Caterer Middle East - May 2010 by ITP Business Publishing

Serving the region’s catering professionals

May 2010 • Vol 06 • Issue 05

HOTELS WITH

BITE

How hot new properties plan to get their teeth into the F&B market

Fishy business How is the region’s love of seafood affecting depleted global stocks?

Safe service Assessing the current status of local food safety standards

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Reviews Crockery

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Contents Volume 6 Issue 05

Cover story

20 34 44

Contents May 2010

05 News Industry debates importance of language skills; franchise experts call for consistency; chefs assess changing dietary habits 14 Expert insight Rivington Grill’s Chris Lester gets nostalgic about comfort food from the past 18 Mystery shopper Ethos Consultancy reveals the true standard of customer service at UAE outlets and offers advice on how to better your business 20 Roundtable F&B professionals discuss the region’s progress in the battle for food safety 28 Hotels with bite Why new properties are using F&B to get their teeth into a tough market

34 Outlet showcase The strategy behind famed US brand Caramel’s recent launch in Dubai 36 Taste of Arabia The growing global popularity of Arabic cuisine has got local chefs striving to maintain traditional tastes 44 Show off A sneaky peek at some of the top products making an appearance at this year’s Hotel Show 48 Product showcase The best and brightest new F&B items, from bubbly beverages to sushi stylers 56 Last bite Check out the Caterer gallery of the past month’s most exciting F&B events

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May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Web contents www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Online The online home of Editor’s pick

On camera

How to cook wasabi prawns On a recent trip to Dubai to assist with the menu revamp for the Noodle House brand, menus, Singaporean celebrity chef Sam Leong shared his take on the classic recipe for Wasabi Prawns with Caterer Middle East.

EXCLUSIVE: BinHendi to launch original F&B outlets UAE giant BinHendi Enterprises is to expand its home-grown F&B concept portfolio with the launch of three new original brands. The group’s president, Mohi-Din BinHendi, confirmed: “One is called Takashi, one is Cakes and Bakes and one is a café concept, but we haven’t finalised the name for that one.” Mr. BinHendi also revealed that the group was on the verge of franchising its own Japengo Café brand “regionally, locally and internationally”.

Features

Losing local identity Are western imports overshadowing local brands?

An eating education

Get in training

Why educating consumers is a sure-fire recipe for success

The ups and downs of staff training in the F&B world

Most popular

1. Foodie news in pictures next big F&B 2. The trends hitting the region How to cook 3. Video: wok-fried seafood noodles to open unique 4. Nando’s design Dubai Marina outlet ash impacts 5. Volcanic Middle East food deliveries

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Caterer Middle East May 2010

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News May 2010

Story of the month

Should language skills be the deciding factor in F&B hiring? Has ‘attitude over experience’ recruitment been overlooking basic skills? At a grass roots level, F&B recruitment has traditionally focused on finding people with the right attitude — but in the face of ongoing debates about the region’s service standards, experts have suggested language skills should be more of a focus. Speaking at a recent Caterer Middle East roundtable, Yas Island Rotana director of F&B Rinaldo Boscaro explained: “We run English courses in the hotel for new staff, but it takes time because they are classroom-style lessons. And some people will pick it up well, while others don’t. “Certainly there is a commitment on the part of the student, and they love the idea of learning English — but from a professional side, we are not a school: we have a business to run.” Boscaro added that limited language skills could also make working life difficult for the employee. “Sometimes a member of staff will deal with a guest, they’ll pronounce something wrong, or not understand the guest’s accent, then the guest gets upset and might complain,” he said. “A new member of staff could easily be quite intimidated by that experience.” Boscaro suggested the recruitment process should give greater weight to an applicant’s language skills. “During my time in the industry, I’ve seen people go on recruitment trips and then been given a CV with a comment scribbled at the bottom saying ‘great smile, will be great for this and this’ — nothing about ability, experience or education,” he observed. “Then I will inherit that person to train them. If they’ve been hired without even basic English skills, it’s not their fault — but if they cannot communicate with a customer, a great smile’s not going to help matters.” Fairmont Bab Al Bahr F&B trainer Sandra van Reenen agreed: “Sometimes I don’t think it’s fair to bring someone on to the team who really struggles with the language. I say that from

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experience at a previous property, where I sat with people who literally could not speak a word of English, and someone else had to fill in their forms. “Even if someone has the attitude and the skill, if they cannot speak the language it hampers their development in a certain way, and that’s not healthy for them,” she continued. “I think the answer is to hire specifically who you want for the results you want.” According to Naji Esta, director of F&B at InterContinental Abu Dhabi, fake resumes are another ongoing challenge. “We do get a lot of fake CVs; similarly there are cases where someone will get their relative who speaks English to do the phone interview — then when they arrive you find they cannot speak the language,” he admitted. Fairmont’s Van Reenen said hiring should come down to “more than what can be put on a piece of paper”. “A CV might look good, but if you’re hiring for F&B, you need to meet them in person to assess their skills,” she said.

Headline grabbers P6 Maintain your chain Sustaining brand standards must be the focus for new franchises P6 Highlighting health Chefs say the region’s unhealthy dietary habits are due for a change P6 Online opinions An insight into how the region’s kitchens maintain food safety standards P7 Regional Rhodes Renowned chef Gary Rhodes on ambitions for further regional expansion P7 Stand and deliver Suppliers on the challenges of meeting buyer demands in the region

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Yas Island Rotana’s Rinaldo Boscaro.

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May 2010 Caterer Middle East

News May 2010

Franchisers must focus on consistency Expert operators advise budding franchisees to focus on maintaining original standards of the brand Operators looking to franchise their F&B brands further afield must focus on striking a balance between standardisation and character, experts have advised. Thomas Klein Group managing partner Daniel During emphasised this balance applied to product as well as service standards. “A lot of franchised concepts start well then try cutting costs, thereby affecting the end-product; this must stop,” he insisted. Mohi-Din BinHendi, president of established franchise operator BinHendi Enterprises, agreed: “It’s very important to keep standards high as far as food is concerned. “Alain Ducasse once told me ‘there is no trick to good food — you just have to buy

BinHendi Enterprises’ Mohi-Din BinHendi.

the best ingredients’. In the food business, whatever the style of offering, you should never cut corners with cheaper materials.” BinHendi added that market research was also key to a successful franchise roll-out. Ultimately, he continued, giving the consumer what they want while “consistently maintaining the offering” across all future franchises should be the central focus. More Café and Intelligent Foods managing partner Marijke Lap suggested: “Ensure you do not deviate from your original concept by putting emphasis on training. “You need to create an atmosphere where the franchise outlets are run 100% similar to the first right from the start.”

Unhealthy habits set to slim down?

What health & safety measures are practised in your outlet kitchens? We are HACCP certified. We are ISO certified. We use MenuSafe.

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The region’s chefs have in many ways), the eating emphasised the need for culture is still lagging behealthier consumer eating hind western knowledge and habits in the Middle East. eating habits,” he asserted. Commenting on the “Fortunately, this is slowly UAE’s status as the country changing; with more awarewith the third highest ness and education, it will diabetes rate in the world, turn around, but this will Renaissance Dubai Hotel take time.” director of F&B Andreas Fouad Melhem, general Kurfürst explained: “The manager of Al Diar Siji Hoprevalence here is still on tel and Siji Hotel Apartsugary or heavy foods, ments, Fujairah, pointed out laden with butter that although traditional or ghee. Obesity is Middle East diets had also a problem. been very healthy, featur“I think because ing a lot of grains, grilled the Middle Eastern fish and vegetables, the countries are still speedy gloyoung in balisation comparison of certain with western areas had a Renaissance’s cultures significant Andreas Kurfürst. (which they impact. are copying “If we

talk about the Gulf, there is a large number of expatriates here who have brought different eating habits with them,” he noted. “This, plus the fast-paced modernisation of this part of the region, have created significant changes in food consumption trends. “Plus the availability of ‘junk food’ has seen a large percentage of the population consuming processed foods. “However there is a new trend coming through,” Melhem continued. “Due to increasing awareness about health and well-being, people are becoming interested in quality produce and improving eating habits. “The question now is, which group is bigger and which is growing faster.”

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News In brief

Rhodes: expanding regional presence?

Making Rhodes into the Middle East Celebrity chef Gary Rhodes has revealed he may soon look to expand his Middle East restaurant empire outside Dubai. In an exclusive interview with Caterer Middle East, Rhodes commented: “Would I like to spread further afield? Of course I would; we’ll have to wait and see how things go.

“I have to say though, Dubai has really whet my appetite. Who wouldn’t want to live out here? It’s got wonderful people, it’s warm, it’s welcoming — just about everyone I bump into here has a great spirit, and I love this country.” The renowned British chef ’s second restaurant in Dubai, Rhodes Twenty10 — a steakhouse concept “with a new twist” — is slated to open at Le Royal Méridien near Dubai Marina this summer.

flawlessly, so as to be prepared for any natural delays. Heidi Chef Solutions general manager Manuel-Yves Eckert Eckert noted: “The long leadtimes from overseas sometimes make it difficult for suppliers in this region to respond instantly to spontaneous demands. “We make sure we plan our supply chain and stock level in the best possible way, to ensure we are not faced with an ‘out-

Suppliers focus on delivery details After a volcanic ash cloud halted flights — and food imports — last month, F&B suppliers will be more aware than ever that their own operations must run

Heidi Chef’s Manuel-Yves Eckert.

of-stock’ situation — something which seems to be rather common in this part of the world!” Bakery goods supplier Aramtec’s food service manager, Hossam Shabayk, added that it was essential for suppliers in the region to stay on their toes and be able to deal with any problems instantly. “The challenges facing suppliers in the Middle East range from the heat in summer to lack of storage space in hotels to the highly competitive market we live in,” he pointed out. “To overcome these problems you have to keep on top of things, be extremely efficient regarding deliveries, and ensure that you maintain the correct conditions in transport and storage facilities.”

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News analysis May 2010

Sustainable seafood Today, overfishing has brought numerous sea species to the brink of extinction. So how are Middle East chefs and suppliers dealing with increasing limitations when serving seafood?

