Hospitality News Middle East - April/May 2019 (Issue 123)

Issue 123 | Apr - May 2019

hospitalitynewsmag.com

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

3 MICHELIN STAR CHEF

CHRISTOPHE BACQUIÉ P.30

INTERVIEW

DR. FADY GEMAYEL

A PIONEER OF INDUSTRY

P.38

STRATEGY

MILLENNIALS

THE GAMECHANGERS P.50

TECHNOLOGY

WHAT HOTEL

OWNERS

WILL SEE NEXT

F&B

P.52

FUNDING

AN APPETITE FOR GROWTH P.60

LEBANESE PRODUCERS

CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS P.70

WINNER

ALI GHAZZAWI P.24

PORTUGAL’S FINEST CULINARY STARS • RESORTS & SPAS • BREAD TRENDS

EDITOR'S VIEW

Group editor Nouhad Dammous Managing director Joumana Dammous-Salamé

Being aware of the challenge isn’t enough; action is needed

Editor Annie Keropian-Dilsizian Publication manager Randa Dammous-Pharaon Publication executive Rita Ghantous Graphic designers Elias Tufunkji Ibrahim Kastoun Features consultant Rana Freifer Features writer Jad Haidar Sub-editor/writer Miriam Dunn Community manager Lisa Jerejian Sales executives Michel Ajjoub, Maha Hasbani, Josette Hikri advertise@hospitalityservices.com.lb

The job market of the future

Subscription coordinators Houayda Haddad-Roumman Mirna Maroun subscribe@hospitalityservices.com.lb

Many of the jobs that are in high demand today did not exist 10 years ago. One could not have imagined roles like social media expert, mobile application developer or robotics technician.

Circulation coordinator Rita Nohra-Kejijian News news@hospitalityservices.com.lb Production & printing Arab Printing Press Photographer Pavlos Nikolaou Photography Published by Hospitality Services sarl Lebanon Borghol Building, Dekwaneh P.O.Box 90 155 Jdeidet el Metn 1202 2020 Tel: +961 1 480081 Fax: +961 1 482876 info@hospitalityservices.com.lb hospitalitynewsmag.com Dubai Tel: +971 56 6661718

Are schools and universities preparing our youth well for the job market of the future?

Many reports estimate that 80 percent of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet, with one stating that “the ability to gain new knowledge will be more reliable then the knowledge itself.”

With rapid advancements on both social and technological fronts, job descriptions and the skills people need are changing significantly, impacting employment at a pace that is expected to further accelerate.

Being aware of the challenge isn’t enough; action is needed.

Many attempts have been made to define important job skills needed for the job market in 2020. Complex problem solving was defined as the number one skill, followed by: • Critical thinking - emotional intelligence • Creativity - services learning • Collaboration - incorporating social media • Communication - ability to adapt as a lifelong learner

All the information disclosed in the magazine was provided by the parties concerned by each publication and checked to the highest possible extent by the editors. However, the magazine cannot ensure accuracy at all times of all information published and therefore could in no case be held responsible should any information reveal to be false or insufficient.

Identifying reskilling priorities and job transition opportunities, creating pools of skilled talent and reinforcing lifelong learning in this time of transition must be treated as urgent global priorities.

We welcome views on any subject relevant to the hospitality industry, but request that letters be short and to the point. The editor reserves the right to select and edit letters.

The future depends on what you do today.

Hospitality News ME is distributed to trade professionals in the catering and lodging industry in the Middle East.

A job is not just a job; it gives life meaning and provides hope, identity, power and opportunity.

A ‘skills revolution’ could harvest many new opportunities in education and training systems are indeed ready to adapt.

Nouhad Dammous Editor-in-Chief Docteur Honoris Causa

In this issue Apr - May 2019

EDITOR’S VIEW

03

The job market of the future

NEWS

08 Industry Overview 10 Hotels 18 Food & Beverage 24 Chefs 28 Suppliers

HORECA NETWORK

HORECA Lebanon: 5 questions to Christophe Bacquie & products guide

EVENTS

34

Gulfood 2019 review

36

AHIC 2019: Synchronized for success

30

24

Cover courtesy: MBC Top Chef

30

HORECA Lebanon 2019 Guest of Honor, Chef Christophe Bacquié

38

Dr. Fady Gemayel

SEEN & HEARD WHERE TO BE SEEN

BUSINESS INTERVIEW 38 A pioneer of industry:

Dr. Fady Gemayel

40

MARKET UPDATE The UAE hotel market outlook

HOTELS 44 Introduction to mid-market resorts

46

in the GCC Furnished serviced appartments: a growing sector

SPAS 48 What is wellness shaping up to look like?

STRATEGY 50 Millennials: the gamechangers TECHNOLOGY 52 Hotel technology: what’s next?

54 From e-tourism to r-tourism

56

FOOD & BEVERAGE

58 60

Cuisine and calligraphy at IDAM-Ducasse Paris Dos and don’ts of hotel F&B F&B funding: an appetite for growth

62

Portugal’s finest culinary stars

EYE ON

BEVERAGE 66 Where bartender meets chef

@Hospitality_Mag

HospitalityNewsME

LEBANESE PRODUCERS 70

72

Lebanon’s food producers: challenges and solutions with Georges Nasraoui Agrytech signals new hope for Lebanese food industry

76 Food engineering: 10 Lebanese

F&B producers

SOLUTIONS

82 84

HUMAN RESOURCES

Train your managers to manage Why modern companies need mindfulness

PRODUCT ZONE

88

On the market

70

Lebanese producers

92

Robotic laundry folding machine

96

Master Baker François Pozzoli

NEW PRODUCTS

EQUIPMENT 90 Laundry: it’s a whitewash!

94 Selecting a POS system for your restaurant

FOOD 96 Pozzoli’s art of breaking bread CHOCOMANIA 98 Golden confectionary

WE WERE THERE

100

Out and about with Hospitality News ME

Coming issue Jun - Jul 2019

• Special report Recruitment and education • Hotels F&B in hotels • Restaurants Food halls • Beverage Syrup and juice • Food Organic seafood / chicken /meat • Equipment Mattresses, linens & lighting

FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE DAILY NEWS FROM AROUND THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY GO TO

HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM

I R R E S I S T I B L E AT T R A C T I O N Served by more than 750 top-rated chefs.

Discover Nespresso on www.buynespresso.com

NEWS

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

STR: MORE HOTEL ROOMS ARE UNDERWAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

TRENDING ON

HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM Over one million visitors to Ras Al Khaimah last year

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority reports a 10 percent increase in visitor numbers year-on-year in 2018 to 1.07 million. The authority launched its first three-year destination strategy in 2016 outlining the vision and mission for tourism in the emirate, with the goal of attracting one million visitors to Ras Al Khaimah by 2018. The emirate has exceeded these targets with a record-breaking number of visitors from domestic and key international markets choosing to stay in Ras Al Khaimah during 2018.

Two Kempinski leaders step down

Markus Semer (chairman of the management board & CEO) and Colin Lubbe (CFO and vice chairman of the management board) have stepped down from their positions at Kempinski Hotels. Both have been asked and have accepted to extend their mandate during the transition until a successor is recruited and appointed.

The Middle East room construction total represented a 21 percent increase compared with January 2018, while the Africa room construction total represented a four percent increase year over year, according to recent data released by STR. 446 properties are under construction in the Middle East, adding over 127,000 rooms to the region’s inventory. 56,000 rooms are under construction in the UAE, 43,400 in the KSA, and

13,600 in Qatar. 126 properties are in the final planning stage and 183 are in the planning phase.

Together, they will add over 74,000 new rooms. In Africa, there are 151 properties under construction with 27,000 new rooms. Specifically, Egypt has 3,800 new rooms in its under-construction pipeline. Over 200 hotels are in the final planning and planning phases, and will be adding over 38,400 new rooms. strglobal.com

EY: CAIRO’S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS BACK ON TRACK According to EY’s Middle East Hotel Benchmark Survey Report, Cairo’s hospitality market observed a rise in all KPIs in 2018. The city witnessed an increase in occupancy by almost 8 percent from 65 percent in 2017 to 73 percent in 2018, coupled with a jump in ADR by 10 percent over the same period. The significant growth in Cairo’s hospitality sector performance is mainly attributed

to the country’s improved political stability, lift of flight bans to Egypt, and focused efforts on global tourism marketing and campaigns.

On the other hand, Muscat’s hospitality market witnessed a 10 percent drop in occupancy yearon-year, the sharpest in the MENA region. This resulted in a drop in RevPAR by 28 percent from USD 110 in 2017 to USD 79 in 2018. ey.com

SOUND - BITE Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO SecretaryGeneral on international tourist arrivals reaching 1.4 billion: “The growth of tourism in recent years confirms that the sector is today one of the most powerful drivers of economic growth and development.

This is why UNWTO is focusing 2019 on education, skills and job creation.

Digitalization, new business models, more affordable travel and societal changes are expected to continue shaping our sector, so both destination and companies need to adapt if they want to remain competitive.”

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XII Euro Mediterranean Intercultural Dialogue on the Phoenicians’ Route 2019

The Lebanese American University (LAU) has joined forces with the Council of Europe, the Lebanese Ministries of Tourism and Culture, the LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation (LCF) and several coastal Lebanese municipalities to celebrate the opening of the XII Euro Mediterranean Intercultural Dialogue on the Phoenicians’ Route 2019. It was held under the patronage of the Lebanese Minister of Tourism Avedis Guidanian, and attended by high-ranking officials, ambassadors, scholars, and heads of public and private institutions, among others.

Zomato Gold launches in Lebanon

The online food discovery platform is encouraging visitors to visit to the trendiest go-to places in Beirut.

It works as an exclusive dine out and social drinking membership that gives members special perks - 1+1 on food or 2+2 on drinks in over 250 (and counting) bars and restaurants across Beirut at any time and on any day. More than 30,000 people were on the waiting list within a week of launch, which sold out around five hours whenever membership opened to the public.

Hilton launches Signia Hilton

Hilton announced the launch of Signia Hilton, its new meetings-and-events-focused brand. With a minimum of 500 guest rooms and seven square meters per key of meetings and events space, each Signia Hilton will offer business and leisure travelers elevated experiences.

Majid Al Futtaim introduces a new service catering to the HORECA industry

Majid Al Futtaim announced that it will launch Carrefour Business later this year as a business-tobusiness offering for the hotels, restaurant and catering (HORECA) industry, diversifying its existing traditional consumer-facing retailing business in the UAE. It will cater to the growing demand from the HORECA industry for a ‘one stop shop’ service that can provide a wide variety of high-quality food and non-food solutions to cover their needs with convenient delivery.

For up-to-the-minute news on the stories that matter to you most, read it first on www.hospitalitynewsmag.com

NEWS

HOTELS

READ MORE ONLINE HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM

LARGEST CROWNE PLAZA COMING TO MAKKAH

Pascal Gauvin

IHG has signed a management agreement with Bougary Holding Co. to develop Crowne Plaza Makkah Beban. The property will have 1,200 keys, making it the world’s largest Crowne Plaza. It is scheduled to open in December 2019. Pascal Gauvin, managing director, India, Middle East &

Africa, IHG said: “Saudi Arabia offers great opportunities both in terms of domestic and inbound tourism and is central to our expansion strategy in the Middle East. We have a strong legacy in the Kingdom and are proud to collaborate with Bougary Holding Co, represented by Loay Bougary, CEO, Bougary Holding Co, to bring the world’s largest Crowne Plaza® to the country. This is a milestone signing for us in the Middle East and is testament to our commitment to the market. Crowne Plaza brand is loved by travelers across the globe and is known to offer world-class amenities and excellent service to the guest; we are confident Crowne Plaza® Makkah Beban will be a popular choice amongst travelers visiting the holy city.” ihg.com

SBE TO OPEN FIRST SLS PROPERTY IN DUBAI AND NEW HOTEL BRAND

Sam Nazarian

sbe has announced a partnership with World of Wonders Real Estate Development to continue the expansion of the SLS brand with the first SLS property in the Middle East, SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences. The property is set to open in Q3 2020. The 75-story tower will consist of 254 hotel rooms, 371 residential units, 321 hotel apartments. The property will also feature sbe signature culinary concepts Fi’lia and

Carna, sbe’s mixology lounge in the lobby, as well as signature rooftop nightlife venue, Privilege. sbe also announced the launch of its new luxury global brand, The House of Originals in partnership with Accor. This new brand will create a community for its guests, predicated on luxury experiences and centered on sbe’s iconic culinary and mixology offerings. Sam Nazarian, founder & CEO of sbe said: “At sbe we are always looking to create memorable experiences.

The House of Originals will include our existing incredible destinations, the Sanderson, St Martins Lane, Shore Club and 10 Karaköy and create a network of unique global properties. I am proud to partner on this project very closely with the Accor team and Gaurav Bhushan, Accor’s Head of Global Development who will provide us with invaluable support in helping to create a truly international suite of properties.” sbe.com

SIX NEW RADISSON HOTELS IN EGYPT

Elie Younes

Radisson Hotel Group has signed six new hotels in Egypt as part of a portfolio deal across a number of its brands. The agreement was signed with existing business partner Zaghloul Holdings, a Cairo-based business conglomerate operating in real estate, contracting, tourism, commercial retail, entertainment and sports investment industries. The six hotels: Radisson Collection Hotel Cairo Heliopolis, Radisson Blu Serviced Apartments Cairo Heliopolis, Radisson Blu Hotel Cairo Golf City, Radisson Hotel New Cairo, Radisson Hotel & Resort Ain Sokhna and Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort Makadi Bay, Hurghada will turn Radisson Hotel Group into one of the largest international operators in the country. Elie Younes, executive vice president and chief development officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “It is great to expand our footprint in Egypt with six new hotels. Egypt has historically been one of the most visited countries in North Africa and we strongly believe in its tourism industry in the long run.

These hotels will make a great contribution to the local employment and we thank our partner Zaghloul Holdings for their continued trust and for their contribution towards promoting tourism in the country.

We are further pleased to introduce two new brands to Egypt, Radisson Collection, positioned as the premium lifestyle and affordable luxury brand and Radisson as an upscale hotel brand." radissonhotelgroup.com

DUR HOSPITALITY ANNOUNCES GROWTH PLANS Dur Hospitality currently has nine projects under construction, of which four will be completed and operational in 2019. These include the development of Holiday Inn Jubail and Hotel Suites, the expansion of Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel, the development of hotel apartments and expansion of the ballroom in Holiday Inn Tabuk Hotel and the launch of Marriott Hotel in the Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh. The company also outlined recent achievements in partnership with Marriott and IHG, including: the opening of the Marriott Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter in time for the Saudi Arabia Hotel Investment Conference (SHIC); the rebranding of Riyadh Palace into Crowne

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Plaza Riyadh Palace Hotel in May 2018; and the full renovation and rebranding of Riyadh Airport Hotel into Marriott Airport Hotel.

“In 2018, we made significant inroads into developing our portfolio of properties, in line with our commitment to Vision 2030, providing the hospitality concepts required to meet the project demand in religious and non-religious tourism,” said Dr. Badr Al Badr, CEO of Dur Hospitality. Dur also announced an agreement with owner Abed Al Qurashi to manage the Makarem Jabal Al Kaaba Hotel in Makkah and a landmark acquisition deal with Shada Homes, marking its foray in the serviced/long-stay apartment sector soon. dur.sa

Dr. Badr Al Badr

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NEWS

HOTELS

GOLDEN TULIP MEDIA HOTEL RE-OPENS AFTER FULL REFURBISHMENT

Issam Slaimi

HN interviewed Issam Slaimi, general manager of Golden Tulip Media Hotel, to learn more about the renovation project the hotel has undergone, in line with the company’s new positioning Highlighting the changes, Slaimi explained that, “We are committed to being the best high-end luxury business hotel in the area providing unique services that exceed our guests’ expectations. The 288 room hotel has been revamped to offer modern fresh services HR19 withCorp walk-in showers, as1 well as hiad for HN.pdf 3/20/19

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tech and energy-saving solutions. It is now positioned as an upscale 4-star hotel ideal for corporate, leisure and group travelers alike.” Slaimi went on to say, “The hotel was previously an apartment building with 158 units that underwent a complete overhaul during a two-year period. The complete makeover, with an expansion of its room inventory has transformed the property into a modern 288 room and suites structure incorporating smart systems and energy saving solutions. We also introduced a fresh attraction in the 4-star space that is unique to the Barsha Heights district. The hotel now features high-grade finishes and marble floors throughout the public areas, a bright open atrium lobby and a lounge café offering work spaces with easy access to the restaurant. Also, and to better service business travelers, we set up two smart meeting rooms and outfitted them with all the technological bells and whistles.”

The reopening marks the introduction of the new age branding of Golden Tulip to Dubai, following the opening of new hotels in markets that include Marseille, Bordeaux, Barcelona and Shanghai over the last year.

9:57goldentulip.com AM

HILTON TO OPERATE HOTELS AT THE AVENUES

Hilton and Shomoul Holding Company have signed an agreement to develop and operate four hotels in The Avenues – Riyadh, the largest mixed-use development project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The development will include one of the world’s largest malls, with a leasable area of approximately 400,000 square meters, housing more than 1,300 stores. Hilton will operate four of its industry-leading brands at The Avenues – Riyadh, including a 350room Waldorf Astoria, a 400-room Conrad, a 500-room Hilton Garden Inn and a 150room Canopy by Hilton – the first of Hilton’s lifestyle Canopy brand in the Middle East. The USD 3.4 billion project will also include five multi-purpose towers consisting of hotels, exhibition, conference halls, residential apartments, offices and medical facilities. hilton.com

NEWS

HOTELS

READ MORE ONLINE HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM

OPENING SOON KSA

UAE

PLANS FOR JABAL OMAR HYATT CENTRIC MAKKAH HOTEL AND RESIDENCES A Hyatt Centric hotel will open in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, featuring 196 rooms and suites as well as 200 residences.

Opening 2023 hyatt.com

MILLENNIUM HOTELS AND RESORTS MEA LAUNCHES MILLENNIUM PLACE MARINA The property is slated to open in the first half of 2019 and will feature 453 rooms and suites.

Opening 2019 millenniumhotels.com

THE FIRST PREMIUM HOTEL TO OPEN IN MEDIA CITY AccorHotels has announced that its Grand Plaza Mövenpick hotel will open in March.

The hotel features 235 spacious guestrooms and suites ranging from 46-94 m2. accorhotels.group, movenpick.com

HYATT HOUSE DEBUTS IN THE ME Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the entry of the Hyatt House brand into the Middle Eastern market with the opening of Hyatt House Jeddah Sari Street in the KSA. Number of rooms 102 hyatt.com

WYNDHAM OPENS PROPERTY IN DAMMAM Located in the heart of Dammam, Wyndham Garden Dammam offers a variety of rooms, suites and apartments and a fully equipped female and male health club.

Number of rooms 209 wyndhamhotels.com

MANDARIN ORIENTAL DEBUTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST WITH RESORT IN DUBAI Portuguese celebrity chef José Avillez takes diners on an authentic journey through Portugal with his vibrant menu at Tasca.

Number of rooms 256 & 78 suites mandarinoriental.com

THE DEBUT OF W AT THE PALM The hotel features over 2,000 square meters of event space. The 1,215 m2 ‘Great Room’ boasts an oval shape, designed with rotating walls.

Number of rooms 350 w-hotels.marriott.com, marriott.com

OPENED KSA

SHAZA HOTELS EXPANDS FOOTPRINT Shaza Hotels has debuted in Riyadh with the opening of its first extended stay property in the KSA, Shaza Hotel Residences, Riyadh.

The residences have been designed for the needs of long-stay guests.

Number of rooms 205 shazahotels.com

UAE

JUMEIRAH AL WATHBA DESERT RESORT & SPA IS OPEN Jumeirah Group has expanded its portfolio in Abu Dhabi with a luxury desert resort featuring Arabian style rooms and villas.

Number of rooms 103 jumeirah.com

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NEWS

HOTELS

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

MARRIOTT MAKES TWO NEW SENIOR APPOINTMENTS IN UAE Seasoned Marriott International professionals Gerrit Graef and Sandeep Walia will take up the positions of area vice president, Premium & Select Brands, and area vice president, Luxury Brands, respectively in the UAE. After working at Marriott International for over 22 years, Graef has taken on a plethora of roles across brands including Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments in markets such as Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Meanwhile, Walia brings extensive experience in the luxury segment to the region, having previously held the position of area vice president, Luxury Brands, for Western Europe.

Marriott International has appointed Jerome Briet as its chief development officer for the Middle East and Africa. Briet was previously the regional vice president, mixed-use development, for the Middle East and Africa. An established industry professional, he has over 15 years of hospitality experience to his name.

Sami Nasser, chief operating officer, Luxury Brands, Middle East, has announced the promotion of Frank Naboulsi to vice president, operations, Egypt. Naboulsi will be responsible for supporting Accor's growing portfolio in the country to manage over six of its properties across Egypt.

Chadi Nicolas has returned to Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan

by Rotana as its general manager. Nicolas has been associated with Rotana Hotel Management Corporation PJSC for 18 years. His previous post was as general manager of Centro Capital Centre and Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana.

Royal Savoy Sharm has announced the appointment of Soner Yesilelma as the new general manager for Royal Savoy and Savoy Sharm. During his career, Yesilelma has built up 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to his appointment, he worked with Rixos Hotels Egypt for six years in the capacity of regional director, sales and marketing.

Guenter Gebhard is the new general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre. The appointment places Gebhard at the helm of one of Saudi Arabia’s most prestigious addresses. Gebhard joined Four Seasons in January and is set to play a key role in overseeing a renovation project at Riyadh’s iconic Kingdom Centre.

Emirates Palace has appointed Nicolas Messian as its new hotel manager. Messian will oversee daily operations at the iconic Abu Dhabi hotel.

A French national, Messian completed his studies at the famed École Hôtelière de Lausanne, before taking on senior positions at a number of major, 5-star luxury hotels across the world.

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NEWS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

VENTURE GROUP’S ALL-YEAR-ROUND

BEIT MERY CLUSTER UNDERWAY Located in the heart of the Metn mountain with natural breathtaking views 700 meters above the Mediterranean Sea, Beit Mery is a town on the cusp of an exciting transformation. The growth that this densely populated pine area is experiencing will, by summer 2020, be reflected in it welcoming Lebanon's newest F&B cluster concept, courtesy of Venture Group and Jellyfish After introducing the country’s leading food clusters, co-founders Rabih Saba and Marwan Ayoub have gone on to envision three additional concepts which are now under construction. The Beit Mery cluster presents brand owners with an opportunity to invest in one of the country’s biggest growing sectors as early as next month when the limited number of units becomes available for rent.

Cluster features There are four elements that drive differentiation, which are: an all-yearround community project, 12 F&B brand outlets adjoining a major food retailer, unobstructed accessibility from multiple points and a first-of-its-kind children’s entertainment zone. The cluster sits on a 5,000 m² plot of land with a 2,000 m²

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space dedicated to food retail, two mixeduse piazzas and a visitors’ underground parking facility. The project is owned by Joseph Aoun, chairman of ‘Le Charcutier’, Lebanon's leading supermarket chain.

Jellyfish, Aoun's company, has partnered with Venture Group for the commercial development and management of the cluster for a 15-year period.

Key location When considering the most suitable plot of land, the partners ensured this mixed development would offer an authentic interpretation of the cluster and the demands of that area’s inhabitants on par with current and future trends. The space is optimized for convenience and meant to become a meeting point for local residents and nearby communities. It is designed to cater to a range of out-of-home activities offering something for people of all ages on a relatively regular basis. The all-year-round cluster will further ensure that Beit Mery, which used to be a seasonal destination for most, has grown to become home to many.

