Hospitality News Middle East - October/November 2018 (Issue 120)

EDITOR'S VIEW

Group editor Nouhad Dammous Managing director Joumana Dammous-Salamé

Whatever you do, make sure you convey a sense of enthusiasm

Editor Annie Keropian-Dilsizian Publication manager Randa Dammous-Pharaon Publication executive Rita Ghantous Graphic designers Elias Tufunkji Ibrahim Kastoun Features consultant Rana Freifer Features writer Jad Haidar Sub-editor/writer Miriam Dunn Community manager Lisa Jerejian Sales executives Michel Ajjoub, Maha Hasbani, Josette Hikri, Nancy Mouawad advertise@hospitalityservices.com.lb Subscription coordinators Houayda Haddad-Roumman Mirna Maroun subscribe@hospitalityservices.com.lb Circulation coordinator Rita Nohra-Kejijian News news@hospitalityservices.com.lb Production & printing Arab Printing Press Photographer Pavlos Nikolaou Photography Published by Hospitality Services sarl Lebanon Borghol Building, Dekwaneh P.O.Box 90 155 Jdeidet el Metn 1202 2020 Tel: +961 1 480081 Fax: +961 1 482876 info@hospitalityservices.com.lb hospitalitynewsmag.com Dubai Tel: +971 56 6661718 All the information disclosed in the magazine was provided by the parties concerned by each publication and checked to the highest possible extent by the editors. However, the magazine cannot ensure accuracy at all times of all information published and therefore could in no case be held responsible should any information reveal to be false or insufficient.

We welcome views on any subject relevant to the hospitality industry, but request that letters be short and to the point. The editor reserves the right to select and edit letters.

Hospitality News ME is distributed to trade professionals in the catering and lodging industry in the Middle East.

Staff social media to promote your business * Social media generates more business, connects with actual/new customers and serves them on a high level. * Social media has become a top popular site-manufacturing tool. * Social media can be used for a variety of purposes, whether it’s social selling, marketing or customer support. * Social media gives you the perfect opportunity to reach your target audience and build your brand.

You can be active on one or more social media profiles:Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, among others. Never make the mistake of simply assuming everyone knows about your social media channels, even within your company. Promote your social media channels, even within your company.

To be able to measure the effectiveness of your social media effort, you have to choose and decide: Are you looking to only build and increase awareness of your brand or to align your social media goals with your business activities or goals?

Just as you need to have consistent branding in order to be successful in any marketing strategy, you can ensure that your marketing stays on message by training your employees’ messaging and giving them explicit instructions on what they can post, what they can’t post and other issues. Make sure you revise these guidelines frequently and address any issues that come up along the way, to ensure that the strategy is a success.

Give out your best activities regularly, including your team, and the preparation of one of your events. Whatever you do, make sure you convey a sense of enthusiasm.

Though you’ll find most businesses on social media, you won’t find the employees of those businesses with official social media profiles. Rather, employees are likely to have their own personal accounts and nothing more - and that’s a real missed opportunity. You can use official staff social media profiles to help promote your hotel, restaurant or other similar businesses.

Start with the right training.

Nouhad Dammous Editor-in-Chief Docteur Honoris Causa

In this issue Oct - Nov 2018

EDITOR’S VIEW

03

Staff social media to promote your business

NEWS

08 Industry Overview 10 Hotels 16 Food & Beverage 24 Suppliers

HORECA NETWORK

28

Talking business: Saudi HORECA and GRIF KSA HORECA Jordan kicks off its fifth edition

EVENTS

26

30

24

Imad Abi Chaker, CEO of Manyfood distribution

28

HORECA Jordan kicks off its fifth edition

34

Selim El Zir, Vice Chairman of Rotana Hotels

SEEN & HEARD Escoffier Lebanon's launching ceremony honors Nouhad Dammous and key discussions at Hotel Show Dubai

WHERE TO BE SEEN 32-33 What's in store at Whisky Live Beirut,

Beirut Cooking Festival, Salon du

Chocolat Beirut and Gulfood Manufacturing

BUSINESS

BUSINESS INTERVIEW

34 Selim El Zyr: World class, with regional roots

36

MARKET UPDATE

Bahrain: Business friendly and building momentum

TOURISM 40 Tourism plan: The key to success for any destination

HOTELS 42 Investment essentials FOODSERVICE 44 Ten global foodservice trends

46

48

FOOD & BEVRAGE Noura speaks to the heart

EYE ON Japanese cuisine: The Middle East's raw and colorful sushi revolution

@Hospitality_Mag

HospitalityNewsME

COFFEE AND TEA REPORT P. 53 54 64 68 70

The whole bean and leaf What’s hot in your cup?

Six centuries and still brewing…

The coffee and tea shop

SOLUTIONS

72

HUMAN RESOURCES

In tough times, training is the key to success

MANAGEMENT 74 When all else fails… talk to GOD

PRODUCT ZONE

76

On the market

53

Coffee & Tea report

83

SpaceCombi from MKN

88

Cover photo: Ruby chocolate from Callebaut

NEW PRODUCTS

EQUIPMENT 78 Small kitchens, big results FOOD 88 Championing chocolate CHOCOMANIA 96 Eruption: An explosion of fruit and

chocolate in just one bite

WE WERE THERE

98

Out and about with Hospitality News ME

Coming issue Dec 2018 - Jan 2019

• Special report Hygiene • Hotels Industry forecast 2020 • Beverage Whisky • Food Festive products • Equipment Heavy kitchen equipment

FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE DAILY NEWS FROM AROUND THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY GO TO

HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM

I R R E S I S T I B L E AT T R A C T I O N Served by more than 750 top-rated chefs.

Discover Nespresso on www.buynespresso.com

NEWS

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

KUWAIT HOTEL OWNERS ASSOCIATION HOSTS STR WORKSHOP

TRENDING ON

HOSPITALITYNEWSMAG.COM • COCA-COLA BUYS COSTA COFFEE FOR USD 5 BILLION The deal is expected to close in the first

Kuwait Hotel Owners Association hosted the first workshop of its kind organized by US-based Smith Travel Research Company (STR) with the participation of owners and general managers of hotels and hotel institutions. The workshop was held at Regency Hotel and was followed by the signing of a cooperation protocol between Hotel Owners Association and STR, which will provide the sector with travel data from and to Kuwait and the region to utilize in consolidating

hotel occupancy. The Association statement pointed out the Kuwaiti hotel sector witnessed in the past years a large increase in investments with the opening of new hotels in various parts of the country with the targeted customers, especially the accommodation market, remaining largely unchanged. This posed many challenges relating to the percentage of hotel occupancy and the average hotel room profit. horeca-kuwait.com/kuwait-hotelowners-association/

FORBES AWARDS FOUR HOSPITALITY AND FOOD SERVICE STAKEHOLDERS

half of 2019. The acquisition of Costa from parent company Whitbread PLC – the UK’s largest operator of hotels, restaurants and coffee shops – is valued at USD 5.1 billion and will give Coca-Cola a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, with the opportunity for additional expansion.

• LEBANESE ARCHITECT AND FOUNDER OF THE STUDIO, CULTURE IN ARCHITECTURE, ALINE ASMAR D’AMMAN, TO REDESIGN FAMOUS EIFFEL TOWER’S JULES VERNE RESTAURANT The architect won

the interior design project following a year-long competition alongside the Umanis Group led

by Sodexo. With her design studio, Culture in Architecture, the Beirut-born creative will bring the gastronomic venue into a new era together with Michelin-starred chef Frédéric Anton.

• NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED AT THE SYNDICATE OF LEBANESE FOOD INDUSTRIES

Ahmad Hoteit was elected as president and Ramez Bou Nader as vice president, whereas Mounir Al Bissat was elected as secretary, and Raja Kortas as treasurer. Board members/advisors include: Alain Nasrawi, Adnan Ataya, Mohamad Sinno, Elie Daniel, Youssef Fares, Abdelhadi Chehade, Hussein Kadamani, and Warujan Agha Sarkissian.

• MAJID AL FUTTAIM BRINGS VOX CINEMAS TO THE KSA AND AN INDOOR SKI PARK TO CHINA

Forbes Middle East recently held a gala event at Le Royal Hotel Beirut, organized by ICE Events, to recognize the achievements of 28 of Lebanon’s top business leaders and its most influential people that are supporting the growth of the country’s economy.

As a highlight of the evening, ‘Lebanon 100’—a list compiled of the most inspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders helping Lebanon to transform was revealed. Among the winners were: Akram Kassatly,

president/CEO of Kassatly Chtaura; Christophe B El-Kallassi, chairman/ GM of Kallassi Group; Claudine Aoun Roukoz, founder/CEO of Clementine; Maroun Chammas, chairman/CEO of Berytech; Neemat Frem, president/ CEO of INDEVCO; Peter Daniel, CEO of Lebanese Roasting Group (Casatania); Roger Edde, chairman of Edde Sands Hotel and Wellness Resort and Tony Issa, vice chairman/ president of IPT Group. forbesmiddleeast.com

SOUND - BITE "Lebanon is listed on the Vatican’s religious tourism map for 2019, which will trigger this type of tourism in the coming years, and that’s something to be very optimistic about, especially when it comes to attracting European travelers. Indeed, we started receiving a growing number of booking requests from senior Europeans who will be visiting the country in September and October.”

Wadih Kanaan, secretary general of the Syndicate of Hotels in Lebanon

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VOX Cinemas will operate the new 15-screen multiplex at Dar Al Arkan's Al Qasr Mall in the Saudi capital. The multiplex is scheduled to open in Q1 2019 and will include VOX Cinemas' signature KIDS and MAX experiences. Majid Al Futtaim also announced that it will provide design and development consultancy services for the world's largest indoor snow and ski resort, Wintastar Shanghai, led by Singapore's SGX Catalist-listed purveyor of luxury lifestyle, real estate and hospitality, KOP Limited.

• DUBAI SQUARE, A MEGA RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY DESTINATION ANNOUNCED The new metropolis of

retail trade in Dubai Creek Harbor will have more than 750,000 square meters of retail space and hospitality venues, and will also have the largest Chinatown in the Middle East.

• USD 1 BILLION WARNER BROS. WORLD ABU DHABI ON YAS ISLAND INAUGURATED Guests will also

enjoy themed dining experiences, from grab-andgo eateries to full-service sit-down restaurants and cafes, as well as custom-designed shops featuring bespoke Warner Bros. merchandise inspired by fan-favorite characters, some of which has been developed exclusively for the park.

• AMADEUS ACQUIRES TRAVELCLICK FOR USD 1.5 BILLION As part of the acquisition, approximately

1,100 TravelClick employees are expected to join Amadeus. The addition of TravelClick’s solutions to the Amadeus portfolio will create a hospitality leader providing a broad range of innovative technology to hotels and chains of all sizes across the globe.

For up-to-the-minute news on the stories that matter to you most, read it first on www.hospitalitynewsmag.com

NEWS

HOTELS

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60 SECONDS WITH HARUN DURSUN, GM, MANDARIN ORIENTAL BODRUM, TURKEY

IN BRIEF

How do you assess the hospitality industry in the MENA region and what do you think makes Bodrum stand out?

Le Gray, Beirut among finalists for The Best Hotel in the Middle East

According to the EY Middle East Hotel Benchmark Survey Report, the MENA hospitality market in general saw steady growth in hotel occupancy in Q1 2018, compared to the first quarter of 2017.

Several reasons were given for this, including shopping festivals, improving bilateral relations and overall pleasant climate conditions across the region. Bodrum is truly a must-visit location and a key tourist destination in the region. In addition to the beautiful weather, delicious Turkish cuisine and traditional Turkish hammams, it also offers key attractions for tourists, which include the historical Bodrum Castle, Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, the Turkish village and much more. Our focus is to provide our guests with the most luxurious resort in Bodrum on a beautiful beachfront, with a variety of delectable dining options, an award-winning spa and genuine Turkish hospitality.

With Turkey facing an economic downturn, what steps are you taking to give the Mandarin Oriental Bodrum an edge ?

Our strategy has always focused on two major aspects, which is being unique in our offerings and services, and increasing our overall room occupancy by both

Harun Dursun

accommodating our guests’ demands and anticipating their interests. What makes us unique, we feel, is that we have a wide selection of facilities, offers and activities to choose from, and that helps us target all our guests, regardless of their gender, age or what they are looking for during their stay. We also always listen to our guests and obtain their feedback on how we can improve our overall services and offerings.

That said, our job is to also be proactive and always come up with creative ways for new activities and packages to keep our guests satisfied and coming back to enjoy our luxurious offerings. mandarinoriental.com/Bodrum/ Luxury-Hotel

ACCORHOTELS AND MÖVENPICK HOTELS & RESORTS FINALIZE MERGER AccorHotels officially closed its acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, becoming the largest operator by room number in the Middle East and Africa, with a committed network (operational and pipeline) of over 400 hotels. AccorHotels’ acquisition was made at an estimated value of 560 million Swiss francs (482 million euros). Following

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the merger, AccorHotels appointed Mark Willis as CEO, AccorHotels Middle East and Africa. Olivier Granet embarks on a new project to drive sustainable development in Africa with AccorHotels, while Olivier Chavy resigned from his role as CEO and president of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. accorhotels.com

Le Gray, Beirut has been named as a finalist in two Villegiature Awards categories: The Grand Prix of the Best Hotel in the Middle East and The Best Swimming Pool in the Middle East.

In the first category, the property is up against: Jumeirah Royal Saray – Bahrain; Palazzo Versace – Dubai; One and Only The Palm – Dubai and W Amman – Jordan. Its competitors for the second accolade, meanwhile, are: Burj el Arab – Dubai; W Amman – Jordan; One and Only The Palm Dubai; and Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana – Abu Dhabi. The Villegiature Awards are decided by a voting jury composed of 23 international press correspondents and journalists from international media. This year’s final results will be announced during The Villegiature 16th Anniversary at a ceremony held in the historical Château de Ferrières in France, on October 15. campbellgrayhotels.com/ le-gray-beirut Le Royal Hotel Beirut’s spa wins international recognition

Le Royal Hotel Beirut’s Royal Spa Fitness & Wellness Center has won the Luxury Wellness Spa Award at the World Luxury Spa Awards. Setting benchmarks in quality, innovation and service for spas around the globe, the World Luxury Spa Awards shines a spotlight on spas, capturing the attention of global spa-goers and industry experts. Awards are presented to luxury spas in 32 different categories on a country, regional, continent and global basis. leroyal.com

NEWS

HOTELS

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OPENED KSA

LEBANON

QATAR

THE LARGEST FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON OPENS IN MAKKAH Four Points by Sheraton announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem in Saudi Arabia – the brand’s largest property globally.

Number of rooms 1,200 four-points.marriott.com

FIVE-STAR MAXIMUS HOTEL IS WELCOMING GUESTS IN BYBLOS The hotel located in Blat, Byblos area, is owned by Joseph Abi Ghosn, a Lebanese entrepreneur. The property has a rooftop restaurant called ‘Le Gastronome’.

Number of rooms 38 maximushotel.com

MINOR HOTELS EXPAND THEIR FOOTPRINT IN QATAR The Tivoli brand is expanding its presence in Qatar with Souq Al Wakra Hotel Qatar by Tivoli, its new 5-star property in Doha. The project is composed of heritage houses.

Number of rooms 101 minorhotels.com

HILTON DEBUTS HAMPTON BY HILTON IN THE MIDDLE EAST Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport marks the largest property in Hampton’s global portfolio.

Number of rooms 420 hilton.com

BARCELÒ HOTEL GROUP LAUNCHES ITS THIRD PROPERTY IN THE UAE The Spanish hospitality holding Barcelò Hotel Group debuts its newest project Occidental IMPZ Dubai, Conference and Events Centre.

Number of rooms 239 barcelo.com

UAE

GHM OPENS HERITAGE RESORT AL BAIT SHARJAH Following the Chedi Muscat, General Hotel Management Ltd has debuted Al Bait Sharjah.

The resort is constructed from vintage homes that once belonged to noted Emirati families.

Number of rooms 53 ghmhotels.com

OPENING SOON KSA

UAE

NEW 5-STAR HOTEL IN MAKKAH H Hospitality Collection will manage the hotel, with 650 rooms and three restaurants.

Opening Beginning of 2020 h-hospitality.com

DUBAI CREEK HARBOUR TO REVEAL CREEK MARINA THIS DECEMBER Creek Marina will have the Vida Harbour Point.

Opening 2019 emaar.com

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RADISSON HOTEL GROUP DEBUT Radisson Hotel, Dubai DAMAC Hills will feature 481 rooms.

Opening Q4 2019 radissonhotelgroup.com

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE AccorHotels has appointed Mark Willis as CEO, AccorHotels Middle East and Africa.

Based in Dubai, Willis will be responsible for overseeing a combined network of close to 400 hotels in operation and pipeline across the Middle East and Africa. Previous to this role, Willis was the president for the Asia region with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, a highly dynamic area with a robust expansion strategy to open 30 properties by 2020.

Ursula Chidiac has been appointed as GM of Studio M Al Qiyadah Dubai. She joins MHR from Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana in the Kinshasha Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she was also general manager.

Minor Hotels has appointed Ramine Behnam as VP of development for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Behnam was previously director of development with Starwood Hotels and Marriott International – Middle East & Africa, in Dubai.

Central Hotels has announced the appointment of Shady Dawad as GM of Canal Central Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai.

He is an experienced hotelier with over 10 years spent in the UAE working with a number of brands. Dawad began his career in 2004 at the Le Meridien, Abu Dhabi at the front office.

Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) of the World has announced the appointment of Jean-François Ferret as chief executive officer.

Ferret will take responsibility for SLH’s international teams and will lead strategic direction of the brand’s luxury portfolio of over 500 SLH hotels.

Ramy Haykal is the new cluster GM of Erbil Rotana & Erbil Arjaan by Rotana. He has over 20 years of experience in the international hotel industry including posts in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Beirut.

His previous role was GM of Crowne Plaza Beirut.

Abu Dhabi-based Tilal Liwa Hotel has announced the appointment of Ahmed Margoushy as its new GM, bringing to the property 28 years of industry experience.

He began his career with Movenpick Geneva and has also worked with world-class brands including Hilton and Rotana.

Fredrik Reinisch has been appointed as complex GM at Habtoor Hospitality Group in Dubai. Reinisch joins the multihotel complex from the Habtoor Grand Resort in Dubai Marina, where he worked as general manager from October 2015.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has promoted Musab Shafee to resort manager at Mövenpick Beach Resort Al Khobar, a 36-villa boutique property. The hotelier has spent the last six years working at Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Yanbu.

Dagmar Symes has been appointed GM of Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort in Oman. Formerly the GM of IHG’s Phoenicia Beirut and Le Vendôme, Symes has over three decades of experience in both the hotel and luxury retail industries.

Central Hotels has appointed Mohamed Hassan Youssef as the GM of the Royal Central Hotel The Palm. He is a seasoned hotelier with over 20 years of experience in the industry, including nine spent in the UAE.

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60 SECONDS WITH OMAR TABBAA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF EAT RESTAURANT GROUP What culinary preferences have you observed among Jordanians?

Omar Tabbaa

Founded in 1998 by three brothers, Omar, Khalid and Tawfiq Tabbaa, EAT Jordan is today one of the largest and fastest-growing restaurant groups in Jordan. HN spoke to Omar Tabbaa to discover more about the group’s development and new ventures

I’ve noticed that Jordanians have grown increasingly interested in unique culinary experiences, so we’ve made it a point to set each of our brands apart, with great fun concepts. While Casereccio continues to attract loyal customers with its classic Italian recipes, Azkadenya has won the hearts of younger and older generations alike, with its traditional menu and modern-retro style. Jordanians are no different than other clientele in this regard.

How did EAT Group achieve its status as a regional franchising company?

Franchising usually presents risks when it comes to maintaining quality and standards on a large scale, but our meticulous internal system ensures that the knowhow is transferred to all of our branches, enabling us to expand without compromising quality. Nearly 10 years have passed since we ventured into franchising and the hard work and dedication put in

by ourselves and our team have made it a truly worthwhile journey. The group already has a presence in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine and Canada, and we hope to extend our reach even further.

Where do you see the industry heading?

I anticipate a wave of innovation that will transform the F&B scene here.

While some might think surviving in a fast-changing environment like ours is particularly challenging, I believe it creates an atmosphere of healthy competition that encourages growth. As for EAT, we recognize the potential for creating lasting change locally and regionally through the group’s investment arm, Eat Invest. We also plan to continue with our expansion in the Gulf, Egypt and North America, and to invest in food technologies, as well as restaurants across the region at various stages of development. eat-jo.com

KAMAL MOUZAWAK AWARDED GRAND PRIX AIG DE LA CULTURE GASTRONOMIQUE 2018

IN BRIEF

The International Academy of Gastronomy - IAG (L’Assemblée Générale de l’Académie Internationale de la Gastronomie - AIG) has awarded Lebanese entrepreneur Kamal Mouzawak the Grand Prix AIG de la Culture Gastronomique 2018. Created in 1990, the accolade is awarded to a person or entity, which could be a city, region, professional school, university chair or international institution, for example, that has distinguished themselves in the cultural field of gastronomy. Mouzawak is the founder of the ‘Tawlet’ restaurant, which now has five outlets, and the ‘Souk El Tayeb’ weekly farmers’ market, as well as ‘Beit’, a chain of guesthouses in Lebanon. intergastronom.net

Diwan Al Muhanna spreads Middle Eastern kindness

Kamal Mouzawak

EGGSLUT, A NEW F&B CONCEPT ENTERS LEBANON An American brand called Eggslut, created in Los Angeles in 2011 with five outlets in North America has landed in Beirut. Eggslut is a chef-driven, gourmet food concept inspired by its founders’ true love for eggs. The menu is a balance of comfort and innovation, celebrating food that appeals to both novice and extreme foodies through classic comfort fare with a twist. Located in the heart of Beirut city’s bustling Bliss Street, the restaurant offers its visitors a menu that fuses quality, presentation and customer service, turning dishes into an experience

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | OCT-NOV 2018

every time. “This is a new experience for Lebanon, one that is based on gourmet recipes, served with a vibrant twist,” said Wadih Beiruti, operations manager of Eggslut in Lebanon, adding that, “Our commitment is to offer fresh, high quality ingredients, cooked with passion, in a simple menu.” Elaborating, Jean Haddad, Eggslut’s restaurant manager said, “The feedback we have gotten since the launch has been very promising.

