Hospitality Magazine February 2013

No.691 February 2013

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

foodservice

Get hopping Chefs working overtime for sweet sales this Easter

Cool runnings Spend money to make money on refrigeration

If you go down to The Woods today...

Print Post Approved PP349181/00109

The powerhouse couple revolutionising Sydney’s hotel dining

accommodation

beverage

management

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Martin Sinclair martin.sinclair@reedbusiness.com.au Ph: (02) 9422 2607

Editor’s Note

EDITOR Rosemary Ryan Ph: (02) 9422 2880 rosemary.ryan@reedbusiness.com.au JOURNALISTS Danielle Bowling Ph: (02) 9422 2667 danielle.bowling@reedbusiness.com.au Brea Carter Ph: (02) 9422 2461 brea.carter@reedbusiness.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Christine Salins Ken Burgin ADVERTISING NATIONAL Rhonnie Merry Ph: (02) 9422 2481 Fax: (02) 9422 2863 rhonnie.merry@reedbusiness.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ronnie Lawrence Ph: (02) 9422 2741 PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Laura Panameno Ph: (02) 9422 8772 laura.panameno@reedbusiness.com.au PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Stevens Ph: (02) 9422 8748 SUBSCRIPTIONS Ph: 1300 360 126

ing one. While this is an industry that is well known as a tough business to be in all the time, experts are warning that the upcoming Federal election will deliver an even more challenging environnment.

Experience shows that a Federal election is traditionally an event guaranteed to make people uncertain about the future uncertainty that can lead to consumers tightening their discretionary spending, including what they spend on eating out or taking hoidays.

Happy 2013 and welcome to the first issue of Hospitality magazine for the year!

As I write this I’m in a hotel in the mesmerising city of Udaipur in Rajastha, India, on some extended leave. I’m very grateful to the team at Hospitality and Danielle Bowling in particular for making it possible for me to take eight weeks off.

So what’s in-store for the hospitality industry in 2013? Predictions are that this will be another big year, but a particularly challleng-

Foodservice is being predicted to be particularly affected by this belt tightening. While the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that the industry turnover was up by about 6.3 per cent in 2012 on the previous year - reaching more than $34.2bn the industry’s peak body Restaurant and Catering Australia has warned that this year is expected to see a slowing in the growth that’s been experienced annually in recent years.

R&CA’s John Hart says that’s going to be in part because of the election dampener but also because of the continuing pressure of the costs of running a foodservice business.

One of the encouraging lights on the horizon is

the continuingly growing recognition and appreciation by governments of the enormous role that hospitality plays in Australia’s tourism business, and the need to provide an environment that nurtures a vibrant and successful industry. Here’s hoping that will help to deliver some assistance in the long fought battle for changes to penalty rates and the staff shortages that are hobbling the industry.

I look forward to sharing this year with you and providing a valuable vehicle to keep you well informed and up to date with what’s happening in the industry that we all love so much.

Rosemary Ryan

contents 4 News

28 Burgin

17 Get hopping

Tough year ahead for restaurants.

New Year resolutions for success.

Smart operators get set for Easter.

6 Openings

29 Shelfspace

21 Oils ain’t oils

Latest restaurant arrivals opening their doors.

Latest new products on the market.

The ingredient at the heart of great food.

8 Secret Ingredient

Features

25 Cool runnings

Q&A with Red Cabbage’s Scott O’Sullivan.

12 If you go down to The Woods

You’ve got to spend money to make money when it comes to refrigeration.

ONE YEAR: $132.00 incl GST TWO YEARS: $220.00 incl GST

Hamish Ingham spearheads new hotel dining era.

10 Imbibe FACEBOOK.COM/hospitalitymagazine TWITTER.COM/hospitalityed hospitalitymagazine.com.au

The semillon challenge for Hunter winemakers.

REED BUSINESS INFORMATION PTY LTD SYDNEY HEAD OFFICE Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067 Australia Ph: (02) 9422 2999 Fax: (02) 9422 2863

No.691 February 2013

ON THE COVER:

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

foodservice

Get hopping Chefs working overtime for sweet sales this Easter

Cool runnings Spend money to make money on refrigeration

Average Net Distribution Period ending September 12 13,959

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

If you go down to The Woods today...

The powerhouse couple revolutionising Sydney’s hotel dining Print Post Approved PP349181/00109

MATERIAL The publisher does not accept responsibility for any editorial or advertising material forwarded or held in storage nor will material be automatically returned. Whole or part of this publication cannot be reproduced without prior written approval from Hospitality’s management.

accommodation

beverage

management

On the cover of our first issue for 2013 is acclaimed Sydney chef Hamish Ingham and his partner in business and life - front of house dynamo Rebecca Lines.

Head inside to find our story about the duo’s latest venture teaming up with hotel group Four Seasons to launch The Woods restaurant and its sister bar Grain at the group’s Australian flagship in Sydney that’s all part of a new food focused direction for the hotel.

Ingham has brought his passion

for produce-driven food to the new restaurant and combined it with the hot trend of going back to the simple art of cooking with wood, with a stunning wood-fired oven and grill sharing centre stage with the talented young chef. Adding some extra interest is a flash fit-out of the space by leading restaurant designer Michael McCann.

The restaurant and bar are part of the final stage in a period of major refurbishment for the hotel over the past year.

hospitality | february 2013

3

news

in brief

What’s ahead

Listeria deaths prompt cheese recalls Cheese manufacturer Jindi Cheese voluntarily recalled its products after reports of listeria infections causing the death of two people. There were 18 reported cases of listeria across the country linked to batches of Jindi cheese: eight cases were identified in Victoria, six in NSW, two in Queensland and single cases were found in Tasmania and Western Australia. Two people – a Victorian man, 84, and a Tasmanian man, 44, died of listeria infection, and a NSW woman miscarried. The company recalled its cheeses from all batches manufactured until 7 January.

Take-away operator ordered to back-pay employee $2600

2013 will bring a challenging year for hospitality, according to

Following a random audit by Fair Work Inspectors, a Perth take-away operator has been ordered to back pay his kitchen hand almost $2,600. The audit uncovered that the employer did not pay the employee over the course of a three month probation period, nor had they guaranteed the employee any ongoing employment. When questioned by the Fair Work Ombudsman, the employer said that he thought it was acceptable not to pay a kitchen hand while they were on probation. Under the Fair Work Act 2009, it is illegal not to pay an employee, even when they are on probation. The employer also breached the Act when he asked the employee to fulfil a three month probation period without guaranteeing any ongoing employment.

Restaurant & Catering CEO, John Hart.

Neil Perry recognised in Australia Day honours list Rockpool’s Neil Perry was awarded an Order of Australia medal on Australia Day, being recognised for his ‘significant service to the community as a benefactor of and a fundraiser for charities, and as a chef and restaurateur’. Over the past 10 years Perry has raised over $2m for the Starlight Children’s Foundation through his involvement in the Starlight Five Chefs Dinners and The Ultimate Dinner. He is also an ambassador for OzHarvest, which collects excess food from restaurants, cafes and other venues and distributes it to those in need.

4

Changes and challenges in 2013

hospitality | february 2013

WITH the busy festive season behind it, the Australian restaurant and catering industry should be preparing for a challenging business year ahead with predictions

that 2013 will herald tougher conditions than last year.

That’s the prediction of Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive officer, John Hart who

said that while the pressures of ever-rising costs and narrow margins in the industry will continue, there will be the added impact of an election year to contend with.

Universal and Danks Street Depot to close doors After nearly six years, chef, restaurateur and author Christine Manfield has announced she will close her Sydney restaurant, Universal. “I am closing Universal at the end of April and pursuing other things that I am passionate about and have so little time to do at present,” she said.

After“a little bit of leisure time” Manfield plans to work on the rest of her portfolio, which includes cooking classes, master class events, food and travel writing, and the occasional pop-up.

She also plans to increase her work with not-for-profit organisations including Room to Read, Plan International’s Food for the Future and Amnesty International.

“I never feel as if I have enough spare time to give to these organisations, which for many years I have been supporting and look forward to becoming further involved,” she said.

