FSN Oct 2017 by YAFFA MEDIA

Pot luck – Meet Adelaide chef Emma McCaskill From little things – Melbourne’s small but sophisticated Tipo 00 On the grape vine – Winemaker Andrew Margan’s key to success Holly jolly Christmas – How to prepare for this year’s silly season

SCALLOP CEVICE WITH TOM YUM PEARLS

Recipe

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EDITOR ANITA CONNORS (02) 9213 8335 anitaconnors@yaffa.com.au CONSULTING EDITOR JILL DUPLEIX

CONTRIBUTORS Tony Eldred, Tim Grey, Lisa Hasen, Anthony Huckstep, Amanda Kane, Yasmin Newman, John Susman

October 2017 Pot luck – Meet Adelaide chef Emma McCaskill From little things – Melbourne’s small but sophisticated Tipo 00 On the grape vine – Winemaker Andrew Margan’s key to success

SCALLOP CEVICE WITH TOM YUM PEARLS

Recipe

Holly jolly Christmas – How to prepare for this year’s silly season

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FOODSERVICE NEWS is published by Yaffa Media Pty Ltd ABN 54 002 699 354 17-21 Bellevue Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 9281 2333 Fax: (02) 9281 2750 All mail to: GPO Box 606, Sydney NSW 2001 ISSN 1328-9039 MEMBER CIRCULATIONS AUDIT BOARD

Table of Contents

FEATURES

REGULARS

POT LUCK

A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS

EMMA MCCASKILL IS STRIKING IT OUT ON HER OWN AT ADELAIDE'S THE POT.

HUCK’S RANT

ANTHONY HUCKSTEP CALLS FOR A REFRESHER FOR REVIEWERS ON GOOD AND BAD DINING HABITS.

PREPARE FOR THE CRAZINESS OF THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH TIPS AND TRICKS BY CHEFS AND OPERATORS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA.

24 MANAGEMENT

FROM LITTLE THINGS...

40 PRODUCE

MELBOURNE'S SMALL BUT SOPHISTICATED TIPO 00 IS DOING BIG THINGS DESPITE A TINY KITCHEN AND LITTLE-TO-NO STORAGE SPACE.

GET EQUIPPED

THE LATEST IN APPLIANCES AND EQUIPMENT DESIGNED FOR BACK-OFHOUSE OPERATIONS.

P. 14

P. 48

STOP CONFUSING DINERS, IT’S TIME TO DO AWAY WITH INEFFECTUAL AND UNNECESSARY JARGON. JOHN SUSMAN DELIBERATES ON WHY CONSUMERS EAT OUT, AND HOW WE MAY USE THIS TO HELP DRIVE A TASTE FOR SEAFOOD.

P. 07

44 RECIPE

THREE OF THE GOLD AND SILVER MEDAL RECIPES FROM THIS YEAR’S NESTLÉ GOLDEN CHEF’S HAT AWARD.

P. 26

PLUS N E W

A N D

N O T E D

OPENINGS A ROYAL FLUSH P. 22

WHERE I

MANA

GEMENT

TONY E LDRE D

FO O D SERVICE

AUS

THOMAS HAYNES P. 14

PROFILE

A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS NUMBERS P. 18

POT LUCK P. 16

CHEF

TA L K

R E S T A U R A N T S & B A R S

STARTERS P. 7

TO P

TRADE

FOOD SERVICE

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD P. 38

GAME

ERVI ODS CE FO S I N C E 2 0 0 8

TURNING TABLES

THE UNCONVENTIONAL TABLE P. 15

TOOL T A L K C

O M P A R I S

GET EQUIPPED P. 32

EDITORIAL

HELLO

What an absolute monster of a magazine we have for you this month. To kick us off we have the highlights of the 2017 Women in Foodservice Awards. Sydney really put on quite the show for the 125-strong crowd with Darling Harbour looking its bright blue, twinkling water views best. A big congratulations to all who were nominated. It truly was a thrill to celebrate with the foodservice sector its many talented individuals and their achievements. It was just unfortunate that our Chef of the Year, Vanessa Grace of Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, was unable to attend. It has been somewhat overdue featuring Melbourne restaurant, Tipo 00, amongst

the pages of foodservice. Thankfully writer Tim Grey rectifies that this issue; he chats to co-owner Luke Skidmore and head chef Alberto Fava about their venue’s growth and the almost cult following that has sprung up around their housemade pasta, despite the limits of a Lilliputian kitchen. We also look to the silly season and consider the best ways in which to prepare for the Christmas rush; John Susman mulls over strengthening your seafood menu; and Anthony Huckstep says no to bad restaurant etiquette. This issue also shines a light on the triumphs of the next generation: the Nestlé Golden Chef ’s Hat Award has wrapped up for a whopping 52nd year, and we’re showcasing three of the competition’s top recipes. Adelaide Oval’s Abbey Wendland and Mahlet Girma were crowned national champions for a second year running, and they share with us their gold medal dessert of apple and rhubarb mousse. Creative award-winners, Ashleigh Otto and Kayla Cooper of Pullman Cairns International, share their gold medal Asian-style scallop ceviche with tom yum pearls. And the Northern Territory’s Praveen Rodrigo and Billy Wilkes of DoubleTree by Hilton share their deconstruction lamb wellington. Hats off to them.

Anita Connors Editor

STARTERS

Just Opened

Homi Noodle Bar

tokosan

Lello Pasta Bar

Vietnamese treats and hip hop beats 56 Little Bourke Street Phone: (03) 96536627 Melbourne VIC 3000 hominoodlebar.com.au

Toko Group’s first fast-casual offering in Melbourne 142 Greville Street Phone: (03) 9251 3155 Prahran VIC 3181 tokosan-melbourne.com

Yak Italian Kitchen & Bar rebranded and reopened 150 Flinders Lane Phone: (03) 9654 6699 Melbourne VIC 3000 lellopastabar.com.au

N E W

A N D

N O T E D

OPENINGS R E S T A U R A N T S & B A R S

Impala Neptune’s 70s-inspired, sister bar 2/190 Queen Street Phone: (03) 9670 5825 Melbourne VIC 3000 impala.melbourne

NEW, NOTED, INTERESTING Across the country, here are Australia’s newest restaurants.

Chin Chin Sydney The Lucas Group expands into the Emerald City 69 Commonwealth Street Phone: (02) 9281 3322 Surry Hills NSW 2010 chinchinrestaurant.com.au/sydney

Bistro Blackwood

The Salisbury Hotel

The Reef Down Under

Jock Zonfrillo relaunches Restaurant Orana’s sister venue 285 Rundle Street Phone: (08) 8227 0344 Adelaide SA 5000 bistroblackwood.com.au

The year-long reno of the 117-year-old pub is now complete 118 Percival Road Phone: (02) 9569 1013 Stanmore, NSW, 2048 salisburyhotel.com.au

Subterranean tropical tavern takes over former Scubar site Rawson Place & St Laurence Ln Phone: (02) 9281 2790 Haymarket NSW 2000 thereefbar.com.au

STARTERS

Award-winning French patissier opens 2nd Melbourne venue Internationally renowned French baker, Gontran Cherrier, has opened his second Melbourne boulangerie in Hawthorn on Glenferrie Road, just over one year after launching his first in Collingwood. Known for putting a contemporary spin on French classics, Cherrier is a fourth-generation boulanger. And he is thrilled to have the opportunity to reach a wider, Australian audience. “Freshly baked bread, made from French flour is one of life’s greatest pleasures,” he said. “French flour is much more digestible than most alternatives, that’s why it doesn’t leave you feeling bloated or uncomfortable.”

New credit card regulations to impact foodservice industry The new laws regulating credit card surcharging came into effect on Friday September 1. The new regulations prohibit excessive surcharging on credit cards by small businesses. Research commissioned by American Express found only online businesses suffered more surcharging complaints than the food and beverage industry. 34 per cent of credit card users surveyed stated that they would not return to a dining venue, bar or club when hit with fees. The research also found that small businesses could see the number of repeat customers increase by 30 per cent by reducing or going surcharge free, with repeat customers spending 67 per cent more than new customers.

SA wins Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award 2nd year in a row The country’s longest running culinary competition for young chefs wrapped up for a 52nd year with South Australia’s Abbey Wendland (aged 22) and Mahlet Girma (aged 24) claiming the top spot for a second time. The duo impressed the judges with their standout dessert course of apple and rhubarb mousse with salted crumb, grapefruit curd and poached thyme pear. “This is such a great competition,” said Wendland and Girma, “from the people you meet along the way to the skills you walk away with, it’s awesome.”

Menulog founders expand FoodByUs platform to create new B2B marketplace The former founders of Menulog have revealed the expansion of their food distribution website, FoodByUs, with the launch of a new B2B marketplace for Australian cafes, coffee shops and local suppliers. The B2B arm of FoodByUs offers food distribution through an online ordering system with GPS tracking; drivers will deliver to cafes on behalf of suppliers. Co-founder Ben Lipschitz said, “[The] B2B marketplace offers both suppliers and cafes a smart distribution solution, with a fully integrated system combining sales and logistics.”

STARTERS

Stay in touch with Food Service anytime

New Fair Work laws to impact foodservice sector New national laws came into effect on Friday September 15 that aim to help protect vulnerable hospitality workers. There are now higher penalties for operators and business owners for serious breaches of workplace laws and record keeping. The Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Act 2017 also extends liability for underpayment and other breaches in franchise and subsidiary networks to head offices, with this starting on Saturday October 28. Fair Work Ombudsman, Natalie James, says employers will need to be extra vigilant with their record-keeping and pay slips. She says, “Businesses that don’t keep the right records, don’t give proper pay slips, or who make false or misleading records and payslips can face higher penalties.” Franchisors and holding companies could be liable if their franchisees or subsidiaries don’t follow workplace laws. Accordingly, James stresses that it is important that they ensure that they take reasonable steps to prevent breaches of workplace laws in their networks.

