Stability Personified - The Emirates Culinary Guild

FROM US. FOR US. 

gulf 

Chief 

SPeak 

Alejandro Bernabe, 

GM of Kempinski 

Hotel MoE, talks 

about his passion 

for F&B 

SiaL 

guidebook 

Exclusive listing of all 

the rules, regulations 

and classes for La 

Cuisine du SIAL 

hiStoriC 

Win! 

UAE Chefs bring 

back 16 Gold medals 

from the Culinary 

Olympics in Erfut 

Stability 

Personified 

La Cuisine Du Sial organiser Chef Peter De 

Kauwe and his unusual rise to culinary success 

baCk to 

SChooL 

Big Daddy finds out 

if the latest craze 

for cooking classes 

is worth all the 

hype and hoopla 

NOveMbeR 2012 

THe DeFINITIve GUIDe FOR CHeFS 

www.gulfgourmet.net 

volume 4, issue 1 

SuPPLier 

Story 

Meet Jagdish 

Menon, the man 

behind the rise of 

Mitras and its food 

trade business

president’sstation 

email theguild@emirates.net.ae 

Dear Fellow Chefs, Ladies and 

Gentlemen, 

Welcome to the November issue of 

our Gulf Gourmet. First of all, a big 

congratulations to our IKA team. We 

had 17 entries at the Culinary Olympics 

in Erfurt Germany and the team 

brought 2 Gold with distinction, 14 

Gold and 1 Silver medal home. 

This is a fantastic result which reflects 

great teamwork. It is also a result that 

will be difficult to repeat in another 

4 years. Mabrouk also to Robert Oppeneder, 

the President of the German 

Chefs Association, and his Team for 

the very successful event. 

A big thank you to all our sponsors 

– first of all Jayram of Barakat our 

Gold Sponsor. A big thank you as 

well to Elfab, Unilever, Meat Live 

Stock Australia, RAK China, Lufthansa 

our official airline, Micheel 

“Das Küchenstudio” our Kitchen 

Host and Master Baker. 

Please do train well and prepare for 

the 3rd La Cuisine Du Sial happening 

between November 26 – 28, 

2012 in Abu Dhabi. Also please do 

look at the Friends pages to check 

our supporters and make sure to 

support them when you can. All 

contact details are on the back of 

the magazine. 

Finally, I would like to thank 

Transmed Team for hosting the October 

meeting. 

Closing my message with a very 

important thank you, we once 

again organised a Charity Blood 

Donation drive on October 14 at 

the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira 

Creek. Thank you to everyone who 

joined to donate. 

Culinary regards, 

November 2012 Gulf Gourmet 

Uwe Micheel 

President of Emirates Culinary Guild 

Director of Kitchens 

Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek 

President's station 

3

contents 

4 


ggcontents 

10 

Friends of the Guild 

Brands that support the Emirates 

Culinary Guild 

16 News Bites 

A quick round-up of what’s 

happening in the Chef community 

20 Inaugural Seafex 

Mark Napier on the inaugural 

Seafood Exhibition at DWTC 

34 

p. 14 

34 

22 Cover Story 

La Cuisine Du SIAL organiser 

Chef Peter De Kauwe profiled 

28 Supplier Story 

The rise of Jagdish Menon of 

Mitras in the food trade business 

31 Chief Speak 

Interview with the GM of Kempinski 

Hotel Mall of the Emirates 

34 My Favourite Ingredient 

Nestle Professional puts the spotlight 

on a local chef and his recipes

contents 

6 


ggcontents 

46 

48 

20 

40 Historic Win 

UAE chefs bring back 17 medals from 

the Culinary Olympics in Erfut 

Events 

Images from the recent events 

that involving UAE’s Chefs 

SIAL Guidebook 

Rules and regulations plus classes 

for La Cuisine du SIAL 

59 

62 

65 

New Members 

New and renewed corporate 

member of the ECG 

Member Directory 

A listing of all ECG corporate 

members 

Big Daddy’s Kitchen 

A monthly column with culinary 

attitude from our resident Big Daddy

Under the Patronage of H. H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan 

Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority 

Strategic partner 

SIAL, a subsidiary of Comexposium Group 

26-28 November 2012 , ADNEC 

Consider yourself a bit 

of a masterchef? 

Culinary partners: 

Compete alongside hundreds of other chefs 

across a range of disciplines at La Cuisine by SIAL 

For further information contact the Emirates Culinary Guild. 

Register to attend SIAL Middle East free of charge at 

www.sialme.com 

Co-located with: 

editor’snote 

email editor@gulfgourmet.net 

New beginnings... 

Dear reader, 

Welcome to a new, more mature Gulf Gourmet. This 

month onwards, Gulf Gourmet is no longer just a 

newsletter from the Emirates Culinary Guild but a fullfledged 

magazine licensed by UAE’s National Media 

Council. The Guild has taken this bold step with a view 

to reaching out to an ever increasing audience of Chefs 

in this part of the world. 

The core vision for the magazine, however, remains 

unchanged i.e. to enhance the standards of UAE’s culinary 

talent. What will change going forward is the way we do it. 

Up until now, the newsletter played the role of a mirror 

that mostly reflected the achievements of Chefs within 

the UAE. In the months to come, the magazine will focus 

on four key areas: Culinary Education, Regional News, 

Food Supply Industry and Young Chefs. This approach 

is in keeping with the Guild’s vision of making the UAE a 

powerhouse of culinary talent, especially the young chefs. 

We will focus on sustainable kitchens, global gourmet 

trends, worldwide cooking competitions, and insights into 

the food supply industry both local and international. 

I would like to thank the senior members of the Emirates 

Culinary Guild, namely Chairman Andy Cuthbert, 

President Uwe Micheel and Alen Thong, for their wholehearted 

support and commitment towards making this 

magazine a reality. 

Enjoy the read and keep cooking with passion! 

Aquin George 


CreditS 

THE EMIRATES President Uwe Micheel 

CULINARY GUILD Phone +971 4 340 3128 

Fax +971 4 347 3742 

Email theguild@eim.ae 

EDITORIAL Editor & Publisher Aquin George 

Phone +971 50 504 5033 

Email editor@gulfgourmet.net 

Associate Publisher Amaresh Bhaskaran 

Phone +971 50 456 8161 

Email amaresh@gulfgourmet.net 

CREATIVE Seeing Things Photography 

Phone +971 50 547 2477 

CONTRIBUTORS Lincy Varghese 

Olivia Atkinson 

Content-Farm.com 

ADVERTISING Sales & Mktg. Andrew Williams 

Phone +971 4 368 6450 

Email advertise@gulfgourmet.net 

DESIGN Art Director PeeCee 

Graphic Designer Natalie King 

PRODUCTION Dubai Printing Press 

LICENSED BY National Media Council 

PUBLISHED BY SMARTCAST GROUP FZ-LLC 

PO Box 34891, Dubai Media City, 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

COPYRIGHT All material appearing in Gulf Gourmet is 

copyright unless otherwise stated or it 

may rest with the provider of the supplied 

material. Gulf Gourmet magazine takes 

all care to ensure information is correct 

at time of printing, but the publisher 

accepts no responsibility or liability for 

the accuracy of any information contained 

in the text or advertisements. Views 

expressed are not necessarily endorsed by 

the editor and publisher. 

editor's note 

9

friends of the guild 

10 




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news bites 

16 


newsbites 

Time Out Dubai looking for 

Dubai’s finest young chef 

Time Out’s Young Chef 

of the Year event is back 

with a festive twist and 

invites readers to judge 

Dubai’s hottest culinary 

talent for 2012. The 

concept is designed to 

unearth the city’s finest 

young culinary talent 

through a live cook-off 

with readers and an 

expert panel of judges 

determining the result. 

The Young Chef of the 

Year event is supported 

by the Emirates Culinary 

Guild and will take place at 

The H Dubai on December 

5, 2012. On this date, five 

chefs from across Dubai, 

all 30 years or younger, will 

each cook a four-course 

festive meal for an expert 

panel of judges and a col- 

INVITATION LETTER 

TIME OUT DUBAI 

YOUNG CHEF OF THE YEAR 

October 31, 2012 

Dear Sir/Madam, 

On behalf of Time Out Dubai and The Emirates Culinary 

Guild, we are very pleased to extend a formal invitation for 

applications for The Time Out Dubai Young Chef of the 

Year 2012 competition. The competition will be held at The 

H Dubai on December 5, 2012. 

On this date, five chefs from across the city, all 30 years old 

or younger, will each cook a festive four-course meal for an 

expert judging panel and 40 paying Time Out readers. Each 

dish will be scored against set criteria before the winner is 

crowned. The expert panel of judges will include Uwe 

Micheel, president of The Emirates Culinary Guild, Scott 

Price, executive chef at Table9, Russell Impiazzi, culinary 

director at Galeries Lafayette and Becky Lucas, editor of 

Time Out Dubai. 

The event press release, application form, guidelines and 

timelines accompany this letter, with the deadline for initial 

applications closing on Thursday November 8, 2012. All 

successful candidates will be notified on Sunday November 

11, 2012. 

Culinary regards, 

Becky Lucas Uwe Micheel 

Editor President 

Time Out Dubai The Emirates Culinary Guild 

lection of Time Out readers. Each dish will be scored against set 

criteria before the winner is announced on the night. 

Judges will include chief judge Uwe Micheel, president of the 

Emirates Culinary Guild and Director of Kitchens at Radisson 

Hotel Dubai Deira Creek; Scott Price, Executive Chef at Table 9 

by Nick & Scott; Russell Impiazzi, Gourmet Culinary Director at 

Galleries Lafayette and Becky Lucas, Editor of Time Out Dubai. 

Invitation letters will be sent to the city’s hotels and restaurants 

to invite applications throughout November. These 

applications will be reviewed by the expert panel to determine 

the final five chefs, who will be announced in late November. 

“This event pulls the industry together to celebrate the talent 

and diversity on display across the city,” said Emirates Culinary 

Guild president Uwe Micheel. “We’re proud to endorse it, and 

we will continue to chart and promote the unsung, young talent 

through this event in the city for years to come.” 

Last year’s winner, 29-year-old South African chef Wesley Berghoff 

is now head chef at Atlantis The Palm’s Ossiano, having 

been promoted from his position of chef de cuisine. For chef 

applications please contact reem.rahman@itp.com 

Diwali special at Handi 

at Taj Palace Dubai 

The Chefs at Taj Palace Dubai are offering the 

season’s finest flavours through a delicious 

Diwali treat at Handi, the hotel’s awardwinning 

restaurant. Beautiful surroundings, 

superb service and emphasis on the finest 

and freshest ingredients make dining at the 

Taj Palace Dubai truly enjoyable. 

Celebrate Diwali at Handi with a festive 

lunch or dinner on 12th and 13th November 

Vegetarian Set Menu at AED 135 per 

person, Non Vegetarian Set Menu at AED 

165 per person, Children below 6 years dine 

free and those between 6 and 12 years enjoy 

50% discount. Price inclusive of water, 

juices and soft drinks. 

