Demand in Middle East opens up new job opportunities for chefs

By Kenneth Kwama

It’s not just Kenyan tea that is in demand globally. With reputable institutions like the Utalii College imparting international culinary skills to their students, chefs trained locally are attracting new suitors.

With countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) opening up and becoming central hubs where Kenyans and other nationals congregate to pursue various business opportunities, a small revolution is also taking place there.

“The UAE is now host to some of the best international gourmet and fine food restaurants because people of various nationalities congregate there.  This is creating a lot of demand for top-notch talent and expertise in the culinary sphere,” says Dickson Odongo, a graduate of the Utalii College who now works as manager at the Beach Totana Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

As part of the incredible boom being enjoyed in UAE, chef’s at all levels are being sought with several hotels putting up advertisements for chefs in local newspapers. A number of agencies are also recruiting on behalf of hotels in the Middle East.

According to Odongo, the chefs bring much more than international flavours to the table because in most cases, they are also required to take a number of trainees under their gambit and train them.

With opportunities opening up overseas, many Kenyans are increasingly being attracted to the fast-paced environment of professional cooking. In the Middle East, a good knowledge of English is important because this is what chefs need to write and read menus. Knowledge of Arabic is an added advantage.

He says that besides creativity about new recipes, developing distinctive styles is also essential because unlike most careers that depend mostly on academic knowledge, being a chef requires the use of senses of smell, taste, and touch.