Newcomers are attracted by the brand, the setup-up, especially since it is an entirely new concept.”

Established in 1935, Diwan Al Muhanna is today one of the oldest Levantine sweet production lines in the region. The company builds on and develops its traditional recipes to create premium Levantine sweets, Damascene cookies, confectionery, Middle Eastern fresh pastries, frozen products and gift items, as well as private labels for the Middle East, GCC, Europe and the US. Discussing the company’s present and future plans, Tarek Al Muhanna said, “Our newest product is called Kricant, a highvitamin date bar, specially created in partnership with the UN, which is aimed for distribution among Syrian refugees throughout the region and meets nutritional needs for a 24-hour period.” On the subject of the ever-growing healthy lifestyle trend, he added that the company was upgrading some of its equipment to produce high-fiber sugar and gluten-free sweets with an almost identical taste. “Future plans currently under consideration include an F&B training center and a new restaurant brand, in collaboration with Chef Joe Barza,” Al Muhanna added.

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NEW OPENINGS LEBANON

KSA

AAL SHATT

RITAGE GARDEN BY MAROUN CHEDID ‘Door’ in Arabic, Ritage is the entrance to the colorful world of Maroun Chedid: A Lebanese-Mediterranean wonderland filled with flavor, passion and rigor.

From its whimsical atmosphere to the carefully curated all-day menu serving up unexpectedly playful dishes, Ritage Garden is an urban oasis in the heart of the bustling city.

Opened November 2018 Owners Maroun Chedid & Edge Trading Co. Executive chef Maroun Chedid

Covers 200 Average price/person USD 55 Typical dishes Chickpeas in two textures, Goat's cheese & tomato tatin, Risotto bi Dfeen, Shrimp kaak, Chocolate and knefe fondant, Oriental red velvet, Halawa and pistachio cheesecake, Stir-fried wok vegetables & Farmer's chicken breast with pomegranate molasses and lemongrass infused Basmati rice.

Address Riyadh Park Mall, Riyadh edge-trading.com

LEBANON

Opened June 2018 Owners Tony Hassoun, Ghada Hmedeh, Ali Khalil Head chef Samir Salloum Covers 130 Average price/person USD 35 Typical dishes Lebanese mezze, seafood mezze fish and grill Address Tabarja Seaside Road, facing the municipality facebook.com/Aalshatt

FÉLICIE – FRENCH EATERIE Opened July 2018 Owners Jihane Korkmaz Bonnet, Raphaël Bonnet Head chef Chef Ali Awde Covers 85 Average price/person USD 40 Typical dishes Galettes, Crêpes Bretonnes, Kouign-Amann) alongside with Félicie’s style French bistrot dishes Address AYA Tower, Armenia Street, Mar Mikhael facebook.com/feliciebeirut

UAE

K'NOON RESTAURANT AND CAFE CAFÉ BADARO Trendy designed café that serves fusion Lebanese food by Chef Joe Barza with a spacious garden Opening Mid-July 2018 Owners Mindset Group Executive chef Joe Barza Covers Garden 100, indoors 80

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Average price/person USD 20-25 Typical dishes Freekeh Salad, Hummus With Soujouk, Beetroot Moutabbal, Arayes Chicken, Sfihet Badaro Address Badaro, Beirut mindsetgroup.me

HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | OCT-NOV 2018

Opened May 2018 Owners Marwan Ghosn, Asim Ibrahim Executive chef Charbel Safi (consultant, menu development) Head chef Yousif Anid Covers 160 Average price/person USD 25 Typical dishes Cheese Cake Labneh Salad, Shrimp Ismallieh, Fish Ras Asfour, Ravoili Bil Laban, Lobster Shawarma Address West Wharf Tower, Al Abraaj St., Business Bay, Dubai instagram.com/knoondubai

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UAE BEBABEL, A LEBANESE CAFÉ CONCEPT DEBUTS IN DUBAI MALL Lebanese casual chic café concept, Bebabel has now opened at The Dubai Mall, a fashionable new extension. Bebabel was developed as a modern, chic, innovative concept with emphasis on ‘living the moment’ through shared experiences.

Originating from the award-winning Lebanese brand ‘Babel’, Bebabel is the ‘casual chic’ café version of Babel that offers a Lebanese breakfast menu and an all-day dining menu, within elegant surroundings inspired by Lebanese culture.

Known for its progressive take on Lebanese classics, and exquisite culinary and dining experience, Babel is an established brand across the Middle East and Lebanon which is rooted in Lebanese cuisine but with a modernistic interpretation and customer experience. The brand made its Middle East foray with the opening of its first restaurant in Kuwait in 2016, overlooking the Arabian Gulf, followed by Bahrain in 2018.

Opened Opened officially on Saturday, September 22, 2018 Owner(s) Bebabel founder - Dory Rizk, Alshaya CEO Wassim Arabi Covers 200 Average price/person USD 70 Typical dishes Lebanese cuisine Address Dubai Mall, new extension, Fashion Avenue, 2nd floor @bebabelme

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

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CHEFS MASTER CHEF UK CELEBRITY OPENS LEBANESE RESTAURANT IN HONG KONG

Chef Jad Youssef

The densely-populated, yet vibrant and colorful port city of Hong Kong, is now home to Lebanese born Chef Jad Youssef, a celebrity of Master Chef UK. Black Sheep Restaurants, a Hong Kong-based hospitality group that specializes in developing niche, thought-provoking restaurant concepts curates distinct dining experiences with a portfolio of 18 restaurants and one bar.

Youssef, was recently assigned as the new executive chef of the company’s

popular Lebanese restaurant, Maison Libanaise. “Hong Kong has always been on my mind for many reasons, chief among these is its fascinating culture and rich cuisine. Renowned as a ‘foodie hub’, the introduction of Lebanese food made perfect sense considering the commonalities both share, not to mention that our cuisine is one of the most popular and fastest-growing ethnic cuisines in the world. What I also found extremely appealing is how we, when preparing a dish, focus on seasonal ingredients, variety of colorful vegetables, herbs, spices, seeds and nuts. By constantly tweaking our offerings, we inch closer to making Lebanese cuisine a top-of-mind option for the Chinese. On a similar note, menu trends come and go, but there is a trend that shows no sign of a - healthy food with an ethnic twist, offered in an esthetically inspiring way, which is a tradition the people of this country are all too familiar with,” he said. maisonlibanaise.com.hk

KULCZAK JOINS MÖVENPICK IN BEIRUT

Chef Frederic Kulczak

Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Beirut has appointed French chef Frederic Kulczak as its new executive chef. Chadi Gedeon, general manager of Movenpick Hotel Beirut, said: “Having traveled the world, Chef Frederic has a wealth of knowledge and

expertise. He will bring a dynamic, innovative energy to the dining experience at this luxury resort.” Chef Kulczak will oversee the resort’s six dining outlets, including Hemingway’s Cigar Bar and Lounge, Square Rooftop Bar, Clouds Shisha Lounge, Hurricane Pool Bar, Mediterranee Restaurant and Burj Al Hamam, the famous authentic Lebanese restaurant. Chef Kulczak brings with him almost 20 years of culinary experience from around the world. Prior to joining the team at Movenpick Hotel Beirut, he served as an executive chef in France, Ukraine, Djibouti, Dubai, Bora Bora and the Seychelles. He has previously held the position of production chef at the three-Michelin-star restaurant ‘Les Crayères’, Gerard Boyer Restaurant and Marc Meneau Restaurant, and worked as executive sous-chef at ‘L’Espérance’. movenpick.com/Lebanon/Beirut‎

NESTLÉ LAUNCHES FREE ONLINE CHEFS’ ACADEMY WITH WORLDCHEFS Nestlé has helped launch a new online academy to assist aspiring chefs in taking the first step toward a culinary career. The WORLDCHEFS Academy, an online portal and mobile app, will cater to students that may not have the means, mobility or flexibility to attend full-time culinary school. The curriculum covers the entire basic theory for chefs: food service operations; culinary theory; food hygiene and sanitation; basic cooking; and culinary

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nutrition. Students can learn through the web-based platform or via the mobile app.

At the end of the course, participants can complete an online assessment and receive their WORLDCHEFS ‘pre-commis’ chef certificate and badge – an important first step for anyone looking to apply to work in a professional kitchen. The program links to the WORLDCHEFS certification. Free of charge, the academy is open to anyone. worldchefsacademy.com

TONY KITOUS’ SHAWARMA DREAM

Tony Kitous

Algerian born Tony Kitous’ relationship with food began very early on - a relationship which, 26 years later, has led to him nurturing and channeling his passion into four restaurant concepts, comprising 30 outlets throughout the UK, the country he originally traveled to for vacation, before deciding to take up residency there. His fifth concept, Shawa, is a Lebanese-style grill, which has three outlets to date.

Commenting on this latest offering, Kitous said, “For reasons that remain a mystery to me, I have always harbored an affinity with shawarma and make it a point to try new restaurants offering the dish wherever I happen to find myself in the world.”

Kitous explained that the challenge when introducing the dish was to strip it down to its original form and present it in the way that shawarma is served in Lebanon.

“We employed this approach for two main reasons - first to highlight that all the ingredients going into our shawarma are not only fresh, but also very healthy, and second, to make it as accessible as possible to all who care to try it,” he said. “We hope to see the dish become an everyday meal as popular throughout the world as the burger.”

To help achieve these aims, the three outlets were carefully selected to ensure that people from all walks of life have access to the shawarma and can easily afford it. Kitous also pointed out that most other restaurants offering the shawarma cater to consumers of a specific nationality.

“We, however, do away with these specifications, preferring to make the dish friendlier for all types of palates, irrespective of where a customer comes from,” he noted. “In the coming year, I hope to raise as much awareness as I possibly can about Shawa, before expanding internationally.” tonykitous.com

NEWS

SUPPLIERS

MANYFOOD DIVES INTO THE WORLD OF CHOCOLATE After the recent expansion of his facilities in Baabda, Lebanon HN spoke to Imad Abi Chaker, CEO of Manyfood distribution powerhouse, regarding the recent launch of their new chocolate lineup under the name CONFEXIA S.A.L. Manyfood, a family business established in 1977, has grown to become one of the top 10 distribution companies in Lebanon. Brands under its banner include PepsiCo- FritoLay (smart snack choices with a full product line: Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Stax, Tostitos, Sun Chips), Ocean Spray (the world's leading brand of cranberry and grapefruit juice drinks), Magic Chef (fillings, mixes and salad dressings), London Dairy (global premium ice cream) and Exotic Foods (a leading Thai food and beverage brand).

The company has recently expanded its offering to include a full scale lineup of chocolate brands, produced in their new state-of-the-art factory. Current CEO, Imad Abi Chaker, belongs to the family’s second generation, having moved into the role in 2003. In the spring of 2016, keen to capitalize on a gap in the local/regional market, Abi Chaker bought a disused towel factory, scrapped it to the bone and kitted it out with all the required machinery.

Imad Abi Chaker

“The building was appraised at a cost of USD 3 million. The machines cost around USD 5 million, bringing the grand total to about USD 8 million,” he said. “We have low operational costs due to a production process designed to minimize human intervention, which stands at 30-40 percent.

The work flow is semi-automated and the factory is now running three shifts.”

Concluding, he said, “The main focus in the coming years is to build and grow the factory brands, such asWonderberry, Twins, Enjoy and Joe, in terms of equity. But best of all is our ability to produce high-quality products at affordable price points in comparison to those offered by European and American brands.” manyfood.com

U.S. BEEF: LATEST BUYING AND SELLING TRENDS The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) held a technical U.S. Beef Seminar at the Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace Hotel titled ‘Sharpen Your Knowledge and Sales Skills for U.S. Beef’. The event, organized

by Agri Marketing Consulting Services, kicked off with a brief introduction by its managing director Lina Kanaan. The seminar was organized in collaboration with the U.S. Office of Agricultural Affairs in Cairo represented by keynote speaker Ali Abdi, minister counselor and Reaz Mehdi, general services officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, both of whom emphasized the role events such as this play in strengthening unilateral economic relations pertaining to the F&B market. In attendance were some of the country’s most prominent meat suppliers who are always looking to offer Lebanese consumers top quality U.S. beef products. To illustrate the various range of alternative cuts this year, Head Chef Lubna Alamat and Head Butcher Ziad Muasher illustrated to the crowd the latest buying and selling trends, the practices aimed at matching cooking methods with the ideal

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beef cuts, as well as recommended food safety and meat handling techniques.

The seminar was followed by a buffet of U.S. beef carving stations and dinner to illustrate the various tastes and flavors of the meats available for import. usmef.org Head Chef Lubna Alamat and Head Butcher Ziad Muasher

IN BRIEF Domaine des Tourelles named as Great Value Champion Red at IWC 2018

Lebanese wine Domaine des Tourelles’ 2014 Red was crowned Great Value Champion Red Wine at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Awards, which took place in July in London. Thousands of wines from some 55 countries were blindtasted this year by panels of expert judges, including many Masters of Wine. Having already been awarded a Gold Medal, the wine was eligible to be re-tasted for the Trophy selection, where it was awarded the Lebanese Red Trophy. The wine also received a Great Value Award, one of a number of accolades given to wines that have won either a Gold or Silver medal and met exceptionally strict availability and pricing criteria. domainedestourelles.com

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60 SECONDS WITH MOHAMAD EL YASSIR, WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION

HENDRICK’S GIN AMBASSADOR IN LEBANON

Following KitchenAid’s debut in Lebanon, HN spoke to Mohamad El Yassir, regional managing director for Middle East and Africa at Whirlpool Corporation, to find out more about market expectations

Over a three-day period, Ally Martin, the name and face behind one of the world’s top-trending gins, put in an appearance at various local venues to promote the brand.

Martin entered the F&B industry at the tender age of 19 to supplement his income and fell in love with the business. Highlighting its attractions, he explained, “The creativity, coupled with the diverse social interactions, literally reeled me in, as it’s a great place to discuss the craft involved in creating a unique spirit.” While acknowledging that traditionally, gin has not been a major part of Lebanese culture, Martin added, “That’s gradually changing, which is part of the reason I’m here.” He explained that the challenges vary greatly when entering a new market. “In this case, Lebanon already offers its consumers a number of options, so setting our brand apart was the main challenge,” he noted.

Why did you decide to launch KitchenAid in the Lebanese market?

We believe that what makes KitchenAid strong is our ability to play a defining role in terms of design, functionality and esthetics across our wide range of products, both SDA and MDA. The Lebanese market is evolving quickly toward a high-consumption state, with a large segment of the population looking for refined design and innovative technology in home appliances. The Lebanese consumer is known to be very sophisticated and passionate about premium style and design, and the demand for this caliber of appliances is greater than ever before. We recognize that KitchenAid has been much anticipated by our consumers in Lebanon and so we decided this was an opportune time.

Who are your partners?

HR18iscorp ad for HN.pdf 1 7/31/18 ACES SAL our partner in Lebanon.

We

Mohamad El Yassir

have enjoyed an 18-year-long partnership with ACES, which has yielded significant results for our business across our brand portfolio country wide. We are certain that this partnership with ACES SAL will drive further growth for Whirlpool Corporation and its brands in Lebanon.

What are your plans for the future?

We plan to expand the footprint of KitchenAid across other major markets in the Middle East and Africa. Our goals include potential entry into Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

11:47 whirlpoolcorp.com AM

Ally Martin

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HORECA NETWORK

SAUDI PREVIEW

TALKING BUSINESS: SAUDI HORECA

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE LEBANESE PAVILION? Saudi HORECA, the country’s largest hospitality and foodservice event, is returning to Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center this November. With more than 250 exhibitors, we discover why it has become a business hub This year’s event is set to welcome more than 30,000 local and international visitors from November 27-29. Indeed, having celebrated seven successful editions, Saudi HORECA is a gateway for those looking to explore the business potential of the region and tap into the lucrative Saudi market.

“We have around 15,000 square meters of exhibition space, which is around 20 percent more than previous years,” says Jad Taktak, general manager of Semark, the organizer of the show. “The country’s hospitality and foodservice sectors are continuing to grow and we are noticing it at HORECA.” Indeed, 2018 will see a record number of international pavilions at the event.

Seventeen countries including France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Poland, Tunisia, Czech Republic, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Turkey, will

Saudi HORECA November 27-29, 2018 Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center saudihoreca.com

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bring their leading companies and products to the forefront.

“Besides being a strategic meeting place and providing our visitors with excellent networking opportunities, we are committed to highlighting the skills of rising talents through competitions,” says Taktak.

More than 250 participants will compete in the renowned Hospitality Salon Culinaire in a bid to impress a panel of international judges, while the first edition of the Barista Competition and the Bed Making Competition will also be taking place. saudihoreca.com

More than 20 Lebanese companies will be showcasing their products and services at Saudi HORECA. Exhibitors include*: ABIDO BOECKER BRAND MINT EMF FOODMARK HODEMA CONSULTING SERVICES LABEL PLUS LE CUIR LEATHER AMENITIES SHANSHAL CHOCOLATE SIC TANNOURINE TONY'S FOOD SARL VACANCY SARL VARY FOOD WADIH KASSATLY CO. SAL (*as of October 1)

THE RESTAURANT MARKET IN KSA It is an exciting time to be part of the restaurant market in Saudi Arabia. New rules about seating sections, music, entertainment and female staffing, have brought a new vibe to the diningout market. Entrepreneurs are capitalizing on this with fresh concepts that, for a large part, are much more casual than previously was the case. We see more and more inspiring venues, focussing on a casual approach to service and design. Restaurant concepts have become more diverse in cuisine and style, compared to the largely American-orientated big brands from a decade ago - even though they too, seem to enjoy good demand. This article briefly touches upon restaurants at every level, with highlights to watch out for.

The restaurant market in Saudi is something like a large tanker ship; it took time to get going, but now that it's on the move, it will be hard to stop it Ronald Huiskamp, Co-Owner of H-Hospitality Middle East – Africa

Testament to the exciting changes that are happening in the Saudi F&B market, the GRIF Society will be holding its inaugural event in Riyadh on November 29 as part of an exclusive series of global events for the restaurant investment industry. Here, we speak to Gustavo de Hostos & Ronald Huiskamp, owners of H-Hospitality Middle East – Africa, a concept and design studio based in Dubai and Amsterdam, to find out more about the restaurant market in KSA and the exciting opportunities it offers investors GRIF Conference in Riyadh November 28-29, 2018 Co-located with Saudi HORECA & networking reception at OKKU saudihoreca.com

'Fast good' is certainly a segment that offers much potential. Byblos Xpress, the offspring of the well know Byblos restaurant of the Leylaty restaurant group, is an example of good quality fast food in a modern Lebanese setting.

Other examples include FireGrill, Shobak and Chunk. At the far end of the casual spectrum we can place the food trucks and in Saudi these seem to be blossoming. Great examples are Dr. Fele, the sweet truck that 'gives cardiac arrests', Baozi food truck and Ice Revolution.

But healthy food is also on the rise and has become an integral part of the eating habits of the young and educated Saudi millennials.

We see operators slowly going into a more balanced offering with less sugar and more vegetarian and vegan options. Circle and home-grown Sinless and Yogi Riyadh are good examples of this growing development.

The large-sized market of people that can afford to eat out seems to have a preference for casual dining in smaller places. Places like Urth Caffe and Bafarat generate a feeling of quality in a relaxed and stimulating atmosphere. The market seems keen to adopt new concepts like this. Whilst big brands remain popular and continue to play an important role, smaller and more European types, like Le Pain Quotidien, Paul and LeNotre have been added to the landscape. It is interesting to note that neighboring Kuwait has become something of an example in the region, developing good quality casual restaurants through companies like Gastronomica who have created some

contemporary, hip restaurants like B+F Open Flames, Cocoa Room and White Robata (they are expanding into the KSA market).

Hotel restaurants are, for a large part, still quite traditional and less aligned with what the market nowadays is expecting, but it won't be long before they adopt the same approach as hoteliers in other parts of the Peninsula, and outsource their F&B spaces, or cooperate with a brand of a particular chef. Some very promising future upscale openings will be Cipriani, Hakkasan (having announced five near future openings), Nusret and Novikov, all blockbuster brands that will lift the Saudi gastronomical landscape. Asian powerhouses Toki and Nozomi are doing this already in both Jeddah and Riyadh.

The restaurant market in Saudi is something like a large tanker ship; it took time to get going, but now that it's on the move, it will be hard to stop it! If done well, there are plenty of opportunities in the quick service, casual and upscale dining markets. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind in this fast-developing market.

The first risk is that too many people see the opportunities and jump into the market at the same time. The Dubai market, however exciting it may be, has witnessed some of this saturation, with plenty of casualties as a consequence.

Secondly, quality is key in a demanding market and the restaurant business is tough and unforgiving. Customers are experienced and in order to manage their expectations, good staffing and training are absolutely essential.

