Open House Food Service September 2014 Issue by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd

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SEPTEMBER 2014

Online training options Smart phone-friendly design Secrets of successful start ups

Premium slice

Tip Top Foodservice expands frozen bread range

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CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

18 10

Tip Top Foodservice has expanded its frozen bread range to include Abbott’s and Burgen, putting gourmet bread at your fingertips whenever you need it.

Features 08 Cover story Tip Top Foodservice expands its frozen bread range

Regulars

16 Sustainability Australian Organic Awareness Month

04 Editor’s note

18 Interior design Top trends to watch for

06 News 10 In season 12 Origins Macadamia nuts 14 Q&A Rebecca Littlemore, Nomad 30 Regional snapshot Orange, NSW 32 Cooking the books 34 Products 38 Profile Anna Polyviou, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

22 Start-ups Getting it right for opening night

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SEPTEMBER 2014

Online training options Smart phone-friendly design Secrets of successful start ups OH0914.indd 1

26 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat The finalists prepare for battle 28 Training Moving with the times 36 Event report Sweet Street

Premium slice

Tip Top Foodservice expands frozen bread range 27/08/2014 2:45 pm

To ensure you never miss out there are now more ways to enjoy Open House. As well as the monthly magazine, Open House is also available as a free iPad app, which is packed with exclusive extras. The Open House app is available at the iTunes app store.

Subscribe to the OH iPad app

www.openhousemagazine.net

39 Australian Culinary Federation news www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2014 3

EDITOR’S WORD

No room for racism Published in Australia by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd

ike many people I was appalled when reports emerged last month that a cafe owner in Sydney’s inner city had refused to hire a barista because he was black. “My customers are white; I don’t think they’d like to have coffee made by black people,” the cafe’s owner reportedly told Nilson dos Santos when he turned up for an interview. When Dos Santos told customers in the cafe what had happened, several were so disgusted that they walked out, along with one member of staff.

The cafe’s Facebook page has since been inundated with comments, ranging from calls to boycott the cafe to personal threats against the cafe’s owner, who apparently moved to Australia from China in late 2013, which are in themselves downright racist. The cafe’s phone was going unanswered at the time of going to print. It would be nice to think this was an unfortunate one-off, but sadly racism is an ongoing problem in Australia that we all need to take a stand against. There is absolutely no place for racism in the hospitality industry. Is there another industry which has benefitted as much from the input of waves of immigrants, bringing with them the culinary influences, ingredients, techniques and recipes of their own countries? Australia is one of the most multicultural nations in the world and nowhere is this more evident than in the wide range of cuisines available on any shopping strip, and in the rich blend of influences in contemporary Australian cuisine. It’s a large part of what makes Australia’s culinary scene so admired around the world. Instead of judging people on the colour of their skin, let’s judge them on the experience, talent and dedication they bring to the job.

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THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY With celebrity chef Manu Feildel closing down his Melbourne restaurant Le Grand Cirque just four months after opening it begs the question just what does it take to make a new venture turn a buck. To find out more, see page 22.

4 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

Official publication for the Australian Culinary Federation

AMAA, CAB Total Distribution Audit 20,553 March 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

Aussies love wine, intimidated by wine lists Australia is a nation of wine-lovers, with one in four people (26 per cent) citing wine as one of their greatest obsessions and nearly half drinking wine three to five days per week, according to a new survey by online wine retailer Vinomofo.

Trio tops Appetite for Excellence T

he winners of this year’s Electrolux Appetite for Excellence 2014 have been announced at a gala celebration, held at Melbourne’s Stokehouse City. Established in 2005, the awards attract the highest profile members of the food industry each year to celebrate young talent, and the future of the industry. George Tomlin, 23, from The Town Mouse (Victoria) was named Electrolux Australian Young Chef 2014 (centre), while Gerald Ryan, 25, from Brae (Victoria) took out Electrolux Australian Young Waiter 2014 (left) and Troy Rhoades-Brown, 29, Muse Restaurant (New South Wales) won Electrolux Australian Young Restaurateur 2014 (right).

The inaugural 2014 Wine Census also found that almost two thirds (60 per cent) of those surveyed are happy to spend between $30$50 on a bottle of wine in a restaurant and $17 in a bottle shop. Among white wine lovers, Riesling tops the list of favourite drops with Chardonnay coming in second and Sauvignon Blanc third. When it comes to red, Shiraz still rules the cellar with 78 per cent selecting it as their grape of choice, followed by Cabernet and Pinot in third place. Eighty per cent of those surveyed preferred to drink wine from Australian wineries, with the Barossa Valley in South Australia named as the nation’s favourite wine region to visit. The survey also revealed that 63 per cent of people have felt intimidated by a wine list in a restaurant, and 49 per cent felt nervous when asked to taste the wine. “Australia is a nation of wine lovers, and we wanted to capture the changing wine tastes and behaviour of Australian wine drinkers for the first time,” said Andre Eikmeier, chief executive and cofounder of Vinomofo. “For us, 2014 is the year of Riesling

and Chardonnay, which surprised and delighted us all by coming out on top as the wine lovers’ choice for white wine, above Sauvignon Blanc. “But it is concerning that the majority of people still feel nervous or intimidated when a buying wine in a restaurant or wine store, which goes to show that there is still too much of the old bowties and BS around wine. We believe wine is something to be enjoyed by everyone, so we want to make it more accessible, help people discover what they love and don’t love. This starts with how we talk about wine – using everyday language and making people feel comfortable to try new wines without fear.”

As part of Tomlin’s prize, he will have the chance to represent Australia and compete in the global San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year competition in 2015 at the World Expo in Milan. Ryan will be given the opportunity to attend the renowned World Gourmet Summit in Singapore in 2015, while Rhoades-Brown receives an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants event sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna held in Singapore.

R&CA supports wine list focus

The Awards were presented by some of the nation’s culinary elite including Appetite for Excellence judges David Thompson, Simon Denton and Luke Mangan.

The focus of the awards is on showcasing local wines and supporting the local NSW wine and food industries through wine list development.

Industry body Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) has for the first time partnered with the NSW Wine Industry Association to deliver the New South Wales Wine List Awards, aimed at recognising licensed restaurants that excel in the provision of wine service and list development.

“It is all about the tourism consumer

6 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

experience and ensuring that local food and wine are offered together to showcase the local experience,” said R&CA chief executive John Hart. “We feel this is a great way to work with restaurant operators and encourage them to have NSW wines on their wine lists.” The 2014 New South Wales Wine Awards winners will be announced on October 30 at an industry-only event.

NEWS BRIEFS

Spontaneity rules amongst diners Australians are increasingly spontaneous diners, who dine out at the last minute and are influenced by weather and external factors, according to the fifth Dimmi Annual Dining Index. The Index, which looked at bookings made via the Dimmi bookings platform through the last financial year, also found that we are dining out more often and, while we don’t mind spending at high end restaurants, are maintaining our spend at mid- to lower-end restaurants. “In our fifth Dimmi Annual Dining Index we are seeing longer term patterns among diners, particularly a move towards mobile bookings and casual dining,” said Dimmi chief executive Stevan Premutico. “Australians are spontaneous diners; we think about where we are going to eat on the train on the way home and book from our mobile after reading reviews of nearby restaurants.” The Index showed that 41 per cent of all restaurant traffic comes from mobiles, with mobile traffic expected to take over from PCs in the next 12 months. A quarter of

all bookings are made on the same day. Additionally, there is 172 per cent year-onyear growth in short lead bookings. However, “while we dine more casually on a day-to-day basis, people are still booking in advance and spending up at the more premium restaurants”, according to Premutico. “The premium end spend is actually up ($91 from $86 in 2009), while the mid and lower markets remain the same ($46 mid market and $34 lower end market),” he said. “There has been a decline in the number of top end places to eat but people remain happy to pay for exceptional food.” The Index also shows national growth in the restaurant industry is at 5.7 per cent, with a slight decrease in spend from $54.70 to $54.60. Western Australia saw the largest growth of 18.8 per cent while Queensland was in negative growth at -7.8 per cent. While the ACT is still the highest spending location, with an average spend of $64.40, it fell from $70 last year. All other states spend remained mostly unchanged.

Maggie Beer warned over misleading labelling South Australian foodie Maggie Beer has fallen foul of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for potentially misleading labelling. Maggie Beer Products has been forced to provide a court enforceable undertaking to change labelling “likely to have been misleading” and in breach of Australian Consumer Law, saying four Maggie Beerbranded products that are not made in the Barossa might have given a “reasonable consumer” the “overall impression that each of these products was manufactured in Tanunda, the Barossa Valley and/or South Australia, when in fact this was not the case”. The undertaking relates to Maggie Beer Products’ place of origin representations on the labelling of “Maggie Beer” branded icecream (all flavours), aged red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and rosemary and verjuice biscuits, which are manufactured by third party suppliers outside South Australia.

