Food Companion International by Mel Nathan

Aust $6.95 (inc GST) 2008

Celebrate samphire

Foodball

Move over Socceroos it’s the Cheferoos

Oysters

with Christine Manfield and Andrew Clark

Young guns in the Park Hyatt kitchen

Greekalicious Greek cooking: it’s organic and good for you

Christine Manfield’s NZ king salmon sashimi, pickled seaweed and samphire



1300 367 730 www.swisssystems.com.au

Turkey

Keep a chicken happy: eat a turkey

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Recipes

Great ideas from Interlude Restaurant and Universal



Kangaroo

Skippy skips the menu for some top chefs

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Plus

A chef goes along to a beer class

The magazine read by chefs and epicureans

FAMOUS PORKSTAR

Clair Feig is one PorkStar who commands attention. After years of hard work in kitchens overseas and in Australia, Clair is now part of the talented team at Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder, an icon in inner city Melbourne specialising in great food and wine. For both the well loved classics and also the latest trends, Clair knows that Pork is setting the restaurant industry on fire. So back on the menu at Richmond Hill is the European classic, Pork schnitzel, beautifully served with fennel seed crumb and juniper spiced jus. Like Clair, all fine food connoisseurs looking for something special can be inspired by Pork. If you want that PorkStar experience and enjoy great food cooked to perfection, order Pork next time you dine out. pork.com.au

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18/3/08 9:28:10 AM

contents recipes

 Asparagus tempura, wasabi, avocado and samphire 10  NZ King Salmon, sashimi, pickled seaweed and samphire 11  Garden Salad – snails, soils, flowers 13  Char grilled Alpaca sirloin with Bolivian quinoa and Chimichurri sauce 40  Generation Y – No oyster lovers here? 16

food

 Matthew Kemp, Restaurant Balzac 21  Sean Connolly, Astral Bar and Dining 46  Kumar Mahadevan, Aki’s Restaurant 08  Somer Sivrioglu, Efendy 09  Paul Butler, The National Press Club 56  Jonathon Bruell, The Sebel Pier One 72  Andrew Clark, Rock Restaurant 50  Brent Savage, Bentley Bar and Grill 54

culinary correspondents

 John Susman, Hook Lines and fish tales 51  Michael Bennett, Young chefs and Apprentice Corner 51

 Skippy skips the menu for some chefs 32  Greekaliciously Good for You 52  Practical Recipe Magic 28  Reanimated Tucker 30

jobs

produce, chefs and events

 Slack food safety really bugs me 68  Which system is right for you? 69  Warewashing Forum at the Sebel wows the industry and interviews 70

 A cut above – George’s Providores 47  Perfect for any weather – Dorper lamb 56  Newcastle Produce Tour with John Rarity 26  Allstars of produce with T and F Allstates 60  Alpaca by a long neck 38  The big push 48  Oysters in the kitchen 14  Chefs round table at Manta 18  Chef goes to a beer class 24  A chef a menu a restaurant 34

interviews

 Robin Wickens, Interlude Restaurant 12  Alessandro Pavoni, Park Hyatt 17  Dan Hughes, Manta Restaurant 20

Subscribe now! A great resource!

Who’s

The magazine read by chefs and epicureans Order online

 Pride of place with Placed Recruitment 63  Sky Blue Future with Global Recruitment 64

warewashing

ON THE COVER  Universal Restaurant’s © Christine Manfield’s NZ King Salmon sashimi, pickled seaweed and samphire. Ingredients include NZ King Salmon from Fishy Biz. Samphire from John Rarity Wholesale purveyor of fine quality wholesale and processed fruit and vegetables. Photography by Paul Worsley 0416 035 363

who at Food Companion International Editor/Publisher Mel Nathan, Advertising/Marketing Mel Nathan, Sub Editor Jonathan Porter, Graphic Designer Anderson Barbosa de Oliveira (+61 2 0402 675 682), Social Photographer Bill Ranken, Contributors: Daniel Bloom, Jonathan Porter, Mark Eggleton, Michael Shafran, John Susman, Andrew Clark, John Lanzafame, Clair Feig, Jeff Turnbull, Mitch Edwards, Olivier Björksäter-Bleylock John Dean, Ken McGregor, John Doyle, Liz Dunphy, Michael Bennett, Eddie Cofie, Werner Kimmeringer, Reinhold Forster, Brian Lennox, Ariel Funes, Nicolette Stasko.

The opinions and views of the writers are not necessary those of the publisher. Material apprearing in Food Companion International is copyright and reproduction in whole or in part without express permission from the Editor is prohibited. All rights reserved. ©

www.foodcompanion.com.au

Postal address | Food Companion International | Level 9, Park House, 187 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia | Direct +61 2 0413 616 683 | Facsimile +61 2 9223 7761 | FCI magazine is available from selected newsagents throughout Australia as well as direct subscription. For all enquiries please contact Mel Nathan on mel@foodcompanion.com

Editor’s

note

elcome to another very special issue of Food Companion International, the international culinary trade magazine with lots of consumer class thrown in. We plan to keep you abreast of the times and be progressive in thought to inform you of what’s out there. FCI has a knack for spotting opportunities and talent and we use our intuition and knowledge of the industry to keep you informed. The only way to find out where you’re coming from and what you want, is to ask you questions and listen to your replies. FCI talks to you and listens - our editorial is focused on leading industry happenings and events. We are the industry contributor’s magazine, where you can read about new ingredients, behind the kitchen door interviews, recipes, parties, people, purveyors and more. Our list of contributors is never stagnant and you will be able to read about how professionals view the industry. FCI organised some lively chef get-togethers for this edition which attracted a broad cross-section of chefs, epicureans and purveyors including the inaugural FOODBALL 2007, where 50 of Sydney’s finest chefs swapped their pots and pans for shorts, t-shirts and shin-guards as they took to the field for the football tournament of the year. These gatherings are not only a good networking experience but benefit the food industry overall. We’ve provided comprehensive reports on alpaca, snails, kangaroo, turkey and molecular cookery. On a local note, there is still a strong demand for eating out and we have extended into the area of food supply. You have to admit chefs are becoming more aware of environmental issues and food quality concerns. Diners now demand information about ingredients, suppliers, especially at the premium end. We have kicked off this issue with new pages devoted to employment, focusing on chef and food industry jobs. Speaking of employment, we’re off to Dubai with Global Recruitment, who are recruiting hotel and airline people (see articles on pages 64, 65, and 66). Don’t miss the next issue for our inaugural “Apprentice Forum” at Garfish, where we conducted our own focus group with leading apprentices to better understand what makes them tick. Designed for busy people, we hope this journal will give you a laugh and make your day an easier one, based on stories from the local and international scene.

Introducing the Gemini Generation perfect coﬀee, every time

innovative design

personalised customer service

Culinary regards

Mel Nathan

food companion international

To find out more about the unique coffee solutions Nespresso offers, contact our sales partners at Benchmark

p 02 4353 1900 f 02 4353 1800 e nespresso@benchmarkstainless.com

Best of the Best

50 chefs

by Dan Bloom

Derek Baker

Alchemy731, Sydney

Ty Bellingham

Sailors Thai, Sydney

Shannon Bennett

Vue de Monde, Melbourne

Mark Best

Marque, Sydney

Guillaume Brahimi

Guillaume at Bennelong, Sydney

Andy Bunn

Sopra, Sydney

Logan Campbell

Lucio’s, Sydney

Sean Connolly

Astral, Sydney

Dorothy Creenaune

Longrain, Sydney

Serge Dansereau

The Bathers Pavilion, Sydney

Greg Doyle

The Pier, Sydney

Peter Doyle

Est, Sydney

George Francisco

Jonahs, Sydney

Belinda Franks & Richard Purdue

Belinda Franks Catering, Sydney

Peter Gilmore

Quay, Sydney

Guy Grossi

Grossi Florentino, Melbourne

Alex Herbert

Bird Cow Fish, Sydney

James Hird

Buzo, Sydney

Steve Hodges

Fishface, Sydney

James Hird

Buzo, Sydney

Steve Hodges

Fishface, Sydney

Philip Johnson

E’cco, Brisbane

Niko Kalpauoulas

Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay, Sydney

Matthew Kemp

Restaurant Balzac, Sydney

James Kidman

Otto, Sydney

Peter Kuruvita

Flying Fish, Sydney

Chui Lee Luk

Claudes, Sydney

Geoff Lindsay

Pearl, Melbourne

Christine Manfield

Universal, Sydney

Steve Manfredi

Bells at Killcare

Luke Mangan & Joe Pavlovich

Glass, Sydney

Robert Marchetti

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Sydney

Paul McMahon

Catalina, Sydney

Michael Moore

The Summit, Sydney

Matt Moran

Aria, Sydney

Lauren Murdoch

Lotus, Sydney

Justin North

Becasse, Sydney

Tim Pak Poy

Bistro Moncur

Alessandro Pavoni

Park Hyatt, Sydney

Armando Percuoco & Massimo Bianchi

Buon Ricordo, Sydney

Neil Perry & Michael McEnearney

Rockpool, Sydney

Damien Pignolet

Bistro Moncur/ Bellevue Hotel, Sydney

Giovanni Pilu

Pilu at Freshwater, Sydney

Brent Savage

The Bentley Bar, Sydney

Dietmar Sawyere

Forty One, Sydney

Darren Simpson

La Sala, Sydney

Steve Snow

Fins, Byron Bay

Rick Stein

The Seafood Restaurant, Cornwall, UK

Jeremy and Jane Strode

Bistrode, Sydney

David Thompson

Nahm, London, UK

Warren Turnbull

Restaurant Assiette, Sydney

Tetsuya Wakuda

Testuya’s, Sydney

Mangan, Perry and Stein were just three of the 50 top chefs catering for 50 tables – the full repertoire of specialty dishes, kitchen staff and waiters from Australia’s best restaurants.

t’s official, the Bestest Chefs Gala, a gastronomic initiative that aims to raise funds for children in need, has for the first time gone global. Not only does the event showcase some of Australia’s culinary glitterati, but last year, international chefs Rick Stein and David Thompson signed on. Last year’s event featured chefs such as Matt Moran of Aria Restaurant,Giovanni Pilu from Pilu at Freshwater, Damien Pignolet of Bistro Moncur and the Bellevue Hotel and Rick Stein of The Seafood Restaurant in Cornwall and David Thompson of Nahm in London. Neil Perry, a director of the event also cooked. All chefs, and there were 50 in total, prepared an entree, main and dessert. Matt Moran offered confit of petuna ocean trout with pickled mushrooms, hazelnut and green bean salad and sterling caviar as an entree. Giovanni Pilu served Lamb rump with broccolini, fregola and Bosane olives as a main. For dessert, Damien Pignolet offered millefeuille of raspberries and lemon cream. Last year’s event was wildly successful with over $830,000 being raised for the Bestest Foundation.

“

This was a one-of-a kind event for Australia

and to be honest I don’t know of anywhere else in the world where a single event on one evening brings so many top chefs together in

”

one kitchen.

Neil Perry

food companion international

d o o f 1 people news

Greekalicious’s first birthday

We’ve been to some marvelous parties! Pix by social photographer Bill Ranken email: bill@foodcompanion.com.au

• 1. Kyle Quy, 2. Maria Benardis, Peter Everett, 3. Sevil Oren, Niyazi Adali, 4. Zoe Ventura, Peter Everett, 5. Maria Benardis

Wild Oats, the yacht, the wine

Sundowner event at Pyrmont Wharf

photo@felixhalter.com.au

8 Hawkesbury Food and Wine Showcase at Parliament House, Sydney

• 6. Bob Oatley, Sevil Oren, 7. Wild Oats XI 8. Mark Richards, Bob Oatley, Winemaker James Manners, 9. Winemaker James Manners, Skipper Mark Richards, Bob Oatley, Iain Murray, 10. Food lover at the showcase.

11 14 16

Food Media Club Australia’s

Presidents dinner at Liquidity • 11. Nick Wayland, Rea Francis, 12. Ilsa Konrads, Annie MacDougal, 13. Charmaine Solomon, 14. Reuben Solomon, 15. Tony Bilson, 16. Wendy Lloyd Jones, 17. Nina Harris, 18. Professor Michael Archer, Lyndey Milan, Stewart White, 19. Ajoy Joshi, Bianca Budd.

Lexus Young Chef of the Year at the Australian Art Gallery

25 26 30

28 32

24 29 33

• 20. Sue Bennett, 21. Neil Perry, 22. Tetsuya, Bev Doyle, 23. Joe Pavlovich, Warren Turnbull, 24. Luke Mangain, Jayde Philips, 25. George Diamond, Kenneth Bryce, 26. Serge Dansereau, 27. Lucio Galletto, 28. Peter Doyle, Cheong Liew, 29. Claire Horsefield, Jay Leighton, Sarah Bartlett, Jason Chow, 30. Tony Papas, 31. Kyle Quy, Jenna Abbruzzese, Nicholas Hill, Melanie Gowers(winner), David Flukes, Damien Bolger, 32. Lyndey Milan, Elisabeth Drysdale, 33. Mitch Edwards, Andrew Spencer, Kylie Roberts, Stewart White, Peter Haydon.

ood fpeople news

Handy hints from Clair Feig at Richmond Hill Café and Larder

Samphire

his is a really beautiful plant and I’ve used it here and in the UK, its commonly found around English coastal areas and pickled. Samphire was referred to even by Shakespeare as ‘growing on the White Cliffs of Dover.’ Make sure you wash it well and trim its tougher roots. This plant is like a lovely velvety broccolini/seaweed type plant from the sea and lends itself well to a simply cooked fish dish. I like to sauté it with some finely shaved garlic and dried chilli in a little olive oil and serve with a piece of crispy skinned pan-fried blue eye with a lemon butter and almond sauce. Port Stephens grown Sea Asparagus, Samphire, Sea Beans whatever you like to call it. Is the small, fleshy stems and branches of a salty seacoast plant that tastes luscious slightly sweet but salty plant that looks like a miniature cactus, and whose succulent flesh tastes of the sea. Available 365 days per year. Available from John Rarity Wholesale purveyor of fine quality wholesale and processed fruit and vegetables on + 61 2 4960 2522.

Handy hints from Andrew Clark, Rock Restaurant

ea asparagus is high in salt, so you need to leach some off the excess salt out of it. The 2 main ways of doing this are: 1. to blanch it in boiling water and then refresh it in iced water 2. to soak it for a couple of hours in cold water If using the first method you can repeat a couple of times tasting it until it reaches the desired level of salt. For obvious reasons sea asparagus goes well with seafood. Going down this path I would suggest sautéing the sea asparagus with a little butter, bruised garlic and a whole chilli. Deglaze with a little white wine. Next toss some precooked pasta through and finish with some cooked crab meat and fresh parsley. It can also be served with chicken or meat, preferable with animals that live near the sea.

A visit with Kumar at Aki’s, Woolloomooloo Born? Chennai, India. Education? 3 Yr Hotel Management in India. Best kitchens worked? Other than my own since 1990 it would have to be working in hotels in India and Iraq. Favourite cheap eat? Pizza and pasta. What keeps you going? My passion for food, cooking and consuming! Wine is always welcome as well. Advice to future chefs? Be passionate about your food. The industry is too tough if it is just ‘work’ for you. Explore out of your shell. Try new cuisines and ingredients any opportunity you get. Favourite kitchen tool? Chinese Chopper. Most controversial menu item? Serving Beef as a South Indian Brahmin!!! Blasphemy!!! Regional areas in Indian with cuisine? Cannot be counted. Seriously, a country where the language changes every 100 Km, the cuisine changes as well. Is an Australia twist necessary when you serve Indian food? Not necessary and surely not required. When the right combination clicks, why not? Example; Scallops with Tomato Chutney and Wagyu Beef Ullathu. Career you would have pursued if you didn’t become a chef? Medicine. On modern vs classic chefs? Old is Gold. Favourite sport? Cricket, cricket and then some more cricket. Ingredient obsession? Fresh fennel and fennel seeds. Most controversial menu ingredient?Asking one of my chefs (who has a pet rabbit) to cook a Rabbit Khorma! Countries travelled to this year and what you learnt? India - I learnt about the Hyderabadi Cuisine of ‘The Nawabs’ Malaysia - I learnt about the Malay Muslim dishes. Cooking with less or no garam masala. New Zealand - Vino (Central Otago) & Relaxation!!

Aki’s Murg Malai Tikka

Somer Sivrioglu, Efendy

We have a journey Menu for diners which will take them from classic through to modern ingredients with everyday Turkish life; it’s a must especially for people when they’re going to visit Turkey. It’s about showcasing what we really eat and not kebabs. Born? Istanbul in 1971. Education? BA in Hospitality Management, Masters Degree in Busines Administration at UTS, Sydney. Experience? Nikko hotel when Trevelyn Bale was the Executive chef, Hilton Sydney for two years, Fox Studios as Sports Central Operations manager, Bavarian Hospitality Group as Group General Manager where I learnt about turning a restaurant into a brand, Wagamama as Operations Director, then I bought L’unico and turned it into something which I had always dreamed about, my own Turkish restaurant. Favourite cheap eat? Unas Doma at Kings Cross. Most controversial menu item? Kokorech is a Turkish delicacymade from spicy lamb intestine (much better than it sounds) that’s banned by the EU and hence on to Turkey as well since becoming a member. There was a culinary riot among chefs and kokorec fans. Our version is less controversial made from octopus. Favourite thing about Sydney? The harbour and the ferries remind me of Istanbul, we have just 4 beautiful beaches and lots of sailing as well. Most useful cookbook? My grandmothers cookbook, it is 70 years old and she is 101 and kicking. How does it feel opening up a new restaurant? It’s always been a desire of mine. Career you would have pursued if you didn’t become a chef? A professional basketball player if I hadn’t start eating and drinking so early in life! The wow factor dish at Efendy is? Ahtapot Kokorec – Octopus sauteed with Turkish spices. On the food at Efendy? When an Australian chef comes to Turkey – where are you going to send him? The spice bazaar. Chefs will go crazy over this place. It’s the 2nd oldest (17th century) trading bazaar in Istanbul, continuous stands with over 4,000 varieties of spices. Then I would suggest a drink at the local watering hole Refik or Yakup, where all my chef friends go. Obsession ingredient? Eggplant for mezes and mains and Salep ( wild orchid root) for desserts. Turkish chefs and organic foods? Most smaller restaurants in Istanbul either grow or buy their produce from a local grower, that’s why I never go to large scale restaurants back home, the taste is never the same as a local eatery.

Hear hear!! A great invite always gets people to come and that’s what La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs did in honour of the Queen at her castle at North Head. To take diners back in time they wrote 1307 to celebrate her birthday. Medieval party-goers

Markus Perkert

Ralf Bruegger

or the banquet including suckling pig on the spit, canapés and pre-dinner drinks, the King gathered some of the finest chefs in this land including; North Head Chef Rotisseur Felix Halter, from the South Chef Rotisseur Atul Dhanvate, from Darling Harbour Chef Rotisseur Marty Kindleysides, from South Head Chef Rotisseur Martin Hieber, Chef Rotisseur Darren Ho from the land near the flying dragons Chef Rotisseur Gerhard Langreiter, just to name a few. Guests were dressed in their crowns and armour and ate in true medieval style.

Becoming a chef at the Duck Duck Goose group? Being in the right place at the right time. The cuisine and concept? Asian fusion without the confusion. We’re having different levels of dining including a “light” and a “dark” side which will be more casual and Australia’s first Yum Cha Bar and Yum Cha eatery open late with the yin and yang feel to it. Fit out by Buro Architects who designed the Melbourne Press Club and The Botanical restaurant. If all goes according to plan, Paris, London, Sydney and Tokyo in that order within the next 4 years. We already have a location in London and Sydney with Tokyo yet to be decided. On the recruitment drive? Yes, ones with passion, commitment and diligence, willingness to learn and who can see the bigger picture and be a part of the business family, there will be travel interstate and overseas for some lucky chefs but they have to be team players. Will you miss the Hunter? Of course! You can take the boy out of the Hunter, but not the Hunter out of the boy!

Darren Ho, Duck Duck Goose

Traveling with taste Efendy

Royale Banquet Amicale at International College of Management, Sydney

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Fresh Salads and Processed Vegetables...

 serves 4 ½ avocado, peeled and chopped 1 tsp wasabi paste 2 tsp lime juice 1 tsp sea salt ½ tsp freshly ground white pepper ¼ tsp sansho pepper 8 slices taro, deep fried 8 asparagus spears, cut into 4cm diagonal lengths tempura batter vegetable oil, for deep frying gr samphire, trimmed and blanched 20 edamame beans, blanched and double peeled fried leek strips, to garnish  soy wasabi dressing

JOHN RARITY

WHOLESALE

A purveyor of fine quality wholesale and processed fruit and vegetables Phone + 61 2 4960 2522 18/20 Rural Drive, Sandgate NSW 2304

1 tbsp light soy sauce 3 tsp rice vinegar 1 tsp Chinese black vinegar 2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp castor sugar 1 tsp wasabi paste few pinches of freshly ground black pepper few drops of sesame oil 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp wasabi oil Blend the avocado, wasabi paste, lime juice, salt, pepper and sansho together till smooth. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Heat the oil in deep fryer to 180C. Dip the asparagus in tempura batter, shake to remove excess and fry in hot oil for 90 seconds until crisp. Drain on paper towel. To arrange on plate, spoon a little avocado onto each plate, scatter the samphire and edamame beans around and add 2 tsp dressing. Make a stack alternating with asparagus spears, taro crisps and avocado. Sit the leek strips on top then serve.

jrwholesale@bigpond.com.au

www.johnrarity.com.au

food companion international

“

My philosophy of life and work is based on the premise that life is too short to eat bad food. I am motivated by passion, care and integrity... My ambition has always been the pursuit of excellence and that is what guides me in my work and life.

”

Christine Manfield

asparagus tempura, wasabi avocado and samphire

ď&#x201A;&#x201E; serves 4 160gr sashimi grade king salmon fillet, cut into 12 slices 60gr Japanese pickled sesame seaweed salad (available from fishmongers) 40gr samphire, trimmed and blanched 1 punnet mustard cress, snipped 1 small red radish, finely shredded 1 green onion, finely sliced 1 tsp shredded pickled ginger 1 tsp wasabi tobiko (flying fish roe) ď&#x201A;&#x201E; ginger dressing 1 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp ginger juice 2 tsp rice vinegar 1 tsp ginger vinegar few drops tabasco sauce 2 tsp fish sauce 2 tsp mirin 1 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp rice bran (or vegetable) oil 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste

To make the ginger dressing, whisk all ingredients together in bowl until emulsified. In a bowl, mix the pickled seaweed, samphire, cress, radish, pickled ginger and green onion. Add enough ginger dressing to coat and toss with fingers to combine. Arrange salad on plates and lay the king salmon slices across the top, drizzle over some extra ginger dressing to season the fish. Add a small dollop of wasabi tobiko then serve immediately.

Christine Manfield

NZ King Salmon sashimi, pickled seaweed and samphire

food companion international

Instead of molecular cookery we prefer to call it techno emotive cuisine, as it uses the latest techniques but still tries to evoke emotion from the customer.

echno-cuisine

Chef Robin Wickens

Born? Southampton, UK. Education? Finished school at 16, no chef qualifications. Experience? Started commis at Le Manoir aux Quat Season in Oxford, UK. I worked in various restaurants in London then moved to Australia in 2001 and opened Interlude in 2004. Favourite cheap eat? Pancake Parlour. What keeps you going? Coffee, Corona. Advice to future chefs? Learn to crawl before you can walk, spend years learning the basics before trying more complicated cuisine. Favourite kitchen tool? Clifton Waterbaths. Most controversial menu item? Curried Marshmallows (with King George whiting and carrot consomme). Favourite thing about Melbourne? The weather. Most useful cookbook? Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. Early influences? Raymond Blanc. How does it feel having a two-hatted restaurant? It will feel better when it’s a three-hatted restaurant. Career you would have pursued if you had not become a chef? Something in the film industry. Career turning point? Opening my own restaurant. Favourite sport? Football (soccer). How can we keep attracting young chefs into the food world? Don’t ask me I’m just a cook. Countries travelled to this year and what you learned? UK, France, Remembered how cold winter in Paris is. Obsession ingredient? Salt. Purveyor tip? Be nice to your suppliers and they will be nice to you.

food companion international

garden salad - snails, soil, flowers

bacon and eggs

1 dozen fresh snails-purged 500g button mushrooms 500ml water 2 sprigs thyme 2 cloves garlic 100ml white wine Methyl Cellulose Blanch snails in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, refresh in iced water. Pick snails from their shells. Place into a vacuum bag with thyme, garlic and wine and seal to full vacuum. Cook in water bath at 65c for 2hrs. Refresh bag. Finely slice mushrooms and fry golden, cover with water. Reduce water until completely evaporated. Blend mushrooms to fine puree, pass and season. Take 400g of puree and place into a blender with 8.2g methyl cellulose, blend until smooth and chill over ice. Pipe some mushroom puree onto a square of glad wrap and place a snail onto the puree. Wrap and tie into a ball. Allow 3 snails per serve. Warm snails in water bath at 60c for 5 mins.

