The Chef JKP Podcast

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This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me 

When it comes to being one of the most creative and decorated chef’s of the Middle East and beyond, Gregoire Berger has done a lot on his life as a cook, and by the way he is not stopping!

 He grew up in Brittany, in his native France, the plan was never to be a chef, it was merely a job to get some extra cash on the side.
It wasn’t long before one of his mentors noticed his talents and gave him an ultimatum, to be average, or to really become something, Gregoire of-course made the decision and the  rest is history.
During his time growing up in the culinary world, he worked for the likes of Patrice Caillaut, who at the time was based in “Le Romaine Rochevilaine”.
https://domainerochevilaine.com

 To then working for the legendary Paul Bocuse in Miami, Florida, this helped not only to work amongst the very best, but also shaped him as an expatriate.
https://bocuse.fr/en/

After a year stint, he then went to open a restaurant at the age of 22 in Morocco, with the head chef being away for most of it, Gregoire had no choice but to do the opening from scratch, not an easy task. This is also the place where he met his wife.

 A few years down the line, he then went to work in Paris, in one of the most iconic restaurants in the city “Le Grande Cascade” with chef Frederic Robert
http://www.restaurantsparisiens.com/la-grande-cascade/

 During his time in Paris, this was also the place where he also discovered his love of photography, by taking photos of his dishes and sharing them on Facebook.

 Both Gregoire and his wife both took the decision to move to Dubai, his first job was in a restaurant that never opened, but as fate would have it the Executive chef of Atlantis the Palm called him for a meeting, there was opportunity, and that opportunity would show itself as the restaurant Ossiano.
https://www.atlantis.com/dubai/restaurants/ossiano

 Gregoire has had incredible success here, with coveted awards ranging from the St Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year, to then being named in top 100 Best Chef Awards!
After 6 years, he decided as always to go above and beyond his comfort zone, he now heads up a myriad of amazing projects in the newly founded – The Lab Holding.
https://thelabholding.com

 Without a doubt, Gregoire is an incredible talent, there is no limit to his creativity, everyone will be watching to see what he does next!

 You can see what he is doing by following him on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chefgregoireberger/

Stay tuned for next week’s show, we talk to a CEO who is obsessed with plates!

Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.

Until next time, food is memories!

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This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me
Mary or better known to her friends as Pra, is the founder of The Caviar Spoon, a platform that ties different types of brands to collaborate!
https://www.thecaviarspoon.com
Spending over eighteen months to get set up, hasn’t been an easy journey, however, is it about to launch, and let me tell you, is it going to take off in a big way.

Why did she decide to do it? Having spent over twenty years in the world of recruitment and headhunting, the way it came about, was after doing reviews within restaurants and hotels, there seemed a big gap for any types of collaborations, experiences, and a lot of overspending within the digital market.

Essentially, it is matching brands with brands, there are so many opportunities, and the platform is worldwide.
The craziest thing is that there is no-one doing it, so this is the very first of its kind.
Competitors have not always seen eye to eye, however there are always opportunities to works with brands that you never even thought would be possible, as an example Coors recently partnered up with National Geographic, they created a YouTube series, you can read all about it in the link below.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2018/09/19/coors-light-and-national-geographic-discover-whats-next/?sh=6df78304a565

 One of the interesting things that Pra also discusses, is how hospitality as whole can reap the financial rewards in terms of experiences. The pandemic has now caused us to want more of the human connection and we are all craving incredible experiences, this is how business can have the upper hand.

 One of the key things, when starting a business on your own, is also about the sacrifices that have to be made in order to succeed, there will always be people who will doubt and critise what you do, but the most important things, is to not listen the naysayers, and put one hundred percent focus on what needs to be achieved.

 Once the platform has been launched, you can see the varied types of brands and talent, that have been chosen to be in The Caviar Spoon, from there you can personally hand pick the creative mind-blowing experiences that people have to offer, there is such an incredible talent pool from a global perspective, and the best thing is, it has all been vetted, and is just in one place!
All of that just from an idea that Pra had one day!

There is plenty of very savvy advise to anyone who wants to go into collaborations, explore ideas, explore brands, and essentially it is imperative that they love and protect your brand as much as their own.

Without doubt, Pra is about to launch a one-of-a-kind collaboration platform, make sure to sign up right away in the link below.
https://www.thecaviarspoon.com
You can follow the platform via Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/thecaviarspoon/ 

 Stay tuned for next week’s show, we talk to one of the most creative and talented chef’s in the world!
Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.
Until next time, food is memories!

