The Female Chef of the Year 2009 event, organised by Nestle Professional, was a big success. The Female Chef of the Year 2009 event, organised by Nestle Professional, was a big success.

 Nestlé Professional country business manager Leonid Vershchagin talks to HME.com about the brand’s support for the inaugural Caterer Middle East Head Chef Survey and its plans for the coming year

Nestlé Professional is the sponsor for the inaugural Caterer Middle East Head Chef Survey; why did you feel it was important to support the region’s chef industry in this way?

At Nestlé Professional, our vision is to be an inspiring growth partner to all food service industry professionals.

Along with delivering creative food and beverage solutions, we believe in supporting industry professionals such as chefs through great initiatives such as the Head Chef Survey.

It is important to inspire chefs and provide them with the tools to do so; through Caterer’s Head Chef Survey, we believe chefs across the Middle East will be able to use the information generated to innovate in their outlets throughout 2010.

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How have you seen the Middle East F&B industry change and progress over the past year?

2009 was a tough year for all F&B outlets, as many consumers reduced spending and indulging in food service outlets and opted for more time eating and drinking at home.

This has led to a smaller share of pocket for the industry and a critical look into more value-for-money offers.

But during 2009, we have seen some of the most innovative menus being developed, as well as creative ideas on generating traffic through outlets by focusing on the total customer experience.

There has been a lot of success during this year and we are very proud of all our customers for the innovation and value they delivered during this challenging time.