“We will be consulting with businesses about how these laws affect them,” she says, “starting with a roundtable focusing on the new franchisor liability provisions early next month.” Employees should also be aware of how the new laws may impact them. The strengthening of laws relating to cashback schemes means that if their employer requires an employee to use their own money unreasonably, or makes an employee give some of their pay back to their employer or another person, this could be unlawful. James says, “For those who are underpaying workers, failing to keep proper records or coercing workers to pay their wages back in cash, we will not hesitate to deploy the full set of tools in our toolbox, including using the new examination powers and seeking maximum penalties from the courts.” Above: Natalie James, Fair Work Ombudsman.

Executive chef Regan Porteous of Sydneybased Parlour Group is turning up the heat with his favourite hot sauce.

Restaurant Pendolino’s Nino Zoccali shares his thoughts on the changes to the #457visa.

R U Ok? Day - If you notice colleagues, family or friends struggling, be a good mate and start a meaningful and regular converstation today.

STARTERS

Above: All of the female winemakers and winery owners who attended the 2017 Women in Wine event. Below left: The post-event wine tasting.

PHOTOGRAPHY: WINE AUSTRALIA

Below right: Six of the nine winners of this year’s Australian Women in Wine Awards.

Australia’s top women of wine shine in London WINE AUSTRALIA TOOK THIS YEAR’S WOMEN IN WINE TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. Nearly 60 of Australia’s top female winemakers and winery owners assembled at Australia House in London on Tuesday September 26 to participate in Wine Australia’s 2017 Women in Wine event. This unique event celebrated Australia’s female wine producers as well as showcased the quality and diversity of Australian wine with over 300 guests in attendance. Hailed as the world’s largest gathering of Australian female winemakers and winery owners, the Women in Wine

program began with the announcement of the Australian Women in Wine Awards. The first time the awards have been a hosted outside of Australia, six of the nine winners were there to accept their award in person. They included Virginia Willcock of Vasse Felix (Winemaker of the Year), Sue Hodder of Wynns (Woman of Inspiration) and wine writer Sarah Ahmed who was named Honorary Australian Woman in Wine in the UK. Jane Thomson, founder of the Australian

Women in Wine Awards and host of the awards ceremony, says, “This is a pivotal day in Australia’s proud wine history. “We not only recognised the depth and breadth of female talent in our own wine community, we did so on a global stage and showed the world that Australia values and champions the many and varied roles of women in wine.” The event also provided the UK wine trade and public the opportunity to taste nearly 300 wines from 18 regions across Australia.

Deliveroo raises A$488 million for food delivery Innovative 100% Australian-made

Food delivery company, Deliveroo, has revealed that it has raised US$385 million (A$488 million) in new funding from investors. The investment values the company at over US$2 billion dollars, positioning it as the fastest growing tech company in the UK. Deliveroo operates in over 150 cities and towns around the globe. In addition to Australia and Britain, it offers food delivery in Hong Kong, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, and Spain. The new funding allows Deliveroo to expand its program of delivery-only kitchens, increase its technology team, and expand into new markets. Will Shu, founder and CEO of Deliveroo, says, “I remember how excited I was carrying out our first delivery. I hoped that people would love being able to order great food from their favourite local restaurants straight to their front door. “I am proud that just four years on, millions of people use Deliveroo in over 150 cities around the world. This is all thanks to the hard work of our riders, the great

AUS-ION™ wrought iron

restaurants that we work with and our brilliant customers. “So I am extremely pleased that our new investors share this vision and have decided to make such a significant investment in our future. “With this funding we will invest further in our deliveryonly kitchens Editions, in developing our technology and in taking Deliveroo to more towns and cities. “This investment will take us to the next level and allow our riders to deliver ever more great food directly to people’s doors.” The funding is led by funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and Fidelity Management & Research Company, investment managers who have previously backed global technology companies including Facebook, AirBnB and Tesla. Existing investors DST Global, General Catalyst, Index Ventures, and Accel Partners are also making follow-on investments, increasing their positions in the company.

and nöni™ stainless steel cookware Solidteknics has developed three ranges of innovative cookware: AUSfonte™ cast iron, AUS-ION™ wrought iron (formed lowcarbon steel), and nöni™ stainless cookware. All are made in Australia, all are non-toxic, healthy, sustainable, and multi-century durable. Driving the success of AUS-ION™ and nöni™ cookware has been their seamless, rivetless, one-piece construction (patents pending). Our AUS-ION™ pans cook and season just like cast iron, but are half the weight and forever-renewable nonstick. Our new conductive solid ferritic nöni™ stainless steel range is perfect for all liquid boiling, slow cooking, acidic sauces, and is very low maintenance … and indestructible. All ranges are designed to work together as a complete set of complementary pans, on any heat source. Where to buy Solidteknics cookware: www.solidteknics.com/where-to-buy

1 ST FoodService halfp VERT_JUL17.indd 1

15/07/2017 8:19 PM

2017 WOMEN IN FOODSERVICE AWARDS

2 0 1 7

WOMEN IN

F O O D SERVI C E A W A R D S W I F A

2017 WOMEN IN FOODSERVICE AWARDS

THE INAUGURAL WOMEN IN FOODSERVICE AWARDS TOOK PLACE ON WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 AT CYREN RESTAURANT, DARLING HARBOUR. 17 FINALISTS, 5 WINNERS, 1 REMARKABLE DAY.

big thank you to our partners Fine Food Australia, Unilever Food Solutions, Australian Pork, Stoddart, Electrolux, NSW Environment Protection Authority, OpenTable, Frontline Hospitality, Dinko Tuna Farmers, Chef Works and Solidteknics for helping make it possible.

The winners of the 2017 Women in Foodservice Awards: • Outstanding Service Nikki Friedli (Africola, SA) • Chef of the Year Vanessa Grace (Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, NT) • Restaurant Manager of the Year - Kylie Javier Ashton (Momofuku Seiōbo, NSW) • Rising Star - Kay-Lene Tan (Tonka and Coda, VIC) • Unilever Food Solutions Leading Woman in Foodservice Danielle Gjestland (Wasabi Restaurant & Bar, QLD)

WHERE I EAT WHERE I

F O O D S E RV I C E

AUS

CHISWICK’S BRITISH-BORN HEAD CHEF, THOMAS HAYNES, REVEALS HIS FAVOURITE SPOTS TO EAT IN NEW SOUTH WALES AND QUEENSLAND.

BREAKFAST

CHEAP EAT

Living in the Inner West, there are plenty of cafes for some bacon and eggs, or smashed avo. But my go-to place when the sun is shining is the Three Blue Ducks in Rosebery.

My favourite right now is Newtown’s Little Momo. The food is simple and tasty. Sit down to a couple of Lord Nelson Ales and grab some fried duck momo.

COFFEE

SHOW OFF SYDNEY

I am more of a cuppa tea than a coffee drinker. But that doesn’t mean I won’t pop up to Bourke Street Bakery for a lamb and harissa sausage roll and a flat white.

The Harbour Bridge. It has always been one of my favourite pieces of architecture. I worked down at ARIA for over five years and I never got bored of looking at it.

BIRTHDAY

GRILL

I like to go away for my birthday, get in the car and go to the Hunter Valley or the Blue Mountains and have a few days relaxing. I tend to keep it low key.

Moo Moo Grill, up on the Gold Coast. I have lots of friends up in Queensland and it is a great place to meet, have some wines and chat while enjoying some steaks.

TURNING TABLES

THE UNCONVENTIONAL HEADLINE 1 TABLE LISA HASEN URGES RESTAURANTS INTRO AND CAFES TO RECONSIDER THE TOOLS THEY USE TO PUT BUMS ON SEATS, AND TO OFFER WOULD-BE DINERS A RANGE OF SEATING OPTIONS INCLUDING INFORMAL AND UNCUSTOMARY.

NUMBERS GAME

NUMBERS GAME TURNING TABLES

TURNING TABLES

Lisa Hasen is viceispresident Steven Premutico CEO and for Asia Pacific of online founder of Dimmi, Australia’s restaurant-reservation service online restaurant reservations OpenTable. Contact herhim viaon company. Contact contact@opentable.com. stevan@dimmi.com.au.

D Q

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PROFILE

POT LUCK SHE HAS WORKED FOR NARISAWA IN JAPAN, TETSUYA IN SYDNEY, AND SAT BAINS IN NOTTINGHAM. NOW, AFTER FOUR YEARS OF COOKING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL AT PENFOLDS MAGILL ESTATE, EMMA MCCASKILL HAS ‘GONE LOCAL’ AT ADELAIDE’S MUCH-LOVED THE POT. WHAT IS AN AWARD-WINNING FINE DINING CHEF DOING FRYING PORK BUNS AND BAKING MONTE CARLO BISCUITS? HAVING FUN, SAYS JILL DUPLEIX.

mma McCaskill has always jumped first, and then worked out what to do later. It’s how she left Adelaide at 18 years old for Melbourne determined to get a job as an apprentice chef. “My parents were like ‘whaaat’?” she laughs, but it scored her a three year apprenticeship with Teage Ezard at The Adelphi. Her next jump was to Tetsuya’s in Sydney, with Darren Robertson and Luke Powell. “It was Tetsuya’s,” she says. “You just had to work there.”

