Gourmet sector still not mature

A growing hospitality, tourism and restaurant industry is feeding the appetite for fine foods although the gourmet sector here is still not mature, organisers and exhibitors at the Speciality Food Festival (SFF) said on Sunday.

Five-star hotels, executive chefs, food outlet directors, import/export businesses and even royal caterers are the main buyers for gourmet ingredients at the show, they said.

The third edition of SFF grew by 45 per cent this year with 116 companies from 23 countries, Mark Napier, the exhibition director, told Gulf News. “Chefs are looking for inspiration for plate and palate. Customers always want something new.”

The show saw a big turnout of European companies, including first time participating country pavilions such as UK, Poland and Italy, looking to emerging markets like the UAE for growth. The GCC imports 90 per cent of its food requirements and food imports are expected to reach $53.1 billion by 2020, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.

“There is a growth in demand for high speciality products in the UAE,” said Robert Furse, International Trade Adviser with UK Trade & Investment.

Total food and drink exports from UK to UAE increased by 14.8 per cent in 2011 to $26.39 billion, representing the seventh consecutive year of growth, according to UK government statistics.

Little Moons, a UK-based company exhibiting at the show that combines traditional Japanese mocha with new filings like gelato, has seen “strong interest” for franchising opportunities in the UAE, he said.

France exported 215 million euros worth of food and beverages to the UAE in 2011, including dairy products and bubbly drinks, said Christelle Labernede, head of department of agriculture affairs for UAE and Qatar with UbiFrance.

Fine foods are mainly sourced by the food service industry because the gourmet stores are not mature here yet, she said.

SFF runs alongside the region’s first-ever dedicated seafood trade show for the food and hospitality industry, SEAFEX, and the sixth Sweets and Snacks Middle East show. The three shows collectively had 300 exhibitors from 51 countries, Napier said.

Shaikh Majid bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, opened the show. It runs until Wednesday.

French business

France has started to sell its beef products in the UAE for the first time since the ban on exporting French beef to the Middle East was lifted in May, a senior French government official said.

However, the challenge now is to re-introduce it in the UAE market that is used to Brazilian, Australian and New Zealand beef that is cheaper than the French product, said Christelle Labernede, head of department of agricultural affairs for UAE and Qatar and UbiFrance.

“There is a market for French meat here but only in the food service because we can’t compete on price with Brazil and New Zealand,” she said.

Jeau Roze, a wholesale company for French beef is selling its products through distributor Classic Fine Foods in the UAE.

They have met with executive chefs from Burj Al Arab and Rotana and had talks with supermarkets such as Carrefour, said Ali Bergaoui, general manager for Africa and Europe at Jeau Roze.