Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

& Restaurant Canadian

Summer 2018

Foodservice News Official Magazine of the Culinary Federation

FOOD(SERVICE) FOR THOUGHT Publication Agreement #40033126

CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT

WHO WANTS BREAKFAST?

Profiling the breakfast consumer — Page 15

+

OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

Canadian Trailblazer PJ L’Heureux | Wage Woes | Protein Power | | Summertime Success | Total Recall | Managing the Menu |

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1

contents Summer 2018 VOL. 9 NO. 2

46 COVER STORY

COLUMNS

FEATURES

30 Food(service) for Thought Change is the only constant

64 In the Brews Cheers to a Fruitful Summer

15 Who Wants Breakfast?

Profiling the breakfast consumer

By Asad Amin

DEPARTMENTS

By Gregory Furgala

66 Playing it Safe Total Recall

By Kevin Freeborn

4 Editor’s Note By the Numbers

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

6 Canadian Trailblazer PJ L’Heureux

37-44 The Culinary Federation’s À LA MINUTE

8 CHEF Q&A Kayle Burns, BMeX Group, Calgary

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

10 Business Operations Summertime Success

22 Flanagan’s 2018 Food Show

56 Technology Managing the Menu

28 Stopping Bacteria Cold

70 Crunching Numbers Wage Woes

(FROM OUR PARTNERS)

By Flanagan’s Foodservice

By Reuven International

By Laura McGuire

24 Protein Power From meat pies to maple bacon

By Renee Lee Wege

26 Employee Engagement Why does your staff quit?

By Seth Mohan

46 Flavourful Foundations Prepared sauces prove to be the ultimate recipe multitasker

By Sean Moon

52 Pizza Perfection Finding the ultimate pizza oven for your restaurant 58 Veggie Beginnings A vegan spin on small plates and appetizers

By Doug McNish

EDITOR'S NOTE

&

Canadian

Restaurant Foodservice News The official publication of the Culinary Federation, RestoBiz.ca, RestoBizBYTES and RestoBizGuide.

PUBLISHER: Chuck Nervick chuckn@mediaedge.ca

THE OPERATIONS

CHALLENGE

R

unning a restaurant is rife with arithmetic. To wit, a deuce walks in, and you can seat them at a two-top in five minutes, but only if the three people awkwardly sharing the table finish their fourth course and decide they don’t want dessert. It might work out because your signature chocolate torte, with only one left, is nearly eighty-sixed, so they might leave right away. But that three-top underspent while lingering several minutes past your average turn time, and you want that sale to help make up for it. You figure the politely-waiting deuce might stick around for another 20 minutes if you comp them drinks — how much have you comped tonight, anyway?

And that’s just service.

Restaurant owners, managers and chefs all live and die by their numbers. Plenty end up dying by them, enveloping themselves in the romance and daily adrenaline of running a full or quick-service restaurant only to find that, at the end of the month, their numbers don’t add up to a sustainable business. Some skew too far the other way, cutting costs and nickel-and-diming their guests until they stop showing up altogether. Too few manage both, running their restaurant on the razor’s edge of profitability while maintaining the integrity of their menu and guest experience.

Even if you’ve solved service and balanced the books, there are still more numbers.

What market segments are rising, and by how much? What does the labour landscape look like? And that deuce — are they millennials? What do millennials like?

Restaurateurs need to find out if they want to stay ahead of the curve and keep their numbers looking good.

In this issue of Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News, we’re happy to bring you some help. In our cover story, “Food(service) for Thought,” (page 30), Foodservice Monitor’s Asad Amin provides a detailed look at the key indicators driving change in foodservice in 2018, including demographic shifts, social media use and changing consumer habits. The issue has plenty of other figures as well, including: • Andrew Waddington’s “Wage Woes” (page 70), a breakdown of how Ontario’s minimum wage hike have affected restaurants’ bottom lines.

• A close look at how restaurants can take advantage of the growing daypart market in Laura McGuire’s “Who Wants Breakfast?” (Page 15) • Jill Carte on using technology to efficiently run institutional foodservice operations in “Managing the Menu” (Page 56).

A couple final numbers: this makes my first issue as managing editor of CRFN. I’ve taken over for Sean Moon, who retired after six years at MediaEdge. I trust Sean will spend more time eating at restaurants than writing about them. In the meantime, I’m just enjoying the opportunity to continue serving CRFN’s readers.

Until fall, be sure to catch more content on RestoBiz.ca.

Gregory Furgala Managing Editor

4 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

ADVERTISING SALES: Stephanie Philbin stephaniep@mediaedge.ca Nick Nervick nickn@mediaedge.ca

MANAGING EDITOR: Gregory Furgala gregf@mediaedge.ca DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Steven Chester stevenc@mediaedge.ca

ART DIRECTOR: Annette Carlucci

WEB DESIGNER: Rick Evangelista

MARKETING ASSISTANT: Danielle Stringer

CIRCULATION INQUIRIES: Yeshdev Singh

416.512.8186 ext. 234

circulation@mediaedge.ca

Magazine Editorial Advisory Board Jason Bangerter

John Lettieri

Executive Chef, Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa

President and CEO Hero Certified Burgers

Donna Bottrell, RD

Ryan Marquis

Owner, Donna Bottrell Food Consulting

Corporate Chef, CW Shasky

Andrea Carlson

Gary McBlain

Chef/Owner, Burdock and Co.

Regional Director of Culinary Baybridge Senior Living

Connie DeSousa and John Jackson

Brent Poulton

Co-owners/chefs, Charcut/Charbar

CEO, St. Louis Bar and Grill

Jeff Dover

Matt Rolfe

Principal, fsSTRATEGY

CEO and Hospitality Leadership Coach/Speaker, Results Hospitality

PRESIDENT: Kevin Brown

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT:

Chuck Nervick

Published by: MediaEdge Communications Inc. 5255 Yonge Street, Suite 1000 Toronto, Ontario M2N 6P4 Tel: 1-866-216-0860 Fax: 416-512-8344 E-mail: info@mediaedge.ca • Website: www.restobiz.ca Copyright 2018 Subscription Rates: Canada: 1 year, $50*, 2 years, $90*, US $75, International $100 Single Copy Sales: Canada: $12* * Plus applicable taxes Publications Mail Agreement No: 40033126 PAP Registration No. 10983 ISSN 1494-7625. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program towards our mailing costs.

Views expressed are not necessarily those of Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News or the editorial staff. Although every care will be taken of material submitted for publication, Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News, its servants or agents accept no responsibility for their loss, damage or destruction arising while in its offices, in transit or otherwise.

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*Lamb Weston Proprietary Research, 2017

Passion for the Product

PJ L’HEUREUX FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, CRAFT BEER MARKET

By Sean Moon

6 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

CANADIAN TRAILBLAZER

From a young age, PJ L’Heureux has had an entrepreneurial spirit. After starting a DJ service at 16 years old, that spirit helped him grow his business to include concert and nightclub promotion, which led him to eventually open two of his own nightclubs — all before he was 25 years old.

L’Heureux has since continued to be a leader in Calgary’s hospitality industry, opening some its most exciting food and entertainment venues, including Craft Beer Market. The concept that has now expanded beyond provincial borders to include locations in Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto, with more on the way.

PASSION FOR CRAFT BEER

L’Heureux nearly stumbled out of the craft beer gate: at 18, he quickly found brewing the stuff wasn’t for him. Serving it, however, suited him fine.

While travelling, L’Heureux became enamoured with international beer culture and developed relationships with brewers across the globe, eventually realizing that something like Craft Beer Market could change the way people think about restaurants. L’Heureux got his first glimpse of the future on a trip to Portland, Oregon — a longtime craft beer destination — where he saw craft beer and local food, side-by-side. The sight brought the Craft concept into focus: a long list of local and international craft, accompanied by local food, all in the same spot.

L’Heureux tinkered with the concept for a year before approaching longtime friends John Liwag and Rob Swiderski about turning the idea into a reality. The three of them didn’t waste time, quickly polishing the idea, building a team and jumping on a location on Calgary’s historic Beltline. It became clear after launching in 2011 that Craft Calgary was an instant hit.

gather, and there is no better place for this than a restaurant. If you look around a vibrant restaurant, it is amazing to see people escape from their lives for a moment in time.”

L’Heureux’s passion for the craft beer movement and community is evident in everything he does. He loves the small business model and the ability to have a positive impact in the communities where he opens his restaurants. L’Heureux’s family values and belief in community involvement run deep through the entire Craft concept, and he would have it no other

“Surround yourself with amazing people. A restaurant has so many moving parts, that you need a team to work together in order to deliver the best product.”

— PJ L’Heureux way. The biggest excitement he gets about opening in new markets is getting to know the local breweries and farms that he can partner and connect with in the community.

“We support local craft breweries and our goal is to have 50 per cent of our taps in each location dedicated to local breweries,” says L’Heureux. “We also support local producers in every market.

Although we have the same menu in all locations, the produce, beef, chicken and even cheese is different because it comes from our local producers. We also made it a mandate to have a 100 per cent sustainable seafood program.”

LOVE FOR PEOPLE

Much like with his background as a DJ and event promoter, L’Heureux says it was his love for people and entertaining that initially drew him to a career in the restaurant industry.

“I love restaurants, love people, and the energy in restaurants,” says L’Heureux. “I am drawn to the energy and the fast-paced environment. My whole life I have been creating an atmosphere for people to

suppliers whenever possible. We know it costs more sometimes and it’s not easy, but my belief is doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest way.”

Like many restaurateurs, L’Heureux believes that one of the biggest challenges of working in the foodservice industry is controlling rising costs, both in terms of labour and cost of goods sold, without sacrificing core values and beliefs.

“Some people believe that giving the consumer the least expensive product or cutting costs are ways to control rising costs, but this is dangerous in my opinion,”

DOING THE RIGHT THING

L’Heureux says he maintains a do-theright-thing philosophy when it comes to his customers’ experience, a mindset that also extends to his staff and relationship with suppliers.

“Team up with people who believe in their products or services, support the small guys and always have fun doing it.

That means we support local Canadian

L’Heureux explains. “At Craft, we think outside the box, whether is it with partnerships, or even with technology to solve the issues without sacrificing what we deliver to our guest, or our team. The world is changing fast and adapting thoughtfully and quickly will help any restaurant.”

A devoted family man who enjoys skiing, surfing and spending time at the lake, L’Heureux says he has big plans for the future of Craft and its place in the Canadian foodservice industry. Among projects under development, the company is scheduled to open Craft Kelowna this summer in an historic building on the waterfront with a 250-seat rooftop patio that overlooks Okanagan Lake.

When asked for any advice he might have for someone looking to get started in the foodservice industry, L’Heureux responds with his typical entrepreneurial enthusiasm.

“Do it! Whatever career path you want to take the foodservice industry will give you skills that you will have for life. Jump in; you’ll love it!” www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 7

KAYLE BURNS Executive Chef: Una Pizza and Wine, Una Take Away, Bread and Circus Roman Trattoria, Frenchie Wine Bar Education: High school, Professional Cooking DEP Career Path: Chef de cuisine, Lûmé, Melbourne; sous chef, Bar Nacional, Melbourne; meat cook/ saucier, Café Boulud, New York City; sous chef, Taylor’s, Ottawa; chef de partie, Two Rooms, Tokyo; saucier, db Bistro Moderne, Vancouver; chef de partie, Domus Café, Ottawa; chef de partie, Rim Rock Cafe, Whistler; chef de partie, Maestro, St-Sauver QC. Years of Experience as a Chef: 14

Q&A

What are your earliest memories of cooking?

I grew up in Harrington, Quebec, on a 100-acre sheep farm close to the border of Quebec and Ontario, so I was raised on comfort food. Quiche, casseroles... at one point we had 400 turkeys that we sold at Thanksgiving and Christmas for the meat. My mom did most of the cooking and I remember she would use the wool and knit mittens, hats and vests and sell them in town at a little stall that my dad built for her. She passed away when I was 13 and, subconsciously, having my dad pick up the cooking duties probably pushed me to learn how to cook proper food and knowing the importance of it.

Why do you think you were drawn to a culinary career?

It was actually my love for travel and winter sports that influenced my culinary career. I was trying to figure out how I could have a job and snowboard all over the world. I was living in Switzerland in 2003 when I became really inspired by the European culture and lifestyle — eating lots of cheese fondue and fondue bourguignon; trying classic Swiss dishes with the locals I was living with — I just really got into it. My new Swiss friends were making dinner one night and asked

8 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

me if I could whip together a quick vinaigrette for the salad and I had no idea what that meant. It made me realize the basics of cooking is a pretty handy thing to know since I love eating so much and that I’d been a bit sheltered from some really simple and delicious things coming from humble beginnings on a farm. I’ll never forget during one of my first days in culinary school, the instructor poached a piece of salmon and I was completely mind-blown. I’d never had fish that tasted like that and that was prepared so delicately.

How would you describe your foodservice operations?

I work for BMeX Group, a small, independent restaurant group based in Calgary. Jayme MacFayden and Kelly Black started it in 2009 and they’ve specialized in one-off food concepts over the years that are really focused on organic produce, farm-raised meats, scratch-made breads, pasta and sauces. I am the executive chef of four of their properties that are within the same building: Una Pizza & Wine (70 seats), Una Takeaway (40-50 delivery orders a night plus pick up orders and by the slice), Bread & Circus (38 seats) and Frenchie Wine Bar (18 seats). Each one has its own little personality and clientele. The service and quality are

amazing and I am not sick of it yet. On a desert island I’d want Una’s Beltline pizza (double smoked bacon, fennel sausage smoked mozzarella and maple syrup) topped with a fried egg for breakfast. Una’s Veggie pizza (sundried tomato purée, roasted red pepper, mushroom, red onion, local urban honey, friulano and feta cheese) for lunch and Una’s Deluxe (prosciutto cotto, calabrese salami, fennel sausage, prosciutto bits, friulano and grana padano cheese, san marzano tomato sauce 23, cremini mushrooms, olives and peppers) for dinner.

What are the essential ingredients for success in the foodservice industry today?

what really ties them all together. There’s a kitchen in the basement we treat like a commissary kitchen where our pizza deliveries are executed from and where we do 98 per cent of our prep for all four properties. We feel that it makes sense to have our supplies come to one place where we can produce all the doughs, pastas and sauces in a consistent and monitored environment and then distributed to each location in the building, making sure stock is rotated properly and everything is fresh. Our property’s main kitchens are separate but very collaborative.

What is your philosophy about food?

Sustainability is important to many of us in the culinary industry. There is just too much going on in the world to be ignoring that, including, obviously, global warming. I remember working in Canada many years ago for this chef that would order bluefoot mushrooms from France. Canada has an insane selection of some of the best mushrooms, amongst many great ingredients. Why would you have someone fly things across the world when you have it in your backyard? I believe in using local producers as much as possible, especially proteins from all over Alberta. There are amazing farmers doing it right: Ewenique lamb is the best and, obviously, I have a soft spot for mom-and-pop sheep farms. I’m a bit old school, I believe in simplicity and letting a few ingredients do the talking. I want people to have a good time both in back of house and front of house. There’s no room in kitchens for Gordon Ramsay-types anymore. As much as food needs to be sustainable, so does the team doing the cooking. Happy chefs mean food served with pride and ultimately a great experience for the guest.

Quality, organization, consistency and standards in a respectful working environment driven by passion for hospitality. At the end of the day the customers experience is what’s most important. But ideally, if you’ve covered all those points prior to service, it should culminate in a pretty good time! On a more personal note, I’ve had a hand in opening quite a few restaurants over the years and it’s never easy. The day before Bread & Circus opened, owners Kelly and Jayme wanted to take the managers out for lunch, but with three properties in full-operation the day before a fourth opened, it was just impossible. They decided to close down the entire building for 24 hours so everyone could have a break cooked and hosted dinner at their home and took the entire management team to a movie. I’ve never experienced that level of kindness and appreciation from an ownership group towards their team, and there’s no doubt that has played a part in the BMeX Group’s success.

Leading by example is key; people are inspired to do great things for great leaders.

Where do you go to dine out?

In Calgary, I really enjoy Bar Von Der Fels and Pigeonhole.

Eric Hendry and Justin Leboe are great chefs. My wife and I are pretty casual, though, and we go to a butcher-cafe called Empire Provisions almost once a week for the best sandwiches and house-made cured meats in town. The whole menu is super tasty with classics like Cubanos, Reubens and porchetta sandwiches with delicious soups and salads.

Owners Dave Sturies and Karen Kho are two of my favourite people ever and they supply our restaurants with a lot of our sausages and charcuterie.

If you knew you were going to be exiled on a desert island, what three ingredients or food items would take with you?

