Pub Dining March 2014

Pub Dining AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

THE NATIONAL HOTEL CHEF MAGAZINE

VOL.3 NO.1 MARCH 2014

MONTY KOLUDROVIC

ON THE SKILLS CHEFS NEED TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP

Oil etiquette

SELL MORE WINE Create your perfect pub wine list

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF DEEP-FRYING

17

WAYS TO BOOST YOUR BAR SNACK REVENUE

BENCH TOP EQUIPMENT REVIEWED

LAND

TAG LINE

THE PERFECT N E W Z E A L A N D G E TAWAY

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7 piece Wüsthof Knives set.

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go online to enter You will need to become a Club Perfect Member to ENTER! So if you’re not already a member go to www.clubperfect.com.au and join (it’s FREE).

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FOODSERVICE Dairy for Today’s Professionals

COMPETITION DETAILS: Only open to Aust. residents aged 18+ who are an employee/authorised rep of a foodservice business. Starts 1/4/14. Retain original purchase invoice/s. Draw: 53 Walker St, North Sydney, NSW 2060 at 10am AEST on 9/5/14. Winners at www.clubperfect.com.au on 12/5/14. Major Prize is trip for 2ppl to Taupo, NZ, valued up to AU$7,652 depending on departure date/point. Major Prize must be taken with flights departing on a Monday & returning on a Thursday, sometime between 2/6/14 25/9/14. All values are in Australian dollars. Coles Group & Myer Gift Card: Conditions and exclusions apply. For full Terms of Use visit giftcards.com.au or phone 1300 304 990. Promoter: Fonterra Brands (Australia) Pty Ltd (ABN 80 095 181 669) of 327 Ferntree Gully Rd, Mt Waverley, VIC 3149. Permits: NSW Permit No. LTPS/14/01239, VIC Permit No. 14/3516, ACT Permit No. TP14/00614, SA Permit No. T14/294. See www.clubperfect.com.au for Terms & Conditions.

2 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

CONTENTS/EDITOR'S NOTE

MARCH 2014

Contents

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

FEATURES

Pub Dining

8 FAT CONTROLLER: Manage your oil

PUBLISHED BY:

and save money

The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd 41 Bridge Road GLEBE NSW Australia 2037 Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419

14 BEACH BUSINESS: An interview with renowned chef Monty Koludrovic 18 BENCH TOP BEAUTIES: Guide to the latest bench top equipment

MANAGING DIRECTOR:

20 HOW TO SELL WINE IN PUBS:

Simon Grover

Create the perfect wine list

PUBLISHER: James Wells

24 BETTER BAR SNACKS: 17 different

james@intermedia.com.au

ways to benefit your business

MANAGING EDITOR: Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au

REGULARS

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER:

6 IN SEASON: A buyer’s guide

Arpad Takats arpad@intermedia.com.au Tel: 02 8586 6213

29 MY KITCHEN: Matthew Graham of

4

to fresh produce The Hunters Hill Hotel

ART DIRECTOR:

30 PLATING UP

Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au

31 HOT PRODUCTS SNACK CREATOR: GLENN TABUDLO OF THE WOOLWICH PIER HOTEL

HEAD OF CIRCULATION: Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

DISCLAIMER

This publication is published by 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 © 2014 - The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd

NEWS

Editor’s NOTE

C

ollaboration. It’s the key to success of most major undertakings, including the running of a good pub restaurant. As Monty Koludrovic says in this month’s profile feature, understanding people and working well with people are crucial if you want to succeed in the restaurant game.

He’s not just talking about getting on with the rest of your kitchen brigade, or your front of house team, or even your customers. He’s talking about everyone involved in the venture – and that includes suppliers too.

In the few months he spent consulting at the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay, Koludrovic worked hard to foster good relationships with local producers, visiting them, explaining his aims, name-checking some suppliers on the menu.

They responded in turn, visiting the hotel, making special deliveries, even growing different produce when requested by the hotel. “They jumped on board,” Koludrovic recalls. “It was awesome.”

It’s amazing how investing some time in people – talking to them, making them feel valued and involved – can reap rewards in that way.

Of course, that applies especially to your own staff. Recognition of their efforts, bestowing responsibility and highlighting the importance of their role within the team can be more motivating than a pay rise. But there also needs to be an emphasis on a sense of collective purpose – and that requires good communication, transparency and leadership, inspiring and cajoling team members to collaborate.

After all, there are plenty of excellent suppliers out there, many great chefs, lots of willing, able staff. But as the legendary American baseball manager Casey Stengel used to say: “Gettin’ good players is easy. Gettin’ ’em to FOR THE LATEST play together is the hard part.”

MADE, INDUSTRY NEWS GO TO: Paul Wootton Managing editor 02 8586 6155 pwootton@intermedia.com.au

PRINTED AND OWNED IN AUSTRALIA

www.theshout.com.au

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 3

NEWS HEMMES BUYS PADDINGTON ARMS

TOP FLAVOURS AND FOOD TRENDS FOR 2014 UNVEILED

Merivale chief executive Justin Hemmes has bought the Paddington Arms Hotel on Sydney’s Oxford Street for $5.5 million.

Hemmes told Pub Dining’s sister title TheShout

Marking its 125th year, McCormick has

that the purchase was unrelated to the new lockout

unveiled its Flavour Forecast for 2014.

laws affecting Merivale’s other properties. The 3am

The report highlights five top food trends

licenced Paddington pub is outside of the lockout

and over a dozen emerging flavours the

zone, which restricts customers from entering

company predicts will play an increasing

licensed premises after 1.30am.

role on menus everywhere.

This year’s top five trends consist of ‘chilli obsession’; modern Indian flavours; ‘clever compact

“We have been looking at opportunities in Paddington for some time now and when the

cooking’, which describes versatile, multi-purpose ingredients and equipment; Mexican food; and

Paddington Arms site came up, we jumped at the

Brazilian cuisine.

chance,” Hemmes told TheShout.

Commenting on the report, Ian Holmes, industrial and foodservice sales manager at McCormick Foods Australia, said, “Our Flavour Forecast is ideal for chefs and operators looking to stay a few

“Discussions started last year, long before the

steps ahead of the current flavour trends.”

new lockout laws that were announced only a few

Aside from the five key trends, the report also identifies a number of ingredients that are likely to

weeks ago.”

become increasingly popular in the next 12 months. These include the hot Peruvian yellow chilli Aji

The hotel was put on the market last July by the site’s freehold owner and by Joe Saleh, who

Amarillo; north Indian spice blend Kashmiri Masala; the use of tea in rubs, broths and marinades;

operated the pub along with his other nearby

Mexican condiment Chamoy sauce, which is made from apricot, lime, chillies and spices; and

venues the Four in Hand and restaurant 4Fourteen.

Brazilian gluten-free flour cassava (also known as manioc or tapioca flour).

McCormick has launched four new spice blends (pictured above) to complement the food

Hemmes, who owns CBD nightclubs Ivy and

trends highlighted in the report.

Establishment, has recently expressed enthusiasm

For more information and fashionable flavours, visit www.mccormick.com.au.

about the opportunities on Oxford Street and is believed to be planning a pizza venue on another site closer to Taylor Square.

TOP SHELF 2014 PROVES A GREAT SUCCESS Top Shelf, the new boutique drinks festival, launched successfully in Melbourne last month, with over 100 stands showcasing premium and craft wines, beers and spirits.

In addition to the drinks exhibitors, a number of food suppliers attended the show. Grill Pro demonstrated its range of American off-set smokers, selling slow-cooked pulled pork buns and ribs to visitors, while local cheese supplier La Latteria handed out samples of its awardwinning mozzarella. Food trucks Dos Diablos and Greek Street Food were also on hand to help feed the nearly 4,000 visitors that attended the event, which was held in the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens. The HEMMES: “LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES”

show featured over 40 special presentations and tutored tastings across two days.

GRILL PRO IMPRESSED TOP SHELF VISITORS WITH ITS BARBECUED RIBS

MONTY MOVES FROM BYRON TO BONDI Renowned chef Monty Koludrovic has joined Icebergs Dining Room & Bar at Bondi Beach as executive chef.

Koludrovic, formerly head chef of Becasse restaurant, has spent the last 18 months consulting on a variety of projects, including most recently the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay. “The consulting meant travelling from Sydney to Melbourne, Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Byron,” Koludrovic said. “But I’ve got two baby boys so it was time to get a bit of routine going.”

He hopes a regional Italian influence he has introduced to the menu at Icebergs will generate plenty of interest from customers. “Over the last couple of years people have spoken less about the food here,” he says. “It’s all been about the view, the service, the drinks. We want to develop a unique Icebergs style, something really special, which is very much Australian but inspired by Italy.”

Currently, the menu takes its inspiration from Sicily but Puglia will be the focus for autumn. Koludrovic said this approach allowed him to “really get in touch with one region or one style, rather than do Italy in broad brush strokes”.

See Beach Business, pages 14-16.

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KOLUDROVIC: “TIME TO GET A BIT OF ROUTINE”

NEWS EDLYN CAKE MIXER WINNER The winner of our recent Edlyn Foods Facebook competition is Aaron Clark, chef at the Lakeview Hotel in Bendigo, Victoria. He wins a Kitchen Aid cake mixer valued at $900 plus a huge range of Edlyn Foods cake mix.

Congratulations to Aaron and our thanks to Edlyn for supplying the prize.

GUILLAUME BRAHIMI, MAGGIE BEER AND NEIL PERRY

OZHARVEST EVENT RAISES OVER $1 MILLION The latest OzHarvest CEO CookOff has raised over $1 million to help feed disadvantaged Australians.

At the event last month, 133 CEOs and business leaders partnered with 27 of Australia’s top chefs to cook up a three course meal for 1,000 homeless and disadvantaged guests.

Participating chefs included Neil Perry, Maggie Beer, Matt Moran, Frank Camorra and Guillaume Brahimi.

Les Schirato, CEO of Vittoria Coffee, raised a total of $100,020, the highest amount on record raised by an individual for the CEO CookOff. Schirato said, “The cooking might be over, but there’s still work to do. I encourage more CEOs to participate and to take on the challenge and exceed my fundraising target in 2015!”

OzHarvest founder and CEO Ronni Kahn said funds raised from the event will allow her organisation to deliver at least one million additional meals to those in need.

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 5

PRODUCE

IN S EAS ON ON THE MENU: AVOCADOS

Zac Smart is head chef at SoCal in Neutral Bay in Sydney, where the menu is inspired by the flavours

A BUYER’S GUIDE TO FRESH PRODUCE

of southern California. For Smart, the abundance of avocados in season and the subsequent effect on price is of particular importance.

“We use around 50 kilograms of avocados per week so the price coming down in autumn makes it much less expensive for us.”

Smart makes guacamole, which is used

FISH In the weeks leading up to Easter the demand for seafood spikes, according to supplier Poulos Bros. If the weather stays warm through to May then prawns and oysters will remain a viable option, with prices fluctuating depending on availability. Farmed tiger prawns usually sell for $20-22/kg and wild king prawns go for around $25/kg, if they are available at all. Sydney rock and Pacific oysters are generally around $14/ dozen. The best value available at the moment is salmon fillets, a red-hot special at around $18.50/kg and a popular choice for Easter.

Consistently available during this period is wild snapper, going for around $32/kg for fillets and $17/kg for a whole scaled, headed and gutted fish. Also available is skinless and boneless wild flathead fillet available for around $30-35/kg.

Salt-water farmed barramundi range from $2228/kg depending on the farm and variety.

MEAT Pork, beef, and lamb ribs are incredibly popular at the moment, with Venessa Barnes, from Top Cut Food in Sydney, saying, “We can barely keep up with the demand for them.” The prices are roughly $17/kg, $10/kg and $10/kg respectively for the raw product. The interest at the moment though is really in cooked ribs, largely because of the length of time required to cook ribs properly from scratch, nearly twelve hours. Though the price is higher, at roughly $22/kg for pork, $15/kg for beef and $13/kg for lamb ribs, cooked ribs save chefs time and energy and deliver a consistent product, ensuring the membrane on the back of the rib has broken down and can be chewed through. Other hot items are secondary cuts like pork and lamb shoulder selling for around $7/kg and flank steak for around

extensively on his menu. “We also use avocado

$9-10/kg. We are going to see prices tighten up this season as demand increases for meat. Popular cuts of beef such as hanger steak will set you back around $15/kg while oyster blade is around $9/ kg and flat iron around $18/kg.

FRUIT & VEG

in nice, light salads with fresh slices along with chunky pieces of tomato and cucumber,” he says.

Avocado is an extremely versatile ingredient.

Its creamy texture lends a luxurious depth to many dishes. Aside from Mexican and southern Californian cuisine, it works well with pasta, as a pizza topping, in breakfast dishes and salads,

From late spring until the months of April or May vegetable crops are sourced from the cooler regions of South Australia and Victoria. The record temperatures that have been battering these states over summer have had a major adverse effect on the quality of the crops.

Washed potato varieties grown in SA have been worst hit, with very poor quality crops being harvested. In addition pumpkins and much more delicate vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower have been knocked around, according to Carlo Kasparian from Harris Farm Markets. As we head into March, crops will begin trickling in from Queensland, which hasn’t been as badly hit by the heat, so the quality may pick up. In terms of fruits, now that summer is over, we are entering the season for pome fruits. All varieties of apples are coming into season from March, the Williams pear, a juicy soft skinned fruit, ripens in March, and the Packham pear, with its tougher skin, ripens in May. March is usually a big grape month and that harvest can often carry us through to May, with all varieties of green and black grapes on offer. By May, the Australian citrus season will have kicked in with Imperial mandarins and Navel oranges widely available.

as a mousse, or even in desserts. The website

Fish: Poulos Bros, Sydney, 02 9692 8411; Meat: Top Cut Foods, Sydney, 02 8594 2333; Fruit and Veg: Harris Farm Markets, Sydney, 02 9394 3111 PD

Pears • Limes • Passionfruit • Avocados

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for Avocados Australia, the peak body for the Australian avocado industry, has dozens of great recipe ideas. How about avocado and mint ice cream or chocolate and avocado torte?

Visit www.avocado.org.au/FoodService/

Highlights: THE SEASON AHEAD

At their best in the coming months are: Grapes • Apples • Mandarins • Oranges Broccoli • Asian greens • Pumpkin Sweet potato • Okra •Fennel • Mushrooms

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BE A FAT CONTROLLER CORRECTLY MANAGING YOUR OIL CAN SAVE YOU MONEY AND KEEP YOUR CUSTOMERS SATISFIED WORDS: SAMUEL PARK

Y

ou can always taste oil that’s off, certainly in more delicate dishes like fish.” So says Lisa Rowntree, CEO of the Australian Olive Association (AOA). She points out that chefs often “spend a lot of money on quality ingredients and products and then that can be ruined by bad oil”. The customer, she stresses, will notice when kitchens are using old, tired oil.

Cooking oil is an expensive commodity and the temptation always exists to push oil beyond its shelf life in order to save money. But, as Rowntree infers, that can be a false economy if the food a venue serves its customers is so substandard they begin to go elsewhere.

Instead, chefs should look at how they store and use their oil. With careful management, chefs can minimise waste and maximise the oil’s return – meaning that the use of fresh, premium oils becomes more affordable.

Different types of oil have different shelf lives, which you’ll need to consider when purchasing in bulk, to ensure you don’t over order. Extra virgin olive oil can last up to two years before going off, although its shelf life is very dependent upon the quality of the product. Grape seed oil and truffle oil only have a shelf life of between three to six months, while canola, coconut, vegetable and corn oil will last for one year, and peanut oil two years once opened. These time frames are only a rough guide though, with oils deteriorating much faster if they have been stored incorrectly or if they are of a low quality.

STORING OIL Chef Mark Agius is currently the manager of the Centre for Food Trades and Culinary Arts at William Angliss Institute, Australia’s largest specialist training centre for foods, tourism, hospitality and events. “There has been a lot more emphasis on shelf-life of oils in recent times,” he says.