Manfield told Good Food there are no more restaurant openings on the horizon. “There’s no more restaurants left in me.

This is number five and so knowing that this was my finale, that made it even better and even sweeter I think,” she said.

Jared Ingersoll will also focus on other business pursuits after closing the doors at his Sydney eatery Danks Street Depot on 3 February. “I want to expand my work with the primary industry, and do some more writing and speaking engagements. I’ve been pushing the pans for going on 27 years and I’ve got young kids, so it’s also a lifestyle change,” he said. Ingersoll says running a hospitality venue in Sydney is much more difficult than it was when he opened back in 2002. “The environment is much more demanding than when we opened 11 years ago. Compliancy costs have gone up, running costs have gone crazy, and there is much more competition than there used to be. The carbon tax means it costs me seven times what it did to gas my fridges,” Ingersoll said.

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

news

Speaking to Hospitality about how he sees the year ahead, Hart said he expects restaurant revenue will be affected by increased consumer uncertainty, created by the pending federal election.

He predicted that other factors including a softening of the mining boom will see revenue growth fall under five per cent for the first time in four years. “You will get quite a bit of uncertainty in the market because of the election and consumers’ confidence will wane because of that,�

Hart said. “Last year ended around seven to eight per cent up on the year before but that was driven by a 30 per cent jump in Western Australia, because of all the resource sector activity. “But the resource sector activity has come off and I think it’s going to be a pretty flat year [for the restaurant industry]. “I think probably for the first time since 2009 we’ll see under five per cent growth this year.�

Hart predicted this year would see a continuation of the trend towards consolidation in the industry with fewer independent

Smallest most versatile citurs juicer on the market

restaurants opening and more large hospitality companies expanding their portfolio. “We aren’t getting the number of new businesses opening and that is basically because of the whole consolidation cycle that’s continuing,� he said. “Existing large operators are the ones that are reopening their additional sites – you’re not getting new operators coming into the market. “It’s only those operators who are very confident in the market that will be snapping up the properties left, right and centre. And a lot of the operators are getting to the size where they are now starting to think about how they are going to fund their businesses moving forward and probably growing critical mass so they have got something they can float.�

Hart said 2013 could bring some joy for hospitality operators in terms of the hard fought industrial battle of penalty rates. Hearings will be taking place by Fair Work Australia throughout March and April in the Modern Award review with some decisions expected in the second half of the year.

“We are focusing on penalty rates,� Hart said. “I think that we will get something come our way – I think the ACTU coming out on Christmas Eve and calling for penalty rates to be enshrined in legislation shows that they are getting the same feeling ... I think it means that decision makers are thinking a political decision is more likely to go their way than a solution from the commission.�

Hart said the the cost of penalty rates is forcing a growing number of restaurant businesses to reduce their trading times with a recent survey of its members showing around 33 per cent say they are shutting their doors on Sundays and/or public holidays. “The barrier needs to be addressed – a third said their reaction to the increased penalty rates was that they were going to shut,� he said. “From a tourism perspective in particular it’s a problem we have to solve.�

The Fair Work hearings will come at the same time that Fair Work Australia will be rolling out its major audit and compliance campaign, which is targeting the hospitality industry, announced at the

OUR NEW SQUEEZE!!!

Available in many colours to suit your deco.

Quick and easy operation.

Ideal for cafes, Juice-bars, hotels, cafeterias etc‌

HOSPITALITYMAGAZINE.COM.AU

MOST READ STORIES Listeria deaths, miscarriage prompt further Jindi cheese recalls

1 2 3 4 5

Christine Manfield announces plans to close Universal Marco Pierre White radio interview cut short, later banned MasterChef: The Professionals delivers on ratings Take-away shop operator ordered to back pay employee $2600

Source: Google Analytics, 30 January, 2013

end of the year. “It’s a staged campaign but it will start off with the communication program to scare the living daylights out of everyone in the first quarter,� Hart said. “We will be working with the Fair Work Ombudsman on the education campaign to make sure everyone is aware of their responsibilities.�

Unique and original squeezing system.

Patented by Zumex

ThE “MINEX� juicEr DA?G KQP PDA AJPENA N=JCA KB 61)!4 FQE?ANO =P SSS JQPNEB=OPAN ?KI =Q 1JEP *ASPKJ .@ 3APDANEHH ,=NG */3 0

"

! EJBK JQPNEB=OPAN ?KI =Q

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

hospitality | february 2013

5

openings

Monopole, Sydney From the dynamic duo behind the excellent Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt, comes their second venture, Monopole, a restaurant and bar that quickly established itself in the lead up to the silly season as the place to be for a drink and some excellent food in one of Sydney’s busiest eat streets. And it’s all wrapped up in another eye popping design from Pascale Gomes-McNabb.

Opened: December Owners: Nick Hildebrandt, Brent Savage & Glen Goodwin.

Chef: Brent Savage Sommelier: Nick Hildebrandt Manager: Glen Goodwin The food and bev: Monopole combines Savage’s unique flavours and Hildebrandt’s incredible wine list featuring over 500 rare and boutique wines, It’s food designed to be shared with friends, from plates of housecured charcuterie and pickles to mains ranging from grilled beef tongue, goats curd and spelt crouton, or grilled baby sweet corn with tamarind yoghurt, to grilled scampi with hazelnut butter or salt cod, green peas, mint vinaigrette and pea shoots.

Where: 71A Macleay Street, Potts Point, Sydney Phone: 02 9360 4410 Web: www.monopolesydney.com.au

Sede, Sydney

Three Five Three, Perth

This new restaurant venture has been launched in Sydney’s Annandale in a space formerly occupied by Italian eatery Vicini. The new owners have given it a facelift and a new personality, combining a pizzeria with an ‘uber funky’ bar for casual dining downstairs and a more intimate restaurant offering upstairs. Heading up the kitchen is head chef Dean Worthy who’s worked under some of the best including James Kidman and Damian Heads.

After spending more than 20 years honing his skills overseas including working with Gordon Ramsay, Matthew Lance has returned home and opened this new restaurant to share the ‘creation to sensation’ experience he says is the hallmark of the international dining scene. A brasserie by day and by night a restaurant that delivers “decadence without pretension” the operation’s kitchen is headed up by Olivier Deterne who’s experience includes Spain’s El Bulli, and five star restaurants in France and Switzerland.

Opened: November Owners: Richie Ragel, Michael Cleary & Nathan Lusted Chef: Dean Worthy The food: Fresh, contemporary and well thought out is how the owners describe the Italian menu with a “modern twist” at Sede. Downstairs there are small plates like pickled white anchovies with herbed ricotta and toasted sourdough plus wood fired pizza, while upstairs diners are munching on pasta dishes like slow braised beef parpadelle with green sicilian olives, rosemary and parsley or mains like local wood fired pork belly.

Where: 37 Booth Street, Annandale Phone: 02 9660 6600 Web: www.sede.com.au 6

hospitality | february 2013

Opened: November Owner: Matthew Lance Chef: Olivier Deterne The food: The focus is on WA produce with a menu showcasing some of the best the state has to offer with a strong focus on presentation and food and beverage matching. Dishes include Cone Bay Barramundi, Tender Ridge oxtail, Mount Barker Turkey and Timber Hill tenderloin pork, and Fremantle octopus carpaccio.

Where: 353 Cambridge Street, Wembley Phone: 08 9387 5252 Web: www.threefivethree.com.au hospitalitymagazine.com.au

newsextra

secretingredients Scott O’Sullivan, Red Cabbage Food + Wine, Perth Perth chef Scott O’Sullivan who operates his restaurant Red Cabbage, last year grabbed the title of Western Australia’s Chef of the Year at The 2013 West Australian Good Food Guide awards. He took five minutes out of his busy schedule to answer our Q&A. menu. At the moment it’s served with crispy pork, mandarin, citrus and local macadamia nuts.

Could you give us a brief outline of your career so far?

I’m an English Aussie. I completed my City and Guilds level 1 + 2 at Accrington Catering College.

