Hospitality Magazine April 2011 by Hospitality Magazine

No.671 April 2011

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

foodservice

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accommodation

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beverage

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management

BLACK GOLD Latest trends in how we drink our coffee

Green future Hospitality on sustainability path

CHEF OF CONVICTION Print Post Approved PP349181/00109

Ian Curley on stardom, passion and produce

Hi tech workhorses We peek inside some of the best new kitchens

Not just politics

Canberra’s wines winning votes

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EDITOR Rosemary Ryan Ph: (02) 9422 2880 rosemary.ryan@reedbusiness.com.au

Editor’s Note

JOURNALIST Danielle Bowling Ph: (02) 9422 2667 danielle.bowling@reedbusiness.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Christine Salins Ken Burgin Tony Berry ADVERTISING NATIONAL Rhonnie Merry Ph: (02) 9422 2481 Fax: (02) 9422 2863 rhonnie.merry@reedbusiness.com.au MARKETING Janet Leong Ph: (02) 9422 2644 janet.leong@reedbusiness.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGNER

traipsing down with my glass in my hand but always left a little apart from them so as not to inhale any smoke. They’re all considerate smokers and go overboard to protect me. They apologise profusely if they think a whiff has headed in my direction, waving madly to dissipate it, or moving positions if there’s a change of wind direction. And they would never dream of throwing a butt onto a public street. Unfortunately when I go out to eat here in NSW, I’m confronted with not so con-

LET IT be known I’m not a smoker. I never have been (unless you count the few illicit puffs behind my nanna’s shed with my very sophisticated older cousin when I was ten), and never will be. Ironically, I come from a family of smokers. As a result I’m sometimes left like a bad smell at the table at family dinners as the rest of my clan gathers in a haze down in the backyard merrily puffing away in between courses - rain, hail or shine. I sometimes choose to put my inner wowser aside and join them,

siderate smokers who gravitate to the alfresco eating areas of restaurants and cafes where, in some venues, crazy as it seems, they’re still allowed to smoke, and have no qualms about doing so, just feet away from diners. It means often the most appealing outdoor areas of a restaurant or café where diners want to sit for a meal or just a coffee are filled with those customers who want to also enjoy a palate cleansing cigarette between courses, or at the end of the meal. Other diners who want to enjoy smoke free dining for themselves (and their children perhaps) are forced to head indoors to escape. (I know smoking food has become all the rage with chefs but...). What’s prompted me to jump on my bandwagon

(and risk the derision of the smokers out there) is a recent Newspoll survey commissioned by the NSW Cancer Council that found overwhelming support for a ban on smoking in outdoor areas where food and drink is served. While some states have long banned the practice, NSW lags behind. Here it’s still up to local councils to decide. I reckon it’s time for our foodservice operators to take the initiative and make the move on their own. Now, don’t get me started on kitchen staff who stand smoking in their uniforms in view of diners walking into their restaurant. Yuck.

Rosemary Ryan

Ronnie Lawrence Ph: (02) 9422 2741 PRODUCTION CO-ORDIN NATOR Laura Panameno Ph: (02) 9422 8772 laura.panameno@reedbusiness.com.au PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Stevens Ph: (02) 9422 8748 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Michelle Graves Ph: (02) 9422 2391

contents 4 News

12 Imbibe

Foodservice businesses unsustainable as cost of wages bites. Poll finds overwhelming support for smoke free outdoor dining.

Canberra shows it’s not just about politics. The wines are pretty good too.

14 Hospitality chef Ian Curley is a chef with conviction — and a television show to prove it.

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6 Secret ingredients Q&A with chef Joe Cavallo.

31 Burgin 8 Mystery diner

Want to keep improving your and your staff’s skills?

Our secret reviewer heads to Gauchos in Adelaide.

32 Dr Hospitality 10 Workplace

We have a good website but it's not coming up on Google. Why not?

Public holidays put pressure on hospitality businesses.

Features 18 Black gold The latest trends coming through in coffee.

21 Greening up How some hospitality leaders are heading down the sustainability path.

24 My new kitchen Check out the latest cooking equipment that’s gracing the shiny kitchens of some high profile new restaurant start ups.

No.671 April 2011

ON THE COVER:

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

foodservice

accommodation

beverage

management

hospitalitymagazine.com.au BLACK GOLD Latest trends in how we drink our coffee

Average Net Distribution Period ending Sept 10 13,701

Green future Hospitality on sustainability path

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

Ian Curley on stardom, passion and produce

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.

CHEF OF CONVICTION

Hi tech workhorses

We peek inside some of the best new kitchens

Not just politics

Canberra’s wines winning votes

On the cover this month is a chef whose profile has experienced a significant lift in the past month or so as a result of his new television show, Conviction Kitchen. Ian Curley has long been one of our most respected and acclaimed chefs and is probably even more so after his performance in the reality series which has seen him and restaurant manager Lisa Parker training and mentoring a group of 12 convicted criminals to become chefs and front of house staff

running a restaurant. In our profile starting on page 14, Curley reveals that he initially almost turned down the role in the show but when he found out more about it he embraced it. We also find out more about Curley’s commitment to nose to tail cooking and the passion that has seen him become great friends with high profile chef and restaurateur Fergus Henderson. Plus he shares his recipe with us for his popular Pork Cotoletta dish.

hospitality | april 2011

news

Management

Foodservice businesses unsustainable as wage cost pressure grows, says industry report Already known for its low margins, the foodservice industry is under even more intense pressure as costs from wages make increasing numbers of businesses unviable, according to new industry data. AUSTRALIA'S restaurants and caterers are spending 44 cents of every dollar earned on wages and salaries, according to a major industry survey just released. The survey by industry representative association Restaurant and Catering Australia (R&CA), the latest instalment in an ongoing benchmarking study, reveals staffing costs are the greatest barrier to business development with the cost of wages having grown from 35.7 per cent to the current 44 per cent of turnover in the past five years. R&CA said the increase is a result of both wage pressure, brought about by skills shortages and industrial relations reforms that have seen significant increases in wage levels in the industry. R&C chief executive officer John Hart said the increases in wage costs were not sustainable “when a very large number of businesses are making very slim margins”. “Restaurant, café and catering businesses have lost any flexibility in their employment practices and now have very few options but to cut hours or reduce staff numbers to stay afloat,” Hart said.

He said the data is also showing that for the first time ever in the Australian hospitality industry the rate of restaurant and catering business closures was exceeding the rate of opening. “So we are actually starting to go backwards in the number of restaurants that we have, and that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that trend,” he said. “The number of restaurants has grown very considerably over the past 20 years and we’ve never seen a net decline.” Hart said factors driving the trend include increased consolidation in the industry but also the more challenging environment for businesses. “It’s just not worthwhile opening another business and the operators know that,” he said. Hart said that frustratingly the tight conditions for businesses comes at a time when turnover in the industry is strong and there is a boom in interest in food and dining out by consumers. “The revenue growth is still very strong and there are more people eating our more often,” he said. “But it’s profitless growth. We are not seeing any return for those dollars that are coming through the

Increasing wage costs for staff are putting hospitality operators under pressure.

door. We really need fundamental reform [in wages]. “All systems designed within the modern award are designed for nineto-five businesses and haven't taken into account the businesses that operate outside these hours.” The latest R&CA survey, which was conducted over November, December and January, was released as the industry body also made its submission to the Fair Work Australia annual wage review in which it has called for the minimum wage rate to be kept on hold this year. In its submission, R&CA said approximately 63 per cent of the indus-

try earns an average two per cent after tax and the overall average was four per cent. It said the industry, which turns over around $16bn a year, was “looking down the barrel of employment growth of more than three per cent in the coming year.” In its submission the R&CA has also argued for Queensland businesses to be exempt from any increases because of the impact on businesses there of the recent disasters. “We’ve suggested that if there is any increase awarded it should exclude Queensland on the basis of the exceptional circumstances provision,” said Hart.

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MOST READ STORIES

Passionate Queensland apprentice is Proud winner

Chefs put sustainable seafood on the menu

QUEENSLAND apprentice chef Keryn van Kempen is a step closer to realising her career dreams after winning the Fonterra Foodservice Proud to be a Chef competition. Van Kempen (pictured) beat 26 other apprentices from Australia and New Zealand who had been selected to be part of a group to take part in this year’s program. As well as the chance to win the prize of an international trip to train with a chef of their choosing, the group took part in two days of master classes hosted by chefs Adrian Richardson of La Luna Bistro and Scott Pickett of The Point. Van Kempen — a second year

Top apprentice chefs competition opens for entries

Top innovation award for Aussie foodservice invention

Marriot to transform into green wonderland

Gaspa heads up new Star City bistro

Source: hospitalitymagazine.com.au

hospitality | april 2011

apprentice who began her career at Ebb Waterfront Dining in

Maroochydore — said winning the program would open many new doors for her in her career. "It’s just been such an amazing experience and I think having this accolade in my portfolio of achievements will open up opportunities for me,” she said. Van Kempen’s culinary idol is Jamie Oliver because of the work he’s doing in the area of teaching people to appreciate good food and develop cooking skills. “I’d like to be working with the next generation and doing what Jamie is doing, teaching families to cook,” she said. “So many families just aren’t doing that.”

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

news

Legislation

Support for alfresco smoke ban Pressure is mounting for a ban on smoking in outdoor dining areas in NSW. A NEW poll has revealed increasingly strong support by NSW people for state legislation to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas. The Newspoll survey commissioned by the NSW Cancer Council and the Heart Foundation found that 83 per cent of those surveyed said they supported the banning of smoking in outdoor areas where food or drink is served. In a similar survey on this issue in 2006, 69 per cent of adults said they supported a ban on smoking in outdoor dining areas. Cancer Council NSW manager of advocacy and policy, Anita Tang said NSW people were “fed up with having to endure toxic tobacco fumes when trying to enjoy a meal outdoors”. “This new data shows not only is smoke-free outdoor dining a good health policy, it is also clearly what voters want,” she said. “Contrary to tobacco industry scare tactics, it's also what eight

out of ten café and restaurant owners want, believing state wide legislation is fairer than leaving it to local councils. Piece this together and we have strong public and business support for a very achievable policy to protect everybody equally.” The figures about café and restaurant owners' views come from a survey conducted by the Ipsos-Eureka Social Research Institute in October last year. NSW lags behind states including Queensland, which has led the way in alfresco smoke free dining legislation, the ACT and the Northern Territory. In NSW the issue remains in the hands of individual local councils who can decide to introduce the ban for hospitality businesses in their area. Heart Foundation chief executive officer Tony Thirlwell urged the NSW Government to respond to the strong public support. “If Government had any con-

‘If Government had any concerns about the level of public support…these figures have removed any last shred of doubt.’ cerns about the level of public support for new measures to tackle smoking, these figures have removed any last shred of doubt," he said. Thirlwell said even issues considered controversial at the time such as the smoking ban inside pubs and clubs were now supported by the majority of people with the Newspoll revealing 90 per cent of people surveyed now supported the ban. The latest poll was conducted in February among 628 people aged over 18.

