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CONTENTS // February
Contents FEBRUARY 19
22
Regulars 5 // IN FOCUS An exclusive interview with Marco Pierre White on his Australian expansion. 6 // NEWS The latest in openings, events, books and more. 8 // PRODUCE A look at the scarlet prawn. 10 // COLUMN Annam’s Jerry Mai on the impact of no-shows. 12 // BEST PRACTICE Why New Year’s goals don’t have to be cliché.
28
24
14 // BUSINESS PROFILE The story behind Haberfield’s La Disfida.
Features
16 // DRINKS There’s more to the negroni than meets the eye. 32 // BEHIND THE SCENES How to make Gin Lane’s negroni soft serve.
18 // CORN TORTILLAS What the staple’s history reveals about Mexico’s culinary culture. 22 // INDIAN Modern Indian restaurants are taking the cuisine to a new level.
33 // EQUIPMENT Tweezers: friend or foe?
24 // ESPRESSO WATER Creating perfect water is the next frontier in specialty coffee.
34 // 5 MINUTES WITH ... Mal Meiers on changing the way the industry addresses mental health.
28 // PRODUCT LINES Why your restaurant should create a product range.
February 2019 | 3
EDITOR’S NOTE // Hello
Social
Keep up with the Hospitality team
This hot dog from Copenhagen’s Rådhuspladsen came with ketchup, mustard, remoulade, pickles, fried and raw onions. @madeline.woolway
New year, new Hospitality AS THE CLICHÉ goes, a new year is the time
The Ételek pop-up may be gone, but the craving for langos with cultured cream lives on. @hospitalitymagazine
This issue, Annam’s Jerry Mai pens a
to set intentions and switch things up. Here
column on the impact of no-shows on
at Hospitality, we’ve decided to do just that.
restaurants, journalist Madeline Woolway
Not only have we refreshed the design of the
examines the importance of water in
magazine, but a range of new sections have
the coffee-making process and I
been added including a closer look at our
talk to venues launching their own
video series and a news spread on the latest
product lines.
happenings in the restaurant world. We’ve also kept the sections readers love such as our business profile (Haberfield’s
I’d love to hear your feedback on the newlook Hospitality, so please feel free to send me an email at acloros@intermedia.com.au.
La Disfida features this issue) and flavour of the month, which has been rebranded as
Until next time,
‘produce’ and includes bespoke illustrations
Annabelle Cloros
by Elena Fombertaux.
Editor
The charcuterie at Continental Deli CBD is the perfect start to a stellar menu. @annabellecloros
Follow us @hospitalitymagazine #hospitalitymagazine
PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au EDITOR Annabelle Cloros T: 02 8586 6226 acloros@intermedia.com.au JOURNALIST Madeline Woolway T: 02 8586 6194 mwoolway@intermedia.com.au
ADVERTISING NATIONAL Dan Shipley T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 4419 dshipley@intermedia.com.au ART DIRECTOR Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au
HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au To subscribe please call 1800 651 422. hospitalitymagazine.com.au facebook.com/ HospitalityMagazine twitter.com/Hospitalityed instagram.com/hospitalitymag
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DISCLAIMER This publication is published by Food and Beverage Media, a division of The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication. Copyright © 2019 – The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd
4 | Hospitality
IN FOCUS // Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White announces Aussie restaurant empire Marco Pierre White has teamed up with RMAL Hospitality to bring his restaurant brands to the Australian market. WORDS Annabelle Cloros THERE’S NO SHORTAGE of
amount of time in Australia
a foundation and you have an
Australian chefs and wait staff
restaurants in Australia run by
during the year, adding to the
infrastructure — that’s the beauty
and local produce will reign
globally renowned figures. But
motivation behind the rollout.
of hotels. I’m a great believer
supreme on the menu. “There’s
There are seven brands up
UK chef Marco Pierre White
that you employ the hierarchy
very good produce in Australia,”
will be expanding his culinary
for franchise including Marco
and then those individuals build
says Pierre White. “It will all be
portfolio to the Oceania region
Pierre White Steakhouse Bar
their team.”
local ingredients — nothing will
for the first time, with seven
& Grill; New York Italian;
restaurant brands set to launch.
Bardolino Pizzeria Bellini &
brands will launch, but Pierre
Pierre White spoke to Hospitality
Espresso Bar; Wheelers of St
White says all venues will take
atmosphere and perplexing
about what diners can expect
James Oyster Bar & Grill Room;
cues from their surroundings
food — you’ve got the wrong
from the venues, tailoring
Marconi Coffee & Juice Bar;
— people and place included.
idea. “It’s about simplicity
concepts to the Australian
Mr White’s English Chophouse
“What’s important is to develop
and service with a smile in an
market and the importance of
and Koffmann and Mr White’s
the concept around the market,”
environment you want to sit in,”
good infrastructure.
English French Brasserie.
he says. “You have to tailor
says Pierre White. “The future of
things to the environment and
dining out is making everything
Late last year, Pierre
In the UK, a number of Pierre
There’s no word on which
be flown in.” And if you’re expecting a stiff
White signed a deal with
White’s restaurants operate
the demographic and price
affordable, delicious and in an
RMAL Hospitality to create
within hotels, and the group will
it accordingly.” There are
environment with warm service
a new group dubbed Black
consider the same arrangement
no confirmed locations, but
— I don’t think it’s complicated.
and White International. The
in Australia. “We tend to operate
Pierre White names Melbourne,
I don’t want to do three-star
primary motivation behind the
in hotels on the High Street, so
Sydney, Adelaide and Perth
Michelin food, that’s a world
partnership was to expand Pierre
we’re looking at hotels,” says
as the most likely sites. “I think
many years ago. They have
White’s franchised restaurants
Pierre White. “If you’re in a hotel
you have to be in those major
their place, but I don’t want to
into the Oceania region. The
with 300 bedrooms, you’ve
cities,” he says.
be part of that world. I just like
chef also spends a decent
already got a market. You’ve got
Venues will be staffed with
simple and straight-forward.”
■
February 2019 | 5
NEWS // Entrée
Entrée
The latest openings, books, events and more.
Totti’s opens Pinbone chef Mike Eggert has teamed up with ex-
EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros
Rockpool chef Khan Danis to spearhead Merivale’s new Bondi eatery Totti’s. Located in The Royal Hotel, Totti’s
Dan Hunter x Koko Black Dan Hunter has released a range of chocolates in collaboration with Koko Black. The Brae chef worked with head chocolatier Remco Brigou to create chocolate pralines and blocks that showcase Australian native ingredients. Flavours include finger lime, green ant and burnt butter cream along with whipstick wattle with roasted coconut and Arriba 39 per cent single origin. kokoblack.com
revolves around Italian fare with a menu that’s split into four sections: breads, cheese and charcuterie; pasta, protein and Italian desserts. “It’s visual, aromatic and very hands on,” says Eggert. “We want it to feel really communal, where people see a table full of little plates and fresh bread and immediately want to tuck in and have fun.” merivale.com
Nadine Ingram releases debut book Flour and Stone Nadine Ingram $55, Simon & Schuster Flour and Stone’s Nadine Ingram has released a book that covers her 30-plus-year career as a baker alongside recipes for her cult baked goods. Best known for her pannacotta lamingtons, mouth-watering cakes and croissants crafted in Woollahra, Flour and Stone features a range of recipes to suit multiple skill levels. Highlights include lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake and apple tart.