I then came to Australia on a working holiday visa when I turned 18. My first job was at the Sydney Opera House. After travelling for a while, I went back to the UK to gain more experience in cooking and applied for my permanent residence.

I came back to live in Australia when I was 23 years old, I got my first head chef job and opened Halo restaurant in Perth in 2003. In 2007 my wife Hazel and I opened our own restaurant, Red Cabbage Food + Wine.

What’s your favourite ingredient at the moment?

We’re using foraged samphire known as sea asparagus. It’s very salty so we blanch it a couple of times and then pickle it. It takes on a wonderful salt and vinegar taste. We use it as a garnish on our degustation menu.

Carrot sponge with parsnip ice-cream at Red Cabbage

Congratulations on your Chef of the Year award.

What does winning an accolade like that mean to you?

It’s been an extremely humbling experience for me. I never thought I would achieve this accolade, I’m very proud. It has definitely made an impact on business and it’s cemented our position on the culinary map.

What was your plan when you opened Red Cabbage back in 2007?

Hazel and I had only one thing on our minds and that was not to go bankrupt. We had bought a site well known for its previous failures. We wanted Red Cabbage to be accessible for diners, price conscious and to offer great service.

How would you describe your menu, your style of food?

It’s produce-driven with homage to Western Australian products. We use modern techniques and a lot of SOSA products from Spain to create different tastes, textures and just to have a bit of fun.

What were the biggest challenges for you in the opening phase of the business?

8

hospitality | february 2013

Our biggest challenge was to get customers through the door. We had to be patient but that was hard as we had to stick with what we wanted to do and not just change to get people in. It was worth the wait. I could already work out food and beverage costs, I find it easy but the hard thing was to learn how to work MYOB and keep up with BAS and PAYG. That was really hard but now we do it all in-house.

Is there someone who has been a mentor for you?

John Hooper, my former boss. He taught me food costs, wages costs, everything. His advice was, “It doesn’t matter about the turn over, it’s about the profit”.

Where do you get your ideas for the restaurant?

Our products inspire us, we get fresh marron sent to us live every week. Adam Sayles, my 2IC, has worked with me now for eight years so the menu is split in half. When you have worked together for that long, dishes just come together naturally.

What’s your favourite dish on your menu?

Our South West Marron grown in Manjimup near Margaret River. I’ve never taken it off the

Apart from your own what’s your favourite restaurant?

It’s hard to say so I will name a few. Restaurant Amuse is WA’s signature restaurant but for a farm to plate restaurant you can’t go past COOP dining in East Perth. Divido is my favourite contemporary Italian restaurant.

What’s the most indispensable piece of equipment in your kitchen?

Our two Grant sous vide machines - they’re both used 24 hours in the kitchen.

What do you think will be the next big trend infoodservice?

I hope more staff but I think that’s wishful thinking. More farm to plate cafes and restaurants. Restaurants with down to earth fit-outs instead of spending millions on designer fit-outs.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for restaurants?

In WA it’s keeping staff away from going to work in the mine sites. We can’t compete with wages in the mines so trying to offer better conditions will be a key factor.

If you weren’t a chef you be... ...a full time Dad. I love it. Even the house work. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

imbibe

Hunter wineries’ semillon challenge New South Wales’ most legendary wine making region has been critically acclaimed for its semillon but its wine makers still find it a hard sell, writes Christine Salins.

A

lthough the Hunter Valley attracts nearly three million visitors a year, local winemakers lament that they struggle to be included on NSW wine lists.

Whereas consumers in other states are unashamedly parochial about their wines, NSW wines, and especially those from the Hunter Valley, are noticeably absent from many Sydney lists.

It’s a curious state of affairs for a region with such a rich winemaking history that has given rise to legendary names such as Tyrrell’s, McWilliams’ Mount Pleasant, Brokenwood, Wyndham Estate and Lindemans.

The Hunter has been hailed as a producer of world-class Semillon, but although Semillon Sauvignon Blanc is a popular blend with punters, Semillon by itself hasn’t had the same traction.

Allandale winemaker Alex Woods admits that Semillon can be unapproachable when young.

“Your average punter would choose Semillon with softer marmalade toasty characters, so when it’s young and linear and crisp and citric (they don’t like it),” said Woods, who believes in catering to consumer demand by offering a wine with more residual sugar.

Ken Sloan, of Mistletoe Winery, agrees.

“Our experience in cellar door told us that a considerable number of visitors found traditional Hunter Semillons too dry, austere, lean and acid.

“For the average palate, you make it with a little residual sugar, you pick it with riper flavours, you make it more approachable.”

Sloan says people “don’t know what to do with” young Semillon. He suggests that it goes beautifully with seafood. “For the untrained palate, that’s how it’s really got to be tried. Eat it with the right food.

Make it fun.”

Sloan says diners should be encouraged to buy local wine, just as they are with food. “It’s one of the buttons we should be pushing. If people want to be buying local, they should be buying NSW wine.”

Scarborough Wine Co’s Sally Scarborough says people often forget all the “amazing talent, produce and businesses right here on our doorstep”.

Scarborough introduced a campaign inviting people to “take the pledge to buy

10

hospitality | february 2013

‘Things will change up here in the next five years or so when some of the ‘young guns’ get known. It is great to see so many of them coming through.’

local” for their 2012 New Year’s Eve celebrations. As official wine sponsor of the City of Sydney celebrations, it called for people to pledge on its Facebook page to buy local.

Jan Gartelmann, of Gartelmann Wines, believes NSW winemakers suffer from a lack of state government funding compared with Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.

“The Hunter is a huge tourist destination which is having trouble fighting the mines, coal seam gas fracking and the state of the roads,” she said. “The government is not helping us at all and tends to disregard the fact that tourism here brings in millions of dollars.”

Gartelmann attributes the Hunter’s absence from wine lists to a number of factors. “(Many) of the Hunter Wine companies

Allandale Winery’s Bill Sneddon and Alex Woods - and Tanner.

are very small and are owned by husband and wife teams who do not have a sales rep anymore due to cost. The small operators find it hard to keep advertising and only a few have reps on the road,” she said.

“Also, restaurants tend to go broke on a regular basis and a lot of people have been hurt with bad debts. We only supply to local restaurants for that reason - we can control it and people try our wines in one of the restaurants and then come to visit us.”

Looking forward Jan said, “I think things will change up here in the next five years or so when some of the ‘young guns’ get known. It is great to see so many of them coming through.”

Some of that faith was rewarded in the 2012 NSW Wine Awards in October when 22 of the Top 40 wines came from the Hunter Valley, compared with 13 out of 40 the previous year.

The president of the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association, Andrew Margan, said the region was now producing “more contemporary wines - not losing our regionality but looking at more texture and flavour.”

While it would never be able to deliver volume, it had some of the country’s most iconic wines in its stable, said Margan, whose Semillon is now the number one selling Semillon in its price bracket in Australia.

“Tyrrell’s Vat 1, Vat 47 and Vat 9, Brokenwood Graveyard, Lake’s Folly Chardonnay and Cabernet, McWilliam’s Lovedale and Maurice O’Shea - as a brand manager if they were your flagships, if they were your icon wines, what a great brand you’d have,” he said.

“I think most areas of Australia would love to have those brands. All the new and emerging stuff coming out (of the Hunter) is on the back of that.” hospitalitymagazine.com.au

‘We want them to be great restaurants that just happen to be in a Four Seasons hotel.’

If you go down to The Woods today...

You won’t find any bears at the new venture from acclaimed former Young Chef of the Year Hamish Ingham. What you will find is evidence of an evolution in hotel dining being led by one of most dynamic rising stars, writes Rosemary Ryan.

Hamish Ingham at the helm of The Woods.

W

hen a friend and loyal customer at his acclaimed restaurant Bar H first mentioned to Hamish Ingham the idea of setting up his next venture in an established Sydney five star hotel not particularly renowned for

12

hospitality | february 2013

its food, the celebrated young chef was a little dubious.

“Yes I wasn’t too sure about it,” says the one-time Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year winner who has established himself as one of Sydney’s most

respected chefs and restaurateurs, along with his partner in life and business, Rebecca Lines. “I had plans to open a second restaurant in the back of my mind but the idea of working in a hotel wasn’t anything I’d thought about.