What would you feed Heston? WHAT do you put on the menu when culinary alchemist and Michelin starred chef Heston Blumenthal is coming for lunch? That was the task confronting chef Rob Crawford who headed up the kitchen team who prepared the food at a special lunch event at Sydney’s Tattersall’s Club with Blumenthal as the star presenter. Crawford — executive chef at catering company Avocado Group which hosted and catered for the lunch — was informed by boss Ian Martin the day he returned from holidays in February that he’d be in charge of the menu for the event that was six weeks away. “Once I got out of the cardiac ward I was okay,” joked Crawford. “My main challenge and concern was to make sure we did something that was relevant to the event and not looking like we were trying to do what Heston does. We decided to do what we

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

in brief Number 8 chef heads to Hotelex Shanghai Joe Hlusko, chef de cuisine at Crown’s Number 8 restaurant, is the winner of our Hotelex Shanghai competition that Hospitality ran in conjunction with the show’s organisers Shanghai UBM SInoexpo. The prize included return flights for two people and four nights’ accommodation plus the chance to visit the giant four day show. Look out for our report on the show in the May issue of Hospitality.

Chefs sizzle at Oceanafest Singapore has taken the top title at the 2011 WA Oceanafest competition held in conjunction with Fine Food Perth, beating the Australian team by just 0.3 points. The competition, organised by the WA Australian Culinary Federation, saw chefs from across Australia and overseas compete head to head in the festival of culinary arts. Teams from Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Philippines, Australia, Origins at Pan Pacific, Western Australia, Thailand, South Korea and Singapore battled it out over the three days, preparing 88 entrees, mains and dessert for the judges and show-goers dining in the event restaurant. "The standard was absolutely excellent," said Patrick O'Brien, WA Oceanafest director. The top teams who received gold medals were Singapore, Australia and NZ.

Sydney has cheapest brew as price pressure builds

Christian Gardelli (left), Heston Blumenthal, Ian Martin and Rob Crawford at the Tattersall;s Club.

do best and focus on fresh, local produce and presenting it simply and cleanly.” Working with sous chef Christian Gardelli, the menu Crawford came up with started with an entrée of NSW Yellow Fin tuna tataki with shichimmi spice, a pickled cucumber and ginger salad, some lime foam and a wakame wafer. The main was Clarence River Valley veal with a crust of native wattle seed served with heirloom vegetables and

saffron potatoes. For dessert was a date and blood orange pudding with kaffir lime and coconut ice cream, sesame biscuits and butterscotch sauce. The lunch was one of a series of events in Blumenthal’s busy program during his visit here last month. As well as a sold out stage show, he joined Neil Perry, Mugaritz’s Andoni Aduriz and the French Laundry’s Thomas Keller for the Ultimate Dinner charity function at Rockpool Bar and Grill.

The latest index of coffee prices show Sydney and Melbourne are the cheapest places for customers to buy a coffee —depending on whether it’s a grab and go or a dine in cup. As increasing coffee prices build pressure for foodservice business operators to increase the price of their coffee, the quarterly Cappuccino Price Index from coffee supplies company Gilkatho revealed Sydney has the lowest priced take away coffee while Melbourne offers the best price for dine in. The December quarter instalment of the Index, which has been expanded to cover more of Australia, showed the price being charged for a coffee was on the rise. Perth was the place with the most expensive coffee.

hospitality | april 2011

newsextra

secretingredients Joe Cavallo The executive chef at Aperitivo restaurant, located in the heart of the traditional Sydney Italian dining precinct of Leichhardt, was drawn back into the kitchen by his love for Italian food. Cavallo took some time out to share his ideas and aspirations with Hospitality magazine. Give us a very brief history of your career? I started in kitchens when I was 17, at Mediterranean l'incontro restaurant, and completed my apprenticeship at Aqua Luna under Darren Simpson. After this, I managed a gourmet fruit shop and fine foods deli — which was great to learn about produce and where it all comes from. My love for Italian food was what drew me back to the kitchen. I worked as sous chef at Surry Hills tapas bar, Millevini, Pizza E Birra, and then head chef at Mezzaluna, before coming to Aperitivo. What do you like to eat when you’re not working? With one day off per week, it’s either other restaurant’s food or take away to get a cheeky junk food fix. What’s your favourite dish on your menu? Herb crusted yellow fin tuna served with watermelon, baby cress salad and wasabi dressing. It’s fresh and zesty. What’s your favourite ingredient at the moment? Truffle honey. It imparts real flavour to a number of dishes.

piece of equipment in your kitchen? The chef and the sausage machine

a strong front of house, which is so important. The staff, in many ways, are the face of the business.

Your most expensive flop? Burrata with roasted tomato soup. Don’t ask.

You’ve just been handed $2m. How would you spend it on your business? Pay off the loan, sell the business and go on holidays (only joking!). I would purchase state of the art kitchen equipment, the best money can buy. I would also employ enough staff so I can work full time on experimenting on new dishes to add to the menu. And with the digital age moving so quickly, I would use some of the money to help me get the large number of ipads I would need to put my new menu in digital format instead of on paper.

What do you think will be the next big foodservice trend? Organic and biodynamic produce/wines. People are really starting to take more of an interest in where things come from and how they are produced, which is fantastic. What’s the biggest challenge ahead for foodservice in Australia? Maintaining well-trained and professional staff to keep the standard of service high is a challenge in any restaurant. The number of waiters and even chefs available in Australia is at a minimum. It is difficult to sponsor an overseas waiter or chef, so the rate of attrition in this industry can be higher than others. This means more time is spent on training new personnel, as opposed to constantly keeping the same people and building

What’s your dream hospitality gig? To write a cookbook on the dishes we serve at Aperitivo. I would also love to be on a cooking show on television to showcase our food. Vent your spleen. What annoys you about this business? TV shows such as MasterChef (as much as I love them) mean that everyone thinks they are now a chef or food critic, so are quick to comment on every dish as if they were in front of a camera or have been doing so their entire life. What would be on the menu at your last supper? My mum’s homemade eggplant polpette. If you weren’t a chef you’d be…? …I can’t even imagine doing anything else!

Joe Cavallo’s Mozzarella di Buffala

What’s your favourite restaurant (apart from your own of course!)? Pilu at Freshwater. Giovanni is an amazing chef and I am never disappointed there.

Ingredients 4 buffalo mozzarella 5 ripe Roma tomatoes 500g red grapes 2 gelatine sheets

What’s your pick of the menu there? Go straight to the Sardinian tasting menu.

Puree the tomatoes and grapes in a speed blender. Take a shinwa and line it with a tea towel. Place over a deep bowl and pour the puree in. Then squeeze out 750ml of juice. Soak the gelatine in cold

What do you think is the most over-rated ingredient on menus at the moment? Edible flowers!

What do you think is the key to retaining staff and keeping them motivated? It is essential to allow everyone to have input on the menu, so that everyone feels a sense of ownership. You must make sure they are viewed as a key member of the team, even from the top of the chain right down to the bottom.

Everyone in my kitchen is treated as an equal, which makes for a much better vibe all round, and there are no politics — we are chefs, not in parliament!

water until it softens. Pour the liquid into a pot and bring it to 42C. Remove from heat. Strain the gelatine to get rid of excess water and mix it through the liquid Refrigerate for five hours. Once the jelly has set mix it with a fork then pour into a serving bowl. Place the buffalo mozzarella on top, add salt and pepper and a good dash of extra virgin olive oil.

What’s the most indispensable 6

hospitality | april 2011

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review

mysterydiner Gaucho’s Argentinean Restaurant Where: 91 Gouger Street, Adelaide What: An Adelaide dining institution where meat is king, cooked to perfection on the ‘parrilla’, a huge barbecue chargrill positioned proudly in the restaurant’s window. MEATS ARE grilled in all sorts of cultures across the globe, but few do it like the South Africans and the South Americans (and a couple of notable Australians). In a somewhat surreal moment where worlds merge, I now find myself in Adelaide, seated at a crisply clothed table at Gaucho’s Argentinean Grill, having dinner with a South African. You can smell this iconic, multi award-winning restaurant long before it comes into view with the ‘parrilla’ (or huge BBQ chargrill) placed right in the front window for maximum effect for the passing parade. A Gouger Street mainstay since it opened its doors more than 20 years ago, these folk are really serious about their steak and still proudly dry age and butcher on site to keep control of the process and quality. The restaurant is a bustling mass of hungry diners and patient, knowledgeable staff. We are handed the list that truly favours food done in a simple style that brings the freshness and quality of the produce to the fore. Given that my colleague is a South African wine importer, we have a couple of bottles of Stellenbosch Pinotage to match with the meal and an excellent job they do too. It’s unsurprising really, given the similarity in some of the foods and the methods of cooking between the countries. Gaucho’s strives for simplicity in food, something that couldn’t be better exemplified than in my entrée. Four smallish rounds of squid ($22.50), with little side wings still attached, arrived on a rectangular plate with a lemon cheek, a drizzle of chilli oil and a mound of dressed rocket salad. The absolute joy in this was the way that the ingredients each took their place in the spotlight. The squid was as tender as any I have tasted and a chilli kick was welcome, but not overpowering. Rocket salad was the ideal accompaniment with a bright peppery flavour and slightly acidic dressing. My dining companion had sadly over indulged in some duck fat potatoes earlier in the day and was restricted to a main, and saving himself for dessert. Mains do not disappoint. My friend has the local Spencer Gulf Prawns ($38.50) and four large crustaceans come in a wide, white bowl; heads and tails attached with the meat shell free in between. Again, simplicity is the key. They are dressed with fragrant olive oil, garlic, a scattering of herbs and a lemon cheek. The meat is sweet and wonderfully textured. All mains come with hand cut, fried potatoes cooked with rosemary and a healthy sprinkle of sea salt. 8

hospitality | april 2011

These wonderful chips are the perfect addition to my main; a bone-in, thick cut porterhouse ($39.50). Now, I am a fan of garlic, but the volume of chopped garlic on the top of this perfectly cooked steak bordered on vampire defying. However, the chimmichurri sauce that was under the garlic and chives as well as circling the plate was a sensation. The house made combination of olive oil, lemon juice, spices, garlic (of course), herbs and fennel proved a winner with great flavour depth and some serious zing in the mouth. The steak itself was excellent; perfectly medium rare and with the slightly dense texture that good porterhouse possesses, but tender and flavoursome. It also came with a wedge of lemon to add a final fresh taste and what could really be better than great steak and chips. No wonder the hoards outside were drooling slightly when looking through the glass at these fabulous meaty cuts smoking away on the grill. I love an assiette for those moments when dessert choices are too hard — or you need to share with someone. This was one of those times and a platter ($20.90) duly lands with four sweet elements. A shot glass holds a couple of very rich, cocoa covered truffles. Tasty. There is also a square of rich chocolate brownie topped with a large quenelle of decadently rich cream, a scoop of ice cream and a disc of chocolate parfait. All

The details Gaucho’s 91 Gouger Street, Adelaide Phone: 03 9614 7688 Web: gauchos.com.au Head chef: Chris Robinson Open: Lunch: Mon-Friday Dinner: Mon-Sun

The verdict: Gaucho’s strives for simplicity in food letting the flavours shine through and giving each ingredient its place in the spotlight. With quality food and such friendly professional service it’s no wonder it’s an Adelaide institution.

good in structure and flavour and artfully presented. I think that a feast of chocolate is a wonderful way to finish off our Argentinean adventure although, in hindsight, the Churros would possibly have been more fitting. Gaucho’s is a faithful representation of the South American devotion to the chargrill and a fine job they do of it as well. I have spent a couple of lovely evenings here and have always been well pleased, with both the quality of the food and the friendly and professional service. Long may it remain an Adelaide institution. Exquisito. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

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COOKING

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workplace

Public holidays put pressure on Melbourne Food & Wine Festival March in Melbourne is all about events, good food, wine and magical experiences. Imagine dining at one long table with over 1000 guests in the Carlton Gardens – this was the World’s Longest Lunch and FIA had over 80 members join in the fun. Held as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, this iconic event was catered by Peter Rowland Catering and students from William Angliss assisted in service – both members of the FIA.