“Consumers are often willing to pay premium prices for local products and businesses are following consumer demand by stocking local goods,” said ACCC chairman Rod Sims. “Protecting the integrity of credence claims made about food products is a priority enforcement area for the ACCC. The Barossa Valley is a nationally recognised premium food and wine destination, and businesses in that region use place of origin claims to promote or distinguish their product from others in the market. “Misleading representations about the origin of products to capitalise on this demand undermines the integrity of credence claims which are relied on by consumers and, equally important, can harm competing producers whose products are made locally.” Beer said in a video posted on her website that she understood the ACCC’s complaint but maintained that “if you buy Maggie Beer you get Maggie Beer”. OH

Owner cracks down on sharing The owner of Brisbane restaurant Freestyle Tout has cracked down on customers sharing dishes, saying it is making it difficult to meet financial commitments. Diners at the restaurant, which is renowned for its desserts, will now have to order at least one dish per person, and a drink.

Team Moran wins tender for Opera Bar A consortium led by high-profile chef Matt Moran has won the rights to run the Opera Bar at Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House Trust recently announced the team will operate the site under a 10-year lease. The venue will have a greater emphasis on Australian produce, and a charcuterie room.

Korean first for Melbourne food trucks South Korean-born entrepreneur Courtney Kim has launched a crowd-sourcing campaign at www.pozible.com/bibimbap to help raise money to bring the first ever Korean Bibimbap food van to Melbourne. “Korean food is super popular right now in New York and London, and it’s predicted to get even bigger in 2015,” she said.

Laissez-faire Catering wins contract Laissez-faire Catering have been named exclusive caterers for Sydney’s Australian National Maritime Museum. The company has been providing cuisine in-house for the museum for more than two years. As well as managing the café, Yots, they will also provide event catering.

MFWF program announced for 2015 A pop-up artisan bakery, a long lunch for 1500 in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market, and a wine tasting with the world’s best biodynamic winemakers are some of events in the 2015 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) program, February 27 to March 15. For more information visit www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2014 7

COVER STORY

Premium slice Tip Top Foodservice has expanded its frozen bread range to include Abbott’s and Burgen, putting gourmet bread at your fingertips whenever you need it.

ip Top Foodservice, the specialist foodservice bakery division of George Weston Foods, has extended its range of frozen sliced breads to include several premium products. In addition to Tip Top Foodservice’s existing everyday frozen sliced breads and English muffins, the range now also includes Abbott’s Village Bakery and Burgen sliced breads as well as Golden Pancakes. The premium additions to the range offer the great taste of Tip Top’s range of fresh breads and allows foodservice outlets to cater for the rise in demand for gourmet breakfasts and sandwiches at lunchtime. “For Australian foodservice outlets looking to cater to the increasingly sophisticated tastes of Australian consumers, having premium rustic and health breads available is important to consumers,” says Brian Esplin, national business manager for Tip Top Foodservice. “Tip Top Foodservice’s expanded frozen range of baked products will ensure that cafés, lunch shops and other outlets are able to always have premium product on hand. The product is frozen soon after baking to maximise freshness and our sensory appraisals confirm the quality and taste when compared to its non-frozen equivalent.” The frozen bread range thaws quickly, meaning minimal impact on preparation time, and can be stored in the freezer for up to four months. This allows foodservice

8 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

outlets to keep sufficient bakery product on hand to meet demand, whilst also minimising waste. Foodservice outlets that are unable to receive daily fresh bread deliveries, such as smaller outlets or those in remote regions, can now always have premium bread on hand. The range also keeps the supply chain simple and saves time as Tip Top Frozen Bread orders can be added to existing foodservice deliveries, meaning there are no additional deliveries or invoices to worry about. “This makes it easy for distributors to order a range of different products all on the one invoice, which helps maximise stock availability and convenience for local foodservice businesses who still want to offer premium breads to their customers,” he says. The frozen range has no artificial colours or flavours, is halal certified, vegetarian and HACCP certified and now includes Abbott’s Village Bakery range of premium breads with Rustic White Sliced, Farmhouse Wholemeal Sliced, Country Grains Sliced and Light Rye Sliced as well as the Burgen range of breads, including Soy-Lin Sliced and Rye Sliced, and Golden Pancakes. These premium offerings are in addition to existing offerings of Tip Top White Sliced, Wholemeal Sliced, Multigrain Sliced, Super Thick White Sliced, Super Thick Raisin Bread and Traditional English muffins. OH

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IN SEASON

Broccoli A

from soil and dirt”. Avoid those that have yellowing florets, dry or browning stems, and wilted leaves.

close relative of the cabbage and cauliflower, broccoli is part of the brassica family. Featuring pale green branches ending in clumps of small, round, tightly packed florets, broccoli has a subtle flavor that people either love or hate.

To store, Said advises sprinkling them with water and storing in an air-tight container to help retain their moisture and freshness. They will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Broccoli grows well in cool climates and can be seen to grow all-year-round in Victoria and Queensland. However, they are best harvested in the cooler months through to October. According to John Said, chief executive at Fresh Select, warmer than usual weather conditions early this winter, “stimulated an accelerated growth of the crop, when they should have been in hibernation”. A further change in weather conditions resulted in produce being “harvested 10 days before their due date”.

Broccoli can be cooked by steaming, boiling or pan-frying, or eaten raw. To use, simply rinse under cold running water and cut into individual florets. “Cut one centimetre off the base and under each side of the floret,” advises Said. When selecting Broccoli, Said recommends looking for bunches that have “tightly flowering heads, which are dark green or purple-green in colour” and are “clean, free

September • Apples – Lady Williams • Berries – mulberries, strawberries • Grapefruit • Lemons • Mandarins – honey murcot • Oranges – blood, navel, seville

To use the stem, “peel and cut into slithers, then steam”. Cook until the tops and stems are just tender, but crisp, while maintaining their bright colour. OH

October

• Asparagus

• Lettuce

• Avocados

• Beans – broad, green

• Mushrooms

• Banana

• Peas

• Blueberries

• Potatoes

• Grapefruit

• Silverbeet

• Mangoes

• Spinach

• Melons

• Spring onions

• Chillies

• Oranges – Valencia

• Garlic, fresh

• Papaw

• Peas

• Papaya

• Potatoes

• Passionfruit

• Silverbeet

• Pineapples

• Spinach

• Pomelo

• Spring onions

• Strawberries

• Watercress

• Tangelos

• Zucchini

• Beetroot • Broccoli • Carrots • Cauliflower

• Papaya • Papaw • Pineapples • Pomelo • Rockmelon • Tangelos • Artichokes – globe • Asian greens

10 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

• Artichokes – globe • Asian greens • Asparagus

• Beans – broad, green • Beetroot • Cucumber • Chillies • Garlic, fresh • Lettuce • Mushrooms

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ORIGINS

which was named after von Mueller’s friend Dr John Macadam, a prominent scientist of the time. Before then they were commonly known as the Queensland nut, bauple or bopple nut, bush nut, Mullumbimby nut, maroochi nut and kindal kindal.

Macadamia nuts Our very own bush nut was prized by Australia’s Indigenous tribes for generations before being cultivated by European settlers, writes Anne Esteban.

acadamias may not look like much in their tough woody shells but once cracked they contain an edible nut that has a delicate buttery flavour and crisp texture that has been prized throughout its history. Macadamias are native to Australia’s subtropical rainforests along the continent’s east coast. For thousands of years the macadamia was well known to the Indigenous people of eastern Australia who called it gyndl or jindilli, while in the southern ranges it was known as boombera. Indigenous tribes would congregate in areas the tree grew in so they could feast on its edible nuts which first had to be removed from its tough, woody shells with special nut cracking tools. They regarded the nuts not only as a delicacy with rich nutritional

value, but also sourced them for their valuable medical and cosmetic properties. The nuts were eaten raw, roasted in hot coals, or ground into a paste and washed under running water to make them more edible, particularly the more bitter species that is found in north Queensland. Additionally oil would be extracted from the nuts and mixed with other elements to use as a treatment for ailments, as well as for creating face and body paint. In 1828, Europeans were introduced to the macadamia plant by Allan Cunningham, a notable British botanist who travelled to Australia for research. However, it wasn’t until 1857 that British botanists Ferdinand von Mueller and Walter Hill gave the genus the name, “Macadamia”,

12 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

As the story goes, the nut wasn’t eaten by anyone other than Indigenous Australians until 1858, when a boy was caught eating one of the nuts at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens by Walter Hill, who believed the nuts were poisonous. When the boy showed no signs of ill-health after a few days Hill tasted some himself and proclaimed he had discovered a nut to surpass all others.

It did not take long before others began to realise the commercial potential of the indigenous bush nut, and throughout the 1860s, the popularity and consumption of macadamia nuts grew, as Indigenous leaders traded with settlers. The first commercial orchard of macadamia trees was planted in the early 1880s in New South Wales. In 1881, William H Purvis, a plant collector and sugar cane plantation manager on Hawaii’s Big Island, took macadamia seeds back to Hawaii after visiting Australia, where he planted them at Kapulena. The trees were initially used as windbreakers to protect the sugar cane plants and for their ornamental value, however in 1921, a Massachusetts man named Ernest Shelton Van Tassell established the first macadamia plantation near Honolulu. From the 1920s they were widely planted in Hawaii as a commercial crop. While macadamias are grown extensively in Australia, where the industry is estimated to be worth more than $100 million, Hawaii is now the world’s leading producers of macadamia nuts. They are also grown commercially in South Africa and many other tropical and subtropical regions. OH

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Q&A

From the heart Rebecca Littlemore, co-owner of Sydney CBD-based cellar door and restaurant Nomad and online wine store Nomad Cellar Door, explains why championing Australia’s smaller wine producers is so important. Q: Where did the “cellar door in the city” idea come from?

had never heard of previously. The learning curve is quite steep but exciting.

