Full Service Q1 2018

Full Serv ce JUNE 2018 | Vol.1 • No. 1

SA’s business magazine for the restaurant & catering industry

Leadin g ch choo favourse their efs ite Für i

knives

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

REGULATIONS & LEGISLATION

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

FRESH PRODUCE

Step into the future with mobile POS

Brush up on food safety legislation

Chefs prefer to cook with gas

Free range, organic and grass fed, what’s the difference?

LAUNCH

ISSUE

Mercantile Adega menu.pdf

1

2018/05/15

15:19

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Key products and services:

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Business and Commercial Banking

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Investment solutions and structured lending

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Rental Finance

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Private Banking

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Private Practice

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Payment Solutions

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Full Serv ce SA’s business magazine for the restaurant & catering industry

Contents June 2018

On the cover

Tools of the trade 32

Future-proof POS

Regulars

Technology & Software Solutions

4

18 Future-proof POS takes South Africa by storm

Editor’s note

6 News 8

Chef spotlight – Chef Emery is cooking with gas

9

Trends – Restaurant design trends for 2018

Fresh Produce 10 Sustainable seafood makes good business sense

20 Avoid ‘no shows’ with online reservation software 21 Leading chefs unite to support remote farmers

Serve up safety every time

22 HACCP in a globalised world 23 Franchising for SMMEs 24 Attract diners with #foodpics

12 Urban organic fresh produce on demand

26 Benefits of a kitchen display system

14 The beef about fed or free range

Regulations & Legislation

17 Consumers prefer organic and local

28 Serve up safety every time

15

18

30 Wise up about the water you’re serving

28

Give gas a go in your kitchen

Kitchen Equipment 32 The knife maketh the chef 35 Building culinary talent in SA 36 Give gas a go in your kitchen 38 The natural wonder of wood 40 Save big with energy efficient solutions

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Full Serv ce | June 2018

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Ed’s Note Feature

@FullServicemag

We’re big on the

T

business of food

he South African restaurant and catering industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. The takeaway and fast-food outlet sector alone is worth more than R170 billion. Yet there is currently no other dedicated business magazine that serves this industry.

Food is big business and the sheer number of consumer food and restaurant publications, food blogs, ‘foodie’ Instagram posts and Facebook groups dedicated to restaurant reviews reflects this. Full Service is the first publication to put you, the restaurant owner, front and centre. We aim to bring you all the latest news, views and trends in this exciting industry as well as relevant information on where to find the best suppliers, ingredients, equipment and organisations for your industry.

In our launch issue read all about the organic vegetable (page 17) and free range meat revolution (page 14) in our fresh produce feature.

EDITOR Varushka Padayachi Email: varushka.padayachi@newmediapub.co.za

ADVERTISING Sales Executive: Charlene Goncalves Cell: +27 (0) 82 873 2687 Email: charlene.goncalves@newmediapub.co.za

PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Rae Morrison Email: rae.morrison@newmediapub.co.za

CIRCULATION MANAGER Felicity Garbers +27 (0) 21 701 1566 Email: felicity.garbers@newmediapub.co.za

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June 2018 | Full Serv ce

full_service_mag

Find out how a good mobile POS system can vastly improve your operations on page 18. In keeping with our promise to bring you the most relevant news first read about a new mobile app that creates a digital visual menu for restaurants based on user generated content on page 24.

Brush up on your knowledge of restaurant-related South African legislation in our Regulations and Legislation feature. Food Focus brings us up to date on food safety regulations on page 28.

You will most definitely not want to miss our cover story on three talented chefs who are putting their razor sharp Füri knives to very good use on page 32.

We are so excited to present Full Service to you and would love to hear what you think of the magazine.

Please send your comments or queries to the editor at Varushka.padayachi@newmediapub.co.za.

Happy reading!

Varushka

PUBLISHING TEAM General Manager: Dev Naidoo Publishing Manager: Natalie da Silva Art Director: David Kyslinger

PRINTING Printed and Bound by Novus Printing Solutions

Published on behalf of Media24

by New Media Publishing (PTY) Ltd. MANAGING DIRECTOR: Aileen Lamb CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Bridget McCarney EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: John Psillos NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Irna van Zyl

Johannesburg Office: Ground floor, Media Park, 69 Kingsway Avenue, Auckland Park, 2092 Postal Address: PO Box 784698, Sandton, Johannesburg 2146 T +27 (0)11 877 6111 F +27 (0)11 713 9024 Head Office: New Media House, 19 Bree Street, Cape Town 8001 Postal Address: PO Box 440, Green Point, Cape Town 8051 T +27 (0)21 417 1111 F +27 (0)21 417 1112 Unless previously agreed in writing, Full Service owns all rights to all contributions, whether image or text.

SOURCES: Shutterstock, supplied images, editorial staff, advertisers.

While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of its contents and information given to readers, neither the editor, publisher, or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom. All rights reserved. © Full Service. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. Readers are prohibited from using the contact details displayed in any advertisement or editorial within the pages of this publication to generate and/or distribute unsolicited bulk emails or other forms of mass marketing correspondence.

News

The Slick

Restaurant Group gives the gift of sight The Slick Restaurant Group, owners of Belthazar, Balducci and Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers at the V&A Waterfront partnered with Tygerberg Hospital to assist in increasing the number of corneal transplants undertaken by the hospital’s Department of Ophthalmology. There are approximately 130 patients on the waiting list for ophthalmic surgical procedures, due to limited resources and scarcity of local donors.

g e t s a f a c e li f t

Popular Sandton restaurant

Professor David Meyer and Gladys Maistry, the recipient of the first lamellar corneal surgery at Tygerburg Hospital with Dr Leonard Heydenrych, Dr Derrick Smit, Ian Halfon of Slick Restaurant Group and Dr Kurt Maart

Lamellar corneal surgery is a new state-ofthe-art technique where the surgeon is able to replace specific layers of the cornea as opposed to all five layers. The surgery was performed at Tygerberg Hospital for the first time on 10 May thanks to a generous donation from the Slick Restaurant Group.

Ian Halfon and Doron Duveen, directors of the group, became involved with the cornea transplant project at Tygerberg Hospital a few years ago. Company donations together with help from generous customers at their three restaurants assisted with the funding of the first lamellar corneal transplant at the hospital and will assist with many more after that. The group’s donation also funded a R200 000 Specular Microscope, a first of its kind at Tygerberg Hospital, that enables a surgeon to view, photograph and assess the inner cell layers of the corneas of patients.

Donations to this deserving initiative can be made via the Slick Restaurant Group website. The group guarantees all funds donated go towards the cost of an operation, which includes importing cornea from abroad, expert medical attention at Tygerberg Hospital, all specialised instruments needed for each corneal transplant and the cost of theatre.

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June 2018 | Full Serv ce

The popular Johannesburg restaurant The Bull Run is getting a full refurbishment to continue to serve its loyal customers for many more years to come.

The restaurant first opened in October 2000. The concept was to launch an upmarket grill room for local and international guests of the hotel, including the airline crews that frequently stayed there, as well as for business people in the area.

The Bull Run is undergoing a full revamp worth R12 million. The revamp will increase capacity and create an international feel to attract new patrons and provide a change of scenery for regulars. Over 16 years of trading, the restaurant has only undergone minor, essential changes to maintain

the property, to create a more spacious entrance area to the kitchen and to create an additional entrance within the adjacent Protea Hotel by Marriott Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton.

‘Last year we decided that with a trendy new development swinging up next door, the time had come for a complete refurbishment,’ explains Jörg Zwinscher, GM of the hotel. ‘The new development, The Marc, will link directly to our hotel lobby and will be home to many major companies in two office towers as well as restaurants, retail and fashion outlets to serve the busy, trendy area.’

In order for renovations to take place, The Bull Run has closed its doors for trading but is set to re-open in early July.

An artist’s impression of the booth seating in the revamped Bull Run restaurant

News

James Khoza elected

SACA president James Khoza, executive chef of Tsogo Sun’s Sandton Convention Centre, has been elected the first South African born and trained president of the SA Chef’s Association (SACA) since its inception 44 years ago.

The president of the association is tasked with heading up its governing body and board of directors, providing direction for its various initiatives, including the South African Culinary Olympics team.

Khoza says he is deeply humbled and honoured to take on the role, which he describes as educational and overwhelming. ‘I now carry the hopes and aspirations of many chefs and I look forward to continuing the association’s ongoing work of uniting all chefs. SACA is home to all chefs and no one must feel excluded,’ he says.

The president of the association is chosen in an election of anonymous votes cast by its 10 000 members across South Africa. Khoza had previously served as vice president of the association in a joint competitions portfolio.

Khoza achieved his diploma in Food and Beverage Management from Technikon Witwatersrand in the 1990s and started his culinary career working under Walter Ulz at Linger Longer restaurant as demi chef cuisine. During his long career he has worked in France, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Berlin, where he worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant. He returned to South Africa 11 years ago and joined Tsogo Sun, working in various Southern Sun kitchens until he settled on the Sandton Convention Centre, where he has been for seven years.

CHS and Ocean Basket partner up to

Cook like a chef from

Capital Hotel School (CHS), one of South Africa’s leading providers of hospitality education and development, has partnered with Ocean Basket to provide a series of bespoke training courses across its 165 stores nationwide.

Waste management, health and hygiene as well as guest relations are just some of the courses which will provide additional support and enhance the skill set of the current administration.

‘One of the biggest hurdles restaurants currently face is being able to effectively reduce waste and ‘greening’ a commercial kitchen,’ says Hein Grobler, new business developer from CHS. He further

The iconic Quarter Kitchen restaurant at the Portswood Hotel is celebrating its intriguing new menu with the publication of a very special cookbook, packed with recipes for traditional Cape Malay meals.

The Cape Malay style of cooking first arrived on South African shores in the late 17th Century. The spicy and aromatic dishes prepared by the Malay people were quickly assimilated into many Cape kitchens. The Quarter Kitchen has spun these well-loved dishes into sophisticated gourmet fare.

‘The Quarter Kitchen has taken this popular style of cooking and added a bit of a gourmet fusion,’ says Robert Hodson general manager of marketing and sales at Legacy Hotels and Resorts. ‘The favourites are all in the book, from daltjies and samosas, bobotie and hearty chicken curries. The recipes are distinctly South African and something that every dedicated foodie should have on their bookshelf.’

The Cape Malay Cuisine cookbook is available exclusively at the restaurant itself.

develop hospitality skills the Quarter Kitchen explains that equipping the Ocean Basket crew with skills to reduce and suitably dispose of waste will have a definite and direct impact on lowering food costs and will aid the restaurant’s green footprint.

Starting with an induction programme late last year, the training courses continue with the Ocean Basket management team and steadily filter down to delivering skills to restaurant managers and staff. CHS is accredited with CATTHSETA (The Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority) providing the necessary validation for its specialised programmes. The CHS training courses for Ocean Basket focus on elevating the workforce to international hospitality standards.

