Ontario Restaurant News - September 2014

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September 2014 Vol. 29 No. 8

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Oats & Ivy founder Marina Cortese.

Peddling

healthy

food

By Kristen Smith Assistant editor, digital content TORONTO—Marina Cortese sets up her Oats & Ivy bike cart in Toronto’s financial district during the

lunch hours with the hope of shifting the perspectives of both the fast and health food industries.

She pointed out the notion exists that healthy food can be “pretentious” and often “tastes like cardboard.”

C O V E R A G E

“I just want to make it more accessible, fun and truly tasty,” said Cortese, a holistic nutritionist.

“I love food and I love the health side of it as well, and I noticed, in my opinion, a need for more truly healthy options.”

Through trial and error over the course of the summer, Cortese determined King and Bay streets and the intersection of Simcoe and Wellington to be prime spots.“Our target market is the financial core … people who are busy who need the convenience of healthy food fast,” she said.

The three-person team preps for the service at a Liberty Village production kitchen, making coldpressed juices, almond milk, treats and lunches such as Asian slaw with organic chicken and quinoa salad with pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, goat cheese with a red wine vinaigrette.

The bike cooler, which required a non-motorized vehicle refreshment licence, can hold enough to serve about 50 full meals which cost about $15 each.

Continued on page 3

R E G I O N A L

F O C U S

POUTINEVILLE COMES TO THE ONTARIO MARKET

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$ 5 . 9 5

THE ART OF PACKING CLING PEACHES

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12 FARE GAME AT NEW WILD BURGER CONCEPT

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FEATURE: GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Burger King buys Tim Hortons in $12.5B deal

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

By Jonathan Zettel, assistant editor OAKVILLE, ON and MIAMI, FL— Tim Hortons agreed to a $12.5-billion deal to be taken over by quick-service giant Burger King and its majority owner, Brazilian-based private equity firm 3G Capital, on Aug. 26.

According to the companies, the deal had been in the works for months and will form a new global company based in Canada where the majority of the combined business is located.

Burger King will keep its Miami, FL, headquarters and Tim Hortons

will maintain its offices in Oakville, ON. In a teleconference call, Tim Hortons president and chief executive officer Marc Caira told members of the press the deal would not impact the quality or kind of service Canadians have come to expect.

“Tim Hortons will still be Tim Hortons,” Caira said. “We will still be the company of the timbit and of the double double.”

According to a joint statement, both brands will operate independently with no crossover plans for their core products: Tim Hortons

coffee will not be sold in Burger King units and Whoppers will not be sold at Tim Hortons.

Alex Behring, executive chairman of Burger King and managing partner at 3G Capital, which acquired Burger King in 2010, denied initial reports the move was to reduce corporate taxes.

“This is not a tax-driven deal. This transaction is fundamentally about growth and the focus is on creating value to accelerate international expansion for both brands,” Behring said.

Continued on page 3

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Deal not tax-driven: BK CEO Bike cart created for marketing Continued from cover

Burger King chief executive officer, 34-yearold Daniel Schwartz, confirmed the deal was not tax-driven.

“Burger King has and will continue to pay taxes in the United States and Tim Hortons will continue to pay taxes in Canada,” he said.

“We don’t expect there to be meaningful tax savings.”

Schwartz took his position at the helm of Burger King a year ago, in which time the company has slashed operating costs by nearly 50 per cent, sold the company’s corporate jet and cancelled a lavish annual party.

According to a joint statement, Behring will serve as the new company’s executive chairman and director, Caira will take on the role of vice-chairman and director, with a focus on overall strategy and global development, and Schwartz will become the chief executive officer of the new company, responsible for dayto-day management.

Caira said “it would be a fair conclusion” to say the deal was initiated by Burger King.

In February, under Caira’s leadership, Tim Hortons unveiled a five-year strategic plan in which the U.S. market was called a “must-win battle.”

According to Caira, the takeover will allow Tim Hortons to leverage Burger King’s “global network and learn from their experience of growth.”

During the year, Tim Hortons has already been making changes to the brand. In midAugust, Tim Hortons unveiled a dark roast blend, marking the first addition to the company’s regular coffee lineup since its inception 50 years ago. “We know our guests want variety and choice when it comes to our coffee and we know more and more people are choosing dark blends in addition to medium blends so there is no more one-size-fits-all mentality,” Caira said at the dark roast launch which featured a performance by Canadian musician Jann Arden. “It’s all about choice—we knew the status quo had to change.”

At the time of press, the location of the Canadian global headquarters and the name of the new company have not been announced.

Tim Hortons shareholders will receive $65.50 in cash and 0.8025 shares of the new company per Tim Hortons’ share.

The deal is still subject to the approval of Canada’s foreign investment agency, Tim Hortons shareholders and U.S. antitrust authorities and is expected to close late 2014 or early next year.

Ground Beef Pizza Crumble topping

Perfect portion sizing on pizzas

Continued from cover

“We haven’t filled it up to capacity just yet because we’re pretty conscious about food waste, which is why if we sell out, we sell out,” said Cortese.

The bike cart was initially going to be a marketing tool intended to build the brand, but an advisor encouraged Cortese to test the waters and try out menu options on a small scale.

“We’d eventually love to have our own home,” said Cortese, who plans to open a storefront next spring or summer adding breakfast and warm lunches to the menu.

“Our returning customer base is really huge, so it’s really reassuring,” said Cortese, adding there have been line-ups. “It’s like being in the weeds in the middle of the street.”

Oats & Ivy can cater functions of up to 50 people. It is also developing an online preorder and delivery system for over the winter months, but not by bicycle.

Hospital foodservice gives patients choice WINDSOR, ON—The Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) is giving its patients choices with the expansion of its room-service style approach to foodservice to its recently acquired Ouellette Campus.

The restaurant-style foodservice program has been running at the WRH’s Metropolitan Campus for about eight years, replacing the beltline with short order stations and changing the pre-order method and set delivery time to an ordering timeframe from an in-room menu.

After taking over operations of the Oullette Campus in October 2013, WRH is getting ready to roll out the new program this fall.

“When we used to have this old system, our satisfaction rates of a patient being satisfied with the food they were given was in the range of 40, maybe 50 per cent maximum,” said president and chief executive officer David Musyj.

“The Ouellette campus is having the same results right now.

Now that we have moved to this new service, which is restaurant-style, room service satisfaction rates are 80 or 90 per cent, if not higher,” said Musyj.

Monica Stanton, guest services director, was involved with the changes at the Met Campus.

“We had to change absolutely everything,” said Stanton, noting this includes patient menus, all kitchen equipment, dishes, trays, staff assignments, order taking and the delivery process.

“We’re looking at doing that again,” said Stanton. “You have to set up your production area like a short-order kitchen.”

Stanton explained that when the roomservice style menus are rolled out at the new campus, calls from both campuses’ 579 rooms will be going to the same diet office, which will then be sent to the appropriate location. Those taking the calls are aware of dietary restrictions to ensure they are being followed and offer some guidance. For those who can’t call, a family member can place their order or staff will visit the patient’s room.

Stanton said the hospital will be hiring

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about 10 additional positions.

She hoped these jobs can be filled by those working in the non-patient cafeteria, which will be taken over by an outside foodservice operator.

Musyj said the restaurant-style foodservice is more expensive in terms of labour, costing between $6 and $7 dollars more a day per patient and at the Met Campus working out to about $400,000 more annually, but said the benefits outweigh the cost.

“We take the approach that healing is much more than just physicians, nurses and medication. It’s the whole environment, which includes food,” said Musyj.

Kevin Casetta, dietary helper in food and nutrition services, “When a paMetropolitan Campus, Windsor Regional Hospital. tient’s satisfaction for food is low, nurses spend an inordinate amount of time direct patient care,” said Stanton. trying to get them to eat or dealing with comShe noted that when someone comes to the plaints,” he added. hospital to have surgery or because they are Musyj noted the foodservice model gives sick, the patient is usually anxious. While the patients control in an environment where medical care part of the experience is typically they typically don’t have any, by giving them foreign to patients, she pointed out most pathe ability to order what they want when they tients know about food and housekeeping. want.

“Those are the kind of things that patients Stanton said hospital foodservice is traditend to be familiar with, so if they are going to tionally one of the support service areas that complain about anything, it’s going to be those have seen budget cuts in Ontario hospitals two things,” she said, adding if those are good, “because you don’t want to take away from it helps the overall experience.

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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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colleague of mine recently lent me his copy of Melanie Dunea’s My Last Supper, a slightly macabre take on the question of how you would spend your last day on earth. It poses the difficult query to a multitude of celebrity chefs to see what their last gustatory gasp would be.

The answers ranged wildly in terms of company (everyone from Escoffier to close relatives) and price range (the wine selections were particular flights of fancy, with chef Gary Danko’s topping the list at a paragraph ranging from a 1947 Krug to a vintage 1935 port). What was fascinating, however, was that almost all the chefs provided practically identical answers to the last question. When asked who would cook their last meal, chef after chef, whether fine dining or casual rock and roller, responded with “I would.”

At first glance, this answer may seem like an example of chef-driven pride (“of course I would cook the best meal imaginable”), but perhaps there’s a different way to consider these similarities. Being a restaurant chef is defined by the act of catering to the needs

of others: feeding them when they don’t feel like cooking, celebrating their milestones, and making their holidays memorable at the expense of your own.

Cooking, by nature, is also both a fiercely personal activity, showing the best of one’s ability on a plate, and a reconciliation of that goal with the experience and training beneath the skin of every cook.

When I was interviewing chefs for this month’s sauce feature (see page 16), Langdon Hall’s Jason Bangerter told me how something as basic and clearly defined as stock can be reflective of this struggle.

“It is very much about the individual chef.

I’ve stepped foot in some 30 kitchens and I can honestly tell you that not one chef made chicken stock the same way,” he said. “There’s the way that you learn to make it in school, but as a cook coming up through the ranks, when you go to another restaurant’s kitchen, you make the stock that each chef wants to make. And when you get to that point when you’re a chef, you take that experience and come up with your own recipe and it be-

comes yours. And hopefully, based on everything that you’ve learned, it’s better than all of them.”

