Nourish by Spinneys

As we gear up to COP28 here in Dubai, co-host Devina Divecha talks to Naim Maadad, founder of Gates Hospitality, and Bojan Cirjanic, executive chef at Folly. They talk about the F&B industry views sustainability across the different verticals—food waste, packaging, talent and education and the supply chain as a whole. Gates Hospitality owns a number of award-winning brands including Reform Grill, Bistros des rates, Publique, as well as Folly. They’re also running a number of concepts at Expo City during and post-COP28.

Co-host Devina Divecha sits down with Emily Mikulla and Stewart Howison this week to talk about all things cycling in the lead up to the Spinneys 92 Cycle Challenge. Emily runs Mindful Body here in Dubai, and is also a certified yoga therapist and instructor, a certified orthopedic manual therapist and a Pilates teacher. Stewart owns Revolution Cycles Dubai and is a founder of the Spinneys 92 Cycle Challenge.

The next edition of the Spinneys 92 Cycle Challenge will take place on the 24th and 25th of February 2024. You can find out more and sign up here.

Co-host Devina Divecha visits Glucare, an integrated diabetes clinic in Dubai to experience a full-body check-up, and speaks to its co-founder Ali Hashemi. They talk about the nutritional challenges with our lifestyles today, and how they’re expanding the success of Glucare into other aspects of healthcare.

We’re back with a new season! Co-host Tiffany Eslick visits Tabchilli for a fermentation workshop with founder Maher El Tabchy. Maher shares how he got started with fermentation as a child, a number of geeky details and tips about getting your fermentation right, and why you should name your kimchi jars.

Hosts Tiffany Eslick and Devina Divecha reminisce about their favourite moments from the first season of Nourish by Spinneys. They also answer the question we’ve asked (almost) all our guests, discuss recurring themes, and of course, there are bloopers. 

We’ll be back with new episodes and a whole lot more in late August/early September. 

Links to the episodes mentioned:

Hosts Tiffany Eslick and Devina Divecha sit down this week with Sébastien Pinson, Executive Chef at one of the top rated resorts in the world, Six Senses Zighy Bay. Chef Sébastien shares how the guest experience has evolved over the years, their approach to sustainability and how they produce all their cheese and pickles on-site from their farms. 

Links:

Co-host Devina Divecha caught up with Michelin Experiences’ Director of Communications, Elisabeth Boucher-Anselin, right after the announcement of the second edition of the Dubai Michelin Guide. Elisabeth shares more about the philosophy and process behind the Guide, and her advice to restaurants.

This year saw one new Dubai restaurant earn two stars, three new restaurants made it to the one-star list while two new restaurants earned a Green star. The city now also has an impressive 17 Bib Gourmand restaurants and 59 Michelin-selected restaurants. 

Co-host Devina Divecha takes a tour of the fungi world this week with Bronte Weir, one of the co-founders of Below Farm. Bronte shares how they got started with mushroom farming in the UAE, their pink oyster mushroom grow kits, and the circular processes behind their operations. 

This week, co-host Tiffany Eslick sits down with Dubai’s OG pizza pioneers, Michele and Bill Johnson, who run the award-winning pizzeria, Pitfire. They tell us how their signature dough continues to evolve, the process behind their delicious flavour combinations and what it’s like being partners in life and at work. Plus, Bill has tips to to perfect your homemade pizzas!

Links:

• Michele’s Apple Pie recipe

This week, co-host Tiffany Eslick sits down at urban Balkan bistro, 21 Grams, with its founder, Stasha Toncev. Stasha shares how she went from growing up in Serbia cooking lavish meals for her friends to uncovering her purpose and becoming the centre of discovery of Balkan food in Dubai. Since opening in 2018, 21 Grams has won several awards and recognitions including a listing in Gault & Millau, 50Best Discovery, Financial Times’ How to Spend It, and was just awarded Time Out’s Best Breakfast in 2023.