Pacific Prairie Restaurant News - April 2013

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$ 5 . 9 5

Same great fries, just a new name.

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

Maple Leaf Signature Potatoes® French fries are now York® Signature French fries from Cavendish Farms.

restaurant

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With over 30 years experience, we understand the French fry

pubbusiness. That’s why when we acquired Maple Leaf Potatoes, in

Fionn MacCool’s established 1996

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“Just another day at the office.”

JOSH PEACE Franchise owner

franchising@primerestaurants.com 1-877-694-8186 ext. 404 primepubs.com Client: Prime Restaurants

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Docket: Development

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Project: RestaurantNews Ontario Edition

Calgary Sales: (403) 461-2248

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Toll Free: 1 800 561-7945

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www.cavendishfarms.com

Maple Leaf Signature Potatoes® and York® are registered trademarks of Maple Leaf Foods Inc./Les Aliments Maple Leaf Inc. Used under license by Cavendish Farms Corporation.

restaurant

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Fionn MacCool’s established 1996

“Just another day at the office.”

SUE CHRISTENSEN Franchise owner

franchising@primerestaurants.com 1-877-694-8186 ext. 404 primepubs.com Client: Prime Restaurants

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Docket: Development

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Project: RestaurantNews Ontario Edition

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I S H C O M P U B L I C AT I O N S S I N C E 19 8 6

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estaurant News R April 2013 Vol. 19 No. 2

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Operator Sean Heather at recently opened Rainier Provisions.

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Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

DOLLARS AND SENSE: Learn how operators across Canada engage their customers’ senses (and wallets) in this month’s burger feature.

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Redefining provisions

By Leslie Wu, editorial director VANCOUVER—Local operator Sean Heather sees his new restaurant, deli and retail space in the ground floor of the heritage Rainier Hotel as a reflection of the community and the glory days of Gastown.

“We don’t call what we’re doing at Rainier Provisions gentrification, we call it restoring,” Heather told PRN. He pointed out that the downtown east side used to be the most prosperous part of the city between 1908 and 1940.

“We’re bringing it back to what it used to be,” he said.

Rainier Provisions, which opened in mid-February, spotlights the artisanal producers with whom Heather has built relationships over the years for his seven other restaurants and pubs in the area.

A carvery option with roasted meats and hot sides such as mashed potatoes, polenta and gravy allows for expedient turnover at lunch, as well as quick items such as seafood pot pie, vegan chili and pulled pork sandwiches.

The deli counter features items such as a daily sausage offering from D-Original Sausage Company’s sustainable sausages, created by fifth generation German sausage-maker Drews Driessen and his family, as well as humanelyfarmed charcuterie from East Vancouver’s Moccia Urbani.

Rainier’s 2,200 square foot space seats 110 people, with an additional capacity for 40 seats on the patio, which was an important consideration for Heather.

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Redefining provisions Left: Original elements of the Rainier Provisions space have been restored, such as the oversized heritage windows that look out onto Carrall and West Cordova Streets. Top middle: A carvery station offers hot items daily. Top right: Exposed original brick and signage from producers carry throughout the space. Bottom middle: Sean Heather demonstrates how customers can bring a reusable container to fill up with olive oil from the 200-litre storefront barrel. Bottom right: Deli items from artisanal producers are available for retail.

Continued from page 3

“At the Irish Heather, we’ve got 190 seats in total, but it’s spread over three to four rooms,” he said. “We turn away functions over 60 all the time, so we can now accommodate them at Rainier Provisions.”

This diversification throughout the Heather Group extends to all aspects of Heather’s restaurants, including sourcing. Heather Hospitality Group includes the Irish Heather Gastropub, Salty Tongue, Judas Goat Taberna, Salt Tasting Room, Shebeen Whisk(e)y House, Everything Café and Bitter.

“We tried to find ways that we could work within ourselves and the operation,” he said.

“In terms of baking, we asked ‘What if we do all our baking ourselves? Then, if we need a birthday cake, which we used to send out for, we can do it in house.’” Heather is also looking at Rainier Provisions as a site to make the soup for all of his businesses.

At Salt, he uses Seattle-based Stumptown Coffee until the end of its 14-day shelf life, after which it goes into the freezer and then to Vancouver-based R&B Brewing, where it is transformed into a specially brewed Stumpy

Porter that is used at Bitter and will be available at Rainier Provisions soon.

Another element that will be transplanted over to the Rainier is the Pit for Your Supper concept, where the community gathers at a long table and pits stone fruit from local orchards, which is then frozen and used in cooked food such as chutneys and stewed items throughout the Heather Group all year round.

“It’s booked out every summer because it’s fun. It feels like summer at your grandparents’ house,” said Heather, who noted that the last event processed 2,800 lbs of fruit.

As an operator at West Cordova St. and Carrall, it was important to Heather to keep prices in line with the area. “It’s not priced beyond what the neighbourhood can support,” he said. “The point is to teach people about what these small producers are putting out.

And it was important to me that we reach a lot of people…I don’t want to just feed 20 diners.”

The issue of pricing and gentrification can be a contentious one in the area. Around the corner from Rainier, high-end restaurant Pidgin drew anti-gentrification protesters to its doors after opening earlier this year, with

picket lines disrupting service by shining lights into the eyes of the diners.

The Rainier space has also made headlines recently, albeit for a different reason. In the two stories above Rainier Provisions lies the 40-bed Rainier Hotel, which provides single room occupancy to women who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. The program, operated by Vancouver Coastal Health, came to the end of its funding in late 2012.

“The people living upstairs are classified by BC Housing as hard to house and need hospital care,” said Heather, who used to provide meals to the people in those rooms once a month, and has now increased his efforts to a meal once a week.

Ultimately, Heather wants to engage with the community that he has operated in for 17 years.

“It worked out to be such an organic growth for us,” he said. “Everything we have and all of our businesses are within a threeblock radius of the Rainier space.”

GOT NEWS? We want to hear from you.

Email tips about your restaurant openings, appointments, acquisitions or other news to

lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com for editorial consideration.

Rainier Provisions. 2 West Cordova Street. 604558-2473. www.rainierprovisions.com, @The_Rainier.

A French connection for the Esplanade Riel bridge WINNIPEG—Chez Sophie, a French bistro in Winnipeg’s St. Boniface neighbourhood will take the keys to the restaurant space on the Esplanade Riel bridge that crosses the Red River, on April 1.

The side-spar cable-stayed bridge connecting downtown Winnipeg to the French Quarter is the only bridge in North America that holds a restaurant, said manager and head waitress Caroline Rousseau to PRN. The restaurant is owned and operated

by Sophie and Stephane Wild, the chef. The Wilds emigrated from France in 2005, and Rousseau often interprets for them, as English is not their first language.

The Wilds were approached by the real estate developer to take over the space, said

Rousseau, who answered that telephone call while the restaurant owners were on vacation.

“Stephane was always looking at the building and always loved the location,” she said. Despite a lack of parking and some advice to the contrary, the Wilds put in an application within a week of being asked, said Rousseau.

“We had to wait a couple of months to see if the city would be approving of it,” she said. “One morning, we got to work and reporters were outside and the word was out.”

The Esplanade Riel location allows for 120 seats inside and another 44 on the patio with the current layout used by previous operators Salisbury House.

Chez Sophie’s original location in St.

Boniface seats only nine people, and is approximately 10 minutes away, said Rousseau.

She described the original space as quaint and homey, which will be less easily achieved at the new 4,000 square foot bridge space.

“They’re going for the same theme and idea,” said Rousseau. “The space is bigger, and it has higher ceilings, so it will be a little more glamorous. They’re also thinking of doing special events.”

The St. Boniface bistro will remain open and there will be some differences between the two locations’ menus, said Rousseau.

The bistro sells pizza as well as traditional French dishes, but the new electricpowered location will not allow for the restaurant’s pizza oven.

Similar to the décor, Rousseau said the new location’s menu will be upscaled with more developed dishes.

