caterer middle east - nov 2009

Serving the region’s catering professionals

An ITP Business Publication

November 2009 • Vol 05 • Issue 11

The festiveThe festivefood fightfood fightOutlets prepare for a fierce Outlets prepare for a fierce fight for festive businessfight for festive business

Out with Out with the oldthe old

Careful repositioning can give Careful repositioning can give your brand a new lease of lifeyour brand a new lease of life

Haute cuisineAn ITP Business Publication

Airline food standards soar as travellers demand quality in-flight cuisine

H O T E L & R E S T A U R A N T

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ContentsVolume 5 Issue 11

November 2009 Caterer Middle East 01

05 NewsJapanese cuisine boom highlights supply progress; HACCP mandatory for Dubai; Caterer Awards shortlists revealed10 Flying highTop airline industry professionals discuss the advances made in in-flight catering12 Mystery shopperEthos Consultancy reveals the true stan-dard of customer service at UAE outlets and offers advice on how to better your business22 Culinary confessionsMarcus Gregs shares his kitchen tales; this month, a tasty trip down memory lane26 Food safety fi rstDubai Municipality’s Food Control Department director on staying safe

28 RoundtableF&B professionals assess the standard of service in the region’s outlets38 Industry insightAs the festive season approaches, the culinary competition is heating up47 Harvesting halal benefi tsSuppliers from around the world explain why they are embracing halal practices58 Topping tablewareThe ultimate in tabletop fashions62 Product showcaseThe latest and greatest tea and coffee items to hit the region’s restaurants72 Last biteMichelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire shares his thoughts with Caterer

10ContentsNovember 2009

38

Cover story

28

22

62

68

For the latest news and stories go to www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

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Web contents

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Online

For the latest news and stories go to www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

World’s largest candy shop

In pictures

Dubai, home to the world’s largest build-ing, hotel and shopping mall, can now boast one more record: the world’s largest sweet shop. Candylicious, a 10,000ft²candy store, is located in Dubai Mall.

Get real or get out of the kitchenToday’s chefs have lost touch with public eating habits, according to columnist Aidan Keane, using far too much butter, sugar and unhealthy ingredients in their dishes. Here he explains why it’s high time chefs take a step back from their professional kitchens and find out what consumers are cooking in their own homes.

Raising the barBeverage professionals assess the highs and lows of the region’s bar scene

Editor’s pick

Most popularWorld’s largest food show for Abu Dhabi

Uwe Micheel crowned king of the kitchen

Ramsay restaurant team joins the navy

1.2.3.

Features

Dressing for dinner Death of organic?In a tough climate, can the organic market recover or has rot set in?

McDonald’s staff ‘not robots’

UNDERCOVER: The food fight

4.5.


Caterer Middle East November 2009

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News November 2009


Another long-term challenge weighing on opera-tors’ minds has been consistency of supply and availability, according to Okku’s Thesleff — as well as the environmental impact this growing demand for so much seafood could have.

“As professionals and industry leaders, we have a responsibility to educate customers and influence their purchasing and consumption habits to gain long term sustainability,” he advised.

A further issue resulting from this trend is that of increased competition.

According to Mirai’s Hallsworth, “hard work, passion, the best ingredients available and a com-mitment to being the absolute best” is the answer.

Innovative promotions also prove valuable in capturing market share, as Maki Restaurants founder and managing partner Mohamad Zeitoun pointed out.

“Maki uniquely allows its guests to become ‘part-chefs’,” he explained. “We allow them to create their own maki, which at later stage may be featured on the menu and sold to other guests.”

At Zuma Dubai, Clague notes that having a “tried-and-tested formula” to work with was a bonus for the brand’s first Middle East outlet.

“Most importantly, we never rest on our laurels: with so much competition, that’s a must,” he said.

Japanese trend highlights F&B supply chain successImproved supply chain sees quality Japanese cuisine boom in Middle East

The Middle East may have been slower to em-brace Japanese food than other major gastronomic hubs, but today, with the region’s chefs enjoying a vastly improved supply network, interest in this internationally popular cuisine has boomed.

Scott Hallsworth, executive chef at Souk Al Bahar’s Mirai restaurant, explained: “Japanese cuisine has been making a huge impact all over the world, so it was only a matter of time before it took off in this region.”

However Zuma Dubai executive chef Colin Clague pointed out that it was not simply a case of being slown to pick up on international trends.

As Japanese dishes rely heavily on quality fresh ingredients, the improving supplier network in the Middle East has been instrumental in paving the way for the cuisine’s rise in popularity, he noted.

“The standard of the ingredients coming into Dubai has definitely got better,” said Clague.

“Initially the standard of fresh produce was not high enough; if I pay European prices I expect European quality, which sadly was missing from this town. But thankfully, huge strides have been made in this area.”

This greater accessibility of key fresh ingredi-ents is due in part to a handful of international Japanese brands opening in Dubai, prompting improvements in the Japanese supply chain, with a slew of new outlets now reaping the benefits.

Okku Restaurant and Lounge co-founder Markus Thesleff commented: “With time, it has become easier [to source required ingredients]; the demand for top products has increased as more quality operators enter the market.”

At Gulf Hotel and Convention Center Bahrain’s Sato restaurant, assistant F&B manager Nikolai Calleja agreed sourcing was becoming easier as more supplier companies emerged to meet demand. “However the price tag is consistently on the increase as well,” he pointed out.

p6 Cyber serviceSocial networking is the future of F&B marketing

p6 Mandatory safety measuresHACCP to be made com-pulsory for Dubai outlets

p6 Service verdictOnline poll shows what readers really think of F&B customer service

p7 Size mattersVenue limitations stifl ing region’s events scene

p8 Shelve the showiness please!Bars need more than gimmicks to attract custom, say experts

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Zuma Dubai’s Colin Clague.

Story of the month

NewsNovember 2009

Caterer Middle East November 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b06

F&B marketing set for cyber successCustomers of the future will ‘tweet’ orders and preferences through before even arriving at the venue

The world of F&B marketing is moving steadily online, with industry experts pre-dicting that cyber-savvy guests will even be able to ‘tweet’ their preferences to a venue prior to arrival in future.

Raffles Dubai director of marketing and communications Dima Ayad explained: “Today we can engage with our customers via our social networking pages.

“The direction online could and most likely will move towards guests highlight-ing their preferences by ‘tweeting’ what table they prefer or special dietary requests from their personal Smartphones, which front-of-house teams will receive within seconds via their respective web pages.

“Similarly, the importance of an online element to any front-of-house team is defi-nitely growing stronger,” she continued.

“If you can Google your guests before they arrive, you can maximise on know-ing who they are, what they like, their

preferences and so on before they arrive — thereby surprising them and creating a bond on their first visit, guaranteeing them a memorable experience.”

The Monarch Dubai director of com-munications Yvonne Luedeke agreed that involving clients in online processes was becoming increasingly popular.

“For instance, clients and guests are often required to create their personal profile when booking online — then such data can be used for the internal systems,” she said.

“Just as airlines are encouraging their passengers to check-in online and to select their seats themselves, hotels and restaurants might offer their guests similar services in the future.

“There is no limit to the online market-ing angle — however five-star operations in particular will not be able or willing to completely reduce their personalised ser-vice in favour of doing everything online.”

she added.

Mandatory HACCP for F&B operatorsThe food safety management system Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is to become man-datory for all F&B operators in Dubai, a government official has revealed.

Dubai Municipality Food Control Department director Khalid Moham-med Sharif Al-Awadhi explained: “We’re going to have HACCP in place for intermediate level F&B operators and above; these people will not be able to get a license to operate an outlet unless they have this.

“This year, we are start-

ing to look at restaurants that have more than one branch; then next year we go step-by-step for all food premises. So [this measure will be in place] within five years, I’d say.

“Some of the smallest premises can’t implement HACCP exactly, because they’re too small — but they can at least have simi-lar rules to HACCP. And our inspectors will judge that,” he added.

Al-Awadhi revealed that the Department had held discussions with “inter-national companies and

consultants from the UK” regarding the roll-out.

Al-Awadhi noted that Dubai had been the first emirate — and indeed Middle East country — to implement the HACCP standard as mandatory for select operators.

“Back in 2006, we made it imperative for hotels and manufacturers,” he said.

“Now, the focus for us is that the HACCP certifica-tion is not just seen as a piece of paper that opera-tors get then forget about. We want them to follow through properly.”

Raffl es Dubai’s Dima Ayad.

Hit and miss; from fast food to five-star, it’s inconsistent.

Not great; I rarely dine out without experiencing bad service.

Fairly good; there are odd mistakes but nothing major.

Excellent; I have no complaints.

Terrible; operators clearly don’t bother to invest in staff training.

47%

27%

14%

6%

6%

How do you rate customer service in Middle East F&B outlets?

Source: HotelierMiddleEast.com online poll


News

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Caterer Awards 2009shortlists announcedThe countdown to this year’s Caterer Middle East Awards has begun, with category shortlists being revealed at the magazine’s online home, www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b.

After a long process of whit-tling down the hundreds of nom-inations submitted by outlets around the region, between three

and six outstanding nominees have been shortlisted in each category — with the exception of the highly-anticipated Chef of the Year title, for which 10 candidates are in the running.

After all the shortlisted nominees have been revealed, the winners — judged by a panel of industry experts from around the region — will be announced online in the third week of November.

The trophy presentation ceremony and photo shoot with the winners will feature in the December issue of Caterer Middle East.

Venue size mattersThe surprisingly limited spec-trum of Middle East venues is impacting the scope for events,

In brief

than 300 to 400, there are only a handful of venues available, particularly indoors,” she pointed out.

“Then when you assess the outdoor facilities, the new leg-islation in the UAE to prevent live music after 11pm creates a real issue for events here.”

At Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), one of the few local venues which can accommo-date large numbers, manager for weddings and OSC Najah Al Mulla says the venue is in greater demand than ever.

“What hotel in Dubai regularly serves for 1500 or 2000 people?” she questioned.

“We can cater from around 250 to up to 7000 covers and this flexibility is why DWTC remains such a popular venue.” The DWTC’s Najah Al Mulla.Who do you think should win?

according to a Dubai-based events organiser.“At a glance, it seems as if there a hundreds of event venues available because of the sheer number of hotels — however this is not the case,” said event agency D’Events managing director Lucy d’Abo.

“If you consider groups larger

News


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Give up gimmicks, advise bar expertsThe region’s bars must provide a “customer journey” for the long term rather than showy gim-

micks if they are to drive business, industry professionals have said.

Simone Hop-man, manager

of The Exchange Floor at Fair-mont Dubai, commented: “You need USPs to draw in guests in the first place, yes — but after that it’s the quality of the prod-uct that will keep them there.

“While anything demonstra-tive, like flairing, is fun initially, it takes away from the time the bartender can spend perfecting the drink,” she reasoned.

Emirates Leisure Retail bar development manager — li-censed division Nick Hancock agreed: “Simple working flair is great behind a bar, but I don’t want my guys bursting out into some routine. That’s going to be detrimental to business on a Friday night! Definitely your main aim should be to focus on the customer journey.”

Felix Hartmann, manager of Burj Al Arab’s Skyview Bar, add-ed: “It’s very important to have that fun element, but there are other parts of the service which are more important — such as having an actual conversation with the guest and being able to make a proper drink.

“In my opinion, these are the elements that are really impor-tant to the customer.”

Shortage of quality staffThe region’s F&B market is suffering from a lack of talented professionals to draw on, accord-ing to JW Marriott Dubai F&B director Kevin Wills.

“In the hotel market we have a little more depth than other industries, so we are able to pull from larger resources,” he said.

e eg o s ba s ust p ov de a“customer journey” for the longterm rather than showy gim-

micks if they are todrive business, industry professionalshave said.

Simone Hop-man, manager

“But if we look closely, in this region, our F&B human re-sources are actually a little thin in regards to depth of knowl-edge and experience.”

Wells compared the Middle East with more established regions such as Europe, noting that young recruits in these markets grew up in a hospitality culture and as a result had “a lot more enthusiasm” for their roles.

Burj Al Arab’s Felix Hartmann.

In brief

JW Marriott Dubai’s Kevin Wills.

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News analysisIn-fl ight catering


Today’s travellers are picky creatures: they know what they want and if they don’t get it in one place, they will go somewhere else.

The impact that this demanding customer base has had on in-flight catering has been monumental: gone are the days of lumpy mash reheated in a plastic carton: today’s air-lines recognise that food is a major deciding factor for customers choosing an airline.

Haute cuisineAs the world embraces air travel, airlines are pulling out all the stops to woo today’s

travellers, resulting in increasingly high quality in-flight cuisine

Sarah Klatt Walsh, director — head of in-flight for Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) agreed in-flight F&B had become “a big selling point”

“It comes after network, frequency of flights, prices and the seat comfort — but F&B is still a main form of entertainment on a longer flight and customers have plenty of time to re-flect on what they are dining on,” she noted.

Emirates vice president aircraft catering Robin Padgett expanded: “For us, in-flight F&B is one of the primary touch-points we have with our customers, so there needs to be a full range of food and beverage experiences on offer, like you’d expect in any top-quality dining environment.

“We try to tailor the experience to the cab-ins — for example, we would see first class




as fine-dining; imagine going to The Ivy or a Gordon Ramsay outlet — that is where we’d want to pitch that experience.

“Then business class we see as a really great bistro experience, something incredibly pro-fessional. And we don’t of course forget econ-omy either; that should be substantial and satisfying, not some thoughtless meal that is going to have passengers feeling like they haven’t been looked after.

“In our minds, the last thing we want to offer is a traditional airline meal,” he continued.

“We don’t look at competitors because we’re not particularly interested in what other airlines are doing; we see our competi-tor set as restaurants, as hotels.Those are the kind of venues we go and look at — when we’re looking at new concepts, we’re not looking at what other air-lines are doing, we’re looking at what’s being down on the ground,” he revealed.

