Print Post Approved PP231335/00017
DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015
Security tips for the silly season Top trends for 2015 Travel broadens young chefs’ horizons
Perfect partnership Fonterra’s Perfect Italiano Parmesan
For distributor and general sales enquiries call 1800 806 842 or email info@oriental.com.au Area Sales Manager QLD, NSW & NT Mick Hinz 0412 680 202 Area Sales Manager VIC, TAS, WA & SA Lenny Ow 0488 054 665
CONTENTS
24
ON THE COVER Fonterra’s Perfect Italiano Parmesan is aged for up to 18 month for a bold flavour and crumbly texture.
Regulars
30
04 Editor’s note 06 News
Print Post Approved PP231335/00017
10 Q&A Andrew Monk, Australian Organic 12 In season 14 10 things Top Hollywood “foodies” 15 Origins Hamburgers 32 Regional snapshot Southern Forests, Western Australia 34 Cooking the books
NOVEMBER 2014
Features 08 Cover story Fonterra’s Perfect Italiano Parmesan 16 Sustainability Fairtrade partners for change 18 Cafe options Keeping ahead of the Gen Z pack
36 Products
22 Vegetarian Australia’s only meat-free butcher
38 Profile Heston Blumenthal
24 Restaurant Australia Selling ourselves to the world
39 Australian Culinary Federation news
26 2015 Trends Foodservice predictions for 2015 28 Security Safety tips for the festive season
12
30 Scholarships Heading overseas pays dividends
Planning makes perfect Summer desserts makeover Spotlight on Stefano Manfredi OH1114.indd 1
Fresh taste Birch & Waite’s fresh-chilled mayonnaises and sauces 21/11/2014 1:22 pm
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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 3
EDITOR’S WORD
Looking back at 2014 Published in Australia by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd
I
’m sure you’ll agree that it’s been a big year for the hospitality industry, with 2014 seeing the introduction of pin-only credit card transactions, liquor law reforms to target alcohol-fuelled violence in Sydney’s CBD, and the closure of yet more high-profile restaurants. Industry body Restaurant & Catering continued its campaign to keep a lid on wages growth by reducing penalty rates, while also joining forces with the Fair Work Ombudsman to improve compliance with Federal workplace laws across the hospitality sector. Just about every capital city decided to allow or trial mobile food trucks and Tourism Australia launched its ambitious “Restaurant Australia” campaign to promote our very best food and wine experiences to the world (read more on page 24). Meanwhile British chef Heston Blumenthal created headlines by not only announcing he’ll bring his award-winning Fat Duck restaurant to Melbourne for six months in 2015, but also having the much-hyped bookings ballot targeted in a sophisticated scalping scam. As we look back at the year that was, instead of dwelling on the challenges, let’s congratulate ourselves on a job well done. Despite economic uncertainty the cafe, restaurant and takeaway food sector has seen overall growth, while at the same time adapting to changing consumer demands, and doing it all with the positive, can-do attitude Aussies are famous for.
Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Website: www.openhousemagazine.net ACN 147 436 280 ISSN 0312-5998
PUBLISHER Alexandra Yeomans MANAGING EDITOR Ylla Watkins JOURNALIST Sheridan Randall ACCOUNT MANAGERS Leah Jensen, Lauren Szybiak
One area some operators are unfortunately falling down on however is accommodating would-be diners who require the help of assistance dogs.
DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Bin Zhou
A recent spate of cases in which people who are blind or vision impaired have been refused entry into Sydney restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets with their guide dogs has prompted Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to remind restaurant owners to make sure all staff know that guests with guide dogs are legally allowed into foodservice venues of all kinds.
PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Anne Esteban
Both the NSW Companion Animals Act (1998) and the Federal Disability Discrimination Act (1992) state that it is illegal for hospitality venues to refuse entry to someone with a guide dog or impose extra costs on them, which other guests would not be expected to pay, yet unfortunately it does still happen. The Christmas and New Year holiday season is one of the prime seasons for people eating out with friends and family (not to mention a great opportunity to boost your bottom line) and it’s up to all of us to make each and every one of them feel as welcome as possible. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.
ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT Kate Wilcox
HEAD OFFICE – SYDNEY Creative Head Media Pty Ltd Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Tel: (02) 9438 2300 Fax: (02) 9438 5962 Email: enquiries@creativehead.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $174; 3 yrs $261 (incl. GST and surface mail) Copyright © 2014
Ylla Watkins Managing editor
Opinions expressed by the contributors in this magazine are not the opinion of Open House Foodservice. Letters to the editor are subject to editing.
THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY What’s hot in the restaurant business and what’s not is constantly evolving, with technology, consumer and menu trends all affecting what we serve and how we serve it. Find out more on page 26.
4 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
Official publication for the Australian Culinary Federation
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Day turns to Knight for Brahimi F
rench chef Guillaume Brahimi is to be the recipient of the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit), and was told of the news by French President François Hollande in person whilst in Canberra in November. Guillaume was appointed to the rank of Knight (Chevalier) for his outstanding services rendered to France in the category of Foreign Affairs and International Development. He will be awarded the medal at an official ceremony in February 2015.
Brahimi is one of Australia’s most respected chefs, having operated some of the country’s most acclaimed restaurants, including Guillaume at Bennelong and Bistro Guillaume, since arriving in Sydney in the early 1990s from Paris, where he trained under Michelin-starred chef Joel Robuchon. With approximately 2500 members to date, the National Order of Merit stands as one of France’s highest distinctions and is reserved for French citizens living abroad who have served their communities with diligence.
OzHarvest highlights food waste on global stage Australian food rescue charity OzHarvest has taken its message about stopping food waste to the international stage at this year’s Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF) in Lima, Peru, held on December 9, as part of the global Think.Eat.Save campaign. Delegates at SIF, which is held in conjunction with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Climate Change Conference, were treated to a lunch banquet with a “rescued-food-theme” twist. The event served as an opportunity to remind delegates of the level that food waste contributes to dangerous greenhouse gasses, which affect climate change, and the amount of resources squandered on fields for crops that may never be consumed. Peruvian celebrity chef Diego Muñoz of Astrid y Gastón, number one on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, together with Wilfred Dass, executive chef of Lima’s 5-star Westin Hotel, designed a lunch menu using a selection of surplus produce saved from landfill or sustainably sourced from local farmers and suppliers. The lunch is modeled after OzHarvest’s annual Think.Eat.Save events (pictured) that feed thousands of people across the country with rescued food and raise awareness about global food waste.
Restaurant design winners announced The winners of the 2014 Eat Drink Design Awards have been announced. The Awards recognise projects in six categories: Best Bar Design, Best Restaurant Design, Best Café Design, Best Temporary Design, Best Retail Design and Best Identity Design. In 2014, a record number of entries were received, showcasing excellence in Australia and New Zealand’s design and hospitality industries. Taking home the Best Restaurant Design was Grant Cheyne for his work on Sydney’s
Rockpool, which relocated from Sydney’s Rocks to the heritage-listed Burns Philp Building in the CBD in late 2013, while DesignOffice took home the Best Cafe Design Prize for its work on A.Baker in Canberra’s New Acton precinct. In addition, Melbourne’s Meyers Place bar was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Awards Hall of Fame, in recognition of its enduring influence in hospitality design, following its opening 20 years ago.
6 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
The lunch, which was hosted in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Climate Action and featured local chefs, suppliers, growers as well as renowned events producer Arturo De Noriega, all impassioned by the movement to reduce food waste and wanting to leave a legacy on reducing climate change impact. “As soon as I heard about what OzHarvest, UNEP and Climate Action were planning for the lunch, I knew I needed to be involved,” Muñoz said. “For me, cooking does not start when you turn the fire on or you grab a knife, but rather it begins right where food is sourced, on the land or in the sea.”
NEWS BRIEFS
Free Trade Agreement to boost labour pool Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) has welcomed the announcement of the China Free Trade Agreement, saying that Australia’s hotel and tourism sector could be a major benefactor from the closer ties.
hotels,” said TAA’s acting chief executive, Carol Giuseppi.
In particular, TAA welcomed the announcement by the Federal Government that would see Australia grant visas for up to 5000 Chinese work and holidaymakers annually. In addition, chefs would be included in an additional allocation of 1800 Chinese skilled workers eligible to apply for 457 work visas.
Giuseppi also called on the Government to extend the Working Holiday Visa program from 12 months to 24 months, with a corresponding increase in the working portion of this from six months to 12 months.
“Australia is undergoing the largest expansion of its hotel sector in over 20 years, with new hotel developments across the country, so it will be beneficial to have access to a pool of labour to work in both existing and new
“The allocation of more 457 visas to chefs will particularly address a shortage of skilled labour in hotel food and beverage operations.”
“To meet the shortage of workers in the hospitality sector, we would also call on the Government to allow Working Holiday Visa holders who meet the criteria for extending their stay by working in a regional area, to be able to spend their second six-month working stint working in a city-based tourism business,” she said.
New liquor license good for SA events A simplified liquor license application process for stallholders participating in South Australian festivals will significantly reduce red tape and costs for organisers and participants, according to industry body Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA). R&CA chief executive John Hart says the decision to allow one liquor license application to be lodged for events listing all stallholders rather than requiring individual stallholders to complete separate applications makes good sense and will benefit the state’s $5 billion tourism and hospitality industry. “Festivals and events such as Tasting Australia, Crush, McLaren Vale Sea and Vines and Womad are major economic drivers for the state,” he said. “They attract overnight visitation and additional expenditure in metropolitan and regional South Australia. They also provide a great opportunity for local producers and businesses to showcase the fantastic food and wine the state is synonymous for. “The simplified structure means participants
can get on with what they do best; promoting the outstanding food and wine South Australia has to offer to locals and visitors alike.” Hart added that while government is doing its bit to cut red tape, some event organisers are failing to ensure stallholders are compliant with the appropriate health and safety and workplace relations requirements. “Festivals and events offer an excellent opportunity to experience food and wine in new and exciting ways, with the popularity of food trucks, food stalls, and pop-up businesses increasing tenfold,” he said. “However, some festival organisers are foregoing the proper checks and balances to ensure all stallholders meet the minimum health and safety, payroll, and insurance requirements.” R&CA recently released its Food Truck Guidelines: A best-practice guide for the operation of mobile food vendors outlining four key principles that should be adopted in the operation of mobile food vendors. OH
Sydney Opera House contract finalised Chef Peter Gilmore, along with The Fink Group, owners of Quay and Otto Ristorante, has been chosen to take over the Bennelong restaurant site at the Sydney Opera House. Under the 10 year contract, Gilmore will oversee a variety of venues ranging from fine dining to a more casual eatery.
