Open House Food Service February 2014 Issue

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02 14 Australia’s leading news magazine for the hospitality industry

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New Maggi Recipe Mix range CAB Audited. Circulation 20,388 — September 2013

OPEN HOUSE NEWS

Editor’s word

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ike many people I was happy to hear that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is finally addressing misleading conduct related to fake online reviews by releasing best practice guidelines.

Cooking greats named as 2014 ‘Legends’ hefs Neil Perry and Kylie Kwong were among five Australian cooking legends immortalised on a postage stamp as the recipients of this year’s Australia Post Legends Award.

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to have been chosen. Monarchs and Heads of State are on stamps, as well as music legends like Barnesy, so to be named amongst them feels like an incredible achievement".

The chefs, along with Margaret Fulton, Maggie Beer and Stephanie Alexander, were recognised for their influence over Australia's food culture and the visionary role each have played in shaping Australia's palate.

Kwong said she was “absolutely chuffed”.

Ahmed Fahour, managing director and chief executive of Australia Post, said this year's award celebrates five Australians who have each played a distinct role in the emergence of a sophisticated Australian food culture.

"These five individuals have taught Australians to appreciate our abundant fresh ingredients and to embrace the flavours of multiculturalism," he said.

"They are not just cooks, but business-minded authors, teachers, TV personalities and restaurateurs. For this, they truly deserve the title Australian Legend."

CONTENTS

On hearing about the award, Perry said, "It is just such an amazing honour and I am deeply humbled

"It fills me with such pride and it makes me want to do even more for this country and to take what I do that step further," she said.

This year's recipients will join an exclusive group of only 70 others awarded Legend status.

The Legends Award began 16 years ago when Sir Donald Bradman was the first living Australian to be honoured on an Australian stamp. Prior to that, the only living people featured on Australian stamps were members of the royal family.

Each Legend will feature on a 60c stamp, with all Legends featuring in a stamp pack, first day cover and set of maxi cards along with a commemorative book titled Australian Legends of Cooking.

Industry news......................................... 04

Breakfast................................................ 18

Cover story – Maggi Recipe Mix range............................................ 08

Oils......................................................... 26

Profile – Andrew Blake.......................... 10 Q&A – Ben Fuster................................. 12 Consultant chef...................................... 14 Origins of macarons............................... 14

With diners increasingly turning to online reviews for help with making decisions about where to eat out, many businesses have found themselves falling foul of unfairly negative or downright malicious reviews. Similarly some businesses may have been tempted to plant a few glowing reports of their own. And all under a cloak of anonymity.

As ACCC deputy chair Dr Michael Schaper said, “Fake online reviews mislead consumers and hurt Australian businesses”.

The guidelines set out three core principles of conduct for businesses which include being transparent about commercial relationships, not posting or publishing misleading reviews, and remembering that omitting negative reviews can be as misleading as posting fake reviews.

Let’s hope that the guidelines will lead to greater transparency about just who is posting what.

Ylla Wright Managing Editor @ohfoodservice

Breakfast.

Cheese ................................................... 28 Training.................................................. 30 Recruitment............................................ 32 Cooking the books................................. 34

Product watch: honey............................. 15

Products................................................. 36

Sustainability......................................... 16

Culinary clippings.................................. 38

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NEWS

Justin North’s new venture A

ward-winning Sydney chef Justin North is set to front Woollahra’s Centennial Hotel as executive chef when the restaurant reopens in late March, 2014.

The gastro pub will see North in the kitchen full-time for the first time since his restaurant venture, The North Group, which included the acclaimed Becasse at Westfield Sydney, ceased operations in July 2012. Publican Anthony Medich, who recently relaunched the Woolwich Pier Hotel, reportedly paid $6 million for the long-standing establishment.

North’s menu will focus on comfort food with an emphasis on local produce, reminiscent of Becasse's early days on Albion Street in Surry Hills, with plans to keep the pub's wood fire oven.

The culinary ambassador for Pullman Hotels, North is also a creative director of The Burger Shed in Sydney’s Mosman.

started in the kitchen. No one was hurt in the blaze, with around 200 patrons being evacuated before it took hold.

While “devastated” that the restaurant has burnt down, owners Frank and Sharon Van Haandel vowed to do everything they can to rebuild the restaurant on the site of the former 110-year-old historic building, a plan which is also supported

by The City of Port Phillip.

“The idea of a pop-up Stokehouse is a really practical example of our commitment to getting things moving and we are exploring the possibilities with the Van Haandel Group,” said Mayor Amanda Stevens.

The Stokehouse is part of the iconic St Kilda foreshore precinct which includes the Upper Esplanade, Palais Theatre, Luna Park, and Acland and Fitzroy streets.

Liquor reforms good for Sydney Liquor licensing reforms, which will come into effect from February 24 in Sydney, have been welcomed by hospitality and tourism bodies.

The new laws will see 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks imposed in a newly defined “CBD entertainment precinct”, bounded by Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Cockle Bay, The Rocks and Haymarket, in an attempt to combat alcoholfuelled violence.

Restaurants, tourist accommodation providers and small bars with capacity for less than 60 customers will be exempt from the reforms.

According to Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) chief executive John Hart, the reforms provide a sensible and measured approach to alcohol-related incidences.

“Restaurants are the largest contributor to Sydney’s night-time economy, contributing $1.2 billion or about half the revenue generated in the Sydney local government area,” he said.

“Ensuring patrons to these establishments are able to move safely within these precincts is critical to the livelihood of our night-time economy and culinary culture in Sydney.”

R&CA also supports the identification of high-risk precincts and the implementation of a periodic risk-based licencing scheme with higher fees imposed for venues with late trading hours or poor compliance.

reputation as a safe and welcoming destination while preserving its attraction as a global city.

“Sydney has an international reputation as a friendly, safe and welcoming city and these measures will ensure the city retains that positive image at the same time as ensuring that visitors’ needs can still be catered for,” said TTF chief executive Ken Morrison.

Countdown to World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 will be announced at an awards ceremony at London’s historic Guildhall on April 28.

Now in its 12th year, the awards recognise the best of the world’s gastronomic scene. Along with the World's 50 Best Restaurants, categories to be announced on the night include the Veuve Clicquot World's Best Female Chef, the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award, and new to 2014, The World’s Best Pastry Chef.

Last year Spanish restaurant El Celler de Can Roca was named the best restaurant in the world, having claimed second place the two previous years.

The City of Port Phillip has offered to work with the Van Haandel Group to erect a pop-up cafe on the site of the former Stokehouse restaurant in St Kilda, which burnt down in January.

“Restaurants are part of the solution, not the problem,” said Hart. “Research suggests that venues that serve substantial meals pose a lower risk than venues that serve snacks or no food, as food plays a significant role in reducing the impact and effects of alcohol.”

Organised by Restaurant magazine, the list is created from the votes of The Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a group of more than 900 international restaurant industry leaders including food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and “gastronomes”. Members list their choices in order of preference, based on their best restaurant experiences of the previous 18 months.

The iconic restaurant, which would have celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, was destroyed by a fire which is believed to have

National industry body the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) is also in favour of the reforms, saying they will help Sydney maintain its

“As always we strive to ensure the results reflect the current global dining scene, with the system enabling members to vote far and wide from

Stokehouse ‘pops up’ from the ashes

4 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

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small, unknown restaurants in secluded regions to the best-known restaurants in the world,” said William Drew, group editor of Restaurant and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Food safety a priority The NSW Food Authority service has reminded local foodservice businesses that it is a legal requirement that at least one member in their business be trained as a Food Safety Supervisor (FSS).

Restaurants ignoring hygiene standards Canberra food businesses are breaching food safety laws such as installing a wash basin and cleaning the kitchen, according to the ACT’s chief health officer, Dr Paul Kelly.

In the second half of last year 163 notices of improvement were issued to restaurants, cafes and food stalls, more than double the number for the same period in 2012. While some of the notices were for minor infringements, Kelly said they were still finding significant problems with general hygiene standards in some premises.

Among the problems were business owners failing to install a basin for hand washing in food-preparation areas, failing to maintain a clean kitchen, and not storing food at the correct temperature.

The Authority's chief executive, Polly Bennett, said the uptake of the program has been encouraging; however those businesses yet to train a person as an FSS need to make it a priority.

"A Food Safety Supervisor is the person in your business who is trained to prevent the hazards associated with handling and preparing food and holds the FSS certificate,” she said. “They effectively provide the lead and set in place a culture of food safety for staff in your business.”

Data shows health officials issued an average of 33 improvement notices a month between July and November 2013, compared with 15 per month in the same period in 2012.

According to Kelly, the increase was partly the result of a boom in new businesses in the ACT’s hospitality sector, as well as officials conducting more inspections as part of their routine work or in response to complaints from the public.

Incorrect food handling accounts for more than one third of foodborne illness outbreaks in NSW. It is estimated to cost the community more than $400 million each year.

"Having an in-house Food Safety Supervisor to oversee food safety from the front line provides an extra layer of protection for consumers against the risks of food poisoning,” Bennett said.

Restaurant and café sector looking positive The restaurant, café and catering industry has recorded significant growth in turnover, according to recent data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The ABS Retail Turnover data shows a 10.6 per cent overall increase in restaurant, café and catering service turnover from November 2012 to November 2013, with Queensland experiencing 21 per cent growth and NSW 15 per cent.

In November 2013, the overall result was a record $1.9 billion in turnover for the sector.

New South Wales also had a record month, producing $626 million in sector turnover.

Second time unlucky for Blumenthal Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal was forced to shut his central London restaurant, Dinner, earlier this month after it was hit by a virus.

The two-Michelin-starred restaurant remained closed for a week after 45 diners and members of

“We’re trying to work with industry to get them to fix their act by themselves,” he said.

“I think we’ve got a way to go still.”

staff were infected with norovirus, the same virus that forced him to temporarily close his Fat Duck restaurant five years ago.

The Fat Duck was shut down for two weeks in 2009 after 500 people fell ill after contracting the common winter bug. It was later found that the virus had been brought into the restaurant via contaminated shellfish.

