Hospitality Business - April 2017

NZ CHAMPION CHEESE! • TRAINING IN QUEENSTOWN • WHOLE FOODS IN NELSON

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz APRIL 2017 Vol.4 No.3

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contents

24

QUEENSTOWN RESORT COLLEGE Training locally with global potential

40

REGULARS 06 NEWS & EVENTS Industry news and accolades 08 BEST IN SEASON Fresh produce & timely cuts

FEATURES

14

20 CHEESE DELICIOUS CHEESE NZ Champion Cheesemakers 2017 24 HOSPITALITY TRAINING IN QUEENSTOWN College produces star pupils

HERBILICIOUS

Basil Parsley & Partners

33 RISING FROM THE ASHES Paddock 186 lifts the game

THE SHOUT 53 LO & BEHOLD Q&A with Kiwi cocktail king Eddie Lo 54 NEW YORK STATE OF MIND International trends

31 TAX TALK

Chris Cunniffe & the double tax take

56 AGAINST THE GRAIN A look at the new world of whisky

CAFÉ BUSINESS

NZ Speciality Coffee Association competition winners Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 3

editorial APRIL 2017 Vol 4. No.3

Kimberley Dixon kdixon@ intermedianz.co.nz 0274 505 502

Quality over quantity 2017 is certainly racing along, with a host of events and awards recognising the very best of our participants, along with a number of key issues keeping the hospitality industry abuzz with controversy. In particular Auckland Council’s proposed new tax on accommodation has certainly riled the industry into expressing its inequity and Tourism Industry Aoteoroa CEO Chris Roberts succinctly highlights the flaws of the proposal on page 7 of this issue.

Celebrating our wonderful domestic cheese makers this month were the NZ Champion of Cheese Awards, held at the Grand Millenium Hotel in Auckland – a fantastic evening which rewarded the efforts of large and small producers from throughout the country. Hospitality Business went along to the awards evening and coverage appears from page 20, along with two purveyors well known for their dedication to all things cheese related!

Congratulations must also be offered to the organiser’s of a trade show that attracted 500 buyers from throughout New Zealand to the ASB Showgrounds to look, taste and place orders at the co-operative’s first trade only show! Special mention must go to Barry O'Neill and his team who not only prepared the foodfirst exhibition, but also co-ordinated a celebratory Awards night and dinner at the Stamford Hotel which recognised the group’s long serving and top performers in the industry. An industry the co-operative is celebrating 30 years of relationship building this year. The overriding comment from attendees was that it was a testimony to quality over quantity !

Coverage of this event will feature in an upcoming edition of Hospitality Business. In the meantime may I recommend you turn to page 36 and take the opportunity to read about the latest activities of well known hospitality icon Tony Robertson!

Kimberley Dixon Editor

NZ CHAMPION CHEESE! • TRAINING IN QUEENSTOWN • WHOLE FOODS IN NELSON

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz APRIL 2017 Vol.4 No.3

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4 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

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NEWS

TIA urges Auckland Council to drop targeted tax Auckland Council’s proposed $28 million targeted rate on commercial accommodation will have massive unintended consequences for the city and must be dropped, Tourism Industry Aotearoa says.

TIA has made a comprehensive submission to the council, saying the proposed rate unfairly targets just one sector that makes up less than 10 percent of Auckland’s visitor economy.

Chris Roberts, “The facts are very clear and these CEO of Tourism have been presented to the council,” Industry Aoteoroa says TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts. “This targeted rate would be a disaster for Auckland and must be withdrawn.”

Visitors to Auckland spend $7.5 billion a year across a diverse range of services, including retail, hospitality, transport and activities.

The commercial accommodation sector receives only nine percent of that spend but is being asked to pay 100 percent of the targeted rate.

“The commercial accommodation sector is willing to pay its fair share. We want to work with the council to find an equitable and sustainable way for the sector to make an appropriate contribution to visitor promotion activities provided through the council’s economic development agency, ATEED,” Mr Roberts says.

“All Aucklanders benefit directly or indirectly from the economic value visitors bring to the city. They also get a social return. Many of the events supported by ATEED are mainly enjoyed by locals. These include the Lantern Festival, Pasifika, Diwali, the Waka Festival, Santa Parade and Pride Parade, which contribute to the social fabric of the city but result in very little increase in demand for commercial accommodation.

“The new rate is not a bed tax or visitor levy. It is a massive rate increase based on capital value to be paid by the building owner, irrespective of the number of guests in each property.

“The Council continues to insist that the rate can easily be recovered by accommodation providers adding $6 to $10 to the daily bill. This is quite simply wrong. The complexity of the ownership arrangements in the commercial accommodation sector has been ignored. These include property developers, building owners, hotel management contracts and franchise arrangements. Often the party paying the rates bill is one or

two stages removed from the provider of the guest services. “In heaping $27.8 million a year in additional charges on commercial accommodation providers, the council is also failing to recognise the wider contribution this sector makes to Auckland through employment, sponsorship, community support and marketing.”

“The building owners include hundreds of ‘mum and dad’ investors, who have invested in strata title properties. Contractual arrangements mean they must pay any rate increase and cannot pass it on to the accommodation operator,” Mr Roberts says.

Additionally, only a quarter of Auckland’s visitors stay in commercial accommodation, with the majority of visitors staying with family and friends, or in other paid accommodation like Airbnb.

“The Council wants all visitors to Auckland to pay up, but threequarters of them are being missed entirely in this proposal,” Mr Roberts says.

The proposed rate risks seriously damaging Auckland’s economy, with a number of hotel owners and developers reviewing their commitments to the city.

“Both the Auckland Council and the Government have identified the need for new hotel developments in Auckland to keep pace with population and tourism growth. Half a dozen hotels are planned, but this is nowhere near enough. An estimated 4300 more rooms are needed by 2025. The targeted rate would immediately wipe $400-$450m off the value of existing accommodation assets and threaten the feasibility of new projects.

KEY TOURISM FACTS • Tourism in New Zealand is a $95 million per day industry.

Tourism delivers around $40 million in foreign exchange to the New Zealand economy each day of the year. Domestic tourism contributes another $55 million in economic activity every day.

• Tourism is New Zealand’s biggest export earner, contributing $14.5 billion or 20.7% of New Zealand’s foreign exchange earnings (year ended March 2016).

• 13.2% of the total number of people employed in New Zealand work directly or indirectly in tourism. That means 332,322 people are working in the visitor economy.

• The Tourism 2025 growth framework has a goal of growing total tourism revenue to $41 billion a year by 2025.

New Apartment Hotel For Manukau To Open 2017 New Zealand’s largest hotel operator, AccorHotels, has announced that its apartment hotel brand – The Sebel will expand with the opening of a new-build hotel in Manukau, Auckland in 2017.

Currently under construction, the 4.5 star apartment-style hotel – The Sebel Auckland Manukau - will have 152 rooms over six floors and house a café/restaurant, conference space, gymnasium and car parking. It is located in the centre of the commercial district of Manukau, home to New

6 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Zealand’s largest theme park, Rainbows End, Westfield Manukau City and nearby Vector Wero Whitewater Park, New Zealand’s first ever man-made river and white water course.

“This is a strategic and exciting new development for Auckland, and we are delighted to be partnering with developers Rayland Enterprises to provide high quality, international standard accommodation for south Auckland, ” said Chief Operating Officer AccorHotels Pacific, Simon McGrath,

The Sebel is an apartment and hotel brand offering guests a greater level of independence and control at more than 25 addresses across Australia and New Zealand.

The new Sebel Auckland Manukau address will be the fourth hotel to operate under The Sebel brand in New Zealand, complementing its hotels -The Sebel Quay West Auckland, The Sebel Auckland Viaduct Harbour and newbuild The Sebel Wellington Lower Hutt, scheduled to open in 2019.

NEWS

KiwiHarvest has unveiled its new headquarters in Ellerslie Auckland, doubling its capacity to redistribute food from a wide range of food industry sectors.

BILATERAL TRADE TALKS HELD AT THE LANGHAM

Kiwiharvest Opens New HQ to Double Impact

The Langham Auckland Managing Director, Franz Mascarenhas gave a warm welcome to China’s Premier Li Keqiang and his wife Madame Cheng during the Premier’s recent official State Visit in Auckland. Premier Li was in New Zealand to conduct bilateral trade talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English and to sign a joint agreement that will see 2019 as the China–New Zealand Year of Tourism.

Li Keqiang’s visit was the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years, and the hotel played host to all official meetings between the two Prime Ministers during the Premier’s two day stay at the hotel.

The meetings were capped off by a gala lunch attended by more than 500 VIP guests. These included Prime Minister Bill English, Ministers and Members of Parliament, and Senior Ministers and officials of the Chinese government, and leading Chinese and New Zealand business and community figures.

During the lunch Premier, Li said China-New Zealand ties were experiencing a historic high and cooperation in various areas had reached unprecedented levels.

Over the past few years New Zealand has created many “firsts” in developing relations with China, Premier Li said, he continued that the many “firsts” demonstrated that China-New Zealand relations are pioneering, special and exemplary, and have brought about real benefits to the two countries.

The Langham Auckland Managing Director, Franz Mascarenhas said “We were extremely honoured to be chosen to host Premier Li and his extensive delegation for these high-level meetings, and to deliver them the exceptional service and safety for which we are renowned. The visit was successful on many levels and we are proud to have played a part in this important event.”

Auckland’s fresh food rescue organization KiwiHarvest has opened their new headquarters, in a bid todouble its impact and reach more Aucklanders in need.

The opening was attended by the Mayor of Auckland, Phil Goff, and KiwiHarvest Chairman, former New Zealand All Black captain David Kirk, who spoke at the breakfast launch about the importance of the organization to the city’s most vulnerable residents.

A not-for-profit organisation, KiwiHarvest collects quality surplus fresh food from café’s, caterers, supermarkets, wholesalers and suppliers, and delivers it free of charge to Auckland charities, to be shared with people in need.

“While food rescue is KiwiHarvest’s focus, education and engaging communities are at the heart of our mission,” says KiwiHarvest Chief Executive Deborah Manning.

Since beginning operation in 2015, the organization has delivered the equivalent of 750,000 meals to more than 100 charities. This has saved over 260 tonnes of good food from going into landfill. KiwiHarvest was developed from the success of Dunedin’s food rescue charity FoodShare, founded

by Deborah Manning in 2012.

Following its huge success and increasing support from brands and businesses that wanted to help,the Auckland counterpart was launched.

In a novel twist, the new headquarters consist of eight repurposed shipping containers for office space, and food storage with refrigeration in Ellerslie, Auckland, adding to its overall vision of sustainable food and living.

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Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 7

IN SEASON SEAFOOD - NEW ZEALAND SOLE

d The New Zealand sole is caught in waters up to 100 metres, only in the South Island, particularly around Tasman and Pegasus Bay, and off the Otago and Southland coasts.

Endemic to New Zealand, they are a flatfish, similar to Lemon sole and belongs to the righteye flounder family.NZ sole has a delicate and moist flesh with a low oil content; its upper fillets are darker but they will whiten upon cooking.

The flesh flakes easily and benefits from being lightly cooked. Because it is low oil, make sure you monitor the fish as it is cooking as leaving it for too long will dry it out.

Flatfish have similar quantities, making them interchangeable in recipes; the versatility of sole makes it good baked, grilled, fried or barbecued.

We prefer it baked whole with parsley or coriander, lemon, garlic, and chillies. This will keep the fish moist and let the different flavours permeate the sole, giving it a light and fresh taste that your customers will love.

New Zealand sole is a good source of vitamin B12; and a good source of iodine, potassium and niacin. For recipes or ideas on how to use the New Zealand sole, visit bestfishguide.co.nz.

Lamb Backstrap can be marinated for up to two hours to infuse spices.

LAMB BACKSTRAP

c Lamb backstrap is a premium cut of lamb which has a slightly milder flavour than leg of lamb. It comes from the back of the animal near the spine, trimmed from the middle of the loin and is free from fat, gristle and bone. It can be cooked quickly without compromising a meltingly tender texture. This cut works well in dishes like stir-fries and salads. Its subtle taste embraces other flavours beautifully and can be marinated for up to two hours to infuse a variety of spices and herbs. To find out more visit recipes.co.nz

PRODUCE

h Locally grown JAZZ™ apples are now available along with Envy™ and Pacific Rose™ apples - as the temps are getting cooler bake these varieties in tarts or crumbles to make warming desserts or slice through in salads. Try a spicy sour JAZZ™ apple and pork salad by combining Chinese dried mushrooms, baby corn, red pepper, garlic, ginger, spring onions, pork fillets, honey, lemon and soy sauce with a dash of apple cider vinegar cooked through with egg noodles and JAZZ™ apple slices.

Feijoas will start to appear. Be gentle with them as they bruise easily. Ripe feijoas may be refrigerated; they normally last about three to five days. Poach and incorporate into breakfast dishes or freeze and make into sorbet.

Grapefruit, lemons, mandarins and oranges are around and for good reason as we head into the cooler months.

They’re high in Vitamin C to help keep bugs at bay. Citrus pairs beautifully with fennel, duck, pistachios, chicken, olives and kale. Think salads and autumn roasts.

Passionfruit won’t be around for much longer so make the most of this delectable fruit while it’s still in season. Blend into smoothies, top grain-based breakfast dishes or drizzle onto desserts.

Super food broccoli is readily available and can be prepared many ways. Toss pasta with olive oil, pine nuts and steamed broccoli florets. Purée cooked broccoli and cauliflower, then combine with

8 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

New Zealand sole has a delicate and moist flesh with a low oil content

seasonings of your choice to make a simple, yet delicious, soup.

Add broccoli florets and chopped stalks to omelettes.

Keep Brussel sprouts simple – fry in a pan with butter, garlic, salt and pepper. They’re a perfect comforting accompaniment to meat dishes as we head towards winter menus.

For more apple recipes visit jazzapple.com and to find out what else is in season and available to order online through T&G Global (formerly Turners and Growers) visit firstpick.co.nz or call 0508 800 100.

Fresh autumnal vegetables – including Brussel sprouts and super food Broccoli!

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OPENINGS Five Stags Restaurant, with its Central Otago hunting lodge theme, features a replica of a rustic goldminer’s hut, packed with historic mining memorabilia.

Major Overhaul Reflects Rustic Heritage •

CROMWELL •

FIVE STAGS RESTAURANT

THE GATE, 6 Barry Ave, Cromwell Tel: 03 445 1777 www.thegate.nz

For 25 years, The Golden Gate Lodge was a hospitality icon of Cromwell, deep in the heart of Central Otago - the stone-fruit capital of the country.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Rob Muldoon’s ‘Think Big’ projects, included the Clyde Dam, which greatly changed the face of Cromwell, and in its heyday, The Golden Gate sat right on the main entrance to town.

However, General Manager of the new Gate hospitality complex, Glen Christiansen, says it was time for a major overhaul of the prime site’s offering.

The old ‘booze hall-style’ public bar and 40-seater restaurant café had to go, and the local investors decided it was time for a major $3 million refurbishment.

“We’re on the main entrance to town now and had to rethink our offering. A short drive from Queenstown and Wanaka on the fringe of the development boom, The Gate’s appealing new 45-seater Five Stags Restaurant, themed around the region’s hunting and rich mining heritage, and its 70-seater Forage Café and new information centre are perfectly positioned.

With access across the alpine Crown Range pass now limited for trucks and buses, Glen says The Gate’s two new food offerings, which opened recently, have been hugely successful. Its 47 hotel rooms were totally refurbished and rebranded as Harvest Hotel several years ago.

Five Stags Restaurant, with its Central Otago hunting lodge theme, features a replica of a rustic goldminer’s hut, packed 10 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

On the Menu: Beefalo Rump Steak – 8-week aged rump of beef and bison, crossbred in Southland, served with garlic, herb butter, potato gratin and slaw (above) The Crispy Hog – pork belly with Asian greens, duck fat potatoes and caramel sauce (below)

with historic mining memorabilia. “This seats 12. It’s pretty cool and highly sought after,” says Glen. “It’s booked out most nights.” Historic cigarette tins, cricket wickets, crockery, cutlery and fishing rods all help take guests back to a bygone era, and of course, the ‘five stags’ themselves – wapiti, white tail, fellow red and the sika trophies hang proudly on the restaurant walls.

Menu items like the Hunter’s Platter – a mix of pork belly, prawn twisters, miniwhitebait patties and fresh bread, and pork belly, served on Bok Choy with Oriental glaze, sit perfectly in this environment.

The décor has a touch of class. Studded leather couches greet guests in the main entrance foyer.

Gate executive chef Carla Paranihi oversees the busy, joint Five Stags Restaurant and Forage Cafe kitchen, which is turning out its fair share of popular ‘fresh fish of the day’ lunches. The Gate is also one of a handful of restaurants around the region to serve up delicious grilled Southland beefalo – produced from a crossbreed of cows and buffalo. Juicy, lean and served with duck fat potatoes or chips, this has been a big hit.

Five Stags has seating for about 50 outdoors. “We’re looking forward to autumn and lighting our big outdoor feature fireplace which will really add to the atmosphere and extend those lovely calm evenings,” says Glen.

