The Chef JKP Podcast
The Chef JKP Podcast
Season 6 Episode 3 - Steve Pyle - The CEO of Chef Middle East!
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The Chef JKP Podcast, hosted by James Knight Pacheco, features an episode where he interviews Steve Pyle, the CEO of Chef Middle East.
They discuss topics ranging from Steve's childhood food memories to the evolution of the gastronomic scene in the UK and the Middle East, the importance of exceptional customer service in business, the recent acquisition of Chef's Warehouse, and the future of food distribution post-COVID.
Steve shares insights into the culinary industry, his preferences, and offers valuable advice for young chefs and F&B professionals.
Topics discussed:
- Steve Pyle's Culinary Journey
- Evolution of the Gastronomic Landscape
- Chef Middle East and Culinary Connections
- Post-COVID Growth Opportunities
- Importance of Human Connection and Passion in the Culinary World
Key takeaways and lessons:
- Childhood food memories can have a significant impact on one's culinary journey and career choices.
- Evolution in the gastropub scene signifies a democratisation of food and innovative dining experiences.
- Exceptional customer service, quality products, and relationship building are key to business success.
- Acquisitions can lead to business growth, market expansion, and synergies in product offerings.
- Embracing sustainability practices is essential for businesses to remain competitive and relevant.
- Culinary events like Crave provide valuable networking opportunities and foster collaboration in the industry.
- Continuous learning, passion, and human connection are vital for success in the culinary world.
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- The Chef Middle East business was established in 1995, it's five, she's in the U .E. So it wasn't a small business,
it was probably 20 -25 % of where it is today. That must put you in a very different league business -wise because it means that people will literally think of only you to help them.
Yeah, I wish it were that simple. I think we've watched really hard at that. It's something that we try to instill in everybody who comes into our building to work for the business.
The guy who you help when he's really in a corner will think of you in a very different way from everybody else.
100%. Now, recently, you held two incredible events and they were called Crave. And for people who were not aware,
I was fortunate enough to be part of the event and I think it should be... you know, sung more of because in this event, it was purely about connection.
It was some of the best produce I've ever seen and tasted. And I just wanted to sort of understand from your point of view, why is it important to Chef Middle East to have these kind of events where suppliers,
chefs, restaurateurs, they all get together and celebrate food. As you know, here on the ChefJKP podcast, we love to push boundaries and discover anything and everything when it comes to the hospitality industry.
And today's guest certainly does just that. We have an absolutely cracking interview for you today. On the podcast this week, I talk to Steve Pyle.
We discuss all things chef Middle East. How connection. is an integral part of the business. How he got involved with the brand over a decade ago. We also discussed the intricacies of running such a monumental food distribution machine.
Steve is one of the nicest guys I've met and considering that he is the CEO, it was fantastic to be able to spend some quality time with him and really get into the nitty gritty.
A lighthearted conversation with plenty of information for you lovely lot. Now, listen out for a story about the legendary restaurant Aubergine in London. Time to rock and roll.
Just before we begin, here is a small message from this week's guest. Hi guys, I'm Steve from Chef Middle East. If you like the podcast, make sure to follow,
share and subscribe. Welcome back to the Chef JKP podcast. And on the show today, we have the honor of having the CEO of Chef Middle East,
Steve Pyle. Steve, welcome to the show. Morning, James. Thank you for having me on. So first things first, before we get into everything to do with Chef Middle East, what's your first or favorite ever?
childhood food memory? - Oof. So I think my mother would kill me when she hears this. So my brother and I were kind of almost brought up by our grandparents.
We spent a lot of time with them. And they were both, so there was not much money around, but they were both sort of kitchen bodied. so we kind of grew up on so we grew up in Aberdeen so very close to sort of a big fishing port at that time very close to sea and my grandfather would constantly appear with kind of bags a kind of newspaper wrapped fish so they would bake that fry that grilled that and I suppose
the constant that we're be on every day is they would make soup. And I can always look back and think at the time how simple it was,
but also how, I suppose, nutritious it was. So both of the, I'm sure this is not necessarily just the reason, but so my grandfather's still alive, he's 98 years old.
- Oh my God, amazing. - And my grandmother, she's sadly passed away. about four or five years ago, but they both had long lives. And their kind of diet continued in a really similar vein,
almost all of our lives. And he still, I can see it with him, even to this day, makes his own soup, starts with, you know, he has a kind of a discipline. I think he's less disciplined than he probably was with my grandma that was alive.
But no, that was kind of, I guess. I guess just comfort. The kind of memory, I guess, that it invokes. But also having those sorts of that fish,
because also Scotland is known for incredible fishes. Of course, sure. So that must have been really, really nice. And also the weather we know is grumpy.
I like to call it. So then, what were the types of food as I adolescent growing up? What types of food were you into? Look, I I think a bit like Everybody else who was in my can appear group of suppose at that time.
It was whatever I could put my hands on so it was a combination of Probably my so my grandparents my mother always cannot So that's whether nutrition was nutrition was and then anything else we could get our hands on and you know Scottish cuisine is not exactly known for being fantastic I suppose I better be careful what I say here but fantastically adventurous so we won't I guess when we had the money to kind of go
and buy food it was it was lots of fish but fishing ships chips, and I guess comfort food. So we spent, I guess my brother and I,
a lot of time playing sport when we were kids. And I think food as fuel was really important for us. So just being able to fill up on whatever we had close at hand.
