FEBRUARY 2021 VOL 17 ISSUE 2 AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION Sowing seeds for the return of F&B eventsSomething New The Corner Around #Ithra_Downtwon We welcome you all week days till mid-night except for sundays. Ithra.comIn this issue 3 February 2021 caterermiddleeast.com ON THE MENU Specials 26 The world’s biggest annual F&B trade show returns to Dubai World Trade Centre in February 46 With the UAE and Qatar reopening borders to each other, what does it mean for F&B? Gulfood is back and in-person Nobu DohaIn this issue caterermiddleeast.com February 2021 4 Mains 08 Trending 50 Spotlight 54 Mix Masters 66 Kitchen Con dential CZNBurak has opened in Dubai All about martinis in Mix Masters ME DubaiLooking for something special to enhance your creations in the perfect way? Kranfil’s combine two special filling characteristics: Different distinguished flavours and a crunchy consistency through the use of biscuit pieces. Kranfil’s are available in 8 unique flavours and each variety makes every pastry an extraordinary experience! That’s special! Crunchy taste with 20 % pailleté feuilletine and 7.5% caramelised almonds Without palm oil No preservatives Suitable for vegetarians Discover the NEW! Kranfil’s Dark Chocolate! Gulfood Visit us at our stand in hall no. 8, stand no. C8-29 Contact us for more innovative ideas and information: Mr. Riyadh Al Hakeem Area Manager E-mail: r.al-hakeem@martinbraun.de Mobile: +49 173 583 90 96 Martin Braun KG Tillystraße 17-21 30459 Hannover - Germany +49 (0)511 4107-0 www.martinbraun.comEditor's Letter caterermiddleeast.com February 2021 6 Hello, How privileged we are in the UAE to be able to host Gulfood 2021 as a live, in-person event. Something that seemed so unlikely just a few months ago, and is still a pipe dream in many countries of the world. Almost 90 nations are expected to descend on Dubai for this year’s event, including, for the first time in many years, Qatar, which has reopened for business and could offer a strong market for homegrown UAE brands. Fortunately, the UAE has handled the pandemic better than most, and even with restrictions on dining out being tightened in recent weeks, the F&B industry is proving resilient. One example of such fortitude is cult favourite 3Fils. Despite losing talismanic head chef Akmal Anuar and facing the troubles of the coronavirus pandemic, it still posted a 20 percent increase on 2019’s numbers last year. In few places outside of the Middle East would such a result be possible. It all points to another exciting year for the industry. Simon Ritchie, editor 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. Published by and © 2021 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC MEDIA 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 Martin Chambers Group Editor Paul Cliff ord Editorial Editor Simon Ritchie Tel: +971 4 444 3550 email: simon.ritchie@itp.com Deputy Editor Kohinoor Sahota Tel: +971 4 444 3384 email: kohinoor.sahota@itp.com Reporter Josh Corder Tel: +971 4 444 3358 email: josh.corder@itp.com Advertising Commercial Director Sally Whittam Tel: +971 4 444 3348 email: sally.whittam@itp.com Sales Executive James Sperring Tel: +971 4 444 3477 email: james.sperring@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 Art Editor Gerald Du Designer Junemar Tulipas Photography Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Ajith Narendra, Fritz John Asuro 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 Marketing Director of Awards and Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies8240-000879_HotelierME_FullPage_205x275mm.indd 126/01/21 13:52caterermiddleeast.com February 2021 8 TRENDING9 February 2021 caterermiddleeast.com With a number of popular Spanish restaurants part of the foodie furniture of Dubai, Sunset Hospitality and The First Group had to try something different so their joint venture at TRYP by Wyndham could stand out. The result is Lola Taberna Española. More relaxed than your typical restaurant but with the food to match, seems to have been the blueprint. General manager Lloy Rubio told Caterer Middle East that it’s the first attempt at bringing Spanish taberna culture to the city. But what exactly does that mean? “The Taberna culture, where people come to eat great food, socialise and Not your usual Spanish restaurant The GM and head chef discuss Lola Taberna Española “We will take people on a journey through Spain, without a plane” have fun in a relaxed environment is part of Spain’s DNA, but completely new to Dubai,” said Rubio. “We can’t wait to show people what it’s all about, we will take them on a journey through Spain without ever having to jump on a plane.” Years in the planning, the team say that to t in with the true concept of a taberna, nding the right location was absolutely pivotal – and Rubio thinks they have done it, with their own separate entrance that leads directly to the venue a major asset. “We believe our current home to be perfect. Located in the heart of Dubai, Barsha Heights has a residential feel, it’s a neighbourhood or ‘de barrio’ in Spanish and the perfect t for a vibrant taberna,” he said. “This gives us a lot more authenticity. With expats and an overall young crowd as our neighbours, we will hopefully become the local place they come to, time and time again. We believe this to be much more attractive than driving across town, to a ve-star hotel, for a drink and a bite to eat after a long day.” Aiming to be a home-away-from- home for expat Spaniards as well as welcoming everyone else from the community, head chef Daniel Delgado has put together a menu featuring not just popular classics — from paella to tapas — but also less well known dishes that he says “cannot be found anywhere else in Dubai but Lola”. He explained: “The recipes and dishes we serve are traditional, we saw no reason to reinvent something that has been celebrated and enjoyed for generations. I want to honour these dishes, cook them with love, and with the absolute best ingredients and produce. The avour combinations are just like what you would nd in Spain, which should transport my compatriots back home, even if it’s just for a couple of hours at Lola.”Next >