“They will keep the same idea of traditional authentic French cuisine,” Rousseau said. Unlike the bistro, which closes between lunch and supper, the bridge location will remain open all day, she said.

In opening the new location, Rousseau said Stephane Wild plans to remove himself from both kitchens and take on a more managerial role.

“His idea is to not be cooking anymore,” she said. “In the beginning, of course, he’ll show technique and recipes, but he’s going to be just owning the two places and going between the two,” she said.

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Considering the chew

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scientist quoted in a recent New York Times article about the study of chewing concluded that since the mind associates crispness with freshness, “to a certain extent, we eat with our ears.”

Although many chefs focus on the sight and taste of the plate they’re putting out, often the other senses get a little forgotten.

With the explosion of burger operators on the market, novel and premium items are key market drivers.

I can’t help but wonder if perhaps this rush is distracting us from the meat of the matter – from the visceral nature of grabbing a teetering burger with two hands and navigating that first bite: the feel of the soft bun beneath your fingertips, the rustle of the paper

as you lift it, the rush of fat and the sensation of salt when your teeth close around that caramelized patty.

Although the term burger flipper used to be an insult in our industry, it’s amazing how many chefs clearly savour the description of that first bite of burger, or describe the care that they take in getting that perfect grind, testing bun after bun, or achieving the perfect sear.

Whether they craft fine dining meals or churn out countless burgers a day, the chefs that I talked to for this month’s burger feature all lit up when describing the methods they use to achieve that burger bliss.

Burgers create a communal experience that transcends class, restaurant type or back-

BITS

TAX ROUNDUP: B.C. returns to PST-free for restaurants Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

Volume 19 Number 2 Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News is published 6 times per year by Ishcom Publications Ltd. which also publishes: Ontario Restaurant News, Atlantic Restaurant News, Canadian Lodging News, Canadian Chains Directory 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201 Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Tel: (905) 206-0150 Fax: (905) 206-9972 In Canada 1 800 201-8596 Subscriptions: Canada & USA: $24.95/ year or $39.95/two years Single copy: $5.00 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1702-3483 GST number R102533890

VANCOUVER—As of April 1, restaurants returned to being PST-exempt for meals purchased, although the provincial sales tax is coming back to the province.

It replaced the harmonized sales tax (HST), which took effect in July 2010, adding a seven per cent tax to meals in restaurants. This meant that the total sales tax on the bill was 12 per cent.

The Canadian Restaurant Foodservices Association estimates that the two-andhalf years of HST meant a $1.5 billion difference in restaurant sales from the previous sales tax system.

No provincial taxation for Alberta restaurants EDMONTON—The government of Alberta released its budget for 2013 that excluded the addition of any new taxes in the province.

Despite a rumoured taxation, the budget, released on March 7, specifically stated that there would be “no new taxes or tax rate increases,” throughout the year.

An additional tax would be particularly harmful to the restaurant industry as food purchased at grocery stores would remain exempt from taxation, making it a more appealing option, said Mark von Schellwitz, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association vice-president, Western Canada in a March 8 release.

Alberta’s $9 billion restaurant industry saw an increase of 3.7 per cent in overall consumer spending, and the CRFA attributes this to the lack of a provincial sales tax.

The restaurant industry employs 130,000 people in communities across Alberta, serving 2.5 million people each day, according to the release.

Sask. liquor tax increase REGINA—The three-per-cent increase to

AND

liquor sales is bad news for the restaurant industry, according to the CRFA, after the province announced the hike in its March budget.

According to the Regina Leader-Post, the increased tax comes into affect April 1 and is expected to generate $10 million in revenue for the province.

“Simply put, this increase in liquor taxes is nothing but a tax grab directed at the restaurant industry,” said CRFA vicepresident for Manitoba and Saskatchewan Dwayne Marling in a release.

“All it will do is further squeeze one of the province’s largest employment sectors,” Marling added.

CRFA launches Restaurant Protect insurance program TORONTO—The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association recently

ground. There’s a reason that politicians use burgers as a means of connecting with voters (as evidenced by U.S. president Obama’s endorsement of his favourite burger outlets during his last campaign.)

Like a jazz riff, a burger symbolizes both the familiar and the potential to build upon a foundation; to constantly revisit and revise.

It can be down to earth or pretentious, excite some while leaving others cold, and relies on variation and experimentation.

And to enjoy it requires no education besides an open mind and a willingness to totally engage your senses.

Leslie Wu, Editorial Director

BITES

announced a new program, which, according to a news release, will help restaurants, bars and hospitality establishments get the insurance coverage they need at competitive rates.

CRFA’s Restaurant Protect is a new insurance program underwritten by The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company and Totten Insurance Group.

The program offers competitive pricing to CRFA members and specialized coverage to meet the needs of Canada’s restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and bars.

Restaurant Protect will offer hospitality businesses better coverage at competitive rates, the CRFA said in a release.

Coverage is designed specifically for the hospitality industry needs including: legal expense insurance, restaurant recovery coverage, foodborne illness, forcible ejection, and special wine valuation.

R.E.D. awards for 2012

Left: Alain Goyette, sales manager, Canada, Vollrath and Mike Otter, president, R.E.D. Right: From left: Frank Hebner of Scotsman, Dao Riopel of Distex, Kathy Pocius of R.E.D., Michel Prevost of Distex.

Mike Otter, president of R.E.D. presented two awards at the R.E.D. 2013 Conference from March 17 to 21 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, California.

The 2012 Supplier of the Year – Smallwares, went to Vollrath and was accepted by

Alain Goyette, sales manager, Vollrath Canada.

The second was the 2012 Supplier of the Year – Equipment, which went to DistexScotsman and was accepted by Frank Hebner of Scotsman and Dao Riopel of Distex.

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Afternoon tea, patios, farm produce at Oak Bay Beach

By Colleen Isherwood, senior contributing editor

The sun decks for both Kate’s Café and The Snug pub, Oak Bay Beach numbers along with a rooftop bistro on for the first 90 days VICTORIA, BC—It’s just been the hotel’s widow’s walk, and four months since the rebuilt o 38,221 guests overall Boathouse Spa patio (beside Oak Bay Beach Hotel opened, o 20,552 customers in The Snug the seaside mineral pools) will but already they are making o 11,870 pints of beer pulled in open in time for what promises changes due to what owner to be a busy summer season.

The Snug Kevin Walker terms as “over- o 2,845 fish & chips ordered in The Widow’s Walk will whelming demand on our boast a 25-seat bistro, suitable The Snug food and beverage outlets and o 2,170 pints of Snug IPA for cocktail parties. Guests will team.” sit on high stools to eat their served in the hotel The most notable change, o 25,281 cups of coffee served tapas. was bringing in Iain Rennie as The first deck opened on St. in Kate’s Café executive chef, along with his o 1,017 guests for dinner thePatrick’s Day and, as soon as it’s sous chef Josh Houston as of feasible, the others will follow. atre in the David Foster FounMarch 1. The duo join QuenAll told, including all the decks dation Theatre tin Kayne, director of food and and patios, Oak Bay Beach hobeverage. tel will have close to 1,000 food Currently Kate’s Café, The Snug pub, The Din- and beverage seats, Le Sage said. ing Room, David Foster Foundation Theatre, and Chef Rennie plans to make use of local, fresh room and catering services are offered at the 100- seafood and oysters, and produce from owners room Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

Kevin and Shawna Walker’s nearby farm. “Planting Following a review of all of the hotel’s menus season begins Friday, with our sous chef Josh tendand food preparation, the launch of the Oak Bay ing to our needs for the next seven to eight months,” Beach Hotel’s afternoon tea service is one of chef Rennie said in an interview at the end of March.

