< PreviousSpotlight: Brasserie Boulud caterermiddleeast.com December 2020 50 The braised lamb shank is the most obviously Middle Eastern in uenced dish on the menu, bathed as it is in tagine spices, but Boulud isn’t planning to force the entire menu in that direction. The most important aspect to the food is that the dishes are simple and executed well, he says. “This is a brasserie, not ne dining, but we still want to provide all the elements of ne dining in the food and the ingredients we use. But we have to make sure we don’t get tangled in the techniques and the complexity of the dishes where the food never comes out because it’s beautiful to look at but impossible to get out.” That ne line between creating something magical or overcomplicating matters is one every chef walks, and Boulud is aware that he needs to balance what people want from his cuisine, and what he wants to deliver. He says: “One thing I’m trying to do is to be myself and not just be predictable. But I also don’t want to be on the wrong side of expectation from the consumer. It’s important to understand that people have tastes and expectations that are different to other places. If you impose a little too much and you think your way is the best way, it doesn’t always work. It’s important to make sure the food is approachable in its sense of composition and taste, and familiar with the ingredients, but it’s the je ne sais quoi, or personality of the chef or the cuisine, that makes the difference.” Reaching out to the local consumer is even more dif cult in Dubai, says Boulud, where more than 200 nationalities make up the majority of the population. Despite that, though, he says they seem to share one thing in common. “People are different here. Maybe in Europe, in America, in Asia, beverage plays a role in dining in a way that they are not so focused on everything else. But here they come with a fresh mind. People are paying attention to the food and paying attention to the tables. It’s almost a spiritual moment to be at the table in dine.” The brasserie may be the second time that Boulud has tried to open at an inopportune time, with the global pandemic still in full swing, but his love for the region and having seen how it shook off the crash, means he isn’t backing away this time. “I think Dubai has proven that they can go through a crisis and pull themselves out and really keep growing.” “Dubai has proven it can go through a crisis” Pulled duck terrineAdvertorial 51 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Food delivery platform Talabat has opened its rst cloud kitchen concept in the UAE.. Located in the capital Abu Dhabi, the kitchen space allows F&B operators to deliver to customers without the need for a storefront location, allowing new brands to set up without signi cant overheads, or allowing existing brands to reach new customers. The recently launched kitchen initiated operations earlier this month and is the home to a number of brands such as Dunkin’, Din Tai Fung, Wing Stop, Galito’s, and Baskin Robbins as well as local favourites like Malak Al Tawook, Fire y Burgers and Freez, among others. Joe Frem, VP of cloud kitchens and concepts at Talabat, said: ‘We are thrilled to have opened our rst cloud kitchen in the region and believe this is a great growth catalyst for our restaurant partners. At Talabat, we are always looking at ways to support our restaurant partners growth and the introduction of cloud kitchens does just that. “The cloud kitchen concept is a delivery-only venture, with no dine-in facility, offering restaurants a cost and time ef cient way to ful ll larger order volumes. Also known as ‘dark kitchens’, they also help restaurants reduce overall operation costs usually tied to traditional brick and mortar establishments. This tech-enabled facility reduces delivery time below, allowing customers to receive their orders in under 30 minutes. “The restaurant partners collaborating with us at this speci c location rst receive an assessment of how their business would perform in the area, based on our deep understanding of the market. The assessment is strictly built on relevant data and insights by our product and tech team, indicating the preferred cuisines and showcasing the speci c demands of nearby customers.” Frem added: “Our journey with cloud kitchens by Talabat has just begun, and I’m thrilled to see it grow and support the overall F&B ecosystem. Our plan is to signi cantly grow our network in the UAE and across the MENA region in the years to follow, and have already seen remarkable performance by