The Middle East has traditionally harvested plenty from the sea, lenaar, added that shark, grouper and even some crustaceans were making fish and shellfish a popular part of modern diets. on the verge of disappearing. But today, overfishing and lack of knowledge — or in some cases “Unfortunately it will only get worse if we don’t change our haba blatant disregard for environmental protection — have brought its,” he warned. many regional favourites to the brink of extinction. According to Colin Clague, executive chef at Zuma Dubai, seaEmirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS— food prices have risen in the Middle East, as is the case elsewhere. WWF) is a national (UAE) environmental non-governmental or“Wild caught fish has become very expensive, especially the top ganisation that has been active in the UAE since 2001 quality variety that we use, but our customers obviwith the aim of conserving natural heritage and proously want the quality that we provide and pay accordmoting sustainable lifestyles. ingly,” he said. I think the EWS—WWF conservation officer Nessrine AlzahlCorrado Pani, Italian chef at Ritz-Carlton Dubai, awi explained: “Overfishing is a global problem, with onus really has noted that sea urchins and abalone were also becomabout 80% of the world’s fish stocks being fully exto be placed on ing increasingly expensive. ploited, overexploited, depleted or recovering from “The consumer demand has dropped from 2008, depletion, according to the UN’s Food and Agricul- the governments when business was still booming,” he commented. ture Organization (FAO). rather than the “People are wiser now about importing pricey items “But this is also a local problem: stock assess— they don’t want to risk losing the money or wastrestaurants” ment show that eight important commercial species ing the product if it doesn’t sell.” are being taken out well beyond sustainable levels: Of course, a lot of what is put on menus depends on hamour, kingfish, zuraidi, shaari, fersh, yemah, qabit and safi what is available in the market. Seafood supplier Royal Culimer’s arabi,” she said. Tollenaar emphasised that the firm did not deal with “irresponOkku Luxury Japanese Restaurant and Lounge corporate chef sible fishermen”. Ryu Sato Gardiner noted: “Bluefin tuna is the most obvious, but “We are partnered with the WWF and train fishermen and prosome seabass and cod varieties are also being depleted, depending vide them with circle hooks, which reduce the bycatch by almost on the type and origin.” 80% compared to normal J hooks,” he explained. Seafood supplier Royal Culimer’s general manager, Jeroen Tol“And some items, like bluefin tuna, we don’t offer. Instead we

“

Caterer Middle East May 2010

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News analysis May 2010

offer ‘Superfrozen’ yellowfin tuna. With regards to shrimps, van- caught or farmed. I have also taken the monkfish and Chilean sea namei was placed on the Red List last year, so we now deliver this bass dishes off the menu since they appeared on the endangered shrimp with Global Gap certificate.” seafood list.” According to Thushan Don, head chef of Aquara at Dubai MaThese are fantastic examples of how chefs and purchasers can rina Yacht Club (DMYC), the industry has not yet seen the full make difference regarding what consumers choose to eat and what impact of depleted stocks. distributors choose to supply— but DMYC’s Don is still concerned “The government here has been very strict over the past few years that some have yet to realise the severity of the situation. on fishing quotas,” he said. “I know of certain fish farms where there are no quotas or limits “But I suspect tuna will become very to what people can fish and this is very scarce in future, as the Asian governments scary as one day the region will wake up EWS—WWF’s advice to outlets: are not imposing any restrictions.” to a big problem,” he asserted. So the industry is obviously aware of Zuma’s Clague added: “I’m sure “Variety is the spice of life! Our experience has shown the overfishing problem — but what impeople with a conscience check where that chefs enjoy the challenge of cooking with new pact is it having on daily operations? their seafood comes from, but so many varieties of local fish, and we believe there is an Okku has switched from bluefin people cannot afford the wild-caught, increasingly eco-conscious clientele out there that will to yellowfin tuna, which reportedly line-caught variety, so I’m afraid there get ‘hooked’ on the idea of sustainable fish dishes. caused some issues to start with as will always be a market for the less“Any restaurant stands to gain from adding sustainable there wasn’t a reliable supply chain than-reputable suppliers. alternatives to their menus and showcasing their role as a available in the region. “I think the onus really has to be responsible member of the community. “But by working closely with suppliers placed on the governments rather than “Our campaign is always on the look out for chefs and and the Japanese markets, we have now the restaurants,” he added. restaurants and caterers, and we encourage all to get on been able to overcome this problem,” Royal Culimer’s Tollenaar said he felt board and help safeguard fish resources and promote stated Gardiner. change was just a matter of time. “Peosustainable living.” Zuma’s Clague concurred: “I use subple will have to adapt; you can’t reduce stantially more yellowtail tuna than the food costs of items which are on the For more information, visit: www.choosewisely.ae I ever have, all of which is either linebrink of extinction, especially when ex-

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May 2010 Caterer Middle East

cellent, sustainable alternatives are available. It’s a mind set purchasers must get into,” he insisted. According to EWS—WWF’s Alzahlawi, the main challenge the organisation faces with regards to educating seafood suppliers and buyers is the high consumer demand for overfished species, combined with a lack of knowledge about what is happening. “The iconic status of fish such as hamour, kingfish and shaari, along with their widespread availability, gives the impression that the stock is healthy,” she commented. “Unfortunately, this does not reflect the reality of the situation, as in fact the stocks of hamour and other species in the same family have seen an overall decline of about 87% between 1979 and 2003.” However Alzahlawi said she remained optimistic, and that as awareness increased across the supply chain, more people would become aware of the issue and more sustainable alternative products would come online. Comparing farmed to wild-caught fish, DMYC’s Don claimed the farmed variety was generally “more fatty and of a milkier flavour due to lack of exercise”, adding that some of the top fish farms could extend up to a kilometre square. “You can’t beat a product grown in its natural environment though,” he admitted. “Wild fish will always have a superior flavour and texture.” Royal Culimer’s Tollenaar said the difference in taste between decent farmed and wild fish was one “only very few people would

The classic miso-marinated black cod at Zuma.

News analysis May 2010

The terrace of Aquara restaurant at Dubai Marina Yacht Club. notice” — but that texture was a big give-away. “Wild fish or confident Middle East chefs could find an answer to sourcing qualshrimps have to work for a living and are muscled, and you can tell ity sustainable supplies. that’s missing in the farmed varieties,” he asserted. “There is a hybrid solution, which exists in other parts of the world Ritz-Carlton’s Pani expanded: “The difference between eating but not here yet, where there are wild farms and fish are reared in a farmed chicken, fed with poultry feed, compared to a chicken sustainable yet natural habitats,” he explained. which has been left to run free in the wild is absolutely different in “We’ve been trying to source these products for a few months but taste, constancy and texture. to no avail so far; stocks are limited and the local market place very “It’s the same for fish; being raised in a big tank and fed pow- small, hence the reason suppliers are not keen to explore this yet.” dered food versus living wild in the sea has a big impact on the But according to EWS—WWF’s Alzahlawi, the seafood market is texture and flavour of the fish.” changing worldwide. “We are witnessing a rise in the demand for cerAccording to Okku’s Gardiner, the tified, sustainable, eco-friendly products, main issue is bigger than simple taste: such as those certified by the Marine Should endangered fish such “It’s the parasites that exist in some coloStewardship Council,” she explained. as bluefin tuna be taken off nies of farmed fish, especially salmon, as “The seafood market here will no restaurant menus entirely? well as the effects of these farms on local doubt follow the same trend, as more estuaries and fish populations,” he said. consumers become aware of the impact Yes; restaurants should stop encouraging Zuma’s Clague agreed: “Many farmed of overfishing on species and on the en% the demand for endangered species. prawn ponds are so full of chemicals vironment, and as suppliers and buyers that they cannot be used again after a become aware of the uncertainty associEven if the taste isn’t as good, rare few years because of over-pollution. ated with relying on overfished species % seafood should only be allowed on “Obviously I wouldn’t touch those, but that are facing the threat of depletion.” menus if sustainably sourced. as with anything you get what you pay As Royal Culimer’s Tollenaar comfor, and quality seafood will always be mented, the market will eventually have No; this is how the cycle goes. Wild on the expensive side.” no choice but to adapt: “When these fish % stocks will replenish themselves. But Okku’s Gardiner said he remained no longer exist, no other option is left.”

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May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Editor’s comment Volume 6 Issue 05

Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 210 8000 Fax: +971 (0)4 210 8080 Offices in Dubai & London ITP Business Publishing CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Managing Director ITP Business Karam Awad Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham VP Sales Wayne Lowery Publishing Director Diarmuid O’Malley Editorial Editor Lucy Taylor Tel: +971 4 210 8493 email: lucy.taylor@itp.com Advertising Publishing Director Diarmuid O’Malley Tel: +971 4 210 8568 email: dom@itp.com Commercial Director Sarah Worth Tel: +971 4 210 8595 email: sarah.worth@itp.com Int. Sales Manager, Hospitality & Catering Middle East & India Amanda Stewart GSM: +44 7908 117 333 email: amanda.stewart@itp.com Skype: amandajanestewart Studio Group Art Editor Dan Prescott Designer Lucy McMurray Photography Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Chief Photographer Khatuna Khutsishvili Senior Photographers G-nie Arambulo, Efraim Evidor, Thanos Lazopoulos Staff Photographers Isidora Bojovic, George Dipin, Lyubov Galushko, Jovana Obradovic, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav Production & Distribution Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager, ITP Business Matthew Grant Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami Circulation Head of Circulations & Database Gaurav Gulati Marketing Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP Digital Director Peter Conmy ITP Group Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 210 8000 Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com. Printed by Color Lines Controlled Distribution by Blue Truck The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

Smoking them out Last month saw the region’s F&B industry professionals — along with the rest of the world — buzzing with news of the flight bans to and from northern Europe. Aviation authorities across northern Europe were forced to close their airspace when an ash cloud from Iceland’s volcanic eruption started shifting across Europe. The impact of the ban on the F&B industry was of course that food imports ground to a halt, with no fresh deliveries from the affected region for over a week. However what it also did, if you’ll excuse the pun, was to ‘smoke out’ those supplier companies without decent contingency plans and methods for organising their delayed deliveries efficiently and with minimum fuss once the flights situation had been resolved. Obviously the ban itself was no one’s fault; it was a natural disaster, something which had to run its course, and so I gather supplier-chef relations remained very civilised for the duration. F&B distributors united with their customers in a show of solidarity, suggesting alternative options wherever possible, while the region’s chefs — not a group known for their patience when it comes to the late delivery of essential supplies — drew on their creative resources to revise menus where necessary and make the best of what was available. But the aftermath of this episode, when the massive global backlog not only comprised hoardes of passengers but also mounds of goods for export, highlighted how vital it is for F&B manufacturers and distributors to have an efficient supply chain system in place. Those firms with their finger on the pulse (and transportation and manpower at the ready) were the first in line to bring the temporarily-scarce European products back to the Middle East market. Those who were not prepared for this missed a trick, not only to drive revenue but also to show their customers they could be relied upon. Firms who were on the ball and promptly resumed normal service after the incident have basically proved to purchasers that they believe in efficiency, good planning, and top customer care. These are the companies that will continue to flourish as the Middle East marketplace becomes increasingly competitive, while lesser firms fall by the wayside.

Lucy Taylor, Editor Audited by: BPA Worldwide Average Qualified Circulation 5,811 (Jul - Dec 2009)

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Comment F&B column

Lester Chris

Comfort food and nostalgic nosh. Why is it that consumers around the world are turning back to memory-laden dishes from the past? If you’re wondering where food trends are heading, your best bet is to look back. In pretty much any walk of life, fashions go in cycles. The old greats always seem to find their way back on top — whether it’s a rebirth of the mini cooper, the Fiat 500, bellbottom jeans, big sunglasses, or even Adidas classic wear. The best ‘favourites’ have a knack for coming back round and getting in favour again; and to be honest, food is no different. Where does this idea of comfort food come from? Perhaps it’s remembering those days as a child when your mum was cooking and you could smell your favourite dish coming from the kitchen, making your mouth water. Or perhaps it was those dark days at school, where the infamous ‘School Dinners’ were brightened up by ever-so-good jam rolly polly, steamed lemon pudding, rice pudding or bananas and custard. Perhaps the ‘comfort food’ idea grew from those special occasions when, for a treat,

you would visit a restaurant — and encountered something wonderful for the first time, such as a prawn cocktail, a chicken pie, or a real steak. What about when you were jumping off the school bus with your mates, all cramming into the local chippy for a fix of salt-and-vinegar drenched portions of chips, wrapped in newspaper (otherwise it’s just not the same!) with lashings of ketchup? Hungry yet? It really can’t get any more simple than that: it doesn’t matter where this food nostalgia comes from — it’s personal, real and highly evocative. And that’s why it doesn’t matter what changes in the world: the classics always find their way back. Since opening Rivington Grill, we’ve found the most popular dishes are the classics: items such as prawn cocktail, steak tartar, Welsh rarebit, game faggots, chicken and mushroom or fish pie, and not forgetting of

A classic dish associated with happy memories can enhance a person’s eating experience.

