Hospitality Business February 2022

STATE OF THE NATION 2022 | NEW EMPLOYMENT LAW | STAFF SHORTAGES

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz FEBRUARY 2022 Vol.9 No.1

NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AUDIENCE

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Contents REGULARS

17

06 DIGEST Beef + Lamb ambassadors sought for 2022 and a new MenuAid counters menu fatigue.

08 STATE OF THE NATION Marisa Bidois, Chris Roberts & Stuart Nash highlight issues facing hospitality in 2022.

13 BUSINESS TIPS New employment law rules you need to know

PEOPLE 16 SIDART’S NEW OWNER Meet Executive Chef, Lesley Chandra.

FEATURES 14 FLIPFARM OYSTERS Oyster farming in the Marlborough Sound wins global recognition.

18 VEGAN CHEESE New Zealand’s top & versatile vegan cheese.

14

22 STAFF SHORTAGES Could robots help relieve the staffing shortages that plaque South Island restaurateurs?

24 S EVEN BENEFITS FOR ADDING QR CODES Why adding QR codes could help your bottom line

22 24

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 3

Editor FEBRUARY 2022 Vol. 9 No. 1

Sector challenges

After an incredibly challenging 2021 it appears 2022 plans to follow suit with the arrival of Omicron taking the country back to Traffic Light Level Red. For an industry that’s been hit harder than any other in the pandemic, ingenuity, resourcefulness and sheer determination to keep going have become sector strengths against a relentless foe.

With vaccination rates in New Zealand among the highest in the world we will hopefully rebound quicker and with more success than many others. That’s not to say we don’t have major industry issues to conquer and number one of these has to be historic and ongoing staffing shortages. This month we look at the impact of such shortages on the South Island’s holiday destination cities (page 22) and how new immigrant Visa regulations scheduled for July will be introduced.(page 13).

I would like to thank our State of The Nation contributors, Marisa Bidois, Chris Roberts and Stuart Nash for providing insight into our challenges for 2022 during their well earned breaks.

We travel to Marlborough Sounds where a new oyster farming technique has been developed that has won international recognition and may give Bluff oysters a new challenge on the restaurant scene. (page 14) We visit one of Auckland's finest restaurants, Sidart, which has changed hands – turn to page 16 to find out who is now in charge!

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

Kia Kaha

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Digest In association with Hospitality Business’ online newsletter www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz

2022 Beef + Lamb ambassador finalists announced Fifteen talented chefs have been shortlisted for the prestigious title of Beef + Lamb ambassadors and will go on to have their beef and lamb dishes assessed in their restaurants over the next few weeks.

Foodservice Manager, Lisa Moloney, says it was wonderful to see strong entries coming through in such a challenging time for the hospitality industry.

“We know chefs are under a lot of pressure at the moment and to see some really creative dishes coming through was amazing. It is inspiring to see kiwi chefs striving for recognition and taking the next steps to elevate their career,” says Lisa.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has sought the best chefs in New Zealand for 26 years now and are proud to see the accolade is still sought after and relevant in today’s hospitality climate.

“Chefs are certainly thinking outside the box when it comes to cooking with beef and lamb to provide customers with an outstanding dining experience. Our farmers can certainly be reassured their product is being showcased to a high standard on restaurant menus.”

The new Ambassador Chefs will be announced in late March and Beef + Lamb New Zealand are looking forward to revealing the next group of chefs to grace the Beef + Lamb Hall of Fame.

The 2022 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador Chef finalists are: • Paul Patterson, Va Benne, Auckland • Mark Gillespie, Botswana Butchery, Auckland • BJ Sebastian, Archive Bistro, Mudbrick Vineyard, Waiheke Island • Dylan Wilson, Ember, New Plymouth • Dylan Riggs, Shining Peak Brewery, New Plymouth • Andrew May, Amayjen, Palmerston North • Dwaynne Blackett, Nero Restaurant, Palmerston North • Prue Campbell, Brantry Eatery, Taupo • Chetan Pangam, One80 Restaurant, Wellington • MacLean Fraser, Artisan at Bolton Hotel, Wellington • Shweta Gate, Oak & Vine Restaurant, Wellington • Shantanu Saraf, Noble Rot Wine Bar, Wellington • Trent Watson, Podium, Sudima Five Mile, Queenstown • Cameron Davies, The Fat Duck, Te Anau • Greg Piner, No.7 Balmac, Dunedin

Annual Toastie Comp returns in 2022

20

21

Entry is free so register your interest or request more information by emailing: deirdre@cookandnelson.com.

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6 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

of the competition (mid-April to end of May) and be available to customers during lunch hours.

Like previous years, each toastie will be scored on a set criteria, including presentation, effectiveness of preparation technique, eatability, taste, innovation, and originality. The entries are whittled down to 12 finalists who are again judged by a national judge who determines the supreme winner.

All finalists will receive a case or pail of McClure’s pickles and a set amount of dine-in vouchers which will be given away to locals via social media.

The supreme winner will walk away with a year’s worth of pickles, another set amount of dine-in vouchers, a toastie trophy and, most importantly, bragging rights to the best toasted sandwich in the country.

eM ev

Do you think your restaurant, bar, café, hole in the wall eatery or food truck has what it takes to make a competition worthy toasted sandwich? The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, New Zealand’s only national toasted sandwich competition is back for a fifth consecutive year and organisers, Cook & Nelson are working hard behind the scenes to get ready for this year’s call for entries which open on Monday 28 February.

There are, of course, a few competition rules. Each toastie creation must be sandwiched between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand if necessary. The toasted sandwich must also contain cheese (vegan cheese substitutes accepted) and some tasty morsels from the McClure’s Pickles range.

Everything else is up to the toastie maker’s imagination. Each entry must be on the establishment’s menu for the full duration

DIGEST

MenuAid formula combats fatigue A new recipe-based menu plan has been launched thanks to Christchurch-based millennials Toby Skilton and Elise Hilliam.

They came up with the idea after finding themselves in a food rut where they kept looping back to a few select favourite dishes or opting for takeaways. They spent hours each week flicking through cookbooks and online recipes to plan their menu for the week – and concluded there must be a better way!

So, they teamed up with expert chefs to bring their vision to life. They invited MasterChef winner, author and presenter Brett McGregor, as well as well-known food writer Helen Jackson, to come on board as shareholders and develop bespoke recipes for their weekly menu plans.

“With my background in nutrition, and Toby’s experience with creating innovative and disruptive technology businesses, we knew that we could create a solution that would provide the same level of convenience as meal kit delivery services, but would offer more flexibility and doesn’t come with the hefty price tag and mountain of plastic,” says Elise. “What we love about MenuAid is that it gives users more control over their waste profile.”

When people sign up to MenuAid (a $4/week subscription) they receive five recipes each week, and it’s up to them to decide which ones to cook, and when. All of the ingredients required for each recipe are reconciled into a personalised shopping list, allowing the user the freedom to remove items they already have and swap out things

they don’t like. They then have the option to shop themselves or have the items delivered to their door.

“When talking with other Kiwis about weekday meals it became obvious that many of us suffer from menu fatigue. I had no idea what the heck that meant until lockdown. It’s not easy for people to consistently come up with nutritious everyday meals for the family that have loads of flavour, are quick and easy to cook and give a decent variety,” says Brett.

With MenuAid there are two options; the ‘Balanced’ plan, which consists of five delicious recipes including one meat-free recipe – a great combination of proteins, vegetables and carbohydrates making it the perfect pack for a balanced lifestyle.

The other option is the ‘VegeFix’ plan which contains five nutritious vegetarian-based recipes that can easily be adapted to vegan.

This plan provides great variety and the meals are rich in protein, high in fibre and guaranteed to please.

Although the MenuAid team is starting with two menu-packs, they are in the process of building a system that will serve their members meals based on their personal preferences.

MenuAid leans on a well-proven international model of meal planning and delivery that, until now, didn’t exist in New Zealand. In just six weeks, they had over 2500 people sign up with thousands of their recipes being cooked each week.