And I think, you know, thankfully for us, the influence of my parents and my grandparents will... probably more prevalent than our own choices at that point in our lives.
So then when you went into your education, high school, college, so on and so forth, was hospitality the choice or did you go into something different? No,
hospitality was the choice and I think it began a little bit of a love of fail. The whole experience is going through. college began this kind of,
or stalled I suppose, this enjoyment of taking raw ingredients and be able to play with them a little bit and sometimes successfully,
sometimes not so much, but a real interest in ingredients in food and really I didn't stray too far from simple, you know,
taking a piece of fish and grilling it and playing a little bit with, with vegetables, but it certainly that's something that's continued through life.
So in terms of, so through education. And what was it that you did specifically when in college? So I did, I did them, you know, they're completely unrelated to hospitality.
I did law and politics. Oh, wow. So some would say. that politics has served me well in terms of the kind of environment I know of myself. I'm not so sure. But yeah,
so I had walked in some restaurant businesses and lots of pub businesses through my sort of student life and had really enjoyed that environment whilst you were studying.
Whilst I was studying and at the point I graduated, I was offered a job with Diageo who bought a business called Allied Demec.
So, sort of fell into the world of beverage. Those businesses at that point in time were beginning to dabble in not just the kind of brewing of drinks,
but also owning and developing pub and restaurant businesses. I sort of, well, I would say... fell into it. By choice, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of just pub businesses,
but some of the kind of pub restaurant businesses that were beginning to evolve. This is back in, I guess, late 80s, early 90s in the UK. So that was something that I really enjoyed.
I enjoyed the experience of and the camaraderie and the team spirit that you felt. in some of those operations for me was something that I really enjoyed.
The canner, the product was probably at that point in time, was less of an interest, less of a concern, but just the canner, the experiences that were being created in those businesses was interesting for me.
So then Steve, so for people who are not aware, obviously you went into Diageo, who are, as you said, in the beverage sector. Yeah. Obviously, enjoyed the hospitality side of things.
As you said, developing teams, being with the teams, so on and so forth. And how did you then move to Mitchell and Butler? Because they were a huge sort of brewing company,
if you like. Yeah. So they were, I mean, this was a, this was quite a historic time in the whole kind of brewing industry in the UK, because it was when the monopolies and measures.
commission deemed that you could not have this kind of a state of pubs, pubs and restaurants, and be a brewer. So they split, you had to split the businesses.
So what was Bas, the old Midlands based brewer split into, initially they were six continents retail, and then they became Mitchells and Butler, where Mitchells and Butler was the old operating core of the UK.
-core that was based in the Midlands. And then became, and Mitchell and Butler, I think to this day, still remains the canner, the name of the business that operates. Well, you will know,
I mean, a high number of, so I mean, and a vast array of different, I guess, beverage to food in some very high -end kind of gastropub offerings in the UK and beyond.
Sure. branding,
with branding pubs and branding concepts. So you began to see businesses like some of these, some of these I think still exist. So brands like Oba One,
O 'Neill's, Edwards, Alex, there were a few different worlds. So they began to evolve this and build this kind of branded estate of public houses,
of restaurant businesses, which was quite unique at that point in time. I mean, it was a steer away from... you know,
almost kind of what they become, what they mean to customers over a period of time. And I guess it also instilled in me this kind of discipline around what's really important to make sure you get right and how you,
over time, you build continuity and consistency so that the experience that the consumer is getting remains stable. But I remember at that time, the focus also went when you're talking about those brands.
It wasn't, so of course you had the beverage side of it, which was incredible. strong, but what emerged was that also the gastropub era was born.
So it meant that pub food or British pub food that used to be not so great, then all of a sudden started to really develop into something very,
very high. Yeah, I think, this is quite interesting for me. I think what began to happen was you had this kind of real upsorging interest in the whole,
just the culinary industry. And it was kind of becoming, it was the beginning of cool culinary in a lot of ways. And that kind of talent found its way out of the kind of traditional kind of roots to market.
businesses were transformed both in terms of how they looked and what they did into these kind of gastropub offerings. And you had a lot of people who were really talented guys.
And I'm sure you probably know a lot of them. You're really talented guys who came up with just phenomenal, phenomenal offerings. Yeah, absolutely. Because also, I just remember,
they were, they were a lot of, as you said, young culinary talent who were sort of becoming semi landlords, if you like, and were really pushing the boundaries of a Sunday lunch of so many things,
and it was a really interesting time, and that's when you had the likes of Tom Kerridge and all these kinds of people coming in and really changing the entire landscape of pubs. And you got, I mean,
from personal experience, you got to try things at a price point that you might never have even experienced before at that point in time. So it's almost kind of like the democracy. of kind of real food in the UK in many ways.
As you say, the country had a reputation for being absolutely average. - Yes, yes. - But this point in time, you saw this, almost this kind of flood of talent into those types of businesses where they saw an opportunity to own and drive their own gig almost and bring the role to the world.
to the masses. And some of them did phenomenally well. Yeah, it was incredible. Yeah. So during your tenure, what were you sort of responsible for and which areas?
