Clubs & Pubs Autumn 2012 by Executive Media

CLUBS&PUBS manager Autumn 2O12

Print Post Approved PP 381712/02671

Contents News Study finds popularity of internet gambling on the rise

Foodservice industry bigger than ever

Green eggs per gram

People want compromise on poker machine reform

Gaming Player spend claims are inflated by 100 times

Service quality for gambler retention

Entitlement holders, are you getting the answers?

OH & S Cellar and cool rooms beverage gas safety

Safe design of commercial kitchens

Security Proposed standard for CCTV supervision of gaming areas

WORKFORCE Rostering rules encourage casual rather than permanent staff

More needed to fix hotel labour shortages

Food and beverage Editor: Eden F. Cox Designed by: Jody Green Published by:

ABN 30 007 224 204

430 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Hire a ‘wine wrangler’ for distinct advantage

Wake up and smell the bacon!

Australian PorkFest this April

Food behind the bar – all hours offer

Recipe costing… Do I have to?

High Country Harvest on the menu

Oils ain’t oils

Set the benchmark for coffee

Tel: (03) 9274 4200 Fax: (03) 9329 5295

Interiors AND architecture

Email: media@executivemedia.com.au

Designing bars that work

Web: www.executivemedia.com.au

Outdoor heating just got hotter with the new Heatstrip®

Managing risk for indoor play

Profit from play

Big Red’s shady range

Why Heatray Outdoor Heaters stand out against the rest

Cover and contents images: Buckleys Entertainment Centre, Breakwater, Victoria. The editor, publisher, printer and their staff and agents are not responsible for the accuracy or correctness of the text of contributions contained in this publication or for the consequences of any use made of the products, and the information referred to in this publication. The editor, publisher, printer and their staff and agents expressly disclaim all liability of whatsoever nature for any consequences arising from any errors or omissions contained in this publication, whether caused to a purchaser of this publication or otherwise. The views expressed in the articles and other material published herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor and publisher or their staff or agents. The responsibility for the accuracy of information is that of the individual contributors and neither the publisher nor editors can accept responsibility for the accuracy of information that is supplied by others. It is impossible for the publisher and editors to ensure that the advertisements and other material herein comply with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Readers should make their own inquiries in making any decisions and, where necessary, seek professional advice. © 2012 Executive Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Techno systems for club challenges

Get on Facebook and connect with your community!

COMMUNITY At the heart of the community

EDUCATION AND TRAINING Responsible gambling training

Hospitality trade training centre addressing skills shortage

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 1

NEWS

Study finds popularity of

internet gambling on the rise

BY Dr Sally Gainsbury, Southern Cross University’s Centre for Gambling Education and Research

The rate of internet gambling is on the rise in Australia, according to new research from Southern Cross University and the University of Sydney, with factors like convenience and ease of access contributing to its popularity.   ‘An investigation of internet gambling in Australia’ was led by Dr Sally Gainsbury from Southern Cross University’s Centre for Gambling Education and Research (CGER), with the assistance of CGER Director, Professor Nerilee Hing, Professor Alex Blaszczynski from the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney and the University of Lethbridge’s Dr Robert Wood.   ‘Internet gamblers had significantly more positive attitudes towards gambling,’ said Dr Gainsbury. ‘People appear to be gravitating towards online gambling because of the availability and the convenience. It can be accessed anytime, anywhere. But for people with existing gambling problems, internet gambling may create additional risks.’ The findings are part of the largest survey of internet gamblers to date in Australia, with more than 6680 participants taking part in the self-selected, online questionnaire. Dr Gainsbury said overall the research showed internet gamblers were not more likely to be problem gamblers, but they do appear to be at higher risk of developing problems.    ‘Internet gambling poses unique risks to players; it is constantly available and people can play online in private with relative anonymity. The use of electronic funds did increase spending for some players and may create negative consequences for some people.’ Over half of the 450 problem internet gamblers responding to the survey said the use of credit cards or internet bank transfers increased the amount they spent compared to less than one in 10 of the 2270 non-problem internet gamblers. While internet gambling has been around since the 1990s, its popularity has soared in the past few years, with clear trends indicating an increasing number of participants starting to gamble online.  More than half of the survey participants started gambling online from around 2006. ‘Gambling problems do take a while to set in before causing really severe consequences, so 2 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

as people continue to play online we may see more problems emerge from this form of gambling,’ said Dr Gainsbury.    The researchers have called for the online gambling space to be made safer for users. Among the recommendations, players be encouraged to set limits on their spending; popup messages suggest a break in long continuous sessions; and self-tests determine the risk of developing gambling problems. The study set out to explore the characteristics of internet gamblers and found:   • Internet gamblers were more likely to be from higher income households, and to either work full-time or be a student.   • Online players tended to participate in a greater number of gambling activities overall and were technically savvy.

KEY FINDINGS    • The main advantages of internet gambling were related to the convenience and availability of internet gambling, as well as the lack of crowds, unpleasant people and anonymity. This may suggest internet gambling may appeal to those who prefer not to gamble in land-based venues. Internet gamblers may represent a new group of gamblers and venue gamblers may shift to gambling online.    • Players choose internet gambling sites based on reputation, payout rates, and money being safely and easily retrieved. Most participants played on Australianbased sites where these are available (wagering and lottery), but there was little concern about legality of sites and where they are based. This is concerning as playing on offshore sites may result in identify theft, fraud, losing funds and cheating, with little recourse for Australians.   • Internet gambling was perceived to be too addictive by 15 per cent of players and poses unique risks, particularly for vulnerable populations, such as young, single, uneducated and unemployed gamblers. C&PM

NEWS

Foodservice INDUSTRY

BIGGER THAN EVER

There is no doubt that the foodservice industry plays a major role in the Australian economy and our everyday lives, and also presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges. That is why the Foodservice Australia 2012 show will focus exclusively on this segment from 27 to 29 May in Sydney.

he foodservice show Foodservice Australia 2012 has actually been running for over 40 years. It was previously known as the ICTF. However, this year it has a new organiser and they are re-launching the show to cater for the modern foodservice operator. Show organiser Timothy Collett says the industry needs a focused event. He says, ‘consumer expectations when eating out of the home have lifted dramatically, and so have costs. There has never been more pressure on restaurants, clubs, caterers and institutions to get it right.’

your business for more than a few hours. This venue is only a few minutes from the city centre, but offers easy access and free parking.’ It seems the re-launched show has proven popular with suppliers, with much of the exhibition space already confirmed. C&PM

The foodservice industry in Australia is also bigger than ever. Industry researchers BIS Shrapnel estimate there are 80,000 operators with an annual turnover of $45 billion. The percentage of the food dollar spent out of the home has also risen from 30 per cent to 40 per cent over the last 15 years, and appears to be recession-proof. Collett says the show will aim to inspire, educate and generate opportunities for every sector of the foodservice industry. He says, ‘our aim is to go beyond a tradeshow and provide an exclusive forum for sharing new ideas and best practice. ‘The foodservice business is different to food retailing. You have to provide consumers with a complete experience that includes the food, people and environment. You have significant cost and time pressures. And you have to recreate the experience every day.’ An important part of the show will be industry workshops and seminars. These will run on the show floor with special sessions for staffing, menu planning, marketing and more. The show will also host the popular ‘Chef of the Year’ and ‘Apprentice of the Year’ competitions. Another significant change has been the move from Darling Harbour to the Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park. Collett says, ‘an important part of the plan was to make visiting easy for buyers. We know it is hard to get out of

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 3

NEWS

Green eggs per gram New research by the Australian Egg Corporation Limited (AECL) suggests that egg production has the lowest carbon footprint of all the main protein foods. AECL Managing Director, James Kellaway, said the research was another good reason for consumers to include eggs as part of their daily diets. ‘This study has highlighted some surprising results, including suggesting that the humble egg is now the highest-quality protein food with the lowest emissions. But the research also highlighted that there is still scope for refinements to current practices in egg production to allow further reductions in emissions. AECL wishes to conduct further studies on this important topic,’ Mr Kellaway said. ‘With greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions front-of-mind for many, this research provides consumers with the information they need to help reduce their carbon footprints when buying foods,’ he said. The research project, conducted by Steve Wiedemann and Eugene McGahan (and commissioned by AECL), used Life Cycle Assessment to study the GHG emissions from three egg farms over one year.

The researchers also found that: • Cage production delivered a lower carbon footprint than free-range egg production. • Greenhouse gas emissions from cage egg production was 1.3 kilograms of CO2-e per kilogram of eggs (carbon dioxide equivalence, including methane and nitrous oxide). • Emissions from free-range egg production were found to be 1.6 kilograms of CO2-e per kilogram of eggs. • Australian egg production had a lower carbon footprint than in several European egg studies’ results (mainly due to the more efficient grain production in Australia). • The largest carbon impacts in the supply chain were: feed grain production, then manure management and energy use at the layer farm. • Free-range egg production’s carbon footprint was found to be about 20 per cent higher than caged egg production due to the fact that it uses more feed per kilogram of eggs produced compared to the feed efficiencies of cage egg production. C&PM

4 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

NEWS

People want compromise

on poker machine reform A poll of 800 voters shows more than half of Australians want a compromise on poker machine reform that could include voluntary pre-commitment.

ollsters Textor Crosby asked voters what the Labor Government should do on gambling reform in light of Peter Slipper’s decision to leave the Coalition to assume the position of speaker of the house. The question asked of voters was: ‘You may be aware that the Federal Labor Government recently increased its numbers in the Parliament due to the Labor Speaker stepping down and being replaced by a former Coalition member. This means that Andrew Wilkie’s stated position to withdraw support from the minority government if they do not tackle problem gambling would not necessarily bring down the government. With this change in mind, what do you think the Labor Government should do with poker machine reform? The polling offered four options with the resulting support for each option in brackets: 1. carry on with mandatory pre-commitment (19.3 per cent) 2. introduce gambling reform, but negotiate an alternative position so it has less effect on clubs, such as voluntary pre-commitment (55.1 per cent) 3. abandon poker machine reform altogether (19.4) 4. don’t know/no opinion (6.2 per cent). That means that the vast majority of Australians believe that mandatory pre-commitment should be buried. Clubs Australia Executive Director Anthony Ball said the polling confirmed that mandatory pre-commitment had been exposed as a magic bullet solution to problem gambling. ‘This polling in marginal Labor and independent-held seats shows that Australians are tired of Andrew Wilkie’s posturing and threatening of the federal government.’

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 5

NEWS

The following graphs show the results of the recent Textor Crosby poll, both in terms of geographical make-up, and political affiliation.

What do you think the Labor Government should do on Poker Machine reform?

Future Preference for Poker Machine Reform: GEOGRAPHICAL n=800 responses

19.3% 18% 21% 22% 17%

Carry on with the introduction of Carry on with the introduction of mandatory pre-commitment of mandatory pre-commitment of poker machines regardless poker machines regardless

Introduce a scheme to tackle problem gambling, but Introduce a scheme to tackle problem renegotiatean analternative alternative gambling, but renegotiate approach so it has so less on effect clubs by, approach it effect has less on for example, making it a voluntary system clubs by, for example, making it a voluntary system

55.1% 55% 55% 54% 56% 19.4% 23% 16% 18% 21%

Abandon poker machine Abandon poker machine reform altogether reform altogether

Don’t know / No opinion / None of these

Dec 2011 Total NSW Qld

6% 4% 8% 6% 6%

Total metro Total regional

Future Preference for Poker Machine Reform: POLITICS

What do you think the Labor Government should do on Poker Machine reform?

n=800 responses

19.3%

Carry on with the introduction of

Carry on with the introduction of mandatory mandatory pre-commitment of pre -commitment of poker machines regardless poker machines regardless

19% 16% 22%

Introduce a scheme to tackle problem gambling, but Introduce a scheme to tackle problem renegotiate an alternative gambling, but renegotiate an alternative approachapproach so it has less clubs by, on soeffects it hason less effect for example, making it a voluntary system clubs by, for example, making it a voluntary system

55.1% 56% 53% 58% 19.4%

Abandon poker machine reform altogether

18%

Abandon poker machine reform altogether

26%

Dec 2011 Total

12%

ALP held seats 6.3%

Don’t know / No opinion / None of these

7% 5% 8%

6 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

IND held seats Uncommited voters

GAMING

Player spend claims

are inflated by 100 times By Ross Ferrar, Chief Executive Officer, Gaming Technologies Association

Through all the recent discussions about poker machines, the antipokies fanatics have made many claims – but one in particular stands out like a bonfire.