“We can’t wait for more New Zealanders to try our affordable, nutritious and sustainable meal planning service, which makes mealtimes simple and enjoyable. We’ve had just great feedback from Kiwis already and we are on our way to realising our dream to be the next generation’s cookbook and go-to

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STATE OF THE NATION

Tackling skills shortages with a new industry plan

By Stuart Nash, Minister of Economic and Regional Development, Tourism, Small Business and Forestry.

T

he dust has not yet settled on The billions of dollars invested in the peak 2021-2022 summer the wage subsidy, resurgence support season for hospitality and payments and zero-interest business tourism. Yet we already have loans have made a difference. New a good picture of what is next in store programmes are helping businesses for us. adapt faster to digital commerce, As I write this, the largest public to operate online, to better market health campaign in New Zealand their products, and to develop clickhistory is stepping up a gear. By late and-collect or other contactless sales January 2022, more than 93 percent of channels. Targeted support for noneligible Kiwis were fully vaccinated, and wage costs has rolled out to businesses 96 per cent were partially vaccinated. in our most hard-hit towns and Around one million adults have had communities, in Auckland, Waikato and booster shots, and the vaccination roll Northland, on top of previous support to out for 5 to 11 year olds was underway five major South Island tourist regions. in time for the new school year.

I expect the coming year will We know from our experience in surprise on the upside with continued 2020, and again in 2021, that we must economic resilience in the face of actively work to keep each other safe the global economic shock caused during the global pandemic. When

by COVID. The headwinds facing people feel safe, our communities keep businesses, workers and households functioning and economic indicators are the same as those facing hospitality like household and consumer and tourism sectors around the world. spending show an upward tick.

Skills shortages and global supply Business activity rebounds, and more chain disruptions are two of the people are in work. biggest challenges to the economic This was demonstrated most recovery. We are well placed to meet vividly with the GDP figures in late these challenges.

2021. The economy grew by almost Our COVID vaccination five per cent in the year. Since campaign is part of the shortthe start of the pandemic, we term strategy. It has proven “I expect to receive have worked with businesses that the best economic a first draft of the and workers to cushion the response is a strong health plan by the middle of impacts on livelihoods. response. But hospitality this year, after which the and tourism also need ITP leadership group will longer-term thinking to deal consult widely as the with ingrained issues that sector comes together.” have impeded the sector in the past, even before COVID. Skills shortages and career progression are the first priorities of the new Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) we are drawing up for tourism and hospitality.

I announced plans to begin work on the ITP LEADERS FORUM in early 2021 and want to thank those people from the hospitality and tourism sectors who have come on board as part of the leadership group.

The Industry Transformation Plan will be ground-breaking because the sector’s recovery strategy will 8 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

be based on a partnership between government, industry, workers’ reps and Māori businesses and worker training agencies.

It will focus on the systemic challenges that have long affected the ability of tourism and hospitality businesses to find and retain staff with the skills and experience they need.

Migration is only one part of the picture for the hospitality and tourism workforce. Education, training, pay and conditions have always been major considerations and that will be the same in 2022.

There is a huge opportunity for all of us to support and develop different pathways for people keen on a career in the industry. This includes formal education and training or direct paths through paid work in hospo.

It covers experience in allied sectors like food and beverage production in our primary industries, and customer service or public-facing roles.

And those workers with cultural knowledge of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga are in demand as hosts and advisors for visitor attractions.

With increasing competition for workers across the economy, the hospitality and tourism sector will need to grapple with how it remains competitive and can attract and retain the talent it needs New Zealand has become well known throughout the world as a result of putting people first in response to COVID19. Now, we can build an industry that is also internationally known for our manaakitanga towards visitors and to the very people that work in the industry.

I do not underestimate the problem of the skills shortage. Making real change will be challenging for both businesses and government. But the disruption of the global pandemic presents an opportunity to step back and work collaboratively.

I expect to receive a first draft of the plan by the middle of this year, after which the ITP leadership group will consult widely as the sector comes together to address these challenges. n

STATE OF THE NATION

COVID and climate change – the big issues for 2022

W

By Chris Roberts, Chief Executive, Tourism Industry Aotearoa.

hen we first heard of a to rebuild high quality air connectivity new coronavirus back which could take years to rebuild. in early 2020, none of We will continue to update the us thought it would Roadmap as the pandemic evolves, be still dominating conversations to offer operators a basis for their two years later. And we couldn’t business planning. have imagined the devastation it has TIA is also closely involved with wrought on our industry. development of the Government’s 2022 is set to be just as challenging Tourism Industry Transformation Plan as 2020 and 2021, with the emergence which is initially focusing on developing of the Omicron variant creating new the tourism workforce. The first draft of issues and barriers to reconnecting the Better Work Action Plan for tourism New Zealand to the world. is due to be ready for consultation in TIA is deeply involved in discussions mid-2022. on recovery and what the future of tourism in New Zealand will look like.

Enabling a sustainable tourism Our role as the peak industry body is industry for the future going to be more important than ever Although it’s hard to think there are in the months ahead. even bigger problems than COVID-19, TIA actively supported the climate change continues to be the government’s priority on getting as biggest long-term challenge we face. many New Zealanders as possible Even though times have never double vaccinated. We are also been tougher for our industry, encouraging everyone to get a booster tackling climate change is shot. On behalf of the tourism industry, everybody’s responsibility. our next biggest priority is the easing I encourage all tourism businesses of border restrictions as soon as it is to join the Tourism Carbon Challenge sensible to do so.

TIA launched in late 2021, with the Until they can again look after aim of significantly reducing carbon visitors from offshore, we emissions by 2030, and contributing TIA is deeply must also secure continued to a tourism industry that is involved in Government support for net zero carbon ahead of New hardhit tourism businesses.

Zealand’s 2050 goal. discussions on If this support is not recovery and what the forthcoming, we will lose many more quality operators future of tourism in and this will affect our New Zealand will ability to provide world-class look like experiences for our guests when they do return.

In late 2021, TIA released a Tourism Industry Roadmap that set out an up-to-the-minute analysis of how the industry recovery might progress over the next few years.

It forecast that it could be 2024 before the industry got close to its ‘new normal’.

LEADERS FORUM Quarantine-free travel will be key to attracting international manuhiri back to New Zealand. Our analysis found there is still strong demand for travel to New Zealand but we need to be able to signal the way forward to international markets. Long lead times are needed

It’s a big goal but we want everybody to be inspired and motivated to get behind the mission.

To support operators to meet the challenge, TIA is planning a range of actions and support programmes that will be instigated over the next few years. These will involve working with government as well as individual businesses.

Farewell Finally, I want to wish you all the best for the future. My last day with TIA was 31 January, after seven and a half years at the helm.

It has been my privilege to have served as Chief Executive of TIA and I am very proud of what we have achieved since 2014.

We have provided critical strategic direction for the industry through Tourism 2025, the Tourism Sustainability Commitment, Go with Tourism, the Tourism Roadmap, and most recently the Tourism Carbon Challenge.

We have raised the quality of the key industry events like TRENZ, Tourism Summit Aotearoa, and brought back the New Zealand Tourism Awards because we need to celebrate our successes. Thank you to the industry for supporting these events.

We don’t win every fight, but we have had dozens of advocacy wins and influenced government policy on multiple occasions. A lot of this work goes on largely out of sight and it’s not always something we can make a song and dance over. But TIA is widely respected as the voice of the tourism industry.

Thank you to our highly engaged members. Thank you all for your support and contributions, through these most challenging of times, when we must work together.

I know that with a supportive board and a great team, TIA will still be delivering what the industry needs, every day. I wish the incoming Chief Executive, Rebecca Ingram, all the best in her new role.

Hei konā mai – goodbye for now. n

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 9

STATE OF THE NATION

Reconnecting during a pandemic

T

By Marisa Bidois, CEO Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

he pandemic has unquestionably forced us to change habits, examine what and who we value and think about how we want to live our lives.

Habits and lifestyles built up over a lifetime have been broken down, giving people a once in a lifetime opportunity to redesign how they live their lives.

Among this, businesses have been forced to close and reshape their relationships with their customers and staff.

The transition for hospitality establishments, designed to do exactly the things we’ve been asked to avoid doing, has not been easy.

But human beings are social creatures. Eventually the need to reconnect will win over the structures built to keep us apart.

