Hospitality Business June 2019

HILTON TURNS 100 | HOOKED ON SALMON | MICRO GREENS

www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz JUNE 2019 Vol.6 No.5

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NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST HOSPITALITY AUDIENCE

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Contents REGULARS 06 DIGEST Industry news you need to know!

08 IN SEASON New Zealand food for winter menus.

18 NEW OPENINGS It’s Black & White Really!

HOTEL SCENE 12 THE HILTON TURNS 100 Setting the hotel scene!

16 CROWN PLAZA AUCKLAND launches paperless check in & the Sudima chain employs new high tech management system

FEATURES 20 PRE-PREPARED FOOD TRENDS Adding value and reducing stress!

32 HOOK LINE & SALMON! A tale of fish from lake to plate.

22 12 18

32

08 HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 3

Editor PUBLISHED BY The Intermedia Group Ltd 505 Rosebank Road, Avondale Auckland, 1026, New Zealand ph: 021 361 136 MANAGING DIRECTOR - PUBLISHER Dale Spencer dspencer@intermedianz.co.nz EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Wootton The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd, Australia www.intermedia.com.au EDITOR - HOSPITALITY Business Kimberley Dixon kdixon@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 0274 505 502 PUBLISHING ASSISTANT Eclypse Lee elee@intermedianz.co.nz SALES DIRECTOR Wendy Steele wsteele@intermedianz.co.nz ph: 021 300 473 SALES MANAGER - THE SHOUT Jacqueline Freeman jfreeman@intermedianz.co.nz 021 256 6351 CONTRIBUTORS Jes Magill, Sue Fea GRAPHIC DESIGNER Adrian Tipper – atipper@intermedia. com.au HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock – cblacklock@intermedia. com.au

JUNE 2019 Vol. 6 No. 5

From Lake to Plate!

Our June edition has a veritable feast of great stories to digest!

New Zealand’s very best food producers are celebrated for creating and supplying us with mouth wateringly delicious food worthy of any foodservice providers’ attention–including Miso infused butter from Bellefield in Cambridge, or Otago Provenance Lamb by Provenance Meat (Otago & Southland).

Chefs are once again asked to compete in the highly prized Ora King Salmon awards, and a South Island destination has a novel approach for hooking fish – from lake to plate! Turn to page 27 to read about a small company supplying micro vegetables for the industry, and for a festive celebration of survival we check out what makes The Hilton hotel chain rock into its second century!

Chocolate & Coffee connoisseurs could win tickets to our upcoming show by entering our readership survey ! Go to https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/HBBRS19 and be in to win!!

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

Kia Kaha Stay Strong.

Kimberley Dixon

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HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 5

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

Seven Weeks Annual Leave Plus The Living Wage?

In an industry that can be rife with long hours, minimal pay, tough working conditions, and high staff turnover, Rotorua catering company, Stolen Bike Ltd is setting a new benchmark for the way in which hospitality staff are rewarded for their hard work and their contribution to the company’s success.

At Stolen Bike Catering all staff paid are paid in excess of New Zealand’s living wage (currently $21.15 per hour), obtain seven weeks annual leave per year, can access companyfunded training and personal development, and receive unlimited sick leave. With extremely low staff turnover and minimal accident rates compared with industry averages, Stolen Bike’s approach is clearly working, says Director and Head Chef Ryan Gregorash. “Most of us work in hospitality for the simple reason that we are passionate about preparing and serving delicious food for others to enjoy.

But working in this industry can be tough.

It’s a high pressure, fast-paced environment where you’re critically judged on every single plate of food you serve. You can get burnt, you can get cut, the hours are long, and the pay can be poor. It’s not surprising that as an industry, hospitality churns through about 50% of its staff single year. At Stolen Bike, we’re working hard to change this,” he says.

One of the goals for Stolen Bike is to be an ‘Employee First’ company – where key decisions are discussed and debated before being implemented, where creativity and risk-taking is encouraged and celebrated, where team members ideas and decisions are backed. And most importantly, to be company where decisions are made based not only on what’s good for the company and its customers, but for its team members too.

Chef Gregorash believes that working for Stolen Bike should be a viable, sustainable, and rewarding choice, where team members can not only satisfy their passion for making great food, but a choice that gives them more financial freedom, increased flexibility, and development opportunities that allow them to thrive outside of work too.

“All of our team members have different personal goals – saving for a house, spending time with their kids during school holidays, working towards owning or running their own restaurant for example.

As their employer, Stolen Bike chooses to play a role in helping them achieve these things. Not only is it the right thing to do, it makes good business sense too,” says Chef Gregorash.

Stolen Bike has some big ambitions – opening new restaurants in Rotorua, expanding its high-end out-catering offering, and capitalising on the growth opportunities in and around the Redwood Forest. Chef Gregorash is convinced these goals will only be achieved if the company has a strong, stable, capable, committed and motivated team.

“Paying the team a fair wage, offering 7 weeks annual leave, funding their professional and personal development, and investigating pathways for our team to earn an ownership stake in our business are not only things that feel good, they are deliberate and long-term strategic decisions we’ve made to help us achieve Stolen Bike’s goals,” says Chef Gregorash. While Chef Gregorash recognises these decisions have led to an increase in Stolen Bike’s overheads, a conscious effort has been made to avoid passing these costs onto customers via price increases. This is because the longterm benefits to the company are more than offset by the short-term costs of the decisions.

“Yes, our costs have increased by 6-7% as a result of these decisions. But we also looked very closely at the potential costs of recruiting and training new staff, the loss in productivity while they get up to speed, and the potential cost of fatigued, overworked staff who would be more likely to get injured. We can already see the positive difference these plans have made to our staff turnover, to the number of workplace injuries, and most importantly, to the morale of the team. We firmly believe that by being a good employer, and adopting a ‘Employee First’ approach, we have made our company more profitable in the

IF IT'S NEWS LET US KNOW:

Email Kimberley Dixon at kdixon@intermedianz.co.nz 6 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

medium to long-term and in a much, much better position to achieve its ambitions,” says Chef Gregorash.

The company’s strong vision, its employee-first strategy, and its continual drive to improve was recently recognised at the Westpac Rotorua Business Awards where the judges named Stolen Bike Catering as the cities Best Small Business for 2018.

Who Is Ryan?

Ryan Gregorash is a renowned chef and business owner with over 25 years’ experience, having run successful restaurants, cafés and bars in Rotorua and Tauranga. He has worked for a number of major global organisations in various culinary and hospitality roles and was recently nominated as Chairperson of Rotorua’s Hospitality Advisory Committee.

Awards

• Ryan has won four New Zealand Beef & Lamb Awards, the most sought-after award in the New Zealand restaurant and hospitality industry • Stolen Bike Catering has won the New Zealand United Fish Award for creativity with fish and seafood products • Stolen Bike Catering won the Best Small Business Award at the 2018 Westpac Rotorua Business Excellence Awards

Meat Still Matters Good Group’s Botswana Butchery restaurant in Auckland’s iconic Ferry Building recently played host to leading Australian beef farming merchants, the family owned STANBROKE. Guests enjoying a five course feast of bovine deliciousness! The menu enabled STANBROKE to showcase its various tender, tasty cuts, including their versatile signature Black Angus, and premium marbled Sanchoku Wagyu. The menu, provided

by Chefs Richard Highnam and Mark Gillespie, started with canapés, followed by tenderloin Wagyu MB6 and Classic beef Tartare & Carpaccio and each of the six courses were accompanied by a selection of New Zealand and Australian wines. www.stanbroke.com

A feast of meat – including Black Angus & Wagyu cuts.

America Calling – Millenials!

Restaurant operators across all segments of the American sector will focus on building business among younger consumers going forward. To attract tech savvy consumers a majority of operators expect to devote more resources to social media marketing and electronic marketing according to the 2019 State of The Industry Report which has preference breakouts by generation and segment including:• 50% Half of all consumers - including 67% of millenials say the availability of delivery makes them more likely to choose one restaurant over another.

• 43% Of adults say they are more likely to incorporate restaurant prepared items, such as the main dish, side, or dessert into their home prepared meals than they were two years ago. This rises to 58% among millenials.

• 55% Of consumers who say they would order breakfast items more often if restaurants offered them throughout the day and among millenials this rose to 63%.

WORKFORCE TRENDS - OLDER EMPLOYEES

The number of adults aged 55 or older working in the US restaurant industry jumped 70 percent from 2007 to 2018 – an increase of 400,000 people – becoming an increasingly important labour source. Teen labour in this sector is shrinking as the US economy expands.

AND IN AUCKLAND? $28 out of every $100 is spent on restaurant and takeaway food.

The number of Kiwis ordering food delivered straight to their door is predicted to grow at twice the rate of dining in, or picking up takeaways in the next four years*

Source : Statistics New Zealand

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 7

IN SEASON Merino Lamb

Broccoli

It’s broccoli season and that means it’s time to be innovative with this brilliant superfood.

Broccoli is part of the Brassica family of vegetables which includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccolini, Asian varieties of cabbage, turnips and swedes.

It’s the star of the family, and it has certainly received its fair share of attention in the past few years. Research has shown that the vegetable is very high in antioxidants and has the ability to protect against various cancers and chronic diseases making it a popular choice in Kiwi households.

Broccoli comes in all shapes and sizes including sprouting broccoli (dark blue-green heads with firm stalks which snap easily), purple broccoli (smaller heads with a deep purple tinge) and its classy cousin Broccolini with its long stems and smaller heads.

Sauté it, roast it, steam it or shave it raw. Pair it up with New Zealand lamb and toss grated gruyere cheese across the top (and grill) for a heart-warming winter meal, create a colourful winter salad starring broccoli and add a peanut dressing, or it goes brilliantly in a spaghetti bolognese. It’s available on the market floor now at a good price. Go to www.firstpick.co.nz

Merino lamb roams freely throughout the Southern Alps grazing on wild herbs and native grasses. This free-range lifestyle creates a lean, tender meat which brings a refined flavour to restaurant menus.

Ambassador Chef Scott Buckler from No. 31 Restaurant & Bar in Hanmer Springs, loves to serve Merino lamb on his menu combining it with native flavours such as Horopito and Manuka salted rubs to give customers the whole New Zealand dining experience. nzexcellenceawards.co.nz

Cabbage

Cabbages are one of the oldest known vegetables and have been a staple of the New Zealand diet for decades.

Throughout their long history they have often been thought of as a ‘cheap’ and not particularly inspiring vegetable. Today, with Asian inspired cooking on the increase and fermented vegetables gaining popularity, this versatile vegetable is being celebrated more and more.

Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked and added to a wide variety of dishes like salads, soups, stews, sauerkraut, kimchi and coleslaw.

In addition to being adaptable to many recipes, cabbage is extremely affordable.

Scallops

Scallops, or tupa as they are called in Te reo, are often found around New Zealand coasts, sandbanks and mudbanks of sheltered bays in depths up to 50 metres. They lie on the seabed with the flat valve of their shell on top.

Scallops have a fan-shaped bivalve shell with deep ridges. The shells can vary greatly in colour, from brown, orange, yellow and pink to a mix of all of shades.

Harvest begins in July and peaks in September, with the main dredging areas being Tasman Bay, Golden Bay, Marlborough Sounds, Coromandel coasts and Northland coasts.

Popular for their subtle sweetness, scallops have a white flesh with a smooth flavour and bright orange roe. When buying, ensure the meat is plump and fresh, with a firm lustrous flesh that has no discolouration or dryness.

They should smell slightly sweet and pleasantly briny, but not sharp.

Extremely versatile, scallops can be eaten raw, crumbed, pan fried and used in a variety of seafood dishes, or as the star. The meat becomes tender and juicy when cooked quickly on a high heat, changing from translucent to white within minutes. Be sure to remove from heat immediately to avoid overcooked, rubbery scallops. For a quick meal, try searing or pan-frying scallops as part of a seafood stir fry, or for a more complete dish incorporate into a paella, creamy pasta or risotto.

For more seafood recipes visit www.seafood.co.nz/recipes/ 8 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

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KITCHEN SYNC

Wooden Spoon Freezery Scoops Top Accolade Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards

W

ellington’s Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery has taken top honours in the third annual Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, being named Supreme Champion. They also won Emerson’s Dairy Champion at the awards ceremony held at the Captains Lounge in Auckland.

The company received the awards for their Blackcurrant Crunch ice cream.

Founders Sharon Galeon and Midori Willoughby say the creation of the winning ice cream was the result of a happy confluence of events. A group of Otago Girls High School students asked the Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery if they could help create a new flavour for their Young Enterprise Scheme called Spoon Me, and then coincidentally the team from ViBERi Organic Blackcurrants got in touch.

This serendipitous set of events led to the creation of the pretty purple ice cream which the judges praised for its crunch and fruity flavour.

Wooden Spoon was founded by the pair in Wellington in 2011. They specialise in small batch, handcrafted ice cream made with quality ingredients. Their flavours are inspired by memories from their childhood, adventures to new places and local New Zealand treasures.

The list of Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards 2019 Champions are:• Supreme Champion; Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery, Blackcurrant Crunch Ice Cream (Wellington). The judges said they “loved the crunch, the delicious mouthfeel and the creamy, natural flavour.”