10g honey 10ml water 3g dry yeast 15g sugar 3g salt 220g flour 3 eggs 170g butter 2 tbls squid ink Mix honey, yeast and half water. Mix salt, sugar and rest of water. Mix flour in mixer with dough hook, add yeast mix, then eggs, then sugar mix. Knead for 6 mins until smooth. Add butter then squid ink. Bake at 180c for 18mins then 150c for 30mins. Dry bread overnight. Then crumble into coarse breadcrumbs. Fry in very duck fat until crisp.

to serve

truffle- black truffle pasta

Dress plate with pickled garlic gel. Add 2 tbls soil per bowl. Drain snails and unwrap glad wrap. Drizzle snails with a little beurre noisette and season. Place snails into bowel. Garnish dish with a selection of shoots and flowers and some Bergamot dressing. Finish dish with a Nasturtium bubble.

Fresh, Farmed Hunter Valley Snails

The Australian Escargot

Snails Bon Appetite | Robert & Helen Dyball M: 0419 291 866 E: info@snails.com.au

www.snails.com.au

OYSTERS IN T H E K I T C H E N at s y d n e y pa r k h yat t

Slinging Young Guns at Old Oyster Greats by Nicolette Stasko and mel nathan

In conjun c t i o n w i t h Pa r k H y a t t , S y d n e y, N S W Fa r m e r s A s s o ciation and FCI, i t w a s o n f o r t h e S y d n e y c h e f s a n d f o o d w r i t e r s .

e had a lively chef get-together over some freshly shucked oysters whilst 35 NSW oyster growers were in town for a policy meeting held at The Park Hyatt’s Harbour Kitchen Bar. The venue’s natural timber, as well as stainless steel and glass, combined with views of the Sydney Opera House, were a perfect accompaniment to learn about one of the world’s most sophisticated morsels. Mel Nathan welcomed oyster “young guns” Matt Ravell of Wallis Lake and Ewan McAsh from Clyde River and “old oyster great” Theo Adamis. They showcased their finest and explained to a group of enthusiastic chefs from Sydney’s hatted restaurants, five-star hotels and

The Sydney Rock Oyster has been farmed in NSW since the 1870’s

F ood C ompanion I nternational

purveyor, Martins Seafood was using a special type of sophisticated air-gun, manufactured in Newcastle to shuck oysters, where the top part of the shell was blown off _ along with the grit. This process involved opening from the trunk or stem of the oyster, and turning it but no washing. Palmer told FCI that it was a crime to wash an oyster! At one point the roar of the crowd made it difficult to hear, such was the level of appreciation and enthusiasm.The big moment of the night was of course the tasting, when large plates of freshly opened oysters from different regions in NSW were placed on the bar and then it was on for young and old! One attendee told FCI that he had tried 62 oysters during the workshop! The qualities of the oysters presented were stunning and stimulated a lively discussion among the chefs about consistency and flavour from a regional and seasonal point of view. corporate catering groups the full language of oysters including industry changes and innovations.The workshop started with a discussion on how chefs were buying and how they were promoting them on the menu. Attendees also included the farmers, seafood purveyors, and notable food and wine writers and industry members. An issue of debate was shucking. To wash or not to wash an oyster, that was the question and there were some passionate pros and cons on both sides. It was revealed that the traditional way of opening oysters was not to have grit in them. A guest speaker and traditionalist, Theo Adamis from Sydney City Oysters (with his specially made knife) told the group that he shucked oysters from the front, then cutting through muscle, then turning and then rinsing to remove grit. He had been shucking oysters like this for many, many years, he said. New generation oyster growers Matt Ravell and Ewan McCash described how a local seafood

Epicurean Workshop Included: • Flavour profiles and consistency: tasting session •O yster appreciation session and tasting: how to become more oyster discerning. • Seasonal availability: latest from NSW Farmers Association. • What’s the latest coming to the plate? (by Martin Palmer, Simon Marnie & John Susman) • Seasonal vs regional varieties. How growers are working with the purveyors & chefs. • Mingle with all the oyster growers from Eden up to Tweed Heads • Special session Shucking oysters with Theo Adamis, who is one of our best and knows what he’s talking about (courtesy of Sydney City Oysters). • Every chef received a take home information kit. Opportunity to network among other Sydney chefs • Educational slideshow • Lucky door prizes galore

Oysters Facts • Oysters are naturally high in essential Omega-3 oils, Zinc, Iron, Vitamins A, B & C and low in cholesterol • NSW Oysters are harvested in accordance with a stringent Shellfish Quality Assurance Program

Sponsors: Cassegrain Wines, Port Macquarie (02) 6582 8377, FIJI Water 1800 880 443, Gwydir Grove Olive Oils (02) 6271 2727, Chef Works 1300 362 228, Giotto Gelato (02) 9756 2283

The subject of toppings was also raised. Awardwinning poet, critic and editor of “Oyster from Montparnasse to Greenwell Point” Nicolette Stasko told FCI that she was an au naturel type and that she didn’t miss the toppings, although this was one of the ways chefs can show their skills and ingenuity. It’s also a way for the oyster-shy to get initiated said Stasko. The evening finished off when executive chef of the hotel (previously Danny Drinkwater) and team offered a tasting platter of dressed oysters that were to die for _ followed by stylish version of the old favourite, antipasto. Who would have thought the chefs could have eaten any more? There was a load of lucky door prizes including; a dozen bottles of Gwydir Grove Blood Orange and fresh lime Agrumato olive oils, Chef Works 100% cotton clothing, and a

delicious new season’s flavour pack selection from Giotto Gelato, including a factory tour with lunch thrown in for a lucky chef. So what does this have to do with those of us who just want to eat great oysters? Without a doubt the dialogue taking place between farmers, purveyors and chefs about what makes a good oyster, how to store and prepare is all good news for the consumer who will reap the benefits on his or her restaurant plate. Matt Ravell concluded that a lot of chefs would have left Oysters in the Kitchen with a good understanding of oysters and the best ways to enjoy them. And hopefully more will take up Ewan McAsh’s advice to open them yourself for a fresher product and a longer shelf life. Looks like there are plenty of happy days ahead for oyster lovers!

NSW coast 0yster growers • Tweed River • Brunswick River • Richmond River • Ballina • Clarence River • Wooli Wooli River • Coffs Harbour • Bellinger Rver • Nambucca River • Macleay River • Pot Macquarie • Hastings River • Camden Haven • Manning River • Foster •Wallis Lakes • Port Stephens • Newcastle • Hunter River

• Brisbane Waters • Hawkesbury River • Sydney • Botany Bay • Georges River • Nowra • Shoalhaven & Crookhaven River • Conjola & Burrill Lakes • Batemans Bay • Clyde River • Tomaga & Moruya River • Turross Lakes • Wagonga Inlet • Bermagui, Wapengo, Nelson • Merimbula & Pambula Lakes • Eden • Twofold/Towamba • Wonboyn Lake

food companion international

Generation y

No oyster lovers here? It was no secret, Oysters in the House organisers were keen to convert members of the often cynical Generation Y into oyster lovers, writes Dan Bloom. While overall turnout was exceptionally good, especially from Gen-Y, the question still lingers. How exactly do you get youngsters to consume oysters? In an increasingly health conscious milieu, promoting the health properties of oysters may be a winning idea. Oysters are naturally high in essential omega3 oils, zinc, iron, vitamins A, B and C and low in cholesterol. If talk of Omega-3s and vitamins sounds uninspiring, remember that omega 3 oils assist in regulating brain and eye function and promote a healthy cardiovascular system. In addition, minerals like zinc can make hair positively shine. However, according to one savvy and busy Gen-Y professional, Emily Hammon, promoting oysters’ health properties would only appeal to young women and metrosexuals. This, unfortunately, leaves blokes with the raw end of the deal. Speaking of raw, this is the best way to eat an oyster. In fact, consumers should all ask for their oysters raw and unwashed. They should also look plump and shiny. However, the fact that oysters are served raw and unwashed is exactly what drives many from Generation Y away. Emily Hammon believes that oysters are essentially boogers of the sea. They taste like the sea, and if you have them alone they are rather hard to digest. Hammon suggests slowly introducing oysters to Generation Y, and, of course, do

F ood C ompanion I nternational

prohibitive, especially with the current drought affecting the majority of growers. Ultimately, Generation Y is a hard group to understand. They want everything, and nothing, all at once. In many ways they are walking contradictions.

not serve them by themselves. Instead, serve them with a wedge of lemon Hammon says. The problem with Generation Y is the fact that not only are they extremely time poor but they are also cash poor. This according to Hammon means that generation Y cannot often afford to splurge on exquisite Sydney rocks or Pacifics. Hammon one way of getting young people into oysters is to give them for free, with a glass of champagne or beer. “If they are given for free, then they are likely to taste it. Generation Y is unlikely to go to a restaurant and order a dozen oysters because of price,” says Hammon. Obviously, events such as

Oysters in the House aim at attracting Generation Y towards oysters. For just $20, participants were treated to an oyster taste test and numerous other oysters prepared in a varying degree of styles. Twenty dollars is nothing compared to the copious amounts of money that many Gen-Ys will part with for a music festival such as The Good Vibrations Festival recently held in Sydney’s Centennial Park. However, the proverbial problem is getting Generation Y to spend money on oysters. For the time being perhaps giving one for free to compliment a glass of champagne, wine or beer is a wise idea. Unfortunately, therein lies another problem. Giving oysters away for free may be cost-

In convers at i o n w i t h . . .

Alessandro Pavoni Un-Garda’d moment “Tetsuya and Neil Perry are the chefs that I admire”

Born? Brescia, North Italy, near Garda Lake. Culinary education? I trained at the Art, Science and Technological Centre of Food in Brescia and at the Caterina de Medici Hospitality School. Then went on to work under the tutelage of famous Italian pastry chef Igino Massari, followed by restaurant Fiordaliso (a Michelin Star restaurant) in Garda Lake, Italy. Then on to France and Bermuda where I further refined my techniques and experimented with new ones. Best kitchen you have worked in? Ristorante Carlo Magno in Brescia. Favourite cheap eat? Golden Century. Advice to future chefs? Make sure you love it before you begin. Favourite kitchen tool? My knives. Favourite thing about Sydney? The people and the waves. Most useful cookbooks? Dal Pescatore, Enoteca Pinchiorri, Gualtiero Marchesi, Sadler and Don Alfonso. Early influences? My grandmother. Career you would have pursued if you had not become a chef? Professional basketball player. Career turning point? Coming to Australia. Favourite sport? Surfing, basketball, rock climbing, ice climbing and yoga. Ingredient obsession? Extra virgin olive oil and salt. Two wow factors at Park Hyatt Sydney? The view here and Sydney’s produce. On classic vs modern trained chefs? I am classic trained with a very modern style.

Giving food a kick Cooking Wine steals chefs’ round-table at Manta An exhausting session which included the introduction of a brand new cooking wine product for chefs and a discussion on how it works with food writes Dan Bloom. It is not often that the cooking wines chefs use in their dishes take centre stage. However, cooking wine was firmly on the agenda at Manta Restaurant in Woolloomooloo, where some of Sydney’s top chefs arrived for a round-table discussion and a five-course degu cooked by Manta’s skilful head chef Dan Hughes. All of Chef Hughes’ dishes centred on a specific cooking wine manufactured by the Cooking Wine Company, who co-sponsored the event along with Food Companion International (FCI). The Cooking Wine Company is offering four different varieties, specifically designed to cook with. The four varieties consist of a soft fruity style white, a classic dry white, a classic dry style red, and an Italian style red. These wines are attractive to chefs and consumers alike as they are less expensive than many of the cooking wines currently used in kitchens around Australia. The reason these products are less expensive than their counterparts is due to the fact that they are both WET and GST free.

Why? The Cooking Wine Company has done what no-one in Australia has done before: they’ve developed a range of wines specifically for cooking. And the results are surprisingly good. Some of the chefs present at the event included Manu Feildel of Bilson’s, Matt Kemp of Restaurant Balzac, Damien Heads of Pony, and Warren Turnbull of Assiette. These talented chefs and others, including MC Mel Nathan, publishing editor of FCI Magazine, engaged in a discussion about cooking wine.

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Nathan left no stone unturned in her quest to gauge the thoughts of the top chefs regarding the cooking wine in an exhausting session which included a tasting of new product and a discussion of how it works with food. The major issues covered included: • Flavour profiles and consistency • The winemakers’ style and maturation process including alcohol content • Seasonal v regional varieties coming onstream in 2007 • Perfect for the pan dishes that cry out for a quality cooking wine and which cuisines they are suitable for • Bulk use sizes and how they fit in the kitchen • Packaging and labelling Of these six issues; flavour, sizes and labelling were by far the most widely discussed.

In fact all chefs present expressed their approval of how the product was packaged and labelled. However, Matt Kemp of Balzac said, “I don’t really care about packaging. Cost and quality are the two most important things.” The chefs were pleased with the quality of the wines. When tasting the soft fruity white Damien Heads of Pony declared it to be very smooth. Manu Feildel of Bilsons said that the dry white blended with the rabbit nicely. Feildel, an extremely vocal participant in the round-table discussion, said he wanted to have a cooking wine that was both sweet and acidic. Feildel felt that the wines presented by the Cooking Wine Company lacked acidity. This, however, was only a small grievance, and a shortcoming that the team at The Cooking Wine Company was eager to explore. Overall, the chefs attending were extremely impressed with the products The Wine Company had on offer. “I wasn’t expecting this to be as good as it was,” said Matt Kemp.

Location shot

“When we were coming to this meeting today, we were quite sceptical about it but, as it’s panned out, it’s going to do really, really well… The flavour is good. They’re simple wines but they’re good for what they are.” Attendees

Manu Fieldel, Bilson’s Matthew Kemp, Restaurant Balzac John Evans,Three Weeds Damien Heads, Pony Lounge & Dining Charlie Jean-Bruyère, La Sala Sean Connolly, Astral Bar & Dining Mark Stone, Lenôtre Warren Turnbull, Assiette

yianni@yianniphotography.com.au

Journey Menu

A selection of Sydney rock oysters from Wallis Lake, Claire de Lune Bouton and Hastings River served with a lemon, chive and shallot dressing. Wine: NV Thorn & Clark Brut Reserve, Barossa Valley Cooking: Soft fruity white, The Cooking Wine Company.

Potato Gnocchi with Braised White Rabbit Leg, Green Peas & Porcini Wine: 2004 I Feudi di Romans, Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy Cooking: Classic dry white, The Cooking Wine Company.

Pan-fried South Australian Snapper Fillet with Vongole, Baby Fennel, Pencil Leeks and Shellfish Broth Wine: 2004 Kooyong Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula, VIC Cooking: Classic Dry Red and Classic White, The Cooking Wine Company

Roasted Duck Breast with Cavolo Nero and Pickled Cherries Wine: 2002 Dievole Primadonna Chianti Classico, Tuscany Italy. Cooking: Italian style Red, The Cooking wine Company.

Ricotta Tart with Poached White Peaches and Amaretto Biscuit Wine: 2004 Keith Tulloch, Botrytis Semillion, Hunter Valley, NSW Cooking: Fruity White, The Cooking Wine Company.

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Dan Hughes Potato gnocchi with braised rabbit leg, green peas and porcini INGREDIENTS Potato gnocchi • 500 grams desire potatoes • 1 egg • 175 grams plain flour • Pinch of salt

Braised rabbit legs • 4 farmed rabbit legs • 100grams flour • 1 onion diced

METHOD For the gnocchi:

1.Place potatoes whole in a pot and cover with cold water, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 45 mins or until potatoes are cooked. 2.Drain the water and then peel the potatoes. Put the potatoes through a potato ricer or moulis. Place the potato on your work surface and make a well in the middle of the pile of potato. 3.Crack the eggs into the centre of the potatoes and add the pinch of salt. Place the flour around the outside of the potatoes and then start to incorporate the entire ingredient together until you are left with a ball of dough. 4. Now cut off about half of the dough, flour your working surface and now roll out the dough into a snake shape about a 1 cm diameter. Repeat this with the other half. 5. Now cut the gnocchi into 1.5 cm pieces and place onto a floured tray, now they are ready for cooking.

• 2 celery stalks diced • 2 small carrots diced • 100 grams dried porcini (soaked in warm water) • 200 grams green peas fresh if not frozen is fine • 1 small bunch of sage • 2 bay leaves • Olive oil • 500ml cooking wine • 3 litres chicken stock

For the braised rabbit legs:

1. Flour the rabbit legs. Heat large saucepan with olive oil. Add rabbit legs and cook them until golden. Remove Rabbit legs and place onto a tray. 2. In the same pan, sweat off onions, celery, carrot, sage and dried porcini. Cook until soft. 3. Add the rabbit legs to the vegetables, cook for further 5 minutes then add cooking wine and reduce by half. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil. Cover and put in the oven for 1 hour on 170 degrees. 4. Remove rabbit from oven. Allow to cool for half and hour and then pick meat away from the bone and discard bones. Add green peas and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and wait for them to float to the top then remove and add to sauce. Serve into 4 bowls and garnish with shaved parmesan cheese.

Cooking for the brigade It’s a challenge when cooking for a food-savvy public, but try doing it for your peers says Dan Hughes at Manta.

FTER a meteoric rise in Adelaide, Dan Hughes recently relocated to Sydney, to take over from Steve Manfredi as e xecutive Chef of Woolloomooloo’s Manta r estaurant. “I really got into the wine in Adelaide – mainly drinking it [laughs]. the wine regions are very close to the city. In 45 minutes, you could be at a major winery. Now I’m trying to get my head around this fast city, trying to keep up with it.”

“The Woolloomooloo wharf is busy; it’s a nice atmosphere, nice surroundings, and a good On a beautiful night, it’s amazing. I think it’s one of the best places to come and eat.” ecently, Dan was charged with the task of showcasing the new range of the Cooking Wine Company’s wines to a stellar line-up of well-known Sydney chefs. Although he found the experience a little daunting, his degustation menu, featuring each of the wines, was well received. “Having all these chefs come along was a challenge in itself. It was excellent meeting these guys,” he says. The menu was defined by the need to feature the range of four cooking wines.

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“I was trying to show what you can do with each of the cooking wines in the day-to-day running of the kitchen. the simplicity of the food portrays what I do…I made a dressing for the oysters – it was a little unusual. Because the vinegar was so sharp, I was looking for a bit of a sweetness to counteract it. I used the Cooking Wine Company’s soft fruity white.” Dan boasts an impressively well-rounded background, but his preference is for Italian cuisine, and he admits to a fondness for the Italian-style red. “I marinated the cherries with it,” he says. “I thought it [the Cooking Wine Co wine] was very good. I’ve got some here now and I’m still using it.” He continues, “the wine is working out well, because of the warmer weather, I’m using a lot of the dry white, and I think I like it. We use a fair bit of wine because we do a lot of pasta and seafood in the summer months. I’ll use the reds in the winter months for braises.” Right now, says Dan, “I’m serving lighter dishes, and mainly seafood. I’m very happy

Matt Kemp Daube of beef with pine mushrooms and pomme puree Serves six

INGREDIENTS • 6 beef cheeks – 150cm each (trimmed) • 2 litres beef/veal stock • 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped • 1 small onion, peeled and chopped • 1 stick celery, peeled and chopped

METHOD Pre-heat oven to 300ºF. Over moderate heat, place a casserole dish big enough to accommodate the cheeks. It must have a tight-fitting lid. When the dish is hot, add 50ml of oil and allow to heat. Take the beef and season well on both sides. Place into the pot and seal the meal so it’s golden brown. Remove the meat and set aside. Add the remaining oil and allow to heat. Add the vegetables and cook until golden brown. When the vegetables are brown, add the red wine, ignite and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add the stock and herbs and bring up to the simmer.

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and cracked • 1 sprig thyme • 1 bay leaf • 200ml red wine • 100ml olive oil • Salt and pepper • 300g pomme puree • 120g pine mushrooms, sautéed

Add the cheeks and bring to the simmer. Cover with the lid and place in the oven. The daube should take about 3-4 hours. When the daube is cooked, remove the cheeks using a slotted spoon. Pass the braising liquid through a fine sieve lined with muslin or a tea towel. Pour the liquid into a large saucepan, and place onto a high heat. Reduce until a sauce consistency is reached and then set aside. The various components of the dish can now be creatively arranged on plates.

“When we were coming to this meeting today we were quite skeptical about it but, as it’s panned out, it’s going to do really well…The flavour is good. They’re simple wines but they’re good for what they are.” He continues, “I’m going to use them – there’s no ifs or buts.” Dissecting plastic crabs It’s amazing, the stories you hear. Speaking about the training he received when he was just starting out, Matthew Kemp, of Restaurant Balzac, says “I got shown how to take a crab apart with a plastic crab, geezer was cooking it at home for his wife. That’s the only reason we

Hip to be square But Balzac’s Matt Kemp thinks it’s bonza to be in Australia.

ne of Sydney’s best-known chefs, Matt Kemp has worked in some of

least of which is The Square, in London. With two Michelin stars to its name, Matt describes it as the kind of place where anything could happen. “It was in a pretty ritzy part of town, right on Berkley Square, which is seriously, seriously loaded. Lots and lots of rich people round there. I remember preparing a lunch for Princess Di. That sort of place. You name it, they had them in there.” Matt Kemp has been at the helm of Restaurant Balzac for seven years, and has built his reputation on good food that won’t break the bank. “The idea behind Balzac,” he says, “is that it’s really simple, very seasonal. But the idea is not to be using premier cuts. At least 50-60% of the food that we source is of lesser known cuts that people don’t use so much - or they didn’t before we kind of really got the ball rolling on that.”

att was also head chef at Banc, in Sydney’s CBD, but there came a time when he decided to “put my money where my mouth is”. The result was the enormously successful Restaurant Balzac. “When I came back here in ’96, I rang up my butcher and I said, ‘Right, I want sweetbreads,’ and he said, ‘no one wants that, mate!’ and I said, ‘Well, I do. Send them to me.’ I started getting them at 5 bucks a kilo, and I said, ‘What about beef cheeks?’ ‘God, we just give those to the pigs or whatever… they’re now like 27 dollars a kilo!” Matt Kemp of Restaurant Balzac: “With European cooking, a lot of us are thinking about the balance of the dishes these days, like the acidic components that go within it- which is helped out by wines as well. I think whereas we used to reduce wine down a hell of a lot, maybe we don’t reduce it down so much now.”

96 food companion international

A Date with Her Majesty A

p r i va t e t o u r , m e e t i n g t h e e x e c u t i v e c h e f , d r i n k i n g

the

Captain’s

q ua r t e r s wa s a d r e a m c o m e t r u e f o r

s a well seasoned chef, I have been fortunate to meet interesting people like famous celebrities, sport heroes and rock stars. Last year I met the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyonce and Snoop Dog, but nothing beats a grand tour on the Queen Mary II when she was last in town. I could not believe my excitement when I discovered that the QM2 was due to visit Sydney. I was on the phone to editor of this magazine immediately, and when the response came back as yes we are on for a tour; it was like all my Christmases had come at once. Twenty years ago, I was this eager young chef, keen on working on one of the most luxurious cruise ships sailing the ocean waves called the P&O Canberra. She was this magnificent 42,000-ton vessel carrying 1600 passengers and 800 crew preparing and serving food from around the globe and having a grand old time. Back in those days when we first sailed into Sydney Harbour I was absolutely awe-struck. Having seen many other magnificent ports around the world, Rio, San Francisco, Portugal, Madeira and many others, you just couldn’t beat Sydney. There was no ANA Hotel (now Shangrila Hotel) no Renaissance, no Park Hyatt, no Darling Harbour or even a Woolloomooloo Wharf. The Regent Hotel (now Four Seasons Hotel) was the most superior hotel in town at the time and I was fortunate enough to land there to work with Serge Dansereau and Ron Coleman when I returned to Australia in ‘89. Twenty-one years later – boy and have things changed. One thing that’s changed for sure is the size of cruise ships, I was fortunate, very fortunate in fact to have been given the opportunity to visit the QM2, and I really drew a breath. There was nothing to compare, only that both vessels could float.

