A Table For Two

In this insightful new episode of the One on One podcast, host Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Special Guest Emma Banks, Vice President of Food & Beverage Strategy and Development at Hilton EMEA.

In their conversation, Emma shares her insights and experiences in the world of hospitality. From sustainable sourcing to wine culture, Emma discusses the importance of local produce, reducing carbon emissions, and creating memorable guest experiences. Discover the fascinating stories behind Hilton's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and food waste, supporting local communities and providing exceptional dining options. With topics ranging from farm-to-table initiatives to making wine more accessible and enjoyable, Emma's passion for authenticity and connection shines through. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of food, sustainability, culture, and hospitality. Tune in and be inspired by Emma's journey to transform the industry and create meaningful experiences for guests worldwide.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Based at Hilton’s MEA Regional Office in Dubai, Emma Banks is responsible for F&B strategy and development across EMEA, supporting Hilton’s trading and future pipeline of hotels. 

Over the course of Emma’s career, she has seamlessly transitioned from independents to large global hospitality companies. She joined Hilton in 2019 with a mission to make the company the clear leader in food and drink. In but a short time she has made a big impact, bringing a wealth of exceptional F&B talent into the business while being actively involved in Hilton’s various diversity initiatives.

Emma recognizes the critical responsibility that F&B plays in protecting the planet and has been involved in several market-leading initiatives to reduce single-use plastics, track food waste and source ingredients locally, which was recognised at the launch of Gault & Millau in the UAE, when Emma was shortlisted as a finalist in the category of ‘Sustainability Champion Of The Year’, and most recently when she was declared the Gulfood Sustainability Professional of The Year 2023.

Emma is also a role model to women in the industry, ranking #1 in Caterer Middle East’s “2020 Women in F&B” Power List. At the end of 2020 Emma was elected a Member of the Board of Governors and Member of the Board of the Academic Committee of Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) and in 2022, she was selected to be one of HSBC’s ’75 Faces of the UAE’. Most recently Emma was acknowledged with a Middle East Women Leader Award at the World Women Leadership Congress Awards Middle East, for her contribution to the promotion of empowerment and social change and she was included in the 2023 Top Women in Travel and Hospitality report by Women Leading Travel & Hospitality.

Emma holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Leeds University and lives in Dubai with her husband Jon, daughter Lily (when home from university) and a menagerie of rescue cats and dogs!

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atablefortwo.live/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atablefortwo.live/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atablefortwo/

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Jennifer Estevez, CEO, Consciously Planted, USA

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Jennifer Estevez is a CEO, entrepreneur and business advisor with years of experience working in marketing, communications, food, beverage, hospitality and startups. She originally started her professional career as a sommelier, receiving her CMS Advanced Certification and sitting for her Master Sommelier Diploma. She transitioned to the world of marketing and communications by starting her own firm, OMvino, after seeing an opportunity to provide insider trade knowledge and experience to a variety of food and beverage businesses.

Jennifer delved into the startup world at the same time as she started OMvino and co-founded an online wine club app called Palate Club. Growing the two companies simultaneously gave Jennifer an opportunity to expand her skills in starting businesses, and she began to use this knowledge to advise on other emerging brands and startups. Recently, she decided to dovetail her veganism and wellness practices to her professional life and founded Consciously Planted Advisory where she focuses solely on plant-based and sustainable startup consultancy.

In her spare time she teaches yoga, meditation, breath work, while also leading wellness retreats. She is also an advocate for plant-medicine and studies martial arts.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atablefortwo.live/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atablefortwo.live/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atablefortwo/

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Max La Manna, Chef, Author, UK

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Max La Manna is an award-winning chef, author and presenter. He started cooking at a young age in his father's restaurants and has worked in Michelin-starred establishments. He was named 2022 Digital Creator of The Year by Fortnum & Mason. With over 15 years of cooking experience, Max is best known for his captivating, super simple plant-based recipe videos. Max has been featured on Food Network, Guardian Feast, Vogue, The Times, and recently appeared on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen. Inspired by asking his followers what their most-wasted ingredients are, his new book, "You Can Cook This!" is designed to help you champion the food you already have in your fridges and cupboards and find exciting new ways to cook the meals we crave the most.

Max lives in the Cotswolds with his wife and their 33 houseplants.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atablefortwo.live/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atablefortwo.live/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atablefortwo/

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Pierre Thiam

Founder & President, Yolélé, and Founder & Executive Chef, Teranga, USA

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Pierre Thiam is a celebrated chef, restaurateur, award-winning cookbook author, and entrepreneur. Born and raised in Senegal, he is known for his innovative cooking style, at once modern and eclectic yet rooted in the rich culinary traditions of West Africa. He is the chef and owner of critically acclaimed, Harlem-based restaurant Teranga, which serves fast-casual West African fare directly sourced from farmers in the region, and the co-founder of Yolélé, a purpose-driven food business that makes African ingredients available to US home cooks and restaurants, while connecting smallholder farms in West Africa with the global food economy. Pierre is the author of three cookbooks, and this September 2023 will release his third, Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen. He has won numerous awards and accolades for his cooking and advocacy work and he is on the board of directors for two global nonprofits, IDEO.org and SOS Sahel. Here’s a TED Talk he did on the power of the ancient African grain fonio to help Africa prosper.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atablefortwo.live/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atablefortwo.live/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atablefortwo/

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Channa Galhenage, Owner Café Loustic, Paris, France.

You can listen to the first interview and discover in detail how Channa got into coffee: https://tablefortwo.co/2020/05/02/one-on-one-with-channa-galhenage/

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Channa Galhenage is the owner of Cafe Loustic, a charming cafe located in the heart of the Marais neighborhood in Paris. Born in Sri Lanka, Channa spent his formative years in the UK before moving to Paris and opening Cafe Loustic in 2013.