Alanna Sapwell heads to Brisbane Alanna Sapwell has moved to Brisbane to head up ARC at the Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane. The venue features a 140-seat wine bar and a 100-seat restaurant which is scheduled to open in February. The former Saint Peter chef says the culinary team will be working closely with local producers, utilising whole carcasses and animals that have “served one or two purposes in their life” such as mutton and hogget. howardsmithwharves.com
6 | Hospitality
NEWS // Entrée
Gin Lane launches boozy soft serves Gin Lane’s head mixologist Grant Collins has created a range of boozy soft serves with Florentina’s David Lopresti. Flavours include Aperol spritz, Singapore sling, south side and negroni, which will be on rotation until the end of summer. The ice creams are all served with dedicated toppings including candied orange, candied mint, popping candy and chocolate flake and are available in a cup or cone.
Shaun Quade heads to LA
ginlanesydney.com
Shaun Quade has officially handed
The butcher’s book Meat: The Ultimate Companion
over the reins of Lûmé to John Rivera and is focusing on opening a new restaurant in Los Angeles.
Anthony Puharich and Libby Travers $79.99, Murdoch Books
Why Los Angeles?
Victor Churchill butcher and co-owner Anthony
LA is probably the most exciting
Puharich and food writer Libby Travers have penned a
US city to eat in right now, and
practical guide to all things meat. The book features a
my partner Veronica and I have
range of perspectives on meat from farmers, butchers
increasingly fallen in love with the
and cooks alongside more than 110 recipes. Meat also
city. A lot of what Veronica and
includes illustrated butchery techniques, expert tips on
I originally planned for Lûmé in
selecting, storing and cooking meat and a history of
Melbourne just wasn’t the right place
every animal Australia raises for meat.
at the right time, but for LA, it is. We’ve always been interested in the psychological, technological and experiential elements of dining as much as the food and the LA concept allows us to explore those ideas.
How would you describe the culinary direction? The LA menu is an evolution of what
Go wild
I was working on previously at Lûmé — only it’s more in tune with what I prefer to cook personally, which
Chef Sarah Glover has
means more plant- and seafood-
created six food boxes
based dishes, more reliance on
for Unyoked’s hidden
the land and the incorporation of
cabins across Sydney
animal-based protein as an accent
and Melbourne. Revolving around the concept of
rather than a feature. I’ve been working with a local
high-end campfire food, the
forager who has been showing me
recipes are designed to be
some of the many ingredients that
cooked over fire using basic
are indigenous to California. It’s been
equipment. The veggie box
a joy to learn more about them and
features campfire spinach
work them into this style of AusCal
lasagna while the carnivore
cuisine. I’m also working with a farmer
box includes bangers and
growing native Australian ingredients
mash. unyoked.co Photography by
and we’ll have a big focus on Australian low-intervention wines.
Luisa Brimble. February 2019 | 7
PRODUCE // Scarlet prawn
Up to 30cm in length and 150g inclusive of the shell
Scarlet Prawn
Striking red in colour and large in size, the scarlet prawn (Aristaeopsis Edwardsiana) is one of the most coveted crustaceans worldwide. ILLUSTRATIONS Elena Fombertaux Origins
only take 10–15 minutes and will limit the
The species is known by a plethora of
loss of flavour and texture. Once thawed,
names — here in Australia, it is known
the prawn should be used quickly to
as a coral prawn, giant red prawn or
avoid oxidisation which will not only
velvet prawn.
result in discolouration (blackening) of
The prawn is the result of a new fishery in Cape Moreton which has
the head and shell, but will taint the flavour of the flesh and the liver. A large liver sits
been developed in consultation with the Federal Fisheries Management Authority
Flavour profile and appearance
behind the head
and the Queensland government.
Known for the deep red colour of their
and the main
Historically, the catch of the species has
shell, scarlet prawn flesh is translucent
carapace
been random and mostly the result of
and finely textured with a soft, yielding
bycatch. Caught in depths of 400–
bite and deep, umami-rich aftertaste.
2,000m, in the deep oceanic trenches
Thanks to the depths they are found in,
of the South Coral Sea between 50
they’re similar to scampi or lobster in
and 100km off the coast of South East
terms of texture. They have a large liver
Queensland, the prawns are graded
which sits behind the head and the main
making soups,
and frozen at -45 degrees Celsius on
carapace. Their colour and large size
sauces and oil
the catching vessel.
are appealing when plated whole.
Excellent for
The fishery is subject to strong currents that move up and down the East Coast
Culinary uses
of Australia and while further research
The texture makes the prawns ideal
is being undertaken, is likely to be a late
for sashimi, however chefs have also
autumn and winter fishery. Volumes
experimented with steaming, grilling
will be small and offered to Australian
and roasting. Leave the shell on during
Translucent flesh
seafood wholesalers first.
cooking to retain natural juices. The
is finely textured,
prawn’s natural layer of fat sits under
with a soft,
Storage
the shell, rendering during cooking to
yielding bite
The scarlet prawn should be stored at
retain both moisture and texture. The
-28 degrees Celsius or less and ideally
shells can also be used to make clear
thawed in a strong ice brine. This should
and creamed soups and sauces. ■
8 | Hospitality
COLUMN // No-shows
The real cost of no-shows Annam’s Jerry Mai didn’t have the festive season she was hoping for thanks to diners who simply never turned up.
CHRISTMAS IS A whirlwind in
We hold tables for bookings,
our ability to make the profit
their credit card details and go
hospitality. Venues often rely
thus turning away walk-ins and
our restaurant needed during
on a shopping spree!
on increased earnings during
declining other parties.
the period.
the period to help carry them
When we are fully booked, we
When we first opened, we had
Somewhere along the line manners have been forgotten.
through quieter times. So why do
put on more staff and have more
strict booking policies where
In light of this, and after hearing
people leave common courtesy
food. We close Sundays, so what
we would take credit card
similar stories of no-shows from
in a cupboard during a time
we order for Saturday is enough
details if customers booked a
others in the industry, we’ve
that’s supposed to be festive?
to cover us given the bookings
table of six or more and would
been forced to reintroduce our
we have. If bookings don’t show
charge a small nominal fee in
previous booking policy instead
no-shows who seemed to think
up, we have to carry over any
the event of a no-show. The
of relying on common courtesy.
it was ok to book a table on a
food we can to Monday and
policy isn’t uncommon in the
Perhaps a shared blacklist
Friday or Saturday night and not
waste the rest.
industry, however we found we
across online booking systems is
were losing large bookings as
the way forward to help venues
In December, I was chasing
turn up! I’m not talking about
We also put extra staff on
small tables of two or three,
to meet the needs of our fully
people were reluctant to secure
cope with no-shows. Maybe this
but large groups of six or more
booked restaurant. When so
a booking with their credit card
will have more impact on people
that ghosted on the night. They
many people don’t turn up, we
details. It didn’t matter how
who ghost on bookings if they
didn’t even have the courtesy
can’t send extra staff home as
many times we explained we
find multiple venues declining
to make a phone call to cancel
they need to work a minimum of
wouldn’t take money unless
them. Just a thought … or maybe
or answer when we called to
three hours. No-shows cost us
they were a no-show — people
manners need to come back
check if they were still coming.
