ECOWISE Eco Oil Saver

Southern Hospitality has a new and exciting item added to its Ecowise Chemical range of products.

Ecowise Eco Oil Saver is a frying oil filter powder that extends the life of your cooking oil.

This innovative solution will assist operators in extending the life of their cooking oil, whilst reducing waste and protecting the environment.

The new filter powder has been designed to absorb impurities and contaminants from frying oil, including food particles, free fatty acids, and polar compounds that can cause oil to break down and lose its quality. It can also help to remove the bitter taste and unpleasant odours.

By using the filter powder, foodservice professionals can reduce the frequency of oil changes, which will save time and money while improving food quality and customer satisfaction.

The filter powder can be used with a variety of frying equipment, and is easy to apply and remove. It is also safe and effective for use in commercial frying applications as well.

Ecowise is a range of environmentally conscious cleaning products, specifically designed for the hospitality sector, formulated and manufactured locally in New Zealand.

Aimed to assist consumers to make smarter and more informed choices when it comes to cleaning, Ecowise offers safe and biodegradable formulations, along with more sustainable packaging solutions that not only get the job done, but do so with less environmental impact.

The Eco Oil Saver is available in a 4.5kg bag and is now available for order. For more information, visit www. southernhospitality.co.nz.

• 100% LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED.

• USING AGRIA POTATOES GROWN IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

• PAR FRIED IN PURE BEEF TALLOW, THAT'S ALL.

CHOOSE FROM OUR RANGE OF FRIES AVAILABLE THROUGH ALL GOOD DISTRIBUTORS.

meet the chef Alric Hansen

CHEF & CO-OWNER HIGHWATER EATERY, WELLINGTON

Alric Hansen, chef and co-owner of Highwater Eatery, has him back, from the awardwinning cafe Small Victories in Melbourne to our very own shores in Wellington.

Upon its opening in 2019, Highwater Eatery won the Best New Restaurant subsequently best restaurant two years in a row. The name is an epithet of the saying “come hell or high water”, which denotes determination and a crafty reference to climate change.

Hansen’s humble upbringing in rural New Zealand energised the prospect of entering the culinary world, and he has spent over two decades performing in top kitchens locally and internationally.

“I grew up in a family with self-sufficient principles; my parents had a large vegetable garden, goats, chickens, and beehives,” Hansen described.

“My mother baked fresh bread daily and made most of our meals from the produce she grew and nurtured on the land.”

It is among his mother’s sincere approach to food that has fostered Hansen’s understanding and appreciation of the labour and reward from sustainable, hands-on food production. Highwater’s menu inevitably reflects this holistic style of cooking. Like his mother’s influence, the food is made entirely from scratch, allowing the restaurant to master the quality and flavours. The menu adapts to the season, with locally purchased ingredients. Their meat is free range, and their seafood is caught using eco methods from day boats, only catching sustainable seafood.

You can expect a refined core menu with extraneous ingredients, such as charcoal grilled ‘White Hart’ Korobuta pork chop, tangelo kosho honey and chilli pickled cucumber.

“Our biggest achievement and highlights continue to be when we have a great team, are busy, and when we see diners enjoying themselves… When people take the time to come to the kitchen bar and thank us or send us an email of appreciation, it really does make us feel good about what we are doing.”

Even with all of Highwater’s achievements and praises, the strain on business from Covid and the food industry’s current challenges of staff shortages and increased production costs have caused significant provocation for businesses.

“Now is probably one of the hardest times, and we feel that we haven’t had a government willing to acknowledge or address the issues that the hospitality industry is facing. We can only continue to try and pivot and advocate and hope things change.”

Hansen’s current chief goal is to grow, strengthen and empower his team to return to the restaurant’s regular hours and balance work and personal life.

“Beyond that, we want to continue to be one of Wellington’s best restaurants, and beyond that, if the industry becomes viable again, we may look at opening a more casual neighbourhood restaurant.”