Catering News ME - January 2016

January 2016ConneCting F&B proFessionals with industry knowledge

IntervIewthe great aBu dhaBi BakeoFF Begins as eriC lanlard talks Career progression and market gaps

Marketplacewater water everywhere…. plus the trends driving the Craze into the new year

the ForuMBeverage managers From aCross duBai meet at a&e’s path to deBate the seCrets oF suCCess

C-0M-100

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OMAN, QATAR

®

Selected by Great Chefs - Nordaq FRESH water is unique: eco-friendly, filtered water, bottled on-site with a taste that actually enhances the true flavour of great food and wines. Our systems are designed for top restaurants and hotels. Nordaq FRESH turns water into a profit centre, not just a cost. Welcome to a completely new taste experience.

“While there are many other water filter systems, Nordaq FRESH, through its innovative process, allows us to be environmentally responsible while still providing exceptional water.”

THOMAS KELLER OF THE 3 STAR RESTAURANTS FRENCH LAUNDRY & PERSE

January 2016 Catering neWS Me 3

Contents

FeBruary 2015

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28

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NEWSiNduStry NEWS iN briEf

18 |

dECOr aN ExamiNatiON Of thE aEd8m kitChEN rEfurbiShmENt at dWtC, WhiCh iNCrEaSEd EffiCiENCy by 33%

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COVEr StOrya rOuNdup Of 2015, StudyiNg thE highS aNd lOWS, With a lOOk tO thE prOSpECtS fOr 2016

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thE fOrum bEVEragE maNagErS frOm aCrOSS dubai CONVENE tO diSCuSS thE ChallENgES Of ruNNiNg a SuCCESSful bar

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CaSE Studya lESSON iN SuiStaiNability aNd thE EthiCal SOurCiNg Of COCOa bEaNS With ChOCOlatE prOduCEr ValrhONa

Catering neWS Me January 20164

Contents

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S U B S C R I B E

[email protected]

Managing Director Walid Zok

[email protected]

Director Rabih Najm

[email protected]

Director Wissam Younane

[email protected]

Group Publishing DirectorDiarmuid O'Malley

[email protected]

Sales ManagerCharlotte Ringrose

[email protected]

European Sales ManagerIrene Fernandez

[email protected]

Group EditorMelanie Mingas

[email protected]

Editor Michael Gordon

[email protected]

Art Director Aaron Sutton

[email protected]

Marketing Executive Mark Anthony MonzonMark@bncpublishing

PO Box 502511 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesP +971 4 4200 506 | F +971 4 4200 196

For all commercial enquiries related to Catering News ME contact

[email protected] T +971 50 55 97339

All rights reserved © 2014. Opinions expressed are solely those of the

contributors.Catering News ME and all subsidiary

publications in the MENA region are officially licensed exclusively to BNC Publishing in the

MENA region by Catering News ME.No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.

Printed by Raidy Emirates Printing Group LLC www.raidy.com

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PhotographersAudrey HastingsNeville Hopwood

Abhi Shek Photography

Advisory PanelBobby Krishna - Dubai Municipality Food Control Department

Izu Ani - La SerreJohn Gillespie - Tonique Beverage Consultancy

Justin Galea - Le Royal Meridien Abu DhabiMark Patten - Atlantis, The Palm Dubai

Markus Thesleff - Whissle GroupMichael Kitts - Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management

Naim Maadad - Gates Hospitality

46 |

iNtErViEWlEarNiNg What it mEaNS tO bE kaizEN at thE latESt Wagamama ON thE palm

52 |

markEtplaCEa dip iNtO thE rEgiONal bOttlEd WatEr markEt With prOjECtiONS fOr itS futurE

38 |

iNtErViEWa Chat With didiEr SOuillat, ExECutiVE ViCE prESidENt Of rEStauraNtS With hakkaSaN

42 |

iNtErViEWa bakEOff With miChEliN StarrEd EriC laNlard iN abu dhabi


editor's letter

Happy New Year to those still thriv-ing, for 2015 was a tough year for many in the food and beverage sector.Last year saw an unprecedented number of new food and beverage outlets open, putting further strain on the market with increased com-petition for customers and staff.Most noticeable was the number of independent start-ups, piling more pressure on hotel and chain operators, who were already ex-periencing saturation - thus forc-ing them to consolidaste, re-de-sign or re-invest.Driving that need to consolidate is the increased levels of competition, the soaring cost of rent and the continued difficulties in recruiting and retaining the right staff.Another stark observation was the shift from fine to casual dining, with consumers demanding more authenticity and experience with their food, while remaining thrifty with their eating out budgets.Many operators recorded a drop in turnover, although they were grateful to have not hit the 2009/10 lows. On top of the cost of rent and staffing, many opera-tors complained about the ever

increasing cost of their suppliers, and their inability to pass on the rising cost of ingredients. Further observations last year in-cluded the rising health awareness among diners. This trend started off with the rapid emergence of food intolerences and the need for res-taurants to note in detail all menu ingredients. On the back of this is a renewed interest in health food with customers forcing venues to offer more health conscious menu offerings. As the trend grew pace even the government got involved, introducing legislation stipulating the percentage of healthy dishes a menu must carry, and preparing an authorised healthy food logo.The year ahead, for many, shows little sign of slowing down with numerous announcements made at the close of the year pertaining to new venues. But without a sud-den influx of residents we could be soon heading towards a point of saturation in the food and bever-age sector.The full story can be found inside, along with all your usual favou-rites. Stay safe, stay in touch and a Happy New Year!

feeling the pinch

too plain Still too plain JuSt right

hotel operatorS are feeling the greateSt pinch from the influx of new food and beverage outletS laSt year, and they are warned to conSolidate or Suffer

michael gordonEditor

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beVerageseVents

Nestle Waters expects to see a year-on-year double-digit growth, of

around 20%, on its foodservice sales of Perrier sparkling mineral water in the UAE, following the signing of an agreement with food, beverage and non-food dis-tribution company HORECA.

Perrier will complement HO-RECA’s existing beverage portfo-lio, which includes Acqua Panna, the official mineral water of the Worldwide Sommelier Associa-tion and S. Pellegrino, served in over 100 countries worldwide, in addition to Sohat, which comes from the highest mountains of Lebanon “Falougha”.

HORECA Trade sales and marketing director Wael Al Jamil, commented on the agreement: “This natural health sparkling beverage complements the exist-ing range of beverages we offer. S.Pellegrino is the best table top drink and Perrier is the best all day drinking water.

“This agreement further strengthens our position as a leader in food service and also further strengthens our partner-ship with Nestle Water globally.”

In response, Nestle Waters M&D, Middle East and Africa Zone manager, Djamel Touaibi said: “The foodservice sales and distribution of Perrier in the UAE were previously handled in con-junction with the retail opera-tions by GULFCO. Following this latest agreement, GULFCO will retain the retail operation.

“We chose HORECA as our

horeca wIns perrIer dIstrIbutIon agreeMent wIth nestle waters

royal rose abu dhabI shInes at InternatIonal culInary event

p10: Food trucks roll into town // p12: Gulfood expecting 5,000 companies //

news

foodservice partner because of their strategy and their expertise in this market.

“Knowing there are a lot of challenges, this will steadily de-velop the brand in this highly dynamic market.

“Today, customers are increas-ingly looking for full solution partnerships instead of dealing with several suppliers, and HO-RECA can offer a huge portfolio under one roof.”

When asked if there would be further expansions to the bever-age portfolio, Al Jamil said: “It is our number one aim to offer more products under one roof so we plan to always expand.”

Royal Rose Abu Dhabi had won gold and bronze medals in the chocolate showpiece and individual ice carv-ing categories of the at La Cuisine by SIAL, a competition organised by the Emirates Culinary Guild of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the World Asso-ciation of Chefs’ Societies.

The chocolate showpiece, entitled ‘Legend of Elephants’ and shaped to an elephant head in a tribal African post, was praised by the judges for its unique design, while the meticulous ’Jumping Fish’ ice carving added a bronze medal to the triumphant team. Both presentations were done by Chef de partie, Jacody Shevon Cumara lead by Vangelis Boulis, group executive chef City Seasons Hotels.

“We are so proud to receive this award,” said George Demitry, group general manager City Seasons Hotels, adding: “This is the first for Royal Rose which is known for intricate and sump-tuous desserts.”

The competition was held recently at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 7–9 December.

With a history dating back to 1863, Perrier is famous for its el-egantly-shaped green bottle and is well known throughout the world, while HORECA is dedi-cated entirely to the hospitality sector, servicing more than 1,000 foodservice operators. The com-pany was established as a new start-up in 2003 as the first com-pany to be fully dedicated to the niche sector of foodservice, and in 2010, it was voted by its cus-tomers “Best Food and Beverage supplier in the UAE”. In 2014 and 2015 HORECA was awarded “CSR label” by Dubai Chamber for all the efforts and dedication to the community.

Chef Vangelis and Chef Kumara


NEWS

startupsConsulting

Deliveroo, Europe’s popu-lar food delivery service, officially launched in

Dubai last month. The location based service, of-

fers users the ability to order, pay and the track progress of their de-livery from purchase to supply, via both web-based and mobile app technology.

The brand’s successful blog, will extend to cover Dubai, hosting rec-ipes, celeb interviews, restaurant reviews and round-ups.

Deliveroo originally launched in 2013 in London, with the aim of offering the ultimate food delivery experience. Unlike the majority of food delivery businesses that are purely online, Deliveroo collabo-rates with premium restaurants that do not typically provide the

service offering customers a range of new choices.

In Dubai, the team has already successfully secured the exclusive delivery rights with key outlets such as; Toko, The Sum of Us and Fumé. Other partners include; Mythos, Busaba Eathai, Big Smoke Burger, Circle Cafe, Rossovivo, Taqado Mexican Kitchen, Clinton Street Baking and Comptoir 102.

In Dubai, the service is cur-rently available in Marina, J.L.T., Downtown, Business Bay, Media City, Tecom and Jumeirah neigh-bourhoods, with further expansion planned in the coming months.

In the GCC region, Deliveroo has identified a huge demand for take-away and is now filling that market gap for premium take-away from some of the best restaurants

in Dubai. General manager of Deliveroo

UAE, Anis Harb said: “For the customer, we are a service that delivers meals from your favou-rite local, quality restaurants in 32 minutes. We're seeing tremendous growth because we tap into two inherent consumer needs: better selection and faster delivery.

“We’ve seen it in ecommerce with Amazon, transportation with Uber; now we’re seeing it in food where customers are becoming more demanding, both on the re-liability of the service and the se-lection of restaurants. These two elements combined make the 2.0 of food delivery. We are delighted to bring this concept that has been so popular in Europe to the GCC market.”

delIveroo tackles Food delIverIes In dubaI 3 hospItalIty consultancy launchesNewly launched 3 Hospitality is set to provide a passionate, forward-thinking F&B consulting service dedicated to providing clients and customers with a genuine and bespoke service from start to finish.

3 Hospitality will offer strategic and innovative counsel in hospitality as well as restaurant operations and launches, and it will also oversee turnaround for financially troubled establishments. Via extensive analysis and auditing, the team will identify strengths and weaknesses of the res-taurant concerned so that problems may be resolved and strategic objec-tives met.

The first concept developed by 3 Hospitality (opening this month) in Dubai Design District will be the ethno-chic restaurant - Craft Café. Providing only hearty, healthy, soulful food on its menu, Craft Café will offer customers items to complement an active and healthy lifestyle.

3 Hospitality’s core team of ex-pertise consists of co-founders Do-menico Iannone and Roberto Segura, two food connoisseurs from Italian and Peruvian background committed to providing an authentic restaurant experience.

3 Hospitality co-founder, Do-menico Iannone comments: “It is a hugely exciting time in Dubai for the F&B industry and we are thrilled to be a part of it by offering a strategic and passionate approach.

“Given our team that is made up of passionate industry experts, with a background of 20+ years experience, we hope to enjoy early successes.

“The launch of Craft Café at Dubai Design District in early 2016 will offer something unique and interesting to this creative hub. Our values of provid-ing a forward thinking and genuine ex-perience dedicated to our customers, is something we can’t wait to share.”

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NEWS

best oF brItIsh Food trucks roll Into dubaI

s.pellegrino Calls For entries to Young CheF 2016

Following the notable worldwide success of its first edition with more than 3,000 applications sub-mitted, S.Pellegrino has launched Young Chef 2016, the global scout-ing project to find the best young chef in the world.

Dividing the world into 20 ar-eas and involving around 100 top chefs as jurors across the globe, 20 young chef finalists, 20 chef men-tors and a stellar chefs jury, reflects S.Pellegrino’s commitment to sup-porting emerging talents.

All young chefs across the globe will have the opportunity to apply and the applicants must be no older than 30 and are required to have at least one year of experience work-ing in a restaurant as chefs, sous chefs or chefs de partie. For phase one, applications together with your signature dish details, in English, must be submitted via www.fin-edininglovers.com.

Phase Two will select the Re-gional Shortlist and Regional Win-ner, phase three is the regional finals and the selected ten finalist of the 20 geographical areas will then move on to the local finals where live competitions will be held in each region from 1 May to 15 August.

Finally, phase four will be the grand finale event held on October 13, 2016 in Milan. All the young chef finalists will convene for the intense cooking competition in front of the international panel of judges, the Seven Sages, who will award the S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 award.

Applications will be accepted from January to March 2016. Fol-low the competition via hashtag #SPYoungChef to never miss an update on the event. For more details/ enquiries contact [email protected].

eVents

International food trucks will de-scend on Dubai next year when Eat the World DXB - a new street food-meets-entertainment con-cept - brings 15 of the English capital’s most diverse food truck concepts to Burj Park.

A contemporary street food, music and entertainment event Eat the World DXB is expected to attract a crowd of 20,000 from 25-27 February. The festival will also feature a celebrity chef the-atre, top local food trucks and restaurants, an artisan food mar-ket and an array of exciting food experiences.

“London’s food truck move-ment has been setting interna-tional trends for years and Eat the World DXB will bring some of the world’s most innovative cu-linary concepts to Dubai as well as showcasing the best of Dubai’s local home-grown street food movement”, said Philip Lowery, Eat the World DXB’s festival di-rector.

“With an eclectic array of cui-sines from across the globe, Eat the World DXB will offer Dubai

residents and tourists an authen-tic food truck experience – one unlike anything else currently in the market - right in the heart of the city.”

