Hospitality Magazine August 2012 by Hospitality Magazine

Print Post Approved PP349181/00109

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No.686 August 2012

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

foodservice

accommodation

beverage

management

Meals on wheels

The accelerating food truck trend

TOO TEMPTING

top chefs on the future of dessert

PLUS

The sweet drops to match

Redundancy hurdles Are you risking penalties?

Mystery diner Tassie’s Black Cow reviewed

Sick industry Hospitality workers’ health in spotlight

Left to right: • Pablo Tordesillas - Ortiga, Brisbane • Darren Robertson - Three Blue Ducks, Sydney • Jake Nicolson - Circa, The Prince, Melbourne • Dan Hong - Ms G’s + El Loco, Sydney • Brent Savage - Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Sydney • Peter Manifis - Incontro + Beluga Claremont, Perth • Shaun Presland - Saké Restaurant & Bar, Sydney

When it comes to PorkStars, this magnificent seven and their masterful command with pork, it is no wonder gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. This sinful seven’s diverse gastronomic and cultural backgrounds are the envy of others when it comes to creating culinary magic. Their lustful pork dishes are the first word in imagination and temptation. There is no better time to get some pork on your menu. Be a PorkStar.

APL0224

www.porkstar.com.au

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

Editor’s Note

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

There are many reasons that could be to blame for poor patronage but one of the easiest to overcome should be the quality of the food and service. Of course I’m raising this issue to have a whinge based on my own experience. I love Mexican food with a passion - something that I think comes from the childhood blessing of having one terrific Mexican restaurant in my town. So when I saw that a new Mexican place had opened in my neighbourhood - just a little cas-

IT MAKES me sad to see a restaurant fail and there has been much written over the past weeks about the collapse of Justin and Georgia North’s restaurant and catering group and the many causes behind it. But one of the loneliest sights is walking past a restaurant and seeing hardly a bum on a seat except for a few staff. In these days of double digit growth in restaurant turnover, according to the latest ABS figures, is there any reason why a restaurant should be empty?

ual order at the counter and grab a seat kind of affair - I headed along with glee and anticipation. Oh the disappointment the food was truly terrible and the service was from a young guy who looked lost. It was empty apart from me and when I got my serve of enchiladas I knew why - it was tragic. How does this happen? Surely one of the first steps before opening a food business in a cuisine category like Mexican would be to head out on a reconnaissance mission, to identify the most outstanding operators already trading and go along to check them out, to eat the food, see what’s working and then bloody well use that insight to come up with your own quality

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ronnie Lawrence Ph: (02) 9422 2741 PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Laura Panameno Ph: (02) 9422 8772

offering? Then make sure your food, at what ever level you are targeting, is darn good, and that it’s served by friendly, welcoming staff. There are plenty of professional operators showing how it should be done and working hard to provide an excellent experience for their customers. Foodservice businesses that don’t deliver this damage the whole industry by disappointing customers and leaving them feeling ripped off. Should people planning to open a food business be forced to sit a quality control test and get a licence first? I think so.

Rosemary Ryan

contents

laura.panameno@reedbusiness.com.au PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Stevens Ph: (02) 9422 8748 SUBSCRIPTIONS

4 News Hospitality workers health under scrutiny. Times tight but outlook more rosy, says study

Ph: 1300 360 126

TWO YEARS: $220.00 incl GST

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14 Mystery diner

18 Meals on wheels

Our diner heads to beef heaven in Tassie.

Tasty nosh gets mobile with the food truck trend. What are the opportunities - and the challenges?

Getting clear on redundancy obligations.

21 Imbibe

10 Openings

34 Burgin

The latest new hospitality openings on the block.

Like the idea of a food truck? Read this first.

12 Secret ingredients

36 Shelfspace

Q&A with Derek Brown

MOST READ STORIES

Gloria Jean’s Coffees accused of homophobia

Hunter, Gilmore Peru bound

Duo win Thierry Marx stint

HOSPITALITYMAGAZINE.COM.AU

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in brief

Momofuku Seibo head chef Ben Greeno and his team receive their award.

Free webinar: Recruitment THE AUSTRALIAN restaurant awards season has kicked off with David Chang’s Momofuku Seibo at The Star grabbing the top gong in the first big one. The Australian Magazine unveiled its inaugural Hottest 50 Restaurant Awards with the Sydney dining hot spot being crowned Australia’s Hottest Restaurant. Melbourne uber chef Andrew McConnell was named Australia’s Hottest Chef while Tetsuya’s is the place to go for the Hottest Wine Experience. And if you want to check out what the Hottest Service looks like head to Sydney newcomer, Sixpenny. Ronnie Di Stasio’s acclaimed Cafe Di Stasio won Hottest Classic. Find out who made the top 50 at hospitalitymagazine.com.au

With skill shortages being felt everywhere, the next instalment in Hospitality’s webinar program on August 22 will make for crucial viewing. Don’t miss hearing leading hospitality consultant Ken Burgin speak with recruitment specialist Geremy Glew about how to be more successful in finding the talent you need. Head to profitablehospitality. com to register.

hospitality | august 2012

news

Regional produce

Smithers’ love of local applauded Respected chef Annie Smithers has been recognised for her outstanding use of regional produce, and her passionate support of the industry. IF THE small producers of Aust-ralia were after a champion to rally for them they couldn’t do any better than much admired chef Annie Smithers. The chef who operates her eponymously named restaurant in Victoria’s Kyneton, a town she helped put on the map as a food destination, has a passion for local produce and is also a producer herself. Smithers was recognised for her local love at this year’s Delicious Produce awards taking out the gong for Outstanding Use of Regional Produce by a Chef. Speaking to Hospitality from Kyneton just after winning the award Smithers said it had been a big surprise. “I’m incredibly overwhelmed by it,” she said. Having quit the big smoke to open her restaurant seven years ago Smithers has embraced the idea of sourcing produce locally, some of it straight from her own garden just eight kilometres from the restaurant. These days her garden supplies between 50 and 95 per cent of the fruit and vegetables for Annie Smithers’ Bistrot depending on the season. She also breeds a small number of geese “just for Christmas” and was recently given a pair of meat rabbits and expects to be using her own rabbit meat in around 16 weeks. “The way my life has progressed has meant I really straddle the fence between being a cook and a producer these days and it’s given me a whole new insight into what it takes to be a small scale producer that doesn’t necessarily go down the normal path,” Smithers said. “It’s also given me huge incentive as a chef to not only use my own stuff but to source out of as many little people that I can because it really does make a huge difference. So I suppose I do feel that I’ve been a champion for the cause.” One of Smithers’ big concerns is cases of misrepresentaion by restaurants around the use of regional produce. “Because I spend a lot of time talking to produc-

hospitality | august 2012

FROM THE SEA Primary winner: Tathra Oysters (Oysters), New South Wales Artisan winner: The Stock Merchant (Sustainable crab stock), New South Wales FROM THE DAIRY Primary winner: Barambah Organics (Barambah Organics All Natural Yoghurt), Qld Artisan winner: The Cedar Street Cheeserie (Buffalo haloumi), Queensland. FROM THE PADDOCK Primary winner: SchuAm Berkshire Pork (Berkshire pork), South Australia Artisan winner: Pure Pie (Beef & red wine pie), Victoria FROM THE EARTH Primary winner: Otway Forest Shiitake (log-grown shiitake mushrooms), Vic Artisan winner: Sweetness The Patisserie (Florentines), New South Wales BEST NEW PRODUCTS Primary winner: Otway Forest Shiitake (Log-grown shiitake mushrooms), Victoria Artisan winner: The Cedar Street Cheeserie (buffalo haloumi), Queensland

Annie Smithers and friend.

ers and there is a tendency for some restaurants to buy something from a name supplier but then to leave that name on the menu even if they aren’t using it,” she said. “It shouldn’t happen because those producers put in an enormous amount of work in developing that product. “And if you say this is somebody’s lamb and its not you give the consumer a completely false idea about what that product is like.” By Rosemary Ryan

Sarris back in restaurants after eight years THE RESTAURATEUR behind Sydney’s iconic Banc restaurant Stan Sarris has returned to the industry after eight years with the opening of a new restaurant at Melbourne’s latest precinct development South Wharf. Sarris opened the doors to the Meditteranean-inspired Shed 5 restaurant last month - his first in Melbourne - in a move back into the industry he said was prompted by the potential he could see in the large warehouse style site. Sarris discovered the site when

And the winners are...

the design and architectural firm he owns, Loop Creative, was engaged to come up with the retail mix for the South Wharf development. “We were working on that and came up with a number of different concepts for that that will be developed and built between now and October and one of these happened to be Shed 5,” Sarris told Hospitality. “I really took a liking and a passion to it, the space and the quirkiness, and it was so tempting so I became a shareholder. And it’s

an exciting location. South Wharf really engages with the water - it feels to me similar to [Sydney’s] Wooloomoolloo Wharf.” Sarris said he was pleased to be back in the restaurant business, and especially in Melbourne. “I’m excited by the game, I always have been,” he said. “I think the food and beverage business is a good business to be in if you just pitch it right. And Melbourne is a great city to be in, it makes a lot of commercial sense - it is a foodie town and the people love food.”