• Emerson’s Dairy Champion; Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery, Blackcurrant Crunch Ice Cream (Wellington) • Farro Earth Champion; Chia Sisters Bottled by the Sun, Nelson Apple and Boysenberry Juice (Nelson). The judging panel said this juice “had 10 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

natural colour and flavour and was a great representation of apple and boysenberry.”

• Ara Wines Paddock Champion; Provenance Lamb by Provenance Meat (Otago & Southland). The judges commented that the lamb was “juicy and moist with great flavour.”

• Water Champion; East Rock, Gisborne Tarakihi (Gisborne).

Judge Mat McLean chef/ restaurateur of Plate in Hamilton said, “The care in processing the fish was evident in the fish which had a superior texture and flavour. The flavour was just fantastic.”

A further seven Special Champion Awards were announced: • NZ Life & Leisure Spirit of New Zealand Award; Whitestone Cheese • Fresh.co.nz Outstanding Drink Award; Chia Sisters, Bottled by the Sun Nelson Apple and Boysenberry Juice (Nelson) • Label & Litho Outstanding Packaging Award; Barker’s of Geraldine, Fruit for Cheese Range (Geraldine) • FMCG Business Outstanding New

Product Award; Harraways, HARROS Oat Bites, Indian Spice (Dunedin) • Outstanding Sustainability Award; Roebuck Farm, Leaves + Shoots (Taranaki) • Outstanding Start-Up Business Award; Pastrami & Rye, Pastrami (Auckland) • Outstanding Free-From Award; Thoroughbread, Paleo Gold and Paleo Fruit Loaf (Horowhenua, Levin) n

Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards Supreme Champion Sharon Galeon from The Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery with event organisers Kathie Bartley and Nicola McConnell.

Ampersand Hosts Winner’s Dinner

Auckland’s Ampersand Eatery in Orakei, hosted the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards first Winner’s Dinner on Sunday May 19 with Chefs Mikey Newlands & Mat McLean creating a five course menu celebrating the medal winning entries.

On arrival guests were offered a choice from Giesen Wines Marlborough Cuvée, Ara Single Estate Marlborough Rosé, Emerson’s Beer and Chia Sisters Bottled by the Sun, Nelson Apple & Boysenberry Juice.

Menu highlights included the East Rock Gisborne Terakihi with Baby Vegetables and Bellefield Chilli & Lime Butter Sauce and the Wooden Boutique Freezery Blackcurrant Crunch Ice Cream with Augustine’s of Central Preserved Apricot Souffle!

TRAVEL & TOURISM

100 Years of the Hilton Empire Celebrating standards & style!

12 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

TRAVEL & TOURISM

H

ilton has transformed our industry over and over, whilst continuing to have a profound impact on its guests, team members and communities around the world.

It all began in 1919, when Conrad Hilton bought his first hotel ‒ ‘The Mobley’ in Cisco, Texas. It is since then that Hilton has led the industry with an innovative approach to products, amenities and service.

In 1927, the Waco Hilton was the first hotel to offer cold running water and air‒conditioning in its guest rooms.

Later, in 1947, the Roosevelt Hilton in New York had the honour of becoming the first hotel to install televisions in rooms. Hilton was then the first to install a multi‒hotel reservation system in 1948 and in 1959 opened the world’s first airport hotel at Hilton San Francisco Airport.

One‒hundred years later and 2019 is shaping up to be the company’s most dynamic year yet, with a portfolio of 17 world‒class brands comprising more than 5,600 properties in 113 countries and territories. In its centenary year, Hilton will launch three new brands globally, continue to develop innovations like the first mobile‒ centric ‘Connected Room’ and expand into eight new countries. It’s clear Hilton is pioneering the way for the next century of hospitality.

Hilton entered the Australasian market in 1974 with the opening of the iconic Hilton Sydney. Fast forward to today and Hilton has 27 trading hotels, with 10 more in the pipeline. This past year has seen the introduction of the Curio Collection by Hilton brand in Australia with the opening of West Hotel Sydney, as well as the recent opening of Hilton Port Moresby, the company’s first hotel in Papua New Guinea.

Spending the last century dedicated to fulfilling its mission of being the most hospitable company in the world, Hilton has welcomed more than three billion guests, provided employment opportunities to over 10 million team members and given back to thousands of communities.

In late 2018, Hilton commissioned a study into the impact that Hilton has had around the world, undertaken

by University of Stanford Business Professor, Chip Heath and co‒ authored by Karla Starr. The study, which became a commercially published e‒book, was entitled ‘The Hilton Effect’ and illustrates the positive, world‒altering impact Hilton has had, and continues to have,

“We truly believe that travel would not be where it is today without Hilton” Heidi Kunkel, Vice President of Operations Australasia, Hilton.

on billions of lives and thousands of communities around the globe. Hilton is entering new travel markets and bringing people and cultures together to make the world feel smaller, while expanding horizons and opportunities.

“We truly believe that travel would not be where it is today without Hilton,” said Heidi Kunkel, Vice President of Operations Australasia, Hilton. “Over the course of our 45‒year history in Australasia, we’ve witnessed the incredible positive impact travel and tourism can have. Today, as the popularity of travel continues on its upward trajectory, we aim to continue our pioneering spirit and be a beacon for hospitality.”

Through extensive independent research and in‒depth interviews, Heath found deeper meaning in the history and influence of the company over the past century. Heath focused on three areas that he argues define The Hilton Effect. >> HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 13

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Conrad Hilton was a visionary who had his first experience in hospitality hosting weary travellers on the road for work at his family’s boarding house and later at his first hotels.

Since then, Hilton has influenced guests by easing travel and broadening perspectives – changing travel as we know it through a century of firsts to create a modern travel industry and innovating the guest experience ‒ from the first concierge service for female travellers over 50 years ago to unexpected moments at the breakfast buffet.

Hilton has helped travellers step out of their comfort zone, embrace new experiences and open their mind to new destinations. For instance, Papua New Guinea is still a relatively undiscovered leisure destination rich in culture and abundant with natural beauty. With the opening of Hilton Port Moresby ‒ the first international hotel brand in PNG ‒ Hilton hopes to deliver a new standard of accommodation, F&B offering and conference facilities to travellers visiting Port Moresby.

As recounted by Heath, Hilton has impacted millions of team members – by fostering the powerful entrepreneurial spirit and autonomy that Conrad Hilton established.

With over 4,000 people currently working in Hilton hotels and corporate offices across Australasia, Hilton was in 2018 named Australia’s best hospitality company to work for by Great Place to Work. More recently, Hilton was recognised as Australia’s Employer 14 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

Hilton’s world‒class standards have inspired multiple generations of hospitality talent in Australasia and opened doors for them. An example of this is Hilton Australia’s national partnership with The Smith Family. As part of Careers@Hilton week, Hilton work with The Smith Family on the ‘Work Inspiration’ program, a three‒ day work experience program that enables disadvantaged youth to reach their full potential and highlights what a career in hospitality could look like.

Since working with The Smith Family, Hilton has seen approximately 500 students go through the program so far.

Hilton has woven itself into the history, economies and infrastructure of communities all over the world, becoming indispensable focal points in the process.

It has been the first to enter numerous emerging markets around the globe, has often remained during difficult times and has led the charge on revitalising areas that may have lost hope.

Across Australasia, Hilton’s team members have spearheaded wide‒ranging initiatives to engage the larger community where Hilton operates, serving as agents of change

who make a positive difference in people’s lives beyond the hotels.

Take Fiji for instance. Hilton team member Wilisoni Buadromo had a singular vision to make education accessible to the poorest children. As part of the Thrive@Hilton sabbatical program, he chose to become a volunteer tutor at Foundation for the Education of Needy Children (FENC) and participated in fundraising drives.

Empowered by Hilton, Wilisoni was able to put his cash grant to amazing use in supporting children whose families are still struggling to recover from hurricanes or who are otherwise unable to attend school regularly.

Says Heidi: “In order to maintain The Hilton Effect for another century, it is important that we continue to embrace a workplace culture that thrives. In return, we hope to continue providing heartfelt and authentic experiences that enrich our guests’ lives; deliver performances that allow owners to prosper and make our communities even stronger. We also hope to continue creating meaningful opportunities for our team members so they can prosper today and have an even better and brighter future.”

The Hilton Effect is real, and here’s cheers to the next century of Hilton Hospitality! n Source: Hotel Management magazine.

Hilton Auckland and the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

HOSPITALITY NEW ZEALAND

As We See it Working together towards harm minimisation across New Zealand

A

s I write, I am in the USA on a study tour of the National Restaurant Association’s 100th anniversary show in Chicago, made possible thanks to a grant from the Hospitality Training Trust. Here, at the conference in Chicago, we have heard at length information that has been both insightful and surprising regarding the use of cannabis in some US states. This includes smoking, vaping, cosmetic and medicinal applications, and of particular interest to the hospitality industry, in various edible forms. The latter has now become a significant part of several food service businesses across the US. With the legalisation of cannabis now a hot topic locally and globally, Hospitality New Zealand is currently researching all angles, as we do with all potential legislative changes, to ensure we have fully considered the impact of this topic on our members, alongside the hospitality industry and New Zealand as a whole.

Should the legalisation of cannabis in New Zealand go ahead (which is now a possibility with the referendum on personal use planned for 2020), then it becomes even more important that as a society, we get ahead of the potential for increased drug-related harm by ensuring we have better, safer and more reliable regulations in place ahead of the referendum.

Hospitality New Zealand welcomes a new focus on better regulations to prevent drug-related harm; in bars, on the roads, and as a society, and that is why we welcome the Ministry of Transport recently opening consultations on road-side testing for drug-impaired driving, and support measures to introduce more reliable, and more frequent testing of drivers that are under the influence of drugs while driving. There are some legal implications to be considered, which we will be highlighting in our submission to the Ministry of Transport on behalf of members.

In a survey conducted by the NZ Drug Foundation, 67.1 percent of cannabis users reported driving under the influence of cannabis, compared to 23.6 percent of drinkers in the sample. Concerningly, 56.4 percent of respondents said taking cannabis did not affect their driving ability, while 16.4 percent believed it made their driving “slightly better”. That is despite studies showing that drivers who have used cannabis have slower reaction times, are less able to control their vehicles and are more likely to cause collisions.

Interestingly, 70.5 percent of respondents to the same NZ Drug Foundation survey agreed that random roadside drug

testing would improve road safety in New Zealand.

The responsible drinking campaigns and training that our members have engaged in, alongside their peers in the hospitality and beverage industries, have successfully built a greater awareness among customers of drinking alcohol safely and responsibly. As a nation, we are now consuming alcohol at the lowest levels in over 30 years.

Figures from the New Zealand Health Survey 2017/2018 show consumption of alcohol among adults in NZ has dropped by 4.9 percent since 2006/7.

According to the Ministry of Transport, in 1990, 42 percent of fatal crashes involved alcohol, which dropped significantly to 20 percent in 2017.

Regular roadside testing of alcoholimpaired drivers, alongside drink-driving awareness campaigns, and measures such as training staff to offer to book a taxi or rewarding sober drivers with a free soft drink, have all worked together to act as a deterrent to drink-drivers. The significant growth in the NZ market of low- and zero-alcohol beverages (lighter and low alcohol beer made up 7 percent of sales in 2018, and growing each year since 2016), is welcome evidence that the hospitality and beverage industries’ efforts to promote safe driving and safe drinking practices are having a positive knock-on effect on consumer choices and harm reduction.

The work that has already been done to promote safe drinking has had a quantifiably positive effect on consumers and on their communities.

Hospitality New Zealand encourages the Government to address drugrelated harm with similar energy. Our goal is safe bars, safe roads and safe communities. While sterling work has already begun to ensure safety from alcohol-related harm, and gamingrelated harm, there is still work to be done by Government authorities to reduce the personal and societal harm caused by drugs, and NZ must get ahead of this before the 2020 referendum goes ahead. n HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 15

HIGH TECH HOTELS

Paperless Check-In & Check-Out System Crowne Plaza Auckland has introduced a paperless check-in and check-out system as a sustainable movement to reduce the hotel’s footprint.

The 352-room hotel launched the new technology late May, which will change the traditional check-in and check-out process, allowing all information relating to guests’ reservations to be displayed on a mounted iPad at the hotel front desk.

Guests check reservation details and sign on the tablet using a stylus, then receive billing statements and receipts electronically via their preferred e-mail address, a move which Crowne Plaza Auckland Operations Manager, Kahlia O’Shea says is a “no brainer.”

“We’re on a journey, and this is a great way for us to continue to operate efficiently whilst

reducing our environmental impact. The new system significantly reduces our paper usage, and we’re expecting to save approximately 500,000 sheets of A4 paper annually.”

The hotel is the first IHG property in Australasia and Japan to pioneer the technology, which is set to save the equivalent of two tones worth of paper per year.

“Guest experience is our number one priority; the new system ticks that box as well as being green. The goal is that this will provide a seamless and more efficient process for our guests” said Ms. O’Shea.

Crowne Plaza Auckland General Manager, Tim Pollock is proud that the hotel is one of the pioneers of the technology in New Zealand.

“With the amount on focus sustainable tourism practices, I feel many hotels will be

adopting a paperless system in the near future” said Mr. Pollock.

The investment into the technology comes off the back of IHG’s’ global initiative, aiming to reduce carbon per occupied room by 6-7% by 2020.[1] The move to paperless aligns with previous green initiatives the hotel has adopted.