As the methods of stock and sauce making change and evolve with each new chef who picks up a ladle, the variation and unexpectedness can enrich both the dish and the dining experience. Whether using the knowledge of others or drawing from their hard won expertise, chefs are constantly reducing and distilling down their methods as they strive to perfect their craft.

And in the pages of this book, when these chefs are faced with the intensely personal idea of one’s own mortality, their reaction is a very human one: to take the communal act of their daily cooking careers and make it their own.

Perhaps chef Dan Barber put it best in his answer to who would cook his last meal: “Me,” he said. “I’d have one final chance to get it right.”

Leslie Wu, Editorial director

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 of 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. 08 · September 2014 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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Bi t s Streamlined applications for Ottawa restaurants OTTAWA—The city of Ottawa is looking to develop online forms for permits and licences to help streamline the process for restaurateurs looking to start up operations, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

As it stands, new operators have to visit in-person to determine what paperwork they will need to complete the process.

“One of our biggest issues is red tape. It’s not just municipal, it’s all levels,” James Rilett, Ontario vice-president of Restaurants Canada, told the Citizen. “So it’s great the city is looking to streamline this process.”

According to reports, the new system will deal with business licences, Ottawa Public Health food premises and sign permit applications, as well as permits for municipal information, café seating and outdoor patio encroachments.

NYF celebrates 30 years TORONTO—The New York Fries (NYF) quick service chain celebrated its 30th anniversary in August.

In that time, the brand has grown from one store in the Scarborough Town Centre to 115 locations in Canada. The NYF portfolio also includes 29 international stores.

NYF president and chief executive officer Jay Gould began his career at the age of 21, when he launched the Cultures chain in 1975 with his brother Hal. In 1983, the brothers discovered New York Fries in the South Street Seaport in New York City. Jay bought the Canadian rights and opened the first Canadian location in Scarborough Town Centre in August, 1984. Within three years, New York Fries had grown to 25 stores and in 1987, they purchased the worldwide rights from the creators.

In 2005, Jay launched South St. Burger

a nd

Co., a fast casual burger concept serving fresh patties from cattle raised without added hormones and antibiotics. South St. Burger has 21 restaurants in Ontario, three in Alberta and two overseas.

WSIB rates frozen for 2015 TORONTO—In late August, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced its current premium rates will be maintained in 2015 for most employers, including foodservice operators.

“Thanks to continuing improvements in return to work outcomes, more timely adjudication and lower claim volumes, the WSIB is able to provide premium rate stability while improving our funding position,” WSIB chair Elizabeth Witmer said in a release.

Food, labour card costs are top challenges for operators: survey TORONTO—A majority of Canadian restaurant owners reported business is stable or growing, but they are being hit hard by rising costs of food, labour and credit card processing, according to a Restaurants Canada survey released Aug. 12.

According to the Restaurant Outlook Survey, higher food costs were a concern for 70 per cent of respondents and higher labour costs are a concern for 68 per cent.

In addition, 42 per cent of respondents said they are struggling with escalating credit card payment processing fees.

“The good news is that business is growing and restaurant operators want to add more jobs,” Garth Whyte, Restaurants Canada president and chief executive officer, said in a release. “The bad news is, their operating costs are growing at an even faster pace. This, combined with labour shortages in some regions, creates a very challenging business environment.”

Bi t e s The survey looked at the second quarter (April to June) of this year and results represented responses from more than Canadian 8,000 foodservice operations, including restaurants, bars and caterers.

30 up for enRoute’s top 10 TORONTO—Air Canada’s enRoute announced its shortlist of 30 restaurants for the magazine’s Best New Restaurants 2014 Award on Aug. 5.

According to a release, Air Canada’s enRoute magazine seeks out new restaurants opened during the past year (between approximately June 2013 to June 2014) “that advance the Canadian culinary identity.”

The magazine’s 30 nominees include: In Ontario: Agave y Aguacate, Toronto; Bar Buca, Toronto; Byblos, Toronto; The Chase, Toronto; El Camino, Ottawa; Fat Pasha, Toronto; Luckee, Toronto; MēNa, Ottawa; Rhum Corner, Toronto; -In Quebec: H4C, Montreal; Impasto, Montreal; Légende, Quebec City; Mercuri, Montreal; Patrice Pâtissier, Montreal; Le Serpent, Montreal; Vin Papillon, Montreal; -In the Pacific and Prairie provinces: Ask for Luigi, Vancouver; Ayden, Saskatoon; Black Pig Bistro, Calgary; The Blacktail Florist, Vancouver; Cinara, Vancouver; Farmer’s Apprentice, Vancouver; Little Jumbo, Victoria; My Shanti, Surrey, BC; North 53, Edmonton; RGE RD, Edmonton; Wolf in the Fog, Tofino, BC; Woodwork, Edmonton; and -In Atlantic Canada: Edna, Halifax and Mallard Cottage, St. John’s.

The panel’s list of 30 restaurants has been visited and judged anonymously by international food and wine writer, Andrew Braithwaite, and will be whittled down to the top 10 in enRoute’s November issue.

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www.ontariorestaurantnews.com tion and they are both opening up at about the same time,” Fresco told ORN. The Quebec City location was slated to open by September.

The first Toronto location took over the 3,000-square-foot space at 296 Brunswick Ave., which seats about 100 at oak table tops with leather banquettes and has another 55 seats on two patios. In the front area, a red pine drop ceiling separates a white marble bar and lounge area from the main dining space.

With no intention of franchising, the Poutineville founders work with local partners to open new locations. “By this time next year, we should be up to nine stores,” said Fresco. “I think before the end of the year, we’d like to be working on our From left: Camillo Fresco and Richard Piliguian. second location in the Toronto area.”

The duo are also considering locations in tion in Montreal in April of 2011. The second new provinces—with a focus on major urban Montreal location came about 10 months later centres such as Vancouver and Calgary—and and the third opened 10 months after that in in the U.S. and overseas. “I’d say Europe is a Longueuil, QC. great possibility,” Fresco said.

“Since then, we have been working on our By adding a number of variations to the Quebec City location and our Toronto loca-

Placing poutine front and centre

TORONTO—A Quebec-based poutine chain has made its way into Ontario with the August opening of its first out-of-province location in Toronto’s Annex.

Poutineville co-owners Kosta Kariotakis and Camillo Fresco opened the flagship loca-

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

poutine trinity, Fresco said there are now more than a billion possible combinations. He called fries, gravy and cheese “just the starting point.”

The next step is determining which type of each ingredient.

The eatery developed signature creations such as La Poutineville, “smashed potatoes” with cheese curds, mozzarella, braised beef and red wine sauce and the Farmer’s Delight with grilled chicken, bacon, tomatoes, cheese curds and poutine sauce, but diners are invited to build their own using an index card.

“Most of the time you’ll go to a restaurant and you might want to have a side of poutine with your meal. Here it’s, ‘You might want to have a hamburger as a side to go with your poutine’,” said Fresco.

On Tuesday evenings, Poutinville offers all-you-can eat poutine from a variety of five creations for $15 and its 15-pound poutine, dubbed the Heart Attack and designed for groups, goes for $100. “You have just about everything on that: you’ve got a lot of vegetables, you’ve got a lot of meat, you’ve got two types of cheeses, you’ve got our poutine sauce,” Fresco said.

The menu is rounded out with a selection of burgers, sandwiches and salads.

Fresco said he expects the average check to be higher than in Quebec ranging from $18 to $25 compared to about $18 to $20.

Poutineville is licensed and carries local beers, offers martinis and stocks wines pairing well with the eatery’s different sauce options.

Richard Piliguian and his wife Vivian Santos are managing the Toronto location with Phil Emmanouelides helming the kitchen.

Drake opens by the lake

Seafood chowder.

WELLINGTON, ON—Following a two-year restoration of a late 1800’s foundry building, the Drake Devonshire was slated to open on Sept. 15 in Wellington, ON. The new Prince Edward County hotel will have 11 guest rooms and two suites. The inn also features a full service dining room, private events spaces, a permanent and rotating art collection, an outdoor patio, a creek side deck and fire pits.

The team at the Devonshire includes innkeepers Chris and Jessica Loane and head chef Matt DeMille.

The dining room offers a view of Lake Ontario though large windows and seats 85. The dining room features a 30-foot fireplace, tables made of wooden floorboard and marble with metal trim, and a custom marble bar.

With the guidance of Drake corporate executive chef Ted Corrado, DeMille created a farm- and lake-to-table menu, including some Drake standards, such as its burger and fried chicken, and some distinct Prince Edward County creations. The menu includes the farmer’s lunch with smoked fish, devilled

Head chef Matt DeMille.

Drake breakfast.

eggs, fruit, cold roast beef, rye and sourdough breads, horseradish cream and mustard ($17), a tomato and strawberry salad ($12), seafood chowder ($20), Kendall Dewey Fisheries pickerel with corn and crab panzanella and salsa verde ($22), and rabbit carbonara with handmade pappardelle ($18).

DeMille said the menu aims to make the destination appropriate for everyone, not only hotel guests, but also residents and people passing through.

“There is stuff on there like the seafood chowder that reads simple, but when it lands in front of you, you’re blown away,” said DeMille, who started out at Canoe restaurant in Toronto straight out of chef school and held posts at Le Sélect Bistro, Parts & Labour and Enoteca Sociale before moving to Wellington, ON, as executive chef at Pomodoro Trattoria & Wine Bar, which is directly across the street from his new gig.

“When I saw that the Drake had purchased this property, I had to get in here,” DeMille said.

He noted that his cooking style has changed

quite a bit over the years and he is focused on creating dishes using a few really good ingredients, cooked simply. “I’m not doing asparagus 25 ways, I’m doing asparagus with a nice char grill, tossed in a little lemon juice with a mint aioli, something like that,” DeMille said.

