Ontario Restaurant News - January 2015

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RAISING THE BREAD BAR IN GUELPH

RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR

NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR

Matthew Corrin, Freshii founder and CEO

Rebecca LeHeup, OCTA executive director

The Restaurateur of the Year award recognizes an operator who has brought significant positive change to the restaurant scene in Ontario.

The Newsmaker of the Year award recognizes special achievements that have positive effects on the hospitality and foodservice industries.

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By Leslie Wu, Editorial Director

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EMILY PEARCE SALLIES FORTH

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When Freshii founder Matthew Corrin opened his original location, it was his first experience in the restaurant business. He recalls living in New York City at the age of 22 while working for Oscar de la Renta, frequenting mom and pop delis.

“It’s very ubiquitous in New York City; every corner has a fresh food bar with really no branding and really lackluster service,” says Corrin. “What I wanted was to create a brand around produce; essentially, around this fresh food concept.”

Story on page 4

Whenever Rebecca LeHeup, executive director of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Association (OCTA) speaks about her beloved hometown of Prince Edward County, her eyes light up. Although it took travels around the world in her teens to awaken her palate, LeHeup credits the county with instilling her with the determination to champion Ontario cuisine and ingredients.

“I moved out to the county and I stayed in the county. It sort of went against what I had always wanted to do, which was travel, but what I became driven by was this desire to see the community be economically viable and to celebrate what we had,” she says.

SPECIAL PULLOUT 2015 EVENTS CALENDAR

Story on page 7

Second Cup brews up a new look and strategy Second Cup location at King and John streets.

By Kristen Smith TORONTO—The Mississauga, ONbased Second Cup chain is tackling plans to revitalize the brand with the opening of a prototype location of its new look at King and John streets on Dec. 5.

Born as a kiosk in a shopping mall in August 1975, the company turns 40 next year and has about 350 locations in Canada.

With a focus on coffee innovation and individual customer experience, features of the rebranding include a logo, two “slow bar” additions, new food offerings and artistic influence.

“Canadians are passionate about coffee and we know they are rooting

for Second Cup to make a comeback,” said Alix Box, who took on the role of president and chief executive officer last February. “Coffee is at our core, that’s why we put it back into our name.” The company announced its new name: Second Cup Coffee Co. at a media preview event.

The 289 King St. W. franchise, owned and operated by Rudy Scholaert and Mimoza Feka, is 850 square feet and was designed by Torontobased II by IV in collaboration with Second Cup. “We think it’s warm and welcoming and we think it will appeal to a lot of different customers,” Box said of the overhauled look.

Continued on page 5

The ! children s menu grows up

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RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR

Matthew Corrin FOUNDER & CEO, FRESHII

Above: Rosedale Freshii location in Toronto. Below: Clockwise from bottom left: Khalid Sariffodeen, Michael Pandich, Andie Shapira, Mia Jacobs, Edwin Ng, Jenn Goldsmith, Craig de Pratto, Ryan Klein, Jenny Hoshoian, Chad Webre, Adam Corrin and Matthew Corrin (middle).

Story continued from cover

Corrin moved to Toronto, acquired the necessary funding and opened a store in the Toronto-Dominion Centre on Jan. 10, 2005 just in time for New Year’s resolutions.

It wasn’t a passion for foodservice that was responsible for the birth of the Freshii brand, which after a decade, has grown to 120 stores in 12 countries with 40 per cent of the system in Canada. “I was always interested in health and wellness and consumer branding,” says Corrin.

“I looked at where there was a need for health and wellness and a focus on the consumer, and it became very clear that where there was a gap in the marketplace was in food.”

Corrin, Ontario Restaurant News’ Restaurateur of the Year, is no stranger to accolades. In 2011, he was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and included in Canada’s Top 40 under 40 by Caldwell Partners International. He received Cadillac Fairview’s ARC (Achievement in new Retail Concepts) award for National Innovative Retail Concept of the Year in 2005. “The fact that a place that was serving fresh salads was considered the most innovative thing to happen is quite interesting,” says Corrin.

Since then, things have changed within the healthy food market. Corrin says salads have decreased from 98 per cent to 22 per cent of system sales, a reflection of both the franchise’s evolving menu offerings and public perception of healthy food.

“A decade ago, I think healthy was largely defined as salads. Today, we know healthy is grains like quinoa and brown rice; healthy is whole wheat; healthy is flavours from spice, not cream; healthy is juices and green smoothies with avocado and spinach, and so, the definition of healthy has evolved,” says Corrin. “Freshii and a few of our peers have redefined what healthy is.”

With a mission to eliminate excuses for not eating well by making healthy food convenient and affordable, Freshii has driven what Corrin calls the health casual segment. “Health casual is the evolution of fast casual and that’s the new

segment that I’m seeing growing all across the country,” says Corrin, noting when travelling, he sees some of the longest lines at establishments with a focus on health and wellness.

After Corrin opened nine company-owned stores in Toronto using cash flow and small business loans, he set up a U.S. office in Chicago and started franchising.

“A bunch of really, really capable people were being laid off from Fortune companies and they were being given actually really sizable severance packages. We got into franchising because these people were looking to do something else with their career and refused to ever work for a corporation again,” Corrin explains. He says a number of “philosophically aligned” partners were passionate about health and wellness and sought out the brand.

scape for our brand will look very different,” he says. “Today, we have four stores in B.C., but we have another nine leases signed that will all open some time in the first half of the year.”

Corrin spends much of his time travelling, visiting new markets and stores. He says his main role within the company is identifying appropriate franchise partners.

“My agreement with my team, which does virtually everything else, is I will deliver [them] a very active, very fast-growing pipeline of franchise partners. [Their] job is to make sure [franchisees] are successful from menu innovation through operational excellence through marketing and public relations,” says Corrin. He leads a team of 25 young individuals who operate out of the Toronto and Chicago offices.

“Our millennial headquarters aligns with

HEALTH CASUAL IS THE EVOLUTION OF FAST CASUAL AND THAT’S THE NEW SEGMENT THAT I’M SEEING GROWING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

- Matthew Corrin Freshii made its first foray into Atlantic Canada in 2014. By year’s end, the brand had stores in every province except Manitoba, where Corrin says three will open with one airport location and two in his hometown, Winnipeg, where Corrin’s business will play on the same field as his first business did. At 15, Corrin created Rink Routes, a pre MapQuest guide to hockey arenas in Winnipeg, selling advertising and several thousand units to hockey parents.

Freshii is moving into at least two new markets next year: Guatemala City and Panama City.

Corrin expects system-wide locations to grow by 80—maybe even 100—per cent in 2015.

“In the next 12 months, the Canadian land-

our millennial customer base and our millennial employee base.”

Keeping with the interests of its millennial demographic, Freshii is also active in charitable work. Freshii partnered with Free the Children to build school kitchens and vegetable gardens with proceeds from the company’s “green bowl” sales. “They’re all about the developed world helping the developing world,” says Corrin.

“The founders are sensational. In fact, this whole partnership started because I flew across the country fortuitously beside Craig Kielbuger.

I met him about an hour into the flight when the flight attendant came up to us and said ‘you guys should meet each other’ and that was the

start of the conversation,” says Corrin.

Over the course of the two-year partnership, the Freshii program has built five vegetable gardens and kitchens. “In 2015, we will feed over half a million lunches in Kenya through the salad green bowls,” says Corrin.

Corrin says people are at different levels of the philanthropic scale. “What we gave is a solution for a spectrum of people and their passions for giving back,” he says.

Corrin calls the Free The Children program a “very fine example of execution” of a triple bottom line.

Customers can buy the reusable bowl for $5 and receive weekly emails with savings, franchise partners save on takeout packaging costs, “which is not only good for planet, but good for the bottom line,” notes Corrin.

Recently, Freshii partnered with Torontobased Kinetic Café to help entrepreneurs within the health and wellness space.

They made investments in two companies: Montreal-based Provender and Windowfarms in Brooklyn, NY. Although the initial plans called for six, Corrin says they found great companies, wrote bigger cheques and are available for more coaching.

“The accelerator, how we initially defined it, almost changed from a pledge fund to a strategic market investment,” Corrin says. “I spend the first half of my day on Mondays speaking to these CEOs, guiding them and helping them make their strategy decisions.”

Corrin credits his management style to his first job working for Oscar de la Renta, who passed away on Oct. 20, 2014.

“I was reflecting on my time with Oscar,” says Corrin, who sat metres from the fashion designer. “It was a very small office, we had a nice relationship, and I realized that much of my management style (this was my only job prior to starting Freshii) came from my time at Oscar,” he says.

“If I can use a very obvious example, everything we do has a focus on style and design. If you’re going to do something, do it with some style, do it with some creativity,” Corrin says.

JA N U A RY 2 015

Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann.

Raising the Bread Bar

By Jonathan Zettel, assistant editor GUELPH, ON—Earth to Table Bread Bar is set to open its second location in early January at a newly built plaza near the University of Guelph. The newly constructed plaza at 40 Wellington, St. W. is anchored by a Starbucks, a 10,000-square-foot LCBO location and Goodness Me!, an organic and natural groceries store.

“This will be a new experience, dealing with a college town,” owner Jeff Crump told ORN. Crump, alongside pastry chef Bettina Schormann, founded Earth to Table in August of 2010 in Hamilton. In 2009, the duo penned

Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm.

Crump is also the executive chef and coowner of the Landmark Group, which includes Ancaster Mill, Burlington’s Spencer’s at the Waterfront and Cambridge Mill.

According to Crump, the concept for Earth to Table is a bakery by day and a pizzeria by night.

The Hamilton location will serve as a production facility for the new location, shipping frozen pizza dough and fresh bread daily.

The full-service restaurant will seat 80 inside with an additional 100 seats on the patio, which will have a five-foot glassed-in edge,

retractable roof, heaters and a barbecue.

The Guelph location—which is about four times the size of the Hamilton eatery—features high ceilings, repurposed barn boards and a long bar with an area dedicated to takeout.

“We’re coming into a town that embraces the earth-to-table philosophy already, especially with beer,” said Crump.

Wine from Tawse Winery will be on tap, with about another 14 red and white wines also available.

