MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 12 FEBRUARY 2013
CLEAN UP
- Keep colour-coded by Dhofar
DRINK UP
- Keep pure with quality water
EAT UP
- Keep tasty with French food
SUPER-TWILL HYGIENE TOWEL IN USE AT RADISSON BLU, DUBAI MEDIA CITY
PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ, DUBAI TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA FREE ZONE AUTHORITY
ISSUE 12 FEBRUARY 2013
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EDITORIAL He might run the UK’s leading restaurant but Heston Blumenthal was just a couple of days away from financial disaster!.
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FROM THE WALK-IN Food service and hospitality trends from across the industry. And - we promise - no edible worms this time!
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THE EGGS FACTOR Chef Paul de Visser, Executive Chef of Ruth’s Chris Stealhouse, has a full fridge.
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OUT AND ABOUT It’s that time again - Gulfood returns bigger and better. Plus details of the Baking and Pastry Guild’s latest competition.
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MARKET SOURCING We survey the premium bottled water sector and its relationship to fine dining.
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COUNTRY FOCUS Great food, great wine, great gastronomic traditions - it’s France!
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PRODUCT FOCUS Cleaning up in the kitchen is made easier with colour coding solutions from Dhofar.
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INGREDIENT A new series focuses on canister which is an incredibly popular fruit in the Americas, but less well-known elsewhere..
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ROUND TABLE First in a regular new series where key industry players get together to discuss areas of mutual interest and concern.
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MEAT SKILLS A lamb rump masterclass, from Chef Tarek Ibrahim, focusing on how to cut one from a whole lamb leg.
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PIMP MY PLATE Using a range of equipment from MKN, Chefs Elias Rached and Rabih Al Aaraj reinvent paella in a more Lebanese style.
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FACE TO FACE Chefs from Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Hakkasan and Gordon Ramsay’s two Doha outlets talk food.
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TRAVEL The top nine food destinations - do you agree and what would be your number ten?
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THE LAST WORD A new cash-and-carry in warehouse is changing the rules for restaurant eq uipment supply.
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COVER SHOT Our thanks to Chef Hassan Massood, Executive Chef of Radisson Blu DMC and his brigade.
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Lessons from Heston PUBLISHER: DOMINIC DE SOUSA
We’re used to thinking of Heston Blumenthal as a chef who has built his career and reputation on pushing the boundaries with his culinary creations. However, attaining his level of acclaim and success hasn’t been without its challenges, most notably in the struggle between the quest for perfection and the need to turn in a healthy profit.
GROUP COO: NADEEM HOOD ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS ALEX BENDIOUIS DAVE REEDER EDITORIAL
Of course, he’s not alone in that. It’s well known that elBulli the restaurant never made a profit and was heavily subsidised by other elBulli enterprises, like books and product sponsorship, but it’s revealing to learn how close Blumenthal came to losing everything, especially when you learn that his flagship restaurant The Fat Duck attracts an almost unbelievable 30,000 calls every day. The Fat Duck opened in 1995 by the self-taught Blumenthal and a decade later was the highest rated in the UK. But disaster came incredible close. “We were packed at weekends but you can’t run a successful restaurant just on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday lunch,” Blumenthal recalls. “I was always trying to build the strength of the business so I was still spending, but I got on a plane to go to Spain to do a presentation on the Monday knowing I didn’t have the money to pay the wages on the Friday. We’d run out of everything. The house was rented and I didn’t have a penny to my name.” Two days later, the restaurant received its third Michelin star and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. “The following day the phone rang, the fax went, e-mails came in so that lunchtime instead of doing ten dinners we did 25 and in the evening instead of doing 18 we did 35 and it just built up from there,” Blumenthal says. “That year we were named the second best restaurant in the world and the following we got first. The interesting thing was that even then I poured that money back into improving everything and I would say that in terms of quality and consistency the Duck is now 50 or 75% better than it was then. But I was three days away from the whole thing collapsing.” Even today, Blumenthal steadfastly refuses to compromise on quality. “If I look at the business model now it breaks all restaurant rules because we have the highest overheads and staff-to-customer ratio in the country. We have 50 chefs and we do 42-44 people in a sitting. We have nearly 100 staff in the Duck, with front and back-of-house staff. But it’s always been driven by the food and we’re continually pushing to get better. It’s just that thinking that it’s not good enough and you can get better, and looking again and again at things.”
Editorial Director: DAVE REEDER dave@cpidubai.com +971 55 105 3773 CONTRIBUTORS: KAREN YOUNG SENIOR DESIGNER: CHRIS HOWLETT PHOTOGRAPHY: ANAS CHERUR ADVERTISING Sales Director: ANKIT SHUKLA ankit@cpidubai.com +971 55 2572807 Associate Publisher ALEX BENDIOUIS alex@cpidubai.com +971 50 458 9204 PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER: DEVAPRAKASH MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Marizel Salvador marizel@cpidubai.com DISTRIBUTION ROCHELLE ALMEIDA SUBSCRIPTIONS www.cpievents.net/mag/magazine.php PRINTED BY Printwell Printing Press LLC, Dubai, UAE PUBLISHED BY
Head Office, PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 Group Office, Dubai Media City Building 4, Office G08, Dubai, UAE A publication licensed by IMPZ © Copyright 2013 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.
Visit us! At Hall 3 and 4 - Food & Drink, Booth Hall A4-8
Chile, a world class food and beverage supplier Unique climatic and geographical conditions for the production of healthy, reliable, responsible business, professional and efficient, and the country’s commitment to position itself as a power food today allow Chile to export a wide variety of products ranging from meats, fresh and dried fruit, seafood and processed foods can meet the demands of the most demanding markets in the world.
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Comercializadora Metropolitana S.A.
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Walnuts, almonds, prunes, garlics, onions
Exportadora Frutamerica S.A.
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Walnuts, raisins & fresh grapes
Huertos Del Valle
www.huertosdelvalle.cl Walnuts (inshell, shelled), almonds, prunes and hazelnuts
Maipofoods
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Prunes, almonds, raisins, walnuts
Anakena
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Inshell and shelled walnuts
Valbifrut S.A.
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Inshell and shelled walnuts
Frunut
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Walnuts, almonds, raisins, fresh fruit
Baika S.A.
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Walnuts, prunes, almonds, raisins, avocados, citrus /producers, packers and exporters
Dfv Spa
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Raisins-prunes-walnuts and almond
Pacific Nuts & Dried Fruits
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Walnuts, hazelnuts, prunes, almonds and raisins
Natural Nuts S.A
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In shell and shelled walnuts
Frutexsa
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Dried fruits exporters and growers
Exportadora Dryfrut Ltda.
www.dryfrut.cl
Dried fruit. Walnuts, raisins and prunes.
Prunesco
www.prunesco.com
Prunes
Unifrutti
www.unifrutti.com
Specialty foods: juices, gourmet products and organics.
Superfruit
www.superfruit.cl
Prunes, walnuts, almonds.
Valbifrut S.A.
www.valbifrut.cl
Walnuts, almonds
For further information contact us on Trade Commission of Chile in Dubai | 21st Century Tower, 9floor, office 901, difc. +971 4 321 0700 +971 4 321 5673 | p.o. box: 9769, Dubai www.chile-dubai.com
From the walk-in
Simple safety Keeping the brigade continually focused on food safety is a constant struggle for many chefs, given that the wide multicultural mix in the region brings together workers from many different backgrounds. Luckily, there’s a new simple solution on-line.
F
inding it hard to keep messages about food safety in the kitchen fresh and interesting? Luckily, the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a started a great new initiative that you may find useful. The new Web site offers simple food safety solutions, Including a kitchen safety quiz and a new mobile app. “It’s extremely important to keep food safety in mind, especially when one in six people is sickened by food poisoning every year in the US,” said registered dietitian and Academy Spokesperson Marisa Moore. “You can reduce your risk of food poisoning and keep your food and safe with simple steps from the Home Food Safety programme and the newly redesigned HomeFoodSafety.org.” The site features new articles, tips and downloadable tools organised in four simple safety steps to reduce the risk of food poisoning: WASH: Wash hands often
SEPARATE: Keep raw foods and ready-to-eat foods separate COOK: Cook all food to the proper temperatures REFRIGERATE: Refrigerate promptly at 40F or below.
“Safe food handling is extremely important, especially for those who may be more vulnerable to food poisoning, including older adults, infants, young children and pregnant women,” said Barbara J. Ivens, MS, RD, FADA, senior nutrition director at ConAgra Foods, co-sponsor of the site. “The Web site offers the tools needed to help reduce the risk of food poisoning.” Although the site is designed for the home user, the lessons are ideal for younger and less experienced members of any kitchen. For example, the redesigned site also features the new RD Recipes video series ‚Äì tasty recipes designed with the food and nutrition expertise of a registered dietitian. “RD Recipes provides consumers with the tools they need to safely spice up any menu, while providing the nutrition needed to fuel any family,” Moore said. The site also features the Home Food Safety programme’s new mobile app, Is My Food Safe? for Apple and Android devices. The app can be downloaded from www.homefoodsafety.org/app. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods’ Home Food Safety programme is dedicated to raising consumer awareness about the seriousness of food poisoning and providing solutions for easily and safely handling food in their own kitchens. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) is the world’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. www.homefoodsafety.org
The Sustainable Restaurant Awards A great initiative in the UK from UFS is encouraging hospitality businesses to share their food waste strategies. Could we see the same here?
U
nilever Food Service (UFS) is encouraging all UK hospitality businesses to share their food waste strategies for the chance to become a ‘sustainable champion’. The Sustainable Restaurant Association has introduced new categories to its annual awards and the Best Food Waste Strategy category is the first open to non-SRA members. According to UFS Managing Director Tracey Rogers, UFS is supporting the awards to highlight the operators who have adopted sustainable ways of disposing of food waste. “Following the success of our United Against Waste campaign - which brought the industry together to discuss ways of tackling avoidable food waste - we felt passionate about sponsoring this new award,” she said. “In this climate, we want to celebrate the operators that are making small changes to the way they work to help the
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environment and, more importantly, save money.” Businesses eligible for the award will need to provide details of their business strategy for food waste management, from equipment that manages food waste and staff training to customer education. Mark Linehan, the SRA’s Managing Director says that “more than 400 restaurants” have already completed the rating. “We believe that these awards are not only providing restaurants with the recognition they deserve for their terrific efforts, but they are also shining a light on the highest restaurant standards and helping push the whole industry towards a more responsible way of operating.”
Control your waste
NICE CANS!
The Same perrier you love in a sexy new can. Refreshingly Unique. Distributors: Gulf Trading & Refrigerating L.L.C (GULFCO) P.O.Box : 1003, Dubai, UAE Phone: +971 4 3371400 | Fax: +971 4 3372898 | Email: gulfco1@emirates.net.ae
From the walk-in
The year ahead T Consumer analysis firm Mintel has announced its 2013 food service trend predictions. How many do you agree with?
he restaurant industry continues to make gains and consumers are feeling more confident about spending their discretionary money on dining out, claims Mintel. So, what will they be looking for this year when they sit down at their favourite eatery? “Through extensive research and intelligence culled from our Menu Insights database and consumer surveys, we’ve narrowed down the four biggest food service trends that consumers and restaurant operators alike will be focusing on when it comes to nutrition, menus and new concepts,” says Kathy Hayden, food service analyst at Mintel. The trends are as follows: Most commodity prices have risen, but none more than beef and, with consumer confidence still low, now is not the time for restaurants to institute drastic price hikes. From smaller steaks to ‘premium’ chicken positioning, operators will use clever menu tactics to defray high ingredient prices in 2013. Beverages have always been a reliable profit centre for restaurants, but relying on these addon sales isn’t as easy as pouring a big gulp any longer. Today’s gourmet cocktails, craft beers and super-nutritional juices and smoothies have raised expectations for the beverage categoryv and keeping up with the waves of innovation will become a vital part of all segments of the food service industry. While 2012’s ‘pink slime’ story may have simmered down, each new food safety scare leaves a residue that will continue for years to come. Growing consumer concern about food quality, processing and safety means that operators can’t cut corners when it comes to ingredient sourcing. And, whether it’s ‘cage-free eggs’ or ‘made-onpremises’, choosing the right menu language is as important as choosing the right ingredients in building customers’ trust. From self-serve coffee kiosks and fancier vending machines, fresh, high quality food is available in more places and whenever customers want it. Such all-access eating means that traditional restaurants need to adjust their business models and find ways to stay nimble to keep up with the many new ways people can feed their cravings.
WHILE 2012’S ‘PINK SLIME’ STORY MAY HAVE SIMMERED DOWN, EACH NEW FOOD SAFETY SCARE LEAVES A RESIDUE THAT WILL CONTINUE FOR YEARS TO COME. 8
The eggs factor
MY FAVOURITE FOOD STORES IN DUBAI ARE: Carrefour - a great selection of fish and vegetables, plus I know who supplies them the fish! A very good and reputable supplier. Deans Supermarket - great for Japanese items. Waitrose - a bit expensive but beautiful and with exclusive products, such as wagyu beef. Choithrams - great pork section. Park and Shop - a real pork section, plus they have the Dutch Delights deep fried snacks. Tavola - And, of course, you need the utensils to make it all in so you go to my favourite equipment store!
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The eggs factor
A full fridge Every month, we ask a chef to reveal the contents of their home fridge, revealing the secrets of their home cooking. Judging by the contents, Executive Chef of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Paul de Visser’s fridge must be massive!
B
orn in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, de Visser knew from an early age that he wanted to be a chef. Receiving an MBO Culinary Degree from Rijn Ijsel College in Arnhem in 2000, his career has taken him from Trader Vic's in San Francisco to Chicago and then Dubai. His ability to maintain high standards, manage a profitable kitchen, and ensure a high level of consistency created an opportunity to open, as Head Chef, Ruth's Chris Steak House. Thanks to his premium restaurant brand experience, he maintains extremely high levels of quality and consistency in everything he does and brings an international culinary vision where consistency is king and quality rules. His first Head Chef position was in a restaurant in Apeldoorn, Ramblas, where he started creating signature dishes and bringing some of his creative talent to the table. In 2004, an opportunity came about in San Francisco, with the critically acclaimed Trader Vic's concept. Starting out as a Sous Chef, Paul quickly learnt what it took to manage a highend kitchen. After only six months in San Francisco, Paul was transferred to Trader Vic's Chicago, as the Head Chef, for another 18 months. Paul then moved to Dubai, working in the busy Souk Madinat resort for Trader Vic's, before becoming Executive Chef as part of the opening team for Ruth’s Chris Steak House in 2008. This was Paul's first experience at opening a new restaurant and brand in the region and, during his time as Executive Chef, Ruth's Chris has won several awards including BBC Good Food Middle East's 'Best Steakhouse'. Paul is also a popular face on Dubai's popular Dubai One TV station, regularly appearing as guest chef.
