Catering Plus - Spring 2012

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THE COMPREHENSIVE MAGAZINE FOR CONTRACT CATERERS, FOODSERVICE MANAGERS & INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS

Volume 15 No.3 SPRING 2012

‘The Big Little City’ – a taste of something special Pg7


d i a M h c Fre n e t s a t o Tru e t n o i s a c c o y n a r o f Sa u ce s

d i a M h c Fren a ste t o t Tru e sion a c c o y n a r o f s aS u ce Visit our website for recipes and our product range at www.groenz.co.nz Or call fOr mOre infOrmatiOn

New Zealand 04 568 2687

Australia 07 3393 5562


Chick en an d R ice Ca ke St ack with Ba co n an d Sm ok ey Ba rbecue Sa uce • 400 gm ch ick en

mi nce 1 tb sp Fre nch M aid lem on pe pper sea son ing • 1 tsp sa lt • 1/4 cu p cre a m • 1 cu p coo ke d rice • 1 eg g • Se as on ing • • Oil • Lettu ce • • Strea ky ba con • Fre nch M aid sm ok ey ba rbecue sa uc • e Co mbine th e chick en mi nce wit h th e lem on pe pper sea son ing, sa lt an •1 4 d crea m, form int o pattie s. •

cu m be r b ro Pra wn a n d cu g a rlic a io li

ch ette s wit h

C u cu m ber cutlet s • Pra w n l • O live oi g a rlic in oil M a id cru sh ed • Fren ch a io li M a id g a rlic • Fren ch g a rn is h m to sm a ll a n d cu cu ber • L ettu ce d es eed. C ut in d n a e is hw cu m ber le n gt sk ewers. wn cutlet s on Qu a rt er th e cu a pr e th e d si a ce in pi eces a n d pl ickly g rill a n d g a rlic. Qu l oi B ru sh wit h cu cu m ber h g a rlic a io li, it w e rv se d n a a n d lett u ce. it h tion – Serve w Servi n g su g g es Fren ch M a id hilli Sa u ce or Sweet T ha i C ta rt a re sa u ce Fren ch M a id

Chicken a n d Rice Ca ke Sta ck with Ba con a n d Smokey Ba rbecu e Sa u ce 400 g m chicken

min ce 1 tbsp Fren ch M a id le m on pepper sea soning 1 tsp sa lt / cu p crea m • 1 cu pIncoao ksm all bowl beat th e eg g an d mi x in th e coo ked rice, sea son witedh risaclte an d pe pper an d form int o pattie s. Heat a flat BB Q plate or a heav y ba sed fry pa •1 n, ad d a litt le oil an d fry th eegchgick en pattie s as we ll as th e ric e pattie s. Sta ck th e chick en• an d ric S egpattie s wit h lettu ce in ea so n in betwee n F ini sh wit h grilled ba con an d drizzle wit h sm ok ey ba rbecue sa uce • Oil M ak es two lig ht meal po rtio ns • L ettu ce • Strea k y ba co n • Fre n ch M a i d smokey ba rbecu e sa u ce Co mbin e the chicken m in ce w pepper sea soning, sa lt a ith the le mon n d crea m, form into pattie s. I n a sma l bowl beat th e egg a n d mix in the co rice, sea son with sa lt a n d pepper a n d form into oked pattie s. Heat a flat BBQ plate or a heavy ba sed fry pa n, a dd a little oil a n d fry the chicken pattie s a s wel a s the ri ce pattie s. Sta ck the chicken a n d rice pattie s with lettu ce in between F inish with gril ed ba co n a n d drizzle with smo key ba rbecu e sa u ce M a ke s two light mea l

portions

Recipes courtesy of Stephan Bau mberger Stephan’s Restaurant & Gasthof

Visit our website for recipe ideas and a huge range of our products at www.groenz.co.nz


Cotents www.cateringplus.co.nz a Mediaweb magazine

ACTING EDITOR: John Clarke johnc@mediaweb.co.nz contributors: Jesma Magill, Jane Warwick, Keith Stewart, Don Kavanagh, Rob Eliott and David Stewart GROUP SALES MANAGER: Lisa Morris lisam@mediaweb.co.nz P: +64 9 529 3000 ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR: Pip Maclean P:+64 9 529 3000 E: ads@mediaweb.co.nz DESIGNER: Bex Mikaere

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Editorial

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Catering News

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COVER STORY - Cover image credit: Brand Events and festivals

‘The Big Little City’ – a taste of something special

The public perception that Auckland is something of a culinary wilderness is changing.

10 International catering trends

12 Natural glow

CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sue McDiarmid P: +64 9 529 3000 E: subscriptions@mediaweb.co.nz

Leading chefs talk about their must-haves for a great kitchen

16 Holiday catering – so cool

The casual flavour of New Zealand summer

19 Feeding the Street

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Fran Marshall P: +64 9 529 3000 E: franm@mediaweb.co.nz

Celebrating the roots and traditions of basic good and honest cooking

It’s getting tougher on the streets – catering to New Zealand's underclass

22 Catering to the health sector

Private contractors offer potential for improved hospital food

24 Garden of Eden

In the centre of New Zealand’s biggest city there is a surprising venue – Eden Garden

ACCOUNTANT: Pam King P: +64 9 529 3000 E: pamk@mediaweb.co.nz PUBLISHER Toni Myers

MEDIAWEB: Freepost 288, PO Box 5544, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141 P: +64 9 529 3000 F: +64 9 529 3001 E: enquiries@mediaweb.co.nz Prepress and Print: PMP Print ISSN 1174 6165 All material published in Catering plus is copyright but may be published provided written consent is obtained from the publisher and that Catering plus is acknowledged as the source. Opinions are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent those of Mediaweb Ltd.

