espresso July 2012

o s s e r se p

www.espressomagazine.co.nz | July 2012 | Volume 01 | Issue 03

e r u t l u c é f a c & d o o f fast

Pizza and recycling Heaven Café of the month: Community café

Weston Milling’s Trainee of the Year

TM

Judges - Industry professionals Roy West - Southern Hospitality Doug Leighton - Tip Top Peter Walker - Giles/Yarrows and Jason Hay 2011’s winner owner of Richoux Patisserie

ENTRIES CLOSED 29th March

INITIAL JUDGING 20th April

TOP 9 ANNOUNCED 23rd April

• Tina Yi • Jessica Deng • Jenna Mangin • Rochelle Drury • Michael Strong • Flynn Knowles-Barley • Josh Harding • Larissa Rzoska • Rebecca Cannon

Michael Strong

Larissa Rzoska

TRAINING DAYS IN NAPIER 15th-16th May

Jenna Mangin

FINALS Sunday 17th and Monday 18th June held at Fine Food Show NZ at ASB Showgrounds

Photos by Cynthia Daly from Hospo News.

TOP 3- WINNER • Jenna Mangin • 10 O’Clock Cookie Bakery, Masterton • 2nd and 3rd Rochelle Drury and Jessica Deng both from CPIT in Christchurch Flynn Knowles Barley

Josh Harding

Tina Yi

Jessica Deng

Rochelle Drury

Rebecca Cannon

Napier Training

lture & café cu fast food

www.espressomagazine.co.nz a Mediaweb magazine

Give your business a boost

EDITOR: E: editor@espressomagazine.co.nz

It’s a busy time of year for anyone involved in the food industry as the food fairs and culinary competitions around the country continue to heat up.

Have you thought about entering your fast food or café business in any of these awards?

They are a great way firstly to test yourself against the rest of the market, but also to help inspire both you and your staff to really hone in on what your business is about and what your strengths and weaknesses are.

So do check out the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards on page 5; the new competitions on offer at the 2012 New Zealand Culinary Fare and the new Café of the Year competition which we highlight on page 16.

This issue we also celebrate some of the winners from recent food events and competitions including Weston Milling’s Trainee of the Year (page 14).

And as winter (seemingly) starts to lose its grip on the country, no doubt there will be more customers and potential customers milling around in the sun just looking for a quiet spot to take a break and enjoy your fine service. This month Kathy Ombler highlights two Wellington businesses, both of which have very loyal customer bases. Firstly there is The Wadestown Kitchen (page 10) a café where the local community really counts and secondly Heaven Woodfire Pizza (page 20), where their success, they believe, is based on having fun.

We hope the month is going well for you and go on, enter a competition – who knows you might win and we’ll be writing about you in a coming issue of espresso.

Good luck!

CONSULTING EDITOR: John Clarke SALES MANAGER: James Ellis jamese@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 PRODUCTION MANAGER: Fran Marshall P: +64 9 529 3000 E: franm@mediaweb.co.nz CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sue McDiarmid P: +64 9 529 3000 E: subscriptions@mediaweb.co.nz ACCOUNTANT: Pam King P: +64 9 529 3000 E: pamk@mediaweb.co.nz

The team at espresso

PUBLISHER Toni Myers

MEDIAWEB: Freepost 288, PO Box 5544, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141 P: +64 9 529 3000 F: +64 9 529 3001 E: info@mediaweb.co.nz

WINNER: The winner of the much sought after Treats from Little and Friday by Kim Evans (Penguin NZ) is Les Williams of Hastings. So congratulations. We will post out the book shortly.

Prepress AND PRINT: PMP Print ISSN – 2253 – 3869 All material published in espresso is copyright and cannot be reproduced unless written consent is obtained from the publisher and espresso is acknowledged as the source. Opinions are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent those of Mediaweb.

Publisher’s statement of distribution espresso distribution figures can be supplied by way of a publisher's statement which can be verified if required by print and postal information. This is the same data reviewed under the ABC system. The guaranteed minimum distribution for espresso is 6000.

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Contents

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es espresso shorts

Smart Technology; Best new food products; It’s pie awards time; New challenges at culinary fare; Green café initiative; Be in to win. __________________________________________

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café culture

Café of the month: A café where community counts 10

A bustling little café in Wellington is a place where everyone knows your name. By Kathy Ombler.

Young baker delighted with her win 14

It takes skill and tenacity to win the Weston Milling Trainee of the Year competition.

Café of the Year: Could you be New Zealand’s best café ?

16

A new competition aims to search out the best café in the land.

Reflecting the Kiwi culture 18

A new coffee brand is setting out to reflect the essence of what it means to be Kiwi. ____________________________________________

pp

pizza pasta

Cover story: Pizza and recycling Heaven 20

One pizza operation in Wellington has been virtually hand-

built from the ground up by its owner. And it works a treat, says Kathy Ombler. ____________________________________________

22

fast foods

The art of the sandwich For a lunch-time favourite it is hard to beat a good, well made and carefully constructed sandwich. And, says Kathy Ombler, it’s a very competitive market.

20

ff

Fast and furious 25

Auckland Airport’s domestic terminal contains 11 different food and beverage outlets catering for 6.5 million passengers a year.

That’s a lot of food and coffee which the customers want fast and of a high standard. Kathy Ombler explored how they do it.

Elegant design in packaging 27

Innovative and upscale packaging can add real value to your food offerings.

____________________________________________

ww world watch

World Trends 29

Food trucks, healthy alternatives and gluten-free lead the way. ____________________________________________

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chit chat

your point of difference 30 Finding It is a tight market out there but the outlook for restaurants is

still cautiously optimistic. By Marisa Bidios.

Keeping it going in tough times 32

Every small business owner goes through difficult times in their business. That’s when we need to be at our resilient best, says business coach and mentor Chris Elphick. ____________________________________________

Cover image by Sarah Habershon

33 bb blackboard July 2012 |

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es An offal trend?

The Dominion Post reported in late June that as the global economic slump hits, offal gets more popular and that organs and other "unfashionable" cuts of meat are appearing on more Wellington menus as restaurants struggle in the downturn.

The paper said that a national survey by the Restaurant Association found dishes such as beef cheeks were becoming more common, and 15 percent of the 133 respondents had increased the use of chicken to cut costs.

Green café initiative receives funding 42collective Incorporated, which has instigated a Conscious Consumers café programme to restaurants, bars and caterers nationwide, has received a $70,000 grant in the latest round of the Community Environment Fund.

Environment Minister Amy Adams said in early July that the Government is providing $1.5 million to 16 community groups to help them improve the environment, under the latest round of the fund, which “helps New Zealanders who are passionate about the environment take action to address local issues”.

A media release said the 42collective will roll out its Conscious Consumers café programme to restaurants, bars and caterers nationwide.

“The award winning project provides an effective and affordable business accreditation scheme for the New Zealand hospitality industry, encouraging businesses to employ sustainable business practices such as composting and recycling.

“The project promotes sustainable hospitality businesses to consumers and promotes suppliers of sustainable goods and services to restaurants.

“This project provides an effective incentive for sustainable business practice in New Zealand’s hospitality sector,” the media release says.

A creative marketing idea The à Deco restaurant in Whangarei had a good marketing idea for gathering more customers.

Included in its latest newsletter was a call to “bring us wild game that you’ve hunted/caught - or been given - and our talented chefs will turn it into a delectable meal for you to share with friends and family”.

The newsletter says that whether it’s from air, land or sea, “the game will be presented in creative dishes, cooked to perfection while you just sit back and enjoy! Duck, pheasant, swan, peacock, goose, quail, venison, wild boar, marlin, crayfish ... you name it, we’ve cooked it.”