Rennie’s first priorities. “Starting April 6, tea will be Raised on Vancouver Island, Rennie has worked served from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the grand lobby, at the Savoy Hotel in London, England, as sous chef the dining room, the sun-drenched conservatory, at the Pan Pacific, as executive sous chef at The Fairand the patio deck that overlooks the Boathouse mont Empress, as chef at the Fairmont Vancouver Spa, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Mount Baker,” Airport Hotel, and in an executive chef position Kayne told PRN. at the Fairmont Waterfront. Most recently, he was Afternoon tea will include local salmon, laven- executive chef at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf der shortbread and warm crumpets with home- Resort & Spa. Rennie oversaw the successful remade butter, Rennie said. The lavender comes from branding of the main dining room from a lacklustre the hotel’s herb garden, “and hopefully we’ll soon catch-all dining room to an award-winning, Italian have some bees.” inspired venue.

“Tea will include our own spa-inspired BoatHe was part of the gold medal Team BC at the house Blend,” said Michelle Le Sage, hotel general 2004 World Culinary Olympics. To date, Rennie has manager. It consists of lavender, chamomile, west garnered 16 gold medals and five silver medals in coast peppermint, jasmine and seaweed. world culinary competitions.

Background, Kevin and Shawna Walker’s farm (red buildings).

Left: Chef Iain Rennie.

Below: Michelle Le Sage, GM of Oak Bay Beach hotel.

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E Sight:

Although the old truism that diners eat first with their eyes is a bit of a tired cliché, there’s no arguing that burger presentation can be the first step to winning over the customer. A well-plated (or wrapped) burger can be a brand distinguisher, not to mention a bit of free promotion on social media if the diner snaps a picture.

Think about how you want your brand represented in that single snapshot.

At Windsor’s Motor Burger, chef/co-owner Jay Souilliere plates on bamboo cutting boards.

“We wanted to have a green element and wood is relatively inexpensive,” he says. Although some customers see a cutting board and request a plate, some people get a kick out of it, he says, plus it makes the burger the central element and provides a canvas for the house made slaw, pickles and other sides. A bamboo spear through the burger helps keep all the items together.

Some practical considerations come into play with this method of plating, however. Due to the relatively small size of the bamboo board, burgers are mostly served closed rather than open faced in order to prevent items from sliding off the board. “We seat 80 people and when it’s quite busy, expediters take out several plates at a time,” says Souilliere.

Winnipeg-based Boon Burger’s co-owner Tomas Sohlberg serves the restaurant’s vegan burgers on a square wooden plate with a liner. “We wanted the place to have a modern feel, and had so many drawings and concepts,” he says. Ultimately, the shape of the plate ended up mimicking the shape of the burger buns, which are made on a sheet pan and square cut by hand to provide a rustic look.

Colour is also an important factor in making a burger appealing. “The burgers for which I’ve gotten the most bang for buck have fascinating colours. The yellow mustard of the turmeric and the green from the lettuce, avocados or herbs like a chiffonade of basil or cilantro. Even the creamy white of sauces, such as mayonnaise and aioli,” says Trip Kadey, corporate chef for Reckitt Benckiser. “Burgers have the ability to throw a beautiful platform of colour at you.”

Smell:

The burger aroma can often be hidden away from the diner due to a closed off kitchen or range hood, but smell can be a powerful way to engage your audience.

At Splitz Grill in Vancouver, run

by Trevor Jackson and his wife Miriam, the open

ngaging the senses through Burg

By Leslie Wu

S

ometimes, the customer may not always be right. Every two weeks or so, a customer walks in to Penticton-based Burger 55, orders a double burger and proceeds to layer mushrooms, Montreal smoked meat, a fried egg and enough toppings on the burger that he leaves paying at least $40 for the burger each time, says Chris Boehm, chef and owner/operator. “We don’t want to discourage him – after all, those types of orders are great for the dollar signs – but after a while, it’s not a burger, but just becomes a giant (but tasty) mess,” he laughs.

Faced with a burger consumer that will willingly trade mess for excess, operators are scrambling to invent the golden concept that will put their business front and centre in an ever-crowded market.

We live in an era where people can build burgers out of test tubes, sear, steam, smash or bake them, add half the contents of the spice rack or nothing but salt and pepper. If there is one thing to which operators keep returning, however, it’s the sensation of the first bite of burger: a rush of juice, salty/sweet notes as the bun, toppings and patty mix together between one’s teeth.

For burger lovers, it’s an unparalleled sensation, and these days, they’ve proven that they will shell out money for premium, novelty, customization and above all, that sensory experience of the first bite. In this month’s burger feature, operators from across the country chime in on the tips and tricks that they use to capture that ephemeral moment, engaging all five senses and bringing customers in droves.

kitchen is front and centre. “As soon as you walk in, you smell that charbroil grill, with burgers cooking, and the smell of bacon, fried onions and garlic hits you,” says Jackson. He adds fresh garlic, salt and pepper, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and bread crumbs to his basic burger, which gives it a different savoury note on the grill.

“We put a lot in our burgers, and why not? It’s like a sausage, you can mix things into it to make it taste better,” he says.

To Greg Brown, owner of Etobicoke-based Woody’s Burgers, smell is an integral part of his restaurant’s experience. “It’s one of the things you notice when you first walk into the restaurant,” he says. Brown uses Ontario hardwood to fuel the grill where all the burgers are cooked, and even makes use of the grill to add smokiness to items such as bacon, which they purchase already cooked. A flattop is used primarily to toast burger buns. “Toasters, for me, don’t toast them the fabulous way that you can get on a flattop with a bit of butter,” he says.

Using the wood grill is a method that is not without challenges, however. With a fat content in his grind of 80 per cent meat to 20 per cent fat, flareups can be a problem. “It’s a bit harder to cook over open flame,” says Brown. “Flareups can be bad and dangerous. You need to train well, and you can’t put just anyone on the grill.”

Speed can also be a challenge with this method. Because of the unpredictability of the flame temperature, cooking time can take about 15 minutes, and customers are warned accordingly.

In the winter months, for example, the wood stored outside will not only start out freezing cold, but will also have water in it, causing it to steam rather than ignite.

Nonetheless, Brown is a firm believer that the challenges are worth it for the added olfactory boost. “The smoke that a wood grill imparts on food is unbeatable. It adds a little bit of something to the burger that makes it excellent,” he says.

Souilliere approaches cooking methods witha sear and bake method that alludes to his fine dining background.“I like the way the smokey burger fat on coal fills meat with flavour, and the taste that a cast iron grill imparts on meat.” During a busy

lunch or dinner rush, however, he felt that it is difficult to keep the burger on high heat and prevent overcooking. Souilliere’s compromise is to use a high initial heat on the grill for five to seven minutes to form a crust, then the ambient heat of a 385 degree oven for about 12 minutes to penetrate into the protein. “When you’re doing 20 things at once, it’s a way to get a more consistent burger that stays juicy,” he says. “After a minute or two of rest time, you don’t get a lot of juice leakage, either.”

For thicker burgers, he offers a “super charge” option. “I’m not a fan of the one pound burger, which gets a bit like meatloaf when baking, so instead, we serve two half-pound burgers with one bun in a bowl.”

At Toronto-based BQM, founder and owner Saeed Mohamed believes in the smash method, with some parameters. “We tell our guys, once you’ve smashed it down the first time, don’t press down again,” he says. Juices don’t escape because the meat is still cold, and the fat is still solid, and the blood is soaked into the meat, he says. “Once it’s on the flattop for about 30 to 40 seconds, things start melting. That’s when you have to baby it.”

Sound:

When it comes to marketing, Boehm prefers guerilla marketing to traditional methods of building buzz at Burger 55.

Whether putting mini-burgers in cake boxes to distribute to local businesses or focusing on social media, Boehm says he’d rather get food directly into people’s hands than advertise in consumer publications. His most recent addition to his arsenal is a video of the burger of the month. “We shoot it from the beginning, from the moment the burger hits the grill through how it builds and gets delivered to the customer,” says Boehm.

