Hotel & Catering News ME - July 2019

July 2019

All the latest from the Middle East hospitality industry

The Dusit Formula Group CEO SuphajEE Suthumpun’S leadership journEy with the 269-propErty orGaniSation

Better with butter All about France’s top secret artisanal techniques

A class Act

Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates Dubai’s General Manager Slim Zaiane on redefining 5-star, European-style luxury P34 - Join 50+ countries and 130+ global enterprises at a new expo by Gulfood

July 2019

Same connoisseurs of foodservice, now under one name.

Regionally recognized as different companies, we are a pot of ingredients that share the same passion, vision, and values for foodservice, and we are now proud to present ourselves as one single recipe to success – Bidfood.

E. marketing@bidfoodme.com | W. bidfoodme.com | Toll Free: 3210-800

www.hotelnewsme.com

On the web Stay up to date with all the latest news, features and much more on our website. www.hotelnewsme.com

08 News

26 Chain of the month

July 2019 // Issue #013

Contents 30 Interview

34 Event Preview

Features 08 //

News HORECA rebrands to ‘Bidfood’; Waldorf Astoria DIFC opens; Dubai Tourism launches Hotel Emission Report and more

20 //

COVER STORY Slim Zaiane, general manager at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates

26 //

CHAIN of the month Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East

30 //

IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW Suphajee Suthumpun, CEO, Dusit International

34 //

EVENT PREVIEW All about PRIME Expo Dubai

Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

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July 2019 // Issue #013

Contents

On the web Stay up to date with all the latest news, features and much more on our website. www.hotelnewsme.com

Features

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Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

36 //

MOVERS AND SHAKERS Alto-Shaam on the future of food service

38 //

OPINION Martin Kubler and MD Warrier

40 //

EXCEPTIONAL GASTRONOMY Emirates Flight Catering at the Expo 2020

44 //

TALENT SPOTTING Tahseen Programme

46 //

SUPPLIER WATCH Al Yousef Sports Equipment; Rational Middle East

48 //

MARKETPLACE

50 //

WHAT’S COOKING Stefan Borchardt, brand chef, The Noodle House

52 //

F&B FAR AND NEAR Two of Dubai’s biggest chefs specialising in American cuisine

54 //

FURTHER AFIELD Making butter in France: from production, to points of sale

58 //

HOT SEAT Shinji Yamaguchi, president, Morozoff

www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

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July 2019

Welcome letter

A note from the editor

D i n a Maa t y

Director Rabih Najm Rabih@bncpublishing.net CEO Wissam Younane Wissam@bncpublishing.net Group Commercial Director

Samer Alloush samer@bncpublishing.net

t’s astonishing, really, living in one of the world’s fastest-growing cities, you get to witness developments as they happen by the minute. For us as individuals, and editors, this means that we always have something magnificent to tell the entire world about, whether it be a new hotel opening or the next big thing in F&B concepts.

In the build-up to the World Expo 2020, we’re seeing an expansion of Dubai’s hotel landscape into the growing midscale category. The emirate, an international and regional travel and tourism hub, has demonstrated the strongest occupancy performance in the UAE, which is perhaps due to its ability to cater to all market segments – regardless of the season.

As for the F&B sector, a report by KPMG revealed that Dubai has the second highest number of restaurants in the world per million residents – that’s 2,935 F&B outlets in the emirate alone. More than half of operators surveyed by KPMG “believe Expo 2020 will have a favourable impact.”

The UAE continues to strengthen its performance in terms of global tourism, a key part of its policy of economic diversification. According

to Emirates News Agency, the sector currently contributes over AED 161 billion to the national GDP, a figure that’s expected to record annual increases of 3.9 percent, reaching AED 234.2 billion by 2027, 10.6 percent of the estimated GDP for that year.

If we think on a regional level, the outlook is also a positive one. There are currently 500+ hotels under construction in the Middle East and Africa, which translates into an estimated 153,000 rooms. With the number of hotels set to grow at 3.8 percent by 2022, this means an additional 625,000+ rooms. This growth, in turn, will lead to an increase in demand for F&B outlets, whether it’s within the sector or beyond.

The hospitality industry is predicted to reach $550 billion dollars globally – an increase of almost $100 billion dollars from the past five years.

From Dubai, the region’s touristic shining star, we can only be thrilled to witness what’s yet to come. Welcome to a new chapter for Hotel & Catering News Middle East; I look forward to bringing you the latest in the hospitality and catering industries, and beyond.

Regards, Dina

Editor

Dina Maaty dina@bncpublishing.net Contributors

Marouane Al Mandri Art Director Aaron Sutton Aaron@bncpublishing.net Photographer

Farook Al Saliq

SUBSCRIBE subscriptions@bncpublishing.net PO Box 502511 Dubai, United Arab Emirates P +971 4 4200 506 | F +971 4 4200 196

For all commercial enquiries related to Catering News ME contact samer@bncpublishing.net T +971 55 776 4670 All rights reserved © 2014.

Opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors.

Catering News ME and all subsidiary publications in the MENA region are officially licensed exclusively to BNC Publishing in the MENA region by Catering News ME. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.

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July 2019

What's cooking?

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July 2019

News

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

Foodservice

HORECA Trade to resume operations as ‘Bidfood’

Foodservice distributor HORECA Trade has announced that it will resume operations under the Bidfood name starting July 2019. HORECA Trade’s rebranding, to be implemented effective Monday July 1, is part of a regional venture to expand the brand’s network by operating under the Bidfood umbrella.

The brand will be modifying its identity through a new logo and social media presence strategy, as well as a regional website and bespoke collaterals based on insight and research.

HORECA aims to strength8

Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

en and optimise service and client relationships.

“This is an exciting step for us as it’s testament to our unstifled forward-thinking ways.

With one face and one voice, we’re more confident than ever about delivering outstanding product service solutions, market strategies and sustainable business growth to our customers, suppliers and shareholders,” says Bidfood UAE marketing manager Jad Asaad.

HORECA Trade has been taking on multiple foodservice channels for 16 years, offering

a food and beverage portfolio of internationally-recognised brands throughout the UAE. Together with sister companies HORECA Trade (Bahrain and Oman), Al Diyafa (KSA) and Bidfood Jordan (Jordan), the company represents the Bidfood Group in the Middle East through more than 35 brands, 320 talents and 14 cultures, and serves over 7,000 accounts via 300,000 deliveries per year across five markets in the Middle East.

“As we embark on this exciting new journey as one con-

nected network in the Middle East, we will carry on with our mission to inject social responsibility into our business models, and provide service solutions, market strategies and sustainable business growth to our clients, suppliers and shareholders alike,” adds Asaad.

“We thank all parties for their unwavering dedication and support over the years and look forward to sharing many more milestones and fruitful experiences with everybody involved.” www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

News

Meydan One, SMEDistrict launch joint F&B start-up programme Lifestyle and retail destination Meydan One has announced a partnership with SMEDistrict, the Dubaibased incubation platform, aiming to bring to life a comprehensive start-up development programme focused on the retail and F&B sectors.

The initiative aligns with Meydan One’s strategic priority to offer opportunities for up-and-coming entrepreneurs in F&B to establish and grow their brands. SMEDistrict will oversee the new incubation programme, which will begin receiving applications for monthly or annual memberships from Q4 2019.

Participating entrepreneurs will be able to rent retail space at premium locations in Mey-

dan One at extremely competitive commercial terms. In addition, the start-ups will have access to a range of support services and benefits across four stages of the programme.

“Dubai is spearheading the region’s innovation drive and

attracting some of the best start-up talent from around the world. Meydan One is committed to supporting this wave of entrepreneurship, especially in the retail and F&B segments, which are largely overlooked in the local start-

up incubation ecosystem,” says Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim, vice president of Meydan Malls at Meydan Group.

Support services will include mentoring through offering guidance on brand image and positioning as well as the overall sales and marketing strategy, in addition to evaluation through providing quarterly benchmarking on key performance indicators and areas of improvement.

Plus, graduation, which involves leading the successfully incubated businesses to the next phase of development as a fully operational F&B concept, while assisting them with technology adoption, franchising plans and strategic partnerships for expansion.

Dubai Tourism launches Hotel Emission Analysis Report Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) will provide Dubai hotels with an individual Hotel Emission Analysis Report outlining each establishment’s emission performance in comparison to other properties.

The Department will use results from the Carbon Calculator software to provide hotels with recommendations for improvement by referring them to the ‘12 Steps Towards Sustainability ’ manual, which was launched by

Dubai Tourism last year.

“In line with the vision of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and

Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, to transform the emirate into one of the world’s leading sustainable tourism destinations, the Hotel Emis-

sion Analysis Report has been developed as a targeted manual to guide hotels on the sustainability performance of their properties,” says Yousuf Lootah, executive director of Tourism Development and Investments at Dubai Tourism.

According to Dubai Tourism, the Hotel Emission Analysis report was launched in line with the UAE’s 2021 National Agenda to promote sustainable growth, reinforcing Dubai’s position as the smartest city in the world and a role model in energy efficiency.

Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

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Subscribe to our roaming packs and stay connected to your business right from take off.

To learn more, visit du.ae/business.

July 2019

News

Marriott International named Official Lodging Partner for CocaCola Arena TIME Hotels signs agreement with UK car hire company Rhino

Marriott International and Coca-Cola Arena have announced a strategic partnership where the chain has been named Official Lodging and Lodging Loyalty Partner of the venue.

The announcement is part of a global partnership with AEG Venues & Festivals Worldwide.

The five-year partnership will provide members of the company ’s newly unveiled travel programme Marriott Bonvoy with exclusive access to world-class events and unrivalled experiences through the ‘Moments’ platform.

“We’re committed to providing our guests around the world with lasting memories 12

Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

and enriching experiences and continue to seek partnerships such as AEG Venues & Festivals, to bring unique experiences and exclusive access to our loyalty members,” says Neal Jones, chief sales and marketing officer, Middle East and Africa at Marriott International.

The partnership kicked off with access to one of 2019’s most anticipated concerts, three-time Grammy winners Maroon 5. Loyalty members can now watch world-class entertainment events from the Marriott Bonvoy Luxury Suite or Premium Bowl Seating at Coca-Cola Arena through redemption of their loyalty points.

UAE-based TIME Hotels has signed an agreement with UK car hire company Rhino, which has now launched its operations in the Middle East with the move.

Rhinocarhire.ae will enable TIME to offer ‘live’ car rental bookings through its own website, with real-time rates and availability visible to visitors that log on to TIME Hotels’ website every year.

“We wanted to partner with Rhino, principally because their entire business strategy is built on offering exceptional value-for-money, in a

rate-sensitive sector, without compromising on operational quality or customer service.

That’s something we believe in very strongly and the bedrock of our own brand,” says Mohamed Awadalla, CEO at TIME Hotels.

TIME Hotels currently operates 17 properties across the UAE and GCC with new additions in Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this year as well as an expansion into the hotel market in Egypt, with plans to increase its portfolio to 35 properties across the Middle East by the end of 2025.

