Who's for dessert?

The Middle East’s consumers are known for having a sweet tooth and an insatiable appetite for desserts. A staggering 39 percent eat desserts on a daily basis, with a further 40 percent eating desserts up to three times a week, according to a recent survey by Nestlé Middle East.

Consequently, dessert menus have become an important part of F&B in the region and operators are careful to offer a diverse selection that includes those most popular with consumers – namely cakes and Arabic sweets, according to Nestlé’s survey.

Desserts, by their very nature, are the most memorable part of a dining experience. They provide a crescendo to the meal and deliver the taste that will linger with the diner when they leave.

In many cases, a restaurant’s success can rest on the creativity of its pastry chef and the quality of its dessert ingredients. But it’s a situation that can place a great many pressures on suppliers and chefs to continually innovate in order to stay on the cutting edge of a fast-expanding sector.

“The F&B experience at the moment in the Middle East is one of the most impressive in the world,” explains Boiron Freres area sales manager, Nael Berry. “In Dubai for instance, there is a must-visit restaurant on every corner!

“This competition in excellence creates an energy that encourages chefs to continually be on the lookout for new ideas, concepts and products. I think that chefs need to take risks because desserts are in the last part of the menu – they form the guest’s final impression of the experience.

“Therefore, our responsibility as a supplier to the region’s dessert market is to guarantee a constant high quality in all of our products they use.”

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A growing market

Desserts already deliver a significant part of the overall F&B revenue: Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek reports that on average desserts contribute up to six percent across its different restaurant concepts, while at Kempinski Hotel Ajman, desserts contribute around 15 percent. Industry-wide, sales are set to grow with the emergence of luxury dedicated dessert outlets – a trend that has not gone unnoticed by the region’s suppliers.

“Certainly individual and upscale desserts are now in the spotlight,” confirms Love and Quiches Desserts vice president, Michael Goldstein. “And we’ve seen the popularity of products like macaroons increase tremendously through the region’s gourmet shops and patisseries.”

Similarly, Heidi Chef Solutions general manager, Brian Ballinger has noticed that growth in the market has diversified away from restaurant outlets.

“The demand for our products is mainly hotels and supermarkets but we are starting to see a lot more interest from coffee shops and the QSR (quick service restaurant) segment,” he says. “I think that the Middle East market is continually developing, and with such a diverse customer base I think it is inevitable that more manufacturers will enter the market using local ingredients and flavours. In turn, this will drive future demand.”

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New trends, new demands

With desserts becoming an increasingly more important source of F&B revenue, it is essential that chefs understand how consumer needs are evolving and keep a close eye on emerging trends.

“There has always been pressure on pastry chefs because diners are constantly looking for new tastes and textures,” explains Kempinski Hotel Ajman pastry chef, Pierre-Julien Rebuzzi. “Therefore, I think consumers in the Middle East have developed sophisticated palates for desserts and they expect the best quality ingredients and authentic flavours.

“My personal strategy is to ensure that I am always well informed about changes in my industry, and that I be highly creative in my pastry offerings.”

The region’s dessert menus are becoming a crucible for experimentation, fusing East and West. Suppliers to the industry are working hard to develop innovative dessert products that combine the baking expertise of Europe with Asian flavours and ingredients.

This need to innovate has led Bakemart to develop its mango mousse and date pudding, among other new concepts.

“Restaurants, cafes and hotels are pioneering new concepts in order to distinguish themselves from the competition,” explains Bakemart managing director, T K Khaleel.

“Consequently, there is a growing demand for customised products that can be tailored to meet the needs of specific themes and new concepts. Everybody wants and needs to be unique, so we have to facilitate that need.

“More recently, we launched a new concept called Frozen Cakes – essentially, slabs of cake that can be cut and decorated in any way the chef desires. It’s a canvas for their masterpiece!”

Innovation is of course essential to any maturing market – as are the products that enable that innovation. But the Middle East’s F&B operators should be mindful that the region’s consumers have two distinct needs: new ideas and old-fashioned home comforts.

The real challenge is to interweave these two needs into a single dessert menu that also reflects the F&B concept.

“While I certainly agree that diners are seeking new and innovative desserts, we should not forget that classic desserts are also incredibly popular,” reminds Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek director of kitchens, Uwe Micheel. “I’ve noticed a pick up in old-time favourites like tiramisu and crème brûlée.

“At the end of the day most people go back to the classics. For example, we currently do monthly new cakes, but our bestsellers have remained the same for 15 years: mocha truffle and strawberry sponge cake. Similarly, our top-selling dessert is tiramisu in our La Moda Italian Restaurant. It’s so popular that diners in our other outlets ask for it, so we have to cross-promote.”

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Healthy desserts

The healthy lifestyle revolution has not left the Middle East’s dessert industry untouched. While this shift in consumer behaviour has not impacted on the number of desserts eaten in the region, consumers seem to be much more concerned about and aware of the ingredients used. Nestlé’s survey reveals that an overwhelming 50 percent of consumers in the region are equally concerned about the intake of fat, calories and sugar they consume.

“The key trends we are seeing with desserts in this region are orientated around health: gluten free, lactose free and diabetic,” confirms Heidi Chef Solutions’ Brian Ballinger. “We’re finding more clients wanting to cater for all their customers’ dietary needs, so we try to listen and offer our clients a solution as-and-when required.”

In order to cater for an increasing number of health and calorie-conscious diners, pastry chefs are making greater use of natural sweeteners in their recipes: honey, unrefined sugars and fruits are fast becoming a mainstay of the Middle East’s dessert menus.

This trend is welcome news to suppliers of natural sweetener ingredients, as Boiron Freres’ Nael Berry confirms:

“Diners no longer want over-sweet desserts,” he says, “but rather, they are seeking out more authentic tastes.

“I think this is why, in the past two years, we have noticed a sharp increase in demand for our fruit purées. For example, we’ve seen strong growth in products like our mango and passion fruit purée because it is made from 100 percent fruit and no added sugar. Demand in this area also prompted us to launch a sugar-free version of our raspberry and strawberry purées.

“So yes, it seems that there is an emerging trend for healthy desserts, but chefs will not compromise on taste. The ‘zing’ of the fruit must explode on the tastebuds!”

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An undying love

The Middle East’s love affair with desserts is set to continue indefinitely, and there is evidence that the region’s sweet tooth is evolving still. It is likely that Western F&B influences, emerging health concerns and a growing culturally-diverse local population will all play their part in changing consumer behaviour – and in turn develop the region’s dessert industry into one that’s as diverse as it is huge.

The region is on the brink of a golden age for desserts, but to achieve its full potential the entire industry must move forwards together – chefs, hoteliers, suppliers, distributors hand-in-hand with consumers. It seems meaningful partnerships between industry professionals have never been so important. The future’s sweet!