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Meanwhile, SWISS’ Klatt Walsh cited the carrier’s ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’ con-cept as setting it apart from the crowd.

“We are the only airline to provide a truly regional culinary concept on board, whereby we work together with the tourist boards every three months to promote a different SWISS canton on board,” she explained.

“We then select a guest hotel or restaurant to work with for those three months, and their

chefs prepare menus from the region and in line with the sea-son for our first and business class customers.

“The concept won a Mer-cury Award for Innovation a few years ago, and is still very popular today. Consequently, we have extended the concept

to be able to offer vegetarian meals as part of the SWISS Taste offering,” she said.

But Klatt Walsh revealed today’s increased customer expectations had created new chal-

lenges for the airlines. “The biggest issue is to provide a high quality product at lower unit costs,” she explained.

“The airlines are under tremendous cost pressure — and they pass this on to their ca-terers, who are requested to respond with cre-ative solutions; not only in terms of F&B, but also in terms of operations and handling.”

Emirates’ Padgett also noted that the vol-ume of passengers flying today had increased pressure on in-flight caterers.

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate over the “On-board kitchens are a concept we’re interested in”

Did you know?In March 2009, UAE-based luxury executive fl ight service provider Royal Jet launched a personal in-fl ight chef service, to provide passengers with bespoke gourmet dining in the sky.



last few years, but growth of something like 20% annually is always going to be a chal-lenge,” he pointed out.

“One of the typical issues in this instance is maintaining quality, because when you’re experiencing significant growth, it’s very dif-ficult to maintain that growth in a consistent way all the time.

“So that’s become a bit of a passion within the organisation, making sure that as we grow we maintain this quality focus, as when we were a small airline,” he said.

Despite the challenges, the burgeoning Middle East airline catering industry is go-ing from strength to strength, according to SWISS’ Klatt Walsh.

“The standard of Middle-Eastern airlines is very high, in line with their overall position-ing. They are tough competitors to the rest of the industry and, in my opinion, they will only continue to get better and will be setting the standards going forward,” she predicted.

“They have certain advantages that the leg-acy carriers (in the USA, Europe and Asia) do not have — and this will help them keep their top positioning in the future.

“In fact, on-board kitchens are a concept we’re interested in and looking at,” he added.

“We’re starting to see microwaves and toasters on board, even ovens that are able to steam-cook so the food can stay fresher for longer. So it’s not a million miles away from a scenario where we’ll be able to cook from raw — take the ingredients on board and cook a completely fresh meal,” he said.

SWISS’ Klatt Walsh agreed: “For the pre-mium sectors, especially in long-haul, I see more and more of a tendency to move away from ‘airline service’ to more of a restaurant and hotel-like offering.

“There will be more partnerships with restaurants and hotels, and maybe even brand-name franchises in the sky some-day,” she suggested.

“Then for the shorter routes, especially in economy, I see the trend of going away from traditional catering and moving into the new operating model of working with third-party producers such as supermarkets or specialty re-tailers to provide food, with logis-tics experts orga-nising the handling and transportation.”

The standard of in-fl ight cater-ing is now one of the top three deciding factors for passengers choosing what airline to fl y with, according to research conducted by the International Travel Conference Association.

“However they will need experienced peo-ple to help them attain and keep that advan-tage,” she added.

Emirates’ Padgett noted more of a mixed bag internationally.

“It’s hard to comment on competitors, but looking at macro-trends there are certainly some airlines who have lost interest in the F&B side and don’t really see it as an integral part of the proposition,” he noted.

“Having said that, there are other airlines who see it as an incredibly important part of what we offer to passengers — and I hope we’re recognised as being part of that.”

Padgett also predicted that, for those air-lines following changing consumer trends, a more traditional dining experience would come online for aircraft in future.

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onomy, I see the trend of gooing awawa ayay ffromaditional catering and mov- inning g inintoe new operatingodel of workingth third-partyoducers suchsupermarkets specialty re-

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Emirates’ Robin Padgett.

SWISS’ authentic in-fl ight menu has proved popular.

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“Food-wise, we certainly see the trend go-ing towards a lighter, fresher, more natural dining experience,” he said.

“Equally we see choice becoming wider and going forward our aim is to offer even more choice to our passengers, so they can build an experience around themselves. Some want a five-star dining experience, some will want beans on toast, and we want to be able to de-liver whatever they want at that time.

“With this in mind, the challenge is of course to find space on board,” he continued.

“I’ve recently had a look at some of the aircraft we might have in future; finding the space is an incredibly technical challenge, but one we’re already working on.

News analysisBrand repositioning


Constantly changing, filled with superla-tives, the Middle East’s range of F&B offer-ings is vast and fast-moving.

The result is an extremely demanding cli-entele — one which, thanks to the financial downturn, now expect not only a ‘culinary experience’ from their top-quality meal, but also one that comes at a reasonable price.

Consequently this region has some out-standing restaurants; but with new ones coming on the scene all the time, even estab-lished eateries should not be complacent.

At the Park Hyatt Dubai, the well-known restaurant Traiteur has recently been re-branded to reflect a traditional French bras-serie style, as assistant food and beverage director Kenzo Posth explains.

“In terms of interior design we’re really not changing anything; it’s more a case of focus-ing on bringing good value for money and traditional French dishes, to meet the pref-erences of today’s consumers,” he said.

Meanwhile the two-year-old Raffles Dubai has also embraced change, relaunching its Fire & Ice restaurant.

General manager John Pelling pointed out: “The interior design is moody, with lots of brick and timber over two floors; it could eas-ily be lifted and placed down in the centre of New York’s ‘Meatpacking District’.

“So guess what: it’s become a steakhouse in-stead of the former, modern European style.

“Nothing complicated, nothing preten-tious, simply amazing steaks and side dishes and a few surprises on the menu to keep our guests interested,” he said.

The Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai’s estab-lished Italian outlet La Veranda is also mak-ing way for a fresh concept, explained execu-tive assistant manager Nicolas Pezout.

“Our new signature restaurant, Chutneys, is an authentic restaurant offering exquisite

“If you’re going to make changes, then make them loud and proud”

Moving with the marketWith new F&B outlets constantly coming online in the Middle East, even established eateries need to look to their laurels — which is why operators in the know are rebranding to remain competitive

North Indian food. We’ve basically drawn on principles that are rooted in our hotel brand — upscale, delivering quality service with a personal touch,” he said.

One outlet enjoying the fruits of a past successful rebranding is The China Club at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek.

The property’s director of kitchens Uwe Micheel expand-ed: “When we first opened in 2003, The China Club posi-tioned itself as an elegant, lux-ury restaurant, where we had an à la carte menu only.

“The music was on the slow side, quite refined; the staff uniforms were somewhat conservative; in brief, it was a fine-dining Chinese restaurant. But we identified market trends and custom-ers preferences moving away from that style, so we decided we needed a more ‘relaxed’ concept,” he explained.

“Today, the service is more relaxed, we now play more upbeat music, and that makes the overall venue seem slightly buzzier and fun; plus we have more diverse menu options.

“All these different modifications have eased up the place and The China Club is now positioned as a traditional restaurant

that promises a great experi-ence for anyone who enjoys Chinese cuisine in a good at-mosphere,” said Micheel.

With a large proportion of the region’s F&B outlets in hotels, it is not unusual for an outlet to be refurbished every few years, to keep the décor

attractive and fresh. But when is it that the concept itself needs a make-over?

Raffles’ Pelling said the interior design was “not the problem” for Fire & Ice.

“I honestly think the way it looks is perfect for the steak house concept we are introduc-

The jazz band entertains guest at the exclusive relaunch party for Fire & Ice at Raffl es Dubai.



ing; what we needed to do was to improve all the other compo-nents,” he explained. “Entertain-ment through jazz and soul music, a more relaxed service style to help create a really buzzy atmosphere and great value for money.”

According to Park Hyatt resident manager Paul Wright, the focus for the new-style Traiteur went far deeper than appearance.

“We want to change the feel of the outlet, so the focus was on the value of what we were offering the guest and the authenticity of that dining experience,” he said.

“To do that, we’ve obviously brought in a French chef — Franck

Detrait from Park Hyatt Vendôme in Paris — then our beverage man-ager’s French and Kenzo also has a French background, so we have a lot of talent from a human resource aspect to inject into it.”

Considering the ideas of rede-sign versus brand-overhaul, Möv-enpick’s Pezout asserted: “There’s nothing worse in F&B than a half-hearted alteration — the Mexican restaurant which still has Greek designs on the walls, the new Ger-man restaurant with food by the same Italian chef who ran the Tus-can place before.

“If you’re going to make changes, then you should make them loud

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Ask the expert What are the reasons for an operator to rebrand an

existing F&B outlet?Simply put, no operator will rebrand if the business is doing well —

rebrands happen when the business is struggling and the concept is

deemed not to work in that location.

The main wrong reason would be low sales without fi nding out why;

without learning from mistakes, they will be repeated.

What steps should operators take to ensure the change does not alienate their previous loyal cus-tomer base?Find out what key elements existing customers like, whether that’s the

service, music, menu selection or something else. Try and

incorporate those elements into the new concept.

What are the major challenges of repositioning an existing offering?Unless it’s very different, then customers may well

think that it’s the same business (with the same

problems as before) that has just been given

a make-over.

To avoid this problem, it can be ad-

vantageous to give the impression that

the business is under new ownership

or fresh management.

Captivate Restaurants managing director Guy Holmes



and proud and give people a new and excit-ing experience.”

But these outlets, as the operators are keen to emphasise, were not in any major trouble before: they had their regulars, they were names on the dining scene. So why rebrand?

According to Raffles’ Pelling, F&B is all about moving with the times.

“Any manager needs to keep pace with what the market is doing and, equally importantly, adapt ac-cordingly,” he said.

“Another major factor that may influence an operator to rebrand is to focus objectives.Our aim, for example, was to emphasise frequency as op-posed to occasion for custom-ers dining at Fire & Ice.

“In the past it served great food, albeit with an expensive price tag, in a visually attrac-tive venue. However, it was not appealing to a sufficient audience,” Pelling admitted.

“Now we have made some changes to the concept, the menu, the staff uniforms, the music — we want to see our patrons coming back to Fire & Ice, as opposed for them to think that the restaurant is a ‘special occa-sion only’ kind of outlet.”

Park Hyatt’s Posth added that, having been

open for the past five years, it was “really the right time to reposition Traiteur” — but agrees becoming less of a ‘special occasion’ outlet was also a key aim behind the change.

“Creating a real value-for-money experi-ence was important for us — there are various French restaurants in Dubai which are fine dining, so instead of that we want to move to-wards the kind of thing we’re doing with the

Thai Kitchen: more of a whole-some, family atmosphere with really good value,” he said.

The property’s Wright add-ed: “You have to move with the times and adapt to how the market is changing.

“Since Park Hyatt first opened, a number of new

restaurants have entered the market, with cutting-edge concepts and designs. Traiteur is obviously older than those, so we had to think, in light of everything going on with the economy, what was the best way to take the outlet forward.

“People don’t have the same disposable in-come that they used to; plus nowadays there are a lot of outlets in Dubai fighting for that high-end dining market, so we thought why not be more price-appealing, offering value for money and remaining quality-driven? So

Top tips“Research the market, keep it simple and never

over-engineer things. Pricing is critical to get

right: people are conscious of how much they

want to spend, so don’t be greedy. Let your

team be natural — most guests don’t care if

they are served from the left or the right, so give

the staff some freedom. Budget suffi cient funds

to hit the market with a bang, make them notice

you and make it interesting. Finally, always al-

ways think of it as your own business and make

sure you deliver perfection every time.”

John Pelling, general manager, Raffl es Dubai

“You just have to stay sensitive to what the

customer wants and be prepared to adapt — I

think the problem comes when you’re stag-

nant and can’t change and move forward.”

Kenzo Posth, assistant food and beverage

director, Park Hyatt Dubai

“Go back to the drawing board, come up with

something intelligent, exciting and new; half-

hearted rethinks are worse than no rethink

at all!”

Nicolas Pezout, executive assistant man-

ager, Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai

“First, start with a cold hard review of previ-

ous performance. Bring in a third party to help

conceptualise the concept and consider a

broad range of aspects, from quantifying your

target market to gaps in the market. Spend

your CAPEX wisely and re-enforce this by

investing in a quality brand identity.”

Stefan Breg, chief executive, TRIBE

Restaurant Creators

“Think very carefully about why you are

considering it. Why has the existing concept

failed to reach its potential? Make sure that

there is real demand for the concept you are

introducing, rather than just changing it for

the sake of it.”

Guy Holmes, managing director,

Captivate Restaurants

French chef Franck Detrait is heading the kitchen team at the repositioned Traiteur, at Park Hyatt Dubai.

“People have told me they felt intimidated by the menu”


Did you know that I am a 100% Grade 1 Arabica bean?

Ask the expert

What are the reasons for an operator to rebrand an existing F&B outlet?All sorts of factors drive rebranding, from profi t

performance to peer pressure (suddenly your com-

petition got good!) It’s not uncommon for customers

to grow bored with a concept and the market is

moving so fast that what was hot in 2005 may not

work for 2010. What often happens is the initial

concept wasn’t thought through; there is a science

to choosing the right concept and few get it right.

Why rebrand not refurbish?Refurbishing an interior can give you a cosmetic lift,

but in our experience it doesn’t lead to a huge jump

in revenue. Rebranding is a bolder move, meaning

you have to cut ties with the past. This route has

higher risks and costs associated with it, but the

returns can be higher — as well as the benefi t of

galvanising your staff with the prospect of working

on a shiny new brand.

What steps should operators take to ensure the change does not alienate their existing cus-tomer base?It takes a brave operator to accept he may lose

some existing customers!

The fi rst step is to identify how big this customer

base is, whether it is dwindling and exactly how

loyal it is. Losing some of these customers may

not be such a bad thing, if it is in return for a wider

target market.