The best of the farmers markets Feilding Farmers’ Market, which operates on a Friday morning in the centre of its vibrant and hustling town centre, secured the personal vote of the Prime Minister, John Key, and thousands of other localvore's votes to claim the outright win over 34 other Farmers’ Markets from Invercargill to the Bay of Islands, who were vying for the 2012 Taste Farmers’ Market of the Year Award.

The Market Manager of the Year was Barb Warren from Ohaka Farmers’ Market and the Farmers’ Market Region of the Year was Northland – Kerikeri & Paihia Farmers’ Markets.

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es It’s pie awards time A cheeky spiced plum, port and apple pie took the top prize last year.

Last year’s supreme award winners, Shane and Kathy Kearns of Viands Bakery, in Kikikihi.

Fast pie facts

• The New Zealand pie market is worth more than $140 million a year.

• Kiwis chomp through a staggering 75 million pies a year.

• Last year 388 bakeries entered more than 4000 pies.

Last year’s winners of the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards say the win did wonders for both their confidence and their business.

Last year there was shock, horror among passionate Kiwi pie lovers when a cheeky spiced plum, port and apple pie knocked the classic meat pie off its perch to win the coveted title of the country’s top pie at the 2011 Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards.

And it’s nearly time for the 2012 event.

A media release from the organisers says the 2012 Bakels Supreme Pie Awards will be announced on July 24.

Last year’s supreme award winners, Shane and Kathy Kearns of Viands Bakery, of Kikikihi, near Te Awamutu, are tight lipped about whether they’re going to go sweet or savoury this year.

The media release says that their winning pie last year was the result of a middle of the night inspiration for Kathy Kearns, when she woke up and thought “right, port wine and plum”. Husband Shane agreed but said “plus apple”.

The Kearns say winning the Supreme Pie Award did wonders for their confidence and also for their business. They went from a production run of 300 pies a day to

up to 500 a day just after their win. And their business turnover has increased by a healthy 30 percent during the past year.

Says Kathy: “That win totally helped us in all areas of our business, from our confidence to our turnover.”

The awards are now into their 16th year and they are judged in 12 categories.

A new category has been introduced this year: the café boutique category, to acknowledge the growing number of cafés serving a variety of tasty pies.

However, the winner of the café boutique category will not be able to qualify for the 2012 Supreme Award.

Last year’s chief judge, Grant Wilson, who is owner and managing director of Maketu Pies, says the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards have been a great boost for the industry.

“The pie awards are a great Kiwi icon and I just think bakers are trying to give people better and better pies. Kiwis are passionate about pies.”

The awards will be judged on July 19 and winners announced on July 24.

Be in to win: Monin Syrups Monin is offering readers of espresso magazine the chance to win a Monin Coffee Starter Pack, valued at more than $100.

The pack includes five bottles comprising Monin Vanilla Syrup (one litre), Monin Amaretto Syrup (700 ml), Monin Gingerbread Syrup (700ml), Monin White Chocolate Syrup (one litre) and Monin Toffee Nut Syrup (700 ml).

Monin has more than 100 years of experience in the gourmet flavour business with more than 100 flavours available worldwide. The company uses only natural ingredients in all its products.

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es Fast and furious at the 2011 NZ Culinary Fare.

Classes set to challenge at Culinary Fare Competitors at the 2012 NZ Culinary Fare are set to be challenged and rewarded in new and revamped competitions, according to a media release from the Restaurant Association of NZ. Aside from the marquee event for new hospitality businesses, the Up and Coming Business Team, three other new classes are on the menu for 2012, reflecting new trends in restaurant and café dining and a new challenge for students. They are: • Café Sandwich Open – sponsored by Clyth MacLeod – served in any form of bread with a filling and served cold. Prize value $500.

• Vegetarian Main Dish Open – sponsored

by Heritage Auckland – prepare and present a seasonal vegetarian main course. Winner to receive a night for two at the hotel, plus a day in the hotel kitchen with executive chef Jinu Abraham.

• Mystery Box, Training – sponsored

by Auckland University of Technology prepare and present one of three possible dishes (lamb, duck or hapuku). All ingredients and recipe will be provided in the mystery box. Winner to receive $200 worth of culinary text books.

Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois says the new classes are set to challenge and encourage entrants.

“These new classes will showcase the kind of dishes being prepared and served in restaurants and cafés across the country.

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The mystery box event will give students a taste of the competition cooking under pressure.

“Also returning for 2012 are two hotly contested classes; New Zealand Training Food and Beverage Person of the Year sponsored by Restaurant and Catering News and Training Team of the Year, sponsored by City & Guilds, which has a sought-after $7,000 prize package including $4,000 in cash.

“Food and Beverage Person of the year offers a fabulous mentoring package as a prize including a day working with front of house maven Geeling Ching, a two day winery experience with Villa Maria, a night at Sky City Grand and a mixed case of wine from Negociants.

“It’s a chance to learn from the best in the business, and is a great incentive for those working front of house. They’ll get the inside track and hopefully learn a few tricks of the trade that might otherwise take years to learn,” says Bidois.

Two other competitions have also had a makeover; NZ Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Equagold, is now an individual event and NZ Chef of the Year, sponsored by Moffat Ltd and Southern Hospitality, now has a theory component.

The NZ Culinary Fare will be held on August 19 – 21 at ASB Showgrounds and is held in conjunction with the Restaurant and Bar Show. It is the largest culinary

RANZ

The prizes on offer at the 2012 NZ Culinary Fare include experiences that money can’t buy. competition in the Southern Hemisphere For more information about other competitions at the NZ Culinary Fare, visit www.restaurantnz.co.nz

About the Culinary Fare • Sunday 19 August to Tuesday 21 August, ASB Showgrounds.

• Held in conjunction with the Restaurant and Bar Show.

• Largest culinary competition in the Southern Hemisphere.

• The awards are industry recognised, improving the employment chances of participants, and lifting industry standards.

• Prestigious national titles including Toque d’Or, Chef and Service Professional of the Year, Top Somm and Up and Coming Business Team of the Year.

es New Zealand producer wins best new food product In a competition dominated by imported products, a New Zealand company, Sealord, took out the top prize of the FMCG Best New Food and Beverage Product Award at the 2012 Fine Food Show in Auckland last month.

The trophy went to Sealord New Zealand, Seasonal Catch, Bluenose with linseed, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Others to take places were Jale Organic Pomegranate Juice and Alexandra’s Moroccan Couscous.

One of the judges of the awards, Mediaweb’s John Clarke said they had thought it would be “something of a doddle” judging the FMCG Best New Food or Beverage Product Award “but it proved quite a challenge. There was a fine bunch of products, half a dozen of which really stood out. And when it came down to choosing just three of these as finalists it was not simply a matter of choosing the product we fancied as the parameters for this competition were relatively stringent”.

Another judge, James Ellis (espresso’s sales manager) said of Sealord's winning product: "It was great to see a real fish product in this space in the market. Bluenose is a very good eating fish and is hard to access in a good portion-controlled form.

“This product is good value for money, cooks up well and is easy to handle. The cooked samples were moist, flavoursome and gave a true quality eating experience."

The judges said that selecting the final victor was a hard decision, as all three met

FMCG Best New Food and Beverage Award.

the competition standards, with the Sealord product getting the decision by a slim margin.

Other winners at the awards included Hospitality Magazine's Best New Hospitality Equipment: Rational – Self Cooking Centre white efficiency – Combi Oven Clarke commented: “This latest version of long time leader (54 percent of the global market) in combi oven technology was just such a giant step up in innovation that it just had to win.”

Best New Foodservice Product was Ginellis – Ice cream dessert – Chocolate Revenge and the Best Retail Innovation was Extenzo – Stretch Ceilings.

Discover Ultimate Creativity with MONIN! In 2012 MONIN celebrates its 100th Birthday built upon a legacy of quality, innovation, versatility and service.