Celery Mesclun mix Frisee Caesar salad Rocket salad Lolla rosso Big leaf spinach Iceberg lettuce Green onions Mango Avocado Egg plant Melon and watermelon Red cabbage Pomegranate Zucchini Tomatoes Fresh herbs Green apples Okra Pickled ginger Fresh ginger Fresh horseradish Strawberries Blackberries Raspberries Blueberries Kiwis Local and English cucumber Radish/daikon Carrots Green bell peppers Red bell peppers Limes Lemons Grapefruit
Orange White button mushrooms Portabello mushrooms Thai asparagus Gherkins Greek big green olives Green stuffed olives Black olives Capers Fresh garlic Sun dried tomatoes Green and red chillies Hearts of palm Tuna mayonnaise Cucumber salad Tarragon reduction Tomato paste Balsamic vinaigrette Blue cheese dressing Ceasar dressing Ranch dressing House vinaigrette Remoulade sauce Cocktail sauce Citrus vinaigrette Lemon basil dressing Ponzu dressing Cucumber dressing Sriracha sauce Caramel sauce Sweet cream Gazpacho Chocolate ganache Steamed potatoes Onion rings Shoe string potatoes
Raw peeled potatoes Steamed sweet potatoes Sweet potato cassarole Steak fries Au gratin potatoes Steamed broccoli Digestive cracker crust Apple crumble dough Philadelphia cream cheese Cheesecakes Bread pudding Créme brulees Key lime pie Pasteurised egg yolk Grated Cheddar cheese Grated Pecorino Romano cheese Grated Swiss cheese Fresh and butter milk Philadelphia cream cheese Pecorino Romano cheese (block) Parmesan cheese (block) Cheddar cheese (block/ Danish Blue cheese (wheel) Emmenthal Swiss cheese (block) Mushroom sauce Sauce au poivre Red wine sauce Cheese sauce Onion soup Seafood gumbo Lobster bisque Crouton butter BBQ butter Fresh buffalo mozzarella Cooking cream Heavy cream Salted and unsalted butter Veal jus/demi glace Red bell pepper pesto Veal butter Lemon butter Caper dill butter Crab sauce Fresh eggs Austalian lamb rack Burger patty Full tenderloin USDA top choice USDA prime t-bone USDA prime cowboy ribeye USDA prime ribeye
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Out and about
A world of food
For this year’s show, the sold-out Gulfood exhibition will expand by 13%, with a hall dedicated to the burgeoning GCC food imports market. What’s driving the increasing demand? SALON CULINAIRE
G
ulfood, the world’s biggest annual trade exhibition for the food and hospitality industry, is set to expand by more than 12,500sqm, the equivalent of 13% this year. As a result, the bigger expo will offer 113,398sqm in exhibition space. The expansion includes an additional temporary hall, Zabeel Pavilion, dedicated to food and drink companies due to overwhelming demand both regionally and globally and a second hall solely for GCC food imports - a market that is projected to double to 195b Dhs in ten years. Last year, the event attracted 68,681 trade visitors from 152 countries - an 11% increase on 2011 - with a 61% international visitor presence. In addition, the 2012 show drew 3,816 exhibitors and offered 110 international pavilions. The additional exhibition space will allow many of the hundreds of exhibitors queuing for a presence at Gulfood to finally showcase their products in this fast growth market including new country pavilions from Ecuador, Lithuania and Oman. Under the theme ‘International Flavours, World Class Business’, Gulfood 2013 is on track to provide
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exporters, buyers, exhibitors and visitors benefit an even broader trade and sourcing platform as well as knowledge exchange, training, competitions and live events. Increased space has also been provided to Ingredients, which supports the region’s increasing drive to manufacture and move up the value chain. The largest exhibition space increase has been provided to finished food - especially exhibitors focused on retail and food service markets where demand far exceeds capacity with over 900 companies requesting space. An important bi-product of the expansion is the many new products, new exhibitors and new equipment that can be shown, which in turn delivers more value and interest to visitors. A range of industry sectors will be showcased and this demonstrates Gulfood’s 360 degree perspective in terms of its exhibition offerings. The sector line-up includes: Ingredients Middle East, Beverage & Beverage Equipment, Food & Drink, Food Service & Hospitality, Ingredients Middle East, Processing & Packaging and Restaurant & Cafe.
Over 2,000 regional and international chefs are expected to participate in this year’s Emirates Salon Culinaire, organised by the Emirates Culinary Guild, during Gulfood. Consisting of a series of competitions, the Salon Culinaire will see the participation of professional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers in 23 classes and will test entrants for their gastronomic and artistic acumen while also evaluating teams on timing, efficiency and collaboration. Competition categories range from the preparation of five-course gourmet meals to baked goods, desserts and confectionery to creating free-standing ice and chocolate carvings. Uwe Michel, President of the Emirates Culinary Guild explains: “With the world’s largest congregation of food and hospitality professionals gathering at Gulfood, there cannot be a better platform for culinary professionals to showcase their competence and skills. The Emirates Salon Culinaire, created and managed by the Emirates Culinary Guild, not only offers both young and experienced chefs the opportunity to demonstrate extraordinary culinary flair and finesse to the public, but is also an excellent avenue for potential employers to source talent from the region and beyond.” Judged by a panel of 25 renowned experts that is mandated by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), the Salon Culinaire meets the competition standards of world-class culinary events across the globe. The panel includes judges from Germany, Switzerland, Iceland, Singapore, Namibia, Hong Kong, Belgium, South Africa, France and Italy.
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Dhofar Global Tr. Co.L.L.C.
Out and about
LIVE CATEGORIES
The bake off The third Baking & Pastry Guild’s Middle East Competition will be hosted again at Gulfood. It’s designed to honour and bring to the front the highly specialised skills of professional bakers and pastry chefs, showcasing new trends, classical skills, innovative techniques and the talent, dedication and competitive spirit of regional baking and pastry chefs.
T
he Baking & Pastry Guild Middle East is the organising body and administrator of the competition, which is co-presented with the Dubai World Trade Centre. Only executive, commis or trainee pastry chefs and bakers or pupils/students from recognised hospitality and culinary training institutions can enter the various competition categories and they must be registered members of the Baking & Pastry Guild on the day of the competition. The judging criteria and points allocation are for: 20 points for mise-en-place and cleanliness, provision and state of materials brought in, timely work arrangement and punctual completion of work, clean and orderly work processes and the state of the kitchen after the competition. 20 points for professionally correct preparation and processing, professionally applied basic skills, the degree of difficulty, individual technical skills
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that correspond with modern pastry techniques and trends. 30 points for arrangement the innovation of presentation, attention to detail and uniformity, appealing and practical presentation and cleanliness of the exhibit. 30 points for taste and texture, clear and distinct flavours as per item description, complimentary flavours, appropriate flavour, typical and correct texture and correct and natural colours as per item description.
SPECIAL JUDGES George W Germann, Maitre patissier chocolatier and Executive Chef, Saudi Airlines Catering. Otto Jurscha, Executive Pastry Chef.
Themed celebration cake - a single layered cake with an identifiable theme, such as a birthday, wedding, anniversary, product launch, winner, etc. It should produce 12 serving. Retail bakery breads - a team of two to prepare from scratch and present six standard retail breads of their choice: large white, large brown, small white, small brown, baguettes and grain. Pastry team live practical work competition - a team of two to prepare a chocolate based gateaux, cold desserts, hot desserts and frainduses. Retail bakery standard and speciality rolls - a team of two to prepare six standard retail rolls of their choice: sft white, soft brown, hard white, hard brown, speciality soft and speciality brown. Morning goods and Danish pastries - a team of two to pepare five different pastries. Retail bakery speciality breads - a team of two to prepare six speciality retail breads of their choice. Pralines and truffles - three different types of filled pralines and two different types of truffles. Retail bakery confectionary and pastries - a team of two to produce three gateaux (Black Forest, chocolate and fresh fruit) and four individual pastries (chocolate eclairs, vanilla cake slice, chcolate cake slice and fruit tartlet). Static display categories Artisan bread Biscuits and tea cakes. Fine patisserie and bistro cakes. Petit fours and friandise.
In all competition categories the following points table will be applied for the awarding of medals: 100 points - Gold Medal and Certificate of Distinction 90 to 99 points - Gold Medal with Certificate 80 to 89 points - Silver Medal with Certificate 70 to 79 points - Bronze Medal with Certificate 50 to 69 points - Certificate of Merit Prize giving Prize giving will take place on the last day of Gulfood 2013 at the baking and Pastry Guild stand from 16:00 onwards. All competitors should be on time for the prize giving and dressed in chef’s uniform. All competitors will be presented with a certificate by the category sponsor and dignitaries of the Baking & Pastry Guild and a medal according to the above medals table. The overall winner of each category will receive a cash prize of 1,000 Dhs in addition to the medal and certificate, the second runner up will receive 750 Dhs and the third runner up will receive 500 Dhs.
SPARKLING NATURAL MINERAL WATER
Drawn from protected organic land, high in the ochil hills, perthshire, which means our water is as pure as it can possibly be.
PRODUCT of SCOTLAND
P.0.Box. 5771, Dubai,uae, Email: mhentd@eim.ae, www.mhdubai.com
Market focus
A report on premium bottled water, by specialist consultancy Zenith International, puts global sales at over 9.5b litres per annum, around 6.3% of all bottled water consumption. In the Middle East, where bottled water consumption is high, the opportunity for the premium players is high. We talk to the market leaders.
OUR INDUSTRY PANEL Luciano Novena, Area Manager Middle East & Africa, Nestle Waters Italy - San Pellegrino. Krishna Kumar, Regional Manager - ME, Highland Spring Group. Maximilien de Hoop Cartier, Founder, Aguas Primitivas de la Patagonia. Djamel Touaibi, Market Development Manager Zone Middle East & Africa, Nestle Waters M&D Perrier & Vittel. Renaud Marchand, Middle East Zone director for Evian, Volvic Export of Danone.
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Market focus
W
ater is something we take for granted in most parts of the world - it’s locally sourced and sold at relatively low prices. In the Gulf, sales are high because of either a general distrust or distaste for local Municipality water and, although much bottled water on sale is simply such water treated in differing ways, some manufacturers are reliant on the fact that the local consumers, especially expats, can be persuaded to pay a premium for their water. Premium bottled water is differentiated in the market by both price and positioning in the market. The key leading premium brands worldwide include Evian, Perrier, San Pellegrino, Vittel and Volvic, but the local market is seeing premium waters from as far afield as New Zealand, South America and Canada finding favour. Interestingly, despite talk of carbon miles, most consumers seem not to consider such issues when buying premium bottled water, swayed perhaps by the strong environmentally friendly messages stressed by much water marketing. To judge the state of the market, we did a round-up of the key suppliers. Do you see the general take-up of premium water increasing? If so, what do you credit for the growth? Healthier lifestyles? Fashion? Introduction of more premium brands into the market? Luciano Novena: We believe that there is a considerable increase in premium water consumption which can be explained by pick up in tourism year on year and the fact that Dubai attracts many international brands that can help the brand to grow in popularity worldwide. In addition, the shift in consumer eating habit to healthier and more conscious options had helped the pick up of premium brands in this region. The entry barriers of international brands is easy - you just need a good looking packaging with an attractive brand name and an interesting marketing budget to launch a brand. However maintaining the same level of quality and marketing all throughout the years and ensure sustainable growth of business is a difficult task and only the committed ones are built to last. Krishna Kumar: Premium waters are defined by their provenance and the fact that they are bottled at source, delivered to the consumer as nature intended. Through this differential alone, consumers are starting to make distinctions between water brands, and are looking for products from trusted sources. Highland Spring is bottled at source in Scotland and has continued to grow in the Middle East, especially as increasing numbers of consumers seek out quality nonalcoholic brands to quench their thirst. Maximilien de Hoop Cartier: Year after year, we see a constant increase in the International market for premium waters, due to the fact that we have an increasing population, people live longer, there’s less poverty and longer and hotter weather around the world. Also, health and fashion trends play a key roll on the current growth. Moreover, as it recently happened in the wine industry where you can find in most restaurant different origin wines
Perrier The origins of the spring Les Bouillens lie in the Garrigues de Nîmes, made up of limestone rock formed during the Mesozoic era. This limestone was initially covered with Plaisancian marls from the Tertiary era, then by Quaternary alluvium formed of siliceous sand acting as a filter. This sand was covered more recently by an impermeable clay layer.
Patagonia 100% natural without any additives or preservatives, bottled directly from the source to the bottle without any human contact. From a virgin terroir away from civilisation with a unique geological formations imparts an incredible mineral composition to the water and it is one of the last millennial reservoirs away from pollution and untouched by man.
Evian A French brand of mineral water coming from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva. Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company. In addition to the mineral water, the Danone Group also uses the Evian name for a line of organic skin care products as well as a luxury resort in France.
Vittel Mineral water from a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France, bottled and sold by Nestlé Waters France. In 1854, after visiting the baths at nearby Contrexéville, lawyer Louis Bouloumié purchased the Fontaine de Gérémoy, site of the modern-day Vittel. Two years later, he built a pavilion.
you can also now find different origin waters on the menu as well. Today’s consumer is well informed and much more sophisticated when it concerns gastronomy in general. Djamel Touaibi: Yes, premium bottled waters become popular throughout the world mainly due to their quality and safety but also due to their unique mineral content and character that drives for instance our Perrier and Vittel brands internationally. Hedonists with a creative and social
San Pellegrino An Italian brand of mineral water with naturally occurring carbonation and additional carbonation added by the bottler, produced and bottled by Nestlé at San Pellegrino Terme in Lombardy. The water contains carbon dioxide and the following chemical elements: calcium, chloride, fluorine, lithium, magnesium, nitrogen, potassium, silicon, sodium and natural strontium.
Badoit Naturally carbonated mineral water obtained from natural sources at Saint-Galmier, France. It is named after Auguste Badoit, who began bottling the water in 1838. It was sold only in pharmacies until 1954. In 1971, Badoit became part of Evian SA, which later became a fully owned subsidiary of BSN. Today, Badoit is a product and brand of the Danone group.