French champagne and canapés this chef. writes Eddie Cofie

Mel Nathan and I were treated to an absolute tour of paradise that could not have been equalled anywhere else. All the literature you could read could not describe some of the things we could now put our hands on. The polished and courteous staff wearing white gloves and eager to help, the restaurants, the exclusive designer boutiques, the Harrods store, cinemas, cigar bars, elevators, stairwells, walkways, photographs of famous guests and artwork, it wasn’t like you were on a ship at all really. As we boarded the ship we almost, literally, bumped into Klaus the executive chef of the ship and fortunately had a few minutes with each other to chat about my cruise ship days and to our surprise he informed us that he had only been in the job for two weeks. The comparison, if I had to make one would be like comparing David Jones to Franklins, I think we both knew the little intricacies of catering on a cruise ship. Mel of course was a great happy snapper and I got my photo taken with the chef. At the time I was battling a severe case of tonsillitis and could hardly speak a word and was nearly on the verge of not making the long hour and a half trip to get over to the ship – it seemed like forever to get around to Woolloomooloo from Circular Quay. Mel duly made up for the two of us, and asked all the questions I wanted to ask. The restaurants had started opening as we were nearing the end of our tour and guests were beginning to form queues. We viewed an extraordinary array of meats, vegetables and pastries. The dining rooms were just impeccable and so glamorous. Again, one of the highlights of the visit was enjoying French champagne and some fine canapés with the captain and the CEO upstairs in the Commodore’s Suite with the classic grand

piano playing in the background. As you could imagine the journos threw all sorts of questions at them both. But one question that was on the edge of everyone’s lips was directed to the CEO who was a woman, went something like “So you’re a female, how can a female be the CEO on Cunard that is considered a boy’s club with over 170 ships?” The response was a very cool and confident “Well if you can get the job done, then the job is done.” said the CEO. I will never forget this day, when over 200,000 people went down to view the massive liner and when Sydney came to a standstill. In the afternoon the crowds were excited as her sister the QE2 was sailing into Sydney. When the QM2 comes back into Sydney in February 2008, I will be sitting back and watching her from my big screen, I will hopefully be on my rostered day off, with a nice glass of fine champagne, I will kick my feet up with my wife and children, celebrate and give them an indepth commentary.

Top left: Mel Nathan & Eddie Cofie, Klaus working hard in the galley, Mel & QM2 Captain having drinks in Commodores Suite, Mel & Eddie in foyer upon arrival, CEO of Cunard, Todd English Restaurant.

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Beyonce

Destiny’s Child

eat a turkey!

Red Hot Chilli Peppers performing in Sydney

Keep a chicken happy...

“Turkey shouldn’t just be seen on the menu at christmas.”

Chicken or beef?

When it comes to large scale events and functions this is the most common question asked, writes Dan Bloom

hef Eddie Cofie says – like all Turkey Osso Bucco, Turkey Provencal, good things, imagination with Turkey and artichoke tapas and grilled food when catering in volumes turkey with a Dijon Mustard dressing. has its highs and lows, but that’s no reason The innovation does not stop there. Cofi, to abandon the thought of using Turkey. who also caters to many of the VIPs’ who Recently, I was at a function where the preform at the arena, reckons they love diner, next to me, could not eat either the their turkey. chicken or the beef. With no vegetarian When the big celebrities and artists come option in sight, this diner was forced to eat [to perform] like Beyonce and Destiny’s lettuce leaves for the rest of the night. Child the crumbed turkey with pancetta, garlic and lemon It’s easy to see citrus rice with ginger why Chicken and [is a real favourite]. Beef are among the Clearly, overseas, When Snoop Dog favourites when it Turkey is not just comes to catering for visits Sydney the dish of choice to large parties. Fish and he requests Turkey celebrate the holidays. some other proteins Schnitzel. The Red Hot can become absolute Turkey, in one of its Chilli Peppers request disasters if not handled many carnations, could a stuffed cabbage with care or given easily grace the menu baked with minced enough time to cook. at any function as a turkey breast, black healthier alternative to However, there is pepper, beef or chicken. an alternative to the chilli, garlic and Chicken and Beef Turkey is fantastic conundrum – Turkey. meat; it contains no spring onions. fat and eight percent In Australia, we more protein than tend to eat this large chicken. Australia may bird for Christmas, in not have caught on to turkey’s versatility, 30 degree heat. It’s a stodgy experience, the but in a world where people prefer protein turkey sweats, and so do we. But, there are some very clever chefs to carbohydrates, what’s not to love about arriving on our shores who have redefined this big bird? Turkey is delicious, nutritious the way Turkey is eaten. In fact, this bird and versatile. “Fellow Australians, I ask of you... let’s is innovative and a perfect addition to any cook turkey more regularly not just for the function’s menu. Eddie Cofie, formerly executive chef holiday season, but throughout the year.”

“

”

of Acer Arena, in Sydney is no stranger to the versatility of turkey. “Even though we’re doing lots of large volume catering projects, we also have many different styles of food” he says. Turkey is just one different style. In fact, Cofie loves to cook with it. He’s served Acer Arena

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Enjoy the taste sensation! Contact Game Farm + 6 1 2 9653 2113

www.gamefarm.com.au

Chef goes to a beer class Jeff Turnbull is amazed by the beer and food matching skills of the award winning team at Redoak

Jeff Turnbull is Group Executive Chef from Aqua Dining, Ripple’s Cafe and Ripple’s at Chowder Bay, Sydney.

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HOSPITALITY EMPLOYMENT SOLUTIONS

HTN (Formerly Hospitality Training Network) is the leading Group

chef goes t o a b e e r c l a s s

Training Organisation established by industry, for industry to provide hospitality apprentices and trainees. HTN employs in excess of 700 Apprentice Chefs and Hospitality Trainees throughout the ACT, NSW & QLD and is the largest hospitality specific group employer in the Asia Pacific region.

eer class, shucks I know all about beer, don’t all males? It tastes great, has a frothy head and generally amber in colour and is a must if you’re watching the footy! What else do we need to know? All of us, at some stage have wandered in to our local bottle shop and mingled around the beer section of the fridge, deciding on the tried and true or will you be adventurous and sample a boutique beer? I have been invited by Mel Nathan to pop along to a beer class and give a chef’s view on beer and food matching by the team at Redoak brewery and restaurant in Clarence Street in the heart of Sydney. Saturday evening is usually spent on the other side of the restaurant serving the customers, so it’s quite relaxing to be among the 31 other novices at the class. While we are getting seated and settled we are served our first beer, a Redoak Honey Ale. Janet Hollyoak introduces herself and her brother, David Hollyoak (who brews the beer) and puts us at ease with a quick overview of the evening’s format. David starts us off with some technical points about the beer and what to look for. The colour, clarity, head and after

Aqua Dining

Ripple’s Cafe

a swirl of the glass, the smell. by the caponata and roast veal. It’s all very posh. I guess it’s Another short informative not polite to skol the first one. talk and we just had enough recovery time, we settled in for The next beer, Redoak’s Kolsch, which originated in the Redoak chocolate tasting plate Koln, (Cologne), Germany, was accompanied by the Oatmeal matched with a blue swimmer crab Stout. The trio of little treats and avocado salad, grilled scampi married well with the stout and and a turmeric, lime and coconut certainly with the raspberry and dressing. The flavours matched chocolate tart, which for me the beer choice, I was surprised stood out on the dessert plate. it could work; great combination. I was sitting there in raptures over the food and the amazing way Simon Beverage, the beer sommelier, gave us a short history Richard has married them with lesson about the first brewers, the beer. I thought it might have who in fact were women, and the been a novelty, that you would put progression of glassware and beer beer with food and not something production while we were awaiting that was possible and still keep that our next treat, a squid-ink and quality there. I think the care and stout risotto with shaved fennel quality taken in brewing the beer and hickory smoked scallops. is world class as David has proven It was matched with a Redoak given the amount of international Organic Hefeweizen (Bavarian awards they have accrued. style cloudy wheat beer) After having tasted only a few combinations it leaves a lot This was a fantastic combination, the smoked of possibilities, limited only by scallops and the Hefeweizen the creativeness of the chef and went perfectly together. I wanted brewer, and given the talent to ask for another Redoak has I one it was that good. see a rewarding f u t u re f o r Marinated v e a l Marinated veal tenderloin on Sicilian tenderloin on Sicilian everyone, but caponata, t r u f f l e d caponata, truffled especially us, veal sweetbreads was veal sweetbreads the customers. accompanied by Redoak’s was accompanied by Irish Red Ale. The caramel malty sweetness of the red Redoak’s Irish Red Ale. ale was matched perfectly

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The rotation system unique to group employment provides apprentices the advantage of experiencing up to three work environments throughout the four-year training contract. Employers who may not have had the resources to employ an apprentice for the full four year training contract, can call on HTN to provide staff on a medium term basis, (say one year for example) thus providing for peak demand periods. Businesses do not have to take on the responsibility of long term contracts and HTN takes care of the paperwork associated with the apprentice or trainee as well as providing ongoing support and service. HTN is proud to have employed and supported in excess of 10,000 apprentice chefs to date.

Would you like to know more? Call Toll Free 1300 139 108 or visit www.htn.com.au Quality Endorsed Company AS/NZS ISO 9002 Lic. 1994 Standards Australia QEC13316 Sydney

Quality System

Ripple’s at Chowder Bay

HTN recruits and employs career minded hospitality apprentices and trainees for placement within it’s Network of ’host employers’. Support is then provided through regular workplace visits by industry experienced field consultants to assist and support both the apprentice and host employer.

Market

tour Newcastle

Putting young local guns to the test... To be a young chef in the Newcastle scene requires using sensational produce, and as a part of an awesome apprentice chef team with unlimited support from John Rarity purveyor Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers how much better can it get?

oung chefs were given the opportunity by John Rarity to be buyers when taken on a market tour and then invited to the Market City Cafe where chefs competed in an omelette making competition for breakfast over a chat about seasonal produce. The importance of chefs having an enduring relationship with their fresh produce suppliers cannot be overstated. In fact, according to John Rarity, a chef should embark on a trip to the markets at least four times a year. Such journeys allow a chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with their fruit and vegetable supplier to flourish. Rarityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice was put to test when four apprentice chefs from restaurants around Newcastle came together to learn about the importance of creating a solid relationship between chef and their providore. The four apprentice chefs were accompanied by HTN representatives, and John Rarity toured the markets searching for produce that would

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help them cook up a storm in the adjoining market cafe. Eggs, cream, fresh Binnorie labna and marinated fetta were on hand to help the apprentices construct omelets. These ingredients were paired with fresh vegetables and herbs sourced straight from John Rarityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coolrooms. Chopping boards, frying pans, and cookers were supplied by Hamilton TAFE. The apprentices were asked to bring their own knives and teatowels. The winner received a $30 gift certificate from the mecca of culinary supplies The Essential Ingredient. The spoils went to Billy Barton of The Point Restaurant in Salamander Bay. However, all participants benefitted from an excursion that not only helped these apprentice chefs hone their cooking skills, but also aimed at giving them better knowledge of seasonality and product range, encouraged them to develop an endear themselves to and construct and enduring relationship with their

wholesaler or providore, and be inspired by everything they did. While many of the apprentices were at first reticent to involve themselves with the wholesalers and providores in the market, a quick pep talk by John Rarity and Josaphine Rosenkranz soon had them firing on all cylinders, mingling and asking questions like seasoned professionals. “We observed what happens in the market and how everything works. For example, [we learned about] delivery, prices and times. [John and his team] explained how to find the correct product and how we can change them around to save money. It was a very fulfilling day,’’ said Jason Martin from Queens Wharf Brewery in Newcastle. However, some apprentices had a more philosophical take on the day’s events. Whether the apprentices took a pragmatic or philosophical take on the day’s proceedings, one thing was certain, the apprentices all understood the importance of visiting the markets at least four times a year. The leading restaurants in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley such as Elysia, Golden Door, Crown Plaza, Peppers Group, Western Suburbs Leagues Club and Newcastle Jockey Club trust John Rarity to select their premium produce every day. With a combined experience of 25 years in the business, our buyers are at the Newcastle markets each morning to ensure you get the freshest produce. And or dedicated customer service people are waiting to take you order right now until midnight. To receive our weekly market update or to place an order contact us

www.johnrarity.com.au

John Rarity giving young chefs some industry tips

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Fresh Salads and Processed Vegetables...

Newcastle produce markets

“The importance of chefs having an enduring relationship with their fresh produce suppliers cannot be overstated” John Rarity.

JOHN RARITY

WHOLESALE

A purveyor of fine quality wholesale and processed fruit and vegetables John Rarity and Josaphine Rozenkrantz enjoying lunch at Elysia Golden Door Resort

Phone + 61 2 4960 2522 18/20 Rural Drive, Sandgate NSW 2304 jrwholesale@bigpond.com.au

food companion international

www.johnrarity.com.au

Practical recipe

magic

“

Keep talking to your fruit and vegetable purveyor, he will give you all the top tips including what’s cheap and in season and good for buying and your budget, keeping the boss happier. This is where Futura Training resources can be a chef’s best friend. Reinhold Forster

”

eing a chef in Australia haven’t your commodities of sourdough breads. Seafood and meat have also and availability lists changed considerably in undergone remarkable changes from brain spiked fish the past 20 years? Lettuce was simply iceberg, with maximum freshness to MSA meat that guarantees spinach was only the large variety and mushrooms were a tender product. Sweets are available in a wide range, basically button mushrooms that were more or less open from fresh white peaches poached in star anise to origin depending on the age of the product. Things started to chocolate varieties such as Kumabo from Callebaut, change considerably with an increasing influx of migrants containing 80% chocolate solids. from a wide variety of countries and chefs with a desire How does the chef keep up with these changes? to recreate dishes from their homeland. How do we educate up and coming chefs Chinese vegetables, butter lettuce, baby about these products? Futura Training spinach, mesculin and rocket are just products address this need through “Every chef some of the commodities that we take their interactive training products where for granted. recipes feature links to commodities and should have Chefs such as Serge Dansereau these are explained for the aspiring chef. a copy at formerly from Kables restaurant in the Our recipes come from leading Sydney Regent Hotel in the ‘90s were restaurants and the latest trends are work for quick shown. This approach has revolutionised instrumental in changing demands not only from growers but also vegetable learning. Like Ed Halmagyi (Fast-Ed reference!’’ suppliers. Serge is famous for telling his from Better Homes and Gardens) says: vegetable supplier that he did not want “Every chef should have a copy at work strawberries delivered on the back of an for quick reference!’’ open truck in the searing Sydney summer heat. The modern chef needs to have increased awareness The supplier had two options, one was obtaining a of market trends, compete for business and make sure refrigerated truck for transporting of sensitive vegetables that their business is profitable. and fruit, or lose the massive contract. Needless to say To work smarter means you need to know what is refrigerated trucks are now the norm for any supplier of in season, how can you use cheaper commodities and quality vegetables and fruit into restaurants. turn them into appealing dishes and how to maximise Other notable changes are the availability of a vast relationships with your purveyors. The Futura Training range of condiments and spices, an increase in bread resources show these approaches throughout their types and dry goods, from Mograbieh to a vast array resources to help with improving the industry in general.

GET THE LATEST FUTURA TRAINING RELEASES NOW!

Inspiring Professionals in the Hospitality Industry

www.futuratraining.com.au

“

I was so impressed by the savings of this innovation; we will be installing it in our Duck Duck Goose chain of restaurants.

“

Darren Ho, executive chef, Duck Duck Goose

rebate 0 0 0 $1, urner on each

Giang Tran, head chef, Trans Restaurant

Saves

water Saves money!

Turn onto the waterless wok stove Consider this… There are approximately 2,000 wok stoves in Sydney Water’s area of operations. If 5,000 litres of water can be saved from each unit per day by converting to a waterless wok stove, the restuarant industry profitability could increase by $9 million per year and Sydney would save approximately 3,600.000.000 liters (2,600ML) per year.

www.eccnsw.org.au P: + 61 2 9319 0288

We finish with chocolate seegars (cigars) served on a bed of petals. There is also shot of espresso pumped with CO2. You would have to see and taste it to believe it writes Jonathan Porter.

Reanimated tucker

Chef Farzan

Farzan Contractor serving up Scott Mason Executive Chef from BISTRO MONCUR

FEW years late perhaps, but the European phenomenon of molecular gastronomy has finally hit our shores, spearheaded by far-sighted chef Farzan Contractor. From extracting the yolk from a quail’s egg (and reinjecting his own concoction) or deconstructing alpaca down to its constituent atoms - so he can put the meat back together, reanimated, on the plate - whatever Farzan is doing, you have to agree it’s unique. “You still have something to touch base with, but it’s in a new and a different format,” he tells FCI. Take Farzan’s take on the good old BLT. “I use a tomato relish or consomme and then bacon and onion mascarpone in a martini glass,’’ he says. “The waiter serves you your BLT then comes around and pours fluorescent green chlorophyll veloute into your glass. “The consomme replicates the tomato slices in your sandwich.’’ Meanwhile the bacon and onion mascar-

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pone doubles for the butter, mayonnaise or cream cheese you might put in your sandwich, he says. “The green voloute represents the crisp lettuce you put on your BLT.’’ And there are small bits of bacon and baby onion rings on top. “When you eat the whole thing together it is like a BLT.’’ “It’s all about thinking about things outside box. To quote George Bernard Shaw, `You see things that are and say. Why? But I dream things that never were and say, Why not?’ “It’s about doing stuff differently to everyone else.’’ Menus are tailor-made and specially created offering a range of six to 21 courses with wines to match, he says. Attention to detail is given to every course to create the perfect marriage between taste, texture and flavour, thus creating the perfect experience for breakfast, lunch or dinner. “The good thing about the Chef ’s Table is people can enjoy all these things in their own house. “It’s made in such a way that the host and hostess don’t have to do anything; they get two Michelin-star quality food. We clean up and leave as if nothing has happened.’’ Farzan nominated another example of his craft his cranberry caviar. “Those kinds of things are happening in Europe but are not so much prevalent in Sydney.’’ “It basically a small bowl of caviar, which has a cranberry jelly on the outside and molten cranberry juice at the core.’’ “Or he could do what he did for AMP’s gala degustation meal 22 courses, all crab.’’ The day I head into the Meat and Wine Co for my Chef ’s Table experience I am mainly concerned about whether the restaurant’s gorgeous red headed maitre d is on duty. After a few wines I am bold enough to ask a waiter, sadly the answer is no. But, as they say in the classics, I anticipate myself. A different handmaiden leads me to the restaurant’s inner sanctum. I wonder what we are doing eschewing the gorgeous bright sunshine outside, to sit inside (not to mention the restaurant’s main dining room, with its views over the bay and great sorts walking past). The meal begins. Lip smacking Moet non

vintage with duck mousse and the accompanying cranberry reduction is a song on an organic wholemeal crouton. Farzan says the duck is cooked at 45C for four hours until the fat evaporates. It melts on the palate. Then the avocado mousse with blue swimmer crab, avocado and sweet corn and chili sorbet. No great fan of new fangled kickshaws; this is right at the edge of my comfort zone. But that’s what he’s about. Take something everyone knows and loves, like sorbet, and do something unique with it. He’s left the space capsule on this one as far as Sydney dining is concerned. While were dining he talks about his take on molecular cuisine and I get the quail egg recipe. “I use a syringe to extract the yolk from a quail’s egg and replace it with mango,’’ he says. Far out. Then it’s on to the new style sashimi _ salmon, raw waygu beef and oysters. They are served at the table, then Farzan comes around and pours on top a mixture of sesame and olive oil top. It sears the meat and fish. The oyster sizzles when the piping hot oil hits the liquor. The waygu is velvety of course. The oyster is very fresh and very good. I wonder about ordering another dozen or so. This remarkable concoction is washed down with Marlborough’s The Crossings sauvignon Blanc 2004 Frankly I could have eaten a lot more. “I want people to leave feeling satisfied and feeling they had their money’s worth.’’

Call Farzan at Meat and wine company on ► + 61 2 9211 9888.

“Naturoo... they listen to chefs...”

Kangaroo cuts designed by chefs for chefs

Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre is proud to support NATUROO

www.naturoo.com.au | tel: 0418 280 064

Kangaroo may be on the coat of arms, but when it comes to being on the dinner menu, FCI finds in conversation with some of Australia’s top chefs, that it’s a dish best served rare or not at all.

Love-hate

relationship

...Kangaroo has no middle ground among top chefs.

In conversation with Steve Manfredi

ow would you market kangaroo, so that more chefs used it? I’d do a taste test of different types of kangaroo. I’d then brand the different types of kangaroo. For example, the best type of kangaroo I’ve ever tasted was a blue wallaby from Tasmania. It was unbelievable; it was a lighter coloured meat. It had this beautiful, sweet, subtle flavour. When you make those sort of distinctions within a meat, as with beef, you buy wagyu, Angus etc. What branding the meat would do is raise awareness of kangaroo. Also there is an image problem, in the chefs’ psyche kangaroo is just kangaroo, whether it’s canned and sold as dog food or served to people. It’s muddled up. Would you still call it Kangaroo, or would you change its name? Absolutely, we call some kangaroo and some wallaby. For example, we call it Tasmanian blue wallaby or western red or whatever the type of kangaroo it is. Kangaroo is considered a healthy alternative because it is low in fat. Do you think highlighting it based on health is a good way to market it? I don’t know if healthy eating is a big part of the consumer psyche. Australians eat just as much junk food as Americans. Healthy eating is a cultural thing. When I first came to Australia in the 1960s what I ate was very different to what people at school were eating. A large majority of Australians still eat very poorly. I’m not certain that eating marbled beef is any worse for you than eating kangaroo. Fat isn’t all that bad. It is actually exercise that people fall down on. How would you cook it? You have to be careful of how you cook it because it is very lean. It has very little fat. You have to cook it very quickly and let it rest so that you keep the juices inside. You’re basically sealing it and searing it. If you’re using the tail you can braise it, but the back straps need to be cooked medium rare. What other ingredients would complement kangaroo? Balsamic vinegar is delicious. Really anything that compliments beef or veal _ for example, capers or olives. It’s quite a flavoursome meat and it’s really one of the only true game meats left. The only other game meats I can think of are hare and wild duck, but they are quite rare to come by.

In Conversation with Michael Fletcher

here were you born? Newcastle, NSW. Best kitchens you’ve worked in? Floating Hotel in Saigon. Favorite Cheap Eat? Fish and chips. What keeps you going? Waking up every morning _ it’s a good start! Advice you’d give to future chefs? Build your experience on a strong foundation _ pyramids have lasted longer that spirals! Favorite kitchen tool? The computer for our kitchens of the 21st century. Most controversial menu item? Lamb racks for a thousand plus! Favorite thing about the Gold Coast? The lifestyle! We work to live don’t live to work. Career you would have pursued if you had not become a chef? Engineer. Favorite sport? Rugby _ any team sport really. Ingredient obsession? Sea salt. How would you market kangaroo, so that more chefs used it? Well, the message has to come from celebrity chefs. Chefs like Pete Evans; the word has to come from guys like him. He could use it on pizzas. In supermarkets, too, make it the product of the week. Steve Manfredi’s idea about marketing kangaroo by region is a good idea. Actually, Kangaroo is really big in South Australia. I think you need an ambassador, like they did with mushrooms. Would you still call it Kangaroo, or would you change its name? I think renaming it is a fantastic idea. You have to get across that it’s kangaroo, though. How would you cook it? It depends which cut it is. I grill it sometimes. It’s a very fast cook, but I’ve used it in stir-fries. I like to marinate it. I’ve been cooking kangaroo for 20 years now, and it’s changed a lot. I’ve even prepared it as a carpaccio with a really nice olive oil. What other ingredients would compliment kangaroo? The farmed roo from South Australia is very light in flavour; you could use it with red wine marinades. Kangaroo should not be served by itself _ it needs other flavours to compliment it.

food companion international

In Conversation with Matt Moran

here were you born? Tamworth, NSW. Best kitchens you’ve worked in? ARIA, we designed it and custombuilt it for efficient flow of service. What keeps you going? My passion for good quality seasonal produce and my family. Advice you’d give to future chefs? If you can, travel and get some work experience in kitchens overseas while you are young _ it can be a great advantage. Favourite kitchen tool? An Aritsugu Japanese fish filleting knife. Most controversial menu item? Some animal cruelty groups would protest to any dishes featuring foie gras’ and wagyu beef can sometimes be controversial. In my mind they are both fantastic products. Favourite thing about Sydney? We are so lucky to have access to great quality produce at reasonable prices. On my days off I am out enjoying our wonderful climate either at the beach or in Centennial Park with my family. Favourite sport? Golf. Ingredient obsession? It changes depending on the season, but I insist on the best quality. How would you market kangaroo so that more chefs used it? There will never be a market for kangaroo in top restaurants. It’s a gimmick, and the quality isn’t there. The cream of restaurants and chefs in this country and their whole philosophy has been about quality of product. Kangaroo is not something of quality to me. do you cook with kangaroo? I’d never use it. Let’s face it, you have a fat lamb or a fat cow that sits in the paddock that eats grain and doesn’t really move, they’re nice and juicy. There is a reason that 99 per cent of chefs in this country wouldn’t go near it, it’s a second-grade product. Let’s face it, if there is an oversupply of kangaroos on farms they should be shot and used as dog food. You’re not a fan of Kangaroo, then? No, because we breed fat lambs and fat cattle and I’ve always been a strong supporter of the farming community. To me food is all about flavour, and fat is the flavour in the food. Something like kangaroo is incredibly lean, and I’m not saying it doesn’t have flavour, but unless you have it raw it’s absolutely useless because it’s like cardboard, it’s dry and horrible. It tends to be more like an offal. on australian native flavours? I don’t use Australian native produce. There are two or three restaurants in the country that do the Australiana thing, and that’s great, but really it gives a false perception of what Australian cuisine is all about. Do you think Gordon Ramsay would like Kangaroo? Gordon Ramsay would be interested in having a look at it, but I think his philosophies are similar to mine. It’s all about produce and letting it speak for itself.

