Caterer Awards countdown: TEAM AWARDS

The shortlists for the inaugural Caterer Middle East Awards will be unveiled online at HME.com over the course of the next three weeks.

After a long process of whittling down the hundreds of nominations submitted by outlets around the region, between three and six outstanding nominees have been shortlisted in each category — with the exception of the highly-anticipated Chef of the Year title, for which 10 candidates are in the running.

The winners will be announced right here online in the third week of November, following which the trophy presentation ceremony and photo shoot with the winners will feature in the December issue of Caterer Middle East.

Today in the Caterer Middle East Awards 2009 countdown, sponsored by The Hotel Show, we reveal the shortlisted nominees for Kitchen Team of the Year, Bar Team of the Year and Restaurant Team of the Year.

Read on to find out who made the cut…

This award aims to recognise excellent team spirit and team work in a kitchen workforce — a group that has excelled in supporting and assisting each other in training and general day-to-day tasks.

This team is more than able to follow their executive chef’s instructions and quickly and efficiently carry out his requests; they are well-versed in key skills in the kitchen, first aid and health and safety measures; and each member of the group is capable of holding up their end in high-pressure situations and assist others when necessary, to ensure the smooth running of back-of-house operations and excellent culinary standards.

We had some excellent candidates pout forward for this award, but here are the five who made the shortlist:

• Emirates Flight Catering

The team at Emirates Flight Catering has demonstrated the clear ability to work to deadlines under great pressure and produce a huge volume of food to exacting standards.

The kitchen members also demonstrate their versatility by operating a daily fine-dining service at the Emirates Training Centre, and providing catering for various high-profile Dubai events.

The nomination also praised the group’s dedication, commitment and camaraderie.

• Main kitchen, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

This kitchen team at this iconic Dubai property demonstrates commitment and dedication in their roles, which involve both in-house and outside catering.

Customer satisfaction levels and financial achievements were impressive, as were testimonials regarding the team’s standing at the property.

• Main kitchen, Courtyard by Marriott, Kuwait

The nomination for the kitchen team at Courtyard by Marriott, Kuwait praised the group’s efforts, operating with less man-power due to the economic crisis while still executing the functions and events at full capacity.

The kitchen staff’s commitment to training, learning new things and devising innovative ideas to wow at various events also marked them out.
 

• Sofra Bld, Shangri-la Qaryat Al Beri

At Sofra Bld, the kitchen team has shown versatility and talent in creating a daily buffet that continues to impress guests and drive revenue for the F&B department.

Despite fierce competition for Ramadan business, the outlet had a record-breaking year, contributing to an extremely strong performance in 2009.

Internal promotions and high staff retention rates also impressed in this nomination.
 

• Main kitchen, Ramses Hilton

The team from Cairo’s Ramses Hilton has not only shown impressive skills in learning and growing through the ranks, but also in tangible improvements in quality of food, training and innovation, as demonstrated by the team’s solid performance at this year’s National Salon Culinaire Competition in Egypt.

The kitchen team also contributed proactively to PR activities aimed at enhancing the hotel’s revenue, including the introduction of monthly cooking classes.

Read on to find out who made the Bar Team of the Year shortlist…

BAR TEAM OF THE YEAR

Often working in busy, high-pressure situations, a top bar team must naturally demonstrate excellent team work to enable them to run operations more smoothly. All of the team should display a thorough knowledge of the menu and any ingredients used for drinks, along with the ability to comfortably make recommendations and chat with customers or problem-solve where necessary, resulting in a loyal customer base.

The group should all be confident in up-selling and driving promotions, as well as showing enthusiasm for training and developing new skills.

From a host of nominations in this category, three groups stood out:

• Tamanya Terrace, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City

The cheery attitude and proactive approach to service demonstrated by the Tamanya Terrace bar team marked them out as driven and dedicated bar professionals.

Testimonials from the whole team indicated a positive spirit and high level of commitment to both the guests and the business itself.
 

• Harry Ghatto's Bar, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Despite the current economic climate, this outlet has performed well above budgeted revenue for 2009, thanks to the commitment demonstrated by the team.

The nomination praised this group’s engagement with customers and continued growth within the team, along with their innovative menu development efforts.
 

• Pearl Lounge Club, Doha Marriott Hotel

The team from this Doha club have had a strong year, outperforming budget predictions by implementing a host of revenue-driving promotional events.

Several members have taken advantage of in-house cross-training initiatives to climb the ladder.

Read on to find out who made the Restaurant Team of the Year shortlist…

RESTAURANT TEAM OF THE YEAR

In our Restaurant Team of the Year winner, we are looking for excellent team spirit and team work, as well as dedication to driving revenue for their outlet.

Each member of the group should display a thorough knowledge of the menu and ingredients used, along with the ability to comfortably make recommendations and chat with customers or problem-solve where necessary, resulting in a loyal customer base.

This group should all be confident in up-selling, driving promotions and working in busy situations; be happy to work closely with back-of-house; and should show enthusiasm for undertaking training and developing new skills.

Cutting down the nominations was particularly tough for this popular category, with many deserving submissions — but finally, six teams were picked out as the cream of the crop:

• Rodeo Grill Restaurant & Bar, Al Bustan Rotana Dubai

This small front-of-house team have proved that size does not matter, having won various awards, built a loyal customer base and achieved competitive 2009 results in terms of revenue.

The team was lauded for its dedication to training and up-selling — which has resulted in strong sales and impressed customers.
 

• Okku Restaurant & Lounge, The Monarch Dubai

This from-the-heart nomination praised the team’s commitment, sense of fun and loyalty to the concept in the outlet’s first year of operations.

In-depth training combined with passionate staff who get a buzz from up-selling marked this group out.
 

• Al Tannour, Crowne Plaza Dubai

Even over the course of this difficult year, Al Tannour has maintained its position as the property’s highest-grossing outlet — an achievement helped in no small part by the loyal restaurant team’s determination to maintain costs and cut expenses.

The nomination praised staff for their great team ethics and a strong work culture, noting the 100% attendance record for team briefings and events, along with their commitment to the property as a whole.
 

• Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City

The team at Gagnaire’s Dubai offering, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, were selected based on their personality, manners and attitude — a method which, thanks to solid in-house training and the passion and dedication shown by senior team members, has paid off.

This nomination praised the front-of-house group for their enthusiasm to learn and their constant determination to exceed customer expectations, as well as their personalised service manner.
 

• Ruth's Chris Steak House, The Monarch Dubai

This team stood out for its familial attitude and commitment to excellence, with testimonials from the team highlighting the outlet’s stance — that top service, up-selling, innovative marketing and in-depth product knowledge come as standard, while it is the individuality of each team member combined with their success as a group working together that marks them out as special.

• Sense on the Edge, Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay

This front-of-house team stands out for having overcome various challenges this year, coming back from a down-trend in guest satisfaction scores by initiating new measures: brainstorming a new sequence of service, implementing a unique service style, changing the restaurant’s outlook and gelling as a team.

The result was a significant rise is customer satisfaction and a huge boost to team morale and service standards.

Keep an eye on HME.com for the Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year and Best Event Catering of the Year shortlists, to be revealed later this week.