Caterer Middle East May 2010

course the ever-popular fish and chips — with delicious sticky toffee pudding coming in as the top dessert of choice. All these dishes have put a smile on many a guest’s face, combined with a moment where their eyes glaze over as they fondly remember a previous encounter with the dish. That has to be the best moment for a chef: when they catch a glimpse of the delight on a guest’s face as they savour the smell of the plate in front of them. What surprises me the most is that these dishes have been around for so long. Why have they not been a bigger part of our lives in this part of the world? It could be down to everyone’s busy and hectic lifestyle, or the fact that dining out is so popular (and so varied). But remember, comfort food needn’t be complicated — in fact, simplicity is the key. Use the best ingredients you can and treat the dish with the respect it deserves. That doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be the most expensive meal ever. Take Wagyu beef for example, which everyone raved about five years ago as the best thing since sliced bread. We may have all tried it and enjoyed it, but to be very honest, give me a good Angus rib eye and it will knock the socks of the same cut of Wagyu any day. Really, comfort food is what you make it: it’s the stuff that, for no apparent reason, puts a big smile on your face and a memory of another time in your mind. So try a bit of nostalgic cooking and see where it takes you! Chris Lester is the corporate chef for Caprice Holdings. For more information on the group’s first Middle East venture, Rivington Grill, please visit: www.rivingtongrill.ae:

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Comment Designer column

Nigel

Witham What’s in a name? Be careful when choosing a brand name; it will colour customer impressions I recently received an email from someone looking to launch a chain of restaurants, starting in Dubai but spreading worldwide. (This is a laudable business objective and I receive similar proposals fairly often — but so far I can’t think of any that have succeeded.) I replied to the email with a few specific questions, intended to reveal whether the sender understood just how much consultation would be needed to fulfil their objectives. As a result of these in-depth queries, my correspondent became indignant and let me know they had appointed someone else. A few weeks later, I was copied in on a circular email from the same person with a questionnaire containing a list of new brand names. The intention was to get feedback on a name for the new concept. The names listed were hopeless, but the main issue is that surveys like this are next to useless, since they depend on personal tastes. To roll out a new brand quickly and successfully, the offer has to be unconventional

Having trouble settling on a name for your brand?

Caterer Middle East May 2010

and edgy — but consumers may not know what they want from a totally new offering. People might react against edgy ideas in a survey, then gravitate towards them in practice. As inventor of the car Henry Ford said: “If we had asked the people what they wanted, they’d have said faster horses.” So what’s the best way to choose a new brand name? There’s more science to choosing names than you’d think, so there are rules you can follow; the key is to set aside enough time. Branding expert Wally Olins is probably the world’s foremost expert on the subject. Here are some comments from him on naming a business: “Like symbols, names are emotive. Creating and introducing a new name is difficult and complex for the following reasons: “First, names have no real life or meaning until they are put into a context, so it is extremely difficult for the people going through the process to appreciate the power of the name until after the event. “Second, individual preferences and feelings are very important. “Third, a very large number of names are already registered and is it difficult to find ‘free’ names.” Here are a few more criteria to help you. A name should: 1. Be easy to read and pronounce, preferably in any language. Will most people be able to spell it after hearing it spoken? Will they be able to pronounce it after seeing it written? A name shouldn’t turn into a spelling test or make people feel ignorant.

2. Have no disagreeable associations. 3. Be suitable for use as your outlets diversify into different activities. If that’s something you’re anticipating doing. 4. If possible, relate to the offer. The last two can be mutually exclusive; McDonald’s is a name that does not relate to the outlet’s activity, Pizza Hut does. Both are sucessful. 5. Be registerable, or at least protectable. This is complex and can be slow. Specialist lawyers will check the name register for a fee. Many multinational organisations have banks of already protected names and if you inadvertently use one, they may have the legal right to stop you and take your profits. 6. Not date. 7. Be idiosyncratic. 8. Be something with which a powerful visual style can be associated. If your designer needs to add a lot of graphic frills to explain what your outlet does then I’d suggest you start over — or get another designer. 9. Have charisma. Ugly doesn’t sell! Very few names will fit all these criteria but you’ll find if you keep them short and they trip off the tongue nicely, you’re on the right track. Anyone can come up with the right name but it may take time. The skill is in resisting the temptation to let time pressure force a poor choice early. If you do conduct a survey, make sure you ask people to judge the name against the criteria and not on personal taste. Chances are, if your friends like it, it’s too conventional. Nigel Witham is an international designer and longstanding member of the Chartered Society of Designers. You can follow him on Facebook by searching for Nigel Witham Designer.

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

www.mgk.ae

Mystery shopper The Palm Jumeirah

Service spy This month, Ethos Consultancy’s team of mystery shoppers visited the iconic Palm Jumeirah to see whether service at the shoreline restaurants lived up to the location’s luxurious reputation

This month:

The Palm Jumeirah The chosen locations were:

• • •

Appearance Sales and service Overall experience

• Barça Club, Shoreline Apartments — 71%

The expert analysis:

• Cabana — 69%

This month, our mystery shoppers visited all five restaurants along The Palm Jumeirah’s stretch of shoreline apartments. We received great feedback from our shoppers regarding location, premises and restaurant atmosphere — however, in comparison to our last four Service Spy reports, this month’s overall scores were unfortunately quite poor, leaving a fair bit of room for improvement. Having said that, this month’s winner, Barça Club held up standards extremely well and deserves hearty congratulations, scoring 71% overall. Staff were attentive, well briefed on the menu and able to make suggestions to our shoppers based on their needs or special requests. All feedback complimented the presentation and quality of food served.

• Veda, Shoreline Apartments — 65% • Bidi Bondi, Shoreline Apartments — 58% • Gusto, Shoreline Apartments — 47%

THE WHAT: Caterer Middle East has partnered up with customer service experts Ethos Consultancy to highlight F&B service standards at outlets across the UAE. Each month, we’ll reveal mystery shoppers’ assessments of four different F&B outlets, to explore what these venues are doing right and what could be improved. THE WHY: This isn’t about catching F&B outlets with their trousers down: by measuring performance and providing expert advice on areas for improvement, we want to help better these operations — and the industry in general. THE HOW: Ethos Consultancy’s trained mystery shoppers are given a specific selection of outlets. Each shopper visits their assigned restaurant and dines as usual. Within 24 hours of every experience, each shopper fills out an online report, providing Ethos consultants with the information they require to offer constructive advice.

Each mystery shopper is instructed to look out for the following:

Caterer Middle East May 2010

Cabana wasn’t far behind, with 69% — although one of our shoppers was not greeted on arrival and had to seat themselves. Food quality was consistently high, although one spy expressed disappointment in relation to food presentation. The restaurant’s atmosphere was praised, with shoppers enjoying the music playing softly in the background. Asian-themed Veda scored 65%, loosing quite a few points in all categories. An incorrect dish was served followed shortly after by another dish which was not cooked to the customer’s liking. Fair enough, accidents happen — but no apology was offered for either of these shortfalls, which left our shopper extremely unimpressed. On a more positive note, some restaurant staff deserve to be commended for their friendly attitude and ability to engage in conversation with customers. Effort was also made to explain any specials on offer. Australian outlet Bidi Bondi has scope to improve on its score of 58%. Our shoppers were pleased with the atmosphere, but not satisfied with the qual-

Premises Was your table clean and properly set with condiment racks and utensils when you were seated?

Sales & Service Were staff wearing name tags?

Did the server introduce him/herself?

Did the employee suggest any starters or appetisers?

Visit 1

Visit 2

Visit 1

Visit 2

Visit 1

Visit 2

Visit 1

Visit 2

Barça Club

Yes

Cabana

Yes

Veda

Bidi Bondi

Yes

Gusto

Yes

Mystery shopper The Palm Jumeirah

Premises

Sales and Service

Food and Beverage Quality

Overall Experience

100

ABOUT ETHOS CONSULTANCY Originating in the UK in 1995, Ethos Consultancy relocated to Dubai in 2003, where a team of five has grown to 50 — with an Abu Dhabi office opening in 2008. Our consultants have come from some of the most mature customer service markets in the world, ensuring experience and best practice in everything we do.

Barça Club

Cabana

Veda

ity of food in some instances. The staff ’s attitude was marked as cold and mechanical, and one shopper reported that both pool tables were out of service. Last place goes to Gusto with 47%. Again, restaurant atmosphere scored well, but sales and service let this restaurant down. Staff were again marked as cold and mechanical, while in some cases service was much too slow. On the plus side, all staff were wearing name badges — Gusto was the only restaurant who scored top points for this!

What could have been better? • All five of these restaurants have a

Bidi Bondi

69%

Gusto

magical setting so it’s a shame the level of customer service provided does not match the surroundings. Inconsistent service is a major concern, and one which can mean the staff have different knowledge, competency and attitude levels. But each of these restaurants have their own strengths and weaknesses which, if correctly measured and identified, could be improved and aligned via training in necessary areas. An employee engagement survey would be a productive use of time, as would a customer satisfaction survey and some performance-based incentive programmes. • Complaint management and service recovery training may also benefit a few

Food & Beverage Quality Did the manager visit your table or ask to be of assistance during your visit?

Ethos prides itself on being at the forefront of online customer service solutions and was awarded Most Innovative Small Business in the UAE at the 2008 Lloyds TSB Small Business Awards.

26%

65% 41%

20 0

81% 88%

92% 70%

72% 68% 50% 63%

51% 83%

94% 95%

89%

100% 59% 93%

Through years of experience, Ethos has developed a variety of services to help clients understand how their business is performing. Our solutions include mystery shopping, satisfaction surveys and a range of benchmarking services. Once clients have a clear understanding of how they are performing, we help them improve via training, consulting and implementation of The International Customer Service Standard.

of these restaurants. Empowering staff to handle dissatisfied customers is extremely important but all-too-often overlooked, as most initial training tends to be productand sales-focused.

Overall Experience

How satisfied were you with the presentation and food quality of your main course?

How satisfied were you with the atmosphere in the restaurant?

Overall, how likely would you be to recommend this outlet?

Visit 1

Visit 2

Visit 1

Visit 2

Visit 1

Visit 2

Visit 1

Visit 2

Yes

No manager present

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Likely

Very likely

No manager present

Satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Very likely

Likely

No manager present

Satisfied

Dissatisfied

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Likely

Highly unlikely

No manager present

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Satisfied

Likely

No manager present

Satisfied

Very satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Likely

Unlikely

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Roundtable Food safety

Safe service

Caterer Middle East May 2010

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Roundtable R Food safety

Food safety plays a major part rt iin the success of F&B business, demanding constant effort from all involved; so how is the comparitively young UAE market faring? Industry professionals met up at Deira’s JW Marriott Dubai to find out To what degree do you think the UAE has achieved food safety today? Uwe Micheel: We’re on the way; most four-and five-star hotels are certified now. The big change is that 10 years ago, if I had a big event involving outside catering, I’d be worried about standards. Now, nothing will happen as long as you follow proceedures correctly. The next step is targeting free-standing restaurants. Some are operating fantastically — generally the ones connected to larger chains which have good production facilities — but when you look at some of the outlets, I still wouldn’t eat there. Bobby Thulasi: From a government perspective, the volume of F&B business going on here is so high, it’s difficult to control. At an industry level, we feel companies should be responsible for what they’re doing, but we help them to achieve that standard by supporting them with programmes. If you look at the launch of the Food Safety Management System, that was one way of making each organisation responsible; we also brought in HACCP for four- and five-star hotels and manufacturers, and now we are implementing programmes like MenuSafe that can be used for the smaller outlets.