So in the Michelin Billet and the Michelin Billet stuff. So I looked after, so I was what they called the, but so I started as an area manager. I became what they called a DNGM. So basically a general manager.
so responsible for a team of people who responsible for, and it used to be split geographically, so they would look after anything from what you'd call,
you know, straightforward high street unbranded pub reference, through to, so there was something called Emberins, which was this Kenner,
you'll know it, so sort of subobbing. subobbing, sort of upscale, bit casual, dining, formal, that's a semi -formal.
And so I had a sort of a spectrum of those types of businesses that I looked after. So some that were very sort of beverage oriented and others that were kind of highly fruit oriented.
And what the business as a whole, the whole Mitchell and Butler's business began to realize was the future completely lay in this kind of food sector and being able to kind of marry the two pieces together.
So, and you saw this across pub businesses all over the UK at that time, the canner, the pub that was almost at... feature of every corner,
on every estate, whether in smart areas or not so smart areas, they became less and less viable businesses because people, you know,
the investment in and the quality of the estate, the likes of Michelin Butler and there were others, began to build, became so compelling. Because he was just such an interesting time,
as you said, because there were so many pubs which were run down and not great, and then somebody came in and just gave us so much life and injected so much into the area. - Yep.
- You know, so then if we fast forward into 2014. - Yeah. - Now tell me how you started within Chef Middle East.
- Chef Middle East. the Chef Middle East business was established in 1995, here in the UE. And it passed through a number of hands of different entrepreneurs.
And the business had probably, it had become sizeable and developed a reputation. And it had also managed to kind of put a footprint.
We began this kind of journey of really broadening the proposition but also bringing people into the business who could make this connection with guys in kitchens and restaurants and hotels.
So back then, ten years ago, how was or how would you describe the gastronomic landscape then? It's very different.
I think it was a combination of things. I think there was much of it. we saw was highly hotel oriented. And there was a,
I think, people who wanted to pursue a career in kitchens often saw that as being the best route to follow. You began to see,
it was around that time actually, so 2013, 2014, you began to see this influx of primarily American kitchens. brands into this marketplace.
So there was a significant investment in franchised operations at that point in time. So you saw the influx of, I mean, there are a number. So from QSR through to upscale casual.
And it did genuinely, and in my view, it broadened the can up that the food I think the next stage in this market's development was that you had this cannot,
I don't want to say it wasn't a rebellion, but I think people had this sense that what they were getting was this kind of deja vu that was very, very gray coloured.
They'd seen it and they'd seen it and they'd seen it again. And you started to feel that... from hotel businesses.
And I think over time, that has continued to evolve. And in many ways, it's shaped how we think about the world inside the Chef Middle East business,
because it's really changed the way we think about what's out there or the customer. How do we become a more important part of this overall ecosystem?
And how do we make connection with those individuals who are dry? so much of the change that was happening? So Steve, I'm going to ask you a bit of a silly question. For those people who are not aware,
predominantly, what is Chef Middle East and what do you do? Sure, so I mean look, so we're an imposter of ingredients in terms of,
so from all over the world we will import ingredients and we store and distribute to our kind of customers. base. So we, I know our kind of customer count is something like 4 ,000 distinct accounts.
And we service those across what we call eight or nine kind of food category groups. So from protein through seafood, pastry, bakery, et al.
So we started life, I mean, genuinely, as a cheese and chocolate business. And that's evolved as the customer has evolved. As I say, we-- pretty much now cover a spectrum of eight to nine different categories.
So anything from a port on Mustal through a bottle of oil to a Tomahawk, you'll find that we have that in our portfolio. In how many countries do you distribute to?
So at the moment, we distribute to three countries. So the maximum which we built the business has always been a center of our business is really here in the UAE,
in Doha, in Muscat, Muscat and Salala. And it's having that, you know, when the restaurateur or the hotelier or the guy who stands in their kitchen realizes at five to 12 on a Friday afternoon that he's forgotten something.
- We've all been there. - Yeah. - We've all been there. - We are one of his go -tos. - Right. - We are, you know, we will find a way to support the business.
we try to walk with those guys as partners. I think this is right at the center of our whole ethos and the way we think about how we bring people into our business. So that there's a lot of,
I think, sometimes nonsense talks about service as a skill or as a quality inside individuals,
because I think it's sometimes it gets, it gets mixed. do best to create,
to impress their guests. So we have a small number of countries, we have a huge number of countries from where we source products. I don't know, we're probably somewhere between 80 and 100 countries that we import product from.
But in terms of the countries we're in, it's focused primarily at the moment, it's focused on these three or four key GCC areas. Because I was going to say, just as I was listening to you there,
sort of reminiscing back, it does help. when on a Friday or a weekend or wherever it may be, you've forgotten something because you're so busy and you're just like, "Oh my God,
oh my God." And it used to be that if you call on a Friday or whatever it may be, you would literally get refused. Sorry, it's a cut off. The salesperson and the logistics person has gone home for the day.
That was infuriating at times, but also from your because you forgot, but also that you've got customers to deal with. So then for you to pivot the business,
to have that connection with the chefs and the restaurateurs, to have those salespeople or those key members of staff who you know the warehouse will be open, we can help whatever you need to do, that must put you in a very different league business -wise because it means that people will literally think of only you.
to help them. Yeah, I wish it were that simple. I think we've watched really hard at that. It's something that we try to instill in everybody who comes into our building to work for the business.
The guy whom you help when he's really in a corner will think of you in a corner. different way from everybody else.