“It’s quite a transformation to our restaurant and bar of old,” he says. “We’re delighted with what we’ve achieved in the refurbishment and very happy with how both the restaurant and café are performing. We’ve had to rebrand ourselves and buy into a whole new concept, and we’ve had an outstanding result.”

OPENINGS

WAYFARER

Auckland Airport, Domestic terminal /before security Tel: 09 256 8597 www.wayfarer.wordpress.com

THE BOTANIST

A new oasis called the Wayfarer, has appeared amid the hustle and bustle of Auckland Airport. The Spotless operated café has been introduced following a six month review of the airport by the company and serves Eightthirty coffee, craft beers, local wine and fresh hand-crafted food in an informal atmosphere. Goods are served picnic style and customers have the option to eat in or takeaway if they are short on time. Wayfarer has food ordering apps, allowing travellers to plan ahead and has established a loyalty programme for regulars. Sustainability also features strongly with Wayfarer using biodegradable packaging for all of its goods.

FORAGE CAFÉ

6 Barry Avenue, Cromwell, Central Otago Ph: 0800 104 451 www.thegate.nz Light and fresh, The Gate hospitality complex’s modern new 70-seater Forage Café in Cromwell captures plenty of Central Otago sunshine. There’s a great indoor, outdoor flow, and a fine selection of good, old fashioned, homemade Kiwi favourites. Right on the tourist route, Gate general manager Glen Christiansen says cheese rolls and homemade custard slices are “big movers” and they’re flying out the door. Staple ‘old school’ favourites like fresh scones, bacon and egg muffins and club sandwiches are close behind.

Eggs benedict and banoffee crepes take the cake for breakfast. The café, which incorporates a new information centre, serves up some great healthy salads too.

219 Onepu Road, Lyall Bay Wellington Tel: 04 891 0198 www.thebotanistlyallbay.co.nz From tapas in the city to vegan by the beach; the people behind Basque in Courtenay Place have opened a rather different concept, in their new café in the bay. It’s vegan and vegetarian, to be precise, and so quickly popular it seems the dog walkers and surfers are happy with no meat. The décor is fresh; greenery along the bar and hanging from above softens the hard, white and black surfaces. There’s lots of glass, a brick wall divides two indoor rooms then there’s a courtyard down the back.

Green things on the menu include pea, smoked brinza and zuchinni fritters.

The ‘Veganise Me’ – wilted spinach and avocado, Botanist ‘facon’ and soy sausage is matched with all the mushrooms, hash browns, spicy beans that you’d find in any good café brunch. Burgers - haloumi, tempeh or black bean, crammed with vegetables, are served from 12. Open 9am to 10pm seven days, licensed and serving Peoples Coffee.

BEST UGLY (BAGELS)

Wellington Airport Tel: 04 8033563 www.bestugly.co.nz

Al Brown made his mark in Wellington with fine dining, as a former co-owner of the eponymous Logan Brown Restaurant. He’s returned with a more casual concept, bagels. After opening the first Wellington outlet of his Best Ugly chain, in Swan Lane last year, he’s now flown off to open his second Capital store, this one at Wellington Airport. The striking, stark design is by Andy Missen of Nidus Design. The bagels are made according to traditional techniques gleaned from Montreal artisan store, Saint Viateur. Bagels for the airport store are made daily in Swan Lane, where they are punched, hand rolled, poached in honey water and cooked in a Manuka-fired stone oven.Rumour has it a Best Ugly (Bagels) is also destined for Newmarket.

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Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 11

NEWS ENTREPRENEURS

The Pantry joins The Kitchen café - online For Nelson foodies Grant and Sherilyn Maxwell food is a medicine and they’re passionate about educating people on whole foods and health.

Less than a year after launching their highly successful Nelson wholefoods café, The Kitchen, Grant and Sherilyn Maxwell are about to beef up their online food and wholesale concept, The Pantry.

They’re already running food education and cooking classes, after collaborating with a Nelson doctor and a local gym to form health education platform – Empower Health Nelson. General practitioner Dr Cindy Devilliers aims to treat the cause of illness, rather than the symptoms, so fits perfectly with their ethos, says Grant. The Maxwell’s philosophy is to not only feed people well, but to educate them about how to do it themselves.

“We’re now focusing more on selling ready-to-eat foods online,” says Grant. “We’ve got a cold pressed juicer – the only one in Nelson - so we can create heavily vegetable-based juices that are low in sugar.”

Everything on the menu, both online and in their 80-seater Kitchen café is gluten, wheat, dairy and refined sugar free. It’s labour intensive work, but Grant says it’s been heaven for people with food intolerances. “For others it’s been a real discovery,” he

Delicious whole foods from Nelson’s The Kitchen are all gluten, wheat, dairy and refined sugar free.

12 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

says. “People realise you can enjoy delicious foods without those ingredients. You don’t have to eat gluten free rock cakes.”

While there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, free range meat is definitely not a no no. The Paleo Burger, served with kumara fries, all cooked in coconut oil, salmon, bacon and beef dishes also star on the menu.

The recipe for The Kitchen’s popular Paleo roll, made from a secret mix of gluten free flours and seeds, is under lock and key, with local bread makers even trying to second guess its contents.

“We use lots of fermented foods, like sauerkraut and kombucha, and make coconut our yoghurts – all with help from local winemakers and craft beer brewers, Renegade Ferments,” says Grant. “Their kombucha is made from incredible thick scobies and has a huge range of probiotics in it.”

Raw vegan cheesecakes like blueberry and cacao, and the beautifully-presented cacao and quinoa cake have proved hugely popular.

It’s important to cold press juices to retain the nutrients, says Grant, and the Maxwells are launching this line, along with other wholesale food products soon. Condiments like sauces, chutneys, jams and pestos and dry goods like fruit bars will follow.

With demand from Christchurch on the rise, the Maxwells are looking to expand their business to the Garden City by the end of next year. For further information visit https://ktchn.co.nz/collections/all.

Q&A

Introducing

Reon Hobson Award winning chef returns to upskill students

Reon Hobson is ServiceIQ’s new Hospitality Sector Advisor helping to upskill apprentice chefs working in great restaurants and cafés in the Canterbury, West Coast and Tasman regions.

You may be surprised to know that he is taking on this role after a remarkable career as an award-winning chef, who has worked in some of the world’s top restaurants, under famous chefs including Gordon Ramsay; Marco Pierre White at The Picasso Room in London, and Dietmar Sawyere at his signature Sydney restaurant Level 41.

Most recently, Reon was Chef de Cuisine at Pescatore, The George hotel’s award-winning signature restaurant in Christchurch. Hospitality Business put a few questions to Reon to help hospitality businesses get a feel for what he’ll be serving up in his new role!

APART FROM MORE CIVILISED HOURS, WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE ON YOUR NEW JOB? After 22 years spent in some of the top kitchens in the world the time felt right to make a move outside of the kitchen but still be in involved in the industry I love. I look forward to having highly successful apprentices become a part of the hospitality industry.

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR ROLE? I help business owners and head chefs get their talented cooks on the road to success with either an apprenticeship or another on-job training programme. At the moment I’m looking after 50 apprentice chefs who range in age from 18 to 48 plus. I’m there to offer support, mentor them, assess their practical skills and theory knowledge and guide them through to being qualified chefs.

YOU’VE MENTORED COUNTLESS UP-COMING CHEFS DURING YOUR CAREER IN THE KITCHEN. WHAT IS A FAVOURITE SUCCESS STORY? One of my proudest moments is having one of my kitchen hands, Elliott Pinn, go on to do his apprenticeship, win Apprentice Chef of the Year then finally end up at Sepia Restaurants as head pastry chef!

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR NEW ROLE? Getting to help more apprentices than ever before and working with like-minded professionals. We are getting industry-ready

chefs at the end of their apprenticeship who can work at industry standards straight away without further training.

YOUR BEST FOOD MEMORY? Cooking for the Beckhams at Gordon Ramsey’s house for a New Year’s event.

FAVOURITE DISH TO COOK AT HOME? I’m a big fan of jumping on the BBQ and having friends over.

YOUR MOST RECOGNISED DISH? “Apple Tart” (see image) WHAT WAS IT LIKE STARTING OUT IN A REAL COMMERCIAL KITCHEN? An eye opener, I started out in the sink doing dishes and worked my way up. To this day my first head chef whom I’m still great mates with, likes to remind me of making Fleurons (a puff pastry garnish) on my first day in the kitchen.

WHICH TOP CHEFS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST? Dietmar Sawyere would have been my biggest influence. He taught me to never stop asking questions and always push to be better. You never stop learning; someone is always coming up with new techniques or knows more than you.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CHEF? Take every opportunity as it comes along , either good or bad, and use it as a learning experience. ■

WHO IS SERVICE IQ ServiceIQ offers a variety of quality training programmes and expert support to help many of the country’s finest cooks gain the culinary skills needed to become professional chefs - from a full-on Chef’s Apprenticeship, to separate Level 3 and Level 4 cookery qualifications. Each programme is easily completed on the job, and around your business. Discover the full menu: http://www.serviceiq.org.nz/training/hospitality/cookery/

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 13

NEWS

BASIL PARSLEY & PARTNERS....

No, It’s Not A Law Firm!

It’s not a law firm, but you could be easily mistaken. Basil, Parsley and Partners Ltd, tucked away on three hectares of thriving Central Otago soil near Cromwell, supplies nearly 40 different varieties of herbs all over the southern South Island.

Former Queenstown barman and Englishman, Bob Tovey has been supplying restaurants and food businesses with fresh culinary herbs for 25 years, after spotting a gap in the market.

“I came to Queenstown on my OE and I was working at the former Lakeland Hotel as a barman, and as a gondola operator for Skyline,” says Bob. “I was always asking the chefs what foods they couldn’t get and they all said fresh herbs, so I started looking for land.”

He started small with just tomatoes and gradually began growing herbs.

Before long Bob was supplying Queenstown restaurants, the Queenstown Wholesale Market, Bidvest and local supermarkets.

More than 20 years on, he’s seen some remarkable trends with various herbs coming in and out of vogue.

“Our biggest mover at the moment would be coriander. Everyone’s taken a real liking to it. Basil used to be our biggest seller until 10 years ago. In the good old 14 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

days Italian parsley was fashionable, then Basil became the new exotic herb and now its coriander,” says Bob. “I think that’s because there are so many celebrity chefs and TV cooking shows out there at the moment all using a lot of coriander or cilantro as it is also known.”

Oddly enough, Bob’s also seen a resurgence in normal, curly parsley use.

“It seems some of the younger chefs, who are new to their careers, haven’t used it much, so it’s back as quite a highlight.”

Herb flowers were it back in the 1990’s, and faded from popularity, but they’re back with a vengeance now. Presentation is paramount and the herb flowers are widely used as a garnish and to dress cakes and slices up in display cabinets.

Everything from nasturtiums, with their peppery bite, to chive flowers and viola are highly sought after by clients.

Microherbs have taken off during the past five years. Bob is forever experimenting for local chefs with new trials. This year’s project is growing an Asian herb, Shiso, but he’s also growing Purslane, a popular American salad herb very high in Omega 3, and Strawberry Spinach. “It’s got tiny strawberries like berries along the stem and the leaves look like holly, so I’m picking that will be a great Christmas garnish.”

Basil, Parsley and Partners Ltd products are in demand throughout Otago and Central Otago, but Bob has no plans to go corporate with the firm. “I supply local and that’s always been my goal. I like being able to talk directly with the people I’m growing for. The chefs come here and I work with them on their menus.”

Basil Parsley and Partners.

Ph: 03 4450732 - www.herbsrus.co.nz

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OUTDOOR HEATING

Winter Dining & Al fresco Hot Spots

S

ummer fleetingly arrived and left New Zealand with undue haste this year, leaving hospitality operators looking at ways to keep normally sought-after outdoor dining spaces both appealing and profitable! A major task when Mother Nature throws rain and wind in abundance, and temperature levels fluctuate wildly!

While autumnal April is traditionally the month of brisk chilly mornings and evenings, with clear bright sunny days in between, it would appear this year savvy operators need to be prepared for four seasons in any one day.

Keeping patrons warm and comfortable while dining outdoors, rather than watch them scurry inside to escape the elements, is going to be a major challenge in heating efficiency and planning. A number of Auckland operators have already taken to the trend of supplying rugs and blankets to patrons, and are now considering purchasing new or more heating equipment.

GAS HEATING Standing the test of time Heatmax NZ portable gas heaters have been servicing the growing outdoor dining scene for a decade and according to company director, Bev Jones Pritchard, are now hotter than ever.

“We recently sourced a top rating overseas factory to supply the steady demand we have for our stainless steel gas heater.”

Operating for forty hours on just one nine kg gas bottle makes the heater highly efficient, being big on output and low on input.

Heatmax heaters emit almost zero emissions and are approved for indoor commercial use and under cover, in addition to outdoor use.

Another key component of the Heatmax, lies with its sturdy wheels, making it highly portable - a flexible heat source to cater for the areas where patrons are eating or drinking.

“They are directional so can be placed at the edge of your area to be heated and with the reflector, having a wide heating arc,” says Bev. Heatmax NZ recommends Mata Gas for gas bottle exchanges as they are currently at the lowest market price.

ELECTRIC HEATING Should you prefer electric heating Heatmax NZ has a range of cost effective electric heating options to take the chill out of the air.

Joining the heaters are the new Heatmax stainless steel café screens with strong shatterproof and craze proof polycarbonate panels which will not discolour with time.

“If you can block the breeze with the café screens and warm the patrons, you will have the optimum solution for outdoor comfort,” comments Bev.

HOT TIPS FOR AL FRESCO DINING • Don’t heat empty tables • Install wind curtains, retractable roofing and awnings – remember that a harsh breeze or cross draft will render radiant heaters largely ineffective.

• Keep gas heaters maintained to ensure the flame is burning cleanly. Orange flames and black smoke indicate costly inefficiency as the fuel is wasted.

• Outdoor gas radiant heaters have an effective heating area of about 9 metres square. Customers outside of that space will not always receive the benefits of the heating provided.

• The gas bottle on a properly maintained heater will last longer meaning staff won’t need to be constantly changing the bottle.

16 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

RETRACTABLE ROOFING Enjoy a crisp sunny day this winter when you throw open your retractable roof. Withstanding winds of up to 120km an hour, and fitted with wind sensors, it automatically closes if the wind is too strong. A retractable waterproof roof copes equally with sunshine and rain, providing all weather protection for outdoor dining spaces.

Using European componentry, each roof is constructed of aluminium, powder coated in the colour of your choice, with Ferrari membrane and a Somfy remote control. Guttering is standard and the addition of posts, side curtains and lighting can completely customise outdoor areas.

“Importing your roof from overseas with long and costly shipping times and being at the mercy of currency exchange rates, is a thing of the past, “says Bev. “Purchase your roof from Heatmax NZ and it will be made right here in New Zealand where our technicians are on hand to measure, quote and customise to your needs and back up service is assured.”

Built in guttering is standard and extra posts, lights and side curtains can be catered for to give you a much more cost effective additional outdoor room.

Every roof is situation specific and can be created to exact requirements allowing patrons to linger over that extra beverage or dessert. n

A ST R IS BORN

OUTDOOR HEATING

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The Terrace at Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel, Belgravia

O

utdoor dining in New Zealand is generally a lifestyle – good weather permitting – we expect to enjoy almost as a right. In colder climates, however, the concept of al fresco dining has required a more innovative approach to utilising rooftops, patio areas and balconies to encourage patrons to enjoy year round . Hospitality Business decided to take a look at some more stylish options available in London this year to draw design and heating inspiration from: THE TERRACE AT JUMEIRAH LOWNDES HOTEL, BELGRAVIA The Terrace at Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel is open from the end of April until the end of summer offering diners delicious bar snacks, healthy smoothies, cocktails and a hefty wine list. Enjoy meat and seafood grilled on the barbecue, along with a wide array of salads, sandwiches, burgers and pizzas. Previously named one of London’s top three alfresco restaurants, The Terrace had an award-winning year in 2012 with head chef Martin Gabler named runner-up at the British BBQ Championships in June.

21 Lowndes St, London SW1X 9ES www.lowndesbarandkitchen.co.uk

BREW, PUTNEY All-day breakfast, wood fired pizzas after 5pm, an outdoor cinema on Wednesday nights and a top notch wine list to boot – Brew in Putney is shaping up as a must go-to. As the fourth Brew café in south west London, the Putney location is the first to open in the evenings and has a lovely outdoor terrace area – currently it’s sheltered by a retractable roof and has a heating system to keep you warm and rugs on the tables while it’s still a little chilly, but come summer the roof will be back and the terrace soaking up the sun. Sit outside for an early morning juice, a late Bloody Mary-fuelled brunch, afternoon coffee and cake, or an evening of wine and pizza.

162-164 Lower Richmond Road, Putney SW15 1LY www.brew-cafe.com

BOOK AN INSPECTION TODAY • Easy to move • Easy to light • Zero emissions Retractable Roofing

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Outdoor heating

Café Screens

>

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OUTDOOR HEATING inside, unless there’s a mistral blowing outside. Open from 11.30am, it’s a good place to muse on other boundaries: between good and bad taste, gentrification and authenticity.