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b middlee ea e eas asstt.c a com om/ o m f&b &b &b

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Roundtable Food safety

While I think it’s important to encompass the low-budget restaurants as well, you have to consider the culture of some of these places: in most cases, hygiene isn’t a priority. So we need to let operators know that although ignoring food safety may save money now, they will end up paying later by harming someone’s health or via reputation damage. We will be launching campaigns over the next few months to help these businesses understand what it means to be food safe and what the benefits are. At the other end of the spectrum, we’re also in the process of tying up with the other emirates to formulate policies to ensure our suppliers and incoming products are controlled at the source. Another major objective is to be able to quantify the success of food safety here. That is not possible at this point in time, but we’re working on it.

control to the chef, not the hygiene officer. The guys in the kitchen are in absolute control of what goes in there. It can also be geared towards specific menus, so although the programme runs on the same basics, the particulars gear down to each dish — which is great, because an Asian restaurant is going to be different to an Italian restaurant, for example. Plus the training covers every level of staff, which I believe is the way forward. Antonio Bautista: My view is that training is number one; that is where I think most people fail miserably. We like to think we don’t. Accountability at the chef level is key, because the safety officer can only be in so many places at one time. The chef is the person

TAKING PART... Kevin Wills: One really good thing about the Municipality’s approach to food safety is that, in many places I’ve been around the world, you feel like when you have an inspection it’s you against them. That gets people thinking ‘What do we hide? What do we not do? What do we change?’ So the fact that Dubai Municipality is actually working with us, on the same side, means it’s an educational process, not just an inspect-and-punish system. That transparency really helps everyone and accelerates the process of corrective action.

• Loraine Hughes, technical manager, Food Point — Emirates Flight Catering “We manufacture and supply to hotels and of course Emirates Airlines. I oversee the standards and specifications section, integrated management systems, quality assurance and our on-site laboratory.” • Bobby Krishna Thulasi, senior food studies and surveys officer, Food Control Department, Dubai Municipality “Our main job is to make new policies in terms of food safety and hygiene,

Russell Impiazzi: In general I don’t think the top end of the market has many issues; the biggest problem facing the UAE now is that of the lower-ranking outlets.

as well as overseeing inspection programmes and updates regarding international regulations.” • Uwe Micheel, director of kitchens, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek

Micheel: And private homes: how many housewives will keep a rice dish for a few hours, then put it in the fridge and warm it up the next day? People think you can’t get sick from rice, but it’s actually one of the most dangerous dishes for food poisoning. Plus nowadays, people are not as resistant to germs as they used to be.

“I’ve worked here for 17 years, so I have seen food safety move from when they cleaned fish at the local market by rubbing them in the sand, right up to where we are today.” • Kevin Wills, F&B director, JW Marriott Dubai “Food safety is now twice as good as it was and half as good as it should

Loraine Hughes: The thing is that food safety issues and consequently standards keep on changing; the goal we’re heading towards keeps moving m further away.

be. I’ve seen quite a bit of change in a very short time though.” • Muhammad Qamar, area director of hygiene and sanitation — Dubai and Northern Emirates, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai

Micheel: Exactly; what was good enough yesterday is not good enough today. What options are available for restaurrants outside big hotel chain chains, with regards to food safe safety programmes?

“Today all of our four- and five-star hotels in the region are HACCP-certified. Now we are working for an integrated management system.” • Russell Impiazzi, executive chef, WAFI Food and Beverage “We have 17 food-producing kitchens and I agree that progress is being made and we are moving in the right direction.” • Antonio Bautista, president, Gourmet Gulf “I think discussions such as this are a great opportunity to air concerns and

Im Impiazzi: We’re using MenuSafe, wh which is fantastic because it gives

Caterer Middle East May 2010

share food safety information.”

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Roundtable Food safety

who can really drive all those on-site checks and raise the red flag if something is wrong. Muhammad Qamar: Looking at the issue of small bu businesses, when we talk abou about achieving food safety in the i we cannot get there without region, this major section of the industry on board. Admittedly it will be very challenging for the legislators and the administration bodies to maintain a balance between all these F&B operators of different levels, but I think once that happens, the whole food safety level of the region will improve greatly. Micheel: But we’re talking about a region where, just a few years ago, meat was delivered on an open truck and a supplier’s warehouse was just a building with a load of boxes on the floor and rodents running about. The supplier side has seen huge improvement; it’s one of the biggest achievements to date. Hughes: It’s a question of resources though, because those of us here

Victorinox goes HACCP

THE MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE I WWW.VICTORINOX.COM

Gourmet Gulf’s Bautista and Wafi’s Impiazzi.

Roundtable Food safety

[L-R] Antonio Bautista, Russell Impiazzi, Muhammad Qamar, Kevin Wills, Uwe Micheel, Bobby Thulasi and Loraine Hughes. today are fairly big organisations, with quality assurance teams — but the little guy doesn’t have that; he won’t check his suppliers out. Wills: But four- and five-star hotels are in a position to put pressure on all the warehouses, and that can change things for everybody. Micheel: The problem is that following food safety often comes down to budgets. If the initiative is not supported from the top, by whoever’s holding the purse strings, there’s not a lot the little guy can do. And often, smaller businesses just can’t afford the costs. Impiazzi: That’s where MenuSafe comes in, because it’s a fraction of the price. I did some research into HACCP and it cost thousands of dirhams. I think potentially some areas are overcomplicated, which makes it more expensive, whereas MenuSafe breaks things down so it’s a much simpler system to initiate.

“

People think they can’t get sick from rice, but it’s actually one of the most dangerous dishes”

Bautista: We have an internal programme which is not HACCP, because I agree that is over-complicated, and you get some consultant overcharging you to do something which is really common sense. Our food safety officer focuses on making sure that the ‘owner of

Caterer Middle East May 2010

the restaurant’, as I call the guy who is there in the outlet every day, can take accountability and follow the simple steps. As long as you follow sensible rules, you’re fine. But I think it does come down to training too, because some people don’t understand basic stuff like cross contamination, or that food can’t be left outside, or that shelf lives must be respected, even though it’s common sense. Impiazzi: Well a lot of our staff are from areas where ucation that we had. they didn’t have the education Bautista: That’s why it comes down to training. Impiazzi: But they also o have to unn any managederstand and believe in ment system you use. You have to sell it to your staff, so they appreciate why it’s necessary.

Micheel: The team has to understand, from the lowest commis upwards, that they are responsible; it’s not that they can

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Roundtable Food safety

pass the buck to the GM or p the cchef — everyone contributes to ma making operations safe. You could ev call it empowerment. even Qa Qamar: Everyone has a certain role tto play regarding food safety — even the guests. Sometimes we have customers who put us in an awkward position; for instance, a guest who orders room service, doesn’t eat it all, then eight hours later asks us to reheat it, then gets upset when we cannot do that. The same thing can happen in the restaurant, when people ask for a doggy bag. So it is very important that the guests are also aware of food safety limitations. Hughes: I agree one of the biggest challenges can be the culture staff are coming from though. Some people may have been brought up somewhere without running water and are not used to washing their hands, for example. And they come here and don’t understand why certain things are done in a different way. Micheel: In one way I agree with what you’re saying, but have you ever stood for half an hour in the bathroom of a five-star hotel? Because I think if you actually check how many of these people in designer suits from priveleged backgrounds come out of the toilet and do not wash their hands, you’d be surprised! Thulasi: Exactly; everyone would agree that hand-washing is necessary after you leave the bathroom, but research shows that only 20% of people actually do it! However secondary research shows that when you are noticed by someone else, if someone else is in the bathroom, for instance, your tendency to wash your hands increases by 60%. This is down to an ‘organisations culture’. When you step into

Radisson’s Micheel, Dubai Municipality’s Thulasi and Food Point’s Hughes.

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Roundtable Food safety

Micheel: You’ve got to have everyone on board — and that includes financial people, who might wonder what the return on such investment is.

Marriott’s Wills and Radisson’s Micheel. an organisation, whether you are trained or not, you will know and pick up what the ‘correct’ thing to do is by observing other people. That highlights the importance of having a ‘food safety culture’. A team effort really encourages people to do things. It should start with the general manager and go down to the very last employee; that is how a business succeeds. Bautista: Leading from the top is vital. There has to be positive reinforcement from the highest level, otherwise people don’t buy into it.

Thulasi: It’s not about what you spend, but what you’re going to lose if you don’t have a system in place. Some of the biggest names in the world have been destroyed by bad press as a result of food scandals. But it’s difficult for smaller businesses. That is why we are launching a new programme, Person In Charge, where Dubai Municipality requests that every operation has a person in charge at the outlet who is linked to the license, who will liaise with us and have accountability. So we’re hoping that programme will improve relations, then we will take it to the next level with management systems. Micheel: Good — because it cannot be that you only have safe food if you have enough money. This is what it comes down to, at the moment: if you have enough money, you can afford to eat in a good restaurant and your food is safe; if you cannot, tough luck. This cannot happen; everyone has the right to eat safe food.

Introduces

Others call it Design. We call it Sophisticated. Launching at

18 - 20 MAY 2010 STAND A200 HALL 3 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER

Industry insight Hotel F&B

Hotels with

bite The region’s hottest new properties explain how an ambitious portfolio of F&B offerings will help them get their teeth into a decent market share

he classic image of a ‘hotel restaurant’ has undergone a major revamp over the past decade; today’s glitzy, modish offerings are a far cry from the drab diners and lonely lounges traditionally associated with hotel outlets. Nowadays, F&B can be a make-or-break factor for hotel guests — and as a result, new properties entering the competitive Middle East market are looking to express and differentiate themselves through their food and beverage portfolios. Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach’s director of F&B, Simone Stanco, asserts: “Today hotels are not about rooms — there is much more emphasis on extras, like the restaurants and the quality of food and service they offer. The outlets have a big impact on the customer’s experience in the hotel.” In fact, a good hotel is “only as good as its food and beverage department”, according to Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo’s director of F&B, Raoul Duclos.

Caterer Middle East May 2010

At another recently-opened Middle East property, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island, executive assistant manager in charge of F&B Tim Van Veen notes that F&B is “the second highest contributing department in a hotel”. “Without food and beverage, the property would not be as attrac-

Salalah Marriott Resort • Sumhuram — international all-day dining restaurant • Mirbat Arabi Café — café with an authentic local theme • Al Dana Seafood Restaurant — a fish market concept • The Cove English Pub — relaxed sports bar • Havana Cigar Lounge — smoking lounge for quality Cuban cigars • The Wharf Pool Bar — pool-side snack bar

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Industry insight Hotel F&B

Simone Stanco in The Talk.

The Talk. West Beach Bistro.

tive to guests coming into this region and would find it difficult to succeed,” he says — an idea supported by Salalah Marriott Resort director of operations Hesham Dawood. “Many tourists come to this region with the idea of experiencing its cuisine — and that’s in addition to the majority who come for leisure trips, where the food and beverage is also a big part of the experience,” Dawood explains. But faced with so many options — and so many competitors — how does a property decide which culinary route to take for each outlet? On Yas Island, developing company Aldar lent a hand, assigning specific themes to each hotel on the island to ensure there would be no cross-over. “It is a very positive structure that helps attract numerous guests from across Abu Dhabi,” claims Radisson’s Van Veen. “But we do also have contemporary Italian restaurant Filini at the hotel, which is a restaurant brand created by

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

What advice would you offer an F&B director embarking upon a new property launch? “Organisation, patience, dedication and innovation are the key for success. Learn the local culture, adapt yourself and never judge, but stick to your objectives and your positioning. And finally, never give up: the rewards are worth all the effort.” Raoul Duclos, director of F&B, Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo “Know the market you are operating in, inside-out. Find the niche areas to really build and galvanize a brand around. Also, recruitment and training are essential, as no matter how good the product offering

Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach

is, it is the delivery and experience that will ensure repeat guests and high covers.”

