Atlantic Restaurant News - August 2013

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estaurant News R August 2013 Vol. 15 No. 4

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Brooklyn meets Barrington

Left to right: Chris Reynolds, Andrew Connell and Laura MacDonald.

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By Elaine Anselmi, assistant editor HALIFAX—Built on a love of all things beer related, a new bar concept is in the works for downtown Halifax.

Set to open mid-September, Stillwell Beer Bar will take over the space at 1672 Barrington St. “I don’t think that the idea of a bar that specializes in a specific product is only ours—there are other bars in the city that do that, but the direction the space is going to take, the direction the menu will take, and the direction the rotating beer menu will take is unique,” owner Laura MacDonald told ARN.

“The idea is to have kind of a modern aesthetic, comfortable and cool,” she said. “It’s definitely not going to be a traditional pub look.”

Along with co-founders Andrew Connell and Chris Reynolds, MacDonald is creating a space that draws inspiration from Brooklyn beer bars, and the New York City borough in general, she said.

“We wanted to capture our favourite styles of beer bars into something that is our own kind of flavour,” MacDonald said. “In taking in all those different places, we really started to pull in elements of inspiration.

Behind the bar, 12 draft lines and

three hand-pulled casks will offer rotating varieties of beer, along with bottled options. “We’ll take advantage of what we can get our hands on,” said MacDonald.

“There will be something new pulled every night. We want to keep things as fresh as possible with a constant rotation,” she said.

On opening, she said the beer would be sourced within the province or from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec or Ontario.

“There is some fantastic beer being brewed in the States but it’s difficult to get here. We would definitely open up to American draft if it was available,” MacDonald said. “We will have classic Belgian in bottles as well.”

She said the menu would play off of the idea of hand-held foods with small plates and snack-size portions. “It’s the idea of takeout food, but taken to a higher level with new, interesting things,” said MacDonald.

“We’ll take advantage of local seafood and local produce, and rotate it to suit what we can get.”

Prices for both pints and plates will vary, said MacDonald, noting local beer will be on par with other bars in the area and that plates could go from a $3 snack to a $12 dish, depending on the components.

MacDonald said she and her cofounders have been dreaming up a beer bar for years.

“It’s a labour of love,” she said.

“To be able to bring in things that we’d be excited to see and introduce it to people who have never tried it before; it really is an exciting thing for us.”

PROVISIONING THE PANTRY

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1672 Barrington St., Halifax. @Barstillwell.

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Provisioning The Pantry

Chef Sharon Snow sits in the dining room of The Pantry, a not-for-profit café in support of the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.

ST. JOHN’S—A lot of restocking is going on at The Pantry, with a new chef, expansion plans for the catering division, and grab-and-go and brunch menus for the not-for-profit café on Clinch Crescent.

Red Seal certified chef Sharon Snow took over the kitchen from founding chef Wayne White in late June, and since then, she’s been making ambitious changes to the foodservice

offerings. The opening chef of Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food on Water St., Snow returned home to St. John’s five years ago after working her way across Canada, including fifteen years at the Cowichan River Wilderness Lodge on Vancouver Island.

“I’ve lived and worked in every province,” she told ARN. Snow hopes to bring some of her life experience to the menu, including a

Split Crow flies west

By Kristen Smith, assistant editor, digital content HALIFAX—The Halifax-based, owner-operated franchise of the iconic Split Crow brand is making the move cross-country with locations in the works for British Columbia and Alberta.

The flagship location opened at 1855 Granville St. in 1979. The original Split Crow opened in 1749 under the name The Spread Eagle after John Shippey obtained the first liquor license issued in New Scotland. The tavern’s sign was modeled after the German coat of arms, earning it the nickname The Split Crow. It stuck through the centuries.

Under the leadership of Damian Byrne, the Crow opened in Bedford, Antigonish, Truro, Springhill and a seasonal operation in Wentworth in the last two years. A seventh location opens in Wolfville this month.

“One of the things that makes the Crow work so well – maybe it’s true for any pub – is that it is owner-operated,” said Byrnes, who has owned the Halifax location for two decades.

The pub’s hybrid model of franchising sees an owner on every site and, while Byrne retains some ownership and there are stringent operation guidelines, the franchisees own a significant portion of the establishment and pay dividends as opposed to a fee.

The Split Crow Franchise Development Group is looking for “landmark” locations and potential operators.

Byrne told ARN talks were underway with a potential partner in Calgary. A partner in British Columbia has been determined and is working to find the right location.

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“Toronto would definitely be at the forefront of where we would like to be as well,” said Byrne.

He noted that in Springhill, the pub is drawing customers from about 10,000 people living in three or four communities in a 40-kilometre radius. In Halifax, the same radius has a population of about 500,000.

“We really want to see what [the Crow is] going to do when we take this concept and draw on a million people,” said Byrne.

Byrne has been working on how to take the look and feel of the pub and reproduce it in other locations for quite a while, but has only had time in the last two years to put the model into action.

“Our goal corporately is to be the No. 1 purveyor of Maritime-themed hospitality,” said Byrne.

The menu has some Atlantic Canadian pub favourites, such as deep fried pepperoni, crab cakes, and beer battered fish and chips and a variety of imported, domestic and craft beers are on tap.

Byrne said he thinks the casual concept will translate well in other markets, particularly in Alberta, and said he isn’t concerned about bringing on owners who aren’t from the East Coast.

“Maritime-themed hospitality, you can find it all over Canada. We certainly haven’t cornered the market,” said Byrne.

“It’s someone going way out of their way for no particular reason except to give a great customer experience,” he said.

He said the goal is to move into larger markets and as soon as the perfect B.C. location is determined, the team is ready to roll this package out within a year.

daily international feature, such as con pollo tacos, chicken korma or udon noodle bowls.

All items, including taco shells and salsas, are made in house.

“I try to pick a different region of the world and visit there each day, bringing our customers with me,” said Snow.

A brunch menu includes global offerings such as Finnish pancakes, served with strawberry and rhubarb compote made from fruit grown on premise.

With Shamrock Farm adjacent to the 32seat dining room, Snow’s vision to bring more of a farm-to-table approach to the menu makes sense. She hopes to expand next year on food grown in the garden, which currently has a berry section with strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants, as well as small fields with pumpkins, rhubarb, cucumbers and a variety of lettuces.

All of the produce from the farm makes its way into the kitchen, and what can’t be used at the Pantry is sold to customers at the greenhouse, which grows edible flowers for the restaurant. Proceeds from both farm and café go to the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The foodservice extends beyond the dining room to a 20-seat patio, which might be expanded in the future to add another 20 seats to its capacity.

For customers walking on the trail behind the restaurant, The Pantry offers a new graband-go lunch bag-style menu with soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Average check ranges from $15 to $20, depending on beverage.

70 Clinch Crescent, St. John’s, NL. (709) 7228200. www.autism.nf.net/pantry.

Technomic study goes back to school CHICAGO—A recent report by Technomic, Inc. has put university and college foodservice under the microscope and revealed some disheartening trends for those in the industry.

According to the Canadian College and University Consumer Trend Report, the number of university and college students purchasing meals off-campus has increased since 2011 from 51 per cent to 58 per cent in 2013.

“To fuel growth of campus foodservice, college and university dining operators will want to consistently focus on improvements to overall value, menu variety and atmosphere at on-campus dining locations,” said Technomic executive vice-president Darren Tristano in a release.

“Menu variety in particular is key to boosting student patronage. Our year-over-year data indicates that there’s an increased demand for unique items, ethnic offerings and customization opportunities on college and university foodservice menus,” he said.

A key finding in Technomic’s study was that only 28 per cent of post-secondary students said they were satisfied with their institution’s foodservice program.

As well, menu variety and uniqueness ranked as important with the majority of students surveyed, and approximately 40 per cent of students wanted the option of substituting ingredients in their meals.

See the June issue of ARN for a feature on postsecondary institutions that are catering to their students and creating successful foodservice programs.

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thing that some chefs have removed from the restaurant experience: the dining room itself.

Just as pop-ups blur the lines of restaurant ownership and timelines with their “here today, gone tomorrow” mode of operation, so too do the mobile notions created through outdoor dinners like Diner en Blanc and communal meals such as those put out by Canada’s Group of Seven chefs.

As these roving chefs pack their bags and share their knowledge and time throughout other people’s kitchens, the concept of a restaurant starts to link more to the knowledge inside an operator’s mind, rather than the physical confines of a dining room.

Ultimately, the one component that cannot be removed from the restaurant concept is the customer. Legislators or politicians, operators or chefs can try and define the true meaning of a restaurant, but by spending their disposable income in concepts that they enjoy – and leaving by the wayside those establishments that don’t meet their dining standards – customers are the ones that shape that definition of a restaurant every time they lift their knives and forks.

