HOTELIER AWARDS 2013: Executive chef of the year
With the Hotelier Middle East Awards at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai fast approaching, it’s time to unveil the finalists of the Executive Chef of the Year award, which this year is sponsored by Néstle.
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 executive chefs in the business:
Sascha Triemer, vice president culinary, Atlantis The Palm
ABOUT SACHA
Chef Sascha began his culinary journey working with several hotels in Europe including the Hilton Munich Park Hotel, Munich, The Palace Hotel in Meran, Italy and The Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane in London. From 2001-2006, Chef Sascha worked at the Burj Al Arab, Dubai, first as a sous chef before moving up to executive sous chef, where he was in charge of overseeing five restaurants and the main kitchen operation. He was also involved in coordinating culinary promotional events such as Easter, Christmas and New Year’s Eve Parties as well as all culinary competitions within the UAE and abroad. Between 2007 and 2008, Chef Sascha moved to become the executive sous chef for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he was responsible for running the day to day operations of 160 chefs, 6 restaurants and the main kitchen. He was also responsible for the banqueting operation which had a 2,000 person capacity as well as the training and development of staff in the culinary division. Chef Sascha then came back to Dubai in 2008 to become the executive chef for Atlantis The Palm’s preopening. After recently being promoted to vice president of culinary, chef Sascha is in charge of 480 chefs and 20 food and beverage outlets. He has also received several accolades and awards over the span of his career including several gold awards from the Emirates International Salon Culinary Dubai.
WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
Since the opening of Atlantis, The Pam Dubai, Sascha has overseen the implementation and opening of 6 new restaurants namely TBJ (The Burger Joint), Asia Republic, Asateer (the Ramadan Tent), the new Imperial Club Lounge, the new Food Court at Aquaventure Water park (which features 6 dining concepts) and Yuan, the ultra-modern Chinese Restaurant opening in October 2013. Chef Sascha has also implemented an additional Pizza kitchen in Nasimi Beach to boost revenue and to improve the outdoor guest experience. Another additional kitchen has also been set up in the lobby lounge and bar to create less distance between the kitchen and service area. By heading these developments, the service has been quicker and this has resulted in improved guest experience as visible in the ever improving JD Power scores. Recently Chef Sascha was assigned the task of overseeing the implementation of a new club lounge for Imperial Club VIP guests. In addition to having accomplished revenue targets, this new Imperial Club lounge is a direct tool that helps with guest satisfaction because of the reduction of waiting time for breakfast and snacks. Under his eye, four of the fine dining restaurants at Atlantis, The Palm participated in the Taste of Dubai in 2012 and 2013. All four restaurants were listed in the top 5 of the most visited restaurant booths at the event with TBJ (The Burger Joint) being number 1 on the list. Upon the implementation of big events at Atlantis, The Pam Dubai such as Sandance and Euro Cup with a capacity of 12,000 guests and above, Chef Sascha devoted his time and that of his team to provide catering for these events and ultimately increased covers from 3,000 to 5,000 meals. 34,000 meals were served this year during the month of Ramadan where Chef Sascha was involved in the setting up of the Ramadan kitchen, the manpower and ensuring that the food served was of the expected high quality. Even with the high volumes, his team ensured that they effectively served the large number of guests and ultimately increased the revenue by 20 % compared to last year.
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“Sascha is like a Los Angeles-class submarine. Une force tranquille (a very strong tranquil force.)” Serge Zaalof, president and managing director at Atlantis, The Palm
WHAT DID HIS GUESTS SAY?