Boon Burger’s owners took a slightly different approach when it came to their first vegan restaurant. Sohlberg remembers that although they used social media to communi-

cate, the biggest marketing strategy was to simply put a picture of a big bean on the window and a big sign indicating that they were opening Spring 2010. “That was all it took,” he recalls. “Just from that and Facebook, we had the CBC contact us before we were even open. It was our first taste of what social media could do.”

To Rivers Corbett, CEO and co-founder of Fredericton-based Relish Gourmet Burgers, diners aren’t customers. “They’re our friends,” he says. “A lot of businesses do a lot of yelling on social media about me, me, me. We ask ‘Tell us about your kid,’ or ‘What are you doing this weekend?’”

Although some may see this type of dialogue as a step beyond the norm, Corbett believes that the engagement process creates a powerful incentive to stay with the brand. “If they have to consider another option when going out to eat a burger, they think ‘how can I betray my friend like this?’ It’s not just about a cheeseburger – it’s a personality.”

Within the restaurants, Corbett also engages a customer’s hearing by implementing a mandatory greeting similar to a Japanese izakaya. “When you walk in, everyone welcomes you, like when you enter a friend’s house. It’s noisy, engaging and fun. You have the ambient noise, the operational noise and the conversational noise. I’m a firm believer that no noise means empty and wasted space.”

Sometimes, a specialty item or limited time offer becomes a smash hit and key to an operator’s success. The peanut butter burger on offer at Darrell’s Restaurant in Halifax has been a prime source of sales. “At the time, we didn’t realize that it was going to become as famous as it was,” says owner/operator Dan Joseph.“Originally, we weren’t promoting it more than other burgers, but in recent years, a lot of our ad focus is on the peanut butter burger, because that’s what people remember.”

“If I have one goal in life, it’s that I’d like to come up with a burger that outsells that peanut butter burger,” he laughs.

At Bathurst, NB’s Big D Drive In, owner/operator Richard Dobson estimates that the Danny Burger accounts for 40 to 50 per cent of the restaurant’s total sales. Invented by the original own-

es

gers ers in a trailer 60 years ago, the formula for the burger remains the same today: a cheeseburger cut in three with the centre cut the opposite way to see the cross section. The burger is then topped with the secret Danny sauce, whose secret lies with Dobson and one other employee.

Apart from secret items, one of the more powerful menu strategies in recent years has been the move to green or sustainable.

Justin Leboe, operating partner with Calgarybased Clive Burger, based his concept on environmental awareness.“The proteins are all natural, all local, and with no antibiotics,” he says. Although he concedes that he is not the first fast food place to take these measures, Leboe is taking it one step further by ensuring that all the post-production packaging that is handed to the customers, such as straws and cups, are fully biodgradable. “All the waste we produce becomes topsoil in six weeks,” he says.

Leboe hopes to expand the Clive Burger concept through franchising, and thinks that his philosophy of “do one thing and do it well” will resonate with consumers. “We’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We have the classic cheeseburger, and focusing on doing that very well has impact.”

Touch:

When your customer first grabs that burger off the plate, what do you want them to experience? In a world filled with foot-tall burgers and toppings galore, how you build your burger can make a huge difference on the plate.

First, consider the bun. “With the rise of the gourmet burger, operators understand that customers are willing to pay more, and that people are asking for more premium product,” says Lee Andrews, president of Ace Bakery. “It got to the point where the bun was the lacking factor.”

Andrews recommends a bun that can stand up to the juices of a burger, and with a slight chew that adds to the texture of the burger. “Many restaurants have commercial product that when you squeeze it, the bun compresses,” he says. “If the bread is solely for holding purposes, it’s not contributing to the overall experience.”

Also, consider the structure of the bun itself. The bottom half of the bun has got to have structure to it, so it can take mayo or sauces and you can build off of it, says Andrews. The top, which tends to be an accent for appearance, can benefit from an egg wash that gives it a glossy sheen that is appealing in photos, he says.

When it comes to the taste of the bun, don’t shy away from contrasting flavours. Souilliere likes using a local artisan brioche at Motor Burger. “It’s got structural integrity, and the slight sweetness pays off with the slight saltiness of meat,” he says.

When building a burger, certain basic rules apply. Thicker and spreadable sauces should go on the bottom bun to insulate the bun from the juices.

Some operators, like Boehm at Burger 55, put shredded cheese directly on the bottom bun when wrapping the burger to go, which then melts when the burger is placed. “We use a lot of cheeses that don’t come in sliced form, such as feta and parmesan. Putting the cheese directly on the bottom bun makes for ease of use when building the burger, as well as keeping the grill cleaner,” he says. The customer is then advised to wait a couple of minutes so that the cheese has a chance to melt.

Sometimes, a small detail can be crucial to the ease of eating. When Joseph introduced a nacho burger at Darrell’s Restaurant, they found that it was too ingredient heavy. “When we analyzed it, we found that a slice of tomato made it hard to keep together. We replaced it with guacamole and it was fine,” he says.

“That slice of tomato was the undoing of that burger.”

Another basic thing that can make it easier for the customer is to consider topping placement. “Try to spread out to the edges when you’re building a burger with ingredients and sauces. It makes it easier to eat,” says Jackson from Splitz.

Taste:

Probably the most contentious aspect of burger-making is the fat content. Most of the operators who were interviewed preferred a fat

content somewhere between 17 and 25 per cent for taste reasons.

Although some operators, like Leboe, chose to go higher, none went lower with a beef burger. “Salt and fat spread flavour across the palate,” says Leboe. “It’s like adding salt to garlic when you sauté it…it helps carry flavour molecules across the palate better.”

Chefs varied in their preference of meat grinds between chuck and sirloin, with add-ins such as short rib and brisket. Souilliere grinds his meat on a larger grind first, then a smaller pass through. “When you grind it once really big and once on a smaller grinder, you get more steak flavour because of the larger pieces of meat when they’re roasting. It gives me control over texture and quality.”

Mohamed offers three different types of burgers at BQM, suited to each palate. “If you want the first bite to be juicy, the untrimmed brisket has 30 per cent fat, and an intense taste, with an acidity due to the muscle movement of that cut,” he says. For customers looking for a texture-driven, clean first bite, the sirloin is a non-traditional bite with 10 per cent fat that’s added in from the brisket. And for purists searching out the burger taste of their youth, Mohamed says the chuck would give you the standard first bite: not too fatty, but lean and flavourful, with a 20 per cent fat content.

When the grind is balanced correctly, the fat content can play a huge part in the enjoyment of the burger. “The mouth is always in love with fat. Why do you think people like ice cream?” says chef Ray Henry, co-founder at Relish Gourmet Burgers. “A great burger has balance and complexity of flavours.”

Henry uses items such as pickled beets and pickled onion relish to provide acidity. “It gives the mouth a punch in the back of the throat,” he says. Introducing sweet notes through the sauce or the cooking method can even out the flavours.

And for the real burger connoisseur,

Henry recommends putting in a spice mix (Relish’s are proprietary and secret) that provides a finishing flavour in the mouth.

“Take a breath in. You should feel that spice mix hit in the back of the mouth, with a slow linger on the palate,” he says.

Ultimately, the perfect burger should engage all five senses. Heightening that eating experience will not only increase customers’ enjoyment but bring them back through the door, which for most operators in these economic times, is a welcome sight.

From left: Burger from BQM in Toronto. Stuffed cheese burger from Woody’s in Etobicoke, ON. The Brad Burger from Fredericton’s Relish Gourmet Burger. A multi-layer confection from Penticton, BC’s Burger 55.

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BeverageNews A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

A new master distiller for Bombay Sapphire Gin

Nik Fordham was recently appointed master distiller for Bombay Sapphire.

LONDON, ENGLAND—Bombay Sapphire is adding Nik Fordham (shown left) to its roster as master distiller at the new Laverstoke Mill, England distillery, currently under construction and set to open this year.

According to a release in March, Fordham, an experienced distiller, will oversee gin production at the Hampshire, England location. Fordham will be responsible for crafting gin, quality assurance and managing

the production team. Bombay Sapphire’s gin is produced based on Thomas Dakin’s recipe, which dates back to 1761. Fordham will work with master of botanicals Ivano Tonutti, who selects plant ingredients from around the world.

