Caterer Middle East

Serving the region’s catering professionals February 2009 • Vol 05 • Issue 02

FoodFood giantiantF&B players descend on Dubai for the biggest ever Gulfood exhibition

Baking hotThe growing regional demand for fresh bakery and pastry products

Romantic returns

Middle East

An ITP Business Publication

Middle Eastern outlets gear up for Valentine’s business

Supply and demand

Getting to the heart of the issues facing the region’s F&B

suppliers and buyers

Caterer

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com

ContentsVolume 5 Issue 2

February 2009 Caterer Middle East

For the latest news and stories go to www.hoteliermiddleeast.com

03 NewsConstructor shortage threatens outlets; Ritz’s F&B revamp; regional franchise show launched; IMES to conduct first Iraq dairy and beverage studies 21 Culinary confi dentialMarcus Gregs shares his true-life tales of the kitchen26 RoundtableF&B suppliers versus buyers: who faces the toughest challenges?22 Designer columnAidan Keane gives outlets a lesson in dealing with a recession34 Kitted outTHE One is more than a furniture brand, as its deli-café concept demonstrates

36 Gulfood previewCaterer gives readers a complete insight into Dubai’s biggest ever trade show, from products to partner shows and organiser interviews58 Doughy delightsIndustry professionals give their opin-ions on the rise of baked goods in the Middle East62 Restaurant essentialsAssessing the latest and greatest crockery collections to hit the Middle East market68 Recipe exchangeKeva Restaurant and Lounge’s Yashin Rangorath discusses his global influences

64

ContentsFebruary 2009

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News February 2009

February 2009 Caterer Middle East 03

ers, practical workshops, panel discussions and a unique ‘Pow-er Zone’, where conference delegates, keynote speakers and exhibitors can meet.

“We’re aim-ing to bring a unique mix of brand, not your usual franchise show offering,” said Tracey Furey, manag-ing director of consultancy firm Franchise Development Services and Franchise Arabia’s confer-ence director.

First Iraq dairy and beverage reports Dubai-based Middle East marketing specialist IMES Consulting has announced the launch of two new multi-client

studies covering the markets for dairy products and non-alco-holic beverages in Iraq.

“With a population approach-ing 30 million and substantial oil resources, Iraq is one of the world’s great un-tapped markets. Sadly it has been more-or-less off limits to outside businesses for almost 20 years,”

said a company spokesperson. “But now, with security im-

proving, IMES believes it’s time to take a close look at the oppor-tunities the country offers.”

The expected date for publica-tion is the end of April 2009.

Foodie extravaganza A host of master chefs are head-ing for Abu Dhabi this month,

Franchise trade show for region launched A trade show catering to the region’s growing franchise mar-ket has launched in the UAE.

The inaugural Franchise Arabia Conference and Exhibi-tion will run from October

Constructor shortages athreat to outlet openings Key industry figures say new outlets are facing a regional shortage of fit-out constructors

Leading industry players have spoken out about the crippling shortage of F&B con-tractors in Dubai — and suggested major mall developments are to blame.

Speaking exclusively to Caterer Middle East, The Meat Co and Ribs and Rumps re-gional operations manager Rob de Villiers commented: “I think Dubai Mall has put a huge strain on the construction industry from a fit-out contractor’s point of view. There are about 1200 outlets to open there and trying to find contractors to do those jobs in time has not been easy.”

Walid Hajj, chief executive of Cravia —

the regional franchisee for big names such as Cinnabon, Zaatar W Zeit and Roadster Diner — added: “When you tell a contrac-tor ‘I have five locations in Dubai Mall, I want you to bid for them’, then you apply to 10 companies and get only one interested, there’s definitely something wrong.”

The situation is forcing outlet owners to hire companies from further afield to complete their restaurant fit-outs — Meat Co’s de Villiers revealed that the company was forced to outsource a recent restaurant fit-out to a firm from South Africa.

And Cravia‘s Hajj predicts the lack of

constructors is just the tip of the iceberg. “Up to now, the number of constructors — indeed the number of everything in Dubai — has exceeded supply by far, with all the price increases and inflation and so on.

“But now that gap is closing,” he asserted. “So it’s going to be an interesting year.”

Cravia CEO Walid Hajj: the shortage of fi t-out workers is just the start.

2009 will see the

introduction of Franchise Arabia, from October 4-6

News Digest. Franchise show launch; Pierre Gagnaire’s returnto Dubai; a region of chocoholics

4-6, 2009, at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi, providing “a knowledge exchange and networking platform for the region’s fran-chise-related business leaders”, according to organiser Nexus Holdings and Associates.

The event will feature speak-

Nexus managing director Neil Manwaring [left] and chairman Dominic McGill with Tracey Furey.

NewsFebruary 2009

Caterer Middle East February 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com04

for one of the largest culinary spectaculars ever held in the Middle East.

Gourmet Abu Dhabi will feature 24 Michelin-star chefs, including award-winner Charlie Trotter and the “vegetable magi-cian” Alain Passard.

The show’s organising com-mittee member Peter Knipp commented: “It is important that the educational aspect of the event is used to elevate Middle

Eastern cuisine to a gourmet level and for the local commu-nity to celebrate their own cu-linary heritage and engage in sharing it with a wider audience.”

Gourmet Abu Dhabi will take place from February 5-14 at 13 venues across the capital city.

Gagnaire returnsCelebrated French chef Pierre

Gagnaire will return to Dubai this month for a stint

in the kitchen of his sixth restaurant ‘Reflets par

Pierre Gagnaire’ at InterConti-

nental Hotel Dubai Festi-val City.

Restaurant director Etienne Haro said he was pleased with the standards the restaurant

had attained during its first nine months of operations, but added that he believed the three-Michelin-starred chef ’s main concern might be “the lack of notoriety

of our restaurant compared to other venues who look more at appearance than substance”.

“However he strongly believes that in the end, quality and hard work will make us a very particular venue in the heart of UAE residents,” he added.

Food safety solution?MGK, provider of HACCP

temperature monitoring system Temptrak, has teamed up with eco-friendly disinfectant company Oxytech to offer a one-stop shop in food safety to the hotel industry.

The innovative Oxytech D 250 food disinfection system is easy to use, operates without electricity and uses 100% chlo-rine-free disinfectant.

“One of the main advantages of [the product] is the no-rinse application, which saves water and time,” said Oxytech chair-man Frank Rütten.

Temptrak’s Mirco Beutler added: “We decided to offer Oxytech exclusively to the hotel sector, as there is high demand in this area for an environmen-tally friendly solution.”

Rütten said he believed the product was ideally suited to the Middle East, where high

F&B revamp for the Ritz The traditional chain goes for accessible quality with a fresh take on simple concepts

Luxury hotel brand The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Resorts is planning to refresh its F&B offerings witha focus on deliver-ing truly authentic themed dining.

Ritz-Carlton vice president of op-erations Mark Weiss claimed the chain would introduce traditional outlet con-cepts, where the attraction would lie in “keeping things simple”.

The brand’s latest UAE property, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai, International Finan-cial Centre, is set to open later this year with three food outlets — a steakhouse, a French brasserie and a Thai restaurant.

“There are plenty of steakhouses here in Dubai,” said Weiss. “But it’s about how

you execute it, and many hotel restau-rants are getting it wrong.

“Whereas we’re doing things that you should be doing in a steakhouse — we’re making sure the quality is there and that it’s approachable.”

Weiss added that the brand was not try-ing to do anything new, but attempting to “execute something very different to the normal café or dining room environment”.

“We want to make sure that we are more of a lifestyle experience, from a food and beverage point of view; customers can go to the restaurant without a tie and a jacket and feel comfortable enough to make multiple visits,” he said.

Mark Weiss says the new restaurants at The Ritz-Carlton Dubai,

International Financial Centre, will offer authentic concepts to diners.

Continued...

24 Michelin-star chefs will be appearing at Gourmet Abu

Dhabi this month

Contact details:

Wet Fish Trading L.L.C, Unit FG 5, Dubai Investment Park, Jebel Ali. UAE.Tel: 04 8852692 Fax: 04 8852699 www.wetfishuae.com [email protected]

URS HACCP APPROVED INAUGURAL WINNER OF THE LLOYDS TSB SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

The U.A.E ‘s leading fish supplier

NewsFebruary 2009

95% of the basic components of pastry, saving chefs a lot of time.”

Foam sweet foamUK-based company MSK Ingredients is set to win over the region’s experimental chefs with an innovative product .

Hyfoamer, an ingredient made up of natural dairy protein, can be used as a replacement or stabiliser for egg whites, mean-ing that when beaten the foam will hold for hours. “It almost

guarantees a lift on soufflés and will enable acidic fla-vours to be added to meringue, when normally that would break the

egg white,” explained company director Stefan Priest.

temperatures and exacting standards meant hotels were constantly seeking the top food safety solutions available.

Chocoholic regionThe Middle East is among the top five chocolate-loving regions in the world, according to research conducted by chocolatier Swiss Inter-national Chocolates.

The firm conducted the study in the run-up to launching its new brand Chocolat, offer-ing hand-craft-ed chocolates created using Swiss products.

24 Michelin-star chefs will be appearing at Gourmet Abu

Dhabi this month

“Following our market study, we discovered the Middle East is one the top five highest choco-late-consum-ing regions,” confirmed the company’s managing director Daniel Hutmacher.

The study also revealed that Middle Eastern consumers par-

ticularly appreciated bespoke services, prompting Chocolat to offer a customised chocolate-making service and various

packaging options.

Gelato espressoF&B equipment supplier Taste

of Passion held a demonstration for Dubai’s F&B professionals, promoting a time-saving range from Ital-ian manufac-turer Bravo.

The Trit-tico series

can make various sweet and savoury delicacies through a process of pasteurisation, thermal shock and whisking.

Taste of Passion’s GCC manager Olivier Michaux said: “The machines can even create up to

Continued...

The art of excellent coffeemaking

Franke Kaffeemaschinen AGFranke-Strasse 9

4663 AarburgSwitzerland

Phone +41 62 787 36 07Fax +41 62 787 30 10

www.franke-cs.com

Evolution Plus: even more choice at the touch of a buttonCan’t wait for a greater choice of coffee specialities? If so, with its superb, great-looking design and powerful functionality, the Evolution Plus is exactly what you need. It’s optionally available with a refrigeration unit and integrated milk system, or the new Autosteam Pro for even more choice and perfect foam at the press of a button. The ergonomic Pre-Selection Plus control panel is fashioned from glass with 16 pre-select buttons. With four levels on the large graphic display, the Evolution Plus can prepare up to 32 individually program mable beverage creations. Also available: the matching KE320 milk fridge. A compelling solution for the discerning customer.

News analysisFebruary 2009


New Year’s Eve has always been one of the busiest nights of the year for Dubai’s hotel-based bars and restaurants, as package deals entice tourists from around the globe.

But this year, outlets faced the challenge of rework-ing their plans at the last minute, after His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, issued an order cancelling celebra-tions as a show of solidarity with victims of the violence in Gaza.

The ban was announced to Dubai via state news agency WAM on the morning of De-

cember 30. Jordan and Egypt followed suit, calling off numerous planned celebrations.

Politically, the message was a strong one of respect and solidarity with the Palestinians’

plight; but making this state-ment did come at a price for some of the region’s outlets.

“We had to cancel the cel-ebration on our Dusk Ter-race, although other outlets remained open with their nor-mal operations,” said Radisson SAS Dubai Media City opera-tions manager Marco Aveta.

“There were definitely financial repercus-sions due to the cancellation of the event and cancelled bookings, and at the same time we

had to cancel some services that we ourselves had booked for this event.”

Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai director of com-munications Neil Rumbaoa said the hotel’s decision to focus its New Year efforts on providing special restaurant promotions rather than holding a party had worked in its favour.

“We did close our rooftop bar iKandy be-cause of the decree,” he said. “Happily, pa-trons could just ‘relocate’ to our other bar, inside the hotel.”

Some outlets actually saw an increase in business following the announcement, according to InterContinental Hotels Group Dubai Festival City executive chef Geoff Haviland.

New Year parties pulled as tokenof solidarity with victims in GazaA group of Dubai’s F&B heads explain how their outlets were impacted by the New Year’s Eve celebration ban

Extravagant fi rework displays, like the one marking the offi cial opening of Atlantis, The Palm in November 2008, were notably absent in Dubai this New Year’s Eve.

Cliv

e Bru

nski

ll/G

etty

Imag

es

“Happily, patrons could just ‘relocate’ to our other bar, inside the hotel”



“We did have a large party planned for our outdoor ven-ue, where guests could watch the fireworks; in the end we simply had to change the ven-ue to our ballroom. Of course the absence of a countdown to 2009 had an impact on the at-mosphere and ambience, as the guests could not celebrate the New Year with their usual revelry,” conceded Haviland.

“But with the cancellation and closure of outdoor events and nightclubs, we had an influx of last-minute bookings for our res-taurants, so by mid-afternoon we were com-pletely booked out!”

Customer reactions to the announcement varied, according to Caterer’s sources.

“Our western guests understood the ratio-nale behind the decision and were sympa-thetic to the plight of the Palestinians, but they were nevertheless disappointed,” said InterContinental’s Haviland.

