Chef Ane Patrice Treib, from Brazil, is operations manager at Tropicool, and has seven years of culinary experience, two and a half of which are in the UAE.

Can you give us a glimpse of your career journey so far?
It all started on a trip to the USA, where I worked as a cook for four months in a restaurant at a ski resort in California. I went back to Brazil, graduated from Law School, and worked as a lawyer for a few years, but my heart was in the kitchen. So, I gave up on my career and went to study Culinary.

I worked for a few restaurants in Brazil and, in 2018, came to Dubai to work as an executive chef for Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. Now, I’m operations manager at Tropicool, a new company in the UAE which works with açaí berry, from The Amazon.

What’s your favourite dish to eat and why?
I love pasta and bread; I believe in simplicity. A nice pasta with a rich, flavourful tomato sauce and some nice cheese on top is the best dish to have. Also, even a simple fresh bread with a nice crust served with a good olive oil can become a meal on my table.

What are you cooking up today? Tell us more about the dish.
Nowadays, my cooking is more focused on healthy products. The idea is to maintain balance, allowing the food to have good flavour without losing the richness in vitamins that the body needs daily.

As a chef, what are the top ingredients and products you’re using these days?
The top ingredients I’m using these days are açaí berry, fresh fruits, condensed milk, peanut butter, pistachio and many others.

What are some of the most recent, important food trends you can tell us about?
I believe that, nowadays, people are being more conscious about what they are putting on their plates, with less ultra-processed products, adding more ingredients of quality and freshness.

Also, veganism is a strong food trend, which creates a challenge in crafting tasty recipes with limited ingredients. This is already prompting big changes in the food industry and I believe it will do much more.

What would you advise suppliers and foodservice professionals who are looking to offer their best to the market and meet demand?
I would advise them to always maintain product quality and high standards of service, as simple as that. Additionally, hygiene should always be prioritised.