ADFCA reiterates food hygiene rules 

If you are an exhibitor at the upcoming 

SIAL 2012, the Abu Dhabi Food 

Control Authority (ADFCA) has listed 

the following food hygiene rules and 

regulations. Following are some of the 

points listed under food requirements: 

High risk food items shall not be kept at 

room temperatures for more than 2 hours. 

Food shall be kept from the danger zone 

(5 o to 65 o c). All the chefs and food 

handlers should carry thermometers 

with sanitizers in order to sanitize it 

before and after using to avoid crosscontamination. 

All food contact surfaces 

should be regularly sanitized. 

Cooked products shall be kept separately 

and covered. 

All food and beverage products shall 

be properly labelled and must have 

the production and expiry dates or 

‘best before’, ‘use by’, clearly marked 

on them. A copy of ADFCA clearance 

certificate by Food Trade Unit for the 

items released for this particular event 

will be provided in the event. 

Zomato expands reach in the Middle East 

No food items or equipment, utensils 

shall be stored on or come in contact 

with the floor, which could result in 

contamination of food. 

Food items shall be stored in containers 

with original pack sticker. 

Hot holding temperatures shall be above 

65 o c. Cold displays below -5 o c. Freezers 

shall be maintained and operated at -18 o c. 

Cooking oil shall be changed twice a day 

(depending on the operation). 

Temperatures of chillers, freezers and 

food shall be monitored and recorded 

every two hours. 

Visitors must be informed about 

Zomato, South-Asia's largest restaurant and nightlife guide, 

which had entered the Middle East market with its Dubai section 

last month, has now expanded its reach with the launch of 

its services in Abu Dhabi (zomato.com/abudhabi) and Sharjah 

(zomato.com/sharjah). 

Providing in-depth information on over 6,500 restaurants 

across the three cities, Zomato has become UAE's most extensive 

restaurant discovery platform for anyone looking to eat 

out or get food delivered. 

Zomato’s biggest strength is that it provides scanned menus, 

photos and coordinates for most of the restaurants listed in the 

three cities. The user, therefore, knows what to expect when he or 

she enters the restaurant. Users can also explore or search for restaurants 

in their city through the Zomato app, which is available 

for free across all major smartphone platforms - WindowsPhone, 

BlackBerry, iOS, Android and others (zomato.com/mobile). 


food items which are not cooked 

thoroughly; or shall not be presented for 

consumption to visitors. 

Food items of different categories 

i.e. cooked food, dairy products, eggs, 

vegetables, meat and poultry, etc. that 

are stored in chillers or refrigerators shall 

be segregated from each other and must 

be stored on different shelves. 

Displayed food items shall not be given 

away to trade visitors during and on the 

final day of the exhibition. The organizer 

will monitor the situation closely and 

inform ADFCA in case of non-compliance of 

any company or trade visitor accordingly. 

news bites 

17

news bites 

18 


Grand Millennium offers 

free Wi-Fi on the move 

Grand Millennium Dubai has taken luxury one 

step forward by offering free Wi-Fi connectivity 

in its luxury hotel cars. The idea is to 

ensure that every business traveller secures 

ease of communication. With this move, the 

hotel has literally taken guest convenience ‘a 

few extra miles’. 

General Manager Peter Mansourian said, “The 

hotel caters for both business and leisure 

travellers alike, and we value the demands and 

expectation of all travellers. Hence we will be 

providing complimentary Wi-Fi connectivity in 

four of our luxury hotel cars.” 

Park Regis rolls out new code of conduct 

In its bid to enhance the productivity 

of its team and induce greater 

cooperation, Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel 

Dubai has rolled out a new code of 

conduct for its employees called 

Managing Excellence or ‘ME’. 

Scott Butcher, General Manager, Park 

Regis Kris Kin Hotel Dubai, said, “ME 

will be an essential part of the orientation 

of our associates and is a comprehensive 

document designed to guide 

staff on a day-to-day basis. How they 

behave and conduct themselves with 

their fellow colleagues, recognise each 

other’s efforts, build trust, share and 

communicate ideas and show care 

towards each other eventually reflects 

To be featured in this section, email your Chef-related news or information 

relevant to those working in a professional kitchen to editor@gulfgourmet.net 

in their performance. ME will help to 

create the right work environment 

promoting growth and motivating our 

people at the same time.” 

ME is an extremely simple and easy 

to follow programme and outlines 

a ‘VALUE’ for each day of the week. 

While Day 1 is about mutual respect 

and being supportive to fellow colleagues, 

Day 2 seeks to make one accountable 

for one’s actions and being 

objective. Similarly, Day 3 advises to 

be collaborative and provide recognition 

when due, while Day 4 makes you 

more considerate and trustworthy 

towards others. Day 5 is all about 

encouraging communication and 

ideas and Day 6 tells you to have fun 

in what you do and deliver on your 

promises. Last but not the least Day 

7 advises you to share knowledge and 

show care.

inaugural seafex 

20 


Our role is to keep the industry 

informed and updated 

Mark Napier, Exhibition Director, Dubai World Trade Centre and the man behind 

Gulfood, talks about this month’s inaugural SEAFEX, the only trade exhibition in the 

region covering the full spectrum of the seafood industry. Excerpts from the interview 

What were your reasons for 

launching SeAFeX? 

Seafood is one of the fastest growing 

segments in the global food industry, 

with several of our regional markets 

in the world’s top 10 in terms of 

consumption. The decision to offer a 

dedicated and comprehensive platform, 

for both suppliers and buyers to 

source products, was made following 

the phenomenal growth that the 

industry has seen in the region. The 

UAE consumes more than 50kg of 

fish and seafood products per capita 

per year according to Asmak International 

Fish Farming Company, while 

the Emirates Wildlife Society’s recent 

surveys show that 66% of the UAE 

population eats fish at least once a 

week. 

As the only trade exhibition in the 

region covering the full spectrum of 

the seafood industry, SEAFEX offers 

its stakeholders a focused platform 

for developing relationship with the 

key suppliers to the region. With hundreds 

of seafood species and brands 

available and 21 national pavilions 

confirmed to take part in the inaugural 

edition, the show represents a 

huge opportunity for local and international 

suppliers who are looking to 

the Middle East for business growth. 

As the organizer behind both 

Gulfood and SeAFeX, what 

benefit does your project team 

bring to exhibitors and visitors? 

Gulfood is now the largest annual 

food trade show in the world – more 

UAE consumes more 

than 50kg of fish and 

seafood products per 

capita per year 

than 3,800 exhibitors from 88 

countries and 110 international 

pavilions took part in the 2012 edition. 

This highlights the pivotal role 

that the show plays in facilitating 

trade between suppliers and buyers 

from every corner of the globe, and 

the exclusive access it provides to 

the highly lucrative markets of the 

region. With more than 62,000 trade 

visitors attending, it is an enormous 

show that contributes substantially 

to the local, regional and international 

industry. 

The decision to create SEAFEX was 

driven by demand – from both our exhibitors 

and visitors, and has enabled 

the Gulfood project team to apply 

their considerable experience and 

expertise to deliver a show that is 

targeted, equally effective and highly 

successful. 

A number of the show’s unique 

features benefits from the team’s 

contacts in the industry. For example, 

a specially designed hosted buyer 

programme that connects 300 of 

the top influencers, managers and 

buyers from around the world with 

exhibitors and buyers directly. The 

programme ensures that exhibitors 

meet with the right buyers, even 

before they arrive at their stand. The 

show will also feature The Sustainable 

Skillery Corner – a live cooking 

station with preparation and presentation 

demonstrations that offers an 

exclusive opportunity to gain insights 

into preparing obscure and unusual 

seafood dishes. 

What kind of suppliers can we 

expect to see at SeAFeX this 

year? 

As the only trade exhibition dedicated 

to the seafood industry in the 

region, SEAFEX serves as a platform 

for the industry, both to showcase 

products and to source new ingredients 

and suppliers. It has attracted 

the attention of the world and the 

region’s leading suppliers from 

over 21 national pavilions including 

Canada, China, Cyprus, Greece, 

Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Peru, 

Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen, 

and Vietnam. 

In addition to this, SEAFEX has 

extended its platform to include 

knowledge sharing, trends and industry 

issues. Our role is to keep the industry 

informed and updated, as well 

as to provide valuable networking 

opportunities that will further grow 

the businesses of the companies that 

attend the show. 

What are the current trends and 

issues in the seafood industry? 

The global seafood industry is under 

increasing scrutiny and pressure to 

provide sustainable, environmentally-friendly 

produce that follow the 

global food trends towards health- 

Hundreds of seafood 

species and brands will 

be available and 21 

national pavilions have 

confirmed to take part in 

the inaugural edition 

ier eating. To address this demand 

SEAFEX will showcase a number of 

the world’s leading suppliers of ‘wild 

caught’ fish or seafood sourced from 

the ocean or fresh water environment. 

Known for being free from feed 

additives, chemicals, pesticides and 


antibiotics and sourced from a regulated 

fishery, suppliers of ‘wild caught’ 

seafood are certified sustainable. 

Another huge challenge facing the 

seafood industry is shipping and logistics. 

As the third largest re-exporter 

of food in the world, and with GCC’s 

logistics market valued at US$27 

billion according to a recent report 

by Booz & Co, the UAE plays a critical 

role in the future growth of food logistics. 

The Food Logistics Forum will 

run alongside SEAFEX on 20 and 21 

November 2012 at the Dubai World 

Trade Centre. The conference is the 

first of its kind in the region and will 

showcase the very latest trends and 

innovations in the industry, by bringing 

together 150 global and regional 

logistics business leaders to address 

industry concerns, participate in 

interactive workshops and discuss 

market growth opportunities. 

inaugural seafex 

21

cover story 

22 


Staying 

grounded 

Aquin George meets Chef Peter De Kauwe, the Executive Chef of The 

Club and one of the key organisers of this month’s La Cuisine Du Sial, 

to find out if subtlety and stability is really the best route to success 


cover story 

23

cover story 

24 


I 

first met Chef Peter De Kauwe in 

August last year for an interview 

with the Chefs who were reviving 

Emirates Culinary Guild’s Abu 

Dhabi chapter. The conversation revolved 

around a variety of topics and 

I vividly remember Chef Peter – who 

is the Secretary of the Abu Dhabi 

Chapter and one of the key people 

behind La Cuisine Du SIAL – being 

the silent one in the group. You had 

to specifically direct a question at 

him to get an answer. 

This time around things were 

thankfully different. Chef Peter 

was at home at The Club, Abu 

Dhabi. Considering the place has 

evolved over most part of last 25 

years with his culinary touch, this 

comfort factor isn’t surprising. He 

has worked two long stints here 

totalling 17 years and is one of the 

lucky few to live with his family 

within The Club’s premises. 