"I am very sorry for the inconvenience to those customers affected by cancellations," Blumenthal told UK newspaper, the Mail on Sunday.

"However, I will reopen the restaurant safe in the knowledge that we have done everything we can do to continue to strive to create the perfect environment and food for my guests to enjoy."

Blumenthal is currently believed to be in negotiations to open a restaurant in Melbourne’s Crown Entertainment Complex.

Industry body supports WA liquor law review The current review of Western Australia’s liquor laws stands to significantly improve the ability of restaurants to meet the needs of

patrons, according to Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA).

The report of the Independent Review Committee, released late last month, recommended 141 changes including allowing restaurants to serve alcohol without a meal, as well as the introduction of two separate license categories for low and high risk venues.

“I applaud the committee for listening to industry and recognising small changes can make a big difference in how a restaurant operates,” said R&CA chief executive John Hart.

“Most consumers attend a restaurant or café as a precursor to, or to accompany the purchase of a meal, but there is demand, particularly from tourists, to have a drink without a meal.

“Patrons want the flexibility to drink and dine as they please – regardless of the type of establishment.”

R&CA also welcomes the recommendation to create two separate categories for low and high risk venues with restaurants sitting in the low risk category.

“It’s satisfying to see that restaurants have been recognised as low risk venues,” said Hart. OH

Want more industry news?

For even more industry news, in-depth reports and new product information, or to sign up for Open House weekly email newsletter, visit www.openhousemagazine.net. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@ohfoodservice). Or download the free Open House iPad app, packed with additional, exclusive content and updated monthly, from the iTunes app store.

6 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

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COVER STORY

Authentic Asian flavours Making delicious Asian dishes has got a whole lot easier with the launch of the new Maggi Recipe Mix range.

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hether it is classic butter chicken, Thai fish cakes or even satay chicken pies – creating contemporary and popular Asian cuisine is now at every chef’s fingertips.

Maggi Recipe Mixes are a range of dry spice mix blends which deliver consistent quality and exceptional flavour every time. They provide a simple and authentic flavour base for creating a variety of dishes in no time at all.

Available in three flavours – Butter Chicken, Thai Green Curry and Satay – the mixes come in a 1.8kg resealable pack for easy storage and precise cost control.

Maggi Butter Chicken Recipe Mix is a robust blend of spices including ginger, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cardamom and cloves allowing you to create authentic tasting butter chicken dishes with ease.

Maggi Thai Green Curry Recipe Mix is an

aromatic blend of coriander, ginger, cumin and chilli that create classic tasting Thai green curry

dishes with an authentic flavour.

Maggi Satay Recipe Mix is a subtle blend of coriander, ginger, chilli, cumin, cinnamon, star anise and turmeric allowing you to create mouth-watering satay recipes for beef, chicken and lamb. Simply follow the suggested recipe on the back of the pack to create great tasting satay pies or create your own signature recipe.

Manufactured in New Zealand and with no added MSG, the new Maggi Recipe Mix range is a great way to bring the authentic flavours of Asia into your menu.

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8 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

PROFILE

Simply smokin’ A favourite with Melbourne food critics in the 1990s, Andrew Blake is back with a whole new style of cooking, discovers Ylla Wright.

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fter stepping away from the restaurant scene 10 years ago, Andrew Blake, one of Melbourne's best known chefs of the 1990s, is throwing his hat back in the ring as executive chef at Joe’s Bar and Dining Hall in St Kilda.

Best-known for ’90s favourite Blakes Restaurant, the chef, who earned a lifetime achievement award from The Age Good Food Guide, has for the last decade been working in family business, boutique catering company Blakes Feast.

It was Blakes increasing interest in traditional Texas barbecue as a style of cooking that lured him back into a restaurant kitchen.

“Certainly when I finished up at Blake’s I thought that was the end of my restaurant days,” he says. “It’s a young person’s game. You need a lot of energy and I figured that I’d been in it long enough; that I’d done everything I could possibly do.

“But I had a couple of conversations with the team down at Joe’s and decided that this was a good thing to do. I have a passion for real American-style ribs, and ribs in Melbourne traditionally haven’t been very good, so I saw this as a great opportunity.”

Whereas the chef had a couple of 44 gallon drums converted into open barbecues for his catering business, with food cooked over coal, Blake has had a “proper Texan barbecue smoker” made up for the restaurant.

“We’re cooking the ribs ‘low and slow’ as they say,” he says. “You’ve got to get the smoking right with ribs; you have to have that pink smoke ring just under the crusty exterior to know that you’ve done it properly.”

Blake’s Texas smoker has a separate chamber offset from the larger smoking chamber, where the heat is applied.

“The offset chamber might be 450 degrees Fahrenheit but the critical temperature for ribs is between 225 and 250 Fahrenheit. By having the

chamber offset you get some of the heat but all of the smoke passing through the chamber, as opposed to having the heat source directly underneath.

“You can’t just whack the meat in and forget about it. It’s important to make sure the temperature is maintained evenly. You really should only be smoking in the first hour of the process otherwise the meat can become bitter and over smoked. There are lots of little things that I’ve learnt through trial and error.”

The restaurant uses a mixture of different woods including cherry wood and apple wood for smoking, with the mix depending on the type of meat being smoked.

“We also have a couple of different rubs and a couple of different sauces,” he says. “Rather than everything just tasting of smoke there has to be some subtlety. The brisket and the beef short ribs cook for a lot longer than the baby back ribs. The beef can also take stronger flavours.”

Blake tips Texan barbecue as part of an emerging “meat push”, which is already evident in the influx of Argentinian grills in recent years.

“Australians haven’t had that much experience with Texas barbecue before, but we’re getting in early to show people what real ribs are like,” he says.

While it’s a long way from the classic French techniques he learnt to cook during his apprenticeship in the ’70s, Blake says he “prefers the

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honesty of simple food cooked well”.

“Ultimately it doesn’t matter if it’s a high end dinner for $150 a head or just ribs and a great beer, which is going to cost the customer $28, the goal is to make people happy,” he says.

With 38 years in the industry under his belt, Blake has seen the industry change immensely since he was hailed at an “it boy” of the Melbourne dining scene in the ’90s.

“There’s always an ‘it chef’ and they have their 15 minutes of fame, like I did, and then someone else comes along,” he says. “It’s the dynamic nature of the industry that does that; that’s the way it should be.

“The whole industry has changed.

I guess there is still a place for fine dining but I’d hate to be spending a million dollars on a fit-out these days and wondering whether people will turn up. People these days just don’t want to have to make a booking. People want to go out three nights a week and spend $50 a head, rather than going out once a week and spending $150 a head.

“Perhaps things will go full circle, I don’t know, but right now the trend is for food that is not pretentious or stuffy. We’re not seeing smears and emulsions and that sort of thing anymore, and I think that’s a good thing.

It’s just simple, good food.” OH

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Q&A

All change now Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is well-known for showcasing wines from various regions in Victoria, rotating the list every six months. Ylla Wright spoke with the Centre’s in-house wine specialist, food and beverage service coordinator, Ben Fuster, to find out more.

Q: How did you first get into wine?

A: First, I have to say that I'm French, so it's been a big part of my culture and education. From a young age I tasted my parents' wine at home and learnt to enjoy and appreciate it that way. My first job was front of house in a two Michelin star restaurant in Alsace, France, with a wine list of more than 1500 references, so you needed to get into it if you wanted to succeed!

Q: What was it about the role at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) that attracted you?

A: The diversity. It's great to be able to offer excellent Victorian wines to our international visitors, whether it's at a small cocktail party or a large gala dinner.

Q: The Centre rotates its wine list every six months. What’s the reasoning behind that?

A: MCEC’s wine approach, just like our food, is to source locally and support Victorian winemakers.

We rotate our wine list every six to eight months which gives us the opportunity to profile the 21 wine regions of Victoria. With more than 600 wine producers in Victoria, we always discover brilliant wines for each rotation.

Q: You’ve also recently taken on two Victorian craft beers.

A: We are excited to now feature two Victorian craft beers. The Lyrebird Premium Lager has been brewed by Grand Ridge Brewery specifically for MCEC and the Southern Bay Draught has been labelled especially for us.

Q: In general, do you spend a lot of time visiting wine regions and wineries looking for new and interesting wines?

A: When I travel, I like to visit wine regions and nice restaurants. Its part of discovering a new country and you learn a lot about people when you experience their food and wine culture.

Q: Do clients ever come to you with requests to source special wines and are you able to accommodate them?

A: We often get special requests and it’s great that more and more customers know we’re happy to accommodate them.

Q: What does that process involve?

A: It’s a four step process that takes about three to four weeks. Once we decide on the wine region, we invite winemakers from the area to submit samples and then a panel of tasters from our food and beverage team shortlist varieties supplied.

We then personally visit the shortlisted wineries, learn about their winemaking process, before finalising MCEC’s new rotation.

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Q: Have you found any wines from your recent tasting that you want to add to your own collection?

A: Yes, definitely. The Peerick Cabernet Merlot 2004 which is featured on MCEC’s latest rotation.

I really like this wine because it reaches maturity with the potential to cellar for a few more years.

It has great depth of flavours and dark fruits like blackcurrant without being too tannic.

Q: What are the most important things to consider when matching food and wine. Is it white with white meat; red with red meat?

A: In my opinion, it’s not about matching anymore. It’s about finding the right balance between flavours and aromas. Tasting and experimenting is also very important as you always discover new and surprising combinations.

Q: Are there any foods that can’t be matched with wine?

A: Fast food. It takes time to enjoy wine.

Q: Do you have a favourite wine and wine region?

A: Not a favourite, but I do have a rather long wish list. In France I tend to drink more Burgundy, Alsace and Cotes du Rhone. Here in Victoria I really enjoy the Pyrenees (Dalwhinnie Eagle Series Shiraz) and varieties from the Mornington Peninsula. If I had to pick just one wine, and I think it’s sold out, I would go for a Condrieu Domaine Georges Vernay Les Terrasses de L'Empire 2010. OH

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ORIGINS OF...

Macarons The most coveted confection in Paris has a somewhat convoluted history, writes Anna-Louise McDougall.