Traditional Cape Malay boboti

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Chef Spotlight The culinary arts hold great opportunities for those prepared to work hard to develop their skills. Chef Thandolwethu Emery Mhlokomfana has done just that and today his culinary skills are growing from strength to strength. He is a talent to watch.

UNEMPLOYMENT HAS HIT the Eastern Cape particularly hard. For some young people, finding a job means migrating elsewhere in the country.

‘Growing up in the small rural town of Whittlesea near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, I knew that finding employment would be difficult. With limited financial means, studying was not an option,’ Mhlokomfana explains.

‘My aunt lived in the Western Cape so I decided to move there to try to get work. There I found out about an internship programme offered by government, so I applied.’

His internship took him to the African Pride Arabella Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection near Kleinmond, bringing him into the culinary field. He started off with kitchen basics – peeling vegetables and cleaning up. After six months, Mhlokomfana approached the hotel to find out about study bursaries and the hotel agreed to pay for his studies.

Studying required a huge commitment– waking up at 3am every Friday to travel between Kleinmond and Cape Town using public transport. Today he has a certificate

y r e m E f Che ith gas is cooking w

and a diploma in cooking as well as a diploma in pastry from the South African Chefs’ Academy.

His latest venture takes him to the United States. He will join the J-1 intern/trainee programme, run by Marriott International, the international parent company of African Pride Hotels. The programme will expose Mhlokomfana to the skills of other, more experienced colleagues in the US. This is a work-based learning programme, and he will work in different kitchens at various restaurants in Marriott’s Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Centre. He will also have the opportunity to travel across the US as a tourist.

Mhlokomfana’s enthusiasm and positive attitude, coupled with significant talent, is bound to lead to great successes.

Calling all

chefs!

The professional chefs’ competition with the biggest prize pool in the country is back and all professional chefs are invited to bring their passion, their experience and their game.

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June 2018 | Full Serv ce

ENTRANTS TO THE Unilever Food Solutions Chef of the Year competition stand a chance to win R15 000 in cash. Entries are open to senior chefs (more than five years’ experience and over 25 years old) or junior chefs aged between 18 and 25 years old with less than five years’ experience.

Chefs can register by emailing their name, surname, contact number and the category they wish to enter to entries@coty2018.co.za. A representative will contact them to finalise their entry, which will consist of a recipe for a three-course meal for three people using Unilever Food Solutions products.

Regional semi-finals take place between 31 July and 2 August.

For more information on the entry guidelines and judging criteria go to www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.za.

Trends Whether you’re opening a brand new restaurant, opening a new location for an existing brand or thinking about refurbishing your interiors, take note of this year’s hottest restaurant design trends.

Restaurant design trends for 2018 According to Architectural Digest restaurant designers are steering towards sleek surfaces, rich woods and lots of greenery.

BESPOKE LIGHTING It goes without saying that in the era of selfies and amateur food photography great lighting is a must. However, it is technology that is the biggest influence this year. Remote controls and apps give the restaurant manager ultimate control, allowing them to set the mood with different lighting in different areas of the restaurant.

OLD IS THE ‘NEW’ NEW Retro finishes are making a big comeback. Chrome and metal from the 60s and 70s are inspiring interior design as a whole and restaurant spaces are no exception.

Bring the outdoors inside with living plants

GO GREEN There is a big trend in building design to bring the outside indoors and embrace nature. Restaurants are doing this with pot plants and more innovatively, with living walls.

The idea of an interior space lush with greenery and living plants is an antidote to the heavily machine-driven world we now live. There is growing interest in research about the positive health effects of being around living plants. Consumers have started seeking out tranquil oases in the busyness of their lives so bringing some greenery into your space will surely attract more clientele.

INSTAGRAM IT

Bespoke lighting is a hot trend this year

Instagram is a huge influence in design since restaurant goers aren’t just taking photos of food.

They want to capture the complete ambiance of a venue and also show off interesting design elements and ‘cool’ statement pieces. For example colourful, patterned floor tiles or retro neon signs are sure to make their way into Instagram posts, setting your restaurant apart from the rest. Very soon you’ll have diners making reservations just to have their own Instagram moment with your defining design. Remember, the more original, the better.

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Fresh Produce

Sustainable seafood makes good business sense

Seafood is one of the most popular menu items but consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of its environmental impact.

While sourcing sustainable seafood is good for the environment, it also makes good business sense. WWF-Sassi discusses some of the most popular sustainable seafood options available for restaurant menus.

W

WF-SA’s Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) is the go-to guide for all players in the culinary industry. Established as a consumer awareness campaign in 2004, the programme provides vital information and easy to use tools to enable responsible seafood choices. These choices allow bountiful seafood on to our plates and in thriving oceans for generations to come. You may not realise that seemingly small choices can effect large change in the water.

Serving sustainable seafood has become a trend, as it makes good business sense and is good for our oceans.

CAUGHT OR FARMED? Being conscious about what seafood you’re buying simply involves knowing what species it is, how it was caught or farmed and where it is from.

Asking the what, where and how of seafood from a supplier can easily enable anyone to identify where a seafood item falls on the SASSI list: Is it greenbest choice, orange-think twice or red-don’t buy?

Of course, SASSI green-listed seafood is the most sustainable choice. The species on the green list are resilient and well managed, and the species can handle current fishing pressure or are farmed in a way that does not harm the ocean.

Some popular seafood items are unfortunately on the red list and many restaurants are still sourcing depleted species or species farmed/caught in a way that damages the environment, species such as, west Coast rock lobster (kreef, crayfish), prawns and Cape salmon (Geelbek). Sustainable green-listed seafood options that restaurants have on their menus or can incorporate into their dishes are Rainbow Trout, Yellowtail, Hake (SA demersal longline), Kingklip (SA demersal longline), ‘Hottentot’, east coast rock lobster and mussels (SA farmed).

BE AN OCEAN CHAMPION

A sustainably sourced seafood feast including oysters, farmed mussels and hake

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To help the culinary industry embed sustainability principles in their procurement policies and ensure seafood will always be served on their plates, WWF-SASSI offers a training course available to restaurant managers, procurement staff, chefs and front of house staff.

This course engages the culinary industry on the problems facing the marine ecosystems and

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West coast rock lobster or crayfish is not a sustainable option and can damage the marine environment

GREEN

MEANS GO FOR IT The WWF-SASSI sustainable seafood list classifies seafood as either green for best choice, orange for ‘think twice’ or red for ‘don’t buy’.

Yellowtail Amberjack

Some examples of seafood on each list include:

GREEN explores how they can become ocean champions from the comfort of their kitchens. Ultimately it’s all about how to implement sustainability principles into their business.

On the seafood supply chain front, WWFSASSI engages with partners across the seafood sectors. The WWF-SASSI Retailer/Supplier Participation Scheme is a voluntary business platform, which engages South Africa’s top seafood vendors, key suppliers, national retailers, restaurant chains and hotels to facilitate the adoption of sustainable seafood practices within their business. The key actors in the programme have made time bound commitments to transforming the seafood market sector. WWFSASSI has tracked their progress and along with consumers it held retailers and suppliers accountable. As of 2017, five of South Africa’s big six national retailers have joined and are actively participating. These are Woolworths, Pick n Pay, SPAR, Food Lovers Market, I&J, Breco Foods and also include Ocean Basket, John Dory’s and Sun International.

As for restaurants wanting to be more conscious about their ‘seafood-print’, you can start by: 1. Ensuring all seafood on offer is legally bought 2. Phasing out unsustainable seafood products and replacing them with green-listed substitutes or species that carry the MSC or ASC Eco-label 3. Promoting sustainable choices from responsible, well managed fisheries 5. Providing consumers with seafood that is adequately labelled and includes information on the species, origin and production or any credible eco-labels (MSC or ASC) that may apply 6. Endeavouring to offer seafood that is traceable to its origins.

The next time you’re making seafood choices for your restaurant or business, reflect on whether you’d like to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Together with WWFSASSI, you have the power to conserve our oceans. After all, sustainability makes good business sense.

• Atlantic mackerel • Angelfish • Blue mussels • Green lipped mussels • Rainbow trout

ORANGE • Baby clams • Atlantic salmon • Cape Dory • Cold water prawn • Harders • Octopus • Red Roman • Sardines

RED • Black Musselcracker • Blacktail • Bluefin Tuna • Langoustine • West Coast rock lobster • Yellowtail Amberjack

WWF-SASSI - wwfsassi.co.za Full Serv ce | June 2018

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Fresh Produce According to a new report released by big data and predictive analytics provider IRA, South African shoppers buy more healthy and organic food than their European counterparts. At least 72 percent of South Africans say they prefer to buy organic food for their general well-being, while 64 percent of shoppers said the most important aspect of following a healthy diet was to consume more fruits and vegetables. It can be expected that if consumers are this meticulous about their food choices at home, they are just as conscious of healthy food choices when eating out.

Global sales of organic food products has reached

$55 billion.

The largest markets are the United States, Germany and France.

Urban organic fresh produce on demand WENSLEYDALE FARMS IS situated in Centurion, Gauteng and is an established organic grower.

The farm previously belonged to Sue Jackson, who is a pioneer of organic farming in South Africa.

Jackson and her late husband Tim ran the farm for 25 years, supplying produce to large retail stores. The farm was first certified organic in 2001. After her husband passed away, Jackson was ready to let the farm go but wanted to find a buyer who had the same vision for the business that she and her late husband did.

Magapa Phaweni took over the business in 2011 after a visit to China where she realised there was a huge demand for South African organic produce. Phaweni and Jackson clicked immediately and an agreement was reached for Sue to stay on as a consultant.

Wensleydale grows seasonal vegetables and prepacks fresh produce to be sold in bulk to shops, wholesalers and through its Wensleydale vegetable box scheme, if you have a smaller eatery.

The vegetables are grown on the farm exclusively under borehole irrigation.

Everything on the farm is certified organic.

Urban organic farming creates opportunities for rural farmers and Wensleydale works closely with a network of rural out-growers, offering training to support and upskill them.

In addition to its organically grown vegetables, Wensleydale also processes and sells a range of dehydrated certified organic herbs and vegetables such as dried carrot, dried red peppers, dried sweet potato, dehydrated aubergine and Swiss chard chips. These are specialised items that could make a great addition to a dish.

You can also source your dried goods like red lentils, chickpeas and flaxseed (integral to banting-friendly dishes) from Wensleydale.

The farm makes deliveries around Johannesburg three times per week or as requested.

