Millennium Hotels and Resorts has partnered with Watermelon, a leading food and beverage procurement platform to incorporate locally sourced produce across its hotels in the UAE.

The partnership aims to revolutionize the way food is sourced, delivered, and consumed across its hotels in the UAE. The collaboration between Millennium Hotels & Resorts and Watermelon will support the local economy, promoting sustainable food practices, and ultimately aims to deliver exceptional dining experiences.

Central to this collaboration is the sourcing of produce from local farmers, ensuring that only the freshest and highest quality ingredients are used in Millennium’s hotels. Watermelon has a dedicated team that sources and partners with local farmers and fishermen across the UAE to offer a selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, and other home-grown ingredients through its platform.

The platform includes an actively growing network of more than 50 commercial farm companies representing more than 1,000 local farmers, including well-known local farm companies such as Manbat.

The highly anticipated partnership will launch at the iconic Dubai hotel, Millennium Plaza Downtown at their Italian restaurant, Al Fresco. As part of the initiative, Executive Chef at Millennium Plaza Downtown, Christophe Prud'homme, will craft an exclusive menu using locally sourced produce, offering guests a truly “al fresco” dining experience. Future plans include to launch a "Home Farm" style breakfast featuring a wide selection of nutritious locally sourced produce coming from UAE farms.

Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim, CEO Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA, said: “We are excited to embark on this food sustainability journey with Watermelon, a platform that provides access to thousands of local farmers in the UAE.  One of our key brand pillars is to make a positive contribution in the communities we serve, and we are committed to giving back to communities through social and environmental initiatives.

“Our partnership with Watermelon will demonstrate our commitment and support the creation of a more resilient and sustainable food system that nurtures local communities and celebrates the incredible flavours that the UAE has to offer. Millennium Hotels & Resorts is committed to pursuing agricultural sustainability and promoting food diversification to enhance the dining experience at all our hotels.”

Omar Al Shamsi, CEO of Watermelon; "We are thrilled to partner with Millennium Hotels & Resorts in promoting sustainable food practices and supporting local farmers in the UAE.  We are excited to work with Chef Christophe to create these wonderful dishes that emphasise the local ingredients found right here in the UAE. In line with The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment’s National Farm Sustainability Initiative that supports local farmers we can foster a resilient and sustainable food system that benefits everyone.”

With the intention of expanding, it to other hotels across the UAE, the brand’s Sustainability Vision aims to continuously look for improvements in environmental performance across the business, directly in relation to operations and indirectly through purchasing decisions, products, and services offered to guests and business opportunities pursued.

Chef Christophe of Al Fresco, Executive Chef at Millennium Plaza Downtown restaurant, said: “Growing up in a farm filled with fresh food around me, smelling and touching the fruits and vegetables as a young aspiring Chef. Today, my dream came true. I am excited to work with the best of the seasonal UAE products, ranging from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and other produce being grown here in the UAE.

“Working closely with Watermelon, I can go back to the memories of my young self, enjoying the scents and seeing vegetables grown locally that I will soon prepare on my Chef's table at Alfresco Restaurant.”

Currently, Watermelon boasts a roster of over 50 registered local farmers, including Manbat. As part of the initiative, Watermelon actively seeks to expand the number of local farmers on the platform, considering there are over 900 registered farms in the UAE. – TradeArabia News Service