Food truck traders already confirmed for the event include Fish Dogs – which offers an excit-ing take on the classic fish finger sandwich - by world-renowned London chef Mark Hix, and Brit-ish Street Food Awards Finalist 2015, Bangwok, which serves au-thentic Thai street food straight from the window of a customised tuk tuk.

Other food truck highlights will include Big Apple Hot Dogs, an Americana-inspired East Lon-don vendor, and The Cheese Truck, which has received several accolades for its oozing, cheesy creations.

“The food truck movement is already a big part of the Dubai food scene and this event will of-ficially cement Dubai’s status as one of the world’s most eclectic food capitals,” added Lowery.

Eat the World DXB runs 25-28 February 2016 at Burj Park, Dubai.


NEWS

Following the successful launch of Tresind, Dubai - a progressive Indian fine dining restaurant based on the concept of molecu-lar gastronomy – team Tresind is all set to unveil their second ad-venture “Carnival by Tresind” by February 2016.

Of the opening, Bhupender Nath, founder and CEO of Pas-sion F&B, the management be-hind Tresind Dubai comments: “We are delighted to announce our second fine dining operation in the UAE in the form of ‘Car-nival by Tresind’. With Tresind, we reinvented Indian cuisine by giving traditional dishes a modern twist, and with Carni-val, we hope to take that legacy a notch above. I am certain that this concept has the potential to become one of the leading food and beverage destinations in the Emirates. We intend to open

Appetite Catering has extended its food enterprise with the launch of Appetite: The Shop, which recent-ly opened its doors in Business Bay Avenue.

Over ten years ago, husband and wife team and self-confessed foodies, Manar El Jayousi and Suzi Croft, embarked into the untapped market of grab’n’go food carts.

Appetite quickly made strides into some of Dubai’s premier business settings, offering fresh-ly-made sandwiches and salads, baked-in-the morning cookies and cakes, and soups and pasta dishes.

The group made its first foray into retail in 2011 with the open-ing of its gourmet deli 176. Whilst this concept expresses their grab’n’go style in a more formal sit-down setting, Appetite The

carnival by tresind to launch in Q1

appetite catering launches First store In uae

many further restaurants in the fine dining and lounge space in a careful strategy that will result in an outstanding portfolio.”

Carnival will present a con-temporary interpretation of authentic Indian cuisine in an ambience that is chic and minimalistic.

Executive Chef Himanshu Saini and Chef Paritosh Sharma from Tresind along with Chef Vinu Raveendran from Mugaritz, Spain have crafted a culinary experience that engages all the senses. To resound the theatric presentation in beverages, there are live drinks named 'Will You Marry Me' and 'Edison 2015' by bar manager Sherine John. In-spired by the unique concept of postmodern cuisine, the menu showcases authentic Indian delicacies that are presented in a modernistic approach.

Shop offers a more practical take on pre-packaged and ready to food.

A statement on the release, read: “Appetite The Shop prides itself for its commitment to avoiding obscure chemicals, additives, and preserva-tives that are commonly found in most pre-packaged food we find on shelves today. Their focus on higher-quality ingredients makes The Shop a perfect stop for anyone on the lookout for healthier choices to satisfy almost any craving. In ad-dition, all packaging within Appetite The Shop is world-friendly: biode-gradable and compostable.”

Appetite was established in Dubai in July 2005 with a small but efficient kitchen of two people in Al Qusais before moving to their new premises in Al Quoz in September 2007.

outlets

expansion

sustainabilitY

spinneys partners with global non-profit to promote sustainable sourcingSpinneys supermarket has be-come the first in the region to join GLOBALG.A.P. – the global partnership for good agricultural practices – which promotes sus-tainable sourcing policies across the globe.

Joining GLOBALG.A.P., the non-profit organisation, is part of Spinneys commitment to sup-porting initiatives that assure sustainable and safe food for consumers.

This partnership will allow Spinneys to bring a large range of certified sustainably sourced fruits and vegetables from across the globe, as well as products sourced from the UAE’s farmers.

Jannie Holtzhausen, CEO of Spinneys Dubai, commented: “We are proud to become the first supermarket in the region to join GLOBALG.A.P. as a re-tail member. Over the years we have developed our sourcing strategy to support farmers who produce sustainable food, which is safe for consumption and for the environment. This partner-ship confirms our commitment to sustainability.”

Spinneys’ sustainable sourc-ing strategy is based on seven key

pillars including food safety; en-vironmental protection; social re-sponsibility; fair prices; GMO free products; organic produce and lo-cally grown fruits and vegetables.

Holtzhausen went on to talk about Spinneys’ plans for evolv-ing its sustainable sourcing plans, “By 2017, 90% of our fruits and vegetables will be from certified sustainable sources. We will con-tinue to make it easier for our cus-tomers to eat well and live well by working closely with farmers and growers who share our values for safe, sustainable food.”

At the moment Spinneys sources only GLOBALG.A.P. cer-tified fruits and vegetables from the UAE, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Kenya, Chile and Europe. In 2016, Spinneys will expand its sustainable sourcing to include producers from other countries, including Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia and USA, among others.

Spinneys has also introduced the UAE Spinneys Farmer’s Club to customers, bringing them a fantastic selection of fresh and quality products, specially packed to highlight the local and sustain-able sourcing message.


NEWS

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eduCation

The 2016 edition of Gul-food, the world’s largest annual food and hospi-

tality trade show, will cement its standing as the world’s lead-ing global food trading platform when more than 5,000 inter-national companies from 120 countries gather at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 21-25 February. Among the 85,000-plus visitors from more than 170 countries expected, Gulfood 2016 will host international heads of state, ministers, government of-ficials and national trade associa-tions from five continents.

With event and year-round legacy trading expected to run into billions of dollars, Gulfood 2016 will connect nations and suppliers, open distribution channels for industry-related business, and highlight Dubai’s strategic role as a key global food industry trading hub.

Having this year celebrated its landmark 20th outing, Gul-food 2016 is poised to deliver

gulFood expected to attract 5,000 coMpanIes‘More Tastes, More Trends and More Trade’ as the specialist event readies to welcome tens of thousands of finished food suppliers, bulk commodity wholesalers and exporters, and the show’s largest-ever collec-tion of hospitality equipment suppliers.

Led by the nation’s Ministry of Agriculture, Gulfood 2016 will also welcome its first Rus-sian national pavilion – one of 114 national pavilions spanning in excess of 120,000m² of world-class, multi-functional indoor exhibition space and two pur-pose-built, temporary structures spanning a 10,900m² at DWTC. The expanded indoor exhibition space includes three new DWTC halls - Za’abeel 4, 5 and 6.

“Gulfood is internation-ally renowned for providing a trusted and accessible platform for the world’s food industry to meet, transact and trade out of Dubai – one of the world’s most diverse, energetic and vibrant

trading hubs,” said Trixie LohM-irmand, senior vice president, exhibitions and events manage-ment, DWTC.

Gulfood 2016 will host the third Halal World Food, a dedi-cated show-within-a-show le-veraging Dubai’s mounting credentials as a global Islamic Economy capital.

“This is now an essential prerequisite for any supplier looking to establish a foothold in the world’s fastest growing food industry sectors with the global Halal market expected to reach $10 trillion by 2030,” said LohMirand.

While facilitating global transactions for halal food and foodstuff commodities such as meat, cereals, grains, rice and tea, Gulfood 2016 will shine a spotlight on coffee. In a historic first, Gulfood 2016 will host the ninth World Cezve / Ibrik Championship, the first time the competition for the centu-ries-old art of brewing coffee in

a ‘Cezve’ or ‘Ibrik’ – the small, long-handled pot – has been held in the Arabian Gulf.

With an international field of 20 baristas bringing their own style and cultural elements to one of the world’s oldest and most traditional coffee-making methods, popularly known as ‘Turkish coffee’, the World Cezve / Ibrik Championship will see the UAE’s very-own Karthikeyan Rajendran square-off against reigning world cham-pion Italy’s Davide Berti.

Owned and organised by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), the ninth World Cezve / Ibrik Champion-ship will be overseen by an inde-pendent judging panel that will rate baristas’ brewing skills on criteria including taste, presen-tation and technique.

The show-floor culinary dem-onstrations will peak at the an-nual Emirates Culinary Guild International Salon Culinaire – a showcase of the region’s best culinary talent and expertise. One of Gulfood’s undisputed draws for the regions’ top pro-fessional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers, this year’s Salon will see more than 1,300 professional chefs evaluated by a panel of 25 renowned experts, mandated by the World Associa-tion of Chefs Societies (WACS) to judge culinary events across the globe.

Gulfood 2016 is a strictly trade-only event for business and trade visitors. The show is open 11am-7pm from February 21-24 and 11am-5pm on February 25. Visitors can pre-register at www.gulfood.com


NEWS

eduCation

Seizing on the predicted double digit growth in F&B over the coming

years, Alto-Shaam has opened its first office in Dubai – a re-gional hub which will provide support to the growing business in the Middle East and Africa – and has also launched the Alto Shaam Culinary Institute Mid-dle East and Africa.

The office showcases Alto-Shaam’s full line of equipment and systems available within the region. Regular culinary and service training seminars will also be scheduled to support chefs locally.

“Alto-Shaam’s vision is to inspire our customers with in-novative products and services in every kitchen around the world,” said Steve Maahs, Al-

alto-shaaM announces new dubaI oFFIce and culInary InstItute

Luxury Gourmet Olives from around the world

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to-Shaam president and COO. “Our goal is to understand our customers’ needs and exceed their expectations; opening an office in Dubai will allow us to do this at a higher level of service.”

The Alto-Shaam Middle East and Africa office is led by Ga-briel Estrella Talentti, who is

responsible for Alto-Shaam’s sales growth and development through independent dealers, distributors, direct customers and foodservice consultants.

“The opening of our new of-fice is a commitment to our customer in the region, to as-sist them by providing a fast response to their inquiries,”

said Talentti. “At the same time we are pleased to launch Alto Shaam Culinary Institute Middle East & Africa, which al-lows us to conduct trainings for new and existing customers and experience live our equipment from our cook and hold units to our QuickChillers. Chefs in this region will be able to experience equipment systems that work well together. Having our own test kitchen also means that we can truly work around our cus-tomers’ time.”

The office is located at Gold & Diamond Park, Block 2, Office 2220, Dubai, United Arab Emir-ates. To book a demonstration of Alto-Shaam’s equipment systems, please contact us at 043219712 or 0508531707 or send an email to [email protected].


NEWS

eVents

The sixth edition of the three-day SIAL Middle East exhibition concluded in

late November with signed trade agreements worth over $1bn.

Organised in strategic partner-ship with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), Ali Yousef Al Saad, chairperson of the organising committee for SIAL 2015 and acting director of communications and community service division of the authority, said: “SIAL Middle East has be-come a vital component of the region’s food and beverage sector.

“This year we have seen re-cord numbers across all ver-ticals at the show, reinforcing the strategic importance of the event by creating a platform for discussion on hot industry top-ics such as food security and sustainability. Year after year SIAL reinforces Abu Dhabi’s po-sition as a leading trade hub for the Middle East, benefiting the economy by promoting invest-ment and business.”

The inaugural SIAL World Summit heard how the organic farming in the GCC is set to reach $1.5 billion by 2018 due to chang-ing consumer tastes and habits.

sIal MIddle east 2015Furthermore, the summit was told, the number of organic farms in the UAE rose to 39 covering a total of 3,920 hectares, marking an increase of 1,698% since 2007 when just 218 hectares accounted for organic farming.

Al Saad said: “Food security throughout the region remains one of the most dominant topics of discussion as regional demand for food imports rises due to an expanding population, a boom-ing tourism industry, increasing per capita income and limited water resources.”

Meanwhile, leaders in on-board catering from around the world were honoured at the 34th annual Mercury by SIAL Group, during a ceremony attended by the crème de la crème of the global travel catering industry.

The awards recognised the very best in on-board catering from a diverse range of catego-ries including airline meals, gen-eral on-board food, beverages, packaging and equipment, with Perth Inflight Catering crowned as the best Airline Meal pro-vider.

A record number of entries were received for the SIAL In-

novation World Champions awards’ showcase won by The Coffee Brewer by Soil Store for their innovative coffee on-the-go bag. Up from 142 entries in 2014 to 218 this year, a total of 113 products competed in the final.

New to the show this year was the inaugural Regional Barista Championship, organised in as-sociation with the International Coffee and Tea Festival. A total of 20 regional baristas competed for the titles of Best Regional Barista 2015 which was eventu-ally won by Armiel Alkuino and the Regional Latte Art 2015 win-ner Frederik Bejo.

Rounding out the show floor events, and organised by the Emirates Culinary Guild of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the World Association of Chefs' So-cieties, La Cuisine by SIAL fea-tured over 850 professional chefs competing in a variety of culinary competitions.

Commenting on SIAL’s ex-panding role in the region’s food and beverage industry, Fadi Saad, SIAL managing director, SIAL Middle East, said: “This year we have witnessed growth across the board with visitor numbers, in-

ternational pavilions, competition entries, speakers and attendees all increasing. All of these fac-tors underscore the importance of the event in addressing the ma-jor talking points within the food and beverage sector today. We ap-proach SIAL 2016 with renewed vigour and confidence.”

SIAL Middle East is part of SIAL Group, the world’s largest network of professional B2B food exhibitions which include SIAL Paris, SIAL Chi-na, SIAL Canada, SIAL ASEAN Ma-nila and SIAL InterFOOD Jakarta.

UAE-based agricultural firm and headline sponsor Al Dahra signed an agreement with Jordan to supply nearly one million tonnes of wheat and barley to ease the country’s food security concerns, and the UAE signed deals with Morocco for $41 million for the plantation of olives, red fruits, citrus and livestock farming in Morocco. Retail partner Lulu expected to sign a range of deals worth up to $7 million while Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre, and through their retail brand, Local Harvest, signed deals, which included Emirates Future, the leading livestock trading company.

the key deals


NEWS

eVents

Following the launch of pre-mium chilled and frozen poultry products into the

retail channel through a success-ful partnership with Spinneys, Te-gel has been looking for the right partner in the foodservice channel in the UAE. Tegel worked closely with the New Zealand Consul-ate and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in Dubai to ensure all options were considered for rep-resentation of Tegel’s premium chicken range.

Late last year, following an extensive search, Country Hill International, a premium dis-tributor with a significant pres-ence in the foodservice market was appointed as the Tegel Food service distributor. Country Hill’s brand portfolio includes Silver Fern Farms, one of New Zealand’s iconic beef and lamb brands, which it has been repre-senting for over 20 years; a legacy that encouraged Tegel to initiate the partnership.