On the web Stay up to date with all the latest news, features and much more on our website. www.hotelnewsme.com

www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

News

Bidfood UAE adds exclusive ‘violife’ vegan cheese to its portfolio Multi-channel foodservice provider of international F&B brands Bidfood UAE, previously known as HORECA Trade, has added an extensive vegan cheese range to its product portfolio.

Bidfood UAE signed an exclusive foodservice distributorship with the Greece-based Arivia to supply the award-winning Violife brand, catering to rising demand for more vegan products.

“Plant-based options are becoming more and more accessible, so it’s no surprise that the vegan trend has blossomed into a way of life. It’s vital that we play our part in this narrative and join the mission towards helping people, our animal friends and Mother Earth with what we do best: foodservice,” says Jad Asaad, Bidfood UAE’s

marketing and brand development manager.

“In an effort to contribute to sustainability and respond to market demand for vegan alternatives, Bidfood UAE has partnered with the world-renowned, Greece-based brand Arivia to

supply its high-grade vegan cheese range Violife to local food professionals, which can easily be incorporated into their menus to serve the vegan community in the UAE,” he adds.

Asaad concludes: “With our extensive vegan range, which

includes everything from mozzarella, cheddar, cream, Greek white and Mediterranean-style cheeses in a variety of forms – completely free from dairy, soya, gluten, lactose, nuts and preservatives – we’ll be able to help culinary professionals.

They can add these new options to their menus in dishes such as burgers, sandwiches, pizza, risotto, salads and desserts to cater to their clientele.”

Bidfood UAE, a part of the JSE-listed Bidfood Group, is a leading food distributor and beverage supplier in the UAE, with a presence in all seven Emirates through an extensive brand portfolio of 25 accounts that include bakery items, dairy products, seafood, meat and beverages.

UAE-Based Truebell expands its probiotic product portfolio Truebell, a UAE-headquartered GCC importer of fastmoving-consumer goods (FMCG), has announced plans to expand its portfolio of probiotic products.

The news follow the launch of the company’s new distribution centre in Dubai Industrial Park. At present, Truebell has more than 60 global products in its portfolio including Yakult – a Japanese probiotic fermented milk drink, with Truebell management planning to increase its offerings in the next 12 months.

“Probiotics are very sensitive products – often with very short shelf lives – therefore they require an efficient cold chain network in order to be delivered from where they’re manufactured, to the retailers where they’re sold in a careful and timely manner,” says Bhushant J. Gandhi, Truebell’s divisional manager for Retail and Food Service.

“We specialise in perishable air cargo products, so anything from 14 to 45 days. For our existing probiotic product Yakult, we fly pallets over on a weekly

basis to each of the GCC markets in which we distribute in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain; we have our own fa-

cilities in each of these logistics hubs,” he adds.

“Strategically located with easy connectivity to Jebel Ali Port, Al Maktoum International Airport and the Expo 2020 site, our fleet of 45 trucks can transport probiotics effectively and efficiently at their required temperature and within the required timeframe.”

The Middle East and Africa’s probiotic market will grow to almost $14.77 billion by 2023, while the global market is projected to grow to over $57 billion by 2022.

Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

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July 2019

Appointments

Appointments Action Hotels Company appoints CEO ahead of new property opening

Dubai-based Action Hotels Company (AHC), which operates three and four-star properties throughout the Middle East, has appointed Christophe Landais as CEO. Landais, former managing director and chief operating officer of Accor in the Middle

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East, brings more than 30 years of experience in executive hospitality management to AHC. According to the group, he will direct the strategy for its 13-property portfolio, as well as the development pipeline, soon to offer a total of 2,256 rooms.

The new CEO will steer the opening of the group’s next property, the 220room Novotel Bur Dubai, a four-star, Accor-operated hotel in Dubai Healthcare City. Landais confirmed that the property will be ready to take reservations starting August 1.

Hilton appoints cluster general manager for four properties in Ras Al Khaimah Hilton has appointed Nader Halim as cluster general manager for four of its properties in Ras Al Khaimah.

Halim will be managing DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island and DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, as well as DoubleTree by Hilton

Ras Al Khaimah Corniche Hotel & Residences and Hampton

By Hilton Al Marjan Island, both of which are scheduled to open soon.

Before the new post, Halim was general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island. www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Appointments

Upcoming hotel Millennium Al Barsha appoints GM

Millennium Hotels and Resorts has appointed Christian Palacin as general manager of Millennium Al Barsha, set to open in the summer of 2019.

Palacin will be responsible for all aspects of operations. The hospitality professional started his career 25 years ago and has held several senior management positions with international hospitality brands including Sheraton and Marriott Hotels and Resorts in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Abu Dhabi and the Philippines. During the span of his career, he has taken part in large renovation projects, rebranding and hotel openings.

Millennium Al Barsha is a 4-star property owned and developed by Deyaar Development PJSC. The hotel houses 299 rooms and suites and 109 serviced apartments, all featuring modern amenities and technology.

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi appoints executive chef

AMAZING

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Secure admission tickets at www.anuga.com/tickets The St. Regis Abu Dhabi has appointed Joseph Murphy as their executive chef. Joseph brings close to 20 years of international experience in the luxury hospitality industry, embarking on his career at the Sheraton Grand London, Park Lane in 2001.

According to the property, Joseph will be responsible for all culinary areas across the hotel including its six dining destinations as well as banqueting operations. The executive chef will lead a team of 70 chefs across the hotel.

Koelnmesse GmbH Messeplatz 1 50679 Köln · Germany Tel. +49 1806 002 200 Fax +49 221 821-991010 anuga@visitor.koelnmesse.de

Hotel & Catering NEWS ME 17 Anuga_2019_Anzeige_Hotel_Catering_News_ME_83x228mm_Intl_GB.indd 1 13.06.19 12:35

July 2019

openings & Launches

Waldorf Astoria DIFC opens its doors

Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has opened its doors, the chain’s third property in the UAE. The 275-room hotel occupies the 18th to 55th floors of Burj Daman, a complex featuring residences and office towers. All rooms, including 46 suites and 28 residential suites, feature views of the Downtown Dubai skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows in each room.

“We’re delighted to expand our luxury presence in the region with the opening of Waldorf Astoria DIFC, which is located in an important economic hub within the region,” says Rudi Jagersbacher, president, Middle East, Africa & Turkey at Hilton.

“Earlier this year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved the launch of DIFC 2.0, which will add 13 million square feet of space to the Centre. We’re pleased to be part of this rapidly growing district and look forward to delivering unparalleled experiences to guests staying in DIFC,” adds Jagersbacher.

Inspired by the 1960s, the hotel boasts a sleek, contemporary look. All restaurants and bars are located on the 18th floor, and include Bull & Bear, the hotel’s signature restaurant, St Trop, a French Riviera-style escape and Peacock Alley lounge and bar – an iconic venue present at all Waldorf Astoria hotels worldwide.

The hotel offers five settings, including

a unique library concept which houses an open kitchen and also features spacious meeting rooms, a grand ballroom with a pre-function area and a boardroom.

Waldorf Astoria DIFC joins two award-winning Waldorf Astoria properties in the UAE, Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah and Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, and is the brand’s first city-based hotel in the country.

Asian Street Kitchen

Matagi

The London Project

Matagi’s Crazy Rich Brunch takes place Fridays from 7pm. Guests can experience a four-hour gastronomic event with sharing-style appetisers including sashimi and maki platters, chicken thighs yakitori and ikura udon. Main courses include miso lamb chops spicy slaw, grilled wagyu sirloin wasabi and garlic soy glaze portobello mushroom.

Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR) has opened Asian Street Kitchen at Dubai International Airport (DXB) in Terminal Three. The airside dining destination, made up of four street food and drink sections, will be serving up a selection of Asian-inspired bites, breakfasts and main meals.

Asian Street Kitchen has been designed around the Urban street style of the Far East. The outlet features an eclectic mix of street art, graffiti and pop art throughout with bold neon lights, bright posters and rustic table settings.

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The London Project, located on Bluewaters Island, has launched a Friday brunch with a theatrical theme. Promising “pomp and pageantry, opulence, and glamour with a dusting of debauchery”, the feast features a host of live performances by dancers, singers, actors and aerialists, in addition to beats played by an in-house DJ. Food is served sharing style, with appetisers including homemade English muffins, battered fish and chips and fried halloumi soft shell tacos. Mains feature mango-glazed chicken, wild mushroom and truffle gnocchi with porcini beurre monte and more. www.hotelnewsme.com

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Creek/Al Jaddaf

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AL RASHIDIYA

Abra and Ferry timings: Routes

Timings

Frequency/Fares/Features

Air-conditioned Abra Al Jaddaf Marine Station to Dubai Festival City (BM2)

Saturday – Thursday 7:00 am - 12:00 midnight Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 midnight

10 minutes (Peak Hours) 20 minutes (Off-peak Hours) AED 2 per person, per trip in one direction

Ferry Round Trip – DFC

Every day 4:00 pm

Min. of 8 passengers

For detailed timings and information, visit the respective customer service office inside the station.

Children under 5 years travel for free only for commuter trips.

July 2019

Cover Story

A New Definition of Luxury Located in the heart of Dubai is the 5-star Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, the perfect starting point to discovering a whole new world of lavish European-style grandeur. Here, Slim Zaiane, the hotel’s general manager, tells us all about his role, and the property Please share your career journey with our readers.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve been lucky enough to see the world thanks to my job. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in hotel management from Glion Hotel School and a Master’s degree from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom.

Since then, my career has taken me from Geneva, via Paris and London, to Dubai in senior management roles with several luxury hotel brands.

What’s your personal leadership style?

I thrive to achieve excellence in both guest and employee satisfaction. Something very important to me is getting really hands on and solving problems regardless of the area of the hotel – I like getting things done and at the highest level of service.

I also work closely with each member of the team to ensure that they feel supported and valued along every step of the way, every day. By doing so, the team feel appreciated

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and strive for better service for our guests and, all in all, create a better environment for everyone.

When have you found your passion for working at luxury hotels?

Soon after graduating, I landed my first role as a F&B management trainee for Noga Hilton in Geneva and I’ve never looked back.

There’s something about creating long-lasting memories for guests that they take away and keep with them for years to come. This always drives me to become better and strive for greatness by listening to customer demands, market trends and continuously offering bespoke customer experiences to our guests.

What are the most unique features of the hotel and would you say that it’s more classic or distinctive?

Our hotel is home to a tasteful mix of gastronomy concepts, offering excellent variety for food lovers from around the

www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Cover Story

I like getting things done and at the highest level of service.

Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

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July 2019

Cover Story

world. From the Levantine-inspired experience that's Olea to Aspen Café lounge which is the perfect place to gather, relax and unwind with its European Flair and Salero, the most authentic Spanish outpost in Dubai – the hotel’s dining selection is exquisitely diverse and inviting.

