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THE kingdom’s press gang met up for breakfast on a Bahraini farm to sample the fresh fare on offer at the Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre.
Farm-fresh smells greeted editors, writers, advertising executives and photographers who were invited to harvest the earthy ingredients for a traditional scrambled egg prepared on open ovens by a team of five-star chefs.
As revealed exclusively in GulfWeekly, the Kempinski has signed a deal with Sadiq Farms in Karranah to supply garden-fresh fruit and vegetables for its guests in its restaurants.
“Preparing and eating food created with garden-fresh local harvest is pure pleasure. This partnership is a win-win for all of us,” explained Puneet Singh, the hotel’s general manager.
Kempinski began the special partnership with Sadiq Farms in February 2013, when executive chef Stefanos Melianos met owner Sadiq Mirza at the regular Saturday morning Farmers Market in Budaiya.
Impressed by the quality and variety of vegetables on offer, the chef explored the possibility of sourcing produce locally. Following a visit to the farm by the hotel’s culinary team, Kempinski struck up a unique partnership with Mr Mirza to supply fresh produce directly to the hotel each morning.
The farmer said: “My home is in the green belt of Karranah and my family has been farmers for generations.”
Currently, about half of the vegetables coming out of the kitchens at Kempinski are sourced daily from Sadiq Farms. The hotel works closely with Mr Mirza and expects to increase the supply in future and add eggs to the delivery. The initiative has received a ‘very warm welcome’ from the hotel guests, Mr Singh added.
