Spirited 2007 - Volume 4

Fall 2007 | Volume 4

FOSTeR’S A Leader in Global Premium Wine

GROUP

Talking F&B wiTh

alexi hakim >> PaGe 2

As the recently appointed COO for IHG in the U.K. and Ireland, Alexi Hakim oversees hotels offering a wide range of food and beverage programs, and he appreciates the uniqueness of each brand and location. Our series of F&B interviews with the Americas leadership team continues with a conversation with the former Vice President of Operations for Full-Service Hotels in North America.

Alexi Hakim started his hospitality industry career in F&B, eventually moving into hotel management and becoming Vice President of Operations for Full-Service Hotels in North America. Most recently, he was named Chief Operating Officer for IHG in the U.K. and Ireland.

Alexi offered his definition of dining perfection and shared a number of other F&B likes and dislikes in a recent interview.

Unique Blends of Flavors

and Impeccable Service

Define F&B Perfection for Alexi Hakim

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Any foodservice experience in your background?

What does a great dining experience look like for you?

“Yes. I was assistant manager of a continental dining restaurant— Giovanni’s—for a year and a half while I was in college in Chicago. After I received my undergraduate degree and my master’s, I got my very first full-time job with the Crowne Plaza New Orleans in 1984.

“It truly must be that—a great experience. What that looks like depends on the location, but ambience, service and food creation must all be combined perfectly to result in the right experience for anyone who dines there. To be truly great, the restaurant must be constantly evaluating, innovating and experimenting with different flavors and atmospheres, taking steps that push the industry forward. The restaurant should introduce service hallmarks that have never been thought of before and create dishes with tastes unique for this day and age.

“While I was at the Crowne Plaza, I decided I wanted to learn more about F&B so I took four or five courses at the University of New Orleans. Later I participated in a one-year operational development program at the Crowne Plaza Houston (now the InterContinental Houston), where I had to work in each department for a short period of time, beginning with entry-level jobs and working up to managing the department in the course of a month or two.

Managing the F&B department at that hotel was a rewarding experience. Soon after that I got my first GM job at the Holiday Inn Austin Townlake.

“Eating and having a great dining experience are not one and the same.

You can eat anywhere, but all of these elements must be present to create a perfect, memorable dining experience.”

What’s your favorite food?

“I’ve never said no to any type of food so far! I like to explore various tastes from different parts of the world and enjoy a variety of flavors.

A particular favorite I love to partake in is Mediterranean-style food, dishes with lots of olive oil and garlic. I also like good pasta and grilled meat and fish.”

How about your favorite beverage?

“I like white wine to start off any meal. But reds are the ones I favor most throughout the meal, and Merlot is my preferred varietal. A lot of the California wines are very nice—I especially like Duckhorn. Beer is great when the weather is hot, but it’s never hot here in the U.K., so it’s not likely I’ll be drinking much beer. In cool weather I might enjoy a glass of Scotch—it keeps me warm and puts me at ease after a long day’s work.”

Favorite restaurant?

“I’ve lived in so many places, especially in the U.S., that I have a lot of favorites. One is the Castle Hill Café in Austin, Texas. They change the menu every week, and the items on it are unprecedented—I’ve never seen any restaurant mix flavors from all over the world quite their way and have the dish be distinctive and appealing at the same time.

They don’t take reservations and there is always a line to get in.

everything was prepared to our liking. That gesture has become a very automatic thing for chefs to do, but he seemed genuinely interested to know whether we were enjoying our meal. It’s clear he is committed to providing a quality dining experience to all the patrons.”

Do you ever order room service?

“Very rarely. When I come back to my room after having meetings, usually I will already have dined. So, I might order a couple of pieces of fruit and mineral water.

However, my two boys, who are 11 and 14, always like to try room service when we travel.”

“I also like Crustacean in Beverly Hills. They offer excellent seafood with an Asian influence. The setting is fabulous, and you might even sight a celebrity or two there. In the Atlanta area, I think Sia’s in Alpharetta is nice. It has a very cozy atmosphere, and their dishes offer a unique blend of spices and food combinations. Every meal is appetizing.”

