Five Minutes with.. Ghaf Kitchen's David O'Brien

How did the idea for Ghaf Kitchen come about?

Ghaf Kitchen was born in 2012. I was sitting on the lakeside in Buku, Azerbaijan, watching people enjoying various pop-up cafés and restaurants. It dawned on me that we did not have any food trucks in Dubai, so I decided to develop Dubai’s first food truck. From there we developed our kitchens and events business.

What sets Ghaf Kitchen apart?

We are bespoke and we do things differently at Ghaf Kitchen. Our name stands for the quality of the ingredients we serve and the flavour of the ingredients, always making sure to keep things fresh and simple. We strive to listen to our clients and give them what they want, ensuring our guests get a memorable experience.

Describe your most challenging set-up?

I would have to say when we catered for the cast during the filming of Star Wars in the Liwa desert. Being so far away from any supplies really called on all of our planning and logistical skill.

Which demographics make up your customer base?

Ever since Ghaf Kitchen was born, we have always catered for different types of events, such as, private parties, business events, fashion shows and art shows, so I would say it’s not about demographic, but more about like minded people who are looking for a creative way to celebrate occasions.

What can customers expect from the new seasonal menu?

Ghaf Kitchen will be offering seasonal produce with classics reinvented in a fun and delicious way. 

We will be offering a selection of canapés, bowl food, street food and signature menus for a gourmet experience, as well as  classic BBQ and finger food for larger events.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?

Seeing team members grow as individuals and professionals over the time we are lucky to work with them.  We have a great team of people working for us and they are the face of Ghaf Kitchen and how they perform and deliver on a day-to-day basis gives me a sense of great pride.

Are you working on anything new for 2018?

Our development arm is currently busy with a number of new concepts for our clients under our hospitality concept development work. Our business and industry catering service is proving to be popular and new contracts are in the pipeline for 2018.