Time to eat

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Hilton Dubai Jumeirah executive chef Steven Benson-Flower.

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Beach Rotana executive chef Ernst Frank.

Chefs from across the region swap hot tips and the recipe for success in kitchens across the Middle East.

What are the main challenges you face running your kitchen?

Steven Benson-Flower: Staff shortage continues to be a problem in Dubai, and like other hotels, we too are affected. However when we recruit we are careful to choose the most qualified staff to ensure that we maintain the hotel's high standards, even if we are a team member down.

We also spend a lot of time on training and development as this is of prime importance when delivering consistency in quality.

Then there's the other ‘s' word - suppliers. Due to the high demand in Dubai, food items are often limited or unavailable, so as a hotel we consistently review our menus to ensure that we can always deliver what we have listed in our restaurants.

Ernst Frank: We do have a large F&B operation at the Beach Rotana, which includes 165 chefs in 14 kitchens. Therefore the shortage of readily available skilled staff is an ongoing problem.

Secondly we often face inconsistent supplies of food items, as many suppliers do not keep sufficient stocks. One of the main challenges in the banquet operation is the short-term planning of functions and constant last minute changes, which at the end of the day affects the quality of our products.

Luigi Gerosa: One of the main challenges that we are facing today is the consistent supply of high standard food products. We tend to spend a lot of time finding the right products, as well as making sure that the products we receive are of the best quality.

Hazem Arabiyat: General kitchen ‘know-how'. It is highly important that all kitchen staff, no matter their role within the kitchen, must possess basic kitchen knowledge. At Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea we ensure all staff receive training and hold qualifications from recognised hotel training colleges.

Shankar Paramasivam: Due to the flourishing hospitality industry in Dubai, one of the core challenges that I have faced is the quality of kitchen staff and manpower shortage.

As Angsana Hotel and Suites Dubai is at a pre-opening stage, there are not enough opportunities for the kitchen staff to obtain real-life experiences, compared to an operational hotel where they are able to learn on the job.

In addition, with the lack of established culinary schools in Dubai, there is a void in the pool of suitable recruits from the local market.

Geoff Haviland: One of the main challenges we currently face concerns equipment maintenance and replacement. Our hotel F&B outlets feature several open plan kitchens, where the operational equipment actually plays a major part in the overall identity of each restaurant.

Consequently, if any of these show kitchen items break down, it has a much more dramatic effect on the guest experience than if it occurred in a closed kitchen outlet.

Another of the major challenges affecting the whole kitchen operation is the continual price increase of all food items, both local and imported, which are driving food costs higher.

Also, with so many new and exciting projects coming on line in this region, we need to constantly challenge the quality and authenticity of the product we deliver daily.

And of course, the ever-present threat of staff being poached by other new opening projects is a challenge we deal with regularly.

What is your average food cost percentage, and what are you doing to minimise this?

Frank: Our food cost is quite different from outlet to outlet. It ranges from 27% to 42%, depending on the operation and position of the restaurant. We are aiming to close the year with an average food cost of 32%.

We are constantly monitoring the cost by having regular meetings, controlling wastage, stocks and portion size. Our philosophy is that besides the percentage number, the contribution margin is equally important.

I would like to first set the quality of the product and then see how to sell it, than let a set percentage cost dictate our quality.

Benson-Flower: Our food cost is 30.5%. We do several things to keep food cost percentages in check, one being smart purchasing - ensuring purchases do not go above the necessary levels to avoid wastage. We also evaluate our costs against daily revenue, ensure our stock is well maintained at a level according to business and communicate rising food costs to staff.

Paramasivam: Being at this pre-opening phase, where the emphasis is focused on quality of food rather than the bottom line, the average food cost ranges between 30% and 32%. However when the F&B outlets open, my kitchen team will gain more experience and hence more knowledge in pricing and the products available in the local market, which would contribute towards lowering food cost.

Haviland: My average overall food cost percentage is 35% year-to-date, but the increasing prices of raw ingredients and the lacklustre dollar exchange mean we are constantly under pressure to remain price competitive, while simultaneously offering a superior product.

Our commitment to our guests is to not compromise on the quality of the raw ingredients, so we must be clever in the way we manage our stock.

Of course, one of the best ways to prevent food cost blow-outs is to ensure your operation wastes nothing, so we hold regular training in waste prevention.

We also use a materials management system which allows me to look at each outlet's purchases individually, as well as giving a bird's-eye view, so I can look at overall expenditures and compare them to numbers of guests served.

What is your position on organic food? Would you like to see more of it in the region, or has it been over-hyped?

Arabiyat: Organic food options for dining are becoming quite popular, however many items aren't always available within our region. We are working with new suppliers to obtain organic products and creating new ways to incorporate various items within our menus.

Benson-Flower: Organic food is meant to have more flavour and be better for your health; however, it is more expensive and as it has a limited shelf life we cannot really carry organic produce in our hotel. In order to see more of it in the region, the prices need to be considered to make it more affordable for all.

Haviland: Whether you are a fan of organic food or not, it is much more than a fad, and it is growing in popularity worldwide. Personally, I am a fan of the processes involved in the production of organic food, in that they use creative farming techniques designed to encourage soil and water conservation, and reduce pollution. The use of weed killers and fertilisers is replaced with crop rotation and manure, for example.

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