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This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me

 Alannah fell into hospitality completely by accident.  The dream was to become a graphic designer, however after realising that it meant sitting behind a desk, it was a that point the decision was made to go into culinary school, the journey began at the tender age of 16!
The College was in Luton, UK, Alannah was shown the A-Z of what it was like to be in this world. In terms of her pastry life, again totally by chance, her presumption was that pastry chefs are not real chefs!
The very first recipe she made, was the famed crème brulee, after that day she never went back into the main kitchen.
Alannah did some work experience in London at the 5 star luxury Royal Garden Hotel in Kensignton, with the brilliant Executive chef Steven Munkley, he would be the one to show her the ropes at the very early stages of her career.
https://www.royalgardenhotel.co.uk
Her first real taste of how tough life can be in the world of the kitchens, would be at the busiest time of the year, when the entire senior pastry team resigned, which meant Alannah was the next one in line manage the whole pastry operation, at the age of 19, that’s not an easy task, however she stepped up, this gave her an experience that she will never forget and a lesson that she still carries with her to this day.
After two years, it was time to take a break, life had a different plan, she got a job in one of the most Iconic hotels in the world – The Savoy. https://www.thesavoylondon.com
Once again, after sending one of the best ever fruit plates to a guest that just so happened to be the group director of Fairmont worldwide, she had sealed her fate, and worked in the Savoy for a further 2 and half years.
On one of the days, Alannah received a phone call from a previous chef, asking if she was interested to go and work in Dubai, after making a quick pit stop from Malaysia, this would be her next move as the Executive Pastry Chef of the Address Dubai Marina.
https://www.addresshotels.com
This would give her an opportunity to run her own team kitchen, compete at the highest possible level,  even gaining a world record!

 Fate would rear its head once again, this time opening her own business, she took a leap of faith, and went on to supply the likes of Etihad, Costa, Jumeirah, in fact it was selling to over 200 vendors.
5 years down the line it was time to say goodbye, and was tasked to run the entire pastry division of Sarood Hospitality, another gigantic operation which takes military precision.
https://www.saroodhospitality.com
Alannah doesn’t know when to stop, knowing her, she will end up being the head of food evolution for NASA or Tesla, developing recipes for intergalactic travel!
You can follow all of her escapades via Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/alannah_francesca

Alternatively you can contact her on LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alannah-doe
Stay tuned for next week’s show, we talk to someone who is about to push a global collaboration platform! 
Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page. Until next time, food is memories!

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This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me
Courtney Brandt otherwise known to others as A to Zaatar, is not only an author but one of the most respected food and travel writers in the Gulf region.
In her own words, she was late to the market, however one of the things she is most proud of, is that she is true to her word, above all, genuine and honest!
https://atozaatar.com
She started writing in 2007, with various books in the young adult genre, one of the books was almost commissioned twice to be shown on the big screen, so keep your eyes and ears open Hollywood producers.
The food writing came into its own in 2016, on an accidental foodie trip to the Scandinavian food capital – Copenhagen. The schedule should of been Nepal, but a monsoon had scuppered those plans, at the same time in the background the TV show - No Reservations was being shown, with the late great Anthony Bourdain as the presenter, who happened to be eating in Noma for that particular episode, which at the time happened to be voted the St Pellegrino number 1 best restaurant in the world, so not a bad place to start writing about food!
https://noma.dk
Courtney has dined all over the world, but if she is going to dine in any new city, it comes down to three things; word of mouth, is it worth the money? And would she return? Ultimately, this is what her readers want to know.
Dubai is a huge melting pot for culinary talent, people like Himanshu over at Tresind Studio, Yannick Alleno, Even Massimo Bottura from time to time.
https://tresindstudio.com
Of-course, the talk of the Michelin guide as to whether they will or won’t come to Dubai, the biggest gap in the market seems to be the service, reading guests is one of the most crucial parts of the entire experience, even to point of spotting a left-handed guest within 90 seconds. These details are what makes the difference between being good or being incredible!
To be a great food writer, you need to be able to able to not only understand food, but to also be able to constructively criticise a meal, always for the sake of making sure the guest experience is second to none.
At times this has got Courtney blacklisted from certain restaurants and PR companies, her reviews are always about being constructive and should be able to give an opinion, not to be negative but to always push that chef or restaurant to the next level.
Some Chefs could even argue the point of what qualifications, or technical background does someone like Courtney have to judge their food? The answer is simple, she has an incredibly educated palate, dines out at least 3 times a week, and she has a completely different point of view, which is from the diner’s perspective, the people who ultimately pay the bills.