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must-have for event caterers, tea houses and patisseries, the recent rise and rise of this creation has ignited various arguments regarding its French or Italian origin, its pronunciation and its spelling.

It is generally believed the macaron biscuit was born in Italy and introduced into France by the Florentine chefs of Catherine de Medici, wife of Henry II in 1533.

However, Larousse Gastronomique cites the macaron as being created in 791 AD in a convent near Cormery, France.

What can be agreed on is that the biscuit is not to be confused with the macaroon; both are meringue based but that’s where the similarities end.

A macaroon is a small meringue cake, typically made of coconut and often dipped in chocolate. The term macaron has the same linguistic origin as the word macaroni, both meaning "fine dough".

The first macarons were a simple biscuit, made of almond powder,

sugar and egg whites. Many towns throughout France have their own history surrounding the popular dessert. The city of Montmorillon is well known for its macarons and has a museum dedicated to them, with the city's traditional recipe for macarons remaining unchanged for more than 150 years.

It is said that guests at Louis XIV’s wedding in 1660 were served the delicacy, but it wasn’t until around the 1780s that macarons became a household name. Two Carmelite nuns in Nancy, Sisters Marguerite and Marie-Elisabeth, are credited with creating the Nancy macaron to fit their convent’s dietary requirements that excluded meat.

The women supposedly baked and sold macarons during the French Revolution around 1787 in order to support themselves. These macarons were a simple combination of ground almonds, egg whites and sugar and the nuns became known as the “Macaron Sisters”.

Pierre Desfontaines, founder of the famous French patisserie Ladurée, had the idea to fill them with a chocolate ganache and to stick them together. Desfontaines is often credited with its creation in the early part of the 20th century, but another baker, Claude Gerbet, also claims to have invented it.

French pastry chef Pierre Herme, dubbed the “Picasso of pastry”, is known for his most famous macaron called the Ispahan, which is made with raspberry, rose and lychee that he likens to a Chanel suit.

Macarons are now popular around the globe. In South Korea green tea powder or leaves is used to make green tea flavoured macarons. The confection is also popular in Japan, where it is known as "makaron".

There is also another biscuit of the same name which substitutes peanut flour for almond and is flavoured in wagashi style, which typically includes fruit and plant ingredients, and is widely available in Japan.

In Australia, pastry chef Adriano Zumbo, who made the sweet treat on an episode of television series MasterChef, has arguably led the charge which has seen the macaron become a popular dessert nationwide. Zumbo has created more than 40 kinds of “Zumbarons”, ranging from cherry coconut to mandarin and tonka bean, and salt and vinegar, as well as desserts to make with them. OH

By the 1830s, macarons were served

Enough’s enough Sometimes I simply cannot take it any more. Speaking at a conference in Los Angeles in late December I was having a quiet 1000 beers with some of the participants after the presentation and quickly discovered that no matter where you are in the world there is a group of marketing people that think they know everything about food and the hospitality industry.

industry and truly, when it comes to hospitality, has the cerebral power of a gnat. I had heard about the rudeness of this person but thought that I could handle any situation. One of my friends had told me that during the last photo shoot she did for her they refused to get off phones and basically did a walk through and emailed comments later. Rude or what?

After listening to my fellow development chefs share stories about the issues they encounter I realised it was no different here than at home.

I prepared all the products discussed and sure enough in prances Plastic City, arms waving, mobile phone to the ear and starts grabbing individual components of a dish and snapping comments. I politely (well, as politely as I could) said I would wait until she got off the phone and explain the concepts

I contributed the story of a marketing person I have had the misfortune of having to work with that has come from the fashion

with fillings of jams, liqueurs and spices. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did the macaron acquire its "double-decker" appearance. The macaron as it is known today is composed of two almond meringue discs filled with a layer of buttercream, jam, or ganache filling.

14 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

CONSULTANT CHEF

Glenn Austin

www.glennaustinconsulting.com involved. This was met with a wave of the hand and an abrupt “just continue”. I stopped working, sat down and called a mate on my phone, which did get the message through. After rolling her eyes,

muttering something and hanging up the phone, she then proceeded to tell me that things were not quite right. This whole event had the ability to spiral out of control so I put a halt to the process.

Here is my message to all new marketers into the foodservice industry: respect your chefs as they generally have a handle on what is required and are trained to follow the brief provided (should they be fortunate enough to have one provided). Have enough brains to try the entire dish as it was designed and if you think there is something not correct, then ask the chef to explain it to you. Give feedback to the culinary team based on sales statistics, future trends and the company‘s direction; not your personal opinions.

As my dear old mother used to say to me, “son you have two ears and one mouth. Prioritise”.

INGREDIENT WATCH

Hey, honey With honey set to be in short supply over the next few months, expect to see prices rise, writes Ylla Wright.

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he price of honey may be set to rise in 2014, according to the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council who warn that abnormal weather conditions are set to deliver the lowest national honey yields in at least a decade.

A combination of high heat, flood and drought has hit prime honey producing areas in recent times and led to honey supplies falling by over 50 per cent.

The honey producing process requires the right mix of temperatures and rainfall for nectar producing crops to grow, set buds, flower and then have bees collect the nectar to ripen into honey.

Erratic temperatures, both hot and cold, have meant spring production was very low.

High temperatures cause stress and erratic behaviour in local bee populations, hampering honey flow for beekeepers. In extreme heatwave conditions beeswax honeycombs can melt inside the hive. The heat also forces bees to remain inside and collectively fan their wings in an attempt to keep the hive cool.

According to the Council’s executive director, Trevor Weatherhead, the honey shortage has the potential to rock the industry.

“Because of this, honey stock is now the scarcest it has been in over 10 years and honey packers are finding it very difficult to secure supplies.”

“It is a dire time for the honey industry with both apiarists and honey packers bracing themselves for the next 12 months,” he said.

Although producers may struggle to fulfil contracts or supply their full product range due to the shortage, potentially leading to price rises, Weatherhead said it was more important than ever for Australian’s to support the local honey industry.

“We have witnessed a ‘perfect storm’ of negative weather conditions.

“Conditions will once again return to normal, but like any agriculturally based business, during this period there will be a number of hardships that will have to be endured.

“Over the next 12 months we can greatly assist our Australian bee keepers and honey producers by continuing to buy honey as you would normally.” OH

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2014 15 16/12/13 3:26 PM

SUSTAINABILITY

Authentic flavours have never been so simple

Free-range confusion Free-range eggs are more expensive than cage eggs but paying extra doesn’t necessarily guarantee that hens are able to roam free, discovers Ylla Wright.

A

wareness of the animal welfare issues surrounding the production of eggs has sky-rocketed in recent years, with demand for more ethically-produced, freerange and organic eggs increasing accordingly. While free-range and organic eggs are undeniably more expensive than cage produced eggs, many Australians are now more than happy to pay a few more dollars for a dozen, or as a premium at restaurants and cafes that choose to use them on their breakfast menus.

A range of spice mix blends, made from chef inspired recipes

It seems however that just because chefs and consumers alike are prepared to pay extra for eggs that have been produced in a humane, ethical manner, they may not be getting what they’re paying for.

Free-range egg production has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in recent months after allegations emerged that some producers are making misleading free-range egg claims.

In December, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed separate proceedings in the Federal Court

16 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

against egg producers in WA and NSW alleging that each of the producers use of “free-range” was misleading.

The ACCC alleged that the two companies used wording and images on packaging and online which suggested that “eggs were produced by hens that were farmed in conditions so that the laying hens were able to move about freely on an open range every day, and/or by hens, most of which moved about freely on an open range on most days”. Instead, the ACCC alleged the eggs supplied by the companies were produced by hens that weren’t able to move about freely on an open range because of the stocking densities of the barns the hens were housed in, the physical openings of the barns, the conditions of the outdoor range, and/or manner in which the hens were trained in the barns.

Labelling matters While acknowledging the welfare issues relating to egg production,

ACCC chairman Rod Sims has been quick to point out that the commission does not have a role in “determining whether particular farming practices are appropriate and the ACCC is not debating the merits of cage, barn or free range systems”.

“The ACCC’s concern is simply to ensure that the labelling of eggs accurately reflect the particular farming practices of the producer and the expectations of a consumer making purchasing choices based on those representations,” he said.

“Credence claims such as freerange, organic, place of origin or country of origin are all powerful tools for businesses to distinguish their products, but misleading consumers who may pay a premium to purchase such products damages the market and is unfair to competitors.”

The ACCC proceedings were welcomed by consumer group Choice, coming hot on the heels of the group lodging a “super complaint” with NSW Fair Trading in October which asked Fair Trading

NEW

Market share According to statistics released by the Australian Egg Corporation, the Australian egg industry produced a total of 392 million dozen eggs during 2011. Of these cage eggs accounted for 55 per cent of the retail market, around 71 million dozen, with free range eggs representing 34 per cent, at 43 million dozen. to investigate potentially misleading free-range egg claims. The complaint was prompted by Choice finding that consumers are paying double the price of cage eggs for products that may not actually be free-range.

Choice research found that consumers purchasing free-range eggs expect that the hens have access to the outdoors and space to move around with limits on the number of birds on the outdoor range, even though the Australian Egg Corporation has admitted there is huge variation in the conditions in supposedly free-range operations.

“The ACCC’s announcement confirms what Choice has long feared – that in the absence of an enforceable national standard, some free-range claims are not all they’re cracked up to be,” said Choice campaigns manager Angela Cartwright.

“Consumers are confronted with cartons awash with images of solitary chooks standing in sunlit pastures, but there’s no guarantee you’re getting what you pay for.

“The ACCC’s crackdown on dodgy free-range claims shows exactly why consumers paying a premium for supposedly free-range eggs need a consistent and enforceable standard governing the use of free-range claims.”

MAGGI Recipe Mixes Open for interpretation Part of the problem is that the definition of free-range is not set in stone in Australia. Currently the National Model Code of Practice for the welfare of animals defines freerange as having a stocking density of no more than 1500 birds per hectare, however it is not enforceable. In July 2013 Queensland dropped its legislated free-range stocking density of 1500 birds per hectare in favour of 10,000 birds per hectare, while major retailers Coles and Woolworths have announced stocking densities of 10,000 birds per hectare, nearly seven times the Model Code limit.

