MARCH 2021 VOL 17 ISSUE 03 AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION Celebrating the region’s biggest hitters WOMEN IN F&BDESIGNED TO PERFORM wmf.com WMF 1300 S It delivers a quality coffee experience in a robust and reliable way. Offering a rich menu of professional coffee and chocolate specialities, the WMF 1300 S boasts a range of new features to ensure outstanding dependability and serviceability. RELIABLE COFFEE QUALIT Y, BLENDING ROBUSTNESS AND EASY SERVICE. WMF ADV_Caterer Middle East_WMF 1300 S_EN_20210208.indd 108/02/2021 15:12:11In this issue 3 March 2021 caterermiddleeast.com ON THE MENU The industry's top women Specials 20 Celebrating the talented women of the F&B industry, here's our pick of the top 25 36 A women-led business, Lah Lah at Zabeel House The Greens is one of Dubai's hippest venuesIn this issue caterermiddleeast.com March 2021 4 Mains 06 Trending 12 Careers 42 Mix masters 50 Kitchen con dential Gonpachi Dubai Maiz Tacos Hilton cocktail competitionEditor's Letter 5 March 2021 caterermiddleeast.com Hello, At last year’s Caterer Middle East Awards, six out of the 11 individual prizes handed out on the evening went to women. While so many awards shows are dominated by men, we were delighted to see a fair representation of both genders. So how did we do it? First and foremost, in the past two years we’ve made a conscious effort to highlight women more in the magazine and online. We introduced the Women in F&B Power List at the start of 2020, showcasing 25 of the industry’s top female professionals. Then, ahead of the Caterer Food and Business Conference, we held an all- female advisory panel to make sure we understood the issues women were facing in order to report on them better. The judging panel for our awards also had a 50/50 gender split for the first time. We believe these changes have helped foster a more representative environment that celebrates the diverse F&B industry. This year, we’re bringing you the second annual Women in F&B list and it was more difficult than ever to limit ourselves to the 25 incredibly talented women you’ll find in the cover feature. It’s a sign of the gender balance improving, and that can only be a good thing. 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-Daviescaterermiddleeast.com March 2021 6 TRENDING Kill Bill memories?7 March 2021 caterermiddleeast.com If it’s good enough for Quentin Tarantino, it’s good enough for us. Gonpachi rose to fame after appearing in the famed director’s violent Kill Bill lm and now it has opened in Dubai at The Boulevard at Al Habtoor City. Unlike that scene set in the original Tokyo outlet, diners can expect less swordplay and more authentic Japanese cuisine, with executive chef Tomoyuki Jouten saying there’s a few ways it will stand out from the crowd. “Firstly, the quality of the food. We import a lot of ingredients from Japan with the highest quality available on the market. Secondly, the whole guest experience, starting from when they are entering the door. The whole team will welcome the guests in an authentic Japanese way. The same continues Movie magic Gonpachi Dubai is dining out on one of cinema’s most famous scenes at The Boulevard at Al Habtoor City throughout the dinner, for example when the runners leave the kitchen with a tray full of food or when we do the table service. Also, the design of the venue stands out from other Japanese venues in Dubai. We use a lot of bamboo and wood, in combination with a lot of candle lights.” Jouten notes that it has been a challenge to get the right ingredients, with not everything available in the local market and things like Japanese new year causing a delay to shipments. A couple of months in, he’s now happy with the menu, with only a few alterations from what is served in Gonpachi Japan due to availability and minor adjustments for local taste. Customers can still expect a wide selection of favourites including maki, nigiri, black cod, and wagyu steak. Overall, says Jouten, it’s been a strong start for the restaurant. “So far the feedback that we received has been amazing. Guests really loved their rst experience and we already have a lot of returning guests, who are bringing friends and family too. Also, people post about us on social media, which is making their viewers curious about this new Japanese Kill Bill restaurant in town.” The original restaurant also hosted a summit between US president George W Bush and Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, but that hasn’t quite proven as successful a draw. So for fans of American cinema or Japanese food, Gonpachi Dubai is the place to be. “People are curious about the new Japanese Kill Bill restaurant“ Skewerscaterermiddleeast.com March 2021 8 Having launched in Abu Dhabi back in 2018, wholesome and sustainable café brand Sanderson’s has made the move to Dubai with its second outlet opening in Sustainable City. From Sergio Lopez’s The Pangolin Group, Sanderson’s is led by head chef Troy Payne and specialises in simple, fresh, natural ingredients used to create nutritious and tasty dishes. The menu includes the likes of a tropical smoothie bowl and pan roasted seabass with zaatar crushed baby potatoes, pickled beetroot, yoghurt dill sauce and pine nuts. Sanderson’s will offer a range of different activations including a special menu for the cyclists that start their morning at Al Qudra bike track to ladies night cooking classes and a dedicated kids’ play area. The space has been designed to create a relaxed and natural environment with plenty of greenery. Hilton’s senior culinary director for EMEA Sebastian Nohse expects its new pop-up burger brand OTB to compete with the best of those offered by independent operators as it launches in Qatar. Hilton ‘to compete’ with high street burger brands Sanderson’s opens second UAE cafe in Sustainable City HOTEL F&B There needs to be a move away from opening more high-end restaurants in Dubai, believes Alexander Musch, GM of the Pullman Downtown. “I think there’s a lack of affordable quality in this area,” he said, speaking about the popular Business Bay locale in which his new hotel is located. “F&B offerings in Dubai in general aren’t very affordable. I still see high- end opening happening in Dubai, especially in DIFC.” The Pullman GM added that the high-end restaurant sector in Dubai “could be” oversupplied, saying “there’s room for creativity around affordability.” For the Dutchman, who has his roots in hotel F&B management, he’s far more concerned about creating repeat diners, which is something affordable venues are generally better at. “I’d rather have people come back two times per month rather than once a month. “I believe that restaurants are sometimes an underestimated part of a hotel organisation. Good venues can even affect room occupancy,” he continued. “We need to get away from the boring and old-fashioned way of operating restaurants in hotels. People need to feel venues are a different part of the hotel. “Dubai’s hotel market right now has been severely affected, in terms of footfall and occupancy. So you when you have a great restaurant still inside your property, that helps you capitalise on the local market.” High-end oversupply in Dubai FINE-DINING Standing for Out The Box, the brand will be placed into a number of Hilton’s properties in the country this month to boost Hilton’s culinary offering in an area Nohse admitted that hotels have sometimes “struggled” against popular high street chains. He said: “When we created the concept we went to Filthy Buns in London and High Joint in Dubai and Black Tap and looked at the best independent operators and what they are doing. “Then we went and created a supply-agnostic concept so we can deliver similar to these brands with high consistency throughout multiple different venues.” NEWS9 March 2021 caterermiddleeast.com Maxi Fingers Phot o cr edits: A point Studio – Non-binding phot os www.bridor.com exportsales@groupeleduff.com NEW Apples and cinnamon Finger 90g Praline Finger 90g to cr edits: A point Studio – Non-binding phot os PPPrPrPr llalaaliiineeeeeeeeeeeee e eee FiFingngngererrre 99999990g0gg0gg0gggg0gg0g00g Ultra indulgent pure butter viennese pastries in a practical format with generous toppings and visible fillings ! Chocolate Finger 90gNext >