With over 80 products in the range, MONIN is ideal for use in cafes, bars and foodservice. Crafted from only the best natural ingredients (pure Cane Sugar, fruits, flowers, spices and nuts) to create genuine flavours, MONIN Syrups are not only tasteful but versatile; from sophiscated cocktails, flavoured coffees and tea to flavoured sodas, milkshakes and smoothies…the possiblities are endless!

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Contact your Stuart Alexander sales representative for more information or call Consumer Services, phone 0800 188 484 Discover ultimate recipes on: www.MONIN.com

Hospitality magazine's Best New Hospitality Equipment winner

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es Promise for the future of the industry Over 300 student hospitality professionals tested – and proved - their mettle in the kitchen, restaurant, and behind the bar at Waikato Culinary Fare late in June.

“The creativity and skill displayed this year has been incredibly impressive, especially when you consider some of these students are still in high school, or have only been training a year or two,” Fare director and Cater Plus chief executive Paul Hodges said in a media release. “It shows great promise for the future of our Ronald Kim plates up his Cambodianstyle entree course. industry.”

That future belongs to rising stars such as Wintec’s Team Orange Lotus, led by trainee chef Ronald Kim, who along with his teammates Rebecca Kim and Debra Anniss not only won the Nestlé Foodservice Junior Team Skills event, but executed each course as an ambitious interpretation of traditional Cambodian flavours and techniques, presented in hand-crafted banana leaf serve-ware.

“Competitors that do well at regional level often go on to represent the Waikato at the National Fare, and there are several very strong contenders here,” says Hodges The Waikato Culinary Fare is an annual two-day event created and sponsored by Wintec in partnership with Cater Plus Services Ltd. Now in its eighth year, it is the Waikato’s largest cooking competition and features dozens of different culinary and hospitality events, including knife skills, barista and cocktail competitions, restaurant service, and pre-prepared ‘static’ dessert and cake displays.

Competitors entered from across the Waikato secondary schools as well as hospitality training institutions, including Wintec, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Manukau Polytechnic, and the armed forces.

See www.waikatofare.co.nz and www.caterplus.co.nz

Main course in the Nestlé Food Service Junior Teams Skill Challenge by Team Orange Lotus.

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Could this be useful?

A local technology company has created a new device which it says will revolutionise the way New Zealanders pay their bills and provide better cash flow for businesses.

Swipe HQ is the latest offering from technology company Optimiser HQ, which specialises in email software, web design and business solution software.

The company, owned by Manas Kumar, recently hit headlines when it became one of the first local technology companies to list on the German stock exchange.

CEO Kumar says in a media release that he created the new mobile credit card terminal to create better payment flexibility for both businesses and consumers.

Swipe HQ is a device smaller than a matchbox which plugs into the audio jack of any smartphone. Much like a normal credit card terminal, the merchant enters the amount of the transaction, swipes the credit card and the heavily encrypted transaction is completed. Electronic receipts can then be sent by text message or email to the customer.

Subway at Wellington airport Subway Restaurants’ second New Zealand airport store was set to open in Wellington early in July and will be the first Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) to open in Wellington International Airport.

“Airport restaurants are unique,” says Mark Hawes, development agent for the North Island in a media release. “The new Wellington International Airport store will not only be frequented by those arriving and departing but will also service cabbies, airport staff and flight crew.”

Owned by Marcus Griffin, franchisee of three other Subway Restaurants in the Wellington region, the restaurant will also offer a dedicated coffee and seating area.

“With over five million passengers plus passing through Wellington International Airport every year, along with meeters and greeters, we’re expecting this to be a very busy store,” says Griffin.

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cc

mmunity counts A bustling little café in Wellington is a place where everyone knows your name.

By Kathy Ombler.

Whether we’re talking customers, suppliers or staff, community is everything at The Wadestown Kitchen, a bustling little café in the Wellington suburb of Wadestown.

The community buy-in is much appreciated by owner/head chef Andrea Holmes, who laughs in a self-deprecating manner as she explains the simple rationale behind the café. “I’d stopped full time cooking and had children and it seemed like a really good idea at the time to open a little café.”

Before starting the new venture her research included visiting the Wadestown community co-ordinater to get a feel for what goes on in the vicinity at, for example, the churches and playgroups.

Seven years on and most days the café will be bursting at the seams. It will remain a little 30 seater, however, only because it has no physical room to expand, tacked, as it is, on the end of a little block of Wadestown shops.

That’s where the community thing helps.

“We have one really big table and people are happy to squash together and chat with each other. We probably know 70 percent of our customers by name,” says Holmes.

There is a toy box, but not a lot of play room so Holmes and her staff often carry orders across the road to the local playground.

“I’d rather parents and their

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cc children were somewhere safe than playing on the roadside.”

What draws the patrons is Holmes’ fresh fare, baked daily on-the-premises, including cabinet and menu options plus a selection of ready to eat, take home meals.

“The concept is that we wanted to offer New Zealand food, people call it European but I think we’re past that, we’re not colonials anymore. The produce comes from Mum’s garden, friends’ fruit trees and we go to the markets just like everyone does in Wellington. My sister has an amazing lemon tree and I love using lemon in all my food. Our meat is all free range from Corey (Wadestown Gourmet Butcher) next door, he also supplies our free-range eggs.”

Holmes brings a catering background to the café (she also out-caters to local events).

In Wellington she’s worked for caterer Cushla’s Cuisine and upmarket venue Boomrock Lodge, while a London stint saw her cheffing in private homes and for the partners of a major international law company.

In Wadestown her clientele includes local families, tradesmen, a weekend brunch market and a significant number of retired couples. “That’s been a surprise, the number of older people who enjoy coming out to eat and probably have their main meal of the day here as lunch.”

If there’s a challenge, apart from the café size, it’s the randomness of the business. “We can never tell how busy it’s going to be. One scary day a House and Garden tour arrived unannounced and we had people queuing out the door.”

What attracts them most?

Cheese muffins, is Holmes’ immediate response. “Without doubt they are the number one seller; the recipe (yes, it’s secret) comes from a Wadestown local, I’m forever grateful.”

In broader terms, she says the appeal is the fresh and wholesome food.

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“We use a lot of vegetables, the only thing we buy in is Pandoro bread. I like to change things every day, we also use whole foods such as quinoa and whole wheat couscous and we use lots of nuts and seeds.”

Popular menu items range across continents, from the very Kiwi free range beef mince on toast with poached egg, to green satay chicken curry to spinach cannelloni.

The customer’s favourite winter soup is ham hock with winter vegetables; the weekend “brunchers” like the bruschetta with tomatoes, parmesan, pesto and poached egg – and, of course, mince on toast.

“People still really want meat, they feel satisfied if they’ve eaten a lot of protein.”

There are always at least 10 items of cabinet food; panini’s, mushroom risotto cakes and frittatas, for example.

Pies, also made with free range beef, are really popular. These and the soups, curries and pastas are also available for take home meals. A lot of people will come here for coffee or lunch and take a meal home as well, says Holmes. A win-win.

However, it’s the slices, sandwiches and cakes that get her really enthusiastic, for example talking about her gluten-free raspberry and coconut slice with lemon curd and berry sauce, and homemade muesli bars.

Club sandwiches include perennial favourites ham, egg and tomato, or chicken, cream cheese, celery and lemon. “We don’t like our sandwiches cold so

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we gladwrap them and sell them from the counter. It’s a textural thing, with sandwiches, they are easy to eat and don’t fall to bits like wraps sometimes do. Our club sandwiches usually sell within three hours.”

Coffee is the one exception to community rule; Holmes has opted for “Oomph!” from Christchurch company Hummingbird Coffee.

Yes, Wellington has its reputation for great roasters but she was seeking a point of difference.

“It’s Fair Trade, organic and quite mellow, it suits us.”

