Hospitality Magazine April 2014

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No.703 April 2014

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

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Introducing Bürgen® Gluten Free...

NEW

NE W

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It’s Gluten Free, not Flavour Free Outstanding taste and softness, from the bakery to your freezer

FROZE

Introducing Bürgen® Gluten Free 4 months frozen shelf life Available nationally 6 loaves per carton Convenient (always on hand) No artificial preservatives Dairy free

Product code: 9347 TUN: 19339423005490

Contact your local foodservice distributor Available from Tip Top Foodservice 1800 086 926 tiptop-foodservice.com.au ® Registered trade mark of George Weston Foods Limited. All rights reserved.

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No.703 April 2014

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Beauty of the

BEAST Why chefs are making the most of their meat

PLUS:

Catalina celebrates 20 years

TOOLS OF THE TRADE Top chefs walk us through their kitchens

Food porn

An unappetising shot of our industry?

Just butt out!

How you can help your staff to quit for good

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To make amazing mash, you need the very best potatoes

Straight from the field, packed with goodness and fresh as can be, our potatoes come from premium suppliers who are as meticulous about quality as we are. Prepared instantly using only hot water.

The result is delicious creamy mash, every time.

For a FREE MAGGI Gluten Free Mashed Potato Mix sample email us at mash@comp.com.au * *Limited to first 2000 requests

Contact your local distributor 1800 20 30 50 or go to www.maggi-professional.com

MAG292 MASH HOSPITALITY INSIDE FRONT COVER.indd 1

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editor’s note

I

am so excited that food trucks are going to be a permanent fixture on Sydney’s streets. The council has just confirmed it will issue permits for up to 50 operators over the next two years, following a successful trial which saw the likes of Eat Art Truck, Veggie Patch, Cantina Mobil and Agape roaming our streets, serving an average of 1,700 hungry customers each month.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore says the food truck program not only creates jobs, but is a great example of how innovative ideas contribute to creating a safer, more diverse night-time economy.

But that doesn’t mean the program is without its critics, many of whom, including Hospitality reader, Mike Palmer, have valid concerns about the impact mobile businesses will have on the stationary ones.

“The license has to look into where they can set up in relation to restaurants that pay rent and rates - and the times that they can operate from in those spots.

Also, [there needs to be the] same regulations in regards to health and safety,” Mike commented online.

Absolutely. While we no doubt want to see Sydney’s night-life boosted (especially in the wake of those absurd lockout laws), we need to make sure that we’re not giving with one hand, and taking away with the other.

But if operators, council and customers communicate enough and we remember that we’re all working towards a common goal, I’m sure everyone will win.

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PUBLISHER Martin Sinclair martin.sinclair@cirrusmedia.com.au MANAGING EDITOR Danielle Bowling Ph: (02) 8484 0667 danielle.bowling@cirrusmedia.com.au JOURNALISTS Brea Carter Ph: (02) 8484 0661 brea.carter@cirrusmedia.com.au Alexandra E Petri Ph: (02) 8484 0854 alexandra.petri@cirrusmedia.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Christine Salins, Ken Burgin & Tony Berry

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cover

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contents FEATURES

12 Tools of the trade Which products make the most impact in today’s kitchens?

16 Equipment vs. expertise Chef Mark McNamara is advocating a return to ‘oldschool’ cooking techniques.

18 Cover story Why our chefs are making the most of their meat.

22 A family affair Editor: Danielle Bowling danielle.bowling@ cirrusmedia.com.au

Swine & Co head chef, Robert Taylor.

Image: Anson Smart

Catalina in Rose Bay is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rizwan Nawaz Ph: (02) 8484 0622 rizwan.nawaz@cirrusmedia.com.au ADVERTISING NATIONAL Rhonnie Merry Ph: (02) 8484 0642 Fax: (02) 8484 0915 rhonnie.merry@cirrusmedia.com.au PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Stevens Ph: (02) 8484 0748 troy.stevens@cirrusmedia.com.au PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Mary Copland Ph: (02) 8484 0737 mary.copland@cirrusmedia.com.au

REGULARS

6

News online

26 Rant

Industry news and views.

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Food porn paints an unappetising picture of our industry, writes Tony Berry.

Mystery diner Tonka takes Indian cuisine to a whole new level.

28 Ken Burgin How to help your staff quit for good.

10 New openings Four new arrivals to check out.

11 Imbibe Hunter winemakers spruik their wares.

25 Workplace

29 Shelf space Products that could make all the difference in your kitchen.

30 Diary

The case of the missing Milo can.

Update your calendar with these industry events.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Ph: 1300 360 126 ONE YEAR: $132.00 incl GST TWO YEARS: $220.00 incl GST

hospitalitymagazine.com.au facebook.com/HospitalityMagazine twitter.com/Hospitalityed

Average Net Distribution Period ending Sept’ 2013 - 13,966

PRINTED BY: Bluestar Print 83 Derby Street, Silverwater NSW 2128 P: 02 9748 3411 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.

CIRRUS MEDIA Tower 2, Level 3, 475 Victoria Ave, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia Locked Bag 4700 Chatswood Delivery Centre, NSW 2067, Australia P: (02) 8484 0888 F: (02) 8484 0633 ABN 80 132 719 861 www.cirrusmedia.com.au © Copyright Cirrus Media, 2014

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Paying with PIN: why it will hurt hospitality

reader comments Scott commented Sorry, but why wouldn’t they just present me with the bill, with a line for tip, then put the entire lot though in one go?

Marty S. commented

AUSVEG SURVEY

The owners of Lona Pintxos Bar and Barca Food & Wine in Armadale, Victoria, are asking Mastercard and Visa to “carefully consider” their plan to phase out signatures when paying for bills, arguing the move will hurt the hospitality industry.

When paying for dinner, most Australians pay by card and in the past have commonly signed the bill, which has a specific line where a tip can be added.

With the move to PIN, the customer will be left to proactively seek a way to tip the wait staff.

Diners can leave cash on the table or can put an extra amount through the terminal, but this might involve staff asking whether the diner would like to leave a tip after the bill has been processed.

“This will not only hurt the hospitality industry, and in particular those delivering the service, but will also lead to less revenue for the banks ... and MasterCard and Visa themselves, which take a percentage of every dollar spent using credit,” reads an e-mail from the Lona team to Hospitality.

The tipping culture is a farce. To expect the customer to judge the “take home” of hospitality staff is nonsense. Making transactions simpler is a good idea. You get a more efficient turnover of covers, and customers not left waiting for their bill for 20 minutes ...

Adam commented In Australia you get paid extremely well.

Waitpersons can get $25 - $38 per hour plus super. Why should the diner pay a tip for people who are doing what they are paid to do?

VEGETABLES CONSUMERS WANT MORE OF

77%

sweet potato

tomato

brocolli

Chinese would like to see the vegetables used in their restaurant meals take a more prominent place

44%

39%

38%

Thai

these Asian cuisines provide the largest variety of vegetables Source: AUSVEG

Out & about February 18 McCormick Flavour Forecast @ Glass

Industry events the Hospitality team has visited this month...

February 27 Salt Meats Cheese pop-up launch

February 28 Lunch @ the new Swine & Co

March 5 Around the world in 80 whites @ Ivy

March 11 Rekorderlig Trade Summer Party

March 12 Lunch with Dimmi @ Ocean Room

For other stories and information please visit our website: www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au 6

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Image: Zeynep Özyürek - Thinkstock

newsonline

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mysterydiner

Naan other than

D’Sylva The team at Tonka do all the heavy lifting to deliver the dining trifecta: great food, a top location and service with a smile.

Avani’s lamb curry

L

Check it out Chef: Adam D’Sylva Where: 20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne 3000 P: 03 9650 3155 W: www.tonkarestaurant.com.au

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ike many, my experience of Indian food has often been cheap and cheerful nights out and Friday night take-away. My greatest criticism though (with notable exceptions like Bombay

by Night), has been that while the food is often great, the service and setting were often a long way behind.

Tonka has taken huge steps to changing this and the doyens of Indian cuisine in Melbourne should pay it a visit to see how far the bar has been raised. Now, if you were in a city other than your own, it would be considered risky to venture down a dim, somewhat dingy, lane to a single door, lit with a neon sign; to be fair, it had been an ‘interesting’ bar in a former life and my usual dining suspects are in tow. We’re all good.

We get started with a chardonnay and tuna tartare ($22) that lacks a little balance for me. The tuna itself is fine, but the pomegranate and coriander overwhelm the delicate taste. Love the rice pappadums though.

Immediately redeeming the kitchen is the soft-shell crab pakora ($8.50 each). Quite possibly the dish of the night, it’s as light as a feather and partnered with a lemon, chilli and mint sauce that had the most lovely combination of heat and flavour. We share a couple.

Next came the tempura zucchini flowers ($7 each) and they confused me a lot. Italian key ingredient, in Japanese batter, with Indian flavours. I feel that the chef was confused a touch as well; these are not their best offering. The pork belly ($18) follows straight on (it is an entrée marathon) and we are rewarded for adventure. Chargrilled, with shaved tongues of pick-

led radish, chickpeas and straw-like puffs of crackling as light as air, these long slices of belly have been so beautifully cooked that they are almost lean.

Finally we grab a couple of kakori lamb kebabs ($8 each) hot from the tandoor and wrap them in the iceberg lettuce, before drizzling with delightful minted yoghurt and wolfing down. Splendid.

Given the surfeit of entrees, the waiter tells us to go easy at main. We take his sage advice and go with two: Avani’s lamb curry ($38) and the Rajasthani duck ($38). Bring on the pinot (and another visit from the charming somm) and we add the usual accompaniments: pappadums, naan and the most perfectly fluffy rice in the world.

Adam There is furious debate D’Sylva over the lamb; where our friend finds it simple and a modest portion, and the bride hits a whole star anise - I find super balance, layered flavours and enough of a serve for satiety without stuffing myself. The disagreements end at the sight of the duck. It is a magic dish, full of deep, rich flavour and cooked slowly and yet crispy skinned with a salad of cucumber strips and buffalo milk curd to add delicacy and lightness.

We split a serve of the iced coconut and lime parfait ($17) for dessert and it rounds the meal out a treat.

There’s no doubt that Adam D’Sylva, Mykal and Kate from Coda fame have struck on a winning formula at Tonka; the food is largely sublime (with a little confusion thrown in) and the combination of a great venue and terrific staff sets a new standard for Indian dining in Melbourne. And that’s a good thing. F

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IF FOOD IS YOUR

PASSION CONSIDER A NEW

LIFE PARTNER Even long-term relationships begin with a strong attraction.

The uniquely crafted Messermeister Oliva Elité not only has looks to burn, but its individual Italian olive wood handle, innovative stealth blade profile and original bolsterless heel point to a deeper set of charms.

Hand forged by third generation artisan craftsmen in Solingen, Germany, this knife’s first promise is more than matched by its performance. The Messermeister Oliva Elité will last a lifetime in even the most demanding kitchen.

For more information visit: messermeister.com.au messermeister.co.nz

TBP4833

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Image: Rasha Photography

newopenings

Lighthouse Gallery Sydney’s newest waterfront venue, Lighthouse Gallery opened on 2 April and is the largest of eight event venues available at the Australian National Maritime Museum. It offers a complete waterfront position with views of Sydney Harbour and the resident ‘Cape Bowling Green’ lighthouse. Together with catering partner Laissez Faire, the Lighthouse Gallery can host events including product launches, gala dinners, cocktail events and conferences, with the food offering headed up by Clinton Brown (executive chef), Manu Prudhomme (fine dining chef) and Phil Spinaze (banquet chef). Event styles include the Banquet (250 guests), Cabaret (220 guests) and Cocktail (400 guests) and menus can be altered according to the event style.

Check it out

Image: Paolo Benini

Where: 2 Murray St, Sydney NSW 2000 P: 02 9298 3625 E: venues@anmm.org.au W: www.anmm.org.au/venues

Swine & Co.

The Urban Purveyor Group, the Sydney-based hospitality business behind venues including Saké Restaurant & Bar and Ananas Bar & Brasserie has opened Swine & Co in the heart of the CBD at the old Bank of New South Wales. The venue offers an underground dining experience, a mezzanine level complete with a champagne bar and an open plan bar and deli at street level. Swine & Co’s signature dish is suckling pig cooked on an open spit, but there are many other dishes that head chef Robert Taylor is serving up, including organic spatchcock, Riverlea pork neck steak and king salmon with fennel, olive soil and herb oil.

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La Sala

Owned by husband and wife team John Di Pietro and Anna Gallo, La Sala restaurant recently opened at Olivigna Estate in Warrandyte. Colin Swalwell heads up the kitchen and follows a produce to plate philosophy, using the estate’s kitchen garden, olive grove and preserves in his dishes. Additionally, Swalwell puts the venue’s pasta table and pizza oven to good use. The wine list was put together by Marcus Pelham, Olivigna’s operations manager, who selected locally-produced Italian varietals like King Valley prosecco. Also on the drinks menu is Olivigna’s estate-made wine and other international varieties.

Blackbird Bar & Restaurant

Brisbane’s Blackbird Bar & Restaurant opened in early March at the former site of the Queensland Rugby Club. Owned by the Ghanem Group, this 1920s-inspired venue cost nearly $2m in renovations. On the menu is a variety of seafood, from raw dishes to shellfish platters. Mains start at $28, however, the real hero of the menu is the Inferno section, comprising a variety of steaks cooked on the wood-grill, which was imported from the US and is reported to be the only one of its kind in Australia. Making up the Blackbird team is executive chef Jake Nicolson, head chef Anthony Donaldson, sommelier Penny Grant and mixologist Aaron Clark.

Check it out

Check it out

Check it out

Owners: Urban Purveyor Group Head chef: Robert (Bobby) Taylor Where: 16 O’Connell Street, Sydney P: 02 9009 0990 E: reservations@swineandco.com.au W: www.swineandco.com.au

Owners: John Di Pietro and Anna Gallo Head chef: Colin Swalwell Where: 54-56 Brumbys Road, South Warrandyte, VIC P: 03 9844 4676 W: www.olivigna.com.au

Owners: Ghanem Group Head chef: Anthony Donaldson Where: 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane P: 07 3229 1200 E: info@blackbirdbrisbane.com.au W: www.blackbirdbrisbane.com.au

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beveragesimbibe

What’s happening in

The Hunter?

