Caterer Awards: INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
After a long process of whittling down the hundreds of nominations submitted by outlets around the region, our panel of industry experts has selected the winners for the inaugural Caterer Middle East Awards.
The shortlists across 20 hotly-contested categories have been announced at HME,com over the past three weeks — and now the winners are being revealed online this week.
A trophy presentation ceremony and photo shoot with the winners will feature in the December issue of Caterer Middle East.
Today’s winners in the Caterer Middle East Awards 2009, sponsored by The Hotel Show, are from the individual award categories: Barista of the Year, Bartender of the Year, Waiter of the Year, Sommelier of the Year and Mixologist of the Year.
Read on to find out who has won…
BARISTA OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Merchant Star International
This highly competitive category required participants to demonstrate some extra-special qualities to make them stand out from the crowd.
Our winner has to have a thorough knowledge of blends used and the outlet menu, as well as the ability to build a rapport with customers, be confident in up-selling and working in high-pressure situations, and show enthusiasm for undertaking training and developing new skills.
The shortlist saw three talented baristas in a run-off for the title:
• Norberto Binalingbing, Doha Marriott Hotel
• Hussein Farouq, Costa Coffee Bahrain
• Raja Muthusamy, Raw Coffee Company
Our winner’s dedication to his role, the standard of his work and the satisfaction of his clientele marked him out as someone who truly enjoys their job.
Judges also remarked upon his dedication to up-selling and generating revenue.
The winner of the Barista of the Year award this year is….
• Norberto Binalingbing, Doha Marriott Hotel
Read on to see who took the Bartender of the Year title…
BARTENDER OF THE YEAR
A bartender has a tough role: in addition to having a thorough knowledge of the menu and all the ingredients used, they must also be able to build a rapport with the clientele, comfortably make recommendations and adapt to customer requests, and be confident in up-selling.
This award was to recognise someone who not only wanted to learn, but who was also sociable, courteous and truly passionate about the industry.
Those selected for this shortlist were:
• Jessica Brantley, Okku Restaurant and Lounge, The Monarch Dubai
• Jeus Jerrico, Lotus Boutique Hotel
• Domingo Madrigal, Crowne Plaza Dubai
Our successful nominee stood out through winning in-house competitions and dealing with customer difficulties with aplomb, demonstrating a clear ability to get on with the team and guests alike.
Judges were also impressed by the winner’s enthusiasm for bartending and innovative approach to menu development.
The winner of the Bartender of the Year 2009 title is…
• Jessica Brantley, Okku Restaurant and Lounge, The Monarch Dubai
Read on to see who is our Waiter of the Year 2009…
WAITER OF THE YEAR
The winner of this category had to demonstrate broad knowledge of the outlet’s menu and the ingredients used — as well as the enthusiasm and ability to build a rapport with customers and take the initiative to problem-solve if necessary.
The six shortlisted candidates were:
• Daniel Coitzer, Asado, The Palace — The Old Town
• Gagan Deep Singh, Neos, The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai
• Evans Misiani, Spice Island, Renaissance Dubai Hotel
• Micah Negro Migiro, Rare, Desert Palm Dubai
• Ace Alzola Andal, Peacock Chinese Resturant, Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait
• Sarfraz Abbas Sarang, Wavebreaker, Hilton Kuwait Resort
Judges marked the winner out because of his dedication to ensuring guests a top experience, to collecting customer comment cards, and to problem-solving when necessary.
The nomination also mentioned how impressed the management was with this employee’s performance.
Our Waiter of the Year 2009 is…
• Daniel Coitzer, Asado, The Palace — The Old Town
Highly commended were Gagan Deep Singh from Neos, The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai and Evans Misiani from Spice Island, Renaissance Dubai Hotel.
Read on to see who won the Sommelier of the Year Award…
SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Baqer Mohebi
The Sommelier of the Year must be dedicated to their outlet and the profession as a whole, making it a priority to stay up-to-date with current wine trends and customer preferences across the globe.
Our shortlist included three candidates who all displayed these core abilities and more:
• Ritwik Shastri, The Exchange Floor, Fairmont Dubai
• Nicolas Vallet, The Palace — The Old Town
• Julien Coron, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City
The winning nominee’s dedication to — and enjoyment of — his role was particularly praised in this nomination, which included glowing testimonials from colleagues and supervisors alike.
Judges picked out his efforts in implementing wine masterclasses for his colleagues as a major factor in making this candidate stand out from the masses.
Caterer’s Sommelier of the Year 2009 is…
• Ritwik Shastri, The Exchange Floor, Fairmont Dubai
Read on to see who took the Mixologist of the Year title…
MIXOLOGIST OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Monin
A top mixologist naturally has a thorough knowledge of the menu and ingredients used and can comfortably make recommendations and chat with customers.
But to win this award, we wanted someone who could also keep track of beverage trends; demonstrate clear ability in menu development; and also take into account the cost-efficiency of the menu.
Four highly-accomplished bar professionals made it onto the shortlist:
• Channaka Janak Bandara, Vu's Bar, Jumeirah Emirates Towers
• Christopher Ashley Bowles, Fai, The Palace The Old Town
• Stephen Martin, The Bed Lounge, InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City
• Falil Mohamed Jayah, Skyview Bar, Burj Al Arab
The winning nomination described “an exceptional colleague who is open for change, shows enthusiasm and interest…is self-driven, sets his own goals and enjoys challenges”.
Judges also praised the winner for the key role he played in developing a highly successful new cocktail menu and upselling wherever possible.
The winner of the Mixologist of the Year award is…
• Channaka Janak Bandara, Vu's Bar, Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Highly commended was Christopher Ashley Bowles from Fai, The Palace The Old Town.
A huge congratulations to all our winners and runners up!
Keep an eye on HME.com all this week to find out who else has been chosen as a Caterer industry champion of 2009.