Australia can be proud of the many talented chefs we have and the quality of our produce. We will be there for the 20th year celebrations in 2012.

Foodservice Forum Our members were captivated by the passion and enthusiasm of GM Bruce Keebaugh from The Big Group, when he presented at the last foodservice Forum held at Capital Kitchen. From small beginning, this dynamic duo (husband and wife) has set the benchmark higher with their inspirational events. Now with several smaller companies in their team, they cater for retail & culinary centres, large corporate companies, races, the big events and in unique event spaces such as the Myer Mural Hall, due to re-open at the end of March.

The next forum to be held on Tuesday 3 May on Social Media – Understanding the Digital Landscape and how the foodservice industry can engage more with savvy chefs and entrepreneurs who use this for their information and buying trends. A whole new world will open in this unique space and everyone is welcome.

Foodservice Industry Charity Cup To honour the memory of the late Ian Ross, former editor of Hospitality, the FIA will be competing for the Foodservice Charity Cup with barefoot bowls on Tuesday 5 April. Another sold out event with teams from the industry showing their skills, connecting with each other and raising funds for Challenge – supporting kids with cancer.

Bringing Foodservice Together For further information: Carol on 03 9527 8635 or 0414 367 888 E: foodservice@ihug.com.au www.foodserviceindustry.asn.au

hospitality | april 2011

Public holidays and the challenges they create for hospitality businesses is a hot issue in Australia as wage costs continue to bite. PUBLIC holidays are an entitlement derived from two sources — the National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009 and from relevant State or Territory based legislation. Currently there are eight public holidays declared under the National Employment Standards — New Years Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Queens Birthday Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Employees employed under Modern Awards have an entitlement to penalty rates for working on any day that is deemed to be a public holiday or additional public holiday under a state law. This means the public holiday entitlements will change from state to state based on the ever changing gazettals and legislative amendments by state governments. This loophole in the interaction between state and federal law caused havoc in WA last year because Christmas day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day fell on a weekend resulting in three additional public holidays or a total of six public holidays attracting double time and one half public holiday penalty rates. A similar problem arises in NSW over Easter this year because the State Government has declared Easter Sunday and the day after Easter Monday as additional public holidays which means hospitality employers are liable for a total of five days of public holiday penalty rates starting on Good Friday, 22 April. This increase in labour costs will result in some hospitality employers reducing trading hours or reducing casual labour being employed on public holidays. However, for businesses that trade 24/7 it means additional costs that directly eat into trading profits or create operating losses for the day. Operating on public holidays can incur high costs to your business in relation to all levels of job

categories. For example, if the business is open every public holiday, a level two casual employee employed under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award would currently be entitled to $3,618.00 if they were to work on eleven public holidays during the year. That figure is magnified ten times if you have ten casual employees required to work on each public holiday. In the hospitality industry opening your business on a public holiday is inevitable, and while you can’t pay below what is stipulated in the relevant award there are certain things that can be done to help lower the costs. However, a little known provision in the FWA National Employment Standards gives employees the right to be absent from work on public holidays. Employers do have the right to make reasonable requests for employees to work on public holidays. But, if an employer requests an employee to work on a public holiday the employee may refuse the request if the request is not reasonable; or the refusal is reasonable. In determining whether a request, or a refusal of a request, to work on a public holiday is reasonable, take into account: (a) the nature of the employer’s workplace (including its operational requirements), and the na-

ture of the work performed by the employee; (b) the employee’s personal circumstances; (c) whether the employee could reasonably expect the employer might request work on the public holiday; (d) whether the employee is entitled to receive overtime payments, penalty rates or other compensation for, or a level of remuneration that reflects an expectation of, work on the public holiday; (e) the type of employment of the employee (eg full-time, parttime, or casual.)hiftwork); (f) the amount of notice in advance of the public holiday given by the employer when making the request or the amount of notice given by the employee in refusing the request. Therefore, it’s always good practice to ensure your staff have agreed in advance to rosters containing periods where public holidays will be worked. Another option could be to restructure the roster during public holidays by rostering on certain types of employees. This may reduce the costs on wages. This article was prepared by the workplace relations team at Restaurant and Catering Australia. For information contact 1300 722 878. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

imbibe

Canberra’s reputation grows as cool climate wine champion Canberra’s not just a place of politics. The region’s growing reputation for fine cool climate wines is attracting plenty of attention to the area as well, writes Christine Salins.

ext month, a symposium will be held at University House in Canberra celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Canberra District wine region. When pioneering vignerons John Kirk (Clonakilla) and Edgar Riek (Lake George) planted grapes back in 1971, Canberra was better known for its political intrigue than it was for winemaking. No-one could have foreseen just how highly regarded the region would become as a producer of fine cool-climate wines. A number of wineries have been quietly kicking goals for years, but there’s been a real coming of age in the last two or three years, with one Canberra wine, Clonakilla Shiraz Viongier, elevated to icon status, and some young bloods injecting a new enthusiasm into the industry. Just recently, Alex McKay won a trophy at the Sydney Wine Show for his Collector Wines 2009 Marked Tree Shiraz. A 2009 Shiraz from another newcomer, Nick O’Leary, won the trophy for Best Young Shiraz in the NSW Wine Awards in October. Earlier, Nick Spencer, of Eden Road Wines, had stunned everyone when he took out the 2009 Jimmy Watson trophy at the Melbourne Wine Show. The 2008 Long Road Shiraz was made from Hilltops grapes at the Eden Road winery, located in the formerly Hardys-owned Kamberra winery right on the main highway leading into the nation’s capital. Suddenly a name that most people had not even heard of was on everyone’s lips. “It was a really good way of picking up both consumer and trade awareness,” said Spencer, who is president of the Canberra District Wine Industry Association. Spencer has so much faith in the region that he recently released a premium wine labelled simply “Canberra”. It’s a 2009 Shiraz but that’s not apparent from the label. “The idea is to promote that we think Canberra is among the best place in the world to grow Shiraz,” Spencer said. Despite making only a small volume, he has already succeeded in getting it into some of the best restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne. A string of successes for Canberra wines on the show circuit have been complemented by a huge number of reviews and acco-

hospitality | april 2011

Benchmark: Clonakilla’s shiraz viognier

‘When you compare the Canberra, region with just 35 wineries, to the Hunter Valley, which has more than 150, it really is an outstanding result.’ lades, and now sommeliers everywhere are seeking out Canberra wines for their lists. “You can see the tide is turning where people are ringing us to buy the wine, instead of us having to do cold calling,” said Jennie Mooney, of Capital Wines, who is building a cellar door near the hugely successful Grazing restaurant to create one big food, wine and tourism complex. The wines in Capital’s core range, the Ministry series, have quirky names such as Back-

bencher Merlot and the Foreign Minister Sangiovese, in a nod to the region’s political roots. Mooney says they are selling as far afield as Western Australia, where they are struggling to keep up with demand. The manager of Lerida Estate, Anne Caine, said Canberra wines have become the flavour of the month. She said it was “extraordinary” that of the 32 wineries with cellar doors in Canberra, 10 had been awarded five-star status by James Halliday. This was probably the highest, proportionally, of any region in Australia. In Halliday’s Top 100 NSW Wines, 19 Canberra District wines made the list, equalled only by the Hunter Valley, which also had 19. “When you compare Canberra, with just 35 wineries, to the Hunter Valley, which has more than 150, it really is an outstanding result,” Caine said. “And in addition to the 19 wines which were made in Canberra, there were also three wines … that are produced using Canberra District fruit. This is one of the up and coming regions, not just in NSW but in Australia. There’s a real recognition in Canberra compared with five years ago.” The district’s success has been primarily on the back of Shiraz and Riesling, with Helm Wines in particular doing outstandingly well with its Riesling and Premium Riesling. Its wines feature on lists such as Aria, Bathers Pavilion, Rockpool Bar and Grill, Tetsuyas, Otto and Quay in Sydney, and Bistro Thierry in Melbourne. But Caine said other varieties are doing well. One of Lerida’s most popular wines is a Botrytis Pinot Gris and it makes several excellent examples of Pinot, its Cullerin Pinot on the list at Time to Vino in Sydney and its Shiraz Viognier on the list at Windows and The Livingroom in Melbourne. Fergus McGhie, of Mount Majura Vineyard, said Australian Capital Tourism’s Liquid Geography campaign had put the spotlight on Canberra as a producer of top Shiraz and Riesling. “I think we’re selling that story pretty well,” McGhie said. “But there’s some exciting stuff going on outside of Shiraz and Riesling.” Mount Majura Tempranillo has been picked up by restaurants such as Movida Aqui in Melbourne and Bird Cow Fish in Sydney, while its TSG blend of Tempranillo, hospitalitymagazine.com.au

imbibe

Top drops Shaw Vineyard Estate 2009 Premium Riesling Shaw was one of only five wineries to have two wines named in the NSW Wine Awards Top 40 in October. Both of its winning wines were Riesling – this one and the slightly cheaper Winemakers Selection Riesling. This one has great acidity, some minerality and plenty of lime and apple notes. Mount Majura 2009 Tempranillo Mount Majura first produced this variety in 2003 and with a little more age on the vines now, it just keeps getting better and better. The 2009 has wonderful earthy, savoury notes with persistent tannins and a great mouthfeel. Think licorice, blueberries and dark cherries with a hint of spice. Canberra region wines make their mark.

Shiraz and Graciano is on the list at Cotton Duck in Sydney. McGhie said it’s an exciting time for Canberra wineries, with even previously unenthusiastic locals now embracing the wines. He has noticed a major shift in the last year or two. For many years, it had been easier to find Canberra wines on Sydney and Melbourne restaurant lists than in those in Canberra itself. Lark Hill has been overwhelmed with support for its Grüner Veltliner since it produced Australia’s first example of the variety in

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Four Winds Vineyard 2009 Alinga Sangiovese A really versatile wine that would pair well with a wide range of dishes, this is a medium-bodied, easy-drinking number. Fresh and lively, it has lovely juicy cherry and raspberry notes with a touch of spice.