Global marketing manager Emma Johansson said Fordham will help the “re-invigoration” of the gin category.

“Nik’s extensive experience and fantastic track record makes him the perfect choice as the master distiller for the Bombay Sapphire gin portfolio,” said Johansson.

Sapporo’s production shuffle in Canada GUELPH, ON, AND DARTMOUTH, NS— Sapporo International will be selling its eastern operations and sending some of its central brewing south.

The parent company of Sleeman Breweries Ltd. announced in a March 6 release that it will be selling its Dartmouth, NS facility and moving approximately 200,000 hectolitres of product from its Guelph, ON brewing facility to the U.S.

The moves were made for efficiency and meeting the demand for Sleeman and Sapporo products, according to the release.

“Sapporo has been increasing its North American market share in a category that is experiencing only modest growth,” said Shige Yokoi, president and CEO of Sleeman Breweries Ltd. “In order to consolidate and maximize this momentum, we must make some immediate and crucial changes to our North American brewing

strategy to improve productivity across our entire operation,” he said.

Sleeman generates more than 1.8 million hectoliters of product per year across Canada, for North American consumption, of which 27,000 hectolitres comes from the Dartmouth operation.

The sale will affect 32 employees at the Dartmouth operation.

The Guelph facility will continue to produce all products for Canadian consumption.

A new face at Okanagan Crush Pad SUMMERLAND, BC–Matt Dumayne is taking on the position of associate winemaker at Okanagan Crush Pad. Originally from New Zealand, Dumayne will work with head winemaker Michael Bartier and the cellar team.

According to a release, Dumayne has crafted award-winning wine in Central Otago, California, Australia and Oregon and created custom wines, including his own label, De Vine Wines.

Dumayne, according to the release, is in line with Okanagan Crush Pad’s agricultural direction due to his experience converting a vineyard to follow organic and biodynamic farming practices.

Due diligence can help you defend allegations of service to minors

By Andrew D. Gay British Columbia’s liquor licensees, like those across Canada, are closely regulated. Recently, British Columbia’s Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) began hiring minors to enter licensed establishments undercover, in the company of undercover inspectors, in an attempt to purchase liquor. The LCLB calls this the “Minors as Agents Program” or “MAP”. It is designed to encourage licensees to improve measures aimed at preventing sales to minors.

Where liquor is sold to a minor, the licensee can face a significant fine or a suspension of their liquor licence.

Is the company responsible for employees’ conduct?

In most cases, the licensee is a corporation, and the employee who sold the liquor is a low level employee. In this context, certain legal rules apply to determine whether the company will be found at fault for the employee’s conduct. Those rules were the subject of two recent decisions arising from MAP investigations in British Columbia in which the licensees successfully defended the case even though liquor had been sold to a minor. The first is a decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court known as Beverly Corners Liquor Store Ltd. v. General Manager Under the Liquor Control and Licensing Act, 2012 BCSC 1851 (“Beverly Corners”); and the second is a decision of an Adjudicator in a case known as Re: Rayman Investments & Management Inc. dba Coal Harbour Liquor Store, EH11-139, January 23, 2013 (“Coal Harbour”).

In both the Beverly Corners case and the Coal Harbour case, the licensee admitted that

a staff member had failed to ask the undercover agent for identification and had sold the agent liquor. However, both licensees argued that they were “duly diligent” and therefore not liable for the violation. “Due diligence” is a well known defence and means that the licensee has taken all reasonable care to prevent the kind of violation that occurred.

ings at which the policy is reinforced, and the distribution of written reminders to employees.

Some licensees even use ‘secret shoppers’ to ensure their employees are compliant.

No hard-and-fast rules

There are no hard-and-fast rules for what prevention measures a licensee must imple The lesson from Establishing due ment, and what is “reathese two cases is that lidiligence sonable” may vary with location, type of estabTo establish due dili- quor licensees will benefit lishment, type of cliengence, a licensee must from implementing strong tele and other factors. demonstrate two things.

In any case, perfection prevention measures to First, the licensee must is not required by the show that it established minimize service to minors law. a proper system to preThe Beverly Corand other violations of the vent the commission of ners case and the Coal the violation. This will law. Where such prevenHarbour case provide include such things as a examples of prevention system for training em- tion measures have been measures that were ployees, the establish- implemented, the licensee found to pass the test ment of clear policies should assert the defence of diligence. However, that employees must in the Beverly Corners follow, appropriately of due diligence if an emcase it was noted that placed signs and apployee is caught violating the defence of due dilipropriate discipline for gence is not available the law. those employees who where the person who violate the policy. Seccommitted the violaond, the licensee must —Andrew Gay tion was a “directing show that it has taken mind” of the corporareasonable steps to ention (typically a person sure the proper operain senior management). In the Beverly Cortion of the system. It is not good enough to have ners case, the Adjudicator held that the cashier a written policy and training manual that gather who served the minor was a “directing mind” dust on the shelf. Proof of implementation and of the corporate licensee, and accordingly held follow-up must be adduced. This might include that the defence of due diligence could not be periodic monitoring of staff to ensure they are raised. He reached this conclusion because the asking for identification, frequent staff meet-

cashier had been given the designation of “supervisor” on an evening shift when no one in management was on duty, and because she had decision-making authority over whether to ask the patron for identification.

Not a “directing mind” The licensee challenged that decision to the British Columbia Supreme Court, arguing that the cashier was not a “directing mind” of the company. The court agreed. To summarize, the court explained that a “directing mind” of a company is someone who has the power to make company policy in that part of the company’s business over which they have control.

The court held that the cashier was not such a person, and accordingly the defence of due diligence was available.

Implement strong prevention measures The lesson from these two cases is that liquor licensees will benefit from implementing strong prevention measures to minimize service to minors and other violations of the law.

Where such prevention measures have been implemented, the licensee should assert the defence of due diligence if an employee is caught violating the law.

Andrew Gay is a partner at Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP in Vancouver where he practices commercial litigation and administrative law.

He is recognized in British Columbia as an expert in liquor law where he represents licensees of all kinds in disputes with the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch.

He was counsel in both cases described in this article.

SUPPLY

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Premium Brands buys Freybe Gourmet Foods VANCOUVER–Richmond, BC-based Premium Brands Holding Corporation, a producer, marketer and distributor of branded specialty foods, announced on March 25 it will purchase family-owned Freybe Gourmet Foods Ltd., a western Canadian manufacturer of gourmet deli meats.

The sale will include Freybe’s 118,000 square foot production facility in Langley, BC. “Freybe’s modern production facility has significant under-capacity,” said

George Paleologou, president of Premium Brands in a release.

He noted transferring some of the production of deli meats there from the Richmond, BC facility, which is slated to close this year, is an “ideal situation.”

Paleologou said Freybe president Sven Freybe, whose family founded the company in 1844, will be joining the Premium Brands management team.

According to the release, the $55-million purchase is expected to “close shortly.”

Left: Benjamin Tal, chief economist of CIBC World Markets Inc. Right: Food and Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) senior vice-president of public and regulatory affairs Derek Nighbor.

World markets and regulations at Chicken farmers recognized FCPC Foodservice Interchange for food safety program OTTAWA—The Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) were given the first letter of recognition from the On-Farm Food Safety Recognition Program (OFFSRP).

On March 19, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz presented the national organization with the letter for its development and implementation of an effective and consistent food safety management system.

“This is a major milestone for Chicken Farmers of Canada and a source of great pride in being the first

commodity to receive this recognition,” CFC chair Dave Janzen said in a release.

The OFFSRP is part of a government recognition program aimed at enhancing on-farm and post-farm product safety and consumer confidence by encouraging national organizations to apply for recognition.