New F&B concept The anchor of the Beit Mery cluster features a major on-site food retail outlet courtesy of ‘Le Charcutier’ by Joseph Aoun. The concept marries a gourmet type of store offering a butchery, fishery and winery with the option of enjoying the available products in-house. This idea is not only unique, but also in keeping with consumers’ desire to pursue, develop and maintain a healthier

lifestyle related to freshness, seasonality and the farm-to-table concept. Previously, people would frequent a supermarket at least twice a week. Now, a family can visit and enjoy different experiences, all at the same time and under one roof. This will create new habits that bring the entire community closer. In relation to the space allotted to the 12 F&B outlets, the partners hope these will present a balanced offering of local and international brands. They will also host organic food markets, holiday bazaars and other events to further animate the cluster, as well as drive the diverse offerings the various F&B outlets are promoting. It will be a more conceptual approach to food and seasonality, which ranks high on the trending topics in the F&B industry.

Unlimited access In relation to access and the architecture behind it, Tarek Zeidan and Dara McPhee Architects and Karim Bacha Architects were the two firms chosen to execute architectural design. To ensure maximum exposure, they designed the cluster to stretch for a 200-meter distance across Beit Mery’s main highway offering brands great exposure. This creates a continuous series of landscaped terraces and a seamless connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Earthy colors and materials suggest a continuity with nature and the village around the cluster. The outdoor spaces blur the boundaries between the public and the private, catering for the

community and providing an enjoyable place to visit for people coming from all four directions. Furthermore, the location offers people unrestricted access from various entry points. This architecture lends the cluster more fluidity and deconstructs the notion of interior and exterior by breaking down the seemingly invisible physical boundaries. In terms of leveling, the cluster will be more naturally positioned by following the natural elevation of the location it covers allowing better and more practical access to all outlets.

Kids’ entertainment Another principal factor incorporated into the design of this community cluster, is the kids’ entertainment area. It will have the highest man-made climbing wall in Lebanon designed and run by some of the country’s most prominent operators and sporting goods brand owners. They will also offer a host of fun outdoor activities that will keep children of all ages engaged leaving their caretakers plenty of time to enjoy the experiences the cluster has to offer.

Personal note The Beit Mery cluster will create roughly 500 jobs for the area’s community. In further strengthening and growing that connection, the partners extend an open invitation to anyone who has new concepts to offer. These will undoubtedly create new habits and meet demand for novelty, all of which are at the heart of what we value most. venturemea.com

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NEWS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

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CHEF CYNTHIA BITAR WINS BOCUSE AWARD

Chef Cynthia Bitar awarded by Chef Yannick Alléno

THE THREE BROTHERS INTRODUCE GIN BRAND

Every year, only four chefs and alumni of the Paul Bocuse Culinary School are awarded for their achievements in the innovation, concept creation, hospitality and culinary arts categories. This recognition, one of the most prestigious in the industry, is also one of the hardest to win as the applicants come from all over the world. In recognition of her exceptional culinary style, Lebanon’s own Chef Cynthia Bitar, Co-founder and Executive Chef of Nazira Catering took to the stage and was joined by the three other winners to receive their trophy by none other than 3-Michelin Star Chef Yannick Alléno in a lavish ceremony held at the salons du célèbre Pavillon Ledoyen. “This award is testament to the fact that hard work and creativity will always be recognized and my election is a true honor to a craft that I have been pursuing with unrelenting vigor and gusto,” Bitar said. institutpaulbocuse.com

BABEL AWARDED TIME OUT MAGAZINE’S ‘BEST LEBANESE RESTAURANT’

André Malak and Ralph Malak

André Malak and Ralph Malak discuss their launch in the Lebanese market – The Three Brothers Gin: “The gin era is sweeping the world, which drove us to have a closer look at what is available to us. The Three Brothers Gin was born as an ode to our brother, with whom we shared many dreams, among them to create our own Lebanese spirit one day. Two years on, our gin has become quite popular reflected in growing monthly sales.

The Three Brothers Gin is a bathtub gin also defined as a sipping gin, which has its own complex aroma, distinguishing it from other gin brands. With a bouquet of 22 botanicals, we believe we are bringing a new experience to gin lovers. As for the wine we have been developing, it is made from young grapes and so will taste fresh and modern in keeping with the times. It is intended to be enjoyed at anytime. In so doing, we expect to set a new trend and hopefully expand internationally.”

3brothersgin.com

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Every year, Time Out Magazine’s best restaurants awards are awaited by professionals and the public alike, to learn who has received the much-coveted best restaurant title in various categories, based on anonymous and independent reviews.

This year, the fruit of the partnership between M. H. Alshaya Co. and Afkar Holding Group, saw Babel voted Time Out Magazine’s Best Lebanese Restaurant. This decision was based on the restaurant’s progressive take

on authentic Lebanese cuisine, unmatched presentation and its perfect personification of Lebanese culture of excellence in service.

The eatery offers the largest and most exquisite seafood selection, as well as an impressively diverse selection of mezze dishes. The brand currently has two outlets in the UAE. The award-winning outlet is located in Jumeira Bay’s La Mer area and the other in Dubai Mall. babelrestaurant.com

NEWS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

READ MORE ONLINE HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM

NEW OPENINGS UAE

KSA

ENAB BEIRUT - KHOBAR

LEILA MIN LEBNEN

AMITI NOURA

Opened February 1, 2019 Owner Al - Othman Holding Executive chef Michael Kleiaani Covers 300 Average price/person USD 32 Typical dishes Lebanese cuisine Address Kempinski Al-Othman Hotel kempinski.com/en/al-khobar

Opened January 11, 2019 Owner Moltaka El Zad for Tourism Executive chef Johnny Mousallem Covers 118 Average price/person USD 29 Typical dishes Lebanese cuisine Address DQ (Diplomatic Quarters), Riyadh leilaminlebnen.com

Opened January 23, 2019 Owner Alshaya Group Executive chef Gaurav Surve Covers 76 Average price/person USD 18 Typical dishes Riyoug Platter, Machboos, Address The Souk, Avenues Mall, Dubai alshaya.com/en/brands/food/amiti-noura

GATSY HOUSE

KAHWET LAURE

OH! BAR

Opened December 28, 2018 Owner Sir Nadhmi Auchi Executive chef Firas Kouzaiha Covers 70 indoor, 60 outdoors Average price/person USD 34 Typical dishes Lebanese dishes with a twist Address GF, Hilton Beirut Downtown beirutdowntown.hilton.com

Opened December 15, 2018 Owners Caravane d'Orient s.a.r.l Executive chefs Walid & Mahmoud Ghalayini Covers 90 Average price/person USD 20 Typical dishes Kabab b Karaz, Toshka Address Badaro Main Street, Beirut kahwetlaure.com

Opened December 15, 2018 Owner Oh! Bakehouse Covers 30 Average price/person USD 10-20 Typical dishes Lentil Wasabi Salad, Vegan Pancakes, Acai Bowls, Paleo Manakich Address Core in Saifi Village, Beirut ohbakehouse.com

RAMEN-YA

YAKINIKU

ZAK’S

Opened October 1, 2018 Owner(s) Fady Achkar, Mitsuteru Arai, Alain Beyrouthy Executive and head chef Mitsuteru Arai Covers 18 Average price/person USD 18 - 20 Typical dishes Gyoza, Beef Tantanmem Address Gemayze Gouraud Street, Beirut facebook.com/ramenyalb

Opened January 1, 2019 Owner(s) Mitsuteru Arai, Fady Achkar, Alain Beyrouthy Executive and head chef Mitsuteru Arai Covers 65 Average price/person USD 30-50 Typical dishes Kalbi, Bibimbap Address Gemayze Gouraud Street, Beirut facebook.com/yakiniku.lebanon

Opened December 7, 2019 Owner Zakaria Charaf Covers 60 indoor, 75 outdoors Average price/person 35 Typical dishes Jumbo Shrimps, Greek Kofta Address Hazmieh Village, Block A, Ground & First Floors, Hazmieh, Baabda District fdhospitalitysal.com

LEBANON

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NEWS

CHEFS

MEET

ALI GHAZZAWI Jordanian chef Ali Ghazzawi was recently crowned MBC Arabia’s Top Chef 2019 in what proved to be a nailbiting series finale. The youngest of the 17 contestants, Ghazzawi gained the coveted title, following a grueling series of competitions. In an exclusive interview, the rising star talked HN through the ups and downs of taking part in the contest When and how did your culinary journey begin?

I found my passion for food at the age of 17. My friends at school used to love the sandwiches I prepared at home for myself, so since demand was there, I thought of making extra sandwiches and selling them to my fellow students. I started with 10 sandwiches and ended up selling 120 per day! It’s fair to say that the joy and satisfaction I felt from seeing them enjoy my sandwiches led to me becoming a professional chef. I later attended Les Roches Global Hospitality Education at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts campus.

What made you choose to use your skills in a professional capacity?

After graduating, I applied for an internship at a 2-Michelin-star restaurant called Enoteca by Paco Perez in Barcelona and was quickly inspired by the determination and discipline of the chefs working there.

Since then, I have retained and applied these approaches and techniques in everything I do. My hunger for success and the desire to put my name on the culinary map are what fuel my drive to continuously outdo myself.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the Top Chef competition?

On one level, being only 25 years old was quite daunting, given that the other competitors had 10 or more years of experience over me. However, I found I could use this challenge to my advantage, since it drove me to work much, much harder. Working in this environment also forced me to exercise an incredible amount of focus. In addition, the quality of dishes produced in what was a relatively brief period of time improved noticeably.

The judges definitely took note of this and factored the results into the equation when choosing the winner. The culinary

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR-MAY 2019

achievements were highly appreciated by the judges, although I took the decision to mix things up a bit by using some of my own philosophies, which proved tricky when it came to winning them round.

What did you learn?

In a competition such as Top Chef, the parameters of the challenges are quite tough, with time, location and products working against you rather than in your favor. Now that’s what I call a challenge!

The competition prompted me to push myself harder than ever before by creating dishes within a seemingly impossible timeframe and make full use of every second.

Focus and self-discipline were essential. All in all, it brought out the best in me, while forcing me to work outside of my comfort zone.

What advice do you have for next season’s competitors?

I would advise next season’s competitors to be bold and clever. They need to have confidence in what they’re doing by showcasing their ideas and personality in their dishes. They need to tell themselves that no matter how young they are, they can arrive at places they never expected to reach, as long as they have passion. Most importantly, I’d advise them to enjoy the journey as much as they can, because it’s a oncein-a-lifetime experience and the best way for them to challenge their inner chef!

What sets your native cuisine apart?

My native Jordanian Levantine cuisine is simple, yet sophisticated. The diversity of herbs and produce is absolutely magical.

After Top Chef, I feel more connected to people, which means I can deliver my culinary philosophy and vision to a wider range of audiences. With that in mind, my aim is to take Jordan’s local flavors and mix them, using modern avant-garde techniques to reinterpret our food, while maintaining its originality. It’s important to remember that I come from a purely Jordanian background and have a great affinity for my family's food, which has evolved significantly over time. I will be combining their knowledge and ingredients, then elevating these creations into an upscale offering. mbc.net

NEWS

CHEFS

Chef Joseph Boutros

Bartartine’s Executive Chef Joseph Boutros talks to HN about the strategies being employed to keep the brand innovative, relevant and healthy, at a time when the F&B industry is grappling with an increasingly demanding audience What prompted you to enter the F&B profession and what are your future plans?

My passion for creating innovative recipes, hence encouraging an emotional connection with the ‘dish’, is what drove me to choose this profession. Today, I feel I’m achieving this vision by continuously innovating with different offerings at Bartartine, be it at the bakery, the pastry or in our dine-in menu selection, offering revisited dishes inspired by recipes from around the world. My future plans include keeping up with the latest trends by continuously offering something new to our consumers.

What are the main challenges you face when it comes to sourcing and creating dishes?

My biggest challenge is finding the right ingredients - mostly sourced locally - to create the items I envision serving at

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BARTARTINE’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Bartartine, which should be the most suitable fit for the market and customers.

What are the advantages of creating distinct flavor combinations that celebrate a revisited local cuisine?

While the reality of customer preference is always a top consideration, I still need to find a niche that defines Bartartine as unique. In other words, the brand has to be different enough for people to go out of their way to choose it over another.

The benefits of coming up with innovative recipes are seeing positive reactions from our customers, while witnessing diners coming back is the biggest reward.

Where do you find your inspiration and how do you ensure you continue innovating?

It starts with my personal taste for food to which I add ingredients that are good for our body and mind. In addition, I work closely with the marketing team, who assist me in identifying on-trend practices, the latest power-food discoveries and suggest recipes made famous in other countries that would fit the brand. The 14 new menu items we launched early this year were based on the latest trends related to vegan products, healthycooking practices (no deep frying), using power-food ingredients and innovative, uncommon dishes, such as our hummus

truffle dip and Asian kale salad, served with a delicious peanut butter sauce. In terms of what’s next, I never stop working on new recipes and dish ideas that could fit the brand. However, we make it a point to ensure that these are launched in a timely fashion, so that they receive the recognition and credit they deserve.

What feedback have the new menu items generated?

Launching these 14 new items was quite an achievement for the brand. We were delighted to receive amazing feedback, where we saw a large number of firsttime customers returning for our new items many times over! To date, the most requested items are those involving the highest level of innovation. The hummus truffle dip stood out because of its fusion of local and European flavors, while the mango avocado rolls also emerged as another favorite, because they are not only vegan, but freshly-prepared with large fresh mango and avocado slices.

The salmon sashimi salad was a great hit, due to the twist of combining Asian and French cuisines. The wild salmon teriyaki is one of our bestsellers, probably because we retained the delicious flavor of this renowned dish, while adding healthier side sauces and using wild brown rice. bar-tartine.com

hospitality starts here

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NEWS

SUPPLIERS

READ MORE ONLINE HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM

PASTRY CHEF PIERRE ABI HAILA’S FINDS THE ORIGIN OF VALRHONA’S TULAKALUM CHOCOLATE In its quest to further add value to its existing proposition, premium French chocolate maker Valrhona chose 10 chefs who have been working and promoting the brand, to an all-inclusive tour to one of its plantations in Belize, for a first-hand experience of the journey that the cocoa bean makes from start to finish. Chef Abi Haila talks to HN about this incredible journey. “I was the only candidate from the Middle East and Africa region to be elected. The initiative is to familiarize the chefs working with the brand, with the entire process the various chocolates go through from seed to finished product. We literally spent days meeting, discussing and learning what the various steps in this unbelievably elaborate operation are. It was fantastic to experience, firsthand, the process, which we have extensively read about but never got to be part of. It Valrhona Tulalakum 75% Tulalakum has no soya lecithin, thanks to its high percentage of cocoa and high level of fat.

VALRHONA valrhona-chocolate.com

Nestlé announces global launch of a new Starbucks home products range

The new range consists of 24 products, including whole bean and roast and ground, as well as the first-ever Starbucks capsules developed using Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto proprietary coffee and system technologies. nestle.com is an entirely different kind of experience that has truly changed the way I approach chocolate. We got to experience the missing human component, which opened my eyes, affording me a new-found respect for the cocoa bean itself and the people responsible for delivering the best product they possible can. 'Together' which is the Mayan meaning of the new Tulakalum 75 percent, speaks volumes, since it has been made according to professionals’ expectations, who are very much looking for a slightly sweet chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa. Finding the origin of this bean – slightly sweet, quite bitter, beautiful notes of ripe fruit – was a big plus for me and all the more reason why I chose to work with the Valrhona chocolate brand.”

„ I ONLY ACCEPT

MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE !

My focus is on the guest. I do everything for that, and I expect maximum performance from my equipment. The MKN FlexiCombi won‘t let me down. Its performance inspires me every time anew. And so I inspire my guests.

MKN FlexiCombi Performance redefined.

#mychoice |

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR-MAY 2019

IN BRIEF

WWW.MKN.COM

P&G Joins TerraCycle’s Loop to significantly decrease its carbon footprint

The Procter & Gamble Company announced at Davos, Switzerland the introduction of reusable, refillable packaging on some of its most popular products as part of a new effort that aims to change the world’s reliance on single-use packaging and disposable waste. Additionally, new 'collect and recycle' circular solutions that help eliminate waste were also introduced as part of a partnership with LoopTM, a circular e-commerce platform developed by international recycling leader TerraCycle. pg.com

Photo : Publimage - Philippe Barret

CARANOA 55%, A DELICATELY CARAMELIZED GOURMET DARK CHOCOLATE By adding AOP lightly salted butter, crème fraiche from Normandy and fleur de sel from GuÊrande to gourmet chocolate, we have done something never before imagined and created the first ever dark couverture with lightly salted butter caramel.

We selected the finest ingredients before expertly and generously blending them with our luxury cocoas to give you an authentic chocolate with no added flavors. Caranoa is the most gourmet of all dark chocolates.

Its warm notes lend themselves perfectly to special moments shared with family or friends.

A genuine treat for your taste buds.

Distributed by Pierre Azar Trading SAL - PO BOX 306 1227 2030 ZOUK MOSBEH - LEBANON - TEL: +961 9 933 024

HORECA NETWORK

LEBANON PREVIEW

HORECA LEBANON 2019

GUEST OF HONOR

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR-MAY 2019

QUESTIONS TO CHRISTOPHE BACQUIÉ 3 MICHELIN STAR CHEF Restaurant Christophe Bacquié was one of two restaurants to receive its third star for the first time in the Michelin Guide France 2018. Housed in Hotel du Castellet in the picturesque Var region, Christophe Bacquié’s eponymous restaurant is famous for its Mediterranean-influenced dishes that shine a spotlight on seasonal produce and seafood. Chef Bacquié spoke to HN about what his coveted stars mean to him and his experience in the Middle East 1. Restaurant Christophe Bacquié was awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide last year. What effect did this latest achievement have on you and has it led to changes in your kitchen or restaurant?

This announcement was a source of great pride for me and my team! The biggest change has been our number of covers, which has already more than doubled. The clientele has become much more international, but we have not changed anything in our kitchen, which continues to evolve.

2. Your restaurant is known for dishes that have a strong Mediterranean influence. Have you ever incorporated Middle Eastern flavors into your kitchen?

I use cumin with a chickpea, coriander and candied lemon salad. Another dish with influences from the Middle East is grilled mackerel with smoked aubergine caviar- the same as I had seen on one of my first trips to Lebanon. Middle Eastern

cuisine is rich in flavors. It belongs to a very interesting family; one based on sharing.

public and the professionals the values that I live by every day.

3. You have been appointed Honorary President of the Bocuse d’Or and Guest of Honor at HORECA Lebanon this year. How would you describe your Bocuse d’Or experience and how will you approach your role at HORECA?

4. What are your views on Lebanon and your expectations ahead of this forthcoming visit?

The experience of the Bocuse d’Or is an exciting one. The work that is done by the teams and the countries is remarkable, with total commitment to the event. I viewed this appointment and offer to partake in this contest, which resonates with us all for several years, as a great honor.

This year was different, since it was, unfortunately, the first edition without Mr. Paul Bocuse. Last year, Mr. Robuchon also left us; he was the last Honorary President, so you can imagine the weight and emotion that I felt. It is also a great honor for me to be the President of HORECA. I will try to be as present as possible, to transmit to the

I've been to Beirut twice before and found it to be a fascinating city; its people are kind and there’s a sense of ‘welcomeness’ and sharing. I cannot wait to see this city again, to taste and discover new products and share the conviviality that comes with having a meal.

5. The Lebanese chefs are strongly influenced by French gastronomy and even have a ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ campus in the city. What advice would you give our future leaders?

The French gastronomy still influences many cooks around the world. The Cordon Bleu itself is a highly-renowned school where top-level courses are given. My advice would be: cook with love and passion, while highlighting the products of your country and your identity in your dishes.

APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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HORECA NETWORK

LEBANON PREVIEW

NEW AT HORECA Hospitality News Middle East shares a snapshot of the latest exhibitors' products that you can spot at the show

MEESOO AT HOME

KARAS Karas Wines represents a rebirth of regional viticulture from the land where wine began.

SLID-SAL slid-sal.com, karaswines.com

HOT BRAIN A Polish-made energy drink, popular across Europe. All ingredients that go into the production are purchased from certified suppliers PL GROUP

The premium Italian tiramisù is now available in home packs.

MEESOO ME SAL meesoo.me

J.GROVE RAW ENERGY

CALLEBAUT CHOCOGELATO

J.Grove’s delicious and wholesome combo of raw nuts and dried fruit.

J.GROVE https://jgrove.co

EDIKIO Edikio price tag solution is attractive. It strengthens your brand image, is easy to use and hygienic. This is the new trend of labeling.

GETAWAY get-way.com, pricetag.solutions

With the ChocoGelato range, you have the first ready-touse chocolate gelato mix at your fingertips with real Belgian chocolate. And with Gold and ruby chocolate, that makes five flavors of chocolate!

EMF MIDDLE EAST emf-me.com

STILCO New grilling barbecue concept

by STILCO. STILCO FOOD & KITCHEN EQUIPMENT stilcolb.com

GLORIA® This powerful food grade pressure sprayer from Gloria® has been tested and approved safe by the Eurofins Food Testing GmbH, for the use in any foodprocessing company.

BOECKER® PUBLIC HEALTH COMPANY boecker.com

SLICING MACHINE EUROPA TYPE 370 Italian-made slicing machine belt-driven, suitable for cheese and ham slicing, medium duty machine entirely made from highly polished satin finished anodized aluminium to prevent rust and for better hygiene.

HAKIM DOWEK & SONS kallassi.com

POFFERTJES MAKER The professional electric poffertjes maker by Krampouz makes it possible to prepare mini pancakes.

The appliance can cook 50 poffertjes simultaneously.

BEHACO S.A.R.L

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR-MAY 2019

EVENTO BUFFET The EVENTO collection is a unified, practical and modular design.

INTHRA SARL inthra.com

MINI COMPACT PITA BREAD LINE A small make-up pita line with a production of up to 400 bread per hour.

FARHAT BAKERY EQUIPMENT farhatbakery.com

LOTUS Modular cooking equipment with 2mm thickness top.

LOTUS SPA leonindustries.net LEON

WHEN YOU CARE ENOUGH TO HAVE THE BEST

Beirut, Lebanon www.vresso.com

Tel: +961 4 712 300 vressofoodservice

Fax: +961 4 712 301 vresso

EVENTS

SEEN & HEARD

GULFOOD 2019 REVIEW The 2019 edition of the world’s largest annual food and beverage trade fair, Gulfood, wrapped up on February 21, after a week of frenzied activity at the Dubai World Trade Centre This year’s theme, The World of Good, The World of Food ensured the fair was a truly global edition, with international Michelinstarred chefs participating in the Tastes of the World competition, a first for Gulfood.

Gulfood highlighted how innovation is playing a key part in the health and wellness sector. “The phrase ‘you are what you eat’ has been around for a long time, but now its meaning has been extended and applied to personal values,” said Monique Naval, an analyst with the consultancy Euromonitor International. “Organic, free-from, ethical, halal, fair trade, sustainable… consumers are linking health consciousness with conscientiousness when they think of ‘good’ food.” Naval added that while this trend was still nascent in the GCC, it has been growing

steadily in Western markets.

A major takeaway of the exhibition was that rather than competing on price, businesses should instead focus above all on corporate responsibility and quality assurance.

This trend toward premiumization was welcomed by many, especially given current fluctuations in commodity prices.

Quality standards have intensified, with new technology playing a key part in this area.

The concept of quality is also extending to ‘value-added’ ingredients, like Chia seeds, Vitamin-D infusions and Nitro. These and other fusions were a highly popular feature at the event.

One of the busiest booths at the fair was Beyond Meat, a plant-based burger patty

company, based in the Netherlands.

Another major attraction was Monin’s new La Flavour de Monin range which contains zero-added sugar or sweeteners.

Perhaps the most interesting takeaway of Gulfood 2019 was an acknowledgement that in today’s consumer-led F&B landscape, brand loyalty isn’t as strong as it once was. Consumers are willing to try new things that guarantee quality and appeal to their personal and physical wellbeing. This state of play means there is an until now, rarely available advantage for niche players to tap into a market with huge potential and convert consumers who are hungry for the next big thing. gulfood.com

NEW AT GULFOOD MOSSTRICH LTD’S OSTRICH MEAT (SOUTH AFRICA)

KARAM COFFEE ‘THE WORLD IS YOUR MAJLIS’ (UAE) Karam has gone back to the roots of Arabic coffee to provide you with a ‘pure’ coffee experience and the opportunity to add your choice of spices.