“The UAE is an extremely important market for Tegel and having a partner in the market that has established relation-ships with other New Zealand premium brands is important to us,” said Phil Hand, CEO of Tegel Foods. “Representing a premium brand of chicken from New Zea-land requires that experience, to ensure success as we build our brand of high quality, pure and natural chicken products.”

Dariush Rakhshani, general manager, Country Hill is de-lighted to have signed Tegel Foods to its portfolio. “We have been looking for a pre-mium poultry partner for our business for some time, and Tegel Foods was recommended to us by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. We are aware of the success they have had globally and we know they are the right

tegel tackles horeca wIth country hIll

brand for us in the foodservice market,” said Rakhshani.

Tegel’s range of products in-cludes Rangitikei brand of Corn Fed Free Range whole chickens, portions and fillets as well as the Tegel brand portfolio, which in-cludes prime cuts and value added products, such as cooked ready to eat shredded and sliced chicken, and chicken rashers (bacon).

Hand added: “After two years in retail the issue has been about establishing our brand. We went into retail with a good partner and to prove our supply chain and understand the market. We didn’t want to rush in and fail or make mistakes. We are very cognoscente that we can’t dam-age the brand or the product and lose any opportunity to build for the future.”

InternatIonal MarketsCurrently, Tegel exports around 20% of its production but the company is keen to grow its ex-port business. “We have a strong presence in New Zealand, which has a steady growth, but we are keen to grow on the back of our value added and high range prod-ucts, like free range, and we have

a diversification strategy for our business to see us grow.

Presently Tegel’s export mar-kets are Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, Hong Kong and the UAE, which al-though small in comparison at this time, is expected to rise to second or even the first largest market in future.

“It’s an exciting market that’s growing and we have a unique product that fills a void not filled at the moment,” Hand added.

settIng standardsTegel chicken is premium quality, raised in open plan barns, with a high quality grain rich diet. It is free from growth hormones, barn raised (cage free), naturally healthy, and receives no injec-tions.

New Zealand’s strict bio-secu-rity controls, quality control pro-cesses and geographic isolation have resulted in a unique animal disease-free status. This guar-antees freedom from the major worldwide avian diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), infectious bursal disease (IBD), and Newcastle disease.

In exporting to the UAE, Tegel

had to invest substantially in its processing plant, removing the processing of pork, and ensuring all operations were fully Halal compliant. “Tegel was a multi meat company and we used to process pork. We stopped making a range of sausages and removed all pork from our businesses. Now all lines are Halal certified after a lot of help from the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.”

Jeremy Clarke-Watson, am-bassador, New Zealand Em-bassy, commented upon the partnership: “The UAE is very important for food production in New Zealand. Food imports increased 12% year on year for the last five years.”

New Zealand exports stand at around the $700m mark and continuing to grow. “The UAE is also an important feeder market or logistics hub for produce go-ing elsewhere in the world. Now some of our big sea food compa-nies are looking to come in,” said Clarke-Watson.

He added: “Starting off five years ago with $15m exports and today reaching over $100m, Tegel so have been pioneers for New Zealand producers. This will lead other companies to venture into this market in due course, al-though behind Tegel in breadth of product to the market.”

For the first time, New Zea-land is planning a major pavil-ion at Gulfood 2016, with 14 of the country’s biggest producers exhibiting and conducting live cooking classes with a full service kitchen within the pavilion.

Haylon Smith, trade commis-sioner, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, commented: “An aver-age consumer in Dubai would be surprised by how much of New Zealand they are eating. In Spin-neys alone we have 79 skews, not including lose vegetables.”


NEWS

eVents

The majority of attendees to Apéritif à la française came from the HORECA trade,

some 39%, including chefs, food and beverage managers and hotel directors. Importers and brand representatives accounted for 31%, while retailers, cooking schools and equipment manufactures rep-resented 12% of the guests.

The Apéritif à la française is as opportunity for profession-als of the retail and food service industries to enjoy French food, discover new products, and meet with food and beverages brand experts and key decision makers in the market.

The events kicked off on Sat-urday 21 November with a gen-eral public event, which saw more than 2,000 UAE residents descend on the Amphitheatre of the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi to discover French Gastronomy. On the menu was French bites, drinks and music, while enter-tainment was provided for all the family in the form of face paint-ing, pétanque, a kids’ corner and

apérItIF à la FrançaIse

even a human French flag!On 23 November the profes-

sional evening, which has been organised for the past 11 years in the UAE, saw French brands presenting their latest products for tasting to professionals in a French picnic environment.

Exhibitors included Maison Routin 1883; Jean Ducourtieux; Regilait; Alain Milliat; Beuralia and France Beurre; Cafés Rich-ard; Neuhauser; Monin; Paysan Breton; Lorina; Promar Cold Cuts; and La Cave À Fromage.

Philippe Nauche, director of public affairs for Sopexa, spoke to Catering News about the im-portance of the events. He said: “The idea is to connect French companies and food and bever-age managers, distributors, pro-curement managers, etc. to pro-mote their products.

“The Apéritif à la française was created 12 years ago to promote French products in a very simple way, and every year since we have organised an annual picnic in 12 countries – including the USA,

Japan, Hong Kong, Denmark, and China. We started in the Middle East with a business to business event in 2005 and followed that up with a consumer event just two years ago.

“We want to present the wonder of French produce in a relaxed and simple way. The Italians created the pizza phe-nomenon and we should have developed the bistro concept to globally demonstrate French food in a simple way.”

This aperitif in Dubai is the only one in the world tour to fea-ture a B2B event, with all other countries holding consumer events only. Nauche adds: “In Dubai there is a tremendous importance on the food indus-try in the region, and the con-sumer market was not ready for this produce in 2005, whereas in Canada, USA, and Japan the dis-tribution of French products is much more important.”

One of the key exhibitors was Masterbaker, and the CEO, Ron-nie Khajotia, explained why he

was exhibiting: “Sopexa has al-ways supported us and supported French produce and this event gives us a platform to interact with most of our important cus-tomers - it gives us great expo-sure. As an event it’s not strictly business, as we don’t do deals here, but it reinforces our brand and we convert some people.

“It is a low cost platform to meet many people. In essence, this is 20 days’ work for five sales people.”

Another exhibitor, Abir Khalil, business development manager, Promar, said: “It’s fantastic to push and promote our French cheese and the huge variety we have with over 450 items. We can also showcase our cold cuts, including pork which we usually can’t display in the UAE market. We have a corner in Galleries La-fayette and we invite chefs to visit all the time, along with our pork room. But this brings all the chefs together at one time, and Sopexa invited the most influential and key personnel, and they shared the list in advance so we could add our own invitees too.”

Meanwhile, Olga Mirtova, mar-keting manager, La Marquise, re-marked on the pleasant network-ing environment and the product showcases. She added: “We found that the visitors are F&B profes-sionals, including executive chefs of major hotel chains, leading ca-tering companies as well as outlet managers and general managers.

“We got several new leads as well as an opportunity to meet our existing clients and to intro-duce to them to our new range of products. Aperitif has a very specific target audience and a very focused product portfolio. They support French F&B brands and promote them to the French F&B community, which is very strong in the UAE.”

HORECA Trade, the leading foodservice partner in the UAE, has joined hands with Perrier! - The French natural sparkling mineral water -

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The Beginning of a NEW JOURNEY


NEWS

The Dubai World Trade Centre’s award-winning hospitality division has completed an AED8 million upgrade of its 3,650m2 kitchen, creating a 33% increase in capacity and an energy efficiency saving of up to 30%, as Michael Gordon discovered

Feed the World

With an exponential rise in the number of catering events the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) now handles, for both internal exhibitions and external catering events, a revamp of its

kitchen had become imperative.Land locked by exhibition halls within the

148,645m2 DWTC, the Event and Hospital-ity Services division was constrained within its 3,650m2 kitchen, when the decision was taken to undergo an AED8m upgrade pro-gramme. But being unable to move the walls,

the key focus was on improving efficiency by making better use of the existing floor space.

Hospitality by DWTC catered to 2,529 international, regional, and local events in 2014, equating to over 2.1 million guests, a 27% increase year-on-year. The kitchen is equipped to handle full in-house production and has been awarded the highest Dubai Mu-nicipality rating, Grade A, every year since opening in 2003.

As it looks to drive enhanced growth for its on-site and offsite catering businesses, and to meet anticipated capacity increases

until 2020, the multi-million Dirham up-grade focussed on installing smart technolo-gies to integrate and automate processes, helping increase capacity output to 20,000 daily covers – up from 15,000.

It has also led to a significant 30% like-for-like reduction in energy usage as well as enhanced hygiene and safety standards, with the kitchen facilities being both HACCP compliant and ISO22000 certified.

The new ultramodern upgrade includes deck and rotation ovens, FlexiChef pans, as well as FlexiCombi ovens which allow for


mass Catering

recipes to be pre-programmed into the high-tech machines, cutting cooking time down by more than half the average time. The au-tomated systems also allow chefs to devote more time to preparation, where cooking can be done closer to the time of the event, en-suring fresher and higher-quality food.

Harald Oberender, director of culinary in event and hospitality services, explains how the design process for the refurbishment began in 2013, with international design firm Michael Chabowski Technical Services (MCTS). “We wanted a design that would last at least ten years, so we looked for prov-en technology, established and reliable but not too new that it will default everyday – like the latest mobile phone.

“The technology must be reliable because we are in the business of delivering every day,” he added.

MCTS worked with DWTC to optimise the space, ensuring maximum efficiency within the existing shell, as there was no op-tion to extend the kitchen walls as they are fenced in by the exhibition halls.

Building work was undertaken through the summer from June to August 2015, tak-ing a total of 82 days to complete. But with an active kitchen, the process had to be pre-cisely engineered, as Harald explains: “Even in summer we are busy so we had to contin-ue operating while under construction, and as we are so highly regarded with the Dubai Municipality, for our food safety and hygiene, we could not sacrifice that reputation.

“As the kitchen is huge, doing 2.45 mil-lion covers per year, we were able to shut down one section at a time to ensure food safety, from the bakery to butchery, from fish to meat. When each section was chosen it was broken down into two parts again with a partition erected to allow food preparation to continue in half the space. To overcome this we had to work over 24 hour shifts.

“Even our Ramadan majilis continued to run uninterrupted, even though some of the kitchen had to be moved into the tent. Throughout the renovation we also man-aged Sports World, Summer Surprises, the summer wedding programme, and all the while we knew that ahead of us was the Air Show and the Formula One – which are each 20,000 covers per day plus. We had to run on over 100% capacity every day.”

With the kitchen design finalised and ap-

Total facility size

3,650m2

Harald Oberender, director of culinary in event and

hospitality services


mass Catering

proved by Dubai Municipality, the project was put out to tender to five kitchen fitting companies, with Chef First selected as the preferred bidder, delivering the project on time and within budget, while still supplying standby support to address any issues which arose within 24 hours.

To fulfil the kitchen design, DWTC and MCTS had to decide on the kitchen equip-ment supplier. Harald recalls: “With pur-chasing and procurement we analysed sev-eral equipment suppliers in terms of water savings, energy savings and advanced tech-nology.” MKN had the highest ratio of saving power per operational hour, which reached around 30%.

On the basis of its user comfort, handling, quality, hygiene, capacity, intelligent cook-ing, and efficiency with electric and water savings, the FlexiCombi was chosen, along-side the FlexiChef, which was chosen for its convenience, rapid response, chemical saving, intuitive operation, consistency and time saving.

“With the integrated USB port, a chef can also upload his own recipes to the FlexiChef, ensuring the right recipe with the AutoChef system every time, a quick and gentle pres-sure cooking, and perfect multi-functionality with the FlexiZone System,” says Harald.

He adds: “The FlexiChef has a closed envi-ronment and a pressure valve that can reach 0.8bar which means you can cook faster too, so chick peas cook in only two hours when it used to take four hours. Also, one large unit can be separated internally to grill, fry and bake all at the same time, and what’s more I can clean the unit with no chemicals or scrubbing.

“No longer does a chef have to check the temperature or consistency throughout the cook, the machine does all that for you – and this also adds to our levels of consistency, en-suring we can offer the same day in day out. In the future I will be able to link all of my combi ovens together and direct them from my office computer - that is the way the tech-nology is going.

“This creates massive savings in time, which means our chefs can do extra duties – the cooking is faster, more reliable and standardised.”

Focused in the hot cooking area of the kitchen the refurb project included a new TSSC blast freezer to complement the ex-isting TSSC blast chiller, and in addition

DWTC selected an MKN quick boiling kettle for its water saving efficiency and speed of boiling.

Speaking of the relationship with the equipment supplier, Harald says: “MKN supported throughout with ongoing train-ing, and they provided a development chef in house for several days.”

He adds: “The project came in budget,

and the new equipment has given us an increase in capacity of around 30%. We went from 12-15,000 covers per day, and we have now reached 20,000 covers - as we did for five consecutive days during the Air Show. What is more, the expectation is for the equipment to last around 10 years, by which time the technology will have moved on again,” concludes Harald.

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Last year saw tremendous growth in the independent food and beverage sector which, coupled with crippling rent increases and shortages of skilled labour, impacted heavily on the large

operators, forcing them to consolidate and re-invent, as Michael Gordon discovered

innovate or Saturate


CoVer storY

there is no denying that 2015 was a year of tremendous growth and devel-opment in the burgeoning food and beverage scene of the Middle East.

There were too many new openings to recollect, but they were most noticeably in the independent sector, with hotel and chain operators experiencing saturation and many forced to consolidate, redesign or re-invest.

Driving that need to consolidate is the increased levels of competition, the soaring cost of rent and the continued difficulties in recruiting and retaining the right staff.

Interestingly, despite its glitzy appear-ance fine dining is no longer the buzzword, with diners more interested in authentic experiences and, above all, value for mon-ey. This has led to the explosion of a new phenomenon, which is the rise of the food truck. While regulations are still unclear, and trucks are left motionless, they are popping up more and more across the city and the greater region.

Al Masah Capital, a leading investment firm in the region, predicted a growth rate in the GCC foodservice at CAGR of 6.8% to reach $24.5 billion in 2018.

Saudi Arabia leads the region, with total foodservice sales of $8.9 billion, accounting for nearly half of the GCC market. The UAE is the second largest contributor, with total sales of $5.3 billion generating 28% share in the region, followed by Kuwait ($1.9 billion), Qatar ($1.3 billion), Oman ($1.1 billion) and Bahrain ($0.4 billion).

