Yıldırım Serim, Cuisine Director for BTA Catering provides the Gala Dinner at the Cannes Film Festival
THE FLAVORS OF BTA CATERING ON THE CANNES’ MENU
While the pulse of the film world was beating at Cannes, world stars entrusted their palatal delights to Yıldırım Serim, Cuisine Director for BTA Catering. The Gala Dinner that took place in the Majestic Barrière Palace on 18 May 2009 scored top points with guests!
While there were so many people who would have sacrificed everything they had to take part in the Gala Dinner at Cannes, you made your entry through the kitchen! How did this come about? YILDIRIM SERİM: This year Turkey was the guest of honor at the Cannes Film Festival, so it was planned that the Gala Dinner would feature Turkish cuisine. It was therefore decided that a Turkish chef and his team would be invited. I was made this offer on the suggestion of the Gourmet and Food Consultant Osman Serim. I went to Cannes with a team that consisted of the chefs Serkan Yaman and Nazmi Demirtaş and confectionary chef Seda Yaman.
How did you come up with the menu? YS: Before going to Cannes, we decided to create a modern presentation that consisted of a combination of ethnic cuisines from Southeast Turkey, Central Anatolia, the Aegean and Mediterranean regions with French and European cuisines. We wanted our spirit to be reflected in the dishes. For example, when we made meatballs with wheat that originated in Southeast Turkey we used duck meat, which is much appreciated in France. We prepared examples of fusion food, such as kebab with French spice and fresh herbs, Circassian chicken in millefeuil pastry, humus with avocado, gratinated halvah, chocolate terrine with figs and stuffed chards with seafood. The French team helping us--which consisted of thirteen people--watched us closely, wondering what menu of Turkish cuisine we would come up with. We asked them to taste the food and tell us what they thought and we shared our knowledge with each other.
Did you get an opportunity to hear what the guests thought about the food? YS:
We were told that there would be between 400-450 VIP guests, but 600 people showed up. Everybody was very happy with the food. Both our performance and our attire were appreciated. The best part of this experience was that we worked in the kitchen of a hotel with very high standards. I acquired a great deal of experience that will be useful in developing our services in Turkey. I have returned refreshed, with new ideas to implement in Cakes&Bakes. The first thing I did was to prepare a training session, to transfer to my colleagues the different practices and techniques that I saw there.
Why do you think that you were selected for Cannes? YS:
BTA is Turkey’s largest food and beverage operation. It has a team of close to 350 chefs. I am proud, on behalf of both myself and my organization, to have been chosen as the Turkish chef heading this operation. The creation of a cuisine brand requires a great deal of effort and patience. When I take part in activities such as the Cannes dinner I feel that I could not get better recompense for my efforts. I am sure that Cannes has a similar meaning for BTA Catering, which has trusted in me and has invested in me.
Gala Dinner flavors Cold entrees: stuffed vine leaves in olive oil, tartelettes with broiled pepper and aubergine salad, fish eggs and shrimps on cucumbers, Circassian chicken on French baguettes, fava on mini flatbreads, tartelettes with tabouleh and pomegranates, stuffed mussels, spoon salad in shot glasses with walnuts and pomegranate syrup, vol au vents stuffed with avocado and hummus.
Hot entrees: vegetable and cheese patties with mint yoghurt dipping sauce, duck and wheat meatballs with pomegranate syrup, pastry with spinach and mushrooms, sword fish on skewers marinated in fresh aniseed, veal with sesames on skewers, chicken on skewers marinated with walnuts, stuffed chards with seafood, mashed eggplants, dry dumplings..
Desserts: spoon-presentation gratinated halvah, milk and cinnamon semolina in shot glasses, apricot confectionary with chocolate sauce, helatiye, pudding with tahini and pistachios, chocolate terrine with figs.
THE DIFFERENCE IN HUMAN RESOURCES BEHIND A GLOBAL TASTE BRAND
Murat Sağışman, Acting Director for BTA Catering Human Resources, says that they attach great importance to qualified manpower and that they work with the very best in order to achieve an international standard of continuity in service quality.
BTA Catering manages the food and beverage operations of TAV Airports Holding and also operates Turkey’s first and only airport hotel, the Istanbul International Airport Hotel, situated within the terminal. It serves an average of 24,000 people a day, combining the different flavors of world cuisines with traditional Turkish hospitality. BTA has a seating capacity of 10,400 and in all the areas for which it is responsible it takes great care to provide passengers with the most rapid and best possible service.
When its customer profile is taken into consideration, there is no doubt that BTA Catering, which operates in airports where international standards reign, plays a significant role in representing Turkey. Conscious of its responsibility, BTA Catering aims to achieve continuity in the quality of the global taste brand it has created and acts on the basis of the principle that “the best service is only possible through the best of human resources.”
Murat Sağışman, Acting Director for BTA Catering Human Resources, states that the employment of qualified human resources is what they attach most importance to and continues as following: “In line with this aim, in the recruitment process for each post, we evaluate candidates equipped with diplomas and experience. As of the beginning of 2009, we have begun to implement a “Personality Inventory Test” for posts of high level and responsibility. This is a test that identifies the most appropriate person for the job description and the responsibilities required of a particular post, on the basis of that person’s knowledge, skills, motivation and personality traits. The test enables us to compare the inventory results with the responsibilities of that post, making it possible for the selection process to be more productive and for the right decisions to be made. Furthermore, we also carry out a language placement test for posts that require knowledge of English. Then, from among the candidates who pass these stages successfully, we invite those whom we believe love their job the most to join our team.”
Sağışman says that newly recruited personnel are subjected to a week-long effective orientation program and taught the values and standards of BTA Catering. Personnel performance is measured twice a year and employees are informed of personal development through feedback. Those who achieve high standards of success are rewarded.
BTA Catering Human Resources, which identifies the training needs of personnel through measuring and assessment processes, supports the development of employees via internal and external training which takes place intensively throughout the year. On the basis of the principle that, “The person who knows best about a job is the person who does that job,” BTA Catering attaches great importance to proposals by employees and develops the business in accordance with this system of proposals
International chefs for an international brand
In line with the importance it attaches to human resources, BTA Catering aims to achieve continuity in the quality of its global brand by employing leading chefs of international fame.
YILDIRIM SERİM - Executive Chef
Serim, who was born in Ankara in 1974 and began his career in 1987, joined the BTA Catering team in 1999. He has contributed to the promotion of Turkish cuisine and Turkish tourism by participating in many international cooking competitions around the world (USA, Malta, Egypt, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, France, Czech Republic, Russia, Italy, UK), where he has won a total of 18 medals, including 9 Gold, 5 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. Serim, who acts also as a jury member in many international competitions, is part of the Turkish National Team of Chefs since 2002 and acted as captain of the team in 2006.
ŞEF SERKAN BOZKURT - Assistant Chef
Born in Istanbul in 1980, Serkan Bozkurt began his career in international hotel chains, then worked in Europe, in a restaurant with a Michelin star. He was then appointed chef of the foreign chain where he worked. Bozkurt, who began participating in international gastronomic competitions and olympics when he was a 16 year old high school student, is a member of the Turkish National Team of Chefs. He has currently won a total of 32 Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and in 2005 he was elected the most successful chef of Europe. Featured in the European press because of his creations based on modern Turkish cuisine concepts, Bozkurt was responsible for the organization of food & beverage in 2007 in Anuga, the world’s largest food fair in Cologne, in 2008 at the Paris Sial food fair and in 2008 at Immib in Mexico.
Index
TAG: