for you or be a little more honest in what they have and what they can supply. I know we live in the middle of the desert but there are several cargo planes everyday bringing produce from Europe so it baffles me how there can’t be a box of tomatoes. But then I also get excited when we get whole sea bass delivered and it’s as fresh as I would get in London, but we have also had shabby vegetable deliveries and still had to pay for them.

GREG MALOUF CLE

The Catering News ME Forum met once again last month, with ten leading Chefs from across Dubai, to discuss the matter of ingredient sourcing, the relevance of organic and the importance of seasonality What are the challenges of sourcing ingredients in the GCC? Chef Marco: When you have a product or a new product you have found and you rely on just one supplier, what happens at in the end when that becomes unavailable? In Dubai, you cannot rely on only one supplier, which is why my supplier list is around of 60-70, but then this becomes difficult to manage.

Chef Owen: Working in a hotel has both good and bad points.

The buying power is good but it depends on the ingredient needs of each restaurant, and some I need others don’t want so it becomes an issue. I can’t deal with suppliers directly over my needs as the negotiations are done for the complex by the purchasing department. And it’s a constant battle with the purchasing department as they look at price first and quality second.

Chef Lawrence: In my environment we got 3,500 items in the system so filtering through 75 different varieties of milk is horrendous. If they centralised some suppliers – one for veg, meat, etc, it would make the bidding process so much easier as there wouldn’t be a monopoly of supply. When you put the order in three or four days in advance and it can’t be supplied because it’s gone it’s frustrating – but if a central supplier knew everyone’s needs he could get the necessary supply. We all know needs a week or more in advance. Instead of ordering from 25 sources just have one or two central.

Chef Izu: Here in the middle of the desert very little is grown locally and there is no consistency in delivery. But what is most challenging is the processes in sourcing – there are just too many layers to stop you personally touching the ingredients.

Many suppliers are still learning to work in a methodical way too because it’s a growing culture so we have to bear with it but remain determined to bring good products. l personally travel a lot to find products and to find the suppliers to bring them. I work to find solutions.

Chef Greg: Suppliers have been here long enough, 15-20 years, and I’m surprised they can’t be more methodical about the way they deal, especially with free standing restaurants. Hotels are different – they have buying power – they place orders for hundreds of thousands of dirhams on a weekly basis, so they can demand the produce, store the produce and distribute the produce any way they see fit. But free standing restaurants, and especially those establishing themselves, don’t have the storage space, they are still growing and they can’t predict how

OWEN STEWART CHINA GRILL

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Chef Ryan: As a freestanding I can get away with calling suppliers at midnight and get what I want. Yes I have a purchasing department but they work for me so long as I give returns. It took at least 6-12 months of difficulty to build that relationship.

Chef Dom: A lot of the problem is dealing with people who really don’t understand food. In London I can be specific about the quantity, quality and variety of seafood for instance, but not here because the supplier doesn’t understand the produce.

Chef Lawrence: Perhaps as chefs we should develop our menus as we go along with what’s available – when they are done six months in advance with off season produce its expensive and not so fresh. Customers will buy whatever you will put on the menu so long as they can read and understand it.

RYAN WADDELL REFORM SOCIAL & GRILL

Chef Greg: The problem with a sole supplier is that chefs want unique ingredients. I like to find exclusive produce.

Chef Izu: My USP in the restaurant is seeking out and sourcing ingredients nobody else has got. I travel to find these ingredients and then find a supplier that can deliver them. This enriches the market too. And if chefs ask how it’s sourced then share the information too.

Chef Izu: A lot of people here don’t have an association or understanding of the product - they just market and sell it – they should just give it to the chef to try and have the confidence in what they are selling. In other markets suppliers are passionate about their products. When you understand something you own it, it’s the difference between a job and a career - they are two different things.

Chef Dom: Here it is about purchasing departments talking to each other – the order process bypasses the man who knows what is best – the bigger the supplier the bigger this problem.

It’s important to learn who has the expertise in each supplier and deal directly.

Chef Corrado: I find it important to have a plan B supplier for everything. And it’s not about just going to the big and famous suppliers but building a relationship with the smaller independent suppliers also. I have managed to bring in 5-6 cheeses from my very small home town because I developed a good relationship and that helps a lot.

Chef Greg: It is really important that every couple of days you talk to your suppliers to tell them what has been good and bad with the deliveries. It’s also important to appreciate them and to offer praise for good work as most chefs’ get on to them only to complain.

Chef Izu: It is all about the relationship – removing the supplier client barrier. It is a partnership, so I will pay on time and they will give me the best products and we always communicate.

Chef Owen: Having worked in a free standing restaurant before the hotel I had a better relationship because I was in constant contact with my suppliers, but in a hotel I am too far removed. I now have to go through chains.

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THE FORUM

In terms of local ingredients or organic ingredients, which is more cost effective, which is more sensible, and which do customers prefer?

Chef Izu: The word organics has been branded around very freely and it gives suppliers the right to charge more. The question is does the customer want to pay the premium.

Chef Greg: Local markets here are getting stronger but there are still a lot of issues. I still don’t trust food grown in sand using desalinated water. We discovered that local farmers often put fermented fish in the water to help give nutrients to the plants and so we got salty carrots.

LAWRENCE WELLS PERRY & BLACKWELDER’S

Do you insist on the seasonality of ingredients?

Chef Izu : We are blessed in seasonality here because we have different seasons all year and we can take produce from Europe and Australia – we can follow both seasons. I also have freedom to change my menu on availability. But I don’t say I’m a seasonal chef – I will never cook winter food in Dubai. Your environment determines what you cook – that is the season.

Chef Izu: I will start working with a farm in Sharjah soon as I tried their food and it was very good. I don’t close my mind to it and I support the local markets to encourage what they are doing. Yes the products are not consistently to the right level but we have to educate them.

And I’ve been to Holland to the greenhouses and some of their methods are ethically questionable. In every field in every way there are issues to raise an eyebrow.

Chef Greg: In Holland they are experts at it – those huge fields are there solely to supply to the supermarkets. Despite the practices here I would take that produce over anything mass produced in Holland or Belgium.

Chef Izu: Some diners do ask about the origins of food and they are curious about organics. But it is up to us to educate diners, to share with them the knowledge we have gained as cooks.

Chef Dom: Seasonality is massive for me – in the UK they want allotment food – I’m more realistic. I love mangoes and pineapples so I have no choice but then I won’t use Peruvian asparagus. When strawberries come in season in the UK I will put them in the menu in Dubai but I won’t out of season.

Chef Izu: You build your own principles as a chef. I will use produce from other regions in season, but only if I think its good quality. It’s not about using a product just because a recipe calls for it, but using what you can get when it’s good.

It’s about keeping your mind open to discovering things and not being engrained about what things should be like. Fresh is fresh no matter where it comes from – you have to like it before the customer does.

Chef Greg: I believe that seasonality in Dubai doesn’t exist.

I focus on the Northern Hemisphere. I’ve given up on my native goods as the flight is too far from Australia and the dollar has impacted too heavily on price.

KIICHI OKABE OKKU

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Chef Izu: Customers must give us the information to cater to their needs or a menu loses its charm - you lose the interaction with the chef. As professionals we should know what we are servicing and the customer should trust us.

It is the customer responsibility to tell us about serious allergies. We must change to our environment but retain some integratory.

Are you concerned about the global footprint of internationally sourced ingredients?

Chef Dom: Our global footprint is a massive concern but in Dubai it’s a Pandoras Box – we have no choice. It needs everyone to change as otherwise the suppliers will still bring in the produce.

Chef Greg: We need to bury our heads in the sand, there is no way around this unless you stop using certain ingredients.

DOMINIC SOUTH THE SCENE

Chef Owen: Today more and more people are becoming aware and questioning the origins of their food and how it was grown and sourced.

Do you believe in food transparency or the free-from fascination?

Chef Izu: We need to understand were the allergies come from. Intolerances often arise because people put rubbish in the bread. Here the makeup of the yeast we use is terrible.

Our bodies reject the good with the bad. Today, I source my flour directly from the mill in France because when I first started in Dubai I researched the makeup of the flour here and it’s shocking.

We need to understand all of the ingredients we use. It is also the mindset of the customer – often it’s just a trend or fad. But you always have to pander to customers wants – you can’t dismiss them and be proud and creative as you need the customers at the end of the day.

Chef Izu: We need to mitigate to balance things out. I accept I have to import ingredients but I look at wastage and buy less.

Will I use every inch of a fish before I buy more? How can I lesson my impact? And that comes down to investing in where we live. I teach my guys to look after the produce and treat it right.

Chef Marco: Also, do we really need dairy, meat or vegetable deliveries every day – maybe twice a week is enough.

How do you address the issue of recruiting and retaining kitchen staff?

Chef Greg: One question missing is the issue of sourcing and

Chef Ryan: We always label nuts but you can’t label everything – the menu would be overwhelming, you have to educate your staff to be able to answer those questions.

Chef Marco: In Holland you have to list everything since last year.

Chef Dom: In the UK there are 14 official registered allergies and they must all be labelled accordingly. You have to be due diligent.

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where they come from and that needs to change, this is abuse. I believe in equal pay for equal work. Us chefs work too hard, we all need rest othewise we burn up before we are utilised. You get nothing out of staff working them 6 days a week – its exploitation, it’s not good for the business, the brand or the industry.

Chef Greg: We have taken this on board from day one and all staff get two days off. Set the rule at the start and it should be obeyed and followed. Also, when we employed the kitchen porters it was with the chance to move up and one guy from Africa is now in the bakery.

Two months in we could see he had potential, and today he makes some really beautiful bread.

IZU ANI LA SERRE recruiting staff, how they are educated and whether they are here for a career or just to send money home. It was an interesting exercise for us in interviewing everyone for the kitchen. Everyone was imported from around the world and we had to interview through skype.

The interview wasn’t about their skills but about the body language and how excited they were about prospects of working in Dubai, and learning about their family and how they were brought up.

Chef Lawrence: Sometimes we work in these different countries and I see different people paid based on

Chef Izu: Everything that we are talking about has to have a source and for workers that is the education we bring to the kitchen. At the end of the day everything I have learnt has come from someone else so it’s my responsibility to pass that on.

Whether my kitchen staff come from the Philippines, London or France, if they work the same they get paid the same and that way you are instilling value in them which they then pass on to value your ingredients. We can’t expect them to give back to us if we don’t give back to them. Dubai needs to change this ethos.

You get more from rested workers. Most employers think they have to employ more and spend more but otherwise they lose staff, they won’t stay if maltreated. You have to water the base to make it grow.

Chef Lawrence: We invest heavily in training our staff, in bringing them to Dubai and providing visas and accommodation, so it’s false economy to lose that when they leave unhappy.

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MASS CATERING

FOOD IS MUSIC FOR THE SOUL Dubai is becoming a hub for the music scene across the whole MENA region, with some of the world’s biggest bands and solo artists coming to the Emirate to entertain huge crowds of revellers. Catering News ME investigated how F&B providers plan and manage these mass catering requirements

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MASS CATERING

JOHN GILLESPIE, TONIQUE CONSULTANCY

One key independent F&B provider in the UAE is Tonique Consultancy, which was set up by John Gillespie in 2011.