We need people back in workplaces, working collaboratively and connecting with their teams.

Whilst remote working is undoubtedly here to stay, experts have shown that a mix of both is what is important in ensuring businesses stay connected.

The inconvenient truth is that we need sufficient numbers of people coming into physical workplaces or we will see our city centres suffer.

To do this we need our business leaders to play their part in creating work patterns which allow for both remote and workplace working.

It is also vitally important that city centre experiences become part of our tourism story.

There is a real opportunity to highlight our local food stories even more and work on how we market this as a sector. I would love to see more of our food experiences being showcased and hospitality being included in how we promote our various regions domestically and eventually internationally.

We know that people will travel to experience incredible food and I think we have the opportunity to refine this and perfect this in our offerings.

To be able to deliver these world class hospitality experiences, we must fix the legacy issue of worker shortages.

Sadly, our industry suffers from a reputational issue that it doesn’t deserve so we need to work on the narrative around what it means to be part of hospitality.

We know we can provide rewarding careers.

There are endless

“There are endless opportunities to excel and many of our people go on to open their own business after learning their craft..”

LEADERS FORUM 10 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

opportunities to excel and many of our people go on to open their own business after learning their craft.

This means focusing on education at a grassroots level, working with the schools and career counsellors to ensure that they know about all the exciting opportunities that are available in our sector.

There is a lot of work to do but this is something we have collectively trying to tackle through a recent Wannaga that was held to address issues like this in our sector.

This year we also released our future of hospitality roadmap.

In a submission to the Finance Minister in September, stage one of the roadmap put before government eight practical solutions to get businesses back on their feet, some of which have come to fruition for example through wage subsidy extensions and the transition payment.

Stages two and three focus on the recovery and sustainability of our sector and outline the guidelines for a future hospitality business model.

There are many legacy issues that our industry has suffered with. The pandemic has exacerbated these but it has also given us a unique opportunity to focus on these issues and force a reset.

Hospitality is a vibrant industry full of interesting, talented and entrepreneurial people.

At the Restaurant Association, the roadmap is our focus for the years ahead and sets out how the sector proposes to not only attract more Kiwis to a career in hospitality, but pave the way for it to be seen as a leader in providing a skilled workforce. This will ensure a well-rounded, productive industry that is a vital contributor to social well-being, nationwide tourism and the growth of the wider New Zealand economy.

Notes – The Future of Hospitality Roadmap is available to view on the Restaurant Association website. n

NEW OPENING

New Fox on the waterfront A far cry from your standard Pommy pub, The Fox has opened its doors on the Auckland waterfront with riffed British cocktail creations, hearty gastro grub and a nod (or rather, curtesy) to Royal-esque interiors.

Reimagining one of Auckland’s most well-known sports bars (the Viaduct site was previously Foxes), the convivial public house has a new look, repertoire and inner-city edge reminiscent of the English capital.

British bangers, Anglocentric ales, gin trees and drinks inspired by iconic UK flavours are designed to provoke a sense of nostalgia for expats while ‘showing locals how a pub should operate.’

Specially curated by the venue’s resident mixologist, Joey Hickman, the best-of-British cocktail menu comprises a killer line up of seven delicious tipples. Jaffa Cake fans can opt for a Jaffa Martini, combining an espresso hit with Jaffa Cake gin – resembling the moreish chocolate layered biscuit.

For something savoury with flavour opt for the Hair of the Fox. A British take on a Bloody Mary, with bacon fat washed bourbon, Marmite, Heinz Brown Sauce and tomato juice, topped with a full English breakfast.

While the sound system will be serving up Top of the Pops bangers and classics, so too will the hearty pub grub menu with toad in the hole, pigs in blankets, weekend roasts and fisherman’s baskets, alongside pudding classics like Eton mess and sticky date. n

FREE ENTRY The 5th Annual Great NZ Toastie Takeover New Zealand’s only nationwide Toastie competition judged by top foodies More than 80,000 toasties served in 2021 Entries open Monday 28 February 2022 Competition starts mid-April 2022 Marketing collateral provided to each participating eatery Register your interest by emailing deirdre@cookandnelson.com or Instagram DM @cookandnelson

ww w.toastietakeover.com www.toastietakeover.com HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 11

TECH TALK

Adapted guest experience a staple on the menu for the 2020s

By Jarrod Kinchington, Infor ANZ Managing Director.

T

he guest experience and serving the best possible version of that has always been the restaurant and food services industry’s central mission. As much as technology changes radically, some of the primary elements of a great guest experience remain the same. The real question is how technology intersects with perceptions and expectations around what a great guest experience in restaurants and food services should be.

What’s the present state, and what will it likely be in the future?

To address this, industry leaders must constantly assess their restaurant management software and supporting technology solutions to meet current needs and be adaptable for what’s to come. What does that mean in the 2020s? How must restaurant and food services organisations match technology with the way that recent times and trends have shaped the way that consumers interact with restaurant locations and brands? First, organisations must adapt their technology to deliver experiences according to current perceptions and expectations.

Technology has played an integral part in shaping consumer perceptions around all that. By the mid-2010s, mobile device functionality, related apps, web-based platforms were becoming prominent in initiating engagement with brands across the commercial spectrum.

Yet even still, technology is just a means to an end. The reason the technology is so powerful is because of how it helps brands align to that question of lifestyle and expectation, and to the human responses it serves.

Restaurant and food services technology that corresponds to emotional payoffs To deliver a great guest experience, savvy restaurateurs, franchise owners, and food services operators focus on the ways that technology intersects with human sensibilities and positive emotional experiences. In support, these are some emotional payoffs connected to technology that define a great guest experience in our present paradigm: Freedom – processes that guests can initiate anywhere they are and with multiple options to place orders and pay for them, with mobile devices at the center Immediacy – ordering and payment methods that match the same ways guests manage other areas of their lives, with QR codes, web-based UI and associated UX familiar to users and do not require advanced levels of technical competence to gain positive results Respect of boundaries – Technology like easy table bookings, multiple order fulfillment options, and SMS notifications driven by data-centric software demonstrates attention to detail when it comes to respecting guest personal time, emotional sensibilities, and physical space –

“Industry leaders must constantly assess their restaurant management software and supporting technology solutions.”

An extension of consumer lifestyle around technology Ordering quick meals and in-house dining are not single and isolated events in people’s lives. They are a part of the fabric of how people spend their time and manage their daily activities. That’s pointed the way to what the guest experience in restaurant and food services locations should be. It’s aligned to everything else in their lives that helps shape their expectations about how things should work, and how easy those things should be.

12 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

reduced waiting, more visible delivery and pick up times, table availability via restaurant reservations systems, etc.

Confidence - convenience and quickness equal low-stress experiences, along with data security that comes with in-app advanced purchases, secure transactional environments, healthy and clean locations, and more Continuity and relationship – meal plan information in food services contexts that makes account status more visible, loyalty programs, and rewards integrations with restaurant POS engender a sense of relationship and acknowledgement of your guests as valued individuals, implying an invitation to repeat visits and orders in the long-term.

Technology will change as we progress into the decade and beyond.

Human needs and responses will remain. The most sustainable approach when thinking about how to invest in technology solutions and platforms therefore is by matching functionality with how efficiently your organisation can deliver these kinds of emotional rewards to your guests.

Creating healthy partnerships with technology experts It’s clear that even though there are some emotional constants that are attached to the definition of a great guest experience, the means to serve them will change. To adapt, the underlying principle here is about the ability to scale technology to meet today’s expectations while leaving room to anticipate what’s to come.

The best way to do that is to form healthy relationships with technology experts who know the industry, but also know how their solutions meet the expectations of your guests with the future of the industry in mind. There are several technology partnerships options out there to consider, you just need to choose the right one for your organisation. n

EMPLOYMENT LAW

New migrant visa adds red tape for hospitality employers

By Nick Mason, Partner, Pitt & Moore Lawyers.

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s the hospitality industry works through initiatives, such as the Go with Tourism programme, many are facing a dire staff shortage. Even over the usually busy summer, this year many hospitality businesses had to reduce their hours, with some not opening in January at all, due to a lack of staff.

