The F&B industry is putting the economic downturn in the past and making positive moves forward, according to one of the UAE’s leading F&B providers.
Greenhouse deputy managing director Emile Wilson Moukarzel explained: “I think the crisis was an excellent thing for the industry here, because it has balanced out the dancing on the ceiling that was going on.
“I don’t believe for a moment that this country’s growth will stop because of one or two years of crisis. This year’s Gulfood is excellent and much bigger, which just goes to show that all the talk about the recession and about Dubai having had its day is totally unfounded,” he continued.
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“This show has shown that people should not believe too easily in negative rumours.”
Moukarzel added that chefs were currently talking “extremely positively – about the future, new openings, new restaurants, new menus”.
“They are adapting to the changing market and altered consumer needs, and they are moving forward,” he asserted.
Greenhouse was not exhibiting at Gulfood 2010.
“We exhibit at the show every two years - one year we present what we have, the other year we go fishing. Otherwise, we do not have the time to source new items and see what’s going on around us,” Moukarzel said.
“So far this year we’ve found some great items that we’d love to add to our repertoire; some very nice chicken delicacies, some new origins of cheese from Eastern Europe, and we believe these are of a quality that could be comeptitive in this market.”
Following the company’s involvement in the Emirates Academy of Hospitality management’s food fair for final-year students earlier this month, Moukarzel says the firm is keeping busy.
“Our plans for 2010 are open doors, as always, to all the chefs and students and people in the industry who want to learn more about Greenhouse – and to continue supporting the industry as a whole,” he said.
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