Christine Salins spoke to a group of passionate winemakers about why it ain’t broke in Broke.

Andrew Margan Image: Penelope Beveridge

“You could never do that in the Barossa.”

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

“W

elcome to Broke, the best kept secret in the Hunter Valley, and welcome to Whispering Brook, the best kept secret in Broke,” says Adam Bell, whose vineyard produces what’s believed to be the Hunter Valley’s only Touriga Nacional, a Portuguese wine variety.

Bell’s enthusiasm is repeated many times over by winemakers throughout Broke Fordwich, a sub-region of the Hunter Valley and a formally recognised wine appellation.

Broke Fordwich is 20km from the wineries concentrated around Pokolbin, and thus is often overlooked by Hunter visitors. It is further overshadowed because of its size, for despite its centuryold winemaking history, it has just 10 cellar doors and three wineries.

Yet it has some special qualities that favour winemaking, not least being its variety of soil – from sandy loam to river flat alluvial soil, red volcanic soil and pockets of red basalt – and the shelter from heavy rainfall that the ranges provide.

“Our wines are structured around their acid. They match better with food because the acid cuts through, and they age better,” said Andrew Margan, who together with his wife runs Margan Wines. “We can ripen fruit here with 12.5 percent alcohol.

You could never do that in the Barossa.

“Broke Fordwich has this amazing patch of basalt soil that produces very distinctive Hunter Valley wines but with a slight variation. I can get them a little bit riper which gives them a little bit more richness of the mid-palate.”

Margan draws on some old Lindemans vineyards for Shiraz, Semillon and Chardonnay from low-yielding vines that are decades old. He pioneered plantings in the Hunter of the Italian variety, Barbera, and others have followed suit including Fiano Arneis and Dolcetto.

Anne Greenway, who has one of Broke Fordwich’s newer vineyards, has grafted a lot of her Merlot vines over to Fiano in a bid to “steer away from the staples.” At the time of writing she was

about to bottle her first Gewurztraminer.

Whispering Brook’s Adam Bell and Susan Frazier added Touriga Nacional to their line-up after travelling in Europe. “What struck us travelling through Spain and Portugal was that the climate was really more like here than France or Italy,” Bell said. “We fell in love with Touriga Nacional … it’s like a Shiraz but a lot more lifted.”

Verdelho, widely planted throughout Portugal, thrives in the Hunter, though here it is generally made as a table wine, in contrast to the Portuguese fortifieds.

Elysium Vineyard planted its Verdelho in 1990 using root stock from vines that the Tulloch family planted in 1936.

While Verdelho is usually marketed as a young fruity wine, Elysium has produced a stunning Aged Release with its 2005 Elysium Verdelho.

Another wine to watch out for is the 2011 Ascella Chardonnay, fermented in French oak and with a floral nose that owner Barb Brown attributes to neighbouring citrus trees.

Brown says Ascella is the largest certified organic winery in the Hunter Valley.

“We’re passionate about great tasting organic wines. It’s not about being certified organic, it’s all about the taste.”

Krinklewood’s owner Rod Windrim is passionate about biodynamic winemaking, which he describes as “one step past organics.” He uses a two metre tall cement egg-shaped fermenter to make his basket-pressed Chardonnay. His Rosé was made from the Mourvèdre grape because he wanted to make it “the most French way” he could.

Winemaker Michael McManus has two labels, the contemporary and fun Pssst ‘n’ Broke, and the more premium Stomp label, under which he produced his 2011 Limited Release Shiraz, rich with chocolate, licorice and mulberry notes.

“I just couldn’t get over how stunning this patch of Shiraz was,” he said.

“On very rare occasions, Heaven, Earth and all the stars align and in 2011 that’s what happened in the Hunter.”

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kitchenequipment

of the

Three busy chefs tell us which pieces of equipment they value the most. By Danielle Bowling.

H

aving the right equipment in your commercial kitchen is an absolute must, regardless of the size of your operation.

From a multi-site catering company to a small fine diner or even a mobile food truck, the equipment you work with has an enormous impact not only on your productivity and efficiency, but also the consistency and quality of what you’re serving up. Here, three chefs from three very different business models point out which gizmos and gadgets they love the most, use the most and need the most.

Tell us about your business.

Brad Whittaker, exec. chef, Tweed Heads Bowls Club: “We are a large registered club with multiple outlets comprising two restaurants, a cafe, three event areas and an in-house butchery and bakery.”

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Paul Cooper, exec. chef, Bishop Sessa, Sydney: “At Bishop Sessa we serve a modern European style of food, taking a contemporary approach.

“Whole beast butchery is a big thing for us at the Bishop. All our meat comes in whole and is broken down in-house. I believe this adds to our sustainability ethos, as the entire beast is used, not just the desirable cuts.”

Garry Kindred, exec. chef, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre: “The GCCEC specialise in all events from small gatherings to cocktail functions, gala dinners and banquets catering for up to 4,000 guests.

“Our menus consist of 85 percent locallygrown and sourced ingredients which allow us to guarantee freshness and quality across each event.

Supporting local suppliers and business is very important to us.”

Walk us through the kitchen.

Brad Whittaker: “We have four kitchens: our production kitchen, two restaurant kitchens and a cooked to order section.

The production kitchen is very simple; it has two Rational ovens, a brat pan, a four burner stove and a wok. The restaurant kitchens are designed for service and to only take up as small a footprint as possible.

The event rooms are serviced by portable equipment.”

Paul Cooper: “We have taken over a pre-existing space, and as such, it needs a bit of work. During the past 18 months, we have added several pieces of equipment to the kitchen: a Thermomix, a waterbath, Cryovac machine, blender, an ice cream churn and juicers.

“There are still so many pieces of equipment that I want - next will be a Pacojet, it’s perfect for consistent ice creams. The old churn style that we currently

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Talk to us n ow about now w hat’s new what’s at Birko.

Introducing the new, smarter Birko TwinTemp boiling and chilled filtered water system for hospitality and food-service establishments.

• New easy-clean touch-pad controls.

• Simpler and safer to use than ever.

• Boiling filtered water, instantly.

• Chilled filtered water, instantly.

• Can be installed at a kitchen sink.

• Or away from a sink on its “font”.

• Super-fine 0.2 micron filtration.

• Four big power-saving features.

use certainly has its place, and always will, but for a smooth ice cream or sorbet, it can’t be beaten.”

Garry Kindred: “We have a main kitchen with approximately 100 sqm floor space, and 12 satellite kitchens strategically placed throughout the Centre. The main kitchen is used daily, our separate production kitchen is used mainly for large conferences and the satellite kitchens are used to increase efficiency in service delivery with close access and proximity to client events anywhere throughout the Centre.

“In terms of commercial equipment, we have 50 mobile ovens, four steam kettles, three hotplates, two combi ovens, one bratt pan, 70 service/stacking trolleys and countless knives, just to name a few.