Today Tonique provides a unique portfolio of brand-focused services for the drinks industry. Gillespie said: “The Tonique events service focuses on bringing the ‘life & soul’ to an event, working with the city’s best partners and suppliers to ensure a spectacular event from start to finish. Moreover, Tonique consultancy offers more than just a branding and events service but creates a community that brings people together through their shared passion for wines, spirits and everything else relating to the world of drinks.”

The company has key operations in training and education, hospitality and events. As a food and beverage supplier for many events, including concerts, Gillespie is well placed to comment on the industry. He said: “In my 10 years in Dubai I have seen a lot of concerts managed poorly by hotels because of the limitations of hotel catering.

“They win the contract for the gig, take exclusivity of catering and bring their services in and casual staff, the majority of which are not trained, and the resulte is an impact on the consumer experience – such as poor service, long queues, and flat beverages. They don’t think about the consumer experience.”

Having worked on several high profile events lately, including the concerts of Gary Barlow, Queen Tribute and NYE Master Jam, and last month the Abu Dhabi Street Feast, Tonique takes a unique approach to mass catering. “When we look at concerts we look for

partnerships in F&B, whereas most events are run by events companies and not experts – and in that instance the bar is always the last component they think about – it’s always reactive to the market. There is always too much emphasis on alcohol brands for sponsorship and they give brand experience not consumer experience,” said Gillespie.

He added: “I strip everything back to basics like working with the scaffolders to map out the bars, to map out everything we need.

With brands we don’t want branding but help in operations, like the perfect serve, the best cups, the number of taps, the supply of bars and staff.

“In properly organising a concert there a lot of moving variables we have to consider, with the key one being manpower. So we reach out to the top providers of casual staff to train them in advance.

“This is where other operators lose out because they don’t realise the loss of revenue generated – you only have a two hour window so you need a setup to maximise your return on investment. The consumer experience has to be key. We think of everything like ATM machines and even mobile phones masts – on New Year’s Eve we brought in another mobile tower because we were conscious of the mobile phone traffic interfering with our card swiping machines,” added Gillespie.

As a small company Tonique has to work in partnership with its suppliers so they will go to MMI or A&E and share their concert portfolio and vision, so together they can achieve the best result. Gillespie said: “They could

allocate budget to support the operations in terms of brand promotion, as well as the tangible assets like the cups, the pumps, the bar, staffing and uniforms.

“We aim to bring all facets together, like the lighting, power, staging, planning, and vending, and meet weekly to ensure all moving variable are addressed and don’t impact on an event. For a good event you need at least two months lead time but the way this city is built it is a reactive market and you constantly get an overlap. Too few venues are over used as organisers squeeze in more and more events to maximise returns.

“As the F&B vendor you also have to get a license and permissions to serve alcohol from the CID and your staff have to be trained in identifying age. The Police also want a breakdown of your security plans. This is before I have managed and facilitated the bars and handpicked my food vendors,” added Gillespie. Tonique tries to avoid the big names like Hardees or KFC and go for smaller independent operators to avoid the same experience at every event. He said: “There are some good entrepreneurs like 1782 and Made in Dubai, and together we create synergies and look for longevity and partnerships. As every organiser charges a flat fee and takes a percentage of sales the smaller vendors can’t afford the fees, which for an F&B vendor can be anything from 20-30% of all your revenue back to the organiser.”

“We work smarter by working together.

So we may do a ticket promotion before the event in store with our food vendors building MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

33

MASS CATERING

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE The DWTC is one of the leading venues in the region and the venue of choice for many large concerts and international artists – from Broadway Musicals, to Bollywood artists, to international pop stars, comedy shows, popular Arabic

on their brand and customer loyalty to get bums on seats. That way we create a marketing strategy of using food and beverage companies to drive marketing and bring more people to the event.”

To ensure consistency in its offering and to keep control of his costs, Gillespie also invests heavily in his own bars, bar equipment and staff. “In investing heavily in assets and people - bars and equipment and warehouses – I’m not spending with scaffolding firms every time.

"I’ve also made a AED500,000 personal investment in bars and branding, so I have 60 lightweight durable bars that allows me to come in to events cheaper. We are the heartbeat of an event and this is one area people always cut corners on.”

Because of the high cost and poor service from casual staff Tonique also invests in training and developing its own team of professionals. “It is very hard to get good people as they are in demand, they charge a premium and they are booked out in advance. We try to bridge the gap with training and education.

Our team is mobilisable and they know their roles and so user experience goes up and we maximise our return.

“We also try to make our events affordable – a price that reflects the market and encourages clients to up-spend. In encouraging bulk buying with discount prices, we up our overall volume even though individual spend is down. The hotel operators charge a huge premium over food and beer to their res-

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taurant prices and people see this and resent spending.

“We aren’t trying to revolutionise the market just work smarter and more efficient.”

While Gillespie has noted a tremendous upsurge in the number and quality of events being routed to Dubai he is still saddened at the lack of true and dedicated concert venue.

“There is no stadium like the o2 and it costs a fortune to build in media city every time, which is crazy and prohibitive to making money. I hear that in 2018 the Dubai Design District is supposed to have new concert venue, but that is too far away.”

Every year Tonique does F&B for the Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, and the Dubai Boat Show and Yacht Dubai, and every time it requires a lead time of at least eight weeks to ensure they can offer the right experience.

“You may have the best acts but if customers can’t get to the bar you are losing money and getting a bad reputation for the service,” he added.

Next month Tonique will open the Cocktail Kitchen, which is a bartender school during the day and a commercial bar by night [see news] in Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai.

“By day it’s a school to train the bartender community, and at night we will ply our craft to customers. And as a showcase of the best we will also bring in guests bar tenders and do cocktails from their part of the world.

"But best of all we will improve the standard of education within the local community and increase our pool of available casual staff.”

RAKESH SINHA, DIRECTORCOMMERCIAL, DWTC

artists and more.

“We have a very credible position in the market with over 30 years of experience in hosting events of any scale, and the variety of indoor venues we can offer throughout the year,” said Rakesh Sinha, director- commercial, DWTC. Coupled with over 148 chefs, DWTC’s ultramodern kitchen, with 3,650m² of working area, allows for full in-house production and has been awarded the highest Dubai Municipality rating every year since opening in 2003, making it one of only a handful of establishments to have achieved that distinction.

As a supplier of food and beverages for concerts, DWTC first engages with the client/organizer, then researches the artist’s background, studies the profile of the event, and then plans the catering requirements, including the layout of the venue, its traffic flow, etc.

“We ensure we to provide efficient service staff, quick turnaround, food is hygienically displayed i.e. wrapped, covered, and food offerings and the pricing are legible from a distance so guests can decide what they want to order before they get to the counter,” said Sinha.

He added: “Concerts represent an important segment for our catering team as the number of events continue

MASS CATERING

to grow year on year. On average we cater for approx. 40 concerts a year with crowd capacities ranging between 1,000 - 10,000 people. For outside catering, we also have the capacity to cater for events with a capacity of 15,000.

“But there are a number of challenges we face, such as the accuracy of guest figures, which cannot be known ahead of time because ticket sales are often last minute, which results in food wastage.

“There is also the issue of the turnover of guests and our ability to be able to serve them in windows of short breaks (in the case of seated concerts).

“We have to manage within a very limited period of time - depending on show schedules and location s, as in a few instances, F&B are not allowed into the show area. On top of that we have to ensure all tailor-made catering requests are met, and that the

SELENA GOMEZ AT DUBAI MUSIC WEEK 2

varying needs and demands of each demographic and age group of attendee is addressed. For each, like DJ Concerts, Broadway Musicals, Bollywood classics, or Kids Shows, the F&B package depends on the crowd – whether it is grab and go, plated, buffet, or sundry items like candy floss and popcorn etc.”

Sinha suggests it takes, on average, 3-4 weeks of planning the catering aspect of an event, although smaller

JEBEL ALI RESORTS & HOTELS J&A Resorts & Hotels has catered to huge concert audiences, in various venues including the Media City Amphitheatre and its own Joumana Beach, where it recently catered to a 10,000+ Holi event concert crowd.

Ralph Hayes, Corporate Director of Hospitality, Events and Restaurants at Jebel Ali Resorts & Hotels, said: “Recently we completed the catering for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Course, which ran for four days with almost 3,000 people being served daily breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea apart from supplying catering for Golfers, Caddies, Marshals, TV Crew and up to another 800-900 people each day.”

He added: “We cater for all sizes of events at various locations within UAE from weddings, conferences, corporate annual parties, birthdays, to private events in residences. You name it and most probably we have done it.”

According to Hayes a lot of discus-

sion takes place during the initial planning stage about the concept, delivery method, delivery time and products to be offered. “We also go through with feedback from previous events and raise the game for the next one,” said Hayes.

For JA Resorts & Hotels the challenges start with satisfying all safety requirements to get the necessary government permissions, followed by the mobilisation of the set up equipment, providing quick service without people queuing up and monitoring alcohol age restrictions.

Hayes said: “Usually we will know of a concert at least before a month and after receiving all required permissions we can plan, organise and set up for concert catering within a week’s time.

“Our F&B offering usually depends on the kind of audience expected at the concert but mostly it will be easy finger food/ comfort food.

events could be done in 1-2 weeks.

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F&B PRODUCTS

PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Catering News ME takes a look at some of the hottest F&B products on the market

La Marzocco Strada

San Marco Instant

The San Marco 100 has a dual temperature control system used as a thermosiphonic circulation system with a pre-infuser and double heater exchange.

The instant version of the San Marco, comes with a micro-switch a continuous grinding function, electronic dose adjustment and with a hopper capacity of 1.2KG.

boncafeme.ae info.bme@boncafeme.ae

boncafeme.ae info.bme@boncafeme.ae

boncafeme.ae info.bme@boncafeme.ae

Bartech C32

VISION

Smart & Master Counters

The C32 automatic mini bar has infrared microswitches and magnetic sensors, with the capacity of 32 product positions available with a big bottle balcony.

VISION can blast freeze up to -40°C and reach up to +40°C humidity with ultrasonic humidification, storage, chocolate crystallisation and holding, thaw and storage.

This range of counters ensure an internal volume with high storage capacity. Drawers are interchangeable and designed to adapt to any space requirements.

bartech.com info@my-bar-tech.com

coldline.it info@coldline.it

coldline.it info@coldline.it

Just Bagels

Just Bagels Manufacturing, Inc create traditional bagels with no added oil, fat, cholesterol, preservatives, artificial colours or flavours. horecatrade.com mail@horecatrade.ae

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San Marco 100

Designed for baristas, the Marzocco hosts mechanical paddle technology allowing progressive control of water pressure with dedicated coffee boilers for each brew-group.

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

Hartley Ranch

Vegware

A true cattle yield, Hartley’s premium Angus beef is verified by DNA testing with no artificial growth hormones or antibiotics, an exceptionally flavoured premium angus beef the traditional way.