To find out more about GRIF Society and the Riyadh Conference, visit www.GRIF.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS H-Hospitality was founded in 2006 in Amsterdam and has since developed a solid reputation with major players in the international hotel & restaurant market in Europe. H-Hospitality Middle East operates from Dubai from April 2014 and has enjoyed much growth in recent years. H-Hospitality Restaurants also owns and operates its own restaurants. In Amsterdam, it operates Arles, a soughtafter restaurant in the center of town.

On the south side of Amsterdam, NENI will open in the fall of 2018, a large Eastern Mediterranean F&B experience.

H-Hospitality also manages restaurants in Germany and Poland. h-hospitality.com

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HORECA NETWORK

JORDAN SHOW GUIDE

HORECA JORDAN KICKS OFF ITS FIFTH EDITION Showcasing the products and services of over 150 exhibitors, HORECA JORDAN has returned to Zara Expo in Amman from October 9-11 to celebrate its fifth edition

MEET THE SALON CULINAIRE JUDGES Charles Azar President of the delegation L’Académie Nationale de Cuisine Lebanon and Middle East Lebanon

Marc Bayon Maître Cuisinier de France France

Yann Bonneau International Pastry Consultant France

More than 10,000 trade professionals are attending this essential hospitality and foodservice business event to discover the latest trends and watch the industry’s rising talents in action as they compete in a number of exciting competitions.

Thuraya Husseini, chairperson and CEO of the Lawrence & Husseini Consult, the event organizer, says: “HORECA is not only a key business and networking platform, it is also a place where we reward the creativity of those working in the food and hospitality sectors. We are thrilled to host many international judges at the Hospitality Salon Culinaire, Bed Making Competition, Art of Service Contest and the Al Ameed Barista Competition, who always inspire our participants."

Hospitality Salon Culinaire judge Thomas A. Gugler says: “Every year it’s getting better.

Many international judges are coming to support Jordan’s hospitality industry and encourage young, enthusiastic chefs.”

Making his HORECA debut, Hospitality Salon Culinaire jury member and chef James Parsons adds: "The competition is the perfect platform for talented chefs to showcase all that is great in Arabic food and hospitality."

HORECA JORDAN KEY FACTS • 150+ exhibitors • 10,000+ trade visitors • 4 competitions • 160+ participants horeca-jordan.com

Maroun Chedid Managing Partner of Maroun Chedid SAL Lebanon

George Damianou President of Cyprus Chefs Association Cyprus

Thomas A. Gugler President of World Association of Chefs' Societies KSA

Hassan Al Haj Hassan Executive Chef of H.E Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan Palace UAE

Tarek Ibrahim Corporate Certified Master Chef Meat & Livestock Australia

Tony Kitous Founder of Comptoir Libanais Group UK

Nouel C. Omamalin Heritage Patissier, Author & Innovation Chef for DipnDip Chocolate UAE

James Parsons

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Executive Chef of Langstone Quays Resort UK

EVENTS

SEEN AND HEARD

ESCOFFIER LEBANON'S LAUNCHING CEREMONY HONORS NOUHAD DAMMOUS

CALENDAR OCTOBER 9 - 11 Oct. JORDAN HORECA JORDAN Zara Expo Center Lawrence & Husseini Consult & ExpoJordan L.L.C horeca-jordan.com 10 - 12 Oct. ITALY SIA GUEST Rimini Fiera, Expo Centre Rimini Fiera S.p.A. siaguest.it 12 - 14 Oct. INDIA WORLD HERITAGE CUISINE SUMMIT & FOOD FESTIVAL Indian Federation of Culinary Association (IFCA) ifca.info

Youssef Akiki, Cynthia Bitar and Pierre Abi Hayla

Under the patronage of Internartional Secretary General Bernard-Louis Jaunet, on Thursday, September 20, the Disciples Escoffier Liban celebrated their official launching in Lebanon with the enthronement of 12 new members and honored the “Godfather” of Middle Eastern hospitality, Nouhad Dammous, for his lifetime contribution to the industry.

The celebration, which took place at the Nazira Catering Gardens, was followed by a dinner highlighting the local savoir-faire and produce. Three Lebanese culinary stars - chefs Cynthia Bitar (Accountant),

General Bernard-Louis Jaunet

Youssef Akiki (Vice President) and Pierre Abi Hayla ( Treasurer) established Disciples Escoffier Liban - along with Roger Tabet (President) and Bachir Reaidy (Secretary General). The new members of the Lebanese chapter include: Amine Bou Ghosn, Fadi Kalaani, Sarkis Dertorossian, Jean Barcha, Mohamad Abbas, Dany Khairallah, Pierre Azar, Jihane Feghali, Samir Abdel Malak and Ralph Bitar.

The international Disciples Escoffier number more than 30,000 members in the world, including 2,000 in France. disciples-escoffier.com

KEY DISCUSSIONS AT HOTEL SHOW DUBAI The 19th edition of the Hotel Show Dubai and the Leisure Show welcomed over 30,200 visitors, hosting 750 exhibitors over three days at Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC).

According to data compiled by Ventures, the UAE's hospitality market is expected to reach USD 7.6 billion by 2022. With this in sight, the rise of technology in the region’s hospitality sector was a key topic of discussion among experts who attended the show, as well as speakers at the Middle East Hospitality Leadership Forum.

how relevant human interaction is in the industry. Two-thirds of the reviews mention a person, which shows that the key difference in the hotel experience is made by people”.

Olivier Harnish, CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group, explained that technology helps in improving productivity and offering a seamless experience to guests. He added, “I believe that hospitality is defined by humans. There will be niche products that are high on technology and low on human interaction, but this will not be the bulk of hospitality going forward. TripAdvisor, for example, is a great indicator of

Speaking on regional and cultural relevance, he said, "When you are launching a brand here, look at ways to bring in something that will hint at the regional culture”. Danish design guru, Johannes Thorpe, insisted on ‘authenticity’ being key for the region’s hospitality design sector to mature during his session on Hospitality Design Trends at the Leadership Forum. thehotelshow.com

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Commenting on equal opportunities for women in the region’s hospitality sector, Harnisch said, “That is certainly the way forward for the industry which is precisely why 50 percent of the Group’s dedicated Expo 2020 team is comprised of women”.

15 - 17 Oct. SULTANATE OF OMAN FOOD AND HOSPITALITY OMAN Oman Convention and Exhibition Center Omanexpo LLC foodandhospitalityoman.com 18 - 20 Oct. LEBANON WHISKY LIVE BEIRUT Seaside Pavilion Hospitality Services s.a.r.l. whiskylivebeirut.com 21 - 25 Oct. FRANCE SIAL PARIS Paris Nord Villepinte - Paris Comexposium sialparis.com 30 Oct. - 1 Nov. DUBAI GULF HOST & AUTUMN FOOD SHOW Dubai World Trade Centre DWTC gulfhost.ae

NOVEMBER 6 - 8 Nov. DUBAI GULFOOD MANUFACTURING SWEET & SNACKS MIDDLE EAST Dubai World Trade Centre DWTC gulfoodmanufacturing.com sweetsmiddleeast.com 8 - 10 Nov. LEBANON 8TH BEIRUT COOKING FESTIVAL 5TH SALON DU CHOCOLAT Seaside Arena Hospitality Services s.a.r.l. beirutcookingfestival.com salonduchocolatbeirut.com 27 - 29 Nov. KSA SAUDI HORECA Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center Semark saudihoreca.com

EVENTS

WHERE TO BE SEEN

WHISKY LIVE BEIRUT

BEIRUT COOKING FESTIVAL

October 18-20, 2018 Seaside Pavilion, Beirut

November 8-10, 2018 Seaside Arena, Beirut

The world-renowned event for whisky enthusiasts will bring more than 50 specialist producers, distributors and suppliers to the capital, offering visitors a rare opportunity to sample some of the finest whiskies. Over 3,000 visitors are expected to attend the third edition, which will host a record number of masterclasses. Indeed, there will be more than 30 sessions during the show for enthusiasts to learn more about and taste rare and limited edition bottles with local and international brand ambassadors and whisky experts. This year’s special guests include Rob Allanson from the UK and Jean-Marc Bellier from Maison du Whisky, Paris. A huge variety of single malts, bourbons, Scotch and Irish whiskies, as well as brown spirits, such as rums and Cognac, will be available for visitors to taste. whiskylivebeirut.com

Maroun Chedid

Youssef Akiki

Celebrating the very best in food, drinks and kitchen equipment as well as highlighting the latest culinary trends, Beirut Cooking Festival is returning to the capital for its eighth edition. “Being a nation of food lovers, this event is a true celebration of our culture. It is a place where people can discover new flavors, the latest cookery trends and find exciting local and international products,” said Joumana Dammous-Salame, managing director of Hospitality Services, the festival organizer. The three-day event is set to welcome more than 15,000 visitors who

8 - 10 November | 3 - 10 pm | Seaside Arena Special trade access on 8 November | 12 - 3 pm

Semaan Hilal

Kamil Boullot

will have the opportunity to browse more than 100 stands. The exhibition will also host countless workshops, led by 30 of the finest chefs, beverage consultants and lifestyle experts. The program of events includes cooking demonstrations at the Chefs’ Theater with top chefs such as Youssef Akiki, Kamil Bouloot, Maroun Chedid and Semaan Hilal, sessions with influencers at the Lifestyle Theater, the Librairie Gourmande and the Taste Lebanon food court, with 20 vendors serving international favorites. beirutcookingfestival.com

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100+ EXHIBITORS | 30+ WORKSHOPS & DEMONSTRATIONS | 50+ CELEBRITY CHEFS & EXPERTS OFFICIAL MAGAZINES

AN EVENT BY

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+961 1 480081 - info@hospitalityservices.com.lb - hospitalityservices.com.lb

SALON DU CHOCOLAT BEIRUT

GULFOOD MANUFACTURING

November 8-10, 2018 Seaside Arena, Beirut

November 6-8, 2018 DWTC, Dubai

Pierre Abi Hayla

Charles Azar

Showcasing the latest in chocolate, pastry and confectionery, Salon du Chocolat Beirut is marking its fifth anniversary this November with a ‘Carnival’ theme.

Welcoming more than 15,000 visitors to Seaside Arena, this year’s event promises to be even more spectacular than previous editions. The popular chocolate fashion show will showcase the work of Lebanese designers and renowned pastry chefs, who will team up to create beautiful chocolate gowns for the occasion. Lebanese designer

Karine Tawil, founder of fashion brand Karoline Lang, and chef Charles Azar will be collaborating on the star dress. In addition, a chocolate sculpture by artist Anachar Basbous will be unveiled at the show. Visitors will be able to browse more than 60 stands, attend interactive workshops with over 30 of Lebanon’s top pastry chefs and consultants at the Choco Demo, and participate in chocolate sculpture, cake design and bûche making competitions. salonduchocolatbeirut.com

The fifth edition of Gulfood Manufacturing promises to be the Gulfood spin-off’s most forward-looking exhibition and conference to date. It now hosts five dedicated sectors - Ingredients, Processing, Packaging, Automation & Controls, and Supply Chain Solutions - to improve the experience for both buyer and seller. Four key features – a ‘Big Buyers’ program, where up to 2,000 buyers are hosted; innovation demos, which will provide deep insights into artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain and robotics; Gulfood Manufacturing Industry Excellence Awards, designed to inspire and reward process innovations, and a probing FoodTech Summit – have been integrated to strengthen the event’s position as the vanguard of F&B transformation.

The Gulfood Manufacturing conference series, under its new identity “FoodTech Summit”, will set the agenda for the industry’s vision, with deep insights into the future – near and far. Sessions will focus on the ‘Factory of the Future’ and a look at how Industry 4.0 – or the fourth Industrial Revolution - is redefining the F&B manufacturing and processing industry. gulfoodmanufacturing.com

THE WORLD’S LARGEST CHOCOLATE SHOW PRESENTS 5 TH E D I T I O N

8 - 10 November | 3 - 10 pm | Seaside Arena Special trade access on 8 November | 12 - 3 pm

8 60+ EXHIBITORS | 20+ WORKSHOPS & DEMONSTRATIONS | 30+ CELEBRITY CHEFS & EXPERTS OFFICIAL MAGAZINES

AN EVENT BY

+961 1 480081 - info@hospitalityservices.com.lb - hospitalityservices.com.lb

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BUSINESS

INTERVIEW

EXCLUSIVE

WORLD CLASS, WITH REGIONAL ROOTS

Selim El Zyr, homegrown hospitality visionary and Rotana’s vice chairman, talks to HN about the region’s competitive advantages, the challenge of training and retaining the next generation of hoteliers, and why the founding principle of delivering ‘Treasured Time’ is as important today as ever

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How do you assess the regional hospitality industry?

The region continues to enjoy a strong reputation as an outstanding family-friendly destination with something to offer all types of visitors, thanks to its rich blend of cultural, historical and modern offerings. The tourism sector has continued to grow in 2018, despite the challenges facing the industry in the region. This ongoing success can be attributed to a number of important factors, including campaigns led by the regional governments to drive tourism and attract visitors from all corners of the globe. The region also remains an attractive proposition for investors, with a fast-growing youth demographic that has access to rising disposable income.

Massive investments are being made on new commercial, tourism and entertainment projects, such as Dubai’s EXPO 2020 and Saudi Arabia’s USD 500 billion Red Sea coastline project. These are also generating exciting opportunities for the sector, owing to the associated rise in corporate travel, and domestic and international tourist arrivals. With increasing numbers of domestic and international business and leisure travellers, the industry can expect to see further improvements across all key performance indicators (KPIs) in the years ahead. Consistent high performance and positive global economic prospects have set the stage for a bright future for the region’s hospitality business.

What do you think has enabled Rotana to stand out from the crowd and position itself as a strong homegrown chain?

As a homegrown brand, we understand the region very well, and have consistently leveraged this knowledge to adapt to the needs of our guests. For example, we were one of the first hotel companies to introduce an ‘all-suites’ concept, which proved highly popular with the local market. In addition, the launch of our affordable lifestyle hotel brand ‘Centro by Rotana’ in 2006 proved a game-changer for the region’s mid-market hospitality segment. The caliber of our people is also a key component of our continuing success. We have over 11,000 colleagues from more than 100 different countries and backgrounds, proudly working for the company. We also place a strong emphasis on providing opportunities for locals to establish careers in the hospitality sector through initiatives such as our Duroob program, which offers unrivalled opportunities for the brightest local talent in the hotel industry. Ultimately, I would say our belief in measuring business success not only through growth and how many hotels we operate, but also through the value we contribute to people’s lives, is central to our success.

How did Rotana's vision evolve?

Rotana’s vision evolved from the shared dream of two friends. Nasser Al Nowais and I set out

to create a hospitality group that was rooted in the region and capable of developing worldclass properties to the highest of international standards. This ultimately led to the birth of Rotana in Abu Dhabi in 1992, with our very first property – Beach Rotana – opening its doors the following year. From there, we worked tirelessly to grow our portfolio of properties in the UAE, before expanding into the wider region. Our goal was to open a Rotana property in every major city in the region, and, following a quarter-century of fastpaced expansion, we are well on our way to achieving this. Just as the UAE itself gloriously rose from the desert to become a top global destination, Rotana, too, forged its success story from humble beginnings to become one of the region’s leading hotel management companies. However, the underlying essence remains the same; the principle of delivering ‘Treasured Time’ by providing a consistent experience across the diverse range of more than 100 properties we manage today.

As a hospitality veteran, how are you investing your experience and what advice do you have for the next generations of hoteliers?

One thing I have learned throughout my journey with Rotana is to seek out bright people with ambition, together with the intelligence and patience to deliver on this ambition. The challenge is to keep these people motivated, by offering them the opportunity to grow and develop within the organization. I feel Rotana has been highly successful in this respect. Young people have to understand that a career in hospitality is a long-term investment. Education is highly important for success – not only academic education, but the practical experience gained ‘on the job’. Dream big; it is important to remain ambitious, but always be patient, things will come to you at the right time.

Also, learn from your mistakes. Some people are afraid to commit to a decision in case it’s the wrong one. But if you don’t learn from your mistakes, you won’t learn at all.

Plan your future carefully, and seek out an employer that is committed to developing and nurturing their team members.

One thing I have learned throughout my journey with Rotana is to seek out bright Where do you see Rotana people with ambition, together in five years’ time? with the intelligence and patience Rotana’s portfolio of operational properties has to deliver on this ambition increased from two in 1993 to more than 100 Do you think that when a hotel is owned and operated by a chain, its chances of survival in the region increase?

Speaking from the perspective of a hotel management company, we do not own any of our properties. However, as a chain, we treat all hotels equally and according to the standards applied to each of our brands. Our properties in the region are not only surviving, but thriving.

This reflects both the hard work of our dedicated teams, and the high level of guest satisfaction they are delivering, which sees customers return to our properties time and time again.

In what ways does Rotana’s journey resemble your own?

As one of the founders of Rotana, I have seen the company grow and evolve over more than a quarter of a century, and I am pleased to say we are still guided by the same key principles as when we first started out. If you look back through the company’s history, our success has been built on enduring partnerships. It is these bonds that best describe the essence of the business – sincere friendships, based upon loyalty, integrity and the desire to serve.

Having dedicated my life to the hospitality industry, it is both humbling and rewarding to see the next generation of talented team members across our portfolio continuing to embrace these values – and in doing so, fulfilling the vision both Nasser and I had for the company all those years ago.

today. It is our ambition to double this number by 2030. Over the coming five years, we will be opening 10 hotels per year. The plan is in place, and the knowhow to execute it is there, so in five years, we expect to see 150 hotels in operation. Our objectives are clear, and we are confident that if we continue to manage our growth in an efficient way, there is nothing to stop us from achieving our goals. We look forward to bringing our guests the world-class hospitality our brands have become associated with in more locations than ever before. rotana.com

About Selim El Zyr Prior to co-founding Rotana, Selim El Zyr forged his path in hospitality, acquiring international exposure with global brands. He graduated from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in 1970 and, after completing his postgraduate studies at Cornell and Columbia Universities, he gained his first job as chief steward in the Waldorf in New York. He then spent 12 years with Hilton International in Germany, Spain, Egypt, Canada and the UAE, before reaching the position of regional director. El Zyr then decided to move into industrial catering, establishing a leading Lebanese fast-food chain in 1982. He then moved to the UAE as vice president for Abu Dhabi National Hotels, overseeing their operations in the emirates, as well as overseas.

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MARKET UPDATE

BAHRAIN BUSINESS FRIENDLY AND BUILDING MOMENTUM

No free-zone restrictions, 100 percent foreign ownership in most sectors and operating costs that are on average 50 to 55 percent lower than Dubai and Abu Dhabi according to KPMG's latest Cost of Doing Business report. No wonder several global surveys have rated Bahrain as one of the top places to live and operate a business. Two senior officials from the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) discuss the latest developments in the kingdom and highlight the opportunities that it has to offer

H.E. Khalid Al Rumaihi Chief Executive of Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB)

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What is Bahrain’s value proposition and how does this set it apart from other GCC countries?

How does Bahrain benefit from both intra-regional tourism and international visitors coming to the Gulf?

With a long and successful history as a global trading nation, the Kingdom of Bahrain has always offered a warm and open welcome to international visitors and businesses. The GCC is undergoing a significant economic transformation, and Bahrain was the first country in the region to begin its diversification decades ago. We continue to diversify our tourism sector, building on our value proposition and expanding our offerings. Over 12.7 million international tourists visited the Kingdom in 2017, fueling a thriving tourism industry around Bahrain’s wide range of 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts. Bahrain lies in the heart of the GCC and acts as a natural gateway to Saudi Arabia, with efficient and reliable access to the region’s biggest market and a constantly expanding stream of visitors.

The kingdom is within a four-hour drive from 75 percent of Saudi Arabia’s market and connects to a USD 40 billion market with a one-hour flight. From an investment perspective, ongoing reforms and regulatory improvements have made Bahrain one of the region’s freest economies for over 20 years, and the Kingdom has an established track record of prioritizing these reforms to benefit and grow the private sector and streamline investment into the country.

Bahrain also offers some of the region’s lowest operating costs and an attractive tax regime, which in turn is supported by the most skilled workforce in the region: over 60 percent of the Bahraini workforce is employed in the private sector. This allows for sustainability of operations, because having an educated, hardworking, local talent pool minimizes staff turnover and reduces overall labor costs.

Bahrain is a highly popular tourist destination among GCC residents and citizens: nearly two-thirds of our visitors are from within the GCC, with a growing number visiting from outside the region. The sector witnessed rapid growth in 2017, with over 12.7 million tourists visiting Bahrain, facilitated by the country’s wide range of 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts. Tourism has thus become one of the key investment sectors that provides Bahrain with a strong competitive advantage.

Bahrain’s Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) has been set up to increase the contribution of tourism to the country’s GDP and specifically to grow the number of inbound GCC tourists, as well as visitors from key source markets within a short-haul flight distance. Bahrain’s cruise industry has also been taking off. The country hosted 70,000 cruise passengers over 43 visits during the 2016/2017 GCC cruise season, and a growing number of international cruise liners are adding Bahrain as a new port destination for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. As well as being an established recreational tourism destination, Bahrain’s advanced and liberal regulatory system – united under a single regulatory authority – leads to lower operating costs for healthcare service providers and patients. This is fueling the growth of medical tourism from the GCC region.

In what way will the new developments in Saudi Arabia compete with or complement Bahrain’s position as the gateway to the region?

As Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 opens up new opportunities for international investors, Bahrain has an important role

Bahrain offers some of the region’s lowest operating costs and an attractive tax regime, which is supported by the most skilled workforce in the region

to play in facilitating that growth. Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoy a longstanding close relationship, and we see Saudi Arabia’s growth as highly complementary to our own. Saudis make up a large percentage of our visitors, and many global companies service the large Saudi market from Bahrain. For example, Mondelez manufactures food products in Bahrain for the Saudi market. We believe our logistical, infrastructure and manufacturing strengths offer an advantage point for companies looking to capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s growth. Bahrain’s existing infrastructure provides easy access to all markets by road, sea and air, and extensive investment is set to further enhance this advantage. Plans are nearing completion for a USD 3 billion investment in a second causeway linking Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, incorporating both road and rail services.

The causeway will also connect Bahrain to the proposed USD 200 billion GCC rail network, which will improve logistical and travel links between the six countries.

country’s GDP, and this figure is set to grow significantly as the number of visitors and leisure activities increases. Economic growth in the GCC and the diversification of the region’s economies are therefore creating exciting opportunities for international investors across a number of sectors. We are a natural gateway to access the GCC’s dynamic economies, with an efficient logistical connection to the largest market.

Our people form a highly engaged workforce and reaffirm the high quality of life offered to expatriate residents. As one of the GCC’s freest economies, Bahrain uniquely offers 100 percent foreign ownership across almost all sectors, and we have a consistent track record of diversification, leading to further opportunities for investment.

Bahrain is also able to adapt quickly to new opportunities. The kingdom has, for example,

What was behind the decision to launch the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum?

Gateway Gulf came from a very simple idea. Every day we speak to businesses and investors and we have seen that the opportunities in the GCC market are really catching the world’s attention. What we have also seen is that while investors are interested in the GCC, they want to know more about how to access the opportunities provided by the region. Gateway Gulf was designed to answer that question – bringing together 500 global decisionmakers with expert sessions and showcasing projects worth USD 26 billion across multiple sectors.

What is the role of the EDB? How does it facilitate the investment process?

How do you believe the smallest country in the GCC can make the biggest impact in terms of diversification strategies?

Bahrain has a long history of diversification, and decades ago, became the first GCC country to make the move away from a hydrocarbon-based economy. Indeed, Bahrain’s own Economic Vision 2030 was launched back in October 2008. Bahrain boasts a resilient and diversified economy with the non-oil sector now accounting for more than 80 percent of real GDP. In 2017, real GDP grew by 3.9 percent, with the non-oil economy expanding by 5 percent, making Bahrain the fastest growing economy in the GCC. Tourism and leisure already contribute to 6.3 percent of the

an established and supportive ecosystem for technology-focused entrepreneurship and offers a sandbox to test and develop new technologies and products..

Jerad Bachar Executive Director, Investment Development, Tourism, Real Estate, Education and Healthcare, Bahrain EDB

The role of the EDB is to attract investment in order to create sustainable growth and high-quality jobs. To do that, we aim to help businesses access the opportunities across the GCC from Bahrain, working with them from their first contact with the country all the way through the set-up process. We also continue to work with them once they are established in Bahrain through our dedicated aftercare team. Alongside this, we also work with companies to help ensure the business environment is able to support their ambitions, whether that is through regulatory reform or, say, working with partners in Bahrain to obtain investment in particular vocational training programs.

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What have been the biggest challenges and successes of the past year?

The last year has been a highly successful one for EDB – we had a record year for investment in 2017, attracting USD 733 million of FDI. A particular highlight was the announcement made by Amazon Web Services - the cloud computing platform of Amazon.com – of the provider’s plans to open an infrastructure region in Bahrain, its first in the Middle East.

As countries in the GCC look to transform their economies for generations to come, technology will play a major role, and cloud computing will be in the middle of that transformation. In the tourism and leisure sector, in particular, we attracted major investments, for example, from Action Hotels and taxi services app, Careem.

I think the biggest challenge is to find ways of connecting investors with the opportunities that are being created in the region. The GCC is going through an economic transformation – and this is impacting the tourism sector, particularly as Saudi Arabia opens up to international visitors. We see this as a great opportunity for the region, but in order to realize it, we need to make it as easy as possible for businesses to invest and grow.

Bahrain International Airport is undergoing a USD 1.1 billion modernization program, which is set to increase annual passenger capacity from 9 million to 14 million by 2020. This will go hand in hand with the new 5- and 4-star hotels and resorts in the tourism development pipeline that will cater to current and future demand. For example, the recently announced Al Sahel Resort will be the kingdom’s first 5-star retreat in southwest Bahrain, which will

include the Jumeirah Al Sahel Resort, with a distinct, secluded beachfront ambiance.

The southwest will also be home to the Bilaj Al Jazayer development, including the Al Jazayer Beach, an unchartered new tourism destination. Durrat Dawn and Durrat Crescent megaprojects, worth USD 2 billion, are in southeast Bahrain, with Hawar Island set to become a world-class eco-friendly destination. bahrainedb.com

Amazon Web Services - the cloud computing platform of Amazon.com - plans to open an infrastructure region in Bahrain, its first in the Middle East

What planned developments and tourism-related projects feature in the current investment pipeline?

We have USD 13 billion being invested in 14 major tourism projects, so the pipeline is very strong. As part of these developments, number of rooms and in the 4-star market, the K Hotel leads the ways and sells the most rooms. As a home-grown hospitality company, this is something we are proud of, especially with all the major hotel chains now represented in Bahrain.

After the recent opening in Dubai, is the company going to further its reach outside of the kingdom?

Garfield Jones CEO of Gulf Hotels Group (GHG), Bahrain’s leading home-grown hospitality provider, shares key insight on the local market What is Gulf Hotel Group’s market share in Bahrain in terms of hotel operations?

It is difficult to establish the exact market share as there has been a huge expansion of the hotel sector in the last two years.

This has created an over-supply of hotel rooms, resulting in falling occupancies and a drop in room rates. However, in the 5-star market the Gulf Hotel still sells the most

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Last year we updated our strategic plan and we are aiming to expand operations into GCC countries and beyond. In addition to the commencement of operations in Dubai, we also opened a division of Gulf Brands International in Sri Lanka called GHG Colombo. We are actively looking to expand our hotel, restaurant and laundry operations into KSA.

What kind of innovation can we expect to see from Gulf Hotels Group going forward?

High on the agenda is the upgrade of our restaurant and banqueting portfolio.

We have completed the renovation and expansion of our Al Waha Restaurant in Gulf Hotel and have just launched ‘La Pergola

by Perbellini’. La Pergola is one of the longestablished restaurants in Bahrain, but to take it to a whole new level, we signed an agreement with multi-Michelin starred chef,

Giancarlo Perbellini, whose design team created a bold, modern interior.

By the end of September we will have completed the BD 5 million refurbishment of the Gulf Convention Centre with an expanded meeting room inventory, stunning new design and built-in digital presentation screens and in early October we will open the Gulf Executive Residence in Juffair, with 109 apartments of one, two and three bedrooms.

Our final project in 2018 will be Fusions Restaurant, which will be given a complete overhaul, an outdoor terrace, a trendy interior and will reopen as ‘Fusions by Tala’, being headed by our young, talented Bahraini chef, Tala Bashmi. We expect further outlets to come under the scalpel in 2019.

What opportunities do you see for foreign investment in the kingdom?

BTEA has an ambitious target to drive visitor numbers to Bahrain so there are many opportunities to invest in the tourism sector.

Gulf Hotels Group, as the leading homegrown hospitality company, is committed to being part of the tourism expansion and is currently considering a number of expansion opportunities, including wholly owned projects, joint ventures and management contracts.

BUSINESS

TOURISM

TOURISM PLAN: THE KEY TO SUCCESS

FOR ANY DESTINATION When well maintained and developed, the tourism sector can elevate any destination, helping it to acquire worldrenowned status, attract millions of visitors each year and generate billions of dollars in income. Ralph Nader, CEO of Amber Consulting, shows us what’s behind the ‘vision’ Experts agree that tourism is one of the largest revenue-generating industries worldwide and the fastest growing industry in the world when it comes to safeguarding a sustainable future.

Today, tourism accounts for 7 percent of developing countries’ total exports and as much as 45 percent of their commercial services exports.

Winners and others However, research has shown that if not properly managed, tourism can have a broader detrimental effect. So how have some destinations managed to become key players in this industry, while others remain in the shadows, despite their rich assets?

What is a tourism plan?

Tourism planning is a tool for destination

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area development and a means for assessing the needs of a tourist-receiving market, where the primary areas of focus are generating income and employment, and ensuring resource conservation and visitor satisfaction. In order to design a successful development plan, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the objectives at local, regional and/or national levels.

Tourism planning is a tool for destination area development and a means for assessing the needs of a tourist-receiving market, where the primary areas of focus are generating income and employment Getting it right Many countries that were pioneers of this concept realized the importance of setting a clear, targeted and effective tourism plan and implementing strategies with a solid vision for sustainable tourism development.

Focus on the fundamentals: develop a tourism strategy that is sustainable and focuses on the destination’s strong fundamental assets and unique products to differentiate it from neighboring countries. In other words, focus on promoting and developing the competitive advantages or the core tourism offerings of a destination, whether for the cultural

and heritage, beach/leisure, sports activities, religious and historical sites, or corporate and MICE segments.

Targeted strategy: design a strategy for the future that has distinct objectives, accurate target markets and clear positioning for each state.

• Clear and measurable objectives: quantitative objectives should be developed to ensure that the success of the tourism strategy is measurable and can be monitored. For example, Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2020 has a key objective of attracting 20 million visitors per year by 2020.

• Accurate target market: identify target segments to prioritize. Also, develop an indepth understanding of travelers’ behaviors, needs and the latest trends, by pinpointing the following: - The value proposition to promote: why visit the destination?

-The type of products to showcase -The distribution channel attributes (for example, tour operator packages) -The key marketing messages and reach (for example, social media) -The required changes to connectivity -The key barriers to address After identifying its top source markets, Singapore tailored and customized YourSingapore campaigns specifically for each country, creating an individual set of taglines, key visuals and messages.

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Tourism assets in Lebanon per region North Lebanon • Green Tourism • Winter Tourism • Religious Destinations

Beirut • Luxury Shopping • Nightlife Regional Hub • National Memory

Mount Lebanon • Suburban MICE • Food Discovery • Weekend Escape

Beqaa • Agritourism • Adventure Tourism • Live With Locals

South Lebanon • Untapped Nature • Clean Beaches • Modern History

• Clear positioning for each state: in order to avoid cannibalism, a smart tourism plan should have a clear and differentiated positioning for each region, based on its specific fundamental assets and strengths.

should encompass improving on-thejob training, extending international educational partnerships, developing state education, improving language skills and regulating informal labor.

Enablers and supporting stakeholders

Developing a tourism plan is the first step toward driving your destination onto the international tourism scene.

However, plans have little value if they are not effectively implemented. Thus, implementation techniques must be identified, such as organizing a national tourism conference to launch the plan.

Such strategies can help to increase networking among key stakeholders, spread knowledge among the community and boost its participation, while also attracting local and foreign investment.

Bringing stakeholders on board through involvement and collaboration is another important factor that can help a tourism plan achieve success. These include public bodies, the private sector and land owners, alongside a broad range of other key players. The strategy should be as inclusive as possible, with input from across the professional spectrum in segments such as: • Government agencies • Educational institutions • Human capital • Industry associations • International transportation • Local transportation • Marketing & public relations • Healthcare infrastructure • Telecommunication • Security • Financial infrastructure • Tour operators Action plans relating to the government agencies should include optimizing the public sector tourism structure, improving public-private collaboration and creating a ‘Tourism Observatory’. When it comes to human capital, the areas of focus

A final touch

Action plans include optimizing the public sector tourism structure, improving publicprivate collaboration and creating a Tourism Observatory Staying up to date The tourism sector is an ideal platform for developing smart city solutions.

With the aim of improving the tourist experience, which is now regarded as an essential element of the overall offering, many countries have recognized the positive impact of developing a smart tourism hub.

Collecting data: compiling information on every type of activity that takes place at the destination, collected from all possible sources of data.

Analyzing it: by using various intelligent systems to identify tourists’ behaviors, measures can be proposed with a view to improving both the management of the destination and customer satisfaction.

Implementing measures: this includes analysis of economic, technical and financial feasibility that will enhance the destination, making it more sustainable and adaptable to the needs of tourists, while allowing them to customize their experiences.

Understanding demand A common error is for destinations to develop a tourism plan, but fail to complete the full process and implement their findings effectively. Achieving a successful tourism plan requires a key step early on in the process, which is assessing, studying and analyzing demand. This should include both the present and latent demand, namely, the segments that are not currently target markets, but could potentially be attracted to the destination in the long run. Therefore, understanding demand and identifying all its characteristics will allow the destination to have a clear vision, a focused approach and the means to optimize a tourism budget. amber-consulting.com OCT-NOV 2018 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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HOTELS

INVESTMENT ESSENTIALS of the market, which is traditionally more robust during difficult trading cycles. This trend, coupled with lower development costs and the opportunity for typically higher returns at present, versus opportunities in the upper-upscale/luxury segments, is continuing to make the mid-market hotel space an attractive development consideration. Although there is a big drive across not only Dubai, but the broader region, toward the mid-market space, the development of the luxury arena will remain a key characteristic of regional hospitality markets. The recently announced Red Sea project in Saudi Arabia, which will see the development of approximately 50 islands off the western coast of the country into a world-class luxury tourism destination, is testament to this.

In our latest interview, we talk to James Wrenn, Senior Manager, Colliers International, on the various forms of hotel investment available across the region, both Asset sales traditional and alternative Development The most common form of hotel investment in the region continues to be in development, whereby entities buy or are passed the underlying land, and develop a hotel project on a site by themselves, or via some form of joint venture. Many of the region’s most iconic hotels have been developed by high-net-worth families, semi-governmental developers, government ministries or funds, or specific tourism development funds through this model. Given the ambitious plans of regional governments to continue to expand and enhance tourism across the Middle East, development is expected to remain at the forefront of investment in the years to come. Dubai, in particular, is witnessing a continued focus on development within the mid-market lodging sector, especially in the build-up to Expo 2020. Developers are showing themselves keen to explore this segment

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Investment in the form of purchasing existing hotel assets hasn’t featured widely in the region’s real estate markets to date, unlike more mature markets, such as those of Europe and North America, where the volume of asset sales is much higher. Most developers/investors who constructed hotel assets in the Middle East region

Although there is a big drive across not only Dubai, but the broader region, toward the midmarket space, the development of the luxury arena will remain a key characteristic of regional hospitality markets have traditionally adopted a ‘build and hold’ strategy. However, we are currently seeing a growing number of inquiries from owners who are open to exiting their hotel investment(s). A key reason for this is the increasingly challenging trading climate.

Although, for the most part, hotels are continuing to produce healthy levels of profits, profitability has, on the whole, been down on previous years. Additionally, we have seen a growing number of small and medium-sized developers/investors entering the hotel development space over the past decade or so, marking a departure from their traditional area of expertise in the residential, retail and office segments. Many of these developers/ investors are open to the idea of selling their existing hotel investments, as they move to concentrate on their core business(es). However, the price they are willing to accept to dispose of their hotel asset(s), is often unrealistic,

failing to match what a buyer would be willing to pay. On the buyer’s side, there remains a strong cohort of individuals, funds and hotel groups interested in purchasing trading assets in the region, but unable to invest, due to a lack of suitable opportunities. Going forward, however, we expect pricing levels between sellers and buyers to edge closer to convergence, with a higher volume of asset transactions taking place, supported by the increasing number of developers/investors refocusing on their core business(es) and beginning to exit from the more specialized hotel sector.

Alternative hotel investments For individual investors who are keen to obtain exposure to the hospitality sector, established opportunities exist in the hotel-branded residential space.

Dubai has been at the forefront of these openings for a number of years, offering units that are available in both existing and upcoming (off-plan) schemes. Typically, buyers can choose from purchasing a unit within a hotel development, which they can either live in or use as a second home, or opt to join a rental pool scheme and have their unit managed by the hotel operator, while receiving an income. It’s worth noting that some of these hotel-branded residential schemes have fixed conditions on how the unit can be used and joining rental pool scheme may be mandatory.

In many cases, most notably under a mandatory rental pool arrangement, developers are offering guaranteed returns for investors in the initial years of the investment, in the region of 6 and 10 percent. The introduction of hotel fund schemes has also become a recent feature of the market in the UAE, providing individual investors with an opportunity to purchase a share of a hotel scheme.

The funds are being launched for a period of between seven and 10 years, paying investors an annual coupon, together with a lump sum at the end of the term.

These various opportunities enable individual investors to gain exposure to hospitality investment, away from the traditional forms of developing or buying hotels, through hotel-branded residential investment, or by buying into a fund. In the future, the potential launch of specialized hospitality real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the region is another possibility.

These opportunities and potential openings not only offer individual investors the chance to ‘get in on the action’, but are also tools used by hotel developers/ investors to raise finance to fund projects. colliers.com

BUSINESS

FOODSERVICE

GLOBAL TRENDS Michael Jones and Tina Nielsen of FCSI’s Foodservice Consultant magazine highlight 10 key, long-term trends shaping global foodservice

design within the footprint,” warns US consultant Rudy Miick FCSI of The Miick Companies.

2. Instability in the casual dining scene The casual dining sector, which had otherwise experienced vast growth globally over the last decade, now faces a catch-22 dilemma – scaling up (and taking on more debt as a result) in a saturated market is seemingly the only way to remain competitive, but many big brands, some previously deemed ‘too big to fail’, have fallen by the wayside in the last 12 months.

There is no doubt it is tough out there.

1. Shrinking commercial kitchen spaces A longstanding theme in foodservice is that operators have to do more with less as the footprint for commercial kitchens continues to shrink. The real estate of any foodservice operation has always been highly prized as owners attempt to squeeze in more paying punters, while eating away at the space inhabited by the ‘cost-center’ kitchen. The industry has answered this trend by introducing more sophisticated, smaller and multi-functional equipment.

“This is a growing area of design concern.

There is also a management component here of integration of production and

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The last decade has seen the subject of energy efficiency turn from lip service and meaningless marketing speak on company brochures into a genuine hot button issue The market remains alive though, thanks to automation, food delivery options and menu innovation, but recent high-profile closures, show nothing is sacred in casual dining. “While the market is expanding, success is not guaranteed,” says Dominic Allport, insights director, NPD Group.

3. Food delivery market soars While many casual dining brands have failed to keep up with changing consumer habits, some individual operators have found opportunity and success amidst an evolving high-street landscape. Tech-driven food delivery brands such as UberEats,

Amazon, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Seamless, Grubhub and Doordash are taking hold.

UK fast-casual restaurant group Tortilla Mexican Grill has certainly capitalized on the burgeoning consumer demand for greater food delivery options from their favorite operators – the chain saw delivery sales double in 2017 compared to the previous year. “Delivery is the single biggest disruptor in the whole of the industry,” says Tortilla’s managing director Richard Morris.

“The advent of delivery has immeasurably helped us at times of the day, such as evenings, when we weren’t getting much business. You reach a point when you realize delivery is here to stay and you can push against it or embrace it.”

4. An increased focus on energy efficiency The last decade has seen the subject of energy efficiency turn from lip service and meaningless marketing speak on company brochures into a genuine hot button issue.

Operators are now putting increasing pressure on their manufacturing partners to supply them with more sustainable machines that are kinder to the planet.

Why? Because there are genuine costsaving results to be had from installing machines that use less water, energy and chemicals. What is good for the environment can, it seems finally, also be good for the bottom line.

5. Pressure on supply chains Worldwide political instability and uncertainty facing the future of trade deals (or a lack thereof) following both Brexit and NAFTA

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renegotiations has had an inevitable effect on global food supply chains. While political and economic tensions escalate in Europe, president Trump’s protectionist stance has seen the US impose unprecedented levies on Europe’s producers.

Supply chain fragility also hasn’t been helped by historic summer temperatures in 2018 with agriculture bearing the brunt and poor yields being the result. Rising food prices will inevitably follow. UK consultant Chris Stern FCSI says “all sectors” are being bent out of shape as climates change. “Suppliers who fail to be agile will struggle. Agility is an increasingly important factor.”

Supply chain failures can also happen to the biggest of brands – a chicken shortage led KFC to temporarily close more than 700 of its 900 UK restaurants.

6. How Millennials are shaping the future of foodservice We have focused on the customer of the future in FCSI’s Foodservice Consultant and it is clear that Millennials and the groups that come after Generations Z and Alpha will change the market hugely. They are global, social, digital, mobile and visual. They want an experience – not just a meal – they care about the food quality and are happy to pay more for what they like. Sharing is key to the experience with social media being a huge factor in their decision-making.

Employers should take note of the staff members of the future – they expect nicer working environments and gender equality.

Melissa Abbot, vice president of culinary insight at Hartman Group in the US: “These younger generations are saying, ‘this is who we are, that’s enough – people need to be treated fairly and equitably’. I think there will be a lot of strife in the next decade, but hopefully the outcome will be a more equitable foodservice industry.”

China you wouldn’t dream of signaling for the bill, it is all done through technology.”

8. Menus continue to get ‘optimized’ and more focused This is a key strategy for any operator aiming to stay afloat in a world of unpredictable supply and rising prices. A steely focus on the menu is vital – keep it flexible to adapt to whatever produce is available, but maintain a constancy to retain the profile you want. It is often the case that smaller is better. “It is quality over quantity,” says John Turenne FCSI, president of Sustainable Food Systems in the US. “This allows for increased food quality without increasing labor

Employers should take note of the staff members of the future – they expect nicer working environments and gender equality costs.” It does make it harder to satisfy the preferences of a broad customer group, but an increasingly well-informed dining public can often appreciate a well-thought through menu with clear provenance of the food they are eating.