When using commercial quantities of oil, Agius recommends decanting a 20-litre container of oil into a smaller container for

hygiene and food spoilage reasons. “You use less if decanted, which is obviously an advantage from a food cost point of view,” he adds.

This method will allow you to store the majority of the oil in a cool, dark place with enough decanted for each day kept close to the stove or fryer for easy access. Store the larger container in a well ventilated food area, the same as all food products, with an air tight lid so it doesn’t go off. “Keep it clean and the lid tight to avoid spillage and to prevent workplace injuries,” Agius says.

Knowing how to recognise oil that has gone rancid is an important element of managing your oil stocks. If you’re leaving it in the deep fryer for too long you will drive customers away with the poor quality taste, but if you dispose of it too quickly you’re wasting oil.

Testo has developed an instrument to determine the quality and the temperature of the oil in order to mitigate this issue. The testo 270 measures the total polar materials (TPMs) and will tell you when your oil needs to be replaced. The test can be carried out directly in hot oil so there is no need to wait until service stops. The other advantage of this product is that it will allow you to ensure that your fryer is calibrated to the right temperature.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT OIL With growing consumer demand for healthier ingredients, you need to balance considerations about flavour, price and nutrition when choosing the right oils for your food.

“Knowing what your oil is capable of doing is the most important thing,” Bridget Davis, chef and Australian ambassador for Grove Avocado Oil, says. She suggests considering moving away from your standard oil and looking at the advantages of using something new and different. “Avocado oil is very versatile,” she explains. “It has a really good flavour and nutritional value; you can simply

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OIL drizzle over food or dip bread into it, which obviously requires no heat. But it’s an amazing oil because it has a high smoke point, so you can also use it for barbecues. It is my favourite oil in the kitchen because of this versatility.”

When it comes to extra virgin olive oil, Australia produces some of the finest in the world, a fact that chefs and the wider public are beginning to wake up to. “Australian olive oil is affordable, it enhances the flavour of your food and I think it is a sensible choice for top quality chefs who are using top quality ingredients,” the AOA’s Lisa Rowntree argues.

IN EVERY KITCHEN TODAY, THERE’S SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE TO KEEP FOOD COSTS LOW. BUT THE INCREASED EFFICIENCIES ARISING FROM STORING AND COOKING OIL CORRECTLY CAN STILL MAKE CHOOSING A PREMIUM OIL ECONOMICALLY VIABLE – AND THAT MEANS EVERYONE’S A WINNER

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS Research increasingly shows significant health benefits from consuming extra virgin olive oil, too. And buying locally-produced oil often makes more sense from an environmental point of view. Indeed, concerns around health and the environment have encouraged oil suppliers to change – many have switched from supplying palm oil to other oils like canola. And many foodservice companies have begun to demand it, too. Nick Goddard, executive director of the Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF), reports that food giant KFC has moved from palm oil to locally grown oil. “It is good for the environment and it is healthier,” he says. “There has been a clear move by these industry leaders trending towards healthier options.” As the AOF states in its Strategic Plan 2015, “health and nutrition has become firmly established as a core part of the food business”.

Ashley Palmer, CEO of Alba Edible Foods, describes those chefs importing oils from Canada, via Asian countries like Malaysia, as concerned purely with achieving a low price.

“But chefs buying Australian produce are concerned with quality and a fair price,” he says.

In every kitchen today, there’s significant pressure to keep food costs low. But the increased efficiencies arising from storing and cooking oil correctly can still make choosing a premium oil economically viable – and that means everyone’s a winner. PD

FOODS FRIED IN OIL ARE A STAPLE OF THE PUB MENU

SOME DIFFERENT OILS TRUFFLE OIL Applying too much heat will destroy truffle oil’s distinctive aroma so it’s best used as a finishing oil. Use in salad dressings and risottos or drizzle over soups to give new depths of flavour. This oil can turn something simple into something decadent with a few small drops. It has a powerful flavour though, so use sparingly.

COCONUT OIL A sweet oil that’s ideal for making desserts and cookies, especially if you’re after sugar-free recipes. Yes, it’s high in saturated fats but not the kind that are bad for you. In fact, studies suggest the properties of coconut oil may have significant health benefits – but only if you’re buying pure, organic oil.

AVOCADO OIL Drizzle over food, use it as a dip for bread, marinate meat with it, use it in a salad dressing or cook with it on the barbecue. This is an extremely versatile oil with a high smoke point and very impressive nutritional credentials.

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 9

OIL

GETTING IN DEEP

AFTER COOKING, DRAIN ALL DEEP FRIED FOODS WELL

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF DEEP-FRYING WORDS: SAMUEL PARK

• A lways pre-heat oil, selecting the desired frying setting on the machine. It’s crucial if you want hot perfectly cooked chips.

• Drain off excess water and ice from foodstuffs before attempting to fry – water will reduce the life of your oil.

• K now the smoke point of your oils. Once the smoke point of an oil is reached it’s already begun to break down and will impart unpleasant flavours to the food. Canola oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil all have relatively high smoke points but standard olive oil has a low smoke point making it unsuitable for deep-frying. It’s worth pointing out though that quality extra virgin olive oil has a much higher smoke point (around 185200˚C). Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points of all (around 270˚C).

• Ensure you use a deep fryer that has the appropriate capacity for your output needs.

“Six parts of oil for every one part of food,” says Peerless Foods’ Cheryl Lauk.

• Don’t forget the smoke point of your oil changes over time. The more you heat it, the lower the smoke point becomes.

• W hen purchasing or replacing a deep fryer, consider the projected output of deep fried food carefully. If you go for a vat that is too large you’ll heat oil that will deteriorate with little return in sales. But… • Don’t buy a fryer that’s too small. When food is placed into hot oil there is a sudden drop in temperature as moisture is converted into steam. A small fryer won’t have a heating element capable of returning the oil to the

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correct temperature at a rapid enough rate, resulting in a higher absorption of oil. This will cause your food to become greasy and soggy, having not been cooked effectively.

This not only results in a sub-par dish but also increases the amount of oil you are losing, thereby increasing costs.

• W hen food is placed into hot oil, don’t overcompensate for the drop in temperature by turning the fryer to a higher temperature initially. As Ashley Palmer, CEO of Alba Edible Foods, says, “If you turn up the temperature at peak times, then that only serves to break down the oil faster.”

• A lways seek the lowest possible temperature where the food is cooked to the most desirable quality. Doing so requires you, as the chef, to be active in maintaining the fryer.

Palmer urges chefs to maintain the correct temperature. “Each different type of oil has a temperature range on the box and that’s what you should stick to,” he says.

• Use a premium quality cooking oil in your deep fryer. When immersing food in frying oil some moisture is lost from the crust of the food and this is replaced by oil. Due to this absorption a customer is going to be able to judge the quality of the oil used very quickly. As Cheryl Lauk from Peerless Foods says, “Cheap oils are cheap for a reason and you may pay over the long term with unhappy customers.”

• If cooking chips from frozen, ensure you cook them straight from frozen. The chips will thaw at different rates otherwise, thus making it difficult to achieve an even colour and texture.

• Filter the oil after each service. Bits of batter and breadcrumbs will fall off in the oil during cooking, which will break down the oil and reduce its smoke point.

• Drain all deep fried foods well to retain as much oil as possible and to keep the food from becoming too greasy.

• Regularly check that the temperature is calibrated correctly on your fryer.

• Switch on your deep fryer just before service and switch it off immediately after. “Chefs these days are fortunate with good equipment; advances have meant that extra time is not required to heat the oil,” Mark Agius, of the William Anglis Institute, says. “Before, chefs used to turn their fryers on two to three hours before service started, using a lot of power and breaking down the oil faster.”

• If oil starts to boil, remove it from the source of heat immediately.

