In a double bill act, La Serre head chef Izu Ani and general manager Heather McKnight talk to Caterer Middle East about putting on the best show for customers
The hustle and bustle of La Serre Bistro and Boulangerie in the Vida Downtown Dubai a few weeks before its opening was mesmerising. Chefs working furiously in the kitchen. Stewards going through checklists.
Last minute interior touches being carried out. Nothing was left to chance. Amidst the activity, La Serre general manager Heather McKnight stands calmly talking to a group of people, while head chef Izu Ani smiles and shares a joke with his team.
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This leading team definitely packs a punch. McKnight’s past experience includes Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and managing the team at Dinner in London prior to moving to the Middle East. Ani’s background includes cooking at The Square in London, Auberge de L’Ill in France and launching Dubai’s La Petite Maison.
The restaurant, whose name translates to ‘greenhouse’ in English, consists of an authentic Parisian-style boulangerie and café on the ground floor which extends out into the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, with a bistro featuring a Mediterranean-inspired menu on the first. The bistro is licensed to serve alcohol, while the boulangerie is not — although it is hinted that that might change in the future.
Caterer Middle East chats with Ani and McKnight during the organised chaos while sipping on Parisian coffee in the venue designed by Dubai-based interiors firm Bishop Design Associates.
Selling the dream
McKnight says she loved working in London but with her history of travelling, after over two years, she simply got “itchy feet”. Her friends in the region spoke highly of the lifestyle and for someone from the wet, cold English countryside, the heat was a temptation. And then of course, there was Ani.
She says: “It was Izu who sold the dream. We met and he talked in-depth about the concept, about the offering, about the boulangerie and the bistro. For me it was so inspiring to meet someone who is very true to their passion and follows that through. So for me it was really Izu that made me make my decision to be here.” She adds the opportunity to work with Ani and La Serre was a great one for her, which made the decision easier.
Ani chirps in at this point: “When you find a talent [like this], you put your weight behind making it happen.”
Moving from Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner in London to La Serre was not a big adjustment for McKnight. She explains most people associate the name ‘Heston Blumenthal’ with gastronomy, but the restaurant in London was almost like a brasserie.
“It was more about historical dishes, the service was very comfortable, so you have the elements of fine dining but the service is very relaxed. That is what we want to bring here, the same type of service where we have attention to detail, but at the same time, we are making people feel welcome.”
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