Everything
Ever since William Grant founded Glenfiddich in 1887, the distillery in Scotland’s picturesque Speyside region has gone about its business with a healthy rejection of doing things the conventional way. Proof that this maverick spirit is alive and well today arrives with news of an innovative dinner concept in Dubai held across two nights in June.
Orchestrated by two of the city’s most celebrated chefs, Paul Gajewski and Greg Malouf, diners will taste a series of dishes inspired by three of Glenfiddich’s exquisite single malt whisky. The menu, Malouf says, “is a testament to our shared belief in innovation and challenging the status quo.”
To mark the new “Where Next?” campaign, Malouf and Gajewski tasted 12, 15 and 18-year-old whiskys and then designed a menu together to complement the range of notes they discovered in Glenfiddich’s creations. “Pairing whisky with food is almost an art form,” says Malouf. “You’ve got to be careful with how you approach the palate – whether that’s with the food or the drink. Glenfiddich’s notes of honey and dates resonate deeply with my culinary style, making this a wonderfully synergistic pairing.”
Gajewski, acclaimed executive chef at The Guild, says he relished dreaming up ideas in the kitchen with Malouf. “Greg and I have different flavour profiles and cooking styles, so writing the menu together was enlightening,” he explains. Malouf adds, “We had a great understanding of the notes we were tasting and immediately thought of dishes that would work perfectly with Glenfiddich.” One such dish they created is a French chicken slowly roasted over fire to result in a beautifully caramelised finish.
Malouf has long been a passionate advocate of Middle Eastern food and has always tried to bring this exotic cuisine to people around the world, in much the same way that Glenfiddich does with its expertly-crafted whisky. “As chefs, we are constantly evolving, just like Glenfiddich,” says Malouf. “I get challenged all the time, and I like to challenge, especially in a kitchen when there are younger trainees or chefs – they’re part of my growth.”
From William Grant in the late 19th century, right through to Greg Malouf and Paul Gajewski in the present day, Glenfiddich continues to inspire society’s tastemakers in the invention of new ways of evolving their craft.
A place for the curious and the lavish, for more on the Glenfiddich journey, follow @mavericks.dxb on Instagram.