A: My partner Al Yazbek and I would visit wine regions around Australia, going to cellar doors, and so we wanted to recreate the intimacy and passion for food and wine without having to leave town.

Q: What has been the take-up for the restaurant’s Winemakers Dinner?

Q: Why the desire to showcase the lesser known wine regions in Australia? A: We think these regions are producing some of the best wine in Australia and that message wasn’t getting through in the city. There are both small and large producers, many family run, who are competing against giant corporations. We wanted to provide a platform for these producers. Q: A global wine glut is making it a tough time for wine producers – how hard is it for the smaller producers from the lesser known regions? A: Very hard. Some wines on our list are produced by one-man shows. They grow the grapes, make the wine, bottle it and then have to get their product out there in front of wine buyers and restaurants. They are competing on a global scale and trying to be heard amongst the noise. Q: Is knowing the story of the wine important? A: Very. It’s a commitment to buy a bottle of wine. If you know the backstory you are a whole lot more invested and the flavours come to life.

A: We are getting repeat customers to the dinners which is always nice. As we are still new and gaining the trust of our customers, the dinners we have done with more wellknown small producers sell out a whole lot quicker. Guests are finding out information about our smaller producers before committing time and money to the event. Q: You have a passion for wine, food and design – is this the first time you had an opportunity to really bring all three together with Nomad? A: Yes. The realisation of Nomad was the coming together of my three great loves and I am in business with my partner so whilst it has been a huge undertaking, it has been very rewarding. OH

Littlemore’s top drops Unico Zelo Rosé Adelaide Hills, SA

Anything by Yelland & Papps Barossa Valley, SA

Q: Why launch an online cellar door? A: We see it as a natural extension of our restaurant business. We want the passion our diners show for our wine list, to extend to their front door. Q: What differences are there in launching bricks and mortar venture against an online one? A: Online has very different challenges to bricks and mortar. Our online wine store is an extension of our restaurant but the setup could not be more different. We are talking to web developers and using programs that I 14 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

Michael Hall Rousanne Barossa Valley, SA

Thick as Thieves Pinot Noir Yarra Valley, VIC

Tom Shobbrook’s wines Adelaide Hills, SA

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SUSTAINABILITY

1, 3 Organic produce is free from genetic modification, pesticide residues, hormones and antibiotics. 2 Australian Organic Ambassador Pete Evans. 2

My organic kitchen rules Chef and My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans is throwing his culinary weight behind next month’s Australian Organic Awareness Month, writes Ylla Watkins.

rominent chef, television personality and Australian Organic ambassador Pete Evans is asking Australians to purchase at least one certified organic product during October, as part of a campaign by the not-for-profit organisation to generate awareness of the benefits of organic food. Australian Organic Awareness Month will run from October 1 to 31, focusing on a different sector of the organic market every week. “People tend to think that certified organic products are limited to food and produce,” says Paul Stadhams, chief executive of Australian Organic. “However we have over 14,000 registered products on our database that cover everything from food to make-up, textiles and more. Australian Organic Awareness Month aims to promote this fact.” The month-long program of events will include question and answer sessions with certified organic farmers, retailers and Australian Organic ambassadors as well as a social media-based competition offering various prizes including cash and products. “One of the key programs for this campaign will be our Vote to Win competition,” says Stadhams. “The competition will run through a Facebook page and customers will

16 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

be asked to vote for their favourite certified organic product. Details on the products including what they are, what they are made of and where they are sold will be available on the page.” Evans, a long-time advocate for organic produce, became involved with Australian Organic, Australia’s largest organic group and owner of the Australian Certified Organic program and bud logo, when the organisation approached him to become a good will ambassador.

What is certified organic? According to Australian Organic a producer must grow or manufacture their product free from synthetic pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics to be certified as organic. Livestock must be free range and pasture-fed, seed must be free of genetic modification, and the process must be water efficient and biodiversity friendly. Australian Certified Organic routinely and randomly audits businesses and products that use their logo to ensure they comply with the requirements set out in the organisation’s 100 page Australian Certified Organic Standard 2013.

“This is not a paid role,” says Evans. “I do it because I believe in certified organic produce and supporting farmers who grow food the way it’s supposed to be, and in a way that is best for our health, the health of the environment and the welfare of animals.”

According to Evans the main benefits of certified organic produce is that it’s free of a lot of things we don’t want in our foods such as genetic modification, pesticide residues, hormones, antibiotics and, in the case of processed foods, artificial additives. “The certified organic standards also have strict animal welfare guidelines which include prohibiting cages, pens and stalls,” he says. “Animals must be free ranging and have access to fresh pasture at all times. “Businesses using the Australian Certified Organic logo are annually (and randomly) audited to make sure they comply.” While admitting that organic produce is generally more expensive than conventionally farmed goods, Evans believes the benefits of eating organic food outweigh the additional costs.

*Source: Nielsen Grocery Scantrack value sales and value share %. MAT 25/12/2011

“It’s not surprising that organics can cost more than conventional products,” he says. “It costs more to produce because of its smaller economies of scale and its reliance on manual management like

weeding and pest control, rather than chemical approaches. An organic farmer’s labour costs can be much higher. “[However,] RMIT University did a study that showed a 90 per cent reduction in pesticide residue in the urine of adults who switched to a certified organic diet for just one week,” he says. “The researchers are following up with further studies this year on 14 – 16-year-olds to understand the connection between pesticide residues and health and brain function. More recently an international team of researchers [from the UK’s Newcastle University] found organic crops based foods had up to 70 per cent higher number of antioxidants than conventional crops.” If you aren’t going to buy 100 per cent organic produce, Evans suggests prioritising “certified organic foods that you eat the skin of”, such as apples and berries. “Friends of the Earth’s The Dose Makes the Poison reviewed Australian Government pesticide residue tests to come up with a list of foods that had higher residues than others,” he says. “Apples, wheat, strawberries, pears and grapes were the top five foods detected as having the most pesticide detections.” Evans is most looking forward to helping educate people during Australian Organic Awareness Month about the vast amount of certified organic products available, not just food, ranging from certified organic cosmetics and skincare to beverages such as tea and composts and natural fertilisers. “I have been an ambassador for Australian Organic for a long time now,” he says. “To have the opportunity to help educate Australians not only on the benefits of organic products, but also the incredible range available is why I want to be part of this exciting month.” OH

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2014 17 18/08/14 10:38 AM

INTERIOR DESIGN

Photo finishes With social media changing the way people enjoy their dining experiences, more restaurants are incorporating the “Instagram-factor” into their design, writes Ylla Watkins.

ood restaurant design has always been about finding a balance between customer comfort, functionality and style, but with more and more Aussies Instagramming and Tweeting their dining experiences live from the table, it’s becoming increasingly important for restaurants to think about the visual layering of their decor. Capturing the new mood is Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung’s newest location, located in Sydney’s new Central Park development, near Chinatown. Designed by award winning Australian interior design company, Design Clarity, and inspired by the restaurant’s origins in Taipei, the interior design references the street

markets that are famous throughout Asia, and features a theatrical display-kitchen playing on the idea of the “vendor’s cart”. The effect is to create a dining space that is reminiscent of discovering an unexpected food haven beyond the main strip of a foreign city. Hanging planters at the entrance, a nod to the vertical gardens decorating One Central Park; graffiti-style twisted Chinese proverbs wrapping exposed brick columns; and sporadic placement of reclaimed objects help craft an unassuming vibe. Kristina Hetherington, managing director at Design Clarity, is thrilled with Din Tai Fung Central Park’s ability to appeal to, and engage with, the social media

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savvy demographic. “Through interior design we are able to make Din Tai Fung’s world class food accessible and tempting to a new, younger demographic,” she says. “Keeping in mind the younger generation is led by social media, the space has been designed to be highly Instagrammable with super graphic branding and an authentic hawker street bike cart which local and international Din Tai Fung fans alike can share via their social channels.” Hetherington came up with the design after liaising with the client. “There is quite an established corporate identity for the brand overseas,” she says. “But our client, who is based in Singapore, and holds license for Din Tai

Fung in Australia, is quite keen on breaking free from that identity and answering the needs of the local market. “In Central Park we have a very young demographic which is student-based, with five universities in the area, so we were able to have a bit more visual noise and have a bit more quirkiness and humour in the design. “Every different setting, every vista, had to be considered because we know that everyone has phones and everyone takes photographs now. Obviously the food is the number one attraction but we want people to be able to talk about their experience beyond the taste.” The display kitchen, where chefs dressed in white coats and

1, 3 SugarBun in Melbourne. 2, 5 Din Tai Fung at Central Park in Sydney. 4 Cho Cho San in Sydney has a minimalist Japanese feel. 6 The bistro at the Coppersmith Hotel.

medical-looking masks create the intricate xiao long bao (soup dumplings) the restaurant is most famous for, also adds theatre to the dining experience, which Hetherington identifies as another key trend in restaurant design.

