NEWS
SUPPLIERS
TASTING SUCCESS WITH BANOPURATOS Serine Jaroudi, regional marketing manager of BanoPuratos Middle East, discusses the road to success, future products and gives us a sneak peek into the latest sustainable products by Belcolade. What is behind the success of BanoPuratos?
network of post-harvest centers, is key to creating superior chocolate.
Over the years, BanoPuratos has been driven by trust within its community and by passion for innovation. Since we are the go-to company, we turn market trends, technologies and experiences into business opportunities.
If you were to invite chefs to try Belcolade products, what would you say?
What can you tell us about the latest sustainable Belcolade products? At Belcolade, we are building a truly sustainable future for cocoa, defined by the Cacao-Trac program, with a game-changing strategy that focuses on tastier chocolate and better value for all, from farmers to consumers. Our exceptional fermentation expertise, with an unparalleled international
Belcolade, the real Belgian chocolate, has the ability to delight chocolate experts, offering the world’s chocolatiers, pastry chefs and bakers a wide range of premium chocolate to inspire them.
Do you have any upcoming projects? Thanks to BanoPuratos’ 100 years of experience in developing products suited to the local market, as well as its expertise within its UAE, we will be releasing innovative products for the region banopuratos.com
SHAMAA: A NEW CANDLE CONCEPT maintenance. You can personalize your board to the hotel colors and theme, and the candles can be replaced throughout the seasons. Now, we even provide the option of replacing some candles with glass tubes to add unique dried flowers in order to enhance the look. The possibilities are endless. We offer an innovative, creative and unique product that will leave an impact on customers and clients dining at your restaurant, passing through or staying at your hotel. Candles bring an instant sense of warmth and class that will be instantly recognized and seen when someone walks into your establishment.
Shamaa, a UAE-based brand offering unique handmade candle boards, is the brainchild of Cynthia Choueiri Bahout. Here, she tells us more about the concept. How can the hospitality and foodservice industries use your products to be on-point? Our candle boards create an instant “wow” factor as soon they are placed somewhere. Picture them placed at the entrance of a prestigious hotel, instead of a flower arrangement that requires constant
20
HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | DEC 2021-JAN 2022
Your candles are handmade in the UAE. Are you able to accept large orders in the Middle East? Yes, definitely! We have spent several months perfecting our product, through trial and error and reviews from clientele. We are confident in our production line and our operation. We personally deal with our manufacturer and follow up with him on a daily basis. We have already catered to very large events and B2B orders for over 100 pieces in Saudi Arabia
Do you have new products in development or any expansion plans? We are currently working toward expanding our product base. We create our products
IN BRIEF Karam Wines shines at 2021’s Top 50 Vineyards in the World
World’s Best Vineyards has unveiled the very best wine tourism destinations across the globe in a ceremony that took place on September 20 at Schloss Johannisberg, Rheingau, Germany. The World’s Best Vineyards list aims to highlight established and emerging wine tourism destinations, and the list is voted by the academy of 600 global wine and travel experts. This year saw 10 new destinations in the top 50, with Karam Wines in Lebanon grabbing the highest new entry, reaching number 14 in the list. karamwines.com
from scratch. It is of the utmost importance that our consumers purchase a product that is safe, useful, beautiful, reusable and noble. Due to this, the process is very timeconsuming. So stay tuned because we are launching a big Shamaa line consisting of products across a broad price range in order to cater to different clients. shamaa.com Read the full interview on hospitalitynewsmag.com