What are the major challeng-es that go with repositioning an existing offering?The biggest obstacle is making bold decisions,

such as dropping what doesn’t work and having

a long hard look at service and staff.

Another challenge is choosing the right con-

cept and design to deliver a return and getting

the right people to deliver the change.

TRIBE Restaurant Creators chief executive and self-appointed ‘chief worrier’ Stefan Breg

that’s the main vision for the future: value for money along with authenticity.”

Such feedback puts rebranding in a very positive light — but of course there are, as always, challenges that stem from change.

Raffles’ Pelling pointed out that “chang-ing the market perception and also colleague perception” is no mean feat.

“Fire & Ice has a reputation in Dubai for of-fering exquisite yet very expensive food — a ‘celebration’ venue. In the past, people have told me they felt intimidated by the menu, unable to understand it and too shy to ask.

“I’ve been involved in food and beverage for some 30 years now and I also struggled with some of the terminology used. Who needs that when you’re out for a fun evening?

“I regret it was a case of the hotelier being too clever and too pretentious, telling guests how and what they should be enjoying. It’s not my job to educate guests, but to entertain and provide a great experience,” he said.

Park Hyatt’s Wright agreed that changing public perception of an established outlet that has changed its offering could be tricky.

“The main focus for us now is to expose Traiteur to a new market, who in the past might’ve thought of it as a very expensive ex-perience,” he said.

“So we’re doing a lot of promotional offer-ings, such as deals for wine through MMI, the opportunity to win a flight with Seawings — it’s really about working with a lot of differ-ent partners to reach new markets.”

According to Radisson’s Micheel, the dan-ger with rebranding is that “if customers identify an outlet with something in particu-

lar, it can take them a long time to remove that association from their minds”.

“Consequently, when a concept is drastical-ly changed, it requires a big marketing push,” he noted. “It also needs to be convincing, as it should not be perceived as the result of the failure of an old concept, but an upgrade.”

Mövenpick’s Pezout admitted rebranding any outlet was “not straightforward”.

“You need to know your hotel, your market and your clients very well,” he noted.

“But with real passion for creating a first-class offering, repositioning an outlet can re-ally pay off in the long run.”

Mystery shopperHotel lobby lounges


Service spyThis month, Ethos Consultancy’s team of mystery shoppers visited lobby lounges at four of Dubai’s top hotels — so was it shining five-star service, or did some of the luxury lose its lustre in the lobby?

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

Appearance• Did the outlet appear clean and tidy?• Were menus clear and easy to follow?

Sales and service• The greeting and farewell received from staff• The appearance of staff • Time taken to be served• Did the waiter ask questions to establish his customer’s preferences and needs?• Was the waiter knowledgeable about the items on offer? • Did the waiter offer undivided attention while serving?• If an item was not available, did the waiter provide other helpful suggestions?• Did the waiter attempt to up- or cross-sell by suggesting complementary items?

Overall Experience• Would your experience encourage you to visit this outlet again?• Did you leave the outlet with a positive impression of the venue?• Would you recommend this outlet to friends, family or colleagues?

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 mys-tery 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 perfor-mance 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 specifi c selection of outlets. Each shopper visits their assigned restaurant and dines as usual. Within 24 hours of every expe-rience, each shopper fi lls out an online report, providing Ethos consultants with the informa-tion they require to offer constructive advice.

This month:• How satisfied were you with the overall quality of service delivered?• What could have been done to better your entire experience?

The expert analysis:This month, Service Spy is all about the five-star experience, with our mystery shop-pers visiting four of Dubai’s most luxurious hotel lobby lounges.

Let’s start by congratulating each and every hotel lobby lounge included in this study. Reading this month’s mystery shopping reports was an absolute pleasure, as the standard of service and level of customer interaction was brilliant.

All four hotel lobby lounges scored above 78% — with this month’s winner, Aspen Cafe at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emir-ates, achieving a whopping 95%; the highest service quality performance score since Service Spy began in September.

Now, don’t go assuming our shoppers walked in, had a coffee and quietly disap-peared! All waiting staff were put through their paces with a number of tricky questions being thrown their way.

What’s the difference between a café latte and latte macchiato? Do you sell good quality coffee? Do your cookies contain nuts? Are

Dubai hotel lobby lounges cafés • The Monarch Dubai Arcadia Lobby Lounge• The Address Dubai Mall Karat Lobby Lounge• Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates Aspen Cafe• Mina A’Salam Al Samar Lounge

Appearance Sales & Service

Did the outlet appear clean and tidy?

How long did you have to wait to be served?

Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2

Kempinski Yes Yes 1 minute or less 1 minute or less

The Address Yes Yes 1 minute or less 1 minute or less

Mina A’ Salam Yes Yes 5 minutes or more 1 minute or less

The Monarch Yes Yes 1-3 minutes 1 minute or less


Mystery shopperHotel lobby lounges


ABOUT ETHOS CONSULTANCY

Originating in the UK in 1995, Ethos Consultancy

relocated to Dubai in 2003, where a team of fi ve

has grown to 50 — with an Abu Dhabi offi ce

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.

Ethos prides itself on being at the forefront of on-

line customer service solutions and was awarded

Most Innovative Small Business in the UAE at the

2008 Lloyds TSB Small Business Awards.

Through years of experience, Ethos has devel-

oped a variety of services to help clients un-

derstand 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.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Kempinski

88% 10

0%

100%

100%

88% 10

0%

100%

78%

100%

67%

54%

100%

The Address The Monarch Mina A' Salam

Restaurant Appearance Sales & Service Overall experience

your mochas made with chocolate powder or syrup? All valid questions — and all answered politely and with confidence which indicates these staff have been trained well. Just what we like to see!

Each of our eight mystery shoppers indi-cated they would happily return and even recommend their visited hotel lobby lounge to family and friends, which is a fantastic result.

Let’s have a look at why our shoppers would be so willing to do this:

• No one had to wait longer than five minutes to be served;

• All lobby lounges were clean, tidy and smelled pleasant;

• All waiting staff were well presented, in uniforms and wearing name badges;

• All shoppers except one reported that their waiter had great product knowledge;

• All staff were happy to chat and interact;

• All shoppers indicated they were very satisfied with their purchased food items.

What could have been done better?• One of our shoppers missed out on the

side cookies that would normally be served with a coffee purchase, because she told the waiter she was allergic to nuts. Instead of removing the item completely, the waiter should have found an alternative.

• One of our shoppers walked directly to a table within the lobby lounge without making eye contact with any of the waiting staff. This was done on purpose to see if they would be noticed. Unfortunately, having sat there for about two minutes, our mystery shopper had still not been attended to and was forced to approach the staff to place their order. We suggest placing staff in charge of different table sections within the lounge, so

that every table is closely monitored 100% of the time and situations like this are avoided.

• Although all of our shoppers reported the lobby lounges as clean and tidy, there were one or two instances where they noted cups or plates still on tables after clients had finished and departed. Dirty dishes should be cleared as soon as a customer leaves.

Overall Assessment

Was the sales person knowledge-able about the items on offer?

Did the sales person try to up sell or cross sell ?

Would your experience encourage you to visit this outlet again?

How satisfi ed are you with the overall quality of service delivery?

Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 1 Visit 2

Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

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Editor’s commentVolume 5 Issue 11

November 2009 Caterer Middle East 21009 Caterer Middle East 21To subscribe please visit www.itp.com/subscriptions

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I came in for a fair bit of flak following my editor’s comment last month — Put the fun into F&B, a light-hearted piece urging operators to inspire and encourage staff through the use of motivational measures in the workplace.

This comment piece was prompted by our August issue’s F&B industry survey How happy are your F&B staff? in which 31% of respondents said their managers had taken no steps to boost morale and motivation in the workplace this year.

Fairly innocuous, you might think; but it has provoked a tidal-wave of emails into the Caterer Middle East inbox!

I don’t think anyone disagreed with the idea of trying to create a happy workforce in principle — none of the emails I got actively extolled the virtues of having miserable staff, at any rate.

But the overwhelming point raised was that, by concentrating on ad-ditional proactive measures to boost employee happiness, we are simply tiptoeing around the elephant in the room — namely money.

I’m sure it won’t surprise anyone to learn that getting comments ‘on the record’ about the fairness or unfairness of salaries paid by employers in this region is not an easy task. No one wants to be the whistle-blower or the one pointing the finger — particularly when, in some cases, that finger may be directed towards their own employer.

So taking a more general view, you may recall that our online home, HME.com, ran its inaugural hospitality industry salary survey in May this year, in which almost 500 hospitality industry professionals took part.

Top earners were, predictably, executive chefs, taking home a salary of US $8696 per month. Standard chefs earned around $3125, while earn-ings for food service staff came in at around $2310. Bar staff were the lowest-paid in the field, with an average salary of $1250 per month.

In last issue’s roundtable, the group of bar professionals taking part actually raised the issue of underpaid staff in one of the most candid on-record discussions I have heard during my time here — and I applaud them for that.

To the rest of you: do you think wages paid by Middle East F&B operators are a scandal? Or is it that money-hungry employees expect too much too soon?

To voice your opinions on this subject, please email our letters page: [email protected]

Lucy Taylor, Editor

Slaves to the wage?

Comment Culinary confessions

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b22 Caterer Middle East November 2009

What is your favorite food, and what memo-ries does this dish conjure up in your mind?Scientists have proven that all the senses are connected, heightened by the others: without each other, they do not give you the big picture.

And I think you’ll agree that the most vividly-recalled memories you can con-jure up usually revolve around smells, tastes and sight; because memories aren’t black and white but full Technicolor, with smells and tastes helping to paint the big 3D picture.

As a child, I remember my favorite meal was meatloaf with cauliflower mornay — a dish so imbedded in my memories that even thinking about it puts me back into my parents’ avocado-green 1970s kitchen, watching my dad cut the meatloaf with the aroma and the steam wafting through the kitchen; mmmm!

And my favorite fruit is raspberries, because they bring back memories of me and

Food for thought. Able to move a grownman to tears or provoke feelings of totaleuphoria, chefs know food is a powerful tool when it comes to evoking memories

The senses of taste and smell have strong ties with our memories.

GregsMarcus


Comment Culinary confessions

Marcus Gregs is executive chef at Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai.

Marcus Gregs

For locals, it was a delicious-smelling handy time-keeper; for tourists and visi-tors, the smell was a source of amazement and confusion, as they tried to work out its source.

But due to HACCP, hygiene measures and pollution restrictions, the factory had to stop ‘purging’ itself after 1983.

The University of Tasmania did a study in the 1990s on all the people who grew up as children in this suburb from 1948 till 1996 and an interesting trend appeared: of the 32,743 people who grew up in this area during this period, every single person born before 1983 adored chocolate with a passion, while those born after that date most are not really that fussed about it.

Today, not only does chocolate evoke fond memories for me, it is one of my favourite foods — and a favourite ingredi-ent to cook with.

So remember: next time you see a diner smiling and staring blankly into space, leave them to it: they are probably just en-joying the happy memories that delicious food can bring back!

Culinary regards,

my cousins racing around in the warm sunlight in my grandparents’ back garden, eating the juicy, warm, sweet berries right from the canes before the birds got them,

getting red hands and mouths while my Nan half-heartedly told us off for the mess, with a big smile on her face.

I have several kitchen colleagues from Indonesia and it is interesting to

know that the one particular dish they all talk about fondly is nasi goereng.

They all have different memories linked to this traditional dish, whether it’s of their mum grinding the shrimp paste, or their gran frying the sambal, there are specific aromas and tastes that trigger these flashbacks.

Often, desserts and baked products will elicit a response quicker than anything — including arguments over whose gran makes it better!

For any self respecting Aussie or Kiwi, the sight of a pavalova will induce memo-ries of family get together; it’s one of those cakes that is always present at family

parties, with the castle of meringue

smothered in fresh whipped

cream and decorated with strawberries and passion fruit pulp.

For my wife , every time we walk past a Cinnabon shop the smell reminds her of specculas (spiced cookies) she used to get after school in Holland. A freshly-baked apple pie — another Dutch favorite — will conjure up similarly happy memories.

But the smell and flavour that evokes the most vivid memories for me — and a fair number of others from my hometown, I’d guess — is that of chocolate.

I grew up in a suburb of Hobart in Tas-mania, which was built after World War II for the sole purpose of housing the fami-lies of the workers at the local Cadbury’s chocolate factory.

It is still the largest chocolate factory in the southern hemisphere; indeed, at one time more than 15,000 people worked in this factory, with many more living around it.

And before HACCP and hygiene regulations were invented and enforced, they would release the stem vents and air conditioning vents and purge the air from the factory at 4pm every day, so by half past, the entire suburb smelt entic-ingly of hot chocolate.

CommentDesigner column


Here is the content of an email I received recently from a reader in Saudi Arabia:

Dear Nigel,I am an owner of coffee drive-through and recently I opened a dine-in shop. I designed my coffee shop to be modern, basing the style on pictures from the net and getting ideas from some famous restaurants — but the final result is not really very attractive, in my opinion!

I have opened the shop, but business is slow and I feel an improvement in the design would go a long way towards at-tracting more customers.

How would you suggest I do this?

I often receive letters like this, from outlet owners who have copied designs and ended up with unsuccessful outlets.

To be fair, you can find these kinds of short-lived, derivative, copy-cat designs pretty much wherever you go in the world, not just in the Middle East — but it is true that most of the outlets that have sprung up in the hotels and malls of Dubai have been done before elsewhere.

If you’d prefer a new, exciting, successful outlet then you should adopt the MAYA principle: ‘Most Advanced Yet Acceptable’.

I don’t claim to have invented this ethos; it was first used by famous American industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who made fortunes convincing the corporations

Original or bust! Copy-catting design may seemlike a sure-fire recipe for success, but in the longterm it will do F&B outlets more harm than good

of America to be original by simply asserting that “ugly doesn’t sell”.

My message is that if you want to create a truly successful, recession-proof concept, you have to break the mould.

