What’s in a Name?
While the culinary component of the A to Za’atar origin story starts when I enjoyed a degustation at Noma in 2013, the story of the brand goes back to the fall of 2015, when I was considering leaving my full-time job at NYUAD to concentrate on my fiction writing. I’d come up with a great name, and knew I needed to do something with the title. Perhaps unique to the market in Dubai, in 2016, on social media, everyone had a gimmick or nickname. So I did too. Because in the world of food, who was Courtney Brandt? In my mind, ‘A to Za’atar’ was much easier to remember. Thus, A to Za’atar was born. Not knowing much about anything in the market or food scene, I started by reviewing restaurants, networking with other influencers and social media types. Before too long, I was receiving invites to different places and…
So, someone wants you to take down an Instastory? Two versions of how this plays out.
Hi, I’m Courtney. In addition to this blog, I run an Instagram account called A to Za’atar (give me a follow if you haven’t already). Before we begin, ahem, a gentle reminder that I am NOT an Influencer. As part of my remit as a food writer/food personality, I tend to often share my experiences on social media. Most of the time this is not a specific deliverable, but instead, a nice perk for places I’m invited to. Furthermore, in the current market where I currently live and do most of my writing and reviews (Dubai), for reasons I don’t particularly follow, Instagram is almost the only marker that matters. Followers, likes, even the coveted blue tick – all of this can be bought, and as my engagement is currently in the crapper, I find this especially troubling. Mainly, because a) I low key hate Instagram as a platform, and…