When you stay at an IHG property, what are your expectations regarding F&B? “My expectations vary by brand, so it depends on where I’m staying. When I’m at an InterContinental hotel, my expectation level is high—I look for exceptional service and expect them to deliver a unique culinary experience. At a Holiday Inn Express, I look for our signature cinnamon roll to be there and be hot, and that the coffee is also fresh and hot.

“

Mineral water or tap?

To be truly great, the restaurant must be constantly evaluating, innovating and experimenting with different flavors and atmospheres, taking steps that push the industry forward.

”

At the Holiday Inn Maidenhead in London, to name a specific example, I expect to be served one of the best English breakfasts you can get anywhere. The service and quality should not ever be compromised, wherever you stay.”

When you dine at an IHG hotel, what do you usually order?

“It depends on which hotel I’m dining in. I like the pommes frites at Au Pied de Cochon in the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta—that’s one of my favorite indulgences. I also enjoy fish dishes and whatever the local offering is in the particular part of the country I’m visiting.”

“Still mineral water is my preferred choice—in fact, I don’t recall the last time I drank tap water, because you simply don’t know what’s in it and what’s not. I don’t have a specific brand favorite; I just drink what’s available.”

Any F&B “pet peeves?”

“Yes, when food preparation is not handled properly in the kitchen, and dishes arrive not at the right temperature. You order a steak, and when it’s brought to the table, it’s not hot.

That makes it hard to enjoy, let alone appreciate the quality of the ingredients and preparation. But serving hot food hot and cold food cold is something we struggle with in the industry—even the best restaurants don’t get it right all the time. When 10 or 15 different orders are being prepared simultaneously, it’s a challenge to get everything to the table at the perfect temperature.”

Do you cook at home, and if so, what’s your specialty?

“I used to enjoy cooking quite a bit. But after I transferred my cooking knowledge to my wife, she took over as the new chef, and I will not stand in her way—she does a fantastic job! I still grill a little and create basting sauces and marinades. That’s the extent of my involvement now.”

Any recent standout meals at an IHG property?

“Quite a few. Most recently, I dined at Theo Randall at the InterContinental, in our hotel on Park Lane in London. Theo Randall is very famous in Europe, and he really does an excellent job of showcasing the restaurant. He came by the table to inquire whether

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what’s in a Name?

For Foster’s

Many of Foster’s Group’s fine brands can be found in the new 2008 World Class Beverage Program, including Beringer Founders’ Estate, Stone Cellars Culinary Collection and Lindemans Bins 55 & 65.

it’s wine as well ell as Beer The corporate parent behind some of the most recognizable wine labels—Beringer, Lindemans, Rosemount—in the world’s most prominent winemaking regions is a company best known the world over for—beer.

Foster’s Group is a global premium-branded beverage company with interests in brewing, winemaking and soft drinks. While its flagship Foster’s Lager beer brand may, logically, be the name most closely associated with the Melbourne-based company, it also boasts an unrivaled portfolio of 22 wineries across five countries. The collection comprises more than 60 prominent brands, and its winemakers are among the world’s best, producing top-quality, award-winning wines in each of the major producing regions.

Foster’s Wine Estates, based in Napa, California, is the wine arm of Foster’s Americas, one of the company’s three regional operating groups. From here, Foster’s produces, imports and markets its 4

multi-region premium wine portfolio. This operating unit originally was Beringer Blass Wine Estates, becoming Foster’s Wine Estates when Foster’s Group acquired Southcorp Wines in 2005.

“Winemaking is a key area of focus for our company, as we continue to grow our core brands and create new products that excite and satisfy the adventurous wine consumer,” says Andrea Christensen, Foster’s Wine Estates’ National Accounts Manager for the company’s on premise business partners in the South Central Region. “Our strategy is to become a major global premium wine player, and our wine business has already proven a major contributor to growth.”

a Global Sampler Foster’s Americas farms almost 40,000 acres of vineyards in the premium wine-growing regions of Australia, California, New Zealand and Italy. Highlights of a few of its hallmark brands, by region, include:

NaPa ValleY—Beringer: The Napa Valley has a reputation for premium wines, and as the oldest continuously operating winery in the region, Beringer Vineyards is one of Napa’s most trusted names. Popular varietals from the Beringer family include White Zinfandel, White Merlot, Pinot Grigio and Chenin Blanc, all of which have achieved the status of No. 1 in their categories.