“And hotels in Australia hadn’t really seemed to put much focus on their food.

I’ve always found that strange. When you go overseas you find these amazing Michelin-star restaurants in hotels but in Australia we didn’t seem to care so much.”

That was in November 2011. The hotel was the Four Seasons in Sydney’s The Rocks and Ingham is now at the helm of the restaurant, intriguingly named The Woods, which opened late last year with a menu and a buzz that’s drawing in both hotel guests and locals alike.

With its stunning interior created by restaurant design veteran Michael McCann, and a menu that centres around fresh local produce cooked over and flavoured by different Australian woods in an impressive wood-fired oven and grill, the 180-seat restaurant is spearheading a new food-focused strategy for the hotel that’s also reflective of a deeper trend in Australia as more hotels set out to reclaim their status as culinary destinations.

It’s a trend that’s evident in developments like Sydney’s QT hotel that has chef Robert Marchetti on-board guiding its food offering, and the arrival this year of the first Sydney hotel from Singaporean boutique hotel design guru Loh Lik Peng whose hotels are also known for their focus on delivering exciting food and beverage options. Hotel giant Accor also recently announced chef Justin North would be the creative force behind the food at its luxury Pullman brand in Australia.

Ingham, who along with Lines launched his first solo venture, the Modern Chinese focused restaurant Bar H, two years ago after a distinguished career working with chefs such as Kylie Kwong as well as international experience at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in San Francisco, says the first he heard about the Four Seasons project was when that customer - his neighbour and friend Vince Frost mentioned it to him. Frost’s brand and design agency was already on-board the project, appointed by the hotel’s general manager Vincent Hoogewijs as part of a >> hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Striking design, powerful performance.

Waldorf Bold delivers a new aesthetic approach enhancing the Waldorf 800 Series’ widely appreciated speed, power and efficiency.

When your kitchen needs to attract and enthrall, this range is sleek, seductive and sophisticated right down to the custom plinth mounting. And, while we started with a dramatic black vitreous enamel finish, Waldorf Bold is also available in burgundy and chilli red.

So get in touch and get ready to make a bold impression.

For further information on the creative possibilities of Waldorf Bold contact www.moffat.com.au or phone 1800 023 953.

moffat.com.au

MOFFAT 1316 1/13

chef

B U CK E T LOADS O F F L AV O U R

The Michael McCann designed The Woods.

T RY B I R C H & WA I T E’ S S U P E R I O R Q UA LI T Y FRESH- CHILLED M AYO N N A I S E & A I O LI

For more information on the Birch & Waite range of superior quality Foodservice products, please visit www.birchandwaite.com.au.

Lift the lid on something special.

SUPERIOR QUALITY | FRESH CHILLED MADE IN AUSTRALIA

14

hospitality | february 2013

redevelopment that had at its heart the reenergising of its food and beverage offering.

“Vince put my name forward and it went from there,” Ingham says. “I had been planning something - I’d bought heaps of ideas back from Chez Panisse that I was itching to use - and I think you’re crazy to have just one restaurant - it’s pretty hard work. But I wasn’t imagining I’d do anything else for at least the next five years.

“But then we had a few meetings with the Four Seasons and I cooked for them at Bar H - the kind of food that I envisioned for the new restaurant. I cooked all the kinds of dishes I wanted to do at The Woods. It was very different to the food at Bar H. “I always wanted to do that kind of rustic, produce-driven style if I opened another restaurant. I wanted to draw on my inspiration from Chez Panisse and Cafe Zumy in San Franciso. So I was thinking of that sort of direction anyway and that just happened to fit with the concept of The Woods and Grain.”

Hoogewijs and his team were impressed and a deal was struck with the partnership also including Ingham developing the bar menu for the other part of the project - a bar called Grain that sits at street level of the hotel and is part of a strategic move to lure in more local patronage. Grain opened its doors in September and was followed two months later by the launch of The Woods.

Hoogewijs says appointing Ingham was the last piece in the refurbishment plan he put together when he took over at the hotel in Febru-

ary 2011 that included establishing a restaurant that offered the kind of Sydney experience that would appeal to a wider audience, not just hotel guests. The concept is part of a global move by Four Seasons to ensure its restaurants are vibrant and successful parts of the overall business.

“Four Seasons realises that restaurants need to become profitable outlets,” Hoogewijs says. “It’s a revenue maker but it needs to be a profit maker and globally we want our restaurants to be places where locals and hotel guests would want to go.

“We want them to be great restaurants that just happen to be in a Four Seasons hotel, restaurants that are free-standing and feel right for the city that they are in. When I go to New York we want the New York experience and when we come to Sydney that’s what we want.

“I think it’s been proven that hotels with great restaurants do get more business for their hotel rooms as well - it does attract hotel guests.

They want to stay where that great restaurant is.”

The arrival of The Woods also spelled the death of Kables, the one time fine dining restaurant on the hotel’s first floor that had been one of the pioneering bastions of Sydney dining in its early days.

“Kables was one of the first famous restaurants of Sydney,” says Hoogewijs. “But it had its time.

The guests, the diners of Sydney had evolved but it was still stuck in that time. We needed a complete change of thinking and of the food that we would be hospitalitymagazine.com.au

chef

Pigeon on the menu at The Woods.

On the menu Here’s a taste of what’s on Hamish Ingham’s creative menu at The Woods.

Live scallops - summer purslane and citrus Richard’s wood-roasted peppers Anthia’s fire stick radishes Snap peas, Snow White and anchovies Green tomato soup, blue claw yabby & black garlic toast Salad of cucumbers, grilled sea urchin and yoghurt Ash-cured ocean trout, smoked trout toe and parsley salad Grilled Tasmanian calamari, our pork cheek bacon and pickled muntries Whole pigeon, grilled white peach and green almonds Pot-roasted sand whiting, clams, wood ear mushroom and seaweed Crispy skin wild fish fillet, giant snow peas and grilled fennel Mallee-roasted spatchcock, radicchio, pine nuts, currants and preserved lemon Olive wood-roasted Milly Hill lamb saddle, celtuce and sorrel Dry-aged beef rump cap, tendons and wood roasted Lombardo peppers Meat from the Woods Grasslands beef fillet with radish relish Grass-fed sirloin on the bone and black garlic butter Grass-fed Green Stones scotch, grilled sour onions and sage Our pork and native thyme sausage, cherry tomato jam Whole wood-roasted blue swimmer crab, garlic and pepper berry Whole line-caught fish grilled over apple wood Whole Spring Lamb Available on Request Dessert Chocolate Swiss roll, grilled cherries and sesame Rose geranium ice cream, grilled brioche and white peach caramel Wood-roasted rhubarb and tiny strawberries tart Davidson Plum jam donuts

serving, and the way it was served.

“I also wanted to bring the restaurant downstairs into the lobby, to bring some more energy into the lobby. Having it there creates a new buzz. Lobbies can feel a bit like a train station - when there are hospitalitymagazine.com.au

lots of trains there is lots of traffic but in the quieter times it can feel very empty. But now with the restaurant there it brings a whole new dynamic.”

The bones of the style of restaurant Hoogewijs and the >> hospitality | february 2013

15

chef

‘When you go overseas you find these amazing Michelin-star restaurants in hotels but in Australia we didn’t seem to care so much.’ and we liked it and could see his philosophy. The food there is very different to The Woods but it’s simply prepared and lets the produce speak for itself.

“Part of the plan was to have a very entrepreneurial chef in our restaurant again - not a hotel chef but a Sydney chef that would cook for Sydney guests and create that excitement.”

The concept of simple rustic flavours with a focus on seasonality and produce - including some intriguing and unusual fruit and vegies grown especially for the restaurant by a Blue Mountains producer - as well as a plethora of wild ingredients from salt bush to muntries is at the heart of Ingham’s quirky and adventurous menu. “I started using wild foods at Bar H about six months ago and it spiralled from there as I got hold of more and more things like the native thyme and the pepperberries,” says Ingham. “They just seem to go with everything. They’re interesting and not a lot of people use them, although more and more are now. I just love the flavours.”

