Open House Food Service April 2015 Issue by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd

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APRIL 2015

Catering on the move Fast food goes hipster Kangaroo bounces back

Pail to plate Sandhurst Fine Foods

Our Fresh Ingredients. Your Passion. Created from quality, fresh ingredients here in Australia, Birch & Waite Professional sauces and dressings deliver an authentic flavour profile and flavour intensity. So now you can focus on crafting great dishes without compromise.

Call us on 02 8668 8000 to arrange a free tasting. www.birchandwaite.com.au *Based on current End User usage; n=250, GalKal June 2014

Conditions Apply. See website for full details.

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

Family-run Sandhurst Fine Foods have been bringing their passion for authentic Italian foods to Australia for over a quarter of a century. The range has expanded but the passion remains the same.

Regulars 04 Editor’s note 06 News 12 In season

13 10 things Most controversial foods 14 Origins Pomegranate 15 Q&A Sue Shepherd, nutritionist 32 Regional snapshot Murrindindi, VIC 34 Cooking the books 36 Products 38 Profile Brian Smith, Adelaide Entertainment Centre 39 Australian Culinary Federation news

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MARCH 2015

Features 10 Cover story Sandhurst Fine Foods put passion to the plate 16 Sustainability Kangaroo on the menu 18 Volume catering Catering in the air and at sea 22 Fast food Fast food gets a hipster makeover 26 Online bookings Getting ahead in the digitised world 28 Coffee Coffee takes luxury to a new level 30 Foodservice Australia Back for another year bigger and better

Chocolate with a conscience Spotlight on seafood labelling Gluten-free opportunity for growth OH0315.indd 1

Bringing out the biscuits Arnott's Biscuits 19/03/2015 4:34 pm

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EDITOR’S WORD

All change A

ll things change, such is the only certainty in life and hospitality. For Ylla, long serving editor of Open House, change has come in the form of a baby girl, with deadlines to be temporarily replaced by growing baby milestones. For me it has come in a change of job title. For the industry it is ongoing. McDonald’s is struggling after posting a whopping 30 per cent drop in global profit, with the fast food giant shutting down 700 poorly performing stores worldwide.

Australia is getting the culinary recognition it has long deserved, with Sepia’s Martin Benn and his team wowing the critics in New York. Canberra is reinventing itself as a new capital of cool and can now claim to be the global home of cutting edge coffee following Canberran barista Sasa Sestic’s winning effort at the 2015 World Barista Championships in Seattle. Dietary requirements have gone mainstream with this year’s Foodservice Australia in Melbourne having an area dedicated to gluten free products for the first time, while chef Pete Evans continues to polarise with his fringe views on diet. Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat is open again and set to change the fortunes of at least one hardworking team of young chefs. Applications have also opened for the 2015 Thierry Marx Career Development Award with one lucky Victorian apprentice set for a life changing trip to France. The hospitality industry still struggles when it comes to recruiting great staff at a wage operators can actually afford, but the winding down of the resource industry may help redress the issue that governments continue to struggle with. Fortunately, despite all the ebbs and flows the one thing that does remain is Aussie diners’ appetite for great food.

Published in Australia by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Website: www.openhousemagazine.net ACN 147 436 280 ISSN 0312-5998 PUBLISHER Alexandra Yeomans GENERAL MANAGER Michelle Cullen MANAGING EDITOR Sheridan Randall JOURNALIST Anastasia Prikhodko ACCOUNT MANAGER James Zantis DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Bin Zhou PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Anne Esteban SALES & DIGITAL CO-ORDINATOR Grissel Ritchie ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT Kate Wilcox

HEAD OFFICE – SYDNEY Creative Head Media Pty Ltd Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Tel: (02) 9438 2300 Fax: (02) 9438 5962 Email: enquiries@creativehead.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $174; 3 yrs $261 (incl. GST and surface mail)

Sheridan Randall Managing editor

THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY Fast food chains are sprucing up their traditional menus to keep up with smaller enterprises; who are offering foodies quick service, affordable and gourmet food. Find out more on page 22.

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Official publication for the Australian Culinary Federation

AMAA, CAB Total Distribution Audit 21,687 September 2014

Real egg dishes created by real egg lovers.

Everyone loves real eggs. Now, Sunny Queen is making them easier to serve. Our delicious range of Meal Solutions is prepared with care in our new state-of-the-art kitchen. We combine the highest quality ingredients with pasteurised eggs from our farms, to create an ever-expanding variety of innovative dishes. Meal Solutions are simple and versatile, save you time and will keep your diners smiling. To find out more, call Sunny Queen Customer Service on 1300 834 703 or visit sunnyqueenmealsolutions.com.au

INDUSTRY NEWS

Melbourne confirmed as Australia’s café capital

elbourne’s reputation as the café capital of Australia has been confirmed by the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research.

(61 per cent). Melbourne residents are also the most frequent café visitors, with 11.5 per cent of respondents going 16 or more times in any given three-month period.

The research found that in an average three months, 63.3 per cent of Melburnians pay at least one visit to a café, ahead of Hobart residents (62.7 per cent) and Sydneysiders

“Melbourne has long declared itself Australia’s coffee capital, and in some respects this is justified,” said Angela Smith, group account director, Roy Morgan Research. “With a higher café visitation rate than any other capital city, Melburnians take their coffee very seriously. “And perhaps because so many of them count on their barista for their caffeine fix, Melbourne residents don’t need to buy as much fresh coffee for home/ work consumption – which is where Sydneysiders lead the country.” Overall, the proportion of Australians aged 14+ visiting cafés in an average three months rose from 53.7 per cent to 56.8 per cent between 2010 and 2014, while ownership of coffee makers increased from 28.2 per cent of households to 36.9 per cent over the same period. The proportion of people who bought instant coffee in any given four weeks has decreased from 58.5 per cent in 2010 to 52.6 per cent last year.

Aussie olive producers triumph at global comp NSW olive producer Alto Olives has triumphed at the world’s most prestigious olive oil competition, snagging two Best in Class awards for its Alto Robust and Alto Vividus at the 2015 New York International Olive Competition.

Tetsuya masterclass in Melbourne Tetsuya Wakuda is preparing to conduct his first Masterclass in Melbourne, to be held on Monday May 18, 2015, at Crown’s hospitality training facility – The Culinarium. The event will be followed by a lunch at Nobu with a menu created by Wakuda in conjunction with Nobu’s chef de cuisine Sean Tan and pastry chef Mario Wischnewski.

The producer's extra virgin olive oils were chosen as the world’s best from a field of over 700 entries from 25 countries.

Both events will be attended by a number of Melbourne’s high profile chefs who will get the opportunity to witness Wakuda showcasing an array of seafood from Petuna with a particular focus on their premium award winning Petuna Ocean Trout.

Victoria’s Boundary Bend took home a Best in Class award for its Cobram Estate Ultra Premium Hojiblanca and another for its Cobram Estate Super Premium Premiere.

“I am excited about coming to Melbourne and sharing my knowledge while working with some of the finest ocean trout in the world,” said Wakuda.

Other Australian olive oils that won awards include Cape Schanck Olive Estate, which won a Gold Award, Camilo Farm Blend and Cobram Estate Robust Flavour Intensity, which both took home Silver awards.

"Confit of Petuna Ocean Trout served with konbu, celery and apple has been the key ingredient in my signature dish for over 20 years and whilst the menu may change this will always remain."

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NEWS BRIEFS Global chefs’ collaboration

China becomes second largest wine grower China has elbowed France out of the way to become the second largest wine-growing area in the world. According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (IOVW), China now accounts for 11 per cent of the territory given

Some of the world’s most creative culinary talent will participate in an unprecedented international restaurant swap, the 2015 The Grand GELINAZ! Shuffle, on July 9. Alain Ducasse, Rene Redzepi and Ben Shewry are among the line-up swapping countries.

over to vineyards in 2014. France still remains the biggest producer of wine, while the United States is the biggest consumer of wine. The biggest wine importers were Germany, the UK and the US.

Merivale heads inner west Merivale’s hospitality portfolio continues to expand with the acquisition of the Queen Victoria Hotel in Enmore, marking the Group’s first venue in Sydney’s inner west. The venue’s kitchen will be headed by Christopher Hogarth and Patrick Friesen of Manly’s Papi Chulo. Judge throws the book at restaurateur The Federal Circuit Court has fined and admonished a restaurateur at Lorne, in regional Victoria, over his “disgraceful” treatment of a foreign chef.The Israeli-born chef was underpaid more than $4200 in less than three months in 2012 when he worked at the Saporitalia restaurant.

Thierry Marx award looking for apprentices The Thierry Marx Career Development Award 2015 is now open for applications. The award gives one Victorian apprentice chef the opportunity to travel to Paris and work for three weeks under the guidance of Michelin starred Thierry Marx at his restaurant Sur Mesure at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Paris. The Thierry Marx Career

Development Award for apprentice chefs, now in its ninth year, aims to encourage and reward culinary excellence, and to foster connections between young chefs in different countries. Entry is via written submission, including two original Thierry Marx inspired recipes (one main course and one dessert). The finalists will prepare and present their dishes to the judging panel, who, as well as assessing culinary skills, will interview entrants, and score them on areas such as motivation, attitude, presentation and teamwork. Entries close at 5pm on June 5, 2015. Visit the Shared Tables Chef’s Club website for more information.