Radisson’s Aveta added although there were “no ma-jor challenges” on the night, many guests cancelled their bookings, and said he felt there was “some confusion” regarding what the ban actu-ally covered.

Ultimately, it seems that Dubai hotels inter-preted the ban as referring to large, outdoor parties and live music — and they carefully followed that prohibition.

“As the decree was an order straight from His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai fully supported it,” said Shangri-La’s Rumbaoa.

However several properties said the can-cellation came at too short notice.

“Of course, I respect the decision to ban outdoor entertainment, but I think it would have been much easier for us to manage if we had been notified earlier and it was confirmed,” said InterContinental’s

In his capacity as the Ruler of

Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice

President, Prime Minister and

Ruler of Dubai has ordered

the cancellation of all forms of

celebrations marking the new

year in Dubai emirate.

According to Sheikh Moham-

med’s order, Dubai emirate will

mark the New Year with a sombre

tone as a token of solidarity with

the Palestinian people in general

and Gaza strip in particular, which

is currently under the barrage

Israeli’s military fi re.

The announcement of the ban,

as announced on the morning of

December 30, 2008, by state news

agency WAM (Wakalat Anba’a

al-Emarat), an arm of the UAE’s

Ministry of Information and Culture.

Source: www.wam.org.ae

TASTE OF PASSION LLC Authorized Distributor Tel : 0097143478440

Fax: 0097143406331 @: [email protected]

Meet us at the GULFOOD 09 , Stand F2-12 HALL 2 , 23-26 FEBRUARY 2009

“We had an infl ux of last-minute bookings in our restaurants”



Valentine’s Day celebrations are a big earner for F&B outlets across the world, including the Middle East, which boasts a large com-munity of tourists and ex-pats all of whom are keen to eat out on February 14.

“Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest cel-ebrations for the ex-pats living in the UAE,” confirmed Kempinski Mall of the Emirates food and beverage manager Gerrit Thiebes.

The day also offers outlets a prime oppor-tunity to be creative, pointed out Landmark Group assistant marketing manager — food division Marizel Salvador.

“There is ample opportunity to try out new things, and hopefully attract some returning customers — it is an opportunity to offer guests something special”, Salvador added.

Of course, for the numerous F&B out-lets housed in hotels across the region, the day also provides an excellent oppor-tunity to cross-sell, with hotels offering a variety of Valentine’s packages involv-ing bed and breakfast, dinner and even special gifts.

Value-for-money Valentine As Valentine’s Day 2009 approaches, outlets must implement innovative, cost-efficient ideast to attract business and maximise theirromantic returns

Valentines celebrations are a chance for for F&B outlets to try something different to entice customers.

1Give the customer a gift

“The secret is to focus on the customers,

giving them plenty options to choose from.

“With the busy life in Dubai it’s always con-

venient to offer a gift included in the valentine

offer so that busy men in the city can make sure

they have a nice present for that special some-

one and not have to worry about searching for

a gift. Ultimately, it’s best to think outside the

chocolate box!”

Gerrit Thiebes, food and beverage manager,

Kempinski Mall of the Emirates

2Run with the romantic theme

“All aspects of the restaurant have to be in

keeping with the theme of the evening. Proper

lighting, soft background music, stylish décor

and a specially-created set menu off-set by

attentive yet unobtrusive service creates the

perfect romantic ambience.”

Marizel Salvador, assistant marketing manager

— food division, Landmark Group

3Create a relaxing environment

“The secret to a good a Valentine’s ambi-

ence is creating a relaxed and romantic space

where all the craziness and stress can be forgot-

ten, in a beautiful place with the one you love.”

Gian Raffaelle Sabbatucci, director of food and

beverage, Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort

4Customise the experience

“The key is to make the evening as per-

sonal, individual and as special as possible.”

Stephanie AbouJaoude, director of marketing

and communications, Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai

Deira Creek

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Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort direc-tor of food and beverage Gian Raffaelle Sab-batucci explained that the beach-front hotel had gone for the value-added approach this year. “We’ve de-vised a package that includes everything — a red rose; wel-come drinks; a spa bath in the room; a secluded candle-lit dinner on the resort’s private beach; and in the morning, a ‘bubbly breakfast’ delivered to your door.”

This year will see customers seeking out the most inven-tive packages and value-for-money options, predicted Kempinski’s Thiebes, as the region starts to feel the pinch of the current global financial situation.

However the consumer demand for top value celebration options can work in a prop-erty’s favour, Thiebes continued.

“We have designed some great packages for our guests to take advantage of this year and although the turnover may not be as

high as previous years, we are sure that through attractive promotions and value-added services we will continue to attract a high level of busi-ness,” he said.

Le Méridien’s Sabbatucci went so far as to say that the economic crisis might actu-ally work in favour of the region’s outlets. “Everyone will be looking fr good-value

deals and there will be less people travelling abroad, therefore great demand for local of-fers,” he explained.

Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek director of marketing and communications Stephanie AbouJaoude added: “Most people

make a point of doing something special on such an occasion, and that won’t change.”

According to many F&B professionals, the real challenge presented by Valentine’s Day is ensuring their outlet stands out in the crowd.

Kempinski’s Thiebes pointed out that part-nerships with local businesses could prove key to offering something unique.

“With this year’s package…ladies will re-ceive magnificent pearl earrings from Dha-mani, the famous jewellery shop in Mall of the Emirates, ” he revealed.

Meanwhile the Radisson will offer a unique dinner option on its traditional Arabian boat-restaurant, the Al Mansour Dhow.

“Just play to your strengths,” saidAbouJaoude.

The romantic setting of Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah, offers couples a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean from its beach-side restaurant..

“The economic crisis might actually work in favour of the region’s outlets”




As suppliers across the Middle East come to terms with the impact of the global econom-ic downturn and fluctuating prices in food commodities, the UAE Ministry of Economy has announced a deal to freeze food prices with major retailers.

The fourth meeting of the Supreme Com-mittee for Consumer Pro-tection (SCCP), headed by Minister of Economy and Chairman of the committee, His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, reviewed and rejected requests from food suppliers for a price hike on their products.

This deal may come as a relief to consum-ers but for the region’s food suppliers, many of whom are facing tough times in the cur-rent global market, the ruling is less straight forward, as ABC Baking operations manager Amer Abu Salem pointed out.

“I think the Ministry should look into this on a case-by-case basis,” he suggested. “Then if necessary it could support a few essential products, such as flour, oil and sugar, to help business and ensure steady prices to keep the end consumer satisfied and protected.”

For now, however, the focus is firmly on the consumer rather than suppliers.

The SCCP’s Al Mansouri commented: “Consumer protection is a priority for us; it is essential in strengthening customer confi-dence and thus driving domestic demand.”

The importance of this scheme was high-lighted last month, when suppliers and retail outlets were warned by Al Mansouri that the Ministry of Economy would take “serious ac-tions against any attempt aimed at disrupt-ing the market equilibrium”.

was an important part of retaining business and claimed that while “strategic decisions” regarding cost-cutting would have to made, “whoever can maintain and improve the quality of products produced during the cur-rent situation will gain in the long term”.

Wet Fish Trading’s Allan added that the secret for suppliers was “to remain competi-tive, otherwise they will not get work”.

Allan said he was convinced costs would remain stable over the next few months, with or without the government stepping in to freeze prices.

“My gut feeling says prices will remain stable; they need to, as stability inspires con-fidence,” he concluded.

Suppliers across the UAE have had mixed reactions to the ruling, but agreed that such a decision should not be taken lightly.

Middle East Franchising chief executive Fadil Alnassar said he recognised that for now the Ministry’s main focus was “to keep the living level for people in the

country affordable”. “It is good to keep the price

levels down as much as you can,” he agreed. “But we also have to be realistic about how we can achieve that without a conflict of interests.”

ABC Baking’s Salem sug-gested that the government

could also consider helping suppliers, by al-lowing struggling companies to stay inbusiness through gov-ernment subsidies for key commodities.

However one supplier insisted current market prices were not causing any problems and said his com-pany was seeing a boom in business, despite the gloomy global economy.

Wet Fish Trading managing director Mark Allan comment-ed: “I import two to three times a week from abroad and the prices are now lower than when I first ar-rived in the country four years ago.

“The current exchange rate be-tween the UK and the UAE is working to my advantage, giving us the opportunity to pass savings onto the customer.”

ABC Baking’s Salem agreed that maintain-ing value-for-money and quality standards

UAE Ministry ruling on price freezeoverrules regional supplier requestsThe UAE government recently announced it had formed an agreement with major retailers to freeze food prices. The measure will certainly help consumers, but how will it affect the region’s suppliers? Caterer investigates

“The Ministry should look into this on a case-by-case basis”


Web news reviewwww.hoteliermiddleeast.com


Entertainment crisis for Dubai outlets

Despite the nagging worries of recession, it seems that food and beverage profes-sionals have been taking a pro-active approach this month, looking at ways in which they might improve their busi-ness — such as in the fields of health and safety, or via staff retention strategies.

Will the F&B industry’s positive at-

titude last, or will this sense of determina-tion get swallowed up once the recession really starts to bite?

Stay up-to-date with all the latest infor-mation and opinions by visiting: www.hoteliermiddleeast.com

on hoteliermiddleeast.comMost-read F&B stories

1.New employment laws raise problems for Dubai’s live entertainment scene

Pirating leaves Middle Eastfirms in troubled waters2.

Lucy Taylor takes a look at the recent upsurge in ‘pirating’ — the practice of poaching staff with hefty pay increases

Health concerns force energy drink changes3.

Fears over the safety of existing energy drinks are giving new competitor X35 Energya head start in the Middle Eastern market

How to get certifiedin 20094.

As Middle Eastern governments increase their support for food safety regulations, outlets must rise to the challenge

Will the water bubble burst?5.

Bottling water is a big business; but just how diverse has the range of premium water on offer become — and why?

Being forced on me. I have been told to take annual leave early

Up in the air. My manager says I can take holidays when I want

Flexible… well, almost. I am being encouraged to take annual leave early

17.7%

29.4%

52.9%

I feel more secure than last year

I feel about the same as last year

I am worried about losing my job

12.5%

62.5%

25%

My holiday plans this year are… How secure do you feel in your job?

Poll results


Editor’s commentVolume 5 Issue 2

February 2009 Caterer Middle East 19To subscribe please visit www.itp.com/subscriptions

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If you want the respect from your

fellow chefs you need to give them

respect fi rst. I believe it is very

important to maintain a high level

of respect in the kitchen if you want

your chefs to give you their best.

Sebastien Castelot, executive

chef, Crown Plaza Dubai

If the question relates to colleagues

working for other companies, than

my answer would be that it’s nice

to get recognition but in the end it

doesn’t add value to my daily work.

If it means fellow workers within the

same company, than my answer

would be that it’s very important.

Ademir Husagic, executive chef,

The Monarch Dubai

Chefs tend to respect each other as

we know how hard each one of us

works. Everybody tends to raise their

level of performance and commit-

ment when they respect the people

they work with and I respect each

chef in my team for their individual

skills and passion.

Ajmal Salim, executive pastry chef,

Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri

Next Month:How do you keep your staff

positive during diffi cult times?

Have your say — email

[email protected]

Trade shows are undoubt-edly the talk of the town at the moment, with Gourmet Abu Dhabi at the start of the month, Gulfood 2009 at the end and Taste of Dubai com-

ing up the month after.Following our supplier roundtable feature

(p.26) and having spoken with numerous Gulfood exhibitors for our special show preview (p.36), I found myself thinking from an exhibitor’s point of view.

It’s tough work, being a supplier or manu-facturer at a trade show — particularly when you’re new and share the same aim as so many others: to break into this region’s market.

Over the next couple of months, hundreds of international companies will be competing to attract the attention of those Middle East-ern buyers who could pluck a small firm’s product from relative obscurity and make it a big star on the regional stage.

For some, this ambition will become a real-ity and I can tell you right now — the most successful ones will be those who focus on building positive relationships.

Having a great product is half the battle,

of course but it won’t win the war for you be-cause there are going to be hundreds of new product launches over the next few weeks.

What will make you stand out is if you are courteous and sincere to those people who can help you — your trade show visitors.

And for those companies who are already established in the region, stay alert! You should view these events as an opportunity to renew bonds with clients, listen to their issues and promote brand loyalty.

As Hilton Dubai Jumeirah F&B manager Oliver Steding comments: “Positive and last-ing supplier relations are of prime impor-tance for operations.” If you can make a good impression on even one buyer, it will almost certainly have a positive effect on your repu-tation as a company.

So go that extra mile and make an effort to form solid, long-lasting relationships with the prospective clients you meet over the next few weeks; it will certainly stand you in good stead for the future.

Use trade shows as an opportunity to build positive relationships

How suppliers can crack the Middle East market

Caterer

Lucy Taylor, Editor

SoundBITES How important is it to have the respect of your colleagues?


Comment Culinary confessions


You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.No, I am not Bruce Banner — more like

the Incredible Bulk — but chefs do have a reputation for being foul-mouthed, bad-tempered ogres who dictate the lives of their minions like a SAS military boot camp.

Bad reputations have been reinforced by certain UK celebrity chefs, however we’re not all like this; not every day, at least. OK, sometimes we are. But why does it happen?