Employers looking to employ skilled migrant workers will be impacted by this year’s introduction of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) - a new temporary work visa that opens to applications from 4 July 2022.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is replacing the Essential Skills Work Visa, the Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa and the Long-Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa with the AEWV. INZ says the AEWV will reduce reliance on lower paid temporary migrant workers and increase the overall skill level of migrants coming to work in New Zealand.

INZ says it will also combat migrant exploitation and misuse of the immigration system by filtering out employers, who have previously breached immigration requirements or employment standards, at the accreditation stage.

However, it will also introduce more red tape for employers, who will have to deal directly with INZ and go through the accreditation process before advertising jobs. The process is more complex and bureaucratic than anything we have seen before in New Zealand, and we recommend employers be aware of the requirements and get ahead of the game.

In short, INZ is introducing a threecheck process to manage applications and ensure that employers and migrants fit the new requirements. The three checks are: • Employer accreditation • Job check • Migrant check

Employer accreditation advertising requirements to ascertain The first step sees employers able to availability of New Zealanders to do the apply from 9 May 2022 to ensure they job. can get accreditation before migrant A Labour Market Test is not applications open on 4 July. Employers required if; don’t need to be accredited until they • the job pays 200% of the median want to start employing migrants, wage, currently the median wage but delay in obtaining accreditation is NZD $27 an hour means delay in an employer’s ability to • the job is in the regions and pays support a migrant’s application at, or above, the median wage Standard accreditation is required for • the job is on a skill shortage list, up to five migrant workers on AEWV, in a city, and pays at, or above, the and high-volume accreditation is for median wage. those employing six or more migrant workers on AEWV. Migrant check The requirements for standard The final step is the migrant check, accreditation include being IRD ensuring the applicant meets the registered and holding a New visa requirements. This is done Zealand Business Number, having no through online applications, recent history of regulatory nonavailable from 4 July 2022, and compliance, having appropriate ensures that the applicant is “Employers employment documentation, suitably qualified and meets looking for skilled and taking steps to minimise requirements in terms of migrant workers will be the risk of exploitation. health, character and bona impacted by In addition, for high-volume fide credentials. this year’s introduction of accreditation, jobs must meet A migrant will not be able the Accredited a minimum pay requirement to submit their application Employer Work Visa of 10 percent above the unless the employer is already (AEWV).” minimum wage or be covered by accredited and the job has passed a collective agreement. the job check stage.

There are further requirements for franchisees and for businesses What is next? that place AEWV holders with third It is not yet known how long it will parties, as it is considered that the risk take INZ to process an accreditation of migrant exploitation is increased in application or to complete the such work environments three-check process. As a result, we recommend that employers don’t leave Job check applying for accreditation to the last The second check INZ will carry out minute. We also don’t know if employers is a job check or labour market test will have review or appeal rights where to ensure that, for any job offered negative decisions are made. We expect through the AEWV scheme, the further information from INZ to come, employer holds accreditation, the including tools for employers and employment is acceptable, and no New migrants , a definition of ‘franchisee’ for Zealanders are available. accreditation, and details around fees for The labour market test requirements the three-check process. vary for jobs paying above and below Initially, this system change will the median wage and depend on undoubtedly increase costs, time and whether the job is located in a city or red tape, and support for navigating the a region. There are also specific job processes involved will be needed. n HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 13

COMPANY PROFILE

FlipFarm Systems & Marlborough Oysters

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humble Marlborough oyster farming business has put Kiwi ingenuity on the world stage after developing and designing its own innovative, semiautomated oyster growing system.

In just two years Marlborough Oysters owners Aaron and Debbie Pannell now have their FlipFarm Systems technology patented and sold in 12 countries, operating on 70 oyster farms worldwide.

Late last year (Nov, 2021) the couple fended off 39 other applicants from 24 countries to scoop the 2021 Global Aquaculture Innovation Award at the Global Seafood Alliance Awards, held virtually. Now recognised as world leaders in oyster farming technology, their systems ensure delivery of a superior, quality product. Previously, under the old manual system, it was

World leading technology. heavy work involving a lot of heavy physical lifting, says Aaron.

The former system proved ineffective and the equipment would wear out and during stormy weather they would lose hundreds of oyster growing bags. This not only impacted their bottom line, and negatively impacted the environment, but meant staff were regularly called on to make repairs and retrieve lost equipment.

“All individual baskets or bags would have to be removed numerous times during the two-year growing cycle with lots of repetitive handling required,” he says. “We had a dozen fit guys working on this, but we were finding it difficult to retain staff, our Marlborough equipment would also break free and Oysters owners wash up on the shore.”

Aaron and Through “a series of random Debbie Pannell. circumstances” Aaron says he came up with the line of attached baskets that can be manipulated automatically.

They can also be operated from machinery attached to the company’s boats. “We can “Because our also flip the baskets over and sit them on their process is now float, elevating them out more mechanised we of the water. This dries can employ staff from

different demographics and backgrounds,”

Early this year distribution channels throughout New Zealand are expected to be established.

14 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

out any biofouling - a process called desiccation, killing any fouling larvae.”

It’s important for the oysters to spend a short time out of the water as this develops the muscle they use to hold their shells together when out of the water. “They need that strengthening exercise to provide good shelf live after harvest,” says Aaron.

Oysters are normally grown in shallow, muddy, tidal type waters but these are cultivated in 12 metres of water.

Growing in deeper, more oceanic water ensures a cleaner, higher quality oyster and a fresher flavour. “They’re quite high in salinity and there’s no muddy aftertaste. It’s a very clean shell because of the wave movement.”

There have been social advantages too. “Because our process is now more mechanised we can employ staff from different demographics and backgrounds, as there’s less physical strength involved,” he says. In recent times we have employed more mature, experienced staff and a number of women which has been a really nice byproduct for our company culture.”

Debbie, a global traveller and corporate girl, worked in the optical industry for seven years before

COMPANY PROFILE

be a staple here in New Zealand like they are in Australia.” Australia produces and consumes 10 times more oysters than New Zealand eats.

For these guys sustainable and local is what it’s all about and Kiwis won’t get the leftovers, as is the case with much of New Zealand’s top produce that’s exported overseas.

“We have a real focus on the domestic market,” says Aaron. “A lot of our best product in New Zealand is exported overseas. We want to keep our premium oysters to sell on the local market.” The rest will be exported.

While Marlborough Oysters can be frozen they’re definitely preferable freshly shucked.

Marlborough Oysters supplies top local restaurants, including Cloudy Bay Jack’s Raw Bar,

a iv

O ys ter

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meeting Aaron 20 years ago. With her background Debbie was clearly out of her comfort zone when she became involved in the aquaculture industry with Aaron. A former sheep, beef and dairy farmer, Aaron was mussel farming in Marlborough then and has 30 years’ experience in aquaculture.

Debbie can now shuck an oyster with the best of them and is fully hooked on the flavours. She’s even ended up teaching a few chefs how to shuck their product efficiently. “It’s quite a cool party trick,” grins Aaron. “Many people find shucking intimidating, but there’s a secret technique and once people know how to do it, it’s easy.”

“Our flavour is unique because of where our oysters are grown, Just like wine has “terroir”, oysters have “merroir”.

They take up the flavours of their environment. We’ve even converted some die-hard Bluff oyster lovers.”

Because they’re produced in a hatchery, their Marlborough oysters are not seasonal, but available year round, making for a consistent product for restaurants, cafes and bars. “We’re hoping to educate chefs that we’re year round and will have a consistently high quality product available for their menu planning.”

“We really want to get more people eating oysters. Thirty years ago fresh salmon was rare then companies like Ora King Salmon came onto the scene and it became a staple,” he says. “We want oysters to

s o f wa etre m 12 in d te

ter.

Harvest Restaurant Blenheim, Wither Hills Restaurant and Escape to Picton.

The company also supplies a number of other restaurants on order from time to time.

On occasions visiting chefs pick up on the quality and flavours and Aaron and Debbie end up couriering their oysters all over the country. Early this year they’ll be setting up distribution channels throughout New Zealand under the Marlborough Oysters brand.

The couple recently purchased an export pack-house in nearby Blenheim.