His 14-person team includes executive pastry chef Christine Fancy.

The Devonshire will also have community events such as pig roasts, clambakes and barbecues.

Like the Drake’s Toronto properties, the Devonshire has its own house wine, Vintner’s Daughter, which is made by Rosehall Run winery in Wellington.

Jonathan Humphrey created the cocktail menu, which highlights local spirits and herbs, such as the Sandbanks Sour featuring local red wine syrup.

The Devonshire lobby features a small Drake General Store offering snacks, toiletries, Drake’s clothing line and gift items.

Under the direction of John Tong of +tongtong design firm, the décor juxtaposes the feel of a historic country home with modern de-

sign. Tong worked with the Drake team and chief executive officer Jeff Stober to create “a cheeky nod to ‘rustic Canadiana’,” while incorporating original elements from the building.

The inn also features a games room with glass walls and a barn-like pavilion for special events.

Each guest room features a mix of vintage and custom-crafted furniture, a quote from Al Purdy, the late poet from Wooler, ON, and a mural created by Canadian artist Rick Leong.

“We’ve worked really hard to incorporate a number of classic Drake elements, whether cultural, artistic, design- or service-focused, and we think that our customers will agree it’s been well worth the wait,” Stober said in a release.

While open for business, the “Drake-bythe-lake” will celebrate its grand opening and first summer season in spring 2015 after finishing touches are completed throughout the fall and winter.

24 Wharf St., Wellington, ON. (613) 399-1851, www.drakedevonshire.ca, @thedrakehotel.

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BY S . P E L L E G R I N O

Meet Chef Grant van Gameren, the culinary pioneer and driving force behind Toronto’s Bar Isabel, named as Canada’s Best New Restaurant in 2014. We asked him to reveal his sources for inspiration and ingredients, and tell us what’s on his radar for the future.

CAPTURE THE ESSENCE O F W H AT ’S H A P P E N I N G IN THE CANADIAN C U L I N A R Y S C E N E.

Orphans cooking with orphans.

In Toronto, the people opening restaurants now are in their late 20s, early 30s who haven’t been slugging it out in a brigade-style kitchen for years like the founding fathers. There’s a generation of us rebellious teenagers just opening up restaurants, hiring our friends and taking risks. Hopefully, these young chefs grow into the leaders of Canada’s modern culinary movement.

HOW DO CULINARY T R E N D S I M PA C T YO U R MENU?

I’m too busy to concern myself with trends. Evolution is made, not speculated. If there’s anything I’m into, it’s about finding something new. Maybe not something new to the world, but new to me. That’s my food trend.

W H AT I S I N S P I R I N G YO U RIGHT NOW?

Gooseneck barnacles-pre-historiclooking crustacean creatures, super tasty. Only in season for about a month. When I sourced some, I was so excited that I posted a photo on

Instagram. 48 hours later there was an article about how these are the “next new thing.”

ASIDE FROM THE F O O D , W H AT M A K E S A G R E AT R E S TA U R A N T EXPERIENCE?

Everything you put on the table matters. The details can dramatically elevate the dining experience—like a good quality napkin, artisanal bread or a bottle of S.Pellegrino. Even the bottle itself is beautiful; it’s like a bottle of wine. Water is the first thing served at the table and the last thing that remains.

So it only makes sense that the kind of water you serve is considered.

If you think about it, filtered water or tap water—it’s only as good as its source.

GIVE US A HINT ABOUT

GRANT VA N GA M E R E N

W H AT ’S O N T H E H O R I Z O N F O R YO U ?

I’m excited about a new venture I’m working on inspired by the Pintxo bars of San Sebastian.

It’s a completely different way of eating, very social and a new style for Toronto. It’s food-at-your-ownpace that takes traditional tapas to a whole new level.

“E V E RY T H I N G YO U P U T O N T H AT TA B L E M AT T E R S . T H E D E TA I L S C A N D R A M A T I C A L LY E L E VA T E T H E D I N I N G EXPERIENCE, LIKE A GOOD QUALITY NAPKIN, ARTISANAL BREAD OR A BOT TLE OF S.PELLEGRINO.”

For more inspiration visit

T EXT BY

F I N E D I N I N G LOV E R S . C O M

PHOTO BY

Angie Mosier Brock Elbank

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

Packing

Peaches

Peach grower Anthony Laney.

Pickers work in groups of two, making $19 per bin, which grower Justin Micheli says works out to between $100 and $200 per day, depending on experience.

At left: A driver picks up bins at the Micheli Family Farm in Live Oak, Calif.

Peach grower Justin Micheli.

Lomo Station in Live Oak, Calif.

A sneak peek at California’s cling peach industry

J

ustin Micheli and his cousin Anthony Laney are fourth generation peach farmers, who, together, have more than 350 acres of cling peaches in Live Oak, Calif.

Typically, the peach harvest starts in July and runs until the first week of September.

This year, according to California Canning Peach Association president Rich Hudgins, the harvest was done about 10 days early.

Micheli said every year is unique.

Before the 2014 harvest—during which time, workers pick the four categories of peaches as they are ready—was complete, Micheli said he had already started taking measure for next year.

In April, the trees are thinned to allow remaining fruit to develop to its maximum size and flavour and reduce the spread of potential disease. The trees are thinned from about 2,000 peaches to between 900 and 1,000 per tree.

Laney started growing 10 years ago after stints in the financial and software industries after university.

He said he finds it romantic, noting his family has been growing peaches for a “very long time. We’d like to see peaches on people’s

plates for many years to come,” said Laney.

Laney said the number of acres planted with peach trees has decreased dramatically over the last five years, with farmers planting almonds instead of replanting peaches at the end of the tree’s lifecycle. “Farmers follow the highest producing crop,” said Laney, adding nut crops, such as almonds, don’t require as much labour.

Micheli noted “there feels like there is a renaissance” in peach farming, however.

Laney said he’s starting to see more people think about diversifying with other tree crops, as his grandfather did. “People are looking at peaches as a viable opportunity,” he said.

Lance Jackson grows 160 acres of certified organic peaches on his Kingsburg, CA, farm, where he also cultivates grapes, figs and cherries. He said about 65 per cent of his peach harvest is canned and said there is a huge market for organic peaches.

Once harvested, Laney and Micheli’s peaches head to nearby Lomo Station, which will see 100,000 tons of peaches come through for grading (and occasionally) cold storage before heading off to a processing facility.

The grading station receives about 38 per cent of California’s peaches and 80 per cent of Pacific Coast Producers’ (PCP) 170 membergrowers fruit, which comes from within a 50 kilometre radius.

Micheli estimated that about 85 per cent of peaches are canned within 12 hours of picking.

Lomo Cold Storage general manager Richard Harp said when there are large picks, the processing facility cannot can everything that comes in that day so they will be stored for between one day and two weeks. “We’re a necessary evil,” said Harp.

At PCP’s Oroville, Calif., processing facility, about 50 tons (or 175,000 peaches) are processed daily during the season and between 1.5 and 1.8 million cans and cups are packed, according to plant manager Paul Fairbanks.

At Seneca’s Modesto Fruit Operations, 184 growers bring their peaches there to be processed. Jack Strang, who works in production planning and procurement, said they had estimated the plant would process 108,000 tons of peaches this year, but will be coming in at 8,000 tons shy of that. Strang said there is a shortage and Seneca has been offering incen-

tives to farmers to grow more peaches.

California is in the midst of a recordbreaking drought, with 2014 seeing the lowest rainfall in the state’s 163-year history. According to the California Department of Water Resources’ reservoir storage summary in Northern and Southern California the average water amounts are at about half of the capacity and the majority of major reservoirs are far below the historical average mark.

Peach farmer Rick Lial said the growers are “in trouble” if the area doesn’t get precipitation this winter.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta supplies water to the Central Valley, a U.S. agricultural hub. An important ecosystem and the centre of California’s water supply system, the estuary provides water for more than 23 million California residents and millions of acres of farmland.

The California Cling Peach Board paid for this trip. The CCPB represents the state’s approximately 700 growers by working to enhance domestic and international markets. This story was not subject to the approval of the CCPB.

Anjan Manikumar.

TORONTO—Non-verbal communication is on the menu at Signs restaurant, which opened in Toronto in early August, aiming to teach consumers about sign language.

From signage on the walls detailing the appropriate gesture for popular drinks to cheat sheets on each table instructing diners on how to order and communicate with their servers, Signs eatery has a mandate to inform customers and provide career opportunities and growth for the deaf in the hospitality industry.

“We wanted to build operations so that there are less communication issues between the kitchen and the front of house staff, who are deaf,” president and founder Anjan Manikumar told ORN. About 80 per cent of the 30-person front of house staff are deaf, as well as some of the team in the kitchen, said Manikumar.

Although there is an expediter translating between the servers and the cooks, the kitchen staff has also been learning American Sign Language (ASL).

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Head chef Marc Breton, former executive chef at The Gladstone Hotel, The Rivoli and La Bodega, oversees a menu of comfort food with vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options.

Small plates range from sweet potato biscuit sliders, wild rice and corn fritters to entrees of rabbit brochettes and “cracklin” duck breast. Average check is between $20 and $25, excluding alcohol.

Manager Rachel Shemuel, who looks after the 150-seat, 3,000-square-foot dining room, is also adept in using ASL. Staff can take ASL courses at any time as part of their service training for the restaurant, said Manikumar, whose restaurant experience started when he was 16 and includes management roles at Jack Astor’s, East Side Mario’s and A&W locations across Ontario. His father, Manny Manikumar, a banker and a project management professional, is the principal investor behind the project.

The concept behind the restaurant, said Manikumar, has been in the works for a couple of years, and will continue to grow and evolve as the restaurant finds its footing.

“It’s a learning process,” he said. “It’s not an easy concept, and we have to be very patient. It’s not about focusing on the money … we have to be socially responsible.”

A sign of the times

558 Yonge Street, Toronto ON. (647)349-7446. signsrestaurant.ca.

Basia and Jan Mytnik.

