Catering for 2022 with seven leading caterers

Catering for 2022 with seven leading caterers

The catering sector has witnessed huge changes over the last few years, with consumers demanding healthier and more sustainable options. We discussed the latest trends and more with seven of the leading catering companies in the Middle East.

Focus on excellence
Our priority is to maintain excellent quality and service, and to keep coming up with new ideas and concepts for different types of events.

What’s in demand
Ready-to-eat options and deliveries are trending this year, and small, private events are driving the catering business.

Hygiene, sustainability and more
Customers are demanding superior hygiene. They are also looking for companies that care about sustainability and the environment. Furthermore, consumers are price sensitive and prefer to encourage local producers.

Our expertise
Over the years, Park Rotana Abu Dhabi has made its mark as one of the top hotel caterers in Abu Dhabi for all types of events, from VIP outdoor gatherings to massive sports and intimate in-house events serving up to 5,000 guests.

Small is the new big
We are seeing more small gatherings and a greater number of requests for intimate VIP indoor catering. With weddings still limited to a restricted number of people, we do have demand from the local community throughout the week, but these are obviously smaller in terms of number of guests.

Safety and hygiene rule
Consumer demands revolve around safety and hygiene. Manned buffets are also in demand.

A unique approach
As a catering company, Maroun Chedid leaves its mark by having distinguished cuisine, high-end service, excellent aftersales support and integrating novelty.
Because I travel a great deal, I am able to discover different cuisines, ingredients, equipment and kitchen utensils to enhance my catering service and make the best suggestions to my clients.
The catering service at Maroun Chedid is not only about cooking and delivering the food to the client; it is about transferring my culinary experience and service knowhow to the customer’s home and kitchen.
Novelty is achieved through evolving our catering service and staying up to date with the ever-changing market demands and new trends. We care about offering quality food, unmatched service, practicality, elegance and an overall consistent experience.

What’s trending
People are seeking the ultimate experience in their own spaces, similar to how they would feel at a fine-dining restaurant. These days, people are more health conscious: the food quality, ingredients used, cleanliness of the utensils and so forth.

Healthy eating
Since people are not going out as much as they used to, their demands currently revolve around finding caterers that can satisfy their gourmet needs in the most health conscious ways. They seek uniqueness, comfort, quality, cleanliness and originality.

Our mantra
Passion, quality and consistency drive our business. These are three major factors we never compromise on. We were able to renovate our catering offering to increase volume without jeopardizing quality and efficiency.

Manned buffets
We are leaning toward a more Covid- 19-friendly approach, such as manned buffets and individually covered canapes at cocktail parties. Nowadays, customers are increasingly aware of what they are eating, so we are opting for more natural, organic ingredients. We source organic products locally to support homegrown businesses. We want to ensure that all our dishes are made with fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry. We replaced sugar with organic stevia and honey, and added fresh fruits in our mocktails.

Eco-friendly practices
We have migrated most of our packaging to biodegradable products and have almost reached our objective of minimizing plastic products. Menu engineering and cooking at our clients’ facilities helped us reduce food waste to a minimum. Additional measures will continue to take place with the help of our customers.

Driven by innovation
Whether it was weddings, private dinners or corporate, we are always trying to introduce new and fresh ideas. Our customized menus are tailored to suit the requirements of all our guests and their preferred themes. We are passionate about designing the best culinary displays.

Laid-back luxury
Casual settings are becoming more popular. People want to spend time socializing rather than being seated, so we are creating light and easy-to-eat food that’s prepared at live stations.

Seeking sustainable
For the past four years, we have poured our efforts into sustainability and ecofriendly practices. Our food packaging will soon be 100 percent plastic free. Our plastic and glass is recycled. Of course, all
our handling and packing is done with the utmost attention to hygiene.

Our DNA
In just two years, Elegancia has become one of the leading companies in catering in Qatar, serving 175,000 meals daily. Experience, dedication, consistency and high service standards have contributed to making us a recognized brand. By having three central kitchens, 24 serving kitchens and 750 chefs, we can reach our goals and be at the top.

Balancing the ingredients
Today, most of our clients are looking for healthy dishes. Providing the best quality at the lowest cost is our main challenge, so we try to have a balanced menu that meets the expectations of our clients and our company.

Customers’ preferences
The priorities of consumers have changed from taste and presentation to the quality and origin of the ingredients, safe food, hygienic standards, packaging, delivery standards and so forth.

Employee-driven attitude
Abela & Co prides itself on having an army of employees who are creative, proactive, flexible and passionate about food. Providing food services across a broad range of sectors and industries, and being based in Dubai, gives us the stage to be the company of choice for both our customers and employees.

Trends in 2022
We are witnessing an increase in food deliveries, smaller menus, sustainable packaging, restaurant concept stores and healthier options.
It’s all about the environment Food safety is at the top of the list when it comes to consumers’ expectations and demands. We actively promote sustainable packaging, sourcing locally whenever possible and using energy efficient tools and materials.

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About author

Rita Ghantous

Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.

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