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Deductive reasoning

Editorial Director Leslie Wu ext. 227 lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Contributing Editor Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 cisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor Elaine Anselmi ext. 226 eanselmi@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor, Digital Content Kristen Smith ext. 238 ksmith@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Account Manager Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 dmcgilvray@canadianrestaurantnews.com Account Manager Kim Kerr ext. 229 kkerr@canadianrestaurantnews.com Production Stephanie Giammarco ext. 0 sgiammarco@canadianrestaurantnews.com Circulation Manager Don Trimm ext. 228 dtrimm@canadianrestaurantnews.com Controller Tammy Turgeon ext. 237 tammy@canadianrestaurantnews.com How to reach us: Tel (905) 206-0150

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ecently, a proposal before the French parliament had the potential to change the name of the game, quite literally, for restaurateurs in France.

France has a long history of fiercely defending its gastronomic honour through provisions such as appellation d’origine controlee (AOC) labelling, which sets standards for wine, cheese and other beloved items from the country’s regions.

So, argued politician Daniel Fasquelle when introducing the bill, the logical conclusion would be to extend these same requirements to restaurants: to reserve the name “restaurant” for those places that make everything from scratch, and remove the moniker from all other establishments.

It’s a radical notion, although not unheard of in Europe: French law requires bakeries designated as boulangeries to make everything from scratch, and restaurants in Italy are made to mark items that have previously been frozen on their menus with an asterisk and a “surgelato” label.

Fasquelle’s idea made it through the first reading in Parliament as an amended compromise, where restaurants would label only housemade items as such, leaving the rest for the customer to figure out the origin.

Setting aside the debate as to whether or not this standard would be practical to apply to all North American restaurants, consider for a moment the criteria by which we judge our own menus. In recent years, the industry rush towards labelling means that menus are now more likely than ever to contain a mention of what isn’t there, such as allergen, gluten, fat and sodium reduction labels. While in many cases, this is an invaluable and often lifesaving tool that is a boon to the diner, it means that to some extent, we’re slowly defining food more by what we choose not to add, rather than what we do. Just as some chefs write menus as a list of single ingredient descriptors (pork | cherries | air | etc.), this shift is worlds away from the lavish narratives on the menus of old.

Perhaps this idea of omission and pareddown menu prose is reflected in the biggest

Bits Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

Volume 14 Number 4 Atlantic Restaurant News is published 6 times per year by Ishcom Publications Ltd. which also publishes: Ontario Restaurant News, Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News, Canadian Lodging News,

Celebrating future generations TORONTO—The Canadian Hospitality Foundation is both celebrating and supporting the future of hospitality, lodging and foodservice in Canada with the 2013 Canadian Hospitality Foundation Ball. The annual event, held this year at the Toronto Sheraton Centre Hotel on Oct. 26, benefits hospitality and culinary students across the country.

Proceeds from the ball go toward approximately $200,000 in scholarships that the foundation awards to students in hospitality, lodging and foodservice programs. Various levels of sponsorship are available for the event that brings together members of the industry to support its future workforce.

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Tim Hortons’ gluten-free option OAKVILLE, ON—Canada’s QSR coffee giant has introduced an alternative option to its menu of baked goods, soups and sandwiches.

Tim Hortons’ gluten-free coconut macaroon is now available in stores across Canada in pre-packaged portions of two to prevent cross-contamination.

“We’ve made a commitment to our guests to provide balanced menu choices, and the new gluten-free coconut macaroon is an example of that,” Donna Finelli, vicepresident marketing, food and merchandise, Tim Hortons, said in July release. “Given the growing number of people who have celiac disease and gluten intolerance, we’re making it just a little bit easier for friends and families to enjoy eating together at our restaurants.”

The macaroons are certified gluten-free through the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA) Gluten-Free Certification Program.

According to the release, the meringue-style

Leslie Wu, Editorial Director

and

cookie is the first QSR menu item in Canada to be certified gluten-free through the CCA’s program and retails for $1.29.

Denny’s Canada gets connected VANCOUVER—Denny’s Canada has launched its own app offering loyalty rewards to customers as well as a social forum.

MyDenny’s is available for download to all customers in Canada, according to a July 23 release.

The app features mobile rewards and exclusive offers, as well as the opportunity to earn points from purchases that are redeemable in store. MyDenny’s users can also connect with friends through the app, inviting them to meet at the restaurant.

“Introducing a social aspect to smart dining allows us to reward and recognize our loyal guests while providing them the opportunity for feedback that we can put back into our restaurants,” Chandni Chaube, marketing manager for Denny’s Canada, said in the release.

The Privateer moves down Main LIVERPOOL, NS—The Privateer Country Kitchen has moved locations after nine years and re-opened Aug. 1 in the former space of the Woodpile Café in Liverpool, NS. The original restaurant closed on July 28 at 344 Main St. and re-opened three days later, down the road at 181 Main St. The restaurant’s owners, April Backman and Joan Murphy, offered tax-free meals for their final day of service at the original location, according to the Privateer’s Facebook page.

The new space is larger than the original, more accessible and in a central location. “We’re excited for our move, because we have a lot of seniors [as customers] and

BIt es

having one level will be great for them,” Backman told the Daily Business Buzz.

“I’m sure all of our customers will support us and follow us,” said Murphy. “We’ll probably have to hire one or two more people because we are extending our hours.” The kitchen will now be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., an earlier start than at their previous location. Backman and Murphy share chef and baker duties at the restaurant. Backman worked as chef at White Point in Queens County, NS for 25 years.

Straight from chef Jason Lynch HALIFAX—Born in the Annapolis Valley, chef Jason Lynch has released a collection of recipes and essays in Straight from the Line.

The full-colour book offers recipes with a focus on local ingredients, created to be adaptable in various kitchens, according to a July 31 release.

“A new cookbook should always give you a new way to look at food, and new ideas to play with. In Straight from the Line, I wanted to show simpler ways of preparing ingredients and putting it all together. It’s really meant for everyone to enjoy,” said Lynch.

Recipes include appetizers, mains, soups, sauces and desserts, and are interspersed with commentary on the restaurant industry, ingredient sourcing and home entertainment.

Trained at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute in Ottawa, Lynch returned to Nova Scotia in 2003 to work in Domaine de Grand Pre Winery’s award-winning Le Caveau Restaurant. He became chef there in 2007 and is also executive chef at the Black Spruce Restaurant in Gros Morne National Park, NL. Lynch will be a competitor at the 2013 Gold Medal Plates competition in Halifax on Oct. 17.

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Celebrating with the CCFCC

Simon Smotkowicz

Ryan Donovan

By Leslie Wu EDMONTON—Chefs from all walks of life came together in early June to celebrate the Canadian Culinary Federation/Fédération Culinaire Canadienne (CCFCC)’s 50th anniversary.

“This is our future,” said CCFCC president Donald Gyurkovits at the opening ceremonies, where junior team members showed off their skills under the tutelage of senior chefs. “This is the next 50 years.”

Former treasurer and national administrator Roy Butterworth issued a challenge to the young chefs in the room. “I want to see you up here at this podium in 50 years,” he said.

Butterworth, who has been the CCF treasurer since 1994, became a full time employee of the CCFCC June 1, managing the budgets for the CCFCC/CCI, Bocuse D’Or and Culinary Team Canada.

Philip Preston

Jacques LePage, executive chef at Jacques Cookhouse Services, took on the position of treasurer. LePage was the former Eastern vicepresident, a region that is joining the Atlantic provinces in a new unified Eastern region. In other geographic shuffles, Ottawa and Kingston is joining the central region.

LePage was also named chef of the year at the association’s gala night, where the new Culinary Team Canada cooked for attendees.

Myles Fedun of the Shaw Conference Centre was declared the winner of the Tabasco national chef challenge, and Katelyn Pittman from Kelowna, B.C. won the Saputo Junior Chef Challenge.

Cooking camaraderie “Education is a big part of the next 50 years,” said conference chair Simon Smotkowicz.

Throughout the conference, a collaborative

200 chefs outside the Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort. Photo by Dean Skoubis, Avonlea Photography.

sense of knowledge-sharing pervaded the events and demonstrations.

“Gone are the days of hiding recipes and secrets,” said Connie DeSousa of Charcut Roast House, while demonstrating the art of making blood sausage with her partner John Jackson.

DeSousa spoke about a past stage spent at a local restaurant trying to learn how to make its famed chorizo, only to discover that “the family was super secretive and would do everything alone in the spice closet.”

Jackson is enthused about how chefs are digging up old family recipes. “We don’t want these skills to be lost. Over time, we’re forgetting about what things taste like and what it should taste like.”

Carl Heinrich and Ryan Donovan from Toronto’s Richmond Station interspersed a demonstration of breaking down a whole lamb with a rundown of the whole beast butchering supply

model they use at the restaurant.

Incorporating elements of the whole beast into different products in the kitchen such as mortadella (“a great way of getting rid of extra fat,” said Heinrich) and terrine (“it’s awesome because it can be made with kidney, lung, etc... and it’s all free,” said Donovan) allows greater cost savings and flexibility.