In Conversation with Don Hancey

orn? Bunbury, Western Australia. Favourite thing about Margaret River? The tall karri forests, the wild rocky coastline and of course all the wonderful wines. How do you cook with kangaroo? I like to grill or barbecue the prime cuts, however like most meats the “lesser’’ or tougher cuts need to be slow cooked. Herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme and bush tomato based sauces complement kangaroo but like all strong ingredients they must be used in a balanced way to complement and marry, not overpower. Has kangaroo an image problem, and how can market it better to chefs? Of course it has an image problem to most Aussies as we were all raised on the facts that little joeys and kangas were (and still are) cute. I think education (and re-education) needs to start in primary and secondary schools, and more importantly our TAFE hospitality schools. We need to educate people that kangaroo is also (apart from being cutesey) a food source, a natural food source that is in tune with living in our environment. Food, or rather lack of it will very become soon a major world issue more important than fighting a never-can-win war in Iraq. Send samples to chefs and hospitality colleges and more samples to play with and educate them. the best kangaroo you’ve eaten and best cuts you’ve worked with? South Australian roo has always been excellent. The best cuts for me are backstrap and fillet because of ease of cookery. Do you think marketing kangaroo as a healthy alternative to beef and lamb is wise given that many consumers are extremely health conscious? Absolutely. It should be marketed from a sustainable agribusiness point of view and also as a healthy option. I believe that the next wars will be fought over food and potable water, not socially/environmentally destructive oil. Do you think a new champagne marketing such as australas, kroo, or marla, would be more attractive to the consumers? Yes. I would use a champagne name as an educational and feel good adjunct _but I would make no apologies about roo being roo. australian native flavours and kangaroo? Absolutely. It makes common sense to follow through with this “marriage’’ via its herbs and spices and wildlife. For it is already intrinsically linked by the forces of nature.

NAME FOUND TO SUGAR-COAT SKIPPY STEAKS...

REVIEW

a chef, a menu, a club Ariel Funes, Executive Chef, Revesby Workers Club

Panthers Entertainment Group To promote the Sydney club scene and its chefs, FCI organised a lively restaurant review featuring the expertise of Lee Buckingham, head chef at Panthers World of Entertainment in Sydney’s west. Formerly of Revesby Workers Club, Lee showcased a journey menu reflecting his background and creativeness. Lee Buckingham, Paul Cox, Andrews Meats and John Dean, Executive Chef, Telstra Stadium Australia

Simon McNamara, Executive Chef, Canterbury Leagues Club, John Ross, Executive Chef, Rooty Hill RSL

We enlisted the help of guest reviewers from clubs and culinary industry sectors. It was also an opportunity to talk about local and international culinary trends and the chefs who are flocking to the clubs sector. Hailing from England, Lee moved to Australia after a meteoric rise overseas and has developed a new dining experience in our club scene. Lee has been a head chef at the Intercontinental Hotel in Johannesburg; Lufthansa airlines; a development chef with a range of organic products for the European retail market and a guest TV chef. Buckingham told FCI that he was on the verge of creating “some exciting new menus’’. “So it’s a great time to get involved,’’

Olivier BjorksaterBleylock, Editor, Club Life Magazine

Mitch Edwards, Australian Pork Limited

Matthew Graham, Executive Chef, North Ryde RSL and Lee Buckingham

hard-core porkstar

People have this stigma about clubs “ and maybe that was the case 10 years ago but it’s just not anymore, I think clubs get a raw deal.

”

“

To successfully run one of these chef round tables you need to keep it simple, keep the portions right, make it interesting and make sure you have the correct mix of chefs. Clubs are now starting to see the light and realising the importance of the quality of the food they offer.

”

Born? Classically trained and bred in Leicester in the East midlands in the United Kingdom. On working with celebrity chefs? Working with my mate Bill Gallagher with the Sun Group and WACS in South Africa and the pleasure of working under Bruce Sangster, a former Scottish Chef of the Year. What keeps you going? A good challenge and the ability to improve and I really do enjoy working as a chef. Advice to young chefs? They need to keep going: it’s a long road. Most controversial menu item? Snake, zebra, horse and crocodile in South Africa. Favourite kitchen tool? The apprentice. Most useful cookbook? Not a lover of cook books so much, I enjoy the internet and restaurants globally. Early influences? Raymond Blanc is a legend chef. My wife and I ate at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in 2005. The flavour and presentation was just fantastic. Career you would have pursued if you had not become a chef? A veterinary surgeon. At one stage I came very close to doing it. Career turning point? Fifteen years old scrubbing pans and gutting fish at a local restaurant, some 25 years ago, wow! Purveyor tip? Build relationships and put pressure on them to develop things with and for you.

journey

he said. “Our service out here is friendly and down to earth and homely with a great atmosphere and excellent work-

ing conditions, and I look forward to being part of this team as we drive the Panthers name to new horizons.’’

Xavier Poirer, Executive chef, Moffat Food Equipment, Ross Galletis, Georges Providores

Fresh watermelon tower with feta cheese and lemon and lime jelly

Restaurants are a very “strong and an important component of the club and the days of the $5 buffet are long gone.

”

Lee Bucking ham

Starter Char grilled Turkish Bread with olive oil and dip balsamic reduction Appetizer Fresh watermelon tower with feta cheese and lemon and lime jelly Taste of Asia A selection of seafood appetizers from four different Asian regions Sorbet Strawberry and balsamic vinegar sorbet Trio of Pork Medallion of pork fillet, potato and black pudding gratin and pork and shitake mushroom mousse with sweet potato. Shooter Oyster with vodka and chili Main Course Braised beef cheek and potato rosti with sweet red cabbage Dessert Wood fired baked banana pizza with honey & lavender ice cream

the verdict... Olivier Bjorksater-Bleylock Editor, Club Life Magazine “LEE Buckingham is truly one of the club industry’s rising stars in the kitchen. He’s dynamic, creative and will influence future club menu development and trends. He’s a fiery innovator who uses the heat of his passion to saute the synergy of his cooking and fire the art of presentation. To walk into his kitchen, one must be ready to experience anything _ any taste, any menu item, any combination. And it’s a refreshing sight too _ it’s amazing just how well the club industry has shifted its food offerings in recent years and it is now attracting more high-calibre chefs from the likes of fine dining restaurants and five-star hotels. It wasn’t that long ago that most people visited clubs primarily for a quick, cheap meal with no expectations. Thankfully, that’s all changed. Club restaurants, at least those that do their job well, are now seen as a form of theatre. It’s no longer unusual for people to spend an entire evening in a club restaurant because they now have plenty of reasons to stay. And like all great theatre, for good or bad, there are stars just like Lee Buckingham.”

John Doyle Coffee Training Centre Pty Ltd, coffeetraining.com “WHEN I first arrived the ambience of the club seemed as if I was entering a fancy hotel. The restaurant looked well kept and clean just like a five star hotel dining area. Lee’s food was very well presented with so much attention to detail with clean lines and no clutter on the plate. It had colours and textures I was very satisfied with. We had a great choice and a bit of everything to taste. I particularly thought the black pudding was not overpowering and the potato gratin was well thought out. The staff were not overpowering and I couldn’t fault them, and never had to ask them for anything. It was great to talk to other chefs and industry personalities to hear what they’re doing and this round table was a pleasure to attend.”

John Dean Executive Chef, Telstra Stadium Australia “The oyster with vodka and chili shooter was a good refresher between two interesting dishes. The braised beef cheek was by far the dish to remember. It looked good, and tasted better. The flavour was rich and the texture was to die for. I can still taste it now a classic combination cooked to perfection. The dessert pizza on its own was a good dish. I think after all the other food we had eaten it may not have been the best choice to finish this meal. Lee presented us with a great menu that was well cooked and he must be commended for asking his colleagues to critique his work. Well done!”

ATTENDEES We enlisted the help of guest reviewers from clubs and culinary industry sectors. John Dean and Dave Berry Stadium Australia Simon McNamara Canterbury Leagues Club John Ross Rooty Hill RSL Matthew Graham North Ryde RSL John Doyle Barista Techniques Mitch Edwards Australian Pork Limited Xavier Poirer Moffat Peter Cox Andrews Meats Ross Galettis Georges Providores Dan Bloom Food Companion International Mel Nathan Food Companion International Olivier Björksäter-Bleylock Club Life Magazine Cecilia Kugler CK International Interior Design

Simon McNamara, Executive Chef, Canterbury Leagues Club, John Ross, Executive Chef, Rooty Hill RSL, Ross Galletis, Georges Providores, Xavier Poirer, Executive chef, Moffat Food Equipment

Mitch Edwards Australian Pork Limited LIVING in the city of Sydney and travelling non-stop to city locations around Australia, dining in the best restaurants in these cities it is easy to get out of touch or even have misinformed opinions of what dinners are being served beyond the city skylines, let alone in the world of clubs. Heading west to dine with club chef, Lee Buckingham soon set me straight that I had been missing out on. This guy’s food is hot! Forget the stereotype many of us have towards clubs: this was a fine- dining experience with no exceptions. From start to finish, service and food, this was first class. Beyond the feast for the eyes, the flavours and detail were exciting and kept us in eager anticipation for each ensuing course of this well crafted degustation. There is no doubt that Lee is a true pork star and his global experience came through with the trio of pork with a picture-perfect melt-in-your-mouth pork fillet (cooked perfectly pink) and a new benchmark for black pudding. Thank you for opening my eyes Lee, the clubs are my new food inspiration destinations. My advice to any of my fellow foodies with an attitude towards clubs, get out of the CBD like I did and you won’t regret it.

new look!

As the industry evolves so too does this highly sought business magazine with it’s brand new competitive contemporary look. Pick up a copy today by visiting www.clubsnsw.com.au it’s the leading business publication of the club industry today.

FAMOUS PORKSTAR

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Alpaca by a long neck Can I interest you in a nice plate of raw alpaca meat? Mmmm, we thought not. How about some moist, tender La Viande carpaccio? Ok, that’s two carpaccio entrees...

e’re still coming to terms with eating kangaroo meat, (Oh no, not Skippy!) and Steve and Sue Ridout from La Viande were very aware that their concept of preparing and selling meat from those strange and beautiful, long necked animals known as alpaca would have similar resistance. Food Companion International ran a story following a competition that they ran to find a more palatable culinary name for kangaroo meat (Summer issue 2006, New name cooked up for kangaroo meat) but the recognised need for culling wild kangaroos is a long way from the mostly small, farm-raised alpaca. They are grown in Australia exclusively for their fine wool but in any herd there will be animals that are unwanted or unsuitable for breeding and growers face the time when they need to be killed.

Steve Ridout, a West Australian, met his wife Sue at an Alpaca Association meeting. They now live at Sue’s farm in Moriac, 25km west of Geelong in Victoria. The Ridouts knew there was widespread acceptance in South America of alpaca meat, and as stud breeders they could see that there would be growing supply as the Australian industry developed. Ian M. Davidson, chair man of Australian Alpaca Association, says that until now, Australian alpaca farmers have concentrated on breeding for wool and stud sales. He calls this the establishment phase and now believes there is increasing emphasis on production traits as the industry moves towards commerciality. Ultimately, as in their native home of Peru, alpacas will be bred for fleece, meat and skins. Steve and Sue at first found resistance to the idea, and realised they would need

to just do it before the rest of the industry would be comfortable with it. They found an abattoir and boning room that understood the smaller animals, created a brand name for it and then went looking for a distributor and buyers. One of Food Companion’s Chefs Tables seemed like an ideal way to give the Ridouts the restaurant feedback they needed. So we had an evening at Sydney’s Meat & Wine Co. where chef Farzan Contractor prepared the alpaca meat in ways that showed its characteristics and versatility. Key to the courses Farzan assembled was the high moisture content of the meat. He was assisted by assistant Chef Erick Guerrero, a South American with hands-on knowledge of the cuisines that use the alpaca meat. At 71 per cent water, the meat is traditionally used in casseroles and stews, and Farzan stretched this to grills by using marinades and coatings that kept the moisture in. The meat is pale, and much like soft veal in texture but not as muscled and springy to the touch. There was enthusiastic and valuable feedback from the chefs present, and a successful outcome for the Ridouts when the Game Farm agreed to distribute the La Viande product. Since the night, the Ridouts have received assistance from RIRDC to create a brochure of the meat cuts that are available. There’s a lot of neck on an alpaca!.

Enjoy the taste sensation! Meat and Wine chef’s Farzan Contractor and Anthony Sahyoun cooking up alpaca ribs at the chef’s table

food companion international

Contact Game Farm + 6 1 2 9653 2113

www.gamefarm.com.au

Journey menu LaViande ravioli with a warm oxtail broth and chive oil

Shredded LaViande ribs cooked in a apple teriyaki glaze and served inrocket and apple balsamic rice paper rolls

LaViande with chimichuri sauce “The secret alpaca society” for chefs that represent current innovative culinary choices and flavours from around the world. It was a perfect opportunity to talk about cuts, trends and themes that involve injecting, grilling, smoking and roasting.

the real alpaca Alpaca is suited to the Australian climate and environment, arguably much more so than the sheep. It is a very efficient browser and grazer, estimated to be 30% more efficient than sheep in feed conversion and does well on native grasses and unimproved pasture. Like its cousin, the camel, it can tolerate drier climates better than most livestock and its soft padded foot produces minimal compression and compaction on Australia’s fragile soils. For these and many other reasons, alpacas have come to known as The Designer Green solution for sustainable farming practices.

what is LaViandeTM?

and fresh garden vegetables

pisco shots

LaViande shanks braised in a warm mushroom and brandy broth

LaViande spaghetti - Alpaca engulfed in transperent spaghetti casing with King Brown mushroom consomme, finishes of julienne potato

Naturally tender is a premium farmed Alpaca. Each and every producer is committed to the upkeep of their land through sustainable farming methods and humane treatment of their animals. They are proud to raise alpaca that meet the very high quality standards and requirements to be called LaViandeTM. The name reaches back to the Alpaca origins combining La (for Latin) and Viande (meat) hence LaViandeTM meaning Latin or South American meat.

erbs and spices are derived from every part of a plant: root, stem, leaf, seed, bark, pods, stamens and fruits. There

are no set of rules for accompaniments’ but there are some like;

fresh sage, chili, garlic, fennel, lemon myrtle, coriander,pine nuts, QUINOA, Cinnamon and Peruvian Pepper that are delicious served with alpaca. food companion international

Char gilled Alpaca sirloin with Bolivian quinoa and Chimichurri sauce Ingredients

To prepare quinoa is to cook it much as you would rice. Just put a cup of the de-coated grain in a saucepan and pour two cups of water over it. Bring the pan to a boil, cover, and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Let it cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat. Mix sautĂŠed garlic, onions and add parmesan cheese (Optional). To cook black rice, cook it like risotto. Do not add parmesan cheese as this rice contain high amount of starch. Peeled and cut sweet

chef John Lanzafame

Head chef of The Tilbury, Craig McFarland

potato into batons, roast them for 9 minutes in the oven. Dust them with cinnamon powder and salt. Dry tress tomato in the oven at 100 degree Celsius for 2 hrs cut asparagus and blanch in salted water refresh then in iced water. Preheat the grill or grill pan to very hot and cook the alpaca for 2 minutes on each side for mediumrare or medium. Brush chimichurri on sirloin while itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking. This recipe is kindly provided by Chef Ariel Funes.

Fred Harden, editor of Regional Food Magazine

sirloin 85g alpaca 20g quinoa e 40g black ric t potato ee sw 35g roast us spears 15g asparag ato aby tress tom 20g confit b rri sauce 7mls chimichu

rsion Traditional Ve oil 62mls olive ped parsley, chop h 187g fres op ch ped fresh oregano, 30g lemon juice 45mls fresh ed garlic, chopp 6 large cloves er p ep ground p Salt & freshly ients by hand Blend ingred processor. or use a food

Mel Nathan, editor of Food Companion International Magazine

From the fresh, open farmlands of the

Adelaide Hills comes a meat so tender, so delicious we gave it its own name LAVIANDETM.

Australian native chef Jean-Paul Bruneteau

Victoria Lush of Simon Johnson

Chef/owner of Alchemy 731, Derek Baker

ALPACA selected meat CUTS chart

“The chefs table gave me a clear understanding of alpaca and the preparation and ways of cooking of it. Having now cooked and prepared the meat, I would recommend it to others that are looking to put something alternative to a game menu or add to their grill selection of meats. Alpaca is a very versatile product that can be simply prepared as for carpaccio or, if you allow it to marinate, it gives the meat a chance to take on other full flavours, when cooking with the alpaca its best to treat it like deer, kangaroo and lamb making sure you have a medium rare finish for the prime cuts, giving you the full flavour of the product.” Chef Edward Rose

Photo By Simon Bryant “Like the land friendly grazing properties of the animal, I think its a good idea marketing an alternative name to this product. The prime cuts were great, low fat on the finish of palate, smooth almost buttery texture, cooked rare the moisture content was good, flavour was great. I had a small concern with the lingering aftertaste I will put this down to our palate being unfamiliar with the flavour. I did put some with some fennel, some with lemon myrtle, both produced a cleaner end note and palate. I liked the effect! It requires very little seasoning. It has a good natural flavour rather like salt bush lamb, which requires only light seasoning. Overall I would try and sell this in a restaurant if it was commercially available, good luck and keep at it.” Simon Bryant, exective chef, Hilton Adelaide, Australia food companion international

Chefs

words and pix by Michael Shafran

get their kicks

“The Italians are f... cheats - you can quote me on that. They can’t cook and they can’t play football,” Irishman Stephen Russell boasts to me. Like many of the chefs here participating in Foodball, he’s being serious about his soccer… seriously cheeky, that is.

’m here in Moore Park for what has to be one of the year’s biggest gathering of Sydney chefs in a purely social setting. The excuse is a friendly game of soccer, grouping dozens of chefs in the primary countries of the participants: England, Australia, Ireland, Italy, France and New Zealand. Friendly doesn’t mean that there’s no passion here - these are chefs after all - so there’s bumping, trash-talking and plenty of teasing. The list of team captains is like a who’s who from the Good Food Guide: Balzac’s Matthew Kemp represents England, Assiette’s Warren Turnbull does the same for New Zealand, and so does Marque’s Mark Best for Australia, Bilson’s Manu Feildel for France, the Four in Hand’s Colin Fassnidge for Ireland, and Pilu at Freshwater’s Giovanni Pilu for Italy. Iconic Aussie chef and French restaurateur Tony Bilson stands at the sideline, chatting to his crew who make up much of the French team, and Italian chef John Lanzafame is also hanging out as a spectator, so we chat about the ex-Hugo chef ’s massive new restaurant venture at the Le Sands Pavilion in Brighton, slated to open later this year. Even with plenty of veterans on hand, the real stars here are the next generation of

younger chefs, who are supplying the primary firepower on the field, and probably also in their respective kitchens. The Italians arrive with the largest roster and what looks like the greatest talent, so most people here look upon as the boys in blue as the team to beat. The Italians win their first match, then pull up with a nil-nil tie with France in the next game, which still keeps them on top of the rankings. “You get a point for that? For doing fuck all?” heckles Balzac’s Matthew Kemp, pacing the grounds while England waits for its next match. The Italians take the razzing with a smile. The day is roasting 30-plus degrees, and I’m having enough trouble spectating from the comforts of a shady tree. No doubt the heat Foodball team captains is downright oppressive on the field, and players come to the sidelines drenched in sweat. It makes the James Squire beer and Buller wine on offer a hard sell, as most everyone opts for water. Except for the Irish, who are treated to bottles of brew thanks to Stephen Russell’s parlour trick of yanking off bottlecaps with his teeth. Regardless of the swelter, the chefs - some joined by their partners and offspring - all seem to be enjoying the rare chance to escape their stoves and catch up. It’s a Monday, but for the hospitality trade, for all intents and purposes, it’s a Sunday.

‘FOODBALL’

2007 SYDNEY 2008

CHEFS KICK IN FOR THEIR NATION AND THEIR RESTAURANTS

Jess Ong, Sydney Soﬁtel – HOST CHEF

Matt Kemp, Balzac – ENGLAND CAPTAIN

Manu Fieldel, Bilsons – FRANCE CAPTAIN

Mark Best, Marque – AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN

Warren Turnbull, Assiette – NEW ZEALAND CAPTAIN

Giovanni Pilu, Pilu at Freshwater – ITALY CAPTAIN

Colin Fassnidge, Four and Hand – IRELAND CAPTAIN

Mark Stone, The Soﬁtel – MEDIA CHEF

&VSYKLX XS ]SY F] *SSH 'SQTERMSR -RXIVREXMSREP 6IKMSREP *SSH 1EKE^MRI 7S´XIP 7TSVXMRK 7TIGXVYQ *SSXFEPP *IHIVEXMSR %YWXVEPME .EQIW 7UYMVI :MXXSVME 'SJJII &YPPIV ;MRIW %YWXVEPMER 4SVO 0MQMXIH &IRGLQEVO 7XEMRPIWW 7XIIP ERH 1EG /RMZIW

Foodball is the brainchild of Mel Nathan, editor of magazine Food Companion International and also the partner of Glebe Point Diner chef Alex Kearns. She regularly gets chefs together for informal gatherings. Amid the feisty competitiveness, there’s some silliness on the field. One player falls, so another chef extends a friendly hand, then mischiefly spins his fallen opponent around in the grass like he’s forming crop circles. The Italians meet the Irish in the finals, and the favourites seem to have slowed in the afternoon heat. The game ends up finishing 0-0, so it goes to the requisite shootout. Grand National chef Russ Johnson scores the winning goal for the Irish, giving the underdogs the title. They celebrate with their trophy, a frypan donned with a soccer ball in the centre, into which they pour the sponsoring James Squire beer and share amongst their teammates for a drink. They spray other beer bottles like celebratory Champagne and then smile “Potatoes!” for the cameras.

Mel Nathan with Football Federation Australia’s Lisa Gatt and Adam Mark

Sporting Spectrum greats, Louise Heywood & Jo Rossiter with Victoria Sligh

Mark Stone, after a hard session training with Kelly Cross, Wentworth Park

The winning trophies were proudly sponsored by Bechmark Stainless Steel and Mac Knives

thank you... captains

ENG Matt Kemp, Restaurant Balzac FRA Manu Fieldel, Bilsons Restaurant AUS Mark Best, Marque Restaurant NZ Warren Turnbull, Assiette Restaurant IRE Colin Fassnidge, Four and hand ITA Giovanni Pilu, Pilu at Freshwater Following the game is an evening awards ceremony, where Bilson’s Manu Fieldel wins the award for “Most Flamboyant” player for his acrobatic goalie style play (apparently inspired by parents who worked in the circus), Assiette’s Warren Turnbull wins for “Best and Fairest”, and an imported London chef on holiday, ‘Stormin’ Norman, a chef from Alchemy 731 graciously receives his “Two Left Feet” award. As for the Australians, they get the Wooden Spoon for last place, so it’s hoped that the Cheferoos don’t foretell any similar performances for the Socceroos come World Cup time. Even those who don’t win awards walk away with something - impressive sunburns to wear to work the next day.

Irish captain Colin Fassnidge of Four and Hand with team members; Pony Bar & Dining and Grand National. Irish team celebrates their win at cocktail party, Sydney Sofitel

media&host chefs

Mark Stone, Lenotre and Jess Ong, Sydney Sofitel.

chefs&restaurants

Restaurant Balzac, Assiette, Four and Hand, Bilson’s Restaurant, Otto Ristorante, Buon Ricordo, Lucio’s, Guillaume at Bennelong, The Boathouse in, Glebe, Glass, Forty One, Marque Restaurant, Lenotre, Le Pelican, Café Sopra, Restaurant Sojourn, Beresford Hotel, Aperitif, Café Sydney, Alchemy 731.

sponsors

Vittoria Coffee, Santa Vittoria, Australian Pork Limited, James Squire, Buller Wines, Sydney Sofitel, Lenotre, Sporting Spectrum, Football Federation of Australia, Food Companion International, Regional Food Magazine, Benchmark Stainless Steel and Mac Knives.