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Editorial It’s either a feast or a famine in the catering trade and we are about to hit the idiot season again. Firstly it’s the dr unken and/or really boring pre-Christmas functions and of fice par ties. We then move straight into the weddings; but why is it that everybody seems to want their reception on the same day? Take a look at the news section of this magazine – ‘Stories from the world of catering’. This little gem got us thinking perhaps it would be rather cool for our readers to share some of their stories with other caterers. Just for a bit of fun you understand; and with the little incentive of half a dozen bottles of premium wine to the person that submits the little story that resonates best with the sector. But it will not be all happy, happy – joy, joy in godzone this silly season – see ‘Feeding the Street’ on page 19 – and spare a thought for the people of the streets and those who do their best to cater to this growing underclass. Also pushing my buttons in the news section are the results from the annual survey of The National Restaurant Association of America members on the hottest culinary

trends of 2012. We have listed the top 20 from a total of 220 odd trends. Take a look and you might notice that the bulk of the hottest fads are variations around local/ artisan, sustainable and healthy kids. All that’s left in the top 20 are the allergy thing, and the fact that nearly ever y caterer/ restaurateur in North America wants to open some sort of pop up or food truck. In reality, it is for me the least popular trends that are the most interesting aspect of this survey; those items which respondents in the trade felt were ‘yesterday’s news’. These were – energy drinks, sliders (yay), and foams/ froths/air (double yay). Surprisingly (not) the biggest drop from near top to near bottom of the list, (down to 211) is the macaroon, (triple yay). So the trick this season is – if you want to grab all the business just make sure the dishes on your menu options use only sustainable, local artisan, hypoallergenic products in healthy kids-sized portions that are served with greens grown on the roof of your new food truck. Good luck. John Clarke Editor

Calendar of events Wanaka Wine and Food Fest 22 October Wanaka National Nut Day 2012 23 October Nationwide Gluten Free Food & Allergy Show 27-28 October Christchurch Oishii Japan (Japanese F&B info for Australasia) 1-3 November Singapore Food & Wine Expo 10-11 November Auckland (North Shore) Taste of Auckland Festival 2012 15-18 November Auckland Taste of Melbourne 15-18 November Melbourne To The Table 22-25 November Singapore Taste of Christmas 7-9 December London Hokitika WIldfood Festival 2013 9-11 March Hokitika

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News

Three become one New industr y training organisation to be known as the Ser vice Skills Institute After six years of working closely together including collaboration on some key projects, the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO), Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI) and Retail Institute signed a Deed of Merger last month. The action means the three organisations are committing to form a new industry training organisation to be known as the Service Skills Institute and it comes after formal discussions that have been taking place since March this year. However, HIS chief executive Ken Harris, speaking on behalf of the three ITO chairs said the agreement was still subject to certain conditions. Each ITO must obtain the necessary support for the merger from their respective industry training sectors and the parties need to obtain recognition and extension of coverage from the Tertiary Education Commission and approval as the standard setting body from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Satisfactory completion of financial, legal and other diligence processes are also required. It is expected the likely transition period will take several months as the three organisations complete the integration process, however the planned commencement date is January 1, 2013. It is an important condition of the merger to retain the key capability including the technical skills, knowledge and expertise of each party to ensure that the new ITO, Service Skills Institute, will be able to effectively service and support its industry sectors. The role of the three existing ITO Boards will be

The Deed of Merger signing: seated from left, Philip Shewell, Retail Institute Chairman and Carol Stigley, HSI Chair with (standing from left) Jill Hatchwell, ATTTO Board Director, John Albertson, Retail Institute Board Director, Kathy Wolfe, CEO of ATTTO, and Bruce Robertson, HSI Deputy Chair.

picked up in the Industr y Advisor y Groups within SSI, representing the interests of their industr y sector. Each Industr y Advisor y Group will also nominate two Directors to the Board, taking up six board positions, with an additional three external independent board members, one of whom will be a representative of employees, appointed through a board selection process. During the transition period, the frontline operations of the three current ITOs will continue to function on the current business models, providing the same service. Integration will develop best practice systems and processes, and provide improved services to learners, employers and key stakeholders. The proposed merger is dependent on the support of industry. All three ITOs are now formally seeking suppor t for the merger from their respective industr y sectors. Further info from Ken Harris. Telephone DDI (04) 802 7812 mobile 021 429 275 email ken.harris@hsi.co.nz

Top marae chefs sought for new competitive tv series The challenge-based cooking show phenomenon has taken the world by storm and a new series coming soon to Maori Television is set to delight foodie and non-foodie audiences alike. The competitive cooking show will see marae teams from all over the country compete against each other. “The new show blends some of the best challengebased cooking shows into a fresh new format with a distinctly Maori flavour,” says associate producer and presenter Nevak Rogers. Tumanako Productions, the production company making the new series, is now calling for applications from marae around the country. Eight successful marae teams will battle it out in the kitchen, showcasing their local delicacies alongside their 4

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culinary skills and could take away tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes. “If the ringawera [chefs] from your marae are world-famous for serving up great kai, we want to hear from you,” says Rogers. “We’re looking for ringawera guns from across the motu to go head-to-head in a series of challenges that will test a range of skills from kai prep and fundraising to cooking budget meals and creating signature dishes.” Applications close November 1, 2012. Marae teams interested in applying should email ringawera@maoritelevision.com.

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News

No Decline in Salt Australia’s leading consumer advocacy group CHOICE has discovered that despite commitments to salt-reduction, a recent sur vey it conducted of 195 ‘salt-reduced’ cereals found that salt levels were still high in all the products. CHOICE reported that Kelloggs, Sanitarium and Aldi brand breakfast cereal versions of ‘corn flakes’ and ‘rice bubbles’ still had significant salt content, despite reductions of at least 20 percent since the last survey. The CHOICE investigation was initiated by the release of a report by the George Institute of Global Health that had the Australian Heart Foundation warning that salt levels in Australian food have risen to a ‘deeply alarming’ level – up 9 percent in three years – despite pressure from Australian health authorities for salt-reduction in foods.