Online partnership to offer diners more choice Online restaurant booking website Yumtable. com.au is joining forces with established aggregator bookarestaurant.com, giving diners the choice of more than 1900 restaurants (see more on page 26). Benn wows US diners Martin Benn, from Sydney’s Sepia restaurant, has won over some of North America’s fiercest food critics following a showcase dinner at Eric Ripert’s New York restaurant Le Bernardin. Ripert offered the invitation after being wowed by Benn’s cooking on his trip to Australia as part of Tourism Australia’s Restaurant Australia Invite the World to Dinner campaign.

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Dimmi sets out to eliminate no-shows Online booking site Dimmi is looking to counter to the restaurant industry curse of diners who book but don’t show up with its Dimmi Guarantees. Working along the samethe waywe book airlines, hotels and theatretickets, whena diner makes an online reservation, theyare required to enter their c redit card details to secure the booking. Assuming the customer attends the reservation, they will pay as per normal, with n o a dditional c harge to the card. In the event of a no-show, the restaurant has the right to charge a no-show

fee, which is s tandard industry practice in other sectors. Only just launched, the program has already attracted 100 of Dimmi's premium restaurants including Ester, Cafe di Stasio, Ormeggio at the Spit, Restaurant Oranaand Six Penny. "The early signs o f guarantees hasbeen very positive,” said Stevan Premutico, C EO and Founder of Dimmi. “We are finding that the impact of no-shows havedropped from 4 per cent to less than 1 per cent for participating restaurants.”

Campaign to end guide dog discrimination Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has launched a new advocacy and education campaign It’s time to end Guide Dog discrimination.

Canberra barista world’s best Canberra barista Sasa Sestic of ONA Coffee has been named 2015 World Barista Champion at the 16th Annual World Barista Championship held in Seattle, USA (see page 28). Sestic beat barista representatives from the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, United Kingdom and France, with his winning brew aided by a dash of Canberra District winemaker Tim Kirk’s Clonakilla shiraz viognier. A former Olympic handball champion, Sestic is founder and director of ONA Coffeeas well as a partner in the Canberra city cafe The Cupping Room. ONA Coffee has a roastery and cafe in Fyshwick (ONA Coffee House) and ONA on The Lawns in Manuka and distributes coffee through numerous coffee shops in Canberra including its baby brother Project Origin.

The move follows new research commissioned by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT that revealed each week one NSW or ACT resident who is blind or vision impaired with a Guide Dog, is discriminated against by a restaurant or café illegally refusing or questioning their entry. The research, conducted by EY Sweeney Research, found more than half (53 per cent) of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT’s Guide Dog clients experienced discrimination in the past year, the largest percentage of these instances (40 per cent) occurring within cafes and restaurants. “While the public generally do the right thing, our survey shows people with Guide Dogs continue to face many barriers when going about their daily lives, which strips them of their independence,” said Dr Graeme White, CEO of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. “We’re calling on all restaurant and café owners to remind their staff that Guide Dogs are not pets and are legally entitled to access and enjoy the restaurants and cafes they visit, and bringing no risk to restaurant licenses and health inspections. Guide Dogs are highly trained to open up the world for people who are blind or vision impaired, not close it down, which is effectively what discrimination does.” To help restaurateurs and café owners train and remind staff of the issue, Guide

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Dogs NSW/ACT has developed a video featuring support from high-profile chefs including Cafe Sydney executive chef James Kidman and Kitchen by Mike’s Mike McEnearney, and is working with Restaurant & Catering Australia to distribute educational materials. Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has also partnered with NSW Police Force and ACT Policing to raise awareness of the illegal and finable offence of denying or charging people with a Guide Dog access to public premises, including restaurants and cafes. “It’s a crime to refuse entry to a person with a Guide Dog,” said NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Denis Clifford. “The NSW Guide Dog access laws have been in place for more than 30 years and like all forms of discrimination, there’s no excuse for it.” NSW Police officers can issue on-thespot fines of $165 and penalty notices of up to $880 for refusing entry to a Guide Dog user. Watch the video in the Open House iPad app.

Domino’s launch GPS driver tracker Pizza chain Domino’s is launching a GPS Driver Tracker, designed to keep delivery drivers safe. Domino’s Group CEO and managing director Don Meij said the GPS Driver Tracker enables customers to track pizza deliveries directly from the store to their door and keep Domino’s delivery drivers safe.

Wine with lunch perfect partnership

“We’ve always been a safe business but we’re now taking it to the next level and gaining a new level of transparency over our drivers,” he said. The GPS Driver Tracker will also set good driving behaviour benchmarks in the business.

Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) has announced the WA Wine List Awards will merge with the R&CA Trending Lunch, as part of the WA Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence.

R&CA chief executive John Hart says the inaugural event is a great way to showcase WA wines and support local producers – with nine sensational regions producing their own distinctive tastes.

The WA Wine List Awards recognise restaurants and hospitality businesses that excel in the promotion and matching of local wines with food featured on their menu.

“It’s all about enhancing the tourism experience by combining local food and wine together,” he said.

R&CA will announce the winners of the WA Wine List Awards at the Trending Lunch, which will be held at Bathers Beach House in Fremantle on Monday June 22, 12pm-2.30pm.

“We know international visitors crave authentic local culinary experiences – this is a great way to reward those businesses that make it a core component of their operation.” Nominations will close on Friday May 15 and must be made via the R&CA website.

“We trialled the tracker technology in 50 Domino’s stores across Australia, in some stores for up to 18 months before launch and we watched the number of driver incidents reduce by 50 per cent,” he added. The national rollout of GPS driver tracker throughout all stores in Australia and New Zealand is on July 1 2015.

Looking for Australia’s best takeaway restaurant Menulog.com.au will launch its search for Australia’s best takeaway restaurant on May 1, as part of its annual Tasty Takeaway Awards.

friendly competition among those restaurant owners who hope to be crowned takeaway king or queen.”

Over 5000 restaurants listed on Menulog will encourage their customers to log on to Menulog to vote for them as the best takeaway outlet. Votes will be totalled to announce one national winner, in addition to winners in NSW/ ACT, VIC, QLD, SA and WA.

The Tasty Takeaway Awards National Winner 2015 will receive one delivery scooter, $7000 cash and free marketing promotion to the value of $30,000 from Menulog.com.au. Each Tasty Takeaway Awards State Winner will also win a delivery scooter, plus free marketing promotion to the value of $5000.

“Restaurants will be voted by the general public,” said Menulog spokesperson Julia Snabl. “These awards then help us determine what takeaway restaurants are performing well, and give winners credibility in the eyes of existing and new customers. They also

Award categories for each local area include Best Indian, Best Thai, Best Italian/Pizza, Best Chinese and Other. provide insight into what Australians seek from their takeaway suppliers, and offer

For more information visit www.menulog.com.au/takeawayawards.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 9

COVER STORY

Keeping it fresh Family-run Sandhurst Fine Foods have been bringing their love for authentic Italian foods to Australia for over a quarter of a century. The range has expanded but the passion remains the same.

ince Lubrano and his wife Geraldine founded Sandhurst Fine Foods in 1988, and together with their sons Raymond and Mimmo, they have been sharing their large range of fresh and locally sourced Italianstyle products with an increasing number of chefs and foodservice operators. Introducing a new product range with the philosophy of pail to plate, Sandhurst Fine Foods source the best fresh Australian and Mediterranean ingredients directly from the growers before being prepared, packaged and ready to go – resulting in zero prep, no fuss and little waste. The new range is available in 11 varieties, five of which are 100 per cent Australian – Australian Basil Pesto; Australian Char Grilled Sweet Potato; Australian Char Grilled Pumpkin; Australian Char Grilled Eggplant; Australian Char Grilled Zucchini; Sun-Dried Tomatoes; Semi-Dried Tomatoes; Fresh Marinated Mixed Olives; Pitted Fresh Marinated Mixed Olives; and Char Grilled Capsicum. With shared platters an ongoing trend, being

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able to source the best fresh ingredients, ready prepared takes the stress away, and leaves chefs more time to work on the hero dishes on their menu. “From pail to plate, Sandhurst makes it easy with our ready to use fresh ingredients,” says Mimmo Lubrano. “The idea is surprisingly simple; grilled vegetables, prepared and ready to use straight out of the pack. It couldn’t be easier.” Boasting the largest and finest range of antipasto and olives in Australia, as well as continental goods, garnishes, spreads and pastes, oils and vinegars, Sandhurst’s commitment to quality and authenticity is as strong now as it was when the company was founded. “Sandhurst products are not mass produced, but prepared in a home-style environment,” Mimmo adds. “This allows our products to maintain their authenticity and makes the difference.” Sandhurst’s Fresh Pail range are available in 2kg and 600-800g trays. OH

IN SEASON

Pomegranate T

he fruit is grown between the autumn months of late April to mid-August. The little juice-filled “berries” are great to use in cooking, baking, meal garnishes, juice blends, smoothies, and alcoholic beverages. They are also good to snack fresh on.

When extracting the juicy seedlings, cut off the crown and then cut the pomegranate into even sections. Scoop out the sections into a bowl of water and roll out the seeds with your fingers or a spoon. Drain the water with a sieve and discard everything else, so you are just left with the red berries.

Pomegranate is considered a relatively new fruit to the Australian farming industry, with Pomlife, in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, a major Australian pomegranate orchard that produces more than 70,000 pomegranate trees.

Fresh pomegranates can be kept in the fridge for about two months, and if stored at room temperature, they will last about two weeks. For long term storage, the edible seeds can be frozen once removed from the fruit.

The rich red coloured fruit is the size of a grapefruit with a distinctively crownshaped stem. The juice is high in vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B5, and antioxidants. Each small seed is also a healthy dose of fibre.

The fruit is ripe when it has a distinctive red colour and makes a metallic sound when tapped. Avoid pomegranates that are cracked, this means they have over matured. OH

April

May

• Apples

• Kiwifruit

• Persimmons

• Apples

• Leeks

• Pomegranates

• Asian greens

• Leeks

• Pomegranates

• Asian greens

• Lemons

• Quinces

• Avocados

• Limes

• Potatoes

• Avocados

• Mushrooms

• Rhubarb

• Banana

• Mandarins: Imperial

• Pumpkin

• Bananas

• Nashi

• Parsnips

• Quinces

• Broccoli

• Navel Oranges

• Silverbeet

• Brussels sprouts

• Okra

• Spinach

• Cabbages

• Parsnips

• Sweet potatoes

• Tamarillo

• Carrots

• Pears

• Turnips

• Cauliflower

• Persimmons

• Witlof

• Celery

• Beans • Broccoli • Brussels sprouts • Cabbage • Capsicums • Cauliflower

• Mushrooms • Nashi • Okra • Pears • Passionfruit

• Chestnuts

• Celeriac

• Chokos

• Chestnuts

• Custard apples

• Eschallots

• Fennel

• Ginger

• Fuji fruit

• Imperial mandarins

• Guava

• Kiwifruit

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TOP 10

10 controversial foods From Japan to South America, these international delicacies can symbolise wealth, health and long established traditions, discovers Anastasia Prikhodko.

1 Shark fin Shark fin is considered an expensive dish and is primarily served in China at weddings or special events as a way of showing respect. The practise of finning involves removing the shark's fin and discarding the rest of the carcass at sea.

2 Ortolan The ortolan is a songbird found throughout Europe. In France the delicacy is traditionally consumed beneath a napkin because the bird is eaten in one mouthful.

3 Snake blood wine This is wine with added snake blood, otherwise, if preferred the snake blood can be consumed straight with no additions. Snake wine can be found prominently in Southeast Asia. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the wine has restorative and invigorative properties.

4 Horse meat In a report produced in 2005, it was found that the eight leading horsemeat-producing

countries produced over 700,000 tons. Although the meat isn’t as popular outside of Central Asia, it is still consumed in some parts of Europe and South America.

5 Turtles

9 Drunken shrimp

To prepare the sea creature use "parts" of the turtle (meat, skin and other bits from inside the turtle) and cook them into a soup-based stew. Considered a delicacy in China and parts of Asia.

7 Wild beluga caviar Typically found in the Caspian and Black Sea, the most valuable sturgeon roe is the beluga sturgeon's because of its large, soft eggs.

This meal is eaten while the shrimp is alive and well. The shrimp are placed into a bowl that contains liquor, normally baijiu, which stuns them so they become less prone to moving around thus easier to consume.

8 Dog meat 6 Foie gras Foie gras (“fat liver” in French), or goose/duck liver. Food is usually forced down the bird’s throat through a long tube causing the liver to expand, ultimately fattening the bird up. The buttery liver is sold whole, or prepared into mousses, parfaits or pâtés.

Humans consuming dog meat dates back to ancient China, Mexico and Rome as it was a good source of protein during war time. The

10 Balut A beer snack like no other, Balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell. The egg is a staple in Filipino street food and is considered a high-protein snack in China. OH

consumption of it still continues in countries like Switzerland, China, Vietnam and Korea. The Chinese believe that dog meat provides bodily warmth in winter and in Korea eating dog meat has been a long part of their tradition. www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 13

ORIGINS

Anzac biscuit Although being one of the most symbolic biscuits in Australia and New Zealand, the history of the golden, honey oat, crunchy treat remains vague, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

aten by the soldiers of World War One on the shores of Gallipoli and in Flanders fields, the biscuit represents history, unity, tradition and patriotism. It’s still unsure whether the biscuit was created in an Australian or New Zealand kitchen but one theory remains consistent, that the recipe was developed by the wives, mothers and girlfriends of the soldiers sent to fight. The rising concerns over the lack of nutrition the soldiers were receiving influenced a group of women to bake a biscuit containing as much nutritional value as possible. Since the ships of the merchant navy transporting the food to the soldiers had no refrigeration and could take months to arrive, the food had to be long lasting and resistant to harsh conditions. The ingredients used were: rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup or treacle, bi-carbonate of soda and boiling water. The idea of including rolled oats came from Scotland, where they were readily consumed in winter. During this time, both Australia and New Zealand had an extensive number of Scottish immigrants and descendants. Eggs were scarce during the war, so the binding agent for the

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biscuits was golden syrup or treacle. There have also been claims that the Anzac biscuit was not eaten at the front lines by soldiers but rather served up at galas, parades and other public events where they were sold to raise money to support the war. The first known Anzac ‘crispie’ appeared in New Zealand, in St Andrews Cookery Book in 1915, the year of the landing at Gallipoli. In 1917, the recipe travelled its way across the shore to Sydney, with records showing that a similar recipe was found in The War Chest Cookery Book, however it was for a cake, Anzac biscuit recipes in the form we know them today began appearing in cookbooks from 1920s onwards. Although the biscuit is associated with wartime, they were less common to send in World War Two as ships had better refrigeration, allowing popular foods such as fruitcake to be transported to troops stationed overseas. While having gone through its fair share of name changes including: the army biscuit, Anzac wafer, Anzac crispies and beef bully, the biscuit has remained prominent in our pantries and as the perfect companion with a cup of tea for 100 years. OH

Q&A

Gluten myth buster Nutritionist and dietician Sue Shepherd was the guest speaker at Nestlé Professional’s recent ‘Lifting the Lid on Gluten Free’ talk. Open House spoke to the entrepreneur about her involvement with Nestlé and living a gluten free lifestyle.

Q: What is one of the biggest myths about a gluten free diet? A: A lot of people think that going gluten free is a healthier choice. However, there are just as many foods that are not very nutritious, and are gluten free including chocolate and soft drinks. Also today, wheat can be substituted, so people are often not missing out on cakes, pies and pizzas because they are all available as gluten free options. So gluten free does not necessarily mean healthier. Q: What are some of the gluten free initiatives Nestlé Professional have taken on board? A: There are people who require a gluten free diet for medical reasons like those with coeliac disease, and these people require the diet as their only treatment. So they don’t necessarily want to go on a gluten free diet, they are told to. They want food that tastes good, and of course nutrition is still important. So Nestlé has taken on a great innovation in recognising that their gluten free products need to taste good but also have nutritious ingredients in them. Nestlé works very hard at developing a range of products like mashed potato, gravy and some dessert options that can be used not just in cafes and restaurants but in places like hospitals and nursing homes. These products become a suitable option for institutions to use because instead of cooking one separate dish for one client they can use the ingredients for the entire clientele, and this avoids any cross contamination with gluten food. Q: Why did you decide to work with Nestlé Professional? A: One of the things I love about Nestlé is that all their products that they say are gluten free, are tested in the laboratory and are confirmed that they are indeed gluten free. They test every batch. They are really showing that the integrity behind their gluten free message is there. Q: What are the challenges for people adopting a gluten free lifestyle or diet? A: In terms of people that do have a medical condition and require

a gluten free diet, it’s a must. The challenges are that it is complex and they need to see a dietician to have it explained to them. The bigger issue really is for the public to not self-diagnose. There’s a whole lot of awareness about gluten free in the community but gluten might not be their problem. Wheat is grain and it has many parts to it that can cause people to feel unwell, gluten is just one of those parts. People don’t need to automatically think it is gluten and go on a gluten free diet, because it might not be the right diet for them. Q: With an increasing amount of restaurants incorporating gluten free meal options, has eating out for those with gluten intolerance become easier in recent times? A: Clearly there is a lot more awareness, because there are so many cafes and restaurants that have little gluten free notes written on menus. But whether or not all of the staff are fully aware of what the ingredients are, I don’t know. There could be a whole lot of contamination happening in the preparation of a meal, from sharing spoons to frying pans. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in educating all of the staff. Q: When you dine out are there special dishes you would order? A: When I was first diagnosed 21 years ago, I would usually have to bring my own pasta. I would look at the menu, but even if they said it was gluten free, I would look at the ingredients. For example if I was having fish, I would get the waitress to ask the chef if the fish is dusted in flour. I would ask specific questions around the type of fish I would like to have. I find targeted questions work better. Q: Is there a downside to this increased focus on what we eat? A: Clearly Australia has an obesity epidemic. Food is obviously one part of the story, there is also movement and lifestyle. But these diets will continue to attract people who want to find the ‘magic’ fix. If someone changes their diet and it works for them, then awesome! But it has to be sustainable because so many of these diets are so extreme that the message is lost. OH www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 15

SUSTAINABILITY

1, 3 Getting the low down on the different kangaroo cuts. 2 Slow cooked tail.

Watch the video in the Open House iPad app.

Roo awakening Kangaroo ticks all the boxes, it is local, sustainable, ethically sourced and healthy. So why aren’t more chefs using it, asks Sheridan Randall.

angaroo has come a long way from its days as a menu pariah, but it still faces some hurdles when it comes to customer perception. Cuddly national emblem or farming pest? However, an increasing number of restaurants and cafes are putting kangaroo on their menus in various forms.

“Worldwide The Meat & Wine Co will feature a unique dish depending on which country it is in,” she says.

getting kangaroo into the mainstream, with many chefs admitting that the quality from one batch to the next was akin to a lottery.