From fire to food truck WATERLOO, ON—Nearly two years after a fire destroyed Ish & Chips, the fish and chips eatery rolled back into Waterloo, ON, this past summer with a new food truck.

On Aug. 23 2012, a King Street fire destroyed the original restaurant along with a neighbouring business and the apartments above. “There is nothing left of the property—it was beyond repair,” said Kamil Mytnik, the owners’ son.

Mytnik said it was a long road back. Last October, his parents re-opened in a London, ON, location because of a lack of appropriate spaces in Waterloo and the food truck was their way to return to the city.

The food truck thought was sparked by a tweet from a Herrle’s Country Farm Market in nearby Saint Agatha, ON. With the burgeoning popularity of meals on wheels, the idea began taking shape and Mytnik started doing some research. “Waterloo was already in the works of having pilot project for food trucks and I thought to myself ‘Hey, what a glorious opportunity and kind of perfect timing’,” he said.

Mytnik pitched the idea to his parents,

highlighting the advantages of less overhead and increased mobility. “If one locale doesn’t work out, just turn on the ignition and go to another spot.”

As the family is learning, there are some drawbacks as well, said Mytnik, such as a limited amount of water, propane requiring filling and refilling, cramped quarters and the need for offsite storage.

Now, his father Jan Mytnik is driving the truck, while his mother Basia Mytnik takes care of the brick and mortar location.

The truck has a pared down menu from the original, keeping its focus on cod, haddock and halibut fish and chips, and offering gyros, poutine and falafel. The prices range from about $5 to $12.

A graphic designer, Mytnik designed the truck using newspaper clips from coverage of the fire, red and white cross-hatching on the back and a caution sign that reads: “be careful what you fish for.”

“It looks great—people are getting a good laugh out of it,” he said.

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Burgers gone wild

By Kristen Smith TORONTO—Chef Suman Roy is taking the burger beyond beef with the opening of Wild Burger.

The flagship location opened on Aug. 22 at 709 Mount Pleasant Rd. with an event raising more than $800 for FoodShare’s Food Literacy in Schools program, an amount that will be matched by musician Jack Johnson’s All at Once campaign.

Roy, corporate chef consultant for Campbell Foodservice Canada and a lecturer in Durham College’s culinary program, has spent a great deal of time considering Canadian cuisine while writing From Pemmican to Poutine: A journey through Canada’s culinary history.

He said Wild Burger’s selection is intended to represent Canada in two ways: most of the meats are indigenous to the country and the flavours are global and international, characterizing Canada’s diversity.

A list of 18 burgers includes jerk rabbit, Moroccan lamb, Indian lentil, East Coast crab, Newfoundland salt cod, miso duck, Ontario wild boar and Okanagan Valley ostrich.

“I’ve got a couple of meats that are a little offbeat, which are not from Canada, but

also show the diversity,” said Roy, pointing to kangaroo done “Aussie style,” with traditional spices, pineapple jam, cheddar, a fried egg and pickled beets, and camel with Middle Eastern seasoning, cilantro sauce, brie, onions and dried fruit salsa.

Roy noted the current burger trend has often focused on gourmet toppings, but said he has opted to place the focus on house-made patties with spices and seasoning throughout.

“I don’t think that game is very well accepted and respected in our country yet,” said Roy. With the burger being a North American comfort food, he thought this would be a great way to introduce the general public to “exotic meats.” He noted even he still calls them that— “at some point, I hope I don’t have to call it exotic anymore.”

The burger menu is rounded out with sides of fries, onion rings, deep-fried pickles, deepfried extreme beans, kale salad or warm kettle chips.

Average check without alcohol is between $12 and $18.

The eatery has two red and white wines, picked to pair with the variety of meats, and two beers on tap, including a Wild Burger blond ale made by Great Lakes Brewery.

Ink and O&B team up for Trump foodservice redesign

The Calvin bar rendering.

Below: Rendering of America restaurant.

TORONTO—Under the guidance of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants and INK Entertainment, Trump Toronto’s redesigned bar and restaurant was slated to open by Labour Day weekend.

The pair took over operations of the Trump International Hotel & Tower’s foodservice and entertainment on Jan. 1.

With the help of design firm II by IV Design, the 31st story Stock restaurant and Suits bar closed Aug. 24 for a speedy renovation, reopening as high-end supper club America and The Calvin bar.

The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will seat about 100, with 30 in the bar area and private dining space for 40 in the mezzanine.

Planning and building has been going on

for months so the changes could come together within the short time frame, said INK founder and chief executive officer Charles Khabouth.

He said the space was to be transformed entirely, short of moving the walls, with a large focus on standout artwork, texture and changing the tables and seating, such as adding some loveseats. “It’s a lot warmer, it brings people together more. It’s much more conducive to dining and staying and hanging out,” said Khabouth.

“The lighting plays a huge role for me,” Khabouth noted. “You could walk in on a Friday and the whole room has a beautiful, deep purple or blue light feel to it and maybe after dinner we’ll change it. I want to change the space by way of lighting.”

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

Chef Suman Roy.

The décor of the 970-square-foot gastro burger concept is reminiscent of a Muskoka cottage. Roy and co-founder Guatam Banarjee took road trips to northern Ontario, picking out items to adorn the restaurant walls, such as old snowshoes and a brass deer head.

In the 30-seat eatery, four of the tabletops are cut from a large maple tree.

Roy has brought on Adriana Yunes Caporossi as chef de cuisine and will be looking

for new locations in the coming months. He said the plan is to open an express location without alcohol next spring.

He said they have already received franchising interest from across the country, but people want to see numbers. “By year two, we should have at least six more,” Roy said.

Open for all dayparts, America restaurant’s culinary team consists of chef de cuisine Bill Osborne, Trump Toronto executive chef Markus Bestig and O&B corporate executive chef Anthony Walsh.

O&B co-founder and partner chef Michael Bonacini said America’s menu reflects regional U.S. fare.

“We wanted a name that was big, powerful, strong, bold and unapologetic and just timeless,” said Bonacini. “We agonized for some time and we kept coming back to America; and we decided, ‘yes, let’s go for it.’ This is Trump, this is an iconic brand.”

He said the big, bold personality of the hotel brand spills into the food.

“We wanted to create a menu that reflects the diversity of the cuisine of America,” said Bonacini. “I think, in Canada, over the last decade, the understanding of the regionality of Canada has never been more recognized than it has right now. In the U.S., they’ve been doing that for a lot longer.”

He points to the different cuisines found in California, Louisiana or New Mexico to illustrate the point.

“You’re really getting that sort of Route 66 culinary tour of America, but it’s not as literal as that,” said Bonacini, adding it may not be entirely obvious on the first read of the menu, but specific ingredients and terminology are a “nod to the great American food culture.”

A crispy frog cobb salad with avocado, cactus, Tiger Blue cheese and sauce piquante features frog legs from the Florida everglades.

“That dish, I think, touches on a number of fairly strong, identifiable American items,” said Bonacini.

Bonacini thinks a braised beef shank

wheeled out to the table for four people will become a signature item.

Average check at America will range between $40 and $75 per person without alcohol.

Bonacini plans on bringing in high quality moonshine from the southern states for the bar menu and, while America will maintain some of Stock’s extensive wine list, it will also feature some unique, small wine producers from the U.S. Thursday through Saturday evenings, America will transform into an intimate, latenight venue offering a blend of entertainment and fine dining with late night cocktails, small plate dishes and entertainment.

The Calvin bar—a 2,000-square-foot lounge is being extended into the main floor lobby increasing the seats from 30 to as many as 55—serves up classic drink and signature cocktails as well as food from America’s bar and late night menus. “It’s a fairly small bar and we want to make it feel incredibly warm and welcoming,” said Bonacini.

The O&B team is creating an in room dining menu using elements from the America menu as well as including room service classics, such as a chicken club sandwich.

Bonacini said INK’s expertise in creating a late night supper club will address “a niche in the market of a slightly older age group who are looking for a really stylish place to be.”

He said the two companies are well suited for collaborations.

Oliver & Bonacini and INK are currently working on a couple of joint projects: a restaurant and event venue at Hudson’s Bay in Calgary and one in Montreal, and that the companies have “more in the works now as we speak,” Khabouth said.

709 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto. (416) 9323235, www.wildburger.ca, @WildBurgrr.

S E P T E M B E R 2 014

Steven Salm and Michael Steh.

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Down on the farm Chasing Colette

TORONTO—Colette Grand Café, the latest in the Chase Hospitality Group (CHG)’s cluster of restaurants, opened at the end of July. The 150-seat, 5,000-square-foot restaurant located at the base of the Thompson Hotel, formerly Scott Conant’s Scarpetta, is helmed by Michael Steh, former executive chef of Sir Corp.’s Reds Bistro.

“We went through 15 iterations or more in discovering Colette’s identity,” said Steh. In designing Colette, CHG president Steven Salm and Steh considered everything down from the barrel vault ceilings and hand painted tile to small colour notes such as the stripes on the napkins matching the embossed glass plates rimmed in platinum and blue, clear, so that diners can see the table below. “Colette is all about details,” said Salm.

Average check ranges from $55 to $85 for dinner, said Steh, and a “cirque du soleil meets brunch” service was planned for late summer.

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Menu items include a seafood assortment of crab, shrimp, mussels with aioli and an assortment of prepared and raw vegetables with breadsticks. Between the café and the adjoining bakery offering pastries and dog biscuits for local canine lovers and their pets, Steh, chef de cuisine Matthew Swift, and the 45-person back of house crew (30 savoury and 14 pastry/ commis positions, overseen by Steh’s wife Leslie Steh as the executive pastry chef) are preparing items for all dayparts, he said.

To build buzz before the restaurant’s opening, a food truck and two bespoke “bicyclettes” hit Toronto streets offering samples to passersby.

CHG’s next project includes Little Fin, set to open in mid to late September with the same design team and chef, said Salm.