For those not in the know, The Club 

is an institution unto itself and has 

been in existence for over 50 years. It 

has 3,000 adults and 1,250 children 

from 83 different nationalities as 

members. Chef Peter overlooks the 

Our operation is very 

unique in the region, with 

none to compare with. 

The secret for us to grow 

from strength to strength 

has been our motto ‘under 

promise and over deliver 

always’ which we maintain 

at all cost 

operations of 13 Bars and Restaurants 

onsite and manages catering 

to prestigious companies, diplomatic 

missions and other locations offsite. 

“We have catered to big gigs such as 

UB 40, Tom Jones, Bryan Adams etc. 

We have catered to foreign diplomats 

such as the Mayor of London, Ministers 

and the Royal family of Britain 

including Prince Andrew and Princess 

Margaret. We have won many awards 

through the years and we host the 

Chaine des Rotisseurs Lunch and 

Dinner events at various times of the 

year,” says Chef Peter. 

He adds, “Our operation is very 

unique in the region, with none to 

compare with. The secret for us to 

grow from strength to strength has 

been our motto ‘under promise and 

over deliver always’ which we maintain 

at all cost.” 

Things were not always this hectic. 

When he first joined The Club in 1987, 

Chef Peter was a young 25-year-old. 

The operations were much smaller, 

outlets fewer and staff one-third 

the current size. Today he manages 

multiple satellite kitchens and a main 

kitchen with a team of 50 dishing out 

a variety of cuisines to a wide range 

of palates. 

His introduction to The Club is also 

an interesting story. The Sri Lankanborn 

Chef had joined The Ceylon 

Hotel School in Colombo following 

his schooling at a leading Catholic 

School. “My ambition was to complete 

Hotel Management and follow 

the footsteps of my uncle, who was 

the GM of a 5-star property. I had 

no inkling that I would end up in the 

kitchen,” he says. 

It was only after completing his practical 

training in all four main departments 

of a hotel at various 4 and 5 

Star properties that he decided to 

taking up cookery as a career. In 1984 

he began working at the Hotel Lanka 

Oberoi, Colombo (now known as 

Cinnamon Grand). He worked there 

for 4 years covering a majority of the 

outlet kitchens including The London 

Grill, which was then one of the Top 

300 Restaurants in Asia. 

His exceptional skills as a culinaire 

at such a young age did not miss 

the eye of his Chef. “I was one of the 

first to be been promoted at such a 

young age. My advantage was that, 

unlike others, language was never a 

barrier for me. What many could not 

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cover story 

26 


achieve in 8 or 9 years I managed in 6 

months.” It was finally the objection 

from the union that stalled his rise at 

the hotel. “My chef apologised to me 

saying that he couldn’t do anything 

and instead offered me a job with his 

brother as a Sous Chef in Abu Dhabi.” 

Chef Peter at that time had been married 

just four months to Chandrika, his 

neighbour and childhood sweetheart. 

“Moving out was a tough decision considering 

we had just found out that we 

were expecting our first child,” he says. 

However, with the hopes of securing 

his family a greater future, Chef Peter 

decided to come to Abu Dhabi for two 

years and return to Colombo. “Eventually, 

I ended up working here for 14 

years until 2001,” he says. 

When we ask him if he considers 

working in one establishment for 

14 years at a stretch too long, he 

says, “A lot of people say I have been 

stagnant in one establishment. I 

never looked at it that way. How 

many covers do you think we do? We 

have 13 bars including eight food 

outlets. We do about 1,000 meals 

on a weekend. In the poolside we do 

about 600 covers. In the pub we do 

about 200 covers. In the restaurant 

we do about 100 covers. And I am 

only talking of lunch time. We also do 

a lot of outside catering which is up 

to 350 pax. We used to do 2,000 pax 

in house earlier. For the UB40 gig we 

served 15,000 people.” 

Chef Peter was asked to take over the 

kitchen operations of The Club at the 

age of 28, just three years after he 

had joined. “I said I will give it a shot. 

It was a challenge for an Asian guy 

to cook for British club members in a 

Middle East country.” As always, Chef 

Peter excelled at the job on hand and 

cut short his year-long probation by 

half. “We refurbished the restaurants, 

changed the lighting, introduced 

speciality nights, had a buffet restaurant, 

theme nights, and more. The 

range of meat items we offer is now 

unmatched in the city,” he says. A 

quick glance through his menus and 

you know what he’s talking about. 

Everything from rabbit to kangaroo is 

for the taking. 

That apart, few people know about 

Chef Peter being a founder member 

of the Emirates Culinary Guild. In his 

true nonchalant style, he says, “ECG 

was formed in 1991 to have meetings, 

to socialise and was an excuse 

to have a few beverages and taste 

different foods while getting to know 

each other. It was not with an intention 

to grow as of today. However, 

soon the trend and direction changed 

50yrs 

the club is 

an institution 

unto itself and 

has been in 

existence for 

over 50 years 

having seen the need to develop the 

skills of juniors and what they had 

to offer in the region. The Guild then 

thought it fine to approach affluent 

supply chains to support this need 

to motivate and give exposure to the 

well deserving trade of Professional 

Chefs. And that’s how the first Dubai 

Salon Culinaire took place in 1992.” 

So with so much activity and a great 

job, why did he leave The Club in 

2001? “My family and I migrated 

to Australia and began residing 

in Sydney. I worked at the Sydney 

Superdome (one of the main Olympic 

Indoor Stadiums) as Senior Sous Chef 

in-charge of all the Corporate Suites 

for functions covering up to 15,000 

people. This was until I undertook to 

management of the kitchens for a 

private owned Restaurant, Café and 

Function Room establishment in 

Circular Quay.” 

He adds, “I became a Member of 

the Australian Culinary Guilds NSW 

Chapter and was also a member of 

the Judging Team Jury at the Sydney 

Salon Culinare Competition in 2006 

and 2007.” During these 8 years his 

connection with the UAE was never 

lost. “The Club had asked me to return 

a few times. In 2009 I finally decided 

to come back and take over the position 

of Executive Chef once again.” 

Talking about today’s crop of young 

Chefs, he says, “These days Chefs 

keep moving very often because they 

think about money and not their 

career. They go for higher positions, 

get stagnant, then take up jobs with 

flashy titles and eventually crash. My 

advice to them is to learn as much as 

they can regardless of their position. 

Operations within an organisation are 

different so use that to your advantage 

and learn.” 

We move the discussion to The Club’s 

GM and his long-time colleague and 

he says, “Mike McGrath has been with 

The Club almost 20 years. He is very 

supportive of the kitchen staff and 

the rest of the team. He always emphasises 

on the standards we offer. 

We have worked closely for almost 

16 years. I knew him even before he 

joined The Club when he was working 

at the Al Ain Hilton with Chef Tarek 

Mouriess. He is a nice guy and is easy 

to get along with. The eight years I 

spent in Australia we always kept in 

touch. He always asked me to come 

back though I would delay it saying 

the kids are in school and so on.” 

Chef Peter and his wife Chandrika 

have three sons. Shehan, 24, is presently 

an employee in the Hospitality 

at Ribs and Rumps Sydney. Damian, 

19, is at University studying Business 

Finance in Sydney. And Ryan, 13, lives 

with them in the UAE and is a student 

at Al Bateen School in Abu Dhabi. 

Talking about the upcoming La 

Cuisine Du SIAL competition, he 

says, “With Alen Thong’s hands-on 

support, me and the rest of the executive 

committee of the Abu Dhabi 

chapter of the Guild have been working 

real hard this year as well. We 


are getting everything sorted out in 

relation to Chefs and we have been 

working with select suppliers to 

support the competition. I think we 

should see entries this year that are 

almost on par with the large turnout 

we saw last year.” 

cover story 

27

suPPlier story 

28 


My home kitchen is equipped like a 

5-star hotel 

Aquin George meets Jagdish Menon, the man behind Mitras and its many food 

businesses in the UAE, to find out about him, his organisation, and its future plans 

Could you tell us about Mitras 

and your connection with it? 

Mitras is an international trading 

organisation dealing in commodities 

such as rice, sugar, coffee and tea 

with its core activities in East Africa. 

They branched out to Dubai in 1992. 

I quit my job as Director of Catering 

at the Intercontinental to run its UAE 

operations. The business has been 

built ground up over here and I manage 

the entire spectrum of the food 

business at Mitras. 

What challenges did you face 

initially? 

To begin with, I did not come from 

a business background. All I knew 

was how to run restaurants and had 

a keen eye for quality food products. 

When we started out it was just me 

and a driver. The rest were all commodity 

traders managing the flow 

of dry goods between the East, West 

and Africa. 

Our first consignment was Uganda 

pineapples which were so sweet 

that it hardly had any shelf life. We 

had to drop it and think of a new 

strategy because our cargo aircraft 

would leave packed but return empty. 

We tried a lot of products including 

bananas and nothing worked. I 

flew to Africa and saw that we had a 

great fish factory and decided to fly 

in 1,000 kilos of Perch. I went to Chef 

Uwe to see if he would like to buy any 

of it and he showed keen interest. He 

purchased the entire 1,000 kilos from 

me and that was my first invoice. 

That gave us the confidence and 

courage to build the business. Today 

we do almost 1,000 tonnes of fish a 

month. 

What is Mitras’ strongest selling 

product today? 

Our biggest joint venture here is with 

Al Bawadi Group who handles Spinney’s. 

There is a food processing business 

which focuses on fish. There is a 

sea food division called Majenta. We 

do sanitised vegetables, fresh fruits 

and juices. We develop sauces and 

appetizer cuisines based solutions 

for restaurants and retail markets. 

We are also slowly branching out into 

meat products which along with fish 

will encompass our protein business. 

We have built a state-of-the-art 

200,000 sq ft in the Dubai fruit and 

vegetable market which opens this 

December. We have a centralised 

kitchen for our sauces and other solutions. 

Could you tell us about your 

growth with these businesses? 

Each business unit has its own team 

and our combined revenue would be 

in the range of AED 250 million. From 

a team of just nine staff we have 

grown to 600 employees in the UAE. 

Then we have distribution all over 

GCC and sub-distribution in certain 

parts. We are even integrating into 


India now. In the UAE, going forward 

we will have a state of the art facility 

in Dubai Investment Park for sea food 

processing and this should be ready 

by 2014. 

Within the hospitality sector, 

which is one product line you 

are trying to push in the coming 

years? 

We are looking at two things. First is 

sustainability. Second is bringing in 

fish that this region hasn’t been exposed 

to, especially from Alaska. We 

are also going more into tailor-made 

solutions. I believe that kitchens are 

getting smaller, chefs are becoming 

lesser and skills are getting tighter. 

This will make room for integrated 

industries that focus on tailor-made 

solutions as in the years to come the 

entire F&B industry will be in need 

of a lot of inventions including risk 

free development, portion control 

development, resource development, 

and so on. 