Marinated in native bush spice and char grilled, The Meat & Wine Co’s kangaroo loin-fillet is served with chat potatoes, tomato chutney and crispy onion rings.

The Meat & Wine Co has kangaroo on offer at both its Sydney venues, with the Group’s marketing manager Bridgit Ruhle saying it is important to utilise product that is unique to a particular country.

“I still think to the general public in the mainstream it can be a tough item to sell, but in tourist locations it definitely is very easy to sell out,” she says.

“Six years ago the product was hard to keep consistent and also the supply chains were not there but currently there have been a lot more farmers involved so there is a lot more product available,” Ruhle adds.

Consistency of supply was a hurdle in

Fast facts: • Kangaroos are hung in their hide for around 13 days. Dry aging doesn’t work due to the low fat content. • Paroo only use only red kangaroo males aged between six to eight years. • South Australia leads the way in consumption, eating up to five times more than other states and territories. • The variety in Australia’s kangaroos are because they are different species, not different breeds.

16 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

Melbourne’s Charcoal Lane has been pushing native ingredients for years, with head chef Greg Hampton saying kangaroo is “pretty mainstream now”. “Sometimes I do it as an entrée and sometimes as a main,” he says. “At the moment I have it on as an entrée, with a salad with apples, muntrie berries, a rain forest cherry reduction and quince puree.” Generally utilising the sirloin and cooking it to order “nice and rare and tender”, Hampton sources his meat from South Australia, from more than one supplier to ensure consistency. Most restaurants use the sirloin fillet, however some including The Meat & Wine Co would

consider adding a dish with tail or shoulder to the menu “as these cuts become more consistent”. One restaurant that has already made that leap is Bar H Dining in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Head chef Hamish Ingham had long used sirloin and rump, but has recently added a kangaroo tail dish to the menu following a kangaroo butchery masterclass organised by Paroo Premium Kangaroo.

Kangaroo kitchen session

Chef Jared Ingersoll and a Paroo Premium Kangaroo butcher recently gave a group of Sydney chefs a breakdown of the cuts available across the different species of kangaroo, from Eastern greys through to the red kangaroos that Paroo favour. Ray Borda, managing director of Macro Meats – Gourmet Game, the parent group of Paroo, says kangaroo ticks all the boxes – sustainability, provenance and health.

Acknowledging the indigenous animals mixed messages in the Australian psyche, Ingham maintains that it is “important to go give it a go”. Bar H’s kangaroo tail dish blends a mix of influences from Japan through to China via native Australian ingredients. “It’s perfect weather now, being cold, wet and horrible, and I wanted to get a rich braised dish on,” he says. “Using red kangaroo tail, it’s a Chinese red braise using a Chinese master stock. I make the stock using fermented black garlic, and shio-koji, which is the left over sake leaves, to make a very umami sauce. Then it gets a beautiful fresh korabi salad with native sea parsley on top.” The new dish has taken off, with six kilos of kangaroo tail gone in two days and

“Every chef is looking for something different,” he says. “Kangaroo belly and shoulder are now being sought after for slow cooked recipes.” Strip loin is the best seller, but topside or “inside steak” is “under-utilised and under-appreciated for its price versus quality ratio”. Borda has seen the industry evolve across the decades and concedes that consistency was the Achilles heel for kangaroo’s wide spread use in foodservice. “Previously buying kangaroo was a bit of a lucky dip, with no way of knowing what type of kangaroo, where it was from and what age it was,” he says. That has changed with Paroo’s range now fully traceable, resulting in consistency of individual kangaroo carcasses from selected species and regions carefully graded and trimmed into standardised portions within strict weight ranges, enabling optimal cost control and consistent cooking times.

another 10 kilos on order. Ingham will be off to Broome in May to cook for Cable Beach Polo’s Dinner Under the Stars, and says he will “make everyone eat kangaroo tail up there”.

“The other night with a table of four, three guys had one each, so it’s going pretty well,” he says. “I think the more we use it and put it on the menu the less scary [for diners] it will be.” OH

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 17

VOLUME CATERING

1 Uwe Stiefel, executive chef of P&O Cruises. 2 P&O cruise ship Pacific Jewel. 3 One of the dishes from The Pantry.

Air and sea People love to mix their pleasures with food and travel a winning combination. Sheridan Randall spoke with two chefs responsible for making sure globe trotters are well fed whether high in the air or cruising the seven seas.

hey say the glamour has gone from travel, but with more people taking to the skies and seas than ever before one area that is raising the bar is food, with cruise companies and airlines pushing their culinary credentials. Around three million people fly each day, and they all need feeding. What they are

fed varies considerably and depends on the coffers of the airline they choose to fly with, but whether it is as simple as crackers and cheese or an a la carte three course meal, someone somewhere is tasked with cooking it and getting it on the plane. One such someone is Sumit Gera, executive chef at Alpha Flight Services in

18 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

Sydney. A global company, Alpha Flight Services operates in 58 airports in 11 countries worldwide providing first, business and economy class meals to a suite of airlines.

passengers and crew seven days a week.

The Mascot-based caterer services around 11 airlines flying into Sydney with a team of 22 chefs and 45 kitchen staff feeding both

Each airline has its own set menus, which they rotate on cycles to ensure variety – some of them change monthly and

“It’s always hard starting with an airline but once you have your systems in place you work on auto,” says Gera.

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1, 2 Airline catering is all about logistics. 3, 4 Dishes from The Pantry.

some quarterly depending on the airline. It is what Gera calls a logistical nightmare. “We have a team of corporate chefs who make sure they are creating the menus as per the airlines’ requirements and passenger loads,” he says. “They design the menu with the consent

of the airline.”

hours before departure,” he says.

Preparing meals to a set menu is one thing, but then comes the task of numbers, with the airlines sending Alpha regular passenger forecasts on a weekly basis.

“It’s good if the airlines are operating on a daily basis as you always have a production for that. We have some airlines that operate only twice a week so it becomes a challenge for those.”

“Closer to the day we get a 48 hour figure, then a 24 hour figure and then a final figure four or five

Weekly audits also ensure the meals being prepared have the taste the airlines want. “Chefs get together with the managers who are responsible for that airline and do a food tasting session,” he adds. “We make comments and whenever there needs to be a rectification we let our chefs know. The airlines also send customer responses to us, that way if we are lacking somewhere they let us know. Nowadays customer feedback is taken very seriously.”

www.chanrol.com 20 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

it is only when someone wants a Kosher meal that you need a dedicated kitchen, but we have a supplier for that. All the others just need a segregated kitchen with its own equipment.” The airline industry is cutthroat, with some carriers looking to slash costs at every level including the food, while others with deeper pockets prefer to lift their culinary game as a mark of difference. “We at Alpha focus on fresh product,” says Gera. “We don’t freeze anything, and everything is made from scratch. But some other companies use frozen meals.” Gera questions what if any taste you are going to get from a frozen meal. “As a chef I don’t think it is a good way of serving food,” he says.

Alpha caters to airlines across the globe, with some, such as the Chinese carriers, demanding authentic national cuisine. This requires separate Chinese chefs in the kitchen working to their needs alone. The global nature of their clients also presents Alpha with the full spectrum of dietary needs.

Another chef who is all for fresh food is Uwe Stiefel, who heads up the culinary offering for P&O Cruises. The cruise line has recently unveiled its new array of restaurant offerings bringing Australia’s multi-cultural and vibrant food scene to its ocean bound passengers.

“In all the ports for Alpha we have a special chef and special meals section,” Gera says. “Whether it is a Hindu meal, Muslim meal or low salt, they all have set menus. We change cycles for those meus as well. We don’t have dedicated kitchens, as

To be known as The Pantry, the new dining experience will offer 15 bars, restaurants and cafes across both its newest ships – Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden – when they join its fleet (Pacific Jewel, Pacific Pearl and Pacific Dawn) in November 2015.

Taste at altitude It’s not just the logistics of preparing the food and getting it on board aircraft that presents a challenge for airline caterers. Flying causes us to taste things differently for all sorts of reasons. Our ability to taste and smell becomes noticeably impaired at cruising altitude, which is when they bring the trolleys out. • Our perception of saltiness and sweetness drops around 30 per cent when inside a pressurised cabin. • Sour, bitter and spicy flavours are almost unaffected. • At about 30,000 feet, humidity is less than 12 per cent, which makes food taste really bland. • Cardamom, lemon grass and curry taste more intense in the sky than salt or sugar. • Background noise also dulls our senses when eating. 4

Think a market place of fresh food outlets, replacing the traditional cruise buffet. They will also have an Open Kitchen featuring a culinary school, a dedicated Chef’s Table dining area will be available for a more intimate experience and a new Cellar Door will provide guests a boutique winery experience. This is in addition to Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill which features on all the ships. “This year more than ever before there is a lot of new and exciting projects in the works to really show not only our guests but also the industry what we are doing here in Australia,” says Stiefel, who is responsible for drawing up the menus across all the outlets (barring Salt Grill). The new culinary offering is very much a reflection of the food scene both here in Australia and New Zealand, which he says has “come a very long way over the decades”. “It is a melting pot of culture with a multicultural cuisine,” he adds. Other than a few dried and frozen products such as pasta, tinned fruit and frozen chips, everything is cooked fresh on board. “All the desserts, including ice creams are made fresh on board,” he say. “We do our own bread, rolls, Danishes, muffins and pastries. We also do our own stocks and sauces from scratch using the classic method.”