Team training, Sydney Fish Markets

foodpeople

news

Casa Barilla cooking school

Casa Barilla, a new culinary centre for all-things Italian has opened housing both Barilla Cooking School (www.barillaaus.com) and the CIRA Cooking School www.cira.com.au Casa Barilla are hosting a range of events including international guest chefs, classes for aspiring cooks to advanced foodies, kids’ workshops, seminars on Italian regional cuisine, and food and wine tasting nights at their new CIRA cooking school. As a centre for Italian gastronomy in Sydney, Casa Barilla will also be available for the public and businesses to utilise for events including lunches, classes, conferences, seminars and product launches. The kitchen can provide outside catering for functions requiring an Italian-themed menu, and there will be an in-house Italian culinary library in case the public want to know the difference between their cannoli and cannelloni. For more information contact Zoe at BARILLA 0421 133 710.

Luca Ciano of Casa Barilla and Armando Percuoco from CIRA.

“Nonno Nanni” cheeses - stracchino and robiola New purveyor Ita-aus is importing fresh cheese products from Italy into Australia. Their clients include many top restaurants and food providores including David Jones and Norton Street Grocer. A new addition to their range coming in fresh weekly is the popular Nonno Nanni Robiola. These cheeses are a specialty of northern Italy and members of the Stracchino family. They have soft compact bodies and are prepared from cow’s milk and aged for a few days. Robiola are exceptional table cheeses and best eaten on bread either plain or flavoured with olive oil, salt and pepper or dressed with a green sauce of chopped parsley, garlic, pureed tomato and anchovies. This cheese also has excellent melting quality and is great on pizza. Contact Antonello, Chris or Bill at ITAUS IMPORTS on + 61 2 9666 3355.

Antonello Bocca enjoying time off on Sydne Harbour

Address Unit 1/13 Pioneer Ave Tuggerah NSW 2259

Contact p 02 4353 1900 f 02 4353 1800

Online e dean@benchmarkstainless.com w www.benchmarkstainless.com

+ in house fabrication of commercial kitchens and bars + practical designers who have extensive industry experience + in house auto cad department to develop accurate and eﬃcient plans + leading supplier of equipment produced by reputable foodservice manufacturers + on site fully functional ‘live’ demonstration kitchen, with regular training workshops and hands on cooking demonstrations. + one stop shop for all your commercial kitchenware, bar supplies, chef uniforms, commercial ﬂatware and foodservice equipment.

“

I have loved caviar from the age of 18 from my days working on the QEII when I was in charge of collecting 2 kilos of caviar every day for two years. The ship had a third of the world’s caviar in its fridges. I use it at any opportunity, and at Astral we serve more caviar than any other restaurant in Australia.

”

Born? 1967 Huddersfield, UK. Education? School of hard knocks. Experience? Tons 27 years in the game. Favourite cheap eat? Bodega Rocks. It has to be the best thing to happen to Sydney dining in the last couple of years; great food, great concept and very cool. What keeps you going? 3,2,1 Three kids, 2 mortgages and one beautiful wife. Advice to future chefs? Don’’t loos e the passion, dedicate your life to the art of cooking and the rewards will follow. Favourite kitchen tool? Dehydrator, you can dehydrate almost anything, from apple crisps to smoked eel powder, creating interesting textures that can be added to many dishes. Most controversial menu item? Depends how you look at it. I am a great believer in not putting anything too shocking on the menu and dont want anyone to feel challenged coming to the restaurant. At the moment we do have a parmesan creme caramel on as the amus e bouche, which has been a great hit; despite the unusual flavour pairing I have had lots of positive feedback about it. Most useful cookbook? Mrs Beeton’s all about cookery book. Early influences? My Grandmother Esther. She was a fabulous cook with a great sense Fish and Chip Posh nosh I call it. of humour. I began baking cakes with her when I was nine years with mushy peas A piece of steamed and lemon sand. old. How does it feel winning Chef of the Year Suzuki Mullaway at SMH awards last year? This was an amazing with a very large award. It was a real honour and totally unexpected. The response rectangle potato has been fantastic. Dare I say life changing? Career you fondant- the biggest would have pursued if you didn’t become a chip you have ever chef? I have always liked to paint, so maybe an artist. Although seen- with a fine I really enjoy renovating so maybe a builder. On molecular puree of pea & mint, accompanied by cookery? Warm jellies, flavoured powders, liquid nitrogen & the coarse textured the anti griddle. Career turning point? Four years lemon sand. ago when I began the culinary journey with Astral. A mission, if you like, to turn Astral into an international destination with good food and great s ervice. We are still in there pursuing the dream. Favourite sport? Long distance running. This is something I us ed to do 15 years ago. I managed to come in the top 1500 out of 44,000 in the City to Surf. I am slowly getting back into shape and hopefully I will be fit enough to run it again this year. I will be happy if I finish in the bottom 1500 this time. Describe the diners who come to enjoy your food? Mixed bunch, but generally empty nesters, first timer tourists, young lovers and very few gaming patrons. Countries travelled to this year and what you learnt? I travelled to San Francisco, Lobster Burger with foie gras butter Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, London and Paris, served with hand cut Pontiac chips and was lucky enough to eat at some of the best restaurants on the planet. The chefs were very restrained as to what they put on the plate. Only the best produce available was us ed with simple techniques and pres entation. It was the s ervice that made the difference to a world class dining experience. You have to deliver both to make a difference.

“

Sean Connolly

”

food companion international

Astral Bar and Dining

Chef Profile

Egging on a star

A cut above ”

How long have you guys been in the business? George: We started with a fruit market in Campsie about 26 years ago but we outgrew that in just over two years. That’s when we bought this business from George Hadzinikitas and have grown from there. Con: George was a genuine original, a pioneer of the provedore business not only in Sydney but in the whole of Asia. When he started in the mid1950s nothing existed for chefs and George was the first to supply to them and the hotels such as the Sebel and Olims. George: We were lucky. We bought a business and then we were taught by one of the best in the business. Furthermore, we inherited Spiro from George who has been in the business for over 30 years. He checks everything, he is is a key person here. After 25 years, what keeps you going? George: The relationshi ps we have with our clients, the buzz and the friends we have in the industry. Con: People tend to come back to us, even if they have been away for a while. Any pointers for those starting out? Con: Buy right and s ell right. So there’s been a lot of changes in Australian cuisine? George: Yes, the different waves of immigration have played a huge part in our culinary scene. Everyone, whether they’’re from Europe or Asia or the Middle East have brought in their own products and Australia sits in a fairly unique position. Con: We are lucky becaus e we have so many growing conditions that we can grow just about anything here. Has the landscape changed since you first started selling produce? Con: Things like the introduction of broad beans, fennel, bok choy and the different lettuces and potatoes are just a start. Interestingly, some of thes e newer varieties have easily surpassed the original. For example: the Lebanes e cucumber, which we hardly ever sold, now outs ells the Aussie cucumber by a massive margin. Now there are lots of new hybrid vegetables coming in all the time like exotic ranges of potatoes, apples, lettuces and more. What about in the prepared vegetable and fruit market? George: It’s a growing market. 15 years ago I us ed to cut pumpkin by hand and it took around half-an-hour to cut 10 kilos. Now we have people and machines

I love how all the chefs are constantly striving to create the best cuisine in the world and they are well on their way. 

cutting all day. Con: It costs a lot of money for a hotel or restaurant to have an apprentice cutting-up veg in the kitchen so it makes sense we do it for them. What’s more: we have one of the best kitchens in Australia? George: Everyone wants pre-cut. We can do 3000 varieties pre-cut out of our kitchen. We sanitise, we dice, we shape all the products. Any handy food processing machinery? George: Yes. We have just taken delivery of a new $150K machine from Germany which washes and sanitises lettuce as well as tumbling it to get rid of just about everything. Can chefs come and have a look? Con: They are more than welcome. If a chef wants a particular style, he or she can come here and show us exactly what they want and we can customis e our process es. It’s a huge saving for the restaurant trade. On marketing and selling? George: We started a fortnightly newsletter in which we explain what’s happening in the marketplace and talk about weather patterns which might affect produce levels and quality. Con: Our prices are locked in for the week. They are not affected by market fluctuations. Furthermore, we can supply up or down. One week you might want one kilo of peeled pumpkin and the next 40kg. It doesn’t hurt us. Do you travel much? George: Interestingly, I went to Fiji originally to start importing mango and papaya as Australia didn’t have an industry at the time. Con: We travel interstate to look at produce and Im heading up into Asia soon to take a look at what’s new and available. Favourite sport? George: Soccer and a bit of golf. Con: Everything. I just love all sports but Souths come first especially. Why Georges? George: We have all the certification, all the public liability and a state-of-the-art processing facility. It’s all about trust and s ervice and we deliver plenty. We also own a lot of farms so we source our own produce as well.

Georges Providores

“

The trucks constantly sweep Sydney and some of the nations leading chefs swear by the quality of the bounty inside the trucks, yet many people still dont know who or what is Georges Providores. For the first time in 25 years, George Lagos and Con Loupis spoke exclusively to Food Companion International’s Mark Eggleton.

Ralf Bruegger, The Sebel Pier One, Con Loupis, Roger Rechsteiner, Four Points

GEORGES PROVIDORES Phone: 02 9519 1411 Fax: 02 9519 5710 Email: office@georgesprovidores.com.au

CHEFS talking. Muttering “Entrée’s away” has all the champagne gone out? Managers wearing walky talkies... ”Where are the vegetarian entrees? “Wake up back there... are you sleeping?”

t’s chilly Thursday night and dinner service is in full swing at Moet and Chandon Grand Vintage 2000 launch. Despite his broad frame, chef John Lanzafame seems to tower over the kitchen, and, as usual, he is pushing his young troops hard. “Come on, come on let’s go!” More salt, less liquid like I showed you before! Do you understand what I want? Whether or not they do, the reply is always the same. “Yes chef !” The intensity escalates as the last tables are nearing and the last table is looking good, just like the first table. Behind him, the poissonier methodically flips/smokes Barramundi fillets – and they’re now in 5th gear, “let’s go, let’s go, let’s go ...” At the stock station Thierry is clarifying the chicken stock with liquid nitrogen which as been simmered 4 times, with fresh bones every time.To his right, on the production line, they’re preparing the main course by carefully unwrapping stuffed chicken with butter in cones then rolled into a fresh herb crumb which had been sifted 8 times. It’s a dizzying spectacle. And me? I’m just trying to stay out of the way on the night in what is arguably one of Sydney finest culinary events.

The big

push

The event ► The head winemaker from Moet & Chandon, Ben-

oit Gouez and internationally acclaimed chef Thierry Marx (2 Michelin stars), who looks like Bruce Willis, flew to Australia exclusively for the event. The menu was created by Thierry Marx and so complex that the preparation and execution was commissioned to the Hugo’s team headed by chef Pete Evans and John Lanzafame. The grueling month of preparations was supported by an exclusive video of Thierry cooking the dishes for easier understanding. John who is currently a member of the Australian Culinary Olympic Team, winning gold in both Iceland 2006 and in Perth in 2007, got some chefs from the team to take part. The brigade had a total of 30 chefs and commis on site as a back up. Stedman’s hand picked 2 butlers, 1 sommelier and 1 bus boy for each table of ten, there was a ratio of 1 staff to 2.5 guests. Prior to the event the only equipment in the kitchen at the Overseas Passenger Terminal was just a sink and tap – everything else had to be outsourced.

The food ► Soda stream to fizz sauces, cream guns to prepare

hot souffles. Liquid nitrogen [2 x 20 litres] to freeze meringues and clarify stocks and to cook chicken. Fish was smoked on vine cuttings from Greenpoint Vineyard in the Yarr, in bee keepers smoking apparatus from the Hunter Valley.

food companion international

Image courtesy of Mark Patrick

CHEFS TALES

By John Lanzafame

I was the chef in charge not the celebrity Image courtesy of Mark Patrick

Blast chiller to freeze sturgeon caviar (what... freezing it?). Christie’s Seafoods sourced 3 styles of fish closest to sea bass as possible for chef. Fish was smoked on vine cuttings in a bee keepers’ smoking apparatus - i.e. the thing they use for smoking the bees in a hive (the vine leaves are coming from the Greenpoint vineyard in the Yarra Valley) and the smoking apparatus from the Hunter Valley. Simon Johnson flew over 2 kilos of Manjimup fresh truffles from Western Australia and imported 2 kilos of sterling caviar from California

John Lanzafame ► One of Australia’s leading Italian

chefs and a larger that life character. John has been involved with Italian wine and food for over 23 years making him a true kitchen organiser and stage performer. Some of the kitchens John has worked in includes; managing the cook chill section of The Commissary Kitchen working alongside Tony Bilson, then owning and operating his own successful Italian eatery in Haberfield called Lanzafame. He was also executive chef of Ampersand in Cockle Bay, Sheraton Wentworth, Ritz Carlton and Hugo’s Group for three and a half years. He is now a current team member for the Australian Culinary Olympic team in 2008.

Peter Evans ► Completing his apprenticeship as a chef in

Melbourne at the age of 20, Peter’s first appointment as a head chef was at The Pantry, in the bayside suburb of Brighton, one of the city’s most popular café/restaurants. Six months later he joined the cafe as a partner with the founding team, his brother David Evans & Daniel Vaughan. Peter then expanded the already popular Pantry name to a catering division, which is today a much sought after experience. Moving to Sydney in 1996, he established his second restaurant, Hugo’s, in beachside Bondi with the help of his partners. Hugo’s received its first Chef ’s Hat in 1999 and followed it up in 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003 again. Chefs John Lanzafame and Peter Evans

“

It was 8 days out to the gala night in Sydney and we have just received the DVD from Thierry in Paris, a preview of performing some real MG food.

”

• Trying to work out how to cook molecular gastronomy in French. • New ingredients and equipment names some we had never heard of. • Working with not only French but with a Spanish brigade [different dialect] • I know fluent English and Italian not kitchen French or Spanish. • I need to hire 30 chefs from Monday through to Thursday night • Ingredients arrived, begged, borrowed and stolen. • Thierry arrives 1 hour before service in true fashion of a Chef du cuisine. • Thierry one of the most quiet and unassuming 3 Michelin star chef’s you will meet. Throughout the whole service he spoke to 2 people. • Florien who is Thierry’s assistant was a true champion. • If you didn’t mind all the usual kitchen screaming amongst chefs we learnt about new food, interesting concepts that Australia had not seen. • Am not sure that the Australian market will take to all this kind of food – but sure all the best chefs will give it a go. If I had the chance to do this all over again, probably not! I enjoyed utilizing my management skills and bringing my food knowledge up to a whole new level.

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WORLD'S SHARPEST KNIVES

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“

My favourite kitchen tool is my wood-fired oven because it allows me

to get back to the essence of how cooking really started. These types of ovens do require special cooking techniques and there is art to controlling the heat of the fire, where you cook different dishes. I love it because it is

Andrew Clark

very versatile and you can cook almost anything in there. Born? I was born in Sydney and grew up around Roseville. I lived there pretty much all my life until moving to the Hunter Valley four years ago. Culinary education? My Mum and Dad and trial and error. Experience? I opened Rock Restaurant with my business partner David Clarke in 2006, but I had been cooking for many years before that. My cooking career began with Anthony Musarra at Mesclun Brasserie. After one year I moved to The Edge, a fast-paced restaurant in East Sydney, to work with Gary Skelton. During this period, I also worked with Matt Brown’s Greens, delivering fresh fruit and vegetables to some of Sydney’s finest restaurants. After a time, I accepted a position at Claude’s under Tim Pak Poy. My three-year stay at Claude’s instilled a real passion for fine dining. Before opening Rock, I also spent time working with Sydney caterer Leigh StoneHerbert of Absolute Ambrosia and Serge Dansereau at The Bathers Pavilion. Favourite cheap eat? A little Chinese noodle and dumpling shop in Chinatown where you can watch them making the noodles. What keeps you going? Coffee and smiles from my three girls (one big girl and two little ones). Favourite thing about the Hunter Valley? No peak hour. Most useful cookbook? Larousse paved the way for modern cuisine. Most controversial menu item? Chocolate trout with vanilla sauce. The guests were challenged by this and couldn’t get their heads around the chocolate being served in a savoury dish. It has only been recently that chocolate has had sugar added to it to make it sweet, so it does actually lend itself to this type of dish. When we explained this to guests, it sold well. We also matched it with a beer Squire’s Porter instead of a wine to further challenge the palate. Early influences? My mum and the Women’s Weekly cookbooks. Mum was great as she was constantly trying new dishes. She loved serving up new and different things, so there was always lots of variety in our house. Professional influences didn’t really come into play until I started cooking myself, then I would have to say my strongest influence was Tim Pak Poy,

food companion international

”

who I worked under at Claude’s. Career you would have pursued if you had not become a chef? I tried a few different things but once I started cooking that was always what it was going to be. On classic v modern cuisine? Classic cuisine is the base of all modern cuisine. With most modern food you can trace the roots back to the classics. I’m very much a big fan of classic cuisine because of its history. The oldest documented food culture in the world is Asian cuisine and I think it’s amazing that a lot of the classic provincial dishes in China still remain the same today as they were thousands of years ago. These dishes were built around regionality for all the obvious reasons including climate, what produce was available in that area etc and that’s something I still believe in today. That’s why we produce different menus for each season to ensure we are really making the most of our regional produce. Chefs you admire? Tim Pak Poy. Career turning point? I was studying economics at university when I got a job as a kitchen hand. I never went back. Favourite sport? To play it’s golf but to watch it’s rugby which is very difficult at the moment as both the ‘tahs and Wallabies are very ordinary. Purveyor tip? Try and source the best produce you can. That doesn’t mean you can’t buy cheap cuts _ just make sure they come from the right source. On classic V modern trained chefs? I don’t think there is a difference as long as they cook from the heart. Travel and what you’ve learnt? No overseas travel last year being in our first year of operation, and my time was dedicated to the restaurant. I Loved Melbourne though, we enjoyed some amazing meals at restaurants including Rockpool, Circa, the Prince, MoVida and Vue de monde. Ingredient obsession? Mushrooms.

Rock Restaurant, Hunter Valley

Back to flaming basics

“

The difference in the appearance from the outside of the building and then walking into a contemporary restaurant. I think people have really enjoyed discovering us. There was an added excitement of finding something new and different foodwise in the Hunter Valley.

”

Seafood Correspondent John Susman, Fisheads

Hook lines

OYSTERS – our love affair with them are hotting up!

egarded as the worlds most loved mollusc, oysters – of all varieties, regions and seasons, continue to capture the mouths, hearts and minds of the modern diner like never before. Current consumption in Australia is about ¾ dozen oysters per capita, per annum. Not much you might think in comparison to the 5 ½ dozen the average Dutchman downs; or even the 1 ½ dozen the average Pom consumes. But current consumption is trending upwards at a staggering 15% per annum (year on year over the past decade), which is a clear reflection of the silent revolution occurring behind the “food guide” chef’s hats and celebrity TV cooking shows around the country. Buying, storing and serving a good oyster is infact a far more complex issue than blitzing up a foam or sprinkling a fancy powder; and requires a genuine commitment from the chef and restaurateur. Lets be frank, oysters are an expensive luxury – they are difficult to manage, difficult to fit into the demands of the modern food costing and yet can be a clear indicator to the customer of the professionalism and commitment of the restaurateur. In reality, oysters have limited culinary versatility; a bad oyster can hide nothing. A good plate of oysters says way more to me than a restaurants’ reputation or location. To serve a plate of oysters, which is interesting, delicious and profitable to the operator and value to the customer, is akin to serving a memorable cheese – care must be taken at every stage from the selection of the variety, consideration of the season, knowledge of the grower (ideally), storage, preparation and presentation. Seek advice about which are the best oysters in season, talk with your suppliers, seek out award winning oysters from the RAS (Royal Agriculture Society) via their website, ask which ones they recommend and you can get cranky if they don’t know or supply you with duds!

Get to know the source of supply, the variety, region and grower of your oyster – who would ever expect a restaurateur NOT to know what variety, where it was from and who made a wine on their list? Look for oysters that are plump, which are even in shape, have clean shells, which are free of overgrowth (barnacles, squirts etc) and have a pleasant oceanic aroma. Expect 1 in a dozen to be “out of condition” (whilst the grower and supplier will do their best to ensure these have been graded out – they are a live animal and can change condition from water to plate) and order appropriately. Storage is a significant issue to the final eating quality of an oyster – as already mentioned, oysters are surprisingly fragile, and like all molluscs, from the moment they are removed from their watery home, are consuming glycogens or body fat, to survive. The more they stress, the more they consume. The more glycogen they consume, the quicker they loose “condition”, which is most generally related to the sweetness and mouth feel of the oyster. Oysters should be treated with care – on receipt, they should be stored appropriately – Rock oysters in a humid environment at 12-14 degree Celsius; Pacific and Angassi’s at a cooler 3-5 degree Celsius. Take care in the presentation – scrub, clean and chill before opening; don’t expect the first year apprentice to have a deft hand with an oyster knife immediately, teach them to take time not to damage the flesh on opening, and only ever open just prior to serving. Naturally, these guides refer to live oysters – if you can’t afford the time or the labour to open oysters “A-la Minute” then don’t serve them! After years of contemplating the convenience and production issues relating to the purchase of pre-shucked oysters, I am now committed to promoting the use only of live oysters in foodservice.

Apprentice Correspondent Michael Bennett, Hospitality Training Network

Young chefs

t’s difficult to establish just how critical the shortage is at this point in time with the projected shortfall of numbers varying across a number of reports. I’ve been told at various times that Australia is currently short a couple of thousand to perhaps six thousand or more cooks, chefs and apprentices. What ever the figure, we are all aware that the shortage of skilled and experienced culinary artists is very real. The number of new recruits entering the industry is quite simply outstripped by demand and the number of craftsman leaving the industry compounds the problem. At HTN (Hospitality Training Network) they maintain approximately 120 positions vacant for apprentice chefs throughout the entire year (every year) with the number of vacancies peaking at approximately 150 or so in the lead up to the Christmas period. The vast majority (approximately 90%) of the vacancies listed with HTN are for 2nd, 3rd or 4th year apprentices.

The skills shortage seems to be the hot topic of today.

In an endeavour to go some way towards doing “our bit” to address the skills shortage, HTN has embarked on a range of programs and initiatives in concert with State and Federal Governments as well as a number of Industry Stakeholders. These range from intensive prevocational programs, designed to provide new recruits with some fundamental knowledge and basic skills ready for placement into industry, through to Indigenous specific employment programs. I applaud those Chefs and business owners who have already committed to assisting us with placement for these budding young apprentice chefs and hope that others will consider taking on a new 1st year apprentice in order to provide industry with the future 2nd, 3rd and 4th years that are so desperately needed.

food companion international

Greekaliciously Good for You

“

Maria Bernardis is cooking up a storm with her inventive take on a classic, but often misrepresented, cuisine.

”

Maria Bernardis

aria Bernardis, founder of the This isn’t a bad thing considering Bernardis has adapted these Greekalicious cooking school tells flavours to modern times and stays true to her philosophy of fresh FCI it is this ethos that Bernardis wants and organic ingredients, whenever possible. The food sings, and it to convey in her cooking classes. is truly fresh. Every ingredient is fresh and organic, not because it’s Already Bernardis’s culinary school has some big fans, includin vogue but because on the Greek Island of Psara, where ing Peter Everett, of Channel Ten’s Ready Steady Cook. Bernardis spent much of her adolescence, organic and food “I think everyone should go and see Maria Bernardis in acare synonymous. tion,’’ Everett says. Bernardis has a true passion for Greek gastronomy. After “Hearing Maria’s take on the history of Greek food was all, gastronomy is a Greek word that sigvery forthcoming and she answered all nifies the relationship between the senses those questions that I was afraid to ask! and food. Her passion was the impetus beThe spiritual facts and mythology and the hind creating her unique cooking school, traditional food we have available to us IN Greece, which aims at updating classic Greek cuiin Australia is only a pinch of what real sine and making it accessible to everyone. Greek cuisine is about.’’ when I want to However, passion was not the only drivEverett is also impressed with what ing force behind Bernardis’s decision to go Bernardis has accomplished in relation to eat fish, I just go Greek. In fact, for her, Greek food has ofher use of organic produce. ten been misrepresented in Australia. ``I think more chefs are becoming conand catch it! “I’d often see other cultures fake scious of the benefits of using organics _ Greek dishes and claim them as their and indulging in Maria’s modern style of own,’’ she says. At Greekalicious parGreek food is what eating is all about,’’ Evticipants are taught how to make classic erett tells FCI. dishes with a modern edge. Even chefs of Greek heritage are wax“There is an emphasis on innovation, but the classic Greek ing lyrical about Maria’s innovative stance on Greek gastronomy. recipes are all still there,’’ she says. ``When you get chefs like [Maria Bernardis], George Colom“The beauty of Greek cuisine, of course, is its inherent baris and David Tsirekas who are developing creative ways of exsimplicity. Much of the food prepared on the Greek mainland pressing our food it can only add interest for other chefs to try in ancient times was relatively simple and minimally spiced.’’ cooking Greek food,’’ says George Diamond, proud Greek and chef of 360 Bar and Dinning Room. ``Also our food is very healthy and light and this is popular with our customers, cooking mainly with olive oil, and doing very little with the main ingredient.’’ It appears that Bernardis has hit a winning formula, fresh, healthy and tasty three definite reasons to attend her classes.