• Never try to extinguish an oil fire with water – the oil will splatter and burn you and the fire will spread more quickly. Put out the fire by smothering it with a tight-fitting lid (if the fire is in a pan) or use a fire extinguisher designed for oil fires. PD

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PROFILE

rovic is a onty Kolud s ame, thank n household on s ce pearan to his TV ap his y Cook and ad te Ready S s. al n io ss : The Profe MasterChef ience at er p ex work with ed reer he gain ca is h efore in Early attle Bay b on Blackw se u o h at at o ed k B The ere he wor ondon, wh L mpette to ro T g a in L d hea e Square, h T ts n ra au 2005, he notable rest orchester. In D e th at ll ri asse, where and The G d joined Bec an ey n yd S . Over the returned to e head chef am ec b on ly as consulted he eventual oludrovic h K s, er th m on m this su last 18 m s and spent ct je ro p el of ot each H a number en at the B g the kitch in A ee Icebergs S rs A ed ve o in W jo MMER recently U e S H E .

H ay T B R S O in Byron di.

ROVIC TELL H HOTEL F Bar in Bon T Y KOLUD AY’S BEAC g Room & N B in O N in M O D F R E Y B H T

M

C A NOWNED WORKING IENCE, RE R E P T TON X E O G O PAUL W REWARDIN

14 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE BEACH HOTEL IN BYRON BAY? I was down in Melbourne working on the MasterChef series and I had a meeting with John and Lisa van Haandel [owners of the Beach Hotel] and we got along like a house on fire. I’m from the Byron Bay area but running a pub kitchen wasn’t really what I was looking for and I told them that. They said, “Why don’t you come up for the summer?” I’ve got a young family and still have friends and family in the area and I thought, “Great!” It was a good opportunity to get stuck into the iconic Beach Hotel, which I grew up around.

SHANE MORRITT IS HEAD CHEF AT THE HOTEL. AS A CONSULTANT CHEF OVERSEEING THE KITCHEN FOR A FEW MONTHS, HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT WORKING WITH HIM? It is a delicate situation and one of the responsibilities from my side of things was to make sure the place is in a strong position with the staff that they’ve got. There’s no point me setting it up so that while I’m there it’s great but when I leave it falls apart. It meant there had to be a lot of Shane in the progression we were going through. It was his first head chef gig in a venue of that size and he understood that he had a lot to learn. And I tried to make it clear to all the staff there that he was the main man. It was just getting that balance right.

WHAT CHANGES DID YOU MAKE THERE? It was the total food and beverage offering we were changing, not just the menu. So it was about the passion that went into it, the procuring of the beautiful produce, meeting with suppliers, encouraging staff to understand why we were doing things. John and Lisa are two of the most experienced hospitality veterans you can find and they imparted a lot of their knowledge. And we encouraged people to express themselves. Staff would find flowers and foliage on their way into work and we’d create a big display. It ended up being really nice there.

DESCRIBE SOME OF THE DISHES YOU INTRODUCED THERE. We wanted food on the menu that you’d expect from a pub across from the beach. We created a rendition of a snapper pie – beautiful fresh fish, quite thick onion gravy, a bit of truffle oil in there and puff pastry made in Bangalow about a 10 minute drive away.

We also sourced some amazing buffalo haloumi cheese from Queensland. We mixed that

KOLUDROVIC: “AT THE END OF THE DAY WE'RE IN A PEOPLE BUSINESS”

with some roasted beetroot and some pot roasted lamb shoulder as a little salad. That did very well and almost sold as well as the Caesar salad.

We also reworked the Caesar. There’s a lettuce farmer up there called Dave Pearson.

He’s well into his 70s but he still goes out to pick his lettuces at 5.30 every morning on the day of delivery. Even some of the best restaurants in Australia aren’t serving 7-hourold lettuce, you know? So we were pretty privileged there.

We also created a dish called The Producers Plate, which highlights a number of our key local producers – Salumi Australia, Summerland Olives and the Bangalow Cheese Co.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE LOCALLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS TO TODAY’S CONSUMER? It’s taken for granted up in Byron a bit more because there’s so much good produce around.

Pretty much every day of the week you can go to a farmer’s market. So your dining public are eating this stuff and the quality is amazing. So if you serve up some mass-produced imported product to people who are currently eating beautiful stuff grown locally they’re going to notice it more than ever. We made the switch

from not using local producers to using local producers and our food and wage costs sustained it. So it was a no-brainer. And those suppliers jumped on board; they’d come and visit us; they’d make special deliveries. It was awesome.

WHAT IMPACT DID THE CHANGES MAKE? Summer’s a tough time because the place is really busy. When it’s that busy, that’s when you see wastage potentially increase, it’s when you see consistency become an issue, you’ve got to have more staff on. So even though you want to be busy, you’ve almost got to keep a tighter grip on it. As a result of the changes we were doing well, and then in January we had a bigger month than any of the previous 12. We surpassed all of our budgets, which made everyone really excited. The feedback has been great.

HOW DIFFERENT WAS RUNNING THE KITCHEN THERE COMPARED TO THE RESTAURANTS YOU’VE WORKED IN? At the end of the day we’re in a people business. We manage people to serve people. And that element stays the same. It’s remembering that. The pool of staff is smaller,

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 15

PROFILE The owner Maurice Terzini is all about food, music, fashion – it’s about how you feel when you’re in here – it’s not just about what you eat and drink and how capable the service is.

WHAT SICILIAN-STYLE DISHES HAVE YOU PUT ON THE MENU?

LOCAL PRODUCE FEATURES EXTENSIVELY ON THE BEACH HOTEL’S MENU

the skill levels might not be quite so high as those you’d find in the city, but that’s also reflected in the casual offering you’ve got. So it’s just about managing people as best you can.

I definitely learned a lot from the experience.

They run a really tight ship, they manage their numbers really well, probably the best I’ve seen. It was great to be part of that process.

YOU RECENTLY JOINED ICEBERGS DINING ROOM & BAR AT BONDI BEACH AS EXECUTIVE CHEF. WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU INTRODUCING THERE?

We do a selection of whole fish, and you can have them in two Sicilian-inspired dishes – with a salad of cuttlefish, orange, celery and pine nuts; or you can have a nice compote of tomatoes, sautéed sea vegetables and preserved, house pickled lemon. It’s that sweet and sour combination that’s typically Sicilian. They love their nuts, their citrus fruits and their herbs. We do a lovely Bucatini, with sardines, anchovies, raisins and pine nuts.

For dessert, we do a cannoli but we’ve also got a 24 carat gold chocolate torte on.

The Sicilians love their chocolate; I think that was the influence of the Moors. We’ve just put a new dessert on, which has quickly been nicknamed the Iceberg. It’s a nice big dish of grapefruit Campari granita and fresh fruit, beetroot sorbet and a big airy pillow of whipped crème fraîche, with shards of meringue around it.

ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR TV WORK? I’m comfortable presenting and I like it. I love doing cookery schools; we used to do trips down to the market, meet the farmers, then THE NEW MENU HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS, SURPASSING BUDGETS AND IMPRESSING CUSTOMERS

Over the last couple of years people have spoken less about the food at Icebergs. It’s all been about the view, the service, the drinks.

So, as in Byron, we want to give people the type of food that eats beautifully when they’re sitting in a big sun room with views over the beach; but we also want to develop a unique Icebergs style, something really special, which is very much Australian but inspired by Italy.

WHAT KIND OF ITALIAN INFLUENCE ARE YOU BRINGING TO BEAR ON THE ICEBERGS MENU? This year we’re going to travel to different regions of Italy with each season. So we’re in Sicily at the moment and for autumn we’re going to go to Puglia. It narrows down your scope so you can really get in touch with one region or one style rather than doing Italy in broad brush strokes. Next year we might take a different approach; we want to have some fun.

16 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

go off and cook; I love all that and I find that people get a lot out of it. But I’m still really enjoying the restaurant game. So when the TV opportunities arise I’m straight in there but I don’t really go seeking them.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU NEED AS A CHEF TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP TODAY? Your knife skills should be great, of course – but it’s your overall attitude that counts for so much. Understanding people and working well with people are really great things. You need to keep a positive attitude.

Understanding where you want to go – short-term, medium-term, long-term – is really important and helps you maintain that attitude. If you don’t think about where you want to end up, you may well end up staying where you are forever.