The reality is that every poker machine in Australia – and all of the game software – is tested and certified before being approved for use, and then monitored to make sure it operates as approved.

ost recently, Senator Nick Xenophon said in the Sunday Mail newspaper that, ‘the average loss on a standard poker machine is $1200 an hour’. This seems to have been calculated by multiplying a $10 maximum bet by 20 spins per minute by sixty minutes, less 90 per cent return to players: $1200. Actual poker machine revenue per hour is $10.91, which is less than one-100th of Senator Xenophon’s claim. He went on to say that industry had ‘launched a shameful antireform campaign that makes a corkscrew look straight’. It seems to me that the industry’s statements are as straight as an arrow compared to the propaganda of inflating a key number by 100 times to suit one’s political purposes. 198,248 gaming machines are in use in Australia and annual expenditure figures total $12 billion. Machines are available for play for 15 hours per day on average, so actual yearly revenue per machine is just under $60,000: an actual hourly revenue of $10.91 per operational hour. So $10.91 is the average loss on a poker machine, not $1200. There are so many falsehoods rolled out by the anti-pokies fanatics that it’s difficult to decide which one to correct next. One that intrigued me was Senator Xenophon’s statement in the Sunday Mail that reducing the maximum bet per spin to $1 would be ‘simple, and cheap to implement. It’s just software and signage’. This is another claim that makes the industry’s statements look straight as an arrow. The reality is that every poker machine in Australia – and all of the game software – is tested and certified before being approved for use, and then monitored to make sure it operates as approved. So, I agree that ‘it’s just software and signage’, as long as you know what that means. To reduce bets per spin to $1, along with the other things that the anti-pokies fanatics are suggesting (such as $500 maximum prizes), would require every single one of the 25,000 game software packages currently in use to be reconfigured and approved for use by state and territory regulators. There are currently fewer than 2000 games approved for use nationally each year because the process ... Continued on page 10

8 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

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GAMING

It would make very good sense for the federal government to announce that the National Health and Medical Research Council would oversee all gambling-related research. ... continued from page 8 of reconfiguring, testing and certifying each game is very complex. And of course, then a machine owner has to purchase the new game software and a licensed technician has to visit each machine to install it. To me, that doesn’t sound simple or cheap – or quick. Another gross exaggeration being made by a few people is that the Productivity Commission’s target of implementing pre-commitment by 2016 is achievable. This wasn’t achievable when the Commission set the target in February 2010, and it’s two years down the track now. How is it that an impossible six-year target, set two years ago, is now possible? And in yet another exaggeration, we have heard the claim that a field trial of mandatory pre-commitment in the Australian Capital Territory was ‘acceptable’. But nobody knows what the functions of mandatory pre-commitment are, let alone how to go about building it. Whether for a field trial or not, poker machines must be developed or reconfigured and then tested and certified before being approved for use. It would be good if some politicians listened to the people who work in and around the industry. Although some antipokies fanatics would see it as a political cop-out, what is needed is reliable information that can only be provided through a rigorous process of independent research. When I say ‘independent’, I mean beholden to no group of stakeholders, whether they be industry, politicians or antipokies fanatics. It would make very good sense for the federal government to announce that the National Health and Medical Research Council would oversee all gambling-related research, that this would be informed by a series of representative forums, that all the deliberations around gambling research would be published, and that state and industry funding for gambling research would be directed into a national fund to ensure that council met its objectives. Now that’s legislation that all parties could support. C&PM

10 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

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GAMING

Service quality

for gambler retention By Dr Catherine Prentice, Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University

Numerous casinos have been established in the AsiaPacific region in recent years, and competition between these establishments has progressively intensified.

or instance, the four-decade monopoly enjoyed by Resorts World Genting, Malaysia, has been threatened by the recent opening of two megacasinos in Singapore and by newly erected casinos in the Philippines. Competition prompts casino marketers to undertake aggressive player acquisition promotions. Such approaches have generally proved to be ineffective, since competitors are well-placed to match or exceed any offer. Casino marketers have become increasingly aware that it is both efficient and profitable to establish a good relationship

with existing players. This holds true also for smaller venues with gambling facilities such as clubs and pubs, which have access to a smaller customer pool, and often rely on patron loyalty. Many reports have shown positive relationships arising from player retention and profitability. Depending on the location of the relevant venue and the prevalent approach to player segmentation, the most common retention strategy

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GAMING

has been to offer complimentary or discounted food and beverages, show tickets and hotel rooms. Some casinos provide golf tournaments and flights for international players and petrol subsidies in the case of local drive-in players. Such promotions are no doubt necessary in certain circumstances, but their homogeneity does not allow venues to distinguish themselves from competitors. Gaming researchers and practitioners have increasingly acknowledged that service quality is critical for achieving sustainability and competitive advantage. In the literature, service quality has long been acknowledged as an antecedent of customer loyalty and retention, and claimed to be one of the key determinants of casino sustainability and competitive advantage. Is it effective in influencing customer loyalty and retention? Most researchers have employed a single dimension scale in their studies – service quality is commonly operationalised as a multi-faceted construct. Despite the adoption of a variety of measurements, the dimensions generally describe both tangible and intangible aspects of a service. Do they impact differently on customer loyalty and retention? Although service quality is undoubtedly important for achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty, the service management literature has indicated that organisations also offer tiering services to customers who are segmented on the basis of their relationship strength and level of associated profitability for the service provider. This characteristic is prevalent in the case of the AsiaPacific casino sector. It is common practice for high-end customers, or so-called ‘high rollers’, to receive premium or VIP treatments such as limousine and helicopter services. By way of contrast, low-end players often receive minimal casino services. Would the different service offers influence gambler perceptions of casino service quality and ultimately their loyalty and retention? To answer the above questions, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was employed by surveying gamblers in one of the world’s largest casinos from segments that are classified on the basis of relationship strength with the survey casino and profitability. The results have provided insights into the relationship between the various dimensions of service quality, gambler segmentation and retention. The findings from the quantitative study indicate that service quality explains significant variance in player retention. In particular, ‘service environment’ and ‘service delivery’

contribute substantially to customer patronage and retention. The former is an indicator of the facilities and atmosphere; while the latter concerns the interactions between customers and service representatives, especially casino hosts. The results reflect the importance of frontline employees for managing customer relationships and determining service quality. This finding was consistent with interview findings, except that the interviews provided a deeper insight into how aspects of service quality were perceived by customers from different segments, which subsequently affected their intentions to return to the casino. The results from both the self-administered survey and the interviews indicate that players from different segments have distinct perceptions of overall service quality and its dimensions. These findings have the following implications: Although service quality is commonly regarded as an important determinant of customer satisfaction and loyalty, it does not comprise the totality of the customer’s judgement about an entity’s overall excellence or superiority as has been defined in the services literature. The various service encounters experienced by customers result in differing perceptions and attitudes. An overall assessment of service quality comprises a combination of perceptions arising from each service encounter between the customer and the service provider. If customers are to perceive the service quality of an organisation positively, it will be necessary to engage in close management of the service encounter. Since the various dimensions of service quality affect the retention of customers from different tiers differentially, venue management should focus on those aspects that concern the specific tier of player loyalty and retention in order to be cost-effective and maximise the use of resources. For example, it has been claimed that most casino revenues are derived from high rollers – or VIP

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 13

GAMING

players. However, the present research has revealed that the casinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s luxurious tangible offerings have little effect on the loyalty and retention of these players. They are not fascinated by luxurious hotel suites or by vintage French wines; nor are they excited about pop concerts or imported Las Vegas magic shows and appear to take such offerings for granted.

a comparison of services that customers expect from the provider with the service performance that they perceive. Although their expectations may be optimised, players in different tiers logically expect differential service levels. It is important for venues to manage player expectations and make appropriate adjustments based on the level of their relationship with the venue.

Their intention to return is largely influenced by the interactions and relationships with casino frontline employees. In this context, it is essential to build rapport between the employees and the casino guests, since this will enhance customer loyalty and retention. It is imperative to provide relevant training for player contact employees. On the other hand, although VIP players expressed indifference towards tangible offerings, they would complain if these services were withheld; or such players would be lured to competitors. It is important that venue management resolves this dilemma and ensures the efficient use of resources to maximise revenues.

The interviews conducted during this research have revealed that casino hosts are inadequately empowered in their capacity as first contact point for players. This is reflected in the slow response by hosts to player requests in cases where they appear to be required to refer matters to their supervisors and/or more senior management. This hierarchical process is time-consuming and may be intolerable for gamblers who are seeking an immediate response so that they can regain their anticipated turnaround luck. To minimise player complaints and the possibility of switching to competitors, management should empower frontline employees so that they can attend to the issues that have been raised by respondents.

Although the tiered player system was created largely to support the efficient use of casino resources, the practice should not be allowed to imply prejudice or discrimination towards lower tier customers. Such an implication can influence customer perceptions of service quality. Defined as overall judgement of an entityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall service excellence, service quality may also be viewed as

14 â&#x20AC;˘ CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

Whilst the research here was undertaken with casinos, the findings are nevertheless relevant to many smaller operations with gaming machines, many of which rely on positive interactions with their customers to ensure returning business in the long term. C&PM

GAMiNG GAMING

ENtitLEMENt HoLdERS are you getting the answers?

012 is the year of opportunity for Victorian Hotels and Clubs. With the introduction of the new monitoring system, gaming venues will have the flexibility and freedom to take advantage of a wider range of technology and products offered by gaming manufacturers.

corner, Amtek is assisting venues to prepare EARLY, with pre-purchased machines arriving daily at Amtek’s Port Melbourne production facility.

This new era also raises a number of questions. Will the machines I purchase work and how long will they work for? What product can I buy and is it compliant? What about Jackpot, Loyalty and TITO products? Where do I get coin cups, reserve signs and everything else we need? Now is the time to finalise your gaming requirements and know exactly where you are headed in 2012. If you’re not getting the answers, it’s time to talk to Amtek. As the premier independent Victorian gaming company, Amtek has been working to ensure its venues are ready for the change over. With August 2012 just around the

X 16• •CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERAutumN AUTUMN2012 2O12

To find out more about Amtek visit www.amtek.com.au Email: gaming@amtek.com.au Or call Amtek on 1300 426 464

OH & S

Cellar and cool rooms

beverage gas safety Gas cylinder systems stored in enclosed non-ventilated areas, such as underground cellars and cool rooms, can result in the build-up of gases if the cylinders leak. Inhalation of these gases may result in the asphyxiation of people entering these areas.

What is a solution to the problem?

What are the risks?

• Keep cellar and cool room gas stocks to a minimum – only store what is needed.

Carbon dioxide and nitrogen, used to carbonate and deliver beer and soft drinks, are odourless, colourless asphyxiant gases.

If gas cylinders cannot be located in the open air or in an adequately naturally ventilated area, the following actions must be taken to minimise the risk of death or injury from asphyxiant gases: • Install a gas monitoring and alarm system to warn people of a hazardous buildup of gas before entering the cellar or cool room. The type of monitors required depends on the gases used. The system must include visible and audible alarms both within the cellar or cool room and at the entry points outside these areas. • Install warning/emergency response signs at the cellar or cool room entry points. • Restrict routine access to cellars and cool rooms to appropriately trained persons. • Implement a system of weekly leak tests of gas cylinders and lines with a bubble solution. Six- and 12-month maintenance inspections of the monitoring and alarm system and the gas dispensing equipment must also be conducted. • With every cylinder change, fit new O-rings or sealing washers and leak-test the cylinder connections.

• Ensure gas cylinders are stored upright and are secured with a chain or similar. • Ensure cellars, cool rooms and any access steps are provided with adequate lighting.

If the oxygen in the air is displaced by • Develop and train all staff in the emergency procedures to be implemented when leaking gases, a person entering the the alarm is sounding. This must include ensuring no entry into the cellar or cool cellar can be overcome without warning room other than by appropriately trained and protected emergency personnel. and suffocate in only a few minutes. • Maintain housekeeping to remove any potential slip, trip or fall hazards. C&PM Hotel staff have been killed in cellars in Victoria after breathing in leaking carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen. This information provided by WorkSafe Victoria.

18 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

OH & S

Safe design

of commercial kitchens

Spatial requirements These guidelines can be used when designing new kitchens or renovating existing commercial premises. They present the hospitality industry with standards and recommendations that will contribute to safe and efficient production of uncontaminated food.

A well-planned kitchen A well-planned kitchen should provide adequate space for: • storage for raw materials • food being prepared • food awaiting service • equipment, utensils, crockery and cutlery. It should also: • be efficient and effective in terms of movement of staff, equipment, materials and waste • provide an area for checking in stock.

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 19

OH & S

It is recommended that in a kitchen each person needs 10 metres squared.

To maintain effective movement through spaces, the area per person according to use of the equipment has been established by the Building Code of Australia. It is recommended that in a kitchen each person needs 10 metres squared.

Preparation and cooking

The premises shall be designed so that there is a continuous progression of food from delivery to storage, through to preparation and the finished product.

• fish preparation

Food delivery or receiving

Food safety practices and general requirements for storage and display of potentially hazardous foods

This includes the receiving of purchased goods, which involves handling, checking, recording, unpacking or packing. Some of these functions may be combined or not needed depending on the size of the kitchen.