“Chef Sascha and I have worked together on numerous occasions. He has been responsible for making many of my milestone events a huge memorable success. Till today, people will often ask me to forward them a menu from some of these events. Sascha possesses the 3 most important qualities needed for an amazing Chef- innovativeness, professionalism in execution and a desire to please the client no matter what it takes. He puts in his heart and soul to ensure that every dinner party small or big is a success. His ability to delegate and respect each of his colleagues for their effort and expertise is also obvious and apparent. Sascha has turned routine menus and service upside down just to suit my needs. For my husband's 40th birthday, he served food on the tables of the lounge seating. It was done in 3 courses but with a family style sharing in mind. Other hotels and chefs refused to do this since it involves a lot of time, effort and precision in execution. When I had to launch my TV chat show, I again went to Sascha. He used every resource to come up with a dinner concept that involved stations of various cuisines, but of a calibre that has never been seen before. He even got Nobu to do a station for me. People still talk about the Tahini fountain and the black cod. For my son's baby shower, I only chose Atlantis because I knew that Sascha would make this event as amazing as all my others. He created a child's paradise with live pizza corner, cupcake decoration and they even did a whole Heston Blumenthal thing of having bubbling coloured foam in jars that were set on an ice table. All I can say is that Sascha and his team have truly spoilt me forever. There is absolutely nobody else that I know who can come up with such concepts and execute them to perfection. I would even go as far to say that I would follow Sascha to whichever establishment he went. Since I sincerely believe that ballrooms are the same everywhere, it's the Chef that makes or breaks the party. In Sascha's case, he has made every single one an astounding success! I don't think you could have a more deserving candidate for this award.” SimaVed – Vice Chairperson, Apparel Group.
Please click through to next page to find out who else has been shortlisted…
Frank Noack, cluster executive chef, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort & Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Residences
ABOUT FRANK
Frank started his hotelier journey as a chef apprentice in 1982 at the age of 16 and has since worked his way up as a commis in 1985 at the Novotel Neuss in Germany. Through hard work and dedication Frank started his first Executive Chef position at the Dorint Hotel Dresden in Germany in 1995 and since then held the same position at hotels across Germany and West Africa. In 2011 Frank was offered a transfer from the Hilton Abuja in Nigeria, one of the most profitable Hilton properties worldwide where he was working as executive chef, to the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort, the flagship Hilton Property for the Arabian Peninsula. In 2011 with the opening of Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Residences Frank took on the role of cluster executive chef for both properties in the Hilton Jumeirah portfolio and took on an additional 3 kitchens in the process. Frank also recently won the award of Chef of the Year for the Hilton Arabian Peninsula 2012.
WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
Chef Frank is able to quickly and easily accommodate guests’ requests and needs by tailoring portion sizes, seasoning or substitution to suit special dietary needs. By being involved in the day to day operation of the all-day dining restaurants Chef Frank was able to increase guest satisfaction by 7%. Chef Frank also implemented a special menu in the Executive Lounge offering dishes which are easily prepared in the small kitchen but do not compromise quality, and by using the guest satisfaction index he increased food quality by 4% and was awarded with a 100% score in the Hilton Quality Assurance (QA) Review in both 2012 and 2013. By working with the F&B, Frank was able to increase the F&B Revenue by 6.5% in 2012 compared to plan as well as an increase on the average check in restaurants by 14.6% from January – June 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. This was done by implementing the UAE Wine Program, Menu pricing initiatives, menu engineering, competitor analysis, upselling activities in the outlets as well as introducing new promotions like the BiCE Brunch. Chef Frank was also a key member in the drive to opening new outlets in the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Residences and successfully opened 3 new outlets in 2013 including Pure Sky Lounge, Crave Restaurant and The Grape Escape Wine bar. By focusing on increasing revenue as well as excellent quality and guest satisfaction Chef Frank recently won the award for Hilton Executive Chef of the year for the Arabian Peninsula
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“There are several worthy competing chefs in the Middle East that each offer many strengths. I can safely say that Frank deserves this award more than anyone else for his balanced focus on commerce, quality, people and Guest satisfaction; however; the edge that Frank has is his proven track record of “paying it forward” to young Chefs and developing his people.” Simon Lazarus, Vice President of Food and Beverage, Hilton Middle East & Africa
WHAT DID HIS GUESTS SAY?
“You have done an outstanding job at Hilton Jumeirah, very creative, mouth watering-in fact you don’t find this creation in Europe. Your buffets, you’re a la carte items are prepared with so much love that clients are crazy about them.” Max F. Maurer-Loeffler, Guest
Please click through to next page to find out who else has been shortlisted…
Paul Hage, executive chef, Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa
ABOUT PAUL
A Lebanese national with a family of chefs and food lovers, Paul developed a passion for cooking at an early age. Starting at the age of 16 as an apprentice chef and undergoing training courses throughout his career, Paul has extensive experience and qualifications in hospitality. Having worked in many of the reputed hotels in Lebanon in esteemed positions, from executive sous chef at the Metropolitan Palace Hotel to head chef at Habtoor Grand, Paul has impeccable leadership and cooking knowledge. After relocating to Dubai as executive sous chef of Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa, Paul’s managerial and culinary skills, alongside his determination and hard work, were duly noted and Paul was promoted to executive chef of the hotel in 2005 where Paul is now in charge of 17 outlets.
WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
Chef Paul was voted Best Manager in the internal Employee Survey conducted in March 2013, and is very proud to have been voted by his employees. Chef Paul works by an open door policy whereby his staff can approach him regarding any matters that have an effect on the operations of the F&B department. He also hosts a whole host of training sessions throughout the year and is eager to motivate his staff to progress and thrive at their workplace. Chef Paul also recently opened the Villa Romana outlet at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa. The menu takes the best of St. Tropez delicacies with local food preferences to create specials such as the beef Carpaccio, tuna tartare and copped artichoke salad. Paul has also devised a number of original and classic pasta dishes for this outlet, including a particular favourite of pasta with truffle dressing. Chef Paul has also worked hard to ensure that all costs remain below 30%. In order to achieve this, Paul carries out routine checks of stock in-take and out-take and ensures strict measuring systems are implemented throughout the F&B Department. Paul is able to calculate value for money products while consistently serving the finest and freshest ingredients at all the restaurants and bars.
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“Thanks to Chef Paul, I am very proud to recommend all the food and beverage offerings at Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa. Not only does he use the finest ingredients and best recipes, he is also a personable Executive Chef that treats both his team members and customers with the utmost respect.” Peter O’Connor, general manager at Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa.
WHAT DID HIS GUESTS SAY?
“To the Executive Chef of Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa, I dined at Al Basha last night and would like to relay how much our party of 10 enjoyed it. We ordered a mixed grill that could of fed 20 of us - our bellies were duly satisfied! We also requested a mixture of fresh juices that were bursting with flavour. The extensive range of shisha flavours made us want to try out a number of them. Thank you for your hospitality, for the tasty food and great service.” Jason Rafter, guest
Please click through to next page to find out who else has been shortlisted…
Sebastian Nohse, resort executive chef, Madinat Jumeirah
ABOUT SEBASTIAN
Sebastian started his career in Germany as a apprentice at the Hotel Jaegerhof in 1993, before eventually working his way through restaurants in France, London and finally Dubai when he became Chef de Cuisine at the Burj Al Arab in 2005. Today Sebastian is the resort executive chef of the Madinat Jumeirah.
WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
Sebastian’s drive and passion has inspired a productive and commercially-aware team achieving an average of 10% increase in food revenue year-on-year since 2010. This was achieved by focusing on guest experience and increasing chef visibility via live cooking stations and chefs coming out of the kitchen to greet diners directly. Chef Sebastian also reviewed outgoing costs to streamline where appropriate by implementing promotions and using seasonal ingredients. For example, 15 types of tomatoes are used in the restaurants at different times of year depending on their seasonality. He has also re-launched Segreto restaurant, increasing revenue by 8% and the Customer Satisfactory Index (CSI) score by 80 points. With over 25 restaurants across the resort, the enormous task of ensuring every outlet is successful falls to Sebastian. Segreto was identified as a low performer so he spear-headed a strategy that included changing the style of menu, bringing in new key colleagues including a chef, restaurant manager and sommelier, and changing the style to make it more informal. As a result, Segreto was in the Top five performing restaurants for CSI for June 2013 in Madinat Jumeirah.
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“I have known Sebastian since 2005 where he joined our team at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong as part of the pre-renovation team as our Executive Sous Chef. He was selected for his culinary skill as well as his aptitude for logistics and planning. Sebastian had not held a position responsible for multi-unit operations as of yet and it was a risk on my part to put him in that role, not only in an iconic property making changes that were sensitive to the community but also in an entirely different culture and way of thinking. During renovation, Sebastian systematically improved and strengthened our team each day. He embraced each challenge with a no fear approach and steeled himself to ensure the task at hand would be completed not only resulting in guest satisfaction but instilling pride in his team. His cuisine and skills grew in complexity while not going above the heads of guests and I was able to rely on him more with every passing day. He was an integral part in the success of us stripping the Hotel to a cement slab and rebuilding, opening and repositioning the hotel for the next 50 years of success in only 9 months. The team we created in a large part are still together at the Mandarin to this day. I believe this speaks for itself. Sebastian then joined me to renovate the Fontainebleau Miami Beach – another resort we stripped to cement and rebuilt, this time on the opposite side of the planet in another different culture with completely different market expectations. Again Sebastian’s tact and cuisine evolved and adjusted to the new challenge but this time in a resort three times the size, with twice the food and beverage revenue. The brigade grew to over 300 and Sebastian found his stride in providing leadership and goals to all. I have always found Sebastian to be the consummate professional, thinking about the effects of his decisions on not only the team, but on the overall guest experience and business. In my 25 years of professional experience on five of the world’s continents, I have yet to encounter another Sebastian.” Sean T. O’Connell, VP - Culinary Operations, Fontainebleau Miami Beach, USA.