- 100%. - Look, we have that, this is something that, you know, we have a guy who's our, the guy who's our head of ops, who's been with us for 10 years.
He's a pretty rough around the edges. He's a kind of a proper hardcore operator. The thing I love about him is, he thinks a lot.
but he thinks about customer first. Wow. And if that means he has to, you know, on a, now a Saturday night, he has to open the warehouse at two in the morning because somebody's ringing him to say,
I need whatever it be, he does it. And look, we have a, we're really super fortunate, James. We have a bunch of people in our sales organization.
who, you know, they will find a way, whether they do it themselves, whether they, you know, they have to go and find a driver to take a truck to kind of get this done,
whether it's, you know, the first second or third delivery on any given day, we're blessed to a certain extent with people who see that as being a really important part of what they do.
But I think that sets you apart from everybody else. Yeah. We're a long way from being perfect. But I think in terms of mentality,
it's an important part here we are. But I agree with you because, you know, as you know, within the thousands of restaurants that you have within the UAE,
there's always something going on. There's a VIP coming in. There's a last minute request. And as a matter of fact that your team are able to be so flexible, specifically with chefs,
'cause you know they can be a bit hard -headed and a bit stubborn and a bit sharp at times. That sort of service, in my opinion, really does set you apart because people will really be like,
do you know what, if I'm ever in trouble, I know that chefs at least are gonna help me. - Yeah, okay. - Yeah, it's important to, you know, the... business, there are a number of different ways you can look at these and measure these businesses.
And we always try to think about this, put yourself in the in the boots of and look at it through the lens of a customer. And what's important to them. And of course,
you have, you know, on the spectrum of things that are important for them, you have quality of product and those kind of price. But the relationship in this service that you provide to those people is a really important component of how they measure you as a partner,
as a supplier. So it's something we get it wrong a lot, but we are consistently trying to learn from that. And we genuinely look for,
when we're hiring people, we look for people who have this kind of... of, I really want to get it right for this group of people whom I'm going to work with.
And it's really refreshing that also the sales team doing just necessarily want to sell, but they also want to help you to find a solution, because I think that's really key. And it's not easy with salespeople to have that at times,
especially from a food distribution perspective. Sure. Look, I think we talk about this a lot that, you know, we are... for partners, and that's not just a product level,
it's the whole enchilada, it's the whole piece, it's how we treat them, it's how we use our facility, and there I say it's sometimes to educate,
so we have a facility, and we have chefs who work inside our business. who are ready to let people play around with products from the warehouse or a day -to -day basis to engineer the proposition or even if it's just to sample something that they want to change out what they're currently doing,
it's an integral part of what we try to do. And I think we really place a lot of importance on the individuals inside the business,
particularly when we're trying to recruit people who have this sense of, are anyone to build relationships. I wanna genuinely get inside the head of this guy who's my customer and give him more than just product.
Just give him options, give him solutions to your point. - But also what I find quite interesting is that you're always... a well -established business. But also,
recently, there was a major acquisition within the business from Chef's Warehouse. Now, tell us a little bit about that. - Sure, so, I mean,
you'll be conscious of this. So, the previous owner's investors were a private equity file. - They were always gonna exit. And to a certain extent, they are Jones.
the pandemic slowed that process down. We had a number of people looking at the business. Chefs Warehouse, although they're the other side of the world,
felt like a very natural fit for us in a number of different ways. The Chefs Warehouse story is a long one, but they and I try and do the kind of minute skinny on them.
So the the business was founded by two brothers. The elder brother came to Europe to play professional basketball X number of years ago, and he fell in love with some of the ingredients that he found that he'd never seen before or had seen very little love in the US.
And the story goes something along the lines of she's I think his father mortgaged his house to allow him to build the cast to be able to import a container of oils,
mustots, vitals, etc. And that's how that business started. But when I look at the, if I just look at from a product standpoint, we share a huge number of brands and they are kind of go to market has always been this specialty first,
and then this kind of broad line of products that support the needs of the chef, because if I'm going to buy saffron and octopus and sea bream and wagyu from you,
why wouldn't I also buy buttocks and cheese and salt and rice? So this, I suppose, speciality, kind of broad -line ticket,
which seems like a really odd juxtaposition of towns, what's for them? and it works in the same way for us. Really, it's driven by the customer, it's driven by the chef who's saying,
"Look, if you're coming here with this that I deem to be very high -end chocolate and puree and whatever else it be, why wouldn't I buy this on a range of, you know, canned tomato, etc .?" There was a lot of synergy in terms of what they look like from a product standpoint,
but also from an organisational standpoint, so. of very similar. So it felt like, and this is always a, I think in all these types of transactions,
it's always a tricky time because the people inside our business, whom we'd, you know, we had a long relationship with, and it's probably a cliche to say,
you know, it feels like a family, but we've known a lot of these people for... a long time. We've taken, particularly from a sales standpoint, we take a lot of these guys at a college,
they jump through two or three different positions inside the business. And it was obviously change is scary for everybody. So there was a little bit of,
I suppose, concern about, you know, what, what would, what would happen once we... become part of this much bigger entity. So,
I mean, I guess a year on, James, so they bought the business in November 22. We're fortunate in many ways. So, I think they think about the business in along similar lanes,
certainly from a product standpoint. And it's helped us, I guess, broaden our horizons in many ways, sort. you know, we hold four to five thousand SKUs in our business.