For the high volume spraying of medium to thick materials from a much larger container, the high performance volumeSPRAY is able to apply even the most viscous materials- a spray gun for jams, sauces and thick materials.

horeca.com info@horecatrade.ae

chabowskitrading.com info@chabowskitrading.com

F&B PRODUCTS

Trittico

Trittico Executive offers a complete solution for pastry making, chocolate and gelato, whilst combining the unique synergy of ancient experience and craftsmanship in less than 1 sqm. sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

Classe 11

Simple, fast and intuitive technology for the espresso, the Classe 11 by Rancillio Group was revealed at SIAL 2014 for the first time. sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

Stage

Colombus

Gourmet Columbus is 100% pure Arabica coffee, a balanced flavour with a citrusy aroma, which comes from Columbian Arabica coffee beans which are then slowly roasted. sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

Craft Bowls

BABBI

Variegates with BABBI wafers offers a unique wafer texture combined with the smooth cream flavour creating an unforgettable and delicious experience. sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

Optik

Craft bowls embody the beauty of lustrous glazes applied by hand, and celebrate the chance effects and reactions which occur naturally in the kiln.

The curves and lines on Optik square plates move across the piece, creating highlights and shadows, accentuating the form and inviting the user to explore it's tactile surface.

steelite.com mea@steelite.com

steelite.com mea@steelite.com

Kalamata olives

VHK

Stage is a range of wooden serving pieces, designed to provide the perfect platform for the operator to play with the theatre and presentation to the table.

The essential Greek Kalamata olive is deep purple in colour, and extremely robust in form, with a fruity taste, and can be used as tapas, or bar snack.

This stainless steel, 0.9L energy saving, cordless hotel safety kettle features a concealed element, auto-switch off indicator light, and a 360째 antitheft base.

steelite.com mea@steelite.com

pulsarfoodstuff.com info@pulsarfoodstuff.com

www.northmace.com. sales@northmace.com

MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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DÉCOR

A TOUCH OF PERU Dubai’s cultural gateway to the Andes Bringing the Peruvian soul of South America into its cuisine, Coya Dubai is the cultural gateway to the Andes, creating an experience that is multi-dimensional, and truly unique to the dining scene of the UAE. Situated alongside the Four Seasons Hotel on Jumeirah Road in Dubai, this Coya outlet opened in December 2014, joining Coya in London, which as the

has been going through many different changes throughout its history – such as when the Spanish came bringing with them the colonial sense in architecture – so the colour scheme and ceilings in the brassa area are colonial and in the ceviche area it is industrial. We spent a lot of time here to make sure the details were right.

“Our London CEO and the Sagrada

Gedraityte added: “The delay was OK as it gave us a longer soft opening which was good for staff training, and when the packages did arrive it was like Christmas - unwrapping huge boxes of furniture.”

The sumptuously distressed result is quite spectacular. Arriving at the restaurant diners are greeted by a pair of oriental brass tigers guarding the huge dungeonesque doors, behind which sits the

“IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THIS EQUIPMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET THE QUICK TURNAROUND OF COYA’S SERVICE WHILE HAVING THE CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE THE FOOD AND BEVERAGES THAT WILL MEET THE VERY HIGH STANDARDS COYA IS KNOWN FOR” flagship opened in 2012, and Coya in Miami which will open that this month taking the chain to three.

Each of the Coya collection incorporates truly bespoke furnishings, with each piece hand-selected. As with the restaurants in London and Miami, the Dubai outlet was designed by the UK design studio Sagrada, in the style of colonial times meets the industrial times.

Eve Gedraityte, Events & Marketing Manager, explained: “Latin America 38

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

designer spent a month together travelling across Peru, from Lima to the Andes, from village to village, hand picking furniture. Many aspects are authentic, such as the chairs, the candle holders, the sculptures, some of which are over 100 years old, even the entry gates and the reception desk. All were sourced in Peru and shipped to Dubai.”

Naturally, it took time for the furniture to arrive as it got stuck in Dubai customs, pushing back the opening by two weeks.

well-worn but delightfully fun, and truly Peruvian, reception desk.

Diners are then guided through to the Pisco Lounge, a true destination lounge where guests are transported directly to Lima. This enchanting setting is complete with a library of unique Pisco infusions adorning the walls in huge colourful glass jars, bespoke to Coya.

Served in Peru for over 400 years, the infamous Pisco Sour is now a national symbol and is religiously enjoyed

DÉCOR

“IN THE DAY TIME THE SPACE IS VERY LIGHT AND IN THE EVENING IT’S COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED”

throughout the streets of Lima. Its fame grew during the oil bonanza of the 1940s and 50s when renowned Hollywood stars such as Orson Welles, Ava Gardner and John Wayne would sip on Pisco Sours in the notorious Hotel Bolivar in Lima's historic centre.

Nowadays, Pisco is a world-renowned Peruvian trophy and has accompanied the food trend that has quickly spread around the globe, and now Dubai.

Once refreshed diners are welcomed

through to the open plan restaurant, which sits on two levels. The open plan element is a signature of Head Chef Sanjay Dwivedi – and acts as the culinary centrepiece of the restaurant.

On the ground level you have the open Ceviche kitchens, while the raised brassa area overlooks the open charcoal grill. Gedraityte described the restaurant atmosphere: “We say it’s fun and classy it’s not formal but it’s not very casual either. The interior is quite fun not strict.”

“In the day time the space is very light and in the evening it’s completely transformed. At night it’s very intimate because of the colour scheme and low lighting,” added Gedraityte.

Hanging to one side of the Ceviche bar are a collection of traditional botija mud containers, which have been used in Peru since the 1800’s to store Pisco underground for several months until it matures. Unfortunately, these were too fragile and bulky to ship to MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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DÉCOR

Dubai, so the designers had them made locally to exacting Peruvians standards.

With the open ceviche kitchen and bar, the open grill and the main kitchen the cooking area is the same amount of space as the restaurant floor. Fitted out

by Dubai-based TSSC (Technical Supplies & Services Company), the kitchen equipment chosen by Coya was high quality, efficient and robust products.

Rashid Bahar, Business Development Manager, TSSC, said: “It was important that this equipment would be able to meet the quick turnaround of Coya’s service while having the capability to produce the food and beverages that will meet the very high standards Coya is known for in London which has a

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long list of discerning guests.”

The charcoal grill area uses a Robata Grill, which was handcrafted to meet the requirements of the menu. Bahar added: “This went all the way down to the detail of the grills that were fitted above the charcoal pit. It was re-engineered a few times to ensure that the Executive Chef was happy with the end result.” In addition, a JOSPER was also included in the design.”

With a dual oven-grill function, the JOSPER is two machines in one. Its high operating temperature (300˚C to 350˚C) allows you to grill and roast, preventing the product from baking, it is 35% faster than an open grill, and its higher grilling quality adds the unique

flavour of the finest embers, and a unique texture and juiciness.

Refrigeration was also very important for Coya to serve their high quality cold selections on their menu, such as the ceviche. Bahar said: “They insisted on high end refrigeration equipment that has a proven track record. For example, the Precision Refrigeration installed comes with a large temperature display so that the chefs can monitor its performance from anywhere in the room.”

With regards to the bar and lounge, Coya has a large list of beverages, including its large selection of pisco infusions, that require plenty of cold storage areas, such as refrigerated drawer cabinets below the cocktail stations.

Coya also needed specialty equipment such as thermal circulators, which allows for food to come out unbelievably tender, and vacuum packing machines with automatic label printers to ensure that whenever something is packed for refrigeration, it has a production and expiry date on it.

Bahar added: “The operators did not stop there, they were even choosy on the type of coffee machine used. They wanted to ensure consistency with every cup of coffee produced with regards to temperature, ratios and milk foam required. Many people forget how important a quality coffee machine is for their restaurant despite the fact that a coffee is the last thing a customer tastes before walking away from a restaurant.”

Finally, the Foodservice Consultant

DÉCOR

CKP (Creative Kitchen Planners International) who designed the Coya kitchens and bars ensured that the layouts met HACCP requirements which is very important for Dubai

CateringNews-March2015-FINAL.indd 1

Municipality Food Control Department. This includes floor plinths for the foodservice equipment which has obvious hygiene benefits. “And last but not least, CKP did what they

do best and are renowned for – they made every area sexy but functional,” added Bahar.

“TSSC works well with CKP as we know their standards."

2/24/15 10:29 AM MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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CASE STUDY

WHITE GOLD For centuries the Bedouins held the secret of the desert’s white gold, until one pioneering firm commercialised camel milking, bring the delicious and nutritious beverage to the world, as Catering News ME discovered Over 25 years ago, the idea of a camelmilking facility was born at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) in Dubai. Research commenced on a small number of camels that were raised there with the specific aim of obtaining scientific proof of the incredible health benefits of the traditional Bedouin staple that is camel milk. The goal was to later introduce camel milk to the market where it would be accessible to a large number of consumers and not limited to the few camel herders in the country.

After the completion of the research in 2003, Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products (EICMP) was born. By 2006, the milk production facility was completed and the first camel milk products hit the market in August of the same year.

The EICMP facility, housed within the camel farm along the Al-Ain road in Dubai’s desert, is unmatched – it is the world's first sophisticated camel milk42

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

ing plant, incorporating state-of-the-art technology and camel research. Special equipment for milking camels has been developed to optimise milk production and increase the comfort of the camels during the procedure. There is an ongoing programme of selective breeding and embryo transfer to produce the very best breed of milking camels, and the camels are treated like queens.

Mutasher Al Badry, BDM & Deputy General Manager of EICMP, said: “We treat the camels very well, ensuring they are always happy, because if a camel is upset she will retain her milk. Camels are very emotional so all our staff are trained to treat them well – they are probably the happiest camels in the world.

“To keep them happy we give them only natural feed of alfalfa hay, wheat bran and Rhodes grass. Early every morning all the camels walk the 4.5km track around the farm, with their young,

after milking. In fact, a mother and her calf must be kept within talking distance for up to a year, or again she will not give milk. Our camels even get shampooed every 2 weeks,” he added.

Today, the UAE production facility incorporates the latest technologies and meets the most stringent regulations set

by Dubai Municipality, the EU, and various global organisations responsible for food safety and hygiene.

As the pioneer in the camel milk industry the EICMP, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Water, was the first camel milk production facility listed in the Middle East to receive EU Commission approval to export its products to the Euro zone in 2013. Also, the export permit to Malaysia was granted the same year, and the Jakim Malaysian Halal certificate was eventually granted in the summer 2014.

CASE STUDY

CAMEL MILK BENEFITS HEALTH Approx. 50% lower than cow’s milk fat content Contains unsaturated fatty acids, which are healthy fats with a higher percentage than exists in cow’s milk Healthy fats helps reducing cholesterol to aid healthy cardio-vascular functioning.

3-5 times higher in natural vitamin C than cow’s milk Boosts overall immune system

BEAUTY Contains lanolin and other natural skin moisturising properties

WELLBEING There are no known allergies to camel milk, as opposed to common allergies to cow’s milk.

Camel milk is closest in composition to human milk, therefore, more beneficial to babies.

Camel milk can be substituted in cooking and baking wherever cow milk has been used, with more benefits to the health of the whole family.

.

Research shows that camel milk has beneficial properties on treating psoriasis patients, by both ingestion and topical application Naturally occurring anti-aging properties – Elastin, vitamin C and lanolin; can be used topically in creams, soaps and baths.