The bar will offer a coffee selection ranging from regular brewed offerings to espressobased beverages, as well as organic or spiked milkshakes and cocktails.

The menu includes share plates, starters, burgers and entrees, pizzas and desserts.

Dishes include braised short ribs with brussels sprouts, bacon and horseradish; a cured meat and cheese plate; several organic salads; a quinoa burger with guacamole, red pepper aioli and arugula; apple and bacon pizza with béchamel sauce, smoked cheddar, caramelized onions and fried sage; and “The Vampire Slayer,” a pizza with béchamel, brie, roasted garlic and arugula.

According to Crump, many of the ingredients used in the kitchen, including the pizza sauce will be available at the takeout counter.

“A customer could buy the dough, garlic and sauce and assemble it at home,” Crump said.

While Crump joked that he and Schormann “have no ambitions,” he said it is likely more Earth to Table Bread Bar locations will open in the future, with eyes on Kitchener and London for possible sites.

“I think you have to have three or four to even know if it’s a proper concept,” Crump said.

40 Wellington St. W. Guelph, ON. (905) 5222999, breadbar.ca, @breadbar_guelph.

New look and brand revitalization for Second Cup Continued from cover

The new look features white-painted brick walls, natural materials, accents of colour and a mural she called “a nod to the community.” At the King Street location, local artists depicted Toronto’s Entertainment District.

A circular bar with charging stations for personal devices surrounds the slow bar area, featuring a rotating selection of coffees prepared as pour overs or using a Steampunk brewer.

Pat Russell, senior product developer, described Alpha Dominche’s Steampunk brewing as a combination of vacuum and press preparation methods. Steam pushes water from the bottom to the top chamber where the grinds sit and become immersed. Russell said this allows for more of the coffee’s natural oils to come through.

The system also allows Russell to determine a number of factors including the water contact time, “which means I can pull out some really specific flavours in the coffee that I make,” he said.

Once programmed, Russell said the brewer is user friendly and training can be done instore.

Chris Sonnen, vice-president operations and coffee experience, said “coffee quality is incredibly important to us.” The company’s Arabica beans are roasted in small batches and most are Fair Trade of Rainforest Alliance certified.

He called the Steampunk “theatre in motion,” preparing one cup at a time, each one taking between four and five minute to brew.

“The slow bar is really an opportunity to

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slow down for just a few minutes, Pat Russell, Second Cup take in the interactive and social senior product developer. aspect of having a coffee. Really what it’s about is having a custom, handmade perfect cup of coffee every time,” said Sonnen.

He said the pour over station demands artistry. “It really requires a high level of skill and a high level of detail from the barista, so the barista that’s at that station needs to know how to brew a perfect pour over cup of coffee,” said Sonnen.

On the food side, the focus is on artisanal products from local bakeries, with “classic tastes with contemporary twists,” according ments,” Sonnen told ORN. Once finalized, he to a company statement. said, it will become the Second Cup Coffee Co. “Art and creativity are important to our template with design elements unique to each brand,” said Box. location.

Newly designed cups depict Canadian artBy the end of 2017, Sonnen said 40 per cent ists’ interpretation of the company’s values: of the chain will have the new look. Next year, “optimism” by Matt Andres from B.C., Ontarthe company plans to open 15 new cafes and io-based Adrian Forrow designed “creativity” tackle some renovation projects. and Zela Lobb from Quebec tackled “collaboFor the King Street prototype, Second Cup ration.” spent about $1 million, which Sonnen said The new café is a first step in the company’s includes research, concept development and three-year strategic plan, which Second Cup consulting. “We consider a lot of that to be inannounced in November. To fund the compavestment costs in our future,” he said. ny’s growth plan, Second Cup issued 2.9 mil“This is not about doing a few little things lion common shares at $2.75. differently, we’re trying a lot of things to give Key elements in the new café will be rolled Canadians what we call ‘the ultimate coffee exout nationally in the spring, and once the conperience’,” said Box. cept is refined, the new design will be applied “The franchisees that have seen it so far are to new opens and renovations. “We’re going just amazed. We work very closely with a lot to see how people react to it. We expect that of our franchise community and worked with we’re going to have to make some small adjustfranchisees on this development,” said Sonnen.

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Burger King, Tim Hortons deal finalized OAKVILLE, ON and MIAMI, FL—The minister of industry gave the green light in December to a deal that will see Burger King take over Tim Hortons and create a new global quick service restaurant.

The new company will be called Restaurant Brands International Inc. According to a statement by Industry Minister James Moore, the deal comes with several conditions, including a promise by Burger King to keep 100 per cent of Tim Hortons employees at franchises across Canada, continue the coffee chain’s charitable work and keep headquarters in Oakville, ON, with franchise rent and royalty structure frozen for the next five years.

Marc Caira, who held the position of president and chief executive officer since July 2013, is now vice-chairman of the board of directors of Restaurant Brands, while David Clanachan will be taking over as the president and chief operating officer of Tim Hortons Canada. Elías Díaz Sesé will be president of Tim Hortons, leading day-to-day operations.

Mike Meilleur, who has been with the company since 1994, moved up from executive vice-president, Tim Hortons U.S., to president of the brand’s U.S. business.

Other executive appointments at Tim Hortons include: Peter Nowlan, chief marketing officer; Tammy Sadinsky Martin, senior vicepresident, retail; Felipe Athayde, executive vice-president, U.S. development; and Sami Siddiqui, executive vice-president, finance.

Daniel Schwartz will be the chief executive officer of both Tim Hortons and Burger King under the Restaurant Brands International banner.

José Cil is now president of the Burger King brand. The Burger King executive team will include: Alex Macedo, president, North America; Bruno Lino, president, Europe, Middle East and Africa; David Shear, president, Asia Pacific; José Dias, president, Latin America and the Caribbean; Axel Schwan, global chief marketing officer; Rodrigo Musiello, executive vice-president, operations; and Paulo Barbosa, executive vice-president, finance.

Restaurant Brand’s board of directors will consist of Caira, Alex Behring, director and executive chairman and directors Martin E. Franklin, Paul J. Fribourg, John Lederer, Tom Milroy, Alan Parker, Daniel Schwartz, Roberto Moses Thompson Motta, Alexandre Van Damme and Carlos Alberto da Veiga Sicupira.

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Leslie Wu ext. 227 · lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

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magine a restaurant menu that reads you, rather than the other way around.

A new pilot project being tested by Pizza Hut in the U.K. proposes to shape customers’ orders around how long they glance at certain ingredients, based on eye tracking technology.

“Finally, the indecisive orderer and the prolonged menu peruser can cut time and always get it right, so that the focus of dining can be on the most important part—the enjoyment of eating!” a Pizza Hut spokesperson told the Washington Post.

Although this notion can cause a bit of an eye-roll when it comes to perceptions of feasibility (not to mention some troubling ideas as to privacy concerns), this “subconscious menu” technology raises some issues that might be worth considering, namely: when it comes to dining out, has the diner checked out of the restaurant experience?

It’s an irony that, in a dining world where customers are demanding more options for

customization, a curious passivity is being created at a consumer level.

According to one of this year’s Technomic trends (see our trends report on page 12 for more), diners are looking for a low-stress environment when heading out for meals.

“We know that consumers today want variety and customization when dining out. But there’s a separate and developing movement towards simple, hassle-free dining,” said the report. “A growing crop of restaurants with minimalist menu listings will sprout up to service those occasions. Expect more restaurants to streamline overloaded assembly lines and de-bloat their menu boards to focus in on just a few easy-to-order, well-executed dishes.”

Although most restaurant menus are subject to constant revision to separate the money makers from the forgotten items, in the past couple months, we’ve seen North American chains slim down, such as Red Lobster (who very publicly launched a renewed focus on seafood in November) or McDon-

ald’s recent sacrifice of some of the duplicates and variations on its menu throughout the U.S., keeping its options open by launching a “build-your-own-burger” program.

A streamlined and focused menu makes sense to avoid over-ordering, food waste and allow for menu innovation. But the idea that by offering the freedom of choice, restaurants are inadvertently adding to consumer fatigue, or that dining out, which used to be considered either a celebratory and pleasurable occasion or a relaxed convenience-based alternative to cooking, could be considered a stressful experience is an odd one.

The notion that customers might want those choices taken away from them by technology so that they can be a passive witness to what should be an interactive experience is enough to make one’s eyes water.

Leslie Wu Editorial Director

Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

Bi t s

EDITORIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL Mickey Cherevaty Consultant, Moyer Diebel Limited Marvin Greenberg Consultant Jack Battersby President, Summit Food Service Distributors Inc. Barney Strassburger Jr. President, TwinCorp Paul LeClerc Partner, Serve-Canada Food Equipment Ltd. Paul Mancini Director of Retail, Inventory and Wholesale, LCBO Jorge Soares Director Food and Beverage Operations, Woodbine Entertainment Group Adam Colquhoun President, Oyster Boy John Crawford Director of Sales-Canada, Lamb Weston Tina Chiu Chief Operating Officer, Mandarin Restaurant Franchise Corporation Martin Kouprie Chef/Owner, Pangaea Restaurant Joel Sisson Founder and president of Crush Strategy Inc. Leslie Wilson Vice-president of Business Excellence, Compass Group Canada Chris Jeens Partner, W. D. Colledge Co. Ltd. Ontario Restaurant News Volume 29 · No. 12 · January 2015 Ontario Restaurant News (www.ontariorestaurantnews.com) is published 12 times a year by Ishcom Publications Ltd., 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ont. L4X 2W1 T: (905) 206-0150 · F: (905) 206-9972 · Toll Free: 1(800)201-8596 Other publications include the Canadian Chains and Buyers’ Directory as well as:

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Luda becomes halal certified MONTREAL—Aliments ED Foods announced on Dec. 10 the Luda Brand will carry more than 35 halal certified products.

“For years, the halal foodservice community has been asking to have our high quality Luda products available to them,” Robert Eiser, president of Aliments ED Foods, said in a statement. “We are proud to say it is now possible.”

According to the company, there is a significant portion of the population consuming halal products in Canada and it is expected to rise over the coming decade.

Lee and Bigourdan part ways TORONTO—After a 15-year partnership, chef David Lee and Yannick Bigourdan will go their separate ways to focus on different establishments as of Feb. 1.

