< PreviousAt FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar we honour the US Midwest’s tra- dition of charcoal, wood oven, and open fl ame cooking, where smoke and fi re enhance the homegrown fl avours. When coming here you can expect a cut of barbecued greatness in the middle of Dubai. It’s important that the team has a good communication and tries to support each other with their daily challenges and duties. Understanding plays a big role. This is also one of the reasons we put a heavy focus on identifying the right people. The goal was to become the new local within the neighbourhood and this is how we have set our price range. We would like to create the family vibe, returning guests, familiar faces — that’s what creates the homecoming feeling. What is unique about FireLake and how does it compare to its competitors in the market? How do the front-of-house and back-of-house support each other? How is the pricing strategy justified? With a concept born in the US, but with touches closer to home, it provides us with such a wide scope when it comes to menus. We are essentially a casual modern American restaurant with infl u- ences from across the US and the Middle East. From the beginning of the restaurant we identifi ed that having a coherent and unifi ed team was key to becoming a success. The biggest part for me was having everybody understand each other roles, know the challenges each of us faced, and learning things outside of your usual job. We set out to establish FireLake as a neighbourhood restaurant and feel that the pricing fi ts in with that vision. Our prices are set to encourage customers to come two or three times a week. FLAMEGRILLED HEAD TO HEAD David Allen, hotel general manager Adam Tracey, executive chef At Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront, FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar provides American-inspired live cooking for its guests. The hotel GM and executive chef tell us how they do it One of our key focal points is ensuring that we keep on track with the market, recognise the new trends while ensuring that our quality is on a high standard. It is about understanding what your guests want and identifying your market. What do you do to ensure the outlet is profitable? From a food point of view we work closely with our suppliers to ensure we get the right quality products at a cost which suits our restaurant. Also, with smoking and live fi re a key element of the food we are able to work with less glamourous cuts of meat and fi sh. What are the biggest challenges you face? What does the future of FireLake look like? Dubai continues to grow its restaurant and bar scene. The city is full of great off ers so it’s always a challenge to develop a loyal crowd and build brand loyalty with customers. FireLake combines the best mid-west traditions of open-fl ame cooking and the art of cocktail creation, not to forget its fantastic Burj Khalifa view from our terrace. The saturation of the food and drink scene in Dubai is probably one of our biggest challenges. With so much competition and the changing face of Dubai means it is harder and harder to attract customers. It’s a great place to spend your weekends or end your day with a drink. It’s also a stunning location for private parties and corporate functions. We have seen an increase in requests and look into the future positively. Head-to-Head FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar Caterer Middle East | June 2019 www.caterermiddleeast.com 10/What attracted you to the posi- tion of executive sous chef? I have worked under the Four Seasons umbrella in Riyadh, KSA, and respect the brand the hotel has built. F&B is a major USP at all properties and each outlet caters the ultimate dining experience to their target clientele, regardless of cuisine and location. Dubai is famous for its burgeon- ing dining scene, especially the DIFC area with a plethora of the best eateries in the city, so it was an attractive challenge. The opportunity to work under a Mina Group restaurant, and bring my Mediterranean take on an American, French-inspired brasserie is just what I needed to push me to the next chapter of my career. Now here is a chance to learn and contribute to the patronage of a renowned global chef, in a dynamic location, with one of the best hotel chains in the world. How have your past experiences lent themselves to your exper- tise in this role? With over 19 years of culinary experi- ence under my belt, most of which was spent traversing various Italian kitchens, I was able to sharpen my skills both with technique and manipulating ingredients. Food is a passion that runs deep within my veins. It’s all I have ever known watch- ing my grandfather, father, and uncle run their own restaurant businesses, so there is some business acumen I picked up along the way as well. Coming into an already successful establishment and raising the bar even further can be a task, but it is one I am prepared for and excited to undertake. Nicola Rossi, executive sous chef, MINA Brasserie THE BIG CLIMB What are you most looking for- ward to as part of this new role? To learn as well as build a team that I can teach. Even as an executive sous chef, you are always learning, adapting, and growing. I want to cultivate my skills while mentoring a team that I can help reach their own professional goals, all the while working towards taking MINA Brasserie to new heights. The menu is already a big hit, and I’d