Highland Spring Natural spring water taken from the same protected land in the Ochil Hills, Perthshire, Scotland since 1979. Its purity is based on 400 million year old rock formations. The area is certified organic – Highland Spring is the only major bottled water brand to protect its source in this way.
attitude consumers are attracted by brands like Perrier that reflect an elegant and cutting edge personality! Renaud Marchand: Yes, the premium water market is increasing in the Middle East. We believe this is due to the continuing growth of the Middle East and an increased interest from consumers in fine dining and their improved health. The UAE in particular boasts a dynamic hospitality industry, which is greatly appreciated by residents and
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Market focus tourists alike who have an interest in high quality ingredients and fine dining. Every element of the fine dining experience is required to match the gastronomic needs of the customer and both Evian and Badoit are the ideal premium waters to partner with the cuisine. We saw an opportunity to grow the Badoit brand in the Middle East by working with the growing hospitality industry and providing chefs with a naturally and delicately sparkling water of a premium quality. It is also true that consumers are increasingly health conscious and looking for beverages that hydrate them naturally and premium natural mineral waters are the best way to do so. Evian and Badoit emerge natural, are pure and have a consistent mineral balance, which are some of the added benefits consumers are looking for in their choice of water. Badoit also benefits from high level of bicarbonates and we know bicarbonate can aid digestion. This search for quality from both the customer and trade side impacts positively on the demand for premium waters such as Evian and Badoit - in 2012 we saw double digit growth across the region. Surveying the market here in the UAE, do you think that differentiating your brand(s) is increasingly difficult? How do you persuade consumers of the relative value of a particular brand? Novena: It’s true that competition is increasing year on year and areas of differentiation are reducing from a product to another however a well marketed brand that has a strong distribution strategy behind it and a local continuous support could set you ahead of competition and the persuasion or convincing efforts reduce on a one to one level. Kumar: Highland Spring has been distributed for many years in the UAE and throughout all territories of the Middle East so brand awareness is growing as our volumes increase, serviced by excellent importers who believe in the product. To be bottled at source in Scotland from protected land certified as organic by the Soil Association gives the product a stamp of quality. It is sold both in PET and glass formats to suit all manner of consumer drinking occasions from take home to fine dining. Cartier: Our Patagonia Premium Waters bring together the perfect combination to offer an outstanding quality and concept that differentiate from all other brands. With its unique Patagonia origin and exceptional quality coming directly from the purest water source known today in Patagonia. Including a 38 mm wide mouth bottle that helps you enjoy the best pouring and drinking system available today in the market. Patagonia Premium Waters have a perfect mineral composition that are well reputed to have healthful properties. Touaibi: The dynamic UAE market procures huge potential for premium bottled waters where the Perrier and Vittel brands play a leading role and presence by offering to consumers safe and high quality products that can fit their home and other needs. Marchand: Yes this is a competitive region particularly in the UAE, which has an economically
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“WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WATER IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE INGREDIENTS USED IN PREPARING THE DISH. THE RIGHT WATER CHOICE CAN IMPROVE THE WHOLE DINING EXPERIENCE IF PAIRED IN A RIGHT WAY.” - Luciano Novena. dynamic market and as a country has amongst the highest consumption per capita of bottled water globally. It can seem crowded with lots of smaller premium water brands competing, but there is a clear difference between Evian and Badoit and these other brands. We believe that only Evian and Badoit really answer consumer needs when it comes to quality, purity and innovation. Another key element we differentiate ourselves is through strong, powerful communications campaigns to really engage with the consumer. Watch this space for the Evian 2013 campaign! Are you seeing fashionable trends of new products leading the market or do you think that the well-known established brands will survive the longest? How far do you see limited edition packaging etc playing a part in the local market? Novena: Although there is always market for new products and brands, the established brands will always have their customers as it is through continuous education that the loyalty is built. With regards to limited edition packaging, the trend is being set by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna since every year San Pellegrino ties up with one of the Italian Talents as part of its campaign ‘San Pellegrino meet Italian Talents’. The first year, it started with Missoni, the second year with Bulgari and the third year is still not yet revealed. UAE customers supported that campaign by selling this limited edition in their outlets and encouraging the launch of it. Today, we have reached a stage where we have created the pull from the trade to ask and enquire about the limited edition. Kumar: Brand loyalty comes with quality and good service and is built over the long term. Through excellent importers and distributors, and a refreshing product that provides healthy hydration, quality brands like Highland Spring will enjoy longevity. Limited edition bottles have their place as a marketing tool, boosting sales in the short term. Highland Spring has consistently invested in the market and our products, growing market share by seeking out the best distribution and providing volume and a comprehensive range. Cartier: We trust that there is still room for new brands on the international markets that can play a key roll depending on its quality and originality. From our experience limited edition packagings are a very interesting concept when launched during seasonal periods. Touaibi: The UAE market offers considerable
opportunities for newcomers and as long as they bring something new that are up to local standards. Perrier will introduce this year a new 250ml Slim Can - a Premium Nomad format that fits perfectly in bars, lounges, beaches, around pools and wherever the glass is banned. Perrier is a brand with original ideas and strong communication. Creativity has become a integral part of its story 2013 will feature an amazing association with Andy Warhol to create a unique consumer experience to celebrate Perrier’s 150th anniversary! Marchand: Evian water has had the same natural and pure qualities since 1826 but constantly brings the brand to the forefront of consumers’ minds through communication campaigns or limited edition products. This is in our brand DNA and the limited edition range is just one example. We launched the first of our annual limited edition Evian bottles in 1992 through association of the Olympic Games in France. Today we work with iconic fashion designers to challenge the boundaries with the bottle designs. We were lucky enough to work with the renowned American designer Diane von Furstenberg for the 2013 Limited Edition Bottle. An iconic mantra, ‘Water is Life is Love is Life is Water is’, graces the bottle in her distinct handwriting. The bold, innovative designs of the Evian Limited Edition bottles are embraced by the Middle East market, where many of our customers are looking to add a unique element for their guests. Do you think the market is currently overstocked with brands or do you think there is still untapped potential here? Novena: The market has numerous water brands that suit different tastes, dining options and country of origin. Kumar: Water is an everyday essential, particularly in hot countries within the Middle East. The category is currently growing as water consumption increases by volume year on year, competing favourably against other soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. While more brands are entering the market, there is still very strong potential for growth as consumers become more health aware, choosing bottled water over other beverage options. Cartier: As explained before, we believe that there is still room for new brands on the market but their success truly depends on quality, price and a good marketing awareness campaign that allows the
Market focus consumer get familiarised with the brand. Touaibi: There’s quite a big presence of all major international players but I believe that the social hedonist UAE population will always look for safe, new and trendy products. Marchand: The UAE and the wider Middle East are priority markets for many global companies given
the economic challenges in more mature markets like Europe. This is true of the premium water industry with many new entrants, but again the brands with a strong heritage are the ones that remain buoyant. Our customers stick to brands they like, they know and definitely value our promise that the water they drink only ever comes from
a single source.The sparkling water market was lacking a water that was naturally sparkling and not too strong in bubbles and it’s Badoit’s unique composition that makes it the perfect partner for fine dining. Badoit is the number one fine dining water brand in France and is endorsed by chefs and sommeliers because it doesn’t alter the flavours of
AT THE TABLE For a fine dining perspective, we asked two young and knowledgeable sommeliers to talk us through the premium water market. They are Sydney Rathnayake (Sommelier at Fire & Ice, Raffles Dubai) and Madan Periyasamy (Sommelier at Radisson Blu Dubai Media City). Do you see customer take-up of premium water increasing? If so, what do you credit for the growth? Healthier lifestyles? Cost trimming on meals out? Introduction of more premium brands into the market? Sydney Rathnayake: Yes, we do notice our customers are health conscious and follow the healthy lifestyle trend. Premium natural spring water is always more popular. Madan Periyasamy: Yes, I have seen most of my guests asking for premium water, as per my experience most of them are looking for a healthier lifestyle rather than saving money. What brands do you currently stock? Rathnayake: Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino, Evian, Perrier and Oxygizer. Periyasamy: We have a variety of local and imported waters such as Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino, Perrier, Evian, Jema or Oasis. How did you choose them? Rathnayake: The most important factor is quality of the water, however we also take into consideration the price. Periyasamy: We have different restaurants with different cuisines and concepts and the water has to match 0- for example at our Italian restaurant Certo, we mainly stock Italian brands, such as Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino while local water is offered at Chef’s House, the all-day dining restaurant or our banqueting facilities. Perrier is widely popular at ICON Bar and Lounge as well as at Tamanya Terrace. Do you continue to look at the mix of waters on offer? Rathnayake: Yes we do, as our guests do like to have a variety to choose from. Madan Periyasamy
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Do you think the market is currently overstocked
with brands or do you think there is still untapped potential here? Rathnayake: There is definitely untapped potential for the brands, as the saying goes, ‘variety is the Sydney spice of life’! Rathnayake Periyasamy: Although there are many brands available in the market, I believe that with such a variety of cuisines and with the number of nationalities with diverse preferences, there will always be room for a new brand to establish itself. How much do you advise diners on a relevant water choice? Do you work with the chef to match the most suitable water for a particular dish? Rathnayake: Around 10% to 15% of the time. We don’t match water and food but choose premium natural spring water that tastes fresh. We focus on the serving temperature of the water and sommeliers or station captains advise guests to choose the water temperature depending on the food and wine they have ordered. In a fine dining restaurant, it‚Äôs all about creating the perfect dining experience and water plays an important role. Serving water at the wrong temperature can affect a guest’s taste buds, so we recommend still water be served at 20C and sparkling water well chilled. Periyasamy: I strongly recommend matching the water with food dishes. Each natural water has a different character like aroma, body and tasting notes, similar to wines - it does change your palate. As a sommelier, I try often to match particular dishes with certain water brands. Roughly, what percentage of total beverage revenue derives from premium water sales? Do you see opportunities to increase that? Rathnayake: I’m afraid I can’t share the revenue percentage as its confidential, however I can tell you that there is always room for growth. Periyasamy: 8% to 10% of sales come from premium water sales. The new trend in food habits is moving towards healthy eating and consumers are more focused in staying healthy and in good shape. Premium waters with such criteria are fast moving as long as they are still affordable.
Do you think sommeliers should treat premium water as a key element of the fine dining experience? Rathnayake: Yes, premium waters should definitely be considered as a key element of the fine dining experience. Periyasamy: When I am tasting premium natural water, I personally feel like it gives you a bit of a fine dining experience. I would recommend that premium natural water should be treated like wine. A wrong choice of wine pairing can spoil the meal experience and water can also do just that. There have been comments in the press over the last few months about high mark-up of bottled water (not premium brands) in restaurants. Do you think such comments are justified? Rathnayake: It is true that water branded specifically for a hotel or restaurant will cost more. Each restaurant operates differently and the price will depend on the quality and branding capabilities, however careful consideration must be made when pricing water as you could lose customers over it. Periyasamy: This is true, especially in Dubai and, when it comes to local water, prices are usually decided based on all costs which the consumer does not see. Staffing, storage, electricity, etc are all taken into consideration when marking up prices. The same goes for soft drinks where they are ten times more expensive than within the supermarket. On a separate note, consumers are still not coming to terms with water being more expensive than petrol. How conscious are you of the carbon miles argument when stocking premium waters imported into the region? Rathnayake: As always we are conscious of the environment and we do serve local water as well as premium brands. However, being a fine dining restaurant, premium brands are always more popular. Periyasamy: By patronising locally produced drinking water, we reduce carbon footprints and all the energies consumed in transporting imported bottled water are avoided. We are trying to be more active within the responsible business movement but sometimes we can’t make compromises when it comes to guest satisfaction.
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Market focus food, only enhances them. It has always been part of the French gastronomical heritage since King Louis the XVI and we hope to bring this unique water to fine dining connoisseurs across the world. Do you think restaurant sommeliers should offer a choice of premium waters so suit different plates? Novena: It is a sommelier’s duty to advise the diners on the right pairing of dish with either sparkling or still water, for example, sparkling water goes well with red meat while still water is better to be served with fish dishes. The right water choice can enhance the taste of each dish helping the dinner to appreciate every ingredient used. This is the sort of education programmes we run to educate our customers (sommeliers, F&B managers, beverage manager, etc). Kumar: The composition of minerals in water can add or detract from the flavours created by the chef. The Highland Spring Group has two brands that perform strongly in the restaurant trade: Speyside Glenlivet and Highland Spring. Speyside Glenlivet is one of the purest naturally sourced mineral waters. It has an unusually low mineral content which cleanses and refreshes the palate, making it the ideal accompaniment to fine dining. Cartier: We understand that a really good sommelier will be the one that is able to first differentiate waters. By being able to distinguish the different components when tasting water, he will be in a unique position to suggest other beverages. Touaibi: Yes, to suit different plates and palates! Marchand: I believe sommeliers and also chefs, are already very sensitive to this. As a matter of fact, we are proud to have the trust of many renowned partners looking for a premium mineral water including La Petite Maison, Atmosphere at the Burj Khalifa and Stay at the One&Only The Palm Dubai to name but a few. On a broader scale I would take the example of Thierry Marx, Executive Chef of Mandarin Oriental Paris or Robert Parker, a renowned American wine critic, who are highlighting the need for premium waters such as Badoit, to match their dishes. Badoit, as a naturally sparking mineral water, is all about enjoying good food and its delicate fine bubbles provide a gastronomic difference to fine dining. Choosing the right water to accompany your meal is often over looked by diners and yet, it can make a difference in how you taste and appreciate the fine flavours. You need the right water to prepare your palate and taste buds to enjoy and or accentuate the perception of flavours.
Do you think sommeliers should treat premium water as a key element of the fine dining experience, rather than an afterthought? Novena: We strongly believe that water is as important as the ingredients used in preparing the dish. The right water choice can improve the whole dining experience if paired in a right way. As an exclusive San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna distributor, we make sure that we educate our customers about refining the taste by combining water and food. San Pellegrino brand ambassadors make sure that regular water trainings are conducted for restaurant managers, food and beverage directors as well as waitresses. Last year we launched the first water tasting and pairing session exclusively targeting F&B professional from UAE fine dining outlets, where we try to give our customers a different perspective on how a water that is known for its high quality, taste and value
around the world can be combined in perfect union with wine. Kumar: Absolutely. The source and composition of premium bottled waters determine their taste and the type of food that they are best suited to. There is a growing trend in the fine dining world for a water menu, similar to the ubiquitous wine list, which highlights the growing importance of water as part of the dining experience. Cartier: We strongly believe that sommeliers should start by suggesting the best water to pair with each dish, as they do when it comes to wines. Touaibi: Definitely. Waters stands out for their taste, balance, freshness, purity and mineral content and it’s important to have the perfect accompaniment to all courses of any meal. Marchand: Definitely. Many diners here do not consume alcohol making it even more relevant to focus on premium waters.