Organizations qualify by meeting or exceeding government regulations and recognition requires food safety systems to be assessed and reviewed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

TORONTO—“Someone who is employed in Spain will affect your business even though they won’t visit your restaurant,” warned deputy chief economist of CIBC World Markets Inc. Benjamin Tal. Speaking to a room of 125 foodservice executives, Tal was one of the presenters at this year’s Food and Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) Foodservice Interchange, held at the Exhibition Allstream Centre during this year’s Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association conference in early March.

In linking world markets to local

concerns, Tal talked about the Canadian market in broad strokes. “I’m not incredibly confident in the Canadian consumer because they are not starving,” said Tal, noting that American consumer confidence went down 40 per cent last year while Canada’s decreased by only 10.

“This was a made-in-the-U.S. recession and we are basically secondhand smokers. We borrowed our way out of the recession,” he said. “The consumer is exhausted and not borrowing as much as they used to. Since some of this money went to consumption, they’re not spending as

much as they used to because they’re more conscious of their debt and paying it off.”

Derek Nighbor, FCPC senior vice-president of public and regulatory affairs, also addressed Canada’s regulatory landscape, including issues such as recent moves towards restricting sugar sweetened drinks and sodium reduction. He also spoke of the difficulties faced in creating such regulation.

“Childhood obesity can be a sensitive and controversial topic to address, especially to those involved,” he said.

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Food on Campus:

By Elaine Anselmi

a seminar in service

With every September bringing new faces, new appetites and new trends, post-secondary foodservice operators and suppliers have a unique challenge. In order to satisfy the group of predominantly 20 to 30-year-olds, communication and consideration is key.

Healthy choices and restricted diets

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hile meal plans are motivation enough for some first-year students to stick to oncampus foodservice, those not bound by a localized food budget – often paid by their parents – have many options for off-campus eateries. How have post-secondary institutions and suppliers stepped up their game to satisfy hungry students?

Chartwells’ president Ross Munro says there is a formula that creates a unique quilt of foodservice at each school. “You have your national brand component, regional brand component, and then the remainder would be relative to the demographic of the school,” he says. “It’s a wide palette that we choose to best address the local need.”

Building that successful quilt means creating food options that are worth staying on campus for.

One of the notable trends on the Vancouver food scene is food trucks, says Munro. “We were going to go out and create our own food trucks and take them to the campuses,” he says. “Then we thought, ‘Why would we do that? Let’s go find the regional hot ones and bring them to campuses.”

Chartwells brings one of the longer running food trucks, Japadog, to Simon Fraser University and other campuses around Vancouver, says Munro. Alongside the campus staples such as Tim Hortons and Pizza Pizza, this component gives students all the more reason to stay on campus for meals.

Communication studies One of the best ways to find out whether food operations are satisfying students is by communi-

cating directly with them, and in this era of social media, there are no shortage of avenues. The UeaT brand at the University of Toronto is a direct result of engaging with students and wanting to further involve them in a conversation on food, says U of T’s director of ancillary services, Anne MacDonald.

“We developed it as an umbrella brand because [St. George] is such a big campus and there are so many different service providers,” she says.

“Students don’t need to know who runs what and where, they just want to get on social media and talk to foodservice. So, [UeaT is] kind of the social media presence and outward looking face of foodservice.”

Along with a website, UeaT has a Facebook page, Twitter account and student bloggers who publish reports on issues of interest around foodservice, says MacDonald. One of the things she’s noticed over the past few years is the importance of having an open conversation with students.

“They want to talk to us so we have to be available to do that,” she says.

The Hospitality Services Advisory Committee at Guelph, which has a student representative from each residence, offers regular feedback on the school’s food operations, says Mark Kenny, purchasing co-ordinator, hospitality services for University of Guelph. Along with dining hall surveys, Kenny says the majority of feedback comes from social media.

“People are always happy to tell you what they don’t like, but our students always tell us what they do like,” he says. “Students will [write] that

they liked one thing, and can we get more of this or that. There’s lots of opportunity for feedback from them.”

Sodexo recently started a Student Board of Directors that serves as a consulting committee for their campus foodservice segment, says Sodexo senior vice-president, education and healthcare, Barry Telford. Students serve on the committee for two to three years and have some regular engagement with the company and each other.

“They definitely get together twice a year at a specific campus and spend two or three days testing and going through trends, data and surveys,” says Telford. “We are starting to look at technology from a social media standpoint with digital menu boards. Social media is one that is a pilot piece.”

As of this year, Leigh Laidlaw, chef manager of Bridges Café at McMaster University, started a Facebook page for the café that lists the feature of the day and gives students an opportunity to respond. He says students will make requests for new items and if he gets enough requests, he’ll make it as a feature. If well received, that dish could get a spot on the menu.

“They can communicate through [the Facebook page] and we’re pretty open here for the students to ask us questions,” says Laidlaw.

MacDonald says the relationship between students and foodservice is really that of the university, and social media is an important vehicle for that.

It is in the interest of university and suppliers to listen to the students and provide the sort of service they require, she says.

Among foodservice operators, suppliers and chefs, there is strong agreement that dietary restrictions and nutritional consciousness is on the rise. “We’ve seen a real new demand for special menus,” says Telford. “Whether it be vegan or gluten-free – some lifestyle, some religion, some health-related – it certainly has impacted us.”

He says that one of the largest ways these restrictions have affected Sodexo is in making them more innovative both in their food offerings, and how they sell it.

“I think the piece that’s really become apparent is that we have to market it. We have to make sure people know a gluten-free option does exist,” he says.

Telford gives the example of Queens University, where there is a well-advertised vegetarian station. “In some cases, we have an email address where you can make an appointment to see someone and make specific menu requests.”

MacDonald says, simply due to demographics, there is a higher representation of vegetarians and vegans on university campuses than in the general population. As well, with strong international representation, there is a high number of dietary restrictions. “[U of T] just started a labelling program so that vegetarian and vegan options are clearly identified. You want to be able to go up to a counter and know what you’re getting,” says MacDonald. She says the next phase of the labeling project is gluten-free.

While traditional cafeteria options will always be a selling point for an indulgent younger generation, MacDonald says it has become clear that they also seek out the healthier options. “Students certainly seem to be more health focused than they were in my day. They’re more health conscious and more educated about nutrition than they were perhaps 10 years ago,” she says. “This doesn’t mean they don’t want pizza. They do, but they also want healthier options.”

Munro says that giving students the freedom to individualize their own meals has allowed them to satisfy both restrictive diets and indulgent cravings. Many of Chartwells’ facilities have an area called My Pantry, where students can cook their own food, says Munro. Students can go shopping for ingredients in the servery and then use a frying pan or other cookware needed to prepare themselves a dish.

As well as giving students the option of what to eat, it also gives them the freedom of choosing when they eat. “They go to bed at odd hours and work at odd hours. Their days are not like traditional days. They’re living on a much more global clock,” he says. “It’s like coming into your own kitchen,” says Munro. “You open the fridge, you’ll find eggs, rice that was for dinner last night – all labeled of course and held at the right temperature – you can make waffles, a smoothie, toast.”

A displayed shopping list in the pantry allows students to add to the list, whether it’s a certain food or spice, for the chef to bring in, says Munro.

Students seeking alternative food options

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were largely behind creating the business plan for the all-vegetarian Bridges Café at McMaster, says Laidlaw. Partnered with the department of Diversity Services, the café operates as part of the overall foodservice at the school in that it qualifies as part of the meal plan for students, but it is strict about its vegetarian mandate, says Laidlaw.

“We don’t allow meat on the premises, really out of respect for other diners,” he says.

Bridges offers a full menu of hot and cold options as well as a grab-and-go salad station, says Laidlaw. A pasta and stir-fry bar offers at least 20 different types of produce to incorporate in the made-to-order dishes as well as various types of rice or noodle. Including his main menu board, Laidlaw says approximately 75 per cent of Bridges options are also vegan-friendly.

Laidlaw says he sees approximately 600 students per day coming through Bridges, which is approximately one quarter of what some of the larger campus foodservice establishments see.