Good for healthy bones, nails, hair, teeth and skin due to calcium, other minerals & vitamins.

Bedouins traditionally used camel fat and milk as sun protection.

Low fat, but calcium rich camel milk ideal for pregnant women to promote healthy foetal growth Some recent studies suggest that camel milk has a positive effect on Diabetes II patients Research currently in progress investigating positive benefits to patients with hepatitis, autoimmune diseases, Crone’s disease, Autism and Rheumatism.

People with lactose intolerance might digest camel milk easier than cow’s milk.

Camel milk is naturally pro-biotic and assists healthy bacteria growth within the gut.

MARCH 2015 CATERING NEWS ME

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CASE STUDY

“WE TREAT THE CAMELS VERY WELL, ENSURING THEY ARE ALWAYS HAPPY, BECAUSE IF A CAMEL IS UPSET SHE WILL RETAIN HER MILK” Commenting on the export permits, Al Badry said: “Those certifications shows the tremendous potential of our industry and it opens the door to future growth in the Malaysian and other Muslim economies around the world.

“This achievement also reflects the advancement of our products in quality and natural purity, matching highest standards in food production and fulfilling the stringent halal regulations of the Malaysian authorities. Receiving the halal certification for such an important market as Malaysia also underlines the increasing awareness for camel milk products globally,” he continued.

“We are certain that with our camel milk products we can make a significant contribution to the global halal food sector. This sector is of great importance for us, as a lot of Muslim consumers are already aware of the virtues of camel milk. We are excited and very optimistic about the potential of camel milk on the international markets and Muslim economies and we are looking forward to what the future holds for us,” Al Badry added.

EICMP now has a herd of about 4,200+ camels producing life-enriching “Camelicious” camel milk, with 70% sold as fresh milk, 10% invested in powder making and the remaining 20% going into flavoured milks, Laban and cheese making.

The milk is available in plain and four flavoured varieties - strawberry, dates, saffron, and chocolate, and research continues to develop even more flavours and products.

Since 2013, the product range includes 44

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

three types of cheeses – white cheese, akowy cheese and nabullsi (black seeds), two labneh and ghee, with butter production anticipated within the next four months, according to Al Badry.

The company also produces milk powder and whey powder and it launched a range of ice cream at the Gulfood 2015 exhibition. So far the ice cream is only available in catering packs, but Al Badry says the retail products are expected in 5-6 months’ time. The current range of flavours are Saffron, Cardoman, Baklava, Arabic Coffee - with caffeine, and Dates and Strawberry - made with real fruits.

Trials are ongoing to produce yoghurt and UHT milk, and there is even research into a skin cream and a hair shampoo. Al Badry said: “The camel milk contains lanolin [a natural moisturiser with powerful emollient and protective properties] in it, so we will launch the shampoo first, shortly, and then a cream in the summer. We have signed an agreement for the machinery, which will arrive in 1-2 months, and then we will start commissioning in three months’ time.

“We are also developing an anti-acne cream with a Jordanian pharmaceutical company, which is already selling well in the US,” he added.

The benefits of camel milk are numerous, just ask Al Badry: “I start every day with half a litre of camel milk and two spoons of honey.” Furthermore, along with dates, camel milk formed the indispensable diet of Bedouins. It is rich in vitamins, naturally low in fat, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and has three to five times more vitamin C as cow milk. It

also boosts the immunity system and is easily digestible due to the fact it doesn’t curdle in acidic environments such as the stomach.

Some reports say that even some lactose intolerant people can enjoy camel milk. The high content of lactoferrin gives this exceptional milk anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, and there are no known allergens, so the milk has the closet composition to human milk for babies.

To date, the local and international demand for camel milk products is higher than the supply, but EICMP is determined to grow production and to build a strong and sustainable camel milk industry in the UAE as the leading country worldwide.

Camelicious dairy products are currently sold in the UAE and exported to London, Manchester, Holland, Austria, Malaysia, Kuwait and Jordan. In addition there is a lot of interest from Australia, US and Canada but first an FDA is required for the US. The level of exports are not a huge quantity but the company is at the stage of creating awareness about the benefits of camel milk.

“With demand much higher than our supply, selling hundreds of litres to each market, we have to impose quotas now,” added Al Badry.

On average a cow will produces 40 litres per day of milk, but a good camel will only produce 7 litres per day. Of the, approximately, 4,200 camels around 30% are milk producing – creating around 5,000 litres per day. Camel milk production is seasonal, and opposed to the bovine milking season, with low season in winter and high season in summer when milk production can reach

CASE STUDY

8,000 litres day. The producer is looking to more than double its herd, targeting to get 10,000 camels within the next two years.

After the milking of the camels the milk is cooled down and directly transferred to a stateof-the-art processing plant. Here the camel milk is first checked by an onsite laboratory and once cleared, the milk is pasteurised at 75 degrees C for 16 seconds and homogenized.

“The machines we use are from Denmark and are quite similar to the ones used in cow’s milk dairy plants.

“We also have over 600 workers on site, including vets, quality control, and breeders,” added Al Badry.

After pasteurisation and homogenisation, the milk is either filled into bottles as fresh milk or mixed with natural ingredients to create flavoured options. Al Badry said: “The raw ingredients for all our flavored milks are imported from UK, US, Denmark, Netherlands and France.”

The company has just undergone a rebranding exercise, which it was happy to showcase at Gulfood. The new logo, in a beautiful arrangement of purple and gold reflects the rich heritage of the company and the UAE, as AlBadry explained: “Our new identity shows our heritage elements – the camel, the palm, the word Dubai in Arabic, the dhow, the falcon, the coffee pot, and the wind tower, and we are very proud of it.”

Going forward the company is looking to franchise its operations and brand globally.

“Many countries have camels but don’t know what to do with them. So we are developing the concept to franchise including breeding system, processing system, quality control and R&D under the Camelicious brand, and so far we have received a lot of interest from Tunisia and Kazakhstan.

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TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION

VIEWPOINT

Michael Kitts, director of culinary arts at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, talks through some the fundamental training elements for the next generation of culinary scholars In the early seventies I embarked on my culinary journey with a

three year full time City & Guilds chef's course, in the UK. As with many of my fellow students, at the time I did not realise how lucky I was, because the training education that we got was sec-

ond to none. Everything that we did in those days was extremely

methodical and thorough, the reason being, the quality of the instructors and chefs who were teaching us took a huge amount of pride in what they were doing.

CHANGING TIMES

Like many other European countries ‘day release’ seemed to be

the preferred option for training and college involvement, which in my opinion is only as good as the hotel or the people being as-

signed to train and teach. Like many other ‘seasoned’ chefs (which sounds better than old codgers), I firmly believe in the principal of ‘learn the basics’ and the rest will follow.

THE FUTURE GENERATION OF CHEFS

With Dubai and the UAE having such a bustling F&B offering, it is

so important to have the right college, expertise and experience to continue a successful career in this competitive field.

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STEPS TO A CATERING CAREER:

• Research the institution you are planning to enroll; many colleges/universities have specialisations in certain areas

• Always ask plenty of questions, that’s why you’re at college • Set yourself goals, even in the early days of your career • Work at being a team-player, it’s the only way it works in a kitchen

• Don’t cut corners, if a jobs worth doing, do it properly • Be open-minded and take constructive criticism as it is intended • Try to be involved with extra functions/work that might occur whilst you are studying

• Take pride in your appearance and time-keeping • If you’re ever in a practical situation, look at what’s going on around you

• Lastly, make sure you have a sense of humour…you’ll need it!

VIEWPOINT

Noor Trade, a dedicated banking division solely geared towards helping small to medium sized (SME) companies, will be the official banking partner of Dubai World Central, as the first bank to open within the freezone, the home to Expo 2020, when it opens its doors in Q2, 2015.

Exhibiting for the first time last month, Noor Trade was the official banking partner of Gulfood, and over the course of the five day exhibition it received tremendous interest from a wide range of companies, across the hospitality supply chain, of varying size and experience, from across the region and abroad.

Usman Khakwani, head of Business Banking at Noor Trade, said: “Predominantly banks are thinking that SME needs sit either under corporate banking or retail and both are very separate – very few have a dedicated focus on SMEs, which sets us apart.”

“There are a variety of needs and requirements specific to SMEs, and we look at the entire process from front end to the back, and we align people who think SME and understand their needs and deliver what they need.”

Noor Trade has a goal of financing AED 5 billion in SMEs up until 2017, and the bank is well on its way to doing that, having doubled its customer base over the last year.

“By aligning all of our services and our products directly to SMEs, and creating two distinct units for start-ups and those requiring ongoing change, we are getting a lot of positive feedback from our customers.”

The two distinct units are business banking and merging corporates. The first looks at turnover from AED2m to AED75m and merging corporates goes up to AED350m, with anything exceeded this passed on to colleagues in the corporate bank.

Noor Trade also has dedicated business centres in areas suited to SMEs. Khakwani said: “We started in Dubai with two – in Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and in Deira in Al Nassar Square – and we have just opened our third next to Noor Bank metro station on Sheikh Zayed Road. We are looking at adding two more, one in Dubai World Central headquarters, as the freezones first bank within the next four months, and one in Bur Dhabi.”

He added: “The key is that we have experts in each branch who know the financing requirements of SMEs – they speak and understand their language and will find optimum solutions to their needs.

“In addition we have got a robust sales team that goes out to clients, an online platform for online banking, and a 24/7 call centre as many clients are busy during the day."

In today’s globalised business environment, it has become more important than ever for businesses to stay competitive and relevant, so Noor Trade will optimise your company’s working capital cycle by bringing in efficiencies across the entire financial supply chain. “Rather than being a onestop-shop we are customer centric and customer focused on relationships, we want to hold hands and grow together along the path.”

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NOOR TRADE EXTENDS A HAND TO HOSPITALITY SMES Usman Khakwani, head of Business Banking at Noor Trade, tells Catering News ME how the newly established banking division is dedicated to guiding SMEs hand-in-hand towards mutual growth and success

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FOOD FOCUS

MEAT MATTERS When it comes to a healthy nutritional diet meat is an important part of a human diet. Despite the negative reports and false health claims, we have been designed by evolution to eat meat and other animal foods. So forget the myths and get the facts with our Nutrition Guide

In the past few decades, meat has been blamed for all sorts of Western diseases. But we’ve been eating meat for a long time and blaming new health problems on old foods doesn’t make much sense.

The truth is… unprocessed, naturally fed meat is extremely healthy. Our digestive systems are well equipped to make full use of the healthy fats, proteins and nutrients found in animal foods and there are no proven health benefits to avoiding meat.

Despite false reports, meat doesn’t actually raise your risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, and there is only a very weak correlation with cancer, which may be due to overcooking, not the meat itself.

In fact, high quality, unprocessed meat is among the most nutritious foods in the world. Not only does it contain high quality protein, which is crucial for the function of muscles and bones, but meat tastes incredibly good too.

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Catering News ME spoke to two key meat promoters, both exhibitors at Gulfood 2015, to get their view on all meat matters.