What’s trending in 2012 It’s not New Zealand or even Australia – it’s on the other side of the world but it all trickles down eventually. The National Restaurant Association of America has released the results of its survey into the hottest trends of 2012, asking nearly 2000 chefs how they rated a list of 223 culinary items: were the items a hot trend, yesterday’s news or a perennial favourite? The results reflected the macro-trends that have been seen to be growing over the last several years, says the Association’s director of nutrition and healthy living, Joy Dubost. She said nutrition – especially when it comes to children – was becoming a major focus as well as the consumers’ increasing interest in healthful eating. Sourcing locally was another trend. It makes interesting reading: The Top 20 Trends of 2012 1. Locally sourced meats and seafood 2. Locally grown produce 3. Healthful kids’ meals 4. Hyper-local sourcing (eg restaurant gardens) 5. Sustainability 6. Children’s nutrition

7. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious 8. Locally-produced wine and beer 9. Sustainable seafood 10. Whole grain items in kids’ meals 11. Newly fabricated cuts of meat (eg Denver steak, pork flat iron, Petite Tender) 12. Farm/estate-branded ingredients 13. Food trucks/street food 14. Micro-distilled/artisan spirits 15. Artisan/house-made ice cream 16. Health/nutrition 17. Non-traditional fish (eg branzino, Arctic char, barramundi) 18. Fruit/vegetable children’s side items 19. “Mini meals” (eg smaller versions of adult menu items) 20. Culinary cocktails (eg savory, fresh ingredients, herb-infused) GLOSSARY Denver Steak – marbled steak cut from the upper portion on the chuck Pork Flat Iron – pork blade steak – in beef it is called the chuck top blade Petite Tender – shoulder steak Branzino – sea bass Arctic char – small trout

CP1102-QR

THE WINNING WAY TO WELCOME YOUR GUESTS First impressions count. Creating the right atmosphere by dressing like a professional will help your venue succeed. Dress for success. Inspire your guests with confidence by how you and your staff appear. Call 050 Uniform (0508 643 676) now for your FREE Arrow Uniforms catalogue. Or download a copy www.arrowuniforms.co.nz

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News

Stories from the world of catering How many caterers have had a similar conversation to this? Customer: May I speak to the owner? Me: This is the owner. How may I help you? Customer: NO, I mean the guy who is the owner. Me: That’s my husband. I’m sorry; he is busy at the moment. Is there something I can help you with? Customer: I need a catering menu emailed. Me: I can certainly do that for you. When is your event? Customer: Saturday. Me: This Saturday? Like two days from now? Customer: Yes. Me: Well, I apologise but we are completely booked for this Saturday. Customer: That’s why I wanted to talk to the other owner. I spoke to him two weeks ago and he said you were not booked. Me: We weren’t booked two weeks ago, but we are now. Customer: Well, I’ve already sent out the invitations, and I need food for my party. Me: I’m sorry, but we are completely booked. We already have three large parties, and we just couldn’t possibly take on a fourth. Customer: Can you recommend another caterer? Me: Not really. I’ve never used another caterer, so I can’t recommend one. Customer: Haven’t you ever been to a party catered by another caterer? Me: We’re caterers. We don’t go to parties. We work at other people’s parties. Customer: IT’S ONLY 25 PEOPLE! Me: Um, okay. Customer: You said you have three parties. Couldn’t you just make enough extra food for 25 people and come over and serve it? Me: You mean cater the party? Customer: No, just make some food and bring it over and serve it, and clean up afterwards. It’s fairly easy, isn’t it? From: notalwaysright.com, a website that debunks the adage that the customer is always right.

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Canad ian Specia l Events . com magazine put together a list of the most popular and successful catering ideas of 2012. Food inspire d appetizers (e.g. tempura, taquitos, kabobs, hummus) 1. Exotic fruits (e.g. rambutan, dragon fruit, paw paw, guava) 2. Artisan/house-made ice cream 3. Cuban inspired cuisine 4. Black Rice 5. Artisan bacons 6. Paneer 7. On-site barrel aged drinks 8. Asian flavored cocktails (e.g. lemongrass, lychee, Thai basil) 9. Game meats 10. Umami

11. Duck 12. Wine on tap 13. Braising 14. Hybrid fruits/vegetables (e.g. plumc ot, grappl e, broccoflower) 15. Wasabi 16. Street Truck s & Indie vendors 17. Mac & cheese 18. Polenta 19. Olive bars GLOSSARY Taquitos – small tortilla Panee r – fresh cheese from India Umami – the fi fth taste - foods with an inherent savouriness such as parmesan or miso Olive bar – like a salad bar but of fering only olives

China seeks catering partners The boom in the commercial catering sector in China is over. Su Qiucheng, president of the China Cuisine Association, told delegates at the China Catering Industry Leading Entrepreneur Summit in Beijing that profit growth fell to 13.1% during the first half of the year, lower than the Ministry of Commerce’s estimate of 16% during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15). While much of the decline is due to rampant food cost inflation, a recent report by international financial service consultancy, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu has recommended that China’s commercial catering sector needs to consider mergers and acquisitions, as well as joint ventures with foreign companies in an effort to meet the challenge of a rapidly developing sector. The Deloitte report highlights huge challenges for Chinese operators in areas of food safety, labour management and brand development. As China’s industry is changing, so too are the catering demands of institutional clients, and as the domestic food market becomes more keenly attuned to brands, the need for companies to develop their brands is becoming critical to ongoing success. While this is acknowledged in Western markets, where caterers have long understood the need for strong brands, it is relatively new in China. Traditionally securing contracts was more about who had the best contacts rather than the strongest reputation, but as the market changes so do expectations from clients. Currently, China’s institutional catering sector is estimated to serve some 3.2 billion meals a year.

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Cover story

The public perception that Auckland is something of a culinary wilderness is changing due to high-profile catering events aimed at the general populace.