In 2018, Crowne Plaza Auckland, along with all IHG hotels in New Zealand removed the use of plastic straws. The ‘Greener Stay’ programme was also adopted earlier in the year, where guests can choose to opt-out of housekeeping in exchange for bonus IHG Rewards Club points.

The hotel is currently trialing multi-use bathroom amenities in selected rooms to reduce single-use plastic wastage.

Mobile Housekeeper App Embedded At Sudima Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialised by industry, has announced that New Zealand Sudima Hotel Group has deployed Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) across its hotels to streamline its rapidly-growing hotel operations, and to provide a better customer experience with its mobile housekeeper application with faster room turnover.

With three hotels in Auckland, Christchurch and Rotorua, and three new hotels across New Zealand set to open in the next fourteen months, Sudima Hotel Group needs a true cloud-based reliable solution that scales easily, integrates seamlessly with existing booking platforms and provides on-going service support.

16 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

With the deployment complete in under two months, Sudima Hotel Group has embedded Infor HMS at the core of the business. Infor technology will continue to support a complex ecosystem of software, data and support systems as the business continues its rapid expansion.

“Our customers are at the heart of our business, so searching for solutions that will enable us to focus on our customers is our top priority,” said Michael Chinnery, Group Financial Controller at Sudima Hotel Group. “Infor HMS is a proven property management system (PMS) and we are confident that our partnership with Infor enables our business to

spend less time on paperwork, provide greater insights on customers, with the knowledge that we are able to easily scale these solutions as new locations are launched.”

“Infor is closely attuned to the unique challenges of the hospitality industry, and ideally positioned to provide the best industry-specific solutions that will help our customers digitise and accelerate growth,” said Helen Masters, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Infor Asia Pacific.

“Not all cloud PMS solutions are created equal, and we are proud to be working with an innovative business paving the way in the hospitality industry and expanding its footprint across New Zealand.”

GUIDING VALUES

Sustainability Focus For Ora King Awards 2019 Ōra King has unveiled the theme for the seventh annual Ōra King Awards and is inviting New Zealand’s leading chefs to enter this prestigious global awards programme.

This year’s theme, Sustain, challenges chefs to draw on their own sustainability story and communicate this in their Ōra King dish.

The Ōra King Awards (The Ōra’s) recognises chefs’ innovation, imagination and technique. Chefs work with Ōra King salmon, New Zealand King Salmon’s premium foodservice brand, in a competition of creativity and craft to win one of four titles and the esteem of the global network of chefs.

New Zealand King Salmon Marketing Manager Foodservice Anne-Marie Friis explains the meaning behind this year’s theme, Sustain.

“We believe that the New Zealand food industry has the potential to be a positive force for change. Sustainability is pivotal to Ōra King. This year’s theme lets chefs creatively

demonstrate their personal sustainability journey.

“All our Ōra King chefs will be at a different stage of their sustainability journey.

We are firm believers this is a journey the world is on together and we can’t wait to see how the chefs communicate their different sustainability story in their dishes,” she says.

This year’s semi-finalists will be judged by leading New Zealand chef, Geoff Scott, and food writer and restaurant critic, Lauraine Jacobs.

Entries for the Best Ōra King Dish New Zealand award are open now until July 31.

Alongside the New Zealand competition, chefs from North America, Australia and Japan will compete for the coveted titles of Best Ōra King Dish for their respective region.

Six New Zealand semi-finalists will be announced on August 12, with the three finalists announced on September 23. All local and international finalists will be flown to the Nelson and Marlborough region for a four day all-expenses paid celebration from 13 to 17 October, with the Ōra King Awards ceremony taking place on October 15.

Terms and conditions for entry to the Ora King Awards are available on the Ora King website – orakingsalmon.co.nz

2019 Enter now and celebrate your success!

Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence 2019 Entries close 28th June 2019

awards@hospitality.org.nz

awards.hospitality.org.nz

NEW OPENINGS

It’s Black & White Really!

WHEN BINK BOWLER’S dad told him at 15 that he should always aim to own his own business, he probably wasn’t expecting that to happen in just four years like it did.

The now 29-year-old owned his first café business in Wellington at just 19, where he spent the first few years of his hospitality career honing his skills, mastering the trade and overcoming many obstacles before launching into Christchurch with his first Black and White Coffee Cartel café.

Bink and his business partners in what is now a successful franchising operation, former All Black captain Reuben Thorne, strategist Alan Win and brother and project manager Luke Bowler, opened up the company to franchisees in mid-2017. That was just two years after Bink opened his first Black and White Coffee Cartel café in Christchurch in Victoria Street. There’s been such an overwhelming response that the company now has 10 franchisees, including the first one that recently opened outside of Christchurch in Queenstown.

That café also has youth on its side, owned by 25-year-old Kelly Roach, who’s also giving business a go for the first time. “I’d followed Bink on social media and I thought he’s a good operator, he’s young and achieving – I’d like to follow in his footsteps,” says Kelly, whose partner Hayley Gray, a geologist, is also breaking into hospitality in Queenstown, working at the café.

18 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Bink’s hoping the company will have 13 franchises in the South Island by the end of this year with new cafes opening in Riccarton, and also in Rolleston and Rangiora near Christchurch. Dunedin is next on the horizon.

“Those were quite tough years in Wellington where I learned some good hard lessons,” says Bink. “I found it tough from the age of 19 to 24.” He had no financial help to get started but always had a keen sense of economics from a young age and a huge love of all things coffee.

Originally from Invercargill, Bink was living with his dad in Wanaka at 15 when he decided it was time to get started. “I just started going to a café after school and working for free to learn. It’s been my life ever since,” he says.

It hasn’t been easy rising to success so quickly. “I started Black and White Coffee because when I owned my café in Wellington I wished there was a good franchise system café that you could buy into that wasn’t dated,” says Bink. “So I built one for my younger self that caters to the modern market, an independent coffee shop that can be brought to the masses.”

It’s more for the current market, Bink’s generation of the 18 to 45-year-olds, he says.

“We’re in the third wave of coffee and things have changed,” he says. Customers want higher quality from independent operators. “We don’t like plastic fantastic,” he says.

Black and White Coffee has micro coffee roasters operating on site in each franchise

which is a unique point of difference, he says.

“Most coffee franchises have coffee roasting in a central location and buy it from head office.

We’ve cut out the massive middle man cost by giving the coffee straight to each individual café to roast on site.” The company’s main coffee supply comes from Brazil and Honduras. “It’s very rare to micro roast in each shop, but we’ve managed to access good micro roasters,” he says.

Bink personally trains all of the staff in central Christchurch and now has about 70 or 80 of them.

The business lives up to its name. “We like to keep things black and white.” Sustainability is a big focus, but Bink says any measures taken need to actually have an effect or impact. His company has chosen to focus on targeting takeaway coffee cup wastage. “We give a 50 cent discount to any customer who brings in their own cup and we also sell our own cups,” he says. It’s a fair chunk off the profit of a $4.50 cup of coffee but Bink says all of his franchisees voted to keep this practise in place recently. Cardboard packaging is also used in the business if possible.

It’s been an exciting roller coaster adventure for Bink getting this far but he reckons a lot of the skills that are needed to run a good business are just common sense. Passion is also paramount. “I just love it,” he says.

Bink’s advice for any other young person considering launching into their own business is similar to Nike’s, ‘Just do it. That’s how you get the experience,” he says.” n

NEW OPENINGS

KOTA RESTAURANT AND BAR

PAD THAI PAN

ROLL & BOWL

Formerly The Landing, Kota offers Asianinspired, progressive international food combining a great mix of elements from different culinary traditions. The flavours are sweet and sour, tangy and fragrant. Kota is owned by Abhishek Saklani and his wife, Meetu Saklani. Abhishek and Meetu, also own and run The Spice Room restaurants in Wanaka and Queenstown, and Monsoon in nearby Cromwell. The restaurant décor is fresh and light with old-style wooden chairs against bar leaner-style seating and tables, seating about 50 inside and another 20 outside on the sunny patio overlooking Lake Wanaka. Most popular autumn dish has been the pan-fried monkfish with lemon and pear risotto and a salsa verde sauce. Top on the list of starter favourites is the san choy bau.

Showcasing a 1.2-metre diameter pan as the restaurant focal point, Pad Thai Pan brings Thai street food from Thailand to Christchurch, offering beautiful, fragrant dishes and the traditional Pad Thai in different versions. Pad Thai Pan also makes unique desserts like its Japanese Shibuya Honey Brioche – a baked honey brioche, with ice cream and toppings served as a sharing dessert. And yes, ice cream and bread works.

The other popular dessert is Bingsu - a Korean delicacy that’s made from an icing machine which transforms flavoured milk into shaved milk. This has a lovely fluffy texture and comes served with toppings, cream and amazing different flavour combinations. Pad Thai Pan is a fun place to dine and targets the younger Christchurch audience.

Roll & Bowl arose after a trip to Australia by the owners, who came up with the idea of bringing Japanese food and Hawaiian food together. From that fusion, Roll & Bowl was born and everything on the menu is produced daily using fresh produce. All the sauces are made from scratch.

There’s a big emphasis here on producing healthy food that tastes good with a huge range of salad vegetable options on offer. Poke Bowls take centre stage, but the showcase is the Sushi Burrito, based on a new trend to make a burrito out of sushi. Sushi rice and seaweed are wrapped, instead of using a tortilla. Customers can then choose their favourite options, which include everything from vegetables and herbs to Japanese tofu and teriyaki salmon, and make their own Poke Bowl or Sushi Burrito. Roll & Bowl is part of a Christchurch hospitality group that manages other Asian-inspired restaurants.

Level 1, 80 Ardmore Street, Wanaka Ph: 03 4435099 www.kotawanaka.co.nz

617 Colombo St, Christchurch Central Ph: 039259320 www.padthaipan.co.nz

COFFEE CULTURE

The Crossing, Cashel Mall, Christchurch Ph: 03 3651771 www.coffeeculture.co.nz

LITTLE FIDDLE The Terrace, 132 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch Ph: 03 3651661 www.thelittlefiddle.co.nz

The owner of Christchurch latest new Coffee Culture café, Anna Walsh, has been part of the ‘culture’ for years, growing up in it since she was young.

Anna’s dad Murray Walsh is also a Coffee Culture café owner – one of 20 franchisees now throughout Canterbury. Anna herself has been involved with the group for the past 10 years and most recently operated Coffee Culture’s mobile van around North Canterbury. There’s a big emphasis on raw, organic, vegan, gluten and dairy free options at Coffee Culture. The acai super smoothie bowls, incorporating a mixed berry sorbet with seasonal fruit and Paleo granola, take pride of place on the breakfast menu here alongside organic steel cut porridge which comes with apple and cinnamon, Black Doris plum and custard, or banoffee. The sophisticated new café, has light oak timber finishes.

TELL US!

643 Colombo St, Christchurch Central Ph: 039259854 www.rollandbowl.co.nz

The Little Fiddle, a new Irish bar in the heart of Christchurch, has all the old Irish pub favourites on the menu, and on tap, with a good selection of Irish whiskeys on the shelf too. Opened by Melanie and Craig Ling, it’s this well-known hospitality couple’s first time back in Christchurch for 20 years. Melanie and Craig started Minus 5 Ice Bar in New Zealand, firstly in Queenstown and then Auckland, before selling up and taking the ice bar concept to Las Vegas, New York and Orlando in the United States. They’ve now sold out of that but still have a restaurant in the Cayman Islands. The Little Fiddle is authentic Irish with Craig and the architect travelling to Ireland to buy for the fit-out.

Head chef Dan Foster-Fairbrother’s changing roasts and hot meat rolls are sliding down well here, as are the Irish stew and bangers and mash.

Are You Planning To Open A New Restaurant, Coffee Or Foodservice Operation In Auckland In The Near Future? Or Have You Recently

Opened A Venue With A Difference? If So – Let Us Know! kdixon@intermedianz.co.nz so we can spread the word!

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 19

LEADER IN PRE-PREPARED EUROPEAN DESSERTS, PASTRIES & FINE FINGER FOODS From Italian Dessert Logs to Pre-Proved European Butter Pastries, Single Serve French Desserts & Ready-to-Fill Pastry Cases . . .theres something for everyone!

0800 366 252 info@emmajanes.co.nz www.emmajanes.co.nz

FEATURE: PRUDENT PREPARATION

Fast & Flavourful Quality pre-prepared products for chefs

C

onvenience and quality is what today’s busy chefs are seeking. Delicious products that enhance any dish are in great demand and here we feature three companies introducing some of the new products that are making chefs and hospo operators’ lives easier, minus the guilt pangs that can go with offering convenience products to an everincreasing discernible market. >>

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 21

FEATURE: PRUDENT PREPARATION

A Shout Out To Chefs From Emma-Jane’s Food trends, rising wage costs and an industry-wide lack of qualified chefs are a few of the daily challenges faced by busy chefs.

According to Achsah Stewart from Emma Jane’s, chefs and hospitality operators are overcoming these challenges with quality products that are adaptable, convenient to use and of course taste delicious.

“For 20 years, Emma Jane’s has consistently worked to keep pace with the needs of our culinary world and we’ve inspired chefs with our imported European products for fine dining and function food, including desserts, pastries and side dishes,” says Achsah.