I love pizza, and I never thought I’d end up working in a pizza restaurant. Having it around me all day, everyday is

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3M and Scotch-Brite are trademarks of 3M. Used under license in Canada. © 2018, 3M. All rights reserved. 1805-11959 E BA-18-26416

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 9

SUMMERTIME SUCCESS Executing a memorable seasonal program

By Doug Radkey

It doesn’t matter which region you’re in, the warmer weather provides restaurateurs the opportunity to develop seasonal flavors and drive an increase in revenue. The challenge that many operators face, however, is the competition of the backyard grill and tourism areas (if you’re not directly in a hyper-local tourism area).

10 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

To execute a flawless, memorable and profitable summer prog ram, it’s important to start planning as early as possible, preferably two to three months prior to the start of summer. Developing a summer program this early will allow a venue to determine cashflow needs, staffing requirements, inventory levels and any additional training requirements to ensure a smooth operating season.

As with any seasonal or marketing related program, it’s imperative to use a SMART mindset towards your planning; one that is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Secondly, it’s a fantastic opportunity to utilize your staff to help brainstorm menu items, themes and other unique events. Finally, one should also use this time to review previous years’ seasonal data to set new, attainable financial goals.

The goal at the end of the day should be to generate awareness, repeat business and an increase in revenue over the course of the summer period.

Here are six proven ways to get started with summer planning, regardless of your concept style.

Drive Energy

The warm weather attracts tourism and gets locals looking to re-explore their outside surroundings. The restaurants or bars that provide the right mix of energy are the ones that will attract a consistent level of guests throughout the season. Look for ways to utilize live music, themed parties and interactive games (inside or outside) on a daily or weekly basis throughout the summer.

Your restaurant could take it a step further and look to collaborate with other local businesses, farms, breweries, wineries and even the competition. The creative options are endless, all of which will enhance your social media strategy, amplify your messaging throughout the community, improve your community perception, increase staff morale and generate revenue opportunities for you and your shareholders — all a while developing a destination, not just a restaurant.

A fully pre-planned calendar of events will drive energy within your community, create excitement and develop repeat business!

Create Buzz

As always when developing any strategy or marketingrelated plan, know your target market in terms of demographics.

This will help in determining the type of event with which your guests will resonate. A strategy will also create objectives and milestones, lay out personnel-related responsibilities and outline the costs and potential return on investment.

To maximize an event’s total reach, it’s best to use a three-tiered approach to creating event buzz. Have a plan in place to promote your seasonal events. You’ll need to have a plan for prior to the event, one for during the event and one for afterwards recapping the it. This will ensure you’re promoting the event and giving guests a means to engage with your brand d u r i n g t h e eve n t .

You’re also giving an opportunity for others to

see what they maybe missed out on, making them intrigued to not miss your next event!

By becoming known within the community for hosting events, you provide guests with new experiences each time they visit, and they then look forward to the next event while sharing their experiences with their friends, family and co-workers. As you can see, hosting events should not be overlooked; they are a great way to also amplify your brand messaging and create long-term brand ambassadors.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 11

BUSINESS OPERATIONS Don’t be afraid to think outside the Consumers are looking for box and get creative. If you’re a new flavours and innovation, sports bar, put together a unique as well as creative summer- baseball-inspired summer menu. If like takes on traditional menu items. you’re a QSR near the beach, create Brand Culture Marketing & Promotions There is no better way to stay ahead of 14-5250 an Satellite easy-to-eat, beach-inspired option Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5G5 this need than by utilizing and building that can T:be905taken 361 0305 to F: 905go.

629 9305 stronger relationships with your local Develop a menu plan with the entire DATE: MAY 15 , 2018 REVISION: 0 farmers market.

Provide your CLIENT: culinary kitchen team (and bar team) with the DOCKET: XXXX McCormicks COLOUR: CMYK team withPROJECT: theFrench's means to develop unique, r e s t a u r a n t ’ s t a r g e t m a r ke t a n d Table Top TRIM SIZE: 4.563” x 7.375” limited-time offers with concept kept close in mind. As always, DESCRIPTION: Media Edge - Half Pagenot Island Adonly - ENGLISHseasonal bLEED SIZE: n/a CONTACT: a barbara MacDonald DATE REqUIRED: 2018 LIVE AREA: n/a produce, but variety of BBQ-related keep the specialized menu small and flavours as well. inviting to reduce inventory, prepThink Local

®

time, additional staff requirements and any potential waste.

Beat the Heat

It should be no secret that the hottest portion of the day is after lunch and into the early evening. To beat the hotter temperatures, a time when many potential guests may opt out of calling or visiting a restaurant, you can beat the heat by offering a summer brunch menu that will drive traffic before the heat of the sun.

Not only is brunch currently on trend, it is another creative, dynamic and lucrative segment that will drive immediate traffic! If you offer dine-in, don’t just offer eggs and bacon — instead set-up temporary carving stations, omelette stations, sandwich stations and build-your-own Caesar stations.

If you offer takeout, consider a variety of unique hand-helds or bowls that are easy to eat. Chicken and waffles are still a thing right? Or is it lobster and waffles now? Either way, you should look for ways to bring brunch offerings to a new level with sophisticated preparations and high-quality ingredients.

And keep in mind, the same can be said for your summer drinks!

Shake Up the Beverage Menu

High quality and great tasting products – from the kitchen to the tabletop, all in one convenient caddy.

Leading brands on your tabletop say a lot.

Contact us to get started. askus@frenchsfoodservice.ca www.frenchsfoodservice.ca 1.866.428.0119 *Reg. TM McCormick Canada. ®Reg. TM The French’s Food Company LLC. Used under licence.

12 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

Innovation shouldn’t stop with just the kitchen-related menu items; beverages need to be included into the mix, too (it is hot out, after all). An effective summer beverage strategy, similar to that of food — also includes the development of limited time offers.

Get your baristas and bartenders to create unique cocktails, iced teas, iced coffees or craft sodas that are also Instagram worthy, and then reward them for that creativity. This is also a g reat way to gener ate staff engagement, social media engagement and to generate a new channel of potential revenue.

The garden-to-glass trend c o n t i n u e s t o g r o w a n d n e w, refreshing spirits are becoming readily available to develop uniquely flavourful drinks with a memorable presentation. Beer and cocktails with low levels of alcohol should also be featured, plus creative mocktails and house-made spritzers should highlight one’s summer menu offerings.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 13

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

6.

Utilize Video and Storytelling

These two elements are really required for any time of the year, but to promote your events, your food, your limited-time offer s and summer drink menu, there is no better way to amplify the message than through video. Use this opportunity to showcase service staff planning an event, cooks building that signature summer menu or bartenders pouring that new refreshing beverage.

Remember, with today’s smart phones, you no longer need to break the bank on video production!

With every video (or photo) should come a memorable story.

Create your voice and tell an effective story, just like you used to do (or maybe still do) while sitting around the camp-fire with friends — something everyone seems to remember!

Here are 4 quick bonus tips to maximize your summer!

Summer is also a great opportunity to reach out to sporting teams, bike clubs and other outdoor enthusiasts. Can your venue host after-parties?

Can your venue host a social-media-only party or specialized tasting event? Again, don’t be afraid to reach out and partner with other local businesses and organizations.

Achieve Three Visits (Minimum): Each seasonal program and its associated campaigns should have the goal of guests returning at least three times. Understanding your target market, is it realistic to see a guest return three times per week, three times per month or once per month over the summer? Once you truly understand their lifestyle and spending habits, you can develop events and campaigns to drive summer loyalty and a personalized experience.

Use Quality Designs: When a venue gives itself the opportune time to plan, a sense of higher quality often comes with it. Budget for and take the time to create highquality designs for posters, ads, video, and social media posts. This will speak volumes to potential guests while providing a perception of value to not only your new summer menus, but also your events and overall venue.

Finesse and Balance: While the summer provides an opportunity to think outside the box, don’t go overboard with menu changes and special events. Know your target market, know your concept and know your financial budget. Develop a program that is simple but memorable, profitable and effective, and without placing additional stress on your kitchen, bar or service staff.

In summary, concentrate your summer plans on presentation, energy levels, storytelling and developing a personalized guest experience. Doing so will develop a sense of community and culture, setting your venue up for success, even as the weather (and often sales) begin to cool down!

Tap Social Circles:

Doug Radkey is the principal owner of Key Restaurant Group, a global restaurant/bar start-up development agency based in Ontario, Canada. Being in the food and beverage industry for over 17 years has allowed him to become a leading voice in the development of feasibility studies, unique concepts, business plans, marketing plans, memorable menus, guest experiences, and financial management systems. Continue the conversation with Doug on Twitter @KeyRestaurants, on Facebook @DougRadkey, on Linkedin, or by visiting keyrestaurantgroup.com.

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14 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

WHO WANTS

Breakfast?

Profiling the Breakfast Consumer

By Laura McGuire

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Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant Foodservice News All marks16 and logos depicted herein are registered trademarks that are the property&of SILK ®. © 2018 WhiteWave Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Shifts in consumers’ breakfast habits often present a challenge for operators trying to grow morning sales. But understanding current consumer eating and purchasing patterns at breakfast can help restaurants better connect to guests. Let’s take a deep dive into today’s Canadian breakfast consumer to pinpoint areas of opportunity to drive traffic and grow cheque averages.

Approximately a third of consumers are more likely to eat breakfast at home than other meals, according to Technomic’s Canadian Breakfast Consumer Trend Report, which surveyed 1,000 Canadians who eat breakfast away from home at least weekly. While this may not be good news for operators offering or thinking of venturing into breakfast, there are silver linings to consumers’ breakfast consumption behaviour.

For instance, three out of five consumers believe it is unhealthy to skip breakfast, with skews heaviest for women, Gen Xers, baby boomers and those with higher incomes.

Consumers who do skip cite the top reasons for doing so as: • They wait too long to eat breakfast and it’s nearly lunchtime.

• They don’t feel hungry in the morning.

• They choose to drink a beverage such as a coffee or smoothie over food.

Not liking breakfast and omitting breakfast for no reason are rarely named grounds for missing a morning meal.

Further, approximately a sixth of consumers say they have increased the frequency of breakfast purchases at restaurants over the past year, particularly younger generations.

Both the importance placed on breakfast as part of a well-rounded diet and the growing consumption of away-from-home breakfast occasions provide operators with a large base of potential morning customers to lure into stores.

When breakfast is consumed, most eat between 7 and 9 a.m. on weekdays, and 8 and 11 a.m. on weekends. Older individuals and men are more likely to eat breakfast at earlier times throughout the week, while younger generations and women gravitate more to later times, especially on weekends when brunch presents an opportunity to socialize over a longer meal.

Away-from-home breakfast occasions most frequently occur on Fridays and weekends, whereas the beginning of the work week is the least likely time for foodservice breakfast purchases. Mondays are the day consumers are most likely to skip

Hollan-Days Nothing says weekend brunch like a plate of eggs benedict smothered in a delicious Hollandaise sauce. The smell of the rich, velvety sauce brings memories of warmth and comfort. It has definitely become a staple in any breakfast kitchen, but many forget how easy to make and versatile it can be.

Make it quick and simple – A Hollandaise made from scratch can take up time and use many pantry ingredients. However, when using LUDA sauce bases, both are cut down significantly. Whether you are looking for a Hollandaise that is instant, gluten-free, that doesn’t separate, without MSG or that is low in sodium; there is a LUDA sauce that meets your needs with LUDA H, LUDA Inspiration and LUDA Original.

Create a derivative sauce – Did you know that you can use a Hollandaise as a mother sauce? Make it a part of your summer menu by adding shallots, tarragon and white wine vinegar to it. Doing so will turn this bright and sunny sauce into a Béarnaise – perfect for topping a mouth-watering steak or grilled vegetables. Alternatively, add some thyme, cream and a touch horseradish for a beautiful complement to a grilled salmon filet.

Get baking – Yes, you read that right – Hollandaise is a great addition to your baked goods.

Skip a few steps and ease your recipe preparation by replacing the eggs, butter and liquid ingredients in your muffin recipe with a LUDA H Hollandaise sauce. For a little dessert or a pairing for afternoon tea, try white chocolate and strawberry muffins. For a more savoury option, replace those sweet ingredients with cheddar cheese and jalapeños for a quick snack or breakfast on the go. Make this one even more decadent by serving it with a side of Hollandaise sauce to dunk it in!

Hollandaise isn’t only for breakfast anymore: It can make a great impact on any dish, and add a little “je ne sais quoi” in the process.

Visit www.luda.ca to find these recipes and more culinary inspiration! www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 17

BREAKFAST

Breakfast Behaviour

by Day

Sunday

17%

27%

Monday

60%

10%

31%

Tuesday

61%

10%

29%

Wednesday

62%

9%

29%

Thursday

61%

11%

28%

Friday

59%

14%

27%

19%

26%

Eat at home Purchase away from home

56%

Skip

Saturday

54%

Base: 2,782 consumers ages 18+ includes terminates; X (breakfast vs. other meals at home) Question: In a typical week, please indicate for each day whether you are most likely to…

Source: Technomic’s Canadian Breakfast Consumer Trend Report

breakfast, which can be attributed to busy work schedules at the start of the week.

Quick, portable breakfast solutions such as grab-and-go items and pay-ahead options could help guests fit breakfast into their busy agendas and operators build traffic during weekdays.

RESONATING BREAKFAST RESTAURANT ATTRIBUTES

When deciding which restaurant to visit for breakfast, consumers today value a place that provides variety above all else. Approximately

Important Breakfast Restaurant Attributes (Top 2 box = important and extremely important)

half agree that a diverse selection of dishes, preparations and flavours is important for operators to offer during breakfast occasions.

This may include a menu mix of ethnic and traditional options, healthy and indulgent dishes, and customizable choices that let guests build their own breakfast to their exact preferences.

Beyond a sizeable menu assortment, value is another restaurant attribute that most resonates with diners in the morning. Two out of five consumers want combo meals that pair a breakfast item with a beverage,

48%

Wide variety of breakfast items Combo meals with a breakfast item and beverage

42%

Breakfast items on a value/dollar menu

34%

Breakfast coupons or specials

32%

Signature breakfast items

28%

All-day breakfast

27%

Unique breakfast items

23%

Portable packaging for breakfast items

21%

Kids breakfast options

15%

Base: 863 consumers ages 18+ who order breakfast from foodservice at least weekly Source: Technomic’s Canadian Breakfast Consumer Trend Report

18 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

such as coffee cafe chain Country Style’s limited-time $2 Country Duo deal in the spring that offered a mini Danish with a medium coffee or tea.

Similarly, around a third of consumers want restaurants to offer value menus, coupons or specials. These discounts particularly cater to cash-strapped younger cohorts who haven’t realized their full spending power yet enjoy dining out. In fact, half of Gen-Zers say that the primary reason they eat breakfast at home is that it saves them money.

Other leading restaurant attributes operators should highlight at breakfast to drive traffic include signature items that guests feel they can’t get anywhere else, allday morning offerings as snacks or later daypart meals and unique items such as mashups. Examples of outside-the-box dishes that may pique consumer curiosity include egg-topped breakfast pizzas and burgers, ethnic breakfast baos and empanadas and shareable morning starters such as French toast sticks, candied bacon and breakfast bruschetta.

Although only a fifth of consumers find portable packaging for breakfast important, this attribute will likely grow in significance as consumers increasingly seek off-premise occasions that don’t compromise the quality of their orders. To stay at the forefront of packaging expectations, operators should focus on eco-friendly materials that retain the appropriate temperature and appearance during transit.

LEADING BREAKFAST DISH ATTRIBUTES

Not only do consumers look to specific restaurant attributes when selecting where to go for breakfast, they also look to certain menu attributes. Drilling into consumers’ expectations for their breakfast dish, quality is the highest-ranked attribute in a morning meal. Consumers may differ in their definitions of quality, but many currently relate the term to clean and premium ingredients. In Vancouver, the Red Wagon showcases quality by spotlighting cage-free eggs, house-cured and smoked preparations and artisan items like goat cheese and pork belly in dishes such as eggs Benedict and omelettes.

The other two leading dish attributes, as chosen by roughly half of consumers, point to the functionality of breakfast for satiating hunger and fueling the day. The weight consumers give to filling and energizing morning meals, especially compared to a lower emphasis on health, signals that operators could appeal to guests by highlighting heartier, protein-rich options.

BREAKFAST Even craveability is ranked below the practical and nutritional benefits of breakfast.

Consumer consumption behaviour will continue to change, particularly as younger generations exert greater influence on foodservice and become more family- and career-minded. To stay ahead of breakfast shifts, operators must consistently monitor and adopt emerging trends that entice consumers to purchase breakfast away from home. It’s said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day — perhaps, that may be true for operators as much as consumers.

