< PreviousSaudi Arabia caterermiddleast.com January 2020 20 In October last year, Saudi Arabia opened its doors to the world with a glitzy marketing campaign showcasing the country’s diverse landscapes as it allowed tourist visas for the fi rst time. It’s just one of a range of moves by Saudi’s leadership to modernise the country and make it more palatable for foreign investment, and it has made the region’s F&B industry sit up and take notice. While the likes of Riyadh and Jeddah have long lagged behind Dubai in terms of quantity and quality of restaurants, that could be about to change. Saudi’s Vision 2030 campaign aims to make the country a thriving and vibrant modern society, with a number of initiatives underway to achieve that. The launch of Saudi Seasons cultural events have been used as a springboard for many familiar brands to make moves into the Kingdom. La Petite Maison, Gaia, and Scalini are all household names in Dubai that have held pop-ups in Riyadh or Jeddah over the past 12 months. La Petite Maison global operations director Nicolas Budzynski tells us he was surprised at how many people already knew the brand in the country, saying: “We knew LPM had many fans in Saudi Arabia, but we could not have imagined how big the following was until we opened our pop-up restaurant. On average, the pop-up has had 220-250 covers a night in a 70 cover restaurant and 99% of the guests are already very familiar with LPM. Guests will come in and order without even looking at the menu.” The French Mediterranean restaurant has plans to open a permanent location in Riyadh in 2020, and is far from the "If I build a successful brand in Jeddah, I’ll go into Riyadh much stronger " only brand to do so. Bulldozer Group founder Evgeny Kuzin told Caterer Middle East last year that it plans to move all of its concepts to the Kingdom, while Sunset Hospitality is in the middle of taking Black Tap and Luigia over. The growth of the F&B scene naturally means more competition for the brands already established in Saudi, including Japanese concept Okku which moved from Dubai to Riyadh at the end of 2018. As one of the fi rst international F&B brands to enter Saudi, Okku has a headstart and has been a pioneer in introducing live music and entertainment to the country’s fi ne dining scene. But general manager Yauheni Piatrou is wary that the population’s choices are about to get wider with the introduction of not just new restaurants to the country. He says: “Since the Saudi government has eased its cultural rules and customs, we will be observing more and more international entertainment options entering the market such as cinemas, lounges, and concerts, in addition to F&B outlets. Obviously, any newcomers will create a buzz and people want to try them out which will negatively effect on our sales.” Piatrou admits that in the short term this will have a “big impact” but believes customer loyalty due to Okku’s level of service and food will win them back. Having been raised in the Saudi capital, one Dubai-based restaurateur is looking beyond Riyadh for his next venture. Samer Hamadeh is set to open his second Akiba Dori outlet in Jeddah, outmanoeuvring the bigger brands. “Obviously everyone is rushing to 33 million people live in Saudi Arabia, making it the most populous country in the GCC For F&B operators, this makes the kingdom a very attractive prospect. Akiba Dori is opening in JeddahSaudi Arabia 21 January 2020 caterermiddleast.com The end of segregation Saudi Arabia has long had gender segregation in its restaurants, with single men and families having to enter through different entrances. However, the rules had been unoffi cially relaxed in recent times and in December, 2019 the ministry of municipalities declared that it was now entirely up to restaurants themselves if they wished to remain gender segregated, ushering in a new era. Riyadh but I grew up in Riyadh and I know the dynamics well,” he explains. “If I build a successful brand in Jeddah, I’ll go into Riyadh much stronger than coming straight from Dubai. The logic being that Riyadh residents tend to vacation in Jeddah — and Jeddah residents vacation outside the country.” Hamadeh hopes the citizens of Saudi’s second city will be already familiar with his brand, with the only difference from his Dubai restaurant being the lack of alcohol — but with Akiba Dori also set to open an unlicensed venue in Dubai, he doesn’t believe it’s an integral part of the concept. But as the international brands pick their spots, Samantha Wood, founder of impartial restaurant review website www.foodiva.net, visited the country following the introduction of tourist visas and believes it’s local restaurants that