a chunk of money and cut out
seemed to think we would take
into fashion? ■
10 | Hospitality
BEST PRACTICE // Growth directions
Growth directions for a profitable year The themes and directions influencing the Australian industry — no matter how big or small your business is. WORDS Ken Burgin
Clean up your act with employees
themselves. Appoint some
includes online bookkeeping,
underpaying wages. If your
unofficial photographers from
roster systems, payroll, a better
concept or business model
Fair Work is not going away, and
your staff (including the kitchen)
POS that integrates with your
doesn’t work when you operate
the ‘informal’ wage arrangements
and give them a quota of happy
accounts, ordering systems and
legitimately, it’s time for a hard
that have been relied on in the
snaps to collect each week
booking apps. Feed them all into
look at what you’re planning for
past are coming back to bite many
for social media posts. Find a
your Xero or MYOB accounting
the future. Paying legal rates
operators. Managers must now
helper to post on social media
system — sales, purchasing
could push up your wage bill by
alert staff to their right to ‘casual
or send out the newsletter you’ve
and wages create a powerful
30 per cent. We’re a land of high
conversion’ after 12 months. The
been planning. There should
dashboard. Don’t fear your
rents and high wages — your
unpaid overtime many chefs put
be several lively updates on
numbers — bring them under your
re-imagined concept needs
up with is also becoming more
Facebook and Instagram every
surveillance and control.
to take up less space, be more
problematic and is a key reason
week without fail.
productive with staff, diversify
Simplify for efficiency
sales channels and implement
Hospitality wages in Australia are
Embrace delivery
What processes can be done
non-stop marketing. This will
higher than other countries, but so
Handing over 35 per cent to Uber
more quickly with fewer phone
be your most challenging and
is our cost of living — employees
Eats or Deliveroo doesn’t leave
calls, less moving parts and
rewarding project of the year! ■
are not living the high life on what
much left for you, but demand
requirement for skilled staff?
you pay them! Underpayments
is soaring and delivery provides
It’s not about dumbing down or
are now commonly referred to as
extra sales. Explore white-
going back to pen and paper.
wage theft and it’s not what you
label apps such as OrderUp or
Simplify rostering with online
want to be known for.
Takeaway Solutions along with
systems such as Tanda and
special deals with couriers such
Deputy that provide more control
Genuine & consistent marketing
as Drive Yello. You could also
and offer an instant review
consider creating your own app
of wage costs. Simplify food
Occasional or scrappy social
and install a dedicated window
costs with software such as
media posts are no longer
for takeaway.
Hospitality Genie or Cooking the
why they leave the industry.
an option. Most of what your
Books which give you control of
competitors do is lifeless: fancy
Control the numbers
plates, stylish bars, clever quotes
Smart operators ensure they
and nothing much we relate to.
have instant access to sales,
Get out amongst your customers
wages and purchasing data that
Design your business to be profitable
and take photos of them
they use every day. Low-cost
Many businesses have
eating, drinking and enjoying
technology is available and
maintained their profits by
12 | Hospitality
recipes, menus and ordering.
Versatility you want, performance you expect.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Mainland Mozzarella is a versatile cheese, giving chefs great results across a wide range of applications. It comes pre-shredded to save you time so your customers can enjoy and savour its golden stretch.
anchorfp.com.au | csaustralia@fonterra.com | 1300 738 484
La Disfida
They say hospitality’s in your blood — and for Peter Zuzza, it really is. WORDS Annabelle Cloros
A YEAR OF travel for a restaurateur is
Zuzza bought Haberfield’s La Disfida
more than just a holiday — it’s a buffet of
in 2009 with plans to exact his produce-
to your heart’s content. After the sale of
pickle when he had to completely staff
inspiration and a chance to eat and drink the Zuzza family’s Glebe restaurant, The
Mixing Pot, Peter Zuzza decided to head to Italy with his wife and children. “We went
to Treviso where I grew up and I did some
food and wine courses,” he says. “I spent a month in Tuscany with a winemaker and
first vision, but was left in a bit of a
or from afar. “We’re looking for staff all
says Zuzza. “My father, sister and some friends came to help, but it was hard.” Trying to find staff at the end and the
employees had to fit the bill. “I’m not an
so I thought, ‘Why can’t we do that here?’” 14 | Hospitality
La Disfida currently employ 12 staff
until we closed to fix a few things,”
restaurant helped for a couple of weeks
see what they were doing, which was
in season. That’s what Italian food is to me
we feed off each other.”
members, but Zuzza says it’s hard to find
beginning of the year is tough, but Zuzza
always simple and using produce that was
fantastic. I’ll do anything to help them and
the venue. “The people who owned the
went to Bologna to make gelato and pasta. I would eat at osterias in small towns and
staff who have the same passion as me, it’s
was set on what he wanted to create and easy person to work for but I’m fair — I
think it all comes down to trying to be a perfectionist,” he admits. “When I find
good people — whether they’re local
the time,” he says. “We sponsor overseas workers, but I think people might be getting discouraged if they want to
continue their experiences in Australia.” The restaurateur has also noticed a
downturn in people swinging by in the hopes of securing a job. “There’s less
people coming around asking for work — we used to get a couple of resumes
a week. We advertise for apprentices
sometimes, but the uptake isn’t great.” Zuzza finds the best method of
recruitment is through existing staff
members or other restaurateurs. “Danny Russo [Russolini group] is a good friend
of mine and he helps me out, but [we] ask staff if they know someone who’s looking for work. Sometimes we suck it up and
wait until we find the right person. [We
BUSINESS PROFILE // La Disfida
“I would eat at osterias in small towns and see what they were doing, which was always simple and using produce that was in season. That’s what Italian food is to me.” – Peter Zuzza
extensive specials board which changes
so people can try them,” he says. “We used
can get his hands on. The restaurateur
was hard at first because you had waste,
every week in line with what Zuzza
estimates 85 to 90 per cent of customers order a dish from the specials menu
No-shows and customers cancelling
vegetarian, something cold, seafood,
many venues struggle with. La Disfida
week. “We always have something
meat and larger meat dishes for mains,”
he says. “We started the specials menu to take pressure off the pizza because the
section would get slammed, so I thought let’s do something that can help them
while offering more variety to customers.” The size of the specials menu is
impressive, but La Disfida also offers set
town osterias — one that offered an Italian wine list, the pizza La Disfida was famed
for and a menu that celebrated seasonality. “I was set on what I wanted to create and I
thought it’s either going to work or it’s not,”
polenta chips with gorgonzola, calamari and the salumi board,” says Zuzza. “We also have gnocchi and spaghetti with
mussels, which were from the original menu — we never took them off.”
offering and is something Zuzza developed 19 and working at The Mixing Pot, a wine group would come in every month,” he
show up — what can you do? If it’s early
in the evening, we can cover the table, but if it’s after 8pm, it’s hard.”
