Comment: A decade of F&B

This is a very special month. November 2015 marks the tenth anniversary of Caterer Middle East — 10 years since the magazine first hit your desks. When I realised the magazine had such a great milestone coming up, I found copies of all the issues of the last decade — and while I haven’t finished reading every single issue, I’ve certainly skimmed through them all. And what a fantastic journey it’s been.

In light of that, I reached out to a handful of people who were in the magazine from the start, and asked them what they thought about the title, and what it meant to them. You will find their comments on page 24, where we take a little trip down memory lane.

And perhaps this is a little self-indulgent, but on behalf of this beautiful product, I would like to thank everyone who has worked on it — from the past editors to the sales managers, from the photographers to the production managers, and more... it really would not have been the same without you.

The F&B industry has been absolutely fantastic as well. Where would this magazine be if you did not support us? Everyone has been welcoming, shared their stories with us, dropped tantalising hints, and allowed us into their circle. Thank you.

The region has definitely changed in the last decade. Not only have the number of restaurants that have opened in this region shot up, the direction it is going in has also altered in subtle ways. Fine dining has not gone away, for example, but it has loosened up somewhat, and the word ‘deformalise’ has become the buzzword of the day.

The number of casual dining eateries have increased — and we’re not just talking fast food franchises here. Our cover story [pg 36-40] is a prime example of the wave of independent restaurateurs that has invaded the region — surely a sign of maturity as the business of F&B slowly treads the path already taken in markets like Europe.

And what might the next 10 years bring, I wonder? Hotel F&B is certainly looking to reinvent itself; I have heard of a few new appointments within hotel groups to focus on their food and beverage offering, which means they are looking to emulate the success that standalone concepts seem to be getting of late. Sustainability is also becoming a massive focus for chefs — whether this relates to food waste, or where the product is coming from. Then there’s the rising interest in children’s menus.

Whatever the industry brings, you better believe Caterer Middle East will be on top of it. Here’s to another 10 years of food and beverage!

Devina Divecha
Senior Editor — Hospitality Group
Email: devina.divecha@itp.com
Social: @DevinaDivecha (Twitter/Instagram)
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