The Boundary, 9 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, London E16 T: +44 20 7729 1051 www.theboundary.co.uk

BOULESTIN, GREEN PARK If French cuisine and a bit of fresh air is the order of the day, you really can’t go past Boulestin’s hidden courtyard without stopping in.

Opening again soon as the weather warms up, this elegant courtyard is a great place to catch a bit of R&R and a fine-dining experience just moments away from St James’s Street. In terms of food, think seasonal menus featuring French dishes like gratin and confit duck accompanied by an excellent wine list.

5 Saint James’s Street, London SW1A 1EF www.boulestin.com

The Tea Merchant, Canary Wharf

THE BOUNDARY SHOREDITCH Placed atop Sir Terence Conran’s warehouse project - hotel rooms, bar, restaurant and bakery - it’s an expansive space perfumed with Provençale herbs and the nostalgia-tugging scent of a wood fire. Conran’s been in thrall to the Med since the days when a garlic press was an exotic object of desire - and the romance endures. No mac’n’cheese here, but lots of herby, garlicky and lemony flavours - half a lobster glazed with parsley butter, salads of frisée aux lardons and grill-scorched chicken skewers, table-conquering platters of fresh shellfish. The covered orangerie is cosy

THE TEA MERCHANT, CANARY WHARF After a major refurbishment, The Tea Merchant opened a few months ago, quickly establishing itself as a place to enjoy great fresh food, cask ales, wines, eclectic beers and spirits, and simply unwind. The Tea Merchant makes the most of Canary Wharf ’s tranquil dockside terraces with 90 alfresco covers and heated parasols, all overlooking the North Quay. It’s a great spot to escape the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf.

25-27 Fisherman’s Walk, Canary Wharf E14 4DH www.teamerchantcanarywharf.co.uk

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18 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

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Please call ServiceIQ now to find out how your hospitality business can go to the next level with one small step. With ServiceIQ it could even be free.

The difference comes down to three words and one simple and effective concept: on-job training.

It’s the difference between just doing the job and doing it brilliantly. So brilliantly in fact, that your customers come back more often, spend more, bring their friends and colleagues, write favourable reviews and recommend you to others.

Some people have a talent for service, but they still need to learn the right skills to do it well. The tricks of the service trade. The art of satisfying customers.

IT TAKES A LOT MORE THAN WEARING AN APRON, AND CARRYING A COFFEE, TO BE A WAITER.

TRAINED

THEY ARE

AREN’T BORN

WAITERS

CHEESE FEATURE

Double Dutch AT NZ CHAMPIONS OF CHEESE AWARDS

T

wo New Zealand cheesemakers of Dutch origin have stepped outside their traditions with two new cheeses that have claimed the top prizes at the 2017 NZ Champions of Cheese Awards.

The Smoked Goat Gouda by Meyer Gouda Cheese was judged as the Countdown Champion of Champions (Commercial), and Fifty Fifty by Mercer Cheese was awarded as the Puhoi Valley Champion of Champions (Artisan).

Both Meyer Gouda Cheese and Mercer Cheese are from the Waikato and both have won top honours in the past with traditional Dutch style cheeses. This year it is their innovation with new cheeses that has set them apart from the hundreds of entries submitted for judging.

Both the Champion of Champions cheeses were gold medallists in the Ministry for Primary Industries New Cheese category.

The best New Zealand cheeses were judged by an unprecedented contingent of 34 international and local cheese experts, from more than 370 entries. The twenty-one category winners were announced at a gala dinner at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards, held at the Grand Millennium in Auckland on 14 March following a marathon two-day cheese tasting competition.

Master Judge and Australian cheese guru Russell Smith said Dutch Kiwis have a growing reputation for making inspirational cheeses with New Zealand milks. “The 2017 champions are great examples of this expertise.

“The Smoked Goat Gouda by Meyer Gouda Cheese is an absolutely gorgeous goat cheese, and a pleasure to eat, it has a smooth creamy texture that delights the palate with sweet and mild piquant flavours,” he adds.

Smith was also clearly impressed with Fifty Fifty by Mercer Cheese, describing it as “a beautifully aged gouda, with complex sweet and savoury flavours coming from the combination of cow and goat milk.”

A rare cheese, Mercer Cheese only makes it on occasional years when the last of the summer milks are right for this type of Gouda to be produced, and then aged.

2017 was notable for the inclusion of three new cheese companies entering into the awards, including Winsam Farm. This new player to the cheese scene produced an incredible feat, scoring a perfect 100 for their Just Ewe Winsam

20 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Farmhouse cheese. The result lead its cheesemaker Catherine Oakley of Winsam Farm to be named the Cheesemaker Of The Year (Milk Test NZ Champion Cheesemaker), with her first ever entry.

Just Ewe Winsam Farmhouse was also the NZ Chefs Association Champion Sheep Cheese. Russell Smith described the outstanding cheese as “a semi hard sheep cheese with a delightful texture and feel in the mouth. It’s delicate savoury and mildly spicy flavours finish off this delightful newcomer to the New Zealand cheese scene.”

While new cheeses dominated the top three prizes of the night, 2017 saw a popular Kiwi blue cheese take out a number of categories. Kapiti Kikorangi from Fonterra Brands NZ won the Ecolab Champion Blue Cheese Award, the Renco New Zealand Export Cheese Award and Fonterra Champion Original Cheese Award.

Officially the most decorated blue cheese in Awards history, Kapiti Kikorangi was described by judges as a truly exceptional and distinctive cheese. “The very seductive creamy texture of this cheese is combined with sweet, spicy blue flavours,” Smith says.

Another Kapiti blue also secured the public vote once again, to win the New World Champion Favourite Cheese Award – a competition where New World shoppers had the opportunity to judge their personal favourite. The Kapiti Kahurangi Creamy Blue from Fonterra Brands NZ proved the winner for the second year running in the public vote, owing to its delightfully smooth texture, delicate blue veining, and mild savoury flavour.

“The people have spoken,” Smith said, commenting on the developing sophistication of New Zealanders’ palate in selecting such a full flavoured cheese as their favourite.

Another notable win from a classic Kiwi cheesemaker, Puhoi Valley Cheese, was the Puhoi Valley Feta which was awarded the Kiwi Labels Champion Feta Cheese Award. Puhoi Valley Cheese also went home with the Thermaflo Champion Washed Rind Cheese Award with the Puhoi Valley Cellar Range Washed Rind.Three of the four golds awarded to washed rind cheeses went to Puhoi Valley Cheese.

Now in its 14th year, the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards are held annually by the NZ Specialist Cheese Association, to honour excellence in cheese making. n

CHEESE FEATURE

Fresh cheese a winning entry Meyer Gouda Cheese’s winning entry was placed into the Champion New Cheese category of the awards as a cheese that has only been made and sold in New Zealand for less than 12 months.

“2017 has been a real surprise! We are not known for making goat’s milk cheeses yet these have been selected as the heroes of the awards," says Miel Meyer, Company Manager.

My brother Geert is our Head Cheesemaker and is really chuffed to see these cheese do so well in this year’s competition.

“Most of our cheesemaking is with cow’s milk from our own herd, so working with goat’s milk – from Shane Averill’s quality fed and bred goats, - is a relatively new thing for us. Winning this supreme award for excellence in cheesemaking is an awesome reward for the effort Geert has put in.”

In addition to the supreme title, Meyer Gouda Cheese also scored four gold medals that then took Championship titles for: • 80 degrees Champion Goat Cheese Award for the Meyer Goat Milk Gouda • AsureQuality Champion Dutch Style Cheese for Meyer Fenugreek • Ministry for Primary Industries Champion New Cheese Award for Meyer Smoked Goat Gouda • Brancott Estate Wines Champion Flavoured Cheese Award for the Meyer Smoked Gouda Meyer Gouda Cheese was also awarded six silver medals for their Sheepmilk Gouda,Vintage Gouda, Cumin Gouda, Amsterdammer, Smoked Goat Gouda and Cracked Pepper. Finally, bronze medals were also awarded for Meyer Tasty Gouda and Meyer Cumin with Cloves. n Miel Meyer, Manager of Meyer Gouda Cheese with his father Ben at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards 2017, held at the Grand Millenium Hotel in Auckland on March 10.

CHEESE FEATURE

Oamaru pastures key to world class range HB talks to Simon Berry CEO & Director of Whitestone

HOW LONG HAS WHITESTONE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS AND WHERE ARE YOU BASED? Whitestone was started in Oamaru as a diversification from our sheep, beef and cropping enterprise thirty years ago, it is 100 percent family owned and operated by the Berrys.

WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY’S MISSION AND WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE? We employ over 50 full time equivalent people and our mission is to lead New Zealand’s specialty cheese industry in both quality and innovation, to champion our New World Cheese developments by exporting hero cheeses to key international markets.

WHAT’S YOUR PRODUCT RANGE? DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW PRODUCTS IN THE PIPELINE? Tweny five cheeses now being produced.We have new goat’s milk cheeses coming out next season plus some exciting developments on the cow’s milk side.We are always experimenting and presently we are working on a boutique range of flavoured butters, a category we see as having potential.

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOU FROM YOUR COMPETITION? WHAT INNOVATIONS HAVE YOU SEEN OR INTRODUCED? Our local high quality North Otago milk; pastures flourish on our limestone based soils producing world class milk to work with. New Zealand’s first; retail platter pack, cheese tin, probiotic cheese, smoked butter, beer cheese.

Our current range of butters are all traditionally churned on site and hand wrapped.We have also developed our own blue mould strain which differentiates our blue cheese from others to the extent that our Wisconsin Silver medal Vintage Windsor Blue is now sought after in Paris.

WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS? From local North Otago cow’s milk, our fresh goat’s milk is sourced from the South Canterbury and we are developing a local fresh sheep milk supply.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR MILESTONES OF THE COMPANY? • Thirty years of cheesemaking this year. Our founder Bob Berry being awarded MNZM at Government House in 2016 Achieving 2nd place in the World Cheese Championships in Wisconsin last year with our Vintage Windsor Blue.

• Supplying key accounts internationally including The Oscars,Tom Cruise’s super yacht, Scrubs TV,The Playboy Mansion,The Halberg Awards, plus numerous celebrity weddings, high end restaurants and airlines.

• Our factory has grown with sales over the years with some significant milestones including our blue cheese plant, white mould facilities, butter churn, chilled storage, plus some exciting new equipment to be installed later this year.

22 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

WHICH MARKETING CHANNELS DO YOU USE TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS? Social, print, digital, sponsorship, mobile caravans, direct to consumer, plus our first billboard in Auckland.

HOW MUCH IS STORYTELLING IMPORTANT FOR YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY? Hugely. We have an honest and open story to tell about our People, Product and Place. All are true to source and they are the “brand pillars” which we base our story upon.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION? Yes. We currently have a significant factory expansion underway to meet both domestic and international demand. We have recently returned from France where we explored their cheese regions, inspiring fresh new developments. The NZ market is still young when it comes to specialty cheese and butter flavours, and it is exciting to know we have plenty of scope to explore.

MAJOR CURRENT (AND FUTURE) CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACED? There are some poor quality imported dairy products filling our supermarket shelves that drag standards down. One challenge is to introduce these consumers to our quality NZ products and retain their custom. We see opportunities in convenience offerings plus more complex cheese and flavoured butters, which we are developing.

Would be great to see more raw milk cheeses being made in NZ where compliance costs are a major challenge Service delis developing cheese maturation and presentation skills, ageing wheels in store, slicing from the wheel direct to customers.

Having fun combining flavours, getting really creative with premium butters, introducing interesting condiments to cheese platters, enjoying and exploring new flavour and texture combinations. n

CHEESE FEATURE

La Fromagerie dans Newmarket New Zealand’s most extensive range of French cheese is located in a busy side street in cosmopolitan Newmarket, Auckland. A range of over 80 cow, sheep and goat cheeses from a variety of regions in France adorn the display cabinet of the delicatessen and dwell in the purpose built temperature controlled maturing room of the highly respected La Fromagerie.

According to Gilles Mereau, owner , chef, cheesemaker and importer of the range products variy in size from a mere 50 grams of fresh, yet to ripen goat’s cheese from to a 90lb wheel of cows’ cheese that is aging well over 35 months.

Airfreighted to New Zealand in wooden boxes to maintain quality and consistency, the provenance and seasonality of each cheese is known and managed by Gilles , who travels back to France annually to purchase the very best available cheese from region to region, for New Zealand customers. La Fromage supplies top hotels such as The

GILLES MEREAU PASSIONATE ABOUT FROMAGE

Langham, Sofitel, and The Hilton in Auckland, a variety of hotels in Queenstown, Wellington and Taupo, along with steady interest from top restaurants such as The French Cafe, Ostro and The Grove, to name just a few.

Customers to the deli are treated to a range of ham, salami, desserts and French goods with regular customers enjoying the on site chef ’s repertoire of evolving recipes – chefs at hotels know to keep in touch with Gilles when he indicates new deliveries from France have arrived, in order to provide customers with the best available cheese.. orders can go out the door very quickly! n

! e g a m o ay Fr

S

When Gilles Mereau was a child growing up in the Loire Valley of France, his task as the youngest of six children was to collect the families’ daily milk requirements from neighbouring farms, in a metal churn. One was a goat farm, the other predominantly cow, with sheep. At the time this was a task undertaken as part of the family routine, however, this simple and yet innate French way of life in childhood has proven to be a winning formula for his passion for supplying the very best cheese in later life. This simple daily task developed into a passion and a very useful insight into acquiring knowledge of the centuries old tradtion of cheese making that the French culinary world is famous for. At 15 his first job in the hospitality industry was at a local restaurant where his role was to produce the cheese board…a very important part of the restaurant cuisine…”it needs to be clean, tidy and tasty!”.

Fast forward to working as a chef in London, where he met fellow chef, Anne, from New Zealand. The two became a couple and agreed that they would work for four years in Paris, before coming to New Zealand for a four year period …and then decide where to live from there. Well as Gillies says his counting wasn’t too hot because 30 plus years later they are still in New Zealand! Their first roles in Auckland were with the Regent Hotel, now the Stamford Hotel and Resort, and since then Gilles has worked for a number of upmarket restaurants, including Cin Cin in the Ferry Building, before deciding he wanted a calmer, less frenetic way of life with more civilised hours. The idea to establish a deli with French cheese, in collaboration with French wine importer Maison Vauron has proven a winning choice!

3 McColl St Newmarket, Auckland 09 529 0162 gilles@lafromagerienz.com mvauron.co.nz

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 23

TRAINING

Queenstown High Standards & Top Teachers

Resort College

a confidence incubator with style

T

ucked in a tranquil setting beside the lakeside Queenstown Gardens, in the tourism capital of the country, is one of the industry’s best success stories.

In just over 10 years Queenstown Resort College has turned out 2000 confident and well-rounded tourism and hospitality graduates – more than 80 percent of whom are now working their way up the industry ladder.

The dream of a handful of visionaries, the privately-owned college was funded by renowned Otago, now Queenstown-based, philanthropist and chairman of Forsyth Barr, Sir Eion Edgar.

Sir Eion served for 23 years on the University of Otago Council, as Pro Chancellor, and Chancellor, and he says funding the creation of QRC was “a logical extension”. There was an urgent need for tertiary education in Queenstown at the time, particularly in hospitality and adventure tourism.

Sir Eion attributes the college’s success to very high standards, top teachers and the leadership of QRC chief executive Charlie Phillips.

“One feels extremely satisfied, when one has the opportunity to see these fine young people graduate from QRC.” There’s a huge focus on professional learning, which Charlie says he believes is the key to the high success rate at the college. “Everyone teaches theory, but we do it slightly differently, using a threedimensional approach,” he says.

Both the 21-month Hospitality Management and Adventure Tourism Management diplomas include 12-months of classroom theory, as well as a 9-month practical internship. The college has strong networks all over

24 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

TRAINING

Tucked neatly alongside Queenstown’s Lake Wanaka, QRC attracts students from throughout New Zealand who go on to lead exciting careers.

Charlie Phillips, CEO of Queenstown Resort College

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 25

TRAINING New Zealand and the East Coast of Australia, but students can choose locations. Placements have taken students to the ski areas of Utah and Europe, right through to Hamilton Island beach resorts. “I can’t go into a hotel or tourism activity anywhere in New Zealand without bumping into a student from our college,” says Charlie, proudly.

Professional learning is paramount. “We focus on what the industry is looking for.” Students are marked on punctuality, grooming standards and professional behaviour. “It’s all about creating a good work ethic, so that they understand consequences. We’d rather they lose a few points on their professional excellence score than lose their job,” says Charlie.

“This means they are employees of first choice when they go out into the field.”

For Charlie and the staff, the greatest reward is seeing students return from their practical internships, completely transformed into confident professionals. “We see such personal growth in these students. It’s a really powerful transition from goofy teenagers into really confident adults. That’s what all of us come to work to see,” says Charlie. They come back full of self-belief and confidence and that’s the stuff that you want to bottle, as with confidence you can do anything. That’s the ‘on’ switch. As soon as you’ve found that you’re away.”