our participating partners!” It’s all part of Talabat’s quick-commerce (q-commerce) strategy and follows on from the launch of Talabat Mart, the rst under 30-minute delivery grocery concept in the region which operates 24/7 and at an affordable price point. Talabat has also strengthened its cloud strategy by partnering with Amazon Web Services and is now able to deploy new services, such as Talabat Mart within just two days, rather than the previous 15. Tomaso Rodriguez, CEO of talabat, said, “The past period has been an exceptional one as we saw consumers increasingly turn to ecommerce services. For talabat, moving to AWS helped us respond efficiently and reliably to this change in demand. We undertook the migration in a very short period, with no down time or interruption to the user experience. With innovation today at the core of talabat, relying on AWS enables us to focus on building new services with incredible speed and to better serve customers, drivers, and restaurants.” Talabat continues q-commerce strategy with cloud kitchens It has launched its rst cloud kitchen concept in the UAEcaterermiddleeast.com December 2020 52Advertorial 53 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Giffard launches Fruit for MixMy Raspberry Dream Giffard and Perrier combine to launch Cocktail Zero Perfect for cocktails, the fruit puree range adds avour, texture, and colour to help create imaginative drinks Giffard has added to its extensive portfolio of menthe-pastille, liqueurs, syrups, and sauces, with the introduction of a new range of fruit purees. Perfect for creating cocktails and many other types of drink, the Fruit for Mix range has been launched with six avours: banana, strawberry, raspberry, passionfruit, mango, and peach, with more expected in the coming years. This range has been developed in continuity of Giffard’s tradition, focusing on naturality as products are developed with more than 50 percent real fruit and only natural avours and colours; capturing the taste of nature to bring it into the nal drink. French brands Giffard and Perrier have joined forces to inspire regional bartenders and mixologists and to allow them to express themselves through truly original alcohol-free cocktail creations. Amit Khindri, group beverage manager at FIVE Hotels in Dubai, Sherine John, beverage manager for Passion F&B, and Giffard KSA brand ambassador Khaled Al Awlaqi, are just a few of the STYLE: Cold latte METHOD: Add all the ingredients into the appropriate glass filled with ice, good stir, garnish and serve GLASSWARE: Highball GARNISH: Raspberry powder vertical line (brush the line with marmalade before dusting) TRY ALSO WITH: Giffard passion fruit or Giffard strawberries Fruit for Mix Refreshing and red berry. ‘Less is more’ simple and delicious mix of texture from coconut milk and fruitiness from Giffard Raspberry Fruit for Mix. A gorgeous look, snap a photo for your social media. STYLE: Coldlatte The book contains alcohol-free recipes from expert bartenders A best friend of both bartenders and baristas, the versatility of the Fruit for Mix range allows for multiple usages including twisting classic cocktails, with or without alcohol, and increasing texture and fruit content in smoothies, lemonades and iced teas. It can also boost creativity, letting baristas and bartenders personalise their menus and opening up new categories such as slushies and milkshakes. When combined with syrups and liqueurs the fruit, avour, texture, and colour boost from Fruit for Mix gives a uniquely tasty experience and vibrant visual to a wide range of drinks. expert mixologists that have shared their creations for Cocktail Zero. Giffard and Perrier have been providing premium products for more than 130 years and the book aims to showcase how the perfume and delicacy brought by Giffard Syrups combined with the freshness and energy of Perrier sparkling water can help create the nest zero- proof cocktails. COCKTAIL ZEROSupplier News caterermiddleeast.com December 2020 54 MOST WANTED The Goodness Company chocolate bars A range of avoursome vegan chocolate bars pairing sustainable practices with clean ingredients. These dairy free chocolate bars are a union of exceptional taste and mindful values retailing in gourmet avours such as lavender, crunchy potato, salted almond, toasted hazelnut, and rose and pistachio amongst several other bold varieties. The-goodnesscompany.com Agostini Grand Cru Pachiza Milk Chocolate 39% A recipe created with cocoa beans from Peru plantations, it offers an intense and re ned taste, articulated in different