Laura McGuire is Content Director at Technomic.

Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry. Visit www.technomic.com.

Important Breakfast Dish Attributes (Top 2 box = important and extremely important)

64%

High in quality

Filling

55%

Energizing

Freshly prepared

Customizable

Healthful

Craveable

49% 47% 42% 45% 38%

Base: 494 consumers ages 18+ who order breakfast from foodservice at least weekly Source: Technomic’s Canadian Breakfast Consumer Trend Report

Healthy New Habits Q: What are some of the most exciting new trends, innovations and developments when it comes to implementing a dairy alternative for restaurants in Canada?

There is no question that the popularity of plant-based foods and beverages is growing quickly in Canada and across many parts of the world, impacting both individual consumers and the foodservice industry. For example, New York restaurant consultancy group Baum + Whiteman has named "plant-based" the food trend of 2018.

Plant-based dairy alternatives are relevant for all consumers, whether they be vegans, vegetarians or ‘flexetarians’ who enjoy both dairy and plant-based products in their diet.

Danone Canada is pleased to offer a varied portfolio of healthfocused dairy- and plant-based products, including the popular Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free brands. What we consider most exciting is that plant-based dairy alternatives are evolving to include a broader range of options. For example, we’re very proud of our new Silk Cultured Coconut product, which is an alternative to traditional dairybased yogurt, as well as our So Delicious Dairy Free frozen desserts.

This variety will allow restaurants to offer more menu items to consumers who are increasingly open to incorporating new ingredients into their routines.

Q: How are the above developments reflective of current consumer behavior and preferences?

The growing popularity of plant-based foods and beverages is reflective of the general trend towards healthier eating. In 2017, for example, Mintel released a report which showed that more than three quarters of Canadians claim to ‘eat healthy’ all or some of the time.

Consumers are putting their product labels under closer scrutiny and choosing food that is good for both themselves and the planet, and dairy alternatives are becoming more popular as a result. According to Nielsen, 43% of consumers are trying to incorporate more plantbased into their diet.

dairy milk in a smoothie, latte or similar beverage.

Plant-based coffee creamers are becoming especially popular, and are of particular interest to coffee shops, cafés and other foodservice providers. Plant-based coffee creamers, such as those in our Silk for Coffee line, can be an ideal stepping stone for consumers who are experimenting with milk alternatives. They should be offered in addition to traditional coffee creamers whenever possible.

As plant-based yogurt alternatives become more popular, we can expect to see ready-made parfaits and other healthy on-the-go snacks or restaurant menu items.

On the desert menu, plant-based frozen desserts can be an enticing substitute for ice cream. For example, Danone’s So Delicious Dairy Free ice cream offers a flavour-forward and indulgent experience even dairy consumers will enjoy. When it comes to baked goods, many consumers and restaurants are using plant-based milk alternatives in select sweet and savoury recipes.

Our drinksilk.ca Web site has a link to recipes, along with tips for cooking with Silk.

Q: What can restaurant owners do to get the most benefit from implementing a dairy alternative into their menu?

Offer options and alternatives to your customers. For example, let customers choose between traditional dairy and plant-based dairy alternatives on your menu. Variety is the spice of life, so don’t be afraid to demonstrate the myriad ways in which plant-based dairy alternatives can make even the most basic menu item seem exciting and new.

Q: What are some creative ways operators or chefs can include a dairy alternative into creating new food and beverage options?

We would say that the possibilities are endless!

In many cases, dairy alternatives can be a substitute for traditional dairy products, such as using plant-based milk instead of traditional www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 19

A RELIABLE FAMILY

since 1951

TA S T E T H E I N N VAT I O N VE GE TA R I A N | H AL AL | DO ES NOT SEPARAT E

luda.ca

LegaL Notice

TO ALL MERCHANTS WHO ACCEPT VISA OR MASTERCARD CREDIT CARDS Class action lawsuits were brought in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Québec against Visa, Mastercard and a number of banks that issue their credit cards (the “Issuing Banks”) on behalf of all merchants in Canada who accept those credit cards. The lawsuits allege a conspiracy in setting higher interchange fees paid by merchants to accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards, and other restrictions. The allegations are denied.

Settlements of class action lawsuits must be approved by the Courts before they are effective. To date, four settlements with Issuing Banks have been approved, and the net proceeds of those settlements are being held for distribution at a later date. There are three new settlements with National Bank, Visa and Mastercard which provide for payments of CAD $6 million (by National Bank), and CAD$19.5 million (by each of Visa and Mastercard) for a total of $45 million for the benefit of the Settlement Class, and cooperation in the continuing action against the defendants that have not settled. The settlements with Visa and Mastercard also provide modification of “no surcharge rules” that prevented merchants from surcharging credit card use. In exchange, Settlement Class Members give the settling parties and related entities a full release.

Hearings to consider whether these proposed settlements should be approved, and if so, the amounts payable to class action lawyers will take place as follows: Vancouver June 25, 2018 10:00 a.m.

Supreme Court of British Columbia

Calgary July 5, 2018 10:00 a.m.

Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench

Regina July 6, 2018 10:00 a.m.

Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan

Toronto July 12, 2018 10:00 a.m.

Ontario Superior Court of Justice

Montréal August 21, 2018 8:45 a.m.

Superior Court of Québec

YOU ARE A SETTLEMENT CLASS MEMBER IF YOU ARE A MERCHANT WHO ACCEPTED VISA / MASTERCARD CREDIT CARDS AFTER MARCH 23, 2001 YOU HAVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU RESIDE AND WHEN YOU BEGAN ACCEPTING VISA / MASTERCARD CREDIT CARDS • All settlement class members can comment on the proposed settlement. You can do so by delivering comments to the court-appointed Administrator at PO Box 2312, 349 W Georgia St., Vancouver BC V6B 1Y0 by JUNE 21, 2018.

• Some merchants are being called upon to decide whether to continue to participate in the lawsuits (and benefit from the settlements). Participation is automatic unless the merchant opts out.

• For most merchants, the right to opt out was given with past settlements and has expired.

However, merchants in Québec and “new merchants” (who only began accepting credit cards after September 4, 2015) have a limited time to decide whether to opt out from the lawsuits (and from the settlements). Opt out requests must be received by MAY 31, 2018.

This is just a summary. Full details of the proposed settlement and information about Settlement Class membership and options including how to attend hearings and opt out are posted on www.creditcardsettlements.ca, or are available from one of the Class Action Lawyers below.

IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK WITH A LAWYER, EMAIL lawyer@creditcardsettlements.ca OR CALL ANY OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWYERS BELOW AT NO COST TO YOU: Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman David Jones (604) 689-7555

Branch MacMaster Luciana Brasil (604) 654-2999

Consumer Law Group Jeff Orenstein (888) 909-7863, ext. 2

www.creditcardsettlements.ca • (877) 283-6548

ADVERTISING FEATURE

FLANAGAN'S

2018 FOOD SHOW It was a day for fresh ideas, industry insights and culinary inspirations during Flanagan Foodservice's 2018 Food Show in Kitchener. Held April 11, 2018, the annual event invited guests to indulge in a full day of food-related presentations, demos and displays — all within its new Lot42 home.

“Lot42 is a very trendy and modern venue, and moving the Food Show there helped show guests we're growing as well as give us space to try some new ideas,” says Barry Reid, vice president of sales and marketing with Flanagan.

The show took full advantage of its new headquarters, using the unique space to showcase the latest food industry trends, products, services, and other innovations. In addition to its wide variety of exhibitors, product demos, and networking opportunities, the day featured an interactive chefs' panel and multiple presentations tackling key market trends, industry sustainability and the value of buying local.

Overall, says Reid, the goal was to take Flanagan's show to the next level: “Every year, we look at how we can bring more value to the people coming through the doors. That's why this year we asked our vendors to join us in giving those guests even more ideas and inspiration to take home.”

Reviews from Flanagan's 2018 Food Show have been positive.

Moving forward, the team will be taking results from its post-event surveys to find out what worked, what made the biggest impact, and how the show can grow even further.

As Reid reports: “We're sitting down as a group taking all the feedback from this year to determine how we can add even more value for everyone involved. A lot of that will be developing more relevant seminars and presentations and determining how we can take the show to other regions.”

22 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

SERVING SOLUTIONS In many ways, this vision for this year's Food Show takes its cues from Flanagan's selling philosophy. More specifically, Reid explains, the company has shifted its approach in recent years to become a more solutions-based sales force: “Our sales people aren't just coming into a business and taking orders; they're taking the time learning about their customers, understand their challenges and opportunities and offer solutions.”

It helps, he adds, that Flanagan's sales force has accrued years of experience within the foodservice industry and is more than equipped to bring new ideas or inspirations to the table: “Working with such a wide range of clients gives our sales reps the ability to bring a wealth of knowledge and industry perspectives to the table. Through that network, we can provide trusted contacts for our customers when it comes to things like insurance or sourcing new products, as well as insights into how other companies are tackling the issues of the day.”

“Even if we don't provide the solution ourselves, we can definitely point them in the right direction,” he adds.

The Food Show is held annually in both Kitchener and Sudbury, with plans to expand to other Ontario jurisdictions. For future events, visit the Flanagan Foodservice website.

Barry Reid, vice president of sales and marketing with Flanagan.

For more, visit Flanagan.ca.

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Hungry for Change, eh?

Proudly Canadian and Family Owned With over 10,000 products listed, Flanagan Foodservice can supply and equip every aspect of your restaurant; from fresh meat and seafood to a full line of smallwares and equipment.

Contact us today at 1-855-Flanagan or visit us at www.flanagan.ca to learn more.

PROTEIN POWER From meat pies to maple bacon and venison spring rolls: The latest on how to rev up your meat and poultry offerings

By Renee Lee Wege

24 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: MEAT

Tender Montreal-style smoked meat, crispy crunchy fries and gooey cheese curds drowning in rich chicken gravy, juicy yet crispy peameal bacon — the list of meaty Canadian favorites goes on and on.

From regional specialties like French Canadian wild game, veal, pork and beef-stuffed tourtière meat pies in Quebec to Nova Scotia’s Halifax donair — the late-night favourite taking a cue from gyros and combining spit-roasted beef or lamb with onions and tomatoes in a pita slathered with a sweet donair sauce — Canada is brimming with hearty meat dishes.

MEAT MEANS BIG BUSINESS

Just like most of the world, meat is big business in Canada. Last year Canada’s red meat industry alone made up over $20 billion in shipments, according to the Department of Agriculture and AgriFood. Meat and poultry are also thriving, even though many meat companies (both in Canada and across the world) are dipping their toes into plant-based eating and acquiring innovators in the space.

Toronto-based meat giant Maple Leaf Foods now has Lightlife, maker of plant-based hot dogs and Chick’n, under its umbrella and is making moves to acquire more plant-based meat companies, while Tyson, the largest meat producer in the U.S., invested millions in plant meat company Beyond Meat.

Even with all the plant hoopla, though, animal protein still has a strong foothold in the foodservice industry. Datassential’s MenuTrends tool, which tracks menus in the U.S. and Canada, shows that beef and chicken are available at nearly all restaurants (each appearing at about 90 per cent). Both are also still growing — a rare feat for ubiquitous ingredients whose growth typically stays stagnant because of their already high menu presence.

CHICKEN FLYING HIGH

Chicken is currently the most popular meat protein in Canada, available on 92 per cent of menus across foodservice operators. Part of the humble chicken’s continued rise in popularity can be traced to chicken and waffles, the sweet and savoury dish that’s taking Canada by storm, growing over 600 per cent according to our menu data. French import Les 3 Brasseurs, which has more than a dozen locations in Canada, takes the breakfast dish to lunch or dinner by transforming it into a chicken and-waffles sandwich with fried chicken and crispy bacon sandwiched between two sweet Belgian waffles (a great way to transform the knife-and-fork entree into a portable handheld). Les 3 Brasseurs’ menu also adds meaty goodness to a variety of other dishes: Canadian favourite poutine comes both in a traditional format as well as with roasted chicken, pico de gallo and bacon in the Chicken Club Poutine, while a new grilled cheese sandwich features braised beef and Quebec cheese and the Smoked Meat Burger piles Montreal smoked beef atop a 100 per cent beef burger.

Bacon, a perennial favorite, is loved throughout the world, but especially in Canada, where it’s the most-menued protein after chicken and beef. For an extra Canadian spin, there’s of course maple bacon, one of the fastest-growing protein varieties on menus (it’s already over five percent) that can be used to add a hint of savoury sweetness to dishes. Any operator can easily capitalize on the maple bacon trend — simply finish cooked bacon with a maple syrup glaze for a sweet and smoky combination that can be used across dayparts and menuparts. Domino’s, for instance, uses maple bacon in its Bacon Garlic Fingers, sliced pieces of dough with garlic butter topped with a blend of cheeses and crumbled maple

bacon, while two-location restaurant the Wooden Monkey uses maple bacon glaze on its pan-seared Nova Scotia salmon.

THE RETURN OF THE STEAKHOUSE

Just like fan-favourite bacon, there’s something to be said about classics. Steakhouses are prime spots for meat and poultry, and there are opportunities for showcasing meat both traditionally (who can resist a beautifully-cooked steak?) and in more modern preparations. Toronto’s Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse goes the “simplicity is key” route, using high-quality meat that’s butchered and dry-aged in house, right in the middle of the restaurant where customers can see it through the glass climate-controlled area, and cooked with just salt, pepper and hot, hot heat.

Meanwhile, other steakhouses are putting their own spins on meaty fare to reach and excite customers. Instead of offering colossal T. Rex steak cuts, which may not appeal to customers looking for a lighter meal, operators might also include options for smaller cuts of meat that can be mixed and matched with various toppings and sauces to create a platter that’s shareable for the table.

And even at steakhouses, steak can certainly star in more dresseddown items — feature strips of sirloin in a comforting stir-fry or offer steak in tacos or handhelds to appeal to those looking for a more casual meal. Longstanding chain Lawry’s The Prime Rib Restaurant & Steakhouse, with locations in multiple U.S. states, turns to more casual fare with its Lawry’s Side Door concept in Chicago. Connected to the traditional restaurant, Side Door offers guests more of a neighbourhood restaurant feel with dishes like prime rib chili and prime rib Philly cheesesteaks.

UPPING THEIR GAME

Proteins like chicken, pork and beef are widely consumed throughout the world, but Canadians consume far more game meats, which aren’t nearly as ubiquitous in other countries. Venison is one of the top-growing proteins on Canadian menus, whether it’s found in a traditional blueberry sauce at Quebec City’s Bistro Sous Le Fort or in a decidedly modern preparation like the sous vide venison with cocoa nib merlot sauce at Ontario’s Peller Estates Winery Restaurant. For consumers who aren’t well-versed in game meats, operators can help ease apprehension by cutting the gaminess of venison with more familiar flavors. Vancouver’s Chambar offers the Le Burger Du Chasseur featuring a venison burger, aged gruyere, red wine and black pepper jam, and mushroom ragout for a spin on a traditional burger, while at Toronto’s R&D venison is combined with cheese curds and charred scallion-jalapeno sour cream in venison chili spring rolls (how’s that for a new take on spring rolls?).

Whether you go modern, traditional, or somewhere in between, the options for meat and poultry-driven menu items are endless. By leveraging new preparations of trendy ingredients and dishes like chicken and waffles, maple bacon, and venison, you too can capitalize on meaty menus.

Renee Lee Wege is a senior publications specialist at Datassential, a supplier of trends, analysis, and concept testing for the food industry.

For more information about North American food trends, contact Dave Jenkins at 847-903-5744 or dave@datassential.com.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 25

EMPLOYEE

ENGAGEMENT Why does your staff quit?

By Seth Mohan

Employee retention is a major cause of concern for most restaurant owners.

Restaurants are primarily in the people business and must be able to hire and retain quality people. In a world where everything is going digital and we are losing the human connection, it is people that deliver the experience that ultimately creates relationships with your guests.

Historically, the restaurant industry has been a revolving door of sorts, where high employee turnover is the norm. Now, with the added pressure of an increased minimum wage, hiring and training new staff is more costly than ever. Employee retention is not just a human resources issue; it directly effects your bottom line.

EXPERIENCE PREFERRED

Seasoned employees waste less product as they typically make less mistakes. They help lower your labour costs, as they are more experienced with the existing systems and can do the work more efficiently than someone just starting out. You can rely on less staff and still maintain the integrity of the product while providing a high level of service.

The difference of one less body both in front and back of house operations is a significant reduction in your daily labour.

Employees that have been around for longer also have fewer liquid or chemical spills and breakage.

This leads to a reduction in your comped meals for guests, as well as expensive workplace safety claims.