KARAM COFFEE karamcoffee.ae

When it comes to combining great taste and healthy eating, ostrich is a truly superior meat.

MOSSTRICH LTD mosstrich.co.za

BEYOND MEAT, PLANT PATTIES (NETHERLANDS) Plant-based products that aim to replicate meat. The Beyond Burger is juicy, meaty and an almost-exact replica of a poultry patty.

BEYOND MEAT beyondmeat.com

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR-MAY 2019

JUST WATER JADEN SMITH (USA) 100 percent spring water, sourced domestically from Glens Falls, NY, where high-quality drinking water is abundant.

JUST GOODS, INC. justwater.com

EVENTS

WHERE TO BE SEEN

SYNCHRONIZED FOR SUCCESS The need for synchronization between master developers, owners and operators will be increasingly critical as demand for sustainable tourism grows, Jonathan Worsley, founder of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), tells Hospitality News Middle East

Jonathan Worsley

Under the theme ‘Synchronised for Success’, AHIC 2019 will debate and discuss numerous demands on the Middle East’s hospitality industry and the need for investors, owners and operators alike to be aligned as they tackle these. As our event, which is being held in Ras Al Khaimah from April 9 to 11, approaches, I believe that this need for synchronization will be of utmost importance in the growing domain of sustainable tourism – a topic we expect to be pivotal to conversations at the AHIC. The industry’s major stakeholders all have significant roles to play. Destinations, tourism authorities and master developers have a responsibility to not only protect and maintain their environments, but to encourage them to prosper. For investors and lenders, there’s an obligation to finance projects and properties with a long-term sustainable vision and for owners, a mandate to maintain portfolios that are environmentally aware.

Operators must be accountable too, committed to managing these assets sustainably for the appreciation of future generations. Ultimately, all players must be synchronized for the hospitality industry to achieve a legacy of sustainable tourism.

Current demand Haitham Mattar

John Pagano

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR-MAY 2019

The demand for sustainable tourism is growing, a trend fueled by younger generations – the oft-mentioned millennials and post-millennials, also known as generations Y and Z, or, as we like to call them at AHIC, ‘The Avocado Generation’. According to James Wrenn, senior manager, hotels (MENA region) for Colliers International, who is presenting on this topic at AHIC under the title ‘Wellness, eco, agri and adventure tourism for the avocado generation’, “These travelers, with

their strong sense of civic responsibility, believe travel is not just a reason to get away from regular life, but a way of learning from life.”

Wrenn cites the UN World Tourism Organisation, which expects some 1.6 billion eco-inspired trips to be taken by 2020, and highlights regional examples of progress in this field as being Jebel Akhar, Ras Al Hadd, Musandam and Sur in Oman, and Hatta and Ras Al Khaimah – AHIC’s host – in the UAE.

For investors and lenders, there’s an obligation to finance projects and properties with a long-term sustainable vision In an era where people are increasingly conscious of the need for conservation and yet hungry for new, more personalized travel experiences, fostering a positive relationship between tourism and the environment is critical.

The CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) Haitham Mattar explains the emirate’s approach, following the success in 2018 of the launch of the Jebel Jais Flight, the world’s longest zipline. The attraction has welcomed more than 25,000 flyers since opening 12 months ago. It highlights Ras Al Khaimah’s natural beauty and has strengthened the emirate’s credentials as a sustainable, adventure tourism destination.

“At the heart of its sustainable tourism strategy, RAKTDA applies principles in day-to-day decision making and

CALENDAR APRIL 21 - 23 Apr. KSA THE HOTEL SHOW SAUDI ARABIA Jeddah Center for Forums and Events Dmg: Events Middle East & Asia thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

Amaala, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve

25 - 27 Apr. CHINA, PR Shanghai Hospitality Design&Supplies Expo SNIEC Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co., Ltd. hdeexpo.com

MAY

Luxury camp project in Jebel Jais

operations that make a positive difference to the tourism industry at home and set an example for other destinations to follow,” Matter tells me. He says this can only be achieved by working “hand in hand with travel and tourism stakeholders and local communities to derive the maximum economic and social benefit from tourism”.

“There are many projects in the pipeline and areas of growth and developments aimed at further enhancing Ras Al Khaimah’s sustainable offering,” continues Matter. These include the development of a luxury camp project in Jebel Jais, being operated by Mantis and expected to break ground in 2019. “It will have a total of 47 luxury units and offer a unique ecofriendly and luxury experience,” he reveals.

The Red Sea Project

the local environment. Most recently, it has developed a groundbreaking application of conservation and development planning with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

The Marine Spatial Planning process, created by KAUST’s biologists, ecologists, oceanographers and modelers, in collaboration with TRSDC’s architects, engineers and master planners, has informed The Concept Master Plan for the luxury destination, which promises to deliver a net positive conservation benefit of up to 30 percent within the next two decades. John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC, sums up the rationale behind such pioneering practices perfectly.

We’re excited to be showcasing two of the Kingdom’s giga-projects: Amaala, a bespoke hospitality experience located within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve, and The Red Sea Project, situated along the Western coast, at AHIC.

“Our objective is to set new standards in sustainable development, respecting the species that were here before us, creating opportunities for the local communities and enhancing the destination for the future. We aim to be the world leader in environmental sustainability across all phases of development – planning, construction and operation – so that the site will actually benefit from being opened up to tourism and will flourish as a result.

And we will share the knowledge we gain and the lessons we learn with the rest of the world in the hope that we can inspire other destinations around the globe.”

The Red Sea Project will be created around an archipelago of more than 90 islands, surrounded by thriving coral reefs, dramatic desert canyons and dormant volcanoes, and heritage sites. Master developer The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has already undertaken more than 30 ecological studies throughout the design and development phase to ensure all plans actively enhance

What better example of being synchronized for success is there than this? Ultimately, the future success of the hotel and tourism sector relies on it being sustainable. How successful it will be is intrinsically linked with the industry’s combined efforts to ensure our business is sustainable as possible, on a social, economic and environmental level. arabianconference.com

All eyes on giga projects The UAE may be making progress when it comes to sustainable tourism, and indeed, can be commended for longstanding efforts, such as the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, but it is Saudi Arabia that is making great strides in the area.

7 - 9 May BELGIUM SEAFOOD EXPO GLOBAL BRUSSELS EXPO Diversified Communications seafoodexpo.com/global 18 - 21 May USA NRA SHOW McCormick Place, Chicago, USA Winsight show.restaurant.org

JUNE 11 - 14 Jun BRAZIl FISPAL FOOD SERVICE Expo Center Norte Informa Exhibitions fispalfoodservice.com.br/en

is the PLATINUM MEDIA PARTNER for Arabian Hotel Investment Conference - AHIC 9 – 11 April 2019 Ras Al Khaimah For up-to-the-minute news and event coverage follow www.hospitalitynewsmag.com HospitalityNewsME hospitalitynewsme Hospitality_Mag hospitality-news-middle-east

APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

37

BUSINESS

INTERVIEW

EXCLUSIVE

A PIONEER OF INDUSTRY

Dr. Fady Gemayel is the co-owner and honorary chairman of Gemayel Freres, a family-owned corrugated cardboard and packaging company celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

He is also the current serving president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists. Dr. Gemayel spoke exclusively with Hospitality News ME about the state of the industry, the challenges he's faced and future trends

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR-MAY 2019

What can you tell us about the company and its continuous quest for excellence?

Gemayel Freres has always been driven by its pursuit for quality and service excellence.

To that end, the company has developed an exceptionally exhaustive quality management assurance system, which in 1998 saw it obtaining ISO certification. Besides our relentless efforts to ensure the fulfilment of all our customers’ needs, we were also driven to be in compliance with ISO 26000 Corporate Social Responsibility guidelines, while concurrently seeking and executing environmentally centric projects.

What are some of the services the company offers its faithful clientele?

Gemayel Freres is proud to have introduced, in 1929, recycling to the area, a technology which today has become quite popular, if not necessary. However back then, it was incredibly challenging. Following on its drive to meet customers’ needs, the company introduced in 1956 corrugated cardboard packaging to the region. Since then, Gemayel Freres has been at the forefront in finding ways to better serve its customers by providing them with sustainable packaging solutions, innovative products and dedicated excellent service. We have also been introducing various packaging types with several printing possibilities and processes. These have allowed us to become Lebanon’s one-stop shop, providing all types of packaging products with diversified printing options and highquality graphics. Furthermore, we have a full range of cardboard corrugated profiles on offer, which are of the B, C, F and E grade level. This offering lends way to an array of capabilities, which we put to the service of our customers. We also are proud of our dedicated team and its design department capable of providing innovative solutions in regular packaging, P.O.S. displays, promotional items, fast-food packaging and all other custom-specific needs. That offering is further boosted by our ability to provide a reliable service with guaranteed delivery dates.

Keep in mind that customers’ needs are continuously evolving, necessitating that we do so faster to be able to anticipate and accommodate future demand. One interesting factor is that today, packaging has evolved quite significantly, especially when it comes to playing a key role in logistics and export purposes. Furthermore, packaging has also become the ‘quiet salesman’ driving a sale. For that reason, quality and sophistication in the design have become a must. To that end, we offer our customers a diverse palette of choices when it comes to the variety of materials used and the printing processes available. We work with our customers using sophisticated software to provide them with the most

suitable solutions that best serve their products. Another equally important aspect, which is also part of our DNA, is our ability to ensure delivery under extremely tight deadlines. After all, we are a service-oriented industry and have built our name on our ability to satisfy customers’ needs and, in turn, ensure their growth and success.

One last noteworthy aspect that should be highlighted is the fact that today’s customers are keener to employ environmentally friendly solutions and the corrugated packaging we offer them is the right one. This has been made possible thanks to our clear vision and unobstructed foresight. This in turn has enabled us to be at the forefront of providing some of the most innovative solutions around.

Can you talk us through the difficulties incurred in the past?

Our long-term commitment to this industry has seen us rebuild our completely destroyed factories twice to ensure continued service of our customers and the industry as a whole. We also, during that period, lost our standing in the country’s recycling business due to the war, which we regained to re-emerge as the country’s leading fully integrated corrugated cardboard producer and one of the few integrated paper production facilities in operation throughout the region.

What can you tell us about Lebanon’s recycling industry?

I am proud to say that Lebanon is on par with the world’s advanced economies, recycling industries. Keep in mind that around 70 percent of packaging is made out of recycled paper. Furthermore, we have the privilege of not only having introduced recycling gear, but also growing Lebanon’s cardboard industry through commitment, resilience and various investments, with specialized producers, all of which now

see us proudly exporting some of these products to regional companies.

What are the biggest problems currently facing Lebanon and how can these be resolved?

Our drive for recycling led to us to the acquisition, with our partners, paper companies in France, the latest being a specialized leading producer of white paper for packaging in that market as well as one of Europe's most independent players. On that note, I am proud that from Lebanon, we have managed to position ourselves as important players on the international level. Having said that, there are many challenges ahead for Lebanon. We definitely need to boost our recycling capabilities and to organize the channels of collection and recovery. The, unfortunately, are threatened by some of the solutions advocated for solid waste management. Furthermore, the recycling industry in Lebanon is not granted special considerations when it comes to energy costs, which are extremely high compared to neighboring Arab states and Europe, especially since we play an important role in the economy.

What are your expansion plans?

Gemayel Freres has always been at the forefront of meeting its customers’ needs.

That is why we have invested heavily in offering what customers might demand in the near future. We have a very solid platform of possibilities and our drive now is to make our bouquet of offerings available to a wider range of customers locally, regionally and internationally. This is one of our main focus areas, which would not have been possible were it not for our proud Lebanese and international partners.

First corrugated mill team 1956

End of year general gathering at the plant

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MARKET UPDATE

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THE UAE HOTEL MARKET OUTLOOK A review of the latest hotel performance indicators, outlook and insights on the UAE hotel market, focusing on the Emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the Northern Emirates of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Fujairah, from Talal Yousif, Director of HVS As the UAE continues on a path of sustained economic growth and real estate development, the country is facing challenges, with the recent economic stagnation and the imbalance between supply and demand. However, opportunities have also emerged related to the diversification and momentum growth of its key source markets (India, Saudi Arabia, UK, China, Oman, Russia, USA, Germany, Pakistan and the Philippines), the build-up to the World Expo 2020 and the expansion of Dubai’s hotel offering landscape into the growing midscale category. Another issue worth mentioning is the tourism-related taxes and fees - including the 5 percent

value added tax (VAT), introduced by local authorities in 2018 - which may potentially hinder the competitiveness of Dubai and the UAE in general and the overall performance of hotels across the country in the long term.

Indeed, in an effort to boost tourism and encourage investment, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCTA) has recently announced that the overall tourism and municipality fees for hotels in Abu Dhabi would be reduced from 10 percent to 5.5 percent (tourism fee down from 6 percent to 3.5 percent and municipality fee down from 4 percent to 2 percent.)" While there has been undeniable rate pressure across all the emirates in the past four years, occupancy levels have shown resilience in shifting market dynamics.

According to the latest statistics from the Dubai Tourism Commerce & Marketing (DTCM), Dubai welcomed 15.92 million overnight visitors in 2018, marking a new high, supported by momentum year-onyear (y-o-y) growth across its key source markets with Russia (+28 percent), China (+12 percent), France (+17 percent) and

UAE HISTORICAL OCCUPANCY PERFORMANCE % (2008-2018)

Germany (+12 percent) leading the way.

Looking at the historical trends of key hotel performance indicators, along with our analysis of supply and demand dynamics, major infrastructure and tourism-related developments, and geopolitical and economic shifts in the market, we can derive insights related to achieved occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates.

Occupancy Dubai, positioned as the undeniable international travel and tourism hub in the region, demonstrated the strongest occupancy performance in the UAE, attributable to the diversity of its demand generators targeting all market segments (FIT, leisure, corporate/commercial and MICE), which minimizes its seasonality, as well as its diversified and targeted dependence on multiple key source markets.

Occupancy levels have remained firmly in the high 70-percent levels for the past three years, with the government of Dubai implementing proactive policies to stimulate demand growth by relaxing UAE visa regulations for key source markets, such as Russia and China.

Due to its higher dependency on corporate demand, Abu Dhabi occupancy underperformed compared to the country average from 2010 to 2012, then recorded steady growth to reach 76 percent in 2015, before declining over the last three years.

Since 2013, Abu Dhabi has overpenetrated the country average, on account of increased visitation from key source markets and a diversified tourism offering focused on family entertainment, business, arts and culture, and medical wellness.

Since 2014, both Abu Dhabi and Dubai

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have become internal competitors with the Northern Emirates, notably in the growing staycation segment.

The Northern Emirates have remained below the country average since 2014, due to the variance in maturity level of tourism infrastructure across these emirates, as well as the number of tourism arrivals; however a positive growth trend has been registered since 2016. It is worth noting that occupancy in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) has been relatively strong and stable in the last three years and registered robust growth of 15 percent in 2018, following the successful implementation of a clear tourism vision to position the emirate as a leisure destination with a distinct offering focused on outdoor adventure and family leisure, and the development of a cluster of international resorts on Marjan Island.

ADR Dubai achieved an ADR of USD 201 for the 10-year period 2009 to 2018, well above the UAE 10-year average ADR of USD 137, followed by Abu Dhabi (USD 165) and the Northern Emirates (USD 114). All three markets gave their strongest performance in 2008, due to the robust economic growth levels recorded before the global economic recession and financial crisis in 2009.

An upward trend in ADR was observed in Dubai from 2011 to 2014 with four consecutive years of growth, in contrast with a declining trend in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates. Ras Al Khaimah remains today the top ADR performer among the Northern Emirates, driven by the successful execution of its tourism strategy and distinct resort offering on Marjan Island. RAK has also consistently outperformed Abu Dhabi in ADR performance over the last five years, except in 2017. It is also worth noting that Dubai benefitted exceptionally well from the Arab Spring in 2011, which led to a surge in GCC tourist arrivals, since Dubai was perceived as a safe haven holiday destination in the region, which helped it to achieve strong ADR growth over the same period.

While all three markets have been on a declining trend since 2014, Dubai rebounded in 2018, with 12 percent y-o-y growth in ADR, while the Northern Emirates’ ADR levels seem to have bottomed out.

RevPAR The UAE 10-year average RevPAR was USD 97 during the 2009-2018 period. From 2013 and onwards, RevPAR has declined across all markets, due to several factors including, but not limited to, strong new hotel supply growth outpacing demand growth, resulting in rate pressure. Other contributors include the drop in oil prices, as well as the currency devaluation against the US dollar in key source markets which, in turn, has led to a shift in target markets and pricing sensitivity patterns.

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After three years of decline, Dubai RevPAR recovered in 2018, with the strong rebound in ADR performance as occupancy levels remained stable. Abu Dhabi’s declining RevPAR trend in the last three years (-32 percent from 2015 to 2018) is due to hotel oversupply and limited demand growth, which has suppressed both occupancy and ADR levels in recent years.

HVS outlook Our outlook suggests a positive growth trend in occupancy in the next five years, on the back of government-led tourism initiatives to further diversify and consolidate tourism offerings and the anticipated demand growth and spillover effects from the World Expo 2020. Abu Dhabi is expected

The Northern Emirates will develop their unique value proposition to differentiate their destination and tourism offering to register 7 percent growth in occupancy in the next five years, benefiting from the expected increase in leisure demand across its key source markets, supported by the recent addition of world-class cultural institutions and leisure attractions, such as: the Louvre Abu Dhabi; the Qasr El Hosn heritage site; the Warner Bros.

World Abu Dhabi theme park; and the future completion of the Saadiyat Cultural District project, which is set to position Abu Dhabi as a global cultural hub. As a result of Abu Dhabi’s repositioning as a leisure and cultural destination, coupled with upcoming development projects, the city is expected to register strong growth in RevPAR in the next 10 years. The Northern Emirates will develop their unique value proposition to differentiate their destination and tourism offering which will ultimately complement Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Occupancy levels are expected to stabilise in the next 5 to 10 years as a result of a post-World Expo 2020 market correction and a balance readjustment between supply and demand.

Average rates and RevPAR across all three

markets are expected to increase in the next five to 10 years, with governmentled initiatives further diversifying tourism offerings and building on the momentum of increase in the number of international tourist arrivals, along with the expected completion of major tourism developments, the upcoming World Expo 2020 event and the anticipated convergence and stabilisation of the gap between supply and demand growth.

In line with Dubai Tourism Vision 20222025, Dubai set another ambitious tourism strategy to attract over 25 million visitors by 2025. Given the latest figures published by DTCM, this target is likely to be achieved, with the support of strategic investments, innovative destination promotion programmes, proactive policy reforms in relation to entry visa regulations and longterm strategic partnerships with key source markets, which will ultimately contribute to a sustained and diversified growth in visitation over the long term.

HVS research methodology HVS conducts an annual overview and analysis of the performance of the Middle East and North African market based on actual historical data collected from a comprehensive sample of over 680 branded hotels, representing approximately 170,000 rooms located in 42 major cities across 13 countries and operated by over 20 internationally and regionally recognized hotel operators. This extensive research lays the foundation for the HVS Annual Middle East Hotel Survey, which has been conducted and published by HVS over the last 15 years. HVS outlook relies on a set of growth assumptions based on extensive market intelligence, research and experience in terms of supply and demand historical trends and forecasted growth rates, taking into consideration factors such as macroeconomic indicators, new hotel supply pipeline and demand generators, such as large infrastructure and tourism developments, and government-led tourism policies. hvs.com

UAE HISTORICAL ADR AND REVPAR PERFORMANCE USD (2008-2018)

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HOTELS

INTRODUCTION TO MID-MARKET RESORTS IN THE GCC

Hampton by Hilton, Al Marjan Island

Christopher Lund

The different kind of resort types in the region include beach resorts, city resorts, desert resorts, mall hotels, marina hotels and nature resorts, as shown in the exhibit below.

Examples of typical mid-market resorts include Aloft Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, the upcoming Hampton by Hilton and Rove on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.

Mid-market resorts in the GCC today

Thuku Kimani

Christopher Lund and Thuku Kimani from Colliers International examine the case for mid-market resorts in the GCC nations of the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain For the purpose of this article, we have defined mid-market resorts as follows: • 3-Star and 4-Star resorts • Hotels with direct access to a major leisure demand generator • Hotels with a strong leisure demand base compared to other demand segments

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According to research at Colliers International, there are currently approximately 55,000 resort keys in the GCC, encompassing all levels of luxury. From the total GCC resort supply, only 17 percent are categorized as mid-market resorts and only 6 percent of total GCC mid-market supply is categorized as mid-market resorts.

Moreover, the majority of the supply is not affiliated with an international operator/brand and no single international operator has a presence that exceeds over 1,000 keys.

The KSA has the largest composition of mid-market resorts as a share of resort supply, representing 35 percent of total resort supply. However, the UAE has the largest existing supply of mid-market resorts, as well as the largest pipeline. The mid-market resort supply in the UAE is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 15 percent from the end of 2018 to 2022, Colliers said.

Some of the key success factors for the mid-market resort segment include being able to reach the international mass market, as well as price-sensitive domestic tourism. Accessibility is a key parameter with these resorts, although properties that are very central are usually avoided, since this tends to increase the cost of land for investors and room rates for hotel guests.

Mid-market resorts are now increasingly targeting the growing price-sensitive

INTERNATIONALLY BRANDED MID-MARKET HOTELS (AS % OF TOTAL MID-MARKET SUPPLY)

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58% 58

31% 31

20% 20

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travelers in the GCC, buoyed by the rapid increase of inbound travel from source markets fitting this criteria, such as India and China. There is growing evidence that greater opportunities exist in developing and investing in mid-market resort assets, since they typically have lower development costs, low barriers to entry and a less competitive landscape when compared to the upper-tier, 5-Star resort segment.

Opportunities for mid-market resorts in the GCC United Arab Emirates Given their tourism product and resources, each of the seven emirates is well suited to introduce mid-market resort supply offerings to complement the existing resort supply.

Typical mid-market resort opportunities include: • Beach resorts (all seven Emirates) • City resorts (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) • Nature/heritage resorts (Northern Emirates) • Desert resorts (all seven Emirates) • Theme and water park resorts (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah)

Oman

Beach resorts are the most common typology of mid-market resorts in the GCC today Kingdom, which would appeal primarily to the domestic and regional segments, as well as religious tourists extending their stays beyond Makkah and Madinah.

Kuwait The government of Kuwait is increasing its focus on the development of leisure

tourism within the country. This is evident in the country’s most recent economic plan - Kuwait Vision 2035 - and the numerous mega projects, such as Silk City, which have been earmarked for development. This gradual advancement is expected to open up long-term opportunities for the resort segment in Kuwait, which has historically been smaller than those of its GCC peers.

Bahrain Bahrain’s millennia-long history as a trading hub, which dates back to its role as a key node between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, has provided it with an unusually rich legacy of archaeological and historical landmarks, including two UNESCO heritage sites. The kingdom also boasts a flourishing shopping and entertainment sector which attracts a healthy base of regional inbound travelers by road. These fundamentals provide a strong argument for the development of resorts, especially the midmarket variety, to complement the existing and planned high-end resort supply, which is significantly higher than in other segments. colliers.com

GCC MID-MARKET RESORTS (EXISTING SUPPLY BY TYPE) 4% 1% 4% 3%

Oman is home to many eco, cultural and heritage attractions including four UNESCO World Heritage sites, which demonstrates its strong potential for resort supply. Several marketing campaigns have been launched in recent years, including Oman Tourism Development Plan 2040, in an effort to further promote tourism in the country.

Given the tourism product and resources, key destinations for mid-market resorts include: • Beach and city resorts (Salalah, Muscat and its surroundings) • Desert and nature/heritage resorts (Nizwa, Jabal Akhdhar and Jebel Shams)

Jeddah (beach resorts) and Greater Dammam (beach resorts) represent the main resort destinations in KSA. However, leisure and entertainment tourism represents an integral part of the Vision 2030 plan, which includes objectives such as development of facilities and entertainment options to sustain tourism growth in the country.