Overall, the demonstrations pointed to a way of incorporating the techniques of the past into a new model for the future.

“It’s so easy for chefs to say that ‘technology will take the soul out of my food’,” said Philip Preston, president of Polyscience, while showing off anti-griddles, sous vide baths and smoking guns.

“Instead, it’s a way to constantly improve their kitchen,” he said.

The 2014 conference will be held in Outaouais/Gatineau.

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Flipburger doubles up and talks expansion

Top: Flipburger’s new location. Left: A server displays the restaurant’s shakes.

Photos by Chris Reardon.

HALIFAX—Just one year after opening its doors to the Bayers Lake community, Flipburger will begin grilling its gourmet burgers in downtown Halifax in early September.

The new location is taking over the space at 1565 Argyle St., formerly occupied by Ela! Greek Taverna—another operation of Flipburger owner Chris Tzaneteas.

“At this point in time, we’ve got one year under our belts with our first Flipburger, which is going tremendously,” Tzaneteas told ARN. “We want to make sure what we’ve learned in the first one, we can apply here.”

The new location will offer the same menu, with a mantra of “local, fresh, delicious, premium.” Average check is $11 for a combo including fries and a soft drink—which Tzaneteas noted is slightly higher than some burger chains.

“At the end of the day, we’re trying to offer a superior-quality beef. There’s no antibiotics, no hormones; it’s all natural and fresh, and local as much as we can,” he said. “We feel that there’s a demand for that, people are looking for something better now.”

An added option the Argyle location will offer is alcohol service, with craft beers or wine by the glass. “We want to see how that goes over and if that’s something that we do in the downtown but not really in suburbia,” said Tzaneteas.

The Flipburger on Argyle will also operate on different hours, befitting its urban location.

“We want to take advantage of the late night

business in Halifax,” he said.

The restaurant will stay open until 4 a.m. from Thursday through Saturday and until 11 p.m. the rest of the week.

The design of the new location will have a similar feel to the original, but build on the historic value of the downtown location. With archways and exposed brick, Tzanateas said they are incorporating the design of the building into the new look, which used items such as reclaimed barn wood from New Brunswick.

Having learned a great deal in the first year – Tzaneteas said the cost of takeout containers and paper materials was a particularly large shock – future plans for expansion and franchising will be the next step after the downtown location opens. Tzaneteas said operating both an urban and suburban location will give insight into what works in the different areas for future stores.

“This will be the second, and then, once we’ve got all our systems down and everything is working according to some procedures and policies, we’ll take a look at franchising it,” said Tzaneteas. Forecasting a maximum of three or four locations in the Halifax area, he said they could be either franchised or self-owned and operated.

As well as Halifax, he is looking at expanding into other parts of Atlantic Canada before the rest of the country—though he said he wouldn’t rule it out. “This is the market that we know,” he said. “The larger franchises don’t always look at Atlantic Canada first, so we’ve got a competitive edge and Atlantic Canada supports local.”

1565 Argyle St., Halifax, www.flipburger.ca, @flipburgerhfx.

Ten-metre menu at Windjammer restaurant

By Colleen Isherwood, senior contributing editor MONCTON—Draw a circle one hundred miles around the Delta Beausejour hotel in Moncton, and it will encompass Jost Vineyards in Malagash, NS, fresh oysters from Maison BeauSoleil in Neguac, NB, sturgeon and caviar from Breviro, Pennfield, NB, and fresh duck and foie gras from La Ferme du Diamant in Cormier Village, NB. Draw a circle just ten metres from the hotel’s Windjammer Restaurant, and it will include herbs and vegetables grown on the roof of the hotel, and honey from the Beausejour’s bees, said Raymond Roberge, hotel general manager to ARN. The Windjammer’s 100-mile menu was introduced in June and will run until the end of September. “Executive chef Stefan Mueller and his culinary team are passionate about working with the freshest products that are caught, raised and farmed close to home, supporting and celebrating our regional fishers, producers and farmers,” said Roberge.

The Windjammer’s menu includes a number of wines from Jost Vineyards. Chris Frey, Jost’s winemaker, has experience in international wineries such as Rupert & Rothschild and Moët & Chandon.

Frey aims to produce a crisp, drier style of white wine and a silky, balanced red wine to create a flavour profile highlighting the fruitiness and structure of the vineyard. He wants Jost wines to be noticed in the international wine world, and for people to say, “This is a good wine,” rather than, “This is a good wine for Nova Scotia.”

A recipient of the AAA/CAA Four Diamond Award for its 21st consecutive year, the 42-seat Windjammer is a blend of old-world service and newer trends such as the 100-mile focus and sensitivity to the food allergies and special diets of its diners. Here, maitre d’ Frederic Mazerolle, who has worked at the hotel for 20 years, still prepares Caesar salad tableside, and the menu also includes flambéed dishes.

The Windjammer Restaurant has changed little since the hotel was built in 1972, said Pat DesBrisay, hotel public relations manager.

“We have tried to maintain the integrity of the restaurant to represent a sea captain’s dining room. We’ve changed the carpet, and the colours, but with the rest of it, we wanted to keep the ambience and the quality of service.”

“That restaurant is beating the odds,” said Roberge. “That kind of service is a dying art, but the restaurant makes money. There are still people interested in that type of dining. It has the type of service you got in the 60s and 70s, plus menu items with a modern twist.”

Food and beverage is crucial to the Beausejour’s operations, accounting for 30 per cent of the hotel’s profit, said Roberge. In addition to the Windjammer, the hotel has Triiio, a restaurant, bar and lounge with 84 seats, and Le Café with 26. At Le Café, guests can order custom salads, pastas and stir-fries online, then pick them up at a pre-arranged time.

Catering is also a huge money-maker. “Our biggest catering event was an AC/DC concert in 2009, where we made $980,000 in food and beverage revenue in one afternoon. We were so close to $1 million!” said Roberge.

750 Main Street, Moncton. (506) 854-4344.

Photos: Top left: Windjammer executive chef Stefan Mueller. Top right: Rooftop garden at the Delta Beausejour. Bottom: dining room at the Windjammer Restaurant.

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The golden rule of pizza HALIFAX—Feed others as we would like to be fed ourselves: that is the golden rule at Mother’s Pizza, an independently owned and operated restaurant opening in Halifax’s Hydrostone District this month.

Owner and chef Tyson Wachter is aiming to both fit in with and contribute to the historically significant North End neighbourhood.

This is the second Mother’s location, the first being on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Born in Toronto, Tyson attended Dalhousie University and when he decided to bring the business to the Great White North, he settled on Halifax.

He built the restaurant, located at 5710 Young St., from the ground up with the help of a local architect.

“It’s based on the English Tudor style of construction,” Wachter told ARN. The design was meant to replicate the Hydrostone buildings of the neighbourhood, which were created to be very durable from crushed granite and concrete after the 1917 Halifax Explosion.

Wachter has gathered architecturally significant salvaged material from Halifax and surrounding areas to incorporate into the restaurant design, such as an entranceway from an old building that was demolished, chesterfields and the front counter of a half-century old general store.

“It seems like it’s an old-world building; like a highend restaurant out of the 30s or 40s,” said Wachter, who created the Terrazzo flooring. The sign and tabletops for the 1,700-square-foot, 45-seat restaurant were built – with the help of a friend – from one large tree, including a 12-foot communal table seating between 12 and 15 guests.

Pizzas, appetizers and desserts will be coming out of Mother’s open-concept kitchen.

“It’s a very small, focused menu; there’s about 15 items from start to finish,” said Wachter, who learned to make traditional pizza while apprenticing under an Italian chef. As the grandson of a baker, he sees pizza as the juncture of baking and fine dining.

Mother’s will also offer homemade sodas and Wachter said the “traditional style, everything from scratch, as fresh as possible” menu is accessible with an average check of about $20.

“Depending on what is available and fresh, the menu will be pretty flexible,” said Wachter. “We’re lucky enough in Canada, let alone Nova Scotia, to have such great access to a diverse range of agriculture and lot of great farmers.”

He said the restaurant is casual, but the experience is high-end.

“We’re in a pizza town, and I’d have to say this is definitely a pizza prepared by chefs,” said Wachter, giving the example of a locally-cured salami, fresh mozzarella/swiss cheese blend and arugula topped pizza that is typical of the menu.

“I would never serve anything that I wouldn’t serve to my own family,” he said. “There are no microwaves in here.”

5710 Young St., Halifax. www.motherspizzacanada.com. @MothersHalifax.

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COMING EVENTS Aug. 18-20: Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo, Los Angeles Convention Centre, Los Angeles. For information, go to: www.westernfoodexpo.com.

For information, go to: www.peishellfish. com.

Oct. 4-6: Fraser Valley Food Show 2013, TRADEX, Fraser Valley Trade & Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford, BC. For information, go to: www.fraservalleyfoodshow. com.