The kitchens operate 24/7 with up to 90 chefs and 30 kitchen hands operating round the clock to make sure the passengers don’t go hungry, with a capacity to store enough provisions for up to three weeks at sea. When the ships dock at home ports across Australia, New Zealand or Singapore they tend to use local producers.

• Nearly all airlines use convection ovens, which blow hot, dry air over the food, to heat it. • Umami-rich ingredients such as spinach, tomatoes and shellfish are used as they retain their sensory kick. • Heston Blumenthal tried giving British Airways passengers nasal sprays to clear their sinuses before they ate. Customer feedback wasn’t good on that one. • Airlines select wines that are fruity with low acid and low tannin to counter the changes during the flight.

“Something we are very proud of at P&O is that we have such fantastic relations with so many local farmers and producers, which both showcases their products but also supports the local economy,” says Stiefel. “It is written on the menu and heavily emphasised in culinary shows on board and in collateral fliers. There is really great awareness amongst the guests knowing where the products are from.” With 25 years at sea, Stiefel has seen it all, including the types of storm that hit Sydney recently keeping cruise ships outside the harbour until things settled down. “In rough weather there are safety standards in place with many of the crew having been at sea for many years, so they know very well how to handle the task,” he says. “We have to make sure everyone gets served although in rough weather their appetite may be low, but they still have to eat.” OH www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 21

FAST FOOD

Hip to be fast Mainstream fast food chains are sprucing up their traditional menus and business models to keep up with smaller enterprises; who are offering foodies quick service, affordable and gourmet food, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

ast food services, in particular burgers, have had a makeover and are taking over the food scene. The demand now is for decadent fast food containing out of the box ingredients. McDonald’s have recognised the consumer shift, which was also reinforced by the decrease in their worldwide sales, with

the global fast food behemoth seeing an 11 per cent decrease in revenue and eye watering 30 per cent drop in profit for the first three months of the year. Hitting the panic button, the US headquarters announced it would close 700 stores this year (out of a total 32,500 worldwide). In an effort to

22 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

win back some lost ground the company is also reintroducing its premium Angus burger line, which dropped off the menus around two years ago. Australians, however, have remained somewhat loyal to the US burger joint, with sales reaching $4 billion last year compared to $1.64 billion in 2013.

As a result, McDonald’s have begun a new initiative by opening the Corner Café by McCafé in Camperdown, Sydney. The café contains no sign of the familiar McDonald’s brand, and is following the trends of healthy food and great coffee by selling wraps, fruit salad, tubs of tofu and

1 Corner Cafe, Camperdown. 2 Argentinian Carne Crust Gourmet Pizza. 3 Traditional burger at Ribs & Burgers. 4 Big Moo Burger, Moo Gourmet Burgers. 2

vegetables, corn fritters with avocado and feta, and Ethiopian single origin coffee.

burger game for some time.

Chris Grant, communications manager for McDonald's Australia, says the Corner concept is very much a “one-off,” however products and concepts that are well received by customers may be introduced at the 750 McCafés around the country.

Having only been in operation for six months, Perry’s Burger Project is one of the over achievers. A spokesperson for the enterprise says: “On a quiet day we might sell about 500 or 600 burgers a day, but on a busy day it can be anywhere between 800 and 1000 plus.”

“It’s a concept restaurant, so it is being used to test new design elements as well as different food and beverage options,” he says. On the other scale, there are new and trendy burger joints looking to capitalise on our love of burgers such as New Zealand owned Chur Burger and Burger Bro? Neil Perry’s the Burger Project is also joining the likes of Moo Gourmet Burgers who have been in the

Perry worked alongside business partners Trish Richards and David Doyle to establish the brand. The inspiration came from their restaurant Rockpool Bar & Grill, where they decided to take gourmet burgers and service them to the people, thus, the “people’s burger” was born. The trio say the inspiration

behind the burger recipes was to re-create “a classic milk bar burger you used to get at the dairy”, describing themselves as “fast food with slow food values”. One of the veterans in the field is Moo Gourmet Burgers. The franchise has been around since 2009, and has opened in four Sydney locations. “When we started no one was doing what we did, many have come and gone since and burger places seem to be popping up everywhere,” says founder and CEO of Moo Gourmet Burgers,

Adam J Gerondis. “We spent a lot of time developing our own recipes back when we started and have made very few changes since then, as our customers know and like our product.” It’s not just burgers, with Pizza franchise Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar also revamping their menu to suit the general public’s taste for affordable yet, fresh and authentic pizza. Although being a mainstream pizza chain, Crust has added high quality ingredients such as “king crab

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 23

1 Spicy Korean Prawn and Japanese Pulled Chicken salads. 2 The Burger Project.

White choc raspberry thick shake Half container of frozen raspberries 30mls Monin white chocolate syrup 30mls Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum 60mls milk Ice cream Place all ingredients into milkshake cup and then fill ice cream to the second mark. Blend for 1 minute. Pour into mason jar. Spoon 4 raspberries on top and serve with straw. from the seas of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands”. It has also introduced an authentic Margherita and a wine matching list for their social media followers. Steering further away from the traditional Hawaiian and Meat Lovers, Crust’s new menu includes: Truffle Beef Rossini and Argentinian Carne pizzas, as well as Spicy Korean Prawn and Japanese Pulled Chicken salads.

Recipe courtesy Ribs&Burgers

“We’ve scouted the globe for ingredients not seen on My Kitchen Rules or Masterchef and have built them into some amazing recipes for sensational gourmet pizzas, [with] flavours inspired from France, Argentina, the Middle East, Japan and Korea,” says Crust Gourmet

24 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

Pizza Bar general manager, Renee North. Ribs&Burgers, part of Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, began operating four years ago, and currently operates 14 venues across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. “The concept of Ribs&Burgers was inspired by the butcher, the butcher’s history and the craftsmanship of the butcher,” says marketing manager Mona Ibrahim. “There’s a scientific way of how we approach the stacking of the burger, it’s not just about putting everything together in the middle of the bun and eating it,” she says. “We like to look at things that

are trending, because they are available in the marketplace. Our recipes are a combination of research, customer needs, food trends and individual ideas.” In April, the licensed venues introduced alcohol to their popular thickshakes – Sailor Jerry Rum, with white chocolate syrup and raspberries blended with ice-cream and milk, and the Wild Turkey American Honey, containing choc chip cookies and dark chocolate sauce blended with ice-cream and milk. “Our thickshakes have always been an integral part of our business because they match the burgers really well,” says Joel Davis, the mixologist at Ribs&Burgers.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Most ordered meals • The Burger Project – American Cheese Burger, with Cheese and Bacon Burger close behind. • Moo Gourmet Burgers – The Big Moo • Crust Pizza – The Upper Crust Truffle Beef “Rossini” is the most popular new pizza. • Ribs&Burgers – Pork and Beef Ribs

“I come from a bartending background, so it was a natural progress to bring alcohol to the thickshakes.” With smaller, more nimble chains and high end dining groups looking to cash in on diners’ appetite for well-made, quality fast food with a twist, the larger chains are having to adapt. Blame the hipsters if you want, but the fact is that the younger generation want something they think they can’t get somewhere else. Whether McDonald’s outlets will all end up looking like hipster hangouts, only time will tell. But in the meantime it’s safe to say diners are willing to splash a little extra cash to upsize the quality of their fast food. OH

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Recipe courtesy Ribs&Burgers

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 25

ONLINE BOOKINGS

3 1 Restaurant bookings are heading to a digitised world. 2 Yumtable general manager Levi Aron. 3 Mobiles dominate in online restaurant searches. 4 Dimmi founder Stevan Premutico.

Online booking boom Australians are embracing the convenience of restaurant booking platforms that enable them to mix the worlds of travel, leisure, and food, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

ussies are dining out more than ever, 3.5 times a month according to the latest figures, but they want more for less, with the average spend dropping over the last few years. One way for foodservice operators to claw back some of that lost revenue is to maximise efficiencies in their bookings systems. Online booking sites Dimmi and Yumtable are two competitors looking to help operators do

just that as they revolutionise the experience of dining out through digitisation. Stevan Premutico founded Dimmi in 2007, with the company now accounting for 10 per cent of all Australian restaurant bookings. “At that time, the Australian hospitality industry was an analogue industry, operating in a digital world,” he says. “I could see how online

Yumtable bookings • 35 per cent of bookings from desktop

• 30 per cent mobileweb

• 65 per cent of bookings from mobile

• 35 per cent App (iOS, Android)

reservation systems would easily improve business processes, reduce costs, particularly labour, and get more people through the doors – especially on those quieter nights early in the week.” The company partnered with Qantas Frequent Flyers in 2014 to launch Qantas Restaurants, which allows users to earn Qantas Points by booking online and dining at some of the country’s most popular restaurants. Qantas has since become the third biggest online restaurants booking platform in the country, illustrating that travellers want to book their flights and meals simultaneously. “The partnership came quite

26 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

naturally, it just made sense to marry the two things that Australians love to do the most – travel and eat out,” says Premutico. “Research from Qantas showed us that the majority of their members loved to eat out on a regular basis, both personally and professionally. Qantas Restaurants was just another way for them to broaden their Qantas Loyalty program. “The beauty of the program is that Qantas Frequent Flyers can book over 2500 restaurants across the country and earn Qantas Points for doing so.” Some of the Qantas restaurants include: Rockpool Bar & Grill (NSW, WA and VIC), Otto

within the Yumtable app, driving an Australian first API partnership with Uber” says Aron. “We are looking forward to expanding the boundaries of the hospitality industry and providing a better and more integrated experience to Australian diners.”