Even fast food outlets were previously segregatedSaudi Arabia caterermiddleast.com January 2020 22 New talent Japanese restaurant Okku launched in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai before making the move to Saudi Arabia in 2018. It was one of the fi rst inter- national fi ne-dining concepts in the country, but, general manager Yauheni Piatrou says they won't be alone for long. "We are expecting Nobu, Hakassan, Coya, Chotto Matte and some others to enter the market next year."Saudi Arabia 23 January 2020 caterermiddleast.com Shawarmer success Homegrown QSR brand Shawarmer has seen accel- erated growth in recent times as it reached the 100 outlet mark. But it hasn't just been in Riyadh and Jed- dah, with co-founder and CEO Abdulmohsin Al Rabiah highlighting other areas as holding real potential. He says: "Over the past fi ve years we've opened more than 25 restaurants in Saudi's Western Province, including multiple outlets in Makkah." can contribute to Saudi’s F&B scene earning a global reputation. Wood says: “For a country to develop a strong and mature food identity with personality, it needs to draw upon its food culture. Saudi Arabia has six distinct provinces, each with a number of regions, boasting indigenous ingredients and fl avours. They should continue to drive Saudisation with the development of more culinary schools and international cooking scholarships — adding to the existing Zadk school and Le Cordon Bleu partnership. All this combined will pave the way for the development of homegrown concepts, especially those that specialise in Saudi and broader Middle Eastern cuisine. That’s what will set the dining scene apart, not just from its Gulf neighbours, but also internationally.” Having opened 110 stores in 20 years, 50% of which opened in the past three years, Shawarmer is an example of a Saudi success story. Despite operating in a QSR market already popular with Western brands such as McDonald’s and KFC, its focus on a classic Middle Eastern product has set it apart. Shawarmer co-founder and CEO Abdulmohsin Al Rabiah believes the brand is well-placed to continue its meteoric rise in a country where 70% of the population are under 30 and the workforce now includes the traditional homemakers, women. He tells Caterer Middle East that “across all sectors, Saudi families are putting greater value on and demanding new levels of convenience and service. They expect companies to help enable this new convenience culture without compromising on quality and price. That trend benefi ts brands like Shawarmer that have invested heavily in new technologies and services that elevate the overall customer experience in our restaurants while improving speed, convenience and on-demand access to our products.” This new demographic of customers will pose a challenge for companies hoping to import brands direct from other markets, and Okku’s Piatrou admits that the “average Saudi customer is not knowledgeable in food compared to UAE or Western customers”, while noting that 80% of Okku’s patrons are “affl uent, well-educated, and frequent travellers”. It’s why many top brands have called upon Compass Project Management to help them build pop-ups to get the lay of the land in the country, with director Luke Sommerville saying that “the operators are then taking the plunge and opening up fully-fl edged venues, due to the market demand.” That’s exactly what La Petite Maison did, according to Budzynski: “We saw it as a great opportunity to better understand the dynamic of the market in order to make better strategic choices for next year. We will open our fi rst Saudi restaurant, optimize and master it before considering any further expansion in KSA at this stage.” Gates Hospitality has a number of restaurants in Dubai and founder Naim Maadad councils anyone looking at the potential in moving to Saudi considers it carefully. Maadad believes that while some of his concepts would work in the country, others would not. He says: “We understand the market well and hence would create new brands with feasibility studies to deliver the best customised to the local culinary market. What I need to reiterate here is that approaching the market with cookie-cut solutions would not work — it needs a lot of customisation based on Saudi Arabia caterermiddleast.com January 2020 24 market specifi cs.” Available in more than 500 cities across the globe, Uber Eats has amassed more data on consumer habits than almost any F&B company on Earth, and uses that technology to connect with the communities it’s serving. Assad Numan, general manager of the company in Saudi, tells us it harnessed that knowledge to ensure it adapted its operation when it