“We understand hospitality

professionals need access to innovative, reliable solutions that you can fall back on when catering for large events, when you’re understaffed or don’t have the skillset required within your team.”

Emma Jane’s launched their innovative new products for 2019 in March and the response has been fantastic. A few of the ‘stars’ include Edible Black Mussel Shell, Edible Sponette, Vegan Vege Flower Tart Cups, Petit Fours, Mini Canape’s and our three new varieties of

22 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Tiramisu Logs crafted in Italy – Whisky and Chocolate, Limoncello and Mixed Berries.

“Our White Bread Sheets wowed the crowds at the recent Bidfood Tradeshows and make canape production much quicker and more cost effective. Easy to handle, quick to use and creating zero waste, they’re a natural clean product you’ll be proud to serve your guests.” n

BOOST PROFIT WITH 100% NATURAL SMOOTHIES MADE EASY® Love Smoothies™ introduces to New Zealand an award winning range of smoothies. Each smoothie comes in a prepacked frozen sachet of whole fruit and vegetable pieces. Simply pour 200ml of apple juice into a blender, add the sachet, and blend for 30 seconds for an award winning smoothie.

Give your customers all the goodness of 100% natural fruit and vegetables and your staff all the ease of ‘pour, add sachet, blend’. Goodness made easy.

CONSISTENT TASTE | SAVE LABOUR COST | NO WASTAGE | 18 MONTH SHELF LIFE | BOOST PROFIT

30

S E CO

B L EN

NDS

D&S

ER V E

DELICIOUS FLAVOURS FRUIT SMOOTH IES

VEGETABLE SMOOTH IES

Pash n’ Shoot Strawberry Split Berry Go Round

Kale Kick Broccoli & The Beast Avo Go-Go

Big 5 Coco Loco Blueberry Thrill

Detox Zing 24 Carrot Gold Dr Beet

Simply blend one of our 140g frozen fruit or vegetable sachets with 200ml of apple juice to make the perfect smoothie in 30 seconds...

Contact Markwell Foods to arrange a demo* * Demos are open to New Zealand food businesses in main metropolitan areas only.

WWW.MARKWELLFOODS.CO.NZ 09 270 3311

FEATURE: PRUDENT PREPARATION

Smoothie Recipes Refined

By Michelin Star Chef

Lo ve Sm o

othi esTM d ’ start from Lon

i th on w

e. lov

Love SmoothiesTM introduces to New Zealand an award winning range of smoothies with a very interesting back story.

Innovation and marketing manager, Jade Lim from Markwell Foods NZ says Love SmoothiesTM were founded by Richard Canterbury in London in 2004, with just one smoothie stall in the borough market, when history was made.

“The smoothies are now sold in over 6,000 outlets across the world and the recipes are refined by a Michelin star chef for perfect balance,” says Jade.

All fruits and vegetables used for the smoothies are picked when just ripe and frozen within three hours from picking, with the freezing process locking in more natural nutrients than shop bought “fresh”.

“Made from 100% fruit and vegetables, that’s one of your ‘5 plus a day’ in every cup, with no additives, flavourings or processed sugar.”

The smoothies come in prepacked frozen sachets of whole fruit and vegetable pieces. Servers simply blend the 140g frozen fruit or vege sachet with 200ml of apple juice to produce the awardwinning smoothie in just 30 seconds.

“It’s goodness made easy,” says Jade. “Customers receive the goodness of 100% natural fruit and vegetables and servers love all the ease of ‘pour, add sachet, blend’. It ticks all the boxes too; Gluten free, Vegan, Plant based and no GM.”

Angel Bay Goes Veggie!

Catering to the growing ‘flexitarian’ market and customers wanting a break from meat, Angel Bay recently released their Gourmet Vegetable Patties, to help chefs meet a range of dietary needs and desires while keeping the bottom line firmly in sight.

“Our vegetable patties respond to customer demand which is increasingly health-focused, while satisfying growing demand for different menu options,” says Nicola Henderson from Angel Bay’s parent company ANZCO. The vegetable product is a first for Angel Bay, developed to supply a new niche with a veggie patty that wasn’t crumbed, didn’t need to be deep fried and had visible chunks and texture of veggies.

“The patties have been extensively tested in market and we’ve had really positive feedback,” says Nicola.

“We’ve kept the nasties out to create a clean label product that we’re really proud of – with no added allergens, colours, preservatives or flavours.”

Identifying the flexitarian niche was an opportunity to expand its portfolio and reach new consumers, and Angel Bay reckons it has ticked all the boxes. “We’re providing chefs with products that reflect our company’s brand – consistent, convenient, and delicious – while cutting down on prep time and reducing food waste too.”

24 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Gourmet Vegetable Patties: an exciting new product for Angel Bay, specialists in home-style lamb and beef products for the hospitality industry.

PLANT-BASED

Introducing Angel Bay’s first ever plant-based patty.

Packed full of real veggies and with no added allergens, preservatives, flavours or colours; this is the perfect product to target flexitarian customers.

For more information, contact your local distributor or get in touch with us: www.angelbay.co.nz | info@angelbay.co.nz

At One Garden we grow the highest quality mushrooms and micro greens for the discerning chef.

Our produce is grown with no herbicides or pesticides and delivered fresh.

❝

One Garden’s produce is amazing – it’s way fresher than our previous supply and a better price too. When the micro greens are delivered they’re still in soil and we simply cut with scissors when we need them.

MICHAEL ANTONIO, HEAD CHEF, CAFFE E CUCINA, AUCKLAND.

❞

For more information please get in touch.

We’d love to hear from you!

Call Nathan on 021 083 84605 info@onegarden.co.nz www.onegarden.co.nz

TINY TASTE SENSATIONS

One Garden Produce In Hot Demand Pesticide & Herbicide Free

H

ead chef at Auckland restaurant Caffé E Cucina, Michael Antonio wasn’t happy with the micro greens he was buying and his search for the best available led him to One Garden.

“One Garden’s produce is amazing – it’s way fresher than our previous supply and a better price too. When the micro greens are delivered they’re still in soil and we simply cut with scissors when we need them,” says Michael.

One Garden also harvests micro greens into containers for chefs who prefer them at their fingertips, and response to their gourmet produce has been nothing but positive.

The One Garden story is that of another successful Kiwi business nurtured in the garage of a suburban

“The kids don’t really help with the growing but they do enjoy eating the produce.”

home, and Nathan feels like one lucky guy. When he and his partner Carly bought their Mangere Bridge property eight years ago, he discovered a passion for gardening.

He enrolled at Open Polytechnic, studying several horticulture papers at night and then started planning how to set up a growing-based business that would allow him to dial down his IT career.

Two years ago Nathan and Carly registered One Garden and converted their garage into a 30m2 grow-room.

“We’re National Program 1 Certified and use no pesticides or herbicides in our grow.

Nathan’s retired parents have also joined the team, helping with deliveries to local clients including Villa Maria, Serious Gourmet and The Landing. n

Phoenix Oyster Mushroom

www.onegarden.co.nz Pink Oyster Mushrooms

LITTLE BEAUTIES WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD

• Micro greens can be used as a garnish making any dish look beautiful; and as ingredients in salads, pastas and rice dishes etc, they add flavour, texture and a nutritional boost.

• Micro greens are suitable for all styles of cuisine. Italian restaurants like micro Basil and Chervil, flavours that work with traditional Italian dishes but provide a different look than their full grown versions. Some chefs love the hot taste of micro Radish or the sweet, nutty flavour of Pea shoots and incorporate these flavours into their dishes.

• Micro greens are rich in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper and antioxidants and usually have higher vitamin and mineral levels than the equivalent mature greens.

• Oyster mushrooms are popular in many Asian cuisines, with their intriguing beauty and texture enhancing dishes.

rly Ca

Mic

rogreens Tray

n with Neve Natha and and S

am

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 27

IF YOU LOVE SPORT...

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE IT They want it. You’ll have it.

SKY has nine dedicated sport channels, and even now we are finding it hard to fit in all our exclusive sporting events.

A SKY subscription will give your venue all the LIVE sport you need to create that match day atmosphere for your customers.

Some additional charges will apply for premium channels and events.

Call us now on 0800 759 333 to cash in on the benefits of having SKY in your venue.

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

As We See it Skilled Staff Shortage Stifles Industry

By Marisa Bidois – CEO Restaurant Association of New Zealand

A

nnual Restaurant Association employer research repeatedly highlights a lack of skilled staff as the hospitality industry’s top challenge. As a result, to assist our members, the Association focusses on initiatives that address this, and we have also been arguing for cafe and restaurant manager skill shortages to be officially recognised.

We have been advocating for these roles to be included on Immigration New Zealand’s immediate skill shortage list and as part of the formal review of the skills lists, the Association was successful in having the café and restaurant manager included in the latest review. The occupation was last reviewed in 2014 when a decision was made not to add restaurant and cafe managers to the list.

As part of the latest review we prepared a submission drawn from research we conducted to assess the industry’s recruitment experiences. The research results provide measurable data that supports feedback from employers that the industry is facing a severe skill shortage of management employees.

We also met with representatives from Immigration New Zealand’s Skills Shortage List Review Team to argue the industry’s viewpoint.

Unfortunately, we were recently informed that the café and restaurant manager role has not been added to the Immediate Skill Shortage List (now the Regional Skill Shortage List).

The primary reason we have been provided with is that there is evidence of ongoing recruitment and retention issues within the sector. The review concluded that while this occupation is considered to be highly skilled, the median wage is only $40,000 (a figure based on 2013 census data adjusted by the June 2018 Labour Cost Index). Therefore, shortages caused by terms of employment are not

considered genuine. We are extremely disappointed with the Government’s conclusions, based on outdated data.

Our 2018 Restaurant Association remuneration survey found the average salary for this role was $53,000.

Our research also identified that on average it takes eight to 16 weeks to recruit restaurant and cafe managers and claims that simply increasing the salary for this occupation would fix the problem are false. With existing challenges in managing labour costs, this is not an option for most hospitality businesses, who would need to increase their menu prices to accommodate a jump in wage rates.

Hospitality businesses are controlled by what consumers are willing to pay.

Many consumers would be unwilling to pay three times what they currently pay for their meals at restaurants and cafes.

The review report also highlighted that while our submission included ‘claims’ of industry measures taken to address the shortage, little detail or evidence has been provided to show how these initiatives differ from, or expand on initiatives undertaken since the last review, and how the impact of these initiatives has been measured.

Unfortunately, we were not asked to provide further detail, but would be happy to provide some measurable results from the initiatives we are involved in – including the HospoStart training programme and professional development initiatives.

We understand what the Government is trying to achieve, however the decision not to include this occupation on the skill shortage list appears not to have been fully considered. The Immediate Skill Shortage List (ISSL) is for skilled occupations that have an immediate shortage of workers in New Zealand and there is strong evidence that this is the case for hospitality management employees. While the industry is working hard to encourage existing workers to stay in the industry and introduce new domestic employees to a career in hospitality, due to skill shortages we currently also need skilled migrant employees in our workforce to help us right now to sustain the businesses in our thriving industry. n

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 29

NELSON’S COLUMN

Are You Setting The Standards?

Employees May Mirror Your Behaviour

O

ne of the perks of working in a restaurant or bar is that you receive perks like free drinks or meals, your staff all know that it doesn’t cost you as an owner much – right? Those in the industry that have a few years behind them know just how tough it is today in the competitive environment that we operate, to earn the discretionary dollar and that we don’t have the luxury of perks that might have been around 25 years ago, but a lot of the industry’s staff don’t seem to appreciate that.

As an owner or manager it is upto you to set the standards in your venue and the old saying of “do as I say and not as I do” is not good enough. If your staff see you giving away drinks or meals and not recording it either as a sale or complimentary they will think if it good enough for the boss then it is good enough for me. Do you slice off a small cut of meat, grab a hot bread roll as you walk through the kitchen or help yourself to some hot fries? Again, your actions are setting a precedent for your staff, is this the example you want to set?

Many owners will have a tab set up under their name that they charge their drinks to, be it for themselves or those complimentary that they may “shout”.

If you do this, how often do you sign off your tab when you leave or check your tab the next day? It is very easy for a few additional drinks to be added on without you knowing if you don’t do this. Of course one way of addressing this is to draw a hospitality allowance and pay cash, this both sets an example to staff and reduces the risk.

Taking it to the next level I have on more than one occasion known owners to come and help themselves to cash out of the cash draw without leaving a record or reason for doing so. Don’t think for a minute that this practice is not noticed and picked up by staff 30 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

members, and those members who may not have your best interest at heart will see it as an opportunity to follow suit and know that there is little chance or record for them to get caught.

Having a Policy and Procedure Manual in place for the venue is crucial. While this will cover many aspects of the business from dress code through to disciplinary processes you should also include your policy regarding hospitality and complimentary food and drinks. It is essential that this policy is applicable to everyone including owners of the venue, they must set the precedent.

Gross Profit will be substantially affected through discount and hospitality and tracking this is most important. Ensure that you have an authorisation system in place that requires the server enter a code that will identify them. This not only allows you to keep a track of all discounted or FOC product but identifies who is the sales person, you could be very surprised what this shows you.

“…those members who may not have your best interest at heart will see it as an opportunity to follow suit…”

Similarly, what you actually discount or give away will have a big effect.