According to a statement, Lee will focus on Nota Bene with plans to change the menu and renovate mid-year. Bigourdan and Franco Prevedello will carry on with The Carbon Bar.

Plan for Ontario’s F&B industry GUELPH, ON—Food and beverage processing businesses, educational institutions and government officials are supporting development of an action plan to attract young people to careers in the agriculture and food sector.

Anchoring the plan is a recently released joint report from the Ontario Agricultural College of the University of Guelph and Food and Beverage Ontario (FBO), Planning for Ontario’s Future Agri-Food Workforce: A Report on Agriculture and Food and Beverage Processing Training in Ontario Colleges and Universities.

The report assessed employment needs of the agriculture and food industry and found several employment areas experiencing a deficit of qualified individuals, with 59 per cent of employers surveyed for the Food Processing Human Resource Council’s 2011 Labour Market Information having trouble finding job candidates with proper training.

a nd

The report also points out that the supply of graduates from post-secondary school programs is not meeting industry’s demand, as indicated by Planning for Tomorrow for OAC: Input from Industry, a report from JRG Consulting Group. It shows that the agriculture and food industries’ demand for new hires straight out of university programs is expected to increase by 10 to 20 per cent over the next few years.

Robert Dépatie new St-Hubert president and CEO LAVAL, QC—Pierre Léger, chairman of the board of the St-Hubert Group, announced the appointment of Robert Dépatie as president and chief executive officer of the company on Dec. 17, effective in February.

The Quebec-based restaurant chain has about 10,000 employees working mainly in its home province, but also in Ontario and in New Brunswick. Presidents of these divisions, as well as the executive team, will report directly to Dépatie, according to a release.

Formerly with Quebecor, Dépatie’s food industry experience includes positions at Heinz Canada and Planters.

Canadian Women in Food launches TORONTO—New national social enterprise group Canadian Women in Food (CWIF) launched in late November with a kick-off party at Artworld Fine Art Gallery in Etobicoke, ON. The networking group’s mission is threefold: to promote women-owned businesses connected to the food and beverage industry; to cultivate the energy that comes from women supporting women; and to stir up the spirit of female food entrepreneurs by creating opportunities for economic growth.

The group was started by Cheryl Appleton, founder and community manager of CWIF as well as director of purchasing at Aramark, with the help of advisor Sue Martin, from Step In Marketing.

“We’re looking at a deliberately broad scale, with members from millennials to those in their 60s and everyone in between,” Martin told ORN. “It’s a chance for independent

Bi t e s business owners and entrepreneurs to build on the passion that they have established in their own businesses.”

An annual membership fee of $100 is fully refundable in exchange for four hours of CWIF volunteering.

High sodium levels persist: study TORONTO—Researchers at the University of Toronto conducted a study to compare sodium levels in restaurant food. The study found 30.1 per cent of foods tested showed a decrease in sodium levels, while 16.3 per cent increased and 53.6 per cent remained unchanged from 2010 to 2013.

The study compared sodium levels in more than 2,100 foods based on nutrition data from the websites of 61 restaurants with 20 or more locations across Canada. Published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Dec. 16., the study concluded “the observed increases and decreases in sodium show that industry efforts to voluntarily decrease sodium levels in Canadian restaurant foods have produced inconsistent results.”

Mary L’Abbé and Mary J. Scourboutakos of the nutritional sciences department at the University of Toronto authored the study.

Letter to premier calls for transparency in chicken prices TORONTO—Restaurants Canada is calling on Premier Kathleen Wynne to help bring “accountability and transparency” to Ontario chicken prices. In a Dec. 16 open letter, James Rilett, vice-president, Ontario, Restaurants Canada, called the formula for setting chicken prices “secret” and solely in the hands of chicken producers. “Ontario consumers need to be assured they are paying a fair price for their food,” Rilett said in the letter.

The industry group is calling on the government to force producers to make the formula for chicken pricing public, ensure revisions of the formula are public and have a third party review the file with interested stakeholders.

N E W S M A K ER O F T H E Y E A R

Rebecca LeHeup

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ONTARIO CULINARY TOURISM ALLIANCE Above: The Feast ON program now has 110 businesses involved. Below: Rebecca LeHeup with Trevor Benson, OCTA Ontario foodservice designation program co-ordinator, at the 2014 CRFA show.

Continued from cover

LeHeup and her nine-person team at OCTA work toward building tastes of place through Feast ON, a designation launched in 2013 to celebrate regional flavours by pointing diners in the direction of restaurants procuring 25 per cent of their food and beverage spends from within Ontario.

The program includes consumer involvement through a website, where users can create an individualized taste trail, and a back-end Experience Assessment Tool (EAT), which helps businesses be ready for food tourism by using a rating system based on market readings, tourism offerings and other measurables. One year in, the program has 110 businesses involved.

“With the first 70 restaurants that got into the Feast ON program, we can show $10 million dollars of procurement of Ontario food, not including alcoholic beverages,” says LeHeup.

Whether speaking at culinary tourism summits on the international stage or touring the province with a four-person film crew, LeHeup is a connector of agriculture and tourism and a teller of the stories of the personalities behind them.

“This province is so beautiful and there are so many nuggets of awesomeness that people don’t really know about because it’s always easy to overlook what’s in your backyard and go somewhere exotic,” she says. “There’s this notion that ‘away’ is more appealing, but I think that if we spent more time really and truly discovering what’s going on in terms of culinary adventure in Ontario, it would really build that sense of pride and help people appreciate more what we have here.”

LeHeup speaks from experience when it comes to exotic destinations: her own road to championing the appreciation of local tastes and creating a homegrown tourist destination in Ontario began overseas. After she left home during her last year of high school, LeHeup sailed through Europe and Africa on a tall ship with a program called Class Afloat.

“I wasn’t adventurous and my mother wasn’t an adventurous cook,” says LeHeup. “I think

that whole process rooted my palate and awoke it.”

From her first breakthrough moment with a falafel in Morocco to new flavours in Greece and throughout Europe, LeHeup noticed that unlike her peers, she was interested in collecting culinary experiences rather than material items.

LeHeup returned to Canada and lived in Alberta and B.C. for a few years. Her experience in Kelowna, during the time when the Okanagan wine region was starting to emerge, opened her eyes to the possibilities around locally crafted products.

“Seventeen years ago, the idea of artisanal wasn’t mainstream like it is now, and there weren’t many retailers that were doing dedicated sales based on artisan products, so I saw that potential,” says LeHeup.

late ‘90s,” she says. “During the winter, there were a number of entrepreneurs that came together from the hospitality and agricultural industries to say ‘We need to figure out how to work better together because we’re all trying to make 12 months of a year’s worth of money on three months of sunshine from June to August.’

Not only was that not necessarily viable, but it was also very tenuous, because you could work incredibly hard for three months and be stressed out during the nicest time of year and then have to try to figure out how to live the other nine months.”

At that time, she volunteered to help strengthen the shoulder season as part of a group working to access funding through the Rural Economic Development (RED) program from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food

WHEN YOU BUILD A TASTE OF PLACE, AND YOU DO IT PROPERLY AND MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND HOSPITALITY, IT’S THE BEST FORM OF COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT YOU CAN INVEST IN.

- Rebecca LeHeup Returning to Ontario and Prince Edward County, where she had spent her childhood summers, LeHeup opened up Waupoos Warehouse, her own artisanal retail business in a restored pig barn at County Cider Co., selling locally created food and lifestyle products. “I loved forming relationships with these producers,” she says. “That’s where I quickly realized that what I loved doing was meeting people and sharing their stories and doing that in a retail environment.”

It was during this time that LeHeup also started facing the challenges of operating a small business in an area with a short tourism season. “It was a seasonal business because that was the nature of life back in the county in the

and Rural Affairs; a role that would lead her into a decade-long career as executive director of Taste the County at the age of 24. “What it really did was it helped me feel immersed in a community that wasn’t necessarily mine, even though I’d spent my whole life going there,” she says.

As someone who favours hands-on learning, (“I have lecture hall narcolepsy,” she jokes), Taste the County represented an ideal opportunity for LeHeup.

“I don’t have a formal post-secondary education—running Taste the County was my school,” she says. “I learned everything from finding people who knew what I needed to know and building relationships, to trying and

failing and learning from those failures, to trying and succeeding and building on those successes. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned the hard way.”

During her time at Taste the County, LeHeup launched the Taste Trail and the Arts Trail, and handled established events TASTE! A celebration of regional cuisine, Maple in the County, Harvestin’ the County and Countylicious.

When she joined OCTA in 2008, the idea of culinary and food tourism was still an evolving idea, one that continues to change today with the use of social media and trend-hungry travellers.

“Even in the last half decade, the idea of food tourism as a tourism niche has expanded significantly,” she says. “Does the average consumer know what a food tourist is? They might not know, but they probably are one. Many people might not go to a destination as a food tourist, but by the time they leave, it will be the food and the connection to the food culture that will get them to go back again.”

By creating tourism opportunities by educating the consumer on the bounty of products available within Ontario’s borders and encouraging chefs, producers and operators within the foodservice industry to create local procurement channels and offer local choices in their establishments, LeHeup hopes to create lasting change within the province.

In 2015, OCTA is starting new initiatives such as launching a partnership with Ontario Parks to use resources (including chefs) to help campers find local tastes and recipes to cook from in Ontario. She also wants to grow Feast ON membership from 110 Ontario restaurants to 500 by the end of 2017.

“I like to think of restaurateurs and those in the hospitality industry as having the ability to be agents of change,” she says. “When you build a taste of place, and you do it properly and make those connections between agriculture and hospitality, it’s the best form of community economic development you can invest in. The tourism piece, for me, is the end of a really awesome economic development work. It’s what drives me.”

8 |

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Villeroy & Boch names Tableware Solutions its Canadian representative MISSISSAUGA, ON—Tabletop lifestyle brand Villeroy & Boch appointed Mississauga, ON-based Tableware Solutions as its exclusive distributor for the Canadian foodservice market in early December.

