Seasonal vs regional ingredients' bottom line

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.

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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Managing expectations
However, throughout this change is the element of consistency, which is one of the main concerns for restaurants which offer seasonal items. Not all customers appreciate walking into a restaurant they frequent, only to find a new menu in place. Therefore managing customers’ expectations is vital.

To manoeuvre through the situation without disappointing regulars, chefs employ different strategies. While some choose to have a seasonal menu alongside a regular a la carte one to ensure consistency, others only move around a few dishes at a time so as to not overwhelm the customer.

Velvick has a chef’s table at his restaurant, and says he tests dishes there before adding them to the menu. “I am not the kind of chef who changes the whole menu as that would cause an absolute chaos in the kitchen. We have got a chef’s table at our restaurant where we serve the new dish we have come up with, and we get instant feedback. It is a unique experience for the diner as well, as they get to try dishes that are not on the menu.”

While Velvick prefers a tasting table, Mugavero opts to strike a balance between the two elements at Roberto’s. He says: “We always make sure that our à la carte items are available at all times. Additionally, we have a special menu every day where we serve particular products and hidden gems of Italian cuisine.”

Likewise, suppliers are also keen on meeting restaurateurs’ expectations. Serhal shares that Fresh Express has developed close relationships with traditional farmers, fishermen and artisanal producers all over the world, to meet the demands. Therefore, it turns to countries like Australia during winter months to ensure consistency throughout the year.

Commenting on the quality and delivery methods, Serhal states: “We have established non-negotiable minimum standards that we ask our suppliers, agents, freight forwarders and airlines to respect and adhere to at all times. From the moment a product leaves its origin, it is handled in an appropriate temperature controlled environment to ensure ultimate freshness.”

Managing costs
With all the elements related to creating a seasonal menu — from buying the produce, designing new menus, training, and transport — it stands to reason that these work against the idea of economies of scale. Simply explained, it doesn’t allow restaurateurs to leverage from lower costs resulting from mass and yearly orders. In turn, restaurateurs pass on the price increase to customers, further jeopardising its clientele’s loyalty. So, how can they strike a balance?

Velvick says: “If you are a clever chef, there are other ways you can balance it. I have some local stuff on the menu as well, like chicken, and they don’t cost much. So as long as you are clever and you are not only selling items like sea bass, you can balance the food costs. There will always be some dishes that you are going to lose a bit of money on and some dishes you gain it back from.”

Furthermore, those we asked believe that customers in the region appreciate quality produce and are willing to pay a little extra for it. However, it is imperative to ensure that they get value for their money. Mugavero adds: “Our guests are willing to pay for top quality products. At the same time, they are also aware of what is happening in the market and want value for their money.”

Lewis puts a number ceiling to manage costs. He says he tries to keep food costs under 25% of the total costs for casual concepts, and about 34-35% for those like Marco Pierre. To put it into perspective, the Caterer Middle East Head Chef Survey 2014 put the average food cost in the market at 27.9%.

Equilibrium of success
Judging by the discussions Caterer has had, seasonal menus seem more appropriate for cuisine-focused and refined dining concepts, which can bear the costs involved, and manage international suppliers as well.

Moreover, chefs in the region are certainly inclined towards fresh produce — whether imported or local — and have become bold enough to say no. Many have told Caterer Middle East that they now return sub-standard products to suppliers and refuse to work with average produce. Suppliers need to take a cue from this, and focus on developing their channels to ensure consistent, quality and reasonably priced supplies.

Chefs are definitely gearing towards the globally accepted way of creating menus — can the rest of the industry keep up?