launched in Riyadh, with it becoming the fi rst Uber Eats city in the world with a cash payment option. Another unique feature of Saudi Arabia is the complete lack of alcohol which means that unlike Dubai, restaurants are not compelled to open in hotels and Compass has seen a rise in larger, new- build, standalone concepts including super-nightclubs. Compass director Martin McLean says that with Dubai’s F&B scene potentially reaching its peak at the moment, Saudi Arabia “holds tremendous possibilities to overtake” it. He adds: “Contributing factors that could ensure Saudi Arabia overtakes the UAE F&B industry include the high headcount of consumers — Saudi has the largest population and land- mass opportunity in the GCC, which is expected to grow even further fuelled by the uniquely large percentage of young people, who will be enjoying an increasing disposable income per head, and would have greater international exposure, for both local Saudi Arabian communities and expats. This fact, coupled with the more relaxed norms of the forward-thinking country, build the case that the Saudi F&B scene is a massive opportunity for local and international investors.” We’ll see you in Saudi? It looks like everyone else is on their way. " The Saudi F&B scene is a massive opportunity for local and interna- tional investors" Riyadh Seasons welcomed hundreds of cultural events and new restaurants to the citySaudi Arabia 25 January 2020 caterermiddleast.com 'Tis the season Saudi Seasons has seen massive international investment in F&B in the country. Both Riyadh and Jeddah have seen the likes of Gaia and Joel Rubuchon host pop-up restaurants.caterermiddleast.com January 2020 2627 January 2020 caterermiddleast.com The inside scoop Dairy forms an important part of French agriculture, and with cream being used in pastries all over the world, Caterer Middle East travels to Paris to fi nd out what goes into the making of this sweet ingredient By Devina Divecha With four years of the Cream of Europe programme taking place in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, CNIEL — the French Dairy Board, along with the European Union, celebrated French cream and its place in pastry with an immersive experience related to all things cream and pastry across fi ve days in Paris. France collects around 24 billion tonnes of milk each year, and produces 443,000 tonnes of cream with average consumption standing at 3.6kg per person per year. And the Middle East is a market that looks at sourcing this high quality product. The UAE’s imports of European cream increased to 8,702 tonnes in 2018 with France exporting 3,533 tonnes alone, according to the latest research from CNIEL, the French Dairy Board. The value of French cream exported to the UAE in 2018 was valued at over AED36 million (US$9.8m), an increase of 18% on 2017 and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.3% since 2010. In addition to the UAE, several other countries in the Middle East have seen the popularity of European dairy exports increase in the last decade. Saudi Arabia imported 12,921 tonnes of EU cream, totalling over AED147 million ($40m). While Kuwait and Lebanon have seen this value of EU cream imports in 2018 increase to AED28.8 million ($7.84m) and AED43.8 million ($12m) respectively. “The evolving tastes of Middle East and Levant residents and tourists has aided the growth of French dairy exports, which in turn is piquing the interest of more French exporters who are keen to grow the market by offering an even greater variety of produce,” said Marie-Laure Martin, international project manager from CNIEL. Production point Rambouillet, just on the outskirts of the city of Paris, is home to the Bergerie Nationale, a working farm. The buildings on the farm land were originally built in the late 1700s, and now houses a number of animals including Merino sheep, horses, cows, and much more. Guided through the farm by Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Ludovic Bisot, who also owns cheese shop Tout Un Fromage, an insight into the production of milk and animal-rearing practices ensued. Milk is French cream caterermiddleast.com January 2020 28 produced almost all over the country, said Bisot, noting the production is probably spread “across almost three-quarters of the country”. Differences in the end product tend to arise due to climate and grass, for example. Consequently, the quality of dairy products like cream and cheese will change based on multiple parameters. ‘Cream’ essentially refers to milk that contains at least 30% fat, and Bisot said: “There is an average quantity of fat in the milk, as you know. This quantity will differ based on the season and the breed