World Class Beverage Program Continues to Unite ihG’s F&B Community and Serve as a key Resource

SONOma—Chateau St. Jean: Chateau St. Jean has called the Sonoma Valley home since its establishment in 1973, producing a diverse array of varieties, including Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. The winery has had explosive growth in the California Reds market, particularly with Cabernet and Merlot.

YaRRa ValleY, aUSTRalia—Coldstream Hills: The Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s most picturesque wine regions and the source of some of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the country. Coldstream Hills was established in 1985 and has grown to become one of Australia’s leading wineries, with wines sold in 16 countries around the world.

BaROSSa ValleY, aUSTRalia—Wolf Blass: The Barossa Valley is one of Australia’s best-known regions, with a rich winemaking history dating back to 1847. Established in 1966, Wolf Blass has grown to become one of the world’s most successful wine brands, receiving more than 3000 awards. maRlBOROUGh, NeW ZealaND—Matua Valley: Marlborough has grown to become New Zealand’s largest and best-known winegrowing region. Matua Valley was established in 1973 and produced New Zealand’s first Sauvignon Blanc, now the most planted variety in the region. Today, with vineyards in all of New Zealand’s major wine-growing regions, Matua Valley produces a wide range of distinctive, award-winning wines that are enjoyed all over the world.

TUSCaNY—Castello di Gabbiano: Built in the 12th Century, the Castello di Gabbiano is a winemaking property in the heart of Tuscany, a region famed for its Chianti. This winemaker focuses on quality in the vineyards, producing wines that speak of their origins and reflecting the uniqueness of the region.

“Our company believes in placing the consumer and the customer in the heart of everything we do,” Christensen says. “We strive to be continually innovative in the way we respond to the changing needs of the people who enjoy our wines the world over and our retail customers who serve them.”

Foster’s Beringer winery is the oldest operating winery in Napa Valley.

The 2008 version of the World Class Beverage Program has just been rolled out, launching the fifth year of the successful initiative.

The program couples beverage standards, consistency and education at HMG hotels with the marketing and promotional leverage of the company’s adult beverage vendors to achieve its goal: to help participating properties maintain profitable F&B programs that offer maximum satisfaction for consumers.

The new edition introduces selected new features and reinforces existing components that have helped make the program effective. Among the highlights: • Brand changes for some of the house spirits, including vodka and champagne.

• Reduction in the scope of the beer category to be easier to manage for compliance with World Class Beverage Program standards.

• A soon-to-be launched year-end champagne promotion and other seasonal promotions upcoming in 2008.

• Continued emphasis on the TIPS program—the responsible alcohol service training that is made available at no cost and is mandatory for all HMG employees who handle alcoholic products and beverages.

• Ongoing focus on use of the World Class Beverage Program Web site as an easy-to-use reference and resource for implementation of the program, including links to IHG Steelite, IHG Coke and IHG Evian Web sites.

“We’ve made significant progress over the past year toward reaching full compliance with the program by all HMG hotels, and the feedback from food and beverage directors continues to be very positive,” says René van Camp, Corporate Beverage Director, The Americas. “It was because of that level of compliance and participation that we were able to organize our first-ever conference for Food and Beverage Directors in February.

“We’re especially pleased by the sense of community the program is building among our F&B leaders. We’ll continue to reassess the World Class Beverage Program on an annual basis to determine how best to improve it.”

René can be reached at rene.vancamp@ihg.com, at 770-604-5180 (office) or 404-819-8586 (mobile).

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Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach leverages

the Unique & Unexpected to Create a Competitive Edge

The Crowne Plaza’s Splash Bistro and Lounge offers regional favorites with a Mediterranean twist.

Mornings at the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach find the hotel’s breakfast buffet guests—in the kitchen. The unique set-up places the omelet station behind the kitchen doors; guests are invited back to chat with the chef about how they’d like their omelets made.