HALL OF FAME Mondo White Rocks Veal, WA OUTSTANDING FARMERS MARKET Gasworks Farmers’ Market, Albert Park, Victoria THE REGIONAL AWARD Daylesford Macedon Ranges, Victoria OUTSTANDING USE OF REGIONAL PRODUCE BY A CHEF Annie Smithers, Annie Smithers’ Bistrot, Kyneton, Victoria HERITAGE AWARD Duncan Garvey, Perigord Truffles of Tasmania, Tasmania OUTSTANDING PROVEDORE John Susman, Fishheads Seafood Strategy MAGGIE BEER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALIAN FOOD Joe Grilli, Primo Estate

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news

Business

Jones the Grocer expands on back of Becasse demise As one door closes another opens as growing food chain grabs high profile restaurant group. AS JUSTIN and Georgia North’s restaurant empire collapsed with million dollar debts the fast growing gourmet food emporium company Jones the Grocer saw opportunities to continue to grow. The company swooped in late last month to acquire the North Group businesses including Becasse Bakery, Charlie & Co, as well as the Westfield Quarter 21 and Becasse sites and is now in the process of gearing up to develop some of the brands and also use the spaces of the others to establish a flagship Jones the Grocer store. Jones the Grocer director John Manos said the company would continue to operate the Becasse Bakery and Charlie & Co brands but has closed Becasse and Quarter 21 and will use the sites for a new 500 square metre flagship site with a target opening of December 1. He said the new store will be fully licensed and contain a bakery, patisserie, and specialty coffee area, as well as a retail area and a cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

International plans For the Becasse Bakery and Charlie & Co brand there are plans to expand them nationally into markets where Jones the Grocer has “already experienced significant success”. “We will grow the Becasse Bakery and Charlie & Co brands internationally as well as in Australia,” Manos told Hospitality. “We are currently finalising a site for Charlie & Co in Singapore and will also target the Middle East next.” Earlier this month the company announced that Singaporean company L Capital Asia had made a “significant” investment in Jones the Grocer to help accelerate its international growth. “Our key focus will be the Australia, Asia and the Middle East,” Manos said. “We currently have 17 stores and will look to launch another 50 stores over the next five years. Along with Jones the Grocer we will grow the hospitalitymagazine.com.au

A serving of superior quality. Our stylish range of dressings, sauces, mayonnaises and desserts are made in Australia to the highest possible standards.

Justin and Georgia North.

Becasse Bakery and Charlie & Co brands in the same markets”. Jones the Grocer launched in Sydney Australia in 1996 and currently operates five stores in Australia including its flagship store in upmarket Woollahra and in the regional city of Albury, two in Victoria in Chadstone and Doncaster, and one in Adelaide. Internationally, it has two stores in Auckland, one in Qatar, and three in Singapore, while in the United Arab Emirates it has six.

North group collapse Justin and Georgia North’s restaurant and catering empire went into administration on June 7 with debts reportedly totalling $4.3m. A July 12 report from liquidators Ferrier Hodgson has revealed that the businesses had been in dire straits for many months and was likely to have been insolvent since last September. In the report the administrators said their preliminary view about the explanation for the group’s financial position included “poor management, lack of control over costs, emphasis on turnover and not profit, excessive wage costs, and poor internal controls and inadequate management reporting. By Rosemary Ryan

Visit us at www.birchandwaite.com.au for more information on our range of solutions for Foodservice Professionals, or email us at cs@birchandwaite.com.au

hospitality | august 2012

workplace

Does the Quest live on?

Redundancy:

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More value. Learn how solutions from NCR Hospitality are giving you more.

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hospitality | august 2012

It’s important for employers to understand the details around redundancy to avoid confusion. Restaurant and Catering Australia’s workplace relations team sheds some light on the area. OVER TIME businesses fluctuate and so too does the need for staff. These undulating periods of growth and decline directly correlate with the need for alterations in business structure. The hospitality industry is an elastic industry that all too often feels the effect of ‘belt tightening’. Couple this with rises in fixed costs, and redundancies and retrenchments become real considerations. The redundancy process is one that can appear both difficult and stressful, for both the employer and the employee. Much potential confusion can be avoided by gaining a greater understanding of the nuances involved in this process, particularly in the situation where forced to pay redundancy payments in the shadow of insolvency. When a business is experiencing financial stress a degree of flexibility is allowed for when it is deemed that terminations are necessary for ‘genuine business reasons’. This term is one that causes much conjecture, and this confusion is exacerbated in times of consumer ill-confidence, when questions of employee productivity and necessity are intensified. Depending on the type of business and its inherent structure the provisions for redundancy payments differ. For example, businesses with fewer than 15 employees are not required to pay redundancy payments, yet must adhere to other provisions such as ‘notice periods’. Not adhering to the correct redundancy procedure can have deleterious consequences to the business so it’s important to know what provisions apply to any individual entity. Businesses that are found to underpay employees in respect to termination and redundancy payments may be liable for penalties under the Fair Work Act 2009 of up to $33,000 for each individual breach which makes a compelling reason to ensure you get it right. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 an employer may be exempted from a redundancy payment if they “cannot pay the amount”. In such circumstances where an employer cannot pay redundancy because of financial hardship the employer may apply to the Fair Work Australia (FWA) tribunal for a determination that reduces the specified redundancy payment which may be nil. FWA retains the right to determine the employers’ ca-

‘Businesses that are found to underpay employees in respect to termination and redundancy payments may be liable for penalties...of up to $33,000.’ pacity to pay and this may require the company to produce its financial records. Whilst in certain circumstances this can provide support to an ailing business, inevitably the process maintains another level of complexity. Determinations can be made by FWA at a later date, that substantial growth in the business renders them liable to back pay redundancy payments, so it’s evident that this clause shouldn’t be taken as a fail-safe. A recent case before FWA in Moltoni Waste Management v Fairs and Ors [2012] FWA 5590 3 July 2012 found in favour of the employee’s right to redundancy payments, irrespective of the genuine threat of the company going into voluntary administration. In this case the FWA Commissioner found that: “It would indeed be wrong if an employer could voluntarily wind up their company, run down the accounts of the company over time and then apply to the tribunal for relief from the obligation to make redundancy payments. “This is not to say an employer cannot cease to operate a business if they so chose. That is their right but the obligations of the business to employees cannot go unheeded in the process.” The current economic climate may result in a spate of claims to FWA for economic incapacity to pay exemptions. However, unless there are substantial grounds and evidence to support such applications most claims will undoubtedly fail.

This article was written by the workplace relations team at Restaurant and Catering Australia. Contact them on 1300 722 878. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

LET OUR REPUTATION BUILD YOURS.

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Formula 40 is part of the range of quality cooking oils from Peerless Foods, an Australian company. www.peerlessfoods.com.au

openings

Shed 5 Part of Melbourne’s new South Wharf development, Shed 5 is the first venture in the Victorian capital for restaurateur and businessman Stan Sarris of Banc, Wine Banc and Prime fame. There’s a wood-fired oven behind the bar that has formed the focus of the menu by chef Vasilios Donoudis (ex Made Establishment). With a spectacular design by another of Sarris’ businesses, Loop Creative, the venue has a floor made with the original docks timber, with finishes in steel and handmade Spanish tiles. Opened: July Owner: Stan Sarris Head chef: Vasilios Donoudis Seats: 74 inside, 40 outside The food: The rustic leaning Mediterranean-influenced menu that fits right into the caring and sharing trend ranges from hearty appetisers like N’duja and mozzarella croquettes, swordfish bresaola crostini and Cyprian lamb sheftalies, to dishes from the wood-fired oven including slow roasted lamb neck, whole baby mackerel, and kefalograviera wrapped in vine leaves, plus “Tins, Jars and Cans” that includes smoked eel, tuna conserva and Pollastrini sardines. Address: 37 South Wharf Promenade, Melbourne Phone: 03 9686 1122 Web: www.shed5.com.au

Le Petit Deux

Bar Racuda

This charming restaurant with the bicycle with a basket full of flowers parked out the front is the new venture from Lesley Taylor, the owner/chef of top hatted regional restaurant Restaurant Deux just a short walk away in Newcastle’s CBD. Focused on authentic bistro fare, Taylor’s cafe-style second operation is more relaxed and rustic than its formal sister, with a focus on dishes that are honest and hearty and delicious, all backed by the fine dining food and service pedigree of Restaurant Deux.

Former manager of Sydney’s Spence Guthrie, Mario Montecuollo has joined forces with Gio Buscemi (whose family has been running bars in Florence since 1889) to set up shop in Newtown on Enmore Road with a new small bar called Bar Racuda. Montecuollo doubles as ‘head chef’ at the new establishment where he dishes up some tasty bar snacks that are wait for it - on the house.

