SimplyAbuDhabi VII

2 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I can be conveniently accommodated. A VIP Suite and specialised video conferencing room are also available on the same Podium 4 Level. We were told that the Jumeirah does not only want to help its clients host events, but also to orchestrate “fine theatre”. And having discovered all that they have to offer, we can certainly believe that: the Centre is passionate about supporting clients to “Stay Different™”. To provide such an intensive, personal service is no easy business. But we’re convinced that the team here can pull it off in style. It’s clear that they have a passion for hosting innovative, creative and exciting events, and the expertise and experience to ensure the brand and personal integrity of their clients. Impressive team The Director of Conference and Events at the Jumeirah is Heather Galbraith, who has over 16 years of hotel conferencing, sales and marketing experience within the UK andUAE. Over this time, Galbraith has gained a reputation for being an excellent communicator who is motivated to achieve and exceed the goals and expectations of clients. The backgrounds of the culinary team are equally impressive. Executive Chef Loughlin Druhan is dynamic, creative, imaginative – and seasoned with over seven years professional culinary experience within the Middle East alone. Druhan has had a truly globetrotting career that has spanned the continents of Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. He has a broad experience of gourmet traditions across the world, including Mediterranean, Asian, Indian, Persian and European cuisine. Heading a team of 200 chefs from 15 different nationalities, Druhan has said that his aim is to create exceptional gourmet experiences, fused from the freshest produce and the culinary magic generated from the expertise of his professional chefs. But equally, he wants to ensure that guests are taken on an epicurean journey into the familiar-with-a-twist, the new, the exciting and even the surprising. Supporting Executive Chef Loughlin is Executive Sous Chef Neil David Foster, whose own distinguished culinary career extends back more than 24 years. Having held previous positions at luxury hotels and resorts within Europe, Foster has a passion, dedication and flair for producing localised rustic dishes and infusing them with modern European influences. Alongside Druhan and Foster, a multinational pool of experienced Chefs de Cuisine have also been appointed to head up a banqueting team that totals 51 chefs. They are all passionate about bringing a new bespoke banqueting approach to Abu Dhabi and the Middle East. The team want to create an imaginative and exciting new banqueting product. They want to inspire clients to not only to choose their menus, but also to create their own – using the Banqueting Selector Menu guidelines. These Banqueting Selector Menus sound like a really good idea. Within them, we are sure to see cuisines merged from different gourmet fields to become as individual as the guests dining at the hotel. Chef Nidal Daou, who takes a lead on Lebanese and Arabic cuisine styles, Chef Paul Lewis from Australia, and Chef Marcus Dunga from the Philippines are just a few of the expert gourmet staff who work to deliver an unforgettable event experience. There are seven state-of-the art kitchens at the heart of the operation, producing a myriad of flavours from the Middle East, Spain, France, Italy, Asia Pacific and Morocco – to name just a few. To give just one example of the kitchens’ range, we heard that they make