Keep a few classics but make sure your repertoire is fresh, Rhodes tells Dubai chefs. Keep a few classics but make sure your repertoire is fresh, Rhodes tells Dubai chefs.

Celebrity chefs have claimed Dubai’s crowded F&B scene is making it increasingly difficult for new talent to stand out from the crowd.

Speaking exclusively to Caterer Middle East at Taste of Dubai this weekend, TV chef James Martin commented: “I think the challenge for chefs at the moment is to be unique, something different.

“My fear is that in future [in Dubai] there’s going to be a lot of the same old stuff. And unless you offer something different – and something people want – you won’t make it,” he stated.

Celebrity chef Gary Rhodes, at Taste of Dubai to promote his Rhodes Mezzanine outlet at Grosvenor House, added that Dubai chefs were in danger of “losing their own identity and also becoming too stuck on old habits”.

“We all know old habits die hard, but people have really got to make an effort to keep their repertoire of dishes fresh,” asserted Rhodes.

“There are so many restaurants opening and so many chefs who want to become part of the Dubai scene, so I think you’ve got to carry on enticing the customer, bringing them back for more and always having a fresh surprise for them.

“Having said that, neither should they lose touch with the great classics, the dishes that have helped build their reputation,” he continued.

“Every restaurant should hold on to a few classics, the ones people come back for time and time again. It’s like our white tomato soup [at Rhodes Mezzanine] – I tried taking it off the menu and there was nealy a riot; now I have to keep it on the menu because people want to try it.”

During the four-day Taste of Dubai event, both Martin and Rhodes delighted visitors with demonstrations of their culinary skills in the show’s Mark Wilkinson Chefs Theatre.

The four-day event also showcased 22 of Dubai's top restaurants.


For more exclusive industry insights from celebrity chefs such as James Martin, Gary Rhodes and Vineet Bhatia, see next month’s Caterer Middle East.