Revealed: five trends driving F&B in Dubai

Nikhil Pereira, September 30th, 2015

Dubai’s F&B scene is undergoing an evolution. Several new trends are taking shape and restaurateurs have to be very careful not to fall for fads, in turn picking on the right trends.

Waqar Ahmed Mirza, commercial director, Middle East & Africa, McQueen’s Group spoke exclusively to Caterer Middle East on the sidelines of The Hotel Show 2015 and revealed what are the key drivers behind the recent trends.

“There are five key drivers that determine F&B trends in the Middle East. And many of them are down to human emotions and feelings,” he said.

Here is his list:

1) Technology is playing a big role in the food industry, and across various sectors as well. Technology in POS mechanisms, consumers communicating through dedicated apps that let you purchase and render feedback. Technology is all around us, and is driving the F&B industry in a massive way today.
2) Cuisines are slicing down from a broad offering to a narrow one. A rising number of restaurants are offering a specific dish type from the entire cuisine, for example – a restaurant that serves only biryani, in different varieties.
3) People want to eat health-ful and not beautiful anymore, Consumers are no longer ready to sacrifice health benefits ahead of rich, full-bodied ingredients.
4) Conscious approach to knowing the food supply chain. Consumers are extremely knowledgeable and will not tolerate unethical means of production or supply.
5) Globalization of foods and fusing of cuisines are on the rise, Dubai is home to many nationalities and as such fusing two popular cuisines is on the rise.

"Obviously, these are theoretical concepts with a practical edge to it. Every key driver when fused together will make for a successful F&B outlet."

For example, it’s important to pick the right two cuisines and source the ingredients for the menus in a manner that ensures consumers aspire to the brand.

Also, restaurateurs are willing to sacrifice chunky menus, and are focusing on offering a single dish or varieties of the same – kebab-only restaurants, biryani outlets.