Staff are mostly Wadestown locals, however. Holmes has enjoyed seeing young people come through and says it’s nice when people can walk down the road to work.

She employs 10 staff, opens seven days and nearly a third of the business is the catering side.

She seems energised by it all, loving what she’s doing.

“I’m really about food. I just love reading cook books, finding inspiration from what people do all over the place, the internet is fantastic for new ideas. I like to try new things, once we find something is a success we’ll keep it going.”

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Young baker

delighted with her win It takes skill and tenacity to win the Weston Milling Trainee of the Year competition.

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Twenty-three-year-old Jenna Mangin, from the 10 O’clock Cookie Bakery Café in Masterton, is more than delighted with her win in the Weston Milling Trainee of the Year competition held at the Fine Food New Zealand show in June.

Weston Milling says that second place went to Rochelle Drury from CPIT in Christchurch and third place to Jessica Deng from CPIT in Christchurch.

Mangin is just one year and one month into her apprenticeship although she has been at the successful Masterton café for nearly two years. The 10 O’clock Cookie Bakery Café

is a family run business and, according to its website, in 2009 it won the coveted BIANZ Bakery of the Year competition.

Mangin told espresso that at the café she undertakes “ a bit of everything” but does enjoy the cake-making side of things.

So what did she win with?

Along with the other nine finalists Mangin had three hours and one hour preparation time to produce savoury and sweet croissants; a Christmas Log which she flavoured with Belgian chocolate and cointreau and a sundried tomato and herb fougasse (a French style of the Italian focaccia bread).

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Photo by Jan Michael

The contestants also had to bake six mini cakes and she produced mandarin and yoghurt mousseline cake.

Asked what she thinks won the competition for her, Mangin believes the fact she had a theme around her whole table and products was a big advantage. She had themed it “Winter in Paris” and had a large backdrop picture of the Eiffel Tower.

She says too that her employers, Michael and Rosalie Kloeg, were very helpful and had helped motivate her to get in and get going.

Asked if it was nerve-wracking performing in front of the crowds who attended the bakeoff, she says initially it was but “after about 10 minutes you just zone out and get on with it. I finished with about 40 seconds to spare and even my Mum said I looked calm and relaxed”.

Mangin is from Masterton and says she had known she wanted to be in the food trade for some time, but it took a while to find the right position. She enjoys baking and says it is more like a hobby for her.

And judge Roy West, the bakery division manager at Southern Hospitality, says the calibre of the contestants this year was very good. He said the judges judged exactly to the

questions asked and results were weighted on skills level, presentation on the table, the flavour profile, finishing and tastes for modern trends.

He says the Weston Milling competition is fantastic for these young people and it is a good opportunity for them to put their best foot forward and see what other people are doing.

Weston Milling's marketing executive, Veronica Thompson says the company knows that a lot of effort goes in, not just from the trainees but also by their employer. This includes the time they give their trainee and also the help and support.

This year Weston Milling decided it was time to reward the people behind the trainees as well, so offered $1000 to go towards marketing or advertising of the business where the winning trainee worked.

The top nine contestants for the year were Tina Yi – Mairangi Bay Bakery – Auckland; Jenna Mangin – 10 O'Clock Cookie Bakery – Masterton; Joshua Harding – Viands Bakery – Te Awamutu; Larissa Rzoska – UCOL – Palmerston North; Michael Strong – AUT – Auckland; Flynn Knowles–Barley – CPIT – Christchurch; Jessica Deng – CPIT – Christchurch; Rochelle Drury – CPIT – Christchurch and Rebecca Cannon – Picton Village Bakkerij.

Competitors concentrate hard during the Weston Milling Trainee of the Year competition.

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Could you be

New Zealand’s

best café ?

A new competition aims to search out the best café in the land.

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The organisers say that the cafés will be judged on appearance, atmosphere, staff, meals and overall experience.

The competition calls for each café entering to have at least one dish on their menu incorporating both Wattie’s Baked Beans and Kiwi Bacon.

New Zealand is a café-loving nation and a new competition aims to find out which café is the best in the country, no matter how big or how small.

Registrations are now being accepted for the Café of the Year 2012, a nationwide competition open to cafés, small or large, anywhere in the country.

A media release from the organisers says cafés can register online for the competition and café-goers can vote for their favourite via text, online or Facebook.

The competition is run by New Zealand events company Brand Events & Festivals and supported by iconic New Zealand food brands Kiwi Bacon and Wattie’s along with The Restaurant Association of New Zealand (RANZ).

Fifteen finalists are then chosen on the basis of most votes gained in each of the five regions; upper, middle and lower North Island and upper and lower South Island, with three finalists being selected from each region.

The regional finalists are then judged by an expert panel comprising a highly decorated chef, a highly respected food critic, The Restaurant Association of New Zealand and sponsors Heinz Wattie’s and Goodman Fielder.

The organisers say that the

cafés will be judged on appearance, atmosphere, staff, meals and overall experience. The competition calls for each café entering to have at least one dish on their menu incorporating both Wattie’s Baked Beans and Kiwi Bacon.

The more creative, the better.

The winning café will be announced in November and will feature on television’s Food in a Minute over two weeks showcasing its signature Wattie’s Baked Beans and Kiwi Bacon dish.

Marisa Bidois, chief executive of RANZ, says there are more than 3,000 cafés in the country ranging from the local corner cafés in our smallest towns to the larger businesses in our big cities.

“New Zealanders love the ritual of going to their local café,” Bidios says. “Going out with family or friends for Sunday brunch is as part of being Kiwi as the Sunday Roast.

“No matter if you’re in Putaruru or Penrose, Hokitika or the Hokianga, your café has a chance to win,” she says.

Registrations are now open for the competition. Cafés can register their details at www.nzcoy.co.nz, after which their registration will be validated.

All valid registrations will receive a pack with point-of-sale material, to help bring the competition to life in their café.

Consumer voting is open on the 1st September and closes on the 28th of October, when judging commences. The winning café will be announced in November.

Consumers who nominate a café also go in a draw to win one of five $5,000 vouchers (one per region) to spend at their own favourite café.

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Retro and delightful: The new branding for Bach Espresso.

A new coffee brand is setting out to reflect the essence of what it means to be Kiwi.

Reflecting Kiwi culture There is a new coffee brand on the market and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one that is aiming to appeal to the quintessential Kiwi in all of us.

Kelly Bain, the espresso development manager at the newly renamed D.E. Coffee and Tea New Zealand Ltd, says the whole concept for the Bach Espresso brand was to come up with something that was relaxed and essentially Kiwi, and which demystified coffee, which has become such a serious business.

The driving force for the brand, she says, is something very Kiwiana and laid back that

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General manager Daniel Hardcastle and commercial director, Brian Tomlinson unveil the new branding for the parent company.

represents the 1970s idyll of long, hot summers at the typical Kiwi bach.

“Everything you see in the branding is driven from that concept.”

The livery for the coffee, the branded cups and the wind breaks for outside cafés is indeed very retro and quite delightful without being at all kitsch. The designs are all based on 1970s bach wallpaper and were done by Coats Design in Grey Lynn.

The coffee itself is freshly roasted in Christchurch and the company’s technical service coordinator Brad Clark says the Wega commercial espresso machines can be branded individually to match the rest of the livery.

As to the Bach Espressso blends, Bain explained there are four blends - a Fair Trade, organic coffee called Honest to Goodness; the house blend called Welcome Back; a Guatemalan single origin coffee called Only the Finest and the decaffeinated coffee is called Kick Back and Relax. Each has its own livery to reflect the taste profiles of the different coffees.

As it has done in the past the company offers operators the chance to buy their coffee machines, lease them or have a machine free on-loan if they undertake the equivalent of 12 to 15 kg of coffee a week.

