Season 3 - Episode 7 - Martin Koebke - Obsession

The Chef JKP Podcast

This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me
Martin Koebke is the Founder and CEO of 1765 Gemini, a company that has a full solution when it comes to kitting out bars, hotels, restaurants, it is a one stop shop essentially, they offer clients the very best in the marketplace.
https://www.1765gemini.com
Growing up in between Africa and Spain, Martin was well travelled from a young age, his parents liked to travel, most of the time it was spent in restaurants, wine cellars, with families getting together and he saw hospitality first-hand, this would be where the fuse was ignited.
At 18 years of age, he moved to Germany, and decided to study Hospitality, as this was his world so it was a natural choice.
The apprenticeship started in Cologne, he learnt how to carve at the table, silver service, gueridon, all of the classical styles of service. From there he went to the corporate world, and started at the Crowne Plaza, but then decided to make the move, to one of the most iconic hotels in the world – The Savoy in London. https://www.thesavoylondon.com

Martin made the move, as he wanted to get back to the working in a place where the classical style of service was very much alive, the eye for detail, the whole experience was a key part, and is what makes the show happen.
After a two year stint, The Jumeirah group approached to open Emirates towers, followed by going to work at the luxurious 7 Star Burj al Arab!
https://www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/burj-al-arab-jumeirah
After having spent good amount of time in the best hotels in the world, what do you do next?
Martin is the type of person who likes to be challenged, so he decided on side stepping away from the industry, but to still be involved from the side lines if you will, this is where he set up his own company to tell a beautiful story on the table, from the place matts, to the glassware, to the cutlery, this is where 1765 Gemini was born.
Now, Martin has his own plate range – Obsession
https://studio1765.myshopify.com
The plates are hand crafted, and all designed by Martin and his team, this was an incredible reward, not from a monetary point of view, but from a creative standpoint, to bring different ideas to harmonise, this is one of the reasons that the Obsession range, since it was launched has been incredibly successful.
One of the key elements to his business, is the cash and carry, located in the middle of the industrial area of Dubai, when you open the door, its like a wonderland of plates from all over the world!
Martin has one of the most incredible businesses in the United Arab Emirates, he does this by connecting with his clients, but also by listening to his gut, as for his passion for the hospitality industry is infectious.
To see what the fuss is all about, you can follow the 1765Gemini on Instagram;
https://www.instagram.com/1765thestore
To see the Obsession range follow them on here - https://www.instagram.com/studio_1765/
Stay tuned for next week’s show, we talk to a real pandemic success story!
Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.
Until next time, food is memories!

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