The hotel’s location is another element that appeals to visitors. Its location enables us to be part of a much larger community – Mall of the Emirates – but at 22

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the same time, it retains its exclusiveness.

Due to this, we’re able to offer guests easy access to all the popular lifestyle activities within the mall, including leisure and shopping. It’s also within close connectivity to the major arts and cultural spots in Dubai such as Art Dubai in Madinat and Alserkal Avenue.

Our unique Ski Chalet offering is also nothing like anything else you’ll find in Dubai. Inspired by a luxury lodge, guests can enjoy the experience of feeling

like they’re escaping to a winter retreat overlooking Ski Dubai, while in the middle of the desert.

Also, the Kempinski brand of hotels comes with a rich heritage, we bring the heart of Europe and its traditions to the heart of Dubai for everyone to enjoy.

What are five features at the hotel that reshape guest experiences?

As mentioned, our ideal location, gastronomy concepts available at the www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Cover Story

property with leading chefs in the region and Aspen Chalets provide guests with unique experiences that you won’t find elsewhere in Dubai.

The Lady in Red, an iconic Kempinski brand ambassador, is an enduring feature of the company’s hotels worldwide. With an intimate knowledge of the local destination, the Lady in Red is present in the hotel lobby, working alongside the concierge to recreate the beauty of a grand hotel tradition for

today’s discerning guests. She goes out of her way to understand each guest’s individual needs, and craft memorable experiences with a personal touch throughout their stay.

The property is also the perfect hub for business travellers; our world-class meetings and events facilities with 17 venues and exclusive limousine transfers with in-car Wi-Fi are something that our guests appreciate and value time and time again.

What advice would you offer those who aspire to become GMs in the hotel industry someday?

• Passion works like fuel and will drive you to succeed. As with any job, you’ll face difficulties, but as long as you have passion, you’ll overcome them and grow as a professional.

• Ambition is also important. This will help you set goals and create a healthy career path for yourself.

• And lastly, experience. There’s absolutely Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

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Cover Story

no substitute for this. Therefore, I would encourage anyone who’s thinking about a career in hospitality to throw themselves in the deep end and gain as much experience as possible as it will pay off in the long run.

As the GM, what’s the most important thing you do to ensure the hotel is a success?

As you know, the industry is constantly changing and evolving, to the extent that what might have worked for you until now might not work for you in the coming months or years.

The hospitality market in Dubai is extremely competitive and, therefore, we must always look to adapt and stay ahead of the curve – both the property and as individuals. Being open and willing to adapt, change and grow will be the differentiator between you and your competitor.

Also, the standard of luxury hotels in the UAE is very high – the benchmark for luxury here is recognisably higher than at other global destinations. Therefore, it’s becoming increasingly substantial for hotels to overdeliver on their promise to create extraordinary experiences for travellers in UAE. Meeting such challenges definitely raises the need to boost creativity and innovation – a challenge I take on very seriously.

What’s next for Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates?

As we embrace more innovation and tech-savvy offerings at the property, our goal is to ensure customer demands are answered and make their stay is as easy and comfortable as possible.

We see two key trends in the market currently – one, guests are increasingly looking to be entertained in the hotel itself rather than just coming for a nice room.

This is something we have taken on board and we’re currently working on some exciting projects due to be launched later this year, which will strengthen our unique position even more. Number two, we believe sustainability will continue to be a key focus – we’re are always on the lookout for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and pollution.

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July 2019

Cover Story

The Kempinski brand of hotels comes with a rich heritage, we bring the heart of Europe and its traditions to the heart of Dubai for everyone to enjoy.

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July 2019

chain of the month

Millennium Hotels and Resorts Millennium Hotels and Resorts owns, asset manages and operates over 130 hotels worldwide. With almost 40,000 rooms globally, the company is present in nearly all 8 continents with a portfolio of brands, which serve different market segments.

Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East & Africa currently operates 42 hotels with nearly 14,000 keys in addition to ten hotels are due to open in 2019, and 35 hotels in the pipeline across the region

Growth and key aspects • There are ten hotels due to open in 2019 in the Middle East region.

• With 35 hotels in development, the Group has one of the Middle East's most significant pipelines in the region.

• Upcoming hotels include Grand Millennium Resort Tabouk, Grand Millennium Konya Hotel, Grand Millennium Jizan, Millennium Deyaar Montrose Apartments, Millennium Riyadh Olaya, Studio M Shaden Muscat, Studio M Al Barsha, Millennium Al Barsha, Millennium Place Barsha Heights and Copthorne Makkah Al Naseem.

• By the end of 2019, Millennium Hotels and Resorts will operate 52 hotels in the Middle East and Africa, growing from 28 properties in 2016.

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a key strategic focus for the Group with more than 20 hotels set to open within the next five years. The expansion will cover, not only the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah, but also extend across locations in the North, South and Western provinces, offering a variety of brands from the portfolio.

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www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

chain of the month

Industry trends • The Middle East hospitality sector continues to mature from its existing provision of luxury and branded hotels to the need for more upscale and midscale developments reaching international standards to meet the demands of a broader spectrum of visitors.

• More lifestyle, midscale segment properties and innovative accommodation solutions have begun entering the market, catering to broader segments.

• Adventure, solo, and family travels are the categories which attract the most significant number of people into the region, but young travelers as a source of inbound business will continue to dominate.

• Since younger travelers are substantially technology savvy and demand more flexible pricing and trendy hotel concept, the midscale sector will play an important role.

• Health and wellness are playing an increasingly more significant role today, where hospitality ought to amend its offering to adapt to the demand for sustainability and efficiency from as early as the designing phase of a hotel.

• New independent culinary concepts are rising with unique offerings and experiences outside of the traditional hotel offerings to meet the guests' changing needs.

Did you know?

• The hotel’s portfolio is diverse; from 3-star to luxury properties, it includes dry and Sharia-compliant hotels, leisure resorts and business hotels all tailored to meet the needs of its surrounding and source markets.

• Millennium Place is the latest addition to the brand portfolio and is built based on a “Stay Happy” proposition, a commitment to delivering smiles through different touchpoints during guest stays.

• Millennium Hotels and Resorts signed an exclusive three-year global hotel partnership with Chelsea Football Club, enabling the Group to offer room packages linked to a range of football experiences.

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July 2019

chain of the month

Kevork Deldelian, chief operating officer, Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East

What are some of the key challenges facing the industry today?

"Technology is integral at every stage of the modern travellers’ journey and will continue. Thus, it’s vital

for the industry to understand how travelers gather information and make decisions.

Changes in guest expectations is one of the

biggest challenges in the hotel industry, and this requires hotels to be able to adapt and respond faster to the continuously changing consumer

demands and to remain closer to customers through more interactive marketing campaigns, harnessing the power of social media.

The industry attracts young talent to join from

hotel schools, tourism board initiatives, and other

sources at an entry level, which secures base talent for future supply. However, with the tremendous growth in the industry, having an experienced

professional talent pool at middle management level is vital to support the supply growth in a short spin."

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Hotels in numbers Country

Hotels

Keys

UAE

15

5,385

Saudi Arabia

10

4,889

Qatar

4

735

Jordan

1

177

Kuwait

3

705

Oman

4

1,037

Iraq

3

466

Georgia

1

214

Palestine

1

171

Turkey

1

127

Total

42

13,906

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July 2019

chain of the month

Current hotels in the region United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi • Bab Al Qasr Hotel • Grand Millennium Al Wahda • Kingsgate Hotel Abu Dhabi by Millennium Dubai • Copthorne Hotel Dubai • Copthorne Airport Hotel Dubai • Grand Millennium Business Bay • Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai • M Hotel Downtown by Millennium • Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai • Millennium Atria Business Bay • Millennium Place Marina • Millennium Plaza Hotel Dubai • Studio M Arabian Plaza Sharjah • Copthorne Hotel Sharjah

Iraq

Sulaimani • Copthorne Hotel Baranan • Grand Millennium Hotel Sulaimani • Millennium Kurdistan Hotel and Spa

Jordan

Amman • Grand Millennium Amman

Kuwait

Al Jahra • Copthorne Al Jahra Hotel & Resort Kuwait City • Copthorne Kuwait City • Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre Kuwait

Oman

Muscat • Grand Millennium Muscat • Millennium Executive Apartments Muscat Mussanah • Millennium Resort Mussanah Salalah • Millennium Resort Salalah

Palestine

Ramallah • Millennium Palestine Ramallah

Doha

• Millennium Hotel Doha • Millennium Plaza Doha • Copthorne Hotel Doha • Kingsgate Hotel Doha

Saudi Arabia

Hail • Millennium Hail Hotel Saudi Arabia Madinah • Millennium Al Aqeeq Hotel • Millennium Taiba Hotel • Millennium Madinah Airport Makkah • M Hotel Makkah by Millennium • M Hotel Makkah Al Aziziah • Makkah Millennium Hotel • Makkah Millennium Towers • Millennium Makkah Al Naseem Riyadh • Copthorne Hotel Riyadh

Georgia

• The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi

Turkey

• Millennium Golden Horn Istanbul

New Hotels Millennium Place Marina (newly opened)

The 4-star property features 453 rooms and suites.

Millennium Makkah Al Naseem (newly opened) The 5-star property features 831 rooms and suites.

Millennium Place Barsha Heights (coming soon)

The 4-star property will have 915 rooms, suites and serviced apartments.

Studio M Al Barsha (coming soon)

The second Studio M property in the UAE is expected to open in Q4 this year. The hotel will have 155 rooms.

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July 2019

In-depth Interview

Good Vibes Only

Dusit International Group CEO Suphajee Suthumpun’s passion is rooted in a simple concept: “any business, at its core, is about serving customers”. Overseeing a total of 269 properties, the hotel boss tells all about creating dreamlike experiences – day in, day out

T

o some, Dusit International is about luxury experiences that revolve around peace, serenity and nature. To others, namely, hospitality industry professionals, it’s about 65 years of iconic touches influenced by the hospitable nature and immaculate artistry of Thai culture.

The chain’s portfolio, whether it involves a hotel, resort, spa or educational programme, is al about personalised touches that aim to enliven the spirit, no matter the journey. Dusit International Group CEO Suphajee Suthumpun’s journey is a magnificent one, filled with stories of success in which passion, paired with a drive to make an impact, prevail.

“My background is actually in technology – including positions such as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman, Thaicom Public Co Ltd.,

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General Manager of Global Technology Services (GTS) at IBM’s ASEAN headquarters in Singapore and Country General Manager of IBM Thailand Company Limited – and I first entered the hospitality industry as Dusit’s CEO in January 2016,” says Suthumpun.

“Any business, at its core, is about serving customers. So, whether you work in hospitality or technology, you should always aim to serve those who want to buy your product to the best of your ability,” the Groups CEO adds. “For instance, when I first joined IBM in 1989, the company was going through a bit of a rough patch. But we spent a decade carefully recalibrating the company, changing the culture and shifting the business model from a hardware focus to a service focus. Business boomed as a result. It was the same at Thaicom, whose fortunes were turned around

when we shifted our focus from product to service. So, I guess you could say that that’s my forte – shifting focus from products to service.”

