Latest news with #Harvester
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
From cockpit to coffee roaster, how two UAE pilots are serving up coffee culture
Inside a repurposed tin-roofed warehouse in Al Quoz, under a glittering chandelier and a large stone centrepiece, the scent of freshly roasted coffee beans hangs thick in the air. It's not your typical roasting facility, but then again, captain Abdel Aziz AlNaqbi is not your typical entrepreneur. An aviation captain, AlNaqbi has charted a course from the cockpit to the coffee roaster, building Harvester into one of the UAE's fastest-growing specialty coffee brands. His flagship venue, The Warehouse, has evolved into a dynamic meeting place for coffee and culture, alive with art displays, conversations, and collaborative energy. The journey began in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic grounded commercial flights across the globe, including AlNaqbi's own. 'Suddenly, I had all this free time,' he recalls. 'I've always loved coffee. Being in aviation, you drink plenty of it. But until then, I'd never thought of turning that love into a business.' That changed after a visit to the DMCC Coffee Centre in Jebel Ali, arranged by his friend Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC). The state-of-the-art facility, which houses everything from temperature-controlled green coffee storage to precision roasting and cupping labs, left a lasting impression on him. 'Driving back home that day, I called my sister and said: 'I'm starting a coffee company,'' AlNaqbi says. 'The idea just wouldn't let go. Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world after water. And I thought, why not?' First brew Fortunately, entrepreneurship wasn't new to him. 'When I was a kid, I started a small neighbourhood grocery,' he says with a grin. 'Later, barely out of my teens, I set up a business manufacturing fireproof doors.' That early experience, along with Dubai's ease of doing business, made the transition smooth. 'Getting my trade licence took no more than 10 minutes,' he says. 'That's the beauty of Dubai.' He named the company Harvester, inspired by a photograph of African women hand-picking coffee cherries. 'It was a tribute to the roots of coffee,' he explains. 'To the women, the farmers, the communities behind every cup.' With little more than a YouTube education in roasting and packaging, AlNaqbi ordered his first batch; 600 kilos each of Brazilian and Colombian beans. He roasted them himself, labelled each bag by hand, and drove them across the city to cafes and clients. Harvester began with a simple idea to serve better coffee. Today, we're building a brand that represents innovation, heritage, and pride" Abdel Aziz Alnaqbi 'They sold out in no time,' he says. 'And then came the Guava Banana craze.' One of Harvester's most talked-about products is its so-called Guava Banana coffee, a name born from a linguistic mix-up. The beans, sourced from a Colombian farm surrounded by guanábana trees (also known as soursop), carried a subtle, fruity aroma. 'Legend has it, the Americans misheard guanábana as 'guava banana', and the name stuck,' AlNaqbi chuckles. 'Whatever you call it, people love it. Some even showed up at DMCC asking if it had been banned!' As orders grew, he knew he couldn't continue operating from home. That's when aviation colleague and friend Bakhita Al Mheiri, one of the UAE's youngest female commercial pilots, came on board. 'Bakhita brought amazing energy,' says AlNaqbi. 'She's a pilot, a trailblazer, and someone who truly understands the power of representation.' Together, they opened The Warehouse in 2021 — a modest space in Al Quoz originally intended to serve as an office. But it quickly evolved into much more. The Warehouse's industrial skeleton — iron beams and bare walls — was offset by a large crystal chandelier, which was installed to elevate the space. But something still felt missing. 'Bakhita said, 'Let's put a rock under it,'' AlNaqbi recalls. 'At first I laughed. A rock? But she said, 'We've got metal, we've got crystal, let's bring in something organic.' And it worked. It grounded the space.' Since then, The Warehouse has become one of Dubai's most eclectic venues, home to private dinners, pop-ups, exhibitions, and collaborations. It has hosted art shows by embassies, including Japanese and Turkish, and become a creative playground for artists and coffee lovers alike. 'We believe in creating a space where community thrives,' says AlNaqbi. 'It's welcoming and inclusive, and Emirati at heart.' Harvester's rise comes at a time when the Middle East and North Africa coffee market is expanding fast, with Dubai as a key hub. The sector is projected to reach $11.5 billion (Dh42.2 billion) in 2025, and the UAE alone consumes an average of 3.5kg of coffee per person each year. With more than 4,000 coffee shops and specialty cafés, Dubai is one of the most competitive coffee markets in the region. This year, Harvester was named one of the UAE's 'Future 50' companies, an initiative by the Ministry of Economy and the Government Development and the Future Office, which spotlights Emirati-led ventures in high-potential sectors. For AlNaqbi, the honour is both humbling and motivating. 'Harvester began with a simple idea to serve better coffee,' he says. 'Today, we're building a brand that represents innovation, heritage, and pride.' Bin Sulayem sees its success as part of a broader shift. 'Harvester reflects a nation's evolving palate, a pilot's entrepreneurial spirit, and a growing culture of innovation in the UAE,' he says. AlNaqbi keeps the focus grounded. 'Coffee has always been part of our hospitality and our gatherings. We're just presenting it in a way that speaks to today's world.'
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Program providing meals to evacuated elders
Winnipeg Watch Grace Masse with the MKO Harvester Program discusses how the initiative is helping to provide traditional food to evacuated elders.