Meanwhile D.E. Coffee and Tea New Zealand Ltd (formerly Sara Lee in New Zealand) sits under its parent company D.E. Masterblenders 1753, which is now listed as an independent company on the Amsterdam stock exchange.

The new company branding was unveiled by the Honourable Maurice Williamson, the member for Pakuranga and Minister of Building and Construction, Customs, Land Information and Statistics, and Katherine Rich, the CEO of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council at the company’s headquarters in Manukau early in July.

General manager in New Zealand Daniel Hardcastle explained that D.E Masterblenders 1753 is an independent company with a new brand name and identity with the ambition to become the number two tea and coffee player worldwide.

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Pizza and recycling Heaven One pizza operation in Wellington has been virtually hand-built from the ground up by its owner. And it works a treat, says Kathy Ombler.

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Recycling, real wood-fired pizzas and real fun – these are the secrets to the success of Heaven Woodfire Pizza, firing up the dough in Wellington’s Cuba Street, says owner Richard Khouzame.

What helps must be the in-your-face St George the dragon slayer guarding over the pizza oven, which Khouzame commissioned from famed Kiwi sculptor Bhodi Vincent. It’s all a play on the name Heaven; taking on that pizza chain with the devilish name.

In 2008 Khouzame started the first Heaven Woodfire Pizza in Waikanae then in 2010, enlisting his own background in construction, oversaw the building of the Cuba Street piece of pizza paradise. “Pretty much everything in this shop; the walls, tables, bar, the lampshades, is built from recycled material off three construction sites within 400 metres of here.”

Even the music is “second hand”, vinyl records beat a solid sound from big old-style stereo speakers. A wall feature is the Moko sign from a former tattoo museum just around the corner, which Khouzame literally rescued from the jaws of demolition, driving his car in front of the bulldozer

to prevent it crushing the exterior wall (and sign).

“It’s a matter of seeing what’s out there, in your community. Putting all this into the landfill would have been a sacrilege. Also it was about building within our means. One of the cool things about recycling was coming in under budget, having a background in construction I know that hardly ever happens.”

The recycling at Heaven has also make for a more interesting ambience, one that draws people in, says Khouzame.

Something’s obviously working, because the focus now is recycling leaners and bar stools to accommodate the growing takeaway clientele. “We want to make it easy for our clients to relax and have a beer or coffee while they’re waiting for their orders.”

OK, they don’t come just for the ambience, what is it about the pizzas? “One difference is that we make wood-fired pizzas, some places around here don’t and it makes a real difference. It means the base is dry and it’s a healthier product. When you cook a pizza in a conventional oven you have to grease the trays to prevent the dough sticking, and some places add oil into the dough as well.”

Khouzame has his own dough recipe, one that’s

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A big part of the success at Heaven, I feel, is we are having fun doing it. I have fun, the team has fun, everyone feels it and the customers come in to get their daily dose.

been in his family for some time and he’s not about to give it away. But he’s happy to talk about the products that go on top.

“We sell a lot of pizza by the slice; they

are very popular for takeaways. For $5 you can buy a big slice topped with, for example, Kalimantan olives, roasted aubergine, roasted peppers and roasted sesame seeds and pine nuts, it’s a very healthy option and you feel good after eating it.”

There are up to 16 pizzas on the standard menu plus a weekly special which, when espresso visited was caramelised fig with pancetta, camembert, a little bit of mozzarella, a light sprinkling of rosemary and a hint of chilli flakes. “It’s a good fragrant, sweet chilli, tapenade kind of combo,” says Khouzame.

Special deals also feature, Mondays are $9 Margheritas, Tropical Tuesdays offer $10 Hawaiians and come Wednesday it’s $8 for a large pizza.

“Hopefully that will fill the students before they have a night on the town.”

Pizzas aside, Heaven sells Gellicious Gelato from local Karl Tiefenbacher’s award winning company Kaffee Eis.

Flight Coffee is the roaster of choice.

“I drank so much coffee before opening to decide who to go with and Flight was consistently good,” says Khouzame. “They are also big on training, they come here every week and it doesn’t cost us, we can trust them and that is really important for the trade, plus we’re both new(ish) kids on the block with similar ethics, both personal and for business.”

Ethics are strong at Heaven. Later this year Khouzame will return to Samoa for a second, volunteer building project aiming to help after the 2009 tsunami.

“The first time we built new fales and a preschool. In August we’re going to help with a water restoration project. I think the customers love hearing about this, they appreciate our story, it’s about what we can all do, walking the talk.”

That, and having fun. “A big part of the success at Heaven, I feel, is we are having fun doing it. I have fun, the team has fun, everyone feels it and the customers come in to get their daily dose.”

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The art of the sandwich A nostalgic winner Remember school lunches, and those inevitable dry, white bread, egg and lettuce sandwiches? Milk Crate, a small café in Wellington’s Cuba Quarter has hit on a nostalgic winner and each day quickly sells out of its modern, fresher take on the classic.

The café’s egg and rocket sandwich, with mayonnaise, on grainy white bread is definitely more moreish than most remembered lunch box offerings. Milk Crate owner Ben Lenart says they also make bacon butties and ham baguettes for Milk Crate and nearby sister café, August.

“We use home-made mayo, homemade tomato sauce and really good olive oil. We use grainy bread and baguettes, keep it simple and use really good fresh ingredients.”

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For a lunch-time favourite it is hard to beat a good, well made and carefully constructed sandwich. And, says Kathy Ombler, it’s a very competitive market.

Food fads come and go but it seems there’s no end to demand for that age-old favourite, the sandwich. It’s so convenient, packed with fresh goodness, the bread providing both sustenance and the system for holding everything together, just the ticket for grabbing lunch on the go.

Such convenience has been taken a major step further by wholesale sandwich specialists, who make sandwiches to order and deliver them fresh, packaged and ready to go.

The wholesale system suits the growing number of ‘hole in the wall’ and other small coffee outlets, says Auckland based wholesaler Wayne Upton. Lunch Bites Ltd, Upton’s company, makes sandwiches, plus rolls, croissants, panini’s, bagels and toasted sandwiches (pre-prepared) for cafés, service stations, schools and supermarkets.

“It’s more economic for some food operators, depending on the situation they are in.

We find a lot of places in malls with just a shop front and a coffee machine don’t have any prep room or storage so they have to buy in. Others, who have their own kitchens, buy in products like sandwiches and use their well-paid chefs for preparing meals. It’s a smarter use of their resources.”

Upton doesn’t discern any particular trend in what’s popular; he says it depends on the particular market an outlet is selling to.

Accordingly he provides two ranges; the basic ‘tried and true’ (ham and mustard, chicken and mayonnaise, for example) that he says will never go out of favour, and more upmarket, expensive gourmet options, such as smoked chicken and salmon and cream cheese.

“The city malls will probably go for the

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Building a sandwich is hard to automate.

photo credit Lunch Bites

gourmet choices, the more urban cafés and service stations will order the every day, tried and true range.”

When it comes to breads, Upton sees a definite swing towards brown, wholemeal and grainy options. “We offer a choice of breads for all our sandwiches and the bigger proportion we sell would definitely be the brown and multigrain breads.”

Keeping the bread fresh and moist and the contents intact is not an issue with the packaging now available, he adds.

“We pack our products in plastic sandwich wedges that are heat sealed with a film across the front. They are not vacuum-packed but the sealing stops any air or contaminants and makes the product very durable. With this packaging we are able to put a three day shelf life on the sandwich and that’s quite attractive to our customers, it’s easier to manage their supply.”

The clear packaging also allows the customer to see the sandwich.

Presentation is quite important, says Upton.

“We all know customers buy with their eyes, it can make the difference in being noticed while someone is waiting for a coffee, if the sandwich looks good it can become an impulse buy.”

Our clients need all the help they can get, there’s certainly a lot of competition for the lunch trade, he adds.