2009. Winemaker Chris Carpenter attributes its success partly to curiosity, partly to the vineyard’s biodynamic certification and partly to the fact that sommeliers have found it to be a great wine to match with food. The 2010 Grüner Veltliner was pre-ordered by restaurants after sommeliers were offered a barrel tasting, and many re-ordered

above their initial allocation. Restaurants such as Aria and Fix St James have picked it up, while Coast lists the Lark Hill Chardonnay and Fix St James also takes the Lark Hill Shiraz Viognier. Tim Kirk, whose Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier has become a benchmark for the style in Australia, says there is a real interest in Canberra wine now, both at wine shows and at a consumer level. There had been a noticeable increase in interest in Canberra Shiraz in the last two or three years, and Canberra Riesling had also picked up a lot of momentum. “We make 10,000 cases of wine and we just cannot keep up with demand,” Kirk said. He attributes the region’s success to the fact that it makes a medium-bodied, spicy, savoury Shiraz, the sort that people can enjoy with their dinner. Alex McKay said Kirk is making a wine that’s “almost a Burgundy for Shiraz lovers”. He said Canberra’s combination of cool climate and granite and shale soils produces medium-bodied wines with elegance and spice, yet with plenty of interest and complexity. It was a style that today’s consumers found appealing, he said. “The market is coming to drink more of those styles of wines,” McKay said. “Part of the success of Canberra wines is not only that the wines have gotten better but the market is moving to that sort of style.”

hospitality | april 2011

Ian Curley: A reputation for toughness.

hospitality | april 2011

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hospitalitychef

Chef of CONVICTION His face may be more widely recognised as a result of his successful television show, but Melbourne-based chef Ian Curley’s biggest passion will always be with his ‘day’ job, writes Danielle Bowling. ven though he's appeared on the cooking juggernaut, MasterChef, and now has his own reality television show, Ian Curley is definitely not your typical 'celebrity chef'. He'd probably actually hate to be put in that category. Curley is the star of Channel 7's Conviction Kitchen, the show that’s giving 12 convicted criminals the opportunity to redeem themselves and make a career in the foodservice industry. So reluctant was he to put his face on the small screen Curley actually turned down the television company’s original offer. “Originally I thought it was going to be a cooking show so I said no because there are a lot of cooking shows out there and while it's good for the people on the show, me standing up on TV and showing you how to make a muffin is really not that inspiring,” Curley says. However, once he learnt that Conviction Kitchen was about helping people trying to make a fresh start after getting into trouble with the law, just like Curley did in his younger years, he agreed.

His priorities, however, still lie solely in the kitchen — minus the cameras. “I say to all my chefs that it's okay to be a big pop star and be on television, but you’ve got to be able to back it up,” Curley says. “Some chefs do it really well and some chefs fail miserably. I don't think I'm good at both so I tend to worry more about my restaurant than my so-called television career.” Now executive chef at Melbourne's European Group venues — The European, City Wine Shop, The Tearoom, Supper Club and Siglo — Curley's entry into the industry was one more of desperation than desire. After getting into trouble with the police and spending time in a young offender’s prison, a youth opportunities program found him work at a canteen, where one of his superiors told him that if he wanted to work and travel the world, then he should learn to cook. So that's what he did. After working in the UK and the US for a few years, Curley came to Australia and automatically fell in love with the relaxed

Ian’s picks FAVOURITE FOOD-RELATED BOOK? The Great Chefs of France, Quentin Crewe and Anthony Blake inspired me to cook, and Nose to Tail Eating, Fergus Henderson FAVOURITE RESTAURANT? Other than the European, I would have to say Café Di Stasio. All major occasions and celebrations have been held there for me for the last 12 years after meeting my beautiful partner Simone Bamford there. FAVOURITE PLACE TO SHOP FOR FOOD AND INGREDIENTS? Prahran Market, I can get everything I need there. All my meat, fish and vegetable needs in a one stop spot. Then you can go to The Essential Ingredient to pick up beautiful ingredients, serving dishes and tools that can give your dish the edge. FAVOURITE MEAL EXPERIENCE? I sat and ate the bone marrow salad and dressed crab with Fergus at his restaurant St John’s in London, with wines to match and it turned into a wonderful eight hour lunch.

‘Everything that comes in from our suppliers, we pay for. They don't give us anything. Our job, as chefs, is to turn that into a profit.’

Chef on a mission: Curley (above) on set at Conviction Kitchen restaurant. and (left) at the European. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

lifestyle and weather. After a brief stint at the Hyatt in Melbourne, he added the Menzies at Rialto, San Lorenzo in Perth and The Point Albert Park to his resume before taking the reins at The European in 2006. “Yes I’m busy, but I’m busy in a good way because I still get to cook when I want to cook,” says Curley. “I still get to do the butchery and all aspects of the food are my responsibility.” Curley says he has a tough but fair approach to his staff, who, at the end of the day, are his top priority and are what he believes makes or breaks a restaurant. “I tend not to have a lot of people that don't want to work for me,” he says. “I have a fearful reputation in the industry [for not tolerating] people that are lazy but I have a lot of chefs that want to work with me and have worked with me for a lot of years because I do things a certain way and hospitality | april 2011

hospitalitychef

Ian Curley’s Pork Cotoletta with Italian Coleslaw Serves 4 The pork: 4x260-280g loin of pork cutlets from good quality organic free range pork. Ask your butcher to remove the skin from the cutlets and scrape the bones clean. 3 large free range eggs 80ml milk 60g plain flour 160g panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs 1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese 20g parsley leaves, picked, washed and finely chopped Zest of 1 lemon Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper 120ml canola oil 80g unsalted butter 4 large lemon wedges Use a meat tenderiser to flatten each pork cutlet (sandwiching the meat between two freezer bags will assist). You want the meat to be no more than 10mm thick. Beat the eggs and milk together with a pinch of salt and a couple of turns of the pepper mill. Mix the crumbs with the lemon zest, parsley and parmesan, add a pinch of salt and a couple of turns of the pepper mill.

Smarter Safety.

Serve the cotolettas next to the coleslaw and garnish with the lemon wedges

Lightly dust the cutlets in the flour, then coat them with the egg, then coat them with the crumbs, taking care to press the crumbs on firmly. Place the crumbed cutlets on a tray in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. When you are ready to cook (after making the coleslaw below), heat two large frypans. Add the oil and heat until a few crumbs sizzle when dropped in. Add the butter and as it is melting add the cotolettas and cook until golden brown, for about three to four minutes. Carefully turn them over and give them another three to four minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from oil/butter and place them on an oven proof tray lined with absorbent kitchen paper in a low oven. At this stage you can toss together the coleslaw and divide it up onto the four plates. Paint a stripe of Dijon mustard across the plate.

For the coleslaw: 300g cabbage cut into fine julienne 40g baby fennel, thinly sliced 20g red onion, thinly sliced 40g radishes, thinly sliced 20g each of basil, mint and parsley leaves, picked and washed 20g tiny salted capers, rinsed in cold water, drained 1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese 20g watercress, picked and washed 80g baby peas, podded and blanched 2 tsp chilli oil 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Freshly milled black pepper to taste and a generous pinch of sea salt Place all the prepared vegetables, herbs and cheese in a large bowl and toss together. Add the oils, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Divide between four large plates by piling up the ingredients high, making sure you get all the small pieces that fall to the bottom of the bowl.

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hospitality | april 2011

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I put my chefs first, before anyone else. “From a front of house perspective I’m sure they say waiters are more important, or the sommelier, but no one is more important to me than my chefs and I put them before the owner.” The hardest, but most important part of the job, he says, is keeping the staff happy — something that can be extremely difficult when managing a team of 30 plus chefs and a restaurant that’s open 23 hours a day. “The cooking part of it, that's the easy part,” Curley says. “The hard part is having 35 chefs who all want to do less hours because they want to be with their friends and partners and they all want to be paid more money, and half of them want to be on TV and the other half wonder why they can't get paid more money when they're working less hours.” Curley says the reason he doesn't lose staff is simply because he is flexible with them. “You as a business have to tailor yourself to suit your staff now,” he says. “There was a time ten years ago where you could dictate the staff and say you want them to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday and they'd say okay because they needed the money. “Now, with my breakfast crew, the only way I can get them to turn up is to say, ‘Of course you can have the weekend off as

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long as you work Monday to Friday and you start at 5.30 and finish at three, because you've got children and you're priority in life is not to be the greatest chef in the world.’.” In his culinary style, Curley, a good friend of UK chef Fergus Henderson, is a big believer in nose to tail cooking, arguing that it demands more skills from chefs and is a great way for them to learn the fundamentals of cooking. “Good chefs realise that they have to step up and become better practitioners of what they do,” he says. “We don't use portion controlled meat at all. We don't believe in it. A lot of people say it saves you money in the long term to buy off suppliers and that they'll cut your steaks for you at 200g. “That's not what I want to do. I use the trimmings for meatballs at The Supper Club and Siglo, and I should be able to show my apprentices that this is an eye fillet and that we cut it ourselves. It's a skill. I don't ever want to know that chefs' skills have gone out the window.” Getting the whole carcass in and using as much of it as possible also makes economical sense for a business, Curley adds. “I'm accountable to my owners and to make money for them so they can grow and get better wine lists and employ sommeliers,” he says.

‘It’s a skill. I don’t ever want to know that chefs’ skills have gone out the window.’

“There's nothing wrong with eating pigs' ears if they've been braised and done properly. “You’ve got to do these things because that's the way that cooking’s going. You can't just throw this stuff away anymore. As I say to all of my chefs, everything that comes in from our suppliers, we pay for. They don’t give us anything. Our job, as chefs, is to turn that into a profit.” While meat is a passion of Curley's, the 80 or so dishes that appear on his menu mean there's something for everyone at his restaurants, not just what he refers to as the “elitist, foodie wanker”. He says the European venues are so highly regarded and have such a loyal following because, put simply, the chefs prepare good quality, honest food — something that today's discerning diners are on the look out for. “We’re very well regarded because we do things properly. We don't ever skimp on flavour or on the quality of ingredients. We concentrate more on what's on the plate than what sort of plate it is. I can pick up a Villeroy & Boch plate and say, ‘This plate is fantastic. It's $45 and has been handpressed somewhere by virgins in Havana’, but if you’re going to smear it with a dodgy paste and turn that into a foam, or a jelly, well that’s not what we’re about. We concentrate on what we serve on the plate and we do it simply.”

hospitality | april 2011

coffee

Black gold Coffee is the driving force at the heart of Australia’s café industry. Danielle Bowling investigates the latest trends shaping our coffee future, from the rise in specialty coffees to different brewing systems.

ustralia is right out in front," says Bill Comley, president of the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA). “We punch well above our weight.” Comley is of course talking about Australia's coffee industry, which has grown and excelled over recent years, with last year being a particularly successful one. At the 2010 World Coffee Championships, Australian baristas came 2nd in the World Latte Art Championship, 3rd in the World Barista Championship and 4th in the World Coffee and Good Spirits Championship, among other successes.

hospitality | april 2011

Our combined scores meant Australia was crowned the Champion Coffee Nation for 2010 — the first time the title has left Europe. It’s safe to say then, that Australia is up there with the best in the world when it comes to our caffeine culture. And not only are our baristas producing better coffees, but the public is also getting better at recognising a good cup of coffee and is branching out to try different styles. Comley says this has fed the growth of the specialty coffee industry, where the beans and the story behind them are more important than buying in bulk and getting the promotional t-shirts and breeze barriers that huge, multi-national suppliers offer.

