The supply chain and sourcing, as many would assume, given the high order quantities, is not a challenge. “Dubai has a large network of high quality suppliers for hospitality requirements.”
However, managing costs is another ball game altogether. Like most of the organisations, if not all, DWTC also has a challenging budget target but manages to strike a balance with planning.
“My senior staff and I cannot avoid numbers and have studied ‘Finance for Non Finance Managers’. The bottom line is to be true to yourself and your customer and do not try to take shortcuts. Always deliver what you promised in quality and product.”
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DWTC claims that it has never said no to an event, and has catered to some of the most bizarre requests as well. “Once we received a request to create a life size horse made out of real edible cake!”
In addition, DWTC has its food wastage in strict control and uses the ADACO food cost management system on a daily basis. “If there is food wastage, it is potentially with our larger events, and at around 5%,” says Oberender.
IN PRACTICE
When a kitchen is producing thousands of meals a day, consistency of flavours can be a challenge. To manage it, Oberender says: “Consistency is an important indicator for success for us. To ensure consistency, it starts right from the beginning with: sourcing and receiving high quality ingredients from reliable suppliers; using a computerised recipe management system to update the quantities; monitoring the cooking method closely to ensure it matches the recipe; and, ensuring that the final dish presentation is identical to each other. We have teams and checklists at each stage to ensure uniformity.”
In addition, DWTC hosts several regular training sessions for its staff members for basic skills development. It also uses Lobster Ink, a hospitality education system, for training, as well as live cooking classes when inducting new staff.
With continuous training and human resource development, aided with a refurbished kitchen that will enhance DWTC’s daily production levels by 20%, the mass catering master is not capping its potential and will continue to evolve and develop to become a force to reckon with — even more so than it is now.
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