9. Emerging restaurant concepts: veg-centric, fine-casual The top trend in gastronomy has long been an increasingly veg-centric menu and that is set to continue. This is in response to a public more aware of animal welfare, the environment and the importance of a balanced diet. This also makes sense for chefs who deal with fluctuating food prices and volatile supply levels, as Karen Malody FCSI, principal of Culinary Options in the US. “A restaurateur who has creative culinary skills can shift the menu to plant-based entrees, satisfy customers in doing so, and reap solid margins on their offerings.”

Another concept that is growing is the high-end going casual – top chefs including David Chang in New York City have opened fast food restaurants that focus on high quality – totally in tune with the emerging customer groups.

10. Food waste to dominate the headlines A heavy focus on food waste in the wider industry across the world means that this has been a key priority in hospitality in recent words. Chef Dan Barber from Stone Barns at Blue Hill in the US cooks exclusively with food waste in his Wasted concept.

When we spoke to him last year he said: “Our industrial food system is based on this philosophy of extraction – take more, waste more. It’s allowed us to cherry-pick certain coveted ingredients – say, a pork chop – while discarding others. That’s obviously not sustainable in the long run. The challenge for the future is to create a more holistic way of farming and eating, just as traditional food cultures did for hundreds of years.”

But as far as sustainability is concerned, expect a much harder focus on the issue of plastic waste in the near future. With operators banishing plastic straws, some like McDonald’s going even further by pledging to use only environmentally friendly materials by 2025, there have been real developments.

This is very much driven by consumer demand. Customers understand the problems around excess plastic waste and what it does to our environment and they can vote with their feet in a world of a proliferation of choice.

Michael Jones is editorial director and Tina Nielsen editor of FCSI’s Foodservice Consultant magazine fcsi.org

7. Foodservice goes cashless Countries in the east, most notably China, are leading the way when it comes to implementation of cashless technology.

Consumers are quick to embrace new ways of paying, whether that is by app or phone.

Though cashless payments are common in most parts of the world, they only really taken off in Europe in the last couple of years. In China, meanwhile, this has been taken to a new level. As Zoe Bowley, managing director of Pizza Express explained to us recently, European countries are often slow to catch up. “We have just launched pay at table now and in a few years it will be the norm, but right now it is not in the customers’ psyche to pay on the app. In

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BUSINESS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Pierre & Julien Khabbaz

NOURA SPEAKS TO THE HEART The iconic Lebanese pastry brand Noura has launched a new flagship store to celebrate its milestone 70th birthday this year and mark the company’s repositioning in the market. HN sat down for an exclusive interview with Julien Khabbaz, Noura’s CEO, to hear more about his future plans for a brand that he admits is very close to his heart New beginnings Julien Khabbaz, Noura’s CEO, has a very clear view of what was needed for Noura. “For me, Noura was like an unpolished gem that required some passion and care to unleash its true potential and grow it going into the future,” he told HN. “In fact, despite its iconic heritage, it has never been developed geographically, till now.” Khabbaz explained that the new concept design for the store, created by Marine Bustros and comprising a chic, modern, inviting space, showcasing chocolates and pastries that are displayed in an unprecedented fashion, is unlike any other Lebanon has seen. “What, to a large degree, differentiates us from others is that our premium chocolate is artisanal and therefore each piece is handmade and carefully wrapped,” he noted. “Though on the one hand that is a skill that is quickly disappearing, we on the other hand believe this is where our strength lies, namely in the preservation of a soon-to-be-lost art, and our flagship store was intentionally designed to highlight and showcase our quality work.”

Past, present and future Khabbaz added that on a personal note, he has many fond childhood memories of the brand, having celebrated all his birthdays by blowing out candles atop a Noura cake.

“Noura’s delicious food was also present at all the family’s Sunday lunches, Christmases and special occasions, which is why it’s dear to my heart,” he said. It was these memories,

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the brand’s history and his deep fondness for Noura that spurred Khabbaz, along with his brother Pierre, to restore its luster. This they set out to do by strengthening the company’s divisions to reaffirm Noura’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship, freshness and innovation. “We took a long hard look at the catering and retail sides of the business, which includes pastry, chocolates, baked goods, ice

Noura was like an unpolished gem that required passion and care to unleash its true potential cream and confectionery,” he explained. “We kept all the team members and also hired a few more, raising the number to about 75 individuals in total, to prepare for growth. In addition, we created a quality management system, which includes operational manuals, and installed software programs to optimize all aspects of the business and ensure the quality and consistency of our offerings, while minimizing errors. We will also be adding new products to our catering menu in the coming year, with the help of award-winning chefs.”

Operational scheme Khabbaz added that a decision was also made to upgrade the brand’s stringent food safety protocols, which support its zero tolerance policy for shortcuts. “The beauty of our production setup is our ability to produce more than double the habitual capacity

using the existing facility and resources,” he explained. “Our kitchen can easily support production for a few additional stores without a hitch. We optimized the space and by reciprocity, the business. Put simply, Noura has the DNA of a worldclass brand and all of us are committed and fully dedicated to growing it into an international success.”

Extended reach On the subject of expansion, Khabbaz explained that the brand’s development strategy initially is to extend its local reach and highlight its offerings in a modern way before looking abroad. “In addition to Downtown, we will therefore be renovating our two existing stores and opening a new branch in Antelias next year to cover all major access points across Lebanon,” he said. “We will also, in the near future, expand regionally by opening the retail side of the business to a franchise model.”

In keeping with the times Khabbaz told HN that with Noura celebrating its 70th anniversary and moving up a level, it was felt that the time was right to rebrand the concept. After a year of work carried out with help from Leo Burnett, Noura is now being relaunched with its new modernized, yet still traditional look. “Today, it will come across as a luxury brand, combining age-old tradition and modern-day novelty, destined to compete at a higher international level."

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BUSINESS

EYE ON

Nobu

Oliver Maki

THE MIDDLE EAST’S RAW AND COLORFUL SUSHI REVOLUTION As the world becomes increasingly connected, novelty is traveling faster and farther than ever before. Add rising health concerns about food and the popularity of 'Instagrammable' dishes to the mix and it’s no surprise to learn that sushi has become one of today's most trending cuisines. HN talks to American, Japanese and Middle Eastern home-grown sushi brands about the strategies they are employing to grow and evolve beyond borders

Katsuya

tastes, Arab clients like to order a wide range of dishes and the number one dish is, understandably, the black cod miso yuzu, with the rock shrimp tempura in close second. We use large quantities of seafood at Nobu Dubai, such as lobster, and Japanese beef, more so than Nobu restaurants in London and New York.

Local designer dishes

Nobu Katsuya

Chef Herve Courtot Nobu, Atlantis, The Palm Dubai Nobu Dubai has been open for 10 years, during which time there has been considerable demand for high quality sushi.

Unfortunately, many restaurants are still opting for low quality products, which can oftentimes put sushi in a ‘cheap’ category, ultimately damaging the image of Japanese sushi-making art. When it comes to local

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In general, 10 percent of Nobu’s menu is a collaboration between Chef Nobu and the head chef of the international locations.

Both work with local produce to bring specific tastes of the region. For example, at Nobu Dubai, we have created Tuna Toro with black sesame seed dressing, jalapeno jelly and caviar, caviar with mashed potato and fresh wasabi, Japanese beef dry miso, and date mochi ice cream.

Novel innovations We are using monk fruit sweetener to replace the sugar in sushi vinegar. It delivers the same sweet taste, but without the calories, keeping the sushi rice lighter and more pleasing to eat. It is, of course, more expensive; however that’s the price paid to stay ahead of the competition and to ensure continued evolution as a restaurant. noburestaurants.com/dubai

Japanese cuisine has grown in popularity, as a result of consumers adopting a healthier lifestyle. Meisei is offering a diversified modern Japanese cuisine by sourcing unique ingredients globally and marrying ethnic Asian spices with an interesting twist of European flavors. To add value to our proposition, we have three unique floors, offering pleasurable dining experiences, with a variety of exceptional live entertainment shows and quality food.

The millennial generation is travelling more for holidays, education and work, and upon their return, they expect more of the same. meiseirestaurants.com

Novel innovations We constantly seek and invest in an array of equipment, such as: liquid nitrogen; dry-ice smoking and instant frosting tools; smoking guns and whipping guns; dehydrators and sous vide equipment; vacuum and aeration machines; candy floss machines and anti-griddles to quickly freeze sauces and purees into solids. In short, we have a culinary science lab in Meisei!

Michael Sang-Kyu Lee Food & Beverage Director Remza Group/ Executive Chef

Future challenges More Asian cuisines will be developed in the Middle East as consumers are seeking a greater number of Asian ethnic flavors.

Meisei

Expansion We recently appointed a franchisee in Qatar due to open their – and our – first franchise outlet this year. Qatar is a much ‘younger’ market in terms of market saturation and we believe there is a place for our unique concept in such a market.

We have further plans to open in other GCC markets, as well as internationally.

Local preferences

Mohamad Zeitoun Founder, Maki Group, Kuwait In the past two decades, sushi has become an iconic food cuisine, associated with refinement, celebrities, healthy eats and romantic evenings. The Kuwaiti market has, in recent years, fully embraced Japanese cuisine, as is evidenced by the remarkable increase of sushi restaurants, some of which focus only on delivery and takeaway, as well as the availability of this refined food in supermarkets.

Oliver Maki

Many of our Arab clients prefer sushi which contains cooked ingredients, known as ‘cooked’ sushi. However, the percentage of Arabs who request raw seafood items has been rising considerably. Additionally, many Arabs prefer items that are drizzled with ‘rich’ sauces, given that this is a feature of most local cuisines. Nevertheless, a healthful trend, which calls for consuming vegan, vegetarian and no-sauce dishes, is on the rise. To better cater to our clients, we have been making our own secret sauces and sushi-roll wraps in-house since opening – something we anticipated and prepared for –thus establishing Maki as a leader in its domain. It’s worth noting that Maki was the pioneer in introducing healthy sauces, such as house-made Lebanese extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and even thyme. olivermaki.com

Michael Mulrey Business manager for Katsuya ME Local adoption As more local community individuals become familiar with sushi, they are also more willing to try non-traditional things, like the rainbow roll or various rolls with raw salmon on top. Once they become comfortable with the cuisine, diners have a tendency to try new dishes. Over time and with continual education from our side, people’s trust in us is growing, and that always helps to bolster the brand.

Sushi in the MENA region The majority of our client base is composed of young females, aged between 25 and 45.

Most of our local clientele prefer cooked dishes over raw ones, and also like spice. In addition, we’ve observed that shrimp dishes are the most popular items requested. katsuyarestaurant.com OCT-NOV 2018 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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SPECIAL REPORT

COFFEE & TEA In our annual coverage of the coffee and tea industry, HN brings its readers a report that’s been written to cover a range of angles for an exceptionally informative and entertaining read. Included are interviews with well-established local and international coffee brands, in which their top representatives map out various aspects of the trade, followed by two features with comments from an international barista judge and HORECA Lebanon’s reigning champion. We then delve into the heart of Lebanon’s increasingly popular specialty coffee shop scene, with highlights from the country's first certified coffee trainer on where we’ve arrived and what to expect in the coming year. Also included is a look at what one of the world’s most recognized syrup brands has to offer cocktail and coffee aficionados.

Lastly, we run through the most innovative coffee-related products on offer from around the globe for those who would like to add a personal touch to their beverages.

Bringing the topic to a close is an interview with a globally reputed tea sommelier, who is using her passion and culinary expertise to cook up a storm.

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THE WHOLE BEAN & LEAF

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WHAT’S HOT IN YOUR CUP?

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SIX CENTURIES AND STILL BREWING …

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THE COFFEE & TEA SHOP

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SPECIAL REPORT

COFFEE & TEA

THE WHOLE BEAN & LEAF According to the latest statistics from the International Coffee Organization (ICO), we pour about 1.4 billion cups of coffee a day worldwide. Global coffee production in 2017/18 has been estimated at 158.5 million bags, 0.3 percent down on volumes in 2016/17, due to a number of factors, including the impact of global warming, which is seriously affecting quantity and quality As the Fifth Wave approaches, bars, restaurants and even petrol stations are getting in on the action. Specialty coffee is on the rise, as is single-origin coffee. Microroasters are mushrooming, alongside coffeetasting rooms and coffee certification classes.

Technological advances have led to the automation of the entire coffee experience, while superior coffee-making machines, capable of producing a perfect cup with the press of a button, are driving baristas to reconsider their role in the entire value chain.

Customizability is another factor playing a role on the consumption side, with more individuals seeking a one-of-a-kind experience they can call their own, driving the growth of an entirely new industry, namely that of 3D coffee-printing machines.

While the sale of coffee far outstrips that of tea, the latter appears to be in the midst of a return-to-basics revolution, as evidenced by the rise in loose-tea alternatives. On the one hand, hoteliers are increasingly partnering with category experts to offer their guests a more personalized experience, bolstered by an integrated retail corner within their establishments. Furthermore, tea is being used to create new kinds of cocktails and culinary marvels, as consumers demand the incorporation of healthier ingredients into their consumables.

Also of interest, and in keeping with the single-serve era, the continued development of tea pods for use in single-serve coffee machines is growing.

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CAFE ABI NASR BREAKS NEW GROUND THROUGH INNOVATION

Firas Abi Nasr General Manager

Ets. Rafic Abi Nasr Year in review The year 2018 has been a good one for the coffee industry. Trends have emerged and noticeable changes have been detected in consumer behavior, the most trending topic being cold brew, not to be confused with iced coffee! Due to the clear shift in coffee habits, we introduced brand new blends and coffee flavors, such as spiced coffee, mushroom-infused coffee, sparkling coffee, cold brew tonics, café au lait bowls, nitro cold brew coffee and glitter coffee. Additionally, Cafe Abi Nasr takes immense pride in constantly revamping its machines. We have been using, in the past year, smart coffee machines with Bluetooth connectivity through apps for mobile devices. This also includes the Whisper Grinder, which is a powerful electric grain mill coffee bean grinder and a surprisingly silent one at that! And we didn’t stop there; when it came to adaptation, we introduced a special edition of ‘Brewed in the Bag’, a product that lives up to its name, serving fresh coffee straight from the bag.

The trends Portable espresso machines have also registered a hit among coffee consumers, an invention that helps them enjoy their fresh cup anywhere and anytime. We are definitely looking forward to the growth that this industry is witnessing and will make sure we are on board the trend wagon thanks to our creativity in blends. We will also make sure that coffee is present, whether in a traditional or non-traditional way. As the industry grows, so do the challenges and that is a given. The competition has been fierce in the coffee market, as brands aggressively compete for exposure and presence. That said, we approach this situation with dedication to prove and ensure that our brand remains distinguished. In addition, coffee trends are coming to life quickly and we are making sure our reaction is always prompt and on a par with market demands. Cafe Abi Nasr rises to every challenge, thanks to its commitment to product innovation and quality/price ratio. Some of the advantages our brand offers are longevity, reputation and credibility. Cafe Abi Nasr is proud to have been present in the Lebanese market for over six decades. The family name enabled us to gain our customers’ trust and give a silent promise of eternal great taste and affordability.

The road ahead The drive for novelty has been strong from both the consumers and suppliers’ ends.

That is precisely why we are committed to listening to the needs of our customers and responding with an initiative, be it in cold brew, filtered coffee or special mixes, among others. Growth means consciousness, which is precisely why our new and upcoming plans are noticeably environmental and eco-friendly. Some of the past year’s most in-demand products have been Lebanese coffee beans, which remain at the high end of the pyramid of the supply and demand chain, followed by espresso and filter coffee. Its popularity is directly linked to our country’s culture. Coffee has been and will always be a daily necessity in every Lebanese household; the taste is appreciated and the benefits are significant. If anything, coffee is the first thing we, as Lebanese people offer, before water! That said, our pipeline for the near future includes the introduction of our very own, brand new coffee factory; one that will stand out for its excellent service, innovative roasting and packaging machines, and eco-friendly processing throughout the stages of production before it finally reaches the consumer. cafeabinasr.com

SPECIAL REPORT

COFFEE & TEA

NESTLÉ CALLS FOR A SHIFT IN FOCUS

CAFE YOUNES ON THE NEW COFFEE CULTURE

Yassir Max Corpataux Coffee Ambassador, MEA

Nestlé Nespresso SA New offering Coffee lovers are becoming more conscious of the origins of coffee.

They want to know exactly where their coffee comes from and how it was made. It is good to see that the trend is moving toward a more sustainable and authentic approach, focused on human craftsmanship. Nestlé Nespresso SA embraces this, with the launch of its five new permanent coffees: Master Origin. As sustainability becomes an important factor for purchasing decisions, the coffee industry is growing around the world, as is the portioned coffee segment, both of which offer tremendous opportunity.

Clear vision When it comes to the coffee industry in general, Nespresso always tries to remain ahead of the curve by anticipating and, in turn, preparing for what will be the next big thing. That is one of the reasons that the brand is considered innovative. The current trend we are working on is clarifying the most relevant parameters that would rank highest when it comes to attracting new consumers.

We base our business model on three pillars, namely: coffee knowledge and expertise; attention to detail, as well as our sustainability schemes; and unflinching commitment to value. All these are in line with what today’s consumers look for and expect.

Coupled with our innovative blends and machines, we manage to offer everyone a package deal that not only fulfills expectations, but is also simple, yet distinct.

Man vs. machine Our machines, inspired by the classic Italian espresso machine, use an innovative extraction system. Building on such cutting-edge technologies, we decided to offer the consumers a device that is not only very easy to use, but also guarantees perfect results under fully-controlled parameters, irrespective of personal skills. This has proven somewhat advantageous, based on plenty of feedback from professional baristas, who agree that our machines make their jobs easier and increase their efficiency. In moving forward, one thing is certain, the number of steps required for making that perfect cup of coffee has decreased and will continue to do so over the coming years. What needs to be understood, when it comes to the role played by seasoned baristas, is that their profession is calling on them to shift their focus to other areas, and in so doing, give more attention to addressing consumer concerns related to their coffee of choice. buynespresso.com

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Amin Younes Managing Partner

Cafe Younes SAL Many improvements to coffee-making have taken place in the past couple of years, whether in coffee-harvesting and roasting or in coffee-making and brewing. I am personally not impressed with the latter; I do not believe that these improve quality. These gadgets just make our lazy lives easier; a Bluetooth-connected tablet that switches your espresso machine on while you are still in bed! How slothful!

The quality of your favorite caffeinated beverage is mostly related to harvesting and roasting the coffee. Some impressive improvements have been made in order to sell, use and brew a better-quality coffee. The most important results are more consistent roasts, lower emissions and for independent and large coffee businesses, lower operating costs.

New coffee flavors have been discovered to increase the temptation and to further compete with other caffeinated beverages, such as tea, energy drinks and sodas. It is a primitive way to enjoy the highest level of coffee drinking and, in turn, experience coffee nirvana.

However, I believe that the coffee industry is witnessing a rebirth. I am referring to the Fourth Wave, which is focused on people. Our coffee shops adopted that wave a few years back by offering a blend of modern and ‘nostalgic’ design and feel to reflect our 83+ years of history. While maintaining product quality, we are building a new coffee experience by bringing the roasting process to every outlet and integrating the roasting journey to the café experience. Coffee lovers not only witness the live coffee-roasting ‘show’, but are also part of it. cafeyounes.com

SPECIAL REPORT

COFFEE & TEA

BARISTA ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF THE CURRENT CONSUMER HORECA LEBANON BARISTA JUDGE SPILLS THE BEANS

Roy Daniel Managing Partner

General Manager

Barista Espresso

La Marquise International UAE SCA Board Member

Overview The coffee industry is a fundamental part of the food culture in the region and around the world. It has changed drastically over the past years, as coffee becomes more popular to younger generations, thus creating the need for drinks that appeal to their tastes. Moreover, Ready-To-Drink coffee is still on the rise, in addition to specialty drinks, such as cold brew and nitro coffee. The industry is still growing into singleserving coffee systems, making the demand for individual-use coffee machines very high.

The challenges and risks The biggest obstacle the coffee industry is facing is climate change, which is affecting the crops worldwide and making high quality coffee beans more difficult to find. At a time where coffee demand is growing fast, the steady and continuous supply of green coffee is decreasing at alarming rates. Some countries are taking measures to protect their crops and the shortage of labor, but the measures taken thus far remain subpar. As a result, consumers are at serious risk of having to drink low quality coffee in a higher price range a few years from now, if the appropriate action is not taken.

The strategy We pride ourselves at Barista Espresso on being a one-stop shop experience for our consumers. Be it capsules, pods, beans, machines or accessories, we offer it all, and we are confident in saying that we are delivering the best experience to those who seek a perfect cup of coffee. While tastes are always changing, we are increasing our market share by addressing the needs of our potential clients. A good espresso cannot be brewed if there isn’t a 360-degrees effort behind it. From the selection of the beans to the maintenance of the machines, it’s a complete experience, where every detail counts.

The future During the last couple of years, our focus has been on developing and growing our capsule range. We have already introduced three new TEA capsules, which are Nespresso compatible, in addition to our brand new ORGANIC coffee capsule. Our latest project has been the launching of MyBarista, our new phone application (app), available on Android and Apple devices. In addition to its loyalty system, our app allows users to order their coffee at the click of a button and have it delivered to their doorstep in less than 24 hours all over Lebanon. barista-espresso.com

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Anthony Bedoyan

When evaluating contenders at any event, I take several factors into consideration. Though some of these may not directly pertain to the finished product, they nonetheless are relevant to the entire spiel. I first begin by evaluating the way they introduce and justify their choice of coffee. After that, their performance is carefully assessed, which is when the entire process takes on a more exacting attention to detail, followed by a thorough evaluation of the skills and techniques employed that eventually yield a very specific result that has its own identity. Though the entire scheme used to be almost based on the steps applied and, by reciprocity, the result achieved, insight about the story behind the brand and variety of coffee used is gradually finding its way into the mix, which makes perfect sense. On the one hand, consumers demand to know where their coffee comes from and how it was processed; on the other hand, baristas are expected to be aware of all this information, so as to be able to help these discerning consumers choose the right kind of coffee that satisfies their coffee craving. Increasingly, consumers are more attracted to single-origin coffee and the history behind it.