‘The Big Little City’ – a taste of something special By Rob Eliott

O

ur culinary landscape is changing. Demand for premium food and drink has been rising for decades. Travellers return home with knowledge and skills gained abroad, while media and the internet expose us to global influences, widening our expectations. Adventurous dreamers are launching more new products and experimenting with different marketing techniques more and more frequently. Because of all this, in New Zealand like many countries in the western world, our food culture is catching up to some of the world’s most developed markets such as France, the home to over 400 cheeses. Of course as we develop, the influence of our culture and geographical location shines through. However, some new products can only be produced with a lot of care and skill, meaning that they are served only within our most prestigious restaurants, or they

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Warren Turnbull of District Dining

The Corporate Marquee at Taste of Auckland – The Grove's Valrhona chocolate pave, cookie crumbs & strawberry cream

The Big Event

command a high price at retail. The resulting public perception is frequently that the most exquisite food is out of reach for many people. From this situation an opportunity emerges. To take that special something and share it with a wider audience. Welcome to Taste Festivals. In 2011 New Zealand Trade and Enterprise asked us to create and run the official food and beverage showcase over the Rugby World Cup. The concept was simple – give every visitor a taste of something delicious and unmistakably kiwi to communicate just how good we have become with our food and drink. We ran Taste at the Cloud for 41 days serving up 77,000 tasting plates. Catering for anywhere between 100 and 1000 customers per day in a temporary kitchen for six weeks is no mean feat. For this you need a caterer. Lucky for us, Dawsons, armed with new kitchen facilities and a team of resilient and smiling chefs were able to prep and serve to the daily demand. Minister McCully, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Rugby World Cup, called this: “The most significant food and beverage showcase New Zealand has ever produced.” 8

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Over the last three years a team of people have been working tirelessly behind the scenes of Taste of Auckland searching the country for gourmet products and the people that make them. This collection then gets presented to thousands of people at the event who may not yet have discovered the delicacies available to them. For the four-day festival some of our most praised restaurant names also come together in the park to lead this promotion. This is an experiment with restaurant staff temporarily playing as caterers! They prepare their signature dishes in huge quantities and offer them to an audience that last year numbered over 23,000. The preparation takes weeks and sometimes months. From an organiser’s point of view, there is nothing as fulfilling as the final day when an exhausted but happy kitchen team serve up their last dish to yet another delighted customer. Taste Festivals take place in 15 cities around the world from London to Dubai, Cape Town to Auckland. In one year Taste caters for over 340,000 visitors, serving up close to 1.4 million dishes. This is served by over 220 restaurants – that’s an amount of preparation that even a tournament caterer would find hard work.

We take our hats off to the Auckland restaurant staff that will be working tirelessly over next month’s big event: Clooney, The Commons, Depot, Euro, FISH, Kermadec Fine, Mexico, Poderi Crisci, Toto and Vivace. Cuisine is the drawcard of the festival and this year’s dishes include Wild Deer with earth baked Kowiniwini, fern curd, blackberry & malt soil from Chef Anton Leyland at Kermadec Fine, and pecan crème brulee with Pedro Xeminez and earl grey from the Clooney Kitchen by Chef Des Harris. Each dish from a menu of over 30 will be served literally thousands of times over the four days. While Taste of Auckland is a restaurant, food and drink festival, it is also one of the biggest catering feats of the year. This November’s installment will be the largest yet and we anticipate over 70,000 dishes will be served over the four days. Taking place from 15-18 November, this is a huge promotion where food takes centre stage. As such, we look forward to seeing members of the hospitality industry there alongside the thousands of foodies who come religiously every year. Make sure you grab a ticket and support your industry by bringing an empty stomach.

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No plumbing

Mobile Hot Water Hand WasH Units

Image credit: Brand Events and festivals

Restaurant Month – Yes, in Auckland

C

an we please have a round of applause for Heart of the City – the central city business association. During the month of August, 110 restaurants in the Auckland CBD ran special promotional menus and benefited from a substantial marketing campaign. This was Heart of the City’s initiative, which was designed to create exciting reasons for consumers to dine out over a traditionally quiet month. Research shows that participating restaurants were 14.1% up on August 2011. Finally Auckland has a substantial city wide restaurant promotion. Brand Events & Festivals ran key events to attract the media spotlight and provide stimulation throughout the month. And we had a ball doing it, thank you to everybody who got involved. Roll on August 2013. Rob Eliott Brand Events & Festivals

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Catering trends

Great food in small packages It was all about the small things when the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival kicked off with great pomp and ceremony in Kuala Lumpur last month.

F

inger foods and canapés were the order of the day for the hundreds of VIP guests invited to the stunning preview night at the Sunway Pyramid Convention centre, a sprawling mall built in the style of ancient Egypt. In fact, it looked for all the world like a Las Vegas casino, but with better food, as 28 of Malaysia’s finest chefs managed to reduce their signature menus to canapé-sized portions for the hungry guests. 10

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This year’s theme of “Classical Chefs – A Symphony of Great Cuisines” was chosen to symbolise and celebrate the roots and traditions of basic good and honest cooking. “Over the years we’ve seen all sorts of innovative food trends make their debut – nouvelle cuisine, fusion, molecular cuisine, to name a few – and yet through it all, the experts still agree that nothing beats ‘Mama’s Cooking,’ said organizing chairman Dato Steve Day. “Let’s face it, whatever the choice of cuisine, people simply love the classics, whether it be authentic Malaysian or authentic Japanese, Italian or any other cuisine.” Day outlined the impor tance of honest flavours and healthy options for restaurants and caterers, as consumers’ tastes shifted away from finicky foods to more wholesome options. The trade show part of the festival was a fascinating experience as well as one that certainly put the average