Wensleydale Farms – www.wensleydale.co.za

“

Urban organic farming creates opportunities for rural farmers and Wensleydale works closely with a network of rural out-growers, offering training to support and upskill them”

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Fresh Produce

The beef about fed or free range

With so many consumers becoming increasingly health conscious, there is a strong trend towards traceability of the source and quality of the food we eat. Terms used to grade meat are very confusing and restaurant managers and buyers can easily get caught in the trap of buying meat that doesn’t actually comply with international standards. Wehmer Gutstadt of Culinary Table and Culinary Equipment in Gauteng unpacks the debate of fed or free range when it comes to sourcing meat.

T

here’s an opportunity for producers and retailers to direct consumers to their products using callous means.

The terms organic and ‘bio’ are bandied around and added to labels without understanding or complying with any standards.

The term ‘bio’ is an international term defining organic that transcends borders in Europe but is linked to a standard monitored by accredited organisations ensuring the consumer is protected.

I am the last person to want any form of protectionism or regulation, but having lived my entire life as organic and natural as possible, I have beef with what is happening in the meat industry. It is a well known fact the entire industry is controlled by a small number of feedlots, that have all the odds stacked in their favour. The grading of meat using the alphabet is a prime example.

Changing the system

“

to reflect a more equitable situation would require an enormous amount of research, which of course would have to be sponsored. The most likely source of this funding would be the very same meat feedlot conglomerates that benefit from the current skewed system.

In the interim, chaos rules. Terms such as organic, grass fed and free range are used to justify higher prices while they are not held to account for the production standards. While I am in favour of higher prices to the farmer, most of this profit ends up with large retailers that are exploiting the opportunity. However every cloud has a silver lining, and there is a massive increase of small to medium scale meat producers who benefit from the retail giant increasing the pricing of these products.

I grew up on a farm where animals were allowed to roam free and were never injected with any hormones, steroids or antibiotics. My grandfather even refused to dip the animals because egrets would end up dying as a consequence.

The whole point of naturally produced food is not to interfere in the production process, so feeding is counter productive, irrespective of the good or other intentions”

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June 2018 | Full Serv ce

He was actually arrested and jailed for his stubbornness. We slaughtered and processed beef, lamb and pork without the benefit of refrigeration or even electricity.

The latest terms used to describe meat are confusing to me so I can only imagine how confusing they are for restaurant managers and buyers. Here is what I understand of beef available to consumers.

COMMERCIAL FEEDLOT BEEF Basically anything goes. Young calves called weaners are raised by farmers until they reach 200 to 240kg live weight and are then supplied to feedlots where they are ‘encouraged’ to gain weight as fast and cost effectively as possible. The use of steroids, growth hormones and routine antibiotics are standard practice. The animals are fed rations made up of a myriad of ingredients, including sugars, starches and animal by products. In the large feedlots these animals are scientifically raised using exact procedures and dosages, and for the most part they conform to the usage instructions laid down by the manufacturers of steroids

Fresh Produce

(beta antagonists) and antibiotics. There is however a huge risk associated with consuming beef that was produced in a feedlot where these extremely strict guidelines are not adhered.

GRASS FEEDING The whole point of naturally produced food is not to interfere in the production process, so feeding is counter productive, irrespective of the good or other intentions. Limiting the movement of an animal and then feeding it bales of grass or other fodder defeats the purpose. By implication the animal is being fed. Consumers are told the animals are fed in order to continue conditioning them. However, usually the grass is baled with sugar based products added to the bale to encourage fermentation. Grass fed animals are also fed urea ostensibly to assist in digestion of the dry grasses or molasses licks to accelerate the ‘finishing’ or reaching the goal weight of the animal.

FREE RANGE This is highly contentious, because the term indicates the animal is allowed to roam freely in a large space with enough food to sustain the animal throughout the year. The question begs, is it acceptable to keep these animals in a pen for part of the day, while feeding them and then leaving the gate to the pen open for a number of hours supposedly to allow the animals the choice to exit and roam freely?

This is the route taken by retailers who register such practices as being their definition of free range. While it is acceptable to feed these animals bales of natural fodder when nature fails to produce enough food for the animal to survive the consumer must understand that producing animals free range does mean the fat and meat content of the carcass will change with the availability of grass and other fodder due to seasons. Because the animals would source natural elements such as salts and other natural minerals had they not been encamped, it is acceptable to supply salt licks to the animals.

FREE RANGE,

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? According to thebalancesmb.com free range refers to meat produced from animals that have access to outdoor spaces. Usually free range also stands for animals that have free access to graze of forage for food.

ORGANIC Pasture to Plate lists organic meat as coming from livestock that is grass fed on organic land as well as fed organic-approved grains. The livestock is not administered any antibiotics or supplements.

GRASS FED This is a very ambiguous term but self.com says grass fed is when the animal only ate grasses and forages, like hay, for the length of its life ever since it was weaned off its mother’s milk.

LAMB AND MUTTON With stock theft out of control and lamb being the most susceptible, farmers have designed intensive lamb production. Adhering to natural raising of the animals, they are penned from around 3pm to 10am, the high risk times for theft. While penned the lambs are fed hydroponically produced sprouts of barley, sorghum, rye and other fodder. While this process is entirely natural, should it be classified as free range production?

All I can recommend is that you speak to your butcher about how the product he is offering you is produced and ensure you are satisfied with: 1) The butcher’s answers to your questions regarding the source and rearing of the meat; 2) The butcher’s information about any preservatives used in the meat you are buying; 3) The final product of the meat you’re buying; and 4) The options that you’ve been offered.

Culinary Table near Lanseria Airport in Gauteng not only operates as a restaurant but also features a well stocked butchery. At the butchery you can find high quality free range meats, sourced directly from the farmer, bought whole and processed by its in-house butcher.

In line with its philosophy of creating food from scratch, Culinary Table frequently visits the farms it sources its meats from to ensure the best possible quality.

Culinary Table – www.culinarytable.co.za

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Fresh Produce

o rg a ni c a n d l o ca l

Consumers prefer

Buying local and organic produce for your restaurant and knowing exactly where it comes from provides you with a differentiating factor in the competitive restaurant industry. Nonkululeko Britton-Masekela, founder of Kula Organics discusses why her customers prefer this type of food.

When I got into farming using organic and permaculture methods, it wasn’t purely because of a passion for food production (not in the beginning anyway). It was because I loved the idea of knowing exactly where my food came from, which was my own backyard. The pride that came with harvesting the produce and being able to eat it right there is priceless.

I’ve since moved from growing solely for my household to supplying a growing network of like-minded individuals who take care about the environment and what they consume a step further. Given the demands of our urban lives, I’ve made things quite easy for them. They simply order online, pay using mobile banking and get their organically grown vegetables, eggs or honey delivered to their restaurant, with little effort. One of my customer’s comments: ‘I enjoyed your spinach. It was different. I had forgotten how real veggies taste like i-gmo isibulele (GMO is killing us)!’

I hear that often. While there are ardent consumers of all things ethical, for some it’s still not top of mind.

CONSUMERS WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM One of my customers is in Development Finance and says she recently made a shift into a more sustainable lifestyle with a mostly plant-based diet.

‘Whilst I was buying organic produce at the luxury chain retailer on a regular basis, I doubted the farming methods were purely organic. I also didn’t like all the plastic packaging, high transportation and storage costs that I was creating a market for. I work in development finance and believe in the principles of conscious capitalism, so I loved the idea of supporting small-scale local farmers, knowing the source of the produce you’re consuming is seasonal with minimal packaging and transportation,’ she commented.

THEY LIKE IT FRESH A friend of mine who owns another organic veg company passionately runs the streets of Johannesburg sourcing fresh produce from

local suppliers and supplying a discerning customer base.

She says, ‘I realise that while my customers really love the convenience that comes from having their produce delivered to them, what really sells them on this service is the ability to get clean, chemical-free produce. The goods also last longer than store-bought produce as it is harvested as fresh as possible before delivery.

A lot of small-scale farmers love farming differently to large-scale farmers who are using hundreds of hectares of land producing GMO crops just to make a profit.’

HELP CUT DOWN ON WASTAGE Most of my customers marvel at the excitement of having organic produce delivered to their doorsteps.

Deliveries help you cut down on food waste because knowing a delivery is coming makes you

use up the remaining veggies. Having to plan your menu around what’s seasonal makes you more creative in your cooking process and leads you to feature exciting new items on your menu.

IT’S IN THE TASTE For many consumers it’s about taste, health and accountability. Organically grown vegetables have unique textures, shapes and rich flavours.

You actually get to see what the plants look like when they have not been interfered with too much. By buying fresh produce from small farmers, you are contributing directly to an individual’s livelihood and supporting another local business. Furthermore you can rest assured that you have all the answers if customers question where the food on their plates comes from.

Kula Organics – www.kula.africa

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Technology & Software Solutions Having started just three years ago, the hospitality sector in South Africa has embraced TabletPOS with open arms. The company provides a simple yet effective POS system, fantastic after sales support and hospitality partnerships that make life much easier for the merchant.

Future-proof POS takes South Africa by storm WHAT SETS TABLETPOS apart from other companies in the SA POS market? It doesn’t charge for license fees annually and it is not rand/dollar dependent. The customer is billed in advance for use of the TabletPOS software monthly.

WHY MOBILE POS?

TabletPOS

Founder, Michael da Silva believes PC-based POS is old technology. Internationally the trend is to use mobile tablets to run your business. In fact, it has become the de facto standard. Da Silva says, ‘The move to tablets is logical and more cost effective. The old technology will work but it’s like buying a 2004 model car, it works for a while but the maintenance is high, not to mention the added burdens of viruses, malware and daily backups, this all adds up in the end.’

By running TabletPOS powered by iKentoo on an iOS device, such as an iPad, iPad mini, iPad Pro or iPhone, you are able to run a full-blown POS environment with all the technology sitting in the cloud. This makes your POS future-proof.

CHANGING THE MAINSTREAM CULTURE Da Silva says: ‘Our product offering is unique in many ways, power failures don’t affect us, backups are automatic, continuous and offsite, and hardware is reliable and state-of-the-art.’ With tableside ordering TabletPOS empowers the waiter to upsell while

Yoko

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they are processing the order. You also maintain control from anywhere in the world. For example, with the 15 percent VAT increase, the legacy-based POS companies required you to change the VAT yourself manually but TabletPOS was able to schedule it to happen after hours across its whole user base automatically. That’s the best part of cloud-based mobile POS.

HOSPITALITY PARTNERS TabletPOS has integrated with SnapScan and Zapper, empowering the consumer to pay their bills using their phones quickly and easily. The company has also integrated with Yoco, the fastest growing merchant banking solution in South Africa.

Yoco’s core mission is to empower entrepreneurs in Africa. The company does this by delivering smart technology that is able to accept payments and use the payment data to offer insights and automation to SMEs. By doing this Yoco helps entrepreneurs to get started, run and grow their businesses.

The partnership between TabletPOS and Yoco is especially beneficial to merchants in that you can apply, pay for and receive your device within 48 hours.