I don’t see why Black cod or a Chilian 

sea bass or king crab legs should 

only be found in a Jumeriah or in a 

Zuma. We want these to be in normal 

restaurants and make it affordable. It 

is this that we want to make happen 

since the masses eat here we are 

going to go more into cook programs, 

more into portion programs, with 

added focus on sustainability. 

How did you find food as a career? 

suPPlier cover story 

29

suPPlier story 


I started off as an apprentice at the 

Taj Delhi followed by a scholarship 

to study in the UK. I had the grades 

and could have chosen engineering 

or medicine but food was my passion 

and so I followed my heart. It was 

a huge shock for my parents but I 

pursued my passion non-stop since 

the age of 16. 

What challenges have you faced 

within the industry in recent 

years? 

There was a stage when business 

was stagnant and there was a huge 

correction in the market. We were 

also corrected. However, when you’re 

saying you want to do a 5-year plan 

or a 10-year plan I don’t think short 

High quality steel - laser-tested 

cutting edge 

Soft, abrasion proof and 

non-slip plastic handle 

Ergonomic handle, perfect 

in volume 

breaks or period of being stagnant 

should demotivate you. There are 

also challenges related to doing 

something new in this market 

especially related to permissions. 

That said, when I look at the past 20 

years, as in what Dubai was then and 

what it is now, the way forward is 

extremely positive for us. 

Do you miss the kitchen? 

I have my own kitchen in production 

units and a huge one in my house. 

I constantly cook and my home 

kitchen is equipped like a 5 star hotel. 

My daughter Tejeshwari is equally 

interested and she’s getting into 

the business. She is only 14 and has 

already undergone training under 

Your System Provider 

Cutting, Sharpening, Grinding 

Simply draw blade through rods 

for a perfect edge everytime 

Sharpening rods with wear 

resisting and super hard 

special coating 

Fast and safe operation 

Chef Uwe and has acquired a City and 

Guilds diploma from the Chefs school 

here in Dubai at age 12. She’s looking 

forward to going to the US to study 

culinary sciences and food science. 

Could you tell us more about your 

family? 

My wife Geeta is in the diamond 

business designing jewellery. She 

knows nothing about food and never 

steps into the kitchen but enjoys 

good food. For us, eating good food 

both at home and outside is equally 

important. I have 2 daughters 

Ankita and Tejeshwari. Ankita is majoring 

in Finance and is interested in 

the areas of investment banking and 

financial services. 

Easy and safe to operate 

Precision and safety 

Resistant sharpening wheels 

thanks to diamonds and hard 

ceramics 

Al Hudaib Trading Co., LLC . Dubai, UAE. Phone +971 4 396 6306 . Fax +971 4 396 6307 . alhudaib@eim.ae / contact: Philip Mathew 

Keeping things 

fresh and relevant 

Alejandro Bernabe, General Manager, Kempinski Hotel 

Mall of the Emirates Dubai talks about his passion for F&B 

Could you tell us a bit about your 

career before taking over your 

present position? 

I have been working in the luxury hospitality 

industry for over 17 years of which 

I spent the last decade with Kempinski. 

It’s been a truly amazing journey so far 

that has given me the opportunity to 

travel, live and work in many exciting 

places around the world including the 

USA, Switzerland, South Africa, France, 

Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Russia, Turkey, 

Malta, Kuwait and Jordan. 

I decided early in life on a career in 

hospitality and studied Hotel Management 

in Montreux Switzerland 

before I did my Masters of Business 

Administration at the Reims Business 

School in France. I started working 

in the field of Food & Beverage 

and was fortunate to gain experience 

in both city hotels and resort properties 

over the years. 

Before coming to Dubai I was the 

General Manager, and part of the 

pre-opening team, for the Kempinski 

Hotel Aqaba in Jordan. 

As the General Manager of your 

property, how involved are you 

with the F&b operations? 

Within the Group there is a strong 

focus on F&B and the expectations 

to deliver a great guest experience in 

our restaurants are high. As General 

Manager of Kempinski Hotel Mall 

of the Emirates I am very involved 

in the operations of our restaurants 

and lounges. I personally come from 

an F&B background and it has been 


www.fdick.com 

knives . ancillary items . sharpening steels . grinding machines 31 

chief sPeaK

chief sPeaK 

32 


a true passion for me since the very 

early days of my career. 

In the UAE in particular, restaurants 

are a very important part of the 

overall guest experience; people 

come to the hotels to dine, entertain 

guests and relax and unwind after a 

busy day of work or sightseeing. From 

a revenue perspective, restaurants 

contribute significantly to the overall 

result of the hotel so it’s very natural 

for me as General Manager to give 

F&B a lot of attention. 

Can you tell us about the various 

F&b outlets in your hotel? 

We have a nice variety of restaurants 

and lounges in the hotel ranging from 

our signature restaurant KGrill and 

the highly popular lobby lounge Aspen 

Café, to Mosaic Chill, our poolside 

terrace and Bar 1897. 

Which are your future plans for 

your hotel’s F&b? 

At Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates 

we continuously invest in our 

product and service offering to make 

sure we keep things fresh and relevant 

for our guests. We are currently 

in the process of completely revamping 

our food & beverage offering and 

we are creating some very exciting 

new restaurant concepts to meet the 

ever- evolving needs of our guests 

and visitors. 

We have started the refurbishment of 

the food & beverage outlets over the 

summer and I am very excited about 

the new Aspen, our very successful 

Lobby Lounge Café, and the Tapas and 

Wine Bar concept that we are currently 

developing, which will be something 

completely new and authentic for 

Dubai. However, the ultimate will be 

our all-day dining restaurant for which 

we are currently developing an entirely 

new, very innovate concept. 

Do you work closely with your 

executive Chef in devising new 

concepts and promotions? 

Our Executive Chef, Sudqi Naddaf is a 

key figure in our hotel and I thoroughly 

enjoy spending time with him 

First and foremost, do not 

cook for yourself, cook for 

our guests 

to talk about new products, ideas and 

experiences as well guest feedback. 

He eradicates true passion, which can 

be very contagious! 

The restaurant and dining scene in 

Dubai is highly competitive so it’s 

very important to offer fresh, innovative 

and exciting experiences to 

guests and visitors. 

What is your brief to your 

executive Chef? 

First and foremost, do not cook for 

yourself, cook for our guests. Always 

use good, high quality products and 

try to source your produce locally 

wherever possible. 

Secondly, take good care of the 

people around you, be nice to them, 

teach them and help them to develop 

both personally and professionally. 

Last but not least, have fun and enjoy 

what you are doing! 

How important is the relationship 

between the GM and his/her 

executive Chef? 

The relationship between the General 

Manager and his/her Executive Chef 

is as important as the relationship 

with any other member of the hotel’s 

Executive Team. Hotels can only be 

truly successful if there is outstanding 

teamwork since there are so 

many inter-dependencies between 

the different departments that 

ultimately make up the guest experience. 

Our role as General Manager is 

to lead the team and to encourage 

people to do their best whilst providing 

them with the necessary tools to 

do their jobs well, regardless of the 

department they work in. 

Is there a conceptual difference 

between F&b outlets in city 

hotels and resorts? 

I personally don’t think there necessarily 

is a difference between city 

hotels and resorts in terms of F&B 

offering. I think it has more to do 

with the location the hotel is in. For 

example, the hotels at the beach area 

in Dubai can be considered resort 

hotels, but they are still in the middle 

of the city. So for Dubai, I do not think 

that there is much difference in the 

F&B offering if you purely look at city 

hotels versus resorts. 

However, if we consider the difference 

between city hotels and resorts 

in more remote locations, for sure 

there is a big difference. For example 

in the Maldives or the Caribbean, it 

can be very difficult to attract local 

clientele that will visit your outlets so 

the hotels are more geared towards 

the in-house guests and that dictates 

the F&B offering to a large extent. In 

this case, the all-day dining restaurant 

tends to be the focal point of the 

F&B offering and then you typically 

have at least one more sophisticated 

venue/outlet for dinner. 

Have you been so impressed 

with a concept in another hotel 

or resort that you would like 


to introduce in your present 

property? 

Unfortunately the world seems to 

have become very good at replicating 

concepts, in a cookie-cutter way: 

whenever you see a concept that is 

unique, you turn around and some else 

has already copied it. Kempinski has 

decided not to hire outside consultants 

to develop our new concepts, 

but to look internally and use our own 

resources. I honestly believe that the 

concepts that our company is currently 

producing will become something 

that others will want to copy. 

Is there a novel F&b concept 

you would like to bring to your 

property? 

We are currently working on some 

very nice, innovative F&B concepts 

for the hotel of which I am very proud, 

so at this stage that’s what I am completely 

focusing on. 

chief sPeaK 

33

my favourite ingredient 

34 


The essence of 

Saffron 

Executive Chef Anthony Ranjit Sarkar of TIME Grand Plaza Hotel tells us about 

his favourite ingredient and why it’s so integral in his culinary scheme of things 

Chef, what is your speciality? 

I would say Multiple Cuisine. 

Could you tell us a bit about 

yourself? 

I hail from Kolkata, India and I am a 

third generation chef. I have spent 

the last 40 years working within various 

hotel chains in the Middle East, 

Indian sub-continent, and the Far 

East mastering the art of continental, 

sub-continental and oriental cuisines. 

One of my favourite stints was at the 

Hilton Shanghai China where I overlooked 

banquet operations for up to 

5,000 people. During those three years, 

I successfully introduced authentic 

Indian cuisine and Indian theme nights 

which turned out to be extremely 

popular. The concept of blending Indian 

recipes with tastes of Far East was also 

much appreciated. I recreated similar 

culinary success in Jakarta, Indonesia 

at the Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel. 

In the UAE I have worked at Astoria 

Hotel Dubai, Le Meridien Abu Dhabi, Al 

Ain Rotana, Towers Rotana Dubai and 

Fujairah Rotana before taking over the 

opening of Layia Plaza Hotel. This is a 

232-room 4* deluxe property currently 

managed under TIME Hotels and 

named TIME Grand Plaza Hotel. 

In the grand culinary scheme of 

things, what is your favourite 

ingredient? 

My favourite ingredient would be saffron. 

I absolutely love the spice. 

Why do you love this ingredient 

so much? 

It is used in multicultural cuisine be 

it Indian, Spanish, Italian, French, 

Pakistani, Moroccan, Iranian or English 

dishes. 

Saffron is a very popular spice due to 

the unique flavour, aroma and colour 

that it imparts to food. It is also 

known for its long medicinal history 

as it contains natural plant compounds 

with anti-oxidant and health 

promoting properties. Saffron also 

adds a mix of essential nutrients like 

iron and potassium and carotenoids, 

like Vitamin A from which saffron 

gets its rich hay-like colour. 

How does this ingredient 

enhance the dishes you create in 

terms of flavour? 