love to add some Mediterranean fare along the way. How do you intend to increase the popularity of MINA Brasserie? The venue is already known and loved within the city, so cus- tomers can rely and depend on what is in store for them at MINA Brasserie — a true, blue dining experience. They key is to change things up — not to the point of shock but to keep things new, interesting, and exciting. This allows me to engage with my team, exchange knowledge, and apply certain elements, be it menu items, service, or presentation, and work in adherence to the Mina Group and Four Seasons standards — that is putting the cus- tomer first. Establishments sometimes fail to listen to their audience. I am here to listen and give them what they want and hopefully more! Can you share your thoughts on sustainability issues? Is there anything you and MINA Bras- serie will be doing to improve sustainability? MINA Brasserie does take steps towards sustainability; for example, we use fruit rinds and residues to create some of the signature cocktails. We also use seasonal fi sh in our seafood dishes to avoid the epidemic of over-fi shing. All are eff orts to minimise waste and become more sus- tainable. Greater steps are in the pipeline and we are just working out how to do this whilst not compromising on quality and experience. What is your favourite thing about the brand? The perfect balance between being a celebrity chef concept and maintaining international Four Seasons standards. It is the perfect partnership and balance, and a great career graph for any chef. I like ev- erything about the brand in general, from the vibe — that is as classic and sophisti- cated as it is modern and youthful — to the cuisine, which is an ode to Michael Mina’s gastronomical genius. EVEN AS AN EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF, YOU ARE ALWAYS LEARNING, ADAPTING, AND GROWING. I WANT TO CULTIVATE MY SKILLS WHILE MENTORING A TEAM THAT I CAN HELP REACH THEIR OWN PROFESSIONAL GOALS” Nicola Rossi has been appointed as the new execu- tive sous chef at MINA Brasserie in Dubai. ROSSI PREVIOUS- LY WORKED WITH FOUR SEASONS IN RIYADH AND HAS OVER 19 YEARS OF CULINARY EX- PERIENCE UNDER HIS BELT People Caterer Middle East | June 2019 www.caterermiddleeast.com 12/ AppointmentsJAMES THOMPSON, Director of F&B, Fairmont Dubai Fairmont Dubai has appointed James Thompson to the role of director of food and beverage. With over 22 years of experience in prestigious hotels and restaurants in the United Kingdom and UAE, Thompson will oversee all the hotel’s F&B operations. The iconic hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road has also recently appointed Renald Epie as its executive chef. Prior to joining Fairmont Dubai, Thompson had spent over a decade in the UAE at both Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel. At the latter he was responsible for the successful relaunch of its 21 F&B outlets following its renovation. CHRISTOPHER LUBK, Director of F&B, Me- dia One Dubai Media One hotel in Dubai’s Media City has appointed Christopher Lubk to the role of director of food and beverage. Lubk has been a resident of Dubai for the past 13 years since starting out as a waiter in Jumeirah Group’s Al Muntaha restaurant in Burj Al Arab. He went on to work with a variety of illustrious names in the hospitality industry including IHG, Atlantis, Bayan Tree, and Kempinski. Speaking on his appointment, Lubk said: “I am delighted to be a part of the Media One team, there’s something so special about this hotel, it has an edge and offers some- thing unique in the market. I can’t wait to watch the hotel continue to grow and remain one of the most prominent in the region.” Lubk has a Bachelors in Hotel Management from SRH Hotel Akademie in Dresden, Germany. MOVERS & SHAKERS www.caterermiddleeast.com /13 June 2019 | Caterer Middle East Cover Feature Caterer Middle East | June 2019 www.caterermiddleeast.com 14/ Michael Ellis The key is F&B With Jumeirah Group aiming to become the “Emirates of the hospitality industry globally”, CEO Jose Silva handpicked former Michelin Guide director Michael Ellis as the man to make its F&B the jewel in its crown. Six months into his task, Simon Ritchie sat down with the group’s chief culinary offi cer to attract visitors to Jumeirah’s hotels. “One of my key objectives is to elevate the overall dining experience at the Ju- meirah Group,” he tells me. “To make the dining a keystone of what we offer.” With 62 food concepts across Dubai, Ellis already accepts that Jumeirah’s “restaurant outlets are a very important part of the Dubai dining scene”, and his first six months have involved visiting all of the outlets “and having a look as I would when I was at the Michelin Guide”. In other words, checking if they satisfy the five criteria above. And so far, so good, apparently. “I’ve been very, very surprised, agreeably so, at how good the level is here at Jumei- rah,” he says. But there’s always room for improve- ment. “Another of my goals was to attract some of the best talent in the world toward Jumeirah. Jumeirah is very well known here in the Middle East, espe- cially in Dubai, but I think the brand is not quite as well known outside of the Middle East so what I’ve been doing is go- The first big decision of Mi- chael Ellis’s f ledgling Jumei- rah Group career has taken place. British chef Nathan Outlaw is out at Al Mahara. Three chefs with experience at Michelin- starred restaurant experience are in to