Barista named crema of the crop Marius Beullens, from Margot Espresso in Sydney, has beaten some of Australia’s most talented baristas from across Australia to claim the 2014 Piaza D’Oro Barista Of The Year award, $2000 cash, and a bespoke Isomac Tea Espresso Machine.
Tassal achieves global first Tasmanian salmon producer Tassal has achieved Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification across all its salmon farming operations, a first for any salmon company in the world. Tassal has been moving towards full ASC certification since 2012, working in partnership with the WWF-Australia.
Night noodle markets head to Canberra One of Australia’s most popular food events, Fairfax Event’s Night Noodle Markets, will be held in Canberra for the first time in late-February 2015. Joining Canberra’s annual Enlighten festival, The Enlighten Night Noodle Markets will be held from February 27 to March 8.
Negative reviews weigh on consumers Fifteen per cent of more than 1200 people surveyed by online review site www.kudosto.com.au say they wouldn’t visit a business if it had a single negative online review to its name. The survey also revealed that one in five 18 to 44 year-olds would prefer to make a complaint in public via social media page or an online review site.
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 7
COVER STORY
Perfect partnership The history of parmesan stands alongside the evolution of Italian cuisine, with tradition and regional pride partnering to create one of the world’s great cheeses.
For more information on Perfect Italiano products visit www.clubperfect.com.au
P
armesan is a variety of hard cheese generally considered by connoisseurs to be one of the best and tastiest cheeses and an essential ingredient in many Italian based dishes. The word parmesan is a shortened version of parmesano which means “from Parma” and reflects the fact that the province of Parma in Italy is the original home of this cheese style. In Italy, parmesan is known as Parmigiano-Reggiano and its production is subject to protected designation of origin legislation, which means that only those cheeses produced in Parma and specified surrounding regions of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua can be labelled Parmigiano-Reggiano. According to legend, Parmigiano-Reggiano has been produced in Italy since the 13th and 14th centuries, and is made according to the traditional manner, with the cows being fed only on hay or grass so as to produce grass fed milk. The only additives are salt and rennet (a natural enzyme from calf intestine). Parmesan cheese produced in Australia has very similar characteristics to the Italian variety. Good quality parmesan typically has a sharp, complex fruity/nutty taste with a strong flavour and a slightly gritty, crumbly texture. The strong
8 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
flavour and the gritty texture are developed in the cheese during the maturation period which is typically 18 months from the time of manufacture. There are literally hundreds of recipes which utilise parmesan and not all these are Italian. That said, there’s no doubt that its most popular applications include pasta, risotto and pizza. Parmesan is an essential ingredient in many famous dishes such as chicken parmigiana and lasagne and its flavour profile makes it particularly suitable to accompany green vegetables such as spinach and asparagus. Parmesan can even be used as a dessert ingredient in such dishes as poached pears. And of course block parmesan makes an ideal inclusion on a cheese plate either as an appetiser or at the end of a meal. Matured for up to 18 months to guarantee a bold flavour and crumbly texture, Perfect Italiano Parmesan is available in several different formats – shaved, shredded or grated straight from the block and conveniently packed. There is also a wax dipped Perfect Italiano 2.5kg parmesan block available which is aged for at least 15 months so it can be cut, shred, shaved or grated according to your needs. OH
Your Choice
This doesn’t go to landfill.
All these do.
Because 20L drums can only be used once, they all end up as landfill becoming a problem for the environment.
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Happily the Cookers System takes no part in it. By not using drums you are helping the environment and yourself. An easy choice.
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Q&A
Organics on the increase Certification organisation Australian Organic has recently released its biennial industry report into the state of the organic industry. Open House spoke with Andrew Monk, Australian Organic chairman, to find out more. Q: You recently published the Australian Organic Market Report 2014. What did the report look at?
on shelves longer, and that adds to the cost. At farm level, many organic farms are family owned and rely on manual labour for managing pests, diseases and, especially, weeds. High labour costs also contribute to the costs of organic food. Having said this, as the industry is maturing economies of scale and higher production volumes generally have led to a reduction in prices for many segments of the organic marketplace.
A: The report looks at a broad range of data concerning the organic industry supply chain – its size, number of producers, the value of exports etc… It also looks at the value and growth of individual sectors such as beef, dairy, fruit and vegetables. Lastly, it tracks consumer trends revealing some interesting information about the organic shopper, who they are, what they’re buying, how often and why.
Q: Have you seen an uptake in interest in organic food from chefs in recent years? A: Anecdotally, yes there’s been an increase in interest in organic food from foodservice operators/chefs. The Paleo Café franchises and chef Pete Evan’s new company Valet Chef are recent examples of chefs showing an interest in organic food. There remains some misunderstanding of this segment of the marketplace, and an understandable view that supply volumes don't exist for this sector, which was correct only a few years ago but has now changed.
Q: What were some of the key findings in the report? A: The organic sector in Australia, while having a lot of room to grow (in terms of retail value we are still only around 1 per cent) has seen solid compound growth, with more expected. Red meat (primarily beef) along with dairy and the wine sectors really stand out as solid performers. Q: What do you put the growth of interest in organic food down to? A: It’s more widely available in supermarkets now and positioned amongst conventional products, making it more convenient. A range of market outlets is creating greater competition as well which, along with improved volumes, has put downward pressure on prices. People are also in general a lot more aware of the benefits of organic products and are choosing to buy food that has been grown free-range and is pasture-fed, without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, genetic modification, antibiotics and added hormones. Q: Are there proven benefits to consuming organic food and wine? A: There are a number of studies showing the differences between certified organic and conventional food. The most obvious and commonsense one relates to reduced exposure to synthetic pesticides. Research suggests shoppers buy organic not for what’s in it, but for what’s not in it. A recent RMIT University study showed eating organic food for just one week dramatically reduces your exposure to organophosphate pesticide residues by 90 per cent. Q: Organic produce is often more expensive that conventionally produced food. Are people prepared to pay a premium? A: The growth in the organic industry is being driven by consumer demand that shows shoppers are willing to pay the real cost of real food. The organic standards ban most "conventional" preservatives and other inputs that can make food cheaper to produce, and keep
Q: Do you think we’ll see an increase in the number of restaurants and cafes serving organic food in future? A: Yes, I believe we will. Firstly, due to the price of organic food coming down as more becomes available on the market. Secondly, shoppers are more interested about where their food comes from and are asking restaurants and cafes about its origins. They expecting good quality, ethically raised food. Q: If chefs want to start introducing some organic produce into their menus, where should they start? A: When shoppers ask this question and they’re on a tight budget we always suggest they start at least choosing the organic options of food that they eat the skin of, such as leafy greens, strawberries and apples – this will reduce the risk of their exposure to chemicals that might have been sprayed on the food prior to harvesting. It is also very easy to now put meats, flour and dairy into the mix, with greater availability and range of product types. Another tip is to buy in season. Plan your menu around what’s in season that way the produce will be consistently available when you need it and it will be priced more competitively. Remember to make sure what you’re buying really is organic look for an organic certification logo like Australian Certified Organic. This way you know the company selling the product is audited each year and products are tested to confirm compliance to organic standards. OH
10 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
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IN SEASON
Cherries C
Boughey. Look for glossy, firm, bruise-free fruit, that is “cherry red” to dark burgundy in colour, and within the 24-30mm size range, as this represents good value in the flesh to pip ratio.
herry season is in full swing in December and January, with crops in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania rolling out until February. With the season off to a good start, industry body Cherry Growers Australia is expecting a bumper crop of around 15,000 to 16,000 tonnes this year, if the weather remains dry overall ahead of harvesting.
While the majority (61 per cent, according to Sprout Research) of cherries are eaten fresh, they can also be used in fruit salads, breakfast dishes, desserts and baked goods, and jams and preserves.
“The worst thing we can have is wet weather prior to picking the crops,” says Simon Boughey, Cherry Growers Australia’s chief executive. “It could split the fruit.”
“A lot of people see cherries as being an
expensive thing to buy but actually per kilo they’re cheaper than other domestic crops such as blueberries,” Boughey says. Even though they are “a very delicate fruit”, cherries can be kept in the fridge for around a week if you want to buy in bulk, adds
December
“People do like to eat the cherries from their local area,” he says. “Each of the regions will have things like a farm gate guide or ‘you picks’ where you can go out to some of the big orchards and connect with the growers”. OH
January
• Apricots
• Grapes
• Pineapples
• Apricots
• Mangoes
• Potatoes
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Radish
• Asparagus
• Melons
• Radish
• Bananas
• Hass avocados
• Rambutan
• Avocados
• Nectarines
• Rambutans
• Blackberries
• Honeydew melons
• Raspberries
• Bananas
• Okra
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Lemons
• Red papaya
• Blackberries
• Onions
• Strawberries
• Carambola (starfruit)
• Lettuce
• Rockmelon
• Blueberries
• Passionfruit
• Sweetcorn
• Lychees
• Snow peas
• Butter beans
• Peaches
• Tomatoes
• Mangoes
• Spring onions
• Capsicums
• Peas
• Valencia oranges
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Celery
• Pears
• Passionfruit
• Sugar snap peas
• Cherries
• Pineapple
• Peaches
• Sweet corn
• Cucumbers
• Plums
• Peas
• Valencia oranges
• Eggplant
• Watermelon
• Grapes
• Yellow papaw
• Green beans
• Zucchini
• Lettuce
• Celery • Cherries • Cucumber • Eggplant
Image by Theodora Vlaicu.
With 20 different growing regions across Australia and several different varieties of cherries available, chefs can expect some variation throughout the season; however they will all offer good value for money throughout the season.
Boughey suggests checking out the Cherry Growers Australia website, www.cherrygrowers.org.au, for links to state-based organisations.
• Lychees
12 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
Image by Wong Mei Teng.
• Limes
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TOP 10
10 Hollywood ‘foodies’ With a box office smash under your belt, restaurants fall over themselves to serve you, but some celebrities prefer to own their own food and wine businesses, discovers Ylla Watkins.
The Taxi Driver actor partnered with chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa, known for his fusion of Japanese dishes with South American ingredients, to open Nobu in New York. The pair have since gone on to open restaurants around the globe, including in Melbourne and Perth.
De Niro also has a financial interest in several other restaurants.