Many things contribute to bad-tempered chefs: the hot and steamy work environment, long hours, bad diets due to long hours, excess of testosterone, lack of sleep — it sounds like a cocktail for disaster, doesn’t it? But some people are just grumpy naturally.I have, as a junior chef, been on the receiving end of some magnificent tantrums.

I have had a main course dish which the sous chef deemed below standard flung full force at my head, missing me and smashing into the wall — making a mess which I then had to clean up.

One rather unpleasant ticking off that has been etched into my memory forever was when I was an apprentice assisting a chef de partie in the main kitchen’s sauce section.

I was left to watch a 200l steamer full of demi glace sauce while the sauce chef had an extended lunch break.

Surprise surprise, I burnt it; so when the CDP returned, I was called a lot of choice names in such a loud voice it attracted the

GregsBad to the bone. Are chefs just a bad-tempered breed — as demonstrated by so many celebrity chefs — or is a good rant sometimes justified?


Marcus Gregs

attention of a rather nasty main kitchen sous chef, who came to see what the prob-lem was.

On being told that I had burnt the sauce, the sous chef went on the attack against the chef de partie; how could he blame a first-year ap-prentice? Why did he leave me in charge of such an important sauce?

This sous chef methodi-cally torn strips off the chef de partie, eventually work-ing himself into such a state that he actually suffered a heart attack right in front of us.As a senior chef, I have only lost my tem-per a few times, (all for worthy reasons I assure you!) In London as junior sous chef, I was the kitchen “enforcer”.

One afternoon I noticed the CDP on sauce playing with a carrot, carving flow-ers, while behind him a commis chef on the vegetable section was quickly going under from the sheer volume of work.

When I asked the CDP if he had noticed his colleague struggling, his reply was: “it’s his problem”. This made me angry. A senior chef blaming or not helping a far junior chef is not on!

I went to the rude chef ’s service fridge, removed his garnish tray and threw it in the bin. I then told the CDP if he wasn’t

ready for service at 6pm it was his problem. Then myself and three other sous chefs helped out the veg-preparing commis, so by 5:30pm he had time to go for a break while the CDP was sweating, trying to get ready for service.

Once in Sydney, during the Olympics, I was chatting to a guest near the buffet when I heard shouting coming from the kitchen. Not a big problem — until I heard a specific rude word shouted, which was

audible not only to myself nut also the 40 other people in the room. I stormed into the kitchen, grabbed the offending chef and dragged him into the standup chiller, where I screamed at him with my face two inches from his until he was grey and shaking.

I have worked in kitchens where the staff are so scared of the chef, they can’t do their job properly.

I don’t use my size or position to intimi-date people: I have their respect and trust, so I don’t need to shout. That way you get far more productive work from your staff.

It takes a lot to get me angry — but don’t abuse fellow colleagues, don’t tamper with a guests food and never use that specific rude word in front of me — because “you wouldn’t like me when I‘m angry”!

Culinary regards,

“Chefs do have a reputation for being foul-mouthed, bad-tempered ogres”

Marcus

Marcus Gregs is the executive chef at Mövenpick Bur Dubai.

Designer ColumnCrockery


Aidan Keane, founder of the specialist leisure and retail design company Keane, says the looming cloud of recession has a silver lining for the Middle East’s F&B industry

Caterer Middle East February 200922

Every downturn has a silver lining

CommentDesigner column


Recession is a good thing.Yes, you did read it right — re-cession, a new phenomenon in the Middle East, does not in fact have to be feared, ignored or even unwelcome.

Speaking as a Brit who has lived and worked through a couple, I believe I’m in a pretty good position to offer some ad-vice to all of you in the region.

Taking out the dead woodRecession sorts out the junk from the stuff worth keeping; it gets rid of the rubbish and makes every retailer, whether

they’re selling food or futons, work harder to please and ap-peal to their target clientele.

It removes a layer of arrogance from the market, that pompous veneer that so often infuriates us all as customers. It is also a huge reality check for those that think they have some divine right to operate, no matter how dire or dank their product.

At this point, just before I race off headlong into the ben-efits of a recession, I do want to offer a caveat to this thinking — teh fact that recession also claims the livelihoods of some

who simply do not have the means, financial or otherwise, to withstand the ill wind of economic downturn.

A tragic loss in some cases, but generally my original theory still rings true: in the long term, recession and the aura that sur-rounds it has a positive effect.

A lesson in recessionLet me rewind and remember my very first recession — nearly twenty-five years ago when I was leaving school, in 1984. Frankie may well have been telling us all to relax but out-

side my bedroom was manufac-turing mayhem.

The then–prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, laid into the heavily-unionised industries of the time and showed them the new way: that industry cannot be permanently subsidised by a government and that the bur-geoning new world was in fact a ferocious free market, where the survivors were always the fittest.

Then in the early nineties came the housing collapse, dur-ing which the words ‘negative’ and ‘equity’ were first men-tioned together. It was tough,

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but we knuckled down and came through it two or three years later. (Although will I ever forget those 15% interest rates? I doubt it.)

Sure, at the time, living through a recession was enor-mously hard work — but both times the outcome was good. And usually, the people who got properly stung were those who were desperately overcommit-ted and certainly batting way above their weight.

Sound familiar? It seems that no matter what the governments of the time says, we always have a downturn following a period of prosperity — every decade or so. Perhaps it is just another natural cycle, like fashion and flares. Or a way of reminding us that too much of a good thing is not a good thing at all.

A clean slateIn short, recession clears every market of its overstock and that is certainly the case in the Middle East’s F&B businesses.

Let’s face it: we were, and still are, served up some really quite desperate dishes from some truly ter-rible places; emphati-cally below-aver-age restaurants that deserve to be wiped out and should have been, long ago.

And at another level we have the incredibly pompous, stuffy places that revelled in exclu-sion. There’ll be a few less of those in the start line next year.

See my point yet? If you are hard-working, focused on what

the customer wants, striving for quality and keeping your place or places in time with the

market, you will survive and come out of any downturn even more focused and full of expectation for

the future.If, on the other

hand, you believe yourself to be above

or beyond such lowly rules, then watch out, because the recession’s

going to bite a serious chunk out of your bottom line.

So let’s not look upon this downturn as anything more than a large cut-back, a

pruning of our market tree. It’s a clearing-out of the old, unfit and expired, so that the strong and new and adventurous brands can flourish.

Just remember: be brave, be strong and be true!Visit Keane’s website at: www.keanebrands.com

“It seems that no matter what the governments of the time says, we always have a downturn following a period of prosperity — every decade or so. Perhaps it is just another natural cycle, like fashion and fl ares”

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RoundtableSuppliers


Stand deliverMiddle East F&B industry suppliers compare notes with the region’s buyers onthe importance of building relationships, value-for-money and reliable deliveries

“With Horeca Trade, founder Hisham Al Jamil wanted to create a food and beverage distribution company that was different from the 100-plus other food service companies in the UAE.

“The company’s mission is to provide the food service channel with a dynamic, added-value contribution.”Charles Dabdoub, Horeca Trade marketing director

“Wet Fish was incorporated in 2004 and has grown to be one of the best wholesale fish suppliers in Dubai. The business con-tinues to go from strength to strength.” Mark AllanWet Fish managing director

“Coffee Planet is an edgy, sharp alternative giving coffee drinkers exciting new options to their usual coffee experience. We love cof-fee and strive to share this passion.”Matthew Yorke-Smith Coffee Planet operations director

“RRRF-ANGT is a company championing products which are 100% natural and free of preservatives, artificial colours and flavour-ings, such as our key product Nonions.”Ashwin RuchaniNonions marketing manager

“Intagulf is an independent wine and spirit merchant established in 2002. It imports from all the major wine-producing countries from around the world.”Mark RogersIntagulf FZCO managing director

“Galadari Ice Cream Company started op-erations in 1979 and is the exclusive licensee for Baskin Robbins in the Gulf. We have 426 ice cream parlors in the region.”Bhanu Pratap Baskin Robbins country manager — UAE

“Three family generations have dedicated Monin to providing the best syrups to use in drinks. Today, Monin has over 100 flavours, distributed in 115 countries.”Sylvain Dronet Monin sales and marketing director

“The Meat Company is a steakhouse brand. Our executive chef deals with suppliers, but I like to help foster these relationships.” Rob de Villiers The Meat Co and Ribs & Rumps regional operations director

“I deal with all suppliers relevant to the five restaurants and four bars I look after. I primarily deal with F&B, but my scope also expands to anything else that is required.”Oliver Steding Hilton Dubai Jumeirah F&B manager

“I am the main contact for all suppliers and I represent the hotel in all the Dubai Marriot cluster meetings in relation to purchasing matters.”Abraham ThomasRenaissance Dubai purchasing manager

Taking part...

RoundtableSuppliers



Roundtable Suppliers


What are you promoting in the Middle East at the moment?Matthew Yorke-Smith: We will soon be rolling out a number of exciting and funky cafés, kiosks and carts across the country which will serve our signature coffees and a great selection of fresh food. In the food service sector, we will be launching our hotel in-room coffee solution together with retail packs for sale in top supermarkets. Ashwin Ruchani: We are promoting our Nonions sautéed onion paste. This is a new concept and a very new category, so educating people and creating awareness is important.

We have also recently introduced our Sippy range of sweetcorn kernels, especially for the food service industry. Our products are 100% natural and preservative-free.

Charles Dabdoub: Our main brands supplied to the hotel industry are S.Pellegrino Natural Sparkling Water and Acqua Panna Natural Mineral Wa-ter. Another star brand in our portfolio is the Unilever Food Solution range, with brands such as Knorr and Hellmann’s. Recently we have created our own brand, Chefmate, which includes Norwegian smoked salmon and virgin olive oil.

Bhanu Pratap: With an offering of over 1200 flavors, we have a big range of ice creams to suit the diverse tastes of local and ex-pat consumers — and we keep on adding a new flavour every month to enhance our offering. Apart from this, we are focus-ing on ice cream cakes and developing the segment as a new dessert category.

On the retail front, we are opening up new store formats such as the Baskin Robbins Café and Baskin Robbins Express that will offer new and exciting assortment of beverages and ice cream-based products.

Mark Rogers: One of the key developments is the growth of rosé

wine in the region — there has been a lack of quality rosé offerings.

This year there was the introduction of Yering Station ED Rosé and Pink Elephant, a Portuguese blend. There will be more rosés being launched and promoted in 2009.

Mark Allan: We believe that we are only as good as the last order we’ve delivered. As a result, we are constantly striving to maintain our standards of the very highest quality at competitive prices. We deal mostly in chilled and fresh fish and seafood, importing by air two to three times a week so that the customer can continue to offer the best from Europe and the rest of the world. We specialise in cold water European varieties, such as dover sole, halibut, turbot and monkfish.

Sylvain Dronet: During this month’s Gulfood, we’ll be launching a brand new line of purées, Le Fruit de Monin.

This is a range of high quality fruit pu-rées, provinding an easy and profitable solution for creating amazing smoothies and cocktails.

How much business do you do in the Middle East?Yorke-Smith: Our clients include 150 petrol stations throughout the UAE,

through which we sell approximately 50,000 cups of coffee per week. Within the food service sector our clients include Le Méri-dien, Westin and Kempinski Hotels, IKEA, Carrefour, Abu Dhabi

Duty Free, Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Commer-cial Bank.

Ruchani: Our clients are spread across the food service and retail markets.

Dabdoub: In the Middle East we are operating only in the UAE, but our trade customer base exceeds 1000 and is growing by the day. We currently supply more than 90% of the five-star hotels, as well as numerous

restaurant chains, cafés, and catering services.

Pratap: Although our core business is ice cream parlours, we cater

How do you think the global eco-nomic situation will affect business in the region over the coming year?

Yorke-Smith: When Coffee Planet was started some

three years back we implemented extremely robust

business models.

This coupled with the market segment in which we

operate and our blue chip customer base has resulted in

our business holding up to the current credit crisis and we

are not expecting this to change during 2009.

Our growth last year was formidable and though we are

not expecting the same levels in 2009 we are still budget-

ing for signifi cant growth this fi nancial year.

“It is extremely diffi cult ensuring a consistent and regular supply chain here”

The suppliers

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to over 700 supermarkets and 400 hotels in the region — that accounts for 15% of our turnover.

Our target segment is primarily the premium end of the market, be it trade or consumer.

Rogers: As a regional importer, we work with the duty paid distributors and retailers as well as the duty free retailers and airlines across the Middle East.

Allan: Our business is based here in the UAE. We are now beginning to receive firm enquiries from other GCC coun-tries keen to sample our produce on recommendations from sister hotel groups based here. On top of the hotel business, we also sup-ply the airline catering industry and are working with a respected hypermarket chain.

Dronet: The Middle East represents 15% of our global sales. We work mainly with food service chains, coffee shops chains, hotels and bars.

“Positive and lasting supplier relations are of prime importance to operations”

What kind of relationship do you have with your clients?Yorke-Smith: Every single one of our customers is visited regularly and we have key account managers designated

to every single customer. This ensures that we are able to maintain extremely high levels of service.

Dabdoub: Horeca’s commitment to their customers is borne out by the fact that the sales team, which includes three execu-tive chefs, are highly experienced and come from hospitality and culinary backgrounds.

Rather than simply supplying products, Horeca’s sales team is

Ruchani: We are a very optimistic company; there is

always a silver lining to any dark cloud!

