Chocolate And Oysters

Prices eat into brunch profits

Restaurateurs are feeling the squeeze of higher food costs as they strive to keep delivering dozens of kilograms of oysters, fine cuts of meats, and free-flowing chocolate fountains, with the economic model of the brunch already leaving little room for profits.

"It's challenging," said Mark Patten, the vice president of culinary at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai's biggest resort.

"There is mixed profitability when it comes to brunches. It's important to have our local market view us [as] a great offering. Nobody is here to make a loss, but they're probably not as profitable as other aspects of the business."

Mr Patten said prices of Atlantis's brunch had not gone up from last year, with one of the main aims of the brunch being to generate customer loyalty.

"You have to be very careful in the market. There are certain aspects to why you'd have a brunch," he said. "Now, in Dubai, because it's a very competitive market, to have a great brunch offering for the local Dubai community is a way of giving back something to get brand loyalty.

"The bigger the brunch, the more you're offering, at the best price, the best value, the more you're giving back to the Dubai market."

Atlantis, which charges Dh395 (US$107.50) for its brunch at its Saffron restaurant, and Dh490 for its brunch at Nobu, is trying to source some ingredients from cheaper markets to try to combat increases in food prices.

"Brunch operators tend to focus on their breakeven point and work on how many covers they need in order to break even," said Jonathan Harris at the restaurant consultancy Tribe, based in Abu Dhabi.

"We haven't seen any significant increase in brunch prices in the last year. The UAE has seen an increase in food pricing, and inflation remains reasonably high. Current brunch offers have maintained prices due to the potential of price shock effect."

Restaurateurs say high taxes on alcohol mean drinks make the biggest dent to their profits.

"Obviously, margins are lower for brunches with increased food costs due to volumes of food and increased beverage costs due to free pouring. Operators must also consider the additional staff costs for food preparation and buffet service, especially if a brunch has action stations."

Mr Harris said careful analysis and adjustments could help make costs manageable. "Operators periodically analyse their offers to ensure that costs are maintained at a reasonable level, as well as review the operation to ensure efficiency is maximised: tighter portion control, bringing the brunch offer in closer line to restaurant menus," he said.

I Will Not Eat Oysters: Ricotta Nutella Chocolate Cookie Pie

Turn it out onto your work surface. Knead it just a couple of times to make sure its holding together well. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Set one part aside and divide the other into 2 parts again. Place each those parts into a pie tin/dish and press the dough down and up onto the sides with your hands and fingers. Make sure that it's pretty much even. Divide the ricotta mixture evenly between the 2 pies. Drop dollops of the nutella onto the ricotta mixture in the pie. ( 1/4 cup for each pie, but I used a tiny bit more). Try to spread it evenly on top of the ricotta. This was a little hard to do so I kind of swirled it into the ricotta with a knife. Drizzle half a shot of the amaretto onto each pie.

Oysters & Chocolate, Erotic Stories of Every Flavor

Monthly Bulletin

Bread and Chocolate, My Food Life in San Francisco

Chocolate, history, culture, and heritage

Buckeye Cookery & Practical Housekeeping, Tried and Approved, Compiled from Original Recipes