of animal. Of course, the good dairy products are selected based on the quality of milk, proportion of fat, and taste.” Creating cream Once the milk is produced, cream and butter is the next to consider. Paris-based Laiterie de La Chapelle – founded by Paul Zindy – ensured a thorough education into the effort that goes into producing cream and butter. Milk is usually poured into a centrifugal cream separator, and once rotated at a high speed, the solid particles separate from the liquids. The cream will remain in a liquid state if lactic ferments are not added to obtain a thick cream. A practical demonstration followed at Laiterie de La Chapelle: after manually separating cream from the milk, dollops were placed in jars which were then shaken vigorously. Eventually becoming whipped cream, the process continued until the mixture hardened and separated into butter fl oating in buttermilk. Making desserts A pastry workshop with chef Philippe Conticini — credited with the invention of verrines — showed the versatility of cream in practice across fi ve signature pastries. These included his signature Paris-Brest (a French choux pastry with praline Chantilly) through to his version of the Baba au Rhum, the Baba Burger. Respecting ingredients was the theme of the workshop, and Conticini stressed the importance of not just fl avour but so much more than that. He said: “Try to imagine not the fl avour, but the structure in your mouth. Structure is 80% of the sensation.” Pastry chefs across the world who respect their ingredients are also aided by brands like Elle & Vire, which offer a range of products for both professional chefs and home cooks. A trip to Elle & Vire La Maison de la Crème showcased the range of research and development that goes into creating products that can be used in kitchens across the world. Not only was there an engaging demonstration by chef Nicolas Boussin, who was named Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Pastry Craftsman in France) in September 2000, but also a lecture and presentation on the importance of cream in French agriculture and production. Elle & Vire works with local farmers to assist the local economy, and takes the support of local development very seriously. Boussin stressed the importance of strict quality control in the process; if any problems are detected with the milk quality after analysis, the sample and the batch it relates to are immediately destroyed. There are different kinds of cream that exist in France, depending on the percentage of fat. A decree in 1980 offi cially defi ned how the word ‘cream’ could be used in food products. The decree not only specifi ed minimum rates of milk fat but also rules for pasteurisation. Any product which has 30% of fat and more is cream; Boussin said that in France cream usually has 35% of fat. Cream that has between 21-29% of fat is not recognised in France, while light cream has between 12-20% of fat. Some creams in France are also PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)-designated, such as those from Isigny and Bresse. No wonder then, that French cream is in high demand across the world. Martin added: “The UAE and France enjoy a strong bond thanks to business and cultural links. French food exports, particularly cream, has helped further endorse the relationship between both countries as it grows in popularity from both a commercial perspective, through the increasing number of hotels ahead of Expo 2020, and from residents who are using the fi nest produce when baking or cooking meals at home.” DID YOU KNOW? It takes nine to 10 litres of milk to make one litre of cream. "The UAE and France enjoy a strong bond thanks to business and cultural links"French cream 29 January 2020 caterermiddleast.com Where to eat pastries in Paris? Here’s a curated list of where you can try some amazing pastries in Paris: • Coco restaurant in Opéra Garnier in Paris, with desserts cre- ated by French pastry chef Kevin Lacote. Highlights including his decadent version of a profi terole and a mango cheesecake. • Christophe Michalak’s pastry shop at Le Printemps du Gout showcases a number of desserts, from the Mont-Blanc to an orange cheesecake through to Mon Koeur (a chocolate biscuit base fi lled with chocolate cream and fruits as a topping). • Why not take in afternoon tea at Ritz Hotel in Paris, with the desserts created by Francois Perret, who was named the best Pastry Chef in the World by Grandes Tables du Monde association in 2019? • The 7th arrondisement in Paris offers a number of venues to try delectable pastries, ranging from Pierre Hermé, Philippe Conticini, Jacques Genin, Des Gateaux et Du Pain, and Mori Yoshida, among others.Next >