Storage The amount of storage space and the type of storage will depend on: • the size of the kitchen • the volume of business • delivery frequency • the length of storage • the type of storage (frozen, refrigerated or dry). Storage of meats and poultry should be separate from dry foods, vegetables, fruit and pastry. The area for vegetable preparation should be near the delivery door. Ensure that all food is stored in the correct locations, and is covered and rotated so that the oldest food is at the front and is therefore used first.

20 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

The main preparation areas in food premises are for: • meat preparation • vegetable preparation

• pastry/dessert preparation.

The raw meat preparation area should be separated from the cooked food handling area. If the kitchen is large, there could be a physical barrier between the two areas.

Clean crockery Storage for clean crockery should be close to the washingup facility to minimise excess movement around the room.

Food service The type of service (à la carte, fast food, café or banquet) will direct how the serving function is performed. The most common service is plate service, which requires pick-up points next to the cooking area. The pick-up point arrangement should include heating lamps or a bain-marie. Side dishes to the meal such as bread or butter are usually located at waiter stations or in the cool room. There should be a separate pick-up point for chilled food such as desserts. The pick-up point arrangement is critical for an efficient in and out flow of waiter traffic. The flow should avoid any cross-traffic or backtracking. Ensure that provisions are made for waiter traffic in the kitchen layout.

OH & S

Waste food and dirty crockery There should be an allocated space for the disposal of waste food and dirty crockery near the entrance to the dining room doors. A wash-up area or commercial dishwasher should be located adjacent to the area for dirty crockery. This ensures that there is a flow from the waiting staff bringing in dirty crockery, to the disposal of food and the washing of dirty crockery, with minimal movement around the room. The following is a suggested list of possible cleaning/storing methods and equipment:

It is recommended that hand basins should be located at the staff entrances to areas where food is handled. It is recommended that provision be made for the following:

Clearances • up to 1200-millimetre clearance in front of storage areas with a sliding door • a 1200-millimetre x 1200-millimetre clearance in front of other rooms with swinging or folding doors (for example, dining room/servery doors).

• collection benches for pots and crockery

Cupboards and shelves

• stainless steel racks for pots and pans

• sliding shelves under the kitchen counter and built-in oven

• stainless steel racks for plates • stainless steel drawers for cutlery • bench-loading dishwasher with a capacity for 40 plates per five-minute cycle

• insulate or build an enclosure around the pipes under the sink to avoid risk of burns while allowing for proper clearances.

• large-volume sinks • plate rinse hose • drainage grid on the floor • exhaust fan • waste disposal bin (differing bins for recyclables) • glass racks

When planning a new kitchen, prioritise the position of the sink, preparation and cook top.

• dining room doors dividing the food preparation area from the washing-up/dishwasher area. There should be an allocated area to allow plates to be scraped immediately and put through the washing-up area. Space shall be provided on the premises for staff to handle food and perform other activities that are part of the food business.

Stove and cook top • controls on the side or in front depending on the size of the oven

Space should be provided for:

• the standard 920 millimetres above floor level is recommended for the stove and positioning it near that part of the kitchen counter used for food preparation

• food preparation and service

• range hood equipped with an easy-to-reach control

• separation of raw food preparation from cooked food preparation and other ready-to-eat food preparation areas

• electrical outlets at least 400 milllimetres above floor level

• washing and sanitising operations for utensils and equipment • separation of food storage and handling areas from areas for chemical storage, toilets, waste storage, office areas and other areas used for activities that could contaminate food or food preparation areas.

• kitchen counter electrical outlets 1050 millimetres above floor level • all switches, thermostats, et cetera, should be easy to activate with one hand.

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 21

OH & S

Suggested layout The sink and preparation areas should not be too far apart and the fridge should be near the entrance to the kitchen. When renovating an existing kitchen, keep the existing service points in mind, as rewiring and re-plumbing can be expensive. When planning a new kitchen, prioritise the position of the sink, preparation and cook top.

Exhaust systems are made up of a number of interdependent units. Exhaust hoods, exhaust fans, make-up air units, and packaged rooftop HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) units all need to operate within defined parameters to complement one another and to maintain peak performance.

An adequate supply of clean air must be provided and maintained within a commercial kitchen. The simplest form of ventilation is natural, involving the use of windows, doorways, vents and skylights. These should allow sufficient airflow to maintain a healthy working environment.

An effective exhaust system should get rid of:

Replacement air provides the airflow required by exhaust systems. If replacement air doesn’t come into the room, then the exhaust hood may not capture and contain airborne cooking waste due to the reduced airflow. This could allow cooking odours and waste air to escape into the dining area.

• cooking vapours.

Considerable care must be taken where doorways and windows are used for natural ventilation that fumes and dirt from surrounding premises are not drawn into the kitchen.

This is an extract from the document Information for the Safe Design of Commercial Kitchens, published by the Occupational Health and Safety Committee of SafeworkSA, and written in conjunction with the University of South Australia. The entire document may be accessed via www.safework.sa.gov.au

In some cases, supplemental air from an adjoining room may be required to assist the airflow plan. The kitchen staff must have control of these adjoining window or doorway sources to be able to maintain airflow. Adjoining toilets and bathrooms are not allowed to be used for supplemental air. Ventilation inlets and outlets should be positioned to maximise cross ventilation.

22 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

• heat • particulate matter • grease-laden steam

Exhaust hoods should be placed above cooking equipment and have the ability to capture and contain the airborne waste matter produced by cooking equipment. C&PM

SECURity SECURITY

PRoPoSEd StANdARd

for Electronic (CCTV) supervision of a gaming machine area

nder the new 2012 gaming industry arrangements, the responsibility for the conduct of gaming will transfer to Venue Operators. The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation (VCGR) is developing a number of proposed operational standards that set out the requirements for Venue Operators in relation to existing legislative instruments. These standards are made under Section 10.1.5B of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 (the Act) and are based on established and recognised best practice. The VCGR has written to Venue Operators, inviting them to familiarise themselves with the proposed operational standards and, through an on-line portal developed for the purpose, respond or comment on the anticipated impact of each standard. A proposed Electronic (CCTV) Supervision standard was released in December 2011. On completion of the consultation process with Venue Operators, the Commission will be requested to make

the Standards, following which they will be included in the ‘Towards 2012’ section of the recently released Venue Manual located on the VCGR website. These proposed CCTV standards will require most gaming venue operators to make improvements to their CCTV systems ranging from minor to major upgrades. The extent of the improvements required will depend upon how well venue operators have deployed and maintained their CCTV systems. Fundamental requirements of the proposed standard relate to level of CCTV coverage, quality of the images, continuous recording as opposed to motion activated recording, recording frame rates per camera, recording duration, file formats for incident backups (exports) and system maintenance. There will obviously be issues for some with understanding these requirements and objectively measuring compliance with them.

CCTV GAMING COMPLIANCE & LIQUOR LICENCE CCTV compliance for gaming and liquor licence applications has become an important issue for most hotels and clubs.

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CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERAUTUMN AutumN2O12 2012••23 X CLUBS

WORKFORCE

Rostering rules

encourage casual rather than permanent staff

By Madeleine Heffernan

The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) says rostering rules are creating confusion among hoteliers, and are encouraging them to take on casual workers rather than permanent workers.

part of the reason why two-thirds of the industry’s employees are casual workers is because sorting out whether full-time workers can change their hours is not worth the hassle for operators. AHA spokesman Steven Fanner

peaking ahead of the release of a discussion paper on the Fair Work Act review and a survey of its 5000-odd members, AHA spokesman Steven Fanner says anecdotally, flexibility around rostering and public holiday penalties have emerged as key issues for the $15 billion sector. ‘The way that the Fair Work Act deals with permanent employees, it’s difficult to have flexibility without overtime and penalty payments,’ Fanner says. ‘And that doesn’t match up with the dynamic, seasonal hospitality industry.’ According to Fanner, part of the reason why two-thirds of the industry’s employees are casual workers is because sorting out whether full-time workers can change their hours is not worth the hassle for operators. ‘If we want to change a shift around, we need to make sure appropriate breaks have taken place and the staff members haven’t worked so many hours in the previous days [to prevent overtime payments],’ he says. ‘That’s why most employers will use casuals when they can.’ According to the Australian Financial Review, under the Hospitality Award 2010, full-time players must be paid at least six hours per day; permanent part-time workers must be paid for at least three and casual workers are allowed to work a minimum of two hours. There are also stipulations on worker breaks after consecutive days of overtime. Fanner adds that public holidays were a problem over summer, with penalty rates soaring, after both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fell on weekends.

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The AHA has previously said its members are hard hit by wage prices because a large proportion of work is performed outside normal business hours and is therefore subject to penalty rates. The AHA has previously said its members are hard hit by wage prices because a large proportion of work is performed outside normal business hours and is therefore subject to penalty rates. An IBISWorld report into pubs, taverns and bars in Australia tipped 1.3 per cent growth in the 2011 to 2012 year, saying growth had been constrained over the past few years by declining beer consumption, strong competition from liquor retailers and the economic downturn, which caused the collapse of some highly leveraged pub operators and led many consumers to swap a bar stool at their local for the comfort of their couch at home. ‘To make matters worse, there have been changing community attitudes towards the industry’s two major products, alcohol and gambling, in the past five years.’ The report says the sector’s 3000-odd businesses employ almost 79,000 people, and noted that about 85 per cent of total revenue is derived from alcohol sales, off-premises liquor sales and gaming and wagering activities. The comments follow the collapse of several high-profile pub owners over the past few years, including National Leisure & Gaming, Cornerstone Hotels, Compass Hotel Group, Munday Group and Icon Hospitality. But not everybody is shying away from the sector; veteran ad man John Singleton picked up some hotels in Sydney throughout 2011 and there are expectations opportunistic buyers will emerge this year. The comments follow complaints by several industry bodies about the penalty rates set in the Fair Work Act. This week, the Australian Tourism Export Council said the industry was struggling with penalty rates, and the expiration of enterprise bargaining agreements will put further strain on operators, particularly small- and mediumsized enterprises operating in regional and rural areas. And the Restaurant and Catering Association also recently called for the hospitality sector to be exempted from some Fair Work provisions, including the mandatory payment of penalty rates – double time and a half – on weekends and public holidays. C&PM

This article originally appeared at SmartCompany, www.smartcompany.com.au

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 25

WORKFORCE

More needed

to fix hotel labour shortages The government-endorsed template Labour Agreement for the tourism industry must be complemented with further policy changes or labour shortages will continue to cripple the industry.

ustralian Hotels Association CEO Des Crowe said the development of a template Labour Agreement to allow tourism employers to source workers from overseas should be just the first of several initiatives in this area. ‘Labour shortages will continue unless the government also makes changes to its controversial Skilled Occupation List, loosens restrictions on international students and working holiday-makers, and adjusts its funding model for apprenticeships and traineeships,’ Mr Crowe said. ‘The AHA welcomes the government’s announcement of a template Labour Agreement for the tourism industry. This is something we have been calling for through the Long Term Tourism Strategy and it is pleasing to see Minister Bowen has accepted our arguments. ‘But this is just the tip of the iceberg and the template will still cover only workers with specialised skills. Overcoming the chronic shortages of labour will require the government to overturn some of its recent policy decisions that have disadvantaged the industry.

26 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

‘The removal of chefs from the Skilled Occupation List was a major blow to the industry that has yet to be rectified, and the downgrading in funding and support for apprentices and trainees in hospitality also needs to be reversed. The industry is also struggling to cope with the decline in international students, who have traditionally provided a reliable source of labour for lower-skilled part-time work. ‘All stakeholders need to be promoting careers in tourism and hospitality. ‘The Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot scheme will provide welcome temporary access to overseas workers from East Timor, with the potential for the program to be expanded at a later date, but more avenues to semi-skilled overseas workers are required to address industry labour shortages. ‘Many of the industry’s labour needs are in lower level positions, which do not fit the minimum skills and qualification requirements of existing working visa categories. ‘While the industry will need to increase numbers of Australian trainees and apprentices, it also needs to source overseas workers in order to fill job gaps.’ C&PM

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Hire a

‘wine wrangler’

for distinct advantage

Venues keen to present a solid wine and drinks offering are increasingly identifying a need in their businesses to employ a ‘wine wrangler’ – someone who can curate a drinks list, manage stock levels, train staff and be the point of call for customers seeking guidance or greater insights into the wines on offer – a sommelier.

ncreased queries to, and membership of, Australia’s national body, Sommeliers Australia, also support this trend. But how do you know if you need a sommelier and what should comprise such a distinct role? Union Dining is a Melbourne restaurant that opened last year and has fast become a major asset to the city’s everexpanding restaurant scene. Co-owners of Union Dining, Nicky Riemer and Adam Cash, recognise that service is a critical part of the whole dining experience, and the duo were prepared to invest in someone with specialised wine knowledge. Whilst Adam himself is no wine dunce – he was most recently Maitre’d at Melbourne’s Cutler & Co and a past nominee of Gourmet Traveller magazine’s Maitre d’ Of The Year – as a start-up business he knew he wouldn’t have time to do everything. So, along came Greg Lightfoot as sommelier at Union Dining. With a quality pedigree including time spent at Vue de Monde and Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne, negotiating

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their respective encyclopedic wine lists, Greg oversees a very different wine offer at Union Dining. With a relatively short list of around 130 wines, the selection has been very deliberate. ‘For us, it was critical that the list tied in with what Union Dining is about. Chef Nicky Riemer’s menu focuses on local, Victorian produce, with dishes inspired by provincial France and Italy. So our wine list highlights this too, keeping it local with Victorian wines and including a nod to the old world. The list offers a good cross-section of wines with respect to variety, style and region, and includes small producers alongside iconic ones. The number of wines offered ensures some great variety, but is not overwhelming to the diner. It’s a magic number that enables us to also best manage stock levels with the cellar and fridge space we have,’ says Greg. When hiring wait staff, the team looks for individuals with a little bit of wine understanding and a lot of enthusiasm for it. Ultimately, their regular in-house training schedule – a fortnightly program of tastings of not just wines, but spirits, eau de vies and coffee, supplier education sessions and the odd road trip – arms the team with what they need to know and, importantly, how it directly relates to Union Dining’s offer. Being able to talk about the wine and drinks list is just as important as explaining the menu.

