covers was highly commended by the judges. Table 9? Nick Alvis (left) and Viktorija Paplauskiene (right) celebrate winning Restaurant Team of the Year ? Hotel Outlet with A. Ronai managing director Gavin Dodd (centre) at the Caterer Middle East awards.
Table 9 by Nick and Scott at Hilton Dubai Creek picked up the award for Restaurant Team of the Year – hotel based outlet beating off stiff competition from the likes of Saffron at Atlantis the Palm, Indigo at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, The Observatory at Marriott Hotel Dubai Marina and Wavebreaker at Hilton Dubai Jumeirah.
Table 9 can add the award, which was presented by A. Ronai managing director Gavin Dodd, to the restaurant's other achievements this year which include a 74% increase in covers and 69% increase in revenue.
“These are phenomenal results,” said Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management director of culinary Michael Kitts, who sat on the judging panel. “Those guys have really turned that place around since opening there. That location is not easy to work with.”
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It was the second win of the evening for the Table 9 team after Viktorija Paplauskiene was named Restaurant Manager of the Year while Chef patron, Nick Alvis, was also shortlisted for Head Chef of the Year – Hotel Restaurant.
“We’ve always tried to be very focused on making all of our team feel as if they are a part of Table 9. One thing we don’t believe in is operating the kitchen and restaurant teams separately, we want to get everyone operating together, almost like a family, so that the kitchen runs into the restaurant and vice versa. We have briefings together every single night, so that everyone knows exactly what is going on throughout the restaurant,” said Alvis.
Judges were particularly impressed as the nomination clearly demonstrated a team effort both inside and outside of the workplace.
“The guest experience doesn’t begin and end at the dinner table. You get a real sense of how personal the relationships are between all the members of staff. Guests are even invited by the waiting staff to come and meet the chefs after their meal,” said Caterer editor Hannah Abdulla.
“It’s little things like this that create a whole experience for the guest,” she added.
Saffron at Atlantis The Palm’s team which over the course of 2012 served a record breaking 498,000 covers was highly commended by the judges.
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