Eight hundred kilograms of premium tomatoes were at risk of going to waste when orders to Yassine Azzouni’s business in Dubai collapsed in the early days of the war with Iran.
With restaurants and hotels closed, the Algerian-Canadian supplier invited friends and family to pick up product from its warehouse for free. And what started as an effort to save tomatoes soon became a lifeline for their business.
Friends shared photos of the distinctive heart-shaped tomatoes on social media, prompting dozens of residents to ask if it could deliver directly to their homes.
Azzouni, known among Dubai chefs as the Tomato Man, began selling to the public instead of relying solely on the hospitality industry.
“The kindness of the people helped us spread the word,” Azzouni said. “My friends were kind enough to share my story on social media. I want to thank this amazing community, thank everyone who spread the word and supported us.
“People started reaching out to us on social media and WhatsApp. People were asking, ‘Why are you only selling this to restaurants? Why aren’t you selling to us?’ “So the idea came from the community.”
One hand does not clap, two hands clap.
Samiha Belmans was one of the Dubai residents who was encouraged by a friend to try tomatoes. He was convinced at the first bite.
“When you like something, you have to share it,” Belmans said. “For me it was a beautiful tomato that you can only get when you go to a five-star restaurant or a Michelin restaurant and now we are lucky to have it inside our homes.”
Azzouni supplies pink paradise tomatoes, a Japanese variety grown in Uzbekistan, at about 45 dirhams ($12.25) per kilo. Belmans was thrilled to support a local business and pay for tomatoes that she said tasted amazing.
“What came out of this is that we feel like we can stick together, help each other, always push the next idea, not feel stuck,” he said. “Someone else in his situation might have gotten stuck, but he stayed positive, found another idea. But also to do that, you need to have a community to help you. One hand doesn’t clap, two hands clap. This is the spirit of Dubai, sticking together.”
taste of home
Mr. Yassine’s traditional clients, the chefs, also supported him by giving their information to those who asked about the tomatoes.
“We received a lot of questions, people really wanted to buy it for their own homes, so we recommended Yassine to our customers,” said chef Milan Jurkovic of 21 Grams Bistro in Dubai.
The chef usually orders about 10 kg of tomatoes every three days to serve as a classic salad with sea salt and olive oil.
“I get goosebumps because it’s not easy to find a pretty tomato,” he said. “This tomato from Tomato Man really reminded me of what we have in Serbia. The sweetness, umami, touches all the taste buds, there is sourness and a savory taste. It reminds me of home. For me, this feeling is very important because food unites people, creates memories.”
Direct supplies opened a new path for Azzouni’s two-year-old business that transitioned from manually taking orders to an online portal.
“Every challenge is an opportunity,” he said. “The online store became our new source of income. Now we are working hard, looking for local ways to produce tomatoes of the same quality or even better.”
‘It kept us going’
Mr Azzouni’s experience is an example of how UAE businesses have adapted during the conflict and how residents are sticking together to help them survive.
Family confectionery and catering business Golden Chariot in the Karama area of Dubai supplied cafes, small supermarkets and homes when orders stagnated in the early months of the war.
“Our clients kept us going, they kept us going during the conflict,” he said. Anna Rodrigues, who has run the business for 20 years with her parents.
“Even when corporate catering declined, regular customers remained loyal. We work by word of mouth; in catering you need to be recommended and trusted.”
The menu includes cinnamon rolls, mini cheese pizzas, mushroom pies, cheese canapés and fresh fruit tarts. Business has picked up over the past month after schools opened and continued growth is expected.
“Now our time has really come, the business has recovered almost 95 percent,” he said. “The situation has also stabilized because distance education is no longer provided in schools and the exhibition season has begun.”
They closed the kitchen, completed renovations over the summer and returned to the core business to focus on catering for parties, schools and corporate events.
“We look forward to the rest of the year, as the country moves forward things will get better. recover. We have seen that after a low point, there will be a high point, and there will always be a return to the upside.
“September is the start of the festive season with Indian festivals in October, then people start preparing for Christmas and New Year. Things are looking up.”