HOW EXCITING IS THE PUB AND CASUAL DINING MARKET AT THE MOMENT? It’s great. This goes back to giving people what they want. Just because they’re in a pub doesn’t mean they want to eat a dirty, warm meat pie. Business people have realised they need to pay attention to what people want – it’s how they make their businesses feasible – and that has led to getting in touch with decent professionals and to giving people an offering that everyone can be proud of. PD

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AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 17

EQUIPMENT

BENCH TOP BEAUTIES FOUR ITEMS OF KIT THAT ARE COMPACT YET PACKED WITH USEFUL FEATURES

CARVING STATION

BLIXER

SMOKING GUN

Supplier: Roband

Supplier: Robot Coupe

Supplier: Sous Vide Australia

Price: $1,109 + GST

Price: Ranging from $2,060 + GST

Price: $120 + GST and $9 + GST for

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? Combining

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? Combining

heat from above and below along with the ability to steam from the pan

PRO SERIES CONTACT TOASTER Supplier: Woodson

the wood chips

Price: starting from $2,100 + GST

features of both a cutter and a mixer,

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? This instant

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? With a six

the Blixer will allow you to realise your

smoker will inject flavour into the food

to eight slice capacity these contact

underneath, this carving station will

puréed, raw or cooked, semi-liquid,

without changing the texture of the

toasters are perfectly suited to everyone

allow you to keep your carved meats

liquid or pasty meals. With their large

products, allowing you to quickly

from snack bars to fast food outlets.

warm, illuminated and moist. The station capacity and leak-proof lids, these

provide a smoky flavour to meat, fish,

The Pro Series Contact Toasters are

also allows for the heating from the

models make it simple to prepare a

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steel plate and splash guard to

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easily be removed and cleaned. With

vast: create flavoured ice cubes, smoke

provide incredibly even heating to both

requirements, such as when it is needed a heavy duty industrial motor, built on

the inside of glasses to add a hint of

top and bottom plates. This makes

intermittently for long periods of time.

flavour to drinks, or lightly smoke oysters. it suited for cooking meats as well

ball bearings for silent processing,

as toasting sandwiches. The unique

this machine will require minimum maintenance. Ranging in size from a

able to maintain the moisture you will

2.9L bowl capacity to 60L and weighing different wood chips available to smoke

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be able to display beautiful pieces of

between 11kg and 28kg it will be easy

different foods, mesquite for meats like

are not cooking anything.

mouth-watering meat and save yourself

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beef and apple or cherry for poultry and

time by not having to prepare each

your needs.

game, this is an excellent way to finish

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off a product that hasn’t already been

machine in your kitchen will allow you to

individual portion. Give your patrons

HOW WILL IT BENEFIT ME? With

standby mode saves power costs as it

HOW WILL IT BENEFIT ME? By being

all the trimmings, such as homemade

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exposed to smoke or fire. This is an

offer a fast and delicious lunch take-away

condiments and sauces (see the Blixer)

for pubs and restaurants, Blixers are

efficient and economical alternative

option for your customers while also

or BBQ the meat and you’ll be tapping

quick, efficient, simple to use and

to barbecuing.

allowing you to grill meats. This machine

into some emerging trends.

robust, while also giving you the benefit

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manufactured in Australia, the Roband Carving Station is the perfect counter

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roasted meat to diners, whilst keeping

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WE SAY: Adding smoke flavours to

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FURTHER INFORMATION:

sauces, butters, purées and even freshly

FURTHER INFORMATION:

money and you won’t be overlooking

www.roband.com.au

ground herbs and spices, setting you

www.sousvideaustralia.com

the common sandwich as an option for

apart from your competitors.

your lunch menu.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

FURTHER INFORMATION:

www.robot-coupe.com/en-aust/

www.woodsonsales.com.au

18 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

PRODUCE

GROW Your OWN

THE GARDEN AT THE 3 WEEDS AND, BELOW, LAUREN MURDOCH

CHEFS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO A KITCHEN GARDEN CAN REAP SOME WONDERFUL REWARDS, SAYS SOPHIE PAN

T

he biggest benefit of the rooftop garden at the Alluvial Restaurant in Melbourne, according to executive chef Liam Nealon, is the new insight it’s given him into seasonality.

“It makes menu planning a lot easier because we’re more aware of what’s in season, of what’s going to be in abundance,” he says. In the winter months he knows to steer away from soft herbs like parsley and coriander, which have trouble growing in the garden, whereas woody, hearty herbs such as rosemary and thyme do well. “It makes it easier to develop and plan menus,” he says.

Kitchen gardens are currently all the rage.

They help get chefs in touch with the source of their produce, they provide menu inspiration and they chime with the demand for local, sustainable, seasonal food.

A garden at The 3 Weeds Hotel in Sydney provides head chef Lauren Murdoch with an abundance of herbs. “We use the parsley, mint, Vietnamese mint, oregano and marjoram,” she says. “We found some carrots out there, and put those on the menu. We used the Vietnamese mint in the Vietnamese spring rolls. The other day we had heaps of garlic chives out there and I made a beautiful garlic chives soup with braised lamb.”

WHERE TO START For kitchen gardens, both Murdoch and Nealon recommend growing plants that produce high yields and take up little space.

“The place to start is your herbs because they’re simple, easy to grow, and they’re quite

quick in turning around as well,” Nealon says. “Once you got that right, then you start putting in strawberries, blueberries, lemons or limes – things like that. But start with something that’s basic and easy to maintain and something that you use quite frequently.

Then you can build on that.”

Murdoch plans on growing peas and beans, which take up little room and have high yields. For small spaces, she says, “sunlight is really important and that’s why rooftop gardens are good”.

You have to be realistic about your expectations too. A small kitchen garden is not going to make you self-sufficient. “There are some things like parsley we use in abundance,” Nealon says. “ We go through about 20 bunches of parsley a day in the restaurant. And up in the garden, we probably only have 20 bunches that grow at once. So once they’re wiped out, we’ve got to wait another four weeks for them to come back up again. Things like rosemary, on the other hand, grow absolutely wild. I can’t use enough of that to keep it in check up there.”

Nealon stresses that maintaining the garden is the tricky part. “The actual costs of setting it up are relatively low,” he explains. “It’s keeping it sustained that costs money.”

The Alluvial’s rooftop garden is maintained by a member of staff that takes on the extra duty outside of his normal working hours.

“That’s where the main costs are because labour costs are the ones that kill us in Australia,” Nealon says. “But as long as it’s maintained properly and kept in check, I’d highly recommend a garden to anyone.” PD

GARDENING TIPS • Grow plants with high yields such as herbs and beans – and focus on hardier varieties that are easier to grow.

• Keep your garden maintained – if you can’t do it, you need to find someone else committed to it. “All the new chefs that come to The 3 Weeds get really excited about the garden and they plan to grow all these things but then they lose interest,” Murdoch says.

• Ensure you grow the right things at the right time of year. “There’d be nothing worse than putting all this effort in, then coming back a couple of days later and finding everything dead because you haven’t planted it properly,” Nealon says.

• Remember you’re still likely to have to supplement your own produce with your suppliers’.

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 19

BUSINESS

…

O T HOW

E N I W L L SE LLY IN PUBS U F S S E C C SU

PHASIS PUBS E INCREASED EM TH D AN ES ST ORTUNIT Y NSUMER TA E’S A HUGE OPP ER TH CHANGING CO S N EA M N THEIR FOOD ET IT RIGHT ARE PL ACING O IF OPERATORS G LY N O T BU .

BS S IN PU FOR WINE SALE O’KEEFE A N WORDS: TRIA

20 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

BUSINESS

D

espite the best efforts of brewers and cider producers, wine remains the drink of choice for most consumers sitting down to a decent restaurant meal. As the pub food sector becomes more sophisticated, it brings with it increasing opportunities to sell wine in pubs. But wine is a notoriously complex subject. So just how does a pub put together a wine list that works?

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be a matter of trial and error. In fact, industry experts unequivocally agree that the construction of a wine list is a very precise science, with several key considerations that must be taken into account.

KNOWN BRANDS VS UNBRANDED WINE Matthew Beard, key account manager at De Bortoli Wines, explains that it’s easy for publicans to get caught up in what they enjoy and forget to consider what their patrons are drinking.