“All our equipment is mobile so we have the ability to take a kitchen set-up to the location of the event to service it as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Upgrade ade any kitchen with Birko TempoTronic T onic 1.5 Tr to 25 litre tre instant boiling water systems now with energy-saving 24/7 on/off timers.

“I tend to look at each piece of equipment on its own merits, although what I am fast learning is that the cheapest is not the best.”

Don’t settle settle for for le less ss than a Birko Bi Portable Portabl ble e Urn, 5* to 40 litre lit e capacity, with two-way twoo-way safety tap, safety grips, and easy-tosee level gauge.

*5 Litre does not include the level gauge.

Improve your y hot food presentation pres with a Birko Bi Hot Food Showcase Sh with ith easy-to-clean easy case, humidifier and easy-to-read thermometer.

Available in 120 and 160 litre.

See these efficiency-enhancing Birko products – and much, much more at Fine Food Australia, Sydney Convention Exhibition Centre, 9-12 September. Or call 1300 724 955 for the latest Birko Product Catalogue and price list.

www.birko.com.au

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kitchenequipment

What is the work horse of your kitchen? What function does it perform and why is it valuable to you?

If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would be the first piece of equipment you’d buy?

Brad Whittaker: “The Rational combi ovens are the life blood of our kitchens, especially the production kitchen. We have two 20 tray ovens with a 10 tray oven as back up for break downs or busy periods.”

Brad Whittaker: “A blast chiller and a cook chill system. Because of our volume, with this equipment we could ramp up our production and then reduce man hours - wages are our biggest cost, after food.”

Paul Cooper: “Our Rational - it never gets turned off. We use it for overnight braises, low temperature cooking; it’s good for everything. Without it, we would be completely lost, and the menu and style of cooking would have to change.

“A close second is the Cryovac machine and waterbath, again for consistency reasons. They allow you to produce a perfectly cooked product over and over again.”

Paul Cooper: “Too many to list, but I desperately need new plates.

I know it’s not equipment, but they definitely make a difference to the end product. I want something unique, something that suits our style. Organic?

Recycled? Handmade? I’ll know when I find them.

“But as a real dream I’d really love a Josper oven. They are so damn good!”

Garry Kindred: “We have a few of those. The ovens are a given, 200 litre capacity steam kettles and our 90 litre bratt pan are versatile equipment that I can’t look past. With steam kettles we do everything from sauces, braising and risottos to blanching and making soup. The bratt pan is heavily used for sautéing, sealing, and braising for example. Once again it’s very versatile.”

What is your favourite piece of equipment in your kitchen?

Brad Whittaker: “Our Rational oven. You can do anything in them: steam, poach, overnight cook, sous vide, cook steaks - you name it, it can do it.”

Paul Cooper: “The most useful piece of equipment is without doubt, the Thermomix. This is not because I am a Thermomix junkie, but because it is practical, saves time - we are always short staffed - and is reliable. We cook our anglaise, chicken liver parfait, and even our chocolate tart in the Thermomix. It makes all these products perfectly cooked and controlled.”

Garry Kindred: “Chef knives, of course! There’s not much you can’t do without this tool when it comes to preparing food. From slicing to dicing – without this humble favourite it’s hard to create a meal.”

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Garry Kindred: “As a convention centre we are lucky in that we plan ahead and make provisions for acquiring equipment.

We plan for the big ticket items ahead of time and, being government owned, we must do our research thoroughly and provide a comprehensive business case for any larger pieces of equipment that we wish to purchase. With that in mind, if I could have a few new model pressure bratt pans delivered tomorrow that would make cooking for the 1,000 retail clients in-house tomorrow even more speedy. The compact size and versatility of these is impressive.”

Do you have a particular brand and/or region that you like to buy from? Why? Brad Whittaker: “We use a local company that sources the best brands for us. I also attend Fine Food in Sydney and Melbourne and spend at least one day there with my supplier to get up to date on the latest equipment.

“Our goal is always to create efficiency, which leads to savings, and in turn, we can offer our members and guests the best quality product at very competitive prices. We produce over 300,000 meals per year and with price points starting at $7.50 for a full lunch meal, you have to be efficient.”

Paul Cooper: “I tend to look at each piece of equipment on its own merits, although what I am fast learning is that the cheapest is not the best. I spent weeks looking for a Thermoregulator, and got a good result, yet I also found a cheap Cryovac machine, and I know it already needs to be replaced.”

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Garry Kindred: “We don’t necessarily have favourite brands. It’s the quality, mobility and flexibility in terms of use that is most important, as is durability given the large numbers we cater for and the volume of frequency.”

What will your next equipment purchase be?

Brad Whittaker: “We are remodelling one of our restaurants and it will feature quality steaks, so a char-grill is on top of the list.”

Paul Cooper: “A Pacojet. It will further satisfy my need for a consistent product.”

Garry Kindred: “More live cooking station equipment. Based on demand we hope to expand on our equipment volumes and acquire more boutique equipment with an upmarket look and feel. We are looking at purchasing four to five of these completely customised stations with cold plates, portable burners, grills and carving stations.”

What is the most overrated piece of kitchen equipment you’ve ever used?

Brad Whittaker: “We had an oven with an inferior door mechanism that continually failed. I remember one day, at 11:45am with the oven full of dishes for lunch service, the door could not be opened. We all frantically ran around looking for tools to remove the door and luckily we got everything out just in time for service. That oven was replaced shortly after and I have never purchased that brand again.”

Paul Cooper: “The hose attachment to the sink in the wash-up section. They irritate me so much because the kitchen hands waste so much water spraying a plate for 15 seconds, when it could be so easily wiped clean before being put through the dish washer. I think they make people lazy.”

Garry Kindred: “I can’t say that I have come across this to be honest, at least from a centre perspective. Kitchens often work with such tight budgets that you are very selective with what you purchase, so when you buy equipment you make sure that it has a decent use and good life span.”

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IS EQUIPMENT replacing expertise?

There’s no doubt that having the right arsenal in your kitchen can significantly improve efficiency and consistency, but are gizmos and gadgets replacing genuine skill? Danielle Bowling spoke to old school chef, Mark McNamara.

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Images: Dragan (top & bottom left)

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magine walking away from your job as executive chef at one of Australia’s top restaurants, located in the beautiful Barossa Valley, where you have gorgeous seasonal produce at your fingertips, matched with some of the most exquisite wines the country has to offer. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But that’s exactly what chef Mark McNamara did in June 2012.

After more than 30 years as a professional chef, McNamara left Appellation feeling a little lost and craving a new challenge. He’d had enough of modern day kitchens.

“Basically I had become jaded with what I saw fine dining was offering,” he told Hospitality. “Specifically, I found that dining in hatted and starred restaurants, regardless of the location, was most often a déjà vu experience, the same rush to be on trend ... and increasingly where there was a reliance on culinary gimmicks rather than solid cooking.

“I found that I didn’t enjoy dining this way and realised that in many ways Appellation could be seen as part of the same game.”

So McNamara created his own business, Food Luddite, which teaches people about food, where it comes from, and how to create delicious meals using traditional techniques and age-old skills.

“Food Luddite is simply my response to modern, trend driven cooking. It is very specifically about skills retention, and a simple, honest approach to cooking – one that aims to bring out the essential characteristics and flavours of food,” he says.