“We decided to partner with Tableware Solutions because they have sales representatives in all major Canadian markets with experience selling high-quality porcelain dinnerware,” John Schroeder, vicepresident, sales and marketing, hotel and restaurant division, Villeroy & Boch USA, told ORN. Schroeder added that Canada “is a very important market for V&B that we are targeting for growth. Fine dining (three- to five-star establishments) in Canada has more similarities with our major European markets than the U.S. does.

Canadian consumers recognize, appreciate and expect authentic, highquality dinnerware.”

V&B is no stranger to the Canadian foodservice and hospitality market, having sold its wares in the country for more than 25 years.

Globally, V&B’s annual sales of its tabletop and bath and wellness products such as tubs and sinks exceed US$1 billion.

“Villeroy & Boch gives Tableware Solutions brand recognition to fasttrack us into better establishments and also provide exposure to the rest of our product line,” company president Bill Horosko said.

This deal marks a new chapter for Tableware Solutions, the company Horosko launched in 2000 following stints at the dealer level and with home decor/collectible supplier Royal Doulton.

Providing distribution in North America and the Caribbean, the company carries two- to five-star foodservice products including china, glass, cutlery and serving pieces for a client base that includes hotels, hospitals, residential healthcare and independent and chain restaurants.

Early on, Tableware Solutions began carrying products from South African-based Continental China, a line that put the company on the map and

still accounts for half its business, according to Horosko, who has 30 years industry experience.

A little more than a year ago, Tableware Solutions moved into a single-level 26,000-square-foot head office and showroom offering better efficiencies that will serve the company well for the V&B deal, which took effect Jan. 1. Tableware Solutions will officially launch V&B at the 2015 Restaurants Canada Show in March at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre.

Tableware Solutions team evaluated V&B’s most successful overseas lines and selected those that would best fit the replacement-product needs of its existing Canadian clients.

Initially, Tableware Solutions will carry 153 V&B products focusing on bone and commercial porcelain, cutlery and crystal, said Horosko.

He added that the “bonus” of V&B’s premium product line is its casual price point.

Tableware Solutions aims to generate new Canadian market share via sales to new and renovating hotels and restaurants, said Horosko, who expects to work with such restaurant-supply companies as St. John’s, NL-based Big Erics Inc.; Brockville, ON-based Hendrix Restaurant Equipment & Supplies; Mississaugabased Nella Cutlery; and Hesco Hotel Equipment & Supply Co., based out of Edmonton and Calgary.

Every diner craves something deeply satisfying. Gordon Food Service® is always at your table with fresh and flavourful food choices and reliable foodservice supplies. You can count on our useful technology tools and expert advice to lighten your busy schedule so you can do what you love most—making every plate special. Visit our show to learn more.

TORONTO, March 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Toronto Congress Centre, Halls A-B-C For more information contact your sales representative at (800) 268-0159 or visit gfs.ca

O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

From left: Tony Theodosiou, Rob Theodosiou and Geoff Parent.

Abe Erb pours a pint of hometown history WATERLOO, ON—The spirit of Abraham Erb, who is often considered to be the founder of Waterloo, ON, is being invoked with the opening of a new brewpub.

The brewpub, dubbed Abe Erb, opened in early November in uptown Waterloo, ON, and incorporates much of the area’s rich history.

“We aren’t a destination. We don’t want to be a destination,” co-owner Rob Theodosiou told ORN. “We want to be a landmark.”

Erb (1770 – 1830) was a Mennonite settler from Pennsylvania who developed the area and facilitated immigration.

On a wall adjacent to the bar, a sign reads: “ABE ERB. Beer is his middle name. Raise a glass to putting your stake down.”

Theodosiou said he got the go ahead to use the name from Jim Erb, the oldest living survivor in the family.

Aside from invoking the spirit of the city’s founder, the 120-seat establishment is full of historical photos and area artifacts.

Hanging on the façade of the building, a large 1855 map of Waterloo clad in copper stands behind the brewpub’s name. According to Theodosiou, the sign took two rounds of appeals before being approved by the city due to a rule that signage can only take up 40 per cent of the front of the building.

Nine barrels were salvaged from a pyramid that stood for a long time outside Seagram’s Museum in Waterloo, and turned into light fixtures above the front door.

Infinity mirrors create an illusion of a never-ending train track that can be seen when entering the 2,700-square-foot space.

The bar top is made from a 100-year-old Douglas fir plank with blackened edges that was salvaged from the fire that destroyed the main building of nearby St. Jacob’s Market in September 2013. Planks from floorboards and benches of the Stratford Fairgrounds have been used as refurbished tabletops. Tap handles are made from old hand tools and farm implements.

Theodosiou refers to the general theme of the restaurant as “industrial boutique”.

Across the middle of the space, four brew tanks hang from the “beer bridge” overlooking the bar. Theodosiou said every brewmaster he spoke to advised him not to suspend the equipment because it would complicate brewing and cleaning but liked how unique it would be. Diners can pull up to one of 26 seats at a table suspended from the beer bridge.

Theodosiou said Abe Erb will brew four beers: 1857 Kölsch; Buggywhip I.P.A.; Das Spritzhaus Hefeweizen; and Alterior Motive, a 5.1 per cent ABV altbier. Eight taps are dedicated to other Ontario craft beers.

From the bridge above, a steel pipe allows bartenders to serve beer directly from the brewery’s bright tank without being kegged. “It’s the freshest beer you can possibly get,” said Theodosiou.

Typical mixed drinks such as rye and cola or vodka and cranberry juice will not be served, opting to focus on the hand-crafted cocktail list and craft beer, he said. Shooters, bottles and pitchers also did not make the drinks menu. Abe Erb hosts live music, with a portable stage for performances.

Geoff Parent heads up the kitchen team, which offers a full menu and brunch on weekends. “We’re creating pub food, but with a twist,” Parent said.

The kitchen has no freezers and holds a smoker. The menu will change quarterly and he hopes to incorporate more beer ingredients into new menu items.

At the back of the brewpub, there is a retail space selling growlers, branded cups and T-shirts. Growlers are topped off with CO2 to help keep the beer fresh.

Theodosiou and his brother, coowner Tony Theodosiou, are already thinking about opening another space but there are no firm plans as of yet.

Any future projects will be branded based on a historical and area-specific event or person, he said.

15 King St. S. Uptown Waterloo, ON. (519)-886-4518, @abe_erb.

JA N U A RY 2 015

www.ontariorestaurantnews.com

2015

SPECIAL PULLOUT FEATURE OF INDUSTRY EVENTS, SHOW DATES AND HOLIDAYS IN 2015.

| 9

Industry Ind try Events Eventt Even January

JANUARY 10 – 11: National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto.

JANUARY 27 – 29: Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Supply Show, Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

February

FEBRUARY 1: Super Bowl XLIX, Glendale, Arizona.

FEBRUARY 2 – 3: Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) AGM & Tradeshow, Toronto Hilton, Toronto.

FEBRUARY 3 – 4: The Greenbelt Fund’s Local Food Symposium, Queen’s Landing, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. FEBRUARY 12: Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals, Toronto Branch, Top Management Night, The International Centre, Mississauga, ON. FEBRUARY 18 – 19: Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, ON. FEBRUARY 19 – 21: North American Association of Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California.

FEBRUARY 21 – 24: Canadian Society of Club Managers National F&B Conference, Delta Armouries Hotel, London Convention Centre, London, ON. FEBRUARY 24 – 26: Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, Conference and Tradeshow, Gander, NL. FEBRUARY 26: BC Leadership Night, CAFP Vancouver, Vancouver.

March

MARCH 1–3: Restaurants Canada Show, Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto.

MARCH 7 – 8: National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show, Cunard Centre, Halifax.

MARCH 15 – 17: International Boston Seafood Show, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

MARCH 24 – 26: International Pizza Expo, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

MARCH 25: GFS Appetite for Adventure show, Toronto Congress Centre, Hall D – E, Toronto.

MARCH 24 – 27: Anuga FoodTec, Cologne Exhibition Centre, Cologne, Germany.

MARCH 29 – 30: ApEx Show, Cunard Centre, Halifax.

MARCH 31 – APRIL 2: Online Revealed Conference, Toronto.

April

APRIL 7: Flanagan Foodservice Tradeshow, Kitchener Memorial Complex, Kitchener.

May

MAY 2: We Care Gala & Awards Dinner, International Centre, Mississauga, ON. MAY 5: Flanagan Foodservice Annual Tradeshow, Owen Sound Bayshore Arena, Owen Sound, ON. MAY 4 – 5: Canadian Hotel Investment Conference, Hilton Toronto Hotel, Toronto.

MAY 5 – 6: Canadian Restaurant Investment Conference, Hilton Toronto Hotel, Toronto.

MAY 11: Terroir Symposium, Toronto.

MAY 16 – 19: National Restaurant Association Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.

MAY 26 – 31: CCFCC National Convention, Sheraton St.John’s, St. John’s, NL.

MAY 28 – 30: Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals 41 st annual conference, Delta Fredericton, Fredericton.

MAY 31 – JUNE 1: Bakery Congress, Palais des Congrès de Montreal, Montreal.

June JUNE 27 – JULY 2: Canadian College and University Food Service Association National Conference, Delta Grand Hotel, Kelowna, BC.

August

AUGUST 17 – 19: Western Food Service & Hospitality Show, LA Convention Center, Los Angeles, California.

September SEPTEMBER 17 – 20: P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival, Charlottetown Festival Grounds, Charlottetown.

October

OCTOBER 4 – 5: Canadian Coffee and Tea Show, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver.

OCTOBER 19 – 20: CONNECT Show, Vancouver, BC. OCTOBER 24: Canadian Hospitality Foundation Ball, Fairmont Royal York Toronto, Toronto.

November

APRIL 9: FCPC Trade Talks Breakfast featuring COMPASS Group Canada, Toronto.

NOVEMBER 8 – 10: International Hotel, Motel Restaurant Show, Jacob K Javits Convention Center, New York City.

APRIL 10 – 12: The Good Food & Drink Festival. Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto.

NOVEMBER 29: 103 rd Grey Cup Championship, Winnipeg.

APRIL 13 – 14: Saskatchewan Hotel & Hospitality Association Convention & Trade Show, Doubletree by Hilton, Saskatoon.