There is a wide variety of food and beverage offerings on offer in venues today, and, with a wide variety of GP’s, make sure that the products that you are offering subsidies on are those that you have a good GP on. A 2 for 1 meal deal on a Pizza with a GP of 100% is far better than one with a GP of 75%.

One of the traits that a great leader exemplifies is that they set the standard that needs to be achieved and followed; they set the ethics and work habits that will create the high standards that you want in your business. Ensure that you are setting your standards. n Peter Nelson is the Managing Director of Sculpture Hospitality New Zealand & Australia

www.ServiceIQ.org.nz

0800 863 693

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

MENU MATTERS

Lake to Plate Salmon Hooks Tourists

T

hey’re hooked. Wanaka’s latest new restaurant concept, ‘Hook’, is quickly catching on with Kiwis and overseas visitors as the perfect handson dining experience. Move over ‘farm gate to plate’ – it’s time for ‘lake to plate’ and they don’t come much closer than this. Salmon can be served up within half an hour or so of customers landing their own catch fresh on the 8 hectare restaurant grounds.

For co-owners Hayley and Graham Lee, the idea was born during a family holiday to Golden Bay 10 years ago when they took their children to the Antoki Salmon

32 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Salmon Takes Centre Stage

By Sue Fea Café. They had bought the land in 2004. It had been left a wasteland after a 100-year record flood swept through the Queenstown Lakes District in 1999. An earthmoving contractor, Graham set to, clearing the bracken and overgrowth.

“It was during that holiday that we thought, ‘we’ve got a spring running through that property and this would work’,” says Hayley.

Four years ago they got into some serious hard work, with their

MENU MATTERS business partners, creating and building the lakes – the largest measuring almost the size of three rugby fields.

There are seven spring-fed lakes on the property packed with Chinook salmon – the largest lake containing about 1020 salmon at last count and all seven lakes clocking in a total whopping 1450 fish. And whopping some of them are with a record catch in April of 4.16kg, but most of the fish caught by restaurant customers weigh in at between 1.3kg and 3.4kgs.

Head chef Cory Peterson, formerly of Blue Kanu in Queenstown, comes up with some beautifully-presented salmon options ranging from sashimi and hot smoked to poke (likened to Hawaiian sashimi) and his heartwarming hot smoked salmon chowder with bacon.

Most popular catch of the day here is the signature, Salmon Five Ways – cold smoked salmon with hummus, pan-fried salmon with corn relish, hot smoked salmon rangoon (a salmon

Ch ef

Co ry

Pe ters on .

“…There are seven spring-fed lakes on the property packed with Chinook salmon – the largest lake containing about 1020 salmon…”

n lmo d sa Beautifu lly presente

Hook line & salmon.

wonton), poke and sashimi with ponzu pearls. Rustic-style, thickbase, wood-fired, pizza flatbreads come topped with everything from smoked salmon, cream cheese, spring onion and wakame to goat cheese, citrus and coriander.

Desserts include root beer float – root beer poured over ice cream with chocolate and blondie dipping brownies, or the chef’s special cheery turnover – a sweet pizza dough cooked in the pizza oven then filled with reduced cherries and roasted off.

However, salmon definitely takes centre stage and general manager Adam Ross says while some customers are happy to come and dine with wine or beer looking out over the action, it’s a huge thrill for the rest to catch their own.

Hook has been extremely popular with Kiwi families during school holidays and with New Zealand, Australian American, and other international visitors since opening in February.

Wetlands that clean the water from the ponds and send it back through to make sure it re-enters crystal clean. It’s $5 to hire a rod and customers then head out with either spin lure or bait. They take their catch to the processing shed to either choose which way they want it served from the menu, or have it gutted and filleted to their

d

f es i sh

m ro

liking to take home.

“We’ve had some really good responses,” says Adam. “Kids just love it. One seven or eight-year-old boy recently wasn’t about to lose his proud fisherman catch prowess in a hurry. When asked how he’d like it served, he said, ‘I just want to keep the fish’, says Adam. “So we vacuum-packed it for him and he walked all around the entire establishment showing off his fish to everyone.” Adam could only recall two complaints – one from a customer who caught a fish too quickly and another the next day from a customer who complained it took too long. “That’s fishing,” he says. “It depends on your perspective, whether you want to enjoy the experience, catch lunch or take it away.”

Hook can cater for up to 120 but it’s outdoor courtyard focused with a retractable covered roof. Dropdown clear sides will be arriving in time for winter. There’s a distinctly rustic, but chic, feel to Hook with its metal, large exposed wooden beams, huge chunky teak tables and festoon lighting.

Hayley and Graham already have resource consent for a larger restaurant building which they hope to get started on within the next two to five years. In the meantime Portacoms serve well as the commercial restaurant kitchen and processing shed. n HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - JUNE 2019 33

BEANS MEAN COFFEE

Merged Coffee Company Di Bella Opens in NZ Australia’s second-largest roast and ground coffee company ,Di Bella has moved into a new stage of growth, having kicked off its global expansion plan by officially launching the Di Bella brand and foundation range into the New Zealand market.

The international brand launch comes after Di Bella’s decision in July 2018 to merge four coffee companies — Di Bella Coffee, Roasting Australia, Di Bella USA, and Evolution Roasters NZ — to form one of the largest manufacturing and distribution corporations in the roast and ground coffee industry.

Founder of Di Bella Coffee, Phil Di Bella has returned to his origins leading the new Global growth expansion plan in his new role directing the company as executive chairman, almost four-and-a-half years on from the sale of Di Bella to Australia’s Retail Food Group in November 2014.

“I’ve been privileged to play a small part in the continued growth of Di Bella as a consultant to the organisation, however, to come back on board is something I am truly excited about,” he said.

“I’m more than passionate about the work Di Bella does. Today, the group is so much more than I ever imagined it might become, and I’m excited to be working with the amazing team Di Bella has built over the years to continue crafting the finest coffee in Australia, and I believe, the world.”

The consolidation, along with the launch of the foundation blends that started Phil’s successful Australian brand, will allow Di Bella coffee roastery New Zealand to provide its customers with the best coffee experience from start to finish, supporting small and large businesses across the country.

The brand range available to New Zealand customers includes four Di Bella Coffee foundation blends, two crafted blends from the newly launched Di Bella 82 range to compliment the current well-established Roasted Addition range, as well as ancillary products including Evil Child Hot Chocolate.

Di Bella’s new premises in Stanley St, Parnell, Auckland

34 JUNE 2019 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

NESPRESSO BOUTIQUE GOES TO CHRISTCHURCH Portioned coffee company, Nespresso, opened its doors to a new immersive boutique concept in Christchurch mid-May. Following the success of its first opening in Albany, Auckland, the new Christchurch Boutique promises a retail experience that has been designed to immerse South Island coffee lovers in the world of coffee. It features experiential coffee tastings and workshops, designed to allow guests to immerse themselves in the world of high-quality coffee. As part of the experience, visitors will discover the lengths Nespresso goes to in order to source coffee responsibly - from farming, through to production and recycling. With elements such as a capsule recycling collection point, table-tops finished with used coffee grounds, Forest Stewardship Certified wood, technological systems to reduce energy and water consumption, and even lush greenery embedded with coffee plants to mimic the coffee plantations that are part of the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, the boutique encompasses sustainability from top to bottom. Beyond its sustainable aspects, there are also plenty of modern features to ensure a seamless shopping experience; including a virtual queuing system that means customers don’t need to queue at a traditional counter to be served – rather, a Nespresso Coffee Specialist processes customers’ purchases at any location in store through a tablet while their order is speedily prepared at the back of house.

John Ciaglia, Nespresso New Zealand Country Manager, says, “The new Nespresso Boutique concept is designed to take shoppers on a journey, with experiential coffee tastings and discovery sessions that communicate our story and commitment to becoming the most sustainable coffee brand worldwide. Having been part of the Christchurch community for over four years, we’re looking forward to moving to a standalone Boutique as it will enable us to offer a truly immersive shopping experience to our Christchurch customers.”

The Nespresso boutique concept and open format was designed by award-winning architecture and interior design practice, Universal Design Studio, which was founded by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

The new Nespresso Boutique is located at at Tenancy T6, 116 – 126 Cashel Street, Christchurch

5–6 October 2019 The Cloud, Auckland

YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH OVER 7,000 PASSIONATE FOODIES! The Chocolate and Coffee Show brings together two of everyone’s favourite treats and a whole lot more for two glorious days in October 2019.

Now in its 6th year, The Chocolate and Coffee Show has become one of Auckland’s most-loved food and drinks events featuring many of the country’s large and small brands.

We celebrate craft and artisan producers along with

You can secure a two-day place at The Chocolate and Coffee Show from only $395.00 + GST in our Artisan marketplace through to bespoke spaces that can cater to your needs and budget.

Show partnerships are also

some of the bigger brands to an audience that skews 70% to Women in the 25-54 age groups and they are ready to spend!

While chocolate and coffee are the mainstays of the show, many producers of other tasty treats have enjoyed success across the weekend including milks, preserves, bakery, beverages, liquor, homewares and other food products.

available in our ‘Family of Sponsors’ packages from only $1,200 + GST, which include event presence along with extended presence in Hospitality Business or FMCG Business magazines and huge digital and social databases.

Every exhibitor also receives a pre-show social post to our 14,000+ Chocolate and Coffee Show followers and free exhibitor profile on www.chocolatecoffeeshow.co.nz so book now!

Find out more:

www.chocolatecoffeeshow.co.nz/exhibitors Or call Shaughan Woodcock 021 744 138 or Jac Freeman 021 286 7600

www.theshout.co.nz June 2019

HEARTS IN MARLBOROUGH since 1980

ROOTS IN CHAMPAGNE since 1648

No1FamilyEstate.co.nz

PLUS MIGHTY MARLBOROUGH • WHISKY FESTIVALS • SMOKED BEER

“No.1 Family Estate is the finest quality sparkling wine venture in New Zealand, with the entire range rivalling Champagne quality.�

Tom STevenSon, World encyclopaedia of champagne & Sparkling Wine

No1FamilyEstate.co.nz

169 Rapaura Road, RD3, Blenheim, New Zealand & +64 3 572 9876 & no1wine@xtra.co.nz

The Shout Editor Charlotte Cowan

Living in a bubble If there’s one thing most wine drinkers can’t say no to, it’s a crisp, chilled glass of bubbles. Whether you’re at a wedding, a party or just standing around your kitchen on a Friday night, the pop of that cork just brings joy … you know you love it! This month in The Shout NZ, we’re celebrating sparkling wine in New Zealand. From the story behind No.1 Family Estate’s selection of award-winning Méthode Traditionelle on pg 7, to Cameron Douglas’ tasting notes on some of the best bubbles this wee land has to offer on pgs 10-11 , we really are living in a bubble this June.

But of course, that’s not all. On pgs 14-15 our spirits writer Tash McGill shares which festivals you should be heading to in order to celebrate whisky; and on pgs 16-17, John Oszajca explains what is special about smoked beer.

Next month, we’re excited to bring you our 5th birthday issue. What were you drinking five years ago? Have we managed to broaden your palate since then? Something to think about…

Contents 04 N ews and industry insights

14 A wee whisky celebration Tash McGill shares the best global whisky festivals

07 A lways No.1

The story of champagne maker Daniel Le Brun’s passion for Méthode Traditionelle

16 W here there’s smoke

08 W e are Untitled

Q&A with Untitled Wines’ Lee Winston

Beer writer John Oszajca delves into the unique world of smoked beer

10 A ll that sparkles and mighty Marlborough

Tasting notes from Cameron Douglas MS

THE COVER: NO.1 FAMILY ESTATE No.1 Family Estate is a specialist and boutique winery founded by Adele and Daniel Le Brun. It is the only winery in New Zealand committed exclusively to producing premium Méthode Traditionelle wine. Using methods perfected over 12 generations by his family in Champagne, France, Daniel Le Brun has produced award-winning wines that rival the best in the world. For more information, head to pg 7.

www.theshout.co.nz June 2019

HEARTS IN MARLBOROUGH since 1980

ROOTS IN CHAMPAGNE since 1648

No1FamilyEstate.co.nz

Editor’s picks

PLUS MIGHTY MARLBOROUGH • WHISKY FESTIVALS • SMOKED BEER

NO.1 FAMILY ESTATE RESERVE BLANC DE BLANCS MARLBOROUGH NV

Each year, a limited amount of No.1 Family Estate’s No.1 Cuvée is set aside for long-term aging on lees and released after several years, giving it the title ‘Reserve’. This release of the No.1 Reserve is limited to 1000 bottles, each of which have been individually hand-numbered and hand-labelled.

This is truly a celebration wine. For more on No.1, visit pg 7 and for Cameron Douglas’ tasting notes, turn to pgs 10-11.

Published By The Intermedia Group Ltd 505 Rosebank Road, Avondale Auckland, 1026, New Zealand Managing Director-Publisher Dale Spencer dspencer@intermedianz.co.nz Editor Charlotte Cowan ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz ph 021 774 080 Sales Director Jacqueline Freeman ph 021 286 7600 jfreeman@intermedianz.co.nz

UNTITLED WINES WHITE BLEND

A blend of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and another four varieties in support, ‘White Blend’ from Untitled Wines is soft, round and grainy on the palate, like a Pinot Gris, but also crisp with a focus, like a Sauvignon Blanc. Interested to learn more?