Sept. 19: The Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals, Toronto Branch New Members Night, Cirillo’s Culinary Academy, Toronto.

For information, go to: www.cafp.com.

Sept. 19–22: PEI International Shellfish Festival, Charlottetown Festival Grounds, Charlottetown.

Oct. 5-9: 2013 Anuga food and beverage fair, Cologne, Germany. For information, go to: www.anuga.com.

Oct. 20–22: Canadian Coffee and Tea

Show, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver. For information, go to: www.coffeeteashow.ca.

Oct. 26: 2013 Canadian Hospitality Foundation Ball, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto. For information, go to: www.thechf.ca.

Nov. 25: The Food Industry Association of Canada Golden Pencil Award Ceremony.

Concert Hall, Fairmont Royal York, Toronto. For information, go to: www.goldenpencilaward.com.

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AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

By Elaine Anselmi

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Taking the LEED in sustainable design In Vancouver’s west end, the Cactus Club Cafe at English Bay’s glass-encased dining room barely disrupts the view from Beach Avenue through to the waterfront. The company targeted LEED Gold on the project, a mandate of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, which owns the restaurant’s site.

Cactus Club English Bay is estimated to save 18 per cent on operational cost when compared to a building that is built to the current code, says Jason Packer, senior project manager and associate at Recollective Consulting Inc., who worked with Cactus Club on the project. He notes that the actual energy savings is a higher number – 33 per cent – but because the building runs on gas rather than electricity, and gas comes at a significantly lower cost, the actual payback is less. “Energy cost savings for gas don’t amount to as much,” he says. “LEED rewards project points for savings on the cost of their energy, not on energy savings outright.”

“One of the most impressive measures undertaken was really aggressive management of the construction waste,” says Parker. “We diverted somewhere in the neighbourhood of 95 per cent of construction waste from landfills.”

The existing structure, previously a beach concession stand, was demolished and used for road base, with other materials sent to local facilities that separate and reuse waste in various ways, he says.

Both Cactus Club and Tim Hortons committed to using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood in their new builds—a

T

he Tim Hortons location at 969 Upper Water Street in Hamilton, ON fits the mould of the iconic Canadian coffee chain from the outside. A drive-thru window operates on one side of the brown brick building and the majority of the dining area is faced with windows. Operationally speaking, the restaurant runs at a cost of about 20 per cent less than a nearly identical location just five minutes away.

In April, Tim Hortons executives hung the company’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification on the wall of the Upper Water Street store that originally opened in 2010. The company has been working towards certification for that location from the beginning.

“The idea was to make it look just like a regular Tim Hortons. While it is something special, the idea was not to have different ‘green restaurants’,” John Macey, Tim Hortons manager of sustainable design, tells ARN. “We’re not doing it just for the sake of saying how green we are.

It’s not just how we build buildings: it’s delivery, sourcing and less packaging.”

Before the restaurant was even built, Macey says the intention was to go for the certification and the site – an existing parking lot – was specifically chosen to contribute towards that goal.

“The idea was to find a spot where we could take advantage of the site, feeding into the sustainable sites credits [a part of LEED],” he says.

“We engaged the contractor in it from the start.

One of their ideas was to crush down the parking lot and use that as fill for the build out.”

requirement of LEED certification.

Macey says this policy has been rolled out at all Tim Hortons locations, a move that made both environmental and business sense. With FSC millwork coming at a cost of nearly 40 per cent more than other suppliers, Tim Hortons offered a challenge to their suppliers, says Macey. Tim Hortons standardized the use of FSCcertified wood in all of their restaurants and, “made it worth the mill’s while to get up to FSC standards and become the regular supplier,” says Macey. The move brought the price down from 40 per cent to a two per cent increase. “In a one-off scenario, this is not going to work, but in the volume that we do it, it makes sense,” says Macey.

In new builds, the use of low volatile organic compound (VOC) content paint is another aspect of sustainable practice that affects the indoor environment of the restaurant. Packer says at Cactus Club, materials were specifically chosen for their low VOC content. “Some of those [VOCs] are nasty, and known to linger,” he says. “Not only are patrons of the restaurant benefitting from that but the staff and construction people are as well.”

While new builds offer opportunities to make these choices, Marley says older buildings can also be retrofitted and updated to operate more sustainably. She notes that something as simple as weather stripping on windows can offer great improvements. “Even if you’re in an older building, there are rebates and incentives for projects,” she says.

Macey says, having both new builds and

Macey says that having multiple locations of similar models – the Upper Water Street location is their 2400 Urban Design Model, as well as a second in Hamilton, a third was built in Cobourg, ON in 2008 – allows them to compare and study data on the return on investment for the upgrades. This data is crucial to the company’s plans, with ten more restaurants across Canada and the U.S. in the process of certification, and a goal of 30 by 2016 in the works.

“It’s expensive to run a restaurant. We want to help with this as much as we can,” he says.

“It’s no good if we can do it in one location and not anywhere else in the franchise.”

Although independent restaurants certainly share the concern of added cost, Nancy Brace, executive director of the Restaurant Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (RANL), says they also have less corporate policy and fewer levels to go through to make changes.

“In the small, independent restaurant that is freestanding by itself, everything ultimately comes down to the owner. If the owner is on board with it, and that’s their focus; there’s nobody to clear it with or hoops to jump through,” she says.

After noticing what they saw as a lag in the restaurant industry around sustainable practice, RANL released a one-stop-shop website for restaurants seeking resources on environmentallyfriendly operations. Michelle Marley, principal at Paradise, NFLD-based Terra Sustainability Consulting worked with RANL to develop the Online Environmental Foodservice Resource, with funding from Sysco.

existing sites in their portfolio, Tim Hortons is also targeting LEED certification for the existing structures, under the Commercial Interior certification, which classifies tenant improvements to spaces.

Tim Hortons has the opportunity to use locations, such as Upper Water Street, as testing sites for new practices that could result in retrofits in other locations, says Macey. One test project currently in place is a coating that adheres to window panes, still allowing daylight in, but reducing energy consumption through heating and cooling loss.

“LED lights in accents, FSC-wood across all locations and low VOC paints are all standard across the board now because of test locations like this one,” says Macey. “There are little things you can do and see the benefit from in both the aesthetic and energy savings.”

Photos and graphics: This page: 1. Tim Hortons at 969 Upper Water St., Hamilton, ON. (All photos on this page taken at this location). 2. Drive-thru.

3. Employee stands under air curtain.

4. LED lit display case. 5. Plaques around the store note various aspects of green building initiatives. 6. LEED certificate.

Facing page: From top: Data from United States Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star Guide for Restaurants.

Cactus Club English Bay dining room.

Photo courtesy of Cactus Club Cafe.

Nicole Fewell, owner of Cheezy Biz Food Truck. Photo by Jason Dziver.

Cactus Club English Bay exterior. Photo courtesy of Cactus Club Cafe.

“RANL recognized that while some restaurants in the province were, of their own volition, taking environmental action – mainly because the owners had a personal involvement or values in the environment – they wanted to do something to extend that message to the restaurant community,” says Marley. “We wanted to develop a resource that, yes, is good for the environment, but also had some really strong business value to the restaurant’s ownership.”

With a company mandate that green can be good for business, Marley says the resource assists operators in developing better practices in an industry where margins are tight.

As an accredited auditor for the Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF), Marley has worked closely with operators on assessing and improving their practice, bringing their establishment up to LEAF certification standards—which have three progressive levels. LEAF founder, Janine Windsor, says auditors do a full-scale assessment of the restaurant, looking at energy use, water use, purchasing, chemicals used for cleaning and operational practices.

“We come up with a score for them to give the restaurant a baseline, saying ‘this is where you are’, and then provide them with a specific list of recommendations to improve,” she says.

“If you think about it, to reduce your environmental impact you’re doing things like reducing your energy, reducing your water, your hot water, your food waste. All of those things are associated with most of the operating costs in a restaurant.”

WATER SAVINGS Between staff hand-washing and rinsing coffee pots, Macey points out how often the taps behind the counter at Tim Hortons are used, not to mention those in the washrooms and kitchen.

“Several hundred times per day, these [taps] are going on and off,” he says. A new installation at the Upper Water Street location is aerators built into faucets, reducing the amount of water used.

He says these low-flow initiatives are easy retrofits for existing restaurants as well.

Water conservation is an area that Marley says offers a great deal of opportunity. “Make sure you’re using low-flow toilets, tap aerators and low-flow fixtures in general,” she says. “Going to a low-flow pre-rinse spray valve can save 150 gallons of hot water per day.” Cost is dependant on the water rates for individual areas, but she says the device itself costs less than $50 and there is no compromise in efficiency.

In addition to waterless urinals and low-flow fixtures indoors, Cactus Club brought water conservation outdoors as well. An underground cistern stores rainwater run off from the restaurant’s roof and recycles it back into the irrigation system, says Packer. Automatic sprinkler heads throughout the garden also run off the rainwater system.