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Yumtable currently have 2100 restaurants signed up around Australia and 1700 restaurants live on their website, mobile sites, iPhone and android apps.

Ristorante (NSW), Chefs Gallery Townhall (NSW), Shanghai Stories 1938, (NSW) and Bridge St. Garage (NSW). For Frej Bergman, the manager of Bridge St. Garage, the efficiencies gained through going digital are key in turning a profit. “The digitised media driven world has created a more efficient and reliable bookings and business model by allowing all players – not just the big name companies – to maintain constant interaction with the public,” he says. “Social media gives businesses and consumers a platform to learn from each other and, allows businesses to immediately adapt to customer response. “As a result, the business model has moved from an establishment-driven one to a consumer-driven one, shifting power even more favourably towards every patron that walks through our doors. In all honesty we probably wouldn’t be able to function in an analogue world.”

Bookarestaurant.com, an online booking portal for mid to high end restaurants. The decision to partner with Bookarestaurant.com was driven by the attributes each company brought to the table, according to Levi Aron, Yumtable general manager, with Bookarestaurant. com owned by AS digital, who sell ResPaK, a table management software for restaurants. “We ended up sitting down together and deciding that although Australia is growing, we are still a small marketplace,” he says. “So we said, look we can either sit as competitors or we can make a win-win situation. “Bookarestaurant.com have a website that records and takes bookings, but the business is more about the ResPaK point of sale system. “By joining Yumtable those 500 fine dining restaurants are now exposed to a larger market, and we can increase bookings for them.”

Yumtable only started up in October of last year, but is seeing plenty of opportunity in the market, with the vast majority of all restaurant bookings still made the old fashioned way – over the phone.

Yumtable has also integrated with Uber, enabling diners to book a table, and their ride to the restaurant, marking the partnership with a promotion in May that gives diners the opportunity to book, ride and eat for free at participating restaurants.

The new business has recently announced their partnership with

“We’re very excited to fully integrate the Uber experience

“About 50 percent of bookings are made for today, this demonstrates the change in the way we behave by leaving many things to the last minute,” says Aron. With 20,000 Yumtable apps downloaded to date, Aron says that more diners are making reservations through their mobile phones and apps. Each month there are over 17 million searches for restaurants through Google and 48 per cent of all restaurant searches originate from a mobile device. Premutico points out that it is costly for restaurants to not be connected to the online world, as four in 10 [online] bookings are made using a mobile device, however, only 22 percent of restaurants have a mobile friendly website. In the US, Open Table dominates the online booking space, with 19 per cent of the total market (around 140 million diners), while here in Australia the race is on to see who becomes the one to rule them all. Last financial year Dimmi boost its turnover by 57 per cent, some $4.2 million, and is focused on grabbing 25 per cent of market share, while Yumtable is planning more partnerships in the near future. There’s money in those digital hills and that will only bring more competition to the online booking party – which can only be a good thing for operators looking to cut costs and boost their bottom lines. OH

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 27

COFFEE

1 Sasa Sestic’s signature drink. 2, 4 Sestic at the World Barista Championships. 3 Coffee at Story.

The new luxury drink The rise of independent coffee shops has heightened competition between baristas, influencing some innovators to follow in the steps of winemakers, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

ustralia’s enthusiasm for coffee shows no sign of slowing, with demand for premium coffee boosting industry revenue growth to $4 billion this year. Peter Stathos, chairman of the Australian Coffee Traders Association, says that in the last five years consumer interest in coffee has grown dramatically as has “the thirst for knowledge on this commodity.” “We are seeing a rapid increase of new roasters coming into the industry due to a low barrier for entry, which is providing consumers with a vast variety of excellent coffees,” says Stathos. “As people are becoming more astute of good coffee through education and awareness, they are seeking better coffees.” With over 15 years of industry experience in owning, operating and consulting, Jean Demirjian owner of Story in Lane Cove, Sydney, says consumers have started to become more discerning in what they want.

the secret ingredient in his winning formula. Ingredients used: small amount of grapes, four shots of espresso, plum and sugar reduction. “For my signature drink, we used a washed carbonic maturation process,” he says. “This process is used in the making of wine, where they put grapes in a furnace container and then they pressurise that container with carbon dioxide and leave it to ferment. This allows it to have a lighter, clean and delicate flavour. I’ve spent some time with the local winery and selected the best Shiraz grapes to compliment my coffee.” Sestic uses the same technique when washing his coffee beans with the lack of oxygen resulting in a clean coffee taste and highlights of fruity flavours.

“The majority of consumers can now identify a bitter and perhaps burnt coffee,” he says.

As with wine, the taste of coffee is dependent on many variables including altitude and climate. However, Sestic says that one downfall to the coffee industry is that the process of growing coffee beans is not evolving.

Canberran Sasa Sestic this month took out this year’s World Barista Championships in Seattle, with wine from local vineyard Clonakilla

“When I go and talk to farmers they do the same processes as their family has for 20 to 50 years,” he says. “More so, coffee producers

28 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

will not even taste their coffees, but when you talk to winemakers, every single one is tasting their wine.” Stathos agrees and says that as with wine, coffee has many different varietals and flavours.

when talking about origin, varietals and processing methods”. “But this creates a problem for the coffee industry because we have even borrowed the winemakers flavour wheel and adapted it,” he says.

“Single origin coffees have become more popular as consumers want to taste a certain growing region’s complex flavours, such as fruity, spicy, herby or floral,” he says.

The industry of coffee in Australia is continuously changing and with such strong demand for a “quick coffee” it will only stimulate more growth. One of the significant changes the industry has undergone is that of transparency.

Demirjian also says that coffee is similar to wine because both are a combination of processing, history and cultivation.

“We are building those partnerships with the hands that touched the coffee,” says Reay.

However, Keith Reay, founder of Roastworks Coffee Co. and Bean Drinking Café in Sydney’s Crows Nest, has a different point of view. He says that coffee and wine are similar but only on a superficial level meaning that although both are beverages and are agricultural products, they are very different in how they are purchased and enjoyed by consumers.

There is agreement that more can be done to further improve the quality of the coffee and the overall experience.

“Wine is a luxury product and coffee is a daily enjoyment so when somebody rocks into a coffee shop, they want to be in and out,” he says. “Consumers also have an expectation that when they go into a wine bar they will see a curated wine list and they’ll choose their option based on their understanding of the wine. But when it comes to coffee consumers they come in and say ‘I’ll have a flat white’.”

“It’s the consumerism and that commercialisation of coffee that means unfortunately that is where the industry is at,” he says. “But the 5 per cent that operates outside of the mass is the speciality coffee industry and this will only continue to grow.”

He adds that because the coffee industry has only recently matured and moved into the professional realm it has “borrowed the language from the wine industry to try and convert the complexity

“The things that can take our industry forward is baristas being humble and providing exceptional service and coffee producers really getting into education training,” says Sestic. For Reay, the industry is still led by convenience.

The art of coffee making is reaching new heights and baristas have had to amp their style to keep up with the latest trends. However, Demirjian says that it’s important for the industry to settle down a little and enjoy it rather than think of it as only a science. Yes, there is some science behind it, but there is also a lot of intuition. OH

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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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 29 15/04/14 2:24 PM

FOODSERVICE

1 The hard task of picking a winner at Chef of the Year. 2 Join in the discussion at the seminars. 3 Australia’s Best Pie Competition.

Hit refresh Melbourne will play host to the only tradeshow focused on the hospitality and catering industry, with Foodservice Australia returning for 2015 at the Royal Exhibition Building.

his year’s Foodservice Australia will be the best ever, says event director Tim Collett, with an extensive range of exhibitors and special events designed to inspire and inform operators of restaurants, cafes, bars and commercial kitchens. “The key to this industry is to

provide a unique experience for customers that makes them want to come back,” he says. “At the same time you have to be efficient to make a profit and stay in business. This show is the perfect place to refresh your thinking and stay ahead of the pack”.

What Foodservice Australia 2015. Where The Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, Melbourne. When May 31 to June 2 from 10am-5pm for three days only.

How Entry to the show is free if you register online. However you must be over 16 and work in the food or hospitality industry. For more information on the show, exhibitors, special events and registration visit www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au or call Specialised Events on (03) 9999 5460.

John Hart from Restaurant & Catering Australia says the show is an important destination for professional hospitality operators. “It is the only event focused on our industry and an incredibly valuable use of your time,” he says. “In just a few hours you can find dozens of new ideas, products and suppliers.” New this year is the Restaurant & Bar Theatre. This intimate space will offer a series of free seminars and workshops around the hospitality space. Guests include international bartender Hayden Wood, American chef Eddie Adams, interior designer James Harper and management guru Tony Eldred. The café, canteen, lunch and

30 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

food-to-go-market will be well represented, with chef Peter Wright hosting daily workshops on coffee, sandwiches, pizza, burgers and ice-cream in the Café School. Institutional caterers are also an important part of the mix. For those foodservice professionals working in the aged care, hospital, school, defence or mining sectors then there is simply no better place to find new ideas for your menu. Also don’t miss the volume catering panel running on day two of the show. In addition to all the free workshops and seminars there will be over 150 companies showing and sampling the latest food, drink and equipment.