Frustratingly, my attempts to convince operators in the region to do anything new and original have nearly always been met with scepticism.

I have come to the reluctant conclusion that this comes down to a cultural division: despite its veneer of modernity, the Middle East remains obstinately conservative.

Businesses operated via the ‘command, control and procurement’ school of thought are ultimately cost-driven and out-moded, compared with the flexible and imaginative methods seen in Europe and America.

This applies across business generally, but F&B outlets in particular can benefit when creativity is at the centre of their propositions.

The problem is that to originate a truly new MAYA café or restaurant, a lot of ‘wrong’ ideas have to be discarded, so there’s no way of shortcutting with a quick, cheap design pitch. No matter how hard you stamp your feet in front of your designer, an origi-nal idea will take time and money.

Here’s the nub of the problem: it’s all about trust. Designers offering MAYA are in effect saying, ‘pay us a lot and we’ll deliver something we can’t yet picture and we’re not sure how long it will take to deliver’.

For most operators with bosses or banks to please, on tight budgets and timescales, this is not a very attractive message! It’s far more controllable and comfortable to buy in a well-worn franchise.

And what makes originality even harder to implement is that all operators have a tendency to revert to the emotional safety of what they already know works, even though the idea may be old hat.

This may help your business meet short-term objectives, but is unlikely to be a safe and successful long-term strategy — after all, you can’t lead by following.

At the end of the day, a MAYA design will always outperform a boring, tried-and-tested, ‘safe’ formula.

So if your outlet is quiet, maybe it’s time to stop looking outwards to see what new ideas the world can give you.

Instead, why not trust and empower your designer and look inside yourself to see what new ideas you can give to the world?

Nigel Witham is a chartered designed who has run his own design practice for 20 years. For more information, email: [email protected]

WithamNigel

New UK coffee outlet Café Leoni, designed by Witham.

InterviewDubai Municipality Food Control Department


What is the current status of food safety standards in Dubai?Our key objective here is to keep Dubai safe in terms of food; so we work with all concerned departments in the Munici-pality to improve food hygiene standards across the board.

The reason this issue is so vital for Dubai is because tourism is a key

focus here: it is Dubai’s aim to keep tourism

in top condition, and of course one of the things people like when they visit is to enjoy the wide range of food we can offer here.

It’s vital to protect this ex-cellent reputation that we have built; if there is any reason for people to be un-happy with the standard of

food, they will not enjoy eat-ing here. That is why we work together to maintain Dubai’s

high standards.We have a strategic plan which started

in 2008 and runs until 2010, so right now we

are working on developing a new plan to run from 2010 to 2014. In that, we have in-cluded a performance indicator for Dubai, looking specifically at reducing contamina-tion and food-borne diseases. This is our central aim.

As your current strategic plan draws to a close, how successful do you feel it has been?It’s gone on track; but one of the key problems we still face here in Dubai is that our food is predominantly imported from other regions.

If you look at Europe or America, 80% of their food is manufactured there; here, it’s more like 80% imported.

So that means we have a lot of different foodstuffs coming in, and we have to en-sure they are all of high quality; this is a big challenge for us, because there are so many different sources.

We have put a performance indicator to our strategic plan, according to interna-tional standards, to maintain it at less than 5% contamination in food entering Dubai. This year, we are at 6.5%, which we want to improve upon.

That’s why the new strategic plan is more focused and more in-depth with regards to

“It’s not just the quality of the food, it’s the human element”

Culinarycontrol

Dubai Municipality’s Food Control Department director, Khalid Mohammed Sharif Al-Awadhi, talks exclusively to

Caterer Middle East about the department’s plans for a food-safe future — not just for Dubai, but for the entire Middle East



InterviewDubai Municipality Food Control Department

actual numbers — statistical progress on contamination, as well as incidences of food poisoning and pathogenic bacteria, and looking at how we can control those things.

Is this emphasis a response to the recent spate of food poisonings reported in the UAE?No, we were planning to take this stance anyway, but these incidences of food poison-ing underlined to us how important it was to focus on this side of things right away.

What we found in these cases was that it was not to do with contaminated food as such, but about how the food was dealt with by food handlers.

So that’s our other challenge: it’s not just the quality of the food, it’s the human ele-ment that’s an issue. Because you can have the best quality ingredients in the world, but if just one person stores it incorrectly, it could make the consumer ill.

Consequently, another area that we need to really focus on is improving knowledge among food handlers.

How exactly are you going about informing and educating handlers? Firstly, we have our awareness programme, which tries to convey safety from the most basic level — because not all food handlers are hugely qualified and we don’t want to over-complicate things for them, so we start at the beginning.

One learning aid we have is our ‘Mr Safe’ character, which of course is an Arabic name, but also holds its English meaning.

We want to promote this character as a representative for food safety and aware-ness. He will offer easy-to-remember advice on how to store food or prepare it, avoid cross-contamination and so on.

What we have also done is to ap-prove the training programmes at 15 com-panies in Dubai; then we ask all restau-rants, cafes and so on to get approved in food hygiene by one of these companies. This initiative started in 2008, and now we have 40,000 people certified.

We have also ensured that these compa-nies can offer such training in different lan-guages; so it can be done in Arabic, English, Hindi and Urdu.

In addition to these measures, we are also using online methods: we have a Face-book group, which helps to raise awareness among consumers and customers as well, and is a great tool for promoting Mr Safe.

How do food safety standards in Dubai compare to other areas of the Middle East?It’s definitely one of the most advanced plac-es — this is because we are one of the main tourism and business hubs for the area, and one of the biggest importers and exporters of food in the region.

We have the biggest logistics market here as well; we have the biggest port, in Jebel Ali, and a major airport — it’s a real hub for the region. Every year we have four million tons of food coming through Dubai and going on

HAVE YOUR SAYWhat do you think of the food safety standards in Dubai — and across the Middle East?Share your views; email [email protected]

to neighbouring countries. In fact, 70% of the UAE’s food comes through Dubai.

What are the Dubai Municipality Food Control Department’s goals for the future?It is our aim to harmonise food safety right across the GCC, with one formalised set of procedures and regulations.

If we can do that, and all the systems in the GCC are one, it will run far more smoothly.

We are working on that now; there are many measures we are already sharing.

We want to harmonise import and export systems and standardise outlet safety — and there is already a GCC committee working towards this goal.

By sharing experience and best practice, we’ll improve the industry for everyone.

Mr Safe: reaching out to Dubai’s food handlers.

RoundtableCustomer service


Every outlet in the region is trying to eradicate it, but time and time again, poor service standards crop up as a key customer complaint. Caterer Middle East brought together a collection of experienced F&B customer service experts from across the region at YO! Sushi, Dubai Mall, to address and evaluate one of the major issues dominating discussions on the region’s hospitality scene

What do you make of the general standard of cus-tomer service in the Middle East?Halima Anderson: Coming from a restaurant background, I can say it is a bit distressing at times. I have seen restaurants where the service is absolutely amaz-ing and the bartenders can make an absolutely fantastic drink. On the other hand, I have seen the exact opposite where you have the wrong people in the wrong places. They could be working in an outlet with a beautiful atmo-sphere, but sometimes the service just seems to be in utter chaos.

Sunit Agale: The service level changes from restaurant to restaurant. The hospital-ity industry in the Middle East has grown a lot in recent years and we have experienced international chains entering the region, bringing with them a hiring process that has been

both external and local. A lot of staff coming into the region do not find themselves confident enough or comfortable in terms of adjusting to the service level or the service requirements.

Joachim Textor: Basically, there is a lack of consistency. At Rotana we train staff for six months or one year but then often they will move on. We have had a lot of transfers and it’s a process that means we have to start all over again. Customer service training is effective, but it’s a process we have to keep restarting, over and over.

Subhash Chandra Kumar: I train my staff for six months, after which new hotels open up

and half of my staff will leave. Train-ing is very important, but maintain-ing a consistent service level in this region is challenging.

Every hotel trains its staff but ev-ery hotel has a different standard. And staff turnover in this region is simply higher than anywhere else, which affects customer service standards.

Waleed Haj Ali: In that case it is important to have a proper

ember 2009 www.hotelie

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Waleed Haj Ali, human

resources director,

Gourmet Gulf

Savvy serviceor

slack standards?


Roundtable Customer service


succession plan within the company and to fill vacancies from within the company. We often hire and promote people from within the company at Gourmet Gulf.

Mahmoud Harb: The standard of service in Dubai is simply not there. I come from Leba-non, where you will find a specific level of ser-vice you cannot find in Dubai. Unfortunately we have noticed that customers are accepting it, but I think everyone should definitely be looking at revising their service standards.

Textor: I would say customers are accepting it because what choice do they have?

Anderson: People are lowering their expectations; what’s important is to recruit the right people, as this is where bad standards start.

If you have a member of staff whose personality doesn’t lend itself to working in front-of-house, then maybe they’re better

being placed in back-of-house. First of all, put the people in the right place and secondly take care of them — if they’re happy you’ll get longevity out of them and in the long run you can save on resources.

How important is customer service in regards to other operational aspects in an outlet — for example, is the quality of the food more important

than the service? Anderson: I’d say that food and service are equal-

ly important. I’m a lover of food and I’m very critical about the food I put in my mouth,

but would you return to a restaurant if the service was poor?

Textor: For me, food is more important in an outlet; however it is important that the service complements the food.

Harb: I believe the food quality comes first. If you like the food at a restaurant

ww.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b Novemb

ahmoud Harb: The standard of service inubai is simply not there. I come from Leba-n, where you will find a specific level of ser-

ce you cannot find in Dubai. Unfortunatelyhave noticed that customers are acceptingbut I think everyone should definitely be

oking at revising their service standards.

xtor: I would say customers are accepting itcause what choice do they have?

itself to working in front-of-being placed in back-of-hin the right place and secthey’re happy you’ll get llong run you can save on

How important is to other operational aexample, is the qualit

than the service? Anderson: I’d sa

ly importantcritical a

but wouthe ser

Textorin an othat th

Harb:first. If

Sunit Agale, acting food and

beverage manager, Coral Beach

Resort Sharjah

Issues that dominated proceedings included the language barrier, the lack of a tipping culture and staff training.


but didn’t like the service, then the next time you can order take away. Sometimes the service can be bad, but people will be queuing up because the food is so good.

Agale: The best chef can serve the best food, but if the service is bad the customer will not come back; there should be a harmony between the food and the service.

Hospitality cannot be bought from a shop, so we need to continually train our staff. The food can be top class, but the service has to be in line with that.

Kumar: Service and hospitality has to go hand-in-hand. If any-thing from either side goes wrong then the customer will not come back to the outlet. If the service is slow, there’s a possibil-ity they may no longer want their meal. The quality of the food is as important as the quality of the service, in my opinion.

Kevin Wills: Every outlet and menu we have is customised. In one outlet, service could be more important than the food and

but dtakequeu

Agalis baharm

Hocontserv

Kumthincomity tis as

Kevone

Mahmoud Harb,

senior brand

manager, Cravia

Did you know that we are part of a distinctive premium blend?

Holiday Inn Dubai’s Kumar raises a point.

Would customer service improve if staff from more established hospitality markets such as Western Europe were encouraged to join Middle Eastern outlets?

Halima Anderson: I think a new set of problems would arise, dif-

ferent to the issues we currently face. I believe there would be minor

issues and a lot of frustration, but generally I think service would

improve. We would, however, have to pay them the same as they get in

Europe to get them here.

Sunit Agale: It’s about give and take: you would have to give these

staff the right packages. If you give them training and mentor them, in

return you will get a quality service.



in another, the food could be more important. They are often so interlinked that they cannot be separated.

Service begins in the kitchen and it isn’t just about taking care of the guest: service is about everything from taking care of the server who’s taking care of the guest, to ensuring the steward in the kitchen has enough material to clean the dishes in the backroom.

What are the best ways of ensuring staff are com-fortable in their roles and can confi dently deal with customer complaints?Anderson: The floor manager should be able to feel the pulse of what’s going. They need to let the staff know that they can be open with each other and that a problem can be fixed before it leaks. If it can be solved, then there is a chance that the cus-tomer will return to the outlet. I think it’s important to let the staff know that if there is a problem it will be OK, and then to nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger problem.

Agale: As a manager, time management is important, as are table revisits. You need to be aware of your business times and when you’re going to get busy. Make sure you know your busi-ness inside out and pass this information onto your staff. Be a role player to your staff.

Haj Ali: It’s important to get customer feedback from complaint forms or from a table visit by the store manager. Then analyse that data; we have a special team that is doing this in collaboration with the marketing team. We explain to our staff that it is important to apologise to the customer and thank them for coming to the outlet.

Harb: From my point of view, it is very impor-tant to make sure everything is ready for the customer rush during the shift. You have to re-mind your staff about the shift’s target and how much they have achieved throughout. You need to thank staff for the good job they have done, thank them for achieving the target and push them if necessary.

As for the customer’s point-of-view, mistakes will happen. It’s the manager’s problem to take care of

Ethos Consultancy’s Anderson listens to Al Murooj Rotana’s Textor.

this, but the staff should also take some responsible action. We train our staff and support them in taking decisions before go-ing to the managers. Table visits are the most important thing and anyone running the shift should be very specific in asking questions to find out if anything went wrong.

Does the lack of a tipping culture affect standards?Anderson: In the US market, you have career waiters and

bartenders who have taken care of their families and put their children through college, thanks to the great

money and great tips they earn. They are encouraged to up-sell and they want to push the bill higher, as it will improve their tips. In the US tips work out at a minimum of 15% of the final check and in the current culture it’s about 20%. It’s an incentive to up-sell and to give impeccable service.

In this region, there is no tipping culture what-soever. If there was, it would take some pressure off

an organisation, because you would be able to pay a lower salary and because staff would

be taking home better tips — it would be a win-win situation.

