Scott Price advises aspiring chefs to try and work in the most esteemed kitchens to gain skills. Scott Price advises aspiring chefs to try and work in the most esteemed kitchens to gain skills.

EVENTS CATERER OF THE YEAR:
Harald Oberender, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC)

What are you most proud of in your career?
Of course there have been many milestones in my career, particularly at Dubai World Trade Centre. Winning this year’s Events Caterer of the Year Award is up there among the most special. Secondly, to have managed over a million covers a year is an extremely demanding job and one of which I am extremely proud.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
My ideal would be to leave a legacy at Dubai World Trade Centre so that the team would remember me, before owning and managing a successful restaurant in Berlin, Germany.

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What has been the most exciting event you have worked on at DWTC?
There have been so many it would be impossible to grade them. Dubai World Trade Centre has always presented amazing hospitality and F&B events. I have to say that the most exciting event will always be the next one, and the commitment from all of us to make it successful.

What would be your advice to chefs looking to develop their events catering division?
There are a few very simple rules that can make the difference between being a good chef and being a superb events chef: stay focused; be clear about your role and the role of your team members; empower your team; present quality food with quality delivery; do not take shortcuts.

What does winning this award mean to you and the team?
It is a huge award. It means everything to the team who are the reason we were presented with this accolade, and it helps inspire us to achieve more.

What big events are coming up for the team in Q4?
Being part of the Formula 1 catering, several major conventions and exhibitions at DWTC, including Gitex Technology week, one of the top three ICT events in the world, the Dubai International Motor Show, the largest show of its kind in the region and all the large-scale events that make this the most satisfying catering job in town.

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