New Zealand-style trade show into perspective. Plenty of exhibitors, plenty of trade visitors and plenty of public entrants ensured that the Gourmet Village section was packed. There was also a good showing from New Zealand producers, with a solid selection of Kiwi wines and foods on offer, from big names like Villa Maria to smaller outfits like Te Horo Foods, whose jams and relishes were literally lapped up by local visitors. On the equipment side, there were plenty of innovative ideas on offer, from pancake makers to full kitchen kit-outs. But the most interesting aspect was the insight it gave into what the Malaysian – and the greater Southeast Asian – market is looking for when it comes to both fine dining and catered events. Smart, small and sexy finger foods were the order of the day, from mini fish pies baked into the shape of chr ysanthemums to grilled fish marinated in coconut and cili padi paste and served with honey-tamarind

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sauce, all on the end of a spoon. One chef in particular spoke to Catering Plus magazine about the importance of the catering end of his business and said that he put as much care and attention into providing nibbles and light bites for pre-function gatherings as he did with the most expensive item in his finedining restaurant and, having tried his twice-boiled guinea fowl in Chinese soup, it’s hard to disagree. The festival is now in its 12th year and the public tickets are keenly sought, with three-course meals in any of the festival restaurants a mere NZ$40, while small bites are available from NZ$2. It’s a long day for exhibitors, getting ready for an 11am start and closing at 11pm, but the exhibitors were all glad to be there, given the ongoing opportunity for sales and networking it provides. There were also a series of seminars and workshops, including various cuisine topics, wine matching and drinks appreciation. For more information about the show or to register an interest for next year, visit www.migf.com

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Kitchen fitouts and refits

The main player at Depot – the wood-fired oven

Depot photos by head chef Kyle Street

Natural

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Behind every successful food service provider be it a restaurant or catering enterprise, be it big or small, is a wellequipped kitchen. Jesma Magill talks to leading suppliers and chefs about their must-haves for a great kitchen.

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S

upreme Winner of the Metro Audi Restaurant of the Year for 2012, the Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar in Auckland has been described as the best little eatery in the country. Probably the countr y’s most popular eatery as well; the obvious question is how does a small kitchen cope with big crowds, day after day? The restaurant measures 120 square metres, the kitchen’s 50sqm and the bustling, rustic joint takes 75 people seated, 35 standing and has fed more than 400 people in one day.

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Beech ovens Oberoi Gurgaon 361 - 3 door stone hearth oven with char grill

Two main appliance players supply the ‘fire power’ for the restaurant, says head chef Kyle Street. The wood-fired oven was made by Australian company Beech. It’s called The Beast, and measures two metres, reaches to the ceiling and was customised specifically for Depot. Beech had the mouth widened to take the ‘big food’ Depot specialises in, such as whole chickens, hock and suckling pigs. Wellington steel work artist Andrew Missen designed the steel casing, with the brief to “give it attitude.” The charcoal grill, also made by Beech, is literally a pit. It’s filled with coals every morning, stoked all day and well into the night. “It’s a full chargrill, there’s no gas, and it’s magic, giving us those smoky, intense flavours that we want,” says Street. Southern Hospitality also supplied equipment at Depot: there’s a Waldorf oven for braising and baking, a Waldorf salamander grill, a Pacojet ice cream maker and Skope fridges with drawers. Street describes the size of the kitchen as “adequate” but adds no kitchen is ever big enough and

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Depot’s staggering popularity has put pressure on the economical footprint. The walk-in fridge was found wanting soon after opening and four months later an extra one was built on stilts at the rear of the restaurant. On Street’s appliance wish list – if space allows – is an electronic fan-forced combi-oven for steaming and baking. Depot creator and 2012 Metro Restaurateur of the Year Al Brown says while the kitchen is tight, that’s not a bad thing. “More space in a kitchen means you do the mileage; in smaller kitchens there are fewer movements and you can be more efficient. Small is intimate too, and it’s easier to see what’s going on. If you’re organised and the kitchen’s well designed you can do it. “Depot’s style is quick cooking so a smaller space works well and we’ve split the kitchen – the raw bar is up front and short order cooking is segregated too.” Brown says the kitchen layout is fantastic. “It’s like running in a car, it just gets better. We’re constantly looking at getting more out of the space though – if you don’t you’re going backwards.”

Beech Wood Fire Oven - Chef Nikhil

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Burns and Ferrall

Self cooking centre Rational New Zealand in conjunction with sister company, Burns and Ferrall, is pleased to release the new Self Cooking Center-White efficiency in New Zealand. Rational works in conjunction with Burns and Ferrall to supply restaurants, supermarkets and production kitchens and are suppliers to Foodstuffs, LSG Sky Chefs, SkyCity and Simon Gault’s Nourish chain, which has Euro as its flagship store. Rational has also recently entered into the Phoenix Group’s Iguana eatery in Hamilton. “Holistic solutions – smart, concise and efficient – are done in conjunction with the end user and make for collaborative problem solving,” says Rational regional head Michael Tamati. “We

cover all sectors for all needs where details make the difference.” • High Density Control This is a patented concept unique to Rational, which regulates the timing between power, heat and humidity within the cooking cabinet. This increases production, reduces consumption by 30 percent, uses 20 percent less energy and is 30 percent faster. • Efficient Level Control Cook mixed loads at the same time, without taste transfer. Each rack is individually monitored, making checking and recalibrating a thing of the past. The operator saves time, money and space as other appliances are not required. • Self Cooking Control Data input cooking processes are

simplified. You state the desired result; the unit calibrates to affect that result and intuitively accounts for that process over and over again. This mitigates operational error in multi-operator environments. • Care Control This is an intelligent cleaning suggestion. The unit tells you how much cleaning product to use, dependent on the amount of soiling. No more water softeners, lime scale or overuse of chemicals.