Students are taught to be good ambassadors and there’s a culture of positivity and excellence bred within the college walls. “There’s a positive vibe, attitude and energy that these kids create that’s magic.

Pretty much every student will exude positive body language, open the door for visitors on site and make good eye contact,” says Charlie.

Any fence sitters are weeded out during the interview process.

Students must have a passion for a career in the industry.

QRC, like any hospitality and tourism institution, still battles to tear down the age-old misconception that tourism and hospitality tertiary studies are not to be taken seriously.

GRADUATE PROFILE:

TEGAN WORTHINGTON - EVENTS, RESORTS & WINE At 23, Aucklander Tegan Worthington is one of Queenstown Resort College’s shining lights, promoted to the city’s Hotel St Moritz as assistant manager after less than a year on the job.

Tegan was heading into her second year of a BA in events management and advertising at AUT and hesitant about that pathway, when she heard about QRC. “I’d been coming to Queenstown since I was 10 on holidays with my family. My dad said, ‘you’re a people person, you should try that out’,” says Tegan. “I rang up and there was one slot left for the July (2013) hospitality intake and I was like, ‘yep, done!’.

It was an easy choice. She signed up for electives in events, resorts and wine, and absolutely loved the lifestyle, living at the college’s hall of residence for her first six months. “I arrived in Queenstown not knowing a soul. By that night I had a whole new group of friends and I’m still flatting with four of them,” says Tegan. “In Auckland we’d all be heads down walking to class, but everyone is so open and friendly down here. If someone was going snowboarding they’d invite you along and take a carload, so we’d be up at The Remarkables every weekend living the dream.”

Tegan completed her 9-month placement in front office reception at the five-star Millbrook Resort, but she had to sacrifice many weekends prior to her January posting to secure the role. “January is peak season there and they needed me to work weekends for several months so that I was trained up in time. I spent the last four weeks of term at QRC doing five days a week at school and working Saturdays

26 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

and Sundays at Millbrook just to get a foot in the door,” she says.

It paid off. Tegan began work at St Mortiz in April 2016 at reception.

By June she’d been approached by management to enter the AICR International Receptionist of the Year Awards, winning the South Island title, and placing fourth nationally. By September she was in training for her assistant management role, and by January this year she’d passed her liquor licensing general manager’s certificate and was promoted to assistant manager. The local authority interview normally takes 30 minutes, but Tegan’s took five. “I wanted it so badly,” she says.

“QRC definitely gave me the confidence. I was a bit shy when I first came, unsure of what I was getting myself into.” Shadowing the professionals during the first two terms of her course was a huge boost, and Tegan is the first to admit she’s “still learning”.

With the hotel at around 98 percent occupied and sometimes 100 percent during this peak summer season, there have been plenty of learning curves. Her greatest hurdle was placing a Chinese bus tour of 18 which arrived a night early when the hotel only had five rooms left. It was one of her first nights in sole charge with only a 20-yearold concierge and a 21-year-old receptionist on duty with her. It was peak season and Queenstown was full. “I thought, I’ve got to stay calm and show everyone here that I can do this,” she says.

Fortunately it was not the hotel’s mistake, but Tegan had to establish this before setting out to solve the problem. She somehow juggled things to put everyone in a room. “I only had two housekeeping staff on that night and they were amazing,” she says.

“The tour leader was over the moon, and so grateful.” The sales manager congratulated Tegan the next day as she’d had to charge the full room rate and in doing so had made the hotel more money.

Tegan’s totally got her heart set on management – first a front office management role, then hopefully general manager one day. At the rate she’s been climbing the ladder that shouldn’t be too far off.

TRAINING “One feels extremely satisfied, when one has the opportunity to see these fine young people graduate from Queenstown Resort College.”

“It’s a very big hurdle that we still suffer,” says Charlie. “We need to profile tourism as a career pathway and there’s a lot more that the Government can do.We’ll continue to battle to change those perceptions.”

Mostly school leavers, the students are immersed in the industry with high profile guest speakers through the college almost daily. “For these kids it’s quite normal to be around the heroes of the industry, being based here in Queenstown,” says Charlie. With internationallyrenowned adventure heroes like AJ Hackett finding their fame in Queenstown, the resort’s ‘brand’ is definitely a huge attraction.

So far QRC has turned out general managers of hotels, adventure tourism entrepreneurs and business owners and has graduates in highlevel corporate jobs. “We have students working all over New Zealand and the world.” Eighty percent of students are New Zealanders, mostly from the North Island, with the rest from South East Asia, India, Europe, the Americas and Canada.

It’s a recipe that has had tourism heads turning throughout the country. Last year QRC opened the QRC Tai Tokerau Resort College in the heart of tourism rich Paihia, in the Bay of Islands, after an approach from New Zealand Maori Tourism. “We’ve also employed and engaged highly-skilled mentors there, who develop mentoring programmes and offer good after school and study guidance,” says Charlie. “It’s that wrap around pastoral care that helps develop good study habits and life skills that may not be in place.”

Study grants are available at the Northland campus to assist those students for whom finance is a barrier, and these have been extremely popular.

In Queenstown, the college bought two former hotel properties that now house and feed almost 250 of the 350 students as halls of residence, and in Northland it owns accommodation for 130. n

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Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 27

OPINION

Restaurant Association NZ Marisa Bidois - Chief Executive

FOOD FOR THOUGHT PROSTART SOLUTION TO PERFECT STORM? Finding the right people in the hospitality industry continues to be a struggle for the majority of business owners– there are a number of different factors coming together to create the perfect storm in our industry. Working visas are more difficult to come by, competition is fierce for the best, brightest candidates and there is nothing to alleviate immediate pressure on employers. This is not a new challenge for our industry and continues to be a top priority for us at the Association. It is interesting to look at how other sectors are navigating their own skills shortages as they are certainly not unique to our industry. There has been large scale international research on looking at how industries can manage this challenge. Here are a few of the more practical suggestions business owners may want to experiment with in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure caused by our skills shortage: • Reinvent - The skills shortage presents us with a renewed imperative to rethink our traditional patterns and habits. That means businesses need to consider different ways to run their businesses. This could include tweaking operational and organizational structures, and assisting current staff to map out their career paths in the business.

• Re-evaluate - Companies need to know what skills their employees possess. Better understanding the talent and potential of our own people allows us to identify skills and competencies that can be put to work in a more effective way.

• Recruit - One of the ways that businesses often hamper their search for talent is by being too narrow in their criteria. It is

28 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

important not to waste precious time and resources waiting for the ‘perfect’ candidate to come along.

• Collaborate - Work with other industry players and associations to build a pool of skilled workers and to share the costs and risks of establishing training programmes. This will help businesses reach a wider audience of potential employees.

The service sector is vital to the national economy. We all play a part in working together to promote our industry as one that provides long lasting and fulfilling careers. Part of our solution to the immediate issue is the Prostart Programme, which we have been trialling for the last twelve months. We have partnered with the Ministry of Social Development to provide their clients with basic entry level skills to our industry. The Prostart team are a passionate and dynamic group working together to train prospective hopefuls to our industry. We have worked with our members, owners and operators of the finest establishments around the country, to find out what they are looking for in their ideal candidates. Our training platform has been based directly on their feedback, largely made up of refining trainees’ soft skills and attitude, coupled with practical knowledge designed to help our trainees ‘hit the ground running’.

The Prostart Programme is currently running in Auckland and Hamilton and we hope to add to other regions in the future. If you are interested in learning more about the programme or how to be a part of it please let us know. If you are looking for more staff you are also welcome to come along to our showcase events which are held on a regular basis.

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TAX MATTERS

Paying IRD without being caught between a rock and a hard place Chris Cunniffe CEO of Tax Management NZ.

I

f you find yourself in this predicament, then you probably feel as if you are caught between a rock and a hard place. By owing the Inland Revenue (IRD) terminal tax on April 7, means you did not pay enough provisional tax for the 2016 tax year.

It’s normally the consequence of having a financial year where you performed better than anticipated. That happens from time to time, but such are the current provisional tax rules – which unfairly assume you are clairvoyant and can correctly predict what you need to pay in income tax ahead of time – the IRD may also hit you with harsh interest of 8.27 percent on the underpaid amount.

Getting payments spot-on is not without its challenges. Most in the hospitality sector experience the effects of seasonality and how this can impact earnings.

If paying terminal tax wasn’t bad enough, many businesses will also pay their final instalment of provisional tax for the 2017 tax year on May 7.

Granted, tax should always be accounted for when working out business expenses. Still, this double whammy of payments can cause a few restless nights due to the potential pressure they place on cashflow.

75 EXTRA DAYS What might keep you awake a little longer is the consequence of not paying when the IRD expects you to: The taxman charges interest and late payment penalties. Combined, they can see your liabilities quickly balloon.

Fortunately, with some careful planning now terminal and provisional tax payments need not affect your cashflow or cause any undue stress.

With that in mind, what should you do?

The first thing is pay the terminal tax. It has the longest exposure to IRD interest, so it needs to be sorted right away.

Terminal tax due in April and provisional tax to be paid in May?

A way to reduce this interest cost is by using an IRD-approved tax pooling intermediary. This also eliminates late payment penalties, and gives you an additional 75 days past your terminal tax date to pay.

The intermediary will apply excess tax paid to IRD on the date it was originally due against your liability when you pay what you owe through it. The IRD treats this as if your provisional tax was paid on time, clearing any interest and late payment penalties.

There are a couple of things you can also do to ease the burden on your cashflow if you also have provisional tax due on May 7.

Begin by reviewing your financial year. This instalment is due after the 2017 tax year has ended, meaning you will have some idea if you have paid too much or too little provisional tax. Adjust your payment accordingly depending on how the year has gone.

In the event having to pay provisional tax on May 7 so soon after settling your terminal tax is going to leave a gaping hole in your wallet, or you have a better use for the funds, consider using tax pooling to defer this payment to a time in the future that better suits.

The tax pool will pay IRD for you and you then have up to 12 months to repay the tax pool.

The upfront finance fee is much cheaper than most other traditional forms of finance. Approval is guaranteed and the fee tax deductible.

A tax pooling intermediary also gives you the option of paying May 7 provisional tax in instalments.

As always, make sure you discuss your options with your accountant if you have income tax obligations to pay in April and May. It’s better to be prepared than end up between a rock and a hard place. n Chris Cunniffe is the chief executive of Tax Management NZ and is a former head of the BNZ and Air New Zealand tax teams.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 31

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PROFILE

186

Paddock Rising From the Ashes with Garry Hull

BY SUE FEA

W

hen Southland dairy farmer Garry Hull lost his newlyrenovated home in a devastating house fire, he had no idea that an exciting new hospitality business would rise from the ashes.

The former Pukekohe farmer moved to Southland in 2001 and bought two Wright’s Bush dairy farms, which he developed. By 2010 Garry was heading into his 40’s and decided he’d given dairy farming a good innings. “It was time to do something for myself, and I’d always enjoyed dabbling in cooking.” As a kid in Pukekohe, his mum would be busy on the farm when he arrived home from school and Garry would roll up his sleeves and whip up a nice dessert.

“I’d also wanted to be a farmer, but when I got to my 30’s I became much more interested in cooking.” He sold one of his dairy farms and headed to SIT (Southland Institute of Technology) in Invercargill

fulltime to complete a two-year Diploma in Hospitality Cookery.

“I graduated at the end of 2012, having no idea what I’d do with it. Then friends starting asking me to cook for them at parties and functions,” says Garry. Before long they were inviting themselves to his place. “They said, ‘You cook, we’ll pay’.”

His four-bedroom farmhouse, 20kms from Invercargill, with its spacious, established gardens and ponds, had just been beautifully renovated inside. It was the perfect hospitality setting.

Sensing an opportunity, Garry had by now built a rustic-style Pizza Barn in the garden, complete with wood-fired pizza oven, spit roaster, barbecue, old coal range and a large outdoor fireplace for ambience and warmth. Initially he’d planned to host casual functions for business or social groups, but by autumn of 2013 people around the farming district started asking if they could have more formal dining inside.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 33

PROFILE

“There were flames leaping out of every window and along the roofline. It was a 100 percent write-off.”

“I was just dipping my toe into hospitality, then through the winter of 2013 I’d planned to develop this further.”

All that changed dramatically on June 7, 2013. Garry was in Invercargill working at a function for SIT when he received an alarming phone call from his neighbour to say his home was on fire and the fire brigade was on the way.

After graduating, he’d been invited back to SIT as an assistant tutor and had been overseeing students hosting a function at the SIT restaurant that evening. “I ended up following the engine, and by the time I got there the fire was pretty heavily involved. I just couldn’t believe it. It was beyond comprehension,” he says. “There were flames leaping out of every window and along the roofline. It was a 100 percent write-off.” The entire 280sqm home had burnt to the ground along with all of Garry’s belongings - a faulty cordless phone that overheated on a charger, the culprit.

It was gut-wrenching for Garry, who then spent six months grieving, unsure what to do next. “I basically crawled into a cave for a few months and after a while I decided I had to do something about this. I decided to come back bigger, better and stronger than before.”

He did just that, launching Paddock 186, a private dining and accommodation venue in February last year. Garry’s been inundated and his private dinners are booked up solid until the end of June this year. “The response has actually been totally overwhelming, unbelievable,” he says. “It’s far better than I’d ever imagined.”

He’s hosted everything from hen’s parties, 90th birthday dinners and ‘all you can eat’ wood-fired pizza nights to five-star business banquets and wealthy American trout fishermen. Groups range from an intimate twosome to 30 people, or up to 40 for a more casual Pizza Barn night.

He’s even got a yoga retreat booked in for July. “I love the challenge of creating menus for all of the different eating styles and preferences. It makes me think outside the square.”

Menus are always meticulously tailormade. Guests just name their preference and Garry works his magic, with a huge emphasis on local, seasonal produce. “Quite a few people bring their own produce for me to work with.” He’s had a hunter out from Invercargill who brought his own venison, blue cod and crayfish for a group dinner. Nearby beefalo producers, Nadia and Blair Wisely, arrived one night with a few different beefalo cuts from which Garry turned out everything from tongue and cheek terrine to oxtail consomme.

His Paddock 186 Lamb – a delicious combo of lamb rack, roast vegetables, slowed cooked shoulder and rice pilaf – and Foveaux Chowder, packed with oysters, salmon, mussels and blue cod, are already legendary in the south. He’s also becoming quite famous locally for his own Deconstructed Apple Crumble Cheesecake and Chocolate Torte, served with berry coulis and Chantilly cream.

“I try to keep everything as local as I can,” says Garry, who raises his own free range sheep, deer, beef, poultry, pork and chicken, all on the 24-acre property.

34 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

PROFILE Paddock 186 – aptly-named after Garry’s rural rapid number – features a classy guest wing with two five-star bedrooms, ensuites, and a separate luxurious lounge. Distinctive Austrian art adorns the walls, Southland cow hide covers the floor, with a coffee table created from old Vietnamese railway tracks taking centre stage.

A fully-equipped commercial kitchen, which doubles as a scullery, has been built behind Garry’s personal domestic kitchen.

There’s a touch of rural class throughout the largely contemporarytheme of the rebuild, which cleverly incorporates a rustic flair, continuing the theme of his sprawling outdoor gardens. “I needed that crossover in the design, so I’ve added in a couple of schist walls as well.”

Garry designed the new floor plan on the back of an envelope and took it to an architect. There’s plenty of floor to ceiling glass, capturing lots of light and warmth. The large walnut-top table seats 12 and splits into an 8-seater or 4-seater configuration for more intimacy.

Literally chief cook and bottle washer, Garry is a one-man band, fetching, preparing and serving the food, cleaning and servicing the rooms, and tending the massive grounds. He’s now got a sharemilker on the 350-acre dairy farm that he retained, but he concedes it’s time for a hand.

“I’m looking to get some help in now, but for me it’s a hobby and a passion,” says Garry. “I get huge satisfaction out of pleasing people with the eye, not only by serving them food, but with the rural surrounds.

Everyone says it’s really calming and relaxing here.”

Garry’s even been tantalising the tastebuds of guests from as far away as Auckland, and this winter he’s really hoping to tap into the tourist market now that the accommodation wing is complete. “I’m also hoping to get more people out from Invercargill for themed dinners and weekend retreats. It’s something new for Southland.” n

HOSPITALITY PEOPLE

Industry Icon

Tony Robertson heads to Nelson

Hospitality Business correspondent Sue Fea caught up with Tony Robertson before he headed to Nelson to ask a few salient questions, with a largesse of surprising answers being returned!

H

e’s ‘Mr Restaurant’ in Queenstown, where he’s renowned for his 30 year history of owning iconic restaurants like Minami Jujisei, The Boardwalk, - where he hosted President Bill Clinton, - and now Hamills, at Frankton.

Veteran restaurateur Tony Robertson is also well-known nationally in the restaurant industry for his years serving as vice-president of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

However, after 30 years in Queenstown,Tony, who also owns Styx Restaurant in Nelson with one of his former chefs Joe Horton, is now launching a second Nelson venue, ‘Char Bar and Grill, with partner Yasuko.