While changing from technology to hospitality may seem like a giant leap, shifting between industries has had its advantages for Suthumpun. For one, it was bringing a fresh pair of eyes and different business perspective to the new role – while still maintaining the same service-minded attitude. This has enabled the CEO to embrace Dusit’s longstanding traditions while also ushering in a new chapter of change. The fact that technology has become a big part of everything, of course, was another big advantage.

“As a company, we’re constantly seeking ways to enhance revenue creation so we can maintain and enhance our property portfolio while delivering value www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

in-depth Interview

Any business, at its core, is about serving customers.

So, whether you work in hospitality or technology, you should always aim to serve those who want to buy your product to the best of your ability.” to shareholders – especially while our flagship hotel, Dusit Thani Bangkok, is redeveloped as part of a landmark mixeduse project,” says Suthumpun.

“In this regard, over the past three years, we’ve been strengthening our foundations, consolidating our operations and diversifying our portfolio across different geographies and business models to position ourselves for sustainable and profitable growth,” she adds.

Dusit’s three-pronged, multi-year strategy for balance, expansion and diversification includes balancing their portfolio of hotels to include half of their operations outside of Thailand, doubling the number of rooms they have in operation and diversifying their lines of business to receive approximately ten percent of total revenue from new investments in hospitality-related industries – such as their recent investments in the food business.

“While we’re best known for our full-service hotels and resorts operating under Dusit Hotels & Resorts, we have made moves to expand our services across the lodging spectrum to offer broader experiences for our guests and customers, and further meet the needs of luxury and millennial travellers. This, of course, allows us to reach new markets,” says Suthumpun.

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July 2019

In-depth Interview

The latest of Dusit’s ventures include entering the high-end vacation rental market through the full acquisition of Elite Havens, a leading provider of highend vacation rentals in Asia, which brings to their portfolio a network of more than 200 fully staffed luxury villas managed and marketed across five countries. But there’s plenty more in the pipeline for the chain…

“In early 2020, our offerings will expand even further with the opening of our first ASAI Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, in the heart of the city’s famous Chinatown district. ASAI Hotels is our new lifestyle brand designed to link millennial-minded travellers with authentic local experiences in vibrant destinations worldwide, and we already have six more properties in the pipeline across Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines,” explains the CEO. With great expansion plans, comes a busier-than-busy schedule, which the CEO believes is made easier with dedication and teamwork: “This means that my schedule is packed every day – with meetings, planning, strategy, etc., but we have an excellent team here at Dusit to make it all happen.”

When it comes to the UAE, Dusit’s Group CEO tells Hotel & Catering News Middle East that she shares the founding family’s vision of bringing the concept of gracious Thai hospitality to the region – and the world.

“In terms of significant milestones in the UAE, our first was when we opened our first hotel in the region, Dusit Thani Dubai, in 2001. Since then, we’ve gone on to open Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, dusitD2 Kenz Dubai, and, most recently, Dusit Princess Residences Dubai Marina,” she says.

The Dusit Princess Rijas Dubai is slated to open in late 2021, and the chain will continue to explore options to open new hotels, says the CEO, under all their brand offerings, throughout the region – “so watch this space,” she adds.

“This year (2019) is a promising one for our properties in the UAE, especially during the last quarter of the year gearing towards the much-anticipated Expo 2020.

This event is bringing with it a flurry of development, with many major attractions and lifestyle venues set to open and drive 32

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room demand in the region for years to come,” Suthumpun explains.

For the CEO, one major transformation that the chain has seen in the region under her leadership was a push towards sustainable practices – a global trend which has undeniably taken the industry by storm – and ensuring that Dusit’s properties would have a positive local impact. This meant ensuring that their hotels met and exceeded the stringent standards of various ISO certifications.

“Following the company’s new mission, vision and values I introduced in 2016 – Proud of our Thai heritage, uniquely delivering gracious hospitality to the world; mission: we empower our people to exceed expectations. Always. Plus, the new core values, ‘Care, Commit, Can Do!’ We’ve also fostered and promoted a culture of innovation at our properties to ensure management can take the initiative to delight guests with offerings that are unique to each,” she says.

“Take, for example, the introduction of Namak by Kunal Kapur at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi. This innovative Indian restaurant, unique to the property, has been named by several leading media outlets as one of the best new restaurants in the city. And, at Dusit Thani Dubai, the new street-food dining style concept, 24th Street, simulates a traditional Asian hawker centre complete with Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Arabic and Italian street food choices – a unique offering for the city, and another big hit with diners,” she adds.

In terms of trends and finds within the region, the CEO has seen rapid growth in the sharing economy and that it, besides accommodation, now also encompasses meetings, co-working spaces, and event pop-up dining concepts.

“There has been rapid digital transformation across all touchpoints – customer journey, marketing, reputation, etc. – and the push towards sustainability www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

in-depth Interview

This year (2019) is a promising one for our properties in the UAE, especially during the last quarter of the year gearing towards the muchanticipated Expo 2020. This event is bringing with it a flurry of development, with many major attractions and lifestyle venues set to open and drive room demand in the region for years to come. also continues apace, with many guests and companies now only choosing to do business with hotels that have green credentials,” says Suthumpun.

“To compete and succeed in this business environment, we must create bespoke experiences through valuedriven offerings that provide the utmost convenience for our guests and customers.

At the same time, we must be conscious of our environmental impact and do everything we can to save energy and water, and limit waste,” she adds.

“Our management teams are doing an excellent job ensuring we cover all these key points to position our hotels for sustainable success, and ultimately prepare us for more growth in the UAE and beyond.”

The CEO, who also believes in the power of a solid hospitality education in preparing the coming generations who would be keen on joining the industry, is confident that Dusit’s contributions can

make a change – and has taken concrete steps towards that goal.

“As previously mentioned, my background is actually in technology, but I do bring a service mindset to my role here at Dusit. I also strongly believe in promoting hospitality education, and I think our offerings in this area can strengthen the quality of the industry in general. In August, for example, we’ll open our first college outside of Thailand – the Dusit Hospitality Management College in Manila.

This pioneering facility will be linked with our very own dusitD2 The Fort Manila hotel, offering a unique integrated learning experience for our students,” she says.

Globally, Dusit Thani’s portfolio now comprises 269 properties (nine owned and 260 managed) operating under six brands across 13 countries. The chain has more than 50 Dusit-branded hotels in the pipeline, and is expected to open at least ten to 12 hotels per year in key destinations from 2019 onwards.

“What’s most important is that, while our Thai DNA is certainly evident in each location, our gracious service is developed based on what is right for each destination, resulting in unique experiences designed to exceed guest expectations,” says Suthumpun.

Leaders tend to follow a certain style, inspiration they believe keeps them on track as they navigate what every day on the job may bring, which tends to have long-term results that may even alter trends for years to come. For the CEO, it’s all about the people. “My favourite quote is by the late American poet Mary Angelou, who said: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ ” “As a global hospitality company, people are at the heart of our business. And it’s essential that we deliver experiences that exceed our customers’ expectations and leave them with a positive lasting impression.”

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July 2019

Event Preview

Private Label & Licensing Middle East Expo Private labelling is a fast-growing route to new business, not only for SMEs, but also established manufacturers who want to expand their portfolio, test new markets and increase their control within the retail landscape Launched by Gulfood and covering both food and non-food FMCG, in response to overwhelming feedback from the Gulfood community and beyond, Private Label & Licensing Middle East Expo is the only private label and licensing event serving the MENA region. This hotly anticipated exhibition and workshop platform is powerfully co-located with Gulfood Manufacturing, attracting the full FMCG supply chain to Dubai this October.

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Private Label Expo will showcase a range of FMCG, from household items and cosmetics to office supplies, baby products and the full spectrum of F&B products.

Licensors such as entertainment, sports and lifestyle brands will also be present to lease their high-profile trademarks across both food and non-food consumables – offering a powerful inroad to increased demand.

To maximise supplier ROI at the show, pre-qualified buyers from major brands

including Panda, Spinneys, Emirates Airlines, Fairmont Hotels and many more will be hosted in Dubai during the show.

This tourism programme for business visitors highlights major opportunities for both food and non-food manufacturers to showcase their offerings in attendance of the biggest hotel groups, retailers, airlines, spas, salons and major corporations from the MENA region and beyond.

According to recent industry reports, www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Event preview

Making headlines Carrefour announced as Retail Excellence Partner for 2019 Targeting 35 percent of company turnover through Private Label by 2020, hypermarket leaders Carrefour shake hands on a collaborative partnership with Private Label and Licensing Middle East.

Cartoon Network confirms participation as Category Sponsor Licensing for 2019 With major brands including Adventure Time, Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls and more, leading kids’ TV channel Cartoon Network looks forward to inking deals with food and non-food licensees.

Nielsen joins forces with PRIME as Official Knowledge Partner in 2019 The Private Label & Licensing Middle East marketing campaign is being fuelled with global analytics and commentary sourced by data measurement market leaders Nielsen (download Private Label reports by Nielsen and Gulfood at prime-expo.ae). consumers today prioritise good value and choice more than ever before, and are less willing than ever to sacrifice quality. This preference towards premium products at a non-premium price point is fuelling opportunities for manufacturers of private label in the MENA region.

“Between 2015 and today, 40 percent more consumers in the UAE and KSA are more price conscious. In terms of brand loyalty, twice as many consumers

have switched to a less expensive brand or a private label,” says Abdellah Iftahy, partner at McKinsey & Company - leader of Consumer and Retail practice in the Middle East.

According to Nielsen, the private label sector is growing four times faster than that of branded products. Research

by Daymon reveals that over a half of consumers visit a store specifically for its private brand products and more than 80

percent, not only have full trust in private label products, but also purchase them during every shopping trip.

As the only FMCG event covering both food and non-food profiles, market response to Private Label & Licensing Middle East Expo has been overwhelming, underlined by a massive 55 percent of Gulfood exhibitors who consider Private Label to be the single most important opportunity in today’s market.

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July 2019

Movers & Shakers

Serving Quality

Alto-Shaam Director for the Middle East & Africa Gabriel Estrella Talentti tells us more about how changes in consumer behaviour and wider global trends are impacting foodservice equipment design

In recent years, global consumers have become more adventurous about trying new cuisines and expanding their palates.

As consumers learn more about their food, and demand healthier options, they hold the industry to an even higher standard than before.

By 2020, the foodservice market in the GCC is projected to add AED 190b total (AED 14.7b annually). Just under a third of that growth (31 percent) will go to new 36

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units, 5,500 of which are expected to open in the next three years. If we take into consideration the anticipated increase in visitors with large-scale events such as Expo 2020, the UAE foodservice market could add an additional AED23.5b by 2020.

Supermarkets and restaurants are adapting to meet changing tastes so that their food is as healthy, local and sustainable as possible for consumers.