TO P

PROFILE CHEF

“Sat [Bains] is an incredible chef; very hard but a great mentor. He would say, ‘I want you to work on parsnip’, and I’d come up with a parsnip suet sponge and candied parsnips. Now I ask myself all the time - what else can I do with this?”

The Pot by Emma McCaskill Shop 2/160 King William Road Hyde Park SA 5061 thepotfoodandwine.com.au

After that, she did a jump to the left, working at Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine cooking and styling food for photography, before The Great Aussie Leap to London, to do a stage with Fergus Henderson at the nose-to-tail St. John. From there, she became development chef at the two Michelin star Restaurant Sat Bains with rooms in Nottingham. “Sat is an incredible chef; very hard but a great mentor. He would say, ‘I want you to work on parsnip’, and I’d come up with a parsnip suet sponge and candied parsnips.” For McCaskill, it was an epiphany. “Now I ask myself all the time – what else can I do with this?” The next jump was to Tokyo with fellow chef and partner Scott Huggins. Huggins

worked at Seiji Yamamoto’s much-acclaimed Nihonryori RyuGin, while McCaskill became the first non-Japanese ever to work at Narisawa, currently number 18 on the Worlds 50 Best list. “It was hard, because I spoke no Japanese, but it was amazing,” she says. When visas expired, the couple returned to Adelaide and jumped head-first into opening the new Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant in August 2013. “We had real fire in our bellies, and worked so well together,” she says. So well, that the restaurant won countless accolades and the couple were Chefs of The Year in The Advertiser’s 2016 Food Awards. They also managed to open a second restaurant, Magill Estate Kitchen, and have two beautiful children. It was such a dream team that McCaskill’s resignation early in 2017 shocked the industry. “I needed to develop my career as a chef independently,” she says. Now she has landed at The Pot in Adelaide, the much-loved original site of entrepreneurial Adelaide restaurateur Simon Kardachi (Shōbōsho, Osteria Oggi) in King William Road. “It’s food that looks simple, but has layers of complexity,” she says, of the eclectic, contemporary, all-day menu. Port Lincoln sardines are pickled with fennel, fenugreek chicken comes with celeriac puree, salt-baked celeriac and celery leaves, and Monte Carlo biscuits are baked daily, just hours before service. It might be a big leap into a smaller pond, but for McCaskill, it’s still all about beautiful food.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JACQUI WAY

PROFILE

Emma McCaskill, The Pot.

PROFILE TRADE TALK

A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BE A TURKEY THIS CHRISTMAS, START PREPARING EARLY TO ENSURE A SMOOTH OPERATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS, HAPPY CUSTOMERS, AND A CAROLLING BOTTOM LINE, ANITA CONNORS WRITES.

TRADE TALK

TRADE TA L K

ith the silly season near upon us, now is the time to get your ducks in a row. And whether you decide to offer festive-goers a traditional feast, a mod Oz-seafood bonanza, or something else entirely, there are number of things to consider to make the end of year period as rewarding, profit-making and stress-free as possible. Foodservice asked chefs and operators from around the country for their top tips and tricks for how to best deliver festive cheer within budget. CHRISTMAS VISION When it comes to menu planning this Christmas, it is important to keep in mind your venue’s culinary voice and not to venture too far away from it.

“It is all about the customers. Restaurants sometimes forget that customers come first, and we love to take the extra time to get to know our customers. Plus we’re big on nostalgia at nel. All the Christmas dishes relate to memories and childhood.” This year, Nelly Robinson of Sydney’s nel. restaurant is offering diners a special degustation menu which he believes stays true to his philosophy. He says, “It is all about the customers. Restaurants sometimes forget that customers come first, and we love to take the extra time to get to know our customers. Plus, we’re big on nostalgia at nel. All the Christmas dishes relate to memories and childhood.” James Wilkinson, head chef of Melbourne’s Meat Market, has a slightly different approach to food and Christmas. At his venue, they will be “celebrating local produce and the farms they

come from”. And he hopes that diners will take away with them “a slice of Victorian food culture”. Across the city in St Kilda, owner and publican Rabih Yanni believes Grosvenor Hotel’s focus on “cold beer, delicious food and warm hospitality” will translate to a “family, fun vibe accompanied by great food and service”. CHRISTMAS PLANNING When it comes to a successful Christmas season, Robinson, Wilkinson and Yanni all agree that planning early is key. It is vital to take into consideration who you are targeting, what you would like to offer them, the budget you will be working within, and whether you will need to take on extra staff. Yanni and his Grosvenor Hotel team get in earliest by starting to make arrangements “at the end of service on Christmas Day as ideas and guest feedback are fresh and relevant”. Their focus is very much on “what our guests enjoy and appreciate without breaking the bank or challenging their taste buds too much”. In comparison, Robinson starts to research nel.’s festive menu in June. “We do this so we can plan the best experience for our diners and think creatively,” he says. “This year, we have planned the story of Christmas with each course themed on a unique part of Christmas.” If you haven’t begun to plan your Christmas offering yet, don’t panic. There is still plenty of time to select a menu, decorate your venue, and book entertainment and hire additional staff if need be.

Indeed, now is the time that Wilkinson and his team kick into gear. He reveals, “Spring is when we start planning the Christmas menu, because we will know which products will be available and enquiries start coming in around this time.” CHRISTMAS MENU Having the right menu is crucial for driving trade and attracting customers, whether for a la carte or group functions. This year, Yanni and his Grosvenor Hotel team have decided to serve a classic-leaning menu, featuring Clarence River prawns, roast turkey ballotine, and dry-aged Angus beef tenderloin. Desserts include pudding and pavlova. “Turkey is very traditional and expected,” says Yanni, “although while it’s not the most popular on the day everyone enquires whether it is available. Our chef interprets this ingredient by drawing on his classic European training and technique by serving turkey breast, potato fondant and red currants.” Robinson’s degustation will reflect the culinary flair and freedom that he has come to love about Australia. He says, “We will go over and above to make sure our customers feel extra special. Being a Brit, Christmas usually means an amazing turkey dinner cooked by my mother, but moving to Australia you learn that prawns and barbecue are Christmas fare, and I love it.” The crowning glory of his 2017 Christmas menu will be an edible candle made from roast chicken fat and bone marrow. Robinson says, “We have thought out of the box to surprise and

PROFILE TRADE TALK

delight. The dish is designed to be lit and melt down while guests enjoy a drink. Diners will then be served traditional roast chicken stuffing to tear apart and drip into the remains of the ‘candle’. Truly a feast for the senses.” At Meat Market, the menu is still being confirmed. However, Wilkinson has a few tricks in store for diners all aimed at invoking happy memories. “We are looking at a live, barbecue seafood starter moving to your traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings.” Clockwise from above left: The Meat Market dining room; Nelly Robinson’s special, edible candle; Meat Market head chef, James Wilkinson; owner and head chef of nel. restaurant, Nelly Robinson; Grosvenor Hotel; Meat Market; Christmas pudding at Grosvenor Hotel; and owner and Grosvenor Hotel publican, Rabih Yanni.

CHRISTMAS DEMAND Venues across the country will see a spike in trade at the end of the year. Making the most of it has to involve clear and consistent communication with customers about your menu, what variations can and can’t be catered for, and also timings. Wilkinson expects to feed about 30,000 people at Meat Market throughout November and December. And with these

high volumes of diners coming through the door, Wilkinson has a specific set of criteria that he mulls over for his festive fare, namely provenance and fresh, locally sourced ingredients. He says that it is important to know “how ethically sustainable the product is around that time of the year, and the richness of the product”. Similarly, Grosvenor Hotel sees a lot of traffic in the festive months with events and functions. Demand is also high on Christmas Day. “It is our largest service,” Yanni reveals. “Guests are seated across the entire venue and the pub is appropriately decorated. We host more than 300 people for Christmas lunch.” Yanni’s advice for preparing staff in anticipation of the volumes of guests to arrive is to always remain aware and proactive. “Prevention is better than cure and I always communicate with my management team. In addition, always apply best practice. Clean as you go and ensure you’re aware of one another.”

Robinson says, “The demand is huge because we have a space that is perfect for complete take-over events and perfect for Christmas functions. In regards to the degustation, we advise guests to book as early as possible as it fills up very, very quickly.” CHRISTMAS STAFFING Communication must, of course, extend to staff both front and back of house, and to any newcomers hired to alleviate the additional stress. A thorough briefing will provide your team a solid vision for what your plan is for service over the festive period as well as the help they need to realise it. Robinson agrees. “We are a very consistent restaurant with being busy throughout the year,” he says, “so it’s the same team all the way through.” However to ensure that staff are aware of the added pressures that the silly season brings, Robinson subscribes to “training the staff every day to become the

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best they can be, and to have a team that all get on really well”. Similarly, Wilkinson does not find Christmas time a particularly difficult when it comes to staff. “Staffing pressures aren’t as bad as other times in the year,” he says, “as there is an increase in volume of diners at the venue, which allows us to bring in more staff to cover the increase in trade.” This increase in the number of guests means that Wilkinson requires his staff to prepare thoroughly, particularly for situations when guests may over-indulge themselves. He says, “At our venue we have plenty of water stations and an extensive nonalcoholic beverage list, along with some late-night snacks for them to take advantage of should they need to.” Staffing at Grosvenor Hotel is also something Yanni is happy with at Christmas time. He says, “It is good as

we’re established and being consistently busy year-round has its advantages.” To be on top of their game, he encourages his staff to make an extra effort during the silly season to eat well and support each other. “Personally, I do not drink alcohol from the first of December, and limit myself to one coffee per day.” SUMMER WONDERLAND But it can’t be all work and no play. What does Robinson hope that Santa will bring him this year? “Personally, I hope that England win the Ashes,” he says, “and that all my staff will have a relaxing break when we shut the doors on the 24th for three weeks.” Wilkinson is hoping for “a new sous chef ”. In comparison, Yanni says, “I can tell you what I hope I do not get, and that is another Laguiole waiter’s friend. I now have five.” Let’s see what waits for them under the tree.

chef works.com.au

HUCKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RANT

HUCK’S RANT

A ROYAL FLUSH FED UP WITH THE RUDE AND BIZARRE BEHAVIOUR OF SOME OF HIS FELLOW REVIEWERS, ANTHONY HUCKSTEP TAKES A KNIFE TO THE TRIVIAL AND THE OFFHAND TO SHINE A LIGHT ON GOOD GOURMAND ETIQUETTE.

used to spend a lot of time in the toilet cubicles of restaurants. Some of them are nicer than restaurant fit outs. It’s not that I love the scent of forest pine, nor does it have anything to do with a tiny bladder or, thankfully, the food handling practises of the venues either. It was back when I used take notes on every minuscule detail of a restaurant while reviewing it.