550 Wellington Street West. (647) 348-7000. www.colettetoronto.com. @colettetoronto

STRATFORD, ON—Cheese maven Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy is starting a farm to provide a space for young farmers and chefs to connect with the land.

“It’ll be an incubator farm for the first year,” she told ORN. In conjunction with FarmStart, an organization supporting new farmers, Klahsen hopes to have between eight and 10 farmers with four acres each on a 30-year lease, overseen by her son Ben. Ideas for Monforte Home Farm include a cheesemaking school from the dairy, classes on how to smoke bacon and a five-bedroom auberge based on England’s River Cottage. Klahsen plans to have casual dinner events with a group of chefs cooking over a fire, or visiting chef guest classes.

For the first year, a food truck is in the works with plans to hire a recent graduate of Stratford’s Ruth Klahsen. Photo by Nora Camps.

Chef School to cook whatever’s being produced on the farm.

Future plans for an onsite eatery with small plates, similar to the osteria in Stratford, will include café tables and a patio, where guests can take tours and wander the garden.

“We want to buy a farm because there’s no access to land for young farmers today,” said Klahsen, who purchased the property for $1 million and has started a community supported agriculture (CSA) crowd-funding project. “We’re hoping that we can raise a million from the CSA but we can service the debt from Monforte Dairy if necessary, and will do things when we can afford them, such as put in hops,” she said. The fundraising goal, based on CSA subscriptions of $250, $500 or $1,000 for Monforte cheese vouchers or baskets, is to have sold $250,000 before Klahsen takes possession of the farm on Oct. 1.

“What we’re really hoping is that it’s a place of transparency.

We need these kids to be honest about their money, and want to change agriculture and the economics of food.

We’re being totally upfront about costs so that people can look at it and improve, and chefs can work in a collaborative way and make a living out of it,” she said. “We’re hoping that this will leave a tiny part of the world in a better place.”

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

WITHOUT

HOW OPERATORS CAN BOLSTER NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE PROFITS.

BY JONATHAN ZETTEL

F

or many operators, a non-alcoholic beverage program is represented by a forgotten can of near beer sitting in the back of the bar fridge. While offerings of the usual suspects abound, some savvy beverage managers are looking for new ways to engage customers. For them, it’s not an afterthought, but an important part of the overall picture in a well-rounded beverage program that has something for everyone. Whether trying to appeal to customers such as pregnant women, designated drivers, children or anyone who may not wish to imbibe, bars and restaurants are tuning in to the idea that a well thought out non-alcoholic beverage program is good practice and can also be better for the bottom line.

the soda jerk In the back of the newly opened Pastizza restaurant in downtown Toronto, assistant general manager Adrian Stein opens an overhead cabinet to reveal what looks more like a chemistry laboratory than the basis of a non-alcoholic beverage program. Inside, there are bottles of phosphate, citric and lactic acid, rows of natural essential oils and a supply of gum arabic, a popular emulsifier. Around the corner, near the restaurant’s loading dock, a cornelius keg sits inside a tiny refrigerator attached to a soda draft arm, alongside a capping machine.

It’s all part of the handcrafted soda program Stein is pioneering at the restaurant.

“We actually have to force the carbon dioxide into the soda and the hardest part is getting the CO2 to stay,” Stein tells ORN. “Even if you use one of those soda siphons, it will look fizzy, but that’s actually the CO2 leaving the drink.”

Stein, alongside pastry chef Lara Andres, created eight flavours: cola, cola lite, orange, ginger, grapefruit, black pepper cream, celery tonic and lemon-lime. Stein says manager Jonny Gray perfected the grapefruit soda and each flavour is bottled and labelled on site and sold for $4 a piece. Stein says he has about 30 more flavours in mind but will likely release a caffeinated coffee soda and an Earl Grey tea soda next.

Fron left: Jonny Gray, Adrian Stein and Lara Andres.

When first approached to create a soda program, Stein says he consulted Darcy O’Neil, author of Fix the Pumps, a historical account of the golden age of soda making. From there, it was a lot of trial and error and he readily admits there are still some kinks to work out.

Seven years ago, Stein quit drinking and has since been on a bender to bring exciting non-alcoholic drinks throughout the city of Toronto. He’s taking exotic ingredients such as saffron and fresh elderflower and making “fauxjitos”, and serving drinks in hollowed-out watermelons with dry ice and foam to create elixirs as complex as some of the finest cuisine this country has to offer.

“As a mixologist, you want to be known for your cocktails, but I’m known for mocktails, and that’s kind of cool,” Stein says.

Whether a mocktail program, or a soda program, Stein says non-alcoholic beverages do not steal share from your bar sales.

“It’s two different markets and actually complements your bar program,” he says, pointing to potential customers such as children, designated drivers and pregnant women.

“But there are also just people who don’t—for whatever reason—want to drink alcohol, but still want some flavour to their beverages.”

By the numBers Warren de Lima, senior research analyst at Mintel, recently released a report on the state of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) in Canada. While 88 per cent of people are consuming CSDs, the overall growth, he says, is very low in comparison to energy drinks and flavoured water sales.

He says male millennials continue to drive the market with a wide repertoire of soda consumption, while older drinkers are looking for lower-calorie options.

“If anything, that’s where there is an opportunity to grow consumption in the market—try to appeal to their need states and flavour tastes in the low-calorie area,” de Lima says, noting recent media attention has linked soft drink consumption to obesity. The move toward lower-calorie soft drinks isn’t necessarily about producing a healthier drink, he says, but about making consumers feel better about being indulgent.

“To try and position a soft drink within a health and wellness need state is going to be difficult so it’s all about, in my opinion, trying to make them feel less guilty drinking carbonated soft drinks,” he says.

De Lima points to Pepsi Next and Coca-Cola Life (launched in Argentina and Chile in 2013), which use stevia as a natural sweetener, and Canada Dry-Motts, which repositioned its ginger ale as being made with real ginger, as ways the big three soft drink companies are releasing SKUs to help meet the trend without abandoning their core group of consumers.

According to de Lima’s research, 33 per cent would like to see carbonated soft drinks more visible and 38 per cent would like to see them as part of a meal deal. Flavour and price continue to be key motivators and de Lima says if the flavour the customer wants is not available, they will end up drinking water. “It’s a missed opportunity,” he says.

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S E P T E M B E R 2 014

World of near beer

Kombucha: ancient beverage revised

Fron left: Zoey Shamai and Kaelan Karjalainen.

About 10 years ago, Ted Fleming was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which led him to rethink his dietary habits and give up alcohol.

“I was likely in denial about the effects of alcohol,” says Fleming. “I love beer, and you know what’s typically out there [for non-alcoholic beer] is not all that inspiring.”

This proved to be the basis for Fleming to start PremiumNearBeer.com, an online sales company dedicated to seeking out and rounding up non-alcoholic beer.

Currently, the online store has more than 20 types of nonalcoholic beer available, which can be shipped anywhere in Canada.

According to Fleming, some of the non-alcoholic beers have alcoholic counterparts from which you cannot taste the difference.

Fleming says so-called near beer only represents about half a per cent of the total beer consumption in Canada, but in countries such as Germany, “they have these fantastic nonalcoholic beers” and mark as high as 10 per cent of total consumption, with non-alcoholic beers produced by most major breweries, and most bars having one or two choices on tap.

In Ontario, Fleming says it is his experience that most servers generally don’t even know if the bar/restaurant offers a nonalcoholic beer and urges beverage operators to include more options because more people are looking for non-alcoholic beer.

“It’s just a matter of [whether] they’re trying to either cut back on the amount they drink or they recognize in certain situations they want to have a good quality drink of beer, they don’t want to drink pop or water,” Fleming says.

Part of the problem of bringing non-alcoholic beer to mar-

ket, he says, is that it usually requires an extra step, whether de-alcoholization via mechanical separation or arresting fermentation by reducing the batch to a colder temperature.

Even with the buzz of the craft beer movement and its experimentation, very few non-alcoholic beers have been brewed.

According to the Ontario Craft Brewers, the only nonalcoholic beer made by craft brewers in Ontario was recently developed at Niagara College’s Teaching Brewery and brewed

by Brick Brewery in KitchenerWaterloo, ON, under the label MADD Virgin Craft Brewed Non-Alcoholic Lager. The zero per cent ABV beer won a gold medal at the U.S. Open Beer Championships on July 4 in Atlanta.

“There should always be an alternative for people going out to a restaurant or bar and those restaurants that offer these alternatives are really doing an amazing gesture to ensure that people are being safe,” says Dawn Regan, MADD chief operating officer.

Several MADD branded alcohol-free drinks are available across Canada and the U.S. including a red and white wine, sparkling wine, margarita and mojito.

Glenn Broadley, co-founder and chief operating officer of Hill Street Marketing, the company who founded the MADD branded drinks, says he is hoping distribution deals with foodservice suppliers such as Gordon Food Service, Sysco and Flanagan Foodservice will be made in early 2015. Broadley says 187-ml, single serving options for the MADD virgin wines will also be available in the near future, so customers in a foodservice setting won’t have to order an entire bottle.

Operators can order the MADD-branded drinks online.

Zoey Shamai founded Tonica, a kombucha drink company, after studying yoga in Mexico and learning about the health benefits the fermented tea beverage has to offer.

“People are tired of feeling tired,” Shamai says. “They want to be healthy and energized and they are looking for products like mine.”

With only 45 calories per 355-mililitre bottle, the kombucha is 100 per cent organic and comes in seven flavours: black tea, green tea, ginger, mango, peach, blueberry and jasmine.

“Bars, and especially mixologists, are really interested in it because of the unique flavouring. It’s

both sweet and quite tart,” Shamai says.

Operators can purchase Tonica kombucha in bulk 20-litre pails, and sell it as is or blend it with fruit to create smoothies. The company is also looking for ways to sell kegs of kombucha to restaurants who want the beverage on tap.

According to Shamai, kombucha is a sweetened caffeinated tea with kombucha culture added to kick start fermentation. The process feeds off the caffeine and sugar and, as a by-product, bacteria and acids are produced, which are beneficial for rebuilding healthy bacteria in the body.