“In keeping up with the new type of

consumers, the industry could continue to invest in proper chilling, cooking and food preparation equipment that enhances and maintains food quality,” says Talentti.

“The industry could also continue to promote healthier foods by using sustainable sourcing and clean ingredients, in addition to being more transparent with customers about what’s on their menu, nutritional information and how food is sourced and prepared for them.

Dubai Municipality’s recently announced initiative stating that all Dubai restaurants must display the calorie content of all menu items by January 2020 is a good move towards encouraging healthy eating habits in line with the National Nutrition Agenda 2017-2021,” he adds.

Another critical issue for food is the need for it to be perfectly cooked, and often – in today’s fast-living environment – cooked quickly without sacrificing on quality. This, in turn is driving how catering and commercial kitchen equipment is designed. “Microwave assist”, which has had such an enormous impact when it was launched, solved the issue of speed, but not quality.

New oven technologies such as Vector, however, which uses Structured Air Technology, not only solve the problem of speed, but also quality, and with up to four independent chambers capable of cooking multiple food items, food production is much greater.

Equipment manufacturers have other challenges to overcome, such as whether equipment is vented or ventless. This is often dependent on the environment in which the equipment is installed, and the space available. Kitchens are getting smaller, but the demand for high quality, www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Movers & Shakers

high volumes of food is only getting bigger.

“Furthermore, there’s a particular trend towards ventless equipment as operators are looking to do more with less space, and save on installation and operating costs. The more multi-functional the equipment, the less hardware required, which saves space and streamlines the flow of the kitchen to the operator’s advantage,” explains Talentti.

Moreover, visual prompts are increasingly being used to overcome the problem of language, a trend that’s likely to continue. The equipment is increasingly interconnected, allowing new recipes to be uploaded, and performance to be remotely reported and monitored.

The demand for increased health and safety is another driver, with manufacturers designing equipment on the basis that every accident is preventable. Physically, this means

things like triple-panel glass doors that are cool to touch, and technology that automatically evacuates the oven cavity during the final cooking stage significantly reducing the risk of steam burns.

New designs also enable health and safety executives and their regional equivalents to pull data from the equipment in the event of an accident or any incidents, recording the temperature, cooking time, date, etc. in the event of a claim being made against them.

On a different level, kitchen equipment isn’t only “back office”, sometimes it’s very much “front of house”. This is prompting manufacturers to look at the aesthetics of their designs, giving them less of an industrial “feel”.

It’s not simply our changing eating habits, or our fast-moving lives, that are impacting the food industry and food preparation equipment design. There’s a

shortage of foodservice industry human capital all over the world. The number of skilled workers available is decreasing, and the challenge is one that’s likely to become more acute.

Across the GCC, Nationalisation programmes are in place to encourage locals to take up positions across a variety of industries, including foodservice.

“We’re seeing a growing number of upcoming chefs inspiring youth to look at a career in the foodservice industry,” says the director.

“We’ll never be able to fully automate quality assurance. Human input will always be integral, especially that technology may sometimes fail. The objective is to create solutions that make processes far more efficient and effective in reducing quality issues, while delivering products faster than traditional methods.

Apart from the adventurous consumer, there’s still sizeable demand for products that are brought up organically and responsibly.”

Talentti believes that the demand for healthier food options is an opportunity for the industry. “For the past few decades, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) have been taking over the world by offering good quality quick meals at low cost, but the rise of the millennial population gave rise to key questions on healthy eating,” he says.

“Since they’re the biggest consumer group globally, the industry has to listen and answer. This is changing the way we eat as companies must now be accountable for providing sustainably produced or organic products and vegan options. This has put a lot of pressure on food service establishments as they now need to change their strategy to fit the need of these consumers. Until recently, Burger King had been the only global QSR chain that introduced a vegan burger option. I think more and more companies will find themselves in a similar position: offer what the consumers are demanding or risk failing,” says Talentti.

As consumer behaviours and the needs of the foodservice industry continue to evolve, so too will manufacturers, adapting to meet their needs.

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July 2019

Opinion

Plastic: Don’t Just Say “No” A monthly column by Martin Kubler, CEO, chief cook, and bottle washer of sps:affinity Strategic Partnership Solutions Recent months brought a slew of good news for proponents of single-use plastic reduction. Among many smaller announcements, some “biggies” stuck out like Dubai International Airport going “plastic free” next year and Bahrain banning plastic bags.

Seemingly not a week goes by without another hotel or restaurant chain announcing that they’ll be getting rid of plastic straws, stirrers, or other single-use plastic items.

I’m a big fan of plastic-free living and used to welcome such announcements with open arms. I don’t anymore – at least not outright. Oftentimes, such announcements now annoy me somewhat.

Until I came to Dubai, I never realised that straws were mandatory when drinking a soft drink. Fancy me growing up and, the rare visit to a fancy restaurant aside, never getting served a soft drink or juice with a straw.

I’m not sure why we didn’t generally use straws and, at least initially, our straw aversion certainly had nothing to do with sustainability or the desire to avoid plastic waste. I believe that we basically considered them unnecessary, which, of course, they mostly are.

Once over here, I was stunned to find that, sitting in a café and ordering a Coca Cola with ice, I always got a straw with it and that, when ordering a second drink of the same kind, I got a new glass and, you guessed it, a fresh straw.

What’s the story here? How did this part of the world become so straw mad?

Common sense dictates that, special circumstances aside, you don’t need a straw to drink a soft drink from a glass.

Please don’t say “sure I do, because otherwise the ice cubes or the lemon in the glass will hit my face when I tilt the glass.” – this would be a ridiculous thing 38

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to say and would logically mean that even sparkling mineral water should be served with a straw. Yet, strangely enough, I never get a straw with my water here.

One of my favourite restaurants recently went “plastic free”, wahey! Since then, when I order a drink, I get it with a paper straw. Wait a minute, soft drinks don’t need straws. Not plastic, not paper, none. Everything tastes the same with or without a straw (luckily, we got rid of the paper umbrellas a long time ago).

Yes, every piece of single-use plastic avoided is probably a good thing, but what annoys me is that most of us are still thinking “plastic-free” when we really should be thinking “sustainable” and “waste avoidance”.

I readily admit that, until recently, I was guilty of this, too. I was happy to see a soft drink served with a paper straw rather than a plastic straw, because “plastic is bad and paper is good, right?”

Wrong. I learned this when I had lunch with a gentleman who's very serious about sustainability and waste avoidance a little while ago. He correctly pointed out that

producing paper straws also consumes energy and resources and that, at least over here, most of these straws will end up in landfills where, because of the way landfills work, they don’t actually decompose over time, but just take up space. In other words, they’re really not that much better than their plastic cousins. What’s better than a paper straw?

No straw at all.

The same goes for wooden cutlery for delivery orders. Think about it: how many times do you actually order deliveries while you’re in places that don’t have cutlery.

Mostly, you order food to your home or work and cutlery is in a drawer a few metres away. Sure, you can tick the “no cutlery” option or leave a remark saying you don’t want any cutlery. Equally sure, nine out of ten times you still get cutlery.

The thing is, we have to stop thinking “plastic-free dining” and think “waste-free dining” instead. Focusing on waste-free dining means making tough decisions, it means looking at your entire operations and identifying where waste, in whatever shape or form it takes, is generated and how you can avoid or at least reduce it.

Food, paper or plastic waste – the best reduction strategy is not to produce any waste in the first place. I’m a realist and I know that 100 percent waste-free dining is probably going to be impossible to achieve, but I also know that there’s still many things we could do, as an industry, to avoid producing waste, right down from the products we order, to how we use them and what we’re putting on our menus.

We’ve got to stop thinking in terms of PR stunts or worrying what our competitors are doing and start looking at sustainability with fresh eyes and childlike curiosity. Everything is possible, but it requires the first few bold steps in the right direction. www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Opinion

Earn and Learn

M D Warrier, managing director at Bin Eid Executive Search, gives us an in-depth look into recruitment challenges and the best ways to overcome them As an expert in the industry, what’s the top challenge you think this region is facing in terms of recruitment? Please elaborate.

Attracting adequately qualified, trained and experienced staff particularly in junior and supervisory levels in all disciplines is a formidable challenge in the current market situation. Of course, attracting senior level is not easy, but not as acute as with junior levels.

In addition, attracting and sourcing junior-level Arabic-speaking staff is a major task.

With this challenge, and others, what’s the solution you would recommend?

Please elaborate.

I would recommend conscious efforts for-in house training so that employees feel confident about career progression.

Though most organisations give preference to existing employees for internal promotion and transfers, this can be improved with skill development schemes along with routine trainings – an “earn and learn” policy.

Also, highly acceptable staff accommodation, and a competitive salary and benefits. Even implementing a longevity allowance is a good idea.

This means, when employees complete five years (for example), a lump sum amount is paid so that employees will be attracted to stay with the employer. This is in addition to the statutory schemes governed by labour laws.

Also, creating awareness among GCC nationals about the scope and importance of jobs in the hospitality industry to encourage them to join can create lot of jobs. In addition, there’s the possibility of associating with hotel schools in different source markets to set up skill development centres with relevant syllabi

I would recommend conscious efforts for-in house training so that employees feel confident about career progression. Though most organisations give preference to existing employees for internal promotion and transfers, this can be improved with skill development schemes along with routine trainings – an “earn and learn” policy. to ensure the continuous flow of suitably qualified interns.

Create ample opportunities for career growth. Plus, training, skills development and opportunities for career progression within the organisation. Many organisations are doing this, but need to do much more.

Moreover, make sure there’s a strong line of communication. Organisations should intensely educate employees about the mission, vision and financial goals.

When employees feel like they’re an integral part of the organisation, they’ll put in an effort for quality service and

to maximise revenue with all possible channels. I have to acknowledge: some hotels are exemplary in doing this.

Finally, annual tickets for rank and file staff can be given as many budget airlines operate in the region. This will also will boost the airline industry to a great extent.

Maybe, bearing 50 percent of annual airline expenses or deducting on pro rata basis if employees leave within the stipulated term.

Organisations should conduct a salary and compensation survey to ensure they’re in line with market dynamics, too.

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July 2019

Exceptional Gastronomy

A Fresh F&B Vision At the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai and Emirates Flight Catering’s eco-friendly approach is a “source local, think global” mantra. We look at how caterers will work with participating countries to serve up international cuisine at the exhibition Picture this: Fresh produce from a vertical farm served to millions at Expo 2020 Dubai. While it may sound dreamlike, it’s reality for the sustainability-driven exhibition, which will collaborate with Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) to provide delicious and diverse culinary choices while showcasing the future of sustainable gastronomy.

The tie-up will introduce visitors to a world of tantalising up-and-coming cuisines at Expo Culinary Experience restaurants. Operated by EKFC, the eateries will embrace authentic recipes 40

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from participating countries – enabling diners to sample global flavours, ingredients and foodstuffs they may have never considered before stepping through the Expo 2020 gates.