“It's interesting to see the way that the market is handling it,” he says. “The big companies are repositioning themselves so they have a niche within the specialty coffee industry. “Cerebos has bought out Toby's Estate ... not that Toby's is that small, but Coca Cola bought Grinders just to reposition itself in the market so that it has a premium or a specialty coffee offer.” With the rise in popularity of specialty coffee houses, Comley is expecting more cafes and restaurants to be faced with the choice between cheaper coffee that offers added incentives upon purchasing, and more expensive, specialty, single origin coffee beans. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

coffee

Taste for good coffee grows Hazel de los Reyes, champion barista and roaster at Sydney's Coffee Alchemy, is excited about Australians' growing appreciation for specialty coffee. She first began roasting in 2004, mainly for barista competitions, but she soon saw the industry growing and maturing and in 2008 opened a retail space where she now sells coffee to drink as well as beans to take home. “Customers are becoming increasingly interested in coffee and they're becoming more knowledgeable and asking more questions like how it's roasted and where it's from. They're starting to form their own preferences which is good. It's better for the industry that way. The more knowledgeable the public becomes, the more the industry is compelled to make a better product," she says. Despite the superior product on offer at our cafes, there are “panic buttons” being pushed in the cafe industry because of the increase in coffee prices that’s being driven by demand and a lack of supply, De los Reyes says. “ This is making it harder for cafes and restaurants to order specialty coffee but still keep their retail prices down,” she says. "Cafe owners who are into the quality of the product and the quality of the coffee are now aware of the rise in coffee prices. As roasters, there's only so much of the margin that we can see decreasing so at some point we'll have to pass that on to our customers." De los Reyes says she’s confident speciality coffee houses that truly appreciate unique coffees will be willing to foot the bill, and hopes that the same will be the case for consumers. "Quality comes at a cost and they [cafe owners] realise that to maintain clientele they need to maintain the quality as well, so they're prepared to spend a bit more if they can see quality is being consistently upheld."

“People will decide whether they're going to buy coffee A which is from a multinational and you get free machines with it and it costs you $28 or $30 a kilo, or you can buy the specialty coffee and pay $50 or $60 a kilo, but then you have to get and look after your own equipment. “It comes down to service. That's where the battle will be fought. The bigger companies are going to struggle in that service technicians are just technicians, whereas in the specialty coffee industry you have access to someone who has experience, knows about the coffee, knows about the service, knows what's required to make it a good coffee and will impart that knowledge onto the restaurateur or cafe owner.” Axil Coffee Roasters, due to open in Melbourne’s Hawthorn shortly, is a breakfast and lunch cafe as well as a wholesale roastery where owner Matt Perger, the Detpak National Barista Champion at the 2011 Australian Specialty Coffee Championships, aims to educate coffee drinkers about good quality coffee beans sourced from around the world. Perger says people are becoming more interested in where their coffee is sourced and are starting to branch out beyond their usual skinny lattes or flat whites. “What I've found so far with Melbourne customers is that as long as it's good and it isn't offensive in any way, they're quite happy to have things that taste different all the time,” Perger says. “Usually we'll have another coffee on, like the coffee of the day or the coffee of the week which will be a single origin or something, and they're hospitalitymagazine.com.au

growing in popularity which tells us that people are happy to have coffee that tastes different every day.” Axil will be offering a range of single origin coffees sourced from all over the world depending on freshness and seasonality, and will have only one blend on offer, which will also be seasonal and will have a maximum of three coffee beans in it. “We'll never have coffee sitting around waiting to be roasted,” says Perger. “We'll always have an end date in mind for coffee that we're using and rotating onto fresh crop, which keeps the flavours a lot more fresh and vibrant.” Perger says today's discerning coffee drinker is making it more difficult for businesses to get away with serving a sub-standard product and is impressed with the changes that he's noticed in what people are ordering. “There's a big trend towards smaller drinks, so instead of your 16oz coffee, the drinks are gradually getting smaller, which is great,” he says. “People are using a lot less sugar, which is fantastic, and also a lot more focus is on slow brew methods, which is also fantastic because it's the most transparent way to drink coffee.” Meanwhile at the new Pourboy Espresso in Brisbane, owner Sebastian ButlerWhite will be serving traditional espresso coffees as well as experimenting with other brew methods including pour over and cold drip. “Ninety-nine percent of people have the espresso-based coffee but then for those people that are interested we have the pour over, which will have this origin or that origin in it, and then we'll also have

‘Ninety-nine percent of people have the espresso-based coffee but then for those people that are interested we have the pour over, which will have this origin or that origin in it.’

the cold drip which we've been keeping on top of and having a certain amount available for people each day,” he says. Butler-White says these slow brew methods allow the original flavour of the coffee to come through - more so than espresso coffees. “The things that extract flavour from coffee are heat and pressure so the more heat and pressure you have the faster you can draw that flavour out of the coffee,” he says. “That’s why you can get an espresso shot in about 30 seconds but if you do a pour over you're probably looking at around one to two minutes ... because you've got the heat but no pressure and with cold drip, because there's no heat or pressure, your brew time is anywhere between six and 24 hours.” Butler-White believes people's growing interest in slow brew methods is a result of their appreciation for single origin coffees or coffees that have a story behind them, hospitality | april 2011

coffee

and this is also why direct trade is becoming more common in the industry. Roasters are preferring to bypass the standard fair trade options, importers and suppliers and are instead dealing directly with the growers. This results in the growers getting a higher premium for their product and, in Butler-White's opinion, incentivises them to develop and improve their offering. “People are still very much into Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance, and my personal opinion is that they're good but they're still running on the commodity market,” Butler-White says. “The farmers join up to the Fair Trade Alliance and they're given a certain percentage on top of commodity trade prices for their coffee but there's no incentive there. Whereas with direct trade coffee and Cup of Excellence coffees, the farmers are given incentives to grow better coffee and they'll get more money, often much more than the 10 per cent on top of commodity prices. I think that direct trade is where the market's heading, but Fair Trade is still helping the third world farmers a lot.” Restaurants and cafes that invest in single origin and direct trade coffees need to take advantage of this personal contact with growers and market it as a point of difference, says Rob Stewart, innovation

hospitality | april 2011

and product development manager at coffee manufacturer and roaster, Ducale Coffee. “A lot of the time with single origin coffees you have a very strong story behind it that you can drag out for the consumer,” Stewart says. “We do a fair bit of direct trade coffee, so we'll go to the source and secure our coffee and I can pass onto the cafes for them to pass onto the consumer who the farmer behind the coffee is. If I put it in a blend then it gets lost and it's harder to sell a good story about the farmer.” An example of this is Ducale's Monsoon, which despite being a blend, has an alluring story behind it. It’s an Indian origin bean, and when it was being shipped to Europe in humid conditions the beans swelled and went gold, giving them a softer taste, which the Europeans loved. Today, to replicate that flavour, during the monsoon months in Western India beans are layered on brick floors of warehouses and the windows and doors left open to let the humid winds in. “You've got this left field coffee that has a pretty crazy flavour behind it,” says Stewart. “It's been around for a long time and it's a milk-based driven coffee. What our customers can take from this is that it's something unique for them to sell. They can then tell their customers that they’ve

‘There's a trend towards smaller drinks, so instead of your 16 ounce coffee the drinks are gradually getting smaller.’ got this coffee that's from India and it's soaked out on big patios and they let the monsoons wash over it. It has a really unique story behind it.” Stewart agrees that slow brew methods are popping up in greater numbers across the country, especially in cafes and restaurants that are “trying to lead that way”. Ducale, along with other coffee suppliers, has recently refocused its efforts more onto single origin and boutique micro-lot coffees because coffee drinkers today not only want to enjoy the taste of their daily hit, but they also want to be educated and entertained by it. “We listened to what consumers want on the market and also from within our company too,” he says. “The staff indicated they wanted to be drinking better coffee and moving forward and trying to lead in the marketplace, as well as supplying stuff that isn't being supplied on mass, so getting better coffee out there and not just sticking with the same old recipes over and over again.”

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sustainability

GREENER FUTURE for hospitality Could we see hospitality businesses in the future that produce no waste? That may be the long term goal of some in the industry but there are plenty of rewards to be reaped straight away by introducing some greener practices now for your hospitality business, writes Danielle Bowling.

Poster boy for sustainable practices, Perth’s Greenhouse restaurant.

one are the horror days when hospitality businesses would pour old oil down the drain or throw their vegetable scraps in with the general waste. Out of sight, out of mind is definitely no longer the case. Sustainability is becoming an increasing concern in the industry, not just because restaurateurs and hotel owners want to do their bit for the environment, but also because they’ve come to realise that making simple changes, like switching to LED lights and installing dual-flush toilets, can actually be good for their bottom line. Sydney’s Red Lantern restaurant put sustainability on the agenda about four years ago when Mark Jensen, his wife Pauline and her brother Luke Nguyen, realised it wasn’t difficult to implement environmentally friendly changes in their established business. While cost savings aren’t the main incentive, Jensen says it can be an added bonus, especially in terms of staff morale and productivity. “For us it’s about establishing a culture of sustainability within the restaurant and it's more about getting staff onboard and them being proud of where they work and what they do,” Jensen says.

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“Happy staff members are more efficient and more effective staff. They're more willing to up sell products and be involved in the whole revenue collection thing.” As well as using waterless woks and ordering sustainable seafood and free range meats, Red Lantern also pays close attention to its waste. All of the restaurant's vegetable preparations and scraps go into a 400kg compost bin out in the backyard and Jensen says he's been able to take almost two 240 litre garbage bins out of circulation each week because of this. He’s also looking at investing in new waste technology which dehydrates and grinds other waste including egg shells, meat scraps and bones into dry fertiliser. “I have a garden that I'll use that on but it's also about turning what you do into publicity for your business,” Jensen says. “You have to distinguish yourself from the crowd to maintain success. And long term I'd like to give it away. Anyone that's interested in gardening can bring in a bucket and I'll quite happily give the fertiliser to them.” Neil Slater, owner of Scratchley’s

‘Long term I'd like to give it away. Anyone that's interested in gardening can bring in a bucket and I'll quite happily give the fertiliser to them.’

