Gulfood 2016 report
The 21st edition of Gulfood took place from February 21 to 25, attracting more than 90,000 visitors from 160 countries, and occupying in excess of 1.29 million sq ft of exhibition space.
The five-day event included the third edition of Halal World Food — the world's biggest annual halal food sourcing trade event — and an exhibitor line-up of finished food producers, bulk commodity wholesalers, distributors and exporters, as well as the show’s largest-ever collection of hospitality equipment suppliers. Continuing its evolved status as a weathervane to hospitality and food sector trends, Gulfood 2016 featured a host of new exhibitors, expanded participation by returnees and a wealth of new-to-market products. As the exclusive official publication for the event, Caterer Middle East reported daily from Dubai World Trade Centre and over the next nine pages, see the news and photos we captured at the event.
Regional debuts
Unsurprisingly given its size and reach, many companies used Gulfood to make their regional debut in the Middle East. One of these companies was Juice In Time, a company from São Paulo, Brazil, that showcased its system whereby capsules containing frozen fruit pulp are set up over a cup and the company's patented machine, attached to the cup, releases a thin water stream for one minute, melting the pulp, and creating a chilled beverage ready to drink.
After a live demo of the system for invited members of the media, the company’s owner and founder of the system, Marcos Roberto Pinotti: said: "The business we are dealing with is very similar to Nespresso, so the idea is to have the machine at the lowest possible cost and we make money selling capsules. We can make the juice without touching the fruit, and this is why we have incomparable food safety. We are working with frozen fruit that is 100% natural - there are no preservatives.”
For now, ten kinds of juices are offered in the region, as Pinotti said the company wants to gauge what flavours local consumers prefers, and ultimately he wants to operate small factories near to the company's big customers in the region. Confident of Juice in Time's health properties, he told Caterer Middle East that, according to his calculations "if you swap the market leader juice in Brazil for Juice In Time [juice-consumers] would save 33 million calories".
Juice In Time was one of 80 Brazilian companies that used Gulfood to build on the country’s 2015 exports to the GCC that reached almost US $4bn, with the UAE absorbing nearly a third. Brazilian pavilion participants promoted a vast range of products from poultry to fruit, dairy, confectionery and pastry, while the pavilion had two restaurants – a steakhouse BBQ and general food outlet where a Brazilian chef prepared typical food and shawarma with Brazilian chicken.
Another company using Gulfood as a launch pad was Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat, which made its debut in the Middle East during with its brand The Frozen Butcher. The brand has been sold in retailers in Europe for about 18 months and Adriaan Figee, part of the Zandbergen management team, told Caterer Middle East that new burgers, steaks and carpaccio have been added since its launch.
He also said The Frozen Butcher contains high quality meat products without any preservatives, colouring agents or other additives. He said: “We want to give butcher’s quality to the public, so we focus on premium meat quality — our veal burger for example contains 99.5% veal meat and 0.5% salt, no other additives. We apply this philosophy to all our products. We travel the globe in search of the best meat. By freezing it we preserve the premium quality, don’t need preservatives and make these delicious products available for everyone. It is a high quality brand and on the inlay in our packaging we include background information, such as the origin of the product, the breed and preparation.”
Article continues on next page...
The family-owned company is well known in the European market. Upon entering the regional marketplace, Figee said that the company sees "a lot of demand for high-quality meat products", and added that the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are of particular interest.
With a captive global audience, the trade show was the perfect place to launch new products, with numerous companies capitalising on this opportunity. British kitchenware suppliers T&G Woodware have been operating out of Bristol, England since 1975. Although the brand already supplies to venues such as Café Blanc and West 14th Steakhouse, this year is the first time the brand has visited Middle East trade show Gulfood to display its products.
Among the items stocked by T&G Woodware, the company specialises in grinders for salt, pepper and spices. According to managing director Patrick Gardner, one of the company’s USPs are the ceramic grinding mechanisms used inside the grinders. “The ceramic grinders are harder than steel, they won’t corrode and are natural,” Gardner told Caterer Middle East.
