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Emirates Woman
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Emirates Woman
Demind Group's Partner and Executive Chef on a culinary experience that invites discovery
Tim Newton, Executive Chef and Partner at Demind Group, on crafting a culinary experience at La Niña that invites discovery. Talk us through your career journey to date. My journey in the culinary world began when I was just 16. Since then, I've been working in some of the most respected kitchens globally, including Paris and London, experiences that deeply shaped my approach to food. In 2010, I made the move to Dubai, a pivotal decision that allowed me to contribute to the launch of successful brands and eventually take on the role of Executive Chef and Partner at Demind Group. Today, I oversee the culinary direction of concepts like La Niña, OPA, The Mad Greeks and Casa Myrra. Each restaurant is an expression of my philosophy: to respect tradition while embracing creativity, and to craft experiences that resonate on both a cultural and emotional level. What led you to bring your culinary expertise to setting up La Niña? La Niña was born out of a desire to explore the rich interplay between Latino and Iberian cuisines, both of which have incredibly deep culinary histories and emotional resonance. After years of working across diverse concepts, I felt it was the right moment to channel that experience into something that felt both personal and exciting. We saw an opportunity to create a space that not only honoured traditional flavours but also reimagined them through a modern lens: something vibrant, layered, and full of soul. With Dubai's dining scene constantly evolving, I wanted La Niña to bring something new to the table, both literally and culturally. View this post on Instagram A post shared by La Niña Dubai (@laninadubai) Tell us more about the ambience of the restaurant. What can guests expect from their dining experience at La Niña? The ambience at La Niña is intentionally immersive: we wanted to create more than just a place to eat; it's an experience that transports you. From the moment guests walk in, they're enveloped in a warm, vibrant atmosphere that echoes the elegance of a grand Iberian home fused with the expressive spirit of Latin culture. Rich textures, bold colours, curated art, and lighting that evolves with the energy of the evening. Culinarily, guests can expect a journey through dishes that are soulful and refined. We focus heavily on storytelling through food, so every plate is rooted in tradition but elevated with technique and creativity. How did you conceptualise the La Niña menu – can you tell us more about your creative process? Conceptualising the menu for La Niña was a deeply creative and collaborative process. I started by immersing myself in the culinary traditions of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula: studying the heritage, the ingredients, and the emotional weight certain dishes carry. But I didn't want to simply replicate classics: I wanted to honour them while also bringing a fresh perspective. So, the creative process became about balance: how to stay rooted in authenticity while introducing unexpected elements that surprise and delight. View this post on Instagram A post shared by La Niña Dubai (@laninadubai) To you, what are the hero dishes that are worth discovering at La Niña? There are several dishes at La Niña that I consider true expressions of what we stand for: flavour-forward, culturally rooted, and crafted with intention. The Pulpo a la Gallega is close to my heart. We've taken inspiration from the classic Galician octopus dish but elevated it with beef chorizo, a paprika broth, silky potato mousse, and crispy onions. The Coco Lubina is another standout: our take on ceviche, using wild sea bass in a coconut-habanero dressing. It has this perfect interplay of heat, acidity, and creaminess, lifted by red onion and fresh herbs. Finally, Locrio de Langosta. It's a celebration of bomba rice cooked to perfection with lobster, octopus, prawns, kale, beef chorizo, and Padrón peppers, finished with a silky crema. It's soulful, festive, and packed with layers of flavour. Each of these dishes reflects our vision for La Niña: where bold traditions meet thoughtful innovation, and where every plate invites discovery. How would you describe your culinary style, and what are the driving factors behind your approach to food? The driving force behind my food has always been a combination of curiosity, respect, and creativity. I have a profound respect for the craft, the techniques, the history, and the cultures that shape cuisines. At the same time, I'm constantly curious about how we can evolve those foundations in ways that feel fresh and meaningful. And creativity is what ties it all together: finding that balance between restraint and boldness, simplicity and complexity, in a way that elevates the guest experience. At the end of the day, if a dish can spark emotion, conversation, or even a memory, then I know we've done something right. View this post on Instagram A post shared by La Niña Dubai (@laninadubai) Being a chef-entrepreneur, what did this teach you about yourself, professionally and personally? Ultimately, it's been a journey of growth: learning to lead with both instinct and intention and staying true to your vision while remaining open to evolution. You're not just thinking about flavour or technique: you're leading teams, building brands, managing operations, and making strategic decisions that affect the bigger picture. It pushed me to develop a whole new set of skills. It also reminded me why I started cooking in the first place: to connect with people, to create experiences that leave a lasting impression. How has setting up restaurants with such different cultures influenced your approach to food? Working across such culturally distinct concepts has been incredibly enriching. It's fundamentally shaped the way I approach food. Each restaurant we've built has required a deep dive into the essence of a culture: its ingredients, traditions, stories, and emotional resonance. That kind of immersion teaches you to listen more, research deeper, and cook with a greater sense of responsibility and respect. The culinary experience at La Niña is exceptional. What is the recipe for this success in such a location? I believe the success of La Niña comes down to a few key ingredients: intention, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the guest experience. From the very beginning, we knew we didn't want to just open another restaurant: we wanted to create a space that felt transportive, where every detail, from the lighting to the plating, told a cohesive story. Being in a competitive and dynamic city like Dubai, it's essential to offer something that's not only rooted in quality but also emotionally engaging. Our team plays a huge part in that: every person, from the kitchen to the front-of-house, is aligned with the vision and brings a real sense of passion to what they do. This is The Discovery Issue – what is your latest culinary discovery? Discovery, to me, is about staying curious: never thinking you've mastered it all, and always being open to the next idea, the next flavour, the next evolution of your craft. – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