seafood restaurant in Newcastle and a pioneer of more sustainable ways of running restaurants, believes minimising waste is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. In addition to steps he’s already taken he’s now looking at investing in new technology that could deliver big savings in both the amount of waste generated and the cost of dealing with it. “Solahart has got this new compactor that takes 200kg of waste and turns it into 5kg using enzymes, so I’m in the process at the moment of dividing my green waste because I’ve got oyster shells and bones and things which won't break up in that system,” Slater says. “So I'm implementing a staff initiative where we divide the waste to see how much green waste we produce so I can figure out how big a unit I need to purchase. If it works in the way it should, I should be saving about $300 to $400 a week.” Scratchley’s has a long list of environmentally friendly design features and products including lights that face upwards and reflect off the restaurant’s specially chosen pearlescent paint on the roof, refracting the light back, making it more effective and as Slater says “getting more bang for hospitality | april 2011

sustainability

your buck”. He also reduces his electricity bill by putting all the refrigeration motors on the roof. “They're in the natural breezes and they're not all competing against each other,” Slater says. “Often you walk into a kitchen and they've got all the refrigeration motors inside and each unit is working against the others, producing heat and that makes the other ones work harder and harder.” While implementing various sustainable products or practices can be expensive at first, Slater says the investment will soon pay off. “At the moment I'm redoing all of the lighting in the restaurant, just changing the LED bulbs and all of the fluoros in the kitchen,” he says. “It's going to cost $8,500 which is a big bill,” he says. “And the pay-back period is one and three quarter years. But then I should save $4,500 on my electricity. So if you're planning on being in business for five, ten years, whatever, that's a very good investment of your money.” Architect and restaurateur of the Greenhouse restaurant in Perth, Joost Bakker, also behind the “pop-up” Greenhouse cafe launched in Sydney agrees that making your business more sustainability doesn't have to be cost prohibitive. Sydney’s Greenhouse, which was open

hospitality | april 2011

throughout March, was run on cooking oil and had a $50,000 compost machine, the cost of which Bakker believes restaurants shouldn't be taken aback by because it would be offset by the savings in waste removal costs each year. While sustainability is more of a passion for Bakker than a business move, he says there are strong business benefits — like the effect that going green cna have on a restaurant’s public image. “I think we get a following because of it and I suppose that’s a successful move, business-wise,” says Bakker. “We’re busy because we do things the way we do. So at times I feel that it's the wrong choice to make, but you can't half

Perth’s Greenhouse restaurant.

do something. You've got to do it properly or you don't do it at all.” Every aspect of Perth’s Greenhouse has some kind of sustainable aspect to it from the straw bales being used as insulation and the worm farms to the LED lighting, chairs made from old road signs and the recycling of the water from the kitchen and bar to use on the rooftop garden. Bakker is adamant that huge amounts of waste can be avoided by looking at your food ordering and going back to basics. Bottles of carbonated water and soft drink are a pet hate of his and something he addressed when assembling Sydney's Greenhouse. He worked with beverage manufacturer Hepburn Springs and is the first person in Australia, and possibly the world, to keg carbonated water. “We make tonic water out of it, soda water, we use it for lemonade, and then all of a sudden you’ve got a whole bunch of drinks that you can make from raw ingredients, and that saves on an amazing amount of packaging. “It means we're not getting bottles of this and bottles of that. We're just getting boxes of lemons and oranges and getting organic cola beans and making Coca-Cola in house.” In Perth, the restaurant uses 20 litre bottles of wine rather than individual bottles

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sustainability

and gets buckets of milk for head chef Matt Stone to make his own butter and yoghurt from. They also order in bags of grain and cut the bags in such a way that they are given back to the grower so he can reuse them for next week’s wheat. “If you just look at things in detail you find you can eliminate a lot of stuff and I think it's only a matter of time before we have restaurants that don't have waste,” Bakker says. Like restaurants, more and more hotels are going down the sustainable path, not just because it is the socially responsible thing to do but also because, according to Angela Loucaides, marketing manager at Brisbane's Emporium Hotel, guests and businesses are starting to request it. “As time goes on, I think it's going to become more important, because a lot of corporates need to be working with sustainable companies as well,” Loucaides says. “So if you can be one step ahead then you're the winner there as well. Not only are you helping the environment but you're not losing any business either." Since going sustainable in June 2008 the Emporium Hotel has paid close attention to recycling, with its waste going to a tea tree bioenergy plant where it’s converted into energy. Water conservation is achieved through the use of low-flow taps and us-

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Colour me green: Scratchley’s in Newcastle has been a sustainability pioneer.

ing bore water for the hotel’s fountains, and the use of LED lights and carefully monitored air conditioning systems keep energy usage under control. “When a guest isn’t in the room the air conditioning is off, and the same goes with our conferencing floors,” says Loucaides. “Most hotels have one large chiller for all the hotel room air conditioners. We’re really lucky that we have individual chillers so they can be turned off and that reduces a whole lot of energy as well. “There are automatic doors through the hotel so the air conditioning stays in. There's the use of skylights, so we maximise natural light. “All our windows in the rooms are floor to ceiling so natural light comes in and

‘The pay-back period is one and three quarter years. But then I should save $4,500 on my electricity.’

they’re all double glazed. And on top of that all our walls are actually insulated as well.” The Emporium hotel also has a bronze accreditation with EarthCheck, an environmental management system used by the travel and tourism industry for the benchmarking and certification of their operational practices. According to Loucaides, EarthCheck helps the hotel to see how significant its carbon footprint it, and makes changes to improve it. “We do monthly monitoring on energy, water, waste etc and we can see how much we use and monitor that,” she says. “From when we first started focusing on sustainability in 2008, to 2010, our electricity bills actually decreased by 12 per cent, so you get cost savings here and there and you’re also helping the environment.” Add to this the added benefit of good public relations, and going sustainable can be a huge positive thing for any hospitality business, Loucaides adds. “Anything you do from a community level can only help [your image],” she says. “Tourism Queensland wants to see that Brisbane is a sustainable city, so everyone is working towards that. And not only just to be seen to be doing good, it makes good business sense as well.”

hospitality | april 2011

kitchens

Hi tech in top kitchens The latest commercial cooking equipment on the market continues to streamline kitchen operations. We spoke to four top chefs who've just been involved in kitchen fitouts about their favourite bits of kit. Felix — Lauren Murdoch Merivale's new Felix bistro with chef Lauren Murdoch at the helm was one of the most anticipated launches at the end of last year. Since it opened it's been pumping, doing up to 180 covers for lunch and 250 for dinner, numbers that have been really testing the efficiency of the kitchen that's open to the restaurant. “We are doing above and beyond what anyone expected,” says Murdoch. “Which has really meant our equipment is very, very important. Good equipment saves you labour every week and can 24

hospitality | april 2011

save a lot of time.” The open kitchen allows the glamorous, but hard working French Bonnet rotisserie that's a key part of the theatre of the operation to be on show. “[The rotisserie] is great," says Murdoch. “We do spatchcock on there, we do a lamb shoulder and we are going to start playing around with using it to do whole fish. It has baskets you can put a whole flat fish on. It's a beautiful piece of equipment.” Below the rotisserie sits a holding cabinet that can hold the meat and retain the quality of the food.

The workhorse of the Felix kitchen set up is the Garland Master series range featuring target top ranges, and a Rational SCC 61 self cooking centre, which is running almost 24 hours with overnight roasts, prepping and steaming. Plus there's a Frymaster PMJ 145, aimed at saving space while still allowing two frying areas, and a Garland MCO Convection oven, with variable fan speed, which is proving an asset for producing perfect soufflés. Murdoch says the combi is the workhorse. “It really is the piece of equipment hospitalitymagazine.com.au

kitchens

steaks on it and have also being doing sardine fillets. Plus we are doing our Reuben sandwiches on there. We use the David Blackmore Wagyu for the corned silverside and then to order we grill the meat on the chargrill and also the bread so it gives it a really good smoky flavour.” Another favourite for Murdoch is the Gelatissimo ice cream machine that can turn out a litre of fresh ice cream in five minutes. Murdoch says she's been experimenting with flavours for signature ice creams for the dessert menu. “We've done some nice orange, cardamom and pistachio and some nice white peach that we served with a stone fruit crumble,” says Murdoch. “And I've been playing around with a Guinness ice cream. I poured champagne over it so it was a bit like a spider, a black velvet inspired spider.”

The Merchant of Venice — Guy Grossi

On show: The brigade at work in the new Merchant of Venice open kitchen.

that is just so useful,” she says. “It has exact temperature control, absolutely precise, and timing is precise. It tells you what to do and it just helps you to make sure everything is going to be fine.” Another star feature of the kitchen is the Montague wood-fired chargrill that Murdoch says initially presented some challenges to the brigade but is a key element to the style of food being served. “You have to get it lit everyday,” she says. “So it's a little bit challenging but it is worth it for the flavour that you get. We sear all our hospitalitymagazine.com.au

One of Guy Grossi's favourite pieces of kit in the kitchen is his new Italian osteriastyle restaurant The Merchant of Venice is his Italian polenta maker, the only one of its kind in Australia. “I thought to myself when setting up Merchant that because polenta is such a big part of the concept there, that this was something that was very important,” he says. “At first we were looking at adapting other machines but then we discovered this machine and imported it from Italy. “It's basically a machine that heats and has like a worm in it that keeps the polenta turning. We use real polenta, not precooked polenta, and this machine can cook it for a couple of hours, cooking it really gently and slowly and produces this really light product. It's on tap basically and you can pull it out any time you like. We are very, very happy with it.” Taking pride of place too in the restaurant that’s pumping out food for an average of 150 (but up to 250) diners for lunch and up to 110 for dinner, is the Australian made gas chargrill made by Queensland company Beech Ovens. “It's a very different kind of cooking here at Merchant [compared to Grossi Florentino],” says Grossi. “It's more about the osteria and using the old school techniques so we really wanted a good old fashioned chargrill. But this isn't just any chargrill. It's really strong with stainless steel components so it can heat up to the really dramatic temperatures we need and it won't buckle and bend. It was the kind of tool we needed to produce the beautiful grilled fish and meats.” The kitchen also features a Convotherm combi oven. “It’s at the other end of technology and is an amazing machine that gets a really big work out,” says Grossi. “You can regulate temperature very pre-

Guy Grossi in his kitchen with sous chef Chris Rodriguez.

‘It’s a little bit challenging but it’s worth it for the flavour that you get.’

cisely and they are incredibly versatile so you can do a range of things from proofing bread and cooking bread, to robust roasts to very delicate pastry work. “We got a compact version because the space is so confined. It saves space but it still has great capacity.” Grossi also selected a Carpigiani ice cream maker that can quickly produce the litres of quality gelato the restaurant needs each day. “It does a really fine job,” says Grossi. “It's quite a powerful machine and it certainly does a lot of work for the restaurants.” An indispensable piece of equipment in each of Grossi’s kitchen is his Thermomix. “It is just a very good tool when you’re talking about blending things because it heats and cooks and also has scales on it,” he says. “It’s expensive but for us it’s a very worthwhile investment.”