“WE UNDERSTAND THAT A REALLY GOOD SOMMELIER WILL BE THE ONE THAT IS ABLE TO FIRST DIFFERENTIATE WATERS. BY BEING ABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS WHEN TASTING WATER, HE WILL BE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO SUGGEST OTHER BEVERAGES.” - Maximilien de Hoop Cartier.
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Country focus
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Country focus
A matter of terroir
Terroir is the French notion that represents the combination of specific geological, hydrological, soil and climatic characteristics as well as human influence (savoir faire). Agriculture is the heart of this concept and it provides the underpinning of French food and wine, which are universally recognised as quality products.
F
rench people talk about terroir all the time - how much terroir is important for the quality of a wine or a cheese, how a recipe is a recette de terroir. But what exactly do we mean when we use this word? It’s a mix between a geographical definition and a cultural one. It is a geographical area with specific geological, hydrological, soil and climate characteristics. But it is more than that - terroir has a strong cultural side. It is the reflection of
FRANCE AT GULFOOD This year at Gulfood, 130 French exhibitors will exhibit - 75 in the food pavilion and the remainder demonstrating equipment and processing. According to Christelle Labernede, Head of the Agribusiness Department, Ubifrance UAE & Qatar: “Gulfood for French companies is essential to develop their business in the region. Since its creation, France has not missed a single edition of Gulfood. This now the largest French pavilion at any food event worldwide.” A key draw to the pavilion will be Chef Marc de Passorio (one Michelin star in St Remy de Provence) who will cook French beef, which is now back in the local market. In 2011, French agrifood exports to the UAE rose by 31% to 215m Euros, ahead of the general growth of the high-end food service sector. The areas in which France excels include: Chocolate - sixth largest global supplier for raw products and third for cocoa powder. Milk products - fourth largest producer, growing 30% in 2011. Poultry - fourth largest supplier, expect to grow to third after changes in Saudi export policy.
the human societies that work its land. Different societies produce different terroir with the same territory. The notion of terroir is strongly linked with agricultural production. Indeed, agriculture is also the reflection of the natural conditions and the ways human societies work with them. Making the most of one's land is the common goal of farmers and the heart of the notion of terroir. To give a more practical example, let's focus on a French cheese like Roquefort. It can only be produced in a small area, because the natural conditions influence the grass and flora that the sheep eat and therefore the milk they produce. But it is also the ‘savoir faire’ of the people from the area of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon and the way
that they make the cheese that is inimitable. The combination of those two factors, geophysical and human ensure that Roquefort can only be produced in this specific terroir. Perhaps the most striking example remains terroir in relationship to wine. In France, people don't only refer to wines according to the type of grape they were made of but principally according to the terroir. Indeed, some natural conditions like the type of soil or the exposition to the sun or what is called microclimate have a great influence on the quality of the wine. The area where the grape grew and the methods of its production (put in barrels or not, how long, etc), the art of making wine - l'art d'elaborer le vin - are essential factors.
RESEARCHERS ARE STILL TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE FRENCH PARADOX - LOW RATE OF CHRONIC HEART DISEASE DESPITE HIGH SATURATED FAT DIET; SOME EXPLANATIONS INCLUDE THEIR CONSUMPTION OF RED WINE, THE FRENCH STYLE OF EATING AND/OR THE SATURATED FATS BEING MOSTLY FROM DAIRY. 25
Country focus This is the reason why there are so many names for French wines. Every area is unique and therefore deserves to be recognised for its own value. Terroir is also an important tradition to pass on. The skills require making a special product, a recipe using ingredients from a special area like cassoulet (southwest of France) or choucroute (east of France). Therefore, French people as well as policy makers want to preserve this amazing heritage. The creation of denomination of origin, or the compilation of terroir recipes through a National Program for Food are examples of the actions keeping this tradition and notion alive! Agriculture and the agribusiness industries are a true asset for France, making it one of the world’s biggest agribusiness producers and exporters. Agribusiness makes an important contribution to the health of the French economy and occupies first place in the European Union, with a fifth of added value in the sector. True to their traditions, land and quality, French agribusiness exporters are modern and innovative - key factors in dynamism and competitiveness. France is the leading agricultural producer in Europe and is the fourth largest exporter of
QUALITY AND ORIGIN Capsicum from Espelette, honey from Corsica, potatoes from Ile de Ré, chicken from Bresse, butter from Isigny, Comté, Cognac, Chablis are all products which conjure up specific regions and places. Stretching back over a century in France, the policy of respect for the quality and origins of agricultural and agribusiness products has enabled producers and economic actors to protect the diversity and distinctiveness of their products. Here is what the abbreviations mean: AOC: Appellation d'Origine Controlleé Guaranteeing a product’s provenance from a particular region. AOP: Appellation d'Origine Protégée - European equivalent of the AOC. IGP: Indication Géographique Protégée Guaranteeing a link between a product and its region. STG: Spécialité Traditionnelle Garantie - Guarantee of traditional products. AB: Agriculture Biologique - Guaranteeing methods of production which respect the environment and animal welfare. Label Rouge: Guaranteeing the superior quality of a product. These symbols of quality and origin are hallmarks of French food products. They enable consumers to select quality products which are distinctive, with their own taste, produced with respect for the environment and endorsed by the government, including the INAO (National Institute for Origins and Quality). The concept of protecting product origins is becoming increasingly popular worldwide.
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agricultural and agribusiness products worldwide, as well as the fourth largest exporter of processed food worldwide. Beyond traditional production, which has always been an outlet for the sector’s creativity, French agribusiness is known for its extensive capacity for research and innovation. Whether in products, processes or marketing, nearly 60% of French agribusiness businesses are involved in innovation. The research costs of the agribusiness sector are progressing twice as fast as those of businesses in other sectors, with businesses in the sector devoting an average of 7% of their turnover to funding innovation. As in most countries, the French food market is undergoing constant change, keeping up with major social developments: urbanisation, population change (diversity, ageing), sustainable development (respect for the environment) and new consumer expectations (practicality, health benefits).
FOUR FRENCH FOODS Classical French cuisine is rich and filling, with many dishes using cream-based sauces. Haute cuisine is classical French cuisine taken to its most sophisticated and extreme. Food is elegant and elaborate with a strong emphasis on presentation. Only the finest ingredients are used and the meal is correspondingly expensive. Nouvelle Cuisine was developed in the 1970s, as a reaction against the classical school of cooking. The food is simpler and lighter. Portions are smaller and less rich; the heavy cream sauces of the classical approach are particularly avoided. Cooking is less elaborate and quicker, with more emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Fionally, cuisine du terroir focuses on regional specialities and is somewhat more rustic in nature. Local produce and food traditions are the main focus.
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Product focus
Hassan Massood, Executive Chef of Radisson Blu DMC
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“HYGIENE IS A SET OF HABITS THAT ENABLE YOU TO BE CLEAN, NEAT AND HEALTHY.”
Product focus
Colourful cleaning Although HACCP-led initiatives have revolutionised standards of hygiene in F&B, food hygiene is not a static target. The evolution of colour coding of kitchen equipment and practices is continually expanding.
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riginally developed by NASA (North American Space Academy) to ensure the safe food and good health of astronauts in outer space, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is now the most globally recognised and accepted food safety and management system. Simplistically, the HACCP process has seven key steps: Identify hazards - What are the potential hazards and the severity and risk of each hazard, from the start of production to the end? Critical Control Point - How to manage the identified hazards. Critical limit - Setting limits based upon the Critical Control Point, which may be be defined by regulatory standards or guidelines. Monitor - Establishing a system to monitor the established control limits. Corrective action - Planning corrective action once monitoring has shown that a Critical Control Point has been broken. Verification - Creating procedures to ensure that HACCP is working correctly, with both internal and external audits. Documentation - Records to verify that the system is working.
BE COLOUR AWARE The colour coding concept for increased kitchen and restaurant hygiene is simple and works like this: Blue - General restaurant areas such as tables and trays. Green - General kitchen and food preperation areas. Red - Washroom floors and toilet. Yellow - Disinfection of kitchen and appliances. White - Other general cleaning.
According to Chandan Singh, Deputy GM of Dhofar Global, cleaning and safe food handling are classic Critical Control Points. “Hygiene is a set of habits that enable you to be clean, neat and healthy,” he explains. “A good set of practices towards food hygiene and safety is essential and one successful way of approaching this is to use colour codification.” Chefs and other kitchen staff are already used to this idea as colour coding helps to prevent cross contamination - physical, chemical, microbial or allergenic - in a number of ways. However, to date, such colour coding in the kitchen has largely been limited to knives, chopping boards and food storage. “Now, thanks to a new range from Chicopee, we’re able to extend colour coding into an often neglected area: cleaning,” says Singh. “This we use in most of our products, as we approach the subject scientifically. Take, for example, our J-Cloth Cleaning Wipes, which use non-woven cloth to create an ideal way to prevent cross contamination and meet HACCP standards by colour codification.” The result? Red wipes for the butchery area, green wipes for the vegetable section, blue wipes for general cleaning purposes and yellow wipes for the disinfection of kitchen appliances. By the use
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Product focus of colour coding, kitchen staff are continually reminded about the risk of cross contamination and the result is an increase in food hygiene and safety. And, although not mandated by HACCP, such colour coding of cleaning and wipe down encourages good working habits. “In addition,” adds Singh, there’s no contamination in case of direct or indirect contact with food and they provide better dirt pick up due to open weave.” Exctending this concept of colour coding to other areas also increases efficiency and reduces food risk. All of these things help to maintain a constant hygiene awareness in a kitchen, however keeping the momentum going is a struggle given how busy service can become. Yet, with increasing regulation and awareness of food hygiene issues, this is an area in which complacency cannot be allowed to take hold. “Food safety procedures need to become a routine,” Singh stresses. “We find that these colour coding practices help kitchen staff to keep hygiene foremost in the mind, but there needs to be more. For example, a hygiene manager needs to monitor sheets every hour. There should be an appraisal point on how to follow colour codification, constant training on disposable hygiene products and, finally, a way of imparting knowledge on technological advancement in hygiene management systems.” The traditional cook’s towel is another area of concern with a very real risk of cross contamination. Replacing it with a non-woven wipe makes sense, partly because the semi-open structure allows quick drying so reducing the risk of bacteria growth and partly because of the absorbency which is up to nine times the wipe’s weight. It’s also useful, partly because of its durability and partly because its high bulk and thickness make it suitable for handling hot dishes. Food hygiene needs constant vigilance.
“COLOUR CODIFICATION HAS BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE HYGIENE BUSINESS. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN LACKING IN THE TISSUE INDUSTRY - AN AREA WHERE IT SHOULD BE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.” -Chandan Singh, Deputy GM, Dhofar.
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Product focus
CLEANING UP Bacteria. For something that has so much potential to cause illness for your customers and thus seriously damage the reputation of your food service business, monitoring and controlling bacteria can be difficult to achieve. Reacting to visible signs is not suitable where bacteria are concerned. Harmful bacteria can be transferred from people to food and food to people without any visible signs. Therefore, the best approach is a preventative one. The best kitchens will have processes for avoiding contamination and keeping clean; being vigilant of potential contaminations; and frequently cleaning surfaces, utensils, and hands. Bacteria on surfaces can be prevented by including cleaning steps with soap and hot water before, during and after food preparation steps. Foods should be kept separate - that includes the product, any juices and the utensils (chopping boards and knives, for instance) they come into contact with. A good kitchen setup will include dedicated areas for different foodstuffs like meat, fish and vegetables.
Bacteria can take up residence on foods coming into the kitchen, meaning thorough washing is in order, but they can also form on foods left out during preparation or after cooking. An efficient food service operation will mean not only quick service for customers, but will avoid foods lingering at temperatures that invite bacteria (typically 4-60C). In food service this will of course involve additional time in an already busy environment, but the alternative of taking risks by cutting corners is not an option. By integrating cleaning steps with food preparation steps, it will become second nature to keep your kitchen hygienic. One of the most important things to bear in mind is that the materials used to clean the kitchen should themselves be clean. It’s easy to forget how long it’s been since you replaced a cloth, for instance, but the potential for harbouring - and then spreading bacteria in this way is significant. A 2010 study by the UK’s Health Protection Agency found over half of cloths it tested in a sample from establishments were unacceptable. The results make for alarming reading for those not aware of the extent of the bacteria threat: of 133 cloths tested, 86 carried
faecal bacteria, 21 E coli, six hosted Staphylococcus aureus and five Listeria. The steps to guard against bacteria spreading are simple - disposable, specialist cloths, for instance, would avoid the problem highlighted by the HPA study. Not doing so is ignoring a food safety threat that cannot be seen. Supplying many 4- and 5-star hotels in the UAE is Dhofar, who imports leading products from Chicopee Europe, such as the SuperTwill Hygiene wipe. This FCC approved towel is a hardwearing, hygienic wipe ideal for carrying out routine cleaning tasks, thanks to its highly absorbent and strong nonwoven properties. It can also be used for cleaning the stove and small spills (both hot and cold). In addition, the multifunctional hygienic towel can be used for drying hands, tool cleaning and - even at the end of the shift - as a mop to clean the kitchen floor. FCC approval means they are completely safe when they come into contact with food, directly or indirectly. They are available in two colours, white and indigo blue, so they are easily traceable in the rare event of cloth fibres getting detached in the vicinity of food.
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Ingredients
On the menu, again In our new series looking at ingredients that may not be part of your usual repertoire we turn our attention to the canistel, also know as eggfruit. It’s popular in the Americas but less well known elsewhere.
T
he canistel (Pouteria campechiana) is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico and Central America, although it is cultivated in other countries including Brazil, Taiwan and Vietnam for its orange-yellow fruit. This, also known as yellow sapote, can be eaten raw - it’s sweet with a taste similar to cooked egg yolk, which is why it’s also known as eggfruit. In Florida, the fruit is often eaten with salt, pepper and lime or lemon juice or mayonnaise, either fresh or after light baking. The pureed flesh
can also be used in custards or added to an ice cream mix just before freezing. A rich milkshake, or eggfruit nog, is made by blending ripe canistel pulp, milk, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg or other seasonings in an electric blender. It can also be used for canistel pancakes, cupcakes, jam and marmalade. Or try canistel butter by beating the ripe pulp in an electric blender, adding sugar and cooking to a paste, with or without lemon juice. The fruit can also be dehydrated and reduced to a nutritious powder.
