Mark T.

 

Mark T. currently serves as founder of Tri Foods and Consulting Solutions in the UAE, a family‑owned business that operates with a strong management team and very limited day‑to‑day involvement from him. With more than 25 years of culinary and food‑and‑beverage experience across Ireland and the UAE, he is recognized for his leadership, operational discipline, menu and product development, and contribution to the hospitality and foodservice industry. He is now actively seeking a new senior director–level role where he can lead complete F&B or culinary operations for an established group or brand.

Career progression and background

Mark’s culinary journey began in Ireland, his country of origin, where he trained through Failte Ireland and earned City & Guilds/NVQ qualifications before moving into hands‑on culinary roles. His early professional development was shaped by hard work, commitment and experience gained across different kitchen and F&B positions, from Head Chef and Executive Chef to Corporate Chef and senior F&B leadership.

He moved to Dubai in 2009 and since then has developed, launched and operated concepts across the UAE, leading large multicultural teams in restaurants, cafés, retail, premium foodservice and hospitality. His experience extends beyond the kitchen into menu and product development, brand positioning, concept development, pre‑openings, multi‑site operations, food cost and margin improvement, procurement, SOP development, team building and operational restructuring.

Key roles include Director of Food & Beverage / Corporate Chef with FMART Group International; Head of Food & Beverage and Senior Manager F&B with Ghassan Aboud Group (Grandiose retail); Head of F&B at The Hungry Tree Restaurant and Gastro Bar in Ireland; and Corporate Chef / Director of Operations and Executive Chef with Rafid Gourmet (including Opso Dubai). Alongside these positions, Mark established Tri Foods and Consulting Solutions as a family business. The company is structured to run with minimal ongoing involvement from him, allowing him to focus on a full‑time senior leadership role with another organization.

Culinary leadership and achievements

As founder and culinary director of Tri Foods and Consulting Solutions, Mark has overseen concept creation, menu engineering, kitchen design, pre‑openings, multi‑site rollouts and performance improvement for existing businesses. His responsibilities have included developing and launching new F&B brands and standalone concepts for large groups in the UAE and Ireland; leading menu revamps, seasonal development, new dish creation, recipe standardization and kitchen workflow improvements for high‑end casual dining and multi‑brand portfolios; and implementing centralized kitchens, private label strategies and procurement frameworks to improve consistency, quality and margins.

He has built and trained teams across kitchen, front of house and beverage, aligning service standards, menu knowledge and upselling with commercial goals. He also delivers consultancy projects in menu development, beverage programmes (cocktails, mocktails, specialty coffee), SOPs, HACCP, food safety and operational reviews for restaurants, cafés and hospitality groups.

Leadership philosophy

Mark’s leadership style is based on understanding the contribution of every member of an F&B team, from kitchen stewards and helpers to cooks, pastry chefs, service staff and managers. Because he has worked in different kitchen and F&B positions himself, he understands the pressures and challenges faced by employees at every level.

This practical experience allows him to motivate and inspire his team while building a stronger passion for culinary and operational excellence. His approach demonstrates that effective leadership is not only about managing food production but also about recognizing people, developing talent, creating opportunities for professional growth and aligning culinary creativity with cost control and operational discipline.

Continuing professional ambitions

While Mark is the founder of a family‑owned business, he is explicitly seeking a new senior director–level role such as Corporate Chef, Executive Chef, Culinary Director or senior F&B leadership position in the UAE. He is open to working with standalone restaurant concepts and growing restaurant groups; hotel F&B divisions looking to strengthen their outlet performance and local appeal; and multi‑brand retail and hospitality portfolios that need stronger systems, training, food development and commercial focus.

Tri Foods and Consulting Solutions continues to support selected projects in menu development, beverage programmes, pre‑openings and operational reviews. The company is designed to operate with very limited ongoing involvement from Mark, ensuring that any future employer benefits from his full‑time attention and leadership.

Mark’s career reflects how deep operational experience, commercial discipline and a commitment to developing people can create lasting influence in the hospitality industry. He is now looking for the right business where he can use the full range of his experience, be hands‑on when needed, develop teams and make a measurable contribution to performance at a senior director level.

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