Pony Neutral Bay —Damian Heads When chef Damian Heads started selecting the equipment to go into his new hospitality | april 2011

kitchens

kitchen at his second Pony restaurant he set out to bring the best elements of the features of the kitchens in his other restaurants to create his most efficient and workable so far. In view of patrons, it’s a galley shape that Heads says he finds is one of the most efficient configurations. The cooking line starts with the grill section featuring a wood-fired grill imported from South America that churns out steaks and fish to meet the huge demand of the busy 60 seat restaurant that is feeding around 2,500 people a week. “Pony is really known as a grill restaurant so it was important to have that, it was the first thing I knew I wanted in there,” Heads says. Next to that is the Garland range that's set up with four gas burner on one side and a target top on the other with an oven underneath. “Being a little bit of a classically trained chef I like my sauces and finishings so I found this piece of equipment that Garland does. It lets you have a flat plate that acts like a target top so you can keep your pot of water on a rolling boil and you can also have lots of little saucepans going all the time.” An absolute must was the Rational combi oven Heads says particularly comes into its own in the Pony Neutral Bay kitchen for desserts. “During service we use it mainly for baked garnishes and pastries,” he says. “You can do something as simple as a perfect puff pastry that just doesn't work in a gas oven in the same way. Everything just comes out so beautifully and evenly coloured. And with things like brulees there's no messing around with trays. It just works so much more efficiently and it's foolproof.” Also in the pastry section is a portable induction cooktop. “It's perfect in the pastry section for doing nice custards or poaching fruit, things like that,” says Heads. “And the great thing is you don't get the heat that you would get from burners, and you can control the temperature 100 per cent. It just means you have a very controlled pastry section. “Even for doing things like frittatas, you just set it at the correct setting leave it there for five minutes, and then into the Rational for five minutes and it's the same perfect product every time.” Heads' Robot Coupe Blixer is also an essential appliance but he supplements that with a few smaller hand 26

hospitality | april 2011

held appliances. “We use the Blixer for bigger jobs like when we make up our edamame dressing but the smaller hand helds are a great tool that you can just pick up, plug in and blend. It's saving us a lot of time for things like little purees or to make the salsa verde in small batches.”

Vessel — Keith Higginson With pizza and pasta a focus on the menu at the new Vessel Italian and Bar multi outlet dining venue at Sydney’s King St Wharf, executive chef Keith Higginson made sure some of the latest equipment for cooking both was part of the main kitchen at the operation which is the latest venture from hospitality company the Vardis Group. A fast cook pizza oven was one of the key pieces of equipment, Higginson says. “Because we have pizza going through the bar as well as the restaurant we decided on an impinger pizza oven that runs on a conveyor oven,” he says. The Turbochef conveyor oven taking pride of place and can turn out a thin and crispy style pizza in around two to five minutes. “I had been a bit dubious about the impinger ovens but it works very well. It’s very hot and it’s very fast, and produces a good product,” Higginson says. The Waldorf gas pasta cooker is also proving indispensable. “It’s fantastic, it’s a must really if you are doing a lot of pasta,” says Higginson. “The water is constantly topping itself up so it’s always ready. And we can have six different baskets of pasta in at the same time so that works very well when you have a lot of different home made pastas on your menu. It’s pretty essential with the amount of pasta we are doing.” A Waldorf gas chargrill also takes centre stage turning out grilled fish and steaks as well as vegetables. “We do things like asparagus and lots of other grilled vegetables,” Higginson says. “That’s working really well for us.” But the hardest worker is Vessel’s Convotherm combi oven which Higginson particularly finds useful for doing sous vide style cooking. “A lot of that style of cooking you can do really well inside a combi,” he says. “It’s not quite as precise but for large quantities it’s better. I recently had a function where slow cooked lamb was cooked. I did four baby lambs, broke them all down and cooked them in the combi at 55C for 12 hospitalitymagazine.com.au

kitchens

New kit on the block The latest new appliances can increase the efficiency of commercial kitchens. We round up a few of the newest arrivals in the Australian market. smallest, most energy-efficient package. Approved for ventless operation, the Sota oven can offer the cooking solution for a diverse range of food service applications from cafes and bakeries, to bistros, quickservice restaurants, and bars and nightclubs. The technology in the Sota oven includes independent top and bottom impinged airflow, which is coordinated with microwave to deliver quality and speed. The toplaunched microwave system allows the use of metal pans, while integral catalytic converters allow for ventless operation. Contact: Moffat

1 2 Renova food warmers 1 Rapid cooking with Sota

Renova’s range of counter food warmers allows food to be kept at its optimum quality ready to be served at any time. They can be used for a wide range of different foods thanks

Turbochef’s new Sota oven is the latest in its line of rapid-cook ovens. The Sota provides high speed and cooking performance in Turbochef’s

3 2 to the electronic temperature controls, the static reheating and the calibrated vent system. Bread for example can be held hot for hours until it’s needed to be served. The machine’s features have high energy efficiency with the use of a thermal cable similar to an electric blanket to provide heat. Contact: Scots Ice

3 Juicing with Robot Coupe Robot Coupe has launched its Cuisine Kit. The new three-in-one ma-

chine attachment allows you to prepare coulis, fruit and vegetable juice to make amuse-bouche, soups, sauces, sorbets, ice cream, smoothies, jams, fruit pastes, or pastilles. Let your creative juices flow. Contact: Robot Coupe 4 Toasting technology The new Woodson WGLI4 Toast Star has unique infra-red glass elements for a faster cook and faster recovery times. The new model’s elements has a special octagonal wire filament design for fast heat up, longer life and far greater durabili-

Introducing the NEW Professional Kitchen Collection

“YOUR COMPLETE KITCHEN SOLUTION”

hot & cold smoke

Hot & cold smoke in your Alto-Shaam combi with no ﬂavour transfer Reduce maintenance costs up to 90% thanks to boilerless technology Reduce running costs with the 50% power mode Additional revenue with extra menu items Less kitchen footprint needed with your smoker and combi together

oven/ grill under cooktop

GIGA Modular European cooking equipment superb quality and beautiful design Optional stainless steel trivets for easy cleaning (dishwasher proof) Use valuable kitchen space more efﬁciently combined convection oven/grill under cooktop Unique features galore such as defrost cycle in your oven One piece coved cooktop construction for super easy wipe down

new

4-year warranty

Unmatched 4 year parts warranty on all Houno combi ovens Save up to 30% on your energy use for water and power Unique pass through ovens to improve your kitchen workﬂow Non proprietary chemicals for cleaning that means you can save $$ Huge range of features including reversible fan with 9 speeds

The New Spyral Professional Kitchen Collection l Your Complete Kitchen Solution bill.sinclair@spyral.com.au l 07 3632 1800 or 1300 779 725

www.spyral.com.au 28

hospitality | april 2011

www.spyral.com.au l sales@spyral.com.au Phone 1300 779 725 or 07 3632 1800 l Fax 07 3632 1888 Units 5 & 6, 56 Eagleview Place, PO Box 1160, Eagle Farm Qld 4009

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THE 6 TOP LEADING BRANDS IN COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

• Series 700, 900 & 1100 • Refrigerators / Freezers • Blast Chillers / Freezers • Tunnel Freezers

• From 6 tray to 40 tracy capacity

• Available in electric, gas & steam

Tel: (02) 9637 7099 Fax: (02) 9637 7944 Email: info@scotsice.com.au Web: www.scotsice.com.au Unit 8/13 Berry Street, Clyde NSW 2142

• Banquet carts & Regeneration ovens

• From 20kg to 2,000kg production

kitchens

ty. As well as operator friendly on/off cooking mode, it also features reduced energy consumption. Contact: Stoddart

5 Houno pass through combi New to the Australian market are the range of combi ovens from Denmark manufacturer Houno. Part of the giant Middleby Marshall Corporation the Houno Visual Cooking range of combi and bake off ovens are positioned as having a focus on quality to ensure long life and low energy consumption. Houno boasts one of the largest ranges of ovens in the industry with more than 50 to choose from in different sizes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all with a four year parts warranty. A pass through feature (pictured) is available with most of the ovens as an option. It means the oven can be placed in the middle of a cooking space improving food safety with the separa-

hospitality | april 2011

tion of raw and cooked product, as well as better kitchen workflow. Contact: Spyral

6 Precise sous vide The latest range from Sous Vide Professional is aimed at setting the standard for sous vide cooking by adding a whole new dimension of control to your kitchen. It delivers repeatable results every time with features including precise temperature control within a tenth of a degree, water circulation providing maximum consistency, and compact design for easy storage. The Sous Vide Professional can be clamped to any size tank with rounded or flat walls up to 30 litres. Contact: Rely Services

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management

Think smarter to improve skills Don’t let busy schedules stop you from continual learning. Ken Burgin offers tips for improving your and your staff’s skills with minimal pain.

BUSY, BUSY, busy, busy. It’s easy for another six months to pass by and you’ve done nothing to ‘sharpen the saw’ or improve your skills. The industry is changing at rocket speed, and we already have too many unhappy dinosaurs, without you joining them in the swamp. The options have exploded. These days you can browse Hospitality magazine (in hard copy and online), search Google for new products, read experts’ updates in a blog, watch a web seminar on your PC or listen to a podcast while driving. How you want it and when you want it? Start with your iPod. Most people use it for music, but open up iTunes on your computer and find the iTunes Store. Search for a topic of interest like ‘food safety’, ‘food trends’ or ‘wine’. You’ll find hundreds of free podcasts ready to download — they’re like radio programs but you listen when it suits you, when you’re driving, at the gym or maybe plugged into speakers in the kitchen. When you find an interesting podcast, subscribe and download. In this business, we’re all good at multi-tasking, so listen while you chop or set up the bar. Feeling low-tech? Head to the Apple website and look for the “support centre”. It’s packed with short videos explaining everything you need to know. Invest in an iPad. I’m not a Steve Jobs fanatic, but the ease hospitalitymagazine.com.au

and flexibility of iPads makes them endlessly useful around your venue. By eliminating wires and short battery life, they can be used anywhere — for showing function customers the menus and room options, sharing training videos with new staff, placing online orders and check ing emails wherever you are. They’re easy to use — if you can use a touch-screen POS, you’re there. Tune in to web seminars. Our Profitable Hospitality web seminars — or webinars — start this month. They’re one-hour online sessions where you sit at your PC and watch a presentation on the latest promotional ideas, social media marketing, menu development, industry trends and staff management. In the old days, information like this needed personal attendance at a seminar, if you were lucky to be in the right city. Now you just click on an email link to watch, listen and ask questions. You’ll even have the option to watch the session later at a more convenient time. And if you do want to get away for a few days of concentrated training, consider the Clubs + Wedding & Events Summit next month in Sydney, or one of the regular trade fairs held in every large city. Maybe you’re a little jaded by these events, but most of your staff have never had the opportunity. There’s always a boost of energy and enthusiasm if you take them along. What else is on your personal development list? Typing skills usually need a boost — use one of the game-based systems on your new iPad. Follow the easy online videos at Lynda.com to learn how spreadsheets can analyse costs and sales — juggling figures with confidence has never been more important. Acquire a deeper understanding of menu engineering and recipe costing with online courses and recipe software like Profitable Recipe Manager. Chefs, why not improve your food photography skills? It’s

much more than point and flash, but doesn’t need an expensive camera. Photography is ever more useful for online promotions — you can be the expert. Experienced chefs are also adding qualifications in food safety management and auditing — making hygiene part of your expertise and a way to move out of production if you’ve been over a stove for too long. Much of this training can be done online, and paced to the time available. Keen to improve staff management skills? It’s a strength that will always be in demand. It may be the fine points of how to discipline or dismiss a staff member. Or how to design and run performance reviews, train small groups and offer career planning. Managing drug and alcohol issues is a constant issue in this industry, and your specialised skills will be much appreciated. In fact people management in every area will be appreciated: from better understanding young staff to conflict management, team building and the wide range of mental health issues. Wine and beverage knowledge is a passion for many front-ofhouse staff, and as they learn they can also teach. Sommelier training and advanced wine appreciation is widely available, but make sure this is also shared with the floor staff. It’s wonderful to see young staff develop a passion for wine, and their rising confidence is always reflected in better sales. So much to do — how will you make the time? When learning is hard, serious and boring, there’s always something else that needs doing first. But when it’s fun and feels like there’s a reward attached, it’s surprising how we fit it all in.