Although the upcoming high-profile resort developments are likely to focus on 5-Star resorts, an abundance of mid-market resort opportunities still exist throughout the

Beach Resort City Resort Desert Resort

22% 66%

Mall Resort Marina Nature Resort

KSA Currently, Riyadh (city resorts and Istirahas),

Aloft Palm Jumeirah in Dubai

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SERVICED APARTMENTS A GROWING SECTOR According to 2018’s Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report, there are over one million serviced apartment units worldwide in over 13,000 locations, providing hotel-like amenities. These alternative accommodation facilities have become particularly popular among two categories of travelers, namely the business and family segments. Nada Alameddine, partner at Hodema Consulting Services, explains Business travelers have long favored fully equipped flats with a homey feel over more impersonal hotel rooms, while larger families often prefer the space and lower costs that apartments offer. Overall, visitors can save up to 30 percent when choosing an apartment. Furnished serviced apartments have undoubtedly benefited from the huge success of Airbnb, enabling them to carve a niche as a middle ground between privately owned homes and hotels. Its latest addition aimed at business travelers - Airbnb for Work – reflects the rising popularity of the model.

Independently managed units go through specialized distribution channels, such as online travel agents (OTA) to reach clients.

The most efficient strategies are online direct booking platforms, which allow users to seek out competitive deals, supported by aggressive marketing policies. These account for more than half of the business.

The Middle East benchmark The trend is gaining momentum in the Middle East, with Dubai’s status as the largest and most mature market in the region making it the target destination for investors.

The spike in construction of new hospitality

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establishments in recent years has benefited the furnished serviced apartments segment – resulting in 232 establishments and 29,000 keys according to Colliers International – alongside more traditional types of lodging.

From these units, 35 percent are managed and operated by international operators.

Dubai’s portfolio features larger flats than the usual European and American offerings, which enables them to accommodate bigger GCC families. Expats also favor serviced flats, especially those in high-scale buildings.

Many properties have thus been converted from residential properties into furnished serviced apartments to meet rising demand.

The spike in construction of new hospitality establishments has benefited the furnished serviced apartments segment – resulting in 232 establishments and 29,000 keys Gaining momentum International hotel chains have been keen to get in on the action, although the move to furnished serviced apartments has not been challenge-free for operators. One problem has been the perception that as an offering, furnished serviced apartments are deemed too standardized, sometimes dull and uncustomized. Hotels have tackled these challenges by creating brands that contain hotel inventory, also known as aparthotels, with larger rooms and apartments, designed facilities and amenities. This influx of funding by big players has drastically increased the number of apartments, in some cases by up to 50 percent of their accommodation.

Dukes Dubai Hotel in Palm Jumeirah, for example, now has 279 guestrooms versus 287 apartments. Other brands focusing on these offerings include: Hilton (Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites); Marriott (with six brands, including Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, Marriott

Executive Apartments); IHG (Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites); Accor (One Fine Stay, The Sebel and Adagio); and Rotana (Arjaan and The Residences). Rotana has even launched a pilot scheme with Airbnb in Dubai, where the online platform is preparing to list some of the group’s inventory.

In Saudi Arabia, Ascott, a non-hotelier group, shares the segment with Boudl, which also operates in Kuwait. In terms of number of units, Riyadh comes second behind Dubai, with more than 24,000 properties and 160 properties respectively, according to Colliers International. Jeddah and many secondary cities also have high potential for expansion.

Frasers Hospitality is another name expanding its portfolio in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. The Qatari market, meanwhile, is primarily supported by expatriates, a trend that should continue in the coming years. In Egypt, all eyes are on the new administrative capital currently nearing completion, with many investors already contemplating lucrative deals. International chains such as SAS and Accor are diversifying their traditional hotel offering in Cairo to focus on furnished serviced flats.

Lebanon, however, is slightly different; while the country has a mid-end segment, featuring brands such as The Living and The Standard II by Beirut Homes, many fully furnished flats are not serviced and are rented through OTA platforms or property management companies. Short-term rentals are favored by budget travelers, mostly from Western countries.

High occupancy levels In terms of occupancy levels, Dubai and Abu Dhabi (more than 7,000 units) remain the traveler’s top choices, with a rate of 80 percent. Overall, furnished serviced apartments companies across the region record higher occupancy levels than hotels, but with a lower average rate. However, they compensate for their reduced rates with lower operating costs and higher profitability. hodema.net

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WHAT IS WELLNESS SHAPING UP TO LOOK LIKE? with neuroscientists and psychotherapists for part-mind and part-body workouts.

While the benefits of spa and wellness activities have long been known to reduce stress and help us recharge our batteries, recently, there has been an increased focus on adopting a more holistic, mindful living approach all round. Today, it seems, we’re looking beyond beauty and fitness, and embracing the broader concept of wellness as part of a longer-term investment in our physical and mental health needs. Chirine Salha, senior consultant at Ulysses Consulting, tells us more Eco-friendly consumers want health clubs, spas and resort hotels to be as sustainable as possible. More operators are providing healthy food offerings, with gluten-free and vegan menus. Fitness wise, a rise in the popularity of organic and fair-trade sportswear, as well as clean eating, have led many gyms to dedicate space to incremental spends, such as juice bars and retail. Wellness destinations are now also collaborating

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Spas and fitness centers stand to benefit from adapting to this changing wellness perception, which prompts several questions, including: what are consumers now demanding as part of their wellness experience and how is this changing the offerings of spas and gyms? And which trends are currently impacting the wellness industry or look likely to in the future?

Wellness coaching Fast gaining in popularity, wellness coaching focuses mostly on the mental aspects of wellbeing. Personal trainers are increasingly implementing the techniques of wellness coaching into their fitness practices, such as goal-setting.

Hi-tech future It is imperative that spa and health club operators embrace and keep up to date with technology. This area is now seen as so critical to success that new managerial posts have been created to drive and support it, such as head of personal analytics and chief digital officer.

Forward-thinking operators will realise the hi-tech future rests not just with their own equipment, but with the gadgets their members bring with them, such as apps and wearable technology. The wellness pairing with technology will further

manifest itself through myriad adaptations.

These include: - Group exercise will be more of an audiovisual experience, with live ‘on-screen’ instructors, such as the F45 concept, which offers worldwide simultaneous workouts from a database of over 3,000 different exercises. This approach allows access to a larger pool of experts through virtual trainers, which enables facilities to offer world-class instructors and a variety of skills and workouts.

- Spas and health clubs are moving away from the traditional reception desk, instead welcoming guests with a tablet computer equipped with cloud software and sensors that can identify their latest workouts or treatments and personalise them.

- Although not yet a familiar sight in the Middle East, on-site 3D printing of beauty products, such as spa products and cosmetics, is poised to be a huge trend. 3D printing on site has a range of benefits, resulting in consumer products that are bespoke, fresher and with fewer preservatives, while also reducing storage space requirements, and shipping and delivery costs. This will have a significant impact on the relationship between suppliers and operators.

Small is beautiful Boutique gyms and micro gyms are taking the market by storm. These centers

specialize in one specific area of fitness, such as cycling studios, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) studios, boutique boxing studios and functional training circuits. Fitness enthusiasts increasingly want to feel part of a community and know they are getting value for money by paying for exactly what they need and nothing more. This has led to consumers becoming more targeted and seeking out a specific type of workout or equipment at clubs before joining.

The gym market is witnessing rapid growth in the low-cost gym segment, with less floor space dedicated to luxury amenities, such as large pools and bespoke facilities. Low-cost gyms are focusing more on body-weight training and less on equipment. This means less investment in equipment which can quickly become obsolete, and easy-tolearn workouts that are suitable for any age group and level of ability.

Hyper-personalized beauty New opportunities to customize treatments are set to emerge. Beauty brands are offering online skin coaching and using in-store computer technology to create personalized treatments and products. Today’s mindset is that customers are now collaborators and involved right from the start of the treatment or experience creation, not just on the receiving end of it.

Fast and effective: medi-spas and short wellness breaks Patrons want immediate results and instant visible improvements. Medi-spas offer non-surgical treatments for face and body enhancement. Medi-spas in the Middle East are especially popular with local residents, while their prices are more competitive than those for facilities found elsewhere. Treatments offered range from Botox to Cryotherapy and Ultherapy, provided by visiting doctors and licensed dermatologists.

However, medi-spas require heavy investment for the purchasing of machines and involve high consumable costs per treatment. They are also often on the receiving end of fast-advancing technology, which can lead to machines quickly becoming obsolete, driving down selling prices.

Another trend popular with health enthusiasts who are pushed for time is the mini wellness break. This option enables customers to maintain wellbeing and enjoy a recharge over a shorter period of time, usually without needing to travel far.

Hotel spas and health clubs Hotel spas were traditionally located in dead spaces or basements and given limited importance. However, today they

have been repositioned with a high profile on the back of the rise of the wellness movement. In fact, these facilities are championing their lifestyle and expertise offerings beyond the spa’s facilities and into the overall programming of the hotel, through room amenities, prebooked treatments, and spa and room packages. Reflecting the prominence spas are now being given, hotel operators are even introducing new high-ranking posts in their organizational structures; for example, Six Senses and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts International (FRHI), have introduced spa and health club vice presidents at the corporate level. So how does the Middle East wellness industry compare with the more developed European markets? European facilities are characterized by a more clinical experience, such as medi-spas, health farms, and prescribed exercise and diet programs. They enjoy climate therapy

Forward-thinking operators will realise the hi-tech future rests not just with their own equipment, but with the gadgets their members bring with them, such as apps and wearable technology at high altitudes, pure air, healing and relaxation concepts, or water therapy with thermal spring and thalassotherapy treatments. In contrast, Middle Eastern spas focus more on design, space and luxury. The supply is channeled more toward hotel and day spas than resort and wellness centers. Social and lifestyle aspects are another big consideration.

The major challenge faced by the wellness industry in the Middle East has been finding skilled manpower. This may be due to the fact that the industry has very few spaspecific and physical education collegelevel courses and training programs.

Nevertheless, these beauty and fitness movements represent a significant opportunity to remain relevant and ahead of the game in a changing environment.

The wellness landscape is evolving at such a pace that we could soon witness the emergence of wellness cities on a par with Dubai’s sustainable city; hubs where everything has been designed with wellness in mind and wellbeing is the core value of the community living there. Given this possible trend, the Middle East region could definitely benefit from a stronger online presence and better wellness awareness through fitness and beauty events, and sponsors, at a regional level. ulysses.consulting APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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Jo&Joe

MILLENNIALS THE GAMECHANGERS When it comes to the hospitality industry, millennials have become one of the most important target markets.

Catching the big fish A glance at the international scene reveals that the big names have led the way in acknowledging the importance of millennial guests, customizing their products and brand to solely fit the needs of this segment.

With a median age of just 22 years, the Middle East is one of the world’s most youthful regions. Millennials, or Generation Y, account for one quarter of the region’s population and are expected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025.

Ralph Nader, CEO of Amber Consulting, shines a spotlight on this demographic of digitally savvy young adults born between 1980 and 2000, who hold such huge potential if targeted correctly

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When arriving at the Moxy Hotel, Marriott’s millennial-oriented hotel brand, designed with social media lovers in mind, guests are given a free drink at check-in at a bar replacing the front desk. “It’s a playful hotel and you walk into a really interesting public space,” said the project’s lead architect, John Calhoun. “We’re glad it’s part of the whole downtown honkytonk row experience.”

Launched in 2016, Canopy by Hilton is a far cry from the usual formal luxuriousness of the Hilton. Guests can check in with their mobile device and head straight to their rooms. In addition, they get to start each day with an artisanal breakfast made with fresh produce from the vicinity and then participate in neighborhood art and music programs with local talent. Evenings, meanwhile, provide opportunities to sample local wines, beers and spirits free of charge.

In order to enhance the travel experience for millennials, the Aloft Hotel has focused primarily on high-tech concepts and design in its strategy. Innovations include being able to use a phone to unlock the room (Starwood Preferred Guests [SPG] Keyless) and smartly-dressed robots that double as bellhops. When hungry, customers can order customizable meals through digital kiosks with just a few clicks.

In a separate development. Accor Hotels has announced the launch of Jo&Joe, a new hotel brand that combines the private rental, hostel and hotel formats. Each hotel will be an ‘open house’ concept, designed to foster interaction and positive community living, with common areas and events, such as concerts, yoga classes and workshops, which are also aimed at attracting the local community. In addition, the restaurant concepts will have a focus on local cuisine, from grill food to open-flame barbecues, woks and wood-fired pizzas, as well as a collaborative kitchen, where guests can cook for themselves and showcase their culinary talents to other hotel visitors.

What about the F&B? It’s important to remember that the millennial generation is seeking experiences that are richer, but still affordable, with menus that are more experimental, more

In collaboration with technology is also playing a role by making stays more personalized and convenient.

At Hotel EMC2, for example, two robots, Leo and Cleo, deliver bottles of water, toothbrushes and extra linens to rooms, upon request.

3. Local favorites. While millennials are often looking for adventures, they also value local experiences. At the Hyatt Centric, staffers are encouraged to share information about their favorite local spots with guests.

4. Social media addicts. A strong online and social media presence is crucial for a hotel to attract this generation, with 73 percent of millennials checking a company’s social media feed before booking, according to study carried out by Viga. The research also found that 33 percent would cancel their booking if a hotel had no social media presence.

ethnic and more sustainable, offering seasonal, local and organic produce. This represents a marked change from the super-sized, all-you-can-eat sales strategies of the 1990s. This trend also reaffirms the core driver for this market of quality of experience versus price. Producing a hotel F&B experience that finds the right balance between these two factors is key to attracting these visitors, with their insatiable appetite and curiosity.

Instant access to menus, restaurant imagery and reviews via mobile devices are also important to enhance the millennial customer’s experience. According to YAYA Connection, 65 percent of social media conversations are about where to eat out. In addition, a strong online presence with sharing content or ‘Instagrammable’ pictures is a must for attracting millennials.

Whilst still in its infancy, the use of mobile devices to pre-order meals in hotels or place room service orders represents a growing opportunity to align products with millennial expectations.

Room sizes are being slimmed down and greater emphasis is being put on creating large communal spaces, with integrated F&B support 5. Room service and menu revamp: Many hotels targeting millennials have moved away from the old-fashioned room service trays with silver domes by adapting the grab-and-go concept or even having food delivered in environmentally friendly packaging and a paper bag that customers can take out with them.

6. Social consciousness. This generation is highly eco-conscious and hotels will need to embrace that ethos to attract them.

When choosing a hotel, millennials will look into aspects of the hotel’s sustainability, from eco-building certifications to sustainability programs for energy, water and other utilities, alongside its waste management techniques.

7. The MENA scene. In a region of big demand but short on supply, Middle Eastern millennials are displaying traits that are both interesting and unique.

8. On the rise. This generation accounts for around one quarter of the region’s population, or 108 million people.

Millennials are expected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025.

9. Highest spenders globally.

According to Visa, when it comes to travelrelated spending, millennials in the Middle East part with more of their cash than the rest of their generation living elsewhere.

Visa’s findings show that Middle Eastern millennials spend twice as much on travel as their European counterparts.

10. Highest number of millennial entrepreneurs. A report by HSBC found that 63 percent of business owners in the Middle East were aged 35 or below, which makes the region home to the highest proportion of millennial entrepreneurs in the world.

11. Highest brand loyalty. Millennials in Saudi Arabia and the UAE display significantly more brand loyalty than their peers in Australia, the UK, Japan and the US. In the UAE, 43 percent of millennials consider only one brand when purchasing flights, while just nine percent adopt this approach in Australia.

Despite the potential this generation offers regionally, the number of hotels targeting them remains low.

Commenting to the Washington Post, Scott Greenberg president and chief executive of hospitality management company SMASHotels, hit the nail on the head when he said: “If we attract young people, old people will show up. But if you build a hotel for old people, young people never show up.”

So Middle Eastern hoteliers what are you waiting for? amber-consulting.com

Mama Shelter

11 transformation trends 1. Mingle and socialize. Room sizes are being slimmed down and greater emphasis is being put on creating large communal spaces, with integrated F&B support. Open concept lobbies, equipped with contemporary furnishings, from social media video walls and board games to crafted cocktails and grab-and-go bites, are leading the way.

2. Technologies ‘à gogo’. From highspeed free Wi-Fi to serving robots, new technology is an essential requirement to satisfy the demands of millennials. In-room APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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TECHNOLOGY

Ted Horner Owner

E Horner & Associates

In collaboration with

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY WHAT’S NEXT? What will hotel owners likely see in the next three to five years and how can we drive technology adoption in the hospitality industry?

David Sjolander COO

Hospitality Technology Next Generation

The 2019 edition of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) takes place from April 9 to 11 under the banner ‘Synchronised for Success’. Dedicated to the topical issue of Disruption, the first day will explore the various trends, challenges and developments impacting the hospitality industry, with technology inevitably a key focus.

AHIC founder Jonathan Worsley sat down with technology experts Ted Horner, owner of E Horner & Associates, and David Sjolander, chief operating officer, Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), ahead of their session at the event, and asked them for their thoughts on how disruptive technologies are redefining the hospitality landscape.

Jonathan Worsley: “Technology and its potential to reshape the hospitality sector is high on the agenda at AHIC, so this year’s conference will feature our second annual ‘Day of Disruption’. We are bringing leading minds in the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Blockchain to share their insights on what these mean for hotels.

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What do you see as the biggest technology trends in hospitality in the next three to five years?”

Ted Horner: “Having just visited a hotel in Seattle that has installed an Amazon Alexa device in every room, I believe voice assistants have the potential to redefine the guest experience in hotels. There are now close to 100 million of these devices in households in the US and this number is expected to grow dramatically, now that both Amazon and Google are actively marketing these products not just to consumers, but to the hospitality industry as well.

“In addition, with the expectation that the number of installed IoT devices will exceed 31 billion by 2020, I believe that the Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to automate and streamline processes in hotels. Marriott is already working with Samsung and Legrand to develop an IoT guest room lab, with the intention of personalizing the guest experience.”

David Sjolander: “IoT can increase efficiency, improve the guest experience and provide

data for analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). It is complicated, and there are many security and privacy considerations, but there’s also great potential.”

Worsley: “What about disruptive technologies such as Airbnb and other social marketplaces? Are they likely to continue to disrupt the hospitality industry?”

Sjolander: “Technology is likely to enable disruptive business practices rather than be disruptive on its own. Technology did not disrupt the taxi industry, Uber did, with technology as a key enabler. Alternative lodging concepts and social marketplaces will steadily grow, continuing to blur the lines between hotels and residences.”

Horner: “Airbnb is constantly sited as a major disruptor for the traditional hotel marketplace and that’s why some of the largest hotel companies have purchased companies like Airbnb. Their technology, lower cost of distribution and local experiences for guests have seen them grow dramatically over the last few years. We in

Technology is likely to enable disruptive business practices rather than be disruptive on its own the hotel industry need to learn from them and try to use technology more effectively so we can compete with them on a more equal footing.”

Worsley: “How do you see AI impact the way we operate hotels?”

Horner: “AI is going to have a huge impact on our industry and the voice assistants I mentioned earlier already use AI extensively.

AI-powered analytics technologies are going to allow hotel companies to analyze data and extract actionable information to make quick business decisions.”

Worsley: “What about Robotics?”

Sjolander: “Robotics will find a place, but our industry will be resistant to replacing people with machines due to the nature of hospitality. Guest-facing robots will be a novelty, but more robots will find a home in the back of the house.”

Horner: “Robotics have a huge future, in the first instance to automate dull and dirty tasks such as vacuum cleaning. There’s a company that has created Robotic cleaners that can take five minutes off the cleaning time of a room by a housemaid.”

Worsley: “With all these technologies

likely to impact our industry significantly, what do you see as the biggest challenge in technology adoption?”

Horner: “The biggest challenge is that owners are not willing to invest in technology to the same degree as in other

industries. Owners are willing to spend big on refurbishments, but not necessarily on technology, as they either do not understand the role technology plays or are not convinced of the return on investment (ROI).

Decision-making is slow and many owners do not want to be early adopters.”

Sjolander: “The industry is fragmented; most hotels have an owner, a management company and a brand, and they’re usually multiple entities. By the time a new technology can be rolled out, it’s often outdated.”

Horner: “There are great examples of hotels that reap the benefits of being early adopters of technology though. Take Citizen M, for example; they rolled out some very cool technology from the get-go and quickly garnered positive reviews on TripAdvisor which led to increased interest, and over time, to higher room rates.”

Sjolander: “The ‘leading edge’ is often called the ‘bleeding edge’ for a reason though. If you want to be at the leading edge, you must be willing to accept failure. On the other hand, if you wait too long to adopt new technology that is demanded by your guests, you will fall behind with fickle and demanding consumers. As an owner, you must find the right balance that meets with your risk profile and is acceptable to brand partners.”

Worlsey: “What should owners and

developers be aware of in terms of hospitality technology investment?

And how can brands and owners work together to make sure technology is implemented to drive our industry forward?”

Horner: “Make sure that the investment is well thought out and adds value to the existing hotel technology stack.

Investing in shiny new objects without this value proposition being fully researched can lead to failure. Owners need to at times challenge the brand standards by getting an independent opinion on these investments. It’s worth remembering that owners and developers fund this technology, not operators.”

Sjolander: “If possible, owners should employ a hospitality technology expert or consultant who can educate them and represent them at a brand level. The relationship between brands and owners is often adversarial because they have different fundamental objectives, but the differences can be mitigated by balancing technology expertise on both sides.”

Horner: “The use of third-party consultants to provide an independent perspective will help bridge the gap that sometimes exists between brands and owners. Once the decision is made to proceed, having a dedicated project manager to drive the project is paramount to success.” arabianconference.com APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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TECHNOLOGY

In collaboration with

FROM ETOURISM TO RTOURISM

Artificial intelligence, service automation and robots are marking their first steps in the hospitality industry. Serge Chamlian, managing partner of h-hotelier, helps us navigate these unchartered waters One of the key competitive advantages of travel, tourism and hospitality companies is the creation of memorable guest experiences through various tangible and intangible tools. The use of robots provides an innovative way to create these unique experiences. Robotics provides vast opportunities for travel, tourism and hospitality companies to improve their operations and productivity, deliver consistent product quality and transfer some of the service delivery process to the customer.

Embracing the technology The implementation of robotics technology has taken effect in various sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors.

Hotels Chinese hotels are among the early pioneers in embracing this technology; Flyzoo Hotel, Alibaba Group’s first futuristic hotel, employs facial recognition technology for guests to check in, use the elevators and unlock the doors to their rooms, while also adopting voice command technology to control room appliances. Moreover, robots roam the hotel restaurant, delivering food and mixing drinks at the bar. Robots have not entirely replaced humans in Flyzoo Hotel; the property still employs cleaners and reception staff to assist guests who do not want their faces scanned, prefer to check in using the conventional method and open their rooms with key cards. However, this hotel certainly serves as an incubator for the technology that Alibaba wants to sell to the hotel industry in the future.

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The hotel Henn na (Japan) represents the first robot-staffed hotel, featuring robotic front desk agents, porters, inroom assistants, vacuum cleaners and a robotic arm operating the luggage storage room. In 2014, Starwood’s Aloft Hotels (California) started testing a robot named Botlr to deliver toothbrushes and towels to hotel guests. The robot can navigate the hotel, use the elevator and call a guest’s room to deliver requested items to their door. In 2016, Hilton Hotels launched a robotic concierge called Connie that can communicate with hotel guests, answering their questions about hotel amenities and services, and providing suggestions for nearby attractions and activities.

Flyzoo Hotel, Alibaba Group’s first futuristic hotel, employs facial recognition technology for guests to check in, use the elevators and unlock the doors to their rooms Travel agents A robotic virtual agent named SARA provides tourists in Singapore with information on local attractions, restaurants, sightseeing, directions and transportation services. SARA detects the location of a tourist by using a GPSintegrated module and provides real-time assistance and (re)orientation.

Airports A bag-drop robot has been tested at Geneva International Airport, which meets customers outside of the facility, scans their boarding passes, prints out luggage tags and stores the luggage in a special compartment. The robot can take up to two suitcases and deliver them to the luggage area inside the airport, allowing travelers to avoid lines and proceed directly to the security area.