Marlborough Oysters is now one of New Zealand’s largest oyster producers, producing New Zealand’s top oyster four years in a row.

The company operates under stringent, environmentallyfriendly requirements through its involvement with Aquaculture NZ A+, a national sustainability management system.

Marlborough Oysters is also a member of the local Marine Farm Association and recently achieved ‘gold’ standard in their environmental management program.

Aaron and Debbie were totally surprised and absolutely delighted to score the international Global Seafood Alliance innovation accolade recently. “We believe it’s the first time someone from New Zealand has won this, or even made the finals,” says Aaron. n To get in touch: www.marlboroughoysters.co.nz HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 15

A LA CARTE Lesley Chandra, owner and Executive Chef of Sidart.

Excited yet terrified

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Fresh start for Sidart 2022 with new owner Lesley Chandra.

s Auckland diners return to their favourite restaurants, popular Ponsonby establishment Sidart is opening its doors with a new owner at the helm and a new menu to celebrate the beginning of 2022.

Chef Lesley Chandra has taken over the reins at the three hatted Sidart from Sid and Chand Sahrawat, who opened the restaurant in 2009 and garnered many accolades over the years, including Cuisine Restaurant of the Year in 2019.

While Sidart first opened during the global financial crisis, its change in ownership also comes amid a tumultuous time, with Chandra taking on Sidart in September 2021, during Auckland’s longest lockdown. But Chandra and his team have stayed busy during that time, serving customers via Sidart at Home takeaways, and refining the reopening menu.

While the format of the menu remains the same, with a four course à la carte tasting menu, as well as five and seven course set tasting menus, the Indian-inspired flavours are married with contemporary cooking techniques and a Fijian Indian twist, in a nod to chef Chandra’s heritage.

The team at Sidart will continue to use the seasons and produce availability to inspire an ever-changing menu, that diners can expect to see imbued with Indian flavours and an appealing interplay of colours and textures.

The new menu for summer includes dishes like White Asparagus

with Kasundi and Lardo, Cured “I was given the keys to my dream Alpine Salmon with Cucumber, and restaurant during Alert Level 3, so this Eastherbrook Quail with Foie Gras has been a true exercise in patience, and Dry Korma. Desserts, meanwhile, waiting to reopen the doors,” he says. “I include a tempting fusion of feel like a kid on the first day of school flavours, such as Passionfruit, Carrot, – excited, but quietly terrified. But I am Cardamom and Saffron, and Dark so thankful to Sid and Chand for their Chocolate, Tamarind and Black Forest. confidence in my ability to continue Chandra was announced as the Sidart legacy.

Sidart’s new owner in July, when the “We believe in showcasing the best Sahrawats revealed their plan to sell seasonal produce and ingredients from the restaurant to focus on their Cassia some of the finest growers and farmers at Home brand, as well as their other in the Auckland region and the rest of two restaurants (Cassia, and Sid at the New Zealand. Selecting exceptional French Café). Seeing an opportunity ingredients from local suppliers is at to “pay it forward”, the Sahrawats the forefront of our ethos and I look vendor financed Chandra and his forward to showcasing these, using wife, Lucia, into the restaurant. the flavours of my heritage, in “We believe in The agreement is like one the months and years to come.” the Sahrawats were given While the menu may be showcasing the best when an investor helped changing at Sidart, the core seasonal produce and them with funding back team at the restaurant ingredients from some in 2009. remains the same, as Chandra has been does its spectacular view of the finest growers and working with the of the Auckland city farmers in the Auckland Sahrawats since 2014, skyline. The team will region and the rest of co-creating the popular also continue to focus on New Zealand.”

Cassia menu at its launch delivering the exceptional and finessing the Sidart menu dining experience Sidart has - Lesley Chandra transition to elevated Indian made its name on. Sidart is cuisine in 2018. He also moved currently one of only five Three to Sid at The French Café when the Hatted restaurants in New Zealand and Sahrawats acquired that restaurant and a Viva Top 10 restaurant. worked there until July last year.

Sidart is open for dinner Tuesday Chandra, who has long been touted to Saturday and lunch on Friday. as “one to watch” and has wanted to Reservations are essential. n open his own restaurant for some time, says he’s both excited and terrified to For more information see re-open Sidart’s illustrious doors. www.sidart.co.nz.

16 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

A LA CARTE

A Dream Come True

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Lesley Chandra sat down with Hospitality Business editor, Kimberley Dixon to discuss his style, culinary background and to share the secrets of his success.

became a chef because I fell in love with the kitchen culture, my first job was at a Mexican restaurant Hola Mexican after school, washing dishes, over a few weeks I watched the chefs cook and plate hundreds of dishes in the space of a few hours and the intensity of service got me hooked. I asked the owner if I could cook and he said yep but you still have to do dishes, so I did both.

I then went and studied how to develop my chef skills at the Auckland Hotel Chef Training Centre in Newmarket because I wanted to further my career, from there I got my first commis chef job at a bistro then called the Maple Room (Remuera), which had won best new restaurant awards in Cuisine magazine a few years ago. It was there I learnt the foundations of cooking and that set me up for my future.

After working and travelling around the world I finally decided that I needed to get serious and work for some of the best in New Zealand. My first break came in 2012 when I got a job at a new Italian place called Baduzzi, working for Ben Bayly. This was instrumental to my career, he showed me techniques and flavours that I had not seen before.

I was there for nearly two years and was ready to step up and be on my way to a more senior position at Baduzzi when, one day in 2014 I received a call from chef Sid Sahrawat. At that time

Sid was a chef I had always wanted to work for, but his restaurant Sidart had a small team and it was very hard to get into. Sid said he got my number from Ben and that he was opening a modern Indian restaurant called Cassia and was looking for a head chef. He asked me if I was interested, I said yes straight away, I didn’t have to think about it.

I learnt a lot at Cassia, not only about Indian cuisine but European as well because we applied techniques from both to create the menus, Sid helped me understand how a restaurant is run, not just the kitchen, as a whole, both front and back had to work together seamlessly.

After Cassia I took a sabbatical and went to work in London for a year with my partner Lucia. I worked at a restaurant called The Typing Room in East London and I did a lot of trials at other places e.g The Clove Club, Kitchen Table and Fera, but the Typing Room’s food intrigued me the most and the chef Lee Westcott was great, as was the team. I gained a taste of working overseas which taught me things I never would have learned in New Zealand, especially because of the ingredients used.

From here I came back to New Zealand and worked again with Sid at Sidart

in Ponsonby, a place where I always wanted to work. A year later Sid bought the French Cafe and appointed me as head chef of Sid at The French Café which was a dream come true. At French I learned more about refining and being precise.

Then two and a half years later I became owner of Sidart, another dream come true.

My style is a mixture of European and Asian I would say mostly Indian influenced but I do use Japanese and Thai flavours as well.

I think there are different restaurants that cater for people.We cannot all do the same thing, that’s why there are places that do just a la carte and restaurants that offer tasting menus, and some that do both. It’s up to the diner to decide what they want and where they go.

The move to plant based eating is big right now which is very interesting I cannot wait to see more places with a plant based menu.

Our goal at Sidart is to use the best and locally sourced produce where possible, we are lucky here in New Zealand that most of our ingredients are made / grown here which is great for restaurants, the more we use local, the better it is for everyone.

I love eating out, but I also enjoy cooking at home. I love having people over and making pizzas in the wood fire oven, you could say it’s my hobby. n

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 17

PLANT BASED FOODS

Vegan Cheese Awards celebrate Kiwi palate Better for your health & the environment?

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ave you ever gazed at vegan cheeses trying to decide which one melts the best on pizza, or which one your diners will enjoy on a cheese board?

Vegan cheese makers have finally cracked the Holy Grail of plantbased cheese, including blue, feta and mozzarella cheeses. Once considered the domain of the dairy industry, Kiwi entrepreneurs have been working hard to create plant-based alternatives.

The judges at New Zealand’s first Vegan Cheese Awards, held at The Butcher’s Son, taste tested over 30 different local cheeses. Nine different

18 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

categories of cheese were tasted and tested and given marks out of ten.

These plant-based cheeses are made from ingredients such as cashew nuts, potato starch, coconut oil, macadamia nuts, even kumara and a variety of herbs and spices.

