New executive chef at the Gate

New executive chef at the Gate Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel appoints new executive chef – Tunji Oladipo to bring creative flair and passion to a renowned culinary destination The award-winning Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel in Dubai, managed by Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts has appointed Tunji Oladipo as the hotel’s Executive Chef. Tunji brings with him almost 18 years of hospitality, 11 of which were right here in Dubai. In this position Tunji will oversee all of the property's menu creation, food sourcing, staff hiring, training and development as well as the dining opportunties at its sister property the Oceana Beach Club on Palm Jumeirah, including the renowned West 14th steakhouse. Commenting on his appointment, Tunji said: “The Gate Hotel is a fantastic place with seven amazing restaurants and very talented chefs; creating new dishes has never been more fun.” Before coming to Dubai Tunji opened Red Cube & Sugar Reef restaurant in London where he acted as Assistant to the much-respected Michelin-Star Master Chef, Gary Hollihead. Tunji’s natural zeal for adventure brought him to his first assignment in Dubai as chef de cuisine at the fine dining Retro restaurant in Le Meridien Mina Seyahi. After a successful three-year appointment, Tunji was selected to help establish a new concept of fine dining on board the Silver Seas luxury cruise liners, then on to executive chef at Jebel Ali International Hotels where he ran operations for Bateaux Dubai, Thyme Mediterranean Restaurant and Citrus café. Most recently Tunji was consultant chef at the top five-star One and Only Mirage hotel on Jumeirah Beach, in Dubai. When asked about food trends Tunji replied “Over the last 10 years in Dubai, I have seen the trends change in line with the population; all you have to do is look at the variety of food available in the supermarkets. The country’s foundations were built on its trading ports which in turn have heavily influenced the cuisine. We are literally in the centre of the world and are able to draw inspiration from everything around us and the far corners of the globe. In the past, reference to the non-traditional food here has usually been “international” I believe that the trends are well established now from Indian, Chinese, Japanese, the Middle East, all of the Mediterranean and all the way down to South African styles of food. In the same way that the Australian cuisine is now Pacific Rim, the Dubai style cuisine is undoubtedly Modern Arabesque. Philippe Bonnot, Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel’s General Manager said, “We welcome Tunji to this demanding role. His experience of working in London as well as his strong local presence and knowledge of Dubai will no doubt enhance the hotel offering. Tunji is already adding his creative flair to our menus.” -Ends- Note to Editor As the global hospitality industry continues to ponder the pace of business, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with real estate developer, Seven Tides, opens more than 1,200 rooms over four properties in Dubai, UAE. The 396-room Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, is cleverly inspired by the journeys of the 14th century Arabian explorer, Ibn Battuta himself. The hotel is located in ‘New Dubai’ opened its doors to business and leisure travellers in October 2010. The 216-room Mövenpick Hotel Deira opened in January 2011. Situated in the commercial hub of Diera, close to the Dubai Creek and Dubai Airport, the hotel is perfectly situated for business visitors and short stay leisure guests as well as weekend shoppers and small meeting groups. . 2012 will also witness the opening of the contemporary Oceana Hotel & Spa. Seven Tides’ second property located on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah will open 324 rooms at the Oceana Beach Club, which has already opened a popular restaurant-bar venue, West 14th, the New-York Grill and Bar. Both the club and the restaurant opened for business during the summer of 2010 and like the hotel are set to deliver great family entertainment. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, an upscale hotel management company with over 12,000 employees, is represented in 30 countries with over 90 hotels existing or under construction. Focussing on expansion in its core markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the international hotel group specialises in business and conference hotels, as well as holiday resorts. Of Swiss origin, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts positions itself in the upscale segment and stands for quality, reliability and care with a personal touch. The hotel group is owned by Mövenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%). Meanwhile, established in Dubai in 2004, Seven Tides is an international-oriented holding company currently focusing on hospitality and real estate sectors.