A new product on show at Gulfood were the Sola and Luna grinders, newly launched, alongside FSC-certified 100% wood grinders, which Gardner explained offered 100% traceability of the wood used in the manufacturing of the pepper mills. “We can trace it from the forest, to the saw mill, and onwards,” he said.
Another new showcase was at Rational’s stand showcased with the company’s new cross and stripe grill grid that can create two different grilling patterns. Usable on both sides, the accessory produces either the typical US-steakhouse pattern or the classic parallel grill stripes.
Throughout Gulfood, Rational chefs also demonstrated the variety of menu items that its SelfCookingCenter units can cook — often simultaneously. Instead of using numerous cooking appliances at once, chefs can cook everything in one square metre of space with the SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses replacing up to 50% of standard appliances and reducing the kitchen footprint by at least 30%, said Simon Parke Davis, vice president for business development in the Middle East.
“We demonstrated live to visitors how easy it is to prepare all these types of products with a SelfCookingCenter,” he added.
“Gulfood is a great platform for us as an interface to our customers, enabling us to excite and delight existing and future customers, a lot of hard work goes into the team and presentation of the Rational brand at Gulfood, as it is a global showcase that we are proud to take part in.”
Swiss-based Gastros also unveiled a new product offering at Gulfood. The manufacturer of inductive buffet systems for hotels, catering services and airport lounges launched InductWarm Series 130. Valerie Stumpf, marketing and sales manager, Gastros, said: “The brand new thing we have just released is InductWarm, so we are building induction into the counters — it's seamless, easy to clean and there's no cut out. This is ideal for room service and the same idea can also be used for the buffet.”
Article continues on next page...
Gastros can customise outlets to incorporate the new offering, keeping food warm until 95°C on four different temperature levels, without heating the surface itself, as long as it contains no magnetic material. “We can build the induction device underneath and we can use any material — wood, glass, stone, marble, granite, for example,” Stumpf added.
Emirati firm United Foods Company (UFC) introduced new products under its flagship brand Aseel at Gulfood. The company launched Aseel Trans Fat Free Ghee to offer consumers a healthier option and Aseel Tahina to expand into the Arabic traditional food category. The first was been released in two variants; one made with canola oil and the other with sunflower oil. Aseel Tahina is made from sesame seeds and is packaged after 35 stages of processing, including refining, filtering, peeling, washing, roasting and grinding without additives.
UFC CEO Fethi Khiari reported that the company has more than 70% volume market share in the UAE. Khiari said: “We have introduced Aseel Trans Fat Free Ghee after rigorous R&D to change the perception of consumers about ghee and address their health issues. We are confident of re-staging Aseel to new heights with the launch of these new products.”
Another product making its regional debu via Gulfood that will appeal to health conscious consumers was Popchips, a snack product from the US. Caterer Middle East spoke to Mohammed Hussein, commercial planning executive, GEMCO to find out more.
“This is the first time it’s been introduced in the region and two weeks prior to Gulfood, GEMCO was appointed distributor to the UAE. We say the product has all the taste and half the fat; it’s not deep fried — it’s actually popped, hence the name Popchips — so it has 50% less fat than regular potato chips.”
Launched in the UAE shortly after Gulfood, Popchips will eventually be rolled out to the wider GCC and Hussein added that the product is ideal, from a financial standpoint, for being stocked in hotel mini-bars.
Meanwhile, Valrhona launched its first range of custom-made pastry decoration called Valrhona Signature. Virginie Labigne, manager, Valrhona Signature, told Caterer Middle East that the decoration range is made with pure Valrhona chocolate, and the first range was unveiled in September 2015 in France and Belgium. The range is made with guanaja and opalys chocolates from Valrhona.
Labigne said: “We believe that decoration is not something that is just beautiful but is part of the dessert, and so it has to be good. We believe that chocolate decoration is part of the overall guest experience.”
The printing process makes use only of cocoa butter and is non-azoique. Azo dyes are synthetic colours which help in creating dark shades of colours in food, and Labigne said that the Valrhona Signature range is free of this ingredient.
