Tasty trends

UNILEVER Food Solutions (UFS) Malaysia shared the latest on food and travel trends at an exclusive event called Trendwatch Hotel 2016 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre recently.
As a thought leader in the global food segment, UFS also celebrated the launch of a publication, Buffets Around The World: Trendwatch Hotel 2016. The insights were the outcome of in-depth research and development featuring information on the top current food and travel trends around the globe.
Insights were also gathered from UFS’s industry experience, alongside reports it carried out with professional market researchers where tens of thousands of diners and food experts were interviewed.
On the whole, the book carries valuable information that will be useful to hoteliers, their business partners, as well as consumers.
Present at the event was UFS ambassador Chef Richmond Lim and UFS Southeast Asia regional executive Chef Dhillon Ng. Both Lim and Ng presented information on Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibition (MICE) trends apart from an analysis on the five upcoming food trends. The presentation was followed by a showcase of food-bearing stations where guests got a taste of foods about to enliven the F&B industry and bring back satiating pleasure to gastronomic appetites.
“As a result of today’s culinary revolution, food is often the centrepiece of an event. Creating a memorable culinary experience now has to go beyond just tastes and flavours. It has to provide a sensory experience that satisfies all five senses to make an impactful impression.
As such, chefs must place greater emphasis on finding innovative ways, through flexible set-ups and unique crockery, to develop eye-catching creations to link the decor, ambience and deliciousness of the food being served,” said Lim.
Lim, with over 32 years of banqueting experience from five-star hotels and convention centres, is also an award-winning author. He specialises in modern cuisine. His vocation sees him attached to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, as executive chef overseeing a culinary brigade of 51 chefs.
Ng on the other hand, holds a track record of diverse experiences from across the region.
He has worked with some of the best chefs in Southeast Asia that include Quo Vadis’ former head chef Jeremy Hollingsworth, Singapore’s master of fusion cuisine Jimmy Chok and Marmalade Group executive chef Robin Ho.
“Today’s trends are important for hoteliers to be on the cutting edge of providing the perfect services, especially in creating food menus that please the palates of travellers regionally, from local to international visitors alike,” said UFS Malaysia managing director Nusrat Parveen.
UFS is a component under the Unilever brand that markets labels all too familiar with kitchen professionals across 74 countries around the world.
The company employs 500 over chefs globally, who play critical roles across different functions, including delivering impactful insights.