This integration empowers your waiters to receive payments tableside. Running around to fetch the speed point machine while customers get impatient is a thing of the past.

TabletPOS – www.tabletpos.co.za Yoco - www.yoco.co.za

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Technology & Software Solutions

‘no shows’ with online reservation software No more

Technology is moving at lightning speed and every industry is trying to keep up. The restaurant industry is no different. Today, restaurants are dealing with diners who want convenience and speed when it comes to making restaurant reservations. Reservation software that enables online bookings doesn’t just make life easier for the diner, it also has numerous benefits for the restaurant.

Online booking software, like the Dineplan app, usually sends an SMS and/or email to the diner once the booking is made to confirm their reservation details. Dineplan also sends a reminder SMS on the day of the diner’s booking asking them to reply ‘Confirm’ or ‘Cancel’ to automatically update their booking status.

How does that this feature translate into a benefit for the restaurant?

According to a recent article in The Guardian UK, statistics show that restaurant ‘no shows’, which used to make up five percent of bookings could now be as high as 15 percent on some nights.

Establishing this kind of communication channel with the diner means cancelling or confirming a restaurant

“

reservation is as simple as pushing a button. This reduces ‘no shows’ and eliminates reservation errors from staff. It will also reduce the restaurant’s phone bill as they won’t have to phone guests to reconfirm bookings.

BROKEN TELEPHONE By saving the restaurant management and the general staff time they are able to rather spend their time on core tasks.

If diners are trying to make a reservation for a meal via telephone, an unanswered phone can mean lost business. Let’s face it, it’s difficult to man a phone 24/7, especially during a busy lunch or dinner service. Using an online reservation system means you’ll never miss

If diners are trying to make a reservation for a meal via telephone, an unanswered phone can mean lost business”

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out on potential reservations and this improves guest service.

DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND Dineplan was launched in South Africa in 2011.

Today, more than 20 000 bookings are made across the South African Dineplan network every day, 30 percent of these are made online.

There are many benefits to using reservation software but Dineplan co-founder, Greg Whitfield believes the number one benefit is that any restaurant using Dineplan positions them well for the future and the ever-changing market.

‘Online booking forms a significant part to this as everyone and everything is moving online and restaurants simply have to offer instant online bookings if they are going to survive in the future,’ he explains. ‘The other significant area is building a database of their customers. Technology is advancing at such a rate, and to be able to benefit best from this you need data.’

Dineplan - www.dineplan.com

Technology & Software Solutions

Leading chefs unite to support

world’s most remote farmers Three of the world’s best chefs, Joan Roca, Eneko Atxa and Gaggan Anand, joined forces with Nicolas Mounard, chief executive of international NGO Farm Africa, to launch Chefs for Change, a movement that bridges the gap between two very different worlds: high-end cuisine and international development.

During the #50BestTalks the chefs spoke about how agriculture is the vital ingredient uniting the world’s best chefs and the planet’s most remote rural communities. They explained their motivation for collaborating with the NGOs Farm Africa and TechnoServe and founded Chefs for Change. They called on fellow élite chefs to join them as ambassadors for development projects that transform lives of rural food producers through sustainable farming.

Joan Roca, chef at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona in northern Spain, which has twice been ranked the number 1 restaurant in the world, says: ‘Chefs have a social responsibility to face the problems of poverty and hunger. More important than the product is the community behind it. Cook the world you want.’

Gaggan Anand, chef at Gaggan, which has been named number 1 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for four consecutive years, comments: ‘I am proud to help spearhead a movement that celebrates the power of agriculture to transform the lives of small-scale food producers, without whom my profession would be impossible.’

Eneko Atxa, chef at the Basque restaurant Azurmendi, at which diners inspect the homegrown produce in the rooftop vegetable garden before they eat, adds: ‘I consider myself a person before a chef. We have to work every day with responsibility. Behind the dish we can find incredible stories, and we have the responsibility to push these stories.’

Chefs joining Chefs for Change will each become an ambassador for a high-impact agricultural development project implemented

by Farm Africa and TechnoServe. The movement will follow the journeys of the chefs as they travel out of the kitchen and onto farms participating

Chefs for Change founders Gaggan Anand, Eneko Atxa, Joan Roca and Nicolas Mounard launch the new movement

in the projects in countries including Ethiopia, Tanzania, Peru, Honduras, India, Zambia and Benin. Each of the chefs will visit their projects and share the stories of the farmers they meet.

Chefs for Change will report annually on how the projects are contributing to achieving one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to end extreme poverty, hunger, inequality and injustice, and fix climate change by 2030. Since 2016, the Roca Brothers have been working with the United Nations Development Programme both in field programmes such as Food Africa and also raising awareness of the SDGs. ‘Now it’s time to unite as a global community of chefs and go further. With Chefs for Change we are not only telling stories, we are working to achieve a sustainable food system for today’s generations and generation to come,’ says Joan Roca.

William Drew, group editor at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, comments: ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is proud to support Farm Africa and the Chefs for Change initiative and

to provide a platform for the chefs involved through our #50BestTalks event to the chefs involved. Farm Africa has been the official charity of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for almost a decade and we truly believe in the fantastic work this organisation does in collaboration with increasing numbers of the world’s leading chefs.’

Nicolas Mounard, Farm Africa’s CEO, says, ‘The world is 85 years behind meeting our Sustainable Development Goals commitments. Chefs for Change can help change that. We need to step up our game. We need chefs’ help to move things forward and transform our world.’

William Warshauer, president and CEO of TechnoServe, adds: ‘TechnoServe is proud to partner with Farm Africa and these forward-thinking chefs to take the ‘farm-to-table’ story to a whole new level. With the majority of the world’s poor dependent on farming for an income, agriculture is the most important sector for reducing poverty worldwide.

We look forward to helping build the connections that will improve incomes, opportunities and the future for these hardworking men and women around the world.’

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Technology & Software Solutions

HACCP in a globalised world Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points or HACCP is used globally as a tool for protecting consumers against food, which could cause illness or injury. A digital HACCP management system has many proven benefits in comparison to an analogue system.

IN EXACTLY THE same way as news spreads all over the world in just a few minutes via the Internet and social media, a seemingly minor incident in an individual restaurant can develop into a serious food scandal overnight, threatening the image and turnover of the whole brand.

Digitisation also represents a great opportunity for quality managers in restaurant chains. Because, in just the same way that digital transmission of information is more efficient than analogue transmission, digital management of HACCP also offers more opportunities than risks. In particular classic, paper-based HACCP implementation has numerous disadvantages.

DISADVANTAGES OF ANALOGUE HACCP MANAGEMENT

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ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL HACCP MANAGEMENT A tablet is an integral part of this system.

Efficient text and image support enable the tablet to guide users through the relevant quality controls safely and reliably. If a reading does not meet the specification, the stored corrective action makes it clear straight away. Readings are transmitted directly to the cloud and can be accessed at any time.

“

Pen and paper are usually used to implement HACCP. This method carries an immense risk potential. Wherever people work, mistakes happen. Especially in organisations characterised by time and cost pressures. Here it quickly becomes the case that the toilet cleaning checklist for the whole week is filled out on one single day or readings that have been noted are illegible for colleagues on the next shift.

Every day of analogue HACCP implementation means ever growing mountains of paper, which is laborious and cost-intensive. In particular, it would make more sense to invest the time needed for analogue documentation in activities that add more value to the restaurant.

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It is almost impossible to ensure a prompt response and intervention when there is a problem.

In turn, that makes it more difficult for managers to ensure reliable compliance with QA standards.

In restaurant chains, there are numerous digital concepts already being used, however there is often no trace of these on the other side of the counter.

The greatest potential cost saving with a digital HACCP management system involves the automation of specific controls through permanently fitted sensors at critical points in your restaurant”

The greatest potential cost saving with a digital HACCP management system involves the automation of specific controls through permanently fitted sensors at critical points in your restaurant. The guided processes and checklists also make it possible to work through the additional quality controls more efficiently and with reduced amount of human error.

For example, a cooking oil tester determines the quality of cooking oil easily and reliably. To do this, the ‘Total polar materials’ (TPM) in the oil are measured and given as a percentage. A raised TPM value indicated oil, which is too old, which would produce bad quality deep fried goods. The oil can also contain substances, which present a risk to health. Regular measurement also prevents cooking oil from being replaced too soon.

The prime objective of a digital HACCP management system is to protect consumers against health risks. Prevention is therefore the most important factor. It must be ensured there is no chance of an emergency occurring in the first place.

The system must also be really easy to handle and quick to understand. Amongst other things, guided quality controls are fundamental in terms of staff satisfaction. Experienced employees are given a feeling of security during transition and new team members can be integrated easily. The system must provide highly efficient and reliable support for managers in the event of a problem.

The right answers should be available at the touch of a button when there are customer complaints and not buried in mountains of documents.

Testo – www.testo.com

Technology & Software Solutions

Franchising is an under-utilised growth strategy for SMMEs Every business owner wants their company to stand out from the competition and desires growth. However most small to medium enterprises, which restaurants are, just don’t have the capital to grow explosively. This is where franchising could be the solution.

Great Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) have differentiated companies. They rise from the soup of look-a-like companies because they do things differently. But they typically don’t have the capital to grow explosively. They are constrained by the fact that available cash has to fund growth, and growing beyond that rate is dangerous. So how to grow top and bottom lines in a capital-starved environment is the conundrum. Unless family or friendly money is available, even great ideas without huge balance sheets or assets to pledge as security will just not qualify for funding from traditional lenders.

According to Bendeta Gordon, CA(SA) and founder of Franchize Directions, too seldom is franchising considered an option to expand a business. If a successful entrepreneur has a great idea, which needs more capital and another good manager, franchising becomes a real possibility as a growth, financing and risk-reducing path.

The Brozin brothers of Nando’s fame are a great example of what’s possible. The brand is bigger than their wildest dreams and tens of thousands of people work for them either directly or indirectly.

WHAT IS FRANCHISING? This is a way some businesses choose to expand through a licensing relationship where the originator of a business (franchisor) grants a license to a third-party individual or company (franchisee) to offer products or services under their brand. The franchisor then offers the franchisee training and support throughout the process. Franchises are moderated and have to follow set business models, including the name and image of the franchisor. Although the franchisee is allowed to open and run the business, the franchise brand always belongs to the franchisor.

WHY SHOULD SMMES OR START-UP COMPANIES CONSIDER FRANCHISING? Compared to start-ups, franchises are a great option for would-be entrepreneurs as their marketability, profitability, financial viability, and systems are already in place, and they package the business formula for an independent third party to use. Simply put, the risk of failure is greatly reduced.

The corollary of course also holds. If you have a great concept that is proven, with established business rules, and don’t have the capital to own and grow as you would dream it – using the capital of new entrepreneurs seeking to emulate your success through franchising, is a great alternative.