Check out our Q&A with winemaker Lee Winston on pg 8.

NORTH END BREWERY PIT BOSS – SMOKED DOPPLEBOCK 7% ABV

Named for North End’s ‘BBQ Pit Boss’, this beer gets its flavour from malt that’s smoked over a Manuka wood fire in the brewery’s restaurant, The Salt and Wood Collective. The result is a beer that is smoky, sweet and bready. For more on smoked beer, head to John Oszajca’s feature on pgs 16-17.

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | June 2019 | 3

NEWS

The Tasting Alliance launches new spirits competition The Tasting Alliance, parent company of America’s most prestigious wine and spirits competitions, has announced the formation of the Singapore World Spirits Competition (SWSC).

The competition, which makes its debut this month, joins the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), the San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC), and The New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC) in The Tasting Alliance’s stable of liquor awards.

“Having been to Singapore many times, I recognise this fabulous city-state as the gateway to Asia, I’m thrilled to debut our first international competition here as a way to recognise the prolific amount of talent across the spirits industry on the other side of the world,” says Anthony Dias Blue, owner of The Tasting Alliance and James Beard Award-winning journalist.

As the international counterpart to competitions in San Francisco and New York, SWSC aims to encourage brands of all sizes to enter, with particular emphasis on spirits consumed and produced in Asia, including Baijiu, Shochu, and Soju.

“Baijiu is the most popular spirit in the world, but it is mostly consumed in China. Winning a medal from Singapore World Spirits Competition could not only provide an easier entry into markets around the world, but also establish these brands as one of the world’s top spirits,” says Blue.

The SWSC is a two-day competition featuring blind spirits tastings from panelscomprised of judges predominately from Asia. For more information, visit www.swscomp.com

Study finds wine could kill winter germs A recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that the organic compounds in wine are active against oral streptococci and streptococcus pyogenes – also known as the mouth germs that cause dental plaque and sore throats.

The study, which was conducted at the University of Pavia, Italy, used two commercially available Italian wines - Valpolicella Classico DOC Superiore 2003 (red) and Pinot Nero DOC 2003 (white) – to test for antibacterial properties. They discovered that it isn’t the acidity and alcohol concentration in wine that is responsible for antibacterial properties, but actually the organic compounds of lactic, malic, succinic, and tartaric acids.

After neutralising the acids, they found that the organic compounds kill 99.9% of dental bacterial and germs.

“Exposure to wine had a persistent antibacterial effect,” say the authors.

The study also found that red wine is slightly more effective at killing bacteria than white wine. To read more on the study, head to www.pubs.acs.org.

Beautiful wine comes from a beautiful place...

W I N E R Y

W I N E R Y

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V I N E YA R D

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V I N E YA R D

mtbeautiful.co.nz

FA R M

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FA R M

Mt. Beautiful wines are the expression of the wild, rugged and breathtakingly scenic region of North Canterbury. Explore the entire portfolio of wines at the Mt. Beautiful Two Rivers Café and Wine Tasting Room where you can enjoy a diverse menu featuring local produce, meats and cheeses as well as gluten free and vegetarian options.

W I N E R Y | V I N E YA R D | FA R M | C A F E | R E S TA U R A N T | TA S T I N G R O O M

ROSÉ

SAUVIGNON BLANC

PINOT GRIS

CHARDONNAY

PINOT NOIR

RIESLING

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Seasonal vs Core range One of the more prevalent characteristics of today’s brewing industry - especially since the growth of craft in the 21st century - is rapid innovation and experimentation. We see it almost weekly, with a new beer coming out from one brewery or another. Be it a collaboration brew with an international visiting brewer, a special release to mark an event, or something some huge hoppy hazy that’s been double dry-hopped and tastes closer to a passionfruit smoothie.

While we shouldn’t bemoan the wonderful choice we have when walking down the supermarket isles or visiting the local brewery, after all, variety is the spice of life, something brewers do need to ask themselves is where is the balance between those one-off brews that keep the punters interested in their brand and the tried true IPA or lager which sells the majority of volume.

Ask any retailer or bar owner and they’ll tell you that core beers are the bedrock of their business, that

customers will time and again come back to those favourites, even if they do seek new seasonal or special releases in the first instance. Let’s be honest, its highly likely that the flavour profile of some of these seasonal beers is big, bold and not something people will drink more than one or two glasses of.

Can a brewery only do specials? It’s not common although we see some international craft examples giving it a go. Cloudwater of Manchester famously made its name with an ever-changing range of specials and seasonals, having produced hundreds of different beers in its short four-year life. However, more recently, they have moved to also having a ‘core’ range brewed all season.

Which shows that sometimes getting the mix between what you have really nailed, keeping it and also producing special brews that keeps people wanting more, extremely important.

DYLAN FIRTH Executive Director, Brewers Association of New Zealand

Pure Discovery in China

SARAH

SZOSTAK-FERETI New Zealand Winegrowers Asia Events Manager

China is an important emerging market for New Zealand wine that both demands and deserves attention from wineries. It is currently our largest export market in Asia, and sixth largest globally by value, with exports to China for the year ending June 2018 increasing by 18%. The country has developed an appetite for New Zealand’s red wines, notably Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet and Blends, which together make up just under 60% of our exports to China.

This year, New Zealand Winegrowers is once again embarking on our annual tour of mainland China, in partnership with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, with events taking place in Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai. It is our first year expanding the tour to include Shenzhen. Shenzhen is a huge market for wine importation and consumption in Chinese mainland, and a great opportunity for New Zealand wine.

The event theme is ‘Pure Discovery – Our People, Our Place’. We are telling stories that our members

have shared about the people and places that are important to them, the goal is for attendees to make a memorable connection with the brands and the stories of New Zealand wine. The Pure Discovery event format aims to engage the Chinese market in all things ‘New Zealand’ including food, culture, wine and gives attendees the opportunity to meet the people who are part of our dynamic and diverse industry.

We have more than 30 exhibiting companies represented at the three events, including a range of New Zealand food and beverage companies.

We see huge engagement at these events and anticipate more than 500 key food and beverage trade professionals and wine lovers in each city, as well as a much wider audience via the Chinese multi-purpose platform WeChat. China remains a demanding market that is constantly changing. It is a market that offers great opportunity, but also requires strong focus in order to perform well.

What’s On June 7-30

June 14-15

June 29

Hawe’s Bay www.fawc.co.nz

Shed 10, Auckland www.winetopia.co.nz

ASB Showgrounds, Auckland www.gabsfestival.com/auckland

June 13-23

June 21-30

July 12-13

Auckland www.aucklandwineweek.co.nz

Auckland www.facebook.com/ aklbeerweek/

TSB Bank Arena, Wellington www.winetopia.co.nz

F.A.W.C

AUCKLAND WINE WEEK

WINETOPIA

AUCKLAND BEER WEEK

FOR MORE INDUSTRY NEWS FOLLOW US ON

July 21

GABS

WINETOPIA

CRAFT’D WINE + SPIRITS FESTIVAL

Wynyard Quarter, Auckland www.craftd.global October 5-6

THE CHOCOLATE & COFFEE SHOW

The Cloud, Auckland www.chocolatecoffeeshow.co.nz

CHECK OUT

THESHOUT.CO.NZ

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | June 2019 | 5

Discover Provenance

New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards BEST WINE OF PROVENANCE TROPHY WINNER AUNTSFIELD

Discover New Zealand’s best kept secret

www.auntsfield.co.nz

COVER STORY

Always No.1 Since planting his first vines in Marlborough in 1980, ‘the crazy Frenchman’ Daniel Le Brun has been passionate about creating the Champagne of the antipodes.

Virginie, Daniel, Adele and Remy Le Brun

The first record of a Le Brun planting vines is 335 years ago in 1684 in Champagne, France.

No.1 Family Estate

I

f there’s one name synonymous with sparkling wine in New Zealand, it’s champagne maker Daniel Le Brun. Known as the Grandfather of Méthode Traditionelle, Le Brun comes from a long line of Champagne producers in France – over 12 generations, in fact.

After studying winemaking and working in the family winery, Le Brun visited New Zealand and planted his first grapes dedicated to sparkling wine production in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley in 1980.

After planting the vines, Le Brun pioneered specific growing techniques and production methods which, with the help of the climate and soils of Marlborough, created a Méthode Traditionelle with crisp acidity that would rival Champagne.

Now, he and his wife Adele produce premium sparkling wine from No.1 Family Estate, the only winery in New Zealand dedicated to Méthode Traditionelle.

“I was convinced right from the start that New Zealand could produce a world-class sparkling wine,” says Le Brun. “It has always been my aim to produce something just as good, if not better, than the real thing.”

Based in Blenheim in the heart of Marlborough, No.1 Family Estate produces eight fresh, elegant and sought-after sparkling wines, including Cuvée Adele, Cuvée Virginie and Cuvée Remy, which were created and named in honour of Le Brun’s wife and children. They also run a processing service for Méthode Traditionelle producers throughout New Zealand for the last 22 years, overseen by winery manager Lee Dobson.

And, as the winery’s name suggests, Le Brun’s family plays an intrinsic part in the business. Wife Adele is responsible for the marketing and business development, daughter Virginie is No.1’s Global Brand Ambassador and National Sales Manager and son Remy is finishing his bachelor’s degree in oenology and viticulture and is managing the vineyard. Both Virginie and Remy grew up surrounded by vineyards and in tune with the rhythms of viticulture and winemaking.

“For many years I resisted [coming into the business], I felt like I would be piggy-backing on my parent’s success,” says Remy. “It wasn’t until we went to France and I saw it all first hand and I had this very profound overwhelming sense of the family’s history that I said ‘I’m in, you’ve got me 100%’.” n For more information on No.1 Family Estate, visit www.no1familyestate.co.nz TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | June 2019 | 7

Q&A

We are Untitled When winemaker Lee Winston created Untitled Wines, he wanted to produce something different from mainstream New Zealand varietals. His three wine blends are just that - blends of multiple different grapes from multiple different regions and labelled as ‘red’, ‘white’ and ‘pink’. Scared? Curious? Read on…

What is your background in winemaking?

I

completed a winemaking degree in 2006 and worked in various wineries in Australia, Europe, and New Zealand.

For the last seven years I have worked for Pleasant Valley Wines - a contract winemaking and bottling facility in Henderson Valley, Auckland. It was my boss (and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet), Stephan Yelas, that encouraged me start making my own wine.”

What inspired you to create the Untitled wine brand?

“I wanted to do something different to mainstream New Zealand wines - and even something a bit different to the nonmainstream wines. I love New Zealand wine, but thought if I was going to do my own thing, there was little point doing another Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Central Otago Pinot Noir, or oaky Chardonnay - there are already so many tasty examples, one more would be too much!”

Can you tell us a bit about why Untitled differs from conventional wine brands?

“Untitled Wines are multi-regional, multivarietal, and (mostly) multi-vintage wines.

100% no single vineyard and 100% no single variety. Conventional brands, and even many unconventional ones, particularly in

New Zealand, have a strong focus on variety and terroir or variety and region. Nothing wrong with this per se, but from a creative perspective, it can be so restrictive. By removing the barriers of vintage, region, and variety, you can have much more fun on the blending table and also create wines that are truly unique in texture, balance, and flavour.”

Why do you think people focus so much on the grape or varietal when choosing wine?

“Because it’s easy. And probably the best way for most people to pick something they’ll like. Wine is a really broad, deep and often confusing category to navigate - there are so many producers, varieties, regions, vintages, styles and so on. It’s unlikely your favourite producer will always be on a wine list but chances are your favourite variety (or at least one you’ve had and liked before) will be.

You can’t blame people for focusing on variety. Before I worked in the industry, if I was given the daunting task of choosing a wine at a restaurant, I’d plump straight for Merlot - I knew it would be soft and fruity and most people at the table would like it. I still find the task daunting. And, I still try to choose a wine that will appeal to everyone but now I try and choose something most people wouldn’t have tried before.

With the Untitled range, I hoped to create really affable, friendly, interesting wines.

Wines that, if they were people, most folk

8 | June 2019 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

would find them engaging and would happily invite them back to meet their family and friends. People often comment to me that Untitled are great dinner party wines—there’s a grape variety in there for everyone!” n Untitled Wines are available in White Blend, Red Blend and Pink Blend and are sold at Glengarry, Point Wines, Lumsden Freehouse, Cupid Bar, and Field & Green restaurant. For trade enquiries, head to www.untitled.nz.

TASTING NOTES

All that sparkles

BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

S

parkling wine is, for many people, a reason to celebrate, to toast an occasion or to gift to a special person. Whatever the reason, one thing is for certain – we are spoiled for choice when it comes to producers and price.

Sparkling wine can be produced in several different ways, with the most traditional being the Champagne Method – called ‘Méthode Champenoise’ – a French term applying only to bottle fermented sparkling wine from the Champagne region. This method requires a second fermentation (the one that creates the bubble) to be completed in the same bottle in which it is ultimately sold. After base wines are blended, they are bottled and refermented, aged on yeast lees for a minimum period, usually 18 months (often much longer). The style is created after ageing and spent yeast removed. Brut (very dry) or Demi-Sec (semi-dry) are common label terms.

A natural cork is wired down, bottle labelled and sent to market.