In defence of meat, Robert Serapiglia, director, Business Development and Innovation with Canada Beef Inc., pointed to eight randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that have demonstrated that lean red meat, such as beef, is as effective as lean white meat, such as poultry and fish, as part of healthy diets for managing blood cholesterol levels.

Serapiglia added: “The most recent study, ‘Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD)’, led by distinguished researcher Penny KrisEtherton, found that heart healthy diets that include lean beef as the primary protein are as effective in lowering total and LDL cholesterol as the DASH diet that emphasises white meat and plant protein – which is recognised as a “gold standard” for heart health.

“In fact, fresh red meat contributes only 8% of total fat and 9.5% of saturated fat on aver-

age for adults, and a Food Guide serving of 75g of beef, cooked and trimmed of visible fat, has just 170 calories, 6.3g total fat and 2.6g saturated fat.

“So the Recommended Dietary Allowance for adult protein intakes, 0.8 g/kg/day, significantly underestimates requirements by as much as 50%.”

Furthermore, the largest worldwide review of the research, by the Harvard School of Public Health, found that eating 100g of unprocessed red meat a day was not linked to heart disease. Contrary to the critics, higher protein intakes, within the recommended range, may help increase satiety, reduce hunger and lower energy intakes.

RCTs have demonstrated that replacing some carbohydrates with protein may improve a number of cardiovascular risk factors, for example by lowering blood pressure and improving glycemic control and blood triglyceride levels.

FOOD FOCUS

CANADA BEEF INC.

With over 300 years of animal production experience, Canada Beef has been supplying beef to the GCC for 5-6 years and, with the launch of its first branded program two years ago, the meat is available today in Galeries Lafayette.

The Canadian industry is firmly committed to building on these partnerships and historically about half of its production has been exported to more than 100 countries around the world.

Serapiglia said: “The internationally recognised livestock genetics, grain feeding protocols and strict national grading standards have created beef products with outstanding eating quality and cut ability.

“Canada’s cooler weather allows the extensive utilisation of Bos Taurus type genetics, including breeds such as Angus, Charolais, Hereford, Simmental and Limousin, which are known to produce high-quality, tender beef on a consistent basis.”

With food safety a top priority, Canada has implemented a mandatory National Livestock Tracking System, (CLTS), comprehensive National Animal Health Program and all Canadian beef exported is produced by HACCP registered facilities.

MEAT PROMOTION WALES

Wales in the United Kingdom has 9 million sheep and only 3 million people, so only 5% of meat production is consumed in Wales, with 65% consumed in the rest of the UK and 30% exported.

Although Welsh meat is currently exported to all four continents globally, its biggest

markets are in France, followed by Scandinavia. While the Middle East is an important market, it is generally for the more expensive non-halal cuts of beef and lamb and the demand is driven by the hospitality sector.

Nevertheless, the UAE is currently the biggest importer of Welsh meat in the MENA region, although the promotion board expects to gain more access to markets in Saudi Arabia later this year.

Meat produced in Wales now has its own categorisation, since the establishment of the Protected Geographical Indication brand.

10 REASONS TO LOVE BEEF

1. A nutriontional powerhouse, with 14 essential nutirents plus energy

2. An excellent source of high

quality protein for muscle growth and repair

3. A lean choice with a fat content similar to skinless chicken and fish

4. One of the best sources of iron The Welsh meat promotion board has been actively highlighting this new brand thanks to a new European Union grant it received to promote awareness of Welsh meat in Italy, Sweden and Denmark.

The grant builds on the success of a grant issued last year for brand awareness promotion in France, Germany and the UK. Alex James, Export Market Development Officer, said: “The protection of geographical indications matters economically and culturally. They can create value for local communities through products that are deeply rooted in tradition, culture and geography.

"They support rural development and promote new job opportunities in production, processing and other related services.

“Over the years European countries have taken the lead in identifying and protecting their geographical indications, for example: Cognac, Roquefort cheese, Sherry, Parmigiano Reggiano, Teruel and Parma hams, Tuscany olives, Budějovické pivo, and Budapesti téliszalámi… and now Welsh Meat.”

5. Packed with B Vitamins for energy and brain function

6. Excellent source of zinc to support the immune system

7. A colorie-wise protein-rich

choice for achieving a healthy weight

8. Part of a heart healthy diet to manage cholesterol

9. Real food, recommended as

part of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

10. Flavour and satisfaction for the whole family

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INTERVIEW

TURNING UP THE IN HIS SPICE MARKET

HEAT

Critically acclaimed UK Chef and Restaurateur Peter Lloyd brings his Southeast Asian cooking styles to Abu Dhabi for one month only

PETER LLOYD, CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR

Spice Market London’s head chef, Peter Lloyd, is showcasing a tasting menu from the global Southeast Asian restaurant at Market Kitchen in Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi for one month during the Abu Dhabi Food Festival.

The special programme gives restaurant guests a unique opportunity to sample some of the iconic brand’s wonderful cuisine, bringing the ‘street food’ that Jean-Georges Vongerichten (the culinary whizz behind the Spice Market and Market Kitchen brands) enjoyed while travelling in Southeast Asia to food connoisseurs in Abu Dhabi.

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Peter Lloyd, 37, is a formidable cooking talent. With a host of prestigious roles under his belt, he has held senior positions in some of London’s most demanding kitchens. Peter’s life-long love of food has always remained firmly at the heart of his career.

His genuine commitment to sourcing and using the best quality ingredients has won him both critical and public acclaim enabling him to be part of some of the most talented kitchen brigades in the country.

Peter joined Spice Market in November 2011 as executive chef, responsible for all food operations across the restaurant and the W London.

Extremely well versed in Thai, Malaysian, British, and French cuisines, Peter consistently delivers the signature dishes on which Spice Market has built its reputation.

He has carved an envious path in the culinary world having been a ommis Chef at the House of Commons and being selected to join a team cooking for H.M the Queen and members of the Royal Family, alongside the King and Queen of Malaysia.

He has also worked a stint with Charlie Trotter in Chicago as well as completing stages with the likes of Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsey, Pierre Koffman and Phillip Howard.

Peter has appeared on Masterchef on numerous occasions and also opened

and ran cooking masterclasses for children. Before joining Spice Market, Peter held the position of executive chef at The Sanderson, renowned for its quality, luxury and first class service. He quickly discovered a passion for Asian cooking, making his mark overseeing Suka – the hotel’s Malaysian restaurant.

Catering News Middle East met up with Peter Lloyd at the launch of his Spice Market takeover in Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi and gave him a true grilling. This is what he served up…

When did your interest in food begin and what inspired you?

When I grew up, my upbringing was very simple. So when I was introduced to so many varieties of ingredients and flavours, it really gave me the passion to continue my culinary career. I’d say my real interest in food began when I was 17 years old, and by the time I had turned 19 years old I had joined the 5-star Dorchester Hotel in London’s Park Lane.

What makes you stand out as a chef – what is your USP? The fact that I’m a Western Chef cooking authentic Southeast Asian Street Food cuisine is really something that makes me standout. Also, I’ve personally travelled the region extensively, so I have first-hand knowledge of the style and cuisine.

INTERVIEW

BLACK PEPPER SHRIMP, SUN DRIED PINEAPPLE, JICAMA

“THE UAE MARKET WOULD RESPOND INCREDIBLY WELL TO THE FLAVOURS THAT SPICE MARKET HAS TO OFFER”

What makes you stand out as a chef – what is your USP? The fact that I’m a Western Chef cooking authentic Southeast Asian Street Food cuisine is really something that makes me standout. Also, I’ve personally travelled the regional extensively, so I have first-hand knowledge of the style and cuisine.

What is the key to the success of the Spice Market globally?

The concept is so timeless and iconic internationally that I’m confident the culinary scene here will embrace the most popular dishes on our menus. The flavours are really addictive, once you try the food you always want to come back.

The food itself derives its inspiration from the Southeast Asian street food culture and provides piquant elevations of the region’s cuisine served in a casual

and family-style type of dining – food comes continuously throughout the meal and is placed at the centre of table for all to share. With each new dish, patrons are transported to the idealisation of a Vietnamese street market or a Thai food stall. Regional sauces, curries and spices anchor the flavours on the menu.

There will be ten flavours, starting with Black Pepper Shrimps to Ovaltine Kulfi and a whole world of Asian flavours in between.

Is the UAE a market you could see the Spice Market opening in permanently?

The UAE market is absolutely calling out for a concept like Spice Market. It’s really captured the imagination of Doha in Qatar. The UAE market would respond incredibly well to the flavours that Spice Market has to offer.

Are you a seasonal chef?

Absolutely, and the wonderful thing about Southeast Asian cuisine is that it’s amenable to seasonal change with the types of products and ingredients available.

What do you believe is most important locally sourced or organic?

Locally sourced. Culinary Concept’s guiding philosophy is 'Local in Content.

Global in Reach'. We adapt all of our menus globally to the destination.

How do you source your ingredients globally?

Sometimes it can be challenging, but it’s integral to work closely with your vendors so they can fully understand your menu needs to assist with delivering the best quality produce. In particular with Asian food, they have varied grades of

SPICE MARKET TASTING MENU THE NEW SPICE MARKET TASTING MENU WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH MARCH 16 FOR LUNCH FROM NOON TO 4PM AND FOR DINNER FROM 7PM. DH265 PER PERSON. MARKET KITCHEN’S REGULAR MENU WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE. FOR RESERVATIONS. CALL 02 695 0300 OR VISIT WWW.MARKETKITCHENABUDHABI.COM.

SHAVED YELLOWFIN TUNA, COCONUT LIME BROTH

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INTERVIEW

Southeast Asia has such a variety of influences and cultures to derive new ideas and recipes from.

CHAR-GRILLED CHICKEN, KUMQUAT LEMONGRASS DRESSING

OVALTINE KULFI, CARMALIZED BANANA, SPICED MILK CHOCOLATE SAUCE

CHILI RUBBED BEEF SATAY, THAI BASIL AND LIME

product so it’s imperative with a concept like Spice Market and MARKET Kitchen to receive the best quality ingredients available and deliver the best experience for our guests.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten developed the concept for Spice Market: what involvement does he have in the kitchen and menus today?

The global sensation created by JeanGeorges Vongeritchten and Phil Suarez in 2004 that transformed the dining scene internationally is a phenomenon in itself.

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There are classic dishes that have been on the menus for more than 10 years— they’re so popular we can’t take them off! The décor or atmosphere of a Spice Market is like no other restaurant in the world. What we produce every day for our guests translates perfectly the spirit of Jean-Georges’ classic greatest hits.

How do you stay ahead of the competition in terms of learning new techniques and identifying trends?

Travel is key. Always looking for new inspirations and I’m very fortunate that

What was behind the raw food concept and is this something you see lasting?

Another Culinary Concept’s philosophy is truly allowing ingredients to speak for themselves. Simple and fresh product makes an impact on the diner’s palate.

The raw section of the menu is to showcase the highest quality proteins and to provide a healthy option as well. I see the trend having quite a bit of staying power.

How do you cater for the ever increasing food allergies and calls for free from food and label transparency?

At Spice Market we have an array of options for all dining habits: vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc.

There are dishes on our menu that cater to those needs. Also, the Thai dishes in particular use rice flour so it accommodates many allergies.