According to Media spokesperson Claire Insley there is no cholesterol in plants, so those keen to preserve their health as well as the environment can finally eat their way safely into cheese heaven. Supermarkets know that vegan cheese is on the rise as they are seeing a 36 percent increase in plantbased foods.

PLANT BASED FOODS The Vegan Society Aotearoa New Zealand has announced its first vegan cheese award winners: • Mozzarella winner: Zenzo Runner Up: Angel Food • Feta winners are joint: Angel Food and Let Them Eat Vegan Runner Up: Savour • Cream Cheese winner: Angel Food Runner Up: Grater Goods • Soft Cheese winner: Let Them Eat Vegan – Cheddar Spread Runner Up: Treetops Foods – Sundried Tomato and Garlic • Hard Cheese winner: Treetops Food – Pepper Kick • Flavoured Cheese winner: Savour – Cumin Cheese Runner Up: Savour – Chipotle Cheese • Surface Ripened winner: Moa – Blue Cheese Runner Up: Savour – Cashbert • Commercial Cheddar winner: Zenzo Runner Up: Zenzo – Smoky Paprika Cheese The supreme winner was Let Them Eat Vegan with their Cheddar Spread.

The awards were judged by vegan comedian Tom Sainsbury, Food and Beverage Industry Judge Aaron Pucci, restaurant owners Mike Khuwattanasenee (Khu Khu) and Luke Burrows (Wise Boys)

who had the task of awarding marks based on texture, appearance and flavour of the vegan cheeses.

They were particularly impressed with Angel Food’s Cream Cheese saying it was “Amazing on a bagel, spreadable, classic authentic cream cheese, wonderfully rich.”

Media spokesperson Claire Insley said: “Congratulations to all our winners and runners up, it’s clear that healthy, plant-based cheeses are ready to tackle the Kiwi palate. Our awards are showcasing the excellence in this niche, yet burgeoning market. These cheeses are healthy for you, healthy for our environment and kind to animals, when vegan cheese tastes this good, why settle for less?” n

Dairy Free February

The Vegan Society has announced its third annual Dairy Free Awards to time with internationally celebrated “FebNoDairy”. Voting began on February 1and the Award winners will be announced at the end of the month. Meanwhile the Society is calling for submissions of favourite dairy-free (and vegan) products, seeking nominations from individuals and industry alike.

The awards are split into 4 categories, featuring vegan versions of Butter, Milk, Ice Cream and Yoghurt.

“The market for dairy-free alternatives continues to grow and the Vegan Society is recognising this with our People’s Choice Awards. This is an opportunity for New Zealand’s farmers to diversify and ensure that NZ grown plants can be used in all these great products. Oat milks and yoghurts are becoming particularly popular as people seek to reduce their cholesterol” said Claire Insley, media spokesperson, “these foods are better for your health and better for the environment and it is time they were given the opportunity to shine. Our Awards seek to do this and we are looking for your help to make it happen for your favourite dairy-free product,”

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 19

TRAINING

Professional development road-show underway The Restaurant Association has launched its first event of 2022, with a professional development road-show.

This bespoke two day workshop has been designed for hospitality business owners and senior managers looking to kickstart 2022.

The event will provide effective strategies designed to inspire, motivate, and empower hospitality teams. The organisers say it will also cover innovative technological systems to streamline business operations and maximise profits.

Industry heavyweights Marg Main and Adrian Wills, will lead the content delivery of the sessions sharing their combined years of industry experience.

Marg Main is the founder of Turning Tables, a hospitality training and coaching business focused on helping business owners nationwide to retain, develop and grow their teams. Marg is an industry professional with over 30 years of experience, in a mixture of roles and venues across the hospitality sector.

She remains passionate about utilising her experience to inspire, interest and educate hospitality staff and managers across NZ.

Marg is a creative and engaging facilitator, who brings a fabulous sense of humour and fun to her sessions.

Adrian Wills is the Founder of Trickle, a leading New Zealand hospitality insights platform. Hospitality and technology go hand in hand for Adrian. He has taken 15 years of experience in the start-up sector, specialising in point of sale, and developed a platform to enable the hospitality sector to make data-driven decisions from aggregated on premise data.

A seasoned hospitality entrepreneur, Adrian is also one of the owners of wellknown and loved The Beer Spot, with five locations across Auckland, all pouring New Zealand’s independent beer.

Day one focuses on team development and motivation and covers Leadership communication and personality styles; retention and motivation strategies; staff engagement; getting the best value from training and coaching and the four stages of team development.

Day two shows how embracing technology can streamline business and maximise profits.

Adrian Wills will take attendees through

a technology-centred approach to improving business processes covering hospitality systems and technologies to streamline processes, improving efficiency to increase profitability and improving POS and menu systems.

The annual Roadshow launches February 15th, and takes in five regions across the country: AUCKLAND 15-16 Feb 2022, 10:00–14:00 Taste WHANGAREI 21-22 Feb 2022, 10:00–14:00 NorthTec QUEENSTOWN 7-8 March 2022, 10:00–14:00, Sherwood CHRISTCHURCH 14-15 March, 2022 10:00–14:00 The George WELLINGTON 28-29 March 2022, 10:00–14:00 Counter Culture Tickets can be booked online at https:// events.humanitix.com/restaurant-associationprofessional-development-roadshow-2022 and start at $300. n

The Hospitality Training Trust (HTT) was set up to encourage and support training in the sector.

Hospitality Training Trust – 2022 Grants Each year the Trust provides grants to associations, companies or individuals for projects that will further the aims and criteria of the Trust around building excellence across the hospitality sector.

If you have a project that will make a difference to the hospitality sector, we would like to hear from you.

Applications close 22nd April 2022. Approved grants will be notified late May. Visit the HTT website and complete the online application form https://www.htt.org.nz/grant-applications/

HYGIENE SYSTEMS

Temperature

Measurement Technology

Food Safety Systems What do they all mean?

FCP, NP, HACCP and GOP Even though keeping food safe requires know-how, sometimes it’s confusing trying to understand the different names and systems used to describe food safety control.

• FCP (Food Control Plan) A written document used by a high risk food business. It sets out the steps needed to keep food safe by identifying and controlling rosks. It must be registered with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), once a year. Many businesses can use a ready-made Food Control Plan template provided by MPI. Others need to develop their own.

NP (National Programme) A set of food safety rules for medium and low risk food businesses. This must be registerd with MPI once every two years.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) This internationally recognised system is also a way of identifying and controlling risks to food. It uses seven stages. New Zealand food safety rules are based on HACCP. GOP (Good Operating Practice) GOP’s describe specific actions to take to keep food safe. There are many GOP’s on the MPI website covering all aspects of food safety , ranging from personal hygiene practice, kitchen and equipment safety, how to safely cook livers or minced red meat or roast Chinese duck, or make sushi, as well as managing allergens.

GOP’s are an essential part of any food safety plan that controls risk.

The above information is from Food Safety – Whakamaru Kai – A guide for New Zealand food handlers. Written by Lesley ChristensenYule and published by Edify. n

Ensure quality and compliance with Testo HACCP Instruments In the food industry, temperature measurements are part of the daily routine, and the quality of products can only be tested and guaranteed by precise measurements. This is also the only way to fulfill HACCP regulations.

Whether in the transport or storage of foods, in restaurants or large kitchens, Testo instruments can carry out spot-check measurements in seconds and provide the accurate measuring results needed for food safety compliance.

Contact your nearest Eurotec office today for more information, or visit our online store to shop for your food safety instruments online.

www.testo.nz 09 579 1990

sales@eurotec.co.nz

www.eurotec.co.nz

BUSINESS

Dire Staff Shortages Curtail South Island Hospitality

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Operators report occupancies below 20 percent.

assive staff shortages have hit South Island hospitality venues extremely hard this summer forcing many operators to reduce opening hours, close off rooms and step into roles themselves during the peak summer weeks.

It’s been a long wait for operators just to get guests and business back and many say it was devastating to have to turn away business during the busy New Year period due to a lack of staff.