“You can look in and see them making the dumplings,” she says. “It’s about the interaction between seeing how the food is made and eating it. If you know where it comes from and can see it being prepared, it does affect your

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perception of the food.” Another Asian food chain to recently open in Australia is SugarBun, which has moved into Russell Street, Melbourne. The restaurant was designed by Diahann and Peter Lombardozzi

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Photo by Dianna Snape.

Watch the video in the Open House iPad app.

Photos by Dianna Snape; Sharyn Cairns; Roger D’Souza.

1 The Apollo in Sydney. 2 Hassell project Deba Sushi Bar. 3 Din Tai Fung at Central Park in Sydney. 4 Esquire in Brisbane was a Hassell project.

is in a building with a lot of character and a lot of history, with a front façade that is a great example of Melbourne architecture,” says Diahann Lombardozzi.

the space. Meanwhile, vibrant reds pop out from the space’s furniture, timber in the floor and central stairwell soften the space, and sleek new tiled details on floors and walls give a modern edge.

“When you go inside, you get an idea of the diversity and multiculturalism at play in the design. The two aesthetics work in contrast, but the two cultures marry together.

“We create a lot of physical and aesthetic linkages from what took place structurally inside the building to what existed,” says Lombardozzi. “The voids, borrowed light and the lift shaft all helped us maximise the visibility of the space which was very narrow and confined.”

“We borrowed a lot of ideas in terms of colours, finishes and treatments from Malaysian heritage and applied them to the interior. We also have a few cultural ideas that we subtly accented on the front facade, so it didn’t overpower the render or detailing of the facade.” A major influence for the space was Malaysia’s rural villages, which themselves have influences of colonialism. Existing shell walls were left exposed inside to lend a sense of old and show the process the building has undergone, and rusted and oxidised metal surfaces and old concrete beams punctuate 20 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

The project went on to win two Building Designers Association of Victoria (BDAV) Building Design Awards, the Heritage Conservation Project (NonResidential) award and the Drafting Excellence Award. According to Susan Standring, principal of designer Hassell, the secret to creating a thriving hospitality venue lies in a venue's ability to evoke a strong emotional response and develop a true sense of connection with its guests. “For a new venue to be embraced,

it must be more than just a place where people can stay or that has a great food and beverage offering,” she says. “It needs to make guests feel at ease and comfortable and deliver a sense of theatre and engagement that will create a lasting memory.” For designers, the starting point is to develop a deep understanding of the operator's brand identity and culture and translate that into the local context. "It's only when a designer understands the character of the brand and community they are creating the space for that they can design a space that is functional, emotive and socially relevant," Standring says. Hassell has recently finished work on the Coppersmith, a boutique hotel with a bistro in Melbourne. “What is really important is functionality and also to be able to provide a very strong emotional response,” she says. “Functionality in the sense of the seamless service that waiters and bar attendants can provide to

clients, because if diners get poor service they won’t come back. Good design can assist with that. “It’s also about the strong sense of feeling at ease and feeling comfortable, whether you want to be by yourself, or in a one-on-one or in a larger group, the facilities need to accommodate that diversity of usage.” Stranding agrees that social media has a huge impact on a restaurant’s success. “Word of mouth, which can happen through social media, can really accelerate the success and interest in a venue,” she says. “People express their thoughts based on their experiences and their perceptions of the environment, and that creates an enthusiasm in others to want to come down and experience the place for themselves.” Designer George Livissianis believes that catering to the social media savvy demographic is “too transient”, adding that he doesn’t “think about design in terms of trends”. “It’s more about what suits the site and what best reflects the flood, service and level of

formality,” he says.

space,” says Livissianis.

When he came to create the look and feel of Cho Cho San, restaurateurs Sam Christie and Jonathan Barthelmess’ modern interpretation of a Tokyo izakaya (Japanese pub), he created a simple, light space that feels Japanese without the clichés or kitsch.

“The interiors are clean with a minimal aesthetic, but we’ve added warmth with a distinctive lighting design suggestive of a back-lit screen so that the whole space glows with a wonderful attractive ambience.”

According to Livissianis the process of coming up with the design was “instinctual”. “Getting a feeling for the site, interpreting the food concept and then developing design ideas that reflect the personality of the owners,” he says. “A large part of the design concept was driven by finding ways of expressing a Japanese identity for non-Japanese owners and their interpretation of the cuisine, so traditional design influences were off limits. The colour palette of white, birch and concrete were “inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture rather than traditional eating houses”, while the ceiling was an “interpretation of a shoji screen”. “Just as the food is an interpretation of Japanese traditions, so is the

Livissianis has previously worked with Barthelmess and Christie on their other venue, The Apollo, also located in inner Sydney. “The idea behind the food, and one thing Jonathan mentioned very early on, is that it is refined village food, and that idea stuck with me,” he says. “From there we looked at dusty Greek landscapes rather than the typical Santorini white and blue, and composed a textured, paired back, minimal dining room with limited colour. Our aim was to deliver a space that suited the food and is a backdrop to it.” At the end of the day, the right design for any given venue is the one that attracts the demographic you’re after, be it a smart phone happy crowd excited by “visual noise” or those who are prepared to let your food do the talking. OH

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Aussie venue wins international design award Internationally acclaimed designer Michael Fiebrich of Michael Fiebrich Design has won the 2014 International Hotel & Property Award for best Restaurant within a Hotel for his work on Silks Restaurant at Crown Perth. Collecting the award in Venice, Italy, in June, Fiebrich was up against top designers from around the globe, with Silks Perth the only restaurant in Australia to make the shortlist. The company was recognised for its work on the venue’s interior, which features backlit hand painted ceilings and skylights, punctuated with Chinese architectural detailing and dramatic feature walls. A highlight of the design is a collection of dramatically scaled, custom vases, using traditional Chinese designs commissioned in sparkling Italian glass mosaic tiles. “The goal was to create a space with the regal elegance befitting of the Silks brand, while bringing a fresh and contemporary approach to the interior,” said Fiebrich. The International Hotel & Property Awards celebrate the best in outstanding design and architecture, receiving entries from the world’s top architects, designers and hospitality operators. Short listed projects are presented online, and voting is open to industry professionals, clients and customers.

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Michael Fiebrich has worked at a number of other venues at Crown Perth, including Modo Mio Cucina Italiana and Nobu Perth.

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START-UPS

2 3

Start me up With celebrity chef Manu Feildel closing down his Melbourne restaurant Le Grand Cirque just four months after opening it begs the question just what does it take to make a new venture turn a buck, asks Sheridan Randall.

creenwriting legend William Goldman famously said of the movie business “nobody knows anything” when it came to predicting whether a movie would make any money. The same could be said of the hospitality business. Feildel’s My Kitchen Rules fame and the deep pockets and knowhow of the Made Establishment Group were no guarantee of success when it came to his long cherished dream of launching Le Grand Cirque. With the threat of build it and they won’t come hovering over every new venture big and small it is a wonder anyone sees the whole thing through. Restaurateur Sam Christie stepped out earlier this year with new Sydney restaurant Cho Cho San in Potts Point. Christie co-owns the Longrain Sydney and Longrain Melbourne as well as the Greekinspired taverna The Apollo, partnering with The Apollo chef Jonathan Barthelmess to open their take on modern Japanese

cuisine. The new restaurant sits in a space that has variously been home to Shogun, Osteria Moana and Paramount, prior to its latest Zen-like incarnation, and is located in the same neighbourhood as The Apollo. “For a restaurant to work, the location is a vital part of the process,” Christie says. “It is important to understand the customer you are targeting and the overall atmosphere you hope to achieve as both will be impacted by the choice of location.” Having Barthelmess at his side and sourcing Nicholas Wong (from Billy Kwong) as head chef eased the pain of finding a good kitchen team, but that is only one of many steps along the long and winding road to opening night. “There are an infinite numbers of steps before committing to any venture,” Christie says. “Top of the list is securing a great team, having a solid concept, right location and of course all the financing must be in place

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before committing to any new launch.” However, it is those factors that have to be left to others that can cause the most grief. “Probably the worst process of launching a new venture is going through the building or renovating process,” he says. “Some tradesmen don’t have a sense of urgency which can trickle down to launching later than expected.” Nowadays getting the word out about a new venue starts well before the doors open. “Social media is a large focus for us and is how we communicate with our customers on a daily basis,” he says. “Prior to opening Cho Cho San, we launched our Instagram and Facebook pages, asking the online community to join us in the countdown to the launch. This generated a lot of excitement within the industry and among diners with some of our existing customers spreading the news via their own channels.”

1, 5 Black Bird Bar & Grill. 2 David Murphy, Nina Alidenes and RJ Lines. 3 One Penny Red. 4 Cho Cho San. 6 Sam Christie, Nicholas Wong and Jonathan Barthelmess.

Cho Cho San marks Christie’s fourth new venue, and with each opening “it does get a little easier each time”. “Every restaurant is different,” he says. “The main elements are usually the same; however the creative process for each individual venue requires a lot of involvement.

restaurants in Australia at the moment.

balanced leaders.”