The distinctive aroma and colour of 

saffron when soaked in hot water and 

blended with other ingredients enhances 

any dishes making it very appealing 

to the eye and palate, it enhances and 

gives aroma to any meat, seafood, rice 

and event desserts. It is the most expensive 

spice however it has the most 

intense medicinal benefits. 

brought to you by 

How were you introduced to the 

ingredient? 

Saffron was being used by my parents 

[both chefs] in various dishes. 

They introduced me to the spice. 

How versatile is Saffron and in 

how many kinds of dishes and 

cuisines can these be used? 

Saffron can be used in countless 

cuisines mainly dishes from the subcontinent, 

Middle East, France, Italy, 

Morocco, England, Mexico and Iran, to 

name but a few. 

If, for some reason you cannot 

get this ingredient, is there a 

substitute? 

Apparently there is no real substitute 

for Saffron; however, there are two 

reasonable replacement options: you 

can go to a Mexican grocery store and 

use "Mexican Saffron" or you can use 

Turmeric (use less Turmeric as it has 

a stronger flavour than Saffron and 

can overpower the recipe). 

How important or indispensable 

is saffron in your culinary scheme 

of things? 

There are many dishes which cannot 

be prepared without saffron and substitute 

colour may be available but 

you will not get the flavour right. 



35


36 


MURG SINA MALAI 

Stuffed chicken breast with minced lamb, herbs 

and dry fruits finishes in rich creamy saffron gravy 

INGREDIENTS FOR STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST 

Chicken breast 1 piece 

Minced Lamb 50 grams 

Chopped Onion 1 table spoon 

Chopped Cashew nuts 1 table spoon 

Raisins 1 tablespoon 

Chopped fresh coriander 1 table spoon 

Chopped fresh mint 1 table spoon 

Chopped green chillis As required 

Garam Masala Powder 1 table spoon 

Salt as required 

METHOD 

Season the chicken breast and make an incision in the centre 

length wise. Mix all the rest of the ingredients and fill in the 

incision and close the opening with a tooth pick. Sear the breast 

on all sides and set aside 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY 

Vegetable Oil 3 table spoon 

Onion 2 Finely chopped 

Ginger garlic paste 1 table spoon 

Green Chilli to Taste 

Cumin Powder 1 Table spoon 

Coriander Powder 2 Table spoon 

Garam Masala Powder 1 Table spoon 

Cashew nut 3/4 cup 

Milk 1 Cup 

MAGGi ® chicken stock cube half 

Cream 1/4 Cup 

Salt to taste 

Saffron few threads [soak in 1 – 4 cup milk] 

FOR GARNISH 

Coriander Fresh 

Fried Cashew nuts and raisins 1 table spoon 

Grated Khoya 1 Table spoon 

METHOD 

Soak cashew in milk for 15 minutes and blend to smooth puree 

Heat 2 table spoons oil in a pan 

Add onions and fry until it starts to dry out 

Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 – 3 minutes 

Add powdered masalas and mix well 

Add cashew and milk mixture and sauté until oil separates 

Add stuffed breast, enough water, cover and cook until well done 

Add cream and reduce the gravy to desired thickness 

Add green chilli and saffron 

Garnish with fresh coriander, grated khoya and dry fruits 

Serve with pilaf rice or naan bread 

PAN SEARED SALMON ON MASHED 

POTATOES WITH SAUTéED SPINACH AND 

SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE 

INGREDIENTS TO PREPARE SALMON 

Salmon fillet 180 grams 

Nutmeg grated tiny pinch 

Salt to taste 

Pepper [crushed black pepper] 

Olive oil 1 table spoon 

Butter 10 grams 

Spinach 100 grams [ fresh or frozen ] 

Chopped onion 1 teaspoon 

Chopped garlic 1 clove 

METHOD 

Season salmon with salt and pepper and pan fry in olive oil. 

Blanch the spinach in boiling water 

Drain and keep aside. Saute onions and garlic with butter and 

add spinach, sauté. 

Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg 

INGREDIENTS FOR SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE 

Butter 10 grams 

Shallots chopped 1 table spoon 

Lemon Juice 1 table spoon 

Whipping Cream 1 Cup 


Salt to taste 

White pepper ground 

Saffron 1 pinch [soaked in 1/4 cup hot water] 

METHOD 

Melt butter in a pan. Saute shallots until tender, stir in whipping 

cream and lemon juice and bring to a boil then reduce by half. 

Strain the sauce and add saffron, salt & pepper and adjust the 

seasoning and thickness of the sauce 

INGREDIENTS FOR MASHED POTATOES 

Potatoes peeled and cut in 1 inch round chunks 200 grms 

Milk 1/4 cup 

Butter 1 table spoon 

Salt 1 pinch 

METHOD 

Place potatoes in a sauce pan with water, add salt and bring to 

a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Drain thoroughly, 

mash potatoes with masher and add remaining ingredients 

ASSEMBLING THE PLATE 

Place mashed potatoes in the center of the serving plate 

Place salmon on top, layer on top with sautéed spinach 

Spoon saffron sauce on the sides and garnish with cherry 

tomatoes 


37


38 


SHAHI TUKRA 

INGREDIENTS 

White bread slices 8 pieces [cut the edges and cut in four in triangles] 

Vegetable Oil 4 table spoon 

Milk 1litre 

Sugar 1 cup 

Cardamom powder 1/4 tablespoon 

Saffron 1 pinch [soaked in 1/4 cup hot milk] 

Chopped pistachios 1 teaspoon 

Candied fruits 1 tea spoon - dry red cherries 

METHOD 

Heat milk and sugar stirring continuously and reduce half the 

quantity 

Add cardamom powder and saffron 

Fry bread pieces in vegetable oil till golden brown 

Dip in milk for 2 minutes 

Remove and place on a serving dish, pour reduced milk on top 

and garnish with chopped pistachios and candied fruits, chill 

before serving

culinary olymPics 

40 


UAE Chefs win historic 

16 gold medals! 

The efforts of the Emirates 

Culinary Guild proved to be a 

masterstroke as UAE Chefs 

brought home glory from 

the IKA – also known as the Culinary 

Olympics – in Erfurt Germany 

last month. The team of 13 brilliant 

Chefs participated in 17 entries and 

won in all 17 to claim 16 Gold medals 

and one Silver medal! An exceptional 

performance given that this is the 

first time a team from the UAE is 

participating in the Olympics. 

The Event was organized by the 

Prime Minister of the State of Thüringen 

and President of the Verband 

der Köche Deutschland e.V (German 

Chef’s Association). The Olympics saw 

1,600 Chefs from over 50 Countries 

in Individual Classes, National Teams, 

Regional Teams, Military or Junior 

National Teams. 

The UAE Team comprised of Chefs 

from 10 Hotel properties including 

Zabeel Palace Hospitality, Crown 

Plaza Yas Island, Address Hotel, Atlantis, 

Al Bustan, Nad al Sheba Club, 

Wafi, Pauls and Radisson Blu Hotel 

Dubai Deira Creek. 

13 

the team of 13 

brilliant chefs 

participated in 

17 entries and 

won in all 17 to 

claim 16 gold 

medals and one 

silver medal! 

The team consisted of Uwe 

Micheel (Team Manager), Juraj 

Kalna, Daniel Brooker, Nalin Jagoda, 

Anup Pawar, Mario Coelho, 

Mark Ranasinghe, Amaratunga 

Kapila, Don Thushan, Jayasinghe 

Chamila, Roshan Sumeida, 

Kanishaka Jayaweera and Asela 

Fernando. Following the historic 

win, the overjoyed Team Manager, 

Chef Uwe Micheel, said, “Every 

single team member trained and 

worked very hard. It is a fantastic 

result which has never been seen 

before. Everyone who didn’t know 

of the UAE at the start of event 

knew and recognised the Team at 

the closing ceremony.” 

Chef Uwe, added, “Due to the success 

we have witnessed in recent international 

competitions (South Korea, 

Singapore, Peking China and now 

the biggest, the Culinary Olympics 

held once every 4 Years) the plan is 

to develop a UAE National Team for 

future events.” 

The Olympics Flame was lit by Mrs. 

Vogel a German Cycling Gold Medal 

Winner in London who hails from Erfurt. 

A total of 60 judges from every 

continent were selected by WACS, 

The World Association of Chefs. A 

team was supported by Zabeel Palace 

Hospitality, Barakat, Unilever, Elfab, 

Iffco, RAK, Toni Kaiser, Master Baker 

and Lufthansa. 



41


42 




43


44 




45

events 

46 


eCg eCg 

September Meet October Meet 

The first Emirates Culinary Guild meeting following the summer break took place 

last September at the Time Grand Plaza Hotel in Al Qusais, Dubai and was hosted 

by Chef Amro Al Yassin. A large turnout of Chefs and Corporate members as always 

ensured a healthy networking amongst industry professionals. Some corporate 

members even brought their latest offerings for Chefs to sample at the venue. 

Following are moments captured at the event 


The Emirates Culinary Guild’s October meeting was hosted by Karim Ballouz at 

the Transmed office in Al Quoz, Dubai. To make up for Chef Uwe Micheel’s absence 

(he was in Germany managing the UAE team competing for the Olympics), the 

Guild meet saw WACS President Gissur Gudmundsson, Guild Chairman Andy 

Cuthbert and Guild Coordinator Alen Thong preside over the event. The turnout was 

exceptional as always and a few suppliers even took the opportunity to showcase 

their latest through short presentations. Here are a few images from the meeting 

events 

47

ules & classes 

48 


No. Class Description 

1. Cake Decoration - Practical 

2. Wedding Cake Three-Tier 

3. Four Plates of Dessert 

4. Pastry Showpiece 

5. Baked Bread Showpiece 

6. Friandises Petites Four Pralines 

Nougatines 

7. Chocolate Carving Showpiece 

8. Fruit & Vegetable Carving 

Showpiece 

9. Open Showpiece 

10. Australian Lamb Five-Course 

Gourmet Dinner Menu 

11. Tapas, Finger Food and Canapés 

12. New Arabian Cuisine 

13. An Arabian Combination – Practical 

Cookery 

14. Individual Ice Carving 

BRIEFS OF THE CLASSES FOR ENTRY 

LA CUISINE BY SIAL 

15. Ice Carving Team Event 

16. Practical Fruit & Vegetable Carving 

17. Fish & Seafood - Practical Cookery 

18. Australian Beef - Practical Cookery 

Class 01: Cake Decoration - 

Practical 

1. Decorate a pre-baked single cake 

base of the competitor’s choice. 

2. Two-and-a-half-hours duration. 

3. All decorating ingredients must be 

edible and mixed on the spot. 

4. No pre-modelled garnish permitted. 

5. Chocolate and royal icing can be 

pre-prepared to the basic level, e.g.. 

tempered chocolate can be brought. 

6. Competitors must provide all 

ingredients, cake base, utensils, and 

small equipment required. 

