With the Hotelier Middle East Awards at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai fast approaching, it’s time to unveil the finalists of our first ever Chef de Cuisines of the Year award, which is sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia.
Due to be held in Dubai on October 30, a total of 90 hoteliers across 18 individual awards categories have been shortlisted for a Hotelier Middle East Award, along with five hotel teams for the coveted Team of the Year Award.
Click below to see our selection of some of the best chef de cuisines in the business:
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Dennis Kammerzell, chef de cuisine C&I, Madinat Jumeirah
ABOUT DENNIS
Starting his career in the hotel industry in 2003 as a commis chef in Germany, Dennis Kammerzell has been working his way up the ladder through various positions in London, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles and Dubai, joining Madinat Jumeirah in 2011 as a part of the very busy conference and events department, as well as working as part of the outdoor catering operation of Jumeirah Hospitality.
WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
In 2012 Dennis set up a system to research better quality items at more cost-effective pricing for the C&I department, securing a saving of 30% during 2012. This initiative was also shared with the team with other ‘easy-to-implement’ suggestions such as turning off lights and reducing food wastage. Also in 2012 Dennis took on the task of making and reviewing all the recipes on the JH menu in line with more accurate costings. This accuracy allowed for savings on ingredients to be made and profit to be increased.
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“A great manager, Dennis has lead his teams from success to success despite the daunting scale of operations in a large business units like Jumeirah Hospitality and Conferences & Incentives. A talented chef with an incredible drive for victory, Dennis is capable of pulling off high profile events with confidence and aplomb. He interacts comfortably with guests, attending to their every need, handling our biggest events with great focus and astute planning. Displaying immense flexibility and adaptability, Dennis today is in charge of 25 chefs in the main kitchen and handles up to 150 more chefs during banquets.” Kuldeep Singh, executive chef, C&I, Madinat Jumeirah.
WHAT DID HIS GUESTS SAY?
“On behalf of Nteractive and Gartner we wanted to sincerely thank you and your team for working so collaboratively with us to make the first Middle East Symposium a great success. We really felt the hotel went over and beyond to work with us on this project. We thought that the quality and presentation of the food was excellent and contributed to the attendee experience - a big thank you to Kuldeep, Dennis and the banquet team. We look forward to working together in the future.” Neil Evans, founder & director, Nteractive Consulting & Events Ltd.
Please click through to next page to find out who else has been shortlisted…
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