Although you can tell a lot about a restaurant by the hygiene levels of their toilets, I, like most people, don’t go to restaurants to sit on the throne for three hours.

Anthony Huckstep is the national restaurant critic for delicious. and a food writer for The Australian, GQ Australia and QANTAS.

I’ve seen a reviewer take notes at the table in full view of waitstaff. Sad, but true. It’s awkward enough for staff that realise they’re being scrutinised. No need to exacerbate it just to appease one’s ego. Anyway, I felt in order to get the best picture I’d leave my dining companion to twiddle their thumbs or scroll through the eternal dissatisfaction of Instagram while I furiously put ink on paper. A failure to fill a water glass; a strange interaction

with staff; a dirty knife; undercooked pork belly; the perfect adjective to explain a dish. And although you can tell a lot about a restaurant by the hygiene levels of their toilets, I, like most people, don’t go to restaurants to sit on the throne for three hours. That’s not how people experience restaurants, and it’s not what reviewers should be doing either. And although restaurants are about the smaller details from the operator’s perspective, they aren’t from a diner’s perspective. Why do we go to restaurants? It’s not because a restaurant is ‘hot’, has a hat, a star or a string of accolades. The frameworks of all have been created to make it easier for you to separate the wheat from the chaff. Though lists are important lures for those on them, mostly we simply want a place to share great food with people we like. We want an environment we feel relaxed in, and we want to be happy about the value for our money. Restaurants are actually about how you feel after the entire experience.

The sum of many parts contributing to a full circle, and no restaurant is the same. How does a restaurant make you feel when you leave? Would you go back? Would you recommend it to a friend? It’s about value, enjoyment and satisfaction based on the entirety of the experience. Restaurant reviews shouldn’t be about disliking a light fixture, whether a waiter forgets to top up your water, or worshipping at the altar of a chef either. Reviewing is about conveying how well a restaurant is delivering on its promise in the context of the culinary landscape. Opinion comes into it, but ultimately it’s articulating an experience, and you can’t obtain one by riding the porcelain boat in a cubicle – you have to have the experience. These days I enjoy dinner, watch everything like a hawk, and digest the entire experience when I get home. So, how well are you delivering the entire experience? The welcome, the service, the food, the wine, the farewell is your deck in order?

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MEET NOOSA’S CHAMPION RESTAURATEUR

inner of the 2009 Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Young Restaurateur of the Year and owner of the acclaimed Wasabi Restaurant in Noosa, Danielle Gjestland, was recently awarded the 2017 Leading Woman in Foodservice Award. From a young age, Danielle had a fascination and special connection with Japanese food and culture. After living in London then travelling around Europe and America for a year, Danielle returned home to Sunshine Beach looking for the

next step in a career that would tick all the boxes. With amazing local produce and fresh seafood available on the door step, it was obvious that Noosa was missing a good Japanese restaurant in the local dining scene. Danielle’s passion for service coupled with her management skills allowed her to take the leap in opening one of the first Japanese restaurants in Noosa back in 2003. Wasabi was born: From humble beginnings, when a large number of diners did not eat raw fish to now serving an Omakase driven menu where the customers trust the chef, it has been an education for all involved. The process continues with biannual trips to Japan which involves everything from sourcing ingredients, buying ceramics, researching ideas for new dishes and visiting sake breweries. Under Danielle’s guidance, Wasabi is nationally recognised, being awarded 2 Chefs Hats and has been ranked #2 Japanese Restaurant in Australia for the past four years by Gourmet Traveller. Wasabi has gone from strength to strength and this year was given The Australian’s Hottest Regional Restaurant in Australia award. The Cooking School Noosa was the next step in the evolution of Danielle’s business. Located on the beautiful Noosa River and overlooking the Noosa Sound Park, The Cooking School Noosa offers exclusive classes with chefs from Wasabi’s own restaurant as well as guest chefs from around the country.

The space itself is luxuriously appointed with only the most innovative, high-end sponsored equipment from Electrolux. In 2012 work began on the restaurant farm ‘Honeysuckle Hill’ where Japanese ingredients, that would otherwise not be available, are grown. The farm uses the Japanese system ‘Bokashi’ where all the organic matter from the restaurant, mixed with micro-organism activated rice bran, is used to nourish the soil, completing the paddock to plate circle. Electrolux and Stoddart are proud to inspire, educate and discover talents like Danielle who are contributing to establishing Australia’s reputation as one of the worlds’ leading food and wine destinations. For almost 100 years, Electrolux Professional have been influencing how food is prepared in commercial kitchens all over the world. With an extensive portfolio of high performance kitchen equipment, Electrolux appliances are in almost half of the kitchens of Michelin star restaurants across Europe. Locally, Electrolux continues to support the foodservice industry through sponsored events like the Electrolux Taste Festivals in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland. The Taste events provides a meeting point for restaurateurs and producers to come face to face with their customers and an opportunity to showcase mouth-watering dishes along with the finest Australian produce.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Electrolux for me delivers on style, quality and luxury design. It integrates seamlessly into our kitchen and is a pleasure to work withâ&#x20AC;? Danielle Gjestland - Restaurateur and Owner Wasabi Restaurant & Bar, and The Cooking School Noosa, QLD Australia

DINING

FROM LITTLE THINGS...

PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM GREY

TIPO 00 FEATURES ON MANY A ‘BEST OF MELBOURNE’ LIST. TIM GREY VISITS THE SMALL BUT SOPHISTICATED CBD, PASTA BAR TO CHAT TO CO-OWNER LUKE SKIDMORE AND HEAD CHEF ALBERTO FAVA ABOUT THEIR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS.

DINING

Above: Squid ink tagliolini with squid and bottarga. Below: The Tipo 00 dining room.

DINING

efore the doors open at 11.30, there’s already a queue of 20 waiting, more-or-less patiently. It’s like this every day at Tipo 00, ever since opening on Little Bourke back in 2014. But what is it about this tiny Italian diner that sends Melbourne into a collective frenzy? After all, in this town, it’s hardly the only place to get a decent bowl of pasta. Co-owner Luke Skidmore believes that Tipo’s popularity has to do with its insistence on quality to the exclusion of everything else. “For me, it’s really about quality-driven, fresh pasta. It wasn’t seen as a thing you could get in Melbourne unless you were going somewhere quite formal,” he explains. “I think you can have pasta the quality of Di Stasio or Grossi Florentino, in a more casual and relaxed environment, at a much more affordable price.” When the restaurant opened, the partners never anticipated the kind of lasting demand that’s characterised the venue. Early reviews of the stripped-back fare were rapturous, and Tipo was quickly named Best New Restaurant and awarded a hat. “Definitely, it was a surprise to me. When you open a business, at the end of the day you don’t really know it’s going to be successful,” says Skidmore. “Not all businesses, especially restaurants, get to be this busy. It’s pretty incredible.” Naturally, everyone wants to be busy, but it comes with its challenges as well. Tipo’s a minuscule venue, with room for only 42-seats. There’s barely enough bench-space to roll out pasta, let alone accommodate a reasonably-sized coolroom. “To be honest, it was never designed to be this busy, so it’s always a bit of a nightmare,” Skidmore explains.

“Storage always creates problems – storage is a massive one for us.” Managing that space falls to Alberto Fava, head chef at Tipo 00. “With a very small space, we struggle a little bit. We’ve got a very small coolroom, and everything’s fresh every day because it’s not the kind of restaurant you order a lot because there’s no storage room,” he says. “You get only what you need for the day. You prep it, and you sell it. The fridge is empty by the end of the day. And tomorrow, you do the same again.” Churning out around 230-260 covers a day, Fava’s biggest headache is coordinating mise en place. “It’s a pleasure for service; I guess because everything’s very close. But for the number of covers we do, it’s not even close to being enough space. Even for chefs, there’s no room for prep,” he admits. “It’s very hard to organise the guys to organise what to do. You have to be very structured. The prep list needs to be very smart.” Another difficulty with the blistering pace at Tipo 00 is burnout. With the recent death of prominent restaurateur Jeremy Strode, the industry has been forced to confront the often punishing conditions kitchen staff endure. “It’s a hard one. It’s always very hard to make everyone happy. When we started, we were all doing eight shifts in the kitchen. But because the shifts are just so full on, I dropped to seven, which is over 50 hours but it never gets to 60,” Fava recalls. “When it was 60-plus, it was getting a little bit too much. For the intensity of the shifts here, because it’s service all day, you never stop, there’s a lot of concentration.” While Fava’s conscious of the importance of down-time, he’s also aware that sometimes, stress can bring a certain magic to a kitchen.