And while Upton’s business is about bulk, sandwich-making remains very much a handmade affair.

“Building a sandwich is a process very difficult to automate. Basically everything we do has to be handmade. We also have to ensure every sandwich is consistent, in both content and weight.”

Winter can be a challenge, when fresh produce is either unavailable or expensive.

“Tomatoes are a favourite filling but in winter their price goes through the roof, as it does for avocados and cucumbers – however lettuce is always available in good quality and quantity.

“We also use a lot of chutneys, pickles and mustards; they help keep the sandwiches moist while the margarine or spread holds that moisture inside.”

How to construct a sandwich is definitely an art, agrees Michael Gray of Wellington’s Nada Bakery and vice president of the Baking Industry Association of New Zealand, who turns out upwards of 200 fresh sandwiches each day for the bakery’s two outlets.

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Gray also celebrates the Kiwi move away from white bread in favour of grains and breads with more texture and flavour.

“People appreciate good breads now, crusty with flavour and crunch. Rye breads are also becoming more trendy. We need to be on that bandwagon with the customer,” he adds.

“It’s about being innovative and getting • Digital ‘TOUCHTRONIC’ Controls out to see what others are doing. At Nada we • PROGRAMMABLE Cook Cycles network, read industry magazines and watch • AUTOMATIC Lifting (at end of cooking cycle) food television for ideas.”

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“They need to be wrapped not showroom overly tight, the sandwich has to be visuto inspect these fryersbrains of another chef, so each issue we ask our sales manager, James Ellis, who ally appealing. We use sandwich wedges with jayen@clear.net.nz l 71C Station Road, is alsoWiri an experienced and accomcleare: plastic.” plished chef, to come up with an idea However he points out that sandwiches that might appeal to your customers. these days are about much more than the This one sounds delicious. old fashioned, bread and filling option.

“Filled rolls and wraps are also an important Fiji Me a sandwich part of the sandwich family. Wraps are definitely a big trend. We do wraps with roast meats, and 4 servings add a chutney or pickle so it’s not dry.

60 gm coconut flakes We use a lot of Barkers products, they are 30 ml coconut cream • Digital ‘TOUCHTRONIC’ Controls really user friendly. New Zealand has seen 60 gm pineapple bits drained • PROGRAMMABLE Cook Cycles a lot•ofAUTOMATIC European style foods but there is Lifting (at end of cooking cycle) 125 ml mayonnaise definitely a big trend now towards Asian 120 gm crab/prawn meat • EASY TO CLEAN fusion and Middle Eastern flavours, Moroccan 2 mandarins segmented and • In-built FILTRATION SYSTEM available lamb, for example, marinated overnight chopped usflavours now infused or visit our You withCall all those through.

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Courtesy of Auckland Airport

Fast and furious Auckland Airport’s domestic terminal contains 11 different food and beverage outlets catering for 6.5 million passengers a year.

That’s a lot of food and coffee which the customers want fast and of a high standard. Kathy Ombler explored how they do it.

Auckland Airport is in expansion mode and management is also tackling an enviable problem in its domestic terminal food outlets; increasing clientele.

Just managing airport foodservices presents special challenges; adding to those dynamics are constant tweaks and changes being made to the already busy outlets to help them cope with the crowds.

It’s about managing the peculiar, peak hour flow traffic experienced at the airport, says Darrell Abbott, commercial manager for retail.

“Air New Zealand is increasing the number of domestic flights and the size of planes and Jetstar is promising to be right up there as a competitor.

“Peak hours have become even more peak so it’s more complicated from our point of view.

Every morning from 6am there is massive business (especially for espresso coffee). Our focus has to be on speed and convenience without scrimping on quality.

“We have a clear vision that there is always a need to test the market, to ensure we are meeting the needs of the customers.”

On a bigger scale, starting from next year the airport intends a major facelift and refurbishment of the entire domestic terminal, including expansion of food and beverage outlets. The longer term vision is to build a brand new domestic terminal.

“As far as development is concerned we are looking ahead to exciting times, and we are obviously under a certain amount of pressure to provide bigger and better foodservices,” says Abbott.

Meanwhile, the business of catering to a diverse, briefly captive clientele, with its peculiar flows of traffic, continues.

“We have to understand our customers.

Airport food and beverage clientele is very different from ‘High Street’ (Abbott’s term for city food and beverage operations). It’s different from your average food court and it even differs between the domestic and international terminals.

“There’s a segmented approach throughout the day in terms of passenger profile. You see a change in people, first thing in the morning come the business travellers, then Grab a Seat brings the people able to take up those offers so it’s a more leisure traveller focus.

“The majority of domestic travellers are Kiwi, whereas in international up to 40 percent are European or Asian. In domestic, airlines encouraging passengers to turn up later for check-in also creates headaches for hospitality outlets,” says Abbott.

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more flexibility to allow full table service, for example in Zarbo Café and Bar, which he says has been a huge success.

Working in an airport environment is a culture shock, says Paul Woodside, Spotless national manager airport services, hospitality and retail. “It’s a bespoke environment. You wouldn’t dare open your outlet a bit late. It’s working long hours that include long periods with no customers but you have to stay open, and periods where your clientele all comes at once and is in a hurry to be served because they have a plane to catch.”

“While we have a trapped clientele, we try to avoid operating in a monopolistic –style approach,” adds Abbott.

“If we stuck to a monopolistic approach our sales wouldn’t go up,” he says, adding that they are proud that in the current tough economic environment they’ve had sales growth in the past few years.

Abbott says the airport company has developed an economic model that encourages growth and innovation among its franchised food and beverage operators. This involves two main operators, Spotless and HMSHost, plus direct relationships with outlets such as McDonald’s and Wishbone.

“For us, from a landlord point of view, we entrust [the operators with] the challenge of bringing to the airport interesting and new concepts ... rather than us getting directly involved. We look to the operators to provide interesting concepts that will work.

“We don’t have a standard tenancy agreement, our rentals are based on a forecast sales basis. This drives the behaviour where we are just as excited about sales revenues as the retailers, it’s in everyone’s interest to do well and that, in turn, helps to develop packages

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that are interesting for the customer.”

Coffee is a major challenge, says Woodside.

“In the domestic terminal the main driver is quick through time, and about giving quality in a quick time. We are always looking at high tech methods to achieve this, plus everyone’s perception of coffee is different. As an anchor tenant we have to pick up all the basics, so we have strong espresso at Take Off Espresso, a mug or takeaway cup of filter coffee at The Bach (Alehouse and Café) and organic coffee blends at Sumo Salad.”

It’s all a case of trial and error, says Abbott.

“There’s no one fit’s all in an airport, we do well to satisfy 80 percent of our customers.”

They have tweaked the Asia food

offering, for example. “In the domestic terminal we initially went for high quality sushi but found domestic, Kiwi taste buds are more westernised, so we asked our operator to change to a more ‘Californian’ style sushi...... the same operator is also in the international terminal where we have more Asian travellers so we offer them a more bespoke, Japanese sushi.”

For the record, there are 11 food outlets in the domestic terminal, catering to 6.5 million passengers per year.

“When we refurbish we’ll probably have more,” says Abbott. “The one thing we know we can sell to domestic passengers is food and beverage.”

ff Elegant design in

packaging Innovative and upscale packaging can add real value to your food offerings.

One of the Sunday newspapers had an interesting item in its Going up/ Going down column recently. The writer loved the tiered boxes with handles some food-to-go businesses were using, saying it made him/her feel like they were in the television programme Friends.

And that, it seems, is what much of fast food and café culture packaging is all about. Making your customers feel good about what they are buying and presenting your food in a way that makes them come back for more.

A search on the web revealed a great blog called bestinpackaging.com which describes itself as “worldwide innovations in packaging technology with a ‘touch of greenness’ and an accent on sustainability and recyclability.”