Spying a line of customers hanging
for diners walking or driving by, and La queue out the door. Restricting the size of bookings allows the restaurant to
focus on walk-ins who are split into two categories — those who chow down a
pizza in under 30 minutes and others who take their time. “The wait is rarely longer than 25 minutes,” says the restaurateur.
“We’re only open for four and a half hours a day, so we have to maximise occupancy
to cover the costs of running a restaurant. They’re not getting any cheaper.”
La Disfida will celebrate 10 years in
business under Zuzza this year, and the
let me try them.” The restaurateur began
of the staff teamed with fresh, honest and
and they would talk about the wines and researching varieties in his own time
and even planned holidays around wine regions to further his knowledge.
While La Disfida’s wine list isn’t strictly
menu to emphasise what I had seen in these
sample something new. “There are so many
The restaurant is well-known for its
“On many occasions, people just don’t
says. “They had McGuigan and Max Lake
Italian, Zuzza decided to hone in on Italian
small towns.”
of groups not turning up for seatings.
Disfida is one venue that has a constant
as zucchini flowers, bocconcini and speck,
he says. “We didn’t want to change the pizza, but we wanted to change the rest of the food
five people, but they still have the dilemma
were dishes people kept asking for such
classics. “In the first six months, there
a passion for at a young age. “When I was
restaurant inspired by the simplicity of small-
doesn’t offer bookings for parties under
around a restaurant is a huge drawcard
for food, wine or customer service and can
Zuzza was committed to running a
reservations are an industry-wide issue
pizzas and a permanent menu with the
Wine forms a huge part of La Disfida’s
get along with everyone.”
but now people are more willing to try.”
which follows the same format every
look for] people who aren’t afraid of hard work, love what they do, have a passion
to offer a lot of wines by the glass and it
wines in a bid to encourage customers to grape varieties people don’t know about,
so I thought let’s introduce different wines
restaurant is as strong as ever. The passion simple food makes for a consistent dining experience — which is not an easy feat
and one worth celebrating. When asked
if he could run the restaurant for another 10 years, Zuzza responds with a chuckle before answering. “It’s adrenaline — it’s a rush,” he says. “You see food and get excited when you try something new — so, probably, yes.” ■
February 2019 | 15
DRINKS // Negroni
Bitter sweet kick An OG Italian cocktail from the 20th century, the negroni is having a renaissance. WORDS Madeline Woolway
IN 1919, COUNT Camillo Negroni walked into a bar in Florence and asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to mix him his usual drink,
enough mainstream folk didn’t know what it was. It indicated, ‘Hey, I’m hospo’.”
After emerging as an industry libation, the
but with a twist. Inspired by travels through
negroni eventually re-entered the common
— and potential weariness after a long day
with which it fits into modern cocktail lists
North America and time spent in London
— the Count ordered an Americano. Instead of the usual soda, he wanted a dash of gin to accompany the Campari and vermouth.
Matteo Downtown’s bar manager Maurizio
drink, its elegance isn’t assured. In fact,
when Count Negroni was imbibing, it was most likely a different experience.
“Drinks that were pretty rough have
conscience buoyed by its simplicity, the ease
become more refined and approachable for
and some master marketing. According to
a combination of three things: sweetness,
Casben and Furiani, it’s currently one of the most consumed cocktails in the world,
everyone,” says Furiani. “The negroni is
bitterness and a kick. It’s the holy trinity.” The sweetness and bitterness come
only coming in behind the martini.
from the rosso vermouth and Campari
widely accepted.
everywhere and generally consistent, so
kick. The simplicity is obvious — three
the classic negroni. On the timeline of
Casben. “Something that shouldn’t be
Furiani says the story is well-known and
Of course, there’s a longer history behind
cocktails, it sits somewhere in the middle and its fame has oscillated over the
decades. But the reason for its popularity
among Furiani’s contemporaries elucidates the mechanics of the modern bar industry. At Moya’s Juniper Lounge in Redfern,
“The simplicity makes it available
people feel confident ordering it,” says neglected is that there is a body in the
world that stands to profit from it; one of
the ingredients is a branded product that’s unique, bordering on irreplaceable, [and]
Campari has a long history of promoting it.” One such promotion is Negroni Week.
Sydney, negronis make up a considerable
“It opened the door for everyone to know
left off the cocktail list upon opening. “About
it,” says Furiani.
percentage of sales, despite being purposely 2006, maybe 2004, it started showing up
as a real hospo drink,” says owner Charles Casben. “At the time, it was left of centre 16 | Hospitality
what the negroni is about and how to twist
Before rules are broken, they need to be mastered. While the negroni is a simple
respectively, while the gin delivers a
ingredients combined in even quantities.
What modern mixology has brought to the
bar are techniques that help the components meld together more harmoniously.
“The first time I had one it was served
up,” says Casben. “But 12 years later we’re back on ice with a twist of orange. I think it’s better on ice and I think it’s better to
dilute. It’s bitter as hell and so sweet — the more dilution, the better.”
Furiani agrees. “We used to just pour
over ice, so you could really feel the kick,”
he says. “There was way less harmony than
what we’re drinking in Australia now. It has
become more elegant and enjoyable for everyone because we stir over ice and strain to allow
dilution and balance the flavours together.” Bartenders may be doing their utmost to create a softer negroni, but the kick is still key and
“With all drinks, your customers will judge
you more harshly than anyone else, so listen to them,” says Casben. “If you make a couple of
variations and one is hitting the mark, go with it. If it isn’t, chop it.”
Furiani follows the same formula, and says
many variations achieve their twist by way of it.
it’s always about elegance of taste and
there are other ways to achieve a similar result.
understand who my customer is and what they
Furiani says gin is the catalyst for the kick, but
“You can have a beautiful negroni with tequila, rum or even bourbon,” he says.
Matteo Downtown has five versions in its
negroni family: the classic Downtown negroni sits alongside the negroni al caffe, the golden sbagliato, the il conte bianco and the negroni
tailoring drinks to suit customers. “I need to love to drink.”
When Scarselli mixed the first negroni for the
Count, he did just that and bartenders shouldn’t be afraid to do the same — the result might just be the next classic. ■
invecchiato. The most popular is the negroni
invecchiato, a riff on both the negroni and the boulvadier, a cocktail similar to a negroni but with an entirely different origin story.
“I don’t want to just replicate a recipe,” says
Furiani. “I follow the specs — sweet, bitter,
kick. There is no Campari or gin — it’s whisky,
vermouth and an amaro aged in a wooden bottle made especially for ageing cocktails.”
Negroni Week at Moya’s Juniper Lounge 154 dry gins
Some variations, like the negroni al caffe, stray
less from tradition, combining the original three ingredients with a single origin espresso, but
the lines have become increasingly blurred as Campari alternatives enter the market.
Casben is pleased to see one of Moya’s
22 sweet vermouths
variations, which uses local ingredients,
hitting the mark with guests. “It has a Campari
substitute; Okar amaro, which is quite similar in 3 bitters
= 10,164 possible negroni recipes
style to Campari. Visually, it’s almost identical
and although the taste profile is a little different, you would need to be reasonably experienced
to pick it out,” he says. “I’m a bit of stickler for tradition so I would say it’s a negroni if it’s the original recipe. [But] once a drink becomes
recognisable, it becomes about what’s going to sell a drink — if adding negroni to the name helps move it, you’re going to do it.”