Museums Robots can be used in a museum or gallery to provide information about the exhibits,

answer questions, direct visitors to the exhibition halls, toilets or other areas. In fact, they lend themselves to these set-ups for several reasons: firstly, a robot guide in a museum is operating in a confined space which can be easily mapped in its entirety, thereby facilitating movement within the building; secondly, it faces a relatively limited number of humanrobot interaction situations, almost all of which will be related to the provision of information about the exhibits or the premises; and thirdly, the robot is based indoors, protecting it from the effects of the weather. Given the fact that museums and galleries often occupy large physical spaces, robots could also be used for cleaning floors.

Cruise ships The adoption of modern technology on cruise ships has been more visible to passengers when robot-shaped. Two companies stand out in this field, namely Royal Caribbean, which introduced robotic arms named the Quantum of the Seas at the bar in 2014 that could prepare a wide range of drinks, while Costa Cruises launched Robot Pepper, complete with human-like features, to interact with passengers. Robot Pepper forms part of the crew and is able to give information about the ship itself and the activities available on board.

Now and then The use of robots in travel, tourism and hospitality is still at an early stage.

However, companies are increasingly taking their first steps by adopting them in areas such as: the provision of information (hotel receptions, museums and galleries); gardening (automated lawnmowers); cleaning ( robotic vacuum cleaners and robotic pool cleaners); airports, as guides; restaurant kitchens and bars, for cooking and bartending; and room service delivery.

The hope is that existing customers will find them fun and exciting, while new customers, especially technology fans and families with children, will be keen to discover more about them. h-hotelier.com

BUSINESS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

EXCLUSIVE

CUISINE AND CALLIGRAPHY AT IDAM - DUCASSE PARIS What were your earliest experiences of cooking?

My parents had a restaurant in Chartres, not far from Paris, and since we also lived above it, food was at the heart of everything during my childhood. The cuisine my father created was simple, but very authentic French dishes, using traditional ingredients, such as cream and butter. I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about school, but really enjoyed the kitchen environment, so felt that cooking could be the path for me.

When I was 16, I had the opportunity to go and work in La Turbie, in the south of France, at L’Hostelliere Jerome with Chef Bruno Cirino (2 Michelin Stars). The menu featured Mediterranean cuisine, which was the opposite of what my father had been making; almost overnight, I had to switch from butter to olive oil, and move from long, complicated recipes to more spontaneous dishes. I loved the food I’d

One of the things Alain Ducasse always tells us is that the more you travel, the more you realise how much you still have to learn as a chef Damien Leroux has led operations at IDAM, Michelinstarred chef Alain Ducasse’s award-winning restaurant situated at the top of the iconic Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, for almost two years.

Here, the executive chef talks to HN about the ingredients he’s discovered since arriving in Qatar, the inspiration that his surroundings are generating and his commitment to supporting local producers

learnt to cook back home, but suddenly I was confronted with a new vision. I spent two amazing years there, discovering many, many new products, tastes and ways of cooking. I learnt that provided you have the right ingredients and a few spices, the creative work is largely straightforward.

What have you learnt in your time working for Alain Ducasse?

One of the things Alain Ducasse always tells us is that the more you travel, the more you realise how much you still have to learn as a chef. He encourages us to take inspiration from every country we visit, picking up new flavors and untried methods of cooking along the way. When working for him in Provence at La Bastide de Moustiers, we offered a small menu that was changed daily, rather than an à la carte one, and featured ingredients that were all from the garden. This focus on working with simple, but perfectly matured ingredients was extremely enlightening.

Another important point in my career came when I moved to London from Monaco to work with Gordon Ramsay and Clare

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Smyth for the opening of the Dorchester.

This marked a really important transition in hospitality for me since it taught me about managing a restaurant from a business viewpoint.

What have you discovered about Qatar’s culinary potential while working here?

When I arrived in Doha, it was like a huge door opened on Africa, Europe and Asia combined, bringing all their spices, flavors and methods of cooking together in one place, which is really exciting. We have people from 14 countries on our team, for example, each bringing with them different ingredients and ways of using them, so there’s plenty to discover. Every day, I ask a member of staff to come up with something new for me to try – I enjoy being surprised in this way! There’s lots to learn outside too, whether it’s from eating out or a simple walk through the souk. This cultural mix and its impact on food is one of the truly fabulous things about Qatar.

What new ingredients have you identified?

The first that springs to mind is loomi, a type of dried lemon found in both black and yellow varieties. The lemons are traditionally dried on the rooftop to preserve them. I love using them when making a broth or in a sauce served with fish. I also discovered a local truffle - the fagga variety, which is also found in north African countries - last year. I learned about this delicacy from local farmers, who told me where the truffles could be found in the rocky, northern part of Qatar. I asked the farmers to show me how they prep and cook the truffles and then decided to launch my first one-dayonly menu featuring them. People told me I was crazy and that we wouldn’t find enough to create the dishes I had in mind, but we persevered and they were absolutely delicious! I now plan to do a menu using the local truffles again this year.

What local produce are you working with in Qatar?

Qatar’s cooking heritage encompasses both fish, from the time when the fishermen used to dive for pearls, and the Bedouins who lived in the desert and ate more meat. The local fish, which includes red mullet, kingfish, red snapper, seabream and blue crab, is excellent in quality, and I work closely with the fishermen to ensure they know what I want.

IDAM, Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse’s award-winning restaurant situated at the top of the iconic Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

The same is true for the butchers – it’s important to let them know what I’m looking for – and they provide me with some superb lamb and camel meat. I’m a firm believer in supporting the local farmers and this is especially true when it comes to those growing vegetables. Right now, I’m working closely with a number of producers who are just beginning to implement organic farming methods, which is very exciting. They’re really keen to obtain the consistent quality we require and are very good listeners. My advice was to start small and progress step by step rather than try to create a full garden, and that’s what they’ve done. The results so far are amazing, with local farmers now producing an impressive range of vegetables that includes eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers and chilis – most of the basics, in fact. I’ll add a few international ingredients from France, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran and India, for example, where

necessary, but I try to use as much local produce as I can.

What can you tell us about the dishes you’re creating?

Our cuisine is Mediterranean cuisine with a Middle Eastern twist. We often combine French and Qatari delicacies, such as camel served with fois gras, to celebrate both countries. There’s no greater satisfaction than when Qatari diners come up to me and say that the dish they’ve eaten takes them back to the food they enjoyed in their childhood.

The food is also inspired by our location – this amazing space that we occupy, the light, the shapes and the perspectives of the Museum of Islamic Art. One of the desserts - IDAM Chocolate - is shaped like the top of the museum, while another, which is a pastry with raspberry and horseflower, is inspired by the water feature on the ground floor.

At Alain Ducasse, we recognize that

location is a crucial factor when creating our menus. Diners want to feel part of the local scene when eating out and don’t want to find the same dishes in Monaco, London and Paris, for example. We are focused on adapting, giving the dishes a local touch and ensuring diners really enjoy the food.

Seasonality is of course always important in Alain Ducasse restaurants, so we change the menu four times a year.

Have you felt it necessary to adapt your cuisine to accommodate the current vegan trend?

I’m actually very familiar with vegan cuisine since my wife is a vegan chef! Veganism is actually an old concept; we have a book in our library featuring a vegan recipe that dates back to the 16th century. We certainly recognize the rising demand for vegan and vegetarian dishes, which is why every menu at an Alain Ducasse restaurant features at least one dish containing vegetables and cereals, combined with herbs and spices, and is dairy and gluten-free. In fact, Alain Ducasse was very much ahead of the game in this field, since, when he opened his first restaurant in Monaco around 30 years ago, he created a garden menu that contained no animal products.

My wife’s cooking has opened many new doors and provided me with exciting ideas on how to create different taste and textures, such as vegan cheese using almonds and cashew nuts. It’s amazing what can be done with these ingredients and has undoubtedly ushered in a new way to eat. Our role is to inspire people to eat better every day and this way of cooking is certainly playing a big part in achieving this.

APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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DOS AND DON’TS OF HOTEL F&B food in the hotel they chose, as opposed to the café down the road?

Baked goods, pastries and juices can be readily available buffet style for guests to choose at their convenience but in the effort of preserving the maximum freshness, offering hot items in an à-la-carte format is the way forward. At the end of the day, guests know and appreciate quality and it is our job to captivate their food attention inside the hotel rather than outside.

While the food and beverage If we consider a hotel guest that eats (F&B) offer might not be at the forefront of a visitor’s mind when breakfast and dinner in the main restaurant booking a hotel, its contribution of the hotel, they are receiving the exact same dining experience at dinner that toward the overall experience they had that morning at breakfast. The should never be underestimated. only difference is that the coffee cups and condiments have been removed from the Daniel During, principal and management director of Thomas tables and extra forks have been provided.

Klein International, takes us Dining distinctions do We cannot apply the same principles across through the dos and don’ts F&B is an integral part of a hotel as it introduces countless touchpoints in the complete hotel guest experience. These could be grabbing a coffee to-go in the lobby lounge while checking emails, indulging in fresh croissants during the breakfast rush before heading out to explore the city or treating yourself to a burger and fries from room service when you feel like staying in and cozying up under the covers.

All-day dining don’ts When contemplating the dos and don’ts of F&B in hotels, our first thoughts are drawn toward the main ‘all-day-dining’ restaurant, the epicenter of a hotel’s F&B strategy. It’s fair to say that not all hoteliers have embraced a fresh interpretation of the all-day-dining concept and are adamant about sticking to the traditional buffet format for breakfast, lunch and dinner meal periods that we see today in many hotels.

Naturally, a buffet format is the most operationally efficient option for the kitchen when it comes to accommodating 200+ hotel guests during the breakfast morning rush, but at what expense? As a consumer who enjoys dining out for late breakfasts during the weekends, I’d much prefer to have my eggs prepared à-la-minute instead of rummaging through chafing dishes of scrambled and fried eggs that have been sitting on display for hours. Why would a hotel guest not expect the same quality of

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the whole day in one restaurant, as one size does not fit all. Hence, finding ways to create distinctions between the different meal periods is crucial, essentially creating two restaurants under one roof. Quality should always be at the forefront, adopting the strategy of being a strong restaurant that serves good breakfast rather than a restaurant that serves mediocre breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the case that your hotel has multiple F&B outlets, you have the opportunity to provide specialized concepts for target markets. While all the outlets are operating under one roof, treat each outlet as its own separate entity with its own personality, DNA and concept, targeted to either in-house or walk-in guests.

The recipe It is important to emphasize that the focus is never solely on the food and how it is served but rather the overall dining experience.

As restaurateurs, we don’t just create restaurants based on the type of food it serves, but as a collective of attributes that unite together to create a memorable dining experience. In our terms, it’s a recipe. What goes in to this recipe?

Here are just four of the many essential ingredients: • 1 tablespoon food • 1 tablespoon service • 1 tablespoon design • 1 tablespoon consistency

Food Great food just isn’t enough to complete the recipe on its own, nor to sustain the life of a restaurant in today’s market. Having seen

Mondrian Doha

many of our favorite restaurants close begs the question: what did they do wrong and what can we learn from their mistakes?

After all, if we don’t understand our customers’ needs and wants (across any industry) we will never be able to satisfy them. Right now, the concept of value is in everyone’s mind. Value is a core purchasing driver, with consumers aiming to get the best value (both monetary and experiential) for their money. This need for value is

We cannot apply the same principles across the whole day in one restaurant, as one size does not fit all defined as a global lifestyle consumer trend, which ultimately narrates consumers’ lifestyles, behavioral and spending patterns, as well as kick-starting trends. Let’s look at the concept of hyper-convenience, a global lifestyle trend that yielded self-check-out desks in retail and delivery-based food concepts. Restaurateurs understood that the customer of today values convenience, therefore evolved and adjusted their business models to offer inexpensive food, delivered directly to their office desk at lunchtime in under 45 minutes. No matter how widespread a trend might seem to be, one shouldn’t just jump on the bandwagon as trends generally come with short lifespans. The novelty eventually wears off

In collaboration with

and we transition to the next best thing.

The best course of action is to outsource the right consultants and marketers to investigate and understand these types of lifestyle trends that can help determine the triggers of food trends and provide foresight into what’s happening next.

Service Moving forward along the recipe, without a strong dose of service, the whole recipe falls apart. The human element within any business is that defining factor that can make or break a customer’s experience. Bad service leaves an awful aftertaste in the customer's mouth and isn’t easy to recover from.

We want our employees to showcase a level of service that meets and exceeds customers’ expectations, convincing them to return for seconds. Positively recognizing repeat customers, catering to special menu requests, understanding and anticipating customers’ needs before they do; these are the attributes that contribute to a memorable dining experience. It must be said also that these attributes inherently require the management’s time, effort and resources, without shortcuts. Train the staff at every restaurant alike, whether it’s a casual coffee shop or a Michelinstar restaurant. Knowing the menu, food concept and its origin is indispensable. Even if certain items aren’t on the menu of a pizzeria for example, should a customer ask for a staple or well-known Italian dish, the waiter ought to know what it is.

Design Think of a restaurant as a puzzle. The design is just one of the many pieces that fits together to create the final image.

If the design doesn’t match the final product, the image is incomplete. Too many times we come across restaurants which have these extravagant designs that do not flow with the concepts. For example, if your menu is based on a sharing concept where customers order several small dishes, designing the interiors with small tables with the capacity to only hold no more than two plates at a time is counterintuitive. This boils down to a disconnection between the designers and food curators during the conceptual stages of the restaurant creation process. Ensuring continuous engagement between all F&B consultants, interior designers and kitchen designers is the key to being able to create an end product that is visually appealing and operationally efficient, with maximum customer comfort.

Consistency Consistency is the binding agent, where, ‘you are only as good as your last meal’.

Any business’s goal is to ‘loyalize’ their customers by proving a product or service that is so good that they have no choice but to come back for more. Customers will know that their expectations will be met and exceeded on every visit, with no bad surprises. thomaskleingroup.com APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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In collaboration with

F&B FUNDING AN APPETITE FOR GROWTH

Raising capital to fund future development is pivotal in securing the future success of a company, including food and beverage (F&B) industry players.

Nagi Morkos, managing partner at Hodema consulting services, ‘shows us the money’

Like in any other trade, sources of investment come in different forms, as do the projects seeking financial support.

However, what’s specific to the F&B sector, unfortunately, is the high failure rate among restaurant businesses. Statistics show that a large number of projects fail to survive the first years, so investing in the food industry is not for the faint of heart… or stomach. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the figures don’t seem to put off prospective investors, with the global F&B market witnessing a boom in funding and

INTERNATIONAL FUNDS • AL KHAJA GROUP http://www.alkhajauae.com/ • EATHOS http://www.eathos.net/ • EMERGING INVESTMENT PARTNERS (EIP) http://www.eip-capital.com/ • ELITE LEVANT https://lev.elite-growth.com/ • FOOD CAPITAL https://food-capital.com/ • INTERNATIONAL TRADING FRANCHISES (ITF) https://www.itf.ae/ • MIDDLE EAST VENTURE PARTNERS (MEVP) https://www.mevp.com/ • TABLEZ https://www.tablez.com/

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mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the last few years. So what’s the allure?

The overview A quick glance at market and economic indicators could provide a partial answer.

Many countries have found themselves weighed down by financial and political uncertainty in recent years and investors are looking for a relatively safe bet to score big bucks. The thinking may well be: what doesn’t take a day off, rain or shine, and will always attract hungry and thirsty customers who view dining out as one of their main entertainment options?

Restaurants and cafes, of course.

Although there are few funds to date solely dedicated to F&B in the MENA region, with large groups investing in F&B for diversification purposes instead, the M&A activity has remained strong, even during slower economic periods. Venues open and others close at a rate of knots, setting high creativity standards for operators who are forced, through fierce competition, to be more imaginative.

This appetite for investment is particularly visible in the GCC, where the combination of a rising population, growing disposable income and a diversification of the economy beyond oil production into construction and tourism presents a good opportunity for investors. Diversification is the key word in Gulf countries that are keen to stabilize their economies. With the Expo 2020 in the UAE, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s

Vision 2030 moving forward, the region is poised to welcome plenty of visitors.

And those arrivals will all find what they’re looking for when it comes to F&B, from the traditional Arab feast to Westerninspired fast food venues. Each country has its own label: while Dubai remains the main draw for investment, being perceived as the gateway into the region, Saudi Arabia is hot on its heels, gaining a reputation as a profitable alternative.

Thanks to its large market and currency devaluation, Egypt also remains a strong contender, while Lebanon and Kuwait retain their status as destinations full of food lovers where many new concepts are tested, despite their smaller-sized markets.

The investors In recent decades, F&B investors have divided into two main groups: the first is made up of individuals or small companies setting up independent venues, which have traditionally been the core of the food business in the region; and the second category consists of large F&B investing companies that arrived later, in the 1980s, but quickly caught up by expanding into regional and even international markets.

Since then, these big players, such as Americana, Alshaya and Azadea, alongside others, have been setting the pace and are today synonymous with the Middle Eastern F&B world. They own and operate dozens of outlets and chains across the region and, with a proven track record, they bring their industry experience, alongside solid

financial credentials, to new projects, giving them a greater chance of success.

These F&B giants have played a major role in bringing popular Western chains into the region through franchising. Well-known names include: KFC; Hardee’s; and Krispy Kreme (Americana Group); Starbucks; Pinkberry; Shake Shack; and Cheesecake Factory (Alshaya), alongside others. Many foreign brands have chosen to team up with a local partner who can bring valuable experience of the region to the project, such as customer habits, local laws and regulations, and staff recruitment. Insider knowledge on these and other issues has proved to be highly beneficial and helped to make the franchising business a successful one. In Lebanon, the majority of franchisors and franchisees listed on the Lebanese Franchise Association (LFA) website are based in the hospitality business, with most Gulf countries offering incentives to franchisors and franchisees to support the market.

From the other side, some local operators are also reaping the rewards of partnering with famous international names to boost their dining credentials.

One possible downside is that funds tend to prioritize short-term growth to secure a swift ROI over a longterm plan, meaning the rules must be outlined from the start The funds In recent years, private equity funds, which are predominantly focused on real estate investments, manufacturing, education and healthcare, have also begun diversifying their activity by venturing into F&B to boost their return on investment (ROI).

One such fund, Food Capital, invests in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the F&B sector across the MENA region, with a primary focus on Saudi Arabia. Its portfolio includes Yummy Yogurt, Bun & Patty, Pimento and Maltoot. A separate initiative, Al Khaja Group owns and operates an array of high-end business activities, including fine dining restaurants, premium coffee outlets, fast food lounges, ice cream parlors and several globally renowned fashion and accessories brands, such as Hatam, Esfahan, Al Safeer, Café Hediard, Gloria Jean’s Coffees and O’ My Buns. Meanwhile, an equity fund that initially invested in acquiring regional names, such as Kababji and SushiArt, Eathos has transformed its business model into an operator and owner of four brands: SushiArt; Kababji; Tortilla; and

Joga. Other big equity fund names include International Trading Franchises (ITF), a UAE-based retailer established in Dubai in 2003 by the shareholders of the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, one of the most prominent family conglomerates in the UAE, owners of a range of franchised and homegrown brands, including Toni Roma, Jamaica Blue Coffee Shops and Beaver Tails. Another venture capital firm, MEVP funds innovative F&B-related companies, such as EAT, an F&B booking e-platform in the GCC and Levant countries, while the Lebanesebased fund Emerging Investment Partners (EIP), primarily involved in education and healthcare, has invested in the F&B cluster Backyard Hazmieh.

Alongside these Middle-East-born funds, others such as Tablez, are emerging from India. This sub-division F&B entity of Lulu hypermarket aims to buy predominantly US brands and open them in the GCC and India. The fund currently owns: Bloomsbury’s; Peppermill; Ming’s Chamber; Galito’s Flame Grilled Chicken; Famous Daves’ BBQ Pit; Sugar Factory; Grimaldi’s Pizza; and Pancake House.

Some European equity funds have also joined the race and are embarking on joint ventures and representations in the MENA to broaden their reach, having observed the region’s great potential. Created by the London Stock Exchange fund, Elite Levant owns Al Mayass restaurant and Al Rifai roastery, and aims to support SMEs in the F&B sector.

Such funds usually have a mid-term exit strategy and, following the funding of an F&B entity, rapid expansion is expected.

A four-year holding period is the F&B industry average before spin-off and the sale of the venture to another fund or investors with an added value. Specific purchase criteria usually applies, with brands expected to have market credibility, standardized operations and financial reporting systems, duplicable concepts, and be mainly positioned in the low-tomid-end market segment. One possible downside is that funds tend to prioritize short-term growth to secure a swift ROI over a long-term plan, meaning the rules must be outlined from the start: does the operating team want a silent partner or a hands-on collaborator, for example. Agreeing shared values and goals is therefore a pivotal part of securing success.

New opportunities, a growing customer base, diversifying economies and a little help from the authorities look to be combining to create a winning recipe for driving up investment in the F&B market in the coming years across the board, benefiting startups, private equity firms and franchising heavyweights. hodema.net APR-MAY 2019 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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PORTUGAL’S FINEST CULINARY STARS

HN reached out to five of Portugal’s globally recognized chefs who are raising the profile of the cuisine with their alluring culinary creations

JOSÉ AVILLEZ: PORTUGAL’S NATIVE SON One of Portugal’s most renowned chefs and restaurateurs, José Avillez opened Belcanto restaurant in 2012. The restaurant won a Michelin star that same year and earned a second in 2014. The following year, it made the prestigious The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Always on the prowl for novelty and diversity, Avillez, in 2018 teamed-up with Lebanese Chef Joe Barza to open Lisbon’s doors to an authentic Lebanese culinary experience, ZA’ATAR.

What roles do experience and context play in your culinary creations?

I grew up in Cascais, near the seashore, and was surrounded by pinewoods. The memory of being that close to the sea is so strong that it defines me. I remember eating Salicornia, a plant that grows on the beach, and today, I often use it in my recipes. Afterwards, I found myself falling in love with Lisbon, a magical city that was once the capital of the world and which remains a phenomenal inspiration for me.

Here I have the chance to cook for people

from all around the globe and I’ve tried to pay tribute to it by opening several restaurants that constitute meeting places and which I view as starting points from which to explore the city. In terms of cuisine, my greatest inspiration comes from traditional Portuguese cuisine, which is tremendously rich and varied. At Belcanto, we offer revisited Portuguese cuisine, combined with contemporary inspiration and made using top quality ingredients, prepared with exceptional accuracy.

How do you promote your cuisine?

One of the biggest misconceptions about Portuguese cuisine is that it is all about codfish. The fact is, in Portugal, we have a very rich and varied cuisine, as well as the world’s best fish and seafood. We combine traditional Portuguese cuisine with modern ingredients and techniques, finished with an innovative spirit. My mission is to promote Portuguese gastronomy through the several restaurants I have in Lisbon and Oporto that welcome thousands of foreign visitors each month. I also travel the world for about three months of the year, which affords me the opportunity to cook and exchange experiences, while promoting younger chefs. In addition, I invite international chefs to Portugal, so they can get to know our cuisine, while I continue trying to discover the relics and gems of Portuguese food. I believe our cuisine has everything it takes to be one of the best in the world and our gastronomy continues to garner higher levels of attention. We have customers who travel from New York to Lisbon just to have dinner at Belcanto. This would not have happened some years ago.

Do you agree that creating a simple dish can involve a complicated process, while, at other times, a complicated dish can be easily prepared?

Everything influences me, from my inner/outer world, memories, people I’ve met and journeys I’ve made to flavors, textures, movies and landscapes. For me, the creative process is very personal and complex - it’s a mental process that’s

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difficult to explain, and which usually reveals itself in new forms, often when I’m travelling or on vacation. Ideas start coming together in my mind. When I return to the kitchen and share these with my team, the new dish is usually 90 percent complete, allowing 10 percent for adjustments.

What or whom do you regard as your greatest influences and what are the biggest challenges when it comes to translating your ideas into reality?