She says it is healthy for digestion and the liver.

“It’s great marketing for the restaurants because, if they have a kombucha on the menu, right away that indicates that they are health conscious and that they’re on the pulse of what’s happening,” says Shamai.

Mocktails BY ADRIAN STEIN meXican bacK fliP

floWering fauXjito

3oz fresh pineapple 1oz lime juice 1oz egg whites 1oz Tromba Agave Nectar 3oz ginger beer 5 drops of Memphis Barbecue Bitters or a spicy bitter METHOD: Combine pineapple, lime, egg whites, bitters and Tromba Agave Nectar in a shaker tin. Shake without ice for 20 seconds, to emulsify ingredients. Shake with ice for 10 seconds. Strain into a Collins glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with pineapple wedge and pineapple leaf.

1.5oz elderflower cordial 2oz fresh lime 1.5oz Jasmine Tonica Kombucha 9 mint leaves 1oz diced cucumber 3 drops of Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters METHOD: Combine elderflower cordial, lime juice, cucumber and mint in a shaker tin. Shake vigorously. Dump entire contents into short glass. Top with Jasmine Tonica Kombucha, add 3 drops off cherry bitters and complete with a cucumber wheel and mint sprig.

not just Water Having customers order free tap water can be a real expense to restaurants, which has some bar managers looking for other options.

Paula Tekela, founder of Q Water, an in-house filtration system which offers both sparkling and still water on tap, says more restaurants are moving to green solutions in their beverage programs.

“Q Water was designed specifically for the hospitality industry in order to reduce their carbon footprint,” Tekela says.

Bars and restaurants with Q Water systems charge between $2 to $5 for an unlimited supply of sparkling or still water. Water vessels, filtration system, warranties and installation fees are all included in the

rental, which can be anywhere from $100 to $200 per month.

Tekela says operators move to a system like Q Water to eliminate bottled water in the restaurant and reduce the cost of purchasing bottled water.

Jennifer Semley Robert, marketing manager for international brands and Nestlé Waters Canada, says flavoured water should be on the radar for operators looking to boost their non-alcoholic beverage menus.

“Flavours are a big trend because what we are seeing is a shift from people drinking carbonated soft drinks and even diet carbonated soft drinks and moving over to the sparkling water category,” Semley

Robert says, adding that flavoured drinks can act as a gateway . “We know the consumers are making the switch, we’re trying to have the products available in order to fill that need.”

Semley Robert says more customers are reading labels and want to see products made with real ingredients alongside a story they can connect to.

“San Pellegrino water takes 30 years from the time it leaves the mountain to the time it’s bottled in the factory and that’s just a very beautiful story, it literally comes from San Pellegrino, Italy,” says Semley Robert.

“Everyone wants a story behind what they’re drinking.”

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COMING EVENTS Sept. 18-21: PEI International Shellfish Festival, Charlottetown Festival Grounds, Charlottetown. www.peishellfish.com Sept. 13-28: Niagara Grape and Wine Festival, St. Catharines. www.niagarawinefestival.com

Sept. 28-29: Canadian Coffee and Tea Show, The International Centre, Toronto. www.coffeeteashow.ca

Oct 24–26: 10th annual Cask Days, Evergreen Brickworks, Toronto. www.caskdays.com

Oct. 25: Canadian Hospitality Foundation Ball, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto. www.thechf.ca

Nov 9-11: International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show, Javits Center, New York. www.ihmrs.com

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Exceldor to buy P&H Foods LEVIS, QC—Quebec-based Exceldor Foods has received approval from the federal Competition Bureau for the purchase of Parrish & Heimbecker, Ltd. (P&H Foods), manufacturer of Butterball-branded products in Canada.

The deal includes the acquisition of a turkey processing plant in Hanover, ON, and an investment in another plant in Arthur, ON. According to a licensing agreement with North Carolina-based Butterball LLC, both plants will continue to make the company’s products for Canada, but will operate under the name Exceldor Foods Ltd. “The Competition Bureau’s authorization was the last step necessary to finalizing the purchase of P&H Foods. As of today, we are now able to produce and market the entire array of Butterball products in Canada, primarily out of these two plants that were part of the transaction,” René Proulx, president and chief executive officer of Exceldor, said in a news release.

While financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, Exceldor said it will have revenues of about $625 million after the deal closes, which is expected in the third quarter of this year.

“The acquisition of P&H Foods gives us the opportunity, not only to expand our operations outside the province of Quebec, but also integrate Butterball to our portfolio of existing brands in Canada,” Proulx said in a June 5 statement announcing the acquisition.

“We are pleased to be joining Exceldor, an industry leading organization that has a well-respected reputation in the Canadian poultry industry for management excellence and product innovation. Our 400 employees look forward to becoming members of the Exceldor team,” said Paul Borg, president of P&H Foods, which is involved in aspects of agri-business including grain procurement, milling, animal nutrition programs, poultry farming and food processing.

Exceldor processes chickens and turkeys for the retail, foodservice, and secondary processing markets at its plants in St. Damase, St. Anselme, St. Bruno-deMontarville, and St. Agapit in Quebec. Exceldor is also co-owner of two other Quebec companies operating in the poultry industry: Unidindon and Giannone.

Vend POS opens first office in Canada

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TORONTO—Vend POS, a cloud-based retail and foodservice point of sale, inventory and customer management software company, celebrated the opening of its first office in Canada on Aug. 21 in Toronto.

Established in 2010, the New Zealand-based company has more than 10,000 customers and offices in Auckland, Melbourne, and San Francisco. Vend will also open offices in Berlin and London in the coming months.

“We picked Toronto as our North American base of operations for sales and customer success because Toronto’s amazing art scene and culture of retail made it a natural fit for Vend,” Vaughan Rowsell, Vend founder and chief executive officer, said in a release.

“After looking at cities across the continent, we continue to be amazed by the talent here. Plus, being a cousin of the Commonwealth, we share an appreciation of the metric system, our head of state, and parliament.”

The Toronto office opened its doors in May and will employ more than 40 staff for customer service, sales, IT, and channel teams by the end of 2015 and will service the Vend customer base in Canada and North America.

The company marked the opening in so-called “typical Vend style,” by allowing attendees a go at smashing a cash register; a demonstration intended to highlight how a cloud-based point-of-sale system allows independent retail and foodservice operators to run their business from wherever they are.

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Fran’s makes CNE debut

Bamford gets Greenbelt funds to boost local food MISSISSAUGA, ON—Bamford Produce is working to bring more small- and mediumsized farms into the fold following the receipt of $120,000 from Ontario’s Greenbelt Fund.

The funding is intended to strengthen the province’s fruit and vegetable value chain and help the Mississauga-based produce supplier market local fruit and vegetables to large foodservice companies and retailers.

Benoit Lecavalier, Bamford Produce/Freshline Foods president, said the company has sourced from local farmers for a number of years.

“I think what we do really well [is] promote different farmers that we work with through our Fresh News,” said Lecavalier. The weekly client newsletter highlights the work of its growers, in season vegetables, offers handling tips and outlines current prices.

He said the company’s involvement with the Greenbelt Foundation will see them pushing forward with this promotion of local agriculture. Lecavalier said the company has committed to take on 10 to 20 small- and medium-sized growers by February 2016, and increase sales of Ontario produce by $1.5 million.

“I think it’s the difference between a corporate farm and a family farm—family farms have the tendency to be small- to medium-

McCain Foods closing P.E.I. plant FLORENCEVILLE-BRISTOL, NB—McCain Foods Canada is closing its Borden-Carleton, PEI, french fry facility, which will impact 121 employees.

When the plant closes on Oct. 31, the New Brunswick-based company will have eight remaining manufacturing facilities in Canada.

“Closing a plant is one of the toughest decisions we ever face,” Frank van Schaayk, Americas president for McCain Foods, said in a release.

The company said the decision to close the plant was influenced by a shift in demand for french fries from North America to other regions, the stronger Canadian dollar over the past decade and increased efficiencies at other facilities. According to the company, production at the P.E.I. plant decreased by two-thirds over the last 10 years and the plant is now the company’s smallest in North America.

“The closure of a facility like this can have real impacts on the local economy and we will contribute up to $2 million and work with the provincial government to identify economic development initiative to create sustainable alternate employment for our affected employees and the Borden-Carlton community,” said van Schaayk.

According to the Prince Edward Island Potato Board, McCain contracted with 23 Island family farms for delivery of over $7 million worth of potatoes to the Borden-Carleton plant in 2014. In a release, the board stated McCain will honour this year’s contracts, but plans for next season are not known.

sized businesses that the whole family runs,” said director of operations Lorie Goldfarb.

“There are very large corporate farms that we do some business with and there are small to middle family-type operations that we do plenty of business with as well and that encompasses a number of different products,” said Goldfarb. He said Bamford buys in season Ontario produce and gets a handful of nearly year-round items.

With clients, both in retail and foodservice, demanding a selection of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, Bamford can’t get around global sourcing. “We try to support local as much as we can,” said Goldfarb.

To be able to buy from Ontario farmers, Goldfarb noted they must be able to produce an appropriate volume and deliver it to Bamford.

Lecavalier said food safety has to be considered when dealing with smaller farms.

Bamford requires its suppliers to be audited by a third party to ensure good agriculture and manufacturing processes and appropriate food safety standards.

“We also have to educate. It’s up to us to encourage these small farmers to step up to the plate and become food safe compliant to meet the criteria that our customers demand,” said Lecavalier.

Fran’s booth in the CNE Food Building.

TORONTO—Fran’s Restaurant joined the Canadian National Exhibition for the first time this year with some custom creations at the Food Building.

Fran’s, which celebrates its 75th anniversary next year, has become a Toronto institution. It has three Toronto locations and one in Barrie, ON. The CNE-inspired menu included breakfast maple toast, spicy peanut butter Sriracha rolls and Thanksgiving waffles.