However, if bartenders are taking such liberties
with their twists, how will the integrity of the negroni be maintained?
February 2019 | 17
DRINKS // Negroni
“The negroni is a combination of three things: sweetness, bitterness and a kick. It’s the holy trinity.” – Maurizio Furiani
FEATURE // Corn tortillas
Full circle
Mexican fare varies greatly across its regions, but one flatbread is a staple everywhere — corn tortillas. WORDS Madeline Woolway PHOTOGRAPHY La Tortilleria
HEAD CHEF OF Chupacabra Evan White says “there’s nothing more culturally
defining than bread”. The same sentiment
is echoed in tortillas, which have long been at the centre of debates about what is and what isn’t ‘authentic’ Mexican. In fact, the origins of wheat and corn tortillas reveal an abundance of information about the food and culture of Mexico.
“Corn tortillas are the original tortilla,”
says White. “Corn comes from Central
America, while wheat was an introduced species. There’s a big difference between the two.”
Although wheat tortillas are a feature of
northern Mexican fare, those made from corn are more pervasive throughout the country. In Australia, it’s the other way
round, which is something Gerardo Lopez 18 | Hospitality
processed in a specific way to unlock
Hull, the pair decided to open a Mexican
Nixtamalisation was the process
change. When Lopez met his partner Diana restaurant. “We needed authentic corn tortillas — that’s what would make or
break the restaurant,” says Lopez. “At the time, neither of us really knew what that
meant, so I told Diana to go to Mexico and find the best corn tortillas.”
Three months into the trip, Hull called
to say the pair would need to use the
process of nixtamal to make authentic tortillas with corn.
The early peoples of the Mexican regions
relied heavily on plants for their diet, first domesticating teosinte, a wild grass that
is the ancestor of corn. Some 10,000 years ago, people in the area began selectively
breeding the grain in order to cultivate a plant with multiple, large kernels.
Under the right conditions, corn is
nutritious. However, it needs to be
one important amino acid — niacin.
developed by indigenous Mexican people looking for ways to make the grinding of corn kernels easier.
The method not only unlocks nutrients,
it results in tortillas that are wholly
different in flavour and texture to their wheat counterparts, which were only
produced after Europeans introduced wheat to Mexico.
There’s no consensus as to how the process was discovered, however, Lopez points
to the use of limestone during grinding
as a potential starting point. Originally a
seasonal crop, corn was dried and stored for the winter, reconstituted through
boiling before being ground into a paste.
“At the time, corn was mashed between
two stones,” says Lopez. “They started
adding wood ashes to make the corn softer.
“There’s nothing more culturally defining than bread.” – Evan White
February 2019 | 19
FEATURE // Corn tortillas
from Melbourne’s La Tortilleria hopes to
FEATURE // Corn tortillas They then realised the corn was softer
when they used specific stones to grind the kernels: lime.”
Limestone was eventually added straight
It’s an artisanal process that results in
masa, an earthy-tasting dough that forms the backbone of every regional Mexican cuisine.
into water during the boiling process,
Masa is ubiquitous throughout Mexico.
However, the pressures of industrialisation
and panuchos,” says White. “It’s like in
and the same method still exists today.
have resulted in mass-produced tortillas
that bypass much of the nixtamal process. But Lopez says there’s been a noticeable return to ancient ways in recent years.
“When I was growing up, most of the
tortillas were industrialised corn flour
tortillas,” he says. “There was a need to
do Mexican food without all the labour, so
they created this tortilla flour that uses the
“From masa, you can make gorditas, sopes Italy, if you go 30km in any direction, you
start seeing totally different things. But all
Although wheat flour tortillas have
these things are corn-based — it all starts
dominated the Australian market in the
push your thumb into it and cook it on
corn tortillas.
with masa. If you make it into a little ball, the flat top, it becomes a sope. You can
take that little ball, put a bit of meat in the middle and fry it to make a gordita.”
In some areas, Lopez says masa is rolled
past, Lopez is hopeful about the future of “Last year, we manufactured 9 million
tortillas,” he says. “At the moment, 70
per cent of the tortillas we produce go to
wholesale and restaurants and 30 per cent go
nixtamalisation process but then they put
into dumpling-like balls and added to soup
tortillas last longer and stay soft.
tortilla is the most recognisable product.
“In Australia, we’ve never really gotten our
produced tortillas or I could get tortillas
various regional cuisines in different ways.
to wheat tortillas, but there are differences.
process behind them — it wasn’t talked
like Mexican pizza,” says Lopez. “It’s a
in additives and preservatives to make the “Growing up in Mexico, I could get massfrom indigenous people. I didn’t know the about. When I went back to Mexico a
couple of months ago, I was surprised to
— the uses are almost endless, but the Corn tortillas are incorporated into
“In Oaxaca, there are tlayudas, which is huge tortilla.”
There are myriad taco variations
see nixtamal coming back.”
found around the country, with each
factory, where Lopez and his team are
even preparations, from tacos dorados
La Tortilleria also run a tortilla-producing promoting a return to tradition. Australian corn is harvested and cooked in an
alkaline solution made with lime (calcium carbonate, not the fruit). Kernels are
region offering different fillings and
to retail — but that’s changing.”
There’s still work to be done, though.
heads around it,” says White. “We’re used Wheat tortillas are similar to a Middle
Eastern flatbread. I find them more pliable,
whereas corn tortillas are a little crisp when you cook them. You can wrap them or put them in a basket and let them steam —
wheat tortillas become mush if you do that.” Just like Mexican cuisines evolved
to tostadas. “Tortillas are a staple,” says
to include wheat tortillas, Lopez hopes
family is about a kilo per day.”
creative in the way they use corn tortillas.
Lopez. “[In Mexico], the consumption per When Lopez opened La Tortilleria
Australian venues will become more
“There’s a shift of Mexican restaurants
soaked overnight in the lime solution
restaurant, the aim was to show
moving from wheat to corn tortillas,” he says.
kernels before they are rinsed and ground
“There is a lot of consumption of wheat
embrace them. There are so many cafés
which releases nutrients and softens the in a molino (mill) using volcanic stone from Mexico. 20 | Hospitality
Australians what ‘real’ Mexican food was. tortillas, too, but corn tortillas are of official value in the culture.”
“But it would be great to see other places
using tortillas in breakfast dishes and pubs [making] tacos. We’re seeing a shift.” ■
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FEATURE // Indian
New wave Modern Indian restaurants are offering up far more than just butter chicken and samosas. WORDS Annabelle Cloros PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Chen for Don’t Tell Aunty
INDIAN FOOD IN Australia is in the midst
Song of India in Singapore to create a menu
spins on the same cuisine. Take Japanese,
are raising the bar, dishing up food unlike
showcased Indian food with an Asian twist.
yakitori bars and high-end eateries all
of a renaissance and new establishments anything we’ve seen before. Hospitality
not seen in Brisbane before — one that
The Michelin-star chef always wanted to
speaks to Don’t Tell Aunty’s Jessi Singh
do something in Australia and was more
how they’re pushing the boundaries and
a global stage, Indian food is known to
and Heritij’s Manjunath Mural about
changing customer perceptions of Indian food in the process.