Adam Cash and Nicky Riemer, co-owners of Union Dining ‘Each night I try to get to every table at least once to let them know I am available to consult on what they might be drinking or eating. Some of these are direct requests for my help, but with others it is simply educating them that I am about and can assist. I’ve found that as diners engage with more sommeliers and have a positive experience, it is becoming the norm for them to call on me as an essential part of their dining experience. They also think it’s a bonus if they meet the person behind the list,’ adds Greg. Diner confidence plays a big part in how they utilise a sommelier. The picture of a sommelier as a dusty old man in a formal waiter’s jacket talking about Bordeaux in a language that no-one really understands is long gone. Wine these days is more approachable and somewhat demystified. It is shaking off its elitist tag, and certainly the education programs and tasting events offered by Sommeliers Australia are very contemporary in their content and casual in their approach. Greg’s advice is pretty simple: ‘If a venue makes a decision that they want a solid wine offering, then they need to invest in a sommelier.’ C&PM

‘This is where Greg’s presence is invaluable. He manages our training program and ensures that all of our staff have the right levels of knowledge, but can call on Greg as the resident expert for diners that need more detailed information,’ says Adam. This training is not only an important factor in delivering benchmark service: Adam believes this level of training also helps to retain staff. At a time when finding and retaining high-quality wait staff is incredibly challenging, up-skilling staff is a worthy business investment to present a path for development, resulting in happier, more confident staff. Greg has seen an increase in the number of diners specifically requesting his services. A much greater knowledge about wine amongst diners, and enjoying positive experiences with sommeliers at other venues, has given diners greater confidence in discussing wine options with the resident sommelier.

28 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

For more information on sommeliers and sommelier education, visit www.sommeliers.com.au.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Wake up and smell the bacon! The sizzling smell of success… Victorian bacon producer declared number one in Australia.

omer Simpson may have been the first to come up with Bacon Day, but Australian Pork Limited (APL) has gone one better, surpassing Homer’s wildest dreams with Australian Bacon Week, a (delicious) initiative to highlight the pink square PorkMark – the only guaranteed way you can choose 100 per cent pure home grown Australian bacon. Heralding Australian Bacon Week 18 – 25 March was the announcement of the winners of Australia’s Best Bacon on Tuesday 13 March by the Hon. Joe Ludwig, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Not just a celebration everyone’s favourite breakfast food, Australian Bacon Week is more importantly a show of support for the local pork farmers, as well as bacon, ham and smallgoods manufacturers that are committed to using and selling products made with 100 per cent Australian pork. It is the celebration of true blue Australian bacon rather than the imported pork used to make 65 per cent of smallgoods sold in Australia. Countries like Denmark and Canada have highly subsidised agricultural industries, and as such, are able to export frozen products – in enormous quantities – for smallgoods manufacturing. In fact, over 2.6 million kilograms of foreign pig meat – $8.5 million worth – arrives in Australia every week. APL CEO Andrew Spencer says: ‘Our consumer research has shown that 95 per cent of consumers would prefer to buy Australian, but find the current labelling for bacon very confusing and at times misleading. For example, ‘Made in Australia’ does not mean the product is made from Australian-grown pork, only that it has been manufactured here. This pork is imported frozen, thawed out and then manufactured into bacon in Australia. The only way to be really sure that you’re buying bacon, or indeed any type of smallgoods product made using Australian pork, is to look for the pink Australian PorkMark as your guarantee of Australian origin.’ This year, 115 bacons were registered as part of the National Bacon Awards for Excellence. Entries were judged by two chefs and a fleishmeister on a variety of factors including appearance, aroma, texture, shrinkage and, of course, taste. Peter G Bouchier, of Moorabin, Victoria, took out the top gong for the nation’s best full rasher. Judges described his entry as a ‘perfectly proportioned, dry-cured rasher, with a sweet aroma, lovely tender texture and excellent flavour’.

Currently, there are 353 butchers and smallgoods producers licensed to champion the PorkMark on their products. Since the inception of Australian Bacon Week in 2010, the number of licensees nationwide has continued to grow, indicating the growing push from the Australian public to buy local. Australian Bacon Week involves hundreds of licensees around the country conducting in-store promotions, including bacon taste testing, price promotions, and Australian bacon buy-one-get-one-free specials, among other localised events. Food service outlets across the country will be showing their support by featuring Australian bacon dishes on their menus. C&PM

And the national winners are… Full Rasher 1st: Peter G Bouchier Pty Ltd – Moorabbin, VIC 2nd: Slade Point Meat Specialists – Mackay, QLD 3rd: Rapley’s Midtown Quality Meats – Narooma, NSW Short Cut 1st: Schulz Butchers – Elizabeth West, SA 2nd: Meatways Butchery – Kambah, ACT 3rd: Kanmantoo Bacon Company – Kanmantoo, SA

And the state winners are… Full Rasher 1st: Peter G Bouchier Pty Ltd – Moorabbin, VIC 2nd: Montrose Meat Supply – Montrose, VIC 3rd: Shaws Quality Meats – Stratford, VIC Short Cut 1st: Montrose Meat Supply – Montrose, VIC 2nd: The Smokehouse – Carrum Downs, VIC 3rd: Peter G Bouchier Pty Ltd – Moorabbin, VIC CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 29

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Australian PorkFest

this April

If Christmas was the season to be jolly, then April is the month to celebrate pork. It is Australian PorkFest, an initiative that encourages chefs to leverage pork’s pulling power at a time of year when the meat is at its peak quality and most plentiful and economical.

opular on bistro and restaurant menus everywhere, pork truly is the meat of the moment. Australian diners are embracing with open arms – and mouths – pork in it’s abundance of cuts and compatible cuisine styles. Australian PorkFest for the whole month of April is all about indulging your clientele’s porcine dreams in celebration of the versatility and desirability of the pig. On top of the reward of full bellies and great returns, chefs can register their featured PorkFest dish to go in the running to win a terrific major prize.

Hazelnut schnitzel

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Now in its second year, Australian PorkFest takes advantage of the boom season of delicious, quality pork. Most Australian pig herds breed and grow best in the cooler months, meaning that from the end of March throughout April, the previous year’s winter-born pigs mature to the right age and size to hit the market. It is the perfect time to take advantage of top-notch cuts at great prices. Aside from being a great excuse to get pork on the nation’s forks, Australian Pork Limited (APL) – the nation’s representative body for our pig farmers – initiated Australian PorkFest as a means to encourage the public to support the local industry following years of crippling effects of expensive feed grain as a result of drought, coupled with the huge impost from losing almost 70 per cent of the bacon and ham market to subsidised imported pig meat that goes into local smallgoods production. There is a major chef’s prize to be won too. Pork and apples are a classic match and so this year’s winning chef will score a trip for two to the biggest Apple: New York City. The winner will also receive five nights accommodation and become the envy among peers with a meal ticket to dine at Momofuku, with the chance to meet with the legendary prince of pork (buns) himself, David Chang. A mystery dining team will be dispatched on a mission to taste-test PorkFest-featured dishes at clubs and pubs that have registered to participate in April. These clandestine diners will be on the lookout for promotional signage as well as dishing out on-the-spot prizes to diligent front-of-house staff that talk-up the PorkFest special and other dishes that feature pork. So there is a front-of-house and back-ofhouse opportunity to be a winner.

Pork belly dish Bush blend cutlet

Across the nation, registered, participating venues reported marked increases in their pork dish sales during the Aprillong PorkFest last year. There was a building groundswell of pork-on-your-fork fanciers finding pork dishes more readily available that ultimately built to a crackling crunching peak that more than satisfied patrons and venue bean-counters alike. Flinders Lane favourite Bluestone Restaurant jumped head first into PorkFest last April with its crowd-pleasing dish of cider-steeped pork belly with a poached pear salad. The dish was featured in the Herald Sun’s food section and had customers coming back for more. Major pub group ALH was a huge supporter of the inaugural PorkFest last year, with 200 of its hotels having dished up an estimated 30,000 juicy pork cutlet specials to its clientele over the month.

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 31

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Giovanni Pilu’s pork cutlet and spiced cherries This year is shaping up to have even more people eating high on the hog with the nation groomed to enjoy the season of the pig. Not just limited to food service outlets, the concurrent PorkFest media, retailer and butcher awareness campaigns to promote PorkFest to customers will commence March 25 to provide a week’s lead-up to April and will be sure to have diners in a ‘get-some-pork-on-your-fork mood’. The peak season occurrence of PorkFest provides chefs with a timely opportunity to bend their culinary imaginations to developing their autumn and winter menus. Pork is a protein for all seasons and the perfect centre plate choice. It lends itself to braises, roasts, stir fries, stews, soups, BBQ, charcuterie and beyond, for almost every cuisine and for almost any style of eating experience. Cut for cut, it is the best value meat in its plate cost return and certainly has the appeal of being the most versatile. C&PM To participate in Australian PorkFest 2012, email the following details to porkfest@australianpork.com.au: • restaurant or establishment name • chef name or nominated entry contact • restaurant address • phone number • email address • dish name and pork cut being featured on the menu for the month of April. This can be a dish already existing on the menu. Trotters being plated

32 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

FOOD AND BEvERAGE BEVERAGE food ANd

food BEHINd THE BAR – ALL HOURS OFFER T

he bistro has been the bugbear of many venues over the years; to lease out or run in-house? This will continue to create heated discussions across board rooms and between managers, but what about the time the kitchen is closed? We discovered there are several reasons for an extended food offer and a range of options to choose from that are easier than first thought. Here are the main reasons venues look to an all-hours food offer. Creating an offer that sells well and costs little without too much waste can deliver handsome profits. When you look at all the hours that you are open without the kitchen open, there is great opportunity to sell snacks and meals.

or sporting game; if they can grab some food and a drink it can make your venue more appealing than another. Having the food offer helps to achieve other add-on sales and benefits. Lots of venues use food offers in different ways, including giving it out for free at certain times or certain areas of the venue and including food in function/booking packages. Simply, if you have someone stay a little longer to eat, they also continue to spend money on other things in the club. Across most states, we are now required by law to provide a fresh hot food offer for patrons that are drinking.

Food can be used as a marketing tool and drawcard. This can be tied to loyalty points and discount food options – reasons to bring people to your venue.

There are many venues that want to offer food in more places across the large clubs. So a cafe with a food offer can be set up on the other end of the club from the bistro, or the sports bar or gaming room. It makes it easier for customers and staff, and often boosts sales. It also takes the pressure off the kitchen in busy times.

Food can help bring people to your venue if they know they can get freshness at all hours. Think of a group of people, Saturday afternoon, maybe before or after a function, golf

We spoke with Michael Brick, Sales Manager at Perfect Fry Company, about what kind of food options are available. He says there are several options available that could be

34 CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERAutumN AUTUMN2012 2O12 X ••CLUBS

FOOD AND BEVERAGE food ANd BEvERAGE

considered depending on the type of patrons and the objectives of the venue. Generally, foods that are cooked on demand provide the most attractive options. Fried food is a popular food type and the Perfect Fryer is one piece of equipment that can cook a range of foods that are fresh and tasty and go great in most environments. ‘The unit is self-contained so it can be positioned behind a bar, in a sports bar or gaming room and have any staff member cook fresh food in minutes without the hassle.’ Pizza can be a good option and equipment is relatively easy, but a successful offer normally hinges on the pizzas themselves. Either finding a good supplier of fresh or frozen pizzas ready to cook or having a good system to make them in-house is generally the deciding factor on how successful a pizza offer is over time, but get it right and it can also be a good offer. Fresh or toasted sandwiches are quite traditional. Again, having sandwiches already made makes it easy on staff.