West Australian
15-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Brightstar goes again at Second Fortune
Brightstar Resources has begun a second round of ore processing from its Second Fortune underground mine at its Laverton Hub, delivering 55,000t of ore at more than 2g/t gold to Genesis' Laverton mill in WA. The ore parcel includes some feedstock from existing lower-grade stockpiles from the company's Laverton Hub and is processed under an ore purchase agreement (OPA) with ASX-listed Genesis Minerals. Under the OPA, Brightstar will deliver, sell, and process up to 500,000 tonnes of ore through the Laverton Mill from its Laverton Hub throughout this year and into next year's first quarter. Earlier this month, the company executed a A$17.8M revolving stockpile finance facility with specialist mining lender Ocean Partners Australia to bolster its working capital and provide flexibility for production growth at its Laverton gold mining hub. The facility supports Brightstar's present strategy of simultaneously building its current gold production through the OPA, delivering meaningful production growth through development of its Menzies and Laverton gold projects and its aim to rapidly advance its Sandstone gold project. This synchronised regional development profile underpins the company's ambitious target of becoming a consistent 200,000 ounce per year gold producer within the next five years. Additionally, the financial reinforcement provides sufficient ongoing working capital for new developments, one of which is the imminent crank-up of the Fish underground mine production, pencilled-in for the June quarter. Notably, the financing will allow Brightstar to remain unhedged and able to retain full exposure to any gold price upside. With the imminent end of the latest production run, Brightstar expects to see a metallurgical gold reconciliation within the next few weeks. This considers the estimated or modelled grade and dry tonnage of the feedstock, the calculated gold left in the circuit and the refined gold out-turn from the ore parcel. These parameters include feed head-grade and gold recovery and can help with identifying areas of unexpected non-performance, including ore modelling problems, sudden ore-dilution during mining, bad carbon, poor electro-winning and reagent control, amongst others. Brightstar says development is ongoing at the Fish underground which is expected to contribute to future processing campaigns from June. The Fish mine portal was only fired in early April and since then, the decline and its related capital development, such as ventilation, have advanced by 220m, while an underground drill platform is to be set up in the coming weeks to support extensional and infill drilling from underground to test at depth within and below the Fish orebody. The company says its construction of the initial 48-room accommodation camp and ancillary infrastructure, including messing facilities, offices and utilities, is due for completion this month. This will accompany other tasks, including installation of a power station, a fuel bay, a temporary office, explosives magazine and site earth works. Notably, management thinks some of the key capital works relating to site establishment at Fish will ultimately assist development of the company's Lord Byron open pit operation, 7km southwest of Fish. Lord Byron is currently subject to Brightstar's Laverton-Menzies definitive feasibility study which is scheduled to be completed mid-year. The company's definitive feasibility study on its greater Laverton-Menzies development strategy is well advanced, with delivery on track for mid-year. That study is expected to better define Brightstar's path to becoming a significant, multi-mine ASX-listed gold producer. Brightstar has been one of the most active gold juniors on the ASX in recent times with multiple project and corporate acquisitions and now a solid toll treating strategy – all of which may culminate in its broader ambition to become a 200,000 ounce a year listed producer. And if its current pace is anything to go by, that may well occur sooner rather than later. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
Middle East Eye
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Trump administration shutting down Office of Palestinian Affairs
The US is 'merging' its Office of Palestinian Affairs with its embassy to Israel, the State Department said on Tuesday, in a step that signals a much-anticipated downgrade in US relations with the Palestinians. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had decided to end the Office of Palestinian Affairs, known as OPA, in its independent status and make it an office within the embassy. The decision is "not a reflection on any outreach, or commitment to outreach, to the people of the West Bank or to Gaza", Bruce said. Rumours about the OPA's abolition by the Trump administration have been swirling among diplomats for months. The Trump administration is already moving to eliminate the position of US security coordinator for the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The US security coordinator's office is a little-known post, but it is the most public centrepiece of the US's defence engagement with the Palestinian Authority's (PA) security services. Absorbing the OPA into the US embassy to Israel signals a further downgrade in the US's recognition of the Palestinian Authority and the Trump administration's limited interest in the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Exclusive: Saudi Arabia pressed Trump to stop attacks on Yemen ahead of visit Read More » US diplomats working in the OPA enjoyed a degree of separation from the US's diplomatic mission to Israel. They could send cables or diplomatic reports back to Washington and other US embassies without the approval of senior US diplomats overseeing Israeli affairs. The distinction will now go away, and senior diplomats assigned to cover Israel will now oversee relations related to the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian issues. The office already lacked a senior leader. Hans Wechsel, who headed the OPA, resigned from his post in March. The Trump administration did not fill his position. Career foreign service officer Lourdes Lamela was the most senior official at the office. For decades, the US maintained its embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv and operated a consulate in Jerusalem that oversaw Palestinian Affairs. That distinction stemmed from the US's refusal to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Israel conquered East Jerusalem in the 1967 War and annexed it. The First Trump administration recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in a blow to the Palestinians, and moved the US embassy there. It also shut down the consulate, although diplomats continued to work out of the 19th-century era stone building. Trump's newly arrived ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, was a vocal proponent of Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank before his appointment, and said that "there's really no such thing as a Palestinian".