26 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

HUMAN RESOURCES

Employee retention is an important aspect to focus on in your profit and loss reports.

Having understood how employee retention improves your bottom line, let us focus on what you can do to improve your retention. Start by getting a sense of employee turnover in your business. If this is something that you are not measuring, you could be losing a lot of money, as the hard costs of a single employee leaving are about $1,500, and this figure is much higher for managers. If you account for the hours it takes to interview, hire and train staff, you will see how your restaurant is bleeding money in operating like a revolving door. More importantly, it does not have to be this way. Operators are starting to challenge traditional hiring and training practices, and innovating for better results.

FEEDBACK IS KEY

A practice that you can begin right away to start improving your retention rates is by doing exit interviews. Successful organizations have created exit interview templates for staff leaving the business.

They ask a set of questions to determine the reason for their departure and mine the outgoing staff for operational inefficiencies that can be fixed.

It is important to understand why your staff is leaving as most often it has something to do with their immediate supervisor. You can see patterns emerging if every exit interviewee is citing similar reasons for leaving. This is a simple 20-minute exercise that you can implement to start understanding and improving your retention rates.

This brings us to the top reasons why employees leave. Most employers believe that their staff leave in search of more money.

According to thousands of exit interviews, this is rarely the case.

The number one reason people leave a company is because there is no leadership that is guiding them on a growth path.

For example, if a support staff member feels that there is no opportunity for growth in their current role, they might start to shop around in other restaurants for server or bartender positions.

This is where the leadership in your restaurant can have a big impact. By offering guidance and setting expectations from staff to meet, and rewarding them when those expectations are met, you can make your staff feel more engaged and looked after. This does not always have to mean a promotion, but even a show of public recognition can go a long way in engaging your employees.

SETTING A PATH FOR GROWTH

Whenever possible, try and establish a clear growth path for your staff and work with them to help them overcome challenges in their growth. Traditionally, chefs and bartenders have believed that the key to their long-term success is to hold on to trade secrets and not share them with their colleagues and juniors for fear of competition. Employers are often afraid of what happens if they train their staff really well and then they leave. I believe a more important question to ask is what happens if you don’t train your staff and they decide to stay?

In today’s world of open-source knowledge, the new way of being a leader is by teaching others and helping them grow, by sharing your knowledge freely and developing others to perform at their highest potential. To be competitive in the labour market, having a clearly defined growth path is a great way of engaging your employees and increasing retention.

The second biggest reason staff leave a job is because of the demands on their time and quality of life. With the advent of technology and the innovations it has brought to the foodservice industry, as an operator it is imperative you explore ways of making the lives of your employees easier.

Millennials are less likely to work in the foodservice industry, which is going to cause an 11.8 per cent deficit in employees in the next decade, as predicted by research. That’s almost 137,000 people, and with more restaurants competing for staff it will be even harder to retain employees.

ANALYZE YOUR SYSTEMS

Take a closer look at the systems in place in your business, and be on the lookout for inefficiencies. Inventory, accounting and supply chain management have been revolutionized by use of technology. You can utilize all of the advancements in those fields to save your employees time, which ultimately will save you money. For any business, that’s a key factor in any decision.

The third most common reason that people cite in exit interviews is inflexible schedules and low wages. They feel a disconnect between how much they’re asked to work and how much money they make. This is especially true for kitchen staff. Note that dissatisfaction with money is the third reason in the hierarchy of reasons of why employees leave a job.

Following the passing of higher minimum wage legislation, restaurants are paying close attention to wages, as they want to decrease their labour costs. Rather than focusing solely on reducing the hours that your staff works, and sacrificing service as a result, the focus must be on making your staff more efficient so they can maintain the standard of service, while keeping your labour costs low.

CUEING IN ON CULTURE

Culture plays a huge role in increasing your employee retention. Workers today want to feel that they are part of a culture that they believe in, rather than just working somewhere for a paycheque.

Culture is not just a buzzword that makes you seem fancy and hip, it is imperative for the success of your restaurant. One of the challenges of the restaurant industry is that it competes in two markets, in the consumer and the labour market. To be a strong force in both markets, having a clear and defined culture can give you an edge over your competition.

A restaurant’s leadership can play a major role in increasing employee retention by creating culture, empowering staff, promoting teamwork and welcoming input from workers at all levels so they feel valued and involved. Implementing these practices into your business will increase your employee retention by engaging your employees and earning their loyalty. Having a team of loyal and engaged people working for you can help create a feeling of hospitality and harmony for your guests when they walk through your doors.

Seth Mohan is Founder at Hospitality SOS. Seth has over a decade of experience in hospitality and foodservice. He specializes in helping restaurants create a culture, hire and train quality staff, and market to Millennials. You can reach him at seth@hospitalitysos.ca; https:// www.hospitalitysos.ca/blog www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 27

ADVERTISING FEATURE SECOND IN A FOUR-PART SERIES

Chef David Cocker

STOPPING BACTERIA COLD:

Corporate Research Chef Reuven International Ltd.

THE CASE FOR FULLY COOKED CHICKEN In the kitchen, everything takes a back burner to food safety. No matter the size of the order or time constraints, food service professionals must take measures to prevent the spread of dangerous food-borne bacteria by eliminating the risk of cross-contamination in an often busy work environment.

In the kitchen, everything takes a back burner to food safety. No matter the size of the order or time constraints, food service professionals must take measures to prevent the spread of dangerous food-borne bacteria by eliminating the risk of crosscontamination in an often busy work environment.

“There is a greater risk of food-borne illnesses such as salmonella and campylobacter in a professional kitchen because of the quick paced environment that is prevalent in most food service establishments,” says Chef David Cocker with Reuven International, adding, “The occurrence of undercooking proteins, cross-contamination, and storage and handling practices can become a second thought in the midst of a hectic service environment.”

Salmonella and campylobacter typically spread directly through contact with undercooked proteins. This includes raw chicken products which are subject to significant denaturation of sensory, chemical, and microbiological attributes within 36 hours after the date of slaughter.

Considering how common these bacteria can be in a food prep environment, one method of minimizing food safety concerns is by utilizing frozen fully cooked chicken products that have been cooked well above industry minimum internal temperature requirement to minimize the risk altogether.

Doing so removes the risk of pathogenic bacterial cross-contamination from the service line and removes service sanitation breakdowns while handling raw chicken ingredients.

“Raw chicken breast has a typical shelf life of 2-4 days depending on many variables such as slaughter date, added moisture, and storage and handling conditions. Slower than anticipated customer traffic can result in increased risk of the product spoiling, which is money being thrown out in your garbage,” Chef David explains, adding, “ Switching to a fully cooked product allows you to have anywhere from a 12- to 24-month shelf life from a frozen condition, which ensures inventory availability and that safe products are being served to your customers whether you are going through a slow or busy period.”

There are considerations to weigh when choosing raw or cooked products such as chicken. To that end, it’s important to separate fact from misconceptions. Concerns over the use of frozen fully cooked chicken products, for example, include the misconception that the quality is denatured

and excessive marinade or water weight is added to the products to increase yields and lower cost. However, raw chicken can contain anywhere from 15 to 20 per cent added water weight, which is removed during storage and the cooking process.

“That is 15 to 20 per cent of the piece weight which has the same price tag as the chicken that is being prepared,” says Cocker. “That's why Reuven uses neutral light marinades which are cooked into the protein. In a yield loss study, this is shown to be 10 to 20 per cent in benefit of our fully cooked products compared to an equivalent raw product.”

No doubt, misconceptions between differences in taste and quality have also proven untrue. Ultimately, then, one's decision to choose frozen fully cooked products can be boiled down to a desire to enhance operations and keep consumers both safe and satisfied.

This is the second in a four-part series examining the use of raw and fully cooked chicken products in the foodservice industry. Look for more discussions in future issues and learn more at www.reuven.com

28 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

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COVER STORY

FOOD(SERVICE)

Change is the only constant

By Asad Amin

30 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

COVER STORY

FOR THOUGHT “What to eat? Cook at home or eat out? Takeout or home delivery?” Modern eating is fraught with a great deal of uncertainty. Today’s eating and drinking decisions are often in-the-moment and spontaneous, driven by impulse and whim. We live in a culture of increasingly unplanned occasions, with a large proportion of decision-making being made within mere hours of the occasion. For example, more than half (56 per cent) of dinner decisions continue to be day-of events. Our best laid plans are often disrupted by shifting work schedules, childrens’ activities or simply by changes in moods, desires or cravings.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 31

COVER STORY

Behind the scenes, evolution is clearly visible in the foodservice and retail landscape, with a proliferation of increasingly creative outlets catering to the complex “turn-on-a-dime” consumption needs of today’s diners.

This paradigm shift in behaviour represents significant opportunity for restaurant operators, food and beverage manufacturers and retailers participating in foodservice. To best understand how to stay ahead of the wave of change, we analyzed and distilled some of the key external forces driving changes in consumption behaviour today.

OUR RESEARCH

Our insights are gleaned from consumer research conducted by the Foodservice Monitor at Ipsos. FSM is an ongoing daily tracking of what consumers ate and drank in foodservice. The study reports on industry size estimates, channel performance (QSR, FSR, etc.), visit details, party composition, menu decisions, visit motivations and key demographics, among other metrics. FSM is in the field 365 days of the year, since 2014. Beyond its use as a market measurement tool, FSM is used to tactically and strategically address business issues and, in this instance, to identify current market trends.

SETTING THE CONTEXT

Foodservice contributes $71B dollars to the Canadian economy via 8.2 billion individuals Foodservice

Dollars 2017

$70.6

Traffic 2017

Foodservice

8.2

billion

billion individuals

Quick Service

41%

57%

Full Service

45%

22%

SETTING THE CONTEXT

21%

15%

Retail & Other

Source: Statistics Canada & Ipsos Foodservice Monitor 12ME Dec 2017

LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA TO ENGAGE WITH CONSUMERS 53% of individuals are likely to taking pictures of their food and post to Facebook, Instagram and other social media FOOD/BEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOURS

% of Individuals Taking and Posting Pictures of Food/Beverage

Take Pictures Extremely likely Very likely Somewhat likely Not very likely Not at all likely

4% 3%

17% 29%

Post Pictures

Age 18-34 is the age group that is most influential

Yes 37 %

47% Where Posted

80%

50%

Source: Vantage Custom Study – March 2018

13%

13%

10%

7%

7%

Q6* How likely are you to take pictures of your food/beverage when you go out to eat at restaurants?

Q7* Do you post these pictures of your food/beverage on social media/online?

32 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

For the purposes of this analysis, we studied macro trends that outline key changes currently impacting consumption behaviour in Canada’s foodservice industry. The data was derived from our current annual trends report, FSM Vantage, which details the top market trends of 2017.

Canada’s foodservice market enjoyed a strong 2017. A total of 8.2 billion consumer visits summed to more than $70 billion in sales. Total foodservice sales grew by five per cent. While growth is positive, it was still a bit softer than g rowth e xperienced in 2016. Although independent foodservice operators continue to post strong growth in traffic and dollars, chains re-captured a bit of market share they had ceded a year ago.

A key watch-out for 2018 is the impact of minimum wage increases, which have already had a noticeable impact, from both squeezed margins as the cost of labour increases, and media and customer backlash due to menu increases.

MILLENNIALS: THE DRIVING FORCE OF CHANGE

Millennials are the prized cohort everyone wants to better understand and potentially cater to. It is easy to be cynical about the impact and influence of this group as they continue to be overanalyzed across many industries. However, there is good reason they garner all this attention in the foodservice world.

COVER STORY

as they are in different stages of their lives. millennials who are beginning to have children have a different set of values as parents. However, we have found them to be more aligned with their own generation than were previous generation of parents. We have a terminology for this group, due to their distinct behavior: young, educated, millennial parents, or YEMPs. DIGITAL DISRUPTION

The marriage of the technological advances we see in society with millennials’ ease in adapting to these changes together are transforming the foodservice landscape. The vast majority (95 per cent) of millennials own a smartphone that has become intrinsic to their lives. This is instrumental in the surge in mobile ordering (33 per cent of all pre-orders, which consists of telephone and online

MOBILE ORDER UTILITY AND PENETRATION WILL CONTINUE IN NEAR TERM It already accounts for a third of all pre-orders made.

We know that Millennials are more than just a soundbite, particularly for the foodservice industry.

Millennials (22-38-year-olds) are the second largest age cohort in Canada, accounting for 23 per cent of the population, and are expected to exceed baby boomers in size by 2021. Their importance to foodservice is evidenced by the fact that they are more likely than any other cohort to source from foodservice and their traffic growth (plus nine per cent) is three times that of any other generation. Millennials cannot be ignored as a source of new revenue.

What makes millennials especially influential in foodservice is their ability to drive trends. The pace of change in the food and beverage landscape is exponentially higher than in previous decades and, largely due to this cohort, the creation and adoption of change is also faster than ever.

Millennials enjoy variety, have discerning tastes, are conscientious about their impact on society and are careful about their personal well-being. All of these values over-index to the total population.

These values are likely shaped by their world experiences from their personal travels, their large share amongst new Canadians, higher levels of education and greater exposure to information (via the Internet) than previous generations.

Considering this cohort to be homogenous would be a mistake. They are fragmented, which in turn drives multiple different needs all within the same group. Leading (29-38-year-olds) and trailing (22-28-year-olds) millennials have different life goals

MOBILE ORDER SHARE OF DELIVERY/ PICK-UP TRAFFIC

18%

20%

15%

22%

28%

31%

33%

% of Visits – Total Foodservice

Nov-Dec Jan-Feb Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sept-Oct Nov-Dec 2016 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 Source: Ipsos Foodservice Monitor 12ME Dec 2017

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 33

COVER STORY

DEBIT AND CREDIT CARD UTILITY AND CONVENIENCE CONTINUES TO GROW Cash is the dominant method of payment, with shifting behaviour towards debit and credit cards

PAYMENT TRENDS % of Traffic – Total Foodservice

Cash

Debit Card

Credit Card

[-6%]

34%

42%

Gift Card Dollars

Cellphone Traffic [ % ] Traffic change

[+13%]

32% 30%

31%

[+11%]

22%

[+7%]

3%

3%

[++%]

1%

2%

Note: ++% = greater than 15%; --% = less than -15% Source: Ipsos Foodservice Monitor 12ME Dec 2017

ordering as well), both for delivery and pickup. While this behaviour is arguably in its infancy, it is poised for growth.

With technology increasingly linked to every facet of our lives, an omnichannel strategy is imperative, not just for the ability to reach the important millennial cohort but also for the larger market. This would entail presence via a physical store, telephone, online and mobile.

This can be achieved by distilling this complex imperative into a twofold strategy:

game to tap into the current demand and to lure new customers. What they must consider though is whether they should utilize the services of thirdparty aggregators like Skip the Dishes or assume the responsibility themselves. There are pros and cons to each and that space will certainly evolve over time.

With one in five dinner decisions made on the spot at home, convenience is more important than ever.

Few things can be considered more convenient than ordering a prepared meal at the press of a button.

CASH IS KING. . . SORT OF

While cash is still king, its usage has been softening steadily over the past three years (a six-point decline over 2017). All other payment methods — debit, credit, gift cards and mobile — are growing with traffic growing in double digits for most. Debit and credit payments (63 per cent of dollars) together are bigger than cash (34 per cent of dollars).

There is a saying that states we “eat with our eyes first.” This also applies to the proliferation of the food experience throughout social media. More than half of consumers indicate that they are likely to take pictures of their food and beverages when they go out to eat at restaurants. This behaviour is particularly more developed amongst millennials with close to three quarters doing this, nearly half of whom post these pictures on social media and online.

Although mobile payment remains small, it is growing faster (plus-15 per cent) than any other method of payment. We found that the biggest challenges among consumers for using cellphones as a payment method were habit (55 per cent prefer cash or debit), fear (35 per cent) and limited knowledge (16 per cent).

The benefits of going cashless range from growing consumer preference, efficiencies from improved accounting, reduced theft and speed of service to building loyalty by connecting directly with the consumer via electronic marketing campaigns. These are some of the potential reasons we anticipate further growth of electronic payment methods.

Via distribution to tap into a growing demand for mobile.

BLURRING OF CHANNEL LINES

Via a social media presence to connect with consumers.

Mobile is the fastest growing pre-order delivery and pickup platform and is poised to grow in coming years. Operators need to ensure they have skin in the

34 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

While the traditional grocery store segment still dominates the purchase landscape, the everbroadening choice and selection offered through growing channels such as drug, dollar and emerging online channels is extraordinary and provides consumers with a new element of choice, price evaluation and service.

The evolution of consumers’ needs has resulted in significant shifts in the retail landscape as more retailers move to solutions as opposed to products.