These guys hold 25 ,000 SKUs in our business. It's huge. Right. And so that opportunity just to look at, you know, what works for you guys, we service very different markets,
but there's an awful lot of overlap. So you must have a lot of synergies together, right? Yeah. Yeah. And it's not just products. It's, I mean, products is one piece,
but it's also thinking about, you know, how they go to market from a customer standpoint, how we add brands into our products into the business.
One of the big benefits for us as businesses, when we, so a year and a half ago now, so prior to this, prior to the transaction all the way through to the end of the year, every market,
so we kind of reached this, we were botting against the ceiling in terms of capacity. In all three of the markets that we operate in, so in Oman, in Qatar and here in the UAE,
we're doubling that capacity. We're already sort of halfway through the development in the UAE, so we're basically extending these. walk.
So it gives us just an opportunity to play around, but really to offer the customers we have here just a little bit of something different.
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Now, back to the episode. It's also quite interesting because for people who don't know, again, Chef's Warehouse is exactly what Chef Middle East is. but they're based in the U .S.
They're a machine. But at the same time, it must also, you know, you're going into different specialty products, you're expanding the warehouse, which is already huge.
You know, I've been there, it's massive. So the fact that you're already doubling up, it must give you some really incredible opportunities to also hit different markets. And as you said,
to have so many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, there's a number of different opportunities. I think it's this,
we felt for perhaps, you know, as we came out of COVID and we went through this kind of process of recovery and trying to start, you know, stand up again on our hind legs and demonstrate a little bit of,
I suppose, resilience really. last couple of years, I think, has been a completely different experience. So it's been much more about actually we have this opportunity to shape our future in a slightly different way.
And it's this is not going to be completely left field. So we're not going to start selling, you know, semiconductors. It's just the world of food as we know it as a food distributor.
So. becomes, you know, it's like 5X, 4X, 5X, 6X. - So we have, and really it gives us a set of opportunities to talk to customers in a slightly different way.
So a great example of that is, so we have two of the protein team from the US here with us during Gold Food last week. Protein for us is a relatively strong.
part of what we do because it's relatively new to us. So it's like 20 % of our overall revenue. But they are really, they are encouraging us and helping us to broaden our horizons.
And they have this experience and expertise that will really accelerate the way that we think about how we bring product to them. space,
to this market and really look at the way that we source product for different customers in a slightly different way. So the other question I sort of popped up because it's important.
Now when it comes to sustainability practices, there are two for me majors. Number one, you have human sustainability, which means part of your teams.
But it sounds like Chef Middle East is the type of company that encourages growth within the company. And also, if there are any issues, you seem to be able to sustain your team in a great thing.
But the other thing I wanted to touch upon into a little bit more detail with you is because you're such a big company when it comes to food what are the types of sustainability practices that you've seen over the years and that are coming in from a government perspective?
True. So, taking those two pieces separately, I think from our people standpoint, it's really been the way that we've always done what we've done is these businesses are people businesses and you cannot live or die.
die based on the kind of, the quality of the people that you have inside the business and helping them, giving them the freedom or the opportunity to grow.
And I think we can definitely get better at that. And we're investing a lot of money in that particular piece. So that's always gonna be cool to what we do.
The whole. opportunity to imagine or think about what the future food service landscape is going to look like and how important sustainability and CSR and even issues like local product,
local production, how those pieces form a part of what we do. And he's trying to anticipate what customer needs are going to be and how the see the future of food and of food service.
So that's one side of it. He's one side of the coin, I guess. The other side is just, you know, people, we've been talking a lot about this internally and you think about your relevance in a particular space.
So you think about Nokia that was just a huge business. 10 years ago or 15 years ago at the outset of the whole sort of mobile phone revolution and communication revolution.
And that's a business that you just know a hero of now. I mean, we are conscious that you're that far away all the time from becoming irrelevant. And he's trying to understand how you can be part of the change.
and be part of the ecosystem. I think we are we're making small steps internally, so we're trying to educate some people. I mean, what's interesting for me is there's a generation of people inside our business for whom this is really important.
And I'm ashamed to say that it took me a long time to really understand why this is going to be important. I mean, aside from the... And I'm really,
this is a conversation for us to have, perhaps another juncture, but how the whole F &B landscape here is trying to wrap the head around this,
'cause you seem to have different parts of it are moving at different pace. - Absolutely. - And we see, you have certain hotels groups here now who are actually asking you as part of doing QA audits,
you know, what's your CR, you know, what's your CS. have any kind of distinct sustainability issues? How are you sourcing? What are you doing about a number of different issues?
It's becoming a... Yeah, no -polystyrene with the deliveries. Packaging is huge. So that we recognise we have to be part of the change.
And also we see it as an opportunity to... there will come a time I'm almost certain where people, so certain customer groups here will say to you that we cannot work with you anymore because you don't have X or Y from a sustainability standpoint.
And that's quite a stark bit, it's a stark thought when you think that you could almost be excluded because you don't work in a particular way.
electric is expensive to do. - And particularly in an environment like this where fossil fuel remains incredibly cheap, but I'm sure there's going to come a time where you,
we're just going to have to transit. We're going to have to go through this. You know, this is, this is what we have today. And this is kind of electric fleet. And over time, we're going to have to think about what is baby steps,
isn't it? - Sure. And it's just the willingness to kind of accept the change that is, this is. know, we cannot allow ourselves to become extinct because we don't accept that this is part of how we do what we do.