DIFFERENT PLACES, DIFFERENT NAMES Mexico - Canistel or Lucuma Philippines - Chesa Sri Lanka - Laulu, Lavulu or Lawalu Thailand - Lamut Khamen, Tho Khamen or Mon Khai Vietnam - Lekima
Cream of canistel soup Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter 0.5 cup finely chopped onion 1 tsp minced garlic 1.5 cups canistel 2 cups milk 4 cups chicken stock 1 packet instant chicken soup 1/8 tsp ground pepper salt to taste
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0.5 cup double cream, whipped chives to taste Method: 1 Melt butter in a pan. Add onion and sauté until translucent. 2 Add garlic and cook one minute more. Add canistel, milk, stock, soup mix, pepper and salt. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. 3 Garnish with whipped cream and chopped chives.
co Gu ha m lfoo ll e a d 4 st nd 201 an vi 3 d sit , E 4 us 10
Abu Dhabi, UAE Tel : +971 2 5511830
Distributed by Chef Middle East LLC PO BOX 26747 - Dubai - UAE - Tel : +971 4 3473455 - www.chefmiddleeast.com Branch Offices: Doha, Qatar Umm Al Quwain Tel : +974 4602200 Tel : +971 6 7666437 Tain lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hermitage - France - www.valrhona.com
Masqat, Oman Tel : +968 245 66239
Roundtable Russell Impiazzi, Gourmet Culinary Director, Galeries Lafayette
Dave Reeder, Editor, The Pro Chef Middle East
Christian Gradnitzer, Group Culinary Director, Jumeirah Group
Supply and demand In the ďŹ rst of a new regular monthly series of round table debates on culinary matters, we get four top chefs talking about what at the heart of their lives great produce and how to ensure its supply.
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P
ut chefs round a table and one topic always comes up: the problems of sourcing great produce in a desert country. For our ďŹ rst round table, we tried to focus on solutions instead of reiterating old problems. With our panel coming from different background and working in different F&B sectors, there was surprising uniformity in their thoughts. Instead of revisiting a complaint list of suppliers,
Roundtable Alain Gobeil, Executive Chef, The Address Downtown Dubai
Thomas Pendarovski, Executive Chef, SoďŹ tel JBR
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Roundtable
tell me if you think the situation has improved over the last few years and why. Russell Impiazzi: In my view, the situation has had to. Demand has forced the issue. Just consider how many new hotels have come up and are going to come up - that means better chefs in Dubai which, in turn, means stronger
demands of suppliers. Five years ago, suppliers were in the driving seat and they almost didn’t need us; now, control has shifted to chefs, where it belongs. Christian Gradnitzer: That’s a good point. Education here is key, as is the need for chefs and suppliers to work together. One major change has been the introduction of asset management systems. Of course, in the past, there’s been mishandling of the supply question but now there’s some very good guys out there. Chefs need to engage with them and meet them, start real dialogues. Look, as you know Jumeirah is a big organisation and we have the power to demand good quality but, as more suppliers enter the market, I see the need to get the relationship right, even visit and examine their production units. We don’t all have the size of organisation to have the luxury of product specialists and too often purchasing departments don’t understand the issues. As chefs it’s our concern - for example, some suppliers wouldn’t pass basic health and safety checks so we need to focus on the good ones and support them. Alain Gobeil: I moved to Dubai in 2000 and, since then, how much has changed! Now it’s more like a normal market with more good produce
coming without much more effort. I believe the critical thing is trust in your suppliers. Thomas Pendarovski: It’s all down to education. Coming as we do from Europe or North America, chef knowledge here is often diluted. What I did at Sofitel was simple: take purchasing out of the equation and then encourage my chefs to check produce, look at it and reject what isn’t good enough. I don’t want to buy in bulk - I want to know where everything in my kitchen is coming from. When I worked in New York City, I used to go down to the pier to pick the fish I wanted. Gradnitzer: I get a truck load from Rungis every week. I know that will be good. So, if the situation is changing, do you still have issues? Impiazzi: Suppliers are certainly getting it. As chefs, I think we won’t accept rubbish any more. Gradnitzer: One problem, of course, is consistency of meat. To solve that, I sent someone to Australia to track its progress. Things like that you can’t leave to the supplier. Pendarovski: The reality is that most suppliers aren’t ‘suppliers’, they’re middlemen. They may try but they don’t seem to get consistency. My view is that if they can’t deliver, then be up-front about it.
“FIVE YEARS AGO, SUPPLIERS WERE IN THE DRIVING SEAT AND THEY ALMOST DIDN’T NEED US; NOW, CONTROL HAS SHIFTED TO CHEFS, WHERE IT BELONGS.” - Russell Impiazzi
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Round table You all know the problem of having a big function and you need the best but, at the last minute, you hear that the supplier ‘can’t get it’. For me, it’s three strikes and you’re out! Impiazzi: You’ll soon run out of suppliers! Pendarovski: Maybe, but it’s all about honesty and consistency. You can have a 5 Dhs burger or a 15 Dhs burger - doesn’t matter but you need to know where that meat is coming from. Suppliers have to deliver what they promise - what good are they to me if my guests are disappointed?
“AT HOME, WE ONLY EAT LOCAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, BUT IT CAN’T SCALE TO SERVE OUR RESTAURANTS. IT MAY COME - IT’S STILL A FRESH IDEA.” - Christian Gradnitzer
Gobeil: It’s critical to have consistency so you get what you expect. Can I get this next week? That’s important. Are produce issues all about suppliers? Pendarovski: The problem is also about the speed of growth. To fill kitchens companies have brought in chefs who aren’t ready. I don’t care how good you look on paper, if you’re going to work for me then you still have to cook for me. Impiazzi: It’s a skills factor here. Every time people move, they’re moving too fast. Gradnitzer: I think this is an area that’s all about management taking control, but then we are again large so our staffing ratios differ from many other hotel groups. Pendarovski: It’s also about passion. If you’re good, then you’ll improve and not just because of the money. The need for produce knowledge is fundamental to developing as a chef - they have to understand produce. Gradnitzer: Remember that Dubai is fast-growing and that owners are not willing to pay for higher earning chefs from Europe. We see this time and time again - that people who look good when we go on recruitment trips to Asia are suddenly not so sharp when they come here. Some people will say that there’s no real time for training, but as with produce knowledge it’s up to the chef to train his staff. Pendarovski: Yes, it’s shame on us. Gradnitzer: We can say it’s the suppliers fault or the lack of training but we need to stand up. Pendarovski: It’s abput fine tuning. I look at my Commis and move the right one to Chef de Partie. They need to understand the vision. So you think Dubai, for all its modern restaurants, is behind the curve? Pendarovski: Yes, I believe we’re behind in terms of trends. You have a handful of good chefs who promote training but there isn’t a culture of people wanting to cook. All too often people say ‘Why make it when you can buy it?’ That’s not good enough - I can tell in a second if something is cut by hand. Gobeil: I don’t agree with you about trends. You see the trends here. The issue is more with the execution. Pendarovski: What is certainly true is that you can’t teach talent.
Staying on the education theme but returning to suppliers, do chefs need to educate them as well? Gradnitzer: We need to be specific with suppliers. You know, don’t just say ‘watermelon’ but give details of what you require. For me that knowledge is a natural thing, but suppliers don’t think the same way, except for some. But I don’t think there’s a problem in buying in for some produce. Think of juice - in the old days, we used to get tons of oranges delivered to the Burj, we’d taste one and then juice them. Now? We’ve found a reliable supplier who delivers a quality product to our specifications. Impiazzi: I think it’s great to see some suppliers travelling more. And, of course, Customs are getting smarter so there are fewer delays in the importation of fresh produce. Gobeil: I also had a good experience with juice. I was buying it in but wasn’t too happy withb the taste, so I called the supplier and we tasted together. He made the right changes and now I get just what I want. Gradnitzer: Things have definitely moved on. I mean, eight years ago you could never find scallops
“THE NEED FOR PRODUCE KNOWLEDGE IS FUNDAMENTAL TO DEVELOPING AS A CHEF - THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND PRODUCE.” - Thomas Pendarovski
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Round table in the shell here but now, no problem. I have long talks with my suppliers. Impiazzi: The issue for many chefs is that their purchasing department will drop a supplier to save one dirham on a kilo of produce. I tell them firmly, ‘Stay out of my business!’ Gobeil: It’s our job as chefs to taste and demand quality; however, it’s corporate’s job to try to shave cents off the operation. One way round that is to do blind tastings - I don’t know the supplier or the price - and then we choice on quality. There’s nothing else to say. Pendarovski: There are incentives all over the industry to skim - the more some people skim, the bigger their bonuses! Gradnitzer: Of course, that’s on a company to company basis and you can’t make it a general statement. People always talk cost but the real issue is profitability. Impiazzi: A three-star may skim, but a five-star won’t. Christian is right - it’s about profit. Gobeil: Very often in tastings I pick the most expensive, but my General Manager wants the best quality so it’s okay. But can the market sustain higher pricing on dining out? Gradnitzer: It’s not about the product but the execution. One thing I’m looking at now is whether we can run our restaurants like standalones? We’ll be testing soon a free-standing model, out of our 128 restaurants to try and answer the question: Can I run a restaurant like Rivington Grill? Impiazzi: But that’s a concept! Gradnitzer: Everything is a concept. Pendarovski: The concept of a standalone is like that of a celebrity chef restaurant and I don’t see most hotel restaurants competing on the same ground as the best standalone. Gradnitzer: I believe that we all have potential concepts that we can develop. Dubai just needs to settle down and develop over the next two decades. Impiazzi: In my view, a typical hotel guest over a five day stay will each in your hotel once. Pendarovski: Exactly, they all want to go and try
The venue Our thanks to The Address Downtown Dubai for hosting this round table. Chefs wanting to take part in future discussions should e-mail me: dave@cpidubai.com
“Consistency of supply is critical because you can source something one week, but not the next. Our suppliers are part of our business and they probably need more support, which comes down to us being involved with them and loyal to them. We have had the same suppliers since I came to Atlantis and they are part of what delivers our success. It’s training, it’s development, but it’s an area where unfortunately they need to catch up because their facilities are not coping with the increased demand.” - Mark Patten, Vice President, Culinary, Atlantis, The Palm Dubai
the destination restaurants. Gradnitzer: But why can’t we create our own destinations? Moving on, do we expect to see a shake-up of suppliers? Impiazzi: I believe all good chefs have the same mindset and we need to fight our corner with suppliers to ensure that our guests win. However, there are so many hospitality segments that the poorer suppliers will focus on the lower end of the market. Gobeil: The hotel market is, of course, growing faster than the supplier market. Pendarovski: One real problem I see in the distance is that there will be a increasing price differential between fine dining and casual dining. For example, I love Canadian produce but to get something like halibut from there you’re having to pay a premium price. Impiazzi: Halibut certainly won’t be on every menu. Pendarovski: Suppliers also seem to be branching out to much. Impiazzi: Exactly. Stick to what you know. Gradnitzer: Dubai gives you everything you want as a chef, if you’re prepared to pay. Pendarovski: For special occasions, I’ve even FedExed bison from Wisconsin! Another issue with suppliers is sustainability and traceability. I only use meat from the US and other produce from the US, UK, Spain and Italy - sources I trust for quality.
serve the market. Gradnitzer: Some of it I think is exceptional. At home, we only eat local fruit and vegetables, but it can’t scale to serve our restaurants. It may come it’s still a fresh idea. Pendarovski: There’s nothing better for a chef than to work with a farmer. I loved my time in the upper New York state, just visiting farms. Gradnitzer: The question is: How many chefs have visited a camel milk farm, for instance? Impiazzi: To be honest, it’s not been on my list of priorities. Gradnitzer: As chefs, we need to try. We need to work with local suppliers, understand them and let them understand what we want, just as much as should be doing with suppliers. Change is in our hands.
What about local produce? Impiazzi: There’s just not enough at present to
“It’s our job as chefs to taste and demand quality; however, it’s corporate’s job to try to shave cents off the operation.” - Alain Gobeil
40 34-41 Roundtable.indd 40
2/7/13 11:09 AM
Skills
STEP 1 - 5 Firstly, ďŹ nd the aitch bone (the hip bone) with the tip of your knife and follow it along to outline.
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A case of lambnesia Chef Tarek Ibrahim has worked for MLA (Meat & Livestock Australia) since 2006 as a Senior Consultant. He has played a key role in increasing Australian meat brand awareness, building culinary bridges and offering cooking and meat cutting training sessions to young chefs. Here he offers a lamb rump masterclass, focusing on how to cut one from a whole lamb leg. STEP 6 - 9 Next, loosen the cup joint which holds the hip bone with your knife and slide it under the bone to loosen the meat on all sides. Then, with your knife held against the bone, completely remove the bone.
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Skills
MEAT & LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA
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STEP 10 - 13 Find the seam between the rump and its cap (fat) and gently, using small scrapes with the blade of your knife, remove the rump from the rest of the leg.
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is a producerowned company whose mission is to deliver world-class services and solutions in partnership with industry and government. Promoting the quality, safety and nutritional value of Australian red meat both domestically and internationally, on behalf of the meat and livestock industry, MLA manages and operates a portfolio of marketing activities aimed at maintaining and increasing demand for Australian meat and livestock. MLA in the Middle East North African region works with retailers, foodservice operators, importers, manufacturers and Australian exporters to maintain and increase the demand for halal red meat and livestock to the region.
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13 STEP 14 - 17 Finally, trim off any excess fat and use the rump as required.
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Skills
Slow cooked lamb rump, vol-au-vent of braised neck, baby beets, fennel and sorrel butter Serves 2 Ingredients: 300g Australian lamb rump 1 Australian lamb neck 6 baby red beets 6 baby golden beets 1kg fennel sprig rosemary bunch sorrel 1kg butter 2 shallots 20 ml red wine vinegar 2 vol au vents 200g brown onion, sliced
Method: 1 Truss and slow cook the rump at 56C for three hours. 2 Caramelise the lamb neck in a hot pan then transfer to a heavy based pot with mirepoix, thyme, bay leaf and garlic. 3 Cover with half reduced veal stock and braise for four hours until meltingly tender. Strain liquid and then reduce to a sauce consistency. 4 Add rosemary and allow to infuse for 20 minutes, then strain. 5 Roast beets on rock salt in moderate to hot oven until tender. Allow to cool slightly then peel. 6 To make the sorrel butter, soften the butter and place in a food processor with the sorrel leaves. Blend until the butter turns a bright green colour. Add the diced scallots and season with salt, pepper and vinegar.