The kitchen can make them or buy them ready-made, but toasting them produces a fresher and nicer product for the patron. The hot meat pie offer is one that is still used in many venues, but is slowly being phased out. There are generally waste issues, lack of perception of freshness in product, and lack of choice for the patron. ‘The trick is choosing something that has good shelf life on product, so that if you have a quiet night of food sales you don’t suffer any loss, and when you have busy nights you can satisfy that demand. Choose equipment that doesn’t require specially trained staff and other overhead costs. We have sites opening without traditional kitchens now because they save costs and provide a great fresh menu, with breakeven and profitability in their food offer reached a long time before the traditional kitchen gets close to breaking even.’ Food can be surprisingly easy and profitable, and provide a great range of benefits. There are many options outside of the traditional kitchen methods that carry low overheads but provide a quality food offer.

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Recipe costing… Do I have to? The short answer is: ‘cold hard cash’. Why do chefs work? The same reason people start a business – to make money. We all know the recipe card or cost sheet forms the basis of the food control system.

he number one cause of business failure in the food service industry is inadequate cost control. From a financial perspective, food service is no different to any other industry. You take raw product (ingredients), add value to them by cooking and presentation, and hopefully sell the finished product at a profit. Now, if you don’t know how much it costs you to actually create your menu items, what hope do you have of charging an appropriate (profitable) price for those products? The answer is ‘none’! Why don’t chefs do recipe costing? The simple reason is that they take time. Using an Excel spreadsheet and compiling all the data takes time and a lot of effort.

Chefs want to be paid well – and they can be – but they need to understand that recipe costing is a very important area of their job and they need to justify their salaries by making money.

Chefs want to be paid well – and they can be – but they need to understand that recipe costing is a very important area of their job and they need to justify their salaries by making money. A good chef can pay for his or her raise by lowering and managing this vital cost. In the past, this area has been down-played in cookery courses, which have concentrated on the skills of cooking, but the industry today is about more than just creating meals. In these difficult times of rising food prices, more competition and increased wages, the new-age chef has to be not only creative, balanced and approachable, he or she must also understand that everyone is in business to make money, not just for the love or art of it. Ask yourself the following questions (be honest): • Have you calculated your recipe costs sheets in the last three months? • Have any of your ingredient costs changed since then? • Do your recipes taste (constant) the same from week to week, day to day? • Can you guarantee that every product is generating profits for you? • Do all the staff members know what is in each dish and how it is cooked? • Do your staff members know the best dishes to sell? • At the end of the week, are you making money? If you answer ‘no’ to any of those questions, then maybe it’s time you took control and automated your recipe costing. You’ll find the cost and effort involved is minor compared to the potential savings and profit you can make. What is a standard recipe/cost sheet? It is a chosen standard to ensure consistent reproduction of menu items within budget constraints. I break them into two sheets:

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE

The recipe card

Consistency: every dish is to be the same, no matter what day it is – and it really can be with the use of recipe cards. Recording how it is made, what it looks like, and what’s in the dish gives all staff the power to sell and make.

The recipe cost sheet This is the financial information on the dish. It shows the cost of each ingredient and the margins the dish will make you. Advantages of standard recipes for the chef: 1. help control food cost 2. help maintain consistency of production, especially when you’re not there 3. reduce front-of-house questions about the ingredients of menu items 4. save time and create a reference library of standard recipes. Advantages of standard recipes for staff: 1. reduced chance of confusion as there is only one way to make the item

The recipe COST SHEET

2. simplify training 3. provide an objective standard 4. take the guesswork out of cooking and increase confidence. Advantages of standard recipes for customers: 1. consistency, consistency, consistency 2. increase the chances of personal needs being met 3. increase the likelihood of repeat business 4. reduced chance of mismanaging food allergy issues. Advantages of standard recipes for business owners: 1. improve status 2. improve profits 3. keep the recipes in the business – any chef can use them 4. kitchens are easier to manage.

Your job is to establish standard recipes for all menu items, including specials. This will give you an accurate picture of what your cost on every item should be. In fact, the result of developing standard recipes will be information that cannot otherwise be obtained. You will know more about your operation than you ever did before – and make more money. C&PM

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High Country Harvest on the menu Clubs and pubs in Victoria’s High Country towns, such as Myrtleford, Beechworth and Rutherglen, should prepare their best menus, starch uniforms and inspire their staff for a busy winter, as the High Country Harvest brings in foodies from all over the state!

ourism and Major Events Minister Louise Asher is encouraging food and wine connoisseurs to visit Victoria’s High Country to experience a new food and wine event, supported with Victorian Coalition Government funding of $50,000. The High Country Harvest will be held across the region from 18 to 27 May and will include more than a dozen food and wine events like the popular Harvest Celebration in Beechworth and Myrtleford’s Italian-heritage event La Fiera. Ms Asher, who visited Beechworth late last year and met with tourism and small business operators, said the initiative was a great example of a regional event growing to its full potential and noted that the festival is part of a proactive approach to promote the region as a premier food and wine destination. ‘Victoria’s High Country has some of the best food and wine growing regions in Australia, with a unique and charismatic brand of hospitality, which was recently featured on the national television series No Leave No Life.

Stanley Pub, Victoria’s High Country

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‘The Coalition Government funding to support the High Country Harvest will be used to implement a marketing strategy, including promotion at the 2012 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, in a bid to grow visitation to the region and create jobs.’

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

The High Country Harvest will be held across the region from 18 to 27 May and will include more than a dozen food and wine events.

Beaumont’s Restaurant main course, Rutherglen

Beaumont’s Restaurant dessert, Rutherglen

Member for Benambra Bill Tilley said the success and popularity of the Beechworth Harvest Celebration, known as the ‘feast of the north-east’, would be leveraged to create a major food and wine event for the whole region. ‘Across the broad range of events being developed, it is envisaged that the total event attendance will grow significantly, which will have enormous benefits for the local communities across north-east Victoria,’ Mr Tilley said. Ms Asher said a series of regional lunches and dinners will also be on the menu, served at the region’s high-quality restaurants and cafés to showcase local small businesses and produce. Mr Tilley said visits to wineries not normally open to the public will be a feature of the event, including vintage tastings and other wine tourism experiences to profile the region’s thriving viticulture industry. The High Country Harvest program will also include hands-on cooking classes from Bright to the King Valley, behind-thescenes tastings and tours from Rutherglen to Mansfield. C&PM

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Oils ain’t oils In a commercial kitchen, there’s oil from olives, oil from grape seeds, oil from peanuts, oil from sunflowers, oil from cotton seeds and canola oil, but an increasing number of chefs are turning to what has been described as the ultimate ‘good oil’: rice bran oil – in Australia, that’s Alfa One Rice Bran Oil. It is a newgeneration, natural cooking oil that’s both good for food and good for your health.

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moke point, flavour and longevity are the principal imperatives of cooking oils. But beneath that are the important aspects of how the oilbearing plants were grown and ultimately how the oil was extracted. There are mechanical means of extraction, heat extraction methods and chemical ones, which will all have an effect on each oil’s usage and stability. There are natural plants and genetically modified plants used in production, while there are oil source plants that really are at odds with the environment, such as heavy use of pesticide or even irresponsible levels of irrigation. Smoke point is one of the most important properties for oils. It refers to the temperature at which the oil begins to break down and produce smoke. Oil smoke points vary depending on the degree of refinement, where the oil is made and what type of oil it is. The rule of thumb is the greater the refinement, the higher the smoke point. Smoke points listed on websites can vary from one listing to another, and particular oil zealots (like those who champion olive oil for universal cooking use) object to olive oil being listed as

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

unsuitable for deep/stir frying. But an oil with a high enough smoke point to be used as an oil for all tasks is a narrow and uniformed perspective on the alchemy of cooking. Classically, extra virgin oil should be avoided for high-temperature cooking, because – aside from its cost – like all unrefined oils it usually has a lower smoke point than refined oils. If the oil is heated to above its smoke point, it breaks down into glycerol and fatty acids. Glycerol further breaks down into acrolein, which is the smoke that causes you to cough. Oil, when it is decomposed, results in hydro-peroxides and increased levels of aldehydes (toxic compounds, which are markers of oxidate stress in cells). These contribute to degenerative illnesses and heart diseases. Not a pretty thought, but one that largely goes unknown or ignored by chefs. Clearly there is a fiscal argument to re-use oil. While re-using previously heated oil can be done, there are scientists who don’t recommend it. But there are some provisions that can be taken to increase the life of oil. Finely filtering each batch of cooked oil will decrease the amount of food sediments that have remained from the previous cooking, which, unless removed, will lower the smoke point. The smoke point is lowered each time you reheat the oil. The oil has also been exposed to oxygen and light (which means there are free radicals in it as well). Basically, if the oil is to be re-used, the oil must be strained to remove the impurities, it should be stored in a cool dark place, and contact with iron or coppers should be avoided as they accelerate rancidity. Don’t mix oils, use a thermometer to fry and turn off the heat as soon as finished cooking as exposing oil to prolonged heat accelerates rancidity. The catchcry of avoiding fried food for health reasons has emerged primarily based on poor cooking techniques in cooking situations where the ‘science of frying’ has not been understood or adhered to. The cornerstone of cooking is a combination of chemistry and physics. The simple science of frying is: when food is put in hot oil, natural sugars caramelise and proteins denature into a thin shell that protects the food from soaking up the oil. The outside is crisp and the interior just cooked – almost as though you were steaming the inside. But if the temperature is too low, the oil soaks through the soft outside and gets in the food and makes it soggy with oil. If the temperature is too high, it burns.

By comparison with other oils available, rice bran oil is ahead of the rest in smoke point, stability, health properties and flavour. In countries like Japan, Korea, Thailand and China it is regarded as a superior oil. Nothing cooks tempura like it. Rice bran oil is an all-natural, super oil – extracted from the bran found beneath the outer hull of rice grains and refined using an extra cold filtration process. With a low viscosity and a delicate, almost neutral flavour, it’s an oil that leaves other oils smoking in its wake. With a high smoke point of above 250 degrees Celcius (compared to olive oil at around 180/190 degrees Celcius), Alfa One Rice Bran Oil doesn’t smoke or break down even in the hottest of situations, but allows food flavours to shine through and ensures food is less likely to stick to the pan or grill. Yet, because of its subtle flavour, it is also perfect for cold dressings. And, being free from cholesterol or trans-fatty acids, it is a healthy substitution for butter when baking cakes and biscuits. As an oil rich in antioxidants, rice bran oil is extremely stable and has a nutritionally good fatty acid profile. It is high in desirable monounsaturates, low in saturated fats, with a moderate level of polyunsaturated fatty acids including essential Omega 3, which sets it apart from other oils. It is neither derived from a genetically modified crop, nor chemically extracted, as many oils are. It is 100 per cent pure, cold filtered and ideal for all hot and cold cooking and food preparation techniques. But the remarkable properties of rice bran oil don’t end at its versatile usage. It is also one of the healthiest oils available. It contains high natural antioxidants, including vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) and the plant sterol Gamma Oryzanol, found only in rice. Plant sterols help protect against oxidation of cholesterol and are thought to be a major dietary factor in prevention of heart disease through their cholesterol-lowering potential. Grocery products like Pro Active and Logicol base their cholesterol-fighting claims on the plant sterols in them. The combination of Oryzanol and anti-oxidant Vitamin E protect the oil itself from oxidation, giving it an excellent shelf life. Rice bran oil is the perfect ‘good oil.’ C&PM

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Set the benchmark

for coffee Good coffee is no longer a bonus for a club or pub; it’s a necessity. With so many venues now serving coffee, and hiring and training skilled baristas, it will only take one or two bad coffees to lose local patrons.

ttending coffee shows, competitions, and training events is a great way to find or train the best baristas and improve the product. Ready to set a new benchmark for the coffee industry, the 2012 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (2012 M.I.C.E) is a brand new event debuting on 4 May and running until 6 May 2012. The Grand Pavilion at the Melbourne Showgrounds will be ignited with 100 coffee industry exhibitors, making this event the largest dedicated coffee tradeshow ever to be staged in Australia. The ‘who’s who’ of the coffee world will be in attendance, showcasing the best the industry has to offer. With 8000 square metres of space dedicated to this event, the 2012 M.I.C.E will engage all spectrums of the coffee industry, including green bean traders, wholesale roasters, commercial and domestic equipment, cafés and franchises, coffee equipment, accessories and education and training. Everyone’s invited to the coffee event of the year! Friday 4 May and Saturday 5 May will feature trade promotion and Sunday 6 May will continue to attract trade activity and be open to the general public. 2012 M.I.C.E will host the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) Australian Barista Championships, The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) international coffee awards and many other competitions.