• The Falls — lobby-lounge café

Bastian Breuer, director of F&B, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

• West Beach Bistro — gastro-bar serving Provençale cuisine

“Put on your running shoes then kiss your family and

• The Talk Restaurant — three outlets

friends goodbye for sometime, because you are in for

combined, featuring live cooking sta-

a long ride!”

tions and outdoor area

Tim Van Veen, executive assistant manager of F&B, Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Industry insight Hotel F&B

The re:mix lounge, adjoining bar W xyz.

The terrace at Mai Café. Relax@12.

Relax@12.

Aloft Abu Dhabi • Dine Restaurant — live-cooked international-style cuisine • Mai Café Lounge — pool-side chill-out spot • Relax@12 Rooftop — bar offering sushi and exotic bites • W xyz — a ‘fresh and funky’ bar concept, adjoined by the hotel’s communal lounge, re:mix

the Rezidor Group. The concept has proven very successful worldwide, but our Filini outlet is the brand’s first exposure in the UAE.” At the new Mövenpick Jumeirah Beach, the pre-opening F&B team kicked things off by focusing on main outlet The Talk, then built up other complementary concepts around it, explains Stanco. “We started with The Talk, which is really three outlets in one, so it was a big project; then we moved on to the West Beach Bistro. “That was originally going to be a pub, but by looking at the drawings and the direction the design was taking, we could see there was a contemporary flavour that wasn’t really pub-like. “You have to be flexible during the development process so you don’t end up with an out-of-place offering,” he notes. “So we started looking at other options — potentially inviting a managing company to take on the space, or a link-up with a celebrity chef. Finally we came up with the gastro-bar idea. This is pretty new here, and we wanted that fresh new concept, because this is a contemporary hotel. “There’s a lot of the same old restaurants in Dubai, a lot of fine

Caterer Middle East May 2010

dining; I think this idea is a bit more lively and attractive to the market we’re gearing ourselves towards,” Stanco explains. Fairmont Bab Al Bahr director of F&B Bastian Breuer adds that striking a harmonious balance between all the in-house offerings will appeal to guests. “Essentially we focused on concepts that complemented and would not directly compete with each other,” he explains. “Plus it was very important that each restaurant concept was easily identifiable for the guest.” Giving the clients what they want is of course vital, notes Marriott’s Dawood. “We started our F&B development by studying the market and the surrounding concepts around the hotel,” he explains. “We also conducted some surveys with our guests and clients to establish preferred themes and concepts.” Kempinski’s Duclos adds: “You have to ensure offerings will also attract the local clientele. Each outlet should answer either a gap in the market or an opportunity to deliver the brand message.” As these projects demonstrate, F&B is taken extremely seriously by today’s hospitality groups operating in the region — but that could

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

The Filini terrace.

Industry insight Hotel F&B

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island â&#x20AC;˘ Filini â&#x20AC;&#x201D; contemporary Italian bar and restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ Zeeba â&#x20AC;&#x201D; restaurant offering authentic Persian cuisine, opening soon â&#x20AC;˘ Assymetri â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all-day-dining restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ Fast Track Lobby Bar â&#x20AC;&#x201D; cafĂŠ area with internet access

well be down to the fact that, unlike many other restaurant hotspots around the world, the majority of outlets frequented by tourists are located within hotels, due to local alcohol licensing laws. Aloft Abu Dhabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive chef in charge of F&B, Todd James Hunter, notes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The benefits of operating a restaurant as part of a hotel override the difficulties, primarily due to the major factor of alcohol licensing laws. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition, having a marketing team already in place in the hotel also contributes to the success of the outlets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only real difficulty is making sure the hotel has a sufficiently diverse range of outlets so it can meet all guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs and prevent them from going elsewhere to eat,â&#x20AC;? he points out.

Assymetri.

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Industry insight Hotel F&B

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

What advice would you offer an F&B director embarking upon a new property launch?

• Elements — all-day dining offering • Poolside — al fresco snack bar

“Be aware of the local market and competitions;

• Al Naba’a Lounge — lobby lounge

know your potential guests; hire and train staff in

• The Chocolate Gallery — café offering

timely manner; do your homework with regards to

chocolate creations and beverages

marketing and advertising your outlets; understand

• Chameleon — chic nightspot offering

the importance of entertainment as part of the F&B

an array of cocktails

experience; and hire a good chef, because it’s the first

• Frankie’s — Italian restaurant and col-

impression that counts come opening time.”

laboration between Frankie Dettori

Hesham Dawood, director of operations,

and Marco Pierre White

Salalah Marriott Resort

• Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill — eponymous grill outlet from the

“Concentrate on the outlet concept and maintain

Michelin-starred chef

a steady pace with regards to the development of

• Cedar Lounge — Lebanese restaurant

the standard operating procedures. Atmosphere,

and bar, opening soon

ambience and the experience is what the guests are looking for.” Todd James Hunter, executive chef in charge of F&B,

Elements.

Aloft Abu Dhabi “Make sure you do proper market research and analyse where the demand is; make sure your team fully understands the concept and what they are representing; and be fair with the pricing!”

Frankie’s.

Simone Stanco, director of F&B, Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach

However Fairmont’s Breuer highlights the other side of the coin: “In a hotel you capture not only residents in the city but also in-house guests, and by that nature higher occupancy equals more covers. That’s a benefit you don’t see in standalone outlets,” he comments. Of course there are a few challenges to operating what is practically an independent business within a larger operation, as Kempinski’s Duclos points out. “Unfortunately, many hotel companies consider F&B just another part of the guest services and don’t give it as much attention as they put into, say, the rooms,” he claims. Radisson’s Van Veen adds that hotel restaurants are often viewed as over-priced. In addition to these issues, there is the pressure of running multiple outlets simultaneously, to equally high standards. Perhaps these combined pressures are partly responsible for the increasing number of hotels tying up with independent brands, whether through joint ventures or management contracts. At Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Breuer says the team was “ecstatic” to welcome two

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill.

Caterer Middle East May 2010

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Industry insight Hotel F&B

Floor 10. Osmanly.

Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo • Chocolate Lounge — serving up classic cocoa-based treats • The Blue Restaurant and Grill — focusing on simple, fresh food • Osmanly — traditional and contemporary Ottoman cuisine • Embassy Club — lounge offering exclusive service • Shishawy — shisha lounge • Floor 10 — ‘destination floor’ with elegant fine-dining outlet and jazz bar • The Roof — refreshing pool bar

established brands to the hotel. “Thanks to our ownership structure (Rmal Hospitality), we brought on board two renowned concepts: Frankie’s and the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill,” he says. Mövenpick’s Stanco agrees that joint ventures are a good idea if you find the right partner. “You can share expertise and add value to the property, and of course you’re sharing the risk as well,” he notes. Marriott ’s Dawood adds that a recognisable chef, brand or specific concept is easy for the guests to recognise, which often acts as a major draw, while Radisson’s Van Veen believes such partnerships are set to increase. “In future there will be a lot of independent brands that will tie up with hotels, because many brands will want to be here with a licensed outlet,” he reasons. “Furthermore, well-known brands are recognisable and familiar, so they are assured footfall — which helps the hotel to ride on the positive perception of a good brand name.” Whether hotels go for partnerships with celebrity chefs, offer management contracts to independent brands or continue to develop and run their own in-house concepts, one thing is certain: the importance placed upon F&B operations is only going to increase. And for any hotel group that is serious about succeeding in this market in future, that’s the way it should be.

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Outlet showcase Caramel

Design details

“Low amber lighting, dark wood and plush seating throughout keep the space inviting and comfortable. The word Caramel conjures up images of warm colours, seduction and taste, which we try to reflect through our design and décor.”

Caterer Middle East May 2010

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Outlet showcase Caramel

Inside outlets

Seeking out the hottest new F&B outlets, Caterer Middle East reveals the innovative concepts and operation strategies securing the success of the region’s new launches

“It’s all about attention to detail, from decoration to food to entertainment. You want to provide the best you can to make your venue stand out and by offering exceptional service.”

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The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas has arrived in Dubai, in the shape of renowned US restaurant brand Caramel’s new outlet. Spread across 10,000 square feet with an elegant interior, an outside terrace and nine private cabanas, this is the latest addition to the Caramel portfolio — a brand started in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Resort, and one of 15 brands managed by The Light Group. The Group’s director of operations, Jim Moaddab, explains: “A city of quality like Dubai deserves the sort of hospitality our venues are known for in the US. “Also, its location at DIFC, which is well known internationally for its world-class standards of innovation, dynamism and design, serves as the ideal launch pad for our expansion outside the States.” Transferring a successful concept from such a different market could easily have presented difficulties, but thanks to the group’s forward-thinking approach and dedicated market research, the transition went smoothly, says Moaddab. “We had to look at the local market to make sure that everything from the food to the décor would appeal to the tastes of the residents and visitors to the city,” he noted. “But the values and atmosphere of the city sit well with us, as we are a progressive group always seeking to deliver something new to our guests.” In Las Vegas, the Caramel Bar and Lounge is an established celebrity haunt — a reputation its Dubai counterpart will aim to emulate, targeting a clientele of VIPs, socialites and young professionals. But Moaddab insists he is undaunted by the challenge of living up to the original. “Our strategy is to continually assess what we are offering and how we are performing, to ensure we provide consistent quality in terms of service, special events, food and entertainment,” he explains. “All of this will help build and maintain a loyal customer base long after the initial opening boom.”

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Ingredient focus Arabic cuisine

Arabian knights As consumers from around the world embrace the time-honoured flavours of Arabic cuisine, Middle East chefs are leading the charge in ensuring authentic dishes and traditional values are upheld Arabic cuisine has influenced chefs for centuries, and today the popular fare is enjoyed around the world. But here in the Middle East, where it all started, chefs have a particular pride in creating and serving up truly traditional local dishes. The number of regionally-themed restaurants has grown in line with the region’s status as a tourism hotspot, and today boasts numerous Arabic outlets. At Crowne Plaza Yas Island, the Barouk restaurant serves authentic Lebanese cuisine.

Caterer Middle East May 2010

“The food we serve represents real Lebanese culture and is carefully selected by our team of Lebanese chefs,” explains the property’s executive chef Danny Kattar. Mataam Alsharq, located at the Qasr Al Sharq hotel in Jeddah, serves up Middle Eastern cuisine in an intimate Arabic setting, while Diwan L’auberge restaurant at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi offers traditional Lebanese dishes with live entertainment in an elegant setting. Meanwhile Min Zaman Restaurant at the Al Ain Rotana features belly-dancer performances every evening.

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they are simple to prepare; most are based on a combination of herbs, spices and marinated meats,â&#x20AC;? he says. But even though this might sound easy, for a dish to be truly authentic it requires precisely the right simple ingredients, reveals Crowne Plazaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kattar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is very important to check that each individual ingredient is suitable for the particular dish. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For example, loubieh bil zeit (a dish with green beans) needs a certain type of bean called badriyeh, that is available in Lebanon. It is this specific type of bean that gives the real taste to this dish,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Similarly, for a proper tabouleh, it is very important that the parsley is soft and fresh and that the correct olive oil is used in order to get the desired flavour.â&#x20AC;? Seasonings and spices also play a big role in the ingredients list at Arabic outlets. Diwan Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;auberge director Zakaria Charaf explains that â&#x20AC;&#x153;seasonings such as paprika, summak, cumin and cardamom are used to enhance the intrinsic flavour of the food and ingredientsâ&#x20AC;?, but notes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;These elements are essential, but not the base of the dish.â&#x20AC;? Such elements are regularly brought into play in traditional Arabic cooking, to enhance a fairly simple dish.

