JUNE 2021 VOL 17 ISSUE 06 AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION The young chefs making their mark in the region’s kitchensCEREMONY: TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 FOR ATTENDANCE ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: ANTHONY CHANDRAN SALES AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE TEL: +971 4 444 3685 EMAIL: ANTHONY.CHANDRAN@ITP.COM FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: JAMES SPERRING SALES EXECUTIVE TEL: +971 4 444 3477 EMAIL: JAMES.SPERRING@ITP.COM FOR NOMINATION ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: SIMON RITCHIE EDITOR, HOSPITALITY GROUP TEL: +971 4 444 3550 EMAIL: SIMON.RITCHIE@ITP.COM #CatererAwards CATERERMIDDLEEAST.COM/AWARDS Nominate nowIn this issue 3 June 2021 caterermiddleeast.com Specials 22 The next generation of Middle East chefs highlighted in our rst 30 Under 30 showcase 38 A cuisine-less restaurant? Check out Sergio Lopez's latest venture The Pangolin The Pangolin Tomorrow's famous chefs? ON THE MENUIn this issue caterermiddleeast.com June 2021 4 Mains 06 Trending 46 Suppliers 48 Instant Classic 50 Kitchen con dential Hunter & Barrel Playing with re Italian classicEditor's Letter 5 June 2021 caterermiddleeast.com 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 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 Cover image Photographer Adel Rashid Model Matthijs Stinnissen Apron provided by The Mattar Farm 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-Davies Hello, The launch of Time Out Market Dubai this year has shown the strength in depth of the city’s homegrown, independent culinary scene. With 17 F&B outlets proving wildly popular with customers in the short time the Market has been open, it’s clear there’s a huge demand for championing local chefs and concepts. But where will the next 17 come from? Does the region have the next Gordon Ramsay or René Redzepi waiting to be discovered? That’s what we wanted to find out with the launch of our very first 30 Under 30 list. The criteria were simple – the chef must be 30 or under and working in a kitchen in the Middle East right now, at any level. The results are fascinating, with a level of talent on show that is truly staggering and we’ve only just scratched the surface. How many of our 30 will have their own Time Out Market outlets in the years to come, I wonder? Simon Ritchie, editorcaterermiddleeast.com June 2021 6 The restaurant is in Vida Emirates Hills TRENDING7 June 2021 caterermiddleeast.com As coronavirus-related restrictions begin to be relaxed in Dubai, we are seeing a “pent-up demand” to socialise and eat out, according to Bradley Michael, CEO & Founder – Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group. Having opened its rst international location for Australian brand Hunter & Barrel in Dubai’s Vida Emirates Hills hotel, Michael is hoping that the “signi cant bounce back” seen across markets will help drive the new restaurant to be a community success story. “One of the reasons we chose to open at Vida Emirates Hills speci cally was due to its great location. The hotel is surrounded by bustling communities, namely Jumeirah Lake Towers, Meadows, Springs, Lakes and Emirates Hills, all of which are just a stone’s throw away. Beyond what we are offering the public, we have been able to support unemployment, having a domino effect in helping the overall economy. Now is the time to be aggressive and open more stores, create employment opportunities and revive the hospitality industry.” The brand uses traditional cooking methods, focusing on meats from Australia, USA, and South Africa, all cooked over solid fuel charcoal, to harken back to the days when people would gather around a re to enjoy their meals, with chef Kamil Bouloot subtly adapting the menu for the regional market. Its instant impact has led to Seagrass looking to open more Hunter & Barrels already, said Michael. “Continuing the success of the rst venue, we are currently in discussion for an additional two restaurant openings, scheduled for Q4 in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island development and Mirdif Mall. These two venues will target a completely different audience which will be exciting. “Along with the two new venues, we are currently exploring the idea of launching a six-head ultra-premium steakhouse concept in Doha, as well as potentially Dubai.” Hopefully, further relaxations to restrictions will allow the full experience to be enjoyed socially as it should be by the end of the year. Plenty of appetite for new steakhouse Hunter & Barrel is aiming to be Dubai’s latest “community hotspot” “It’s the time to open more stores to revive the industry“caterermiddleeast.com June 2021 8 NEWS Industry heavyweight Mark Patten has said that Dubai’s Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), as well as Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) are the last frontiers of Dubai’s rapidly-evolving restaurant market. Patten was appointed VP of food and beverage at The First Group in May 2020 and has already led various openings across the emirate, including Ikigai at Millennium Place Marina and Soluna Restaurant & Lounge in the Barsha Heights. But he says now is the time for food operators