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Peel off the fennel layers and cut into strips. Blanch in boiling salted water. With the remaining fennel, sweat down the onion in a little butter. Add the remaining fennel (finely sliced) and continue to sweat. Cover with cream and boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and place in the oven at 150C for one hour. Once baked, strain off the remaining liquid and blend the fennel in a to make a smooth puree. To finish, caramelise the rump in a hot pan and baste with foaming butter. Meanwhile place a spoonful of fennel puree on the plate and a hot vol au vent case adjacent to it. Fill the vol au vent with the braised lamb neck and top with a small amount of the sorrel butter. Garnish the plate with the roasted beets and fennel. Carve the lamb rump into six slices and place three on each plate. Finally, finish the dish with the lamb and rosemary jus.
Chef Tarek Ibrahim
Meat & Livestock Australia, Dubai Airport Freezone, Building East 1, Office E313, P O Box 293715, Dubai, United Arab Emirates P: +971 4 433 1355 F: +971 4 454 9543 www.mla.com.au www.lambandbeef.com
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Pimp my plate
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Pimp my plate
From Spain to Lebanon Childhood friends Elias Rached and Rabih Al Aaraj have enjoyed careers that has often crossed, usually in an unplanned way. Now they are installed at the MKN demo kitchen in Dubai, busy demonstrating the supplier’s range of innovative ovens.
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ith two chefs from Beirut without a regulat menu, this issue’s Pimp my plate feature had, by necessity, to be rather different. The basic challenge was still there - reinvent a classic dish - but, instead of requiring the chef to make the new dish suitable for their menu, we decided instead that Chefs Elias Rachid (Regional Director of MKN) and Rabih Al Aaraj (Business Development Manager) of MKN should try and use as much of the diverse MKN equipmnent as possible, from the induction oven to the FlexiChef with its four different and discrete heat areas. Challenge accepted! Given the long history of Arab influence in the country, we thought that a Spanish dish would be suitable and what is more Spanish than paella? This combination of rice with seafood and, often, meats of various kinds, is a classic dish and reinvention would be a good challenge. Fruends since they were 5-year olds at school, the two chefs have worked together frequently over their careers. Both went to hotel management
school in Beirut and later worked at Abela, heavily involved in the company’s catering business and doing cooking demos. As Chef Elias explains, “We don’t fight but we discuss things a lot. Having two visions is good as it enables us to see what we can do to make things better. You can’t say which of us is better as we make two recipes with the same
ingredients but, as the application chef, he must be the brains of this kitchen.” Elias began his career after catering college working in an Italian restaurant in Beirut, which later expanded into catering. He then moved to Dubai to work firstly in airport catering at Dubai Airport and as executive chef for the American
“WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS CHANGE THE TRADITIONAL FORMAT AND MAKE IT MORE STYLISH RATHER THAN A FAMILY DISH, IN A WAY THAT GAVE A CHEF A LOT MORE CHOICE IN THE SELECTION OF PROTEINS HE COULD USE IN THE DISH.” - Chef Elias Rached [Note: At left in main photograph]
STEP BY STEP COOKING GUIDE:
Step 1: Chopping the protein
Step 2: Preparing the marinade
Step 3: Frying the stock base
Step 4: Finishing the stock base
Step 5: Adding stock to the rice
Step 6: Placing rice in the oven
Step 12: Plating the final dish
Step11: Stuffing the peppers with rice
Step 10: Checking the proteins
Step 9: Preparing proteins for grilling
Step 8: Finetuning the sauce
Step 7: Preparing the sauce
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Pimp my plate Hospital before joining Abela Catering where much of his time was spend training staff for new outlets. “The field of catering is different from a la carte cooking. For both you need passion, but in catering I always say that you need to make at least 70% of 2,000 people happy. That’s difficult.” The relationship is still good despite years of working together. “Our paths have crossed in so many ways,” Chef Rabih explains. “In that that we have both discovered so many things and the mix works well. I never said ‘I will follow him’, but it
must have been destiny.” Chef Elias says that paella is a common dish for them to cook. “We use it as a test dish for new equipment quite often thought, of course, a traditional dish like this is always cooked better by someone from that culture. What we decided to do was change the traditional format and make it more stylish rather than a family dish, in a way that gave a chef more choice in the selection of proteins he could use. So the concept is different based on the South
American style of skewering which is also used in the Middle East, of course. Plus we made some modifications in terms of portion size.” How would he develop it further? “I like the way it is now but it could be made better perhaps with a bigger plate or made healthier by grilling the peppers, which would also give you attractive grill marks on the vegetables. We wanted to use as many of the MKN machines as possible, in this case the fryer, induction plate, Combi steamer and the FlexiChef.”
Flexi paella Ingredients: 900g chicken brochettes 600g fish brochettes 600g prawns brochettes 15 roasted small green bell peppers 15 roasted small red bell peppers 1g saffron 3 l chicken broth 1.5 kg short grain Spanish rice such as Bomba or Calasparra 15g smoked Spanish paprika 80 ml olive oil 800g tomato puree 200g onion, chopped 60g chopped garlic 500g fresh or frozen peas salt and pepper to taste
Paella Ingredients: 450g chorizo 1 yellow onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 cups long grain rice 400g diced tomatoes with green chillies 3 tbsp tomato paste 900 ml chicken broth 450g cooked chicken, chopped 450g cooked medium shrimp, tails removed S3 tbsp olive oil pinch of saffron Method: 1 Heat oil in large heated deep skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onions along with chorizo to sauté until peppers are tender. 2 Add rice, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and saffron to sauté for another minute. 3 Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Once boiling, lay chicken and shrimp on top then cover the pan (if you’re using a paella pan without a lid, you can use aluminum foil to cover), reduce heat to low. 4 Simmer until rice has absorbed liquid, approximately 25 minutes.
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Method: 1 Put saffron and 1/4 cup hot water in a small bowl, bring it to heat on induction oven until boiled. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
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Sauté onion, garlic, green peas, small cubes of shrimps, fish and chicken till they get cooked, add tomato puree with the chicken stock salt and pepper to taste, mix the ingredients with the rice and cook it in a combi oven. Deep fry the whole bell pepper in fryer or roast them in oven. Stuff the bell pepper with the rice. Marinate the chicken, fish and prawns brochettes with paprika, a little olive oil, salt and pepper and cook them in the oven, until golden brown. Then transfer to a plate and set aside. For the sauce, add olive oil, tomatoes, garlic onions and bell pepper to pan and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, for about six minutes. Add the reserved saffron mixture and broth, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat in induction oven then blend the ingredients with a mixer until they get pureed. For the garnish, use sautéed onion shallots, cherry tomatoes, grilled lemon wedges and seedless black olives.
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On the passe
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on the passe
Subtly spiced
The JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai has partnered with Atul Kochhar, the first ever Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star, to launch his first fine dining restaurant in the Middle East Rang Mahal by Atul Kochhar. The menu fuses modern flavours with traditional cooking methods.
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tul Kochhar is an Indian born, British based chef, restaurateur and television personality, as well as being one of the most critically acclaimed chefs in Britain for his take on modern Indian cuisine and his reputation for pushing the boundaries of traditional Indian food. He was the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star during his time at Tamarind Restaurant and went on to win a second star with the opening of his first solo venture, Benares restaurant in London in 2007. He was born in Jamshedpur in northern India and began his cooking career at the Oberoi group of hotels in India where he gained a diploma in
Hotel Management and, in 1993, graduated to the five star deluxe Oberoi hotel in New Delhi. Here he worked as a Sous Chef in one of the five restaurants in the hotel supervising a staff of 18 and immediately raising the standards in the kitchen. In 1994, he moved to the fine dining restaurant of renowned chef Bernard Kunig. Then, later that year, he moved to London to open Tamarind Restaurant and in January 2001 at the age of 31, Atul was the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star. The following year Atul extended his profile and experience, joining Marks and Spencer’s as a consultant chef advising on its Indian food range. Atul left Tamarind in August 2002 to set up
Roasted aubergine, peppers and burrata cheese, coriander, garlic and Kasuri salt.
his first independent venture, Benares, which opened in April 2003 and has since come to be regarded as one of the world’s best Indian restaurants. Benares is known for modern Indian cuisine and its delicate use of spices and Atul has been instrumental in changing the perception of Indian food in Britain with his boldly flavoured contemporary cooking. This is strongly reflected in the menu at Benares, which demonstrates Atul’s extensive research as it incorporates dishes from all parts of India. What inspired you to become a chef? What role did food play in your life as a child? When did you first realise that this was the career for you? My father was a great inspiration to my career. HJe was a caterer and really peaked my interest and knowledge for food. I always wanted to be a chef and at one point I decided between medical school and becoming a chef. I knew I had to follow my passion. A year into your career at the Oberoi Group and you were working in fine dining. A year later, you moved to London. What was it about nontraditional Indian cuisine that appealed to you? Non-traditional Indian food always appealed to me because it represented my past and the future I was looking forward to. I cooked with ingredients I loved and that my family introduced to me through their cooking. I also really enjoyed British cuisine and what it has become. I cook dishes that are inspired from India but with British ingredients.
Lamb chops, fennel and Tellicherry pepper marinade.
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On the passe Bringing something new yet familiar to my guests is also something I really enjoy. I love when a guest has a dish of mine at Benares, like my John Dory most Brits are familiar with the fish but not used to the spice combination.
into the profession. Do you think that is changing? What more could be done since surely that’s the way to raise standards across the sector? The way to make sure the quality of Indian food is assured is by having great chefs cook it. I think it’s more about your experience and your pallet as a chef, rather that if you’re Anglo-Indian or Indian. As a chef that is established it is important to also focus on nurturing talent in others and helping them move forward in their career.
To have your restaurant win a Michelin star when only just in your 30s was quite an achievement. Was it something you were consciously working towards? With its heavy French bias, did you think Michelin would ever honour Indian food in such a way? The day after the announcement, you were back behind the stove - did you feel a major responsibility not to fail? I think being a chef, your desire for improvement never ends. I was working towards a great restaurant with interesting and enjoyable cuisine. Winning a Michelin star was a great feeling and enhances your desire to strive for better. I think it also shows that the the Michelin guide is really taking notice of different cuisines and realising how interesting they can be. Indian cuisine is known for being very based in tradition - certain combinations of flavours, certain chaat only for certain times of day. What drove you to modernise it? I grew up on traditional Indian food. It wasn’t so much of a conscious decision to modernise but more of a desire to cook the food I really enjoyed. I love Indian food and Britain has great produce and ingredients.
Despite the popularity of the cuisine and the large NRI population in Dubai, we’ve not seen a great investment in Indian fine dining, apart from Vineet and Sanjeev’s restaurants. Who is Rang Mahal being aimed at in terms of clientele? Rang Mahal is aimed at the people of Dubai. Our offering will appeal to all, as our aim is to be a fun dining restaurant rather than fine dining. We have a beautiful lounge with amazing music and some varied flavours that the UAE has not experienced before. We are serious contenders for some of the best food offerings in Dubai. ‘Cassata’ kulfi, rose chutney, sweet dust.
You’re well known for blending English and Indian styles. Any thoughts on why the French have never adopted Indian spicing despite their colonial past in Pondicherry? The French have such a rich history but I think they know what they like and they know what they are great at. Many French ingredients would go very well with Indian spices but I think they are very prideful on only using national influences.
Like Italian cuisine, the food of India is very regional. Do you feel that by drawing on influences from all across the country, you’re continuing the myth that there’s a single entity called ‘Indian food’? I don’t think that by using inspiration from all over the region it extends the myth that Indian food exists. With globalisation and so many people travelling, influences by region change and combine. I’m bringing it to the UK so essentially it is still Indian.
You were recently at Stars, Food & Art in Amsterdam. As a chef, what do you take away from collaborating with other exceptional chefs with very different styles and influences? I enjoyed Stars, Food & Art tremendously and it was really inspiring to work with different chefs. As chefs we all get caught up in our everyday way of operating and it is very exciting to work with others to learn how someone else does it differently. Whether its a new ingredient or findng a new way to use an ingredient it’s always my favourite part of the job, inspiration!
On a scale of one to ten, how horrified were you at what passed for Indian dishes in the typical British high street Indian restaurant? Indian food has changed dramatically over the years and, yes, it is very different than what it is now. I think the British are more open to Indian food and it has become less ‘Britishised’ making the cuisine better. I’ve spoken to Cyrus Todiwala before about the difficulty of attracting young Anglo-Indian chefs
Most chefs that blend cuisines tend to shy away from the word ‘fusion’. Are you one of them? I cook modern Indian cuisine, so no I don’t use the word fusion. I believe a lot of chefs shy away from it because it can be viewed as an outdated term.
Lime-caught sea bass, green mango and coconut curry, mustard tempered potatoes.
Finally, three ingredients you couldn’t live without? Chilli, coriander and star anise. All very different.
“WINNING A MICHELIN STAR WAS A GREAT FEELING AND ENHANCES YOUR DESIRE TO STRIVE FOR BETTER. I THINK IT ALSO SHOWS THAT THE THE MICHELIN GUIDE IS REALLY TAKING NOTICE OF DIFFERENT CUISINES AND REALISING HOW INTERESTING THEY CAN BE.” 52
Face to face
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Face to face
The need to innovate On a frond of the Palm, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray is never going to attract passing trade - after all, there’s nowhere to go after it! However, for Executive Chef Neil Foster, that provides a challenge: how to satisfy resort guests and how to create a culinary destination for Dubai’s food lovers.
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eil Foster, Executive Chef at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, is passionate about involvement with guests. In fact, he thinks it’s key to the success of the resort hotel. “I’m more at home, I think, in a resort rather than a business hotel,” he says. “You can do so much more and at present I have 100 ideas and I’m very excited about them. The only problem is that I’m ahead of the staff.” The resort is now in its third year of operation and Foster is looking at rolling out a new generation of ideas, with what he calls “a lot of differentiuated product”. At present, he is breaking down outlet by outlet, examining everything from menus to profitability, but he found time to talk to us. What’s the biggest challenge you face? I think not being on the strip. We have to reverse the way people look at us and ensure they come for a day out. Part of that is ensuring that all the outlets on the Palm need to succeed and I think that all the Executive Chefs of the hotels here should have regular culinary meetings so we can really establish the location. We need to talk. I also want my Chefs de Cuisine to really get behind and sell their products - I learned that when I worked in Greece. They shouldn’t wait but need to engage the guests. Is staff development difficult? One thing that really impacts us in Dubai is the mix of different cultures, so there’s somewhat of a challenge of expectations. In the end, it’s all about developing a process of leadership and you need to inspire people so that they really want to come to work. What key developments are you seeing in F&B? There’s certainly a shift towards health and more family oriented offerings. For example, we’ve introduced a special children’s menu in Amala - not your typical kids’ food but a signature menu that also helps to educate them about food. I believe
product are flown in. In common with other chefs, I struggle with delivering seasonal food, given that we can import things but there are ways our buffet fruit bowl, to take a simple example, is seasonal. It’s important for me to spot check deliveries and I want my chefs to have expectations of quality produce.