So it's just change. It's just change. The other thing I wanted to sort of touch upon, which I think is particularly interesting, especially from a chef's perspective or a restaurateur's perspective, you talk a lot,
Steve, about connection with the couple. Now, recently, you've held two incredible events, and they were called Crave.
And for people who are not aware, I was fortunate enough to be part of the event, and I think it should be sung more of, because in this event,
it was purely about connection. It was some of the best produce I've ever seen in my life. I just wanted to sort of understand from your point of view, why is it important to Chef Middle East to have these kind of events where suppliers,
chefs, restaurateurs, they all get together and celebrate food? That's a great question. We've played around with the format of these types of events over time.
So we kind of... and we've evolved because let's say seven or eight years ago, we saw, we almost saw GoldFood, which was last week or week before last week,
as being the medium or the venue or the method that we would connect a lot of suppliers with customers. But it was a little bit ad hoc for us because we didn't know who was gonna come and we didn't know who,
which supplier. suppliers would really, you know, come to go for it or want it to be involved in it. What we've done with these bespoke events, and we spoke a little bit about this at the time,
is it gives us an opportunity in a structured way to plug two really important communities for us, so the community that's represented by the kind of culinary sort of customers that we have.
And this supply chain that we have that has this just unbelievable sort of repository of technical knowledge. And we think we understand the products that we bring to market.
But these guys just have, they're in a different stratosphere in terms of understanding, as you'd expect. But they're the owners of the products that you're bringing, right? Totally. They understand it better than MD else in the world.
And being able to plug those two pieces together, those two communities of interest together, is, I mean, it's really important for us.
And it's really important for two reasons. It allows both of those communities to get a better understanding of each. other and what they might do together.
And for us, they both see us as being this bridge that helps them make that connection. So we try to build these events and get,
you know, and we've done a number of different things. You know, we've done, we've done masterclasses in the past. We've done all the stuff that you saw when you were there last two or three weeks ago.
So where we are showcasing just amazing ingredients and actually how, you know, it's more than just the, there's a station here that has seafood and there's a lot of seafood and there's a lot of seafood and there's a lot of seafood and there's a lot of seafood and there's a lot of seafood and there's a lot of seafood and there's a lot of seafood and there's some of these things together to create something that's
more than just the single ingredient itself. But what felt so special about that event, Steve, is the fact that it wasn't that people were trying to sell to me.
It felt like a celebration of food. It felt like a food festival. Everyone was having a great time and nice chat. I mean, entertainment around there was there was a one cartoons for people.
It had such an amazing feel to the place. And I think that's what made it stand out for me, certainly. - And if you go right back to what we talked about right at the beginning of this,
in terms of the ambience that, you know, if I think about some of my memories in this industry, and the places where you feel most comfortable, whether it be in pubs or in restaurants or at hotels.
whatever it be, there's an ambience that you associate with being comfortable and being entertained and being engaged. And that's what we're trying to do with these events,
is just to make it more than just about the, we have this, do you want to buy it? It's, here's an opportunity for us to, for you to learn. Here's an opportunity for you to see,
to taste, to try something and to talk to some of the to know more than in the hell she'll ever talk to about this particular product or this particular brand.
So, okay, it is genuinely an opportunity for us to... And I don't want this to sound, you know, somehow trying to laud over people,
but just give people an opportunity to learn a little bit more about the product. about the brands, about what we do in an environment that makes people start to think about,
I mean, most of the people come through that door and certainly most of the guys who come out of kitchens, they are the creatives and it's just,
you know, you walk into that event with a blank page and you may walk out with half a dozen ideas and if we've managed to give that to people, happy days.
Yeah. It's a fantastic event and looking forward to more of those in the future because they're really incredible. Now, the other thing I wanted to sort of ask you, Steve, is now nobody teaches you how to be a CEO,
right? Right. Now, you, of course, you run, you run a... a phenomenal team behind you. But from a personal point of view, I want to ask you how much of your job is strategic led?
Because we've discussed a lot of topics and in my head, I'm just thinking there's a lot of full site that comes ahead as you said, the sustainability piece or the fact that you're only so far away from being Nokia.
So it's not just necessary. about knowing all the phenomenal products that you have. It's also about having to think so far ahead, because it's really a lot.
I think doing this job is almost entirely about people, and being able to ask and having the next six weeks,
six months, six years might look like. So that, I think, that element of how you plan, how you build this different future is,
in some ways, is derivative of the quality of the people that you've got inside the business because what you're trying to do really is build 10 or 15 or 20 strategists who all have a view and hopefully they have a conflicting view of what the future might hold because that debate,
that argument, that frustration sometime with each other forges better decisions. And look, I spent a lot of my time and they sound like a dark thing to say.
I mean figuratively I spent a lot of my time putting on white gloves and getting between people because they, you know, people inside the business, they hold quite strong views,
opinions, opinions about what's right, wrong, and otherwise. Right. And look, from a personal perspective, I'm hugely proud of the fact that actually people care enough to argue about we should go with 'wef' not 'right',
we should go this way, not that way. way. So that's something that will continue to foster. And I think from a chef Middle East perspective, I think the advent of having the chef's warehouse influence,
experience is just another way that we have an opportunity to learn from what they've done, how they've done. And also this kind of enthusiasm.
to want to grow, to be able to be a part of our, I don't know, a bigger but a better future in this landscape that we are operating in this part of the world.