They include big names such as Unilever Food Solutions, JBS Meats, Parmalat, Hudson Pacific, Mission Foods, McCormicks, Brookfarm, Inghams and many more. The Regional Producers Pavilion provides a unique forum for smaller growers and manufacturers to be represented and connect with chefs and buyers. This year there will be pies from Tasmania, olive oil from Nullamunjie, cakes from Geelong, freekeh from Adelaide and fresh seafood from Port Lincoln. New this year is Gluten Free World with products and advice on how to service this important market segment. Coeliac Victoria and industry expert Sue Shepherd will be available to answer questions and help chefs with menu options. Show favourites such as

Australia’s Best Pie, Regional Producer’s Pavilion, the Foodservice Conference and the Foodservice Gala Dinner are still all on the menu. Exhibitors with gluten free products to sample include Freedom Foods, Passage Foods, Gluten Free Life, Gotzinger Smallgoods, Julians Gluten Free, Soy Products, Well & Good, Rebellion Brewing, Lupin Foods and Forage Cereals. Equipment suppliers Unox, Robot Coupe, JL Lennard, Winterhalter, Kingo and Advantage Kitchens will all be launching new products at the show. Furniture buyers will be able to see the latest ranges from Kingo, FED, Alliance Furniture and JMH, while those looking for the best in new uniforms can speak to the team from Alsco or new players Cargo Crew. OH

The heat of competition The prestigious Chef of the Year competition returns to the Foodservice show even stronger this year with record entries and new industry partners Unilever Food Solutions, Unox Australia, JBS Meats, Chisholm Institute, Alsco, Sous Vide, Robot Coupe and Bidvest. This national competition sees professional chefs compete against each other and the clock, with just one hour and a mystery box of ingredients to prepare their best dishes. All professional chefs are invited to enter and the top 32 cook live at the finals in Melbourne. The winners will share $10,000 in cash and valuable prizes. Competition director and black hat chef Gary Farrell says the competition is more popular than ever with judges having to work hard to choose the top 32 who will be cooking live in Melbourne. They include Haruhisa Sonobe from Nobu; Alexis Besseau from Bathers Pavilion; Luca Guiotto from Catalina; Mark Knox from Est; Antoine Beriault from Mr Hive; David Warne from Royal Mail Hotel; Vanessa Mateus from Pope Joan; and Daniel Wilson from Huxtable. Last year’s winner Matt McCool has moved to the W Hotel in Bali and will miss the event. However his fellow finalists Rosie Griffiths, Travis Goodlet and Jesse Hughes are all coming back to have another try, with their experience from last year making them odds on favourites.

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 31

REGIONAL SNAPSHOT

1 Farmed trout. 2 Trout baguette at La Fragas. 3 Marysville in the autumn.

Murrindindi, VIC Murrindindi means, “living in the mountains,” in the Woiwurrung language of central Victoria. The exotic surroundings of rainforests and high mountains enables the freshest produce to be grown and caught, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

ituated just an hour and a half out of Melbourne, Murrindindi is renowned for gourmet produce and award winning boutique wines. Nearby restaurants, pubs and cafes serve local trout, salmon, beef, olives, fresh vegetables and cheeses. The showcased food is perfectly matched with a large selection of locally produced wine. The vineyards in the Upper Goulburn wine region grow a fine selection of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. Cuthbertson‘s Murrindindi and Sedona are two local winery labels, along with family owned winery Buxton Ridge, one of the best known wine producers in the region.

Nearby Marysville, which is starting to recover from the Black Saturday bushfires, is home to café La Fragas, well known for its local smoked trout and slowcooked pot pies. A popular outing on the local calendar is Foodie Monday at Hargreaves Hill, held every Monday. It offers an informative local, regional and international wine, beer and cider tasting along with a main course, matched with a glass of wine from the same producer. The Marysville community markets is another event not to be missed. Local farmers and those from surrounding areas come together to sell preserves, jams, chutneys, olive oil, honey, fresh fruit,

32 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

vegetables and wine. Leigh Colville, executive chef at Radius Bar & Grill at the newly opened Vibe Hotel, in Marysville, sources 85 per cent of the produce from within a 100km radius. The menu’s focus on slow cooked meats includes Blackmore Wagyu beef, Killara Rise lamb, pork and Buxton Trout, all cooked over a wood fire grill and wood fire rotisserie. House-made sourdough based pizzas are also baked in a custom made stone pizza oven. “I like to source local ingredients, bought directly from farmers and producers who illustrate an intrinsic connection to their product,” he says.

VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN

DIARY DATES Noosa International Food and Wine Festival May 14-17, 2015

With over 200 invited chefs, producers, and winemakers attending the festival in the village of Noosa, foodies from all over the world will congregate to enjoy this celebration. Food trails to the Hinterland and river, the beach, the Noosa National Park and the Festival Village are all part of the action. www.noosafoodandwine.com.au

Leigh Colville, executive chef at Vibe Marysville

Best thing about the region: Having the opportunity to work with topnotch seasonal ingredients every day. It allows me to adopt a more back-to-basics approach by letting the produce be the star.

Favourite local ingredient to work with: There are many but if I had to name one it would be Buxton Trout.

Food heroes: Shane Delia from Maha and Darren Purchese from Burch & Purchese. Both chefs have influenced my cooking. Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook is a classic and one cookbook everyone should own.

Most underrated ingredient: Fruit puree because it is useful and versatile. You

can store it in the freezer and have fruit all year round to make anything from cakes to breakfast smoothies.

Most overrated ingredient: Organic carrots and onions, which are mostly boiled or roasted to create the flavour.

Food philosophy: My signature is a back to basics cooking style. Working with local farmers and growers directly means quality will never be compromised.

Career highlight: Working in London at Le Pont de Tour, which focuses on traditional French cuisine with a modern twist.

Best advice you’ve been given: Keep it simple and respect the produce. OH

1 Suckling pig at Radius Bar & Grill.

Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend May 15-17, 2015

At the annual Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend, sample the year's vintage wine before the winemaking process is complete. Then on "Gourmet Sunday" try a selection of hand-made sausages and roasted tomatoes, visit cellar doors and finally settle in somewhere nice for a late lunch, whilst enjoying the jazz band. www.southaustralia.com

High Country Harvest May 15-24, 2015

North East Victoria’s top producers, chefs, winemakers and craft brewers will be showcasing their produce at High Country Harvest. Browse the 40 curated events, or just relax with the festival’s new village bonfires, sip-worthy autumn warmers and enjoy the harvest menus. www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 33

COOKING THE BOOKS

Handle with care Gretta Anna’s son, acclaimed chef and Take2Eggs cookery school founder Martin Teplitzky, shares some of his mother’s best recipes including this celebratory cake in The Best of Gretta Anna, published in April.

Mile High Pavlova

to cool and harden, then lightly drop the tray on your work surface to shatter the sugar-stained glass into random shards. Set aside.

Serves: 12

Preheat the oven to 120°C and line two baking trays with baking paper. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing the mixture to become stiff and glossy. Halfway through adding the sugar, mix in the vinegar and vanilla. Carefully pipe or spread the meringue into five or six mounds on the baking trays, about 2.5cm high and about 20cm in diameter. If you’re using a piping bag, start in the middle and work your way out, making sure there are no gaps. Bake for 1 hour, or until the meringues are crisp but not coloured, then turn off the oven and leave to cool (in the oven) for about 1 hour.

his is a fantastic dessert or celebration cake. I make it a lot as it has become the signature dish for my cookery school. It’s nowhere near as scary to make as you might think, and the response when you bring it to the table makes it all the more worthwhile. 300 ml thickened cream, whipped Meringue 8 egg whites pinch of salt 400g caster sugar 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons vanilla essence Lemon curd 180g unsalted butter 330g caster sugar grated zest and juice of 4 lemons 4 eggs 4 egg yolks Sugar stained glass 150g caster sugar 75g fine brown sugar The lemon curd should be made the day before to allow it to set properly. This recipe makes about 3 cups (750ml) of lemon curd. To make the lemon curd, place the butter, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and begin to melt over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Gently beat the 4 eggs and 4 egg yolks together with a whisk. Pour into the saucepan and stir continually until the eggs are cooked and the curd has thickened. This will take about 10 minutes. Be careful

that your heat is not too high as you run the risk of the eggs curdling. Pour the curd into a bowl and mix in the lemon zest. Place plastic film on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate. It will keep for a week to 10 days in the refrigerator. To make the sugar-stained glass shards, line a baking tray with baking paper. Use a fine sieve to sprinkle the caster sugar evenly over the top, then spread the brown sugar randomly over that. Place under a hot grill or in a hot (200°C) oven and heat for approximately 10–15 minutes until the sugars have caramelised and appear clear. Remove from the grill or oven and allow

34 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

To assemble your pavlova, place the first meringue layer onto a serving plate and spread a thin layer of lemon curd evenly over it. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top. Place your second meringue layer carefully on top of the cream and repeat with a layer of curd and cream. Repeat until you have used all meringue layers. With the final layer of meringue, place dollops of whipped cream randomly on top and place your sugar-stained glass shards into them.

This is an edited recipe and image from The Best of Gretta Anna with Martin Teplitzky (Lantern, $49.99).

What’s on shelf this month? The River Cottage Cookbook Australia

Spice I Am, Home Style Thai Recipes

The French Baker

by Paul West Bloomsbury, $45

by Sujet Saenkham Lantern, $39.99

by Jean Michel Raynaud Murdoch Books, $49.99

Featuring recipes from the first three television series of River Cottage Australia, this cookbook which reveals the delicious dishes that host Paul West has been creating on the farm in Central Tilba on the Far South Coast of NSW. The book is divided into seven chapters and includes more than 120 recipes, such as pumpkin scones, roasted octopus salad, baked salmon, spiced aubergine salad, pig on a spit, borlotti bean broth, raw courgette salad and warm curd cake with honey rhubarb.