‘We have been researching and tracking franchising for more than 20 years and, over the period, franchising has consistently proven itself to be an ideal business expansion mechanism that reduces new business risks, stimulates the economy and creates jobs,’ says Gordon.

Reasons why new entrepreneurs are keen to join franchises are important to any successful SMME thinking of using franchising as a growth finance model: • Franchises offer the independence of small business ownership supported by the benefits of a big business network • Franchises have a higher rate of success than start-up businesses. According to Gordon, eight in 10 franchises succeed • You may find it easier to secure finance for a franchise. It may cost less to buy a franchise than start your own business of the same type.

For the budding franchisor, the model also has advantages: • The franchisor creates strict business rules.

This means the value of the brand and the Intellectual Property (IP) of the SMME using franchising as a growth model can be protected

• The franchisee has to remit a monthly fee related to turnover to the franchisor which contributes to the franchisor’s advertising, research and other support costs and also to the bottom line • Franchisees fund the fixed and working capital costs of growth • Franchisees are usually only accepted if they have certain attributes and appropriate business experience – adding value to the collective.

WHAT APPETITE DO NEW SMMES HAVE FOR FRANCHISES IN A PERIOD OF SLOW GROWTH? ‘It is well acknowledged that a sluggish economy, an uncertain job market and retrenchments in big companies habitually trigger growth in franchising and innovation in franchising systems. In 2017, this is especially true of the franchise sector within the automotive aftermarket industry,’ says Gordon, ‘in good times other sectors are more buoyant.’

HOW MUCH ARE FRANCHISES CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS JOB CREATION? In South Africa the franchise sector is estimated to contribute over 11 percent to the country’s GDP and employs over 400 000 people.

‘For every job that is created by a franchise, there are one-and-a-half indirect jobs created in the form of the services the franchisees will use like shop fitters, electricians, and plumbers, among others,’ says Gordon.

That adds up to a whopping one million jobs both directly and indirectly.

Though the South African economy is under pressure, the outlook for the franchise industry, and therefore for SMMEs looking to franchise their businesses as a way of financing growth, is looking positive.

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Technology & Software Solutions

Attract diners with Taking the concept of eating with your eyes to the next level, the new Picdine smartphone app lets users post images of their meals at restaurants, essentially creating a digital visual menu for the restaurant.

W

e’ve heard the old adage we ‘eat with our eyes’, but in the age of social media the way a dish looks is more important than ever. According to a study conducted by global consumer intelligence firm Maru/Matchbox, 69 percent of millennials take a photo or even a video of food before eating.

These days you’ll be hard pressed to sit in a restaurant without catching the glint of iPhone flashes or, in some extreme cases, diners standing on their chairs to get a perfect aerial shot of their pasta puttanesca.

#FOODPHOTOGRAPHY As a regular diner himself and a social media and web design aficionado, Picdine founder Itayi Chimuka was all too familiar with this trend of amateur food photography.

He noticed a gap in the market for a social media app that would focus primarily on photos of restaurant meals.

Picdine brings together the visual aspect of a restaurant meal and a discovery function for diners to find great restaurants around them.

Chimuka explains: ‘A lot of restaurants are already active on Instagram but our research has shown the vast majority of images a restaurant is tagged in are not of the food but rather social photos of gatherings and selfies.’

While there are other apps out there that review and showcase the restaurant experience, Picdine puts the food front and centre. The app allows the user to post a photo of a meal, rate the meal and share a further comment on how the meal tasted and if it lived up to expectations.

“

Picdine brings together the visual aspect of a restaurant meal and a discovery function for diners to find great restaurants around them”

A WIN WIN FOR THE RESTAURANT Picdine is essentially a new marketing channel for restaurants to be seen by a targeted audience that consider themselves foodies and are looking for new, trendy restaurants to try. Chimuka explains that while consumers will use the consumer version of the Picdine app, restaurant owners and managers will use the Picdine Manager app,

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Itayi Chimuka, founder of the Picdine app

Technology & Software Solutions

#foodpics

which is specifically designed for restaurants.

The manager app allows restaurants to post professional photos of the meals they offer and describe them. These posts will appear on the restaurant’s profile for the public to see.

Essentially, the restaurant is creating a digital menu for potential customers. In addition, users of the Picdine Manager app are also able to see how many followers they have for their restaurant profile, and receive and respond to queries from customers via chat message. They can also respond to comments on users’ posts as the restaurant. Chimuka mentions the long term goal is to build on the manager app by adding analytics functionality, which will give restaurant owners deeper

insight into their customer base and an online reservation system.

The restaurant discovery feature of Picdine also has many benefits for restaurants. With this feature users look for restaurants nearest to where they are currently located. If a restaurant is listed on Picdine they become discoverable to users.

The other way restaurants can be discovered is through tags. Each post has tags related to the type of meal or the main ingredient of the meal.

For example, if a user is looking for waffles all the posts on Picdine featuring waffles will appear and the user will be able to see every restaurant serving waffles. The choice is theirs as to which waffles look the best to them.

Since Picdine’s inception in March this year, there are already 500 posts on the app. Restaurant owners pay a monthly subscription fee to get listed on the Picdine App. To list your eatery visit the Picdine website.

Picdine - www.picdine.com

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Technology & Software Solutions You don’t have to be a quickservice restaurant or have a large kitchen team to enjoy the value a restaurant kitchen display system brings. Ian Said of Ideal Software explains why restaurants of all types and sizes can benefit from the advantages that kitchen display systems offer.

The multiple benefits of a

kitchen display system Technology has become a driving force of innovation, motivating businesses in every industry to revamp their processes, streamline procedures and develop new ways to meet the needs of customers.

The restaurant industry is a prime example of how advances in technology have reshaped the way business is done and restaurants of all sizes are benefiting.

Some benefits of using a kitchen display system:

AUTOMATICALLY TRACK FULFILMENT TIME In the food industry, time is money and a successful restaurant manager must learn how to stay on top of an often hectic environment while ensuring customers are served in an efficient fashion. A kitchen display system automatically tracks how long your staff takes to fulfil an order from beginning to end. This will allow you to see which members of your team are the most efficient, what processes take up the most time, and what times of day may require a few more hands on deck.

STREAMLINE THE COOKING PROCESS Your cooks would probably prefer to be told they need to prepare 48 chicken

strips rather than they need to have six eight-piece orders ready. Unlike paper tickets, a kitchen display screen clearly lays everything out, providing staff with a big-picture view of what needs to happen and by whom. This saves your restaurant a significant amount of time while helping you avoid costly mistakes.

OPTIMISE KITCHEN EFFICIENCY During rush times, your staff may have a difficult time correctly prioritising orders. Some kitchen display screens give you the ability to automatically route different orders to different workstations. Additionally, some allow you to colour code tickets so they will change colours when they’re not fulfilled in the desired window of time. This will let your kitchen staff see which orders need to be completed first.

CUT DOWN ON WASTE As a restaurant owner or manager, food waste is likely the bane of your existence. Not only is it socially and environmentally irresponsible, but it’s also costly.

Making the transition to a kitchen display system from paper tickets will drastically reduce what you pay for paper, ink and other consumables. These little costs add up over time, and cutting them out will greatly improve your bottom line.

IMPROVE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION When items with different prep times are prepared at different stations simultaneously, it’s challenging to ensure everything is done at the same time. As a result, the quality of the meal can suffer, leading to customer complaints and wasted food. With a KDS, prep times can be synchronised to ensure everything is done at the same time, preserving product quality and cutting down ticket times.

No matter how big or small your restaurant, a kitchen display system will save you money, help you reduce waste and streamline your processes so you can meet the needs of your customers more effectively.

Ideal Software – www.idealsoftware.co.za

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SOUTH AFRICA’S LEADING INVESTMENT AND FINANCIAL MAGAZINE ECONOMY

THE ALTERNATIVE TO A STATE BANK

SPOTLIGHT

TSHABALALA REBALANCING SIM ON LAND: ‘I’M NOT YOUR PANICKED’ PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT

ENG LISH EDIT

FUND FOCUS

INVESTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE

FUND FOCUS

YOUR QUARTERLY REVIEW OF SA FUNDS JUNE 2018

KEEPING Gallo Getty Images

HOW CITIES CAN FIGHT POVERTY

ECONOMY

CALM

WHEN THE LET YOUMARKETS DOWN

STOCKS

WHY COMPANY MANAGEMENT MATTERS

ENGLIS H EDITION

FIND US AT: fin24.com/finweek

FIND US AT: fin24.com/finweek

ION

OUTLOOK

SPOTLIGHT

BEFORE YOU CAPPRE C’S SACKS: GIVE UP ON ‘BIG OPP ORTUNITIES THE JSE… IN FINTECH’ ENGL ISH EDIT ION

ECONOMY

GETTING SA OUT OF ITS LOWGROWTH TRAP FIND US AT: fin24.com/finweek

7 June - 20 June 2018 EVERY TWO WEEKS

RAMAPHORIA &

EVERY TWO WEEKS

YOUR

24 May - 6 June 2018

A PRO M O R F S P 14 TI

E D A R T O HOW T EXPERT 22126

cover story economy

EVERY TWO WEEKS

MONEY THE OUTLOOK FOR INTEREST RATES EXPECTATIONS FOR JOBS & GROWTH PREDICTING THE RAND IS THE JSE TOO EXPENSIVE?

N LIKE A+

S ON: NG E VIEW SHAR ROD SHIPPI GRIND ERGY VIVO EN IFE LONG4LR LIBSTA

21 June - 4 July 2018

YOUR PORTFOLIO YOUR GUIDE TO INVESTIN G

BEYOND SHARES

cover story economy

By Mariam Isa

26128

SCAM ALERT: WHEN MONEY IS TOO

EASY

here’s a good chance the economy’s pace of growth will surpass expectations if President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ambitious investment drive clocks up meaningful results – an outcome that’s seen as possible given the speed with which his administration has moved to clean out corruption and mismanagement at failing state-owned enterprises.

There's been consensus that his goal of persuading both foreign and domestic business to plough $100bn (about R1.2tr) into the economy over the next five years is wishful thinking, given that key structural policy reforms are being hampered by sparring factions within the ANC ahead of next year’s general election.

But the negative investment narrative appears to have turned positive, comments Kevin Cron, head of corporate, mergers & acquisitions and securities at Norton Rose Fulbright SA. Yet he does add: “A lot of people are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how things play out. The government is making the right noises but has to put its money where its mouth is.”

However, some analysts believe that the President judgment of many South Africans is clouded by the Cyril Ramaphosa decade of corruption, mismanagement and pessimism that permeated both business and consumer confidence while former President Jacob Zuma Only about a third of Ramaphosa’s was in charge.