And the authors of the blog had searched far and wide seeking out the most innovative and attractive fast food packaging they could find.

You can read the whole blog at http://bestinpackaging.com but the one that appealed to us most was from “Sticks ‘n’ Sushi”, a restaurant in Copenhagen, which bestinpackaging says packs its dishes in decorative

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ff Businesses are working to differentiate themselves from their competitors through the use of innovative packaging solutions.

Courtesy Pete's Packaging

black trays, stackable in a take-away package made from high quality white paperboard.

Bestinpackaging also pointed to the Sta-Pack created by PT Bukit Muria Jaya/BMJ in Indonesia. The Sta-Pack consists of several separate units with an added handle. ”It certainly is a nice and elegant solution as fast food packaging, especially for the take-away market of upscale meals,” the website says. Here in New Zealand there is innovative packaging emerging too.

Rod Armitage, the general manager of Pete’s Packaging, which specialises in food service packaging, says he is seeing more sophistication in the middle to upper sector of the food-to-go sector.

While the size of the New Zealand market means it is not possible for many food outlets to be totally exclusive with packaging there are many packaging options now available.

The family-owned-and-run company has distributed disposable food packaging throughout New Zealand for over 30 years and its customers include cafés, restaurants, delis, lunch bars and caterers.

Items gaining popularity are the noodle boxes and window lunchboxes as these offer premium presentation at an affordable price While food service outlets are price conscious in this environment he says in the specialists areas, and where the businesses are seeking to gain more customers, his company is seeing increased demand for packaging that allows them to stand out from their competitors.

“There is real value you can add through packaging.”

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He is seeing businesses working to differentiate themselves from their competitors through the use of innovative packaging solutions.

These solutions are often very cost effective.

He is also seeing a trend towards packaging that is environmentally friendly, this includes biodegradable and compostable as well as recyclable options.

Over at Confoil, an Australian manufacturer of aluminium foil trays and Dualpak oven-able paperboard trays, the sales manager for Confoil New Zealand James Romhany, comments that they are seeing good demand for the paper based baking mould side of the business.

The company is also known for catering foil, film wrapping, and the Italian-made Novacart decorated paper-baking moulds as well as its very cute parchment paper muffin wraps. Romhany says these are made from siliconised paper originally sourced from sustainable forests in Scandinavia.

He says one trend that seems to be coming out of Europe is a move towards aluminium.

“Aluminium seems to be coming back,” he says noting it is very effective to recycle as it only takes five percent of the energy to recycle that it would if it was made from scratch.

He is also seeing interest in barrier packaging, which extends the shelf life of a product because no oxygen can enter the packaging to degrade the food within.

As he sees it packaging is there to look good, present the product well and to protect the food.

Foodtech Packtech is coming Foodtech Packtech, an event for food and beverage technology and packaging companies, will reflect the sector’s strong performance and on-going vibrancy, says the organisers.

“It’s already clear that September’s show will be phenomenal,” says XPO’s Vanessa White. “Top industry suppliers from all over New Zealand are on board and we have many overseas companies also rearing to go. Thanks to a continuous improvement programme and the many special features that make Foodtech Packtech a must-attend for sector professionals, the show continues to play an important role in the packaging, processing and food development industries.”

Foodtech Packtech kicks off at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds on Tuesday September 25 and ends on September 27.

“We will have a feature within the show based on last year’s highly successful NZ Food Innovation Showcase profiling the Foodbowl facility. Another fantastic feature is our hosting of the NZ Food Awards (www.foodawards.co.nz) alongside the show on September 27.

The biennial Foodtech Packtech gives sector professionals the opportunity to come face-to-face with the experts behind the key innovations entering the New Zealand market.

A series of development and business seminars will also run, and Foodtech Packtech 2012 is endorsed and supported by the Packaging Council of New Zealand, the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology, and Plastics New Zealand.

Foodtech Packtech is a trade-only event with free entry for those who register online at www.foodtechpacktech.co.nz.

ww TRENDS: Food trucks, healthy alternatives and gluten-free What are the big trends in international food?

Industry forecasts from the largest foodservice show in the United States.

From never-before-seen flavour combinations to globally sourced ingredients to food trucks and more, the 93rd Annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, HotelMotel Show and 5th annual International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event showcased the hottest trends driving the restaurant and foodservice industry.

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals.

A media release from the NRA says the May 2012 show (which attracted 1,900 exhibitors and more than 61,000 registrants from the United States and more than 100 countries) “offered a sneak peek into the industry’s future”.

According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast, nine out of 10 restaurant operators said their customers are more knowledgeable and sophisticated about food and beverages than ever before.

“This year’s NRA Show was positive proof that the industry has responded to this evolution, as products and services

catering to those hungry for the latest trends were prevalent throughout the show floor,” the media release says.

NRA says the top trends from the exhibit floor at the NRA Show 2012, held in Chicago included.• Healthful Alternatives: In response to Americans’ growing interest in health and nutrition, the Organic and Natural Pavilion featured a host of wholesome, nutritious food products.

• Premium and Artisan Products: Targeting the evolving tastes of savvy restaurant customers looking for a unique dining experience, premium products were a clear food trend this year. Exhibitors showcased products with non-traditional flavour combinations, customizable offerings and premium ingredients.

• Gluten-Free Products: According to the National Institutes of Health, about

one in 100 Americans is affected by coeliac disease.

As awareness of gluten intolerance is growing, gluten-free products are making their way into the mainstream market, and the NRA Show 2012 exhibit floor featured a range of such products.

• Food Trucks: Food trucks continue to drive interest, as six in 10 consumers say they would visit a food truck offered by their favourite restaurant, proving that mobile restaurant options aren’t a flash-in-the-pan concept.

• Ethnic Cuisines and Flavours: Responding to consumers’ increasingly global palates, the NRA Show’s International Cuisine Pavilion was home to foods from around the globe, providing a one-stop-shop for those looking to satisfy their international curiosities and cravings.

For more information see www.restaurant.org/show and www.winespiritsbeer.org

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Finding your point of difference

It is a tight market out there but the outlook for restaurants is still cautiously optimistic. By Marisa Bidois.

Restaurants are feeling the squeeze, according to the 2012 Hospitality Report just released by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand and AUT University.

The quivering global economy and Christchurch’s earthquakes have had a big effect in the past year, and if that weren't enough, consumers are spending less on dining out.

The 2012 Hospitality Report shows the restaurant sector is facing a flat period with little growth in revenues, outlets and employment numbers.

Nationally the hospitality industry reported an increase in sales of just 1.1 percent from 2010 - 2011. This subdued performance is led by the restaurant and café sector, which dominates the industry’s market share. Half of the sales for the hospitality industry occur at these types of businesses however the

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sector’s market share has recorded a decrease over the five year period 2007 - 2011.

When considering regional performance, overall, the best performing districts in terms of real sales growth were the main urban areas of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago.

The Auckland region has recorded significant sales growth over the past 10 years. In 2004 annual sales for the region were $1.6 billion and in 2011 they reached $2.3 billion – a significant increase. This region employs more than a third of the industry’s employees, has close to 40 percent of the country’s hospitality businesses and a 35 percent market share. Auckland has been consistent in its market domination.

The Otago region has also reported record growth recently, even while most of New Zealand was tolerating difficult trading conditions. From 2010 - 2011 sales increased in the region by 12.8 percent to reach $422.9

million. And even despite the impact that the earthquakes have had on the Canterbury region, real sales for that region still increased by 1.2 percent in 2011.

Remuneration increases on hold As a result of the generally subdued economic conditions hospitality industry wage and salary rates are under tight control.

In fact hourly wage rates have increased overall by just $0.01 over the past year. Salary rates have increased by slightly more, two percent higher on average in 2012 (vs 2011).