It’s a happy compromise for Aussie-born Tony and his Japanese partner. “Yasuko wanted to live on the beach somewhere in Australia and I wasn’t going back there, so Nelson is a happy compromise.”

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO QUEENSTOWN AND HOW DID YOU END UP IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY? I came to Queenstown on a skiing holiday, loved the town and the people so became a barman in the old Eichardts Hotel and worked upstairs at Albert’s Nightclub. We used to have to wear tight trousers and satin shirts. I became a ski instructor, mainly because of my gift of the gab, and spent a couple of seasons skiing in Japan – ’81 and ‘83.

My landlady at the time was great friends with Queenstown icon Eileen Todd. We’d have a few gin and tonics together, well lots really, and I told Eileen that with the then ascending Japanese tourist market we needed someone to cater for them. Next thing Eileen took me to an empty steakhouse upstairs on Beach St and said, “Let’s do it”. So an Aussie, a wee Scottish lady and a Kiwi oil rigger opened the fifth Japanese Restaurant in the country. I was flat broke at the time so my long suffering brother kindly got a second mortgage

36 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

on his house and armed me with $20,000. With that, and a $5000 cash withdrawal on my brand new credit card, I was able to stump up my share of the initial cost. We built it and painted it ourselves.

My Japanese screens were handmade here and I covered them with “washii” (rice paper) that we imported. I also bought in tatami matting and we made these here.

We found our Japanese chef two weeks before opening and our plates arrived the day after our grand opening on April 1. (Luckily, Skyline’s F&B manager Simon Hayes kindly let us use some of their dishes.) Our sushi boards, bridges and boats were made by local retired carpenter hobbyists.

To help get Kiwis along we’d host lunches for primary and high school students from all around the lower South Island. We’d give them lunch and a talk about Japanese food and customs, and then tell their parents that the food wasn’t that scary and that raw fish was pretty nice.

After four years we moved into the old Mountaineer building and a 120-seater restaurant, which I owned with my ex-wife Jan and business partner Neil Fraser. We sold it after our marriage breakup in about 1998. It’s still there, and some of the long term staff members are too, including current owner Koji Honda.

YOU OWNED THE BOARDWALK ON STEAMER WHARF FOR 12 YEARS WITH FORMER NEW ZEALAND CHEFS ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT GRANT JACKSON. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS? Grant was a friend and workmate from Queenstown Travelodge (now Crowne Plaza) in 1981. He came back to town and ate at Minami one night with wife Del and I said, “Have I got a job for you!”. We opened Boardwalk in 1995 and, as usual, struggled. The Steamer Wharf was very

HOSPITALITY PEOPLE different then - only two food outlets and the rest retail. I remember hearing them all say in the first tenants’ meeting, ’Oh, we only want the top 10 percent of tourists to come to The Steamer Wharf ”. Three years later Boardwalk was the only surviving original tenant.

Grant and our staff worked extremely hard and we sourced our seafood from all over New Zealand and the Pacific. Our food cost was high, but the quality was astonishing and Grant and his kitchen team produced dishes that were ranking us in the top of the country.

We knew then American President Bill Clinton was coming to town and about two weeks before he was due we got a booking from the Air New Zealand chief executive, but didn’t think anything of it. For the next two weeks we had the odd broad-shouldered security guy with a crew cut come in for lunch, but they just said they were checking out the town’s security.

On the night Bill Clinton dined with us, we received a phone call one hour in advance letting us know he was coming. We closed off all bookings, but still had about 70 people in the restaurant when he arrived.

There were a couple of tables, including some Japanese, who’d finished and were going to leave, but I convinced them to stay and shouted them dessert so that they were there when the entourage arrived.

When Clinton arrived he went to each table and apologised for the fact that security was there. One guy, an Aussie, was in the loo when he arrived, so didn’t get to meet Clinton. I said, ‘Don’t worry I’ll fix it’. During the evening I saw Clinton get up and start to go to the washroom. I quickly signalled to the Aussie to get to the loo first. Clinton went in and Secret Service guys stood outside guarding, but the Aussie guy was already inside. He never told me whether he got to shake hands.

A friend had rung to congratulate me on the Clinton booking during the evening and asked what Chelsea was like. My reply inferred she was a bit of alright. I didn’t think anything about it until I went out the back to my office. There, sitting with headphones on and listening to all calls, was a secret service guy who looked at me and just shook his finger.

HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO JUGGLE OWNING SEVERAL RESTAURANTS AT ONCE SUCCESSFULLY? I’ve always been blessed with having the most amazing staff who’ve allowed Tony Robertson enjoys a me the opportunities to have more fond farewell beer at his than one restaurant, and I always like Queenstown restaurant, to have up-coming staff buy in as Hamills, before moving partners. I see my role as just gently North to Nelson. guiding them away from making the major mistakes that I’ve made.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH HAMILLS, WHICH YOU’VE OWNED FOR 12 YEARS? My staff are taking over the running of Hamills. My head chef Matt Crimp used to work for us for years when we first opened. He went to Aussie and worked hard, ending up as head chef in a big operation in Perth, and is now back with his partner and 2-year-old daughter. The lovely Oceane Duteil, who’s been with us five years, gets her chance at running a restaurant. Her parents own a restaurant in France so she is more than capable and is supported by other long term staff.

WHY ARE YOU LEAVING QUEENSTOWN? Yasuko and I are moving to Nelson for a change of scene and to set up our new restaurant Char Bar and Grill, with long-term staff from our Styx operation, head chef Tony Carlin and his fiancée Katie Hunt.Yassy will be restaurant manager and I’ll be trying to take more of a back seat - looking after the books of all three restaurants and handling the “back issues”, so the partners can concentrate on running the restaurants.

I’ll continue to try and help the Restaurant Association of NZ on immigration issues, but I want to spend some time fishing as well.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY HEADING NATIONALLY? WHO WILL SURVIVE AND WHO WON’T? Interesting times for restaurants. We’re seeing the growth of smaller multi-unit operators. Queenstown, in particular, has quite a few of those. Food trucks seem to be a great means of bypassing some of the hideously expensive set-up costs and allowing operators flexibility.

HOW HAS THE INDUSTRY CHANGED IN THE PAST 30 YEARS - THE WAY WE DINE, THE ENTERTAINMENT ASPECT, WHAT PEOPLE EXPECT FROM A NIGHT OUT NOW? We’re seeing a gradual move away from the finer dining aspects, with very few fine dining experiences available anymore. I believe it’s a good thing, but I’m an Aussie.The rise of the TV cooking shows and Food Channel is a problem for restaurateurs. Everyone is a critic these days, which is a double edged sword.When I first came to New Zealand 40 years ago there was only European and Chinese cuisine. Now it’s global food.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS TO A GREAT RESTAURANT BUSINESS RECIPE? Great staff, good location, great product, and a shared belief in our abilities.

YOU’LL HAVE SEEN MANY RESTAURANTS AND BARS OPEN AND CLOSE DURING YOUR 30 YEARS IN QUEENSTOWN – PEAKS AND TROUGHS. IS QUEENSTOWN A TOUGH PLACE TO DO BUSINESS, AND, IF SO, WHY? Queenstown is tough and always has been, though the challenges are changing. In the past we had seasonality, access to fresh produce, changing tourism patterns and clientele. These days the biggest issues are staff shortages, changing liquor licensing, staff housing shortages, and, of course, increased competition.

“To help get Kiwis along we’d host lunches for primary and high school students from all around the lower South Island. We’d give them lunch and a talk about Japanese food and customs, and then tell their parents that the food wasn’t that scary and that raw fish was pretty nice.”

THERE ARE MOVES AFOOT TO INTRODUCE A BED TAX OR TOURISM TAX IN AUCKLAND, AND IT’S A SUBJECT THAT REGULARLY GETS AN AIRING IN QUEENSTOWN. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? I’ve always been an advocate for bed tax or some other revenue raising system. Queenstown’s ratepayer base can’t hope to keep up with demands on its infrastructure, be it wastewater, water supply or roading, without a massive injection of money from somewhere. We’re lucky that we own the airport and receive some dividends from that, but there’s a need for something else. I drove up the West Coast recently from Queenstown to Nelson. There were so many tourists, and operators all said they were having the same problems. Hokitika was absolutely heaving, but their infrastructure is having problems, and staffing issues are extreme.

We will get through this but I’d love to see some creative long-term thinking and planning instead of knee jerk reactions to problems as they arise. n

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 37

I scream for coffee Ice cream!

The Ice Cream Awards which were instituted in 1997 are being held again this year. The specific objective of the Awards is the raising of standards and promoting the quality of New Zealand Ice Cream. The results will be announced at the Gala Awards Dinner in Auckland on Friday, 26 May 2017 which coincides with the 90 years celebration of the Association.

The “Best of …” category was introduced five years ago and the first flavour to feature was New Zealand’s iconic Hokey Pokey, followed by Cookies & Cream, Chocolate, Berries and last year Caramel. This year we have chosen to showcase the “Best of Coffee”.

In 2012 a “New to Market” Award was introduced which is presented to the highest total score, as judged in the appropriate category, for a new product launched in the previous 12 months. Last year there were 74 entries eligible for this Award which shows the depth of innovation in the ice cream industry. This Award will be presented again this year.

In recognition of the growth in small boutique ice cream and gelato manufacturers, the Awards continue to have a Supreme Award for Large Manufacturers and a Supreme Award for Boutique Manufacturers. The criteria will be determined by the manufacturer’s annual production with a declaration on the entry form. A Boutique manufacturer must produce less than 500,000 litres per annum.

Any manufacturer (large or boutique) or individual can enter the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards and will be eligible for the Silver and Gold Awards, however to win a Best in Category or Supreme Award they must be a Member of The New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers’ Association (Inc.) (NZICMA) at the time Judging commences. All Gold Award winning ice cream entries from NZICMA Members are then eligible for the Supreme Awards based on their score.

This year a new Non Dairy category has been introduced for products considered as dairy free alternatives to ice cream. There are also separate categories for Low Fat, Gelato and Sorbet to cater for those products that do not meet the Standard or Premium Ice Cream formulation guidelines.

Last year the Supreme Award for a Large Manufacturer went to Tip Top Ice Cream for their Hokey Pokey Ice Cream. The Supreme Award for a Boutique Manufacturer was awarded to Puhoi Valley Café for their entry in the Premium Ice Cream category, Matakana Roasted Coffee Affogato Ice Cream made by Puhoi Valley Cafe.

The Vanilla Ice Cream judging is divided into Standard and Premium Categories which allows Premium Vanilla Ice Cream to be judged separately from other Premium products. The Standard Vanilla Ice Cream category will include products that contain between 10%–10.9% 38 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

DIARY NOTE: AUCKLAND FROM MONDAY, 1 MAY 2017 milk fat content, and the Premium Vanilla Ice Cream category will contain not less than 11 percent milk fat and may contain vanilla additions.

The ‘Open Creative’ category once again has two sections, Ice Cream and Gelato/Sorbet, and is open to any individual, restaurant, hotel or catering establishment that produces and serves these products on the premises. Entries in this category should not be available for sale in any retail outlet. Entries are also expected from the Research and Development departments of the manufacturers and suppliers. The judges pick an overall winner across the two sections of this category and last year’s winner was a gelato subtly flavoured with Yuzu infused olive oil made by Gelissimo Gelato called “Lot Eight Yuzu Indulgence Gelato”.

Michelle Sinclair is the Chief Judge assisted by Kay McMath and a team of judges. Judging will take place at The FoodBowl, Auckland in early May. The ’Kids’ Choice’ category will again be judged by local school children.

Entry levels in 2016 of 334 entries were higher than the previous year (302 entries) coming from a range of large corporate companies as well as small owner operators of retail outlets.

AND THE SPONSORS ARE!

Each Category will be sponsored by an Associate Member of this Association. The categories and sponsors of the 2017 New Zealand Ice Cream Awards are:

CATEGORY - SPONSORED BY 1. Standard Vanilla Ice Cream - Fonterra (NZ) Ltd 2. Standard Ice Cream - Hawkins Watts 3. Best of Coffee - Huhtamaki Henderson 4. Premium Vanilla Ice Cream - Eurofins 5. Premium Ice Cream - Chelsea Sugar 6. Open Creative - Brenntag NZ Ltd 7. Kids Choice - Pacific Flavours & Ingredients Ltd 8. Export Ice Cream - Sensient 9. Gelato - Formula Foods 10. Sorbet - Infruit Ltd 11. Low Fat - Invita NZ Ltd 12. Non Dairy - Thermaflo 13. New to Market Award - Alto Dairy Entry applications close April 13 and products samples must be delivered to The FoodBowl for judging by Thursday, 27 April 2017

Winning Kiwis To Compete At Budapest World Champs

NZ Speciality Coffee Association Champion Brewer, Nara Lee.

Winner of the NZ Speciality Coffee Association Cup Taster Championships, Ken Shi.

Representing New Zealand at the World Cup Tasters Championship & World Brewers Cup competition in Budapest, Hungary this year will be two Auckland professionals, following the NZ Speciality Coffee Association’s national competitions, held on March 17 and 18.

L’affre Melrose in Newmarket hosted the event, with a record 28 competitors fighting to win the title of New Zealand Cup Taster Champion. Ken Shi of Roma Coffee Roasters in Drury won the champion award, receiving a trophy, certificate, Vario grinder, Acme & Co cups along with flights and accommodation at the World Championships, courtesy of NZSCA. Ken is a veteran competitor in the association’s Barista & Latte Art, although he was a first time Cup Taster competitor.

Ken’s 8/8 score in round one secured him a place in the final where he beat three competitors, Takahito Koyanagi (reigning champion), Michael Stevens and Seulki Park, with a score of 8/8 in 5 minutes 17 seconds.

Seven Brewers Cup competition entrants showcased single origin coffees through soft brewing devices of their own choosing.

Winner, Nara Lee from Black & Gold - Coffee/Eatery in Rosedale, Auckland, used a washed Pacamara from Hacienda Don Julian, Panama.

She described her entry in her taste notes as, “Like biting into lemon, white wine, with a medium body, juicy when it’s hot and silky on cooling.”

Her brewing style was considered unique by the judges as she used v60 glass drippers covered with heating cables controlled by PID.Nara also received a trophy, certificate and accommodation and flights to Budapest to compete in the World Brewers’ competition, June 13-15, from the association. Runner up was Sarah Stephens and third place Dianne Wang. n

‘Spud’ and Lisa Murphy after a hard day’s slog at the office….

Hospitality Legends ‘Spud’ and Lisa Murphy

BY SUE FEA

When well-known Queenstown hospitality identities, ‘Spud’ and Lisa Murphy sold up their legendary Chico’s restaurant and nightclub, and Old Man Rock Café, last year, they looked forward to a more laidback lifestyle.

However, the lure of yet another successful business had them back on deck as café operators by late last year, working just as hard as ever before.

“We were totally focused on operating our Two Wild Sisters food caravan and catering operation,” says Lisa. “We weren’t even interested in buying a café.” But they did. Just months after they handed Chico’s over to its new owners, after 30 years, and their Old Man Rock Café beneath it, which they’d owned for 17 years, the Murphy’s were contacted by a local real estate agent with an opportunity too good to pass up.

The former Tin Goose Café in the Terrace Junction commercial complex in Frankton - the heart of Queenstown’s building boom - was up for sale and a month after returning home the Murphys owned it.

They opened last spring and with just a few months of Murphy magic, the 50-seater Two Wild Sisters Café is ‘going off’, as is the Two Wild Sisters catering business and food caravan. “It’s just solid in the café every day with mostly locals popping in – a bit like Chico’s was 20 years ago,” says Spud.

A good name is gold in hospitality and locals have been hunting them out, even travelling out from central Queenstown 6kms away, especially for an old Murphy favourite that’s followed them to Frankton. “We brought our Heart Attack – a large breakfast sandwich – here and the boys love them, especially on a Sunday. They know that’s Heart Attack day,” says Lisa. “ Bacon, fried egg, hash browns, hollandaise sauce and tomato relish packed into fat white bread is the perfect pick me up after a hard night out.”

Avocado Smash – an Old Man Rock tradition – has also been a huge hit. The food favourites aren’t all that have followed them. Old Man Rock barista De Rangi is also now on deck, and the Murphys have partnered with sous chef Tyree Birch, who’s working into a shareholding in the new business.

Daughter Jordan, 21, and 18-year-old Cameron-Leigh, who’s on hand after school and at weekends, are also on deck, with hospitality firmly in their blood.

The Two Wild Sisters food caravan has been fully booked during summer weekends with everything from weddings and private on-site parties to large-scale events like the Queenstown Marathon, Motatapu and Gibbston Valley concert.

February | Hospitality BUSINESS BUSINESS 40 | April 20172017 | Hospitality

It’s just scored a permanent booking during week days outside the large construction site for the Wakatipu’s new high school at Frankton.

Several hundred construction workers are enjoying tucking into hearty breakfasts, pies, rolls and salads. “They’re loving the coffees too,” says Lisa. “We’ll crank up the grill and deep fryer soon for winter.”