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For club and pub industry professionals the event offers them the opportunity to get in touch with a broad spectrum of industry representatives to meet and discuss trade and supply opportunities, and various meeting areas will be the perfect environments for entertaining, networking and discussing business opportunities. Attending club and pub managers should get involved with the after-hours business networking and celebration events, including breakfasts and dinners. The 2012 Melbourne International Coffee Expo will be the largest promotional campaign for any Australian Coffee trade show, with many marketing initiatives taking place in the lead-up to the event to help spread the word, even including Facebook and Twitter promotion. Venue managers taking the opportunity to treat their baristas to a field trip to 2012 M.I.C.E will find that The AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) Australian championships are a great way to reignite employees’ passion for the brown bean! Spectacular and skillful displays will take place in competitions that include the Australian Latte Art Championship, Australian Cup Tasting Championship, Australian Ibrik Championship, Australian Barista Championship and Australian Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. Winners of these events will represent Australia in international competition. Like a spectator sport, the 2012 M.I.C.E will host 800 tiered seats around the centre stage to accommodate the popular AASCA championships, involving technical demonstrations by world-class barista competitors. High-definition plasma screens above the audience seating area will also ensure visitors are able to see the technical aspects of professional coffee-making up close, every step of the way. The vast majority of key industry leaders, including bean suppliers, roasters, equipment manufacturers and agents, and cafés, are dedicated to making the 2012 event the biggest and best Australia has ever witnessed. This event will set a new benchmark for the coffee industry, providing a needed resource to Australia’s growing international trade, and recognising the significance of the Australian coffee industry in the global market. C&PM

Pavillion Floor Plan, 2012 Melbourne International Coffee Expo

The Grand Pavilion at the Melbourne Showgrounds will be ignited with 100 coffee industry exhibitors, making this event the largest dedicated coffee tradeshow ever to be staged in Australia.

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

Designing bars

that work By Mark Dohrmann, Engineer, Ergonomist and Principal, Ergonomics in Australia

Designing or changing a bar is an opportunity to add sophistication, efficiency and profitability to your business. Everybody wants a bar to look great and glamorous, and to be attractive to customers. So what’s the secret? How do you get it right?

ne way is by using ergonomic principles when designing or setting up your bar. Ergonomics is a powerful and useful discipline that can turn an ordinary bar into an efficient and comfortable place to work, and an attractive place to be served. Ergonomics is certainly not confined to the office. It is the science of ‘fitting things to people’ in all walks of life – so why not consider bar service from the same point of view? It means including strictly human considerations at the heart of the design: how people commonly stand, move, hear, see, choose, lift and remember… and people’s sizes.

If the bar is too wide, your staff will get sore backs and sore shoulders, especially if they’re lifting things heavier than a glass at a time.

There are some things to think about: Get the bar height right: the height of the bar has to suit both the person who has to stand on one side and serve, as well as customers who sit on stools or stand on the other side. A good bar height is about 107 centimetres. Some small allowance might need to be made for thicker types of floor mats. Not too close, mate: a distance of about 60 centimetres between barstools provides enough space for people to get on and off their stool, and also to maintain a comfortable distance from each other. This is a useful dimension to calculate how long a bar should be, or to work out your true seated capacity. Watch the forward reaching: a barman can pass drinks out to a comfortable arm’s length distance all night, provided they don’t have to bend forwards at the hips every time. If the bar is too wide, your staff will get sore backs and sore shoulders, especially if they’re lifting things heavier than a glass at a time. If meals, trays or anything heavier than a single drink are being routinely passed across the bar, provide somewhere narrow enough to do this comfortably. Don’t forget the waiters: waiters collecting drinks, clearing trays, or collecting and returning meals need a spot at the bar where they are unlikely to be knocked or bumped, and where access is always freely available. Make sure the right part of the bar is set aside just for this. Legs get tired: behind the bar, be sure to provide good quality, thick rubber floor matting designed for use in wet

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INTERIORS EDUCATION AND ARCHITECTURE AND TRAINING

iNtERioRS ANd ARChitECtURE

areas (be sure the mat has a tapered edge to reduce tripping hazards). Staff who stand for hours to work will bless you. If individual pieces of mat are not too big, they can be easily moved at cleanup or mopping time. Slips and falls: the bar floor (on the working side) will often get wet from spillage, splashes, melting ice or the like. Rubber matting will eliminate this risk, but in places that do not have a mat, be sure to choose slip-resistant vinyl. Reputable flooring suppliers can quote test results that certify the slip resistance of their products in wet conditions. Manage your queueing: if you are lucky enough to have crowds at your bar, plan ahead to manage queues so they don’t knock each other when leaving the bar with handfuls of drinks, or block waiters who may also need regular (and quick) access to the same bar. Food hygiene – the little things: keep the drinks extras (lemon, olives, garnishes) refrigerated, and train staff to treat all food (and drinks) with the same hygienic care that applies to glassware, cutlery and plates. Make sure that your bar layout makes it quick and convenient for bar staff to do just this. Make the shortcut the preferred way.

Noise can be very tiring: in loud and busy establishments, bar staff can get very tired from straining to hear customers’ requests and comments. Consider creating a mini ‘cone of silence’ at the main service point: a small piece of soft-surfaced board set up in line with any major noise source, or where it can soften harsh reflected sound (for example, bouncing from behind). This can make it a lot easier for bar staff to hear.

EFFICIENCY IN OPERATIONAL DESIGN = GREATER RETURNS

ith food and beverage being an important part of any club or pub business, it pays to audit your current operations. Space utilisation, circulation, functionality, cooking equipment selection, glass washing and glass chilling capacity, staffing requirements during off peak hours, dry storage, freezer and cold room capacity all dictate how efficient your food and beverage operation will run, and how well your offer will be received by your patrons. It may even set you apart from your competitors. As demographics in many areas rapidly change, so do the menu expectations of your patrons. Kitchen and bar areas need to be flexible enough to allow food and beverage managers to adapt when the goal posts move. If your facility is dated, struggling to maintain local authority health standards, and not meeting your expected returns, then it may be time to consult a professional who can help you optimise your space, choose equipment that will create savings in energy consumption, ensure food safety is in check, improve output, offer flexibility with menus and reduce product wastage and equipment cleaning costs.

The Rohrig Group has been building and renovating clubs and pubs for over 20 years, and understand your business. Check them out at www.rohrig.com.au. X • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AutumN 2012

We won’t let construction interfere with your bread and butter.

At Rohrig we plan construction to work around your business so your customers can dine in peace and venue income continues. It’s all part of our impressive approach designed to achieve your goals. Get a taste of what makes us different at www.rohrig.com.au

Brisbane Melbourne Sydney

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 45

INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

Lighting should never shine directly into the eyes of customers. Consider having bar lighting dimmable, so it can be changed to suit the time of day or night, and the mood. Curve your bar around: bars become a lot friendlier when people sitting alone to drink can see other patrons on the other side of the bar. It beats staring at a refrigerator. Lighting – not too much, not too little: lighting should be concealed, directed at glassware (it sparkles) and stock (which attracts sales), and aimed carefully at cash handling and bar service surfaces. Keep it subtle. Lighting should never shine directly into the eyes of customers. Consider having bar lighting dimmable, so it can be changed to suit the time of day or night, and the mood. Manual handling: there’s a lot of lifting in bar work – trays and liquor are often moved under speed and pressure. Lifting becomes problematic (and dangerous) when people have to lift things forwards away from themselves, or twist while lifting. Think about this when locating heavier stock items in refrigerators, and in the positioning of washers.

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Respect the territory: behind the bar is no place for your customers, so don’t make it easy for them to get there. Bar staff are territorial creatures, and if you can keep the waiters out, that is good. If both need access to the POS, put the equipment where it can be operated without crossing each other’s paths. Restaurateurs: where should your bar be? A bar right at the entrance of a restaurant can do double duty as a waiting area. A bar in the centre of a restaurant is easier for staff to access during the dinner rush. A bar placed at the back of a restaurant is more intimate, away from the hustle and bustle at the front. Decide which place is best for your bar. C&PM Mark Dohrmann is a consulting engineer and ergonomist active in the design and review of many types of Australian workplaces. www.ergonomics.com.au.

iNtERioRS ANd ARChitECtURE

R A D I A N T

INTERIORS EDUCATION AND ARCHITECTURE AND TRAINING

O U T D O O R

H E A T E R S

Outdoor heating just got hotter

oUtdooR

h E At i N G

just got hotter with the new Heatstrip®

eep your customers warm this winter with an expanded range of Heatstrip outdoor electric heaters. To complement the current range of sleek, stylish black-faced heaters, is a new range of hightemperature heaters, called Heatstrip® Max.

This range has been specifically designed, engineered and assembled in Australia for the Australian hospitality market. Unique features include a low-glow heating element, so your customers can enjoy the outdoor experience, without the blinding glow of other infra-red heaters. The high temperature output means the heaters can be installed at higher mounting points, for the exposed or difficult to heat area. With the Heatstrip® Max, there is no need for permanent protection from the elements, meaning it is ideal for your smoking and outdoor dining areas, beer gardens, courtyards etc.

Introducing the new Heatstrip® Max • High temperature output – perfect for higher ceilings or hard to heat areas • Unique low-glow element – let your customers enjoy the outdoors without the blinding light • No need for permanent overhead protection – ideal for smoking areas, beer gardens, courtyards etc • Commercial grade quality & construction – full 2 year warranty • Australian designed, engineered & assembled

Heatstrip Classic

The two models in the range come with an anodised casing for maximum corrosion protection (suitable for coastal locations) and mulitple mounting options, with RRP’s of $799 and $999. The Heatstrip Max is manufactured with an extremely robust, commercial-grade quality, with a long-life element and full two year replacement warranty. To celebrate the launch of the Heatstrip Max, Thermofilm will be donating $50 from the sale of every heater to commercial venues to the EJ Whitten Foundation or a nominated local charity of your choice. A great chance to keep your customers warm and support a wonderful cause and your local community. So if you are looking at heating an unused area, or wanting to replace your current units, please contact Thermofilm for further information. Wholesalers are located in all metro and regional areas.

27 Rosalie Street, Springvale VIC 3171 Australia t: (03) 9562 3455 f: (03) 9548 3979 e: sales@thermofilm.com.au www.thermofilm.com.au

X • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AutumN 2012

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

Managing risk for indoor play By Dr David Eager, Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology, Sydney

The Australian Standards Subcommittee ME-051-03 recently finalised the draft Standard AS 3533.4.2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Contained play facilities. When published, this Standard will provide guidance on the design, development, installation, operation, inspection, maintenance, cleaning and testing of contained play facilities.

his draft Standard is the culmination of 17 sub-committee meetings extending over a period of more than five years by a small group of dedicated industry experts. These experts gave their time and, in most cases, self-funded the travel costs associated with attending these meetings. The membership of the subcommittee included representatives from all major industry stakeholders, including Engineers Australia, Australian Amusement Leisure and Recreation Association, Australian Amusement Association, and Kidsafe. The draft Standard makes provisions for those involved in the contained play facility industry to provide safe yet challenging contained play facilities. It covers the facility as a whole, because it was considered that it is the combination of good design, materials and management that creates a safe facility. The draft Standard specifies requirements that will protect a child from hazards he or she may be unable to foresee when using equipment in contained play facilities as intended. Indoor play spaces play a vital role in childhood development and growth. Children discover and learn about the world in which they live via play. Play exposes children to managed risk. If children are not exposed to ageappropriate managed risk, their development is impeded ... Continued on page 50

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PRoFit FRoM PLAY M

any venues avoid installing a playground for fear that it will be an expense requiring a large outlay with little return; however, those who have taken the plunge are proving that a well-designed playground can pay for itself in a matter of months. Playgrounds are a huge drawcard for families, and parents will drive past several venues to get to one with a playground. A playground can maintain and increase patronage to your venue, create new marketing opportunities and provide fewer lean periods during trading times – and in turn increase your profit. Not only will a playground bring more customers, but patrons are more relaxed when kids have somewhere to play, and relaxed patrons stay longer and spend more. Nothing draws families to a venue like playground equipment, and the staff at Goplay Commercial Playgrounds has over 30 years of experience in helping customers throughout Australia and the Pacific region invest in play. Goplay knows that every venue is different and that the best returns come from playground equipment designed

X • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AutumN 2012

specifically for each venue’s individual needs. With a custom design service as standard, Goplay can guarantee that your playground will be a worthwhile, profitable addition to your venue. To take advantage of Goplay’s free Australia-wide design and quotation service, call (03) 9308 1800 or visit www.goplay.net.au.