2
Donnie and Mark Wahlburg Acting duo Donnie and Mark Wahlburg, along with third brother Peter, a chef, opened burger joint Wahlburgers in Hingham, Massachusetts, in 2011. Earlier this year the A&E network commissioned Wahlburgers, an 18-part behind-the-scenes reality television show about the restaurant, which just finished screening in the US.
3 Francis Ford Coppola
American film director, producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola, famous for movies such as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, has owned vineyards since investing the proceeds of the first The Godfather film in the ’70s. His organic Inglenook Winery in the Napa Valley, California, produces Inglenook Chablis, one of the most widely-selling wines in US restaurants.
4 Sandra Bullock Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock owns two restaurants in Austin, Texas: Bess Bistro, described as an ecofriendly eatery, and bakery, restaurant and florists Walton’s Fancy and Staple. “If you can’t pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t be putting it in your body or in your environment,” Bullock is quoted as saying.
5 Paul Newman Actor Paul Newman started Newman’s Own with a friend, the writer A. E. Hotchner, in the early 1980s, using his own recipe for salad dressing. Profits from the range of dressings, pasta sauces and salsas are used for charitable purposes in countries around the world. According to the Newman’s Own Foundation website, more than US$400 million has been donated since 1982.
6 Dan Aykroyd Best known for movies such as The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters, Dan Aykroyd is co-founder and part owner of
Crystal Head Vodka, the official vodka of The Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary. Made from distilled peaches and cream corn, and filtered through layers of semi-precious crystals, most people buy it for the bottle.
14 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
7 Elizabeth Hurley Model, actress, organic farmer? Elizabeth
Hurley has had her own line of organic snack food made from produce grown on her farm stocked in upmarket department store Harrod’s for several years. Since 2009 she has also supplied Prince Charles’ Duchy Originals brand with organic meat from her farm.
8 Sam Neill New Zealand actor Sam Neill owns Two Paddocks winery in Central Otago, which produces Pinot Noir and some Reisling. “I’d like the vineyard to support me but I’m afraid it is the other way round,” he has been quoted as saying. “It is not a very economic business.”
9 Gérard Depardieu French actor, filmmaker and businessman Gérard Depardieu owns several vineyards around the world, including Chateau de Tigne in Anjou,
Loire Valley, France. A hands-on owner, he lists his occupation as vigneron on his passport.
10 Justin Timberlake Former NSYNC singer and actor Justin Timberlake is co-creator and owner of Southern Hospitality BBQ, located on the Upper East Side and Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. The restaurants pride themselves on their warm, welcoming hospitality, and “Memphis-style” barbecue food. OH
Photos: Justin Timberlake by Georges Biard; Robert De Niro by Olivier Strecker; Sandra Bullock by Angela George.
1 Robert de Niro
ORIGINS
Hamburgers Russians, Germans and Americans all played their part in the rise of the hamburger, but in reality this fast food staple is more a product of progress than people, discovers Sheridan Randall.
H
amburgers – possibly the most readily available and consumed take-out food on the planet. They have a German name but are as all American as apple pie and baseball. But who invented them? There isn't an easy answer to this question. It is arguably better to re-phrase the question – what invented them? And the answer is industrialisation. The hamburger came to prominence in the late 19th century just as industrialisation was rapidly changing the face of the world and those that lived in it. The turn of the 20th century saw both the mass movement of people from different countries migrating to new shores and the time honoured tradition of handmade replaced with machine made. The consequences of this were never more keenly felt than on the East Coast of the US where millions of Europeans disembarked to begin a new life in the land of opportunity. Among them were settlers from Northern Europe who had departed the “Old Country” from the German port of Hamburg on the German shipping company Hamburg America Line.
Hamburg had long established itself as a hub of international trade with the Russians introducing their taste for steak tartare during the 17th century, which had attached itself to the many souls who passed through the port centuries later. New York City was the most common destination for ships traveling from Hamburg, and it wasn’t long before restaurants in the city began offering the Hamburg-style steak on their menus. This wasn’t a cheap option, being double the price of a standard fillet, but the “beefsteak à Hambourgeoise”, (beef minced by hand, lightly salted and often smoked, and usually served raw in a dish along with onions and bread crumbs) was a hit. This wasn’t a first, as people had been partial to minced beef patties since ancient Rome when they added pine kernels, black and green peppercorns, and white wine. However, it was German engineer Karl Drais’ invention of a mechanical meat grinder in the early 19th century that proved pivotal in the rise of the burger as we know it. The machine made it possible
to mince meat in industrial quantities, which combined with a new abundance of meat courtesy of the cattle farmers expanding into the Mid-West of the US, brought cheaper meat to the masses. Before you could say fast food, the Hamburg-style steak was taking off all over the emerging nation, with up and coming food entrepreneurs, otherwise known as street vendors, looking at new ways to turn a buck. Who exactly came up with the idea of popping these mince beef patties between two pieces of bread is up for grabs (although it is credited with being between 1885 and 1904). But as you would expect in the birthplace of capitalism there’s no patent on a good idea, and the new food offering which could be eaten on the run spread fast. By 1930 the term “hamburger steak” was replaced by hamburger. The “ham” has since been ditched and burgers of all kinds are now on menus across the world – and it is safe to say that the ultimate fast food to go isn't likely to be going anywhere in the near future. OH
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 15
SUSTAINABILITY
2
1 Tea producers in India. 2 Cotton growers at work. 3 Left to right: Harriet Lamb, CEO, Fairtrade International; Molly Harriss Olson, CEO, Fairtrade ANZ; Julie Bishop, Minister For Foreign Affairs; and Valentina Tripp, chairman of board, Fairtrade ANZ.
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Plan to grow Fairtrade A new plan will help small producers across the region get a better deal while growing the market for Fairtrade products in Australia, discovers Ylla Watkins.
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new partnership between the Australian Government and Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) will help link small producers in developing IndoPacific countries to international and regional markets, while also building the market for Fairtrade products in Australia.
poor small farmers, living on as little as $2 per day,” said Molly Harriss Olson, chief executive of Fairtrade ANZ.
The $4.5 million “Fairtrade for Aid in the Indo-Pacific” plan was announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, at the recent Fairtrade Asia Indo-Pacific New Markets Forum in Melbourne.
“Fairtrade ANZ has a vitally important role to play in creating demand for Fairtrade products, developing the supply chain and growing the number of producers in the region. This work is hard and it takes time but with this DFAT partnership we are seeing the key first steps towards realising our vision.”
The four year commitment from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) will help increase economic growth and trade in the region. “Up to 70 per cent of the staple foods in some developing countries come from
“We have an enormous opportunity to improve people’s lives by alleviating poverty and creating more sustainable livelihoods in this part of the world.
Harriet Lamb, CEO of Fairtrade International, in Australia for the Forum, welcomed the opportunity to do more in our region. “Because Fairtrade is on the ground with
Australia’s fairest traders named Leading Australian brands have been recognised with 2014 Fairtrade Awards for their commitment to helping grow Fairtrade in Australia. Fresh St@art Organic Cafe was named Fairtrade Café of the Year, while San Churro (pictured) was named Fairtrade Café Chain of the Year. Molly Harriss Olson, chief executive of Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand, has congratulated the winners: “We are delighted that Australian shoppers are continuing to reward companies for their ethical leadership and we hope that this inspires more businesses to look at their own supply chains.”
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producers and in their communities, we see the impacts of trade, and work to develop innovative responses to make trade just and equitable,” she said. “When we get it right, trade can be a sure path to development because it is economically and socially sustainable. “Throwing money at a problem generally doesn’t work, but throwing money at a proven solution generally does.” Fairtrade Certified products are already widely available in Australia, across a number of market sectors. In 2013, retail sales of Fairtrade products such as coffee, tea and chocolate grew by 11 per cent in Australia and New Zealand, with sales totalling more than $259.3 million. Worldwide consumer sales of Fairtrade certified products hit $7.8 billion worldwide in 2013, according to the 2013-14 Fairtrade International Annual Report. Good news for businesses considering going down the route of stocking Fairtrade products is the result of a recent Neilsen survey which found that people are willing to pay more for products and services from companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact. On average, 55 per cent of consumers said they were prepared to pay more, a 5 per cent increase on last year. Fairtrade currently helps 1210 producer groups and more than 1.4 million producers in 74 countries achieve a better deal. OH
Photos: Cotton growers by Vipul Kulkarni; tea producers by Francois Guenet.
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Practical recycling
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An advocate of sustainable manufacturing practices, foodservice supplier Confoil is turning their used packaging into pop-up garden beds for domestic gardens. Australia’s only manufacturer of quality aluminium foil trays and oven-friendly paperboard trays, Confoil is also one of its most conscientious when it comes to sustainability. A signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant since 2002, developing responsible sustainability practices has been a priority for Confoil for many years, with the company now at the forefront of scrap metal, cardboard and plastic wrap recycling.
that would normally be considered fit for nothing but the tip and made these into user-friendly garden beds. The company is also trialling fibre based outer packaging to replace the timber pallets altogether.
As part of these efforts Confoil has developed a range of raised garden beds which are available to the public. These garden beds make use of the European heat treated pallet boxes that are used to ship raw aluminium to the company.
Other sustainability initiatives initiated by Confoil include changing to LED factory lighting and skylights to reduce energy consumption; installing three electric automated guidance vehicles, auto-forklifts which are able to work round the clock, reducing the need for staff and allowing the warehouse to be run without lighting; and installing water tanks, with water used for flushing office toilets and for watering gardens.
catering industries throughout Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and New Zealand. Custom-packaging creation is also available.
The project recently caught the eye of Vasili Kanidiadis, host of television show Vasili’s Garden to Kitchen, with the gardening guru illustrating how Confoil have been able to take pieces of wood
Confoil supplies aluminium foil trays, Dualpak ovenable paperboard trays and associated products such as foil and film wrapping and decorative paper-baking moulds, to the foodservice and
For more information on Confoil’s sustainability initiatives or about how to obtain a “garden crate”, contact Steve Flaherty, marketing and retail manager, on 03 8720 1966.
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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 17
CAFÉ OPTIONS
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Talkin’ bout the next generation Foodservice operators have to keep one eye on todays’ customers and one eye on the next generation if they are to keep ahead of the pack, writes Sheridan Randall.