Well, that's the next thing I sort of wanted to ask you is, you've been in the region for some time. Yeah. You've seen all of the operators. You saw what was happening 10 years ago. Now, how do you see the future of F &B in this region?
Look, I think if you look at the government, so the key government bodies, and forgive me if I miss any of these, but if you look at Qatar,
you look at Muscat, you look at this country, and importantly, you look at Saudi. Without exception, every single one of those countries,
the governments of those businesses, see F &B in tourism as a real thing. pillar in terms of how they're going to grow over the course of the next 5, 10, 20 years.
And my perspective, which I think is phenomenally healthy, I mean, the Dubai story is just an incredible story. It's unique. And, you know, if you think about what's happening,
beginning to happen in Saudi, you know, who would bet against the same sort of thing happen? again in what is a geography that's relatively small and not really,
I mean, naturally kind of carved out to be this kind of incredible tourist destination. But it's almost the kind of having the vision, the commitment,
the investment to be able to do those things have paid huge dividends for this country and the rest of the world. the rest of the world. And I'm sure the same is gonna happen in other parts of the GCC.
So our opportunity really is to take that understanding and figure out where we fit into that piece of thinking and what it is that we can do that brings a little bit of a little bit of different,
a little bit of added value, a little bit of opportunity for the other players and those in need. help them develop, help them grow, help them succeed. So that's how we,
you know, that's from an internal perspective in terms of the people piece, but also, you know, we are fortunate enough to be in a geography that just has this, there's a huge momentum that's building around all things,
tourism and F &B. And you can't ignore it. It's huge. And James, you you must, 'cause I know you talk to chefs, guys who stand in kitchens multiple times during the corner of these conversations,
and you're in it yourself, you understand this, just the number of opportunities, the number of businesses that are either being evolved, or developed, or actually just getting yourselves off the ground.
is phenomenal. It's a huge number, a huge opportunity. And I think the quality of those startups now, if you cast your mind about five years, is very different.
So people are most sophisticated. People have better investor, stronger investment. They have a clearer vision of what it is that they want to do. And they're very educated on food. Unbelievable.
Yeah, don't forget. So this is you know, this is not, I look at it in a very different way, and a lot of the people we speak to, this is not what I was a,
I was a banker in London and I always fancied being a pastry chef. Somebody coming and they go from walking in a bank to walking in a kind of bakery.
That's happening less and less. They may be an investor. but the the quality of expertise that's being brought to those types of enterprise now He's just it's a really very high level in this and it's I mean,
it's So that means it's diverse. It's exciting. I mean, it's massively competitive so so not every brilliant idea succeeds and we feel that because you know We invest our effort and energy into things that that don't always go to - But it's good that happens.
- Yeah, yeah. No, I agree. - As you learn. - Sure. - No, I agree. And both for the people who are beginning these businesses, but also us as,
I suppose, a component part of the overall kind of food sale, this environment, we allow what to look for, how to support.
where people begin to either really take off and succeed and what that means for us, you know, how we have to support that and where people begin to struggle.
So it's, you know, it's just a hugely dynamic environment, I mean, incredible environment, really incredible environment. So Steve, now we've come to the quick fire questions of the show.
Sure. Thank you. first two questions are specifically for you. First things first. Which one do you prefer? Haggis or Cranican?
It's got to be Haggis. Sorry. Very good. Next one. Special one for you again. Are both Smokies or Smoked Salmon? So it would again be Arbor Smokies because I was brought up on that stuff.
So I think smoked salmon in those days was kind of seen as something that was kind of a fit or elite, but I still, so we call it yalla fish,
but yeah, I love that, love that. Do you have them in the Chef Middle East? We don't. We need to get them in. We need to get them in. I could see myself becoming, you know,
a key customer or key... key account on that basis. Now, from your perspective right now, what would you say are your top three cuisines to eat?
So I think something that's really been developed in the last four or five years in this country has just been the...
increase in Asian cuisine and how that's at all sorts of different levels, how that's evolved. So I think there are a number of different restaurants that I think do it really very,
very well. They're just different. They're distinct. They do really well. Well, I think that the pace or the number of Asian cuisine -Asian,
Asian influence restaurants is huge. I mean, even compared to four, five, six years ago, it's changed rapidly. So I'd say that's something that I think is really important.
And something that's important for us. I still have this sort of strange hankering every Sunday to kind of go and immerse myself in your octopus and roast beef.
Very good. And I think that the other... I don't know if you'd classify this as Asian or not, but I really enjoy Indian food in all different parts of the city.
I've experienced really interesting sort of takes on what I mean, I mean, if you look at this country... there are so many Indian experts here.
And it's, I think it's evolved again. All spectrums of the canna, the restaurant ecosystem, you have,
I think, some really interesting stuff. - Yeah, that's amazing going on. So then who would you say are your top three culinary heroes? - So, this is storyboard.
story we didn't get to, I think, from a chef's perspective. So one of my experiences for a little while was me and one of the sales people in the first food service business in the UK,
I worked for, were involved in the supply chain for Aubergine in Chelsea. And didn't see an awful lot, I'd gone round to you, but saw an awful lot of markets where it was just a surprise.
how not just talented he was but his ability to bring people with him. The thing I loved about those businesses and there were a few of them like that at that time was they're like an elite team.