Each origin has its own distinct coffee profile, which consumers find compelling, since it offers them a consistent experience and recognizable flavors. lamarquise.ae

With the growing fast-paced lifestyle adults are facing worldwide, as well as in Lebanon, an increasing demand for a quick coffee fix has been the trend for the past decade and will continue to be the challenge of coffee manufacturers in the coming years. Delivering a cup of coffee at the push of a button is not an easy task and the fastest and only way to deliver a cup of coffee while maintaining good quality is through espresso.

Our sales data is living proof of that, both Café Super Brasil and CORSO espresso, our premium brand, which work on the same 7gr capsule system, have witnessed record growth. We would have loved to replicate the ‘push of a button’ trend with Lebanese coffee, but unfortunately, we now have proof that to get a quality Lebanese cup of coffee, the only means to do so is the personalized way via our traditional Rakweh.

Denise Makari Safa, Vice President, Café Super Brasil

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SPECIAL REPORT

COFFEE & TEA

KALEI RIDES THE NEXT COFFEE WAVE Tradition vs. technology While the newest coffee machines might be all about technology, there is still the need for human interaction and a personal touch, according to Jaffal. “In the old days, people would go to a coffee house primarily for social interaction, which coincidentally, took place over coffee. Today, in the current era of specialty coffee, the opposite is true,” she explained. “If I had the option of buying top-notch equipment that doesn’t require a barista as opposed to one that requires a human operator, I’d definitely go for the latter.” The reason is simple, she added. “To summarize, human beings are social creatures who still require that social element, irrespective of how good the coffee is, and today, they can have coffee that is sourced fairly, served with love and a few conversations,” she said.

Somewhat ironically, the idea of opening Lebanon’s first specialty coffee shop was conceived by Dalia Jaffal during a conversation Trends and adoption In Europe, there has been talk for a number over what was described as ‘a of years about how specialty coffee is dying, bad cup of coffee’. HN sat down unlike in Lebanon, where it has begun to with Jaffal, who is founder of grow in the past year. Jaffal puts this down to the fact that though plenty of Lebanese Kalei Coffee and also Lebanon’s travel and are exposed to global trends, very first SCA certified coffee trainer few thought of establishing specialty shops and judge for National SCA until recently. “This also has to do with the championships, for an exclusive fact that like Italians, we stick to our coffee interview to gain a better drinking traditions and have therefore come late to the idea of adopting international understanding of the various trends,” she noted. “Furthermore, importing specificities shaping Lebanon’s tried and tested concepts is far easier than coffee industry developing our own. However, that is Nestled in a traditional, century-old Lebanese house at an offshoot of Mar Mikhael, Jaffal, who also is a professional barista and master roaster, explained that there were no short cuts to getting the perfect cup of coffee. “We had to cover the whole supply chain, from bean to cup, which is how Kalei Coffee Co. was born,” she said. “Kalei is a micro-roastery, offering directly sourced single-origin green coffee that has been well cared for from farm to cup, in keeping with consumer demand for specialty coffees. This emphasis on transparency and traceability is more important today than ever before, taking into account that Lebanon consumes more coffee, or 'kahweh', per person than anywhere else in the Middle East – about 4.8 kilos per capita annually, according to the International Coffee Organization.”

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slowly changing. The same reality applies to bars and restaurants; we are big on food in Lebanon and always have been, yet we do not have a single Michelin Star restaurant.”

Hyper-specificities Looking ahead Jaffal said she couldn’t claim that every client who visits does so solely for the coffee. “Rather it is a combination of the social element, intertwined with our offerings, some of which are unavailable elsewhere,” she told HN. “For example, we started the specialty coffee-cocktail menu, a trend that was quickly picked up by other local venues. This is happening more often, especially now that bartenders have more room for experimentation, thereby breathing new life into an age-old industry.” Jaffal added that this is when the possibilities expand and become exciting.

“I see this as healthy evolution, as it will elevate the quality of the offering, promote creativity and encourage the use of local elements and ingredients as a whole including local talents. This will hopefully make Lebanon the home for the best and most eclectic coffee and bar scene in the region,” she concluded. kaleicoffee.com

A DIFFERENT TAKE ON COFFEE PREPARATION

Emma Sade Winner

HORECA Lebanon Barista Competition 2017 "The key to my victory lay in understanding the role that all the individual parts play in the farm-tocup supply chain for coffee. Despite the fact that knowledge may seem irrelevant when racing against the clock to prepare a cup of coffee, to my surprise, it proved to be invaluable.

Skill and presentation were the two other factors in the overall equation.

Mastering the rules is also instrumental in achieving success. Yet what brings all these together is, and will always be, the choice of coffee used, which is why being aware of the fundamental characteristics of the coffee goes a very long way. As a barista, it is our job to satisfy the senses of coffee lovers and take them on a cultural journey, by introducing them to the realm of coffee. This drink has a long history and, given that a single bean bestows so many different flavors for us to explore, it is up to us to highlight them and, in so doing, raise consumer awareness. On that note, I am happy to see that through this approach, the quality of the coffee on offer in our region is improving, as are the roasting and brewing processes. More consumers are now seeking specialty coffee for that very reason and, in turn, are becoming more open to trying something new. Places that encourage such a movement are growing in numbers, with outlets such as Kalei, Cafe Younes, Suz, Bn Coffee Bar, Urbanista and Kaffeine leading the way."

SPECIAL REPORT

COFFEE & TEA

MORE ON MONIN'S FLAVORS & TRENDS

TEA GASTRONOMY form. “It’s worth noting that introducing matcha, an ultra-fine powdered green tea, to creamy recipes, such as yogurt and curds, works exceptionally well,” she said.

Tea in drinks When it comes to tea in drinks, the prepreparation is crucial for the success of the recipe, according to Magalhães. “Making this kind of syrup can take up to two-to-three hours before it’s cold enough to serve correctly,” she said. “So preparing it on the spot is not a possibility, as it needs time to cool down. That’s why storing this type of mix for later use, up to one month, is the best approach.”

Olga Cassidy Trade Marketing Manager, MEIA

Monin What specific syrups has the brand created for coffee-based drinks?

When it comes to coffee, MONIN launched Nougat Syrup and Tatin, or Caramel Apple Sauce, this year, to bring back memories of the simple, yet loved-by-everyone, flavors. We've also added MONIN L’Artiste - the new range of toppings, specifically designed for Latte Art. It turns any barista into an artist, allowing the creation of that ‘wow’ effect.

What inventive recipes for baristas and chefs has the brand concocted? *RAF coffee has its roots in Russia, where a gentleman called Rafael preferred his latte with a splash of cream for a thick, indulgent texture. Rafael was a frequent coffee shop visitor and, thanks to him, this new recipe became part of the menu in many coffee shops across Russia. Just a year later, the trend had spread to all the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and spilled over into Australia, the UK and the Czech Republic.

What do you expect to be a soughtafter flavor in the coming year?

We have successfully launched MONIN Beetroot Pure a few months ago in Europe and Lebanon and we look forward to rolling out this product to the rest of the Middle East in 2019. The veggie trend is also on the rise, due to the growing popularity of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.

What kinds of coffee are in vogue?

Flavored nitro coffees and flavored cold brew coffees are becoming increasingly popular. MONIN has launched its Orange Spritz Syrup this year, and progressive coffee lovers prefer using it in their nitro coffees for the citrus tangy flavors it gives the beverage. monin.com

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While looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle, Raquel Magalhães transformed her diet and enrolled in a four-year culinary program. Somewhere along the way, she found herself driven by a desire to disseminate the tea culture and its innumerable possibilities in recipes. As a result, she became a tea sommelier and university instructor, teaching her customtailored ‘Gastronomy with Tea’ course, the first of its kind in Brazil Tea in food Magalhães noted that you can cook any recipe with tea, from meat, fish and lamb to vegetables, fruits, sweets, cakes and even breads. “The possibilities are endless, only limited by imagination,” she said. “However, there are certain types of tea, such as white tea, that are very difficult to combine as an ingredient or pair with another dish because they have a very mild flavor and therefore deserve special care, consideration and respect” She added that irrespective of the variety, the starting point when it comes to using tea as a cooking ingredient is to follow a simple rule of thumb; combine lighter dishes with delicate teas and seasoned dishes with more intense and full-bodied tea varieties. “Another major consideration to take into account when choosing ingredients is ‘chewability’,” she noted. “For example, a cookie recipe which contains no liquid ingredients makes the infusion of any tea impossible. So in this particular case, adding the tea directly into the recipe becomes a must. The tricky part is finding the right tea, as it will need to be easily chewable and palatable in the mouth.”

Magalhães explained that a chai, with harder spices like cinnamon, will not have the required ‘chewability’ unless used in powder

The evolution Magalhães also pointed to the growing abundance of high-quality loose-leaf tea brands available today. “This is creating a culture of tea followers with a thirst for knowledge and new, quality tea experiences,” she told HN. “That’s why the industry is returning to loose-leaf tea, rather than tea bags, with coffee shops, supermarkets and restaurants getting in on the trend. Cafés that previously served only coffee have cleared shelf space for specialty loose-leaf tea and restaurants are even offering a broader range of teas on their drinks’ menus.”

POPULAR TEAS IN THE MIDDLE EAST Morocco: Prepared with mint leaves and sugar.

Jordan: Usually comes in the form of loose leaves, has a dark amber color and a smoky flavor.

Yemen: A very sweet black tea spiced with cardamom and consumed with condensed milk.

Iraq: Dark and strong, consumed with cinnamon sticks or cardamom.

Syria: Black tea with anise seeds and sugar served with sprinkled chopped nuts.

Egypt: Dark and extremely heavy, it is sweetened with cane sugar.

Qatar: Strong cardamom flavored black tea consumed with sugar/condensed milk.

Afghanistan: A black tea with sugar or honey served with sweet and salty snacks.

© MONIN - September 2018

What makes this flavour successful today? Its authenticity, its simplicity, beloved ingredients, and above all its unbeatable flavour. MONIN Caramel Apple is ideal for hot and iced coffees, milkshakes and creative cocktails, it works equally well in milky puddings, waffles or ice cream.

Serving suggestion

What makes a Tatin recipe successful is time…This is what MONIN has reproduced during the preparation of this sauce, which has been stewed for a long time in a real homemade caramel, cooked with sugar and butter.

monin.com

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COFFEE & TEA

WHAT’S HOT IN YOUR CUP? seas. Long a symbol of Arabic hospitality and an integral part of any social gathering, each country has its own interpretation; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia add saffron to the heavily roasted beans, while in Lebanon the beverage is mixed with cardamom.

Coffee rituals were pretty much set in stone until the early 2000s, when the U.S. giant Starbucks established itself in the region and turned consumption habits upside down. The coffee revolution ground its way across the Middle East, with more international franchises, such as Costa Cafe and Second Cup, following suit. Many local brands were then created and developed, including Café Younes and Moka & More in Lebanon, Dr. Café in Saudi Arabia, and Kava & Chai and Bateel in Dubai.

This expansion helped to produce an unparalleled growth in the volume of coffee sales across the region of 6 percent in 2016, according to Euromonitor International, including a record average annual growth of 25 percent over the last five years in Saudi Arabia.

With regional coffee consumption on the rise, growth will remain high in the coming years. The UAE, in particular, is expected to deliver a strong performance, with growth in fresh coffee sales forecast to peak at 11 percent between 2017 and 2021. All in all, the Middle East’s coffee industry is expected to reach USD 4.4 billion by 2021, according to Euromonitor International.

Trends

Sabine Karam, Beirut team manager and consultant at Hodema Consulting Services, delves deep into the world of coffee beans and tea leaves to bring us the latest trends in both beverages 64

HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | OCT-NOV 2018

Java, joe, brew and jamoke: while not all of us can offer a precise definition of these words, we will undoubtedly have come across what they represent, which, in simple terms, is a cup of coffee. The drink of many names is, after water, the most commonly consumed beverage on the planet, coming in all shapes and forms, from the Italian espresso, the French press pot and the Irish coffee made with whisky, to New York’s trendy Espresso Martini. The Middle East can pride itself on popularizing the 'kahweh' before it crossed the seven

Black coffee is old news; today, it’s all about new brewing techniques and grading your cup of java. In other words, the industry is developing specialty-grade coffee, not to be confused with ‘gourmet’ or ‘premium’ varieties. The internationally recognized standard is that of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Recognizing coffee that scores at least 80 out of 100 in its ‘cupping protocol’, the SCAA guarantees quality through all stages of production, from seed to cup. Brands with specialty business models, such as Kalei Coffee Co. in Beirut, Raw in Dubai and 92 Degrees in Jeddah, are therefore increasingly gaining a name as ‘go-to’ destinations.

Even Starbucks has had to jump on the bandwagon, opting to introduce specialty coffee on its menu to meet increasing demand. The industry also faces a growing environmental concern, similar

In collaboration with

to that which pushed wine and chocolate producers to become more transparent about their production modes. Today, the coffee we drink is prompting a range of questions: can we source the beans and how are they selected, processed, ground, roasted, blended and brewed? Our caffeine fix has now been elevated to a whole new level, a new experience enhanced by creative storytelling, building a new world around the cup and featuring a narrative of many faces, from local producers and importers to roasters and baristas.

Coffee shops like The Backburner in Beirut or Stomping Ground in Dubai are therefore channeling their efforts into investing in their baristas, with a special focus on making the experience a personal one. In essence, coffeemakers now promote the bean as an artisanal product rather than a commodity. The Third Wave Coffee considers the java as caffeinated art, with outlets offering a smaller variety of coffees on their menu, but of higher quality. Sip in Beirut, Common Grounds in Dubai, Draft in Riyadh and Cup Couch in Jeddah are all taking this successful route.

In addition, brewing techniques and preparation methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with siphon coffee brewers brewing coffee from glass chambers using a vacuum process. There is also the ‘pour-over’ coffee method, developed by the Chemex coffeemaker.

With this manual, pour-over style, glass container coffeemaker, everything is made by hand, while a paper filter reduces the coffee oils to improve the taste. Another alternative brewing technique is the cold drip coffeemaker. Here, a metal valve controls the drip and the coffee flows through the stainless-steel filter, producing a clean, rich brew.

Hungry for tea It might be commonly agreed that coffee fuels the world, but tea worshippers certainly aren’t being neglected.

The camellia sinensis has extended its reach across all continents to become a daily fix for millions. Like coffee, it comes in dozens of forms, the main varieties being Earl Grey, Masala Chai, Green, Mint and Iced Teas.

Despite the availability of so many options, black tea still has the upper hand globally, and the Middle East is no exception, although the worldwide health and

wellness trend has shone a spotlight on green and matcha teas. The leaves of these increasingly popular varieties are packed with antioxidants, flavonoids and other biologically active substances, known to have many health benefits.

While Saudi Arabia is home to the region’s most devoted tea lovers, many others across the GCC are turning to tea as an alternative to coffee and carbonated soft drinks. In the UAE, green tea and black tea are expected to record growth rates of 10.3 percent and 6.2 percent respectively between 2017 and 2021. Many local and franchised teahouses are opening in the region to meet this demand, such as TWG

Our caffeine fix has now been elevated to a whole new level, a new experience enhanced by creative storytelling, building a new world around the cup tea by Twinings, and Fortnum & Mason and Arabian Tea House in Dubai. However, growth rates remain well below those witnessed across the coffee business.

Back to the leaf Trends in the tea segment display a number of parallels with the coffee industry. One such example is the growing interest in sourcing, fueled by a relatively young consumer market that’s ready to pay good money for specialty teas and is curious to know more about the product in terms of quality, origin and how it’s contributing to sustainable development.

Less mainstream and more sophisticated brands, such as Kusmi Tea and Teavana, are thus setting foot in the Middle East, although their development remains modest. In a sign that the segment remains at an early and fragile stage of development, several brands across the region selling tea as a single product, such as Argo Tea, have closed some of their branches. Awan Tea in Beirut is one of the few survivors. However, the leaf is still expected to perform well in the coming years, with global demand for tea on the rise. Innovations, such as readyto-drink tea in bottles, cold-brew and kombucha (a fermented variety), are also diversifying the offer. For now, however,

cold-brewing is the only trend that has managed to establish itself in the region.

This increasingly popular interpretation involves extracting flavors from the tea itself, allowing for an authentic taste that differs from the result of hot brewing, which can scorch the tea and create a bitter taste. Cold tea that’s freshly brewed and created from organic leaves along with other superfood items, is replacing the canned or powdered iced tea made using traditional methods in many F&B outlets. In other developments, bubble tea is proving to be a popular trend in Asia and Northern America. Although it has yet to fully take off in the Middle East, some brands, such as Meito in Lebanon and Oman, are pushing the concept.

With so many ideas hitting the market, from light herbal teas to strong, thick black coffee, you’ll definitely find your hot beverage groove this winter, whether you’re a bean or a leaf lover. While coffee is set to remain ahead of the game, tea definitely still has much more to reveal, so have your cup at the ready!

Coffee grinding guide Extra coarse

Cold Drip, Cowboy Coffee

Coarse

French Press

Medium

Chemex, Vacuum Pot

Fine

Espresso Machine, Moka Pot, Aeropress

Extra Fine

Turkish

Popular coffee brewing methods Using pressure

Espresso Machine Moka Pot Aeropress

Stepping

French Press Vacuum Pot

Filtration or dripping

Chemex, V60, Cold Drip

Boiling

Turkish (also called Greek, Arabic or Lebanese) Cowboy Coffee

hodema.net

OCT-NOV 2018 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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01316416 epatchi.com

Live a sweetly memorable experience at Patchi’s new boutique at ABC Verdun, L3.

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The exclusive secret is that everything is made with Patchi chocolate. This unique destination also has a special counter with 18 new chocolate varieties with ganache, praline, macarons and migniardises.

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SIX CENTURIES AND STILL BREWING … many super foods, but is usually thrown away. Unsurprisingly, with super-dense nutrients currently highly sought after, cascara is fast gaining popularity.

Nitro coffee Nitro coffee is simply a cold-brewed coffee which is infused with nitrogen gas, with the aim of enriching the smooth, foamy texture. The process also renders the coffee slightly sweeter.

While classics such as espresso, Arabic, or 'kahweh', and Turkish coffee remain deeply entrenched in the regional café culture, there are always new takes and twists on our favorite beverage, reflecting changing times, tastes and attitudes. Maya Bekhazi Noun, founder and managing director of The Food Studio, highlights this year’s most significant trends making waves across the wonderful world of coffee Butter coffee In this interpretation, a knob of butter is melted into the cup of coffee, which helps to provide an energy boost without the caffeine crash, mental alertness that lasts for hours, and appetite suppression.

Cold brew Still trending from last year, this favorite has now expanded to include a sparkling coffee variety, in line with the broader fashion for sparkling water and cold-brew tonic. The result is a pleasing concoction of cold brew, tonic water and ice, which is also serving as a base for new cocktail drink ideas.

The cold-brew approach also lends itself to the inclusion of additional ingredients.

My advice is to look out for coffee lemonade in 2019.

Mushroom coffee The earthy and smooth taste of the mushrooms adds to the coffee’s appeal, while providing valuable health benefits, since this popular ingredient is believed to combat bacteria and viruses. Regarded by many as a super food in its own right, the mushroom is also thought to help digestion, boost brainpower and increase energy levels. In addition to promoting overall wellbeing, mushrooms add to the flavor profile of the beverage and also help to reduce the jitters that traditional coffee can produce.

Flat white A perfectly creamy and generously caffeinated coffee that’s similar to a latte, this favorite is still trending. The flat white is made with a double ristretto shot of espresso, mixed with micro-foamed milk that has been consistently heated to avoid separation, resulting in a rich espresso with a delightfully velvety texture.

Draft latte Draft lattes are creamy, cold, frothy drinks, topped with a micro foam and given a hint of sweetness, usually mixed with cold-brewed iced coffee.

Dirty chai Thanks to my many trips to Eastern and South-eastern Asia, I have become addicted to this mix of Chai Latte and coffee. Also known as Yuenyeung in Malaysia or Hong Kong-style milk tea, Dirty Chai is definitely my favorite coffee drink of the moment.

Cascara

Chemex

This is the remaining part of the coffee fruit, which supposedly contains more iron, fiber, antioxidants and protein than

A stylish and enjoyable way to enjoy our favorite drink, this high-end form of filtered brewing coffee remains on trend.

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Know your H2O Did you know that water accounts for about 98 percent of a cup of coffee?

With that in mind, if you’re passionate about coffee, it’s worth giving the water that’s used for brewing the attention it deserves. Better quality water enhances

Those of you who think coffee can only be paired with sweets and breads need to be ready to think again in 2019 and 2020! Be prepared for pairing trends that include savories and delicacies the nuances of the coffee, while also providing more of the health benefits that purified water offers and generally elevating the coffee-drinking experience.

Coffee pairing Those of you who think coffee can only be paired with sweets and breads need to be ready to think again in 2019 and 2020! Be prepared for pairing trends that include savories and delicacies, such as shellfish and raw meats. Let the imagination loose!