Spice I Am is the first cookbook from Sujet Saenkham the owner and founder of five of Sydney’s most popular Thai restaurants. This book features Thai restaurant classics from Sujet's signature stir-fried crispy pork belly with basil or crispy prawn and lemongrass salad to his slow cooked massaman beef curry and Pad Thai.

One of Australia’s most experienced pâtissiers, Jean Michel Raynaud’s first cookbook is based on the three tenets of French-style baking – knowledge, technique and creativity. The book’s 95 sweet and savoury recipes for biscuits, cakes, tarts, pies, pastries, croissants, breads, jams and spreads are all supported by expert hints and cooking tips. 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, behind-the-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, April 2015 35

PRODUCTS

Anzac tradition

Gourmet taste sensation

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Birch & Waite’s quality fresh chilled sauces, mayonnaises and relishes are the perfect solution to upscale your burger into a gourmet taste sensation. The range offers a selection of distinctive and delicious flavours including: Caramelised Onion, Tomato Relish, Beetroot Relish, Peri Peri Sauce, Italian Truffle, Whole Egg Mayonnaise and Garlic Aioli Mayonnaise. They come in a variety of sizes and packaging options including 20g portions, 2.3kg jars, and 10kg and 20kg buckets.

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Positive solutions

Release the bear

Do Water is the only bottled water available in paperboard, made from certified renewable regrowth paperboard to help reduce reliance on plastic. Bottled directly at the source, on the mountains of Italy, Do Water is never exposed to outside elements or treatment processes, keeping the contents pure. These unique packs seal all the goodness and retain the purities of the water until poured.

Merlo Coffee has launched Black Bear Cold Press, a cold coffee that has been carefully crafted from their famous Merlo roasted coffee beans. Black Bear Cold Press is sweeter, smoother and less acidic than cooled espresso, with cold press delivering full flavour without the bitterness.

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36 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

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Go ginger

Lucky for some

Aussie brand Buderim Ginger has announced the launch of three new products to their Ginger Beer range. Joining the original boutique Ginger Beer will be the Reduced Sugar Ginger Beer, Ginger Beer & Pear, and Ginger Beer & Guarana. All three beverages are nonalcoholic, have no artificial colours or flavours and are made in Australia. Each of these fresh and unique offerings will be available nationally to distributors.

Brewing company Malt Fiction has launched their first craft beer '13' pale ale. Showcasing spicy and melon characteristics, 13 has a clean, crisp finish. Backed with a light grainy malt flavour brewed from all Australian malt, 13 leaves drinkers with a light bitterness and fruity tones. Malt Fiction's 13 is now available for purchase online and is currently being stocked in over 30 restaurants, bars and hotels across Adelaide.

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Noritake sets the table

Buckwheat bits

Noritake Professional is bringing their quality chinaware tableware to restaurant operators and catering industry professionals, with an Australian-first trade solution. Noritake offers modern and traditional chinaware with superb quality, versatility and value for money. Relax in the warm ivory tones and contrasting colours of Colorwave’s highest quality stoneware. Entice the senses through the vibrancy of Contempo, or calm the mind with the Arctic White porcelain.

The Good Grub Hub, a specialist importer of the finest Japanese ingredients, has introduced their Soba Cha roasted buckwheat seeds. They are perfect with savoury or chocolate dishes, and are delicious on their own or can be infused. Roasted buckwheat seeds stay crunchy during cooking and have a moreish flavour. Soba Cha roasted buckwheat seeds are available to foodservices in 200g bags.

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 37

PROFILE

2 1 AEC executive chef Brian Smith. 2 The Adelaide Entertainment Centre. 1

Size matters Banging out 1000 freshly made crème brulees is all in a day’s work for Adelaide Entertainment Centre executive chef Brian Smith, who relishes the challenge of bringing freshly prepared restaurant quality food to so many, writes Sheridan Randall.

elding torches may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to gala dinners, but they are just some of the tools of trade for the kitchen team at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (AEC). Headed up by executive chef Brian Smith for the best part of a decade, the kitchen is responsible for showcasing South Australia’s finest food and wine for functions up to 1000 people.

it out,” he says. “I have always sought out the best quality produce and best fruit and veg purveyors. I have had the same seafood supplier since 1984 just because they are the best.”

“Logistics are so important,” he says. “I have a team that also believes that 1000 meals cooked and served is possible.”

Smith has seen the evolution of Adelaide’s food culture from the trenches, spending the last 20 years working in the city’s restaurants and wine bars. Stints in London and Sydney, and four years in South East Asia and India have also left their mark on Smith’s culinary philosophy. However, during that time he never imagined himself as a “functions chef”.

That team consists of five fulltime chefs and a roster of casual staff some of whom have been with the AEC almost as long as Smith. All come from a restaurant background. “I need real chefs,” he says. “To get such a large group of restaurant trained chefs working in a banqueting outlet is the only way I can do it.” Only days away from a function that will see 600 guests tucking into their crème brulees, Smith says it is still “scary as hell” serving freshly made food for so many people. “You’ve got to think ‘how can we do this?’” he says. “We need to get together as a group and think totally differently about how we are going to pull it off. And sometimes we sell a concept before we even know how we are going to do it – it’s pretty exciting.” For the brulees they use 10 plumbers blow torches. But it’s not all about toys for the boys (and girls), it is primarily about the quality of produce. “The State always has fantastic produce provided you want to search 38 Open House, April 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

South Australia is very much on the culinary map, with its worldclass wines and gourmet produce well regarded both domestically and overseas.

“It seemed like a massive challenge to see if I could produce handmade food cooked and served [for so many],” he says. “A lot of places serve the volume of meals we serve by regenerating or rewarming the food. Whereas we cook our food [to order]. It comes out of the oven, goes out onto the plate and straight out.” The pressure to deliver such high quality fare for every group means “my heart will be in my throat until the main course is done”, he says, but it is that challenge that keeps him motivated. “I guess if I ever stopped trying it will be time to go, and that has really been my ethos right through my whole career,” he says. “It’s so much about watching people eat your food and say wow!” OH

AUSTRALIAN CULINARY FEDERATION NEWS

New faces T

his month the Australian Culinary Federation (ACF) National Office held its Annual General Meeting in Melbourne. I would like to congratulate Andre Kropp, from ACF Tasmania, and Lachlan Bowtell, from ACF NSW, ACT & Regions, who were elected to the Executive Committee. Kropp will now hold the position of vice-president and has been tasked with re-establishing the Culinary Sub-Committee, which will consist of the chair of judges from each State Chapter. The committee will be charged with reviewing all domestic competitions, governing the National Culinary Squad, and will be responsible for team selections, as well as reviewing all judging qualifications and standards. Lachlan Bowtell is a new face to the National Committee, but certainly not to the ACF, as the newly elected treasurer. He will also be charged with marketing, driving membership and ensuring our association remains the pinnacle chefs’ association in Australia. Bowtell has been a major supporter of the ACF for many years,

having previously held several committee positions in NSW during the late 90s, then as a major sponsor through Meat & Livestock Association working with the ACF creating many opportunities for our members. I would like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing vice-president Bruno Gentile for his service to the ACF. It is always hard finding a balance between work and personal life but to also volunteer time to such a busy association should be applauded. I am thrilled to announce our new look website has gone live. This is more than an update it is a total re-build and I welcome any feedback, so please visit www.austculinary.com.au. If you are not a current member while you’re visiting the website, click on our membership page and join! Several important issues we will be focusing on are skills shortage and current training packages. If you are passionate about such major issues within our industry now is the time to become a member, as through strength in membership we will create a

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Neil Abrahams Australian Culinary Federation (ACF)

stronger voice to address these issues. In closing I would also like to thank all State Presidents for my re-election as national president. I am honoured and proud to hold office and looking forward to the next 12 months. OH

ON THE MOVE Fresh Catering has transformed the former MOS café space at the Museum of Sydney, into The Governors Table Bar & Dining. Heading the new dining establishment is executive chef Marco Adler. Experience includes stints at Rockpool in Sydney and The Grand National in Paddington.

Chef Frank Fawkner has struck out on his own with his new EXP. eatery at Oakvale Winery in the Hunter Valley. For the past four years, Fawkner has worked at Muse Restaurant in the Hunter Valley and was head chef when the team achieved a twohat status.

Mark Proudfoot takes the helm as head chef at Centennial Parklands Dining and sister venue Queens Park Shed in Queens Park. He brings a wealth of experience, having worked as group executive chef most recently for The Grounds of Alexandria.

Pialligo Estate in Canberra has opened the new Farmhouse Restaurant headed by chef de cuisine, Brendan Walsh (pictured) and sous chef, Brian Logan. Walsh has worked at Vue de Monde in Melbourne, while Logan's experience includes five years at Tetsuya's in Sydney.

Pete Evans (pictured) partners with Capri by Fraser, to launch new Brisbane restaurant, Asana Capri Brisbane. At the helm of the kitchen will be local chef Josh Harris, most recently head chef at Brisbane’s Era Bistro and previously at Baguette Bistrot and Bar.

Lagoons 1770 Resort & Spa on the Southern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland has opened, with Ross Howell leading the team at the Plantation Bar & Restaurant as culinary director. Howell comes from his most recent role as group executive chef at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2015 39

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