Sustainable and efficient Sustainability and efficiency are the big factors influencing the purchases of commercial cooking equipment today, says Southern Hospitality’s Phil Llewellyn. “Chefs are increasingly looking at energy plus the resource saving capabilities of new products, such as water and power usage and manufacturers are responding to these market demands,” says Llewellyn. “And the movement towards buying local and keeping things simple is behind most popular cafe and restaurant experiences.” Llewellyn and his team help chefs plan efficient kitchens and a successful kitchen is all about layout, he says. “Flow, workspace and ease-of-use in a commercial kitchen are paramount and that’s challenging these days when typi14

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cally, a lot of space in commercial properties is becoming squeezed. Space is expensive and making use of it in the best way is vital.” When working on new layouts, Llewellyn starts with the basics: what’s on the menu, the target market and what volumes will be produced. “Menu and market determine the type of equipment that’s required and the volumes dictate the size. “If cafe owners are considering buying a simple baking oven, we might suggest a Convotherm combi oven instead, which allows them greater flexibility, wider cooking options and the possibility of extra revenue streams.” Modern combi ovens can be programmed to start before a shift arrives in the kitchen; a joint of lamb

can be cooked overnight and the oven can go through the clean cycle during downtime. “Our clients are more aware of making efficiencies, by looking at what technology can do for their business, and that clever kitchen layout allows more efficient work flows. With the main costs to business being labour, food and overheads, if you can save money on labour, that’s a significant contribution to the bottom line.” Llewellyn also sees potential for efficiencies with the current popular sous vide cooking bath. “If you’re having a function, you can start cooking with the sous vide several days beforehand. By planning ahead, you’re increasing the yield and minimising risk. That’s good for the bottom line too.”

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We measure it.

Temperature

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Jordan Rondel, aka The Caker, moves her artisan business to the creative fringe of Karangahape Rd.

Sweet Cakes Auckland cake maker Jordan Rondel started The Caker two years ago, turning out specialty cake creations from a small corner of a large commercial kitchen in downtown Auckland. It was a great opportunity but it wasn’t long before she needed a base that was more personal and more in line with her boutique business. Rondel found a tiny kitchen for lease at the back of Eight Thirty cafe, 533 Karangahape Road, and purchased her own oven – a Moffat Turbo-fan digital electric one from Southern Hospitality. The even heat makes it ideal for baking, it cooks eight cakes in just 20 minutes and Rondel produces on average 40 specialty cakes every week. The space is tiny and there’s no such thing as walking the work triangle, Rondel merely has to turn. Rather than being restrictive though, she says the tight space makes her work more efficiently. That said, topping Rondel’s wish list are her own cafe and the tallest oven with racks to the ceiling. And for a woman with a sweet tooth and a calling for baking gorgeous morsels, she’ll be sticking to her cakes: “There’s something to be said for sticking with your specialty.”

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Images supplied by Catherine Bell - Epicure Trading Ltd

Holiday catering

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Catering Plus

June - July SPRING 2012 2012

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Cool calls for summer By Keith Stewart

I

t was the ultimate summer hospitality event, one that every politician in the countr y begged to be invited to. The Viticultural Field Day Luncheon was once the highlight of the small, colourful wine industry’s calendar, in the days before exports and Sauvignon Blanc were giants in our national economy. Features of the event were a large marquee in a sunny vineyard spot, usually somewhere in West Auckland, some live music with a distinct Croatian flavour, a mass of slowly turning spits roasting lambs

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over hot coals, and plenty of wine. The winemakers and their partners turned out in short sleeves and colourful frocks, and even the politicians were in relaxed garb, not like the black tie and diamonds that are now the standard dress for wine industry occasions. However, the casual flavour of New Zealand summer still demands a certain style from local caterers that is more in keeping with the old Field Days and marae catering traditions than it is with corporate slickness in the commercial centre.

Amy Hope of Auckland’s hot new catering operation, Cool Food says this relaxed style is exactly what they are focusing on, and summer is the best season for them. “Cool Food is ver y much about catering in a relaxed way,” Amy says. “They might be special occasions but our aim is to engage our clients in things like outdoor hot salmon smoking that is interesting as well as providing delicious food. Barbeques are impor tant too. Anything interactive.”

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Cool Food has also developed a strong suit in picnics, where corporates are looking for relaxed, outdoor staff events during the summer. One option for these that Cool Food provides is lunch boxes for each guest, with smart sandwiches and a few tasting delights to keep them interested. “Our clients are responding positively to our relaxed attitude,” says Amy, whose company is the hottest new caterer in the big city this season. Loaves and Fishes catering in West Auckland has been around a lot longer than Cool Food, and owner Helen Morton makes the point that being relaxed is not a new idea. Summer does bring a more relaxed attitude from the client however. “Outdoor catering becomes the

The NEW

feature during summer,” she says, bringing with it particular demands. “A lot of people don’t want to be bothered with crockery and glassware, so there is much more call for disposables. And for barbeques.” Her work also takes her to the whole range of public venues, from regional parks to the zoo. Many will order pre-packed food in picnic style for these, and Loaves and Fishes do manage delivery so there are no returns required. Anything delivered with the food is disposable, and service is managed by the clients. Ultimate finger food, like the original ‘loaves and fishes’ venue. There is another theme at work here, rather than the relaxed style of kiwi summer food events, and that

is the environmental attraction with disposables. Yes, they do make for a more easy going function, but, as Catherine Bell says, disposables are too often not really disposable at all; they hang around in the environment and are just plain ugly. Bell, founder of Dish magazine and one of this countr y’s leading food professionals, decided to put her energy into bringing seriously recyclable disposables into the countr y, which was the genesis of Epicure Trading, a company that handles a smar t range of disposable catering ware that is not just environmentally sound. “People are more ecologically aware,” she says. “But caterers are also looking for something smar t, something that makes their food look good.” Epicure Trading offers two lines of disposables, one made from plantation wood, and another from sugar cane waste. Both are completely biodegradable and have proven a hit with local caterers. “Most of our product goes with top foodser vice,” Catherine says. “It is light, easy and smar t, and it shows of f the food really nicely. Even cafes and hotels are using it for its visual appeal.” That relaxed kiwi style runs way beyond summer, then. It’s an attitude that may have started in our catered food sector under the ubiquitous canvas of a marquee, but it has also made its way into a particularly South Pacific version of the café. Cool and smart. Laid back, but taking its sense of style and quality of food ver y seriously indeed.