rejuvenate the Burj Al Arab’s offerings. It’s exactly why Ellis was hired. As a former international director of the star- setting Michelin Guide, he has fi rst-hand knowledge of what gives restaurants that special something to make them stand out. To become Michelin-starred, restau- rants must fulfil five criteria based on: quality of the ingredients used, mastery of f lavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money, and consistency be- tween visits. There are no Michelin-starred restau- rants in Dubai — because the guide isn’t here yet. But Ellis’s task is to ensure that when it does come, Jumeirah’s restau- rants are ready for it. And until then, that their quality is spoken of widely enough www.caterermiddleeast.com /15 June 2019 | Caterer Middle East Michael Ellis Cover FeatureCaterer Middle East | June 2019 www.caterermiddleeast.com 16/ ing around talking to some of the people I knew in my past life and encourag- ing them to come and with us here in Jumeirah — and I think I’ve been quite successful in that.” The result is Francky Semblat, Kim Joinie-Maurin, and Kasper Kurdahl all joining the Burj Al Arab. All highly experienced, between them they have led restaurants with seven Michelin stars. Now they will form the core culinary team at Jumei- rah Group’s shining light, and Ellis be- lieves they can reverse Dubai’s fortunes in fine-dining. He explains: “Dubai is not consid- ered today as a fine-dining destination. People do not come to Dubai as they would go to Paris or Tokyo or New York or Hong Kong. Today that’s definitely true. However, I do think there’s a place for that, I know today there’s a place for that, and that’s in Jumeirah’s Burj Al Arab Hotel.” Recruiting both internationally and locally, Ellis says the ultimate goal is to create a “great team” because “great food is about great teamwork, it’s about hav- ing the right people in place. It’s about having chefs who have charisma, who have leadership skills, who are able to infuse the team with enthusiasm, to be able to transmit knowledge, show them how to do things. So we bring people from outside but also elevate those people we have from within our teams. We think we have never been stronger.” The appointment of Ellis to take Jumeirah’s F&B to the next level should have given the rest of the team a boost. To have someone of his calibre and with his CV at the rudder must have breathed new life into the group? Ellis thinks so. “I think that what we’re seeing is a new energy, a new dynamic within the F&B department. Our staff members are excited about what we’re doing, they’re enthusiastic about our ability to elevate the F&B offering, to make it that much more of a something that people come for.” And, he says, it’s happening already. “We’re obviously very impatient to see things change. I do think we’re already seeing quite a bit of incremental change throughout the group. I think the overall levels virtually everywhere are improv- ing, and we’ll continue to do that.” So how exactly is the Jumeirah Group going about that? What are the steps you need to take to improve your concepts? Step one is the food itself. “I learned at the Michelin Guide how important ingre- dients are. How product is so important. I want to help our chefs come up with the best products, to use the supply chain and find the best producers. “I’ve started to take a close look at some of the locally sourced, organically produced produce and there’s quite a bit. Our conversations with the producers have been very fruitful. They’ve made it clear to us that if the demand is there they are able to increase their supply, so that’s very encouraging. In terms of locally produced fish on the coast, there’s quite a bit of aquaculture going on. Also oysters being grown in Dibba. So we’ll be able to integrate an important part of locally pro- duced and environmentally friendly produced product in our recipes in a short period of time.” The availability of this fresh produce in the region means Ellis isn’t concerned about being located in the arid Middle East, saying it hasn’t hampered the group’s search for ingredients. Cover Feature Michael Ellis I THINK THAT WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS A NEW ENERGY, A NEW DYNAMIC WITHIN THE F&B DEPARTMENT. OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING, THEY’RE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO ELEVATE THE F&B OFFERING” Rockfi sh, where Caterer Middle East met Michael Ellis for his interview.www.caterermiddleeast.com /17 June 2019 | Caterer Middle East “We have the advantage here at Jumei- rah Group of being one of the largest, if not the largest, hotel groups in Dubai,” he tells me. “We have the purchasing power and the contacts and the pull to access virtually all of the products that we want. I’m quite sure we’re always looking to do better but we’re quite satisfied.” Ellis admits, however, that to take his restaurants to the level expected of them by CEO Jose Silva, more will be required. He says: “To be successful in Dubai, having good food is necessary but not sufficient. It has to be an experience, people have to be comfortable. It’s about look and feel, it’s about the way you’re sitting, it’s about the lights, it’s about the music, it’s about the service, it’s about the welcome. The entire experience needs to be something that’s memorable and needs to be something that people want to come back for.” And for Jumeirah it’s about reaching the broad and transient Dubai