Within weeks of launching their new café they’d also extended their hours until 8pm on Friday evenings to capture the after-work drinks market for the 120 or so workers in the complex.

However, with the catering business going “crazy”, Lisa says they’ve had to can the Friday night tapas and drinks for a few months.

It’s that sharp eye for a growth opportunity that’s launched this couple onto the hospitality stage of success.

Hospitality is a far cry from the deer wrangling days of his youth, which initially funded Spud into his first purchase – Chico’s – as a 21-year-old kid. “I’d saved enough money from working in live helicopter deer recovery and shepherding to buy the bar.” He regularly pumped out 90 to 100 hours behind the bar in down at Old Man Rock. “I wouldn’t change anything. It was the best time,” he beams. Spending the evenings at home has been quite a transition for Spud, accustomed to working nights for 30 years.

However, he’s enjoying the evenings with his family.

This past Christmas and New Year was the Murphy family’s first Christmas out of town ever. “We took the whole family, including the dog, and went on a road trip up to my brother’s in Waihi. It was wonderful,” says Lisa.

Making the transition to Two Wild Sisters has been a big challenge, says Spud. “We were in the mainstream Queenstown Mall before and paid a rent that commanded that foot traffic. Now we’re in a reasonable backwater, off the main road, but we’ve still been able to attract people, all by word of mouth,” he says. “It’s a real compliment to Lisa, who’s in charge of the food.”

Even operating the caravan at events, like the Gibbston concert, that attract up to 15,000 people has been very intense and high pressure.

They were so snowed under with coffee orders at the massive concert, starring Bonnie Tyler and Alan Parson Live Project, that there was an hour’s wait to get coffees out. “In the end we took mobile numbers and texted people when their orders were ready,” says Lisa.

“It’s fun, but when you open that window it’s just ‘go’!” says Spud.

“Things sometimes break down and run out, but you just have to think on your feet and be organised. There’s a solution to every problem. It’s just a matter of working it out.” n

Kiwis really take to Fairtrade chocolate & coffee!

New Zealanders and Australians ate almost 45 fully-laden Boeing 787 planes worth of Fairtrade chocolate last financial year, and washed it down with 37 Olympic swimming pools worth of Fairtrade coffee.

Figures released recently show that in 2015 – 2016 New Zealanders and Australians spent $NZ368m on Fairtrade certified products from a range of more than 3000. The purchases were made from the 52 licensees and traders in New Zealand, and 192 in Australia.

Included in the Fairtrade haul purchased by consumers were sales equivalent to 57 million 200g blocks of chocolate, 371 million cups of coffee and more than 182 million tea bags.

Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand CEO Molly Harriss Olson said growing support for Fairtrade meant growing support for farmers.

“Every single time a shopper makes the decision to buy Fairtrade, they make a decision to support the workers behind that item with fair prices and brighter futures,” Ms Harriss Olson said.

“It is wonderful to see the thoughtful shopping of New Zealanders and Australians translate directly into profound impacts on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.”

A pilot programme conducted by Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand, aimed to increase the entrepreneurial abilities of 6000 farmers in Papua New Guinea by countering poor telecommunication infrastructure with new technologies and access to relevant trade information. The benefits flowed on to families and communities, leading to increased skills for 25,000 people.

There are more than 1.6 million farmers and workers in 1240 Fairtrade Producer Organisations across 75 countries benefitting from fair prices and improved terms of trade. It gives primary producers the chance to improve their working and living conditions, and create opportunities for their families and communities.

Included in the Fairtrade haul purchased by consumers were sales equivalent to 57 million 200g blocks of chocolate, 371 million cups of coffee and more than 182 million tea bags.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 41

AUSTRALIA TODAY An artist’s impression of Aquis’ new Gold Coast development

Aquis plans $440 million Gold Coast resort Aquis Australia has unveiled plans for a new AUD$440 million hotel on a prime beachfront position in Surfers Paradise.

The company says it wants the project to become “a benchmark for luxury accommodation in the Asia Pacific region and attract a new generation of wealthy travellers to the Gold Coast”.

The project is planned for the site of the current Pacific Point apartment complex and adjoining properties at 3464-3466 Main Beach Parade. The current tower will be demolished to make way for a 48-storey complex that will include 580 hotel rooms and suites as well as the Gold Coast’s premier dining and entertainment facilities.

Aquis says a Development Application has been lodged with local authorities and during construction, the project is expected to create more than 850 jobs and once operational the new hotel is expected to generate more than 200 full time positions.

Aquis Australia Chairman Tony Fung said the project is the only new, large-scale hotel currently planned for South East Queensland not linked to an integrated resort/casino project and the property would be the “first truly sixstar beachfront hotel in Australia and target ‘super luxe’ travellers from around the world”.

“Our goal was to create a hotel that would become a destination in itself, something that

is instantly recognisable and synonymous with luxury,” he said.

“The fact we have been able to secure this incredible site on the beachfront for the project will only enhance its attraction to domestic and international visitors.

“We have been very vocal in our belief that the Gold Coast has the potential to expand into exciting new markets and attract a new generation of luxury traveller if it can provide accommodation and facilities that match and exceed anything else the world has to offer.”

He said the fact the project was not linked to a casino would give the new hotel a unique position.

“Not all new visitors to Queensland will want to stay in a casino,” he said. “Our project’s unique beachfront location will make the Gold Coast’s beautiful beaches the star attraction, not pokies.

“We will be targeting travellers that want to experience the best restaurants, the best beaches, the best accommodation away from the hustle and bustle of the integrated resorts.”

Gold Coast Mayor, Tom Tate, welcomed Aquis Australia’s AUD$440 investment.

“As Mayor I am all about jobs, jobs, jobs for Gold Coasters. As part of our plan to revitalise investment throughout the city, Council is committed to making the necessary decisions to revive the Gold Coast’s ‘have a go’ spirit and economic prosperity,” Cr Tate said.

“One way we are doing this is by growing business confidence and creating an environment which will grow jobs.

“The best days of our city are still ahead and I would say to businesses out there to just look at Aquis’ plans – the timing is perfect to take a second look at the Gold Coast and invest your time and energy in our city.”

Aquis says it has spent nearly a year negotiating with all owners in the existing tower to acquire all the apartments.

The upper tower of the project includes a total of 580 rooms with a mix of luxury hotel rooms, suites, two-bedroom suites, deluxe, super-deluxe suites and large penthouse suites.

The ground floor lobby atrium will be spread over three levels and include a spectacular $2.5 million custom art installation.

Entertainment will include five world-class restaurants from the world’s top chefs. There will also be a range of exclusive bars, dining areas and karaoke offerings.

The atrium rooftop will include an exciting Asian street-style food market, pool and high-end executive club lounge. The main hotel pool will feature a glass bottom that can be viewed from within the hotel lobby. The tower rooftop will include an outdoor cinema.

Pending final approvals, the project is expected to start construction in 2018.

Winning design revealed for new Ritz-Carlton Sydney Leading global architects FJMT have been selected to design the proposed hotel and residential tower at The Star Sydney which will herald the return of The Ritz-Carlton to the Harbour City.

A design excellence competition, overseen by a panel of industry experts, featured submissions from three major architectural firms with FJMT confirmed as the winner after detailed analysis and consideration of community and stakeholder feedback.

The Star Entertainment Group and its partners in the proposed development – Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium – will now work with FJMT on finalising a design for lodgement with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment. The local community will continue to be engaged on the 42 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

An artist’s impression of the new RitzCarlton Sydney at The Star

project as the design progresses.

The Department of Planning and Environment will be inviting public submissions on the final design when it is submitted for consideration and approval under the usual planning processes.

The Star expects to submit the final design to the Department mid-2017.

“We’re delighted this process has us on the path to delivering Sydney another world-class luxury hotel, and enhancing the city’s appeal to domestic and international tourists,” said The Star Entertainment Group Managing Director and CEO, Matt Bekier.

“The tower and the associated developments will see the return to Sydney of The Ritz-Carlton, our room inventory at The Star increase to around 1000, and more than 20 food and beverage venues across a broad range of price points added to existing offerings.

“We’re proud to be working with The RitzCarlton and our partners Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium to deliver what will be a world-class hotel and tourism experience in one of the world’s great cities,” he said.

AUSTRALIA TODAY

AccorHotels restructures ADIA deal in Australia AccorHotels has successfully reached agreement with a whollyowned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) to restructure a portfolio of 31 hotels (4,097 rooms) in Australia.

The agreement involves a portfolio which was purchased by the ADIA subsidiary in 2013 and operated by AccorHotels.

Under the restructure of the portfolio of 31 hotels, AccorHotels will convert 15 triple-net leases into 50 year management agreements and extend the management term of one hotel also to 50 years (total 16 hotels) and AccorHotels’ HotelInvest arm will acquire the real estate of the remaining 15 ibis and ibis Budget branded properties for AUD$200 million (€137 million).

“This deal is in line with our stated strategy to optimise cash flow generation, reduce earnings volatility and restructure lease contracts into owned and managed hotels,” said John Ozinga, COO of AccorHotels HotelInvest.

“The acquisition of the economy hotels in key locations is a signal of our continued focus on supporting the Group’s growth strategy by holding a selective portfolio of profitable hotel property assets,” he said.

The hotels are located in prime locations including Sydney’s Darling Harbour, Sydney Olympic Park and in Canberra, Australia’s Capital City.

The portfolio is also spread across city and regional locations in New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory, Western Australia and

Queensland and encompasses the Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis Budget brands.

The acquisition will be accretive to AccorHotels’ EBIT in 2017 and will further strengthen its market leadership position in Australia by securing tenure on key assets.

Completion of the acquisitions is subject to the usual conditions for this type of transaction, as well as regulatory approvals.

Accor’s Sydney Olympic Park Hotels

IHG’s Indigo set for Australian debut in Brisbane InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Pointcorp have signed a management agreement for a new build Hotel Indigo to be located in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

The 140-room hotel on 458 Brunswick Street is the first Hotel Indigo signing for Australasia and is due to open in 2020.

Hotel Indigo is IHG’s lifestyle boutique hotel offering and the company says the property will bring to life the unique vibe of the Valley – home to the city’s cultural, creative, music, fashion and gastronomy scene.

IHG’s Chief Operating Officer for Australasia and Japan, Karin Sheppard, said: “Since late 2014, we have worked tirelessly to find the right partners and locations for the launch of the Hotel Indigo brand in Australasia.

“We could not be more thrilled to have secured this ideal site for our first Hotel Indigo signing, and to be developing it in partnership with Pointcorp who are well known for their recently completed high end, quality developments in Brisbane including the ‘The Highgate’ and luxuriously-appointed riverfront residential property ‘Vida’.

“We expect Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley to be the leading lifestyle boutique hotel in Brisbane, bringning a new and vibrant experience to the city.

“Guests staying at Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley will eat, drink, dance, listen, shop, admire and experience everything that the Valley has to offer. It’s a neighbourhood that’s historical yet shiny and new; traditional but experimental.

“Hotel Indigo will bring to life the spirit of this neighbourhood, and celebrate its diverse community,” she said.

Chris Vitale, Director, Pointcorp said: “We have a deep understanding of the Brisbane market and this will be something entirely new and exciting – both for us, and for the guests we will welcome in a few years’ time.

“Situated in the heart of Brunswick Street, visitors to Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley will have the best of the Valley on their doorstep: just a short stroll to a multitude of dining and entertainment options, as well as the many varied festivals and events which take place in the neighbourhood throughout the year.

“Each Hotel Indigo property brings to life its local neighbourhood in its very being, and we look forward to working with IHG to capture the unique essence of the Valley in the design of the hotel,” he said.

Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley will be part of a mixed-use development which will include residences, commercial office and retail, and it is expected to be the first development of its kind in the area, creating a new epicentre for The Valley.

An artist’s impression of Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 43

TOURISM

Speed dating features at TRENZ 2017!

N

ew Zealand’s continuing popularity as a visitor destination is fuelling demand for international travel and tourism buyers wanting to come to TRENZ 2017, New Zealand’s $35 billion tourism industry’s most important international business event.

TRENZ 2017 is on in Auckland at The Cloud & Shed 10, from 9-12 May and will be attended by 377 trade and tourism buyers from 29 countries across the globe, including Australia, the Pacific, Asia, Europe, Scandinavia, and North and South America.

“These are the most influential Buyers in terms of sending international visitors to New Zealand,” says Chris Roberts, Chief Executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), which manages TRENZ. “The Buyers are travelling here to negotiate contracts for the coming year and meet with 300 of the country’s leading tourism operators who will be showcasing their products and services at TRENZ. Mr Roberts says demand to attend this year’s TRENZ has been extremely high and the event is at capacity.

“That high interest reflects the buoyancy of New Zealand’s tourism industry which is enjoying record growth. International and domestic visitor spending is at record levels, worth $34.7 billion in the year

TRENZ 2017 will attract global tourism buyers to downtown Auckland in May.

ending March 2016, and the industry is well on track to achieve its Tourism 2025 aspirational goal of $41 billion in annual revenue.”

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says they are delighted to be the premier sponsor of TRENZ which will highlight New Zealand’s diverse attractions to an influential network of international trade and media.

“Ensuring our regional centres get their fair share of tourism’s economic benefits is vital to achieving sustainable tourism growth that’s positive for all New Zealand.

“Building demand for premium experiences throughout New Zealand is a key way to encourage visitors to stay longer, see more and spend more.

“We’re pleased to play our part in promoting and connecting visitors to the unique destinations and experiences our country has to offer.”

Over the four day event, Sellers and Buyers will have a total of 17,000 15-minute meetings. It is business-focused ‘speed dating’.

“Buyers tell us that TRENZ is the most important New Zealand tourism product purchasing activity they undertake,” says Mr Roberts.

“The deals they make and relationships they build at this year’s event will generate tens of millions of dollars’ worth of new tourism business for the New Zealand economy, benefitting communities across the country. n

Putting the right people in your hands Hospo Recruit takes the stress out of recruiting staff by offering an online applicant management tool making it easier, faster and affordable for busy hospitality and accommodation operators.

TO HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE, HOSPO RECRUIT: • • • •

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For more information call 0800 407704 or visit: www.hosporecruit.co.nz *This feature is available in specific recruitment packages.

Against the grain:

New world whisky trends

SAISON • NEW YORK TRENDS • PINOT NOIR N E W Z E A L A N D ’ S L A R G E ST L I Q U O R AU D I E N C E

NEWS

EDITORIAL

In the spirit The Shout Editor Charlotte Cowan

Saying goodbye to summer is always hard but as we sadly reach for our socks and jerseys, there is a bright side – warming drinks! Now I’m not talking about coffee and hot chocolate (but those would do the trick too), I’m talking about the spirits that warm you from the inside out – like whisky! For lovers of the amber drop, there has never been a better time to explore new world whisky, as Tash McGill discovers in Against The Grain on pgs 56-57.

If a strong spirit isn’t your cup of tea on a chilly night, then Cameron Douglas MS has some Pinot Noir that will warm your cockles and we haven’t forgotten you, brew lovers, John Oszacja takes a walk on the Saison wild side on pg 48.

For more of New Zealand’s leading liquor news, head to www.theshout.co.nz and sign up to our dedicated fortnightly eNewsletter and make sure you ‘like’ us on Facebook @theshoutnz.

Have an amazing April!

CRAFT BEER

Craft beer revolution continues Consumer demand and a growing passion for craft brewing mean the craft beer revolution is taking hold in more countries across the globe, according to a new survey by Alltech and The Brewers Journal.

Results of the survey show the number of breweries worldwide has surpassed 19,000, representing 209 countries and territories surveyed. Some 17,732 (or 94%) of these breweries can be defined as craft beer producers.

The largest craft beer producer remains the US, with 4,750 craft breweries out of a total of 5,025 breweries. However, the UK has the most craft breweries per capita with 25 breweries per million people, compared with 15 in the US and 16 in Germany.

Although the US is recognised as the originator of the recent craft beer movement and has heavily influenced the modern take on traditional styles, there are more craft breweries in Europe than North America. The top 10 craft beer-producing countries are the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia.

NEW OPENING

A Win-Win for Ponsonby For those looking for a bar with a retro vibe, Ponsonby’s newest offering Win-Win is right up your ’70s alley. Located next door to sister bar The Whiskey, Win-Win features an expertly-crafted (and ever-evolving) cocktail menu, plus unique offerings from bartenders Seth Williams (ex Whiskey), Thomas Atuahiva (ex Augustus and Ostro) and Issac Fitzpatrick (ex Augustus and Ostro), and a wine list that offers something a bit different. And to top off your experience, Win-Win offers a snack menu that includes jelly bites made by experimental jellyologist Jessica Mantis. Delish!

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US café creates wine-infused coffee A café in Napa, California, has created what some people may called the dream beverage – wine-infused coffee. Molinari Private Reserve (MPR) is an experiment between café owner Rick Molinari and Master Coffee Roaster John Weaver that took two-and-a-half years to perfect. According to the company’s website, each coffee blend (regular and decaf) is made from coffee beans that are ‘rehydrated to a specific liquid percentage using a special house made red – created exclusively for Molinari by local Napa wineries – and then dried and roasted’. The result is a rich full-bodied alcohol-free coffee. Each 230g bag is US $19.95 but they sold out super-quick!

