Finally there is a statutory 10% municipality fee to be placed on the sales price before it reaches the guest and “considering the cost of importing the products and the margin the supplier needs to make, drinks have to be expensive in order for the business to be viable”.

McGregor continues the theme saying that ultimately “we will always be limited in what we can do within the region because really we cannot write about our roles, shout about them and get this out to the masses”.

In the US or UK, bartenders are being recognised not only within the bar community but in the public eye in general. “True bartending is now respected, it is a craft and to be truly good at it, it becomes a life-long love affair, much like being a chef was 30 years ago,” he asserts.

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“The industry is fighting for legitimacy as a career and is slowly getting there. For us in Dubai, we are surrounded by the taboo of alcohol, and to a certain extent there is nothing we can do about that, but at the very least it would be nice to be recognised within the industry and the media supporting this.”

McGregor says that in the last four years, three bartenders in Dubai have ranked within the world’s top 16, “yet who here knows about it?”.

Hartmann adds that another challenge would be to unite the bartenders and beverage professionals more with each other, “a mission that I have put on my ‘to-do-list’ by creating www.uaebs.net,” he says.

 

What are baristas, mixologists and sommeliers demanding of suppliers?

Norberg says baristas, mixologists and sommeliers are asking suppliers for constant training on the products being supplied.

“As a partner that understands the needs of our customers, we have dedicated one resource to only conducting training on our full beverage portfolio in order to meet the demand.”

Concurring, Hijazi says industry professionals that are passionate about their products will demand the right tools and accessories to” perform their duties to the expected standard”.

“They will also monitor the quality of the raw materials used to produce the drinks and their demands are met with various results depending on the supplier selected, as well as how the internal management is involved in the decision-making process,” he adds.

“For example, a cost-conscious purchasing manager will rarely approve expensive supplies of a high quality, which then hinders the performance of the professional.”

Fidora believes a key word of success is innovation, “bringing new products and flavours help us to support baristas and bartenders in their daily creations”.

But he also adds that the product has to be consistent and available in the market.

“Today, being a bartender or a barista is no longer building an application but ensuring that knowledge and passion are shared with the consumers.

“Engagement is another key for success and knowledge of products and trends is a must,” says Fidora.

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