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

... continued from page 48 and long-term damage can occur. Children need to be given the chance to stretch themselves, test and verify their skills without exposing themselves to unacceptable risks. If we do not expose our children to managed risk they will be denied the chance to learn essential skills and may also be more likely to direct their energy and time into inappropriate activities where the risks are significantly greater. The ‘fun police’ have made many outdoor playgrounds boring, whereas well designed contained play facilities have the potential to provide children with managed risk, challenge and, most importantly, fun, excitement and exercise. It was noted that there was a growing number of contained play facilities being installed around Australia that did not and/or could not comply with the requirements of the outdoor playground Standard AS 4685:2004. It was also noted that the quality and safety of contained play facilities being installed varied widely. Broadly, there were three categories of facility operating in the industry, namely: • facilities that complied with the outdoor playground Standard

requirements and guidance for the design, construction and operation of contained play facilities for children. The leisure industry wanted to ensure that: • design and construction requirements were standardised • the Standard was industry-specific and allowed riskmanaged innovative designs that provided excitement and challenge beyond those that a traditional outdoor playground could provide • the design and construction of all facilities met minimum safety requirements • all known hazardous dimensions and situations, such as those that could cause strangulation, were eliminated from the design • appropriate inspection and maintenance programs were set up and implemented • operating procedures for the facilities addressed key safety issues.

• facilities that did not comply with the outdoor playground Standard and exposed the child to risks that he or she (and the carer) were unaware of.

The draft Standard sets out the minimum safety requirements for the design, development, installation, operation, inspection, maintenance, cleaning and testing of contained play facilities. It also specifies the safety requirements of specific items of play equipment that may be installed within a contained play facility, such as inflatable devices, ball pools, contained play structures, forced movement devices, mechanical rides, water play devices, patron-propelled vehicles and climbing structures.

The draft Standard was written with the purpose of addressing industry concerns about the lack of any specific

Contained play facilities are commercial premises. Access can be free, such as in a beer garden within a club or

• facilities that did not technically comply with the outdoor playground Standard, but for all intents and purposes provided the children with a challenging, risk-managed and hazard-free environment in which to play

... Continued on page 52

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INTERIORS EDUCATION AND ARCHITECTURE AND TRAINING

BiG REd’S shady range B

ig Red Shade Products (‘Big Red’) is a privately owned and operated business based in Carrum, Victoria. Big Red specialises in the design, engineering and manufacture of shade structures, awnings and streetscape umbrellas. Big Red is a major supplier of shade products to a diverse range of customers, including hospitality, local government, schools, childcare centres, and commercial and residential premises. We have supplied shade products to bars, cafes and restaurants throughout Victoria and beyond. Some of our recent hospitality projects include: • Birdcage Marquees, Flemington Racecourse, Victoria • Elements Café, Mulgrave, Victoria • Vivo Café Restaurant, Darling Harbour, New South Wales • Re-set Café on St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria We can provide shade for your beer garden, outdoor areas, pavement dining area, patio or courtyard. Our specialty range

is Big Red ‘Alfresco’ umbrellas, which are available in a variety of sizes and colours; centre or side post; multiple or single structures. In addition, we can incorporate heating, branding and side screens. We also design and manufacture large hip and ridge shade structures, barrel-vault roofs and more. For an obligation-free consultation, and to make sure your ‘customers are covered’, talk to Big Red. See our advertisement below for contact details.

Cover your customers! Big Red Shade Products are specialty designers, fabricators and manufacturers of shade structures, awnings and streetscape umbrellas. Our umbrellas are especially suitable for hospitality applications including clubs, hotels, restaurants, cafes, resorts and sporting facilities.

MAJOR FEATURES: • • • • •

Large range of sizes and colours. Commercial quality, sturdy construction. Heating, lighting and side blind options. Logo and branding opportunities. Custom-design service available.

X • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AutumN 2012

For more information or an obligation free consultation, contact Andy McGill: Big Red Shade Products Pty Ltd. 2 Leah Grove, Carrum Downs, VIC 3201 P: 03 9775 1171 F: 03 9775 1172 M: 0414 835 154 E: sales@bigredshadeproducts.com.au W: www.bigredshadeproducts.com.au

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SECURITY AND ARCHITECTURE INTERIORS

... continued from page 50 pub, or paid, such as the facility depicted in the above photograph. Contained play facilities provide some supervision, but the level may vary from facilities where the children are fully supervised, to those where the parent or carer is principally responsible for the child’s behaviour and actions. The draft Standard specifically excludes childcare facilities. Lollipop’s Playland is the largest provider of contained play facilities in Australia, with 14 centres around the country and reports of more than six million happy children having played in one or more of their contained play centres. The photographs depict examples of industry best practice. A child is exposed to the same hazards in a contained play environment whether it is operated by a commercial organisation, such as a franchised facility or a small, local family-owned business, or by a voluntary group, such as a service group or a parent organisation, or by an individual. The requirements of this Standard, when published, will apply to all contained play environments. Contained play facilities that children find attractive are generally those that present various levels of difficulty and challenge. Children can explore solutions to these challenges and practice their newly acquired abilities in carefully designed settings, where the level of risk has been assessed and is managed by a combination of supervisory and/or design techniques.

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Precautions need to be taken by play providers to reduce the severity of injuries if children make the wrong judgment, but the possibility of harm cannot be completely removed. The draft Standard aims to ensure that play providers develop facilities that children find enjoyable, but where the probability of injury has been minimised. The draft Standard does not purport to address all the hazards associated with contained play facilities. Children need to be exposed to healthy risk. This risk exposure needs to be managed, inclusive and balanced. It needs to be layered, allowing children of different ages and abilities to explore and take considered risks that expand their boundaries. A well-designed contained play facility offers this and more. C&PM Dr David Eager is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney. He holds the honorary position as the Engineers Australia representative on the Australian Standards Committees for Contained Play Facilities ME 05103 (Chair), Children’s Playgrounds CS 005 (Chair), Trampolines CS 100 (Chair), Artificial Climbing Structures and Challenges Courses SF 047 (Chair), and Sports and Recreation Equipment CS 101.

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he range of outdoor heaters from Celmec International is the most extensive on the market. When developing the range, Celmec focused on engineering quality and energy efficient outdoor heating solutions. Celmec’s Heatray Outdoor Heaters don’t just cover one product in a number of models; they cover a whole range of outdoor heating products. This range includes electric heating options, gas heating options and even heated shade umbrellas. Each Heatray outdoor heating product has been designed for a specific application: 1. Low ceiling applications: • Electric Radiant Heating Panels (ERH). Black, non-glowing outdoor heaters are suitable for wall/ceiling mounting or integration with umbrellas. Key features: two-stage heat control, IP65 waterproof rating, stylish design. 2. High ceiling applications: • Infrared Heaters Electric Series (IRH-E). For high intensity outdoor heating, IRH-E can be wall/ceiling mounting or integrated with umbrellas. Key features: IP65 waterproof rating with a glowing element, in

a range of kilowatt rated models. • Infrared Gas-Fired Heaters (IRH-G). High intensity wall mounted or ceiling suspended outdoor heaters, in a range of sizes and MJ ratings. Key features: Auto or manual ignition, LP or natural gas. 3. Extremely high ceiling applications: • Gas-Fired Tube Radiant Heaters (TRH). Wall mounted or ceiling suspended, the non-glowing black TRH units cover a floor area of 35 metres squared to 180 metres squared depending on the model. Key features: suitable for outdoor or indoor heating, it can be flued if required, decorative accessories available. 4. Uncovered outdoor spaces: • Heated Shade Umbrellas incorporating either the ERH or IRH-E. Key features: perfect when there is nothing to attach outdoor heaters to, range of sizes and colours, weather protection accessories and standard or multicoloured LED lighting. Contact Celmec International for a complimentary heating solution design, specifically tailored to your venue. C&PM

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CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 53

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Techno systems

for club challenges Norm Jones had no idea that tinkering with a small machine to print ondemand raffle tickets would redirect his career to the club industry. A trained electrical engineer, Norm had no plans to hook up with Dennis Simpson – also a trained electrical engineer – to help build and sell the machines.

orm was manufacturing and marketing Primmcoy Sign In Systems. Meanwhile, Dennis decided that after more than 30 years in hotels it was time for a career change. Neither had an inkling of how valuable and successful that little machine would become, but 12 years – and more than 800 clubs – later the Wollongong-based mates have built TechnoPROM into a substantial player in the club industry, operating from Wollongong, New South Wales. ‘I tinkered with a few prototypes and came up with a design that is essentially the same today, and is used in clubs and hotels all around Australia, in New Zealand and the Pacific islands.’ The business has expanded steadily and impressively ever since adding a Random Number Generator System to its product range. The Random Number Generator System has been used in clubs and pubs for five years to assist in digital bingo, hoi raffle and member draws. The system can be displayed on all screens in your venue, and the drawing of numbers is controlled wirelessly by a keypad. Ingeniously, the system can also be used for advertising after the event has finished. ‘It’s been fun, and club people are great people to work with… especially when you take on the challenge of helping them solve a problem,’ Norm added.

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TechnoPROM has evolved over the years, adding to its core products and services and specialising in audiovisual design and in-house advertising displays, supply and installation, with expert technicians specialising in TAB, restaurant, club and hotel fit-outs. Many of TechnoPROM’s innovative products have been developed through requests made by club managers over the years, and the company now supplies projectors, screens, sound systems and accessories, including full venue design fitout, TAB, digital signage and promotional screens. These have proved popular with clubs as they eliminate the need for reprinting posters for each promotional event. Taking into account every aspect of the club environment, TechnoPROM also offers solutions for bistros, using LCD technology to minimise time spent taking orders for and dispensing meals. With a cordless, remote keypad, an LCD screen and speakers, the system alerts diners when their meal numbers come up, meaning staff do not have to spend time monitoring and calling out meal numbers, and managers save on the expense of public address systems. TechnoPROMs Raffle System is used by many clubs on the Murray and we are now ready to expand into Victoria. C&PM

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Get on Facebook and connect with your community! By David Cowling, Vivid Social and Social Media News

Forty-seven per cent of the total Australian population is signed up to Facebook – that’s 10,721,020 people! But it’s not only young people who are signed up; people of all ages are now using Facebook to keep in touch with their friends, families and the businesses around them.

n the clubs and pubs industry, many organisations are already signed up to Facebook – promoting their services to the vast number of Australian Facebook users.

So what should clubs and pubs be doing on Facebook?

1. Create a Fanpage for your club or pub Do not use a personal Facebook profile to promote your business, as this is against Facebook’s terms of service and you risk having your account deleted without any warning. To make your own Fanpage for your club – log in to Facebook and visit www.facebook.com/pages/create.php.

2. Fill out your business information On your Fanpage you can include various details about your business, including:

This will allow you to create a Facebook URL that is easy to remember, for example: www.facebook.com/yourclubname.

3. Start attracting people to your Fanpage Once you have your Fanpage set up and your details filled out, it’s time to start getting Facebook users to your page. Why do you want to do this? Whenever your club posts new content to Facebook, anyone who has ‘Liked’ your page will be able to see your updates in their Facebook account. If you have hundreds or thousands of people who have liked your page, this could bring enormous exposure to your club, and it’s totally free. Many physical businesses are now putting up signs in their venues to encourage people to visit their Facebook pages and ‘Like’ their businesses.

• your club/business logo • your website URL so Facebook users can click through to your site and find out more information about your business • the physical location of your business, which can be displayed on Bing Maps inside the Facebook site and mobile applications • contact details so that your fans can get in touch, such as phone and fax numbers, email addresses, et cetera • a description of what initiatives your club supports • photos of your club, staff, members, and events. Once you have created your Facebook Fanpage, you can get a custom Facebook URL at this link: www.facebook.com/username. 56 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

You may also like to incorporate your Facebook links into any traditional communication methods with your members, such as promotional flyers, email signatures, postage letters and anything else that is sent to your members. Facebook has some rather advanced reporting functionality, so you can see the demographic information of people ‘Liking’ your page. This is very useful to a club to see what sort of people want to interact with them on Facebook.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Example of user demographic stats about your Fanpage

Facebook provides plenty of statistical information about the people interacting with your page and how many people see each piece of content posted to your Fanpage.

4. Start promoting to your users After creating your Fanpage and getting some users to ‘Like’ it, you can then start offering promotional incentives to your Facebook readership. For example, Parramatta RSL in New South Wales often update their Facebook page to let users know about interesting events coming up, new club features and discounts to members.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Why sit at home this cricket season when you can go down to Parramatta RSL and watch the games with other members?

Have you made some improvements to your club? Why not tell your members via Facebook?

Facebook is a great tool for connecting with your local community, members, and people visiting your club or pub as a guest – and it’s 100 per cent free to use. Many clubs are now offering deals such as this through their Facebook page in an effort to get more people into their venues. You can have a look at how Five Dock RSL promotes using Facebook at this link: http://www.facebook.com/c5drsl.

5. Advanced Fanpage tweaks There are a couple of advanced tweaks that you can make to your Fanpage to help promote your club further. ‘Check-ins’ – If you have entered the physical address of your club into Facebook, this will allow members to checkin to your club on their mobile phones. This means that when the Facebook user visits your club, they can broadcast to all their friends that they are at your venue. This is a great viral marketing strategy to reach new users through your current users, and word of mouth advertising is often the most successful. You can find the Parramatta Facebook page at this link to see how a successful club uses Facebook for promotion: http://www.facebook.com/ParramattaRSL. Five Dock RSL, also in New South Wales, has been offering members a free coffee after four purchases.