Without a doubt, Courtney certainly knows and understands what it takes to be at the very top of the restaurant game, at the same time she articulates food to a level that we all want to read about. If you haven’t already make sure to subscribe to her incredible blog, the link is below.
https://atozaatar.com
Stay tuned for next week’s show, we talk to one of the most talented energetic pastry chefs in the UAE!
Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.

Until next time, food is memories!

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This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz https://meelz.me

Frunze Carlos de Garza is the Group Development / Executive Chef for the famed 3Fils restaurant in Dubai, with mixed heritage of Mexican and Russian, you know that his food is going to be full of spice and fermentation.
https://www.3fils.com

Before being becoming a chef, he actually had a job with the army, working with intelligence, so he fully understood hierarchy, discipline, and to follow orders, but even with this background, it did not prepare him for how volatile a professional kitchen can be.

His very first step into the culinary world would be in London, under the leadership of Michelin starred Adam Gray.
https://www.chefadamgray.co.uk

London is notorious for how their kitchens are run, and this one didn’t disappoint, dynamic, energetic and passionate.

Adam showed him how to be more disciplined as a chef as well as how to organise his personal life, plus he showed Carlos how to become a leader.

After London, he then moved to France to work with one of the most iconic and legendary chef’s of the century, the one and only Paul Bocuse !
https://bocuse.fr/en/

This was to be a real eye opener, another country, a different language, and to be in an international gastronomic institute.

To learn the classics, as well as doing the preparation fresh every single day, and the restaurant held 3 Michelin stars for 50 years.

From there, he went over to the U.S for a short time, then he went over to Asia to learn the various arts and techniques of the famous street food.

In terms of the food at 3Fils, it is a modern Asian with a Japaneese twist, the food is bold, and absolutely delicious, not surprising as there is always a 45 minute wait at the door!

The chef also places fermentation on the menu, this comes from his Russian background, spending the winter with his grandfather. 
The cupboard was full of jams, lacto fermented cabbages, vinegars, all from the bounty of the summer, also his grandfather was a chef during the soviet union in Moscow, so food runs deep in the family.

Myself and Carlos also touched upon how mental health is one of the biggest challenges that people are facing in the industry, and why it is so important to discuss these issues, this was one of the reasons the Dubai Chef’s Collective was formed, and also organisations like Hospitality in Action.

https://www.dubaichefscollective.com

https://www.hospitalityaction.org.uk

Carlos is one of the most talented chefs that I know, not only that, he is one of the most intellectual, combining his love of food with his own knowledge - a true food geek in his own way. If you haven’t experienced his food, please do so as soon s possible, follow him on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chefdegarza

Stay tuned for next weeks show, we talk to one of the of the best food writers in the region!
Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.
Until next time, food is memories!

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This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com And Meelz - https://meelz.me

A very warm welcome to Series 3 of the Chef JKP Podcast, can you believe it!

Old friends and new, thank you for coming along to this inspirational audio adventure, we have got some of the very best people from in and around the hospitality industry, not only that, we have also partnered up with not one, but two formidable industry giants.

The first partner is Gulfood, the worlds largest food and beverage trade show, with well over 2,500 from 85 countries. From renowned global food manufacturers, to powerhouse distributors, and established suppliers. With some of biggest names in F&B, Gulfood is the place for business.

The second amazing partner is - Meelz!

They empower chef’s, by creating a platform that helps them monetize their large social media following, to the benefit of everyone in the value chain. The biggest winners are the customers of- course, who can now first-hand: taste; learn, experience and buy, directly from the chef’s.

I am super excited and grateful to have these two along for the ride!

So, what’s in store for season 3 you ask?

Award winning authors, chef’s, journalists, and so much more, this season as always is filled with inspirational stories, education, and of-course a lot of laughs.

For this episode, I wanted to highlight the un-sung heroes of kitchens, whether in a café, hotel or restaurant, who are they? The guys washing the dishes, you may know them as the kitchen porters, or the stewards, in truth we couldn’t run the place the without these legends! Do they get any glory? No, but they certainly deserve it, as the have the hardest job in the kitchen.

I started my career as what my dad would call “ a pot washer”, I did this just for a bit of extra money at the weekends, but this led me to the world of professional kitchens, and I would never change it.

As time went on, I understood, that it was the pot washers, who make the business tick, after all, what type of person does it take to want to carry out such a physically demanding job?

All of us have met, that one person, in the kitchen, whether at home or work, who just loves to get their hands dirty, and smash out the washing up!

But when you get into the professional world of hospitality, these so called pot washers, become like a mafia, and if you want something to be done, you need to pay, either with a plate of food or a drink, if not, good luck!