Singh has run restaurants across the
globe from New York and Santa Barbara
to Melbourne, and the chef couldn’t pass up the opportunity to launch in Sydney
when Colin Fassnidge’s 4Fourteen closed. Singh opened Don’t Tell Aunty in 2018, filling a gap in the market for modern
Indian cuisine. “Sydney has the best Thai,
Vietnamese, farm-to-table and I think there was a bit of space in the market for me
than happy to jump in on the project. “On be traditional and very classic,” he says. “My dream has always been to change it.” Mural describes Heritij’s offering
as “Indian-Asian gastronomy” and the
Singapore-based chef has taken a strong
Sridhar Penumechu decided to call on his former classmate Manjunath Mural from 22 | Hospitality
it can’t happen given the dining public’s
willingness to trying something different. “I love the way Australians embrace new creations and food,” says the chef. “In
Brisbane, people are ready to accept it.” Heritij has honed in on street food
has split the menu into five sections:
experienced a lot of Asian cuisines and
always thought the cooking techniques, spices and flavours were interesting.”
lamb rogan josh and perhaps chicken tikka
Owner of Brisbane’s Heritij restaurant
Indian? Mural says there’s no reason why
Singapore for the past 12 years and have
such as Thai and Indonesian. “I’ve been in
cocktails. It’s focused on the four regions and Melbourne, too.”
shouldn’t the same formula apply to
from the north and south of India but
For many Australians, their experience
of India and has influences from California
operating within the same suburb. Why
interest in a number of Asian cuisines
to come in,” he says. “Don’t Tell Aunty is
no-frills Indian dining with great wine and
for example. You’ll find sushi roll outlets,
with Indian food is limited to samosas,
masala. But things are starting to change, and restaurateurs are giving Indian food the same treatment as Thai, Japanese or Italian. In most suburbs, you won’t
struggle to find venues offering different
takes cues from across the board. Mural shuroo (entrée); tandoor; phir (mains), saath me (sides) and baad (dessert).
Asian influences are woven throughout the menu in dishes such as the Bengali
wrap which can be compared to a sushi
roll, but instead of seaweed, it’s wrapped in handkerchief roti and stuffed with
pulled lamb and sticky rice. Onion bhaji
is amped up with the addition of prawns and samphire and kabobs are flavoured with rendang and lemon myrtle over
traditional tandoori spices. “I think you
have to give people choices and things they’ve never seen before,” says Mural.
Don’t Tell Aunty has also departed from
tradition with their menu which features naan pizza, uni biryani and papadi chaat — India’s
Singh completely avoids using ghee, oil,
ginger and garlic so you don’t need to add
a direct influence from Singh’s time in Santa Barbara, California, where he used to go sea urchin diving with his friends and kids. “We
on other ingredients. “You’re using spices, onion, those elements — it just makes it heavy, greasy and oily,” he says. “Indian people don’t cook
with ghee and don’t add cream and butter — everyone eats super simple food.”
Don’t Tell Aunty also caters to a range of dietary
would catch sea urchin and just put Tabasco
requirements, and Singh says Indian food is
curries and rice in my tiffin carrier the next time
vegetarian. “65 per cent of our menu is vegan and
on them, but I got sick of eating it, I brought
we went diving,” says the chef. “I had a bowl of curry and rice with sea urchin on top and everyone loved it.”
Indian food has a reputation for going all out
when it comes to oil, butter and sugar. But Singh
known to be
[more substantial dishes].”
life,” says Singh. “Naan is similar to pizza, so I
and make a tomato sauce.” The uni biryani was
food is
menu starts with lighter dishes before moving to
butter and sugar in his food and instead relies
thought it would be fun to do naan with spices
stage, Indian
The curries are served in small portions and the
version of nachos and salsa. “My wife is Italian
and from New York, so pizza is a big part of her
“On a global
simple without compromising on the spices.
heaven for those who are gluten-free, vegan and
vegetarian,” says the chef. “I always gear half my menu towards them and it’s so easy to do in my
cuisine. I’m just about to launch gluten-free naan and we have so many flours in Indian cuisine
including chickpea and corn that we can use.”
and Mural are out to disrupt the norm, using
Restaurants such as Don’t Tell Aunty and Heritij
same heaviness as most Indian food,” says Mural.
the opportunity to eat Indian food that’s breaking
a deft touch instead. “Heritij doesn’t have the
“The kabobs are cooked in dry heat and we don’t cover our breads in butter. We don’t use much
butter or cream in curries and we’ve kept recipes
have been a hit with diners who are relishing in
the mould, which is music to the ears of the chefs who are working hard to start a new chapter for the much-loved cuisine. ■
traditional and very classic. My dream has always been to change it.” – Manjunath Mural
February 2019 | 23
FEATURE // Indian
Jessi Singh and Amar Singh
FEATURE // Espresso water
24 | Hospitality
FEATURE // Espresso water
Water for espresso Coffee aficionados know the nuances in flavour that come with variations in origin and processing. Some have taken it to the next level, finding the right water to extract those characteristics. WORDS Madeline Woolway BRUCE TEA COFFEE opened in Glebe,
bitterness to the coffee and preventing
Tony Sleiman had to spend six months
dissolving the [coffee] flavours.”
Sydney, almost two years ago, but owner getting to the root of a rather serious
water coming into the building from
problem — getting the coffee right.
The example of Bruce Tea Coffee is an
underway and Sleiman was in the
be a key concern for the entire industry,
The lease was signed, fit-out was
process of finding the best beans, perfectly roasted and aged when
the issue came to light. After tasting
extreme one, but water quality should from specialty coffee shops to momand-pop cafés.
“Everyone should be worried about
hundreds of cups of coffee over a two-
it,” says Adam Carr, head of the Coffee
hadn’t managed to produce a great
Miles Coffee Roastery.
to three-week period, the team still coffee. “We had no idea why,” says
Science and Education Centre at Seven Carr and his team recently conducted
Sleiman. “We were wracking our brains
research on the issue and says the
variables. We asked all the experts and
to damage equipment and change the
— it’s very unusual. We cut out all the
caught up with all the coffee companies [we work with].”
The troubleshooting process started
in August 2016 and didn’t end until
December. The brand new equipment was checked to reveal no problems.
Brewing methods were assessed using
quality control and assurance methods. Again, everything was fine. There was only one variable left. “We realised it
had to be the water,” says Sleiman. “We went through filters and tried all the
composition of water has the ability
flavour of espresso — for better or worse. When it comes to the longevity of
coffee machines, operators need to be
aware of calcium carbonate levels, which are responsible for the build up of lime scale. Over time, this can lead to costly machine failure. Filtering water can
protect the machine, but the minerals
that contribute to lime scale build up are the same ones responsible for extracting flavour from coffee.
Calcium, for example, contributes
major brands.”
to water hardness, along with other
test results came back showing trace
and copper. According to Seven Miles’
Nothing worked. Eventually water
levels of iron attributed to a building
problem. “It was contributing a lot of
elements such as magnesium, iron
research, calcium and magnesium do the most heavy lifting when it comes
February 2019 | 25
FEATURE // Espresso water
“The two big things we found affected coffee flavour were the hardness level and the acidity or pH.” – Adam Carr
to flavour extraction during the espresso-
circumstances, such as Sleiman’s, will
like Sleiman’s, will need to opt for reverse
in the filtration process, and you’ll end up
Unlike calcium and magnesium, Sleiman
practical for most cafés to achieve.
making process. Remove too much of either with a lacklustre cup of coffee.
