When I think about various concepts and their creation – the first thing I ask myself is: What would I really love to eat and what journey do I seek to experience. Then come topics such as demand, existing competition, and the possibilities for future development. When conceptualising an idea – I start by visualizing it first; the look and feel, the taste and even the smells. I imagine how the services would work and the kind of products that will be used along with the necessary equipment needed to make it all come together.
Every concept creation starts with a true and honest belief in it. It is very important to trust and feel a concept. I strive to follow what I believe and this is how all the Food and Beverage concepts in Kerten Hospitality have come to life. Take our “Charcood” concept as an example. It is a unique charcoal semi-open kitchen concept serving a variety of Charcoal grills in an interactive atmosphere. In a nutshell, this concept is mainly about the PRODUCT and FIRE, what we are getting from it and how we introduce it. Everything revolves around fire, charcoal, wood and smoky flavour.
I truly love grills starting from the smell that comes from the charcoal to the dish you get by cooking with the grill. Cooking on it is not as easy and simple as you might think. There is a process and details in everything – temperature on which you are cooking, type of wood that is used, and, as we are focusing on one ingredient, it is extremely important to choose high-quality products. The bottom line for me is to get a great result! When people think about grilled food, they think about meat alone, however, grills are not limited to meat. A full variety of seasonal vegetables, fish, and even desserts can be done on the grill!
On a final note I want to share my philosophy: When you create anything – it should be something you are really passionate about and truly believe in. It is all about passion!