Expo 2025 | Osaka | Food & Beverage Leed

Working in Kitchen Design and Operations Support Services as Catering Director, within the Middle East, consulting on projects ranging from 2M AED to 50M + AED, private, hospitality, and mega projects within the UAE, Qatar, and KSAAlreeb Group / BOXOOO (Saudi Araiba) 2023International Maritime Industries/ The King Salman Complex (Saudi Arabia) 2020 - 2021The Red Sea Development Company/ The Red Sea Project (Saudi Arabia) 2020 - 2021Al Lissailli Villa (UAE) Private residence main kitchen for the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 2021Sharaan Resort (KSA) 2021 - 2023Sheraton Taiba (KSA) 2021Diplomatic Club (Qatar) 2020And private residenceOperations Solution Design & Planning:Design & workflow review; Staffing requirements & mobilization; Operational management; Operation and SOP manual; ISO accreditation; HACCP accreditation; HSE & First AidTender Management:Formulating comprehensive tender documents and Bills of Quantities (BoQs), and essential documents outlining project specifications, requirements, and cost estimates, enabling transparent and accurate bidding processes.Project Oversite/ Facilities Construction:Project oversight management on the construction of the facilitiesSupply of MEP drawings based on the required concept specificationsSupply of Fit out drawings based on the required concept specificationsMenu Engineering:Menu review; Recipe & cost analysis; Menu development & design; Food & nutrition studiesLegal compliance Facilities Design:Kitchen, Dining halls, Buffet and service points, Coffee shops, Bespoke equipment, Hotel rooms & fit out, Executive, short & long-term accommodation, Staff, short & long-termFormula 1 2022 (SOUNDSTORM- MDLBEAST) (Jeddah)Oversight management of the Catering, Cleaning, Waste, dealing with the VIP platform catering up to 7000 pax per day.

Gastro-Trends has unique experience in developing food and beverage strategies for some of the largest and most complex food, beverage, and leisure projects and operations in the world.Strategic food and leisure experience with entertainment giants MDLBEAST, Paramount and Disney, the last seven major sporting events in the world, and more recently the development and oversight of overall food and beverage strategy, delivery, and heritage exemplify our contemporary global credentials.• Brand Identification• F&B Retail Leasing, • Negotiations / Tender process (turnkey solution) • Soft Services Management• Vender Management • Caterer Management • Managed Design & Planning (F&B)• Menu Engineering• MEP and F&B Facilities Design • Hard Services and Asset Management• Project Oversite• Logistics Oversite• Installation Management Oversite• POS Management Oversite• Sales and Revenue Management• Larger Scale Project and Event Management Solutions • Staffing and Manpower Solutions

https://www.worlddefenseshow.com/

Brought on board to manage and oversee events for the planned expansion of AGS into the events sector within Saudi Arabia, whilst developing in-house (QSR) brands that would be later used for events and a ghost kitchen for local expansion.Past ProjectsMDLBeast 2021 (SOUNDSTORM) (Riyadh) – December 2021Management of 41 catering units for the SoundStorm event in Riyadh where more than 500,000 people attended over four days for one of the world’s largest music festivals.Retal Residence (Dammam) – Contract ended February 2022Operations Manager / Executive Chef, overseeing the compound needs and strategic event planning for the company, asset management, soft and hard services management, team management, procurement and contract management, and client relationship management.

To design the main kitchen for Sugarmoo (Riyadh), various concepts were considered, including CPU, office design, shop design, kiosk design, and mobile food truck. In August/October 2019, the kitchen and office design for Sugarmoo's franchise in Oman was completed. The design of Sugarmoo's franchise in Qatar, known as DSRT Lab Qatar, focused on creating a dessert kitchen that suited the available facilities.I managed the project's construction in Riyadh, overseeing the central kitchen, offices, shop (at exit 7 in Riyadh), and the dessert lab (kiosk) for events. I controlled the project's budget, analyzed costings for tenders, and handled planning, negotiations, and contractor hiring.Key achievements include successful openings of the kiosk at Panorama Mall and the Sugarmoo shop at Exit 7 in Riyadh. I implemented calorie counting regulations to comply with KSA and UAE legislation. Leading a multicultural team of over 20 kitchen staff across two countries, I oversaw daily operations and managed special events through executive chefs. Compliance with Food Hygiene regulations and Health & Safety legislation was ensured.With effective financial planning, I identified cost reduction opportunities without compromising service quality. I recruited, trained, and mentored chefs, reassigned staff based on their abilities, enforced company protocols, and implemented strict control measures for purchasing and stock management. I negotiated with suppliers for quality ingredients within budget constraints. Standard Operating Procedures were developed to drive continual improvements.Noteworthy achievements include Sugarmoo winning the Goodfood Awards for Best Dessert with the Red Velvet Oreo Crunch Cake and Deliveroo ranking Sugarmoo's Galaxy Milk Cake as the world's best dish. The main central kitchen in Riyadh facilitated supply to central and outlying regions of Saudi Arabia, and the Dessert Lab in Panorama Mall was successful.