DINING

“We taste, we taste every single pasta that goes out. Our secret here is because we don’t mass-produce, everything here is fresh every day. The pasta is fresh; we don’t pre-cook it, we just cook one portion in one pan only. No food goes out without being tasted first.”

Above: Potato and cauliflower tortelloni. Below: Alberto Fava, head chef of Tipo 00.

“There’s pressure when you’re here. But that’s normal. When it’s service time, you’ve got a thousand dockets, you’ve got to get pumped, and get a little bit stressed, it helps to make everything good,” he advises. “You need a little bit of stress. You need to make a little bit of effort. Otherwise, there’s no work, you know? You’re just another restaurant.” That said, Fava believes it critical for chefs to slow down, taking the time to really consider what’s going out on a plate. In his opinion, the crucial difference between Tipo 00 and other restaurants is his commitment to testing every dish. “We taste, we taste every single pasta that goes out,” he says. “Our secret here is because we don’t mass-produce, everything here is fresh every day. The pasta is fresh; we don’t pre-cook it, we just cook one portion in one pan only. No food goes out without being tasted first.” When you’re deep in the weeds, Fava thinks it can be easy to let your standards slip. It’s avoiding that impulse that sets Tipo apart. “There’s some places that do big numbers, and then you start to push out the food a bit more,” he suggests. “Sometimes you don’t taste, sometimes you forget. I’m stressing a lot to make everybody taste.” With the ongoing success of Tipo 00, the team recently opened a restaurant next door, Osteria Ilaria, which mostly focuses on bistro dishes – leaving the pasta to Fava. One of the side benefits of this second venue is a mite more storage space. “With the new restaurant next door they’ve got a big coolroom, so we’re sharing a bit,” says Fava. “We can get a bit of extra stuff, meat-wise, an extra side of beef.” Though the business has been expanding, there’s no plans to bring in the renovators, turning Tipo 00 into a 200-seat behemoth. “There’s a potential to do something similar, but I’m really happy with the way Tipo works. I’m not that keen on changing it,” says Skidmore. “The size works well, the product’s really good, and it’s good to keep it in that small environment.” Ultimately, Skidmore would rather the problem of having too little space than having too much. “Being so busy always creates problems,” he admits. “But I definitely wouldn’t have it the other way, where we weren’t busy enough.”

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Josper charcoal oven HJX45/L BC.

GET EQUIPPED LOADED WITH FEATURES, HERE ARE SOME OF THE LATEST GIZMOS AND GADGETS IN COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT.

TOOL TALK

electing tools for the commercial kitchen is never a simple task. Whether updating your equipment or starting anew, there are so many things to consider. For one, size is always be an issue, both in terms of how much space you have to play with, as well as the dimensions of a new unit. It is also key to take into account functionality, flexibility, ease of use, budget, and sustainability, just to name a few. ASADO PARILLA GRILL The Asado Parilla Grill offers users the ability to cook like an Argentinian gaucho or cowboy. Meats and vegetables cook slowly over smouldering wood and charcoal, infusing them with smoky, barbecue flavour. Adjustable in height and available in two widths, the stainless steel structure is 100 per cent made in Australia. It fits up to 40 kilograms and includes a cupboard beneath for wood storage. The front face is customisable and able to be matched to any cooking line-up. The unit also allows for easy cleaning. The cantilevered grill frame lifts vertically to allow clear access to the firebox. In addition, the firebox skirt is removable, as are the cooking grills, which are commercial dishwasher safe. HOTMIXPRO MASTER The unique feature of the HotmixPRO Master is that it creates a vacuum in its bowl while in operation. This means that the vacuum can lower boiling temperatures without impacting the flavour, aroma or colour of ingredients. The Master's heating system offers a programmable memory together with degree-bydegree temperature control that ranges from 24ยบC to 190ยบC. The 26 speed settings and generously sized bowl allow users to manage large quantities. All in all, making the unit is suitable for use in the creation of many recipes, including creams, jams, sauces, doughs, and reductions. ICE MASTER MX 45 UNDERCOUNTER ICE MAKER Made in Italy, the Ice Master MX 45 undercounter ice maker has been designed with mid-sized cafes and restaurants in mind. Able to produce 45 kilograms of ice and store 15

TOOL TALK

kilograms, the unit reaches a height of only 80 centimetres. The filtration kit supplied with the ice maker free of cost with ever machine represents additional value and helps maintain vital parts for a long, trouble-free operation.

JOSPER CHARCOAL OVEN HJX45/L BC Dimensions: 1010 x 750 x 1100 mm ucp.net.au

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JOSPER CHARCOAL OVEN HJX45/L BC The Josper charcoal oven HJX45/L BC offers a combined oven and grill function that uses approximately 40 per cent less charcoal than an open grill and cooks at a rate that is 35 per cent faster. Floor standing, the unit has a front opening door plus a sealed cabinet below the oven to store excess ash. The steel alloy frame high operating temperature, means that the Josper charcoal oven can reach temperatures continuously of between 300ยบC and 350ยบC. MERRYCHEF RAPID HIGH SPEED COOK OVEN E2S HP The Merrychef rapid high speed cook oven combines three heat technologies, namely impingement, microwave and convection heat. This allows it to produce hot food speedily and evenly. A compact unit, it measures 60 centimetres deep with an oven cavity that fits up to a 12-inch-sized plate. The cook oven also features an easily-programmed, touch screen control panel that stores up to 1,024 multi-stage recipes. And despite a cool-to-touch door exterior, it can reach temperatures of between 100ยบC and 275ยบC. ROBOT COOK The Robot Cook is an all-in-one emulsifying, grinding, mixing, chopping, blending and kneading kitchen assistant. Highly versatile, the cooking cutter-blender has a heating capacity of up to 140ยบC and a variable speed function of 100 to 3,500 revolutions per minute. The turbo/pulse rotary speed function can also reach 4,500 revolutions per minute. The programming function enables users to cut down meal preparation times by storing numerous recipes, as well as keep food hot, all the while utilising a quiet induction motor. SKOPE ITV ALFA ICE MAKER The Skope ITV ALFA ice maker is a hard-wearing, underbench machine that produces pure, crystal clear ice cubes. The ITV patented technology includes the unique spray rubber nozzles that reduce the build-up of lime scale, and folding door with dampening system for long-life and durability. Designed to generate only a very low level of noise, the ice maker is able to produce 40 kilograms of ice cubes in 24 hours as well as store up to 20 kilograms of ice. Thus making it particularly suited to bars, restaurants, pubs, night clubs and conference facilities. TURBOFAN H10T HOLDING CABINET Designed for individual use or to be installed with a Turbofan E33T convection oven, the H10T holding cabinet allows for 1,200 watts cabinet heating while sitting on easy-to-move castors. The unit features a full double-skin construction and a continuous door seal. And with a 74 millimetre tray space, the touch screen panel allows for individual shelf timers and electronic temperature control.

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ON THE GRAPE VINE IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE AWARD-WINNING WINEMAKER, ANDREW MARGAN, FIRST LAUNCHED MARGAN WINES IN THE HUNTER VALLEY. IT HASN'T BEEN WITHOUT ITS CHALLENGES, NOR REWARDS.

What attracted you to a career in wine? From the age of nine, all I ever wanted to be was a winemaker. I loved the vineyards and not just being able to grow fruit, but to then mould it into such an amazing thing to drink. It has always captivated me. I have always been very connected to nature and it is that connection that makes me so happy to do what I do. What is your approach to winemaking? I grow all my own grapes on my own vineyards because I feel this allows me an inherent understanding of the wine that I make. The red volcanic soil of our vineyards also creates a unique style of Hunter wine and I always try to make sure that this is the defining criteria for any decisions I have to make. Who has been the biggest influence on you as a winemaker? Murray Tyrrell was a huge part of my life and the reason I am here in this industry. He taught me most things about grape growing and he afforded me the time to gain experience in so many parts of the wine industry. Tyrrellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have some of the best vineyards in the entire world and I was blessed to have the opportunity to work with some of that fruit. Murray taught me the bleeding obvious â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the best grapes will always make the best wine. What were some of the challenges in your first year after launching Margan Wines? Out of a really difficult 2007 came our first vintage, but with no distribution for our wines we were not really sure where the Margan brand would end up. We were very lucky that my previous experiences held me in enough stead that distribution came easily and it all moved very quickly from there. What is unique about the Hunter Valley's wine industry? We work against common enemies in both the weather and the misperception of the Hunter Valley brand. As a result we tend to collaborate and work together to help each other and the regional brand. And most of the time we are collaborating, we make sure we drink wines from other places. Are there any new winemaking techniques or tools that you are thinking of experimenting with? I have been working with field blends, grafting of heritage clones and making ripasso and vermouth. They are all a work-in-progress and keep the team and I busy. What are your favourite wine and food pairings? Champagne and foie gras, semillon and Sydney rock oysters, and steak and Hunter shiraz. In your opinion, how has the Australian wine industry changed or evolved over your career? The industry has gone through many changes and as time has gone on, it has begun to change more and more quickly. What I am loving about the current change is a trend towards brands with integrity and context. Local wines are important and wines that mean something in terms of their provenance.

UNCORKED

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS ELFES

â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the age of nine, all I ever wanted to be was a winemaker. I loved the vineyards and not just being able to grow fruit, but to then mould it into such an amazing thing to drink. It has always captivated me.â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Andrew Margan, Margan Wines.