Coffee’s health factors Coffee has been increasingly gaining in popularity due to the raft of studies undertaken that have suggested consumption could significantly improve a person’s life expectancy. Additional reports have concluded that coffee beans can assist with weight loss management and aid concentration.

More to look out for in 2019 Clear coffee, bullet coffee, coffee kombucha and deconstructed coffee are also hot topics of conversation, alongside special requests from the informed and demanding coffee lovers for a wet cappuccino versus the dry variety.

food-gallery.com

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COFFEE & TEA

THE COFFEE & TEA SHOP Top commercial grade equipment and products selected by HN

The LaCimbali M26

Y3.2 Espresso & Filter Coffee

IperAutomatica

Ergonomic and versatile, the M26 is made from steel and ABS, and comes equipped with a reliable LaCimbali thermal system.

Available in the one-group, two-group, compact two-group, three-group and Tall Cup versions, the LaCimbali M26 is fitted with a brand-new, backlit electromechanical button panel, which is both easy to use and intuitive.

HICE hice-lb.com

The only machine that can prepare a perfect espresso and a filter coffee for you to enjoy.

GREEN & CO SAL greenco-lb.com

IperAutomatica has the new Heart of Coffee graphic design that characterizes Saeco’s entire vending range, with professional components (brewing unit, coffee grinder and boiler) that offer an innovative and versatile solution for small enterprises, offices and Ho.Re.Ca. applications. It has the ability to brew up to eight different beverages, and is ideal for consumption rates of 30-50 products per day.

ARMOBEL armobel.net

Sage by Heston Blumenthal the Barista Touch

The Ripple Maker

The Barista Touch has an integrated burr grinder, with a 250g hopper up top, which allows you to grind the perfect amount of coffee time after time. Simply swivel the portafilter into place, and tap the touchscreen to make a selection of coffee-based drinks.

SAGE APPLIANCES sageappliances.com

Lavazza Jolie Plus Jolie Plus has a double button that allows you to choose between normal or long espresso and is available in metallic colors with a chrome finish. New features include dual button desipensing, dual selection program to prepare a classic espresso or a caffe lungo at the touch of a button.

LAVAZZA lavazza.com

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Ripples helps you deliver daily smiles to customers by adding fun, personalized images to their beverage, generating an emotional response. Your customers will get a kick out of Ripples when they see their own selfies, favorite quotes or special messages and images on their drinks. The Ripple Maker is a revolutionary printer that adds beautiful high-resolution images and messages onto frothy drinks, from lattes to nitro-brewed coffee and cocktails.

RIPPLES coffeeripples.com

Sanremo Café Racer The official machine of the 2018 World Coffee Events, created through the cooperation of the company’s R&D team, together with the most skilled professionals in the coffee industry. This machine offers a soft pre-infusion system for precise water-flow control and a pre-infusion time, which is an absolute innovation. It boasts a multi-boiler system to ensure the highest performance for every single group that is independent from the others in terms of settings and use.

SANREMO sanremomachines.com

The Black Eagle Gravitech The Black Eagle Gravitech is the creation of Victoria Arduino, the World Barista Championship. With the capacity to control the amount of liquid in the cup, keeping it stable, consistent and volumetric, this coffee machine improves the relationship between your customer and barista. This is the espresso machine for the specialty barista.

VRESSO SAL vresso.com

Master Origin Collection

Westerncup

This just-released collection is the result of five incredible landscapes (Indonesia, Ethiopia, India, Nicaragua and Colombia) that are brought together in five specialised processes, orchestrated hand in hand with local coffee farming experts.

DIMA MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION SAL nespresso.com

The Westerncup coffee brewer provides freshly ground specialty coffee. Open, pour in hot water, let it brew for four to seven minutes and enjoy.

CAFÉ ABI NASR cafeabinasr.com

Caspresso Caspresso are the new premium espresso capsules by Casper & Gambini’s. Produced in Europe from the finest green coffee beans, the coffee is roasted to provide three unique aromatic flavor experiences: Strong, Smooth & Decaf - Nespresso compatible capsules.

THE ROASTER SAL caspresso.com

Prontissimo Classsico The 100 percent Arabica blend, Classico is smooth and well balanced with medium roasting and delicate notes of caramel. Ten percent micro ground granules of roasted coffee are in each serving.

G. VINCENTI SAL facebook/lavazzacoffeelebanon

Café Najjar Raqwa Decaf Variant

Lipton Loose Black Tea

The Decaf Variant from CAFÉ NAJJAR was created so that everyone can enjoy the perfect cup of Lebanese coffee any time of the day at the press of a button.

CAFÉ NAJJAR najjarraqwa.com

Lipton Loose Black Tea has real tea leaves specially blended to be enjoyed hot or iced.

Naturally tasty and refreshing, Lipton Black Tea iced makes the perfect addition to any meal. Don’t just default to the usual, enjoy the superior taste of fresh-brewed Lipton tea.

LIPTON lipton.com

Prontissimo Intenso

Dilmah Infusions

A full-bodied blend with dark cream and a decisive aroma, the 100 percent Arabica blend Intenso is strong with a lingering flavor. Ten percent micro ground granules of roasted coffee are in each serving.

G. VINCENTI SAL facebook/lavazzacoffeelebanon

Green Rooibos, Cardamom, Ginger & Orange Orange and grapefruit in a wonderful combination, with lightly spicy and sweet cardamom.

Green Rooibos, Ginger & Peppermint A sweet, minty fragrance and bright amber liquor introduced in a deliciously refreshing natural infusion.

GABRIEL BOCTI S.A.L dilmahtea.com

OCT-NOV 2018 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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SOLUTIONS

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HUMAN RESOURCES

IN TOUGH TIMES, TRAINING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS take the time to think about everything that we are thankful for. We prepare our minds for the day ahead. We write out our goals every single day.

There’s a lion on the street!

Or so they say. Business is down, the market is tough and everyone is struggling. Do you take precautions and wait for the crisis to pass or run outside with a smartphone camera, take a picture or a video of the lion and make sure your brand appears in the shot? Mark Dickinson of DONE! Hospitality Training Solutions shows us how to detect an opportunity and dare to be different When people believe the market is struggling, how do they behave? They put their heads down and focus on saving money. Let’s think about this for a moment. If you put your head down what do you see? You see the ground.

If you focus on saving money, what happens?

You think about a shortage of money. Where is your focus? On the lack. What happens?

You get exactly what you focus on - a lack.

What do you need to do to help you make it through those tough times? Obtain new skills, better preparedness and better employees.

More skilled people.

Train How do we get ourselves better prepared?

We train. We train ourselves. We train our minds. We maker extreme personal efforts to be our very best. We wake up earlier and

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Right about now, I have probably lost most of my readers. And why’s that you may ask?

Because they are not willing to do the hard work. The hard work is preparing yourself.

Making you better. Challenges will always present themselves, so long as we are alive.

What will guarantee that you overcome those challenges is your commitment to being a better person. If you work harder on yourself than on your work, you will be that person that will make the difference.

The only way to do that is to get trained.

Training of your mind. Start every single day by writing out your gratitude list and writing down three simple goals for the day. Then write out your big goals. The ones for the next six months. And finally, write down your huge scary goals for a year away, and one for five years from now.

Then work out. Physically. Even if you do just 10 push-ups, work out one way or another.

It can be something very simple and small, but do it. It prepares your mind. Now you are ready for the challenges.

Invest Invest in your people. Show them how to become the best that they can be. Train them. Bring in skilled people to train them.

Use all your time and effort to make your people be the very best that they can be. Do not wait for someone else to come along and do it. You do it. That is why you are here. You are the person that makes the difference. You inspire others. As for tackling the challenges, lead the way. Guide your people toward finding the solutions. Show them the way.

Lift them up. Carry them when they need it.

Encourage them. Be kind to them. Get them to show you how much they can do to help you fight through the challenges.

Make the challenge a shared one Don’t keep it for yourself. Ask your team

how they can help you overcome the challenge. Do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Invest in your people. Get them to be great. Help them to grow. Get them excited about overcoming this challenging time. Give your team the chance and they will show you the way and they will inject your enthusiasm and passion into the rest of the team.

Get a motivational activity going Something different that gets all your people to focus on being better and giving more. I ask people to stand up and take a deep breath. Then I ask them if they can jump. They always look at me as though I am quite mad. But I persist and eventually everyone jumps all together. Then I ask them a very important question, which goes like this: “If I ask you to jump again, and jump higher, do you think you could?”

Guess what the answer is?

“YES!” Everyone in every group always says that they can. So then I ask them another question: “Would you try?” And again the answer is: “Yes”. And they jump a second time with the result that they all do it they jump higher.

If you simply ask people to do something, they will do it at a standard, comfort level. If you challenge that same group to give more of their own free will, they can and will. Show them what they have already done, and just ask that simple question: “Could you do more?”

The results are amazing.

Training people in tough times will bring you success because training creates progress, progress is growth and growth is happiness. The human mind thrives on happiness and will work out ways to get that shot of serotonin that comes from doing things well and getting the reward.

Training is the key to success. done.fyi

SOLUTIONS

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MANAGEMENT

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS… TALK TO GOD key to achieving results. A successful setup should start with:

In life, says Manal Syriana, senior consultant at N4TC, if you want something done you do it yourself, whereas in the restaurant business, if you want something done, you talk to God. In her scenario, God is the decision-maker, the main voice that the service and support team listen to when things need doing Growth and continuity in restaurants are down to the concept’s ability to listen to its clients and implement innovations and improvements in a timely manner.

While the service team can give input on operations, customer feedback and suggestions for improvement, all good intentions will fail if the decision-makers are not invested in those ideas. Such suggestions are often met with resistance, since the integration requires commitment and trust in the end result that is not always tangible beforehand.

Successful set-up Establishing a successful set-up for communication and decision-making is

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1) A clear vision and commitment from the decision-makers and managers on the floor about the core values and the planned outcome. Such clarity will set the stage for all decision-making.

2) Integration of values in the restaurant’s day-to-day operations, such as inwork processes and policies, and communication to all team members, including back-of-house employees and service employees.

3) The creation of layers of management and supervision to filter through information from the decision-makers to the service team.

4) Managing through committees to allow for realistic, timely and informed decisions about the operation.

Successful communication 1. Should be given regularly. Meetings and brainstorming sessions should be an integral part of the communication strategy, such as: a. Daily briefings b. Weekly departmental meetings c. Monthly gathering The practice will allow management to be part of the rationale for the suggested outcome, thereby facilitating decision-making.

2. Do what you say. Integrity is a valuable asset that encourages people to listen, even when the ideas suggested are out of the box in which the concept is usually nestled, or when a sensitive subject is being discussed.

3. Support. Create a system that will allow decisions to be made in a pragmatic way by establishing policies and procedures at management level, from restaurant managers right the way up to the top of the chain.

4. Keep the message consistent.

Consistency in communication conveys belief in the message and in the company’s values.

5. Support with data. Communication should be backed up with statistics and analysis of: (1) Customer data - as provided by the service team (2) Market/competition data – as provided by marketing efforts (3) Operation-related data – as provided by line managers and supervisors and, most importantly (4) Analysis of financial results Ultimately, innovation and out-of-thebox thinking is a culture that should be integrated into the restaurant’s values and practiced by decision-makers before employees. n4tc.com

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ON THE MARKET

Cocktail Mix A combination of nuts and crackers coated with exquisite flavors. A crunchy twist for salty cravings.

ALRIFAI ROASTERY S.A.L alrifai.com

S.Pellegrino Aluminum Can The new can design draws inspiration from classic S.Pellegrino bottles, including the brand's green hue and red star, all overlaid on metallic silver.

NESTLÉ sanpellegrino.com

Hum’n Go Hummus Hum’N Go is a combination of hummus paste and crunchy bread sticks, perfect for snacking.

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Harvest Cake Mixes New arrival of vanilla sponge, chocolate sponge, vanilla muffin, chocolate muffin and brownie cake mixes. Each mix is designed to ensure a perfect finish product, delicious, easy to prepare and time saving.

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Invest in the right products and equipment to make cooking easier.

Here’s a good place to start

Fortune Cookies

Pidy Gourmet

A Japanese delicacy with a personalized hidden message – crack open to reveal hidden fortunes.

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Ready to use and fill tarts, puff pastries, small quiches and more for savory and sweet applications.

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Chef Chicken Buillon And Demi Glace Sauce

Marigold Farine Supreme

CHEF® products redefine classic cooking with a contemporary twist.

SOCIÉTÉ POUR L'EXPORTATION DES PRODUITS NESTLÉ - LEBANON nestleprofessionalme.com

The Marigold supreme flour brand, bagged with a variety of up to 10 types, each specified by usage (highest ISO 22000 specs and radiation standards).

PROTOCOL protocollb.com

www.host.fieramilano.it/en

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Haier Chest Freezer Haier chest freezers have bigger triple freezing capacity, quickly reduce the temperature to freeze your food, energy saving up to 25 percent and keep food frozen up to 100 hours after power outage.

BROTHERS haierlb.com

Zejd Olive Oil Exclusive Selection Claim your cherished selection of Zejd extra virgin olive oil range in a personalized bottle with a thoughtful message.

OLIVE TRADE zejd.net

Kitchenaid Iconic Fridge The Iconic Fridge features metal door and top, chrome aluminum handle and red medaillon on the handle as a signature. Electronic controls and touch-user interface make it friendly to use.

ACES aces.com.lb

Beko 4-Door Refrigerator With Wine Cooler Beko refrigerators and freezers combine functional inner space with elegant design, while exceeding their standard function of 'preserving food'.

ALLIED lb.beko.com

Sms T620d POS Device Industrial grade A LED Display, high definition, brightness: 400 nits industrial motherboard (energy saving CPU) with flat free-bezel, 10-point capacitive touchscreen.

STANDARD MACHINES SUPPLIES smsleb.com

Frilich

WMF Emsa Eleganza

Biolos Hand Dryer

A well-rounded solution for your buffet, the Carafine Quintet allows a ‘dry’ but long-lasting iced and elegant presentation of fruit juices.

BEYLERIAN INTERNATIONAL TRADING CO. bimpos.com

The slim-shaped vacuum jug is available in various sizes and is dishwasher safe. Portion-wise serving is easy with the Easy Open closure.

EASTERN IMPORT ME, S.A.L easternimport.com

BIOLOS is designed specifically for quick and comfortable drying of hands in public places with large customer traffic.

ACES aces.com.lb

OCT-NOV 2018 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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PRODUCT ZONE

EQUIPMENT

SMALL KITCHENS, BIG RESULTS Fitting out a full-scale kitchen can easily run into six figures or more for restaurant operators.

With cost and size both key factors today, thinking about how we cook things should be top of the list of considerations before embarking on an equipment shopping spree Fortunately for restaurant operators, foodservice equipment manufacturers have realized the need to provide smaller equipment choices, whether it’s for cost and space-saving reasons or as a reaction to the recent food-truck trend, with most having created lines of compact and multipurpose appliances that meet these requirements. When choosing equipment, it’s essential to make sure that no space is wasted, meaning that opting for multipurpose items sometimes makes most sense. Combi steamers, for example, can be positioned both for front cooking and at serving stations, where every centimeter counts. Energy and waste efficiency are also priorities today, with the latest technological solutions providing best-in-class power in a compact space, all while saving money.

THE CART

THE BROASTER

Broaster If it’s not broaster, it’s not broasted, so the saying goes.

The genuine broaster chicken pressure fryer is a trusted iconic brand for great results that are delivered economically.

CUTLASS SAL cutlass-v.com, broaster.com

THE PROCESSOR

Insulated Holding & Transport Cabinets

FP-400i ContinuousFeed Food Processor

The Pro Cart Ultra can hold and transport hot and cold food in a single cart. It maintains food quality and moisture and also keeps food safe while unplugged for four hours.

EASTERN IMPORT ME SAL easternimport.com

The FP-400i continuous-feed food processor can process up to 88 pounds of food per minute, making it a great fit for commissaries, supermarkets and other large kitchens.

Process up to 3,000 portions per day, two feed cylinders, stainless steel feeders and cutting tools. As with Hobart’s other continuous-feed food processors, you have the ability to slice, grate, shred, dice, cut julienne, crimp slice and create French fries in a variety of dimensions.

HOBART hobart-export.com

THE SOUS VIDE COOKER

Fusionchef By Julabo The Pearl and Diamond units from the Fusionchef Premium Sous Vide Collection feature all the functions required for cooking sous vide in a professional kitchen. This mountable version is particularly flexible and quickly assembled EQUIP’HOTEL equiphotel-lb.com , fusionchef.de

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HORECA 14 - 16 JANUARY 2019

KUWAIT horeca-kuwait.com

11:00am - 8:30pm

Kuwait International Fair - Hall No. 8

MEET KEY PLAYERS AT KUWAIT’S LARGEST EVENT

FOR THE HOSPITALITY AND FOOD INDUSTRIES

KUWAIT

AN EVENT BY Kuwait City, Murqab, Omar Bin Al Khatab St, Shayma’a Tower, 6 th Floor P.O. Box : 22194 Safat 13082 Kuwait, Tel : (+965) 22253803 / 4 - Fax : (+965) 22253805

www.horeca-kuwait.com

horecakuwait@gmail.com

Horeca-Kuwait

@horecakuwait

PRODUCT ZONE

EQUIPMENT

THE SLICER

Slicer T250 From Magimix The slicer T250 from Magimix has a sharpened blade diameter of 25 cm. Its heavy-duty engine means it can cut all kinds of hams, sausages and cheese just like a professional. Graduated handles allow the cutting thickness to be adjusted up to 15 mm.

BEHACO S.A.R.L magimix.fr

THE OVEN

Vector Multi-Cook Ovens With exclusive Structured Air Technology®, the Vector Multi-Cook Ovens control temperature, fan speed and cooking time in each individual oven chamber, cooking your dishes perfectly. Ideal for tight spaces, these models are ventless and waterless, and can be placed in any spot in or out of the kitchen.

ALTO SHAAM alto-shaam.com

THE FRIDGE

Kalliope For elegance and much more, the answer is Kalliope. This fridge is 100 percent made in Italy, from its structural glass frame and tempered glass to its AISI 304 stainless steel.

TOMADO SARL tomado.net

THE INDUCTION OVEN

Rapide Cuisine® Countertop Induction Range Irng-Pc1-3X The Rapide Cuisine Countertop HighPowered/Heavy-Duty Induction Range IRNGPC1-36 model’s programmable controls create preset programs for added consistency.

A food temperature probe and four surface temperature sensors provide accurate cooking control.

HATCO CORP. hatcocorp.com

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THE DISHWASHER

The Hobart Advansys™ LXe Undercounter This commercial dishwasher is designed to pack best-in-class cleaning power into a compact space, all while saving you money in water, energy and training. Available in high-temp and low-temp models, the Advansys LXe undercounter commercial dishwasher is perfect for bars, coffee shops, restaurants and care facilities.

HOBART hobart-export.com

THE SELF COOKER

SelfCookingCenter® XS A small unit with all the power, intelligence and efficiency of SelfCookingCenter® - key functions to ensure top quality and maximum efficiency within a space measuring just 55.5 cm deep and 65.5 cm wide. Dynamic air circulation helps distribute the new heating elements’ and steam generators‘ enormous output perfectly throughout the cooking cabinet. Cooking temperatures of up to 300°C and intelligent climate management make even grilling, browning and au-gratin applications easy, even with full loads.

RATIONAL rational-online.com

PRODUCT ZONE

EQUIPMENT

Small but mighty winners at NRA Each year, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) holds its 2018 Kitchen Innovations Awards, at which it honors progressive equipment that increases efficiencies and productivity for backof-house operations and benefits restaurant operators. Awardees were hosted and their products showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Showroom at the 2018 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, Chicago, US. Here are a few of the winners:

THE RADIO FREQUENCY OVEN

Level RF Oven The next wave: radio-frequency (RF) cooking, the ventless Level RF Oven ‘learns’ to recognize food items and direct RF energy to cook them to prescribed standards. The Level can identify multiple dissimilar foods and cook each simultaneously to its own standards, to finish at the same time.

MARKOV markovcorp.com

THE STEAMER

SonicSafe™ Ultrasonic Scale Prevention for Steamers Ultrasonic technology breaks up limescale particulates suspended in water, continuously preventing scale from adhering to heating elements and generator walls.

VULCAN vulcanequipment.com

THE PEELER

Peel-a-ton Fresh from Japan, this new machine automates labor-intensive fruit and vegetable peeling. The peeler is programmable for nine different fruits and vegetables in all, ranging from apples to potatoes, and other similarly sized items. It allows for various thicknesses of peeling and comes in two sizes for smaller and larger operations.

ASTRA peel-a-ton.com

The art of great cooking The German specialist in professional cooking technology

MKN Middle East & Africa Phone: +97 150 5 58 74 77 E-Mail: rac@mkn-middle-east.com

www.mkn.com

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SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

SPACECOMBI - SO MUCH PACKED INTO SUCH A LITTLE SPACE Many professional chefs appreciate the multifunctionality and user-friendliness of a modern combi steamer. However, some of them are unable to accommodate standard models in their kitchens, or need their combi steamers situated suitably for front cooking and at serving stations, where every centimeter counts.

With the space-saving SpaceCombi models, MKN offers a professional solution, which is specially tailored to these conditions.

The SpaceCombi measures just 55 cm wide, yet is still equipped on a par with larger models. The state-of-the-art MagicPilot ‘touch & slide’ operating concept with information steps and Favorites function, the automatic cleaning system WaveClean and the consumption display GreenInside are just a few examples of user-oriented features which make the SpaceCombi a high-performance, professional appliance. In addition, it offers astounding capacity of 6 x 1/1GN (SpaceCombi Compact) and 6 x 2/3 GN (SpaceCombi Junior), despite its slim width.