What do you believe will be the next big thing in international cuisine?

The food truck craze is happening all over the world including Hollywood with the new movie “Chef”.

For me the food scene is always evolving whether it be nouvelle cuisine in the 80’s or molecular cuisine in the 2000’s.

This decade is definitely the time of not just the food truck, but a more casual style of dining.

I’m a huge fan as it’s a much more social way of eating with friends and family, especial the sharing concept, something I believe Spice Market was there right at the beginning over 10 years ago.

What is your signature dish?

Spice Market has many greatest hit signature dishes which diners return for time after time the Black Pepper Shrimp with Sundried Pineapple, the Kumquat Chicken and the Malaysian Cod are right up there. My personal favourite is the Black Pepper Shrimp, it demonstrates the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, salty and sour. All of the above dishes will feature on my tasting menu her at Market Kitchen.

MEET THE SUPPLIER

RATIONAL INTERNATIONAL AG Simon Parke-Davis, chief representative for RATIONAL International Middle East, discusses the company’s promise in delivering tailor made kitchen solutions to their clients

RECENT

PROJECTS

Could you provide a description of your company?

RATIONAL was founded in 1973 from Siegfried Meister as a company for producing and selling hot air units in Germany. In 1976, RATIONAL invented the first combi-steamer, which fundamentally changed the way large-scale and professional kitchens operate. Today more than 600.000 RATIONAL combi-steamers are in use worldwide. This means practically every second unit installed is made by RATIONAL. Approximately 120 million meals are produced with RATIONAL units every day.

CLIENT LIST

ATLANTIS, THE PALM KCAL HEALTHY FAST FOOD THE BURJ AL ARAB, DUBAI MEYDAN RACECOURSE What products did you exhibit at this year’s Gulfood?

We participated in a live cooking show at Gulfood, exhibiting the performance of the new SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses, giving our clients the chance to engage and view the operational side of our equipment.

What does your company offer that other suppliers in your field do not?

The RATIONAL primary objective is to offer maximum possible benefits to people who prepare hot food in large-scale and commercial kitchens. This clear selfimage is the basis of a success story that dates back over 40 years.

Regular innovation has guaranteed RATIONAL’s leading position by far in terms of technology and market share.

Rapid growth has increased its share of the world market to 54%.

What is the most popular product supplied to the industry?

The SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses, has succeeded in making significant improvements in the interplay between the chef and his kitchen technology. Using sophisticated sensors, the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses, senses the current cooking chamber conditions and the consistency of the food.

It recognises the size, load quantity and condition of the products and calculates the appropriate browning by itself.

It thinks ahead by determining the ideal cooking path to the desired result, i.e. the manner in which a product must be cooked, during the cooking process itself.

It learns which cooking habits are preferred and implements them. It also communicates with the chef and continually shows him what it is doing to implement his specifications.

THE FOUR SEASONS, DUBAI NUSRET COYA RESTAURANT

What products and services do you provide to the catering industry?

With the launch of the new SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses RATIONAL has set another milestone in the development of thermal cooking appliances. The SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses replaces almost all the appliances traditionally found in a professional kitchen. It can grill, steam, gratinate, bake, rise, roast, braise, simmer, stew, poach or blanche. The unit independently determines, controls and monitors the optimum cooking process – just by the push of a button. It is the first cooking system with five senses, the 5 Senses thinks with the chef.

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MARKETPLACE

THE HOT OVEN DEBATE

In a bid to bring you the latest trends in kitchen procurement and specification Catering News ME spoke to several of the top oven suppliers to find out what is hot and what is not in today’s oven marketplace.

MKN “THE COMPREHENSIVE MKN PRODUCT PORTFOLIO MEETS THE HIGHEST REQUIREMENTS AND QUALITY STANDARDS” ELIAS RACHED, REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF SALES MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

Innovative and user oriented features are very important in today’s oven design, according to Elias Rached, regional director of sales Middle East & Africa “The MKN combi steamers FlexiCombi and SpaceCombi are as easy to use as a smartphone. With touch and slide gestures, all functions can be controlled intuitively and easily,” said Rached.

He added: “For example the feature BarcodeScan makes it possible to start a cooking process automatically just through a scan. The VideoAssist clips give you the virtual chef inclusive. Just with one touch.

“Energy efficiency also is very important. The MKN combis are therefore optimised in terms of energy and water consumption and display the consumption automatically after every

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cooking process.” With almost 70 years of experience and competence, MKN is a German specialist for thermal premium cooking technology.

As a strong, mid-sized company, MKN is still family-owned. Its headquarters are located in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, where it employs around 500 experienced specialists to develop and produce firstclass professional cooking technology.

Rached added: “Whether modern combi steamer technology, modular series appliances, customized KÜCHENMEISTER cooking blocks or the MKN innovation FlexiChef, the comprehensive MKN product portfolio meets the highest requirements and quality standards."

MKN is certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

MKN is growing worldwide, and today its most important and fastest growing markets are in Western Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Although all equipment, including its ovens, is manufactured in its headquarters in Germany, the company notes no notable issue in the logistics to the GCC, and the company is certified in SASO for KSA and Africa.

The latest MKN innovation is the small combi steamer SpaceCombi. Rached said: “Many professional chefs appreciate the multi-functionality and user friendliness of a modern combi steamer. However, some of them don’t have sufficient room in their kitchen or they need their combi steamers situated suitably for front cooking and at serving stations, where every centimetre counts. With the space

saving SpaceCombi models, MKN offers a professional solution which is specially geared to these conditions.”

The SpaceCombi is only 55 cm wide, yet still comparably equipped to larger models. “The state-of-the-art MagicPilot touch and slide operating concept with information steps and favourites function, the automatic cleaning system WaveClean, and the consumption display GreenInside, are just a few examples of the user-oriented features that make the SpaceCombi a high performance professional appliance.

In addition, despite its slim width, it offers astounding capacity: 6 x 1/1GN in SpaceCombi Compact and 6 x 2/3 GN in SpaceCombi Junior,” said Rached.

Going forward, Rached believes the focus in procurements will be on time and energy efficient appliances.

MARKETPLACE

MANITOWOC FOODSERVICE

“THE EASE OF USE FOR COOKING AND CLEANING, COUPLED WITH PRICE TEND TO CONTROL THE SPECIFICATION IN TODAY’S MARKET”

For Manitowoc the most important consideration in a kitchen today is “making an oven’s operation more efficient and easier to use for lesser-trained operators”.

Jean-Paul Roudier, vice president sales Emerging Markets, Manitowoc Foodservice, said: “Our example of a smart controller is the Manitowoc easyTouch control panel, which can currently be found on models from the Convotherm and Merrychef brands.

“The ease of use for cooking and cleaning, coupled with price tend to control the specification in today’s market, followed by the need for smaller footprint models and efficiencies in power and water,” according to Roudier.

What makes Manitowoc stand out in the market is its ability to fully support its product range via the Manitowoc Dubai office and fully trained partners in the MEA region.

Today, Manitowoc manufactures its Garland, Convotherm and Merrychef ovens in the USA, Germany and the UK respectively, and its largest sales market is North America, “although the demands don’t change wherever you are in the world,” added Roudier.

“Logistical issues revolve around the orders being placed in sufficient time frames. For all manufacturers we need a minimum of 4-6 weeks to get the products to the client, not only because of shipping, but also for customs clearance,” he added.

The latest innovation from Manitowoc is the new Convotherm 4 range of ovens, which recently won the Gulfood 2015 Equipment Innovation Award.

The Convotherm 4 models boast perfect cooking results, low energy consumption and an award winning functional

design which has been based on detailed research and intensive discussions with chefs worldwide.

The design is consistent across the entire product line of Convotherm 4 combi steamers, which includes seven sizes of units, each with four basic models with a choice of two concepts, easyDial and easyTouch. Roudier said: “The result is a combination of functional versatility and consistent design that is revolutionary in this product category.”

Speaking of the latest award win for the Convotherm 4 range, Roudier said: “We are thrilled with the continued success of our products, and it is fantastic that the new Convotherm 4 range has been recognised once again by the industry, this is our sixth award. We are delighted to have won the prestigious accolade of Best New Food Service Innovation Award.

“Investment in new product development and innovation are extremely important, and it is great that the Convotherm 4 range continues to be rewarded for delighting thousands of chefs that use our ovens on a daily basis, across the

globe. The win is a great way for us to celebrate our time in Dubai at the world’s largest hospitality show.”

Roudier believes that the current requirements will remain the demands of the future – ease of use, operational efficiency, less power and water demands, size and price. “These factors will never change; it’s just down to the factories to intelligently make it happen,” he added.

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MARKETPLACE

ALTO-SHAAM “BECAUSE WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN OUR CUSTOMERS SUCCEED, WE ARE CONSTANTLY RESEARCHING OUR CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN ORDER TO FIND WAYS TO ENHANCE THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT”

MARK KREPLE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTINTERNATIONAL SALES

According to Mark Kreple, senior vice president-international sales, for Alto-Shaam, everybody wants to do more with less, in every industry, including catering companies. “Features that make it easier to operate and clean ovens, such as touchscreens, programmable recipes, and automatic cleaning cycles will allow kitchen staff to have more time to do other work.

“Our combi ovens, for example, are designed to serve as a convection oven, kettle, steamer, fryer, smoker and dehydrator in one piece of equipment. In addition to expanding menus, this also saves valuable hood space by having everything in one compact unit.”

Kreple believes that his customer’s key requirements are labour, food quality, menu planning, space requirements, and mobility. “In general, it’s important to consider all needs and possible future needs when specifying all your equipment.”

Alto-Shaam is committed to quality and continuous improvement. “Because we are successful when our customers succeed, we are constantly researching our customers’ needs in order to find ways to enhance their return on investment.

“We have been pioneering foodservice innovations since 1955 – including the invention of the original Cook & Hold oven

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– and we continue to innovate today with advancements in combi oven, heated holding and Cook & Hold oven technologies,” added Kreple.

While Alto-Shaam remains a popular brand in the U.S., the company is seeing increased growth in international markets, including the Middle East. Kreple said: “As our team – and the entire foodservice equipment industry – becomes more globally minded, we are being recognised as a major supplier of quality commercial cooking equipment solutions worldwide.”

Alto-Shaam ovens are manufactured in the United States and then shipped throughout the world. Kreple explained: “Because we have to ship the foodservice equipment overseas from North America to the GCC area, the time to ship from our factory is extended. However, we work with international dealers who stock our ovens, which contributes to a faster order arrival time. We also have distribution centres located in Europe and Asia that are designed to meet shorter purchasing deadlines."

The latest Alto-Shaam innovations are its hot wells and its CT PROformance Combitherm combi ovens. “These newly designed combi ovens cook 20% faster than other combi ovens and up to 80% faster than conventional cooking techniques. Food quality is unprecedented with the Absolute Humidity Control system allowing for precise results by selecting any humidity level from 0-100%,” added Kreple.

Designed for optimum kitchen spacing needs, the combi oven requires zero clearance and comes with ventless hood options.

This energy efficient combi oven line is easy to operate with a robust recipe management system and automated cleaning system.