APRIL 23: Annual OHI (Ontario Hostelry Institute) Awards Four Seasons, Toronto.

APRIL 24 – 26: Waterloo Region Food & Drink Show, Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, Kitchener, ON. APRIL 27: Resorts of Ontario AGM & Trade Show, Blue Mountain Resort Conference Centre, Blue Mountains, ON. APRIL 28 – 30: SIAL show, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto.

APRIL 29: Flanagan Foodservice Show, Garson Community Centre, Sudbury, ON.

Notes

ASSISTANCE FROM:

February SUN 01

MON 02

TUE

03

WED 04

THU

05

March

FRI

06

09

16

03

TUE

WED 04

05

THU 06

FRI 07

SAT

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

25

26

27

28

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS

10

11

12

13

14

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

26

27

28

29

30

31

MON 01

02

WED 03

THU 04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

25

26

27

WED 02

THU 03

04

05

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

VALENTINE’S DAY

FAMILY DAY (B.C.)

15

MON 02

SAT 07

GROUNDHOG DAY

08

SUN 01

FAMILY DAY (AB, ON & SK) ISLANDER DAY (PEI)

ASH WEDNESDAY

LOUIS RIEL DAY (MB)

22

April SUN

MON

TUE

WED 01

THU

02

06

EASTER SUNDAY

12

08

09

10

14

15

16

17

11

EASTER MONDAY (QC)

13

19

07

20

PASSOVER ENDS

21

22

23

SUN

SAT

24

MON

25

TUE

WED

THU

04

PASSOVER BEGINS GOOD FRIDAY

APRIL FOOL’S DAY

05

FRI

03

23

18

24

FRI

SAT

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

MOTHER’S DAY

25

27

SUN

28

MON

TUE

21

VICTORIA DAY

29

30

WED 01

THU 02

28

31

FRI

03

SAT

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

INDEPENDENCE DAY

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

SAT

01

04

05

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

11

12

13

14

15

CIVIC HOLIDAY (BC, SK, MB, ON, NB, NU)

09

10

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

RAMADAN ENDS

20

21

22

22

23

24

23

24

25

SUN

29

SUN

04

27

28

MON

05

29

TUE

06

WED

07

30

31

MON

TUE 01

THU 01

02

03

08

09

10

FRI

SAT

31

FRI

SAT

LABOUR DAY

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

23

24

25

26

ROSH HASHANAH BEGINS

20

30

SAT

30

ROSH HASHANAH ENDS

21

22 YOM KIPPUR BEGINS

26

FRI

ST. JEAN BAPTISTE DAY (QC)

FATHER’S DAY MEMORIAL DAY

CANADA DAY

19

TUE

RAMADAN BEGINS

EARTH DAY

26

SUN

27

SUN

06

28

29

MON

YOM KIPPUR ENDS

30

01

TUE

WED 02

THU 03

04

FRI

05

SAT

07

08

09

10

11

12

14

15

16

17

18

19

22

23

24

25

26

HANUKKAH BEGINS

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

13

HANUKKAH ENDS

THANKSGIVING (CANADA)

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

20

21

BOXING DAY CHRISTMAS EVE

25

26

27

28

29

30

31 HALLOWEEN

27

28

29

30

31 NEW YEAR’S EVE

CHRISTMAS DAY

KWANZAA

12 |

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Tren d

O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

WaTch

McCormick Flavour Forecast Food Channel’s top 10 trends MISSISSAUGA, ON—McCormick & Company released its McCormick Flavour Forecast 2015 on Dec. 2, highlighting eight flavour trends on the rise.

Now in its 15th year in North America, the report identifies new global tastes influencing diners’ palates and chefs’ pantries, as well as ways to create more intense flavours.

Identified by a global team of about 30 chefs and experts over the course of a year, these eight trends offer a taste of 2015 and beyond: Global blends on the move: Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) offers spicy heat, while shawarma spice mix lends warm, spiced flavour to grilled meats.

Middle eastern mezze: Distinctive dips and spreads, packed with zesty herbs and seasonings, offer an approachable and delicious introduction to global cuisine.

Sour + salt: Combining coarse salt with surprising sour ingredients such as pickled ginger, sour cherry, dried mango and lemon zest results in a lively finishing flavour that lends brightness and texture to dishes.

Smoked spices: Smoking spices and herbs deepens the flavour and aroma, adding richness to meals and drinks.

Umami vegetables: For a fresh way to capture the “fifth taste,” look no further than naturally umami-rich produce such as mushrooms, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and nori.

Liquid revolution: Purees and juices with bold spices and herbs to intensify sauces, pasta and dressings.

Flavour worth the wait: Rich flavours from recipes around the world that meld aromatic spices and comforting ingredients into slowcooked meals.

Cookies reimagined: Classic spiced cookie flavours take new form in decadent, imaginative desserts.

Michael Cloutier, executive corporate chef of McCormick Canada, told ORN smoked

spices is something he expects to see evolve in foodservice, calling it the next stage of smoking.

“It’s another way to bring smoke to light and not necessarily through smoking meats with wood, but using these smoked spices as a seasoning component,” he said.

Cloutier said he expects to see shawarma spices used in a different manner. “Not necessarily to make a shawarma wrap, but maybe that flavour profile is being used to season meats to put on salads,” he suggested. “It’s using those blends in a different way.”

He says he hopes to see shichimi togarashi being used to marinate fish and maybe boosting the salts and sugars so it becomes more of a curing process.

“Sour salts: I know salt is a big health concern, so this is a way to flavour food differently with salt because you have that sour component,” said Cloutier. “There are many ways to introduce the sour component, which then gives chefs and people at home the opportunity to make their own blend.”

Cloutier said well-travelled and savvy consumers with educated palates are moving trends forward faster.

“We used to say the forecast is three to five years out. We’re now saying these flavour forecast trends are two to three years out,” said Cloutier, adding this refers to the time the trends, mostly seen in a white-tablecloth atmosphere, will take to be realized into mainstream.

A number of different countries, including China, Australia, Mexico, Britian, South Africa, Canada and the U.S., participate in developing the annual global forecast.

“There is quite a gamut of people across our company that get involved in this,” Cloutier said. With product in 110 countries, Cloutier said McCormick has a lot of on-the-ground intelligence.

“When we first met as a group four years ago and everybody brought their trend information forward, we were all quite amazed how aligned we were,” he said.

CHICAGO—The Food Channel released its Top Ten Food Trends for 2015 in December, based on research in conjunction with CultureWaves.

“There has been an interesting evolution year as both chefs and consumers grab hold of their identities,” Kay Logsdon, The Food Channel editor, said in a statement. “We see consumers upgrading their kitchens and holding dinner parties where they make a lot of the food, and we see chefs deciding to do things their way in their restaurants. Rather than tension, this is developing a new range of food creativity.”

This marks 27 years since The Food Channel began identifying trends around food.

Highlights include: 1.

2.

The dinner party revival: In the home or in a “third space,” there is a resurgence of dinner parties, perhaps because people are so connected online, they are forcing opportunities to connect offline.

The loss of ethnic: The single flavor palate is gone; long live the global palate. While people are happy to introduce new global flavors to their palate, there is a tendency to mix them into something we already understand.

3.

Hand-touched over handmade: What used to be called “hand-touched” is now becoming the norm, meaning that as long as chefs touch ingredients in some way, they don’t have to literally measure them.

4.

The casualization of wine: Millennials are drinking so much wine that wine is being rebranded as an everyday drink, no longer left to special occasions.

5.

My kitchen: In an attempt to get consumers to concentrate on what they’ve prepared, chefs are serving up knife and fork food, banning ketchup if it doesn’t go with the flavor combinations and discouraging food photography. The new trend is: “It’s

The Food Channel’s Turkish table setting.

my kitchen, my rules.”

6.

7.

Food incubators: The rise in food media over the past decade or so has caused many people to want to take their own ideas to market, and incubators reduce the cost of entrepreneurship and offer business support.

Seasonal transitions: “Transition food” is a combination of two seasons in between, perhaps as a way to psych people up for what’s to come.

8.

Spice alchemy: With the proliferation of global spices and spice combinations, people are experimenting and, in a way, becoming mixologists with spices.

9.

Replicating restaurants: This trend was seen with home espresso machines and Belgian waffle makers, so continue to expect new appliances and smaller workspaces that replicate the restaurant experience.

10. Cooking by life stage: Food and recipes will no longer be based solely around a traditional family of four, but instead are expected to be offered by life stage rather than age-related demographics.

Canadian and U.S. 2015 trends for foodservice CHICAGO—Simplicity and diversifying markets dominated the 2015 trend report released Nov. 10 by Technomic Inc. According to the Chicago-based research and consulting firm, Canadian operators will focus on the following food and restaurant trends in the coming year: Menu boards slim down: According to Technomic, consumers want variety and customization when dining out, but also favour a simplified, stress-free dining experience. As a result, a growing number of restaurants will offer minimalist menu listings, streamlining overloaded kitchen lines and editing menu boards to focus on a handful of wellexecuted dishes.

Savoury pancake from Hog & Rocks in San Francisco. Photo by Madeline Janning.

Generation appreciation: Operators face challenges catering to the distinctly different preferences of millennials and baby boomers, both of whom possess significant spending power yet search out different dining experiences. To please both demographic groups, restaurants will address boomers’ health and wellness needs while increasing social responsibility initiatives to attract millennials.

Balancing a compelling value proposition for boomers with authenticity and customizability for millennials will also help foodservice operators address the needs of all age groups.

Retail competition: Consumers have sampled modern dining halls, pop-ups and food trucks as part of a shift away from traditional restaurant formats. Retailers are the next foodservice frontier. As today’s supermarkets and convenience stores boost their fresh prepared food offerings, restaurants face a new competitive challenge from an emerging segment poised for growth.

Tea culture comes of age: Tea is having its moment as operators devise unique, connoisseurlevel tea experiences such as precise tea-brewing practices, tea-and-food pairings and handcrafted flavours.

Menus will offer an increased variety of specialty, premium tea blends.

Emerging craft beers: The focus in 2015 will shift to emerging craft-beer styles, serving ideas and kitchen uses.

Hoppy brews will continue to dominate, but drink menus will offer more sours, saisons, spiced-up stouts and lower-alcohol, sessionable brews.