“Two key steps are a lease to secure a site and necessary approvals like council and liquor licence,” he says. “Once these are secured then everything begins in terms of design and concept development.”

Generating publicity “tends to happen organically as our brands are well known”, with Lucas using a mixture of social media and traditional media to get the word out.

“You never know if a venture will succeed or not. You have to back yourself and your own concept throughout the whole process and be willing to take a risk!”

With location still a major factor in the decision making process, unless “you're a destination restaurant then it's not super critical”, the next step is getting the right team together.

Chris Lucas is no stranger to opening nights with the opening of Korean hybrid BBQ joint Kong hoping to replicate the success of Melbourne’s Chin Chin, which is recognised as one of the most successful

“Culture and attitude of the individual is perhaps the most important consideration for me,” he says. “It's usually accepted that the chef has the skills and talent but we always look for team oriented well

Citing “the stress and the unknown” as the two worst things about launching a new venture, Lucas says that at the end of the day no one ever knows if it will succeed. And it doesn’t get any easier. “Each one for us up until now has been a totally different concept,” he says. “Each site and restaurant is very unique and has its own challenges.” For Nehme Ghanem, managing director of the Ghanem Group, it’s “location, location,

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2014 23

location” when it comes to new venues. With stunning views of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge, the group’s latest venture, Black Bird Bar & Grill, has hit the ground running, which must come as some relief after forking out almost $2 million to fit it out and lure top chef Jake Nicolson (formerly of Circa) to helm the kitchen. “Location can make or break a venue,” says Ghanem. “I’ve seen cafes and restaurants in a precinct close down because they are in the wrong side of precinct. You can pick up the shop, move it down 30 metres and it would be a huge success.” Black Bird is the fifth venue in the group’s stable that includes Byblos Brisbane, Byblos Melbourne, 5th Element, and Baba Ganouj, and was the least stressful to launch with the experience gained over the years, according to Ghanem. “For me it gets a little easier with each venue,” he says. “When we started eight years ago with Byblos Bar & Restaurant Brisbane, it was my brother Adonis and I who did everything from creating a concept through to hiring and managing staff and everything in between. As each venue opened we slowly hired the right people in management position to oversee the day to day operations and help with the setup of each business. Now our group

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has an executive chef, general manager, bar manager, events and marketing manager, [and] head sommelier who oversee all the day to day operations and set up which gives my brother and I more time to work on concept designs and fine tuning each venue.” Though the advantages multiple venues reap rewards on the experience front, there also comes the added burden of juggling the finances. “Opening a new venture is not cheap and the financial stress can be quite daunting as you are spending a lot of money with no immediate return,” he says. “When owning multiple venues it can be detrimental to their operations, as bills take longer to be paid you run the risk of having suppliers put you on hold which in turn leads to you being out of stock on menu items – never a good thing.” The group employs a public relations agent, with each of the venues posting on Instagram and Facebook on a regular basis to spread the word. “The internet and social media play a massive role in the hospitality industry, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it,” he says. Ghanem concedes that you can never be 100 per cent certain a new venture will succeed, but maintains that “you must

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trust your judgment and commit yourself to the cause”. “When we opened Byblos in Melbourne it took over 18 months of hard work and no profit before we could say this is working,” he says. “However, Black Bird in Brisbane opened up with a bang [and is] going from strength to strength. I knew from day one Black Bird was going to work.” Located in a historic post office building in Sydney’s Summer Hill, One Penny Red was brought to fruition following a series of snatched two minute conversations with one of the customers at co-owner Nina Alidenes’ previous venture, Envy Café, which was just down the road. The building’s owner had a long cherished dream of seeing it turned into a restaurant, and for Alidenes it was case of an opportunity too good to refuse. Along with her partner David Murphy, they set about bringing the dream to life. “I know what I like to do and I know what I am good at and I was just presented with this building,” she says. Having launched four businesses of her own, and with a swag of restaurant set-ups under her belt, Alidenes has experience aplenty but concedes “it is never easy”. “It’s very stressful and I always say I never

want to do it again,” she says.

manager to help spread the word.

The site itself required a total renovation over its two floors, and with that a detailed business plan outlining every cost.

“Publicity is huge and is very different to how it was,” she says. “When I opened my first restaurant there was no iPhone, there was ‘I nothing’. My first business nearly went bust after six months due to lack of publicity. Word of mouth in 1999 was much slower and what social media has done is give us instant exposure. I set up an Instagram account [before opening] and had followers before I had even posted a photo. Then there is Twitter and Facebook.”

“I spent months negotiating the lease,” she says. “If you don’t get that right you really don’t have a business.

4 3 1, 4 Cho Cho San. 2 Black Bird Bar & Grill. 3 Kong.

“With this site there was no way that this would sustain itself as a BYO business. It has two floors which is great but it also means it is a high wage cost as it is two separate rooms.” Alidenes and Murphy approached RJ Lines (formerly of Neutral Bay Diner) to head up the kitchen some 18 months prior to opening but it was only much later when the duo could sit down and show Lines detailed plans that things fell into place. Some cooking sessions at home sealed the deal. However, it wasn’t just culinary skills Lines brought to the table, but his following in the media. “He is a very well liked chef,” says Alidenes. “Industry people knew we were doing this but we just needed to get it out to the general public and that is where we found social media really helpful.” The venue’s team includes a social media

One Penny Red got immediate coverage across all the media channels, with Alidenes saying they “were very surprised at the level of attention we generated”. “We’re very aware that the first stage of the business is to make that solid impression and that impression is what we carry for a very long time,” she says. Once the honeymoon period is over though, comes the day to day reality of keeping bums on seats. “You’re only as good as the last customer you serve,” she says. “We work hard every single day to deliver something that we love and our aim is to have our customers love that to.” OH

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NESTLÉ GOLDEN CHEF’S HAT

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Gordon Lee – Chianti Classico Restaurant, Adelaide Cameron Coutts – Jolley’s Boathouse Restaurant, Adelaide

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Cherise Davids and Stacey Currell – The Royal on the Waterfront, East Perth

Cook-off With the last of the Regional Cook-Offs now wrapped up, the winning teams are well in to preparations for the 2014 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award National Final and will soon be headed to Melbourne to compete on Tuesday September 16.

ompetition director Deb Foreman says the bar is set very high going into the National Final of the upcoming Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award. “This has already been an outstanding year [for the competition]. With record entry levels, the finalists have had to work smarter and cook harder to win against more teams than ever in their regional cook-offs,” she says. In a first for the almost 50-year culinary competition, both the South Australia and New South Wales heats were held over two days to accommodate record numbers of participating young

chefs. Both cook-offs saw strong teams take the wins and are tipped as “one’s to watch” for the National Final. Other notable teams are Victoria, comprising 2013 National Finalist Zackary Furst and new teammate Jake Kellie, Electrolux Young Chef 2014 runner-up.

Team Western Australia includes 2011 Finalist Cherise Davids, who has since represented Australia in the 2012 Culinary Olympic Junior Team and has been honing her skills to achieve the win this year.

Furst says it was a desire to “always keep myself excited about cooking and learn new things all the time” that motivated him to compete again.

At the National Final cook-off challenge, finalist teams will each have to create a threecourse meal in four hours, to be judged against World Association of Chefs Societies globally approved criteria by the professional judging panel.

“I’d love to win this one,” he says. “To get to France would be an awesome experience and a massive step up for my career."

All National Finalists have the opportunity to win medals for achievement in culinary excellence to internationally recognised

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standards in entrée, main and dessert course categories. The 2014 National Final will be held at specialist training and education centre for hospitality and the culinary arts, William Angliss Institute. The winners will be announced at an exclusive industry Awards Night on Wednesday September 17. This year’s National winning team will be awarded a careerchanging trip to Lyon, France for the world’s most prestigious cooking competition, the Bocuse d’Or World Final, to see the best chefs in the world cook for the ultimate title. OH

QUEENSLAND NORTH Adam Millard – A Touch of Salt, Townsville Mitchell Jeanes – Pullman Cairns International

QUEENSLAND SOUTH Tara Bain and Rachel Male – The Brisbane Club

NEW SOUTH WALES Jarrod Walsh and Sean Page – InterContinental Sydney, Café Opera

2014 National Finalists AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Amanda Polsen and Georgia Harrison – Hyatt Hotel Canberra

VICTORIA

Tom Kearsley and Maddie Kline – Smolt Restaurant, Hobart

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TRAINING

e-teacher Using online learning platforms is proving a great way for TAFE Institutes to direct their resources to improving retention rates for apprentices, whilst giving students the freedom to study at times that suit them, discovers Sheridan Randall.

ith the latest crop of hospitality and culinary apprentices raised on YouTube and social media it seems logical that many learning institutes are heading online to deliver some of their learning content and engage with students in a format that not only suits their students, but frees up the teachers to do what they do best – teach. “Online has become a huge part of what we do,” says Ry Cunningham, commercial cookery teacher at TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute (SWSi). Partnering with learning resource provider Futura Group to offer an online learning platform at SWSi, Cunningham says the benefits are reaped by both the students and teachers. Futura Group client relations manager Dean Wiggins says the best analogy is that “the learning management system developed by SWSi is the garage and our resources are the car that students can drive”. “What we provide is an online learning platform that delivers the content to the students,” Wiggins says. Gone are the days of text books and written exams, replaced with online material and instant feedback, or what Wiggins calls “e-learning”.

