Nonetheless, Dubai’s strategic position means that chefs are spoilt for choice when it comes to importing ingredients. Galvin says: “I think we’re lucky because we can get the best from around the world. The fish that you’re getting here sometimes arrives more quickly than in London.”
The chefs emphasise that this isn’t common, however, and is just one of the advantages of having connections that have been built over decades. Vespero explains: “We need to have strong relationships with the suppliers and be able to talk to each other about what’s best now. That’s something that I learnt in London from Chris and Jeff, and it’s something that I’m doing my best to bring here as well. I would say 50% of our success as chefs is down to the suppliers.”
For Galvin, it’s important to be transparent when it comes to ingredients. Now, through media — especially social media — there’s almost nowhere to hide. Galvin says: “We have to be honest with what we’re doing. We have to employ best practices; we have to make sure farmers are employing best practices. Media helps us so much. If you do your homework, go out to a farm, travel, read, and discover where things come from, social media helps you to share all that with your customers.”
Vespero recalls: “I’ll never forget, when I would finish a long day at 11pm and I would get a call from Chris saying, ‘Luigi, meet me at the market at 5am’, and I would say, ‘Yes, chef’. That was the best thing. Going to the market, packing our cars, and then going back to the kitchen to cook. It was amazing.”
If a 5am trip to the market was to happen now, it’s likely that their social media followers would be privy to what the chefs were taking back to kitchen. Indeed, Caterer Middle East’s Head Chef Survey indicated that increasing numbers of chefs are using social media as a direct line of communication with their customers. Vespero and Galvin are part of this movement. Galvin says: “It’s [popular] in London, because chefs get to see a box of tomatoes from a volcano that no one else will. A picture of that on Instagram lets the customers share it with you. Otherwise, they would have never seen that box. There’s so much we can share from a visual point of view.”
Be it through social media, their food, or both, connecting with their guests is key for the chefs — their approach is personal. Galvin concludes: “Have you ever seen Ratatouille? The food inspector goes into a time warp when he tastes the food. It has to be that way. If we can’t evoke feelings and memories, we’re doing the wrong thing.”
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