Popular with GCC visitors to London, the first international outpost of the British hotel brand, Dukes Dubai, officially opened last year on the west trunk of the Palm Jumeirah. At the helm of the hotel’s F&B outlets is executive chef Martin Cahill. The outspoken Manchester native credits his mother’s excellent regional cooking with inspiring his career path.
Like most chefs, Cahill started young: “I worked in a small hotel washing dishes at 14 or 15 years old. You look over and you just feel this sense of camaraderie but what you don’t realise is once you’re in there, is that initially, it’s very hard work, very stressful and it’s not the most rewarding job in the world when you’re younger.”
A move to the British capital soon followed, says Cahill: “I went to London and worked at The Savoy Hotel and The Dorchester. At catering school you learn the theory but then when you get into a real working environment, you learn to work under pressure.”
The chef has since done stints in Toronto, Sydney and Hong Kong, where Cahill won several accolades: “I got a Michelin star there. I had a great time in Hong Kong. Super city.”
Now in Dubai for some time, Cahill was initially struck by the city’s transient nature. He says: “Take your average waiter or your average chef, you could pretty much map out their timespan in Dubai on a graph. There’s a timespan. Everyone’s got an agenda.
“In Hong Kong what I really liked was if someone is the local sommelier, that’s his job forever. And with that comes so many positives. Every time someone leaves, you have to source, hire, train them and then they move. In Hong Kong it was minimal turnover because you take care of them and with that comes consistency, quality, and guest recognition and with at come the accolades. If your staff is always rotating you won’t get that. It’s a massive challenge in Dubai.”
Speaking of accolades, Cahill’s take on whether or not Dubai should have its own Michelin Guide, might surprise some: “My personal opinion is that it shouldn’t come and I don’t think it will. There are too many inconsistencies with certain aspects of hospitality. Whether it’s the supply chain, the service or the food. Cities like London, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong are just on point and they always will be.”
The chef also has strong views on the use of social media and its interference with the dining experience: “I’ve been to three-star dinners and the maître d’ will say ‘If you want any images, give us your email address or your card and we’ll send them to you. Enjoy your food when it’s hot and as the chef wants it to be eaten’. In Asia sometimes people would stand up and move the plate and before you know it, it’s 15 minutes later, and the sauce has congealed and the lamb’s gone a bit dry. It’s a bone of contention, social media.”
Back-of-house, away from social media influencers, Cahill shares that operations are running smoothly: “All credit to the hotel and the owners of the group. They employed me for a reason. They wanted someone who does come from the UK and knows the culture and the dynamics but also someone who had worked overseas. Dubai is a melting pot and you need to have that managerial style.”
With regards to the supply chain, Cahill imports British produce where possible: “We bring in as much as we can. Neal’s Yard cheese, Severn & Wye smoked salmon from Gloucester and lamb from Wales. British beef is still banned in Dubai so we use grass fed, hormone-free Irish and we’ve had great feedback.”
The chef says Dubai is moving in the right direction in terms of building an infrastructure for local produce but there are challenges: “The government here is putting plans in place for sustainability. There are a few people here that are trying to start these eco farms but they struggle in the summer because it’s just ridiculously hot.”
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