Caterer Awards: FINAL WINNERS REVEALED!
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.
Our final categories in the Caterer Middle East Awards 2009, sponsored by The Hotel Show, are Restaurant Manager of the Year, Bar Manager of the Year and Chef of the Year.
Read on to find out who has won…
BAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Baqer Mohebi
Our successful bar manager had to demonstrate personalised service to customers, as well as an ability to motivate a team and drive the venue’s success.
All of the shortlisted candidates demonstrated these key attributes, along with other achievements such as improving operation, developing menus, sourcing new products and adapting to trends.
They were:
• Sreekanth Cherukot, Astro’s Bar, Le Méridien Al Aqah
• Marc Maroun, CRU, Souk Al Bahar
• Mervyn Wasantha, Kubu, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
• Sasha Aleksandar Milovanovic, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
Our winner in this category showed great determination 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.
Our Bar Manager of teh Year 2009 is...
• Sreekanth Cherukot, Astro’s Bar, Le Méridien Al Aqah
Highly commended was Sasha Aleksandar Milovanovic from Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates.
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 ultimately, one nominee stood out as displaying some extra-special qualities.
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 shortlist comprised:
• Manuel Agustin, Benihana Restaurant, Al Bustan Rotana
• Stephan Karl, The Terrace, Park Hyatt
• Chadi Nahra, BiCE, Qasr Al Sharq, Jeddah
• Eric Francis Lobo, Al Diar Dana Hotel
The winner is a man who's primary drive is his “flawless, friendly and discreet service in combination with attention to detail” according to the nomination, which also 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 this man out as a truly outstanding candidate.
The Restaurant Manager of the Year 2009 is...
• Chadi Nahra, BiCE, Qasr Al Sharq, Jeddah
Highly commended was Manuel Agustin, Benihana Restaurant, Al Bustan Rotana.
CHEF OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Churchill China
Being a successful head chef is a balancing act between culinary creativity and sharp business acumen.
In the Caterer Chef of the Year 2009, judges were looking for inventive and relevant menu development alongside a focus on profit margins, the ability to be receptive and adaptable to both industry and consumer trends, and evidence of someone who really champions and motivates his team.
From the dozens of nominations submitted in this category, the final shortlist of ten made formidable reading, encompassing a veritable who’s who of the region’s culinary masters:
• Norberto Valdez Palacios, Asado, The Palace — The Old Town
• Christophe Prud'homme, Al Bustan Rotana Dubai
• Andreas Kurfurst, Renaissance Dubai Hotel
• Uwe Micheel, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
• Olivier Biles, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City
• Matt Pickop, Hilton Dubai Creek
• Geoff Haviland, Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels
• Gerald Bergue, Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay
• Chandrasena Sudusinghe, Traders Hotel Dubai
• Edgar Razon, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah
• Dimitrios Koutsonikolas, Ramses Hilton
The winner, a stalwart on the region’s culinary scene, has shown great initiative and creativity over the difficult past year.
His consistent efforts to get the property’s F&B team involved in local events, charity fund raising, numerous in-house promotions and in-house training is a measure of his dedication to the industry.
He was also marked out by judges for his tireless involvement with both local and international events geared towards boosting the country and the region’s culinary profile.
Caterer Middle East’s Chef of the Year 2009 is…
• Uwe Micheel, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
Highly commended were:
Matt Pickop, Hilton Dubai Creek
Olivier Biles, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City
Gerald Bergue, Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay
Norberto Valdez Palacios, Asado, The Palace — The Old Town
A huge congratulations to all our winners and finalists in the first ever Caterer Middle East Awards.
We thank you for your nominations and your support, and look forward to welcoming you to a full ceremony in 2010 for next year’s F&B industry awards instalment!
In the mean time, keep up the good work — and look out for the next issue of Caterer Middle East for full awards coverage.