Other interesting new foods at the CNE included: cocoa-infused fried chicken, made by Coco’s Fried Chicken; butter coffee and crois-

sants baked with a chocolate bar inside from Hula Girl Espresso in Toronto; Elvis’s grilled cheese; a corndog funnel cake hybrid; and Far East Taco’s s’more bao.

This year’s CNE also brought some health policy changes after more than 200 people got sick last year as a result of contaminated bacon jam used for the cronut burger in 2013.

General manager David Bednar told the CBC the changes in protocol had to do with off-site preparation, storage and transportation.

Twenty onsite inspectors were scheduled to visit each booth at least twice.

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On opposite page and cover: Buttered beet splat from Atelier Restaurant. Photo by Miv Photography. This page: top row, from left: Squid ink and saffron mayo done with a paint brush from Atelier Restaurant. Photo by Miv Photography. Duck salad with a black garlic puree and a soy vinaigrette from Quatrefoil Restaurant. Foraged wild berry bubbles with champagne and parsnip ganache from Langdon Hall. Bottom row, from left: Steamed snapper with sizzling soy from Kikkoman. Photo courtesy of Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc. Green alder rubbed prairie venison, peppered tongue, tourtiere, garlic scapes and honey suckle berries from Canoe restaurant. Photo by Cindy La. Humboldt squid with caribou moss, clementine and sea buckthorn from Langdon Hall. Next page: Lamb sirloin with tender roots, fermented black garlic and pickled tongue from Langdon Hall.

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Although roasting off bones for stock is a tried and true method in sauce making, a couple of chefs are taking bones to a whole new level, enriching both the sauce and the tableside experience.

At Langdon Hall, Bangerter’s wildflower smoked pigeon, with champagne blackberries, swiss chard and jus de caisson is prepared using a Japanese smoking method.

Equal parts dried flowers and herbs, a little citrus with sugar, salt and uncooked rice are caramelized in a pan and raw pigeon sits above it.

The caramel as it cooks out creates a “beautiful aromatic, floral, sweet and savoury smoke that the pigeon takes on,” says Bangerter. Once the pigeon is cleaned and butchered, the smoked bones goes towards a jus, where wildflower tea is steeped and added to the stock to add another floral note.

The dish, plated tableside, consists of a whole pigeon leg with talon attached, where the flesh is pounded out and the leg is used as a casing for a hand-cut brunoise sausage of bacon, pigeon and foie gras.

“As servers pour the sauce tableside, they’re talking about all the components of the dish and how the sauce was made,” says Bangerter.

The duck press at Toronto’s Edulis restaurant is a special item for four people available on a by order basis, says chef/owner Michael Caballo. “The duck press method is all about the sauce; it’s the perfect canvas. The blood gives richness and thickens the sauce,” he says.

Starting with a duck killed in a specific way to preserve the blood in the body, and aged to the restaurant’s specifications, the bones are cut up and placed in the press tableside, crushing the bones and

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

extracting the blood and marrow.

Chef Tobey Nemeth then starts the base of the sauce with a duck stock and an apple eau de vie with some shallots on a burner next to the table. As the duck stock is reducing, the duck blood and carcass juices go into the pan, which immediately starts to thicken. The sauce is adjusted with vinegar and some sweetness and, at the very end, a final whisking of foie gras is added.

The tableside elements and understanding the nature of blood and its actions in a sauce can create challenges. “You can easily walk away and come back to a scorched sauce, because it will coagulate quickly,” says Caballo. Constant whisking is required, as well as straining through a fine strainer to remove the grainy bits that accumulate as the blood coagulates.

“It doesn’t taste bloody like a puréed liver, or challenging or harsh.

It’s more elegant,” says Caballo. “It’s simply a sense of richness, velvety and thick.”

Caballo enjoys the traditional aspect of offering the duck press to select guests, adding flair to tableside presentation. “When you’re doing something like this, there’s a show to it and a sense of being connected to history and the ingredients,” he says.

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D E C O D I N G T H E D ATA

The beverage buying habits of consumers

By Scott Stewart Whether it’s a soft drink, coffee, water, or a frosty glass of beer, beverages are a traditional staple with any restaurant meal. However, Canadians are ordering fewer and fewer drinks with their foodservice meals today. Last year, 80 per cent of commercial foodservice visits included a beverage; that number dropped to 79 per cent this year. That one point decline in incidence equates to 165 million fewer beverages (or a decline of three per cent) served in the Canadian foodservice market compared to last year.

While a recent decline is evident in both quick service restaurants (QSRs) and full service restaurants (FSRs), the long-term beverage struggles have been driven by the FSR segment. Since 2010, QSRs have actually increased its beverage servings by 165 million annually; in that same time period, FSRs lost 95 million servings. What, then, are the problem areas for beverages in FSR? More importantly, what can be done to reverse these trends?

Compared to 2010, declines in FSR drink purchases have been led by the some of the most popular beverages: alcohol saw 17 million fewer servings; 59 million fewer cups of coffee were bought; and carbonated soft drinks dropped by 39 million servings.

The only top-five beverage to grow was tap water, which increased by 17 million servings since 2010. For the FSR operator, losing top beverage servings is a challenge; one made more difficult when those consumers are shifting to an alternative without revenue.

There may be hope for FSR beverage servings, though. Outside of the leading drink options, gains are evident among less common options: bottled flat water is up 17 million servings; frozen slush soft drinks rose 4 million; and cold smoothies jumped by 6 million servings compared to 2010.

Spotting a trend These emerging beverages mirror the trends observed in QSRs over the same time period. With recent launches of frozen slush soft drinks and smoothies from leading QSR operators, this segment appears to be a driver of new beverage trends. As a result, FSR operators have an opportunity to learn from these trends and offer consumers higher quality versions of the QSR items.

Beyond these three emerging beverages, some drinks have seen large growth in QSRs, but have not yet translated into success. Hot specialty coffee has gained 54 million servings in QSRs since 2010, but only two million in FSRs. Cold coffee increased by 43 million since 2010 in QSRs, and has yet to truly break into the FSR market.

Hot chocolate has grown by 18 million servings in QSRs, up 11 million over last year alone. These beverages highlight opportunities for FSRs to capitalize on QSR trends, and move away from dependence on the leading beverage options like alcohol and CSDs.

A recipe for success Not only is it important to anticipate FSR beverage trends by observing QSR successes, but it is also useful to uncover consistent traits in successful beverages and build on these findings. Looking at recent successes in the market, top operators launched products that were twists on the familiar. Frozen slush soft drinks and cold smoothies offer familiar flavours to consumers in a new and exciting format. Specialty coffee, both hot and cold, grew substantially in QSRs by taking the well-known flavour of coffee and offering it in interesting new formats.

By using this approach, FSR operators can begin offering their own unique beverage options, ensuring it’s rooted it in a familiar flavour or format, while still providing excitement to the consumer experience.

Scott Stewart is an account manager, Foodservice Canada for The NPD Group, which 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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Ali Baba veteran opens new concept TORONTO—A veteran QSR operator has opened a new Middle Eastern concept, with eight more stores planned within the year.

Habiba Middle Eastern Cuisine is the brainchild of founder Yousef Bani, who spent 15 years as partner and chief executive officer of Ali Baba Restaurants.

The first 1,600-square-foot, 35-seat Habiba location opened at the end of July at 30 Weston Rd. The menu of Habiba will be an “upgraded version” of Ali Baba’s items, Jo Halawani, franchise advisor and executive chef, told ORN.

Open for lunch and dinner up to 4 a.m., as well as takeout and catering, the halal restaurant offers longer, half-moon pita wraps, which are thicker than traditional pitas, said Halawani.

Mujadarah, a boiled rice and brown lentil dish with sautéed onions and olive oil, is a specialty of the restaurant, as well as falafaels, hummous, baba ghanouj and other traditional items.

Sandwiches range between $5 and $8 and entrée plates between $8 and $10.

The second location is set to open at

229 Church St., a third at 126 Peter St., and others will be in the Greater Toronto Area. “And after that, we’re going to spread throughout Ontario,” said Halawani.

Locations will range between 1,200 and 1,500 square feet.

In addition to the expansion plans, the company also created a manufacturing facility, which opened in May, to supply Ali Baba and Habiba.

30 Weston Road, Toronto. (647) 502-6748. www.habibaa.ca.

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BeverageNews A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Ottawa brewery gets kickstarted

Left: Dominion City Brewery co-founder Josh McJannett. Right: The tasting room.

Photos by Hilary Duff.

OTTAWA—Dominion City Brewery opened its doors in the capitol city on Aug. 9 after raising $19,617 for the tasting room and bottle shop through a Kickstarter campaign launched last April.

After years of homebrewing, co-founders Josh McJannett, Alex Monk and Andrew Kent

opened the microbrewery on Canotek Road with three brews: Town & Country Blonde Ale, Two Flags IPA and Earl Grey Marmalade Saison.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, Dominion sold out on day one, selling more than 620 litres. The brewery is capable of producing

Big Rock heads to T.O. CALGARY—Big Rock brewery is setting up shop in the Ontario market with a brewpub and a brewery slated to open in Toronto in 2015.

Big Rock chief executive officer Bob Sartor told ORN the brewpub will be located at 60 Atlantic Ave. in Toronto’s Liberty Village and will likely launch in the spring.

“This is a place where we celebrate everything Big Rock,” Sartor said.

While the exact location of the Big Rock brewery in Toronto has not been confirmed, Sartor said they are considering a couple of options and will be ready to make an announcement within the next month or two.

The brewery could potentially open in early summer of 2015, Sartor said.

The company will also open doors to a brewery in Vancouver in October, with it’s opening delayed from an initial summer launch due to “an arcane and very disjointed” permit process, he said.

Sartor said the company produced close to 50 new beers in the last two years, which most Ontarians haven’t been able to experience, and the new brewpub will help introduce the brand.

“It’s the tangible manifestation of a deeplyheld philosophy that I have that craft brew has to be incredible fresh because that is a huge differentiator with craft beer versus mass-produced beer,” Sartor said.