“My aim is to help reconnect people with the fact that good food can be cooked very simply, to advocate and teach that a set of skills is much more valuable than a cupboard full of appliances and gadgets, that real flavour comes from the base ingredients, and that sometimes less is more.”

McNamara believes the training process for today’s young chefs is definitely playing a role in the industry’s reliance on equipment rather than expertise. He says the process of becoming qualified has diluted over the years, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing in terms of gaining entry into the industry, some of the cheffing techniques which he sees as fundamental have been “dumbed down”.

“There has been a clear shift in what is taught at a formal level, and how. For example, butchery – once a vital skill – is now regarded as unnecessary and there is no expectation that a chef should need to break up an animal carcass. Instead, most certified training pays lip service and is limited to trimming, and maybe portioning some simple primals.

“There is more emphasis on managing the process rather than skills acquisition. Adding to this, there is clearly an increase in the amount of convenience products that are seen as acceptable in a training environment. This is a direct reflection of industry KPIs revolving around cost and labour savings,

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rather than quality, skills and taste,” McNamara says.

Another contributor to this problem is the idolisation of various “celebrity chefs”. Don’t get him wrong – McNamara recognises and respects their talents and contribution to the hospitality industry, but some young up-and-comers assume that they can skip the hard yards where the essential skills of cookery are taught, and go straight to create foams and froths.

“From my experience, a lot of young cooks are enamoured with technology and the science of cookery. Undoubtedly the influence of Ferran Adria and Heston Blumenthal, for example, have extended far beyond the professional kitchen, and the understanding of the basic science involved in cooking is far more advanced today for cooks that are starting out than say when I started, and that’s a good thing.

“What is lacking quite often though, is a range of highly developed fundamental cooking skills gained through traditional training. Importantly, both Adria and Blumenthal were highly skilled practitioners of these skills before embarking on the route they ultimately took. In other words, to understand and master new concepts you need to understand the old ones.”

Reflecting back on his years at Appellation, McNamara, despite his commitment to the ‘less is more’ approach, isn’t pretending that he’s never experienced the benefits of modern day cooking equipment.

Years ago his only indulgence was a charcoal grill, however as the years went by and no doubt Appellation’s reputation HO0 4 1 4 _ 0 0 0 _ HOS

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grew, so too did the kitchen’s arsenal, which came to inMark clude a combi oven, a target top range, vacuum packer, McNamara commercial dough mixer, a meat slicer and more.

“Looking back, ultimately some of these were of questionable long term value,” he admits. “[Nowadays] there are three things I have to have: a good, reliable heat source, a heavy based pan and a good sharp knife.

“Obviously some new technologies can produce things that are completely beyond what a regular kitchen environment can create – nitro freezing, for example – but the notion that everything gets treated ‘sous vide’ is lost on me. Techniques like this are certainly standardising, but I believe a good cook should be able to produce most things in a conventional way, with a depth of flavour that’s often lacking in sous vide products, for example,” he says.

“Sure, traditionally cooked foods may be a little more toothsome, but I am over bland uniformity and monotonous textures for the sake of presentation and trend.”

The answer, like most things, McNamara says, comes down to training – back-to-basics training that puts the spotlight on the fundamental skills that some in the industry might dismiss as menial.

“Cooking with minimal equipment can actually broaden your culinary repertoire rather than constrain it. For example, mastering the difference between sweat, sauté and fry is important and will produce different results from the same ingredient using the same utensil.”

“I am over bland uniformity and monotonous textures for the sake of presentation and trend”.

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Tickety boo It’s great when you have one less thing to worry about.

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current Balanced Option is already fully approved. That means its simple, low cost features meet the new MySuper rules.

So it’s all tickety boo. For more information on changes to superannuation visit hostplus.com.au/mysuper or call 1300 HOSTPLUS (1300 467 875), 8am – 8pm, Monday to Friday.

The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed financial adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, MySuper No. 68657495890198, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054. For further information on Chant West ratings visit http://hostplus.com.au/info/chant-west-disclaimer HARDWIREAGENCY HOST7769/HM/TB

HOST7769_TicketyBoo_122x200_HM_01.indd 1 hospitalitymagazine.com.au

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I’ll have my

BEAST and eat it all

Swine & Co

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Chefs are serving up whole animals and including the likes of offal, pigs’ tails and black pudding in their dishes - a practice that’s proving to be a hit with diners, writes Brea Carter.

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Robert Taylor

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he move is not necessarily driven by the potential to cut costs, but by the desire to make the most of top quality produce while creating memorable dining experiences.

Irish-born and raised Colin Fassnidge advocates using all parts of the animal, a value that harks back to his childhood.

“I think a lot of it stems from when I grew up – we ate a lot of offal and stews and braises because Ireland is cold and wet,” he explains.

At his Sydney restaurant Four in Hand, dishes include everything from pig’s tail to black pudding and liver, and a whole suckling pig is also available for pre-order.

“We do a whole pig for 10 people, we don’t roast it on a spit, we roast it in the oven. It’s huge, some nights we’re doing three pigs.”

He attributes the popularity of the whole pig to two things: it’s a meat that everyone loves, and the experience is one that will remain in diners’ memories for years to come.

“It comes out on a board and gets carved at the table. People are up taking photos – they love it.

“That’s what we try to do in our restaurants – put a bit of theatre back into it rather than just serve a plate of food.

There is a bit of theatre there and the waiters get involved too,” he says.

A lengthy preparation process means the pigs arrive at the restaurant several days before they are due to be served up.

“We usually get the pigs in four days

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Swine & Co’s signature suckling pig dish

before we’re going to cook them, and we brush a salt water solution on the pig every day. There’s not really a recipe for it [the solution], if it tastes like sea water that’s what you want. It dries the skin and draws the moisture out so you get a better crackling,” Fassnidge explains.

The pig takes between two and three hours to cook, depending on its size.

“We give it about 40 minutes on as high as the oven will go, it kind of seals it a bit, and then we lower it down for another two hours at about 130 degrees.”

Fassnidge says using whole animals is definitely cheaper than getting in individual cuts, and his young chefs are taught how to break them down, familiarising them with the art of butchery.

“To buy a whole animal, even if you’re not going to cook it whole, and to break it down yourself is a lot cheaper because you’ve got to pay for someone else to break it down otherwise. It’s definitely economical, it’s half the price.

“It’s good for young chefs to know how to do it as well; we get all of our young guys to learn how to break them down. There are not a lot of chefs that can do that anymore,” he adds.

While a whole pig isn’t carved up in front of customers at The Urban Purveyor Group’s newest venue, Swine & Co, it is cooked on the restaurant’s rotisserie right in front of customers’ eyes.

“It feels quite homely; it makes the restaurant a bit more relaxed because you can see what’s going on. If you think about when you go to a friend’s barbeque, you’re hanging around the barbeque chatting – it’s a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere when you see meat being cooked in that way,” says head chef, Robert Taylor.

Like at Four in Hand, the decision to include a whole pig on the spit was not necessarily a cost-saving mechanism.

Taylor agrees with Fassnidge cooking and eating meat in this way adds to the overall dining experience.