“With 50 million meals expected to be served during Expo 2020, both quality and sustainability are crucial to our aim of creating an exceptional – and delicious – World Expo, while also contributing to a more sustainable future for us all.

Expo 2020 and EKFC share this strong commitment, and we look forward to exchanging knowledge and ideas,” says

Gillian Hamburger, senior vice president, Programming at Expo 2020 Dubai.

On last month’s United Nations’ Sustainable Gastronomy Day, Expo 2020 and EKFC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that sets out a shared vision for the largest event ever staged in the Arab world. This forms part of a broader collaboration which puts the planet first – with Expo 2020 and EKFC innovating together to advance Expo 2020’s Sustainability subtheme and create lasting positive environmental impacts.

“At Emirates Flight Catering, we’re www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

exceptional Gastronomy

In light of Expo 2020’s wider environmental commitment, every F&B vendor that collaborates with Expo 2020 must sign the Food Ethos – a document designed to push forward sustainability and wellness through local sourcing. constantly looking at innovation and ways to improve our productivity, product and service quality. We’re committed to bringing our customers the freshest and highest quality food possible by adopting the latest technology into our operations,” says Saeed Mohammed, chief executive officer of Emirates Flight Catering.

“Our ‘farm to fork’ concept not only secures our own supply chain of locally-sourced, fresh vegetables, but it significantly reduces our environmental footprint as well. We’re delighted to collaborate with Expo 2020 to

provide millions of visitors with a truly memorable gastronomical experience,” adds Mohammed.

EKFC is set to launch a series of F&B locations across the Expo site’s three thematic districts. Fine dining restaurants will feature rotating menus and a monthly star chef from its extensive network, while Grains and Greens will offer gourmet sandwiches, bowl creations and sharing platters. Meanwhile, La Patisserie will provide sweet treats and coffee in an elegant atmosphere, and Deli2Go will be serving up simple and fresh bites that can

be enjoyed on the move.

EKFC’s 130,000 square foot vertical farm, located next door to the Expo 2020 site in Dubai South, will produce 2,700 kilos of herbicide- and pesticide-free leafy greens every day, using 99 percent less water than outdoor fields. A proportion of its output will go to Emirates-operated outlets and various other pavilions at the Expo during the 173 days of the event.

In light of Expo 2020’s wider environmental commitment, every F&B vendor that collaborates with the exhibition must sign the Food Ethos – a Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

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Exceptional Gastronomy

EKFC is set to launch a series of F&B locations across the Expo site’s three thematic districts. Fine dining restaurants will feature rotating menus and a monthly star chef from its extensive network, while Grains and Greens will offer gourmet sandwiches, bowl creations and sharing platters. document designed to push forward sustainability and wellness through local sourcing, as well as the use of organic produce and environmentally-conscious packaging. The Food Ethos also promotes affordability, setting standards for accessibility by encouraging vendors to account for allergies and intolerances.

F&B providers are also encouraged to meet more ambitious targets in areas such as food and packaging waste. This could include donating excess food to the UAE Food Bank or implementing technologies to track and reduce waste.

EKFC, which is one of the world’s largest airline catering companies, diverts a wide range of materials from landfill through a comprehensive recycling 42

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July 2019

exceptional Gastronomy

programme and uses sustainable materials throughout its operation. As part of its ‘farm to fork’ policy, EKFC works directly with suppliers to best source the right ingredients and reduce food miles while actively supporting SMEs in the local market. EKFC is sharing these best practices with Expo 2020.

The outlook is positively green. A foodie’s paradise, Expo 2020 Dubai is set to welcome visitors from every corner of the globe to discover mouth-watering dishes, creative gastronomic experiences, future-shaping food tech, old classics, new favourites, street bites and gourmet delights across more than 200 F&B outlets.

“We want to inspire visitors to try new flavours at Expo 2020, whether it’s a cuisine they know nothing about or a clever twist on a popular dish. The F&B programme supports Expo’s theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

Food connects people with culture, and what better way to enjoy the company of others than by sharing delicious cuisine and fresh experiences together?” says Darren Tse, director of F&B, Programming at Expo 2020 Dubai.

There will be options to suit every palate, with 50-plus cuisines to try across an area equal in size to seven football pitches and almost 300,000 meals served every day throughout the six-month celebration that begins on October 20 2020.

Visitors will get a taste of robotics, and augmented and virtual reality seeing how technology will change how we prepare and order food. They will also discover the creative merging of flavours and cuisines, exploring how food connects people and cultures. Furthermore, muchloved local restaurants and talented up-and-comers will be introduced to an international audience, while UAEinspired cuisine and traditional dishes from the wider Arab world will be enjoyed in a food hall setting.

A whole new world of opportunities for the F&B industry is opening up and the entire world is eagerly waiting to become a part of it, and share input for a more sustainable future.

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July 2019

Talent

Future GMs

Marriott International’s Tahseen programme was created to develop Arab talent with a very specific long-term goal, but what really goes into training future leaders? We speak to David Leman, chief human resources officer, Middle East and Africa at Marriott International

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July 2019

Talent

Tell us more about the Tahseen programme, when and why was it first launched?

Tahseen is a unique hospitality leadership training programme that was created to train Arab talent, with the long-term goal of becoming future general managers.

Created in partnership with Cornell University, Tahseen initially launched in Saudi Arabia, and was focused on fast-tracking the next generation of hospitality leaders by providing them with operational experience as well as Ivy League hospitality and business education from the higher education institution.

The programme was then rolled out in Egypt, Bahrain and most recently the UAE. In total, we have grown from the initial 30 students to 170 Tahseen students across the region and are looking to continue growing the programme, ideally doubling in numbers by 2020.

Is Tahseen specific to the MENA market, and are there similar programmes supporting local talent in other markets too?

Tahseen is currently specific to the MENA market. As Marriott International is one of the leading hospitality brands in the region, we want to foster home-grown talent across the communities in which we operate. At present, Marriott International has more than 250 hotels and over 58,000 rooms across 29 countries in the Middle East and Africa portfolio.

We’re currently looking at the opportunity to further expand the programme into our African market as we have a need for localised leadership teams and general managers in the SubSaharan African region, and to further grow into other MENA countries.

Tahseen can even be delivered in local languages where practical.

Talk us through the application process: who can apply and how, and what’s the full rollout of the programme?

The programme was developed to focus on Arab nationals and is designed with that in mind, thus Tahseen is open to our internal associates as well as external candidates. As long as you have a passion

for the hospitality industry, you can be a part of Tahseen, even if you belong to an entirely different sector.

Hospitality is very diverse and we’re looking at talent across all departments.

The first part of the programme focuses on rotations through all departments to ensure our future leaders understand and appreciate the business as a whole. They then pick their department of choice to specialise in while always being supported with hospitality education through the Cornell partnership.

We’ve seen trainees choose some rather interesting career paths. For example, one of our candidates studied Medicine and is now an assistant wedding manager, while another used to be a fighter jet pilot and is now a front office manager.

We’re able to attract local talent through a clearly defined development programme coupled with a great educational partnership.

Does Tahseen guarantee permanent jobs to its graduates?

The goal for every Tahseen graduate is to go on to full-time leadership roles within Marriott International hotels in the Middle East in the short-term and on the longrun, fueling our pipeline for future local general managers. Our first batch in Saudi Arabia produced full-time roles and initial promotions for 94 percent of all graduates.

Additionally, another 10 percent of graduates received another promotion within the last six months. That’s a great start.

Why is local talent in this region within hospitality limited, and how’s the industry changing that?

The UAE has been focusing on harvesting its local talent across all industries.

However, there’s a focus on the hospitality industry, as it’s a significant contributor to the UAE’s economy, as a well as a major employer.

Tahseen taps into the local market

and aims to change the perception of the industry by showcasing the diverse and exciting opportunities that hospitality has to offer. Thus, we’re able to attract local talent through a clearly defined development programme coupled with a great educational partnership.

What’s the ratio of women to men who have enrolled in the Tahseen UAE programme?

The inaugural UAE Tahseen programme was 80 percent female. Now more than ever, the UAE is determined, through a series of public and private sector initiatives, for women to grow, which is aligned with Tahseen’s mission.

How can the industry benefit from more local talent, and what new additions will they bring to the roles?

We foresee an upward trend in those wishing to pursue careers in hospitality in 2019. It’s truly an honour for us to work in the UAE with some of the most eligible candidates who will lead the future of the industry.

We believe that there’s huge demand from Emirati nationals to be a part of and excel in the hospitality industry.

Tahseen is dedicated to finding and training the next generation of hospitality leaders by providing them with first-hand hospitality experience and an opportunity to take on leadership roles within the industry.

In addition, Tahseen falls under Marriott International’s Sustainability and Social Impact Platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which sets the guidelines for how the company makes a positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business.

From empowerment opportunities to sustainable hotel development, the platform is designed to foster business growth while balancing the needs of associates, customers, owners, the environment and communities.

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July 2019

Supplier watch

Supplier Watch:

Al Yousuf Sports Equipment

Al Yousuf Sports Equipment offers commercial fitness solutions to hotels, resorts and more. Division Head Faez Abdulahad explains the company’s strategy in light of the industry’s expected boom

What type of consultancy do you provide?

We advise clients on choosing the right equipment in line with their brand identity, business objectives and customer base. In addition to introducing high quality, premium sports equipment to the UAE in the last decade, Al Yousuf Sports Equipment also shares its expertise in floorplan consultation, product assembly and training, customer care and preventive maintenance.

How long have your products been available in Dubai for?

Set up in 2008, Al Yousuf Sports Equipment is currently the authorised distributor of a diverse portfolio of recognised brands including Precor, Keiser, Idiag, Electro-Body Centre, Jacobs Ladder, Hydrorider, Physiolab and Roplex. The US-based Precor is a leading home and commercial fitness equipment manufacturer known for personalising health and fitness experiences worldwide. Our brand-new showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road showcases the full line of Precor cardio, strength and functional equipment along with Preva, its fitness software.

How important is the UAE market for you?

Al Yousuf Sports Equipment is one of the largest distributors of commercial fitness 46

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solutions in the UAE, working with many hospitality brands including Jumeirah, Hilton, Four Seasons, Kempinski, Hyatt, Accor, Roda and more.

We help clients choose the right equipment in line with their brand identity, business objectives and customer base. With the fitness services market expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 10 percent until 2022 to AED three

billion, we’ll continue to leverage our offering to help fitness facilities pursue market opportunities.

Tell us about one of the most recent/ notable success stories that you have encountered as a company.

Securing the exclusive distribution rights for Precor in the Middle East was, in itself, a notable achievement given its global prestige. www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Supplier watch

Supplier Watch:

Rational International Middle East For more than 40 years, Rational has been mastering the art of providing kitchens with the best tools for cooking. Alexander Wimmer, executive vice president EMEA and Simon Parke-Davis, managing director, reveal the secrets to Rational’s success in the region

Please tell us a bit about Rational and its reach in the Middle East, the UAE in particular.