On the Facebook website you can even keep track of this marketing technique by viewing how many people in total have checked in at your club! Questions and polls – Facebook has functionality whereby you can ask your fans a question or invite them to partake in a poll. This could be great for finding out what the preferred meals are in the bistro, what special events the public would like to see at the club or any other ideas that you can use to improve your patrons’ experience. You can share a status (text), photo, link, video, or question (poll) on your Facebook Fanpage. Welcome page – you can create a custom welcome page so that when a new user visits your Facebook Fanpage, they are taken to a welcome screen, with some special information for new visitors and why they should ‘Like’ your page.

58 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Here is the welcome page for Five Dock RSL:

The key to Facebook marketing for clubs and pubs is the initial creation and setup of the Fanpage. From here, you will gain new Facebook fans over time and you can promote your club to them. The longer you don’t have a page, the more potential Facebook fans you are missing out on. It’s recommended you check your Facebook page for feedback a couple of times per week. An admin or marketing staff member at your club or pub could spend a little time every week checking for user feedback or questions. Facebook also has an email notification system that can send you an email every time new feedback is posted on your Fanpage. Consider adding a sign to your front desk with some details about your Fanpage and prompting people to check-in at your venue via their smartphone Facebook applications. Facebook is a great tool for connecting with your local community, members, and people visiting your club or pub as a guest – and it’s 100 per cent free to use. Many clubs and pubs throughout Australia are already using Facebook to promote themselves online and reach new audiences. C&PM David Cowling runs social media consultancy agency Vivid Social (www.vividsocial.com.au) and news site, www.socialmedianews.com.au.

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 59

COMMUNITY

At the heart

of the community In tough economic times, many smaller sporting clubs and community-based organisations depend on the generosity and support of others to ensure they remain viable and able to continue providing facilities and services to their members. In regional areas, these sporting and community groups are an important social outlet and are often the only social network for people who may be otherwise isolated.

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he historic Mildura Working Man’s Club, established in 1895, remains an icon of the Sunraysia region and continues to play an important role within the community after more than 100 years. Locally known as ‘The Workers’ and with a growing membership base of over 10,500, the club’s membership demographics show a huge swing to the younger generations, ensuring the viability of the club over the long term. As a not-for-profit club, The Workers contributes over and above the government’s required amount for community benefits every year. In the 2010/2011 financial year, the club’s contribution back to the community consisted of over $35,000 in direct sponsorship payments, and another $160,000 by way of donations, venue vouchers and use of club facilities. The importance of sport in the good health and wellbeing of the community can never be underestimated. The Mildura Working Man’s Club is proud to be a sponsor of many sports, including football, cricket, lawn bowls, baseball, football umpiring and harness racing. Other sports that receive sponsorship or donations include darts, indoor bowls, table tennis and horse riding. The assistance provided to groups such as the Sunraysia Cancer Support Group and other vital community-based counselling and support services ensures their continued contribution to the community, which can make a huge difference in the lives of local families faced with the tragedy of cancer or the trauma of a child diagnosed with a terminal illness. Many of these smaller groups would not survive without the donations and support provided by clubs like The Workers.

COMMUNITY

In addition to the club’s donation and sponsorship portfolio, numerous community-focused groups, welfare organisations, community education groups, healthcare and education services, along with countless sporting organisations, have free use of the club’s conference rooms for their meetings, seminars workshops and trainings. On a weekly basis you might find a meeting of Rotarians, a training session for mental health support workers or a social game of indoor bowls being played by adults with acquired brain injuries. Moving with the times and community expectations, the Mildura Working Man’s Club is also pleased to promote the ‘Good Sports’ program in conjunction with the Mallee Sports Assembly. The Club’s sponsorship protocol requires that all sporting clubs receiving sponsorship funds have achieved or are working towards Level 3 with their Responsible Service of Alcohol policies and continue to encourage responsible alcohol consumption amongst team players and spectators at all events. This has proven to be a positive move within the region and has gained the support and recognition of the Sunraysia Liquor Accord and the Australian Drug Foundation. The Mildura Working Man’s Club is also proud to be an employer of over 65 local people from within the community. The income of these locals is then used within the community on daily living expenses. Where possible, The Workers also provides opportunities for individuals to gain work experience and possible ongoing employment within the hospitality industry. This opportunity is often extended to people with disabilities who may otherwise struggle to gain experience in a workplace. A great testament to this policy is the employment of a young man with Down’s syndrome. Twenty-year-old Stuart Chaplin had a dream to work at The Workers and have a ‘normal’ job. With lots of support from the staff and his family, Stuart’s dream has been realised. Twelve months on, he is now a keen bingo caller, or can be found waiting tables in the bistro or pouring a beer in the sports bar (see image at right). To the majority of the population, it is not hard to see the ‘obvious’ face of a club being a place for food, beverages and entertainment. But if you delve a little further, you’ll recognise the important contributions made by community clubs and the benefits to the health and social wellbeing of the region. Whether for a social gathering, a sporting event, a fundraising effort or a goodwill gesture to an individual, you can never underestimate the importance of your local community club. C&PM CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 61

NEWS EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Responsible gambling training

BY Susanna Smith, Communications Officer, Service Skills Australia

Most Australians enjoy a bet from time to time; having a punt on Melbourne Cup Day or having a go at two-up on Anzac Day can be an exciting celebration of our lifestyle. But sometimes gambling goes beyond being a fun leisure activity to become a problem for the gambler and the community.

s opportunities to gamble increase, the incidences of problem gambling do too. Hospitality staff who are employed in licensed venues with gaming facilities need to be adequately trained to handle problem gambling situations safely and professionally, and to encourage responsible gambling practices. According to the Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre, the Victorian Auditor General reports that there are around 29,000 problem gamblers and 97,000 moderate risk gamblers in Victoria, representing 2.3 per cent of the state’s population. Most gambling in Australia takes place on electronic gaming machines, better known as poker machines. Figures from the 2010 Productivity Commission Enquiry into gambling indicate that 15 per cent of weekly pokies players in Australia are problem gamblers and another 15 per cent are at moderate risk. With most pubs and clubs now offering poker machine facilities, along with Keno and betting facilities, it has become vital to the hospitality industry that responsible gambling practices are in place and hospitality staff have the necessary skills to implement them. What is responsible gambling? According to Gamble Aware, responsible gambling means staying in control of how much time and money you spend gambling. It’s the only real way to ensure gambling remains entertaining and fun. The responsible gambler doesn’t get ‘played by the game’. They see it as another form of entertainment that they’re prepared to pay for and they never bet more

62 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12

than they can afford to lose. To gamble responsibly means to make choices based on the facts behind the game, knowing and accepting the odds and keeping your chances of winning and losing in perspective. In order to assist clients to stay within their limits, hospitality staff need to be trained in a range of skills to recognise the signs of problem gambling and act to minimise its impact. In Victoria it is compulsory for all employees in licensed venues that operate gaming services to complete, and keep up-to-date, responsible gaming skills. Service Skills Australia, in consultation with industry and government, have developed a unit within the Tourism, Hospitality and Events Training Package to support the provision of responsible gaming services. Therese Ma, Senior Project Officer at Service Skills Australia, explains the relevance of the unit for hospitality staff: ‘The national training system includes a unit that describes the skills and knowledge required to provide responsible gambling services: SITGAM006a Provide Responsible Gaming Services. This unit is aligned with state and territory legislation requirements and is aimed at hospitality staff involved in the sale and service of gambling activities.’ Unlike issues associated with problem alcohol consumption, problem gambling symptoms are much harder to recognise and rely heavily on the self-reporting of the problem by the customer. A harm minimisation approach is necessary to curb problem gambling issues, making staff customer service skills vitally important.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Unlike issues associated with problem alcohol consumption, problem gambling symptoms are much harder to recognise. Ms Ma explains: ‘Customer service and strong interpersonal skills are so important when providing responsible gambling services. Staff need to be able to respond to requests for assistance sensitively and courteously and provide accurate and appropriate information while respecting the customer’s privacy and confidentiality. There is also a need for staff to be aware of the indicators of problem gambling, and to understand that these indicators are not always obvious, and that assumptions can’t be made until the customer self-identifies.’ Thorough knowledge of relevant state or territory and national legislation and the venue’s house rules are integral to the ability of hospitality employees to enforce and encourage responsible gambling behaviour. Language, literacy and numeracy skills are also important for hospitality employees to be able to minimise the impacts of problem gambling. Language and literacy skills allow employees to read, interpret and explain legislation, signage, client identification documents and in-house policies and procedures. Numeracy skills are required when explaining probability and monetary concepts to customers in responsible gambling situations. SITGAM006a Provide Responsible Gaming Services includes coverage of the literacy and numeracy skills required to handle these potentially challenging situations.

William Angliss Institute Compliance and TAB Training With increasingly regulated gaming and hospitality sectors, it is vital to protect your business with up-to-date staff training. As an individual looking for work or wanting to increase your skills, compliance training will assist you to secure a job or multi-skill you in the industry. William Angliss Institute works in partnership with the Australian Hotels and Hospitality Association and Clubs Victoria to provide training to people employed or seeking employment in the licensed hospitality industry. Industry based training includes: • Liquor Courses (Responsible Service of Alcohol and Licensees’ First Step) • Gaming Training (Responsible Service of Gaming and RSG Refresher) • Food Hygiene and Food Supervisor Training • Food Allergens • Interstate Compliance Programs • Online Training Programs • Pre-employment Programs • TAB Wagering Training (TAB Operators Course and TAB Manager’s Program) Visit www.angliss.edu.au or shortcourses.angliss.edu.au or call 1300 ANGLISS (1300 264 547) for more information.

Problem gambling is not only an issue for the individuals involved; it has social and economic impact on wider society. Issues such as the costs incurred by governments to provide counselling and welfare services to problem gamblers, reduced workplace productivity and distributional effects (lower income earners are more likely to gamble) all form a broader context of the problem that hospitality employees need to understand. In SITGAM006a Provide Responsible Gaming Services, employees are assessed on their knowledge and understanding of topics including government and community concerns with problem gambling and the economic costs of problem gambling. Adequate training of employee skills in responsible gaming practices is essential to ensure that having a punt remains an entertaining activity for most Australians. Employers who implement a harm minimisation approach to problem gambling help to minimise the impact of this issue. C&PM CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER AUTUMN 2O12 • 63

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Hospitality Trade Training Centre addressing skills shortage

A new Trade Training Centre will provide more than 1500 students throughout Maroondah with access to vocational training facilities in the hospitality industry.

inister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Mr Peter Garrett, visited the school with the Federal Member for Deakin, Mike Symon to officially open the new $1.5 million Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre at Aquinas College in Ringwood, which was built as part of the Australian Government’s $2.5 billion Trade Training Centres in Schools program. ‘This is a fantastic Trades Training Centre, which will improve the vocational education on offer at Aquinas College and will significantly improve the learning opportunities and training pathways for students at the school,’ Mr Garrett said. ‘Principals, parents and tradespeople have worked together to ensure the facility will provide directly relevant industry standard training qualifications.’

In the Yarra Valley, because you’ve got so many restaurants and other places of hospitality, they’re looking for young people with skills, experience and training. Aquinas College principal Tony O’Byrne The centre will also cater for students from 32 nearby schools. Mr Symon said the new centre will offer Certificate III qualifications in Hospitality. ‘Aquinas College’s new world-class commercial cookery centre will provide students with the opportunity to gain formal qualifications in hospitality. This will improve career prospects and provide skills in an area of high demand,’ he said.

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Trade Training Centres are being established to increase the number of students achieving Year 12 or an equivalent qualification and help meet skill shortages in traditional trades and emerging industries. ‘Facilities like the Wurundjeri Trades Training Centre will ensure our students are prepared for the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow,’ Mr Garrett said. Aquinas College VET co-ordinator, Judy Zuccon, said a 40seat restaurant would operate at the centre at certain times, with a coffee shop running in the mornings. The restaurant will be open as a training restaurant during the year, at which the local community can make bookings. Aquinas College principal Tony O’Byrne said the new centre would allow students to get invaluable hands-on experience. ‘We have a long tradition of being a provider of hospitality to our school and surrounding schools,’ Mr O’Byrne said, highlighting that the school now had a more cutting-edge and modern facility. The project also has support from several local hospitality and food businesses seeking apprentices with experience in a commercial-style kitchen. Mr O’Byrne said the centre would address a shortage of skilled chefs, especially in the outer east. ‘In the Yarra Valley, because you’ve got so many restaurants and other places of hospitality, they’re looking for young people with skills, experience and training,’ he said. The Gillard Government is investing $2.5 billion over 10 years to enable every high school student in Australia to have access to a Trade Training Centre. So far, 288 projects have been funded, benefiting more than 900 schools across Australia, and a total of 188 centres are up and running. Last year’s Federal Budget also provided new funding to ensure students have further access to vocational training through the National Trade Cadetships Scheme, which begins this year. C&PM

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