“Ask your customers what they enjoy,” he says. “Selecting a wine can be a very intimidating process for customers. Your list should make them feel at ease and comfortable.”

With this in mind, Beard suggests an 80/20 approach. Some 80 per cent of the wines on the list should be chosen specifically for the customer. This means known brands that can be recognised; brands with a good reputation.

The final 20 per cent is where publicans can get creative.

“Use the 20 per cent for educational purposes,” Beard suggests. “Offer wines from little known regions, from different countries or from obscure seeds.”

James Stevenson of the Ryan’s Hotel Group agrees that there is some comfort for customers when they see an old favourite or better known label on the list – even if they don’t go for that particular choice.

“It allows them to gain a reference point for your wines and pricing,” he explains.

But Stevenson warns that operators should stay away from wines that are heavily discounted by major chains such as Dan Murphy’s or BWS.

PRICING AND COST There are a number of different approaches to the architecture of a wine list in regards to pricing and cost. However, there are a few basic factors that must be considered no matter which angle you take.

It all comes down to knowing your customers; what they’re looking for and what they are prepared to spend, according to Angus

McPherson, general manager of Treasury Wine Estates. “The wine category is entering a period of premiumisation, whereas other beverage categories such as craft beer, premium cider and spirits have already done so over the past decade,” he says.

“This means that wine consumers have started to shift towards more premium wines and pubs can capitalise on this by offering regional appellation wines by the glass.”

He points out that prices still need to be attainable and so suggests focusing on bankable dollars rather than percentage margins. Many operators work on percentage margins at the cheaper end of the wine list but introduce cash margins for the more expensive wines (otherwise they’re unlikely to sell at all).

While a successful wine list won’t specifically be designed with margins in mind, Matthew Beard recommends that wines in a pub should generally generate a minimum margin of 2 or 3 times the cost price – house wine might be priced up to 400 per cent.

“House wine will provide your highest turnover so you always want to make good margin there,” he says.

Make sure when pricing your wines that you cover your bases. The accepted average range in a pub is from $18-$20 up to $70-$80. The highest concentration of options within that range will depend on your customer base and location. Is your venue located in an area where patrons are willing to pay premium prices or are your customers looking for standard bang for buck options?

PUB WINE LISTS: COMMON MISTAKES Darren Jahn, communication and prestigious portfolio manager at Robert Oatley Vineyards, warns operators to steer clear of the following: An overload of Sauvignon Blancs “Too often there is an unnecessarily extensive list of this particular varietal,” Jahn says. “Two options of both Australian and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc are more than enough, with perhaps a West Australian Sauvignon-Semillon blend to complement.”

Popular branded wines at too high a price “By being too commercial with your list or stocking a high percentage of brands with a strong retail presence you may appear greedy to your customers,” he says.

An un-even mix of varietals “As well as an abundance of Sauvignon Blancs, we see all too often red lists overloaded with either Cabernet or Shiraz. You need to offer your clientele a well rounded selection.”

Bad spelling or typing errors “Venue managers should not be embarrassed to ask an experienced word-smith with extensive wine experience to look over the list. It is very easy to misspell a winery, region or variety and it looks very unprofessional on finished lists.”

HOUSE WINE AND FIRST POURS Generating a high percentage of turnover, house selections and first pours are an important factor when designing a wine list.

Darren Jahn, communications and prestige portfolio manager for Robert Oatley Vineyards, explains that there is a real temptation here to be greedy and offer a low quality/high margin product.

“I would counsel venues to ensure their first pour is of a high quality and reflects the aim of the venue rather than letting it down,” he says.

Sam Ng, of Melbourne’s Black Pearl bar, notes that their customer base tends to be loyal to Australian wine. “And why not, when we have an amazing array of regions on our door step?” she says. With this in mind, ensure your house wine choices are from well known regions and made from popular grape varieties.

“Sauvignon Blanc is still going strong and represents 50 per cent of our total wine volume,” says James Stevenson.

As Stevenson infers, it’s important to choose house wine based on the market trend.

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 21

BUSINESS CONSIDER THE FACT THAT IN THE US LAST YEAR PINOT GRIGIO OUTSOLD SAUVIGNON BLANC – AND PINOT GRIGIO IS LIKELY TO BE IN INCREASING DEMAND IN AUSTRALIAN PUBS IN 2014 In regards to red, Pinot Noir and Shiraz are most popular across the board – but your specific clientele’s demands will determine what you assign as your first pour.

“Always, always tweak your house wine to suit your specific clientele,” Matthew Beard says.

WINES BY THE GLASS Glass pours are exceptionally important when it comes to constructing a wine list as they will account for majority of wine sales by the item, especially in a pub or bar environment (80-90 per cent in some cases).

A general rule of thumb in the industry is to offer at least one third of your list by the glass. So, for example, if you offer three options per varietal at least one should be available by the glass.

Jahn suggests certainly offering more than just the house pour by the glass as it gives guests the option to trade up to a better quality wine.

Consider the fact that in the US last year Pinot Grigio outsold Sauvignon Blanc – and Pinot Grigio is likely to be in increasing demand in Australian pubs in 2014.

When offering wines by the glass, it’s crucial that you store wine correctly so as to maintain the wines’ freshness.

Stevenson suggests dating all opened bottles and never serving the wine beyond three or four days after opening.

“Use a simple wine vacuum pump at the end of the night to remove as much oxygen as possible,” he says. “If we come across a bottle that has been opened for more than three days, we transfer it to the kitchen to be used in stocks and sauces so there is very little going down the drain.”

However, if your list successfully caters to your target market, there should be little to no wine that goes stale. If a wine remains unsold for three days it’s usually a good indication that that particular wine does not reflect your customer demand.

REGIONS AND VARIETALS A wine list’s offering of regions and grapes will ultimately depend on location and customer demands.

THE BOTANICAL IN MELBOURNE, WINNER OF THE BEST PUB WINE LIST AWARD IN 2013

For Australian pubs, Jahn suggests primarily Australian wines with the obvious internationals such as New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, French Champagne and perhaps an Italian Prosecco.

“I would also suggest that roughly 30 per cent of the list hails from the state in which the venue exists – so a Sydney pub should offer a third NSW wines.”

While 80 per cent of your list should be loyal and local don’t forget to use the final 20 per cent to get creative and present wines outside of your regular offerings.

SUPPLIERS Tim Bryar from The Botanical, which won Best Pub Wine List of the Year in 2013, tends to judge the quality of a wine distribution company by the impression conveyed by the company’s rep.

“I view the reps as a reflection of the company I am buying from,” he says. “The more professional the individual, the better the company.”

The volume or number of suppliers a venue chooses to use ultimately comes down to how many it takes for their needs to be fulfilled, Matthew Beard says.

“It is all based on logistics. Will it take one or three to get you what you and your customers want?”

Another thing to take into consideration is

22 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

whether your preferred supplier can meet your venue’s needs. Are they able to keep up with demand and deliver on particular days as and when you need them to?

STAFF TRAINING Once you have sculpted and perfected your wine list to cater for your venue’s specific clientele, it is important that staff know how to sell the wine.

“Training is essential if you want staff to be able to make valuable recommendations to customers,” says Stevenson.

“A great way to prompt customers to try new wine and even buy premium selections is to have staff offer suggestions regarding matches on the menu. For example, Salt and Pepper Squid with a crisp Riesling; Atlantic Salmon with Rosé or Chardonnay; or a Rump Steak with a Barossa Shiraz.”

FINALLY A wine list says a lot about a venue. A good list suggests a venue and management team on top of their game – familiar with market trends, knowledgeable about products and in tune with customer demands.

Key to success is understanding your customer. Simply asking your customers, “What are you enjoying at the moment?”, can help you move ahead of the competition. PD

www.cerebosfoodservice.com.au

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AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 23

MENU DEVELOPMENT

CHICKEN AT THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE, MELBOURNE PLOUGHMAN’S PLATE AT THE WOOLWICH PIER HOTEL, SYDNEY

24 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

WAYNE SEBERRY, HEAD CHEF, THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE, MELBOURNE

THE MENU AT THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE, MELBOURNE, FOCUSES ON QUALITY INGREDIENTS AND PARED BACK DISHES

PUB SNACKS ARE A KEY PART OF A HOTEL’S FOOD OFFERING. HERE’S HOW YOUR BUSINESS CAN GET THE MOST FROM THEM WORDS: SOPHIE PAN ADD AND INTEREST WITH EXTRAS While most items on a bar snack menu won’t stray too far from the traditional pub grub offering, a few small tweaks and extra offerings added to your menu can make it stand out from your competitors’.

