The food whisperer

RAY PETERSEN -

Meet Simon, he’s a Muscat based professional chef, guild certified craftsman, connoisseur, aficionado, and food technologist, who generously fitted me into his extraordinary international schedule.

Simon is a chef, but no ordinary chef, who has a background in institutional cuisine in the United Kingdom. “It seems a lifetime since I started out washing dishes and frying chips,” he commented as he reflected on a culinary career that has seen him prepare food for such diverse identities as European Royalty, high ranking officers, diplomats, captains of industry, and sports and media personalities.

“I’ve worked in product development for the UK’s major supermarket groups, in the armed services, golf clubs, health spas, racecourses and five star hotels, so I’ve had a diverse career, as do most chefs, in reality. Today, in addition to my role with AATCO Food Industries, I have a real interest in the training and development of our next generation of Omani Chefs through the Robert McLean, National Hospitality Institute (NHI) program.”

Cooking and preparing food has become, in recent years, thought of much more than a ‘kitchen-based’ activity, as chefs such as Jamie Oliver and more radically, Heston Blumenthal have embraced science to develop dining as a multi-sensory experience. Simon too is an advocate of the concept of food pairing, which identifies molecular similarities in foods to create new taste sensations.

“I taught molecular gastronomy at Highbury College, Portsmouth,” said Simon; “where I was able to develop my passion for “fusion cuisine”, in the style of the immaculate French Chef Pierre Gagnaire. He is one of my real food idols, alongside others I have been fortunate to work with including; Yotam Ottonlenghi, Alan Ducass , Gordon Ramsey, Peter Gordon, and Mark Hix.”

Part of the Food Solutions Team at Oman’s food processing giant AATCO food Industries, Simon has the role of identifying food trends, and working with leading global brands to create condiments and sauces, which will enhance the dining and taste experiences for millions of customers around the world.

As he put it, “We work with these leading brands to create bespoke solutions to get the most out of a fantastic food experience. I guess in its simplest form you could say that we conduct tests and research to find out whether the sauce goes on top of the patty, or the other way around, to get the best taste experience for a burger.” That is indeed simplifying the process, and Simon’s role and approach are much more intricate than this example. He constantly studies social media to stay ahead of consumer tastes and trend insights, with, as he put it, “the objective of having products ready to meet trends as they occur, rather than playing catch-up, and chasing changes in food fashion. We develop products not only based upon trends, however, as we continually engage with new markets and new food concepts, to ensure that AATCO Food Industries is perfectly placed, to produce customized solutions for our clients.”

AATCO is a significant and recognized Food Manufacturer & Distributor in the Middle East, Africa and Asia regions and continues to “spread its wings”, with processing plants in Oman, Saudi Arabia and India all key in creating solutions for customers. Simon has become a frequent flier, with AATCO’s products, and his unique knowledge and skills leading the way in countries, and with food tastes, as diverse as across South Africa, Jamaica and Singapore.

“The services we offer are all about finding solutions for our customers,” said Simon. “With services across the board in food, and we look to provide opportunities for solutions to many major global and local brands. With our trends and research activities, we offer culinary support, adapted to consumer tastes and client requirements. It really is a vibrant industry, which functions at a furious pace, but my team and I wouldn’t change that challenge for anything.”

Of course, the big question everybody asks Simon is; which direction is food, or are food tastes heading? “Well, locally, in Oman, it’s currently all about Mexican tastes at the moment, but globally, I’m confident that the Korean food experience, with its very small portions of intensely flavored, healthy eating, is destined for international prominence. The ‘back to the future’ re-emergence of barbeque and smoked meat, poultry, fish, and even vegetables could be yet another big winner.”

Simon was both fun and frustrating to interview. Fun, because he has an obvious, genuine, passionate enthusiasm for his career. Frustrating, because it was all about listening to him describe the trends, products, and future of F-O-O-D, at a time when I was extremely hungry!

So, the next time you are enjoying your food, spare a thought for the contribution of the AATCO Food Industries Team, because your enjoyment, your dining experience and satisfaction, are in so many ways down to them, Chef Simon Martin, and their collective ‘culinaire point de difference,’ their culinary point of difference.