[CrisBJack]

Hey anyone

My wife has applied for a job in Dubai, and im just a little worried about finding work etc etc. I have been a Chef on and off through out my life. Im currently working for Conkers which is part of the national forest project. Its great foods pretty basic which is what i like dont really want to be stuck in a hotel really. I also make Birthday cakes etc etc and wondered if there was a market for stuff like that. Im a jack of all trades master of none. Would appreciate some advice and just a idea of job situation out there. As much as i like being free to do what i want with the kids i would like to have some kind of job. Cheers in Advance :confused2:

 

[Toon]

Sounds like you could do well woking either for one of the cake places or maybe setting up on your own.

Reading between the lines you appear apprehensive of your wife's potential job. Don't be, you have great skills and there is a demand for decent chefs who can cook what people actually want, not the posh stuff that I had enough of when I was there, but the genuine home cooked food that doesn't really exist in Dubai.

If you want steaks etc. it's ten a penny, if you want proper warming food, stews, casseroles etc. Then it's somewhat lacking.

Go for it, think outside the box.

 

[CrisBJack]

Hi thanks for the reply only just got chance to get on here. That sounds Luke a lot of opportunitys to try something different out there. Think I'm just going to play it by ear and see what happens with ny wife's interview before looking in to it more but thank you for the advice its greatly appreciated. Chris

 

[lxinuk]

Conkers is a great place and great food!! Btdt many times

 

[CrisBJack]

They need build a conkers in Dubai be great

 

[TallyHo]

I'd worry about this only after the wife has been offered the job...

If she gets the postion there are several things to keep in mind:

1. Whilst Dubai has a huge and thriving dining scene it's almost entirely divided between upscale restaurants and cheap Indian/Pakistani/Arabic local joints. Almost all the cooking is done by either South Asians or Filipinos who are very cheap to employ and accept salaries far less than a Western expatriate would tolerate. The upscale restaurants in hotels do solicit and recruit trained western chefs but those would be people with significant expertise and years of experience running a proper restaurant.

2. Setting up your own cooking business on the side runs into legal issues. Whilst some people have managed to have little cake making businesses, selling birthday cakes to friends and neighbours, anything more serious will require a local sponsor, trade permits, compliance with local hygenic standards for food preparation (and yes, it's fairly high).

3. The demand for basic Brit-style food is not as great as you may expect. This is a very hot country for most of the year so people don't regularly eat the same diets of heavy casseroles, pies and stews as they may back in the UK. Whilst Rivington Grill with its modern British cuisine does a roaring business, people seem content to make their own everyday British food when it suits them, so I'm not sure you can count on enough demand for basic British food to support a catering business - legitimate or not.

 

[CrisBJack]

Thanks for the advice, seems she has been offered a great package so I won't be in a rush to work straight away out there. Have found a lot of British bars etc etc. Not even sure I ent to cook out there am jack of ll trades would be happy doing anything really tbh.

 

[yoplu]

a lot of people in dubai came with skills from back home and ended up doing something completely different. myself included. thats one of the beauties of this city.