Crowne Plaza Union Square in San Francisco. “We’re very nearby, but not there, creating a challenge for our restaurant.”

engaging the Guest

The F&B team’s solution has been to incorporate unexpected, The popular feature is one of a number of slightly unusual approaches attention-getting approaches to engage prospective diners. to everyday F&B processes that the Crowne Plaza team has One example: the menu for the hotel’s Splash Bistro and Lounge implemented to strengthen its guest capture factor and increase local features an intriguing mix of regional and traffic. For though the attractive property is Mediterranean-themed tapas, offering crab, at the beach, it isn’t quite on it—a parking F&B Director Edoardo Caneri lobster and other fresh seafood items with unusual lot, roadway and stretch of seaside restaurants accompaniments such as tabouli and tahini dip. separate the hotel from Los Angeles’ South Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

The tapas go especially well with cocktails, providing a boost for the beverage department.

“Local diners want to be on the water for the The house specialty drink provides another most part,” says Food & Beverage Director delightful little surprise, using the less-common Edoardo Caneri, a 12-year IHG veteran Absolut pear-flavored vodka as its main ingredient. who joined the property a year ago from the 6

The F&B program further leverages the talents of Executive Chef Gary Howard, who has been

with the Redondo Beach property for 16 years, with its Chef’s Table, billed as the best in the South Bay area. The concept again takes guests back into the kitchen, in this instance to dine at a table set up within view of the food preparation and staging area. Diners watch the kitchen team at work and enjoy samples as Chef Howard explains and entertains. The table sometimes gets booked by in-house guests, but more often is reserved by area residents celebrating special occasions.

The Coca-Cola Company Supporting ihG’s in-Room Water Program with Complimentary, Customized Promotional materials

Executive Chef Gary Howard

in-Room Dining by the Book The goal of engaging guests extends to room service as well.

The hotel’s new in-room dining menu is designed and bound like an elegant book, with each dish featured on a spread that includes a mouthwatering photo on one side and an equally appealing written description on the facing page. Edoardo conceived the unusual menu idea while at the Crowne Plaza Union Square, introducing it with considerable success. Though at $5 each the menu book is a bit costly to produce, the investment pays off: after launching the new design at the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach, room service revenue increased 7%. Plans are under way to extend the menu approach to the Crowne Plaza LAX.

Guaranteeing Satisfaction Overall confidence in the hotel’s food and beverage program has prompted Edoardo and General Manager Paul Gibbs to step up their game and introduce a money-back satisfaction guarantee for the restaurant, banquet and room service food. The offer will be promoted on the menu and in-room.

“In effect, we already offer a guarantee,” says Edoardo. “Any time guests are not happy with some aspect of their dinner, we don’t charge them. This just makes it official and allows us to advertise the fact.”

The F&B team isn’t worried about the possible risks involved with the guarantee. Complaints from diners are rare, and the hotel often receives positive guest feedback on both service and food quality.

“It’s important to balance all the factors required for success,” Edoardo says.

“Service and food quality are No. 1. To accomplish this, you must hire the very best employees, then provide opportunities for growth so they will stay with you. Sometimes it’s challenging to do all this and keep expenses in line, but the results are well worth the effort.”

Ordering customized neckhangers for your in-room bottled water program just got as easy as a few clicks of the mouse.

And what’s more, the materials are free.

The Coca-Cola Company, one of the key vendors in IHG’s World Class Beverage Program, has created a Web site exclusively for participating IHG hotels to use in ordering promotional neckhangers—for bottles of Evian®, Dasani® or Spring™! water—that they make available in-room.

Placing the order through the new site is a simple four-step process—hotels simply: 1. Visit the new Web site at www.IHGneckhanger.com and complete the quick registration process to get your username and password.

2. Choose your hotel’s brand (Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental hotels are eligible for this program).

3. Customize the information for your hotel by first selecting which brand of water is being offered. Then just enter the price point at which you are selling the bottles (a range of price options is offered, including “complimentary”) and choose our Service Charge percentage from the drop-down menu.