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very foodservice operator faces the same challenge in that their customer base doesn’t come from one demographic. Irrespective of what location they are in, the fact is that their customers will cut across multiple generations, from Baby Boomers through to Gen Z, all of whom have differing expectations about what they want. The latest generation of consumers (Gen Z) are arguably the hardest to please, as they have grown up in a world that has instant access to information via the internet and mobile
technology. They are also the most multicultural generation, making them completely at ease with crossing global culinary borders without blinking an eye. One thing in the foodservice operators’ favour though is the fact that this generation is also the most exposed to eating out as part of their daily eating habits. According to the 2014 Generational Consumer Trend Report on US consumer habits, only 52 per cent of Gen Y (2235 year olds) had their parents cook at home for them most of the time during the weekend as
opposed to 90 per cent of Baby Boomers.
on their needs are set to reap the most rewards.
The generation below them, Gen Z (aged 13-21), also uses foodservice heavily, according to the report, with 68 per cent of Gen Z consumers and 73 per cent of older Gen Z consumers aged 18-21 using foodservice at least once a week, which is greater than Baby Boomers (67 per cent). This is only set to grow as this generation begins to earn a greater income.
Australia’s coffee culture has seen turbo charged growth over the last decade, with the latest trends being driven by a younger demographic. With Gen Y leading the charge in the evolution of coffee culture, it is their younger siblings that are set to take the baton in the next few years.
With Gen Z the most comfortable with incorporating foodservice into their eating habits, those business owners who capitalise
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As one of the founders and directors of coffee roaster Schibello Caffé, Ross Schinella understands the need to adapt to an ever changing consumer base from his decades in the coffee
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1 Gen Z are the generation most exposed to foodservice. 2 Anthony Sorbello (left) and Ross Schinella from Schibello Caffé. 3 Brooklyn Boy Bagels.
industry. Schinella says that “being able to connect, belong and understand” the market, which is “evolving even faster through internet and social media” is crucial to tapping into the next
generation of coffee drinkers. Schibello Caffé is celebrating 15 years in business, with the internet among many factors that have changed the consumer landscape over that time.
“There has certainly been a huge change in the consumer’s attitude towards coffee in the last two decades,” says Schinella. “The availability of information has played a large role in this
transition. Ten to 15 years ago the approach was very simple and basic; if you were interested in buying a product you liked for its quality, you went and bought it. Today with the internet and
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1 Tip Top’s slider rolls. 2 Brooklyn Boy Bagels. 3, 4 Australia’s love affair with coffee is set to continue with the next generation. 1
social media consumers are informed on every detail of the process and make extensive research about it before purchasing. Not only has the process leading to the purchase changed but also the actual
product has. The market now wants to have a whole coffee experience. This has changed how the product is perceived and has allowed the customer to design their product and therefore their whole experience
by choosing from many variables that are now available thanks to internet. Through this new fresh approach, the customer has a whole array of choice and is able to be extremely detailed about what kind of product they want – the taste, the look, the quality and the price.” With younger generations introduced to coffee culture much earlier than before, it is becoming increasingly important to create a real “experience” around drinking it, according to Schinella. “The key is in understanding that what consumers now want is much more than a simple product and being able to recreate an experience that incorporates everything, from the availability of information regarding the origin and the process behind the production of the coffee, to the actual taste,” he says.
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“Everything surrounding the coffee is now part of the whole. The coffee experience has to be ‘cool’ . It’s now part of a lifestyle that has been created for the consumer, where they are immersed in a whole experience and surrounded by the taste, but also, the look, the barista, the packaging, the music, the ambience.” The internet and social media are
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the tools of trade for the younger generations, resulting in trends going mainstream at the click of button. In pre-internet days inner city culinary fashions may have been well guarded secrets to those out in the ’burbs and beyond, but those days are over with anyone with a mobile phone and wi-fi now able to access every trend going. Darren O’Brien, national account manager foodservice at Tip Top, has seen a huge change in the tastes of consumers, particularly in regards the fusion of global cuisines, “which from a bread perspective is taking something traditional and putting it on a new or different style of bread”. “Brioche used to be a very niche product but nowadays people expect to see it on a menu,” he says. “What was traditionally a French product and small in Australia has become very popular now. It wouldn’t surprise me if it gets to the point where we see brioche offered alongside white bread rolls in corner takeaway stores.” Slider burgers are “absolutely powering at the moment”, according to O’Brien, with Tip Top Foodservice offering white, sourdough, rye, ciabatta and Turkish rolls in a slider-size.
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Michael Shafran, founder of Sydney’s Brooklyn Boy Bagels, has also tapped into the demand for all things American with his authentic New York bagels hitting the right note with consumers. “[As a New Yorker] I started because I was just looking for a decent bagel to have,” he says. Dismissing the majority of bagels he tasted in Australia as “rolls with a hole”, Shafran put his money where his mouth was and launched a pop-up bagel shop in Darlinghurst in 2013 to test the waters for an authentic taste of New York. Boiled, not steamed, and hand rolled, Shafran’s bagels were as authentic to his hometown as he could manage without actually making them there. Arriving late for the opening he was greeted by a queue than ran two blocks. “That was when I thought maybe
someone else cares other than me about an authentic New York bagel,” he says. Being a former food journalist and active blogger, Shafran knew exactly how to target his market that crossed from Gen Y to Gen X (aged 22-40). That included making a product that went beyond simple taste and offered an authentic “experience”. “People want a different experience and being authentic is another way of giving them a different experience,” he says.
© OPTIMO 2014
“What consumers can do now is order a trio of the little rolls and they get to try all these different things,” he says. “This also crosses into another trend with those big-style American flavours such as burgers, pulled pork or barbequed pulled chicken being put onto things like ciabatta or sourdough.”
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“Not only is it a beautiful thing to eat it also gives you that feeling of place. Every time I give someone a bagel I want them to feel like they could be in New York.”
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Shafran uses Instagram to get the message out to his customers. “With social media it’s about having a dialogue with my customer,” he says. “It’s talking honestly and openly with people and it’s how the younger demographic communicate, by sharing cool stuff across different platforms. And out of all those platforms Instagram is the most interesting as it is the most active especially if you have a very visual product, it’s a great place to be.” OH
For more information contact your local NAFDA Distributor or visit www.nafda.com.au
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 21
VEGETARIAN
1 1 Some of Suzy Spoon's vegetarian butchery products. 2 The schnitzel burger is a popular choice at the cafe. 3 The butchery is a popular addition to inner-Sydney suburb Newtown.
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Meat-free butchery With vegetarian and vegan diets gaining more prominence in Australia, a Sydney-based “butcher” is making a name for herself with an innovative range of meat-free products, discovers Ylla Watkins.
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he term “vegetarian butcher” may seem like a contradiction in terms but Sydney cook Suzy Spoon is making a name for herself with her range of meat-free sausages, schnitzels, burger patties, mince and other butchery products, which she sells out of her eponymously named vegetarian deli-cafe in Newtown and online. A keen vegetarian and vegan cook for many years, Spoon was inspired to start selling her vegan small goods while working as a personal chef for actor Tobey Maguire, in Australia to film The Great Gatsby. After the actor said he preferred her products to some well-known brands, she decided to try selling them at her local organic food and farmers markets. “Right from the start we got a good response,” she says. “People were incredibly interested in what we were doing. Sometimes they were three or four deep at the counter.” She opened her first store in Enmore just under two years ago, moving to the current site six months later. “We still have a lot of the customers from the market days,” she says. “They’re very loyal
and encouraging of what we do here.” Spoon makes all her products by hand onsite. There are currently 10 permanent products in the range, including bestsellers, the smoked chilli sausage and Vienna-style schnitzel. “The chilli sausage is definitely our most popular sausage,” she says. “It has a chorizo-type feel to it, so you can use it in recipes as well.” A year in the development (Spoon used her then-colleagues in the props department of Home & Away as guinea pigs during the development phase), Spoon’s sausages use imported vegan sausage skins made from the polysaccharides of red seaweed, the same thing that vegetarian gelatine substitute agar is made from. All of the products are designed to be used in a similar manner to the products they are replicating. “With the sausages, you just brown them all over as you would a normal sausage,” says Spoon. “For the schnitzel, they’re crumbed, so they need a bit of oil, the same as any other schnitzel that you would make. The burger patties you would treat like any other patty.
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“We’re creating something that people know what to do with. If you were a meat eater and I gave you a packet of our sausages to barbecue, you would know what to do with them. They’re convenient because they’re familiar to people.” What Spoon’s products don’t attempt to replicate is the flavour of meat, she adds. “We flavour all of our products with vegetable-based products, like paprika, ginger, or garlic and rosemary, and other herbs.” In addition to selling the meat-free range in her shop and accompanying cafe, Spoon also has a small but growing wholesale arm, supplying foodservice businesses ranging from event caterers to pubs in the local area. For now, she is proud to wear the title of being “Australia’s only vegetarian butcher”, however she’s keen to see that change. “Since I opened this store I know of a couple of other people who are trying to start up businesses like this,” she says. “I think that’s really great. I’d love to be able go into a vegetarian butcher owned by someone else and try all their products. Maybe there will be a vegetarian butcher on every high street in a few years.” OH
A great Aussie pie Funky Pies Cafe is a pie shop with a difference, selling 100 per cent vegan pies from their premises in Sydney beachside suburb Bondi, as well as wholesale along much of the Eastern seaboard. “Funky flavours” include chilli-non-carne, made from mushroom nuggets, red kidney beans and green capsicum in a hot tomato salsa; eezy chic ‘n’ cheesy, chicken-style chunks with fresh broccoli and button mushrooms in a cheesy sauce; and no wurry curry, organic lentils and chickpeas in a coconut curry sauce. According to chef Frazer Adams, the idea for the shop came out of owner Angie Stephenson’s ethical beliefs. “No animals have been harmed or exploited in any way to make the products that we have on the menu,” he says. “It is unusual to sell vegan pies but we have been open for six years now and I think what we’ve been able to show is that it can be done.” Ideology aside, each of the Funky Pies is “a good product, a healthy product and good tucker”, he adds.
Not a vegan himself, Adams says he had to learn how to use some of the meat-substitute-style products he now uses in the pies. “I had to learn how to cook with them and adapt how I cook but it happened very quickly,” he says. “There’s a soy protein nugget for example, which is a chicken-style substitute which is something I’d never worked with before. It’s best to cook it in some oil, rather than grilling it, otherwise it will dry out a little bit.