Luxury style on the Palm. that we should respect the product and don’t over-complicate. I want us to have a reputation for quality, but also help educate the market - brunch, for example, is a perfect opportunity to relate to customers and link them to product and suppliers. We’re also seeing a shift away from fine dining towards ‘slow food’ - a Mediterranean style with warm flavours. I believe now that people who like to eat out probably only go to a fine dining venue every couple of month and the rest of the time they want something simpler, like a perfectly good steak and chips. We’re seeing clients intrigued by menus and wanting to know about traceability. Do you have sourcing issues? We’re trying to use as much locally sourced produce as we can, but I’d say about 80% of
What’s your food story? Did you enjoy it as a kid? I grew up in East London and we used to go to Cornwall for family visits, to a little fishing village called Mevagissey. I was seven or eight and, although I didn’t really understand food, I appreciated it. Mainly as I grew up, I was football mad but I took over my brother’s pot washing job when I was 13 and used just to watch, growing to understand the speed of service. Then, gradually, I got put onto the meat section, then helping with the mise. This was in a 140 seat, classical French restaurant in Essex and I showed interest and got given more responsibility. After a couple of years, I went to Colchester Institiute for training, but I already knew most of it and spent most of six weeks there in the snooker hall!. I went back to the restaurant and the chef told me that he was going to throw me in at the deep end and after two years I might be good enough for London. In fact, it took me three years to prove myself. How did your career progress? I spent a couple of years working around the UK then went travelling - a Greek family for seven months, Napa Valley and so on until I realised it was time to get more focused. I was a junior Sous Chef in the 4-star Westin resort, Costa Navarino in Greece then a Demi Chef de Parrtie at the Waldorf, promoted to Chef de Partie after six months and then Sous Chef after another six month. Do you think young chefs expect too much too soon? Absolutely, but you need to have the foundation in place to have a successful career. Part of my job is recognising talent and helping to develop it.
“I BELIEVE NOW THAT PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO EAT OUT PROBABLY ONLY GO TO A FINE DINING VENUE EVERY COUPLE OF MONTH AND THE REST OF THE TIME THEY WANT SOMETHING SIMPLER, LIKE A PERFECTLY GOOD STEAK AND CHIPS.” 55
Face to face
Blazing a trail While his friends chose between government or banking jobs, Musabbeh Al Kaabi wanted to be a chef. The first Emirati chef, he has since won competitions and been a popular local TV personality. Now, as Executive Oriental Chef at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, he’s spreading the word about modern Emirati cuisine.
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eginning his career as a cook in the UAE Army, Chef Al Kaabi’s resume is impressive: Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, the Dubai World Trade Center, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Jumeirah Zabeel Saray which he joined as Chef de Cuisine in 2001 before taking on his role as Executive Oriental Chef. He’s also appeared on a number of local TV shows including Al Rai TV’s Sufra Khaleejeey‚ Sharjah TV’s Cooking and More and Top Chefs in Lebanon. He was also hailed as the winner of 2012’s Taste of Derby, a celebration of cuisine, racing and style held at the same time as the Kentucky Derby.. When did you want to be a cook? I had enjoyed food and when my friends and I went camping, I was always the one organising the food, buying and cooking it. By the time I was 15, I
“I LOVE TO COOK NEW STYLE ARABIC FOOD - OUR HERITAGE BUT PRESENTED DIFFERENTLY AS I LEARN FROM OTHER CULTURES. ALWAYS, THOUGH, IT MUST HAVE THE LOCAL FLAVOUR - I HAVE MY SECRET MASALA!” 56
Come visit us at Gulfood Hall 1, Stand C1–28 MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE I WWW.VICTORINOX.COM
Face to face knew this was my path and I tried to open the door but there were many challenges. Finally, I managed to get three months training. Were your friends supportive? About two-thirds of them, yes. They said: “Go for it!” The rest couldn’t understand what I was doing and told me that I had everything, a car, money so why bother? But people now have changed their ideas. The UAE is like everywhere else - some people are lazy, others are serious. What was your first real job? I was Second Commis in Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa and I also trained at Emirates Academy. Most of all, I tried to develop myself and so I got other chefs to
help teach me how to cook European food. What is your preferred style? I love to cook new style Arabic food - our heritage but presented differently as I learn from other cultures. Always, though, it must have the local flavour - I have my secret masala! Tell us about the Taste of Kentucky. I was one of nearly 20 chefs and we have to cook for 2,500 guests. I prepared Arabic canapes, trying to teach them a a little about our food. Was I successful? I’m not sure - Americans don’t have the same knowledge our taste and I’m always delivering pure local flavour.
Do you feel an obligation to encourage more local chefs? I think it is happening - already I know of about a dozen - but we do need to increase the number. I believe our food was in a dark corner and if I have helped to bring it under the light then I am happy. You know, about 80% of Arabic food is shared across the Gulf but there is still a fifth that is different here in the Emirates. Most of our main courses are what you can call ‘rice plus’ and our food is made for sharing, for bringing families and friends together. Where else would you like to cook? Spain, I think. I love to travel and I cannot stop learning.
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
“ I BELIEVE OUR FOOD WAS IN A DARK CORNER AND IF I HAVE HELPED TO BRING IT UNDER THE LIGHT THEN I AM HAPPY.” 58
Face to face
Fine or casual? Running a Gordon Ramsay restaurant is a difficult task, given the chef’s quest for quality and the shortness of his temper. Imagine then the pressure of running two of them! However, Mauritian-born Gilles Bosquet seems to be thriving as he moves daily between fine dining Ramsay and casual dining Ramsay.
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he St. Regis Doha offers the widest hotel dining selection in Qatar with ten distinctive outlets, which include two Gordon Ransay branded restaurants: the fine dining Gordon Ramsay Doha and the more casual Opal by Gordon Ramsay Doha. Gordon Ramsay Doha is a modern take on a classical English manor, with ivory whites, greys and accents of warm colour, that is defined by an indoor conservatory furnished with sofas and chairs that reinterpret the classic Chesterfield sofa in contemporary fashion and fabrics. Opal by Gordon Ramsay Doha offers indoor and outdoor
seating with extensive views of the Gulf, with a menu based largely on sharing plates - inspired by Ramsay’s London-based Bread Street Kitchen. Heading up the pair is Ramsay veteran, Chef Gilles Bosquet, who has good experience at onestar The Connaught in London. Born in Mauritius, his other experience includes La Pyramide, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Lyon, plus a French country restaurant, where he was awarded his first star. “I didn’t want to be a chef,” he confesses. Was food important to you as a child? I was born and raised in Mauritius and my mother
was bad in the kitchen, a terrible cook. Combine that with bland Mauritian food - no salt, no taste, everything boiled - and food at home was boring. Although my mother is French, my parents didn’t bother about food - they just ate whatever was in the larder and didn’t source good products. However, at school I was drawn to it. My best friend studied science and played football and that’s what I wanted, but my mother convinced me I was an artist and suggested home economics. My reaction? ‘What, cook quiche and be like a girl? Never!’ Anyway, I started cooking after school - things like omelette with Gruyère - and began spending my pocket money on ingredients like ham and cream to enrich what I was doing. Sounds like a pretty rich diet for a schoolboy! In fact, when I was 16, I developed a really bad knee problem and couldn’t walk. I had gout! The doctor said I had to change my diet and I couldn’t eat eggs, red meat, anything! I had a six month regime of boiled food but I still added chillies or sauce to get some flavour. How did you get into the profession? My father worked in a hotel as a restaurant manager and he told me never to go into service because then you have to depend on the hotel. Instead, he told me that because of my palate and taste, I should go into the kitchen. It was a hard time at culinary school as everyone knew my father and I had a bit of a hard time, but in this profession you need discipline and I learned it. The more you improve, the more you want to and I began to take real pleasure in cooking. Was your first kitchen in Mauritius? No, in Dubai. A friend of my father’s was the GM for the opening of the One&Only The Palace and there were other Mauritians heading up departments, so I moved there as a Commis. I really missed home until my chef one day asked me if I really wanted to learn? We were only working nine hours a day, but I started double shifts without pay and he taught me everything. After two years, I got a promotion and was sent to France for a couple of months’ training - a small stage at the Crion. It made me realise I wasn’t ready for promotion, but I was really impressed by the techniques and the organisation. Finally, aged 23, I made Sous Chef, but I knew I still needed to learn more so, in 1999, I moved to London.
Fine dining.
Where did you work?
“FOR GORDON RAMSAY DOHA, I TOLD GORDON TO LEAVE THE MENU TO ME. ALL HE SAID WAS ‘MAKE SOME GOOD FOOD’. OBVIOUSLY WE WORKED TOGETHER AND I SPENT TIME IN LONDON BUT IT WAS ONLY THIS JANUARY THAT HE VISITED AFTER WE OPENED LAST SPRING! NOW WE’VE INTRODUCED SOME NEW DISHES.” 60
Face to face
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Face to face The Opal concept was already there, based on the Bread Street Kitchen. It’s all about simplicity, sharing and having a good time. You can think of it as street food but made well - for instance, we make our own buns, ketchup and burgers for the classic burger. The only problem I think is that some diners are surprised by the food - they think because it’s a Gordon Ramsay restaurant it must be fine dining. For Gordon Ramsay Doha, I told Gordon to leave the menu to me. All he said was ‘Make some good food’. Obviously we worked together and I spent time in London but it was only this January that he visited after we opened last spring! Now we’ve introduced some new dishes.
Well, my chef in Dubai knew Angela Hartnett from her time at Verre and spoke to her. She found space for me at The Connaught. London was freezing and the pressure was hard. I had one month to prove myself. The Ramsay technique was to allow everyone one spoon and then, to test them, hide it. You have to survive but I really appreciated the discipline, organisation, cleanliness, talent and the final product. It made me realise that this can work anywhere, but it was the hardest I’ve ever worked. Pans flying around. Yelling. We had to know how to take it because if the chef is unhappy, it’s vital to know why. Those times have passed now. You can’t do it that way but, you know, kids sometimes need a good kick. I look back and think, from those days, where is Gordon now? And where am I? If I hadn’t been pushed to the extreme, I wouldn’t be where I am. And your next step? After two years, I had to leave for health reasons. My fault - I wasn’t eating properly because I was cooking all the garnishes and tasting all through service. If you eat before you cook then your palate isn’t right and afterwards you’re no longer hungry. So I moved to La Pyramide, a two-star near Lyon and spent four years there as Sous Chef, including some time in Japan. Finally my chef said: ‘Why not take your own restaurant?’ I took a risk for a small
Casual dining. auberge near Paris where the owner wanted the first star. Well, we both wanted the same thing. That first star says ‘you know how to cook’ and I wanted to know where I was. It took two years based on my own menu. Then I had a call from Gordon asking if I wanted to open in Doha. Can you explain the two different concepts?
Are you working on seasonal menus? It really depends on my suppliers. If they tell me, for example, that they’ve got great oxtail then I’ll adapt a lamb dish. I loved being adaptable - that’s my style and it means that the menu evolves. Supply is a problem here, though. My friend who works at Alain Ducasse’s restaurant here and I speak often and we end up crying about the lack of taste in the produce! There are strict Municipality rules too, such as having to cook everything over 82C, not using sous-vide or not being able to freeze sauces. We spend time trying to educate the officials about fine dining, but the concepts are still quite new in Qatar.
Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon with lemongrass and chervil veloute Ingredients: 300g salmon filet without skin sea salt 50ml double cream 300g lobster meat 150g langoustine meat lemon juice 2g mixed herbs: basil, chervil, coriander Method: 1 Roll pasta dough into thin sheets using a pasta machine. Cut out 12cm rounds with a pastry cutter. 2 Put half of the salmon in the food processor with some salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly add the cream. Transfer to a bowl and cling film it. Fine dice the rest of the seafood and add it the mousse with the mixed chopped herbs. Rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. 3 Place a ball of filling in the centre of each pasta round and brush the edges with some egg wash. Put another pasta round on top of each one and press the edge together to seal them. Make sure that there is no air left in the pasta. Blanch the ravioli for 3 minutes then refresh in ice cool water. 4 To serve, warm up the veloute and a shellfish stock reduction. Cook the ravioli for 4 minutes in boiling water. Spiral the shellfish around a warm plate. Spoon a little warm buttered spinach in the centre of the plate and place the ravioli on top. Add a quenelle of tomato chutney and basil. Pour over the chervil veloute .
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Face to face
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Face to face
Rolling out success With two badged Gordon Ramsay restaurants and now the latest outpost of the award-winning Hakkasan empire, the St Regis Doha is rapidly turning into a major food destination. We talk to the Hakkasan senior management team of the challenges of rolling out a global brand.
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hef Ho Chee Boon is the Internation Development Chef for Hakkasan with a triple responsibility: develop the menu and new dishes, oversee chef hiring and training plus help co-ordinate the roll-out of new branches. Part of the original launch team in London as the Sous Chef, he has recently been dashing between San Francisco and Doha as two new outlets open. How do you approach the opening of a new branch? The usual formula is to have 60% of the menu composed of our signature dishes and 40% made up using more local ingredients and catering to the local taste. So, in Europe the dishes tend to be sweeter, here in the Middle East they’re spicier and in California we’re unable to use foie gras. Part of my job is to be always looking for new ingredients and Doha has been good for that, with organis produce. We always need to consider local produce and local taste, even though we have an overall Hakkasan style. Do you have a fixed schedule for developing new menus, given you’re working on a global level? No, I get new ideas every minute! I love to try new things so I experiment and, after a new dish passes the taste test, then I build up the recipe to suit the restaurant. I like to be able to offer customers something new every time they come back to the restaurant. How did you startt in Hakkasan? I was the company’s y’s first Sous Chef when we opened in London ndon and gradually started to be more e involved - I opened the Moscow branch ch in 2005, because I wanted to see Russia. ussia. Next, I’m opening in Los Angeles ngeles which is a crazy city! We have ve seven new outlets planned so I’m going ing to be busy. What about Asia?? I’d love to go back k to Asia to see how the cuisine is developing. I grew up in Singapore pore - my father was Cantonese and nd my mother Singaporean from m Cantonese roots, so our cuisine ne was always Cantonese
Hakkasan, St Regis Doha.