The 6,300-square-foot brewpub will hold between 130 and 150 seats and have an additional 1,400-square-foot retail space where customers will be able to pick up growlers and Big Rock merchandise. The site will also have a 1,884-square-foot patio, which will seat up to 110 people.

“We plan to take pub fare to the next level and combine that with really innovative beers that are designed for specific dishes that we would have in the restaurant,” Sartor said.

According to Sartor, one tap will be available for a small, local craft brewery to help promote the craft beer scene.

“I really believe that as one of the elder craft breweries out there, we have an obligation to help the little guys,” Sartor said, noting the brewery will celebrate its 30-year anniversary next year.

The Big Rock brewpub will be located next to a new franchise location from Les Trois Brasseurs/The Three Brewers who are set to open at 99 Atlantic Ave. in 2015.

Sartor said the Toronto craft beer market is not over-saturated, and that he is hearing from brewers who are looking to do collaborations.

As for further expansion plans, Sartor said there are opportunities to open brewpubs in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“The future of our company doesn’t lie on beer we brewed 29 years ago, but lies on the beers we will be brewing tomorrow,” he said.

700-litre batches of beer. It also prepared several kegs for four Ottawa area bars that specialize in craft beer offerings.

The brewery is open on Saturdays and, according to the Citizen, the three co-founders will keep their day jobs, at least for the time being.

Molson Coors, Heineken expand partnership DENVER & MONTREAL—Molson Coors Brewing Company and Heineken announced on Aug. 18 they have expanded their marketing partnership in Canada, which will see Molson Coors Canada assume responsibility for distributing five additional Heineken brands in Canada.

The multi-year agreement strengthens the existing Molson Coors and Heineken relationship, which has developed over the past two decades. In addition to Heineken, Murphy’s, Newcastle and Strongbow, Molson Coors Canada will assume the rights to market and distribute Dos Equis, Sol, Tecate, Birra Moretti and Desperados as of Jan 1.

“We are excited that Heineken has chosen us to take on the stewardship of their full portfolio of brands in Canada,” Stewart Glendinning, chief executive officer and president of Molson Coors Canada, said in a release. “We have had a valued partnership with Heineken in Canada for many years and, as always, we will remain focused on building the Heineken portfolio of brands through strong marketing support, investment and innovation.”

The imported beer segment makes up 14 per cent of the market in Canada, and it has experienced sales increases of about four per cent over the past year, according to the release.

Brick to sell Waterloo property, partners with Kirkwood

Br i e f s

KITCHENER, ON— Brick Brewing Co. Limited announced on Aug. 13 it will sell its King Street property in Waterloo for $4 million. According to the company, the move is part of its strategy to consolidate operations with its Bingemans Centre Drive location in Kitchener, ON, which is currently under expansion.

“For the company and our shareholders, this transaction will enable expansion of operations at our Kitchener location and begin the consolidation of our operating facilities,” Brick Brewing president and chief executive officer George Croft said in a release. “This action will, in no way, disrupt our service to consumers.”

HIP Developments bought the property and is expected to re-develop the site.

Brick has also signed on Torontobased The Kirkwood Group to represent Brick’s Waterloo and Seagram’s Ready to Drink portfolio in British Columbia, the Atlantic provinces and the on-premise channel in Ontario.

Wyborowa hires PMA TORONTO—Polish vodka Wyborowa has hired on Peter Mielzynski Agencies Ltd. (PMA) to represent the company as its new Canadian distributor. The company is currently undergoing a revamp which will update the design of the bottles, and align the brand as having “passion for the adventurous and intrepid lifestyle,” according to a release. New packing will begin in France this summer and will hit Canadian shelves later this year.

“We are very pleased to welcome Wyborowa Wodka to the PMA Canada profile,” PMA Canadian brand manager Chris Ronikier said. “We strongly believe the brand revamp will allow Wyborowa to reach a wider audience.”

Beau’s to ship into Quebec VANKLEEK HILL, ON—Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. will begin distributing its beer to Montreal, Gatineau and other parts of Quebec early next year.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, the company hired a consultant to help the brewery’s owners do the importing themselves. As part of the process, Beau’s has to incorporate in Quebec, broker a deal with Recyc-Québec, build a distribution warehouse in the province and then wait at least six months.

The company is located in Vankleek Hill, ON, which is about 20 kilometres west of the Quebec border.

Beau’s already ships its beer to New York State and throughout Ontario and has repeated in the past they want to keep their distribution circle within a day’s drive of production.

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Chef Lynn Crawford was on deck for the launch of the Hellmann’s Real Food Movement food truck at this year’s Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto on Aug. 22.

The food truck was part of the CNE’s “food truck frenzy,” which feature dozens of Toronto’s burgeoning food truck fleet.

The Hellmann’s food truck was covered with fresh potted herbs growing off the walls of the vehicle.

“This is the most amazing food truck I’ve ever seen … it is a chef ’s dream to have a food truck like that,” Crawford told ORN. Crawford owns Ruby Watchco in Toronto and has been on several food-related reality shows including Restaurant Makeover, Chopped Canada and Pitchin’ In. After 41 years with McDonald’s Corporation, Jeff Stratton is retiring from his post as the company’s U.S. president. The board of directors has elected former McDonald’s executive Mike Andres to the role, effective Oct. 15.

“When I tapped Jeff to assume the role of McDonald’s USA president nearly two years ago, I asked him to lay the foundation for fu-

ture growth in the U.S. market,” McDonald’s president and chief executive officer Don Thompson said in an Aug. 22 release. “No one has worked more tirelessly to do that for this brand than Jeff.”

Andres will report to Thompson and also oversee the Canadian market. He joins McDonald’s after his most recent role as CEO and chairman of Logan’s Roadhouse, Inc. Andres began his McDonald’s career as a manager for his family-owned McDonald’s in Northern California. He went on to work for the company in several leadership roles, starting in marketing and working in operations and development before becoming regional vice-president and senior vice-president. From 2001 to 2007, Andres served as president and CEO of Boston Market while it was a McDonald’s subsidiary. From 2010 to 2012, Andres served as president of the U.S. central division.

The Golden Horseshoe Culinary Team and Markham, ON-based Community Outreach Canada held a fundraising gala on Aug. 22 at the Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport hotel.

The Culinary World Cup will be held in

Front row, from left: Solanch Fernando, Thushara Fernando, Lois Brown (MP NewmarketAurora), Michael Pigeon, Tony Fernandes and Carl Copp (retired RCMP).

Back row, from left: Chaminda Palihawadana, Michael Maddison, Ron Stevenson, Kyle Guerin, Wolfgang Roessler and Edouard Colonerus.

Luxembourg Nov. 20-28, 2014.

As part of its partnership with Community Outreach Canada, the team has invited Oliver Nguyen, a young man with a speech impediment, to join them in Luxembourg, and possibly in Erfurt, Germany for the Culinary Olympics in 2016. Nguyen has been with Community Outreach Canada for five years, and has been working with the team to fulfill his dream of becoming a chef.

In early August, Sysco Corporation announced its executive vice-president of foodservice operations Mike Green intends to retire at the end of this year.

Green has been with the company for 24 years and has “oversight responsibility for all Sysco broadline and specialty operations in the U.S., Canada, Ireland and the Bahamas,” according to a release.

“Mike has been a strong and impactful leader throughout his 24-year career with Sysco,” Bill DeLaney, Sysco president and chief executive officer, said in the release.

Green began his career in 1981, spending a decade in various foodservice management

positions before joining Sysco in 1991 as part of its management development program. He was made vice-president of marketing and merchandising in 1992 and then Sysco Chicago executive vice-president later that year. In 1994, he was appointed president of Sysco Detroit. He has held successively senior management positions since being promoted to senior vice-president of foodservice operations for Sysco’s Midwest Region in 2004 and has held his current position since last year.

Brown’s Restaurant Group has brought on Dale Colbran as its director of business development for Eastern Canada.

Colbran will be responsible for spearheading the growth of Browns Socialhouse in Eastern Canada, with the first Ontario location slated to open in October in Oakville on Hampshire Gate.

Colbran has more than 30 years of foodservice experience and has worked with restaurant brands such as Chili’s and The Keg. He has been active in several industry organizations including the board of directors of Restaurants Canada.

PrOducts

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2.

Small Talk, big cider

Good walls make good neighbours

Small Talk Vineyards has released Shiny Apple Cider in time for the fall season. According to a release, the cider is both gluten-free and vegan.

“By using 100 per cent natural apple juice made with fresh, hand-picked Ontario apples, we have created an innovative product that everyone can enjoy,” Hank Hunse, owner of Small Talk Vineyards, said in a release.

The seven per cent ABV cider is available in 473-millilitre cans through the LCBO.

With more open-concept restaurants being built, there are fewer noise barriers, which according to a release, is why Beaufurn has introduced Accusta. The acoustic panels are designed to reduce noise, specifically for the hospitality, entertainment and institutional environments. “The noise issue is a common complaint we hear from designers,” Beaufurn president Bill Bongaerts said in a release. “They love working in an unrestricted environment, but that freedom poses its own challenges, especially in work settings.” Accusta comes in seven different colours and can be installed in a variety of patterns.

Bite-sized baguettes

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3.

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1. Shiny Apple Cider. 2. Boulangerie Grissol Homestyle Croutons.

3. Accusta panels. 4. Globe’s patty press.

Dare Foodservice has released two new bitesized products under the Boulangerie Grissol brand. The Boulangerie Grissol Baguettes Bites are flavoured with garlic parmesan and are 100 calories per serving.

The brand also launched Two Bread Homestyle Croutons made from whole wheat and white breads shipped in single-serve bags to maintain freshness. According to a release, both products can be used with soups or salads.

Press your patties Globe Food Equipment Company has introduced a burger patty press machine. The Patty Press is available in two sizes that can create four- or five-inch patties.

The machine’s ergonomic design allows for easy cleaning and is compact for storage in kitchen cabinets.

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