Opened: June Owner: Lesley Taylor Chef: Lesley Taylor The food: The ever changing compact menu ranges from gnocchi a la parisienne, and rabbit parpadelle, to spinach and gruyere crepes and rich boef bourgignon. There’s a different Plat du Jour week days - from blanquette de veau to cassoulet and coq au vin for the top value price of $19.90 (including a glass of wine from the small but perfectly formed list). Address: 27 King Street, Newcastle, NSW Phone: 02 4929 2323 Web: www.restaurantdeux.com.au 10

hospitality | august 2012

Opened: June Owners: Mario Montecuollo, Gio Buscemi Chef: Mario Montecuollo The food: There’s a small bar snack menu here for most of the time but from 6pm to 8pm the place goes off with aperitivo when the bar is covered in free snacks for patrons ranging from braised octopus or meatballs, to sauteed mushrooms with crispy polenta and trays of freshly sliced meats from Bar Racuda’s provedores. Address: 105 Enmore Road, Enmore, NSW Phone: 02 9519 1121 Web: www.bar-racuda.com.au

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newsextra

secretingredients Derek Brown, Soju Girl Canberra’s Soju Girl restaurant was last month named the Best New Restaurant in the city in Restaurant and Catering’s regional awards rolling out around the country. Part owner and head chef Derek Brown is the creative driver behind the menu that’s got the locals coming back for more.

Tell us about your career so far.

Where do you get ideas for your menus?

I started cooking at a young age at 13 in Barters Restaurant in Wagga Wagga, then moved to the Pavilion in Wagga Wagga to complete my apprenticeship. At 21 I moved to Canberra and got my first job at the Ottomon with Serif Kaya and then worked in a variety of restaurants in the city. Then in 2003 I ventured overseas for 12 months and worked in Canada at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler in the position of sous chef whilst continuining to travel. I then moved to Turkey and worked in a coastal town called Cesmer. Back in Australia I worked at the two hat restaurant, Waters Edge, with chef Darren Vaughan, and then followed him to Restaurant 360 in Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower where I was sous chef. After 12 months I headed down to Melbourne and worked at Longrain where I gained a greater depth of knowledge in Thai food. I then took up the position of Corporate Chef for the Zampelli Group. I oversaw five restaurants while working at the Waterfront Restaurant at Crown Casino. 18 months later I was head hunted by the Terraferma Group to open a new restaurant for them in Phuket, Thailand. Working with the locals I gained even more exposure to Thai food. After 12 months my contract ended and I returned to Australia to pursue my goal of opening my own restaurant. After a few false starts I took up the role as head chef at Parlour Wine Room where I worked for approximateley two years. From there an opportunity arose with old colleagues to open what is now Soju Girl.

A great deal of research, trial and error and my imagination.

Can you tell us about Soju Girl and what your goal was when you and your partners opened the restaurant? Soju Girl is a smart casual bar/lounge restaurant. Our food is Asian inspired where we adapt modern techniques with traditional flavours from all over Asia and present it in a shared/tapas style format. Our idea for the Soju Girl concept was to bring a new style of eating to Canberra that was only seen in Sydney and Melbourne while keeping to my passion of Asian food with a goal of enjoying our day at work.

Apart from your own restaurant, what’s your favourite place to eat out? Currently that would be Quay in Sydney. What’s your pick of the menu there? The snow egg, it was so light and fluffy and full of flavours that just explode in your mouth.

What’s your most memorable food experience? A degustation at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, Canada, by Scott Kidd. The local fresh produce and seafood was amazing.

What’s the most indispensable piece of equipment in your kitchen? In my kitchen it would be the Thermo Mix.

Is there a piece of equipment you are lusting after that you would love to have in your kitchen? The Rotoval would be my next purchase so that It would allow me to create essences which would amaze the customer. the business knowledge and experience from different parts of the industry which together created our Soju Girl.

What do you predict will be the next big foodservice trend?

What have been the biggest challenges in the start up and establishment of the restaurant?

The antigriddle. It’s a plate that freezes to minus 35C. You can freeze dressings, mousses and foams to order.

Staff training would have to be one of our biggest challenges. In the kitchen with the new combination of flavours and techniques it has been a steep learning curve for the crew. while front of house, working with the shared table philosophy, has brought its own challenges as well.

What do you see as the biggest challenges ahead for restaurants? Staff is always a challenge especially in Canberra and being able to afford the new technology which helps to produce new and exciting dishes.

What’s your favourite dish on your menu?

What’s the key to keeping staff motivated?

The tuna futomaki would be my favourite dish as it’s textural and flavour combinations of crisp, smooth, soft, silky, salty, sweet and spicy. But in saying this I have a deep passion for my curries which we work tirelessly to perfect.

A learning environment.

Where did the inspiration behind Soju Girl come from?

What’s your favourite ingredient you’re using at the moment?

If you weren’t a chef you’d be…?

It was a collaborative idea with Grant Macara, Andrew Hollands and myself. All of us bring to

Yuzu koshu, which is a paste made from Yuzu rind, green chilli and pepper.

hospitality | august 2012

What would definitely be on the menu at your last supper? Eggs and chorizo . . . hmmmm.

...a builder I think. I really enjoyed building the restaurant.

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

review

Black Cow Located in an historic art deco butcher shop, Launceston’s Black Cow restaurant is the latest venture from the team from Stillwater. Our under cover diner has become a quick and very passionate fan of the operation that showcases premium grass fed Tassie beef.

mysterydiner

RESTAURANTS BRING out particular choices in customers; for instance I will often seek out regular places at lunch and eat familiar dishes to avoid having to think too hard during a break from work, yet at dinner I’m often keen to try something new as I have the time and headspace to appreciate the ‘challenge’ of something interesting. This however, did not happen at the Black Cow in Launceston. I’ve been here before but, such was the superb quality of the dish, I batted up for the same thing at my next visit. This fine restaurant is the carnivorous sibling to the much awarded Stillwater restaurant. It’s located in what was once Luck’s Butcher Shop, an art deco building in the theatre district and is subtly fitted out with bentwood chairs, and banquette seating along the wall. As expected in these fine surrounds, there are quality glasses and flatware and thick cloth on the tables. 14

hospitality | august 2012

Happily, the menu isn’t overly extensive, and it covers the ground required to provide choice (if I had wanted it). There is much time and space dedicated to steak in the mains - defining the region, producer and supplier. There’s also a brief explanation of the eye catching Black Cow logo and its homage to the paintings in the Lascaux Caves in France that are more than 17, 000 years old. The food at Black Cow, like many places in Tasmania, is proudly local and sourced as close to Launceston as possible with many menu descriptions lauding the local fare. Much the same could be said of the wine list and the fine local pinots and whites are alluring, but this freezing night is one for a rich Barossan from John Duval – the Plexus Shiraz, Grenache & Mourvèdre – and sensational company it makes for this food at $65. There are fresh shucked oysters available four different ways with the option to

Beef heaven: Top service and fine, fine food at Launceston’s Black Cow.

choose any number of combinations. My dining companion chose Kilpatrick ($40 per dozen) which came with dry cured pancetta and Lean-To Kitchen Worcestershire. Plump and flavoursome from Moulting Bay on Tassie’s East Coast they were just the thing to get the palate racing. Other options included natural with lemon cheeks or lime, soy and palm sugar, or cucumber crème fraiche with salmon pearls. Spoilt for choice really. Pork Belly ($19.50) has been missing me, and I have felt the same. This fabulous offering is an absolute delight with a perfectly rectangular brick of belly. Sporting the most delicate, thin crackling layer that’s almost like the sugar top on a crème brulee and sweet, soft layers of fat and meat, it was paired with a puree of pumpkin and coriander, some beanshoots and a palm sugar vinaigrette with the crisp acidity required to balance all that juicy fat. More than one of us at this tahospitalitymagazine.com.au

review

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hospitality | august 2012

Black Cow’s 400g Cape Grim Rib Eye served with a Cafe de Paris butter.

‘Black Cow is a celebration of the best beefy things that come from Tasmania and there is no chance that I’ll be having anything but a stunning rib eye this evening.’ ble moved through the belly option with delight and sent a clean plate back to the kitchen. Black Cow is a celebration of the best beefy things that come from Tassie and there is no chance I will be having anything but a stunning rib eye this evening. I knew it before I came through the door as it was exactly what graced my plate on the last visit and I have (somewhat disturbingly) been dreaming of my next opportunity to get another serve. I’m not alone as all but one of our table join in the bone in brilliance that is this prime cut. It’s a 500g Rib on the Bone ($43) from Ulverstone and has been dry aged for 21 days. The odd man out had the 400g porterhouse ($37) from Cape Grim and it too was excellent. All steaks are cooked to perfection, which can be tricky with a 500g steak that is still attached to the bone. These bovine beauties are served simply with bintje potato galette, and a choice of sauces and mustards on request. I choose the truffled béarnaise and am very well pleased with the rich, aromatic sauce. It’s augmented by a simple side dish of broccoli and the whole effect is superb in its delivery and simplicity. This is as good a steak as I have

eaten in many years. In keeping with our meal’s simple, but stunning theme, we share a plate of cheeses over dessert. All good, aged well and at the correct temperature. Served with fig and pear paste and poppy seed lavosh ($30 for 3) they provide an opportunity to continue the conversation when we were too full of beef to appreciate dessert. I love Black Cow and will see the inside of it many more times as it provides great steak (and other things) without fuss in an intimate venue. They also value their local produce and treat it with reverence. Service is professional, polished and welcoming, and befitting of the elegant setting that the original owners of a butcher shop would never have envisaged. It’s an asset to Launceston, provides great value compared to the mainland, and should be a destination for many.