Within the food services sector, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) or the fast food segment has emerged as the largest, ac-counting for 58.2% ($10.9 billion) of the GCC food services market in 2014, followed by Full Service Restaurant (FSR) at 31.5% ($5.9 billion) and café and bakery segment at 10.3% ($1.9 billion).

The FSR market, which includes fine and casual dining, was estimated at around $5.9 billion in 2014, nearly half of the QSR mar-ket. While the concept of fine dining is still confined to affluent class and has not grown drastically in the last few years, the casual dining segment observed growth with the entry of new brands almost every year. In 2014, the café and bakery segment registered an annual billing of $1.9 billion, exhibiting strong growth during 2012-14, growing at CAGR of 3.3%.

Al Masah also reviewed factors affecting

accelerated growth within the sector, stat-ing an increase in competition, weak supply chain infrastructure, high rentals in prime commercial properties and a shortage of skilled human capital, as major issues.

Whereas key emerging trends observed were changing consumer palates, an influx of global F&B brands and a growing demand for takeaway by way of mobile applications and online ordering. Investments and acquisi-tions were also indicative of a robust growth structure for this industry.

rent a PrIMe ConCernKPMG, a global network of professional firms providing audit, advisory and tax services, has extensively researched and analysed the food and beverage sector in the GCC, culminating in the 2015 UAE Food and Beverage Survey.

Anurag Bajpai, partner, KPMG in the UAE, shared his observations and predictions. In contemplating the challenges faced in 2015, Bajpai says: “Rental costs over the last 12 months have continued to rise with strong competition for prime locations.

“In fact, rent is a significant proportion of the operating cost base of an F&B busi-ness and one of the areas where we contin-

ue to see pressure both in 2015 and beyond despite a continued increase in retail space and GLA.

“In addition, new market entrants often incur higher rents than existing players, who have established relationships with landlords, and increasing rents may lead to pressure to increase prices if operators are not able to absorb them or offset them via other means.”

InvestIng In PeoPleAccording to Bajpai, getting the right staff at optimum levels, and keeping them, also re-mains a challenge.

“High labour turnover continues to be an area of concern for many businesses within the F&B sector. While labour costs are low compared to other countries, attrition levels for some operators can be high.

“Given non-controllable costs, such as rent, continue to rise, operators increasingly need to focus on those areas of the business which they can control if margins are to be maintained without raising prices.”

Those businesses which invest in their staff in terms of training and retention may well benefit in the longer term if this can be translated into reduced headcount levels, due to efficiency, increased average spend from better upselling, and an overall better customer experience.

adaPtIng to the MarketIzu Ani, head chef at La Serre, which is re-garded as one the leading fine dine restau-rants in Dubai, is growing concerned about the volume of new entrants to the market.

He says: “Revenue wise, 2015 is not one of the better years as we are down by 10% year on year. With the growing number of new outlets, the market is becoming more saturated and therefore the piece of the pie is getting smaller.

“I think 2016 will be another challenging year as the increase of new outlets increases. It will survive, certain aspects such as luxury dining might slow down and others will have to adapt.”

Mark Patten, senior vice president of food and beverage at Atlantis, The Palm, agrees that 2015 was a challenging year for the re-gion as a whole. He says: “It was challenging for various reasons. We’ve had many new openings throughout Dubai so the market has become saturated, in addition to the

Izu Ani, head chef at La Serre

Jean-Pierre Garat, chief operating officer,

Royal Catering


CoVer storY

strong brands mean little without proven strong operators behind them. I also believe many suppliers didn’t do so well this year in real terms because their growth, mostly based on new venue openings while mistak-enly neglecting existing clients, will come back to haunt them.

“What’s more, 2016 should become much tougher I believe as there is a global econom-ic slowdown coming. Also Dubai has become very expensive in F&B terms and between these two factors people are much more care-ful with their money.”

suPPly ChaIn ManageMentThe issue of supply chain management was shared by several correspondents, including Patton, who says: “We must find a solution, perhaps even a regional code of conduct to negotiate supply agreements to ensure, espe-cially during financial times like we are cur-rently experiencing, we do not have continu-ous price increases for products which we as operators cannot go back and increase to the consumer.

“The price paid for food and beverage in the region is already at a staggering rate due to pressure on bottom line profitability, and we see the price point being the main con-tention for our consumers when it comes to food and beverage. We cannot continue to absorb price increase after price increase as we are not in any situation to then increase our pricing to the end consumer. A fair solu-tion must be found, so working very closely with all suppliers to negotiate terms should be given a lot of consideration for all in the region.”

From a beverage perspective, John Gil-lespie, managing director Tonique consul-tancy, shares the same views as Thesleff. He says: “2015 as a whole was down for us. There is an increasing number of food and beverage outlets, but not enough customers to fill them. This trend will continue in 2016, to the benefit of the consumer as they drive down prices.

“Consumers as a whole are shifting more towards drinking healthily and retail sales are up as more people choose to entertain at home versus going out, as they become more cost conscious and look at what they spend. In 2015 we had to decline some events because they simply weren’t economically viable.”

In addition, Gillespie reiterates the com-mon concern around manpower. “Staffing is-

“2015 as a Whole Was doWn For us. there is an

increasinG number oF Food and beveraGe outlets, but not enouGh customers to Fill them. this trend Will continue in 2016, to the

beneFit oF the consumer as they drive doWn prices.”

John Gillespie, manaGinG director tonique consultancy

John Gillespie, managing director Tonique consultancy

Anurag Bajpai, partner, KPMG

slowdown in the 5-star market across the re-gion, so it has been tough, particularly in Q4.”

Nevertheless, Patten remains upbeat. He adds: “While 2015 has been a challeng-ing year, we are still in a much better place than as 2009 / 2010. However we have seen the business become more price sensitive and food and beverage has been effected by a downturn in average spend during hotel stays, which is primarily driven by a shift in the market mix of the clientele base. As a re-sult, the UAE resident market is becoming increasingly more important.”

Reinforcing the common conception, Pat-ten agrees that diners are shifting away from fine dining, opting for a much more casual approach in food and beverage. “Guests are more focused on neighbourhood or residen-tial restaurants and offerings, with a lower average bill but a personal touch to the expe-rience,” he says.

Manhal Naser, CEO and co-founder of AWJ Investments, a fast-growing food and beverage holding group, agrees that the con-cept of fine dining is slowly shifting towards smarter dining. “Casual dining places have ramped up their offering, employing good chefs and serving their food in a pleasant and laid-back ambiance, catering to diners’ de-mands. Combined with affordable prices and healthy offers, these ‘casual’ establishments are giving diners enjoyable and tasty food at relatively inexpensive costs.”

avoIdIng saturatIonMarkus Thesleff, Whissle Group co-founder, concurs that the market last year was much more competitive than previous years. “This was mostly driven by the overwhelming new entrants into the market causing additional stresses on an already overly stretched F&B infrastructure in terms of quality staff, ac-commodation, service, and so on. Not to mention there has not been anywhere near a reciprocal increase in the number of guests,” says Thesleff.

For Thesleff, too many traditional re-tailers are jumping into F&B, noting a “usual chasing of trends caused by one strong and successful concept - case in point Coya and Peruvian food”.

In conclusion, Thesleff says 2015 was a year of consolidation. “There were too many aggressive new entrants with very limited ex-perience and understanding of the industry. I believe landlords have finally realised that


CoVer storY

sues remain a concern, in terms of the supply and quality, with the issue of casual labour remaining a grey area.

As a standalone restaurant operating group, Naim Maadad, chief executive officer of Gates Hospitality, foresees the pressure points in 2016 being rent aspirations, the cost of living, and quality manpower.

He says: “The introduction of casual visas for part time workers would be a welcome re-lief as this would alleviate the stress on ease of doing business especially during the peak season – whilst not adding burden during the low season – especially summer months and the Holy month of Ramadan.”

Speaking about his 2015 observations, Maadad says: “By reasonable estimates I would say the group saw a growth of 7% over previous years, and I would consider this as very positive growth percentage as the year saw innumerable challenges with many new entrants into the market offer-ing diversified options. Had it been a nor-mal year, the growth percentage would have been much higher for sure.

“The trend witnessed in 2015 saw a lot of independent openings of food and beverage outlets. A lot of them were non-hotel and little known new brands making their entry and competing with the larger known brands.

“For independent groups like ours, it was a year of growth. For the larger well-known brands, it was more a time of consolidation, re-aligning and re-inventing the brand.”

sustaInIng growthHowever, looking to 2016 Maadad is not so upbeat about the future for those new start-ups. He says: “The new launches in 2015 will find it challenging to sustain the growth momentum in 2016. Only the real players would be able to face up to the market sustenance needs and this would prove who has the mettle to suc-ceed in the long run.

“The year ahead will be tough, especially during the summer and Ramadan low sea-son months. The hotel based brands de-pend a lot on tourism and issues with the Russian and Chinese economic slowdown as well as market fluctuations due to lack of political stability in the other parts of the region will hamper operations.”

The challenge of chief concern to Naser is the issue of rental prices. He says: “It would be great to see adjustments in the rental prices of retail commercial units in the up-coming year, as they can be quite high at the moment. This would increase investment opportunities and will also be a good push

Markus Thesleff, Whissle Group co-founder


CoVer storY

are a relatively new but increasingly popular trend in the UAE. In 2015, the Street Food Festival in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain brought in around ten trucks from the UK. Local trucks are commonly seen across the Emirates at various events. In addition, home grown concepts such as Meylas food truck are pro-moting traditional Emirati cuisine via the food truck concept and, off the back of this, have established a full service restaurant on Al Raha Beach in Abu Dhabi.”

However, he warns: “Contrary to popular belief, the set-up of food trucks is actually quite expensive in this region, varying from AED500,000 to over AED1m. They face sig-nificant regulatory challenges when setting up and operating, and are restricted to oper-ating at certain locations and events.”

On the issue of this growing phenom-enon, AWJ also sees a food trucks playing an important role on our regional culinary scene. Naser says: “As we progress towards the future, people are becoming increasingly mobile and food trucks are making food eas-ily accessible to consumers. It’s a great new trend that’s picking up very well in the UAE, as it combines the essence of outdoor dining with the convenience of street food. It also involves no or minimal rent payment and is quite popular with the younger generation.

the CaffeIne kICkThe Coffee industry is one of the smallest sectors in the F&B industry in the UAE, yet it has played a significant role in positioning the country as one of the five largest coun-tries that succeeded in re-exporting coffee to other countries. Moreover, the coffee indus-try is a vital element of the national economy. Its diverse range of activities, which includes manufacturing, wholesale and retail, import and re-export of coffee beans, has contrib-uted greatly to UAE economic growth.

Sufyan Muhaisen, COO and co-founder, Café Barbera Franchise, says: “For us this year was growth, because our revenues in-creased by 25%.”

He adds: “Coffee is one of the most con-sumed products in the UAE as it is one of the key components of the socio-cultural heritage and a popular drink for many people in the world, which in return is helping to increase the value of the coffee business sec-tor locally that will reach approximately AED 300 million during the next year. With this in mind, I definitely believe that the trading

Manhal Naser, CEO and co-founder of AWJ Investments

Mark Patten, senior vice president of food and beverage at Atlantis, The Palm

Naim Maadad, chief executive officer of Gates Hospitality

for upcoming start-ups that are looking to join the F&B market.”

a healthy MarketOne trend reflected by all of our contributors was the rapidly growing need to offer and provide more healthy options. As consum-ers become more educated over nutrition, demands for more balanced meals, and care-ful consideration to allergies, are becoming increasingly prevalent.

Jean-Pierre Garat, chief operating officer, Royal Catering, is an advocate of healthy food, and a pioneer in pushing for indus-try wide health food accreditation. In 2015, Royal Catering was awarded the Weqaya certificate called “adding Weqaya logo to healthy foods program” by the HAAD au-thority and ADFCA.

Weqaya supports the development of Roy-al Catering’s new food line known as 82L8 (Eight to Late).

“With customer needs being our unwaver-ing priority, 82L8 is a contemporary and in-novative grab-and-go food and beverage con-cept offering a diverse assortment of fresh, high-quality and healthy on-the-go food to help sustain an active lifestyle,” Garat says.

“In 2016, the industry will continue to experience pressure to deliver healthy, con-venient, fast-food options. Our predictions for the catering industry in 2016 include a continued rise in demand for high quality, healthy options that are reasonably priced.”

This view is shared by KMPG, who notes that healthy eating is an increasingly attrac-tive niche for operators, given an increasing focus on the need to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Bajpai says: “There continues to be an in-crease in health awareness across the region, particularly the importance of a healthy diet.

“Certain players in the F&B sector, such as Kcal and Rite Bite, have looked to capitalise on this trend by providing healthy takeaways - tailored healthy meal plans delivered to your home or workplace. We expect demand for these types of products to increase, particu-larly given that many of these businesses have now started to expand outside of the UAE.

“Many operators are becoming more con-scious of the consumer’s decision on select-ing healthy options, which is why they have detailed nutritional information on their dishes both online and in the restaurant. Some fast food chains are also attempting to promote healthier options in their menus.”

gettIng MobIleAnother trend KPMG is increasingly witness-ing it that of street food and food trucks and vans. Bajpai says: “The food vans and trucks


CoVer storY

cycle will remain continuous and vibrant.”The high coffee consumption rates and

growing demand for coffee products lev-els within the emerging markets and the increasing desire of consumers to obtain high-quality types of coffee are just a few of the challenges being faced by the cof-fee trade sector. Muhaisen says: “To help address this, we must urge the need to conduct more market research to deter-mine the nature of the current and future requirements and develop effective plans to meet them optimally and to ensure the benefit of the most promising opportuni-ties within the emerging markets, particu-larly the UAE market.”