Given that convenience seems to have more currency than ever before, two worlds are currently colliding in the ready-to-eat space at grocery stores, which cater to those seeking portable solutions to accommodate their hectic lives.

This hybrid channel is commonly referred to as grocerants. Grocerants offer a one-stop-shopping solution for consumers motivated by curiosity or a lack of time. An increasing number of grocery stores now allow customers to buy and eat on the spot.

While it may not feel like a tangible threat to restaurants, we know that among those who purchase home meal replacement, 90 per cent indicate that they are likely to purchase these prepared foods from the grocery store instead of a

COVER STORY restaurant in the future. Rising prices in restaurants and deflationary prices in the grocery channel could also attract consumers in the near future.

Meal kit consumption is also growing at dinner, and now accounts for 8.2 annual meal occasions per capita (up from 6.1 two years ago). While this dinner solution is just in its infancy, it should be considered part of the competitive set for foodservice.

PARTY SIZES ARE SOFTENING Average Party Size

1.56

1.53 1.48

PARTY OF ONE, ANYONE?

With almost half of all occasions being consumed alone, the desire among individuals to eat what they want, when they want it and how they want has grown in importance. However, personalization or customization goes beyond solo eating occasions.

Even at dinner, where 80 per cent of the occasions are shared with others, in one in five individuals are eating a different food item than others at the table.

The challenge of what to make grows as the primary meal preparer now has to adopt short-order cooking skills to meet the needs of all. Couple this with the limited time available to prepare meals, one can see the obvious benefits of alternative meal preparation and sourcing methods that range from home meal replacement to meal kits and to delivery.

The solo consumption trend is also reflected in foodservice operators as average party size has been softening for several years now, declining to 1.48 in 2017. When digging further, we see this is being driven by off premise occasions.

2015

2016

2017

Total Foodservice Source: Ipsos Foodservice Monitor 12ME Dec 2017

CONCLUSION

While these outlined changes seem sizeable, the dust has yet to settle on their impact to our industry. We likely are just at the beginning of some of these shifts, and they are likely to evolve even further. History is littered with examples of businesses that, at their own peril, ignored the impact of trends or waited too long to act on the trends. Conversely, there are companies that refuse to sit on success and have a continuous and unrelenting mandate to regularly evaluate external forces and grab onto shifting consumer needs well in advance to protect their market share or catalyze future growth and innovation. This is why trends matter! It is an exciting time to be in foodservice.

METHODOLOGY

HITTING CLOSE TO HOME

All roads lead to off-premise occasions growing.

Consumption outside of restaurants now accounts for 62 per cent of traffic, a 10 per cent gain in two years and the highest share on record.

The perfect storm outlined in the trends above is leading to this shift towards off-premise consumption.

We see similar trends in the entertainment industry, with cinema attendance shrinking annually. Perhaps the desire to binge watch shows on Netflix is another factor driving off-premise occasions to grow.

What we do know is that needs drive behaviour.

The combination of time constraints, the daily pressures of modern life and technological gains (including their adoption into everyday life) are key reasons for the growth in off-premise occasions.

That is why we see attributes related to convenience (over-indexed) and portability (significantly overindexed) more developed for off-premise occasions vs. on-premise occasions.

Lastly, while on-premise occasions have shrunk to 38 per cent of traffic, they still represent just over half of dollars spent, and there are clear needs that are related to experiential and social fulfillment that continue to be satisfied by on-premise occasions.

These are findings from the Ipsos Foodservice Monitor consumption tracker; a continuous diary that tracks what Canadians ate and drank yesterday at any foodservice establishment. For the survey, a sample of 36,500 Canadians are interviewed online annually using a 15-minute device agnostic questionnaire. The study reports on industry size and channels, visit details, party dynamics, menu choice, visit motivations and demographics, among many other metrics. Data was also sourced from the FIVE consumption study, which captures consumption across all venues, including in home. FIVE is also an online tracker in field every day of the year with an annual sample size of 20,000 individuals.

Asad Amin is a vice president with Ipsos and leads the firm’s Foodservice Monitor study as part of the syndicated services division. Ipsos’ syndicated sector employs 11 full time consumption researchers. Based in Toronto, Asad leads the team of research experts dedicated to serving the market research needs of the foodservice industry across Canada. Asad can be contacted at asad.amin@ipsos.com or 647.292.1748. www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 35

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THE CULINARY FEDERATION’S

À LA MINUTE THE CF WOULD LIKE TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE OUR 2018 NATIONAL PARTNERS PLATINUM

GOLD

BRONZE

CORPORATE PARTNERS

+CF REBRANDING | REGIONAL CHALLENGES | FAMILIES GOURMET FLAVOURINGS

HELPING FAMILIES | BEST OF THE EAST | CULINARY MILESTONE

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

AN EXCITING YEAR OF CHANGE Dear CF Members, Colleagues and Friends:

WHEN ELECTED PRESIDENT in June last year, I knew this would be a year of great changes and renewal for our federation, and it has definitely been a year of changes and renewal.

Change brings the need to embrace current technologies and become more relevant through the use of modern multimedia platforms that can reach more culinarians and culinary enthusiasts in order to grow and flourish in the future. With a new identity and logo, our new website and social media platforms went live in March. Through culinaryfederation.ca, chefs, pastry chefs, culinary schools, restaurateurs and foodies can now join and/or renew their memberships online.

So, what’s in store for the next few months? Well, I have been working with our national board and branch presidents to increase tangible value to the Culinary Federation membership as we continue to remained focused on our goals. Some of our new initiatives that will be introduced in the fall include continuing education workshops delivered in colleges across the country, along with a rebate program from Culinary Federation partners to members’ places of business.

As we work and play our way through summer, I’m sure everyone will be busy and this includes the Culinary Federation. Please check the website calendar to see what events and programs are approaching.

Have a good summer.

Simon Smotkowicz President, Culinary Federation

CCFCC REBRANDS TO CULINARY FEDERATION Continuing education, improved social media platform highlight new branding

Ryan Marquis

Rudi Fischbacher

THE CULINARY FEDERATION (CF) changed its brand to meet the needs of an evolving hospitality industr y. The CCFCC engaged HOUSE Media Group to help the association rebrand to Culinary Federation (CF).

The first step in the rebranding process was to rebuild the organization’s web presence and social media platform. The new website culinaryfederation.ca possesses a minimalist design, improved functionality and enhanced content for audiences within the culinary and food industry. Focused on communicating the Culinary Federation values, the website explains both the purposes and benefits of membership.

The Culinary Federation has also expanded its membership categories by introducing the following new groups: Pastr y Chef; Restaurateur; Culinary Schools and Foodies.

Additional changes focusing on membership education will be released in the Spring 2018.

38 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

À LA MINUTE recently sat down with Chef Ryan Marquis of the Culinary Federation’s marketing committee to find out more about the rebranding initiative.

What in your opinion are some of the most exciting and significant aspects of the Culinary Federation rebranding and why?

RYAN MARQUIS: The most exiting aspect of the rebranding of the Culinary Federation is that we

are becoming more relevant to cooks today.

Over the past 10 years our industry has become more diversified so we needed to change as well.

What was the main goal for going through the rebranding process?

RM: We wanted to be more relevant to cooks and chefs of today but not lose the heritage and traditions of what the Culinary Federation has always represented. Our main goal is to create a more relevant and diverse association. With these changes we are hoping to attract a young, vibrant membership base. Our web and social media platforms are highly focused on that precise goal.

How do the various social media platforms fit into the rebranding?

RM: We have re-launched our presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and are creating more relevant content. On our new website we have created a member social program as well so all of our member’s and partners can keep up to date with all trends and events that we do countrywide.

Lastly, tell us a bit about the new membership categories.

RM: We have created four new categories of membership.

Pastry Chef: This membership is focused on targeting pastry chefs that want to be part of a national organization of chef and junior chef professionals. Their skills are very specific and detailed so that is why we felt that they deserved their own category of membership.

Restaurateur: With the rise in independent restaurants across the country we felt this would be a great category to add. This gives restaurateurs a chance to network with new, up-and-coming and experienced chefs. Our new social community platforms on our new website will also be a great place to brand their restaurant to help to drive more business to their locations Culinary Schools: This membership is open to all training facilities that teach cooking, pastry or the culinary arts. This membership gives the training establishment the chance to advertise and target new and up-and-coming students or past alumni on our new social media platforms and on our new website.

Foodies: With the rise in popularity of our trade we found it prudent to add this category. This membership give the nonculinary professional a chance to network and be a part of a community of food enthusiasts all the time.

New Continuing Education Program In addition to the new rebranding initiative undertaken by CF leadership, the association has also announced a continuing education program to help members connect with industry partners and attract young careeroriented professionals to the organization. À L A MINUTE recently spoke with Rudi Fischbacher, MBA, CCC and acting dean of the School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism at Humber College about the new CF's continuing education program.

How were the various factors of the continuing education program decided upon and how were the members at large involved?

RF: We listened to the feedback we received from members and we looked at what would stoke members’ interest most and how to deliver the new initiative. We want to be innovative yet practical so members would walk away with new ideas and skills and also feel that being a member of the CF would provide value.

What are some of the most significant aspects of the new continuing education program?

RUDI FISCHBACHER: The continuing education program is a new initiative from the CF and Canadian Culinary Institute.

These workshops will be delivered with existing and new partners across the country.

It will address the specific culinary interest of our members and create a networking platform to engage participants. The intent is to stimulate emerging trends in culinary cuisine in Canada.

What are the program’s main goals?

RF: The key is to engage members and reach out to new potential members to strengthen the CF. As an association we need to constantly rethink what we do and, more importantly, why we do it. Our goal is to attract young, career-oriented industry professionals that see the value and that are able to contribute to the trade with their knowledge and know-how.

What was the main thinking behind the development of the continuing education program?

RF: The idea came from CF President Simon Smotkowicz to create added value for members within the CF through education.

We then moved forward to consult with members and participating colleges to look at potential topics. We strongly believe that we are able to connect chefs and cooks to not just learn new skills and techniques but also share best practices to strengthen our industry as a whole.

What are the major components that make up the continuing education program and how is each important to the overall vision and mission of the organization?

RF: Our vision is to deliver real and tangible value to our members. The core components are connecting members with existing industry partners in collaboration with educational institutions to achieve a national network that will benefit all stakeholders.

Lifelong learning and exchanging best practices has been a core value of the CF and the CCI for many years.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 39

UPDATES

ROMANCE BLOOMS AT SASKATOON CHEFS' GALA 2018

By Shauna Powers

COCKTAIL HOUR Four live appetizer stations prepared by Derek Cotton and the future culinary artisans from Saskatchewan Polytechnic Soup – Greg Doucette, The Rook and Raven Candied apple, Gorgonzola, drunken raisin, spiced pecan Salad – Scott Torgerson, The Radisson Petite sunflower with mustard and kale greens, sunchoke, beech, mushroom, ginger SASKATOON'S ANNUAL CHEFS' GALA, which was founded by a couple, will this year have a theme of romance, and organizers hope it will rekindle old flames and ignite new ones.

The event brings together local chefs and performing arts organizations for an evening of cocktails, food and entertainment. The meal includes seven courses, with each course prepared by a different Saskatoon chef.

Anthony McCarthy and Anastasia Winterhalt started the event together nine years ago.

McCarthy is the executive chef of the Saskatoon Club and the western region vice-president of the Culinary Federation, and Winterhalt is the artistic director and founder of Little Opera on the Prairie.

“I was looking for an excuse to have an awards evening for our association where we give out awards for chef of the year and to juniors, our associates and all the members involved,” McCarthy told CBC's Saskatchewan Weekend host Shauna Powers.

“We were looking for different avenues as well to tie in with some fundraising, so that's how it started, and it has since evolved to where we are today,” he added. Combining food with art is a big part of the event, which is something Winterhalt and McCarthy wanted to do long before the first gala.

“It was sort of in the back of our minds for many, many years,” said Winterhalt.

“Culinary arts fits perfectly well with theatre and opera and chamber music.”

To reflect this year's theme, the music and food were inspired by famous romantic scenes in movies, including Love Actually, When Harry Met Sally and You've Got Mail, according to McCarthy and Winterhalt.

The pair said they hope the gala will help rekindle the romantic flame for couples, or impress a first date, all while enjoying top-notch food and entertainment.

40 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

Appetizer – Chris Hill, Picaro Smoked pork hock terrine with sour cherry salsa negra, chayote squash, fennel, frisee, avocado mousse, pickled mustard seed Palate Cleanse – Anthony McCarthy, The Saskatoon Club Peppadew gel, thyme popcorn, apple vodka foam, micros Main – Layne Ardell, Prairie Meats Wild boar, mango chutney, barley and smoked cheddar risotto, chai-infused pumpkin puree, roasted winter roots, torched fennel Dessert – Todd Clark, Boffins Public House Blood orange bavarois, honey almond nougat, milk chocolate mousse, almond cardamom cake Cheese – Darren Craddock, The Delta Bessborough Perron, Meteorite, Le Saint-Raymond, apricot preserve, tea-smoked almonds, Earthbound hemp sesame baguette

UPDATES

MANITOBA REGIONAL CHALLENGE THE CF WINNIPEG Sysco Senior Challenge was held on April 4 at the Sysco kitchen with the cooperation of CF's Winnipeg branch, Sysco and Corporate Chef Peter Eckar. Five talented local chefs competed in a black box competition in the Manitoba regional competition. For three members it was the first time they had the opportunity to compete in such a competition. They learned a lot and came away winners in their own rights. It was a close competition, but the overall winner was Gordon Bailey, culinary instructor from Red River College. Second place went to Jordon Carlson from Joey on Kenaston and third place went to Jose Noboa of Gardewine, with honourable mentions going to Mark Pichette and Sookyung Shin.

Thanks to Peter Eckar and his Sysco team for holding the competition. Thanks also to fellow judges John Reimers, Ron Dobrinsky, Jesse Friesen, Helmut Mathae, Paul Lemire and his culinary student Faith for their time and effort in making the competition a success.

Chef Bailey will be heading off to Charlottetown, PEI, this June for the Sysco national competition.

Argie Garcia, apprentice at the St. Charles Country Club, will also be attending the national conference and competing in the Junior Culinary Challenge.

CENTRAL REGIONAL CHALLENGE CENTRAL REGION HELD ITS Culinary Challenge on Saturday, April 7 to qualify for the National Competition in Charlottetown, PEI, this June. Many thanks to all of the sponsors, volunteers representing the entire Central Region, judges and staff.

SENIORS CF Oakville John Barreda 1st Alejandro Winzer 3rd

CF Muskoka Ryan Bowles 2nd

JUNIOR Humber College Alexander Delgado 1st Kelly Schmidt Balbinot David 2nd Georgian Peter Sladek Alexus Blakley

Centennial Patt Emanuelle Carvalho 3rd Gang Situ

Sponsors for the event were: Total Focus Foodservice Sales & Marketing, High Liner Foods Inc., Maple Leaf Foods, Creekside Wines, Arla Foods, Shalit Foods Inc., Hilite Fine Foods Inc., Artisan Beef, Humber College and Tablecraft. www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 41

UPDATES

CONTINUOUS LEARNING CAREER DAY WITH CF WINDSOR OAKVILLE BRANCH

WHAT IS GENERATION Z? People born in the 1990’s to mid-2000’s. What do gen-Zers want?

They want transparency in the ingredients they consume and the labelling of products, an overall healthier planet and equality for all. This generation is shaping a billion-dollar food market. “Fake” meat is a fast-growing food category that could change the way we eat. It replaces traditional products with alternatives made from plant-based sources that look like meat, with the goal of reducing the global dependence on animal agriculture.

These were just some of the topics being discussed when the CF Oakville branch participated in a career fair for over 400 grade 10 students at Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School on March 23 in Milton, Ontario. Other areas of conversation about the foodservice industry included wages, working hours, how to get started and the breadth of opportunities that exist. Chefs Kira Smith (branch president), Paul Hoag (branch VP), and Lloyd Jordan (branch member) took turns answering the students’ questions. For these kids, 60 per cent of the careers and jobs that will be available to them when they finish their educations have not even been invented yet. Think about that — these businesses are not yet created, teaching materials have not been written, educators have not been educated. What this means is the possibilities for their futures are vast and ripe with opportunity; an eye-opening realization for many of the kids we spoke with. It was an amazing event and great day for all involved.

WINDSOR MEMBERS are very proud that the attendance from membership has grown substantially. We have included educational components as much as possible and we have been lucky to procure chef members from other branches, like Carmelo Vaddachino (Food Supplies & F.Dick Knives), to come in and do an educational component based on trends in the food supply chains as well how to care for your knives. Chef Adelina SistiDeBlasis invited Chef David Franklin (central region vice president) to talk to her apprentice students at St.Clair College where he was also able to formally meet and congratulate last year’s winner of the Central Region Scholarship. In April, at Essex Golf and Country Club, we featured a vegetarian dinner with an educational component with Chef Rob Kelly from Milton's Fresh Start on their produce and nutrition.

