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AN upmarket delicatessen in Bahrain has branched out into feeding fine food to schoolchildren and is now scaling new heights with a fish monger service.
Created in May 2008, Sage & Sirloin in Hamala first captured the hearts of the island’s culinary connoisseurs with a range of affordable prime Angus and Wagyu steaks and burgers which command premium prices when eating out.
Bahraini Mureed Nusseir returned to the kingdom in 2005 after a five-year stint working as a chef in Canada with the ambition of opening his own restaurant. “It was a really good time for business and Bahrain was booming,” explained the 34-year-old entrepreneur.
“I started researching the idea and creating a business plan but quickly realised that rents and property prices were really high at the time and even higher in the prime Adliya area to open a restaurant.
“During this period I was shopping like everyone-else at the local supermarkets and large stores and realised that these places didn’t have the high-quality meat products I wanted, and a lot of the items available were frozen.
“The butchers behind the counters knew the difference between a product that was bad (expired) and good (not expired). But, it my opinion, they really couldn’t give any detail or information about its grade.
“I thought, why can people only order a really good steak or burger at a restaurant? Why not have options to purchase one to cook at home? That’s how the idea started.”
Managing director Mureed was also determined to ensure the cost of good food was not as ‘astronomical’ as the prices charged in some restaurants for simply cooking the burgers. “We import our own meat so we cut out the middleman and we try to keep our mark-ups reasonable,” he explained.
He also believes the nation’s recent unrest has led to more families and couples deciding to entertain at home rather than venture out as regularly to dine. “In my opinion what makes Sage & Sirloin special is that we cater to the individual customer’s needs and preferences, from large corporate events to a homely family dinner,” said Mureed, who added that members of his team often take out-of-hours calls from customers seeking advice whilst cooking a meal or BBQ.
The Angus meat burgers cost BD8.8 per kg and Wagyu burgers BD13.5 per kg –for around five or six burgers.Wagyu meat is known for its marbling characteristics and healthier benefits as well as a naturally-enhanced flavour, tenderness and juiciness.
Last September Sage & Sirloin started supplying lunches for the pupils of Riffa Views International School. Mureed’s fiancée Nataly Hajjar, a dietician and the company’s operations manager, said: “We are very passionate about food and consider it our responsibility to encourage a balanced diet by creating attractive and nutritious meals. The students and parents are happy with the meals and we get continuous feedback.”
The pupils enjoy a main course, salad, dessert and juice for BD2 with a sandwich option. The most popular dishes include lasagna, beef stroganoff and macaroni chicken with asparagus.
The delicatessen’s fish section recently opened too with Sous Chef Suwandre Azis joining the team offering fresh Norwegian salmon, smoked Scottish salmon, fresh cod, live Canadian lobsters and caviar.
A supply of fresh oysters, mussels and sea bass from Holland is also available by order and hammour, shrimp, and red snapper is being sourced locally.