He adds: “On the other hand, the fluctua-tions in coffee prices, which vary between high and low, among other global markets, represent the main obstacles facing the cof-fee trade sector. It is therefore imperative that the companies involved in trading cof-fee hedge to increase prices by signing long-term contracts at lower prices, in order to avoid the negative impacts again.”

bureaucracy and company-wide regulations, and they will therefore be able to react more readily to changing market conditions. But with the level of new entrants showing no sign of abating, one must question whether food and beverage could witness the same bubble burst as construction did, only a few years ago.

to ConCludeThe key message for 2016, is innovate or saturate. With so many new entrants in the market, only the truly original and au-thentic concepts, run professionally with trained staff, stand a chance of weathering any storm. The standalone providers are more equipped to adapt to change, with less

Manhal Naser, CEO and co-founder of AWJ Investments

Sufyan Muhaisen, COO and co-founder, Café

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brand ManageMentBars throughout the GCC, but in particularly in Dubai, be it standalone or within a hotel, are big business with many bursting at the seams come the weekend. But there is a far greater variety of venues than drinks on offer, as Catering News ME discovered when it brought together a select group of beverage managers last month for a round table discussion at the A&E PATH training school


Forum

partIcIpants

How does the bar scene compare in the UAE to the rest of the world?Paul: The scene is very commercialised here, due to the nature of the financing that goes into the venues. The independent sector is an irrelevant term.Jan: There is a lot of franchising with a fight for the big names. The allowances for execu-tion and staff can be an issue and there is a big difference between stand alone and hotel bars in terms of hours worked and responsibility loading – in terms of how much can staff be expected do, and how much they can earn.James: The ways distribution works – main-stream products are easily available, but it can be a challenge to play outside the box as the box is smaller here. Sometimes it’s tricky to deal with certain brand managers because they don’t speak the same language as bar managers in terms of the products pushed.Richard: With only two distributors products will be limited. But then a hundred years ago there was no purple paint but it didn’t stop masterpieces being produced. James: It is tricky to push new brands be-cause the mark-up is so high – customers question paying more for something they don’t know. Jason: With any smaller emerging markets the price of smaller stock products makes them difficult to push, and consumers want pay more for something they don’t know.Jan: The market is growing and improving since I arrived four years ago. The selection

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of spirits improves every year and customer demand is becoming broader. But if you want to get your profitability or rebates you follow the big brands that are pushing. I’d rather get support from the brand than push something myself that the customer might not like and I would lose money.

What does the trade need to do to support niche products?James: If we could all get together [bar man-agers] and create a group like Facebook to prove demand, then orders would be guaran-teed and distributor would be more inclined to import the stock we want.Jason: I am going through a transition period at the moment. It took me a year to get my head around the pricing, and for us to get a product on the portfolio it has to go through ten people and processes to be checked out. This makes it a much higher price which has to be passed on. However, we have now ap-pointed someone dedicated to managing our special imports. Paul: It’s a matter of readjusting to working with and without certain products. As there is always a high turnover of people through Dubai, it’s a matter of stopping to think about what’s available elsewhere.

How active are brands in training and pro-moting to bar staff?Adam: Some might say too brand orientated but is that really a negative? Not really. There

IN ASSOCIATION WITH


Forum

partIcIpants

is an abundance of training available so bar tenders have the opportunity to learn and develop as they choose - if they can get the time off. Paul: I always warn my team, before they em-bark on brand training, to look for the truth and get away from the spiel. To stick to the history of the spirit not the brand talk.Richard: Five years ago there was only brand focused training, we did Guinness and MMI did Chivas. It is OK to learn about Tanqueray 10 but you need to know where it fits in the gin sector. So we have consciously driven in-dependent accredited training and today no other market can afford to do the training we do here: New York, London, Las Vegas, no-body has a school like this.

What role do outlets have in training staff or should distributors go in and take staff from A-Z?Adam: I’d put all my staff though compre-hensive training if I could spare the time.Paul: I never have a fair lead up time, I have always been pushed to get the bar up and

running and that doesn’t allow enough time to write any proper training course sched-ules; and it knocks on. Bars aren’t aware of scope required for training and they don’t al-low the time for it.Jan: Ideally I would go every day and do training but with all the other things around we don’t have time. For a standalone to do onsite training wouldn’t be good for the mar-ket as the staff would be poached and we’d lose the personalities we get. Adam: There is plenty of talent here that would go to an independent as there are fewer rules, like you are free to order as you please and price accordingly.

Rank in importance to your business: Train-ing, specialist spirits and interior design. Paul: Training is the most important factor for a bar; every day. It doesn’t matter if you are in a black box so long as there is some entertainment at the bar.Adam: Most people leave the house and go to restaurants to spend a lot of money for the experience. Personally, I can be served bad

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NEWS

With nearly a century of experience in producing top quality chocolate, Valrhona has come to learn that long term

partnerships with its key suppliers are essential in ensuring sustainable quality and supply

the sWeetness oF ethical sourcinG


Case studY

valrhona has been producing choco-late in the small village of Tain L’Hermitage, France since 1922.

From the beginning, the company found-er and pastry chef Albéric Guironnet was dedicated to the creation of artisan qual-ity chocolate and, for almost a century, Valrhona has created a range of recog-nisable aromatic profiles by perfecting techniques for enhancing the flavour of rare cocoa beans, grown on land selected for its terroir.

Valrhona scours the world to find the very best raw materials; selects the finest varieties of beans with excellent aromatic potential from a dozen countries; and gives great importance to its long-lasting relationships with its partner-planters, especially in Venezuela where it owns a plantation. Here, Valrhona has also unwrapped a treasured project to save threatened cocoa varieties, particularly Porcelana, a variety of Criollo.

oPtIMIsIng growthThe cocoa tree is very “hard to please”; optimally thriving under an ambi-ent temperature of at least 25°C, in a moist atmosphere containing over 80% humidity, offering significant annual rainfall, ideally around 1800mm, and never-ending shade.

Therefore, cacao trees grow in most countries found between the two tropics and spread over three main continents: South America, Africa and South-East Asia. Africa is the world’s biggest pro-ducer with 69% of production, followed by Asia with 18% and America with 13%. In fact, up to 90% of global cocoa bean production comes from plots of five hect-ares and under, which is why cacao trees grow seasonally in small plantations in May and September.

The cacao is a fragile tree because it is highly dependent on heat and water for its survival. Clusters of small flowers bloom on the branches and trunk during the rainy season, and the tree begins to produce fruits at between three and five years old and lives for around 40 years. But only one flower in around 1,000 pro-duces a pod; the fruit of the cacao tree.

One tree can produce 20 to 80 pods annually. The pods are different shapes - round and oval - and are between 12

to 20cms long. Their colour varies from green to red, with yellow to orange tints as they ripen. Each pod contains around 40 seeds, known as cocoa beans, and each bean is surrounded by a white pulp rich in water, sugar and citric acid.

As an agricultural product, cocoa beans are strongly influenced by their terroir - the environmental conditions, espe-cially soil and climate. The quality of the beans, which are a costly and rare raw material, depends upon the variety cho-sen, the environment in which the tree is grown, and the expertise of the people who transform it.

There are three main types of cacao tree which differ according to their ori-gins and their characteristics, namely the criollo, foraastero and trinitario. The criollo are fragile cocao trees and they are sensitive to disease. They are rare, accounting for just 5% of global produc-tion, but have remarkable aromatic po-

tential. The forastero is widespread and a fairly productive variety, accounting for 80% of global production. They make a chocolate with a strong and pronounced flavour. The trinitario bean comes from the cross-fertilisation of the criollo and forastero varieties, and accounts for 15% of global production. Trinitario results in strong-tasting chocolates.

the aCquIsItIon of beansValrhona selects and grows only high quality cocoa beans from around the world, guaranteeing their character year on year through close and long-term partnerships with suppliers as well as with strict controls at every stage of the process.

Valrhona has long term partner-ships directly with the planters and so, unlike many other chocolatiers, it can completely avoid the exploitive cocoa stock markets.


Case studY

Valrhona established El Pedregal, its first plantation in Venezuela, because it wanted to save an endangered co-coa variety, Porcelana. Today Valrhona’s Venezuelan subsidiary, Socaoven, em-ploys an average of thirty workers over the year, producing 95% of total world production of this cocoa. A second plantation was recently opened in the Dominican Republic.

Very few chocolatiers go so far as to become growers. But in order to learn more about cocoa, oversee its quality, and guarantee its refinement, Valrhona felt it important to master all aspects of the industry.

In addition, the plantation in the Do-

minican Republic, in Loma Sotavento, some 200km from the capital city Santo Domingo, is a veritable research labora-tory for studying farming practices and post-harvest processes such as fermenta-tion and drying.

suPPortIng suPPlIersFor more than 30 years, Valrhona has been developing long-term partnerships with cocoa producers and developing projects together for their local commu-nities, with 17 projects in seven produc-ing countries already launched.

In addition to being committed to sus-tainable and profitable co-development, Valrhona partners with local communi-

• Purchase with integrity and ethics, ensuring fair competition and fair treatment of tenders

• Communicate and collaborate effectively and fairly, making sure to provide suppliers with the same quality of information by respecting the contractual frameworks and commitments visà-vis suppliers

• Act sustainably and in solidarity by securing supply sources and applying the social and environmental responsibility criteria when selecting suppliers

• Promote progress and performance plans by developing long-term, mutually beneficial partner relationships, and deploying tools and regular opportunities to share in order to improve Valrhona’s performance

buyers code oF conduct Includes:

ties to tackle needs and address issues, such as living conditions, education, and health. Several years ago, as part of sus-tainability goals with partners, Valrhona launched a programme of initiatives for cocoa growing communities.

Valrhona’s sourcing specialists forge close relationships with growers and their families, remaining available and attentive and intricately involved in all aspects of the relationship. In fact, the pillars of Valrhona’s responsibility in-clude knowing the people and their cus-toms well, dealing with constraints relat-ing to community, cooperative, or local authorities, as well as complying with government actions.

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Case studY

All initiatives that support cocoa-pro-ducing communities undergo the same decision-making and implementation process. In parallel, Valrhona continues to take action to develop sincere and engaging partnerships. Thus, 100% of cocoa-bean suppliers have agreed to part-ner with Valrhona’s social responsibility approach by signing the Responsible Pur-chasing Charter.

ensurIng a faIr PrICe Thanks to its responsible purchasing policy, Valrhona conveys the sustainable development message to its suppliers. The Buyers Code of Conduct is a docu-ment, initiated in 2013, with the aim of guiding buyers to exercise their daily du-ties in a way that respects the social and environmental commitments of Valrhona (see box on p18).

In 2014, 80% of Valrhona’s purchase was covered by buyers who have signed the Buyers Code of Conduct. The objec-tive now is to have 100% of Valrhona’s purchases covered by the Buyers Code of Conduct by 2017.

Once the buyers have been trained and have committed to the Code of Conduct, Valrhona seeks out suppliers to join in the process, requesting that they also sign the Sustainable Purchasing Charter.

The Sustainable Purchasing Charter has been rolled out to Valrhona suppliers since 2013. By signing the Charter, sup-pliers agree to join forces, abide by and apply the social responsibility approach.

Four major topics are addressed in the Charter are labour rights, governance and ethics, respect and protection of the environment, and risk management and food safety.

This Charter is a medium of exchange between suppliers and Valrhona, whose goal is continuous improvement in CSR practices.

A year since its implementation, 34% of Valrhona purchases are from suppliers committed to the Sustainable Purchas-ing Charter. The aim is to emphasise and maximize the approach, reaching a 70% commitment by 2017.

shared satIsfaCtIonIn 2014, Valrhona decided to launch its first supplier-satisfaction survey. As a

means of communication between the company and suppliers, the survey can not only discern their level of satisfac-tion regarding overall interenterprise collaboration, but also be used to bench-mark Valrhona’s performance as their cli-ent, and identify areas for improvement and focus.

The goal is to gather opinions and sup-

plier feedback in complete confidentiality, and identify springboards for progress.

Part of the survey is focused specifi-cally on the perception and evaluation of suppliers on CSR commitments, as Valrhona wants to ensure that commer-cial supplier relationships are influenced by the Buyers Code of Conduct and that these practices are clearly respected and well-known.

The survey is oriented towards as-sessing the quality level of collaborative relationships, and the degree of trust, transparency, loyalty and commitment that Valrhona demonstrates in relation to its suppliers.

Survey results will help to identify new sources of value creation for Valrhona, its suppliers, and customers.

“in order to learn more about cocoa, oversee its

quality, and Guarantee its reFinement, valrhona Felt

it important to master all aspects oF the industry. ”


NEWS

Didier Souillat, the executive vice president of the Hakkasan Group, spends more than seven months a year on an aeroplane, travelling

between the group’s outlets, to ensure the level of quality and continuity guests expect

t h ef r e q u e n t

f ly e r

didier Souillat joined the Hakkasan Group in 2010, overseeing just three outlets but, serving as the

executive vice president of restaurants, today he is responsible for 38 restaurants across the globe.

After completing his Bachelor of Science degree in hospitality and food and beverage, at the hotel management school in Laus-anne, Switzerland, a young Souillat set off to carve out a long and varied career as a leader in the food and beverage sector. From hotels to food retail, and from catering and leasing,

he worked all over the world, including Hong Kong, Nagoya, Dakar, Bahrain and London.

Before being poached by Hakkasan in 2010, Souillat ran the food halls and restau-rant outlets at both Harrods and Selfridges and he also worked as managing director for the privately owned and much revered Day-lesford Organic Company.

When Souillat received that fateful call the Hakkasan Group was nothing like the goliath it is today. Souillat says: “There was no group in 2010 – there was only three restaurants but I remember being at the opening party

for Hanaway Place, and that was spectacular. “So when you’re called and asked to be

part of developing the brand globally with backing from Abu Dhabi and a Michelin star under its belt, it’s difficult to say no.

“All I needed was the reassurance that we could sustain the record of quality with international growth. And today we have 38 restaurants across 12 brands, seven countries and 19 cities. It is largely down to the support of the ownership and the team behind me that made that growth happen,” he adds.


interView

exPandIng the brandIn the Middle East, Hakkasan now has two outlets in the UAE and one in Qatar. The first opened in the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in 2010, the second in Dubai in the Emirates Towers in 2011, and the third in the St. Regis Hotel in Doha in 2014.

“It has been a very successful roll out in the Middle East; only so many cities can take a big Hakkasan. Logically the next location is Bahrain, which was announced in partner-ship with Seven Holdings and Kerzner Inter-national Holdings. It is too early to say when it will happen, but conception to finalisation usually takes at least 18 months. So in 2017 we should see another in the GCC region,” adds Souillat.

But that does not mean there will be no further projects in the UAE, or the greater GCC, for the Hakkasan Group, as collectively it has twelve restaurant brands. Souillat adds: “What’s happening in Dubai, with Expo2020 and the projected 20 million annual visitors is very attractive for us so we are seeing which brands are suitable for this market.

“One immediately comes to mind with Yauatcha – which is an all-day dim sum tea house with a French pastry component. That could work dry or not, with a heavy focus on both tea and cocktails. We are cur-rently looking for locations and partners at the moment.”

The Michelin-starred Yauatcha opened in London in 2004, offering an all-day graz-ing experience. The concept is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Chinese teahouse, specialising in modern authentic dim sum, as well as wok-friendly dishes and other small eats.