WHAT DID HIS GUESTS SAY?
“We approached Chef Sebastian Nohse to create an innovative and exciting tasting experience for our annual charity gala dinner. Sebastian absorbed the brief and our theme and developed a menu that simply exceeded our expectations. Among the highlights of a luxurious menu was an interactive “Shave and Spoon” main course with fresh truffles to be sliced by each guest, as well as a ‘Russian Roulette’ grand finale, where five luscious desserts were created in unison by 40 chefs live in front of the guests. It is evident that Chef Sebastian is extremely creative and determined to break the rules in terms of flavours and presentation. The menu was truly exquisite and a real talking point for our patrons. It is rare to find a talented chef who is willing to develop and support your vision whilst adding a sprinkle of his own magic at the same time.” Tanaz Dizadji, Director, START, non-profit group bringing art programmes to disadvantaged children in the Middle East.
Please click through to next page to find out who else has been shortlisted…
Hassan Massood, executive chef, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City
ABOUT HASSAN
Mauritian national Hassan Massood went to culinary school in Mauritius and Italy and graduated in “Cooking to the Perfection in Stage Food Preparations” with a diploma, while working night shifts as a steward to fund his school expenses. Having worked in Africa, China, Europe and the Middle East to broaden his culinary repertoire, Hassan was also one of the pioneers of the Shangri-la hotel China, handling 340 staff: 250 Chefs and 90 Stewards and achieving a monthly revenue up to 675K RMB. He joined the opening team of the Al Murooj Rotana Dubai in 2004 as acting executive sous chef looking after seven outlets and 125 staff and where monthly generated revenue of 3.6M AED increased to 4.1M AED after he joined. Hassan quickly developed his leadership skills during his time with the Rotana Group and achieved many other exciting accomplishments that aren’t revenue related, but of great importance, e.g. he catered for the palace in Rabat Morocco for a private royal event for the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi. He joined the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City in 2009 as executive chef where he is responsible for 6 F&B outlets, head of the kitchen brigade and manages staff of up to 42 chefs and 18 stewards.
WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
Since Hassan joined the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City in 2009 there have been significant and positive changes in revenue, profit and concepts. Hassan converted the a la carte restaurant / kitchen into a themed buffet style restaurant in 2009 and this initiative has increased the overall outlet revenue by 7.3% and the covers increased by 20% within the first year. The idea to introduce the said concept started from analyzing the previous year’s results and brainstorming ideas to further develop the outlet during the evenings. Hassan also introduced the “ICON of the day” lunch offer which has generated 132,685 AED more revenue per year and 2,162 additional covers after implementing this promotion in January 2012. Being a Business Hotel in the middle of Dubai Media City can be quite challenging at times, so Hassan took the opportunity to introduced the concept British Friday Brunch concept with a range of different price packages, various live cooking stations and a themed buffet style arrangement, that has generated 1642 additional covers and 19% more revenue every year, since the implementation
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“Thank you again for letting Hassan come to us here in Manchester. Despite various expected issues such as relatively short of time and somewhat resistance from the hotel's chefs, Hassan performed brilliantly! He showed my team what real work ethics is about and his professionalism surely gave my team something to think about. As expected, Hassan really transformed our cold buffets and they now look and taste absolutely gorgeous. He definitely deserves an award for this only.” Ian Rydin, Radisson Blu, Manchester.
WHAT DID HIS GUESTS SAY?
“All was perfect. Martin is very happy. He compliments organization, support, food, nice rooms and great offer. I am sure you will have him for the future.” Email to Mr. Francois, GM of Radisson Blu, DMC from Michal Chour, Genesys Group.