“To protect your machine, you go to the
significantly cost businesses in set-up costs. found the iron in his water was inhibiting
osmosis, he argues it’s not necessarily
The second part of Seven Miles’ study
the extraction process.
looked at strategies cafés can employ.
flat,” says Carr. “Where is the middle point?
osmosis,” says Sleiman. “This way, you
Carr. “Then, we work out how to get them
while protecting your machine?”
it doesn’t matter what water you’re getting
other side, but then your coffee starts tasting What is the right point to extract your coffee Finding the answer was the first step in a
two-part project undertaken by Seven Miles.
“Nothing removes it except reverse
filter to pure water and start from zero, so
into the building. Then you can rebuild the water into [what] you want.
bitterness and we saw how the measured
concentrations of those chemicals change with changing water chemistry.”
The study tested basic tap water and
was limited to espresso, although Carr
suspects the lessons could be used for other brewing methods, too. “The two big things we found affected coffee flavour were the hardness level and the acidity or pH,” he says.
For Sydneysiders, the results are a boon.
“When we looked at Sydney water, we
found concentrations of everything were by and large ideal. For hardness, the optimum
point is almost exactly where Sydney treats its water.”
For those based in Sydney, perfect water
for espresso isn’t guaranteed. Some unique 26 | Hospitality
“We tested Sydney water and the general
or Perth water will require specific testing
a varying affinity for those compounds.
roasted coffee flavour, caramel and
quality we want.
in coffee to the water, but they both have
the best?” asks Carr. “Best is a subjective
we know are related to chocolate flavours,
employ that will actually give us the water
lessons are the same for anywhere in the
materials that bind the flavour compounds
term, but we took a few flavour compounds
practically, so what filter systems we can
“Calcium and magnesium are the two
“What are those things you can manipulate in water that will make your espresso taste
“We found the best water qualities,” says
Magnesium has a strong affinity, it binds flavour really well, but calcium has a
world, but Brisbane water, Newcastle water to determine the ideal filtration system for your coffee and your machine.”
To protect coffee machines, the majority
relatively weak affinity. [If] there’s more
of operators in Australia can get away with
easier to dissolve so you could get more
systems, most of which don’t cost more
magnesium, it will be more potent and bitter flavours. You can compensate
for that with your grind size, roasting
and temperature, but I decided — for
installing relatively cheap carbon filtration than $80 and only need to be changed
every six months depending on volume.
consistency’s sake — to only have calcium,
Given taste preferences are subjective, the
effective and keeps me further away
equipment will vary, but water designed for
not magnesium. Calcium is more costfrom bitter.”
Adjusting the magnesium or the
calcium levels in water will affect pH
levels, which also impact the extraction
right water for each café, their coffee and
coffee extraction could become ubiquitous, with some roasters already requiring cafés to use specific formulas.
“It takes the pressure away from the
process. Generally, the higher the pH,
barista to make great coffee,” says Sleiman.
or bitter. A neutral pH of seven is the
equipment, you can basically copy and
the more likely the coffee is to be flat
industry standard, but the water Sleiman
uses has a pH of eight, which Carr says is also suitable.
While Carr acknowledges some cafés,
“If you use the same water and the same paste a method for brewing. It makes
coffee programmable — less artisan, but more of a science. In the future, I think that’s where everyone will go.” ■
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FEATURE // Product lines
Side Hustle
Chefs are using their venues as a springboard to launch niche product lines. WORDS Annabelle Cloros PHOTOGRAPHY Eugene Hyland for Fancy Hank’s
WHEN YOUR RESTAURANT is fully
“A lot of sauces are full of sugar and use
do to increase revenue. Developing a
director Mike Patrick. “We wanted to do
booked, there’s not much more you can product range can bridge the gap, allowing operators to tap into a new market and
name a few. “I worked on a couple of the
“The difference for me is you have a restaurant with 100 seats — once it’s full, it’s full. Barbecue sauce is limitless — you can keep producing and selling it.” – Mike Patrick
things just came to me like the coffee-
tried a lot of hot sauce and decided on the
fermented orange marmalade came about
says. “I’m also good friends with the guys
imported ingredients,” says chef and something local and Australian.”
expand beyond four walls.
A significant amount of research and
product range was always his dream.
line the best chance to succeed. Dobra
For chef Daniel Dobra, creating a
When he joined St Ali, owner Salvatore
Malatesta asked him what he wanted to do with the brand, and developing a product range was top of the list. “A lot of chefs
think about diversifying their skill set and I wanted to add a touch of uniqueness,”
says Dobra. “It’s taken about eight years to get here.”
Developing a product range was
a natural progression for barbecue
restaurant Fancy Hank’s. The Melbourne
venue was already making barbecue and hot sauces in-house, and the team saw a gap in the market for sauces made with local, high-quality ingredients. Plus,
customers regularly requested bottles
of sauce to take home after their meals. 28 | Hospitality
development is required to give a product worked on some products for years, while others came together relatively quickly.
The café launched their range in December 2018 with a total of nine options covering
chip seasoning, sauces and maple syrup, to hot sauces for quite a few years but other infused maple syrup,” says Dobra. “The
after we assessed wastage in the kitchen. We were throwing out boxes of orange
peels and I wanted to use perfectly good waste products and elevate them using some skill and technique.”
Patrick tackled R&D by buying as many
sauces he could get his hands on. “We
styles we thought we could do better,” he from Lillie’s Q in Chicago and spoke to
them about how they launched their hot sauce range. Retail is a whole different
ballgame.” Patrick says not cutting corners on ingredients and investing in high-
quality packaging were two important
takeaways from Lillie’s Q’s experience. “It’s
FEATURE // Product lines
Daniel Dobra
“We’re not trying to be like every other café or coffee roastery — St Ali is no longer just about the coffee.” – Daniel Dobra expensive to do those things well, but it’s
manufacturers and did some tastings,”
good-quality stuff.”
scaling it up to big quantities because the
all about the product — we’re trying to do
St Ali and Fancy Hank’s took two
different approaches when it came to
the production of their lines. St Ali made everything in-house while Fancy Hank’s worked with an external manufacturer.
Dobra took a conservative approach for the first run of products which tied in with the exclusive nature of the line. “Everything
was made out of our main kitchen in South Melbourne — I produced and packaged
he says. “You have to be really careful recipes can stuff up if they’re not spot
on. We added a tiny bit of thickener like
xanthan gum to stop them separating, but other than that, they’re exactly the same.” The first run in August 2018 consisted of 2,500 bottles across two barbecue
options (original barbecue and coffee and molasses) and three hot sauces (cayenne
and watermelon, jalapeño and peach and habanero and carrot).
everything myself,” says Dobra. “Once
St Ali’s line has been well-received so far,
to relaunch.” A limited run also meant
and on the café’s website. The venue
everything sells, it’s gone until we decide Dobra didn’t have to tweak recipes to cater to large-scale production.