So the Embassy Bar in Brisbane produces a variety of different sauces, such as the cherry tomato chutney or habanero sauce, that customers can add to their meal for 50c; while The Henson in Marrickville offers a range of flavoured salts such as the rosemary rooster salt made from smoked dehydrated chicken skin and rosemary.

“I did a lot of research and made my own recipes up,” the Embassy’s head chef Robert Campbell says. “The sauces are great.

They’ve got really good fl avour. There’s a decent variety there and people can order what they want.”

Kellie Savage, from McCormick Foods Australia, says simply adding jalapeño sea salts to your bar snacks will add that extra kick and give them a point of difference.

KEEP IT “Get a good product and don’t mess around with it too much,” Wayne Seberry, head chef of The Local Taphouse in Melbourne, advises. “I think our whitebait is lovely. I just do the whitebait on its own with some lemon and chilli aioli, just because that’s all you need,” he says. Allow quality ingredients to shine through.

UNDERSTAND YOUR Creating a fancy menu is one thing but executing it is another. “At the end of the day, if the kitchen can’t cope with it, you’re just going to let your customers down,” Seberry says.

Glenn Tabudlo, head chef of Woolwich Pier Hotel in Sydney, puts it like this: it’s like trying to make a Toyota Corolla run like a Ferrari. “I can put on a fancy dish but if it requires three pans to cook it, and you’re doing 600 covers, it won’t work,” he says. Overcomplicating a dish adds unnecessary pressure to a busy kitchen.

DELIVER ON Keeping things simple is not an excuse for cutting corners, however.

Whatever you choose to make, do it well. The Embassy Bar’s Robert Campbell says, “For example, if your coleslaw is not shaved super finely, then it’s not as nice to eat. Little things like that make a big difference.”

YOUR CUSTOMERS Are they health-conscious? Are they conservative in their eating habits? Are they more or less likely to trade up to something premium? What works in one pub may not work in another. Megan McCulloch runs the kitchen at The Henson in Marrickville and also oversees the food at The Trinity in Sydney’s more central Surry Hills. A more health-conscious, family-oriented crowd in suburban Marrickville loves McCulloch’s

tempeh burger made from fermented soybeans.

But McCulloch knows it’s a little too left-field for The Trinity, which offers instead a more conventional vegetarian burger of roasted field mushroom and haloumi.

TARGET YOUR Knowing who your customers are will allow you to make any promotions you run on bar snacks more effective. In particular, ensure you analyse the kinds of customers that visit at different times of the week.

“We try and identify when the younger crowd comes in and when families come in,” Tabudlo says. “Friday nights are when the corporate people come in for sundown drinks, and the sliders are popular with them, so that’s why we have the slider promos on a Friday; we sell a lot more and it keeps those customers returning.”

CONSIDER A FRY OPTION “By using the same equipment that you have in your kitchen, it’s easy to provide a second fry option such as sweet potato fries, criss-cut fries or twister fries,” Anita Lee from Markwell Foods says. “That means you’re able to provide choice to a customer, to offer something a customer might trade up to and to add value to the customer experience.”

RIGHT While fried foods consistently perform

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 25

MENU DEVELOPMENT

well in the pub sector, it’s increasingly important to have a well rounded bar menu that includes healthier and lighter options, such as the Blue Swimmer Crab and Iceberg Taco at the Embassy Bar or the Ploughman’s Lunch at Woolwich Pier.

Campbell also recommends having a variety of proteins on the menu and to cater for those with special dietary requirements.

Having a mix of cooked dishes and dishes that require no cooking will lessen the pressure on any one kitchen section, too. “We have several snack items that require no cooking, like the ceviche, the Bloody Mary oyster shots and the white corn chips,” McCulloch says. “They’re just assembled. You kind of need that balance.”

HIRATA BUNS AT YUM BUNS IN LONDON

CAPITALISE ON Trends aren’t just news stories or academic theories. They’re what people are eating now. So tap into them. Sliders, authentic Mexican, modern Indian, American BBQ , superfood ingredients, gourmet hot dogs – there are plenty of hot concepts and cuisines to choose from.

AND SHARE ALIKE Not the newest trend in bar snacks but arguably the most important at the moment is food for sharing. “People want good food but they want good value for their money, so people are ordering a lot more share plates,” says the Local Taphouse’s Wayne Seberry. A small group ordering three or four share plates also get to try several different dishes, an important consideration for today’s more adventurous consumer.

IT UP McCormick’s Flavour Forecast 2014 lists ‘chilli obsession’ as one of its five key trends (see news, page 4).

“We’re finding today that a lot of consumers are craving heat,” McCormick’s Kellie Savage says. “But it’s not just about the heat; it’s about discovering new chilli varieties and flavours; it’s about using different techniques with chilli like grilling, smoking, pickling and fermenting to tease out the flavours.

“As far as bar snacks go, you really want to make something that’s easy for the kitchen to produce and offers a real point of difference. It could be something as simple as putting spice blends together as a shaker seasoning for nuts or chips. And if you see blends that you haven’t encountered before, don’t be afraid to experiment with them.”

SNACKS AROUND

THE WORLD

Want to know which snacks are being devoured in far-flung places around the world? Maybe these ideas will inspire a new addition to your menu.

Korean Fried Chicken KFC is known by most as an American fast food chain, but for some it stands for Korean Fried Chicken. This popular snack goes down so well with beer that Korea hosts an annual festival of chicken and beer dedicated to the pairing. What makes Korean fried chicken different is the sweet and chilli sauce made from the popular gochujang chilli paste that coats it. Restaurant With Chicken in Seoul does it well and serves it cheap.

Kushikatsu Easy to eat and also great with beer, Kushikatsu are deep fried skewers originating from Osaka, Japan. Kushikatsu Daruma is credited for creating the snack back in 1929 and the small eatery is still run by the same family. A wide range of individually skewered portions of food are crumbed, deep-fried and served with a special tonkatsu sauce, similar to a thicker Worcestershire sauce.

Millionaire’s Bacon Millionaire’s Bacon tastes like a million bucks. It all starts with apple wood smoked free-range bacon sliced thick, roughly 90g per slice, which is seasoned with black pepper, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes

WRITE The description of menu items can be a major factor in their sales success. “Wording is very important,” says the Embassy’s Robert Campbell. “Some people have a knack for putting ingredients on the board or on the menu that make people want to buy the dish. It’s important to know what works – not just what you think works but what customers perceive as attractive to them.”

Megan McCulloch believes it’s best to keep menus simple and concise, with some key words and the main gist. At The Henson, where the ingredients are the stars, the menu reads like a list. For example, “kumera fries, nigella, tahini yoghurt” or “half kilo buttermilk chicken wings, verde picante”; descriptions are non-existent.

AND REINVENT You can keep your menu feeling fresh and prolong interest in popular menu items with tweaks and variations. At the Embassy Bar, Campbell offers four slider variants – southern fried chicken, beef, pork and a more unusual vegetarian chickpea pattie with haloumi and tomato chutney. “The vegetarian is actually one of the best sellers, which was surprising,” he says.

26 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

and a generous amount of dark brown sugar, and then baked for four hours. The result is soft, sweet, sticky bacon that’s perfect for breakfast or, with extra chilli, an ideal accompaniment to an evening drink. It’s the specialty of Sweet Maple restaurant in San Francisco.

Hirata Buns Hirata buns, or steamed buns, are showing up on menus all across London. Aside from the standard slow-roasted pork belly version, Yum Buns in Shoreditch is serving up a portobello vegetarian option with miso glaze and toasted walnuts, and a crispy pollock version with pickled onions, coriander, shredded lettuce and gochujang chilli paste.