The details Black Cow Corner George and Patterson Streets, Launceston, Tasmania P: (03) 6331 9333 W: blackcowbistro.com.au Owners: Bianca Welsh , Craig Will, Rod Ascui, Kim Seagram and James Welsh. Executive chef: Craig Will Open: Every day except Tuesday for dinner The verdict: I leave Black Cow dreaming of the next opportunity to get another serve of its stunning rib eye and a dose of the polished service. It’s an asset to Launceston providing a great value dining experience that’s not to be missed.

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Hello amigos: Mexican Cantinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stephanie Raco and Rode Vella.

foodtrucks

Tasty quality food on the move is a trend that’s resonating with diners as more food trucks put the pedal to the metal and take off around Australia. Danielle Bowling investigates the rise of the mobile businesses and chefs taking great food to the street.

ne of the many theories behind the recent spurt of restaurant closures in Sydney is that diners are moving away from the fine dining scene, instead preferring a more casual, relaxed atmosphere but still with the same top quality food. Well it doesn’t get more casual than ordering from the side of a truck and eating in a park or on your way back to the office. But this mobile dining style seems to be the type of experience Australians are growing hungry for. Rafael Rashid operates two food trucks in Melbourne - Beatbox Kitchen and Taco Truck - and says peoples’ demand for the street food experience has been growing over recent years. Beatbox Kitchen hit the road in 2009 and serves up burgers and fries at music festivals and various Melbourne locations seven days a week. In February of last year Rashid launched Taco Truck which, as its name suggests, sells the Mexican favourite. And while it might seem like a lowstress, low-maintenance business model, that’s not necessarily the case, says Rashid. The hardest part of the job is debunking the myth that street food is low quality, and perfecting the right balance of freshness and speed. “That’s the biggest challenge,” he says. “Probably where you feel it the most is at places like music festivals where if you stand for a great food product and you have to pay high rent at some of these music festivals, you feel like there’s going to be a trade off, which is traditionally why music festivals have really poor food. Because people need to sell a lot of it to make their business viable. “So it’s sort of the same in the street. It’s how are you going to build a great business if you can’t deliver a great product? You’re talking about a real balancing act. It comes down to asking ‘have I built the right menu?’ and ‘am I able to sell enough of this great menu to make it a viable business?’.” There’s much more to operating a food truck than just driving from venue to venue dishing out simple but tasty meals. It’s just like any other foodservice busihospitalitymagazine.com.au

Food to go: Rafael Rashid operates two food trucks in Melbourne.

ness, says Rashid, and there are serious costs involved too. “We operated without a fixed address for nearly two years,” he says. “Now we have a warehouse with a prep kitchen and it allows us to get out a lot more often than we could have when we just had the truck. “Having a fixed address is good, but that’s going to take rent as well. I think it’s a bit of a myth that everyone thinks you don’t have rent. Our permits are as much as the rate payers’. Yes, we don’t have fixed rent on the street but we do have a fixed warehouse...and you can’t

really operate without a fixed address because suppliers can’t deliver to a truck. They need somewhere to go. Plus we have all our grease traps set up there so all our waste comes back and goes through there. It’s quite a set up.” Sydney’s street food scene isn’t quite as established as Melbourne’s, but that is changing with the City of Sydney’s food truck trial now under way which will see ten operators roaming the streets as part of the 12 month test run. Eat Art Truck is one of the food truck concepts that made the cut and operator hospitality | august 2012

foodtrucks

‘We operated without a fixed address for nearly two years. Now we have a warehouse with a prep kitchen and it allows us to get out a lot more often.’ ON THE MENU Top selling dishes from Eat Art Truck include: Pulled pork rolls with barbecue sauce Beef ssam: twice cooked beef wrapped in a lettuce cup Korean-style Puffed rice, grains and pickled beetroot salad Annindofu: almond milk jelly dessert served with shaved coconut Shichimi wings Kinpira salad with edamame Hot chocolate cake with dulce de leche

Food as art: Eat Art Truck’s Stuart McGill (bottom) and Brenton Balicki.

Stuart McGill, ex-Tetsuya’s, hopes his concept will push the boundaries of what people consider to be street food. “We don’t call it high-end street food, but it is street food that we consider to be a lot more accessible and we use some of the best produce and techniques, like you’d fine in a normal restaurant,” McGill says. “We’re themed around a barbecue, so we like that style of cooking. It lends itself well to the kind of street food that we want to do. I guess you could look at it as trying to push the envelope a bit as far as what people think street food is and what they can get out of the side of a truck.” McGill says Eat Art Truck has been very well received with favourites off the menu already establishing themselves with customers - including pulled pork in a bun with barbecue sauce; shichimi wings (Japanese pepper seasoned chicken wings); and beef ssam, a Korean-style lettuce wrap with twice cooked beef. Despite its popularity, McGill agrees with Rashid that the costs of operating a food truck aren’t to be dismissed. “We use a prep kitchen, and then we’ve got wage costs for myself and for the other guys who have very good credentials,” he says. “The labour cost is what kills us, it’s definitely our biggest expense. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s a cash cow or that we don’t have expenses. We have a 15 kVA generator we have to fill with premium petrol and that takes a tank every three hours. Running costs aren’t minimal.” There are usually two chefs working in Eat Art - in a five metre by three metre space - at any given time, in a basic kitchen which comprises two combi ov20

hospitality | august 2012

ens, a chargrill, a deep fryer and a touch screen point of sale system. Decking out the truck was no simple feat either. “It’s essentially like a commercial kitchen, just on the back of a truck,” McGill says. “We had to abide by the same standards and build it to the criteria that any other restaurant would have to abide by. So we had to think about exhaust fans and things like that. We have to obviously have hot running water and we have to deal with waste water, all those sorts of things that you wouldn’t automatically think of, but of course they’re a crucial part to you operating in a normal manner.” Stephanie Raco and her partner Rode Vella operate another of Sydney’s trial trucks, the Mexican Cantina Mobil, after previously operating a restaurant in Manly for nine years. “The truck took my partner longer to fit out than the 120-seat restaurant we used to have,” says Raco. “It’s like building a kitchen inside a boat or something - just the amount of curves and tight spaces, and certainly trying to generate enough power to enable all the equipment that you require, even if you are [only] keeping food at a safe, consistent heat. That was really challenging.” No cooking is actually done on the truck, but rather in an off-premise kitchen. The ingredients are simply kept fresh and/or warm and compiled on the road, making the truck’s bain maries, freezer, microwave and underbench fridges of utmost importance. Food safety, after all, is a big concern for street food vendors. “It’s just a matter of educating the staff about the four hour danger zone,” says

Raco. “We bring back-up bain maries, and gastronomes if we are doing a long trading period, so we’re able to put fresh ones in. We have a fantastic hot box that is able to keep food at the appropriate temperature for many, many hours. “Other than that it’s just normal hygiene. We have our handwashing sink as opposed to our cleaning, sanitising sink. It really isn’t that dissimilar from the normal expectations within a restaurant. “We obviously can’t wash onboard, we don’t have those types of facilities for crockery and utensils and things like that, so there is a tub where anything dirty goes and we just have to make sure we’ve got back up, back up, back up of spoons and tongs. So it’s a lot of fresh use rather than washing and re-using.” Before being accepted as part of the City of Sydney’s trial, Cantina Mobil was already cruising around the city’s beaches, with a permit from Warringah Council. With the concept so warmly received wherever the truck has parked, Raco and Vella now have plans to build a fleet of Cantinas to roam all over Sydney. Raco says people are enthusiastic about the quality offering. “Parking down at Customs House [at Sydney’s Circular Quay] we’ve got McDonald’s to one side of us and Hungry Jacks to the other side of us,” she says. “And people are so grateful that there’s this late night offering that takes them out of those questionable fast food chains that have dominated for so long and not really given us much by the way of great flavours. People are excited on so many levels.” See Ken Burgin’s column on page 34 for more on operating food truck businesses. hospitalitymagazine.com.au

imbibe

Sweet endings in a glass Dessert wines come in many different styles but all offering a delicious end to a meal. Christine Salins explores some of the latest developments by wine makers achieving excellence in the category.

hirty years ago, Rhonda Doyle fell in love with a sweet French dessert wine, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, at Reflections restaurant at Sydney’s Palm Beach. Reflections was one of the first restaurants run by chef Peter Doyle (no relation), who now heads up the kitchen at Sydney CBD three hatter, est. In a story that has come full circle, Stephen and Rhonda Doyle’s exquisite Silk Purse is now on the wine list at est. Bottled under their Bloodwood label, Silk Purse is a late harvest Riesling from Orange in New South Wales’s central west. The Doyles planted the first Riesling vines in Orange in 1984, a leap of faith at a time when Chardonnay was in favour and grapegrowers elsewhere were pulling out Riesling vines. The dry Riesling style of today was rare and what was then labeled Riesling was usually a nondescript sweet wine made from Muscat Gordo Blanco and Sultana grapes. Understandably nervous about Stephen’s desire to make a classic dry Riesling, Rhonda sought a compromise to avoid what she believed was a step toward economic disaster. Having enhospitalitymagazine.com.au

joyed that dessert wine at Reflections, she agreed to Stephen making a dry Riesling so long as he also had a crack at a late harvest style when conditions allowed. As it turns out, “the wine gods have seen fit to honour that promise a mere eight vintages” over almost 30 years, according to Stephen. The 2011 Silk Purse has a crisp citrus acidity balanced with subtle honey sweetness. It is the delicate balance between sweetness and acidity that makes for a perfect dessert wine. In any food and wine matching, a balance between the acidity of the dish and the wine is essential. If you don’t get the balance right, the dish or wine with lower acidity tastes flabby and dull, the other too tart. It is especially challenging to balance sweet flavours. Wine needs to be sweeter than a dessert, otherwise the wine will be overwhelmed, tasting flat and thin, even bitter. This makes it extremely difficult to match rich desserts such as crème brulée and chocolate dishes. Fruit-based desserts are much easier to pair with wine. To make it easier for consumers to ascertain the level of sweetness, some Riesling producers are now putting the

‘Patience and the hands of Mother Nature are the key to producing exceptional Botrytis Semillon, but she had other ideas this vintage.’