My mentors are Maria de Lourdes Modesto, the most important Portuguese author on traditional Portuguese cuisine, and José Bento dos Santos, the most important Portuguese gastronome. I’ve also been heavily influenced by all of the great chefs I worked with and learned from, including Ferran Adrià, who played a life-changing role in my career, while teaching me how to think and broke down the mental barriers I faced, Alain Ducasse, Eric Fréchon and Antoine Westerman.

ANTÓNIO LOUREIRO: MOTHER NATURE’S BEST Guimarães is a city in northern Portugal, known for its well-preserved medieval buildings. It is also home to a relatively new concept restaurant called A Cozinha (The Kitchen) by Michelin star chef, António Loureiro, where sophistication and creativity intertwine, in harmony with nature and to the swaying rhythm of the seasons

What roles do experience and context play in your culinary creations?

The concept of A Cozinha was built on tradition and innovation. Tradition is a part of our heritage, as well as my memories, in terms of gastronomic values. Though I travel a lot to learn new techniques and develop more culinary skills, my own identity comes from my memories. In my family, gastronomic values were always very important, since everything was centered on the food made with love by our elders. It is a well-balanced formula which I emulate, using the best products in the region, sourced from the best suppliers, which I then prepare by means of creative cooking techniques to bring out all the flavors nature has to offer.

gave me the visibility that I needed to show the world my own identity and being in Guimarães, a small city classified as a UNESCO World heritage site, allows me to do just that. You could say that it is a winwin relation.

What or whom do you regard as your greatest influences and what are the biggest challenges when it comes to translating your ideas into reality?

My memories and the love I have for cooking are my greatest influencers, especially when it comes to using what Mother Nature has to offer with the coming of each season. Some 30 years ago, in my region, each family had a garden, where all sorts of animals were raised. They fed on lush, green grass and drank natural water.

It is a place where food was never wasted, because we learned to use the entirety of every product. This has been a long-held

tradition that we still practice, to ensure the purity of the elements we use to create our ever-changing menus, which I redesign twice a year. In so doing, I maximize the potential of each product, and also include what I call ‘Essays from a Cozinha’. Each essay tells a story created in collaboration with our clients over a two-week period, as I strongly believe that cooking is also about storytelling.

What difficulties have you had to overcome during your career?

Even though Portugal is a small country, we have a rich and very diverse gastronomic identity. Wining the Contest of the Best Cuisenaire of Portugal in 2014

OSCAR GONÇALVE: TRADITIONS REVISITED Oscar Gonçalve is head chef at G Pousada, a family-run establishment designed to establish Bragança as Portugal’s undisputed north-eastern culinary capital. Having earned his first Michelin star last year, Chef Gonçalve is determined to highlight the region’s traditional cuisine, using locally sourced products and employing contemporary techniques.

What roles do experience and context play in your culinary creations?

Being raised in a family that devoted itself to the restaurant business was crucial in defining who I am today and what I do. My brother and I spent part of our

childhood in the kitchen, watching our mother preparing the food that our father would then serve. That kind of dedication to guests inspired me to learn and perfect the art of cooking.

What difficulties have you had to overcome during your career?

The way I see it, G Pousada is a project that definitely demands a good dose of passion and commitment. Nevertheless, we have a massive advantage – namely, the quality of Portuguese food and our deep and varied kitchen culture. Although there is certainly a long way to go for the cuisine to become globally recognized, Portuguese products are among the highest quality found anywhere.

What or whom do you regard as your greatest influences and what are the biggest challenges when it comes to translating your ideas into reality?

There are definitely far too many to list,

but if I had to highlight a single person, it would be my mother. She was the one who contributed most during my initial phase as a cook. Her deep knowledge of traditional culinary arts constituted the basis of my formation, which today remains the greatest inspiration, especially when I’m designing my next menu.

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TIAGO BONITO: THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE Tiago Bonito is the executive chef at Largo do Paço, the Michelin-starred restaurant previously run by renowned Chef André Silva at the Casa da Calçada Hotel, Amarante. His goal is to find ways to surprise his customers and, in turn, ensure they come back for more.

To what degree do the ingredients you use influence your menu offerings?

The ingredients always determine my menus and therefore need to be mainly sourced from the region to ensure freshness. Furthermore, to guarantee quality, we work with small local producers of organic vegetables and have direct contact with most of our suppliers. This is due to the fact that we want to share the best we have to offer at the right time with our customers. For instance, in winter, fresh catch and wild mushrooms are popular. In spring, asparagus, meat and milk take center stage, while in summer, fruits, fresh fish and other types of seafood are in demand. Keep in mind that the ingredients are the soul of the dish, which we are obliged to respect.

What or whom do you regard as your greatest influences?

My greatest influences come from experiences, mentors, chefs, literature and traditions. My sources of inspiration come from memories, childhood, home, family

and seeing others happy! As for the biggest challenge of translating ideas into reality, we always ensure that the products do not lose their identity or essence by respecting their origins, traditions and culture.

PEDRO ALMEIDA: JAPANESE FOOD WITH PORTUGUESE SOUL

Pedro Almeida, executive chef at Midori in Sintra, Portugal, drew his earliest culinary inspiration from his mother.

Many years later, this fueled a personal desire to please the palates of everyone who came to taste his creations. Almeida had also developed a love for Japanese food, which led to him soon building the foundations for what would become his special recipe for fusion cuisine, the first of its kind in Portugal. In 2018, recognition came in the form of his first Michelin star.

To what degree do the ingredients you use influence your menu offerings?

Local and fresh produce constitutes a

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major component of our menu. Even though Midori is a Japanese restaurant, we try to use as many Portuguese ingredients as possible in our cooking and naturally, our Portuguese roots have a great deal of influence on the flavors we create. Nevertheless, we also have a lot of exclusive products that are brought all the way from Japan just for us. Good examples of this are our Yakiniku dish, in which we use a very special pork meat from the Alentejo region in Portugal, cooked on a traditional Japanese Robata grill, and the Caldo Verde Miso soup, a traditional Portuguese soup recreated in a

Japanese way. The Tuna Tataki, in which we incorporate almonds from my mother’s hometown, is another such example.

What or whom do you regard as your greatest influences?

I have been influenced by many different chefs, which is why, at Midori, we do not adopt a cooking style that is 100 percent traditional. However, nowadays social media and cooking books are my greatest sources of inspiration and creativity. It’s not difficult to get ideas from pictures and videos, and bring them to life. However, it takes a lot of time, effort, and a trial and error approach, to achieve perfect results.

BUSINESS

BEVERAGE

WHERE BARTENDER MEETS CHEF

Alcohol and food have always reflected societal advancements. Today, the role played by both industry representatives are overlapping, thereby altering what previously were defined occupations. HN investigates

Can you give us any examples of this trend in practice?

Mike Kassabian

To learn more about how bartenders and chefs are now collaborating where cocktails are concerned, HN spoke to Mike Kassabian, who recently set a country first by winning both Diageo’s ‘Best Bartender in Lebanon’ and Diageo’s World Class ‘Cocktails at Home’ category challenge.

You’ve now won some of the industry’s most reputed awards, so what comes next?

To answer that, I have to return to the moment when I successfully reached the semi-finals of Diageo Reserve World Class competition. That was when I began to take a special interest in food-pairing.

After winning Lebanon’s best bartender competition and while competing in Mexico, I realized that the kitchen was where I wanted to be.

What does bartending have in common with being a chef?

Funny you should ask that, as I will be leaving for Norway tomorrow for a threemonth internship at Maaemo, which has 3 Michelin Stars, and is one of the world’s most awarded restaurants! Despite being accepted at NOMA, I opted for the former because

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they have a different approach to F&B. While there, I hope to learn a diverse range of techniques, which I will then employ to expand my culinary and bartending skills.

Are your plans related to the current trend for culinary cocktails?

This trend is simply a reflection of what has been brewing behind the scenes for a very long time. We have reached an inflection point, which will see bartenders and chefs working alongside each other. There are incredible parallels between the bartender and the chef. Think of it this way: for chefs, fire is key, while for bartenders, it’s ice. Chefs use salt and bartenders use sugar. Chefs and bartenders are inching closer to one another since they are realizing that they have much to learn from each other’s craft.

Furthermore, the seminars reserved for international bartenders and the bartending profession are now also being attended by chefs. In addition, bartenders are bringing chefs to attend events. This allows these two professionals working under the same roof a platform for a more fluid exchange, which is proving to be highly beneficial to both, at a time when the bar and kitchen are slowly merging/fusing.

Unknown to most, there has been a frequent crossover related to the techniques and tools used by both bartender and chef. This becomes especially true when you consider the increasing collaborations between some of the most reputed chefs working alongside a host of amazing bartenders. It is such interactions that are adding incredible value for diners and elevating the eating-out experience to an unprecedented level through the introduction of new flavors in liquid form. Building on that movement, chefs are more frequently experimenting with liquids and have taken the time to learn amount machines uniquely-designed to that end. One popular machine is the rotary evaporator that can allow for the distillation and extraction of flavors. So, you can imagine the types of results achieved when both bartenders and chefs share their take of what is possible and then work side-by-side to create something completely original.

Furthermore, the knowledge of liquors and spirits combined with modern techniques and machines results in superior experiences that previously had been unheard of.

So where do you think this is all leading?

There are globally reputed chefs today at the head of their craft who have borrowed techniques from bartenders, proving that to evolve in this profession, one needs to master both. This is gradually becoming an inescapable reality. As for the chef and bartender of the future, I see both coming closer together. Bear in mind that some years ago, chefs used to have wine with food-pairing menus, which have today evolved into cocktail-pairing menus. This is especially important today, given that sauces constitute a base in food and bartenders have a profound understanding of liquids. Applied on the same platform, their skills can produce far more powerful results, maybe even a new profession!

BUSINESS

BEVERAGE

KEEPING IT FRESH HN also reached out to two of the bartender judges participating at HORECA 2019 to learn more about the latest trends in the Culinary Cocktails category. Spyros Kerkyras is CEO of Bar Solutions, a drink, events and bar consultancy based in Greece.

What is your take on the techniques employed by bartenders for crafting culinary cocktails that are currently trending?

That is a million-dollar question! Actually, I totally adore all these complicated techniques, but while they definitely make a big difference, they can’t top a perfect G&T with aromas of fresh citrus fruits, such as a pink grapefruit! Speaking from the perspective of the Bar Solutions team, we often employ plenty of techniques, such as the vacuum, sous vide and rotary evaporator. Many of these help us create delicious drinks, especially the aromatic varieties. However, the trick is not in using them, rather in knowing how and when to do so.

What are some of the fresh ingredients specific to Greece that you like to use?

Spyros Kerkyras

When your country has so much variety and rich natural produce, using these ingredients

is not only a blessing, but also a way to better promote Greece’s gastronomy and culture. Some of the ingredients we use include red/yellow grapefruits, oranges and lemons from the island of Crete, fresh kumquats from the island of Corfu, caper leaves from the island of Paros, fresh grapes and figs from all over Greece during the summer and autumn seasons, and olives and olive oil from Kalamata, to name just a few.

Why do you think bartenders have been turning their attention away from the bar to the kitchen?

In every country, you see bartenders entering the kitchen in order to cultivate other techniques which they can use in the bar. They are trying to incorporate everything in their process to create something magical and offer their guests a more engaging experience. The kitchen is and will always be helpful in every aspect for a bartender as it contains a lot of untapped potential. Chefs and bartenders are ‘dancers’ and the choreography that is ensuing is continuously evolving. In other words, the time has come for both sides to unite for an unprecedented gastronomic experience!

TODAY’S CULINARY COCKTAILS Alexander Sourmpatis, bar manager, Casablanca Social Club in Greece, shared his take on the sector’s upcoming trends with HN, including some he has long been championing.

is beetroot. In my opinion it gels well with almost everything and it’s very diverse.

What are some of the techniques you use to fashion drinks?

I’ve never thought of the bar and kitchen as two different industries. Despite the fact that they work in different ways, a kitchen has always provided helpful tools for bartenders to extract, increase and create flavors. However, a kitchen will never have this relationship with the customers, which is why bartenders will always have to adopt and improvise accordingly.

When it comes to purees, infusions, fatwashing and vacuum, I use all of them in a cocktail list. It depends, of course, on the season and what I want to achieve, but they are all required to make a complete list of drinks.

In a country that prides itself on its fresh and flavorsome produce, what ingredients are you currently choosing to use the most and why?

Alexander Sourmpatis

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It’s not a myth that Greek bartenders have always used fresh ingredients in their cocktails, in part because customers immediately recognize them and are often reminded of their childhood! I really like using herbs and spices, but my all-time favorite

Why do you think bartenders have been turning their attention away from the bar to the kitchen?

F&B outlets are putting an increasing emphasis on ‘zero waste’ policy initiatives. Is this affecting how you choose your ingredients?

Certainly, more bars are trying to use ingredients that they might have previously thrown away. The bar I am running couldn’t have done otherwise; after all, this is money saved at the end of the month - money that we can invest in other things, rather than throwing in the bin.

CHÂTEAU MUSAR’S WINNING STRATEGY Lebanon’s winemaking industry might be small in scale, but it certainly has plenty of standout strengths. HN interviewed Gaston Hochar, GM, Château Musar, to find out more about the brand’s plans in this evergrowing industry What would you say are Château Musar’s strengths?

Château Musar was established in 1930, when Gaston Hochar began producing wines in an 18th century castle in the village of Ghazir. The strengths of the company are its history, philosophy of natural winemaking and the unique character of its wines. During the last 40 years, Château Musar has also gained international recognition for its wines.

In addition, it has been nominated in the top 50 international wine brands over several years. Château Musar produces between 600,000 and 700,000 bottles annually and is the third-largest winery in Lebanon in production volume. We are also the first export company with 85 percent of production sold in more than 50 countries across six continents.

Lebanon has over 50 wineries producing 9 million 750cl-sized bottles annually, half of which are consumed locally. With competition growing increasingly fierce, what is Château Musar doing to distinguish its offerings both locally and internationally?

The Château Musar range of red and white wines are full-bodied, complex and powerful, yet elegant in their structure.

The reds consist of an unusual blend of Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet-Sauvignon varieties, while the whites are a blend of our local indigenous Obaideh and Merwah grapes, which we have been using since the 1980s. The use of the Merwah on its own dates back to the 1950s. Our mid-range ‘Hochar Pere et Fils’ red is a lighter version of the Château Musar, for wine lovers who are interested in a more approachable taste, with less extreme character than the Château Musar range. Our entry

range of wines, called ‘Musar Jeune’ and available in red, white and rosé, are produced with a youthful and attractive approach to taste, which appeals to the new generations. This new range was launched in 2006 and is becoming increasingly successful across all markets.

What are the key barriers to entry when it comes to exporting your brand and in which destinations you would like to see Château Musar expand?

Some countries protect their markets through stricter controls, such as additional paperwork, specific labeling and detailed laboratory analysis, making those markets more difficult to penetrate. We have, however, succeeded in building an international presence, thanks to demand from our loyal global following. Because our production capacity is limited, so, too, are our expansion capabilities. However, it’s important to develop these markets, especially those that have recently matured, since they tend to help build the brand worldwide, which is imperative. We are simultaneously raising our production capacity to accommodate the needs of these markets. Unfortunately, increasing production is quite difficult, as it takes between seven and 10 years to develop a vineyard and obtain additional grapes.

What challenges do you face in your local operations?

Regarding the production facility, all the machinery, equipment, bottles, corks and capsules are imported from Europe because the local market is too small to sustain the development of such industries. To help wineries grow, we need a healthier economy and a more secure environment in which we can build and develop the required infrastructure. Sadly, as a consequence, we continue to lose valuable time, energy and resources, most of which are directly related to power cuts and a lack of drinking water, in addition to problems with other basic services that the government should be making available.

Which of Musar’s wines are currently trending and what are you working on for the future?

We have several projects in the pipeline that will be available this spring. We are also rejuvenating the labels of our Musar Jeune range through a redesign of the new Musar Jeune White and Rosé 2018 vintages, as well as the Musar Jeune Red 2017 vintage. These three wines will be on the shelves before the beginning of Summer 2019. Furthermore, we have created a new white and rosé wine, which we will launch this summer. chateaumusar.com

SPECIAL REPORT

LEBANESE PRODUCERS

LEBANON’S FOOD PRODUCERS

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

As it stands, Lebanon has over 4,700 registered industrial firms, which exported products valued at USD 2.61 billion in 2017. One-quarter of these belong to the agrofood sub-sector, making it the country’s second biggest export. There are around 1,400 agro-food companies constituting the largest share of total industrial firms, with more than 45 percent of these located in Mount Lebanon and engaged in the production of dairy, confectionary, dried fruits and nuts, baked goods, olive oil and wine. Though these figures are quite promising, Lebanon and local F&B producers face the risk of serious regional competition. However, a number of solutions awaiting approval could limit and even eliminate the threat.

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we arrive at the conclusion that we pay 60 percent more than they do.

Turkey is another good example. Shipping containers carrying locally produced products, are exempt from an export tariff usually deducted out of the profit generated by the sale. Freight fees required for the transportation of these goods, is also partially covered by the government.

That, in addition to the lower production costs they pay. Compounded, this again makes a huge difference.

Talking numbers, a 20-foot container in Lebanon costs USD 600-800 in processing fees. In regional countries, that cost drops to USD 150. The same amount almost applies to export costs.

What would some of the potential solutions be?

For a more accurate snapshot of Lebanon’s food-producing industry, HN talked with Georges Nasraoui, founder and CEO of food manufacturing company Sonaco Al-Rabih, Deputy Chairman of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists and Dean of Lebanese Food Industries How would you describe the state of Lebanon’s food production market?

In the past, there were plenty of food items not subject to any kind of external competition due to their quality and price point. However, and unfortunately, the overhead cost of production, in the past couple of years, has risen significantly.

This in turn, has driven the prices of these items higher, opening the window for regional competition in the local food market. Worse still, a substantial portion of the population automatically migrated to these cheaper and inferior quality products causing local producers to lose market share, which is unfair.

The main importing countries driving competition are Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Turkey who are selling their products at price-points equal to ours at production cost. This not only de-incentivizes local producers, but might also prompt them to consider other industries, in turn leaving more room for the local expansion of regionally manufactured foods.

What would one such example be?

When considering daily perishables, a box of locally produced canned beans, which is a popular food consumed by a large portion of the population, costs roughly USD 8. A box of imported Egyptian beans costs around USD 6. This USD 2 difference may be trivial, even insignificant, however, when considering the huge amounts consumed, a 25 percent markup is potentially disastrous.

Such a discrepancy, aside from lower production costs, is also due to a standing Lebanese-Egyptian trade deal, which absolves the latter from the taxation of some F&B imported products. So, as more producers lower overheads by cutting staff or hiring cheaper labor, unemployment rates rise, thereby adding another layer of complexity to an already complex problem.

Not to sound pessimistic, but when you also factor the electricity bill (government and generators), cost of fuel, labor fees, import shipping charges on various elementary products used for bottling, canning and packaging, the overhead will prove quite high. If we were to compare Egypt’s F&B production costs with ours,

Given that there is no need for such products in Lebanon, one strategy would be to fairly tax these products to disincentivize regional producers from exporting them to Lebanon. While the application of such taxes will not eliminate the existing competition, it nonetheless will surely lessen its impact, which will increase sales of local products. Another solution the Lebanese government could take is to employ a tariff system quite similar to the one the American government recently introduced on Chinese imports. That, to a largely fair degree, will even out the playing field. In other words, the tariff added to a certain imported product in a certain category will have the local and foreign one priced equally. This will eliminate unfair competition and shift consumer focus to quality, not price.

At the moment, we have about 26 drafted propositions designed to protect local production of foodstuff based on extensive internal studies conducted. I have taken the time to discuss these at length with ministers of the economy and commerce who concur with my view, but explain their inability to legislate laws to resolve these issues.

In pointing out the obvious, I would like to say that we are not asking for government support as government has enough on its plate. What we are proposing is a strategy that would bring in money to the government’s treasury while simultaneously leveling the playing field.

IDAL: INDUSTRY IN NUMBERS • The agrofood sector generated 35% of the industrial sector output in 2016.

• 1,401 companies are involved in agro-industrial activities.

• Mount Lebanon is home to 43% of agrofood industries.

• 18% of agrofood companies are engaged in dairy production.

• 24% of agrofood consumption by household is fresh meats.

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SPECIAL REPORT

LEBANESE PRODUCERS

AGRYTECH SIGNALS NEW HOPE FOR LEBANESE FOOD INDUSTRY Established in 2002 by Saint-Joseph University, Berytech is an entity that provides a dynamic environment for the creation and development of startups, fostering innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. In 2017, a new platform was launched in Lebanon called Agrytech. Marking the country’s only agri-food innovation hub, Agrytech is jointly funded by Berytech and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Keen to find out more about this promising new initiative, HN sat down with Ramy Boujawdeh, deputy general manager of Berytech, program director of Agrytech and an angel investor who actively advises earlystage startups in Lebanon, to find out more.

Lebanese agri-food innovations Boujawdeh explained that the Agrytech program aims to source the leading startups with disruptive innovations in the agri-food sector and provide them with adequate technical and business resources, as well as community support, to scale their ideas into successful businesses with a global impact.

The four pillars for activate entrepreneurship and industrial innovation are: the Accelerator; the Cluster; the Resources Platform; and the Berytech Fabrication Lab.

QOOT and its members Officially launched at the Lebanon AgriFood Innovation Day (AFID) 2019, organized

by Berytech, QOOT is the first agri-food innovation cluster in Lebanon. Its vision is to be the leading agri-food innovation cluster in the MENA region, placing Lebanon at the center of the world food innovation map.

QOOT’s mission is to accelerate innovation in the agri-food sector by bringing innovators, knowledge providers, investors and support institutions under one umbrella, creating the right environment and offering the services required for collaboration, sustainable growth and internationalization of the Lebanese agri-food sector.

“The launch of the QOOT cluster stemmed from Lebanese and international companies based in Lebanon believing in the country’s potential, believing in collaboration, and believing that innovation lies at the core of their DNA and can change the way they grow and expand,” commented Maroun N. Chammas, chairman and CEO of Berytech. “I truly believe that this cluster, with the support of the private sector and the international

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community, could be an example for Lebanon, for the region and beyond.”

Setting up the cluster Successful Lebanese entrepreneurs and pioneers have joined forces to tackle the challenges in the agri-food sector, building on collaboration, promoting and developing smarter solutions, and combining assets and efforts to shape this clustering concept.

QOOT is being implemented in Lebanon with the support of Food Valley NL, one of the leading food innovation clusters in the world. To that end, Berytech solicited the expertise of Dr. Roger Van Hoesel, head of Food Valley NL and a member of the Agrytech Program Advisory Board, to help develop the cluster. “This cluster is the first of its kind in the country and will help Lebanon to be a leader in that aspect regionally. It can also gradually help the agri-food sector to be competitive and enable enterprises to innovate,” commented Van Hoesel.

Immediate Goals One of the cluster’s immediate goals is to establish closer relations between small, medium and large enterprises in order to provide added value to the overall market.

Members will have the opportunity to exchange accumulated experience and to access valuable knowledge and business opportunities locally and internationally.

QOOT will ultimately strengthen the position

of the Lebanese agri-food sector, attracting talents, developing new products and services, and promoting Lebanese cuisine and agro products as among the most innovative and healthy in the world, while also attracting foreign investments.

Agri-food cluster members The cluster is open for innovation-driven agri-food organizations and providers of smart agri-food services and products including multi-nationals present in Lebanon, large agri-food businesses, SMEs and startups. Innovation in the agri-food sector can be defined by, but is not restricted to, the business model or concept, agricultural and processing technique, new product varieties or breeds and new packaging, as well as technology and automation.

QOOT’S consists of 26 members: 209 Lebanese wine, Agriplus, Al Rifai, Almaza, Arc en Ciel, Bioland, Biolicious, Château Kefraya, Colonel Beer, Crown Flour Mills, Daher Food, Eshmoon, Go Baladi, Gout Blanc, Hum'n Go, Indevco/Unipak, Karma, Liban Jus, Riachy Vineyards Winery, Robinson Agri, Smart Gourmet, Teknologix, The Good Thymes, Unifert, Zakka Technologies and Zejd. agrytech.org, qoot.org

SPECIAL REPORT

LEBANESE PRODUCERS

AGRYTECH STARTUPS AT HORECA LEBANON 2019 Digimart: a company that connects retailers directly to distributors, allowing them to promote their products instantly, and provides them with the necessary tools to do so.

