Seasonal menus are emerging as a chef’s choice in the region, and Shaheen Nouman asks the experts whether this is feasible for restaurants, and how they can manage costs and expectations

Like fashion, the food and beverage industry also has trends that drive businesses. In recent times, many restaurants in this region have introduced seasonal menus, featuring fresh and organic produce. These are a common fixture in the rest of the world — overhauling the existing systems every four months or so to offer a distinct culinary experience to guests.

Previously, sourcing challenges and supply chain restrictions hindered such practices; however, the region has developed significantly, making a variety of ingredients and produce available year around.

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A panel of experts at the Caterer Middle East Food and Business Conference 2015 concurred, saying that sourcing is no longer an issue for the region, unless you are ‘lazy’.

Roberto’s executive chef Andrea Mugavero says: “As a chef in the UAE, I would say we are lucky as far as seasonal products are concerned. Our geographic position helps us to find the same products throughout the year.”

However, sourcing is not something to be considered in isolation; with it comes the responsibility of designing new menu cards with every change, training both the front-of-house and back-of-house team about the new dishes to help them sell better, and ensuring the revenue stream stays steady.

Seasonal sourcing
We have certainly seen an increase in farms in the region in the last few years; however, the current supply in the local market is unable to consistently provide the quality and quantity of ingredients that restaurateurs and chefs are looking for. Therefore, chefs and F&B directors often rely on imports to get the quality they really need.

As Mugavero mentions, the region is located such that sourcing ingredients and produce internationally is not impossible for most restaurateurs. Chef patron at Table 9, Darren Velvick says that as seasons in the region aren’t very distinct, he almost mimics seasons in London and Europe, as a lot of produce for his restaurant comes from there.

He explains: “I get scallops when they are still alive from Norway, and sea bass from Europe. They are flown over — everything is flown over within 24 hours and as long as they are packed correctly, they are good to go.”

RMAL Hospitality senior corporate chef Daniel Lewis says that sourcing is also dependent on the cuisine offered, and while some restaurants may need seasonal sourcing, others can do with a fairly set menu.

He adds: “We have a few different concepts — some are traditional British and some are Asian. For Asian, we cannot really use seasons because they are all one season, and we use locally produced ingredients. For the British ones, we try to align it with the origin. If guests are flying in from Britain and it’s spring there, we try and have all the spring products. Our menu changes four times a year.”

International sourcing has an obvious carbon footprint associated with it, and Abu Dhabi National Hotels manager for F&B asset management Julide Ozbilge Nuss believes that using local alternatives as much as possible may be the answer. She says the secret to success lies in finding the right balance between imports and local sourcing.
Nuss says: “You definitely have an obligation to this country to see if there is anything that you can get locally. You want to support local producers here.”

Located on the flip side of the supply chain, Fresh Express commercial director Ali Serhal shares his insights about the recent increase in seasonal demand and the trend he has witnessed as a supplier: “The majority of our clients insist on this (seasonal produce) — the trend for many restaurants is to feature a seasonal menu alongside their normal à la carte; likewise many restaurants change and design their complete menu to go along with seasonality.”

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