When Great Produce Meets Full Potential
Written by Yasmine El Gharably of Cairo Cooking
with a foreword by Reem Khamis
Yasmine El Gharably is one half of Cairo Cooking, a leading Egyptian culinary platform dedicated to inspiring consumers to adopt healthier food habits and promote like-minded, local brands. We have had regular conversations with Yasmine throughout the years about the future of our local produce, the industry’s sustainability and the increased urgency to shift away from what is now a crippling dependency on imports.
When the time came to visualize a week dedicated to local gastronomy, it felt imperative to include an exploration of local F&B entrepreneurial projects: to give small brands the recognition they deserve but also, to bring them to the attention of the industry’s leaders who might benefit from their growing offerings.
In collaboration with Yasmine, we curated an exhibition-cum-marketplace titled “Going Local.” It featured 12 innovative, high-quality local brands that can easily compete with international products.
Here’s Yasmine’s recap of the exhibition day.
The local food ingredients market has been shifting dramatically in the last few years. At a time when importing premium produce to serve both fine dining and casual restaurants is becoming difficult and increasingly expensive, new local production has grown in quality and diversity.
During Cairo Food Week, it was imperative to highlight those small to medium producers, so we developed “Going Local”, an exhibition-cum-marketplace at the recently-renovated coworking space Consoleya, an Ismaelia Real Estate downtown Cairo property that formerly housed the French consulate.
The marketplace’s goal was to give a platform to young local brands looking to widen their reach, budding entrepreneurs with a passion for natural, clean, flavorful products. From olive oil, mushrooms, pomegranate molasses and honey to sauce mixes, mixers, chocolates and even tableware, these brands are investing in wholesome ingredients to make products that can easily replace imported goods.
The exhibition acted as a networking hub for those interested in good local sustainable produce. The guestlist included industry trailblazers, content creators, journalists and rising culinary talents. As visitors wandered through the exhibition space, which featured 12 stalls, they sampled food and engaged in conversations around the future of the industry with the people behind the brands.
Hey Honey Granola by Marise Melek
“We’ve been growing and growing, then we went through a lot of obstacles and challenges with Covid, with economic crises and events that encouraged us to get back to the roots and focus on the local ingredients.”
- Sherif Tamim
“Consoleya, the beautiful co-working space by Al Ismaelia Properties, the restored former French consulate in Downtown Cairo, was the prefect venue to bring those young producers together with their potential clients from the F&B and hospitality world.”
The Brunch
Together with Kesmt El Mehelmy of Cake Cafe, we put together a brunch menu highlighting some of the products showcased as part of the exhibition. While it was important for the young founders to be present at CFW and showcase their products, it was equally important for us to provide practical examples for using the products, partly to highlight their superior quality and partly to help the chefs and restaurateurs attending to envision how these products can be integrated into their menus.
From a ‘Freekeh Mushroom Salad’ using Mogu’s shiitake mushrooms and cheese dressed in Rammah’s infused olive oil to dips decorated with Foya’s dried fruits and iced teas mixed by Brix and featuring their custom-made concentrates, the French-style buffet setup allowed for interesting conversations to take place between guests, of whom many lauded the dishes for being innovative.
Artisanal sourdough loaves baked by Diver Baker’s Youssef El Azzouni were another show-stopper. We were adamant on keeping all the ingredients Egyptian, favoring Roumy and cottage cheese over their European counterparts. All the fresh produce came from our partner Natureworks, an aquaponic farm specialized in sustainable agriculture.
Every day, more and more brands are born with a desire to challenge the status quo, bringing forth dedication, quality and finesse to their products in ways that challenge international standards. We hope that this debut edition of “Going Local” is the first of many. The industry can only rise if we all grow together, starting with the raw ingredients that supply culinary venues countrywide.
Yasmine El Gharably, Cairo Cooking Curator ‘Going Local’
Kesmat El Mehelmy, Cake Cafe
Sliced Seasalt Bottarga in Rammah Lemon Olive Oil & Chives. Shredded Seasalt Bottarga on Buttered Herb Sourdough
Vegan Mógū Lion’s Mane Mushroom Hummus Fatta with Sourdough Croutons
Chef Farah El Charkawy of Fôu
Chef Clara Dayoub of Maison Choc
Baramili Block & Olives in a Rammah Olive Oil Bath infused with Garlic, Foya Dried Oranges & Pinch of Spice Thyme
Naturally leavened bread by Youssef El Azzouni
The Dessert
Pastry chef Farah El Charkawy and Chef Clara Dayoub, a chocolatier, collaborated on an exquisite dessert grazing table; Clara producing the chocolates that Farah then incorporated into bite-sized delicacies. Bonbons, ice creams, madeleines, buildable tarts and more tantalized our taste buds throughout the day. Donia El Sadat designed a beautiful tablescape to display the desserts with a curation of artisanal handcrafted tableware from her own local brand, Leaves & Co.
From left Chef Farah El Charkawy, Chef Clara Dayoub, Donia El Sadat of Leaves & Co. with mom Gihan Dissouky
The Talk
On the sidelines of the exhibition, a talk discussing sustainability and the impact of heavy importation on F&B profitability was among the highlights of the day. It featured restaurateurs Omar Fathy and Alia Helmy, and entrepreneur Mohamed Hussein. Fathy and Helmy founded some of Cairo’s most popular casual dining spots, including Makani, Kokomo and Eatery, which for the last 10 years has grown into a thriving concept with several branches across Egypt. Meanwhile, Hussein’s Quanta is the lead importer of F&B ingredients and products. The talk was moderated by Wesam Masoud, co-founder and Chief Culinary Officer at the Cairo-based cloud kitchen The Food Lab. Masoud posed a series of open-ended questions, prompting guests to open up about the future of fresh organic produce in the midst of surging prices, the move to mainstream special food products, and the issue of profitability.
From left: Panel members Mohamed Hussein of Quanta, Alia Helmy & Chef Omar Fathy of Otto, moderator Chef Wesam Masoud