“

”

Contact Maria Bernardis

Greekalicious Cooking School Contact Samios Foods 0417 113 023

F ood C ompanion I nternational

The Intuitive Well Centre, 1st Floor, 70 Bronte Road Bondi Junction 2022

www.greekalicious.com.au

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Up and atom “Molecular cuisine is to a certain degree an extension of

orn? Lithgow and moved to Sydney when I was 20. Culinary education? Vulcan’s in the Blue Mountains for three years and then with Mark Best at Marque in Sydney for four years and then at Mrs Jones for another two years in Melbourne and then back to Sydney. Favourite cheap eat? My favourite cheap eat would have to be Northern Style Dumplings in Chinatown. Their handmade noodles are fantastic. What keeps you going? I am generally a self-driven person, but I would say that overall what keeps me going is my passion for food. Can you offer any advice for future chefs? Don’t do it! No, if you are an aspiring chef you should set your own goals and work towards them. What are your favourite kitchen tools? My thermoregulator and the vacuum pack machine. They are my picks as they ensure temperature control and accuracy in cooking. Favourite thing about Sydney? The weather. Sydney is the waterside city and has all the activity. If you want something, you can find it in Sydney. Most useful cookbook? The Good Cook from the Time Life series. It had a large influence on me in the early stages of my career. Early influences? When I was young I was influenced by people who were free thinking and generally cooked by feel, taste and texture. Ingredient obsession? No, I don’t have an ingredient obsession. I think that all ingredients should be treated with equal respect. Why does molecular cuisine work well with your cuisine style? Molecular cuisine works well with my cuisine style as it has structure and requires accuracy and attention to detail. How do chefs learn about molecular gastronomy in the first place? Chefs learn about it the way they would learn about anything. It is technology-based and everyone is interested in new technology. Is molecular cookery expensive? Yes and no. There are some up-front costs, but a lot can be done without any expense. How many courses are required to drive it properly? I don’t think you can pigeonhole how many courses molecular cuisine is driven by. It’s really driven by the chef and by balance.

food companion international

Bentley Bar & Grill

Brent Savage

nouvelle; however, ultimately, it is definitely its own cuisine.”

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Wagyu cattle achieve the highest level of marbling of any cattle in the World.     

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Alliance partners hand select cattle that have been on a rising plain of nutrition for a further 300-500 days on grain to achieve the magic MS 8+ AUS-MEAT marble grading.

“ Paul Butler

The staff at Mastercut Meats understand our pressures and needs. My meat arrives on time, at the correct temperature and packaged correctly and is delivered by drivers who are happy, polite and courteous. I have used this company for years and they make me feel like my needs are their most important. A day in the life of a chef at The National Press Club? Working as a chef at the National Press Club is fast and furious. Always busy with day to day functions and in the restaurant, then we have the televised addresses each week that really keep us going. It’s never a dull moment around here with great bunch of guys and girls in the kitchen all ready to give each other a hand time at the drop of a hat. What keeps you going? I have been doing this for nearly 30 years and I am just as excited about it now as I was all those years ago. Advice to future chefs? The more you put in the more you get out of it. Listen to others, even the kitchen hands and housewives can teach you some great things to do with food. Cook each meal as though you were cooking for yourself. Favourite kitchen tool? I have

”

a 25-year-old 33cm blade chefs knife that I use for absolutely everything. Cuisine description at the Press Club? It’s a cuisine of the moment. We draw inspiration from everywhere and anywhere and change the menu often. We may have Asian influence one week and then maybe Indian or Moroccan or we may even take a stroll back in time. Favourite sport? Has to be the rugby. I follow the Brumbies of course but don’t get to see enough of their games live. Obsession ingredient? I love to work with fresh, in season produce but get really annoyed when chefs don’t season food. Salt and pepper was the first thing I was taught. Purveyor tip? Treat your suppliers with respect. Let them know exactly what you want. They will respect you and you will receive exactly what you want.

National Press Club

Food fit for reptiles

Dorper lamb - perfect for any weather

astercut Meats are going to be supplying the most highly prized lamb in all of South Africa: grass-fed Dorper lamb. Its texture is exquisite: supple, yet silky. Its flavour is lush, distinctive, and abundant.

The meat glistens when you cut into it. Plus, since we’re on the cusp of autumn, with weather varying from sunny and cool to rainy and even snow, it’s good to know that this grass-fed lamb is versatile and can be cooked in a myriad different ways whatever suits your mood or the forecast. Grass-fed Dorper offers a unique taste experience, as well. History? The breed, concept conceived and originating from South Africa, continues to show phenomenal growth over the years. Numerically it is the second biggest breed in South Africa with 8 to 9 million officially and possibly 10 to 12 million unofficially, if not more. It has a high reproduction rate and a long breeding season, which is not seasonal. There are more and more farmers switching to Dorper by the day. The Dorper ewe has exceptionally good mothering qualities. It produces lots of milk and takes very good care of her lambs this further ensures a high weaning percentage. The Dorper lamb grows fast and can obtain a high weaning mass of 36kg at three to four months. An important economic factor because lambs are marketed sooner. on taste? Delicious and versatile. Grass-fed Dorper is a very soft tender meat and has a very fine texture because the animal is so young. The fibres in the meat are very fine and not course. They got two of the best lambs; Dorsets and Persian fat tail to produce Dorper. The genetics have been bred into the animals for the last 50 years. Where in Australia is it grown? Everywhere through-out Australia and becoming more popular. What does the Dorper breed eat? Grass-fed only and we don’t go near any grains. You are passionate about Dorper because? I know that within 10-15 years 50 per cent of the Australian flock

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will have Dorper infusions. These lambs are easy to manage and highly productive. The yield return for grass-fed Dorper lamb meat 57.1% verDorper lamb grower Bert Rayner with their sus about 48% for a normal production chef Graham Joy lamb carcass. Mutton is about 43%. Continuity and consistency of? Continuity at supply is possible and our quality control program and traceability ensure continuity and quality. But lamb is renowned for being fatty? Not ours. Our lambs will be fat score two and three only. Is it organic? No not at this stage but growers use no antibiotics or hormones. Organic carcasses can be ordered in advance if required. But not on a large scale until more chefs buy more of it. organic vs non-organic lamb? Not really as when a blind-tasting is done 90 per cent of chefs will get it wrong anyway, you can hardly tell. The difference with the organic market is that it suits a niche clientele and does attract a premium price at an extra 25-30 per cent. Red vegetable dye indicates the validity of where the lamb has come from and the age? Correct, but chefs are steering away from vegetable dyes on meat. We supply tags on every carcass which tells us which run or farm it’s from, the establishment number, where it was harvested, the date, weight, temperature and its fat score.

Mastercut Meats all the best breedsâ&#x20AC;Ś Angus Cervina Murray Gray Shorthorn Free Range Wagyu MSA graded

Terrarossa Hereford prime Santa Gertruda Milk Fed Veal Grain fed primal pork Suckling pigs Corn fed lamb Moisture Infused Pork Heritage prime (free-range & grain-fed) Island Prime (free range & grain-fed)

Queensland

NSW

ACT

07 3290 2001

02 9550 4311

02 6260 2199

07 3290 2001

UNIVERSAL FOR CUTTING VEGETABLES

Prepares 3.2kg per minute!

ince the beginning of the sixties they have been developing our cutting machines with a passion for culinary finesse. Brunner is Swiss manufactured of high quality preparation equipment since 1924 and in some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best kitchens including the well known BRUNNER Anliker. For vegetable preparation and mixing. Michel Peters, Acadamie Director of Le Cordon Bleu Australia recommends the versatile BRUNNER Anliker for delivering a good, even result when quality is a priority. Suitable for busy kitchens or and culinary schools that specialize in quantity production for volume catering. It has the capacity to prepare up to 3.2kg per minute, makes it ideal for use

in busy food areas including; hotels, airline, culinary schools, any small to medium preparation outlets and restaurants. Additionally Swiss Systems offer a regular preventative maintenance program, ensuring years of problem-free operation. If you want to chat about any quality food equipment products please contact Swiss Systems Australia-wide on 1300 367 730.

From left to right> Beth Hu, Toffee Hwangsanguankij, Tony Lin, Herve Boutin, Michel Peters, Patrick Martin, Adam Hinchliffe and Georges Winter.

1300 367 730 www.swisssystems.com.au

Allstars of produce T&F Allstates writes Dan Bloom

“Mum always says it’s what’s on the inside that counts. I’d agree with her but when it comes to produce, particularly value-added produce, the outside is just as important as the inside.” Claire Elphick

sk any chef who needs to cook in large volumes, and relies on value added produce to meet their high demands, and the way it looks is just as important as the way it tastes. T&F Allstates know this maxim is true. They were responsible for stocking the Queen Mary with fruit and vegetables on its historic departure from Sydney Harbour. Not only does T&F Allstates stock many high profile clients but also having recently moved premises, they are now in a position to fortify their product, and make sure that their consistent quality remains exactly that: consistent. In fact, T&F Allstates’ new premises is the largest in the southern hemisphere. “We have 200,000 square meters, or two blocks…it’s a fully refrigerated warehouse and production facility,” says Arthur Zinopoulos. who is a production manager for the company. Importantly, the new facility allows produce to be kept longer and fresher thanks to state of the art technology. All of this technology is in line with HACCP food and safety regulations. “We have the room and ability to grow as we meet customer demand for value added products,” says Zinopoulous. Chefs catering for large events know the importance value added products play in the preparation stage of catering. Not only does value added produce allow chefs to do away with time consuming preparation, it adds a consistent dimension to produce. New technology allows produce to be cut to the nearest

food companion international

millimetre. This is great when chefs need carrot batons cut to five millimetre lengths. On a recent tour of the site, Claire Elphick a chef for Sodhexo Defence Services raved about the level of service T&F Allstates offers. “Whenever I’m looking for a particular item for a menu I can ring them and get information and supply details. For some chefs, however, food comes first. “All in all I just love food… [I was] rather impressed with the mini herbs [though]” says Claire Elphick. They will always go out of their way to get stock in for me if it’s out of the ordinary” she says. John Deane executive chef of Telstra Stadium was also impressed with the new facility. “I [am] very impressed with the new site. Their product should be held even better and deliver much fresher to us. The move into a better standarded prepared fruit and vegetables is welcomed for our large scale production requirements,” he says. One thing sure to delight chefs who have large scale operations is the fact that T&F Allstates offers consistent pricing on all of its value added produce. “In terms of seasonality, it doesn’t matter if we use three or four boxes of a certain product…the value added product will always be consistent price wise,” Zinopoulos says. Consistency in product and pricing? That’s sure to put a smile on chefs’ faces.

A New Era in Fresh Produce Provedoring “Mind blowing, massive, unbelievable, just what we want” are some of the superlatives being tossed around by chefs.

The only supplier of any size who can truly boast to be a one stop shop – from eggs to noodles to peeled mango cheeks and everything in between.

Managing director Rohan Benn says the $15m investment reflects his commitment to the industry and believes that significant growth will occur in value=added products.

40 refrigerated vehicles and 160 staff on the payroll to reflect the growing customer base.

4000 sqm processing area including a research, development and production kitchen.

Gives chefs peace of mind, with increasing pressure on food safety and quality issues. Chefs tours welcome.

7-9 George Young Street Regents Park - NSW 2143 Phone: 02 9550 4655 Fax : 02 9550 4462 Email: info@tandfallstates.com.au

“

The paper for the most part is very one dimensional, giving you very little information including comments such as ``must be prepared to work hard’’, ``$$ on experience’’ or ``5 doubles + 1 single’’. This doesn’t really get the heart pumping to ring does it?

”

Geremy Glew

Pride of place

orn: Surrey, England. Culinary experience? Twelve years as a chef, seven years in recruitment. Experience? I worked both in Australia and at Hotel Mal Maison and Restaurant No 36 in the UK and as head chef at I’m Angus Restaurant in Sydney. My girlfriend got fed up with all the late nights, weekends and all those “quick drinks’’ after work. She saw an ad in the paper which was perfect for me so I spent five years working in chef recruiting. I started Placed Recruitment two years ago and target chefs, restaurant and hotel management and sommeliers in mainly four and five-star hotels, one, two and three-hatted restaurants, large seated restaurants, resorts, clubs, pubs and overseas placements. Type of chefs you recruit? We recruit for all industries and locations, from a commis chef to executive chef level. What keeps you going? I love my job and dealing with chefs and the kitchens that we list. I make a difference in people’s lives and businesses. Finding a job through Placed Recruitment V the newspaper? It is important to mention what we don’t do; we don’t take on jobs if they are not at least market rates or if the conditions and hours are not right, with the right fundamentals. We spend a lot of time getting to know our clients and candidates in detail, we sit down and go through their background skills and then match them to two or three jobs that fit well with them in terms of style of food, location, vibe etc. This means they are very well informed before they even step out of our interview and that helps them make better long term decisions. Overview of the chef employment industry now? It’s competitive and there are not enough chefs to go around. The conditions for most chefs are improving, and hours and remuneration are getting better, judging by the past two years. As a result, we as an agency are busier than ever, as we are fortunate enough to have access to chefs that no-one else does, with our extensive database. Favourite things about Sydney? Food, surf and the people. If you could change just one thing in the industry? To have better long-term options for chefs who are ready to settle down and Salary guide for chefs who are still looking for a challenge, ie: to still be able to see their families. There are exceptions to the rule, but most head chef roles in restaurants are 5 This varies greatly and is dependent on industry, size of days, majority nights and weekends (minimum), so they either move the family brigade and turnover. As a guide in Australia you must into the dry store or find other alternatives. How does a chef learn add on superannuation. about management? In the past, it has been purely on the job and pot luck if you were taught at all, let alone correctly. Luckily these days, there Exec chef large five star or club: $100K-200K are some great courses at TAFE and with private companies such as Profitable Exec chef Restaurant, cafe, pub $60K-120K (most 60-90K) Hospitality available; the smart employers are structuring these in as a bonus Exec sous large five-star or club $65K-90K for their chefs (some hotels have internal courses which can be excellent). Does having a trade certificate have its rewards? Sous chef large five-star or club $55-65K It certainly is a statement that you can complete things and have a good generSous chef Restaurant, cafe, pub $55K-65K al understanding of the fundamentals. Generally I have found that those chefs who don’t have it quite often really want it, and those who do have never been asked for it (myself included, a bit disappointing really). It is required in some industries more than others ie: Health-care, Cruise ships and Clubs and Hotels. With restaurants it is more about where you have worked and in what position, employment stability and what the previous chef or owner says about your performance in your last job. The perfect intervew checklist? Preparation is No 1. If you are going through an agency such as Placed RecruitCourtesy of The Bestest Foundation ment we will be able to put you at ease, with a very thorough brief and websites for you to check out, appropriate presentation (not everyone likes chefs in suits), and idea of the personality of the person who is going to be interviewing you. We also act as a sounding board on the day, giving you the best chance possible of nailing the interview and getting the perfect job. Does experience working for well known celebrity chefs open doors for a chef with no qualifications? Definitely. There are quite a few unqualified chefs running the best restaurants in Australia.

food companion international

WE CAN OPEN DOORS IN KITCHENS ALL OVER AUSTRALIA, ASIA, DUBAI CHEF JOBS GLOBALLY!! t )BU 3FTUBVSBOUT t 4UBS )PUFMT t 3FTPSUT "VTUSBMJB 8JEF t $BGFT 3FTUBVSBOUT t $MVCT -BSHF BOE 4NBMM t *OUFSOBUJPOBM SPMFT t $PNNJT UP &YFD $IFG

CHEFS...We take the guess work out of the process. We listen to what you are looking for with style of food, location, hours, money, conditions and even the culture then matching you to kitchens that suit your needs!

CLIENTS...Good kitchen staff have never been harder to find and candidates are often unsuitable or scarce, we take the guess work out of the process. We only deal with Chefs that have stable and quality work histories and we only work with companies known for good working conditions.

SENIOR ROLES Head Chef - UP , 4 /48 *OU (SPVQ FJUIFS 4USPOH 4PVT )FBE Sous Chef 4UBS .VMUJ 0VUMFU , 4 'JOF %JOJOH )JHI 7PMVNF 8FTU Sous Chef $POGFSFODF #BORVFUT (MPCBM $P UP , 4 4USBJHIUT 4PNF Days, VERY busy. Sous Chef )BU 3FTUBVSBOU , 4 Sydneys finest, true mentoring role... Sous Chef #BORVFUT -FBEJOH )PUFM #BORVFUT 4QFDJBMJTU &YDFMMFOU $BSFFS 0QT Junior Sous #BTFE JO 'JOF %JOJOH

CHEF DE PARTIE ROLES #BORVFUT $#% , 4 9NBT New Year period OFF, Straight Shifts )PUFM $#% , 4 'JOF %JOJOH Straight Shifts, Leading Hotel. Iconic Restaurant, $#% , 4 UJQT TUSBJHIUT BOE FWFSZ OE 8& PÃ² 7 #64: Bistro 4ZEOFZ 8FTU , 4 0QQ UP move into Fine Dining, Free Parking )BU 3FTUBVBSBOU 4 5ISFF EBZT PÃ² EBZT PO JO ,JUDIFO 3FBM $BSFFS NPWF "NB[JOH 1SPEVDF BOE .FOV PASTRY Pastry Chef )BU 3FTUBVSBOU , 4

Specialist Chef Recruiters

-FWFM 1JUU 4USFFU 4ZEOFZ /48 1 ' www.placedrecruitment.com.au

Agencies like Global Recruitment in Australia are the way to find highly qualified professionals. Word of mouth is also attracting good candidates for this once of a lifetime position.

Global Recruitment

T would be a fantastic lifestyle change for someone who chooses to join Etihad as an onboard F&B manager or sky chef, where you would be working with 3000 other cabin crew from 100 countries. Depending where the candidates have worked previously, they will say it’s like working on cruise liners and hideaway resorts. We now fly to 46 destinations around the world. The buzz is the growth of the company being the fastest growing airline in the world, the working conditions in very controlled work hours with a lot of spare time on your hands to enjoy and relax. I’ve enjoyed the life in the Middle East immensely since arriving two and half years ago. As a result I was able to improve my fitness, live a healthier lifestyle and even found time to read books. It is an adventure to leave on a Friday morning flight to Frankfurt, arrive at 7am and 5 minutes later you’re in a hire car driving down the German autobahn. Food and clothing here are very cheap. You will pay the same for Australian meat in Abu Dhabi as in Australia and if you get Brazilian it is even less.

Werner Kimmeringer, head of catering Etihad Airways

List the types of F&B people that you recruit? We are similar to a 5 star hotel, requiring the same skills as the F&B role in a food outlet. We are looking for exciting and savvy professionals who can complement our selected and well trained cabin crews from around the world. Our team of F&B has been selected from junior F&B managers, assistant F&B managers 5 star properties, high-end dining establishment managers, sommeliers with food experience and senior chefs with open kitchen experience and hotel school/ management degrees. What keeps you going? Being able to travel and experience different delicious cuisines around the world. Finding applicants through your Australian agency v the newspaper? To start up the project we used agencies from around the world. Locally in the Emirates we use newspapers, Etihad online applications, professional catering websites to Facebook.

Favourite thing about Abu Dhabi? It’s a great outdoor city 7 months of the year and a bit hot the other 5 months with fabulous beaches, recreational areas and many kilometers of waterfront walkways. With only 1 and 1/2 hours by car to Dubai, both cities together are the fastest growing cities in the world. They have the newest hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, entertainment parks and amazing shopping centers. You can spend every day in a different hotel to see the most innovative cuisines and restaurant concepts including many Michelin star chefs. With n 80 per cent expatriate population you will find many things to do and see, will quickly blend into the UAE, find new friendships and activities. One thing you would like to change when it comes to recruiting? Stopping the applicants who do not have the required qualifications from applying and wasting people’s time. Once they see an airline job they try everything to work for an airline. On the other hand, especially in F&B related jobs and especially chefs, they do not do enough homework for interview preparation. They think they can cook and the interviewer will see on the resume how good they are. In the senior management level they are expected to be able to cook but it is more the HR and business skills which need to be sold to the new employer. The remuneration with onboard F&B managers and sky chefs? Difficult to say at first as there is the exchange rate. But not like a normal job with the salary always the same. We include a base salary pay and then it is per flight hour pay with the various destinations. One thing to remember is that you do not pay tax, Accommodation, uniform and cleaning, transfers and pickup to work is all free. The other savings come through your change in lifestyle and living in UAE. You will find that you will spend less on things like medical insurance, car insurance, cars and petrol, household or house insurance.

Global Recruitment INTERVIEW CHECKLIST  Do your research, find out as much as you can about the role you are applying for and the company history.  Get a book about interview preparation, study and do role play with a friend.  Check the internet about interview methods, how to get dressed, body language is the most important and the worst with chefs.  Presentation, presentation, presentation. The worst thing is showing up with your chef’s jacket, always wear a well fitted suit and tie.  Prepare yourself with situations you experienced eg when you solved a problem with a product or customer.  Again the internet or books will help you with this.  Try to behave like a manager and talk about your achievements and how you achieved them.  Be positive, calm with an upbeat attitude and always listenen carefully to the questions asked and respond accordingly.

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Werner Kimmeringer

Sky-blue future

Picture yourself in a new career? Onboard Food and Beverage Managers, Etihad Airways Etihad Airways has been voted the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading new airline three years in a row, currently operating to more than 37 global destinations, the airline has planned further expansion and is looking to recruit top Food and Beverage Managers.

This is an amazing opportunity to earn great money with the fabulous lifestyle, traveling around the world!

Do you have

5Experience? Star

This position will see you responsible for menu planning, quality control, monitoring pre and post-flight catering activities first and business class service. The successful candidate will probably have:

Year 12 or equivalent perfect english, verbal and written (fluency in another language is an advantage) in good health (healthy weight range, ability to lift 50lbs, ability to swim 25m unaided, reach 214cm bare foot) or maybe some previous experience as a Junior Food and Beverage Manger, Assistant Manager (5 star hotel properties), Restaurant Manager (high - end dining establishment), Executive Chefs/Sous Chefs (with customer contact exp) or Sky Chefs (Food and Beverage background and/or service industry across all functions, with a detailed knowledge of food cooking and preparation).

Execellent package:

In return the successful applicants will benefit from a competitive remuneration, TAX FREE SALARY, accommodation, air travel for employees and family, flights home every year, medical insurance, 30 days annual leave, much, much moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

Recruiting for all major 5 star hotels in UAE ManagerS and Supervisors ALL CHEF POSITIONS Front Office Food and Beverage Housekeeping Engineering BANQUETS

APPLY NOW! If you are interested in any of the above positions or would like to find out more about other exciting UAE opportunities, please forward your CV, clearly stating the position you are applying for to clairer@globalrecruitment.com.au and feel free to call with any questions on + 61 7 3889 3703

www.globalrecruitment.com.au

Dubai comes to Australia

We want Hotel Professionals in the most exciting region of the world DUBAI Top luxury hotels (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Tiara) recruiting now:

FRONT DESK SUPERVISORS F&B TEAM LEADERS AND STAFF F&B MANAGEMENT CULINARY AND CHEFS IT & ENGINEERING

All contracts include:

EXCELLENT SALARY $$$ - TAX FREE ACCOMMODATION, FLIGHTS HEALTH INSURANCE, VISA COSTS MEALS, UNIFORMS, TRAINING ETC

Limited positions for the top jobs Don’t miss out – interviews all capital cities from May 2008 If you are interested in any of the above positions or would like to find out ore about other exciting UAE opportunities, please forward your CV, clearly stating the position you are applying for to clairer@globalrecruitment.com.au and feel free to call with any questions on + 61 7 3889 3703

GARFISH Chef Positions Garfish are expanding to open our fourth Restaurant and centralized production kitchen in 2008. We are looking for Apprentice’s year 1-4, Commi, Demi, Chef de Partie and Sous Chefs to join our existing kitchen brigades and be part of our new opening teams. If you would like to learn or are experienced in working with premium quality Australian and New Zealand Seafood and if you are a committed, passionate industry professional we would like the chance to meet you. Be part of Garfish Restaurants exciting future, this is a career enhancing opportunity.

Contact Stewart Wallace: 0409 812 106 or EMAIL: stewartwallace@optusnet.com.au CROWS NEST

6/29 Holterman Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 T: 02 9966 0445 F: 02 9966 0348

KIRRIBILLI

2/21 Broughton Street Kirribilli NSW 2061 T: 02 9922 4322 F: 02 9922 4189

MANLY

1/39 East Esplanade Manly NSW 2095 T: 02 9977 0707 F: 02 9977 2272

email: info@garfish.com.au | web: www.garfish.com.au

Lanzafàme � New sophisticated pizza and pasta eatery � Location: Star City Casino complex Pyrmont, Sydney � Full-time and casual positions

Recruiting

Chefs

HEAD CHEF COMMIS CHEF DEMIS CHEFS

Restaurant and bar staff RESTAURANT MANAGER FOOD AND BAR WAITERS KITCHEN-HANDS CASHIER

Join the kitchen and restaurant team with Award-winning Chef John Lanzafame, voted Best Pizza Maker in the World at the America’s Plate in New York 2006 and Best Pizza in Australia 2005.

experience it! Applicants should have flair and imagination and will have the opportunity to develop their skills in a busy and successful catering operation. Working visa’s ok. Join our team and become the next champion!