PROFILE MANAGEMENT

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD WEIGHING UP ON HOW VENUES CAN BEST DIRECT THEIR STAFF'S ENERGY, TONY ELDRED URGES RESTAURANTS AND CAFES TO DO AWAY WITH INEFFECTUAL AND UNNECCESSARY JARGON AND CEREMONY.

MANA

GEMENT

TO NY ELDRED FOOD S E RV IC E

Tony Eldred operates Eldred Hospitality Pty Ltd, ‘The Hospitality Specialists’. Contact him on (03) 9813 3311 or at eldtrain.com.au.

iven how many restaurants are wrestling with high wage costs, the observations I make below are quite frustrating. During the course of maintaining a current view of the industry, I keep coming across restaurants that are still following the fashion of having waitstaff come to the table and verbally present the daily specials. Research tells us that the average person’s ability to absorb a verbal message composed of familiar words is not very good. The average verbal comprehension of a person is around 25 per cent – so we only absorb a quarter of what we hear. People listening to a verbal message tend to remember the first and last

things they hear and will confuse or forget the centre parts. The provision of special menu items allows you and your chef four main advantages: it allows you to use produce that is only available for a short season; it presents you with an opportunity to push high margin items; it gives you the opportunity to do something different; and it provides you with a mechanism to clear items before they exceed allowable shelf life. Specials, like any other menu item, are better presented visually rather than verbally. The eyes will buy more than the ears. I learned this years ago, when I was in the fast food industry. When we changed from simple written menus to

pictorial menu boards our sales rose considerably, so I studied the psychology of selling to make sure I understood why. When a person reads something they actually speak the words in their own mind and then comprehend the message in a similar manner to the spoken word. The best way to create a buying response is by using an appealing picture or image. Pictures or images are processed by a different part of the brain in a different way to verbal communication, and are far more powerful persuaders. You further defeat your sales efforts when you compound the problem of customer comprehension with the use of culinary jargon, or the bizarre descriptions which seems to get invented when a chef wants to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. From my perspective, it’s simple – if your customer doesn’t understand what the menu item is, they usually won’t buy it. I guess this is where artistry and sensibility clash once again. I can see that a restaurateur wishing to create ambience and sophistication may want their staff to put on a bit of a show at the table and ‘gild the lily’ in the menu descriptions; but what has a greater priority here – art or business? If you’re making a fortune, feel free to dismiss these as the views of an unfeeling Philistine. I have a personal dislike of obscure or foreign language in menu descriptions of any kind, and feel that clear, emotive English tells it best. After all, the aim of the exercise is communication, not self-indulgence – menu presentation of any kind is simply internal advertising.

MANAGEMENT

After all, you’ve paid through the nostrils with your hardearned marketing and advertising dollars to get people into your restaurant; it seems a shame not to separate them from the contents of their wallets and purses while they’re there. I think you should use the best sales methods available to you. For most restaurants this would be by the use of a supplementary menu board or tent card on the table, so the customers could digest the message at their leisure and not be forced into trying to comprehend a rapid message in unfamiliar language, delivered by a waiter. Besides, relieving

your waiters of this task will speed up service and assist front of house productivity. How much time does it take your staff to deliver a sales speech at each table? If you really want to get sophisticated, new technology is rapidly making the pictorial method of menu presentation quite feasible. Easy to use digital cameras and high quality colour printers that link to a computer have come down sharply in cost and are now within your reach. It’s not that difficult to produce high quality, laminated photographic tent cards or menus. Imagine being able to

You’ve paid through the nostrils with your hard-earned marketing and advertising dollars to get people into your restaurant; it seems a shame not to separate them from the contents of their wallets and purses while they’re there. put a pictorial tent card on each table within an hour of the chef first producing a new dish, or the wine company delivering new wines. I still see restaurants rather dispassionately. To me they are production factories with sales offices attached. Often the factory part gets the blame for the poor performance of a product, when it’s not the product that’s at fault; it’s the way it’s sold.

Transform Food & Beverage Services An opportunity to be part of one of Australia’s most iconic tourist destinations and world leading Botanical Gardens. An exciting opportunity is now available to help transform the delivery and management of Sydney’s iconic Royal Botanic Garden and Domain food & beverage services. The Royal Botanic Garden and Domain Trust is seeking Expressions of Interest for its threeexisting and iconic food and beverage venues, comprising: • Botanic Gardens Restaurant and Botanic Gardens Café; • Pavilion Restaurant and Kiosk; and • The Calyx and Calyx Café.

Food & Beverage Services EOIs close 14 November 2017 at 2.00 pm (AEDT) For more information visit https://tenders.nsw.gov.au

PRODUCE

WHY DO WE EAT OUT? IN LIGHT OF THE NEWS THAT DINERS ARE EATING OUT MORE THAN EVER BEFORE BUT ARE OPTING FOR SEAFOOD LESS, JOHN SUSMAN LOOKS FOR WAYS TO HELP CHEFS AND OPERATORS BETTER CRAFT THEIR MENUS.

John Susman is the director of the seafood industry agencey Fishtales. For more views, insights and understanding of the seafood industry visit thefishtale.com.au.

hat is the actual reason? It isn’t simply because we’re too lazy to cook, I don’t think. That might explain the odd hamburger or pizza, ducking up the road for a Chinese stir-fry or a Vietnamese pho, but even then convenience isn’t the whole story. Even then we are hoping, by the rapid ingestion of hot, salty dishes that are probably not a central part of our own domestic repertoire, to enjoy an experience very slightly out of the ordinary. Very slightly more exciting than the deathly horror of rescuing four ingredients from the back of the fridge, combining them over heat and sucking them down silently in front of the family with the end of last night’s sav blanc. We go to get out of ourselves a bit, I have always thought. To inhabit a role. A restaurant forces us to behave. To wear a shirt, to listen and read, to respond and engage with the idea of food as well as just to take on ballast, digest the calories and sometimes to avoid the whole house smelling of fish! This is truest, of course, in restaurants that make an effort to be inventive or interesting, or at least to feed you properly. But even in the queue at McDonald’s I am quietly alive and in dialogue with myself – “Am I really going to do this? Is it going to be great or revolting? Wouldn’t I be better off going home and having a cheese sandwich?.” It’s not about food as theatre, a concept I abhor, but about us as participants. With the explosion and consumption of food media in Australia (said to now be second only to Japan), the elevation of food shows to prime timeslots and, in several cases, where food shows have become the backbone of television network programming and profitability, you would think we are a nation of outright trenchermen. Coupled with the statistic that the average Aussie household is now spending over $100 per week on eating out and more than $150 on eating in home, it seems that all is great in the world of food.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since the recent Australian Seafood consumption statistics were released, sadly pronouncing a fall in per capita consumption of the greatest protein of them all, for the first time in over 30 years. How could this be? Why is it so? Maybe this is due to the decline in the number of independent, high street fish shops, the rise in the price of seafood, a general lack of awareness, understanding and appreciation for seafood; or maybe it is a combination of all of these things. Scratch beneath the surface of the raw statistics and of the 17.1 kilogram of seafood we each consume each per year, we have seen a massive swing from in-home consumption to out-of-home consumption. Are we seeing the death of the tuna sandwich in the lunchbox in exchange for a prawn laksa in Chinatown? A casual review of a modern restaurant, pub or even a cafe menu sees that seafood boxes well above its weight. It’s not uncommon to see 15 per cent of menu protein choices committed to seafood, whilst the per capita consumption statistics suggest it should be closer to 7 per cent. When I am speaking with chefs, they are forever telling me the horror stories of food cost and and how managing seafood on a menu is an ongoing commercial struggle, especially in an environment of menu selling price pressure. As we move further into spring, there is a natural expectation by diners for menus with lighter and fresher choices. So, how do you in foodservice respond to the increase in demand by consumers to eat their seafood ‘out’ whilst managing both selling price and menu interest? Spring is a fantastic season for seafood, perhaps it is time to look outside of the ‘greatest hits and memories’ of seafood and explore some of the lesser known species. Simply, not every dish has to have a ‘rockstar’ seafood ingredient.

PRODUCE

Sure, I love prawns, oysters, crab and it’s hard to say no to a beautiful piece of snapper, blue eye or coral trout, but perhaps there is merit in considering other seafood that with some care, creativity and good menu descriptors, can make a delicious and profitable addition to your menu. Mike McEnearney of No. 1 Bent Street is a master of managing both customer expectation and restaurant profitability. At a recent lunch there I enjoyed a serve of woodfired sardines,

Spring is a fantastic season for seafood, perhaps it is time to look outside of the ‘greatest hits and memories’ of seafood and explore some of the lesser known species. perfectly complimenting the barbecued witloof they accompanied, and with a plate cost of less than $2.50 made the selling price of $18 an absolute winner for both me and the restaurant. At Chin Chin, chef Ben Cooper serves a knockout dish of salt and pepper kingfish wings, and whilst he uses by-product from the consistent farmed fish, this dish could just as easily be made from sea mullet or red spot whiting, both of which are prevalent and cheapest through spring. As the late winter rains start pushing down the northern New South Wales rivers, washing the school prawns out to sea, the catches are strong and market prices low. Serving a plate of flour dusted and deep fried ‘schoolies’ is unlikely to cost more than $2 but will be guaranteed to deliver enjoyment to the diner. Thus it is, spring is the perfect time to be thinking about seafood (certainly because your diners are, more than ever before), it’s also a great time to take a look at your menu and consider where you can use non-rockstar, non centre-cut seafood’s to serve great food and still deliver a tasty outcome for your business. Think seasonal, think secondary and think about your profit.

Sardine.