“It’s not about making money; it’s Colin Fassnidge more about the theatre Image: Alan Benson of it and allowing customers to see what they are going to eat.

“Each $150 pig we get is a Macleay Valley suckling pig. They are between eight and nine kilograms, are quite young, milk fed and have really nice

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sweet fat around them, the skin is not like your classic crackling, it’s nice and fine and crisp,” he explains.

Prior to cooking, the pig is covered in a spice blend comprised of black cardamom, fennel, celery salt and salt, and it’s cooked on the rotisserie for two to three hours.

“It’s just really simply cooked - the pig is so beautifully looked after so we try not to mess around with it too much.

“We’ve got a mixture of charcoal and birchwood that we use to flavour the meat and we also throw rosemary and fennel pollen into the coal which smokes up and adds a nice flavour,” says Taylor.

Once it’s cooked, chefs remove the pig from the rotisserie, carve it up and combine it with a homemade pork jus.

“All the bones from after we’ve portioned up our pig go into the stock to make a beautiful pork jus and that’s served with a fennel salad and celery salt,” he explains.

Taylor says Swine & Co’s suckling pig dish is incredibly popular, and a number of other menu items include different parts of the pig.

“I’ve got a pig’s tail salad; I do a nice H 0pork 0 4 belly 1 4 _ with 0 0 0pork _ N cheek I C cro1 little

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quettes, we’ve got blood pudding with Hervey Bay scallops and a pork schnitzel.

“We’ve got more to come in winter too, like pork knuckles and stuffed pigs’ trotters,” he adds.

Jared Ingersoll’s pop-up operation Bottle & Beast, which ran out of the old Pyrmont Hotel site from 16 January to 31 March, served up a whole ‘beast’ each day. Not just pig but duck, chicken, lamb, goat and sheep too.

Each night the former fine dining chef and restaurateur fired up his spit and roasted a whole animal over piping hot coals for guests, a decision he says grew out of necessity and love.

“Necessity dictated that I needed to figure out how to cook in a kitchen that wasn’t really suitable for cooking in. I had to come up with a heat source alternative because the equipment just wasn’t good enough.

“Roasting over coal and fire is something that I’ve always loved and I’ve done a huge amount of it,” he adds.

Time constraints also played a part.

Ingersoll and Summer of Riesling cofounder Jason Hoy had just 10 days to get the venue up and running.

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“It’s not about making money; it’s more about the theatre of it and allowing customers to see what they are going to eat.”

didn’t really matter I decided to just focus on what I love and what I know works and that was roasting whole animals.”

Ingersoll admits he wasn’t overly confident that the concept would be well received, however with his years of experience and the temporary nature of the venue in mind, he decided to take the risk.

“I’ve been feeding people for 30 years so you get a pretty good sense of what people like, and it’s not like I needed to fill a 300-seater for the next seven years; it’s a pop-up operation with 50 to 60 seats.

“I felt confident enough that there were enough people who would enjoy just sitting down and enjoying a decent feed, and that wholesome delivery is what shapes the foundations of Bottle & Beast,” he says.

The Bottle & Beast offering was unique in that guests ate from a set menu at essentially the same time, which meant Ingersoll had to ensure he had enough meat on hand, as well as a hard and fast technique for breaking the animal down.

“You’ve got one animal that’s cooked at exactly the same time – everybody’s main course is served from that one animal that is rotating around with bones and feet and heads,” he says.

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profilecatalina

affair

A family

Sydney’s iconic Catalina restaurant in Rose Bay is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. Alexandra E. Petri reports.

“W

.e opened in September 1994,” says Judy McMahon, who, with her business partner and husband Michael McMahon, opened Catalina Restaurant after years of working in the hospitality industry.

And in a climate where it seems that fine dining institutions are closing left and right, Judy McMahon credits experience and the restaurant’s unique environment in helping ensure its success.

“Personally, I think initially it was just the experience that Michael and I both brought to this new venture. We found this most spectacular site that had been sort of underwhelming for a very long time, and we built something beautiful,” she says. “Over the years it fluctuated a bit, like when Woolloomooloo wharf opened and people went to try things there.”

Yet Catalina stayed afloat, with McMahon saying that the restaurant has always offered its patrons a fun environment that has always delivered a casual feel with excellent service and great food.

“It’s kind of that thing where we don’t fit in to a particular slot, because we are more expensive than the casual dining but are much more fun than the formal dining. I think it’s just a secret that we’ve got that most other places don’t have. They’re either one thing or the other, yet we’ve bridged some sort of gap.”

Additionally, McMahon says that an openness and willingness to embrace change was something that helped to not only to sustain their business but to encourage its growth in the industry.

Started by the husband and wife duo, Catalina now has grown to become a family business, with Michael and Judy’s children working in the restaurant as floor managers.

“It just seems that now after so long, with our children working with us in the business as floor managers, it’s like we sort of reinvented ourselves. A lot of restaurants fall in to the trap of not changing and resisting change, and it is something that we haven’t done. We’ve embraced change, and we listen to

the kids and what they feel that people want.”

Other than constantly looking for ways to reinvigorate their menu, McMahon adds that among the new ideas brought in to the restaurant was welcoming new technology with open arms.

“For example, we’ve been quite actively building an electronic database for the past five years, so we’re open to a really good marketing medium … and it’s just growing all the time,” McMahon says.

And though social media is still in its infancy at Catalina, the team has set up Facebook pages, Twitter and Instagram acounts to actively engage with the young customer, McMahon adds.

The restaurant has also been busy launching events like its New Years Day party, which McMahon says was an idea put in to place by her daughter Kate, as well as developing the bar, making Catalina not only a place to dine but a place to relax and have a drink.

“Six years ago now we got a license that allows people to come in and drink without dining,” she explains.

McMahon says that there are a few other ideas in the works, including opening up on Sunday nights and featuring music at the bar to promote the venue’s versatility.

In the years ahead, McMahon adds that she and her husband will continue to be a part of the restaurant’s life.

“What we are looking forward to is moving on with [our son and daughter] taking over the running of the restaurant more and more over time and just keeping it going. We don’t want to retire, and we don’t want to not be involved, we love what we do and we love our restaurant. What we can see is that we are building a really good, strong base for the future.

“We have a really long lease here, so we are looking forward to seeing it carry on and actually build. Our business is growing at the moment, which is extraordinary after 20 years and you don’t really expect that, so we are just looking forward to more growth and more success.”

“With our children working with us in the business as floor managers, it’s like we sort of reinvented ..ourselves”.

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workplaceissues

Missing MILO

&

unfair dismissal

How much is too much when it comes to unfair dismissal? Restaurant & Catering shares an interesting case study.

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he very nature of unfair dismissals ensures that from time to time some interesting cases are brought before the Fair Work Commission. A recent case involving an employee being reinstated to his employment highlights the inherent complexity involved in deciphering what can sometimes be ambiguous applications of the Fair Work Act 2009.

Homes v Coles Group Limited [2014] FWC 1013 saw the applicant reinstated to his original position and remunerated for lost wages at his original rate of pay.

The issue leading to the original dismissal, which was later found to be unfair, was centred around a tin of Milo.