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Feeding

street

the

We take a serious look at catering to those in need: the people, companies, supporters and organisations behind the scenes. By David Stewart

I

t’s getting tougher on the streets, with the challenge of feeding New Zealand’s underclass becoming more demanding by the day. Latest data from the New Zealand General Social Survey puts 15% feeling they are unable to meet basic financial obligations, which, according to the Auckland City Mission is reflected in unprecedented demand for their Foodlink programme. The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Ser vices Vulnerability Report for July 2012 shows that food assistance from Church and community foodbanks and soup kitchens continues to increase. Pam Waugh of the Salvation Army says: “No matter how frugal these families are, parents face the tough choices of paying the rent – often eating up 70% or more of the household budget – or feeding the family for the week, pay school costs or the power ... If food wins over rent, then they face eviction and homelessness, and this is what we are seeing daily.” Amongst those on the front lines are the Soup Kitchen in Wellington and the Lifewise Merge Café on Karangahape Road in central Auckland, both with a dif ferent approach on how to meet the needs of the burgeoning poor.

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Images credit: Antony Kitchener

A few streets back from Oriental Bay, in Te Aro, the Soup Kitchen at the Suzanne Aubert Compassion Centre has been ser ving hot meals to We llin gto n’s hom ele ss and needy six days a week for roughly a cen tur y. The Sou p Kit che n sur viv es thr oug h the ef for ts of 200 volunteers, who work in l both kitchen and organisationa l loca the from roles, and funding for and dem community. As the ’ their ser vice grows, individuals and ney mo suppor t in the form of labour needs to expand to meet the challenge, which can be as personal as donations of homegrown vegetables. Th ere is als o sub sta ntiv e sup por t fro m loc al com pan ies, such as Arobake, Chaffers Street Ne w Wo rld , Ha van a Co f fee and Flo rid itas caf é, wh o ma ke con trib utio ns to the me nus and at the redubbed “Soup Hub”, to funding. re meeting nutritional require- able we’ tutors for anyone Ce ntr e ma nag er Ph ilip pa ments, and our chefs take a lot complete with IT discovering the Meachen says that the level of of pride in making sur e that our needing help with ting online. community suppor t they cur rently meals are nutritious, and also ver y advantages of get Ano the r sta unc h com mu nity enjoy can be translated into a more attractive.” , Auckland’s venerable ambitious goal than just filling a n to this, Soup Kitchen institution itio add In p Kit che n, large number of bellies with soup. vol unt eer s act as con dui ts for Air eda le Str eet Sou reborn in “We are extremely mindful that the sor ts of hou sin g, wel fare , was closed down and e Merge wis sts, Life gue the our as 2010 for a large number of geting and medical ser vices late bud anisers y org the the e e, plac tim é. It was this may be the only t the ir cus tom ers ma y not Caf tha roach app to h y tr fres a we e d, to tak are getting meals and e be aware of, getting believe wis er oth g the din als fee me of g challenge ens ure tha t the eve nin ple in touch with agen- to the peo dy nee is get hungr y streets. are healthy. So while bud cie s and pro fes sio nal s to giv e the e r-rid ove not s doe it nt, Lifewise sees a big par t of their orta imp nce of making cha t bes the m the us provider of ser vices in commitment to ser ve nutritio ndent lives for them- role as a epe ind re mo as well. Thi s meals,” says Meachen. the fruit of a pro f fering advice as ly, ent Rec es. selv se problems “For example, we will pur cha ween the involves addressing the bet ject pro ve rati abo coll if t often accompany homelessseasonal fruit and vegetables passion Centre, Wellington tha Com d ate don ugh eno e hav s, such as mental and physical we don’t and Retake the Net, internet nes ICT ked wor ’ve We k. wee t addiction, and helping with produce tha has even been made avail- health, ess acc t tha ure ens to an tici wit h a die

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food costs, the Café is a colourful, acc ess to ser vice s from oth er comfortable and popular spot, as agencies. enced by the patronage of Par t of the new app roa ch at evid e customers who work on K Merge Café is a small charge for som d, supplementing the meagr e hot meals – typically $3.00 or $3.50 roa over and contributing to a real for takeaways – but also the oppor- turn munity feel about the place. tunity to acquire some new skills, com Lifewise believes it is offering as the cooks are trainees recruited a degree of choice and civi lity from the café’s customers. ers in their attractive “They’re not going to come away to custom ironment, which was not from her e as gourmet chefs, but new env their former premises I will show them the basics, right possible at ser vice of free, but down from knife skills, basic prep- through the ple r, foo d. Tod ay’s aration, food safety and hygiene,” mu ch sim ter Chicken on rice says Merge Café’s Stephen Clark. option of But with guacamole “It’s a chance for a new life that or Beef Nachos an appealing one, has seen some of the city’s home- and salad was and Merge has the ambiance of a less helping out.” albeit one with Boo ste d by an inje ctio n of regular urban café, l clientele. urfu sed colo y lici larl pub a par ticu funds from the well Haddock ie nCor mai e’s and wis As Life “Big Sleep Out” events gs that thin the and of e ns “On atio has put it, tained by public don a lack is ss sne ers eles cov hom ally comes with by pricing which usu ortuopp of lack a of choice and back ple peo ng givi nity. It’s about t.” pec dignity and res Dignity and respect, as well as nutrition, a sense of well-being and choice, and not least some respect for food with taste, not only sustenance. These are challenging parameters at the tough end of our cat erin g ind ust r y, where customers demand more than food and ser vice; they also need a momentar y surge of rehabilitation. As Fat her De s Bri tten , now Sir De s, say s of his 17 yea rs working feeding the streets after a career in haute cuisine, “We had programmes that were tailored to people’s needs, we wer en’t just a group of people helping out people by giving them money or food.”