It is so important to give back to our sponsors. With that in mind, this year we have challenged ourselves to make sure that as members we do what we can to promote our sponsors by buying their products, advertising their wares, inviting them to our meetings, engaging our members with their information and thanking them personally, as well as reaching out to other branches for their members to come talk to our students, share their insight regarding membership or showcase some of their skilful culinary talents. We are very thankful and off to a rewarding start.

42 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

UPDATES

FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES

CANADIAN PIZZA CHEFS WIN GOLD

THE OAKVILLE BRANCH of the Culinary Federation is very much a family; we are building relationships, supporting each other, and learning as we go. We were honoured to be able to help families in need at the Good Shepherd family shelter in Hamilton by providing a meal on Saturday, January 27. Thanks to the efforts of Oakville Branch Vice President Paul Hoag, there is an ongoing initiative of assisting Good Shepherd with product donations and quarterly dinner events. Many thanks to the companies that donated products and facilities to use — C.W. Shasky & Associates, Shalit Foods Inc. and Reuven International — and to the chefs and their families who assisted with food prep and service. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

In another event on April 14, Oakville Branch prepared a hearty meal for the residents of one of the family centres at the Good Shepherd in Hamilton. Chef John Berreda hosted production at McMaster University with Chef David Evans, Stephan Schulz, David Franklin and new member Lloyd Jordan. The menu included homemade leek and potato soup, baked tilapia provided by partner High Liner Seafood, white barley pilaf donated by Shalit Foods and tasty steamed veggies and sweets from Gordon Food Service.

CANADIAN PIZZA CHEF GIOVANNI CAMPISI captured two gold medals and one bronze, while Maurizio Mascioli won the Gold Cup Master Chef, a gold and a silver at the International Pizza Championship recently held in Bucharest, Romania.

“CF Toronto branch is extremely proud of our members Giovanni Campisi and Maurizio Mascioli, for representing us so well in Romania at the 2018 International Pizza Championship. Enjoy the taste of gold, chefs!” said CF Toronto Branch President Shonah Chalmers.

In the Creative Category, Campisi won gold for his La Selvaggia Pizza, and Mascioli won the Gold Cup Master Chef for preparing a Hockey Night in Canada Pizza. In the Alternative Category, Campisi won gold for his Mille Foglie Pizza and Mascioli also won gold for his Shipwreck Pizza. In the Classic Pizza Category, Campisi won bronze for his Calabrese Pizza and Mascioli took home a silver for his Smoked Romanian Pepperoni Pizza.

Special recognition and appreciation is extended to corporate partners Sysco Canada, Italiana FoodTech, the School of Italian Pizza, Gravitas, F. Dick Knives, and Canada Produce.

BEST OF THE EAST AS THE FOODIES AND CHEFS from across Canada wait with baited breath to see who will be on the lists of best restaurants in this nation, we on the East Coast know from experience that our culinary impact on them is going to be few and far between.

However, as a chef, foodie and a proud Maritimer, I have the inside track on some of the best restaurants that did not make the cut on the East Coast. So here are 10 more for the lists — you just need a flight, rental car and an appetite:

By Peter Dewar, CF Culinary Chair, VP Eastern Region 1. Neddies Harbour Inn, Norris Point Newfoundland 2. Terre Rouge,Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island 3. La Cuisine Robicheau, Sulnierville, Nova Scotia 4. Little Louis’, Moncton, New Brunswick 5. Seto Kitchen and Bar, St.John’s, Newfoundland 6. The Culinary Institute of Canada, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island 7. The Watch That Ends the Night, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 8. Bessie North House Farm and Restaurant, Canning, Nova Scotia 9. The Bite House, Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia 10. Savour in the Garden, St. Andrews, New Brunswick www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 43

VEGAN VISIONARY SHARES JOURNEY CF TORONTO HELD their February 2018 meeting at the innovative and newly opened vegan restaurant, Mythology Diner. Chef Doug McNish owns and runs this establishment, featuring plant-based versions of classic deli and diner fare. Many chefs came in skeptical of the premise, but everyone left fully satisfied and impressed with the menu. Items like Reuben sandwiches complete with mayo-like toppings, poutine and crisp “calamari” rings (oyster mushrooms) were amazing and made us all want to learn more about plant-based diets. Chef McNish has written three cookbooks on vegan cooking, he leads private and corporate training sessions and is an advocate for the vegan way of life. McNish shared his journey to veganism and how it has changed his life and health, leaving us all with some food for thought.

HEALTHY HABITS

DEMONSTRATION night with Chef Claude Leblond, CCC of High Liner Foods with students of Ottawa Mission’s Food Service Training Program on March 19, 2018. Many thanks to Executive Chef Ric Watson of the Ottawa Mission for sharing this opportunity with CF Ottawa Junior Chefs!

CULINARY MILESTONE HONOURED ON APRIL 5, 2018, Red River College held a luncheon to honour one of Winnipeg’s greatest chefs, Nick Marchak. At the luncheon, Marchak presented his Culinary Olympics gold medal to the college. Marchak was the first Canadianborn chef to earn the gold medal for Canada at the World Culinary Olympics. Red River College has gladly accepted the gold medal from the 1976 Culinary Olympics for permanent display at the college.

Congratulations Nick Marchak and thank you for Red River College for honouring his accomplishment and putting homegrown Canadian chefs on world culinary stage.

CENTENNIAL COLLEGE JUNIOR BRANCH ON MARCH 27, CF Oakville welcomed the newly formed Junior Branch at Centennial College. From left: Chef Professor Stephen Field, Chair; Elif Dodanay, Vice Chair; Noelini ClineKitchener, Secretary; Fatima Haresco, Chef; Professor Rene Chauvin. (Absent: Treasurer Timothy Tevin and Centennial Chair of Culinary Arts Suzanne Caskie)

CHEF STEPHEN SCHULZ with Sous Chef David Pryce of Delmanor Elgin Mills testing the organic salmon for the residence health and wellness menu.

RAISING FUNDS FOR YOUNG CHEFS ON MARCH 13, CF Toronto hosted its Young Chefs' Dinner to raise funds and give young chefs an experience of a lifetime to attend June’s National Conference in Charlottetown, PEI. The young chefs will be able to attend the conference and explore educational workshops, competitions, networking events and much more. Thank you to the host venue, Porcello Cantina, volunteers and participating chefs Ryan Collie, Anthony Lamacchia, Joanna Seballos, Aarron Crawford, Adam Lafeur and Jonathan Rocha.

44 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

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Prepared sauces prove to be the ultimate recipe multi-tasker

By Sean Moon

46 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: SAUCES

From piri piri to poutine, aioli to BBQ, the variety of prepared sauces available to Canadian restaurant chefs is more diverse than ever before. As a result, foodservice operators and their kitchen brigades are making good use of an ever-expanding menu of savoury sauce options to keep their guests coming back for more.

With continued talk about transparency and simplicity in many of the trend predictions for 2018, Canadian sauce suppliers say customers want foods made from simple and recognizable ingredients. This is inspiring many corporate chefs and product development kitchens to rethink their sauce recipes while creating prepared sauces that address a growing demand for ethnic flavours, locally-sourced ingredients and ease of use for kitchen staff.

“Sustainability is another mega-trend that we suspect will become a norm,” says Marilyne Petitclerc, culinary marketing Specialist at Aliments Luda Foods. “Menus now feature ingredients from nearby farms, neighbouring merchants or even on-site grown produce. This ultra-local sourcing brings delicious and fresh flavours in prepared sauces.”

INTERNATIONAL MEETS CANADIAN

Combining the demand for ethnic food experiences with Canadian classics is still another growing trend, says Petitclerc.

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Japanese chains looking at importing fresh cheddar cheese curds from Quebec to launch poutine dishes on their menus,” says Petitclerc. “The secret ingredient to recreate the true and traditional taste of Quebec’s famous comfort food dish certainly lies within using an authentic poutine sauce, such as a Luda Poutine Sauce. Chefs can keep exploring this trend by creating derivatives of the classic poutine sauce that would fuse other trends, such as preparing the sauce with a local craft beer, spicing it up with East African spices or with indigenous ingredients from First Nations’ cuisines.”

Ethnic or regionally-influenced foods are also on the minds of corporate kitchens looking to provide exciting new flavours popular with various demographic groups, as well as showcase regional variations in recipes for traditional sauces such as BBQ. “BBQ sauces are becoming more region-specific, influenced by the southern U.S. where every region is unique and BBQ is a way of life,” says Juriaan Snellen, executive corporate chef at McCormick Canada. “Now

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UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: SAUCES guests here in Canada are looking for specific types of BBQ sauces with specific flavour attributes. For example, Memphis BBQ is sweeter, Kansas City BBQ is smokier, Carolina BBQ is mustard based and even white BBQ sauce (a mayo-andvinegar-based condiment from Alabama) is becoming trendy.”

SPICING IT UP

George Sarbanis, president of Rose Hill Foods, says that although his company sees the most popular and exciting trend for 2018 as being plant-based and vegetarian sauces, millennial customers are searching for new, exciting flavours, as well as spicy foods and sauces.

“We are witnessing a large influx of flavours coming from all over the world, including piri piri, sriracha, tandoori, chimichurri, jerk and others, mostly from Asia, India and the Middle East,” says Sarbanis. “Many of these new flavours and sauces cater to Canada’s changing demographics, as well as food enthusiasts, and represent a golden opportunity to open the door to potential new customers.”

Thomas Heitz, corporate chef at Kraft Heinz Canada, agrees that the ethnic food influence is here to stay.

“Right now, we are seeing an influx of big, bold, ethnic flavours and cuisine fusions not previously seen, such as Korean-Spanish fusion concepts where tapas meets Korean BBQ, JapaneseMexican fusion where sushi meets burritos, and so forth,” says Heitz. “Customers are still looking for familiar concepts but with

48 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

a unique twist such as Korean BBQ fried chicken, butter chicken pizza and kimchi-bulgogi poutine. At Kraft Heinz, we are constantly on the lookout for the next sauce innovation to help operators keep up with current and emerging trends.”

BENEFITS ABOUND

The benefits for chefs who can adapt to the aforementioned trends are numerous, ranging from showing customers that your restaurant truly cares about their desire for clean and healthy ingredients to ease of use and creative recipe adaptation and experimentation for chefs.

“Jumping onto the transparency and simplicity trend has its challenges for chefs and restaurant operators, but it is certainly filled with benefits,” says Petitclerc. “Being transparent in their choice of ingredients shows customers that restaurateurs care about the well-being of their customers, which is positive for their branding.”

Heitz adds that one of the biggest benefits for chefs when using prepared sauces is the ability to take advantage of unique BBQ sauce flavourings that work well with cheaper cuts of meats.

“Chefs can transform the tired pulled pork sandwich into a Memphis BBQ pulled pork sandwich using our Heinz Memphis BBQ sauce, which is one of our new regional BBQ sauces,” says Heitz. “Another trend we are seeing is the increase of aiolis, which is essentially a flavoured mayonnaise.

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UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: SAUCES

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Of course, there can be challenges to incorporating the latest trends along with enjoying the perceived benefits.

For example, issues of maintaining recipe consistency, working with unfamiliar ingredients or even difficulty in modifying existing dishes to address new trends can become hurdles for some chefs to overcome. Most, however, have discovered that prepared sauces generally offer far greater advantages than any potential downsides.

“One of the big challenges has to do with consistency and determining the correct spice level,” says Snellen. “For this you really need to know your customer. It is imperative to know what spice level your customers are used to.

Millennials, for example, are more open to spice and they are used to heat levels in foods, whereas older guests may not like their foods too spicy.”

Sarbanis agrees. “Many of these new sauces can be challenging to more conservative and traditional chefs who might shy away from unfamiliar ingredients or something they haven’t used in the past.”

Another challenge can arise when trying to modify existing recipes, especially if the dishes are customer favourites, says Petitclerc. “Also, sourcing ingredients that are simple and clean may be challenging for restaurateurs.

To answer this trend, Luda Foods launched its Luda Pro line of clean label stocks with locally sourced meat or vegetables as the first ingredient. These products are clean label (essential, pantry ingredients only), certified gluten free and allergen free.”

EYE ON HEALTH

In fact, such health concerns are playing a major role in the creation of new prepared sauces, according to several corporate chefs. Being mindful of sodium and sugar levels, as well as larger healthful living issues such as using organic ing redients, label transparency and even environmental sustainability are all important when it comes to addressing the desires and concerns of diners.

“Transparency, sustainability and simplicity are certainly three big driving factors in recipe innovation, including for prepared sauces,” says Petitclerc. “Consumers are looking for natural ingredients with names that they recognize, and restaurateurs are increasingly modifying their recipes to adapt to these trends.”

Snellen adds that sodium and sugar levels continue to be important to many restaurant customers.

“Even though consumers are watching their sugar intake, they still demand powerful, bold flavours.

Alternative sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, sorghum syrup and brown rice syrups add flavour and are healthy.

Soy and cream-based sauces flavoured with nori or seaweed, bonito or katsuobushi flakes are rich in umami while keeping sodium levels in check.”

Sarbanis agrees. “Customers today are certainly more health conscious, better educated and curious about the ingredients used in what they eat. Sauce manufacturers are increasingly marketing their products as organic and healthy, with options such as low-sodium or gluten-free varieties supporting restrictive diets.”

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50 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: SAUCES

WAKE UP YOUR BREAKFAST

It’s also important to note that prepared sauces are not just for common lunch and dinner items such as sandwiches. They can increasingly be found appearing in various forms at the restaurant breakfast table or used to add flavour and pizzazz to basic sauces and other simple ingredients. In many ways, prepared sauces have become true workhorses for a growing number of chefs — with diners across Canada reaping the tasty benefits.

“A great way for an operator to offer a signature BBQ sauce without the risk of being inconsistent is to use a base BBQ sauce and make it a signature sauce by adding their own secret ingredients, such as crushed pineapple, steak spice, cola or hot sauce,” says Snellen. “Another way for operators to offer variety to breakfast items is to bring a range of different hot sauces out to the table in a caddy. That way, guests can

experiment with different heat levels in their eggs, breakfast sandwiches and other items.”

Sarbanis adds that many chefs use prepared sauces simply as a base and then add their own personal touch and flavours to make them unique for their signature recipes.

“For instance, by adding red wine to demi-glace sauce, you can create a classic French sauce such as Bordelaise or by adding cream and wild mushrooms to create delicious forestiere sauce.

“The possibilities are endless when it comes to using prepared sauces to enhance a restaurant’s menu. Simply by adding ingredients such as fresh shallots, mushrooms, fresh herbs, spices, cream, olive oil, red or white wine, cognac or brandy, restaurant chefs can turn an ordinary prepared sauce into something much more appealing to the palate, sure to please their clientele.”

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 51

PIZZA PERFECTION

Finding the ultimate pizza oven for your restaurant

Whether it’s satisfying a pub-crawler’s late-night munchies or attracting the next generation of gourmet trend-obsessed foodie, Canadian restaurants are finding an ever-growing demand for an Italian classic — pizza.

But even if you have nonna’s time-tested recipe that has been passed down through the generations, your restaurant needs the best equipment to create the perfect pie.

Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News recently asked several leading pizza oven suppliers about choosing the best oven for achieving pizza perfection. Read on to hear what they had to say: Participants: Bobby D’Ambrosio, general manager, Kendale Products Ltd. Joe Di Donato, vice-president operations, Faema Canada Francesco Zulian, vice-president and general manager, sales, Italiana Foodtech Inc.

What are some of the most significant trends and developments when it comes to pizza ovens for restaurants in 2018?

Bobby D’Ambrosio: Our Marra Forni ovens

are the industry leader in rotating deck ovens — fresh pizza in 90 seconds without sacrificing quality. They make high-end pizza production as easy as possible so our customers can focus on other aspects of

52 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

their business and maximize quality and customer satisfaction at the same time.

Joe Di Donato: We’ve been selling a lot of electric pizza ovens due to the fact that they are multi-function. They can do pizza or focaccia bread where you have a little more control. And, most importantly, it is much easier for kitchen staff to use an electric oven compared to a gas or wood-fired oven.

Electric ovens can be placed almost anywhere, and not necessarily underneath a hood, so they can be vented straight out. They can also be used in locations such as office towers where the use of hoods is limited. You have more control cooking in an electric oven because you have both top and bottom heat, unlike many wood and stone ovens. Woodfired ovens are also popular right now, particularly the hybrids where you can cook with gas, wood or both.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE First, you obviously need to consider the space where the oven will be used. The electric ovens come in different sizes to fit just about any size space. They are compact, don’t take up a lot of space and can be stacked up to three ovens high. You also have different power options available with electric ovens.

