One on One with Rolando Moura. Director of Finance & Business Support, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.

Foodbuy is very proud of our relationship with Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) across Australia and in both our relationships with the hotel teams and in delivering market-leading service and procurement advantage with them. From the outset of this partnership, these relationships have proven critical to ensuring our Foodbuy service is truly aligned with the IHG guest experience and in ensuring we provide the highest quality of food to their culinary teams alongside powerful insights to their leadership.

Rolando Moura, Director of Finance and Business Support at the iconic Intercontinental Double Bay has been part of our IHG journey from day one. His passion, experience and relentless focus on ensuring the very best experience for their guests is infectious and we are delighted to feature his amazing journey with food from Zimbabwe to Australia.

Where do your association and love of food come from?

Growing up in Zimbabwe in a mixed-race family, food & family were just an everyday part of life. I felt quite lucky to enjoy all the cultures of my very mixed upbringing, from the Portuguese, African & Indian. My family on both sides always had very good cooks and food was always the dominant feature of every gathering, which was most weekends, birthdays, holidays & sporting activities. The Portuguese club every Sunday for lunch will always be a fantastic memory, where the traditional Portuguese food had a mix & hint of African flavours & spices.

What food-related experience, venue or occasion has stuck with you and why?

Well after leaving Zimbabwe at the age of 19 & living in the UK, my experience of food changed quite dramatically as I was able to travel to countries I only ever read about. Such a difference in cuisine from each European country, to venturing east & enjoying the spices of Asia. Even with all that, home-style cooking & family cooking with mixed cultures & flavours is my food for the soul. Recently I have just returned from a family holiday (it had been years since I saw them) and my sister cooked everything we grew up with. This for me was heaven & even better that my two young children got to experience that.  

How has COVID changed your view of your organisation and its service to your customers?

Covid had a huge impact on our service behaviours to customers, especially around the issues of supply & waste. We were on track to minimise our waste & almost remove all plastics but then during Covid, single-use plastic consumption probably tripled. It has been a very difficult few years (for many industries) but we are getting back to our service culture & ways of working. With the rise in prices, impeccable & genuine service is ever more apparent. The guest does not see the staff shortages, supply shortages and increasing logistical pressures & so we must be even more service orientated & give them that ‘staycation’ that is absolutely needed.

What do you think is the most important consumer/customer trend ahead of us?

Sustainability is the most important trend ahead of us as well as maintaining & purchasing locally.

I’m seeing a big interest & movement for insects as our replacement source of protein & one I actually think is hugely important to our environment (if done correctly of course).

Also with my wife being vegetarian, I am more exposed to eating less meat and I’m seeing more, delicious vegetarian options out there!

“For me, the partnership with Foodbuy has been quite the adventure!

Starting the entire process seemed to be such a big task but it worked out well & our businesses are reaping the rewards of the procurement efforts of the Foodbuy team with a partnership that is growing from strength to strength.

I look forward to our next steps & other areas of our business where we can maximise procurement power, efficiencies, quality, distribution & favourable pricing.”