“You can smoke any product, hot or cold, using real wood chips in a controlled environment and the advanced cleaning system ensures your oven can be used later without any flavour carryover. While our hot wells use our gentle, radiant Halo Heat waterless technology to keep food warm without drying out – and without the cost of water hookups and ongoing water and sewer utility bills. Our latest advancement to the hot wells includes individual controls for each well, allowing for precise holding temperatures based on what food is being held.”

Alto-Shaam sees the market continuing to focus on quality, precision, and performance as foodservice equipment purchasers look to maximise their return on investment. “Continued technological advancements will be engineered to meet those expectations, resulting in even better commercial-sized ovens,” said Kreple.

MARKETPLACE

LAINOX “NOWADAYS END USERS ARE LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE FEATURES THAT MAKE THE USE OF THE PRODUCTS INTUITIVE AND THEY ARE EXPECTING TO FIND THE SAME TECHNOLOGY THEY ARE USING IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES”

Lainox is experiencing a trend towards beauty coupled with ergonomics in oven design procurement with demand rising for superflat, square shape and trendy designs.

“Nowadays end users are looking for innovative features that make the use of the products intuitive and they are expecting to find the same technology they are using in their everyday lives,” according to Nicola Sabbion, Lainox area sales director. She added: “For sure they are looking for beauty, and added value to the product they are buying and, even if most of them are definitely looking for a reliable product ensuring high level cooking performances, innovative features are a must that they cannot give up anymore.”

Lainox’s unique selling point is its Cloud service offering that allows, through its wireless connection, no limit access to a constantly increasing database of recipes for chefs worldwide. Sabbion

said: “It is a helping hand to discover new recipes and also, thanks to the possibility of customisation for all recipes, it emphasises the creativity of every chef. Lainox Cloud also offers the possibility to get all updates with no effort and to check justin-time all production and HACCP data for all the devices connected to the Cloud.

Furthermore Cloud connection can also be used for Remote Service.”

In the GCC countries, where Lainox has enjoyed a relevant presence for many years, the market response to Naboo is constantly increasing. “We feel the last Gulfood exhibition confirmed Lainox as a technological leader in the industry. Our sales record during last year in the GCC exceeded 300 units,” said Sabbion.

Lainox’s largest market is Italy and its main export markets are England and France, although it exports to more than 100 countries all over the world.

Since 1981, when Lainox was established in Vittorio Veneto, all of its products have been designed, manufactured and assembled in Italy, and distributed in the GCC through a network of partners, which allows them to have a widespread coverage with no major logistics issues.

Speaking of innovation within the company’s portfolio, Sabbion said: “Our new device Naboo, and its 2.0 technology, is our answer to customers’ needs and the feedback received has been amazing with outstanding sales results worldwide.

“Naboo is available both for gastronomy (boiler or direct steam) and with Aroma

by Naboo, featuring the same innovative technology, for dedicated pastry lines.

"Lainox Cloud is our unique feature but there is much more: the automatic door opening (without handle); the innovative SCS automatic washing system (by far the fastest available in the market); One Touch technology for immediate start of cooking; SmokeGrill our BBQ system with Smoke Essence that does not need heat; and the Just in Time function applied to Multilevel,” she added.

Sabbion believes that the oven market will need more and more products capable of making life in the kitchen easier.

“This is our commitment: a stress free kitchen thanks to the possibility of perfect management of the food production.

Our target is to use the latest technology to provide easy-to-use solutions for our customers,” added Sabbion.

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MARKETPLACE

RATIONAL

PARKE-DAVIS, CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE FOR RATIONAL INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE EAST

The factors that will become increasingly important in kitchen design are sustainability in all facets, the quality of the food, the healthy feeding of the guests, resource efficiency and safety at work, according to Simon Parke-Davis, chief representative for RATIONAL International Middle East.

“We have the solution for our market the SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses is the first intelligent cooking system that senses, recognises, thinks ahead, learns from a chef and even communicates with him,” said Parke-Davis.

He added: “RATIONAL will focus in the future on product innovations – as usual with the goal to maximise benefits for the people working in commercial kitchens.”

As a modern catering operation it vital to achieve a balancing act, every day, between cost effectiveness on one side and the satisfaction of your guests on the other. As the desire for tastier, healthier variety grows, the constraints that your budget places on you become even tighter.

Parke-Davis said: “The SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses combines most cooking appliances and enables chefs to grill, steam, braise, bake, cook, etc. in just one unit.

“Compared with conventional appliances, RATIONAL’s SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses requires significantly less energy, water and raw materials by transmitting heat to the product by means of steam, hot air or a combination of the two.”

In terms of figures, this means that the use of raw materials is reduced by up to 20% through optimised cooking processes compared to previous models. Furthermore, the unit requires up to 70% less energy compared to traditional kitchens without any combi-steamer.

Parke-Davis said: “Modern Catering operations need kitchen equipment which is 60

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

“WE HAVE THE SOLUTION FOR OUR MARKET - THE SELFCOOKINGCENTER 5 SENSES IS THE FIRST INTELLIGENT COOKING SYSTEM THAT SENSES, RECOGNISES, THINKS AHEAD, LEARNS FROM A CHEF AND EVEN COMMUNICATES WITH HIM”

flexible in usage, and that is what we offer at RATIONAL. Working with RATIONAL means variety. Regardless of whether a kitchen is for fish, meat, poultry, bakery products, egg or side dishes, our SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses always controls the cooking process in the best way for each product and even takes the desired result into account.

“Furthermore, modern kitchen equipment must ensure proper hygiene safety. The SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses automatically cooks any food to the point. In addition, the HACCP data is always automatically recorded in the devices and can be accessed by networked computer technology at any time.

“Last but not least, a kitchen unit should also be easily cleaned always. The RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses will automatically clean and descale itself and also do this unsupervised overnight if desired,” he added.

With the SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses, RATIONAL has succeeded in making even more significant improvements in the interplay between the chef and his kitchen technology. RATIONAL developed a technology that supports chefs, works for them, understands them, knows what they need and always and consistently delivers the desired results according to their specifications.

Using sophisticated sensors, the SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses assesses the current cooking chamber conditions and the consistency of the food. It recognises the size, load quantity and condition of the products and calculates the appropri-

ate browning by itself. It thinks ahead by determining the ideal cooking path to the desired result, i.e. the manner in which a product must be cooked, during the cooking process itself. It learns which cooking habits are preferred and implements them.

It also communicates with the chef and continually shows him what it is doing to implement his specifications.

RATIONAL is the worldwide market and technology leader in thermal preparation of food for commercial catering and haute cuisine, with a 54 % world market share. Today more than 685,000 RATIONAL combi-steamers are in use worldwide, this means practically every second unit installed is made by RATIONAL. "In GCC there are many competitors and in evaluating our market share it would be a rough estimate, due to the many routes or channels used by us and our competition. We would like to think that for the distribution channels that we have chosen, we share the same success as our global market.

RATIONAL was founded in 1973 in

MARKETPLACE

Landsberg am Lech in Germany. In 1976 RATIONAL invented the first combisteamer which fundamentally changed the way large-scale and professional kitchens operate. Up until today all RATIONAL units have been manufactured in the three plants in Landsberg am Lech in Germany.

Parke-Davis said: “Logistics into the GCC face the same challenges as any of our European counterparts supplying to the region. It is a good thing that some of the

authorities need tighter certification such as Energy Star Rating to be accepted, as we have across all of our lines and are therefore prepared for this, so it is not a challenge.”

In the future there will be a change in society which will bring new challenges like the further shortage of qualified staff, rising energy and water prices, according to Parke-Davis.

He added: “Modern kitchen technology must keep up with that, work fast and efficient. It must be multi-

“Moreover less people cook at home so the trend is towards buying warm food in supermarkets, butchers, bake shops. Also the expectation towards the kitchen team increases constantly as a much higher food quality is demanded.

“That’s where RATIONAL will follow preceded social changes and continue to improve its products and services constantly to offer our customers in commercial kitchens the most beneficial solution to their thermal cooking tasks. Only technical features that are adapted to the cus-

“MODERN KITCHEN TECHNOLOGY MUST KEEP UP WITH THAT, WORK FAST AND EFFICIENT. IT MUST BE MULTIFUNCTIONAL AND NEEDS TO BE USED TO COOK ALL TYPES OF FOOD” functional and needs to be used to cook all types of food as it is already almost a matter of course that you can choose from a wide variety of dishes even in a staff canteen’s or hospital menu.

tomer’s needs, and will ease the daily routines of kitchen staff, will prevail. These are the reasons why RATIONAL and the SelfCookingCenter are so popular – in the past, present and future.”

The new

The standard for all international cuisines

Visit us at Gulfood!

Hall: Za’abeel, Stand: Z-M32

The only intelligent cooking system worldwide that senses, recognises, predicts, learns from you and even communicates with you to create perfect results for you.

Gives a lot. Demands little.

The perfect assistant.

www.rational-online.ae Putting our promise into action.

Cook with us. Register here or call +971 4 338 6615

2 years warranty

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MARKETPLACE

TECHNICAL SUPPLIES & SERVICES “THE BERTHA OVEN HAS THE LARGEST COOKING CHAMBER IN TERMS OF HEIGHT ALLOWING MORE COOKING OPTIONS”

RASHID BAHAR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, TECHNICAL SUPPLIES & SERVICES CO.

Because chefs are always looking for new concepts, cooking over a mix of charcoal and wood in an enclosed oven (as opposed to open fire grill) is the ideal solution, according to TSSC, achieving the ideal cooking spead and allowing the chef to achieve an intense flavour.

Rashid Bahar, business development manager, Technical Supplies & Services Co. (TSSC), said: “The Bertha Oven Company aims to revolutionise the indoor charcoal oven market with its first offering, which it

claims is narrower, easier to use and ias half the price of other established oven brands.”

Understanding customer needs, TSSC notes that the oven size is now a crucial factor in procurement, as kitchens are getting smaller and smaller. Bahar added: “The Bertha oven measures 600cm (w) x 710mm (d) x 1650mm (h) – or 2000cm high including the chimney – and it is supplied with one removable food rack (with slots for an additional three), removable charcoal grates and an ash bin.

“Furthermore, the Bertha oven has the largest cooking chamber in terms of height allowing more cooking options, and with the added option of a ceramic top inner shelf.”

The Bertha indoor charcoal oven is a

British-made product that took two years to develop and test in the UK. Today, the Bertha’s main market is Europe, but the type of cooking done in the Middle East increasingly lends itself to the newly introduced Bertha oven.

The latest innovation in the range is the Twin Bertha, which is a unit for outdoor use, with both left and right hand opening doors, made to double as a serving counter.

“While the charcoal oven market is very new, I think that once chefs start experimenting with the ovens - slow cooking, smoking, finding new methods of cooking – they will find it invaluable,” said Bahar.

Luxury Gourmet Olives from around the world

Telephone: +971 56 4806518 Email: ross@tgom.me Website: www.tgom.me thegourmetolivemarket.me

#thegourmetolivemarket

@tgom_me

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Come visit our market every Friday at The Ripe Market - Zabeel Park 62

CATERING NEWS ME MARCH 2015

MEET THE SUPPLIER

MKN Elias Rached, export department, regional director, sales - Middle East and Africa, MKN, discusses combining modern technology with kitchenware solutions

Could you provide a description of your company?