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Health

Institutional Catering – Health Sector Private contractors offer potential for improved hospital food By Keith Stewart

R

ecent developments in the public sector in the United Kingdom, where the British Government is progressing with its Responsibility Deal to attract more private sector involvement in the National Health Service could provide an example that New Zealand government may follow under its private partnership initiatives. Food service is one of the largest cost centres in any hospital operation, so the option of contracting out has appeal, both for potential contractors, and for resource-strapped health boards. A number of hospital boards in this country have already taken the step, but most remain with in-house services making this one of the largest areas for potential growth 22

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in the institutional catering sector for private businesses. The United Kingdom experience is providing a number of interesting insights into the challenges of meeting health sector expectations. There is initially the need for a different perspective in food preparation with nutritional values and health demands changing the dynamics of ser vice, even for companies that have experience with institutional catering on a large scale. As well as this added expectation of careful nutritional performance, there is also the demand of customers who are in stressful situations and who may have had their tastes compromised by medication. This changes the relation-

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ship between provider and customer sugnificantly, and provides a secondary complication in meeting the challenge of consumer satisfaction. Another difference is the presence of food science professionals in the mix. Dietitians and nutritionists play an active role in all hospitals, more so than was the case historically, and their input as well as that of a diverse group of other professionals involved makes expertise a management priority for contractors. “...this is an area that can be debated but at the end of the day it will be driven by the menu, the budget and the ‘perception’ of others that will provide the best value for money and meet the needs of the client, the nurses, the dieticians, the speech pathologists, the cooks, the accountant, the legislation, etc. I think you can see where I am coming from. How can this many stakeholders all agree, have their specific requirements met, and be happy?.” writes Wendy Lewis Baida, chief food ser vices manager for the Royal Adelaide Hospital and tertiar y lecturer on foodser vice. Differences in service culture aside, the British experience shows that independent operators bring innovation and greater flexibility to the sector. They also bring a more creative, positive attitude to customer satisfaction, which is key in delivering high health food service standards. According to Roger d’Elia a senior manager with Medirest, part of the Compass Group which hold 14% of

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NHS contracts, the change from one culture to another is often an important factor in both delivery and meeting budget demands. “I think that traditional hospital catering was based on a rather militar y model of delivering food – it was served at a specific time,” d’Elia told Britain’s Guardian newspaper. “You got what you got and you were lucky to have any choice at all and there was no control of portion size. I think that mindset still exists in some hospitals.” The introduction of an independent foodservice operator improved customer meal experience and reduced food costs, he pointed out. “Our food waste before had been between 20 and 25%, but it went down to just 0.5% because people were eating the food. Mealtimes became a pleasant event. When things are pleasant patients get better. From an acute hospital perspective, if people eat well their tissue regeneration is excellent, their wounds heal better and they can fight off infection.” The prospects for commercial catering operators are considerable, with 112 hospitals around the country offering seven days a week, 52 weeks a year food service to 25,000 patients. The level of privatisation of the service will ultimately depend on government attitudes and the potential for cost saving, but there are positive signs from the experience that private contractors could offer a significant improvement in the quality and cost of hospital foodservice in the future.

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Venue of the month

Come into the garden By Jane Warwick

I

t’s hard to believe you’re in the centre of New Zealand’s biggest city. A tui sings in a nearby tree, fantails dance and fat wood pigeons lumber around the branches. The garden is in bloom and you can hear the tumble of the waterfall. Climb up to Wilkies Lookout and you are reminded that you are in a metropolis because the splendid view looks out over the city and onto the harbour. Eden Garden in Epsom is a wonderful surprise as a venue. It ticks so many boxes – it is central and accessible, it is flexible and it can be used not only as a meeting place but also as a team-building venue, especially for companies that encourage their staff to participate in community-based initiatives. Eden Garden was once a quarry until, 45 years ago, a team of volunteers committed to turning it into a garden. A team of 15 under the leadership of Jack Clark, a respected and farsighted horticulturalist, cleaned out the rubbish of the abandoned stone works which had

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supplied rock for the early buildings of Auckland. It was reported to be backbreaking work and the group pulled out old vehicles including trucks and years and years and years of rubbish, both domestic and commercial. Then they had the equally onerous task of bringing in tons of soil to fill the gap the rubbish removal had made and beginning the huge job of turning it into a garden. The site, eventually gifted to the people of Auckland, now has what it believes is the largest and most varied collection of camellias in New Zealand, vireya or tropical rhododendrons (some of which are always in bloom), rhododendrons and azaleas, lots of bromeliads, hibiscus that have been described as magnificent and an extensive collection of New Zealand natives. The layout is informal with wide sweeping paths that have narrow winding side trails that take visitors deep into the garden. Those who know about such things say it is an extremely skillful creation with landscaping that shows the display as a garden rather than a collection. Those of us who know nothing about gardens and the way they should be planted, can still

tell it is a beautiful space. The upkeep is done by volunteers and this is where businesses with community-based and teambuilding programmes in place might find an idea. Eden Garden says corporate groups are a vital part of its volunteer force. Groups that have taken part have a lasting sense of achievement because the work they do is so tangible. Past group members often bring their families to the garden to show them the results of their work. The site’s Bloom Café has proven to be an excellent venue for small groups up to around 50 persons. Three private rooms are available – the cosy Studio, the Gallery and the large Garden Room. Everything is homemade on the premises with an emphasis on seasonal, free range and organic produce. Tea is loose-leaf and coffee is fair trade. The venue is open 9am-4.30pm from 01 Sept-30 Apr and 9am-4pm 01 May-31 August. Further details (Ph: 09 638 8385 or from bloom@edengarden.co.nz) Eden Garden 24 Omana Ave Epsom Auckland

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