Designed by Christian Liaigre, the restau-rant’s open-plan layout and visible kitchen energises the entire space, engaging both the outside street scene and Yauatcha’s guests.

Souillat adds: “We would also like to bring our west coast American businesses, like Seersucker and Herringbone to this region.”

Searsucker is a restaurant brand concep-tualised by Chef Brian Malarkey. It brings sharable comfort cuisine coupled with a ca-sual, “feel-good” atmosphere, and there are currently outlets in Texas, California, and Las Vegas. Whereas, Herringbone plays an emphasis on line-caught seafood and high-quality meat at both its locations in Southern California, with “Fish Meats Field” being the phrase used to describe its food.

Herringbone’s cuisine complements the innovative design by acclaimed interior de-signer Thomas Schoos, with features in-spired by nature, including fish nets draped on the walls and trees inside and out.

“The later started in La Jolla, California, has now opened in Santa Monica and will open in Las Vegas in December. It’s a seafood concept. Very social dining. No table cloths. Very casual and relaxed,” says Souillat.

He adds: “This is what Hakkasan is all about - fine dining food in a social setting. People want to have fun and enjoy the service and music as much as the food. If the service is unobtrusive then all the better, so people can concentrate on the social and sharing part of entertainment.

taIlorIng to the MarketHakkasan has even been developed into a nightclub concept in Las Vegas. Having launched in 2013 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the nightclub is an immersive 80,000-square-foot, five-level space offering a variety of environments. But because of the sheer size and scale of this concept, Souillat is doubtful it will ever be replicated outside of Nevada.

He adds: “It’s 80,000 sq. ft. and we don’t think any other site could sustain such a large venue worldwide. Calvin Harris and Tiesto need big clubs and a big footfall every night. So that is not on the cards in the Middle East, although I couldn’t say categorically.

“We have sub brands now, such as Ling Ling which opened in Mykonos in Greece

this summer. This is Hakkasan’s naughty little sister - it has some brand ethos of Hak-kasan like the blue glass but it’s very open and light. Also, it’s only open for the season and it is beverage led. It is Hakkasan does tapas. The portions are smaller and there is more of them but overall its beverage led with louder music, darker lighting and a lon-ger serve time.”

Inspired by the izakaya concept made popular in the East, executive head chef Tong Chee Hwee has created a menu of Cantonese dishes accompanied by an innovative cocktail list. “Ling Ling is designed to evolve from drinking to dining to dancing – in no particu-lar order,” says Souillat.

“This concept can fit in any city wherever there is already a Hakkasan as it has a dif-ferent but complimentary guest profile. Ling Ling also gave us the inspiration for the Ter-race in Dubai, which we just opened offering smaller plates, livelier music, low lighting and a lounge environment.

“You see, not many cities in the world, aside from London, can take more than one Hakkasan. We were lucky in London as both outlets are very distinct locations – one in Mayfair and one in Hanaway Place. Both have a different customer base and, besides, Lon-don is thriving with more and more people and concepts and I think it’s the food capital of the world at the moment.

“Although, everyone is now coming to Dubai – everyone who is known in the indus-try. So Dubai is becoming the new food des-tination – if you want to try great chefs, great

Hakkasan Group has 38 restaurants across 12 brands, seven countries and 19 cities


interView

food and great entertainment then come to Dubai,” says Souillat.With twenty million annual tourists expected for Expo2020, Souil-

lat suggests that there is space for everyone, “from mid-market, to three star, to fine food.”

the key to suCCessSouillat is adamant that the growth of the Hakkasan Group over the last 15 years has not been down to him, but rather the team he has created, coupled with their dogged consistency and drive for perfection. He adds: “Our success is consistency, we never cut corners and our chair backs us up in achieving that consistency. We are synonymous with luxury without the stuck up attributes that go with it,” boasts Souillat.

He adds: “We don’t innovate much, the concept is timeless and every new restaurant builds on the same model. We add bits and adopt to local markets, but the core ingredients are always the same, like the lounge bar concept and the blue bar.”

But most critical of all is staff recruitment and retention, ac-cording to Souillat. He explains: “When we opened Shanghai 50% of the staff were already Hakkasan people, from the US and the Middle East, so from day one they had experience.

“We move people around for opportunity and growth through-out our global portfolio so management tend to stay with us a long time. Retention is our key word and we couldn’t do what we do without that in-house knowledge. We have always maintained a succession programme so people are always presented opportuni-ties to grow across brand within the company.

“In London we have waiters who been with us for 10 years, but then it’s a high revenue restaurant, we don’t do split shifts and they have two days off in a row. We take care of people – there is no point in having tired staff. It takes three to four weeks for basic training, which is a big expense, so to lose them quickly makes no sense.

“And I lead by example, I spend up to seven months per year in a plane because I insist on visiting every restaurant at least once a year and some even twice. On top of that is the new openings – where I will spend at least two weeks prior to opening.” As a frequent flyer, Souillat is getting much more than air miles for his commitment, with strong and sustained growth for the Hakkasan group throughout his tenure.

Hakkasan has also developed lounge concepts

FHO2016-CateringNewsME_203x273mm.pdf 1 12/14/15 12:31 PM


Continental pâtissier of the year Eric Lanlard creates a heritage-inspired scented menu to accompany the spectacular

360° views of the capital

e r I C l a n l a r d g o e s

s t r A t o s - p h e r I C


interView

eric Lanlard, master pâtissier and twice winner of the prestigious Continental Pâtissier of the Year at the British

Baking Awards, has earned himself an inter-national reputation for superlative baked cre-ations for an impressive A-list clientele.

Having trained in France, Eric first learnt to cook in the navy, before moving to Lon-don aged 22 to become head pastry chef for Albert and Michel Roux. He stayed there for five years before launching his own business, Cake Boy, a destination café, cake emporium and cookery school based in London.

Today, Eric is an experienced author and TV presenter, and he has baked for the wed-dings of pop music and movie stars, super models and even royalty, so when it was announced Eric would bring his celebrated afternoon tea skills to whole new heights in Abu Dhabi last month, Catering News ME editor, Michael Gordon, was first in line.

TEA foR TWoFor one afternoon only, on 9 November, Eric Lanlard presented a bespoke ‘Soir D’Orient’ Afternoon Tea at Le Royal Meridien’s Stra-tos – the UAE capital’s only revolving lounge bar and grill.

Working closely with the 5-star hotel’s own award-winning executive chef and food and beverage director Justin Galea, the in-spirational culinary artiste designed a stand-out menu that owed much to the heritage of the UAE and the region.

“I love Middle Eastern flavours and sweets and with this exclusive afternoon tea we took guests on a magical food jour-ney,” said Eric. “To establish the right at-mosphere, and before guests settled into the gastronomic experience, we asked them to close their eyes, take a deep breath and enjoy the subtle fragrance of a specially-cre-ated cardamom edible perfume which trans-ported them right into the middle of the Al Ain Spice Souk.”

The menu was a savoury and sweet trib-ute to Arabia with flavours of saffron, rose water, dates, cardamom, cumin, pistachios, bee pollen and caraway seeds.

LET’s sTART fRoM THE BEginning, HoW DiD yoUR TiME in THE nAvy HELP yoUR cAREER As A cHEf?I was the pastry chef aboard the Jeanne D’Arc [Joan of Arc] – the French Navy flag-ship. It was where I chose to do my national

service and it was great experience. I got to see the world and cook for diplomats. The experience was incredible – I had a tiny kitchen and sometimes that was a challenge – you have to use what you have got when you are on board – you have to improvise. I remember the president’s wife asking me to make Easter Eggs – the weather was super-hot and I had to literally stand in the freezer to make the eggs.

LifE WiTH THE RoUx BRoTHERs MUsT HAvE BEEn vERy DiffEREnT To THE nAvy – HoW DiD yoU ADJUsT? I joined the Roux Brothers as pastry chef in their production kitchen in London aged 22. Within months I was promoted to head pas-try chef. Again it was a great time for me. I had come to London to improve my English and, there I was, working with two of the most iconic chefs in the world – and they were generous and supportive to me.

HoW DiD yoU sEcURE A JoB WiTH Mi-cHEL RoUx snR?The Roux Brothers were the only chefs that

I knew at the time – they were so well re-spected and they were in London. I wrote to them and secured a job.

HoW iMPoRTAnT WAs MicHEL in yoUR cAREER TRAining AnD DEvELoPMEnT? I was a fully trained patissier when I came to London. They are legends in the kitchen and outside of the kitchen so just having walked through their doors and worked with them for five years speaks volumes. Like I said they are the most generous people and treated me so very well. We are like family and I am still in touch with them today.

WHAT DRovE yoU To LEAvE MicHEL AnD sET UP LABoRAToiRE 2000? It was the right time for me to branch out on my own and start my own business – it was something that I had always wanted to do. The London food scene was in its infancy and we were able to establish our-selves very quickly. Within months we became the official patisserie and bakery supplier to Fortnum & Mason.


interView

WHAT WAs THE concEPT BEHinD LABo-RAToiRE 2000 AnD HoW DiD iT fiT WiTH THE TiMEs? We were a wholesalers and ran a production kitchen and produced exquisite desserts and patisserie for some of London’s high-end re-tailers and patisseries.

WHy DiD yoU sWiTcH To cAkE Boy, AnD HoW DiD iT DiffER? Wholesale was becoming increasingly dif-ficult – the margins were ridiculous and I didn’t want to compromise on ingredients. It’s hard to produce quality on a shoestring. Everything is about timing – we were look-ing for a new kitchen and found a ‘blank’ canvass. It was set within a beautifully de-signed residential development – a perfect space in which to open Cake Boy.

WHy DiD yoU fEEL coMPELLED To TEAcH fRoM cAkE Boy? Teaching was always part of the plan – it’s one of the things that I enjoy doing the most – being able to share my experience and my knowledge with baking fans is very satisfying.

WHAT goT yoU inTo TELEvision? It sort of just happened – as my reputa-tion grew for creating fabulous desserts and cakes – I started getting some press and lots of word of mouth and I became a regular on a food focused live show. It was a daily show and I was part of the regular chef roster along with Paul Hollywood. This was around 14 years ago – way before the Baking Zeitgest happened. Paul Hollywood and I were so grateful to be part of the show because at the time nobody – magazines, publishers or TV - were interested in cake and bakes.

ARE yoU coMfoRTABLE As A cELEBRiTy cHEf – is iT soMETHing yoU WoRkED ToWARDs oR sTUMBLED inTo? My ambition was to make glamorous cakes and to own my own patisserie. It was never to be celebrity chef. I’m comfortable with be-ing well known as someone who is a master of their craft. Celebrity comes and goes.

yoU HAvE MADE cAkEs foR soME HUgE cELEBRiTiEs AnD RoyALTy... I have and of course I’m proud but as far as I’m concerned all of my customers are just as important. We treat every bespoke

order the same – it’s important for me that every customer leaves our premises feeling special. Our service and our cakes is what makes our reputation.

WHicH cAkE WAs THE MosT cHAL-LEnging To MAkE AnD WHicH ARE yoU MosT PRoUD of? There are too many to list but I was very proud to have been commissioned to make Her Majesty the Queen Mother’s 101st

birthday cake.

HoW DiD cox cookiEs AnD cAkE coME ABoUT? It was a collaboration between myself and Pat-rick Cox – the shoe designer. He had always been obsessed with cakes and baking as a child and was looking for someone to partner with. Over the course of a one year partner-ship we opened a ‘pop-up’ cupcake concept in Soho and we had a lot of fun and sold a lot of cakes. We also produced a stunning book.

WHERE yoU sURPRisED By THE HUgE sUccEss of THE gREAT BRiTisH BAkE off? Not really – baking is a great family activ-ity. The show brings in all of the key ele-ments that make for great television, such as compelling characters, amazing bakes, a bit

of jeopardy thrown in and some very good presenters. It is real feel good factor TV – something that everyone can relate to.

WHAT ATTRAcTED yoU To WoRk AT THE sTRATos in LE RoyAL MERiDiEn ABU DHABi? I have a deep respect for Justin Galea, the food and beverage director at Le Royal Me-ridien Abu Dhabi - I relate to his philosophy and passion. We got on really well when we first met last year. We share a similar vision and I’m so pleased to be able to work with their brilliant food team and pastry chefs. I’ve always loved working with Middle East-ern flavours and I’m a big fan of afternoon tea. It’s huge in London – it’s the new ‘lunch’ so hopefully we are starting a new trend.

HoW Do yoU finD THE cULinARy scEnE HERE in THE UAE? It is very impressive. There is lots of choice, great chefs and restaurants and everyone is food obsessed here. It’s wonderful to see and be part of the scene.

ARE yoU consiDERing A PERMAnEnT PosiTion HERE in THE UAE? We would love to have a Cake Boy concept with a baking school in the UAE - so watch this space.

Eric Lanlard

“there are too many to list but i Was very proud to have been commissioned to make her maJesty the queen

mother’s 101st birthday cake.”

WAITenjoy

whileyou

with perfectlyblendediced coffee


With the opening of a new restaurant on Palm Jumeirah, Wagamama is launching a new world-wide strategy, called the

Kaizen concept, designed to raise the standards and uniformity in its restaurants across the globe, as Catering News ME discovered

t h e n A u g h t y C h I l d ’ s

t r A n s f o r m A t I o n

Charlotta Ashour, Country Manager ME


interView

the story of Wagamama, which means naughty child in Japanese, began in 1992 with the opening of

the chain’s first restaurant in Bloomsbury, London. Although it is a widely recognised family friendly concept today, with restau-rants spanning across 17 counties, the idea of fresh, fast food and a relaxed atmosphere akin to Japanese noodle bars was quite strik-ing in the early nineties.

In Dubai there are now four Wagamama restaurants. The first to open, in 2004, was Wagamama Crowne Plaza, located on Sheikh Zayed Road, with The Greens and Al Fattan Towers, in Jumeirah Beach Residence follow-ing just a few years later, and the latest open-ing on The Palm Jumeirah only last month.

With the latest offering (see pictures), Wagamama is introducing the “Kaizen” ide-ology - meaning “continuous improvement” in Japanese - to the brand, with The Palm Jumeirah branch being the first venue of its kind in the UAE.

Highlights include the new Omakase sec-tion of dishes (Japanese for “the chef’s selec-tion”) as well as refreshed restaurant interi-ors and décor. The new location on The Palm Jumeirah also features an al fresco dining area and a fresh juice bar. Charlotta Ashour, country manager for Wagamama Middle East, reaffirms: “The constantly evolving brand is firmly ahead of the culinary curve.”