Head to www.molinariprivatereserve.com for more info.

Published By

Managing Director-Publisher

Editor

Sales Manager

The Intermedia Group Ltd

Dale Spencer

Charlotte Cowan

Angela Bowes

505 Rosebank Road, Avondale

dspencer@intermedianz.co.nz

ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz

abowes@intermedianz.co.nz

021 774 080

021 130 6824

Auckland, 1026, New Zealand

46 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

OPINION INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The year of the brewpub

MARTIN CRAIG Brewers Guild of New Zealand www.brewersguild.org.nz

Brewpubs have been around for years in New Zealand – Shakespeare Tavern opened its brewery in 1986, Christchurch’s Dux was brewing in 1989, and Galbraith’s Alehouse has been making beer continuously since 1995.

And this year they have a lot more company – four new brewpubs are being developed right now in Wellington’s small Te Aro district alone, with others opening in Auckland, Palmerston North and other centres.

For hospitality businesses, there’s a lot to like about brewpubs. There’s the obvious advantage of keeping profit margins through the supply chain, and owning your own beer label gives your venue a unique point of difference.

Brewers like having the opportunity to operate independently, crafting beers to suit the venue, its clientele and the local community. Keeping a very short supply chain has real appeal – even the best beer made by the finest brewer can suffer from poor handling in distribution, while brewpubs allow brewers to present their fare fresh and on site.

But, and there’s always a but, brewpubs have to

cope with the dark art and science of hospitality management, which require completely different skills and experience to those needed to run a brewery. Operating as a partnership is one way to cover both industries.

The other cost is the amount of floor space needed to make space for the brew kit, fermenters, tanks, kegs, ingredients etc. It all takes up room that could be filled with paying customers, and it’s often costing inner-city rents for what’s essentially a manufacturing facility.

The current burst of growth shows the brewpub’s appeal is strong, and New Zealand is still a long way behind the penetration brewpubs have made into the craft beer scene in the United States. Several of the new venues are being built by hospitality groups, indicating that a brewpub is a desirable component in a hospitality portfolio. Other venues in the group can access the unique beers, and gain some economies of scale over independent brewpubs.

Martin Craig is a beer writer, journalist and publisher of www.beertown.nz

S P I R I T O F T H E PAC I F I C ARIKISPIRIT

ARIKISPIRIT

ARIKISPIRIT.COM

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MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 47

BEER FEATURE

Saison

A walk on the wild side Saison has rebounded from the brink of extinction to become one of the darlings of the craft beer elite. Beer writer John Oszajca takes a look at this unique style.

S To contact John Oszajca regarding beer features or samples, please email him at john@newzealandbrewer.co.nz

aison (from the French word ‘season’) is one of those rare beers that somehow manages to straddle the line between elegant and completely unrefined. Complex yet refreshing and smacking of old world charm, Saison has rebounded from the brink of extinction to become one of the darlings of the craft beer elite; an irony given the beer’s humble origins.

Saison – also known as ‘Farmhouse Ale’ – was once widely brewed throughout the French-speaking province of Wallonia, Belgium. Not exactly an artisanal ale at the time, it was instead brewed by farmers in autumn and spring to be the main source of hydration for seasonal workers during the summer months, as well as the harvest season.

In many ways it was the original homebrew (or ‘Barn Brew’ as it were) and historical records indicate that workers in the region were drinking as much as five litres per day. But let us not assume that Belgian farmers could be found staggering through the fields. Records indicate that these early Saisons were considerably lower in alcohol than their modern counterparts, likely clocking in somewhere between 2.5% - 3.5% ABV. An essential part of running an eighteenth century Wallonian farm, Saison was meant to be refreshing, invigorating, and more importantly safe, when fresh water was often contaminated with dangerous pathogens.

Historically farmers would use whatever they happened to have on hand when brewing these beers. Wheat, spelt, oats, buckwheat, rye, and of course barley, all found their way into these rustic brews. And because they would need to be stored for several months before being consumed, a significant amount of hops were added to help prevent spoilage; a somewhat uncommon characteristic in lower alcohol, yeast-driven beers. Furthermore, until World War One, the majority of Saisons were fermented in unpitched wooden barrels. Commonly home to a wide array of microbes, these barrels would have contributed an additional ‘wild’ character as many still do to this day with the inclusion of Brettanomyces (a genus of wild yeast).

48 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

BEER FEATURE Following World War Two and the age of modern La Sirène Saison is a tribute to the very origins “Saison is in industrialisation, farmhouse brewery traditions of the style. This award-winning classic Saison pours many ways the disappeared and Saison went from being a regional a deep golden orange and is full of wild fruit, spice necessity to becoming a regional specialty. No longer and a little funk (courtesy of their yeast), all of which perfect beer for produced for farm workers, recipes were altered culminate deliciously in a dry crisp finish.

Kiwi craft beer and the alcoholic strength of the average Saison La Sirène’s Wild Saison is a beer for the drinkers who want adventurous. Fermented and aged with wild went up. However, as time went on and other beer styles rose in popularity, Saison fell out of favour and something unique Brettanomyces yeast, the beer displays some of the only a small number of artisanal Belgian breweries characteristic ‘barnyard’ or ‘horse blanket’ flavours and flavourful.” continued to produce this once popular beer style. and aromas commonly produced by certain wild That is, of course, until the modern craft beer yeast strains. Perhaps the beery equivalent of a renaissance led to a rediscovery and new appreciation of Saison. So pungent French cheese, La Sirène’s Wild Saison is a bold beer, whose much so that Saison Dupont by Brasserie Dupont (considered by most wild side hearkens back to the authentic Farmhouse Ales of a more to be the quintessential example of the style) was named Best Beer romantic era. of the Year by Men’s Journal in 2005. In more recent years, countless breweries from around the world have embraced the rustic traditions Summer Love Saison - Kainui Brewing Company of Farmhouse Ale and begun producing modern interpretations of this Humbly nestled on a small Kerikeri farm, one of New Zealand’s newest unique and now highly regarded style. (and smallest) breweries has wasted no time exploring a number of Today Saison is a refreshing beer of approximately 5% – 7% ABV. It will unique and rustic beer styles. Its Summer Love Saison is a crisp and typically have an orange hue, though both pale and darker versions exist. refreshing Saison that has both classic and modern elements. Using a It’s a highly carbonated and well-hopped beer, but it’s the fruity esters and blend of traditional and wild yeast strains, the golden hued Summer spicy phenols (produced by the yeast strains most commonly used in this Love is dry, refreshing, and loaded with ripe pineapple that is balanced style) that ultimately drive the flavour profile of this unique beer. beautifully against a pleasant black pepper note.

While Saison is still not an overly-abundant style in New Zealand, world class Belgian examples, such as the aforementioned Saison Even beyond a beer’s flavours and aromas, what so many craft beer Dupont, are getting easier and easier to find; a fortunate thing given how fans love and cherish about their favourite beverage is the story behind well this refreshing style compliments our hot and often muggy New the beer and the ability of a modest pint to transport us back in time to Zealand summers. Saison is in many ways the perfect beer for Kiwi craft sample the flavours, aromas, and traditions of another era.With a Saison, beer drinkers who want something unique and flavourful, but not as that is a trip to Southern Belgium, where we can sit side-by-side with an overwhelming and heavy as so many other craft beer styles can often be. eighteenth century farmer and glimpse, for a moment, a time gone by. In But this is not to say that there aren’t a growing number of fantastic an agriculturally-driven country like New Zealand – whose festive holiday examples of the style being brewed right here in the Southern Hemisphere. months are too hot and humid to pair well with anything overwhelmingly rich or filling – there is perhaps no beer more suited to this country than HERE ARE A FEW OUTSTANDING OFFERINGS THAT YOU CAN the thirst quenching, fruit and spice-filled Saison. And if nothing else, it’s a GET YOUR HANDS ON RIGHT HERE IN NEW ZEALAND… delicious way for any beer lover to take a little walk on the wild side. n Saison Sauvin - 8 Wired Brewing Company A fairly modern interpretation of the style, Saison Sauvin is brewed with a traditional French Saison yeast and the beer is funky, earthy, and full of decidedly Belgian flavours. Flirting with the upper limits of the ABV range of this style, Saison Sauvin is surprisingly smooth for a beer that clocks in at 7% ABV. The alcohol is nicely balanced by a kettle full of punchy Nelson Sauvin hops. Unlike the traditional Wallonian Saisons, this is not a beer meant to be drunk by the gallon, but it is one of the early examples of a domestic Saison to make its mark on the New Zealand beer scene and that helped elevate the popularity of the style here at home.

La Sirène Saison

Halfway to Whangarei Grissette - 8 Wired Brewing Company/ Modern Times Brewing Company Not strictly a Saison, a Grissette was a very similar beer brewed for the miners (rather than the farmers) of the Wallonian region. Halfway to Whangarei is worth mentioning both because its flavour profile is arguably no different than a classic Saison, and because it’s one of this author’s favourites! This pale, citrusy beer is the result of a collaboration between Warkworth’s 8 Wired Brewing Company and San Diego’s Modern Times Brewing Company. It is first fermented with 8 Wired’s Saison yeast strain, followed by the addition of Modern Times’ House Brettanomyces strain, giving it a dry, and slightly tart finish, with that quintessential hint of something wild.

La Sirène Saison and La Sirène Wild Saison - La Sirène Brewing Company A family owned and operated urban farmhouse brewery in Melbourne, Australia, La Sirène Brewing Company sees themselves as modern-day ‘Saisonniers’.They specialise in mixed, wild and spontaneous fermentation, and a tremendous amount of artistry is apparent in both their brand and the beers themselves.

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 49

TASTING NOTES

BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

Pine cone black:

Pinot Noir

P BIO: Cameron Douglas is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier. He is a Senior Lecturer at AUT University in Auckland, local and international wine judge, wine commentator and wine educator as well speaker and presenter in New Zealand and internationally.

Cameron is also an examiner with the Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide. He writes the wine lists for a variety of establishments including Merediths, Mekong Baby, Nanam Republic and Michelin Starred New York establishment The Musket Room.

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inot Noir gets its name from the French words for pine cone and black - as a cluster of grapes resembles a pine cone’s shape and ‘noir’ means black.

Pinot Noir has been cultivated and enjoyed in nearly every country that can grow grapes for wine. Within New Zealand, all the wine regions produce Pinot Noir, with higher volumes being produced in Central Otago, Martinborough, Canterbury, Nelson and Marlborough. These regions tend to get more press than others.

The aromas and flavours to be expected from Pinot Noir are quite varied and winemakers like to highlight their particular vineyard’s terroir (the combination of factors, including soil, climate and environment, that gives a wine its distinctive character) and style.

A particular terroir can become part of the signature of a producer and help build their reputation in the market.

Pinot Noir can be quite a complex wine to unravel for the taster – which is part of what makes it attractive to many. Some of the more typical scents and flavours include light red

fruits, such as red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, wild strawberry or black cherry. Flowers too can be detected, including purple and red violets and lilacs. Non-fruit scents too can have a quiet yet obvious voice - English tea, dried herbs and kitchen spices, such as anise and clove. Other aromas and flavours may include game, earth, minerals and limestone.

Oak is a natural and well-used component of Pinot Noir, adding structure and complexity.

The most common oak used is French in origin, though American and Hungarian oak are sometimes used. Toast, vanilla bean, smoke, baking spices and roasted nut aromas and flavours to be discovered. Concrete eggs may well become a fermentation vessel for Pinot Noir in the near future.

Pinot Noir is nearly always a dry wine, with medium weight (body), fine to elevated tannins - with a chalky texture, and noticeable acidity. When considering food matches with Pinot Noir keep in mind that it doesn’t like heat spices such as chilli, or foods overseasoned with black pepper and too much salt, soy sauce and capers can be a problem – a little can be just fine. n

Wines are scored out of 100 points and are listed in no particular order.

Numbers are not indicative of a ranking.

TASTING NOTES

1

QUARTZ REEF BENDIGO SINGLE VINEYARD CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2014

Complex bouquet, layers of oak, mineral and wild flowers then ripe red berry fruits, alluring and charming. On the palate – equally complex with the messages of oak, fruit and wild floral returning; abundant fine tannins with plenty of texture, medium+ acidity, mineral and soft dried herb tones, great balance and length – delicious!

Points 96 RRP: $45.00 Distributor: Vintners Phone: (03) 445 3084 www.quartzreef.co.nz

2

AUNTSFIELD SINGLE VINEYARD MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2015

Intense bouquet, forward, ripe and commanding; aromas of dark red berry fruits led by cherry and plum with a blackcurrant note, crushed rocks mineral and plenty of new oak scents and associated brown spices. On the palate – lush, generous, fruity and dry; flavours of dark berry fruits and oak, highlighted by firm youthful tannins and plenty of acidity. A youthful and tense wine poised for ageing. Best drinking from 2019 through 2030.

Points 94 RRP: $45.00 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (03) 578 0622 www.auntsfield.co.nz

4

SOLJANS ESTATE BARRIQUE RESERVE MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2015

Lush, fruity and ripe red fruits bouquet with dark red cherry and raspberry tones, dark toasty oak aromas and brown kitchen spice layers. On the palate – equally fruity and generous with plenty of toasty oak and spice layers, dark berry fruit flavours, medium+ (ish) acidity and firm yet balanced tannins. Will age well through to 2024.

Points 89 RRP: $28.00 Distributor: Soljans Estate Phone: (09) 412 5858 www.soljans.co.nz

5

3

CHARD FARM MATA-AU CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2014

Warm and generous fruit-led bouquet with sweet red cherry and raspberry notes, a fine mineral undertone and youthful newer oak scents, complexity builds as the wine opens-up in the glass. On the palate – firm with good tension and some poise, flavours reflect the bouquet with light red fruit flavours and new wood structure, plenty of acidity and fine abundant tannins; lengthy finish. Decant for service with best drinking from 2019 through 2028.

Points 94 RRP: $45.00 Distributor: Chard Farm Phone: (03) 442 6110 www.chardfarm.co.nz

LOOP RD. CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2016

Very fruity with aromas of red apple, cranberry and light and dark red cherry; simple wood spices and a fresh appealing bouquet overall. On the palate – equally fruity and appealing with fruit flavours that reflect the nose, medium+ acidity and fine very approachable tannins, overall medium body and generous yet simple finish. Balanced and well made overall.

Points 88 RRP: $29.95 Distributor: Vintners Phone: (09) 621 0210 www.looprd.co.nz

FIVE

FOUR

THREE

TWO

ONE

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 51

Q&A

The

Perfect pour G

Global draught master Franck Evers travels the world teaching bartenders the science behind the perfect serve.

lobal draught master Franck Evers was working 100 hours a week as a psychiatric nurse, tennis coach and bar owner when a chance meeting with Freddy Heineken, the late third generation boss of the family-owned beer brand, changed his life. Fourteen years later, Evers is a bona fide beer expert who has written a 90-page manual on the serving process and travels to more than 25 countries a year from his home in Amsterdam teaching bartenders the science behind the perfect pour. The Shout caught up with Evers on a recent trip to Auckland where he was a judge of the Heineken Star Serve Bartender Finals.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE ENTAIL? As a global draught master of Heineken it’s my role to make sure that every single Heineken is poured correctly. Heineken International created a quality [training] programme called ‘Star Serve’ and I’m helping markets all over the world to implement this programme in their market. This job brought me to 78 countries, and counting…

HOW DOES THE WAY YOU SERVE BEER IMPACT IT’S TASTE? Excellent question, a lot in fact. And that’s exactly what the core of my job is. It’s all about the treatment. Heineken checks its beer numerous times before it leaves the brewery and they spend millions of dollars on marketing. So we have a great beer and a great brand, but when it's treated the wrong way, the consumer gets a bad experience. Compare it to wine - when you have an expensive red wine but you pour it over ice in a long drink glass, you won't get the experience you should get.Treating beer the right way is absolutely necessary to create a world-class drinking experience WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN IT COMES TO POURING BEER? So many mistakes, it hurts me physically when I see it happening

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in the bar. It’s not only with Heineken, but with every beer. Every details counts when it comes to pouring beer but to start with, a dirty, warm glass might be the biggest mistake.You can be the best barkeeper in the world, working in a great place, with great brands, but if you start with a dirty glass, the beer never will taste good.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS TOWARDS A PERFECT POUR? There are five simple steps to perfection: • Start to clean and cool the branded beer glass.

• Pour under an angle of 45 degrees, to keep the CO2 in the beer, while you’re pouring. Straighten the glass when it’s overflowing and close the tap, when the foam hits the rim of the glass.

• Take a wet skimmer and remove the excess foam on top, where there is a lot of oxygen and bitterness from the hops, so you seal in the flavour.

• Check if the foam is sitting on the horizontal shoulders of the Heineken star.

• Present the beer on a branded coaster with the brand facing the consumer and say the magic words… ‘Enjoy your Heineken!’