PRODUCE

STARFRUIT

AVERRHOA CARAMBOLA

SWEET, JUICY AND TART, THIS FRUIT IS HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMIN C AND POTASSIUM, WRITES ANITA CONNORS.

tarfruit, or as it is also known, carambola, five corner or five fingers, is a tropical fruit native to South East Asia but is also grown in parts of Australia, the Pacific, Central and South America. Known for its waxy, five-winged appearance, the fruit takes its name from the fact that when sliced down the middle, pieces look like stars. And while starfruitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinctive ridges usually number five, they can vary anywhere from four to eight.

Known for its waxy, five-winged appearance, the fruit takes its name from the fact that when sliced down the middle, pieces look like stars. And whil starfruitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinctive ridges usually number five, they can vary from four to eight. Starfruit are generally oval in shape, and range in length from five centimetres to 20. As the fruit ripens, the skin turns from a light green to a bright yellow. The crisp but juicy flesh is typically light yellow in colour and semitransparent. Starfruit does best in a subtropical to tropical climate. Accordingly, in Australia it is grown across Queensland, the Northern Territory, and northern New South Wales. The main cultivators include Arkin, Giant Siam and Fwang Tung, and usually available October to February. Entirely edible, there are two main types of starfruit regarding taste and sugar levels. The larger variety is usually sweeter than the smaller, more tart variety. However,

climatic factors as well as how much sunlight the fruit receives in its last weeks of maturity can also can impact its sweetness. Grown from seedlings, it may take up to eight years before a tree may bear fruit. However grafted plants produce fruit in a much shorter time, in only one or two years. When selecting starfruit, look for ones that are firm, shiny and uniform in colour, free from blemishes and bruises. You may remove the seeds and any brown edges, however these are both edible. Low in calories and sugar, starfruit are high in antioxidants, dietary fibre and nutrients, such as vitamin C and B, zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Unfortunately, starfruit also contains oxalic acid and caramboxin, which may be harmful to those suffering from kidney-related complications or diseases. In Australia, starfruit is typically used in fruit or savoury salads. They may also be used as a garnish or topping for cocktails and desserts such as pavlova. Their taste and texture lends them for a variety of other uses. It is not uncommon in South East Asia to see starfruit blitzed or blended and added to juices, drinks and smoothies. Green starfruit can be used as a souring agent in curries and stir fries. Starfruit also pairs well with seafood and chicken. In addition, it can be pickled, stewed and turned into jam, marmalade and chutney. So versatile, it is proving to be quite the star of spring.

RECIPE

entrée 2017 NESTLÉ GOLDEN CHEF’S HAT AWARD TEAM QUEENSLAND REGIONAL: ASHLEIGH OTTO AND KAYLA COOPER’S GOLD MEDAL ENTRÉE ASIAN-STYLE SCALLOP CEVICHE WITH TOM YUM PEARLS, BABY ASIAN BOK CHOY, SPICED CRISP AND COCONUT KAFFIR LIME EMULSION SERVES 4

1 kg scallops

4 bok choy

1 g sugar

1 carrot

200 g Maggi coconut milk powder mix

1.6 g salt

1 cup white sugar 1/3 cup Maggi fish sauce 1 tbsp ginger 3 cloves garlic

3 kaffir limes 10 limes 0.3 g xanthan gum

7.5 g egg whites 7 g butter 2 tsp paprika 1.8 g alginate

2 long hot chillis

2 tbsp Maggi Taste of Asia tom yum paste

1 bunch coriander

1 bunch lemon balm

600 ml water

1/2 bunch dill, pickled

75 g plain flour

5 g sesame seeds

N U O C C H A M In a small bowl, combine 200 ml of just-boiled water and the white sugar. Stir to dissolve. Then add, the fish sauce, juice of 1 lime, ginger, chilli, and coriander. Blitz in a blender. Cool in the fridge the reduce in a pan to create a glaze. C E V I C H E Slice the scallops finely and place the pieces on a grease proofed tray. Juice 9 limes and pour over the scallops. Allow to cure for 15 minutes. Next pour over a little nouc cham and marinate for a

futher 10 minutes. Drain and gently pat dry the scallops. TOM YUM PEARLS In a small bowl, combine 250 ml of water and the tom yum paste. Add the alginate and blitz in a blender until the mixture thickens. Cover and leave to cool in fridge. Place the calcium and water in a separate bowl and allow to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. When both mixtures are ready, use a pipette to drop the tom yum mixture into the calcium mixture to form pearls.

1.3 g calcium

COCONUT EMULSION In a bowl, add 400 ml water and infuse with the kaffir lime. Add the coconut milk powder, the juice of 1 lime and xanthan gum. Blitz to emulsify.

BOK CHOY Cut the bok choy in half. Lightly blanche the hearts in boiling water, then place in iced water before tightly rolling into shape.

T U I L E Preheat the oven to 190°C. Mix together the flour, 1 g sugar, salt, egg whites, butter, paprika and 30 ml of water to make a dough. Rest for 1½ hours then roll out thinly. Using circular cutters, cut into rings. Dock with a fork and put into oven. Bake for 7-9mins, or until crispy.

TO SERVE Spread a little glazed nuoc cham on four plates. Place the sliced scallops in a half moon shape. Top with the bok choy, tom yum pearls and tuile. Pipe the coconut kaffir lime emulsion, and garnish with finely chopped pickled dill and lemon balm.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ELIZABETH ALLNUTT

RECIPE

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Ashleigh Otto and Kayla Cooper are chefs at Pullman Cairns International. They won this year’s Nestlé Professional Creative Award.

RECIPE

main

2017 NESTLÉ GOLDEN CHEF’S HAT AWARD TEAM NORTHERN TERRITORY: PRAVEEN RODRIGO AND BILLY WILKES’ SILVER MEDAL MAIN DECONSTRUCTED LAMB WELLINGTON WITH ROUGH-PUFF PASTRY, ASSORTED VEGETABLES, AND RED WINE AND CURRANT JUS SERVES 4

125 g Maggi classic gluten free mashed potato instant mix

1 lamb saddle

300 g butternut pumpkin

250 g plain flour

16 green beans

157 g butter

8 chat potatoes

50 g crushed ice for cooling

2 bunches of radish

75 g iced water

12 cherry tomatoes

2 egg yolks

100 g spinach

500 ml Chef reduced veal stock

250 g button mushrooms

¼ bunch thyme

30 g castor sugar

75 ml white wine

¼ bunch rosemary

150 ml extra virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic

¼ bunch parsley

10 ml cooking spray

2 onions

¼ bunch chives

4 whole black peppercorns

2 shallots

30 g Dijon mustard

Salt, to taste

1 carrot

30 ml white wine vinegar

Black kibble pepper black, to taste

1 stick of celery

150 ml red wine

Fine ground white pepper, to taste

ROUGH-PUFF PASTRY Put the plain flour, water, salt and chopped butter in a food processor. Blitz for 30 seconds, or until combined. On a lightly floured bench, roll out the dough, and form a thick square (roughly 10 x 10 cm). Cover with cling film and rest in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Next process the puff by rolling it out length ways. Complete a book fold, then roll out again and complete a second book fold. Freeze for 15 minutes, bringing temperature down to between 12°C and 15°C. Process puff for second time as above.

Process the puff for a third time, and chill for another 15 minutes. Then roll out the pastry over a netted pastry lattice cutter and return to the freezer for 5 minutes. Cut into long strips before transferring back to the freezer for 5 minutes. Place the dough around curved moulds, trim and apply a coat of egg wash. Bake in the oven at 220°C for 15 minutes. L A M B S A D D L E Break the lamb saddle down into fillets and backstrap, and chop the bones. Season the backstrap with salt, pepper, thyme, butter and

50 g Maggi classic demi-glace sauce mix 50 ml red currant jelly

roll into a cylinder shape. Wrap in cling film then vacuum seal the meat and sous vide at 55°C. Drain, pat dry and season again. Heat a nonstick fry pan over a high heat, and add the olive oil, butter, rosemary thyme and garlic. Once melted, add the backstrap and brown until caramelised in colour. Set aside to rest. Next create the herb crust for the lamb fillets but finely chopping the parsley, thyme, chives and rosemary. Season the lamb fillets well with salt and pepper before searing in a hot fry pan. Brush with Dijon mustard, slightly cool

and then roll in the herb crust mixture. Refrigerate to chill. Cook at 180°C for approximately 6 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. MUSHROOM DUXELLES In a food processor, finely blitz a quarter onion, the mushrooms, and 1 clove of garlic. Then over a medium heat, sauté the mixture with a knob of butter before adding the white wine. Cook for 20 minutes, or until dry. Cover in foil to keep warm. V E G E T A B L E S Clean and trim the potatoes and green beans, then blanch and refresh the

PHOTOGRAPHY: ELIZABETH ALLNUTT

RECIPE

vegetables in iced water. Heat in boiling water and sauté in a hot fry pan with a knob of butter. Cook until the potatoes are golden. R A D I S H Finely slice the radish before boiling in 30 g of water, sugar and vinegar. Cover in cling wrap and place in the fridge to pickle. CHARRED SHALLOTS Peel the shallots and blanch in hot, salted water. Then blow torch the ends to create a charred effect. Set aside. CHERRY TOMATOES Cut crosses in bottom of the

tomatoes and then blanch. Peel the skin back but not completely so to create a flower effect. Season the tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 180°C for 5 minutes to dry out. S P I N A C H P U R É E Blanch the spinach and then mash, setting aside the spinach water. Transfer to a food processor and blend with a knob of butter, spinach water, salt and pepper, until smooth. Pass through sieve and set aside. P U M P K I N P U R É E Cut the pumpkin into small cubes, add 150 ml of water and a knob of butter, cover and bake at 180°C

for 45 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Season well and then pass through a sieve. Set aside. RED WINE AND RED C U R R A N T J U S Preheat the oven to 220°C. Prepare a mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery. Roast with the lamb bones for 15 minutes, or until brown. Deglaze the tray with red wine. Make a bouquet garni with thyme, rosemary, peppercorns and parsley stalks. In a saucepan over a high heat, combine the mirepoix, lamb bones, the bouquet garni and veal stock. Bring to the boil and simmer.