“We are extremely excited to launch the new concept here in the UAE,” says Char-lotta. “This is just the first step in our expan-sion as we have plans to open further venues across the country in the next year. Waga-mama has been a huge success in the UAE for over a decade and we aim to continue this momentum.”

In explaining the Kaizen concept, Charlotta says: “As part of the Kaizen concept we want to make the restaurants a warmer and more inviting space. No longer a quick lunch offer-ing, but rather somewhere guests can relax over a long dinner. The Wagamama concept is still there but we are stepping up a notch.”

With guests encouraged to stay longer, the concept raises questions over the rate of turnover, but Charlotta assures: “The turn-over will be more around lunchtime servings, whereas in the evening people will stay lon-ger but the average spend will increase.”

This brand revolution began in Septem-ber 2014 in the UK, but the new build in the Golden Mile Galleria, Golden Mile 1, Palm


interView

Jumeirah is the first new-look store in the UAE. A revamp of the Greens branch, in line with Kaizan, will be completed by December and JBR will be refitted early 2016.

Next year the brand is looking to expand into Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah for new stores, building on the four in Dubai to total seven across the whole Emirates by the end of 2016. Internationally, all future stores will built to the Kaizan concept.

Charlotta adds: “We want to see Wagama-ma open in the largest shopping malls going forward. In Ras Al Khaimah we are looking at the Al Hamra area, in Al Ain at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and in Abu Dhabi we are currently tendering at the Midfield Airport.”

A franchised Wagamama restaurant is set to open in Bahrain, with plans underway to open in Saudi Arabia and to build on the chain’s first store in Qatar.

tradItIonal InnovatIon In line with this change in mind-set, the interior has been redesigned with the re-moval of the traditional long hard benches in favour of bar stools, high chairs and smaller two-seater benches, designed more around groups and families. The concept introduces a preparation table into the din-ing area for the chef, so private catering can be more involved, while the kitchen is opened entirely to put the myriad of kitch-en staff fully on show.

The dining space is broken up by huge display cabinets, which are adorned with the kitchen ingredients. “We want to show diners exactly what goes into their food,” ex-plains Charlotta.

In addition there is an alfresco dining area and a standalone juice bar, which Charlotta says is “deliberately separated to draw in its own customers”.

Another key change is orientated at the serving staff. “We are setting the team free – no more timings over service, no quick in and out dinners, and a playful and down to earth service style. We want the res-taurant to feel more relaxed, like you are coming home.”

Gone are the standard uniforms, with staff encouraged to wear their own jeans, as a sign of their individuality – providing they are black. This is paired with a grey sweatshirt emblazed with the new logo of a Wagamama star and the Kaizen smile in red stitching.

Additionally, Charlotta says: “The menu is

more visual, bringing the dishes alive, and the food must look and taste the same all over the world.” To this end, all key members of staff spend four weeks training in the UK, includ-ing a three day cooking course, with follow up training after three and then six months.

Exclusive to The Palm location, the chef’s selection of fresh and flavourful new dishes in the omakase section caters to a variety of palates from hot soups to mild curries.

The grilled tuna provides a healthy Asian twist to a popular menu item and it sits on a bed of quinoa, kale, red peppers, red onion and edamame beans. For seafood lovers there is a coconut seafood broth, which boasts a wholesome mixture of prawns, salmon, squid, scallops and mussels poached in a coconut and vegetable soup. And, for those

looking for a more hearty option, there is the beef massaman curry with sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms and baby aubergine in a mild, fragrant massaman curry sauce.

Recently the flagship store in London in-troduced breakfast options and this may be something Charlotta introduces in the UAE later. “I might take a look at that as we cer-tainly have the option here in the mall en-vironment,” she says. For now, the naughty child will settle on rolling out the new brand across the MENA region, and ensuring uni-formity across the global brand.

visit our website atwww.hotelnewsme.com

Teams will undergo four weeks of training and three

days of cooking class

The new concept also includes new menus

R E S T A U R A N T L O U N G E

Solutions Leisure Group are looking for franchise partners across the globe for

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Our franchise opportunities have been carefully designed to help you build a business that will have an impact on

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This New York loft style venue is a multitude of seductive sins;oering a combination of dining, lounge and true city nightlife.

The concept focuses on designer pool tables, live DJs and the afterwork crowd.

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2015_11_23_CATERING NEWS MAG_FPS_.pdf 1 11/24/15 1:42 PM


hot stuFFcatering news me takes a look at some of the hottest F&b products on the market

tegel chicken

Following the launch of premium chilled and frozen poultry products into the retail channel

through a successful partnership with Spinneys, Tegel partnered with Country Hill last month in

the foodservice channel in the UAE. Country Hill’s brand portfolio includes Silver Fern Farms, one of New Zealand’s iconic beef and lamb brands, which it has been

representing for over 20 years; a legacy that encouraged Tegel to initiate the partnership.Tegel’s range of products includes Rangitikei

brand of Corn Fed Free Range whole chickens, portions and fillets as well as the Tegel brand portfolio, which includes prime cuts and value added products, such as cooked ready to eat

shredded and sliced chicken, and chicken rashers (bacon).

Tegel chicken is premium quality, raised in open plan barns, with a high quality grain rich diet. It is free from growth hormones, barn raised

(cage free), naturally healthy, and receives no injections.

www.countryhill.ae

mozaik

Panache International introduces its Mozaik range that emanates the class of glass with the functionality of plastic disposables perfect for the party season.

Recently being awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2008 certification, Panache’s range

includes aperitif glasses, amuse-bouche platters that have the look of glass with silver-like sheen, and plastic plates that exude the look of delicate glass with the light-weight sturdiness of plastic.

Ideal for corporate events as well as in-home party catering, the Mozaik is made of the highest grade plastic, which takes the aesthetic nature of silver and glass to create easy to use,

clean and safe disposables that look beautiful on the dinner table.

The range of Mozaik disposables includes cutlery, appetizer bowls, various designs of glasses ideal for desserts as well as drinks, a variety of sizes of plates, serving platters and side dishes. www.panacheintltd.com

melt Water

Melt Water Original, an established and popular premium bottled water brand in the European market is making an entrance into

the Middle East.Melt Water Ltd.’s mission is to develop food and beverage production technology that

makes reliance on commonly used antibiotics, preservatives, flavour enhancers, and artificial

additives obsoleteThe composition of Melt Water is different to that of water commonly consumed for

everyday drinking. Melt Water is identical to the structure of the fluid in our cells. This helps cleanse and revitalise the body, aid in weight loss, accelerate metabolism, help to nourish

radiant, soft skin, and slow the ageing process by helping cells to rejuvenate.

The Melt Water brand is currently available in various outlets across Dubai and Abu Dhabi

with planned expansion into all other emirates and the rest of the Gulf region.

www.bateel.com

perrier

Perrier is a natural sparkling mineral water that is well known throughout the world. The Perrier saga began in 1863, when

bubbles were taken from a French spring and bottled, and in 1898, Dr. Louis Perrier

became the owner of the spring, which would later take his illustrious name.

While the bubbles have remained intact over time, the famous elegantly-shaped green bottle has evolved with consumer needs.

In the 2000s, the natural sparkling mineral water became available in 100% recyclable

PET bottles.Last month HORECA signed a deal with Nestle Waters for the foodservice sale

and distribution of Perrier across the UAE. Nestle Waters expects to see a year-on-year

double-digit growth, of around 20%, on its foodservice sales of Perrier on the strength

of this.Perrier will complement HORECA’s existing beverage portfolio, which includes Acqua Panna, the official mineral water of the

Worldwide Sommelier Association and S. Pellegrino, served in over 100 countries

worldwide, in addition to Sohat, which comes from the highest mountains of Lebanon

“Falougha”. www.horecatrade.com


hot stuFF

brushless blender #62

Santos, the specialist of commercial electrical equipment dedicated to bars since 1954,

introduces its new improvement on the Blender Brushless #62: The Dual Crushing Action.

Thanks to its patented two-way rotation of the blade, Santos offers the only blender in the

world, which can turn both ways and crush any kind of ingredients, like hard ice cubes or frozen

fruits, in a few seconds. The Brushless Blender #62 is the ideal

appliance for juice bars and coffee shops; it ticks all the boxes in terms of performance and sustainable development. It makes any kind of cocktails, smoothies, fruit juices, milkshakes,

granitas, and iced coffee frappe thanks to the 30 preprogrammed recipes.

You also have the possibility to create your own recipes using the software provided by Santos, via abuilt-in USB port. The new programs are said to guarantee a high quality blend, precise

and constant.The key feature of this appliance is its brushless

motor, which is unique on the market. Thanks to this world exclusivity, the Brushless Blender

#62 received the SMART LABEL PRIZE 2015, which is distributed to the most innovative products by HOST exhibition. This motor,

without carbon brushes, is low maintenance, silent, and offers excellent energy efficiency and

a long lifetime.www.santos.fr

lemon concentrate and lime cordial

Lemon Concentrate brings you cool aromatic notes, boosted by an instantly recognisable acidity of the lemon, while Lime Cordial combines citrusy and peel notes

The lemon concentrate replaces the juice in every one of its many applications. The powerful acidity balances out every cocktail, whether a classic Daiquiri or planter’s Punch. The concentrate also distils its extremely pure taste to spruce up dishes or pastries. Lime

Juice Cordial strikes a compromise between lime juice and lime syrup; distinctly acidic with a touch of sweetness. It is an essential component not only to the legendary Cosmopolitan,

but also to the Gimlet, Mai Tai, or Gin Fizz and mixes with water, tea or infusions. www.lamarquise.com

orchid FlowerOrchid Flower shares light floral notes that are elegantly fused with the intense floral

notes. The sense of flower is both immediate and extremely accurate. The flowery notes exude their powerful intensity while carried

by the sweet, subtle, woody and musky undertones inspired by perfume. Between a

subtle fragrance and beautiful floral notes, the orchid’s exotic nature skilfully flavours mild

cocktails. This 1883 syrup mixes marvellously with Gin, Vodka, and Vermouth. It is also a

companion for teas and infusions, it elegantly expresses itself in milk and water, and

enhances beer, white and rosé wines. Just the right amount of orchid syrup charms both

white and milk chocolate. www.lamarquise.com

cambro camrackThe Cambro Camrack 4-in-1 Warewashing

System boasts an innovative design, to ensure efficient washing. The circulation of water, cleaning solutions and air promotes deep

cleaning and quick drying. Maintaining clean ware on the inside of the racks and preventing external contaminants

from contacting the contents, provides optimum sanitary storage.

Holding glasses of all different shapes and sizes with colour coding to identify the product

contents and quantity per rack allows for inventory control. While the ergonomic design ensures easy handling, smooth stacking and

easy transport. The Camrack 4-in-1 system can protect your glassware, reduce water waste and improve

the bottom line.www.cambro.com

bocuse d’or collectionVilleroy & Boch is providing the official

competition plate, from the new Artesano Professionale collection, for the Bocuse d’Or

is the most well-known competition in top international gastronomy.

Every two years the best chefs in the world meet in Lyon, the home of the eponymous

and initiator, Paul Bocuse, to test their culinary skills. The big finale will take place on January

24 and 25 2017.The impressively designed competition plate

offers the chefs plenty of space for the sophisticated presentation of their creations thanks to the size and simple, but surprising

design. The flatware from the Villeroy & Boch series Oscar and glasses from the Purismo

series complete the table setting.www.villeroy-boch.com


marketplaCe

bottleThe Middle East remains one of the strongest international markets for bottled water, with consumption peaking in Saudi Arabia, as Catering News ME discovered

According to Euromonitor International, Saudi Arabia consumes the highest amount of bottled water today, accounting for $640m in sales. It is followed by $419m in the UAE, $368m in Egypt and $340m in Iran.

However, by 2019 Iran will take the lead with a bottle water market worth $1.19bn, followed by $866m in Saudi Arabia, $626m in the UAE and $602m in Egypt.

The eighth Dubai Drink Technology Expo, exclusively for the bever-age industry, showcasing the latest technological solutions and attract-ing thousands of qualifies regional beverage manufacturers and suppli-ers, will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 16-18 May 2016. Ahead of the Expo, Catering News spoke to several bottled water firms to see how buoyant the market is.

What are the latest trends in water?

Melt: There is a general trend for higher qual-ity and premiumisation in bottled waters. This is also being implemented by the local authorities, issuing higher quality standards for the classification of locally produced and imported water brands. It can also be noticed in consumer preferences and people are be-coming more and more conscious of what they are consuming. What we are seeing is global trends for health, wellness and purity factors of water are coming to the GCC.farrell: Here in the Middle East, we see a con-tinued growth for bottled water consumption. Apart from the trusted quality of water, the convenience of bringing bottled water any-where, anytime remains popular.Mirtova: Thinking beyond the conservation of water and water bottle consumption in the UAE is the latest trend.HoREcA: The water culture in UAE is grow-ing and the consumers are more aware than ever about the importance of drinking high quality water. The “low sodium” campaign is just one of the factors driving people to really look at the label before drinking. The Expo 2020 is attracting more and more competitors from all over the world.

What are the most important specifications

for your catering clients when placing new

orders?

Mirtova: Let’s start with the qualitative ad-vantages. With Nordaq Fresh you will serve the same water as the World’s Best Restau-rants and also offer to your guests a water

that is eco-friendly. No transportation of wa-ter bottles and no single use plastic bottles in your everyday waste handling.

is your business seasonal or orientated

around special occasions?

farrell: Fortunately for our brand, our product is needed for everyday hydration and there-fore does not fall into a seasonal cycle. We do have seasonal upticks in terms of demand especially when we roll out our limited edi-tion bottles as it is one of the most popular products. Being a collectible bottle, evian cus-tomers always look forward to its arrival in the market. We have just recently made avail-able the 2016 limited edition bottle featuring Alexander Wang.Mirtova: Our business had no particular sea-son, it is for the whole time of year.HoREcA: The water business is growing steadily however, special occasions such as sports tournaments, Formula 1, Taste of Dubai, and so on, are a positive contributor to the sales turnover. At the same time the summer season can influence the sales.

What is the UsP of your company and how do

you differentiate yourselves?