International Riesling Foundation scale for sweetness on their labels. Peter Lehmann Wines is doing this with its Barossa “Classic” Riesling and its Eden Valley “Dry” Riesling. A number of Tasmanian producers, including Frogmore Creek and Bream Creek, are doing some innovative work with Riesling, producing it with varying levels of residual sugar and proving that you can have a little bit of sweetness and still have good acid balance. In response to a growing interest in different styles of off-dry, sweet, ice and botrytis Riesling, Tasmanian winemakers held Riesling workshops in NSW and Victoria last month for Sommeliers Australia members to explore the principles behind sugar/alcohol/acid balance. The sweetest wines are those in which the grapes have become infected with the botrytis cinerea mould, otherwise known as noble rot. The grapes become shrivelled and raisin-like, concentrating the sugar, acid and flavours to produce luscious sweet wines or “stickies”. The NSW Riverina region has developed a reputation for its botrytised Semillon “stickies”, driven by the success of De hospitality | august 2012

imbibe

Bortoli’s Noble One. Since its first release in 1982, the wine has won around 120 trophies and 380 gold medals. A challenging summer with unprecedented rain means there will be no 2012 Noble One, only the second time De Bortoli has been unable to produce it. “Patience and the hands of Mother Nature are the key to producing exceptional Botrytis Semillon, but she had other ideas this vintage,” said senior executive winemaker, Julie Mortlock. Another wonderful Botrytis Semillon from the Riverina is Westend’s 3 Bridges Golden Mist, that is packaged in a tall and elegant bottle. The Riverina Winemakers Association holds an annual International Sweet Wine Challenge to enable Australian and New Zealand wines to be benchmarked against their international counterparts. The challenge is open to non-fortified sweet wines, with this year’s winners to be announced at a presentation dinner on September 8. The Lillypilly Estate 2008 Noble Blend that claimed last year’s trophy also earned a place in the Top 100 at the 2011 Sydney International Wine Competition, where it was praised for its rich, effusive nose, great balance, layers of flavours and long finish. One of the interesting aspects of the Sydney International Wine Competition is that the evaluation of the top wines is done in conjunction with food. In 2011, the dessert wines were judged alongside a dish of Coconut Bavarois with Lychees and Blueberries. The 2008 Noble Blend is shaping up to be a worthy successor to Lillypilly’s 2002 Family Reserve Noble Blend, which has netted 24 trophies and 26 gold medals, an outstanding result that has made it one of

hospitality | august 2012

Perfect sweet pairings What wine styles create the perfect match with which desserts? Christine Salins offers her recommendations. Creme Brulee: Pedro Ximenez (sweet Spanish sherry), Rutherglen muscat, sauternes or botrytised wine. Dark Chocolate: Vintage port, sparkling red. Orange desserts: Sauternes or a botrytised wine. Citrus tart: Late harvest sauvignon blanc or riesling. Tiramisu: Pedro Ximenez, muscat, port. Panna cotta: Champagne or sparkling wine. Fruit desserts: Moscato, gewurztraminer or riesling with some sweetness. Cheesecake: Sauternes or botrytised wine, moscato.

the country’s most successful show wines. The president of the Riverina Winemakers Association, Les Worland, said judges for the International Sweet Wine Challenge were looking forward to seeing a greater number of Moscato and sweet red wines this year, with demand for these two styles continuing to soar both at home and abroad. With flavours such as citrus, lychee and rose petal, Moscato works well with dessert, especially fruit desserts. The fresh, fruity, low-alcohol, slightly spritzy style of wine is Australia’s fastest growing wine style in the $10 to $15 segment. Woodstock winemaker Scott Collett recommends serving his new Moscato, Little Miss Collett (pictured), with berries, macarons or canapés. With an eyecatching black and white striped label inspired by a dress worn by his fashiondesigner daughter, Little Miss Collett has a restrained sweetness with hints of musk followed by lemon zest and spice. Before making the wine, Collett tasted more than 30 Moscatos and was most

‘Wine needs to be sweeter than a dessert, otherwise the wine will be overwhelmed, tasting flat and thin, even bitter.’

taken with the Italian Moscato d’Asti style. The White Frontignac grapes were picked early with high acids to balance the fruity sweetness, Muscat syrup was added for texture and richness, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon added for a beautiful blush colour. Pfeiffer Wines released its first Moscato last year: it has a beautiful perfume and tropical flavours that sit well with passionfruit sorbet and panna cotta. Fellow Rutherglen producer, All Saints, makes several easy-drinking dessert wines including Moscato, Muscadello (lowalcohol like Moscato and recommended with pavlova), and Full Moon Late Harvest Muscat. Victoria’s inaugural High Country Harvest event in May included Sweet Rutherglen, that saw 20 Rutherglen winemakers showcasing sweet wines ranging from Moscato to Muscat. Home to Australia’s finest fortifieds, Rutherglen is the perfect place to travel the “Sweet Map”. But that’s another story.

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FOOD. IT’S MY

BUSINESS. What’s the best way to discover new ideas for your business? With over 1,000 local and international exhibitors, the answer is Fine Food Australia. See, touch and taste thousands of specialty food products and beverages and test the latest equipment. Gain new skills from international executive chefs in the Les Toques Blanches Master Classes and check out the latest industry innovations in the New Products Showcase, all at Fine Food Australia.

For FREE entry, register online before 5 September 2012 at www.ﬁnefoodaustralia.com.au and enter priority code: CHEF1 $30 admission applies at the door for visitors that don’t pre-register online.

10 – 13 SEPTEMBER 2012 MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE www.ﬁnefoodaustralia.com.au

Strictly trade only. Entry is restricted to members of the retail, foodservice and hospitality industry. Proof of business identiﬁcation may be required. Persons not in these categories, including children, will not be admitted at any time. No prams permitted.

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desserts

Too tempting Dessert, the sweet finale to a restaurant experience, represents a big opportunity for foodservice venues especially in these time of consumer restraint when your customers are cutting the number of courses they’re prepared to stretch to when they eat out. So what’s hot and what’s not in dessert and, importantly, what’s going to be most likely to tempt diners to go that extra dollar when it comes to this indulgent course? Danielle Bowling quizzed some of our top chefs and restaurateurs about what’s on top of the popularity stakes.

Andrew McConnell’s confit apple terrine, salted caramel and burnt butter ice cream.

hospitality | august 2012

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desserts

‘A sweet creamy dessert reminiscent of vanilla custard with a unique texture from the tapioca pearls.’ Martin Boetz

Martin Boetz’s tapioca with mango and palm sugar caramel.

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hospitality | august 2012

desserts

‘Acidity is the new sweet...any ingredient is fair game for the dessert course.’ Luke Burgess

Luke Burgess’s strawberries, basil, native pepper and carraway thyme ice cream.

hether it’s an impressive chocolate feast, a traditional bread and butter pudding or a simple cheese board, dessert is the course that many diners look forward to the most, and which allows chefs to really get creative with what they plate up. Trends in how people are ordering desserts and popular ingredients used in restaurants’ sweet treats are always changing, so we spoke to some of Australia’s leading chefs about which desserts are popular on their menus, what trends they’re noticing and what changes they’re expecting to see in how desserts will be consumed in the coming years. Here’s what they had to say.

hospitality | august 2012

WHAT ARE THE HOTTEST SELLING DESSERTS AT YOUR RESTAURANTS RIGHT NOW? LUKE BURGESS Chef/owner Garagistes, Hobart At the moment the most popular dessert is malt ice cream, carrot caramel, walnut, licorice wakame, frozen sour cream. It’s a dish that has a few elements of sweet and savoury. It’s also the ingredients available to us locally. We make the sour cream in our wood oven, and malt adzuki beans to make the ice cream. The wakame is coloured black to look like seaweed. ANNA POLYVIOU Pastry chef, Bathers Pavilion, Sydney The desserts that are always most popular are the flavours that

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

desserts

Dan Hong’s Stoners’ Delight.