7. The cake base must a minimum size 

of 30cm X 30cm or 30cm Diameter. 

The Emirates Culinary Guild is a member of the World Association of Chef's Societies 

8. A standard buffet table is provided 

for each competitor to work upon. 

9. Water, electricity and refrigeration 

might not be available. 

10. All cakes will be displayed until 

the end of the Salon and will be 

disposed of by the organizer. 

11. The cake will be tasted as part of 

judging. 

12. The Judges will cut the cake. 

Class 02: Three-Tier Wedding 

Cake 

1. All decorations must be edible and 

made entirely by hand. 

2. Pillars or stands may be inedible 

but, unless decorated by hand, must 

be plain and unadorned. 

3. Fine, food-quality wiring is allowed 

for the construction of flowers 

and the like, but must be properly 

wrapped and covered with flower 

tape or paste. 


4. Royal icing, pastillage, pulled 

sugar, etc., may be used in the 

construction, but the finished 

display must not be dependent on 

these items. 

5. The bottom layer of the cake must 

be edible. 

6. Inedible blanks may be used for the 

two top layers. 

7. Typewritten description and recipes 

are required. 

8. Maximum area w60 cm x d75 cm. 

Maximum allowable total height 

(including socle or platforms) is 

75cm. 

Class 03: Four Plates of 

Dessert 

1. Prepare four different desserts, each 

for one person. 

2. Each dessert presented singly on an 

appropriated plate. 


rules & classes 

49


50 


3. Presentation to include a minimum 

of one hot dessert (presented cold). 


are required. 

5. Tasting will be part of the judging 

process if deemed necessary to 

determine quality and authenticity. 


Class 04: Pastry Showpiece 

1. Freestyle display. 

2. Edible media, marzipan, pastillage, 

sugar, pulled-sugar, croquant, etc., 

may be used, singly or in mixed 

media. 

3. Written description required. 

4. Maximum area w90 x d75cm. 

5. Exhibit can be no more than 90cm. 

in height including base or socle 

where used. 

Class 05: baked bread 

Showpiece 

1. Freestyle display of a bread 

showpiece. 

2. Maximum area w90 x d75cm 

3. Exhibit can be no more than 90cm. 


where used 

Class 06: Friandises Petites 

Four Pralines Nougatines 

1. Five varieties. 

2. Six pieces of each variety (30 pieces 

total). 

3. Freestyle presentation. 

4. Required one extra piece of each 

variety on a separate small platter 

for judges’ tasting. 

5. Written description mentioning the 

theme is required. 


6. Typewritten recipes are required. 


Class 07: Chocolate Carving 

Showpiece 

1. Free-style presentation. 

2. No frames or supports. 

3. Natural colouring is allowed. 

4. Minimal glazing is allowed. 

5. No moulded work. 

6. Maximum area: w80 cm x d75 cm. 

7. Exhibit can be no more than 75cm in 

height including base or socle where 

used. 

Class 08: Fruit & vegetable 

Carving Showpiece 


2. Light framing is allowed, but the 

construction of the piece must not 

depend upon it. 



4. Exhibit can be no more than 55 cm 


where used. 

Class 09: Open Showpiece 


2. Only showpieces made of edible 

food material will be accepted for 

adjudication. 


4. Exhibit can be no more than 75 cm. 


where used. 

Class 10: Australian Lamb 

Five-Course Gourmet Dinner 

Menu 

1. One dish must contain Australian 

Lamb as a main component. 

2. Present a plated five-course 

gourmet meal for one person 



51


52 


3. The meal to consist of: 

> A cold appetiser, 

> A soup, 

> A hot appetiser, 

> A main course with its garnish 

> A dessert. 

4. Hot food presented cold on 

appropriate plates. 

5. Food coated with aspic or clear 

gelatin for preservation. 

6. Total food weight of the 5 plates 

should be 600/700 gms. 

7. Typewritten description and typed 

recipes required 


Class 11: Presentation of 

Tapas, Finger Food and 

Canapés 

1. Produce eight varieties. 

2. Six pieces of each variety (total 48 

pieces) 

3. Four hot varieties 

4. Four cold varieties 

5. Hot food presented cold 


gelatin for preservation 

7. Presentation on suitable plate/s or 

platter/s or receptacles. 

8. Eight pieces should correspond to 

one portion. 

9. Name and ingredient list (typed) of 

each variety required. 

10. Maximum area 60cm x 80 cm. 

Class 12: New Arabian Cuisine 

1. One dish must contain dates as a 

major component. 

2. One dish must contain sustainable 

UAE fish as a major component. 


3. Present a plated five-course 

gourmet menu for one person. 

4. Free style presentation. 

5. All menu ingredients used must 

be those found in the Arabian Gulf 

area. 

6. To be prepared in advance, and 

presented cold on appropriate 

plates. 


gelatin for preservation. 

8. Dishes are to be presented in an upto-date 

setting and decoration. 

9. The meal to comprise: 

> A cold appetiser 

> A soup 

> A hot appetiser 

> A main-course with appropriate 

garnish 

> A dessert. 

10. Total food weight for the entire 

menu should be 600/700 gms. 




are required. 

12. Maximum area 90w cm x 75d cm 

Class 13. An Arabian 

Combination. 

1. Two-person team. 

2. One team member must be at or 

below the rank of Chef de Partie. 

3. Prepare two servings of each of the 

following: 

4. Four types of cold mezzeh. 

5. Three types of hot mezzeh. 

6. One main course. 

7. One Dessert 

8. Time allowed 90 minutes, i.e. the 

final course must be served to the 

judges within ninety minutes of the 

start of the competition. 

9. Cold items can be brought ready, 

but must be dished and decorated 

in real time at the competition. 


53


54 


10. Preparation and cooking of the 

hot mezzeh and the main course 

must be done in real time at the 

competition. 

11. Ingredients used must be those 

easy available in an Arabic kitchen, 

e.g. no mussels, salmon, scallops, 

etc. 

12. Taste, innovation and nouvelle 

presentation and the inclusion of 

Emirate dishes with in the food are 

the keynotes to this class. 

13. The food to be served by the 

competitors to the judges in the 

sequence the competitors wish. 

Class 14: Individual Ice 

Carving 

1. Freestyle. 

2. 90 minutes duration. 

3. Hand carved work from one large 

block of ice (provided by the 

organisers). 

4. Competitors to use own hand-tools 

and gloves. 

5. A non-slip mat is mandatory. 

6. Before the competition starts, 

competitors will be allowed 30 

minutes to arrange and temper the 

ice block. 

7. The use of power tools is forbidden. 

Class 15: Ice Carving Team 

event 

1. Freestyle. 

2. Two persons per team 


4. Hand-carved work from three 

large block of ice (provided by the 

organisers). 


and gloves. 

6. Non-slip mats are mandatory. 


7. Great care must be taken with 

health and safety considerations. 

If an exhibit becomes in any 

way unstable or dangerous to 

competitors or public, it will be 

dismantled and destroyed by the 

organizers. 

8. The use of power tools is forbidden. 

Class 16: Practical Fruit & 

vegetable Carving 

1. Freestyle. 


3. Hand carved work from competitor’s 

own fruit\vegetables. 


and equipment. 

5. No power tools permitted. 

6. Pre-cleaned, peeled material is 

allowed, but pre-sliced/carved will 

result in disqualification. 

7. Each competitor will be supplied 

with a standard buffet table on 

which to work. 

Class 17: Fish & Seafood - 

Practical Cookery 

1. Time allowed 60 minutes 

2. Prepare and present four identical 

main courses using fish/shellfish as 

the main protein item. 

3. Present the main courses on 

individual plates with appropriate 

garnish and accoutrements. 


Class 18: Australian beef - 

Practical Cookery 

1. Time allowed 60 minutes 

2. Prepare and present four identical 

main courses using Australian beef 

as the main protein item. 




55


56 


3. Present the main courses on 


garnish and accoutrements. 


Notes on the Practical 

Cookery Classes 

These notes pertain to all practical 

cookery classes. They should be read in 

combination with the brief of the class 

entered. 

Due to the fact that only one hour is 

given to complete the competition; 

competitors are allowed to bring with 

them an extensive mise-en-place. 

However, there are restrictions on how 

much pre-preparation the judges will 

tolerate. In all cases, the preparation, 

production and cooking skills of each 

competitor must be demonstrated 

during her/his time in the kitchen. 

1. All food items must be brought 

to the Salon in hygienic, chilled 

containers: Thermo boxes or 

equivalent. Failure to bring 

food items chilled will result in 

disqualification. 

2. All dishes are to be served in a 

style equal to today’s modern 

presentation trends. 

3. Portion sizes must correspond to a 

three-course restaurant meal. 

4. Dishes must be presented on 


garnish not exceeding 250g total 

food weight excluding sauces. 

5. Unless otherwise stated, 

competitors must supply their own 

plates/bowls/platters with which to 

present the food. 

6. Competitors must bring with 

them all necessary mise-en-place 

prepared according to WACS 

guidelines in the hot kitchen 

discipline (www.wacs2000.org). 

7. Competitors are to provide their 

own pots, pans, tools and utensils. 

8. All brought appliances and utensils 

will be checked for suitability. 


9. The following types of prepreparation 

can be made for the 

practical classes: 

> Vegetables/fungi/fruits; washed 

& peeled – but not cut up or shaped. 

> Potatoes washed and peeled – 

but not cut up or shaped. 

> Onions peeled but not cut up 

> Basic dough can be pre-prepared. 

> Basic stocks can be pre-prepared. 

> Basic ingredients may be preweighed 

or measured out ready for 

use. 

> Fish may be scaled, gutted definned 

and de-gilled, but must 

otherwise be brought to the 

competition whole. 

> Meat may be de-boned and 

portioned and the bones cut up. 

10. No pre-cooking, poaching etc. is 

allowed. 

11. No ready-made products are 

allowed. 

12. No pork products are allowed. 

13. No alcohol is allowed. 

14. If a farce is to be used for stuffing, 

filling, etc., at least one of the 

four portions of the farce must be 

prepared in front of the judges to 

show the competitor’s skill 

15. No help is allowed to be given to the 

competitor once the competition 

starts; the coaching of a competitor 

from the sidelines will result in the 

competitor being disqualified. 

16. Within 10 minutes after the end 

of the competition, competitors 

must have the kitchen thoroughly 

cleaned and tidied and ready for the 

next competitor to use. 

17. Two copies of the recipes 

typewritten are always required. 

18. Submit one copy of the recipe/s to 

the clerk when registering. 

19. Submit one copy of the recipe to the 

duty marshal at the cooking station. 




57

new member 

58 


Manu Soni, Managing Director, M.R.S. Packaging Ltd. receiving the 

certificate from Chef Uwe Micheel, President, Emirates Culinary Guild. 