Contact: john@lanzafame.com.au or call 0414 522 067

Slack food safety really bugs me

Australia is lagging behind the world in basic standards

“

Food Companion International lets world-renowned food safety expert Liz Dunphy with Wagamama do the talking.

Wagamama has issued a directive to ensure all their restaurants comply with European food safety standards and have gone above and beyond food safety requirements to provide its Australian team a level of training that sees its employees better qualified than many of their local peers. Sadly, after four incidents of being served undercooked chicken in Australia within a 12 month period, I carry a temperature probe at all times so that so I can demonstrate to the chef that the food is not hot enough. None of the four restaurants did any temperature checking, they just thought they knew by experience? Yikes! What keeps you going? Loving what I do and believing that what I do makes a difference. It is hard to change old habits but the most important thing to remember in food safety is that we are not in the world as it was 40 years ago. People eat out more than then, staff change jobs in hospitality frequently so training is often missed, food travels long distances all this makes an impact on potential food hazards. I keep spreading the word and believing in it. Apart from work I think is all about balance. Are restaurant operators happy to meet customers’ demand for fresh products? I’d like to think so but again it depends on the restaurant and how much they actually care about what they are doing and how they are doing it. A restaurant which visits its suppliers to look at how they deal with the food is probably going to embrace this as opposed to a restaurant whose sole requirement from a supplier is the cheapest possible price. ARE guests’ knowledge of local and environmentally sustainable foods growing? I really hope so. I am a great believer in using local produce which has not travelled miles to get to the restaurant. One of the factors of foot and mouth in the UK 2000 was that, as local abattoirs closed over the years, livestock travelled across the country for miles which aided the spread. In years gone by, most villages had slaughterhouses and livestock which was slaughtered locally which reduced the stress on the beast prior to slaughter and, in the bigger picture was more humane. There is pressure on restaurateurs to embrace sustainability by using locally-made foods, encourage recycling, reduce greenhouse gases, conserve energy and water. It sounds like a pain but actually I think it can form part of their USP. Consumers are more enlightened to these issues particularly in certain areas and I believe would welcome these practices in restaurants. By supporting restaurants with these ethics, the consumers are also doing their bit so it’s

food companion international

”

agamama is the world’s most famous noodle restaurant that serves over 15,000 customers a week in their 12 restaurants Australia wide. Their ethos is simple: to combine great, fresh and nutritious food in an elegant, yet simple setting with helpful, friendly service and for money. Wagamama is a culinary democracy business professionals, backpackers, families, students and the ladies who lunch are among the millions who continue to enjoy and discover the experience of positive eating + positive living www.wagamama.com a win-win situation. I think that restaurants which adopt ethical and green policies should be rewarded. Perhaps local councils could promote this across business in their areas and local papers could be involved in some sort of awards scheme. Think about it, the opportunities are limitless. Food safety is now affected by labour issues? Totally, lack of trained staff, staff turnover, businesses resisting training staff in high turnover areas, language problems for staff and the list goes on and on. But we all know that without good staff you don’t have a business. You have to create an environment where they are happy and they stay, Feed them, train then and cherish them and I think in many cases you will be rewarded. Who is the executive chef worldwide? The newly appointed executive chef is the UK based Steve Mangleshot. What is your favourite thing about London? They say when you are tired of London you are tired of life. I love the parks, the great open spaces with majestic old trees, beautiful in the autumn. I must admit though that like most Aussies I am still entranced by the Harrods Food Hall and can spend hours peering at all the amazing mouth watering items.

So, you own a profitable food operation, maybe an inner city cafe, or perhaps you operate a restaurant or pub in the outback. Whatever type of business you’re in, whether you own it or operating it, you’ve got one thing in common with every other food operation in this country: a warewashing system, writes experts in the trade, Brian Lennox and Geoff Peck.

Which system is right for you?

f you are shopping around and have the capital to purchase a new machine or replace an existing system, you need to have the right system and some crucial areas must be covered before you buy your next machine. Energy savings; as a foodservice consultant we often see restaurants purchasing say a dishwasher for $2100-plus GST and it sounds like the most fantastic deal, but gloats it was $600 cheaper than the model that another company was offering. But what if you’ve just bought a recirculating machine that looks the same, both made out of stainless steel and maybe even from the same manufacturer. The difference is big far bigger than $600. A wash-up dump glass washer will use upwards of 12 litres of water per cycle, compare that to a recirculating machine which on some models is now down to 2.7 litres of water per cycle and you can see the payback of using the more expensive machine. The wash and dump

will use far more water and more power as it heats up the wash load. When we relay the payback of the machine to the operator, invariably their collective mouths hit the ground. In the long run they loose money. With water and energy-saving at the forefront, you really must take a critical look at just how we use this precious resource and factor it into the purchase of a new ware washing system. Imagine purchasing a new BMW with no service or after sales support? You might also want to ask how well is this model supported in Australia? Is there a service agent supporting it in your local area and who has access to a ready supply of spare parts and good technical support? Will the dealer or manufacturer be prepared to come back and provide additional staff training on the system? Does your chemical supplier have the know how as to how to install and calibrate the right quality and dose of chemical for you and your system? Remember, if you pay bananas, you’ll get

monkeys. It’s often true. The cheapest price may not give you the service and support that you expect. Do your homework and reap the rewards. As outlined in this magazine, there are many different types and styles of warewashing systems available in the Australian market place and what suits your requirements is something that you need to investigate. You will need to take into consideration not only your current loads but you will also need to anticipate the future growth of your business and how this will impact on the capacity of your washing system(s). You may also want to look to the future washing systems as to what is arriving on to the Australian market. So what system is right for you? You need to investigate this for yourself but by reviewing this material, talking to your peers, contacting reputable distributors and anticipating your future requirements you will be able to gain an incite as to what is the best system, brand and model and hygiene solution products for you.

BUYING TIPS

From Geoff Peck, Ecolab

From Brian Lennox, Sangster Design Group

You may need a dish room that works to reduce your total costs, and serves you and your customers better, more than you need dish washer at any price. Choose a sales consultant rather than a sales hitter. Ask for ideas on how to improve work flow, hygiene standards. You don’t need to say yes to everything, but you do need to know where you’re going and why. A good consultant will check to make sure that you have enough water flow, pressure and temperature, along with drainage and sufficient electrical supply, to ensure that your dish machine will operate as designed. There have been many problems with five star hotel engineers turning down the incoming house hot water supply to 55C, when the dish machine is designed to operate at not less than 65C. It’s no wonder you can get bad wash results, not to mention spotty wet dishes and glassware that haven’t attained minimum heat sanitation standards. Is your water supply hard? Do you need a water softener? And stop polishing glassware with that soiled tea towel (yuck), and then soft water works better than hard water when it comes to spotless glassware? Cant afford that water softener? Think again!

Deal only with reputable companies; in making your decision talk with equipment dealers that have a past track record to providing sound advice and are willing to assist you with technical assistance regarding your future purchase. The cheapest price is not always the best option.

Is this what your dish room looks like?

The Sebel Pier One, Sydney

Warewashing forum at the Sebel wows industry From hygiene to training (and hanging on to) dish pigs, the seminar brought out into the open issues from all sectors, writes Ken McGregor.

leaning was just the tip of the iceberg when Food Companion International gathered a group of over 70 leading manufacturers, distributors, kitchen designers and end users at The Sebel Pier One to talk about ware washing. The event may have sounded like a boring topic, but food outlets can’t perform their daily schedule without hygiene matters being properly attended to. The forum threw all industry issues into the spotlight. Executive chef of The Sebel Pier One, Jonathon Bruell welcomed industry young guns, Mel Nathan coorganiser and publishing editor of FCI, supported as MC by no less than Dean Franklin, principal of Benchmark Stainless Steel. The comments from supplier Moffats business development manager, Guy Bassett, and end-user Niels Patenburg, said it all. Users, system manufacturers and representatives, designers, consultants, financiers and hygienic solutions suppliers all crammed a large conference room to spit the dummy, praise, bitch and discuss in considerable depth ware washing in Australia’s kitchens. Generous sponsors to the unprecedented bash were Chef Works, Moffat and Giotto Gelato. Nespresso Australia and its Eva Caprile, Sophie Toskas and Renaud, Tinel team supplied excellent coffee from an exciting newrelease desktop machine. The seminar was organised and run by Food Companion International (FCI) magazine, with its ubiquitous Mel Nathan and proved a winner for the industry. The committee will undertake more constructive analysis and thoughtprovoking discussion, which will help improve one the industry’s most critical niches. Warewashing may not be the glamour end of chefing, but it is certainly a critical engine-room function which needs to work. An enthusiastic Bassett added: “There is no doubt that the FCI forum was a very good day and of vital interest to us as we are a market leader in washing systems and we have the largest service network in the country.” All of the comments at the Sebel were highly pertinent. Patenburg said: “The seminar was time well spent. It was great to hear from all segments of the washing systems game.”

food companion international

Attendees spoke freely. “I believe suppliers heard things they would not have received on a one-to-one basis in the field.” And attendees did speak freely. Take training for example; one outraged kitchen manager claimed reps of chemical and detergent suppliers for washing systems had not been trained properly. These reps, he said, did not “have a clue”. As far as training went, the pressure was on kitchens. A systems supplier noted that kitchen washing employees, or the dish pigs, were never trained. One employee might be briefed by us when a system goes in. The kitchen management does nothing and hopes the supplier tips are passed on. But they are not.” Another supplier noted that he had never heard of kitchens training employees in various steps in scaping plates, pre-rinsing, traying up items and utilising water properly. The typical washing machines operator? A backpacker from darkest Mississippi. Of these, the first four points were arguably the most important four. There was no question the forum attracted the real leaders of the ware washing industry. They included the Big Six: Moffat/Washtech, Hobart, Global (Electrolux and Zanussi), Comcater/Winterhalter, Swiss Systems and Goldstein Eswood. The hygienic solutions Big Two, Johnson Diversey, Ecolab, attended, plus True Blue. Designers and contractors represented included Sangster Design Ken Sangster and Brian Lennox; Cini Little Foodservice (Keith Gray and John Frost); Huntingdon Hospitality Solutions (Paul Hambridge) and Austmonts (Colin Goldsmith). Austmont’s Don Petroff was absent. Also represented were Quirks Australia, Bevwizz Group, Amity Group, Boulevarde Hotel, Compass Group Australia, Marriott Hotel and the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC). Making significant contributions to the forum debate were Andrew Davidson, CEO of Goldstein Eswood (the sole local washing systems manufacturer; Adam Hinchcliffe and the team from Swiss Systems; Alex Jamieson, national accounts manager, Johnson Diversey Australia, and Tony Browne. Data was collected from all those present on installations concerning personal attendees, washer brands used, preventative maintenance strategy and chemical supply.

Wayne Abrahams, Food and Beverage manager, North Ryde RSL Community Club, was arguably one of the most vocal users, and there were more than frank comments from the Star City Casino crew, who were at the forum in strength. Plus, instead of being a one-off, pleasant talkfest, the forum went down as extremely useful for users and suppliers alike and a steering committee was formed with no lack of volunteers. Members of the broadly-based 12-person steering committee include four users such as Lawrence Hickey and Adam Hinchliffe of Meiko, Brett Lake of the Sydney Hilton and North Ryde RSL, plus the big system and hygiene solution players such as Ecolab, Johnson Diversey and the irrepressible Brad MacDougall, GM of True Blue Chemicals. Ecolabs institutional division was represented by Kamal Kamalaneson, national corporate account manager, who declined to contribute a song.

WAREWASHING STEERING COMMITTEE Brett Lake (Hilton Hotels) Garth Ingram (JL Lenards/Zanussi) Andrew Chrya (Goldstein Eswood) Peter Macaluso (CKC Consultants) Brett Duffy (Comcater/Winterhalter) Dean Franklin (Benchmark Stainless Steel) Lorry Hickey (Meiko Australia Pacific) Alex Jamieson (Johnson Diversey) Geoff Moroney (Dema Dispensing Australia) Brad MacDougall (True Blue Chemicals) Barbara White (Norris) Rod Dixon (Culligan Water Filter Systems) Darren Herron (Stoddartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s/Electrolux) Mel Nathan (Food Companion International) Wayne Abrahams (North Ryde RSL) Kamal Kamalaneson (ECOLAB) Charlie Fualalo (Star City) Adam Hinchliffe (Meiko Australia Pacific) Kevin Starr (Star City)

food companion international

I n conv e r s at i o n w i t h . . .

Jonatha

Eye on the prize

the age of 40, chefs need to progress into “otherAfterthings like management. Here at The Sebel I can travel and be a businessman. ”

Born? Rio de Janeiro in 1962. Education? Studied and graduated chefing in the United Kingdom. Countries worked as a chef? Vietnam, Korea, Egypt, Bahrain, Cook Islands. What keeps you going? Having twin boys with an understanding wife, my continuing passion for food, holidays and discovering new things. Advice to future chefs? Work hard, study, eat out lots and learn basics. Then the world becomes your oyster. Favourite kitchen tool? My blender. Favourite thing about Sydney? The harbour beaches. Most useful cookbook? Practical Cookery. Early influences? My mum’s cooking, she’s from Brazil. Favourite sport? Golf. Ingredient obsessions? Wild mushrooms and Brazilian palm oil. How can we keep attracting chefs into the food world? I would like to see more interaction at the high school level to promote more chefs. I feel that young chefs have lost the basic competency skills, some can’t even joint a chicken? I have learnt that a chef at one TAFE (Brookvale) has different rules than say TAFE Ryde and presentation of courses is different as well, it’s confusing? Apprenticeships for chefs I believe are too long here in Australia and I think they should be competency based, be paid above the award wage. We should treat the young chefs fairly and restaurants should pay their overtime. Every chef should head towards management if he has the opportunity. Produce highlights? I’m currently using Charr fish, which is a cross between trout and salmon, but it’s coming from the sea and only in Sydney for two weeks. I’m also using ribeye 300 day grain fed Rangers Valley beef from Wrights, and raspberries from Southern Highlands. They are to die for! Purveyor tip? You get what you pay for. On competing chefs? Competition food is OK, but it has to taste great. Countries travelled to this year and what you’ve learnt? I have been to Thailand and Singapore with The Sebel. I learnt that its all still about freshness, keeping it simple and fusion cuisine is definitely out. On classic VS modern trained chefs? Modern chefs sometimes use too many complex ingredients in dishes. Favourite cheap eat? A traditonal dish from my home country “Feijoada.”

e, Sydn n O r e i P l e b e S e Th n Bruell

food companion international

In conversation with

MEIKO

Q&A

Cutlery excellence “When my son tells his friends at school that his dad sells dishwashers, they think he works for someone like Bing Lee.” Lorry Hickey What did you learn from the wareMeiko’s Lorry Hickey washing forum at the Sebel? It was and Adam Hinchliffe encouraging that Food Companion was taking steps to move the warewashing industry forward as a whole. In the future we are interested in going forward with an association where we can develop an understanding of the market and further education on warewashing where operators can learn to understand how to use machines, cleaning and operating correctly. I don’t think this forum is supposed to be a learning type situation. It’s intended to be an education and information providing view point where we can educate people about warewashing. Typically you could spend $50,000-$100,000 on a machine and if you spent that on a car you’d make sure you’d take good care of it. It seems that dishwashing has always been the poor relation when it comes to the kitchen environment. People don’t realise that when you sit down at a table the first thing you look at are the cutlery and the plates and the glasses

sitting in front of them. You can have the best restaurant in town and the best food, but if someone sits down and looks at your gear and finds that they are a bit dirty that leaves a lasting impression. It always amazes me the little emphasis that people put on the importance of dishwashing. If you could change one thing about the warewashing industry what would that be? The one thing I would change, and what annoys me most about warewashing, is the lack of importance that’s placed on it. It’s not uncommon for me to sell a machine that is $100,000-$160,000 that would buy you a nice Porsche. If you brought yourself a Porsche Carrera S you would take exceptional care of it. Where as people buy a $160,000 dishwasher and more or less ignore it. I’ve seen some $100,000 machines in hotels in town and they are treated as garbage tips. [I would] increase awareness that washing machines are one of the major components to a restaurant.

Meiko undercounter dishwasher model FV 40.2 Complete with the following,

Product Round-up

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Meiko pass through dish / potwasher model DV 125.2 Complete with the following, • Opening height of 555mm. • Extra width of 660mm. • Complete with 650mm wide basket. • 3 different wash programs with 3 different wash pressures. • Gentle, Intensive & Power wash. • Can wash GN pans, tote boxes, utensils etc. • Deep drawn wash tanks. • “AktivPlus” constant wash water filtration. • “Aqua Stop” water leakage protection. • Stainless steel wash & rinse arms. • Drain pump for easier installation. • Mike 2 controls with Infrared interface. • Self Cleaning program. • Inbuilt detergent & rinse aid pumps. food companion international

Q&A

In conversation with

ECOLAB

Garbage in garbage out In relation to preventative maintenance it’s a bit like the story of the Titanic… they never see it coming! If there was one thing you could change in the ware washing industry in the hygiene solutions sector, what would it be? Getting dish machine operators to use the dish machine as a dishwasher and nor a garbage disposal unit. Getting dish machine operators to understand that dish machines have core design principals, like a dish machine is not a pot & pan machine. There are specially designed machines for specialist roles.

Ecolab tips:  Maintaining a clean, safe and respected foodservice operation is a daily challenge, even for the savviest foodservice operator.  Heightened public awareness of food safety issues  Constant media scrutiny  High labor turnover and language barriers  Increasingly resistant microorganisms  Using equipment for their intended purposes (as distinct from abusing them) saves money, especially when food safety litigation and or brand protection is concerned Ware washing manufacturers have expressed interest in creating a checklist for customers when buying new ware washing equipment. Would this be viable for the hygiene solution industry as well? Example; where you could work out a checklist on a total cost of clean when selling hygiene solution products to the LAUNDRY, KITCHENS AND HOUSEKEEPING sectors? Sustainability is the growing purchasing question that needs to be asked. Water, electricity, gas need to be preserved and our environmental impact reduced. Those costs (growing rapidly) need to be focused on ie will a cleaning product increase or decrease my operational costs, and preserve my fixtures and fittings? The trouble is; customer perception – not technical reality - is driving the sustainability question. Sustainability should mean economic progress, environmental stewardship and social

food companion international

responsibility. We will help our customers promote sustainability in their businesses if they choose to allow us. What would you like to see happen in the ww industry, such as if all parties were working more together on a united front – example like old food on a plate where if not treated it causes listeria and do you believe that all Hygiene Solution companies should be working more closely with the ware washing manufacturers who are responsible for cleaning of product that comes out from a ware washer? “Customers typically remember severe problems with a restaurant’s cleanliness longer than they remember their food or service problems, and are more likely to avoid that restaurant in the future.” Sure we would love to be able to work more closely with the ware washing manufacturers, our problem often is that they sell what the customer asked for (the least capital cost) whereas, the customer more often needs a cost effective solution, that may have a higher capital investment, but much lower operating cost. What was your feedback on the Ware Washing Forum at The Sebel last October? The article was well written, but I’m not sure if the food service business really gives tinker’s cuss about the dish machine to be honest! They are food focused, and more often than not, not focused on health & hygiene and creating a great first impression from a cleaning and sanitation perspective (as a business priority). Guest bathrooms as an example would be a good case in point case. Don’t even talk about the staff bathroom! It is perceived that the big companies have their hands tied and can only work towards international agendas and not in a position to look after the smaller companies? It’s my view that the big companies have a significant amount of extra to offer, yes we have global views, but local reach. “Thinking” cleaning and sanitation suppliers offer total cost solutions (typically) not cheapest price. We offer a serviced program, one that offers a level of protection for the customer and the customer’s customer. Ecolab train its staff to look for problems and issues that can develop into additional operating cost, the small chemical supplier provides cheap cleaning chemicals, because the restaurant market wants cheap. Do you offer service every quarter or every month? Depends on the customer size, but typically monthly. How well does your company listen to customers? Probably as much as they listen to us, I don’t think either of us are good listeners. On current trends, are there some 5 star hotels that have a number of kitchens but for economical reasons only use 1 kitchen? Yes let’s face it, dining in a 5 star hotel is expensive (often) and there is better fare outside the walls of the hotel. Are end-users sometimes calling the hygiene solution in to their solve problems when something goes wrong because of possible expense that may incur when dealing with a ware washing manufacturer. ie; when a spoon is found down in the wash pipe? The chemical supplier is often the first “port-of-call”, when the dish machine isn’t working properly. (Could save a $300 service call) Then again, our preventative maintenance service is meant to spell out problems and issues before it’s a breakdown.

Partner with Ecolab and achieve superior hygiene in your kitchen

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Q&A

In conversation with

JOHNSON DIVERSEY

All comes out in the wash

The aim of our service is to ensure peace of mind and clean dishes, to confirm the results are satisfactory and providing advice on areas where hygiene can be improved. IF there was one thing you could change in the ware washing industry in the hygiene solutions sector? A better rapport between the ware washing manufacturers and the hygiene solution companies. Areas of dispensing connections are also a big issue. What was your feedback on the Ware Washing Forum at The Sebel last October? The Ware Washing Forum was a great way for users, machine suppliers and chemical companies to give feedback to each other on concerns and frustrations while also giving the opportunity to understand ways to overcome these issues. It is perceived that the big companies have their hands tied and can only work towards international agendas and not in a position to look after the smaller companies? If anything, big corporate regional and global customers can be more demanding than smaller companies due to buying power, and most prefer solutions that fit the local market needs. JohnsonDiversey recognises this and works with the individual customer, big or small, to identify the best solution for their needs. We recognise that what is suitable for one hotel or restaurant is not necessarily the right solution for another. Working with global hygiene providers means that you get the most up to date innovations on the market which can address OH&S and environmental concerns while providing superior cleaning performance. What would you like to see happen in the ware washing industry? Training is sadly lacking in all areas of dishwashing and it is so essential. Accreditation with an Association dedicated to the area would improve practices. How well does your company listen to customers? At JohnsonDiversey we pride ourselves in being a partner for our customers business. Part of our philosophy is to listen to our customers.

Product round-up

Sun Rinse Aid • A concentrated liquid rinse aid for use in automatic dishwashers. Sun Crystal Clear Rinse Aid reduces rinse water surface tension and thus promotes rapid spot and streak-free drying of dishes, trays and utensils.

food companion international

In listening to our customers we are confident that we will deliver our promise to simplify their lives and respond to their needs. Do you offer service every quarter or every month? Monthly and our service levels are tailored to the customer and their needs. The outcome of the service is to confirm the results are satisfactory and meeting the customers expectation, as well as providing advice on areas where hygiene can be improved. Define your preventative maintenance service regime? We supply reports detailing various temperatures, and we check chemical concentration and adjust if necessary. We analyse finished product results and then advise on solutions to problems noted. We check filters and screens, wash and rinse jets, end plugs, wash and rinse arm, check waste water and advise on suitable water changing intervals, check for chemical residue on finished product. We also inspect the outward appearance of the machine and nearby area, check positioning of curtains in conveyor machinery; train staff on correct procedures, inspect scale build up and advise on cleaning procedure, advise on anything else that appears abnormal. Are end-users sometimes calling the hygiene solution in to their solve problems when something goes wrong because of possible expense that may incur when dealing with a ware washing manufacturer? Yes, we often receive calls that aren’t necessarily due to problems with chemical delivery. When the dishes aren’t clean sometimes, the client will contact the hygiene solution company. Automatically we become the first point of contact if the dishes are coming out dirty. This is more common if the customer doesn’t have service contract with the machine supplier and therefore no point of contact. The issues could be anything relating to blocked rinse jets or water pressure issues, to incorrect stacking and sorting of dishes.

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At JohnsonDiversey, clean is just the beginning of what we do. Beyond clean is the impressive range of services, methods, Your complete guide to training and sheer commitment JohnsonDiversey we bring to your business. And we cleaning and hygiene soludon’t stop until we have delivered tions complete solutions to you. From the moment your customers walk in, we ensure they are welcomed by shining surfaces, immaculate oors and carpets, spotless linen, hygienically clean and gleaming tableware, cutlery and glasses. And behind the scenes, where food is prepared, we are there making sure everything is safe and hygienic. We help you achieve the standards that get customers queuing for a table. Visit our website and sample our menu.

What’s beyond clean in food service?

