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March 2015 Vol 8 Issue 3
KIWI chef Shannon Campbell is the Berlin-based chef and face of the deer industry’s thrust into Europe. (see page 8)
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2 News 8 Venison 10 QSR 14 Cheese Feature 17 Radar
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18 Décor & Design 20 Liquor 23 Artisan 26 New Products 28 Columns
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INDUSTRY NEEDS MORE THAN A TEMPORARY MIGRANT FIX WITH the industry recognising that its current number one issue is recruiting and retaining good staff, the move by the Immigration Department to temporarily ease restrictions on the hiring of migrant staff for the Queenstown region is a small step that demands to be replicated nationally. Currently the hospitality industry can’t hire migrants for most work and residence visa categories unless the department can be convinced that local employees are simply not available. But intensive lobbying by the Restaurant Association and
SALON MANAGER APPOINTED
HospitalityNZ has convinced the Government that some relief was required and as a result the Queenstown region has been given a special exemption until June 30. And while it might well be a step in the right direction for the industry, the wider issue remains that there is an ongoing problem of getting qualified staff – or even staff who have either cooking skills or the desire to work in front of house. The industry organisations have been hammering the Government and particularly the Immigration Department to recognise the hospitality industry needs and not just see the seasonal problems of the likes of Queenstown. It is certainly time that the Government and the department saw the bigger industry picture that has become the number one problem in servicing the hospitality trade. The word chef may well appear on the Government’s Long Term Skills Shortage List but the hoops employers had to go through to bring
staff into the country was demanding and expensive. At present there is no plan by the department to expand the visa initiative beyond the current Queenstown temporary exemption and so far the scheme is operating on a case by case basis meaning a ridiculous market check process to see if New Zealanders were available. While there are a large number of students currently undergoing tertiary training, a substantial number fail to qualify, lose interest and tend to walk away when they discover the hours and conditions required to pursue their hospitality ambitions. In the case of overseas hospitality workers, they do have the skills, experience and willingness to meet industry requirements, particularly in the case of the growing importance of ethnic outlets.
ESCOFFIER ANNIVERSARY
MID-February marked the 80th anniversary of the death of Auguste Escoffier known in his time as The King of Chefs and The Chef of Kings. He died in 1935 just short of his 90th birthday. He left his mark on the industry including the invention of over 10,000 recipes and created the kitchen frameworks still in use today. While probably not known here, he helped create the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) in 1928 and became its first president.
BURGER WISCONSIN SOLD TO MEXICALI NZCHEFS has appointed Grant Kitchen from JAG Innovations as salon manager for the revised National Salon, the new incarnation of the Culinary Fare. The event runs in Auckland from July 30 through August 2. Kitchen has spent the last 20 years in hospitality including the Park Royal, Accor Hotels, Compass and the Citadel Restaurant and more recently as head chef at Pinot Plus Bistro. He is well known as a competition judge, food designer and recipe book creator.
THE country’s oldest gourmet burger franchise, Burger Wisconsin, has been sold to Mariposa Restaurant Holdings, the owner of the popular Mexican food franchise Mexicali Fresh. MRH general manager Nathan Bonney said there were strong synergies between the two franchise operators with Burger Wisconsin having a very positive reputation since it launched in 1989. There are 22 Burger Wisconsin outlets in New Zealand and 11 Mexicali Fresh stores with a 12th opened in Auckland this month.
YOUNG BREAD BAKER AWARD 2015 TOP young bread maker, Nathan Roberts from Goodman Fielder, has taken out the award for the Young Bread Baker of the Year for 2015. Roberts demonstrated his ability in practical baking, theoretical knowledge of baking technology and presentation of research into consumer perceptions of having E-number labeled additives in bread. As winner of this year’s award, Roberts will be able to broaden his industry knowledge and experience through a $10,000 research grant. Last year’s winner Bree Scott from Lyttleton Bakery has been selected to
represent New Zealand at Australia’s LA Judge Competition to be held in Sydney in May. The award is sponsored by the NZ Association of Bakers and is designed to promote excellence in people emerging from their training.
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