JD:

FZ: There are many things to keep in mind when purchasing a new oven as it’s the most important element for a great tasting pizza. What type of pizza you want to serve and who will be making the pizza and operating the oven will have the biggest impact on what kind of oven you should choose. Buy from someone you trust, make sure they can answer your questions, but also that they ask you the right questions.

What energy-saving innovations have been appearing with pizza ovens and what are other ways these innovations can help save time, money and energy?

BD: The quality and thickness of insulation

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in dome-style pizza ovens will dictate their energy consumption. Also, the size of the burner and design of heat dispersion will affect energy consumption greatly. Both of these factors have been maximized for efficiency in Marra Forni ovens.

Francesco Zulian: Most restaurant owners today purchase the oven as a centerpiece for their restaurant, paying lots of attention to details. Our customers love the made-inItaly mosaic ceramics and the possibility to personalize their oven with their name or logo in a custom mosaic.

What are the major concerns and issues for restaurant operators to keep in mind when deciding to purchase a pizza oven for the first time and why are they important to consider?

BD: High quality equipment is a significant

investment. We design our equipment so that it will impress you as much in five to ten years as it does on day one of operation.

Do the research into the quality of building materials when purchasing the centerpiece to your restaurant. Also consider how userfriendly the equipment is: will you look forward to using it every day?

FZ: A distinction must be made here for energy savings between electric and fired ovens. Energy savings is a request of most customers today as it helps lower food cost and is also a social responsibility issue for many operators. That said, when purchasing an electric oven, it is important to verify that the energy saving quality of the oven comes from an improvement in technology and allaround insulation. Nowadays you must be wary of many ovens with lower consumption as it may also result in a lack of power and poor general construction of the oven, like a lower deck chamber. With fired ovens, energy efficiency comes from combination of factors: thick brick construction (refractor brick, in this case, is the best heatconducting material), a smaller oven door opening (allowing the heat to stay inside the oven) and automated flame regulation. The automated flame allows the gas flame to be on until the desired temperature is reached, turning on and off as needed. Features such as automatic oven ignition also aid in lowering energy consumption.

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What are the pros and cons of each type of pizza oven?

BD: Traditional deck ovens require a lot of

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user input to produce great pizza. This is time-consuming and not cost-effective.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 53

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Conveyor ovens are a good product, but will struggle in any operation that does pizza in considerable volume, and they lack the quality crust pizza cooked on real Italian brick.

With a stone oven, the heating elements are usually inside the stone itself. Once the stone heats up, it holds the heat for a long time. When you’re cooking the pizza in, for example, a Moretti oven, the stone is not smooth and has a rough surface which allows the air to circulate underneath the bottom of the pizza whereas when it has a perfectly flat surface you might have hot spots and need to move the pizza around more frequently. Wood-burning ovens are used more for the Neopolitan-style pizza where you need to have more highly trained staff to operate the oven. In a wood oven, the pizza cooks very quickly, in about two minutes, and you have to move it around. But they also have wood-burning ovens where the actual inside of the oven where you cook the pizza rotates. This simplifies things a bit for the user.

JD:

FZ: Here is a good summary of the various types of ovens: Electric Deck Ovens Pros:

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• Easy to operate.

• Precise temperature and cooking controls with the ability to control overall baking chamber temperature, floor heating elements and top heating elements.

• Energy efficiency.

• Versatile cooking allowing you to cook many other food types and all pizza styles.

• Consistent temperature throughout the deck.

• Flexibility to add other decks.

Electric Oven Cons

• Lacks the visual appeal of a fired oven.

Gas Deck Oven Pros:

• Gas is cheaper to operate than a conventional electric oven (unless purchasing an energy efficient one).

• Requires a lower investment.

54 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

Gas Deck Cons:

• Inconsistent baking. The oven floor will have hot spots and you will need to move the pizza multiple times.

• Ability to only control chamber temperature.

• Lacks the visual appeal of a fired oven.

Wood-Fired Oven Pros:

• Added marketing value to your restaurant.

• If equipped with rotating technology, it guarantees a consistent product without the need of an experienced pizza maker.

• Custom made with the option to choose style, size, fuel, rotating options and look.

• Ability to reach high temperatures and cook traditional or Neapolitanstyle pizza.

Wood-Fired Oven Cons:

• Not ideal for al taglio (by the slice) pizza.

• Depending on the model chosen, it can be a bigger investment than other types of ovens.

What is a good tip that chefs or operators can follow to get the most from their pizza oven?

BD: Prep work saves time

during a busy service. Maintain a constant oven temperature for consistent results.

Use the oven for multiple functions, not just pizza. Some operators use their pizza oven to cook chicken, bacon, salmon, meat and even lasagna. And at the end of the day, when you bring the temperature of the oven down, you can also bake your own bread. Pizza ovens are very versatile.

JD:

FZ: This might sound like a cliché, but the best pizza starts with the dough! Our suggestion is to attend a pizza course before purchasing any equipment and really get a full understanding of pizza dough and its role in making a great pizza!

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What’s Hot in Pizza?

CRFN asked a pair of industry experts about what’s new on pizza menus at Canadian restaurants.

Here is what Tina Galluccio, marketing manager at Saputo Inc., and Tony Sabherwal, owner of Magic Oven Pizza, had to say. . .

What are some of the hottest pizza trends in Canadian restaurants?

Tina Galluccio: Spicy flavours are still going strong. Sriracha is being mixed into tomato sauces or drizzled on pizzas for that extra kick. Dollops of sour cream are also being featured on Mexican-style pizzas on the menu. Other emerging flavours include blue cheese and chorizo.

Tony Sabherwal: In our kitchens, there is a large focus on what’s in season locally with exotic seasonings such as ras el hanout. Some of the newer pizza toppings are cured fish and Asian fast-food type sauces like mayo-chup (a blend of mayonnaise and ketchup) and Thousand Island dressing. Their popularity will soar because of the diversity in our population.

What are some of the new crust options for pizza and how can chefs use these in creative ways?

TG: Gluten-free crust is becoming more prominent in menus due to consumers’ dietary constraints.

Activated charcoal dough is also appearing on some limited time-offer pizzas. Chefs can amp up the flavour with fresh, premium ingredients on a gluten-free or charcoal pizza.

TS: We are testing cauliflower, protein powders and cricket powders in our pizza crusts. There is a lack of familiarity for consumers at this point, but we foresee a large demand in the near future.

What kind of ethnic or cultural influences are finding their way into the development of new recipes for pizza?

TG: Ethnic influences can easily be incorporated on a pizza. Try injecting chorizo and sour cream on a pizza for a Mexican-inspired pie, feta cheese on a Mediterranean-style pizza, blend-in Gochujang paste with regular tomato sauce and

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marinade beef strips in kalbi sauce for a Koreanstyle pizza.

TS: We find the sweet-savoury flavour preferences of Filipino foods and the aromatic herb mixes of the Middle East are great for providing a new taste for pizza. The best way for restaurant owners to incorporate these into their menu is to eat unfamiliar cuisines and find ways of sharing what they like with their patrons.

How can operators save money on pizza ingredients while still maintaining quality and selection for their customers?

TG: Focus on quality, cost-effective ingredients.

Extend the use of ingredients on other menu items such as sandwiches, baked pastas or flatbreads.

TS: Creating bundle values and focusing on higher-quality ingredients are ways to manage cost. The one-of-a-kind ingredient pizzas tend to require less toppings and can be made faster. A house-made pepperoni pizza need not have expensive toppings along with it, as the pepperoni is the star.

RIGHT PART, RIGHT TIME, EVERY TIME. ® HeritageParts.ca 800.239.5251 www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 55

MANAGING THE MENU New technologies to help with menu planning

By Jill Carte

Imagine the following scenario: A Canadian school district comprised of 20 different schools serves at least one — if not two — meals a day to 50,000 school children. Because Canada, like the U.S. and many other parts of the world, is experiencing a childhood obesity problem, the school district turns to their cafeteria administrators to see if the food they are serving might be a contributing factor.

Their findings show this to be a strong possibility because many of the schools were serving prepackaged chicken and meat meals, frozen pies, bottled salad dressing and other prepackaged and readyto-serve items.

Among the good things about these prepackaged and prepared food items is that they were tasty, portion control was often less of an issue and they certainly made it much easier for cafeteria workers to provide 50,000 meals each day.

DIETARY DANGERS

However, among the not-so-good things, and why district administrators came to their conclusion, was the fact that most of these pre-packaged food items contained lots of sodium and oils, had a high fat content and were also high in calories.

56 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

Consequently, the decision was reached that more cafeteria items would be made in house from scratch. Not only might this help address the overweight and obesity issues administrators were concerned about, but also making food from scratch could save money for the school district as well.

TECHNOLOGY However, once this decision was made, the district and cafeteria workers soon realized they were dealing with a whole new set of issues.

For instance, if food items were now going to be made from scratch, how could they analyze these new recipes to determine, for instance, their nutritional values such as sodium content, fat and calories, etc. This was not one of the tasks they had been concerned about before working with prepared food offerings.

Then there was an even bigger challenge: How could the school district make sure all 20 schools and their cafeterias were on the same page, so to speak, ensuring that the food items prepared at one school cafeteria, for instance, were the same as those prepared in all the schools having the same nutrients and nutritional analysis?

EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS

Just a few years ago, this would have been a difficult, time-consuming and expensive task. Nutritionists would likely have been contracted to analyze the different recipes along with their ingredients, access recipe and food ingredient databases and then determine the nutritional values of the foods served.

Once this was determined, the results were typically presented using spreadsheets.

While spreadsheets work well for accountants, those working in a cafeteria or foodservice setting very likely would not find this the most helpful or usable format.

Fortunately, new software programs and online technologies are now available in Canada and other parts of the world to address these issues. These advances make it far easier to analyze food nutrients, do so faster, and provide results that are understandable and workable. Further, they are often cost-effective and can help pinpoint where savings are possible.

We are starting to see more of these software programs and online technologies being used in school cafeterias around North America. Furthermore, they are in use in restaurants, convenience stores, quick service locations as well as many other types of food preparation and food-serving outlets.

ENTER MENU MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

While they may go by different names, what we are discussing here are typically referred to as menu management systems. These

systems are designed to analyze and evaluate the many nutrients in a food recipe. For instance, more advanced systems can analyze as many as 60 different nutrients and provide users with information such as the number of calories salt and sugar content vitamins in a food item.

A wide range of systems are available.

As we mentioned, some are software based, while others are Internet- or cloud-based.

Cloud-based means that information can be shared in one or hundreds of different locations, so all outlets are on the same page — a concern we addressed earlier in our cafeteria scenario when it comes to food recipes and preparation.

As to how they work, menu management systems typically access a database of hundreds, if not thousands, of food items.

Using this information, more advanced menu management systems are able to create healthier versions of current recipes — something that our school district and their cafeteria workers discussed earlier would undoubtedly find of value. Further, the system may have its own database of menus, expediting the entire food preparation process.

They may also be able to determine if there are allergens or gluten in a recipe.

These are a cause for concern for many food operators and are now something all foodservice providers must keep in mind when preparing their offerings.

Some menu management systems are also designed to help foodservice providers determine the actual costs of making different menu items based on the prices of the ingredients used. Using this information, school districts, grocery stores, conve n i e n c e s t o r e s a n d commercial cafeterias are better able to calculate their actual costs to make a food item, whether it is a complete meal or a grab-and-go item. This information also makes it easier to determine pricing for menu selections, which can also help them determine their profits.

Menu management systems may also provide another feature that administrators will likely find of value: training. Offering a training bundle, which includes recipe cards and training videos, these systems help ensure all workers follow food recipes correctly. This is one of the best ways to help ensure food safety, with the potential for reducing food waste and opening the door to lowering operating costs.

Jill Carte is with DayMark Safety Systems, manufacturers of a wide variety of products designed to enhance food preparation and safety, including menu management systems.

She can be reached at jcarte@daymarksafety.com

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RIGHT PART, RIGHT TIME, EVERY TIME. ® HeritageParts.ca 800.239.5251 www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 57

Veggie

Beginnings A vegan spin on small plates and appetizers

By Doug McNish

When going out to eat, I’ll spend as much time as I can looking at the menu, going back and forth between dishes, and reading reviews online. This way I can strategically order as many items as possible without getting too full. I feel this is the only way you truly get to understand and develop a sense of what a chef is all about!

58 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: APPETIZERS

Being a chef myself, I of course feel that we all have our own unique style that can shine through. As customers, however, we need to try as many dishes as we can to get to know it. There are various ways to do this; my favourite of course is to order as many dishes as I can, eat what I can in a sitting and take the rest home. This isn’t always feasible, and sometimes your dining partner might get embarrassed when dish Number eight comes to the table and you look like a glutton — just ask my wife!

One of the best ways around looking like Porky Pig, is to order small plates, or even just appetizers. I absolutely love when a restaurant offers these options and usually order everything on the menu, but, as someone who is vegan, it can be slim pickings!

In most traditional restaurants, vegans are almost always offered the salads, or worse yet, the pasta without the cheese! Listen, I know we don’t eat meat, and we don’t eat dairy, and yes, in most cases, traditional kitchens aren’t equipped with nutritional yeast or hemp seed. But being offered dishes of equal awesomeness with apparent thought, preparation and care to what is offered to those that eat everything quite often makes a vegan diner’s day!

While most kitchens aren’t equipped to make creams from seeds, or to take tempeh and actually apply various techniques to make it outstanding, the key thing to remember is that when creating vegan dishes, we aren’t using techniques too far outside the realm that most, if not all, chefs are familiar with.

We still adhere to poaching, braising, frying, grilling, basting and more. Caramelization is equally important when making a vegan mother sauce as it is when making veal jus. We still strive for that depth of flavour, or umami, that all cooks spend their careers learning about — we just need to do it without the addition or use of animal proteins. Have no fear though, it can be done!

Here are a few tips to think of when creating vegan appetizers and/or small plates the next time you are planning a menu: • Does the dish have a true depth of flavour? Will people rave about it?

• Have I created that umami that is so prevalent in standard cuisine?

• Does the dish have texture? While a roasted pepper stuffed with rice is great, perhaps try

adding candied tempeh croutons in the stuffing, or chimichurri roasted pumpkin seeds on top!

• Does this dish stand up next to the meat dish being served alongside it, and will everyone at the table enjoy it, even those that eat everything?

• Is there enough protein? This is a big one; just because we are vegan does not mean we do not want to (or have to) eat protein too!

• Am I simply removing the dairy or creamy aspect of a dish and not replacing it with a vegan version? Vegans like creamy textures as well, and there are so many options in today’s day and age. Try experimenting by making cashew cheese or your own sour “cream.”

It always amazes me when I go out to dine, get multiple dishes, and everyone around me is enjoying a well-cooked piece of animal flesh or fish and I am left with only vegetables and starch. One of the keys to any successful menu is to balance the proteins alongside the starches and the vegetables. The same rings true in vegan cuisine. Some awesome forms of vegan proteins that you can include on your menu: These bad boys come in at a whopping five grams complete protein for every tablespoon.

Hemp seeds:

It goes without saying, but beans are great for adding to any meal. They can be roasted, pureed, fried and braised.

Beans:

Tofu: It has a bad rap but there is so much you can do with it.

It doesn’t get more vegan than tempeh, but like tofu there is so much you can do with it.

It loves to be fried and takes on a great texture when cooked at high temperatures

Tempeh:

Whole grains such as kamut, spelt, millet and more:

These are high in fibre as well, and will leave diners feeling full.

There is so much you can do, and so much more being created all the time in this relatively new world www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 59

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: APPETIZERS

The Size of it All When it comes to eating out, sometimes less is more, which creates a window of opportunity in terms of appetizers.

Research shows that more than half of Canadians would like to see restaurants offer two sizes of appetizers — small and regular — offering restaurateurs an opportunity to drive food selection with portion sizing.

So how can operators take advantage of this? Consider offering snack-sized appetizers in addition to regular-sized apps, or offer sharable apps scaled to the size of the group. Offering these smaller portions and options at an accessible low cost entices consumers to add them to their regular purchase when they otherwise would not have done so — for example, when coming in to a restaurant for just a drink or an entrée — and can increase appetizer sales by 10 to 15 per cent. Plus, it allows consumers an easy entry into trying a new product.