Lamb and celtuce.

Four Seasons team envisaged was already in place ahead of the decision to get Ingham on-board. “The chef came a bit later,” he says. “Right from the beginning we weren’t after a Michelin-star restaurant,” he says.

“The idea was to serve comfort food that was modern and stylishly presented.

Brasserie food that you can be happy eating at twice a month or even twice a week, a restaurant where you feel com-

fortable - not a special occasion restaurant. The produce was very important Australia has such fantastic produce and that’s what we wanted to really shine.

And we wanted to do something with fire so we thought of the wood-fired oven and grill. Rustic and basic.”

Hoogewijs says that after meeting Ingham the team very quickly knew he was the kind of chef they were looking for. “We’d already been eating at Bar H

Introducing...

Fine Food Western Australia like ke you’ve you ve nnever ever se seen it before!

SET YOUR BUSINESS APART by finding new food ranges and the best specialty products. SAVE MONEY and MAXIMISE EFFICIENCIES by sourcing the latest, most innovative commercial cooking equipment. Uncover new ideas to BOOST YOUR BOTTOM LINE. There are loads of reasons to visit Fine Food Western Australia in 2013: t NEW: Business seminars t NEW: Wine master classes t NEW: Barista competition t NEW: Baking master classes Driving to the show? Pre-purchase your parking ticket and secure your spot. Visit the fine food website for details.

Register NOW for FREE entry

144 – 16 AP APRIL PRIL 2013 PERTH CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE Strictly trade only. Entry is restricted to members of the retail, foodservice and hospitality industry. Proof of business identification may be required. Persons not in these categories, including children, will not be admitted at any time. No prams permitted.

16

hospitality | february 2013

Register online before 11 April 2013 at finefoooddwessternau ustrrallia.ccom m.au u and enter priority code: HOSP $20 admission applies at the door for visitors that don’t pre-register online.

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

easterplanning

Get

hopping

Smart foodservice operators are jumping into action to take advantage of the increased demand for indulgent feasting and family dining that Easter brings. By Rosemary Ryan.

C

hristmas dinner was hardly cold last year when the first signs of Easter popped up in supermarkets and department stores. A little premature retail excitement maybe, but clever foodservice operators were also beginning to turn their attention to the next big foodfocused holiday.

While at its heart a religious occasion, there’s no denying Easter’s also synonymous with indulgence.

For the hospitality industry, it’s another opportunity to tap into the excitement of customers who feel they have permission to fling off those austere New Year’s resolutions and dig in.

Easter has long been one of the major trading periods for Victorian chef and restaurateur Annie Smithers and her regional destination restaurant Bistrot in Kyneton and a time when she goes all out for nostalgia with some signature favourites on her menu. “For us Easter is the busiest weekend, it’s the only public holiday time that we work here,” Smithers says.

“I have a few favourites that I always do for Easter. For Good Friday I always hospitalitymagazine.com.au

make a smoked cod, potato, parsley and garlic soup – I’ve been making it for years and it’s always very popular.

For Easter Sunday Smithers grows out one of her own geese, as well as using local lamb. “It’s a time when you can use bigger geese - the geese have grown out enough so it’s a good time for them,” she says.

“I bone it, stuff it, roll it and cook it for about three hours - it’s a very celebratory kind of dish.

“At that time of year we have lots of apples around so I will do an apple, prune and bread stuffing, and again, depending on the season and what’s ripening I might serve it with a crabapple puree - the crabapples are quite acidic so that works really well to cut back the richness of the goose.”

Lamb is also a favourite, says Smithers.

“We’ll get whole lambs in and usually do it three ways - using the entire animal in each main course.

“We look for small lambs, 16 kilos and

‘No one is looking after their figure at Easter.’

Easter treats at Sweet Envy.

hospitality | february 2013

17

easterplanning

under, and then break them down break up all the cutlets and the legs down into muscle groups and slow roast them so it’s still a roast meat but very succulent.

“We cook up all the breasts and the shoulders and then we strip all that meat off and then press it and make these little classic French dishes. You cut and press the meat into little Weet-Bix shapes and spread them with Dijon mustard and then egg and bread crumb them - you have a succulent little parcel that is the most sophisticated little crumbed cutlet.”

THE BUN BOOM Former Gordon Ramsay pastry chef Alistair Wise, who operates his Sweet Envy patisserie in Hobart, says the humble hot cross bun is a guaranteed way to people’s hearts and wallets at Easter.

“It goes bonkers,” he told Hospitality. “I would say that around ten per cent of our business is Easter.”

Approaching his third Easter, Wise begins his Easter strategy soon after Christmas with the big focus on his now signature hot cross buns with their plump and generous

18

hospitality | february 2013

amount of fruit laced with plenty of liquor, and sticky apricot glaze.

They are snapped up as quickly as he and the team can bake them.

“Last year we worked 48 hours straight and then collapsed on the other side of Easter,” he says. “We just make as many as we can.

“The first year we were selling out at 8.30am - so that was a missed opportunity. We needed to capitalise on the demand. Last year we just kept baking them all through the day - 300 every 20 minutes - and people were buying them hot from the oven. That was our sales pitch, hot Hot Cross Buns straight out of the oven.”

Wise says the secret to creating the perfect hot cross bun is that vital ingredient of alcohol. “It took some work to get the bun just right but the fruit was the easy part - we just buy a hell of a lot of liquor because that’s what you want - a nice boozy bun.”

In a cheeky move just for Easter, Wise also began including rabbit pies on the menu - and they quickly became a must-have as well. “You’ve got to have rabbit pie at Easter - it’s a bit of a giggle for us and it’s always really

Easter eggs Burch & Purchese style.

popular,” he says.

“We are kind of heathens and we thought it would be funny - there are plenty of rabbits around at that time and they aren’t expensive. I braise them all down, and put them in the pies with a bit of carrot puree

… People seem to love them and the idea of chomping on the Easter bunny.”

This year for the first time Wise will also make his new ice cream truck - Big Bessie - part of his Easter strategy, taking the idea of his >>

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

easterplanning

frozen “hot dog” - a brioche bun injected with ice cream - a step further. “We are already doing the frozen hot dog in the truck - we toast the bun on a hot dog spit and fill it with soft serve - so no reason we can’t do that with the hot cross bun,” Wise says.

Hot cross buns with a twist will also be on the Easter offering of Sydney pastry queen Lorraine Godsmark who last month threw open the doors of her new patisserie offshoot of the latest Merivale operation Palings Kitchen and Bar, the restaurant that opened in December with Godsmark’s famous desserts on the menu.

However, it’s her celebration cakes that were traditionally in huge demand at Easter time at her previous operation, Yellow.

“People get a really nice break at Easter time and we always found that when people did get a break we would sell a lot of whole cakes,” she says.

“So people would be buying our cheesecakes, the mascarpone cake, the flourless chocolate, and the frangipane tarts because they are fantastic for picnics.”

Godsmark says she’s this year looking forward to unveiling her own version of the hot cross bun. “I plan to do something that’s a bit lighter, a little bit more succulent. I’ll candy

20

hospitality | february 2013

my own fruit - a lot of the time the candied fruit tastes awful. And I’ll put a lot more fruit in than most people do ... and use lots of nice quality spice.”

CASHING IN ON CHOCOLATE Chocolate of course becomes one of the major food groups at Easter - it’s the time when cracking an egg for breakfast doesn’t necessarily mean a chicken egg!

“Easter is all about chocolate for us,” says Melbourne pastry chef Darren Purchese, who was turning his focus to Easter even as he was in full swing for Christmas. “People tend to indulge at Easter - it’s not far off Christmas in that respect - and we’re expecting Easter 2013 will be our biggest yet.”

Purchese says that with the help of Burch & Purchese’s head chocolatier Kayoung Lim he’s expanding the patisserie’s chocolate egg range to keep up with demand, as well as some of his quirkier lines like his top selling chocolate penguins.

“We expand our range every year to meet the demand and we’ve invested in new equipment to cope,” says Purchese.