JohnsonDiversey Australia Pty Ltd 29 Chifley St Smithfield NSW 2164 AUSTRALIA Toll free: 1800 251 738 JohnsonDiversey New Zealand Ltd 3 Diversey Lane, Wiri Manukau 2025 NEW ZEALAND Toll free: 0800 803 615 www.johnsondiversey.com

Q&A In conversation with TRUE BLUE False economies ... they’ll send you broke The customer needs to take a hands-on approach and look into issues like efficiency and economy before buying a machine or selecting a chemical supply company. If there was one thing you could change in the ware washing industry? Better education to end users about issues relating to hygiene, safety and economy. I believe there is a lot of false economy in the industry and a lot of misuse of product and procedures. From a hygiene solutions perspective, I think education is vital, particularly for the smaller sized operators who are relatively uneducated about the economies available from various providers in the industry. What would you like to see happen in the ww industry? There are huge synergies between the two (ware washing and hygiene solution companies). What was your feedback on the Ware Washing Forum? It was a real eye opener. I was very excited. We’re always looking forward in terms of our R&D and innovation. We’re always trying to develop a service package that meets the needs of the customer. It was interesting to hear from the big end users, the five star hotels. They are faced with the same problems as the small restaurants. These issues include high turnover of staff, so education is a problem. It’s obvious there is a need, across all levels, big or small, for help with dealing with issues such as chemical consumption. It’s very exciting to be involved with an industry body that will set new industry standards. There has been a lack of communication between ware washing manufacturers and hygiene solution companies. I think the Ware Washing Forum is a great place to get it all out in the open and talk about it. Ultimately, it benefits the end user. It is perceived that the big companies have their hands tied and can only work towards international agendas and not for smaller companies? From a medium sized business, looking at the big multinationals, my belief is that all the deals are done offshore. Unfortunately for the end user there are only a limited number of hygiene solution companies that can supply on an international basis. The majority of the industry is the small to medium sized operators; big companies have limitations in being able to deliver to the smaller type accounts. There is an international agenda; they are structured to operate like that. They don’t represent the majority of the industry, in my opinion. Do you offer service every quarter or every month? It depends on the size of the business. Most of our end users require

Bathroon

food companion international

Glass

Dishwashing

monthly visits, but some of them are weekly or fortnightly. The typical account at True Blue we are in contact, at least, monthly. How well does your company listen to customers? We are very mindful of listening to our customers. We’re all about trying to create a point of difference within the market. You can always guess what the industry needs; the reality is you need to listen to what your customers want. We readily seek feedback from our customers. On current trends, are there some 5 star hotels that have a number of kitchens but for economical reasons only use one kitchen? We see in some of the large end user accounts, whether its through the design of the facility, inevitably, there is always a situation where one kitchen is running at full capacity and one isn’t being used. The reasons for this are probably numerous. It’s not a common trend, but it exists in some high end users’ sites. Are end-users sometimes calling the hygiene solution in to their solve problems by mistake? Yes absolutely. Conversely, ware washing manufactures get questions that really relate to chemical manufactures. The hygiene solution companies won’t charge for a call out so they are the first to be called. That’s why I can only see clear advantages by hygiene solution companies and ware washing companies putting their heads together. In relation to Preventative Maintenance define your service regime? It’s the obligation of our account manager and we also have a full service team - there are (equipment) breakdowns. However, it is preventative maintenance, so we find by taking a proactive stance rather than a reactive stance we are better equipped to deal with equipment breakdowns. We also want to ensure that machines are working correctly and at full capacity before any issues arise. A manufacturers’ checklist for a Total Cost of Clean, would this be viable for the hygiene solution industry? I believe there is a lot more to consider in terms of the equipment because kitchens are all very different. There is a vast difference between a small kitchen and a large kitchen. I’ve seen some kitchens where they’ve selected the wrong equipment, and this is really critical. It’s a major investment. Changing your hygiene solution company is far easier than changing your ware washing company.

All Purpose

Sanitiser

Air Freshener

Q&A

In conversation with

MOFFAT

Weathering every rack We thought the Food Companion forum was very good. Any type of industry focus group where you put warewashing industry professionals into one room and allow them to have interchange with each other is going to be a plus. Q.

What did you learn from the warewashing forum at the Sebel? There is certainly the view in the market place that warewashing is a more critical service product. There was good feedback that there needs to be consensus on servicing warewashers. It can be a tough period, we see it time after time, whether it’s a small restaurant or a large hotel, if they break down and can’t get the response they are after it can be a tough time. Q. On trade shows exhibited in Australia? Yes, Food in Focus in Melbourne, Fine Foods in Melbourne and Sydney, The Age Care at Caulfield, The IHHC (Institute of Hospital and Health Care) in Launceston. We’re always at the trade show throughout Australia. We’re in the top three of warewashing across Australia so the response has been good. Q. If you could change one thing about the warewashing industry what would that be? We isolate rack conveyers and it’s a difficult area to assess because a lot of manufacturers are trying to

pander to customers’ desires for higher speeds and ultimately that’s negating the quality of the end product. This message that you must make sure your machine is correctly sized and that you are getting the correct result at the end is very important. I feel this is compromised a lot. Often [a machine] is chosen on price rather than good outcome; you need to be able to balance the two. Q. Do you think that the big companies are more likely to be sticking to their own international agenda, other than being able to listen to what small customers want? There are massive amounts being put into R&D and there is no doubt that there are pure agendas there. To be a capable warewashing company you are after unit production and volume. Overall, their agendas are market development and technology – they are pretty commercial agendas. Ultimately, the more they sell the more that is put into R&D so it’s pretty good.

Chef profile The Press Club | Melbourne

Marque Restaurant | Sydney

George Calombaris has one simple philosophy when it comes to cuisine; “With each dish that I create, my goal is to achieve for my customer a dining experience designed to do everything, except go unnoticed”. It is this sort of belief that has distinguished Calombaris from his peers, at the tender age of 27 his own unique and determined personal style has seen Calombaris rewarded for his culinary creations in many internationally respected culinary competitions and many media mediums. George, who is also currently a regular guest chef on the channel 10 series Ready Steady Cook. Calombaris completed his apprenticeship at the Hotel Sofitel, Melbourne, where he won the Bonland National Apprentice of the Year Award in 1999. For more than two years he led a team of 11 qualified and apprentice chefs at Richmond’s Fenix Restaurant. In 2003 Calombaris was the master mind behind the successful restaurant Reserve, where his own personal style was on show. His food was an often-surprising hybrid of classical haute cuisine and the experimental ideas of European food surrealist Ferran Adria and Heston Blumenthal. Quoted as “very out there”, George’s molecular gastronomy has seen him become a much spoken about chef in the international cooking circuit.

food companion international

Mark Best commenced his apprenticeship at the Macleay Street Bistro, Potts Point, in 1990. This was the beginning of his passion for French food. In the fourth year of his apprenticeship he was awared the Josephine Pignolet Award for ‘Best Up and Coming Chef’ in NSW. In the same year he was runner up for the ‘Oliver C. Schoal’ Scholarship, this lead to his promotion to head chef at the Bistro. In 1995 he opened his own restaurant, Peninsula Bistro, in Balmain, which soon developed a strong local following and received the good critical acclaim. During this time he decided to further his study of French Cuisine in France. In 1998 after the sale of the business, he worked at ‘L’Arpege’ in Paris, Alain Passard’s three Michelin Star establishment. He followed this with a stint at Raymond Blanc’s, ‘Le Manoir Aux Quatre Saisons’ in Great Milton, UK. His time overseas fuelled his desire to open his next restaurant, Marque.

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Q&A

In conversation with

ELECTROLUX

Extreme prevention measures I believe that by creating a professional body like the WAA industry group there will be more of the industry operating from the same page. If there was one thing you could change in the ware washing industry in the hygiene solutions sector? Getting customers to focus more on maintaining their equipment during it’s life cycle, I see the ware washing manufacturers getting a bad rap from the end user too much. It’s like when you purchase a new car, when you never get it serviced and a problem arises, lots of finger pointing goes on and it’s never the customer’s fault? What was your feedback on the Ware Washing Forum at The Sebel last October? Unfortunately I was unable to attend this historic event due to my wife and I having our third son, but the feedback was all positive and was the initiation of a professional ware washing association which I am proud to be a part of. What would you like to see happen in the ww industry? I would like to see the hygiene solution companies working more closely together with us manufacturers, opening up that line of communication would be good. Often the chemical supply companies are advising their customers that the problem lies with the ware washing manufacturers and it’s all about the performance of the machine. Plates need to be attended to from eight to 15 minutes of being removed from the restaurant table and there is neither machine nor a chemical manufactured that will remove the stagnant grease, dirt and bacteria from plates. Do you offer service every quarter or every month? Depending on the application, eg, Conrad Treasury Casino in Brisbane has a staff canteen, we have a new Electrolux dishwasher there in operation for 21 hours per day at its full capacity, we service it every two weeks due to high usage and poor water

quality, which can cause problems. Our standard service is every three months, it is most extensive and takes approximately three hours to perform and document. How well does your company listen to customers? I personally think that Electrolux and Stoddart listen to all of their clients in every aspect of the industry, they constantly pursue the “VOC” Voice of the client on a regular basis to improve their products and services to the market place. On current trends, are there some five star hotels that have a number of kitchens but for economical reasons only use one kitchen? Absolutely, not in all luxury hotels but the majority, it is a competitive market out there, they need to get ``More bang for their buck’’ and naturally they will reduce resources back-of-house to achieve this. Are end-users sometimes calling the hygiene solution in to solve problems when something goes wrong and vice versa, not knowing who is accountable? Absolutely, the end user in most cases will try to avoid any ``costs incurred’’, it’s very hard for all end users to make ends meet all the time, so if they can see a loophole in the system that they can avoid a charge, they will go for it. In relation to preventative maintenance define your service regime? After providing our preventative maintenance work to the equipment we detail all ``possible’’ issues that may arise between then and the next service, this information is then data logged into our M1 service system and followed up by the service adviser, if nothing has been done up until the next service, this is brought to the clients attention when we book in the next preventative maintenance service.

Chef profile Hilton | Brisbane

Tetsuyas | Sydney

Craig Wheate - Executive Chef . “The Hilton Brisbane has just installed a new Electrolux rack conveyor Dishwasher & Front Loading Pot & Pan Washer.The kitchen staff really notice a big improvement. I am certain we chose the right machine after a long evaluation process. The service and support we have received has been first class. We have noticed substantial savings in chemical, water and energy usage. This will help Hilton towards its environmental sustainability program by reducing our chemical discharge and carbon foot print.”

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Tetsuya Wakuda - “Electrolux products excel in leading commercial kitchens worldwide. What is unique about the company is that it continually uses the feedback and learnings from the use of its products in these extreme commercial set-ups to innovate and advance the domestic appliance market, with its products always offering thoughtful design, premium quality and complete reliability. At work and home, I always choose products manufactured by Electrolux,”

Q&A

In conversation with

ZANUSSI

Dishing out wisdom Communication between the warewashing manufacturers and hygiene solution industry will produce solutions to end users’ problems. What would you like to see happen in the warewashing industry? Lack of training, and the attitude that the expensive piece of equipment that they are using should have all the answers, it is an inanimate object that only responds to the input from the operator providing operators with a better understanding of the warewashing process including the chemical companies products? It is perceived that the big companies have their hands tied and can only work towards international agendas and not in a position to look after the smaller companies? All customers small and large are important, the perception that big companies work towards an international agenda is false. At J.L. Lennard we have our own technicians as well as a national service contractor base that supports our entire product range irrespective of their size. Do you offer service every quarter or every month? I recommend to all Zanussi Professional end-users that they implement a preventive maintenance contract on all equipment as the norm. Something as small as a worn door or seal or gasket can have the equipment working at 100 per cent all the time to remain productive, when not required to, resulting in excessive wear and tear. All contracts are personally designed to meet the customers’ needs. How well does your company listen to customers? If you don’t listen to the end-user, you will find it extremely difficult to supply the correct equipment for their requirements! On current trends, are there some five star hotels that have a number of kitchens but for economical reasons only use one kitchen? If you can centralise your production area, you will definitely reduce costs but sometimes lose

on quality. In regards to ware washing you can utilise one large unit to service several areas? Are end-users sometimes calling the hygiene solution in to their solve problems when something goes wrong and vice versa, not knowing who for sure is accountable? Again with proper training supplied to the engineering department in regards to alarm/error codes, the smaller issues should be able to be rectified. Generally if a spoon has been lodged in a pump it can be because of poor procedures on start up and close down which is caused by staff turn over at the business, in every installation of a Zanussi full operation training is provided to minimise this situation happening. If staff change the customer can ask for further training but is rarely requested. A manufacturers checklist would this be viable for the warewashing industry? I would imagine that if there were certain parameters that a particular equipment manufacturer required for efficient cleaning that should be supplied, and this would also be utilised for the type of cleaning required. For example, if a central ware washing unit was being used and there were plates coming from satellite kitchens and restaurants, there might have to have extended cleaning times as the product has had a certain amount of time to adhere to the plates and cutlery. In relation to preventative maintenance define your service regime? On preventative maintenance contracts, there should be a record of what has been carried out on each unit, and what should be looked at or replaced in the next visit, this will be kept on site, or with J.L. Lennard it is supplied to the technician for their regular visit.

Chef profile Miramare Gardens | Sydney

Pilu at Freshwater | Sydney

Lee Severino - we have 500 square metres of professionally designed Zanussi equipment. I have a cooking bay 22 metres long of the latest Zanussi equipment with Zanussi fill in benches between each piece of equipment ranging from chrome grill, char grill 6 burner stove and a 4 burner stove both with gas ovens underneath, 2 x 150 litre bratt pans and 2 double pasta cookers. This amazing line up of equipment can easily cater for one to 6 events at the one time ranging from an intimate wedding for 100 covers with a six course extravagant menu, to a large corporate event for 1000 covers or cooking class. What keeps you going? Passion with cooking, I love the rush of serving 1000 covers in under 2 hours. Favourite kitchen tool? My sharp knife and 40 tray combi oven. Ingredient obsession? Fresh Australian garlic and all fresh herbs. Purveyor tip? Personally try to go and buy your fresh fruit and vegetables at 5am from Flemington wholesale markets one morning, it will open your eyes.

Giovanni Pilu - Chef and owner Giovanni Pilu is passionate about authentic Italian cooking and his kitchen equipment which includes the famous Zanussi brand. Pilu at Freshwater restaurant has one of the most spectacular dining views on the northern beaches of Sydney. Our guests enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the delicious Sardinian flavours created by Giovanni Pilu. It’s why many of our guests return time and time again. Pilu at Freshwater is a heritage-listed beach house, gazing on the surf and sand, in such a spectacular location.Located alongside Freshwater Beach the restaurant offers uninterrupted ocean views. The dining areas are spacious and airy. Water views are available from most areas of the restaurant.

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Q&A

In conversation with

NORRIS

Soft soap from a local We would like to see consistent standards water saving applied to all ware washing machines and more information on education and training for the consumer when choosing their machine and achieving the best results. What would you like to see happen in the warewashing industry? A certification that indicates that the product meets the overall standards within the industry and that enables the end user to make informed decisions when it comes to their ware washing needs. Together, the hygiene solution companies and the warewashing manufacturers should be working more closely together because we are all in this business to deliver sparkling clean and sanitised tableware every time and we need both sides in conjunction with each other to achieve this. What was your feedback on the Warewashing Forum? From the information supplied it appears that it has been the catalyst for further advancement in the form of an association dedicated to the ware washing industry in the future. It was a positive step as it is addressing the issues raised by industry on the day. Is your company Australian and what do you see as the benefits as to relationships within the warewashing industry? We are proudly Australian made and owned. The benefits of being local include that all our experience has been gained from supplying and manufacturing ware washing products for this country since 1954. We have a better understanding of the local conditions and the things that affect the local industry, such as water quality and water consumption. Agenda’s with small vs large companies? Being an Australian company our primary market is the Australian market. At Norris industries we are in the position to look after the warewashing needs of local companies and welcome all enquires. All Norris machines are specifically designed to suit Australia’s unique and varied conditions. Are end-users sometimes calling the hygiene solution in to their solve problems when something goes wrong and vice versa, not knowing who for sure is accountable? Owners and operators need to take responsibility to follow correct operating and maintenance procedures with their machines to eliminate unnecessary damage to the unit. Filtration systems are part of the integral design in most warewashing products and part of their purpose is to reduce the risk of objects ending up in the mechanics of the unit. In relation to

Product round-up

preventative maintenance, define your service regime? This can be co-ordinated by us through a local service agent. General in- house preventive maintenance that can be performed by staff include; Scraping plates, pre-rinsing articles, not over stacking baskets, draining and wiping out the inside of the machine at least once a day, regularly checking and cleaning wash and rinse arms, checking temperature gauges to ensure that the machine is operating in the prescribed ranges, using a reputable chemical supplier who regularly checks chemical dosage and performance, using a de-scaler on a regular basis and in areas of hard water, use of water filters on incoming water is generally recommended. A manufacturers check list would this be viable for the warewashing industry? The general consensus is that we are all in the business of supplying clean tableware, we want to achieve this in a professional manner, by giving the consumer the information by which they can make an educated decision regarding their ware washing needs. The expectations from the market are that they want their clean tableware at a reasonable cost, without damage, with minimum impact on the environment, in a quick turnaround time and within the current guidelines of the health laws. To raise the integrity in the industry and guide the consumer we would like to work towards an Australian manufacturers’ checklist to assist the dealers and the consumers. In relation to Preventative Maintenance define your service regime? As an independent supplier with a service department we have service calls daily regarding warewashing breaking down (and it is always urgent to have it repaired!!) We sometimes find we have been called first and our technicians find it is actually a hygiene solution problem in that the incorrect portion of detergent is being dispensed or a pump has broken down. These issues would certainly be avoided had a preventative maintenance program been implemented. Spoons, plastic and many other foreign objects are also a significant cause of breakdown and again, ongoing preventative maintenance could possible include a “refresher” course on daily maintenance and safety measure.

Café mate | New model | Release May 08 High performance under bench dishwasher

• Commercial capacity in a space efficient design • Large double skin durable door which reduces noise & heat loss • Spacious 300mm wash chamber will accept 300mm (12”) plates • Takes industry standard 500 x 500mm racks • Three wash cycle options gives flexibility of wash • Has top & bottom wash & rinse arms for clean dinnerware inside & out • Automatic detergent & rinse aid injection for consistent results on every load • Safety cut out on door ensures operator safety • Has a separate rinse pump as standard, suitable for installation in low water pressure areas • Simple & cost effective to install, hoses & pump out drain included • Rear rollers for easier cleaning & maintenance • Removable scrap trays & pump inlet filter for easier cleaning & pump protection • Economical re-circulating wash system, means saving on both water & power bills • High grade, stainless steel welded construction for durability • Simple design, with electromechanical controls, for low cost repairs • Easy service access from front of the machine for maintenance

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1800 803 569 02 4971 4500 EXT.2

{ sales@norris.com.au 02 4972 1064 www.norris.com.au

Q&A

In conversation with

BEVWIZZ

No doubts about nagging Were interested in seeing the government support the commercial sector to save water through choice of new equipment and replacement of existing commercial appliances which use too much water. If there was one thing you could change in the ware washing industry in the hygiene solutions sector? Australia has suffered significant drought over the past years and we are always working on ways for the domestic sector to save water. What would you like to see happen in the ww industry? If we all work together and include a preventative maintenance program as included in the purchase price of the WW equipment, ice makers and other water consuming equipment installed to commercial kitchens etc. we can assist in preventing breakdown, leaking hoses and also extending optimum performance. Unless we provide the information to customers, they are largely unaware of the consequences. At BevWizz we constantly strive to provide our clients with power and water efficient choices for their fitouts, along with encouraging programmed preventative maintenance, along with in store procedures. Agendas with small V large companies? We believe, if the smaller companies continue to keep in touch with the big companies, we can encourage them to respond to our needs. It’s called nagging. Do you offer service every quarter or every month? BevWizz create customer specific programs for preventative maintenance and have a dedicated service department to manage this process. How well does your company listen to customers? BevWizz have a list of core values of which these are a few: doing it right, doing it better, persevering, attracting and retaining the best people, knowing the facts, pulling together, showing the way. We not only listen to our customers but we value their comments. Our reputation is our most valuable possession.

Are end-users sometimes calling the hygiene solution in to their solve problems when something goes wrong and vice versa, not knowing who for sure is accountable? As an independent supplier with a service department we have service calls daily regarding ware washing breaking down (and it is always urgent to have it repaired!!) We sometimes find we have been called first and our technicians find it is actually a hygiene solution problem in that the incorrect portion of detergent is being dispensed or a pump has broken down. These issues would certainly be avoided had a preventative maintenance program been implemented. Spoons, plastic and many other foreign objects are also a significant cause of breakdown and again, ongoing preventative maintenance could possible include a refresher course on daily maintenance and safety measures. Define your preventative maintenance service regime? BevWizz have been, for several years, working towards providing our clients with a comprehensive preventative maintenance program for all in-store equipment, tailor-made to each customer, which includes a report being sent following the programmed preventative maintenance. We are also implementing a service whereby we can analyse emergency breakdown calls and assess if there are ongoing issues or concerns and possible solutions. Other related areas with water and energy saving that you’re targeting? The recent incentive to replace WOK burners with waterless wok burners is a fantastic start, and with a planned strategy between manufacturers and dealers, perhaps we will be able to convince the government to look at rebates for other equipment including dishwashers and ice makers.

COMPANY PROFILE A lot of people ask “Who are the BevWizz Group?” and we simply reply… “An Australian company who are Professional Solution and Service Providers for the food, berverage and hospitality industry.” We don’t just sell equipment, we are in the buiness to provide a solution to a need and offer valued investment for our customer’s business, regardless of size. Our wealth of experience, innovation and commitment allows us to work with our custmers to provide industry advice and solutions from an extensive range of brands and deliver to meet tight deadlines and budgets. Our customers get it right through our experience. The BevWizz Group is also strengthened by the services we offer all of our customers.  Qualified Equipment Supply  Design Consultancy  Project Management  Sales/rentals  24/7 service  Logistics  Innovations

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A relative newcomer to the Australian ware washing scene, Meiko is a brand that packs an environmentally friendly punch.

Move up to Meiko “The technology that Meiko has, having the lowest water consumption of any warewashing machines in the world, has great resonance with the Australian market, where the topic of water use and being efficient about it has taken off. Meiko sees a great synergy with the technology that they are investing in, and the needs of a market such as Australia.” Adam Hinchliffe Managing Director of Meiko Australia Pacific

T’S not often that economical and eco-friendly are uttered in the same sentence. Meiko, a German-based warewashing company founded in 1927, not only uses these two words in the same sentence, they are almost interchangeable. Well, actually, Meiko stands by three words, hygienic, economical and ecological. This is simply one of the ways in which this dynamo brand differs from the rest of the pack. Not only does Meiko differ from its competitors by maintaining strong economical and ecological standards, they are solely focused on warewashing. Such a combination, according to Adam Hinchliffe, managing director of Meiko Australia Pacific, is a winning formula. “That pure dedication and unique position, gives [Meiko] 80 years of knowledge that others simply dont have,’’ he told FCI. Meiko is certainly an innovative brand. In fact, one of its many claims to fame is that it single handedly supplied a burgeoning commercial aviation industry with the warewashing tools needed to clean all the crockery and cutlery used on flights around the world. Even more impressive, Meiko still supplies 85 per cent of the commercial aviation industry. The brand officially entered the Australian market in 1997, but had sold machines to Qantas in the 1970s. Meiko plans to consolidate its position in the market and raise awareness about its ecological product.

Response to the Meiko product so far is fantastic. Ask the Crown Casino in Melbourne, one of Australia’s largest single water users. Crown was so impressed with the economical and eco-friendliness of the Meiko machines they installed 35 in their bars. “They saw an immediate improvement in both wash quality and water savings,’’ Hinchliffe says. With many of Meiko’s larger machines, reduction on water usage is not the only boon. Indeed, Meiko has initiated a program called Lower Energy Management (LEM) that has enabled it to reduce energy consumption by up to 50 per cent. In terms of the future, it’s all systems go for Meiko in Australia. Meiko wants to expand its reach in Australia, selling the same cutting-edge technology that has seen it succeed in overseas markets. “We want complete coverage in Australia. We also want to train people and promote better awareness of warewashing in the market place. We want to educate the end user. Not only do Meiko want to educate the end user about ware washing, they want to promote the economic and ecological sides together.’’ “[If it’s] a small under counter washer in a cafe, our machines use 2.6 litres of water per cycle. The average best is about 3.5 litres. For every litre of water you save you save a corresponding amount of chemicals. It helps the customer with their bottom line and it also helps the environment too because there is less waste,’’ he says.

Contact:

MEIKO AUSTRALIA PACIFIC Pty. Ltd. + 61 1300 367 730

www.meiko.com.au

Aust $6.95 (inc GST) 2008

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