At Tim Hortons, Macey says the landscapers went with indigenous plants surrounding the Upper Water Street location that grow hearty enough to not require a sprinkler system.

AU G U S T 2 013

Saving up energy Seemingly small changes can have big returns over time, says Marley. She points out that replacing exit signs – which are constantly on – with an LED light can save $10 annually and the bulb lasts up to 10 years.

Windsor says that when LEAF audits restaurants, it always offers the “low hanging fruit” options to ease restaurateurs into making more sustainable choices. Some of these include switching to LED or compact fluorescent lamp (CFL).

The Energy Star Guide For Restaurants shows that lighting contributes to 13 per cent of energy consumption in a full-service restaurant. “Lights are on all of the time, anywhere from 16 to 20 hours, every single business day,” says Marley. “It’s not just lighting for the sake of lighting, it’s also a big part of the restaurant atmosphere.” She says she sees a lot of opportunity to use energy efficient lighting, whether LED or CFL. “Changing to LED or CFL light bulbs comes at a bit of a cost, but nothing like getting new equipment,” says Windsor. “We try to work with what the restaurant already has.” She suggests designing a menu around the most efficient equipment in the kitchen and using a start-up and shut-down schedule to avoid unnecessarily running appliances.

Windsor suggests something as simple as

Keeping HVAC inside At Union Gas, Chetley says Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation is one of the top energy saving programs for the foodservice industry, with customer rebates ranging from $1,200 to $4,000 per unit, depending on the size.

Similar to lighting systems that operate on sensors, demand control ventilation reduces unnecessary energy output by synchronizing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with room occupancy.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Guide for Restaurants, commercial kitchens use 2.5 times more energy than any other commercial space, with 25 per cent of all energy output going to HVAC. Heat recovery takes advantage of the heat coming from energy-demanding kitchen appliances and puts it back into HVAC systems.

Cactus Club English Bay used an aggressive system of kitchen heat recovery, says Packer.

“Kitchens produce a lot of heat. That heat is captured through the ventilation system as the kitchen is exhausted, and reused in the building for space heating in the dining area,” he says.

“There’s a huge opportunity for heat recovery in restaurants, in particular, because of refrigeration. They tend to move a lot of air through kitchens to keep them properly ventilated, that’s a lot of heat that goes out the ventilation system.”

Packer explains that the air moving out of Cactus Club’s kitchen is run through a confined

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www.atlanticrestaurantnews.com keeping appliances off until it is necessary to warm them up and then turning them off in between lunch and dinner service, can seem commonplace, but is likely to be forgotten without a set protocol.

At Tim Hortons, Macey says they are working on creating efficiency schedules with franchise owners individually, to figure out what processes can be changed in each restaurant.

For example, rather than having coffee makers brewing all day, every day, store owners know their particular high and low traffic times and can set schedules for resting equipment.

Occupancy-sensored lights in bathrooms, fridges and freezers are other tools that can mitigate unnecessary energy usage, an area where Windsor says the largest financial savings can be found. “There are lots of little things that restaurants can do that cost little to nothing that can not only save some money, but also help the environment,” she says.

Chris Chetley, commercial/industrial marketing at Union Gas says the kitchen is a necessary area of improvement where energy is concerned. The challenge, he says, is that large equipment investments come at an upfront cost that can be hard to swallow—perhaps one of the reasons larger chain operations are more willing, and able, to invest the capital.

“The return on investment is definite, and the payback is huge,” says Chetley. “They are the two biggest drivers for us to stress.”

6%

REFRIGERATION

18%

SANITATION

13%

LIGHTING

28%

35%

FOOD PREPARATION

HVAC

Energy Consumption IN A FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANT

LOCAL SOURCING

space with a number of small tubes filled with a refrigerant, such as water. It acts as a conductor picking up the heat from the air to move into the dining space. “It’s not as if the hot air in the kitchen is actually being used in the dining room,” he says. “You don’t have the air actually mixing with the water. It’s a conductive material.”

One challenge facing restaurants, due to doors and windows constantly opening and closing, is maintaining a comfortable internal temperature without losing heating and cooling to the outdoors. At the Upper Water Street Tim Hortons, air curtains are mounted on the kitchen door and drive-thru window. “It creates a barrier, keeping outdoor air out, so we’re not heating or cooling the outdoors, as well as keeping smoke – from customers smoking [outside] – from entering building,” says Macey.

CONSERVATION ON THE ROAD Calgary-based Cheezy Biz food truck is one of the few mobile foodservice operators with LEAF certification. Owner Nicole Fewell uses new Energy Star equipment and operates on an “ecofriendly generator, so it doesn’t have to run at full force,” she says. “It’s also a diesel truck, so it’s more efficient.”

In October, RANL will host From This Rock, a repeat of last year’s culinary tour that saw a team of chefs tour the province cooking up a sixcourse meal, in six different communities, using all local ingredients.

“The chefs had to work with farmers to get the produce they needed,” says Brace. “We’re working with the Agrifood division of Natural Resources here to help facilitate meeting and matching chefs and farmers.”

Earlier this year, Sustain Ontario formed the Sustainable Restaurants Working Group with a similar goal of connecting stakeholders within the province’s local food movement. The group’s chair, Vanessa Yu, says sourcing is an area with the potential for a lot of growth.

In the long term, she says the group hopes to engage policy makers and align players to make local and sustainable food more widely available.

“We’re getting past the myth that if it’s going to be local, its going to be more expensive,” she says. “I’m working with 100km Foods to show that it’s not always going to be more expensive.”

Along with energy efficiency and zero-waste operations, a dedication to local sourcing earned Calgary’s Cheezy Biz food truck its LEAF certification. “For me, it was supporting local businesses and farmers, and products that are hormone and antibiotic free,” says Fewell. “It’s how I’ve always fed my family. I didn’t feel like I could change my philosophy in my business practice.”

Fewell notes that her commitment to local sourcing has garnered a great deal of positive exposure in the last year. “I’ve been really lucky this year with the attention I’ve gotten from critics,” she says. “I think it all ties together with the food philosophy. We love food and feeding people; what goes along with that is doing our part for the environment.”

Similar to implementing sustainable building initiatives, changes to sourcing policies can be challenging for large organizations with shareholders and various levels of authority, says Yu. Making local sourcing feasible for businesses of all sizes is a major goal for the group she says, as well as showing them the benefits and return on investment. “It’s the right time for local food,” says Yu. “It’s catching on and the pieces are coming together.”

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AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Waste management: what cutting down can mean for your bottom line

By Kristen Smith

Bio-fuel and composting Composting is simpler in some municipalities than others, but some restaurateurs argue it is the easiest operational change to make across the board.

Guelph, ON’s municipal waste pickup includes the compost stream. Bob Desautels, coowner of local restaurant the Woolwich Arrow, says a local farmer also picks up kitchen scraps to feed his pigs and oil recycling is arranged by a local co-op. EverPure turns waste oil into biodiesel through its Fries to Fuel program.

Biodiesel can be made from oils such as canola, sunflower or soybean.

In Vancouver, Steve Da Cruz works with recycling company Urban Impact which recycles soft plastics and compost from his restaurant, The Parker, which is zero waste and produces less than a pound of garbage per month. He says composting is an easy first step and is merely a matter of changing employee habits: such as putting food scraps in a separate bin.

“Responsible menu design means there is not a lot of waste anyway,” says Da Cruz.

In Richmond Hill, ON, the owners of Mavi Grill donate used grape seed oil to a farmer. Director and co-owner Parisa Sayad says there is also some interest from universities in obtaining spent oil for research.

“It’s very easy to donate oil,” says Sayad.

While the Turkish cuisine restaurant does compost, she says the municipality could make it easier by including it in its pickup program. “If it is easy, more businesses will be encouraged,” she says.

St. John’s recycling program is only a few years old and doesn’t include a compost stream.

Chinched Bistro has partnered with farmers who request food scraps for composting. LeBlanc says this isn’t consistently viable because it requires storage space and many suppliers aren’t able to haul away the organic matter.

Reducing prep waste If you can’t compost food waste, LeBlanc says it can be controlled from within. The St. John’s restaurant saves vegetable trim for soup stock, as well as making its own charcuterie.

“We’ll get large cuts of meat or half an animal and use it in its entirety, so nothing gets wasted,” says LeBlanc.

“Ordering locally, the product is better when it arrives so you’re not losing nearly as much as you would if you were ordering it from further away, so there is less waste,” she adds.

Mike von Massons, assistant professor and UGSRP advisor, points out waste is by definition wasted. Restaurants are having margins squeezed by food costs and it is becoming more expensive to haul garbage away.

“We get so wound up in the way we’ve always done things, we don’t stop to ask ‘is there a way

Evaluating plate waste “In North America, we have started to associate portion size with value and that’s where we really messed things up,” says McAdams.