9 771024 740005

IMPOSSIBLE SAA MAY BE NIGH WHY PRIVATISING

SA: R30.20 (incl. VAT) NAMIBIA: N$30.20

SA: R30.20 (incl. VAT) NAMIBIA: N$30.20

SA: R30.20 (incl. VAT) NAMIBIA: N$30.20

9 771024 740005

GETTING BACK TO A STORY OF GROWTH t

President Cyril Ramaphosa aims to attract over R1tr in investment into the economy over the next five years. Consumer confidence has surged since he was elected, but will strong economic growth follow?

2019, saying that domestic demand has been held back for so long, that there will be real momentum now that confidence has returned. “Everyone forgets that SA has been through a tough time with 10 years of minimal growth. There is no reason to doubt that growth won’t be quickly restored to between 2% and 3%,” she says.

“Are we likely to see any positive investment trend?

I think there’s a strong and compelling argument that that will be the case,” says Khan.

In a recent research note, Goldman Sachs predicted that the economy would grow by 2.4% this year, with “risks tilted to the upside” – market jargon that means it could be higher. “Taking as a baseline the magnitude of our forecast revision and our assumptions on the reform outlook, the market re-rating of growth expectations may be only halfway complete,” it said.

TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE OF

PAY-TV

Job creation

Nedbank economist Isaac Matshego believes that only about a third of Ramaphosa’s $100bn investment target is likely to be met over the coming five years, but that would be enough to build the economy’s production base and generate a multiplier effect that would boost growth back to the 5% pace seen between 2005 and 2007.

But that scenario hinges largely on the global environment. One important consideration to take into account is that the bulk of SA’s Higher growth manufactured products now go to Africa, Most think that the Treasury’s February Budget which means they are less affected by events in forecast for growth of 1.5% this year will be developed markets. investment target is likely to be met over exceeded. Finance minister Nhlanhla Nene said SA’s economy must grow by 2% for the the coming five years, but that would be in a recent interview on radio station 702 it was unemployment rate just to remain constant, enough to build the economy’s production base and generate a multiplier effect that likely to be closer to 2%, and some economists and a pace of between 4% and 5% would be would boost growth back to the 5% pace predict the rate of expansion will be higher than needed to make significant inroads into the seen between 2005 and 2007. the Reserve Bank’s latest estimate of 1.7% for unemployment rate of 26.7%, says Econometrix both 2018 and 2019. chief economist Azar Jammine.

Razia Khan, Standard Chartered Bank’s Even if the economy picks up steam, chief economist for Africa and the Middle East, businesses would likely wait for six months to a year also believes that this will be the case, even though before they began hiring again, he adds. He believes she warns that growth in the first quarter of this that what is even more important is the removal of year will have been very weak – and possibly even structural constraints to employment – which are the contract, after data showing that activity in both the lack of appropriate skills, poor labour relations, and a lack manufacturing and mining sectors subsided. of entrepreneurial spirit.

She expects growth of 2.2% this year and 2.9% in Tsitsi Hatendi-Matika, retail investment specialist

Gallo/Getty Images

$100bn

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Regulations & Legislation No matter what kind of food you’re serving or what kind of restaurant or catering service you have, it is imperative food is safe. Bridget Day of Food Focus unpacks the food safety rules and regulations you have to follow in your eatery.

Serve up safety every time PERHAPS YOU’RE RUNNING a five-star kitchen that churns out only the very best gourmet dishes, with a gourmet customer base to match. Maybe you run a catering unit in a large hospital where your patrons are patients that require healthy, nutritious meals. Their dietary requirements are precise but most importantly they require safe food.

The bottom line is this - it doesn’t matter what your kitchen looks like or who it serves, your food must always be safe.

The recent Listeriosis outbreak has made patrons more aware of food safety. Although they may not be ordering food safety as a side from your menu, they expect it to be served with every meal you prepare for them.

If the thought of a surprise visit from your local Environmental Health Officer is your worst nightmare, then you might want to find out what you need to do to stay on the right side of the law, ensuring your food is always served with confidence.

REGULATION 962

Listeria is a resilient bacterium.

The minimum hygiene requirements you must implement are covered by Regulation 962 of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act. This is a national law and therefore applies across every kind of food handling establishment, large or small, formal or informal.

In addition, there are usually municipal bylaws that you must implement. These often impact on the size of your kitchen, location of scullery and waste handling. Please make sure you contact your local municipality for these details.

It can survive in temperatures from 4°C up to 42°C.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? The regulation makes the person in charge of the establishment responsible for all requirements. If you are reading this, then it is probably you. It would be the most senior person on site who has the legal liability associated with infringements.

This person’s name will be on the Certificate of Acceptability that was issued by the municipality when the business was opened.

If don’t have the Certificate of Acceptability, or if the person whose name was on the documentation has since left the business, you need to re-apply at your local municipality.

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The person in charge must execute the following functions in relation to hygiene: • PESTS: Ensure effective measures are taken to eliminate flies, other insects, rodents or vermin on the food premises; • TRAINING: Ensure all staff are trained in food safety and the right way to handle food. Hand washing training is essential here; • WASTE MANAGEMENT: Ensure there is a regular refuse removal process from the food premises and provide the right kind of waste containers inside and outside to ensure waste does not create a public nuisance; • PERSONAL HYGIENE: Ensure the staff (and preferably anyone in the kitchen handling food) does not wear any jewellery or adornment that may come into contact with the food. This should go hand-in-hand with the provision of clean clothing for staff to ensure the food does not come into contact with street clothes. All hair should also be covered; • ILLNESS AND INJURY: As people can carry diseases that can be transmitted via food, you need to ensure that anyone who might be ill is not permitted to work with open food. It is up to you to monitor your staff and take the correct action.

Please note these are just some of the most important requirements to get you going.

Food Focus - www.foodfocus.co.za

Regulations & Legislation

Wise up

about the water you’re serving

South Africa’s drought conditions have prompted patrons in affected areas to rethink their water consumption in restaurants, bars and hotels. South African National Bottled Water Association executive director Charlotte Metcalf, highlights what the hospitality industry should know about bottled water and the alternatives.

Members of the South as ‘natural’, ‘spring’ or African National Bottled ‘mineral’ – are bottled from Water Association sustainable sources that are (SANBWA) bottle just over replenished over time.

80 percent of the water available through formal TAPPING INTO retail and hospitality MUNICIPAL WATER outlets in South Africa. The The remaining 10 percent standards to which they is categorised as prepared are required to bottle are water, and is bottled from amongst the most stringent the municipal system. worldwide.

These waters do have an When a country or impact on that system, region is experiencing a unless that system itself drought, as the Western has access to a sustainable Charlotte Metcalf, executive director of SANBWA Cape is at the moment, source. bottled water is the best option By the same token, the to put on the table and in hotel room fridges bench-top filling systems – many of which have provided water is defined as ‘natural water’ or found their way into hotels and restaurants as ‘water defined by origin’. well as caterers’ trucks – like prepared water, have This is because these waters are not sourced a major impact on the municipal system and do from the municipal supply. put it under increased pressure during times of South African legislation orders bottled water drought. (referred to as ‘packaged water’ in the legislation) This is because they tap – pun intended – into into three categories: the municipal supply, the very system everyone is • Natural waters - water obtained directly from a striving to protect. natural or drilled underground source Furthermore, these bench-top systems waste • Water defined by origin - including spring and a considerable amount of water when it comes mineral water to maintaining their hygiene and that of the • Prepared water - water sourced ‘from a tap’ bottles used. All told, putting a one-litre bottle that has undergone antimicrobial treatment as on the table probably takes close to three litres of well as treatment that alters the original physical water from the municipal system. Represented or chemical properties of the water. mathematically, that’s a 3:1 ratio. By contrast, bottled water production in South Africa has an SUSTAINABILITY OF SOURCE extremely low water footprint or ‘water usage’ About 70 percent of all bottled water in South value. The industry benchmark is 1.8:1 and there Africa is natural water while roughly 20 percent is are plants that achieve ratios of as low as 1.2:1 – spring or mineral water (water defined by origin).

1.4:1.

This means that 90 percent of the waters bottled Unfortunately, these bench-top refilling systems from South African water sources comes from do not comply with South African legislation for sources that are independent of the municipal packaged water, and there are health risks, which system and do not exacerbate the shortage of water those using them in a hospitality environment in that system. should consider.

Importantly, all SANBWA members bottling This is because these systems do not operate natural waters or waters defined by origin need in a clean room environment and secondary to prove the sustainability of the source before contamination from air, poorly sterilised containers they are granted membership. This means waters and handling is a given. As these systems mostly labelled with the SANBWA logo – and labelled claim to remove chlorine, the water they offer

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effectively has no defence against the growth of bacteria and other microbiological organisms.

WATER JUG VS WATER BOTTLE Maybe that’s not a problem in a restaurant, if you are guaranteed the bottle you ordered is filled to order, but what if it’s the first task of the day? And, who knows how long the bottles on the retail shelves have been standing there? Ideally, this category of water should be offered in a glass or jug, not a closed bottle system mimicking bottled water.

What many restaurateurs don’t know is in the absence of chlorine, they need to disclose data on shelf life, according to South African legislation.

GET REAL ABOUT RECYCLING Finally, if the system itself and the containers it is refilling are not properly cleaned and sterilised they quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria. In fact, the Grolsch-type closure – I can’t call it a seal because it is not regarded as one by law – is one of the worst offenders as that little rubber washer is notoriously difficult to sterilise.

The reusable ‘Grolsch’ bottle utilised by the bench-top systems does prevent PET going to landfill. But, plastic bottled water bottles aren’t the biggest culprits in the grander scheme of plastic litter. Bottled water comprises only 8.9 percent of the total beverage market in South Africa.

Rounding that percentage up, for every nine bottles of water purchased, there are 91 bottles of other packaged beverages bought.

SANBWA members must use bottles designed for recycling to minimise the impact of PET use.

They also contribute to recycling initiatives run by organisations such as PETCO. According to PETCO, 55 percent of PET used in South Africa is currently recycled.

Consumers are entitled to choice – bottled water itself exists as a packaged beverage alternative to the other packaged beverages on shelf. And, during a drought, provided the bottler is reputable and abides by South Africa’s legislation and SANBWA’s stringent standards, it helps ease pressure on the municipal system.

The message is clear: look for the SANBWA logo and support SANBWA bottlers.

SANBWA - www.sanbwa.org.za

Kitchen Equipment

THE KNIFE maketh the chef Food professionals worldwide will agree – the single most important kitchen element for a chef is a great quality knife. Realising the importance of having a good knife, one Johannesburg head chef partnered with Prestige Quality Housewares, a member of the Fackelmann group to bring the Füri Pro range of knives into his kitchen. One year on he notes his staff are passionate about their knives and have become more confident and competent chefs.

W

hat does a chef need to cook well?