Gourmet syrup producer Monin also told Caterer Middle East about their latest products during Gulfood. Monin marketing manager Pierre Fraboulet said: “We have been developing our new products for some time now, and working hard to grow our distribution channels too; Gulfood 2016 was the right opportunity for Monin to make an official launch.”
Article continues on next page...
Monin’s four new products are citrus, blueberry, popcorn and milk chocolate flavour syrups.
Fraboulet added: “We love being here and we are pleased to launch our new range here.”
Another debut was French kitchen equipment company Charvet's new space-saving and multi-purpose model. The combi-pan has been designed as part of the 700 Series, devised for economical use of space.
Charvet general manager Pierre-Alain Augagneur said the combi-pan is composed of two electrically heated hot surfaces, which can be used in conjunction, or separated with a bridge to create two entirely separate cooking surfaces. The pan has been manufactured with a 12mm thick base, which he said provides greater evenness of cooking and can be used for several cooking techniques. The equipment comes with additional accessories, such as a cutting board, and a rack. Showing for the first time this week, Augagneur said he combi-pan can be used to “save space, and save energy, where you need it” making it idea; for outlets where space is an issue, such as pool bars and kitchens.
Other product debuts came from Drinique, which signed a global distribution partnership with Steelite International in May 2015. The US-based firm creates plastic drinkware made with Eastman Tritan Copolyester, which is guaranteed not to crack or break.
Drinique vice president of marketing Hamid Charoosaie told Caterer Middle East: “The biggest difference is that other plastic drinkware is made from acrylic or polycarbonate. The problem with them is that when you put it in a high heat dishwasher, it leads to immediate cracking, and breaking because polycarbonate cannot hold up to that heat.”
Other kitchen products unveilved included those from Khiara Trading, which launched the Marrakech series of copper utensils. “This new range of products is burnt (oxidised) while being made, which gives it a scalded finish,” said Raj Khiara, director, Khiara Traders. He added that the launch of the new series supplements the existing range of copper products and is a direct result of market demand.
“F&B professionals prefer this series because it gives a heritage feel to the outlet. Copper utensils are steeped in history across the Arab region and India. However, a large section of European markets are gaining interest in copper products because this renders a different look and feel to their restaurants. So, the demand stems from two market segments: one where people have used copper products as part of their heritage and the other section that are looking for something new,” he commented.
Kold Draft chose Gulfood to launch its SC200 series in the Middle East — its first iteration as an under-counter ice machine. Greenfield World Trade VP Jonathan Vadnos said: “Kold Drafthas been producing ice machines for over 80 years in the United States and we’re one of the first companies to develop a horizontal evaporator.”
This means, he added, that the ice cube is “the largest ice cube possible and the slowest melting possible”. The new under-counter machine is targeted at sports physiotherapists, high-end resorts and high-end clubs.
Article continues on next page...
Targeting a different market is Technical Chemical Laboratories (TCL), which revealed that it has launched a new range of products that use citrus oil as the base.
“We are focusing on producing environmentally-friendly cleaning products. The new range is based on citro-systems (citrus oil); this makes it non-toxic and it does not affect health. This means that if a portion of it is accidentally sprayed on food surfaces, it is not harmful,” said Galal Ghaly, TCL general manager.
He added: “We focus on providing chemicals that do not cause harm to water (when it mixes while cleaning and washing). We provide super-concentrate chemicals that we dilute with a big ratio, which results in saving a lot of time in the back of house operations.”
The company, which supplies about 750 hotels, restaurants and healthcare providers in 40 countries, is also devising a hand sanitiser that will last for eight hours “made possible by the sanitiser forming a thin and invisible layer on the hand,” Ghaly added.
F&B growth in the GCC region
Despite concern expressed in previous months about 2016 being a difficult economic year, numerous companies spoke to Caterer Middle East during Gulfood about their GCC expansion plans.
Sébastien Herriau, business developer-Middle East area, Chocolaterie Monbana, revealed: “The market is quite good and we are doing very well, especially with hotels and chains. We are going to be developing in Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran.”