In the past, we were telling people that our product

was 100% natural and would save money without any

change in taste — unfortunately only a few would listen

or believe us.

But the current industry mantra is ‘reduce costs without

compromising on quality’.

This is where we come in: we offer potential clients two-

month trials, because that’s when the savings can be seen.

Most of them are willing to try it and once they have seen

their costs actually reducing, there is no looking back.

RoundtableSuppliers


also actively involved in training hotel and restaurant staff in product knowl-edge and the right way of making and serving the product, be it sparkling water, coffee or waffles.

The company engages with its custom-ers on many other levels as well. As a member of the Emirates Culinary Guild, Horeca attends and participates in the monthly guild meeting in order to better understand their needs.

Pratap: On the hotels, restaurants and cafés end we have a very strong and pro-gressive relationship with our customers. They know our product is a premium offering at a competitive price that helps them maintain a consistent quality for their consumers.

Dronet: We emphasise our relationship with our customers through innovation and education; innovation because we every year we bring out new and exciting flavours, based on worldwide trends, and education because we have among the region a team of beverage specialists who help and support all customers if they need exciting beverage recipes.

What are the main challenges of operating in the Middle East F&B industry and how do you deal with such issues?Yorke-Smith: As most of our goods are imported from various corners of the world, it is extremely difficult ensuring a consistent and regular supply chain here.

The only way to deal with this is to hold excess inventory levels, which then obviously impacts working capital requirements, so it is a very fine balance. We have a zero stock out policy on all our product lines, to ensure our customers are never disappointed.

Ruchani: Challenges are a part and parcel of any new concept, be it in the Middle East or the global market. We do face particular challenges regarding educating people and promoting product awareness.

Dabdoub: One of the classic concerns in the industry —

but more so now, with this dramatic shift in the economy

— is the cost element. Restaurateurs and hoteliers are

beginning to re-evaluate the costs of running their kitchen.

Chefs are looking for solutions to guarantee safe, reliable,

consistent and cost effective dishes for the consumer.

At Horeca, we fi nd such solutions and help our partners

to effectively and effi ciently run their kitchen at the same

quality level.

Pratap: We hope to maintain a healthy growth in the region

and have plans to open 45 more stores in 2009. Ice cream

is an indulgent category and consuming it goes beyond

satisfying one’s taste buds, it’s actually a stress reliever.

Historically, we have seen that during market down-turns

and recessions, ice-cream sales tend to grow, as people

look for affordable options to entertain themselves.

Rogers: There may be a need to source alternative

products which have even better value, if the end-user

is looking at cost savings. Prices need to be carefully

calculated, with a balance of margin percentage and cash

margin, so the F&B offering stays competitive, especially

when considering currency fl uctuations that particularly

affect tourists from the United Kingdom and Europe.

To help with this, we ask our clients to do a blind test, where they cook the same meal using onions and Nonions.

Then we get an independent inspector to try the dishes, and it is very difficult to taste any difference between the two.

Another common misconception is that innovative products like ours are very expensive, which is not the case.

Pratap: In the premium hotels there is a growing preference for natural ice creams and at the same time many hotels have started preparing their own. But apart from this we do not face any major challenges.

Rogers: A big challenge for us is the education required, especially regarding the care of wines so that they are stored and handled correctly.

But there have been huge strides taken here in the last 10 years or so, which is probably reflected in the share wine now enjoys in the total beverage mix.

Allan: The main challenge for a fresh food supplier is logistics. If I buy a fish Monday morning, it won’t arrive until Wednesday — how can I guarantee to my client that it’s still good? Of course the answer is fantastic suppliers acting as your eyes on the various markets. Mine are guys that I have known for 20 years whom I, and ultimately my customers, can trust implicitly.

Dronet: Definitely the turnover of staff, lack of education for baristas and the lack of a developed community of bartenders and baristas. In non-alcoholic markets like Saudi Arabia, there is a strong need to create a real beverage industry and to develop education and excitement around drinks.

Once again, our focus is to educate and train people by showing them that they can increase their profit margins with great drinks. The Middle East is not just about juice and water anymore; outlets need to have creative menus and we are here to help them.

“As most of our goods are imported, it is extremely diffi cult ensuring a regular supply chain here”

Ensuring that deliveries are on time is key to good supplier-buyer relationships.



What kind of relationship do you have with your F&B suppliers? Rob de Villiers: We have always believed in fostering good relation-ships and partnerships with our suppliers.

Oliver Steding: Positive and lasting supplier relations are of prime importance for operations. In order to run a business successfully and efficiently, it is imperative for us to forge a good working relationship with our partners.

Abraham Thomas: It is a mutually beneficial partnership, where we are assured that the suppliers give us quality products at fair prices so we can pass on any savings to our guests. To establish this relation-ship, I communicate the hotel’s strategy and vision to ensure that together we work to achieve our objectives.

What are the main challenges when sourcing food and beverage suppliers and how do you deal with such issues when they arise? De Villiers: This specifically relates to our core business, which is beef. We rely on local companies to source this on our behalf; they in turn rely on consolidators from the USA, Australia and South Africa. The challenge therefore is having the export countries understanding our unique needs.

However if problems do arise, our mutual respect within our part-nerships with our suppliers supersedes most issues.

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The buyers

A major challenge for the region’s suppliers is constantly maintaining the delicate balance of stock levels.

RoundtableSuppliers

Steding: The main challenge is not necessarily the cost of their products; it is finding suppliers who can provide us with a good support structure, especially regarding technical and operational equipment, as well as consistency in product deliveries.

In our day-to-day operations, everything has to be clockwork, and we rely heavily on our suppliers for these efficiencies.

In addition to the above we are always facing new or amended legislations here in Dubai — for instance, the HACCP compliance for all five-star properties.

Thomas: The biggest challenge is sourc-ing products that conform to HACCP standards. We have to choose an HACCP certified supplier that can give the best price, ensure the chosen product is available at the quan-tities we need and that the company can deliver on time.

The other challenge is the lack of competitive pricing due to the exclusivity rights that some suppliers in the region enjoy, leading to the monopoly of these products.

Are there any particular prob-lems that arise when dealing with supply companies in this region? De Villiers: Certainly there are issues with high importation costs and a lack of local producers, however as we are fortunate enough to have been trading in the region for some time; we have adapted to and overcome most obstacles.

Steding: Dubai’s exponential growth within the past few years has caused this market to become increasingly unpre-dictable. At times suppliers face issues regarding limited storage capacity or on the other hand can be too conservative with their stock keeping.

Thomas: In my experience, it is a challenge to source imported spare parts in this region, simply due to a lack of availability of such products in the local market.

Imported items that are not available locally not only cause extra expenses but also a delay in getting the delivery.

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Rogers: As an importer, it is the time to focus on the core

business and get the supply chain right, focusing on prod-

ucts which deliver exceptional value and have the chance

to grow across the region.

Allan: All suppliers rely on their customers to pay within

their stipulated credit terms. A lull in tourism will reduce

visitors here, but hopefully that will not infl uence those

clients to slow down their payments.

I don’t believe anyone is immune and Dubai is entering

uncharted waters to some extent. The vital thing is that

the industry continues to work hard to attract visitors and

that those visitors get value for money, especially with their

food and beverage experience.

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Kitted outTHE One


Funky, fresh and full of furniture, the in-store café at THE One Deli in Jumeirah, Dubai, has emerged from its recent redesign with a new look, a new layout and an excitingly diverse menu.

“We’ve introduced organic food and healthy recipes to gear our menu towards a better lifestyle,” explains restaurant manager Daniel Jimenez. “And we’ve reduced the portion sizes to encourage sharing around the table, which makes the experience extremely sociable.”

In addition to the new healthy lifestyle theme, which will eventu-ally be rolled out across all THE One’s in-store outlets, deli staff have gone through additional training to ensure they are well-versed in the café’s ethos and the menu itself.

“We have a training session every time we change the menu regard-ing how to cook and assemble the food, as well as a tasting session with the waiting staff,” says menu designer Marie-Eve Lafrenaye. “I

Have you found THE One?THE One may be best know as a home furnishings retailer, but at one outlet in Dubai the recently renovated in-store deli-café is building its own following. Restaurant manager Daniel Jimenez, menu designer Marie-Eve Lafrenaye and interior designer Sara Mengesha discuss the new concept

Mural This represents the lifestyle that we’re trying to create

here — not just the deli lifestyle but THE One lifestyle.

It’s all about living in one world, where everything’s

harmonious and positive. It also creates a great impact

when you walk in and see all the bright colours.

Private dining area This curtained area is actually very popular; it can be

for two or four, and you’ve got the chandeliers in there

as well, so it’s quite romantic.


Kitted out THE One


then explain why it is healthy, where the recipe comes from, what other dishes to recommend with it and so on.

“Everything here is about passion and enjoyment,” she continues. “If we train our staff to enjoy and understand the food, they can then communicate that to the customer.”

The layout runs along the same lines as the sharing menu, with big tables for groups to sit together.

“The brief for the café’s interior was really to mirror the menu,” explains interior designer Sara Mengesha.

“We’ve used organic raw wood tables from Malaysia and ran with that theme, combining a variety of raw materials like concrete and wood. We’ve also used light colours — a huge contrast to the old café which really looked quite gothic, with lots of black. That was

nice at the time, but we really wanted to do something completely dif-ferent with this,” she explains. “The layout is also different: the café section comes out into the store and mixes in, so you can actually sit and eat in the store area as well if you want, which makes it feel very relaxed and open.”

Being part of a major retail outlet does not seem to have done THE One Deli any harm — the outlet’s events catering business has “really taken off over the past six months”, notes Jimenez.

“Having the name behind us does help,” he admits. “But it’s getting visitors in its own right now, not just people coming to buy furniture. I think people like the fact that they come to to shop and can also enjoy some decent food at the same time.”

“We’ve reduced the portion sizes to encourage sharing around the table”

Food counters

There is very much a deli-style atmosphere here;

people don’t have to sit down to eat, they can come

and have a look at all the dishes we have on offer that

day, then make their choices and have it as a take

away. We even do delivery for local addresses.

Fresh herbs

This is another nice touch — fresh herbs, positioned

all over the café, on the counter and on the tables.

It creates a great impression if you can see someone

preparing your food and they actually pick fresh herbs

off a real plant and garnish the dish; it emphasises the

natural theme running though our whole menu.

Industry insightGulfood: organiser interview


Gulfood project manager Goli Vossough talks to Caterer Middle East about what to expect from this year’s hotly-anticipated exhibition

On the menu at

Looking back at Gulfood 2008, how successful was the event?We were very pleased with the response to last year’s exhibition. This was thanks to the highest number of trade visitors to the show — nearly 40,000 people attended. In addi-tion to the strong presence we experienced from the Middle East, there were also trade delegations from Canada, Egypt, France, Greenland, Iraq, Nigeria, Romania, Thai-land, Vietnam, the UK and the USA.

What will be the highlights of Gulfood 2009?This year there will be four exciting days of dedicated events, including the co-lo-cated Ingredients Middle East exhibition, Restaurant and Café Middle East, Emirates International Salon Culinaire, the renowned Dubai International Food and Safety Con-ference and a comprehensive programme for the beverage industry.

In bringing together the food and hospital-ity industry, including Restaurant and Café Middle East, with the more industrial components such as ingredients, packag-

ing, processing and labelling, the events will form the definitive trade platform and deliver a unique global offering.

What improvements or changes have been made to this year’s show?Following the success of last year’s exhibi-tion, Gulfood 2009 is expanding to become the largest trade event of any kind ever held in the Middle East. The show will take place over 80,000 square metres, occupying the entire available space within Dubai Inter-national Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), and also taking place within the additional venue at Airport Expo Dubai, creating a mega-exhibition.

For the first year Gulfood will also be co-located with Ingredients Middle East, an exhibition which caters for suppliers of raw material and ingre-dients for food, beverages, and health food being held at Airport Expo Dubai.

The expansion of Gulfood will provide the space necessary to accom-modate the hundreds of international companies who are currently on the wait-

ing list; due to the additional venue at Airport Expo Dubai, Gulfood has been able to welcome various new country pavilions such as Afghanistan, China, Egypt, India, Korea, Pakistan and South Africa.

What is the interest level for this year’s show? We are sold out for this year despite increas-ing the total floor space. Gulfood 2009 will welcome over 3300 international companieskeen to build up the region’s reputation as

an important

Gulfood 2009

“The events will form the defi nitive trade platform and deliver a unique global offering”


Industry insightGulfood: organiser interview

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trading hub. With over 90% of food items in the GCC imported, new opportunities for producers and distributors are extensive and this growing market has attracted 80 government sponsored country pavilions, as well as representation from trade bodies and export associations

What are the highlights of the food safety conference?The fourth Dubai International Food Safety Conference, organised by Dubai Municipality and supported by the Ministry of Environment and Water in UAE, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), UAE University, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), will be a unique meeting that will provide numerous opportunities to exchange knowledge in different areas, between scientists as well as international policy and regulatory decision makers.

The three-day conference will be held from February 24-26 and will comprise of five plenary sessions on the main theme, ‘Food Safety in Light of Food Security’, and eight symposia on different topics, as well as poster sessions and technical ses-

sions. Three pre-conference workshops will complement the main conference, making this one of the most comprehensive meet-ings on food safety in the region.