Kumar: The US system is similar to the one in South Korea. I was working in a restaurant there and we would ex-pect a 10% tip. Although we only had eight staff, we knew we would be able to share the tips and take more money

home. In a coffee shop or a casual

vember 2009 www.hoteli

team that is doing this ineting team. We explainant to apologise to ther coming to the outlet.

ew, it is very impor-g is ready for thehift. You have to re-hift’s target and howhroughout. You needob they have done,

he target and

nt-of-It’s the

care of

bartenders who have taken care of theitheir children through college, than

money and great tips they earn. Tto up-sell and they want to push it will improve their tips. In theat a minimum of 15% of the fincurrent culture it’s about 20%. up-sell and to give impeccable

In this region, there is no tippsoever. If there was, it would tak

an organisation, because yopay a lower salary and

be taking home bettea win-win situation.

Kumar: The US systhe one in South Koin a restaurant therpect a 10% tip. Altheight staff, we knewto share the tips an

home. In a coffee

Halima Anderson,

director of operations,

Ethos Consultancy

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Joachim Textor,

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Rotana, Dubai

Would employing more local staff improve the standard of service across the region?

Kevin Wills: All those little nuances you have, for example placing

knives and forks on the correct side, would benefi t by at least having

somebody on the fl oor that understands the guests better than anyone

else. This would actually improve the service level and help the other

associates who can learn from this experience.

Joachim Textor: It would be an option, but not many Emiratis want

to work in kitchens. We have fi ve nationals working in the hotel, but

they’re in different departments, not in the kitchen.

dining outlet however, you are not getting any tips so you have to live off your salary. In this region, tipping is simply not as strong.

Wills: There’s no recognition with tips. It’s pooled together and the worst employee will often get the same as the best. It’s the same with salary; if the guest is not recognising staff members for their service, then the employer should recognise them for their efforts.

Do service staff in this region lack personality?Wills: I think the personalities are probably there, but with Eng-lish in many cases a second or third language it can be difficult


3636

Subhash Chandra Kumar, assistant food

and beverage manager,

Holiday Inn Dubai

Kevin Wills,

director of food

and beverage,

JW Marriott Dubai

for someone to convey their emotions, personality and character to the customer. They have to choose their words wisely when describing a dish and sometimes staff will read from scripts; then they start sounding like robots, even if they don’t mean to.

Kumar: We have a Thai restaurant with some very good staff from Thailand, but it can be very difficult for them to commu-nicate with the customers. Therefore I have put staff from dif-ferent nationalities on the floor so they can communicate with

different categories of guests. We also insist on teaching staff Arabic and English. It’s important they know English 100%, but if we want to capitalise on the Middle East market we need staff to be able to converse in Arabic too.

Haj Ali: This is important — we are in an

The panel agreed that service standards could be better in F&B outlets across the Middle East.

Arabic country, after all. In Dubai, Arabic has to be involved in everything and therefore we have to put translations on the menu, for example. Arabic speakers are also in high demand and we’ve placed more emphasis on that with our staff.

Anderson: The language barrier is definitely an issue, but my feeling is that smiles and body language are universal. If you smile you can hear it over the phone and if I smile at you, you will feel my sincerity. These types of things can be addressed at the start of employment, before addressing the language issue.

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Industry insight The festive season


Industry insightThe festive season

Caterer Middle East November 2009r www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b38

The end of the year always holds something of a festive feel for the hospitality industry, with Eid, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations all providing prime promotional opportunities for hotels and F&B

outlets, and boosting business around the region.As always, food and beverage play an integral role in these seasonal celebra-

tions. But this year, with consumers remaining cautious about their spending and shopping around for top-value offerings, the region’s outlets are going to have to work harder than ever to earn their festive business.

Seasonal successFeaturing several internationally recognised holidays and events, the winter months have long been an impor-tant annual focus for the F&B industry.

“During the festive season, people get time off from work and are more likely to plan outings and gatherings,” notes Hotel JAL Fujairah Resort and Spa hotel executive as-sistant manager Rachid Assoudi.

“Plus the festive season means getting together with family and friends for good food, good entertainment and a special atmosphere.

“Consequently those of us in the hospitality sector must target that market by preparing catchy and interesting stay packages, themed food events and entertainment for these customers to have an array of choices,” he observes.

Mövenpick Hotel Kuwait communications manager Dina Ghazali adds that this period is “the only season in the year when there are a lot of different celebrations taking place in a very short space of a time”.

“These all require a great deal of preparation to meet the expectations of all the different nationalities celebrating them,” she says.

In addition to meeting consumer demand, the revenue obtained during the festive season them has a major impact on a company’s year-end financials, as Emaar Hospitality Group culinary operations manager Simon Barber points out.

With so many operators vying for a slice of the action this celebratory season, there’s going to be a serious fight for consumer attention among the region’s F&B outlets

Fighting for

festive piea piece of the

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b38





November 2009 Caterer Middle East 39www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b

InInIndudududustststtryryrry ii iiinnsnsssssnnn igigigggigii hthhhthththt ThTheTheeh fe fef festististiist veveve seseasease sonnsonsos

November 2009 Caterer Middle East 39www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/f&b 39


November 2009 Caterer Middle East



Distributed in the UAE by:

Tel: +971 6 5344554Email: [email protected] Web: www.chocca-mocca.com

“The festive season is also an op-portunity to build relationships, make contact with future custom-ers and drive new business to all our outlets,” he adds.

Party time problemsAlthough special celebratory dinners, events and parties will undoubtedly take place this year, the consumer caution generated by the global economic downturn may well take its toll on the holiday season, with certain F&B operators predicting less footfall and reduced spend-per-head.

Hotel JAL Fujairah’s Assoudi expands: “One of the major challenges that may impact this season is the global financial instability that is still a pilot factor in any individual’s decision for spending, in both the local and the international market.

“The regular spender will think twice about the price-tag before picking their venue, while others will be either considering stay-ing at home for a more casual and less costly celebration or not celebrating at all.

“This is why we have to take into consideration the actual financial situation and come up with affordable, quality offers to suit everyone’s budget.

“But our predictions remain positive,” he insists. “After all, figures dropping due to the reduced flow coming from the international market will be picked up by the local market, which has turned to more local offers in the shape of short breaks and dining options.”

Mövenpick Resort Tala Bay Aqaba’s director of F&B, Hakim Karoui, agrees that “many people won’t be travelling like in pre-

Staff will soon be decking the halls at Al Murooj Rotana, Dubai.

Xmas wish...

“The support and company of my family, friends and team is the best gift one could ask

for all year round.” Dominique Jossi, director

of food and beverage, Al Murooj Rotana

Round

Shaped Rolls !



vious years and the revenue forecasted is lower than before”.

However Karoui remains optimistic, pre-dicting people will still be going out to a certain degree and that “Christmas brunch will be as popular as previous years”.

By contrast, Mövenpick Kuwait’s Ghazali does not expect to see any slide in revenue.

“In our part of the world we do not see that it will really be effected; in fact, some people say that the business might increase here in Kuwait, due to the fact there may be a certain percent-age of people unable to travel abroad to celebrate this year,” she says.

Parvinder Singh, business manager at

“People will naturally want to make the most of the festive season; we just need to make sure that all our promotions are cost-effective and executed smartly.”

In addition to dealing with the reper-cussions of economic turmoil, there are of course more operationally-based chal-lenges to face during this period.

As Al Murooj Rotana director of food and beverage Dominique Jossi points out, this is a time of year when operators must fight to stand out.

“The major challenge is to create a festive atmosphere in a way that exceeds our customers’ and competitors’ expec-tations,” he says.

Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments Dubai Green Community assistant F&B manager

Stefan Lehmann has also seen an increasing number of hotels coming on the scene, “all offering competitive festive season pack-ages and promotions”.

“So our biggest challenge is not to loose our guests to these new outlets,” he points out.

Meanwhile Mövenpick Kuwait’s Ghazali notes that, with such a

Chillout: offering a warm reception with a cool twist.

Meet the supplierFive minutes with… Barry Tilleyfrom The Original Candy Company, owner of the Chocca Mocca brand

Tell us a bit about the lines you supply to the Middle

East market.

Chocca Mocca is a new entrant to the HORECA market,

both in its home country of England and also in the Middle

East. As a supplier of its premium chocolate range to

up-market department stores around the world, such as

Harvey Nichols in England, Galeries Lafayette in Paris and

Mitsukoshi in Tokyo, its award-winning chocolates and

packaging have been a hit with consumers for many years.

Following positive comments from visitors at Gulfood in

2007 and 2008, it was decided to introduce a Chocca

Mocca pack aimed specifi cally at quality hotels and restau-

rants. The result is the new 25g pack, with the top-selling

‘Strawberries and Cream’ and ‘Cranberries’ fl avours. The

shelf life is 10 months from manufacture.

How do you think your products could enhance an

outlet’s festive F&B offering?

Chocca Mocca chocolates, whether in the new 25g size

or the classic 100g ribboned box, are the perfect treat for

the Christmas season — perhaps as a gift to customers

in hotels and restaurants or as a show of appreciation

for loyal guests.

Executive chefs will want Chocca Mocca

as a high-quality decoration, while hotel

boutique shops will want 100g boxes to

tempt hotel guests — especially

the Strawberries and Cream

fl avour, with its festive red

and white colours!

Sharaf Hospitality — owners of Chillout, the region’s first ice lounge, located in Dubai — says he is also “upbeat about this year’s festive season”.

“We are looking forward to increased revenue growth com-pared to last year,” he says, explaining this will be achieved through special rates and group deals offering guests a better value proposition.

Emaar Hospitality’s Barber expounds on this line, saying busi-ness is improving in the region and that people will undoubt-edly venture out to celebrate: “The difference is they will be looking for the very best deals,” he explains.

variety of celebrations taking place within a comparitively short space of

time, it’s a case of all hands on deck for the F&B department.“The span of time between one celebration and the other is very

short, which means shifting from one mood to another must be done in swiftly,” she points out.

“But at the same time, the décor for each celebration needs to be given the same level of attention and uniqueness.”

At Renaissance Dubai Hotel, executive chef Andy Kurfuerst is preparing for the drama of last-minute bookings.

“Many people tend to book at the last minute over the festive

Xmas wish...

“My wish for Christmas is that my family and friends are all healthy and

enjoy a fabulous festive season.” Stefan Lehmann, assistant F&B manager, Courtyard by Marriott

and Marriott Executive Apartments Dubai Green Community



The Gingerbread House at Courtyard by Marriott.

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Christmas time is around the corner!

season, particularly for New Year’s Eve celebrations,” he explains.

Then there are some who face unique challenges all of their own.

“The main thing for us at Chillout is to ensure we have a good stock of hooded parkas, fur shoes, gloves and fur caps to keep our guests warm, since each item apart from the gloves which are disposable needs to be laundered after use,” says Sharaf Hospitality’s Singh.

Unique YuletideThe challenges are clear — fewer consumers, spending less, with more options to choose from.

So what are Middle East F&B operators doing to put themselves ahead of the competition and get themselves a piece of the pie?

At Al Murooj Rotana, Jossi is hoping the property’s blend of “theme decoration, fine cuisine and live entertainment” will at-

Xmas wish...

“A Ferrari Testarossa!” Hakim Karoui, director of F&B, Mövenpick Resort

Tala Bay Aqaba

Turkey dinners are a big festive seller for Renaissance Dubai Hotel.



tract customers, but adds: “I am con-fident that our New Year’s Eve theme party is an event not to be missed.”

Hotel JAL Fujairah is catering to the current climate, offering both low- and high-scale F&B options to suit any purse — a sensitive approach also taken up by Mövenpick Kuwait.

Ghazali explains: “This year all of our F&B promotions are somehow focused on discounts in one way or another — early birds, ladies nights, and so on.

“But what we are trying to do to distinguish ourselves from our com-petitors is to create theme nights in our restaurants that are not available elsewhere,” she says.

Mövenpick Tala Bay will run a ‘Turkey to Go’ deal, allowing people, to enjoy dinner in the comfort of their own homes, and in-house guests will be able to enjoy themselves while their kids are entertained by a range of festive activities.

Meanwhile at the Courtyard by Marriott, Lehmann reveals a truly original take on turkey: “As unique Christmas promotion, we will offer deep-fried turkey, which is very popular in the southern part of the USA,” he explains.

The Renaissance Dubai will play to its strengths, making the most of the Spice Island buffet’s variety of food offerings

Meet the supplier

Tell us a bit about the lines you supply to the

Middle East market.

We supply the region with three regular lines, all

hand-made by our master chocolatiers.

Firstly there is Taste of Arabia, local products and

local vision transformed with our skills as Swiss

chocolatiers for local tastes; the Classic line, an

international selection of exclusive chocolates with

flair, suitable for the true chocolate connoisseur;

and the .DOT line of sugar-free chocolates, which is

our response to the growing demand for sugar-free

products for the diabetic market and those with

special dietary requirements.

We also have a Winter Collection — a limited

edition of 24 different chocolates to suit the festive

season, with products taking our customers back to

their childhood favourites.

In addition to our current ranges, which are

all proving very popular, we also have plans to

introduce a kids’ line in the near future, with some

surprising ideas for the little ones!

How do you think your products could enhance

an outlet’s festive F&B offering?

The festive season is the highlight of the year for

discerning diners, with all those wonderful tradi-

tional flavours to experience.

Our Winter Collection reflects this, featuring

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Christmas cheer at Courtyard’s Cucina outlet.

and live cooking stations.

“We started our ‘all-you-can-eat-and-drink’ package in 1997 and that combination is still unbeatable to this day, although many have tried to copy it,” adds Kurfuerst.

Chillout will be adding to its already fairly unique offering with live ice-carving sessions to entertain guests.

Sharaf Hospitality’s Singh expands: “We will also conduct special activi-ties for children during this season, to enhance the festive appeal.”

According to Emaar Hospitality’s Barber, the various locations of the group’s properties are a key attrac-tion — and a point of difference in the crowded marketplace.