“I LOVE WESTERN FOOD, BUT CANTONESE IS BEST! WOULD WE TRY OTHER CHINESE STYLES? NO, I DON’T THINK SO. CANTONESE IS LIGHT AND HEALTHY.” which is, of course, the Hakkasan style. My father had a small restaurant and I didn’t go to college, I went to work there. It’s about survival but working there gave me the perfect opportunity to develop a real Cantonese style. How does a new opening work? How did Doha work. Well, Doha was a bit different from usual in that we didn’t have too much time to get ready. I spent some time there, working with the chefs and being a part of the planning team. The key question which impacts the kitchen layout is ‘How many covers?’ So we have to look hard at the local market, which we realised isn’t the size of Dubai or Abu Dhabi which meant we trimmed the menu a bit - we would normally have around 80 dishes but Doha
has ten less than that. What do you eat when you’re not eating Cantonese? I love to try something new. I love Western food, but Cantonese is best! Would we try other Chinese styles? No, I don’t think so. Cantonese is light and healthy. What makes a good chef? Someone hardworking and curious about products - they need to get more knowledge - as well as determined to take Hakkasan to another level. How do Californians find the Hakkasan style given that ‘American Chinese’ food is rather different? They do think Chinese food should be big cheap portions but they also love fusion style, so we’re educating them that we’re delivering fusion not Chinatown food!
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Face to face
View from the top
As key members of the global Hakkasan management team, CEO Niall Howard and COO Didier Souillat are central to the opening of every new Hakkasan outlet. In Doha, they explained how the company’s DNA drives.
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hat do you abscribe Hakkasan’s success to? Niall Howard: We’re all about our chefs - that’s our strength. With them, we use typical Cantonese technique to take Chinese food to a new level. In other words, we’ve taken it from the streets to being on a par with the world’s best cuisines. A comment I heard recently is that we’ve democratised Imperial cuisine and globalised high-end dining that’s true to its roots. Didier Souillat: There’s a certain Hakkasan way of doing things and we spend a lot of time training chefs to understand it. We also continue to manage our restaurants, even when they’re located in a luxury hotel like this, because we need above all to deliver consistency. So, here in Doha, the hotel
built the property and we’ll manage it for a fee, agreeing together on budgets and so on. Success? We’re always a destination restaurant not one that relies on footfall. Do you see the Hakkasan style changing? Howard: No, I don’t think so. There may be a little more diversity but Cantonese cooking is a universal style that people are used to. Souillat: Classic Hakkasan dishes are the same round the world - I think there would be a riot if we changed the duck salad! But spicing varies from location to location and, although Chef Ho does the global menu development, we encourage chefs in each city to create dishes too. We also have one golden rule: our food is for sharing and we never upsell to diners. Where do you find your chefs? Howard: It’s important to us to maintain quality so we mostly source them from Malaysia and Singapore. It would be good to hire from mainland China but they tend there not to be so flexible, but we’d like them to see the possibilities. In the UK and the US, visas are a problem as neither country recognises chefs as skilled people. So talented and intelligent people don’t get the chance to help build the economies - my view is that one chef will help create 100 new jobs. One other issue is that a good wok chef takes several years to train. Do you see competition to Hakkasan? Howard: At one level we see no real global competition but some companies have had some success on a small scale copying us. However, I don’t believe that they’ll become real competitors because they won’t be able to maintain our high quality and if you compromise on that then you compromise your guests. They all fall short.
Siganture Hakkasan style.
How do you choose the new city locations? Howard: We consider global residents and choose their favourite cities. That way, if they enjoy Hakkasan in London, then they’ll enjoy it in Dubai. The challenge I think is that it’s very difficult now to make money with fine dining, so we’ve focused
Didier Souillat on building the brand to build value. we’re lucky in that our investor takes a longer term view than many. He has faith in the concept. Souillat: After Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Doha was a logical choice. There are a lot of good brands here and there’s a great deal of investment going on. The Qataris currently have the highest net worth in the world and, as Niall says, many of the customers we expect are already ours. Souillat: We spend a lot of time preparing a new opening. The regional GM has been here for six months and the management team for three. Our Egyptian restaurant manager here ran Jumeirah Madinat in Dubai, worked for the royal family and then managed Hakkasan in Dubai. The main difference between Doha and other outlets is that we’ve used a different designer although certain signature elements like the blue bar are in place. What do you think Hakkasan does wrong? Howard: Perhaps our only danger is that we’ve expanded too fast. Souillat: I think maybe not going local enough and trying to run everything from head office. However, we have a formula that we know works it evolves but keeps the Hakkasan DNA.
“WE CONSIDER GLOBAL RESIDENTS AND CHOOSE THEIR FAVOURITE CITIES. THAT WAY, IF THEY ENJOY HAKKASAN KASAN IN LONDON, THEN THEY’LL ENJOY IT IN DUBAI.” - Niall Howard
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Travel
The top ten nine food destinations
Chefs love to travel - a break from service, new ingredients to try in markets and loads of different food to eat! But where are the top destinations? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start a great food debate! And do tell us what country youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d add as the tenth to the list. Vietnam? Brazil? The Philippines? Malaysia? Sri Lanka? Maybe even the UK! 68
Travel
China Headline reason: Food of the Emperiors meets peasant cooking and the result is endless invention and surprises. When a country’s normal greeting is ‘Have you eaten yet?’, you know food is a national obsession. Centuries of poverty and natural catastrophes have meant that the Chinese have needed to be continually inventive about what to eat, leading to the belief that they will eat anything with its back to the sky and legs apart from a table. Insects. Snakes. Sea cucumbers. Chicken feet. It’s all in the kitchen mix in China. Best of all, distinct regional cuisines mean that the food can be a real voyage of discovery - for anyone used to Westernised Chinese food, the reality of a graze between street food vendors and share with everyone banquets will be an eye opener. Thumbs up: Sweet and sour dishes, often with intriguing extras like caramelised walnuts. Dim sum. Stir fries. Peking duck. Thumbs down: Shark’s fin soup.
France Headline reason: Locavores, carbon minimum daily shopping and traceability enshrined in regulation help make this the most highly regarded cuisine of them all. The days of two hour lunch breaks in the working day, three course meals with wine and a proud tradition of home cooking may be disappearing under the pressure of modern business, but the French still regard food as one of the greatest pleasures and take a chauvinistic pride in the quality and provenance of their products. Even microwaveable meals in the local mini market are likely to have been designed by a Michelin chef. And, of course, the heights of French gastronomy seem unsurmountable to many other countries,
with leading chefs honoured by governments and the media alike. Food and cuisine are serious businesses. However, for those who think of French food as just haute cuisine, it will be revelatory to discover how dishes as simple as cassoulet or steak frites can be sublime when ingredients are well chosen and cooked with love. Thumbs up: Cheese, of course. Bread. Patisseries. Plates of shellfish. Perfectly cooked frites. Well, just about everything. Thumbs down: Foie gras - already banned in California and now increasingly an industrial rather than artisanal product.
Greece Headline reason: The Perfect Mediterreanean diet before it became fashionable to eat one. Forget the economic woes, it’s possible to eat well, healthily and cheaply in Greece. Blue seas, white houses, sleepy dogs in the sun Greece is a photographer’s paradise. It’s also a food lover’s paradise, if you’re into simple food served with a generosity of spirit. Olive oil is the key and Greece can lay claim to giving the world democracy and a healthy way of eating thanks to its oil. Thumbs up: Olive oil. Grilled fish drizzled with lemon. Feta salad. Thumbs down: Retsina - a very acquired taste.
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Japan Headline reason: Ferociously fresh fish and inventive plating and food service make every meal a delight. There’s only rule to remember in Japan: the sushi or ramen chef knows more than you do. He’s trained for years. He is not going to make substitutions in dishes that remain unchanged for years. He will not tolerate rudeness. The restaurant, even if it only seats six, is his domain and you are there on sufferance. That said, it is almost impossible to eat badly in Japan. The desire for the freshest of ingredients and the specialisation and high skill levels of chefs mean that food is constructed with the attention to detail that the Japanese bring to electronic consumer goods. While markets will present you with an array of products that seem incomprehensible, you will never be bored. Thumbs up: Sushi. Sashimi. Tempura. Sake. Thumbs down: Nare-zushi - the original form, where the fish is fermented.
India Headline reason: The most misunderstood cuisine by many, so think vegetarian snacks rather than butter chicken. There is no such thing as Indian food. Instead, there’s Keralan or Goan or Kashmiri or Andran and so on. Imagine a mix of religions, invaders, colonials and a population mired in centuries of rural poverty and you begin to get some idea of the richness of the foods you’ll find in India, from the heavy dishes of the north-west to the Portuguese dishes in Goa and so on. And don’t forget the masterful use of spices - the food won’t always be
hot, but it will be flavourful. Restaurant eating is a reasonably new trend in India - most food is served at home or collected as packets from small canteens. However, a new generation of chefs are pushing the envelope and it’s now easy to eat interestingly in top end hotels, although for taste and excitement you’re probably better off eating on the street. Thumbs up: Dhal. Dosa. Snacks with masala chai. Thumbs down: ‘Indian’ Chinese food.
Italy Headline reason: Simple food based on regional tastes, this has become most people’s go-to restaurant food. Like India, there is no national cuisine of Italy. The West’s ubiquitous desire to offer pasta and pizza on the same menu or cappuccinos anytime after breakfast horrifies most Italians. As well as localism, Italians expect their restaurants to specialise. Want a pizza? Then go to a pizzeria Like most of the great cuisines, the regional ones of Italy grew out of poverty and the need to stretch ingredients as far as possible. Food in Italy is sociable and tasty and when eaten in location will be a revelation. Above all, remember that Italy was where the Slow Food movement began. Take your time. Food here is history and culture. It’s also delicious. Thumbs up: Ragu. Pizza. Gelati. Salami. Soft cheeses. Thumbs down: Tripe sandwiches.
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Spain Headline reason: The Spanish seem to have invented grazing with tapas. Many of us secretly wish we could eat like Spaniards: a good lunch, a nice siesta, a couple of hours work, half the evening bar hopping to sample tapas and then a late night blow out. Then do the whole thing again tomorrow. Even better Spanish chefs, after too long being held back, have revolutionsised the cuisine, combining the people’s passion with a boldness of experimentation.
Nothing is off the table, you could say. Although Catalan has been seen as the torch bearer for the new Spanish cuisine, chefs all over Spain are busy combining great local produce with Moorish influences and modern molecular experimentation. Thumbs up: Saffron. Jamon Iberico. Gazpacho. Tapas. Thumbs down: Impossible to eat before 9pm!
Mexico Headline reason: Many of our favourite ingredients from chillies to avocadoes originated here. What many people think of as Mexican food is more properly Tex-Max. The original is bold, bright, highly flavoured and simple. With a reasonable small handful of ingredients, the Mexican chef rings endless variants of enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas with foods from avocado to tomato, lime to garlic that are super healthy. Thumbs up: Mole.Tamales. Chillies. Thumbs down: Tosdadas.
Thailand Headline reason: From the revived royal cuisine to the insanity of street carts, Thai food in situ is stunning. Simple ingredients. Simple techniques. Maximum flavour. That’s the secret to Thai cooking. As well as a willingness to throw everything they can into a dish - even the simplest soup can have 20 or more ingredients! That, of course, is why Thai dishes have such complexity of flavour, combined with the Thai love for food that is fit spicy, sour, salty and sweet all at once. In some ways, Thai cuisine can be seen as an amalgam of the cuisines of China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma. However, it remains unique and is wonderfully addictive, though Thai cooks have a tendency to hold back on the chillies for Western customers. Thumbs up: Lemongrass. Galanga. Kaffir lime leaves. Bird’s eye chillies. Tom yam. Som tam. Thumbs down: Watered down dishes for non-Thai diners.
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The last word
E
CF France (Ecotel Chomette Favor) is the largest hotel and catering supplies company in Europe, with 40 cash-andcarry warehouses in France and a history going back half a century. So it was a natural choice ten years ago when RAK Porcelain CEO Dr Khater Massad was looking for a strong European distribution partner. The relationship became an alliance between the two companies resulting in Restofair RAK, which now represents brands like Cambro, Eternum, Arcoroc, JVD, Hokare, Chef&Sommelier, Comatec, WNK, Craster, Tiger, De Buyer, Peugeot, Staub and many others. It specialises in turnkey supplies to the hotel and catering industry with over 7,000 products available ex-stock from France and UAE. “I think we have two key components to our success,” explains Raphael Saxod, MD of Restofair RAK. “There’s the combination of a major European supplier and a major local manufacturer, plus the ability for chefs and others to come and collect stock off the shelves.” When the company started, it mainly targeted the project market and any order of any size was welcomed. Now, with a very large inventory - “We really have stock!” boasts Saxod - an increasing number of staff from 4- and 5-star properties are visiting the warehouse, from procurement managers looking for replacement stock in bulk to chefs looking for inspiration in new product lines, especially of tableware. “We have access to millions of pieces of porcelain, 400,000 glasses, 200,000 cutlery items and many more items,” Saxod says. “In fact, chefs can find just about any equipment they need from us, apart from large items such as ovens and other floor-standing products. However, if it’s counter-top equipment, then we stock it.” At present, the warehouse carries more than 4.000 seperate product lines, with more being added every month. The warehouse and connected shop are purely for trade. “You can look on us as a cash-andcarry or factory outlet, fully dedicated to hotels and restaurants. Porcelain is our most successful seller and, in some ways, you can see us as RAK Porcelain’s trade sales arm,” Saxod says. Although Restofair RAK also supplies catering companies and institutions, it is the large hotel groups that are its primary target, with Hilton, Rotana, Accor, Marriott, Jumeirah and Starwood amongst its customer base. “I’d say that 85% of our business is with hotels and restaurants,” Saxod adds. A large part of the company’s business is replacement orders, but Restofair RAK will also customise and source particular products. Saxod points out that holding stock is not enough - “You need lots of experience in this industry and you need to choose the right quality products.”
Off the shelf A discrete warehouse in Dubai’s industrial area holds a treat that more and more fine dining chefs are discovering: an Aladdin’s cave of hotel and catering supplies available ex stock. We talk to Restofair RAK’s MD Raphael Saxod about the changing face of the supplies industry.
Stock on hand.
“CHEFS CAN FIND JUST ABOUT ANY EQUIPMENT THEY NEED FROM US, APART FROM LARGE ITEMS SUCH AS OVENS AND OTHER FLOOR-STANDING PRODUCTS.” - Raphael Saxod
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