What can we expect from the Salon Culinaire this year?The Emirates Salon Culinaire 2009 — or-ganised by the Emirates Culinary Guild, the UAE’s association of professional chefs — is a four-day culinary extravaganza that includes seminars, competitions, and dem-onstrations for chefs. Professional chefs from the UAE hospitality and food industry will compete against each other to highlight the service and food con-cepts currently prevalent within the region.

Special trophies will be awarded to indi-viduals who have attained excellence at the competition in their particular field, such as gastronomy, bakery and artistic — plus a new award this year designed to encourage the development of Arabic cuisine.

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Industry insightGulfood preview


FoodFood giantgiant

As various international exhibitors perfect products and polish pitches in an effort to stand out from the masses, Caterer Middle East brings you a taster of what to expect from the region’s biggest ever trade show: Gulfood 2009





It’s that time of year again — all F&B indus-try eyes are on the UAE as Dubai prepares it-self for the high point of the Middle Eastern

food and beverage trade show calendar: Gulfood.Since its inception in 1987, the show has grown

exponentially in size and standing, becoming a rite of passage for suppliers, distributors, outlets and chefs who want to make it in the region.

However this year, the established exhibition faces it greatest challenge ever.

Gulfood 2009 will be the largest trade event of any kind ever held in the Middle East, cover-ing around 80,000m² and hosting over 3000 companies. Quite a feat for organisers — and for exhibitors as well, who will be pushing out all the stops to ensure they stand out from the vast crowd.

Multiple choiceThis year’s exhibitor list for the show is vast, covering a huge range of nationalities and every F&B field imaginable.

Although this almost certainly means stiff competition for visitor attention, the exhibiting com-panies remain undaunted — and with every company boasting new product launches, exciting announcements and special promotions, it looks like it will be a food fight to the death.

Emirates Snack Foods has participated for several years at the Gulfood.

“This year we will again work with the novel concept that we successfully introduced last year,

whereby we will be presenting our products in a real gourmet restaurant and bar, built right next to the Salon Culinaire,” says corporate chef and food service sales manager Soufiane Raji. “Here

we will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, prepared fresh on our stand by our company’s chefs.”

Global franchise Chipstix will be offering visitors their freshly-fried potato products seasoned with a choice of salt flavours.

“Though we are not currently introducing any new product line to the Chipstix range, we have in-troduced a new salt flavour called

Butter, increasing our total flavours to 18,” ex-plains Chipstix Middle East business developer Lourize Odendaal, who believes the novelty of this innovative snack food will win over clients.

Claw Island Foods, a processor and packer of Maine lobster, crab and shrimp, is introducing its range to the region, offering Maine lobster and Jonah crab claws.

Italian firm LA Organic will entice visitors with its top quality Andalusian organic olive oils and balsamic vinegars, while Kuwaiti company Honest General Trading Co will feature a range of products including Indian pickles, poppad-ums, chutneys and pastes.

Traditional Singaporean food supplier Singafood Group will be promot-

ing three brands at Gulfood: Bee Globe, King Ocean and Leo Satay. The company will also introduce two new items: the North Indian chicken kebab and Japanese mochi.

“We believe our satay and

“We will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, prepared fresh on our stand”

Gulfood previewIndustry insight


Dadaux will be promoting its new Major Slice meat slicer at Gulfood.

Mama Africa’s range of Hot Sauces and Relishes, which the South African Consulate and Department of Trade and Industry will display at Gulfood.

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shark fin soup will be the main attrac-tion,” comments sales and marketing executive Richard Tan.

Halal-certified French export company Horizons is launching various products, including vegetable pastas and its inno-vative Ocean Pearl product — beads of jellied seaweed with a liquid centre.

With Spanish institutions IPEX and ICEX organising subsidised Spanish participation in Gulfood, dairy product specialist Lacteos Indsutriales Agrupa-dos will be exhibiting for the first time, promoting its redesigned product Ken Presto, a vegetable cream.

Another first-time exhibitor is Austra-lian company Coopers Malt, which will be showcasing various malt extractsand malt-related products.

Fellow Australian exhibitor Original Cereal Company, developed by John Downes — one of Australia’s premier artisan bakers and foremost wholefood specialists — will also be present, promoting healthy cereal and cereal bars.

But visitors with a sweet tooth will not be disappointed either.

Monbana, founded by master chocolat-ier Louis Guattari in 1934, will introduce

new lines including The Cube and chocolate bonbons, while the Alliance Chocolate Manufacturing Company, a privately owned producer of quality chocolate using cocoa liquor from West Africa

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Predicted trends: Time-savers“The ‘grab and go’ philosophy is a big trend in

foodservice, as consumers are more time-pressed than

ever before.”

Debby Kopczynski, director — international sales, Hatco

Corporation,

“Due to increasingly demanding schedules, more and

more consumers are looking towards foods that offer

convenience. This includes easy-to-prepare foods that

are purchased in retail outlets as well as foods pur-

chased at quick-service restaurants. As a result, we are

seeing signifi cant interest in products such as burgers,

chicken nuggets, chicken popcorn, meatballs, shwarma

and koftas.

Michael Huijsmans, sales manager, Formax Inc

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and South America, will display products including chocolate-covered dates.

Fourth-time exhibitor IPSA, an Ital-ian firm, is launching a new formula of UHT vegetable cream for whipping with sugar to create professional, long-lasting sweet decorations.

Bakery products manufacturer Antonelli Group is to launch a new line without sugar, reveals the company’s Laura Guerrini.

Similarly, Lapasion Internacional, also a supplier of pastry and bakery products, will present a range of alter-native sugar-free products alongside new versions of its traditional Borrachi-tos, Borrachos and Bombonchitos.

Another innovation comes from Asia Farm F&B, introducing its Creamy Ice Pop to the region — an ice cream-like product which does not require freezing during storage, shipping or displaying,

but only when about to be consumed.

Beverages are also set to be a hot topic, with Spanish company Grupo Medios Personales launching a new liquid coffee concentrate at the show.

Coffee Planet will also be on hand, “introducing the future of Coffee retail, a step ahead of the stale and tired existing coffee retail model currently used by every other coffee brand,” says business development director Robert Jones.

“This will include the brand new Coffee Planet kiosk and cart — and there will be opportunities to franchise these concepts.”

The variety of tableware on display at this year’s show is set to impress, with Italian firm Vetreria di Borgonovo introducing a new line of stemware and promoting its existing collection of pressed glass, and Reem Asia Trading launching new collections in fine bone china, flatware and buffetware products.

Meanwhile French company Solia will launch a new range of gold and silver mini dishes, along with lunch tray con-cept Odyssee, and the new Sph’air and Fluid’ plate collections.

Bahraja Trading has exhibited at Gulfood for over ten years, and returns once again with its impressive array of tableware ranges.

“This year, we will be launching an exciting new line from Turkey, Kiliza Copper Art, which uses a lot of copper, brass and stainless steel,” reveals chair-man Paresh Shah.

The world’s second-largest glass manu-facturer Libbey Inc is exhibiting for its second time. “We are returning because we believe there is great growth potential in the Middle East,” explains interna-

tional Sales Manager Guy Salloum.Meanwhile, first-time exhibitor Dalebrook Supplies will be dem-

onstrating an innovative RFID-enabled melamine product range.“RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is our new and

exciting automatic identification method relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using RFID tags,” explains export sales manager Kiki Hodges.

Special promotions“We will be giving away samples of our speciality oils in

sachets, including our Garlic Oil; Ginger Oil; Chives Oil;

Szechuan Pepper Oil; Chili Oil; Spicy Sesame Oil and of

course Pure Sesame Oil.”

Lim Kay Kheng, sales and marketing manager, Chee Seng

Oil Factory

“We will be distributing paring knives to visitors at our

stand. These are made in Switzerland and their cut is

laser-tested. Everyone who tests a Victorinox pairing

knife is a returning customer, guaranteed.”

Alain Hospenthal, international sales manager, Victorinox

“We will introduce our Artemide range of trolleys and a

line of buffetware called Eros. We are offering a special

promotion for the dealer who buys all the exhibited

samples — a crazy discount!”

Federica Lacerenza, Rocam Relly

“We propose special offer for the direct sale of our

ex-trade show devices. Furthermore we offer special

conditions for bulk buys.”

Janet Güttich, export sales, Bohner Produktions

“We will be offering 5% discount off our standard

international price list terms.”

Isa Malaika, export manager, Gulf Food Products

“We have a great show discount, with 20% off orders

placed at the show.”

Peter Hatter, managing director, Black Rock Grill

“On the stand will be our Roastmaster, who will be

giving demonstrations and teaching what to look for

in a good cup of coffee — obviously ours — which is

roasted by him in our very own facility in Dubai.”

Robert Jones, business development director,

Coffee Planet

The Mas Portell range of infused and citric oils from Grup Pons.

The Serv-Rite Buffet Warmer from Hatco.



“Until now, these tags have been applied to the underneath of tableware. Dalebrook has taken this technology to a new level by hiding the tag within the product during the manufacturing process, making it totally invisible and much more robust as far as wear and tear.

“RFID will monitor product freshness allowing you to adjust holding times and will alert the chef when an inven-tory is running low,” Hodges adds.

The equipment section is also well kitted out, with a variety of new launches from around the world.

Kitchen equipment supplies company Palux will launch its custom cooking solution, the Palux Mai-tre, while cooking solutions provider Tecnoinox will be showcasing its TECNO90 series, a professional modular cooking line for big hotels and restaurants.

Sancassiano, an Italian specialist in baking solu-tions, will experience the show as an exhibitor for the first time after being impressed as a visitor to last year’s Gulfood.

Meanwhile baking equipment manufacturer Silikomart is launch-ing a new collection of 60x40 trays and a range of silicone moulds that can be used in all kind sweet and salt creations.

Al Bayader International, which has been taking part at Gulfood since the early nineties, will launch a new range of products manu-

factured in Qatar, including the latest variety of absorbent foam (EPS) trays available in different colors and sizes.

Food Freshly AFC is introducing its 3PPP concept: using pre-sa-nitising, preservation and packaging to extend shelf-life of fresh-cut convenience products, while Integrated Packaging Systems (IPS) will present new brands from Japan — Fuso-Nasa, an expert in tea

packaging, especially for high-end packaging; and Takasago, a leading company in the flavours and fragrance industry.

Others are looking to build on existing reputations.Name-badge manufacturer Corporate Insignia

Limited has had great success in the past at Gulfood. “We offer a fantastic looking product, coupled with the fact that you can

add and change names as required, which makes it a fantastic offering,” points out general manager Gary Mil-lerick. “Compare it to a cheaper, plas-tic badge which you need to replace every time staff turnover occurs — it makes good economic sense.”

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“We are returning because we believe there is great growth potential in the Middle East”

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La Marquise International will be launching three new brands this year, with sole dis-tribution rights in the region, says Ali Shafqat, in charge of business development — a range of chillers and freezers; a range of almonds; and a non-alcoholic malt beverage line.

The various country-focused stands are always a big draw for visitors and this year’s offerings promise to surpass expectations.

The Trade Commission of Chile will bring 10 companies, exhibiting products including seafood, vegetables, pulps, concentrates, fresh fruit and frozen fruit.

“There is an increasing num-ber of Chilean companies inter-ested in the GCC and Middle East markets,” comments Trade Commission of Chile consul Jean-Paul Tarud-Kuborn. “Our task…is to support them in bringing their products to this market and and to help them find appropriate partners.”

The Austrian Federal Eco-nomic Chamber — Austrian Trade will present a stand com-prising 20 Austrian companies across two stands, in the equip-ment and food pavilions.

Sopexa, the French food marketing board for the Middle East is handling the French presence, this year boasting 64 exhibitors on the 741 square meter French pavilion, bring-ing together an excellent selection of high quality

food items including cheese, seafood, chocolate and various delicatessen products.

Why Gulfood?For some companies, Gulfood has been a key marketing tool right from its inception, as United Food Industries Cor-poration export and product development manager George Garcia explains. “Gulfood is of the highest importance in our exhibition list, being in the same region where we originate and absolutely belong,” he says. “We are proud to showcase our company and products being 100% GCC produce.”

Gulf Food Industries (GFI), a member of Kuwait Food

“The main incentives for us are the opportunities for exposure, meeting with suppliers andboosting branding”


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Company and a major player in the pro-duction of canned food, boasting brands such as California Garden and Mazraa, is also a long-term Gulfood exhibitor.

“The main incentives for us are the opportunities for exposure, meeting with suppliers and boosting branding,” says California Garden marketing coordina-tor Ahmed Al Hamamsy.

Cooking solutions provider Convo-therm Elektrogeräte is looking to make contact with the end-user, explains mar-keting manager Claudia Bußmann.

“As we have already demonstrated through our co-operation with the Emirates Culinary Guild, we intend to get in touch with the end users, i.e. the chefs. For this purpose, Gulfood is very important,” she comments.

Of course, the show is also a prime opportunity to demonstrate progress and unique products.

Frozen gourmet desserts supplier Sweet Street Desserts comes to the show for the third time, this year boasting “a bigger booth and a much greater selec-tion of products”, assures business de-velopment director Europe and Middle East Yannis Toutziaridis.

