Bringing to Bahrain the expertise and ideologies to enhance the culinary industry, Leena Al Mannai plans to revolutionise one of the rising industries in the region
Culinaire and Beyond
Bringing to Bahrain the expertise and ideologies to enhance the culinary industry, Leena Al Mannai plans to revolutionise one of the rising industries in the region
B oasting a deep passion for gastronomy, Leena Al Mannai holds a vision to elevate the FnB industry in the Kingdom. One of the most popular feat of Bahrain is rising number of restaurateurs and culinary enthusiasts looking to engage in exciting and hearty dining experiences, and Leena has set to give the customers just that. Founder of Culinaire and Beyond, the only Bahraini company with an international partnership in the FnB and hospitality sector as the Authorized Licensee of the The Next Idea( TNI), an A-Z solutions for entrepreneurs in the industry by offering them specialised and practical solutions that would allow them to cater to the different tastes and preferences of their eclectic customer base. Leena spoke to Perle Magazine about Culinaire and Beyond and how she aims to establish the food scene in the country and the region as one of its driving forces.
If you could please tell us a little about yourself?
I have a Bachelors degree in Microbiology and a Master of Business
Administration( MBA) plus Certificates in Project Management, Restaurant and Kitchen Management.
My experience in the public and government sector plus the experience of analysing the safety of F & B products coupled with a passion for gastronomy, further reinforces my knowledge in the F & B industry.
What is the idea behind Culinaire and Beyond?
Our vision is to bridge the gap that currently lies in the F & B and hospitality sectors in Bahrain by bringing the framework and expertise that Culinaire & Beyond’ s partnership with The Next Idea possess. My intention is to support entrepreneurs and SME’ s to achieve their aspirations and scale up their businesses with the help of a team that focuses entirely on the F & B and hospitality sector. Furthermore I’ d like Culinaire and Beyond to be a key facilitator in bringing global brands to set up operations in Bahrain whether they are retail or wholesale focused.
What inspired you to set up this business?
Culinaire & Beyond started when I personally needed some advice specific to the hospitality sector. As I reached out to organizations I realized that a limited number of them serviced the hospitality sector specifically from a Bahraini viewpoint.
It made no sense to me that the F & B was poised for a compound annual growth of 4.2 % by 2019 in Bahrain, yet it was a struggle to find relevant companies who were servicing the needs of Entrepreneurs, SME’ s and larger F & B players within the hospitality sector.
Hence, my team and I reviewed the facts and figures, and having relevant experience in this sector we did an in depth analysis of the struggles entrepreneurs, SME’ s and F & B franchisee’ s who wish to launch in Bahrain have to face on a daily basis to set up healthy businesses. Since I’ m lucky to be equipped with the right educational background and have the right team to execute F & B strategies it made complete sense to start a company that focuses on a
102 Perle APRIL- MAY 2017