Taking a different viewpoint is the South Australian government, which announced the introduction of a voluntary code in September that will certify eggs as free-range only if the number of hens is capped at 1500 per hectare.

Making the announcement, which followed a period of community consultation, South Australia’s Minister for Business Services and Consumers, John Rau, said there was strong support from egg producers and the community for the cap.

According to the new code, for producers to access the South Australian Free Range accreditation, they must meet the following requirements: • A maximum of 1500 laying hens per hectare in a free range system; • induced moulting is not permitted; • hens have access to range outdoors for a minimum of eight hours per day; and • sufficient overhead shade should be provided to encourage hens to access the range.

An accreditation logo will start to appear on egg cartons that meet the requirements this year.

While no other state currently provides a legal definition for freerange eggs, NSW Fair Trading has, following the Choice complaint, announced that it will push for a national and enforceable free-range

egg standard to prevent consumers being misled by dodgy free-range claims.

Ensuring you buy free-range With debate over the definition of free-range and misleading labelling continuing, one way to ensure that the eggs you’re buying are truly freerange is to choose certified organic eggs.

According to Owen Gwilliam, convenor of Australian Organic standards, buying certified organic egg ensures that eggs are not only free range but also produced without artificial colour additives, antibiotics and synthetic agrichemicals.

“The Australian Certified Organic Standard has the most stringent stocking rates and animal welfare and environmental management requirements,” Gwilliam said.

To use the Australian Certified Organic Bud logo, egg farmers can’t stock more than 1500 birds per hectare or up to 2500 birds per hectare for layers on pasture rotations (the practice of rotating birds from one pasture to another to maintain vegetative growth and animal health). These are equal to the strictest interpretations of any of the varying free range standards available in the market place.

Simon Cripps-Clarke from certified organic farm Organigrow, in New South Wales, produces 500 dozen eggs a day.

“Being certified organic is firstly about animal welfare,” he says. “We run a stocking density of 600 birds per hectare.

“To be certified organic you must also look after biodiversity. We have plenty of trees, bushes and natural shade for the birds and they are on lush pasture. If you have a high stocking rate you will lose ground cover quickly.

“We are also required to buy certified organic feed that’s been produced without synthetic agrichemicals or GM [genetic modification].” OH

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2014 17

BREAKFAST

Spoilt for choice See recipe in the Open House iPad app.

Australia is positioning itself as a leading global culinary destination and part of that appeal rests on our ability to give all customers a more personalised menu, writes Sheridan Randall.

I

t may come as a surprise to some people, but Australia is ranked second only to France when it comes to food and wine, according to the latest research by Tourism Australia. Yes, we even beat Italy, who shared a place on the podium in third spot.

The tourism body, which is investing heavily in its marketing campaign hinged around Australia’s culinary offering – Restaurant Australia – found that visitors from Europe who had already visited Australia ranked us second in the global culinary stakes. Topping that remarkable achievement, Australia was ranked the number one food destination for visitors from China, the US, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UK and South Korea.

Part of Australia’s appeal is in some ways to be all things to all people. In other words, if you want it we have got it. The age of individualism has given way to the era of personalisation, and that is nowhere more apparent than in the

hotel industry. Another survey by hotel giant InterContinental Hotels Group found that travellers are now looking for hotels to not only deliver consistently good service and to reflect local trends and customs, but to also tailor their stays to meet their personal preferences – with food being one of the key areas.

The Creating ‘Moments of Trust’: The key to building successful brand relationships in the kinship economy report found that travellers over 65 are most interested in healthy food and beverage choices, while travellers originating from emerging economies, such as the Chinese, have higher expectations for personalisation than travellers from developed markets.

Executive chef Luke Stepsys, who oversees hotel QT Gold Coast’s culinary hot spot Bazaar Marketplace, says that the restaurant's success is down to putting as much flexibility and choice on offer as is humanly possible.

“We try and cover off on serving

18 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

many cuisine types and catering to many dietary needs,” he says.

“That’s the allure, it’s not a pigeonholed buffet that you would find in a typical hotel.”

The breakfast sees locals flock to the restaurant, with upwards of 4000 covers coming through in a week.

“When you’ve captured the local market and have a strong trade coming through daily sustained by locals you know you’re on the right track,” he says.

With not a bain-marie in sight, the eye catching mix of Moroccan dinner ware and wooden platters, combined with an open kitchen make this breakfast a feast for the eyes as well as taste buds.

“The ethos behind the Bazaar Marketplace is to break down barriers, so there are no walls to the kitchens,” he says. “The chefs are forced to interact and think on their feet.

“We have a design your own omelette station, so you effectively set up a station where a chef can

pump out a couple of hundred omelettes in a service with up to 40 different ingredients they can choose from and mix and match,” he says. “Lots of egg white omelettes with minimal fats that can cater for people who are a bit more health conscious. They also do bespoke items like breakfast jaffles, waffles, lots of different jam filled donuts cooked to order, mini quiches, anything that is fresh and fun to do.”

The restaurant also makes its own cereals, such as granola, protein bars and “lots of little bespoke trifles”. The kitchen has a team of pastry chefs busy from 4am baking around 20 different pastry items a day for breakfast.

With the Gold Coast a big draw for both Chinese and Japanese visitors, the hotel also makes sure their needs are catered for, with a variety of congee noddles and pickles available.

“But we find they [Asian tourists] come to the buffet and are happy eating an omelette and fried eggs,” he says. “Many of them embrace the Aussie culture and eat what’s there.”

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Light starts With the number of people eating breakfast out of home on the rise, customers are increasingly looking for healthier options, writes Ylla Wright.

St Ali's My Mexican Cousin.

B

reakfast has the reputation of being the healthiest meal of the day, but all too often it’s not, especially when people are tucking into big breakfasts with lashings of bacon, sausages and hash browns.

Even so-called “healthier” options such as granola and bircher muesli can be hiding considerable amounts of fat and sugar.

While most Aussies don’t baulk at a few extra kilojoules when it’s a once-in-a-while treat, the number of people eating breakfast out of home more often is on the increase, with many stopping in to their local café for a quick bite or a takeaway on their way to work.

“On the go” is currently the fastest growing breakfast location for Australian adults, and is expected to grow 9.4 per cent by 2016, according to market analysts Datamonitor.

New research by Sunny Queen Farms, which produces a number of prepared products for the foodservice market, suggests that operators need to consider increasing their range of nutritious options to improve loyalty rates and keep people coming back mid-week.

The research, which asked more than 1000 Australian workers about their breakfast habits, showed that

nutrition, quality and freshness were the highest priorities for workers when choosing where to purchase their weekday breakfast.

The availability of nutritious

“

making every mouthful count, so they are looking for more nutritious options at every meal,” says John O’Hara, managing director of Sunny Queen Farms.

Foodservice outlets need to continue to add more tasty, nutritious, high protein and convenient items to their breakfast menus for the growing volume of consumers eating breakfast on the go.

”

options (42 per cent) was almost three times as important as speed of preparation/service (15 per cent) for workers overall, with white collar workers rating it almost five times as important as speed.

“Foodservice outlets need to continue to add more tasty, nutritious, high protein and convenient items to their breakfast menus for the growing volume of consumers eating breakfast on the go.”

“Australian workers have been inundated with messages about

Simon Ward, head chef of Hammer & Tong in Melbourne’s Fitzroy,

20 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

has noticed a massive increase in demand for healthier breakfast options, which he puts down to “greater food knowledge and education” amongst customers.

The restaurant has recently introduced a number of healthier breakfast options such as Quinoa Bircher, a healthier twist on the traditional Bircher Muesli which is often quite high in sugar, and Berry and Coconut Muesli.

“We have also noticed increased demand for simple, uncomplicated dishes such as poached eggs on multigrain toast is where the market is heading,” he says.

It’s a variation on a Japanese favourite that is the restaurant’s bestseller, however.

“At the moment the breakfast ramen is selling really well,” he says. “It’s a twist on a traditional Japanese breakfast with noodles, confit mushrooms, bacon, spring onions, coriander slow poached egg in a bacon broth.”

Also in Melbourne, Dario D'Agostino, owner and head chef of ZaZa's in Richmond, says the restaurant has experienced “an increased demand for healthier food options across the board, not just at breakfast”.

“But, yes, breakfast menu options have been updated to cater for those seeking healthier alternatives,” he says.

“Egg white dishes are definitely in demand, and we offer [options like] chai yoghurt alongside our more traditional breakfast dishes.

“We also accommodate requests for variations of our traditional dishes to remove or reduce items such as butter, salt or sausages for those who have particular dietary requirements.

“That said, some of our less healthy options like the chocolate croissant are definitely still favourites of many!"

The growth of The Paleo Café, which opened its first café in Cairns in October 2012, also indicates that Australians are looking for healthier choices across the board.

“The fact that we’ve gone from nothing to 12 cafes in a little over 12 months shows that there is a huge market for [healthy eating options] out there,” says The Paleo Café co-founder Jai Hobbs.

The Paleo Café’s menu is based on the idea of the “Paleo lifestyle”,

The Paleo Cafe's zucchini and kale fritters.

which sees proponents eat natural foods our ancient ancestors would have eaten such as lean proteins, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, fish oil and grass fed meat, and steering clear of dairy, grains and sugars, which “our bodies aren’t designed

CAN WE TEMPT YOU?

to process”.

While the diet is not without its critics – its guidelines go against those of the National Health and Medical Research Council, which recommends the consumption of wholegrain cereals, rice, pasta and dairy products – Hobbs says it’s about “eating as Mother Nature intended and that is what our business is all about”.

“We appeal to healthy people, people who just like good, clean food, and people with intolerances – dairy intolerance, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance as well as coeliacs,” he says.

“The more people you talk to the more you hear about food intolerances; the more [about] obesity problems.

It’s all down to diet. The fact is that people are starting to realise that what goes into their mouths effects how they feel, [and] what they are.”