“Our hotels are located in vibrant hubs like Downtown Burj Dubai and Dubai Marina, which are already at-tracting a lot of people,” he notes.

“But we will also have celebrations in our leisure clubs — like Arabian Ranches, The Montgomerie Dubai, Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club and Dubai Marina Yacht Club; again all of these offer something different to celebrating in a hotel, purely because of the kind of surroundings they’re in,” he points out.

As this range of promotions, value-added options and seasonal deals demonstrates, the region’s F&B opera-tors are to be lauded for their ongoing creativity and determination to offer value-for-money to their guests.

But they are right to do so: people may be filled with festive spirit over

the coming months, but it’s going to be an intensely competi-tive few weeks in the world of F&B.

Those who do not work hard to attract what custom there is will find themselves facing a rather bleak new year.

But for those who pull out all the stops and make the most of their F&B offerings, building revenue in the final quarter of this year, 2010 will not seem nearly so daunting.

Xmas wish...

“To be on the Pimp my Ride TV show with my Jeep Wrangler.”Andy Kurfuerst, executive chef,

Renaissance Dubai Hotel


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Ingredient focusHalal


As international demand for halal products rises, Ben Watts examines the size and potential of a market that is attracting attention from

operators around the world — in F&B and beyond

Today, with a rising number of Muslims living in countries out-side the Islamic world, a growing

number of Shariah-compliant hotels coming online and increased cultural understand-ing from non-Muslims, the market for halal foodstuffs is flourishing.

According to statistics from the organis-ers of the 3rd Halal Expo 2009 — Dubai, set to take place this November, the halal food market constitutes some 12% of the global trade in food products.

By 2025 this figure is forecasted to reach 20%, with Muslims expected to account for 30% of the world’s population.

Today, many national trade missions are realising the great potential of halal products and are starting to capitalise on an industry that can no longer be ignored.

Jose Ma Dinsay, commercial attaché for the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre, UAE, revealed that the south Asian country was among those targeting the Middle East market.

“Given the food supply requirement and high per-capita income of the lead-ing GCC nations, we have identified the tremendous opportunity in tapping into their burgeoning demand for halal prod-ucts,” explains Dinsay.

“In line with this we are taking significant

efforts aimed at increasing our halal ex-ports, including the establishment of a local body to certify products and ensure that they meet stringent Halal requirements.”

Robert Earley, Pureland brand manager for Food Service Trading, regional distribu-tors for the US foodstuff supplier Rastelli Foods, notes: “The marketing of halal products has improved over the past five years or so, as western manufacturers and producers strive to promote their brands in the Middle East.

“When sourcing halal products, it’s vital to be able trace the product back to the fa-cility where the animal was harvested in or-der to verify that the process was conducted in accordance with the halal process.”

As a result, Earley explains that manufac-turers and processing plants must be able to provide care-certified documentation.

“At Rastelli’s, all the cattle for our Pureland Black Angus beef programme are harvested in accordance to the Zabiha, a process that requires the animals to be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter,” he explains. “A Muslim cleric pronounces the Tasmiah in person and uses a sharp knife to cut through the neck in a certain way, so the blood is drained thoroughly from the carcass before processing of the animal commences.”

Reaping the rewards

In case there is any doubt that the process has not been followed through with strict compliance, Earley suggests importers or distributors should visit their supplier’s processing plants to “physically verify the Halal harvesting process”.

Tradition and beliefsIn most states in the Middle East, the failure of a supplier, manufacturer or an F&B outlet to observe halal procedures can result in a fine, closure or even criminal proceedings.

Al Ain Rotana executive chef Mauro Seu comments: “Halal products are very impor-tant in our establishment, as is adhering to Muslim traditions and beliefs.

“Since the health authority is very strict on the import of food to the UAE, most of the products entering the country have a certificate stating the product is halal; it is

GCC halal forecast for 2009

Source: Orange Fairs and Events

43.8 billion

US$


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therefore not exactly difficult to procure halal products here.”

Because of the importance of halal compli-ance to Muslims — and also because of the growing Islamic presence in countries outside traditionally Muslim nations — it is becoming ever more commonplace for inter-national suppliers to observe halal regula-tions. In the last few years, even McDonald’s has trialled halal-compliant menus in the US and UK markets.

Food Service Trading’s Earley agrees with

the argument that all meat products should meet halal standards, not only providing a route into the profitable Middle East mar-ket but also increasingly holding appeal on the international scene.

“At Rastelli Foods, all our Pureland Black Angus cattle are harvested halal for both the US domestic market and the interna-tional markets we supply,” Earley reveals.

“The demand for halal products is grow-ing — but there is still room for further growth, as some manufacturers or produc-ers only have a limited halal portfolio.”

Nafees Ahmed, director of Orange Fairs and Events, the organisers of Halal Expo — Dubai, observes: “Halal is a very important concept in the Middle East.

“When companies have a halal certifi-cate consumers have confidence; it also means the product is safe.

“Halal is not only about the slaughter, it is about the source and the whole chain

Al Ain Rotana executive chef Mauro Seu.

Total global halal industry projection for 2009


2.1 trillion annually

US$

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— from the food given to an animal to the packaging, it all has to be halal-compliant.”

The exhibition is entering its third year and remains one of only a handful of shows dedicated to the halal industry.

This year, the show is expecting 85 ex-hibitors from 34 countries — an increase from 52 exhibitors last year, demonstrat-ing a sizable expansion despite the turbu-lent financial climate.

“Exhibitors from countries as diverse as Singapore, Korea, Italy and the Philip-pines demonstrate that halal is a world-wide business, going beyond the borders of the Muslim world,” comments Ahmed.

The halal brand Despite a plethora of national and regional halal-certification organisations, Orange Fairs and Events’ Ahmed insists the procedure for achieving compliance is fairly straightforward.

Almost all certification organisations share a level of communication, he ex-plains, preventing the rules from becoming too fragmented or confusing for importers, governments and buyers to understand.

Al Ain Rotana’s Seu, however, notes that those purchasing a wide variety of imported foodstuffs can face problems.

“Most products have a clear label, which shows the authenticity of halal certifica-tion,” says Seu. “Sometimes, however, we are forced to reject products without halal certification, which creates problems for a smooth operation.”

Seu adds that if all suppliers and manu-

factures adhered to halal standards, these problems would not exist.

“It definitely would benefit business, especially since we adhere to the tradition of our Muslim guests — especially in this part of the world,” he affirms.

Halal has no borders, according to Or-ange Fairs and Events’ Ahmed.

“The practice stretches beyond the recognised market of meat products, with all aspects of F&B, cosmetics, hospitality, logistics and even insurance now offering halal services and products,” notes Ahmed. “However 94% of our show will remain within the realm of F&B.”

Halal F&B products cover a broad selection. Orange Fairs and Events’ Nafees Ahmed.


The amount of recorded business deals made at last year’s Halal

Expo — Dubai

11million

US$




With such a variety of routes and avenues to explore, the halal industry appears to be an unstoppable force that will soon dominate markets outside the Middle East and Muslim world.

Some food firms outside the region are producing halal-certified products “just to strengthen their brands”, accord-ing to Orange Fairs and Events’ Ahmed.

“It is about brand development,” he argues. “The Halal Expo will be a place to target your audience — for example Sharia-compliant hotels.

“The show will continue to grow because people use halal products as it is a sign of safety and comes with quality assurance — it is not just limited to Muslims; it is beyond that,” he asserts.

Food Service Trading’s Earley concludes: “We believe there is always room for expansion and we are always welcoming future business and long-term relationships with new clientele. This year, we have signed several new contracts to supply our customers with halal products — and we predict the demand for halal will continue.”

Stands at the last edition of the Halal Expo — Dubai.

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The number of confirmed pre-registered visitors for the 3rd Halal Expo — Dubai. The organisers say they are expecting the attendance to pass the

4000 mark for the three day eventSource: Orange Fairs and Events

3600


Supplier newsNovember 2009


Seafood exhibition continues growthExhibition organiser wants further expansion for the Middle East’s largest seafood trade show

The 3rd Seafood Expo 2009 – Dubai witnessed an increase in exhibitor numbers this year, highlighting the fortitude of the region’s seafood industry.

The fair demonstrated “tremendous growth”, according to Nafees Ahmed, director of show organiser Orange Fairs and Events.

“This is the only platform in the Middle East for this industry,” noted Ahmed. “Exhibitors have been impressed with the quality of visitors and they have been suc-cessfully closing deals.”

Ahmed pointed to the growing interest in the region’s seafood market from Chinese firms, highlighting the contingent’s growth from three companies at last year’s show to 18 companies at the 2009 edition.

Canadian Sable Fish Association market-ing director Mark Baggio, who was exhibit-ing at the Madinat Jumeirah event, said the quality of the show’s visitors had been of a high level.

“This show has been good, especially for airline contacts,” noted Baggio. “While other shows we normally attend, such as those in Brussels or China, tend to be busier, this show has been really focused on quality, with many buyers present.”

Last year’s show saw approximately US $5-6 million worth of business take place, according to its organisers.

Omani poultry fi rm set for market expansionA’Saffa Poultry has an-nounced plans to increase its market share in Oman to 35%, by expanding its opera-tions in the Sultanate.

Among the company’s plans is a state-of-the-art farm in the south of the country,

designed to meet the growing domestic and international demand for high-quality natu-ral chicken products.

A’Saffa Poultry already pro-duces 17,000 tonnes of poultry products for Oman, the GCC and other countries.

A’Saffa chief executive officer Nasser al Maully said: “We are confident that demand across Oman will continue to grow as consumers recognise the qual-ity and flavour of our chicken compared to imported chicken or that of other producers.”

“We are expecting that figure to have increased at this year’s show,” said Orange Fairs and Events’ Ahmed. “A lot of deals took place at this expo.”

Ahmed went so far as to predict that the final figure, in terms of deals effected at the Seafood Expo would come close to the US $10-11 million mark.

Laurence Cook, director of corporate communications at Saudi Arabian-based seafood firm National Prawn Company, commented: “This is an important show for us. Dubai is a market we like — but other markets in the region are a bit slow.

“We would liked to have seen more chefs however, as we are really looking for end-users,” he added.

Supplier news

State-of-the-art poultry farm planned.

The number of exhibitors at this year’s Seafood Expo, Dubai — increasing

from 127 at the 2008 show.

140

Orange Fairs and Events remained bull-ish, declaring the show a success and on track for expansion in future.

“It is a growing industry and we want to gbuild this show to around 500 exhibitors — especially if we can get the World Trade Centre as a venue,” declared Orange Fairs and Events’ Ahmed.

National Prawn Company’s Laurence Cook. Canadian Sable Fish Association’s Mark Baggio.



Chocolate boutique café opens in DubaiBelgium chocolate café concept owner declares new outlet in mall musical store a sweet success

Belgium chocolate brand Galler launched a new-look outlet last month in the Mall of the Emirates, one of Dubai’s largest shop-ping centres.

The brand’s owner, Belgian Royal Warrant holder Jean Galler, declared himself pleased with the customer reaction to the outlet, which is situated as a concession in the mall’s Virgin Megastore.

“The reaction from the customers has been very good,” said Galler. “We were expecting less traffic so we are very happy with this opening.”

The Chocolat-Thé concept, pioneered by Galler, offers customers chocolates made from natural ingredients, chocolate drinks and a healthy-eating menu.

Founded in 1976 by Jean Galler, the Galler brand has witnessed success in the Middle East with chocolate boutiques now open in Kuwait and a selection of locations across the UAE.

Galler claimed the brand could attribute 40% of its profits to the region’s F&B market.

“I think we are one of the only outlets to offer our full range across the F&B market, so hotels can purchase a good quality prod-uct with a decent selection and a beautiful image,” he commented.

Galler also noted that the standard of the

Galler praised the competition his brand faced in a highly competive market.

Food expo giant set to come to capital emirateThe Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) will host the inaugural Middle East edition of SIAL, one the world’s largest food industry exhibitions on November 15-17, 2010.

Bernard Becker, chairman of SIAL or-ganisers Comexposium, said: “The Middle East is one of the most buoyant markets and we look forward to introducing the brand in Abu Dhabi.”

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company marketing director Paul Vincent added: “We are very pleased to be chosen as the host venue for this important industry event.

“We believe SIAL Middle East is an excel-lent new addition to the expanding portfolio of exhibitions hosted at ADNEC.”

Held every two years in Paris, France, SIAL attracts more than 147,000 visitors from 185 countries. ADNEC gears up for food extravaganza.

competition, which has emerged in recent years across the region, was forcing the com-pany to stay on its toes.

“I have been very impressed with the stan-

dard of the retail chocolate business here,” he said. “Across chocolate outlets one can see a high level of competition in the present market — they all have something to offer.”


Green ovens introduced A taste of Wales in UAECombi-steamer manufacturer Convotherm has developed a cooking programme that consumes less energy.

Developed by the German company, the ecoCooking fe-ture saves up to 25% of energy and is accredited by industry standard DIN 18873.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “Continuing rising ener-gy costs induced Convotherm to develop ecoCooking.

“The principle behind this innovation is as simple as it is ingenious,” he claimed.

“Advanced Closed System, which is integrated in every Convotherm combi steamer, prevents heat from escaping

Supermarket chain Spinneys brought a taste of Wales to the UAE at a recent food showcase.

The event, held last month at the Desert Palm Resort and Spa, Dubai, featured products from a number of Welsh firms, includ-ing lamb, hand-cooked snacks and a selection of dairy products.

Organic yoghurts and deserts producer Rachel’s Organic Dairy was also present among the suppliers and manufacturers from the country.

International Business Wales Middle East vice president Lee Jennings said: “We were de-lighted to be able to showcase the best food Wales has to offer and strengthen our regional ties.

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out of the cooking chamber — ecoCooking uses this feature and continues to cook in pre-programmed impulses, while the food continues to cook with the existing residual heat.”

From November 2009, ecoCooking will become a standard feature of every Con-votherm combi steamer.