“Last year our chocolate egg range was extremely popular as were our chocolate penguins,” he says. “Our chocolate lollipops did very well too and we’re bringing out a new range of them and

Alistair Wise at Sweet Envy.

‘It goes bonkers - I would say that around ten per cent of our business is Easter.’

also the salted caramel filled chocpops.”

Sweet Envy’s Wise also steps up the range of chocolate available at his business to tap into the frenzy. “We do salty caramel balls and coat them in chocolate - hallelujah you have the world’s best Easter chocolate. Plus people really get into all the trinkety things like our beautiful marshmallow, and fudge and caramelised popcorn.

“No one is looking after their figure at Easter.”

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

oils

When

oils

aren’t just oils

Like choosing the right wine, selecting the right oil can enhance a dish or, if you get it wrong, detract from it. Hospitality’s Rosemary Ryan spoke to two top chefs with a passion for the wide and wonderful range of oils available in Australia and overseas.

Y

ou only need to taste a dish like Sydney chef Ross Lusted’s signature white cut chicken to appreciate the great impact the right oil, selected well, and used correctly, can have on food.

The operator of acclaimed restaurant The Bridge Room is a passionate and knowledgeable exponent of oils as one of the most vital ingredients in a chef’s repertoire. He’s great proof of how matching the right oil to a dish can greatly enhance it and lift it to a new culinary level.

The chicken dish that has become a hospitalitymagazine.com.au

signature at Lusted’s restaurant, featuring since it first opened, contains two kinds of sesame oil - one Chinese and the other Korean - and two kinds of peanut oil to create mesmerising flavours.

“Oils are a big part of that dish - because it’s all about that fragrant mouth feel and lingering on the palate,” Lusted says.

“The choice of oil and the way it’s used are really very, very important,” Lusted says. “It’s the biggest vehicle of flavour in cooking - that’s what a lot of people forget. Oil is [the ingredient] that’s going to coat your mouth, and what stays with you on your palate.

‘That’s a bad oil - it’s not just the taste, even the mouth feel is not right.’

“And that’s great if the oil you use is great - but everyone also has had that experience of something like a really terrible salad dressing that sticks to the roof of your mouth and that you can taste for ages. That’s a bad oil - it’s not just the taste, even the mouth feel is not right.”

Lusted honed his passion for oils and all their varieties working and travelling overseas in countries like Croatia where there is a deep appreciation of the qualities of olive oil.

“You have a completely different perspective on [olive oil] when you live somewhere like that,” he says. “Where >> hospitality | february 2013

21

oils

we were living all the olives were pressed at the local monastery. Everyone is very interested and wants to see the colour of the oil to see if it’s going to be a good year.

“They really talk about it and understand it - they really live with olive oil - it’s part of their culture and heritage.”

A peek inside Lusted’s dry store will reveal a range of oils from the Asian style oils that feature in the white cut chicken dish and French nut oils, to at least six different local and overseas olive oils that feature in both savoury and sweet dishes at The Bridge Room.

Along with Australian oil Joseph First Run that’s used as the restaurant’s table oil as well as a lot of final dressings of food, Lusted’s current repertoire features other EVOO from the Joseph range that features in an aerated white chocolate dessert, a lemon-infused olive oil from Australian producer LaBarre used to slow cook fish in, the French Jean Le Blanc hazelnut oil for use in many desserts such as the restaurant’s top selling aerated creamed rice dish, as well as the herbaceous Marina Colonna olive oil that Lusted uses to dress raw meat dishes.

“I’m always looking for interesting ones,” Lusted says. “I seek them out. It’s all about tasting as many as you can and then developing that understanding of what is good.

“You need to be able to taste the oil and match it. If you haven’t chosen the oil specifically for the dish then you haven’t thought the dish through. Olive oil for example isn’t just olive oil and that’s that. If you taste it you might say ‘wow that’s fruity’ or ‘that one’s a little more herbaceous and could overpower the fish that I was planning to serve it with.’

“I think a lot of people spend a lot of time making pretty pictures on the plate and then they’ll use a shitty olive oil, or just a plain bad olive oil that hasn’t been looked after or isn’t fresh. It should be seen as being as much a part of the dish as the other ingredients. People spend a lot of time getting the best fish, or some very good beef, and then don’t do the oil side of it with the same care.”

Oils are a passion too for Sydney’s Lennox Hastie who recently joined forces with Lusted and Melbourne chef Paul Wilson at an oil dinner held at The Bridge Room, sponsored by Joseph olive oil.

Hastie too has spent a lot of time working overseas - most notably in Spain where he helped steer Michelinstarred restaurant Asador Etxebarri to international success - and gaining a deep appreciation of how to use different oils to bring out the best in other ingredients.

To get the most out of oils he says 22

hospitality | february 2013

Ross Lusted’s white cut chicken at the Bridge Room.

chefs need to choose their oils carefully to match the dish and the culinary application, and also make sure they care properly for their oils.

“The flavour of the oil should compliment and not mask the intrinsic character of the food,” Hastie says. “You should always bear in mind the flavour of the oil as well as things like the heat tolerance of the oil because heating can cause the flavour profile to alter dramatically.

“A good oil can add something very special to a dish but likewise a poor oil or poorly stored oil can have an unpleasant smell or acrid taste that will ruin the natural flavour of food. Those oils that are higher in linoleic acid tend to oxidise easily so they should always be stored in

‘You can get some beautiful intense flavours.

Just a couple of drops will give that flavour.’

a cool dark place and used early in the season.”

Now consulting as well as preparing to open his own restaurant in Sydney in conjunction with the Fink Group (owners of Quay and Otto), Hastie says he would love to see oils and particularly local Australian olive oils appreciated by chefs and diners here as much as local oil is appreciated in some European countries.

“In Italy and in Spain in particular where people drink [olive oil] on a daily basis it means everything, and it’s very seasonal,” he says.

Like Lusted, Hastie uses a range of oils in his arsenal. “You might think that oil is just one thing - oil is just oil,” he says. “But then you realise there are so many different types out there and they hospitalitymagazine.com.au

oils

all react differently depending on what you serve them with - you are going to use something very different for your salad dressing to what would you would use for frying some garlic or chillies or for dressing your fish.”

“I always like to use at least two varieties of olive oil - one lighter, fruitier and more aromatic such as an Arbequina oil from Spain, or Koroneiki from Greece, and another with a richer body and more intense, almost woody characteristics, such as a Picual from Spain.

“I tend to use olive oils mostly as finishing oils, using them raw if they are light and delicate oils, or warmed gently if they are robust and can tolerate heating.

“The lighter more fruitier styles are well suited to fish dishes and vegetables and salads, while the richer styles are better suited to oily fish and meat dishes.”

Hastie also uses rice bran oil for grilling because of its “high heat tolerance and mild flavour” as well as some nut oils for vegetable dishes and desserts. “I use something like nut oils in small quantities,” he says. “They are something that has interesting flavour profiles but also quite intense flavours so you have to be cautious and use them very delicately.

“I would use it say if you are making a dessert like a walnut feuilleté with some grilled figs and ricotta. It’s quite nice to

use some of the walnut oil in the pastry and then even to finish it at the end. I’m always looking for ingredients that have relevance and add meaning to a dish.

How can I enhance it to the level where it really speaks to you?”

Both Hastie and Lusted emphasise the importance of caring for oils - in a similiar way that you would look after a good wine.

“Making sure you have top quality oil is all about thinking about buying only as much as you need so it’s always fresh and also finding a good space to store them,” says Hastie.

‘If you haven’t chosen the oil specifically for the dish then you haven’t thought the dish through.’

“I think one problem is people think oils can be stored for a long time but depending on what kind of oil it is they can quite easily turn. If they’ve come over to Australia by boat and it gets slightly too warm or if they haven’t been stored correctly that can quite drastically alter the flavour and the finished product.

“Despite the fact that you’re using oils when you’re cooking it’s best to keep them away from the cooker. A cool dark spot is good - keep your oils where you keep your wine - treat them the same.”

COST L I O R U O CUT Y % 0 5 O T P U BY It’s easy with Miracle Fry oil powder, filter machines, filter papers & accessories.