Desserts on display will include the new ‘Pipables’ range — a selection of six different flavours of ready-to-serve frozen mousses.

There are also significant develop-ments in the equipment arena. Turn-key restaurant equipment provider AMI Restaurant Equipment is opening new offices in Dubai, Bahrain and Riyadh during the first half of 2009.

“This year, we are focusing on our technical services division offering design, installation and after-sales services for complete restaurant equipment packages,” says president Victor McGrady.

Heat and Control, which makes processing and packaging systems for french fries, vegetables, meat, industrial and commercial prod-ucts, is launching an updated product handling system and energy efficient processing equipment — and taking an unusual approach.

“This year we will not exhibit equipment,” reveals marketing executive Lisa Johnston. “Instead we will have extensive videos and

presentations — specific to Gulfood and the Middle Eastern market — displayed on audio-visual systems.”

Other exhibitors have learned from past experiences and bided their time; for example, Lapasion Internacional returns to the show after an absence of several years.

“We came to Gulfood once before, in 1990, and on that occasion it was difficult because we were not prepared to sell [in the region]. Now we are ready technically and professionally and that is the reason we have come again,” explains marketing manager Ernesto del Rio Bayonesta.

Veteran exhibitors know the benefits of appearing at the show — but what convinced the new arrivals to exhibit?

One new company to the show is oven and combi-steamer producer Weisheu. “We heard that Gulfood was the most important show in the Middle East, and we are looking for contacts in that part of the world,” explains director of international sales Patrik Hogh.

French firm Chancerelle International, a provider of high-quality MSC-certi-fied canned fish, is also a newcomer. “In 2008, we began a partnership with a company in Dubai and had a chance to supply different multiples in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Dubai. The exhibition is an opportunity for us to meet our partner and our customers and to adapt our offering,” says export manager Richard Barbé.

Juan Luis Galván, export manager from cheese producer Consorcio de Jabugo (Quesos Canal), says that from

an international point of view “the Middle Eastern market is one of the most interesting to expand into”.

But it is also an extremely competitive market, as tea producer Alokozay International is well aware.

“We have been trying to get a stand for a couple of years but we could not,” says business development executive Zeena Singh. “Fortunately this year we got a stand to exhibit. We believe that Gulfood will give us immense exposure to our company and its products in the world market.”

Predicted trends: Health“After two years of investigation, Internacional Olivarera

(InterOliva) has developed a unique olive product in the

market at the moment, with less than 0.12% sodium,

meeting EC regulation 1924/2006 for Low Sodium

Foodstuffs. Being a typical Mediterranean, healthy food,

olive consumption in growing up every year.”

Jose Manuel Ruiz, sales manager, InterOliva

“Organic products will become more important in the

future. Soya drinks will be consumed more and more

rather than milk products.”

Franz Ernstbrunner, project director, The Austrian Federal

Economic Chamber — Austrian Trade

“We see more demand for sugar-free products, organic

products and healthy food products.”

Corry de Wit, managing director — European Offi ce and

activity manager — Gulfood, Southern United States Trade

Association (SUSTA)

“Food’s role in maintaining health is better understood

than ever, while health needs are seen as more and

more important.”

S H Siadat, general manager, Baqer Mohebi Establishment

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Alimentary ambitionsNaturally, at such a large show, there are a multitude of guest expectations and exhibitor ambitions flying around.

Dalebrook concept manager Martin Chudleigh says the company’s aim is “to gain a better under-standing of the needs of the Ho-ReCa sector in the Gulf markets and generate valuable contacts”.

The Centrale Marketing-Ge-sellschaft der Deutschen Agrar-wirtschaft (Central Marketing Organisation of German Agricul-tural Industries, or CMA) will provide a joint stand for 25 German firms.

“Our exporters want to get in contact with decision makers,” says senior manager — non-EU markets Dr Tim Schäfer.

Energy drink producer X35 Energy returns to Gulfood is returning in the wake of “an over-whelming response” last year, says the firm’s Shireen Abdul Karim.

“Last year, X35 Energy signed 10 new international distribu-tion agreements. This year we are planning to launch a unique product called Diamond Ice — a non-alcoholic vodka.

“We hope that exhibiting this year will help the company with its goal of distributing in 35 coun-tries in the first three to five years, a goal taken from the name of our product,” Karim explains.

Many companies will of course be looking for distributors in the region, as Chinatown Food Corporation managing director

Sunny Koh explains.The company hopes to catch a

distributor’s eye with its new products,

including toaster flat breads, fresh frozen sesame balls and microwavable rice balls.

“We had a distributor who im-ported our Roti Prata, but we stop exporting because of the growing

number of cheap imports from India and local manufacturers,” says Koh.

One obvious advantage, for all exhibitors, is the exposure and the opportunity to

promote the brand itself, as well as new and existing products.

At Unilever Foodsolutions, a firm specialising in sauces, dressings and bouillons, mar-keting officer Necip Camcigil explains: “We want the industry to become more familiar with our company, our people, our products and services.”

Another company looking to boost the brand is San Pellegrino, who for the first time will have its own stand at the exhibition, reveals area manager — MENA and Russia Sandra Husseini.

“San Pellegrino always partici-pated in Gulfood exhibition with the UAE foodservice distributor Horeca Trade, then last year the participation was with Nestlé

“This year we are

planning to launch a

unique product called

Diamond Ice — a non-

alcoholic vodka”

Crisps from United Food Industries.


Water’s stand,” Husseini notes. “But [The company’s] participation this year is in order to reposition ourselves as the leaders in the market with the best pre-mium still and sparkling Italian water.”

The Expat Deli, an online directory dedicated to fine foods and beverages, may be another first timer exhibitor, but it still has ambitious hopes for the show.

“We launched our concept at Fine Food Melbourne in September 2008 and since that time we have been developing our site to include a broader range of products and services,” ex-plains director Kath Sutherland. “The time is right for us to now enter the international market and Gulfood will be our platform.

“The Expat Deli has a clear and dedi-cated plan,” she adds. “To become the world’s most dynamic and frequently-used internet hub, servicing the fine food and hospitality industries.”

Competitive spiritThere is no doubt this year’s show will be an impressive affair, bigger and bold-er than anything that has gone before.

However the scale of the show means organisers will have a monu-mental task on their hands to keep things running smoothly. Similarly, the size may not help all exhibitors; the volume of companies, products and special announcements may drown out smaller efforts.

On the other hand, this show has the potential to be better than ever and could provide a major business boost for those involved — no mean feat during times like this (economically speaking).

Ultimately, at 2009’s Gulfood, the proof will be in the pudding.

See next month’s Caterer Middle East for a comprehensive round-up of top show news and products.

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Predicted trends: Unique Style“Today’s customers are looking for unique products,

but buyers are now more concerned about a product’s

longevity rather than just the ‘wow’ factor”.

Ranjan Salis, director, Renarte Hospitality Supplies

“High-tech performances, beauty and practicality are

the three most important market trends we are seeing.”

Domenico Salari, commercial director, Clabogroup

Jars of olives from InterOliva, which will be promoting its ranges at this year’s show.


GulfoodPartner shows


Restaurant and Café Middle EastThis is an exhibition for those involved in the set up and design of new F&B outlets. With interior designers, contract furnish-ing suppliers and tableware manufacturers all exhibiting their services and products, it is a showcase for the operational supply chain involved in every stage of outlet development.

“The significant rise in the number of restaurants and indepen-dent outlets that have opened in the last two years alone — and those that are due to open — highlights the need for such a sourced target platform,” explained DWTC’s Loh.

This trade-only exhibition takes place in Hall 1 of the Dubai International Convention Centre from February 23-24.

International Food Safety ConferenceFocusing on the theme of ‘food safety in light of food secu-rity’, this two-day conference will look at sector-specific issues through a series of technical sessions, workshops and several symposia. This annual conference will host a selection of speak-ers, who will discuss issues such as food wastage and hygiene.

Khalid Sharif Al Awadhi, director of the food control depart-ment and chairman of the organising committee of DIFSC, Dubai Municipality, said: “Food safety is receiving heightened attention worldwide as the links between food and health are increasingly recognised.

Ingredients Middle EastFor the first time Gulfood will take place across two venues with Ingredients Middle East being held in the Airport Expo Dubai Centre. This specialist show focuses on the ingredients behind ev-eryday food products and will showcase companies from across the globe. It will also give suppliers a chance to meet the companies behind the ingredients used in processing and manufacturing food and beverage products.

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) senior vice president, exhibitions and events management Trixee Loh said: “Bringing Gulfood and Ingredients Middle East together provides an all inclusive offering for covering every aspect of the food industry in the Middle East.”

As Dubai gears up for Gulfood fun, Caterer assesses the shows running alongside the

region’s premier food and hospitality event and considers what they will bring to the mixA feast of exhibitions

Beverage Opportunity Workshop hosted by Zenith International Held on February 25 in Ajman D room at the Dubai Interna-tional Convention and Exhibition Centre, this year’s Beverage Opportunity Workshop aims to address current challenges facing the industry. The day includes briefings on innovation, beverage trends and opportunities across the region, alongside a series of workshops. Zenith International regional manager Sam Shammas said: “Newer [beverage] categories are gaining in strength and although the economic climate is increasingly challenging, we still expect to see added-value products break-ing through.” He added that the workshops would give partici-pants a “valuable insight into future beverage developments”.

Head office & Factory 16190 MONTMOREAU - France www.tiffon-sa.com E-MAIL : [email protected]

Founded in 1972, we first specialized totally in the manufacture of equip-ment for retail food sales. Our specialist knowledge and skills have been confirmed by numerous patents and we are now widely recognized as a leader in our three prime areas:

• refrigerated pulsed-cold mincers with automatic wrapping

• all types of rotisseries, particularly our multifunction panoramic verti-cal-roast range (Gyrogrill)

• pulsed-air ovens (Gyrofour)

Using our knowledge base and taking advantage of our special relation-ships with our customers, Tiffon expanded into total concepts for hot food retail outlets, to meet the requirements of new food consumption habits (takeaways, sandwich bars, snack bars, rotisseries, theme restau-rants, etc.)

Authorised Distributor: Technical Supplies & Servies Company L.L.C.P.O.Box 69, Dubai, UAE • Telephone: +971 4 3431100 • Facsimile: +971 4 3438226 • email: [email protected] • web: www.tsscdubai.comLeaders in Turnkey Solutions For Commercial Kitchen & Laundry Equipment...


ProductsGulfood


Chancerelle InternationalAmong Chancerelle’s range of canned fish is the ever-popular albacore tuna. The

fish is line-caught, canned in olive oil and is MSC-certified, meaning the stock of fish is large enough to ensure the impact on the environment is minimal.

Concept General Trading Tel: +971 6 747 9745Fax: +971 6 747 9746

Le CubeThe latest innovation from chocolatier Monbana, the chocolate cube, is a trendy deco-rative concept to delight guests.

The chocolate cube comes in a box with 90 individually-wrapped neapolitans in six different flavours: Milk-Cereals, Milk-Caramel, Dark Nougat, Dark-70%, Dark Orange and White Lemon.

Designed to be placed on a coffee table, it also works as a novel offering in a hotel or restaurant bar.

Monbana Chocolatier SATel: +33 2 4305 4248Email: [email protected]: www.monbana.fr

Gulfoodproducts

BridorThe company’s selection of mini-Gourman-dises includes four products: the mini pain au chocolat-style pastry, with the traditional chocolate replaced by sweet cream; the mini roulé with a cream and cinnamon filling; the mini torsade with cranberries; and the mini torsade with chocolate. These are available in large (90g-100 g) or small (30g-40g) sizes.

Bridor Tel: +33 2 9900 1167Web: www.bridor.com

ProductsGulfood

Extra crispy, extra delicious!

DemarleFrench firm Demarle has developed a material combining fibre-glass and food-safe silicone called Flexipan, making it possible to produce revolutionary flexible moulds for the catering trade. Its texture makes it remarkably sturdy and durable.

Demarle SASTel: +33 3 2058 8384Web: www.demarle.com

Solia’s new line of containers for bakers and pastry chefs offer a trendy single-portion concept.

These individual containers, half way between mini dishes and dessert dishes, provide an ideal weight base for retailing. They are also made with polystyrene, meaning that the risk of breakages while stocking and transporting are considerably reduced.

The Tube and Cube products are sold separately.

Greenhouse SupermarketTel: +971 2 642 6134Email: [email protected]

Tube and Cube

ProductsGulfood

ProductsGulfood


Marco Beverage Systems LtdShire House, Strixton ManorStrixton, Wellingborough,Northants, NN29 7PA.

Telephone: 01933 666 488Fax: 01933 666 968email: [email protected]

FILTER COFFEEBREWERS &WATER BOILERS

See us at GulfoodZabeel Hall

UK-CESA PavilionStand ZC-107

MBItalian company MB manufactures metal and aluminium chairs, tables, bar stools, benches and sofas for a range of outlets and events venues. The firm’s 150 differ-ent models are available in more than 10 frame colours and 50 fabrics.

At Gulfood, MB will introduce three new ranges — the distinctive Valentina armchair [pic-tured], the Candy range of sofas and transparent methacrylate chairs Eva and Cross, designed in trendy chromatic colours.