Convotherm’s energy saving machine.

Welsh products take centre stage.

“Wales currently exports over US $10 million worth of food and beverage products to the Middle East and relationships such as this will allow further expansion into other markets.”

The brands on show were origi-nally introduced to Spinneys at Dubai’s Gulfood exhibition early this year, where they were selected to feature in its stores.

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F&B essentials Tableware


Middle East F&B outlets ahead of other markets in selecting stylish tableware

Tableware key to region’s F&B success

Ensuring an outlet’s tabletops feature top-of-the-range, stylish tableware is an essential component for success, according to one industry expert.

“Today, tableware and restaurant ambience is just as important as the quality of the kitchen or the quality of the service,” said Eisch Glaskultur owner Eberhard Eisch.

Eisch, whose company has been produc-ing tabletop products since its formation in 1946, noted that outlets and suppliers in the Middle East were “focusing more on tableware design and quality than in most other regions in the world”.

Gavin Dodd, managing director of hospi-tality supplier A Ronai, continued: “Most new tableware trends find their way to the Middle East quickly, considering the influ-ences from Europe, Asia and Africa.”

Dodd added that the preference among F&B buyers was still predominantly for white tableware products.

“Like the rest of the global food service market, the focus remains on white prod-ucts with differences created by innovative shape and surface treatment, along with smaller tasting portions and individual service for buffet presentation,” he said.

“Shape, as opposed to surface pattern, has been the main area of evolution of products over recent years, allowing a different look in terms of style and form, while still allowing the food to remain centre stage.”

Eisch added that the trend today was heading towards “unique and innovative products that offer a difference from all the general products that are available”.

A Ronai is one of the region’s leading tableware distributors, with products from tableware manufacturers Steelite International, Oneida and Glass & Co within its extensive portfolio.

A RonaiTel:+971 4 331 3390Email: [email protected]: www.ronai.co.uk

Simple white tableware is a classic choice.

Having worked with some of the largest hotel operators in the region, Haif Hospital-ity Furnishings is one tableware supplier to keep an eye out for.

The hospitality supplier has recently introduced two new tableware ranges to the region’s F&B outlets, from renowned French porcelain manufacturers Pillivuyt and British fi rm Dudson.

“The fi rm has to be top of its game when it comes to tableware,” says the fi rm’s assistant general manager, Nathalie Berberi.

Berberi notes that chefs in the Middle East are quick to catch onto global tableware trends, because they come from different parts of the world, bringing with them an assortment of different styles and tastes.

Haif Hospitality FurnishingsONE TO WATCH

Haif Hospitality FurnishingsTel: +971 4 337 2456 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.hhfuae.ae

srs,

rel

The supplier you should know…

The Alizee range by Pillivuyt.

A Ronai’s Gavin Dodd.



Art de Cuisine MiniaturesThese compact additions to Churchill China’s Art de Cuisine Menu range come in a wide variety of eye-catching shapes and offer great scope for artistic table set-ups. There are 10 miniature dishes in the line, including canapé models and sauce dishes

Churchill China Tel: +44 1782 524 361Email: [email protected] Web: www.churchillchina.com

FFF&&&BBB eessseentiialss Tabablewl arere

[Meat at the top...

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This expressive range from Villeroy & Boch features clear shapes, unusual formats and an assortment of individual items.

Villeroy & Boch AGTel: +49 6864 81 1344Email: [email protected]: www.villeroy-boch.com

Cera



NexusThe Nexus range from UK-based ceramic tableware specialists Dudson is a distinctive and versatile line available from regional partners Haif Hospitality Furnishings. The Nexus fine china, glass and cutlery collec-tion is a multifunctional concept combining practicality with food presentation.

Haif Hospitality FurnishingsTel: +971 4 337 2456 Email: [email protected]

Steelite International’s Spyro range, avail-able from A Ronai, combines contempo-rary forms and traditional finishing. Each piece is styled with a swirling embossment that catches light, to create an optical effect of highlights and shadows.

A RonaiTel: +971 4 331 3390Email: [email protected]: www.ronai.co.uk

SpyroBreathable GlassThis range from German glassmaker Eisch Glaskultur has been recognised by wine experts for its innovative oxygenis-ing treatment. Once manufactured, the glasses undergo an oxygenisation process that provides each piece with innovative ‘breathable’ properties.

EverStyle TradingTel: +971 6 531 4106Email: [email protected]

Dining in Style &Dining with LuxuryPorcelain manufacturer RAK Porcelain has strengthened its portfolio of products by introducing two new collections — Dining in Style and Dining with Luxury. Featuring in the collections are the All Spice range by French designer Alain Vavro and a new buffet dining, finger foods and cocktail range called Mazza. RAK PorcelainTel: +971 7 244 7758Email: [email protected]

sentials

ing in Style &ing with Luxuryin manufacturer RAK Porcelain has strengthened its portfolio of products bycing two new collections — Dining in Style and Dining with Luxury Featuring

Peugeot Acrylic MillsThese stylish salt and pepper mills come in a variety of sizes and are available from Dubai-based distributor 4 Homes, who also supply a wide range of chinaware, porcelain and cutlery.

4 HomesTel: +971 4 336 4900Email: [email protected]

Product showcaseOvens


As an integral part of most kitchens, an oven is more team member than appliance. Here, Caterer Middle East showcases a selection of some of the finest models available

Some like it hotConvotherm Mini 2in1

CombiWash Logistics

Combitherm

SelfCooking CenterThese comprehensive self-cleaning machines even boast a cooking monitoring system.

RationalTel: +44 800 389 2944 Web: www.rational-UK.com

Convotherm Elektrogeräte offers a fully-equipped combi steamer, which features two separate cooking chambers and requires

only one control panel. Mea-suring only 51.5cm it ranks among the smallest combi

steamers on the market. The opera-tion of the combi steamer is easy due to

the machine’s easyToUCH touch screen.

Convotherm ElektrogeräteTel: +971 56 6047 411Email: [email protected]: www.convotherm.com

Hounö has introduced the central dosage station CombiWash Logistics, which can be customised and works automatically.

Hounö A/S Tel: +45 8711 4711Email: [email protected]: www.houno.com

The Combitherm oven features a patented smoking capability in addition to standard combi-cooking modes. It can also clear any smoke residue in one cleaning cycle.

Alto-ShaamTel: +1 262 509 6556Web: www.alto-shaam.com

This oven utilises modern combi technol-ogy in a small space and is compatible with kitchens of all denominations.

MKN Tel: +49 5331 89 208Email: [email protected]: www.hansdampf.eu

This medium duty combi-microwave oven, available from Valera, can reduce cooking times by up to 50% and combines grill and microwave functions.

Valera Tel: +44 845 270 4321Web: www.valera.co.uk

Whirlpool AVM 840HansDampf Compact


Product showcaseTea and coffee


Get a caffeine kick with Caterer Middle East’s product showcase of the latest and greatest tea and coffee products on the market

Beverage brilliance

Concordia Coffee SystemThis fully-automatic coffee machine, avail-able from Coffee Planet, can serve more than 1000 drinks continuously without compromising temperature or taste.

Coffee Planet Tel: +971 4 341 5537Email: [email protected]: www.mycoffeeplanet.com

Rocket Espresso The espresso equipment package from Dubai-based roaster Raw Coffee Company consists of a coffee machine from Italian manufacturer Rocket Espresso and grinders from Eureka Mignon Instantaneo.

Raw Coffee CompanyTel: +971 50 553 6808Email: [email protected]: www.rawcoffeecompany.com

Mahlkonig Pro M Grinder The Pro M Grinder from Mahlkonig comes with a compact design and features that in-crease efficiency and precision. The grinder offers precise portioning and is easily adjustable for varying coffee blends. BonCafé Middle EastTel: +971 4 282 8742Web: www.boncafeme.ae

Twinings range of pure and flavoured green teas are rich in anti-oxidants. The green tea range includes green tea and mint, jasmine, lemon, orange, earl grey and pure green.

Baqer Mohebi Tel: +971 4 396 9777Email: [email protected]

Nestea Iced TeaThis refreshing iced tea product, available from Nestlé Professional, is described as an everyday drink and is avail-able in a 145g pouch. It comes in two fla-vours — peach or lemon — and is delivered with a free on-loan EZ Care machine, which comes with two bowls.

Nestlé Professional — Middle EastTel: +971 4 883 8000Email: [email protected]

Julius Meinl Tea Range The Meinl family is still involved in the purchasing and blending of this brand’s vast portfolio of tea products. The Austrian firm utilises long-standing supplier relationships to guarantee only the best teas are distributed.

Merchant Star InternationalTel: +971 4 266 7447 Email: [email protected]: www.meinl.ae

63

Twinings Green Tea

SupplierProduct showcase


Caterer Middle East showcases the best and brightest F&B products to hit the market

New products

‘akzent’This new buffet line by Frilich combines an elaborate design with a mix of materials. The ‘akzent’ line features stylish plates, cereal dispens-ers and jam pots.

Everstyle TradingTel: +971 6 531 4106Fax: +971 6 531 4460

Milco Fresh Milk and Yoghurt rangeThe Milco range has been re-launched with new formulations and packaging. New-look products complement new tastes across the range. New products in the line include fresh cow’s milk in full cream and low fat, fruit-flavoured yoghurts in full cream and low fat variations, plus white cheese and labneh.

National Food Products CompanyTel: +971 2 558 2808 Email: [email protected]: www.nfpcgroup.com

PaletThese handy mini-pastry dishes from Solia act as an up-market alternative to cardboard supports and come with a bent tongue for easy handling. The range comes in a variety of colours and shapes.

SoliaTel: +33 468 642 142 Email: [email protected]


SupplierProduct showcase

Monin Fig Monin has introduced fig to its beverage flavourings range. The amber-coloured syrup has an in-tense taste and is recommended by Monin for creating refreshing teas, sodas and other beverages.

Monin MEITel: +9714 374 7156Email: [email protected]: www.monin.com

Quadzilla S-3300The Quadzilla S-3300 has an output of 1506kg of dice ice and 1533 kg of half-dice ice within 24 hours. The Quadzilla evaporator system features four high-output individual evaporators.

Manitowoc Foodservice GroupTel: +1 888 235 9703Email: [email protected]: www.manitowocfoodservice.com

Chocca Mocca ChocolatesChocca Mocca Chocolates from The Origi-nal Candy Company are specifically for the foodservice industry. The two flavours on offer are real strawberries in white choco-late and real cranberries in dark chocolate.

Classic Fine FoodsTel: +971 6 534 4554Email: www.chocca-mocca.comWeb: [email protected]

The casa-style Urban Country collec-tion from Sahco offers interior design-ers 10 easy-care Trevira CS quality fabrics made from linen and cotten.

SahcoTel: +971 4 332 91 97Email: [email protected] Web: www.sahco-hesslein.com

Urban Country

Distributors and supplies directory

BONCAFETel: 00971 4 2828742Email: [email protected]: www.boncafeme.ae

FRANKETel: 0041 6 2 787 3607http: www.franke-cs.com

MONINTel: 00971 50 940 0918Email: [email protected]: www.monin.com

SCHAERERTel: 0041 (0) 318 585111Email: [email protected]: www.schaerer.com

COOKING

CONVOTHERMTel: 0049 884 7670Email: [email protected]: www.convotherm.de

MKNTel: 0049 5 3 318 9207Email: [email protected]: www.mkn.de

MOHAMED HAREB AL OTAIBATel: 00971 4 3414900Email: [email protected]: www.alotaibagroup.com

FOODSTUFF

RAW COFFEE COMPANYTel: 00971505536808Email: [email protected] http: www.rawcoffeecompany.com

NESTLÉ PROFESSIONALTel: 00971 4 408 8100Email: [email protected]

SWISS CHOCOLATETel: 00971 7 244 4984Email: [email protected]: www.chocolat.ae

GOURMET’S CHOICETel: 0044(0)1261 842 448Fax: 0044(0)1261 842 884Email: [email protected]: www.gourmetschoice.net

HYGIENE

JOHNSON DIVERSEY GULF FZETel: 00971 4 881 9470http: www.johnsondiversey.com

RESTAURANT/HOTEL SUPPLIES

G.E.T ENTERPRISESTel: 001 713 467 9394Email: [email protected]: www.get-melamine.com

MAXIM WORLDTel: 0044 208 429 6822Email: [email protected]: www.maximworld.com

CATERING EQUIPMENT

HAMILTON BEACH COMMERCIALTel: 001 973 263 3132www.commercial.hamiltonbeach.com

VITAMIXTel:001 440 782 2450Email: [email protected]: www.vitamix.com

POLO POINTTel: 00971 56 606 6851Email: [email protected]

KNIVES

DICKTel: 0049 7 153 8170Email: [email protected]: www.dick.de

BEVERAGES

Suppliers

LAMBWESTONTel: 00971 50 6447837Email:[email protected]: www.lambwestonmeijer.nl

Distributors

LA MARQUISETel: 00971 4 343 3478Email: [email protected]: www.lamarquise.ae(Refrigeration, coffee machines, water, chocolates, ice cream)

MMITel: 00971 4 209 5000http: www.mmidubai.com(Beverages)

SALAH HOSPITALITYTel: 00971 4 3375537Email: [email protected]: www.riedel.com

HORECA TRADE LLCTel: 00971 4 3403330Email: [email protected]: www.horecatrade.com

SHURA TRADING & HOTEL SUPPLIESTel: 00971 4 320 4481Fax: 00971 4 320 4482Email: [email protected]: www.shuraemirates.com

COFFEE PLANETTel: 00971 4 341 5537Email: [email protected]: www.mycoffeeplanet.com

VILLEROY AND BOCHTel: 00352 46821208Email: [email protected]: www.villeroy-boch.com

SEAFOOD

CLEARWATER SEAFOODSTel: 001 902 443 0550Email: [email protected]: www.clearwater.ca