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“With the meat-substitutes, it’s more of a texture thing than a flavour thing. It’s a different flavour.” The cafe’s funky chunky pie is its best seller. “It’s our version of a classic meat pie,” he says. “It’s made with shitake mushroom chunks. You cook the chunks down with some nice onion and garlic, a touch a chilli and underneath the lid of the pie is a little bit of mashed potato as well. I’ve had people come back to us and say you’ve given me a meat pie, and I’ll say no I haven’t.”
2 1 Chef Frazer Adams. 2 A 100 per cent vegan pie from Funky Pies Cafe.
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 23
RESTAURANT AUSTRALIA
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Watch the video in the Open House iPad app.
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Selling ourselves to the world Tourism Australia’s most recent marketing campaign enlisted the help of food and wine businesses around Australia, as well as some of the world’s most influential “foodies”, and the gamble is already paying off, discovers Ylla Watkins.
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hen more than 80 of the world’s most influential and respected food and wine VIPs came together at Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in November for the highly anticipated “Invite The World To Dinner” gala event it was the culmination of Tourism Australia’s most ambitious marketing campaign in years.
The $10 million Restaurant Australia campaign, which was launched in May 2014, aimed to showcase to the world the remarkable people, exceptional produce and inspiring places that make Australian food and wine so unique. Activities rolled out over six months included a television advertising campaign; a dedicated online hub for Australian businesses to share their food and wine experiences with the world, www.restaurant.australia.com; and consumer promotions in key international markets including the UK, China, Singapore and Korea. The final stage of the campaign saw “influencers” including food and wine writers, critics, columnists, reviewers, celebrity chefs and TV personalities, with a collective reach of over 400 million fans and followers, enjoy a week-long personalised
familiarisation taking in food and wine experiences around Australia before converging on Hobart.
and smoked chicken breast paired with a selection of handpicked wines (Australian Capital Territory).
Once in Hobart the culinary heavy hitters, including the likes of chefs Heston Blumenthal and Alice Waters, celebrity chef and television presenter Sanjeev Kapoor, acclaimed UK food critic AA Gill, and Chinese MasterChef judge Yifan Liu, joined Australian foodies including Maggie Beer, Matt Preston and Matt Moran in sampling premium produce from across the country.
The gala dinner, held in MONA’s Nolan Gallery, saw Restaurant Australia head chefs Ben Shewry (Attica), Peter Gilmore (Quay) and Neil Perry (The Rockpool Group) collaborate on a menu that celebrated the best of Australia, while blurring the lines between cooking and art (see box for more).
First up was the Restaurant Australia Marketplace, which saw local producers and wine makers from each state and territory showcase their wares on marketstyle stalls. Offerings included Mandagery Creek venison accompanied by seasonal fruit, cheese and some of the Hunter Valley’s finest wines (New South Wales); saltwater barramundi, cured with Australian native wattle seed and served with finger lime aioli on a potato crisp (Northern Territory); a selection of three canapés including tempura Moreton Bay bug, Saku yellow fin tuna and tiger prawn san choy bow (Queensland); and Poachers Pantry kangaroo prosciutto
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According to John O’Sullivan, managing director of Tourism Australia, the gala dinner was the perfect culmination to a highly successful campaign, exceeding the tourism body’s expectations. “Our global Restaurant Australia campaign set out to showcase Australia’s impressive food and wine offering to the world, highlighting the depth and diversity of our local producers, chefs and winemakers,” he said. “What our Restaurant Australia head chefs pulled together and the setting in which the meal was served was nothing short of breathtaking and has truly demonstrated the exceptional quality and unique produce we have on offer here in Australia.”
1 Chefs Ben Shewry, Peter Gilmore, Heston Blumenthal and Neil Perry. 2 Neil Perry and Peter Gilmore chat with food personality Maggie Beer. 3 The Restaurant Australia Marketplace. 4 Chefs cook al fresco during the Invite The World To Dinner gala event.
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Less than a month after the dinner, Sullivan says that the tourism body is already starting to see results. Not only has feedback from the invited guests been overwhelmingly positive (Gill told the Sydney Morning Herald that “Australia now has the most exciting, innovative, and coherent new food anywhere in the world”) but perceptions of the quality of Australia’s food and wine experiences are starting to change internationally. “We’ve seen a 30 per cent lift in the perception of food and wine experiences in those people that haven’t been to Australia, and we’re starting to analyse the IVS [International Visitor Survey] numbers to see what has been, if any, the impact on international food and wine expenditure in the limited time the campaign has been going.” Part of the success of the campaign has undoubtedly been Tourism Australia’s success in enlisting the support of the food and wine industry. When the tourism body called for Australian businesses to share their food and wine stories on the Restaurant Australia website, around 1800, ranging from inner city cafes to regional farmers markets and food festivals, answered the call. Around 100 submissions are still being made each week. “For the first time it’s been a co-joining of industries,” said Sullivan. “Tourism sits at the middle of so many different sectors but we’ve never done something in partnership with the food and wine industry before. “Through partnership with Restaurant & Catering Australia, with Ultimate Wineries Australia, and with the many businesses around the country that have signed up to our campaign hub, we’re able to bring that connection together for the very first time, in a co-ordinated and effective way.” John Hart, chief executive of Restaurant & Catering Australia, says that the industry
Anatomy of a dinner body had input into the campaign from the beginning. “We have been talking to Tourism Australia about food and wine as a tourism driver before they were Tourism Australia,” he said. “The best thing we ever did was convince Government to survey tourists (through the National Visitor Survey and International Visitor Survey) about their food and wine experiences. That is what gave us the data to mount the argument that food and wine drives destination selection, which is the basis of Restaurant Australia.” According to Matt McInnes, general manger for consumer marketing at Tourism Australia, the campaign couldn’t have worked without the submissions they received from Australian food and wine businesses. “We had a huge amount of quality submissions that came through, particularly from NSW, that brought the food and wine story together and we leveraged those submissions in a range of features that called out to other parts of the country to be part of the greatest restaurant in the world,” he told stakeholders at a recent briefing in Sydney. “It was really important to us to embrace the industry, to hear the new stories, from festivals to lodges to regional locations, which really fuelled the conversation that the team wanted to have happen. It also gave us ideas for itineraries for famils and other things that otherwise we may not have discovered to support the initiative.” While the true reach and impact of the campaign is still be to seen, Tourism Australia will continue its focus on Restaurant Australia in 2015. “Restaurant Australia didn’t end with invite The World To Dinner in Hobart,” Sullivan said. “It’s a story and a platform we want to continue and want to grow into the future.” OH
Arguably one of the most highly anticipated gastronomic events in Australian history, the Invite The World To Dinner started with a “Chapter 1: Sparkling and Sea” red carpet moment at Elizabeth Street Pier in Hobart, with a variety of Australian oysters complemented by House of Arras sparkling wine, served to the sounds of a string quartet. Guests were then ushered onto a flotilla of boats, departing for “Chapter 2: Earth, Fire & Water” held at the Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park. Amidst fire pits and Indigenous storytellers, guests were treated to the first of many creative courses, including King George whiting in paperbark and grilled baby corn with forest anise from Shewry; Gilmore’s charcoal-grilled West Australian marron with wasabi butter and roasted wallaby tail broth; wood roast Tasmanian lobster with kombu butter and charcoal-grilled Tasmanian abalone with liver, sake and mirin dressing by Perry. Wines from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia were served. Guests then boarded the MONA Roma ferry for the museum itself, where they proceeded to the Nolan Gallery (pictured above) for the main course, “Chapter 3: Art and Produce”, where each head chef presented a course served with six matching wines. Dishes included Shrewy’s salted South Australian red kangaroo and bunya bunya, Gilmore’s smoked and confit pig jowl, black lipped abalone, koji, fermented grains, shitake, seaweed and Perry’s grilled sirloin, braised cheek, oxtail and tea smoked oyster red curry. The final chapter “Sticky and Sweet” saw diners enjoy a roving celebration of all things sweet in MONA’s Void gallery, consisting of Shewry’s contribution, The great Australian ice-cream cart and blue wren eggs; fresh lychee, vanilla, rose, coconut alongside prune, salted caramel, jersey cream from Gilmore; and date tart and mango pandan and coconut from Perry.
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 25
TRENDS
2 1 Organic produce is set to gain broader appeal in 2015. 2 Ramen will bacome a staple on many menus.
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Top foodservice trends for 2015 What’s hot in the restaurant business and what’s not is constantly evolving, with technology, consumer and menu trends all affecting what we serve and how we serve it. To find out the hot trends for 2015, Ylla Watkins asks some industry insiders for their predictions.
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f 2014 was all about shareable food from tapas to hipster Asian, hamburgers (and their cousin, the slider), the casualisation of the dining scene, cronuts, chia seeds and the rise of food trucks, it’s “all change” in 2015, according to US food research and consulting firm Technomic. The company recently published its predictions for the trends that will transform the foodservice industry in 2015, based on Technomic research including consumer
and operator surveys and site visits, backed up by data from its Digital Resource Library and MenuMonitor database. Amongst the trends identified by Technomic are a move towards smaller everything, from serving sizes and flexible portions, to leaner staffing; operators differentiating themselves with signature beverages, from flavoured whiskeys, spiced rums and liquers to handcrafted soft drinks; the breakout of Korean food, mainstreaming of Vietnamese
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and upscaling of spicy ramen noodles; the rise of bitter flavours; and an emerging “anti chain” ethos leading to chains debuting quasi-independent restaurants fine-tuned to local market demands. While only time will tell how many of Technomic’s predictions come true, to get a local take on the situation Open House canvassed a cross-section of foodservice industry insiders for their predictions for the top foodservice trends for 2015. OH
Andre Sandison, sugar artistry specialist, Australian Patisserie Academy
Nick Hickford, general manager sales, marketing and innovation, Bulla Dairy Foods
Simone Fergie, culinary manager, McCormick Foods Australia
“Sustainable, local, regional and organic produce will gain a broader appeal with the right price points. Functional foods and foods catering to dietary needs will also become increasingly mainstream, as demand and business capacity to produce these trends become more wide spread. Quality, presented products that taste good, transport well, and deliver value for money will be the biggest shakers and movers in the market place for both commercial and artisan suppliers. And high quality and origin chocolates will continue to capture the domestic market with suppliers creating smaller, retail portions of these products.”
“I predict there will be more premium and quality gourmet foods on offer. With great developments in technology, cooking and product preparation it is much easier to manage and distribute product to a wider range of foodservice outlets. This is driven by consumer demand for better quality products, which has increased since restaurant and cooking based TV shows appeared in prime time slots. There is also a definite increase in foodservice brands developing their own ranges to offer and sell in market. This is due to these suppliers looking to grow brand profile, secure their sales base as well as grow their business. Current trends indicate that cafes are pulling customers from traditional quick service restaurants (QSR) in market as the more educated consumer seeks information about product origin, health benefits and diverse options not always catered for in a QSR environment.”
