Chefs and bartenders came together for a unique competition last month, as MMI and Russian Standard Vodka launched the inaugural Platinum Fusion competition.
Uniting food and beverage for the first time in a UAE competition, the Platinum Fusion event challenged entrants to use Russian Standard Platinum as a common ingredient in both culinary dishes and cocktails.
Each participating outlet’s team comprised one chef and one bar professional, who were charged with devising recipes for a dish and cocktail that would work together.
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On competition day, 19 teams congregated at The Address Dubai Mall to watch each pair take to the stage in a high-pressure race against the clock, creating their dish and cocktail combination for judges within the allotted eight minutes.
According to MMI senior category manager Giorgio Vallesi, Russian Standard Vodka — which launched in the Middle East last year — saw the competition as a way to “engage the on-trade segment”.
“We thought that implementing a brand new idea and concept would have a higher impact among the F&B community.,” he explained. “Platinum, as a super premium brand, was the perfect product for such an event.”
Commenting on the unique event format, involving both front- and back-of-house F&B professionals, MMI bar training and development manager Rebecca Sturt explained: “Russian Standard Platinum is aimed at the trendy nightlife crowd, and since its introduction in the UAE market has established itself as a sophisticated and fashionable brand.
“We wanted to extend its profile in the market by creating a competition that would give the brand further credibility with the on trade specifically.
“Bringing the chef to the table with the fusion concept allowed us to demonstrate the versatility of the brand, its crisp and dry flavour and its premium positioning both in cocktails and food,” she added.
The judging panel set-up — with both ‘front’ and ‘blind’ judges — was designed to ensure maximum impartial output, Sturt explained.
“All the front judges were fully independent of the contestants, and each of them had specific skills to aid them in judging the technical aspects of food or drinks — while elements like team work, food and drink pairing and originality were also assessed,” she said.
After the 19 teams were whittled down to five, and a tough final had been fought out, the team from Buddha Bar at Grosvenor House Dubai emerged as the winners.
The delighted pair were awarded a trophy, a three-night trip to St Petersburg and Moscow including visits to exclusive Russian Standard clubs and restaurants, and AED 10,000 worth of Russian Standard Platinum stock for their property.
Read on for details of the top three teams...
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