Bars and restaurants will create excitement via tap takeovers, creative beer flights and cask events. Beer’s burgeoning culinary influence will result in more sudsy desserts, infused sauces and pairing suggestions.

Andrew Freeman & Co. Adding its predictions to the mix, Andrew Freeman & Co., a San Francisco-based hospitality consulting company, released its 2015 U.S. food and restaurant trend report in early November. Highlights include: Food trends:The new ‘it’ egg is scrambled—and it’s going way beyond breakfast. Scrambled eggs are being added to dinner menus.

Chefs are adding flair to veggies with oldworld cooking techniques such as smoking and slow roasting instead of relying on fats to boost flavour.

Nduja, a Calabrian spreadable cured meat, features a softer, malleable texture that makes it a more flexible ingredient than other salami.

Dessert menus are featuring soft-serve ice cream. Seasonal flavours, innovative sundae combinations and sophisticated toppings make this nostalgic item more modern.

Restaurant trends: Savoury pancakes are showing up on dinner menus, and chefs are proving batter is a versatile canvas for non-traditional flavours.

Game halls are the next big thing. Adding an interactive gaming element to a bar keeps people drinking and makes these establishments a destination instead of a stop along the way.

Not many people have time for a leisurely lunch anymore and restaurants are adapting by offering all-day, takeout-friendly menus and providing delivery.

A growing number of higher-end, fast casual concepts (many helmed by fine dining chefs) are emerging to satisfy the demand for great food, fast, at lower prices. No longer just for the lunch crowd, these concepts are thriving during the dinner rush.

The division between the pastry line and the rest of the kitchen is fading.

Sunday suppers are becoming a time for adventurous cooking. By offering one set menu (often family style), chefs can tackle more ambitious or complex dishes or experiment with new techniques or cuisines.

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JA N U A RY 2 015

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The continued emergence of home meal replacement

By Scott Stewart

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n recent years, the foodservice industry has maintained an increased focus on the home meal replacement (HMR) segment of the market. Offering fully-prepared foods in grocery stores strays from traditional quick service (QSR) and full service (FSR) models, resulting in questions about how successful this approach could be. Furthermore, the segment saw strong growth in previous years, now experiencing more than 46 million more traffic occasions annually than it did in 2007, according to NPD’s CREST data.

While the growth of this segment is important to understand, it is also valuable to revisit this trend as it has become more developed and ingrained within the market. Chiefly, it is important for traditional operators to understand if this segment should be considered a growing threat, and whether the HMR model has changed to become more directly competitive.

The evolution of HMR Evidence indicates the HMR segment is beginning to be used more by consumers in ways similar to traditional restaurants. Traditionally, HMR has been more family-oriented than the FSR segment; in 2011, 45 per cent of HMR supper occasions included children, compared to only 33 per cent at FSR. In 2014, only 37 per cent of HMR supper occasions include children, while FSR has remained at 33 per cent. This trend in party composition indicates the HMR

segment is becoming more adult-focused and less family-dependent, making it a more credible threat to the FSR segment.

In a similar trend, HMR traffic has shifted more to on-premise visits. Though on-premise remains a relatively minor portion of the HMR business, it has increased from 12 per cent of visits in 2011 to 15 per cent in 2014. This indicates consumers are beginning to use HMR differently than in the past and is becoming more comparable to traditional foodservice occasions.

HMR’s unique advantages In addition to the changing dynamics in consumer behaviour at HMR, this segment maintains several unique advantages over the rest of the market. According to NPD’s HMR Report, 42 per cent of HMR consumers purchase only part of their meal from the store. By being coupled with a grocery store, it becomes easier for consumers to use HMR as a supplement to their overall meal plan, and not necessarily depend on it for the entire meal. As a result, it is easier for these consumers to control spending; so much so that HMR consumers spend less per eater than QSR at both lunch ($6.39 versus $6.95) and supper ($7.17 compared to $8.10). While these average check levels are substantially below the entire FSR segment ($13 at lunch, $18 at supper), it positions HMR as an affordable option for consumers that can provide savings.

Not only can HMR differentiate on its consumer spend, but its unique position in grocery

THOUGH HMR REPRESENTS ONLY FIVE PER CENT OF THE MARKET, ITS RECENT CHANGES INDICATE THAT IT IS BECOMING MORE OF A THREAT TO TRADITIONAL RESTAURANTS.

stores allows for spontaneous purchases. One quarter of all HMR purchases were unplanned, decided upon while the consumer was already in the store. This means that a substantial portion of HMR occasions are made without consideration of other segments and operators, giving traditional restaurants little chance to compete for the visit. Due to the near ubiquitous use of grocery stores for retail shopping, HMR has a competitive advantage over QSRs and FSRs by having the opportunity to attract spontaneous purchases by leveraging visual displays, food aromas, price discounts and sampling on a captive audience. One third of all HMR consumers report that they would not have purchased from foodservice if not for their HMR occasion, again highlighting that this segment has a unique opportunity to drive visits from retail consumers that traditional restaurants do not.

What restaurants can do about it The key for QSR and FSR operators is to focus on how they are able to differentiate from HMR. While HMR has grown in recent years, and boasts unique competitive advantages, it

also has weaknesses restaurants can use to their own advantage. By focusing on aspects like service, freshness and proper food temperatures, QSRs and FSRs can highlight consumer benefits over the HMR segment, which is often based on minimal service and pre-made foods.

Though HMR represents only five per cent of the market, its recent changes indicate that it is becoming more of a threat to traditional restaurants. For QSRs and FSRs to battle this emerging segment, these operators need to focus on what makes them different and communicate that to the consumer. By highlighting the differences in the actual consumer experience at QSRs and FSRs compared to HMR, restaurants will be able to position themselves for success amidst a growing trend.

Scott Stewart is an account manager, foodservice Canada for The NPD Group. The NPD Group has more than 25 years of experience providing consumer-based market information to the foodservice industry. For more information, visit www.npd.com or contact him at scott.stewart@ npd.com.

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2 : s e i d o o f e r u Fut menus grow up children’s

BY J O N ATH A N Z E T TE L

ervers call it “stroller hell.” A long line of limousine-sized kid carriages, wheels caked with dirt and slush, each a giant tripping hazard, try to unsuccessfully hide along the edges of the restaurant. Moms and dads cram their little darlings into booth seats, wrangling supplied crayons and paper to quiet their youthful roars. Billy tries to dip his ear in ketchup while Molly cries out for all to hear that she has to pee. Crackers disintegrate, chicken fingers are fumbled and sodas are knocked over. The aforementioned paper is used to desperately sop the pop, pushing the mess around rather than soaking it up, until everything that was once on the table has crumbled—crayons and all—to the floor in a wet mess.

No one knows whether or not any of it was ever actually digested as mom and dad jam their kids back into their movable homes and out the door, only to be replaced by an entirely new set of rosy-cheeked children ready to run amok.

While this might be a common scene in many restaurants, some operators are looking to turn the tables, harness youthful energies and create a space for food literacy, educate future diners and encourage children to become invested in our food culture.

HEALTH CARES

Dairy Fruits Grains Vegetables Protein

MY PLATE FOOD GROUPS WORD BANK: DAIRY

FRUITS

GRAINS

FINE DINING FOR CHILDREN “When restaurants say, ‘You know, we don’t really like having kids inside,’ I think that’s absurd and ridiculous,” says Cyrus Cooper, director of restaurant operations with Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants.

While Cooper admits some of the group’s fine dining restaurants are not geared toward children, he says when a child does come in, the staff looks at it as an opportunity.

When a child dines at Jump or Auberge du Pommier, staff bring children into the kitchen, put a chef ’s hat on them and show them around. Cooper says this creates a lasting memory, connection with how the food is prepared, and demonstrates the care that goes into each plate. Juice and ginger ale are poured into champagne flutes, topped with a strawberry and everyone gathers around for pictures. Managers and staff have been trained to look on the event as special and not a potential for disaster.

“When you do go out for dinner [as a child], it’s a big thing and you do remember those moments with your family and we want to cherish those moments and make it as special for them as possible,” Cooper says.

According to Cooper, all of the O&B restaurants are entirely flexible and can cook up a dish suited for children, whether it’s a simple pasta with parmesan, a sandwich on whole-grain bread, or any of the adult

menu items in smaller portions.

Cooper says O&B is currently in the planning stages of creating a kid-friendly cooking program at the group’s studio at Arcadian Court in Toronto. The idea, he says, would be to bring mom, dad and the kids in to learn to cook a meal, and then eat the meal together.

“Restaurants play a huge role,” he says. “We’re all foodies and we like to think these young kids are now becoming foodies as well and potential guests in the future.”

Of course, Cooper says, it’s a parent’s responsibility to lay ground rules for going out—not only to restaurants, but anywhere in public—and he feels O&B customers know this and understand it.

Recently, a nine-year-old girl was dining at Biff ’s Bistro with her family and chef Amanda Ray came out into the dining room to meet the family and say hello.

Afterward, Cooper says, the girl left a note saying how amazing it was to meet the chef but also said how she could see that as a woman, she could be successful. “If we can be a part of something like that, well, that’s really special,” says Cooper.

It may, after all, come down to a reciprocal relationship: what you put out to children, you’ll get back tenfold.

PROTEIN

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Over the years, there has been increased focus in the foodservice industry about the content of children’s menus, looking at salt, sugar and fats. “Things like chicken nuggets, hot dogs and other battered products do not need to be a staple item found on children’s menus,” said registered dietitian Rita Barbieri, who works with Eat Right Ontario, a government-supported organization offering nutritional information to parents and restaurants via a call centre and website. “Obesity rates continue to rise across the world and Ontario has not avoided this.”

According to Barbieri, chefs should consult the Canadian Food Guide and include at least three of the four main food groups with each meal. A serving of fruits or vegetables with each meal is important, she says, alongside whole grains and lean protein sources.

Serving sizes should be more in line with proper serving sizes according to Canada’s Food Guide, she says, adding children’s meals should be served on smaller, more kid-friendly plates.

Juices and sodas should be cut from the menu, says Barbieri. “Children do not need to drink so much sugar,” she says, adding that children over two can drink low-fat milk or water. If juice is going to be an option, portion size should be no more than three or four ounces.

