May 2015 Vol 8 Issue 5
“The traditional cold filled process method of production ensures that the freshness and the subtleties of the botanicals are protected, taking tonic water back to its origins,” Tony Burt. (see page 20)
LEWISHAM AWARDS 2015
TOP businesses in the Auckland hospitality industry will once again be nominated and honoured by their peers at this year’s Lewisham Awards. This year’s the Lewisham Awards night will be held on June 7. Tickets now on sale at www.lewishamawards.co.nz for the ticket order form or phone 0800 737 827. The awards continue to encourage excellence in the city’s foodservice community, with a view of raising the standards in all facets of the industry.
INVIVO CELEBRATES SUCCESS
AUCKLAND-based wine company Invivo Wines has become the first New Zealand company to achieve the maximum amount permitted through an equity crowdfunding campaign. With two weeks to go until the cut-off, the company had already hit the $2 million limit. Through the campaign, 439 new shareholders have invested, said co-founder Tim Lightbourne. After experiencing more than 200 per cent revenue growth in the last four years, Invivo is targeting revenue of $25 million by 2020 and is currently selling its products in 17 markets internationally.
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4 News 11 Columns 13 Book Reviews 14 On Trend 18 Beverage Feature
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26 QSR 29 Product Watch 30 Radar 31 Classifieds
REVIEWS AFFECTING BUSINESS IN RECENT years the rise and development of technology has led to the abundance of consumer review websites such as Zomato and TripAdvisor, where customers can share experiences about service and product quality. With the click of a button, consumers now have access to information about almost every restaurant, café, bar, or takeaway outlet. Today, it seems that almost everyone can be an online critic, and this can have positive and negative effects on restaurant trade. The more difficult question for the industry, and for consumers, is whether the reviews are a true reflection of a restaurant’s actual quality. If the reviews capture real quality then this would prove to be a valuable tool for not only customers but also restaurateurs.
However if there are reviews that are non-representative then this could be a problem and the review industry has responsibility to change that. Some recent examples include a customer who was told there was a 40 minute wait to be seated upon arriving at an establishment, and subsequently reviewed the restaurant at the lowest rating despite not even dining there that particular night. As well as diners who order dishes without knowing the ingredients and in spite of eating it all, review the dish poorly online, without notifying wait staff halfway through or noting at the end of the meal that there was a problem, which does not allow for establishments to fix any problems or issues the customer may have. There are varying opinions of the worth of online reviews and different reactions from various restaurants.
Professional reviewers have also expressed concern over amateur reviewers who know very little about the food industry. Local review site, Zomato, have a dedicated neutrality team that investigate poor reviews on behalf of restaurants to ensure the establishment do not get unfairly or wrongly reviewed. The industry needs to remember that reviews are just one element of their reputation, but one that can be make-or-break when tech-savvy customers are deciding on an eatery. With Zomato receiving over three million visits a month, and 700,000 users, the NZ restaurant industry needs to be proactive in its responses and despite it taking time out of the business day, this is time well spent ensuring a fair representation of the establishment is available to future diners.
WRIGHT NAMED CHIEF JUDGE
NZCHEFS AGM DATE
NZCHEFS National Conference and AGM will be held from 3-5 July 2015 at Spencer on Byron in Takapuna, Auckland. The three-day conference will conclude with the gala dinner on Sunday night. To register contact info@ nzchefs.org.nz or call 0800 NZCHEFS.
FEDERAL MERCHANTS FOR NGATARAWA WINE
NGATARAWA Wines has appointed Federal Merchants & Co to be the NZ distributor of its premium and prestige brands NGATARAWA ALWYN, PROPRIETORS RESERVE and GLAZEBROOK. Federal Merchants & Co will take orders from the three Ngatarawa brands from May 18.
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KNOLL RIDGE RISES FROM THE ASHES AFTER suffering a devastating fire, The Knoll Ridge Café, located at Whakapapa Ski Field on Mt. Ruapehu, has returned and swept up the award for best design in the world. The awards surveyed 4000 cafés internationally and decided on Knoll Ridge for its innovative incorporation of an alpine setting. “I had to consider the logistical concerns of an alpine café and how it deals with snow while staying sensitive to the site. It became a matter of throwing all of these concerns into a mixing pot and seeing what comes out,” said Knoll Ridge’s architect, Grant Harrison. The fire presented Harrison with a once-in-a-lifetime design opportunity
to transform a space rather than replicate the café as it stood before the tragedy. Curated by London-based design website DesignCurial, the competition was designed to recognise local hot spots at an international level. “Simply by drawing attention to these cafés, our aim is to put some destinations on the map for travellers across the globe. We believe we have chosen a successful set of striking cafes from around the world,” said DesignCurial editor, Katherine Houston. Other contenders included cafés from Japan, Italy, Australia, South Korea, Ukraine, and the UK.
AWARD-winning Christchurch chef and entrepreneur Darren Wright has been appointed as Chief Judge of this year’s Nestlé Toque d’Or student culinary competition. Celebrating a 25-year milestone this year, the event puts the country’s top young culinary talents against each other in a live kitchen cook off. “Darren is a highly successful chef whose expertise is widely sought after both in New Zealand and overseas. He was a very effective Chief Judge at the 2012 event and we are thrilled that he has agreed to, once again, take on the role,” said NZChefs National President and organiser Graham Hawkes. The event will be held on 30 July at the Auckland Showgrounds.