Aloft Abu Dhabi, a Marriott International hotel at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) has teamed up with Elli’s Kosher Kitchen to launch a catering operation that will distribute authentic kosher-certified food to all hotels in the UAE.

Elli’s Kosher Kitchen is among the largest kosher food providers in the UAE, catering to Israeli delegations and the historic signing of the Abraham Accords. The business was established in 2019 by Dubai resident Elli Kriel and is the only caterer in the country to be certified by the world-recognised Orthodox Union.

Under the agreement, Elli’s Kosher Kitchen will establish a food preparation and distribution centre at Aloft Abu Dhabi. Elli’s Kosher Kitchen will facilitate everything from small scale to large scale catering operations for private, government and public organisations, and provide kosher room service options across all hotels in the UAE.

The agreement marks a significant milestone for Marriott International in the country, with recent developments between the UAE and Israel creating an increase in demand for kosher food.

Set to launch on today (February 21), the operation will be led by Culinary Consultant, Brendan McGowan and resident chefs in the UAE specifically trained in kosher food production methods by Elli Kriel; and Kosher Supervisors, Aryeh Katz from Jerusalem and Yossie van Praagh from London.

The preparation and distribution centre will distribute freshly prepared kosher food to all hotels in the UAE, as well as events hosted by Adnec, starting with the prestigious IDEX 2021 Defence Exhibition on February 21-25.

The cuisine will feature Elli’s Kosher Kitchen signature ‘kosherati’ style that fuses kosher recipes with locally-sourced ingredients popular in Emirati culture.

Richard Collins, Area General Manager for Marriott International Hotels in Abu Dhabi, said: “It’s a great collaboration for Marriott International in the UAE to work with Elli’s Kosher Kitchen, a homegrown business that has featured prominently in the UAE’s growing ties with Israel. Under the agreement, Aloft Abu Dhabi will host a top-quality ‘kosherized’ catering operation run by Elli and her talented kitchen staff.

“The market for kosher food is growing in the UAE, especially among international travellers following kosher diets, health conscious customers who want to know how their food is prepared, and those curious to experience other ethnic cuisines. We are proud to be at the forefront of the UAE’s diverse and multi-cultural culinary offering.”

Elli’s Kosher Kitchen is a homegrown success story. Founder, Elli Kriel, was born and raised in South Africa, before moving to the UAE with her family in 2013. Her strict kosher diet made it difficult to eat in restaurants, encouraging her to invite guests for meals at her own home. In 2019 - the UAE’s Year of Tolerance - Elli opened her own business cooking and delivering hearty kosher meals to households, hotels and private events.

“This is a very proud moment for myself and everyone who has helped me take the concept to where it is now, especially my friends in the Emirati community,” she said. “Establishing a catering operation in collaboration with Marriott International in the UAE is an important next step in the development of the business and I couldn’t have chosen a better location than Aloft Abu Dhabi. I can’t wait to start supplying Marriott’s hotels and huge events including IDEX with the freshly-produced food that I love to eat myself.”

A kosher diet follows the dietary requirements of Jewish law. It prohibits certain meat like pork and shellfish, and has strict stipulations on food preparation. Rulings on kosher establishments must be carried out by trained rabbis from a kosher certification agency. The process involves checking ingredients, before the facility is inspected for aspects including cross contamination.

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