“Chilli, chilli and more chilli is a big trend for 2015 and beyond. Not just for heat, chilli can be smoked, pickled or roasted and adds a depth of flavour and the finishing top notes that help make a dish memorable. Korean flavours are still coming through and ramen is quickly becoming a staple on many menus. Fresh local ingredients and a good stock base are key with this dish. Moving forward, sour and acidic flavours will be prominent in all areas of the menu (showing up when you least expect it!). These flavours will add the element of surprise to cleanse the pallet and heighten the senses.”
Neil Abrahams, president, Australian Culinary Federation
Simon Turner, head chef, il fornaio, St Kilda
John Hart, chief executive officer, Restaurant & Catering Australia
“The last few years we have seen the share plate trends, such as sliders and tapas, all being very popular. I see this continuing in 2015, however the mobile food van will continue to grow in popularity with the younger crowd over the next few years. I believe we will also see more and more speciality cafés popping up all over the country offering gluten-free, vegetarian and even The Paleo Diet. Due to our economic climate, I see the club sector attracting more of the family market as this offers a wider range of food and entertainment and is retaining talented chefs and invests more into its staff than other areas. Consistent players in the industry will still be there and high end restaurants will continue to be popular but I can’t see this area growing. Hopefully it will retain its current market share until all levels of government decide to invest heavily into tourism.”
“Probiotics will be big in 2015; there will be better understanding of fermentation in cooking. The fast casualisation of Melbourne dining will continue, and we’ll also see juice bars open up everywhere; the "healthy" juice and smoothie market will get ultra competitive. I think we’ll see a shift away from South American quinoa (and hopefully quinoa altogether), given the massive global impact it is having on those communities.”
“The number one change in the year is that every labour saving device will be out there in spades, including booking systems, point of sale systems, ordering systems, payment systems and rostering systems. The industry has to move over to these technologies that will make them financially sustainable. In a quest for lower wage costs businesses will also have to embrace preprepared food products. This has been a gradual shift in Australia as opposed to the avalanche in the US. The difference here is that the product will be of far higher quality with boutique producers and manufacturers getting products into the market more efficiently. Shared entrees and desserts are already flavor of the year – these will go nuts in 2015.”
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 27
SECURITY
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Photos by Andy Vermeulen; Destination NSW.
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Keep safe and carry on With Christmas and New Year some of the busiest trading times for many venues, the safety of both the patrons and staff is a top priority for many, writes Sheridan Randall.
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hristmas and New Year trading can be a real boost to many venues’ bottom lines with plenty of punters looking to kick back and enjoy the festive times with good food and alcohol. However, the flip side of all that Christmas cheer can be ugly, with alcohol related incidents rising. Keeping everyone safe, patrons and staff included, is a joint responsibility, with the weight shared by individuals, venue owners and government legislation. One of the most prominent attempts at creating a safer environment for both patrons and staff followed the deaths of two young men in Sydney’s Kings Cross following “one punch” assaults. Following massive media coverage and pressure from
support groups looking to find a solution to what was perceived as a rise in alcohol related assaults, the New South Wales Government introduced legislation which included new 1.30am lockout laws for Sydney’s CBD. One of the unintended consequences of the new laws for some venues has been an increase in abuse on staff, with one Sydney bar manager stating in a letter to a NSW Parliamentary inquiry into the CBD lockout laws, that his staff are being abused every night because of the new laws. Jeremy Fraser, manager of Side Bar in Sydney’s Haymarket, said an unintended consequence of the new laws was “the increase in arguments and aggression on the front door of venues, after 1.30am
when venues are forced to refuse patrons whilst still open”. “In the past few months that the lockout laws have been in place, we have had at least 50-100 patrons become aggressive, usually verbally, simply as we are doing our job,” he stated. “As a venue that closes at 3am already, the 1.30am curfew is greatly increasing the amount of conflict and aggression our venue faces.” Fraser is not alone in his concern with staff safety, with a recent survey by ADT Security showing that nearly a third of workers (31 per cent) are concerned about being a victim of crime. That can be irate patrons wanting to enter, patrons becoming violent once inside or even the simple matter of staff getting to or leaving work. For many in the hospitality
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industry late nights are a simple matter of fact, with the threat of assaults ever present especially if they are required to enter through quieter staff entrances which are often at the rear or side of a building away from street lighting and other passers-by. Joanna Burke, global manager – Pacific at ADT Security, says that one of the key findings of the report that struck her most was that nearly half of employees (43.7 per cent) reported that leaving working at night or early in the morning is their greatest safety concern. “With the staff entry, which is usually at the back of a premises, you need to ensure there is adequate lighting and a really good digital camera on that to make sure that staff feel safe
adds. “In the kitchen and on the floor you give them [staff] all the tools they need to do their job and you should look at security as another tool in the kit.” Setting out a clear security policy is not only a good investment in the staff that are so integral to the success of any business, it could also protect against legal claims, according to Sydney-based lawyer Anthony Cordato. 3
If something happens to a patron or member of staff in a venue, irrespective of who caused it, the chances are the victim will sue not only the assailant, but also the business owner, to gain access to their insurance policy. In simple terms, they will go for the money, and unless the owner of the venue has shown “duty of care” in the eyes of the law, they could potentially be hit with a costly payout.
1, 2, 3, 4 There has been a 40 per cent drop in alcohol-related assaults at licensed premises in Kings Cross in the year to September 2014, according to the latest NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures.
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coming to and from their vehicles or public transport,” she says. Burke recommends bringing a licensed third party in to look at security as they offer an objective overview. “They will look at things such as staff issues, interviewing some of the staff and finding out not only what they are feeling but what they are seeing on a daily basis, what happens at night versus what happens during the day and different periods during the year such as Christmas and Easter when you have higher amounts of cash flow and things like that,” she says. CCTV is a popular option even for those venues that aren’t legally obliged to install it, but many operators feel awkward about approaching the subject with their staff, according to Burke. “Two third of respondents said they would like to see CCTV in their workplace environment,” she says. “It is important to discuss and
practice your security situation. A lot of owners say they don’t want to make staff feel awkward about having CCTV, but you can simply put signs up. Not only for your patrons but also your staff, letting them know they are being watched, but for the right reasons. Get involved and make them understand if they are in a situation they know how to use a duress button and what happens when you use it. These sorts of things give staff an extra layer of comfort and allow them to be a better staff member because they feel more secure, relaxed, and they can get on with their job.” With 14 per cent of the respondents saying they don’t take any security measures to protect their business, Burke says that business owners should view security as “an investment in your people”. “Without your people you can’t operate as a business and you need to train them along with your security equipment,” she
“The venue has a duty to take reasonable care to avoid a foreseeable risk of injury to the patrons,” he says. Installing CCTV is a hugely valuable tool when it comes to establishing the facts, as it covers not just any incidents but also the events before and after. With all operators looking to cut staffing costs, Cordato advises that there are still enough staff rostered on each shift to “maintain a reasonable control”, “Having the staff correctly placed and having someone coming round every so often and picking up empty glasses is a really good idea as it is a way of keeping an eye on what’s going on in the venue,” he says. “It’s about the efficient use of staff. It’s not the staffing numbers, it’s what they are doing.” Since patron safety became front page news, Cordato says that operators have “upped their game”. “Operators are getting more professional, and I think they are dealing with these situations better and there are less claims,” he says. OH
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 29
SCHOLARSHIPS
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Global stars
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Two young chefs lucky enough to win different culinary scholarships have recently returned from their sponsored overseas trips, inspired and prepared for the next step in their culinary career, discovers Sheridan Randall.
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ous chef Mark Bashinsky, from Brisbane’s Aria Restaurant, and Newcastle-based chef Paul Niddrie have both returned from separate overseas trips that saw them take in some of the world’s best culinary experiences currently on offer. Bashinsky’s three weeks in San Francisco, Paris and Tokyo staging in exclusive Michelin starred restaurants was the result of him winning this year’s inaugural Hostplus Hospitality Scholarship supported by Melbourne Food and Wine. Bashinsky kicked off his culinary adventure at Benu in San Francisco under executive chef Corey Lee, before heading to Septime in Paris to work under Bertrand Grébaut, with his final week spent in Tokyo’s Ryuzu restaurant learning from
executive chef Ryuta Iizuka.
“we don’t have in Australia at the moment”.
“Usually the first day was a bit of a shock to the system as every culture was different – language barriers, reading basic menus, mise en place and prep sheets,” he says. “The first day was just about observing as every kitchen runs differently. When they realised I had my skills and had been working in the industry a while I was allowed to get hands on. I ended up plating some food and cooking some dishes. It was good not only to get hands on but to experience the kitchen fully during service.”
“It was all new to me especially with the different cultures in Japan and France,” he says. “The chefs were very proud of the stars they had and so they should be. In terms of the produce [there was] no expense spared. The plates [at Benu] were hand designed by Cory Lee himself; in Japan they had white truffles and wild mushrooms from France, only Japanese top quality wagyu fillet, and even the plates had 24 carat gold in them. To go to that extra level was pretty mind blowing for me.”
Getting to work in a Michelin starred restaurant exposed Bashinsky to a whole level of service and detail, as well as new produce and new ways of prepping, that
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Since returning Bashinsky says he is “much more open minded” about the ways kitchens are run. Set to speak about his trip at next year’s Chef Jam at the 2015 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival,
1 Paul Niddrie outside Alain Ducasse’s Le Chocolat. 2 Benu restaurant in San Francisco. 3 Benu’s lobster coral xiao long bao. 4 Wild mushrooms at Septime. 5 Bashinsky with Ryuta Lizuka (left). 6 Ryuzu at Tokyo. 7 A Parisiene patisserie. 8 Paul Niddrie (left) with Michel Roux at Le Gavroche.