Breakfasts at the café range from “Paleo Bircher Muesli”, which includes mixed seeds and berries, softened with fresh fruit, juice and coconut yoghurt, to their “Caveman’s Big Breakfast”, free range eggs with sirloin steak, crispy bacon, Paleo sausage, mushrooms, roast cherry tomato, red onion and spinach on Paleo Toast (a glutenfree bread made from linseed meal, coconut flour, eggs and ghee).

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22 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

While it might come as a surprise to many, fat is not the enemy of healthier eating, according to Hobbs.

“Part of the paleo lifestyle is getting enough fat in your diet; most people don’t get enough fat in their diet,” he says. “It’s highly processed

See recipes in the Open House iPad app. carbohydrates that are bad for you – things like bread, muffins and pastries. Healthy fats, such as coconut oil and healthy animal fats, on the other hand are imperative for your body to function.”

While Andrew Gale, head chef of St Ali North and South in Melbourne, admits there is some demand for healthier breakfast options, he believes it’s a niche market rather than a fully-blown trend.

“In my recent experience people are becoming more concerned with provenance, certainly, and flavour, but there hasn't been a significant gravitation towards healthier options – Melbournians are a bunch of hedonists!” he says. “I find that most people who are really health conscious about what they eat tend not to eat out a lot.

“Going out for breakfast is still a really social thing for most people, where people meet up with friends, and when you go out with friends you tend to eat the things you want.

“Awareness is increasing about where food comes from and people are taking more notice and care of that, but it seems to me to be more from an ethics and flavour standpoint than it is about health.”

While it’s unlikely that demand for classic breakfast combos such as bacon and eggs or eggs Benedict will falter any time soon, balancing breakfasts menus with a few healthier options may well encourage your customers to eat breakfast out more often, and who doesn’t want that?

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Quinoa bircher

Y

ou will need to start this recipe one day in advance.

2 cups rolled oats ½ cup red quinoa ½ cup black quinoa ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup goji berries ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup currants ¼ cup shredded coconut ¼ cup slivered almonds 3½ tblsp coconut sugar Pinch ground cinnamon Pinch ground nutmeg 1¾ cup apple juice 1½ cup coconut milk In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except for the coconut sugar.

In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and coconut sugar.

Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps of sugar, and that it is fully dissolved in the liquid.

Combine all together, mixing to ensure that there are no areas of dry ingredients separate from wet ingredients. This should resemble a textured wet cake mix. Leave to absorb in the fridge overnight with a cartouche top to stop a

crust forming on the top from air drying it out. A cartouche can be made from either baking paper or glad wrap touching the top of the mixture. The difference in the mixture once it is ready will be visual. You should be able to tell

that all of the fruits and oats have absorbed the liquid of which there will not be a huge excess.

To serve, place in a bowl with natural yoghurt and some berry compote. ● Recipe by Simon Ward, head chef, Hammer & Tong. OH

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24 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

OIL

Battered not bruised Using the right oil for frying, and maintaining its quality, is key to getting the most out of it and ensuring the punters keep coming back for more, discovers Sheridan Randall.

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hef and restaurateur Peter Kuruvita’s up market take-away outlet at the Star Sydney, Flying Fish & Chips, has been banging out quality fish and chips to the punters for a while now. With hand cut chips, battered John Dory and crumbed calamari all on the menu, the venue gets through a fair bit of oil – around about 160 litres a week.

The kitchen uses soy bean oil for their deep frying, as “there is no after taste”, according to head chef Parvez Rahman.

With two separate fryers for their fish and chips, the kitchen changes the oil every two days when they are busy, but sometimes gets another two days out of the oil for frying fish if they are not being hammered.

“Having a clear oil helps us maintain the quality of the food,” Rahman says. “If you can see the oil change colour and it goes dark or if it starts to taste burnt it is time to change it.”

The fryers use an inbuilt filtration system to help maintain the quality of the oil and prolong its usable life.

Paul Thomson, sales manager foodservice NSW at equipment supplier Moffat, says that operators frying fish fillets “would only get a couple of days out of the oil generally, because of the odour”.

“A lot of sales [of commercial fryers] go on around preserving the life of the oil rather than capital outlay because the payback can be quite quick,” he says. “It’s pretty basic stuff at the end of the day, about not damaging the oil through excessive heat, having somewhere for the dead product to go and then having a filtration system removing particles and odour from the oil.”

Generally there are two different types of filtration system on offer, ones built into the fryer and external ones. Moffat supplies two types of filter – one is a nylon filter which will drag pretty heavy particles out of the oil, and the other is a carbon filter, which when combined with the nylon filter removes any odours.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

services it can increase the life of that oil by up to four or five times,” he says. “Couple that with a carbon filter and you get a couple more uses out of it.”

says. “The oil from the chip fryer would then be filtered and utilised in the fish fryer after a couple of days. Basically they never put new oil in the dirty fryer.”

The other thing that is standard practice for fish and chip shops is running a clean fryer and a dirty fryer, according to Thomson.

Another way to prolong the lifespan of the oil during service is to ensure the product that falls off the food during cooking is moved to a cooler part of the oil. Fryers designed to allow the oil at the bottom of the

“They will cook chips in the clean fryer and fish in the dirty fryer,” he

Peerless Foods have recently partnered with William Angliss Institute to sponsor the Institute’s Centre for Food Trades and Culinary Arts, with Formula 40 chosen as the exclusive oil by the Institute.

Peerless Foods shares its top 10 tips to keeping your cooking oil in shape.

1

Don’t skimp on quality – the better quality the oil, the less oil changes you’ll need.

2

Get the temperature right – cook at too low a temperature and the food will absorb excess oil, too high and it will burn the crumb and leave the food undercooked on the inside.

“If an operator filters the oil between 26 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

CMY

tank to remain around 50˚C cooler than the cooking temperature prevent the food debris from burning during service.

K

Another aspect to look at is the heating element of a cooker.

“What is critical is the surface area of the heating element,” he says. “The bigger surface area you heat up at one time the less damage you will do to your oil.” OH

3

more regularly to remove particles of broken food.

4

Make sure there is adequate overhead extraction to avoid moisture build up, as the moisture will drip back into the oil and shorten its lifespan.

Ideally fryers should be used continuously, or when not in demand, cooled down to a standby temperature of between 90-120˚C.

If the oil stays in the fryer more than two days it is important to top it up with fresh oil to ensure it stays at the correct level.

5

Don’t overload the fryer by placing too much food to be cooked in it, as it causes the fryer temperature to drop beyond the capacity of the heating element.

6

Keep the oil as clean as possible by filtering daily or

7

8

Cook pre-made chips from frozen, but make sure there are no ice particles on them before they are placed in the fryer.

9

Make sure any soap or detergent is not left behind after cleaning.

10

When an oil foams or smokes it’s time to discard it.

CHEESE

Whey to go Just like wine, artisan cheese needs to be stored and served at the right temperature for its attributes to be fully appreciated, discovers Ylla Wright.

T

he last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in cheese, with more restaurants turning to locally-produced artisan cheeses as an alternative to dessert or a course in its own right.

Unfortunately, all too often poor handling can mean that cheese reaches the customer in less than optimal condition.

“The funny thing about cheese served in restaurants is that often chefs aren’t confident about it,” says cheese specialist Will Studd, executive producer and presenter of Cheese Slices.

“Which is crazy, when someone else [the cheesemaker] has done all the hard work. All you have to do to serve it is present it on a plate in the right condition.”

The two most important things to understand when looking after cheese are temperature and humidity, according to Studd. Store it at the wrong temperature or in a low humidity environment and the look and flavour of the cheese will quickly deteriorate.

“The best place to keep cheese in a café or restaurant environment is in one of those polystyrene boxes that fish often come in, in the fridge,” he says. “If you punch a couple of holes in the lid, about the size of 20 cent coin, that effectively gives you an insulated safe with a little bit of airflow. Wrap the cheese in a damp cloth and pop it inside.

“Industrial fridges work by sucking moisture out of the air, and anything else that gets in their way. The box prevents the cheese from drying out by creating a microclimate for it.”

A polystyrene box can also be used to allow cheese to come to temperature, without becoming too warm, in a hot kitchen.

“One of the challenges of foodservice is how to serve cheese at room temperature when you’re working in a really hot environment behind the jump and your customer is sitting out in a nice air-conditioned restaurant, expecting it to be served at their room temperature,” he says.

In cooler environments, getting cheese up to temperature within a timely fashion is a problem in its own right. “[The feedback we get] is that chefs don’t really know when a customer is going to order a cheese platter, so it’s a case of when a customer puts an order in, they need to pull it out and see if they can get the temperature to the right level,” says Andrew Glass, operations manager at Lactalis Jindi, which makes the Old Telegraph Road range for the foodservice industry.

“Depending on the ambient temperature is in the kitchen, it can take up to an hour.

“The only places that I’ve seen that seem to have success with that are places that have a dedicated cheese trolley and have a following, so they know that in one given night a certain number of serves will go. They can pull the cheese out at the beginning of service, and it has an opportunity to come up to temperature during the course of the night.”

For Laura Lown, venue manager and cheesemonger at Melbourne fromagerie Milk The Cow, it’s a matter of compromise.

“It’s difficult because we want to keep the cabinet at the perfect temperature to protect the cheese but when you take it out of the cabinet it takes five, 10, in some case 20 minutes to come to temperature and open up, just like a wine,” she says.

Staff are trained to suggest that customers who

28 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

order a cheese platter in the restaurant start with cheeses which have a lower moisture content (usually stored at between 10-15 degrees), such as cheddar, then move on to those with a higher moisture content such as brie (stored at between 0-4 degrees), giving them time to come to temperature.

“We do also keep our counter slightly higher for that reason,” she says. “It is in limbo between recommended storage and perfect for serving.”

Serving cheese at between 12-15 degrees is considered ideal.

“Pulling a cheese straight out of the fridge at 3-4 degrees and eating it is not a great experience,” says Glass. “It’s cold, it’s quite firm at that temperature and the flavours haven’t had the chance to develop. It won’t give you the full experience of the cheese.