“Learning content has been developed into an online platform which is called the eCoach,” he says. “It’s a web-based system where students can work through their learning content and interactive tasks and includes things like assessment questions, challenges, videos and recipes.” Online learning tools also allow teachers to look at the back-end data and monitor a student’s progress, “which has been really positive”, according to Cunningham. “It’s been a really big issue in our industry that the apprentices are getting to the end and not course completing,” he says. Teachers can now see how often students are logging on, how often they are engaging with the material and how they are actually doing in an assessment in real time. “It helps identify at risk students and so we can really focus on them rather than getting to the end of the semester and finding out that they haven’t passed half a dozen units,” he says. “Now we are able to monitor that in real time and provide flexible options for them.” Since introducing the online learning platform completion rates are up, according to Cunningham.

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“Within that system we can actually monitor a range of assessment methods,” he says. “All our tests, or quizzes as we call them, are done online and are automatically marked, so as soon as the student pushes finish they get their result. “There is no teacher sitting there marking piles of papers, those days are long gone. It’s amazing, dealing with apprentices, how many assignments are submitted at 11pm or midnight. Some students are logging on at 1am which is when they finish work, and doing some study. We can track this and see how much they have looked at their learning resource.” Adam Hall is a mature-aged first year apprentice at SWSi. Looking for a career change he works fulltime at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia whilst completing his apprenticeship, with the online learning platform proving to be vital in juggling his responsibilities. “It has been a really easy transition from working all the time to working fulltime and studying,” he says. “You go to TAFE one a day a week and then on your off time you are using the online e-learning platform at home. “When I am home and have a free hour I can quickly jump on and do a couple of units

and then get back to my daily routine.” Not having studied for 16 years, Hall says the multiple choice aspect of the testing and instant feedback makes the study less confronting. “It’s a big help because I haven’t studied since I did my HSC,” he says. “The quizzes are really good as they aren’t too nerve racking. The answers are basically there; you just have to pick the right ones. And you get the response back as soon as you finish the quiz so you can just move on to the next one.” Melbourne’s William Angliss Institute also partnered with Futura Group with an online commercial cookery fast track program for industry clients in Victoria. That partnership has blossomed with the Institute now using Futura Group’s e-learning platform for their Certificate III courses in Hospitality and Commercial Cooking. “One of our [industry] clients is a national company operating in mine sites in very remote areas around Australia,” says Karon Hepner, manager at Angliss National at William Angliss Institute. “They approached us to deliver Certificate III Commercial Cookery, but they may have one student on a site that can be in the middle of nowhere. So to actually send a trainer to that student is a very expensive exercise. The online model provided a blended form of delivery and the student can go in with a password and access the unit. The trainer would visit the site once or twice rather than 10 times, see how the student is progressing and phone them or email them to ensure that communication is still being engaged. The fact is that it enables the student to have work to go onto online rather than have to wait for a person to physically go onto a site.” Wiggins says that the flexibility of an internet-based learning program suits today’s more mobile world.

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“As a student you could be sitting on a bus and you take your iPad with you and can work through some of your course assessments,” he says. “Then in turn it frees up time for trainers due to the self-marking assessments.”

make it applicable for tablets and smartphones.

Cunningham cites a student who had to go overseas on a family trip.

“Essentially it falls back on the excellent relationship we have with SWSi which provides us with a really good communication channel. It’s important that there is that two-way street where we take on board SWSi’s feedback and their requirements both from a technological and training point of view.

“He was able to keep up with the work [online] but there was one unit he wasn’t actually able to do in the traditional style of assessment,” he says. “Instead we set up a portfolio of required items and he was able to take a video of a seafood lesson, with him filleting a fish, which he submitted, so the assessor could see that he did have the required skills and knowledge. In the [former] traditional model he would have had to come back for one or two units.”

“A lot of the feedback from the students is passed onto Ry and his team which is forwarded onto us and then incorporated into our review processes.” The online learning program has been so well received at William Angliss Institute that it has started to develop its own online e-learning strategy for its degree level courses.

With students “hungry for knowledge” it is TAFE’s mission “to feed them”, according to Cunningham, with the online learning program allowing them to do just that.

“There is a huge interactive exchange of knowledge through the technology of e-learning,” says Hepner.

“From day one of a semester they [students] know what they have to achieve in that six month block and can keep track of their progress,” he says. “I had one student complete all their theory in six weeks and was asking what he could do next. These things were never heard of 12 months ago. “Being an online platform they engage with that really well. It’s almost bred into them with the computer games they play that they need to see their progress and constant reassurance on how they are going. They have a progress bar on the course work so they can see how far they have got instantly. “It really frees me up to get those people that may have fallen by the wayside previously and I can focus on them and meeting their needs.” Being on top of ongoing technological challenges is also paramount, with Futura Group recently updating its entire catalogue to

“It’s an ongoing process because as soon as we have updated our resources for the latest technologies there is always something new that we need to update again,” says Wiggins.

“I’ve been in the industry for a long time. You only have to look at social media when you go to a restaurant and see people taking pictures of their dishes and tweeting it or blogging about it. If you are not up with all that you may as well retire.” For Cunningham, the new online learning program means he gets “more time to get out into the workplace, which is something TAFE has always struggle with”. “Once you get out there and touch place with the employers there has been a real attitudinal shift towards TAFE,” he says. “For a long time we have been seen to be out of touch with the industry. But once you get out there and are seen to be focusing on the students and really caring about them they [the employers] change their tune very quickly.” OH

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REGIONAL SNAPSHOT

Photos by Evolving Images/Destination NSW; Lawrence Furzey/Destination NSW; Orange City Council.

1 Union Bank Wine Bar & Dining. 2 A selection of produce from the Orange region. 3 An apple orchard in Orange.

Orange, NSW An easy three and a half hours drive from Sydney, Orange in Central NSW is a food and wine lovers paradise, discovers Ylla Watkins.

range in Central NSW is a small town with big food and wine credentials, home to award-winning wineries and several of the best regional restaurants in the state. Renowned for its cool climate, Orange is best known for its Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnays, with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon the most widely planted red varieties. Cellar doors to drop into include Philip Shaw, Patina, Printhie and Cumulus (which produces wines under the Rolling and Climbing labels). Produce from the region ranges from

apples, cherries, berries, figs and hazlenuts to venison, artisan cheeses, chocolate and apple cider. Locals and visitors alike will enjoy the Orange Region Farmer’s Market, held on the second Saturday of the month, which offers the opportunity to meet the growers firsthand, and F.O.O.D (Food of Orange District) Week, held in April every year, featuring everything from wine tasting to farm gate tours, cooking demonstrations, a night market and 100-Mile Dinner. “Orange is the perfect place for a chef with a family to live – it is family friendly and

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cosmopolitan all at once,” says Shaun Arantz, chef and co-owner with wife Willa of Racine Restaurant, which has one chef’s hat in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. “It is a beautiful city with amazingly distinct seasons and a wonderful country lifestyle combined with access to great cafés, wine bars, restaurants and shops. “Not only that but we have direct access to the producers of amazing food produce (some of which we can see from our restaurant) and some fantastic wineries. There isn’t a city restaurant that can claim that.”

VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN

DIARY DATES Good Food Month October 1-31, 2014

Australia’s largest food festival invites foodlovers in Sydney and Canberra to celebrate Australia’s extraordinary culinary scene, with everything from fine-dining dinners to night noodle markets. Guests include UK chef Yotam Ottolenghi. www.goodfoodmonth.com

Sydney Craft Beer Week October 18-26, 2014

Shaun Arantz, chef and co-owner of Racine Restaurant

Favourite local seasonal ingredient: Kale. Yes, it’s trendy but it is a great hearty winter green and it is grown right next door and picked for us daily. Another favourite is venison from Mandagery Creek, also just down the road. It is a unique and beautiful meat and we always have it on our menu in some form.

Favourite farmers markets: Orange, of course! We have a stall for our bakery every month and there’s a great camaraderie between the producers. Every month I’m reminded about the diversity and quality of the produce coming from the area.

Most over-rated ingredient: Beef fillet. It’s expensive, not very flavoursome (no

fat content) and everyone is an expert on how to cook it.

Must-have kitchen item: A good knife because without one you can’t prepare anything properly.

Secret food indulgence: The perfect Margherita pizza. When done well, nothing beats it. Simple yet so delicious.

Food heroes: Michel Bras, Thomas Keller and Marco Pierre White because of their complete dedication to their profession and the way they do what they want and believe in what they do, despite it not necessarily being fashionable. I believe it is why they have lasted at the top for as long as they have; they’re not slaves to fashion.

www.sydneycraftbeerweek.com

The Heathcote Wine & Food Festival October 4-5, 2014

Your overall philosophy on food: Trust what you do, use the best produce you can find, and develop your own style that is not dependant on fashion. 1

The streets of Sydney will be flowing with Craft Beer as Sydney Craft Beer Week returns for its fourth year. Over 40 leading venues will host more than 100 events, including seminars, tap takeovers, beer high teas and pop-up installations.