community. “We obviously cater for our hotel guests but we also want to continue to welcome people from the outside community, whether they are local expats, the Emirati community, or guests staying at other hotels. We’re going to contribute to having unique restaurants that offer great guest experiences and a good time.” Having written about experiential din- ing in last month’s issue, I ask Ellis if that’s a road he wants to take Jumeirah down, citing the likes of Fairmont Dubai’s Noire: Dining in the Dark. Unsurprisingly for someone engrained in the classical Michelin structure, it’s a firm no. “I think there’s a fine line be- tween experience dining and gimmicks, if I can say it like that. “I certainly encourage any restaurant and entrepreneur if they think that’s what people want then by all means give it to them. At the end of the day the consumer will decide what they want. I don’t think we’re going down that road. We have put significant investment into the interiors, into the design, into the look and feel of our restaurants. That’s part of the dining experience. We think that we have a very attractive offering in terms of the environ- ment that we can offer guests and as the cuisine continues to be elevated, we are convinced the experience will be a very positive one.” It will need to be exceptionally posi- tive to make the Michelin Guide take notice. Back in 2016, Ellis told the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) that the guide would be in Dubai ‘very soon’. Three years later and there’s still no sign of it. Perhaps Dubai’s scene just isn’t good enough for it? “Obviously I’m no longer part of the Michelin organisation,” he says. “But I can say this. I’m still in contact with them and the evolution of the dining scene in Dubai gets better and better ev- ery year. The number of restaurants that are opening every year is phenomenal. The number of new chefs, both who are here already and who are coming from abroad, is amazing. So I’ll repeat what I said at GRIF: It’s only a matter of time before the Michelin Guide arrives here.” It’s Ellis’s job to make sure Jumeirah is ready when the time comes. Michael Ellis Cover Feature Jumeirah Group CEO Jose Silva with Burj Al Arab's three new executive chefs. Al Mahara no longer bears Nathan Outlaw's nameThe Final Countdown As the 11th Caterer Middle East Awards edges ever closer, let’s take a look at the shortlisted nominees hoping to take home a prestigious trophy It’s the highlight of our year here at Caterer Middle East and the hun- dreds of nominations and countless follow up messages we receive tell us how much the Caterer Middle East Awards mean to you. Now in its 11th year, we are continuing to recognise and celebrate excellence in the F&B industry, and it’s a pleasure to showcase the nominees who have made it through to the fi nal. That alone is deserving of respect and our judges faced an almost impossible task in whittling each category down to just one winner. A huge thank you to them: Michael Kitts, Rebecca Sturt, Emma Banks, Reif Oth- man, Duncan Fraser-Smith, Tyrone Reid, Sunjeh Raja, and Samantha Wood. They gave up a signifi cant portion of their time to ensure a fair and thorough judging process WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Caterer Middle East Awards 2019 • Venue: JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai • Date: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 • Website: www.caterermiddleeast. com/awards • For table bookings: Contact Teri Dunstan at teri.dunstan@itp.com • For sponsorship opportuni- ties: Contact: Emma Barnett at emma.barnett@itp.com. and we couldn’t do these awards without their expert knowledge of the industry. We also couldn’t do it without the sup- port of the industry itself, so a huge thank you to all who entered and if you didn’t quite make it this year then hopefully you will go out and have an even bigger 2019 and be back in contention in 2020. The winners will be unveiled at the Ca- terer Middle East Awards dinner at the JW Marriott Marquis on June 18. You don’t want to miss what will surely be an amazing night supporting this lively and thriving sector. You can still book tables by contacting Teri Dunstan at teri. dunstan@itp.com or for sponsorship opportunities contact Emma Barnett at emma.barnett@itp.com. Good luck to all the fi nalists and we look forward to seeing you on the night. This year's judging panel. Last year's winners. Caterer Awards 2019 Shortlisted Nominees Caterer Middle East | June 2019 18/ www.caterermiddleeast.comBAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR BAR TEAM OF THE YEAR Cafe Artois and Bridgewater Tavern JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Mercury Lounge Four Seasons Resort Dubai Jumeirah Beach Garden on 8 Media One Dubai The Rooftop at folly by Nick & Scott Madinat Jumeirah Hidden Bar Rosewood Abu Dhabi Treehouse Taj Dubai Lock, Stock & Barrel Rixos Premium JBR Dubai Zero Gravity Dubai Amit Khindri Beverage manager Maiden Shanghai Jorge Fernandes Outlet manager Porters English Pub Anand Nanjan Bar manager Madinat Jumeirah Keegan Payne Bar manager Barbary Egor Petrov Bar manager NEOS Night Lounge Mariano Ricciari Assistant bar manager MINA Brasserie Ioan Bucurenciu Bar manager, Maison Mathis 'Arabian Ranches' & Le Petit Belge 'Motor City' Nandar Ko Ko Win Assistant bar manager Zero Gravity Shortlisted Nominees Caterer Awards 2019 /19 June 2019 | Caterer Middle East www.caterermiddleeast.comNext >