He added that the company is planning to extend its retail range, but only to gourmet outlets.
Also speaking of local potential was Beech Ovens director of international sales and marketing Richard Douaihy, who shared: “Dubai has been a very positive market for Beech Ovens over the years and in 2015 it became our biggest market, beating China to the top position. A key target for us in this region is customers throughout the GCC, and we are seeking to grow more in Saudi Arabia in the coming months and years.”
The company's director of international sales and engineering Stephen Trood added: “Our clients in the UAE are predominantly high-end users, and our target markets tend to be five-star hotels and restaurants with celebrity chefs.”
Nestlé Professional beverages business manager Ahmad Popal also said he is optimistic about business opportunities in both mid-market and luxury hotels. “The market outlook is very good. We’re operational across the Middle East, and I see potential in all our markets — Nestle’s solutions are consistent and we meet a specific need for our customers,” he asserted.
Article continues on next page...
Speaking of the hospitality sector Popal added: “I can see the mid-scale hospitality sector growing in the coming years. There are many international brands arriving into the region, all of which offer guests high quality accommodation.”
Popal added: “As an operator we help you to be more successful but in a way that is really simple, and we do this through our four categories: coffee, cold beverages, signature desserts and flavours. Our mission is to help food service operators grow their sales and manage costs in a way that is simple operationally.”
Swedish kitchenware suppliers Smaky (pictured above) exhibited at Gulfood with the aim of growing its presence in the Gulf region. According to company founder Konstantin Turac, Saudi Arabia already represents Smaky’s largest market in the Gulf, where the brand has attained SASO certification for its products, which allows them to be approved for the KSA market. The UAE, Bahrain and Qatar represent the next target markets for Smaky, Turac revealed.
“Smaky mixers have got a really good name, in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, but we are not a huge company. People refer to us as a small big company,” says Turac.
A company with its eye on branching into the region and exhibiting at Gulfood for the first time was Welsh brand The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company. Founded by chef Jonathon Williams, the company produces food products made with seaweed from Welsh waters.
For Williams, the company is part of a revival of a traditional Welsh delicacy, called ‘lavar’ (eaten in the traditional dish lavar bread, made with seaweed). He said: “Interest in seaweed dropped off in the UK, and came back into fashion with Japanese cuisine. We realised that British waters were rich in the same seaweed made popular by Japanese cooking.”
Although not currently stocked in the Middle East market, the company supplies 300 stores across the UK, and products for retail in Sweden, Ireland and the Czech Republic.
The brand, Williams added, aims to supply “high-end retail and high-end food services.” From 2017 onward, The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company will return to Dubai with a view to assessing potential in the emirate for the first food outlet by the Welsh brand.
Another Welsh company that made its Gulfood debut was Pant Du, which supplies premium natural Welsh water. The company is currently not supplying to the GCC, but looking to supply what Pant Du describe as ‘top’ hotels and restaurants that reflect the company’s boutique product.
Article continues on next page...
The water was discovered in 2013 on the 400-year-old Pant Du farm estate when the the Wyn Huws family, who owned the farm, decided to drill through the surrounding Precambrian rock for water. With only an initial budget for drilling 30 metres, the company’s owner, Richard Wyn Huws, persisted and eventually struck water underneath the rock at 85 metres.
“My son said, ‘Dad, please stop, you are spending all the family money.’ But it was a great example of risk taking in business,” he shared. “The water is filtered through the Precambrian rocks and touches the minerals; that gives it the taste, without adding anything to it.”
The water is low in sodium, has well balanced minerality and is almost perfectly ph balanced at ph7.35 (perfect ph being 7.5).
Meanwhile, a company that is well established in this region, La Marquise — distributor of professional equipment, F&B products and ingredients in the UAE — spoke to Caterer Middle East about its recent growth amid concerns for the year ahead.