MERCHANT STAR INTERNATIONALTel: 00971 4 266 7447Email: [email protected]: www.meinl.ae

MH ENTERPRISES Tel: 009714 3470 444Fax: 009714 3470 972Email: [email protected]: www.mhent.ae

EMF EMIRATES Tel: 00971 4 2861166 Fax: 00971 4 2863080Email: [email protected]

GILES & POSNERTel: 0044(0)1923 234040 Fax: 0044(0)1923 245151Email: [email protected]: www.gilesandposner.com

TULSIDAS LALCHAND Tel: 00971 4 3533736E-mail:[email protected]: www.tulsidas.com

NEWELL RUBBERMAIDTel: 00971 4 292 3444Email: [email protected]: www.newellrubbermaid.com

GREENHOUSE SUPERMARKETTel: 00971 6 5332218Email: [email protected](Importers / Distributors of Food Items)

BAKEMART LLCTel: 00971 4 2675406Email:[email protected]: www.bake-mart.com

GOURMET CHEF PACKERSTel: 001 506 532 4497Email: [email protected]: www.gcpackers.com

BAQER MOHEBITel: 00971 4 396 9777Email: [email protected](Marketing & distribution of food & non food FMCG, food ingredients & Cuban Cigars)

AIRSTAR SPACE LIGHTINGTel: 00971 4 8854906Email: [email protected]: www.airstar-light.com

SIX BROTHERS FOODSTUFF CO LTDTel: 00971 6 5339644Fax: 00971 6 5335495Email: [email protected]

ROYAL CULIMER FZETel: 00971 4 8817847Fax: 00971 4 8817848Email: [email protected]: www.culimer.com

BAKING TECHNOLOGIES Tel: 00971 4 885 7557Email: [email protected]: www.baking-technologies.com

VICTORINOX AGTel: 0041 41 818 12 64Email: [email protected] http: www.victorinox.com

THE ORIGINAL CANDY COMPANY LTD.Tel: 0044 (0)1285 711227 Email: [email protected]: www.originalcandyco.com www.chocca-mocca.com

GHRAOUI CHOCOLATETel: 00971 4 339 8264Email:[email protected]:www.ghraouichocolate.com

NESTLÉ PROFESSIONALTel: 00971 4 408 8100Email: [email protected]

AppointmentsNovember 2009

Caterer Middle East November 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com68

The Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Kuwait City and Ar-raya Ballroom welcomes Gerald Moutte

as general manager. Moutte has a wealth of management experience, having worked for a selection of multinational chains. He joins the Kuwaiti property from the Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, where he was general manager, and is a former director of food and beverage at JW Marriott Cairo. Moutte’s career has taken him to South Korea, the USA, Egypt, the UAE and France. He was also part of the launch project for Disneyland, Paris.

Giulio Bri-gnola becomes executive chef of Carluccio’s in Dubai Mall. The Italian chef who hails

from Naples was previously chef de cuisine at The Ritz Carlton, Dubai’s Italian restaurant, Splendido. He has worked as chef de cuisine in an Italian restaurant for Westin Hotels in Beijing, China, and was formally head chef at Hilton International Abu Dhabi’s BiCE restaurant. During his career he has picked up a Time Out Dubai award and worked in outlets in Glasgow and London in the UK.

UAE-based dairy, juices and water producer National Food Products Company has appointed

Mike Henderson as its new chief operating officer. Hender-son will take on the responsibil-ity of developing the com-pany’s operations, as it aims to continue its growth as a market leader in the beverage and dairy sector. He brings with him 29 years of industrial experience, having worked as a partner for Accenture Global Management Consultant for seven years and Procter and Gamble for 20 years.

Recent appointments...

What do you hope to bring to this new role following your recent promotion to F&B director?I hope to motivate my team to do their best. I feel my team is of great importance to the resort, because our guests will see members of the F&B team at least three times a day. It is my job to make sure they have the tools to perform the best they can.

Are you planning to introduce any new F&B concepts or change the resort’s outlet outlook now you’re the boss?Yes, we are going to create something unique. If you give me six months I will demonstrate something new to the region — and the F&B world!

What do you make of Oman’s F&B scene?I feel like we are closer to Dubai, so I do not really know the scene in Oman. I do, how-ever, feel we are behind Europe and Asia, and I believe that we need to educate our guests further when it comes to new trends.

What will it take for Oman to become a true F&B hub within the Middle East?We have already created a great mix of local cooking methods, such as the use of spices, and top French cuisine. At Sense on the Edge we have been able to blend the two together and as a result have created something new. I believe that this attitude is the right direction to take.

What is the strangest request you have ever received from a guest?Someone once asked me if they could grill their goat on the barbeque!

What do you see as the F&B industry’s biggest problem? It is not easy to get organic products in Oman and UAE. We have to motivate pro-ducers to try new ways of growing organic and that will take time. Six Senses tries to reduce its carbon footprint in regards to food products, but in order to obtain the best products, we will have to be creative.

Taking the reins of outlet operations at the remote Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula is its former F&B service manager, Jorrit Gerritsma. Here, he speaks to Caterer Middle Eastfollowing his promotion to F&B director about whathe has up his sleeve for the eco-resort’s restaurants

Susy Massetti joins Sheraton Deira Hotel as the property’s executive chef. She previ-ously worked

at Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort and Towers as executive sous chef and at The Diplomat Radisson SAS, Bahrain. She has also worked in a series of stand-alone restaurants, including Yoshi’s Downtown and Zanzare Inc in the United States. Massetti, a certi-fied HACCP trainer, is the author of Mangia, a book of 70 contemporary Italian and Mediterranean recipes.

SUPPLIER Alexandra KnightTel: +971 4 435 6143Email: [email protected]

Amanda StewartGSM: +44 7908 117 333Email: [email protected]

Contact Details:

COUNTRY HEAD- CATERING:Bachelor Degree in Hotel Management withminimum 20 years experience preferably in large Commercial Industrial Catering Companies having Operations in multiple locations. The incumbent will be responsible for Business Development, Strategic Planning, Project Execution, Resource Utiliza-tion and P&L of the Division. The position reports to the General Manager of the company and is supported by a team of nearly 1000 employees at various levels.

MATERIALS MANAGER:Bachelor / Post Graduate Degree with specialization in Material Management, with15- 20 years hands on experience in sourcing Food , Non food and Engineeringmaterials for large organizations from local,national and international Markets as per therequirement in a time bound manner. The incumbent shall Plan, Organize, direct, control and review schedules, programs andprocedures to meet demands with respect topurchasing, material management, inventorycontrol, warehouse, logistics and generateMIS.

QA/QC MANAGER (TQMSPECIALIST): Graduate with 12 -15 years of experience in planning and implementing Total Quality Management preferably in hospitality industry. Incumbent shall be responsible for TQM Implementa-tion and QA/QC Function of the Organiza-tion. Key responsibilities include Administra-tion and Control of QA/QC activities. Leading, developing and driving company’s QualityManagement systems through QualityInitiatives.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH A LEADING CATERING & SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDER IN SAUDI ARABIA

One of the largest diversified business groups in Saudi Arabia having ambitious growth plans is looking for High caliber Professionals for the following

Remuneration offered Includes attractive tax free salary commensurate with the qualification and experience and will not be a constraintfor the right candidate. Candidates meeting the above requirements and proven track record in similar positions in the Middle Eastmay please apply immediately with complete details super scribing the post applied and Position Code to: [email protected]

Western / Arab Nationals PreferredCode: CO-P-02

Western Nationals Preferred( Position Code CO-P-01)

Western / Arab Nationals Preferred(Position Code: CO-P-03)

Did you know that I am a 100% Grade 1 Arabica bean?

Dates for the diaryCalendar

November 1-4Saudi Agro-Food 2009 Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaF&B products, equipment, technology, distributors, producers and agentswww.recexpo.com

November 2-4Sweets Middle EastDubai, UAERegional showcase for suppliers and distributors from the confectionary industrywww.sweetsmiddleeast.com

November 3-6HOTEXDamascus, SyriaInternational exhibition for

hotel and restaurant equipment www.hotexfair.com

November 3-6WorldFood KazakhstanAlmaty, KazakhstanTradeshow covering all sectors of the food and drink industrywww.worldfood.kz

November 9-11Equip’Hotel Middle EastAbu Dhabi, UAESpecialised trade show dedicated to the hospitality industrywww.equiphotelme.com

November 10-12 3rd Halal Expo 2009Dubai, UAE

Business platform for the global halal marketplace, featuring producers, traders and suppliers looking to crack the Middle Eastwww.worldhalalexpos.com

November 10-12Specialty Coffee and Tea ConventionDubai, UAEThe region’s only dedicated trade event for the coffee and tea industry, incorporating the first UAE Barista Championshipwww.coffeeandteaconvention.com

November 16-18ITCA Dubai Dubai, UAEExhibition and conference for

in-flight catering specialists from around the world www.itcanet.com

November 18-20FNC ChinaShanghai, ChinaLong-established Chinese trade exhibition for imported food, wine, beverages and hospitality equipmentwww.fhcchina.com

COMING IN DECEMBER…December 1-3DiyafaDoha, QatarQatari hotel, restaurant and food exhibition www.ifpqatar.com

DATES FOR THE DIARY... November 200901 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 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M


DataOctober 2009


This month our survey focused on an ongo-ing problem for Middle East outlets: the lack of home-grown, local F&B talent, both in front- and back-of-house.

Many respondents felt there was room for this to change in future, with 42% sug-gesting local governments should promote F&B as a career path in local schools, while others advocated the establishment of local culinary academies and called for better wages to encourage local interest.

The main factors discouraging Middle East nationals from entering the F&B in-dustry were cited as the wages and working hours, garnering 58% and 21% respectively.

If you’d like to take part in next month’s Caterer industry survey — for which you will receive a full anonymous break-down of the findings and go into the draw to win our monthly competition — just visit www.hoteliermiddleeast.com and click on the F&B Survey link.

Where’s the home-grown talent?Each month Caterer Middle East collects data from F&B professionals across the region to bringyou all the must-know industry statistics, trends and price fluctuations affecting the market

Each month, every survey participant who submits their email address will be entered into a draw to win this stylish bartender kit from gourmet fl avourings provider Monin!

Last month’s winner was Avinash Prabhu, assistant F&B manager at Verre by Gordon Ramsay, Hilton Dubai Creek.

For more information about the company’s range of products, please visit: www.monin.com

B

Competition

How easy do you fi nd it to recruit staff from the country in which you operate?

of respondents said they had no nationals from the country

in which their business is located working in the kitchens

It’s diffi cult; there seems to be very little interest among the local population for working the long hours and going through the sub-stantial training required in F&B

It’s OK; when we recruit, we generally have some local interest. Whether they are hired depends on their suitability for the role

It’s impossible; there is zero interest from localsto work in this fi eld

Very; there is a lot of enthusiasm among nationals for working in the F&B industry

Up to 20% higher

Up to 10% higher

About the same

Up to 10% lower

Up to 20% lower

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April 09 May June July August September October

Purchaser Price WatchAre suppliers over-charging for ingredients, or has the downturn seen prices tumble?F&B buyers voice their true opinions about the year-on-year changes to ingredient costs

Sour

ce: C

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&B S

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79% 63% 26%

could not think of anyone when asked to name a

top Arabic chef

said they did not see any need to encourage more local

nationals to work in F&B

Last biteInterview


CoffeeLast month Caterer Middle Eastcaught up with three-Michelin-star chef Pierre Gagnaire, in town for the first anniversaryof his Dubai-based restaurant — Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire

ing experiences, even if it is only the good company. I have had some surprising food experiences, in Asia for example, but never have I faced a complete disaster.

A year on from opening Refl ets, how do you feel about its status?Well, it’s good. I am quite happy with the way the restaurant is going. But this is only the beginning of the story; we have won several distinctions this year, so things are good, but there is still a long way to go. This doesn’t mean any radical changes; it just has to slowly mature into becoming a real restaurant, anchored in this city.

What been the biggest challenge of establishing a restaurant in Dubai?There have been many, from the recruit-ment of the team, to the establishment of the chain of supply; but all in all, I am pleased with the outcome. I have a great team here, they are young, dynamic, talented and I have

no doubt they will lead this restaurant to great success.

Would you consider opening an-other outlet in the Middle East?Not for the time being, at least. From Dubai, we can touch the region and actually many guests come especially from other GCC countries all the way for one dinner. It is better this way because we can preserve an identity, a quality.

Do you have any other major proj-ects in the pipeline?Las Vegas in December and then Moscow in February!

What advice would you give young chefs hoping to specialise in French cuisine?Be rigorous; show that you have courage and a willingness to learn; and come to work fuelled by passion.

How did you originally become interested in cooking?Being the eldest of the family, with a father who was a chef, I didn’t have much choice! Initially, I was not really interested by the job — that interest and passion came later, when I realised what I could create.

What is your favourite traditional French dish to cook and why?I do not have any favourite dish really; I try to eat everything. The roasted farm chicken my father cooks was certainly the dish I favoured when I was a kid, and I still like it very much today!

What modern dish that you have created are you most proud of?This is a very hard question because my work is always in motion. Sometimes I do stop and think “yes, this is it, it’s good”, but I have never been proud of a dish exactly, because then you feel compelled to keep it on the menu and then it slowly loses its appeal.

What have been your best and worst experiences of eating out?This I can’t say! I suppose there is always something good to draw from the worst din-

Last biteInterview

break

G.E.T. ENTERPRISES, INC. 1515 W. SAM HOUSTON PKWY. N. HOUSTON, TX 77043, USA TEL. 713-467-9394 FAX 713-467-9396

DISHWASHER SAFE, MOLD-AND-MILDEW RESISTANTDESIGNER POLYWEAVE BASKETSTM from G.E.T.

WEAVED WITH SOLID POLYPROPYLENE CORD. VISIT US ONLINE FOR MORE SHAPES, SIZES AND COLORS.

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caterer middle east - nov 2009

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