The concern is that with an hourly wage increase of just 1c in 2012, year-by-year remuneration growth is not keeping up with inflation.

However, as labour is one of the largest costs to hospitality businesses, operators are wise to keep remuneration levels in check when faced with escalating rises in food and other costs and muted sales growth.

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Gaining competitive advantage Regardless of these challenges the outlook for restaurants is still cautiously optimistic.

Despite consumers spending less on dining out, restaurant numbers grew by 1.6 percent, to 14,455 in 2011. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sign that operators are confident about the future.

As the market continues to expand, more businesses are fighting for the diminished customer-spend. This means that in order to attract and retain customers smart operators are focusing on marketing strategies that could potentially set them apart from competitors. An organisation needs to communicate to its current and potential stakeholders the unique benefits that the business offers.

Social media marketing, sustainability and new technology trends are hot topics today.

Someone who is proficient in new marketing trends, in particular social media marketing, is restaurateur and hospitality personality, Luke Dallow. Luke is always keen to spot a marketing advantage and says one of the great things about social media is that it is free. Consequently, you can promote products and services without having to pay for advertisements. All you have to do is to learn how to use it, create your profile, and be active...but not wasteful. Social media is the easiest way to promote your business to a larger audience/market segment he says.

The hospitality industry is also well placed

Despite consumers spending less on dining out, restaurant numbers grew by 1.6 percent to 14,455 in 2011.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sign that operators are confident about the future.

to meet the sustainability challenge because without doubt, hospitality is hard on the planet; it is a consumption industry after all.

Customers are becoming increasingly aware of the environment. They are looking to our industry to lead the way. Therefore now is the time to commit to sustainable practice; a large market segment exists who are keenly aware of environmental issues and are ready to support proactive businesses engaging it.

Forecast for the upcoming months We expect prices will remain steady and competitive. Eating out will continue to offer guests value for money as restaurateurs encourage the public back in to their eateries.

Service levels will rise as business owners maximise their competitive points of difference.

More choice for diners is good for the industry. We have a highly competitive environment and one that may encourage a cautious diner to eat out more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; exciting news for both the industry and the customer.

Restaurants know what their customers want; food and beverage that reflects value for money, enhanced service levels, and more importantly customers want to know about their restaurants so communication on multiple levels, to build loyal clientele, will give consumers the incentives needed to eat out more.

More detailed analysis of the industry and tips for hospitality operators is now available from the Restaurant Association (info@ restaurantnz.co.nz).

The 2012 Hospitality Report is available to Restaurant Association members at no cost and the general industry, with no affiliations to AUT or the Restaurant Association, for $150.00.

Marisa Bidois is the chief executive of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

See www.restaurantnz.co.nz July 2012 |

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Keeping it going in tough times Fall down seven times, stand up eight – Japanese proverb.

Every small business owner goes through difficult times in their business.

That’s when we need to be at our resilient best, says business coach and mentor Chris Elphick.

For many business owners, once the initial excitement of setting up and running your own business starts to wear off, there is a period of feeling lonely, overworked and unsupported.

The reality of the responsibility of owning a business, working on your own and without the perks of conventional paid work – sick leave, holiday pay, support staff, colleagues – can take its toll.

Add to that the fact that it can take three to five years for a small business to become profitable, and you may start to feel disheartened. And in the current economic climate when the economy is sluggish, small businesses are among the first to suffer – particularly those in the hospitality sector which relies on availability of consumer’s discretionary spending.

The first thing to remember is that it’s normal to hit the wall a few months after you set up your own business. If you’re a seasoned business owner, you will realise it is also part of business life to go through tough periods. It’s how you weather these that’s important to your business survival and success.

Resilience – the key to thriving not just surviving Resilience is the ability to adapt to life’s misfortunes and setbacks. We need it especially during periods of change or when the going is tough.

Resilience won’t make the problems go away, but it will give us the ability to see past them. It will help you find enjoyment in life and assist in handling stress better.

Everyone can develop skills to become more resilient. The good news is that by taking a few simple steps you can make it through the tough times.

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Step 1: Make sure you have a business plan: Developing a plan can seem boring, but having a short to medium-term plan helps you chart your progress, and allows you to go for quick wins. A plan is a map that helps you go from A to B. Without one, you can end up getting lost. For more information about how to write a business plan, see www.chriselphick. co.nz or try www.business.govt.nz Step 2: Develop good support systems: You can’t do it on your own. You need the support of your friends and family. Not many people can set up and run a small business without the support of those closest to them. The last thing you need is criticism or ridicule. But it’s important to find support outside your family as well. You can do this by: • Finding a business mentor to help you to set goals and work out what you want to achieve.

They can also help you to keep believing in yourself. And if things are really tough, they can help you look at the options or decide whether it’s time to call it a day and wind your business up. Business Mentors New Zealand provides mentoring (www.businessmentor.org. nz) or sign up with a private mentor.

• Talking to people who are going through similar experiences as you. Join your local

business association or a local or nationwide industry group related to your trade.

• Talking to the other vital member of your “team” – your accountant. They can provide financial and broader business advice, and help you see the larger picture.

Step 3: Be realistic: Running a small business is hard work, and making a profit is damned difficult. It’s important to go into it with your eyes open – and to stay realistic about what you can achieve. Be realistic about what your business is offering – the services you provide and the staff required to realise this. A mentor is valuable in helping you to work out what you can, and can’t, achieve. Remember that difficult times come and go, so it is worth riding the wave and hanging in there.

Step 4: Set small goals: Setting small goals and achieving them keeps you going forward.

You can celebrate them then move on. Small goals are particularly important when the economic climate is difficult. Save your grand plans for when things pick up.

If things are really tough, break your goals into bite-sized pieces – weekly goals, for example, which you can then stretch out to fortnightly when you feel more confident.

Step 5: Stay disciplined and keep believing in yourself: When things are tough it’s easy to lose focus or procrastinate. You may find yourself putting off doing things because they seem too hard, or because you can’t see the point any more. It’s important to take time out from your business to do the things that help you stay inspired and energised. Talk to your business mentor, accountant, spouse/ partner, or to a fellow small business owner.

Getting good-quality advice will help you keep believing in yourself, make it easier to overcome problems and keep on going.

Chris Elphick is a Wellington-based business mentor, coach and trainer working throughout New Zealand and the Pacific with a range of business enterprises. For more business tips and information visit www.chriselphick.co.nz

bb Café of the Year

Registrations are now open for the Café of the Year 2012.

Consumer voting opens September 1 and closes October 28.

Winners announced in November.

See www.nzcoy.co.nz

Blackboard

October America’s Fast Casual Trends and Directions Conference

3

Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards 2012 Find out who makes the best pies in New Zealand

July 17-18

Your entry boxes (pies) must arrive at the judging location on one of these two days.

July 19

The day your pies are judged.

July 24

Awards Dinner in Auckland, announcement of winners.

See www.nzbakels.co.nz

Anuga, Cologne, 'Taste the Future',

5-9

July

20

2012 NZ Food Awards

entries close www.foodawards.co.nz

August

1-31 2-5 19-20

Auckland Restaurant Month biglittlecity.co.nz

The Food Show Auckland 2012 Auckland www.foodshow.co.nz

Restaurant and Bar Show

Auckland www.randbshow.co.nz

September

14-19

The Food Show Christchurch 2012 Canterbury Arena www.foodshow.co.nz

Foodtech Packtech

25-27 27

Auckland, ASB Showgrounds. Foodtech Packtech is a trade-only event with free entry for those who register online at www.foodtechpacktech.co.nz.

2012 NZ Food Awards gala dinner Auckland www.foodawards.co.nz

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SIAL 2012, Paris, The World's 'Number 1 Food Exhibition'. www.sialparis.com

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If you have an event you’d like us to highlight just email editor@espressomagazine.co.nz with the details.

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