REVEALED: Caterer Middle East Awards winners
More than 400 people attended the Caterer Middle East Awards 2016 on Wednesday, June 1, to see who would be crowned this year's winners across 16 individual and team F&B categories.
During the event, which took place at Conrad Dubai, Atlantis The Palm were victorious in three categories as executive chef at the resort Patrice Cabannes was crowned Pastry Chef of the Year; Atlantis' Vinothan Selvarasu was named Chief Steward of the Year; and Luke Kennet from Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen walked away with Waiter of the Year.
Another outlet with three reasons to celebrate was Claw BBQ & Crabshack, with Bartender of the Year going to its head bartender Joseph Fortuin, followed by a highly commended mention in the category of Casual Dining Team of the Year and highly commended in the Head Chef of the Year – Standalone for Andrew Padreres.
Okku Dubai was recognised three times as well, winning the coveted trophy for Restaurant Team of the Year - Independent; as well as receiving a highly commended mention in the Sommelier of the Year category for its head sommelier, Eric Eybert; and highly commended in the Waiter of the Year category, for Rana Waqas Ali.
All of the other winners and highly commended teams and individuals are listed in full below:
Bar Team of the Year
Winner: 360° at Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Highly Commended: ON41 Media One Hotel
Events Catering Team of the Year
Winner: Hospitality by Dubai World Trade Centre
Highly Commended: Atlantis The Palm
Casual Dining Team of the Year
Winner: The Sum of Us
Highly Commended: Claw BBQ, Crabshack & Grill
Kitchen Hero of the Year
Winner: Anowar Hussain, Media One Hotel
Highly Commended: Abdul Kader Govindarajtbc, Après Dubai
Sommelier of the Year
Winner: Deepak Elangovan, Hakkasan Abu Dhabi
Highly Commended: Eric Eybert, Okku Dubai
Chief Steward of the Year
Winner: Vinothan Selvarasu, Atlantis The Palm
Highly Commended: Abdul Latheef Naduvile Purayil, Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi Downtown
Waiter of the Year
Winner: Luke Kennet, Atlantis The Palm
Highly Commended: Rana Waqas Ali, Okku Dubai
Restaurant Manager of the Year
Winner: Lora Gregorio, Thiptara and Fai, The Palace Downtown Dubai
Highly Commended: Ramesh Thiru, Flow Kitchen, Fairmont The Palm
Restaurateur of the Year
Winner: Fay & Alex Economides, Elia, The Music Room, Mythos, Nola
Highly Commended: Amin Kadrie, Skelmore Group
Head Chef of the Year – hotel managed
Winner: Tristin Farmer, Marina Social, InterContinental Dubai Marina
Highly Commended: Gregoire Berger, Ossiano, Atlantis The Palm
Head Chef of the Year – standalone
Winner: Ryan Waddell, Reform Social & Grill and The Black Lion
Highly Commended: Andrew Padreres, Claw BBQ, Crabshack & Grill
Pastry Chef of the Year
Winner: Patrice Cabannes, Atlantis The Palm
Highly Commended: Achala WeeraSinghe, Madinat Jumeirah
Bar Manager of the Year
Winner: Drew Mallins, Hakkasan Dubai
Highly Commended: Raven Rudolph, Karma Kafé
Bartender of the Year
Winner: Joseph Fortuin, Claw BBQ, Crabshack & Grill
Highly Commended: Grace Mensah, XOLO, Fairmont Ajman
Restaurant Team of the Year – hotel managed
Winner: Lexington Grill, Waldorf Astoria, RAK
Highly Commended: Trader Vic’s, Hilton Doha
Restaurant Team of the Year – independent
Winner: Okku Dubai
Highly Commended: Asia Asia Dubai
Full coverage of the awards - including photo galleries of the winners, best dressed and who's who of F&B, will be on this website throughout today, and in the July issue of Caterer Middle East.
Sponsors of the Caterer Middle East Awards include: category sponsors Figjam, SIAL Middle East, TSSC, Ronai, MMI, Aramtec, Al Rawdah, Sample Me, Bragard, Tequila Patron; water sponsor Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino, and coffee sponsor Dallmayr.