‘You can’t get this dessert anywhere else and it’s so decadent and over the top, they have to order it.’ Dan Hong people are familiar with, everytime I put an unusual flavour on the menu it doesn’t sell, from Tonka beans to kalamansi. My pistachio and raspberry delice sells like crazy. It’s the best seller. I think it’s due to the fact that visually it’s so appealing so when one person orders it then everyone wants it. MARTIN BOETZ Chef/owner Longrain, Melbourne & Sydney The vanilla flavoured tapioca with fresh seasonal fruit and a pineapple and passionfruit sorbet. A sweet creamy dessert reminiscent of vanilla custard with a unique texture provided by the small sphere tapioca pearls. This traditional Thai dessert is given a burst of freshness with diced watermelon and pineapple, finished with refreshing passionfruit and pineapple sorbet. ANDREW MCCONNELL Chef/owner Cutler & Co, Golden Fields, Cumulus, the Builders Arms, Moon Under Water It’s the violet ice cream, chocolate ganache, sour cherry and clove meringue. This dessert is rich with a beautiful floral accent. There is a sour cherry gel, chocolate ganache and violet ice cream with delicate pieces of clove meringue and a hazelnut sponge. One of our previous desserts at Cutler & Co was so popular it became what we call a signature dish - the confit apple terrine with salted caramel and burnt butter ice cream. 28

hospitality | august 2012

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desserts

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Desserts are becoming less technical, not so many souffles or constructed towers of frozen parfait.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Andrew McConnell

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hospitality | august 2012

DAN HONG Chef Merivale Group, Ms Gs, El Loco, Mr Wong The Stonersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Delight is a dessert inspired by [the question] if a person was stoned, what would be his ultimate dessert? Therefore we made a dessert consisting of cinnamon donut ice cream, dulce de leche peanut butter, potato chip praline, raspberry jam, a fried banana fritter and candied bacon. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a favourite of diners because you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get this dessert anywhere else and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so decadent and over the top, they have to order it. NATHAN JOHNSON Chef Merivale Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Felix Profiteroles, vanilla ice cream, malted custard and hot chocolate sauce. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a classic dessert choux pastry, good quality vanilla ice cream, and hot chocolate sauce. We serve ours on top of malted crĂ¨me patisserie. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real winner for us as it appeals to most people and really fits in with the Felix style. PAUL WILSON Chef/consultant Melbourne Pub Group Our most popular dessert is our salted caramel sundae at Circa. DANIEL PUSKAS Chef/owner Sixpenny, Sydney We only offer two types of tasting menus, a smaller and a larger one. Most tend to go for the larger menu so they can try the steam brioche, mead glazed beetroots and honey ice cream. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also my favourite dessert at the moment. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a take on an Australian classic, the Golden Syrup dumpling. Steamed brioche soaked in a mead re-

duction, beetroots candied in mead syrup. Then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s served with a creamy honey ice cream. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple, sweet, tart, creamy and warm. Perfect for winter. GRANT KING Chef/owner Gastro Park A new dessert of cooked and raw cherries, hibiscus ice cream, fresh almond milk granita, rhubarb and cherry soup.

WHAT ARE THE BIG TRENDS YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE SEEING IN DESSERTS? BURGESS: Savoury elements are more common and the delineation between the last savoury course or cheese is less pronounced. Acidity is the new sweet...any ingredient is fair game for the dessert course. BOETZ: Less people are ordering desserts. MCCONNELL: I find there are generally two camps when it comes to desserts - tart and refreshing, or those that crave something sweet. At Cutler & Co our guests are a fairly good mix of both of those. We have another dessert on the menu thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very popular, a chocolate ice cream sandwich with salted caramel, while for those that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have such a sweet tooth, we have an apple and sorrel sorbet, with apples compressed in a dill syrup, and a just set flourless pistachio cake - very clean and refreshing, totally herbaceous. Generally around 90 per cent of all guests choose to have dessert. This percentage has remained steady since the restaurant opened in 2009 however I behospitalitymagazine.com.au

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desserts

About Us The Foodservice Industry Association is a nonprofit organisation formed in 1985 to organise and manage Hospitality and Catering Expos throughout regional NSW. The events provide an opportunity for members and non-members to promote their products and services to all sectors of the foodservice and associated industries. By specialising in high value exhibitions for both participants and visitors alike, The Foodservice Industry Association has established itself as the leader in the regional Foodservice & Catering Expo/ Trade Show field. The association is managed by industry professionals from our membership, with some of Australia’s leading Foodservice providers at the helm, including Bayview Seafoods, Sara Lee, Clorox, Patties Foods, Ingham’s, Ready Bake, Murray Goulburn and Peerless Foods, just to name a few.

Vision Statement The Foodservice Industry Association is committed to the ongoing growth and development of the industry and our members by continuing to deliver high quality, high value trade shows and exhibitions throughout regional NSW. These expos and trade shows give a broad range of industry users the opportunity to meet and compare and discuss the latest trends in the Food Services Industry. By specialising in high value exhibitions for both participants and visitors alike, The FIA – NSW has established itself as the leader in the regional Expo/Trade Show field

Upcoming shows CANBERRA - OCTOBER 16th - 17th Tuesday - 3pm to 7pm, Wednesday - 10am to 4pm CANBERRA - TBA PORT MACQUARIE - NOVEMBER 13th - 14th Tuesday - 3pm to 7pm, Wednesday - 10am to 4pm THE PORT MACQUARIE SPORTS STADIUM Cnr of Hastings River Dr & Hibbard Dr, Port Macquarie

For any enquiries please contact Melinda Snow Foodservice Industry Association NSW Inc

PO Box 4062, BAY VILLAGE NSW 2261 Tel: 02 43341114 Fax: 02 43341114 Mob: 0422 087 488 melinda@foodservice.org.au

Martin Boetz’s pomegranate and coconut jelly, black rice, custard apple cream and coconut sorbet.

‘The desserts that are most popular are the flavours that people are familiar with.’ Anna Polyviou lieve it’s important to give guests the choice of a few different styles of desserts, so hopefully we can have something that appeals to everyone. Of course we always have cheese. HONG: A lot of restaurants are incorporating savoury ingredients into desserts like vegetables, miso, herbs, bacon, et cetera. Also deconstructing classic desserts like peach melba, lemon tart, and the combination of chocolate/cherry/coconut seems to pop up everywhere. Obviously flavour and texture is very important. Most desserts look better than they taste. I’d like to see desserts that are equally pretty and tasty. A lot of pastry chefs use unusual flavour combinations just to be different and nine times out of ten, they fail in terms of the delicious department. In terms of desserts sold, nearly every table at Ms.G’s orders dessert. JOHNSON: We are selling a lot of desserts at Felix. I think it helps with all the media attention the food industry gets at the moment, people want to eat the things they see on television or read about in the weekend newspaper supplements.

www.foodservice.org.au KING: People see our desserts at other tables and want one. I think people always love a surprise - a dessert that reveals something inside or a reaction of flavours or temperatures. Beautiful presentation always plays a big part. 32

hospitality | august 2012

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desserts

‘Most desserts look better than they taste...I’d like to see desserts that are equally pretty and tasty.’ Dan Hong GET OUT YOUR CRYSTAL BALL AND TELL US WHAT’S AHEAD FOR RESTAURANT DESSERTS POLYVIOU: Desserts created in glasses - verrines. Yes they have been around but I think they’re going to pop around more this year. And also desserts incorporating cheese. We have always worked with mascarpones, cream cheeses and ricottas which is standard, but I believe blue cheeses and goats curds and so on will become popular. MCCONNELL: I think desserts are heading more in a savoury direction, obviously salt has been a big thing in desserts over the past years. A trend I noticed on my recent trip to Europe was the use of foraged and cultivated herbs in desserts. I also believe desserts are becoming less technical, not so many soufflés or constructed towers of frozen parfait. At the moment there’s more focus on different flavours and textures and I believe this will continue. HONG: I’m not sure to be honest…we must look to chefs like Jordi Roca, Rosio Sanchez and Christina Tosi for inspiration. WILSON: Tiny degustation desserts matched to cocktails or digestives. PUSKAS: I would have to say a greater respect for your customers and ingredients. Producing well-made and tasty food is timeless and will never get old. GRANT KING: More vegetables. Paul Wilson’s new style apple crumble with Grana, rolled oats and butternut ice cream.

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hospitality | august 2012

management

The HMDA is the professional development arm of the Club Managers’ Association Australia (CMAA) serving management in the wider Hospitality Industry ‘I have benefited both personally and professionally in my career through education and training. HMDA offers all managers that same opportunity’ Ralph Kober Executive Officer

DID YOU KNOW?.... If you are a Chef, a F&B or Catering Manager, a Hotel Manager or a manager within a hospitality venue you are eligible to join Australia’s premier hospitality management association, the CMAA, & take advantage of a range of education opportunities, representation, and networking with similar professionals. Go to www.cmaa.asn.au to find out more.

JULY Food & Beverage Workshop July 25 OR Webinar Series July 25 (start) - September 5

AUGUST ADVANCED Online Marketing Workshop August 8 OR Webinar Series August 8 (start) - September 27 Australasian Gaming Expo - AGE 2012 Conference (presented by HMDA) Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour August 21-22

SEPTEMBER Regional Sales & Marketing Summit Armidale City Bowling Club & Saumarez Homestead, Armidale September 18-20 Go to www.cmaa.asn.au and click on the CMDA tile.

