Fasting food taster takes shop goods home to sample at night
▶ Spinneys product development chief balances her faith with the job of trying products with the supermarket’s label, writes Patrick Ryan
Asupermarket buyer told of the unique challenge she faces during Ramadan as she juggles daily fasting with her job as a food taster.
Leilah Booley works in Dubai for Spinneys as head of product development, and a significant part of her role involves tasting every new product that carries the company’s label.
The British-South African, 36, said the holy month could be a tricky time of year for her.
“It’s very challenging and is a real test of patience and faith,” she said. “What gets me through is that I have a lot of colleagues to help me with the tasting – they definitely don’t mind stepping up and helping with that.
“I take home a lot of products as well, so I don’t miss out when I do break my fast at night.”
Ms Booley said her routine enabled her to continue fasting while carrying out her duties at work.
“I wake up each morning at 3.30am and prepare something for my suhoor and it’s normally yoghurt with fruit and berries, something really light with some green tea and water to make sure I am hydrated,” she said.
“That’s really important because you are so tired during the day that you are not hydrated enough. I get up at about 7am and come to work, and the whole day is planned around different tastings.
“I don’t find myself tempted as long as I make sure to plan in advance.”
That preparation involves cooking the food and asking for help from her colleagues.
That particular request has been music to the ears of those not fasting, she said.
“They give me tips and comments about what the food tastes like, which they don’t mind at all because it means they don’t have to worry about lunch,” she said.
“I often find myself then planning what I am going to eat later based on what they are eating, and take it home with me.”
Ms Booley said this was the busiest Ramadan for the company that she could remember, because of the restrictions brought about by the pandemic.
“Covid-19 has really changed the game in the sense there are fewer people going out for iftars this year,” she said.
“More people than ever are cooking from scratch at home for their families.
“That puts more onus on us to be able to help people create the iftar experience at home.”
She said Ramadan had also brought her closer to her non-Muslim colleagues.
“A lot of them aren’t Muslim but have decided to fast too,” she said.
“They wanted to know more about our customs and I am honoured they have decided to fast also.”
Ms Booley is not alone in having to fast while continuing her day job in the food industry.
Her colleague Anwar Muhammed, 31, oversees food that arrives at the Spinneys branch in Meydan.
“This is the ninth consecutive Ramadan I have worked in Spinneys here,” said Mr Muhammed, from Pakistan.
“Looking at the food doesn’t bother me because the more faith you have, the stronger you are.”
Mohammed Ashraf, 34, works as a delivery rider for Freedom Pizza in Dubai.
Like many of his colleagues, he finds himself working throughout the day delivering pizza while fasting.
“Even though so many people are fasting we are actually really busy during the day,” he said.
“That’s because more people are ordering in the day because they don’t want to be seen eating, in respect to those who are fasting.”