La Marquise marketing manager Olga Mirtova commented: “In this region, 2016 will be challenging, however in January 2016 we saw our company post good growth over figures from January 2015, so we’re very optimistic. Furthermore, we will begin new operations in Oman in and Qatar this year, establishing new offices, stores and showrooms there.”
La Marquise represents more than 20 brands from Italy, France, Germany, Ireland and USA. Nordaq Fresh, a water filtration system from Sweden, distributed by La Marquise, is experiencing growth in the Middle East. Mirtova reported: “Demand for Nordaq Fresh in this region is strong. The products are already popular in Europe but they’re new to the Middle East; we are the innovators here and we’re seeing a very good response from the market.
“Nordaq Fresh filters tap water, removing all the impurities, while keeping all the minerals, producing Michelin-star quality water for use in hotels and restaurants.”
The robust GCC business climate may have helped attract a New Zealand pavillion for the first time in a decade at Gulfood 2016. However, New Zealand Trade commissioner for Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Haylon Smith revealed its decision to return was due to the importance of the region for New Zealand exports. In the year ending June 2015, New Zealand F&B trade with the GCC reached $2.7 billion per annum.
Thirteen companies exhibited at the two-storey pavilion with a Raw Coffee counter, and live cooking demos using New Zealand produce carried out by Dubai-based chef Tomas Reger.
Smith told Caterer Middle East: “What underpins them all [at the pavillion] is that they are at the prime end of the spectrum and they are all looking at how they can leverage their presence in Dubai to take on some markets around the wider Gulf and North Africa. A number of companies, especially on this stand, are investing in this market. They are seeing Dubai as a hub; they establish themselves here and then work out to Saudi, which is one of the big volume markets, and then move out to North Africa, particularly for the dairy companies, which is a growth market.
Article continues on next page...
“The GCC is New Zealand’s fifth largest trading partner and with that entails an investment from us to continue that relationship and build on it as companies continue to grow that investment.”
Some companies that Smith said are doing well here are chicken brand Tegel and dairy company Fonterra.
Gelato and coffee supplier Sparrow International revealed at Gulfood that it is looking to expand its product range, diversifying more into “the kitchen and cooking side of things”, the company’s sales manager, Fadi Hijazi, revealed.
Through diversifying, Sparrow is also looking to increase its operations in Saudi Arabia, following the opening of its branch in Riyadh last month.
Growth across the MENA region is also on the cards for DMK, following Gulfood 2016, as it focuses on expanding its business in the dairy products sector, especially with Oldenburger as a key export brand in the region.
DMK managing director, MENA, India, Pakistan, Africa and South America Eusebio Gonzales revealed plans to expand: “We are the largest dairy company in Germany and we’re ranked in the top ten globally. Our next objective is to focus on Middle East expansion. We were really focused on European markets but in our current position, the only way to expand now is to look internationally.”
He added that besides the MENA markets, DMK is targeting China: “The decision to grow our company in this direction was made three years ago due to the continuing rapid growth of these markets. In the next few months we will begin packaging production here in Middle East, with full production moving here soon after. We feel it is important to have a physical presence in all the locations we operate in — and in the Middle East we are really focusing our efforts on three core areas: branding, distribution and food services.”
Speaking of the countries in particular DMK will target regionally, Gonzalez said: “We believe Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon and Jordan are key future markets for the company.”
The Middle East is one of Australian state Victoria's largest export destinations, with F&B exports worth more than US $1.2bn in 2014-2015. With that in mind, its government showcased the region’s produce at Gulfood, as part of a drive to boost exports to the fast growing region.
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis commented: “The growing prosperity of the region is opening up enormous new opportunities for Victorian producers to boost exports of our world class products.”
Article continues on next page...
Sustainability remains in focus
It was clear at Gulfood from Caterer Middle East’s conversations with companies and industry experts that the sustainability is not a passing fad for F&B industry in the Middle East. Sean Moore, regional director, Winterhalter Middle East, said: “The sustainable agenda is more prominent in Europe, and is in its infancy in the region but is gaining prominence in the region.