THE CMAA GROWS THE PEOPLE WHO GROW YOUR BUSINESS For further information: Ph: 02 97464199 E: training@cmaa.asn.au W: www.cmaa.asn.au

hospitality | august 2012

Why the excitement about food trucks? Sydney council’s trial of food trucks dispensing some high quality eats for the city’s hungry hordes has been getting a lot of publicity. Ken Burgin explores the management issues these mobile businesses raise. ICE-CREAM and coffee vans have been around in Australia for decades, and at every street festival there’s a well-organised kebab seller – maybe even one for dagwood dogs! But recently the food truck industry has hit the headlines. The image is appealing – a life on the road, hungry crowds and all that cash money. But creating a long-term success will be more challenging: every year has fast and slow seasons, hot and cold, sunshine and rain. Are you just swapping a landlord for the parking police? On the positive side, startup costs for a brick and mortar restaurant range between $100,000 and $5,000,000. Food truck owners quote far lower expenses – a second-hand van with renovations may get you going. Starting is simpler licensing, staff, equipment and a concept. Once you’re underway, the daily workload is usually simple and predictable. Mobility allows you to target public events, gatherings and the best locations. Your truck could cover a soccer game in the morning, an outdoor concert in the afternoon, and then head to a busy nightspot to close the evening. Social media is an inexpensive tool for keeping potential customers updated on your travel schedule – much of it can be pushed out from your mobile phone. These are quick-start businesses ideal for quickstart people, and the glamour factor has the media and even local government smiling on these ‘urban food pioneers’. Sounds good so far, but there are many potential problems - it’s not as simple as finding a used truck with a fridge and a flattop grill. Health and hygiene regulations grow more onerous every year, and food trucks won’t be given a free pass. They get the same regulatory oversight as traditional restaurants. Inspections will be easy to conduct and hygienic issues fairly obvious to customers.

MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES Keeping vehicles clean and washed down will be a challenge without the ready supply of hot water that restaurants enjoy. Food service requires massive amounts of water, but in your truck you will be measuring it carefully. Designing for hygiene will be of major importance - and stainless steel

‘There are many potential problems - it’s not as simple as finding a used truck with a fridge and a flattop grill.’

is not cheap. Initial startup costs are appealing, but after acquiring a truck, food, employees and insurance, you’ll still need a sales permit. Make sure you watch out for council regulations. Is there a cap on active permits in your area, and has that figure already been met? Competition can be fierce, and nothing will stop competitors from swooping in and stealing your spot after seeing its value. There will always be parking regulations, and tickets can pile up.

BUSINESS DAMPENERS Weather influences daily trade in any restaurant, but even mild inconveniences like a light rain can drive away mobile food customers so be prepared for bad weather and its effect on your cash flow. You may also have truck problems - taking this on means you now have the joy of maintaining a motor vehicle. Plus security is an issue – lots of cash in a small van late at night. And relationships with local restaurants may become strained. Some areas designate locations for food trucks that are a certain distance from the nearest restaurant or food outlet – but is it good for your trade? Adequate power supply and backup must always be available, as a simple malfunction could destroy the earning potential of the day and also put your valuable perishable stock in jeopardy. Generators need fuel, and can be expensive to run. The nature of a mobile business requires a much larger focus on promotion and keeping customers aware of your current travel plans. You’ll need to develop awareness for every single location you frequent and be actively using Facebook and Twitter, You need to love these mediums, as they’re the lifeline to your customers. Tweeting while you cook and wipe the grease off your phone? Are you ready for that? Also think about your height, and that of your staff. If you’re tall, a van will not be an easy space to work. This may also limit who you can recruit. Continues on page 38 hospitalitymagazine.com.au

management/comment

doctorhospitality Our all-male kitchen staff don’t like cleaning. How can we improve this without resorting to yelling (which is how I feel when I see their mess)? Assuming that you’re talking about their own mess in the kitchen, there’s no two ways around it. You can’t risk your livelihood on food safety violations, infected food and vermin outbreaks. Unfortunately, you also can’t beat your staff senseless without going on an involuntary holiday. A clean kitchen and working environment is an essential part of a professional operation. It’s also part of their job. Someone needs to act as a direct manager, working off a checklist to ensure that every job is done properly during the close. No one is to leave until it’s done. They’ll get it soon enough.

We need to do a customer survey. What’s a quick and inexpensive way to do this? An incentive is important: at the end of each meal, have the staff ask each table if they’d like to fill out a short survey. Design the form to be easily completed and offer a weekly draw for a free dinner for two. Keep the survey limited to yes/no or multiple choice answers with one written answer at the most. It’s more important to keep a customer’s attention for long enough to complete the survey, than it is to ask them to go into every tiny detail about your establishment. Also mention the contest on the specials board and your website or newsletter.

Our chef is very experienced with French food but we need to take a more casual approach to the menu. How do we change our style without losing him? If he’s a real professional, he has seen the challenges the industry is facing and the shift to more casual dining. Prepare new guidelines on menu prices and have him working to your food cost guidelines. Allow him to contribute to the new menu with personal suggestions – he will have plenty. Challenge him, but do so in a manner where he is attempting to fuse his skill and experience with your business needs. In the end, he’s going to be okay with things or not. The best you can do is let him stay involved.

We can’t ask a candidate’s age in a job ad. How do I know if they can do the job? Asking them to fax or email a resume is a good way to get a solid first impression of most candidates without resorting to ‘discriminatory’ questions. Make sure the ad clearly states the requirements of the position to guide the reader to their suitability. If you will require them to lift beer kegs, work on spread sheets, prepare pastry or interview staff, explain that clearly to avoid having people waste your time with unqualified applications. List as many requirements as possible, to narrow down the field.

Do you have a question for the good doctor? Send him your queries via Hospitality editor Rosemary Ryan with a quick email to rosemary.ryan@reedbusiness.com.au

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Storm in a teacup over Sydney restaurants The media ruckus following some high profile restaurant closures is distracting from the real work that needs to be done by the industry, says our columnist Tony Berry. SO MUCH froth and bubble; so much blame and counterblame. So many excuses offered for the failure of what, in fact, is merely a mere soupçon of the whole. If Sydney truly contains an estimated 12,000 restaurants (who dreams up these figures that become repeated without question?) then the failures of recent times are a mere taste of the gargantuan feast laid out before diners. Even more specifically, those that have fallen by the wayside were predominantly in the upper echelons of the trade; in their pricing at least. Some who have closed lay the blame on the costs they have to bear – especially staff wages. Others seem to suggest the punters are at fault for their reluctance to shell out a week’s rent on a meal. When metro daily newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald launched its campaign to “save our restaurants” the city’s diners bit back, some with some of the extreme invective online debates too often attract but others with what appear to be well-reasoned explanations for their absence. In summary, they simply want value for money. They want food as food and not as art. They know what raw ingredients cost and, while understanding the need for mark-ups to cover expenses, don’t expect to be blatantly ripped off. They also expect efficient, polite and friendly service. And when they’ve been lured into the establishment of a “celebrity” chef they don’t expect to dine on the fare of his underlings while he flaunts on TV, or oversees another extension of his publicity-fuelled empire. But when this bubbling cauldron of controversy has been turned back down to a simmer it should be remembered that the stove was ignited by a media outlet that is also battling for its own survival. SMH food writer Jill Dupleix suggested the campaign was some brainwave driven by unrelenting concern for the industry. But the “Appetite for Sydney” campaign is mutton dressed as lamb. So-called “dinner deals” have come and gone with monoto-

nous regularity down the decades. By signing on to the campaign offering special dinner deals restaurateurs are simply playing into critics’ hands. The obvious reaction is to say, “If you can do a meal for this price now, why didn’t you do it before?” Better by far to study carefully the stream of online comments and react positively. There’s obviously a high level of dissatisfaction with standards, prices and service. It can be summarised as a perceived lack of value for money. The answer is therefore to act swiftly and positively to redress this situation rather than to serve up the same old whinges about high wages, low margins, exorbitant rents and the ailing economy. Survival needs to be based on a long-term plan from within and not tired marketing ploys dragged out and dusted off by newspaper ad staff. According to Dupleix “anyone who cares about the restaurant industry in Sydney has to care about what has been happening in the past three months”. Think about that. What has happened in the past three months is that Fairfax, owner of the SMH, has come under siege from all angles - with announcements of redundancies and major changes to its format, as well as from mining billionaire Gina Rinehart who’s itching to get a seat on the board. The SMH knows it has to lift its game. It has to start looking vibrant and relevant and evolve to meet the demands of today’s consumers. Yes, in the restaurant game there are some who are doing it hard – but largely because of excessive aspirations, exorbitant fit-outs and unrealistic pricing in a limited market. And, as Dupleix concedes, because there are just too many restaurants. Which really means that, in the end, market forces will decide - the fittest will survive. The vast majority of those 12,000 “restaurants” will continue doing as they have always done – plodding along and riding out another media generated storm in a teacup, and the peaks and troughs that are a fact of life for the restaurant industry. For years known to Hospitality readers by his nom de plume, E S Scoffer, Tony Berry is a former editor of this magazine, restaurant reviewer, and restaurateur. He can be contacted on tonybee@ozemail.com.au hospitality | august 2012