Min Zamanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hashem comments: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Different seasonings and spices can give a completely different flavour to the same base, thus giving you more room to create a variety of dishes using the same meats.â&#x20AC;? While Arabic cuisine may not be particularly difficult to prepare in itself, Mataam Alsharqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Al Haj says that

Candide Pistachio Apricot Macaroon A modern twist on a sweet treat, with pistachio and apricot flavours adding an Arabic twist to this light maroon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was created for us by a French pastry chef in line with a local theme,â&#x20AC;? explains Chef Middle East product development manager Bruce Woolner. Chef Middle East Tel: +971 4 347 3455 Email: chefdxb@chefmiddleeast.com Web: www.chefmiddleeast.com

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Ingredient focus Arabic cuisine

Crowne Plaza’s Danny Kattar.

Mataam Alsharq at Qasr Al Sharq, Jeddah.

the growing popularity of this food around the world has brought new challenges. “There is nothing inherently challenging about Arabic cuisine, but nowadays, it is enjoyed by a variety of people across the world with varying tastes and tolerances. “We have to be creative and adapt the dish to suit different palettes, while also preserving the original flavour and staying true to the original concept,” he explains.

Mataam Alsharq’s Mohammed Al Haj.

And that’s not the only danger, warns Min Zaman’s Hashem: “With the ever-expanding customer base, most chefs tend to create Arabic cuisine with a western twist — thus diluting the original taste of the traditional cuisine.” According to chefs, Arabic outlets are wide-spread in the region, suggesting past calls for greater representation of traditional fare have been heeded. Crowne Plaza’s Kattar notes that many hotels in the UAE now feature an Arabic restaurant in their portfolio, while numerous standalone restaurants can also be found serving up authentic food. But Diwan L’auberge’s Charaf points out that certain countries are more strongly represented than others under the generic ‘Arabic food’ banner. “Arabic cuisine is a big label and it includes a lot of sub-

What are your best-selling dishes? “All mezze is very popular, but guests do not come to a Lebanese restaurant for one specific dish: they come for the whole experience expecting flavour and freshness from a variety of dishes.” Danny Kattar, executive chef, Crowne Plaza Yas Island “Hummus is undoubtedly our most popular dish — it is simple, traditional, easy to prepare and serves as a good indicator of the quality of fare at the restaurant. As it is universally enjoyed, it should be done just right, as a less-than-perfect hummus can ruin the rest of the dining experience.” Mohammed Al Haj, sous chef, Mataam Alsharq, Qasr Al Sharq “Our popular signature platters are hamour fillet and the mixed grill.” Zakaria Charaf, director, Diwan L’auberge, Emirates Palace “For us it’s our Lebanese mixed grill, because it is served together with a special sauce created in our kitchens, which is unique to Min Zaman.” Jamal Hashem, chef, Min Zaman Restaurant, Al Ain Rotana

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Ingredient focus Arabic cuisine

Pickles Pickled vegetables are a traditional

taste and acidity. The pickles still

and popular accompaniment to

have a bite to them, rather than being

many Arabic meals.

soggy and limp.”

“The range of pickles we sell onto the market is from Kesbeke,” says

Chef Middle East

Chef Middle East product develop-

Tel: +971 4 347 3455

ment manager Bruce Woolner.

Email: chefdxb@chefmiddleeast.com

“The range is of good quality, in

Web: www.chefmiddleeast.com

cuisines. One of those is Lebanese, which seems to be the most widely represented,” he observes. Lebanese fare is definitely recognisable in the majority of Arabic cuisine, while some other national cuisines — such as Emirati — maintain a significantly lower profile. On a recent visit to Dubai, Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia said he felt an Emirati restaurant was the one element missing from the UAE’s F&B portfolio. “I would love to see something focusing on Emirati cuisine launched,” he told Caterer Middle East. “It has a lot of similarities to Indian food, which can of course be done at a high level — and I’m sure there are people who can cook great Emirati food and would be willing to take it to that level. “The initiative has to come right from the top — from an Emirati chef, ideally,” he continued. “I think such a venture could be extremely successful and a great source of pride.” Whether one of the region’s few Emirati chefs will take up this gauntlet and open a dedicated restaurant for local UAE fare remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the steadily-growing popularity of Arabic cuisine with consumers around the world means that chefs, suppliers and outlets serving up traditional regional food will continue to flourish.

The Middle Eastern dish hummus has become hugely popular all over the world.

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Supplier news May 2010

Supplier news

Horeca celebrates three years of quality UAE firm once again receives certification regarding the application of its HACCP system Horeca Trade LLC has been certified for the third consecutive year on its application of an HACCP system in line with CAC/RCP, 0HSAS 18001 and ISO 9001. The firm’s quality assurance executive, Selin Alance, commented: “Our first audit success left us happy, of course, and the achievement felt really good. “Sustaining the achievement for a second year felt even better. Now, the pride, gratitude and joy of consistently maintaining this achievement for the third year are beyond words.” To ensure product quality, Horeca ensures that all of its suppliers meet a set of criteria before their names are added to the firm’s Approved Supplier List, explained Alance. Furthermore, as part of its Integrated Management System, the firm constantly conducts surveys among customers and employees, Alance went on to say — and attributed this approach as a major fac-

tor in helping to improve stakeholder satisfaction and loyalty. Alance added that although being certified was an advantage in business, it was

just one element in Horeca’s constant efforts to excel. “Our focus is on making each customer interaction a delightful one,” she said.

Horeca Trade’s Selin Alance said the firm was delighted with its achievement.

Keeping the industry well-oiled Kalinka opens Tulsidas Lalchand has taken the first step in its gourmet line expansion strategy for 2010, with the introduction of new oil additions to the La Tourangelle range. The oils come in fifteen different flavours ranging from White Truffle to Pistachio, with the brand’s best sellers currently stocked in Spinney’s outlets. Tulsidas Lalchand marketing manager Punit Bhatia said: “Spinney’s has been very supportive. We have also started supplying to a few five-star properties after the chefs tried and tasted these oils. “Chefs who are looking for new samples can contact us directly and we can happily deliver the samples to them,” he added. The supplier’s gourmet expansion will

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

continue with three new brand launches in the near future. Tulsidas Lalchand is also planning an online e-commerce website called www. gourmetpoint.com, providing information on new products not yet stocked by retailers.

Pumpkinseed Oil from La Tourangelle.

new showroom

Retailer Kalinka Furniture has launched its first outlet in the UAE, with a twofloor showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road. The showroom features exclusive, customised furniture as well as functional goods such as televisions, mini-bars, fridges, beds and backlights. Commenting on the opening, Kalinka Furniture business development manager Ibrahim Haddad said: “Kalinka is a new brand and is bringing in new ideas for furniture into the market, so it will take time for customers to get used to our unique offering. But so far we are seeing a lot of positive reactions.”

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Gulfood Show preview Organiser The Hotel interview Show

THE HOTEL SHOW 2010

Five fun facts highlighting the unmissable elements of this year’s show for the region’s F&B fraternity

COFFEE SHOP & JUICE BAR

THE SEVEN STAR CONFERENCE

Feedback from visitors indicated a demand for more F&B

Presented by industry experts, these discussons will identify

equipment and technologies. This led to the launch of the

trends, practises and marketing opportunities to help op-

‘coffee shop & juice bar’: a dedicated area for such products.

rgets without erators achieve targets compromising on service.

DON’T

MISS

THE CORPORATE CATWALK

What makes a loyal restaurant diner?

The crowd-pulling Corporate Catwalk returns for 2010, showcas-

Wednesday 19th May, 4.30-5.30pm

ing hospitality uniform highlights — and once again, the

Featuring: • Daniel During, managing partner, Thomas Klein Group • Guillaume Mantis, restaurant director, Margaux • Lionel Boyce, executive chef, Desert Palm

Student Design Competition will see young designers vie for the prize of a one-week internship with A Ronai, as well as having the winning design showtheir ca on the catwalk. cased

83%

of visitors in 2009 said they would, or were likely to, place an order as a result of attending

TKG’s Daniel During at last year’s Hotel Show.

ASSOCIATIONS DAY Models strut their stuff on the Corporate Catwalk in 2009.

53%

of visitors last year were looking for new product ideas and trends

For more information on the show, please visit: www.thehotelshow.com

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

The new Associations Day will see various groups from relevant sectors meeting up on site. The Hotel Show sales

9800

industry professionals visited last year’s instalment of the show

COOKING COMP ON THE CARDS Exciting news for the F&B community: next year’s instalment of The Hotel Show will involve a branded

director Ray Tinston explained: “This will

cooking competition for profes-

help cement our relationship with different

sional chefs.

sectors of visitors.” The Emirates Culinary Guild will hold its monthly meeting at the venue on May 18.

“We need to make sure we offer good reasons for executive chefs to come and spend time at our event,” explained Tinston.

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

The Hotel Show Product showcase

Time to ‘Show’ off Caterer Middle East reveals the top products to look out for at The Hotel Show 2010

Rouched Sleeve Blouses Following the success of the puff sleeve blouse, a new style introduced this year is the Rouched Sleeve Blouse. Available in classic black or white, this flattering style is semi-fitted with a fabric tie at the back. A Ronai Tel: +971 4 341 4409 Fax: +971 4 341 4457 Email: mesales@ronai.co.uk Web: www.ronai.co.uk

K 40 Plus The K 40 Plus mini-bar promises top energy efficiency thanks to the use of ecological refrigerant gas R134a, which is CFC free. The units boast a low daily energy consumption and are also available with a glass door. Indel B Tel: +39 0541 848711 Email: marketing@indelb.com Web: www.indelb.com

Deco Mobile Buffet Series The Mobile DECO Buffet Station range from SICO is designed by and for chefs. The unit is easily movable, based on six heavy-duty casters, and boasts energy-saving LED lighting plus the latest induction cooking technology. Flexibility of design allows the units to be used in multiple configurations. Choices General Trading LLC — A division of SICO Europe Tel: +971 4 294 2633 Fax: +971 4 294 2644 Email: sales@sico-choices.com

Cristallerie de Montbronn France Legend This Jacquard velvet collection draws inspiration from the age of glamorous Hollywood movie stars, with art deco styling and sophisticated design. Created by the Panaz Design Studio, this sculptured velvet collection is available in 10 sumptuous colours. Panaz Limited Tel: +44 1282 696 969 Web: www.panaz.co.uk

Caterer Middle East May 2010

Producing high quality, hand-made lead crystal, this family-run French firm offers a variety of tabletop items as well as decorative pieces and gifts, which adorn palaces around the world — including that of the Saudi Arabian royal family. The crystal-ware is available in a wide range of colours. Cristallerie de Montbronn also operates a bronze and gold crystal-plating operation under the name TZ Decoration. TZ Decoration & Cristallerie De Montbronn Tel: +33 387 963 611 Email: export@cristallerie-montbronn.com Web: www.cristallerie-montbronn.com

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The Hotel Show Product showcase

Petrified Wood Wash Basin KG Denim Limited This firm manufactures textile products such as premium bed linens, towels and blankets. The pictured range of 100% Cotton Terry Towels is made from extra long staple-combed cotton, ensuring a soft feel even after repeated washes,

as well as lending excellent absorbency to the product. KG Denim Limited Tel: +91 4254 304 300 Fax: +91 4254 304 400 Email: ramamurthy@kgdenim.in Web: www.kgdenim.com

This natural-look wooden wash basin comes from Bali-based company In Living Color, which offers a variety of elegant products in natural materials such as stone, marble, copper, wood and leather products. As well as the sink pictured, the company’s petrified wood

range includes custom-made chairs, tables and other items. Hotel Professional Services Tel: +65 9 380 8310 Email: maryse@hotelprofessionalservices.com Web: www.hotelprofessionalservices.com

Zenia Home Zenia Home is a UAE-based supplier of outdoor leisure products, offering durable and contemporary al fresco furniture created form materials such as rattan, aluminium and teakwood. The products are available in a wide choice of designs and colours. Zenia Home Tel: +971 7 207 6831 Email: info@zeniahome.com Web: www.zeniahome.com

Prologic First

Shanghai Langel Textile Co

This hospitality IT firm is launching two new products at The Hotel Show. Pictured is Touché Lite, a specially packaged version of the proven Touché POS. This includes self-installable software, documentation and video guides, touch-screen POS hardware and a receipt printer.