to look beyond the old favourites such as Marina and DIFC. He reveals: “We got amazing research papers done on the business and the asset team did an amazing job. We’ve created documents on the Dubai Marina area, JBR, Business Bay, JVC/JVT and the Barsha Heights area and they’re literally 50 to 60 pages on the most important information you can imagine. “These documents help us identify gaps in the market and where the opportunities are. Sometimes though you can go into an area and it’s not brain surgery – you can clearly see what really would work. Take JVC and JVT for example, that’s the next doorman of the last frontier.” The VP remained tight-lipped on any concrete plans for the area, though he did say any new concept would be built around the needs of the market. He adds: “The population in centre JVC is around 10,000 and the average cheque is just AD66, and that’s because the area is driven mostly by deliveries. “However, if you look at the wider JVC, JVT, back of Springs, Motor City, Sports City, Dubai Production City, all that area is around 120,000 people. The breakdown of cultures there, with Europeans, Arabic and so on, they have JVC and JVT the last frontiers of Dubai F&B, says Mark Patten NEWS DEVELOPMENT a phenomenal disposable income on F&B – around AED400 million in fact.” “But where’s that going? It’s going on low delivery. There’s not even an accessible low- to mid-scale restaurant there, apart from FIVE. So we’re able to go in there now and set ourselves up, looking at the potential for the area and something that will connect with that 120,000-plus population place.” Keen to open the market up, he says the area really needs more family focus. “Let’s look at the area. What do you have? You have families. But is there anything for families there? Not really. That’s not to say you don’t want to create something for youngsters there, but strategy doesn’t come with putting all your eggs in one basket. Within F&B, you have to have a diverse strategy.”Trending 9 June 2021 caterermiddleeast.com Having informed its restaurant partners that it would soon charge its commission not only on the price of menu items but also on delivery charges and packing fees, Zomato has said it will no longer be going forward with the plan. Nando’s UAE managing director George Kunnappally had revealed the delivery platform’s plans on LinkedIn last week, saying the “ridiculous” plan was the “height of indifference” and showed “a lack of empathy”, going on to say it was close to “predatory”. However, following a meeting with Kunnappally, Zomato has backtracked on its decision, sending an email to its restaurants partners to inform them of the news. The email said: “We have heard your feedback regarding this proposed change, and we have taken it on board - and as a result, we have decided to reverse this decision.” Kunnappally said to Caterer: “We met with the Zomato team last Monday. We would like to thank the Zomato UAE team for hearing us out and deciding to reverse the decision for all merchants in the true spirit of our partnership.” Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, food delivery aggregators have faced much criticism for their high commissions, with Mohamed Alabbbar accusing them of “holding F&B operators to ransom” ahead of the launch of Noon’s own delivery platform Noon Food. Restaurant operators in the UAE will view the latest battle as a small win, but many believe there is still much to be done to ensure a more equitable division of pro ts from aggregators. Restaurants in Dubai are now allowed to seat 10 people per table, an increase from the previous number of seven, while live entertainment will also return to F&B venues for a trial period of one month, which can be extended. All performers and entertainers must have taken the Covid-19 vaccine. Social distancing between tables has also been reduced from three-metres to two-metres, a change that will allow venues to increase capacity. Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management also revealed that bars are permitted to re-open on a trial basis provided all customers and staff have received the Covid-19 vaccine and restaurants can resume brunches if 10 people allowed per table in Dubai restaurants, live entertainment returns Zomato reverses decision to charge commission on delivery and other fees DELIVERY RESTRICTIONS all measures are strictly observed. In a tweet released by Dubai Media Of ce, the updated precautionary measures for events and activities also revealed that coffee shops can seat up to six people per table, while hotel occupancy has been raised to 100 percent. While observing physical distancing of two metres and wearing face masks continues to be mandatory, entertainment venues can have an increased capacity of 70 percent occupancy, with permits to be given for concerts and social events on the condition that attendees and participants have been vaccinated. The maximum number of attendees at indoor events is 1,500 and for outdoor events it’s 2,500. Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management has reiterated that inspections will be carried out by the authorities to ensure that F&B outlets are adhering to the updated measures, with violators facing “stiff penalties”.Next >