MKN is a German specialist for thermal premium cooking technology with almost 70 years of experience. As a strong, mid-sized company, founded 1946 by the engineer Kurt Neubauer, MKN is still a family-owned business. Its headquarters are located in Wolfenbüttel, Germany in Lower Saxony and around 500 experienced specialists develop and produce first-class professional cooking technology here.

RECENT

PROJECTS

FAIRMONT AMMAN HILTON AMMAN FAIRMONT AJMAN

POPULAR

PRODUCTS SPACECOMBI

What is the most popular product that you supply to the industry?

The CombiSteamer, FlexiCombi, Horizontal MKN Cooking Equipment as well as the MKN Innovation FlexiChef all are popular in the market.

The Combi-steamer FlexiCombi has a touch and slide-operating concept of the new FlexiCombi MagicPilot is just as simple to use. The MKN innovation FlexiChef Multifunctionality with FlexiChef means cooking, frying, pressure cooking, deep-frying in one single pan.

Due to its technical features the FlexiChef can optimise the entire kitchen processes. A highlight feature is SpaceClean, the first automatic cleaning system for skillet pans.

What does your company offer that other suppliers in your field do not?

MKN stands for process competence and every kitchen is different. MKN has a deep knowledge about the different processes in kitchens. This with its remarkable thermal competence makes us a strong and reliable partner in its field.

Customers all over the world highly value this expertise of consulting especially during the kitchen-planning phase.

What products did you exhibit at this year’s Gulfood?

We exhibit the new MKN innovation FlexiChef and the Horizontal Cooking Optima 850 line as well as the MKN FlexiCombi. All visitors were impressed with the high technologies and performance of our products.

Can you list a few of your hospitality clients?

A few of our hospitality clients include SPG, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt International, Fairmont, Raffles, Swiss Hotel and IHG.

What recent projects have MKN embarked on?

A few of our recent projects include Fairmont Amman, Fairmont Ajman, Hilton Amman, Hilton Convention Center and Jeddah Airport.

FLEXICOMBI FLEXICHEF

Is there anything new we should know about MKN? The latest MKN innovation is the small combi steamer SpaceCombi. Many professional chefs appreciate the multifunctionality and user friendliness of a modern combi steamer.

However, some of them don’t have sufficient room in their kitchen. The SpaceCombi is only 55 cm wide, yet still comparably equipped to larger models. The state of the art MagicPilot touch & slide operating concept with information steps and Favorites function, the automatic cleaning system WaveClean and the consumption display GreenInside are just a few examples of user-oriented features.

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COFFEE CORNER

“BECAUSE WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN OUR CUSTOMERS SUCCEED, WE ARE CONSTANTLY RESEARCHING OUR CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN ORDER TO FIND WAYS TO ENHANCE THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT”

JULIUS MEINL CALLS ON CUSTOMER’S CREATIVITY The 150-year-old Austrian coffee roasting family will be celebrating International Day of Poetry by allowing customers to pay for their beverage with a poem The 150-year-old coffee roasting family Julius Meinl is to mark International Day of Poetry on 21st March with a truly imaginative and engaging campaign planned to draw the creativity out of all of its customers. Virtually all of the countries the coffee roaster supplies to are participating in this campaign in which customers are given the opportunity to pay for the coffee with a poem.

“It will make people stop and think of something nice,” said Dr. Christina Rohla-Meinl, the fifth generation of the Meinl family. Presenting at the Gulfood exhibition, Julius Meinl demonstrated three new products.

First was its ‘My Barista’ fully automatic coffee machine, which can offer constant freshness with grind on demand. It is also fast serving, delivering 50 litres per hour or 6 litres in 4 minutes, and has a low operating error rate.

Furthermore, it is 20-30% more energy efficient compared to other commercial brewers. In fact the machine cost is covered in the first year of usage, due to the low costs of machine operation and deployment, the less coffee wasted, and money saved on an equivalent coffee quality.

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This machine is joined by a dedicated coffee range. The Premium Breakfast & Banquets blends comes in two variations. One is 100% Arabica beans, offering a rich blend of refined and elegant aromas with a slightly sweet taste, and the other is 60% Arabica and 40% Robusta, offering a mixture of intense coffees, both in aroma and taste.

“Both variations are fine quality filter coffee offered at a good price for mass consumption in hotels,” said Christina Meinl.

“We are also launching a ‘French Press Concept’ to offer hotel guests a selection of coffee blends in a similar fashion to the tea box offerings, perfect for in-room hotel solutions.

“Hotels don’t want high service goods, so by switching to the French Press Concept they have a simple solution, maintenance and service free.”

The roaster is also presenting an online solution, called MyMeinl, where users can create their own coffee profiles and blends.

“You select your bean origin, your roasting profile and your grinding level and, with a two pack minimum order, it is packaged and sent to you. We can also brand for our hospitality clients,

such as the Bar Dolce blend which is exclusive to the Jumeirah chain,” said Christina Meinl.

Christina Meinl is the fifth generation of her family’s 150-year coffee roasting business Julius Meinl. Today they supply to the hospitality sector in 70 countries, from two roasting factories, one in Vienna, Austria, and one in Vicenza, Italy, with sourcing agreements around the world in their second generation.

The coffee roaster was exhibiting at Gulfood, along with its local distribution partner Merchant Star, to meet new and existing clients, and to build on its presence in the region.

Christina Meinl added: “Gulfood is one of our most important shows worldwide as we are expanding rapidly in this market. We have a strong retail presence in Austria, and top retail outlets in certain countries, and this is something we will build on in the Middle East, with our local distributor Merchant Star.

“It is our intention to be the number one coffee supplier worldwide. We are already top in central and southern Europe and we are expanding fast in China, the US and the Middle East.”

COFFEE CORNER

COFFEE MOMENTS APPOINTED Boncafe Middle East has appointed Coffee Moments as its exclusive distributor for Boncafe products for the territory of Saudi Arabia, across Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Thamer Abdallah Baeshen, ceo and owner of Coffee Moments, said: “Expanding its operations to provide coffee machines with full after sales service and maintenance of the highest standards we turned to the experts in the industry in Boncafe Middle East.”

Coffee Moments will now further expand its operations by providing "the one stop shop coffee solution" by adding coffee machines to its product portfolio and providing the highest quality after sales service and maintenance facilities to its already successful coffee supply business module, further expanding into the vast growing hotel and foodservice sector in Saudi Arabia.

PELLINI LAUNCHES CAPSULE COFFEE RANGE Following market demand, Pellini Café have created Pellini coffee capsules that are 100% compatible with Nespresso system.

Pellini selected only the best valued coffee for a new experience of Pellini taste embracing espresso culture in 6 different flavours capsules.

The capsules are available in Coffee Supremo with a floral and fruity aroma, Luxury Coffee Magnifico with dark chocolate and hazelnut notes, Luxury Coffee Armonioso with a dry fruit and spices flavour, Pellini Top Arabica 100%, Pellini Top Arabica 100% Decaffeinated, and BIO Arabica 100% made from the beans of organic farms.

SYRUPS DRIVE A TOP 10 TREND TO WATCH Both the DaVinci Gourmet and Big Train ranges, which are part of Kerry Group, have been designed to help operators boost their profit margins. As part of their wider package of support, the two brands also offer a bank of POS, which were showcased at Gulfood 2015.

A range of exciting and directional drink recipes were prepared on the Gulfood stand, including Vanilla Cappuccino, and Sticky Cinnamon Latte. Made with DaVinci Gourmet syrups, and topped with sauces from the brand, these drink recipes inspired operators to become part of a signature drinks phenomenon identified by Technomic as one of the Top 10 Trends to Watch for 2015.

By creating speciality hot and cold beverages using the Big Train and DaVinci Gourmet range, operators can justify a higher price point than standard menu options, and meet demand from the 60% of consumers who wish to try a new drink every 60 days.

The mixes come in packs designed for foodservice and are simply blended with either milk or water and ice, making them suitable for all types of operators.

For more recipe ideas, operators can visit davinci-gourmet.com and bigtrain.com.

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FINAL THOUGHT

CONCEPT

The Burger Rebel food revolution now has a new home in the city as the daringly different food and beverage concept expands its reach with the opening of a new AED4 million outlet at Souk Al Bahar, adjacent to The Dubai Mall The home-grown brand Burger Rebel set the trend for the future of burger restaurants when it opened its first location in Wafi City in 2012. With the second Dubai based outlet scheduled to open for business in mid-April 2015, Daniel During, principal and managing director for Thomas Klein International, the owner-operator, said: “The Burger Rebel concept was created for an open-minded young, trendy, social media savvy market and as one of the city’s dining hotspots, we thought it was time to introduce Burger Rebel to Downtown Dubai to shake things up with our ‘anything but conventional’ approach to the classic burger, hot dog and slider scene.”

A 93-seater venue with an outdoor terrace and bar area, the new Burger Rebel will continue to fly the flag for individuality in a branded corporate world with original burger combinations of grilled camel meat, foie gras, and beef tongue, in addition to high quality 100% beef patties.

Another hallmark of the Burger Rebel design concept is a 30 m2 graffiti wall, with unique one-of-a-kind artwork created by a UAEbased graffiti/street artist.

READERS CORNER The ‘Secrets of Gourmet Cuisine’, a cookbook personally designed by Executive Chef Pierrick Cizeron and his expert team of chefs at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre, was launched on February 26th 2015.

‘Secrets of Gourmet Cuisine’ reveals secrets of thoughtfully crafted meals, unfolding the adventure of cooking for the discriminating epicureans with a passion for cooking.

Ranjan Nadarajah, general manager, Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, said: “It gives me immense pleasure to reveal this kaleidoscopic collection of scrumptious recipes from all over the world.”

Part of the proceeds from this cookbook will be donated to The Rashid Pediatric Therapy Centre.

Secrets of Gourmet Cuisine will be available for purchase at Gourmandises, Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre’s patisserie. For further information and reserving the book contact (+971 4 702 2445) or email Gourmandises.lmdubai@lemeridien.

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QUIRKY QUOTE

PETER LLOYD UK CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR

“The food truck craze is happening all over the world including Hollywood with the new movie “Chef”. For me the food scene is always evolving whether it be nouvelle cuisine in the 80’s or molecular cuisine in the 2000’s. This decade is definitely the time of not just the food truck, but a more casual style of dining. I’m a huge fan as it’s a much more social way of eating with friends and family, especial the sharing concept.”

The Sous Vide Professional™

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Muddle Me supplies creative and innovative chef and barmen tools / equipment to the Middle East’s leading hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs. We deal with cutting-edge products and have a passion for pushing the boundaries of creativity within the food and beverage industry. We are committed to providing you access to the very best creative tools in the world.

Visit us online and discover 100s more creative products email: info@muddle-me.com P . O . Box 57245, Dubai, UAE tel: +971 4 354 5220 fax: +971 4 329 8283

facebook.com/muddle.me.online twitter.com/muddleme issuu.com/muddleme www.muddle-me.com

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