Dubai's first online Dessert Delivery bakery catering to your sweet tooth desires in under 90minutes. SugarMoo was created with the aim to supply you with the best unique desserts and cakes, we were the first online dessert & cake delivery business in Dubai. What differentiates us from the rest is we like to do things differently. With our motto "You Crave we Deliver’’ and our philosophy of thinking out of the box and creating fusion hybrid desserts we have been rated as one of Dubai’s best dessert spots.

It was a great opportunity to experience travel and learn new types of foods and through interaction with people in different countries.

ADNH Compass is one of the largest catering and support service companies in the Middle East. I was approached to join the group as Executive Sous Chef / Executive Chef within the Health Care division to manage all food and beverage services within a major hospital in Dubai. Here I led a multi-cultural team of up to 22 kitchen staff and 50+ front of house staff, including Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Supervisor, waiting staff, cleaning staff and porters. I managed all daily catering operations for a busy hospital, including breakfasts for 250+, lunches for 450+ and dinner for 250+, in addition to special events, functions and four coffee shops.Implemented and established multi site QSR coffee shop concept, design and development of catering menus.Ensured compliance with all industry-standard Food Hygiene regulations and Health & Safety legislation, identifying and rectifying any areas for concern.Carried out effective financial planning and budgetary management, identifying areas for reduction in costs without compromising quality of service.Recruited, trained and mentored all chefs to achieve the same high standards, redeploying staff as necessary dependant on their strengths and weaknesses.Managed stock takes and implemented robust stock control processes to minimise waste and maximise all available resources.Negotiated with suppliers to obtain best possible ingredients within budgetary constraints.Wrote and implemented all Standard Operating Procedures, with an emphasis on continual improvements across all services offered.Successfully raised profit margins through strong budgetary management, effective cost control and waste management processes.Reinvigorated the kitchen output, introducing a more modern output, especially for fine dining events and larger functions.

I was hired as Senior Sous Chef on a semi permanent basis following period of relief work to support Executive Chef Gareth Williams and manage team of catering staff in delivering daily F&B services and special events.Successfully redesigned Boardroom menu for Senior Executives, club owners, players and their families, including bringing food up to modern standards and introducing a fusion cuisine; new developments included making own specialty bread and curing own meats. Managed catering for hospitality events of up to 4,000 + attendees, ensuring the highest standards of catering and customer service.Assisted as part of the team to move THFC from 17th to 3rd on Stadia Experience and Visit England reportsTook EHO score from 1 to 5 during tenure as a result of meticulous food hygiene practices.Managed food costs through effective waste control procedures, ensuring all available resources were maximized, and delivering all services under budget.

During this time I was engaged on a temporary freelance basis as a Relief Chef to provide support to a wide range of establishments including restaurants, schools and care homes, demonstrating versatility.Provided consultancy and advice for small businesses over their catering arrangements, whilst planning and creating menus.Maintained strict cost control in order to enhance profit margins for businesses, negotiating best possible rates with suppliers.

Chapter One is a Michelin Starred restaurant led by Executive Chef Andrew McLeish, a former winner of the UK’s Restaurant of the Year. After some years working as a Quantity Surveyor I returned to catering and was hired as a Chef De Partie to work and maintain the different stations across the kitchen, and gain valuable experience within a Michelin Starred establishment. I advised the Head Chef on produce required for specific stations, whilst maintaining robust waste control procedures and minimising costs.

After taking a break from catering and qualifying as a Quantity Surveyor/ Project Manager, I was hired as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor to carry out project management activities for Tropus & Spicer, a leading provider of project and cost management services to the UK development sector. Here I maintained financial control over the expenditure of client funds, prepared and analyzed costings for tenders, and prepared tender and contract documents, carried out planning, negotiating and hiring, in addition to revising of scheduled and reporting to clients and management. I utilized excellent cost control, budgetary management and client relations skills, and subsequently transferred back to my international F&B management career.