BAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Marvin Coelho, Treehouse, TAJ Dubai
Handed over by Horeca Trade business development manager Dana Yakteen, Marvin Coelho fought off tough competition from five other contenders to win.
Highly commended was Fairmont The Palm’s The Cigar Room bar manager Luis Urrea, and other shortlisted nominees included: Ahmed Wahab, Pure — DoubleTree by Hilton; Mohan Narendra Kataria, 360° Dubai; Andy Dunn, Vault Bar, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai; and Suresh Ramanathan, Uptown Bar, Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
Coelho joined the Taj family in 2014 as an assistant restaurant manager, and was made bar manager at Treehouse a year ago.
Judges were impressed by his green bar which avoids wastage by using leftover fruit for décor and syrups and has exceeded the yearly budget by 64%. He is also heavily involved in the property’s CSR initiatives.
Speaking to Caterer Middle East immediately after he won his award, Coelho admitted he wasn’t expecting to win after considering the high calibre of the finalists in his category.
He said: “We just wanted to be different. The whole concept was around being a greenhouse, offering healthy options, and honestly, weird options.”
These “weird options” include products like cheese, squid ink, and hibiscus sorrel.
His team members dubbed him a ‘wolf pack leader’ when they nominated him for the award, and Coelho said this is due to his efforts to encourage camaraderie amongst the team. He added: “It’s less of a team and more of a family. We have a pack and we’re always together.”
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