It has been suggested that increasing portion sizes has contributed to more plate waste. McAdams and von Masson scraped plates with the UGSRP students at PJ’s in an effort to establish a framework for evaluating plate waste in foodservice. They found the average daily waste was 11.3 per cent, but also found the link to portion size wasn’t as strong as might be expected.

“Fish and chips was the biggest thing on the menu and the highest in calories, but actually had relatively low waste,” says von Massons.

Portion size wasn’t the biggest contributing factor to plate waste.

“What looked like it was having a bigger impact on the waste was the composition of the plate,” he says.

“What was contributing significantly to waste were sandwiches with fries – things with high carbohydrates. What we were seeing com-

M

ichelle LeBlanc has been known to hang the Chinched Bistro’s napkins to dry on warm, sunny days.

LeBlanc tells ARN she and co-owner Sean Hussey try to maintain a practice of sustainability at the 40-seat, St. John’s restaurant. From how they source food to how they run the business, LeBlanc says being at the restaurant consistently allows them to be in tune with everything that’s happening.

“Everybody knows that at the end of the night, the heat gets turned down and the lights get turned off,” says LeBlanc, adding the lights are also on dimmers.

They use biodegradable cleaning products, energy efficient light bulbs and are conscientious of heat and water use.

“When we have to buy those products, we try to buy the proper ones,” LeBlanc says. “We try to control our water use, so that we’re not wasting water.”

LeBlanc says she plans to arrange a waste audit with a local consulting company through The Restaurant Association of Newfoundland and Labrador’s environmental online resource to determine how Chinched can further reduce its waste and carbon footprint.

Small and medium-sized operators (including franchise owners) are worried about day-to-day operations, says Bruce McAdams, assistant professor, school of hospitality and tourism management at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Often, restaurateurs are busy fixing the dishwashing unit, calling in another cook because of an unexpected rush or dealing with a pest problem and don’t have the time to come up with a waste reduction strategy. Under the guidance of the Sustainable Restaurant Project (UGSRP), Guelph’s on-campus restaurant, PJ’s, has the time and resources to research waste reduction and share knowledge with the foodservice industry. we could do things better?’” says von Massons.

“Take a look at the prep process, because that’s probably the easiest thing to change. Prep is often rushed.”

He tells ARN of a restaurateur who weighed a bag of potatoes before and after it was peeled and learned that 30 per cent of the product was being thrown away as prep waste. The restaurateur decided to stop peeling potatoes based on this discovery.

Other small changes can include putting less product out at buffets at one time, which translates into less waste and increased customer satisfaction, because the items are being turned over more often.

“I don’t think there is any one thing a restaurant can do other than pay attention,” says von Masson, adding the accessible actions will become apparent to the operator. ing back was fries or bread or some combination of the two,” von Masson adds.

He says this suggests people should be given a choice. When PJ’s began offering sandwiches with or without fries, plate waste was reduced to about eight per cent, with half the amount of fries sold.

Von Masson says there are ways restaurants can reduce waste, but it must also be economically viable. He suggests offering two sizes, and the option for steamed vegetables instead of French fries. “It allows us to continue to sell a side, but sell a side that is less likely to be wasted,” says von Masson. “There’s huge opportunity. We’re just starting to scratch the surface.”

He says waste can be a sign of an unhappy customer as “most of us don’t like to leave food on our plate.” With food costs anywhere between 20 and 40 per cent, there is opportunity to engineer plates and menus better.

“If we can find a way to reduce plate waste, it should go to the bottom line if it’s done in a way that maintains margins,” says von Massons.

DOWN THE DRAIN The City of Guelph’s water efficiency specialists audited PJ’s restaurant ­– located in the MacDonald Stewart Hall at Guelph University – after the UGSRP started in 2011.

McAdams says the results were comparable to any restaurant and they were able to address some of the low-cost suggestions.

Recommendations: • Fix leaks: a steady drip of hot water at a rate of about one litre per minute, wastes 525 metres cubed annually, worth $1,424 in water costs alone.

• Don’t thaw meat by running water over the items, which was done daily at MacDonald Hall. Assuming two taps are running for three hours a day, 5 days a week for 36 weeks, that amounts to more than $1,300 going down the drain.

• Connectionless steamers use about 11.4L per hour of use, while the boiler type uses about 151L per hour. The two are similar in cost.

• Efficient spray valves can save about $950 in annual water costs.

• Water efficient aerators are under $10 and are easy to install.

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AU G U S T 2 013

Technology and alternatives Some foodservice operators trying to minimize hauling costs are turning to onsite waste handling systems as disposal alternatives.

Compacting reduces waste within a selfcontained bin by using pressure, while pulping presses out the water. Decomposition, or liquefying, and dehydration are two technologies being explored for waste management.

While liquefying is a continuous feed method in which all food waste eventually goes down the drain, dehydrating is batch-driven and uses heat to remove the water and reduce waste by 90 per cent.

Scott Cherevaty, vice-present of sales and marketing for glasswasher and warewasher manufacturer Champion Moyer Diebel, says with restaurants producing between a quarter and half tonne of food waste – the heaviest waste stream component – it gets expensive to manage.

The Niagara-based distributor has represented EnviroPure for about four years.

“With this system, what makes it pretty neat is that it turns your food waste into water and goes down the drain,” says Cherevaty. The system uses an organic product that extracts sulfite and multiplies bacteria to speed up the process

turning the waste into water in about 24 hours.

Depending on size, it can handle between 200 and 2,000 pounds of food daily. “The smaller the system, the less the payback benefits,” says Cherevaty.

“It’s a little bit slower in Canada to start; there’s been a far bigger take off in the U.S.,” says Cherevaty, who says there are units at Fallsview Casino, Scarborough Golf and Country Club and Providence Healthcare, which saw a savings of 44 per cent of its waste hauling costs.

He says high volume foodservice operations, such as hotels and universities, have demonstrated the most interest.

With prices ranging between $20,000 to $30,000, large capital investments are often the first thing to be cut from the budget and the company is looking into leasing options so operators will be able to see the results.

The wastewater is depleted, similar to grey water, and the company is experimenting with putting in holding tanks to use it on the property, although Cherevaty says it’s not suitable for an edible garden. “Where we’re going with the technology, what we hope, at some point, is that we’re able to take the water that leaves the system and put it back in. That way, we’re not drawing on any water at all,” says Cherevaty.

Take out and service items McAdams says most operators are driven primarily by cost-effectiveness when it comes to selecting takeout containers.

For the owners of Mavi Grill, the decision to go green was largely influenced by the Turkish restaurant’s health focus.

Sayad says offering compostable and biodegradable takeout containers and sandwich wraps allows the customers to freeze and microwave leftovers without worrying about chemicals leaching into the food. When she tells customers the containers are made of sugar cane, Sayad says it often opens the doors for a conversation about health and sustainability.

Compostable containers are often made from bagasse, sugar cane fibre waste left over after juice is extracted, which is completely biodegradable. Utensils made from 80 per cent starch and 20 per cent vegetable oil are also biodegradable and compostable.

At Cascades, communications and sustainability advisor Melanie St-Pierre says sustainability has factored into the business since it started in 1964. “Right at the start, we chose to use recycled fibre in our product, which was pretty innovative. At the time, everybody was using virgin fibre,” says St-Pierre. “We’re see-

ing the customer more and more on the lookout for environmentally responsible products.”

Cascade recently launched its Moka line of products. “We simply removed the bleaching step in the manufacturing of the products. As a result, the tissue paper is more sustainable, because bleaching is basically for aesthetic purposes,” says St-Pierre, noting a lifecycle analysis of the product indicates the environmental impact is 25 per cent less than whitened products.

St-Pierre says all categories of foodservice operators are becoming more sensitive to environmental issues and aim to reduce consumption. “We see that the interfold napkin is a growing trend; the way it is folded allows a reduction of waste,” says St. Pierre. She says it reduces consumption by 25 per cent by allowing customers to take one paper napkin at a time.

For those interested in purchasing environmentally preferable supplies, Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF) recommends using those that are processed chlorine-free (PCF) and third-party certified by an independent party, such as EcoLogo or Green Seal.

Less is more

COMMON CENTS • Keep recycling, compost and garbage labelling consistent with municipal colours to ensure ease of use for staff.

• “Twin your bins.” Every time there is a garbage bin, a recycling bin should be right beside it.

• Insist suppliers provide recyclable materials.

• Encourage customers to bring their own takeaway containers.

• Turn down the A/C. Starbucks conserves energy by allowing air-conditioned stores to reach nearly 24°C instead of 22°C on warm days.

• Reduce water use. Starbucks saves water by using high-blast nozzles to clean pitchers instead of running the tap, and installing low-flow valves.

• “Insulating can have a big bang for your buck; the payback can be very quick,” says Desautels.

• The Neighbourhood Group of restaurants gradually moved to LED lighting, which Desautels says looks nicer than fluorescent bulbs. “In a restaurant you want everyone to feel good about everything,” he says.