It’s believed to be the worst staff shortage resorts like Queenstown have ever faced with some staff even jumping ship for only 50 cents or $1 more an hour to work at another venue down the road. Employees can take their pick.

The Rees Hotel general manager Mark Rose says normally his hotel hosts 110,000 guests but during 2021 that dropped to 10,000 – 10 to 12 percent of what’s normal. “Even with occupancies that low everybody is still struggling to find staff,” he says.

“It’s carnage out there with staffing,” he says. “We’ve gone from 120 to 50 staff and I’m concerned that without the wage subsidy now how we can keep doing that.” Mark is now looking at taking a 60 percent wage reduction

himself just to retain his key staff. “I can’t afford to lose them,” he says.

“They’re the brains of the business.”

With no direction from the government operators say they’re finding it impossible to plan. “I’m trying to write a budget for April 1 and it’s proving very difficult,” says Mark.

He feels for so many smaller businesses that may not be able to hold on much longer. “They’re on the edge and I’ve got a feeling banks will be looking at their ledgers. Operators have hung on through Delta and now Omicron is on its way.”

Operators are concerned what will happen once the universities and schools return. “That will hurt,” says Mark.

He knows of operators locally who’ve been filling their roles at the moment with 16-year-olds who are earning $25 an hour.

“It’s been 19 months or so and people’s reserves must be dwindling. If a restaurateur has secured a loan over their house then the government’s just got to take a look at that,” says Mark. “I feel very pessimistic about the next 12 months now and I was very hopeful.”

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Millbrook Resort general manager Brian Howie says the Millbrook business has fared reasonably well during the peak summer holidays with a strong Kiwi market and it’s looking to continue that way for the first quarter of 2022. However, apart from the peak 10 days during New Year most Queenstown area occupancies are probably sitting at just below 20 percent on average.

Staffing remains a concern throughout the accommodation and hospitality sectors in Queenstown.

“Our concern is what will happen in February when students go back to university and the problem is exacerbated,” says Brian. “(Queenstown Lakes Mayor) Jim Boult has been out talking to a lot of employers about what assistance we can lobby the government for.”

Some operators are considering the possibility of staff pooling initiatives to get through. “Employees in some jobs may have variable hours and be able to pick up the slack in another business that may be busier,” says Brian. “In reality that could be difficult but we need more assistance from the government, removing some visa restrictions and reducing the tax on second jobs which makes working for different employers prohibitive.”

He says the staffing crisis will be a real handbrake on any economic recovery when visitors are able to return. “A significant number of workers have left and there’s no new pipeline - Millbrook Resort general manager of workers arriving in town.”

Brian Howie.

He’s concerned that without the wage subsidy operators will run out of steam.

Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Julie White says the industry’s been the hardest hit with no targeted support. “It’s been a continual rollercoaster. Their savings were eroded last year and people have extended and stretched their balance Front of house and barista sheets so far that it’s all gone,” she says. staff are in most need with One West Coast operator had to dire shortages nationwide call guests and move them during the because of the loss of busy peak weeks due to a lack of staff, seasonal backpackers and overseas workers. says Julie. In Timaru another HNZ

“We need more assistance from the government, removing some visa restrictions and reducing the tax on second jobs,”

BUSINESS member reported three businesses in one block all searching for a chef. “This is the time when operators make the money that will carry them through the quieter winter months.”

Some operators are looking at options like menu apps to get orders to the kitchen. It’s not ideal when hospitality is about face to face greeting.

“It’s a remedy, not a permanent fix,” says Julie. So many operators have been forced to adjust housekeeping schedules with only 50 percent occupancy during peak summer. “Cleaning is literally taking a week now for some because of staff shortages,” she says. “Everyone’s got Covid crisis fatigue and realistically this year is looking similar.”

Christchurch operator Jeremy Stevens says he’s spent an extra $20,000 trying to recruit staff during the past year. Money spent on a recruitment agency produced no staff. “We need to showcase why hospitality is a good career and push that,” he says.

“Hospitality is seen as a career in Europe.” Even with a few dollars more an hour and a bonus scheme for employees at his three venues there’s only so much the customers will pay for a beer, steak and chips, says Jeremy.

“Unfortunately the most difficult to recruit are the Millennials,” he says.

“Although we have superstars in this age group currently working for us we see the stereotypical Millennial applying for jobs all the time. Zero experience

and they feel like they deserve $25 an hour or more. They don’t want to work weekends and think we have to work our business around their needs. It’s bizarre,” says Jeremy.

Vaccine mandates lost him a few staff but Jeremy says he totally supported their decision without judgment.

“There’s a massive human rights issue there and it’s their right.”

They’ve even felt the pinch in small towns like Reefton on the West Coast and Hanmer Springs. Reefton’s Alfresco Outdoor Eatery owner Paula Cutbush has adjusted her offering to suit staff shortages. “We’ve changed from a full restaurant to a more relaxed pizzeria as it’s been so difficult to find skilled staff and keep them through winter,” she says.

In Hanmer Rustic Café and Tapas Bar co-owner Stacey Inglis says local primary school students, 12 and 13-year-olds, have been called in to some cafes to clear café tables and polish cutlery. In her cafe she has her 10-year-old daughter helping out. She was forced to close for dinners during the busy weeks. A local recruitment operator has been working hard to try and draw staff in and pair them with businesses.

Front of house and barista staff are in most need with dire shortages nationwide because of the loss of

seasonal backpackers and overseas workers.

In Wanaka FuDog, Federal and Fedeli co-owner Neesh Ellis and her FuDog business partner, John Menzies, have had to step up to fill roles with John churning out some 60-hour weeks in the kitchen. Her Dunedin chef nephew helped out for one week over New Year and her young daughter, normally a holiday waitress, has done her fast-track training into cold larder.

Federal has remained closed for evening dining since the start of the last lockdown. “A combination of a quiet off-period prior to Christmas without the Auckland market, along with a staff shortage meant it wasn’t possible to extend the hours again,” says Neesh. Thankfully, she received one reply to a recent ad when her Fudog duty manager left. “We’ve had a very good New Year but we’re not sure where to from here,” she says.

At worst they’ll have to close one more day a week in FuDog with Sundays now shut, to give staff a break.

Meanwhile, in Auckland operators are finding it difficult to recruit and retain chefs and staff with operators in traditionally busy popular spots such as, Ponsonby, St Heliers and the Viaduct revising their opening hours around staff availability. n

“Operators are considering the possibility of staff pooling initiatives to get through.”

A robotic solution for staff shortages? - Bellabot in Paihia Labour shortages have become so dire that some restaurants are already using robots as food runners to deliver and collect plates to and from tables.

A handful of restaurants in New Zealand are reportedly already either using Bellabot robots, or trialling them as a means to get around the lack of staff. A number of Australian restaurants are also already reportedly using them.

For Paihia’s GREEN’S - Thai Cuisine owner Vikas Sharma, who also owns GREEN’S - Indian Cuisine next door, leasing the robots has enabled him and his staff to focus more on providing better customer service. “These robots actually work hand in hand with our staff. They are quite innovative,” he says. They’re making their mark around the world and have proved effective for contactless pick-up during COVID, says Vikas.

With the robots costing around $28,000 each to buy, he’s leasing three different versions for about $45 to $62 a day (depending on the model) and it’s helping

to get him through extremely tough times hunting for staff.

“I’m using Bellabot just now and it’s really smart, delivering food from the kitchen,” he says. “It even tells customers to put their plate on its tray and returns the used plates to the kitchen,” says Vikas.

Holabot is also brilliant at food table clearance and Kettybot with its two trays is suitable for smaller cafes, he says. The robots have sensors and cameras to stop them bumping into chairs and tables. They even offer friendly chat as they make their way around the restaurant so people know they’re coming, says Vikas.

Staff accompany Bellabot at tables and are able to spend more time at with customers. The robot has become quite a novelty with customers, old and young, but can’t quite be trusted to ensure the right customer gets ‘medium’ or ‘hot’ spices. “It just saves us that extra time when we’re busy and makes life a little bit easier for the staff when we’re all working such long hours.”

“Robots have become an important part of our business and are doing the job of a runner and in turn helping our staff to focus more on their customer service skills,” he says. “This is definitely a great invention, a much needed one after 18 months battling to find staff. I finally got one applicant for a position yesterday after 18 months of trying.”