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Bashinsky says “the experience of travelling overseas is invaluable”. “I am more motivated having seen what else is out there and experiencing new kitchens and new ideas,” he says. “It helped [define] what I want to achieve as a chef, and when hopefully I have my own place sometime, what I would do and how I would run it. I am definitely motivated to strive for more.” Paul Niddrie was a third year apprentice chef at Rustica Newcastle Beach when he found out he had won the 2013 HTN Peter Howard Culinary Scholarship. Still fresh from his culinary tour of the world following his win, Niddrie is back in Newcastle weighing up his options and “really happy to bring everything back that I learnt”. “[Training organisation] HTN allowed me to organise my experience how I seemed fit which was really quite interesting,” he says, “What I had intended to do when I got my scholarship was get into some kitchens and do some work, but as things panned out I mostly just ended up eating at restaurants, and talking to chefs and waitstaff.” Taking his wife, Niddrie spent eight weeks
visiting some of the best restaurants across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands, taking in as many Michelin-starred restaurants, kitchen demonstrations and cultural demonstrations as they could including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, The Ledbury (under the helm of another Newcastle chef, Brett Graham), The Fat Duck and Le Gavroche. “They often picked up on our accent and asked why we had come so far to dine with them, and as soon as I said that I was a young chef from Australia out here on a scholarship they were more than happy to help me out and answer any questions I may have had,” he says. “At Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant and Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck we spoke with the staff at some length about their philosophies and what they aim to do in changing their diners’ opinions. They don’t intend to change someone’s world entirely but if they can change just one small thing and make them remember that.” Although not a dedicated pastry chef, Niddrie says that is where his passion lies. Making a pilgrimage to Pierre Hermé in
Paris is obligatory to see what the French have got to offer, which according to him “is quite a lot more, to be honest”. “I got to meet the pastry chefs from many of the kitchens we went to including Gordon Ramsay’s pastry chef,” he says. “They were [kitchen] chefs like me with the same drive who like pastry, which was nice to see in an important restaurant. “A lot of chefs say that what you get in Sydney and Melbourne is just as good but unfortunately it just really isn’t. Just seeing the professionalism from the staff in some of the Michelin starred restaurants there was just amazing. Michel Roux, from Le Gavroche, he was an amazing man, someone who changed my future.” Despite itching to head back overseas, Niddrie is nonetheless content staying put for the moment putting to use the things he learnt while away. “I’m not important enough to change trends here in Australia, but if I can change it around myself and the people around me and teach them what I’ve learnt then I think I have done what I need to do,” he says. OH
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 31
REGIONAL SNAPSHOT
Photos: Tourism Western Australia.
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1 Foragers Field Kitchen, Pemberton. 2 Lavender and Berry Farm Cafe, Pemberton. 3 Gloucester Ridge Winery. 4 The Southern Forests are famous for their Karri trees.
Southern Forests, WA The largest black truffle producing region in the southern hemisphere, the Southern Forests region of Western Australia is also home to lots of other gourmet goodies, writes Ylla Watkins.
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round four hours drive from Perth, the Southern Forests region has been called the “gourmet food bowl of Western Australia”. Along with the majestic wilderness that gives the region its name, it is known for producing culinary treats including marron, trout, ginseng, green tea, artisan cheeses, chestnuts and black perigord truffles.
Truffles and the Truffle & Wine Company.
Cultivated in Western Australia since 1997, Manjimup is the largest producing region in the southern hemisphere, with local truffles in high demand from chefs and foodies around Australia and the world. Two of the best known producers are Manjimup
Local chef Sophie Zalokar, owner of Foragers Field Kitchen & Cooking School in Pemberton, and author of Food of the Southern Forests (UWA Publishing, $59.99), says the best thing about living in the Southern Forests region is both the
A popular event on the local calendar is the annual Truffle Kerfuffle Food and Wine Festival, which is held in June, with highlights including truffle dog demonstrations, truffle hunts, tasting, master classes and a market celebrating all of the region’s produce.
32 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
“incredibly beautiful natural environment and its capacity to grow so many different quality primary products, which I'm lucky enough to have direct access to”. A champion for fresh, local, sustainable produce, Zalokar is reluctant to single out individual producers “as there are just so many great ones”, but suggests looking out for, from the “big end of town”, Bannister Downs Dairy, Newton Brothers Orchards, and Truffle & Wine Co, and from the “small end of town”, Sally's Lane (they make beautiful sparkling grape juices), Pemberton Finger Limes and Rustler's Figs and Rustleberries.
VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN
DIARY DATES NSW Food & Wine Festival February 7 - March 1, 2015
Sophie Zalokar, Foragers Field Kitchen & Cooking School
Now in its eighth year, the NSW Food & Wine Festival showcases the food and wine produce from the state’s regions, from Kangaroo Valley through to Orange. Highlights include the return of the Sydney Cellar Door in Sydney’s Hyde Park, Dine with NSW Wine, Taste the Region, and Snacks and Street Food. www.nswfoodandwine.com.au
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Most surprising local food fact: Manjimup is the birth place of the internationally known Pink Lady apple.
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Favourite local seasonal ingredient to work with: Marron – it's endemic to our region, takes a long time to grow and is absolutely delicious to eat.
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Favourite farmers market: There's only really one farmers market in the Southern Forests and that's held in Manjimup every first and third Saturday of the month. The growers and local people that support it are the heart and soul of food in our region.
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I am most often asked... What it was like to do my cooking apprenticeship with Maggie Beer.
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Secret food indulgence: Sourdough toast with almond butter and Seville orange marmalade makes me go weak at the knees every time.
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Food heroes: Stephanie Alexander, for the huge contribution she's made to educating so many young Australian chefs and now, a whole generation of young Australians through her Kitchen Gardens Schools program; and Maggie Beer, for her
highly intuitive and talented cooking and infectious love of a rich and creative food life. Both have achieved all of this at the same time as being mothers and business operators. Also Peter Gilmore in New South Wales; Luke Burgess in Tasmania; Jock Zonfrillo in South Australia; and Paul Iskov in Western Australia. All of whom are driven and highly creative chefs pushing to respectfully acknowledge and work with indigenous food in ways we've not seen in this country before.
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Overall philosophy on food: To value the work of primary producers enough to prioritise spending more on fresh food over the modern trappings and demands of the commercial world we live in and to make time to enjoy preparing and eating delicious locally grown food to share with loved ones.
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Career highlight: Being chosen as a WA ambassador by Tourism Western Australia for the recent “Tourism Australia Marketplace” and “Invite the World to Dinner” events in Hobart, showcasing the extraordinary culinary assets and talent we have in this amazing country. OH
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Festivale February 13-15, 2015
Launceston’s annual three-day celebration offers visitors the chance to sample Tasmania’s exceptional food and cool climate wine. Browse more than 70 gourmet stalls, take in a wine master class or cooking demonstration from chefs including Peter Kuravita from Sydney’s Flying Fish, or simply enjoy the atmosphere. www.festivale.com.au
Cellar Door Wine Festival Adelaide February 20-22, 2015
More than 150 wineries from across South Australia come together at Adelaide’s multiaward winning Cellar Door Wine Festival. There are thousands of wines on offer to sample from internationally renowned brands and niche boutique producers, as well as a master class series. www.cellardoorfestival.com
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 33
COOKING THE BOOKS
Fragrant flower Chef Greg Malouf is one of Australia’s renowned authorities on Middle Eastern food. In his latest book, New Feast, published in November, he celebrates the fresh, fragrant vegetarian dishes the region is famous for.
Zucchini blossom and preserved lemon risotto with ricotta and parmesan Serves: 4 garlic for 5 minutes to flavour the oil, then scoop out and discard the onion and garlic. Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan and, when it starts to sizzle, add the zucchini and saute for 3–4 minutes, or until lightly coloured and tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the rice to the pan and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with the buttery oil. Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated. Next, ladle in enough simmering stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width. Cook over a medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed. Add the same quantity of stock and cook as before, until most of the stock has been absorbed. Meanwhile, shred the zucchini blossoms.
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here’s something exquisitely ethereal about zucchini blossoms – not only is their season blink-of-an-eye short, but their fragility means they don’t take well to supermarket life. You need to hunt them down at a farmers’ market or a good greengrocer, or else grow them yourself (and zucchinis are famously easy for the home gardener). Their natural long cavity means that zucchini blossoms are frequently stuffed and then deep-fried, but the shredded blossoms also add a glorious colour, wonderful texture and delicate flavour to creamy risottos. Here, they combine with salty-sour preserved lemon and a creamy ricotta topping in one of our new favourite early summer risottos. 5 baby zucchinis with blossoms attached 30ml olive oil
100g butter 1 small onion, very roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, quartered 300g arborio rice 60ml white wine Up to 1l vegetable stock, simmering Preserved lemon, skin only, very finely diced 60g parmesan, grated 80g ricotta 1 small handful basil leaves, finely shredded
Add a third of the amount of stock (reserve around 100ml for the final stage) and when half of the liquid has been absorbed, add the preserved lemon, zucchinis and blossoms and stir gently until the stock is all absorbed. Stir in the reserved stock, the remaining butter and 40g of the parmesan. Cover the pan and allow to rest away from the heat for a few minutes. While the risotto is resting, blend the rest of the parmesan with the ricotta and basil leaves. Season the risotto, to taste, then spoon into serving bowls and top with small blobs of the cheese mixture. Serve straight away.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper Detach the flowers from the zucchinis. Carefully pinch out the stamens and wipe the flowers clean. Slice the zucchinis into tiny discs. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onion and
34 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
Recipe from New Feast by Greg and Lucy Malouf (Hardie Grant Books, $59.95)
What’s on shelf this month? Cookbook book
Sweet Envy
The real food of China
by Annahita Kamali and Florian Bohm Phaidon Press, $75
by Alistair Wise and Teena Kearney-Wise Murdoch Books, $45
by Leanne Kitchen and Antony Suvalko Hardie Grant Books, $69.95
An engaging read for lovers of cookbooks, this wonderfully visual book charts the culinary, cultural and design trends that have shaped the way we look at food for the last 125 years. Including many of the world’s most influential cookbooks, ranging from classic tomes such as Larousse Gastronomique and Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, to more recent bestsellers such as Nose to Tail by Fergus Henderson and Noma by Rene Redzepi, there’s plenty to inspire.
Sweet Envy in North Hobart, Tasmania, has been described as an “old fashioned sweet parlour, cake shop and bakehouse” but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the recipes in this charming cookbook. Whether it’s the perfect recipe for lamb and harissa sausage rolls or the delightfullynamed multi-layered confection, crouching strawberry, hidden pandan, these are recipes to inspire and delight. If a trip to Tassie is out of the question, this book is the next best thing.
Most Aussies are familiar with Chinese food, yet for every dish that makes it on to a restaurant menu here in Australia, there are probably 100 more that are just as popular in China. In this comprehensive volume, authors Leanne Kitchen and Antony Suvalko set out to reveal the dishes that are at the heart of everyday life across this diverse, vibrant country.