In 1985, Manu Soni setup a fun food concession and disposable 

packaging office in Jebel Ali. The Company was 

named M.R.S. Packaging Limited, with the M standing 

for Manu, the R standing for his lovely wife and inspiration 

Rima and the S standing for his sons. The vision 

was very simple: provide the highest quality products, 

sourced from the best suppliers and combine it with 

unmatched service and attention to detail. 

Fast forward 37 years and M.R.S. Packaging Limited has 

grown to become the leading provider of concession food, 

equipment and related disposables serving the Middle East. 

A testament to the vision that was inspired is the quality, 

variety and diversity of M.R.S. customer base. M.R.S. serves 

some of the most prominent companies in the region that 

operate a variety of venues including cinemas, amusement 

parks, hotels, children’s facilities, airlines, event organisers 

and restaurants to name but a few. M.R.S has one of the 

most diverse portfolios in the region catering to a variety 

of tastes, aesthetics and price points. 

The Company provides equipment, supplies and disposables 

for the following categories: popcorn (sweet and 

salty), candy floss, nachos (chips, cheese, salsa, chilli, jalapenos), 

slush, sno-kones, waffles, waffle cones, crepes, 

donuts, corn dogs, fudge puppies and caramel apples. 

A key differentiator that has been a focus from the very 

beginning is the quality and timeliness of service. Soni’s 

philosophy that has been ingrained in the M.R.S. DNA is 

that the job really begins once the sale has been completed. 

No customer is too small and no issue is to be 

dismissed without resolving it. The company provides 

aftermarket warranty (1 year post installation), service 

and support for all of the equipment that it sells. This 

focus on service, quality and attention to detail has 

resulted in a highly recurring customer base that has 

been with the company year-in and year-out. 

M.R.S. is focused on continuing to innovate its product 

offering to cater to the growth in the region and looks 

forward to the next 35+ years.

Gulf Gourmet is an exclusive magazine 

made available only to select 

individuals across hotels, hotel 

apartments, standalone restaurants 

and food retail chains. 

Yet, it reaches more C-level executives, 

Executive Chefs and Purchase 

managers than any other similar media 

in the Middle East. These individuals 

Advantage for Advertisers 

have a combined annual budget 

exceeding USD 1 billion per annum. 

With Gulf Gourmet, you can talk 

directly to them and standout in a 

crowded marketplace. 

We are the official magazine of the 

Emirates Culinary Guild – the most 

powerful body of hospitality decision 

makers – thereby ensuring unparal- 

ABOUT GULF GOURMET 

Most widely read magazine by Chefs & Decision Makers in the GCC 

The official mouthpiece of the Emirates Culinary Guild 

Highest circulation in its category 

> 6,150 copies per month 

> 10,000 copies for SIAL 

> 14,000 copies for Gulfood 

Readership estimates of nearly 21,276 per month (Print + Digital) 

Positively influencing the UAE food industry since 2006 

Recognised by the World Association of Chefs Societies 

Circulated at top regional and international culinary events 

MARKET SEGMENTATION 

5-star Hotels 46% 

3/4-star Hotels 19% 

Independent Restaurants (Elite) 18% 

Independent Restaurants (Standard) 12% 

Food Industry Suppliers 3% 

Large & Medium Food Retailers 2% 

Large & Medium Food Retailers REACH BY COUNTRY 

Food Industry Suppliers 

Independent Restaurants (Standard) 

Independent Restaurants (Elite) 

3/4-star Hotels 

5-star Hotels 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 

United Arab Emirates 71% 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 18% 

Oman 2% 

Qatar 4% 

Kuwait 1% 

Bahrain 2% 

United Kingdom 1% 

Others 1% 

FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES, CONTACT 

Andrew Williams 

advertise@gulfgourmet.net 

+971 4 368 6450 

leled visibility for your 

products/services/solutions. The 

Guild’s vision is to improve the 

culinary standards of the UAE and 

Gulf Gourmet espouses that view. 

Your marketing dollars in Gulf 

Gourmet is therefore a direct investment 

into enhancing the culinary 

talent across seven Emirates. 

WHO READS IT? 

Executive Chefs 23% 

Senior & Mid-Level Chefs 36% 

Hotel GMs 10% 

Restaurant Owners 15% 

C-Level Executives 2% 

Purchase Managers 7% 

Food Industry Leaders 4% 

Marketing / PR Managers 1% 

Others 2% 

Others 

Marketing / PR Managers 

Food Industry Leaders 

Purchase Managers 

CLevel Executives 

Restaurant Owners 

Hotel GMs 

Senior & MidLevel Chefs 

Executive Chefs 

Others 

United Kingdom 

Bahrain 

Kuwait 

Qatar 

Oman 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

United Arab Emirates 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

member directory 

62 


eCG Corporate 


advanced baking Concept LLC 

(Probake) 

Syed Masood 

Mobile: +971.55.220.1475 

Email: masood@abcbaking.com 

Anna Petrova 

Mob 050-9121337 

email: anna@abcbaking.com 

Vivek Jham 

Mob: 055-4498282 

email: vivek@abcbaking.com 

agthia Consumer business division 

Ms. April McMahan 

Food Service Manager 

+971 50 8408 814 

april.hendreschke@agthia.com 

al ghurair – foodservice division 

Mr. Sameer Khan 

Mobile No: 050 4509141 

Office No: 04 8852566 

Email: SameerK@alghurairgroup.com 

al Seer 

Mr. Himanshu Chotalia 

Tel: 04 3725425/432 

Mobile: 050 3561777 

Email: himanshu.chotalia@alseer.com 

angt LLC – nonionS / SiPPy 

Ashwin Ruchani 

Marketing Manager 

T: +9714 3523525, 

M: +97155 8964874 

Email: impex@angtnonions.com 

arab Market & finance, inc. 

Ms. Lina Kanaan 

Tel: +961-1-740378 / 741223 / 751262 

Email: linak@amfime.ae 

aramtec 

Mr. Syed Iqbal Afaq 

Email: syediqbal@aramtec.com 

aSaat (al Sharq al aqsaa trading 

Co) 

Majid Ali 

Business Development Manager 

+97150 553 0997 

majid@asaat.com 

atlantic gulf trading 

Andy Fernandes, Manager Admin & Sales 

P.O.Box 2274, Dubai,U.A.E. 

Tel: +971 4 3589250 

Fax: +971 4 325 4961 

Mobile:+971 50 5096594 

andyfernandes@atlanticgulftrading.com 

www.atlanticgulftrading.com 

bakemart international 

Mr. K.Narayanan 

Manager - Operations 

Mob : 00971 505521849 

Phone : 00971 4 2675406 

Email - bakemart@eim.ae 

knarayanan@-bakemart.ae 

barakat Quality Plus 

Mr. Jeyaraman Subramanian 

Tel: 009714 8802121 

Email: jr@barakat.com 

Mr. Mike Wunsch 

Tel: 009714 8802121 

Email: mikwuuae@emirates.net.ae 

baqer Mohebi 

Mr. Radwan Mousselli 

Mobile No: 050 387 2121 

Office No: 04 3417171 

Email: radwan.bme@mohebi.com 

bocti overseas 

Eric Torchet, Office No: 04 3219391 

boecker Public health food Safety 

Mr Antoine A Sater 

Office No: +961 (3) 209 817 

Email: ceo@boecker.com 

bragard LLC 

Mr. Nicolas Dujardin 

Mobile No: 050 1490535 

Email: Nicolas.dujardin@bragard.com 

Convotherm 

Mr. Gerhard Eichhorn 

Tel: +49 (0) 8847 67 815 

Fax: +49 (0) 8847 414 

Mobile: +49 (0) 176 17617252 

UAE mobile: +971 (0) 56 6047411 

Mail: g.eichhorn@convotherm.de 

Custom Culinary – griffith 

Laboratories 

Mr. Khaled Hamza 

Mobile No: 050 2880380 

Office No: 04 8818525 

Email: khamza@griffithlaboratories.com 

diamond Meat Processing est. (al 

Masa) 

Suresh K.P 

+971 4 2671868 

+971 50 6554768 

sureshkp@etazenath.com 

diversey 

Peter K. George, Marketing Manager, Middle 

East North East Africa (MENEA) 

Contact #+97155 2241368 

dofreeZe LLC 

Mr. Aamer Fayyaz 

Tel: 04 3476320 

Email: afayyaz@emirates.net.ae 

ecolab gulf fZe 

Mr. Andrew Ashnell 

Mobile No: 050 5543049 

Office No: 04 88736 44 

Email: andrew.ashwell@ecolab-gulf.ae 

electrolux 

Mr. Mauro Zanchetta 

Email: mauro.zanchetta@electrolux.it 

elfab Co. 

Ms. Sabiha A. Masania 

Executive Secretary 

Elfab Co. L.L.C., P.O. Box 3352 

Dubai Investments Park, Phase 2 

Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE 

Tel.: 9714 8857575 

Direct: 9714 8857787 

Fax.: 9714 8857993 

Mobile : 97150 8490250 

Email: elfab@emirates.net.ae 

eMf emirates LLC 

Mr. Pierre Feghali 

Mobile No: 050 4533868 

Office No: 04 2861166 

Email: pierre@emf-emirates.ae 

emirates Snack foods 

Mr. Ron Pilnik 

Mobile No: 050 6572702 

Office No: 04 267 2424 

Emai: rdpesf@emirates.net.ae 

faisal al nusif trading LLC 

Mr. Thomas Das 

Mobile No: 050 625 3225 

Office No: 04 3391149 

Email: fantco@emirates.net.ae 

fanar al khaleej tr 

Martin Mathew 

Asst Sales Manager 

- Hotel and Catering Division 

Mobile: +971 50 2638315 

Phone: +971 6 5343870 

E-mail: mmathew@fanargroup.ae 

farm fresh 

Feeroz Hasan 


Al Quoz, P.O Box 118351, Dubai, UAE 

Office No : +971 (0) 4 3397279 Ext: 253 

Fax No : +971 (0) 4 3397262 

Mobile : +971 (0) 056-1750883 

fonterra 

Mr. Amr W Farghal 

Office No: 04 3388549 

Email: amr.farghal@fonterra.com 

frisch & frost 

Mr. Hans Boettcher 

Mobile No: 0049 1629069053 

Email: h.boettcher@frisch-frost.at 

golden Star international 

Emie Dimmeler 

Mobile: +971 50 3797164 

Office: +971 04 3402492 

Email: emie@goldenstarinternational.com 

greenhouse 

Mr. Petros Hadjipetrou 

Mobile No: 050 6282642 

Office No: 06 5332218/19 

Email: greenhse@emirates.net.ae 

gulf food trade - uae 

Charles.S.Sidawi 

Food Service Department 

Tel: 04 - 3210055 

Fax: 04 - 3435565 

Mob: 050 - 8521470 

E-mail: charles.sidawi@gftuae.com 

gulf Seafood LLC 

Mr. Tarun Rao 

Marketing Manager 

PO Box 61115, Dubai- UAE 

T: +9714 8817300 extn 103 

F: +9714 8817274, Cell : +971 50 5593121 

tarun@gulfseafood.ae 

Website : www.gulfseafood.ae 

horeca trade 

Mr. Hisham Jamil 

Office No: 04 347 71 66 

Email: hisham.jamil@horecatrade.ae 

iffCo foodservice 

Mr. Syed Kazim Najam 

Mobile No: 050 634 5481 

Office No: 06 5029239 

Email: Snajam@iffco.com 

iqdam international 

Stefan Menzel 


tel: 04 321 6003 

Mobile: 050 4514593 

stefan@iqdam.com 

JM Metal trading LLC 

Mr. Bassam Yamout 

+971-4-2946284 

Johnson diversey gulf 

Mr. Marc Robitzkat 

Mobile No: 050 459 4031 

Office No: 04 8819470 

marc.robitzkat@jonhnsondiversey.com 

John holt foods 

Mr. Alen Thong 

Tel: 0097150 347 20 49 

Email: jathong@emirates.net.ae 

Lamb Weston 

Mr. Sajju Balan 

Mobile No: 050 4907980 

Email: sajjubalan@lambweston-nl.com 

Masterbaker 

Mr. Sagar Surti 

General Manager – Operations 

Mob:- 00971 50 5548389 

Phone:- 04 3477086 

Email :- sagars@uae.switzgroup.com 

Meat Livestock australia (MLa) 