According to a 2015 article in the Huffington Post a chef needs just three things: fresh ingredients; simple techniques; and a few high quality tools. However, it is the chef’s knives that come out on top as the single most important tools in any kitchen. A good, sharp knife means more control and less slippage when you cut – leading to safer and more consistent slices.

Indeed, Chef Andre Bezuidenhout, head chef of Aurelia’s restaurant at Emperors’ Palace in Johannesburg, knows exactly the importance of a really good chef’s knife. ‘A good, sharp knife makes you feel like a professional in the kitchen.

It grows your confidence as a chef but ultimately it ensures greater safety in the kitchen,’ he explains.

PROUD PARTNERS

“

Füri is made with Japanese high carbon stainless steel”

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Finding the need to equip his staff with great knives they could use everyday and be proud to use, Bezuidenhout entered into a partnership with Füri Pro, supplied

by Prestige Quality Housewares in South Africa. Says Bezuidenhout: ‘It was just a good fit at the right time. I was new to the restaurant, while Füri Pro had just started distributing in South Africa.’

Füri is an award-winning Australian brand made with Japanese high carbon stainless steel. It is the number one knife brand in its country of origin, as well as the knife of choice for chefs around the world.

What sets Füri apart from other knives on the market is its pioneering handle design. The iconic reverse wedge shape means the handle locks into the chef’s hand for a safer grip, which helps to reduce hand fatigue. The Füri Pro range exhibits superior cutting performance because all the knives’ cutting edges are set at an angle of 17 degrees. This allows the blade to maintain its sharpness for longer.

ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE BRAND Having used Füri Pro knives for more than a year Bezuidenhout and his sous chefs, Jade San and Percy Baloyi are enthusiastic about the brand. San says, ‘Having a good knife allows you to further develop your skills as a chef. I love using Füri Pro because the knives just glide through things.’

He elaborates while effortlessly julienning aubergine, carrots and peppers for a stir fry, ‘My favourite knife in the range is the Füri Pro East/West Santoku knife.’

It’s clear to see why San is so passionate about this knife. At 17 centimetres long, it combines unrelenting sharpness from the east with unmatched strength from the west. The knife is a cross between a western Cook’s Knife and an eastern Vegetable Chopper. Cutting is made even faster by the knife’s scalloped indentations,

Kitchen Equipment

Chef Percy Baloyi

in the blade, which reduce cutting friction.

Of the three chefs, Baloyi has been at Emperors’ Palace the longest, working his way up from a night shift steward to sous chef in the space of 11 years. He believes using the Füri Pro range has given him and the rest of the staff confidence in their cooking skills. ‘Having a full set of knives that are your own and you take pride in gives you a lot of confidence as a chef and it allows you to inspire each other in the kitchen.’

Baloyi’s favourite knife in the range is the 23-centimetre Füri Pro Chef ’s Knife. The sheer length of this knife gives the handler more leverage for large cutting jobs. It is known as the workhorse of the kitchen and is designed for effortless chopping and slicing of meats and

Chef Andre Bezuidenhout

quick and easy vegetable prep. Baloyi demonstrated the use of this knife by gliding through a medium rare beef roast, slicing through the succulent meat as though it were butter.

Bezuidenhout singles out the 23-centimetre Füri Pro Chef’s Bread Knife as one of the must-have items for the kitchen. Engineered with a longer blade perfect for tackling large loaves of bread and a uniquely designed blade edge with rounded serrations for easy slicing without tearing.

Bezuidenhout enthuses, ‘This knife is like a super-sizer! It’s made for pastries and bread but I even use it for slicing tough cuts of meat.’

The knife also features a twocentimetre non-serrated blade tip for puncturing extra hard crusts or making small slicing cuts. The scalloped indentations in all Füri blades reduce cutting friction. What also sets the Chef’s Bread Knife apart from most other serrated knives is that it can be sharpened using the Füri Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener.

The bench top unit sharpens blades in seconds, with six sharpening fingers, a sturdy handle and a hand guard.

STAY SHARP When it comes to longevity, the chefs are happy to note the Füri Pro range has a 25-year guarantee.

Bezuidenhout says he’s been using his favourite Füri Pro 23-centimetre Chef’s Knife for more than a year.

How do you keep your knives in tip top condition? Bezuidenhout gives these tips: • Do not put your professional knives in the dishwasher. ‘Running knives through the dishwasher changes the qualities of the metals in the knives and dulls them. Rather wash them by hand with washing liquid and warm water

“

Chef Jade San

Sharpen your knives once a week, preferably with the brand’s own knife sharpener”

– never boiling water,’ he says. Luckily Füri Pro knives also don’t have any grooves or designs on them where bacteria can get stuck.

• As far as possible use your knife for what it was made for. Use meat knives for meat, vegetable knives for vegetables.

• Sharpen your knives once a week, preferably with the brand’s own knife sharpener.

If you’re gradually upgrading your kitchen knives, Bezuidenhout says the one knife a kitchen cannot do without is a utility knife that can do everything. His favourite is the 20-centimetre Füri Pro Chef’s Knife. ‘This knife can do everything from cutting meat to slicing and dicing vegetables.

It’s the one knife I always have on hand,’ he concludes.

Prestige Quality Housewares – www.prestigehousewares.co.za

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Cooking with

style

For more information contact Prestige on 011 417 6600 info@prestigehw.co.za I www.prestigehousewares.co.za

Kitchen Equipment

Building culinary talent in South Africa

SA Chefs and the National Department of Tourism recognised that training young people for a career in hospitality could be a solution to South Africa’s high rate of youth unemployment. The entities have launched the National Youth Chefs Training Programme to put this concept into practice.

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT REMAINS one of the most pressing and persistent obstacles in South Africa. The current under 25 unemployment rate is sitting at 67.4 percent - the highest it has ever been. The South African Chef’s Association (SACA) together with the National Department of Tourism and the Expanded Public Works Programme, have been investing in skills development and job creation since 1974.

With this in mind, SACA entered into a unique partnership with the National Department of Tourism in 2011 to launch the National Youth Chefs Training Programme (NYCTP). Since its inception, 2 000 aspiring young chefs have completed the programme and 72 percent of those secured permanent employment.

The NYCTP is recognised globally for its positive impact and outcomes, and the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Elizabeth Thabethe, received the Ministerial Award in recognition of its achievements at the Global Summit of Women this year. ‘This award recognises the programme’s success in building strong business skills and leadership capabilities among the youth, particularly women,’ says Thabethe.

‘Youth employability is a priority for us as it not only builds the hospitality talent for the future, but it gives us the opportunity to invest in future leaders that will contribute to the South African economy,’ says Thomas Overbeck, general manager for SACA. ‘We believe that we can positively impact the employability of young people who have a passion for cookery through building skills and providing the platform for them to gain experience.’

Young people with no formal education are the most vulnerable and a lack of accredited skills and qualifications make it harder for them to secure employment. The NYCTP acts as proof of the real and measurable impact upskilling can have on South Africa’s young people by making it possible for them to train to be future chefs and culinary experts.

The dynamic programme is tailor made for South Africa and accredited by City and Guilds, the global leader in skills development and apprenticeship programmes. The most recent programme was inundated by 32 000 applications for just 400 places – clear evidence that hospitality skills are prized among South Africa’s youth.

“

Young people with no formal education are the most vulnerable and a lack of accredited skills and qualifications make it harder for them to secure employment”

The NYCTP’s 600 students each year are distributed over 24 different training schools and academies across the nine provinces. SACA issues the same learning material to all training schools, ensuring the same high standards and outcomes nationally. Students are recognised at a certificate level if they successfully complete their first year, obtain a diploma in the following year, and specialise in pastry in their third year.

‘Progress and promotion is rapid once students have qualified and we have seen some remarkable success stories,’ explains Hudson Masondo, project manager for NYCTP. ‘For example, 23-year-old Nosiphiwe Mbele, a graduate of the programme was given the opportunity to work in the USA for 12 months following her training at NYCTP. Not only did she receive invaluable experience, which led to her current employment, but upon returning to South Africa, she was able to buy her mother a house. This is testament to the high level of training the culinary students receive and the impact the programme is having on young lives,’ he adds.

Mbele says NYCTP has played a significant role in her life. ‘I was always passionate about cooking, but I was unable to attend cooking school because we just didn’t have the money. I was determined to change my family’s circumstances and seized the opportunity given to me. I am so grateful to SACA and the Department of Tourism for helping me achieve my life-long dream of becoming a chef.’

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Kitchen Equipment

“

Natural gas is the earth’s naturally produced combustible gas and is an effective and efficient energy resource”

Give gas a go in your kitchen

There is a great movement in the restaurant industry towards being more environmentally friendly. One of the best ways to do this in a restaurant kitchen is to use an environmentally friendly form of fuel for cooking. Using natural gas from Egoli gas in your cooking operations is better for the environment, but also has numerous other benefits that chefs will love.

Did you know gas stoves were first introduced in the 1850s, but it

took several decades for them to become popular.

Cooks were afraid they would blow up the stoves and themselves!

MOST CHEFS PREFER cooking with gas rather than electricity because of the enhanced control they have of cooking temperatures.

Natural gas is an environmentally friendly fossil fuel extracted from decomposed plant and animal matter found in rock, deep in the earth. Natural gas is the earth’s naturally produced combustible gas and is an effective and efficient energy resource. Egoli gas reticulates natural gas directly to your premises via an established, safe 1 200 kilometre underground gas network in Johannesburg. Natural gas is cost effective, environmentally friendly, instant and safe when used according to specifications.

COOKING WITH GAS Restaurant kitchens are high speed environments where a number of dishes have to be cooked, plated and served to the customer within minutes. Cooking with gas allows chefs to cook food faster. When you turn a gas burner on, you have immediate heat

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as opposed to waiting for a stove plate to gradually heat up. This also means lower emissions. With a gas stove you experience less wasted heat around the stove top. Chefs are also able to better control the cooking temperature. Most foods require a variety of heats to cook perfectly, not just one static temperature. With gas, when you make changes in the cooking temperature, by turning the flame higher or lower, the change occurs immediately. This ensures more accurate cooking temperatures. A gas stovetop burner offers even heat distribution over the entire burner to eliminate the possibility of scorching foods. In South Africa, restaurants have to consider the distinct possibility of power outages. However, when the electricity goes out, your gas flame will not die. Using gas in the kitchen takes the pressure off your generator, if you have one and if you don’t have one using gas in your kitchen means you’ll still be able to serve food to customers in the midst of a blackout.

Egoli gas – www.egoligas.co.za

WHY USE NATURAL PIPED GAS? Natural gas is cost effective, environmentally friendly, instant and safe Cooking with Natural Gas Many chefs prefer cooking with gas instead of electricity due to the enhanced control of cooking temperatures.

Egoli gas reticulates Natural gas directly to your premises via an established, safe 1 200km under-ground gas network in the Johannesburg area.

