Than ever Why food safety is APRIL 2020 VOL 16 ISSUE 04 AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION TRENDING CAREERS EXPERT VIEWS SUPPLIER NEWS M AD E IN GER M A N Y QU ALITY ADAA RMR QIn this issue 3 April 2020 caterermiddleeast.com ON THE MENU Specials 16 Food safety goes under the microscope amid the coronavirus 22 Why do superclubs buck the low-spend trend? Mains 6 Trending 12 Comment 14 Five minutes with... 28 Spotlight 36 Supplier News 40 Instant Classic 42 Quick re Q&A Let Pascal Pinazo guide you around Fouquet's Abu Dhabi on page 28Editor's Letter caterermiddleeast.com April 2020 4 Published by and © 2020 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve Deputy Managing Director Martin Chambers Group Editor Paul Cliff ord Editorial Editor Simon Ritchie Tel: +971 4 444 3550 email: simon.ritchie@itp.com Advertising Commercial Director Sally Whittam Tel: +971 4 444 3348 email: sally.whittam@itp.com Sales Manager Emma Barnett Tel: +971 4 444 3115 email: emma.barnett@itp.com International Sales Manager Amanda Stewart GSM: +44 7908 117 333 email: amanda.stewart@itp.com ITP Live General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549, email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com Studio Junior Designer Junemar Tulipas Photography Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Ajith Narendra, Fritz John Asuro, Jessica Samson Production & Distribution Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Production Coordinator Mahendra Pawar Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Circulation Distribution & Warehouse Manager Praveen Nair Circulation Executive Loreta Regencia Marketing Director of Awards and Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Events Manager, Business Events Teri Dunstan ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Hello, MEDIA We are of cially in unchart- ed waters. If ever there was a time for the Middle East’s F&B community to come together, it’s now. We’re in the midst of the toughest battle of our professional lives, ghting an unseen organism that has caused closures, lay-offs, and lockdowns on an unprecedented scale around the world. But adversity gives us opportunities to be the best versions of ourselves and there’s no doubt that when we come out the other side of this awful situation, we’ll be stronger than ever before. It's a chance for us to create a new look F&B industry, with more stringent food safety precautions in place as outlined by the experts and restaurant veterans we spoke to in this issue. For now, all we can do is follow the government’s advice, serve our custom- ers in whatever way we can, and hope for a swift conclusion to this situation. We’ll be by your side on a daily basis on the Caterer Middle East website, with the latest updates and information on the situation. Join us, you aren’t in this alone. Simon Ritchie, editor CATERER MIDDLE EASTWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 2020 CATERERMIDDLEEAST.COM/AWARDS NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN CLOSING DATE FOR NOMINATIONS: SATURDAY, MAY 16 2020 #CATERERAWARDS CATEGORY SPONSORSMENU PARTNERMEDIA PARTNERS FOR SPONSORSHIP EMMA BARNETT SALES MANAGER TEL: +971 52 421 3586 E: EMMA.BARNETT@ITP.COM FOR EVENT ENQUIRIES TERI DUNSTAN EVENTS MANAGER TEL: +971 4 444 3227 E: TERI.DUNSTAN@ITP.COM FOR TABLE BOOKINGS ANTHONY CHANDRAN TABLE SALES EXECUTIVE TEL: +971 4 444 3685 E: ANTHONY.CHANDRAN@ITP.COM caterermiddleeast.com April 2020 6 TRENDING7 April 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Burj Khalifa is visible from most places in Dubai, but from the 46th floor of the newly-opened Taj Jumei- rah Lakes Towers hotel, its scale is even more spectacular. Paros brings a Mediterranean vibe to the popular residential area, and as the first rooftop bar to open in JLT it’s an obvious draw. Hotel general manager Stephen Meredith spotted the potential to make Paros a must-visit for the Insta- gram generation. He says: “We knew there was an unserved niche in the market for such a venue in JLT and this fuelled the impetus for us to fill the gap with something totally unique and unpar- alleled in the current F&B landscape. The panoramic views from Paros are among the best in Dubai, with breathtaking sunsets.” It's not just the Burj Khalifa, with Meredith noting you also get views of Dubai Marina, Burj Al Arab, Emir- ates Golf Course, and the Gulf. Gastronomically, Paros takes influences from Southern Europe, the Levant, and the Middle East for its predominantly Mediterranean menu, and the beverages have been curated by an in-house mixologist. Shisha is also set to be introduced in the near future. Having opened in February, Mer- edith says it has had a positive recep- tion from the community so far. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly good to be honest. The concept of Paros has been very close to our hearts since the very early stages of the hotel’s development, and it is really encouraging to see our vision turn into reality with happy guests. While we are not surprised to see it generate so much interest, it was dif- ficult to know if it was our own bias or if it really was going to become the hotspot that it is now.” With both inside and outside spac- es, Paros will be open all year round and a daily sundowner deal to take advantage of the views is just one of the regular activations. There’s also a Tuesday ladies night and three-piece jazz band on Wednesdays. Room with a view Mediterranean cuisine with a side of sightseeing at ParosTrending caterermiddleeast.com April 2020 8 In a bid to keep serving their customers and keep their businesses alive as much of the population self-isolates, high-end dining venues in the UAE are turning to delivery – some for the rst time. While delivery has been an important part of the country’s F&B ecosystem, with stats from KPMG suggesting 60% of consumers in the country use delivery apps, compared to just 18% in the UAE, high-end restaurants have generally avoided it for fear of not being able to replicate the same quality experience they can in-house. However, with coronavirus causing much of the world to go into lockdown and UAE restaurants being forced to Delivery platforms The unprecedented steps seen to limit the spread of coronavirus Covid-19 around the Middle East has seen record numbers of people turn to delivery to keep them well fed. Restaurants that have never considered it as an option before have had no choice but to offer it in a bid to keep some income trickling in. DELIVERY Everyone else The F&B industry has almost come to a standstill in the Middle East, with mandated restaurant closures across the regions as people self-isolate to beat this pandemic. With the prospect of no income for an unknown length of time, staff have been let go from restaurants and bars and suppliers are unpaid. Let’s hope it ends soon. Good month Bad month Coronavirus closures force high-end restaurants to embrace delivery A number of ne-dining venues have introduced delivery for the rst time close dine-in operations for an unknown length of time, delivery has become the only source of revenue for some. DIFC's Italian venue Roberto's has launched Roberto’s at Home, its own delivery service across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with customers able to get all their signature Roberto’s favourites delivered to them within two hours. Fans of Japanese haute cuisine in Abu Dhabi can now get 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant to eat at home for the rst time. “We are thrilled to see the positivity in people during these times, and are hugely grateful for the massive support that we have seen in the past few days,” said general manager Jamie Castaneda. BB Social Dining has also launched begun delivering its usual menu via Deliveroo and has launched virtual brand Little Katsu Shop to continue serving its customers. Colin Clague’s Turkish restaurant Ruya at Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina is also taking orders direct via telephone and WhatsApp, while restaurants at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach including Folia and Sea Fu are available on Talabat, Uber Eats, and Zomato through Gastrohome by Four Seasons.9 April 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Food writer Samantha Wood, the woman behind popular restaurant review website Foodiva, has called upon food delivery aggregators to slash or waive their commission while the industry battles against the rami cations of the coronavirus outbreak. In an open letter released on social media and her website, Wood, who started the #UAERestaurantsUnite hashtag to promote local F&B outlets during the crisis, said that “it’s practically impossible for these F&B outlets to continue to keep a oat, many of which are small, independent businesses responsible for countless livelihoods”. Citing commission rates as high as 35%, Wood said that while food delivery platforms are experiencing a “huge boost in revenue” at the moment, they should “prioritise corporate social responsibility and put benevolence high on your agenda right now”. Caterer Middle East asked Deliveroo UAE and Uber Eats UAE if they will consider reducing charges to restaurants who are struggling at the moment but both declined to answer. COPY HERE FooDiva calls on delivery platforms to slash commission Samantha Wood said some platforms take up to 35% from small F&B businesses VEGANISM Website set up to encourage direct ordering from Dubai restaurants Food Sheikh and ordering platform ChatFood have set up DeliverDXB.com A website to encourage direct ordering from Dubai restaurants has been set up by writer and restaurant reviewer Food Sheikh and commission-free ordering platform ChatFood. Over 300 restaurants have signed up within days of DeliverDXB being announced, as businesses look to mitigate the harm done by the coronavirus pandemic. The aim of the new platform is to allow customers to order directly from their favourite restaurants, cutting out the fees associated with the usual delivery aggregators and therefore give more pro t to the people who need it. The importance of supporting local restaurants in these trying times can’t be understated, according to Food Sheikh, who spoke anonymously to Caterer Middle East: “What this means for the customer is simply ordering directly with the restaurant instead of on an app. What this means to the restaurant could be the difference between their survival as a business or staying closed forever.” Benjamin Mou ard, co-founder of ChatFood, got in touch with Food Sheikh to use his social media network to reach out to the restaurant industry in Dubai and create a temporary platform that lists local restaurants offering direct ordering. Working overnight, DeliveryDXB was born and within 48 hours almost 300 restaurants had signed up. Restaurants wishing to add themselves to the site and customers wishing to order direct from their favourite local venue can both do so at www.deliverdxb.com.Next >