Best advice you’ve been given: Thomas Keller’s comment to a young chef who asked him “how do I become a good chef?” to which he answered, “Be clean. Be organised”. It’s the best advice for any chef. OH

Billed as “Shiraz heaven”, this festival gathers more than 40 of Heathcote’s wine producers for a weekend of delicious regional food, wine tasting seminars and family-friendly entertainment. Buses are available from Melbourne and Bendigo. www.heathcotewinegrowers.com.au/festival

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COOKING THE BOOKS

In the pink After receiving the Julia Child Scholarship from the Culinary Institute of America, food writer Katrina Meynink set out to meet the young chefs working at the cutting edge of bistro food. Here, Beau Vincent, owner-chef of Subo in Newcastle, NSW, shares one of his recipes.

Prawn ceviche, ponzu and foie gras parfait Serves: 10 adding the salt and white pepper and the reduced syrup until puréed. Set Thermomix to 40°C, add the eggs one at a time and then clarified butter to allow emulsification. Once thoroughly emulsified, increase the heat to 80°C and blend on high speed again until the temperature has been reached and the mixture has thickened. Alternatively, blend the chicken livers with the salt and pepper and reduced syrup in a food processor, then add the eggs and butter to create an emulsion. Place the purée in an ovenproof dish and place the dish in a water bath in an oven preheated to 100°C. Cook until the parfait has reached 80°C in the centre. Strain through a fine sieve, into a container, then cover and refrigerate at once.

50g ginger, julienne, to deep-fry Plain (all-purpose) flour, for coating Vegetable oil, for deep-frying ginger 20 raw prawns, peeled, deveined Baby shiso (perilla), to serve 3 radishes, thinly sliced, to serve 2 green apples, thinly sliced, to serve Ponzu 5g sugar 50ml mirin (rice wine) 25ml yuzu juice 3 teaspoons soy sauce 5g bonito flakes 90ml grapeseed oil

Coat the sliced ginger julienne in flour and deep-fry in vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan, then drain on paper towel.

Rye crumb 2-3 slices rye bread, one or two days old 50g clarified butter Foie gras parfait (All ingredients at room temperature) 300ml Port (tawny) 100ml brandy 5g thyme 2 rosemary stalks ½ garlic clove, unpeeled, chopped 250g chicken livers, cleaned ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper 2 eggs 100g clarified butter To make the ponzu, dissolve the sugar with 3 teaspoons of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add

the mirin, yuzu juice, soy sauce and bonito flakes and stir until combined. Slowly whisk in the grapeseed oil until emulsified. Set aside until ready to serve. Blitz the rye bread in a food processor until you achieve a crumb consistency. Melt the clarified butter in a frying pan over medium heat, toast the rye breadcrumbs until they are deep golden then season with salt and place on paper towel to drain. Set aside until ready to serve. To make the foie gras parfait, bring the port and brandy to the boil in a large saucepan, then set the mixture alight to burn off the alcohol. Once the flame subsides, add the thyme, rosemary and garlic, and simmer over medium heat to reduce until syrupy. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and allow to cool to room temperature. In a Thermomix, blend the chicken livers on high speed,

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Put the foie gras parfait in a piping bag and place 5 hazelnut-sized dots in a 10cm circle on each plate. Blanch the prawns for 15 seconds in boiling water, then slice in half lengthways so you have two pieces the same size and shape. Place the prawns on the foie gras parfait, dress liberally with ponzu, and then add shiso, deep-fried ginger and rye breadcrumbs. Finish with green apple and radish slices, arranged in a circular pattern.

This is an edited extract and image from Bistronomy: French food unbound by Katrina Meynink (Murdoch Books, $49.99).

What’s on shelf this month? Beef club: a book for meat lovers

Venice: cult recipes

Hungry for that

by Olivier Bon, Pierre-Charles Cros and Romee de Goriainoff Hardie Grant Books, $45

by Laura Zavan Murdoch Books, $49.99

by Raph Rashid Hardie Grant Books, $39.95

The trio of chefs behind Beef Club don’t only use beef in their recipes, but this is definitely a book for meat lovers, with offal and other nose-to-tail cuts well represented. While the likes of heart kebabs are unlikely to appeal to any but the most adventurous eaters, there is plenty here to inspire. The section on brunches is also worth a look, with a number of fresh ideas ideal for weekend menus.

Venice is a city like no other and its native dishes the same – once tried, not forgotten. In this book author Luara Zavan captures the essence of Venice and its food, from marinated anchovies to Black Cuttlefish risotto and lasagne with radicchio tardivo to tiramisu. Mix yourself a Bellini (also invented in Venice) and settle in for a delicious journey through this city of canals.

Author Raph Rashid became obsessed with burgers and tacos while travelling through the US. Returning to Melbourne he opened Beatbox Kitchen in 2009, one of the city’s early food trucks. Five years on, the trucks (there are now two) have a cult-like following, famous not only for their beatbox-inspired paint job but also the burgers, sandwiches and other addictively good dishes included in this book. 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.

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PRODUCTS

It’s a breeze

Chilled without compromise

Almond Breeze Australia has just released Australia’s first baristaformulated almond milk specially developed for cafes, coffee shops and the food service sector. The product is designed to deliver great taste and produce a rich creamy froth to sit atop lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites, enabling baristas to still create perfect coffee art. It is a delicious low-fat milk alternative made from almonds, completely free from dairy, eggs, lactose, casein, peanuts, soy and gluten. The product is conveniently packaged in 1 litre UHT. ● www.almondbreeze.com.au

Birch & Waite Professional ready-made chilled mayonnaises and sauces are a great product for today’s time-poor, fast-paced, foodservice market. These fresh-chilled products cut down on cost and preparation time, without compromising on presentation or taste. Made from quality, fresh ingredients, the range is free from the levels of preservatives and acidity required for shelf-stable products. The latest additions to the range include Smokey Chipotle Mayonnaise, Italian Truffle Mayonnaise, Cucumber Yoghurt and Mint Sauce, and Tandoori Yoghurt and Coriander. ● www.birchandwaite.com.au

Lifting luxury

Get gluten free

Designed and made in Australia, Nicholson Fine Foods introduces Garnishing Pearls, an easy and creative way to lift the luxury and sophistication of simple foods. Garnishing pearls can be used to dress salads, top off grilled fish fillets, and garnish pasta or risotto. They can also be added to drinks. The soft gel-like pearls are all natural, gluten free, and are available in flavours such as Summer Mango, Red Capsicum, Blood Plum and Red Chilli. Garnishing pearls have a shelf life of 18 months. ● www.nicholsonfinefoods.com.au

Inghams now offers gluten free versions of its most popular products, making it easier for foodservice operators to satisfy the needs of the increasing number of consumers seeking gluten free menu choices. Made from 100 per cent Australian chicken, the Ingham Gluten Free range includes Chicken Breast Tenders, Chicken Breast Nuggets, Chicken Breast Schnitzel and Roasted Chicken Meat. Inghams gluten free options are quick and simple to prepare, making them ideal for any foodservice venue. ● www.inghams.com.au/foodservice

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Be gone bacteria

Convenient canisters

With bacterial food poisoning responsible for the majority of food poisoning cases in Australia, Deb Group has developed OxyBAC a revolutionary food industry antibacterial hand cleanser that kills 99.999 per cent of common bacteria. It uses a unique accelerated hydrogen peroxide formula which does not leave any toxic residual contamination and doesn’t taint food. After use it simply breaks down into oxygen and water, making it an environmentally friendly solution against food bacterial contamination. ● www.debgroup.com/au

McCormick for Chefs launches the McCormick Culinary Range with 28 new products in convenient “midi” canisters, including Roasted Spices, Sumac, Ras El Hanout and Pink Peppercorns. These half-sized canisters are ideal for cafes, delis, bistros and catering businesses, helping minimise wastage while ensuring adherence to internal stock management guidelines. The midi range also includes Keen’s Curry Powder, previously only available in retail tins or large 2.5kg pails. ● www.mccormick.com.au/foodservice

Perfect kitchen assistant

Gluten free breakfast

Robot Coupe introduces the Robot Cook, the perfect kitchen assistant. Aimed at traditional and top-end caterers, the Robot Cook is the only cooking cutter blender on the market that meets the demanding standards of professional chefs. Featuring a wealth of patented innovations, this single appliance is able to emulsify, grind, blend, chop, mix and knead. Chefs will love its combination of high speed and cutting quality, plus its ability to heat ingredients to 140°C. Its powerful induction motor has been designed to be ultra quiet for ultimate user comfort. Its generously sized 3.7-litre stainless-steel bowl is perfect for the needs of professionals. ● www.robot-coupe.com/en-aust

Sanitarium is the first major cereal brand to launch a dedicated gluten free variant. Gluten Free Weet-Bix offers a nutritious breakfast option that meets the needs of consumers seeking a gluten free alternative. It is made with sorghum grains and has 96 per cent wholegrain content. It contains three times the antioxidants of oats, a good source of iron, high in folate and vitamins B1, B2 and B3 as well as being a source of dietary fibre. Gluten Free Weet-Bix looks and tastes very similar to Weet-Bix original, and is also low in sugar. ● www.weetbix.com.au/products OH

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EVENT REPORT

Watch the video in the Open House iPad app. 1 The chefs in the spotlight. 2 Cacao Lab’s contemporary eclairs. 3 N2 Extreme Gelato. 4 The guests arrive.