An ambient 12-15 degrees, which is around the temperature we mature cheese here at the factory, is the optimum temperature for getting the best development of the flavours and mould cultures.”

Studd cautions against trying to pre portion cheese in an attempt to get it up to temperature, or save time in a banqueting environment.

“You can’t look after pre portioned cheese,” he says. “It just dries out, particularly in a hotel kitchen. It’s always much better to cut fresh from the wheel.

“When someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make a great cheese, it’s very important to treat it well.” OH

See more tips in the Open House iPad app.

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TRAINING

Moving with the times Training the next crop of hospitality workers means more than just rehashing the same old lessons of yesteryear; it requires flexibility and passion, discovers Sheridan Randall. major educational issues with my apprentices. They had language, literacy and numeracy problems. They had been let down in the educational sector and come straight into their trades. So we had to develop ideas and strategies on how to engage those guys back into a fun environment. I developed a mentoring program with my senior chefs that created a whole system of making sure the guys working in my team were educators. It was about taking ownership and letting these kids know that you were passionate about what you were doing.”

C

raig Robinson has seen plenty over his 30 year career in hospitality. A self-confessed “ratbag” back in his day he has come through the hospitality industry older and wiser but still as passionate as he was when he started out, which is handy as he and his business partner Adam Hepburn have big plans for Steps Australia, the training organisation they acquired last year.

Based in Melbourne and Geelong, Steps Australia is currently expanding into Western Australia and Queensland, with high hopes of bringing some flexibility to an apprentice system that for Robinson was letting too many young chefs fall through the cracks and not supporting them to finish their course and gain a much needed qualification.

Spending the last 15 years working for registered training organisations Robinson put “everything on the line” and Anna Polyviou took over Steps Australia with the aim of delivering innovative industry based training. industry and an increasing number of diverse restaurants and entrepreneurs coming into the sector, Robinson says the training for apprentices isn’t keeping up.

“I sort of looked at that and said there has to be a better way to train people that still gets the outcome at the end we all desire – the qualification – which in turn gives the student that sense of achievement,” he says.

Robinson’s breakthrough moment came when he was working as an executive chef with over 50 apprentices under him, with only one in five of them finishing their TAFE course. He asked himself what was stopping those apprentices from finishing their schooling when “every kid that works for me can cook”.

“I know how I struggled at TAFE as an apprentice with the emphasis not really being about me learning how to do the role for my particular employer but rather a boxed role,” he says.

“What are the educators doing that was not enabling their students to embrace the ideas and principles of what they are trying to teach?” he says. “There was something wrong with the system. So I thought I can do better.

With the evolution of the hospitality

“I saw that there were some

30 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

“It’s the same system I used with my apprentices, it’s about trying to find in those individual people what are their strengths, the trigger mechanism that as a boss I could use to get them to fire,” he says.

With many smaller operators unable to afford having their apprentices spend time at TAFE, having industry-based teachers come to the students at their workplace is a practical solution, according to Hepburn.

“TAFEs still have an important place in the [training] market but businesses are increasingly looking for more flexibility,” Hepburn says.

Students are given resource materials to work through at their

own pace, while a trainer will visit once a fortnight “to keep the information fresh in the trainees mind and maintain that sense of continuity”.

Some training is still done in a classroom environment to give the students the opportunity to see what other people at their level are doing in the industry.

“Our trainers spend a lot of time in the workplace just observing them during service and seeing them in the heat of battle, which is the most important part of the industry,” he says. “Coffee is the perfect example.

You can stand there and make one coffee at a time [and] that coffee would probably be perfect, but [it is] getting that quality and consistency when you have to do 40 coffees in a 20 minute period.”

Soulfoodcentral, on the New South Wales Central Coast, is also finding new ways of motivating the next crop of culinary talent in the region, with its #grillthechef program getting local young chefs excited.

Founded by Freshenup personal chef Paul McDonald and Dean Frankin, from Benchmark Stainless Steel in Tuggerah, the idea behind

Images: Anna Polyviou: KC@Invert Design & Anna Polyviou; Tony Bilson: KC@Invert Design & Tony Bilson; Matthew Kemp: KC@Invert Design & Matthew Kemp

Matthew Kemp

#grillthechef was to introduce some of the Central Coast's young chefs to people from Sydney they would never normally have access to, with the likes of 4Fourteen’s Colin Fassnidge, Shangri-La Sydney’s Anna Polyviou, The Keystone Group’s Matt Kemp and chef and restaurateur Tony Bilson among the many that have given up their time.

talent migrated. No matter who we had coming up through the system, coming up to Year 4 in the TAFE system they said 'right I’m off to Sydney or Europe' and so we never grew.”

Moving from Sydney to the Central Coast McDonald noticed that “there is this massive gap in what was happening in the training leading up to the food world”.

The program was an instant success, with participants being able to “ask them some questions, have a look, eat their food, get in the kitchen and stir their pots with them, and just talk to them”.

“The students I was involved with in Sydney were going to places like Quay and Bathers Pavilion, and then I came to the Central Coast and they [the students] were finding it difficult to find matching buttons and to get to TAFE on time,” he says.

“What I noticed working in the restaurants up here was that all the

After approaching some chefs in Sydney through social media, the program “just got bigger and bigger”, with 12 chefs agreeing to participate in last year’s #grillthechef.

Being a not-for-profit program meant that budgets were tiny and favours were called in. The chefs would stay in McDonalds’ house and local restaurants and cafes were called in to feed them for their stay.

"We had Tony Bilson stay for four days,” he says. “It was the most bizarre thing! He did the lost art of the Tony Bilson. mousseline, talking about the simple nuances of what happens if you add another egg white. It’s hard enough to get these kids to sit still, but these kids never moved, they were engrossed.

“We did one recently with Anna Polyviou from the Shangri-La and she was incredible.

The participants were just inspired. Not only were they able to see someone they wouldn’t normally be able to talk to but they also got some really good lessons out of it. She’s talking real technique,

how she makes these desserts come together and how she puts a seasonal menu together, things that the TAFEs are hard pressed to do with the government cutting costs and corners.”

McDonald has since attracted some sponsorship from group training organisation HTN to add a mentoring program called #youngguns.

“We have had young people who otherwise volunteer to help out people have no avenue for their creativity, like Anna and Tony” he says.

harsh,” he says. “You have to be very careful with your feedback because people take it to heart more these days.”

For Hill, keeping motivated himself by constantly learning new things and techniques is essential for passing that on to his students. But it’s not a one way street.

“I also learn from my students” he says. “They show me things and I go ‘wow’ where did you get that from?” OH

“It’s one of those industries that if you don’t get the occasional boost it’s hard. If you are not 100 per cent committed then you are probably not going to get through it. I had some support as a young apprentice and that made me want to do more.

We’ve got stacks of talent but they just disappear too quickly.”

As someone who has been in the industry many years, recent Black Hat recipient and teacher at The Gordon Institute of TAFE Geelong, Brendan Hill (see more in Culinary Clippings, page 38), knows how important it is to keep students motivated.

“If you don’t love it you’ll eventually give it up,” he says. “It’s pretty tough for young people out there.

Our job [as teachers], going beyond passing on skills, is to keep them motivated. Teachers have all become psychologists over the years, as students seem to have a lot more issues these days.”

Describing today’s students as more confident up front but in need of more reassurance, Hill says that they face more pressures than when he was a young apprentice.

“You have to be very careful nowadays about saying anything that can be construed as being slightly

Apply now by contacting our office on

1300 139 108 or visit www.htn.com.au

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2014 31

RECRUITMENT

Right fit right now Hospitality has often relied on a scattergun approach to finding the right people for the job. But new technology and an increasingly scientific way of selecting the best candidate are set to make it easier to get the perfect employees when you need them most, discovers Sheridan Randall.

T

he hospitality industry is a complex organism, from multinational fast food giants to small single operator venues all jostling together to compete for customers.

Although very different in scale and needs, one thing binds them all – the need for good employees across a range of categories, from fulltime to part-time and casual.

Getting the right talent for the job has traditionally been a hit and miss affair, exacerbated by the often transient nature of the jobs. Job boards and word of mouth have been the mainstays for many operators, but things are changing with employers looking at new ways of finding the right people for the job.

The corporate world has long embraced psychometric assessment as a recruitment tool, which measures a range of attributes from ability and aptitude to personality, and it is increasingly being taken up by those in hospitality as well, according to Cherie Curtis, head of psychology at online psychometric testing firm Onetest.

“We have had some very long standing clients in the hospitality industry within Australia who have been using psychometric testing for nearly a decade, but it does tend to be with larger chains and for certain roles,” she says.

“We are definitely seeing an evolution though in recent times.”

A decade ago the hospitality sector was predominantly using psychometric assessment for fulltime roles, but that has changed with “a pretty big uptake for casual or part-time roles”.

“We often hear from people in recruitment saying they brought someone on board using traditional

recruitment methods that they really thought was going to be a good fit and three months down the track it is just not working out,” she says.

“Being able to use psychometric testing before hiring avoids that type of turnover.

“It’s a little bit like buying a car.

You usually have a mechanic look under the hood so you can get an idea of what it is going to be like beyond that shiny paint job and how it is actually going to fit your needs. Psychometric testing is fairly similar in that it is trying to have a look at the personality, attributes and skill sets that you can’t always see through those other methods of the recruitment process, so you can evaluate with more accuracy about how they will potentially fit your business and your role.”

With a range of different online tests available depending on the scope of the employment brief, many often take less than 10 minutes to complete.

And in a move to make them less intimidating for job candidates, there has been a shift in the last 12 months towards the “gamification” of psychometric assessments.

“These are called serious games where you can use game-like experiences that have scientific properties to predict an attribute,” she says. “It’s about an organisation trying to get as much insight or understanding into that person to make an informed decision.”

Technology is also helping connect the right people to the right role in other ways, with new mobile and social recruitment app Workible launching six months ago.

“We started out as a job board but quickly realised that the industries we deal with such as hospitality

32 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

need something that really answers their biggest pain points – namely finding quality staff quickly,” says Workible’s co-founder, Allison Baker.