Page 12: Main image designed by Stephanie Giammarco. Photos by Davide Gulielmo (paper) and Peter Mrhar (plates).

Page 13, clockwise from top left: Solar panels are used to heat water at the Woolwich Arrow in Guelph, ON. The Mavi Grill dining area in Richmond Hill, ON. Napkins hang dry at Chinched Bistro in St. John’s. The dining area at zero-waste Vancouver restaurant, The Parker.

ALL ABOARD: ENGAGING STAFF AND CUSTOMERS Starbucks has committed to reducing its cup waste. It aims to serve five per cent of beverages made in company-owned stores in personal tumblers by 2015.

Starbucks offers a 10-cent discount to customers who bring in their own travel mug as an incentive. In an effort to further reduce cupwaste Starbucks introduced a $1 reusable Starbucks cup in January.

“If a customer uses the reusable cup for one month, he or she will help avoid using more than a pound of paper or 3.5 pounds of wood,” senior

communications manager for Starbucks Coffee Canada Carly Suppa tells ARN. “The introduction of the $1 reusable cup was intended as a lowcost reusable option that, when coupled with the 10-cent discount customers receive when they bring their own cup, would help inspire many customers to start using a tumbler or reusable cup.”

In 1995, the company started The Ground for Your Garden Program. During the summer months, the program offers high nutrient, spent coffee grounds for home gardens.

According to Da Cruz, it is easier to find and hire like-minded staff than teach staff and change habits.

He says the key is creating a mindset, leading by example and effectively communicating ideas.

His staff gets excited about The Parker’s zero-waste strategy. “It becomes a point of pride,” he says. “The most important first step would be creating a consciousness among the entire staff.

It’s only with everyone on board that you can really make change.”

At The Parker, there are no hand towels and no straws. Da Cruz says the customers don’t even notice.

“We’re a restaurant and zero waste can be normal,” says Da Cruz, adding customers don’t know the high-end restaurant is zero waste until the bill comes. “All these things that could be considered normal are suddenly forgotten when the service is good, the atmosphere is good and people feel taken care of,” says Da Cruz.

PJ’s also has a strict no-straws policy. “You can’t even ask for one, let alone get one by default,” says von Masson. “At the very least, I think we should be asking people if they want a straw, not including them automatically.” He notes it’s only a matter of a few cents, but if value isn’t added, then margin is being wasted by something that simply gets thrown out.

The Woolwich Arrow received a five-year sustainability plan from students at the University of Waterloo. The students devised a challenge for Desautels to put to his staff encouraging them to come up with green ideas for a prize. One winning idea was to switch to reusable coasters. Desautels says hundreds are thrown away at the Neighbourhood Group’s three restaurants every day.

McAdams says the UGSRP plate waste study indicated garnishes and sauces were also wasted.

All the fish and chips were sent out with tartar sauce and about half went back to the kitchen untouched.

A couple years ago, the project’s bread waste study made the cover of the Globe and Mail. McAdams says they looked at the bread served automatically at a golf course, two restaurants and a banquet hall. On average, 35 per cent came back to the kitchen. The study suggested restaurants should charge for bread or stop bringing it automatically. “We’re starting to look at the automatic things we’re serving that are going out to tables,” he says.

He says some restaurants have stopped the practice of “auto-ketchupping” and foodservice operators should be looking to cut down on the amount of single-use items, such as butter containers and single jams.

McAdams says society’s acceptance of waste has increased. “We build waste into our costing model and pricing model,” he says.

He says the size of a menu is critical. “I think 100-item menus don’t make sense for anyone,” says McAdams.

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Feds invests in Eastern crops CHARLOTTETOWN—The Government of Canada’s AgriInnovation Program will see up to $3.1 million put towards the Eastern Canada Oilseeds Development Alliance (ECODA). The money will go towards developing ECODA’s research into food-grade soybean and canola farming in Atlantic Canada, according to an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada release.

“We are creating new opportunities for canola and soybean producers by enhancing yield and developing better disease and pest

Supporting sustainable seafood RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, CALIF.—A group of North American seafood suppliers joined forces to form Sea Pact, a coalition of industry leaders striving to advance environmentally sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices.

According to a July 22 release, Vancouver’s Albion Fisheries and Seacore Seafood in Toronto have joined U.S. suppliers Santa Monica Seafood, Seattle Fish Co., Fortune and Fish Gourmet and Ipswich Shellfish Group in contributing to a long-term sustainable seafood industry by improving fishing and fish farming systems. The six companies plan to pool resources and knowledge to sponsor improvement projects.

“We are excited about Sea Pact’s ability to generate impactful change by leveraging our combined influence and strength to produce more sustainable seafood options for the future,” said Guy Dean, CSO at Albion Fisheries, in the release. “I am positive that together, our geographically diverse international membership can create an in-

Atlantic beef heads west

management practices,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, in the release.

Charlottetown-based ECODA works to increase the export potential for the canola and soybean industry in Atlantic Canada by collaborating with producers, suppliers, researchers and the government. An immediate priority of ECODA is to increase the role of food-grade, Canadian soybeans in Europe and Japan, and the production of canola for international and Canadian markets.

Maple Leaf goes cold turkey TORONTO—Canadian foodservice giant, Maple Leaf Foods, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell all of its turkey breeding operations. Maple Leaf will continue to supply turkeys, sourced from its former holdings, according to a July 22 release.

“Divesting our turkey growing operations will allow us to focus on, and direct capital to, growth and innovation in our value added turkey processing business,” Maple Leaf Foods president and CEO Michael H. McCain said in the release.

The transaction will see Ernald Enterprises

AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Ltd., operator of 1,200 acres of agricultural land and five commercial turkey and chicken growing operations in southern Ontario, take over Maple Leaf ’s six commercial turkey farms. A long-term supply of live turkey for Maple Leaf was a part of the agreement with Ernald. “The transaction ensures a long-term supply of high quality turkeys at competitive prices,” said McCain.

Cuddy Farms Ltd., a producer and distributor of commercial turkey eggs and poultry, will take charge of the six breeder farms and hatchery operations. dustry driven difference to the fishing and aquaculture practices and systems that we source from.”

Restaurants on sow crate ban More than 100 members of Canada’s restaurant industry are sending a strong message to the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC): that gestation crates need to go.

The petition, started by the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals (CCFA) is asking the NFACC to ban the holding of pregnant sows in metal crates, slightly larger than their bodies, according to the CCFA. The NFACC banned the practice of confining sows in crates for their entire lifespan this spring. This ban allowed for the confinement of pregnant sows within the first 35 days of gestation, as the crates keep sows from becoming aggressive during that period, according to the Vancouver Sun. Restaurants across the country signed the CCFA’s petition, including The Blue Door in Fredericton, The Wooden Monkey in Dartmouth, NS and Sophia’s at the Eriksen Premises in Trinity, NL.

Photo courtesy of Prince Edward Island Beef.

CHARLOTTETOWN—A new beef brand launched in P.E.I. in July. Prince Edward Island Certified Beef is a joint initiative of the PEI Culinary Alliance, the PEI Cattle Producers, the Atlantic Beef Products Plant, and the departments of Agriculture and Forestry, and Innovation and Advanced Learning.

“Our investment in the development of a premium certified beef brand reflects a strong commitment to create a more profitable beef industry and return higher prices to producers, while supporting rural communities across the province,” said George Webster, minister of agriculture and forestry, in a release.

Involved farmers receive a premium for the extra effort to meet the qualifications: the beef must be raised on P.E.I family farms, the animals fed high-quality grain and vegetables, the cow must have a finished weight of between 700 and 900 pounds and the meat must be federally graded at least AA. Producers are third-party certified by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

The brand has at least three producers involved and plans to expand in relation to the market. Jan Holmes, program officer for the PEI Culinary Alliance, told ARN the project has been in the works for two years.

“It helps to strengthen the message of what we produce here on Prince Edward Island,” said Holmes, noting beef is one of the great products that come from the island. She said P.E.I. beef has received excellent reviews from chefs and restaurants.

“The brand itself is new, but the way producers raise the beef isn’t new,” said Holmes.

Predominantly an export brand, Dolan Foods will distribute Island Beef to restaurants and specialty meat shops in central and western Canada.

Toronto chef Mark McEwan is on board as the brand advocate and spokesperson for P.E.I. Certified Beef. “I love the story of the Island, you can’t find a more pristine environment to grow a potato or raise a steer,” said McEwan in a release.

Rubbermaid is weighing in MISSISSAUGA, ON—The Rubbermaid Commercial Products line was displayed at Mississauga, ON’s International Centre in July. The event attracted end-users and distributors to test some of Rubbermaid’s products geared towards the foodservice and hospitality industry.

A recently released, fully dishwasher-safe digital scale for commercial kitchens was on display; Numair Khan, senior manager, product marketing for Rubbermaid Commercial Products told ARN it is the first of its kind available to the foodservice industry.