With a background in the hospitality industry, Channa set out to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere in Cafe Loustic, one of the first-wave specialty coffee endeavours in Paris. Now  in its eleventh year, the cafe has become a popular destination among locals and tourists alike, known for its cocky service (Loustic means “smart arse” in Breton) and delicious food and drinks.

Channa is passionate about coffee and takes great care in sourcing the best beans from around the world. He also puts an emphasis on sustainability, using biodegradable and compostable materials in the cafe.

In addition to running Cafe Loustic, Channa is an active member of the Paris coffee community and has been involved in organizing events and competitions for baristas. He is also a mentor to other aspiring cafe owners, sharing his expertise and knowledge of the industry.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atablefortwo.live/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atablefortwo.live/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atablefortwo/

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Lidia Díaz, Presidenta Asociación Española Contra la Despoblación AECD, Salamanca, España.

En el episodio de hoy de One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra da la bienvenida a Lidia Díaz, Presidenta Asociación Española Contra la Despoblación AECD, Salamanca, España.

The podcast is in Spanish / El podcast es en español.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO / BIOGRAFÍA DE LA INVITADA ESPECIAL

[ENGLISH]

Lidia Dìaz is the president of the Spanish Association Against Depopulation (AECD), a non-profit organization focused on finding solutions to the challenges posed by depopulation in Spain. She has been actively involved in promoting policies and initiatives aimed at revitalizing rural areas and combating demographic decline.

Dìaz is a recognized expert on issues related to depopulation and has spoken at numerous events and conferences on the subject. She has also collaborated with various organizations in the development of strategies to promote the sustainable development of rural areas as a consultant in conscious personal development.

As President of AECD, Dìaz works closely with other organizations, policy makers and stakeholders to identify the root causes of depopulation and develop effective solutions. She is committed to raising awareness of the problem and advocating for policies that support the revitalization of rural communities and the promotion of sustainable development from a self-compositional model of co-governance.

[ESPAÑOL]

Lidia Dìaz es la presidenta de la Asociación Española Contra la Despoblación (AECD), una organización sin ánimo de lucro centrada en la búsqueda de soluciones a los retos que plantea la despoblación en España. Ha participado activamente en la promoción de políticas e iniciativas destinadas a revitalizar las zonas rurales y combatir el declive demográfico.

Dìaz es una reconocida experta en temas relacionados con la despoblación y ha intervenido en numerosos actos y conferencias sobre el tema. También ha colaborado con diversas organizaciones, en la elaboración de estrategias para promover el desarrollo sostenible de las zonas rurales como consultora en desarrollo personal consciente.

Como Presidenta de la AECD, Dìaz colabora estrechamente con otras organizaciones, responsables de políticas y partes interesadas para identificar las causas profundas de la despoblación y desarrollar soluciones eficaces. Está comprometida con la concienciación sobre el problema y la defensa de políticas que apoyen la revitalización de las comunidades rurales y la promoción del desarrollo sostenible desde un modelo autocompositivo de cogobernaza.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast

Gracias por escucharnos. No olvides suscribirte y seguir nuestro podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

También puede seguirnos en nuestras distintas plataformas:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atablefortwo.live/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atablefortwo.live/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atablefortwo/

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, Senior Research Scientist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, USA.

Dr. Rosenzweig is the co-founder and member of the Executive Committee of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), a globally integrated transdisciplinary study of climate change and the food system at regional, national and global scales, including the participation of over 1000 leading researchers from developed and developing nations. She has developed new methods of detection and attribution of observed changes in physical and biological systems to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and pioneered research on the impacts of and adaptation to climate change and climate variability.

In 2019, Dr. Rosenzweig was Coordinating Lead Author of the Food Security Chapter for the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land. She is the 2022 recipient of the World Food Prize, considered as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture.”

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Andrew Revkin, Founding Director,  Initiative On Communication And Sustainability, New York, USA.

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Attila Szocs, President, Eco Ruralis, Cluj Napoca, Romania.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.

In today’s episode of One on One, Antoine Abou-Samra welcomes Rob Griffin, Head Winemaker & Founder, and Megan Hughes, Second Generation Winemaker, Barnard Griffin, Richland, WA, USA

SPECIAL GUESTS BIO

ROB GRIFFIN

After gaining a few years of experience in Sonoma, Rob decided to forge his own path and travel north to work in the undeveloped, yet promising, Washington State wine industry. He began in 1977 as head winemaker at Preston Cellars before moving to The Hogue Cellars in 1983. While there, he began making his own wine with his wife and partner, Deborah Barnard. Barnard Griffin Winery was established in 1983 with a small truckload of borrowed fruit and a rented cellar.

Barnard Griffin has since grown into one of Washington’s most acclaimed wineries, and Rob recently celebrated his 43rd vintage in Washington. As one of the elder statesmen of Washington wine, he holds an unrivaled knowledge of the region’s various terroirs. His long-standing relationships with some of the State’s best growers give him premier access to the very best grapes. Rob continues to be fully engaged in the winemaking and leadership of Barnard Griffin while ushering in the second generation of the family, passing on his wisdom and experience to Megan, his daughter and right hand at the winery.

MEGAN HUGHES

Megan officially joined her parents, Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard, in the family business after graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Viticulture and Enology from Washington State University. At present, she oversees the majority of Barnard Griffin's white wine production, working side-by-side with her father on a daily basis.

Megan currently sits on the board of the Association of Washington Business and is a member of the Washington Winegrowers Association and the Washington Wine Technical Group. Megan also volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club and Junior Achievement, striving to be a resource for young women in the community who are interested in the wine industry and other STEM fields.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to/follow our podcast.