As many businesses do, the Coles store provided a communal common area, with a range of complimentary items for employees. Among such items was a tin of Milo. Intended for the use of employees whilst at work, this Milo was discovered in the employee’s bag after security was alerted to a potential theft by another employee. Upon discovering the Milo in his bag the employee claimed that the Milo was his own property, and not the property of Coles, his employer.

Throughout the course of an internal investigation it became apparent that the Milo was in fact taken from the communal area of the workplace.

With the case before the Fair Work Commission, it became apparent that this was a common practice; the employee would take home the Milo, and return it the following day in a plastic container. In deciding to reinstate the employee, Senior Deputy President Matthew O’Callaghan found that the termination of the employee was ‘harsh’ and ‘disproportionate.’ The Tribunal mem-

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ber said “I am satisfied that his actions in taking the Milo mix home on 30 August 2013 reflected an unintended oversight rather than any form of deliberate and wilful misconduct.”

What this decision highlights is the inherent complexity involved in unfair dismissal cases. Whilst ostensibly this situation may seem a clear case of theft, one must remember that the Fair Work Act 2009 provides the Fair Work Commission with broad grounds of discretion when dealing with unfair dismissal cases. In short this means that tribunal members may take into account things such as “what is considered normal practice in the business” and the intention of the actions taken by employees and employers. These subjective assessments form part of the analysis when assessing whether a dismissal is ‘harsh, unjust or unreasonable.’

These benchmarks of assessment are in their very nature subjective terms, therefore the criteria in which they are assessed by the tribunal members has to do with the complexity of the working relationship, as opposed to other, more binary assessments set out in the unfair dismissal legislation.

There are many examples of this throughout the Fair Work Commission’s decisions archive. Very rarely are dismissals clear cut, and with scrutiny from the Commission it is important that any dismissal is not harsh, unjust or unreasonable. Accordingly, seeking advice before making that crucial decision on termination is more prudent than ever before.

Written by the Workplace Relations Team at Restaurant & Catering Australia. Contact them on 1300 722 878.

Image: Rizwan Nawaz - Anarchy concepts

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I

FOOD PORN spoils skill

Exactly what impact are foodie photos having on the restaurant industry?

Tony Berry vents his spleen.

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t all began – as so many things tend to do these days – with a post on Facebook. And again, in true FB fashion, it went mostly downhill from there.

A familial foodie had been unable to restrain her enthusiasm for the food a restaurant had set before her. Inevitably, out came the mobile phone, pictures were taken and hardly had the first mouthful been digested than the dish had been uploaded for all to see.

It was accompanied by the usual “nom, nom” and “to die for” comments and within next to no time had been “liked” umpteen times and a staccato “conversation” was off and Tony Berry running along with several requests for more information.

The one detail that was missing in all this inexplicable enthusiasm was a description of the actual dish – and that was seriously needed. The picture was poorly lit, the colours far from sharp and the overall focus somewhat fuzzy.

The overall impression was of a bad night at the local Chinese takeaway – what looked like three browned chicken wings, each in a ceramic soupspoon, sat upon a mound of algae grabbed from a stagnant pond, surrounded by a limpid pool of tomato sauce and lined up on a long china platter.

The actual presentation looked good and apparently this and other dishes were enthusiastically consumed. If only the diners had curbed their enthusiasm and limited their praise to the written word, because the picture failed to measure up to their delight. It did nothing to inspire plans to make a booking; it conveyed nothing exceptional; it was more turn-off than turn-on.

Closer and more detailed study has since suggested that the chicken wings were more likely to have been king prawns, still encased in their shells, this confusion giving some idea of the clarity of the photo.

All of which makes understandable the recent outburst from numerous kitchens about what is widely seen as the curse of the mobile phone. Some restaurants have banned them completely because of their all-round ability to annoy other diners – an excellent move in my book. One

New York venue has walls made of metal to prevent mobile phone reception. Others merely discourage the taking of pictures.

The general reaction among the antiphone restaurateurs is that picture-taking is disruptive, mars the overall dining experience and is disrespectful of the chef’s efforts in that food is often left to go cold while the snapper rearranges table settings and even the dish itself. And all to capture an image that is usually far from flattering.

Those who are more tolerant, even encouraging, of smartphone snaps tend to follow the line of all publicity is good publicity – which is an adage that has frequently proved to be far from the truth. Socalled social networking verges too often towards the anti-social and can have a permanency about it that does more harm than good.

It is often said that we eat with our eyes – that a diner’s first reaction is entirely visual. Does it look good enough to eat?

Chefs and foodies prattle on about painting a picture on a plate. So who would want their exquisite artwork, so painstakingly created, to appear as the out-offocus daubing of an infant scribbler?

It has long been a skilful trade to make food look appealing when being photographed for cookbooks, menus and all other publicity. It can take several (and often much trickery) hours for a food stylist to ensure everything is seen in its best light. It is not something for the click-and-shoot brigade.

Whole books – and courses – have been devoted to the art of food photography to ensure justice is done to the chef’s art.

What right has some happy diner – probably somewhat under the influence if they are enjoying the occasion – to fire away with shaky hands and basic equipment to portray to the world a substandard and distorted photographic portrayal of their meal?

At some stage in the FB postings concerning the chicken wings/king prawns there was an interjection about “intellectual property”. This was predictably met with the facile comment of “Really!” as if it was some minor consideration.

If it looks good enough to eat, then eat it. That’s all a chef requires.

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Reader comments JM commented: Ummm. Welcome to 2014.

Get over it. Snap!

Ron commented: You’re way off the mark and clearly pandering to your readers in the hospitality industry.

Get some integrity!

Tony Berry replied: Ah, such a reasoned, well-argued and thoughtful response, somewhat symbolic of the attitude of the happy snappers who act before thinking.

Tony Berry replied: Integrity? Where is the integrity in taking pictures of another person’s creative work without first asking and then distributing the often poor quality result to the world at large. Pandering to the industry? Never yet done and never will be done. It’s so sad when miscreants cannot accept criticism of their anti-social behaviour ... or even pause to think there may be another side to the story..

Martin: commented: So what’s the real question? Does taking a snap of family bucket from KFC constitute stealing Intellectual Property? I suspect not. IP for hospitality is in the process, not the end product surely. If punters were barging into the kitchen to take snaps of the chefs at work, then I could see the point. I think the debate is rather about snobbery. Restaurateurs do not want to position themselves as tourist attractions. To be able to nurture a customer base, comfortable with surroundings and not feel like their favourite restaurant has turned into what passes for a latter-day Madame Tussauds.

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butt out

Get your

staff to

Smoking is not only an unhealthy habit, it can also be a serious time (and therefore money) waster in the workplace. Ken Burgin shares some tips on how you can help your staff to quit.

If you want to help your staff to quit, it’s important to keep these three aspects in mind, and work out a plan to handle them. Stone is clear – people who work out an organised plan have the best chance of quitting for good.

Determining what a staff member’s motivation for quitting is will help you to tailor the company’s efforts to support them. Common motivations include the desire to live a healthier life, the desire to save money, and

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the desire to be a good role model for children (they get a strong anti-smoking message at school). Whatever a particular staff member’s motivation for quitting is, reinforce it as they go through the process of quitting.