Parke-Davis: Rational has been present in the Middle East as a standalone company since 2006 and active for over 25 years.

We’ve invested in the region; being based in Dubai, we have 11 employees who are experts in application, service, customer support and satisfying client needs with tailored solutions. Whether you’re supplying 30 meals or 15,000, we have a solution to deliver consistently high-quality food while saving energy and resources such as water, electricity, oil and ingredients.

How important is this market for your brand?

Parke-Davis: All markets are important to Rational and we invest proportionally to ensure maximum customer benefit depending on potential, geography and demographics. This is to ensure we don’t underdeliver and, at the same time, that we can manage operating costs to be able to keep the price in line with clients’ budgets where possible. In the Middle East, we have unique challenges and are well able to ensure that we’re on eye level with our clients – yet we have global support to exceed client satisfaction.

Your SelfCookingCenter has been making waves across the globe; tell us more about what makes it unique.

Wimmer: Our intelligent combi-steamer,

the SelfCookingCenter, is the heart of the professional kitchen. You can grill, fry, bake, steam, stew, blanch or poach food, all within a space of less than approximately one square metre. You can prepare meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, egg dishes, baked goods or desserts. For 20 or 2,000 meals – the performance range of the SelfCookingCenter greatly relieves every kitchen team.

The key to the ease-of-use is its intelligence: hundreds of country-specific recipes are saved in the appliance with the browning level, ideal consistency and quantity, and can simply be retrieved.

What’s next for Rational?

Wimmer: We’ve combined the SelfCookingCenter, VarioCookingCenter

and ConnectedCooking into a thermal system solution under the name iKitchen.

The objective is streamlining processes and thus saving space, money, energy and on raw materials.

Let's take, for instance, a kitchen that’s originally equipped with a tilting fryer, boiling pan, deep-fat fryer, pressure cooker, convection oven and a stove. In such a kitchen, you can replace all the appliances except for the stove with a SelfCookingCenter and VarioCookingCenter.

This will save up to 40 percent in space.

At the same time, these two appliances, together will cover up to 90 percent of all conventional cooking applications.

Both units have identical user interfaces, which guide the user through the menu according to the same principle, showing that the two appliances are made to collaborate. The cooking systems also have intelligent functions, which make them very easy to operate, thus significantly reducing error rates.

The third component, ConnectedCooking, also helps productivity in that the networking solution can be used to manage and transfer cooking programmes centrally, and access and save HACCP data from both cooking systems, which offers lots of inspiration with a large recipe database. The SelfCookingCenter can even be controlled remotely. This saves many pathways and ensures a consistent standard in food production.

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July 2019

Marketplace

Marketplace Outdoor Furniture and Tableware

Seasons Coloured Collection by PORLAND

Seasons products are produced with different effects and tones while the patterns on the edges of the product are applied by hand one by one. Colour choices include turquoise, orange, yellow, red, beige, black, dark grey and grey.

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Alumilite is a product that combines the most popular features of different types of porcelain, and has the same surface resistance as hard porcelain as well as the creamy colour of the softer type. aldiyafa.com

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

The Luxembourg range

by Fermob

The Luxembourg range by French manufactures’ Fermob features a collection of chairs, tables and benches made from aluminium, with each piece featuring the same distinctive lines and forms and with the comfort of curved seat slats.

The latest arrival to the collection, the Luxembourg large table, seats eight to ten people

and is ideal for bigger restaurants and bars. It’s stable and spacious, yet light. Fermob furniture undergoes intensive testing in the company’s laboratories. The aluminium tubular frame is coated with a high protection treatment and antiUV powder coating, making it ideal for any outdoor venue. desertriver.com www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Marketplace

Ikea ÄPPLARÖ table and chairs with armrests

Ikea SOLLERÖN modular corner sofa with footstool

Made from acacia wood, this is one of IKEA’s longestliving outdoor furniture series. As the drop-leaves can be folded and removed, table size can be adjusted

This series is designed with easy-care plastic rattan/steel. Plastic rattan combined with powdercoated steel is durable, weather-resistant and

according to needs. The furniture has been pre-treated with several layers of semitransparent wood stain, which can also be recycled or used for energy recovery.

easy to care for since it’s maintenance-free. To keep the fresh look after many hours in the sun, the plastic is both UV-stabilised and fade-resistant.

Tableware

by Evolin This product combines the beauty of linen with the convenience of single-use – and now features enhanced water-repellence. Evolin is available in many shapes and colours. The material is available in 20-meter reels that are perfect for long table settings. It will give the table a fresh new look without interruption in the setting and the table cover can be cut into the perfect length for your table.

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July 2019

What's cooking

Asian Food for the Soul Stefan Borchardt, brand chef of The Noodle House, talks satays, menu revamps and how the homegrown F&B brand’s presence is growing stronger with four upcoming branch openings in the pipeline What’s trending in the F&B industry and how are you integrating these developments into menus at The Noodle House?

Street food is a trend that we’ve seen picking up pace during recent years and demand in the UAE reflects this, especially when it comes to Asian cuisine – Asian drinks in specific, as these are not easily found here.

It’s exciting to see Filipino cuisine’s increasing popularity across Dubai. The Noodle House has had numerous dishes from the Philippines on the menu since opening and we continue to develop these to adapt to tastes, while ensuring we stay true to their authenticity.

To ensure that we continue to stay ahead of food trends, I travelled to Asia earlier this year with my team as part of the Asian Soul Tour to delve deep into the Asian street food scene. This was a fantastic opportunity as I was able to discover new ingredients that could be incorporated into The Noodle House’s menu while respecting UAE diners’ taste palates.

Tell us about the most exciting creations you’ll be bringing to the four branches that are set to open?

I can tell you what will drastically change soon – the recipe for our satays! While I was on tour in Asia, I learnt the perfect way to marinate and grill the chicken in a street food market in Singapore. It was interesting to see the grilling time, and the fact that they added pineapple purée inside the peanuts’.

The team and I are incredibly excited to be expanding into communities we feel a strong attachment to. The brand will debut new restaurants in Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) next month, Nakheel Mall on The Palm Jumeirah in September 2019 and the upcoming Dubai 50

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Abu Dhabi offers a lot of opportunities as we’ve seen burgeoning demand for more casual dining concepts and an increased interest in Asian cuisine.

Hills Mall in February 2020. The trio of Dubai openings will extend the brand’s empire and ‘sticks-hands-spoon’ mantra to eight restaurants in the city. In the fourth quarter of 2020, The Noodle House will open at Reem Mall on Reem Island.

The JBR venue is particularly exciting as it’ll have that lively street vibe reminiscent of the street food scene across Asian hotspots and food markets. The Nakheel area is expected to blossom into a new hub once the development is completed with www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

What's cooking

its own micro community and we’re keen to be a part of this community’s soul and spirit right from the start with the Asian soul food that the brand is committed to offering. Abu Dhabi offers a lot of opportunities as we’ve seen a burgeoning demand for more casual dining concepts and an increased interest in Asian cuisine.

The Noodle House has been championing sustainability initiatives, how do you plan on continuing to do so?

At The Noodle House, we always look to source Asian ingredients from local growers or distributors, and when necessary direct from Asia when products aren’t directly available locally to complement the menu. About 30-50 percent of products, such as ginger, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and green herbs are presently sourced locally. A lot of products are also sourced through new vertical farming methods.

In fact, I’m currently in the process of working with a local Emirati farm to grow Vietnamese coriander, also known as laksa leaves. The aroma is completely different and quite intense, but equally as important is that, by using methods such as vertical farming, we’re reducing our carbon footprint further.

When it comes to championing sustainability initiatives, The Noodle House was among the first homegrown F&B brands to weigh into the plastic pollution issue by removing plastic straws across its entire operations in February 2018. Paper and vegetable straws are now offered on request.

This year, as part of our ongoing commitment to reduce waste, ease strain on landfills and minimise environmental impact, the brand partnered with Vegware – the international compostable packaging leader – to roll out green packaging solutions across The Noodle House’s home delivery and takeaway operations.

pack these dishes for some Asian guests who wanted to travel with them to their home country.

What are some key moments of your F&B journey?

The revamp of our menu and its relaunch in 2018 were key highlights for me as we introduced a range of specials right from the vibrant hawker stands of Singapore to the bustling street markets of Jakarta.

Additionally, the restaurant redesign really gives customers the look and feel of authentic Asian cuisine.

In three words, what can diners expect from The Noodle House in the upcoming years?

When it comes to The Noodle House in specific, I can say accessible locations, authenticity, and fun food. There are a number of exciting projects in the pipeline for The Noodle House as we continue to invigorate and invest in the brand.

Launched in Dubai in 2002, The Noodle House is operated by JRG Dubai, one of the emirate’s homegrown restaurant management companies.

What are the bestsellers on your menu now?

The Singapore noodles and curry laksa are definitely all-time favourites at The Noodle House – I promise I will never change the recipe. I’ve even been asked to Hotel & Catering NEWS ME

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July 2019

F&B Far and Near

From massive burgers to juicy briskets, American cuisine is big on flavours and even bigger on portions. We chat with Chef Gregory Cordice, head chef at Perry & Blackwelder’s and Chef Orelle C. Young, chef de cuisine and pitmaster at The Blacksmith Smokehouse for hot-off-the-grill insights on favourites from the 50 states What would you say is the ultimate American dish and how have you incorporated it into your menu?

Cordice: For me, the ultimate American dish is the burger – it’s a timeless classic that’s incredibly flexible and really easy to work with. You can add any combination of ingredients from the sea or farm to a beef patty and the resulting dish would still be called a burger and remain appealing. Here at Perry & Blackwelder’s, we serve up the popular American patty dish with a variety of combinations and ingredients including the classic lettuce, tomato, cheese and pickle toppings.

Young: Beef, beef and more beef. Our menu offers a variety of beefy cuts, with the most iconic being the 14-hour smoked brisket.

We opted to serve the brisket in a hulking sandwich form so our guests can encounter a savoury, meaty, hands-on experience.

In terms of demand, what would you say diners expect the most from American restaurants in the UAE? Cordice: I think UAE diners expect more than just a visually stunning product in which the flavor and taste must be 52

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equally remarkable; they expect the entire experience including décor, atmosphere and entertainment to also reflect the venue’s authenticity. Large portions are normally a given in American restaurants, which P&B caters to. Our supersize menu includes a giant 700-gram prime beef patty burger and a metre-long hot dog.

Young: Unfortunately, across Europe and Eurasia, many have defined America casual dining as hamburgers, which is often synonymous with French fries. At The Blacksmith Smokehouse, we aim to introduce the American tradition of large, boldly seasoned carved meats. Our USDA beef ribeye and short rib are large, in charge, and crafted with the smokiest love possible.

Tell us more about your F&B journey and how you’ve eventually arrived in Dubai?

Cordice: I started my culinary journey at a small college back home in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Eastern Caribbean.