Ken Burgin is a leading hospitality industry consultant. For more information visit profitablehospitality.com or call 1800 001 353. hospitality | april 2011

management

doctorhospitality

Where the heck is Illabo? Oh for a simpler way of life in an industry already over-

We have a good website but it’s not coming up on page one of a Google search for our area. Why? Google ‘indexes’ your site according to a number of criteria, including the ‘keywords’ and descriptions that are on the web pages. You need the address and phone number clearly showing, and standard page headings eg Menu, About Us, How to Book, Wine List etc. It’s also important to be listed with the free Google Places service, and having other sites that link to you will help improve popularity. Think about the terms people use when they search and make sure they’re included and repeated eg ‘Townsville Wedding Centre’, not just ‘Wedding Centre’, or ‘Bankstown Cafe rather than ‘Local Cafe’. A previous waitress was lovely, but so slow I had to fire her. I certainly didn’t give her a reference, but now she has given me as a referee. What do I say? This is very bad form on her part, but probably shows she is naïve - another sign of how remote some staff are from the world of productive employment. If someone does ring for an opinion, just say that your policy is not to give references over the phone – this will give out a fairly clear message. It’s also time to make your reference policy clear for all staff, so there are no more misunderstandings. Let’s hope she realises a slowerpaced industry is where she belongs. The boyfriend of a bar worker rang on Friday afternoon to say she was quitting on the spot. What penalties apply when someone quits without notice? Check with your industry association about your ability to hold back pay from a permanent staff member, but if they’re casual it’s probably been timed so they won’t lose out. You may also be holding a deposit for her uniform or locker key which will be lost if they’re not returned. Make this tighter for the future, with a clear written policy about the notice required if someone is sick or resigning. Put it on the noticeboard as well as in the manual, and remind people how to find a person to replace them for their shift. We’re making plans for a big opening event for the new restaurant – suggestions please! Slowly does it – are you sure a big party will get the best results? If you’re really committed to a ‘first night’, why not share it with a local non-profit group that targets a similar demographic to the one you are chasing. Offer them the event for (almost) free if they can fill the place for fund-raising – there are sure to be many guests who return. Alternatively, have one opening week featuring a few ‘crazy price’ deals, then the normal menu. There will be a few freeloaders but a great buzz. And don’t forget to build a Facebook page well in advance to build anticipation.

Have you got a question to put to the doc? Send it to him via Hospitality editor Rosemary Ryan at rosemary.ryan@reedbusiness.com.au

hospitality | april 2011

burdened with nanny statutes, says our columnist E S Scoffer. IT IS probably clearly evident to any regular reader of these monthly ramblings that their author is no lover of political correctness nor of the plethora of rules and regulations piled on to us in the mistaken belief that they are for our own good. The world has become over-burdened with bureaucrats making nit-picking laws for other bureaucrats to enforce while neglecting the real purpose of their existence – to act so that the wheels of commerce, industry and even our private lives turn smoothly and efficiently without undue hindrance. At no time in human existence have there been more impediments to our daily lives than in the present era. Businesses now spend more time and money on coping with the bureaucrats’ demands than on the business itself. The paperwork has become an unrealistic burden. And the penalties for ignoring it are huge and unreasonable. Although the idiocy of so many of today’s regulations is mocked almost daily, the situation is getting worse rather than better. Workplace safety, trade practices, equal opportunity, anti-discrimination, health and hygiene, protectionism, standardisation and dozens of similar highfalutin phrases have become weasel words for stifling innovation, individuality and initiative. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the foodservice and hospitality sectors, which now labour under an intolerable load of restrictive regulations. Surely the time has come to rebel and call a halt to these endless barriers to efficiency and profitability. So many are introduced in the name of protecting the consumer. Yet the sad fact is the more laws there are to supposedly clarify what’s being sold and consumed, the more opportunities are provided for opportunists to jump on the compensation bandwagon and set in train complex legal battles. Already we’ve seen food packaging become so complex one needs a science degree to fully interpret the mass of small print on a box of cornflakes. There are frozen meal containers so covered in explanations and analytical content descriptions it’s almost impossible to find the cooking instructions. This tidal wave of mostly excessive information is now becoming a veritable tsunami by the enforced addition of precise details as to the origin and source of all the ingredients. This surely qualifies for the modern catchphrase of “too much information”. We all know that 99.9 per cent of all allegedly “home-made” products come off a conveyor belt far from the purveyor’s abode so why

bother defining precisely where and whose “home” really baked those pastries? Already we’re seeing this plague of product definition spreading to some of our eating houses with the sources of meat, fish, fruit and veg is being listed on menus. Can consumers really distinguish between a leg of Illabo lamb and one that came from the Cameroon Highlands? The secret to culinary enjoyment is as much in the cooking and the final taste as in the source of the ingredients. Is this just one more marketing ploy — a slick ruse to impress punters into paying more because of the special nature of the products. It probably works as there will be few diners game enough to declare an alleged Western Australian anchovy as one from other waters or an organic peach as not. At the moment, the move to this type of product description is being led by the chefs and restaurateurs themselves. But the tide is turning. The next step is for such descriptions to become mandatory in the same way as is happening to packaged products in supermarkets. And this will open up a great new can of worms (every one of which no doubt will have to be precisely identified as to their place of birth and parentage). It will provide new fields for complainants and litigants and for the bureaucratic guardians of our welfare. Woe betide the restaurant that claims food is organic when it’s come from some wholesaling warehouse or replaces its “catch of the day” with a frozen snapper from Vietnam. There will be trouble, too, for those claiming dishes are “home-made” or “hand-rolled” or simply “fresh” when such labels are a deliberate bending of the truth. Like so many of today’s regulations, such moves are hailed as nothing but well-intentioned and in the best interests of the provider as well as the consumer. But, as has been so clearly demonstrated innumerable times in the past, they tend to create more disputes, more paperwork and more legislation than any of the intended benefits. It’s another case where the policy should be one of less is more and keeping it simple rather than imposing yet another dose of dogooder regulations on an industry already over-burdened with nanny statutes. Anyway, where the heck is Illabo?

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shelfspace 1

for their consistently high pedigree. Just for the record, only tequila produced under the strict traditional guidelines in this region qualifies to use the genuine tequila title. See tequilatromba.com

1 End of wobbly tables. A new Australiandesigned technology is offering a solution to the bane of the hospitality industry, the ‘wobbly table’. Flat is an award-winning technology that instantly stabilises tables. The result of six years and $10m worth of research and development, the levelling and stabilisation technology is engineered into table bases and adjusts to any surface, locking into position to keep the table stable. It works using hydraulics and a fluidbased braking mechanism that uses gravitational force to set each leg’s load evenly across the table base. Each point of contact with the ground has its own hydraulic cylinder fitted within the leg and all cylinders are interconnected via fluid hoses. The system is ‘always on’ until the table is unlocked and readjusted by simply moving or lifting the base. See flattech.com

3 Portion control from Edlyn. Producer of premium food products Edlyn Foods has launched its new Wood’s Tomato Relish 50g portion control product. Available from this month this is the first portion controlled product from the Wood’s brand and meets the demand for a more premium condiment to accompany products like the new wave of gourmet pies and pastries now on the market. As well as being tasty the new product is also gluten free. The Wood’s portion control tomato relish has a six month shelf life ensuring long life freshness. See woodscondiments.com.au

2 Let it rain tequila. New for the Australian market is Tequila Tromba, a 100 per cent agave tequila that promises to be “like no other tequila you may have tried”.The premium tequila is produced from 100 per cent Blue Weber Agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco in Mexico and its surrounding municipalities. Tromba borrows its name from the “big rains” which seasonally nourish the region’s blue agave fields, renowned

4 Prepare to be floored. Karndean is expanding its portfolio with a new, commercially focused range of luxury vinyl floor coverings called Opus. The collection combines practicality, durability and style to provide a flooring solution for any hospitality project. It includes ten stone and 13 wood effect finishes from a palette of inspiring light, mid and dark tones, Opus offers both smooth and textured finishes to suit many

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different restaurant, bar or hotel décors. Larger planks and tiles have been created for the Opus range which reduces operation downtime and costs. Plus it has a 0.5mm wear layer which means Opus tiles and planks are extremely durable and can withstand the toughest of environments whilst still maintaining its looks. It also has excellent slip resistance with the Opus products achieving up to R11 slip ratings. See karndean.com. 5 Keeping customers warm this winter. Increasing numbers of hospitality venues are discovering Thermofilm Australia's Heatstrip electric radiant heaters to keep their patrons warm in the great outdoors. Australian designed and manufactured, the Heatstrip has an operating cost that is less than 15 per cent of the cost of bottle gas heaters. Compared to the commonly used gas mushroom heater, Heatstrip also saves valuable floor space, and has no harsh blinding glow or noise. It also frees up staff who need to regularly check to see if there's enough gas, organise new bottles and switch bottles when they are empty. Customers are much happier too as they aren't disturbed or left in the cold when the gas runs out. See thermofilm.com.au

hospitality | april 2011

whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on

hospitalitydiary JUNE 19-21 FSA Expo 2011; Foodservice Australia and Bakery Australia, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. This annual event for the foodservice industry heads to Melbourne with the latest in foodservice and bakery equipment, ingredients, products and technology under one

roof. See foodserviceaustralia.com.au

international manufacturers. See furnitex.com.au

JULY

September

21 - 24 Hotel + Hospitality Furnishings; Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Part of the annual Furnitex this show features the latest in furniture designs, fabrics and finishes from local and

5-8 Fine Food Australia; Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. The industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest trade event is on again. See finefoodaustralia.com.au

P R O D U C T S

hospitality | april 2011

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Got a flair for directing people, demanding the best and delivering results with such polish that you could charm the stripes off a zebra? People to know, places to go, and the potential for life-altering experiences – await you right here in Hong Kong. If you can move and shake with an international set in the bright lights of this big city, become part of the team at Pure Dining.

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Job Description Position: General Manager, Pure Dining Company: Pure Group Location: Hong Kong Company Background The Pure Group is a company of professionals dedicated to total well-being. It encompasses the business sectors of Pure Yoga, Pure Fitness, Pure Dining and Pure Retail, and has locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei and New York. As the leading lifestyle brand in Asia, Pure currently has over 40,000 clients and more than 900 staff.

Requirements · Degree holder in Hospitality / F&B management, or related discipline · Minimum 8 years’ Food & Beverage industry experience in progressive leadership roles · Strong negotiating, mentoring, delegating, organisational, planning and people skills · Ability to inspire and drive enthusiasm and teamwork with a commitment to excellence · Proven varied Food & Beverage industry with international experience Interested parties, please email your CV with current and expected salaries, plus period of availability to clarine.wong@pure-international.com. All information given will be used for recruitment purposes only.

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