MB SpATel: +39 5 4169 9811Email: [email protected]

Afi cionado The Aficionado stemware collection from Libbey offers style, durability and value.Three new glasses have been added to the Aficionado range, which is part of Libbey’s Wine Master Collection.

Libbey IncTel: +1 514 696 7309Email: [email protected] Web: www.libbey.com

QuickafeThis new system combines a liquid coffee bean extract with an innovative machine to supply quality coffee, quickly. The product

contains no additives or preservatives.

GM Quickafe SL Tel: +34 9 4831 6402Email: [email protected]: www.quickafe.com

Count on NEW products from CAMBROto help conserve valuable resources.SPACE SAVERSHigh Density Camshelving®

FOOD SAVERSSquare Seal Covers forPolycarbonate CamSquares®

MONEY SAVERSPizza Dough Boxes

LABOR SAVERSColander PansCamrack® Glass FillerVersa Dish Caddies

SPACESAVERS

LABORSAVERS

LABORSAVERS

LABORSAVERS

FOODSAVERS

MONEYSAVERS

© 2009 Cambro Manufacturing CompanyFor more information, please contact our Cambro Regional Office:

CAMBRO MIDDLE EASTDubai, United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 50 45 98 246Email: [email protected]

Ingredient focusBakery and pastry


Pastries and bakery items have been an in-tegral part of the human diet for millennia and the Gulf region has played a significant role in the evolution of such products.Arabic baked goods such as manaqeesh, fatayer and various flatbreads remain popular, but the rise of western-style super-markets and resorts has resulted in a rapid influx of alternatives.

Menu essential Executive pastry chef at Atlan-tis, The Palm Philippe Mor-belli (below) be-lieves pastries and breads are essential

everyday products.“Being French I think bread is an essen-

tial part of a meal,” he comments.“Pastries are also very important, but at

the end of the day they are more of a show-case for the hotel.”

Morbelli’s colleague at the Atlantis resort, chief baker Matthieu Thebert, adds: “Our hotel is huge and each restaurant has its own particular recipes for bread, all of

which are made on site and range in style from Italian to French.

“When the hotel is full we have 3700 guest to serve at

breakfast — that means there are a lot of croissants and a lot of

bread to serve.” Executive pastry chef at The Mon-

arch Dubai, Renate Bruckner, claims demand for healthier items is growing

across the region.“The demand for health-conscious pastry

products has grown here over the last few years,” Bruckner notes.

The pastry expert points out diabetic-friendly sugar-free pastries and allergy-aware items, which exclude nuts and gluten, are also on the rise.

“There is a very high demand for crois-sants, mainly outside the hotel in the sur-rounding office towers; traditional products are also very important, but the demand for healthy products is definitely growing and not just in Dubai,” she adds.

Operations manager at Dubai-based ABC Baking, Amer Abu Salem, says that Arabic

The variety of bread and pastry products available in the Middle East has explodedin recent years due to an increase in both consumer demand and the number of qualified chefs. Ben Watts speaks to some of the region’s bread and pastry players

The cut and crust

“When the hotel is full we have 3700 guest to serve — that means a lot of

croissants and a lot of bread”Matthieu Thebert, chief baker, Atlantis, The Palm


European-style pastries have become a popular treat in luxury

hotels across the region due to an infl ux of tourists and ex-pats




varieties remain popular across the region.“Arabic bread is big business across the

region — the most popular being Lebanese and Pita varieties,” Salem explains.

“Arabic sweets are also very diverse and tend to be very popular during Arab or Islamic feasts, peeking during the holy month of Ramadan.

“They are very sweet and rich in ghee and fat, which is perhaps why people try very hard to avoid them during the rest of the year,” he adds.

Growing qualityThe Monarch’s Bruckner believes that the region’s baked offerings are “defi-nitely improving”.

“The Middle East, Dubai in particular, has some very good pastry chefs; there are people coming together from all over the world and everyone in the city gives their input,” she notes.

“You get a lot of ideas and I think Dubai and Middle Eastern countries benefits from this cultural mix.”

However Atlantis’ Morbelli sug-gests too many cultures in one place could have a negative effect on the quality of pastry

and bakery products. “As trends change and demand and com-

petition grow you really need to find new ideas,” he points out.

“I think we really need to go back to the basics — in Dubai there is too much training and influences coming from different countries and I think identities are being mixed and becoming loose.”

But Morbelli admits that the quality of traditional local bakery and pastry items has improved in recent times.

“I’ve lived in the region before — I moved away and returned to standards that have definitely in-

creased,” he says.

Variety overloadABC Baking’s Salem notes that the region’s offerings today are extremely wide-ranging.

“Bakery products can be extremely versatile as an ingredient and there are an

infinite number of varieties,” he says.“Savoury and sweet snacks like puffs

can be fried, baked, steamed, baked then fried or baked then baked.

“Bakery products can be eaten at breakfast or as a snack, at lunch or

even at dinner,” adds Salam. He suggests the most popular bakery

and pastry products available across the GCC can be divided into four main catego-ries summarising their ethnic backgrounds.

“Firstly there are Arabic flatbreads, which differ in shape and size from one country to the other, while Arabic sweets are certainly

sweeter and on the heavy side of pastry offerings — they include a lot of nuts and sometimes dairy products,” he explains.

“Then the Asian sub-continent provides a lot of flatbreads that are formulated differ-ently. They are can

be fried, spicy, or filled. On the pastry side we


The Monarch Cake (left), and Atlantis, The Palm

chief baker, Matthieu Thebert (right).



find a lot of sweetness and the inclusion of Asian spices.

“American breads which we tend to call soft breads are also very prominent across the region. There is not a lot of imagination put into these types of breads; however on the pastry side we can find a little more in-ventiveness in muffins, donuts and cookies.

“European style breads are a relatively recent introduction to the region. They tend to be on the hard and crusty side of the spec-trum, however the bakery sector is extremely diverse. When it comes to European pastries the list is endless,” he explains.

Doughy diffi culties?Fears that the global credit crisis will impair the quality of bakery and pastry products across the region’s luxury sector have yet to make a serious impact.

The Atlantis’ Morbelli comments: “[The economic crisis] is not a concern at the moment and if things remain the same it will be fine — however most of our raw products come from Europe and if it hits us we may not be able to afford the ingredients we require, such as the flour from France.

“We aim to focus on the quality of the product, but we also need to consider our margins at the end of the day,” he adds.

The Monarch’s Bruckner is more concerned about the logistical chal-lenges facing her pastry kitchen.

“Sometimes there’s a shortage of items and you have to order in advance more often

than you would in other countries, such as those in Europe,” she says.

Atlantis’ Mor-belli agrees. “One of the hardest jobs is to bring in the right flour from France and to get the right products to each outlet.”

Pastry chef Bruckner is however, con-cerned that some the Monarch’s guests are missing that all important sweet-tooth.

“As a business hotel we have a lot of male customers who don’t eat too many sweets,

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Please visit us, Zabeel Hall ZF-101 during the GULFOOD, Dubai, UAE

Ideal for restaurants, canteens and catering services

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“Ever-evolving French pastry cuisine on its own is enough to satisfy any taste bud out there — seen as a higher-end product and a bit pricier, but I believe worth every penny”Amer Abu Salem, operations manager, ABC Baking

Atlantis’ chief baker Matthieu Thebert, with a selection of the products made daily in his bakery.

Restaurant essentialsCrockery


in First impressions are everything and while good food may be the key to customer satistfaction, presentation plays a major role in winning over diners. Caterer assesses the latest crockery concoctions and shows you the cream of the crop

Style

This modern fine bone china range with a silk-like sheen is from Nikko Company’s Luxe Collection. The stylish range has been designed to suit elegant, modern interiors.

Bahraja TradingTel: +971 4 267 2353Fax: +971 4 267 2454Email: [email protected]

Dining

EmotionFrom German firm Mittertiech Porzellan, this set is scratch resistant and meets international health standards.

Yousef Al-Ankar Trading EstablishmentTel: +971 2 634 5789Fax: +971 2 634 5767Email: [email protected]

Hana TemariThis fine bone china set from Nikko Compa-ny used colours and designs expressing the culture of historical castle town Kanazawa.

The product is inspired by the hospi-tality and high-quality of everyday life within the town. Nikko Company creates a wide range of crockery for traditional and casual dining.

Bahraja TradingTel: +971 4 267 2353Fax: +971 4 267 2454Email: [email protected]

Sweet Scroll


BrilliantFamily-owned porcelain firm Manufacture de Monaco has been producing crockery products since 1972. Its collaboration with Swarovski has prodiced Brilliant, a range merging pure refined porcelain with crystal. These unique items unite classic tabletop elegance with stylish crystal details.

CrystallineTel: +971 4 226 1606Fax: +971 4 225 3475Email: [email protected]: www.crystalline.ae

Diamant CollectionThe Diamant Collection from Hong Kong-based Absolute Lifestyle was inspired by the beauty of faceted diamonds and precious metals. All pieces can be customised in porcelain or new bone china, with a choice of complemen-tary colours.

This dazzling collec-tion will add lashings of glitz and glamour to any tabletop.

Absolute LifestyleTel: +852 3620 2611Fax: +852 3621 0613Email: [email protected]: www.alhkg.com

Restaurant recommendedOrdering systems

Caterer Middle East February 2009 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com

Clifford Weiner, food and beverage director at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, recommends QuadraNet Res software.

Weiner comments: “The difference with this system is that it doesn’t only take reservations but allocates and combines tables for maximum capacity. You end up with less empty tables and it maximises time

slots and table combinations. The system alerts the operator of the best time slot available and then issues an email or SMS message confirmation to the customer. Any problems and we can contact the owner at anytime — he will log into our network and fix it.”

QuadraNet Systems LtdTel: +44 1628 472 999

Email: [email protected]: www.quadranet.co.uk

64

Pradeesh Kumar, assistant restaurant manager, Boul-var at Radisson SAS, Dubai Deira Creek, recommends Micros POS Software. He says: “It helps in everything from table to front desk management, receiving real-time business intelligence to help in your operation.”

MicrosTel: +1 877 767 4400Email: [email protected]: www.posdepot.com

Adam Holmes, assistant food and beverage manager for InterContinen-tal Hotels Group, Dubai Festival City, recommends the Micros 9700 Hospi-

tality Management System (HMS).He says: “It is a cost-effective, highly us-

able point-of-sale system, built on an open system architectural platform and designed to handle a high volume, multiple revenue centre environment.

“It also produces customised reports in real-time.”

Micros Middle EastTel: +49 2131 137 0Email: [email protected]: www.micros.com

Clifford Weiner

We asked food and beverage professionals across the Middle

East what ordering systems they would recommend and why

Caterer Middle East February

Pradeesh Kumar

recommendedRestaurant

Beverage essentialsTea


Time forTea has remained a popular beverage choice for centuries, but the selection of teas available has blossomed as consumer tastes have diversified. Caterer weighs up the best brew options available to today’s discerning tea drinker

66

TeaLeafCupLeafCup from Ronnefeldt is available in 12 different fla-vours. Teabags come with a card carrying details of the tea, as well as the suggested brewing time. Each item comes individually wrapped in a film packing to preserve the aroma.

Ronnefeldt Trading LLCTel: +971 4 344 90 40Fax: +971 4 347 95 65Email: [email protected]

t-Series Designer Gourmet Tea by Dilmah

Dilmah’s t-Series varies from rare White Tea to the robust yet complex flavour of Naturally Minty Ceylon Pekoe. The unique leaf teabag becomes transparent during infusion.

La Marquise International LLCTel: +971 50 818 1164Email: [email protected]

Web: www.teatimerocks.com

Silver Moon TeaThis tea from Singaporean pro-

ducer TWG Teas has a suave, soft taste with a hint of spice. The green tea was inspired by the story behind the constellations and the delicately

fashioned leaves combine a grand fruit and vanilla bouquet.

TWG Tea Company Pte LtdTel: +65 6733 7997

Fax: +65 6737 9030Web: www.twgtea.com

Caterer Middle East February 2009

Beverage essentialsTea

International Recognition.Great results start with great equipment.

Hamilton Beach®

Commercial products are known worldwide for top-rated blending and mixing performance.

For more information, visit www.commercial.hamiltonbeach.comor email [email protected]

© 2007 Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc.

White House TeaNamed after the home of the US president, this Pai Mu Tan white tea is blended with ripe red berries and a scattering of rare and

fragrant rose petals, ensuring a sweet, understated aftertaste.

TWG Tea Company Pte LtdTel: +65 6733 7997Fax: +65 6737 9030Web: www.twgtea.com

Dilmah Fine Teas and Herbs Offering a range of traditional and fresh teas, the Dilmah Green Tea selection con-sists of natural varieties such as Green Tea with Jasmine Flowers and Moroccan Mint Green Teas. The herbal infusions offer pure and natural caffeine products, including Dilmah Camomile and Pure Peppermint.

La Marquise International LLCTel: +971 50 818 1164Email: [email protected]: www.dilmahtea.com

Recipe exchangeYashin Rangorath


With a background training in France and an Indian up-bringing, it is under-stadnable why chef Yashin Rangorath likes to incorporate a

global perspective into his menus.“There are undertones of fusion in our

restaurant,” he says. “We combine sushi, Thai, Chinese, European grills and South Asian cuisines into the range we offer.