They are the team who do all of the work that you don’t want to, they do their job in the shadows, so this one goes out to all of the un-sung heroes of the kitchen, I salute you!

Thank you all, it’s going to be another incredible season.

Stay tuned for next weeks show, we discuss all things fermentation, culinary roots, and much much more.

Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.

Until next time, food is memories!

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This podcast is a two part  Ramadan special, bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me

For the second part, I talk to one of the most exciting and prominent Chef’s of the region!

Tim Newton started cooking at at an early age, cooking for his mum.

He was raised in Southern California, first working in a pizzeria, he then stepped into a professional kitchen at the age of 18 in a restaurant called “ Stacy’s in Oakland,  then went backpacking through Europe,  and ended up studying culinary arts in Paris no less, an incredible place to study and learn his craft.

Tim went onto work in England and Australia with some of the best people in the business.
Matt Moran was one of them - https://mattmoran.com.au
Followed working in of London's most established restaurants - Lutyens - https://www.thened.com/restaurants/lutyens-grill

After sometime, he got an opportunity to work in the Middle East, this time it was Dubai that welcomed him.
Tim mentioned with a cheeky grin that he came to open a “small” restaurant named La Petite Maison - https://lpmrestaurants.com/dubai/

This “small” restaurant went onto win several accolades,  and to this day, it is an extremely popular place amongst the dining scene in Dubai.

A couple of years down the line, Tim became the Group Executive Chef for the demand group, that has such restaurants as Bagatelle, Opa and more recently Myrra - https://www.demindme.com

This has led Tim to open several ventures, with more to follow, he mentions that the success is also down to his solid team.

His culinary heroes are the incredible Thomas Keller, the late great Anthony Bourdain, most importantly his Mother. She was the one who pushed Tim to go into the kitchen at home to then go into a professional kitchen.

Ramadan as an expat chef could be daunting for cooks who experience it for the first time, but Tim respects the culture of what Ramadan means in this region, not only that, his wife who is also a chef, her family originate for Yemen, so there is a rich food culture within the Newton household.
The chef has seen Ramadan change in Dubai throughout the years, his menus however, stay true to their concepts during this time.

Tim has embraced the Arabic cuisine, to the point that he mentions the firm crowd pleasers, are some of his personal favourites.

The real deal over Ramadan for him, are the Iftars, this is where you can really experience the true sense of the holy month, as well as the incredible flavours that are presented.

To see what Tim is doing, you can follow him on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cheftim420

Stay tuned for next weeks show, I will be giving a sneak preview on Season 3.
Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.

Until next time, food is memories!

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This podcast is a two part  Ramadan special, bought to you by our partners, Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com,  and Meelz - https://meelz.me
For the first part, I talk to one of the most exciting and prominent Chef’s of the region!

Mohamad Chabchoul started cooking at the tender age of 15. With Lebaneese origins, having spent most of his adolescence in Syria, it’s not difficult to understand that he has a rich food heritage, spending the first few years making frozen pastries for Ramadan.

He explains that his first taste of the chef life, was actually by watching chefs with big hats and big bellies on TV, this was always during the holy month.

During his time growing up, the TV shows were the catalyst that helped him to write the recipes and experiment, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not.

After sometime it was his mum that encouraged him to take cooking seriously, so he then went to Damascus to study.
Not easy at first, however after perseverance,  the decision was made to really persue a full time career in the culinary arts.

His first foray into a professional kitchen was yet be another challenge, big pots, pans, however soon enough the chef’s took him under their wing and started to show him the ropes, it was the cold kitchen that was Mohamads first love, with all of the the French techniques that really appealed to him. He then went onto to work at his first 5 star hotel, after a few years, he made the big decision to move out of Syria completely and set his sights internationally.

Dubai was the place, as he got an opportunity to go and work at IHG Intercontinental dubai Festival City - https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/dubai/dxbhb/hoteldetail

This is where the career really started for him, as an Arabic Chef, he does not professionally cook Arabic food, but leans towards European food, as this was his passion from a young age.

The opportunity arose with one of the best chefs in the world, the one and only triple Michelin starred legend - Pierre Gagnaire - https://pierregagnaire.com

Mohamad took the advice the of the gastronomic guru, the key is to keep everything simple, simplicity is the secret! Nowadays Chef Chabchoul can be found cooking in the Grand Millennium Business Bay located in Dubai - https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/dubai/grand-millennium-business-bay-dubai/

Discussing the holy month of Ramadan, the chef describes what it means, a time of reflection, a time of family, overall it is a lifestyle.