whatsnew

shelfspace 1

1 Grinding style. The latest new technology for salt and pepper mills has added a major award for excellence in innovation and durability to its list of achievements. Cole & Mason’s Precision Grinding System has been awarded Best Innovation in Product at the annual international Excellence in Housewares Award in the UK, the Oscars for kitchenware. The Precision System technology claims to have finally brought to an end the problem of clogged salt mills and grinders that fail to work after a couple of years. The pepper mills feature a machine-cut, hardened carbon steel cutting mechanism that strips the peppercorn, layer by layer, instead of merely crushing and muddling the flavour of the pepper as conventional pepper mills do, while the salt mills utilise a diamond-sharp ceramic mechanism that grinds the salt but won’t clog, or corrode with extended use. See www.coleandmason.com 2 Sauce with bite. A sauce range that was the result of the discovery

hospitality | august 2012

of rare chilli is now being imported into Australia. The sauces in the 100 per cent natural Amazon Sauce range have been made from these high quality peppers for the world market since 1992. Amazon peppers are fermented in salt and cured in salt brines. A minimum six months ageing takes place before the peppers are mashed to make sauces, whole peppers are bottled in cane vinegar. This manufacturing process ensures all Amazon sauces are preservative free. With the fusion of chillies and exotic fruits the Amazon Sauce Range caters to all palates, from die-hard chilli lovers to those who enjoy a bit of spice without the hot edge. They can be used as an addition to the table as well as for salad dressings, marinades and dipping sauces. See www.macondoimports.com.au 3 Lindt targets foodservice. Lindt has unveiled its new foodservice range that’s aiming to make it simpler for foodservice operators and chefs to create and serve premium quality desserts customers will

adore. The range includes Lindt Petites Pâtisseries au Chocolat - high quality cakes inspired by classic dessert recipes - as well as Lindt Delice sweet macaroon indulgences made from two small mounds of almond meringue sandwiched together with rich soft cream filling. There’s also Lindt’s iconic Lindor Ball and the Lindt Excellence range made from the finest quality chocolate that can be used to make tempting desserts like the pictured Truffle Cake. See lindt.com.au 4 Enhanced and bonus free. Edlyn is rolling out its enhanced range of delicious cake mix products and is giving away 20 per cent free on selected varieties. The enhancements have been made to an already existing range of products to provide more consistent performing cake mixes with improved flavour and texture. The improved range includes a carrot, chocolate, orange, classic sponge, utility and cheesecake mix all packaged within a durable and easy to store bag. To offer more value to the range

Edlyn has added 20 per cent more product at no extra charge to a selection of the range to give users even more reasons to purchase this quality product. See edlyn.com.au 5 Cheese please. These beautifully crafted, traditional cheese knives from France will add extra style to the presentation of any cheese platter. The André Verdier handmade cutlery features the distinctive Laguiole styling that originated in 1857. Each piece features a professional quality stainless steel blade and five feature rivets plus an elegant resin handle in a range of colours including red, black, ivory, corne and mixed colour sets of lime, orange, yellow and red. The set comprises a cleaver-shaped tool for semi-hard cheeses, a slender long-bladed knife with forked tip for soft and hard cheeses and a wide-pronged fork for the serving of cheese slices and antipasto ingredients like cold meats and pickles. Each of the tools replicates the original design and is guaranteed willadds enviable style to add

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

whatsnew

shelfspace 6

9 8

7 10

style to any ‘grazing’ plate. Call Call distributor VGM for more. 6 Containers become portable refrigeration. One of Australia’s leading shipping container suppliers Royal Wolf has launched a new portable refrigeration range for the catering and events industry. The units are purpose built for large-scale events and were developed in response to growing demand by the hospitality and events industry for high quality, portable and reliable refrigeration units, Royal Wolf said. The company says the refrigeration units have one of the lowest power consumptions available in the market and set an “industry benchmark owing to their precise temperature control and state of the art Carrier technology”. The units are available in two sizes and include features such as an emergency internal alarm system, food grade stainless steel internal lining, internal lighting and a drainage system. Get more information at www.royalwolf.com.au

hospitalitymagazine.com.au

7 It’s vintage Coopers. Coopers Brewery has released its limited edition 2012 Extra Strong Vintage Ale, the 12th vintage in the celebrated series. Coopers’ chief brewer Dr Tim Cooper said this year’s Vintage Ale follows the philosophy of using only superior ingredients, including premium-quality Australian malted barley sourced from pristine growing regions of the Clare Valley, along with select varieties of aromatic and bittering hops. “We have used no less than five different cultivators of hops to achieve a full-flavoured, aromatic beer, with a fusion of tropical fruity esters and citrus characters,” he said. See www.coopers.com.au 8 Chocolate with conscience. Now available in Australia is Madecasse chocolate the product that was the brainchild of two peace corp volunteers working in Madagascar in Africa. The entire product is made in Africa from the the cocoa bean, to chocolate, to the packaging. Cofounders Brett Beach and Tim McCollum developed the product with

the aim of helping African people escape from poverty. Beach said that despite the fact that 65 per cent of the world’s cocoa comes from Africa, less than one per cent of the world’s chocolate is made there. The range includes unique flavours like Cinnamon & Sakay, Pink Pepper & Citrus, and Sea Salt & Nibs, as well as Milk Chocolate and Dark Cocoa. The Madecasse range is now available from Jenbray Foods. See www.madecasse.com 9 Tasty vego. If you’re looking for some vegetarian ideas for menus Australian company Larderfresh can help. It’s just added another product to its burger range with its new Roast Carrot, Kale and Chickpea Burger. The burger is made from locally sourced ingredients including chickpeas from a west Victorian Wimmeran farmer, carrots from the Mildura region, and kale from Labertouche. Produced fresh every day, the burgers contain no preservatives or additives and are gluten gluten, wheat, egg, dairy, onion and garlic free. Larderfresh

recommends serving them with a relish, salsa, salad or yoghurt to create a healthy meal. More at www.larderfresh.com.au 10 Caviar not as you know it. The Good Grub Hub boasts that it’s importing products “unlike anything currently in the Australian marketplace”. Its new ranges included Epicurean Butters - infused butters in four flavours, Black Truffle, Chile Lime, Porcini Sage and Tuscan Herb, plus a product called Angel Tears, tiny balls made from white wine, sugar and lemon juice with real 22 carat gold in suspension for the final touch to a dish. It’s also exclusively importing a range of American whitefish caviars from the Collins Caviar Company in the US. American Whitefish come from the freshwater Great Lakes of North America. Find more on the range at www.thegoodgrubhub.com Do you have any new products for the hospitality market? Send your information to rosemary.ryan@ reedbusiness.com.au

hospitality | august 2012

whats on

hospitalitydiary hundreds of suppliers under one roof. Get the details at www.finefoodaustralia.com.au

AUGUST 25 Trainworks Winter Beer Festival; Thirlmere. Australia’s finest craft beer makers (and lovers) will converge in the tiny town of Thirlmere for this inaugural festival of beer. For bookings for the event head to www.trainworks.com.au

OCTOBER 1-31 The Crave Sydney International Food Festival; Sydney’s annual food and chef focused festival including the exciting World Chef Showcase. See www.cravesydney. com

27-28 Speciality Food & Drink Fair; Sydney Convention Centre. This is a new industry event showcasing artisan food and drinks. See www. specialityfoodanddrinkfair.com.au The action at Fine Food Australia.

SEPTEMBER 3-5 Australian Hospitality Conference; Wrest Point, Hobart. With the theme “Improving Profitability in your Changing World”, this

Food truck excitement Continued from page 34 Toilets and personal supplies must be on hand or readily available – do your staff fancy a late night dash to the public toilets? Your mobile truck may look like the place where the food is produced, but depending on local laws,

inaugural event will coincide with the Australian Hotels Association’s National Awards for Excellence. See www.hospitalityconference. com.au

you may be required to prepare the food elsewhere, in a commercial kitchen or commissary. If not, you still face the strong possibility of needing a second truck for cooking your food, or even just delivering to the main vehicle. High volume needs plenty of storage and the extra vehicles and premises you may need will mean

10-13 Fine Food Australia; Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Australia’s largest hospitality trade event is on again. It’s a must attend event that will have

extra costs. Finally, what happens when it’s time to sell? Restaurants and cafes can sell for a good price if they have a good long-term lease, good figures and they’re easy to run. You may have good profits, but the lease is as long as your vehicle registration, the work is hard and the cashflow uncertain. The pool of buyers for busi-

P R O D U C T S

29 National Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence; Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. The annual awards recognising the achievements of some of Australia’s best restaurants and caterers. See www. restaurantcater.asn.au

nesses like these is small. There’s money to be made in these types of businesses but the glamour image needs close inspection.

Ken Burgin is a leading hospitality industry consultant. To contact him call 1800 001 353 or head online to profitablehospitality.com

1815 Inspired by heritage. Designed for today. Contact WWRD Customer Service on 1300 852 022 to enquire about our Royal Doulton Commercialware distributors.

hospitality | august 2012

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