Similar sparkling wine is made throughout France (but not in Champagne) and around the world, which uses the basic steps described above, with the only real significant difference being the title of the process and name of wine. This other process is called ‘Méthode Traditionnelle’ – very similar, but for legal reasons winemakers cannot

use the ‘Méthode Champenoise’ or ‘Champagne’ terms on wine labels.

From 1941, the French have protected the label terms ‘Méthode Champenoise’ and ‘Champagne’ with education and trade-marking worldwide. In New Zealand, there are a number of excellent producers of Méthode Traditionnelle from both the North and South Islands.

Another sparkling wine process that is widely used is a bulk production system that completes the second ferment and bubble creation in large steel tanks. These wines require less ageing, less labour and process steps, saving a lot of cost. The wine sells for a lot less than traditional method wines. The easy way to tell the difference is to read the label and if you cannot find any traditional terms, then it is a more cheaply made product.

The simplest and cheapest way to make a sparkling wine is to pump CO2 gas directly into the wine. These wines are usually a lot sweeter, low in alcohol and the retail price reflects the system used.

Whatever wine selections you help your customers with, be sure you can explain the price and process connection. Any discussion based on quality and production system is best undertaken with samples of each wine in hand. n

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

Numbers are not indicative of a ranking.

FAMILY ESTATE CUVÉE ADELE 1 NO.1 MARLBOROUGH 2013

A beautiful bouquet with delicate scents of white strawberry and citrus fruits, white flowers and a core of finely tuned leesy autolysis, complex and beguiling. Dry, tense, youthful and specific on the palate - flavours of grapefruit and white peach, lemon peel and red apple. the autolysis offers flavours of butter brioche and salty water cracker. Fine mousse, high acidity, youthful, complex and long. A fantastic example. Buy! Points 98 RRP $240.00 Distributor: No.1 Family Estate Phone: (03) 572 9876 www.no1familyestate.co.nz

FOUR

THREE

10 | June 2019 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

Powerful, distinctive, individual, richly scented, complex and enticing bouquet. Baked lemon, baked peach, apple and a nutty autolysis spice.

On the palate - dry, complex and packed with flavour and texture - lemon, grapefruit, stone fruit and a fine mousse. A vibrato, a crescendo, leesy layered autolysis. Delicious! Long finish. Drink now or cellar. You will not be disappointed.

Points 98 RRP $96.00 Distributor: No.1 Family Estate Phone: (03) 572 9876 www.no1familyestate.co.nz

TWO

Cameron Douglas MS is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier. An experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant, he is academically in charge of the Wine and Beverage Programme at AUT University in Auckland and is Patron of the New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association. Douglas consults to a variety of establishments, taking care of their wine lists, wine and food pairings, and staff training matters and he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas.

ONE

BIO:

FAMILY ESTATE RESERVE BLANC DE 2 NO.1 BLANCS MARLBOROUGH NV

TASTING NOTES

3

TOHU REWA BLANC DE BLANC MARLBOROUGH MÉTHODE TRADITIONNELLE 2015

4

Classic Champagne bouquet with a New Zealand twist. Aromas of lemon, grapefruit and white peach, a distinctive autolysis with a light spice and calm presence. Dry, vibrant, crisp, layered. Delicious flavours and textures with citrus, apple and white fleshed fruits, an undercurrent of autolysis. Fine mousse, lengthy finish, complex.

Drink now and through 2025.

Points 96 RRP $32.00 Distributor: Kono Beverages Phone: (0800) 864 894 www.tohuwines.co.nz

Aromas of citrus and white peach, red apple and a deep core of autolysis. Scents of white strawberry, white flowers, a wetstone and chalk like minerality add complexity as well as freshness and allure. Crisp, dry and quite complex with flavours that reflect the nose - layered and integrated. Expressive mousse with a fine bubble and texture.

Aperitif style with a lengthy finish.

Drink now and through 2026.

Points 95 RRP $36.00 Distributor: No.1 Family Estate Phone: (03) 572 9876 www.no1familyestate.co.nz

7

MIRUMIRU 8 HUNTER’S 9 MARLBOROUGH

WINERY 10 PASK DECLARATION

Cherry and roses, strawberry and red apple aromas followed by scents of red tea, bread and hibiscus flower. Full impact on the palate with fruit messages speaking first, cherry and red apple, then a mealy wet stone mineral quality.

Bold mousse, high acidity, generous, earthy and real. A very nice example with a decent length and finish.

Drink now and through 2022.

Points 93 RRP $40.00 Distributor: Kono Beverages Phone: (0800) 864 894 www.tohuwines.co.nz

A bouquet of a wine that is ready to enjoy. Integrated aromas of peach and apple, a nutty autolysis and mineralilty. Bold and expressive mousse on the palate carrying and emphasising flavours of baked stone fruits, strawberry, apple and a biscuity brioche warmth. Abundant acidity and concentration ensures this wine will continue to age for the next few years. Drink now and through 2024.

Points 92 RRP $38.90 Distributor: EuroVintage Phone: (0800) HUNTER www.hunters.co.nz

A bold and rich bouquet packed with a nutty, yeasty and yellow stone fruits. Dry, firm and crisp on the palate with flavours of lemon, apple and custard brioche. Quite weighty and full-bodied richness.

With some bottle development and nutty spice layers, a wine with some complexity and intrigue.

Drink now and through 2022.

Points 90 RRP $30.00 Distributor: Pask Phone: (06) 879 7906 www.pask.co.nz

TOHU REWA ROSÉ MARLBOROUGH MÉTHODE TRADITIONNELLE 2015

NO.1 FAMILY ESTATE CUVÉE NO.1 BLANC DE BLANCS MARLBOROUGH NV

RESERVE 2015

5

6

Fragrant and floral with a plush, generous bouquet. Sweet red roses and red cherry scents, a light sweet strawberry note and distinctive soft gently spicy autolysis. Equally plush and generous on the palate - complex, textured, crisp and very lengthy. A delicious wine.

Points 95 RRP $47.00 Distributor: No.1 Family Estate Phone: (03) 572 9876 www.no1familyestate.co.nz

Classic ‘old school’ style bouquet with aromas of toasted bread, cereal, ripe orchard fruits, strawberry and citrus. Dry, weighty, textured and complex on the palate.

Flavours reflect the nose with precision, especially strawberry and peach, the autolysis of lees gives flavour and complexity; the overall texture and length is appealing.

Lengthy finish, balanced and ready.

Drink now and through 2024.

Points 94 RRP $32.00 Distributor: No.1 Family Estate Phone: (03) 572 9876 www.no1familyestate.co.nz

NO.1 FAMILY ESTATE ROSÉ MARLBOROUGH NV

HUNTER’S MIRUMIRU MARLBOROUGH NV

Lovely bouquet with a fruity, leesy attack, some spice and balanced bottled development complexity.

Crisp and dry with a lemon and crunchy apple flavours, a soft yeasty quality and fine mousse.

Balanced and well made. A wine to please many who like bubbles.

Drink now and through 2022.

Points 91 RRP $28.90 Distributor: EuroVintage Phone: (0800) HUNTER www.hunters.co.nz

NO.1 FAMILY ESTATE ASSEMBLÉ MARLBOROUGH NV

HAWKE’S BAY MÉTHODE TRADITIONELLE 2010

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EIGHT

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TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | June 2019 | 11

TASTING NOTES

Mighty Marlborough M

BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

arlborough remains New Zealand’s largest region for grape plantings and wine production. From some of the smallest boutique producers, and a significant bio-dynamic and organic culture, to some of the very largest wine producers, Marlborough has a lot to offer restaurants and consumers.

Sauvignon Blanc is the cornerstone variety for the region. It is, however, one of many cépage success stories, with Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay showing the regions proclivity for white wine varieties. Pinot Noir has significant plantings, with production of bottlefermented sparkling using more and more of the variety. Sparkling wine production has increased significantly in the last decade and is now the centre for production in New Zealand (though not the only region).

Syrah is a variety not normally associated with Marlborough but has been recognised by many local and international critics as a variety to watch. In fact, Syrah has out-classed those from Hawke’s Bay in wine competitions and magazine reviews on several occasions. Petit Manseng, Grüner Veltliner, Albarino and Gewürztraminer are among several other varieties showing promise.

Marlborough’s geography is specific and unique. Located at the top north-eastern reaches of the South Island, it comprises a collection of valleys nestled between the Richmond Ranges to the east and Wither Hills to the west. The majority of plantings are on the valley floor.

The Southern Alps form immediately south of the region, providing a corridor to funnel in cool southerly winds, assisting in keeping the region on the cooler side. With some of the highest sunshine hours for New Zealand recorded in Marlborough, grape growing and ripening is assured. The soils are mostly free-draining stony, river wash and alluvial soils, which mean irrigation is common practice. There are several grower producers who dry farm.

When tasting wines from the region expect an abundance of crisp, ripe and easily identifiable varietal fruit characters, crunchy higher-acid textures and, when oak is used, it tends to be judicially applied to add structure, without becoming overblown with woody flavours.

Surprisingly, or not, Marlborough is the most misspelled of all New Zealand’s wine regions when it comes to wine lists (Malborough).

The Mighty Marlborough wine region is a major player in New Zealand’s wine culture. Wine styles are evolving slowly - even for Sauvignon Blanc - and as the understanding of viticulture also evolves, wines from the region are showing more depth, complexity and character. n Wines are scored out of 100 points and are listed in no particular order.

Numbers are not indicative of a ranking.

WHITEHAVEN MARLBOROUGH ‘GREG’ SOUTHERN VALLEYS SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2017

Ripe, focused, fruity, varietal and complex bouquet of Pinot Noir. Very youthful on the palate with plenty of tension and poise. Flavours of dark berries and cherry, some blackcurrant then baking spices of vanilla and clove. Firm tannins, plentiful acidity, a core of fruit, some dried herb notes and stony mineral finish. A wine that needs some cellar time to knit together all the finer attributes. Well made and lengthy. Best from 2021 through 2028.

Points 95 RRP $55.00 Distributor: Whitehaven Phone: (03) 572 7588 www.whitehaven.co.nz

12 | June 2019 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

ONE

1

TASTING NOTES ESTATE VINTAGE 2 JACKSON WINDOW MARLBOROUGH

SINGLE 3 LOVEBLOCK VINEYARD MARLBOROUGH

Very attractive bouquet of Pinot Noir with layers of dark cherry and baking spices, cedar and red apple, red flowers and whispers of wood smoke. Dry, fruity, youthful and engaging on the palate. Firm tannins with a dusty chalky texture, medium+ acidity and flavours that mirror the nose. Still integrating and developing so no rush to drink please. Decant for service, best from 2020 through 2025.

Points 93 RRP $34.00 Distributor: Hancocks Wine Spirits and Beer Merchants Phone: (09) 361 8480 www.jacksonestate.co.nz

Varietal with a bouquet of flowers and white spices, apple, fresh lychee and pear. A tropical fruit and elderflower layer add a nice distinctiveness. Creamy texture, decent weight and core of ripe spicy fleshy fruits. The floral and wet stone mineral moments adding depth and a lot of enjoyment. Balanced and well made. Lots to like. Drink now and through 2021. *This wine is vegan Points 93 RRP $21.99 Distributor: Hancocks Wine Spirits and Beer Merchants Phone: (09) 365 1471 www.loveblockwine.com

Really lovely bouquet of Pinot Noir with a soft floral and light red fruits, red flowers, wood spices, a touch of wood smoke and youthful vibrant tension. Dry on the palate with flavours of red cherry, red apple, raspberry and red cherry. Tannins add in tension and texture, acidity adds a layer of crunchy texture and freshness. Oak layer adds in some baking spics and tannin. Youthful, balanced, well made very easy to enjoy. Drink now and through 2025.

Points 93 RRP $30.00 Distributor: Whitehaven Phone: (03) 572 7588 www.whitehaven.co.nz

5

6

YEALANDS ESTATE SINGLE VINEYARD AWATERE VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2018

7

Powerful and distinctive bouquet with a savoury, sweet herb and fruity aroma package.

Apple and citrus, sweet hay and dried herb, some gooseberry and yellow plum, a light sweet sweat layer and leesy undercurrent. High acid, crisp, dry and lengthy. Balanced and well made, a lovely example.

Points 93 RRP $25.00 Distributor: Yealands Phone: (03) 575 7618 www.yealands.co.nz

Classic Awatere bouquet with a core of dried herb and savoury spices. A varietal fruit signature of cherries, plums and red apple. The oak is obvious and well placed adding brown spices, toastyness, depth and complexity. Firm, youthful and dry on the palate with flavours the same as the nose. Plenty of tannin & acidity for structure and texture. Nice example. Drink now and through 2024.

Points 93 RRP $30.00 Distributor: Yealands Phone: (03) 575 7618 www.yealands.co.nz

FOUR

SIX

PINOT NOIR 2015

YEALANDS ESTATE SINGLE BLOCK M2 ORGANIC MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018

GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2018

MARLBOROUGH 4 WHITEHAVEN PINOT NOIR 2016

HUNTER’S MARLBOROUGH GRÜNER VELTLINER

Varietal bouquet of Grüner with scents of apple and radish, white pepper and pear, a light pineapple tin note and white flower layer.

