Caterer Awards countdown: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS #4
After a long process of whittling down the hundreds of nominations submitted by outlets around the region, the shortlists for the first ever Caterer Middle East Awards have nearly all been revealed.
Between three and six outstanding nominees have been shortlisted in each category — with the exception of the highly anticipated Chef of the Year title — the final remaining shortlist, due to go live online later this week — for which 10 candidates are in the running.
The winners will then 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 countdown, sponsored by The Hotel Show, we have the penultimate shortlists: Bar Manager of the Year and Restaurant Manager of the Year.
Read on to find out who made the cut…
BAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Baqer Mohebi
A successful bar manager must provide personalised service to customer as well as motivating their team and driving the venue’s success.
All of our shortlisted candidates in this category have demonstrated these key attributes, along with other achievements such as improving operation, developing menus, sourcing new products and adapting to trends.
Leading the field among the numerous nominations submitted were four strong candidates:
• Sreekanth Cherukot, Astro’s Bar, Le Méridien Al Aqah
This nomination praised Sreekanth’s efforts in building up a solid regular customer base for his outlet, as well as maintaining outlet revenue during a difficult economic period.
The pride he takes in his work and his dedication to the customer were also noted as key factors in the outlet’s ongoing success.
• Marc Maroun, CRU, Souk Al Bahar
Mark’s thirst for knowledge and love of the wine industry has seen him progress in leaps and bounds since joining Cru, to the stage he is now at as outlet manager.
This enthusiasm has resulted in Marc implementing innovative new marketing measures and driving the outlet’s prominence among Dubai’s bars.
• Mervyn Wasantha, Kubu, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
Mervyn’s dedication to training combined with his constant energy and enthusiasm have seen him become a popular role model for his team.
The nomination noted that he had “trained, guided and inspired” his staff to become the team they are today.
• Sasha Aleksandar Milovanovic, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
Sasha’s passion for the industry mark him out in this field, as someone who believes wholeheartedly in not only providing an excellent experience to the consumer, but surpassing their expectations.
This submission praised his “strong personality, excellent product knowledge, great communication skills and a unique flair”, as well as his commitment to driving business.
Read on to find out who made the Restaurant Manager of the Year shortlist…
RESTAURANT MANAGER OF THE YEAR
With so many nominations for this category, it was not an easy task to select just a handful of nominees for the shortlist — but we were looking for some very special qualities from our finalists.
We wanted people who had clearly worked to drive front-of-house business, providing personal service to customers and motivating their staff.
The shortlisted candidates all displayed personable and approachable characters which had encouraged a loyal customer base, but they also focused on driving revenue and demonstrably improved operations at their outlets over the past year.
The outstanding nominees in this category are:
• Manuel Agustin, Benihana Restaurant, Al Bustan Rotana
Manuel stood out form the crowd of nominations submitted for his dedication and commitment to his outlet — truly “owning the business”.
His belief in the outlet itself, as well as his confidence in the team and his approachable personality, have made both Manuel and Benihana firm favourites on the Dubai dining scene.
• Stephan Karl, The Terrace, Park Hyatt
Stephan’s methodical, organised and entirely committed approach to running this popular outlet has seen the business go from strength to strength.
From organizing live music, to encouraging his team to take part in competitions and personally chatting to the guests each night, Stephan’s admirable leadership skills marked him out as a real industry champion.
• Chadi Nahra, BiCE, Qasr Al Sharq, Jeddah
Introducing Chadi as a man whose main drive was his “flawless, friendly and discreet service in combination with attention to detail”, this nomination praised him for his exacting standards and dedication to his team.
His efforts to motivate his team and create a true ‘family’ atmosphere, combined with his success in increasing beverage sales by 15% while cutting beverage costs by 2%, marked Chadi out as a truly outstanding candidate.
• Eric Francis Lobo, Al Diar Dana Hotel
Eric has impressed his colleagues repeatedly by concocting various innovative F&B promotions to attract new custom to the property’s outlets.
The nomination also lauded his customer service skills and his commitment to offering guests excellent value for money, as well as his efforts in instituting various incentive schemes for the staff to achieve higher revenues.
Keep an eye on HME.com for the final shortlist, coming later this week, for our main award category — Chef of the Year!