“This year we have launched our UF series of utensil washers and our focus has always been on producing the wash results by offering longevity and efficiency. The focus now is on reducing water, energy and the chemical content in the washers — the focus is on sustainability. Our new range features an enzymatic method of operation, which means we are not throwing germs or chemicals down the drain into the environment. Our product is one of the lowest water consumers in the market.”
Sustainability was actively recognised at this year’s Gulfood, with German company Vito AG receiving an award for its innovation and sustainable technology. Its oil fitration system, Vito XS, beat off competition from 180 other entries to win a Best Sustainable Catering Equipment Innovation Award.
Andreas Schmidt, CEO, Vito AG, said: “It shows us how important the ‘made in Germany’ tag is for our brand. Along with a team of 50 associates the frying oil filters are produced and assembled in Germany itself. The award is an indication that we are doing the right things.”
The company has a distribution network in more than 150 countries and its clientele includes F&B operators like Burger King, Hilton Hotels and AIDA.
Intermetal was another company putting sustainability front and centre. Having been FSC-certified last year, the company debuted its sustainable range of products for the hospitality industry at Gulfood.
Intermetal marketing manager Cathy Di Savino said one of these products was the fully customisable Dining Pod, which provides privacy and personal space. She commented: “The dining pod was a concept that we thought was interesting because people today with technology are sitting privately in their own little hub.”
Speaking about the company's sustainable accreditation, she added: “People want to procure from responsible suppliers, so it was a step we had to take — and the response has been excellent.”
Gulfood returns to Dubai World Trade Centre next year, from February 26 to March 2, 2017. More details are available via www.gulfood.com
Article continues on next page...
Culinary showcase
Salon Culinaire awarda the best chefs, cooks and bakers in the region
One of the most anticipated cooking competitions in the region took place at Gulfood. Comprising a series of practical and display-based culinary competitions, Emirates Culinary Guild Salon Culinaire tested the skills of a cross section of professional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers, while celebrating food preparation and presentation.
More than 1,300 competitors were evaluated by a panel of judges, mandated by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) to adjudicate culinary events across the globe. Gold, silver and bronze medals and certificates were awarded, in addition to trophies for individuals who have attained excellence at the competition.
Hospitality by Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) won 85 accolades across 27 categories with its core team of 49 chefs showcasing their skills across multiple categories, including five-course plated menu, Arabic mezzeh — practical cookery, an Arabian feast, ice carving, and the pastry showpiece.
In total, DWTC’s chefs won eight gold medals, 19 silver, 24 bronze and 34 merit awards, in addition to winning the title of Best Effort by an Individual Establishment for the sixth year.
Raimund Haemmerle, DWTC’s executive chef and team mentor, said: “On behalf of everyone at DWTC, we are extremely proud of our talented chefs and the stellar results achieved. We have participated in this competition for over a decade, and as an organisation that is renowned for its hospitality, we are thrilled that our team’s hard work and dedication to the culinary arts has been recognised. We invest a significant amount of time and effort in team training and development to ensure we serve premium quality dishes year-round to our guests. For instance, in the lead up to the Etihad F1 Grand Prix, we invested over 2800 training hours to plan for the 27,000 meals that were served at the event.”
Hospitality by DWTC has witnessed year-on-year growth and in 2015 it catered for over two million visitors at both the venue and off-site locations — with some of the team’s biggest off-sites contracts to date being the Etihad F1 Grand Prix, the Dubai World Cup at Meydan and the Dubai Airshow.
Also celebrating at Salon Culinaire was Citymax hotel Al Barsha, with several chefs from the Dubai property picking up awards. Sandeep Pundir was awarded the silver medal in the chicken practical cookery category; Faizal Aminat and Rabin K Sivaram were both awarded bronze medals in the fish and seafood practical category; and Prakash Yeshudasan and Dinesh Prasad were awarded with a merit certificate in the beef and chicken practical category.
Citmax Hotels COO Russel Sharpe commented: “This is a great achievement for our chefs at Citymax Hotel Al Barsha. We are proud to have a talented group of chefs and we will look forward to more of them taking part and succeeding in future events.”