I later moved to the US and spent eight years in Nashville, Tennessee working with the Marriott Hotel. Following an eight-year stint in the UK working with numerous luxury hotels, I moved to South Africa,

where I part-owned a steakhouse named The Ranch. I relocated to Dubai four years ago and have been loving the hustle and bustle of this rock and rollin’ city.

Young: Cooking soul food and barbecuing started at a very young age for me. Both of my parents were from “The South” – from back in the 1940s and 1950s. The culture of that environment thrived on big families sticking together and making a meal many a times out of nothing. Many years later my parents brought their charm, resilience, and resourcefulness to New York City to raise a family.

It wasn’t until 2007 that I joined the opening team at Hill Country Barbecue Market in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. In 2017, I was contacted by Wyndham and The First Group to help launch one of the first authentic American Smokehouses in Dubai.

What’s in store for diners and what trends will you be following in the coming months?

Cordice: Anyone who eats the food we create here at P&B will know that we focus on taste and flavour before www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

F&B Far and Near

Chef Orelle C. Young

Chef Gregory Cordice

Perry & Blackwelder’s

The Blacksmith Smokehouse

appearance – yes, sometimes the dishes I create taste more appealing than their plates look! That said, we’re very focused on the core elements of world of barbecuing right now – the flame, char, spices and rubs and also an element of “man versus food” – so the upcoming menu will reflect these aspects entirely with a strong emphasis on proper BBQ items and big portions.

Veganism is on the rise across the UAE – while people may have initially thought it was just another trend, it’s become a lifestyle choice now. Although we’re big on our meat dishes, we have a vegan P&B burger that’s a must-try, even if you aren’t vegan. Yes, it’s that good.

Another shift in the F&B industry has been the growing attention operators are paying to sustainable practices. In 2018, we banned the use of single-use plastic across our FOH operations, also identifying local suppliers as much as possible in order to reduce our carbon footprint and use fresh ethically sourced produce. Speaking of fresh produce, I even grow my own chilies.

Young: American barbecue is still relatively new to the UAE region – we refuse to put ourselves in any position other than becoming the trendsetters in raising the bar across all meaty hospitality.

Our recipe for success consists of good food, good drinks, good music, and genuine southern hospitality – pit to plate.

We invite anyone and everyone to become a part of our journey as we continue to craft a century of American tradition that’s tied to the desire to create and experiment with new and unorthodox cuts of meat in our smoker and on our grill.

Smoked meats like rabbit, kangaroo and camel are just some of the rare meats guests can expect to experience in the coming months. Stay tuned, there’s lots more to come. We’ve also added the Veggie Stack to our menu as we see growing diversity in eating preferences among groups and we want our meateating fans to be able to bring down all their friends for a hearty time at The Blacksmith Smokehouse – even if some of them don’t eat meat.

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July 2019

Further afield

Just Add Butter

As the French love affair with butter goes from strength-to-strength, we explore the techniques and traditions that go into the artisan craft of its production

W

hile butter may be a relative latecomer to the artisan food movement compared with the boom in traditional breads and cheeses, in the west of France, things are changing.

The techniques and traditions of butter makers remain largely the same as their predecessors, but bespoke butters and eclectic ranges are coming straight from the brands themselves.

From dairy farms to production sites and points of sale, we explore why French butter is as remarkable for its diversity as it is for its flavour.

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The dairy farms First things first, good butter begins with the cows, as it’s essentially their diet that dictates the quality of milk produced. This explains why the most famous regions for butter in France are Normandy and Brittany – as well as the petite villages of Poitiers and La Rochelle – where rainfall is rife and the cows feast on luscious greenery on a daily basis.

Nowhere is this more obvious than at GAEC AX Cornuault. Originally established in 1969 as a cattle farm, the third-generation business began producing milk in 1992. Today, it’s part of the Cooperative Laitière de la Sèvre, a collection of around 60 farms all within a

50 km circumference who all work together to keep the industry running.

“The climate of France is great for its natural pastures which are green most of the year, from which the cows feed,” says Francois Robin, French dairy specialist.

“Combined with the fact that all our farms are small and run by families, sometimes through several generations – it allows for a natural high-quality milk, which then results in very tasty butter.”

With around 90 cows on-site, each producing around 10,000 litres of milk per year, the grandson-father-grandfather dream team see this as a lifestyle rather than a job, and work around the clock to www.hotelnewsme.com

July 2019

Further afield

Why work in a cooperative?

The aim of cooperatives is to ensure that there’s always a market for the milk produced by its members to guarantee the future of its farms and promote regional development. The work can’t be relocated elsewhere, meaning profitability for all farmers is increased.

Farmers are also involved in the future of the industry and play a role in decision-making.

The cooperative support the brands with everyday management, advice, raining and information on good practice, meaning teamwork is vital from start to finish.

Salt of the earth

ensure a seamless and, most importantly, sanitary milking process resulting in some of the freshest produce in the business.

The secret? Peace and quiet. According to the farmers, the calmer the cows during the process, the better the quality of milk – something which is taken extremely seriously at GAEC AX Cornuault. Once the milk is collected, it’s stored in tanks at temperatures between two and four degrees before it’s ready to be distributed to the production sites.

The traditionalists: Beurre d’Echiré One of the most exclusive butters found in many of the world’s most famous

restaurants, Echiré butter, is handmade in a small pocket of Western France. Its appeal lies in its delicate, creamy and distinct flavour which is, in part, due to the fact that – since 1894 – it’s always been made from milk from the Cooperative Laitière de la Sèvre.

Echiré is loved by a number of the world’s best pastry chefs – from New York and Paris to London – who favour it for its high butterfat percentage (84 percent compared to 82 percent) and high melting point, which make it perfect for delicacies such as croissants or puff pastry. It also boasts AOC status, which ensures that all dairy farms that produce the milk are held

A stone’s throw away from these production sites to the west of Loire-Atlantique and the showcase for Guérande salt nationwide are the Terre de Del salt marshes, where the salt is 100 percent natural, unrefined, unwashed and totally additive-free.

Harvested with traditional know-how and ferociouslyguarded techniques, over 300 salt-makers work tirelessly to create both Fleur de Sel and its renowned grey salt, which infuse the delicious butters created throughout the country.

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to the highest of standards.

With 170 employees across two sites, production levels are on the smaller side.

The cooperative makes 950 tonnes each year, which is just 0.2 percent of France’s annual butter production, but the team believes this just emphasises quality over quantity. Indeed, it’s the butter of choice for Dubai’s Burj al Arab, which prides itself on offering the most luxurious dining experiences in the city.

It’s here where tradition is key, and Echiré’s production methods haven’t changed in a century. Milk is skimmed using the original machinery, butter is still 100 percent churned in wooden barrels and the recipe has remained unchanged for the last 115 years – this is a company dead set on ensuring the old ways of making butter don’t die, and the main reason why it’s so universally loved. It’s perhaps no surprise then that the French like to keep this for themselves, consuming 85 percent of the Echiré butter that’s in the market.

The big players: Paysan Breton While Echiré is a great example of butter made on a smaller scale, Payson Breton – produced at the cooperative dairy company Laïta in Brittany – is one of the bigger players, with more than 7,000 dairy farmers in its chain. As with Echiré, the focus here is on happy, healthy and well-fed cows, meaning animal welfare is a priority, with milk collected from small, family-run farms with cows that are fed mainly of fresh grass and hay.

But that’s where the similarities end, as around 5-80 tonnes of Paysan Breton butter is produced per day, and the milk collected is also transformed into butter, cheese, fermented milk and the brand’s famous crêpes. Want to try it for yourself?

You’ll find it at Carrefour, Spinneys, Lulu, Choithrams and the Union Co-op.

The haute couture creator: Le Beurre Bordier For those who are after a more personalised, artisan approach to buttermaking, look no further than Bordier.

Hailing from Brittany and in production since 2005, this rich, creamy butter is made 56

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July 2019

Further afield

Paris is always a good idea

If you think that butter

production is solely reserved

From raspberry, seaweed and yuzu to Madagascar vanilla and garlic and herb, it’s these ever-changing recipes that make Le Beurre Bordier so popular, and today it's shipped to 28 countries worldwide, with Dubai as one of its biggest markets.” by hand and customised based on specific orders placed by chefs and restaurants.

From salt rate and shape to their own personal stamp, it’s all about beauty, and no request is too hard. It comes at a cost, though – the craftsmen create in one year what Paysan Breton produce in five days.

The process starts by taking big blocks of butter and rolling them out on a wooden “kneeder” before the chef begins working it by hand, constantly checking the texture and adapting the recipe until it’s perfect.

Here, salt is added to make the butter more malleable and, once it’s well-mixed, the cutting and shaping begins.

From raspberry, seaweed and yuzu to Madagascar vanilla and garlic and herb, it’s

these ever-changing recipes that make Le Beurre Bordier so popular, and today it is shipped to 28 countries worldwide, with Dubai as one of its biggest markets.

So, what can we expect from the future of French butter? “I think we’ll keep our main assets: grass-fed cows that produce high quality milk and haute-couture productions for special occasions,” explains Francois Robin. “Not only is butter now recognised as a good source of lipids and vitamins, it’s also a strong source of pleasure. Production will certainly increase, as will consumers’ interest. I think we’ll also see people going back to basics, and using more wood and traditional tools for local and organic production.”

for the lesser-known outer regions of France, think

again, as cheese-maker Paul

Zindy has recently opened his very own milk transformation unit in the heart of Paris,

resurrecting artisan cheesemaking in the capital.

Producing everything from

raw milk cheese to cream and yoghurts, Laiterie La Chapelle prides itself on

being a transparent workshop which shares its processes

with consumers through huge glass windows. Promoting virtuous and sustainable

production practices, it may

be one of the only workshops

in Paris that make cheese from local milk, but if Paul’s plans

are anything to go by, it won’t be the last.

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July 2019

hot seat

A Creamy Taste of Japan We speak to Shinji Yamaguchi, president of Morozoff, following the opening of the Japanese confectionery store which offers customised catering options at The Dubai Mall

What has your most popular product been so far and why do you think that is?

The range of cheesecakes has been the most popular so far. This cake delivers intense flavours, using cream cheese from Hokkaido that’s infused with notes of lemon – and you can really taste the dessert itself.

What’s your favourite Japanese cheesecake flavour?

Morozoff’s famous Hokkaido mascarpone cheesecake.

How are you planning on beating competition at The Dubai Mall?

Our products are unique and Dubai has its own market for such offerings. Plus, we’re the only Japanese confectionary-makers in the UAE. We’re not looking to compete with anyone as there’s room for everyone, but we can confidently say that our confectionaries are unique in taste and texture.

What’s one thing you’d like readers to know about your product?

The secret to our Hokkaido mascarpone cheesecake lies in its simple recipe. We incorporate mascarpone cheese, gently baking it at a low temperature. It’s made from raw milk, which is produced in Hokkaido’s Kosen district, and boasts an incredibly smooth texture.

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