Ordering in

High ingredient costs have become ‘the norm’ in the Middle East, as numerous food stuffs unavailable in the region have to be air-freighted in; but is it worth paying through the nose for such products, or is there a compromise to be found? Lucy Taylor finds out

For a long time now, there have been rumblings from the Middle East’s F&B community about high ingredient prices in the region. But is this down to imports, suppliers or fluctuating exchange rates — and is there any way to avoid paying through the nose?

The limited availability of various ingredients on the local market plays a major role in sustaining high food costs. As Coral Hotels and Resorts corporate executive chef Michel Miraton points out: “Here you have to import 70% of your ingredients.”

Joerg Wickihalder, general manager for the Il Villagio Restaurants and Lounges complex in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, adds: “Certainly food costs for high quality products, imported from Europe in our case, can lead to higher expenses due to the freight costs and custom dues. But then we can only comment on operating in Saudi Arabia, where procedures are somewhat different to other Middle East countries.”

Shangri-la Qaryat Al-Beri’s new executive chef Gary Robinson points out: “If you look at the food globally, you’ve got great food trends going on, like the back-to-basics approach of sourcing ingredients from farmers’ markets that you see a lot in Europe. Here that doesn’t happen.

“Then again, how much you spend depends on how much you order in and how sustainable your supply chain management is,” he reasons.

Holiday Inn Dubai — Al Barsha executive sous chef Sameh Youssef believes it is down to the individual outlet to adapt to high prices.

“It’s not a major problem for the Middle East; food prices have risen everywhere,” he claims.

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But chefs are the first to admit that there are some products they would like to serve that are simply too expensive or difficult to obtain in the Middle East.

Shangri-La’s Robinson adds that when it comes to importing foodstuffs, high prices do not necessarily guarantee you’ll receive a top-quality product.

“The main limitations are customs blocking shipments or flights being delayed,” he asserted.

“Everything coming in obviously has to go through customs clearance and because of the temperature and distance travelled, often the beautiful fresh fish I have imported from Scotland has to sit in customs for ages and will then spoil. So that can be frustrating,” he admits.

“If you’re paying for a great product, it all comes down to putting a huge amount of faith in the suppliers you source and trusting them to get things to you in time.”

Il Villagio assistant general manager Toni Riethmaier says finding regular, supplies of exotic fruits is a challenge.

“They are ideal for various tropical fruit cocktails,” he explains. “But since supplies are limited, most restaurants in KSA serve a standard selection of fresh beverages, which is a shame in a country where there are not too many beverage options in general.”

Imports from Europe are also proving pricey, thanks to exchange rate fluctuations; Coral’s Miraton cites “European cheese, jam, chocolate and pastry items” as being too expensive to purchase on a regular basis, and Holiday Inn’s Youssef adds fois gras to the list. 

This exchange-rate change is of course a knock-on effect of this year’s most talked-about event — the global economic downturn.

But overall, the slowdown has not effected many lasting or significant changes in food costs, according to Il Villagio’s Wickihalder.