West Australian
06-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Brightstar boosts balance sheet with US$11.5M capital facility
Brightstar Resources has boosted its balance sheet by executing a US$11.5 (A$17.8) million revolving stockpile finance facility with specialist mining lender Ocean Partners Australia. The facility will bolster Brightstar's working capital and provide flexibility for production growth at the company's Laverton gold hub. Management says it will aid production growth as the facility is aligned with an ore purchase agreement (OPA) with Genesis Minerals. It supports the company's focus on boosting gold production through the OPA, the near-term development of its Menzies and Laverton gold projects and gearing its Sandstone gold project towards development. Brightstar will be able to draw down up to US$11.5M to fund production expansion or for general working capital in one or multiple tranches. Each drawdown will be repaid within six months via deductions from the provisional payments due under the OPA with Genesis. Ocean Partners will hold security over Brightstar's run-of-mine (ROM) ore stockpiles until sold to Genesis under the OPA. The facility does not contain mandatory hedging clauses, enabling Brightstar to benefit from full exposure to the prevailing gold price. Ocean Partners offers a complete range of trading services for miners, refiners, smelters and metal consumers around the globe. It has recently executed funding arrangements for several ASX-listed companies, including American West Metals and Polymetals Resources. Management last year originated an ore purchase agreement with Genesis, allowing for up to 500,000t of ore to be processed this year and in the first three months of 2026. Linking the revolving stockpile facility with the OPA enables Brightstar to better manage its cash flow highs and lows due to the OPA's variable processing schedules. The higher degree of working capital available to the company will also allow it to pursue growth options at the Second Fortune underground mine, where it plans to target 10,000 tonnes to 12,000t per month. The company is also pushing on with the development of its Fish underground decline as it moves towards first ore this quarter. Brightstar expects to produce 15,000t of ore per month at Fish from July. An additional 160,000t of material grading 0.9 grams per tonne gold from stockpiles at its Lord Byron deposit are available for immediate processing. Further plans involve haulage, blending and processing of the Lord Byron stockpiles under the OPA, completing the Laverton-Menzies definitive feasibility study before end of June and continued exploration across the company's projects, including 100,000 metres of drilling. The company plans to combine the free cash flow generated under the OPA with its new capital facility to progress exploration and development across its portfolio of projects to grow its current and near-term production. Its goal is to become a 200,000-ounce WA gold producer within the next five years. Brightstar appears to be lining all its ducks in a row as it prepares to take a giant leap up the ladder among its fellow WA gold producers. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time Out
A giant new food hall is coming to St Paul's in May
Another month, another food hall. This May will see the opening of a brand new temple to snacking right by St Paul's Cathedral. Market Place already has sites in Vauxhall, Harrow and Peckham, and this will be the brand's first central-ish London location, opening at the end of the month. At 6,834 square foot, it'll be home to two bars and nine different traders, with Free Wheelin Pizza, Greek street food from OPA, South American dishes from Streat Latin, curries and noodles from Thai House, pancakes and burgers from Duck Shed, Caribbean patties, fritters and jerk chicken at Hot Scotch, Indian cuisine from Tikka Nation, steak at Argentinian Grill and Australian-style sushi from Rolled. Market Place St Paul's will open up across two floors at 150 Cheapside, EC2V 6ET. Speaking about the opening, managing director of Market Place Food Halls Blake Henderson said: 'The City has been crying out for a dining concept that matches its energy… We're thrilled to be welcoming a mix of traders to our venue, some old friends of the brand, and some exciting new additions.'