He demonstrated that the non-waterproof part of the scale slides out from the encasement, where any sort of food particles or grease would come into contact, so the shell

and plate can be run through a commercial dishwasher. The digital scales come in stainless steel and black antimicrobial resin, and offer measurements in pounds, ounces or grams.

All items in Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ line will be available across Canada this fall.

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BeverageNews A REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Creating a brewed taste of the Maritimes

Brewer Stephen Dixon.

FREDERICTON—Grimross Brewing launched its first ale on Canada Day. The Frederictonbased brewery, which works and sells out of the Picaroon Brewtique, is inspired by the Belgian style of brewing and aims to explore and craft a Maritime beer.

For brewer Stephen Dixon, the business was born of a passion for brewing, which he has been doing for two decades. Dixon has brewed up to 40 gallons at his home, which he had licensed as a brewery.

“Belgian brewers had a certain irreverent style. They were not following any kind of style guide. They just want to create goodtasting beers and do it the way they want to and that’s sort of the place I’m coming from, too,” said Dixon. “I want to create something that’s more Atlantic Canadian, with Atlantic Canadian sensibilities and palate; my palate.”

The inaugural beer, Cheval D'Or meaning “work horse,” has what Dixon describes as a farmhouse aroma and taste. It is available in 750-millilitre, swing-top growlers and kegs for local bars and restaurants. Dixon uses older grain varieties, spelt malt, rye malt and honey to make the rustic ale.

“In the old days, farmers – when they were making a farmhouse ale – would have used

whatever they had on hand,” he said. “It created a very rustic taste and aroma.” He used high attenuating yeast to create a dry beer.

Dixon said brewing is a form of artistic expression; combining the craft, creating something new and the chemistry behind it.

Born and raised in Fredericton, Dixon – with the help of his family, local aspiring brewers and the folks from North Hampton Brewing – is working out of a temporary location on a five-barrel system. He plans to find a permanent brewery within a year.

“I want this to grow organically; I’ll let demand determine growth. I aspire to share my beer with more people and if more people want to enjoy my beer I’m happy to help them enjoy it,” said Dixon.

Grimross, named for a childhood memory of a boater’s meeting place, has two more beers in the pipeline: Destrier Stout, named after medieval war horses, which he describes as fairly robust with roasted malt giving the brew roasted coffee aromas and tastes, and an Atlantic Canadian blonde ale, inspired by a Belgian blonde style.

Grimross.com, @GrimrossBrewing, (506) 4783447.

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The Kirkwood Group is a family-owned national sales and marketing company representing wines, spirits, beers and ready-todrink beverages.

Macallan shows its age CRAIGELLACHIE, SCOTLAND—A global plan to shift the focus of all The Macallan’s single malt scotch 18 years and younger from age to colour has come to Canada.

The four new classifications – gold, amber, sienna and ruby – will phase out the older products, including cask strength, sherry oak and fine oak.

The range, matured in a combination of American and Spanish sherry casks, is named 1824 after the year that Macallan was founded.

PEOPLE

Nova Scotia is gearing up for the third annual Right Some Good festival.

The pop-up event brings international chefs to Cape Breton Island for a culinary event featuring local ingredients for dishes in unexpected locations: Toronto chef Carl Heinrich creating a dinner in the Cape Breton Boat Yard in Baddeck, chef Daniel Galmiche from Britain cooking in the St. Peters Marina and Irish chef Chris Bell preparing a meal at The Inverness County Centre for the Arts.

The event runs from Aug. 23 until Sept. 1 and culminates in Sydney’s Open Hearth Park with a gourmet street fair and master chef face-off between George De Costa from Bangladesh, Achim Loeppert of Germany, Jamaica’s Dennis McIntosh, Vicky Ratnani from India, Northern Ireland’s Andy Rea, U.S. chefs Michael Reidt and Patricia Yeo, and chef Peter Dewar representing Nova Scotia.

“Some of the best chefs in the world are coming to play in our sandbox. They get to be creative, work with ingredients they’ve not used before, develop menus that they have full creative control over,” said founder Pearleen Mofford in a release.

“They come with a spirit of mentorship and collaboration, sharing with our chefs their techniques and culinary practices.”

Left: Miami-based chef E. Michael Reidt with the main course from a mid-July pop-up in Halifax. The pop-up lunch at Just Us! Coffee house launched the 2013 Right Some Good dining festival to be held Aug. 23 to Sept. 1 on Cape Breton Island. Photo by Mike Hall.

Right, top: Robert Hund, president of foodservice at Manitowoc Company, Inc. Right, bottom: Brian Wood, CEO of the Restaurant Equipment Distributors.

The Manitowoc Company, Inc. will have a new president of foodservice as of Aug. 1.

The company announced in early July that Robert M. Hund, most recently executive vicepresident of Manitowoc’s Crane Care division, will report to Glen E. Tellock, chairman and CEO. Hund’s experience includes vice-president, worldwide marketing and product management of Manitowoc Cranes, as well as product

Canada’s first Master Chef

By Leslie Wu OTTAWA—Canada’s first Master Chef, Judson Simpson, always joins his staff in the kitchen of the House of Commons for lunch service; a habit that served him well in the rigorous examination process for the certification.

“I’m pretty hands on as an executive chef,” Simpson told ARN. A former national president of the CCFCC, Judson advocated to bring the Master Chef certification to Canada; a goal that was achieved in 2011 with a five-year exclusive deal with Humber College.

“I’m a life-long learner,” said Simpson. “I wanted to test the program, and also challenge myself. The best way to validate the program was to actually do it.”

Although the program allows a four-year timeframe, Simpson finished it in two. The first year had both an online component and a pastry and garde manger exam, a topic dear to Simpson’s heart.

It’s crucial to have a solid background in garde manger, said Simpson. “You can’t be a good, solid chef if you don’t have experience on the hot line in fine dining and cold prep in general.”

For this year’s exam, Simpson practiced with dry runs in the kitchen, especially for

the challenging nutritional component, which required three courses: lacto-ovo, diabetic friendly and ovo-vegetarian.

For Simpson’s nutritional exam dish, he cooked a 45-degree salmon in a thermo circulator for 30 min, served with Spartan bread crumbs, horseradish, lemon and parsley over stewed beluga lentils. “The judges thought the main course was a bit protein-heavy, but overall, ate very well,” said Simpson.

When it came to the dessert round, Simpson made a chocolate mousse cake with avocado and a warm lemon pudding with a gel coating and coconut foam.

The other component of this year’s exam was a five-course black box challenge.

One of the highlights for Simpson was his bacon-wrapped stuffed rabbit loin with figs and pistachios, served with a rice cake and celery root, topped with foie gras, caramelized apples and squash puree. Simpson wrapped the loin in foil and cooked it in the oven. “It came out very juicy,” he said. “Sometimes the old ways are the best.”

Although Simpson has 20 years of cooking competition under his belt, including the World Culinary Olympics as manager of Culinary Team Canada, he found the exam had exacting standards. “The last time I’d competed was in 2004 at the IKA Culinary Olympics,”

he said. During the June exams, Simpson found himself literally running around the kitchen to get some of the components on the plate and show off as many techniques as possible in the allotted time.

A graduate of George Brown College, Simpson has worked in the kitchens at Fenton’s, Hazelton Lanes, the Inn on the Park and Napoleon’s as an apprentice, as well as a stint as executive sous-chef at the King Edward Hotel. He was also executive chef at the Chimo Hotel Markham before taking on his current role as executive chef of food services at the House of Commons.

Simpson said he firmly believes certification at any level is a necessary step for chefs, who should never stop learning.

“As a profession, we should always continue to challenge ourselves,” he said.

development manager, mining and construction equipment division for Caterpillar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Bradley University, a Master of Science in industrial engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Millikin University.

The Restaurant Equipment Distributors of Canada (R.E.D. Canada) announced two appointments to newly created positions at the organization. Brian Wood has been named chief operating officer and Linda Forster is now vice-president, business development.

Wood has worked within the foodservice industry for more than 30 years in management, sales, marketing, branding, sourcing, product development and vendor negotiations. Prior to his appointment, Wood was the chief operating officer for Browne, and before that, was president and COO of Browne-Halco. As CEO, Wood will manage and co-ordinate business operations at R.E.D. Canada.

As vice-president, business development, Forster will assist in establishing a plan to develop R.E.D. Canada’s marketing, new business development and shareholder relations.

Cookbook author and former food editor of Canadian Living magazine, Elizabeth Baird, was named to the Order of Canada in late June.

She has published more than 25 cookbooks and is currently a contributor to the Toronto Sun. Baird is a longstanding advocate of local and seasonal cooking and a founder of children’s nutritional program non-profit Breakfast for Learning.

Other culinary arts representatives appointed to the Order of Canada include Jamie Kennedy in 2010 and Anita Stewart in 2011.

Judson Simpson, executive chef of food services at the House of Commons.

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