Reduce until the coating is consistent. Strain the jus and skim if any fat is on top. Check flavour and adjust with demi glaze and red currant jelly. In a separate saucepan, reduce the red wine. Then combine with the red currant jus. T O S E R V E Heat the vegetables, sauces and purees before assembling the pumpkin purée, lamb, rough-puff pastry and vegetables.

Praveen Rodrigo and Billy Wilkes are chefs at DoubleTree by Hilton.

RECIPE

dessert 2017 NESTLÉ GOLDEN CHEF’S HAT AWARD TEAM SOUTH AUSTRALIA: ABBEY WENDLAND AND MAHLET GIRMA’S GOLD MEDAL DESSERT APPLE AND RHUBARB MOUSSE WITH SALTED CRUMB, GRAPEFRUIT CURD, POACHED THYME PEAR AND CHOCOLATE SERVES 4

1 apple

1 cinnamon quill

6 rhubarb bunches

5 g cloves

200 g plain flour

4 pears

700 g sugar

150 g walnuts

200 g unsalted butter

½ bunch of thyme

4 eggs

50 g salt

115 ml grapefruit juice

1 bunch lemon balm

20 ml beetroot juice

50 g cornflour

200 ml port

100 g Uncle Tobys traditional oats

RHUBARB & APPLE M O U S S E Begin by chilling the Carnation evaporated milk in the fridge. Melt the Nestlé Docello arctic chocolate and paint silicon dome moulds before freezing. Whip the Carnation evaporated milk with the mousse mix, and set aside. Poach 250 g diced rhubarb and the apple in a sugar syrup, and allow to cool. Strain and combine with the mousse. Pipe the mixture into moulds and freeze. SALTED CRUMB Blanch the walnut three times, then drain and mix in sugar syrup. Next deep fry at 180°C. In a small bowl, add 100 g butter, 200 g flour, 80 g sugar,

20 g Maggi coconut milk powder, oats and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix together by hand, before spreading on a tray and baking in the oven at 170°C until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool. Crush the walnuts and add to the crumble. Set aside. GRAPEFRUIT CURD In a small saucepan over a medium heat, combine 115 ml grapefruit juice, 20 ml beetroot juice and 80 g sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, and bring to the boil. In a separate bowl, whisk 3 eggs and combine with the cornflour. Slowly add the juice mixture. Strain back into the saucepan and whisk over a low heat until thickened. Add

250 ml Carnation creamy evaporated milk 250 g Nestlé Docello arctic (white) chocolate 250 g Nestlé Docello royal (dark) chocolate 100 g Maggi coconut milk powder mix 100 g Nestlé Docello French vanilla flavoured mousse mix

100 g cold butter, and stir until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a tray and allow to cool. Then pour the curd in a piping bag with a flat nozzle. THYME POACHED P E A R In a small saucepan, make a syrup using port, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and thyme. Add the pear and cook until tender. Take the pan off the heat and add 250 g diced rhubarb. CHOCOLATE GARNISH Melt half the Nestlé Docello royal chocolate. Then with a pallet knife, spread a thin layer on the acetate. When set, use a hot cutter to make disc shapes. Peel the disc off the acetate and set aside.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE Bring the cream to the boil before adding the remaining Nestlé Docello royal chocolate. When melted, spoon on to four plates and use the bottom of a metal bowl to swirl the chocolate around and create the design. TO SERVE Using masking tape, place a large piece edge-to-edge 1/3 of the way on the plate. Pour some of the chocolate on the plate in the centre. Use a flat bottom bowl to press over the chocolate to create a circle, then gently lift and remove the masking tape. Carefully assemble each component on top, and garnish with trimmed lemon balm.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ELIZABETH ALLNUTT

RECIPE

Abbey Wendland and Mahlet Girma are chefs at Adelaide Oval. They were named the 2017 national champions of the Nestlé Golden Chef ’s Hat Award.

BITING WORDS

BITING WORDS WHERE AUSTRALIA’S TOP FOOD CRITICS HAVE EATEN THIS PAST MONTH. The Age’s Gemima Cody began the month at Kisumé, Chris Lucas’ new Japanese restaurant on Flinders Lane, sampling the 15 courses of ‘the Table’. ‘Lucas dropped a bomb to create this premium Japanese restaurant, and while there’s plenty to be said for doing omakase downstairs at the main sushi counter, it’s the 12-seat dining experience, the Table, where the money really talks.’ She saw it as ‘a no-holds-barred celebration of the best ingredients money can buy’. And amongst the hit-and-miss treasures was ‘the fillet of alfonsino. Snowy white with scarlet jacket, the fish is cooked skin down, until it becomes sweet crackling, the fish staying buttery and firm. Around it washes a nori-bolstered broth pinging of earth and sea. It’s complexity that reads clearly of just a few flavours.’

Margherita pizzette, Rosetta Sydney.

Over at Concrete Playground Melbourne, Libby Curran found herself at Andrew McConnell’s Supernormal Canteen in St Kilda. Sister restaurant to his Flinders Lane venue, ‘the kitchen makes excellent use of its new hibachi grill. Perch at the bar and watch the smoky magic unfold before your eyes — flash-grilled duck heart yakitori, char siu pork neck, huge oysters grilled to silky perfection in their shells.’

The Australian’s John Lethlean jetsetted to Adelaide last month to taste test The Pot by Emma McCaskill. ‘In wording at least, it’s a little too much the chef-to-chef intranet for my liking. With no capitalisation whatsoever, I assumed “nomad chicken” to be a kind of bedouin chook (it’s a brand). You know what I mean; think about the average Joe.’

Dishes ranged from ‘killer’, namely ‘a Chinese-ish seasoned pork steamed bun, fried to order and sprinkled with Szechuan pepper and sea salt. Served with fresh and fermented chilli sauce, it’s like a porky golden doughnut, an a-la-minute yum-cha sensation’, to ‘inedibly dry’, the ‘“wood roasted half-nomad chicken, lemon, potatoes” – a $52 sharer – shows how the simplest of ideas can stuff up.’

Donning his reviewer’s cap for delicious., Anthony Huckstep headed to the Sydney arm of the Rockpool Dining Group’s Rosetta Restaurant. ‘Quite frankly, a magnificently sexy beast’, his was a glowing verdict. With head chef Richard Purdue leading the charge, Huck found that the menu to celebrate ‘the simplicity of Italian cuisine in a most enlightened manner. Housemade ricotta is soft, silky and allows the nuttiness of broad beans to shine. Pino’s smoked garlic salsicce stars on thin, charred pizzette. Sweet spanner crab and parsley entwine with tagliolini, garlic and chilli as if each strand was brushed individually in the sauce.’

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Terry Durack travelled south to pick up a knife and fork at Colin Fassnidge and Leigh McDivitt’s Banksia Bistro. ‘All pubs are different, yet the same. This one, bang on the Princes Highway at Banksia, lies somewhere on the spectrum of same and different, old and new.’ With a relaxed décor, a 16-strong, wine list, and DIY service, Durack lauded the ‘genuine attempt to elevate pub food here, as well as churn out burgers, chips and lasagne spring rolls.’

And at The Mercury, Steve Cumper took to Hobart’s Franklin to trial the menu by new head chef, Analiese Gregory who has taken over from David Moyle. ‘I’m unclear if Gregory has exercised much of her repertoire as yet, given her recent arrival, however the food we sampled was sure-footed, interesting and delicious.’ Highlight of the meal was the wood-roasted cabbage, ‘this version with wakame butter and shaved salted cheese. It was a detonation of flavour and texture, really outstanding and so wonderful to see the humble cabbage playing a leading role.’

MOUTHFUL

33.5 The percentage of Australian consumers' annual expenditure spent on food and nonalcoholic beverages. Source: Food Industry Foresight

Tweet tracker At least when the staff around here fucks up they never follow it with it’ll never happen again because it will again and again and again. Source: @VentingWaiter

MOUTHFUL

10 of Australia’s most Instagram-worthy breakfasts Bib & Tucker (Freemantle) Bread & Circus Wholefoods Canteen (Sydney) Celcius Coffee Co (Sydney) Signal Station Brasserie (Hobart) Skypoint Observation Deck (Gold Coast)

The Boathouse Balmoral (Sydney) The Grounds of Alexandria (Sydney) The Kettle Black (Melbourne) The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar (Sydney) White Elephant Cafe (Margaret River)

Source: Tourism Australia

$56 billion The gross value of Australia’s agricultural production. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

2,857 heads The average size of sheep herds in Australia. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

The smallest high speed oven with the biggest performance The eikonÂŽ e2s is the first choice for anyone who wants to prepare fresh, hot food on demand where space is at a premium. It offers the smallest unit with the biggest results to add value to all kitchen operations. The high speed oven is user friendly, versatile and provides consistent levels of performance to continually exceed expectations. The eikonÂŽ e2s is the ideal way to cook, toast, grill, bake and regenerate a wide range of fresh or frozen foods, such as sandwiches, pastries and pizzas, fish, vegetables and meat. This flexibility supports business growth by allowing rapid menu changes and additional food offerings from one small unit.

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