Melt: Our company stands on two pillars: in-novation in F&B technologies, and quality pu-rity and health factors. Our company strives at researching and implementing new and innovative technologies into the production process of foods and beverages. The second pillar is the quality – which for us means puri-ty at source or after treatment. As mentioned


marketplaCe

With quality and taste matching premium bottled water, it’s possible to charge for filtered water service, creating a new revenue stream. Furthermore, it saves money on bottled water costs, it removes clutter and waste of plastic bottles from your property and meetings, and it reduces your environmental impact by cut-ting waste from plastic, transportation, and the manufacturing of bottled water.HoREcA: As Horeca Trade, fully dedicated food service company, we differentiate our-selves by being a partner to our customers rather than supplier. We offer a full portfolio that can cover all the needs of the chefs. From the water to the French Fries, from beef to frozen cakes we help hotels and restaurants to consolidate the number of suppliers and have a single key account manager for any requirement. Also one year ago we launched the B2B Online Ordering platform where our customers can have access to entire portfolio and place their orders 24/7.

What is your market share in the gcc?

farrell: Evian has always been the leading brand when it comes to the premium natu-ral mineral water segment. We have kept this lead in the GCC since our entry to the mar-kets here and will continue to do so. Thanks to the trust bestowed by our loyal customers to our brands.Mirtova: Nordaq Fresh was only launched in October during Speciality Food Festival. How-ever, we've got a fantastic response during and after the show, therefore, we are working on several good deals at the moment.

Beside that Nordaq Fresh is a preferred supplier for Starwood Hotels Worldwide. As a result we are also securing deals with several properties in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

What is your largest market geographically

and what are the global trends in terms of

supply and demand?

farrell: Our biggest markets in the Middle East are GCC markets. HoREcA: Supply and demand are stable at the moment. In terms of supply, the only fluc-tuation we are dealing with are the seasonal fluctuations, which sometimes requires an alteration to our shipping schedules.

Where are your products manufactured, and

what are the issues relating to logistics into

the gcc?

Melt: Our products are manufactured in Eu-

rope. Being based in the UAE, we are well positioned to operate regionally due excellent transport infrastructure and convenient geo-graphic location.farrell: Evian water is directly bottled from source - it is not manufactured and remains untouched by human hands. From our base in Évian-les-Bains, our distributors bring the water to our respective markets here in the GCC. Badoit also holds the same quality – it’s naturally sparkling and no manufac-turing involved.Mirtova: Nordaq Fresh is locally produced water. Indeed, Nordaq Fresh is bottled on-site. Local tap water passes through a unique patented proprietary filter system, which removes impurities and unwanted flavours, while maintaining the water’s natural salts and minerals for a balanced, neutral, rounded taste. The system cools the water and pro-duces high quality still or sparkling branded water that can be sold at the same price as

international branded waters.HoREcA: Because supply and demand are steady, the only fluctuation we are dealing with are the seasonal fluctuations, which sometimes requires an alteration to our ship-ping schedules.

Are there any legislation changes and, if so,

how do they affect your business?

Melt: The legislation changes coming online are appreciated as they allow the consumer to differentiate between high quality water prod-ucts of natural source and non-natural source, as well as educate consumers on the different sources of water.farrell: There are no current changes in laws that could potentially affect our business. We are conducting our operations as normal and as usual. We are though very proud to say that evian, Volvic and Badoit were the first brands to receive certification from the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrol-


marketplaCe

ogy (ESMA) and has therefore set the golden standard set forth by the UAE.HoREcA: In the legislation change in 2014 , all packaged drinking water sold in the UAE required a quality mark issued by the Emir-ates Authority for Standardisation and Me-trology (ESMA) .The regulation, is designed to tackle drinking water and all materials that come in contact with drinking water from one end to the other. Most drinking water bottles that are labelled ‘mineral water’ are not ac-tually mineral water and the new law forced the manufacturers to ascertain the source of water such as mineral, spring, desalinated or groundwater and the process that water went through. This new process incurred several new costs, however it also forced a lot of the small players in the market to leave, which re-sulted in a positive outcomes for us.

What is new in your portfolio of products?

Melt: Our new products will be launched in 2016 and 2017, but we cannot disclose any further details yet.farrell: We have recently launched a new packaging for Evian. The new Evian bottle is sleeker with cleaner lines and leans on trans-parency to celebrate its contents: evian Natu-ral Mineral Water, a distinctly pure water, as nature intended. The bottle sports a “label-less” look. Its front features a simplified, el-egant reduction of the previous logo design.Mirtova: The systems come in different sizes and models to fit bars, kitchens, banquets and breakfast buffets. There are also self-service systems, called Grab & Go, where the end-user refills their own bottles: ideal for lobbies, hotel rooms, pool areas and gyms.HoREcA: We recently unveiled ’Sohat’, signi-fying growth and transformation towards be-

water in Lebanon will definitely create a stir in the UAE because of its outstanding qual-ity, naturality and also its unique design. The name ‘Sohat’ stands for good health and car-ries a beautiful message on the art of living a healthy life in a modern fresh way.

We are excited in launching the glass bot-tles with minimalist design, having ‘Sohat’ logo engraved beautifully on it, will be per-fectly fitting for any fine dining restaurants at a very good price. Its purity and low min-eral content make it incredibly light leaving a distinctive taste on the consumers. The new brand entered the market from 1 July in two different sizes, the 1L and 33cl adding a clas-sic touch to the dining experience, and will be available as of February in PET format.

How do you see your market changing in the

future?

Melt: Generally speaking we believe the market will expand, and as consumers be-come more aware and educated on the dif-ferent types of water, both source and pro-cess, there will be changes in the market which will reflect this too. As a product in the market, those changes will reflect on us too and we are confident that those changes will have a positive impact on our product offering and demand.farrell: In the Middle East, we see more rea-sons for this industry to expand, especially in the GCC. This is mainly due to the di-verse consumers in the Middle East, a grow-ing population and more people opting for a healthy lifestyle. Further, consumers find con-venience, safety and value with bottled water.Mirtova: Add its sustainable production, pack-aging and transport profile and it becomes something unique – the water of choice for many of the world’s top chefs and somme-liers. In fact, Nordaq Fresh is served in res-taurants with a total of 122 stars in the Guide Michelin – and is appointed preferred supplier to Starwood’s hotels and resorts globally.

Fresh water is served in beautifully de-signed glass bottles, which can be used over and over again and their water system con-tributes to a cleaner planet: no fossil-fuelled transportation, or one-use plastic bottles, and no waste.

With a flat monthly rate per system busi-ness model, Nordaq Fresh turns water into a profit centre, not just a cost: it enables higher margins and thus improves your bottom line.

We try to cater For

that consumer, by completely omittinG the use oF preservatives, antibiotics or any other artiFicial substances in all oF our products” melt Water

ing the true partner to the foodservice chan-nel. The launch of our new brand kicks-off another responsible step taken forward in the water business as a solution to challenging F&B industry.

Originating from the Falougha mountains, ‘Sohat’ is the most renowned natural mineral


IranIan soFt drInks Market to cross $10bn by 2019

The AURA beverage consultancy has been launched in Dubai offering over 10 years of knowledge and experience in the creation of beverage concepts for the hospitality industry.

The founder of AURA, Adam Carr, has experience across bar operation and events services to creative training and bar design, and most recently held the position of train-ing manager with Tonique Consultancy.

Explaining the launch, Carr said: “AURA beverage consultancy was launched with the purpose of supplying the rapidly growing hospitality industry here in the UAE with the highest level of bar training and service.

“Combining a true passion for anything beverage, with our extensive industry expe-rience, we aim to deliver the expertise your hospitality needs deserve.”

Melt Water Original, an established and popu-lar premium bottled water brand in the Euro-pean market is making an entrance into the Middle East.

“Expanding to the Middle East is a strong strategic decision for us because of the re-gion’s established market for world class products and premium goods,” said Melt Wa-ter Ltd. CEO Arūnas Ališauskas.

“Our extensive research and technologi-cal advances in production help us produce a level of purity that no one has been able to create before,” he added.

David Watson, country manager, Melt Wa-ter Ltd., said: “We are dedicated to catering to the modern consumer, who looks for quality, purity, and health in their diet.”

The composition of Melt Water is different to that of water commonly consumed for ev-eryday drinking, being identical in structure to the fluid in our cells. This helps cleanse and revitalise the body; aid in weight loss; acceler-

aura beverage consultancy launches In the uae

Melt water set to debut In the uae

Rising global demand along with increasing domestic industrial output and a growing ap-petite for new export markets have created a favourable situation for the Middle East bev-erage sector, according to latest reports.

A number of factors have evolved in re-cent years enabling UAE-based exporters

to make inroads into new markets. China remains a top destination while population growth, rising middle class and high dispos-able incomes are creating new de-mand in GCC, Rus-sia, CIS and African countries.

The UAE had the lowest outlay on soft drinks, spend-

ing $1.69bn in 2015, and rising to $2.49bn in 2019, compared to Egypt’s soft drink market worth $1.9bn in 2015, rising to $3.19bn in 2019, according to Euromoni-tor International.

The highest cost this year was in Saudi Arabia, spending $4.70bn compared to

$3.62bn in Iran, although the balance shifts by 2019, with Iran the highest at $10.11bn, followed by Saudi Arabia with $6.68bn.

In bottled water Saudi Arabia consumed the highest, at $640m today, followed by $419m in the UAE, $368m in Egypt and $340m in Iran. However, by 2019 Iran will take the lead with a bottle water market worth $1.19bn, followed by $866m in Sau-di Arabia, $626m in the UAE and $602m in Egypt.

The 8th Dubai Drink Technology Expo, exclusively for the beverage industry, show-casing the latest technological solutions and attracting thousands of qualifies regional beverage manufacturers and suppliers, will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 16-18 May 2016.

Meanwhile, Business Monitor Interna-tional (BMI) predicts local food consump-tion to cross $8.9 billion in 2015 and reach $9.5bn in 2016.

ate metabolism; and help to nourish radiant, soft skin, and slow the ageing process by help-ing cells to rejuvenate.


noIr launches In keMpInskI hotel Mall oF the eMIratesNoir lounge and cocktail bar, designed by Bassos Design to take guests back to the ‘speak easy’ movement of 1920s America, opened its doors in November in the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates.

The bar team has over 30 years’ combined experience work-ing around the world in New York, Hong Kong, Taipei, Shangai, Beijing, New Zealand, Hawaii and Las Vegas, and has undergone extensive training in beverages, cigars and food.

Grant Ruddiman, general manager, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, said: “The grand understated luxury of Noir has been achieved right from the careful touches in the design to the wide range of trendy cocktails, from the top notch training of our talented staff to the individual uniforms – all scrupulously conceived to ensure that we are offering truly bespoke, rich memories for our guests.”

He adds: “The opening of Noir is a testament to all of the team who have worked tirelessly to ensure that only the best of the best has been selected to ensure our vision.”

Eric Stephenson, cocktail programme manager, together with Spirit House Consultants (a globally renowned cocktail consultant) designed bespoke and classic cocktails from around the world with a Noir twist.

Drinks aside, a fusion menu masterfully realised by chef de partie, Javier Martinez and head chef, Jerry Shuhua, combines the Latin American and Asian cuisine, with highlights including gratinated chupe de jaiva, cod fish coixotto and mariscada citrica, citric seafood with blue potatoes in green soup.

The 1206 sqm Noir comprises a mesmerising Blue Room, a decadent secluded space designed to replicate a private bespoke library; the VIP space exudes a blue interior scheme, a strong nod to 1920’s deco design, set off by a piercing blue glass chandelier, with a hand crafted cigar humidor on offer for perusal of the finest cigars from around the world.


Final thought

“we move people around for opportunity and growth throughout our global portfolio so management tend to stay with us a long time. retention is our key word and we couldn’t do what we do without that in-house knowledge.

we have always maintained a succession programme so people are always presented opportunities to grow across brand within the

company.”Didier Souillat, executive vice president,

Hakkasan Group

he saId what?

Let’s go fly a kite, up to the highest height... Anantara Hotels and Resorts on Sir Bani Yas Island has announced the introduction of the Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Annual Kite Fest, with the first event slated for Friday 19 February, 2016. The day which commences at 10.30am is focused on families making their own kites, no commercial kite kits will be allowed, and then flying them from the beaches of the island with a complimentary sausage sizzle, music and fun for all ages afterwards until 4pm. Complimentary return water taxi transfers are provided for all participants from the mainland to Sir Bani Yas Island.“At Anantara we aim to create experiences which leave lasting memories for our guests.

The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina is attempting to break a Guinness World Record this year, with the world’s tallest Christmas tree made of macaroons.

Standing 5.5m tall, the tree required over 15,000 macaroons to complete it, and it took nine days to build. The current record was set by the InterContinental Paris – Le Grand in 2014. The current title holding tree was built in collaboration with Ladurée, one of the world’s most renowned names in pastries, and it stood 14 feet high using 8,000 macaroons. The Westin tree will be on display throughout the festive season.

bon appetit: the Food lover's cleanse

by sara dickerman

With an emphasis on home cooking and whole foods you’ll find four different two-week cleanse plans, one for each season, and 140 recipes that use fresh, flavourful, unprocessed ingredients. High in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—with no refined flours, very lim-ited dairy and saturated fats, little to no alcohol or coffee, the programme encourages you to eat mindfully, controlling portion size, and curbing grazing impulses. Empty calories are replaced with filling protein- or fibre-rich snacks.

The food is enticing enough to convince you to give up everyday staples like white pasta, bread, and processed meats, and it is designed to encourage lifelong eating practices.

beer pairing: the essential guide from the pairing pros

by Julia herz and gwen conley

Beer has reclaimed its place at the dinner table yet, unlike wine, the culture for pairing beer with food is still niche. Julia Herz and Gwen Conley are here to change that.

Together they teach you to appreciate the aroma and taste of beer and to formulate your own preference. When you have a grasp of beer profiles you can start to pair it with food. Start with your favourite foods, or join the authors on a series of wild palate trips. From classics like barbecue ribs with Ameri-can Brown Ale to unusual matches like pine-apple upside-down cake with Double India Pale Ale and tips from pro brewers, Julia and Gwen will make sure you never look at beer or food the same way.

reader's corner

The introduction of a kite festival is one of those events, which has been created to focus on ‘family time’, encouraging creativity and bringing people together in a safe and entertaining environment,” explained Sharon Garrett, area director of marketing and com-munications, Anantara Hotels Resorts and Spas Abu Dhabi.Registration, which is free of charge, will open in January, and prizes will be awarded across a range of categories including ‘most colourful kite’. Guests staying in the resort for the weekend, will receive a complimentary Kite Kit while day visitors are encouraged to bring their own. For more information email: [email protected]

annual kIte FestIval

tall order

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Catering News ME - January 2016