We supply to all the major food chains Other products: • Trolley covers • Canopy filters

• Custom made products • Thermometers

Reliable on-time delivery guaranteed Call today 1300 555 204 and we can start saving you $$$$ Visit our website www.acefilters.com.au 24

hospitality | february 2013

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

refrigeration

Cool runnings Here, commercial kitchen expert Tim Smallwood states the obvious and explains why it’s so important to invest in (and look after) the equipment that makes money for your business.

S

ummer time and the refrigerator is loaded: food spoiled and profit loss. About now you will be wishing you’d not bought the cheapest refrigerator. Maybe you talked about replacing the old chest freezer out the back.

But it stopped working sometime over the past few days and it wasn’t until Saturday night when you sent the apprentice in that you discovered it had gone bust. Now over $200 worth of food is lost. A real surprise; as it’s not given you any trouble over the past 20 years and it has never needed a service!

Sorry, but it’s no surprise, as you probably take more care in buying your new car and getting it serviced than you do the equipment that makes you the money that pays for it.

Your refrigeration keeps you in business more than any other equipment in your kitchen; it’s therefore worth selecting it carefully and maintaining it effectively. This will ensure that the profit that you do manage to make, is kept rather than thrown away on food loss and emergency after-hours call-out service costs.

REFRIGERATOR SELECTION 101 How much food do you want to store and how do you want to use it? All refrigerators are not the same. For instance, if you want a refrigerator for receiving food deliveries a few times a week, then a cool room will be suitable. But it’s not suitable if the chef needs to access the food 20 times a service. In this case a storage hospitalitymagazine.com.au

“Leaving the door open for longer than required (or not shutting it properly) can increase the running cost by 25 to 50 per cent.” cabinet close to the preparation or work area is more efficient. Even then, if the refrigerator is under the preparation bench then refrigerated drawers are more effective as they avoid the need to crouch down every time you need to get something. Of course you can always take the food out and leave it on the bench and let it get warm - not advisable, particularly if you want to avoid poisoning your customers.

Having established that you need effective refrigeration to provide the food security you need and the quality of meal that your customers expect, you will find there is a wide range of prices for what on the surface would appear to be identical units; all the same capacity and number of doors and they’ll all probably last over 10 years even if you don’t have them serviced regularly! The difference will be the whole of life cost of ownership, which is the original cost plus the running cost and cost of maintenance.

The cost of maintenance over the life of the refrigerator will be a combination of the original quality of the manufacture of the unit; the suitability of the refrigerator for the use you will put it to and how well >> hospitality | february 2013

25

refrigeration

Cool additions to your kitchen

3

1. Compact and cold.

Adande Compact units from Stoddart are just 450mm wide so they can be conveniently stored next to griddle and fry stations.

They are designed to hold frozen and chilled products, and have a temperature range of -22°C to +15°C. Visit www.stoddart.com.au

2

2. Eco-friendly refrigerants.

CyberChill has recently installed HFO 1234ze refrigerants from Honeywell in its CBCF35 model of blast chillers. Because they run at a lower discharge pressure, the refrigerants place less mechanical stress on the compressor. They can be applied to all products in the company’s range. Go to www.cyberchill.com.au 3. Freeze with a conscience.

The VR range of freezers from Skope comprises one, two and three door models. Each features an upgraded refrigeration system that is said to be more energy efficient, as well as electronic controllers with temperature display and door and ambient alarms. See www.skope.co.nz for more info.

1 4

4. The food smoker that smokes without cooking.

The Tom Cooper Kold Smoker, which is available from Commercial Food Machinery, is a refrigerated rather than heated smoker, meaning it can smoke foods without cooking them.

It features a stainless steel refrigerated smoking chamber and separate smoker drawer that can be both time and temperature controlled. Go to www.cfm.com.au.

Depend on us for inspiration.

Go to skope.com to learn more or download the new SKOPE Portfolio app

1800 121 535 skope.com

26

hospitality | february 2013

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

refrigeration

“Your refrigeration keeps you in business more than any other equipment in your kitchen; it’s therefore worth selecting it carefully and maintaining it effectively.” you look after it. How often do I see a two door refrigerator with one door out of line with the other? So what, the door closes doesn’t it? Yes but for how long when a door hinge is loose and becomes more so with regular opening and closing until the hinge fixings pull out of the metal and the door falls, all for the want of someone to notice and tighten up the fixings - a two minute task that doesn’t need a service technician, just a screwdriver. In the same way, make sure the door gaskets make a seal when the door is shut. They can easily get damaged which will result in leakage which will increase the running cost of the cabinet. You can put off getting the serviceman in to replace the gasket because of the cost, or you can pay a bit more for the refrigerator and get one which has “push-in” gaskets which you can replace yourself without tools - just ring up the manufacturer or agent, give them the model number and they’ll post you the replacement which you can replace in minutes problem solved.

The other significant cost is electricity. The running cost of the refrigerator is also in your control, the original selection and how you use it. The most efficient refrigeration is the unit with the highest heat capacity to watts. A typical reach-in refrigerator operates 16 to 18 hours a day and a higher wattage unit operating for 16 hours a day will be 12.5 per cent more efficient than a lower wattage unit that has to operate 18 hours a day; with a corresponding lower operating cost. Other factors which will have an impact on the running cost include the defrost system. A hot gas defrost will have a lower overall running cost than an electric defrost even though there will be a higher refrigeration energy cost. Most refrigerators today use a forced draft evaporator which uses a fan to circulate the cold air through the refrigerator.

These are not only more efficient than static coil or natural convection cooling (e.g. no fan) it also requires less energy to run because the evaporator temperature required to maintain the unit at the required hospitalitymagazine.com.au

temperature is higher. A unit running at 40 will have a forced draft evaporator running at -1.1 degrees Celsius compared with a static evaporator which has to run at -6.7 degrees Celsius to maintain the same temperature, which results in the cooling system costing more to run.

Even if you already have the refrigerator or freezer, you are still in control of the running cost.

Factors such as leaving the door open for longer than required (or not shutting it properly) can increase the running cost by 25 to 50 per cent. In the case of walk-in cool rooms, the normal usage is considered to be six to eight door openings a day and heavy use 12 or more times a day, The heat which infiltrates the unit when the door is open increases by up to 50 per cent between normal and heavy usage.

Cool rooms are not efficient for frequent access by the cook having to go into the room during service for every new order, changing the duty of the room from normal to heavy duty. For this use a cabinet in the work area or undercounter refrigerator drawers will not only have a lower running cost but also be more efficient.

Overall to minimise the impact of increasing electricity costs on your electricity bill make sure that you waste as little of the energy you have paid for in maintaining the refrigerated temperature of your food as possible; even adding plastic strips to your walk-in cooler doors can reduce the heat gain experienced when the door is open by over 30 per cent which might be as much as over 20kW a day. An air-curtain over the door can save twice the amount. You will have to invest to save, but having invested, the savings keep coming.

Tim Smallwood has over 35 years experience as a designer an advisor to the foodservice and hospitality industry and has provided catering design and operating systems development advisory services to a wide range of operators in Australia, Asia and the Middle East. He can be contacted at ts@fcaonline.com hospitality | february 2013

27

management/comment

doctorhospitality I have a new restaurant management job, and now find the owner is a control freak. Going crazy – help!

Start gathering information. Talk tactfully to each employee when you get the chance, asking them how they feel about the way things are run. Find out about morale and teamwork. You have to make a case to the owner that their actions are disrupting workflow, and more importantly, hurting profits. Politely request the opportunity to manage independently for a week, with the owner stepping back and just observing. Make sure your team is ready to support you, and focus on improvements that will boost the bottom line. But many small business owners don’t know any other way – you will soon know!

What’s with this barista craze - shouldn’t everyone be able to make good coffee?

Some baristas command respect equal to a sommelier or cocktail specialist. They have mastered use of the espresso machine, texturing the milk and above all, producing a great product with speed and consistency.

They should be unflappable and able to remember multiple orders like the best bartender in a busy pub.

