GRILL OF THE MONTH
Around the
Gulf Gourmet embarks on a global journey with Joseph Sorger, General Manager, Sheraton Deira Hotel
A
ustrian by birth, Joseph Sorger, General Manager, Sheraton Deira Hotel, is best described as a global citizen. Having travelled all over the world, he has absorbed the various cultures he has lived and worked within. “I’m privileged to have gotten the opportunities I have,” he says. His humility is something that is immediately striking. Calling every opportunity a “stroke of luck” and every position a “big one to fill”, Sorger is as downto-earth as they get. Coming from a picturesque village near Kratz, Austria, Sorger admits he loved watching television, and his favourite show was a cooking show that was on every week. “At the time, cooking shows were not that popular, and chefs were not celebrities. But I thought the idea of working with food was fascinating. I was amazed at the way the chef created new dishes and flavours,” he says. That was when he decided he was going to be a chef. “My parents were not too keen on the idea, but then, that was what I wanted and so I applied for my apprenticeship at Steirerhof hotel in Kratz,” he smiles. Beating down competition from 20 other applicants, Sorger bagged one of the three coveted positions. Coveted, not only because the Steirerhof was one of the best hotels in the country, but also because of the aggressive internship programme it offered. 56 GULF GOURMET February 2008
world “The difference became even more apparent when we went out for the twomonth schooling programmes. The team from our hotel was always at the top of the class. I believe it was because of the passion and commitment of the owner to train and help young people in the industry,” says Sorger. Completing the programme in 1976, Sorger went on to military service, and then back to the Steirerhof. “This time I was there only for six months. I got an opportunity to go to Switzerland, so I moved,” he says. After a short stint at the Park Hotel in Ascona, Sorger moved to Zurich in 1978 as part of the Movenpick team. “I was the king of the kitchen,” he says. No, he wasn’t Executive Chef yet, but for Sorger, meat and sauces are a very important part of the kitchen, and that was what he specialised in. This particular stint was especially important to him because this was when he changed his career path from kitchen to management. “I wanted to run a hotel one day, and wanted to understand the business in all its aspects, from kitchen to finance,” he explains. Also, at the time, being a chef did not have the same media attention and a glamorous aspect as it does today. “Let me explain. A friend who went to school with me was in the same profession. We did out apprenticeship at the same time, although in different hotels, and at a competition, I came first and he was second. Today, he is a very famous chef in Germany, and is doing very well. When I hear of things like this, I do think where I would have been had I carried on in the kitchen. But these are hypothetical questions that can never be answered, so why get into them,” he smiles. So he joined a hotel school in 1978 and completed his course in 1981. His first job post his education was with the Sheraton in Munich as Food and Beverage Cost Controller. “It was a financial position, but very much linked to food and beverage. You have to check the food, balance the pricing, etc. My