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BEER GLASS VS BOTTLE WHEN IT COMES TO DRINKING BEER? Draught beer will be at its best when it’s served in a glass.The shape of the glass allows the beer to perform at its best.The CO2 will create some foam, and the aromas can leave the beer, but will stay in the beer, because of the foam and that’s why pouring beer is an art. Everything we do in the pouring ritual is to prevent the foam from collapsing.When I have a lager in a bottle, I’d drink it straight out of the bottle.That way the beer is protected against the sunlight and the CO2 stays in the beer and the oxygen will stay out of the beer. Any other beer in a bottle, I’d pour in a matching glass. n

Lo

Q&A

and

behold

Cocktail king Eddie Lo knows what it takes to be the best at bartending.

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I am the Beverage Innovation & Conversion Manager for Monin New Zealand, supporting bars and cafés in creating a distinctive beverage offer in their venues to increase their turnover and customer loyalty.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY? In all honesty, I started bartending for the girls! It’s not the best story, but why lie? Later in my career though, my love for hospitality and ‘mixology’ grew as I learnt more about what showing hospitality to others really meant. And as I learnt more about the world of cocktails, my skillset behind the bar improved, and I began to perceive bartending as more of a performance, rather than just making drinks.

INGREDIENTS:

WHAT MAKES A GREAT BARTENDER? My mentor Alison Kwan once told me to never stop moving and to care about the things that the others do not care about, or do not bother to do. This was the one piece of advice that resonated with me the most. Every bartender is different - different priorities, different perceptions, different palates, different styles. But at the core of it, the best bartenders are those who not only make great drinks, but can also entertain and make people feel welcomed and relaxed.

30ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 20ml fresh lemon fuice 20ml fresh grapefruit juice 10ml Monin Elderflower Syrup 60ml Royal Estate grape juice

WHAT ARE YOUR MUST-HAVES FOR MAKING THE PERFECT COCKTAIL? An open-mind, an idea of what you want, a refreshed and versatile palate, and... a Monin syrup.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION A low-alcohol modern take on the combination between a Hugo Cocktail and the French 75.

METHOD: Add all ingredients (except grape juice) into a shaker. Add ice, shake hard for eight seconds, then double-strain into a pre-chilled flute. Top with grape juice, and garnish with a grapefruit zest. Serve.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO THINK YOU CAN JUST CHUCK A FEW DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS IN A SHAKER AND CALL IT A COCKTAIL? At its base, cocktails are simply about balancing ingredients together.

More citrus means more sour etc.Yes, combining ingredients into a shaker would most certainly make a cocktail. But when you pour the contents out, would that cocktail be delicious, or would it taste worse than spring onion? I really don’t like spring onion!

IF YOU COULD ONLY MAKE THREE COCKTAILS FOR THE REST OF YOUR CAREER, WHAT WOULD THEY BE? • The forgotten classic:The Clover Club (I love raspberries) • The ‘every man’s secret love’:The Cosmopolitan (Sex and the City is life) • The hospitality scene’s go-to lubrication:The Daiquiri (rum is also life) WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PEOPLE WANTING TO GET INTO THE BAR/HOSPO INDUSTRY? Be humble, keep an open mind, start from the bottom, and strive to give your guest the best experience. Hospitality is more than just making an amazing cocktail. Work the glassie station, work the floor… learn to serve your customers with charisma and genuine interest.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE COCKTAIL LIST IN THE WORLD? The American Bar at The Savoy Hotel, in London. n Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 53

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS

NEW YORK

State Of Mind

After years of taking itself very seriously the New York bar scene is learning to let its hair down a little, reports Paul Wootton.

P

eople are moving away from cocktail bars. Nobody is taking the mixology thing seriously anymore. It’s all about having a good time, about having fun.”

Sean Muldoon, co-owner of the Dead Rabbit bar in New York, is explaining how the bar scene is shifting in the city.

As far as cocktails go, you’re more likely to encounter short lists of 10 classic drinks rather than large menus of technically complicated or overly intricate concoctions.

“A lot of the newer bars are more about creating an experience rather than being cocktail bars,” he says.

His words are echoed by Aisha Sharpe, Attaboy marketing manager in the US for VDKA 6100, but she thinks the industry still has a long way to go. She agrees bars should be NoMad about the experience.

“I hope that comes back and the cocktail becomes less centre stage,” she says. “I think the bigger this industry gets, the more impersonal it becomes. It’s the personal touch that built the industry. To me that’s the most important aspect of hospitality. Right now, I think people get too concerned about the cocktail.”

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Muldoon identifies a new wave of bars that put the customer experience at the forefront of what they do. Many of them are in Brooklyn. Such is the development going on in the borough, especially in Williamsburg, it’s now arguably a better place to take the pulse of New York’s hospitality scene than Manhattan.

He cites Extra Fancy, a seafood and cocktail bar in Williamsburg, as a good example of this new wave.

“They have a number of slushy machines out the back in summer,” says Muldoon. “That’s what I mean about not taking it too seriously.”

Manhattan is also loosening up a little.

Neighbourhood bars like Mother’s Ruin on Spring Street ooze charm, striving to be inviting rather than intimidating. Of course some well-known established bars have always been a bit loose. Employees Only in the West Village is a bar predicated on fun. It’s interesting that after 12 years, a long lifetime in the bar sector, it’s still going strong. That tells its own story.

If there is a change in the New York bar sector’s attitude, then Attaboy could be the embodiment of that change. The bar owned by Sam Ross and Michael

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS McIllroy emerged in the small space that once housed Milk & Honey, the legendary bar that spawned a thousand speakeasy-style venues across the world, with its house rules, disguised entrance and bartenders dressed like they’d stepped out of The Untouchables movie.

Milk & Honey was of its time, even ahead of its time, but after 13 years it made sense for Attaboy to update the concept – and to move with the times. So the door policy has relaxed, as has the playlist and the bartenders’ dress code.

“The craft has not changed, the attention to detail has not changed,” Sharpe explains. “But all the waxed moustaches and the suspenders have gone now.”

The example of Attaboy illustrates a key piece of advice Sharpe offers to the bar community.

“Take the craft seriously but don’t take yourself seriously,” she says.

“And the same should go for brands. This is booze. We’re celebratory.

Let’s ease up a little.”

The world has become smaller and the internet means there are fewer surprises in store when you explore a city on the other side of the planet. But New York still has heaps of inspiration to offer anyone involved in the hospitality scene.

Fit-outs in particular are often spectacular and characterised by amazing attention to detail. That’s not to say they’re all huge venues – far from it. In fact, there’s been a real trend for smaller neighbourhood bars – and maybe that goes hand in hand with a move back towards genuine hospitality and away from pure theatre and showmanship.

Of course, whatever kind of bar operators are running run in New York – big, small, fun, serious – the recent election result is likely to mean good business. Everyone there is going to need a drink. Or three. n

NoMad

5

NEW(ISH) NEW YORK VENUES TO SET YOUR PULSE RACING

BLACKTAIL Only a few months old, this homage to Cuba during American Prohibition oozes class and has the attention to detail you’d expect from the team that also owns the Dead Rabbit. It’s named for the fleet of private planes, aka the Highball Express, which flew wealthy Americans to Cuba during Prohibition.

NOMAD One of Sean Muldoon’s two favourite New York bars, the other being Maison Premiere.

Open since 2012, NoMad is jaw-droppingly good-looking – a cross between a gentleman’s club and a drawing room in Versailles. Drinks are good but the food is better – Muldoon recommends the “exceptional” carrot tartare.

MOTHER’S RUIN Despite its name, it’s not another gin-oriented bar, just a great laid-back neighbourhood venue serving good drinks

Originally published in BARS&clubs

“ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT WHISKIES.” JIM MURRAY, WHISKY MAGAZINE

and comforting bar food. Daily slushies, waffle fries, craft beer and cosy lamps that make everyone appear angelic rather than ruined. Or maybe that’s the booze.

DANTE Caffe Dante originally opened in 1915, but Australians Linden Pride and Naren Young relaunched it as Dante last year, a modern take on the classic Italian café, with a focus on aperitif drinks and a menu of Negronis. Light, bright and buzzing, it’s the epitome of your favourite neighbourhood bar.

SAUVAGE A new bistro and bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, from the owners of Maison Premiere, Sauvage takes its design cues from fin-de-siecle European cafes. The furniture and art nouveau lamps are all handcrafted and the impressive back bar focuses on small family-run spirits and liqueurs producers. A real gem.

Available through your preferred wholesale distributor or contact 09 377 7597 or email sales@tickety-boo.co.nz for further information.

WWW.TICKETY-BOO.CO.NZ

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 55

SPIRIT TRENDS

Against the grain Tash McGill takes an in-depth look at the (new) world of whisky.

W

hisky is a necessarily long game where trends are determined by the imagination and of distillers in conjunction with the courage of the consumer. And as the perception of who whisky consumers are becomes more diverse, there is plenty of room to explore new ideas. That’s good news for consumers and distillers – the adventurers, explorers and experimenters. The ones who are chasing the grain, looking for new and interesting expressions of the malt. There has never been a better time to be a whisky adventurer or to start paying attention to current whisky trends, especially in new world whisky.

What’s that, you ask? Good question. Broadly, whisky has been categorised into Scotch, Irish, American, Japanese and a ‘world whiskies’ bucket. That ‘world whiskies’ bucket is what I’m picking as the big new trend, as well as some redefinition of how we think about the grain spirit full-stop.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM WHISKY IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS

?

1. INCREASED DEMAND (AND SUPPLY) OF AMERICAN AND IRISH WHISKIES The number of current Distilled Spirits Permits – the permit required to lawfully operate a distillery in the United States – has grown from 560 in 2010, to 1,825 in 2016. In the last 18 months, permits have been approved at a rate of more than one per day. More than 1000 of these distilleries fall into the ‘craft’ category. Ireland’s whisky industry has grown from five to 12 working distilleries in the last five years with another 32 in operational planning. Rumours suggest another 80-160 licenses are in process at the moment. This increase in supply from nonScotch distilleries will impact global pricing and the approachability of whisky from other regions. This is vital for the industry to continue to grow in both domestic and international markets while Scottish and Japanese stocks recover from a 20-year boom period.

2. EXPANDING WHISKY FLAVOUR PROFILES With the increased acceptance and interest in other whiskies, the traditional flavour profile of whisky will expand, thanks to the grain spirit’s unique relationship with the local malt, water and production method. In Seattle, WA, the Westland Distillery is producing single malt whisky from American grain harvested locally – Master Distiller Matt The Jefferson in Auckland stocks more than 600 whiskies

56 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

Westland Master Distiller Matt Hoffman

SPIRIT TRENDS

Whisky sampling at Westland Distillery

Hoffman takes a similar approach to terroir and small batch production as some of the finest Scottish distilleries. This is sensible expansion – for a time, American single malt was too experimental, either too sweet or spicy and often young in flavour profile. Westland Distillery is taking traditional techniques but with local ingredients is creating a unique new whisky. Award-winning, at that. Down the road in Oregon, Rogue Brewing Company is both embracing and challenging the palate with whiskies that are younger and bursting with citrus, oak and honey made from the same malt recipes as their beers. It’s still whisky but it’s decidedly different and full of curiosity for the adventurous drinker.

Local malt will increase in provenance, especially with those American distillers leaping on board the ‘transparent’ movement – disclosing the unique source of the grain, sometimes down to latitude and longitude of growing conditions. That certainly rings true for local New Zealand production also, where New Zealand distillers Matt and Rachael Thomson of Thomson Whisky have already explored unique New Zealand wine barrel finishing and Manuka smoke. Local ingredients will continue to develop local flavour profiles and the whisky flavour spectrum will expand.

3. IT’S GOING TO BE MORE ABOUT THE PALATE THAN THE PRODUCT Consumer behaviours are changing and expanding at the same rate distilleries are. Drinkers are becoming bolder and more experimental, less likely to ask for the same old trusted brands and more likely to try something new. This also translates to increased demand for whisky cocktails and aperitif-style servings, which means the role of the bartender as whisky sommelier of sorts, will continue to matter.

Auckland bar, The Jefferson, specialises in whisky and stocks more than 600 expressions on the shelves. Owner Ofir Yudilevich says his customers are increasingly coming into the bar to explore new flavours. “People are realising whisky has as many complexities as wine and is much more than two dimensional Jack’n’Coke,” he says. “We see an increased desire to learn about the unique qualities of the drink through participation in our group and private tastings. And of course, the demand from women for good whisky, which in turns seems to have an effect on male consumption and desire to keep up with the opposite sex!”

The flow-on effect here? Conversations are going to be more about flavour than age or alcohol volume, giving customers the confidence to order what they enjoy without a sense of ‘whisky-wankery’ (technical term), which can’t happen soon enough in this opinion.

AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE OTHER TRENDS WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING? NAS (non-age statement) whiskies are here to stay. There are valid and exciting flavour frontiers that can be explored without the restraint of age statements that are finding traction with both old and new whisky distillers and drinkers.

Supply and demand will still play a role in the high-end of the whisky auction market. Expect age-statement Japanese whiskies and Pappy Van Winkle to still create demand in the market and so if you enjoy them, enjoy them while you can. n Tash McGill is a writer and whisky hound.You can find her writing, talking and hosting whisky tastings on a regular basis and online at www.whiskygirl.co.nz

THE SHOUT'S WHISKY PICKS! WAITUI MANUKA HONEY WHISKEY 40% ABV

Eighteen years ago, distiller Terry Knight had a quest to create an iconic New Zealand whiskey. Influenced by early healers’ and alchemists’ elixirs distilled for the elite of ancient times, using the simple ingredients of New Zealand malted barley and Te Waikoropupu spring waters, the result is Waitui Whiskey. Produced in batches of only 3000 litres per year, Waitui Whiskey is aged in Manuka honey mead barrels for a minimum of six years before careful selection, hand-labelling and bottling.

Taste the smooth flavours of this unique Kiwi-style whiskey, with just hint of the ancient Waters of Life.

RRP: $139.00 Distributor: Kiwi Spirit Distillery www.kiwispirits.co.nz

TALISKER SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY 45.8% ABV Talisker is the only Single Malt Scotch Whisky made by the sea, on the shores of the Isle of Skye - one of the most remote, rugged, yet beautiful landscapes in Scotland. Few whiskies tell the story of their origin better than Talisker. Its smell and taste instantly connect the drinker with the rugged environment – like a warm welcome from a wild sea. It’s a powerhouse; challenging but adored; once discovered, rarely left.

Talisker has notes of Iodine, sea weed, smoke and minerals. Bitumen, roadworks, blue cheese and smoky bacon. A long, intense, peppery finish, with the tail of the whisky cracking a whip down the back of the throat.

RRP: $109.99 Distributor: Lion Beer, Spirits & Wine New Zealand Phone: 0800 835 554

JOHNNIE WALKER PLATINUM 40% ABV Johnnie Walker Platinum Label is drawn from a limited number of casks, carefully chosen and retained throughout their maturation because of their exceptional character. It is an intense, smooth and subtly smoky blend, crafted from Single Malt and Grain Whiskies, each matured to perfection for a minimum of 18 years. Johnnie Walker Platinum has a fragrant aroma with hints of almonds and subtle smoke. Flavour of stewed fruit, malty cereal, smooth creamy vanilla, fragrant, almonds and tangerine give a waxy and fruity sweet taste, mixed with slight drying astringency with subtle smokiness.

RRP: $149.99 Distributor: Lion Beer, Spirits & Wine New Zealand Phone: 0800 835 554

Hospitality BUSINESS | April 2017 | 57

More than just a shot!

WHISKY COCKTAIL

White Whisky

Cobbler Ponsonby’s New York-style bar Bedford Soda & Liquor shares its favourite whisky cocktail recipe.

INGREDIENTS: 30ml Thomson White Malt New Spirit Whisky 30ml fresh lemon Juice 15ml honey syrup (two-parts honey, one-part water)

METHOD: Build in a highball glass and top with crushed ice.

GARNISH: A big mint sprig and mixed berries soaked in blackcurrant and honey syrup.

on ice • with juice as a cocktail • as a shot

How do you drink yours?

Available in Green and Yellow For enquiries Ian McAteer & Associates Phone 09 476 1360 Mobile 027 542 0496 michellemcateer@xtra.co.nz 58 | April 2017 | Hospitality BUSINESS

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liquor news service

WHO READS

16,000

for on and off-premise trade.

THE SHOUT*

NEW ZEALAND? 9%

6% 4% 37%

12%

circulation n

n

liquor audience

Specialist content sourced by

industry experts and editors

32% n

Breaking news, new products, industry profiles, new venues, events, licensing and liquor regulations, mergers, acquisitions and appointments, training and trends

n Off-Premise – Retail liquor owners/employees and banner groups – 37% n On-Premise – Pub owners/publicans/bar managers/ bartenders, hotel/pub/club/employees – 32% n Suppliers – 12% n Wholesale – 9% n PR/consultants/analysts – 6% n Associations/other – 4%

New Zealand’s largest

n

Dedicated website at www.theshout.co.nz

*Estimation

POSITION YOUR

PR OD U C TS TOP OF MIND To advertise in The Shout New Zealand, please contact Angela Bowes

Mobile: 021 130 6824 Email: abowes@intermedianz.co.nz