They also have expertise with a wide varieties of gourmet coffees and are able to answer questions about grinds, origins, roasting times, garnishing and flavour profiles. For some people, baristas are a very valuable asset. For others, not so much.

How do I help a new, young manager get respect from our very experienced bar staff? She’s struggling.

Lack of respect can lead to insecurity and poor performance. While she is ultimately responsible, it also falls to the experienced employees to offer support. You hired her for a reason and creating a feeling of teamwork will help her find the strength to do the job properly. Staff should understand that seniority doesn’t translate to the privilege of watching a co-worker fail. Once she has an environment of support and respect, she’ll either shine or sink, and that’s something you can deal with if the need arises.

I’m about to take on a new business partner for the cafe – please remind me of what I should do in this new ‘marriage’!

It’s absolutely essential to work out every possible detail of the relationship in advance, even though you’re ‘in love’ and can’t imagine anything going wrong. Use a third person to write down your individual strengths, philosophies, and goals, and where there could be friction points. This ensures that problems with different management or disciplinary styles don’t impact the two of you, your staff and the customers.

Don’t be too concerned about all things being equal; it’s a matter of leveraging each of your abilities to maximise the benefits for your restaurant – that’s what partnerships are for!

Have a question for the good doctor? Send him your queries via Hospitality’s editor, Rosemary Ryan with a quick email to rosemary.ryan@reedbusiness.com.au

28

hospitality | february 2013

Kick start business with resolutions New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken, right? Not if they can give your business a boost like these tips from our columnist, Ken Burgin.

NEW YEAR and a fresh start - whatever your success with previous resolutions, it’s still a great time to look with new eyes at how you can improve your business.

Create new ways to be organised. Blitzing cupboards and shelves feels good, but can you replace them with systems so the clutter does not return? How much paperwork can be handled on your computer instead of printed? Set up an online Dropbox account so you can store documents and spreadsheets ‘in the cloud’, accessible from anywhere. Buy a small scanner and feed it all those old statements and invoices, sending them straight to an online storage service like Evernote.

New energy with social media. You have staff who would love to help with this, adding news and photos to Facebook everyday, running an Instagram account with behindthe-scenes and food pictures, send these updates out on Twitter.

It’s time for a new year discussion with suppliers. They will appreciate a collaborative discussion on how you can get better terms by pushing more business their way, or guaranteeing longer-term purchasing.

Jumping from one supplier to another does not build profitable relationships.

Blitz the recipe costs. Swap to recipe software or spreadsheets, and have one dedicated person to manage the updates - maybe not the chef. Every time you cost recipes there will be surprises - the cost of garnishes and sauces, the high cost of protein portions, side orders and salads.

Show staff how to sell, not just take orders. A thorough knowledge of the menu will increase confidence and turn shy staff into much better ‘sales machines’. Standardise scripts with non-threatening questions like ‘would you like a cool drink or some water to start with?’ or ‘would you like to share a salad?

Support more community events. You have the currency that people prize - gift vouchers for fund raising. They cost you little, and generate powerful word-of-mouth.

‘Celebrate your many small achievements and turn them into less stress, bigger wins and a more valuable business.’

Focus on community groups that work with your target and make sure they acknowledge you in newsletters and put you on the mailing list.

Measure more results so you know exactly what’s going on. Untangle the POS reports so you can see key department totals daily and weekly: food, side orders, desserts, beverages and alcohol. Most systems are set up with too many categories, making comparisons between days and weeks hard to understand. Count customers every day, so you can see the per-head spend and how sales campaigns can influence it.

Make everything work faster. Customers expect the food, the drinks and the bill to come quicker, so double check POS systems, kitchen workflow and bar layout. You want suppliers to deliver at short notice - what can be done with online ordering and delivery arrangements?

Reduce power and water costs, yet again.

You’re already strong on turning off taps and lights - now have a professional audit of appliances, water heating, refrigeration and light fittings. The small cost usually comes back quickly, and the results will be surprising.

Find more ways to work remotely. This might be from the beach, a favourite park or just at home. Check figures and reports on your iPad, plan and update projects using an online project management system, and move the roster online.

Keep the resolutions clear and achievable.

And then find ways to hold yourself and the team accountable. Celebrate your many small achievements and turn them into less stress, bigger wins and a more valuable business.

Ken Burgin is a leading hospitality management consultant. To find out more visit his website at profitablehospitality.com, or call him on 1800 001 353. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

whatsnew

shelfspace 1

5

2 4

6

3 1 Get the good oil online. Peerless Foods has launched a new, userfriendly website for foodservice professionals. Thanks to a clean design it is much easier to navigate, and a search function allows users to locate the information they require with ease. The website browser automatically resizes so it can be viewed on desktop computers, laptops, iPads and smartphones.

Check it out at www.peerlessfoods.com.au 2 European dreaming. Birko’s new hot food showcase features a European café style design and manual humidifier that prolongs food freshness. LED lights and Italian Zoppas elements help

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

minimise energy usage. The three tier adjustable shelves allow for the separation of different food products.

For more information visit www.birko.com.au 3 Environmentally friendly cleaning. In a bid to do its part for the environment, Clorox Commercial has developed a range of Chux branded sustainable cleaning aids. The new range comprises absorbent cloths in 50 and 100 packs, super wipes and non-scratch scourers, and each is made from either biodegradable natural fibres or recycled fibres.

Get more information at www.cloroxcommercial.com.au

4 Prawns with a twist. Two new varieties have been added to the Prawn Twisters range from Markwell Foods, salt and pepper squid with prawns, and scallops with ginger, lemon and prawns. These ingredients are hand rolled in a light pastry and individually snap frozen, and they can be deep fried, shallow fried or oven baked.

Head to www.markwellfoods.com. au for more information.

5 Fresh, ready to use avocado pulp.

Australian Avocado Pulp from Simpson Farms is dairy, gluten and GM free and made from locally grown avocadoes. It is created using high pressure processing (HPP) technology, a unique process that

extends shelf life and ensures the natural colour, flavour and texture of the avocado is maintained.

Visit www.simpsonfarms.com.au to view the company’s entire range of avocado based products.

6 Promote customer loyalty. Compatible with already existing point of sale hardware, the Bar-Hotel POS System from Vectron is a built-in marketing module that allows business owners to issue patrons with vouchers and venue memberships.

The membership database is stored within the software, so promotions can be communicated to members via email, SMS or post.

Visit www.vectron.com.au for more information.

hospitality | february 2013

29

what’s on

hospitalitydiary MARCH 8-10; Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Masterclass Weekend; The chance to get up close and personal with some of the world’s best chefs.

Check out the awe-inspiring 2013 line-up at www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

APRIL 1-3 Hotelex Shanghai; Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai. Expected to cover more than 84,000sqm and include more than 4,000 exhibitors, this is a leading hospitality trade events in China, featuring themed halls such

AUSCROWN

MADE IN KOREA

More Catering Appliances shop online

www.auscrown.com

as Bakery, Tableware and Wine & Spirits. See www.hotelex.cn 14 -16 Fine Food WA; Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. This biennial event is WA’s largest hospitality trade event. Head to www. finefoodwesternaustralia.com.au

JUNE 2-4 Foodservice Australia; Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne. Foodservice Australia 2013 promises to be one of the most spectacular yet with hundreds of top suppliers, special competitions and events. www. foodserviceaustralia.com.au

P R O D U C T S

Austcrown P/L Ph: (03) 9873 5811 Fax: (03) 9873 5311 email info@auscrown.com

REFRESHMENT LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

6800(5 -867 *27 &22/(5 PREMIUM 63$5./,1* CAFE RANGE WILD ONE PREMIUM SPARKLING GINGER BEER

ENJOY LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES WITH WILD ONE NATURAL 100% JUICES AND SPARKLING MINERAL WATERS. NATURALLY REFRESHING TIME AND TIME AGAIN!

1DWXUH·V )LQHVW

100

% AUSTRALIAN MADE & OWNED

www.wild1.com.au

For more information contact WILD ONE on 0435 794 537 or email info@wild1.com.au

30

hospitality | february 2013

hospitalitymagazine.com.au