The firm will also showcase WISH Expressat the show — its new PMS technology for professionally managed, limited service hotels. Hotel Professional Services Tel: +971 4 336 6345 Fax: +971 4 336 6349 Web: www.prologicfirst.com

Shanghai Langel Textile Co Ltd exports bedding linen, table linen and bath linen for the hospitality industry, offering over 200 designs. Shanghai Langel Textiles Co Ltd Tel: +86 21 5059 6121 Fax: +86 21 5059 6122 Email: david@langel.com.cn Web: www.langel.com.cn

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

F&B essentials Bakery equipment

Bread: the recession-proof industry? Despite tough year for economy, profits are on the rise for bakery goods supplier Baking Technologies has announced that the firm achieved the same level of turnover during the first quarter of 2010 as it did during the whole of 2009. Commenting on this success, the firm’s chairman Ton Seuren noted: “As we are dealing mainly in equipment and plant systems for the baking industry, with bread being a basic ‘must eat’ product even during the recession, we have not seen any negative affect commercialwise from the downturn.” The company, which supplies machinery and plant systems for the bakery and food industry, increased turnover in 2009 by 25% and, based on the first quarter of 2010, is expecting another successful year.

Maxi Bri Rowlett Rutland has introduced the Maxi Bri, a fourgrid electric convection oven. The unit employs the latest technology to ensure optimum cooking results and ease of operation. Key

Baking Technologies chairman Ton Seuren.

features include a double glazed door, stainless steel outer body, stainless steel oven chamber and an interior light. The temperature range on the 6KW machine is thermostatically controlled, between 50 and 270 °C, while the timer can be set from 0-60 minutes. Four 400mm x 600mm trays are supplied as standard, but extra baguette trays and a stand are also available if required. Rowlett Rutland Ltd Tel: +44 1372 453633 www.rowlettrutland.co.uk

Caterer Middle East May 2010

“We achieved this by continuous commitment and support of our clients, even during the crisis, and now our clients show their commitment by placing turnkey equipment and service contracts,” he explained. According to Seuren, Baking Technologies — a division of Seumaco Middle East — has had most success with its compact and modular breadlines from Glimek, freezing and ovens equipment, and laminating equipment from Canol. The company is now planning to invest AED 10 million (US $2.7 million) in a brand new office and technology centre in Jebel Ali Free Zone, where Baking Technologies has its headquarters.

Air-o-stem Touchline This combi-oven promises “extreme simplicity in managing preparation processes”. The touch-screen system manages functions, cooking modes, temperatures and time settings, all through userfriendly icons and images, while a manual mode allows the chef to programme all parameters in advance. The programmes mode allows up to 1000 recipes to be stored and processed automatically. Electrolux Professional Tel: +39 04 3438 0771 Fax: +39 04 3438 0805 Web: www.electrolux.com

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

F&B essentials Bakery equipment

Schaerer Coffee Art Plus

Because milk inspires the coffee world

Combimat Slim Leventi has launched its smallest combi oven — the Combimat Slim, available exclusively from Valera. The oven, which is designed to fit in to even the smallest kitchens, comes complete with a full colour ‘Mastermind’ control panel and a memory for 200 programmes, allowing precise programming of time, temperature and humidity.

Schaerer’s automatic espresso machines encompass everything that is important in today’s demanding world of coffee including professional milk preparation in all its variations – from fully automatic to manual.

www.schaerer.com

Valera Ltd Tel: +44 1708 869 593 Web: www.valera.co.uk

SPI 280AV Spiral Mixer VMI has launched the SPI 280AV Spiral Mixer with removable bowl. Aiming to fulfil the productivity requirements of large semi-industrial bakeries and supermarkets, the mixers offer powerful dough mixing, even suitable for manipulating frozen and solid dough. A range of six available tools widens the unit’s capabilities. Baking Technologies. Tel: +971 4 885 7557 Email: info@baking-technologies.com Web: www.baking-technologies.com

MIWE Cube MIWE has launched ‘The fresh food system MIWE Cube’, a baking system that can be equipped with a wide variety of baking chamber types on a single unified platform. In addition to this, its individual modules can be combined in virtually any configuration.

A baking oven is available for MIWE cube, which facilitates the simultaneous baking of different products such as hard rolls, casseroles, stone-oven bread and Danish-style pastry Baking Technologies. Tel: +971 4 885 7557 Email: info@bakingtechnologies.com Web: www.bakingtechnologies.com

SWISS MADE

Supplier Product showcase

New products Every month Caterer Middle East brings you the best and brightest new F&B products

C&P Liotatis Confectionery

Stone Works

The Stone Works range runs from small stone amenities and accessories to a line for building exteriors and interiors. Produced by In Living Color, the collection includes tiles, slabs, profiles, columns, plinths, friezes, mosaics, wash basins and bathtubs, with stone furniture available in various colours and materials — such

Family-run confectioner Liotatis Lotier offers snacks ranging from chocolate truffles to unique breadsticks, made with sunflower seeds and natural flavours including tomato and olive. C&P Liotatis Confectionery Tel: +357 9932 1321 Web: www.liotatis-lotier.com

as sandstone, lava stone, marble, travertine, onyx and river stone. The products are hand carved by artisans to fit precisely with the customer’s requirements. Hotel Professional Services Tel: +65 9 380 8310 Web: www.hotelprofessionalservices.com

Darjeeling Nouveau Darjeeling tea is grown in northeastern India, in the foothills of the Himalayas between Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. The high altitudes, cool temperatures and distinctive soil yield aromatic tea leaves with a bold flavour. TWG Tea offers more than 800 single estate fine harvest teas. TWG Tea Company Tel: +65 6733 7997 Ext. 123 Email: sales@twgtea.com

Vita-mix XL Blender The Vita-Mix XL blender has a 5.6 litre capacity, allowing for up to 42 240ml servings in a single batch. It has 4.2 peak horsepower motors, high-performance blades, variable speeds and a pulse function. The unit also gives control over consistency.

Eurtex Eurtex products are characterised a wide offer of patterns and fabrics for any atmosphere. In order to achieve greater levels of quality, a considerable investment has been made in terms of cutting edge technology within the firm’s manufacture and quality control departments. Eurtex Tel: +34 93 876 06 28 Fax: +34 93 876 06 27 Email: management@eurtex.cat Web: www.eurtex.cat

Vita-Mix Corporation Tel: +1 440 782 2450 Web: www.vitamix.com

Caterer Middle East May 2010

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Supplier Product showcase

Rice Cube

Rice Cube is a patented rice mould which can make sushi in seconds without special mats or sticky rice. The chosen rice combination simply goes into the rice cooker and then into the Rice Cube for stunning presentation in seconds. Rice Cube is made of food safe materials and is 100% recyclable.

Rice Cube Pty Ltd Tel: +61 7 6471 2244 Fax: +61 7 6471 2266 Web: www.ricecube.net

Tradewinds Tea

German iced tea Tradewinds is now available in the Middle East. The natural peach-flavoured iced tea does not have any artificial substitutes, and is brewed from whole black Ceylon tea leaves. The tea also contains additional minerals and other trace elements important for nutrition. Tradewinds Tea Tel: +49 6026 509 0 Fax: +49 6026 509 130 Email: info@finesty.de Web: www.tradewinds.de

Chocolate Peanut Butter Stack This sweet and salty peanut butter crunch by Sweet Street Desserts features light and creamy milk chocolate and buttery caramel, layered twice on a brownie-cake hybrid and finished with crunchy, honey-roasted peanuts. Horeca Trade LLC Tel: +971 4 340 3330 Toll Free: 800 3210 Email: mail@horecatrade.ae Web: www.horecatrade.com

Light olive shirts and multistripe aprons New to the 2010 Simon Jersey catalogue is this range of light olive shirts and blouses. Made from a practical polycotton fabric, the modern styles look great teamed with classic black, charcoal or chocolate suiting. Co-ordinating with the shirts is a new range of light olive multistripe aprons, creating a striking F&B look. A Ronai Tel: +971 4 341 4409 Fax: +971 4 341 4457 Email: mesales@ronai.co.uk Web: www.ronai.co.uk

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

Bartech Hoteliers can now opt for a special soft blue door lighting, by choosing to have Bartech’s automatic glass door fitted into their choice of minibar. With a wide range of automatic minibars with capacities from 30 to 75 litres, providing different types of dry sections and three different cooling units, Bartech can fit with any in-room décor. As a standard feature, Bartech’s software automatically unlocks the minibar when a guest checks in, and even posts all minibar charges automatically to the guest folio through an interface with the hotel’s Property Management System. Bartech Emirates FZE Tel: +39 0422 471512 Email: dbastasin@bartech.com Web: www.bartech.com

May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Distributors & supplies directory Distributors ABC Baking

Baqer Mohebi

Fresh Express LLC

La Marquise

Tel: 009714 885 3788 Email: Natalie@abcbaking.com www.abcbaking.com

Tel: +971 4 396 9777 Email: bme@mohebi.com (Marketing & distribution of food & non food FMCG, food ingredients & Cuban Cigars)

Tel: +971 4 3395354 Email: alis@freshexpressint.com www.freshexpressint.com

Tel: +971 4 343 3478 Email: sales@lamarquise.ae www.lamarquise.ae

Alokozay Distributors Tel: 971 4 8871155 Email: naheed.siddiqi@alokozay.com www.alokozay.com

Aramtec Tel: 971 (4) 3390444 Email: hossam@aramtec.com www.aramtec.com

Suppliers BEVERAGES Boncafe Tel: +971 4 2828742 Email: sales.dept@boncafeme.ae www.boncafeme.ae

Coffee Planet Tel: +971 4 341 5537 Email: coffee@mycoffeeplanet.com www.mycoffeeplanet.com

Franke Tel: +41 6 2787 3607 www.franke-cs.com

Lavazza Tel: +971 50 5959385 Fax: +971 4 3211274 Email: ruth@lavazza.ae www.lavazza.ae

Marco Beverages Tel: 01933 666 488 Email: chris@marco-bev.co.uk www.marco-bev.co.uk

Tel: +971 4 347 0200 Email: hamish@chi.ae

Schaerer Tel: +41 318 585111 Email: info@schaerer.com www.schaerer.com

COOKING Convotherm Tel: +49 884 7670 Email: info@convotherm.de www.convotherm.de

TSSC

Tel: +971 4 2861166 Fax: +971 4 2863080 Email: info@emf-emirates.ae

Tel: +971 4 3403330 Email: mail@horecatrade.ae www.horecatrade.com

Tel: +971 4 343 1100 Email: tssc@eim.ae www.tsscdubai.com (Catering/kitchen equipment, chocolate/ coffee equipment, FMCG, refrigeration)

MKN

HYGIENE

JSD Products

Emf Emirates

Tel: +49 5 3 318 9207 Email: km@mkn.de www.mkn.de

FOODSTUFF Al Diyafa Tel: 009714 369 2888 Email: vahe@diafafoodstuff.com

Bakemart Llc Tel: +971 4 2675406 Email: bakemart@emirates.net.ae www.bakemart.ae

CSM Deutschland GmbH Tel: +49 421 3502 387 Email: michael.pruss@csmglobal.com

Giles & Posner Tel: +44 1923 234040 Fax: +44 1923 245151 Email: sales@gilesandposner.com www.gilesandposner.com

Horeca Trade Llc

Fujiyama Trading LLC Tel: +971 4 2228810 Email: Vitofiltration.uae@gmail.com www.systemfiltration.com

Johnson Diversey Gulf Fze Tel: +971 4 881 9470 www.johnsondiversey.com

MGK/Temptrak Tel: 009714 3309071 mirco@mgk.ae www.mgk.ae.