“There is that ebb and flow [in staffing] that the hospitality industry feels more than other industries. Being able to maintain a core fulltime staff is really cost prohibitive for many employers.”

That means for many operators casual staff are a key part of their staffing needs. But getting the right people, and often at very quick notice, can be an uphill struggle.

With a comprehensive data base of candidates on Workible’s books, employers can “push” out a job call targeting those with the most suitable skill sets.

“Rather than having to sit on the phone and having to send a million emails and wait for voicemails, and that sort of back and forth, you can simply push out what you need to 50 people at once, immediately get their responses and have the event sorted by the end of the hour – it’s just much more convenient,” she says.

“You are not pushing out a job ad on a job board and hoping the right people will see it. You are targeting the right people who not only have the skills but are also saying they are available and can do that shift.”

The app also uses webcasting to make the hiring process easier, with employers able to send out three questions to a candidate and ask them to answer in a three minute video response.

“As an employer I can be looking at 20 resumes and they all look great but I need to see the person behind the resume,” she says. “It’s very easy to say the right things on paper but in 20 seconds [on video] you can

tell whether that person will fit into your company culture and is the person you are looking for.”

With a slew of top restaurants and bars under Merivale Group’s umbrella including est., Mr. Wong and Establishment Bar, getting the right talent is crucial, with the group using social media a lot, according to Merivale's chef and kitchen talent manager, Taryn Astill.

“Our demographic is a lot younger, so we use things like Facebook, Instagram, which is a big one, and Twitter, all the usuals,” she says.

“We have a talent team that sits within HR that is committed to sourcing and finding talent and then building the talent with succession planning, training up and moving people around," she says. “We have one team taking care of the kitchens and one for front of house, and we both work very closely with the managers and head chefs, so they would be involved at the end stages.”

Jobs are advertised on the Merivale website and everything runs through head office before bringing in the individual venues, with word of mouth still a major part of the process.

“Everyone in our talent team and at head chef level have been in the industry a long time, so it’s about networking and knowing people,” she adds.

“It is really about proven experience, knowledge and reputation in the industry and people having an understanding about key values and having that same desire to be world’s best and being passionate about the industry. What is really important is someone to have a good attitude, is really eager to learn and has the right character traits. Good experience we can teach.” OH

CONNECT

Queensland’s WITH

FOOD INDUSTRY

QUEENSLAND

Queensland’s leading trade event for the hospitality industry.

200 plus exhibitors, live demonstrations, business seminars & masterclasses – all with a local Queensland flavour.

Register now for FREE at

finefoodqueensland.com.au and enter priority code HOSPITALITY

BRISBANE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

13-15 APRIL 2014

Strictly trade only. Entry is restricted to members of the retail, foodservice and hospitality industry. Proof of business identification may be required. Persons not in these categories, including children will not be admitted at any time. No prams permitted.

COOKING THE BOOKS

Tastes of Sri Lanka Documenting the work of The MJF Charitable Foundation, established by Merrill J Fernando, the founder of Dilmah tea, photographer Bree Hutchins fell in love with Sri Lanka, its people and its food. Here she shares one of her favourite recipes from the Jaffna Peninsula in Northern Sri Lanka.

Crab curry Serves 4

J

affna is renowned for its abundant seafood and a visit to the region isn’t complete without tasting their famous crab curry. We cooked the curry over an open fire in Bamini’s garden and the flavours were incredible! Be prepared to get a bit messy when eating this dish, but I can assure you it is worth it.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1-2 thin green chillies, halved lengthways (optional) 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

4 blue swimmer crabs (about 400g) or 2 live mud crabs, about 800g each 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2cm piece ginger, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste

2 teaspoons dried chilli pieces 1 teaspoon unroasted chilli powder 375ml coconut milk 3 sprigs curry leaves, leaves picked Juice of ½ lime

Tickety boo It’s great when you have one less thing to worry about. New superannuation changes arrived in January, meaning you need to ensure you’re making contributions to a MySuper approved fund if your employees have not chosen their own fund.

HOSTPLUS takes the worry out right away, because our current

Balanced Option is already fully approved. That means its simple, low cost features meet the new MySuper rules. So it’s all tickety boo. For more information on changes to superannuation visit hostplus.com.au/mysuper or call 1300 HOSTPLUS (1300 467 875), 8am – 8pm, Monday to Friday.

The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed financial adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, MySuper No. 68657495890198, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054. For further information on Chant West ratings visit http://hostplus.com.au/info/chant-west-disclaimer THEDMGROUP HOST7738/HTN/TB

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34 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

24/01/14 3:32 PM

If using live mud crabs, place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours until they are completely immobilised before you begin chopping them.

Remove the triangular flap under the crab and discard it, then lift off and remove the head, keeping the head to cook with the rest of the crab for presentation. Remove the gills and any yellow “mustard”. Wash the crabs. Cut in half, then pull off the big claws. Using the back of a large knife, tap the claws to crack them; this allows the flavours to seep in while cooking. Wash the crab pieces and set aside.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, ginger and salt into a paste. Heat the oil in a large wok or heavy-based saucepan and cook the onion over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the chillies and the garlic and ginger paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried chilli pieces and chilli powder; cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, curry leaves and crab pieces; simmer for a further 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and almost completely reduced, making sure to turn the crab regularly. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice and season to taste with salt.plate with some strawberry halves and syrup. ● Recipe and images from Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka by Bree Hutchins (Murdoch Books, $49.99). OH

Get it while it’s hot!

Open House is now available as an iPad app, offering even more ways to enjoy industry news, views and feature stories on the key issues and trends affecting the hospitality industry.

This exciting free app is packed with bonus extras including recipes, behindthe-scenes videos and interactive features.

Updated monthly, the Open House iPad app is available to download free at the iTunes app store or www.openhousemagazine.net.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2014 35

PRODUCTS

Gourmet antipasti Visco Selected Fine Foods makes summer menus simple with the new Val d’Elsa gourmet range.

The premium, Australian-made selection of sauces, relishes and antipasti, inspired by traditional European cuisine, is made from quality ingredients handpicked by the Visco chefs from selected growers and suppliers around Australia.

Val d’Elsa offers tasty, nutritious and economical options ideal for catering to large groups. The antipasto platter can be customised to suit a wide range of guests and patrons.

White wash W

ashtech, a leader in commercial dishwashers, have launched a range of new and improved models. With a selection catering to commercial kitchens requiring premium, middle of the line or more affordable options, Washtech have upgraded their offering to quieter, cooler and easier to use machines for a better work environment. All the new machines feature automatic drain operation enabling operators to drain the machine from the outside by simply pushing a button.

natural ingredients are the key differences when it comes to Monteith’s flavour. Monteith’s Crushed Summer Berries Cider showcases a delicate pink colour and features an aroma of fresh strawberries and raspberries, where berry wine is combined with crisp apple cider. Crushed Apricot & Cider is made up of freshly crushed apple cider mixed with a unique apricot wine, and features an aroma of apricots and orange blossom. ● www.monteithsbeer.com.au

Other features include an assured constant rinse system, soft start wash and a quick start function.

Cherry on the cake

Across the range Washtech has also aimed to increase energy efficiency and reduce water consumption. ● www.washtech.com.au

Ideal for foodservice operators and caterers, fresh fruit and

Lifetime leather Solo Mia Designs has created a new range of stylish leather aprons for the hospitality industry that are practical and comfortable, and need minimum maintenance.

The apron range includes a leather bib apron in calf napa, a sheep napa hospitality apron (waist to knee) and a cow napa leather apron (waist to below the knee). With no laundering necessary, the aprons can be cleaned with a damp cloth and show no stains or grime from daily wear.

Cider crush Monteith’s Brewing Company has introduced two new flavours to their crushed cider range with Monteith's Crushed Summer Berries Cider and Crushed Apricot & Cider.

The range includes Val d’Elsa Beetroot Relish with Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Pepperdews with Labana, Semi-Dried Tomatoes, Olive Tapanade with Kalamata Olives, and Catalano Antipasto with Manchego Cheese and Basil Pesto. ● www.viscofoods.com

The range comes in black however, bespoke designs in a range of colours can be ordered for restaurants, bars and cafés. ● www.solomiadesigns.com.au

The taste of Japan’s famous Cherry Blossom Festival comes to Australia with W Sakura Plus Cherry Blossom puree.

Made from sakura cherry blossom flowers, sakura cherry blossom leaves, plum vinegar, sugar, salt and natural colouring, a little puree goes a long way. Use it to flavour desserts such as cream, ice cream, panna cotta, cheesecake and macarons or create an innovative jus for game meats such as pork, duck, quail and venison.

The cost effective puree comes ready to use in 500g pouches. ● www.thegoodgrubhub.com

36 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

Canberra coffee Belaroma Coffee has launched its new coffee blend, Black Mountain, especially for the ACT market.

Hand roasted in Canberra, Black Mountain coffee offers the aromas and flavours allowed by small batch roasting,

with notes of chocolate and a little acidity to finish, reminiscent of bitter-sweet orange syrup.

The blend works as a latte, cappuccino or espresso.

Packed regionally in Fyshwick, the blend is an ideal gourmet option for specialty coffee cafes and restaurants in Canberra and is available in foodservice packs. ● www.belaroma.com.au

Sweet and spicy Byron Bay Cookie Company's new Chai Latte Cookie is infused with the company's own unique chai spice blend including nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom.

Finished with chunks of white chocolate, this cookie combines sweet and spicy for an innovative cookie flavour. The cookies are also available in a gluten-free option.

Southern-style solution Butlers BC have introduced the Butlers BC Southern Style Chicken Burger for a tasty addition to the burger menu for foodservice operators.

Great as a standalone burger, as a side or a customised main meal, the chicken burger is made from Australian chicken meat and lightly covered in southern-style crispy coating. Portion controlled in 70g patties, the burger is convenient, easy to use and ideal for cafes, bistros, canteens, restaurants, hotels and high volume catering.

