Food sustains our bodies, defines our cultures, feeds our senses and touches virtually every aspect of human society: from individual habits to national policy, local to global ecosystems, economies to education. However, our food system is imperiled, and with it, our survival. We must adapt our food systems to sustainably feed the growing population in a world with shifting climate and environmental pressures. Tackling these challenges will require collaborations across all aspects of the food system to ensure that production processes, policies and regulations, food safety practices, and affordability are aligned. It's a multigenerational challenge that demands a different breed of leaders. Enters Cristine Caringal Melad, Co- Founder of Spice grill and Dampa Seafood Grill. Cristine believes that approaching food problems in an open-minded and crossdisciplinary way will achieve better results for business growth, population well-being, food production and planet sustainability. In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur magazine, Cristine gives us a detailed insight into her professional journey and tells us about the inspiration and future roadmap for Spice Grill and Dampa.

Tell us about your professional journey and what inspired you to co-foundDampa Seafood Grill and Spice Grill?

After completing my bachelor degree in mass communication from Polytechnic University in Philippines in 2006, I have worked as a Sales and Marketing Executive in Amadeus Makati, Philippines for 2 years and also as the Office Manager of International Turnkey Systems an IT company in Dubai, UAE. Philippines is number six in aquaculture in the world but there are a lot of issues like inequality, undernourishment, unemployment and I wanted to bridge the gaps by diversifying into food business to give affordable and quality seafood products to Filipinos. With the increasing population, there is also a need to educate and help our people to push aquaculture production and sustainable farming.

What motivated you to branch out your venture in Dubai? What sort of change do you aspire to make as a leader in F&B industry?

Dubai has a lot of potential in all the verticals but I noticed a gap in the market for a go-to-restaurant with high quality and affordable seafood products. We wanted to focus on building a community wherein, farmers, fishermen and consumers are connected with farm-to- table system.

"Our company is constantly looking to create seafood products, as alternative to meat, for healthier diet. Reshaping the food environment"

As a leader, I want to have a meaningful impact in the world and to focus on system-thinking approach in connecting and solving issues like proper sourcing and production, ethical supply chain and sustainability. Our companies equip professionals with critical thinking skills to make an impact within our organization as well as in the entire food system.

What are the various challenges that you have faced as a leader in F&B industry and how did you manage to overcome these roadblocks?

Major challenges in F&B industry are high cost of raw materials from suppliers, lack of transparency and visibility in supply chain, and accountability to ensure that quality, safety and ethical standards are met. F&B industry is highly competitive, so we have to keep improving ourselves in all areas through cross- training, evaluation and monitoring, product enhancement and development for all our store chains. Pandemic affected most of the businesses and a lot of individuals have suffered and we had to ensure that our people are taken care and heard. The feeling of stability and trust will turn them into strong assets that will result in a unified workforce.

What are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey?

We have proven a good track record in Middle East particularly in UAE. Dampa Seafood Grill was part of the recent World Expo in and won the award for the Best Local Gem Restaurant Timeout and Best Budget & Highly Commended Restaurant.

During the pandemic, we expanded our business in Sharjah, UAE and in the Philippines and hired unemployed people to be the part of our team. We fought for goodness and didn’t let our people lose their source of income. We must stick with our vision no matter what, which is ‘Dampa reshaping the food environment.’

How do you foresee the Asian F&B industry evolving in the near future? What are some of the trends that will create the most impact going forward?

F&B industry is ever evolving and is clearly moving toward being a more health-conscious industry, especially after the pandemic. We want to focus on more gluten free, plant-based food, responsible sourcing, homemade convenience, sustainability, transparency and global flavors. I can see the Asian F&B industry is seeking a balance between food service and retail and a rise in demand for fresh and healthy local foods. The drive to get back to the roots is expected to stay in fashion for coming years and considered one of the future trends in the food industry. If we talk about generations, millennial have a new perspective toward the environment with big impact on food business and they have buying power and Gen Z pays attention to corporate ethics, sustainability and nutritional value of the food. Their values will decide the future of F&B industry in the coming decade.

MA. Cristine Caringal Melad, Co- Founder

Ma. Cristine Caringal Melad obtained a bachelor in Mass Communication and has worked in IT companies for many years before starting Spice Grill and Dampa Seafood Grill. Cristine aims to provide innovative, new concept and seafood products at affordable prices. She won the 2022 Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World Award (Founder & Pioneer) Category at Global FWN100.