“We are not fusion in the sense that we fuse dishes with too many flavours, but we do try to pick the classics from across four to five types of cuisine and then add a little signature touch,” he explains.

“For instance the prawn dish comes with a mesclun; this is French for an assorted mix of salad of young tender leaves and we’ve added an East Asian twist with the Thai chillies and the lemon juice.”

Keva Restaurant and Lounge aims to offer something for everyone on its global menu.

“It’s a lounge restaurant come nightclub — a one-stop destination for a wide variety of people,” comments Rangorath.

“Dubai’s population is an interesting cos-

‘Mesclun’ of Shrimp, Endives and Kiwi:For the salad dressing:

A small piece of galangal2 kaffir lime leafs 20ml lemon juice5g Thai sweet basil leaves2 tbsp olive oilSalt and pepper to taste

For the prawns and salad:8 pcs peeled deveined shrimp2 pcs of tender endive2 pcs kiwi 20g red and green Thai chillies20g roasted peanuts

Trade secretYashin Rangorath, executive chef at Dubai’s Keva Restaurant and Lounge, has been inspired by the city’s cosmopolitan character

mopolitan mix and people here are likely to be adventurous with their tastes.

“Before we opened Keva we undertook some research to find out what clicks in Dubai and as a result we identified a few all-time favourites.

“The menu here is basically my take on what I perceive the city’s diverse culinary scene to be — but always with that signa-ture touch as well,” explains Rangorath.

The Indian born chef has been on a culi-nary journey since a young age.

“Most of my life I’ve worked in France and my whole approach is very classical and simplistic, however my approach started off quite scientific,” he admits.

“As I developed as a chef I realised I needed to get back in touch with my culinary roots and rediscover where my love of cooking came from. My principle now is never to combine more than three of four primary ingredients and try to create a recipe that brings out ingredients rather than the sauces.

“I’m also a big fan of slow cooking as I feel ingredients shouldn’t be aggressed — you should allow them to bloom while you cook them,” concludes Rangorath.

Ingredients

Preparation instructions:For the salad dressing:- Mix together the olive oil and the lemon juice for the salad dressing- Finely chop the small piece of galan-gal, the Thai sweet basil leaves, the kaffir lime leaves and the red and green Thai chillies and whisk into the dressing- Leave to stand for at least 12 hours so that the aromatics macerate in the salad dressing - Add salt and pepper to taste

For the prawns and salad:- Peel the kiwi and slice it into even-sized discs- Grill the prawns rapidly- Mix the sliced endives and the crushed peanuts with the salad dressing- Assemble the salad with the sliced endives at the base and the kiwi and a few roasted peanuts above- Arrange the grilled prawns on top of the salad- Garnish and serve with a good dollop of the dressing

Instructions

Caterer Middle East February 200968‘Mesclun’ of Shrimp, Endives and Kiwi, prepared by Keva’s executive chef, Yashin Rangorath.



Appointments

JW Marriott Dubai has appointed American Kevin Wills to the posi-tion of food and

beverage manager. Wills has travelled extensively and has worked at several hotels across his native USA. The University of Hawaii graduate leaves his post as director of operations at Waikoloa Beach Resort and Spa, Hawaii, to oversee JW Marriott Dubai’s 11 F&B outlets.

Sabreena Jacob has been appointed hotel manager of the Marriott Executive Apart-

ments Dubai Creek. The former director of room operations at JW Marriot Hotel, Cairo, Egypt, is fluent in Hindi and English, has an impressive list of prestigious hotels across Egypt and India on her CV. Sabreena has already played an active role in local charities, supporting the Al Noor Centre and the World Food Programme through the Marriott Business Council in Dubai.

Hotel JAL Fujairah Resort and Spa has appointed Chris-tian Rainalter as general manager.

Rainalter has more than 18 years of experience within the hotel industry and has been the prop-erty’s assistant general manager since June 2006. He was formerly F&B manager at the Hilton Dubai Creek before joining the Fujairah resort.

Ayman Sallam has been appointed director of sales and marketing at the Four Seasons

Hotel Alexandria. He takes over the role of running the property’s public relations, catering, reser-vation and sales and marketing divisions. After working for Holiday Inn for many years, Sal-lam was promoted to worldwide sales manager for the InterCon-tinental Hotels Group. Prior to this appointment he was director of sales for Crown Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels in Kuwait.

Dubai-based Ju-meirah Group an-nounced the inter-nal appointment of Thatcher Brown to

the new position of vice president brand strategy and management. The Cornell University graduate has more than 20 years experi-ence in the travel and hospitality industry and has worked in the USA, Canada, Spain and the UK for companies such as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and Four Seasons. Prior to his promotion, Brown had been director of sales and marketing at Jumeirah Essex House in New York.

Towers Rotana Dubai has appoint-ed Nicoleta Cucos to the position of director of human

resources. Cucos has 10 years experience within the hospital-ity industry and holds a Masters degree in psychology.

AppointmentsFebruary 2009

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

GULF MARKETING CORPORATION Tel: 00 971 4 3382816http: www.gulfmarketingco.com

EMF EMIRATES LLCTel: 00971 4 2861166Email: [email protected](Chocolate,confectionery, bakery/pastry ingredients)

CLASSIC FINE FOODSTel: 00971 6 534 4554Email: info@classicfi nefoods.aehttp: www.classicfi nefoods.com

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

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

LE MARQUISETel: 00971 4 343 3478Email: [email protected]: www.lamarquise.ae

(refrigeration, coffee machines, water, chocolates, ice cream)

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

SULTAN GROUP LLCTel: 00971 4 2677023Email: [email protected]: www.sultangroup.ae

TRUEBELL MARKETING & TRADING LLCTel:00971 6 5342111Email: [email protected]: www.truebell.org(Food service, shipchandler, duty free operators)

TSSCTel: 00971 4 343 1100Email: [email protected]: www.tsscdubai.com(catering/kitchenequipment, chocolate/coffee equipment,FMCG, refrigeration)

BEVERAGES

BARTECHCO Espresso Bar Machines, Coffee & AccessoriesTel: 00971 50 4300938 00971 50 5203309Email: sales.bartechco.comhttp: www.bartechco.com

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

DIAGEOTel: 00971 4 299 4282Email: [email protected]: www.diageo.com

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

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

NESTLE FOODSERVICESTel: 00971 4 408 8107Email: [email protected]

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

CHINAWARE

BAHRAJA TRADINGTel: 00971 4 267 2353Email: [email protected]

CHURCHILL CHINATel: 004417 8 252 4371Email: [email protected]

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

CONSULTANCY

HOZPITALITY.COMA Subsidary of VR Online GroupTel: 00971 4 3900039Email: [email protected]

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

FOODSERVICE SOLUTIONS

ALI SPATel: 0039 02 921 991Email: [email protected]: www.aligroup.it


FOODSTUFF

ABC BAKING / PROBAKETel: 00 9714 8853788Fax: 00 9714 8853799Email: [email protected]: www.abcbaking.com

ACS GLOBTICTel: 00971 4 335 7549Email: [email protected]: www.acsglobtic.com

AL AQILI DISTRIBUTION Tel: 00971 4 3475252 http: www.aqili.com

BAKEMARK INTERNATIONALTel: 0049421 3502 200Email; info@ bakemarkint.comhttp: www.bakemarkinternational.com

DECAS CRANBERRY PRODUCTSTel: 001 206 749 9255Email: [email protected]: www.decascranberry.com

FRESH DIRECTTel: 0044 1869 365 600http: www.freshdirect.co.uk

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

MASTERFOODSTel: 00971 4 3210055Email: [email protected]


RJL MIDDLE EASTTel: 00971 7 2077736Email: www.stonegrill.ae

SEVERN AND WYETel: 0044 1452 760 190Email: [email protected]: www.severnandwye.co.uk

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

WET FISH TRADINGTel: 00971 4 885 2692Email: jacky@wetfi shuae.comhttp: www.wetfi shuae.com

HYGIENE

BIOTEKTel: 00971 4 347 6017Email: [email protected]: www.biotekbelhasa.com

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

TEMPTRAK MGKTel: 00976 7478 370Email: [email protected]: www.oxytechsolutions.com

RESTAURANT/HOTEL SUPPLIES

CHANG SHIN METALCOTel: 00971 4 881 7233Email: [email protected]: www.shizell.co.kr

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

IMPULSE ENTERPRISESTel: 001 954 957 9917Email: [email protected]

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

SPYRO HOTEL SUPPLIESTel: 00971 4 397 9981Email:[email protected]: www.spyrodubai.com

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

HAMILTON BEACHCOMMERCIALTel: 001 973 263 3132http:www.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

www.hosteliermiddleeast.com 70 CATERER MIDDLE EAST FEBRUARY 2009

DISTRIBUTORS AND SUPPLIERS DIRECTORYDISTRIBUTORS AND SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY

DISTRIBUTORSDISTRIBUTORS

SUPPLIERSSUPPLIERSDISTRIBUTORS AND SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY

DISTRIBUTORS

SUPPLIERS



February 5-14Gourmet Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, UAEA gourmet event showcasing fine cuisines and unique dining experiences, featuring a plethora of top chefs from across the globewww.gourmetabudhabi.ae

February 19-22BioFachNuremberg, GermanyFor organic food, agriculture, marketing and natural goodswww.biofach.de

February 22-26Catersource and Event Solutions Conference & Trade Show 2009Las Vegas, USAA four-day educational conference and two-day tradeshow for catering and special event professionalswww.catersource.com

February 23-26Ingredients Middle East Airport Expo Dubai, UAEA specialist exhibition held alongside Gulfood dedicated to various companies providing

raw materials and ingredientswww.ingredientsme.com

February 23-26Gulfood 2009Dubai, UAEThe region’s largest trade show for manufacturers, distributors and suppliers from across the F&B and hospitality industrieswww.gulfood.com

Coming in March...

March 3-5World of Perishables Middle EastAirport Expo Dubai, UAEShowcasing the trade, technology and logistics used in the handling of perishableswww.wop-dubai.com

March 11-14Taste of Dubai 2009Dubai, UAEA mixture of celebrity chefs and top restaurants from around the region, offering visitors menu samples, cookery classes and a variety of culinary demonstrations.www.tasteofdubai09.com

Dates for the diary...

February 2009

Dates for the diaryCalender

Last biteReviews


Grand Grill Steakhouse, Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa, Dubai Marina, UAE This classic steakhouse, located in Dubai Marina’s Habtoor Grand, offers a soothing dining environment with classic décor in warm, relaxing tones.

Run under South African management, this restaurant has developed a reputation for its friendly atmosphere — and rightly so, according to our critics.

Caterer’s agents said the steaks were cooked to perfection and even noted the vegetarian

Vista Rooftop Bar and Restaurant, Holiday Inn Express Dubai Internet City, Dubai, UAEAt Vista, one of Dubai’s best-kept secrets, our spies tried out the restaurant’s new Saturday roast dinner promotion.

This promised a roast chicken dinner for four, comprising a choice of starters, an entire chicken and accompaniments, for AED 295 (US $80).

Upon their arrival, Caterer’s undercover agents took a table outside to enjoy the spectacular view. A member of staff im-mediately came to take a drinks order and the service remained prompt and pleasant throughout the evening.

There was a choice of two starters, prawn cocktail or clear vegetable soup, both of which used simple, fresh ingredients to great effect.

For the main event, a large roast bird was delivered to the table with impressive ceremony by the chef himself, who checked

“Every member of staff was smiling and attentive, noted our spies — from the door staff to the gentlemen bussing tables”

Nelson’s Bar, Media Rotana, Barsha, Dubai, UAE This outlet is a modern take on the classic Victorian British pub and our spies went along to weigh it up.

Offering a wide range of designer beers and upscale snacks, the pub was bustling with chat, creating a very relaxed ambience.

A big screen TV to broadcast sports matches, pleasant background music and visits from the chef — who was more than happy to chat to diners — added to the casual, friendly tone.

The food itself was something of a revelation: main courses such as date-and-mustard-crusted rack of lamb with honey-glazed carrots proved to our culinary critics that this was more than just pub grub.

In fact our spies even went as far as to say the beef was some of the best they had ever tasted.

ReviewsEver wondered whether your customers are receiving the high standard of service you expect? Caterer’s anonymous spies investigate outlets around the region and tell it how it is

whether they would like it carved at the table or in the kitchen.

The one slight problem was that they brought the roast potatoes and vegetables out at the same time, so by the time the bird was carved the veggies were rather cold.

However the manager on duty came over to seek our spies opinion afterwards — she explained it was a relatively new promo-tion and asked if they’d enjoyed it. They gave her feedback, which she promised to take on board in future.

options were excellent. Quite an achievement for a meat-themed restaurant!

Every member of staff was smiling and attentive, noted our spies — from the door host to the gentlemen bussing the tables. Staff remembered to mention the chef’s specials and were always on hand to suggest side dishes or starters to comple-ment the meal.

Add the fairly reasonable pricing to the mix, and you have a top steak outlet: this restaurant is defi nately well worth a visit.

The Grand Grill Steakhouse is open from 1pm to midnight seven days a week.

Last biteReviews

Nelson’s sous chef Steve White and outlet manager Alan Grimes.

Caterer Middle East

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Transcript of Caterer Middle East