At the beginning of each school year, Laidlaw meets with every student that has food allergies or dietary restrictions and alerts his staff. He says they also have clear signage asking students to make staff aware of any special requirements.

“People are watching what they eat and being more involved and more aware,” he says. “Every year, I get more and more questions about nutritional value.”

To address student questions and concerns about health, the University of Guelph offers SNAP – the Student Nutrition Awareness Program. The program has second and third year nutrition students advise others on food choices, says Kenny. They will give tips on concerns such as healthier food choices than coffee and pop for exam period, or how to supplement a low-iron diet. They also run programs whereby if you purchase a certain amount of fruit, you get stamps that eventually accumulate to a free fruit reward.

To promote an interest in healthier vegetable alternatives U of T hosts Veggie Mondays. MacDonald notes that the name is not Meatless Mondays, since they don’t want to exclude certain proteins. “We’re going with the positive spin rather than the negative,” she says. “We don’t take the meat away but we do want to increase the vegetable options.” Food operators also offer a 10 per cent discount to anyone who purchases a vegetarian meal on Mondays.

Sustainable sources There is an increased environmental awareness and desire from students to know where their food comes from, says MacDonald. A concern for carbon footprints and issues associated with procurement have not been just a flash in the pan, but has shown a consistent increase for several years now, she says.

“The big challenge with those sorts of things is always the food supply chain.

Sometimes, it’s the middle of the supply chain that’s the issue,” says MacDonald. “I’ve found Aramark to be very flexible over the years. They’ve

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come a long way and they certainly recognize and appreciate that we have a relationship with our students that we want to continue to be positive.”

The push for sustainable foodservice practices is not limited to urban schools, or a particular province, says Telford. As with most food trends, there isn’t an easy differentiator between urban and rural schools because their student catchment is so broad. “What we did determine is that each school has its own very unique identity. It doesn’t necessarily relate to the school two minutes away,” says Telford. He chalks this down to national recruiting programs by schools that once were more focused on local or regional marketing. From coast to coast, Telford says the demand for local produce and products is a real one.

Even on a large scale, local sourcing is a possibility on school campuses, says Munro. “A custom solution for Halifax is different than it is in Montreal or Vancouver or Toronto.”

He says such individual catering is feasible by having a broadline solution for staples and then nuances that are unique to each school. “You do the basics with the broadline,” he says.

Finding solutions that appeal to environmentally-minded students comes naturally at Bridges Café. “Sustainability and vegetarianism go hand in hand,” says Laidlaw. “Student involvement has definitely increased as they’re becoming more aware.” He tries to stay one step ahead and shop as local as possible. Despite last year’s challenging growing season, Laidlaw says he sources from local farmers that operate pesticide-free.

“This is the generation that’s starting to ask more questions and be more curious,” says Laidlaw. “They are more conscious and more aware of their food.”

One trend that is cropping up on campuses, including McMaster and Guelph, is going back to the source and hosting farmers’ markets, or agricultural clubs on campus.

“The Ontario Agricultural College was basically the founder of all of University of Guelph and that really ties into the whole local food concept,” says Kenny. “It’s a perfect fit for us. I always say we’re lucky to be where we are. We have all of this great farmland around us. To be able to shop in your own backyard is really one of the keys.”

Last year, with help from the Greenbelt Fund, Guelph opened a brand new produce processing room. The facility allows them to purchase local seasonal produce and then wash, chop, sanitize and freeze it to be used throughout the winter, says Kenny. The room also operates as a jarring station where corned salsa, pickled peppers, and other preserves are made for sale on campus under their own label. The university has partnered with Guelph Wellington Local Food on their Taste Real initiative that identifies food grown within the Guelph Wellington area.

Kenny says preserves from the processing room are proudly labeled with the Taste Real logo.

The processing room opened April 1, 2012 and Kenny says they are still in the learning

phase. “We’ve been a year now, and put a lot of product through,” he says. “[However,] we’re still having to purchase some.”

Along with chef Gordon Cooledge, who oversees the processing room, Kenny shops for the school at the Elmira Produce Auction. Together, they can see what is available and what can be done with it for campus foodservice. For example, Kenny says they found cherry bomb peppers at the auction for a good price and decided they could be pickled and used down the road as a burger topping or other addition.

The next big project for Kenny is an on-campus short order grill that will subscribe to the regional ingredient philosophy. “As much product as possible, in that particular restaurant, will be local (that being Ontario). We like to use Foodland Ontario logos and things like that, and the majority of that is produce,” says Kenny. “We’re expanding that into protein and developing the menus on that right now.”

Guelph’s new restaurant will benefit from the processing room’s capacity for local and housemade preserves. “We can start jarring a lot of our own product. If we wanted to make our own kimchi or ketchup – we can use local ingredients, make them for ourselves and serve them at this location,” says Kenny.

“We’re trying to tie all of these little local food pieces into one presentable package that says ‘Do you know you’re doing local right now?’”

Enrollment Post-secondary institutions have the unique setting of foodservice within a hub of research, learning and innovation. Everyday, students and professors are dedicating their time to discussions around agriculture, food security, sustainability and other issues that are interconnected with their own daily meals.

“We have a much foodier culture now than we used to,” says MacDonald. “Students don’t shut that part of themselves off when they come to university.” Courses are geared toward food and environmental issues, and MacDonald encourages students to have a united experience where their academics meet with campus life. In turn, MacDonald says, foodservice wants to be a part of the students’ academic experience.

Dana Lahey, a consultant and former national coordinator for Campus Food Systems Project (CFSP) says, “The value to foodservice providers is that they can tap into these incredible academic capacities on the campuses they’re on.” The CFSP is a national initiative between the Sierra Youth Coalition and Meal Exchange. It works with student leaders on nine campuses across Canada to engage members at every level of foodservice operations in working towards more sustainable practice, says Lahey.

Working with schools from Newfoundland to B.C., CFSP put a call out to student leaders to put in applications explaining why they felt their school was ready for this change, and why they were the right person to make it happen.

Case study: Poultry Chefs and students together decided poultry was one of the largest consistent categories purchased, says Lahey. Finding out the different options with sourcing poultry and which were actually feasible became the focus for three separate courses, one undergraduate group project and an independent study by one student that led to their undergraduate thesis project.

Through this work, areas such as supply and price points came into consideration as well as the varying standards for poultry such as grain fed or organic.

The study dictated that the manageable option was switching to 10 per cent grain fed poultry, a smaller percentage of organic and using those avenues to begin building supply chain relationships.

CFSO provides two years of support and funding for the student leaders – generally there are two or three at each school – and coaches them on seeking out and bringing together the foodservice stakeholders on their campus, Lahey says.

The student leaders are facilitating meetings between chefs, professors, administrators and the community to have a positive conversation on sustainability.

“It’s about creating a space to have collaborative discussions around these really big questions of: ‘We know we want to serve sustainable food, support the local economy, provide healthy, affordable food … What are the barriers, what are the opportunities and how can we work together?’,” says Lahey. One of the benefits of campuswide involvement in foodservice is that applied research partnerships can bring about answers to these questions.

“When you bring those players together, you can say ‘What research is needed by the [foodservice] provider?’ and then use the support of a passionate group of students who spend a semester or year working on that project,” says Lahey.

“Students have a chance to tackle concrete, real world issues on their campus and do research that’s going to have a real impact.”

At McGill University, applied student research (the topic of Lahey’s thesis at that school) has led to in depth research in sourcing local and sustainable poultry, and most recently obtaining sustainable seafood certification.

Photos: Page 12: Chef Gordon Cooledge serves students at the University of Guelph. Photo by Laura Berman, GreenFuse Photos. Printed with permission from Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.

Page 13: From left: Mackenzie Cafe, Mediterranean Grill at Simon Fraser University.

Photo courtesy of Chartwells. Salad bar at the University of Guelph. Photo courtesy of University of Guelph. Good to Go bar.

Photo courtesy of Sodexo.