Obazda Dip The Bräustüberl Weihenstephan in Freising, Bavaria, created the classic obazda dip in the 1920s. The original recipe calls for brie, cream cheese and butter as the base, which is then seasoned with onions, paprika, ground caraway seeds and beer. Top it all off with red onions, chives, serve it with pretzels or bread and you’ve got yourself a hearty dip to go with a cold German beer.

TAG LINE

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 27

MENU DEVELOPMENT STRIVE FOR Consumers are increasingly demanding and knowledgeable about food. They’re more interested in provenance, seasonality and local, fresh ingredients. “I try to keep it simple and always source as local as I can, but I always use fresh produce,” Seberry says. “For example, with our charcuterie board we make our own pickles, jams, marmalades, pâtés and stuff like that. I just think you have to do that; you have to find a good product, then use it to make something the best you can.”

PORK RIBS AT THE EMBASSY BAR, BRISBANE

BE People increasingly prefer an informal style of dining wherever they eat. In a pub they expect it. They want food they can pick at, eat with their fingers, place on the bar or their laps or carry out to the beer garden. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that chips, wedges and nachos are big sellers in pubs; but remember you can be casual and sophisticated, too.

At the Local Taphouse in Melbourne, the croquette is a favourite. “We make a really thick béchamel and combine some slow cooked onions, chopped Serrano ham and chives. Then we roll them up and crumb them. So when you bite into them, it’s like a creamy ham sauce inside the croquette,” says Seberry. “All you need is a napkin and your fingers. You’re just drinking a beer and you’re picking away at a croquette; you don’t even notice what you’re doing.”

AT THE HENSON, THE KNUCKLE SANDWICH, WITH ITS QUIRKY NAME, HAS BECOME A TALKING POINT AMONG CUSTOMERS. THE DISH’S NAME REFERS TO BOXER JEFF FENECH, ALSO KNOWN AS THE MARRICKVILLE MAULER

GLENN TABUDLO OF WOOLWICH PIER HOTEL, SYDNEY

SLIDERS AT THE EMBASSY BAR, BRISBANE

CREATE A

DISH

A great signature snack can put your venue on the map. At The Henson, the Knuckle Sandwich, with its quirky name, has become a talking point among customers.

The dish’s name refers to boxer Jeff Fenech, also known as the Marrickville Mauler and previous owner of The Henson.

“We made the Knuckle Sandwich and some people got it and those that didn’t were like, ‘Wow, that’s a great sandwich’,” says McCulloch. “So I think the dish itself has to be incredibly good and have loads of integrity.”

But a quirky name or original idea can help.

LOOK TO THE

MEGAN MCCULLOCH AT THE HENSON BAR SNACKS AT WOOLWICH PIER HOTEL

28 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

Never get complacent. Study the competition. Analyse the trends. Think about what will keep you ahead of the pack. At The Henson, McCulloch’s next plan is to do more in-house smoked foods, as well as incorporating horseradish into the menu. She foresees Korean foods picking up and firmly believes that if you’re not smoking, brining and pickling, you’re not in the game.

“It’s constant research, it’s constant trying, it’s going out and seeing what everyone else is doing,” she says. “You’ve got to know what every product is doing and you have to make the most of what’s good right now, so that you can offer something great at the best price.” PD

MY KITCHEN

WI NDS of CHANGE A NEW FACE As the Hunters Hill nears the completion of its latest set of renovations, we have seen a dramatic shift in focus onto the dining side of the hotel. We moved our kitchen to a larger space and increased our seating capacity including a substantial outdoor dining section.

I was involved in the planning of the new kitchen with issues such as equipment layout and design. I decided that to make it as chef-friendly as possible we would use refrigerator drawers rather than free standing fridges. The kitchen has seen dramatic improvement in productivity and efficiency with the new design and we hope only to find ways to build on it further.

ON THE FOOD FRONT With a new look for the kitchen we knew the obvious next step was to create a menu that reflected the new hotel. Having installed a kids play area in the bistro, we see a large number of families and early dinners, but we see a huge mixture of people through the restaurant.

Knowing that our menu had to cater for such a range of patrons, it took us a while to construct the right one.

We have made a conscious decision to use only quality products that our customers can trust. We offer a range of traditional pub dishes like ‘schnitties’ and ‘parmies’ but we also offer fine dining standard options such as our Haloumi and Roast Pumpkin Salad as well as

Serrano Spanish Prosciutto and Melon.

The latest renovations have included a new feature of a conveyer belt pizza oven, which has been a big hit. We have your traditional pizza toppings but have also taken it a step further with options like lamb, pumpkin, spinach, haloumi and tzatziki.

Our kitchen is well known for our homemade burgers, with my signature dish being the One Pound Wagyu Beef Burger. It is a mountain of beef, double bacon, double cheese and barbecue relish.

MY EQUIPMENT The fully decked out kitchen includes refrigerator drawers by Skope, a Combitherm oven and Frymaster fryers. We have a Targa top flat stove and three deep fryers as well as the conveyor pizza belt. Working on a two and a half metre char grill makes cooking perfect steaks every time a breeze. Having a combi oven makes the kitchen more efficient and allows us to produce large numbers of dishes at speed. The kitchen is split into five sections being grill, fryer, entrée, pizza and prep, as well as functions when needed.

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK. THE HUNTERS HILL HOTEL’S HEAD CHEF MATTHEW GRAHAM TALKS KITCHEN RENOVATIONS WITH TRIANA O’KEEFE

crowd at Hunters Hill and they are always a great bunch of people. We do a lot of burgers and steaks and the crowd are genuinely there for a good time.

The worst day of the year for me, hands down, would be the day of the Seven Bridges Walk. We are located roughly halfway between the start and finish points so naturally an obvious spot to stop and lunch at. However, nobody books, they turn up all together in large groups and demand to be fed within half an hour. Luckily, the event date is highly publicised, which means we are able to staff the kitchen appropriately. PD

VENUE FACTS BAR: Hunters Hill Hotel, Sydney OWNERS: Iris Capital HEAD CHEF: Matthew Graham AVERAGE COVERS: 1,500 per week KEY FOOD SUPPLIERS: Vic's Quality Meats, MD’s Sydney Provodores, Foodlink

MY BEST AND WORST DAYS OF THE YEAR

BESTSELLING DISHES: Burgers, Haloumi

My favourite days of the year would have to be the Bledisloe Cup matches when the atmosphere comes alive. We get a large rugby

and Roast Pumpkin Salad, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Ranger’s Valley Scotch Fillet.

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING MARCH 2014 | 29

TAG LINEUP PLATING

MUSSELS WITH PEARL BARLEY, TOMATO, BASIL & RED WINE SAUCE WITH SIDE OF GARLIC SOURDOUGH

METHOD 1. Rinse pearl barley and then bring to boil in cold water; simmer for approximately 35 minutes until tender. Drain.

2. S auté the onion, garlic, celery, paprika, black pepper, and bay leaf until all is soft.

3. A dd rinsed mussels to pan with the onion mix plus ½ cup of the cooked pearl barley, tomato and red wine. Sauté for around 8 minutes until all mussels are opened and liquid is reduced.

4. T o finish throw in around 8 torn basil leaves, then stir and correct seasoning.

5. S erve in plate or bowl with generous amount of cooking liquid and two pieces of fresh toasted sourdough rubbed with garlic.

Recipe, Food Styling and Photography by Julio Castellano – www.juliocastellano.com – 0416 498 642

INGREDIENTS

COST

Fresh large mussels x 8

$2.50

½ cup pearl barley

$0.66

½ brown onion, finely sliced

$0.25

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

$0.10

½ celery stick finely sliced

$0.15

½ tsp. smoked paprika

$0.03

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

$0.03

1 bay leaf

$0.30

1 large soft tomato, diced

$0.40

½ cup red wine

$0.90

8 large basil leaves

$0.35

2 pieces of toasted sourdough bread

$0.20

TOTAL COST:

$5.87

MENU PRICE:

$22

PROFIT:

$16.13

PROFIT MARGIN:

73%

30 | MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER | PUB DINING

MENU PRICE:

$22.00 PROFIT MARGIN:

73%

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