This strategy also opens the door for refreshed offerings and allows you to test new products before adding them to your menu, potentially helping you save costs and effort. It offers the opportunity

of vegan cuisine — I truly feel it is just in its infancy. By learning some of the basics, such as creating creams and emulsions, depth of flavour without animal products and manipulating tempeh and tofu, one might say you are already ahead of the rest.

to study your customers’ reactions and then decide if the product is right for your permanent menu.

Finding the right balance of scalable menu items, associated costs, what consumers crave and delivering signature dishes is crucial.

Capitalizing on current, hot food trends is a good place to start for example, the recent spike in appreciation for vegetable menu options. About half (52 per cent) of Canadians are eating more vegetables than they did a decade ago, so restaurateurs should look at new ways of offering inventive vegetable dishes to keep up with the growing trend. Consider a new item like pickle fries or cauliflower bites – they are great on their own with a dip, as a component of a signature dish — or as part of a sharable appetizer platter. For restaurant and bar operators, providing craveable menu items with mass appeal that are flexible and can be easily customized is key.

For more information and inspiration, visit mccainfoodservice.ca.

By adding more vegan small plates or appetizers to your menu, not only does it challenge you and your cooks to think outside of the box, it helps to open up a world of new cooking, new ingredients and new flavours. Diners are becoming more and more aware of their food

choices, and while not everyone may be going completely vegan, people are definitely going out to experience this style of cuisine. By including it in your menu you are adding the possibility for a new revenue stream in your business, and that is a good thing!

Doug McNish is an executive vegan chef. With over 20 years experience in the food industry, he is driven to create the best vegan food possible in an attempt to challenge mainstream thought on diet and ethics. Doug serves veganized cuisine out of his restaurant, Mythology Diner, and makes regular appearances on television, online and in print, as well as consulting on and collaborating with emerging and successful brands. Doug’s first cookbook “Eat Raw, Eat Well: 400 Raw, Vegan, and Gluten Free Recipes received the award for (Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World, 2012) and his third book Vegan Everyday: 500 Delicious Recipes received the award for Best Vegan Cookbook in the World, 2015 by the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards held in Beijing, China. For more information visit www.dougmcnish.com.

60 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

T: 905 361 0305 F: 905 629 9305 REVISION:

1

DATE:

DOCKET: xxxx

MAY 10, 2018

CLIENT: McCormicks

COLOUR: CMYK

PROJECT: Thai Kitchen Ad

TRIM SIZE: 3.375” x 9.563”

DESCRIPTION: Canadian Restaurant FoodService News-Half Page Vertical Ad - ENGLISH

BLEED SIZE: n/a

CONTACT: Barbara MacDonald

TYPE SAFETY: n/a

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: APPETIZERS DATE REQUIRED: 2018

creations

KITCHEN

Thailand

From

Watermelon Tartar Courtesy of Doug McNish I like to serve this appetizer-size dish with endive leaves for scooping — perfect with a cold glass of buttery chardonnay! This recipe illustrates a way to pair the sweet flesh of a watermelon with savory ingredients such as cashews, chives and celery to create a healthy raw dish perfect for the warm summer months. Makes about 4 cups

to Your Tables

Thai Kitchen has one simple goal — to help you bring the Thai experience to your diners. Our high quality, authentic, easy-to-use Thai ingredients will make it easy to satisfy even the most discerning palates.

3 cups watermelon, cut in ½ -inch cubes 1/4 cup (see recipe below) 2 tbsp celery, peeled and finely diced 2 tbsp cucumber, peeled and finely diced 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lime juice 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp finely sliced chives 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1. In a mixing bowl toss together the watermelon, cashew feta, celery, cucumber, olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, chives and salt until well combined. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store refrigerated for up to 2 days.

TIP

Substitute the apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of red wine or white wine vinegar.

Cashew Feta Cheese This simple recipe is delicious served on top of marinated Greek Kale Salad. The trick is to process the cashews with the olive oil so they stick together. Makes 12¼ portions 2 cups cashews 1 tbsp dried oregano leaves ¾ tsp fine sea salt 1 tbsp lemon juice 2-1/2 tbsp olive oil 1. In a food processor add the cashews, oregano and salt. Process this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cashews become crumbly and break down.

2. Add the lemon juice and pulse the mixture 3 to 4 time to incorporate.

3. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube to bring together the cashews. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days

clubhouseforchefs.ca McCormick Canada Food Service ® Reg. TM McCormick & Co., Inc. Used under licence.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 61

October 28-29, 2018

International Centre, Hall 5 Mississauga, Ontario www.crbshow.ca

FOOD

“The Most Unique and Interactive Foodservice Industry Show in Canada�

The Canadian Restaurant & Bar (CR&B) Show will provide foodservice industry owners, operators, managers and chefs, a unique, interactive, informative and entertaining show experience unlike any existing foodservice industry event in Canada.

Supporting Show Partners

For further details, please visit www.crbshow.ca To book your sponsorship, please contact: Edwin Cabural, Director of Sales, CR&B Show 416-512-8186 x 265 | edwinc@mediaedge.ca

BE V E R AGE S

T ECHNOLOGY

EQUIPME N T

Samples of the CR&B Show special features and pavilions: • Food, beverage, equipment and technology onsite purchasing via promoted “Show Specials” • Industry Partner Pavilions; CF - Culinary Federation, WCR - Women, Chefs & Restaurateurs, ORHMA – Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association and NC&B - Nightclub & Bar Show • On-floor Kitchen – The CR&B Show is bringing the “Back of House” to the actual show floor. The kitchen will be set up to profile a wide array of equipment that will be used to prepare food samples for CR&B Show exhibitors. This “Open Kitchen” set-up will allow show attendees to see all of the action as thousands of items are prepared over the course of the show • Cooking Stage – Demonstrations, Competitions and Mixology Pairings • Butcher Shop and Demonstrations • Wine, Spirits, Beer and Cider Retail Store – show attendees can actually sample products and then purchase them or order them onsite • Bar and Nightclub feature areas – new menu, décor, design ideas and inspirations • Chef Book Signings • Knife Sharpening • Professional Photography Booth (wardrobe and accessories available) • Recruitment and Onsite Interviews (job fair) • Canadian Restaurant & Foodservices News (CRFN) magazine and www.RestoBiz.ca Lounge – this feature area will provide attendees with an opportunity to recharge their cell phones, receive a massage, engage in industry research, network with industry peers and relax for a few minutes between booth visits • Many additional activities will occur throughout the show, stay tuned for more details!

Proudly Owned and Operated by:

Official CR&B Show Media Products:

IN THE BREWS

CHEERS TO A FRUITFUL SUMMER A blazing sun, an inviting patio and pints of clear, golden lager: it’s an easy enough image to conjure up, and it’s a reliable formula that restaurateurs and bar owners have long counted on for lucrative summer nights. But while a good lager is a must on any beer list, it’s not enough to distinguish one watering hole from the next. Even good craft IPAs and ales are becoming more and more common. So what’s next? Market research firm Mintel found that 24 per cent of consumers are interested in fruit-flavoured beer, while 53 per cent of Canadians report to enjoy cider, a number that jumps to 67 per cent for the 18- to 34-year-old set.

All this means the old formula needs to be adjusted if restaurateurs want to encourage repeat visits, repeat servings and drop-ins from new guests. Keep the blazing sun and inviting patio, but include a wide selection of seasonal, fruitloaded brews along with that lager. Now that’s its summer, consider stocking your fridges with these:

Ace Hill Beer Company

Beau’s All Natural Brewing

Red Rover Craft Cider

De Berry’s Treasure

At its base, De Berry’s Treasure is a gose (pronounced goze-uh), a sour, mildly bitter ale dosed with a touch of salt. On top of that, brewers Alyssa Kwasny and Nikki Tessier layered on organic rhubarb and black raspberry, creating a hazy, garnet-hued beer that complements lighter, patio-friendly fare like almonds with goat cheese and fruit pastries. Naming it after infamous 17th-century pirate Charlotte de Berry earns Beau’s extra style points, as well.

Available in Ontario and Quebec, and for private order. beaus.ca

64 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

Ace Hill Radler

It started as award-winning garage homebrew, but now Ace Hill’s Pilsner is a ubiquitous presence in Toronto bars and restaurants. Building on their success, the Ace Hill team launched their own radler, a style of beer named for cyclists (“radler” is German for cyclist) and typically blended with grapefruit juice or lemonade.

Ace Hill included both in theirs, plus lemon and lime juice for a tart kick of citrus that’s drier than most. That, plus its low 2.5 per cent ABV, makes it an easy sell on a hot day, and a nice alternative to Caesars and mimosas at brunch. Available in Ontario. acehillbeer.com

Summer Cider

Partners and Red Rover co-founders Adam Clawson and Nicola Mason went “slightly scientific” when brewing their Summer Cider, selecting eight different apples for its blend and experimenting until they achieved a boozy, less carbonated English-style cider that’s dry, tannic and seasonally bright, qualities that make it ideal with fattier dishes and — a classic cider pairing — pork. Plus, it’s gluten free.

Clawson recommends skipping the ice and serving it chilled, but not ice cold.

Available in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and for private order. redroverbrew.com

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TOTAL

RECALL Simple steps to building your food recall program

By Kevin Freeborn

There seems to be a food recall almost every week in the news — and those are just the ones that make headlines!

Food recalls are extremely common, not because the quality of our food is diminishing, but because technology has enabled faster identification of issues and the means to get recalls out to the public.

Staying on top of food recalls is tough for the smaller foodservice operator, but it is manageable with a proper strategy in place.

Here are four steps to building your food recall program:

STEP ONE: SIGN UP FOR CFIA RECALL EMAIL ALERTS

Anyone in a managerial capacity should sign up for email notification services with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. That way, if someone is off, everyone will be aware of current recalls. This can be done at

66 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

the following URL: inspection.gc.ca/ english/util/listserv/listsube.shtml.

If you are working with a chain restaurant, you probably have access to software such as FoodLogiQ, which is one of the largest players in the industry. FoodlogiQ got its start in Canada when its parent company was charged with creating a beef tr aceability prog r am for cattle producers. It tracks ingredients all the way from their source through food preparation, giving alerts for recalls and offering several features

PLAYING IT SAFE

that allow foodservice to trace not just recalls, but allergens and food quality.

Once recalls are received, food i n v e n t o r y s h o u l d b e c h e c ke d immediately to see if any of the recalled product is in rotation. This will be easier if you have good records and inventory procedures.

STEP TWO: MAKE SURE STORAGE RECORDS ARE IN PLACE

Kee p records of all product in inventory.

This can be invoices, labels from boxes or bags or a combination of both. Make sure to retain bar codes so you can go back and find out if your in-stock product has been recalled. Barcoding inventory and storing the results in a d at ab a s e i s p r o b ably t h e m o s t efficient method of dealing with this, as it will allow you to check right away from your computer if the recall notice you received matches anything in stock.

STEP THREE: LOCK DOWN YOUR SUPPLIERS

Larger suppliers, such as Sysco, have recall systems in place which require them to notify you if a recall has taken place on a product they’ve delivered. Smaller suppliers may not, so it’s worth picking up the phone and finding out what their notification process is. Even if most of your inventory comes from larger suppliers, it is best to sign up for CFIA email alerts yourself in case there is any breakdown in your supplier’s notification system.

STEP FOUR: PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SHELLFISH

Shellfish is a special case in that people can get sick from it and it may take some time to trace back to the source. Keep tags for up to 90 days after you have sold any product with shellfish in it. That way, if there is a recall, you’ll know right away if you have served potentially tainted product.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE RECALLED PRODUCT IN INVENTORY

If you’ve identified recalled product in your inventory, there are just a few simple steps to take. Please note that the below only has to do with recalls where the product may result in foodborne illness, an allergen that was not supposed to be an ingredient or contains foreign material. Minor items such as recalls for improper labelling (where allergens are not involved) do not need to be handled this way, but management should figure out how to deal with these on a case-by-case basis.

• If the ingredient has been used in food prep, contact your local health department to let them know that you may have served a recalled item.

• Set aside the recalled food, and the health department will tell you what your next steps are. It will depend on whether there have been incidents of illness or injury.

www.restobiz.ca | Summer 2018 67

PLAYING IT SAFE

• Do not throw recalled food away as you may need to provide some to the health department for testing. Make sure it is set aside where it can’t contaminate other product with all packaging marked in large red letters or obvious labels. Let all staff know not to touch the product or its packaging.

• Develop a system in-house to brief the public in the event of a recall. There should be one person speaking for the operation, usually one of the owners or a t o p m a n ag e r i n a s m a l l e r establishment. Any press interviews or dealings with the public related to the recall should be directed to this person.

Larger operators should consider hiring a crisis management company to deal with this situation if it arises on a wide scale (e.g. recalled product served at several stores).

• In the case of shellfish, if you have served recalled product in the past 90 days, notify the health department.

STAYING ON TOP OF FOOD RECALLS IS TOUGH FOR THE SMALLER FOODSERVICE OPERATOR, BUT IT IS MANAGEABLE WITH A PROPER STRATEGY IN PLACE. If you have a good system for inventory already in place, checking for recalls shouldn’t be an issue. An incident with recalled product could cost your operation far more money than the funds or time it takes to implement a system that allows you to better trace your in-stock product, so it is well worth the effort to do it.

Freeborn & Associates Inc. are leading designers of food safety training for the food service industry.

Our mission is to help food service operators serve safe food to their customers; our vision is to create a culture of food safety wherever food is being prepared and consumed. Contact us service@ foodsafetymarket.com

canadabeef.ca/cbce 68 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

WE DON’T BREW OUR BEER FOR THE AWARDS. BUT HE DOES! Our brewmaster, Andrew Kohnen, threw away a successful career in logistics to pursue his dream of reconnecting with the brewing roots of his family. This carried him to the UK’s prestigious Brewlab in Sunderland, England, where he procured the alchemy that would drive his signature brewing style.

He took what he could from there and ventured to Scotland, Cornwall, and ultimately to Krefeld, Germany, working in the same brewery that had belonged to his ancestors.

He came home to Canada for Hockley.

You could call it dumb, but we call it destiny.

Andrew Kohnen Brewmaster

HOCKLEYBEER.CA

CRUNCHING NUMBERS

Wage Woes

By Andrew Waddington Faced with significant minimum wage increases, Ontario restaurant operators responded with monthover-month price increases greater than any other period in the past 10 years. The result: flat sales dollars and a decline in sales volume.

On January 1, 2018, the statutory hourly minimum wage in Ontario increased from $11.60 to $14.00. This 21 per cent shift not only affected employees at minimum wage or below $14.00, but also forced increases to preserve the relative gaps and premiums afforded to employees with greater experience and seniority. Operators continue to adjust their business models to accommodate increased labour cost and prepare for the second step increase to $15.00 in 2019. The solution chosen by many operators was to increase menu prices.

Statistics Canada’s Ontario Consumer Price Index for Food Purchased from Restaurants (representing menu inflation) increased by 1.9 per cent in January 2018 from December 2017; this is the greatest single-month increase in the last 10 years. The second greatest increase occurred one month later, in February 2018, when menu prices increased an additional 1.7 per cent. For context, the average monthly increase observed since 2008 is 0.2 per cent and the closest month-over-month increase in ten years was only 0.9 per cent (June 2008), approximately half the increases observed in 2018.

Sharp menu price increases appear to have impacted sales volumes. According to Statistics Canada, seasonally adjusted Ontario restaurant sales increased month-overmonth by 0.2 per cent in January and 0.8 per cent in February; however, this negligible growth is a function of inflation. When adjusted for inflation, real sales decreased by 1.7 per cent in January and again by 0.9 per cent in February.

Year-over-year, real sales per capita in January 2018 were 1.4 per cent less than 2017 and February 2018 real sales per capita were 3.2 per cent lower than the previous year.

Flat, unadjusted sales in January and February may suggest the market has found a balance between increased prices and decreased sales volume that preserves existing revenues, although, how this balance affects operating ratios and profitability remains to be seen.

With a $15.00 minimum wage on the horizon, and the price sensitivity observed in January and February, preserving profit through price increases alone does not appear to be a realistic strategy. Ontario restaurant operators will need to look beyond pricing to preserve operating margin.

MENU PRICE AND SALES VOLUME - ONTARIO Index: March 2008=100

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110 February Real (Inflation Adjusted) Sales Per Capita Fall 3.2%Year-Over-Year 100

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Ontario Restaurants Real Sales per Capita (2002 Dollars) Ontario Consumer Price Index - Food Purchased From Restaurants

Andrew Waddington is a Senior Consultant with fsSTRATEGY Inc. fsSTRATEGY is a niche consulting firm specializing in strategy in the hospitality industry with an emphasis on the foodservice sector. For additional information on fsSTRATEGY services, contact us at nextsteps@fsstrategy.com or 416-229-2290.

70 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

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72 Summer 2018 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

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