Australia’s first cookbook rediscovered Australia’s first cookbook, The English and Australian Cookery Book, is enjoying a new lease on life. Written by Tasmanian land baron, judge and litigator Edward Abbott in 1864, this 300 page book, complete with 1000 recipes, provides a detailed picture of the colonial kitchen where kangaroo, wombat and mutton bird shared the table with drinks such as “Blow My Skull”, a punch made from brandy, rum and ale or porter. Now, after more than 100 years, Abbott’s book has been re-published as an exact copy in a slipcase together with a companion volume containing contributions by culinary historians and contemporary chefs. “The book offers Australians the remarkable chance to discover the moment when Australian cuisine was invented, as recorded by its father, Edward Abbott,” says Tasmanian culinary historian, Bernard Lloyd. The book is available from tasfoodbooks.com.
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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 35
PRODUCTS
Burgers made easy
At a touch of a button
Borthwick Food Group has introduced the Australian owned and manufactured Angus’ Gourmet Cocktail Burger, available in a convenient DIY kit. The box contains pure Australian Angus beef cocktail burgers, matching brioche buns, locally made tomato relish, and bamboo skewers for that extra presentation. These burgers are easy to cook and assemble, making function and party catering hassle-free. Sizes available for foodservice range from 100 x 20g units per box to 120 x 143g units (both Angus Beef and Wagyu) per box. ● www.borthwickfoods.com.au
Bulla Dairy Foods has teamed up with Harbin Gartell to release an innovative and versatile single serve ice cream dispensing system named One Shot. It features simple pod technology that serves quality Bulla ice cream flavours with the touch of a button. The system requires no cleaning, requires little maintenance, and has no waste, making it perfect for a quick no-fuss dessert to serve to customers. Bulla offers four popular flavours: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and Cookies & Cream, with more to come. ● sales@harbinaustralia.com
Garnish with ‘grapes’
Stylish and simple
Pacific Seaweeds has introduced sea grapes, from the pristine shores of Fiji, to Australia. Sea grapes make a wonderful garnish for seafood, cold meats and salads, as well as foods traditionally served with caviar. These edible sea grapes are healthy, nutritional, tasty, and make for an elegant, intriguing garnish for a variety of dishes. They are packed soon after they are harvested, and are available in 100g jars. ● www.pacificseaweeds.com
Japanese designed single-use tableware, Wasara, is stylish, simple and eco-friendly. The vessels are water and oil resistant and are suitable for hot or cold food and liquids. Comfortable to hold, Wasara are also very sturdy; they don’t bend or sweat when hot. Made from sugar cane fibre (bagasse) and bamboo, they are completely compostable. The Wasara range is available in Australia and New Zealand from Epicure Trading. ● www.epicuretrading.co.nz
36 Open House, December 2014/January 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net
Creative crackers
Pop-tastic
Didess Tapioca crackers are a versatile and innovative product that can be used for both sweet and savoury applications. Preparation is simple and quick, improving efficiency in a busy commercial kitchen environment and they can be fried or microwaved for a healthier alternative. The crackers are available in plastic tubs of 48 pieces, with four tubs per carton. The Didess brand is available in Australia from Apromo Trading. ● www.apromotrading.com.au
Liana Raine offers a unique flavour range of handmade popsicles, using seasonal whole fruit and all natural ingredients. These artisan popsicles are available in tantalising flavour combinations such as Boysenberry Cream Cheese, Pineapple Mint, and Rockmelon Lime. They are free of preservatives, gluten and stabilisers, making them a popular healthy option. The products are available in two sizes for foodservice, with 32 large pops (75ml) per box, and 45 small pops (40ml) per box. ● www.lianaraine.com
Tough cleaning
Take a shott
Clorox has launched a new range of Chux commercial scourers, which are ideal for tough cleaning in foodservice kitchens. The Chux Heavy Duty Scourer Pad is great for scrubbing away baked on dirt and grime on pots and pans, while the Heavy Duty Scourer Scrub includes a foam sponge layer for easy handling. The NonScratch Scourer Sponge is a gentle non-scratch scourer with a super absorbent cellulose sponge, for use on non-stick surfaces, where heavy-duty abrasion is not required. ● www.cloroxcommercial.com.au
Shott Beverages has added Shott Orange & Lemongrass flavor to their range. It’s made with real fruit and is infused with ginger and subtle hints of lemongrass. Shott is an effective solution for those in the foodservice industry looking for consistent and authentic flavours all year round. The 750ml bottle makes up 7 litres of product, which can be used for cocktails, or mixed with hot, cold or sparkling water, making it ideal for cafes and bars. ● www.shott.com.au OH
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 37
PROFILE
Melbourne “no brainer” Work is underway on Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck “pop up” restaurant, less than three months ahead of what is sure to be one of the highest profile restaurant openings Australia has ever seen, discovers Ylla Watkins.
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elbourne was only one of the cities considered by Heston Blumenthal as a temporary home for his three Michelin star Fat Duck restaurant, with the chef also looking at a number of hot spots including Las Vegas, San Tropez, Dubai and New York. In the end the decision to move the restaurant to Australia was a “no-brainer”, according to the chef, thanks to the explosion of interest in Australia’s food scene in recent years and the breadth and quality of ingredients available here. In Sydney last month to launch Breville’s new Boss superblender, the chef said that construction work is well underway at Crown Melbourne on the 130-seat Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which will replace Fat Duck permanently after the latter’s six month stint. “They’ll finish that in December then build the 50-seat Fat Duck inside, like a Russian babushka doll,” he said. “And then we open for business on the third of February.” Blumenthal plans to fly around 50 staff to Melbourne for the restaurant’s six-month season, with some key staff members already on the ground. The team recently held a “monster tasting” of local produce. “One of my sous chefs has spent the last seven weeks going to farms, talking to producers, scouring for the best ingredients, and then working out the best way to cook them,” Blumenthal said. “There are only a couple of fish that we have in the UK, for instance, that you
have over here. They’re all different. Things like bass groper, jewfish, all of those fish, we’ve never heard of them, so we don’t know how they’re going to respond to curing and cooking. “Cream is also different over here. Your cream has got gelatine and starch in it, which I don’t understand. When you cook with it it behaves completely differently. We’ve now found a dairy which we’re going to start working with, making our own butter and cream.” With just over two months to go until the Fat Duck opens, anticipation is already high amongst Australian foodies, with more than 270,000 applying for a seat at the 50-seat restaurant. A ballot for tables, drawn in November, created controversy when it was revealed that scalpers managed to rort the system, securing 100 tables under fake names and selling them on at inflated prices. “I didn’t expect the response to be so crazy when we announced the ballot,” Blumenthal said. “We thought the fairest way to do it is just pick out of a hat, and we gave it to a third party to deal with, but then we found out that someone had found some sort of encryption expert in China – it sounds very James Bond – and somehow managed to hack in and secure a load of tables. “We went to a lot of effort to make it as fair as possible, because we knew we were never going to be able to sit everyone who applied, so it’s a bit annoying.” OH
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AUSTRALIAN CULINARY FEDERATION NEWS
The year that was I
t is customary to finish the year with a recap of our highlights for 2014, and who am I to break the tradition?
The Australian Culinary Federation (ACF) kicked off in full swing on March 23 when I was elected to the position of national president and CHAT became our weekly e-newsletter, with the regular communication to members showing just how much work the association does promoting our industry. The start of the year also saw several educational workshops and fantastic gala dinners held in Queensland. In March, we sent the National Culinary Team to Singapore to compete at Food & Hotel Asia 2014. With a number of new faces on board, under the guidance of some of our experienced competitors, the team was awarded several medals and 3rd place on the “savoury cold table”. The World Association of Chef Societies' Congress was held in July in Norway and we were able to see our global candidate Shannon Kellam, alongside Jess Lucas and team manager Shane Keighley, represent Australia. ACF VIC were also able to conduct
three fundraising dinners to send members of the Young Chefs Club to Norway. The Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat state finals, held throughout June to August and culminating with the national finals in September, saw a fresh group of young chefs battle it out, with Queensland South being victorious this year. Fine Food Australia, held in Melbourne, celebrated its 30th year and also saw the Sydney Metro/NSW Team, captained by Matt Weller, take out the Fonterra “Battle of the States”. Held in Adelaide, the Apprentice of the Year saw 32 bright young chefs compete for the title with educational workshops conducted by Fonterra and the Meat & Livestock Association. The ACF rounded off the year with professional workshops across regional Australia in addition to many more events through local and state chapters. I would like to thank all state presidents and their committees for a wonderful year that has seen many transitions and I look forward to the year ahead. I would also like to acknowledge all our sponsors and thank
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Neil Abrahams Australian Culinary Federation (ACF)
them for their contributions and commitment to the industry and the association. Look out for a big 2015, opening with the inaugural Australian Chef’s Conference, to be held in the Sunshine Coast on February 22-23. We encourage all members and industry partners to attend. OH
ON THE MOVE Rockpool Restaurant Group has appointed Sebastian Crowther as head sommelier. He brings years of experience to the role, having worked in establishments such the Merivale Group, The Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, Victoria, and the China Group.
Daniel Smith has been appointed executive chef at Clifford's Grill & Lounge and Walrus Social House, at the Watermark on the Gold Coast. He has worked prevously at Bedarra Island, One & Only Maldives at Reethi Rah and most recently at Stamford Hotels & Resorts.
Spicers Retreats has appointed Rory Thorpe (pictured) as head chef of The Tamarind restaurant at Spicers Tamarind, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He will be working alongside chef de partie Phil Felschow and sous chef Graeme “Rozi” Mair.
Pier One Sydney Harbour welcomes international executive chef Chris Irving to the team. Irving possesses a diverse culinary background having cooked for Her Majesty The Queen of England as well as The Spanish Royal Family, and spent four years with the Gordon Ramsay Group.
Cookabarra Restaurant, in Port Stephens, New South Wales, has appointed executive chef David Hochkins to head its kitchen. Hochkins joined Cookabarra after working at Clive’s in Warriewood, and Spitlers in Mosman.
Michael Chatto has been appointed executive chef at the new Chifley's Bar & Grill at Hotel Kurrajong, in Canberra. Chatto is formally of Italian & Sons, Artespresso and Pier in Sydney. He will be joined by sommelier and restaurant manager, Catherine Sharland, formerly of Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth.
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2014/January 2015 39
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Introducing Arnott’s Portion Control Range
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