Scotsman
08-08-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Harvester meal deal – two courses for two for £35 via Wowcher
This is one of the cheapest ways to eat out this summer | Wowcher This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Tuck into two courses each at Harvester for just £17.50pp with this Wowcher voucher – a 40% saving off the usual price. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... If you've been dying to eat out for a while, or if you owe someone a meal out and the budget won't quite stretch, this might be the perfect offer for you. Because thanks to this deal on Wowcher two people can pick two courses each for just £17.50 per person. It's a 40% discount off what would normally be a £57.96 bill at Harvester, which has more than 150 locations across the country, and your slap-up feed would cost you a total of £35. Harvester's menu is loaded with British favourites | Wowcher It means two people can head into their nearest Harvester, choose a main course each, and either a starter or a dessert a-piece, and they'll have already paid their bill. It's a perfect opportunity to line up a dirt-cheap date night, or invite someone for the posh catch-up lunch you've always promised yourselves. If you're feeling particularly hungry, there's also a deal on a three course meal for two, for just £40 and, if wanted to take the family along, there are deals for two adults and children, with savings of up to 44%. All you need to do is click here to buy the voucher, head to the Harvester website with it to book your table, and peruse the menu of classic British favourites. Canva Get beach-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Sunshine, selfies and holiday cocktails – summer is here, and so are all the moments you'll want to capture with a glowing smile. Whether you're jetting off for a beach escape or heading to a sunny staycation, MySweetSmile can help you look your best. This UK best-seller offers peroxide-free, gentle whitening that works its magic without harsh ingredients or faff. Their powder is perfect for whitening before take-off, while the handy on-the-go pen is great for keeping your smile photo-ready poolside. Shop the full MySweetSmile summer-ready range here.
Scotsman
08-08-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Harvester meal deal – two courses for two for £35 via Wowcher
This is one of the cheapest ways to eat out this summer | Wowcher This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Tuck into two courses each at Harvester for just £17.50pp with this Wowcher voucher – a 40% saving off the usual price. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... If you've been dying to eat out for a while, or if you owe someone a meal out and the budget won't quite stretch, this might be the perfect offer for you. Because thanks to this deal on Wowcher two people can pick two courses each for just £17.50 per person. It's a 40% discount off what would normally be a £57.96 bill at Harvester, which has more than 150 locations across the country, and your slap-up feed would cost you a total of £35. Harvester's menu is loaded with British favourites | Wowcher It means two people can head into their nearest Harvester, choose a main course each, and either a starter or a dessert a-piece, and they'll have already paid their bill. It's a perfect opportunity to line up a dirt-cheap date night, or invite someone for the posh catch-up lunch you've always promised yourselves. If you're feeling particularly hungry, there's also a deal on a three course meal for two, for just £40 and, if wanted to take the family along, there are deals for two adults and children, with savings of up to 44%. All you need to do is click here to buy the voucher, head to the Harvester website with it to book your table, and peruse the menu of classic British favourites.
Time Out
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A skewer of oysters in blankets is the
It's been a big few months for Tom Brown. First, the Michelin-starred chef opened up his eponymous fine dining restaurant at The Capital in Knightsbridge, and now he's added to his empire with a joint venture alongside Birmingham boy and fellow Michelin-star wonder Brad Carter. Island – floating on the top deck above Mare Street Market in King's Cross, festooned with plants and quirky, recycled material chandeliers – is designed as a surf and turf restaurant. Seafood savant Brown helms the surf side and Carter, the turf. Vegetarians, you may as well stop reading now: there is nothing for you here. Common People of snacks If the idea of surf and turf brings about memories of lunch at the local Harvester, then Brown and Carter have taken the old school concept and given it a thoroughly modern makeover. Each dish is playful in the ways you'd hope from Brown who, at the now-closed Cornerstone, invented the oft-copied potted shrimp crumpet. Split into small, large and tiny 'islands' (essentially starters, mains and sides), plus skewers and oyster options that includes one laced with lamb doner sausage, it's a menu that's meant to pique your interest. We begin with sumac mignonette oysters that come tucked under a pile of chunky purple pickled bits with a pot of crispy, smokey fried onions on the side. If you were to take an oyster down the pub, it might emerge like this. Beef tartare, loaded with chopped gherkins and with the traditional egg yolk swapped out for a lighter, cleaner dollop of oyster emulsion, is a standout. It comes with a bowl of prawn crackers, extravagantly dusted with a prawn cocktail powder that makes them taste like massive Skips. The idea is exceptional; the execution, a little heavy handed. Knock off about two-thirds of the dust and it'll be a winner. A skewer of oysters in blankets, with a fruity pot of brown sauce for dunking in, is the Common People of snacks: a posh morsel in working class cosplay. Their star dish, the Island mixed grill for two, however is proudly extravagant. A pair of scallops, served in the half shell and submerged in a robust, citrus-zingy sauce is truly fantastic. Chicken wings, filled with a prawn mousse that gives them the vibe of a meaty siu mai, we're told have been divisive but get a firm thumbs up for us. There are tender lamb chops and thin slivers of oyster steak, a lesser-known cut that entirely melts in the mouth. Little squids stuffed with sobrasada sausage don't pack as much of a punch as they promise, but as a plate it's at least a show-pauser, if not a full showstopper. If fun twists and clever cooking with a relatable swagger are the order of the day at Island, then when it comes to pudding they've dialled it up to ridiculous levels. Malibu and pineapple soft serve is akin to a rum and raisin ice cream with a fake ID. With raisins soaked in the coconutty booze so beloved of teenage drinkers, it's nostalgic in the most specific of ways. An absolutely enormous slab of salt-studded chocolate fudge cake, meanwhile, could feed at least four. It is, we're told, a homage to Bruce Bogtrotter's infamous cake in Matilda: delicious, excessive, insane. You can imagine these two chefs having fun concocting Island's menu and it shows. Brown and Carter's surf and turf reinvention still has room for tweaks but there's already a lot to love.