Rodney Sims 

Office: +973 17223003 

Mobile: +973 39965655 

Email: rsims@mla.au 

Mitras international trading LLC 

Mr. Jagdish Menon 

Mobile No: 050 6546661 

Office No: 04 3523001 

Email: jagdishm@eim.ae 

Mkn Maschinenfabrik kurt 

neubauer gmbh & Co 

Mr. Stephan Kammel 

Tel: +49 (5331) 89207 

Email: km@mkn.de 

Elias Rached 


T: +97172041336 

F: +97172041335 

M:+971505587477 

rac@mkn-middle-east.com 

M.r.S. Packaging 

Manu Soni, Managing DirectorM 

Office G08, Al Asmawi Building 

Dubai Investment Park 

P.O. Box 17074 

Tel: +971 4 885 7994 

Fax: +971 4884 9690 

nrtC 

Ali Nasser, Al Awir Central Market, 

Dubai, UAE 

+971-4-3208889 

nrtc@emirates.net.ae 

nestlé Professional Me 

Mr. Vikram Subbiah 

Vikram.Subbiah@ae.nestle.com 

ocean fair international general 

trading Co LLC. 

Lorena Joseph 

Tel: +971 4 8849555 

Mobile: +971 50 4543681 

Email: lorena@oceanfair.com 

Pear bureau northwest 

Bassam Bousaleh 

(TEL) 961.1.740378 

(FAX) 961.1.740393 

Mobile: 050.358.9197 

AMFI 

Beirut Lebanon 

E-mail: BassamB@amfime.com 

Pro Chile 

Carlos Salas 

+971 4 3210700 

carlos@chile-dubai.com 

rak Porcelain 

Mr. Ravi 

Email: ravi@fnbekfc.ae 

rational international [Middle east] 

Khalid Kadi-Ameen 

Mobile: +971 50 915 3238 

k.kadi-ameen@rational-online.com 

Simon Parke-Davis 

Mobile: +971 50 557 6553 

s.parkedavis@rational-online.com 


Sadia 

Mr Patricio 

Email: patricio@sadia.ae 

Mr. Daniele Machado 

Email: Daniele.Machado@sadia.com.br 

SafCo 

Mr. Ajit Sawhney 

Tel: 009716 5339719 

Email: ajit@sawhneyfoods.ae 

Seascape int’l general trading 

Mr. Ibrahim Al Ghafoor 

Office No: 04 3378220 

Email: ghafoor@seascape.ae 

Steelite international 

Mr. Gavin Dodd 

Mobile: +971 50 6920151 

Email: gavindodd@ronai.co.uk 

target bakery & Pastry Combination 

Me 

Mr. Gerhard Debriacher 

Mobile No: +965 682 5428 

Email: gdebri@emirates.net.ae 

teChnoLuX 

Zer Boy A. Rito, Sales Manager 

P.O. Box 52530, Al Bada, Dubai UAE 

Tel. No.: (04) 3448452 

Fax No.: (04) 3448453 

Mobile No.: 0555237218 

tramontina dubai uae LLC 

Mr. Paulo Feyh, General Manager 

TECOM C – Dubai Media City. 

Tameem House, 5th Floor, Off. 501/502 

Tel.: +971 (4) 450 4301 / 4302 

Fax.: +971 (4) 450 4303 

transmed overseas 

Mr. Hani Kiwan 

Office No: 04 334 9993 Ext 386 

Email: hani.kiwan@transmed.com 

truebell Marketing & trading 

Mr. Bhushant J. Ghandi 

Mobile: +971 50 6460532 

Email: fsd@truebell.org 

unilever food Solutions 

Mr. Hisham El Taraboulsy 

Office No: 04 8815552 

uS dairy 

Nina Bakht El Halal 

Mobile: 050.358.9197 

Beirut: 961-740378 

email: halal@cyberia.net.lb 

uS Meat 

Lina Kanaan 

050.358.9197 

Beirut: 961-1-741223 

email: LinaK@amfime.com 

uS Poultry 

Berta Bedrossian 

(TEL) 961.1.740378 

(FAX) 961.1.740393 

Mobile: 050.358.9197 

email: BettyB@amfime.com 

Winterhalter Me 

Mr. Saju Abraham, Sales Manager 

Mobile: +971 505215702 

Email: sabraham@winterhalter.ae 


63

Email: 

Fees: 

Young Member: Junior members will receive a certificate. 

Senior Members: Above the rank of chef de partie (or senior chef de partie on executive chef’s 

reconmmendation). 

Dhs.350/=joining. Includes certificate; member-pin, member medal and ECG 

ceremonial collar. Dhs. 

150/=per year thereafter. 

Affiliate Member: Dhs.350.00 for the first year. Dhs.300 per year thereafter. 

Corporate Member Dhs. 20,0000 per year 

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 

Corporate 

Senior 

Senior Renewal 

Young Chef 

(under 25 yrs below) 

Back to 

School 


Much to our relief, fads fade. From cupcakes to cake pops, fads feed our desire to 

always be in-the-know sometimes to questionable ends. But when a fad is good, don't 

hesitate to savor the moment and hope that when it ends, we're all better for it 

big daddy’s Kitchen 

65

ig daddy’s Kitchen 

66 


Much to our relief, fads fade. From cupcakes to cake pops, fads feed our desire to 

always be in-the-know sometimes to questionable ends. But when a fad is good, 

don't hesitate to savor the moment and hope that when it ends, we're all better for it 

A 

few years ago Dubai went 

through the cupcake phase. 

Everywhere you looked a 

new shop was opening up, 

someone's daddy or something box. 

It seemed as though we have been 

deprived of the little sweet treats 

for years and now our prayers were 

answered. To be fair, some shops did 

it right and still continue to do well 

despite our short attention span in 

the region and our continuous hunger 

for the next big thing- this year it’s all 

about cooking schools! 

Have we just been too exposed to TV 

programmes and competitions that 

cash in on linking our emotional attachments 

with reality shows and our 

affinity for food? Whatever it is and 

however you try to rationalise it, the 

fact is many restaurants and cafés 

are deviating from their core business 

of providing food to teaching how to 

make food through master classes in 

order to boost their revenue. 

So effective has this strategy been 

that recently businesses have started 

to focus only on the teaching part. 

I can easily name at least five or 

six establishments that offer their 

customers, who range from amateurs 

to veterans, culinary classes, time to 

mingle with the chefs, cook a meal 

and eat what they just prepared. 

I had a chance to visit a top chef-y 

establishment recently and was 

www.BDsKitchen.com 

@BDsKitchen 

BDsKitchen 

BigDaddysKitchen 

impressed with the attention given to 

details. No expense was spared when 

it came to the equipment and décor, 

even flowers were the right colour and 

done with taste. To get an unadulterated 

experience, I did not tell them I 

have had formal training as a chef. In 

other words, the cynic in me wanted to 

see if the classes were genuine and if 

the content was substantial. 

On the way back home after the 

class, I realised these classes work 

on many levels. Those who attend 

them are already interested in food 

preparation but lack techniques that 

can only be learned in a culinary 

institute. And that’s half the battle 

won. Even though they do not have 

the time to go through proper training, 

these attendees still yearn to 

cook like a chef. And so, they eagerly 

show up to these classes to learn all 

there is to know about the culinary 

arts in under two hours. 

Generally, the instructor/chef shows 

them a few basics like how to temper 

chocolate or make a stock reduction, 

throws a few culinary terms like 

Sous Vid, Noisette or Paupiette, and 

the students go weak at the knees! 

After all, they are in the presence of a 

master. They better remember all the 

techniques and terminology so they 

can show off their knowledge of the 

culinary world later. 

Most likely as soon as they get home, 

they go online, order a white jacket with 

pinstripe pants to match, and voila! A 

chef is born. They will talk about their 

experience with their office-mates, 

and plaster pictures all over Facebook 

and tag all their contacts in them. And 

so everybody wins, the students learn 

something and the business thrives 

through word of mouth and what’s 

known as "user driven content" as their 

form of advertising! 

So how do I feel about these classes 

and the blossoming foodies? I think 

it’s absolutely fantastic! First of all, 

there is no age or skill limit when it 

comes to learning the arts. Cooking 

is a way of life and we all have a right 

to live. Secondly, spending time with 

friends doing something useful like 

learning how to cook is a much more 

constructive way of passing time 

than popcorn and movies. Finally, if 

we absolutely must go through a new 

fad, why not learn a useful trait along 

the way rather than just munching 

on cupcakes or macaroons. 

I would urge you to go and spend a 

few hours attending these classes, 

regardless of technical abilities and 

knowledge about food. It’s a cooking 

class, but I am sure you will realise it’s 

more than just cooking. After all, it’s 

never too late to go back to school! 

Anyways, I will leave it there and 

leave the rest for next time. 

I am big Daddy and this is my 

bread & butter! 

On a separate note, I would like to congratulate 

the Emirates Culinary Guild, 

the participating chefs representing 

the UAE and the organisers on their 

remarkable accomplishment at this 

year's Culinary Olympics. Job well done. 

All the passion 

with no regrets. 

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Get passionate about pears. You won’t regret it. 

For all of your USA Pear import needs, contact: 

Jeff Correa, International Marketing Director 

Pear Bureau Northwest 

4382 SE International Way, Suite A 

Milwaukie, Or 97222 

Tel: 1-503-652-9720 

Email: jcorrea@usapears.com 

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Stability Personified - The Emirates Culinary Guild

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