aromas: a light and pleasant acidity of cocoa accompanies the full avour of milk, letting a delicious fruity note emerge, followed by the aftertaste of coffee and vanilla. www.icamprofessionale.com Norohy Known as ‘the chef’s vanilla’ due to its use in premium recipes, Norohy originates in Madagascar and was born from the meeting between vanilla producers and pastry professionals — Trimeta in Madagascar and Valrhona in France. With sweet and oral aromas and powerful notes of cocoa, it helps chefs achieve maximum avour in their recipes. www.valrhona-mea.comPartner content 55 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Caramel meringue To see more recipes like this, head to www.youtube.com and subscribe to the Caterer Middle East channel Clara Fields is delighted to offer our customers our high-quality salted caramel. This delicious caramel, produced with the best natural ingredients, is ideal as a lling in cakes, tarts, ice cream, frozen and chilled desserts. Available in various strengths, we have a salted caramel to suit all your needs. INGREDIENTS : 6 egg whites 250g caster sugar 100g Clara Fields salted caramel Whipped cream and fruits for decorating METHOD : 1. Pre-heat oven to 135° C 2. Separate the eggs and place in a bowl. Add in caster sugar and beat/whisk with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks, probably ve to 10 minutes. Add in caramel and fold slowly into the mix. Line a 30mm tin with parchment paper and pour in the mix. Put into the oven for two hours. 3. When cool, dec orate as required with whipped cream and fruits of your choice.Supplier section caterermiddleeast.com December 2020 56 Having launched in the UAE in September through a partnership with Mezzan, Nathan’s Famous is “ramping up production” to meet consumer demand for its products. The American brand has plans to expand to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi in the coming months, and James Walker, senior vice president, restaurants, said that Mezzan’s attributes made them “not only the ideal partner for Nathan’s Famous, but a good cultural fit”. The partnership with Mezzan has been solidi ed in recent weeks. As well as the traditional Nathan’s Famous hot dog, Mezzan will be manufacturing and distributing its New York cheesesteak by Pat LaFrieda. Mezzan Holding KSC subsidiary, Khazan Meat Factory, will produce the halal certi ed Pat LaFrieda premium quality black angus ribeye, which is topped with caramelized onions, LaFrieda’s Butcher Reserve Steak Sauce, American cheese, and placed on an artisan baguette to create the cheesesteak. While some alterations have been made to t the regional market, Walker said customers won’t notice. He said “any changes have been very minor, for example all our products meet the highest Halal and local health standards“. Tell us about your company. Nativo.ae was established to bring to the UAE chefs and consumers a variety of traditional, exotic and delicious food ingredients that are not commonly available in the local market. As part of these food options we consider the following targeted categories: • Traditional and multi-national products • Exotic and unique • Trending and lifestyle • Daily use (under a new brand, origin or packaging option) • Exclusive products (under contract basis) Nathan’s Famous and Mezzan ‘ramping up production’ to meet UAE demand The American favourite has just launched in the region NEWS Speaking to Caterer Middle East, he said: “Mezzan has a commitment to the highest possible quality in every product the manufacturer or represent, and a lengthy proud history within the UAE.” SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT Nativo.ae Issam Hassan, general manager for Bellomassi Foodstuff Trading L.L.C. tells us why you should use nativo.ae What new products do you have? We recently lunched Mr. Craft ACAI that comes in different avours: guarana, guarana with zero added sugar, strawberry, banana and acai bonbons covered with black and white chocolate. In addition, the unique Royal Queen ACAI with dates and the organic Goola ACAI. Apart from that, nativo.ae also introduced high quality sh and exotic fruit candies from the Amazon region among other products as tropical fruit pulps from Brazil. As well as native is supplying its customers with special beef cuts as picanha, hump, brisket and ap meat, moreover chicken and liquid eggs. From next year, nativo.ae will offer a variety of new products such as the traditional Brazilian guarana and tubaina soft drinks, farofa (cassava our gourmet), NFC grape and apple juices, cod sh from