• Egoli gas does not “run out” • No bulky bottles or storage tanks required • No delivery problems,shortages or discrepancies in quality • Natural gas is lighter than air so its made up of mostly methane and releases less pollutants in the air.

Natural gas is cost effective, environmentally friendly, instant and safe when used according to specifications.

CONTACT EGOLI GAS Tel: 011 356 5000 Email: info@egoligas.co.za Web: www.egoligas.co.za

Kitchen Equipment

The natural wonder of wood Natural wood furniture is a big design trend for both home use and retail spaces. Homewood, based in the KZN Midlands, has been a manufacturer of solid wood furniture for over 15 years and everyone on its team is passionate about the beauty of wood.

One of Homewood’s unique furniture items being crafted

Homewood’s ‘smalls’ atop its two-seater table

KATH HECHTER OF Homewood explains the benefits of using wood furniture in your restaurant: ‘Wood is a renewable resource, meaning it’s ecofriendly. No other material beats wood’s strength per weight ratio and wood is a functional, high performance material that can last generations.’

‘Wood is also warm, natural and beautiful which breaks up the monotony of clinical architecture. It blends into any interior design theme because of its endless possibilities and uses.

Restaurants can be noisy environments but wood absorbs sound, thereby assisting in creating a pleasant ambiance.’

EVERY TREE TELLS A STORY Homewood customers receive absolutely unique items since each tree tells its own story and each plank of wood holds its own natural markings. In addition to the nature of the raw material, items are made to the highest standard, which produces a simply exceptional and special asset.

The company has a number of standard design ranges, which it can customise to suit each individual space. It also offers the freedom of fully customised pieces that will make your design dream a reality.

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In addition to its furniture, Homewood also designs and manufactures a wide range of ‘smalls’ which include chefs’ cutting boards and trays for serving food.

SERVED BEST ON WOOD Homewood crafts its wooden boards from hard woods that don’t scar easily and don’t have to be replaced as often as alternatives.

Hechter says wooden boards also help knives last because hard woods don’t dull blades as quickly as their alternatives.

One of the biggest current restaurant trends is serving and presenting food in novel and unusual ways. Wooden boards are being used to serve anything from burgers to deconstructed salads

to fish and chips. Hechter believes wood offers a more authentic and rustic option for serving food. ‘The experience of beautiful, artisanal food is accentuated by being served on handcrafted, natural wooden boards. However its is important to note when using wooden serving boards ensure they are properly sanitised after each use and are replaced if they get damaged in any way,’ she says.

Hechter explains the reason wood compliments food so much: ‘Wood is a multisensory organic material, which delivers a multisensory dining experience due to its comforting and familiar aroma. It is a good insulator and therefore keeps food warm for longer. But it is wood’s unique, nostalgic appeal that evokes happy memories in a social setting.’

Homewood’s designs extend from traditional favourites to contemporary classics, each bearing the distinctive Homewood look, which are straight, clean design lines. However its newest range, Imbiza, has introduced subtle curves into the company’s design portfolio.

Each piece Homewood creates, whether for indoor, outdoor or patio use, is unique and crafted by a skilled and passionate team. The team uses a variety of central African hardwoods such as black ofram, mahogany, blackwood and Rhodesian teak, as well as European white oak. These woods cover a large colour spectrum, have incredible grains and structural properties and are amongst the best furniture timbers available. The variety of these woods and their colouration is what gives Homewood’s furniture its distinct appeal. Wood is a living material, it moves, bends and twists, breathes and changes colour, and best of all it gives off amazing aromas.

Homewood sells directly from its showrooms in Kramerville, Gauteng; Waterfall Corner, Gauteng; Lynnwood Bridge, Gauteng; Piggly Wiggly, KZN Midlands and Umhlanga Ridge, KZN. Homewood also delivers countrywide as well as internationally.

Homewood – www.homewood.co.za

BRINGING BUMS BACK S E A T I N G

D U Z U

P A I N D A N E

A R M

C U R V E

K H U M B U L A

V I L A K A Z I

P A I N D A N E

B A X T E R

R A N G E

C A F É

W O V E N

B A C K

P A I N D A N E

S L I M

I M B I Z A

B A R S T O O L

KRAMERVILLE (JHB) | WATERFALL CORNER (JHB) | LYNNWOOD BRIDGE (PTA) UMHLANGA RIDGE (KZN) | PIGGLY WIGGLY (KZN)

www.homewood.co.za

Kitchen Equipment

g i b e v a S

with energy efficient solutions

One of the biggest costs in a restaurant is electricity. HVAC is responsible for most electricity usage, running large refrigerators and using stoves and ovens for most of the day. Not to mention the cost of keeping expensive lighting fixtures on for most of the day to set the restaurant’s mood. How can you save on electricity-associated costs without compromising on your restaurant’s quality?

U

pgrading your kitchen equipment to be more energy efficient will help in the short term while installing solar panels at your premises can be a long term goal that will yield great return on investment.

Alan Matthews, head of residential solar at Energy Partners explains: ‘Electricity is the third biggest item on restaurant owners’ cost line after rental and staff. Using energy efficient equipment in your establishment can result in 30 to 60 percent less electricity usage.’

Energy Partners started seven years ago when Eskom announced a 25 percent increase in

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electricity prices over a four-year period. Matthews says the company saw a gap in the market for residences and businesses that would be looking for a way to reduce their energy costs. Today, the company has as many energy efficient solutions as there are appliances that use electricity.

In addition to upgrading a restaurant’s facilities, Energy Partners will also track its clients’ energy usage via remote monitoring from its office in Cape Town. The company also offers guarantees on energy efficiency.

When it comes to costly lighting in a restaurant, Matthews suggests a smart control system, which

is motion and daylight sensing so that lights are only used when needed.

BENEFITS FOR BUSINESS The truth is many restaurant owners are small business owners, having opened just one establishment or a franchise, meaning kitting out a new store with energy efficient equipment and smart control systems can be extremely costly. Matthews knows that realistically it can be tempting to buy the cheapest equipment just to get the restaurant up and running, however it could end up costing more in the long run. This is

Kitchen Equipment

A large refrigerator for cakes

Alan Matthews, head of residential solar at Energy Partners

“

Restaurant owners can pay installments rather than a once off fee”

one of the reasons why Energy Partners offers its products on a financed basis. Restaurant owners can pay instalments rather than a once off fee. But the truly amazing thing about upgrading to an energy efficient restaurant is the monthly savings can actually offset the cost of your instalments.

Energy Partners is registered with the National Credit Payment Plan.

SOLAR SAVINGS The long term solution to being energy efficient is installing a solar power system at your premises.

Matthews advises that if the restaurant owner is leasing the property they need to have an agreement in place with their landlord. A solar power system can have incredible cost savings

benefits as you’ll be able to function completely off the grid. If you are the property owner the solar power system will greatly increase the value of your property. Yet, even with its solar power systems Energy Partners has considered small business owners and also offers its systems on a leasing basis.

Becoming an energy efficient business helps the environment and also has huge cost saving benefits. In addition to this, VAT-registered businesses that install solar PV systems can already deduct 14 percent of the total cost of a new system. In addition, section 12B of Income Tax Act allows business owners to deduct 100 percent of the value of new PV systems as a depreciation expense from their business income tax in the first year. The National Treasury has stated that

Restaurants use a lot of electricity in their lighting systems

this allowance is part of its initiative to encourage investment in cleaner energy forms, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to broaden the country’s energy sources.

If you’re even just curious about energy efficiency in your restaurant Energy Partners does an obligation free quote. All you need to supply is a recent electricity bill and some basic information about energy usage in your business. From there the company puts together an indicative proposal with costing as well as your proposed energy savings. If you’re interested they will then arrange to do an on-site assessment.

Energy Partners has offices in Cape Town and Centurion as well as an operations office in Durban. Depending on the size of the project, Matthews says they are willing to travel to outlying areas.

Energy Partners - www.energypartners.co.za Full Serv ce | June 2018

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Back Office

What to expect in the August edition of Full Service We hope you enjoyed this launch issue of Full Service and found it useful. We have lots more to share with you.

Have a look at the awesome features coming up in the next edition.

BAR MANAGEMENT Adding a full bar to your restaurant can substantially increase your revenue since profit margins on beverages are higher than food. Alcohol sales, especially cocktails, have a cost-of-goods-sold of about 20 percent.

Ingredients that cost R20 can be sold for R100. Yet while this may seem a sure fire path to success, one also needs to institute stellar bar management to truly see the fruits of their labour. In this edition we look at products that can help you run a successful bar, from a great POS system to training programmes, digital tot measures and technology that can help you save on costs while maximising your profits. We also bring you the latest trends on bar design and look at what consumers are drinking.

INGREDIENTS Food is such a fluid landscape, one minute an ingredient is ‘in’, the next it’s never to be heard from again. That’s why we’re exploring the latest trends in eating. Middle Eastern and North African food is a big trend right now. Consumers want the world on a plate and you’ll need the spices and regional vegetables to give it them.

Banting and low-carb are also very popular at the moment and not offering a few of these options on your menu is a missed opportunity. It’s all well and good to leave something off the plate but consumers want a healthy substitution. That’s where specialist ingredients like coconut flour,

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xylitol and flaxseeds come in. Dairy-free and vegan is growing in popularity. Are you equipped with ingredients like almond and coconut milk, dairy-free ice-cream and vegan cheese for this widening consumer base? No need to fear this brave new world of ingredients we’ll bring you all the information you need on where to find them.

FINANCE There is a lot of creativity and passion that goes into the restaurant business but at the end of that day it is still a business. In this edition we bring you information on business insurance, financial planning, franchising opportunities, credit facilities and more.

SAFETY AND HYGIENE Food safety is absolutely key in the restaurant business. If South Africa’s recent listeria outbreak has taught us anything it’s that hygiene and best practice is integral. Consumers have also become much more cautious following the outbreak. In this edition we look at safety and hygiene methods you can use on-site as well as what to look for when choosing a supplier. We also touch on the responsibilities and liability the restaurant industry has when safety and hygiene issues do arise. We bring you information on personal protection wear, cleaning implements, products and suppliers, pest control and lots of tips on how to improve your restaurant’s safety and hygiene.

To advertise in

Checkers Food Services......................................Outside back cover Culinary Equipment Company.........................................................5 Egoli Gas............................................................................................37 The Flavour Lab.......................................................Inside Back Cover Food Focus........................................................................................29 Fresh Press Company..................................................................... 13 Jonsson Workwear.......................................................................... 16 Homewood........................................................................................39 Mercantile Bank......................................................Inside Front Cover Prestige Quality Homewares.......................Outside Front Cover; 34 South African National Bottled Water Association (SANBWA).....31 Tablet POS and Yoco....................................................................... 19

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June 2018 | Full Serv ce

Contact

CHARLENE GONCALVES Tel +27 82 873 2687 charlene.goncalves@newmediapub.co.za

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