Delicious on the palate - varietal, crisp, spicy and dry. Flavours match the nose especially the pear and pepper, apple and radish combinations. Plenty of acidity, refreshing, balanced and lengthy finish. Drink now and through 2022.

Points 90 RRP $24.90 Distributor: EuroVintage Phone: (0800) HUNTER www.hunters.co.nz

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TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | June 2019 | 13

A wee

Whisky celebration

Fancy attending the best whisky festivals around? Spirits writer Tash McGill explains where you should be heading.

S

Tash McGill is a spirits and hospitality writer who regularly hosts tastings and education classes for those wanting to know more about spirits and their uses - from cocktails to culinary food matches. She has been in the spirits and cocktail industry for more than 10 years, writing, tasting and judging competitions.

ince the beginning of May, distilleries around the world have been spring-cleaned, buffed and polished to supreme sparkle. The whisky festival season is in full swing from May, this year starting with the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival on the eastern coast of Scotland.

With more than 50 operating distilleries, Speyside has the greatest concentration of malt whisky producers compared to any other whisky-producing region of Scotland; malts that are found in some of the world’s most well-known brands and blends as well as exceptional single malts. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has been running since 1996, one of the few whisky festivals to allow public voting on its whisky awards.

A typical whisky festival involves plenty of opportunity to get up close and personal with the distillers, ambassadors and behind-the-scenes stars of the whisky business, such as the Forsyth family of still-makers who sponsor the Spirit of Speyside whisky awards. As well as a chance to sample and taste plenty of local malt, a festival will often give visitors a chance to enjoy the unique attractions and lifestyle of a particular area.

With World Whisky Day being celebrated globally on the 3rd Saturday of May, it’s no surprise that increasing numbers of distilleries, brands and bars turn their attention to celebrating grain alcohol at this time of year.

14 | June 2019 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

The last week and early days of June are usually reserved in the calendar for Féis Ìle; which has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for Islay whisky lovers all over the world since Islay distilleries started opening their doors for Open Days during the festival in 1990. A Féis is traditionally a festival or celebration of the traditional Gaelic arts and music and Islay’s iconic Féis Ìle was started in the late ’80s with a desire to preserve and reinvigorate the Gaelic language and arts on the island.

With a comparatively tiny population of just 3500 people, this number swells to more than 10,000 during Féis Ìle, with visitors enjoying music, food, poetry, piping and, of course, the very special Féis Ìle tastings and bottlings that are released leading up to and during the festival.

If you’re familiar with Ardbeg at all, you’ll not be surprised by this. Each year, Ardbeg committee members are known to scour the internet and trademark registries looking for clues as to what the Ardbeg Day release will bring them. Usually an opportunity for Ardbeg’s famed Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks, Dr. Bill Lumsden, to roll out another boundary-breaking or toe-curling experiment. Ardbeg Day bottlings are known to double and triple in value at the whisky auctions within 12-24 months of release, which raises the question – what makes a special bottling ‘special’ and when is it worth it?

There are two sorts of buyers when it comes to festival and special release bottlings; those who love

SPIRIT ON SHOW

“A typical whisky festival involves plenty of opportunity to get up close and personal with the distillers, ambassadors and behind-the-scenes stars of the whisky business.”

New Zealand’s bi-annual DramFest is back in 2020

Dr. Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks Féis Ìle at Ardbeg Distillery

Féis Ìle at Bruichladdich Distillery

Bruichladdich’s Octomore Event Horizon

being part of the release thrill and those who see a potential investment opportunity. No matter what anyone tells you, you are one or the other.

Far too many dinner party stories end with confessions of those special release bottlings being opened because the owner couldn’t resist sharing or enjoying another taste. A true investor knows to put these bottles up and away out of reach, advice that should be well-heeded by many a bar owner whose prize possessions have tragically been opened by a well-meaning employee. If you truly value these bottles, you’ll put them away.

A whisky festival, much like any special occasion, gives permission and opportunity to a distiller to push boundaries and have a little fun with a devoted and enthusiastic audience.

Often this looks like a well-prepared and thought through barrel, grain or yeast experiment – much like we see from the limited and private edition ranges of Macallan or Glenmorangie. In years past, the Ardbeg bottlings have included the use of Russian black oak barrels in the aging process or in the case of this year’s release from Bruichladdich, the Octomore Event Horizon is a 12-year-old Octomore running at 162.6PPM and matured in Oloroso and PX sherry casks. At 2000 bottles, it’s a larger release run than many Féis Ile bottlings.

Many other distilleries release much smaller runs; 120-300 bottles at a time, usually an indication that a single cask has been used for the release. These bottles are usually defined by being particularly oncharacter or especially unique for the distillery or just plain old and rare whisky that would otherwise be used in rounding out the character of the core range. If you simply love a particular distillery, these super rare malts are the ones to look for.

While Ardbeg has certainly capitalised on the brand and marketing opportunity of the release, they are not the only ones to seize the opportunity. Independent bottlers Hunter Laing have taken to releasing a Kinship series each year, featuring an independent bottling of each of Islay’s current operating distilleries and the usual focus here is age – you can purchase 25-40-year-old Bowmore, Ardbeg and the like for a mere $NZ350-$500.

The whisky festival model is now 30+ years old in Scotland and spreading like wildfire to the United States, Japan and even further afield. As soon as the snow starts thawing in many of the most productive areas, the doors start opening.

But what if you can’t make it to Féis Ile itself, or you’re not planning any overseas travel soon? Fear not – New Zealand’s bi-annual DramFest is back in 2020 and will be hosted once more in the Christchurch Town Hall. DramFest is the inverse model – brands from all over the world come to the event and showcase their wares alongside local brands from New Zealand and Australia. A ticket for the day or the weekend comes with a tasting glass, the opportunity to attend multiple masterclasses and special sessions. The festival is run by Christchurch’s Whisky Galore owner, Michael Fraser Milne, who was recently bestowed the honour of ‘Master of the Quaich’ for his services to whisky. For the passionate collector or the enthusiastic whisky lover, DramFest provides a worldclass experience on our own doorstep. For bar owners and hospitality professionals, it’s the essential learning, networking and celebratory whisky event in the country and an excellent opportunity to enhance your whisky list (or collection).

Which brings us to the final question – to buy and keep or buy to drink? My recommendation is always buy two, try one and decide whether the other is worth keeping. If it is, put it far away and under lock and key. n TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | June 2019 | 15

BEER FEATURE

Smoke…

Where there’s

Smoked beer might not be at the top of your list of must-try beers but John Oszajca thinks you should give it a go and he explains why.

T

o the uninitiated, the notion of smoked beer might seem odd, To contact John Oszajca regarding beer features unpleasant, or downright bizarre. or samples, please After all, smoke is a flavour we email him at john@ associate with meat and barbecue. It’s not a newzealandbrewer.co.nz flavour that we expect to find in a bottle of our favourite fizzy amber beverage. While such a perspective may be understandable, it may surprise some to learn that there was once a time when the majority of beer produced in the world had some degree of smoked character.

In order to make beer from barley, we must first malt the grain. The malting process begins with germinating the grain to develop enzymes, which will be needed to convert said grain’s starch into sugar. This germinated grain is then heated to arrest the growing process, dry the malt, and to add varying degrees of roastiness, ranging from pale and bready to black and espresso-like.

Until the early 19th century, most malted barley was heated using open fires. The fuels used in these fires included wood, straw, and coal (amongst other things), and these fuels varied based on where the maltster was located and what materials were common and/or favoured in their area. Given that the malt was heated by an open fire, at least some of the resulting smoke would penetrate the malt and eventually find its way into the beer (a contribution that was often under-appreciated by maltsters and brewers of the era). Much in the way that Hickory differs from Mesquite when it comes to barbecue, each type of fuel imparted its own flavour into beer, even down to the variety of wood. Many of our historical beer styles were born as a result of these imperfect malting practices of centuries past.

However, in 1818, an engineer by the name of Daniel Wheeler invented a new type of drum kiln that would nearly bring an end to smoked beer and change the brewing industry forever. Inspired by a coffee roaster at work, Wheeler’s drum kiln was a closed drum that rotated above a fire. The heat dried and roasted the barley, while keeping the smoke – and it’s often unwanted smoky flavours – out of the resulting beer. The rotating drum also produced a much more consistent product, solving another major malting challenge at the time, and resulting in a wide variety of new malts.

Wheeler’s drum kiln, along with the invention of the hydrometer, led to a rise in popularity of pale, ‘cleaner’ beers, and soon smoked beers saw a steep decline in popularity. However, there were a few hold-outs – particularly in Bamberg, Germany – who stuck to their traditional ways and continued making smoked beer. These handful of breweries became the keepersof-the-style that is now known as Rauchbier (German for Smoked Beer).

Today, the most popular of these German Rauchbiers are Brauerei HellerTrum’s Aecht Schlenkerla, and Christian Merz Brauerei Spezial’s Rauchbier.

Both breweries date back centuries and still do their own malting to this day.

Sadly, however, these wonderful Bamberg Rauchbiers are nearly impossible to come by here in New Zealand.

But while a traditional Bamberg Rauchbier might be difficult to find here in New Zealand, smoked beer itself is not. As has been the case with many nearly-forgotten beer styles, modern craft brewers have not only brought it back, but have also begun using smoked malt in new and interesting ways. Additionally, specialty maltsters have begun offering a wider array of smoked malt options than ever before, each one with its own characteristics.

Let’s take a look at the different types of smoked malt, the flavours each one contributes, and the typical applications of these unique malts…

16 | June 2019 | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | TheShout NZ

BEER FEATURE

Br au ere iH

elle erla r-Tru m’s Aecht Schlenk

Kainui Brewing Co Hell Hole

Yeastie Boys xeRRex

BEECHWOOD SMOKED MALT

Traditional Bamberg smoked beers are made with Beechwood smoked malt, commonly referred to as Rauch Malt. Beechwood smoke contributes a smoky, woody, and bacon-like flavour and aroma to the finished beer. So much so that several ‘bacon beers’ have been produced using only Rauch Malt as the source of their bacony flavours. While Beechwood smoke is certainly synonymous with traditional Bamberg Rauchbier, many other German styles of beer are often brewed with varying portions of Rauch Malt, including Bocks, Hefeweizen, Dunkel, Schwarzbier, and various styles of pale lagers. In addition to these traditional beer styles, Beechwood smoked malt is also commonly used in many less traditionally smoked styles of beer ranging from Porter to IPA, and nearly everything in between.

While it may be difficult to find a bottle of Schlenkerla Rauchbier here in New Zealand, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a few fantastic, traditional smoked beers done in the German style right here at home.

Renaissance Brewing produced a seasonal Rauchbier, and Moa Brewing Company produces a Helles (Pale) Rauchbier that is available in select New Zealand craft beer bars (on draught only). For something less traditional, be sure to try a bottle of 8 Wired Brewing Company’s Big Smoke, a rich, chocolaty Porter with a healthy dose of Beechwood smoked malt

PEAT SMOKED MALT

8 Wired Big Smoke

North End Brewing Pit Boss

But if one is looking to truly singe the flavour of peat smoke into their memory bank, then find yourself a bottle of xeRRex from Yeastie Boys. xeRRex is an annually brewed, 10% ABV ale made with 100% peat smoked malt. This is definitely not a beer for everyone, but it is a beer you will certainly never forget.

MANUKA SMOKED MALT

Here in New Zealand we are blessed to have Gladfield Malt, New Zealand’s own craft maltster. Gladfield is known for creating a number of malts that are unique to New Zealand. One such malt is their Manuka mmoked malt.

Gladfield’s Manuka smoked malt consists of top quality Canterbury-grown barley, smoked over 100% Manuka wood from the West Coast. Manuka malt imparts a smooth smoky character that is ‘both floral and sweet’.

While Manuka smoked malt is used in a wide array of beer styles, it works particularly well in traditional German styles; offering New Zealand’s craft brewer’s a chance to produce classic Rauchbiers with a Kiwi twist.

To get a sense of what Manuka brings to beer, try Hell Hole from Kainui Brew Co, a Manuka smoked, barrel-fermented, Red IPA with a touch of sea salt. It is a uniquely Kiwi beer that seeks to capture the spirit of Kororareka in a glass. For something more traditional try North End’s Pit Boss. Pit Boss is a Bamberg-inspired, smoked Doppelbock which incorporates a healthy portion of Manuka-smoked malt that has the distinction of being is smoked in-house. You won’t be disappointed. n r rde In o

ke beer from barley , we to ma

mu st fi r st

m al t

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n ai gr

Peat smoked malt is far and away the most extreme of all the smoked malts.

Peat has been used as fuel in Scotland for centuries. As such, peat-fuelled open fires were historically used in the malting process, and peat’s distinctive flavour contribution has long been a definitive note in Scottish whisky.

Loved by some and hated by others, peat smoked malt is known for contributing a sharp, phenolic, and dirt-like earthiness into beer. Its flavour contribution is so intense that when used, it is typically used in very small amounts. Despite being “against the style guidelines”, peat smoked malt most often finds its way into Strong Scotch Ales as a subtle, infamously-Scottish, accent note.

Renaissance Brewing Rauchbier

“As has been the case with many nearly-forgotten beer styles, modern craft brewers have not only brought it back, but have also begun using smoked malt in new and interesting ways.”

TheShout NZ | HOSPITALITY BUSINESS | June 2019 | 17