Home>Blog>BBM connects Maldivian chefs with American Specialty product expertise
15 June 2026
BBM connects Maldivian chefs with American Specialty product expertise
When Vijay Anand arrived in the Maldives for a three-day market visit, his objective was not only to introduce products, but also to understand how chefs, F&B teams and foodservice operators work across one of the region’s most logistically complex hospitality markets.
Anand works with American Specialty, a US-based company with its corporate office in New York. The company has operated through its regional office in Dubai for the past 14 years, using the city as a base to serve markets across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
“Dubai was selected because it is a strategic regional hub, allowing us to connect more easily with markets such as the Maldives,” Anand said. “Having a regional base in Dubai allows us to conduct market research, understand business needs, and respond to opportunities much faster.”
American Specialty has been present in the Maldives market for almost four years through its authorised distributor, Bestbuy Maldives (BBM). The relationship began with mayonnaise, which remains the company’s primary SKU in the country, and has since expanded into a wider basket of foodservice products, including cheddar cheese sauce, jalapeños, pickles, tortilla wraps, salsa, nacho chips, sun-dried tomatoes, mustard, barbecue sauce and ketchup.
For Anand, the visit provided an opportunity to engage directly with the market beyond trade shows and business meetings. He first visited the Maldives two years ago during Hotel Asia, but said that trip was limited to the exhibition. This time, together with BBM, he was able to meet chefs, conduct product tastings and observe how the market functions across resorts, hotels, restaurants and the main island segment.
“The Maldives is made up of multiple islands, which makes logistics a major challenge,” he said. “BBM has a strong supply chain network and is able to reach a wide range of customer segments, including resorts and properties across different islands.”
The visit included training sessions with BBM’s sales team, product touchpoints, customer meetings and demonstrations. Anand said the team visited several resorts, restaurants and hotels over the three days, using the sessions to introduce chefs and F&B teams to American Specialty’s portfolio.
“American Specialty has been given a strong opportunity because of BBM’s market presence, communication, and relationships,” he said. “This has allowed us to introduce and present our product portfolio to customers, conduct proper tasting sessions, and receive valuable feedback.”
A major focus of the visit was mayonnaise, the product BBM is currently positioning strongly in the Maldives market. Anand said the tastings allowed chefs to compare American Specialty mayonnaise with products already in use in their kitchens.
“Starting with mayonnaise, many of them were happy with the taste, texture, creaminess, thickness, consistency, and overall quality profile,” he said.
He added that mayonnaise requires a more careful tasting process than many other condiments because its flavour profile can vary significantly between brands.
“Mayonnaise is not always an easy product to conduct tastings for,” Anand said. “Some regular mayonnaise products can have a sour, salty, or disturbed taste profile. However, when customers tasted our mayonnaise, many of them took one scoop first, then returned for a second tasting after a few minutes. That response clearly showed the difference between our product and the products they are currently buying and using in their kitchens.”
For BBM, such activities form part of a wider approach to supporting the hospitality industry beyond distribution. As one of the Maldives’ key suppliers to resorts and foodservice operators, BBM regularly works with international principals to bring product knowledge, technical demonstrations and training opportunities directly to chefs and F&B teams.
Through collaborations with brands such as American Specialty, BBM enables local teams to engage directly with product specialists, understand application methods, compare quality profiles and explore menu uses. This model supports both product adoption and professional development by giving chefs, purchasing teams and sales teams access to practical knowledge from manufacturers.
The approach also strengthens BBM’s internal capability. During Anand’s visit, training began with BBM’s own sales managers and executives before the team went into the market. This ensured that the team was equipped to explain product features, answer technical questions and support chefs during tastings and follow-up discussions.
According to Anand, BBM’s commitment to maintaining stock and servicing customers has been central to growing American Specialty’s presence in the Maldives.
“With the inventory BBM is carrying and its commitment to customers, we believe the business is moving in the right direction,” he said.
The visit also introduced customers to American Specialty’s cheddar cheese sauce dispensing concept, which Anand described as a practical solution for kitchens seeking improved hygiene, efficiency and consistency. The system uses a sealed disposable pouch, which is inserted directly into the machine. The cheese sauce can then be dispensed without direct handling.
“This solution is designed to dispense cheese sauce without direct human contact, helping to minimise handling and reduce the risk of contamination,” he said. “With a simple press, the machine dispenses the product efficiently, while the packaging is designed as a disposable, use-and-throw pouch system.”
Anand said the system reduces several steps involved in traditional dispensing methods, including opening cans, transferring product into a machine, heating it, dispensing it during service and cleaning equipment and nozzles at the end of the day.
“Our pouch-based system eliminates many of these steps,” he said. “The product arrives ready to use in a sealed pouch. Staff simply insert the pouch into the machine, and within a short time the product is ready for dispensing. There is no direct handling of the cheese sauce, making the process cleaner, faster, and more efficient.”
The cheese sauce can be used across several menu applications, including loaded fries, dynamite shrimp, dynamite chicken, meatballs, fish dishes and pasta. Anand said the demonstrations received strong interest from hotels, restaurants and foodservice operators.
“Many customers viewed the concept as something new and innovative for the market and expressed strong interest in adopting it,” he said.
While the outlook is positive, Anand also acknowledged market-specific factors that foodservice suppliers must navigate. He said pricing has become a key consideration, particularly as tourism and hotel F&B operations have faced pressure since March 2026.
“Customers are more focused on securing the best balance between product quality and pricing,” he said.
He noted that importers such as BBM face additional costs in bringing products into the Maldives and distributing them across the country’s island-based hospitality network. At the same time, American Specialty is reviewing support on a case-by-case basis to help grow its products in the market.
Supply chain disruption remains another consideration. Anand said regional supply chains across the Middle East and Asia may take time to stabilise, adding that product availability and cash flow pressures can be difficult for smaller and mid-level players.
“Companies like BBM, with a strong market presence and commitment, are better positioned to continue supporting customers and sustaining business growth,” he said.
American Specialty’s longer-term plan is to expand its portfolio to around 20 categories and 650 products over the next five to ten years. At present, the company has around 60 to 70 products across six to seven categories.
For the Maldives, Anand said the immediate focus is to build on the response from chefs and F&B teams, convert tasting sessions into new customers and grow the portfolio through BBM’s market network.
“Overall, I believe the visit has been productive,” he said. “We were able to meet customers, conduct tastings, engage with chefs, and strengthen our understanding of the Maldives market. The response has been positive, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the coming months.”
Through this collaboration, BBM and American Specialty are combining distribution strength with technical product engagement, helping chefs and foodservice teams in the Maldives access new products, application knowledge and practical solutions suited to the needs of resort and hospitality operations.