The tents, the food, the Shisha, people love to try all of the small activities that happen during this time. For him, this year he has created a nostalgic “ Grandmother’s corner “ where the chef transports people back to their childhood giving the guest the food they used to grow up with. Pre-dominantly the mezze is Anti-pasti, all vegetarian.
A highly talented chef!

To see check out all the latest news and to see what Chef Chabchoul is doing, you can go to his website - https://chefchabchoul.com

Don’t forget to subscribe and give the podcast a review, we are on all podcast steaming platforms.Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.
Until next time, food is memories!

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FoodSheikh was launched in 2015 as an impartial restaurant review website for Dubai’s growing F&B landscape built on trust and credibility from years of experience in the industry and a sense of fun. FoodSheikh’s aim is to grow from just producing reviews to creating fun, engaging and original content for the larger F&B market in Dubai.
https://foodsheikh.com

The fact that the reviews are written anonymously makes Food Sheikh even more credible, as he is there to seek out the whole truth and the magic of restaurants.

Why is he qualified to do this ?
He was a chef in a previous life, has extensive knowledge of the industry, not just in Dubai, but also globally, plus he consults on projects with larger hospitality brands.

At the beginning  of the pandemic, he decided along with other people in the field like Chat Food, there had to be something done to support local restaurants that could deliver, however there something more pressing at hand, delivery aggregators were charging the home grown concepts larger fees, so in order to combat this Food Sheikh launched a platform called Deliver DXB.
https://www.supportlocalrestaurants.com

This would prove to be a lifeline to local restaurants in the Dubai landscape, as it allowed the guest to order directly, instead of going onto other platforms, which in turn helped the businesses pay the wages, and ultimately survive.

The other concept that came up, would be an avengers style menu, with the Food Sheikh All Stars, a menu that was delivery only, with some of the best chefs in the city.
The brand grew, the rumour is, that there are plans for a restaurant- so stay tuned!

Major events of life happen in restaurants, strangers become lovers,  deals are brokered,  history happens, the truth is,  they are the pulse of any city, Food Sheikh, goes into detail as to why local restaurants should be celebrated and supported.

If all of this wasn't enough, he also writes a foodie magazine called the 86! All about stories and the history of food, and by the way this is a hobby.

All in all, we need to support hospitality in every part of the world, as it has been an industry that has suffered massive losses.
For me, Food Sheikh has expressed the passion that us hardcore foodies enjoy for all things culinary, and memorable food experiences.

An interview that opens your mind.

Long live the Food Sheikh.

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Let's just say that food and hospitality has always been around for Maria Stevens.

Originally from Spain, we all know that the Spanish not only know about great food and service, but they have given us the likes of Ferran Adria, Serrano ham, and notably a world class football league.

Maria started her professional marketing journey by the way of being a restaurant manager, always having to look after what should be on the monthly food and beverage social media calendar.

Always having a passion for delicious dishes and impeccable service, there no better place to be than on the palm in Dubai woking in the award winning Social by Heinz Beck.
Here she was working alongside the team in both the back and front of house as the Food and Beverage  Sales Manager.
https://www.heinzbeck.com

After this, she got the opportunity to be the manager of a friends restaurant, where again she not only had to take full responsibility of the business, she also looked after the marketing, which led her to question what career path should she take?

Once the contract had ended, after a well earned break, she then decided to take a course in Digital Marketing, during this time she took on various consulting projects that allowed to have a deeper understanding of the Marketing industry and what it takes to convert campaigns into real customers. 
Once the studying was over, Maria took the position of Marketing Manager for the Steigenberger Hotel, Business Bay, Dubai.
https://www.steigenberger.com/en/hotels/all-hotels/dubai/dubai/steigenberger-hotel-business-bay

She managed all of the Food and Beverage for the entire hotel, which is not an easy task in a city like Dubai, but a challenge that Maria took fully in her stride.

At the same time, if this wasn't enough, she is also in charge of the marketing for The Dubai Chef's Collective, this is a completely different ball game altogether, as this time there are over 30 different chefs to manage.
This is one of the projects that she truly enjoys to work on, as each chef brings something different to the table.
https://www.dubaichefscollective.com

There is no arguing that Maria loves her job, and above all she loves all things hospitality, and by the way did I mention she's married to a chef!

On the side Maria is also a Reiki healer, not just for humans but also for animals, another incredible passion.

To see what Maria is doing, not only can you click on the Dubai Chef's Collective page, but you can also follow her on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mayulacoquette

Digital marketing is now an integral part of any business, so if you need any advise or a consultant, you now where to find one!

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