Managers and supervisors in the hospitality industry can play a major role in helping staff quit. These include: • Communicating support – management can make it abundantly clear to all staff that they will support them to quit, and will do everything they can to ensure their success. This kind of supportive communication can have a dramatic effect on employees’ success rates.

• Create a supportive atmosphere – place posters and other stop smoking reminders around the workplace. It’s best if these visual reminders also include the phone number of local helplines. It may even be worthwhile for management to contact a professional to come into the workplace and share important information with employees, both as motivation and as a resource.

Ken Burgin • Encourage employees to seek proper influences – because smoking can be a very social experience, those looking to quit often have to distance themselves from those who decide to continue. This can lead to feelings of being ostracised and a loss of friendship. Management can help create an atmosphere where employees aren’t treated as outsiders, but instead are supported and congratulated by the entire team. Lots of smokers know they need to do the same thing and look on with envy!

• Remember that quitting is a process – employees who are going through the process of quitting may have spells in which they are irritable or distant. A couple of days off at the beginning of the quitting process can be a big help. The hardships of life may cause them to start again, sometimes without even realising it. They need support and understanding.

Image: Hanson Ng / Design Pics

Q

uitting cigarettes can be very rewarding and very challenging. There are many motivating factors: better health, a longer life, saving money, and having more self control.

In the US it’s estimated that 40 percent of hospitality workers smoke – twice the national average. It’s likely to be very similar here – what an unhealthy bunch! Many have tried and failed, and to have the best chance of success, it’s good to understand how we become addicted, and then formulate a plan of action. Jacqueline Stone, a Sydney therapist who previously worked for the Quitline, identifies three parts to nicotine addiction: • The chemical addiction – when the body becomes accustomed to smoking, it undergoes a physical change and begins to feel painful withdrawal when it doesn’t get the usual dose of nicotine. This can happen within half an hour of having your last puff.

• The social aspect – it’s common to see people smoking in small groups at work, and many people light up together at bars with friends. Smoking has a social aspect which can also serve as a trigger – sitting on a milk crate and having a puff behind the cafe can be a welcome relief.

• The emotional aspect – this is when a person smokes in response to an emotional situation – such as an argument, receiving bad news or a reprimand. Smoking can help regain some emotional balance.

Healthy staff work harder, so let’s give the quitters all the support we can.

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Image: Hanson Ng / Design Pics

BioPak’s new BioSalad bowls are made from a plant-based bioplastic, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastic varieties. Ingeo bioplastic is produced by US company Natureworks using dextrose (sugar) that is derived from field corn. The Ingeo production process is responsible for producing 75 percent less greenhouse gases than plastics that are made using fossil fuel. The bowls are available in two sizes – 24oz and 32oz and are suitable for storing and transporting cold meals including fruit, muesli and salads.

See www.biopak.com.au

2. Add a touch of Japan to your venue Select pieces by the Japanese-based Miyama Company are now available in Australia through Noritake. Made from the highest quality porcelain, the Sumi Sake Set includes a 220ml capacity carafe and two 60ml cups,

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all of which are kiln fired at 2400˚F to ensure the porcelain is as white as possible. The Minamo Tumbler set is also available, and includes two tumblers in a soft celadon blue glaze that are ideal for serving herbal teas.

Visit www.noritake.com.au

3. Ice tea, yet not as you know it Melbourne-based N & C Beverages has released a new product for retail and wholesale, Trumpeters Alcoholic Ice Tea. Cold infused tea comprises eighty percent of the beverage, which also includes vodka, carbonated water and sugar. The recipe takes its inspiration from 1920s prohibition-era New Orleans, albeit with a modern twist. Interested in stocking the product? Victorian businesses should get in touch with Paramount Liquor, and business owners in all other states are advised to contact N & C Beverages directly.

See www.trumpetersicetea.com

4. Cider is now in a can Strongbow cider has revamped its packaging to include 330ml cans, as well as a new 500ml glass bottle size, which will replace its existing 750ml bottles. The company’s classic apple cider variety is encased in the new cans, and they are available in 10-can fridge packs, meanwhile its classic and crisp cider flavours are now available in the 500ml bottles.

Strongbow’s 355ml bottle size will remain.

To find out more about the packaging, visit www.strongbow.com.au or call 13 23 37 for wholesale enquiries.

5. Affordable washroom supplies Tailored Packaging has released its new Pure Washroom range, which comprises toilet tissues, hand towels, centre feed towels, facial tissues and dispensers. The range is affordable and products are both FSC accredited and EcoChoice certified. Choose from three categories – Green, which

is 100 percent recycled, Premium Blue and Deluxe Gold. Products in the range have been manufactured with commercial settings in mind, and are available in multiple different sizes and lengths, along with matching dispensers.

Check out www.tailoredpackaging. com.au for more information

6. No fuss Asian-style snacks The new Tasty Bites Series of Asian food solutions from Hanabi includes five yum cha style products - pork and chicken potstickers (otherwise known as gyozas), mini BBQ pork buns, chive and pork dumplings and Korean seafood patties. Aside from the seafood patties each product is made in Australia, and all are free from added preservatives and artificial colourings. Each delivery contains four one kilogram packages for added convenience and ease of portion control.

Visit www.markwellfoods.com.au

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hospitalitydiary APRIL 13-15, Fine Food Queensland Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre HO0 4 1 4 _ 0 0 0 _ BB

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Fine Food Queensland returns in 2014, offering an action-packed three day program for hospitality industry professionals.

For more information, visit www.finefoodqueensland.com.au or call (03) 9261 4500.

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INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS IN: FRONT & BACK OF HOUSE OPERATIONS CLEANING & CHEMICALS PACKAGING & PAPER HOUSEKEEPING / HOTELS 30 YEARS SERVING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY SERVICING THE CENTRAL COAST, NEWCASTLE & HUNTER REGION TO NORTHERN NSW VISIT US AT TOTALSUPPLY.COM.AU OR CALL: 1300 762 474

y for owner operator 2 cool rooms 2 3 bedroom apartment oastal holiday town 15 Clarence Street, Yamba NSW

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QUICK, CONVENIENT ACCESS FOR

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Contact: Daniel Kelly 0408 669 646 www.raywhiteyamba.com

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2014 Food Magazine Awards

10 YEARS

HURRY, entries are closing soon for the 10th annual Food Magazine Awards!

These prestigious awards recognise best practice and innovation in the Australian and New Zealand food and beverage manufacturing and packaging industries.

Submit your entry and you can see your success and hard work rewarded at a glamorous gala event.

The categories for 2014 are: ● Baked Goods ● Confectionery ● Dairy ● Health and Wellness ● Meat and Smallgoods ● Ingredient Innovation ● Organics ● Food Safety and Innovation in Non-Food ● Prepared Foods ● Ready Meals ● Snack Foods ● Beverages

nominations Extension

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All �inalists will be pro�iled in Food Magazine and on the website.

They will also be given two free tickets to the gala dinner where the winners will be announced.

For more information on the awards or to download the nomination kit please visit: www.foodmag.com.au/awards

Platinum sponsor

Sponsors

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