AgriEats: a social empowerment initiative and an online source of authentic food products that are made exclusively by women and rural dwellers. It directly supports local food production, while preserving traditional food practices.

FoodCheck: monitors and tracks your product’s whereabouts in real time, all the while providing a stock management system.

IoTree: a network of smart electronic traps, it uses artificial intelligence to detect and identify harmful pests and send valuable agricultural advice via a mobile application about when, where and what to spray.

CubeX

CubeX: a household wastewater and food waste treatment system that empowers users to move toward sustainable living.

CubeX is the only decentralized personal sanitation and treatment system that requires no de-sludging, produces compost and has no slurry discharge.

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Mushtic

Mushtic: a biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam, based on agricultural waste and mushrooms. It shares the same properties as Styrofoam, yet is also ecofriendly and only requires one month to fully decompose in natural surroundings, compared to Styrofoam’s 500 years.

PM

Quadra: provides optical fruit-sorting machinery, catering to the unique needs of fruit-sorting houses in the MENA and Eastern Europe. It serves as an automated solution for customers to sort fruits to international standards and penetrate new markets to generate larger revenues.

Rigino: an end-to-end traceability platform, allowing manufacturers to expand market access, generate business growth and improve brand perception, by complying with regulations.

SPECIAL REPORT

LEBANESE PRODUCERS

FOOD ENGINEERING Lebanon’s F&B companies continue to find success despite challenges. With over 1000 companies operating in this sector, we take a look at 10 producers making their mark on the industry

BALKIS SAL

Producer and distributor in local and regional markets, of 100% freshly squeezed citrus, apple, and pomegranate juices.

Year established 1998 International certificates ISO 22000, HACCP Company sector • Fruits and vegetables • Non-alcoholic beverages • Agro-industry Company size Medium (50-250 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts? 60% to less than 70% What is the breakdown of your local procurement sources?

• Local Lebanese companies (80%) • Other foreign-affiliated companies (20%) What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company? (20%) Latest product Fresh Pomegranate Juice General manager Hasan Beydoun Expansion strategy “Additional new packaging, plus new flavors.

Focus on export markets, now that export by land transport will open up very soon.” balkis.com

AL TAGHZIAH Al Taghziah is a multi-line meat processing factory producing a wide range of cold cuts, luncheon meat, corned beef, hot dogs, burgers, basterma and pickles.

Year established 1986 International certificates ISO 22000/ ISO 9001 Company sector • Meat and processed meat products • Fish and seafood products • Low fat/Gluten free products Company size Medium (50-250 employees) What is the breakdown of your local procurement sources?

• Lebanon-affiliated companies (3-5%) • Local Lebanese companies (2%) • Other foreign-affiliated companies (90%) What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company? (65%) Latest product Premium Smoked Turkey Breast General manager Malek Halwany What is needed to make your business grow?

“Our new factory makes room for more diversity in our product range while maintaining the same quality. The new facility, partnered with our professional team and an environment of cutting edge technological advancement, is what will ensure our status as the number one meat processing factory in the region.” altaghziah.com

JEZZINE & ZAHRANI DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (JAZ)

IDAL: TRADE STATISTICS • Agrofood products accounted for 17% of total exports and 21% of total industrial exports in 2017.

• Key exported agrofood products include sugars and confectionary at 32% of total agrofood exports followed by beverages, spirits and vinegar (19.7%).

• Arab countries are receiving the highest share of agrofood exports with Syria, Iraq, Jordan ranking first, second and third respectively within this category.

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JAZ is a company established to help farmers in the Jezzine and Zahrani regions improve their products and market them throughout the world.

Year established 2014 International certificates US FDA (in process) Company sector • Fruits and vegetables • Oils and fats • Dairy and cheese products Company size Small ( < 50 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts?

70% to less than 80% What is the breakdown of your local procurement sources?

Local Lebanese companies (85%) What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company?

(60% in 2018) Latest product jgrove product range General manager Issam Bourached What is needed to make your business grow?

“Better political stability and less costly bank financing are what is needed to triple this business in five years.” jgrove.co

Cold Cuts for Each & Every Taste For For For For

variety… Mortadella strong muscles… Beef Thighs pizza-lovers… Pepperoni fitness… Turkey Breast

Al Taghziah is a pioneering manufacturer of quality foods, becoming a household brand across fourteen different countries.

Offering a wide array of products, that include nutritious cold cuts catering to various tastes and needs.

AlTaghziah

More than 120 SKUs • Mortadella | A wide variety of products and sizes, for all tastes and occasions.

Beef

Chicken

• Olive • Pepper • Pistachio • Chili • Cocktail • Plain (olive +pistachio)

Turkey

• Cold Cuts | A wide range of superior quality products, with optimal nutritional benefits.

• Beef thigh • Smoked roast • Smoked bacon Beef

Chicken

• Smoked breast • Cooked breast • Sandwich breast

Turkey

• Cured Meats | A choice of products, with low fat and high protein contents.

• Basterma • Salami • Pepperoni Beef

Chicken

Turkey

• Frozen Meats | A premium quality range that meets the family consumption needs.

• Burger • Makanek • Sojok Beef

Chicken

• Pickles | Pickled fresh vegetables to complement the needs and tastes of our consumers.

• Sliced • Whole Cucumber

Wild Cucumber

Navet

Eggplant Mixed Vegetables in Oil

Vine Leaves

Green Pepper

Phone: 05/808 808 | Email: info@altaghziah.com | www.taghziah.com

SPECIAL REPORT

LEBANESE PRODUCERS

LEBANESE COMPANY FOR MODERN FOOD INDUSTRY S.A.R.L. (GARDENIA GRAIN D’OR)

Gardenia Grain D’Or is a trademark of the Lebanese Company for Modern Food Industry s.a.r.l., which aims to satisfy the increasing demand in the Lebanese market for spices, grains, pickles and extra virgin olive oil.

The brand also sets out to keep traditional Lebanese ingredients and dishes such as bulgur, freekeh, zaatar, meghli, sahlab and mohallabieh.

The brands’s portfolio has been expanded to include vinegars, instant Lebanese mixtures, canned food and ready-to-eat meals. The latest range of Gardenia Grain D’Or includes ready-to-eat Mediterranean specialties.

Year established 1989 International certificates ISO 22000, ISO 22005 Company sector • Middle Eastern food Company size Medium (50-250 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts?

• 50% to less than 60% What is the breakdown of your local procurement sources?

• Local Lebanese farmers (40%) • Other foreign-affiliated companies (60%) What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company?

(70%) Latest product Lebanese Mezza General manager Nicolas Abou Fayssal What is needed to make your business grow?

• To protect Lebanese industries • To update some laws in the government • To remove export turnover from our total turnover and from taxes.

• To have all international exhibition costs covered by Ministry of Economy • To have laboratories at Beirut port gardeniaspices.com

MARINA FROZEN FRIES CO S.A.L Frozen fries producers located in the Bekaa area, where the best quality of raw material is being planted, harvested and stored. The company produces and distributes many varieties of regular, coated and flavored frozen fries all over Lebanon and the Arab region.

Year established 2014 International certificates ISO 22000, HACCP, YUM! Company sector • Pre-fried frozen fries Company size Small ( < 50 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts?

• 50% to less than 60% What is the breakdown of your local procurement sources?

• Lebanon-affiliated companies (40%) • Local Lebanese companies (40%) • Other foreign-affiliated companies (20%) What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company? (25%) Latest product Super Cut9*9 Owner Ibrahim Tarchichi marinafrozen.com

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LEBANESE ROASTING GROUP/ CASTANIA The Lebanese Roasting Company Castania was founded in 1983. Castania has attained a sustainable growth rate since its inception. It currently leads the Lebanese nuts market with a wide range of products.

Products are exported to more than 42 countries worldwide.

Year established 1983 International certificates ISO 22000 Company sector • Nuts Company size Large ( > 250 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts?

• 90% or above What is the breakdown of your local procurement sources?

Other foreign-affiliated companies 100% What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company? (50%) Latest product Castania fresh seal General manager Peter Daniel What is needed to make your business grow?

“Political and economic stability in the country is needed to help us grow. We need more support from the government as local producers and exporters, by creating trade deals with foreign countries to encourage export opportunities and to inject fresh money into the country.” castanianuts.com

MEPTICO Having been a pioneer in the market for more than 50 years in powder desserts and juices, Meptico undertook a total overhaul in 2005 to launch and export new products and embrace new brands.

Year established 1968 International certificates ISO 22000:2005 certification Company sector • Powder desserts • Baking products • Juices • Sauces Company size Large ( > 250 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts?

Less than 50% Latest product Puidor Pesto Sauce General manager Richard Hachem meptico.com

SPECIAL REPORT

LEBANESE PRODUCERS

SUNNY’S BAKERY Tsoler’s, a family business based in Lebanon, is a leading bakery specialized in manufacturing and distributing crackers and breadsticks. The company has grown at a rapid pace ever since, expanding its offerings across most Lebanese supermarkets with its wide variety of tasty healthy snacks that are preservative free. The company currently holds its position at the core of the sector with its different flavored crackers that satisfy both salty and sweet cravings.

Year established 2017 Company sector • Bakery • Biscuits • Snacks Company size Small (< 50 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts?

70% to less than 80% What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company? 0% Latest product Chia Crackers General manager Ara Salkhanian What is needed to make your business grow?

“Dynamic young Lebanese talents.” tsolers.com

IDAL: INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES • Dried fruits and nuts value chain in Lebanon can be reshaped to create higher value and become a consistent supplier to regional markets after addressing the EU quality certification requirements.

• 130 roasteries are available in Lebanon of which 40% are located in Mount Lebanon.

• Exports of dried fruits and nuts reached 196,975 tons in 2017 and was valued at USD 66 million.

WILCO PM Leading Lebanese poultry integrator.

Year established 1958 International certificates ISO, HACCP, FSA (Yum! KFC Certified) Company sector • Meat and processed meat products Company size Large (> 250 employees) What is the percentage of export sales out of total sales for your company? (0%) Latest product Processed fully cooked products General manager William Boutros What is needed to make your business grow?

“Looking for distributors of processed products to export markets.” wilcopm.com

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THE GOOD THYMES The Good Thymes is a Lebanese agricultural company that brings a fresh breath to traditional Lebanese savors through modern and inspired culinary creations, all based around the unrivaled wild Lebanese thyme. TGT embarked on an expedition with the best chefs and specialists in Beirut, to create the finest dried zaatar mixes. It established as a fair trade business, its ingredients are all natural and free from artificial colors or flavors. The company handcrafts its products without any additives or preservatives.

Year established 2017 Company sector • Herbs Company size Small (< 50 employees) What percentage of production costs is attributable to raw material and parts?

Less than 50% What is the breakdown of your local procurement sources?

Local Lebanese companies( 100%) Latest product The Good Thymes gift set General manager Fady Aziz Expansion strategy “We’re planning to expand our sales around the world, starting in the Gulf area. To do that, we’re investing in a new location in order to install a proper production line capable of covering the demand. The new workshop will be adapted to International standards to maximize the quality of our products.” thegoodthymes.me

SOLUTIONS

HUMAN RESOURCES

In collaboration with

TRAIN YOUR MANAGERS TO MANAGE

The word manager has a wide variety of interpretations depending on context, whom you ask and the title in which it appears, although as a rule, the role usually includes a level of responsibility. This is why managers must be trained to manage, as Mark Dickinson of DONE! Hospitality Training Solutions explains The problem lies not in the word, for that is simple to define: Manager - Noun - class of people that manage Manage - Verb - doing something to control and organize The problem with the word manager is that it does not have magical powers. The title is assigned to a position in an organization structure, and then a role is clearly defined, with the responsibilities laid out accordingly. Then a person is appointed to the position of manager and they begin to do their work. Because they hold the title of manager, it is expected that they will then manage the business role to which they have been appointed.

When things go wrong When a person is appointed to a position with the title manager, but has little experience or a low skill level in managing, things may go horribly wrong, and it can be hard to detect for quite some time.

Managers have authority over those that they manage and there will always be a degree of respect for the title and a fear of the person with authority. If that manager does things wrong, it may take a while for this to be discovered and many managers are able to conceal their inadequacies by using their authority and leveraging fear. The challenge is that the title does not make the person capable. Here we invoke The Peter Principle.

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“The Peter Principle is an observation that the tendency in most organizational hierarchies, such as that of a corporation, is for every employee to rise in the hierarchy through promotion until they reach the levels of their respective incompetence.” In effect what this means is that many managers are totally incompetent; they have been promoted because of past achievements at lower levels in an organization, but have now reached a level where they are unfamiliar with the needs and responsibilities of their new position. The title manager does not confer upon them the ability to do what their title suggests.

9 Warning signs Incompetent managers will most certainly be good at some things and have probably earned a level of trust from their seniors that at some previous time determined them to be worthy of greater responsibility.

The challenge is that frequently, managers have not been prepared for their new responsibility and are left to get on with things in their own way. When problems occur within the area of their work, instead of revealing their weakness in the issue at hand and seeking help, they will resort to strategies that are detrimental to the organization.

Frequently these will include: 1. Blame: Make others look responsible for the mistake 2. Cover up: Provide the first reason that comes to mind for why a problem has occurred, ensuring that it is not seen as their error that has caused a problem 3. Paralysis: Freeze. Unsure of how to solve the problem they do nothing and hope that the problem will just dissolve 4. Talk a lot: Make a lot of noise and draw attention away from the original problem 5. Distract: Explain how much work they have to do and switch the topic to other issues that require their immediate attention 6. Justify: Take it personally and explain the causes of the problem that have nothing to do with their performance

7. Hide: Become very busy doing something ‘important’ so that there is no time to get to the cause of the problem and solve it 8. Instant answers: Share the first idea that comes into their head as to why a problem has occurred, but not give a solution 9. Band Aids: Apply a very short-term solution to solving the immediate issue These warning signs are the all-important indicators that managers need to be trained on how to manage. Here, however, is where the plot thickens; their managers may be victims of The Peter Principle too, and may not have the skills to recognize that the manager requires training, and they, too, are rarely equipped with the skills to be able to train the manager in question. The management issue becomes compounded.

The ultimate solution The ultimate solution is to create customized management training programs that are comprehensive and ongoing.

Constant development and investment in people are the keys to great management.

Some resist this process. It was famously said, “What if we train our managers and they leave?” To which the reply was, “What if we don’t and they stay?” Some have taken a stand along the lines of: “We only employ good managers so we don’t need to train them, they already know how to manage.” This is very short-sighted. The best businesses recognize that their human capital is the most valuable asset that their company has, and they act accordingly.

Saving money by not investing in management training is to perpetuate the constant distraction to progress caused by the repetitive demands of fighting fires.

While successfully solving operational problems may give a false sense of achievement, it is unproductive and creates frustration and results in mediocrity.

If you don’t train, you cannot blame! You must first train your managers to manage, and then hold them accountable. done.fyi

SOLUTIONS

HUMAN RESOURCES

In collaboration with

WHY MODERN COMPANIES NEED MINDFULNESS Mindfulness is a centuries-old meditation technique, delicately distilled by John KabatZin in the late 1970s from its original Zen and Buddhist zest. It describes a state of full attention on the present moment, without any judgement. The technique allows practitioners to pause from stimulation overload and to consciously decide how to act, instead of operating in automatic pilot.

It’s the word on everybody’s lips and a hot topic across every sector of the economy, in companies of all sizes, and even schools and universities.

Unsurprisingly, mindfulness is a major talking point amongst nutritionists and health coaches in hotel chains, spas and the wellbeing industry. Ana Larriu, from THE W.A.W. PROGRAM©, discusses the benefits of a mindful existence, both in and outside of the workplace

Eat mindfully, drink mindfully, work mindfully and live mindfully. Are we talking about a new pill, a special ingredient, a new health guru in town or maybe a new in-vogue recipe? According to Google, Goldman Sachs, Facebook, Apple, LinkedIn, Nike, Ford and many other international corporations, mindfulness is actually the secret ingredient to their success, or at least to the successful wellbeing of their employees.

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Over 4,000 publications in scientific journals, research, modern psychology and neuroscience have proven that mindfulness can address the challenges of trying to cope with a digitally driven, hectic lifestyle and help people to significantly increase wellbeing and performance.

• “89% of employees believe meditation or mindfulness have a positive impact on a person’s overall health and wellbeing.”

United Healthcare study, 2014 • “In our tech-packed, fast-paced, stressfilled lives, mindfulness is helping to bring back attention from multi to single tasking with focus and full concentration.” Time Magazine, 2016 • “Companies that offer wellbeing techniques have significantly reduced absence days due to anxiety, stress or depression.” European Health Statistics, 2014 • “Meditation conclusively and positively changes the brain structure.” Harvard Business Review, 2017 The hospitality industry requires sharp focus and concentration. Staff needs to be at its optimum performance during intense periods of time, and many managers and employees find themselves prone

to burnout. On top of that, local F&B as well as travel and tourism industry players have to juggle with Lebanon’s unstable socioeconomic environment. Irregular peaks of activity during the country’s touristic' high seasons make the local hospitality sector extremely challenging.

Learning to deal with an unpredictable market, wrestling with the unknown, and keeping optimism high and resilience strong are skills that all levels and ranks of organizations can acquire. Mindfulness based training & stress management techniques can play a key role in helping organizations to achieve these goals, particularly in our local challenging economic climate.

About The W.A.W. Program Ana Larriu, former big corporations’ employee, business owner for a decade and turned meditation guide, decided to take her one-onone meditation coaching to the next level. She recently retrained as a Mindfulness for the Workplace instructor and developed THE WELLNESS @ WORK PROGRAM©, based on Mark William’s work, founding director of the Oxford University Mindfulness Center and on MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy). The program helps leaders and employees master high levels of stress, learning to decompress, reset and recharge, sharpening their focus, ultimately leading to engagement and productivity to increase.

FLAVORED BUTTERS A GASTRONOMY SECRET Black Olive butter, butter with nuts, garlic, or citrus….

European butter is a product full of surprises and can come in a range of unexpected flavors, By flavoring your butter, you can sublime the simplest dishes!

SWEET & SAVORY FLAVORING “Beurre maître d’hôtel” (parsley and lemon butter) or “Café de Paris” (mustard, spices and herbs) for grilled meats, anchovy butter or salmon butter for toast, butter with sage for gnocchi and ravioli, citrus butter for crêpes Suzette… Refined treats and inspired dishes halfway between tradition and modernity, flavored butter can be used equally in both sweet and savory dishes.

On the French and international gastronomic scenes, flavored butters are inspiring chefs, making the simplest dishes sublime and creating alchemy with unusual flavors.

MANY WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR FLAVORED EUROPEAN BUTTER Crafted into small pats, placed on a beautiful piece of grilled meat, the herb-flavored butter melts slowly, releasing its fragrances under the effect of heat, while butter with hints of lemon zest seeps in to the small cavities of a milletrous Moroccan cepes. As for the array of flavored butters offered simply to spread, they come in a range of unexpected flavors: matcha tea butter that livens up anchovy fillets pickled with lime on homemade crackers; black olive butter on toast for dipping in a boiled egg, or butter with nuts and fennel seeds to accompany thin slices of cheese on rye bread.

Butter pistachios hazelnut

Butter with zest of citrus

Cooking butter for glazed vegetables (turnips and artichokes) Butter for milletrous cepes or pan-fried scallops

Tasting butter on toast or brioche dish Butter with oysters Butter served on steamed fish

100g of unsalted semi-salted butter 14g of powdered Iranian pistachios 15g of Piedmont hazelnuts, dry roasted in a skillet, cooled and crushed coarsely Mix well and store in a cool place

100g of softened semi-salted butter Zest of ½ an organic lemon 1 organic lime 1 organic clementine grated with a micro plane Mix well and store in a cool place

The content of this advertorial represents the views of the author only and is his sole responsibility.

The European Commission do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

FRENCH BUTTER, THE SECRET TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

CAMPAIGN FINANCED WITH AID FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION

COOKING WITH BUTTER IS A MAJOR BASIS OF EUROPEAN CULINARY HISTORY More than 95% of chefs in France and Europe say that butter is essential for cooking and baking, especially for its flavor. Its malleable texture enables it to create audacious fantasies. This is why it is now widely used in cutting edge and refined dishes. But, above all, this aroma capturer has tickled the imagination of chefs, who create unusual, sophisticated recipes to surprise audiences of consumers who are becoming increasingly numerous and demanding. According to Eric Trochon, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2011, “Butter is an incredible holder of aromas, the buttery note prolongs the taste of food in the mouth. It ennobles the simplest products and provides that little «French twist» which is essential for all other preparations.”

THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF EUROPEAN BUTTER. AND A DASH OF EXPERTISE Every chef has his own tips and secrets to use it wisely and in the right way. Above all, they recommend always choosing high quality butter containing 82% fat and, in particular, to avoid substitute products such as

Chef Ahmad Fraijeh reveals his secrets when working with European Butter: vegetable fats and other blends. Using European butter ensures this high quality. Cooking with butter requires managing it as a raw material. In the same way as any other product, it has to be respected to preserve its qualities. Not overcooking it, not adding too much, to obtain the most flavorful dish, which must never leave an impression of fattiness or heaviness.

BUTTER IN MIDDLE EASTERN FLAVORS? WHAT A GOOD IDEA! Cuisine is in perpetual movement.

Worldwide, chefs are rewriting the traditional codes for more creative cooking. The secret to achieving a modern approach? Using adaptable products like European butter!

Chef Ahmad Fraijeh , from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, told us: “European butter is a key ingredient for baking pastries as it gives them a more velvety texture. It also refines the taste and reveals gourmet flavors in any dish. This is why I always use European Butter for my sweet and savory creations”.

As a chef, I would say that butter is an essential ingredient in most of the recipes; whether it is used in a sweet or savory preparation, in a sauce or as an emulsion, plain or even flavored. When butter is used, it has the power to enhance the flavors of your ingredients and makes baked goods more tender. This is a flavor enhancer that brings an additional richness to your dish. But butter also brings a velvety and gourmet texture to your creations; a good example to illustrate the magic of butter is to compare pastries & viennoiseries made with butter to the ones that are made without.

The ones using butter will have a softer and more tender texture.

If you wish to create top pastries or dishes and impress your family, I will always advise you to go for European butter and not any substitute! It is a unique qualitative product that will make your home pastries richer and more delicious! Ready, set, cook!

PRODUCT ZONE

NEW PRODUCTS

ON THE MARKET

Invest in the right products and equipment to make cooking easier.

Here’s a good place to start

PANZANI Panzani Tomato Sauce Tube is a creamy tomato sauce cooked with small vegetables, a unique recipe that gives it its inimitable taste. Hot or cold, it will perfectly match your daily dishes.

DIMA MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION SAL maille.com, dima.com.lb

MAGICAL MUSHROOM POWDER Seven different types of organic mushrooms, locally grown at Gourmet Mushroom farm, dehydrated and ground into a magical mushroom powder mix.

GOURMET MUSHROOM facebook.com/gourmet.mushroom

JAHNA'S POMEGRANATE MOLASSES Pomegranate Molasses - a sweet and sharp taste, famously used in Mediterranean cuisine. Carefully homegrown and handpicked.

Cooked using traditional methods over wood cuttings, inducing a smoky rich finish.

JAHNA'S jahnas.com

JAHNA'S MIXED HERBS Mixed Herbs - unlocking the authentic savors of Lebanon, each of these herbs is lightly dried under sunlight, just enough for fresher flavor.

JAHNA'S jahnas.com

COLD BREW COFFEE A high quality and responsibly grown ground coffee steeped with cold water for up to 12 hours. Brewed without any heat and best served with ice.

FULCRUM – LBACC S.A.L. fulcrum-bia.com

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At Dairy Khoury, we combine the authenticity of the natural traditional methods adopted in our farm and the first class technological equipment and tools used in our plant to produce the healthiest and tastiest products.