Background images: Ruled paper by Somad Jinn. Post-it Notes by Broken Arts.

www.can-restaurantnews.com

14 |

PAC I F I C / P R A I R I E R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) named Susan Senecal, chief marketing officer for A&W Food Services of Canada, as the new chair of the board at its annual general meeting held at the CRFA show in early March.

The CRFA also named this year’s executive committee and board members.

P E OP L E

Executive Committee

Willem Semmelink

Warren Erhart

Mo Jessa

Susan Senecal, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., North Vancouver.

Chair of the Board Kevin Friesen, Imvescor Restaurant Group Inc., Moncton.

First vice-Chair Liam Dolan, Claddagh Oyster House/ Olde Dublin Pub, Charlottetown.

Vice-chair Paul Methot, Pizza Pizza Ltd., Toronto.

Vice-chair Ian Mackay, ARAMARK Healthcare, Toronto.

Treasurer Yvan Coupal, Salades Sensations, Laval, QC. Secretary Mark Pacinda, Boston Pizza International Inc., Mississauga, ON. Chair, strategic plan Donna Dooher, The Mildred Pierce Group, Toronto.

Immediate past chair

Board Members

Chris Cosentino

Susan Senecal

COMING EVENTS Apr. 3: National Food, Tabletop & Supplies Show, BMO Center, Calgary. For information, go to: gfscanada.com/en/helping-you-succeed/ foodshows.

Tradeshow, SET CANADA, the National Food Equipment and Technology Tradeshow, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON. For information, go to: www. sialcanada.com.

Apr. 15-16: Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association Conference, Annual General Meeting and Exposition, Delta Regina, Regina. For information, go to: www.shha.co.

May 1: Flanagan Foodservice Annual Tradeshow, Sudbury Show, Garson Community Centre, Garson, ON. For information, go to: www. flanagan.ca.

Apr. 23: Nutrition for NON-Nutritionists, University of Toronto St. Michael’s College, Toronto. For information, go to: www.nutritionfornonnutritionists. com.

May 5-6: Bakery Congress, PNE Forum Building, Vancouver. For information, go to: www.baking.ca.

Apr. 24: National Food, Tabletop & Supplies Show, ExpoCite Quebec, Quebec City, QC. For information, go to: gfscanada.com/en/helping-you-succeed/foodshows.

Apr. 30 – May 2: SIAL Canada, the International Food & Beverage

May 9-10: Canadian Society of Nutrition Management and Dietitians of Canada joint conference. Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel, Toronto, ON. For information, go to: www.csnm.ca.

May 29: 50th Anniversary of Canadian Culinary Federation National Conference, Marriott River Cree Resort, Edmonton. For information, go to: www.ccfcc2013.ca.

Mohamed “Mo” Jessa was appointed president of Earls Restaurants Ltd. and the Fuller Group of restaurants, the family business that operates Earls Kitchen + Bar, Joey Restaurants and Local restaurant on March 1 by Earls Restaurants Ltd., CEO Stan Fuller.

Jessa began his career with Earls more than 25 years ago as a junior prep cook, while attending university for bio-chemistry. In 1991, after advancing to senior cook at a new Earls location in Calgary, Jessa returned to school to acquire his Red Seal Certificate and Journeyman Chef papers. He has held the positions of sous chef, chef and then regional chef, overseeing various B.C. locations, as well as acquiring levels of Certified Chef de Cuisine from the Confederation of Chefs and Cooks and a Masters Certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University.

Most recently, Jessa was Earls’ executive chef and vice-president, operations.

Jessa will work with Fuller to oversee existing Earls locations while expanding further into the Canadian and U.S. markets.

Downtown Vancouver establishment Hawksworth has added a new team member to head up its wine program. The restaurant located in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia has named Bryant Mao as the new wine director, according to a Feb. 28 release.

Mao’s career in bar and wine programs was fostered in Vancouver at restaurants such as Brix and George Ultra Lounge, before heading to Lon-

Bill Allen Fresh Casual Restaurant Inc., Aulac, NB. Michael Aronovici, Interaction

don, England. Mao worked under previous Hawksworth wine director Terry Threlfall at Chez Bruce.

“From my very first fine dinning experience at West with David Hawksworth at the helm, I have followed his career and aspired to work with him,” Mao said in the release. “Returning to Vancouver and being invited to work with the incredible Hawksworth team – who bring together unmatched hospitality service experiences – is a dream come true.”

According to the release, Mao intends to bring in wines from the Mosel, Piedmont, Burgundy and Champagne regions, as well as maintaining and building relationships with B.C’s Okanagan and Similkameen Valley producers.

American chef Chris Cosentino will be bringing his own brand of guts and glory to The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) as the 2013 Hokanson Chef in Residence.

Cosentino is known for his cooking with offal as executive chef at San Francisco’s Incanto and co-creating Boccalone artisanal salumeria, as well as appearances on Next Iron Chef America, Chefs vs. City, and Top Chef Masters, He is a culinary graduate of Johnson & Wales University.

“The goal of the Hokanson Chef in Residence program is to expose students to innovative cooking techniques and diverse culinary trends and styles,” said Perry Michetti, associate dean of the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. “We’re very excited to have chef

Restaurants Group Inc., Montreal.

John Betts, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, Toronto.

Scott Bonikowsky, Tim Hortons Inc., Oakville, ON. Darren Carter, Beer Bros. Gastropub & Deli/The Willow on Wascana, Regina.

Gerard Curran, The James Joyce Irish Pub and Restaurant, Calgary.

Tommy Cvitanovich, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Metairie, LA. National Restaurant Association exchange director.

Warren Erhart , White Spot Hospitality, Vancouver.

James Henderson, The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, Richmond, BC. Brad Kramble, Salisbury House of Canada, Winnipeg.

Daniel Labonté, Restaurant Normandin, Quebec City.

Guy Laframboise, Les Restaurants Subway Québec Ltée, Ville SaintLaurent, QC. Steve McMullin, Grafton Connor Group, Halifax.

Scot McTaggart, fusion grill, Winnipeg.

Brenda O’Reilly, YellowBelly Brewery & Public House, St. John’s.

Don Robinson, Cara Operations Ltd., Vaughan, ON. Patrick Saurette, The Marc Restaurant Group, Edmonton.

Bill Simpson, Drake Hotel, Toronto.

Chris Tzaneteas, Chrisco Restaurants Ltd., Halifax.

Vikram Vij, Vij’s Restaurant Inc., Vancouver.

Mike Yasinski, Hudsons Canadian Hospitality, Edmonton.

Annie Young-Scrivner, Starbucks Coffee Company, Toronto.

Chris Cosentino be part of this program and share his insights and expertise with students and faculty.”

Previous NAIT chefs in residence have included Rob Feenie in 2009, David Adjey in 2010, Susur Lee in 2011 and Massimo Capra in 2012.

Warren Erhart took home the Vancouver Canadian Association of Foodservice Professional’s Food Executive of the Year award at this year’s Leadership Night on Feb. 26.

More than 100 people attended the event at the Hilton Metrotown Vancouver, which included the presentation of CAFP Leadership Awards to Simon Tse, project manager at Aramark Healthcare and Joanne Bays, project manager at Farm to Cafeteria. Caroline Smart, director of purchasing at Joey Restaurant Group, was also lauded for her work with the John McCormick Memorial Award.

Willem Semmelink is the new vineyard manager for Summerhill Pyramid Winery. Toronto-born, Semmelink spent his childhood in South Africa and graduated from the University of Cape Town.

Semmelink’s career includes working in organic and biodynamic agriculture as an orchadist, agroforestry development as well as farm managment. He has also worked in business development towards organic vineyard management in South Africa.

Semmelink is committed to maintaining and improving Summerhill’s quality and sustainable practice.

UP TO

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3,500

R E B A T E

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To apply visit fortisbc.com/alacarte.

FortisBC uses the FortisBC Energy name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. (13-035.6 02/2013) 13-035.6_Commercial_kitchen_10x.7.125.indd 1

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