Newell Rubbermaid Tel: +971 4 292 3444 Email: yasmin.dabbah@newellco.com www.newellrubbermaid.com

RESTAURANT/ HOTEL SUPPLIES Airstar Space Lighting Tel: +971 4 8854906 Email: hichamlalmi@airstarme.ae www.airstar-light.com

Baking Technologies Lambweston Tel: +971 50 6447837 Email: frankboering@lambweston-nl.com www.lambwestonmeijer.nl

Tel: +971 4 885 7557 Email: ton@baking-technologies.com www.baking-technologies.com

Churchill China Tel: +44 1782 524371 Email: glenn.ewart@churchillchina.plc.uk www.churchillchina.com

Nestlé Professional Tel: +971 4 408 8100 Email: npdxb@ae.nestle.com

Tel: +971 2 6730 565 Email: shura@emirates.net.ae www.shuraemirates.com

Country Hill International

Monin Tel: +971 50 940 0918 Email: tgergov@monin-mei.com www.monin.com

Shura Trading

Nestlé Professional

Dalebrook Supplies Ltd

Tel: +971 4 408 8100 Email: npdxb@ae.nestle.com

Tel: 0044 1376 510101 Email: kikih@dalebrook.com http://www.dalebrookonline.com

Pritchitts

Duni AB

Tel: 02082907020 Email: GScott@pritchitt.com www.pritchitts.com

Tulsidas Lalchand Tel: +971 4 3533736 Email: trade@tulsidas.com www.tulsidas.com

Tel: +46 40 10 62 00 Fax: +46 40 39 66 30 Email: info@duni.com www.duni.com

Impulse Enterprises Tel: 001 954 9579917 Email: info@impulseenterprises.com www.impulseenterprises.com

Tel: +44 1727 841111 Email: info@jsdproducts.co.uk www.jsdproducts.co.uk

Procurio Tel: 009714 334 1040 Email: procurio@eim.ae www.procurio-me.com

Royal Host Tel: +966 2 2522289 Email: royal@binshihoun.com www.binshihoun.com

Villeroy and Boch Tel: +352 46821208 Email: info.hr@villeroy-boch.com www.villeroy-boch.com

CATERING EQUIPMENT Electrolux Professional Tel: +39 0434380304 Email: karen-cristina.breda@electrolux.it www.electrolux.com

Koma Middle East Tel: 9714 887 3334 Email: marc@koma.ae www.koma.com

Robot Coupe Tel: 0033 143 988833 Email: person@robot-coupe.com www.robot-coupe.com

KNIVES

Dick Tel: +49 7 153 8170 Email: mail@dick.de www.dick.de

Victorinox AG Tel: +41 41 818 12 64 Email: alain.hospenthal@victorinox.ch www.victorinox.com

Appointments May 2010

Recent appointments... Horeca Trade has appointed Samer Abou Daher as sales manager. Daher boasts six years of experience within the Horeca family, building the San Pellegrino brand in the UAE market. His new role involves handling HORECA channels across UAE. Another recent recruit is the firm’s new marketing executive and graphic designer, Jennifer Gallano. Jennifer is now handling the UAE and Saudi Arabia markets, rejuvenating the website, designing adverts and creating all in-house designs.

Stephane Buchholzer has been named the new executive chef in charge of operations at The Westin Dubai and Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina. Born in Alsace, Bucholzer began his career attending culinary school in southern France, graduating to ‘Master Chef ’ by the age of 15 — the youngest person in France to do so. After stints in the UK and New York, he relocated to Dubai, bringing his innovative gastronomic style to the daringly different Tang restaurant in Le Méridien Mina Seyahi.

Caterer Middle East May 2010

Dutch national Bastiaan Arts has joined the team at Radisson Blu Resort, El Quseir — located by Egypt’s Red Sea — as the property’s new executive chef. With almost 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Arts — who is fluent in Dutch, English and German — kicked off his culinary career in the Netherlands, which was followed by stints with various prestigious hotel chains around the world, including in Egypt, Oman, Switzerland and Germany. His most recent role was with The City Stars Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

Thierry Gallas has joined Le Méridien Abu Dhabi as sous chef for the Le Bistrot French restaurant. French national Gallas graduated from culinary school in Avignon, France. He has since accumulated more than 12 years experience at a variety of restaurants in France, the UK and the USA. Prior to joining Le Méridien Abu Dhabi, Gallas held the role of sous chef at a fine-dining restaurant in Southern France. A spokesperson for Le Méridien Abu Dhabi said: “We wish Thierry lots of success in his new role and welcome him to the Méridien family.”

Dates for the diary Calendar

DATES FOR THE DIARY... May 2010 T

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01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 May 2-3 Café Biz 2010 Sydney, Australia

International trade fair showcasing items for agriculture, food and packaging industries.

from F&B producers.

Café industry exhibition featuring more than 100 related products, services and demonstrations.

www.agraria.info.ro

May 9-10 IFTECH Pakistan 2010 Karachi, Pakistan

www.realfoodfestival.co.uk

May 12-16 ThaiFex: World of Food Asia Bangkok, Thailand South East Asia’s leading trade platform for the F&B industry, covering all areas from processing, packaging, technology and ingredients to the end product.

www.cafebiz.net

May 6-8 7th International Food Exhibition Manila, Philippines

May 2-3 James Beard Foundation Awards New York, New York

IFEX Philippines is a trade fair featuring gourmet offerings from around the world.

The 7th International Food & Technology Exhibition provides a networking platform for professionals in food technology and related industries.

The ‘Oscars of the food world’ honour the best and brightest F&B industry talent from all over the US.

www.ifexphilippines.com

www.foodtechpakistan.com

www.jbfawards.com

May 7-10 Real Food Festival London, UK

May 11-13 Espana Original Ciudad Real, Spain

May 5-9 Agraria Transylvania, Romania

The country’s biggest producers marketplace, featuring demonstrations from top chefs plus a livestock market and goods

International show with more than 500 exhibitors showcasing quality Spanish food products.

The 16th Azerbaijan international food industry exhibition will bring together suppliers and buyers to promote products, showcase services and find local distributor partners.

www.espanaoriginal.com

www.worldfood.az/2010

www.worldoffoodthailand.com May 19-21 WorldFood Azerbaijan Baku, Azerbaijan

Data May 2010

Surveying the region’s status Each month Caterer Middle East collects data from F&B professionals across the region to bring you all the must-know industry stats, trends and price fluctuations affecting the regional market

Competition Each month, survey participants who submit their email address are entered into a draw to win this stylish bartender kit from Monin. Last month’s winner was Damien Chorley, executive chef at JW Marriott Dubai. For more information, visit: www.monin.com

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

What is the most difficult thing about working in the Middle East?

% 4% 4

The amount of competition

17%

Difficulties recruiting and retaining decent staff

Owners focusing on profits rather than standards

Supplier issues

61%

The over-demanding

Source: Caterer Middle East F&B Survey

This month, Caterer’s F&B survey studied professional opinions of the region’s culinary standing. Despite the fact a whopping 64% of respondents in our January issue Head Chef Survey said they believed the region had obtained ‘culinary hub’ status, opinions currently seem a little more guarded, with a 57% majority saying the region still had a way to go to reach the standard of more established international gastro-hotspots. A positive 87% said they enjoyed working in the region and had no plans to move on any time soon — however just over 50% of those respondents admitted a better job opportunity could sway them. To take part in next month’s survey, receive a full anonymous break-down of the findings and go into the draw to win our monthly competition, visit www. hoteliermiddleeast.com and click on our F&B Survey link.

clientele

Poor salaries

9% of participants said they felt the region’s culinary status was overhyped

17%

70%

felt that while Dubai was building a reputation for its F&B, the rest of the region still had a long way to go

of participants said their clientele this month was primarily made up of regulars, compared to 13% who said tourists formed the majority

TOP 5 RESPONSES: Where will be the region’s top culinary hotspot in future?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Dubai Abu Dhabi Muscat Doha Manama May 2010 Caterer Middle East

Last bite Interview Gallery

Caterer

The Caterer snappers were out and about at this month’s F&B events — were you caught on camera?

At Dubai’s Hot Hotelie rs network evening: Spa ing Genie mark eting specia ist Namita lRamani wit h hosting ve Vista’s rest nue aurant mana ger, Naomi C ox.

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56 6

Caterer Middle East May 2010

personal Team enjoyed a Junior Culinary the final day. masterclass on

Medzo, the Italian restaurant at Dubai’s Wafi Centre, re-opened last month at an exclusive launch evening, where guests

and h new look the fres y b n by d e ow s res siasm sh were imp he enthu t s ivia. a L ll e a w ner Nonn menu, as ow d n a f ess - che the host

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

www.carpigiani.com

TECHNOLOGY FOR A SWEETER WORLD

Carpigiani is a leading manufacturer of ice cream machines. It deals with all kinds of GELATO, TRADITIONAL ICE CREAM, MILK SHAKE, CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS, DESERTS, SOFT ICE CREAM, SLUSH and a lot more. Success is guaranteed every time with a product in perfect hygienic condition. For more than 50 years, we have been making millions of children happier.

Authorized Distributor in UAE

www.lamarquise.ae Sh. Zayed Road, Dubai - UAE Ph: + 971 4 3433478, Fax:+971 4 3433498 Email: sales@lamarquise.ae

DISTRIBUTED BY: ROYAL HOST

Member of binshihoun-abomar Co. Al-Naseem Dist., Ali Al-Mortada Street, Showroom No.18 P.O.Box:11003 Jeddah 21453 Saudi Arabia TEL: +966-2-252289,6292890 FAX: 6402955 royalbinshihoun.com www.binshihoun.com

Pure polyethylene, unmixed. Quality raw material with UV protection. Shock-proof. Constructed to withstand heavy loads. Suitable for outdoor use. Metal profiles of a thickness designed to withstand extreme loads.

Individual polypropylene clip to hold the leg in position when folded. Solid and durable fastening device.

Continuous digitally welded joints. Precise and indestructible. Powder-coated steel. Shock-proof and damp-proof. Metal structures designed to optimise the weight/resistance ratio.

Solid welded joints, nuts and bolts. High density of vaults in the lower surface of the table top. Resistant and nonwarping.

Slip-resistant fasteners for secure stacking.