Butlers BC Southern Style Chicken Burger is available for foodservice in 4x1kg sizes. ● www.markwellfoods.com.au

products including nuggets and schnitzels, for crab or fish cakes, and fried mushrooms or onion rings. ● www.kikkoman.com.au

Final frontier The Byron Bay Cookie Company’s Chai Latte Cookie is available as a café cookie, individually wrapped cookies (single wraps) and gluten free wrapped cookies. ● www.cookie.com.au

Panko perfect Kikkoman’s all-purpose Panko breadcrumbs are making it easier for foodservice professionals to use breadcrumbs in baked or fried dishes.

Yoder Smoker has introduced the latest in barbecuing technology, the Frontiersman, ideal for event catering and hire, restaurants and pubs.

This unit is designed to cook for hundreds of guests at a time and comes on cart wheels for mobility allowing users to handle the weight with ease. The professional smoker is designed to deliver authentic barbecue quality. ● www.grillpro.com.au OH

Made in the authentic Japanese way, their rough texture and larger crumb size delivers a crispier coating and their lower density means the breadcrumbs will absorb less fat, cook cleaner and make for lighter eating than ordinary breadcrumbs.

Made from bread baked by passing an electric current through the dough, Panko breadcrumbs are baked without a crust, which imparts a distinctive textural quality and makes them more resilient to breakdown during processing.

Ideal for both sweet and savoury applications, they can be used for baked or fried chicken

It’s the little things that count!

In foodservice it’s the small things you do for your customers that make a big difference!

That’s why the Peppermint TIC TAC Pillow Packs (four mints per pack) are the ideal complimentary mint for hotel guests, conference attendees, restaurant & cafe patrons and airline passengers.

They’re simply the perfect refreshment that adds a little something extra to every occasion.

For sales enquires contact Ferrero Foodservice on 1800 199 183 or visit www.ferrero.com.au/foodservice/tictac

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CULINARY CLIPPINGS

Get active get involved T

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Peter Wright Australian Culinary Federation (ACF)

his year is the Australian Culinary Federation’s (ACF) “Year of the Chef” and the challenge for us all is to be more active in our chef communities. Actions speak louder than words and to get the juice out of a beautifully ripe orange requires a bit of squeezing. To keep the momentum going we need you to get involved in our activities, we need you to send us suggestions of things you may want to see or do, and if you are already an active member tap your colleague on the shoulder and get them involved.

All of our events, important news, sponsors and information are online and our web pages are updated weekly, which is fantastic as www. austculinary.com.au is reaching a record number of hits, with December posting an all-time record of over 44,000 page views. Our Facebook page is averaging over 1200 views per post. So get on, have a look, and voice your comments.

Membership is critical to our success and the new members’ packs have been posted to all

financial members. Over the past 18 months a lot of work has gone into streamlining the way that we handle and renew memberships including new ones. I would have to say that this task has been the single most difficult task that we have attempted, with the ACF overcoming many hurdles and flaws. However, it has also highlighted the need for dedicated human recourses in this area to manage memberships and keep track of your movements to ensure that you receive the right information within a specific timeline. Your help is greatly appreciated by keeping us informed when you change postal address or email address. Although simple it is significant when dealing with thousands of chefs in terms of both managing cost and managing our time. For those that have not received the new membership packs, which include your ACF Membership Card, please stop reading immediately and contact your state chapter.

Following on from the success of our

If the hat fits Esteemed culinary arts teacher Brendan Hill, of the Gordon Institute of TAFE in Geelong, has been awarded the Sidney Taylor Memorial Black Hat by the Australian Culinary Foundation.

One of 10 culinary professionals to have been awarded the Black Hat over the award’s 33 year history, Hill says that he was “lucky I have been singled out of thousands of fantastic teachers and I feel very honoured”.

Hill has been teaching students at The Gordon for 35 years in patisserie, commercial cookery, chocolate and sugar work, with a host of Australia’s famous chefs, including MoVida’s Frank Camorra, Kirsten Tibballs from Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School and MasterChef judges George Calombaris, Matt Moran and Gary Mehigan, benefitting from his guidance.

Hill has also won seven Culinary Olympic gold medals and judged at numerous culinary competitions across the world.

“I was very surprised,” he says. “I had never even thought about it as normally the guys that get it are 15 to 20 years older than me.

“I was actually a little bit emotional when I heard. I have known all the previous recipients and I am lucky to have met the very first recipient [Sidney Taylor] when I was a very young apprentice, which was given to him after he passed away.”

38 Open House, February 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

inaugural chefs studio at Fine Food Australia in Sydney last year we are providing similar activities during Fine Food Queensland in April, including live cooking demonstrations and workshops focusing on chocolate, current food trends, red meat cuts, spicing up the menu, ready to cook sauces, dairy masterclasses, and new food technologies. Fine Food Queensland is being held in Brisbane on April 13-15.

The 2014 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat will also be commencing recruitment of teams shortly and is open to young chefs and apprentices – information is available online or at your local TAFE, registered training organisation or other place of professional training.

Remember get involved and keep the ACF strong.

Peter Wright National President Australian Culinary Federation peter@austinwright.com.au www.austculinary.com.au

that has been gained in the last eight years will put us in a great position in coming years. As long as we have committed chefs willing to put in the hard yards and believe in what they are doing, and the money to get us to the competition venues, we will succeed.

DP: Our success on the world culinary competition stage reflects the maturing of our food culture and an Australian cuisine. Our food and restaurant scene have a notable presence online and in social media helping us to define for the rest of the world what great food from the new world should look like and taste like.

What's on the plate in 2014 Open House hooked up with Australian Culinary Federation Chapter presidents Bruno Gentile (QLD), Andre Kropp (TAS) and Dale Prentice (VIC) to get the lowdown on what 2014 is cooking up for the culinary world.

Open House: Australia’s reputation as a top culinary destination globally is probably at an all-time high – currently second place to France (according to the latest Tourism Australia research).

What’s our secret?

Bruno Gentile: I believe the secret is our ability to provide fresh, high quality and sustainable produce.

Our red meats are the best in the world, our choice of fresh clean seafood is second to none. Our fruit and vegetable is clean and crisp.

It has taken a while but I believe Australian producers now take pride and ownership in the products and working with their industry they have utilised sustainable and improved programs to ensure the result of a premium and affordable end product.

Andre Kropp: I think it’s down to Australian chefs not being afraid to step outside the box in their creativity, matched with quality ingredients from all sorts of climatic

areas within Australia.

Dale Prentice: Food in Melbourne in particular is defined by our rich and diverse ethnic background.

Melbourne chefs are exposed to a vast array of training and cooking techniques through this cultural diversity which meld together to give us a world class cuisine that is always maturing.

OH: Junior and senior culinary teams shined in international competitions in 2013 – is this set to continue?

BG: Yes in a big way! These competitions were introduced to bring awareness of our industry to the students at an early stage in the career decision period. The Junior Secondary School Culinary Challenge (SSCC) commenced four years ago with six teams and three schools on the Gold Coast. In 2013 this increased to over 250 students, 80 schools and with six regions across the state. The 2013 grand final was held at a live hot kitchen stage at the Brisbane EKKA Show with all six regions competing. In 2014 we will have South Australia, Canberra, Queensland and, for the first year, NSW all competing in the SSCC. AK: Absolutely yes, the knowledge

Official organ for the Australian Culinary Federation; Association of Professional Chefs and Cooks of NSW; Professional Chefs and Cooks Association of Queensland Inc.; Academie Culinaire de France; College of Catering Studies and Hotel Administration, Ryde, NSW; Les Toques Blanches, NSW Branch; Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks Ltd. Subscriptions: 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $174; 3 yrs $261 (incl. GST and surface mail).

ISSN 0312-5998

OH: Lots of our top young chefs go overseas – are we in danger of losing them or is it a good education that enriches our culinary culture when they return?

BG: This industry thrives on culinary experience. Many chefs go overseas to gain further culinary experience, and yes some don’t venture back to Australia, but I find most of them do. They bring back new experiences, new food ideas, cooking techniques, new flavours etc. This can only benefit our diverse culinary palate and our overall dining experience.

AK: We should never fear the loss of young chefs wanting to travel and further their culinary knowledge.

Nine times out of 10 they will return in a couple of years, with new knowledge and skills to teach the new youth and further strengthen Australia as a culinary destination.

Anyway us older chefs all did this as well, so don’t fear it, embrace it!

spend our dining dollar. As diners, the experience we are receiving is getting better at most levels of restaurants. We love the more relaxed dining experience in Australia.

AK: I think people want value for money, and not always multiple courses. Three courses of fantastically cooked food, that people can recognise and drool over.

I also think shared table style food is becoming bigger and bigger.

DP: Two positive things will come from these growing pains within our industry – amazing chefs starting to produce middle tier food at great value and a real refining of what makes for an exclusive night out.

OH: How can operators cut their costs without losing quality?

AK: Use head-to-toe philosophy in the creation of dishes is becoming a very important part of menu development, which cuts the cost of a dish if you use the principle correctly.

Dale: Hospitality is already a very lean beast, and love it or hate it the no bookings path of dealing with no shows and empty tables is still working in Melbourne for many city venues.

OH: What underused product would you like to see more of in menus?

DP: Our own indigenous cuisine is still yet to truly find its feet, I would like more and more to see the food of Australia reflect the land and what it provides. OH

OPEN HOUSE FOODSERVICE is proud to be a diamond sponsor of the ACF.

DP: The ACF encourages, supports and assists young chefs to go overseas to gain experiences of a life time. Many come back to open and run some of Australia’s top restaurants and those that succeed and stay overseas become some of our greatest ambassadors of the quality and integrity of culinary training in Australia through their very success on the world stage.

OH: Diners shied away from the high end dining scene last year – where are they headed this year?

BG: Affordability and disposable income play a big part on where we

PUBLISHER Alexandra Yeomans MANAGING EDITOR Ylla Wright JOURNALIST Sheridan Randall SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Jo Robinson ACCOUNT MANAGER Leah Jensen DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Bin Zhou DIGITAL/PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Xin Jin EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Anna-Louise McDougall

For information on ACF, visit www.austculinary.com.au, or contact the ACF National Office via acfnationaloffice@austculinary.com.au or (03) 9816 9859.

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2014 39

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