Vikas says in such desperate staffing times he has to do all he can to keep his hard-earned businesses alive.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 23

TECH TALK

Emerging trends to help the bottom line

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7 benefits of using QR code menus in your restaurant.

s a foodservice operator, enhancing convenience for your customers is always a top priority. How easy it is to browse and select from your menu, is almost as important as the quality of the food for ensuring your customers have a positive experience.

Several emerging restaurant technology trends are helping operators improve their service and enhance customer convenience.

1. Faster service without rushing customers While it’s important to provide your customers with an enjoyable dining experience, speed is another critical component of service. This is especially true in busy establishments where the goal is to confirm each guest’s order as quickly as possible (without making any mistakes) and get it over to the kitchen for cooking.

Rather than having staff stand near a table and wait for customers to choose 24 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

from a traditional printed menu, a QR code menu means that customers can send their orders off to the kitchen as soon as they’re ready. This can dramatically speed up service so that customers spend less time on the ‘boring bits’ of ordering and get straight to the dining experience they came to enjoy.

You can even give customers the option to order ahead so that their food is ready as soon as they arrive.

Using QR code menus to speed up table turnover means you can serve more diners and increase the profitability of each service.

While there will be an upfront cost to set up a QR code menu, when implemented thoughtfully the savings can really add up. In an OpenTable article, it’s revealed that a US chef was able to save $3000 USD (around $4200 NZD) after adopting QR code menus in their restaurant by not having to design, alter, or reprint physical menus.

That’s to say nothing of the value QR code menus can bring in terms of

increased productivity and improved customer experience.

2. Easily update menu items Because your QR code menu is hosted digitally, it means that you can easily update it at the touch of a button. For example, if you run low on a particular ingredient and can no longer serve a certain dish, it’s easy to remove the item from the digital menu or place a disclaimer stating that it’s no longer available. This eliminates the hassle and cost of reprinting menus or having your staff explain why something has changed.

3. Entice customers with photos of every dish While some restaurants include photos of their dishes in printed menus, space is usually too limited to have a photo of every dish. Forcing in too many images can make a printed menu appear cluttered and confusing for many diners.

TECH TALK One of the greatest benefits of a QR code menu is that it allows you have images of all your delicious food without having to worry about space or increased printing costs. Customers can easily scroll through your entire menu and see your tantalising photos and descriptions for every dish.

passed around and then collected again create plenty of opportunities for infection to spread from customers to staff and vice versa.

QR code menus and other contactless ordering systems help to minimise physical contact without diminishing the experience for customers.

4. Reduce pressure on FOH staff It’s not uncommon for even the most talented and experienced FOH staff to feel overwhelmed during a busy service. As we wrote about in our article on hospitality staffing challenges, one of the ways you can reduce pressure on FOH staff is to adopt QR code menus.

If 100% of tables are ordering using their smartphones, your FOH staff will have more time to focus on other aspects of service. Your waitstaff will feel less rushed, and this also helps to create a more relaxing environment for customers who can usually tell when your team is struggling.

With less pressure on them, FOH staff can get more done without feeling overworked. As a foodservice operator, this means you could avoid the cost of hiring and training new staff.

6. Marketing and Will you start using a customer feedback QR code menu?

Your QR code menu can be an According to Statista, over 135.6% of excellent marketing asset. When a Kiwis owned at least one smartphone customer scans your QR code and as of 2021, meaning the chance of gets taken to your menu portal, it’s a customer entering your business a perfect opportunity to upsell them without the ability to use a QR code with a special offer and encourage is pretty slim. With all the benefits them to follow your social media that adopting this technology can channels without hassling them. bring, it’s hard to find reasons Think about it – if someone’s already not to transition away from “Eliminate the using their phone when they traditional printed menus. n see a call-to-action to like your hassle and cost of Facebook page, it’ll be easier for Editorial source: reprinting menus or them to do it.

Nestlé Professional. having your staff explain Also, a QR code menu gives you an easy way to collect customer why something feedback. What better way to find has changed.” out how a customer felt about a dish than right after they’ve finished eating it? The convenience of a digital interface on their smartphone makes it much more likely a customer will provide valuable feedback that you can use to improve your business.

5. Enhanced hygiene and safety In the wake of the pandemic, consumers have gravitated towards contactless payments and are generally more reluctant to handle cash and engage in unnecessary contact while out. Printed menus being handed out,

menus. Digital menus also mean digital receipts, and your customers will appreciate the convenience and environmental benefits they bring.

While this may only seem like a drop in the ocean, all the paper you’ve used to create menus or print receipts can really add up over the years.

7. Sustainability Of course, going digital means that you can eliminate the paper waste and energy used to produce printed

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - FEBRUARY 2022 25

CAFÉ SCENE

Kiwi invention brews global respect Christchurch based coffee ingenuity.

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benchtop coffee roasting his world championship winning machine designed and brew.” manufactured in New In the championship competitors Zealand has achieved global prepare and serve three individual recognition through the 2021 World beverages for a panel of judges and Brewers Cup competition, part of the must also accompany their beverage 2021 World Coffee Championships preparation with a presentation. in Milan.

Matt Winton, who worked The Kaffelogic home roaster, alongside coach and friend Sam Corra designed in Dunedin and manufactured to produce the blend of roasted beans in Christchurch, produced the used in the competition, said the roasted coffee beans used by World versatility of the Kaffelogic roaster Brewers Cup winner Matt Winton, meant they could quickly and easily who represented Switzerland in the fine-tune the roast profile of the coffees championships. used.

John Robson, marketing director “I’m so impressed by the work at Kaffelogic, said the Brewers Cup Kaffelogic has done to produce an competition promotes the craft affordable roaster that produces of manual coffee brewing – “the incredibly high quality results. It’s an purest form of coffee brewing” – amazing little roaster and the quality of and recognises those who excel in the results speak for themselves.” producing hand-brewed filter coffee on In addition to Matt’s first place in a global scale. the World Brewers Cup, Kaffelogic“We’re thrilled with Matt’s success, roasted coffee won fifth place in the which confirms Kaffelogic as a world World Barista Championship, part of class product. Even more exceptional the same World Coffee Championship is the fact that Kaffelogic is a compact, event in Milan. benchtop appliance – tiny compared Competitors with large professional coffee roasting prepared four machines,” he said. espressos, four milk “Matt’s win proves that the Kaffelogic roaster can produce roasted coffee beans of the highest quality, which “We’re enabled him to deliver

thrilled with Matt’s success, which confirms Kaffelogic as a world class product.”

W or

ld B

n. to n i rew W att ers C up, winner M

26 FEBRUARY 2022 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

drinks, and four original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music.

Martin Shabaya of Kenya used coffee roasted on a Kaffelogic machine for his fifth place winning ‘milk coffee drink’ routine.

Kaffelogic was launched in 2019 following several years of development and trials by the company’s founder, Chris Hilder, along with investment from John Robson and former All Black Reuben Thorne. Units have now been sold in over 20 countries around the world.

The origin of the product is a classic Kiwi ‘back shed’ story, said Mr Robson.

“Chris spent four or five years figuring out how to roast coffee at home in Dunedin, initially using a popcorn maker. He learned from trial and error that in order to achieve the perfect roast, you need to control heat and airflow at different stages during the roast.”

Kaffelogic units are currently manufactured under contract in Christchurch, but the company plans to open a factory in Dunedin next year, bringing production back in-house to meet forecast global demand.

“While we haven’t been able to exhibit the product overseas in the past couple of years, Covid-19 has actually helped sales, as coffee lovers can buy the machine online to create a great coffee experience at home,” said Mr Robson.

Investment into the company this year by Christchurch-based investor Rob Farrell is enabling the company to focus its attention on growing sales in Europe, the USA and Japan, Mr Robson said.

“We have recently appointed new distributors to take the product to more offshore markets The Kaffelogic from 2022, including big home roaster, designed in launches in the USA and Dunedin and Japan. Both these markets manufactured in represent massive sales Christchurch. potential, supported by the recent results in Milan which are bringing global attention to the Kaffelogic machine.” n

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