They were like a performance unit, they were like Navy SEALs in a kitchen. Especially back then, over Jean Ramsey, I mean that whole story is. phenomenal anyway.
So much wearing. I think my grandfather and my grandmother, because they kind of, I think,
instilled this piece that was simple, it can actually be great. And, I suppose,
felt... colour hero, these are, again, people who I know in life, again, would be my brother because he spends so much time and is so engaged with food.
So he bakes bread, he barbecues, he grills, he spends a lot of time cooking and playing around with food. And we're blessed because we see so many chefs,
so it's almost difficult to pick those guys out, but the guys you're really connected to, whom it becomes a part of, then who are not necessarily related to food in the way that perhaps I am as a,
it's every day of my walking life, to see the kind of passion that they have for feeding all of us. entertaining other people, is an inspiration in itself.
So then, Stephen, we're going to ask you a very difficult question. In the entire business, what is your favourite department? Has to be market.
Right, okay, yeah, I was going to say, if you don't, yeah, okay. It's either those or finance, in one or the two. apart all your exec chef. I know he's yeah. Yeah. No I mean in the business yeah,
but it is all about the people and that's what I love Steve is that you're really you're such a people person, you know, and I think that's that's a very fortunate thing for the business itself.
No, I think if you ask the guys who watch in the business they probably said she's a grumpy old bugger but but but boards the bit that I think all the team work on is,
is how do we make this better for people who we work for, you know, for the customer, who we serve. And that, I think is our,
we've touched on this, it's an important part of what we do, but it's kind of this, it's kind of an honorable or admirable objective that most of the people inside the business really chase after.
So then the penultimate question is, what advice would you give 16 -year -old Steve Pyle? Don't drink so much.
I think it's more self -belief, it's more don't give up on the things you think are important and just try more. try to,
you know, just try different things. I think if I were particularly in my 20s, I don't know what was a very different place then. It's like a real kind of sort of octogenarian here.
But I think if I look at the people I work with now, who are in the 20s and early 30s, the span of the things that they are prepared to try to do to see,
to taste, to travel to. That maybe it was about opportunity, but even just mindset, I think I wish at that point in my life I'd probably been, you know, I'd been less,
I'd probably put barriers in the way myself rather than just say, "Okay, just have a go at that." Love that. The last question, again, you will be able to answer this amazingly,
I know. So, for any chefs or F &B professionals, what advice would you give them on human connection?
Whatever it is that attracts you to this sometimes crazy business that is F &B, so nourish that passion,
you know, learn more, explore more. to more products, more people, more concepts. And do not be afraid to ask questions because I think of anybody because I think that curiosity is really the thing that drives your expertise in the end.
It drives your ability to connect, it drives your ability to perform. So, don't be afraid to ask questions because I think of anybody because I think of anybody then ask.
And don't be afraid to ask, just find a way to fuel your passion through curiosity. Now, I just want to say, Steve, for all of the social media aspect point of view,
what I'm going to do is I'm going to put all of the links to yourself. to Crave, to Chef Middle East in the show notes, number one. And I just wanted to have a little recap of what we've discussed because I think it's been phenomenal and really insightful.
So from your childhood with the fish and the grandparents, I think it's amazing to then, you know, naturally going into hospitality. I think it's also amazing that you did law and politics, which has done you well,
I believe. Then of course, Chef Middle East, the entire journey of you. being here within this whole 10 years of what you've achieved, what the team are doing, the expansion,
the acquisitions, speciality ranges, the sustainability purposes, the human connection I think is a huge one, the growth and how you see the future. On a personal perspective,
I just wanted to say thank you very, very much for taking the time out of your extremely busy schedule to be here. It has been amazing. and I just want to say I cannot wait to see the expansion of Chef Middle East and their team and honestly thank you very very much for being here.
It's been a real pleasure thank you for your time Jeffs. Okay thank you. I just loved that conversation. What I really admire about Steve and the business he is running is that it is always the customer who is at the focal point at the same time the staff are also massively committed to bringing an experience to their core accounts.
I really love the fact that if you're in deep trouble as a chef, a restaurant owner, any type of business, Chef Middle East is the go -to place to bail you out and to lend a helping hand.
And by the way, Crave, that incredible event, they are happening throughout the year. So don't miss out. Simply sign up to their newsletter or contact them directly to get an invite and honestly the event is just incredible.
You get up close and personal to the top owners with some of the very best food on the planet. Simply incredible. Now as you all know it's conversations like this that can really open up our minds and think about the entire ecosystem of hospitality.
It doesn't matter if you're a chef, a waitress, bartender or a food distributor, you would have been able to learn something totally new and something that may not have even crossed your mind. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Chef Middle East.
And if you want to see more of what Steve is doing, I'll place all of the details in the show notes. A big thank you to JJ and the entire team at Podcast Now for producing the show and don't forget you can now watch us on YouTube.
If you haven't already, make sure to follow, share and subscribe. I would just like to ask a small favour, if you like the show or think someone you know could learn a few lessons from the guests and the conversations we have please share the show so that we can reach as many people as possible and who knows perhaps these episodes can inspire someone to take action and be the very best at what they do.
Finally a big fat thank you, muchas gracias to you for staying on and listening to the entire show you absolute legend. Until next time,
food is memories.