Portugal, Aqua Amazon (the world's purist water), among others. How do we contact you? Address: Cluster N, The Dome Tower 1905, JLT, Dubao Tel: +9714 394 1763 E-mail: contact@nativo.ae Website: www.nativo.aePartner content 57 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Try also with: Giffard Strawberry or Giffard Peach Fruit for Mix MIX MASTERS MY NAME IS MANGO “Creamy and playful. If you’re feeling naughty, then you want to try the incredible fresh notes of mango into an improved milkshake style drink with vanilla ice cream. Dip the garnish into it and enjoy.” Ingredients: 40ml Giffard Mango Fruit for Mix 1 scoop vanilla ice cream 150ml milk Method: 1. Add all the Ingredients into a blender with two cubes of ice, blend for 10 seconds and pour into a sundae glass with ice. 2. Garnish with a waffle on top, and add some marshmallows and praline caterermiddleeast.com December 2020 58 A prominent Dubai restaurateur believes that aggregators are a bigger problem than many people realise Kitchen Con dential Food delivery aggregators are a bigger threat to the restaurant industry than Covid-19. While they have been much talked about since the pandemic started, I think we have underestimated the power they have, and how they are using that power to push us to the side and take our place. The focus since March has often been on the high commissions they charge for delivery — in some cases up to 35 percent of the order value. And it is right that this is highlighted, because it is unsustainable, particularly with margins being thinner than ever, and delivery becoming a higher proportion of our sales than before. Many have now started to demand exclusivity from restaurants or else they will charge them even higher fees, reducing our visibility on other apps, and tying is down to agreements with one brand that does not have our best interest at heart. Yet, despite charging these exorbitant fees, many food delivery companies don’t make any money, and have never made any money. Some people think they never will make money from food delivery, instead the focus is on our data — they have full access to our customers and all the information that brings, which they can then use against us. We are set to see a rise in dark kitchens owned by delivery aggregators who use data including what types of cuisine our customers are ordering and at what times they are placing these orders to set up their own virtual brands, undercutting us with low quality produce that cannibalises our customers. And if they get complaints they can simply change the brand name of the virtual kitchen and do it all over again, without the customer having any idea they are ordering from the same place, or that they are ordering from a dark kitchen at all. In a single day a kitchen can go from selling breakfast foods in the morning to Mexican at lunch to Chinese in the evening if they know that is what the customer wants. There is no transparency and therefore no accountability. It’s bad for the customers as the quality is low and it is disastrous for the restaurants industry and the brands that have built themselves up to be trusted by their community because of the quality of service they have provided for years. Unfortunately though when offered what looks like a bargain, many customers will take the chance, especially now when budgets are tighter than ever. And for the aggregators not taking advantage of dark kitchens, yet, they will instead try and force you to offer a massive discount on their app, thereby reducing your pro ts another way. The game is rigged and we cannot win. The only way to get out of this cycle of despair is to encourage direct ordering or use some of the local options that have signi cantly reduced commission. Unfortunately though, they do not have the same user base as the big boys and it can be impossible to see the same level of custom. Unless we all come together to solve this problem, the industry will continue to see heavy losses all round. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8 2020 JW MARRIOTT MARQUIS DUBAI CATERERMIDDLEEAST.COM/AWARDS #CATERERAWARDS FOR SPONSORSHIP REBECCA LOCKWOOD SALES DIRECTOR TEL: +971 55 484 8301 E: REBECCA.LOCKWOOD@ITP.COM FOR EVENT ENQUIRIES DANIEL FEWTRELL DIRECTOR OF AWARDS & MARKETING TEL: +971 4 444 3684 E: DANIEL.FEWTRELL@ITP.COM FOR TABLE BOOKINGS ANTHONY CHANDRAN TABLE SALES EXECUTIVE TEL: +971 4 444 3685 E: ANTHONY.CHANDRAN@ITP.COM MEDIA PARTNERSCATEGORY SPONSORS Laundry Equipment Trading LLC Kitchen & SANITISATION PARTNERDESSERT SPONSORBEVERAGE SPONSORSQR CODE SPONSORNext >