According to Barbieri, operators looking to pinch pennies can look to options such as whole wheat spaghetti with meat

4 ITEM:

balls using lean ground meat; whole wheat and house-made macaroni and cheese using lower fat cheeses served with salad or broccoli; and, if potatoes are to be included, making them pan-fried with the skins on.

“Children love to dip foods: offer a dip platter with hummus, black bean and salsa and offer soft whole wheat bread cut into triangles and baby carrots,” Barbieri says.

“Apple wedges with vanilla yogurt or banana coins with peanut butter can also be offered—children love lots of choice and lots of little bowls.”

Barbieri also says house-made soups rather than canned soups, which she feels are often too high in sodium, served with smiley face garnishes and quesadillas are another great option.

In order to get kids to eat healthier meals, Barbieri says role modelling is the best strategy.

“There is a division of responsibility that is talked about when trying to get kids to eat healthy,” she says. “Basically it is the parent’s responsibility to offer healthy choices and the child’s responsibility to choose what and how much to eat.”

Barbieri says that because the problem and causes of childhood obesity are complex, the solution or answers are also complex. “But everyone can do their part to help tackle this issue including the restaurant and foodservice industry,” she says.

“Healthy foods should be offered over and over.”

FOOD LITERACY CREATE YOUR OWN MENU

1: ____________________________________

2: ____________________________________

3: ____________________________________

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LET THE KIDS COOK

On the set of Fox’s Masterchef Junior, kids unsheathe sharp blades and mince fresh herbs as a giant challenge clock counts down. Chicken liver, blue cheese, fennel and fish are just some of the ingredients the contestants stuff into baskets and cook for three celebrity judges.

With the inaugural season, many may have come to realize, cooking isn’t some daily ritual hidden in kitchens requiring secret knowledge—kids can cook too. What’s more is that these young chefs—and the ones they have inspired—are the future rock stars of the foodservice industry.

“I feel sometimes people underestimate kids and their abilities and set a lower standard then they should,” said 14-year-old Alexander Weiss, who was 13 when he won the inaugural season of Masterchef Junior. “Sometimes kids follow that lower standard and that’s kind of unfortunate.”

Weiss says he started cooking at the age of three or four with his mom. He would sit on the counter and help cut up apples for apple pie. At first, his mom gave him a butter knife, but then realized that wouldn’t work, and handed him a small paring knife.

“She said ‘If you cut yourself, we’ll just patch you up’,” says Weiss.

From his early days baking with his mother, he moved on to learn from his father and started duplicating cookbook recipes and recipes he’d seen on television. “[My parents] never knew that I’d want to pursue being a chef, but they could tell I had an interest in

When industry veteran Sang Kim was a child growing up in Toronto’s Jane and Finch area, he stole food for himself, his brother and his sister. Much of what he stole was packaged, canned products, all highly processed. According to Kim, the food made his siblings sick, and to this day they have health problems.

“Nobody taught me that the better thing to steal was actually seeds, vegetables and fruit,” Kim says. “In other words, food literacy was non-existent.”

Nowadays, Kim can be seen at any of his three Toronto restaurants—Yakitori Bar, Seoul Food Co., and Windup Bird Café—and around the city championing food literacy and speaking about childhood hunger.

Kim has initiated and supported several grassroots programs in the city. Currently, he is working with youth between the ages of six and 16 in a program called Kid-Chen Confidential. The idea is to have children create menu items and then pitch the recipes to popular restaurants

it,” he says. “As I got older, they were more comfortable to let me do it on my own.”

Weiss is currently a freshman in high school and is looking for internships with bakeries and restaurants in New York City. After high school, he said he hopes to study restaurant management and eventually open “a small empire” of restaurants.

According to Weiss, as a child he never ordered off the children’s menu. His parents told him much of what was offered—breaded chicken fingers, hot dogs and such—were not very nutritious and that he could order off the regular menu, even if he didn’t eat everything.

Weiss says the monotony of kids’ menus from restaurant to restaurant is a problem.

“If people are complaining that kids are picky eaters all the time and they’re not willing to try anything new, it’s no surprise if you go into a restaurant where they serve the same thing you can get anywhere else,” says Weiss.

“You can’t expect somebody to just all of a sudden like something when they haven’t been exposed to it,” he says.

Weiss says pasta, because it is so versatile, is one of the ways he got to experience a wider variety of foods.

“I think pasta was a segue into a lot of dishes I wouldn’t have normally tried,” he says.

Overall, Weiss says, kids should be more adventurous. “Try something new. That’s how I got into cooking cuisines that I wasn’t really comfortable with.”

throughout the city to be added to kids’ menus.

“The reason why that is so critical is there has been nothing but a form of patronizing attitude that we’ve had toward kids,” Kim says. “Deep-fried chicken fingers, french fries and grilled cheese, it’s just not enough.”

According to Kim, while working with kids, he was very surprised at their tolerance for spicy food and encountered parents who did not want their seven-yearold to use knives, but given the chance and shown how to do it properly, the child successfully used the utensil, he says.

“From a pure nutritional, health-value point of view, institutions and private enterprises like ours need to be equally invested in making sure we teach kids and that we are culturally embracing where these kids are from, not isolating or alienating their food preferences,” he says.

“Children are much more savvy and much more receptive than what we give them credit for,” Kim says.

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

You asked, we answered: Explaining meat prices In mid-December, Michael Bowyer, co-founder of 541 Eatery in Hamilton, asked ORN about beef prices on Twitter. Assistant editor Kristen Smith reached out to industry experts to get the answer.

TORONTO—Rising meat prices are squeezing foodservice operators’ margins and affecting their bottom line.

“We’ve seen an increase of about 50 per cent in meat prices in the last year, if not higher than that,” Zane Caplansky told ORN. “Our whole menu at Caplansky’s is beef,” he said. “When you’re getting stung like that on the cost side, it’s very hard to make money.”

Caplansky owns four foodservice establishments in the Greater Toronto Area: two Caplansky’s Delicatessens, Thundering Thelma food truck and the recently opened Baju operating out of The Monarch Tavern and run

by Dan Green and Kyle Wyatt.

Kevin Grier, independent livestock and meat analyst with Kevin Grier Market Analysis & Consulting, said beef prices were high in the summer and peaked in November.

Grier said he doesn’t have the words to fully describe the year’s beef prices. “It’s been completely remark-

able, particularly in beef,” said Grier.

He said there has been years of declining cattle herd numbers in North America.

While the price of beef rose dramatically for consumers in 2014 at the retail level, Grier said it is still playing catch up. According to Statistics Canada, retail beef prices were up 20.8 per cent in November 2014 year over year.

J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist for Farm Credit Canada, said the beef prices are the result of a number of factors. Declining cattle herds in North America were a product of market conditions and recent drought resulting in poor pasture land. In the world market, a growing middle class has caused more meat consumption.

“You have sort of a perfect storm right now: slow supply with strong demand has pushed up retail prices quite a bit,” said Gervais. “The most positive news for the beef industry has been the amazing response from consumers. Despite the fact that prices went up quite a bit, consumers domestically have been responding really well. They’ve been willing to pay out the price that they’ve been asked.”

According to Steve Meyer, president of Paragon Economics, in-

TORONTO 2015

creased red meat consumption is also the result of a shift in consumer attitudes. “Saturated fats are not the dietary demon they were made out to be,” said Meyer during an Ontario Pork webinar in mid-December.

Grier said Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) affected pork prices this year more than anticipated. “The bottom line is the disease was worse than we thought, therefore

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it impacted slaughter more than we expected,” he said.

Meyer said PEDV’s impact has fallen dramatically, with losses this winter of half the size. He also noted he doesn’t see demand decreasing.

“So far this winter, it appears to be under greater control than last year, so the expectation is that production should recover in 2015 in pork,” said Grier.

“In beef, I like to think of it as an ocean liner and, unlike, say, chicken or pork, it takes a lot longer for things to turn around in the beef industry and that is because of the nature of the animal,” he said.

“You have to decide whether you are going to keep a female for breeding; you have to decide whether to make her into a mother or make her into a steak,” said Grier. “The prices are so high, they’ve been sending her to market because they just can’t resist the high prices.”

Gervais said there are two views on the future of red meat prices. “The consensus is that beef prices are going to remain high for quite some time, all of the way through 2015. And the reason is that it takes a long time to build up a supply of cattle,” he said.

“The cycle of production on the hog side is a lot shorter than beef,” said Gervais. He said he doesn’t expect pork prices to increase as much as in 2014 and said they are likely to come down in the second half of 2015, when there is more supply.

Gervais sees consumers as an important part of the story. If pork prices come down and poultry remains steady, consumers will lean toward less expensive meat, and if demand isn’t there, beef prices will have to come down, he said.

“At one point, the beef industry is going to have to react to that and we’re going to see margins along the supply chain … shrink,” said Gervais, adding this may take time. “I think consumers have a really big role here … saying at one point “I like beef, but I’m not willing to pay that price given that the other sources of animal proteins are more affordable.”

Gervais noted that Canadian foodservice also has to take into account disposable income and is capturing

about 35 per cent of the stomach share compared to about 50 in the U.S. “I think it’s a little bit easier for grocery stores to pass on the costs and protect their margins than compared to, for example, the foodservice sector where their margins are probably a little bit more impacted by this increasing cost of sourcing their red meat,” said Gervais.

“When your costs are going up 50 per cent in a business with already very thin margins, you really have no choice but to pass that along on your menu prices,” said Caplansky, who spent thousands of dollars to redesign and print menus.

“It’s not just the same as striking out a six and putting in a seven. It’s a process and it’s a very costly process as far as the physical cost as well as the human, training costs and all of the other costs,” said Caplansky, who took the opportunity to make some other changes.

“Thankfully, I haven’t felt a response from customers that I had anticipated—it hasn’t been as negative as I had feared,” said Caplansky, adding there have been comments about the price hike.

“It’s at the point now that my signature dish, my smoked meat sandwich, is essentially a loss leader, because I’m really not making any money on it. When you order just a smoked meat sandwich, it’s a loss for me,” Caplansky said, noting he is making profit on this dish when customers order sides.