FOOD CHOICE foodchoiceq8.com

MALAKI An innovative expansive range of Shisha Molasses that have been hand-stripped and roasted to be consistent and sensorial, offering modern take on traditional flavors.

MALAKI TOBACCO TRADING SAL wearemalaki.com

GOOGLE-ENABLED SMART MIRROR Capstone Connected Home announced the launch of its Google-enabled Smart Mirror at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. The mirror offers voice and touchscreen capabilities to access Google Assistant, allowing users to check weather and traffic, stream YouTube, review social media feeds, and run other downloadable applications.

CAPSTONE CONNECTED HOME modernlifestyleconnections.com

MAILLE New French Maille mustard in 5kg bucket: all the refinement and subtle taste in your preferred back-of-house format.

DIMA MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION SAL maille.com, dima.com.lb

DAIRY KHOURY

PANZANI A delicious purée prepared with 100% fresh tomatoes, sun-ripened, grown in the field and harvested when ripe. All put into brick in less than 48 hours to preserve all the flavor of the summer tomato right down to your home.

DIMA MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION SAL maille.com, dima.com.lb

ARE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES SAFE TO EAT IN LEBANON? The purpose of this article is to advise government officials, food inspectors’ industry of the importance of the ongoing monitoring of Hepatitis A virus in imported fresh fruits and vegetables that are cultured in direct contact with soil and classified as RTE (Ready To Eat)

Importation of food which poses a risk to human health is an offence Importers and fruit/ vegetable producers must be aware that the presence of pathogens including the Hepatitis A virus poses a risk to human health, it is an offence to import food into Lebanon if the importer knows, or ought reasonably to have known, that it poses a risk to human health.

Guidance to assist industry on implementing GAP and GHP Importers and government must ensure that supply chains for fresh fruits and vegetables that are in direct contact with soil and consumed without processing, have effective control strategies, in the form of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP). Fresh fruits and vegetables sourced through supply chains that do not have proper GAP and GHP controls in place may pose a risk to human health. For guidance on best practice to manage the hazard of virus contamination in foods through the implementation of GAP and GHP, importers should refer to the Codex Alimentarius Commission guideline document CAC/RCP 53-2003, ‘Code of hygienic practice for fresh fruits and vegetables’ and CAC/GL 79-2012, ‘Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Viruses in Food’.

Human sewage and faeces in irrigation None complying with GAP in irrigating of cultured fruits and vegetables in any country will lead to the possibility of acquiring viruses through contact chain between soil and fruits, with untreated sewage water, direct contact with human sewage is the normal route of contamination for bivalve mollusks. It can also be a cause of pre-harvest contamination

of fresh produce items through the use of sewage-contaminated waters in irrigation, washing, also as fertilizer for agrochemical application. A specific concern with sewagerelated contamination is that it can result in the food becoming contaminated with multiple viruses. As a result, people may become infected with more than one virus strain simultaneously (FAO/WHO report 2016). The presence of related virus strains (in general within one genus) replicating in a single host (cell) may provide an environment conducive to the evolution of new virus strains. This can occur in one of two ways.

1- Process is called recombination and has been demonstrated for the HAV. Although there is currently no evidence that recombinant HAV have properties that differ from the “original” virus strains.

2- The unpredictable behavior of recombinant viruses is a potential concern in terms of food safety. For HAV, another process called genomic re-assortment in the progeny of two viruses after co-infection of a single cell may lead to new viruses.

Hepatitis A virus adverse health effects: HAV is classified by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) as a serious hazard for the general population as it causes incapacitating but not usually life-threatening illness of moderate duration and sequel is rare. Symptoms associated with HAV infection include fever, nausea, anorexia, malaise, vomiting, diarrhea, muscular pain and often jaundice. Jaundice generally occurs three to five days after the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. Illness typically occurs 15 – 50 days after infection and HAV is shed in the faeces up to two weeks before, and for several weeks after, onset of illness.

The duration of illness is typically one to two weeks, although prolonged or relapsing cases may continue for up to six months in a minority of patients.

People of all ages are susceptible to HAV infection (unless they have immunity from a previous infection or vaccination). The disease is milder in young children under six

years, with many cases being symptomatic.

Testing for Hepatitis A virus (HAV) Testing for HAV in food is no longer problematic. Due to the newly developed methods used (extraction of the virus from the food followed by molecular-based methods to detect virus RNA) using RT-PCR, real-time RT-PCR, or nucleic acid sequencebased amplification (NASBA) or micro-arrays with a turnaround time of 24 hours for result release with minimal impact on shelf life.

However, the test results are subject to variability depending on the type of food, the distribution of virus within the food matrix and the presence of material that can interfere with the test leading to false negative findings.

Additionally, the level of virus in contaminated food can be extremely low, below the level that can be detected by other available timeconsuming conventional methods.

Action being taken on fresh fruits and vegetables under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme In Lebanon there are currently no effective, realistic and validated risk management options to eliminate viral contamination of fresh produce or imported fruits and vegetables prior to consumption.

It is highly recommended to have good hygiene, manufacturing and agricultural practices in fruits and vegetables produced in and imported to our country. Thus, implementing general hygiene provisions for primary production and associated operations, outlines general provisions for the hygienic production of food, including fresh produce, this includes hygienic requirements for water used in irrigation; health and hygiene of food handlers; cleaning and sanitizing of facilities, equipment and vehicles; animal and pest exclusion; storage of waste; and the use of biocides.

In response to the information mentioned here within, the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture is requested to implement monitoring and testing imports from overseas producer and suppliers of fresh fruits and vegetables for Hepatitis A that fall under RTE criteria. (by Dr. Rami Khodor)

RBML FOOD LABS, Chwaifat main road, Abd khalek bld , 4th fl., Chwaifat , Lebanon Tel : 00961 5 433149 / Fax : 00961 5 437249

PRODUCT ZONE

EQUIPMENT

IT’S A WHITEWASH! While hotel guests have long expected to receive a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed made up with crisp, white sheets, the operations providing the laundry services that ensure these demands are met have changed beyond recognition over the years. Here’s the lowdown on what’s happening on the ‘clean scene’ Driven forward by technology and a sharper focus on the bottom line, the laundry segment of the hotel industry has evolved into a thoroughly modern version of itself, with operations often outsourced rather than undertaken in house. Innovations have brought a raft of improvements on many levels to performance and processes, although meeting the demands of today’s discerning customers, including their concerns about the environment, can sometimes be a challenge.

Investing in inventory While all eyes are on costs in the current economic climate, laundry operators are also having to accommodate one key new trend evident across the sector, which is the move toward luxury. This drive has led to the emergence of bigger beds, with standard double size replacing king size or super king size models, and better-quality linen, with higher thread counts, even in mid-range properties.

Douglas Vieldhouse, CEO of Coventry Hill Associates Consulting, told HN that the increased demand for linens that look and feel better had sharpened the focus on inventory. “High-quality sheets can last a long time if treated right,” he told HN. “However, the fibers in textiles need to rest and relax in between washes, so when sheets are washed and used frequently, they inevitably wear out more quickly. If the system is set up correctly and sufficient linen is bought, sheets can last for over 300 washes, unless impacted by outside sources, such as abuse, theft or physical damage. But because the inventory is not always given enough attention, the average lifespan of a sheet is often nearer to 75 turns or less.”

Dexter T-750 50 lb Express stack washer-dryer 50 lbs of laundry capacity in just 13.5 square feet of space. Every T-750 SWD comes standard with 200 g-force washer extraction and a reversing dryer tumbler resulting in a dry-to-dry time of less than one hour.

DEXTER dexter.com

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Jennicor Grava, director of housekeeping at the Sofitel the Palm Dubai, UAE, added that another trend impacting the modern laundry service is customers’ demands for a seamless, tailored service, with an emphasis on convenience and speed.

“With busy schedules, guests prefer to put their laundry in a laundry bag and request for door-to-door pick up,” she noted. “Some of the guests will continue using our laundry services even upon check-out. Today’s consumers have an incredible field of options when it comes

to laundry services and the industry has noticed this new trend.”

Key role for RFID Inevitably, new technology is playing a key role in helping operators to meet these demands and achieve their goals.

Smart tools are now being adopted by a growing number of businesses, with the introduction of radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems a notable trend. The technology, which allows digital data encoded in RFID tags or smart labels to be captured by a reader via radio waves, has a multitude of benefits, from identification and tracking to datagathering, as Vieldhouse explains.

“In the very near future, RFID will reduce labor and provide enhanced measuring tools for cost containment and increased materials management tools,” he said.

“These include inventory control, loss prevention, improved labor efficiency, brand requirements and identity, and labor availability, to name just a few.”

Grava explains that the Garment Management Inventory System (GMIS) used at the Sofitel laundry, which can be RFID-based or bar coded, allows for an accurate count of the garments and linens, all the while monitoring their lifespan and other aspects of best practices. “We can set par level, wash cycle, locations, movements of stock and through the reports, the system can alert us when the levels are low, when some items are dormant or at what locations,” she said. “During the purchase, we can enter information about price, fabric, supplier, purchase orders, and during usage, the number of repairs and assignments for uniform. Apart from fast tracking, the report can be helpful for planning with the next orders, such as whether to change the quality based on the life span and when to purchase.”

In or out?

Undoubtedly the biggest shift that has taken place across the segment is the move among many hotel brands and other properties to outsource their laundry operations. While this trend is known to have both benefits and disadvantages, Vieldhouse explained that the final decision will often be determined by the need

PRODUCT ZONE

EQUIPMENT

to use valuable space as effectively as possible. “Hotels are very much focused on revitalizing older parts of the building or rethinking back of house operations,” he said. “In city properties, especially, where space is particularly valuable, closing a laundry can provide the space for a significant number of rooms which can often be sold up to a year in advance.”

Industry experts agree, however, that there are instances when it makes sense to carry out laundry operations internally.

“If you can gather together sufficient volume, it can make sense to maintain an in-house service, either in property or off site at a location of less costly space, and also if perhaps the locality where a property is based doesn’t offer much choice in terms of good processors and turnaround times,” Vieldhouse noted.

Marcela Arciniegas, EVP of Global Operations, PDQ Consulting Inc, agreed that in-house operations had advantages.

“Having laundry operations done in house gives the property better control over the entire process, including managing inventories, although of course, this has to be balanced with the expenses they produce,” she told HN.

Can clean be green?

In an era when keeping a close eye on costs is at the top of industry players’ checklist, hoteliers have also found themselves faced with the challenge of balancing prioritizing the bottom line with maintaining high standards in the service they provide. Hoteliers are also under pressure to take account of environmental concerns, although experts stress that ensuring high standards can make this a tricky balancing act. “Certain stains, such as grease, makeup and body oils, require a higher temperature. Keep in mind that water alone is not a good cleansing agent,” Vieldhouse said. “It’s a matter of getting the four aspects of the formula right – time/temperature/ mechanical action/chemistry – and then remembering that if you tweak one to accommodate issues such as water hardness, you have to tweak the others too.” Today’s machines are also operating in a much more efficient way, thanks to new technologies, as Grava explains.

“Our efficient programmable machines now enable us to clean any amount of loads with correct dosage,” she said.

“Kannegiesser machines and Continuous batch washers are programmed to reduce wastage of resources like water, to reduce the labor cost and ensure the right automatic chemical dosage. All of these savings will help us to save money and improve the internal operation, whilst providing the extra level of service to our customers.”

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TRICKS OF THE TRADE On the occasion of HORECA 2019, HN talks to three judges in the bed-making category for tips on the latest trends and practices currently in vogue, as well as the latest machines currently used Using the new multipurpose cleaning machine ‘Hyla’ allows for thoroughly deep cleaning of the carpet and is capable of removing dead skin, dust mites and bed bugs, ensuring an allergy-free room.

Soumaya Sabra, Director of Housekeeping Phoenicia Hotel Beirut

It all depends on the hotel’s standards, but most hotels are now going for very simple beds in white linen without any decorative pillows, bed spreads or bed covers, to give the bed a cleaner and neater look and feel.

Jeanine Haddad, Executive Housekeeper Gefinor Rotana

Lèvly and Fixacouette provide a safer, healthier and hygienefriendlier work environment for a room attendant, guaranteeing a crispier-looking bed.

Denise Frem, Senior Director of Housekeeping Four Seasons Hotel Beirut

ON THE MARKET FOLDIMATE FoldiMate Inc., the Inventors of the Robotic Laundry Folding Machine is currently planned for late 2019. Other regions will follow based on early pre-order demand.

FOLDIMATE foldimate.com

HYDROFINITY 20KG EXTRACTOR The Xeros polymer bead cleaning washing machine is a revolutionary new commercial laundry system that dramatically reduces water, energy, and chemical consumption compared to traditional washing machines by replacing water with beads as the active ingredient for removing soils and stains from fabrics providing superior cleaning results.

HYDROFINITY hydrofinity.com

PRODUCT ZONE

EQUIPMENT

SELECTING A POS SYSTEM FOR YOUR RESTAURANT • Support. Since the restaurant industry is always evolving, it’s important to choose a provider with a strong support team that’s able to answer your inquiries and provide adequate training for your team in handling the system. Selecting providers that are well established in the market can help to facilitate continuity of support.

Choosing an operating system for your business can be a daunting prospect. Finding the perfect match for your specific requirements and plans for future development often takes a great deal of time and effort.

An operating system should provide accurate and targeted output, allowing your business performance to be tracked and action to be taken when necessary, but also be sufficiently user-friendly for the entire team to operate efficiently. Manal Syriani tells us more Selecting a system for your operation is a personal decision. However, adhering to certain general criteria is a must to ensure successful integration.

• Adaptability. It’s always advisable to select a system that allows for adaptations to be made and is capable of integrating possible adjustments in the future to match your pace of growth.

Adaptation might be required for system functions or for final reporting.

• Interactive. An interactive system provides the user with notifications on certain aspects of the operation, prompting the user to take action.

Such notifications are especially useful in inventory management and will reduce human errors, thus preventing interruptions to operations.

• Interface. Data analysis relies heavily on the ability of the system to collect information from different modules, both back and front of house. This interface is particularly important for accounting and materials control modules.

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• User friendly. User-friendly systems reduce the potential for human error by being easy and straightforward to understand and operate. In addition, they reduce costs and time spent on training new recruits.

• Timely implementation. The time required for the integration of a new system is also a key factor in bringing about a smooth implementation. While systems will require a testing phase to make sure they are fully operational, well established providers, through their experience in the field, will ensure efficient methodic testing procedures.

DIEBOLD NIXDORF Deliver a seamless shopping experience for your consumers with Diebold Nixdorf pos and kiosk solutions. A comprehensive solutions portfolio of reliable, future-proven mobile POS and kiosk technology for the hospitality industry. Flexible, modular solutions offer innovative ways to adapt your consumer journey to meet their changing behavior.

MALIATEC maliatec.com

Before committing to a system, certain steps should be followed internally to help secure a positive outcome: • Conduct an internal analysis of your business processes and flows. Identify the main characteristics essential for your operation, while taking future development plans into consideration.

• Seek feedback from your team or key employees on required functions and the main challenges they face in their specific departments.

• Identify the system that most closely resembles your operation.

SHOPKEEP ShopKeep, the top rated tablet-tocloud payments and POS platform has launched a version of the ShopKeep register app designed to run on the Android operating system. SHOPKEEP shopkeep.com

• Identify the provider that could meet your after-sales support requirements and can assist you through your growth, both locally and internationally. Any system should meet at least 80 percent of your requirements.

• Discuss further possible customization and modifications to the system to allow for maximum accuracy of data processing.

• Share your plans for the future with the system provider to ensure the software will be able to accommodate those goals.

While an efficient system is the starting point, effective data entry on the system is the key to delivering informative results. A system is only as accurate as the accuracy of the data entered.

UPSERVE The Tableside mobile POS device allows restaurants to send food and beverage orders directly from the table and close out bills tableside, as well.

UPSERVE upserve.com

PRODUCT ZONE

FOOD

POZZOLI’S ART OF BREAKING BREAD Since its launch 42 years ago, Maison Pozzoli has carved a niche as a landmark artisanal bakery. In an exclusive interview with HN, Master Baker François Pozzoli himself, who is participating at HORECA 2019, talks all things bread-related What would you say are some of the elements behind Pozzoli’s phenomenal growth?

Despite the fact that our enterprise only has shops in France, where we operate, our name is well-known elsewhere, thanks to our association with some of the world’s most reputed bread ambassadors. On a different note, when it comes to the key elements contributing to our success, my advice would be: • Always be reliable • Always be faithful to your convictions • Always respect customers, partners and even competitors • Always live your passion and try to share it as often as possible when opportunity arises

How is the local/international bread market doing compared to last year?

It would seem that the market is always changing before bakeries have the chance to employ and train additional members of staff to satisfy demand. Today’s consumers have become quite trying and are increasingly scrutinizing the minutest details, thereby driving specialty bakeries to the forefront. They also want to know as much information about the product as possible before making a purchase, from ingredients, their source and traceability to eco-friendliness.

François Pozzoli

of 18°celcius. This time-consuming and physically demanding process results in a uniquely tasting type of bread, according to industry connoisseurs.

What can you offer consumers looking for the healthiest possible products?

All our breads and viennoiseries are made using the ‘respectus panis’ method created by the Meilleurs Ouvrier de France in the bakery division. This kind of product, made from cereal, is our bestseller. First, the sesame is roasted, while the cereal liquid yeast is prepared. Then, finally it’s fermented prior to serving for a duration of 20 hours.

What are the biggest challenges in your line of work and what are your plans for expanding?

The bread-crafting part is the most difficult aspect of this profession, taking into account the challenges relating to the research and investment budgets available to the industry’s top brands. It’s also important that we always keep informed of the latest cutting-edge advances, while remaining vigilant and uncompromising on quality, in an industry that is growing evermore competitive. boulangerie-pozzoli.fr

ON THE MARKET

What are the brand’s most soughtafter varieties of bread and what are their characteristics?

We have got some signature products, like the ‘Seigle Auvergnat’, a bread made of 90 percent rye, 10 percent wheat and liquid yeast, which is a perfect product to eat with seafood, oysters and various types of meat.

Another trending product is our so-called ‘signature bread’, which represents Pozzoli’s amassed knowledge of the breadmaking craft. This bread is kneaded by hand, and contains small amounts of salt and yeast, before undergoing a lengthy 20-hour fermentation process at a temperature

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LADY B PAIN DE MIE Source of Vitamins B12 & A, high in Vitamins B1, B6 & B2 and rich in Omega 3, Lady B is important for women’s health as well as during pregnancy.

WOODEN BAKERY woodenbakery.com

BACKALDRIN

BREAD BOT

The international baking ingredients manufacturer’s product range contains more than 700 products for bread, rolls, confectionery and more.

FOOD CHOICE foodchoiceq8.com

Debuting at CES 2019 is the aptly named Bread Bot, a fully automated breadmaking machine that mixes, kneads, proofs, bakes and sells bread like a vending machine.

WILKINSON BAKING wilkinsonbaking.com

PRODUCT ZONE

CHOCOMANIA

GOLDEN CONFECTIONARY Not just a lovely golden hue, Gold has an intense yet balanced caramel chocolate taste, with rich notes of toffee, butter, cream and an exciting dash of salt

GOLD DOME PASTRY ALMOND-HAZELNUT SPONGE CAKE Ingredients • 132g egg white • 132g sugar • 82g egg yolks • 214g eggs • 297g sugar • 181g almond powder • 165g hazelnut powder

• 33g Callebaut - Cocoa Powder Cocoa powder • 82g flour • 181g melted butter Preparation Make a meringue. Mix together.

Add to the egg mixture and mix in the meringue.

ICED COFFEE GANACHE Ingredients • 25g powdered milk 1% fat • 110g espresso coffee • 110g 3,25% full fat milk • 2g vanilla • 25g gelatin mass • 30g Callebaut - Caramel Fill • 326g Callebaut - Finest Belgian Gold Chocolate - Gold • 10g Callebaut - Power 41 • 5g powdered gelatin • 20g water • 30g Callebaut - Caramel Fill • 326g Callebaut - Finest Belgian Gold Chocolate - Gold • 10g Callebaut - Power 41

• 1g salt • 3g orange zest - Cap’fruit • 365g 35% cream - EVEN Preparation Mix together and heat up to 70°C. Combine all ingredients in a recipient.

Pour the previous hot mixture onto the mixture to melt. Pass through a sieve and whip to achieve the right consistency.

Immediately pipe into flexible halfsphere moulds of 4 cm Ø and freeze. Add and emulsify.

Add, cover and leave to rest in the refrigerator overnight.

EMF Middle East t. +961 9 938732 | info@emf-me.com www.emf-me.com

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CITRUS JELLY Ingredients • 132g sugar • 14g NH pectin • 230g lemon puree – Cap’fruit • 395g orange puree – Cap’fruit • 148g water • 82g invert sugar

Preparation Mix together. Mix in and bring to a boil. Allow to cool down for a few minutes and spread out evenly onto the almond-hazelnut sponge cake. Leave to cool in the refrigerator.

SAO TOMÉ CHOCOLATE MOUSSE Ingredients • 196g whole milk • 35g invert sugar • 204g Callebaut - Sao Thomé • 350g whipping 35% cream EVEN Preparation Heat up to 60°C. Pour previous mixture over the chocolate. Emulsify with

a stick blender. Mix in the previous mixture when its temperature is at 40°C. Pipe into half-sphere moulds of 7 cm Ø to ¾ of the height and press a frozen half-sphere of iced coffee ganache in the centre.

Finish with a layer of chocolate sponge and freeze.

CARAMEL GLAZE Ingredients • 282g sugar • 141g water • 282g glucose • 188g sweetened concentrated milk • 103g gelatin mass • 282g Callebaut - Finest Belgian Gold Chocolate Gold 100g Callebaut - Finest Belgian Milk Chocolate - 823

• 100g Callebaut - Caramel Fill Preparation Heat up to 103°C. Combine the ingredients in a high recipient.

Pour the previous hot mixture over the ingredients and emulsify. Leave to rest in the refrigerator overnight. Glaze the Sao Thomé chocolate mousse at 28-30°C.

WE WERE THERE

OUT AND ABOUT FOLLOW

HOSPITALITYNEWSME

February 7

The opening of La Maison Pierre Marcolini Celebrated Belgian Chocolatier, Pierre Marcolini launched his first flagship boutique in The Dubai Mall, showcasing Marcolini’s gourmet, hand-made artisan chocolate and pastries.

February 23

Le Cordon Bleu Lebanon open-house Le Cordon Bleu Lebanon Culinary School hosted an open-house for potential prospects, other culinary arts lovers, alumni as well as students. Highlights included demonstrations by Le Cordon Bleu Lebanon instructors which were 'Vegetable Truffle Risotto' by Chef Roberto Zanusso and 'Religieuse au Chocolat' by Chef Emanuele Martelli, pastry chef instructor.

March 6

Two Lebanese star chefs Two Lebanese star chefs Joe Barza and Maroun Chedid teamed up for a unique cooking class! Students were able to prepare a whole menu with the two chefs and experience the Maroun Chedid Cooking Academy differently.

February 7-9

Keep Walking Lebanon Expo at KED, Karantina Johnnie Walker gave the opportunity to university students to interpret 'Keep Walking Lebanon.' After months of preparation 14 were selected to be showcased.

February 18

Lactalis dinner Guests enjoyed a cocktail dinner organized

by Lactalis Dairy Products & Trading MiddleEast at Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai during Gulfood 2019.

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February 28

Hilton Beirut Downtown launching event High profile media representatives from around Lebanon enjoyed an exceptionally vibrant ceremony, celebrating the highly anticipated launch of one of the newest landmarks of Beirut – the Hilton Beirut Downtown. The inauguration took place in the newly opened Gatsy House restaurant on the ground floor of the Hilton Beirut Downtown, where canapés, drinks and food stations were enjoyed by guests.

March 13

Valrhona event Guests enjoyed a stroll in Valrhona’s beautiful secret garden with Valrhona Pastry Instructor Chef Glenn Noel and Chef Pierre Abi Hayla at Maroun Chedid Cooking Academy, Beirut. Chef Abi Hayla introduced the latest creations with the new Tulakalum chocolate.

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