Sweet spot When Anna Polyviou, executive pastry chef at the Shangri-La Sydney Hotel, asked a few of her industry mates to join her for a one night celebration of all things sweet, they probably weren’t expecting 600 guests to turn up as well, writes Sheridan Randall.

weet Street, held in August, was a chance for Adriano Zumbo (Zumbo), Min Chuan Chai (N2 Extreme Gelato), Tim Clark (Cacao Lab, Melbourne), Kirsten Tibballs (Savour School, Melbourne), Bernard Chu (LuxBite, Melbourne) and Anna Polyviou and her team at Shangri-La Sydney to showcase their wares in a street festival setting complete with themed food stalls, DJ and street performers. Crediting Sugar Hit, a pop-up

dessert and music event in Melbourne organised by N2 and LuxBite, Polyviou said she was inspired to do something similar in Sydney. “They said let’s do something small here [in Sydney] and I don’t know what the word small means, so we went large,” she said. With around 600 people turning up from all round Australia, Polyviou said they could expect “fun” with break dancers and a

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cake parade on the menu. For Chu, it was a case of giving Sydneysiders “a chance to see what we are going to be doing” at their latest venture set to open in Melbourne soon. “Sydney gets to taste it first,” he said. For Cacao Lab’s Tim Clark, the event was an opportunity to showcase its range of contemporary eclairs. “For those coming tonight looking

for a sweet fix we are certainly going to deliver,” he said. Kirsten Tibballs, of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School, said the event was a great opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity on show in Australia. “We are considered among the best in the world in terms of patisserie and really highly regarded,” she said. “I think it is great for the industry.” OH

A fresh new look for A quality product the chux brand has been around for over 40 years... It continues to deliver on its key promise of being strong, hygienic, reusable and of course reliable.

PROFILE

New school Fear of failure pushed executive pastry chef Anna Polyviou into the wonderful world of desserts. Fear has been replaced by a quest for perfection, but that hasn’t stopped her still taking on a challenge, discovers Sheridan Randall.

s an apprentice Anna Polyviou almost never made it. Working in the kitchen of a 5-star Melbourne hotel, Polyviou was quite literally the odd woman out in the chauvinist and regimental world of French-style high end dining. “It was quite male driven, which back in the day in fine dining was a little bit like that,” she says. “It was only males on the floor and in the kitchen, and that’s how it operated. I hated it; I got sworn at, hit, and somehow this was normal.” A self-described “trouble maker” Polyviou concedes that her main focus at that time was partying rather than cooking. “It’s weird because I really tried to get in there but once I got in I didn’t really care about cooking that much,” she says. “They were going to get rid of me. But there was an apprentice competition and they needed four for the team, so they put me in the competition [but] to do pastry.” Training in the main kitchen, Polyviou had no experience with pastry, but with the prospect of being embarrassed in front of her peers looming she stepped up to the challenge and began coming into the kitchen on her days off to train. “I did really well in pastry and showed a lot of interest and my whole life just changed from there,” she says. The competition was a spring board for Polyviou, opening up not only a new avenue for her culinary skills but also the world itself. London (Claridges Hotel), Paris (Pierre Herme Patisserie) and Chicago (Callebaut Chocolate School) all feature on her resume along with a bounty of awards and exposure to some of the best pastry chefs in the world. 38 Open House, September 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

Now heading the pastry team at Shangri-La Sydney Hotel, Polyviou still relishes a challenge, recently organising dessert festival Sweet Street with some of her industry mates (see the story on page 36). In charge of her own kitchen, Polyviou is countering the harsh training she received at the very start of her career with a more nurturing approach towards her young team. She recently encouraged them to step out on their own with a Brothers Grimm inspired dessert degustation event earlier this year. “I don’t think that kitchens operate like that anymore,” she says. “Why would you want to go to work to be abused? The way that I see it is that these [apprentices] are the future. I really want them to progress and develop their skills. I’m thinking about letting them do another dessert degustation again at the end of December and getting them to challenge themselves, that’s really important for us.” Supportive doesn’t mean soft though, with Polyviou describing herself as strict in the kitchen “because we have to produce the best quality we can”. “So many times people just come out for dessert,” she says. “I tell my staff we are the ones that are going to leave the last impression.” The culture of fear that used to drive kitchens may be changing but one thing that remains the same are the longing working hours. “Let’s be honest it is just the nature of it,” she says. “I might work five days in the kitchen and my other two days are based around work, even if it isn’t physically in the kitchen. It’s hard. I don’t want to do average. I want to do more and above that. But that means something has to give and that is your time. But it’s worth it.” OH

AUSTRALIAN CULINARY FEDERATION NEWS

Game on S

eptember is here and one of our busiest months of the calendar with the Australian Culinary Challenge at Fine Food, Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Awards National Final and the International Secondary Schools Competition in New Zealand all happening over the next few weeks. However, the year is not over, and October is looking at being just as busy with the National Apprentice Competition in Adelaide and five Rare Medium workshops planned across rural Australia. ACF members would have already seen Fonterra’s Proud to be a Chef competition advertised in our weekly e-newsletter (Chef Chat) over the past month. Attending a meeting at Fonterra’s head office in Melbourne recently, I noticed the Proud to be a Chef trophy sitting on the shelf in the demonstration kitchen. I didn’t even realise just how far back this competition goes – 1996 – with some industry big names on the plaque, such as George Calombaris just to name drop one! To enter, go to our website, www.austculinary.com.au and find the link

to the Proud to be a Chef entry. Last year, under the guidance of Dale Lyman, newly appointed ACF Victoria Chapter state president Dale Prentice established the sub-committee of the ACF VIC naming it the Australian Young Chefs Club, with Adam Khazaal voted in as the state chairperson. I’d like to give Adam a big pat on the back for showing initiative after he presented a proposal to roll out the program to all states and territories across Australia, growing our network and reaching out to young chefs across the country. The aim is to seek knowledge, host and run workshops that are targeting the young cooks in the culinary world. Finally, I want to get your feedback on a subject that I am going to write about in the future – training. • Are our apprentices being trained correctly? • Are our educators being told to be focused more on the bottom line rather than delivering quality training?

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Neil Abrahams Australian Culinary Federation (ACF)

• Should the ACF take a greater role in assisting the short falls in training? I would love to hear from you and you can email me at president@austculinary.com.au. OH

ON THE MOVE Chef Pete Evans, in partnership with Fraser Suites Perth, has opened the 5-star property’s revamped restaurant, Heirloom. The chef recently signed on as a consultant with the property to design menus for all aspects of the hotel’s dining offering.

Melbourne chef Jesse Gerner is planning to open his third restaurant, in the space formerly occupied by North Fitzroy café St Ali North. Gerner plans to convert the 130-seat coffee shop into a cafe, lunch hall, wine bar and restaurant.

Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains has appointed John Slaughter as executive chef to oversee the hotel’s food and beverage operations in its four dining outlets – Sublime Lounge, Embers Dining, Eucalypt Restaurant and Jamison’s Restaurant, as well as in-room dining, and events and banquets catering.

Chef and restaurateur Matt Moran, of Chiswick, Bondi Fish and Aria, has teamed up with Bruce Solomon, Anna Solomon and John Gallas from Solotel, and Peter Sullivan from MorSul, to operate the popular Opera Bar in Sydney. The venue will undergo an extensive refurbishment.

Todd Adams takes on the position of executive chef at the new Lennons Restaurant & Bar at Next Hotel, set to open in October. Joining Adams is restaurant manager Michael Pyrgos, former maître d' and hotel sommelier of Vanitas Restaurant at Palazzo Versace.

Jacques Reymond joins the dish'd team after 18 years of running his own award winning, three-hatted restaurant, Jacques Reymond – Cuisine du Temps in Melbourne. His move comes after handing over his restaurant to his two chefs, Thomas Woods and Hayden McFarland.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2014 39

The Culinary experienCe wiTh The loT Fonterra is proud to give 32 talented apprentice chefs the culinary experience with the lot. Imagine mixing with Australia’s most passionate future chefs, as you share your slice of: –

Master classes with Joe Grbac and Zac Nicholson.

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Dairy tips from global expert, Chef Peter Wright.

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3 days all expenses paid, visiting Melbourne’s award-winning restaurants – Rockpool Bar & Grill, Saint Crispin and Spice Temple.

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Your original dish photographed and published in the 2015 Fonterra Proud to be a Chef Yearbook.

To top it all off, you could also be awarded an international scholarship perfecting your cooking in a country of your choice.

ENTER YOURSELF OR ENCOURAGE YOUR TALENTED APPRENTICE TO APPLY BEFORE 31 OCTOBER, 2014.* Experience more: www.fonterraproudtobeachef.com.au facebook.com/proudtobeachef

I A’ S F AV O AL

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Proudly sponsored by:

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and enrolled in a Government recognised cooking course as of 23 February, 2015.

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