Similar to the FlexiCombi, the SpaceCombi is also available in the MagicPilot and Classic versions, allowing users to decide for themselves whether they want to operate their combi steamer in a similar way to a smartphone, with easy touch and swipe gestures, or via the classical control system.

HORECA LEBANON WINNER ENJOYS TRIP TO DUBAI

With space being a great issue in today’s professional kitchens, multifunctional equipment, like modern combi steamers, provides a great solution, especially the MKN SpaceCombi Compact, which is 55 cm wide and still offers the full professional capacity of 6 x 1/1 GN

This summer, chef Jad Alkhishen from the Phoenicia Hotel, visited MKN and its Culinary Innovation Center in Dubai as the 2018 winner of the MKN Horeca challenge. Together with MKN application specialist Rabih Al Aaraij, Alkhishen had the opportunity to tour some of the prestigious MKN reference kitchens and experience the various fields of application of the MKN professional cooking technology. Afterward, he was able to cook at the MKN Culinary Innovation Center, alongside chef Paul Hage, owner of Habak restaurant, famed for his Habak Dubai Urban Lebanese street food.

Elias Rached Regional Director of Sales MKN rac@mkn-middle-east.com mkn.com

OCT-NOV 2018 | HOSPITALITY NEWS ME

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EQUIPMENT

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

THE PERFECT STEAK IN MINUTES EVERY TIME Infrared has become a buzzword in cooking, beginning back in 2000, when the patent for the infrared burner expired and the technology was released in the market. The most important fact about infrared grills and burners is their ability to generate much higher temperatures than normal grills and to heat up much faster than standard models. It’s not uncommon to hear users say that these grills can reach surface cooking temperatures of well over 700°C in as little as seven minutes.

The Mercatus® Power Grill is an ultrahigh-temperature, infra-red grill that enables you to make restaurant quality steaks with an amazing caramelized crust, with minimum effort.

The German-designed Power Grill heats up to a fantastic 800°C, allowing you to cook meat, fish, vegetables and fruits in super-quick time to lock in the natural juices, flavor and nutrients. There is no quicker and better way to grill.

• German engineered and crafted in form and function • Healthy ceramic, infra-red, high temperature grilling (heat from above) • 1500°F (800°C) high temperature grilling, with propane or electric power • Cooks a one-inch steak to medium-rare

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perfection in 60 seconds per side • Restaurant quality dishes - creates a pure flavor explosion • Grills meat, fish, chicken, shrimps - even desserts • Easy to clean - removable parts are dishwasher safe • Europe’s favorite way to BBQ, with a high temperature, infra-red grill

As exclusive agents and distributors for many reputable American, European and Asian companies, we were able to become a leading firm in our field by constantly studying the market, in order to identify our customers’ needs and offer high-quality products, combined with valuable consultancy services Karim Mougharbel Study and Design Manager Armobel karim@armobel.net armobel.net

PRODUCT ZONE

FOOD

CHAMPIONING CHOCOLATE If you thought chocolate offerings were limited to dark, milk or white varieties, it’s time to think again; today’s alternatives are as diverse as they are delicious, encompassing a vast range of exotic ingredients and even a landmark, fourth Ruby variety. HN delves deeper into the latest developments on the cocoa bean scene Times have been tough for cocoa farmers in recent years, with an abundant supply and weakening demand combining to push down prices across the industry.

While lower prices should spell good news at the other end of the chain for chocolate manufacturers, they too have faced their own challenges, which range from an increasingly health-conscious consumer base to fierce competition within the sweet-treat market. Yet there have been positive signs for the industry; annual global retail consumption of chocolate confectionery has remained steady, reaching 7.3 million tons in 2015/2016, according to data compiled

by Euromonitor, with forecasts suggesting it will rise to approximately 7.7 million tons by 2018/2019. Production also looks to be rallying. Figures from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAOSTAT) indicate that global production of cocoa beans reached 4.4 million tons in 2017, down from 4.7 million tons in 2016, but an improvement on 2015, when volumes reached just 3.9 million tons. Chocolate confectionery still accounted for 43 percent of global cocoa consumption in 2017, according to Statista, the statistics portal, suggesting that while producers face a challenging landscape of changing demands from a new generation of consumers, they are adapting their offerings with success. The evidence is broad based and clear to see, taking the form of creative new products, combinations of imaginative and indulgent ingredients, a focus on topquality offerings that consumers appear willing to pay for, and a commitment to supporting farming communities longterm. Chocolate, in certain forms, it seems, is holding its own.

Innovative ingredients Historically, the additional ingredients used to give chocolate some variety, such as hazelnuts or dried fruit, were tasty, but somewhat unadventurous and predictable. Fast forward to 2018 and the offerings available leave us spoilt

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for choice, with consumers wondering just what to expect next. Encompassing exotic herbs, fruits and spices, nothing, it seems, is off limits.

According to Maurice E. Feghali, CEO of EMF Trading Ltd - Middle East Coordination for Barry Callebaut, the leader in chocolate and cocoa related products, the world is getting smaller and as people travel further, they are becoming more open to new ideas, having experimented with new flavors abroad.

“To tackle this, professionals try to include strong Asian flavors - mostly sour - like matcha green tea, miso and wasabi in their truffles and bonbons, using caramel chocolate like Callebaut’s new Gold to balance the taste,” he said. “The same goes for certain types of spices, like turmeric, which is taking over chocolate laboratories and kitchens.

Additionally, to meet the consumer’s demand for new exclusive tastes, chefs are tending to differentiate their products and personalize their recipes through the use of unconventional exotic and local flavors in their chocolates, such as passion fruit, raspberries, cream cheese, tiramisu, pepper, chili, karawiya and ousmalliya.”

EMF Trading

The current obsession with photographing food is altering the way the restaurant industry and food producers around the world evaluate their products. This is affecting the level of the shape and design of any creation, which is the first impression. Because of this, professionals cannot ignore anymore the need for elevating the level of their creations without compromising also on the taste. This is leading to positive competition online and is affecting us by leading professionals to companies like Barry Callebaut & EMF who can provide proper solutions to both the taste and to the shape/design/decorations… by giving professionals the right tools, ingredients and base which is only limited by their imagination.

Maurice E. Feghali, CEO, EMF Trading Ltd - Middle East Coordination, Barry Callebaut

Bilal Ballout, partner and CEO at BMB, the Dubai-based confectionery business and producers of the Benoit brand, agrees that today’s consumers are looking for something different, prompting producers to add twists to original recipes and be more imaginative in their offerings. “With this in mind, we are always developing something new with unique ingredients and a fusion of unconventional flavors, such as chocolates with 'riz b halib' (rice with milk), coffee biscuits and delicious chocolate fillings,” he said.

Major role for methodology These exciting levels of creativity and innovation evident across production have been made possible by the introduction of highly sophisticated methodology and research end to end.

Serine Jaroudi, marketing manager, BANO Trading, suppliers of raw materials for the chocolate industry, alongside others, highlighted the processes used by Belgian brand Belcolade when creating its exclusive Origins collection, explaining that exclusive flavor profiles have been carefully mapped and created by fermentation masters using unique scientific methodology, titled ‘Les Arômes de Cyrano’.

According to Belcolade, recognizing and understanding the essence of various chocolate flavor profiles allows its experts to help customers create unique products, which provide extraordinary taste experiences. The natural richness and flavor of cocoa is determined by botanical, geological and climatic conditions, combined with local practices, such as fermentation and drying techniques, the brand stated.

Painstaking processes are also adopted at French premium chocolate manufacturer Valrhona to ensure the desired quality is achieved, according to Guillaume Roesz, the Valrhona School’s pastry chef covering the Middle east and Mediterranean area.

“More than 200 sampling experts, split into four in-house tasting panels, ensure that we uphold the highest standards of technical skill and flavor,” Chef Roesz told HN. “Since the very beginning, we have developed a unique mastery of our material, with one ambition in mind: to put flavor at the center of all our innovations.”

Social media has come to represent the need for creativity. As consumers are bombarded with social media posts daily, our content is aimed at engaging creatively and offering added value to our followers and subscribers. In addition, consumers nowadays have a shorter attention span due to the heavy intake of social media. We have a short window of between four and five seconds only to grab customers’ attention or lose them. This is why our overall strategy revolves around creating catchy and visually appealing content.

Bilal Ballout, Partner/CEO, BMB

BMB

just a combination of different ingredients or an increase/decrease in certain raw materials,” he said. Feghali explained that this new variety is made from the ruby cocoa bean (varieties of existing botanical cocoa beans) that have been identified as having the right attributes to be processed into ruby chocolate. “The chocolate’s taste is described as ‘sweet, yet sour’ with ‘little to none’ of the cocoa flavor traditionally associated with other varieties of chocolate,” he said. “It is an intense sensorial delight with a tension between berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness.”

One of the attractions of Ruby chocolate is that its fruity flavor acts as a natural sweetener, which goes down well with today’s health-conscious consumers, according to Nick Patterson, pâtisserie teaching chef at Le Cordon Bleu, London.

“The use of artificial sweeteners in chocolates is being explored more - due to

heathier lifestyles,” he told HN. “Naturally flavored chocolates are being produced – this being achieved using different refined sugars which impart a different flavor, or via the introduction of a natural flavor during a second fermentation process.

For example, fruit pulp is placed with the beans and the flavor is imparted into the beans, resulting in natural passion fruit or strawberry-flavored chocolates.” Ballout believes manufacturers cannot afford to ignore the growing number of consumers looking for healthy substitutes and freefrom options in their sweets and desserts.

“For Benoit to accommodate the change, we provided solutions that support ‘goodfor-you’ sweets, including no-added sugar chocolates, all-natural agave powder, iKal - a 100 percent vegan raw chocolate - and an extensive line of super foods, such as matcha powder, chia seeds and macca powder,” he said.

Seeing red Industry insiders agree that Ruby chocolate is one of the biggest talking points right now.

Touted as the ‘fourth type of chocolate’, Ruby is taking its place alongside the dark, milk and white varieties with which we are all familiar.

This exciting creation, introduced recently

by Callebaut following its development over more than a decade, marks a huge milestone for the industry, according to Feghali. “The chocolate world has not witnessed an authentic new innovation for more than 100 years, since everything was

With social media increasingly influencing all walks of life, individual producers are now posting short videos of items being made in their workplace. These get taken onto more widely viewed social media pages and suddenly their company or product can be seen by millions worldwide within minutes of being posted. This can result in that particular product suddenly being in high demand very quickly and can also set the trend for that particular season which others will follow.

Nick Patterson, Pâtisserie Teaching Chef, Le Cordon Bleu London

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Promoting sustainability With today’s consumers also keen to know as much about the origins of their food and its ingredients as possible, many chocolate manufacturers are taking the opportunity to highlight the part they are playing in not only improving the final product, but also the livelihoods of farming communities.

Chef Roesz told HN that Valrhona’s sourcers scour the Tropics, from South America to Oceania, to cultivate cocoa, alongside their partner planters, and establish long-term partnerships.

“We currently work in over 30 terroirs in 18 countries,” he said. “We support our partners from the initial sourcing stage right up to the various processes involved in producing cocoa. We are also involved in plenty of corporate social responsibility commitments, such as developing agroforestry in Haiti and supporting a Bali cooperative as it ups the quality of its cocoa and local technical expertise.

Our work is not just about launching new chocolates, but increasing awareness around new terroirs so that we can develop crops with immense potential, support producers and secure the cocoa industry a long future.”

Jad Antaki, from Polygel SAL, distributor of Cacao Barry products in Lebanon, explained that to meet rising demand for information from customers on ingredients and other aspects of production, the brand had sharpened its focus on communication and innovative design via packaging.

“As an example, in 2015, Cacao Barry launched a whole new range of packaging that is meant to ensure the protection of cocoa flavors and highlight cocoa knowledge,” he said.

Going solo Demand for top quality products has seen single-bean varieties of chocolate become another industry buzzphrase.

Chef Patterson told HN that increasing numbers of manufacturers are now including exclusive chocolates within their range to honor a specific region in the world. “These chocolate delights are not blended with various other chocolates, but are made from a single country’s harvested beans,” he said. “They showcase a country’s or region’s many flavors and are welcomed as a 'grand cru' product.”

Feghali agreed that the desire for unique, authentic flavors which give the consumer a unique experience had ensured Callebaut and Cacao Barry’s ‘single-origin chocolates’ are very much in vogue.

“These products are unique because they owe their flavor and quality to their ‘noble breeding’ or ‘genetic inheritance’, and frequently also to the conditions in the

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Valrhona

Every year, our four Écoles Valrhona and our 30 pastry chefs support over 15,000 professionals across the world. This support is reflected on a daily basis in our individual and group technical consultancy, as well as in our overarching approach that aims to constantly encourage professionals’ creativity. The Cité du Chocolat, with its sensorial and educational remit, allows us to provide a place where all amateur chocolate lovers can discover, learn and experience something new. In this digital era, Valrhona is developing new digital tools and social media presence to update and share creativity, but also to highlight talents and chefs’ creations. We have regional presence, #myvalrhona, #valrhonausa, #valrhonafrance, #valrhonaasiapacific in order to be closer to all the markets and innovations. For us it is a platform to exchange, share experience, expertise and creation with 100 percent transparency and instantly, spreading the word.

Guillaume Roesz, Valrhona School’s Pastry Chef covering the Middle East and Mediterranean area

www.valrhona.com Products available at Pierre Azar Trading SAL - PO BOX 306 1227 2030 ZOUK MOSBEH - LEBANON - TEL: +961 9 933 024

© 2018 Valrhona - Insign

This Christmas, make your celebrations unforgettably gourmet thanks to Valrhona’s exclusive collection of gift boxes and ballotins, filled with the finest of chocolates

PRODUCT ZONE

FOOD

region where they are cultivated or produced,” he added.

Sharing information about a product’s origins with consumers and highlighting factoids, such as nuances in taste, makes sense, given the experiential approach to food and interest in where it comes from favoured by the younger generations. “We aim to be trendsetters, sharing innovation and excellence with our customers,” Jaroudi said. “When setting trends, our vision for the chocolatiers and chocolate lovers resides in attaining chocolate origins that are considered the ultimate experience of real Belgian chocolate, reflecting the differences of the regions where they are grown. This will definitely dominate the taste profile of the chocolate market in the future.”

Social media has a significant role in bringing closer the ideas, concepts, trends and innovation between the distributor and its customers or 'chocolatiers'. We depend on delivering the trends we set through our social media platforms due to the high level of interaction we have with our customers.

Serine Jaroudi, Marketing Manager, BANO Trading

While luxury options are undoubtedly making waves, Chef Patterson believes that traditional flavor combinations or nostalgic flavors “are and will always be” the most popular. “However, this is evolving with each generation, as those nostalgic memories change,” he noted. “What was a popular flavor 20 years ago may not now be the flavor of the current generation.”

Manufacturers also have to deal with the fact that trends can disappear as quickly as they arrive and be replaced by new ideas.

“Consumers are always looking for the ‘next big thing’,” Ballout acknowledged.

“Previously, the Oreo flavor was on the rise in the dessert sector, but lately the speculoos flavor is overriding it, which is why Benoit developed the first speculoos cake mix for bakery and cake solutions.” Antaki agreed that staying on top of new trends and being sufficiently flexible to embrace them swiftly was key to success. “Today, top quality chocolates, such as Cacao Barry, are able to set themselves apart from the others because of the determination they have to adapt to the market changes and the constant research of new techniques and methods within the world of cocoa and chocolate,” he said.

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BANO

PRODUCT ZONE

FOOD

Today, social media is an essential and necessary tool in every company’s marketing strategy in order to be able to reach the biggest number of consumers around the world.

Jad Antaki, General Manager, Polygel SAL

Polygel

CALLING ALL CHOCAHOLIC TRAVELERS Chocoholics can now indulge their love for all things cocoa-related like never before. A new offering from travel fare aggregator website and travel metasearch engine for lodging reservations Booking. com has taken chocolate innovation to an entirely new level by offering guests the opportunity to stay in a cottage in Paris made completely of chocolate. Designed and manufactured by the renowned artisan master chocolatier and sculptor Jean-Luc Decluzeau, the 18-square-meter, custombuilt property stands in the majestic glass house L’Orangerie Ephémère in the picturesque gardens of the Cité de la Céramique in Sèvres. Around 1.5 tons of chocolate have been used to create the fairy-tale-like cottage, from its walls, roof and fireplace to the smaller details, such as the dresser, clock, cups, books and even a chandelier. Decluzeau’s incredible work also extends outside to include a white chocolate duck pond and a painstakingly created chocolate flowerbed.

The good news for guests is that many of the delicious items showcased in the cottage are available to eat. Visitors will also have the opportunity to participate in a unique workshop dedicated to crafting personalized mini chocolate chalets.

Vanessa Heydorff, regional director of Booking.com, France, told HN the firm knows that people travel to indulge their

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passions and are especially inspired by food when making decisions about where to go next. “In fact, in recent research we conducted earlier this year, we found that 61 percent of travellers pick a destination because of its great food and drink,” she noted. Heydorff added that chocolate is beloved the world over, while describing it as a personal favorite indulgence. “Our aim with The Chocolate Cottage is to not only tempt people’s tastebuds, but also to awaken their wanderlust with the possibility of new travel experiences that are just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed,” she said. “What better way to marry the love of food and the joy of travel than in a

fantastic and imaginative structure created completely out of cocoa?” Commenting ahead of the launch, Decluzeau confessed that he never thought he’d have the opportunity to build a life-size chocolate cottage that would actually welcome guests. “I’m excited to collaborate with Booking.com and to share my passion for chocolate. I hope guests will relish the chance to experience such a sweet and unique place to stay,” he added.

The chocolate cottage can accommodate four and is available at just 50 euros per night exclusively via Booking.com.

However, availability is limited.

POLYGEL sal. PO Box: 116-5081 Beirut – Lebanon Tel: + 961 1 381 497 / Fax: +961 1 381 487 www.polygelsal.com / Info@polygelsal.com

PRODUCT ZONE

CHOCOMANIA

ERUPTION

FINISHING AND PRESENTATION

An explosion of fruit and chocolate in just one bite

PEAR JELLY CUBES

CHOCOLATE CRÉMEUX

Ingredients • 750g pear purée CAP’FRUIT Heat up.

• 40g sugar • 15g yellow pectin • 1g agar Mix together and add to warm pear purée.

Bring to a boil for two minutes and frame 5 mm thick. Leave to set in refrigerator and cut into cubes.

Ingredients • 250g milk • 250g cream EVEN 35.2% Boil together.

• 90g egg yolks • 70g sugar Whisk together. Add to previous mixture and heat up to 85°C. • 200g Finest Belgian Dark Chocolate – Callebaut 815NV Add. • 120g Power Milk Chocolate – Callebaut 841 • 2 gelatin leaves Add and emulsify. Pour into a bowl and leave to crystallize in refrigerator at 4°C.

CIGARETTE DOUGH Ingredients • 200g flour • 200g icing sugar • 200g egg white • 200g butter Mix together in blender until smooth.

• 5 different types of water-soluble coloring Create five different-colored doughs and leave to rest in refrigerator. Spread out very thinly on Pavoflex Pavoni sheet and cut out round shapes. Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes, remove immediately from baking tray and place into half-spherical moulds to harden. Keep dry.

CHOCOLATE STREUSEL Ingredients • 100g flour • 25g starch • 25g Cocoa Powder – Van Houten 22/24 Sieve together.

• 80g hazelnut powder • 5g salt • 125g brown sugar Add. • 125g softened butter Add.

VELVET CHANTILLY

CHOCOLATE LAVA SAUCE

Ingredients • 400g Cream EVEN 35.2% • 40g inverted sugar • 40g glucose • 2 bean(s) Vanilla Beans Authentic Products

Ingredients • 150g milk • 150g Cream EVEN 35.2% • 50g glucose • Q.S. Espelette

Preparation Boil together.

• 180g Finest Belgian White Chocolate – Callebaut W2NV Add and emulsify.

• 600g Cream EVEN 35.2% Add and leave to cool in refrigerator at 4°C for 12 hours. Whip before use.

Preparation Boil together.

• 180g Finest Belgian Dark Chocolate – Callebaut 815NV • 150g Power Milk Chocolate – Callebaut 841 Pour previous mixture on top and emulsify.

Leave to cool to 35°C before using.

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | OCT-NOV 2018

Ingredients • Finest Belgian Dark Chocolate – Callebaut 811NV

PREPARATION

Finishing Place pear jelly cubes on top of baked cigarette dough. Pipe a layer of chocolate crémeux, place some pieces of streusel on top and pipe a layer of whipped Velvet Chantilly on it. Finish off with a bit of rasped lime.

Presentation Create a chocolate volcano by moulding a large cone with dark chocolate Callebaut® Finest Belgian Chocolate Recipe n° 811. Leave to harden and unmould. Soften dark chocolate Callebaut® Finest Belgian Chocolate Recipe n° 811 and blend them together to create a rock texture and decorate the dark chocolate cone with it. Freeze, and color with dark, red and white colors.

Prepare five ‘Eruption’ desserts and place them on the chocolate volcano sculpture. Pour chocolate lava sauce on top so it flows nicely over the desserts.

CALLEBAUT POWER 41 Callebaut Power 41 Chocolate enables you to boost the chocolate taste in your creations to a higher level. Power means: more cocoa and less sugar. With the power chocolate in your pralines, moelleux, mousse and ice cream, chocolate lovers get to enjoy more taste than ever.

EMF Middle East t. +961 9 938732 | info@emf-me.com www.emf-me.com

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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | OCT-NOV 2018