Patrick didn’t have to alter Fancy Hank’s
recipes either, but decided to work with a manufacturer as in-house production
wasn’t an option in a busy restaurant — a
20-litre pot of sauce would only equate to 40 bottles. “We took the recipes to some
with the products only available in-store already sells a range of merchandise
including cups, totes and clothing and
decided to place the products with the
existing display next to the POS. Dobra
says the team will also start to showcase some of the hot sauces on menu items,
joining the chip seasoning which has been a regular menu fixture. St Ali has used
February 2019 | 29
FEATURE // Product lines their social media platforms to advertise the
products and placed a notice inside their menu listing available items.
Fancy Hank’s decided to take a multi-faceted
approach to retailing their sauces, and used existing relationships to extend their reach
beyond their website and restaurant. “We thought if we’re going to do it, let’s try to get them into
as many stores as possible,” says Patrick. “We’ve
got a bunch of connections like barbecue shops,
Fancy Hank’s hot and barbecue sauces are priced
at $11 and $13 respectively which puts them
in between low- and high-priced products. “We
looked at what people are willing to spend and put ourselves right in the middle,” says Patrick. “We thought we’d go with a marketing campaign of
‘good, better, best’ and put ourselves in the middle. We’re not trying to put bottles into Woolworths or Coles for $2 — we can’t compete with that.”
Dobra treated his product range the same as
boutique butchers and meatsmiths, so it was a
any regular menu item and utilises St Ali’s kitchen
sauces. We’ve also gone in with a couple of local
them through the software to adjust the price,” he
given when we asked them if they’d stock the
distributors and are approaching stores on a case-
by-case basis.” The sauces are located on a display stand at the front of the restaurant and the menu also advertises the products, which is working
well. “We sell quite a lot through the restaurant
accounting software. “We set out our GP and put says. “But there’s been a lot of outlay in terms of
what we’ve spent and put into them. For example, a 250ml tin of maple syrup uses triple-A grade
Fancy Hank’s best seller is
orange peel
which is $38 per kg. We’re not robbing people
the original
to make their
Quebec maple syrup which is $37 a kilo and coffee
St Ali save
blind, but we’re making enough money to cover
barbecue
fermented
costs and offer something cool to customers.”
sauce
marmalade
customers and Fancy Hank’s are up to their third
St Ali and Fancy Hank’s are both onto a good
2500
bottles. “Once you get into some stores and start
next step is to diversify. Patrick is contemplating
— people try it with the food and take a bottle home,” says Patrick.
The sauces have been a smash hit with
production run, recently ordering 40,000 glass
selling, you have to be able to replenish and keep up the production,” says Patrick. “The customer
reaction has been really good; I think people are enjoying the branding and the packaging which we put a lot of effort into.”
Beyond a marketing exercise, launching a
product range can open up a new revenue
stream with surprising results. Lillie Q’s launched their sauce range four years ago, and Patrick says it has turned into the biggest money-maker for the brand. “The sauce has eclipsed everything else they do and it’s sold in 30 countries,”
he says. “The difference for me is you have a
restaurant with 100 seats — once it’s full, it’s
full. Barbecue sauce is limitless — you can keep producing and selling it.” 30 | Hospitality
thing with their product ranges. Naturally, the a limited-edition run of sauces created with
other suppliers. “Once we get to the next level
of production, I’d like to do a batch maybe twice a year,” he says. “We did a six-month-aged hot chili sauce in a Melbourne Moonshine barrel; it would be cool to do a collab with a spirit
company, brewery or even another restaurant.”
The team will also be taking their hot sauce to the Australian festival scene. “We’re doing a bunch of events around the products so we can show how versatile they can be.” Dobra is also interested in moving forward with St Ali’s product line.
“My first list had 28 items I wanted to do but we culled it back,” he says. “There’s still another 21
products I’ve got up my sleeve. We’re not trying to
be like every other café or coffee roastery — St Ali is no longer just about the coffee.” ■
The number
St Ali make
of bottles in
all their retail
Fancy Hank’s
products
first run
in-house
BEHIND THE SCENES // Negroni soft serve
Gin Lane’s negroni
soft serve An in-depth look at Hospitality’s masterclass series.
GIN LANE FOUNDER and
1
2
3
4
5
6
mixologist Grant Collins says the process of formulating classic cocktails into soft serves was extensive, to say the least. “We chose 15-20 drinks and narrowed it down to six with the help of a gelato specialist,” he says. “The first few attempts were quite thin and we really wanted the viscous mouth feel which we eventually got. We wanted them to taste exactly like the classic but with a milder alcoholic finish.”
Ingredients 30 ml Tanqueray 30 ml Campari 30 ml Rosso vermouth Filtered water Orange zest Pressed citrus Aquafaba (emulsifier/stabiliser)
Method Mix Tanqueray, Campari and rosso vermouth with aqua, pressed citrus, orange zest and filtered water into soft serve machine until frozen. Serve in a waffle cone or cup and garnish with dark chocolate flake, candied orange and popping candy. Watch the video now at hospitalitymagazine.com.au
32 | Hospitality
EQUIPMENT // Culinary tweezers
Culinary/food tweezer offset Culinary tweezers can be used for multiple purposes, from food to drinks.
Won’t bruise the stems of botanicals such as herbs Fine tips are suited
Variations between
and edible flowers
brands include
to placing garnishes
grip, firmness and
atop cocktails
fineness of tip
Quay gives diners tweezers instead of cutlery to eat their Look for high-grade
hand-harvested seafood dish
stainless steel Image credit chefclub.com.au
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February 2019 | 33
5 MINUTES WITH ... // Mal Meiers
Mal Meiers The Subo head chef and Food for Thought founder on mental health, spreading the message and what 2019 holds for the organisation. FOOD FOR THOUGHT was born from my own struggles with depression and anxiety. I wanted to share my story to
draw attention to the avenues of support available in an effort to reduce the
amount of people who would have to go through what I did before seeking help.
In creating Food for Thought, I created a way to tackle my struggles head-on.
In creating Food for Thought, I created a way to tackle my struggles head-on.
they have balance so they are at their best at work. As a society, we tend to be very
disconnected from each other with social
media and instant access to information. By reconnecting with staff, family or members of a group (sport/hobbies, etc) and taking the time to invest in these communities,
you have the ability to better understand
the people around you and may be able to
Support for Food for Thought grows
OK? to complete the circle of awareness
involved to the opportunities to share my
The aim is to spread the campaign across
need to destigmatise mental health through
more manageable.
recent R U OK? hospitality campaign.
every year, from the chefs and producers story. The concept has grown and 2018
was our biggest year so far. We held five
events, including one in Auckland, which
and support for those suffering in silence. the year, add extra events and make them Wellbeing is important and trying to
ranged from degustation and canapĂŠ to
achieve balance is something I strive
In 2019, Food for Thought is going to
encourage them to find interests and
conversation events.
work more closely with Lifeline and R U 34 | Hospitality
for with my staff at Subo. I support and hobbies outside of the kitchen and ensure
identify if someone is struggling.
I believe the industry has recognised the
the support of Food for Thought and the Considering it was almost taboo to talk
about mental health six years ago, the fact
there is support around campaigns like this and a push for better understanding and staff wellbeing is inspirational. â–
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