4. Select the quantity of neckhangers you wish to order.

The custom-produced neckhanger order will be delivered, free of charge, to your hotel within two weeks.

“We created the Web site just for the IHG in-room water program as a means to make it truly turnkey,” says Abbe Kantor, Senior Channel Marketing Manager, The Coca-Cola Company, North America. “It’s easy for the hotels to use, and easy for us to process orders and maintain inventory.”

“We’re delighted to partner with The Coca-Cola Company to provide this new service to our hotels,” says René van Camp, Corporate Beverage Director, The Americas. “It’s one more way in which we are enhancing the World Class Beverage Program to support participating properties in managing successful, profitable beverage programs.”

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beverage briefs Majestic Burgundies Rank as Giants in the Wine World Mentioning wine from the Bourgogne, or Burgundy region of France tends to conjure up difficult-to-pronounce French names, a maze of appellations and high prices. Despite the complexity, however, most wine lovers agree that the narrow region beginning just south of Paris and running down to Lyon is home to some of the world’s great wines.

Unlike the neighboring Bordeaux region, which is dominated by large estates, or chateaux, each producing a classic red wine, Burgundy is made up of thousands of small-scale growers who may make a dozen or more different wines, both red and white. Wine production in the Burgundy region, therefore, is usually referred to in terms of “domains” and classified more on the basis of geography.

Burgundy comprises six distinct sub-regions, the best-known being Chablis, famous for its dry white wines, and Beaujolais—geographically not part of Burgundy but usually included in descriptions of the region. The Côte de Nuits region is home to the great red Burgundies.

The great Burgundies, both red and white, are unblended wines made from a single grape variety—Pinot Noir for the reds and Chardonnay for white wine.

Various other grape varieties are permitted within Burgundy, though these are never used in the great wines. These are considered “second rank” grapes and appear in budget level bottlings. Varieties include Gamay (red wines) and Aligoté and Pinot Blanc (white wines).

Grands Crus are the Burgundy elite, coming from the best slopes with labels bearing only the name of the vineyard such as Musigny, Montrachet, Echézeaux. These wines—both red and white—cost a small fortune but are the epitome of fine wine.

From this level the appellations descend through various regional geographic areas down through Appellation Bourgogne Contrôlée, which covers Burgundy wines that don’t qualify for a higher level of classification.

Regardless of which level you try, sampling the wonders of Burgundy may join you with the ranks of its legions of fans who pay great prices and travel great distances just to touch and see the hallowed grounds where, it’s said, grapes are still turned into ambrosia.

Caipirinhas Emerging as the New Hot Latin Cocktail Looks like it’s true. The Mojito—that popular ‘20s Cuban drink that burst anew onto the beverage scene a few years ago—has moved into the mainstream.

Boosted by substantial advertising and the growing influence of Latin culture, the Mojito has become as familiar to cocktail-lovers and bartenders as Margaritas and Cosmopolitans.

In its wake, a new Latin-based drink is showing up in trendier establishments: the Caipirinha (kai-pur-een-yah), a favorite Brazilian cocktail growing in popularity all over the U.S. The rum-like spirit that forms the basis of the Caipirinha is Cachaça (kuh-shasuh), made from sugar cane. Already the most popular cocktail in Europe, the Caipirinha may introduce America to this spirit in the same way that Margaritas initiated the general public to tequila.

Herewith the recipes, using World Class Beverage Program spirits, for both hot cocktails: Mojito — “The Traditional Cuban Cocktail” • • • • •

3 fresh mint sprigs 2 tsp sugar 3 tbsp fresh lime juice 1 1/2 oz Bacardi Superior Light Rum Club soda

Crush part of the mint to coat the inside of the glass. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice, add rum and mix. Top off with chilled club soda. Garnish with a lime wheel and the remaining mint and serve.

Caipirinha —“The National Drink of Brazil” • 2 limes, cut into 1/8ths • 2 tsp sugar • 1 oz. Leblon Cachaça Fill the glass to the halfway mark with the lime slices. Add sugar and muddle limes and sugar together. Top glass with ice and add Cachaça. Stir vigorously and serve.

3 Ravina Drive Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30346 www.ihgbeverage.com