When Caplansky changed the menu in the spring, he said he built in an extra price increase in case beef prices continued rising.

“If we hadn’t done that, we would be losing money on every sandwich that we’re selling instead of essentially breaking even and if prices continue to go up, there’s no question that we’re going to have to reprint again because we’re at a point now where we’re just sort of holding on.”

Do you have a supply or operations question for our editorial team to explore? Contact us and we’ll take a look for a potential future column. @CanRestoNews

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BeverageNews Windsor brothers Brew proper lager

From left: Jordan Goure and Joshua Goure.

WINDSOR, ON—Brothers Joshua and Jordan Goure aim to broaden the thirst for Windsor’s craft beer with the official opening of Brew brewery and restaurant in early December.

The brothers have worked together in the Windsor foodservice and hospitality industry for about a decade, operating a variety of establishments including the now closed Pour House, the former Symbol Nightclub and the Well House.

Acting as spokespeople and brewers for the brand, Joshua said the opportunity was a new and exciting one for the brothers to explore.

Jordan noted the duo had always been interested in beer. “All of our locations that we owned or worked at in the past always had big beer selections.

My brother and I are both certified beer servers on our way to becoming

cicerones,” he told ORN. “We’ve always loved the flavour profiles, doing tastings. Now we’re learning the brewing side of it.”

The pair worked under a local consulting brewmaster to learn the skills and now head up brewing operations.

Jordan described Brew’s flagship creation—a traditional saison dubbed Proper Lager—as a “flavourful, yet smooth beer” with citrus undertones.

“We want to bring in people that wouldn’t normally drink craft beer into the craft beer industry. We call ourselves ‘the gateway craft beer’,” he said.

“A lot of craft beer out there has very bold, very strong, very hoppy flavours, which we love, but we feel there is a huge segment of the market— which is those people out there drinking Coors Light, MGD—that we can

pull over to craft beer just so they can have something local,” said Joshua.

The Goures are working on a wheat beer and, in honour of the building’s original incarnation as a chocolate factory, a chocolate stout in time for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The Brew occupies the main floor and the basement (each about 2,400 square feet), with a taproom seating 40. In designing the space, Joshua said they wanted to keep the industrial feel, but bring in some European pub/restaurant character.

“It’s warm and cozy, but you can still tell it’s a brewery. We have refinished plywood floors, lots of exposed brick,” he said.

They brought on local chef Stuart Martin, formerly with Chatham Street Grill, to help design the menu and put his twist on the offerings. “We have a small menu; all we’re serving is pizzas, nachos and pretzels, so beer foods. Everything is made in house and all of our foods have a beer ingredient in them. And I don’t mean just cooking in beer, we use hops in our salsa, we malt all of our meat, we use barley in our pizza dough,” said Jordan.

Brew’s beer, which will also be sold commercially onsite, isn’t merely for internal use. Jordon said a main portion of the business is getting their locally-brewed beer in area establishments. In the future, they plan on offering a 10 per cent discount to restaurants and bars offering solely craft beer.

“There are a lot of brew pubs and a lot of craft beer which are popping up here, which is great,” said Jordan.

Valentina Di Camillo, Tenuta i Fauri winemaker.

Wines of Italy trade tasting TORONTO—The 19th Wines of Italy tasting showed off 83 wineries from 15 Italian wine regions in early November at Roy Thompson Hall.

One of the focuses in this year’s tasting, which saw 1,080 visitors from industry, media and at the consumer level, was female-owned and operated wineries. “This year, Italy is proud to include several wineries owned by women, and their dedicated approach and refined appreciation of winemaking are trends worth noting,” Pasquale Bova, Italian Trade Commissioner, said in a release.

“My wines have to be the expression of my territory, and is very linked to the land,” Valentina Di Camillo, a winemaker from three generations of grape growers at Chieti-based winery

Tenuta I Fauri, told ORN. Di Camillo originally started out in pharmaceuticals, but was drawn to studying winemaking. “Ten years ago, it was perhaps not so common for women to be prominent in our industry,” she said. “It was not so easy to meet female estate owners at the time. Wine was a man’s world.”

Today, Di Camillo, who works on the sales and marketing side at the winery, sees her exports to the Canadian market shifting; a change she attributes to a more experienced consumer. “In every market I travel to, red wine is the first wine I sell. My Canadian customers are now appreciating Italian white wines and the market is growing for delicate, fresh whites,” she said.

Burlington pub owner launches classaction lawsuit against Beer Store, LCBO TORONTO—A Burlington, ON, pub owner launched a potential class-action lawsuit against the Beer Store and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario on Dec. 13.

David Hughes, owner of The Poacher, released a statement through his lawyer raising concerns over recent media reports of a “sweetheart deal” between the LCBO and the Beer Store.

“Over the past few days, I have heard much anger and concern from both my colleagues in the restaurant business and my customers about these revelations,” Hughes said in the statement.

The claim seeks $1.4 billion in general damages and an additional $5 million in punitive and exemplary damages.

“The action arises from a conspiracy to fix, raise, maintain or stabilize prices of beer in Ontario,” the statement reads. “During the conspiracy period, the defendants participated in illegal and secretive discussions and made [an] agreement relating to prices and distribution areas of beer in Ontario.”

The allegations have not been proven in court.

In an email response, LCBO spokesperson Heather McGregor told ORN “the LCBO is reviewing the claim and will be defending itself in this matter.”

According to the Toronto Star, Beer Store president Ted Moroz called the suggested lawsuit “complete nonsense” and said the Beer Store will “fight it with full force.”

On Dec. 9, a Star columnist wrote about a deal that limits the LCBO from competing on products, pricing and territory with the Beer Store. Under the alleged 14-year-old deal, the LCBO also agreed to not sell beer in 12 or 24 packs.

The Beer Store fired back the same day the story was published in the Star with a statement from Jeff Newton, president of Canada’s National Brewers stating, “Today’s Toronto Star contains many false and inaccurate claims about the Beer Store.” In the statement, Newton said the Beer Store does not make any profit and operates on a break-even basis.

On Dec. 10, Restaurants Canada called on the Competition Bureau to launch an official investigation into what it called “a non-compete deal between the LCBO and the Beer Store.”

James Rilett, Ontario vice-president for Restaurants Canada, said in a release the deal between the LCBO and the Beer Store fixes prices, territories and products.

According to the industry association, the province can terminate the deal with only six months notice.

“The allegations made today by Restaurants Canada are false and inaccurate, building on misleading and inaccurate statements reported this week by the Toronto Star,” Newton said in a Dec. 10 release. “As has been made clear repeatedly, the more than 100 brewers that use the Beer Store system are free to set prices in an open and competitive market.”

On Dec. 19, Premier Kathleen Wynne entered into the fray. According to the Canadian Press, Wynne said the relationship between the Beer Store and LCBO looks unfair and will “absolutely” be changed.

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P E OP L E

From left: Regional Golden Horseshoe Culinary Team; Steven Boyack; Emily Pearce; Corbin Tomaszeski; and CAFP team No.1.

Canada’s national, junior and regional teams earned gold medals at the Expogast Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup 2014 held in Luxembourg from Nov. 22-26.

Niagara College’s Junior Culinary Team Canada earned its first international medals picking up a gold and silver in the hot and cold categories, respectively.

Culinary Team Canada saw the same showing earning a gold in the hot program and silver in cold.

The Regional Golden Horseshoe Culinary Team took home a total of seven awards. The team of 10 Ontario chefs earned two gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

Second Cup’s chief financial officer Steven Boyack announced his resignation from the company, effective Jan. 2.

“I sincerely thank Steve for his contributions to Second Cup,” Alix Box, Second Cup president and chief executive officer, said in a Dec. 8 release.

Boyack has been with Second Cup since June 2013.

In late November, Emily Pearce started as the sommelier and beverage director at The Forth in Toronto’s Danforth area.

Formerly with Canoe, Terroni, Barbarian’s Steak House and, most recently, Gilead Wine Bar, Pearce was runner up in the 2014 Best Ontario Sommelier Competition in June.

“I can’t wait to experiment with The Forth’s wine and cocktail program,” Pearce said in a statement.

“The restaurant has quickly earned a reputation for creative Canadian cuisines and an excellent wine and

cocktail list, so I’m looking forward to exciting guests with innovative pairing and beverage-focused events.”

The Westin Harbour Castle will open an intimate new restaurant in January where 10 guests can dine on five-course meals designed and prepared by chef Corbin Tomaszeski.

Although the news release on the subject bills Savoury as a chef ’s table, Tomaszeski told reporters at a media event in December that it is not.

“Twenty-six years ago, the idea of a chef ’s table was exciting—it gave an inside view of the chef ’s table. Now my aunt says she has a chef ’s table— but it’s really just her counter table in her kitchen. At Savoury, we want to bring special back with small plates, as if I was inviting you into my kitchen and we’re in my home,” he said.

Tomaszeski’s influence is present

throughout the hotel, having worked with the food and beverage team to complement the existing menus for the hotel’s outlets after joining the culinary team earlier this year.

Members of the foodservice industry laced up their skates alongside NHL alumni and other professionals to raise $187,000 for Easter Seals Canada.

On Nov. 27, players met at Wendel Clark’s Bar and Grill in Vaughan, ON, where each team drafted an NHL alumni player with the team who raised the most money getting first pick. The following day, teams faced off at Sports Village in a daylong tournament.

The Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (CAFP) Toronto branch made up two teams, captained by president Steve Croft

and Phil Sanders of Burlodge Canada.

“Each year, we go into the community and look for ways to give back and this was an overall no brainer,” Croft told ORN. Alongside the two CAFP teams, Cara Operations Limited and J.D. Smith also entered teams.

One of the CAFP teams played against members of Cara in a final match to a 5-5 tie, with both teams finishing the tournament undefeated.

Other teams included Burlodge Canada, Clif Bar, Diamond Foods, Eska Water, Frankie Tomatto’s, Gilead Café, Kettle Brand, Lechaim Catering, Lynch Foods, Marsham International Food Brokers, Networking for Results, Sunrise Juices and TrainCan. The event was a part of The Celebrity Hockey Classic Series in support of Easter Seals.

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